Life with the Pacheco Maflas and a trip to the beach.

The Pacheco - Maflas: A character sketch

Germania Mafla - Mother. Yoga instructor and natural therapist. A very good cook. Speaks very Ecuadorian, everything is cafecito and pancito. Loves evening soap operas and singing.

Nelson Pacheco - Fatber. Former electircal engineer, now a full time yoga instructor and natural therapist. Resembles my real dad in the sense that he pretty much knows everything about everything. We talk a lot about world economics and all things Ecuador-weather, people, language, social norms, etc.

Leonel - Brother. 15. Makes funny faces. Goes to school about an hour away. I think he picks up on my awkwardness more than the other members of the family. Really likes sports.

Yan - Brother. 25. Lives in an apartment with friends. Likes a lot of the same music as I do. Always very busy teaching pilates, yoga, and writing his thesis. Sometimes comes home for lunch. Don´t see him very often.

Rahel - Sister. 20. Currently studying in Costa Rica (where Nelson´s mother is from.) She may come home for a while on 15 Dec, so I will get to meet her. Germania thinks we will get along really well.

Jordy - Brother. 18. Currently studying in England. He left the day I arrived. I don´t know anything about him.

We spend the most time together during lunch. In the evening, everyone is usually off teaching yoga, grocery shopping, or enjoying telenovelas (soap operas.) On Sunday I go to Parque Metropolitano with Nelson to do yoga and capoira. Also on Sunday afternoons we watch movies together. This is more or less the extent of our hanging out as of now.

All in all, everything is super chévere with the Pacheco Maflas.

This weekend, as I had alluded to in my previous blog, there was a slight chance of me going to Colombia with Germania and Nelson, however, the HECUA program director had some worries, especially since we were traveling by bus.

Instead, I´m going to the beach with some other students! The whole country has Friday off for Fiestas de Guayaquil, so it sounds like we´ll be leaving on Thursday and coming back on Monday. I´m hoping hoping hoping it won´t rain...