Margarita: my host mom.  She and I are getting along really well these days.  We have long conversations about a large variety of topics, ranging from her asking me questions about why I don’t drink more, to discussing her favorite cities as a child.  Today she made a point after lunch that her son (more details in a minute) was not trying to “date” me, in case I was unclear about his intentions.

Olga: my 18 year old host sister.  She was around a lot in the beginning, and now she is MIA most of the time.  Interesting fashion sense, can’t quite put my finger on a word to describe it, but a sweet girl though, really.  She knows more English than the others and sometimes she asks me to practice with her.  It’s nice for me because I get a break from thinking in Spanish, so I often oblige.

Pablo: my 15 year old host brother who, according to his mother, “does not have romantic feelings for me.”  Supposedly the other night it appeared to Margarita that Pablo was “flirting” with me at dinner… even though we were just laughing at a commercial and discussing some mean girl he works with.  Oh Pablo.

Ciego: my host cat, one of three.  My new shadow.  This cat literally has taken to following me everywhere I go inside the apartment.  He will sit by my chair at lunch and dinner while I eat, and when I am done and heading back to my room, he enjoys following me, and then jumps up onto my bed to snooze while I work on homework at my desk.  The other cats seem to know that my room is now Ciego’s territory, so they only come see me when I’m around the apartment.

Also, I bought a package of cookies for 0.69 euros, or about $1, and I cannot stop eating them… I hide the package in my socks drawer because I don’t want Margarita to think she’s starving me.  Her solution will be to pile more food on my plate at meals, and I can’t eat more than what she already gives me.  But I have been trying lots of new foods, and eating more vegetables than I would EVERRRR eat at home, so I guess you could say I am making progress, right?!