Things My Amazing Host Mom Has Said

My host mom is incredible and I like her a lot, so if it sounds like I'm making fun of her here, I swear it's out of love!

She is a very tiny, very shy woman--so shy that she is afraid to go to the market because that would require talking to people she doesn't know in order to find out how much things cost. She is also very afraid of tall people--one of my first nights at site, she out of nowhere told me: "I'm glad that you are not any taller, because then I would be very afraid of you."

I now also know that this fear of other peoples' heights includes her nephew, who is really only about 5'8", but since she herself is only about 5 feet and 90 lbs, I suppose by comparison he is relatively tall. If my brothers visit, however, she might actually hide.

Pictured: My host mom and her niece on Christmas Eve

Being that she is so shy, she doesn't talk much, but we seem to have established a relationship--she has said several times that she will miss me when I leave. Maybe this is why I also get to hear some unexpected utterances out of this otherwise very timid person. For example, her opinions on love and her husband. One night she was telling me that if I decide to marry a Peruvian man, he had better be someone from Trujillo who has a job. She explained that her husband's family owns a lot of land, but that's not the same as having a job.

"My aunt was very angry when I married my husband, but I was in love! What can you do? But... that was before he got diabetes and lost his leg... So you never know, it's better that he at least has a job."

She'd also love to visit other places in Peru or other countries: "I want to travel more, but I guess I have to wait until my husband dies!"

I'm not sure that any of that means she no longer loves him--she's just unexpectedly very blunt and maybe overly realistic.

As far as how I am supposed to meet this Trujillan with a job--dancing and perfume are apparently key. Her 9-year old niece once gave me a sample size vial of perfume (she had randomly asked me if I had any and was horrified when I said no). When I told my host mom about this: "Now you have to wear it when you go out in Trujillo, *ch ch ch* (mimes putting perfume on her neck and wrists). And then you will dance and all the boys will like you!" But of course, she added, "You have to ask him if he has a good job."

Overall, she's wonderful and I love her to death and I want you all to meet her--you just might have to slouch a little :)