Marta y Ariel

The biggest questions I get is "what is your host family like," so I figured it was time to tell you a little about my host family: Marta and Ariel.

Ariel is a cute little old man. He was a PK (pastor's kid) growing up. Most of the time I can't understand what he is saying but he loves a good joke and he and Marta spend a lot of time poking fun at each other over the sweets they both love to eat.  It is amazing that after 50 years of marriage Marta and Ariel still practically flirt with each other and poke fun at each other. Ariel spends a lot of time driving around Argentina for work. He does something with technology and communication with buses and stuff, but thats all I understood of what he does. When he was gone this week, you could tell that Marta was not as happy as she normally is. I think she was lonely without him. Needless to say, she was glad when he returned.

Marta is about 80 years old and was a PK growing up in Uruguay. She moved many times between Uruguay and Argentina, and even spent a year living in CT, where she learned English. She loves getting into a good debate, the most memorable being with Christa in which they argued about whether Walmart is good or bad. Marta won the debate (she was saying that everyone wants cheap stuff and Walmart is no worse than any other big chain store). She is not a fan of cooking, but is a good cook. I have very much enjoyed almost all the meals she's prepared. She spends most of the day playing solitaire and watching tv. Whenever Big Bang Theory comes on she calls me in because she knows I love that show!

Watching Marta and Ariel laugh and talk (even if I dont understand what they are saying) is one of the best parts about my home stay. You can tell that they love each other so much and still have so much to talk about after 50 years.

I also really enjoy when their granddaughters come over. One is 6 and she comes over on most weekdays to watch cartoons with Marta and when I am home she sometimes comes into my room and stares at me while twirling back and forth in her little skirts. I try to talk to her but she usually doesnt respond. The other granddaughter who I've met, Sophia, is thirteenish. She is hilarious! She joins along in the fun of joking around with Marta and Ariel. She also is dramatic about everything on purpose just to make a scene: today her leg was bleeding (by like scratching a scab) so Marta and Sophia left the table to get a bandaid. Sophia came back to the table pretending she couldn't walk and that she was wounded. She also tries to talk to me when I'm over which is nice. :-)

I have been blessed by a patient family, who is always willing to help me with my grammar or with hw. I feel like a lot of the times my conversations with friends here will start with "Today Marta..." and end with "...Oh Marta!" However, sometimes it feels like conversation is forced with my host family and sometimes I just don't know what to talk to them about so we sit in silence. Other times its great and I spend like an hour just chatting with Marta: her favorite topic is trying to figure out which of my guy friends is my boyfriend, even though I've told her I don't have one (I showed her pictures of my friends on one of my first days here). Whenever I mention one of them she asks "oh is THAT your boyfriend?!?!?" Oh Marta!