things my host family doesn´t understand about me

So I´ve been with my permanent family for a month now, and it´s really going quite well... However, there are still some definite cultural differnces that we face. For example...

- Coffee. It is literally inconceivable to them that someone would ever prefer tea to coffee (and by coffee, I mean instant coffee). Even the 2yr old in my family drinks coffee at least 2x a day... I. am. strange.
- At most meals, I am the only one using a fork. Literally all table manners I have learned in my life go out the door here-- fingers and tortillas are the utensils of choice... and never fear if you are talking with your mouth full...
- Mayonaise. There are many reasons I am clearly not Guatemalteca, and my hatred of mayo has to be near the top of the list. It´s kind of frustrating, bc I do my very best to eat (or at least try) everything they give me (including chicken feet soup, stew with fish heads in it, and chicharones)- but I always put my foot down and abstain when something is slathered in mayo... and THAT makes me a picky eater. Hah.
- My toothbrush. It´s electric, so they call it the abejita (little bee), and I also time myself for 2 mins each time I brush my teeth (2x a day)-- and all of the above is strange to them. (Note: Pretty much all my sisters who are my age have lost at least 1 tooth to sugar decay... yeah, I´ll be keeping my funny toothbrush, thanks)
- I´m 22 and not married. All of my sisters had at least 1 child by the time they were 22. Better get on that...
- I drink agua pura... Without adding sugar... In relatively large quantities... Every day. Freak.
- Fleas bother me, and make me worried, and I actively try to prevent them. This is just somehow really foreign to them... which is really frustrating to me. Working on my one-day-at-a-time philosophy on this one.


So yeah... thought you all might enjoy a little glimpse of family-life here-- it´s really great fun living with 8 other people, and sometimes you just have to laugh when you´re the only one washing her hands and using a fork.

bendiciones, juli