Touchy subjects

I'm feeling much better now, as I'm sure you noticed that I failed to mention in the last post. I'm not 100% quite yet (as my 7th grade Social Studies teacher Mr. Kennel used to say. Shout out Mr. Kennel! An avid reader I'm sure) but I'm on my way.

I may milk the "eeehh...not fantastic" factor a couple days longer to keep my portion sizes down at lunch and dinner. Shhhh. That's our secret.

But truly, my host family, especially sister and Mom, were so extremely helpful through the whole thing, making sure I drank water and took my medicine and ate chicken soup, that I feel a little more like a part of this family.

And, I've discovered some more things about them:

Even in dire circumstances, they don't like to directly state any problems you may have with bodily functions. Is this a cultural thing, a family thing, a personal thing...? I don't know. I'm pretty sure I remember the Colombian couple I stayed with during my last sickness just coming right out with it.

But apparently "Estas ocupada?" literally, "Are you busy?", can also mean "Do you have diarrhea?" There was also several euphemisms for throwing up which I don't remember. But that one could be pantomimed a little easier....as you can imagine. They should write a handbook, seriously, because when I didn't understand my host mom just repeated it and looked concerned until I somehow got the drift.

I'm afraid I broke these unspoken rules every time and just used "diarrhea" and "vomitear." I wasn't really in a very learny mood at the time.

My family in the states ain't quite so delicate. Although, we do draw the line at hearing about my grandmother's bowel movements over a good meatloaf.

Off to dinner with you then!

PS Above is a pic I took near my house, across from the Starbucks.