July 10 (day 12)

It has been five days since I first arrived at my homestay. The days go by slow here. You sleep little and during the day we usually just go to the beach making the days long.

So far my family has turned out to be fairly nice. Mari-Carmen turned out to be an amazing cook. Every day she prepares traditional Velencian meals for us that just seem to melt in your mouth.

I am trying really hard to get used to their culture and family routines, which turns out to be far more different than I had imagined. A big change, for example, is the frequency and quantities at which they eat.

No matter the time in which you went to sleep the night before, the entire family is up by 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. This when we have breakfast, which is very small consisting of only juice or milk and cereal or "ensaïmadas" or other Spanish baguettes. At noon we have "el almuerzo" which is where we eat a "bocadillo" (aka "bocatta"). A bocadillo is similar to a sub sandwhich which typically has jamón serrano (a type of ham) and/or queso manchego (a type of cheese). Later at around 3:00 p.m. is the time of "la comida" which is a good hearty meal. After, at about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. is the time to have a "merienda" or snack. Here, we usually eat Spanish baguette-like foods with Horchata Valenciana, which is that sweet, milky drink I mentioned before. Finally at 10:00 or 11:00 is when we eat dinner, or "cena", which is another hearty meal.

In terms of food, I have plenty. When I told them that back home we have three meals instead of five, they laughed. Its funny how what I think is strange can be turned the other way around in different eyes. I also think I lucked out in Mari-Carmen as a host mom because her cooking is exquisite. I am noticing how important they value food and meal time. It is a time to get together and share with the family and put on hold everything they would currently be doing.