Meeting the aunts
I finally read your email. Wow, you really were having a rough morning yesterday. I'm glad you are feeling better now. Yesterday was an interesting day for Alejandro's birthday. We ended up spending the evening in his home. It turns out his mom had planned a mass for her parents at the local church and invited all of her sisters and family. After, she, her sisters (3 of them), a brother in law, and a nephew returned to Alex's home. Then all of them, Alex, his sister, his dad and I sat around talking and later we ate some of his birthday cake. The first aunt that walked in the door wasted no time to stay, "Uay, ya subiste el peso!" Which means, Wow, you've gained some weight! I thought to myself, good lord, this must be a critical woman! A few minutes later another Aunt said, "Parece que bajaste peso, Alex." Which means, it looks like you lost weight, Alex. Then the other aunt chimes in to say that it looks like he gained weight. Poor Alex. Thank goodness they dropped the subject after awhile.
Then later, I was the luck one to sit in front of his oldest Aunt (the one who said he looked like he lost weight) only to be stared at for the rest of the evening. Every now and then I would look back over to see if she was still looking at me, and she was. So then the next time I looked over I just smiled a goofy smile to throw her off guard. She smiled back. After awhile I just accepted that she wanted to stare at me, and that it was probably harmless.
As the visit progressed, we ended up talking about a variety of things, including how light or diet products are really a rip off by the company that makes them. For the rest of the night, all of the food was jokingly referred to as the light version. Then one of his aunts told me that I look like the German girlfriend of her son who studies in the States. I said that I'm not German, explained where I'm from (with the confirmation that I'm not from Miami, because if you say you are from Florida, they generally think Miami).
It was kind of interesting to see how the sisters interacted. I think their family is more conservative in someways than ours and some of the aunts are a bit critical. Despite the fact, they seem like good people. Perhaps it because they were raised a little differently. From what I understand, there were some problems (perhaps financial) with the parents of Alex's mom and at one point some of the girls had to go to live with aunts and uncles. Alex's mom was one of them and from what I understand she lived all of her life with them. I could understand how this sort of experience could influence one's behaviors and think it may be reflected in the behaviors of the Ruiz del Hoyo women.
Despite this influence on Alex's mom and her conservative outlook, things between she and I have been going quite well. As you know, I originally had some fears about the things Alejandro said about his mom. She, as many women here have the concept that American woman are white Anglo Saxon, light hair, light eyes light skin (don't look like me, in fact, they don't realize the diversity in our country and many people don't realize how large our African American, Asian and other populations are. I have an African American friend here and she says that no one believes her when she says she is from New Jersey, they say that she has to be from Cuba) and love to party and have wild sex and don't have serious relationships. I think this stereotype scared Alejandro's mom when she found out he had an North American girlfriend.
Since I've been around, I think I may have proved her stereotype wrong, and she has proved me wrong that she is not as critical as I expected (but still is quite conservative). She even told me yesterday that she is going to miss me when I go home for Christmas because she enjoys having me around her house. It really surprised me to hear her say that, but I sure was happy to hear it. I mentioned that I talked with you yesterday and that you were saying how much you missed me and wanted me to come home. She understood completely.
I also had the chance to talk more with Alejandro's sister, Berenice last night. She quite a riot. I think she is half tom boy, but still feminine. She is studying at the vet school here and likes to be around animals, doing the rough stuff. She also played basketball in high school and she said she was never really good, and I laughed and said, "me either." I went on to mention that even though I wasn't good I still had fun.
All in all things are going quite well with my integration into the Barrera Ruiz family (the people here use both last names, the first last name is from the father, the second of from the mother). The only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that they still don't know I am a vegetarian. Last night she offered me tacos with chicken and this other pie with meat, and I had to say I was still full from lunch. Being a vegetarian here is almost nonexistent, and many people don't understand (however, I did meet a girl on the field trip last Friday who is from here and is vegetarian, her father is too). Hopefully they will with time.
Well, I am going to go back to the Gaber Aristi or just Aristi (Anita is separated from her husband and the women here generally keep their maiden names) and hopefully not dig shreds of meat out of my lunch.
Love and miss you.
June
Then later, I was the luck one to sit in front of his oldest Aunt (the one who said he looked like he lost weight) only to be stared at for the rest of the evening. Every now and then I would look back over to see if she was still looking at me, and she was. So then the next time I looked over I just smiled a goofy smile to throw her off guard. She smiled back. After awhile I just accepted that she wanted to stare at me, and that it was probably harmless.
As the visit progressed, we ended up talking about a variety of things, including how light or diet products are really a rip off by the company that makes them. For the rest of the night, all of the food was jokingly referred to as the light version. Then one of his aunts told me that I look like the German girlfriend of her son who studies in the States. I said that I'm not German, explained where I'm from (with the confirmation that I'm not from Miami, because if you say you are from Florida, they generally think Miami).
It was kind of interesting to see how the sisters interacted. I think their family is more conservative in someways than ours and some of the aunts are a bit critical. Despite the fact, they seem like good people. Perhaps it because they were raised a little differently. From what I understand, there were some problems (perhaps financial) with the parents of Alex's mom and at one point some of the girls had to go to live with aunts and uncles. Alex's mom was one of them and from what I understand she lived all of her life with them. I could understand how this sort of experience could influence one's behaviors and think it may be reflected in the behaviors of the Ruiz del Hoyo women.
Despite this influence on Alex's mom and her conservative outlook, things between she and I have been going quite well. As you know, I originally had some fears about the things Alejandro said about his mom. She, as many women here have the concept that American woman are white Anglo Saxon, light hair, light eyes light skin (don't look like me, in fact, they don't realize the diversity in our country and many people don't realize how large our African American, Asian and other populations are. I have an African American friend here and she says that no one believes her when she says she is from New Jersey, they say that she has to be from Cuba) and love to party and have wild sex and don't have serious relationships. I think this stereotype scared Alejandro's mom when she found out he had an North American girlfriend.
Since I've been around, I think I may have proved her stereotype wrong, and she has proved me wrong that she is not as critical as I expected (but still is quite conservative). She even told me yesterday that she is going to miss me when I go home for Christmas because she enjoys having me around her house. It really surprised me to hear her say that, but I sure was happy to hear it. I mentioned that I talked with you yesterday and that you were saying how much you missed me and wanted me to come home. She understood completely.
I also had the chance to talk more with Alejandro's sister, Berenice last night. She quite a riot. I think she is half tom boy, but still feminine. She is studying at the vet school here and likes to be around animals, doing the rough stuff. She also played basketball in high school and she said she was never really good, and I laughed and said, "me either." I went on to mention that even though I wasn't good I still had fun.
All in all things are going quite well with my integration into the Barrera Ruiz family (the people here use both last names, the first last name is from the father, the second of from the mother). The only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that they still don't know I am a vegetarian. Last night she offered me tacos with chicken and this other pie with meat, and I had to say I was still full from lunch. Being a vegetarian here is almost nonexistent, and many people don't understand (however, I did meet a girl on the field trip last Friday who is from here and is vegetarian, her father is too). Hopefully they will with time.
Well, I am going to go back to the Gaber Aristi or just Aristi (Anita is separated from her husband and the women here generally keep their maiden names) and hopefully not dig shreds of meat out of my lunch.
Love and miss you.
June