No, I Am Not Embarazada

March 7, 2013. So begins day 2. We left after breakfast to go to the training center. It is beautiful and there is so much space (pictures to come)! Apparently lots of countries only have a room for training PCTs. All the areas for small group lessons are outside but covered. The day was filled with lots of sitting and listening. Security and safety, language objectives, what to expect, etc. We had lunch, mmmmm. Then learned what to expect when meeting our host families which was happening that day! Already?? So nervous. Afterwards was language time. They split us into groups and we went to one of the outdoor areas. Our teachers don't speak any English but luckily I had a fluent PCT in my group so he helped translate. I was very lost and was even more nervous to then take the Spanish interview/assessment. It didn't matter where you were at, it was just to then place you in an appropriate group for Spanish lessons on Monday. But I was still scared, and ashamed and embarrassed (which is not embarazada in Spanish cuz that means pregnant!)... It went okay/terrible. Oh well. I can only go up! It was then time to meet our host families (ah!!). My host mother is Carmen and she is a young widow. Her daughter is Paola and she is 13. They are so kind but I feel terrible for my lack of Spanish. I put my stuff in my room and sat outside with some neighbors and just listened. My host mother fed me and we went back outside. Lots of silences... Long ones. Oh! Did I mention that I have my own bathroom?? And a queen sized bed, electricity, running water (though cold) and I have to remember to throw my used toilet paper in the garbage, not the toilet (still struggling with this btw). And they have like 5 pollitos (little chickens/chicks) on their back cement patio (pictures to come)! (I actually love hearing them in the morning now when I wake up. They're not loud enough to wake me but when my alarm goes off, I listen to them before getting out of bed :). ) The neighbors played dominoes for hours and I sat in silence and blinked and jumped a lot when they slammed their Dominoes down. Paola and her friends played volleyball in the street (!). Occasionally I interacted with the neighbor's one-year-old who doesn't speak any Spanish either! Yay! I tried so hard to listen and understand but they talk soooo fast and drop or jumble letters in their speech so it's very difficult to even pick out the words I do know... My host mom fed me more and I watched more Dominoes. I wonder if they talked about me while I sat there... Very possible. Anyways, they left and I told my host mom that I was going to go to bed. I went in my room and immediately started to cry... Feeling lame and unsure as to why, I tried to unpack more to distract myself but I only found an album my mom had put together with all my family members pictures and a note from each one. Commence total sob. Finally I finished unpacking, showered, and got in bed. No rooster which was nice :) and I pretended my mosquito net was one of those canopies I always wanted over my bed as a kid.