New Year = New Family

It has been just over a week that I have spent in my new house, with my new family in the situ called Tinguí. I have experienced and learned a great many things, which i will now summarize in a list:

Family consists of:
Mãe (Cida), Pãe (long name but everyone calls him Bee), Rayanne (13 years), Ruan (14), and Rayati (17, married, and pregnant- doesn't live at home)
Also, numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends, some of which I have yet to figure out how they belong..

Living conditions:
Simple house, large organic farm, dusty dirt roads, lovely sunsets, heat lightning in the distance at night, lizards, frogs in shower, occasional rats in the rafters, vicious cat

Food:
Fish, couscous, eggs, bread, fresh juice for breakfast
Beans, rice, couscous, milk, juice, cheese, goat meat, beef for lunch
Soup, couscous, rice, beans spaghetti, juice for supper

Family work:
Organic farming. Leaving the house at 4:30 for the wed. market, and 3 for the Saturday market. Coming home around 2 on wed, and 6 on Sat. Rest Sunday with family all day long.

Favorite activities:
Working on the farm until dark, packin bags of produce in the house after dark, watching novellas (cross between sitcoms and soap operas) every night, playing Quirkle (an awesome game my real mother sent me for Christmas. Quite the hit here), tossing a frisbee (until my 10 year old uncle threw it on the roof), settin on the porch at the grandparent's house across the street with the rest of the family.

Things to be careful of:
The cat attempting to eat your limbs, large beetles or moths flying in your ears, not stepping on frogs in the shower, riding motorcycle in the mud, not getting hit by cows on the loose in the street, not missing the 6:30 motorcycle ride with your mom into town, wheels falling off ancient trucks that should probably not be driven anymore...

Conclusion:
I am living the simple life I always wanted, and although I am not grateful for the situation how this all came about, I am glad that I landed where I did. I am loving waking up to goat bells in the street and coming home to my little cousin jumping around asking if I will play with him. I love talking with my wise old, leathery skinned grandparents, and making my uncles and aunts chuckle with my funny Portuguese.

The truck all loaded up for the Wednesday Farmer's market. And Rayanne, my sister.

Some of the fam playing Quirkle at the kitchen table. clockwise: cousin Wagner, Brother Ruan, Mãe Cida, cousin of cousin (I think...) Lucas, Friend called pequeno(very small, because he is short for his age), cousin Everton(called Shrek because he is grumpy and ogre-ish), and aunt Verinha.

Thank you all for continuing support, especially through this whole family transition business. And please continue to pray for Tiana and the girls. They are still doing fine, but now talking seriously with a lawyer about how to protect themselves in this situation.

Peace
anamaria