Yuly's Birthday and Other Cultural Things I Didn't Know

So my older younger sister turned 18, October 1st and here in Peru Birthdays are very important, but mostly an important time for family. So all of my host mom's side of the family gathered to eat cuy and celebrate Yuly's 18th. This date marks the first time I actually found myself sad to think about leaving them in the summer of 2009. I teared up a number of times, but luckily, no one noticed. All in all it was a pretty chill day, but for the record: I love my host family and even my host extended family.

The birthday girl is to the right and my host dad "Papa Julio" to the left. The cuy was good, but not as spicy as normal.

This is my host mom's mom. They call her Mama Antu, and I love her. She's so great. She always says how much she' going to miss me when I leave and she's always checking to see where I'm gonna go. One day I asked her what she thought about having four girls before she had a son and she said, "I think it's pretty great."

Another thing I learned lately is that sheep are not allowed to eat alfalfa because it knots up their stomach. Below are pictures of my host mom and aunt (Tia Rosa) pressing the alfalfa out of the stomach of a sheep that didn't know any better. Notice they are using a sandal. I love Peru!

Never a dull moment in the Peace Corps.