My Peeps.

Fun Fact No. 20: Peruvian names are WILD. Instead of Spain where everyone is Javier, Raul, Irene, or Monica, anything goes here. I just met a girl who spells her name the same way I do (!). I know people here named Warner, Wilder, Ever, Zeudy, Cariwey, Percy, Kevin, Charitin, and Wladislay (I spelled this correctly – I asked him to write it down for me). They just make stuff up. It’s kind of fun. My name doesn’t stick out as much as it did in Spain.

I’ve been blogging along for about a month without introducing you to everyone. OK, time to meet my gente (peeps), starting with the family I live with:

These are Mario Sr., Dina, and me. Dina is the one who had breast cancer and is now in remission back here in Iquitos. Mario Sr. is the forestry engineer at the UNAP, the public university here (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana). Dina is funny, sarcastic, and loves to drink beer. Mario Sr. is cute, wise, and very loving.

This is Mario Jr. He’s next in line after Kirle (he’s 23 – there are only 10 months in between the two of them which is a story for another time), but most people think he’s the oldest because he’s tall (for a Peruvian anyway) and he single-handedly runs the lumber store and the family finances. He studies international business at the UNAP and he is also about to graduate (next August I think). Mario Jr.’s a big dancer (especially salsa) and a soccer player. He’s easygoing, smart, and easy to talk to. Plus he’s my main chauffeur – and he taught me how to ride his motorcycle.

Here is Kirle. She’s the oldest (she’s about to turn 24 in December) and she’s studying administration at UPI, the private university here (Universidad Privada de Iquitos). She’ll be graduating in May. Kirle loves to dance at home (she rarely goes out) and she’s in charge of all the girls who work at the house. I live in her bedroom and she shares another one with her brother. She has the greatest laugh EVER and she’s fun to talk to. Plus she loves Veronica Mars just as much as I do and we like to be silly together.

This is Veronica with her boyfriend John Carlos. Veronica used to be a twit but she’s changed radically from last year to now. She’s 19 going on 20 and she just graduated from high school. She helps out at the lumber store and helps take care of her grandpa who has Alzheimer’s. She’s a great swimmer (gorgeous freestyle) and an even better dancer, although she seldom goes out. She’s sarcastic and mischievous but she can be fun. She thinks I’m the weirdest person in the world, but I think that’s why we get along.

Here are César and Monica. César is a biologist from Chiclayo, a city on the coast, and he works for an NGO doing rural education about the environment. He’s very sweet and smart, and gentle. Monica is a forestry engineer from Córdoba, Spain who works for a Spanish NGO helping cut back on deforestation. She is pretty much like a long lost sister – I feel like I’ve known her for years and she’s the close girlfriend that I really needed here, since all my girls back home are…well…back home.

I’m missing pictures of Mario Luis, Lars, and Lilia, not to mention Zeudy and Charitin. As soon as I get off my duff and take more pictures, I’ll post them.