By rachels522
One of the best parts of this experience has been living in a homestay. My homestay consists of a mother, father, and son. They have been beyond amazing and have welcomed me into their home.
-Chilo: Is my “tico” father. He is honestly one of the sweetest people I have ever met. He is pretty famous in Monteverde for being friendly and knowing everybody. He makes his living from selling lottery tickets. He used to make shoes from scratch until he hurt his back. He showed me a pair of shoes his and they are gorgeous. The other night he taught me how to make cheese. He milked the cow himself!!!! Then he brought home the milk and took me through the whole process of how to make cheese. He promised me that he will teach me how to milk a cow before I leave.
-Brandon: My tico brother. He is 12 years old. He is a great kid. He wants to be a vet and always teaches me words for animals in Spanish. He takes me to the family farm often. He speaks a decent amount of English and helps me out.
-Maria: My tico mother. She is so so so nice. She helps Chilo sell lottery tickets and also runs a small homemade ice cream business. She worked for years as a cook in a hotel. She promised to teach me all about cooking. We get along really well and somehow manage to have gossipy girl time despite the language barrier.
Before arriving in Costa Rica I was told to be aware of the “machismo” culture. I was told that the gender roles were extraordinarily defined, that my tica mamma would do all the cooking and stay at home. Chilo and Maria are extremely conscious of not staying within traditional gender norms. Chilo frequently cooks dinner and helps with the dishes. It is nice to see that despite what I was told to expect my family is not party to antiquated gender norms.