As I mentioned before, I absolutely, positively LOVE my mamsita Juana. She is a sweetheart and a spitfire, simpatica y fuerte. Juana sits and chats with us at every meal. She must be very patient because she always explains and repeats concepts that I don't understand. It just so happens that Juana is a wealth of knowledge, and I am always on the edge of my chair wondering what crazy thing she will talk about next. From food to work, gossip to news, she has advice about EVERYTHING! Here are some of her more profound consejos:
1. Don't get fat.
This is perhaps Juana's favorite topic of discussion. Juana always describes people by whether they are delgada o gorda, and it is hilarious to listen to her characterize others. She obsesses over how both of her sons gained weight when they studied in Hungary and England. On the first day, when we unpacked all of our belongings, the only thing that she noticed was the scale that I placed on the floor in the bathroom, and she assured us that her cooking was very healthy :) As an added bonus, she showed me all the great places to run near our apartment, so I am truly enjoyed the beautiful hidden parks and trails. Rebecca and I have also become best friends with Jillian Michaels during our late night yoga hour.
2. Don't get married....yet.
Juana has already asked us all about our love lives back in the states; I think she likes gossiping with us since she has had sons for so many years. According to Juana, there are three different romantic relationships: un marido (husband), un novio (boyfriend), y unos amigos especiales (special friends). She asserts that at this stage in our live it is best to explore our options and have lots of friends...maybe even a special Spanish friend;) (yes, she winked when she said that) Aye, que comico! She told us that she had an exchange student a couple years ago who wasn't dating anyone when she came to Spain, but two months after leaving to go back to BYU she sent Juana a wedding announcement. That is unheard of here, and Juana was in shock! In Spanish culture it is normal for children to live with their parents through college and into their adult years and then get married at some point in their thirties.
3. Don't have kids...yet.
One night I decided to get to know Juana a little better, so I asked her about her past and what she had done in her life. It turns out that she worked in the NICU in a hospital in Madrid before she was married. She loved her job, but eventually got married and had her sons. According to Juana, it is very important to have "real world" experiences like these before you have kids because once the kidos come "tu mundo es los niños, los niños, los niños!"
4. Don't get old.
Juana wishes she could be young forever, but, unfortunately, menopause hit (yes she told us that) and now she has to worry about her cholesterol and other such health problems. We, as young college students, need to take advantage of our youth! We should run, frolic, play, dance, eat, etc. This is one bit of advice I plan to follow wholeheartedly here in Spain. Por ejemplo, I booked our first weekend trip to Paris today! In Juana's words: "Yo soy vieja pero yo estoy joven" (she is old but young in heart) :)
5. Don't get cold.
Juana is VERY concerned about our health. If we even think about walking outside without a coat she will send us straight back upstairs to get one. Scarves are a necessity too. One morning this week I walked downstairs in a light jacket. Before we headed off to school, however, Juana informed us that our clothes were insufficient because today "hace niebla". Well I thought that this meant it was going to snow so I bundled up. Little did I know that "hace niebla" is quite different from "hace nieva" and it wasn't snowing but just a bit foggy outside. When we got home we explained about the little misunderstanding and she laughed and laughed at us. We showed her pictures of all the frigid winters in Provo, so now she isn't quite so overprotective:)
Basically, I love Juana and couldn't have asked for a better host mom. I am not sure I am totally on board with her strong opinions (not that I would ever dare tell her this), but I definitely appreciate her humor and concern. Life with Juana es siempre muy interesante.
Te amo de España,
Brooke
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