My youngest host sister and I do not talk much. Not because we dislike each other or anything, she is just extremely shy. For awhile I did not really know how to approach the situation. After a month, I would playfully, “trap her’ until she answered very important questions such as “what’s your favorite ice cram flavor.” The whole family jokes around about it. At dinner one night everyone was laughing about how she was asked to tell me that dinner was ready and she spent five minutes in the bathroom practicing what she was going to say. Still, it has been almost three months and every look her way garners a shy smile and possibly a giggle before running away.
Last week, I proudly introduced my family to an American favorite, peanut butter on apple slices. The 14-year old was almost shocked that “Americans did this in real life not just TV” I think everyone liked the snack, or at least pretended to for my sake :) (thanks lol) This week, I made some more for myself after dinner with my two youngest host siblings. When I got to the table, I asked if anyone wanted some. My host brother politely declined, but my youngest host sister quickly shot up her hand and exclaimed, “Yes!” We then began to eat our apple slices in silence, passing the peanut butter spoon back and forth until we had finished all of the slices. She laughed a little bit when I made an apple peanut butter sandwich and we both smiled while enjoying the snack.
While it may not seem like much, this has been one of my favorite moments here in Malaysia. Being able to just sit in silence and eating apple slices with my host sister made everything feel homey. I think one of the differences between family and friends is that when you are with friends there is pressure to constantly be talking. Only when you have gained a level of closeness is periodic silence comfortable, and this silence felt comfortable. Let’s hope for more peanut butter and apple moments in the future.
P.S. I have another post that chronologically comes before this one but I have not managed to write it the way I want to yet so the next post that comes from me will technically be before this one... we are just going to go with it! :)
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