Quién Es Mi Otro Hermano?

I love my new host family. They're really nice and adorable and welcoming, and I hope that the rest of the semester stays the same way it has been. There has been one semi-embarrassing moment that has happened already though (I mean, c'mon, what is the life of Jennifer Lerner without a dash - ok, more than a dash - of awkwardness?). So there are 3 kids in the household: Valeria, Felipe, and Maximiliano, all who around my age. I met Valeria and Felipe in the first few days here, but had yet to meet Maximiliano. So Elaine and Katerina are over at my house yesterday, and we were talking in the kitchen, when all of a sudden I hear the door knock. So I open the door, and there's a guy standing there. Felipe had just come home, so I assume it must be a friend of his. I say hi to him give him the obligatory kiss on the cheek (how Chileans greet each other, which by the way, is so much more fun of a greeting than in the States), and he's off. I go to my bedroom to get something really quickly, and when I come back, Elaine asks me, "Is that one of your host brothers?" 

I reply, "I don't know." 

Elaine says, "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Well, I haven't met one of them yet."

"Do you know what his name is?"

"It's Maximiliano."

"Yeah, that was him - he introduced himself as Maximiliano."

Chucha.

I think to myself, "Great, now he's going to think I'm weird because I didn't recognize him as one of my host brothers." Elaine and Katerina immediately start laughing at me, and I can't help but laugh too, because of course I would pull something like this. After the "Look At Another Ditzy Thing Jenn Has Pulled" laughfest (A long time ago, I just started embracing my ditziness and awkwardness, because, really, it's the only thing you can do - I'd even go as far to say it's quite endearing), Elaine says to me, "Jenn, you should go over and introduce yourself." I decide that's a good idea, so I proceed to go to the backyard where the small house is (where Maximiliano and Felipe live), and I knock on Maximiliano's door. He opens the door, and I introduce myself. The conversation goes as follows (translated in English for your viewing pleasure):

Me: Hey, I just wanted to officially introduce myself. My name is Jenn.

Maximiliano: [nods]

Me: I'm your new host sister! {Except I didn't know how to say "host sister," so I just said "hermana aqui," which means "sister here," which sounds pretty awkward}. I totally didn't realize you were Maximiliano when I first met you!

Maximiliano: [nods]

Me: I just thought you were one of Felipe's friends, and then one of my friend's asked me if you were my host brother, and I said that maybe, since I hadn't met him yet. And then she asked me what the other brother's name was, and I told her it was Maximiliano, and she said that, yep, that the name of the person that just walked through the kitchen was indeed Maximiliano! I felt so dumb, but hey, it happens a lot to me! Jajajaja!

Maximiliano: [laughs politely] Jajaja.

Me: Well anyways, it was great to meet you...again! Jajaja. Ciao! [I give him a kiss on the cheek, which he begrudgingly accepts]

I return to my room where Elaine and Katerina are chilling, and I say to them, "Great, now he thinks I'm weirder than I was before."

And that pretty much sums up our interaction so far. Let's hope that the first impression doesn't become a lasting impression. Qué verguenza.