Thursday, June 2, 2011

El Primer Dia de Clase

Tuesday and Wednesday were so busy with orientation, touring the city, and taking placement level test for our classes. After all of the busy work we went to a Heladeria (Ice Cream store). Q, you should have been there, the ice-cream definitely puts up a fight against Graters!

Today our classes started. In the morning I have a grammar class from 9-11 with a mix of students from different programs. Must of the kids are from America but we have a few kids from France in my grammar class too. After that I have a class on the culture of Spain at 12:10 and then come home for lunch and a SIESTA :) In the afternoon we meet at a bar at 5:00 to practice conversation for an hour.


It is funny how similar some things are between living at home and living here, and of course some things are drastically different. I am loving every minute I am here and can't seem to see enough of the city. It truly is beautiful and the perfect size. The University is the 4th oldest in the world and touring the older buildings on campus was amazing. The professors used to just lecture for however long they wanted, so some days it could be 6 hours and other days just 20 minutes. Luckily, all of my classes have a starting and ending time!

The other students in my group are wonderful.  We all get along really well and I am so so thankful that we all mesh together perfectly. I feel like I have known some of them forever and it is funny when we remind ourselves we literally met 4 days ago. My friend Heather and I joined a local gym yesterday and that in and of itself was an experience. The gym is much smaller and the equipment much older but we felt pretty "Euro" getting a gym membership! (Mom you should love this because it is way safer than running outside in the evenings!)

My host mom and I are getting along great and her son is warming up to me a little bit and talking some more. It is really difficult to have a conversation with both of them because they speak so quickly and almost slur their words together. Marianna (my host mom) promises that I will catch on. I sure hope so! The only bad thing that has happened is that I cannot get into the front door of my apartment with my key. A student broke the actual lock last semester so you have to jiggle the key and I have tried for 15 minutes multiple times with no success. Luckily a neighbor has always been able to let me in and Marianna is typically home during the day. (Dad it is like a repeat of the nightmare Hotel doors in Paris! BUT WORSE because there is no concierge!)

This afternoon after my conversation class we have a salsa class which should be really fun! After that a group of us are going to have tapas and explore the city a little more...Let's just say we have discovered we can get 10 chupitos (shots) for 5 euros and that the Cerveza (beer) is cheaper than water!

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