Wednesday, June 6, 2007

June 5th

Last night I had a very fun time. My host family had over a few guests and I was finally able to understand what the heck everyone is saying when they speak at their normal pace. It was also very fun because one of the guests was younger and fluent in English. We still spoke in Spanish, but it was helpful to have someone fill in the blanks of my choppy and sometimes uncomprehendible speech.
This morning I had my second full day of school. I am taking 2 classes, Castillano Spanish and The History of Argentina. I initially thought school would be easy, the teachers would speak in English and Spanish, and school would not start until later in the afternoon. In reality, I have 4-5 hours of class 4 days a week, the teachers do not even speak English, and I need to be at my bus stop at 810 each morning. To top that off, the classes are really hard! When I looked around my history class today, most students looked as though they had just eaten a sour food; eyes squinted, lips clenched and forehead tightened. I would say I know what is going on 40 percent of the time, but hey, 40 percent is better than 15 percent (how much I understood the first day). I must say, however, that it is pretty funny to watch the kids vent in class. Our history teacher does not speak a lick of English so we are able to complain about her during class.
Another school related topic I need to comment on is how lucky I am to attend a university in the United States. We all complain about the education system, rising prices and old equipment, but I think my complaints will now come to a hault. The cost of school is a bit cheaper here, but the facilities are just horrible. I have heard that many classes do not have enough room and require some students to stand. Can you imagine trying to take notes while standing? In addition, the libraries do not have computers, they have no campus what so ever, and it is legal for homeless people with disabilities to disrupt a class in session in order to ask for money. On a lighter note, my Castellano Spanish course is great. The girls have a hard time paying attention because they are all taken back by our teacher who is "so hot", but that really has no affect on my attention. The Spanish here is similar to that of no other countries, so it is really nice to be able to understand the differences that I have frequently been hearing.
After class today I decided to get lost in the city. That may sound crazy, but it is so easy to navigate here, and for those of you who do not know me and my directional skills well, when I say it is easy to navigate, that means anyone can do it. The city is unlike any I have ever been to. There is no centralized downtown area, it goes on for what seems like forever. I enjoy taking the subway to a random spot and walking home. It is a great way to see the city and get some exercise. Today there was a demonstration going on in the main square. They had what would be equivalent to our state elections over the weekend and there have been protests ever since. I have not yet taken any pictures due to the fact that I do not want to be that annoying tourist, but I think I will start here in the near future. Another thing I have noticed while being here is the number of stray dogs on the street, they are all over the place! And I am not talking about lap dogs, I am talking about over sized muts. I was scared at first that they might bite, but people here do not even seem to notice them.
Tonight I have plans to go to an Argentine club. My two left feet may pose a problem, but maybe they expect that from Americans.
Bye for now,
Chris

1 comment:

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