First Day of Classes

So today I started classes for the semester. It was a weird feeling since orientation has made being here feel more like a vacation then an academic activity. This semester is going to be really fun and also very productive.

I started off this morning with my Spanish class for two hours. We only reviewed some basic info and gave little speeches about who we were and where we were from etc.... The teacher seems a little challenging, which I think I like. I can tell that I am at the top of the class, which is fine for now, but if in the future I dont feel challenged enough I am going to ask to move up a level. I am really happy with where my Spanish is now, and it should be getting better as the semester continues.

After Spanish class we go straight to Culture class, which is one of the three components of Spanish. This class is taught by another professor, whom I really like, and talks about different aspects of Argentine culture. He speaks great Spanish, which for me means slow and crisp. Today he defined the elements of Culture and then gave a brief political history of Argentina as a background for our class. I was really into the talk, and might have been the only one enjoying it. I learned a lot in that brief lesson to help navigate the history of Argentina a little better.

After 4 hours of straight Spanish I left and met up with Alex and Kate for lunch. It took forever, but it was nice. After lunch we went to the bakery for a little treat, and they went to the travel agency to discuss plans for this coming holiday weekend. I had to go back to school for another class at 2.30pm.

My next class, the Idea of Latin America, is taught in English, so I think it will be much easier. I am pushing myself in the other class I am taking since it is in Spanish, so I think this one easy class will serve me well, since I can focus the majority of my time and energy into my Spanish. The class is filled with a lot of people I know, and the material is somewhat familiar to me since I have taken a relevant class at GW.

After class I went with Emma to go shopping for some school supplies. I needed notebooks and pens and got both at a little boutique paper store. I then tried and get my textbooks at a local bookstore, but they were both out of stock. I need to go back to this bookstore stat, since it might have been the coolest one I have ever been too. It was an old theater that has been converted into a bookstore, so the grand room has three levels with booths on the sides. I will go back soon and take lots of pictures for you at home to enjoy.

I took my new notebooks and sat down for a tea at a local cafe to copy the notes I had taken today on scrap paper into their respective new notebooks. I think that when I need to do homework, this is a nice venue since it is quiet and relaxing while not being locked up in my bedroom.

Back at home I realized I wasn't feeling well, so I got in bed and sat with my laptop while I Skyped with Lauren for a while. It was exactly what I needed, since now I am feeling much better.

I am going to have dinner, take a shower, and get to bed so that this stomach ache doesn't continue past tonight.

Tomorrow I have another Spanish class, and then my second class through IES. The class, Cultural Icons as Global Commodities, is about the Tango in Argentine media and how it is represented around the world as the Argentine identity. It is taught in Spanish, so it will push me to learn faster, and is also an interesting topic. I am looking forward to it tomorrow, although it is four long hours. For now, I have a lot to look forward to for the semester. My ceramics class at the local art school doesn't start for another two weeks, so I have some time to get situated before I have to start that.

Sorry Ive been so lazy about posting, Ill try to be on top of it more this week.

P.S. Check out the link to my pics on the right side of the page. I uploaded some more pics of this past week including some really good ones from my walk on Saturday. Enjoy!