First day of School!

Monday, August 11

Today was the first day of classes! I have two classes on Mondays and Wednesdays: Advanced Spanish II and History of Latinamerican Civilization. I start class at 3:45 pm and end at 7. I was a little nervous on the way to school because it had been a whole weekend since I last used the bus. But everything was fine.  I got there a bit early to pay the university for the host family and insurance.  Then I went to the library where it was warm (I don't know if I've mentioned that it's winter here) until it was time for my class to start.

My first class, Advanced Spanish II, sounds like a good one.  It's a class in which we can primarily converse in Spanish.  There will be some grammar review and some evaluations, but communication is the priority.  I like these kinds of classes. We reviewed the academic standing requirements and that was that.

Next I had History of Latinamerican Civ class.  I took a class kind of similar to this, but I'm interested to take it from another perspective. The professor opened by telling us that he used to hate history.  However, he became interested in it when he realized history is not just things dead people have done, but it is a way to develop one's way of thinking-an exercise to see what human beings are like.  He quoted someone I don't know, saying "It's not what you think that's important, it's how you think."  Then we started Unit 1; learning about LatinAmerica's categorizations, the difference between ethnicity and race, and other things.  I think it will be an interesting class.

After all of this, the sun had set and it was just starting to get dark.  Elsa and I went to towards the bus stop together. On the way, we saw a manifestación,  or a protest.  I fire had been lit on the road, and there were a lot of people with posters there obstructing traffic and protesting.  We walked by quickly so as to not get involved and we eventually got on the bus and went to our homes.  Once home, my host mother said "oh those are normal.  The first one is interesting, but next time you'll say 'not again!' "

It's been a good first day of class, all things considered.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.