Waking up today was ridiculously hard. Not because it was early and not because I wanted to sleep more, but because I was actually dreading going to my first class with Argentine students. For the past two weeks, I had been living it up without any real obligations or work. Today marked the end of all that as I now had to step back into that fickle and cold world that calls itself 'reality'. I hate it there.
I originally had a class at 9:30am (I got out of bed for it and everything), but I didn't go as it was a) too early for a Monday and b) an intro into Politics-type class which my advisor told me wouldn't count for credit anyway. Oh well, bed for two more hours! After getting out of bed (for real this time), I made my breakfast, got ready for the day, had a quick lesson on making empenadas courtesy of my host mom, then headed off to the IFSA office to meet up with Bryan so that we could walk to Spanish together. We filled each other in on our respective weekends. I told him about my domination of the Andes and he told me about how he, Elizabeth, and Kathy had gone off to a barbecue in the mountains with their new Argentine friend. Look at us enjoying all that this country has to offer. Tim Mcgraw would be proud (#livelikeyouweredyingreference). Anyway, in Spanish today, two of the classes were merged together because one of the teachers was sick. We were in a different room and it was so big and had such a loud vent that it was near impossible to hear him so when it came to the rapid-fire exercise everyone was so confused because we couldn't hear the verb that we needed to be conjugating at light-speed. After that bit of fun, all of the classes came together and taught the students how to make mate. You'd think that it's as easy as sticking herbs in a cup, but you would be wrong, you silly gringo you! There are steps and a proper technique so think twice before you try to take on the art that is mate making (this message brought to you by The More You Know).
While the class tried their hand at making mate, a group of us had to leave class early because we had real-people classes at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. We walked up there a bit early so that we could make sure that we went to the right building and could find everything ok. I found my room and could immediately tell who the international students were. They were the only ones who were there on time. There was myself, another kid from my program, a Mexican, and the six French students who sat in the corner together. The class was interesting, but I don't think I'm going to take it. Mostly because it overlaps into a literature class that I really want to take and also I don't like the way that the classroom is set up. There are only chairs and the whiteboard is really inconveniently placed making taking notes a bit difficult. Thankfully the IFSA program gives us a month to try classes out to make sure that they work with our schedules and we can understand/work well in them. At the break (where everyone just goes and lights a cig... in the hallway) I decided to leave and go to my Argentine liturature class early to situate myself.
I found another friend in the program and waited with her and after a few more minutes, we met up with three more students from the program. Just as the class was beginning to start I noticed that we were sitting in the same row and that we essentially made a wall of Americans across the room (what was it that our advisers said about not drawing attention to ourselves again?). I decided that I wanted to kind of separate in the interest of better acclimating to the atmosphere (and because I felt like sitting with the only three blonde girls in the classroom might make only too obvious that I'm not from here). So we separated into a group of three towards the front (the three blondes... way to attempt to blend team!) and me and Shelby in the back. Once the class started Shelby and I looked at each other and could tell that we were both beginning to panic. The teachers (there were three) spoke so quickly, and would say things that would elicit responses from most of the class, but none of us Americans understood. The only words we did understand were 'Group Projects' and 'Oral Final'. This just got real. Holy Crap! I felt like I was at a loss for most of the class and only picked up about every fourth word. What's more is we already have a homework assignment for tomorrow! I am so nervous about the rest of the year/ the rest of my classes if I can't understand the teachers. I know everyone always says, "Your Spanish gets so much better" but I'd really like for that to happen, like, now. One the Double. Overnight. Yesterday. Have I mentioned that I'm beginning to panic!? For now I'm just going to try to take it day by day and hope for the best.
After class, the five of us went up to the professors to introduce ourselves (we were told it was a good idea to make our presence as exchange students known to our professors to see if they had anything for us specifically) and to clarify a few points that, it turned out, none of us really understood. It was actually quite funny because they were only expecting maybe one US student but five came and (tactfully) rushed them after class. They helped us figure out where to get our reading and even gave us a welcome to the country and class. Once outside, we all merged together and attempted to clarify a million different things at once with one another; "What did she mean by..." "What did that one professor say about..." "Is this what we need to do for..." It was stressful, but we got as much as we could from one another and then split up to leave for home or other classes. Shelby and I caught a bus together (we live, like, right around the corner from one another) and discussed the cold slap across the face that was our Argentine literature class.
At home, my host mom was there with one of her oldest daughters (my host sister) and her two kids (my host niece and nephew). My host mother told me that her daughter needed to go to the doctor and that she was going to go to look after the kids at their house. She invited me, telling me that I was more than welcome to come, but I was exhausted and my head was still reeling from Lit. so I politely declined. I stayed at home, ate dinner, and tried to relax. Tomorrow, I have a development class and Argentine Literature again, so it's looking like it's going to be another day of complete confusion. Wish me suerte!!!
Have you considered a job in broadcasting, you are hilarious, cous'
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