Class: Day 1

My life here should be a movie.  Plot:  Super neurotic American princess who loves befriending anything that breathes gets placed in a foreign country, forced to speak language of that country, and attend classes with natives.  See what happens when she has to translate every thought she has into another language, cannot ask as many questions as she normally does in class, and tries to make friends.
It'll be a best seller.  I'm thinking about casting Christy Carlson Romano as Samantha...

Anyway, today was the first day of classes at the University.  I couldn't concentrate at all last night on completing a five page paper due Thursday because I was so stressed out!  Since I have to get back to the states by June 6th to start my internship, I have to explain to each teacher my situation and try to take my finals early.  It's pretty stressful to ask a teacher to change around his or her schedule for you and I feel so bad asking (but I'll feel even worse missing a day of work).

My first class was "Anthropologia de la educaccion," which starts at 8:30 am.  There are 7 people in my class including a girl from Manhattan studying here from another program.  The teacher spoke way to quickly but had a very nice way about her.  She was explaining that if we go to class every day and hand in reactions to readings (and do a 15 page paper before finals start), we don't have to take a final.  Fantastic.  We also had to do introductions at the beginning of the class and say our names, what we are studying, and why we are taking this class.  Really?  This activity is awkward even in English!  Everyone spoke so so well.  Then it was my turn.  "Hola clase- me llamo Samantha y soy de los EEUU..."- very unnatural.  I can usually blend in with Spaniards- until I start talking.  I kind of feel relieved now that they know I am American.  I have nothing to hide anymore- it's blatantly clear I don't speak Spanish like them.

After class, the girl from Manhattan showed me where to buy the required reading for the class and another girl in the class (from Spain) ordered me the book that I needed in the very, very busy book store.  It was very nice to be helped and not ridiculed.

I hung out at the center until my next class- Espana Actual.  This class was bigger- about 30 people- because it's required for all students to take at the University.  The teacher is a nice old man with white hair who just loves Spanish history.  He gave out the syllabus and explained to us that if we are foreigners and want to take the exam early, then too bad! Darn- I like Spanish history, too.  I asked the other students in my class from my program if I should ask him if I could take the exams early after class.  They said I shouldn't- he seemed very strict about his rules.  As my dad always says, if you don't ask, you don't get.  So after class, I asked, "Solo para clarificacion-- hay ningun posibilidad que puedo tomar este examen final antes del 2 de junio?"  The professor told me to meet him tomorrow during his office hours and we'd work out a schedule.  Bam.  Thanks Dad.

After that class let out, I had a little date with a Spaniard I met this past weekend.  We met by the Facultad de Derechos and had tapas.  I didn't go to my third class of the day today, which I know I should have.  Sorry Mom.  We talked about Franco and Obama- he spoke in English and I spoke in Spanish.  He also asked me to explain the meaning of the word "AWK." It was a very funny afternoon to say the least.

Now I am sitting on my bed ready to dive into this paper.  I feel a so much more relieved now that today is over.  I only need one more class and I have my 5 classes for the semester AND I can leave before my job starts.  This is going to be one hell of a semester...