Today was the first day of classes.  I was so excited that I woke up early and got to my first class 30 minutes early to get a good seat.  I was the first person there… and the next person came in exactly when the class should have started and the rest of the people trickled in 15 minutes late, etc.  So not used to that..  Ok let me back up a little.  I don’t think it applies to all students [possibly just international ones] but we don’t register for classes until March.  I guess we audit classes until then and choose what we like and then eventually have our teachers and counselors sign to let us register.  Very bizarre.  So for a month we are auditing classes until we decide what we want.

My first class was Linguistics.  As I said I got there 30 minutes early [soy loca].  When the class finally started.. 30 minutes after it should have.. two students gave a presentation on animal cruelty.  It lasted a good 20 minutes and there were questions and answers and then class was dismissed.  Not one segment even had the slightest bit to do with Linguistics so I’m not entirely sure I was in the right room or class.

My second class was Sintaxi Espanyola, or so I thought.  The professor started speaking in Catalan or Valenciano [I can't tell them apart and some argue they are one in the same] and I thought it was a temporary thing but an hour later I began to speculate it wasn’t so temporary.  Apparently I read the schedule wrong and it was Sintaxi Catalana so.. my bad.

I went to find Rachel and Katie, my lil buddies from the hostal and we talked about how different classes here are.  There is no passing period, or time between classes.  One ends at 10 and the other starts at 10, but people arrive late and no one cares.  I went into a class one minute before it started [the Sintaxi Catalana one], thinking I was gonna be late, but instead I walked into a class that was still going.  ..awkward..  So they explained a little bit of the confusion to me.. they have 1 year long courses here and at the end you are responsible for all of the material meaning I don’t want to take half of the class and fail the final.

Katie and I went to an English-Spanish translation class that was recommended to us and waited there for 40 minutes.  The professor never showed up.. okkkk.  I guess this isn’t too uncommon here.  After that we went to a Spanish Comparative Literature class and met another exchange student from London named Tim.  The class was rather.. boring and kind of everywhere.  Not sure if I’m staying in that class, but I do need one lit. class.  After that we walked to meet Rachel, the last of the 3 musketeers to get a piso, to go see one.  We couldn’t find it and, consumed with hunger [didn't eat dinner and not really breakfast either], Katie and I caved in and went to Burger King while Rachel went to find the piso.  I got a Whopper Meal [size grande, por favor!] and whalloped in the lushious unhealthiness of the fries.  Then we went back to our places and siesta-ed [ps, I just created that verb].  I actually slept which was quite horrible because I didn’t want to get out of bed to meet at 4:45 for our 5pm class.

The class turned out to be my favorite one so far.  It was the real Sintaxi Espanyola.  I must admit I do love linguistics and, well, grammar.  I don’t know why but they really attract me.  OK back to me not sounding like English is my second or third language..

After class I went with Rachel to see another piso closer to my house.  She ended up loving it and took it immediately.  It really was beautiful.  I’m glad that we all have our pisos.  She wanted to celebrate so she invited a bunch of people, including “British Tim” to dinner at her last night at the hostal.  We made a bunch of food and ate together.  It was very nice.

Tomorrow I’m checking out a bunch of classes.  We’ll see how it goes.  Second night in my piso.. so far so good.  These last two posts have been a lil too informative, rather dry.  I’ll spice it up next time!

Until then!
-Jhonni