Start of Classes

Okay, so it´s Wednesday, and technically classes started on Monday, but I needed a few days to get a feel for the vibe. You know how it is. Anyway, I´m in the LSCS program (don´t ask me what the acronym stands for) and that´s the not-quite-so-advanced level. The kids who actually stuck with Spanish when they got to college are in the SAS program.

Anywho, for the next 3 weeks, myself and a few other students, Chris included, will be taking intensive courses in Spanish grammar and composition (bleh!) and art and culture. Seeing as how I despise grammar classes when they are taught in a language I understand, I´m not particularly looking forward to it. Although the professor is actually a rather attractive mujer, she seems almost ditzy to me, plus she just never shuts up. I mean NEVER! A whole hour and a half of blabbityblabbityblah in rapidfire Spanish is just too much for me. It also doesn´t help that my fellow students are taking advantage of their legality to go out nearly as often as they can. I just don´t have the energy, so I had to keep myself awake in class by pinching myself repeatedly today. Apparently, I have a higher pain tolerance than I thought, since it didn´t do a very good job. Fortunately, I only have that grammar class everyday until mid-October. In the meanwhile, I´ll be writing several compositions. I guess that will help me for the 10 page paper on the Inquisition I have to write for the art and culture class.

THAT class I´m actually looking forward to. There are only 3 of us in it: myself, Chris, and another LSCS student named Mary Rosser. That´s what she goes by, so don´t you dare call her plain old Mary or you might end up seeing the business end of brimstone...which takes me off on a mental Shrek moment, but alas, such is it. The professor is a rather large Sevillan named Fernando with a resonant voice. He´s been teaching us silly American exchange students for over a decade, so he speaks slowly and simply. He must speak like wildfire and use absurd language when he´s not with us to make up for it. Anyway, his resonant voice is actually a little difficult to explain at times because, since there are only 3 of us and the room is made of concrete bricks, it echoes. It gets a little aggravating at times, but nothing to bad. The material keeps us (me) focused long enough not to worry. Luckyily, I have that class all semester, and after these first three intense weeks, it drops down to twice a week. I think I might actually be disappointed when that happens.

Once these first 3 weeks are over, we start our other classes. For me, that will include "Spain and Islam", "Spain and the European Union", and another advanced Spanish class. It´s supposed to be more advanced conversation or somesuch so I hope that will actually be useful around town.

Anyway, for these first three weeks, I get done with classes before 2, head home for lunch and siesta, and have the rest of the day to myself. Over the next few days, that also includes some field trips. Tomorrow we´re going to some gardens, Friday the archaeological museum, and Saturday the beach at Itálica. I´m looking forward to Friday and Saturday the most. Should be muy divertido.

More will come after my immediate adventures, and I´m sorry to say that won´t include pictures as I accidentally left the cord that connects my camera to my computer in one of the many boxes on my floor at home. So for now, I will have to try and capture the story in words. I hope I do it justice.