First Week of School

I apologize for not writing this earlier……here we go:

Monday 

No classes on Monday! I used Monday to post pictures on Facebook, eating meals and hang out with my host mom. That was a very uneventful day.

Tuesday

First day of class! I woke up around 7 to get ready for my 8am class. The class was a lot of fun, I really like Alexa (the professor) she speaks clearly and slow. We worked in partners and talked about our partner and had to make posters about the other one. My artwork was fantastic as I met a guy Jeppe from Denmark. After the class Alexa asked Jenessa and I how we felt about the class, I told her it felt too easy and that I needed a challenge. She asked us to stay for the advanced class and we both did fine so now my class is at 10am! Later Tuesday I hung out at home and watched Combate. Then I went out with some of the ISEP people to a bar called Alcatraz, it was alright but the theme was sketchy. I had my first Imperial and enjoyed it, Callie peeled off the sticker, which I guess I’ll use in my scrapbook.

Wednesday

Wednesday I did not have class until 5 so I slept until 9:30, or woke up at 8:30 then attempted to go back to sleep. I went to UNA early in order to pick up my student ID. All went well with that except they spelled my middle name “Maie” instead of “Marie” but I figure it’s no big deal. Dialectología was interesting, the professor there was subbing for his wife, and he seemed very nice. We picked our projects and then everyone separated into groups. None of the ticos wanted to work with the Americans (Kayla, Bill, Cori and I) so the prof asked if we wanted to be a team, the “dream team” he called us. All I could think of was the scene from Space Jam:) After class I took a taxi home and read the song lyrics for the culture class. Then I joined my mom’s youth group, they were so much fun! We played Sansón, Delila, y León, which was a biblical rock, paper, scissors. It was so funny! We faced opposite directions, counted to tres, then turned around and gave the signs. I was up against this girl and we did the same sign four times in a row, until my Sansón killed her león. The message was harder to understand because they picked up their speaking speed, but it was very interesting. Later I asked them to write down their names and we added each other on Facebook. First tico friends ftw!

Thursday

Thursday I woke up around 9 because my new time for the culture class is 10. We discussed the song lyrics by Malpaís, and the song was very patriotic and amazing. Alexa had us listen to other of their songs and told us that their leader passed away last year due to heart attack, which saddened many Costa Ricans. I enjoyed their songs, and I think I may buy the album. After class I went to figure out my schedule for the Exchange Language club, then I walked home. Afterwards, I passed a bookstore and decided to go inside. I asked the clerk what a good book with adventure was, she gave me “El Moto” which I still have to read. Dinner was this great chicken and broccoli and of course rice. Then I watched Grey’s because it was new and there were too many adults in the adult bible study for me to meet without feeling exhausted.

Friday

Fridays are my longest days class wise. My first class, teatro, lasted from 1-3:30, then my literature class is from 5-8:20pm. A very long day! I headed to class early so I could grab money from the ATM for the weekend and to find the class. The class itself was harder than I had anticipated. The professor is by far the fastest speaking prof I have encountered so that was difficult, but he also talked about abstract thoughts that I would have trouble focusing on in English. After the class I had written down many new words to look up! We all grabbed a snack (all the Miami kids are in both of my classes) from the kiosk out front of UNA, I love the chocolate milk here! Then we waited until Literatura. This class was alright, I liked the profesora, she had each of us join a group with a tico group. However, the other students were not willing to let us participate. There was this one sabelotodo that is in two of my classes, and he took over the group. The first project I was okay with because I have no idea what authors were famous in 1998 in Spain. But the second poster we had to make was deciphering a poem, and I did have thoughts about that. They blocked me out, so when the profesora asked me my thoughts on the poem I was able to shine by myself and I explained my opinion, without the help of my group members. When we had to pick groups for a project due in a few weeks, I asked a girl who helped me out in the first project, mainly to be free of the two guys. I think all of us students were frustrated with how we were treated. Hopefully next week will get better. Once I returned home, I crashed while watching Return of the Mummy with the Spanish subtitles.