WInding Down and Appreciating New Lessons

Hey everyone! SO...as you all know I'm VERY behind on these blog entries... Terribly sorry for those of you who constantly check this for new information. :( I will try my very best to get caught up soon, especially since I am heading for home 2 weeks from today! Can't even believe it. But, let me take you back to the very first week of November...

Monday morning in history started with a discussion about the book we blazed through over the weekend and then we left for spanish. After the traditional stop at our favorite vegetarian restaurant we were off to spanish class. It was the same as usual. Exercises in class and a little bit of home work. Its hard to believe we're winding down the semester already and getting close to the end. After class I walked home and enjoyed a lovely lunch and nap. With no sociology class tomorrow (courtesy of passing both the partials and not needing to take the make-up exam) I didn't have much to study for. However, I did have the history exam hanging over my head for Thursday... As a result, I spent lots of time working on the massive timeline I seem to be developing in order to get my thoughts in order for this class. Overall it was a relatively relaxing evening with little excitement.

Tuesday I didn't have anything to do until Regional Development at 1pm, so I slept in and worked on some more work in the morning. After it was back to the house for lunch and a nap. I'm still amazed at how much I sleep here and I know I'm going to miss siestas when I get back. In the afternoon I worked on some more history and spanish home work. I also attempted to come up with a plan for my final project in my childhood class... We are supposed to have our ideas formulated by tomorrow, but I just haven't found mine yet. I also got to register for my DU winter classes today!!! It was super exciting to pick them out and have plans finalized. What a gift to already know when my finals are for the end of the quarter. All the uncertainty here has really made me appreciate the organization of DU and our USA schooling system. As much as I love my life here and all the people, I don't think I could ever stay another semester just because I can't imagine putting up with another semester of the school system. It was a relatively early night with such early classes as usual on Wednesday.

Our class went smoothly as usual at 8am and after Louisa and I didn't have much to do so we walked to spanish SUPER early and sat in the sun talking about our lives, the semester, things at home, classes, etc. She's such a wonderful friend and I'm really excited to hang out with her when we get back. Lucky there are so many CO students in the program both from DU and CC. I guess the rivalry will remain strictly for hockey... :) After a lovely few hours "studying" and practicing our spanish skills, it was time for spanish class. Our professor wasn't there on time (the very first time for her) and so we all sat and talked for nearly 45 minutes about the classes we'd registered for, what we're looking forward to back in the US, the first things we're going to eat or do. I swear these conversations get longer and more detailed every time we have them. We spent a good 20 minutes just talking about all the things we're looking forward to with school. What an insight this experience has given me into the type of school system I can function in. How different the 2 places are. For example, when I get back to DU, I know that I will receive a detailed syllabus on the first day of class with dates of exams, projects, final, and other important/non-negotiable information. The professor will be in class on time and probably early, If class is going to be cancelled, I will likely receive an e-mail before. Should the teacher not show up in the first 15 minutes, I have every right to leave because class is then considered cancelled. I will have a book to read from instead of disorganized photocopies that may or may not be in the photocopier. And the list goes on. It made me very grateful for the education and opportunities I do have back in the states. After spanish it was back home for the usual quick lunch and nap before Tango. Class went just fine, although the teacher didn't show up...so we were taught by some of the students and worked on basic steps. I feel like this instruction would've been very useful at the beginning of the semester with all the technique and basics, but I understand that they were just trying to get the choreography done for the show. After a shorter class I left to go find my sociology group at Congreso, but to no avail... Instead I somehow missed them. We have a rather large project due next Tuesday, and I am hoping to get as much done as possible before then. Unfortunately I still don't know what part I'll be responsible for. At the apartment, I had possibly the more Argentinean afternoon yet. While studying history and searching every author on Wikipedia (which is a perfectly acceptable source here) I drank mate (the local tea) and ate crackers with dulce de leche. It really doesn't get much more Argentinean than that. :) I feel pretty prepared for the exam tomorrow and honestly I'm just looking forward to being done with it all. THe evening was rather relaxing and I was in bed at a very decent hour.

Thursday I arrived in history very nervous and spent our usual time waiting on the professor studying my notes and reviewing concepts. Class was interesting with a little new information about some of the modern thinkers and the slides are supposed to be in the photocopier later this week... We'll see if that actually happens. The next partial is coming up along with the rest of what I have dubbed "Hell Week with a Focus on History". After class, we waited until everyone had left and then the professor began with me. Asking questions about the 2 books we had read by "Maquievelo" and "Moro". I was nervous to describe them, especially cause one of my friends, Nico, was in the class listening too...but it went smoothly. The professor also collected our timelines and breezed over them looking for dates and people. She said mine was very complete and for the first time in that class I felt proud of my work. I felt awful for 2 of my other friends though, Deven and Caitlin. Both of them didn't pass the first partial and we had all thought from an e-mail that was sent to us that they would get a second chance today too, but unfortunately that wasn't the case, and the professor told them that they would just have to take the make-up exam. :( It didn't seem fair at all that Dylan and I (who had clearly gotten a second chance) would pass the first exam and the other 2 wouldn't. After class it was back home for a birthday celebration in honor of my Aunt Paola. Sole made a wonderful lunch and surprised her with a couple friends at the house. It was a lot of fun and even though I didn't say much the whole meal it was nice to be included and to just be there. I've gotten pretty attached to my Argentinean family and I know its going to be super hard to say goodbye. After lunch it was off to volunteer work. I arrived slightly late, but happy to be there. Unfortunately a not so lovely sight awaited me. Hundreds of donated eggs had been placed in the study room and since a vast majority of them were destroyed, broken, or at least cracked, they had attracted an enormous amount of flies... It was like walking through a buzzing cloud to get to the tables and it almost made me sick to keep swatting at them for 2 hours or to try to walk around the room. Some of the women were going through the crates and throwing away the ones that were completely destroyed, but lots of them remained and when the kids started leaving at the end of the day each child was sent home with a crate of eggs. Usually I look forward to my time at Brazos Abiertos, but today I couldn't wait to leave. With the heat and the flies I had had enough! I happily left at 5 and came back to the apartment for a much needed nap. I then proceeded to relax through the evening and watched an absurd number of movies on TV before heading off to bed.

Friday I spent a decent amount of time working on assignments for history and catching up on sleep. I didn't really feel like going out, so I stayed in for the night. It was nice to finally have a day to just relax and chill. Of course I did also spend time studying for my Sociology exam that is upcoming this next Tuesday. The next few weeks will certainly be trying, so it was really nice to have some time to lay back and breathe before diving right into it.

Saturday I again spent the time studying and working on home work and other assignments. Between all I have to do this next week, my hours were certainly filled. By the time it reached the evening, Sole thought I had had enough time studying for the day and practically sent me out of the house. "You're going out tonight," she said, "Too much studying isn't good for your brain." So with that I left to meet up with a friend Lisa for drinks and to chat. It took us forever to find one another and by the end I was frustrated, but we finally connected and sat down for peach daiquiris and a brownie dessert. It was really fun and we sat and talked for a few house about upcoming exams, classes, the semester, etc. I think its just starting to hit everyone how fast the semester has gone and yet we don't really have time to think about it yet with finals bearing down upon us.

Sunday was completely devoted to history studying. In the afternoon I met up with 2 friends at our favorite local bakery for a study session of history and to complete our timelines. It was quite the project and took us nearly 5 hours!!! Needless to say when I got back to the house I had a history headache, but was no where near done. Turns out that the professor had decided he wanted a written piece about each of our book discussions along with the home work for Monday. As a result, I spent the late hours of Sunday night and early into Monday morning finishing my written version of the assignment from last week, my timeline, and the assignment for the next day. Oh that which does not kill us makes us stronger...or just hate political theory...or appreciate the US system... The lessons I'm learning. :)

Things to look forward to in the next week/blog: Sociology Global (could mean the end of the class for me), Childhood Final (written and presentation), a weekend escape with the program to San Rafael. :)

Hope everyone is doing well! I miss you all bunches and can't wait to see you in a short time!

All my love!