I had my first day of school today (no, no one took a picture of me!). Before leaving my apartment, I managed to blow a fuse or circuit breaker with my hair dryer. Fortunately it was the last thing I was doing before leaving because I had no lights or anything anywhere in the apartment. I reported it at the school and it was fixed by the time I got home. However, I am not so sure it won't happen again tomorrow! I guess I will try a different outlet.
As we new students arrived at the school this morning, we were handed a placement test and directed to a room in which to take it. Over the next half hour, I would say about 20 people arrived. After we were well into the test, one of the instructors came in, greeted us, told us that the other instructors would arrive soon and that we would each be interviewed in Spanish. She also told us not to guess on the tests; "better to leave it blank if we did not know." I wish I had know that sooner!
Pretty soon the instructors showed up and it got so loud in the room that I couldn't concentrate on the test, so I skipped a lot of questions. The interview wasn't much of anything. The instructor just asked my name, what I do, what I did last week, and how long I am staying. After she left, I looked at what she wrote on the back of my test and it said something like I couldn't use the past perfect tense and she recommended an intermediate level. And that is where I ended up. We were assigned to groups, picked up our books and joined classes already in progress. I am in the morning group that starts at 9:30 am and ends at 1:30 pm. We have two 2-hour classes with a 20 minute break at the halfway mark.
There are 9 or 10 students in my class, several from Brazil, and one other from the United States (New York). My first instructor is a young man (probably in his 20's) named Diego with a ring in his nose and (in my opinion) an excellent grasp of Spanish grammar and an engaging way of teaching. The afternoon class is taught by Anna, (a traditional looking woman probably in her 30's) who is also very engaging. During a speaking exercise with the student next to each student (mine was a young man named Pedro--I think he is also from Brazil) I discovered that he is a pilot for TAM airlines out of Brazil and that he frequently flies into Minneapolis. He discovered that I am a grandmother. As if he couldn't tell by looking at me!
I signed up for an after school walking tour with the subject of Modernism. We walked through some of the old parts of Barcelona (El Born) We saw the Palau de Musica Catalana, a concert hall designed in the modernist style by architect LLuis Domenech Montaner and built between 1905 and 1908. Our guide pointed out what the elements that we saw in each of buildings, namely, blood (a red or pink color on the building), roses, and San Jordi (St. George). Then we walked through the newer parts of Barcelona. I have forgotten some of the places he showed us, but he did get to El Batllo and La Pedrera by Gaudi.
The school encourages the after school activities. I will probably do more like the one I did today, but I don't think I will go on any of the bar tours. The person (Paulo) promoting the bar tours is a good looking, well built bouncer type (probably to make sure everyone gets back in one piece) who was naming the bars to visit--they were to meet in bars at midnight for about two hours. Ahh, to be young again!
They are offering a trip to Valencia on Saturday to see the "Fallas de Valencia." I am not exactly sure what fallas are, but I am going to see and find out. I will let you know on Sunday.
Well, I am exhausted from a day of speaking and listening to Spanish and from all the walking. I will do my homework in the morning and it's off to bed for me!
No comments:
Post a Comment