Sala, Clases y Segovia

Don't get too excited, but.......FIRST SALA(MANCA) POST =)

So, in one word, Salamanca is awesome. It's a pretty small city, and almost everything is in walking distance to the resi(dencia)--the dorm. Nearby, we have a 24 hour store, which I'm fairly certain is its real name, and a Kebab shop. Also located roughly 10 minutes walking distance from the Plaza Mayor. Overall quite a nice location for a resi.

I have my own room with a balcony, a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. Advantages: same floor as kitchen, dining room, and lounge. Disadvantages: thin walls so the floor gets cold. We also have a huge balcony/terrace for tanning. I like it.

Classes started last Tuesday, June 2, and I'm in el nivel superior, the superior level, el nivel de perfeccionamiento, what you will. I had pretty much expected to not learn anything, because I speak Spanish pretty fluently and my written grammar is near flawless. However, my teacher has some sticks up her ass, and sees a concrete difference between very vague past tenses. It's pretty retarted. In any case, I just play along and pretend she knows what she's talking about.

My classes are 2 hours of the grammar, and then three 1-hour electives: Spanish history, Spanish literature, and Spanish cinema. I like the cinema one the best, obviously. Classes go from 9 am - 2 pm every day, with a couple coffee breaks.

After class on Mondays and Wednesdays, I've volunteered to teach English to a little boy named Miguel who lives in a house on Calle del Arco, a nearby street in the center of town. Today was my second time going there. The family is really nice, and both Miguel and his sister Olga were adopted from the Ukraine, so naturally, they both have nice blond hair--an oddity in Espana. The parents, Marta and Emilio, are both really nice and intelligent, a nurse and doctor, respectively. I feel I'm using too many commas, sorry.

On Tuesdays and Thursday, I've been going to dance classes at 7:30 pm with a group of people from my group. That's been fun even though I'm sure I'll never get the pasos right. Que pena...

In other news, this weekend I went to Segovia with the group. Nothing is really spectacular about Segovia. Highlights include a Roman aqueduct, and the fact that it was yet another place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together harmoniously. That is, until they were forcefully expulsed during the inquisition... Surprisingly many tourists for there not being much there.

Well that's it for now, pictures of Segovia will be up soon. :)

-Michelle