Okay, the first week (maybe month) of classes is going to be tough. I went to three classes today: History of the Spanish Language at nine, Political History of Latin America at ten, and Syntax and Semantics at noon. I believe I am also going to add another class that would be for two hours at six in the evening. The classes here are not on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule; they are scattered throughout the week at different times. For example, I have my History of the Spanish Language class for an hour on Monday morning, an hour on Tuesday morning, and for two hours on Friday afternoon. It is a scheduling nightmare! It works for the students here because they do not usually take classes from different majors, but it presents a problem for the Americans because we are taking classes from different disciplines and years. I am hoping that the classes provide the submersion that I need. In my political history class, I am the only American so I hope I will be forced to speak Spanish there.
Yesterday, I discovered my favorite Spanish tradition that I have yet to witness. My roommates and I walked what's called "el Paseo" which is a walking path lined with benches and parks that follows the river through town. On Sunday, Spanish families go to "el paseo" to walk aimlessly and socialize. There are children playing everywhere, and people let their dogs run free. Some people sit to read the paper, others sip coffee from a thermos. At the end of the walk, there was a tiny tapas bar wtih people pouring out all of the doors. Apparently, it is only open on Sunday. I tried some local dishes such as ensaladilla rusa, empanadas, and croquetas. They were delicious!
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