Day 4
Today I was just absolutely freezing when I got out of bed. I now truly understand how terrible it is to be wrapped up in your warm bed.... and then have to go get naked in a bathroom with the window open in winter. AWESOME! Seriously I felt like I was going to die this morning after my shower. I was that cold. And it effected me when I was going to school too because I just couldn't warm up, and I still was feeling tired that I haven't been sleeping the whole night through, and I just felt like crap.
Also, my breakfast was kind of funky.. it was like this cereal but the pieces were small like almost couscous and it was kind of... fluffy? That doesn't really describe it, but I can't think of another word. And then I was supposed to mix plain yogurt into it... yuck, I was really grossed out by it, and I tried adding jelly, but it was still gross. I ate it anyway but I really didn't like it.
Morning class was fun. Today all ("all") four of us were there. Recap: Marilu from Brasil, Paul from USA, and the sick person, Sean from USA. Turns out Sean lived in McKinney for some time, so I thought that was strange. Oh, and at one point yesterday, someone said that they knew someone from Gainesville which I thought was hilarious.... I forget who said that. Anyway, my class! I talked about my running of the bulls thing, Paul talked about technology, and Marilu talked about the thrill seeking read that I read from my first private class. Basically we just discussed with each other the whole time and it was fun. I seriously love my teacher Rodolfo. He's awesome.
Then afternoon class we talked about like indirect dialogue and indirect commands and leaving messages and it was pretty interesting but also wicked easy. I guess I just learn fast because the first time I see it, it just seems to stick and I don't need to have it repeated a bunch of times.
Then I came home for lunch. We had first this really awesome soup with semolina and these fried bean things and little pieces of me. I want to have Nancy show me how to make it so I can teach Maria, because I think she'd like it. Then we had like a pasta salad type thing. Just regular pasta with some vegetables on top and like a big olive.
Also I want to add that I am getting used to Caitlin, haha. I think I just needed to adjust because she's kind of an intense person but I think she means well... she's just sort of caught up in... who knows what. I'd say caught up in herself but I don't know if that's right. Also, holy crap, just since Sunday her Spanish had improved phenomenally. I couldn't believe the way she was talking at lunch. Seriously, in the "beginner" class, it seems like they learn SO MUCH and SO FAST in terms of grammar. Natascha showed me her notes from the past 3 days and it was like..... tons and tons! It obviously is paying off though because until today Caitlin seemed more hesitant about using Spanish and she'd give up and use English, but now she doesn't really do that when talking to our host mom. Anyway, I just think it's cool how much she either learned or just got her memory refreshed and can use since getting here.
Ok, after lunch we took the taxi back. Oh, and on my walk home from class, I went through that llama park thing again. And bought a toothbrush because somehow I lost mine. Anyway, then I had my private class with Charo. This time, we just talked a little bit about what I did in class and I retold her the story I had to write from my 2nd group, which was a story supposed to be in the past and I told the story of when that guy had me model in Japan and how I looked crazy. After that, what she had for me was this questionnaire type thing where it would say like "What option do you like best/what sentence do you agree with more, A, B, or C" and then I'd just have to talk about which I agreed with or preferred and talk about why. And we spent almost the whole time talking about those questions and we had really good conversations about friends. I do feel more and more confident about communicating during each private class because obviously if we can carry on hour long conversations, then even despite my speaking errors, she knows what I am talking about and I know what she is talking about, minus a few words here or there that I ask her to explain for me. After that, we started talking about ways to greet someone that you haven't seen in a while, but then we sort of ran out of time.
After my private class, I went back to the computer lab in the main school and worked on my homework for my 2nd group class with Paula, which was to write a little biography about someone who I think is important to my country. I picked Thomas Edison because he made electric lights more accessible for the average person and basically made electric lights the standard from then on. This actually took forever because once I got to the computer lab, I was feeling kind of crappy again. Oh, and I got to talk to Neil on FB chat! :) And, I saw Noah on FB chat but he apparently closed the window as soon as I messaged him, or my chat list was slow in showing he wasn't on anymore... either way, I was sad because I thought I would get to talk to him and he didn't respond since my last e-mail. Booo!
After that, the other girls got out of class and we went to go meet Anne in the Plaza. We went out to dinner on another sidestreet and I got some vegetable soup which was kind of weird tasting until I put salt and pepper in and a chicken omelet, and Inca Kola to drink. It was ok. It was 15 soles which seemed like "a lot" after paying 12 soles last night... but let's not forget that 15 soles is like $5.50, so I shouldn't complain. I don't like going out every night to eat though... I feel like I will burn through money very fast, but I only get breakfast and lunch at home and I'm not allowed to cook my own dinner or anything, so I don't really have a choice.
On our way back to the Plaza to take a taxi, we found this little market "inside" a building and I ended up buying a little hat to keep warm for 8 soles. So freaking cheap! Haha, and then when we were in the plaza, these two boys (like high school age) came up to us and asked if we wanted to buy a hat and Caitlin is like "No gracias! TENGO!" ("No thanks! I have" as in, she had one on) and the kid goes "Pero es feo" (But it's ugly) and we were just kind of joking along with the kids and it was funny.
Then I got home, thinking "Oh, awesome, it's so early!" and then stupidly got wrapped up in some extra work that technically I didn't have to do because he only told us to do the first part, but I like doing little exercises so I did like the whole packet... oops! Minus like 2 questions. So now it is like 10:30 and I am stupid because I need sleep.
Goodnight world! I think I will put this on my flashdrive and either upload it tomorrow or the day after. I also think I should bring paper to Machu Picchu to write down stuff like a journal since I don't think I will be bringing my computer. I dunno.... there is free wifi I think in our hostel so maybe I should bring it? Also, every time I try to type "hostel" (even just then, thinking about this!) I spell it the Spanish way "hostal" because I see that word all over, being in a tourist down.
Ok, seriously, goodnight!
Also, my breakfast was kind of funky.. it was like this cereal but the pieces were small like almost couscous and it was kind of... fluffy? That doesn't really describe it, but I can't think of another word. And then I was supposed to mix plain yogurt into it... yuck, I was really grossed out by it, and I tried adding jelly, but it was still gross. I ate it anyway but I really didn't like it.
Morning class was fun. Today all ("all") four of us were there. Recap: Marilu from Brasil, Paul from USA, and the sick person, Sean from USA. Turns out Sean lived in McKinney for some time, so I thought that was strange. Oh, and at one point yesterday, someone said that they knew someone from Gainesville which I thought was hilarious.... I forget who said that. Anyway, my class! I talked about my running of the bulls thing, Paul talked about technology, and Marilu talked about the thrill seeking read that I read from my first private class. Basically we just discussed with each other the whole time and it was fun. I seriously love my teacher Rodolfo. He's awesome.
Then afternoon class we talked about like indirect dialogue and indirect commands and leaving messages and it was pretty interesting but also wicked easy. I guess I just learn fast because the first time I see it, it just seems to stick and I don't need to have it repeated a bunch of times.
Then I came home for lunch. We had first this really awesome soup with semolina and these fried bean things and little pieces of me. I want to have Nancy show me how to make it so I can teach Maria, because I think she'd like it. Then we had like a pasta salad type thing. Just regular pasta with some vegetables on top and like a big olive.
Also I want to add that I am getting used to Caitlin, haha. I think I just needed to adjust because she's kind of an intense person but I think she means well... she's just sort of caught up in... who knows what. I'd say caught up in herself but I don't know if that's right. Also, holy crap, just since Sunday her Spanish had improved phenomenally. I couldn't believe the way she was talking at lunch. Seriously, in the "beginner" class, it seems like they learn SO MUCH and SO FAST in terms of grammar. Natascha showed me her notes from the past 3 days and it was like..... tons and tons! It obviously is paying off though because until today Caitlin seemed more hesitant about using Spanish and she'd give up and use English, but now she doesn't really do that when talking to our host mom. Anyway, I just think it's cool how much she either learned or just got her memory refreshed and can use since getting here.
Ok, after lunch we took the taxi back. Oh, and on my walk home from class, I went through that llama park thing again. And bought a toothbrush because somehow I lost mine. Anyway, then I had my private class with Charo. This time, we just talked a little bit about what I did in class and I retold her the story I had to write from my 2nd group, which was a story supposed to be in the past and I told the story of when that guy had me model in Japan and how I looked crazy. After that, what she had for me was this questionnaire type thing where it would say like "What option do you like best/what sentence do you agree with more, A, B, or C" and then I'd just have to talk about which I agreed with or preferred and talk about why. And we spent almost the whole time talking about those questions and we had really good conversations about friends. I do feel more and more confident about communicating during each private class because obviously if we can carry on hour long conversations, then even despite my speaking errors, she knows what I am talking about and I know what she is talking about, minus a few words here or there that I ask her to explain for me. After that, we started talking about ways to greet someone that you haven't seen in a while, but then we sort of ran out of time.
After my private class, I went back to the computer lab in the main school and worked on my homework for my 2nd group class with Paula, which was to write a little biography about someone who I think is important to my country. I picked Thomas Edison because he made electric lights more accessible for the average person and basically made electric lights the standard from then on. This actually took forever because once I got to the computer lab, I was feeling kind of crappy again. Oh, and I got to talk to Neil on FB chat! :) And, I saw Noah on FB chat but he apparently closed the window as soon as I messaged him, or my chat list was slow in showing he wasn't on anymore... either way, I was sad because I thought I would get to talk to him and he didn't respond since my last e-mail. Booo!
After that, the other girls got out of class and we went to go meet Anne in the Plaza. We went out to dinner on another sidestreet and I got some vegetable soup which was kind of weird tasting until I put salt and pepper in and a chicken omelet, and Inca Kola to drink. It was ok. It was 15 soles which seemed like "a lot" after paying 12 soles last night... but let's not forget that 15 soles is like $5.50, so I shouldn't complain. I don't like going out every night to eat though... I feel like I will burn through money very fast, but I only get breakfast and lunch at home and I'm not allowed to cook my own dinner or anything, so I don't really have a choice.
On our way back to the Plaza to take a taxi, we found this little market "inside" a building and I ended up buying a little hat to keep warm for 8 soles. So freaking cheap! Haha, and then when we were in the plaza, these two boys (like high school age) came up to us and asked if we wanted to buy a hat and Caitlin is like "No gracias! TENGO!" ("No thanks! I have" as in, she had one on) and the kid goes "Pero es feo" (But it's ugly) and we were just kind of joking along with the kids and it was funny.
Then I got home, thinking "Oh, awesome, it's so early!" and then stupidly got wrapped up in some extra work that technically I didn't have to do because he only told us to do the first part, but I like doing little exercises so I did like the whole packet... oops! Minus like 2 questions. So now it is like 10:30 and I am stupid because I need sleep.
Goodnight world! I think I will put this on my flashdrive and either upload it tomorrow or the day after. I also think I should bring paper to Machu Picchu to write down stuff like a journal since I don't think I will be bringing my computer. I dunno.... there is free wifi I think in our hostel so maybe I should bring it? Also, every time I try to type "hostel" (even just then, thinking about this!) I spell it the Spanish way "hostal" because I see that word all over, being in a tourist down.
Ok, seriously, goodnight!
