Nothing to Declare

Today was the first day of school, and did I mention it's cold?
Let me just say one thing about that and then I'll get on with it: It is worse outside San Miguel, in the higher elevations. No one has heat. There are few if any shelters. The government and charities have drives to collect sweaters and clothing.

Everyone's heard me bitch about cold before. I'm a wimp. But it's another thing entirely not to be able to get out of it. We all wore hats and scarves and several layers of clothes at dinner last night. And....I went to bed at 9!! So you know it's serious. This is the first time I've really appreciated the luxury that is heating.

The weird thing is that, for about two hours in the afternoon, it's around 75 degrees. Unfortunantely, I'm inside, in a classroom designed to trap cool air in warm months, during this time.

OK - that was three things.

Here is what appears will be the rhythm of my week days for the next three weeks:
7:30 - breakfast
8:30 - Grammar Problems - the things that trip up english speakers ... ser/estar, pronouns, etc.
10 - Break into small group for 2 hours of grammar. There are five levels and I've tested into level three.
12 - Novohispanic literature. That's right. Today I learned to pronounce Huehuetlatolli (ancient stories) and Quetzalhuexotl (a god).
1:30- walk home
2:30 - eat lunch (today -chile rellenos!)
3:45- mexican themes - today it was the different secretaries that make up the federal cabinet.
5:15 - current events
6:30 - done with school for the day
8 p.m. - dinner with my family

Even though I passed the test for Level 2 last spring (there are five levels), I had to take an entrance exam this a.m. They've changed books at the school, and many of the teachers I knew last spring are gone. I haven't quite figured out why yet....but it's only day 1.

I tested between level 3 and 4. After sitting in on level 3, I decided to stick there. And that's a good thing. It's ok to have a slightly easier class to balance out the horror that is novohispanic literature. The teacher is new, seems nice enough, but speaks faster than any of the others, AND she's talking about the literature of the indigenos before the Spaniards came to town. There are only five people in the class and most seem to actually understand what she's saying.

Head ... exploding. I've been doing fine the last two days, speaking lots of Spanish to whoever has the patience to listen to me. But the circuits have definitely overloaded. And when that happens, I can't even remember the Spanish I know, let alone new stuff. Because I was here last spring, I know this is temporary. I hope.

Though I'm staying with a family, I"m also housesitting for a friend who is in Italy. Tonight, I'm staying there. It's a beautiful little casita, with a terra cotta and bright blue courtyard and tile floors inside. Vines climb the walls, and there's a rooftop patio and a bedroom upstairs. I'm staying downstairs, though, in the back of the house, where, I'm hoping, it'll be just a bit warmer tonight.

I'm still debating whether to use real names in the blog...when I've resolved that, I'll tell a little bit more about the school....