Classes, etc.
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written anything, last week seemed to fly by but I guess that’s what happens with 4 day weeks. Classes started on the 7th, so I’ve had either 2 or 3 of each class so far. Based on the first week of classes, I think that they’re all going to be pretty interesting. On Mondays and Wednesdays I have two classes: Islamic Culture in Spain from 10-11:30 and Oral and Written Production from 3:30-5 (this is the class we all have to take – sort of an extension of the intensive class based on your level). On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have three classes: Current Social-politics in Spain from 8:30-10, Spanish Art from Baroque to current from 10-11:30, and Intro to Hispanic Literature from 1:15-2:45. The literature class is the class that’s being taught by the visiting professor from UPS that came with our program and it’s probably going to be the hardest class I’m taking. In the other ones there hasn’t been very much homework, if any, and they’re mostly just lecture and discussion classes. I think they’re all going to be interesting, though, since I’ve never really studied most of the subjects before.
It’s also really nice now that classes have started to have a schedule that will continue for the rest of the semester. It makes it seem more real that I’m actually living in Spain for 5 months and not just on vacation. Now that I’ve been here over a month I’m really starting to feel like I understand the society more and have my own little place in it and I find myself thinking, “Oh my gosh, I’m in Spain!” a lot less often.
Other than classes, my program has had a few little activities since I last wrote. Last Friday we had tour of Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) and the Cathedral here in Granada. They were both really interesting buildings (although really, really cold) that come from about the time of Isabel and Fernando. Capilla Real was built to be the mausoleum for Isabel and Fernando and their coffins, along with those of their daughter Juana la loca (the mad) and her husband Felipe el hermoso (the handsome), are there. These were really interesting to see since they were such a huge part of Spanish history. This Friday we had a presentation about the Prado Museum which we are going to visit during our trip to Madrid in a few weeks. It’s the biggest art museum in Spain and it holds a lot of really famous works of Spanish artists. I’m really excited for this trip and to see Madrid along with Toledo and Segovia.