First day of classes

January 11, 2005
Today was the first day of classes and it was very interesting. My first class was espanol, and yes, I know you’re thinking, “isn’t she taking all Spanish classes?” Our espanol class is the main classes where we learn grammar. There are two students in the class, myself and Becki, one of the directors from our group. We both need help with the subjunctive so we started out at the beginning-intermediate level – week one of level two. We have a very nice teacher who is patient and very good at explaining things so we understand them. I know I’ll enjoy that class.

My second class, mi conferencia, is the class where we learn idiomatic expressions that are used in Mexico. Now some of these expressions don’t make any sense to me because they aren’t expressions that I would use in English. But I’ve taken this class twice and I think I’ll learn some new expressions.

Lastly, I have conversacion with two difference group leaders, Marianna and David. I have Marianna the first hour and David the second hour. This class was interesting because all we did was talk, hence the name of the class. There was no grammar, we just had a conversation. The first hour we talked about being in Mexico and the places we had seen and why we were studying Spanish. The second hour we talked about the problem with children spending too much time watching TV and how there are so many shows that are inappropriate for children. The conversation drifted to reality shows, the pros and cons of cable tv, our mutual musical likes and dislikes and the effects of shows like Dawson’s Creek on teenagers. It was a great conversation and the first time I felt completely comfortable talking to someone about a topic that I had a real opinion about. That hasn’t happened in a long time. In the past, in classes, we were given a topic and we talked about it, sort of going through the motions of using whatever grammar we’d just learned in the conversation – always directed conversation. But this time we started on one topic and the others just naturally flowed, very much the way a conversation flows in real life.

I really enjoyed my first day of classes. I was apprehensive, most because I didn’t know where I would be placed. But I know that I’m at the right level for me. I also know that I will progress even further. I want to get to the potential and conditional tense. I don’t think I’ll get there while we’re here, but at the very least, I’ll know enough that I’ll be ready to learn it when I get back to Maryland.

Now, for the rest of my day.

Jami and I went downtown to explore the Zocalo, the place that is the equivalent to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, but without the water. It the center of downtown with tons of shops and merchants and vendors ready to sell you any and everything under the sun. We went to an open air market with lots of crafts like hand woven clothes and purses and jewelry. It was really nice to see all that the vendors had to offer. But I have to pace myself with my money right now because I don’t want to run out of money too soon. There is something special that I’m looking for (and no, I’m not saying what it is until I get home), but I didn’t find it today. I do plan on bringing gifts home, but not many. I want just the right items.

We walked around also to find the Kingdom Hall because my letter said that it is located at #36 Vicente Guerrero. We didn’t find it, although we were on the right street. We stopped in a boot shop where two men were playing cards and asked them where #36 was and they found out that it was across town. In Cuernavaca, there are “colonias”, neighborhoods (what we know as villages in Columbia) and we were in Colonia Centro. The Kingdom Hall is in Colonia Granjas, across town. So when we found out that it wasn’t there, I decided that I would just ask Carlos, whose uncle is a Jehovah’s Witness were his congregation is. His congregation is Spanish speaking and the one I was looking for is the English speaking. Jami kept telling me that I should go to the Spanish one anyway, which I planned on doing. I just wasn’t planning to go all the meetings in Spanish.

So as we were walking around looking for a place to a soda, we walked up on some witnesses who were talking to people and giving out tracts. I asked them if they were witnesses, just to make sure because all I could see was tracts, not magazines. They said yes and we introduced ourselves. They told me that the English congregation was really far away and that I should come with them to their congregation. One of the ladies’ daughters speaks English and they said that she could help me with translating at the meeting. They told me that the Book Study is tomorrow (Tuesday) and that the Theocratic Ministry School is on Wednesday. They are going to meet me in front of Los Archos and take me to the meetings. Now, I know that there is a congregation near the school and so next week I will probably go there. The school is closer to our house and so the kingdom hall should be as well. But it was nice to meet those Witnesses and make definite arrangements to go the meetings with them. On Sunday, I’m going to the Watchtower meeting and so I have to study for it in Spanish so that I can answer a question. It will probably take me several hours to prepare. So I’ll study on the bus on the way to Taxco. I’m really excited about going to the meetings in Spanish. I’m nervous, but ready to try out the Spanish that I’m learning at school.

After making arrangements with the friends, we went to a book store and to several other places and finally met up with “Las hermanitas” – three sisters who came together on this trip. We went to Parrillado Restaurante and had a small meal and talked about classes. We also talked about the sad conditions in Mexico. There are thousands of street vendors trying to sell you everything under the sun. Everyone on them is darker skinned and seemingly from one of the various indigenous tribes. People of that background have so few opportunities in life. They are treated a little better than animals, but not by much. You see them shining shoes, sweeping and moping floors, begging for money, selling handmade crafts in the street and doing other forms of work that seem degrading. In a way, you want to help by buying something they have, but at the same time, if you buy from one, ten more come to sell you something. So where do you draw the line.

Already in four days, I’ve said “no gracias” so many times, I can’t even count and part of me feels guilty because there are some things that I want to buy. But I really need to save my money and pace myself. If I have a little extra during the third week, I’ll go back and make some purchases.

Ok, now for the idiomatic expressions that I learned today:
Está como quiere! - She’s a hot mama!
Se cree la muy muy - She thinks she’s the last coke on the beach!
Que padre! - It’s cool
Me cae gordo - I don’t like him
Está como mango – he is handsome, she’s beautiful
And personal favorite – echar la casa por la ventana – (literally: throw the house out of the window) – used when someone spends a lot of money preparing for a party.