The day the Spaniards pretty much kicked me out.

This morning I was sitting in my class minding my own business when I could hear chanting in the distance.  It got louder and louder, I couldn't distinguish the words but it didn't matter because all of a sudden a very angry looking Spanish student burst into my class room!  He got up onto the stage type thing at the front of the room and started shouting at us, he was telling us that we must get up, listen and join them in strike against the cuts and the fact that next year students could be paying up to €1000, I felt like telling him to try £9000 for size but thought I'd be safer not to!  There were quite a few people that weren't showing any intention of moving, Spanish students and Erasmus students alike, but he was going nowhere.  He just continued to shout and look angrier and angrier until people got up and left.  I wasn't sticking around, he was scary!  We stayed around outside the classroom for a bit to see what would happen, someone apparently saw our teacher but she didn't seem to make it down to the classroom.  It seems they were moving on from our building to the other departments on the campus before heading into town to the other faculties.  We stayed for a bit and had a coffee, but then we decided that it was unlikely that classes would be on for the rest of the day and left.  I have now heard that my next class actually went ahead, but I'm not going now I've made it back to the flat already, it's not like I'm going to miss much anyway.

I totally understand why they are striking, and they have the right to do it, but I also agree with what I heard one Spanish student saying to the people organising the strike.  She said to them that as much as it was their right to strike it was also her right to stay and be taught, she wasn't happy about the fact that her class had been cancelled because of the students going on strike.  To me it doesn't really matter, after all I am only an Erasmus student and if I miss a few classes it really isn't going to make much difference to me.

So it seems my weekend begins here as I've been told that tomorrow is some day to do with the founder of the University and students don't turn up to classes!  We also have a puente (bridge) as Tuesday is a festival day, meaning Monday is off too!  I won't be in classes again until this time next week!  Ridiculous, but welcome to Spain eh?

Only in Spain...

Only in Spain...

...would it be completely normal to walk into an exam part way though and it not be a problem.

...would it be completely fine for the teacher to walk in 15 minutes late and continue as if nothing is wrong.

...would nobody bat an eyelid when in the middle of the class someone suddenly gets out of their seat, lets it clatter and bang and then walk out of the room. (Today a herd of people all chose to leave at once when the teacher set us an activity to do)

...would I have had a 5 day weekend, followed by a 2 day week, a 3 day weekend, and then just a 3 day week before another 4 days off and it's not unusual at all.

On Tuesday my Latin teacher told us that we won't be having class tomorrow because it is International Womens Day and they want to encourage us to go to some conference or another.  That just means another day off for me then, and brings my week day:weekend ratio to 3:4, just slightly more acceptable than last weeks 2:5!

Today I had an exam, less than 3 weeks into classes and I'm already being assessed.  On the plus side it does mean that I have completed a quarter of that course already, it's nice to know that I've got myself some points already.  I'm only taking enough credits to fulfil what Lancaster need us to take, although I don't have to pass them they do count towards my grade for this year, so I want to do ok in them.

I'm not sure what my plans are for the weekend, tomorrow I think I'll try and learn the Latin that I'm not picking up very well in class and then in the evening I'm off out for tapas (chinese tapas apparently) with Jack and Anna, I met Anna on Twitter/Third Year Abroad funnily enough as she was in Belgium last semester and her blog was listed on the website.  We've not actually met up yet so it should be nice.

The rest of the weekend is a little vague, there might be a trip to the beach on the cards, but if not I really must force myself to get out and see things, take some photos and go for a walk rather than staying in my room even if I am being productive on my dissertation- that is not what I am here for!

I have a feeling Granada is going to be hard work...

So over the last 2 days I've been to the first lesson of all my courses, the way the Granada timetable works it means that Monday and Wednesday are the same and Tuesday and Thursday are the same.  I'm taking History of Women, Universal History of the Modern World, Introduction to Latin and a course on Spanish Dialect.  They all look like they are going to be pretty hard work and unlike in Brussels where I was in classes for just Erasmus students, except for my Law class, I am in classes with Spanish students studying for their degree in the subject, so it's harder to understand and certainly of a higher level.  I don't have to do well for Lancaster but I'd like to do OK so I think some effort is going to be required.  Mental effort isn't the only sort kind of effort I'm having to put in though, exercise features fairly high on the list.  Yes, I am living only 10-15 minutes away from the University, but the problem is the walk is entirely uphill, we're not talking a small hill either by any means.  Walking this at 8.30 in the morning twice a week is certainly not a pleasure, especially as on 2 days I have to descend said hill and re-mount (is that a word...?) it about an hour later.  Currently my legs are screaming out at me to stop, but seeing as I really don't have another option I am going to have to "man up" and get used to it, pronto!  At least I only have a 4 day week, so Fridays will be spent with the intention of moving as little as possible!

Next Tuesday is Andalucia Day, I'm not sure if anything special happens around here, other than everything grinding to a halt I presume, but what I do know is that the Spanish love their puentes (which means bridges) meaning that no only do we get Tuesday off but to bridge the gap between the weekend and the festival we get Monday off too!  I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with a 5 day weekend though, it's not as great as it seems, at home I'd happily do nothing for a few days but here I get easily bored and that just makes me miss home even more.  Shall have to try and make some plans for the time I guess!

I know I shouldn't wish away time, but now she has booked her flights I am really looking forward to Erin visiting in March, it's the first of the list of things that I'm up to and it gives me something to look forward to.  Especially as 3 or 4 of my best friends in Lancaster are celebrating 21st birthdays in March so I know I'll be missing out on all of that.  Everything I've planned basically happens in the middle of my time here, I've got nothing for the first month-ish and nothing in the last 6 weeks other than my exams.  Anyone fancy a holiday in Granada in March or May/June?!

In some ways it is fairly depressing and in others quite exciting that I'm already having to think about next year.  The depressing one is that I've started my translation for my dissertation, in the hopes that it'll give me a good start when I get back in September.  The exciting one is that I'm running for President of the Languages society at Uni, I've had to send a video of my speech though, I'm not going back to England for that funnily enough!  I'll let you know how that goes when I know, I think it's a good few weeks away yet though.

I think I've probably bored you with enough of my updates now, time to go and cook something at least vaguely edible for tea and probably have a shower to avoid getting up at 6.30 tomorrow morning! Adios :)

I think we can call that Bex 1-0 Spanish

Today I have the two classes that are potentially the most beneficial to me but yet that I dread the most, the written and oral French classes.  Today we had to work in groups of mixed nationalities, so how I end up with myself and 3 Spanish people I have pretty much no idea.  I find the Spanish accent really hard to understand when people are talking in French and this became evident.  It basically went like this:

Spanish girl one: (Says something in French)
Me: Blank look-laughs
Spanish guy 1: (In Spanish) she doesn't understand
Spanish girl 2: (In spanish) She speaks spanish!
Me: (In spanish) yes, I speak spanish and I understand it better than French

Take that annoying Spanish guy that was trying to make fun of me!  More fool you, should've been listening earlier in the conversation when I told you I study Spanish too.  So after initally being embarassed that he was pointing out my lack of comprehension I feel I won that one, don't you?

In other news I've had an email from someone that is interesting in doing the Tandem programme with me which is where she practises her English and I practise French, worth a try I reckon.  Also, after sending quite a few emails yesterday, yet failing to attach my CV as I'd said I did... I've had replies from 2 schools already, one of which is a specialist languages college so good start I think.

Weather has finally turned bad, rainy and horrible today... never mind, it's Wednesday already, I have one more class today and 2 tomorrow and that is the end of the week- roll on the weekend, I've got plenty of work to do....