FINAL DAY OF ICADS!!!!

Today is a momentous occasion. Today is the last day of my Spanish classes. For a final project, each student has to speak for 8 minutes on a topic of their choice (that relates to Costa Rica) and use a visual. I'm waiting for my turn--I'm second-to-last in my group, and really, I'm not nervous. I used the excuse of a visual to map out my points. I can totally do this.

I just wanted to mention something random.

YOU, YOU, YOU ALL, and YOU:
When I took Spanish in the States, we are only taught two forms of second person: second person singular and second person plural, tu and ustedes. Or, you and you all. There are two other forms of you: you formal, and you friend. More or less. In Spanish, those two are the vosotros form and the vos form respectively. I was generally taught that usted or ustedes is used formally for someone older or someone you've just met, or someone you respect. The form is very informal, used for a friend or someone younger than oneself. I was taught that the vosotros form is used only in Spain, a relic of the Reina Valera period Spanish (like 'Old English', Reina Valera is 'Old Spanish'). The vos form is new to me; I never learned about it in school. It is used everywhere here in Costa Rica, and it is reserved for good friends one's age. And the verb conjugation resembles the tu form and has accents like the vosotros form. It's weird, but is sounds cool when used correctly. I want to learn! Also, here in Costa Rica, everyone uses when talking to one another, regardless of age. It's almost indecent to use the tu form unless one is angry.

Like I said, random.
When I return, I will expound on the ideas of TLC. It's long.

Classes

Okay, so I know I said I would talk about male presence here, but it was brought to my attention that I have neglected to describe what I've been doing here for the last week. Gee. Well, so, classes:

I have only two classes. They are both about 4 hours long. We get breaks in between.

My main class is my Spanish class that I have every day of the week (except for weekends). On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the class begins at 1 p.m. and may last until 4:30 or 5 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have my other class in the morning, so I need transit time between them. On those days, my Spanish class starts at 1:30 p.m.

My "other" class is called Semenario Basico or abbreviated S.B. It is more or less a culture class with a Christian emphasis. It meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m. and usually ends around midday.

A typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday, I will wake up at whatever time I want, provided that my homework is finished, and I still plan on eating before I leave. I will take a bus to Central San José, and then jog a few blocks to take another bus to Curridabat. Total transit time from home to class: 45-50 minutes.
Tuesdays/Thursdays, I wake up at about 5:30 a.m. so I can take my shower and get ready. I eat breakfast before I leave to catch a bus at 7:15 a.m. to El Carmen. Transit time from home to class: 30-40 minutes. From S.B., I can either take a taxi to Curridabat or I can walk. Last time I walked, and it took me about 50 minutes. The problem with walking is that I may not get to eat lunch if class gets out right at noon. Many students take a taxi to Curridabat. After class I take the bus from Curridabat to Central San José, jog a few blocks, and take another bus from Central San José to Guadalupe El Alto, where I live. Total transit time from class to home: 50 minutes (depending on traffic).

In my Spanish class today, we reviewed the direct object and indirect object and pronouns. I always had a hunch that I hadn't completely grasped the concept in previous Spanish classes, but to have it proved to me beyond a doubt by my pitiful attempts to do my homework, well, I certainly won't be able to sleep tonight... I have some extra work to do.

Yesterday, in my S.B. class, the speaker lectured on the ways that Jesus interacted with people of a different nationality. She (the speaker) outlined the times in which Jesus lived, and his ultimate response to the problems of his day. It was very fascinating, and I took many notes.

Okay, this is long enough.