First Day of School...

Hola!  I'd write this in Spanish, but if today is any indication of what's ahead, it may be a LONG time before that day comes...

I won't make this a minute by minute recitation, but this is how the day went...

We were to be at the school at 8:30am.  This is kind of early by Spanish standards, but we found out that that's just for today.  New student orientation....

This door has only one knocker....

(tee hee)

Really, I didn't have to knock on the door to enter...

Maybe it should have one of those "All Ye Who Enter Here Abandon All Hope" plaques above it...

There were 20 or so new students today.  The school runs classes continually...  new classes start each week.  

Of the new students we met, they were from Ireland, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia.  Those were just the ones we talked with.

We had a tour of the building....

It's several stories high with classrooms on each floor.  There is a huge atrium type room that is from the very bottom floor to the very top skylight.

After that tour, we had a tour of that part of the city.

We walked through the old cobblestone streets...

Stopped to see the old Bull Ring.

That is our guide facing the camera.  He spoke only in Spanish....  afterall that IS the language we're going to learn.

There are many, many statues, sculptures and other work of art to be seen.  This monument features Mozart.

You never know when you'll see something placed in an unexpected place....

Like this Madonna done in tile...  along with a flower box placed beneath it.

The architecture is of many different cultures and eras...

A person has to remember to look up as well as down...

And all around.  

I can't remember what this building houses, but this section of the city has a lot of the political as well as religious functions.

We walked for a couple of hours before returning to the school.  Ordinarily we'll have class from 9:30am until 11:15 ...  then lunch...

Then continue from 11:45 until 1:30 pm.

We had our first lesson this afternoon..

Our afternoon teacher...  Rocia

We all took a test this morning before our city tour to determine what level we should be in.

It's no surprise that I'm in the Beginner's Level.

After much deliberation, Bill was also put in that level.

There are 5 of us in that class and even though we're all beginners, there is still a fair amount of difference in our abilities.

No language but Spanish is spoken.

I certainly intend to do my best, but I am not going get stressed out.  Today when I just absolutely didn't understand a word that was being said, I got the giggles....

All I could think of was what I'd be saying if I weren't in class...

hint:  I learned some pretty good words from my dad

Okay... I finally quit laughing and got serious about it...

didn't even get kicked out of class (yet).

We have workbooks that we'll use as well as lots of in-class instruction.  

I sure was glad when class was over.

That's All For Today!