13/09/07

I made it through my longest day just fine. I am so focused on understanding what is going on that I never even look at my watch. It was FASCINATING to be in a history class where a secular discussion about Christianity could occur. (Compare being in a class with at least 10 students from China to being in a class with no fewer than 50 bible-belt Tennesseeans.)

Laura returns on the 22nd. Until then I am just constantly cramming French into my head. Now that class has started I feel my communicative and comprehension abilities are increasing exponentially.

I helped this one Chinese girl find her class today. I felt bad because she was 15 minutes late because she didn't know some vocabulary on her schedule and the French teacher was a bitch to her as she walked in. (What's new? I kid. My teachers are actually quite bright and agreeable. She just happens to have a bad egg.)

I also helped another girl find the sport facility. She spoke Spanish, which I am MUCH more used to than French. (Even though my French is 100x better) I surprised myself because as she was talking to me in Spanish I somehow understood what she was asking. (She wanted to know how much it was to sign up.) Based on the vague bits of Spanish I know from childhood and living with a guy taking it in college I told her "Es treinta (or however you spell thirty) cinco". I even did the trill right. Languages are tough, but they grow on you...