Day 10 - Blarg

Day 10
24 Oct 2011
Blarg

Initial Impressions - I'm gonna be late!!! These shoes are ugly I cant believe I have to wear this crap.

Well today I had to get up early for my exam (still frustrated because I didn't have internet until breakfast when I ran into a housemate who helped me set it up). I am running quite a bit late, I wanted to show up at 8, despite the fact my instructor recommend 9 (because I wanted to study). Well as I didn't get up till 8 and wanted to eat breakfast I didn't leave until 8:45 and shared a cab with Anthony (the guy from South America).  We get to school in about 6 minutes (awesome!) and I head into to take my exam. They took my paper and told me to be upstairs on the 3rd floor (THEY LIE! It's the 4, I count when I have to walk it *grumble*).  I head upstairs and arrive in my classroom early.  There is an instructor, she asks me what I'm doing and I tell her waiting for my exam.  Then she comes over and sits down with me, asking me several questions (this is where they trick you). I thought she was being super nice and friendly but NOOOO she was giving me my oral exam (T.T).  Well after the 'oral exam' I sit and wait a while longer, at 9:30 they heard another group of people in and we wait another 15 minutes for the proctor to show up.  We are sent to go pay, 60 pesos, and then come back for the exam. I get my exam and am told I have an hour and a half to do it.  Apparently we needed to score an 85 or higher to move into Basico 2. (I originally thought I got a 69 but I went back upstairs to look at it as well as what I missed and received a 79. So closeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)  Well I started the exam and felt relatively confident until I get to the part where I have to conjugate verbs and fill in several different blanks (about 15 on each section).  I know all but 1 of the verbs, but I am concerned on two of them because I know they conjugate funny and I can't remember the rules.  So I work my way through it, thinking what would sound best (and the lady who graded it said "it does work.... just.... not well." Lol)  I score pretty well considering, I honestly thought I would do better than I did, but it is a good thing that I tried and have found out I am apparently where I need to be. After getting my disappointing news and wasting 60 pesos (which is okay if I had passed I would have had to take classes at night, which I don't want to do) I waited for my teacher.  She asked how I did and I said I didn't make it, she was shocked.  We talked about it and she said she was sure I would have gotten into it, but that Basico 2 is pretty much Basico 1, but with past tense. I tell her that is what I need to study!! And she says if I can check out the book in the library she will work with me as long as I keep up on my Basico 1 homework and participate.  So basically I get to do Basico 1 and have her guide me through Basico 2. (Yay!) She was also disappointed that I will only be here for 2 months as I could get much further if I could stay for 6. (I wish...)

Well after the exam I ran into a few of my classmates and we all had Salsa together. Dear god I think my hips are going to hurt tomorrow, I didn't even know they would move that way.  Mireille and I have Spanish and Salsa together, which is fun - even though she is threatening to get photos of me (I informed her we wont be friends then... though I supposed since I'm blogging it would only be appropriate to actually document the whole damn thing, dance included).  She is still trying to convince me to move to Mexico, except I have to finish my degree. As much as I love it here and would enjoy living here for a time, I HAVE to finish my degree. And I can't really afford to put it on hold when I'm so close to completion.  Even though I can be, okay I am, very flighty and packing up to move to Mexico for a year is exactly the sort of thing I would do without a thought normally. Salsa was fun, but very different. I do not dance, pretty much at all. I am terrible and I can't keep rhythm and I have two left feet.  I love the idea of it, and I love music, but I just can't do it. No matter how I try. Maybe I'm over thinking it, maybe I just try to watch and don't feel it. Dance has always been the one thing I have never understood.  I tried it (dance team) in high school, briefly, and dear lord I was terrible. This isn't much different.  The only thing I can say for it is that counting in Spanish seems to make it easier and with Salsa a lot of it is 'feeling' - THOUGH I still suck and can't figure my feet out. I got paired with this guy from France, poor thing, was trying to help me figure out which leg to move first *hahahaha*.

After Salsa I had traditional dance (yeah that's the blarg title, 4 hours of dance after 3 hours of exam and no lunch break).  Traditional... with those ugly ass shoes that hurt my feet.  These dance classes are going to kick my butt, we have to exercise, stretch, bend up and down. For about 45 minutes straight we 'learned' our directions: up, down, left, right, forward, backwards... over and over and over and over. And keeping rhythm.... over and over and over and over.  I was complaining (as usual) about the dance shoes I had to buy, but honestly the noise does help me.  We did a lot of 'stomping' and clapping today.  Clap to 8 count, stomp to 8 count (alternating feet), Clap to 4 count, stomp to 4 count (Twice), Clap 2 count, stomp 2 count (3 times), Clap 1 count, stomp 1 count (4 times) THEN we added walking in circles to it.  I have noticed that if I just count in my head I do better than when I try to watch what is going on... if I watch I get lost and screw up.  If this dance thing ends up being difficult I have two options.... Option 1. I can do as the South American is doing and just not show up, or Option 2. Get totally drunk before class so I can't tell I suck.  Option 2 seems to be the way I'm going to go, especially since I found out that 30% of my grade for each class is a freaking performance for the whole damn CEPE. *dear lord someone shoot me now*.

Well that was my very long day filled with too much dance and not enough booze. I am now going to go check out my online classes and *cry* over the exam and work on my homework.

YAY! My teacher is letting me retake the exam!!! I LOVE STUDY ABROAD. :D


<3

Where I had my exam

The view out of the room