School started yesterday! Here are some quick observations:
- For my classes so far, I've gone to the classroom one or two minutes before my class is supposed to start and found it empty. Each time I panic for a few minutes and fear that I'm in the wrong room, but then the rest of the class casually floods in.
- Understanding the professors isn't nearly as hard as I thought (except for the professor from Uruguay, who has a thick accent. I might drop his class though). Understanding my classmates, on the other hand, is much more difficult.
- Although there are readings for each course, we aren't expected to buy the books. Instead, we pick up the readings every week from the photocopier or make our own copies from the books in the library. At least, I'm pretty sure that's the system. I'm still confused.
- I'm slowly realizing that I'm the awkward foreign kid. :(
- Very few students use lined paper to take notes. Instead, practically everyone uses graph paper.
- The cafeteria food is delicious. Lunch (not dinner) is the primary meal here, so we are served two dishes a day at lunchtime. I don't remember the names of the dishes we've had, but they're great!
- It's interesting to see some of the same college cliques here in Peru. Hipsters, nerds, preps- we've got 'em.
- For those who are curious, I'm taking State and Society in Peru, History of Peru I, and Directed Spanish Readings. I'm also currently in Political Systems and Regimes, but I'm probably going to drop it to take Social Movements and Conflicts instead.
Well, that's all folks. More retrospective posts to come later.
Peruvians, just like Dominicans, and most Latin Americans tend to always be "late." Of course, late to an American standard. But usually, when a Dominican says let's meet at 5:00pm, he/she ends up meeting at 5:40pm. When one of my aunts got married in the Dominican Republic the invitations read 1:00pm, even though the weeding was going to start at 4:00pm. The rationale was that people would show up around 3:00pm. And that was the case. Only the American guests were there at 1:00pm. Dominicans showed up around 3;00pm. jeje. I dont know where this culture is rooted. It'd be interesting to find out.
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