School days, school days. . .

I have officially been in language school for a week. As I mentioned before, I am in an intermediate class. In our class of 17 students, only 4 of us are in the intermediate classes. We are split into two groups of two. There are four classes a day, each around 45-minutes long. The idea is that we also study on our own for 3 more hours every day. Hm. My first language partner was Ray. Ray is a retired professor and CSI-type person. He wants to become fluent in Spanish so that he can do volunteer work abroad someday (with his wife). He is super sweet. On Monday, I will get a new language partner for a 2-week period of time and then will be re-evaluated. If I may be so bold, I would say I am doing pretty well with Spanish so far. All the coursework we've gone over is review, and I have no problems talking with my host family. We even chatted about politics over dinner recently. I have a ways to go before I am fluent, but it is encouraging that my vocabulary hasn't completely abandoned me since I lived in Spain. Here are a few shots of my school:



The sign that shows us which way to go to get to class.


The door to the main sala.


Another part of the school from the outside.





The main sala where we gather between classes.











A classroom. Each 45 minute period there are usually 2 students to one teacher.







This is a picture of me with my classmate Ray. He and I were assigned to the same class for the first week.


This is one of the courtyards on the property. (We typically eat lunch out here.) There are also tennis courts, a volleyball court, and racketball courts, not to mention a chapel, and the residency of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. It's a pretty piece of land and has been maintained well. (The pictures don't show that we are completely surrounded by mountains. Nor that there are flowers everywhere. This really is one of those 'beautiful places' on Earth . . . at least in the summertime!)

NOTE: I am living in Cochabamba, Bolivia for the next 5+ months. This city is known as the land of eternal spring and we enjoy a very temperate climate. When I move in June/July, I will be in La Paz/El Alto, where it will be MUCH colder and more moon-like. :) I've been told that La Paz is also much prettier than Cochabamba. Wow! I guess beauty is to the eye of the beholder, but I am anxious for my first look at La Paz since Cochabamba is so amazing.