While the island is stunningly gorgeous, it seems some problems have arose since I have been here. Perhaps it was when part of my luggage got left in another city and I had to return to the airport to get it, or when I walked into my room and realized that there was no AC and no fan. Either way, I went to classes today and realized what could've been the worst thing in awhile...I could not understand anything the teacher was saying. And not just in one class, but both of them!
As it turns out, the Spanish I have been learning all of my life is "mexico spanish" which is formal and actually uses the tenses that have been drilled into my head for so long. Now the problem with Puerto Rican spanish is that they are not formal at all. In fact, it's similar to Kentucky english...whatcha doin'? i'll see y'all later, etc. In summary, I did not understand a thing today and am now stuck on what to do next.
In other news, the city I am in is gorgeous. It's very hilly and green. The students all seem very nice, the ones I can understand at least. The campus buildings are very spread out so it's definitely a nice walk to get place to place. And the hills only add to the excitement. But the view outside my window is easily my favorite thing so far. There is an older building to the left with a forest surrounding it all, red flowers in many of the trees. To the right you can see the buildings of downtown, more trees, and the campus church, which has a steeple that completes the scenery. Dorm-wise I have no roommate and am in a 4 person dorm with a shower that has 2 temperatures: scalding hot and freezing cold. It makes it fun to switch back and forth between the temperatures really quickly during bath time.
But back to the scenery. The majority of downtown San German is comprised of older building and cobblestone streets. There are some restaurants, a few bars, etc. The majority of shopping is a short drive away in Mayaguez. You can catch a ride there on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, but that's about it. It's absolutely gorgeous here, though the heat could be a little less. :)
In summary, this is the start of the trip, who know where it will go from here.
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I can't tell you how excited I am for you!! One of these days your brain will kick into gear and you will understand their version of spanish.
ReplyDeleteYour little town was originally settled in the 1500's. Checking it out online. Surely sharing the costs of a room with another girl won't be too much to keep you from checking out the island. I am green with envy! The more you get out and get to mix, I think their Spanish will come more easily (profound thinking on my part). Since Mayaguez is along the coast, that is surely a trip to make. I thought the coke idea sounded like a real winner. Hoping you get the classes worked out and gain access to the library.
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