School!

So I've been to school 2 days now! and I already know that it's going to be a looongg semester. I'll explain why later.

Well I wake up at about 7 o'clock and put on my uniform.  There are two uniforms, each is worn on a specific day of the week.  School goes from 8 to 3

The casual uniform consists of:

• tshirt
• track pants
• jacket
• casual shoes
• overall it just looks like a track suit

The formal uniform consists of:

• skirt
• blouse
• tie
• high socks
• sweater
• black shoes

And you have to wear your hair up.  I'm wearing my sister's old uniform.  She leaves for her exchange in the USA in about a week, so currently ive just been wearing the casual uniform, but soon ill have to wear the formal one too.

The school is very small.  There are like, 10 classrooms, max.  I dont really know how to explain the layout of the school.  There is like, a courtyard, and the classrooms are on 2 sides of it.  And there are classrooms on top of those classrooms, so sometimes you have to climb a few staircases to get up to the classroom.  Its a pretty simple school, and what I mean by that is there isnt much technology.  In one room there was a projector and computer but it was one of the few.  Most just seem to have desks, chairs, and walls.  And a whiteboard.  There is no toilet paper or soap in the bathrooms.  I guess you have to bring it from home.  Me and the other exchange students discovered that today hahaha.  And the stalls are very short, like when you stand in them, your shoulders and head are showing.   All in all, it seems like a pretty ghetto school lol.

It has all grades, so like, kindergarten age kids all the way to 17 and 18 year olds I think.  And there's only probably 100 or so students in the whole school.  Me and the other exchange students (Tami from Canada, and Emilie from Denmark) have been with different age groups, but I think our main 'homeroom' group of students is comprised of 16-18 year olds.

So this is kind of confusing but I'll try to explain it.

Each grade is called a salon.  (sah-lone)
My salon (my grade) is called quinto (keen-toe)
Quinto is the oldest salon (oldest grade) comprising of 16-18  year olds I think
Quinto has about 20 or so students (mostly girls--like 15 girls, 5 boys)

We have like 4 or so classes a day, and each day it's different. (aka each day of the week you have a different schedule)

Yesterday I began the day with algebra.  At first I was like "oh good, algebra, this is easy" and then the teacher started writing everything on the board and I was like "what the heck is this" lol using symbols I didn't understand and I just had no idea.  It was ok though, most of the teachers dont expect me to understand the classes.

I dont remember what my first class was today, but my second was gym. and boy was that an experience. My grade gathered in the courtyard for this class (there is no gym).  First we had to run laps around the court yard.  When the teacher blew the whistle once, we had to change direction.  When he blew it twice, we had to do three squats and then continue running.  It was very awkward.

Then after that, I was horrified to find that we were doing tumbling.  They dragged out two mats and we proceeded to do somersaults.  Imagine that.  16, 17, and 18 year olds lining up and doing somersaults on a foam mat.  I kept thinking "i remember when we did this in elementary school"



In my other classes I mostly just drew in my notebook and occasionally took notes.  I don't really know what my classes were or what they were studying. 

So we had like 2 classes, then a half hour recess, then another class, then another short recess, then a last class.  Or something like that.  Lunch isn't served here at the school.  During recess you can buy snacks and drinks at a sort of concession stand.  Otherwise you should bring some food from home.

Also, at the beginning of the day, before school begins, everyone lines up in formation with their grade and listens to the principal talk on a microphone (also, they were singing a song at one point, maybe the school song? no idea).  Then after recess you have to line up again before you can return to class, and at the end of the day you have to line up before you leave.

Anyways, I said in the beginning of this post 'its going to be a looongg semester' and I said that because I just draw during most of the classes and I cant imagine doing this every day for half a year.  (hopefully the second half of the year Ill be going to the university with the other exchange students).

Most people don't talk to us, but we've (us exchange students) made a few friends.  Unfortunately, most students here speak a surprising amount of english (and several of my classmates have lived in the USA).  And so I dont actually speak very much spanish at school.  And Im the only one of the exchange students in our school who knows ANY spanish, so the other two exchange students HAVE to be spoken to in english.  But the teachers and students often end up assuming I also require the same treatment.  Did I write that coherently???  idk.  after our first week, they will stop letting us exchange students sit by eachother (and this will actually end up being beneficial because I have to speak to them in english because they dont know spanish) and itll be good to speak with the peruvian students.  and actually learn some spanish.

Okay well I have my first rotary meeting in a couple hours so I have to shower and get ready and stuff.  Byeee