Fuck Yeah, Finals!

Hellz yeah, we're done with ILP! After a rather stressful scrambling kind of week, today we had our final exams for the Intensive Language Program and all in all I'm feeling pretty swell.

Our first exam with the exact same thing as the "placement" test we took at the beginning, which was kind of weird and unsettling. The prof just read this weird text about the magic and responsibility of youth and we had to write a summary of it. What makes me a little nervous is that we had to list any experiences we've had in Spanish speaking countries, so I'm a little worried that he's going to be harder on those of us that have already studied abroad... But I understood it all and think I did a fine job summarizing, so....whatever.

After that was a grammar worksheet, which was really short. He didn't even really make us use any weird-crazy verb tenses (or I did it wrong) so I felt alright about it, but I also get nervous when something seems easy because I worry that I'm missing something. I always find some way to worry, huh?

After that we had a huge break because the Reading prof just had us email him a response paper thing about the texts we've read in class. So I used to time to write some notes for my Lit exam (which was open note) and to review my History notes. For History we just had to write an essay about whatever interested us most; I wrote about the Reyes Catolicos and the "reconquista" of Granada, which interestingly ended in a pact that kept the Alhambra from being destroyed and let the Muslim people stay and live under the Catholic rule. I also wrote about Franco and the shift to democracy after his death, which was miraculously achieved without a war.

For Lit, it was pretty much that same deal; chose one of the readings we've had for class and write an essay about it. But for this one we were allowed to use notes and even computers. I think a lot of people wrote theirs ahead of time and just transcribed but I stuck to notes. I wrote about the section of Quixote we'd read, and how the dialogue between Quixote and these merchant dudes represented conflicting ideologies, and how Cervantes mitigated his own social commentaries by delivering them through a character that is generally perceived as insane. It may be a strange thing to say, but it actually felt really nice to write a paper. I secretly love academia, I guess. I feels really strange to have such a limited vocabulary, though. I'm used to being fairly articulate, and I think I have a nicely sized store of words that is continually growing, so it's weird to have to express my arguments using a pretty stunted baby-sized vocab. I'm sure it'll improve with time, though.

This is a photograph of the chalkboard during our Lit prof's lecture. I know it's really small but I highly recommend you click on it so that you can see that it is absolute illegible insanity. He's REALLY passionate and nice, and pretty interesting, but also super scattered and nutty. I'm taking TWO classes with this guy, too. I must be insane, too.

After exams I packed a bit; I'm thinking of taking my big suitcase of clothing over to my piso today (after the heat of siesta, of course) and then tomorrow bringing over the remaining clothing, my toiletries, my computer, a few books and maybe the last roll of toilet paper in my bathroom. It hadn't occurred to me until today that I'm going to have to start buying things like toilet paper for myself now and (GASP) there's no Costco to help me out. Sometimes its the most mundane things that really strike you. Anyway, that's the idea, but I'm not 100% convinced that I'm okay with being that idiot rolling a huge suitcase through town. I couuuuld just take eeeeverything over in a taxi tomorrow but that also seems like a pain. I hate taxis; I find them awkward. It must be me that's awkward. I'm pretty excited and terrified of meeting my compañeros de piso, but even if they suck I'm determined to have an awesome weekend, because it's the only time we have between closes. Basically it's a three day summer vacation. Much fun is required.

There's a "farewell cocktail" event tomorrow at a restaurant, which should be fun. It's a little sad moving away from all these lovely Californians. I know a lot of us will probably grow apart, but I have made some really wonderful friends that I'll definitely keep in touch with.