Spain: Hypothermosis

The fear of sweat.

Or at least, according to Answers.com. Sounds like... Harry Potter? -ish?

Hypothermosis. I think many people I have met have this. Remembering back to orientation many people mentioned how the Spanish culture is very laid-back.

Laid-back as in, no one ever arrives on time.

But I have found much more than just that. The atmosphere of getting things done is...non-existant.

So how do things get done?

I took notes on everything that happened in one day. And I came up with a list, surprising myself on how much I have already gotten used to.

Quite interesting, life.

"A Typical Day"

Tuesday Morning- First Hour
I get my English test back. Or was that the day before? I don't remember.

8.75

Please tell me what is wrong with:

I owned a dog when I was younger.

But don't worry- my entire test was correct. She marked things that weren't wrong.

Tuesday Night

Someone told me during school there was a science test (in CMC, one of the like bazillion science classes I have) the next day. Awesome, right? Another test I won't understand. Cool. So I go home and decide to open my book and read what I could. (which is next to nothing...)

And? There is no book. I looked everywhere. (a plus to having a small apartment- not many places to look)

I NEVER bought my CMC book?!

Nope. Must have forgotten to buy it when I got all of my other ones. But I only noticed November 23rd?? Yep...

Likewise, I signed into Tuenti and asked a classmate what our book looks like. He didn't remember- as we haven't actually used it yet. And he also told me our test wasn't until the 25th. AND- It wasn't about things in the book.

WHAT?!

Welcome!... to Spain. The land where I haven't seem to understand...life. Yet.

5:00PM- I went to the bookstore to get my long-forgotten book. Let me add, stores here are closed in the middle of they day from about 2:30-5:00PM for siesta. Where people actually sleep is up to them- but everyone takes the time off to go home and eat lunch.

The catch to 'school book' shopping is you don't get your books the same day. You have to come back the next day to pick them up and pay for them.

Walking out of the store I realized that they have the books there... somewhere... sitting on a shelf- as it is impossible to get just one book shipped in one day. The reason why people have to wait a day is for them to find the book.

The store isn't that big- trust me.

So that was a piece to my puzzle. An explanation. Of something.

Next I went to the 'Tobacco' store to change the type of my monthly Metro pass. Something I have to wait 20 days for...

Oh yeah- I took the Metro home. It's a day I'll officially mark down in my history book. I thought for sure I knew how the doors worked- but I guess if you push the button it's possible that they will only halfway open.

And then close. Smacking you square in the face.

And it's not like I walked into the doors. But it was still embarrassing. Thankfully if you shove the door back hard enough they re-open...

The Next Day

Another English test.

People don't usually tell me about these tests- but I guess it's all the same. Even if it is in English. It doesn't...make...much...difference.

Question mark?

When I handed in my English test, and in a really loud voice my English teacher asked,

"DID YOU UNDERSTAND THIS TIME?!"

I had no... words.

Then, she proceeded to tell me that I did the whole second page wrong.

She never looked at my test. Never. Not Once.

And if that wasn't bad enough, she yelled at me once again.

"Even SPANISH students understand how the exam!"

Right.......hmmmm.

After recreo, 9 or 10 students just left. Because there wasn't any tests in the afternoon.

I wonder what my American high school would do, if 9 or 10 students just left when there wasn't an exam.

The 7th Hour-

So the 7th hour that (everyone dreads) extends our Wednesdays and Thursdays. After 6th hour kids just got up and started leaving.

Because our 7th hour teacher didn't come to class- we didn't have class. And since it was the end of the day- we got to go home. Cool, eh? Yes, awesome. I asked the kid next to me how he everyone knew the teacher wasn't at school, because...no one told us?

His response?

"We just...know."

Thursday- Thanksgiving

My chemistry teacher hands out the tests from the day before. Mine's last.

Another announcement:

"BETH!...Nada ayer, no?"

(You didn't understand anything on the test, huh?)

Thank-Youuuu for announcing that to the class. As if that's really how I wanted to start my day. But whatever...

And yeah, she didn't give me my test back.

Math Class- My teacher was making fun of a student, and the class kind of laughed. Including myself. (This does NOT happen often...jokes in class.)

Realizing that I laughed with the class made me realize how far my Spanish has come in just under three months. But I wasn't the only one who noticed. The kid next to me stopped laughing, turned towards me, then away, and laughed at the fact that I was laughing. I, of course, couldn't help at laughing at how ridiculous the whole situation was...but quickly had to stop in order to not get into trouble...

Recreo- (if you don't understand please read previous posts :)

There was a "meeting" with all of my teachers about my grades and such. About the general idea that I can't complete normal schoolwork.
So- it was supposed to start at 11:25AM. But only then did the "head" teacher start to gather up all of the teachers. Don't worry- this wasn't posted or anything. It's like a... "see-if-you-can-find-everyone-quickly-inorder-to-look-organized" type of thing. But don't worry- I know better than that now.

So the meeting with "everyone" (which was minus a few teachers) lasted less than 5 minutes. One by one a teacher would just get up and leave and said they had to go somewhere. I think the meeting was successful-ish.. but I'll guess I'll find out more later.

The Spanish like the idea of just leaving. Strange.

GYM- Let me start to say that gym class is nearly a joke here as we don't do hardly anything. I have another post coming with more details about all of my individual classes to explain further.

In a nutshell, we didn't work hard. We never...work..hard. And something that bothered me when we were running is....kids don't do all the way to the line. Five to ten feet out they would cut it short and turn to go the other way.

Just another sign of laziness in our class. I find this in the states too, but it made me realize the discipline in our (school) sports- and how no one would ever stop before the line.

Or complain about such an easy gym class.

Teacher-Changing-Classroom..Time?- The second the teacher walks out the door the kids go wild. I mentioned before how everything just goes out the window. This time it was a backpack. Someone hid it behind a window on the ledge. Quite an interesting spot to find your backpack...

Another kid was using a book as a baseball bat to hit a paper ball. I guess Spaniards don't play enough baseball because the book went flying out of the kid's hands and went halfway across the room.

Another kid stole the chalk from the chalkboard, and within twenty seconds that too was flying across the room, breaking into pieces.

Other kids sometimes like to draw cartoon characters of the teachers. THIS- is worth watching. :)

Most of the other kids are quite well behaved- creating paper airplanes and hats, or just throwing paper around the room in general is considered to be less exciting.

Oh, and our Philosophy teacher (who happens to be our study hall supervisor as well) didn't come to school either, so 5th and 7th hour we didn't have class- therefore it was another normal going home day at 2:30PM :)

Thanksgiving afternoon-

I met up with Caroline and Jake to run by "The American Store" in order to look for things for Thanksgiving. We are having a feast at Caroline's house Sunday so it was necessary to buy the pumpkin pie and stuffing :D

It's really amazing at how many American products look like "gold." Not to mention it was all pretty expensive because it's imported...

Last Friday- Myself and two other exchange students pre-bought eleven Harry Potter (the original version with Spanish subtitles) tickets for (last) Saturday. Buying them together was necessary as here in Spain your seat number is important- there is no "First come, first serve."

Some of the exchange students had some fun with Harry Potter characters as well while walking aroudn Retiro Park. :)