¡Un Poquito Más!

High of the day: This afternoon, I went to a spinning class with my friend Grace at the gym near my house. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to. To say it was intense is an understatement. There were about 20 people on spinning bikes copying the instructor, who was a super-fit guy wearing a microphone headset and a spandex suit. In Spanish, of course, he told us what to do: how many RPM we should aim for, which gear to use, and whether to stand forward, hunch over, or sit on the seat. It was fun to learn some cycling words in Spanish, but for the most part, I was just copying what other people were doing. The one phrase I definitely understood was ¡un poquito más! = a little bit more! We did a bunch of different sets that matched the music. The class was 45 minutes long, we didn't stop pedaling the entire time, and according to the screen on the bike, I pedaled 22 km (13.6 miles).

Low of the day: My professor handed back our first essays in my Spanish culture class this morning, and mine didn't have a grade on it. Instead, there was a note saying that said she couldn't understand what I was trying to say. Bummer. But she offered me a re-write, so I'm going to meet with her on Thursday, and hopefully create something comprehendible. This class has been extremely frustrating because the topics such as medieval religious battles, ancient Christian art, and the arabic influences in Southern Spain would be challenging to understand in English. Since my professor speaks only in Spanish, I understand very little. Everyone I've talked to in my class has felt the same frustration.

High of the day #2 (because you can never end on a low!): Today was my friend Jenni's birthday! To celebrate, we went out to dinner at all-you-can-eat Chinese food place near my house. It was fun for all of us to be together outside of school.

High of the day #3 (just for good measure): Tonight when Alicia got home, we were sitting in the kitchen watching a game show and one of the contestants was from Andalucía, Spain. Alicia and Amparo starting making fun of her accent and explained to me that people from that region of Southern Spain tend to drop the last syllable of some words. It was pretty funny to watch them joke back and forth, pretending to speak in the accent. Then, Alicia started to poke fun at some kids in her English class in high school, who struggle to pronounce words like "minute" or "house." Similarly, some American students in my class have trouble with the silent Hs in Spanish, especially in "hay" and "hombre." It was neat to hear them talk about the Southern Spain accent, similar to how we would talk about a Southern accent in America.

Side note: We've watched this game show during dinner for the past week. We all know that I enjoy game shows and this one is very entertaining. It's called Atrapa los Millones, and Amparo told me that only one person ever has won the million. It's a tricky game. Here's a clip on youtube to give you a sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-1ehopXFfc&feature=related