My first "real" day recap...

OK, so I almost started blogging last night after I got back from the bars, but then I kept missing keys and realized that it'd take me forever to get it all down the way things were going.  So, I decided to wake up early this morning and start blogging.  I started going crazy and was giving a play-by-play narrative and came to another realization; people wouldn't have enough time in their day to read what I had written.  Let me tell you, I was really going for it.  I decided this afternoon that rather than finish my novella, I'd recap yesterday in bullet format:

* Woke up to my usual rice, beans, and egg breakfast

* Dora continues to literally wait on me and the other guy who lives here (cool German dude, also about 10 years younger than myself) hand and foot.  It's crazy...

* Arrived at school and immediately felt like a high schooler...seriously

* Took a short oral test (which I blew b/c I was totally nervous)

* Went outside onto the "yard" and tried to look busy reading so I wouldn't have to start "making friends"

* Made and held eye contact with a guy who is now my official wingman

* His name is Jacob and is almost 10 years younger than me...a total spitting image of how I used to be when I was his age

* We attracted some other guys and girls (all Americans) and invited them into our new clique

* Moved into the orientation room (STUFFED with people, especially Germans) and were assigned our new classes

* When Jacob went up to join his group, I said, "Go get 'em, tiger"

* Lady next to me, who is a high school principal (and surly as hell), immediately says, "He's gonna be trouble.  Drunk and disorderly." (I told you he was a younger Ben!)

* Get assigned my class and move upstairs into our classroom

* "Profi" is a guy named Daniel, and there are three other students in the classroom with me...girl from Germany, girl from Italy, and guy from Germany (ALL 10 years younger than me...notice a pattern?)

* Daniel, immediately starts inundating us with CRAZY amounts of Spanish (it is an immersion program, after all)

* I feel good to start, and understand SOME of what he's saying

* Class continues to go well, until we hit irregular past tense verbs

* Daniel starts drilling us, and I'm getting EVERYTHING wrong

* Begin to feel like a complete idiot, which doesn't rest well with me

* Completely disengage and start thinking about going home and packing my bags

* Figure I can just travel throughout Central America, have some crazy adventures, and to HELL with the Spanish language

* Continue to hate Daniel and begin hating everyone else in the class...especially the German girl who I begin to think is giving me negative body language

* Continue to think about what a poor decision it was to come down here and do a program that makes me feel dumb

* Daniel "puts me on blast" and asks me (in Spanish) if I'm mad

* I tell him that I am and that it's been almost 15 years since I've studied Spanish (not like all the other students who just graduated from college and had Spanish classes recently)

* Hate everyone some more

* Go into a REALLY dark place...REALLY dark

* Start playing a game that is way too hard for all of us...this makes me feel a little better to watch the other students struggle (evil laugh)

* After class, decide to tell Daniel how he SHOULD be teaching (with more activities, games, interaction, etc. and NOT four straight hours of book work that makes me want to stab myself in the eye with my pen)

* Daniel clearly does not appreciate my feedback

* Class ends and I go to my first Salsa lesson, which is really fun (I suck, but it's still fun)

* Meet back up with my new clique and we make plans to go out that night

* Leave to go try and catch a bus (in the POURING rain), while getting lung cancer from the crazy amounts of exhaust

* Stand in said pouring rain for OVER AN HOUR waiting for a bus

* Go to my dark place again

* Finally catch one that is basically a sardine can

* Ride on the bus for over an hour (usually it takes 15 minutes)

* Have a complete breakthrough

* Realize that this trip is going to teach me patience and gives me an incredible insight into what it feels like to struggle in school and how some of my students (especially EL kids) must feel on a daily basis

* Realize that this experience is EXACTLY what I need

* Get home to no power and two REALLY hyper girls

* Begin to study the irregular verbs with my German roommate

* Eat a really good dinner, which makes me happy

* Begin to speak with the two girls, play some games, and draw pictures.  I found that speaking Spanish with them made me feel much more confident.  They're closer to my level...

* Head out to meet Jacob "Wingman"

* Drink the NASTIEST beers I've ever had in my life on the sidewalk while waiting for the bus

* Meet three gringo girls (all from Europe) and start shooting the breeze

* Get to the bar and start drinking beers and meeting people (speaking English shamelessly)

* Realize that this is also really good experience for me to kind of step out of my shell and be social (I know it's hard for some of you to believe that I'm kind of introverted, but it's true)

* Have a blast drinking beers with them and move to another bar down the street

* Continue partying and realize that the place serves pizza slices and completely emerge from above-mentioned dark place

* Return home in a cab and go to sleep

Wow, that wasn't any shorter at all.  Are you still reading?  Did you make it that far?  Good for you!  You are a true friend...

This morning, I woke up and decided it was going to be a good day.  Although I had kind of a nasty headache, I told myself that I was going to pull through and do my best to hang with the class and be positive Ben, instead of dark place Ben.  I did come to class 15 minutes late, which sucked and was totally my fault, but I brushed that aside and walked into the room and was pleasantly surprised.  What were they doing?  An activity!  It was really fun, and I learned a ton. For the next hour or so, we played the game, did a little bit of book work, and then went to break.  I decided to be a stand-up man and apologize to Daniel for my bad mood, which he gladly accepted (at least I think he did).  For the rest of the day, we had more activities, games, conversations with each other, role playing, and on Thursday, we're going to a museum in downtown San Jose for a few hours.  He did listen!  It was a breakthrough moment.  After class, I stuck around for an hour of Salsa (which I still suck at, but am getting better), got on a bus without an hour wait, and rode home in the normal amount of time.  Which brings me to to present moment, at the table writing all of this down for you to read.  

I hope I'm through being negative and hope for the best during the rest of the trip.  I did decide to only register for three weeks of classes, and maybe travel for two weeks instead of one, but we'll see by the end of next week what I ultimately decide to do.  If I feel like I'm really learning a lot, I'll sign up for one more.  If I feel like my Spanish is as good as it's going to get, I'll pack my bags and head out.  That will be the true test...

OK, done!  I doubt that any more of my blogs will be this lengthy, so don't be afraid to come back.  As you can see, there was just a lot going on yesterday. It's also kind of therapeutic for me to get this all down and will be something that I'll enjoy reading weeks, months, or years from now.  Thanks for sticking it out!