Classes and Dancing

By Hannah Gieseket – Guest blogger studying in Heredia, Costa Rica
I am finding that the most frustrating part of this experience so far is translating the information that I have learned in class out in the city. I find that when I am class I am able to understand a great deal of the Spanish that my teacher uses however when I actually go to a restaurant or a store sometimes I am not able to identify anything that the people are trying to say to me. I keep reminding myself the importance of being patient and that I have only been studying the language for a total of 9 days but I guess it is just part of personal pressure.
Yesterday I attended another of the school's dancing classes where we learned some group dances. The dance begins in a circle with everybody in pairs. However, through turns and different moves the women rotate around the circle between all of the men transferring partners. I have to say that my group's first couple of tries was pretty hilarious. I am assuming that some of the difficulty stems from the fact that in America these are not typical styles of dancing, except perhaps with square dancing. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time but it was really fun. It also helped to get to know other people in the class. Each song that we practice to, the salsa or the merengue, we have to change partners. While this provides additional practice it also makes it difficult to become accustomed to a specific person's dancing style. I thought I had rhythm, but I guess we'll have to wait and see…
Last evening I went with a group of students out to dinner and out on the town. It is interesting to observe the local nightlife including the differences in service and atmosphere. There is a lot more American music played that I first would have suspected. While sometimes it brings the comfort of home it also brings a shock to the senses when you step outside and remember that you are in a different country. Tomorrow I take another exam to test my skills and attempt to move to a higher level. Well, I guess that means that I must study!