Phew! I apologize that it's been so long since an update. This cycle of classes was fun and there was lots to do, but there was LOTS to do. I had exponentially more homework, and I really felt the loss of time. We also squeezed in 2-3 tests and projects for every class in the last week, following the delayed midterm projects and tests from the week before... eesh.
Urban Regeneration was pretty fun - every class, we went somewhere on a little mini-trip. Sometimes it would be to an area with a little park and a view of the river or the estuary, other times to a more urban or culturally-oriented place. A couple weeks ago we went on a 'tour' of the south of the city. There are some decent areas that just have shaky reputations because they're in the south, but there are also areas that are among the poorest in the city. On the far side, right along the river, there are neighborhoods of houses made from sugarcane sticks with thatched roofs and no running water, where people live on welfare and whatever else they can find. But in all honesty, the "south" of the city is one section, just like any of the others, that has a variety of levels of wealth. For our final trip, we went to a place called Hogar de Cristo, which builds houses out of sugarcane to sell at very low prices to the poor. It's really an interesting organization that seems to have done a lot of good for the city; and it was satisfying to visit a site that represents the social regeneration more than the urban regeneration.
We also went to the Mercado Caraguay, a huge market in a big warehouse where you can buy anything from fresh fruit and veggies, meat and fish, lentils and rice, to chicha and who knows what else. By the time we got there (mid-afternoon) the fresh fish was practically sold out, except for a couple of whole albacore tuna as big as my dog. The most interesting part was outside, where they sell fresh crabs. Like, live crabs. They're actually quite pretty - bright orange with purple. They pack them like a jigsaw puzzle into a "brick" about 2 1/2 feet long by 1 1/2 feet wide and about 6 inches thick, all pure live crab. The ones on the outside eerily wave any free leg or claw, and sporadically lift one or both eyes to scowl at the clientele (their eyes are on top of little stalks that fold down to the sides for easy stowage). It was terrifying.
Last Tuesday evening we participated in the Posada at the school - a variety show of sorts, with one group doing a little choreographed dance, several people singing, and lots of people reading poems or Bible verses. The MC was one of those types who shouldn't be allowed near a microphone, so I think the event went longer than necessary, but it was still nice. Our group sang a couple of Christmas songs while I played flute! It was well-received, and we had a good time.
It feels strange to be done with classes now, but it's a relief at the same time. Towards the end, literature was interesting but much more reading than previous weeks. And I started to get frustrated with grammar, since I was learning stuff that I felt was irrelevant, and the teacher and I seemed to talk past each other frequently. But, it's over, and I'm putting the pieces together to start at UIC in January!
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