Yesterday, Today - oh, and a tour of the school
hey folks! It´s Tuesday, which is so much better than it being yesterday. Things are so much smoother today. The computers still suck, but now theirs a movement to get new ones. We´re putting yellow post its on the screen for each thing that goes wrong. The place is getting very colorful. Class went well this morning, I successfully made linking words interesting! Yay! I told my host family I won´t be staying with them another month. They needed to know today because someone else is waiting to have my room if I don´t take it. And rather than commit and back out and cost the fam the rent, I just told them no. grant it now I don´t have a place to go, but something will come along. I´m sure. We´re doing phonolgy class this week, which is interesting. I took a class on that in college, and apparently didn´t pay close enough attention. There was a controlled explosion on my way to school this morning. Some sort of practice bomb went off when I was across the street from the building. Nothing to woryr about, just a drill, and no one seemed to care. they all just went on doing their business.
Let me tell you about the building I go to class in! It´s awesome!!! The building stands about 9 stories high, and the school is on the second floor. There´s a big gated door that I have to get buzzed into, which opens up into this massive entry way. There´s a spiralling marble staircase to the right that wraps itself around an elevator shaft, which, because it´s out in the open, is done in really neat scrolling iron detail. The entry way itself has 14 foot ceilings, with moulding detail, and a marble floor. As you walk up the stairs there´s a window on your right that goes to ? but lets some light in. All the windows are oval, with two frames, one around the outside, like a usual window, but then there´s an oval in the middle that opens up, with more ironwork between the two. On the back wall is a sky and floor light, opaque glass, allowing for more light, so the whole entry way is very well lit in natural light, which works great with the white marble.
Curling up the stairs to the second floor, the entrance to the school is a huge double door flanked by two more oval windows. On the right wall before the door is another window, on the left wall is a door to a hallway in the school. The door is just massive, and wood (stained dark), and the windows on either side have oval iron detail.
You open the door, and the whole level has wonderful rich wood floors, the walls are yellow, and the trim is white. You walk into the reception area, there´s the desk in front of you, on the right is a niche to classroom, on the left there´s a small sitting area, two more doors to classrooms, and the restrooms, as well as a hallway leading back to the offices. The ceilings still about 14 feet.
Each room (there are 4 classrooms) has wood floor, tall ceilings, yellow walls and recessed lighting. There´s of course the board to write on and such, but the windows are awesome! They´re floor to ceiling, opening up more like doors than windows. They swing open to the outside onto a small standing area with a railing. There are shutters, actual shutters (we use them!), and a view onto the street below. The windows open oddly - most of the window is split into two, but then there´s the bottom part that opens down like an oven door.
Walking down the hallway (the one that was to our left at the reception area) we find a bathroom (there are 3 two stall bathrooms in the school), the offices and then the computer lab/library. it´s an open space with a dropped cieling, and books to use as resources (and these damned computers). But, the best part, beyond the computer lab there´s a small door out to the patio, where there are a couple round tables with umbrellas. This is where we eat our lunch. Just over the railing, in the courtyard outside our patio is an elementary school for a church who´s bells ring on the hour. The other half of the courtyard is a private garden with trees and paths and the most beautiful flowers. Eating lunch is the best part of my day here.
So, there´s a quick walk thru my building. There are windows in all the walls, all oval, all with little oval inside windows. It´s very open and airy, and bright. You wonder why I don´t mind being here for 9-10 hours :) But it´s nice to go home. Yesterday we walked through the park at Montjuic. It´s where the olympic pools and stadium are. The botanical gardens were closed when we went, but it´s got a gorgeous view of the city. We watched the sun set over Tibadabo, which is directly across the city. The city itself sits in a valley, and on either side is the two mountains. I´d love to get into detail about our walk and such, but class time comes yet again. There are moments when this city is everything I hate about cities. And then there are these wondeful moments when it´s just so beautiful, so inspiring. Last night was one of those times. I´ll have to tell you about it eventually - hopefully I´ll have pictures to go with it. :o)
Let me tell you about the building I go to class in! It´s awesome!!! The building stands about 9 stories high, and the school is on the second floor. There´s a big gated door that I have to get buzzed into, which opens up into this massive entry way. There´s a spiralling marble staircase to the right that wraps itself around an elevator shaft, which, because it´s out in the open, is done in really neat scrolling iron detail. The entry way itself has 14 foot ceilings, with moulding detail, and a marble floor. As you walk up the stairs there´s a window on your right that goes to ? but lets some light in. All the windows are oval, with two frames, one around the outside, like a usual window, but then there´s an oval in the middle that opens up, with more ironwork between the two. On the back wall is a sky and floor light, opaque glass, allowing for more light, so the whole entry way is very well lit in natural light, which works great with the white marble.
Curling up the stairs to the second floor, the entrance to the school is a huge double door flanked by two more oval windows. On the right wall before the door is another window, on the left wall is a door to a hallway in the school. The door is just massive, and wood (stained dark), and the windows on either side have oval iron detail.
You open the door, and the whole level has wonderful rich wood floors, the walls are yellow, and the trim is white. You walk into the reception area, there´s the desk in front of you, on the right is a niche to classroom, on the left there´s a small sitting area, two more doors to classrooms, and the restrooms, as well as a hallway leading back to the offices. The ceilings still about 14 feet.
Each room (there are 4 classrooms) has wood floor, tall ceilings, yellow walls and recessed lighting. There´s of course the board to write on and such, but the windows are awesome! They´re floor to ceiling, opening up more like doors than windows. They swing open to the outside onto a small standing area with a railing. There are shutters, actual shutters (we use them!), and a view onto the street below. The windows open oddly - most of the window is split into two, but then there´s the bottom part that opens down like an oven door.
Walking down the hallway (the one that was to our left at the reception area) we find a bathroom (there are 3 two stall bathrooms in the school), the offices and then the computer lab/library. it´s an open space with a dropped cieling, and books to use as resources (and these damned computers). But, the best part, beyond the computer lab there´s a small door out to the patio, where there are a couple round tables with umbrellas. This is where we eat our lunch. Just over the railing, in the courtyard outside our patio is an elementary school for a church who´s bells ring on the hour. The other half of the courtyard is a private garden with trees and paths and the most beautiful flowers. Eating lunch is the best part of my day here.
So, there´s a quick walk thru my building. There are windows in all the walls, all oval, all with little oval inside windows. It´s very open and airy, and bright. You wonder why I don´t mind being here for 9-10 hours :) But it´s nice to go home. Yesterday we walked through the park at Montjuic. It´s where the olympic pools and stadium are. The botanical gardens were closed when we went, but it´s got a gorgeous view of the city. We watched the sun set over Tibadabo, which is directly across the city. The city itself sits in a valley, and on either side is the two mountains. I´d love to get into detail about our walk and such, but class time comes yet again. There are moments when this city is everything I hate about cities. And then there are these wondeful moments when it´s just so beautiful, so inspiring. Last night was one of those times. I´ll have to tell you about it eventually - hopefully I´ll have pictures to go with it. :o)
posted by Chandi at 1:43 PM
4 Comments:
That sounds like a beautiful place to go to every day. Of course, the controlled explosion testing could be a little weird. You don't get to see that too much in Kzoo. Also - First post, nanana Alexis!
Chandra! I love living vicariously through you. I'm glad to see that things are going well for you. Any suggestions on how to attack the homesickness? I'm sure I'll need that advice in 35 days.
I'll give you a neener-neener-neener for second post this time.
Lori - how to attack homesickness. Well, I brought some pictures (and actually I brought my eyore too), and I write a lot. But I stay busy. Even when I have time to go home and sit, I just don´t. I go out and take advantage of this awesome city I´m in. So, do that. Don´t be antisocial (not that it´s possible for you), go out and explore, and then tell people at home all about it. It will seem like you are a lot closer that way :)
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