A Cacerolazo and Spanish lessons

Hey folks,

I have finally begun taking Spanish lessons. After six months I threw my many excuses out the window and began contacting potential professors. Finding a free slot for classes in my schedule was difficult but I was able to schedule my first class for last Friday. I am relieved to have the class in my schedule now because I had been putting it off for so long. Now that it's there I finally feel committed.

The first class went really well. I'm taking it with two other English professors who are at the high beginner level. Although my level is mid-high intermediate, I find I enjoy taking a lower level class because it helps me to reinforce material I may have covered a long time ago but since forgotten. I also find the best way to master material is to explain it to someone else. Right now I'm reinforcing and mastering the basics so I can have a strong foundation for the more advanced material to rest on.

In our first class we covered giving and asking directions, a subject I strangely missed in my previous years learning Spanish. I've even had to make use of this at least once since the class. As I was walking home one day some folks asked where they could find the Recoleta Mall, as I was a bit startled by the unexpected communication my Spanish was rather choppy but I managed to point them in the right direction and communicate a few meaningful words on what roads to take. Overall I count it as a success. Hopefully too they found the mall : )

A big event for Argentina was the Cacerolazo known as 18A (18th of April). A cacerolazo, or casserole in English, is a giant public protest in which crowds of people take to the streets marching and banging pots and pans. I believe the first cacerolazo was in 2001 when Argentina's economy collapsed along with the middle class. The pots and pans symbolize hunger and the lack of basic needs, but even more they symbolize a lack of confidence in the government. I went to watch the marching for a brief period but didn't stay long. Overall I would describe it as more of a giant public gathering than a protest. There wasn't much shouting or demonstrating, mostly it was just people milling around and looking at everyone else around them. My favorite memory of the cacerolazo was of a man hitting a plastic spoon on the styrofoam kilo container of ice cream he was eating, so much for lack of food : )

Work occupies most of my time now, which makes it ever more difficult to write. My only free day is Sunday now, which I often use to unwind in the park with a good book. Despite the workload life is good. Setbacks happen as always but the pace continues as usual, and I go with the flow.

Cheers to another week!

Kyle