monday mayhem

Classes in Chile are rather laid back in the sense that the procedure for changing the time, place, or otherwise, is rather open. I have become accustomed to this, but even so I can only handle so much. My education valores class changed rooms, again, without any communication from the prof. I arrived on time to the normal room. No one. Checked the room that we use on Wednesdays, another class there. Wandered aimlessly. Then went to reception, who directed me to a completely new room. 20 minutes late. It is said and I miss it, or sent through telepathy or something, because I am always wandering in search of the right place. This has happened about every other time I have gone to class; and I know ahead of time where it is supposed to be, but it changes anyway.

And so continued with the Monday mayhem; a fast micro ride (yay!) to Casa Central in Valpo for grammar, then micro ride (yay!) back to Sausalito for Responsibilidad Social. First of all, I leave 30 minutes early from grammar to make it on time. Second, today was the first day I had this class. I started class in the beginning of August. It is now September 21st. 7 weeks in. I added the class after the first 3 weeks, and ever since it has been cancelled, which resulted numerous times in profound confusion on my part. On this particular day, I went to the right classroom, or at least I had been told for two weeks that it was in room B8. I went to B8 and found another class. Sound familiar? This happened twice before with this class. Back to reception, who knows me quite well now. Next, I was directed to A7. The schedule posted on the door said it was my class. Yay! But no one was there, and I was 25 minutes late. You have got to be kidding me, I have spent like 4 hours of my life up to this point (really, if you include micro rides there just for this purpose) exclusively seeking out this class. But I found Luz and Daniela, from Valores, who have the same prof, and they took me to her office. She changed the class to start half an hour later. Excellent, I don't have to leave early from grammar now. The class itself was small, there were only 6 out of 10 in attendance, and it was based on discussion. We sat in a circle. I very much enjoyed the format, discussion of issues in education with Chileans, and the fact that we had the class at all. Next week's class was cancelled. I gather than the prof is doing observations for students in the field. And we left early. I might have this class for like 10 hours total this semester.

I took full advantage of the extra daylight by taking a sunset walk along Avenida España. The sky opposite the sun defies accurate description. It had been raining earlier but now the sky above was clear with black clouds in the lower half of the sky. The low light set off the buildings of a million colors in contrast to the blue ceiling and black background. It was a lot of things, surreal for one, bright, dynamic, delicate and immovable, my description does nothing to justify it.