27 Mar 2008 - Class?

Today my CIEE class was interrupted soundly by jack-hammering just below the windows of our classroom. With 20 minutes left to go in the class, after trying to instigate some type of class discussion about the film that we had just watched, the professor, quite fed up, simply let us go early. My next class was at the University, so I took my time on the way over. In my next class, while attempting to remember everything possible about the Russian Revolution (How many names did St. Petersburg have? When was Trotsky exiled?) as well as trying to keep up with the professor’s discourse of how Lenin was breaking away from Marxism, behold. Some sort of protest, beginning at the center of the university, proceeded to stop, once again, directly outside the door of our classroom. There were horns and lots of yelling, although between us, none of the Americans could figure out exactly what was being said. It probably has to do with the on-going protest of the privatization of Spanish University. But, the lesson that I take away from today is How Can Anyone Get Anything Done Here. Alright, that may be a bit harsh, but it was very frustrating, to say the least. If I’m going to actually take the time to go to my classes, invest myself in trying to figure out what, exactly, is going on, and try to get some sort of coherent education, I have to admit I’d really like to see some respect out of the obreros ripping up the streets with their power tools and the other students in the University. They may have an eternal life of studying before them, as Spain doesn’t seem to have much to offer “young professionals” these days, but I’m here to get grades!