It all started my first day. You know how at KSS, the principal gives the exchange students their schedule and says "Good luck finding your first class in our huge school" and sends them off to fend for themselves? Well my first day at Illia couldn't have been any more different. I arrived at school uncharacteristically nervous (mostly because I couldn't speak any spanish) and met up with my Rotary Counselor, Mr. Fenucci, who then took me to go meet the principal. Upon meeting the principal, I go to give him a hand shake but end up getting kissed on the cheek instead leaving my hand held out kind of awkwardly... All I have to say is I wasn't expecting that. I knew that complete strangers kissed you all the time in Argentina but principals? And teachers? It's safe to say I was a teeny tiny bit weirded out...
Then for awhile they all talked in spanish around me while I sat there wondering what they were saying about me. It turned out that I got put in the Science department. I know all of my friends and family at home are probably laughing right now... For those who don't know, Math, Physics and Chemistry are my worst subjects.
So when we left the principals office, I fully expected to get pointed in the direction of my class and then be on my way. Instead, I get met at the door by some nice girls who speak fluent english who tell me they are so excited to have me in their class. They then brought me to their class (which was right in the middle of a Spanish lesson), stood me up in front of everyone and introduced me. Back at KSS, something like this never happens. As an exchange student your expected to find your first class on your own and you never get brought up in front of the class to get introduced.
What happened next also would never ever ever happen in Canada...
So after being introduced, every single person in the class (including the teacher) got up to give me a kiss on the cheek and welcome me. There was at least 25 people in the class. That's like 25 kisses on the cheek in the space of 2 minutes. Imagine yourself standing in the middle of a large group of people who are all kissing you from different directions. As a person who never got kissed on the cheek back at home, it was kind of surprising. Also it was a new record: 25 kisses in 2 minutes. That's one I don't think I'm ever going to be able to beat.
I learnt a lot on my first day. For instance, I learnt that everyone stayed in the same class for the whole year and the teachers were the ones who moved. Not only that, the students in my class had all been in the same class since last year (Grade 10) and they were now all in Grade 11. They also would be with the same students in their senior year too. This had taken awhile for me to get used to seeing how at KSS you moved for each class and were constantly meeting new kids. So far, I'm not quite sure what system I like better. On one hand, meeting a lot of new people is great but on the other hand, my class in Argentina reminds me of a big family. They all know each other well seeing they spend 6 hours a day, 5 days a week together. I don't know which is better: A couple of good friends and many acquaintances or a classroom full of people you know very well.
Over the past two weeks I've really gotten used to my new school and I find I really like it. The students are great, I've made some awesome new friends (I'll give a little shout out to some... Marti and Martu (the two Martina's), Macu (Macarena), Mar, Benve and Karu) and everyone is so so nice here. I also really like how they serve full dinners sized meals for lunch at the school cafeteria. Not only that, the food actually is good (and healthy!). I haven't ate at the cafeteria much yet (either then for coffee seeing my host family only has the instant stuff) but I plan to more in the upcoming weeks. I'll make sure to take pictures of the food I get so I can make my sister jealous back at home haha! My classes are good but to be honest, I still don't really understand any of them... I guess it will just take time.
For extra curricular activities I'm taking Basketball and Art. I've had one class of each and I can already say I'm really going to enjoy them. Especially Basketball. I will also be taking Yoga at the school on Fridays.
Also last week was Arte Hoven Week . I'm going to post a separate blog post about that as soon as I can get my videos up and running. To give you a small hint to what Arte Hoven is, it's a week where students get to showcase their talent, whether is be art, music, theater, poetry or creative writing.
To sum it all up, I love Illia school and I'm having a lot of fun!
My first day of school I got offered some cake... I
actually have no idea why there was cake in the first place
but I wasn't going to complain!
Me + (Martina X 2)
Marti (left) Martu (right)
Benve (left) and Mar (right)
on their Birthday!
The amazing cakes they brought to school
(Sometimes I think the students here will use any excuse
to party and eat cake!)
Marti, Benve and I with the piñata full of candy
Me and Hano with a string of ballons behind us which
we're put up by the students for Mar and Benve's Birthday
Learning physics while eating cake
Me and my class!
(some of them are missing because they are on a ski trip with the school)
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