Primer Dia de Clase

Hoy fuimos a clase.  I was kind of bummed out because there weren't other students in our class, just us OSU folks.  But the lecture was interesting, the professor really enjoys to talk.  He told us about Chile and gave us a general overview of Latin American history and development.  He talked about the different structures and how Cuba has a very successful education system, because it is completely centralized and government controlled.  Then Martha brought up an excellent point when she said, well then after school they must realize that the government continues to control their choices and options for advancement.  It was an interesting class, as an American de los EEUU, communism is a ideology very hard for me to accept.  Her in Latin America it is a commonly supported idea and Finland and places like that seem to have a very centralized system and they like it.  I don't know.  Whenever people start comparing the USA with other places like Cuba and even Chile, I think they forget how huge USA is.  And although everything is 'bad' there right now, it's not as bad as it could be.  Especially because the country is huge, with a ton of different goals and ideologies.  It was mildly frustrating at times to voice my opinion because I am so uninformed.  But in my mind people should have the choice to work hard for what they desire, and that means working hard to get scholarships to go to University.  Or get a job to pay for university.  The professor also said that in Chile it is difficult to work while in school, which I guess would be a problem. I know I've been blessed with never having to live with a huge fear of debt or money problem, but I still think a completely centralized education system would not work in the states.

Then after that we went to the Cafe and got some VERY cheap tea and cookies.  Then we took the metro to the Cafe Journal, a gringo bar where we were hoping the thunder game was playing. No such luck.  I got a mango juice drink, it was yummmmmmmmmmmy.  I am looking forward to going back there.  It's supposedly the place to be.

Did I mention it's raining. It has been all day.  We had to talk to 1 Norte only to learn that the bus we needed was literally where we began.  Eventually, after the help of a nice man at the first wrong bus stop, then another nice man at the magazine hut, we ended up in the right direction on the right bus. THEN AGAIN the nice chilean bus driver helped me with my stop at los fresnos.  I am so lucky to have a decent sense of direction.  I found my way back home perfectly, I didn't get lost once.  But of course I second guessed myself and thought I was lost. But I wasn't :)  It was great to go into the city and see more of it.  It made me excited for everything. My host sister has her boyfriend over, I guess its common for him to come over and spend the night.  The mama said it's safer than them getting a hotel room so its acceptable.  That's so strange to me.  It does make me want a pololo, but my mother would probably kill me if I started dating a chilean boy.