Peru: Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion

AT 9:30 my Spanish teacher came to my house to show me how to take the bus to the school.   Extremely crowded, and still clad ïn ¨Feliz Navidad¨ decorations, the trip took about twenty minutes, and cost about a quarter.  A taxi, in comparison, would have taken about ten minutes and cost just over one dollar. 

Once at the school I met some of my fellow students, and the rest of the teachers, who were all very jovial and happy, almost too happy, to engage in conversation with a new student.  For two hours I practiced Spanish, one-on-one with my instructor.  Fairplay has an established curriculum complete with books, and I flew through some of the basics that I already knew. 

After the two hour lesson I took the bus back to my family´s house, where almuerzo (lunch) was waiting for me.  Soup, chicken, rice and vegetables.  Almost on cue, once I was finished eating my second teacher, Carmen, arrived and it was time for my next lesson. 

My first lesson was classroom based, and my second two hour lesson was almost exclusively on the street, in the supermercado, and in various tiendas around San Sebastian Church, near my homestay.  Carmen and I spoke for two hours as we walked through alleys and into markets, and she corrected my grammar and vocabulary when I went astray in the conversation.  The method is working.   I´ve picked up new words, grammar, and vocabulary even after the first day. 

This evening the school is hosting a cooking class with all the students, I think there are around ten of us.  The intention is that we learn how to cook Peruvian food and then gobble it up.  Sounds good.  I´m told it lasts a while, five hours or so, but I have to keep my word and have drinks with the grandfather of the house upon my return.  I wonder what he drinks…

Pictures and a video tour of my accomodations coming soon.  Ciao!

Tags: 1, fairplay peru, peru homestay, prescott college, spanish school peru, travel peru

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