Tuesday, August 30, 2005

*Insert yoga breathing here*

I think the second day of class is probably far too early in the semester to start panicking, so I'll do my best to just keep breathing. I'll continue to remind myself that it's ok to be a beginner, and that it's been a very long time since I've been in an academic environment - so I'm entitled to feel a bit mentally rusty. After all, we've all got to start somewhere, and this is the path I've chosen for myself.

Now that we've got that little bit of logic and reason out of my system, may I just say:

Eeek! Yaaaah!

History on Monday and Wednesday is brilliant - I have a bit of a crush on my professor, and after all it's Gay & Lesbian History so it's very inclusive and altogether fascinating. I'll be responsible for an 8-10 page paper, but it's (fingers crossed) interviewing a (rather prestigious) friend of a friend, so I'm actually looking forward to that.

Today was Ballet, Philosophy and French 1, and that will be my schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday remains to be seen: it's Voice and Art 1B.

Anyway - I was very tempted - when I saw all the 18 year old, physically perfect athletes walking into ballet this morning (File under: what did I think was going to happen?) - to run for the hills. But in a charming turn of events, the instructor has a very laid back 'come as you are' kind of attitude. She spent a majority of today's class doing a "What are your dreams and aspirations, and how do you plan to achieve them?" Q & A, and she even promised to help me finally learn a pirouette, so what the fuck. I'm just stubborn enough to stick with it.

Philosophy is going to be *awesome*. Professor is straight out of central casting, with his graying hair, and meandering lecture style. All he needs is a pipe, and to be holding court in a pub someplace and he would be perfect.

The thing that really surprises me is the French class. It's ostensibly for total beginners - but by the end of the first class I was nearly in tears. They'd already progressed to counting, masculine and feminine properties of nouns, and whether or not a vowel should be pronounced with a nasal accent based on where the vowel is in a word. And I didn't have the faintest idea what anyone was talking about. Everyone else seemed to be keeping up, and enthusiastic about their progress, and all I wanted to do was hide. I asked a question, and the professor demurred, saying 'Oh, the way you're sitting, I'm sure you can't see the board' but the truth of it was I hadn't understood any point he'd made in the last 30 minutes, even though everything was written on the board precisely in my line of sight. It just didn't mean anything to me.

So I bought the optional tapes for the class, and I guess that's how I"ll be spending my commute, trying to hear the alleged difference between 'Qui est-ce?' and 'Qu'est-ce que c'est?'

I can almost hear Kimberly saying, THAT'S THE SPIRIT!

I'm trying, yo. I'm trying. Hopefully dinner, a good night's sleep, and getting organized will help me get past this initial panic, and by the time the semester's over, I'll be able to say "What a spaz" in French.

Here's hoping!

posted by Space Kitty at 6:44 PM|| Comments (1)