"Oh, well then you're Catholic"

Two weeks have passed---I feel like I'm settling in. Amanda arrived and we finally got to hang out--in her chic apartment that overlooks the sea, on a terrace!

I'm slowly bringing my room together--I bought a new blanket with a floral design. I'm hoping to compliment these wonderful curtains (I think I've mentioned them, if not more than once). Last weekend I got to see Ben and Rachael in Santiago--it was nice to see them. I also grabbed a Botero painting from Rachael's book of Boteros. The one i took is called, "The Collector." I put it on one of the empty walls in my room--I thought maybe, since the painting has its own collection of artwork in the background, I could decieve the blank wall it's on ;-). There are other strange things in the room, but i like them--some funny character! (the next time i get some nice light in here, i'll put up pictures!)

Deceived?

I've gone to a few more classes. My literature class is with other people from the Butler program, and even though the professor is just great and i really liked what we've read and talked about so far, the rest of the class sits there like dummies! I think Ale and I are at a higher speaking level than most in the class, but I know they're more capable than what they're showing now. To any question you get a, "no sé"--I dont know. If it were easier to change the course, I would--but other literature classes at thes school clash with courses i'm already taking. Hopefully people in my class with gain a little more confidence and speak up! And say some thoughtful stuff at that.

Yesterday I went to a History of the Mexican Revolution class, but on top of the class being FILLED with gringos (majority), most of the classes are dedicated to listening to each other's presentations on a particular theme. Knowing some of the gringos in my class, and from my experience of presentations and group work, I could learn a lot more elsewhere. It would have been cool to focus on and study something in particular related to the Revolution, but I feel like I did that a bunch (on other topics) last year.

Some espresso in Santiago with those old buds of mine!

So I went to a Biblical studies class--it's called Biblical Initation. I don't really know what that means, honestly. But the course syllabus and agenda says the class is more or less to have a historical and critical understanding of the bible and its significance. I've always wanted to take a class on the bible, but its odd here because classes are all part of "carreras"--everyone is working towards their particular profession. So we also are looking at how to teach the bible. I didn't have the bible today, but I understood everything and it seems managable. ahh!

To say the least, i think the class will be hard! I'm wondering if too hard? But I think I'm gonna try it out. At least language in the bible is more or less simple, and it would be interesting to take the class in such a religious society.

After class I introduced myself to the other students (they all know each other well because the "carreras" can be pretty small and they're all in the same year). Right away one student asked me if i'm Catholic. Of course, I didn't even understand what he had asked at first. I ended up answering, "I'm from New York" because I thought he was asking me about our SCHOOL, Catolica. When I read all those "oh she didn't get that" looks I realized and said no, i dont have a religion. I ended up going with agnostic, not athiest. That was quite a group to announce that to, ha. And an older woman in the class (oddly old, actually) said, "well, here and now you can get baptized!" To which i said, oh well i've been baptized. I noted that she rolled her eyes a bit when she said, "Oh, well then you're Catholic." The student next to me understood what I meant, though. And he said that its very common here to be Catholic, but that bit by bit it's disappearing.