Córdoba, 2.0

The good news is that today has been a much better day. The bad news, however, is that I'm not settled yet.

After tossing and turning last night, I got up this morning and walked to the Universidad de Córdoba, Facultad de Filosofia y Letras (UCO, for short) where I'll be studying this semester. University classes start next Monday, but students from my program, PRESHCO (Programa de Estudios Hispanicos en Córdoba) have the opportunity to preview mini sessions of the classes with the professors this week. Today I went to a class on the Hermeneutics of Art. It sounds pretty interesting, actually quite similar to a lot of my Smith art classes, and would nicely compliment the other classes I'm hoping to take, Geography and Images of Spain, and Spanish and Music Appreciation and History. Tomorrow morning I'm going to preview a class on the History of Photography. We'll see how the cards fall and what classes and times end up working out.

Back to today, though. After previewing classes, I sat down with Esteban and talked (read: cried) about the housing situation. The Residencia, where I was living, isn't really a dorm. It is actually a business, more a long the lines of a boarding house, that is rented on a nightly or weekly basis. Consequently, most of the inhabitants tend to be students, which explains why there was no one will be there until next week. The students, however, are not necessarily students from UCO. They could be high school students who are here studying in the city, university students, or extended visitors. In the Spanish educational system, most students live at home or rent an apartment with friends. The Residencias are a strange middle ground. When I chose the Residencia, I thought it was going to be more along the lines of an American dorm. So when Esteban clarified this information for me this morning, and I thought about the chances of having a roommate who may not also be a UCO peer, I decided to move in with a family.

This is the good news: the family that I'm going to be living with is also hosting another PRESHCO girl, my friend Kimberly, a student at Wellesley and fellow running buddy, and have a home about five minutes from school. Not only is it closer, but apparently it is a really nice house with a pool, my own room and bathroom, and a balcony. Its also located within the old quarters of the city, by the Mezquita (the Great Mosque of Cordoba). So tomorrow morning, after I preview my classes, I'm going back to the Residencia to pick up my things and move into my new HOME. Luckily this change of address was fairly easy and didn't cause too much stress on the part of the PRESHCO directors. And on a lighter note, I did learn a lot about Spanish educational housing.

And perhaps the best news is that my friend Katherine, as part of her two week España adventure, is now in Cordoba. She took a detour here to see me, and so I'm staying in her hotel with her tonight so I don't have to be alone at the Residencia. Though her detour south to Córdoba was planned, the timing in the midst of the housing nightmare was sheer coincidence. And thank goodness she is here. It was so nice to learn my way around the city a bit more with her by my side. She also got to be my little shadow on a tour of the "guay"(cool) places we should know about in the city this afternoon that one of the local UCO students gave us. Afterwards, Katherine and I had tapas for dinner at a café on the street. Every drink comes with a tapa "a grátis"-- free!-- and additional tapas are only 1 Euro. And of course, a final course of ice cream.

Its early-to-bed tonight here in the hotel; I have a 9am class tomorrow, followed by meeting my new family, visiting with Katherine a bit more, and really settling in. I'm so relieved that things are looking up. I actually got excited about being here during our tour today. It is such a relief to know that I have a good family to move in with and another Presquita in the house. What a difference 24 hours makes! And now to make up for that lost sleep...