Senora Kick My Butt

I have ventured into my fourth language class at Rice University (continuing education).  I may have reached my saturation point!  In an effort to expose myself to as much Spanish as I can before our 35th anniversary trip to Spain in May, I enrolled in Spanish 2.  Last semester's Spanish 1 class was a kind and gentle introduction to Spanish.  We plodded along learning the very basics and I kept up fairly well.  I was not at the top of the class but I certainly wasn't at the bottom.  I still can't say much except hello, how are you and I'm from.......and congugate a few verbs.  I  was  moved up to the next level and decided "what the heck?  I'll take it until we leave for Spain, at least I will be exposed to more Spanish and maybe it will help in our travels."   "What was I thinking???"  

I missed the first class, which was a big mistake.  When I showed up to the second class I felt like I had entered the Spanish Twilight Zone!  I think everyone else in the class studied Spanish in high school and college and are just taking this as a little refresher....    I feel like a non-mathematical kid stuck in Algebra 2, clueless!  "What is everyone saying and why can't I understand them?"   "No.... don't call on me!  I have no clue what the question is, much less the answer!" 

I will call my new professora, Senora Patear mi Culata.  Every Tuesday and Thursday night I voluntarily show up to class and get my fanny kicked!  Compared to my other language professors  she is a slave driver.  We have hours of homework every class.  I diligently do my homework and still feel very unprepared when I get to class.  She speaks rapid fire Spanish 90% of the class and I catch about 15% of what she is saying.  The volume of vocabulary is staggering to say the least.  It is like learning a foreign language!  haha!  I still get busted for using my French accent too, "Senora, that's a  French accent!  The "g" is pronounce "h" in Spanish."  She teaches university Spanish classes as well as the Continuing Education classes and told us that we cover in 8 weeks what her other classes cover in 16.  Thanks!  I feel so much better/worse.   She looked at me sympathetically after the last class and said, "Senora, is everything OK?"  I told her my head was spinning and I feel at a distinct disadvantage having never studied Spanish before, unlike the rest of the class.  She then surprised me and told me that she could tell I was "una persona intellegent" and assured me I was in the right level class.   Whew!   Now on to the hours of homework,  so I don't get mi culata kicked on Tuesday!