Well, it seems as if most of us (including myself!) have forgotten what I'm here for...to study! I spent Wednesday and Thursday this week on campus learning about the various buildings, classes, and procedures of the university. I also met a lot of the other international students, most of whom are (surprisingly) not American. Featuring groups from the US, the Czech Republic, Spain, Bolivia, Germany, France, Finland, Argentina and other countries, there were a plethora of people of various backgrounds and interests to meet.
Not wasting any time, I quickly introduced myself to my fellow classmates, quickly making myself known among them...so much so that they started talking about me to other people who knew me, causing them to believe that I really do know everyone (it's true). During this time, we also met our Peruvian exchange partners. Mine is named Luis Caballero, but everyone calls him Luchito (nickname is Lucho). "-Ito" is called the diminutive and is used as a term of endearment. As such, I would be "Amjadcito" or something along those lines. Lucho and I hit it off almost immediately, chatting about life and my research project - he was able to give me some great insight (though I really should get cracking on my interview questions...)!
The second day of orientation was more stressful because it required us to go around to the various facultades (faculties/schools) on campus to meet with advisors and to see which classes would best suit us. With the help of these advisors and some Peruvian students, I was able to pick classes that would help me finish my majors, learn more about the background surrounding my research project, and enjoy the rich Peruvian culture. My courses are:
History 348 - History and Geography of the Peruvian Amazon
Literature 216 - Contemporary Peruvian Narratives/Prose
Linguistics 118 - Linguistic Theory
Political Science 222 - The State and Politics in Latin America
15 credits. Monday-Friday, possibly a day off on Thursday, not too bad if I say so myself. My only concern is that I need to have my History and my Linguistics class approved by the Spanish Department at the UW in order to have them transfer as equivalents of the courses I need to graduate. I think history will transfer...I'm not so sure about Linguistics. Here's to hoping!
The last thing we did during orientation was have a security discussion. As if the title wasn't cryptic enough ("Surviving Lima"), there were a plethora of reasons for us to be scared: earthquakes, robberies, freeloaders, etc. The information wasn't really anything new for me, though, especially since my host parents have been wonderful about making sure we know how to take care of ourselves and to keep a low profile!
That's all for now - I will update about my last weekend before class ASAP!
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