Life now.

I have been writing a lot about all the things that happen and how they have made me feel, but I haven't written about the "ordinary" stuff that also happens here from time to time, so this post will be dedicated to that.

Like I've said before, life on Campus is extremely intense, not only on an academic level, but also socially and emotionally. Sometimes a lot of things (and people) happen on very little time, and it is exhausting, but I truly love being here. 

What has surprised me the most so far is the academic environment. According to me, my Mexican high school was a place that gave me a lot of freedom and in which I had a bunch of opportunities to develop as a student and as a person. Then I arrived in MUWCI and well, I'm not sure if it is the fact that we have people from so many different places living all together and therefore we have a greater tolerance to things (and with it, more freedom)...but over here, I actually feel free.

For starters, I have a lot of freedom to choose my subjects and give them the focus that I believe is better. That is something that IB Students in my Mexican high school couldn't do. Since I want to major in Art History, I chose to focus more in Humanities and right now I'm taking Spanish Lit, English Lit, History and Visual Arts along with Biology and Math Studies. 

I am in love with every single one of my choices. It feels so weird to get to class and say "Oh, I like this one", and then go to the next class and say "Oh, I love this one too". It's a feeling that I'd never had before. Doing homework doesn't even bother me, although homework here is an entirely different story, I must say. Back in Mexico, I was used to having my subjects with one day in-between, for example: I would have Maths on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and History on Tuesday and Thursday. That gave me two days to do homework. Over here, there is no such thing as "The Days of The Week". Obviously, on Saturday and Sunday I am free to do whatever I want, but from Monday to Friday, my days are counted as Day 1, Day 2...until Day 7. Thanks to that, I have almost all my subjects every day, although we always rest from one subject each day. It's a complex system, but it works wonders because my days never look the same, so it is harder to fall into a routine and get bored even though I have homework every evening.

Classrooms are a whole different thing. We have our lessons in the Academic Quarter or AQ. The AQ is actually shaped like a circle, but with classrooms. Every classroom has a window, which opens into an individual stone-terrace, and every classroom is different. In those classrooms in which we have tables, we sit down in a half-circle, so we can all see each other and conversation flows easily. My Spanish Lit classroom has mattresses right in the middle and tables on the sides. My English Lit classroom (my favourite) has rugs and cushions, so I can either sit or lie down. When we enter that  classroom, we take off our shoes (in part because of cultural sensitivity and respect, but mostly because it is fun and comfy) & half the time, one of the school's doggies is taking class with us.

Teachers fervently believe that in order for us to learn correctly, it's necessary that we're comfortable, so they let us eat, drink and talk when we believe we need a break. I can also stand up and walk around my classroom, stretch, lie down or do whatever I have to do in order to be okay. Back in Mexico, I would have never been allowed to sit on the floor because sometimes, when we put our feet up in the chair, we were asked to "Sit properly". 

My Biology Class (and all the other sciences: Physics, Chemistry & Environmental Studies) are taken on a separate building where we have the Labs. These sort of look like the ones we have back home, although it feels great to know that I can use the labs anytime I want.

Group 6 lessons (Visual Arts, Film, Drama & Dance) are taken in another building, the prettiest of all. My Art classroom is full of material, paper, canvas, sculptures...it is a true artists' studio. We have one whole wall of glass, and the prettiest view in the whole school. Right in the middle we have our work tables and it always smells like paint and inspiration.

Every afternoon some people walk up Internet Hill (the neighbouring hill), others go down to Paud (our nearest big village). Some more go all the way down to Pune (mostly during weekends, though). Some people run downhill and then back uphill for fun. Others stay on Campus and go to the Tree House or the Temple to relax. Someone is always cooking pasta (or ramen) in the Common Room while someone sings & plays the guitar and seventeen other people try to do homework.

I wanted to try and explain that we also have normal days here in MUWCI, but the truth is I would be lying if I said so. Life here is never normal and things aren't simply ordinary. The fact that I can leave home thirty seconds before class and know that I'm still going to make it, isn't normal. It also isn't normal to go to school barefoot, in my PJs, with rain falling over my head, skipping puddles and being careful not to slip. It isn't normal to go to my Advisor's home and drink hot cocoa, or bake a cake at my teacher's place at midnight, or organize a Latino Dinner at my Lit Teacher's home. It isn't normal to be sick and have my roomies make me tea and bring me the  Forbidden Oreos to the Med Center. 

And just like things are not ordinary, people aren't ordinary either. In my other school, people would always be surprised (and a little judgmental) that I used to wear long skirts, feather earrings and "hippie pants" to school. Over here we have no such thing as dressing "normal" because everyone develops their own, unique style. I can be wearing the weirdest things and people won't even blink. A few days ago, I heard someone in the cafeteria say that they didn't know if that was good or bad because the people who used to be weird got to MUWCI and became plain eccentric. True, very true.

From left to right: Dipika (Texas/India) my roommate, Kayleigh (Wales) my front door neighbour, Srishti (Texas/India) my upstairs neighbour, Pietro (Costa Rica) who lives one house down & Yael (Israel) also my upstairs neighbour.

I think at some point life here calms down a bit. Next month when all the Integration Activities are over, my afternoon lessons (extracurriculars) will have a set time and I will know a bit more about how my life is going to work. Weekends will be completely free and I will be posting in the blog more often. Meanwhile, I have no other option but to enjoy the chaos that is life now.