Today we finished our classes with Professor Rita Giacalone. She is a petite and sharp woman from Venezuela; cute and precise. She would say things like ¨Calm down. You can go and eat. Just don´t talk.¨ And she said it in accented English carrying a crisp air of confidence. It was enjoyable to listen to her, even for four hours straight.
Her lectures pertained to economic partnerships of international trade: preferential trade agreements, free trade agreements, customs unions, and common markets. We discussed GATT, NAFTA, G-3, CAN, SACN, MERCOSUR. I think I´m missing a couple from this list. When I have my class notes with me at a computer, I will fill in a bit as far as what I learned...
It was quite interesting, partly because I haven´t taken any economics courses. This a pretty neat level to learn a subject.
Then this afternoon I ventured down into one of the shopping areas. It wasn´t all that much fun for me – I´m going to have to wait for the weekend to browse the flea markets and street vendors. I prefer the more cultural products as opposed to the more commercial ones.
Plus, the clothes here don´t really seem to fit me. I don´t think I´m all that big, but this is a much more petite culture than the US. Then again, maybe it´s just because of the style differences and also that they don´t label a lot of the stuff with a size. Anyway, I don´t want to buy much as far as clothes.
Now I am off to do some studying and just chill around the hotel. Tonight is the women´s volleyball match - which I am absolutely looking forward to!
