Shopping for (more) education

So. All that hospital stuff finished. I took a year off (health institutions - not work). Gadded around Latin America a couple of times. Did a few weeks of Spanish school. Went to work. And home again. Went to Spain. And to work. And home again. Watched people leave work (and not return). They went with early severance and dreams of change. Decided I needed a new institution to wrangle with. Preferably at arm's length. Without endless circuitous bus trips. With some learning. Time limited. Decided to study. At the Open University. Diploma in Spanish.

Its quite something studying a language with the OU. What level to enter at? Why don't they support Macs? Why did I have to invest in a second (reconditioned) laptop? Why was I told to buy the books, when a second set turned up free a month or so later? How much practice to put in before starting? Should I hang on to my existing teacher? Why do the 'introductory workshops' have the wrong dates and no course content? Why why why...

Because the OU is cool. And relatively cheap (in Scotland at least). Because the course content is pretty good. Because the tutor might even be a native Spanish speaker. Because you get a student card (handy for this year's trek to Australia). Because people at work look at you askance. (And think you are clever. Or mad). And you don't really realise what you have committed to until its far far too late. Because there's a pipe dream to live in Mexico. And pipe dreams need action. And En Rumbo L140 has a whole lot of action. Eight hours a week. Four assessments a term. One exam a year. And 6 key strokes for every sodding accented letter (this doesn't of course happen with a Mac....)

Más tarde amigos....