First class at NMMU

Yesterday I finally had my first class here at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.  I say "finally" because  I feel like i really need a routine, I need to get to know the culture more and as much as I love the "touristy" things like seeing elephants and going to the beach, I need to do practical things as well.  My first class, was a beginner Xhosa class, that will meet on Monday evenings for up to two hours, but I also have the option to go early Tuesday and Thursday if the need or want arises.  (Like if we want to take a long weekend, or if I want a shorter class time broken up into two days.)  I knew going into it, that Xhosa would be a challenge  especially as an American, because it is a language full of clicks and different vowel pronunciations, but it was like nothing I expected.
I struggle with the clicks.  Its actually really embarrassing.  For example, instead of saying the "X" at the beginning of "Xhosa" the "X" is a click that you make with like the back of your mouth, and that is the only sound in the word Xhosa until you get to the "O" sound.  I practiced for about thirty minutes in my flat by myself last night while cooking dinner and I still would never say Xhosa to a person who speaks it as their normal language.  Its tough!  Some of the other words come much easier though.  For example, to greet a fellow young woman, I would say "Molo Sisi", and she would relpy, "Molo Sisi."  Easy enough, right?  Basically, the class consisted of how to introduce yourself, how to ask how someone is doing, and how to ask where the person you are talking to is staying or living.  I loved it, learning something completely new and different, but I know that I will also struggle and have to practice a lot.