While the warm tangering sun starts to set I enter the room. I observe that it is small, no bigger than a small movie theater and there are very few people seated. I take a seat myself and start to absorb my surroundings . The environment is similar to a prison, very dim and dark. Vibrant colors are not of importance here. The walls around me are very coarse and made up of a bland color palate containing no art or pictures. The air is not crisp, nor dull and tastes as if it has been re-circulating for a number of hours. The flooring is new and looks as if it were installed very reciently. Facing the chalk board sit seven rows of desks, about five in each row. There is only one window, next to the door in the back, it is stratigicly placed so it will not be of distraction.While seats start to fill with more and more people lingering in one can smell the sweat dripping off others as they enter into the cool atmosphere escaping from the harsh heat.
As I sit, I tend to notice the silence around me. One starts to feel as though they may not speak. Few whisper and giggle pretending they are not heard, yet everyone knows what they are discussing. Some race to finish work, while others sit and daydream ready to begin. The difference in people around me is very widespread. The mixture of people is one of a Neapolitan ice cream, a blend of all ages and ethnicity's, coming together for a common purpose. Styles of clothing vary extensively. Some look like they just got of work while others look as if in a couple of hours they will be participating in a beauty pagent. As the instructor enters, any noise that was in the room is now stillness. Class has now begun.
This class is not one of foolishness, but one of purpose. The students are quietly seated because they are prepared and eager to learn. This school is one that cares not about image and likeability, but one that is more concerned about the knowlage we receive.