Prague Blague

I found my pegasus.

2010-07-05T17:35:00.001+02:00

I realize I haven't posted since my weekend in Berlin, and I'm sorry. I could add an excuse, but it would be a lie and you'd know it. At the risk of giving away how immature I really am, here's a funny story to try and compensate:

The first weekend of the trip, we went to see the Sedlec Ossuary (the bone church) in a town called Kutna Hora, about an hour away from Prague. After touring the church, we got some lunch at an Italian restaurant, and there, I decided to use the restroom. Unfortunately, there was no lock on the door, so I figured if anyone tried to come in, I'd shove the door closed, and they'd figure it out. Logical, right? I'm doing my thing, no big deal, when this Asian lady comes in the main part of the restroom, yelling uncontrollably. The door flies open, and so I shoved it closed--that is, I tried to, but this crazy woman pushed back! So here I am in mid-pee in a door shoving fight with some crazy Asian lady yelling, and at this point I'm yelling back. Eventually she backed off and I got the door closed, but I broke a sweat, which should not have happened! What was that!?!

Monday night (June 21), some friends and I went to a blind cafe. In order to raise awareness for the visually impaired, an organization called Světluška, meaning "firefly," set up a cafe in the street. The cafe was completely dark in order to simulate blindness. We couldn't even see our hands in front of our faces. Also, we were hosted and served by the blind as well, which was really cool.

Here's a picture of what it looked like inside the cafe.

Taking the situation seriously, Koki, Brittany and I played games like slap hands and "Who's Hand Am I Touching?!"

On Tuesday, we had our last day of classes prior to exams. Molly, Shelly and I got to present our documentary, which we thought was pretty dank. More importantly, so did our professors. I propose you check it out here.

Wednesday, I studied my behind off for my exams. Thursday, I took them. They went well.

Thursday night we had a potluck at the institute. Three words: Anael's apple strudel. There was also a live band outside, to which we got our [not so experienced] dance on. Koki had it going on, though. Gentlemen, take a cue from our favorite islander and enroll in a dance class.

So we're all dancing around, acting the fool, when Bradley asks me if I've seen Ryan's shirt. I look at Ryan's shirt, and it totally has a pegasus on it. I freaked out accordingly. Naturally I would love to post a picture here, but they're still on Ryan's camera and not on Facebook yet. In due time, I suppose.

Later Thursday night, we decided to hit up the five story club one last time. The goal was to stay out until the metro reopened at 5 AM, which we definitely did, but not without several shenanigans. Some dude fell off a ledge onto Katharine, Molly, and me, and it was way more intense than you're probably picturing. The other happenings are too surreal/uncomfortable to discuss here.

Friday, we slept in a great deal followed by turning in our institute keys and a bit of shopping. That night, we ate dinner at Sorrento's one last time. Saying goodbye to our boy Tom was definitely emotional. So was saying goodbye to that 10% discount. Later that night, we went to the Red Door and then to Puerto Rico.

Saturday included breakfast at Bohemia Bagel, frolicking across the Charles Bridge, and hanging out at some random music festival. After dinner, we watched the US get our asses handed to us by Ghana in Old Town Square. Still, FIFA in Old Town Square>FIFA wherever you were that night. We also went up to Prague Castle one last time to check out the city at night, but first we got some orange Cappy. I'll be completely honest, I'm not sure if I'm going to miss Cappy or the castle more.

At 4:45 AM, it was time to head to the airport, which was quite an adventure. Molly, Koki and I rolled our luggage, which had expanded significantly with souvenirs, to the metro. Several metro stops and a nauseating shuttle ride later, we were at the airport, and about 13 hours later, I was in Raleigh. Tag on four more, and I was home to Asheville. For some reason, my parents were looking off in another direction when I came out of the terminal, so I scared the crap out of them, and it was hilarious.

It's been a week now, and honestly I've been having a really difficult time adjusting. First of all, I don't live near anyone in the program. Without a point of reference, the whole thing feels like one huge acid trip. Also, I miss my new friends immensely, it's kinda sick. I can't thank God enough for the amazing individuals I met in Prague, and I'm so thankful that reuniting in Raleigh is available to us. I could go on about how each one of you changed my life in some way and exactly why I love you, but it would get cheesy, and I'd start crying, and the whole situation would get messy. So here's a quote that perfectly conveys how I feel.

"Of all the times I've traveled abroad as a professor, I've never witnessed such camaraderie within a group of students. The way you took care of one another was absolutely amazing."
Bob Patterson

To those of you who have been keeping up with my blague, I'm sorry that you haven't found something better to do. Nah but seriously, thank you. It's been an amazing experience, and knowing that so many of you followed along made it even better.

Until my next adventure,
Sara ♥

"Ich bin ein Berliner!" - JFK, 1963

2010-06-21T09:59:00.032+02:00

Berlin was such a nice change of scenery.

On Friday morning, we woke up at the butt crack of dawn and made our way to the train station. Five hours later--Berlin! First we got settled in at our pensions, and then we met back up to explore the city and grab some dinner. We saw Humboldt University's library, frolicked around Alexanderplatz, the center of Berlin, and saw the memorial to the Nazi book burning of 1933. Here's a picture of the plaque near the memorial, a glass panel showing empty bookshelves below ground level. It translates, "Where books are burned, in the end people will burn." That's some intense foreshadowing.

We spent the rest of the evening grabbing some food, walking around, and catching bits of the World Cup as needed. On our way back to the metro station, we saw a group of people swing dancing down beside a bridge--so we joined them, including Dr. Patterson!

The next morning, we met again at Alexanderplatz for a bike tour through Berlin! We're told to grab a bike, so everyone hops on and begins testing their skills. In the meantime, I'm still trying to find a bike low enough that I could even attempt to swing my leg over. One of the staff members sees me and exclaims, "This won't do!" He comes back a few minutes later with a kid's bike, covered in Hawaiian flowers... IT WAS AWESOME! Her name was Angie Merkel (all the bikes had names), and I loved her immediately, even though I didn't know who Angie Merkel was. "Yuh don't know who Ahngie Muhkel is?! She's the prime ministah of Gehmany!" said our tour guide, condescendingly.

The only challenging thing about Angie was that due to her young age, she had coaster brakes rather than hand brakes. In other words, I forgot I had the option of backpedaling to stop myself several times and ended up dragging my left foot on the ground, scraping my toes and messing up my [oh, so stylish] Teva's a bit. At least I got to make up a new game: "Guess Which Foot I Used to Stop Myself!" Instant classic.

Let me just say that if you're ever somewhere new for only a few days and want to cover as much ground as possible, a bike tour is the best way to accomplish this. We saw so much, including Hiter's bunker, several Holocaust memorials, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, and lots of government buildings. For those of you playing at home that know about my horrid dorm room experience last semester, seeing the Berlin Wall was pretty significant.

Halfway through our bike tour, we stopped at "The Beer Garden." Sausages, couscous, cabbage, apple strudel, and "chick beer" (beer poured over raspberry syrup) made for a delicious and much needed lunch! Also, I totally didn't almost run into a pole, and on a separate occasion two people in the park, and on a third occasion another pole... I don't know who told you that...

Saturday night, we went out to celebrate our successful biking experience (successful=nobody died). We got a round of Alster, which is half beer and half lemon soft drink, and sat outside, laughing our behinds off as usual. We even got to see fireworks! Yet another perfect night with my Prague family.

Yesterday, we revisited some of the places we saw on the bike tour. The first was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a grid-like arrangement of 2,711 concrete slabs, or "stelae," that grow progressively taller as you approach the center of the memorial. The important thing about this memorial is that it's interactive, inviting you in and asking you to think. Furthermore, the abstract nature of the memorial deliberately forces one to draw their own conclusions about what it represents. I think it's one of the most effective, powerful ways that Holocaust victims have been commemorated.

In the center of the memorial was the entrance to the information center, which houses pictures, stories, and audio recordings pertaining to the atrocities of the Holocaust. I always fail to feel anything in these situations--it's so surreal that I can't find a way to connect. However, in one of the rooms of the information center, excerpts of real letters were projected onto the floor. One of the first ones I read was from a mother who knew she would never see her children again. She was so sad and so scared, and I couldn't help but think of my own mommy hurting that way. I didn't even realize I was crying until I couldn't figure out why the next letter was so blurry. It was very difficult to get through the rest of center, but I don't regret it. It was one of the most fearless testimonies of the Holocaust I've ever encountered.

Next, we visited the remains of the Gestapo Headquarters, which consists mainly of rubble as well as the remains of the underground rooms where a great deal of the Holocaust was planned. It was written somewhere that the site would always remain rubble, which is appropriately symbolic. Not to mention building over Gestapo headquarters is sending karma a personal invite to your grand opening ceremony.

After a taxing but life-changing weekend, we returned to the train station for a pleasant ride back to Prague. The scenery was breathtaking, a much needed reminder that God is in control, and He loves us so much.

Now we're back in Prague, gearing up for a week of wrapping up projects and passing exams while cramming in as much of the city as possible. It's bittersweet to say the least, but I'm so thankful for the amazing time I've had here!

Please don't stop til Mustek.

2010-06-17T10:49:00.004+02:00

This post has been a long time coming, and I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting! I've been swamped with schoolwork. That's a complete lie. I've been way too busy having fun. Here's a picture of a lady with a tail as a futile attempt make up for things.

I'll start with last Tuesday, June 8th. We had the best family dinner of all time.

The Menu:
Rice
Sauteed Veggies
Assorted Zoo Animal Chicken Nuggets
Tiramisu and Ice Cream for Desert!

It was also Cameron's birthday. He's old[er] now.

Wednesday morning, Molly and I got to teach a sixth grade class at a school right beside the institute! We taught a lesson on adverbs, and it went extremely well. The students were well behaved, participated more than we expected them to, and their English wasn't bad at all. Not to get all cheesy, but it's always nice when your ambitions get reconfirmed.

I spent the rest of Wednesday working on schoolwork, and Thursday was just as uneventful. We had class, and that evening we went to the Red Door where I discovered that Pina Coladas aren't my thing. No complaints. I enjoy learning.

Friday morning is when things got real. Destination: Cesky Krumlov.

Our first stop along the way was the Castle Hluboká, a freaking beautiful castle that was occupied by the Schwarzenberg family until they were forced out during the communist era. Why communism gotta ruin errthing? We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but here's a nice view from the outside.

Our next stop was the original Budvar Brewery. We got to see the beer during several stages of the production process, but my favorite had to be when we were watching the bottles get filled in the factory on the conveyer. Nerd talk: I find that junk fascinating. We also learned that the name the beer goes by in America is Czechvar--you've been educated. Here's a picture of vats of unpasteurized beer, which is nasty, just sayin.

After a long (FREAKING HOT) day on the bus, we made it to Cesky Krumlov. What a beautiful town!

First, we went to the pension to get settled. The Krumlov House is owned by these two New Zealanders, and it was the cutest place ever. That night, we went to dinner at some medieval place, and afterward, we explored the town. Here's a picture of us sitting on the fountain in the town square. Photo cred: Holly Faranda

The next morning, we got up early to go rafting!! Seven hours of floating down a river with nine other wonderful people, singing songs, checking out the beautiful scenery and laughing our behinds off, made for one of the best days of my life, no joke. There were even a few rapids, and even though they weren't natural, they still made for some shenanigans. I didn't take my camera on the raft with me, but others did, so if you're my friend on Facebook, I'll be tagged in some rafting pics soon. And if you aren't my friend on Facebook, why you tryin to see me in my swimsuit?

After an exhausting, but wonderful day, we grabbed some dinner and got our World Cup on in a local bar. I gotta say, being in Europe during the World Cup has been pretty cool. We then visited the town's castle, no big deal or anything...

The next morning, we visited Cesky Krumlov's Baroque Theater, which remained unaltered since the days of the royal family. We weren't allowed to take pictures there either, but it was amazing. Sorry for rubbing it in your face. After some lunch, we somewhat reluctantly headed back to Prague, wishing we could stay another night in Cesky. I personally think that's a wonderful thing--it beats the crap out of wanting to get out of there! I think this past weekend has been my favorite so far. Let's see if Berlin can top it. Also, look what I found in a store window!

Monday and Tuesday have simply consisted of schoolwork and laundry, nothing serious. Yesterday, however, we had the Prague Pursuit, a scavenger hunt facilitated by my teachers. It was a blast: Katharine, Molly and I spent the day running through Prague, covering unimaginable ground in six hours. Even though we didn't win... let's just say we did. Friends > Glory. It's a matter of perspective.

Today, I have class, and then we're going to a blind tea house where we are served tea and coffee in complete darkness, simulating blindness. Actual blind people are going to serve us, too; it should be a really enlightening experience. Who knows what tonight will bring... but tomorrow? Berlin!

"Prosím, trick!" - Bradley Alsip

2010-06-07T14:51:00.005+02:00

Middle aged men here think it's totally okay not to wear shirts in public. I've decided to document this, which might be relatively bizarre, but isn't that to be expected of me?

This was taken by the hippo exhibit at the Praha Zoo. Coincidence? Maybe, but still disgusting.

Brittany, Molly, and I went to the zoo on Saturday. Praha Zoo is on roids: It's an amusement park with as many restaurants as there are animals. There was even a chair lift, and due to my fear of heights, I got picked on for my "laugh screaming," as described by Molly. Spot on.

This polar bear plays with a stick for a while before being like, "Hell no, I'm done with this." Then he and another polar bear strut for a hot second.

Saturday night, we went out with some friends that we don't normally get to see, which was grand. I even got to try Bekarovka, the delicious, cinnamon flavored, national drink of the Czech Republic! Success.

Yesterday, we climbed Petrin Hill, which lies across the Charles Bridge. At the top, Petrin Tower provides a 360〫view of Prague, which was freakin amazing. I took about five-bazillion photos from up there, so check out my Facebook album. That way if you get bored to death, it'll be on your own volition. Here's a preview, though.

There's also a way pretty garden on Petrin Hill where I decided to get in touch with the super macro setting on my camera. This picture was taken with Mama Taormina in mind.

Last night, we went to Sorrento's again. None of us are getting sick of that place, and I speculate we'll continue eating there at least three times a week until we leave. Cool with me.

Me and Brittany have fallen in love with this yogurt here called Dobrý Táta Smetanový. I finally decided to translate it today. "Big Daddy Cream"? Awkward.

Today, we're all at the institute, working as much as we can given distractions like Facebook (and completely unnecessary guitar playing). There was talk of pulling an all-nighter tonight, but we're all pansies, so I'll be surprised if it happens.

The irony is that I'm not a huge fan of cats.

2010-06-05T00:49:00.016+02:00

Angelato's is the best place to get gelato here in Prague. Molly and I keep hearing an amazing song played there more than once, a Latin remix of "Clocks" by Coldplay. It's worth sharing, so go here.

Yesterday was a short day of classes as a sort of payment for our sucky day at Kutna Hora. Afterward, there was a celebration for Dana's birthday as well as the fifth year anniversary of the Prague Institute. Translation: Good food, great wine, and even better company. Better than all of that was the cake. I even knew what fondant was, thank you Cake Boss. Also, as hokey as this is going to sound, we've become a family. Barf. But seriously, I love you guys.

Afterward, we went to Akropolis, our usual dancing spot. Kiley did two splits on the dance floor. And Bradley... I can't even begin to explain what happened, but it was unreal.

This morning, we woke up bright and early for the bee institute! This really cool bee keeper led the tour (one of his pointer fingers was a nubbin). He took the honey comb right out of the hives, shook off the bees, and let us eat the fresh honey! There will be some pictures up later on Facebook, but they won't be mine because I kept contriving irrational fears (ie. bees are attracted to cameras).

Later, we got to put the combs in a centrifuge where honey accumulated at the bottom. The bee keeper got a huge loaf of bread, and we opened the valve at the bottom of the centrifuge to pour honey all over each slice. Real talk: Best honey I've ever tasted.

We also got to see a queen bee get artificially inseminated. When she wakes up pregnant, she's gonna be pissed. In other news, the bee keeper's cat just had kittens!

This is Cameron with a kitten.

Afterward, we went to the facility where mead (a.k.a. honey wine, I didn't know either) is made. It tasted like cough syrup, but to each his own, I suppose.

This is Katharine with a kitten.

After the bee institute, we grabbed some lunch. Then, Brittany, Koki and I made our way to Vyšehrad to check out the castle grounds. The view from the surrounding wall was intense!

After making our way through the basilica and the graveyard, we headed down to the river and on to the Fred and Ginger Building. Here, Brittany and I are demonstrating the classic Asian photo pose.

Here's Kiley and Mark with a kitten.

After dinner (at Sorrento's--we are total creatures of habit), we made our way to the Charles bridge at sunset, and it was beautiful. Koki was being a camera whore for the second time today. Here's a selection from the first time.

Tomorrow we eat pancakes, visit the zoo, the castle, and climb Petrin Hill. It's going to be a long, but extremely wonderful day. Get hype.

This is Brittany with a kitten.

It's a Prague eat Prague world out there.

2010-06-02T19:14:00.006+02:00

Last night, after six hours of class, we had another family dinner! Pasta with broccoli, yum!! Here is most of my Prague family!

Today, Molly, Shelly, and the rest of the Ed crew loaded up that train and made our way to Kutna Hora. It was raining. We saw the bone church again, turned around and came back. On the bright side, we got a train car to ourselves both ways! Molly and Shelly were definitely feeling the Hogwarts Express vibe, as was I.

My posts are getting progressively shorter. I suppose the novelty is wearing off, but believe me, I'm still having an amazing time. This weekend, we're headed to the zoo, a concentration camp, and who knows what else, so there will be much more to say! Don't lose faith in me!

The sugar cube was invented in the Czech town Dačice in 1843.

2010-06-01T09:01:00.008+02:00

Sunday afternoon, Molly, Will and I stuffed our bags full of dirty clothes and trekked several blocks to Náměstí Míru's "Andy's Laundromat."

This place was dank. While we washed and dried, we sat in a comfy waiting area drinking coffee and tea brought to us by the staff. Will said my coffee was made correctly according to some frothiness index, and I suspect he's correct solely based on the fact that he wears glasses.

When our roomies returned from Vienna, the bottom fell out. It's crazy how you can know people for only a week and a half, but miss them SO much upon their absence. I could not be blessed with better roommates, and our reunion was spectacularrrr!

The dogs here are so well behaved, it's bizarre. They hardly bark, few need leashes, and when their masters enter an establishment, many of them can been seen waiting patiently outside.

They even play nicely. "Yeah, I was chewing on this stick, but it's cool, you can take a turn, no big." Yesterday, I ran past a German Shepherd and it didn't even flinch. If I ran past a German Shepherd in the US, a bloody massacre would ensue. Just another reason why the Czech Republic is magical.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the institute with the intentions of doing some work and making dinner when Brittany got out of class. Instead, some of the grad students made tacos, so we ate their leftovers. Free is my favorite flavor.

Sorry this is a short post. In my defense, I'm a short person.

Whisky for my men, pivo for my horses.

2010-05-30T14:41:00.004+02:00

Last Tuesday, I had my second day of classes. Our teachers are really great; both class periods involved activities that had us out on the streets, taking notes or looking at sculptures. I'm really happy they don't have us cooped up in a classroom for six hours straight--I would go crazy!

Wednesday was extremely uneventful. Some nasty virus has been spreading throughout our group and it was raining outside. As a result, everyone was content to chill at the pension, but not until we had gotten our train tickets to Berlin!

Thursday morning, we met downstairs at the butt crack of dawn to leave for our excursion with the Education and Industrial Design majors. We were headed to Mikulov, a town southeast of Prague that closely boarders Austria. After a three hour train ride and a short bus ride, we arrived at Lednice, where we piled in a boat for a ride around a castle. Here's Dana translating for the boat's captain, whose Czech name translates to "Stanley Cabbage," which is a pretty badass name.

The castle was created to look weathered which irritated me a bit. Molly and I felt like we had bought a pair of pre-ripped jeans. Those went out of style fairly quickly, so it's only a matter of time before the castle reaches the bottom of the social totem pole.

After our ride around the castle, we took a forty minute walk back to the gardens where the boat ride began. Here's the catch: the path was about 90% swampland. Some people were in flip-flops, and we were all sliding around, acting the fool.

After traipsing our way through the mud, we rode a bus over a mountain and into Mikulov. This bus driver was crazy, swerving into the other lane, going real fast up that mountain. It was like Need for Speed: Czech Republic. It was such a relief to get to Mikulov.

Real talk: Mikulov is probably the most dead town in the entire Czech Republic. Everything closes down at 5 PM, so it took us forever to find some food. However, when we finally did, it was delicious! Pork schnitzel is my new jamz.

There was a wine tasting later that night, but Molly and I didn't go because we needed to get up early to visit schools in the morning. That doesn't mean we didn't get to enjoy it, however. The aftermath was hilarious, and that's all I can say.

The next morning, the Ed crew headed out to visit some local schools. The first was a lower grade school, and we got to talk to students in a 7th grade and 9th grade class. This was the highlight of my trip. The kids asked questions like, "What is your favorite eats?" "Who are your favorite singers?" and "Do you have a baby?"

We also got to visit a kindergarten class! The kids listened to a story in English about an old woman with a cat named "Foo Foo." It was hilarious to listen to the kids say "Foo Foo!" and giggle. Oh look, there's Harry Potter in the orange!

After visiting the lower grade school, we went to the Mikulov Gymnasium to talk to some older students. Molly and I talked to two girls and a boy, who were all eighteen years old, so it was neat to talk to some Czechs who were our age.

"Phillip, do you have any pets?"
"I have a little sister. She is my pet."

Later that night, we went out to dinner with the Industrial Design kids, followed by some music and chilling at the castle in the center of town. The castle also had a museum, which was a lot of fun to explore.

The next morning, we went back to Prague. There was an extended stop on the way home, but I can't disclose it here because it involves a surprise for Mama Taormina. Don't wanna ruin it!

After three days of not showering, we enjoyed a hot meal (at Sorrento's, of course), a bath, and slept in this morning. Molly and I are doing laundry today, and our wonderful roomies return from Vienna later!

"A Czech goes to the eye doctor who shows him a card reading: C Z W X N Q S T A C Z "Can you read this?" the doctor asks. "Read it? I know the guy!"

2010-05-25T01:25:00.012+02:00

Sunday night, we made dinner at the institute! We had a wonderful meal of salad, cookies, and delicious raisin bread from Albert.

We also had some unexpected dinner entertainment from our buddy Rohit, whom we affectionately call "Ro-Ro." Today is his twentieth birthday! Happy Birthday, Ro-Ro!

Later Sunday night, we went to Old Town Square where the Hockey World Championship was playing on a few giant televisions. When we defeated Russia, the crowd erupted! I don't know a whole lot of Czech exclamatory statements though, so I just shouted English things like "Czech Republic!" and "Hockey!" and "Good job!" The best part was when we were entering the metro and chants of "Česká! Česká!" transformed into "Mustek! Mustek!" Silly locals.

Yesterday, we attempted to do some homework at the institute, but ended up shopping. It went quite well, on account of our resident fashionista, Bradley. Last night, we went to the opera, "The Tales of Hoffman." It was an experience, for sure. It's not that I want my four hours back... I just don't know that I'll choose to spend them the same way again. We then went out for a late dinner and chilled at the pension before bed. It was a relatively uneventful day.

It's rumored that when a Samoan smiles at you, it means good luck. So in lieu of a more engaging blog post, I will leave you with this:

It's Prague, it's Prague, it's better than bad, it's good!

2010-05-23T23:46:00.001+02:00

I know some of you have been getting a bit anxious that I haven't updated my blog in a while. I was out, living life. You should try it some time!

Thursday night the weekend began. We decided to celebrate by going to a five story club in downtown Prague, Klub Karlovy Lazne. This club had five stories:

1. Radio Hits
2. Dance Music
3. Oldies Music
4. Black Music(...?)
5. Chill Music

We spent majority of our time on floors 1 and 4. Everybody loves Black Music, I suppose.

We left the club at around 2:30 AM. The metros close at midnight, so we figured we would take the trams back to Domov Mladeze. We ended up getting lost. And by "lost," I mean a directionally challenged donkey with a glandular problem could have made it home in half the time that we did.

We started by taking a short walk down to the tram stop, and while we were waiting, lost one of our group members. He emerged from the darkness a minute later, hardly phased by our worried cries.

We hop on the 53 a few minutes later, and one of my friends starts getting a bit anxious. Turns out he sees a pistol on the floor toward the back of the tram. We start alerting one another and mentally preparing ourselves for what would happen if someone fired a gun. Finally, our stop arrives, and we hurry off the tram.

One of the guys in our group is holding the stupid pistol.
"It's a cap gun!"
He pulls the trigger.
"No! It's a laser pointer!"

The group explodes into relieved laughter. A few girls go look at the map while we try and figure out our connecting tram home. Two of the guys in our group head around the corner in an attempt to find someone who could help us in English. Meanwhile, we figure out we need to hop on the 56 (This turned out to be untrue.) The 56 rolls up, and our friends aren't back yet. Some of us decide to get on the tram, while others stay behind and wait for our lost friends. I was one of the ones on the tram.

About thirty seconds later, we see our lost friends coming around the corner. Brittany springs to action and starts banging on the door where the driver sits, begging him to wait. Our friends sprint across the road, and reach the tram just in time! It's a good thing we were all together, because when we got off at what we thought was the right stop, we were in the middle of nowhere!

Finally, we decided to call a cab. Turns out we were dangerously close to home, but no cigar. Oh well, at least the cab fare was less.

Friday morning, we accidentally slept in really late, on account of we got home close to 4 AM. The roomies, and our honorary roommie, Shelly, went exploring the town across Charles Bridge! We took a bunch of hilarious pictures all over town since it was finally sunny.

When we reached the John Lennon wall, we wanted to take some really silly pictures of ourselves. Luckily, some German lady asked Brittany to take some pictures of her, so we got her to take pictures of us in return.

"We're going to take a jumping picture!"
"NO! It will be blurry. You must do something artistic."

So she makes us hold hands and extend them in front of us:

And then again, over our heads:

Anyway, these girls from California saw the woman tell us no to jumping, and offered to take a jumping picture for us after the woman left. I refuse to post them here though, because I'm horrible at jumping pictures. If you're my friend on Facebook, you can go find them yourself.

After our adventure in town, we went to Sorrento's, a pizza place we had gone to before. One of the waiters there, Tom, recognized that we were from a group of students, and now we have a 10% discount there! You the man, Tom.

Yesterday, we woke up a bit earlier and headed out to catch the train to a town called Kutna Hora, about an hour away. The appeal of the town was a cathedral decorated with human bones. Everyone was all

"OMG WTF BBQ THIS IS AWESOME!"

I thought it was interesting, too, but my stomach hurt the whole time. I was extremely creeped out, but Brittany told me that I'm supposed to be bothered by dead things, it makes me human.

We spent the rest of the day walking around town, and ran across a beautiful castle, Santa Barbara!

We finished the day by getting delicious gelato, getting epically rained on, and resting on the train back home. Before it rained, I had to pee really bad, but Koki told me if I got wet, I should go ahead and pee. I speculate this advice is based on a Samoan proverb.

Last night, we went back to the bar that we had gone to earlier in the week and danced the night away. We officially mastered the art of running back and forth from Czech techno to Indian reggae and dancing like idiots. Bradley also got in a dance-off with this Czech girl. There are no words to explain what happened.

Today, we're going to study at the institute, and tonight we're watching the Czech Republic in a gold medal hockey game!

My silliness brings all the boys to my blog, and I'm like, "There's no leash on that dog."

2010-05-20T18:51:00.013+02:00

Last night, we got sushi! It was delicious. I ordered some Jasmin tea, but the waitress brought me apple juice instead. I then realized I wanted apple juice all along (This will be important later.). Afterward, we chilled at the pension. My roomies and I bribed the boys with cookies to help us rearrange our room!

We have the most popular room at the pension. This might have something to do with the fact that Molly, Katherine, Brittany, and I have already been playing off each other's jokes like we've known each other for years. Or it could be that it's the closest room to the stairwell. Either way, our room is a sanctuary for fellowship and laughter.

Every room has here these big-ass pillows. I kid you not, the pillows are three times the size of a normal pillow. I could curl up into a ball and still fit on one completely.

This morning, at breakfast, I asked for orange juice but was given coffee. I drank it because I didn't want to complain, but then I realized that I wanted coffee all along. Here's what I was getting at earlier with the apple juice: The Czech Republic is on point with regard to beverage intuition. I think I know what I want to drink, but the locals know better. Prague really is magical.

I had class today! The first was Educational Psychology. The most exciting thing on the syllabus for this class is the "Prague Pursuit." We'll be given a list of clues pertaining to Ed Psych, and must use them for a scavenger hunt throughout Prague. The best part is that we can recruit locals as well as our friends at the pension, so if you're reading this and are interested in a city-wide scavenger hunt, let me know! There will be rewards!

My second class was Assessment in Learning and Behavior. My prof bought us gelato and had us read an article from The Onion as part of class, so naturally, I already love it.

Both of these classes are extremely relevant to my major, but more importantly, pertain to what I'm passionate about. Throw Prague into the mix, and I could not be happier.

Tonight, we celebrate the weekend! (Nobody has class on Fridays!) It's been raining since we got here, but this weekend will be sunny, so I promise I'll start posting some pictures of the city.

To je krásný den! (What a beautiful day!)

2010-05-19T16:28:00.010+02:00

I am sooooo jet lagged. I'm never complaining about daylight savings time again. (I'm lying.)

Yesterday, you heard from me during our lunch break in the middle of orientation. After lunch, we were given a brief Czech lesson as well as a Czech phrase book. The pronunciations of Czech letters are a bit new, but once we learned them, the phonetics weren't too bad. I've learned a couple phrases, including "Good day," "Thank you," "Please," and "Sorry, I'm an idiot." Afterward, Jakub, a local resident that works with the institute, gave us a brief history of Prague. Beer, hockey, and the social effects of communist oppression--all you need to know.

After our mini history lesson, we went on a brief tour of Old Town. It was absolutely beautiful! We then returned to the pension where I met the rest of our group members who had gotten stuck in JFK for an extra night due to the volcano. After a delicious meal at a local restaurant and some chill time at the pension, we headed to a bar to celebrate our first night together in Prague!

I can't remember the name of the bar, but it was an interesting place. One area was really crowded, but the music was pretty good. There was also a more open area, but the DJ was playing this strange, Czech reggae that had a lot of hurt animal noises in it. We migrated back and forth, trying to get the best of both situations. We succeeded, and had a great night.

This morning, after breakfast, we headed out to explore town. We found a really cozy cafe with an inexpensive lunch special--a great rainy day find! By the way, chicken medallions are just chicken nuggets. We then made it to the biggest mall in the Czech Republic, Palladium!

I'm now back at the institute, where are new arrivals are having a brief orientation and a tour of the building. When they're finished, we'll probably head back to the pension for dinner, and then hang out. Class tomorrow! I'm looking forward to it.

It's been decided: Praha>America.

2010-05-18T12:45:00.004+02:00

THIS CITY IS AMAZING!!! Every building is a different color, the architecture is so unique, I don't even know how to describe it. It's like Charleston had a baby with some fairytale city, but ten times better. I've already fallen in love.

All the students and faculty here are incredibly nice, outgoing, and willing to make new friends. We're all hopped up on sleep deprivation and excitement at the moment, so the energy level is out of control.

Sunday, I flew out of RDU. The volcano delayed our flight about 3 hours, but it didn't get canceled, thankfully. Angry people cursing loudly made this experience pretty funny. My layover in Heathrow, being seven hours long, still allowed us plenty of time to catch our flight to Prague. I also ran into two other students in my program who shared my flights, so it was great to have some travel buddies.

The British accents in Heathrow, by the way, were ridiculous. Phrases that came over the intercom include:

"Please be at your gate 30 minutes before your flight departs, or we will take your luggage off the plane and leave without you."

"Do not leave your belongings unattended, or they will be destroyed."

Translation: Don't leave your sweater on the back of a chair. It's going to get incinerated.

Our shuttle from the airport to the pension was an experience in itself. Our driver gave us a crash course in the Czech language, and made fun of me for yelling "HOLY SHIT! THE DANCING BUILDING!" (Sorry! I've always wanted to see the Dancing Building!) He also gave us a history behind the pension, Domov Mladeze, which translates to "The Orphanage." The Gestapo held Aryan women there, impregnated them, and gave their babies to German families. Sad story. But the breakfast there this morning was delicious. You have to take the good with the bad, I suppose.

After we settled into the pension last night, we got some pizza and beer at a local restaurant. I'm not going to pretend not to be excited about my first legal drink. I'm feeling pretty badass.

I'm currently at the institute, which inhabits an old art gallery/internet cafe/other... places? It's like giant maze, and I can't wait to explore it some more. We got some more pizza for lunch, which was great... but I'm ready to try some different food, too!

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and support and dealing with my constant Prague talk leading up to and during my travels. Couldn't have done this without you guys.

I laugh in the face of danger. Prahahaha.

2010-04-29T19:16:00.000+02:00

First, I would like to address that several of you have complained to me about my overuse of puns. Nobody is making you read this, so that's enough of your whining. To those of you who appreciate them, obviously there's a hole in your heart that your father's corny jokes didn't fill.

Today, I received my itinerary via email. It. Is. Epic.

To begin with, I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Six hours of class from 13:00 to 19:00 (Excuse the military time, but I have to get used to this.). Four day weekends, with a day of rest between classes. Instead of June 27th, I've decided to return when the United States adopts this two-day week, and not a day sooner.

Weekend One: Excursion to the Prague Zoo
This is where the aforementioned Pegasus resides. I'm going to steal it with the hopes of sneaking it through customs.

Weekend Two: Excursion to Moravia
I'm not going to lie, I have no clue where the hell I'm going. I've looked up Moravia, Czech Republic on Google Maps, and it gives me three or four options. It's like New York city popping up somewhere out west and again in Hawaii. This excursion is going to be amazing, though. We'll be visiting local schools in a Czech village, working with kids, and perhaps teaching a bit.

Weekend Three:
I can choose to visit the Bee Institute and the ballet, or forfeit both for a three-day organic farm excursion. Unfortunately, my fear of organic vegetables outweighs my fear of bees, so I'll probably stay in town.

Weekend Four: Excursion to South Bohemia
This excursion promises to be promising. We'll be visiting Hluboka (a well-known castle), the Budweiser brewery, and the UNESCO town Cesky Krumlov, where one can go rafting, trekking, and horseback riding. I intend to combine the first and last activity. Horserafting. Trekking is obviously for nerds.

For those of you who don't believe horserafting is real:

Weekend Five:
This is my last weekend before my return. I'll probably try to look for the Prague Golem this weekend (Don't worry if this makes no sense to you.). I'll probably just do something less likely to get me arrested, though.

Alas, this is the extent of the information I can give you at this time. I'm sure you're dying to hear more. No worries, I'll deliver.

You better czechity czech yourself before you wreckity wreck yourself.

2010-04-21T17:02:00.001+02:00

I'm aware of the fact that I'm not in Prague yet. I don't really care, I still want to talk about it.

My flight leaves Raleigh on a Sunday evening. From North Carolina, I'll cross the Atlantic (Take that, Lindbergh.) and arrive and London's Heathrow airport. My layover here is quite long, about seven hours.

My mom asks, "What will you do for seven hours in the terminal?" Of course it's crossed my mind that I could leave, but I'm not sure how I feel about frolicking around a new city alone. The solution: I get to make fun of British accents for several hours. I might pretend to have one myself, and implore others to discuss tea and crumpets with me for the duration of the layover. Ello, govna!

From London, I will fly to Prague's Airport. Here, I will be met by a representative from an American run shuttle company with a sign that reads my name. This situation is the right amount of pretentious for me to be incredibly excited. I will loosen my tie, unbutton my suit jacket, and release my tense grip on my briefcase. I've made it.

At this time, what adventures await? Only time will tell! But I speculate that there will be a Pegasus involved. Upon his back, I will fly around the magical city of Prague. He'll stop periodically to point out historically relevant landmarks. He'll also help me with my schoolwork, but when the university finds out that I've gotten unauthorized help on my tests and projects from a mythical creature, I'll have to go before the Honor Council. They'll probably decide that I don't deserve credit for my classes. (See what just happened? Now I won't be sad when there's not a Pegasus.)

A month away!!!

2010-04-19T00:13:00.001+02:00

My flight leaves in 28 days, and I can hardly believe it. Here, I will update everyone who's interested on what I'm up to during my time in Prague, hopefully accompanied with a lot of great anecdotes and pictures! I can't wait to tell you guys all about my trip!

Here's a picture of the Pension Domov Mladeze, where I'll be staying!

Anyway, czech back soon for a real update when I arrive! (Bahaha that was corny.)