The Past Few Weeks

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur, but I'm going to try to post a bit about them, if nothing else to help chronicle my time in Prague.

Right after my last post, I left Prague for Munich to see Greg do his thesis presentation.  I arrived in Munich Monday night, (dec. 3rd), and promptly got lost.  Greg was still at the lab putting final touches on his presentation when my bus got in and first I got confused trying to buy an S-Bahn (metro) ticket to get to his place.  After studying the machine for about 10 minutes, a very nice man came over and helped me.  I was pointed in the right direction and made it to the stop near Greg's apartment without much trouble.  When I came out of the metro though.... totally lost.  It was freezing cold (literally) and icy out and my vision at night is particularly bad so I was having a hard time reading street signs and also had all my bags.  Needless to say I got really lost and Greg had to come find me at a bus stop somewhere.  Fail.

We got back to Greg's and ate dinner and went to sleep b/c he had to be back at the lab early.  THe next morning he was up and away and I took my time napping and then picking up bagels for us and heading to the lab to see his presentation.  I think it went really well and I was excited to see a bit more of what he does (researching a new way to make thin film solar cells) and where he works.  I was really proud of him and although he's really self critical, I think overall he was also happy with how it went.  We were at the lab until midafternoon and Greg was really tired, so that night we got take-out from an asian themed place with good stir-fry and hung out and watched movies.

The next day Greg took off work and we slept in all morning and then Greg went shopping so we could have ingredients to cook his flat mates dinner than night.  Then we ate brunch/lunch and bundled up to see the Christmas Markets.  The ones here are much bigger than the ones in Prague, but also much more expensive.  I didn't buy anything, but we wandered through 2 different ones and I insisted on looking at every booth.  Greg also bought us some "flame bread" (that's the english translation) which is thin bread baked over a fire with various toppings.  We got ours with potatoes and cheese and it was SO GOOD.  I love me some potatoes.  And bread.  And cheese. mmmm.  We also got spiced cider/punch (for me) and mulled wine (for Greg).  We returned to the flat after the markets to make dinner for Greg's roomies.  He'd been working so hard on his presentation that he hadnt been around the flat much and he wanted to do something nice.  We made carrot-ginger soup, a big salad, and homemade bread.  It all turned out really well if I do say so myself and everyone ate 2 helpings.

The next day Greg had to work.  I slept in again and then went to the store and bought a bunch on ingredients to make chili.  I knew Greg still had to finish the written version of his thesis to turn in and that it'd be back to frozen dinners and take out so I made a big pot of chili and another loaf of bread to last him for a few meals.  Then I packed and headed to the bus station.  I got into Prague late that night (Thursday) and headed to bed since I had to work the next day.  It was bitterly cold when I arrived back (though to be fair, it'd been pretty cold in Munich, too) so I wasn't too excited about work.

The next day was frigid.  The high was only 25 F. The next day was just as cold and I was supposed to go out for SantaCon (a big pub crawl done in lots of cities around the world where everyone dresses us in Santa themed clothing) but it was just to frigid for me to think about spending time outside caroling and walking from bar to bar.  Tamela agreed so we called her boyfriend, Al, and all decided to eat at Da Clara... my favorite restaurant in Prague and less than a block from my apartment.  It was amazing (as always) and the duck ragu I had was just unreal... though still not quite as phenomenal as the tuna steak that Greg and I ate there.  After dinner we headed to a cocktail bar also about a block from the apartment and I had a "foamy bellini" which is simply prosecco topped with peach foam.... so good.  We got dessert after that and called it a night.

That Sunday was again FREEZING and I only left my apartment to go grocery shopping.  It was snowing hard, and sticking, so the walk down the hill t the store was treacherous, but admittedly beautiful.  

The next day we took the kids sledding at school which was fun, but SO cold.  I went sledding with them and got SOAKED but I'll admit, it's pretty fun.  The next day, Tuesday, is the day I have to be at school early, so I headed out around 6:15AM to the bus.  I caught the first bus, then the second, and got to Opatov to catch the third and final bus which stops at the school.  I was there around 6:50 and a bus comes at 7:00, though it's often a few minutes late.  That Tuesday, when it was 17 degrees and FREEZING out... it just never came.  I waited for 35 minutes in the snow and cold until the next bus came.  Needless to say, I was a shivering mess all day.

The rest of the week flew by and before I knew it, it was Friday, time for the staff Christmas party and a meeting with my landlord.  My landlord, who was in town from Austria, is SO NICE.  He bought me a lamp and a duvet cover and has gone out of his way to make sure Tamela and I like the apartment (which I do!).  I got the form I needed from him to change my address registration for my Visa and then he and his son (5 and adorable) left.  By that time, it was getting close to time to leave for the staff Christmas party (which was on a boat that was pushing off at a set time) and I hadnt changed or showered and I had a really bad headache and a friend arriving into Prague around 10PM that night.  I decided to skip the party so I didnt have to rush around and end up feeling worse.

I met up with Roashan, a friend from Penn, around 10ish and we headed back to my place to drop his stuff off and let him change.  He was in Switzerland for work earlier that day and decided to hop over to Prague to see me for the weekend before flying back to the states.  We dropped his stuff off and then headed to a club called Nebe.  I got us lost (surprise, surprise) but in my (slight) defense, there are 3 different Nebe locations and I was simply going to the wrong one.  Anyway, by the time we got to the club, all my friends were WAY ahead of us drinking wise and the coat check was full.  I kind of wanted to stay but I knew I'd end up trying to take care of friends and not able to dance b/c i'd be carrying by coat.  Tamela and Al were heading out so we left with them and grabbed a drink at a bar and then just called it a night.  We decided to cab it home because it was SO cold, and the guy didnt know or couldn't understand me when I gave him my address.  I told him "Slovinska" which is the bus stop right next to my apartment... turns out it's also a road not anywhere close to my apartment.  Communicating that wasn't easy and it turned into a very expensive cab ride.  Remind me to just type my address into my phone and show it to the drive next time.  :(

The next day we'd planned to get up and get brunch, see sites, etc, but Roashan slept until after 2, so that didn't happen.  When he did get up and we finally headed out, we just ate an early dinner and then checked out the Christmas market in Old Town Square, which is really, really gorgeous.  After that, we headed bad and relaxed a bit before going to the cocktail bar down the street.  The Slovakian bartender took a liking to us and kept offering us a taste of this and that on the house, and made my drink a double on the house.  I only paid for two drinks but I left feeling like I'd had about 5... too many.  All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed, but Roashan really wanted to check out a club so we went to a gay club where my former roommate was having his birthday party.... it was oddly sparsely populated and I was tired and cold and grumpy.  I'm afraid I was a bit of a downer and just sat in the corner and tried to stay away from all the smoke while Roashan had a drink and made a few rounds.  I feel pretty bad that I didn't show Roashan a better time in Prague b/c the club scene is really amazing, but it was definitely a miss.

The next morning we got up and I took Roashan to the bus stop to go to the airport and waited until he was on it.  Then I headed by the thrift store (I had a 100czk gift card) and picked up a few books and a gift for the white elephant gift exchange Tamela and I were hosting that night.  It was a small get together but a fun time- Carrie, Lauren, Will, me, Tamela and Al all sat around and drank champagne and ate chinese food (odd combo, I know) and exchanged gifts and just laughed A LOT.  It was a blast.

Monday at school went by quickly, but that evening, Tamela and I had an "encounter" with our downstairs neighbor, who we'd never met.  She came up to complain about all the noise we've been making, a "wild" party last month (Thanksgiving), stomping "like hippopotamuses", slamming doors, etc.  Tamela and I were (and are) a bit confused because we certainly feel like we walk normally, we never purposed slam doors (though occasionally the laundry room door slams, we never do laundry after 10PM as per apartment rules and it's not a regular occurrence).  Anyway, she basically said we are really disruptive and threatened to call our landlord, to which I told her he'd been over about 3 nights before and by all means, she should call him.  I told her nicely, and also told her we would make an effort to be more careful, but that was mostly to placate her since she kept saying how she wished we would "keep her and her poor family in mind as we stomp around making so much noise for such young ladies."  The whole thing was a little absurd.  We live in an old building and the floor supports aren't great, we hear the people above us as well... it's just the way it is when you live in an apartment building... especially a really old one.  We also nicely but firmly told her we will be hosting more dinner parties but will be careful to stick to quiet hour rules.  When she left, I called our landlord who said we'd handled it fine and while we should be nice, we should always feel comfortable living in the space we are paying for (within reason) and that from meeting us both it seems like we do.

Tuesday was a long, long day at work (got there at 7:15AM and left at 5:30PM and of those 10 hours and 15 minutes, 8 of them were contact hours with kids... brutal).  After work though, was a blast.  I ran home and dropped off my stuff and then headed to a restaurant we'd never tried with Katy, Tamela, Gill, and Lauren.  The food was really wonderful (good find, Katy!) and we were all very pleased.  After that, Gill split off and the rest of us went to go see a movie that was part of a film festival called Beasts of the Southern Wild.  You can watch a trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF7i2n5NXLo  It's a beautiful film, sad and thought provoking and wonderfully done.  I really enjoyed it.

Wednesday was another long day at work.  When I left, I wanted nothing more than to go home and get some laundry done so I'd be ready to pack Thursday and leave Prague on Friday (we don't have a drier so clothes need at least 24 hours to dry before packing or wearing).  I also wanted a shower and a big glass of water and to make dinner.  When I walked up to our apartment, a guy walked out that I didnt recognize.  I assumed Tamela knew him but still asked if I could help him.  He said in somewhat broken english that he was "helping with the water."  I walked inside to discover that Tamela had been home with a stomach bug all day and that our apartment had no water.  Worst. Combination. Ever.  The man was a neighbor who called a plumber for us and also checked with others in the building to discover they also hadnt had water earlier in the day but that theirs had all come back on within an hour or two.  He called a plumber for us, who showed up about 2 minutes after the water came back on... I had a hard time communicating that the water was back on b/c he didnt speak english and the only relevant czech words I know are "good" and "water".  I just kept saying "water good.  water good."  The man left a bit irritated- probably b/c he came out after hours and then didnt even get paid :(

Thursday was our class party.  I did NOT expect so many nice gifts from kids/parents, but Nikola and I both got jewelry, ornaments, a plant, nice soaps, cookies, a gorgeous ceramic christmas tree, and more. The party was really stressful, but mostly fun.  The fire alarm went off in the middle of it though... we had 11 two year olds all with parents who were just trying to pick them up and take them but we also needed to get a count of everyone.  It was chaos.  Still, I think the kids mostly had fun.  They ate way too much sugar and were little hellions for the rest of the day though.

Yesterday (Friday) I finally finished my last day before Christmas and headed to Munich.  I woke up this morning with an upset stomach.... bug or stress or something I ate.  It's not been too terrible but I've been in bed sleeping pretty much all day and trying to feel better before I get on an 11 hour flight tomorrow.  I THINK Greg is coming back to the states as well so with any luck we'll both get on the flight and maybe even get seats together.

I've been a bit homesick and Prague has lost a bit of it's luster with me being sick constantly, the cold, and the corruption and "Czech tricks" as a lot of the expats call them.  That's not to say lots of Czechs arent amazing and wonderful, but overall.... I'm seeing that under the Western front the city tries to show... it's still a very Eastern European city.

Can't wait until HOME!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Markets

It always seems to me that life gets busy and I get TERRIBLE about updating my blog- but this weekend I've had time to catch up so you can settle in for a nice, long post.

The Monday after moving I had a check-up with the ENT doctor.  I was still sick-ish, but starting to feel very slightly better- so he cleared me and sent me on my way.  Of course, the next morning, I woke up fever-ish and sick again.  It was the same sort of thing, but more flu like and less cold like.... body aches and really, really weak, upset tummy, congested, headache, sore throat.... really the whole nine-yards.  On Wednesday, I pretty much completely lost my voice to the point that I could only whisper.  On Thursday (Thanksgiving), we had a class presentation for parents where all the parents come in to watch a presentation of what we've learned so far.  I teach 2-3 year olds... so we really just sang songs and hoped that the kids wouldn't be too intimidated by having an audience to actually sing.  They did great, but I still didn't have much of a voice and my fever spiked up.... at one point I had to leave to go sit outside because I started feeling really dizzy.  I was really proud of my kids, but it wasn't the easiest morning to get through with having to be professional and really upbeat while talking to parents when I felt awful.

After the parents all left, it was lunch time.  One boy never wants to eat but I can generally coax him into at least eating most of his meal.  That day, he was putting up a HUGE fight.  I never force him but I was persistant and he finally ate about 5 bites..... which he promptly threw up onto the table.  Needless to say, it wasn't really such a great day and when I got home and talked to Mom and Dad and heard all my family in the background, it's the first time I've been truly homesick while here.  I've missed home, and been a touch homesick here and there, or missed something specific (like when it's freezing outside, I washed both pairs of jeans and they are still damp.... I miss a dryer as I blowdry them to try to help make them not so cold).... but Thanksgiving is the first time I just wanted to go home.  I wanted my Mom and Dad and my bed and my dog and my house.

After I hung up with Mom and Dad, I was talking to Greg and telling him how sick I was and complaining that I couldn't even get comfortable enough to sleep and I didn't have anything to read, and a few minutes later I got an email saying that someone had bought me a book I've been wanting to read and it had been automatically delivered to my Kindle.  Sometimes the point to which he understands me and knows how to cheer me up is a little unbelievable, but it made me feel like someone was really watching out for me and wanted to make sure I was okay even though I was sick and homesick.

The next day I felt slightly better, but I was starting to get really nervous about the Thanksgiving dinner that Tamela and I were hosting on Saturday.  Tamela had said she was sous-chef and this was my thing, and I was starting to realize that not only had I never cooked Thanksgiving dinner, I'd also never cooked for 20 people before.  Friday evening, Tamela and I were supposed to go shopping for groceries and do some prep work (roasting garlic, baking pies, prepping stuffing) so when she got home around 6:30, we sat down, reviewed the grocery list, and then I was ready to head out.  I didn't feel great and I wasn't super excited about going out in the cold, I was also hoping to get to bed early-ish, so I was getting irritated when Tamela kept puttering around the apartment and I couldn't get her out the door.  First she wanted to eat, then her boyfriend called, then she did some dishes.  When I finally heard her putting her coat on, I was relieved and came out of my room so we could leave.  It was around 8PM at this point so I was really itching to get the shopping done.  When I came out, Tamela was taking the trash out and said she wasn't ready to go yet.  I suggested we just head out and take the trash out on our way but Tamela said, "I'm weird about trash... and I think i need some air!" and practically ran out of the apartment.

By this point, I was really frustrated so I took a deep breath and went back to my room.  When I heard Tamela come back in, I didn't bother getting up to go see if she was ready to go, resigned to going whenever she decided she was ready.  I was sitting on my bed being a bit mopey when I heard someone in my doorway- I looked up and Greg was standing there.  All I could say is "What are you doing here?!" about 50 times.  He had told Tamela he was coming and so she had been stalling so we were at the apartment when he arrived.  I had NO IDEA he was planning to show up but he said I'd just been sick and homesick and stressed about Thanksgiving and he just wanted to check on me and take care of me for the weekend.  It was a wonderful surprise and I was crazy excited.  Tamela sent us off to the store and we stocked up and then returned home to do some cooking... only to realize we didn't have a can opener and therefore couldn't make any of the things we had planned.

We got up the next morning and immediately started on the first of two turkeys.  Neither Greg nor I have ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal, so getting the turkey in the oven was a little intimidating but as soon as we got it in, we ran back to the store for a can opener.  Then we can back and made the fruit salad and started prepping other things that needed to go in the oven once the first turkey came out (including stuffing, sweet potatoes, pies and the other turkey).  The meal took the ENTIRE day to prep and cook- Greg nor I ever left the kitchen.  Finally, we left Tamela in charge of setting up the apartment and cleaning a bit and we went to get ready for guests.  By the time everyone arrived, I was exhausted and not feeling very good, so I wasn't very social.  I stayed in the kitchen and nibbled on turkey and baked pies and helped serve people when they came in for seconds from the living room.

I do not think I could have survived the day (and I KNOW all the food would not have gotten done) without Greg there.  He is presenting a year's worth of research in 2 days... so about a week and 2 days before that he made time to come see me just b/c he felt like I could really use it.  I can't even begin to communicate what a good feeling it is to know that that support is there.

Greg left Sunday morning to head back to Munich and I've spent the past week trying to get better and exploring various Christmas markets.  Thursday after work I headed to the markets for the first time and bought all sorts of gifts for the family.  The markets are all decorated and there are lights and trees and the whole place smells of cinnamon and mulled wine.  On Friday night I headed back to the markets and then, deciding I still hadn't had enough, I took a long walk on Saturday (yesterday), through my neighborhood and then straight west all the way to some of the markets.  I keep stopping at one booth to buy more of the same thing and the lady now knows me.... I should probably stop spending money-- I bet she loves to see me coming.

I've had a quiet day today- laundry, cleaning, some writing, watched a Christmas movie, etc.  I'm about to go pack now.  I leave for Munich tomorrow to go see Greg's research presentation.  There will be more markets there so I will let you all know how they compare :)

Moving

Hi y'all!

This past weekend I was busy MOVING.  I was living right in the center/heart of Prague, just a 3 minute walk from I.P. Pavlova, a main metro station.  However, for a multitude of reasons, I needed to move apartments, and around the time I needed to move, one of my friends and co-worker's roommates moved out to live with her boyfriend, so I moved in to the apartment.  The place is a bit farther from the touristy part of Prague, but it's only a few minute walk to a bus stop and about a 5 minute walk to a tram stop, so it's still easy to get around. The place I am living now is super-duper nice.  The guy who owns it had just renovated it for him wife and their kid when he got transferred to Vienna for work.  He was very picky in finding tenants, but rented it for way less than he could get for it.  Basically when they re-did the place, they were very thoughtful in adding little touches that make it so nice to live here, for instance:  a light switch beside my bed so I don't have to get out of bed to turn out the light, lights all have dimmers, bathroom has it's own temperature control so it can be set warmer than other rooms, TONS of closet space in bedrooms, TONS of cabinet space in kitchen, gas stoves, heated towel racks, double shower heads, etc.  Tamela and I even have our own bathrooms!

Anyone wishing to send me mail should no longer use my old address.  My new address is:

Sarah Vaughn
Mexicka 3
10100
Praha 10
C/O
Hanna Sands

Moving this weekend wasn't too tiring.  My new roommate is dating a guy here in Prague and he has a car.  He was nice enough to come pick up all my things and drive them over to the new place so I didn't have to pay for a cab or struggle on public transit.  I thanked him profusely, and then started unpacking.  As is always the case when moving, I soon realized I was missing this or that so I compiled a list (sheets, a duvet, pillows, a bathmat, a trashcan for the bathroom, bedside lamp, a spatula, an oven mit, hand soap, etc) and headed to Ikea.  It took forever, but I left with the things I needed and then swung back by the old apartment to vacuum and drop off keys.  Finally, I headed back to the new place to keep unpacking.  When I arrived, Tamela was cooking tacos/fajitas and so we opened a bottle of wine and ate dinner.  It was delicious!

Yesterday I just continued to clean and unpack and then I braved the grocery store.  There is a small Tesco only about a block away, tons of potraviny's, and a HUGE Tesco 2-3 bus stops from here.  I went to the big Tesco so stock up on somethings and the trip was a success.

I mad soup last night since it's been so cold here and it turned out really, really well- for anyone else who is a soup fan, I highly recommend it so here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (I used 1/2 this amount of butter and then added a little bit of olive oil to the pan)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions (I didnt measure in cups but I used 4 small onions b/c that is what I had)
2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/4 pound peeled, chopped carrots
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
11/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
4 cups chicken broth/vegetable broth
juice from 1/2 a lemon (2-3 table spoons if you're not using fresh)

Preparation: 

Melt butter in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until tender (4 min).  Add ginger and garlic and saute another 2 minutes.  Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel and saute 1 minutes.  Add broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are very tender (20-30 min).  Cool slightly and then in batched pour soup in blender and puree.  Return soup to pot and mix in lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.  

I ate the leftovers for dinner tonight with 1/2 a grilled cheese.  Perfect comfort food on a cold night. 

This coming weekend I'll also be cooking up a storm.  My new roommate and I decided to do a traditional American Thanksgiving for the American (and other) expats that we hang out with in Prague.  We're expecting 12-15 people and we're doing all the cooking- though people are donating ingredients this week to help us cover the cost.  I'm really excited about it but also pretty nervous because I've never cooked this big of a meal for this many people.  New respect for being a real grown up (what is this?)

Anyway, I'm off to be productive and then get some sleep!  

I'll update again soon and post pictures of the apartment!  

--Sarah

To see a doctor in Prague (socialized healthcare is awesome)

People back in the states can complain all they want about socialized healthcare... but having experienced myself, it's AWESOME.

For the past month or so, I've been sick off and on with some sort of cold/sinus crap.  After working alone Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I was exhausted, and I woke up Thursday running a low grade fever and feeling miserable (tightness in my chest, bad cough, stuffy nose, the whole nine-yards). Anyway, I decided this had gone on long enough and I really should go see a doctor.

I set off this morning to see an ENT doctor that my co-teacher recommended.  She THOUGHT someone in the office spoke English, but wasn't positive.  I took a tram to the building, not having made an appointment or anything, and wandered around, looking very lost, on the third floor of a building that screamed "communist era."  Finally, a nurse stopped me and kept asking me in Czech what I needed.  I couldn't respond in a way that made any sense (I tried), so I finally wrote down what/who I was looking for and the nurse steered me around a corner and pointed at a door.  There were tons of people in the hallway outside the door (and they all shot me funny looks when I tried to open the door... which turned out to be locked).   I was very unsure of what to do so I just stood around in the hall until finally, about 10 minutes later, a nurse walked out of the locked door.  I was super relieved b/c I'd felt really awkward just standing in the hallway, not having checked in or anything, and even though I was still unsure of what to do, I just followed the mad rush up to the nurse and noticed that everyone was handing over their government insurance card, so I did the same. I also asked (in Czech) if any of the doctors spoke English, and thankfully one did.

About 20 minutes later I was called into the room with the locked door (which I now know is the exam room).  The doctor asked for my address and phone number, then asked me to tell him what was going on.  All of this took about 5 minutes, and then the doctor asked me to sign a form of consent for him to do a nasal endoscopy.  I signed, walked over to an exam chair, sat down, and immediately got nervous when the doctor pulled out a long metal rod.  He told me to breathe normally and not to move at all.  He guided it up my left nostril and pulled it back out after about 15 seconds.  It was a bit uncomfortable, but by no means painful.... then he moved to my right nostril.  It was very, very painful.  I was whimpering and crying, and I think the dr. actually found this mildly amusing.  (I did later discover that at least in the U.S. they do generally give you a numbing nose spray before doing this procedure so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it was really painful).  When he pulled the scope out, I was like this: http://i.imgur.com/W840S.gif (and since it STILL feels sore, am still doing that).

After doing the scope, the doctor told me I have severe sinusitis, prescribed me a week of amoxicillian and prescription strength sudafed, asked me for 30czk ($1.50) and then sent me downstairs to the pharmacy in the same building.  The pharmacist made up the prescription immediately, with no wait, and the drugs were roughly 250czk or $12.50.  I was back home within of an hour and a half of when I left and that included stopping to get lunch.

To summarize: saw a specialist, had an endoscopy, received prescription medicine, for a rough total of $14 out of pocket, all in under an hour and a half.  Such a win.

HFMD

The good news:  My co-teacher returns tomorrow!

The bad news:  The kid with the "cut" on his tongue.... turns out it's HFMD.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand,_foot_and_mouth_disease

Sarah's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad (2) Day(s)

When I got a text Sunday evening from my co-teacher saying that she would be out sick AT LEAST Monday through Wednesday, and maybe the whole rest of the week, I knew I was in for a long few days.  On Monday, I was dreading work but I left my apartment at 7:16 to catch the 7:22 metro like I do 4 days a week.

My commute normally works like this: I leave my apartment at 7:16, take the 7:22 metro from I.P. Pavlova to Opatov.  I arrive at Opatov at 7:37 and grab an apple or orange from the market and then run upstairs to catch the 327 bus that leaves at 7:45 to the school.  I walk into school at 8:02 and head to my classroom and kids arrive starting at 8:25.

Anyway, on Monday, I jumped on the metro and away we went.... very, very slowly.  The metro was running at a snail's pace and frequently stopping between stations.  Finally, about halfway to Opatov, and not at a station, the metro just stopped.  An announcement came on, first in Czech, then in English, that the metro was discontinuing service and we would have to wait there for maintenance/repairs.  They fixed it pretty quickly, but I still didnt arrive to Opatov until 7:55 which meant I missed the bus to the school.  The next bus isn't until 8:10.... which would mean I wouldnt get to school until after drop off starts.  If my co-teacher weren't out this wouldnt be such a big deal, but I knew I had to get there.  I called my boss and he said to get a cab, so I jumped in a cab and between my broken czech and the driver's broken English, managed to communicate where I wanted to go.  Thankfully, the school reimbursed the ride.

When I got to school, I realized that there was no sub in my classroom... just me and 10 two year olds (which, for the record, is illegal under Czech law that requires there never be more than six toddlers under the age of 3 for per 1 teacher).  The kids were all pretty good, but it was still a really, really tough morning.  They finally got a sub in for me at 9:30ish, and he was helpful, but an unfamiliar adult set off lots of crying and since he didn't know the kids OR the routine.... the help was pretty limited.  He also wasn't really any help at all getting the 10 kids to the bathroom, but that may be a school policy as most of the male subs arent really supposed to go into the bathrooms b/c some of the parents are really funny about it.  Anyway... the sub had to leave at 12:15 so he wasn't even there 3 hours, but a lot of the kids leave at 12:15 so I only had 4 after lunch.  Still, with no sub in the afternoon, I didn't get my lunch break or even a bathroom break all afternoon.

When parents arrived to pick up kids, one little boy told his mom something in Czech that he had been saying to me all afternoon.  Turns out, it meant he had a pain in his mouth.  When his mom looked, he has a huge gash in his tongue.  I have no idea how or when it happened... he didn't cry at all yesterday, but I felt really terrible about it.

The bright spot of yesterday afternoon was going to pick up a box that my parents mailed me.  The contents were as follows:

• Much needed hand/toe warmers
• An issue of Practical Horseman
• A Birthday card from MPC
• 3 boxes of Yogi Throat Comfort Tea
• 3 boxes of ping pong balls for my friend Will
• Tarragon (impossible to find here and up there with my favorite herbs to cook with)
• Post-it notes (I LOVE post-it notes)
• Bubble wrap.... admit it.... y'all love popping it too. 

Today (Tuesdays) are my long days at work because it's my day to do "morning club" which is basically for all the kids who get dropped off between 7:30 and 8:25 before their teachers are in their classrooms.  I hate Tuesdays for this reason... leave the apartment by 6:30 and at school by 7:20 makes for a long morning with students that aren't mine and that I often don't know.  Today, I settled in at 7:30 and kids trickled in.  Normally at 8:05 or so, my friend Jena comes in because morning club is held in her classroom and then at 8:25 the other kindergarten teachers come to collect kids from their classroom.  Today, by 8:25, Jena still hadn't showed up and all the other teachers were collecting their kids.  I couldn't leave Jena's classroom because she had students in there, but I also had parents waiting in my classroom to drop kids off.  After a call to school management, I found out that Jena had called in sick and her co-teacher doesn't have to be in until 9AM normally and no one had called him.  It took some sorting out, but another kindergarten teacher took her class AND Jena's until 9 and I rushed to my classroom so parents could leave my kids.  

I only had 6 kids today, but one of them is super attached to Nikola and was absent yesterday so she started crying immediately.  It was a rough morning and I didn't have a sub until 9:15.  It was the same guy as yesterday and he was more helpful today, but I don't think he really likes working with the really, really young ones (aka, my class).  Also, he had to leave at 11:30 which is right when I serve the kids lunch and things are the most hectic so it really didn't help all that much, though still nice to be able to go to the bathroom or grab a drink.  I had 4 kids again after lunch and that went ok.  Another really sweet teacher even swung by mid afternoon so I could run and get my lunch out of the fridge.  

All kids are supposed to be picked up between 3 and 3:15 and then there is a bus back to the metro station at 3:25.  If all the parents are on time and no one stays to chat, it's possible to catch that bus.  The next bus is at 3:55, so it really sucks when a parents is 5 minutes late, chats for 5 minutes, then leaves and you have to wait 30 minutes for the next bus when you JUST missed the 3:25.  Anyway, 3 of the kids are picked up by 3:10 so I was hopeful.... but then 3:25 rolls around and still no parent.  When this happens, there is an after school club we can take kids to... that said, I have a clingy 2 year old who is a LOUD crier and screams when she gets dropped off with anyone unfamiliar (she just recently stopped crying with Nikola and me).  Plus, I had a friend working the afternoon club and I just felt too guilty dropping a screaming 2 year old off when there were about 15 other kids in the class to watch.  So I waited.  The mom showed up at 3:55.... just as I saw the bus pull away... so I had to wait another 30 minutes.  Grrrrrrrr. 

Anyway, today did have its bright spots.... on the way home I stopped by a cheese shop I've been eyeing and treated myself to a small block of manchego which is one of my favorite cheeses.  I'm also really pumped about election results but too exhausted to stay up to watch them (polls start closing at midnight my time... blech). 

Here's to hoping tomorrow goes better and that Nikola is back and healthy on Thursday! 

Snow, Halloween, and Greg's visit

It's been a busy and fun 2 weeks here in Prague.  I actually don't remember what I did week before last (lame, I know) but starting last weekend things are pretty memorable.  Last weekend (the weekend before Halloween) I was planning to go with friends to Terezin (German name Theresienstadt) which is a town, fortress, and was a concentration camp during WWII.  I woke up Saturday morning to freezing cold temperatures and snow, so while I still want to see Terezin, I didn't want to be out in the cold all day.  Instead, I decided to ride several tram lines around the city (trams are all above ground) and just see various areas a prague in the snow.  It was really beautiful but also really cold and considering it was only Oct. 27, I wasn't really excited to already have below freezing temperatures and snow.

That night, I headed over to my friend Tamela's apartment (where I'll be moving in 2 weeks!) and a few other people were over eating pizza, quesadillas, and drinking a few beers.  It was a low key, really relaxing night with friends and fun and all in all, a great night.

This past week was a LONG week at school.  It seems like we had more crying and diaper blowouts than normal, and we also had a girl fall and bit through her lip.  Plus, we had an extra long staff meeting on Tuesday and then on Wednesday we had to dress up for Halloween and then do an after school Halloween party that lasted until 7PM.  After ELEVEN contact hours with 2-3 year olds... I was exhausted and pretty much running on empty.

On Thursday Greg arrived to visit me.  I met him after work and we just came back to the apartment and made dinner and relaxed since I had to work Friday.  Friday I woke up and had to head to work.  Greg slept in (much needed since he's been putting in crazy long hours at school and work.  He spent the day lounging and then looking for some winter clothes/shoes, but all he found was a new hoodie/sweater (though a nice one!)  Then he came to pick me up from work and see the school.  From there, we headed to pick up a birthday gift for my friend Larry, and then went to Larry's birthday party at our favorite local bar, Kavárna "Na Sumave", which we all refer to as "Honsa's."   Greg and I split a semi-dark beer that was on special, and then a really delicious lager and then said early goodbyes and headed to dinner reservations at Las Adelitas, one of the only places in this part of Europe to get good Mexican food.

When we got there, we ordered a pitcher of margaritas and a starter of chips and guac.  Then Greg got enchiladas three ways (red salsa, mole, salsa verde) and I got chicken tacos topped very simply with red onion and a bit of cheese.  Everything was really good, and while not completely authentic, a really solid meal that I think we were both happy with.  Ater that, we'd planned to go explore Old Town, but I was really tired (ok, so maybe I had a bit too many margaritas) and so we headed home.

On Saturday, we got up and Greg went to get us fresh bread from Paul's bakery for breakfast... I like Czech bread but Paul's is a chain that sell french bakery stuff... it's expensive but worth it when you are craving something other than traditional dark, Czech bread (with rye flour and caraway seeds).  Anyway, after breakfast we headed to an outlet mall to see if we could find better deals for Greg since he was still in desperate need of winter things.  We found him another pullover/hoodie, 2 long sleeve t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and even a computer mouse since his broke.  All in all, it was a successful day shopping.  From the mall, we headed to my new neighborhood and spent some time wandering around.
We ducked into a little bar to grab a beer and met the owner (a man from Croatia) and a guy who must have been a regular who was in there drinking.  He was a dual U.S./Czech citizen who emigrated to the U.S. in 1968 to flee communism and then returned in 1995 to the Czech republic after the fall of the communist regime.  He had some interesting things to say about the Czech Republic and basically told me "Don't fall in love with it here... it's still messed up and be careful."   ..... Comforting words... especially since as soon as we walked out of the bar I passed a guy holding a shrink wrapped machine gun.  Oh, Eastern Europe.

From the bar, Greg and I headed to Tamela's apartment so he can see where I'm moving in 2 weeks.  We spent some time checking out the apartment and talking with Tamela before heading next door to an Italian place called Osteria Da Clara that came highly recommended.  It was the best meal I have had in a long time and by FAR the best meal I've had in Prague.  We were seated immediately and brought TAP WATER (unheard of in Europe.... everyone serves only bottled water and charge you an arm and a leg for it).  Next, we ordered a carafe of chardonnay which was really, really good and some classic bruschetta as our starter.  To follow, we each had a primi serving of pasta.  I got a classic tuscan spaghetti topped with a few tomatoes and tossed with breadcrumbs, olive oil, and some type of seafood.  Greg got a pasta dish with italian sausage and pumpkin cream sauce.  Next, we split an entree... a seared tuna steak with garlic, parsley, and a bit of fresh red cabbage and citrus fruits with a side a roasted potatoes, sauteed greens, roasted eggplant, and roasted red peppers.  To finish the meal off, Greg had an Italian style espresso.  All of this was only the equivalent of $44 USD and everything was fresh and fantastic, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was cozy and unpretentious.  Definitely my new favorite place in the city.

Anyway, after dinner we decided to wander Prague so we took the tram back to the main part of town, got off and walked through Wenceslas Square and then to Old Town Square, then along the river, and finally got home well after midnight.  This morning we just got up, Greg packed, and then we headed to meet the driver he was carpooling with.  When I got home, I got a text from my co-teacher saying that she has a bad cold/maybe the flu and won't be at work for at least the next 3 days.  My co-teacher is pretty much my hero and keeps the kids under control so I have no idea what I'm going to do with all those kids all by myself... I seriously hope they get a sub to help me but that's questionable b/c so many people are out sick with the same things right now.... still... it'll be a long and miserable week if it's me and 12 2 year olds all by myself.

Hope all is well back home.  I miss everyone!

Sorry I've been M.I.A.

I need to apologize for going MIA for such a long time there... I was sick with a bad cold and then working on some grad school applications/scholarships (possibly for next year), and the school I'm working for is making the visa process extremely difficult, so I've been keeping busy... but I don't have many exciting "what I've" been up to stories.  There are, however, some things I have learned from being a teacher and from living in the Czech Republic and I will share them here now.

• I am going to be a terrible parent.  But not as terrible as some parents of kids I teach (I don't have real stories about this but some of the parents are just absurdly messed up). 

You may ask how I know this.  My first reason is that a few weeks ago, I let a child fall in the toilet.  Yes.  Fall in the toilet... completely.  She JUST turned 2 and she's adorable.  I shouldn't have favorites in the classroom but she IS my favorite, head and shoulders above the rest.  She's still in diapers but if you set her on a toilet, she knows to pee.  Anyway, we went to the bathroom as a class and she took her diaper off and hoisted herself up.  I turned around to help another little girl and heard a splash.  When I turned around, Tereza had plopped into the toilet.  

The day after this, I was still beating myself up about how this little girl got drenched in toilet water and I'm doing an art project involving water color painting with the kids.  Another child tugs on my sleeve and asks me a question so I look down and talk to the child... then I look back up.  All the water from water painting is GONE.  At first I looked around for a spill... but then I realized that Tereza had a brown stain around her lips from drinking it.  

There has also been a few instance with food allergies, but those havent been my fault.  For instance, the school provided me with a list of children in my class and their allergies.  One little boy is allergic to salmon. Not such a huge deal but his mom prefers he not eat any fish, so on days when the lunch is fish sticks or something, he gets an alternate lunch.  The other day, the kids got a roll and 2 slices of pineapple each for their snack.  I was trying to convince Daniel (the boy the school said is allergic to salmon), who JUST turned 2 last week, to eat some pineapple.  Around this time, his mom walks in and it like "no!  no no no!  he's allergic!"  I had NO idea.  but thank god he didnt eat any. 

On to the next thing I've learned...

• Food habits are drastically different.  

This probably sounds like, "DUH!" but I don't mean that in the really obvious way it sounds.  

First of all, the other day I was eating lunch and as part of my lunch, I'd brought an apple with a bit of peanut butter.  I was in the staff kitchen, relaxing and enjoying my lunch when a Czech teacher walked in.  She got about 1/2 way through the traditional Czech phrase to say when you see someone eat ("Dobre Chut!") before she blurted out, "What ARE you eating!?"  She'd never heard of eating an apple with peanut butter.  

The next day I was eating the same thing only I was in the staff lounge.  A British teacher walked in and goes "Is that an APPLE?!  With PEANUT BUTTER!?  I've never heard of such a thing!" 

Apparently only Americans eat apples with peanut butter. 

The next example:  Thursday night I went to a friend's birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  I wasn't so hungry, so I ordered an appetizer: nachos with cheese, guacamole, and salsa.  I got cheese Doritos with guac that was more like green sour cream and salsa.  Lesson learned. (But seriously people, doritos are NOT nachos) 

• When someone talks in a language you don't understand, it's a fantastic opportunity to use your imagination. 

Whether it's on the subway to work, sitting in a pub, or listening to my 2 year olds enthusiastically babble at me, I often times have no idea what is going on.  At times, I concentrate on hearing the language and working to understand a bit more about the incredibly complex linguistics of Czech, at other times, I just tune everything out and use the time to think, but often, I find myself using body languages, gestures, tone, etc, to imagine what the person MIGHT be saying.  It's a fun and absurd game, especially because most of the time I imagine really ridiculous stories. 

• Grocery shopping is an entire afternoon affair.

I will never complain about grocery shopping in the States again.  Grocery shopping here requires multiple steps.  First, I have to make a grocery list.  Then I spend some time on google translate for any item that I would not be able to recognize (baking soda, sour cream, etc), then I go to the store and realize that they either don't have what I translated something as, or that I can't tell exactly what I am buying... for instance, I bought black beans the other day but the can also had bacon in it... I waste a lot of food away when I buy something and realize it is NOT what I thought it was and I have no idea what to do with what I bought.  I have always been creative in the kitchen but this is a whole new level. 

• Mailing things is nearly impossible. 

Ok, I highly doubt this is true but my searches thus far have not yet resulted in a postal employee who speaks English and my attempts at Czech have received shoo-ing away or blank stares.  I've bought lots of you postcards, many of which I've been trying to mail for nearly a month.  :( 

Anyway, this weekend has been nice.  I went to a "Dress as a Famous Person" party on Friday night and I dressed as Audrey Hepburn.  It was tons of fun but I was exhausted so I left around midnight.  Yesterday I cleaned and walked around a bit, and read a lot.  

Today I lounged until afternoon and then went to meet my co-teacher to explore more of Prague.  I took the metro to Malostranska and met up with Nikola.  We walked just around the corner from the metro to Wallenstein Garden (Valdstejnska zahrada) which is a gorgeous palace garden.  It's one of the prettiest places I've seen in Prague.  From there, we wandered to Vajanovy Sady, another garden/park area that is also home to 14-15 peacocks.  It was also beautiful and very peaceful.  You could pretty much forget you were in a city which is always nice.  Next, we wandered through Mala Strana, which is one of the most historic areas of Prague (which is saying something!) and roughly translated means "Little Quarter."  Much of the area feels very "small town" which is interesting in such a big city.  I saw the outside of St. Nicholoas Church and then we wandered across Kampa, an island in the main river, Vltava, that runs through Prague.  From there, we saw the statue of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague in the Church of Our Victorious Lady.  After our walk, we stopped for apple strudel and tea and then parted ways but it was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon and I feel very lucky to have a co-teacher who also wants to hang out and show me Prague.  

I'll do my best to do better at blogging!  

School Week 2 and Birthday Weekend 2

Last week at school was overshadowed by the loss of Andie's dog Minho so I don't really remember much about the school week.  I knew on Tuesday that Minho was going back to vet because he was really sick, and I also knew that there had been talk of his quality of life being low and euthanizing him... but I was still really caught off guard when I got an email saying that he was going downhill fast on Wednesday morning and that Andie was on her way to go say goodbye.  For those of you who don't know what happened, Minho had always had stomach/digestive issues.  He started getting sick more frequently this summer and he had to have emergency colon surgery in July.  He never fully recovered from surgery and he recently stopped eating completely.  The vets he had were amazing and they and Andie did literally everything possible to save him, but he just didn't make it.

I think most people that know our family have heard me talk about Minho.  He was a hilarious dog: gangly, uncoordinated and also the sweetest dog I've ever met.  Minho loved EVERYONE.  He loved people, other dogs, and tolerated little kids climbing all over him (even if he later hid from them he would never DREAM of so much as letting a growl escape).  Minho was only a year and a half old, but I'm convinced he packed more life into those 18 months than some dogs fit into 10-12 years and our entire family loved him so much.  He loved peanut butter, and kiddie pools, digging holes, playing frisbee (poorly)- see video below, copying Lucy, Mia and he tolerated those bandanas that Andie made him wear.

Wednesday I was a mess and even though my birthday was Thursday, I wasn't really happy or excited since I was grieving the loss of such a great dog.  Still, my friends here in Prague and everyone back at home went out of their way to make sure I still had a wonderful birthday.  The day started when I got to the bus stop for school around 7:30 and was immediately greeted with a "Happy Birthday" and a box of chocolates from Jena.  Then, I got to school and Tamela came in with another box of chocolates, a bottle of wine, and a lotto ticket.  Then my bosses came in with wine, more chocolate and flowers.  

After school, I went home and opened my gift that Andie had sent with me to Prague.  She got me a gold necklace with a flat gold disc/charm that is engraved around the edge with the coordinates of Madison.  As she said, we are both far from home now and so she has a necklace like that too.  That way, no matter how far from home we go, we'll always remember where we are from.  It was incredibly sweet and thoughtful and the necklace itself is gorgeous... I teared up when I opened it.  

After that, I baked brownies to take to Munich the next day as a thank you to Greg and his roommates for letting me stay (especially during Oktoberfest since they had several guests and people have to rearrange and bunk with each other to all fit).  Then, I grabbed a shower and headed out to a small dinner that Tamela had organized.  It was small, and although I really missed some of the people who couldn't make it, it was a great group and the perfect place.  The group was Tamela, Will, Katy, Lauren, and me and we went to a place called Sudicka in the Vinohrady area.  The place is downstairs (below ground level with windows up towards the ceiling) and it's lit almost entirely by candles... they've let the wax from huge candles make cool drippings down the brick walls and there are giant bookcases everywhere.  It's really beautiful and the food and wine was really good.  Katy continued the thoughtfulness by showing up with hilarious fake mustaches for everyone and Will paid for my dinner which was really nice.  

As a side note, I wore my fake mustache home and I have never been hit on so much in my entire life.  Seriously.  I guess wearing a mustache makes me seem fun and it's an easy conversation piece but it makes me wonder about the guys who like girls with mustaches.  Anyway, once home I skyped with Mom (who told me that she and dad had renewed my NYTimes subscribtion for my birthday which is much appreciated since that's how I stay up to date on U.S. happenings!) and then with Greg, and then I hit the hay since I had a big birthday/travel weekend ahead.  

Friday I went to work as usual and when I arrived, my co-teacher had the most thoughtful gift for me.  She'd found a kitten Wednesday afternoon which had sidetracked her from having it on Thursday, but it was one of the most thoughtful things I received.  She made me earrings from gorgeous green sea-glass and bought me ginseng and lemon tea because she's noticed that I drink absurd amounts of tea.  After work, I headed to Florenc (metro stop/bus station) to catch a  bus to Munich.  The bus was scheduled to leave at 6:00PM and didn't pull in until 5:50, but amazingly we left on time.  I had the seat next to me empty so I was able to stretch out and sleep a bit which was much needed and appreciated.  The ride was exactly 5 hours, but that included a 40 minute stop at McDonalds (it was supposed to be a 15 minute break but some guy wandered off and it took the driver forever to find him... I personally would have left him but we all know how I feel about people being late... and we also know that I'm not very patient with it).  

Greg met me at the bus station and we headed back to his place.  When we got back, only his roommate Stefi was there (he lives with several people), but we chatted with her for awhile before heading to bed around 1:30 since I had to be up by 6 to meet friends at the Oktoberfest tents (on opening weekend you have to be there by 7AM to get into a tent if you're with a group of people).  Despite setting an alarm, I must have turned it off because I have no recollection of anything going off and I didn't wake up until 8:30.  There was no way I was going to make it to even meet up with my group of friends before 9 when the tents actually opened so I took my time eating breakfast, meeting Greg's roomies, and just relaxing.  Finally, Greg walked me to the metro and sent me off with very good directions (he had work to get done and I was meeting friends from Houston).  

When I arrived at the actual Oktoberfest, it was different than I expected.  It's a beer festival and I expected the huge tents (more like actual buildings) and the lederhosen and dirndls, but I didn't expect it to be more like a carnival/fair than anything.  There were food vendors everywhere (selling everything imaginable), souvenir shops, games, fun houses, and rides.  I made my way towards Hofbraeuhaus (one of the German Beer companies that sponsors a tent) but when I got there I realized I would need to cross the street to get to the entrance and there was a parade going down the street.  It took about an hour and it was hard to see much of the parade, plus I was by myself and it was pouring rain.  Needless to say, I was really ready to get to the actual tent.  When I was finally able to get across the street, I still had to wait another hour or so before I could get inside (the doors are all ropes off and security stands around and decides who to let in... generally only people who have connections or a reservation).  I finally convinced a guard that my friends inside had a reservation (even though they didn't) and he escorted me inside and to a random group that I pretended was mine... thankfully the people at the table went along.  Once the guard left I thanked the people and then headed off to find my friends... not an easy task among 3,000-4,000 people.  For those of you who want to see what it might be like, check out this link: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/beer-flows-as-oktoberfest-begins-1348360496-slideshow/waiter-carries-beer-opening-179th-oktoberfest-munich-photo-115913995.html

Believe it or not, I did finally find my friends around 12:30 and they had a tall table in the standing area.  I ordered a beer and a pretzel and just hung out and talked and drank.  The beers only come in "masskrug" which are 1 litre glasses... it's a LOT of beer.  Before I knew it someone had bought me another which I also drank... 2 beers doesn't sound like much until you take into consideration that it's really over a half a gallon of beer.  Although I had fun with everyone and it was great to see Houston friends... people were getting sloppy and the place was loud and crowded and I'd already had way more than enough to drink, so I decided to head back to Greg's.  He offered to come pick me up from the metro station but my phone stopped working and even though I was pretty tipsy, I found his apartment just fine.  Greg gave me lots of water, bread, and soup and then I went to take a nap.  

When I finally woke up, sober and thankfully not hung over other than still being really tired, Greg and I decided to head back to the festival to walk around and see it at night and maybe sit outside and enjoy a pretzel (me) and a beer (him).  When we were leaving, another guy who was staying at Greg's apartment didn't have evening plans so we invited him along.  The festival during the day was not truly my thing, but at least fun for a bit... Oktoberfest at night is not something I ever care to see again.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I am super sensitive to smells, I detest drunken crowds (okay, crowds in general but especially drunken ones), dirty places (not dirty as in outside dirty, but as in city grime-y), fair/carnivals (especially rides), and that I hate vomit even more than the normal human being... combine all of that and you get Oktoberfest at night.  If you are one of those people who love the fair, Oktoberfest would be a blast.  Alas, I am not.  

Even though it really wasn't my thing, Greg and I had David with us and I didn't want to be a spoilsport, so we went to the Augustina tent (less touristy and more actual Germans... which also means slightly less drunken).  We sat in the outside area and ordered roasted chicken and I got a water while the boys got beer.  As soon as we sat down we realized that one of the guys at the big table we were at was the reason the seats were available.  Every 3-5 minutes he would turn to us and say: "I had sexy time with my step-mother.  She was 57.  She had a great ass."  Then he would go back to his beer.  It was really weird.  Anyway, that guy finally left and we were joined by some German men who talked business and politics.  We finally left when Greg realized that I was turning into an icicle.  

We headed to bed when we got back and then slept in on Sunday (didn't get up until 11AM... it was wonderful).  Then we went to a bagel shop around the corner and had brunch and then wandered Munich a bit... saw some gorgeous gardens and ate some apple strudel.  We finally headed back for a lazy Sunday afternoon watching a movie before we headed to the bus station so I could catch the bus home.  The bus was super late leaving because there was some sort of confusion with these 3 girls who wanted on but had standby tickets and some guy who had a ticket but couldnt find the hard copy, only the email confirmation.  All of them were clearly drunk and being super obnoxious.  The whole bus was annoyed b/c we left 45 minutes late, but it got worse when one of the really drunk girls threw up all over the bus bathroom... not exactly a pleasant trip home.  Thankfully, I was sitting far away from the bathroom and the drunk girls next to a really nice girl from New Zealand and I slept most of the way.  

I didn't get home until around midnight but I had MAIL waiting on me... a birthday card and present from Pepops (thank you!) and a postcard from Hilary (also thank you!).  Getting mail in a foreign country is even better than getting it in America because I'm so far from home.  

All in all, it was a great weekend.  I have a 3 day weekend ahead (no work on Friday!) but I'm looking forward to more sleeping in, exploring, and just being lazy.  This weekend was amazing, but I'm still pretty tired and it's great to have a short week ahead.  

I'll keep you posted! 

School Week 2 and Birthday Weekend 1

Last week was my second week of school- and it was actually a lot harder than my first for a few reasons.  First, I suppose I need to get used to being sick.  I've heard that the first year of teaching is always tough on the immune system and I already believe it.  Thankfully this was a pretty minor cold, but last Monday I had what was close to a migraine headache and the rest of the weekend I was just achey, sore throat, really congested, sneezing... typical cold.  I also was prepared the first week for the crying and tears from all the kids- but as of last week, they were still non-stop bawling all day.  Two weeks of that and not feeling well kind of wore me thin.

That said, I already and developing favorite students.  I shouldn't admit that on the internet (teachers shouldn't have favorites!) BUT if any parent finds this they can just assume that OF COURSE their child is among my favorites.  Serious though... some of the kids are already so sweet to me and very attached and it's impossible not to get excited when they clearly are so attached.  There is one little girl and one little boy in particular who are both already stealing my heart.

Last Wednesday we had quite the adventure.  It was sprinkling outside.  The kind of day where it's cold and gray and dreary.  Nikola and I decided that it would still do the kids good to get outside- and they all had changes of clothes and rain gear, so we suited them up (it took almost 40 minutes to get 10 kids in galoshes, jackets, raincoats over the jackets, and hats).  When we got outside, we walked about 200 yards to the edge of the school property.  As soon as we got there, it started POURING.  200 yards with 10 two year olds in the pouring rain is a long, long way.  By the time we got back to the school, all 10 were crying their eyes out and absolutely drenched... so were Nikola and I.

If I thought getting them all bundled up was bad, getting them all out of wet clothing and into dry clothing was 100x worse.  First of all, they were dripping water everywhere, so the floor was all wet.  As soon as we'd get dry clothes on one kid, they'd sit or slip down and be wet all over again.  We're doing this all in a little cloak room and all the kids are screaming at the top of their lungs.  When I finally finished... I felt like I'd done something to be proud of... even if it was just get 10 screaming wet children dry and warm.  Needless to say, when it rained again on Thursday, Nikola and I just set up an obstacle course in the classroom...

Friday was lots of fun.  My friend Jena had decided to have a house warming party, but then my friends realized that my birthday is this coming weekend and I'm going out of town (to Munich for Oktoberfest) so they decided to turn it into my birthday party.  It was really, really nice.  Tons of people turned up and Tamela cooked quesadillas, Jena provided snacks, everyone brought dips, Carrie brought a bottle of tequila, and Larry and Celieta brought burčák to share (it's a young wine- still fermenting... all fizzy and super sweet... still tastes more like carbonated juice but deceptively strong.  It's only in season Sept, Oct. and Nov. and these few weeks are big festivals and tastings).  People also bought me presents which was unnecessary but also really appreciated.  Larry and Celieta bought me corn meal (impossible to find here and as fellow southerns we'd been lamenting the lack of southern food... cornbread and cheese grits anyone?!) and Tereza bought me a HUGE thing of chocolate which I was instructed to share with NO ONE.  

Anyway, the night was lots and lots of fun... tons of goofy dancing and jokes and laughing.  Random people came and went and we all just had a blast.  I think we're going to try to rotate hosts once a month and continue to have parties b/c everyone had such a good time.  I left really early b/c I was still fighting the cold and started fading fast, but it was really good to get out and unwind with friends.  

The rest of the weekend was uneventful.  I felt really bad on Saturday (staying up late while sick will do that) so I literally did not leave my apartment.  Sunday I was productive, but only with things like lesson planning, laundry, and making chicken stock for more soup (still not 100% but doing better!)  Today at school was uneventful unless you count lots of spills and 2 potty accidents but I made white chili (Mom's recipe) when I got home and took a nice walk since the weather was beautiful.  

In other news, the sale of hard liquor is currently banned in the Czech Republic (read about it here: http://aktualne.centrum.cz/czechnews/clanek.phtml?id=757496 ).  Thankfully, everyone is drinking burčák now anyway, and beer of course.  It really isn't a big deal that I can't buy it, but it's what everyone is talking about.  

I plan on having a quiet week since I leave Friday from work for Munich but I'll be sure to update if anything exciting happens and definitely look for a post about Oktoberfest!

Pros and Cons (and a random recipe)

Don't get used to this but I decided to write a second post today since I feel like so far I've given very literal happenings but not much of my impressions of Prague as a place.  I decided to do a list of pros and cons just to cover the things I am liking and the things I'm not.

Pros:

• I have always heard what a gorgeous city Prague is and people have not been exaggerating.  It truly is very beautiful and very full of history. 
• The "feel" of the city is very laid back.  I see people rushing from time to time, but overall the feel of the city is very relaxed and un-rushed.  Lots of things are closed on Sundays and the city just moves at a pace that I really enjoy.  Today I was at the park and it was full of other people just enjoying the day which is something I saw less of in the states. 
• Prague is a very walkable city.  After living in Philadelphia, one of my HUGE complaints about Houston was the people drove everywhere.  Prague is super easy to navigate by foot and very pedestrian friendly city. 
• Despite the above being true, public transportation is also amazing.  Prague has multiple modes of Public transit.  There are 3 metro lines (run underground), multiple tram lines (run above ground) and multiple bus lines.  And unlike a lot of cities, there are night trams and buses that run regularly so if you go out late, there is still no need to use a cab.  
• Potravinys: the closest thing I can think of to a potraviny is a corner store in the U.S.  However, potravinys sell a wider variety of items.  They are on almost every block and each one sells slightly different things.  Pretty much all of them sell the basics: some candy, icecream, butter, cheese, crackers, bread, lunch meat juice, milk, water, but then they each have their own unique items.  For instance, each one seems to sell slightly different produce.  The one down the street sells hard to find tortilla wraps, but the one around the corner always has these huge, amazing figs.  Another one I know of sells black beans (another hard to find item) and yet another a few blocks away sells Indian spices.  They aren't full grocery stores but they make picking up a forgotten item or grabbing fresh fruit SO easy. 
• The people here are also really great.  I'd heard a good deal that Czech people are a bit stand offish until they get to know you, but I haven't found that to be the case at all.  When I've gone out, everyone is very friendly and eager to talk and make friends.  It's been really nice to feel so welcome in a new city. 
• Prague is a really safe city as cities go.  Never fear.  I do not have a false sense of security and I still am smart about what I do and where I go.  That said, I feel safer in Prague than anywhere else I've lived other than maybe Madison.  The people I know who live here all say it's fine to walk in the better parts of the city alone at night and I've never felt unsafe day or night in the city.  
• Prague is also cheap.  Granted, it's proportional to what I'm making, but seriously, sometimes I catch myself thinking "it's only $.25.... I think I can spend a quarter on this ________." 
• Fornetti:  This is actually pretty pathetic of me to put this on my list.  Fornetti is a worldwide chain that sells little pastry puffs with various fillings.  They are mediocre most of the time and can be found in pretty much every metro stop and on tons of street corners.  The only time you should stop is when you see them sliding a hot batch into the cases.  It's equivalent to the Dunkin' Donuts Hot & Fresh sign... it is always a good decision.  My favorites are when I catch them with hot vanilla ones... it's like a little puff pastry with vanilla custard filling... the sour cherry ones are also delicious.  And they are only 5 ckz each with is about a quarter (haha, see the above point of how I justify buying these). 

Cons (as wonderful as Prague is, it does have a few draw backs): 

• The smoke/pollution: This is my number one complaint.  Prague has no fresh air.  anywhere. ever.  Seriously, the secondhand smoke here cannot be good for me, and it's everywhere, the streets, bars, restaurants, stores.  I can't get away from the smoke. 
• The graffiti:  I've heard all the social theories of graffiti as a way to reclaim space.  I've heard the artistic arguments.  Call me old fashioned but I just don't like looking at it.  
• The crowds: It's selfish of me, but I really wish I could cut the crowds in old town prague in half, at least.  The city feels so medieval and peaceful until you realize you are shoulder to shoulder with crowds of tourists all snapping photos of anything and everything.  I haven't fully explored Old Town because it feels almost like a chore to fight all the crowds. 
• The stag parties: Prague has amazing night life and is super cheap, this also means it's a popular destination for bachelor parties (think Vegas or Atlantic City).  Crowds of overly drunk men in their mid-twenties to early thirties yelling and stumbling through the streets is already getting old.  

Lastly, and totally unrelated to Prague, my dinner turned out really exceptional tonight so I figured I'd share the recipe for anyone interested in it.  Apologies that I never measure when I cook so everything is just in spoonfuls, handfuls, etc. 

Moroccan Inspired Chicken Cous-Cous with Yogurt Sauce 

3 small chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces 

3 tomatoes, diced 

1 onion, thinly sliced

small chunk of ginger, grated or finely diced 

A few handfuls of chickpeas (I used fresh but drained from a can would work)

A few handfuls of golden raisins 

A spoonful of harissa paste 

cilantro

Cous-Cous

For the yogurt sauce: 

1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced 

Plain yogurt (preferably greek but I used regular b/c it was way cheaper)

juice from 1/2 a lemon

dried dill 

garlic powder 

Before I started anything, I threw the raisins and chickpeas in some water to soak (wouldnt need to soak the chickpeas if you are using canned).  Once I had them soaking, I started by making the yogurt sauce.  I simply stirred together the ingredients in my desired proportions and let it sit in the fridge while I cooked so the flavors could meld a bit.  Next, I sauteed the chicken, ginger, and onions in olive oil.  Once the chicken was cooked through, I started the cous-cous according to the directions on the box and added the tomatoes to the chicken mix. Once the tomatoes started to make a juicy sauce, I drained the chickpeas, raisins, and stirred in my desired amount of harissa paste (beware, some of these pastes are really spicy but I used a more medium one).  By this time the cous-cous was ready so I fluffed it up and threw it in my big sauté pan and stirred everything together. 

Then I plated it, which a huge serving of the yogurt sauce on the side and topped it with fresh cilantro.  It was simple and really delicious.   

First Week of Work

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written!  I'll try to give a full update of the rest of last week and my first week of work.

Last weekend was relatively uneventful.  I was at the school late-ish on Friday night just setting up my classroom and finishing up details of lesson planning, etc. so I didn't do anything once I got back into the city from the school.  I literally just put on my pajamas and lounged in bed and it was glorious.  When I got up last Saturday, I knew I needed to be more productive and also do some more exploring-- there is still so much of Prague that I haven't seen.  I started by opening up a Czech bank account.  My friend Katy came too and a really nice Czech guy helped us.  After setting up the accounts, we decided to wander.  We walked by a really gorgeous synagogue and then found our way to Wenceslas Square where Katy shopped for indoor shoes/slippers (we can't wear "outdoor" shoes in our classrooms... everyone wheres different shoes indoor).  After finding Katy slippers we found a cafe where we watched the rain and ate dessert.

After that we split off and each headed home to get ready for a night out.  A few hours later we met up in Zizkov, which until 1922 was actually an independent city.  Until recently, it's been a very working class neighborhood, not with a great reputation.  Now it's undergoing urban renewal and has a large young and student population.  It also is known for for having the most pubs per capita of any city district in Europe (more than 300, mostly cheap places).  We got dinner at a cheap mexican/burger place and then headed to a local pub to start the night.  I ordered a dark Pernstejn (a beer) and it's the first Czech beer I've tried that I really didn't like.  It tasted a bit like flat coke with too much syrup.

From the pub, we hopped on a tram to go to a club.  As soon as the tram doors shut we were approached by plain clothed transit officers who wanted to see our tickets.  One of our friends had forgotten her pass (she really does have one) so we all had to get off the tram.  They asked for i.d. so they could check to see if she had a pass and if she really did, it's just a small fine for not carrying it.  However, she didn't have i.d. on her.  By Czech law, foreigners are required to carry their passport at all times... but no one ever does b/c it's not really a great idea to carry around your passport all the time. If caught without your passport it can actually be a huge hassle and large fine so when they realized Jena didn't have her passport, they started asking us if any of us had them... none of us did.  At this point, we start using what little Czech we know and being flirty.  In the end it worked.  None of us got tickets for any of the offenses which was really awesome.  We decided not to risk public transit again and just walk the rest of the way to the club (Nebe Celnice).

We got to the club pretty early and it was pretty dead, but we got beers and settled in and pretty soon it was filling up and people were dancing.  Some more friends met up with us and before long there was a group of about 10 of us all hanging out and talking and dancing.  It was a blast, but it was also SUPER smokey (everyone in this city seems to smoke and even walking down the street it's often hard to breathe fresh air).  The smoke started really getting to me around 2AM so I left relatively early and headed home.  I decided to walk (Prague is a super safe, well lit city and at 2AM the city is still very much alive with people, so never fear).

It was a really nice walk because Wenceslas Square is well lit and still very much alive at that hour but there are less tourist and vendors.  I was hot and sweaty from dancing and the crowded club and the cool, fall air felt wonderful.  I stopped and bought a soft serve ice cream cone and sat out in front of the National Museum before walking the rest of the way home.  It was also nice to have some alone time.  I like the people I've met but I was really missing Daisy and it was nice to have time to process all my new experiences and just kind of think.

I slept in on Sunday and then just kind of rested up and did chores.  I went to the grocery store, did laundry, went back to the grocery store for a few things I forgot, and then ate a delicious dinner that my roommate cooked of roast duck, cabbage, and potato dumplings.

Monday was my first actual day of school.  Now that the first week is behind me, I think I have a better idea of what I like and what I don't.  While it's less intellectually challenging than the job I had in Houston, it's also more engaging in some ways because I get to move around a lot and the focus is constantly changing, which I enjoy.  Even with screaming kids, it seems easier and I leave less tired than I did from my job in Texas.  Anyway, I have 10 students, ranging in age from less than 2 to almost 3 years old.  The younger kids have really taken to me, and I think it's because of the lack of a substantive language barrier.  The old kids (almost 3) are scared of me, and I think it's because I can't really communicate with them or soothe them when they get upset.  They all prefer my co-teacher, Nikola (who is truly wonderful).

The first week of school is always traumatic for kids that young.  Most of the children are adjusting but we have a few that literally just cry ALL day.  It's to the point where we're both just kind of like, "Whatever.  They can just cry."  We have one difficult parent who has already complained that I seem stand-offish with the kids and don't seem very good with them, which is frustrating.  Her daughter is one of the ones who is scared of me and she only sees Nikola and I with the kids during drop off when Nikola generally does the comforting of the crying kids (in Czech) and I do the administrative work (taking attendance, giving parents any sort of information, answering parent questions, etc).

Anyway, all 10 kids only stay until 12:15, and then all but 4 of them go home.  At 12:30 they lay down for a nap and by 12:45, they are all asleep.  They generally sleep until roughly 2:30 which means that Nikola and I have time to eat lunch, do lesson plans, etc.  We also post daily updates of our class to the website which is required (and really excessive).  For anyone interested, the links to each daily post can be found here: http://sunnycanadian.cz/Materska-skola/Kindergarten/Nas-anglicky-program-/area1053 and on each daily post there are pictures.  For some reason the previews of the photos aren't showing up on my computer, but when I click on them, I can view the photo.  Here is a link to a class photo (missing one child): http://sunnycanadian.cz/image.aspx?id=24123&typ=5&sh=1983021338&title=&il=1

Even though I didn't think many of the kids were learning much English yet, one of the 3 year olds was overheard counting to 5 in English and most of the parents tell us that the kids talk about Nikola and me  and say that they know that "Miss Sarah" speaks English.

This weekend has been relatively quiet.  Friday night I went to dinner and then on a walk with a friend and yesterday I explored Old Town, finally walked across Charles Bridge, and explored the Castle gardens, which are going to become a favorite spot of mine.  Most of my friends decided to do dinner and a movie last night but the movie was really expensive and I'm trying not to spend too much right now, so I decided to sit that one out.  Today is going to be some more exploration, laundry, and my weekly trip to the grocery store.

I'll do better about posting updates... the first week had me so exhausted that I never seemed to find the energy to write a full post!

Also, for anyone interested in sending me mail, my mailing address is:

Sarah Vaughn
V Tunich 1636 / 1
12000 Praha 2
Czech Republic

Training Week

I am half way through my first (and only) week of training before I am a real teacher (ha!) so I figured I should update y'all on what the school is like and what I've been up to.

First of all, my commute is a bit longer than I expected... nearly an hour door to door.  Monday, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I'll need to leave my apartment around 7:20AM to walk to the metro and hop on a train to the outskirts of the city.  I get off at the next to the last metro stop and then take a 7:45 bus to a stop that is about a 5-10 minute walk from the school.  On Tuesdays, I have morning duty so I'll have to be on the 7:00AM bus.  That'll mean leaving my apartment around 6:30.  It's going to be painful until I adjust.  My schedule is going to be pretty much identical day to day... it'll look like this:

8:30-12:00- I'll be with my co-teacher and the 13 two and three year olds in our class.  During this time we'll do free play, music/movement, snack time, morning lesson, outdoor play, and the kids will eat lunch in the classroom.

12:00-12:30- My co-teacher will handle pick-up for the kids that only stay 1/2 days while I get a lunch break.  When I return, there will only be 4 students left for our afternoon class.

12:30-12:45- Story time

12:45-2:30- nap time.  If the kids actually sleep, my co-teacher and I will use this time to update the website (a daily requirement with what we did and pictures... a bit of overkill... does any parent really need DAILY pictures and progress online?!)

2:30-3:00- another snack and clean up

3:00-3:15- pick-up

3:15-3:30- room clean up, documenting the day/website/etc.

I'm free to go after that.  The only day that is a bit different is Tuesdays.  I have morning club (really just kids who get dropped off early) so I'll be there by 7:30.  On Tuesday afternoons we have a lesson planning meeting for the following week.  Those will be long days.

Overall, I think I'm going to like it.  I'm pretty exhausted and it's getting late here, but I'll make a list of pros and cons about the school/job:

Pros:

• The school is really gorgeous and my classroom is super nice.  The school is just really nice and seems like a great environment.  The educational philosophy also involves giving the kids a good deal of freedom and keeping them outside, teaching them things like recycling and citizenship.. and from what I can tell, it's not just buzz words... even my 2-3 year olds will have responsibilities and freedoms, take class trips, etc. 
• My co-teacher is really experienced and really, really nice.  She's going to be a huge asset and also just really fun to be around (the down side is that she is the polar opposite of computer savy so I have a feeling almost all of the website updates, emails to parents and electronic lesson plans will fall to me).  
• Not just my co-teacher but all my co-workers are really awesome.  I think we're all going to be good friends and it's great to like the people I see so much of. 
• This week has been a bit trying just bc training has had LOTS of bumps, but the hours still still really easy.  I am only at the school pretty much exactly 40 hours a week and that includes my lunch and staff meetings... not too shabby, especially compared to the hours I was used to.  
• Despite the cons below, any new job or the start of a school year is bound to have lots of bumps and confusion... especially since my co-teacher and I are both new to Sunny Canadian.  I really do foresee it being a great school year. 

Cons: 

• The school makes us document EVERYTHING.  I mean... we fill out reports for everything from paper cuts to how much lunch the kids eat.  There are daily updates on the website about what we did that day (complete with pictures), scapbooks we compile of the kids' work throughout the year, we turn in daily lesson plans, etc.  While I understand the need for some of this... it's going to mean a lot of extra time/work and I think a lot of it could be streamlined. 
• The above forms I mentioned?  Things are really disorganized.  They are all done electronically but no one seems to know where to find them on the school server.  My school email doesn't work and I need to access it to send a required welcome email to parents... but no one can tell me how to fix it... only that I really have to get that email out. 
• It turns out kindergarten teachers don't get fall break or spring break.  Seriously.  Our kids don't get the breaks either.  So most of my friends will get 2 weeks vacation because they teach 1st grade and up and I'll be working those weeks.  NOT excited about this.  I'm all about working hard but I was really looking forward to some extra time to explore some of the farther reaches of eastern europe. 
• Training week hasn't really taught me the things that would have been most helpful (like how to log everything, the best route to take when herding 13 toddlers out to the playground, where to find the multiple supplies our classroom is missing, etc).  I HAVE learned that my Myers-Briggs Personality type is ISFJ which means I am in introverted sensing feeling judging person (I have a need to serve others, I am bad at delegating, it's hard to tell what is bothering me/why I am moody, I'm devoted to family, I play by the rules, am better one and one, have a good memory, am analytical and I have a great work ethic.  While this is spot on... my class room could have really used some TLC during that time... or during the 2 hour session where I was read a staff manual that I could have powered through in about 20 minutes....

Anyway... it's well past my bed time.  I hope everyone is doing well back at home.  And Grandma, if you're reading this, I owe you a phone call.  I hope your hip starts feeling better soon! 

Love y'all! 

The Weekend

My first true weekend in Prague (that is, not in the midst of moving and before I met anyone) was a blast.  After my last post, I headed to a cool spot, The Globe, to see one of my co-workers play a show (she plays guitar and sings).  The Globe is an english bookstore and cafe so it's largely an expats hangout.  I was a bit nervous to go because I wasn't sure how many people from the school (a.k.a. that I know) would be there, but one of the things I promised myself when I moved here was that I would be outgoing and really throw myself into being involved so I forced myself out.  When I got there I had worried for nothing, I immediately spotted a huge group of co-workers/friends and some of their friends.  As I headed over, in typical me fashion, I tripped and almost fell ON to the table where everyone was sitting.  So smooth.

Even though there was a large group of people I knew there, I ended up on the end of the table with mostly people I hadn't met (2 teachers from the school who weren't able to come on the trip, 2 past teachers from the school who took higher administrative positions at other schools but still hang out with a lot of my co-workers, some boyfriends, a few Czech friends, etc).  It was actually really nice because I got to know another whole set of people.  One of the things that I am quickly learning, and loving, about my experience abroad is that age really doesn't matter in the expat community.  One of the couples who teaches at the school is from Texas and they are my parents age.  Another lady who I really hit it off with is 40. Another girl who I really like is my age.  There is a mix, but it's a different dynamic than I feel back home... even the people significantly older than me feel like friends in a way that isn't the case back home.

After a night of talking, laughing, and great music, I headed back home to get some sleep.  On Saturday I spent most of the day finishing up visa paperwork and exploring more of Prague.  I also decided that it's been too long since I've had good Mexican food so I asked around and found out that a place called "Las Adelitas" has the best Mexican in Prague.  I organized a dinner and was pleasantly surprised by the turnout- 10 people showed up.  We shared pitchers of margaritas and ate too much food (I had chicken tacos which really were delicious) and just had a blast.  The space was small and cramped and the food was as authentic as anywhere I'd imagine you'd find (it's owned my 2 mexican men) and in a way, it almost reminded me of being back at don memos (but classier).  I hadn't really planned anything else for the evening, but a group of 5 of us decided that we really needed to explore more of Prague so we decided to go clubbing.

First, we headed to a place called Radost, which is just a few blocks from where I live.  It was early (only about 10PM) but we were the ONLY people in the place so we decided to head to a different spot to start the night.  We ended up at a place called Retro.  It has a big dance floor in the center of the room that is a step down from the edges of the room where the tables and such are and there was a strobe light and bad music playing... it reminded me and the other American girl of a skating rink.  We settled in and talked and laughed, made fun of the security guys who were wearing rhinestoned shirts labeling them as such, and once the place started to fill up, we finally started dancing.  The music was terrible though, so we decided to head out and see if things at Radost had picked up.

On our way back we passed a potraviny, which is like a little corner store, and we stopped for ice cream.  One of the girls with us has lived in Prague for a few years and she recommended the "ruska" (aka "Russian") bar.  It's like an ice cream sandwich only instead of the chocolate/cookie part, it's between flat ice cream cone stuff.  It's brilliant.

Anyway, after ice cream we headed back to Radost where we made friends with the bartender (Mario), a professional basketball team from Nuremberg, 2 professional basketball players from Prague, and a few other Czech girls and guys.  We also danced and talked and it was a great time.  Around 3:30 I finally decided to call it quits and headed home but it was definitely an amazing Saturday night and I really got to know Tamela, Jena, Lauren and Katy much better... I feel like co-workers will also be good friends.

Today has been much quieter.  I bought a bus ticket to Munich for Oktoberfest (also my birthday weekend!) and picked up a few more items for the apartment (a hand towel for the bathroom, a drying rack for clothes, etc).  Other than that, I read in the park for a bit, and got organized for my first day of teacher training tomorrow.  I'll let you all know how school goes!