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