Since the last time I've written, a lot has happened. Namely, I decided to definitely attend Oxford in the fall, we had more complaints from our downstairs neighbor (I feel like her complaints arent even news anymore), a party for my friend Jena (I made jello shots, per her request.... a true accomplishment in a foreign country!), Mom and Dad visited, I've had some adventures at school, both with the administration (visa stuff that is a nightmare... I won't spend time venting about it but basically management at the school is super frustrating and in some cases, flat out rude and disrespectful) and with kids in my class, and this weekend I even went on my own mini-exploration adventure.
Mostly, I want to write about Mom and Dad's visit because it was amazing and I want to remember all of it to the last detail. They were supposed to arrive around 12:30 on Thursday, March 28, which was perfect, since I was off work from March 28-April 1 for Easter holidays. On Wednesday night I did laundry, some cleaning, and planned to finish up everything on Thursday morning before heading to the airport to pick up Mom and Dad. Instead, I awoke to a phone call from Dad at 7:30AM saying that they'd made an earlier connection and would be there much earlier. I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, and headed to the airport to meet Mom and Dad. I think they were pretty tired from flying but they got bus passes and we headed back to my place to drop their luggage. After showing off my apartment, we went to do some sight-seeing and shopping around Prague.
First, we got off the bus at Namesti Miru, which is the site of a small Easter market and of one of my favorite churches and spots in Prague, the church of St. Ludmilla. I think Dad really liked it, too, and we wandered through the market and snacked on tredelnik, which are these delicious pastry things that are baked over hot coals and rolled in cinnamon sugar. From there, I took Mom and Dad towards I.P. Pavlova, past my old apartment, and then down to Wenceslas Square (Good King Wenceslas of Christmas Carol fame). There is another big market there, along with the National Museum (which in unfortunately closed for renovations and has been the whole time I've been in Prague). We wandered down the square and then over to the Municipal House and one of the old gate towers. While at the Municipal House, we saw that there was a show there the following night and decided to see about getting tickets. From there, we wandered to Old Town Square to the big Easter market and to show Mom and Dad the heart of Old Town. They really seemed to like it. Then we wandered to Charles Bridge and headed across it.
It's touristy of me, but I love Charles Bridge. There is the gorgeous view of the castle/cathedral, vendors everywhere, street musicians... it's just really nice. After wandering for a bit, we headed back to my apartment and planned to have dinner at my favorite restaurant in Prague... an Italian place just a few doors down. When we went in, however, the place was booked for the night, so it was on to plan B. I ended up dragging Mom and Dad to a Mexican place that I love called Las Adelitas. It doesnt look like much, and Mom and Dad were both clearly skeptical until our food arrived. Dad ordered tacos de carne asada, I had tacos de tinga, and mom ordered tacos dorados. We all split a pitcher of margaritas. Thankfully, they loved the food- Mom was totally in love and Dad said they are the best tacos he's had since he used to lay over in Mexico. After dinner we called it a night.
The next day, we were going to try to ship some of my things back to the states (originally Mom and Dad were going to take a bag back for me but then decided rather than deal with toting it around Europe they would just send it by Fed Ex.) Unfortunately, I was silly and didnt check to see where Fed Ex was in Prague and realized it is way way far away on the outskirts and not near a metro or even bus stop. After trying to figure it out all morning, we finally just decided to send what we could home in their suitcases and get going for the day. First, we headed to pick up our tickets for a show at the Municipal house that evening, but on the way, we wandered through yet another Easter market. I fell in love with a painting of Prague, which Dad ended up buying for me and I hung up this weekend above my desk.
After grabbing the tickets, we ate a quick lunch and then decided to buy tickets to sights in the Jewish Quarter. We started at Maisel Synagogue, which is more like a museum and outlines some really interesting history. From there, we went to to Pinkas Synagogue. It's really incredible. The inside is very simple architecture and the walls are covered in the handwritten names of 77,297 Czech Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. Next, we walked upstairs to the Terezin Children's Art Exhibit, which displays art drawn by Jewish children who were imprisoned at Terezin Concentration Camp (most of them were later killed). From the synagogue, we walked to the Old Jewish Cemetery- one of my favorite things we did in Prague. There are around 12,000 tombstones (dating from 1439-1787). The Cemetery was the only place Jews could be buried in Prague, so although there are 12,000 tombstones, there are closer to 100,000 people buried here, often 7-8 people deep. There are pebbles placed on the tombstones and often prayers places underneath them. The whole experience is just really powerful.
After the cemetery, we were about out of time, so we headed back to my apartment to get changed for the show. We got tickets to see a concert in Smetana Hall in the Municipal House. We saw The Four Seasons (Vivaldi), Canon in D (Pachelbel), Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms), and Gypsy Airs Op.20 (Sarasate). We got our seats upgraded to the 1st balcony (best seats) and the setting and the music was just phenomenal. I haven't been to anything musical since I saw the symphony in Houston and I really love classical musical concerts- definitely something I should try to do more often. After the concert we rushed back to my neck of the woods to make our dinner reservation at Da Clara (the italian place). I love eating there. We started with a carafe of wine to share, bread, bruschetta, and the most amazing salad (arugula, raddichio, gorgonzola, apples, and walnuts with an olive oil/honey/lemon dressing). Then, Mom and I both had sea bass with veggies and Dad had lamb ragu. For dessert, Dad ordered an espresso and Mom and I split chocolate and pear cake. So, so good. So good, in fact, that we made a reservation for the next night.
The next day, we got up and headed to meet my co-teacher, Nikola. We had coffee/tea/juice and just hung out. I love Nikola and seriously could not ask for a better co-teacher (plus she is SUCH a hard worker... just one of the kindest people I know) and I really wanted Mom and Dad to get a chance to spend time with her. Everyone got along great and we had a wonderful time. From there, we parted ways from Nikola and jumped on a tram to Petrin Hill. On the tram, we bumped into my friends Katy and Gary, and Katy's parents, who were also visiting. After saying hellos, we hopped off the tram and walked to Petrin Hill, which is home to an observation tower that is known to be the best overlook over Prague. We climbed the hill together (not TOO steep but definitely a nice walk) and then after a short rest, climbed the tower. Mom was totally fine with the height, but Dad and I hugged the inside wall and were a bit dizzy from the swaying at the top of the tower. We took some amazing pictures and then hurried down. We ambled down the hill and then stopped to get trdelnik before heading up to the castle and cathedral. Both are just incredible and I think Mom and Dad were pretty impressed. St. Vitus Cathedral was started in 1344, and it's just incredible that something like that was constructed so long ago. We wandered and took photos until I was close to freezing and then we headed to a favorite cafe of mine (Cafe Louvre) to have some tea and warm up. From there we caught a tram (by running... Mom was unimpressed when I sprinted off yelling to run for the tram) and headed back to my place to relax before dinner.
We ate at Da Clara again, and while it was good, it wasnt one of the better times I've eaten there. We had the same starters, and then I had a simple pasta with tomato sauce, Dad had a pork dish, and Mom got a seafood pasta that was a bit too fishy/seafoody tasting for her liking (it was good, but just... overwhelmingly seafood-y tasting and everything still in shells, etc... I think we all were thinking more seafood mixed into a sauce for the pasta). For dessert though.... we had panna cotta that was just incredible. I'll definitely be ordering that again. After dinner we all called it a night again.
The next day was Easter Sunday and Mom and Dad's last full day in Prague. We got up and headed to buy permanent markers and then wandered back across Charles Bridge and over to Kampa Island (where there are these weird statues of faceless babies by famous sculptor David Cerny). After wandering, we headed to Lennon Wall, which to be honest, might be my favorite place in Prague. It's in this little alley and back during the communist regime, specifically in the mid-80s, students started writing grievances and hopes on the wall every night in the form of graffiti. Every day, communist officials would come and paint the wall white, and the cycle would repeat itself. The wall is now owned by the Knights of Malta who allow the graffiti to continue to stand for ideals such as love, peace, and hope. It's constantly changing and is really incredible to be a part of. Mom and Dad and I took lots of photos and signed our names on the wall.
From the wall, we went to have a traditional czech meal. It was a touristy spot, but the food (duck, potato dumplings and cabbage for Mom and me, and the same except pork for dad) was quite good. We also had my go-to czech beer- Kozel cerny (cerny means dark). After lunch, we wandered some more and then were planning to go to a spa and get a special foot massage where fish nibble all the dead skin off the bottom of your feet. It turned out to be REALLY expensive, so we decided not to do it (bummer, but a good call I think) and then we headed to the store to pick up things for dinner. Mom and Dad stocked me up (thanks y'all!) and then I made dinner (with some help from Dad). We had baked tilapia that was baked in fresh squeezed orange juice and covered in basil, rolls, and a huge salad with greens, tomatoes, olives, feta, carrots, cucumber, and homemade dressing (olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and herbs). It was light and delicious after several days of heavy meals.
The next morning we headed over to Zizkov to see Zizkov Tower. It's an amazingly ugly building but the 360 degree view of Prague. After enjoying the views, we went over to the Dancing House, then wandered all through Old Town again. After that, we headed back so Mom and Dad could finish packing. Taking Mom and Dad to the airport was super sad. I like Prague and the people here, but it isnt home (and doesn't feel like home the way Penn/Philly did) and sometimes it's a bit lonely. Thankfully, I knew I'd see Mom and Dad again the following weekend. They were off to Florence and then I would see them before they flew out of Munich the following weekend.
It was a long week at school just knowing that I'd see them (and Greg) at the end of the week. The bus schedule didnt get me to Munich early enough to spend any time with them and the train was too expensive, so I ended up using mit fahr, which is like a ride-share/car-pool/organized hitch hiking. I rode with a nice German guy and his girlfriend to Munich on Friday afternoon and they dropped me off at a metro stop that was on the line I needed. I met up with Greg and we headed to the airport hotel where Mom and Dad were staying to have dinner with them. It was so good to see Mom and Dad again and they got me a gorgeous navy leather purse and some really good balsamic vinegar in Italy. Dad and Greg seemed to get along well and I think everyone had a great time. Afterwards, Greg and I said goodbye to Mom and Dad which was really sad, and headed back into Munich. We went back to Greg's and I headed to bed and Greg headed out to a friend's birthday party.
The next day, Greg took me on a sample/practice walking tour since he's a tour guide in training and we saw lots of Munich sites. We also spent lots of time keeping warm by drinking tea and loitering around various chocolate and tea shops. After a day of seeing Munich (which is a city I really love) we headed back to make dinner. We made a veggie stir fry of sorts... stir fry isnt a great word since we cooked everything with some wine and broth, but it was delicious and we also had a tomato/avocado salad. It was a nice night- we hung out a bit with Greg's roommate Sarah and one of her friends and just enjoyed listening to music and all chatting.
Sunday I planned to catch a midday bus back to Prague so I could rest up for the coming week. I'd planned to buy a ticket at the station since Greg doesn't have a printer, but when we got to the station, they wanted 3x what the online ticket cost. Rather than pay it, I decided to just take a later bus. We walked over to a nearby hostel, paid a euro for 20 minutes of internet and a few pages of printing and booked my ticket that way for 3 hours later. Since we had time to kill, we decided to go get kaiserchmarrn (pancake like things with applesauce! mmm) and some beer at Augustina. It was delicious and nice to see another beer hall since I haven't been in that one. After eating, we wandered to the river and to the parliament building (which is beautiful) and then back to the bus station for me to catch my bus home.
The next day was Monday, April 8, and it kicked off a crazy week. Monday was actually okay... busy but nothing too dramatic. Tuesday was when the real drama occurred. We were dressing the kids to go outside with them and had almost all of them dressed and ready... just 1.5 kids left to go when I turned around and saw one of my favorite students, Karel, falling. He hit his forehead on the edge of the bench where the kids all sit to get dressed and I immediately knew he hit HARD. I went to look at the damage and just saw blood everywhere. I didn't even pause to assess further... I just went into emergency mode. I ran to grab the first aid kit and told Nikola to call paramedics and his parents. He was bleeding really badly so I didn't stop to even try to see the extent of the wound, I just got pressure on it as fast as I could. Karel was screaming, as were several of the other 11 children in the cloakroom as they were upset by the copious amount of blood.
After he bled through multiple gauze pads, the bleeding finally slowed down enough for me to see the wound. It was less than an inch across, so not long, but very, very deep. I could see something white that looked suspiciously like bone at the bottom of the wound. Nikola was on the phone with various parents/paramedics/notifying the principal/etc, so I was trying to calm down Karel and keep 11 other toddlers calm, out of the pools of blood, and semi-under control. I think all things considered it went incredibly well. The paramedics showed up and confirmed that he definitely needed stitches but that I'd slowed the bleeding enough that they would wait on his dad to arrive. Once his dad was there, they all headed off to the hospital and I just kind of... collapsed. During the situation, I was "on" but as soon as it was over I was exhausted. It's really scary to feel that kind of responsibility and fear and to not just have to e worrying about the hurt child, but all the others at the same time. I was shaky for the rest of the day.
The next day I woke up feeling more energized and headed off to school. About 9:30, I started to feel a bit funny, and by 9:45, I was too sick to leave the bathroom. After dashing back and telling my co-worker was going on, and gulping down some immodium, I decided to attempt the hour commute home. I made it without disaster, but was sick for the rest of the day and part of the next day... there seems to be a bug going around all the English teachers and I definitely had it. Anyway, by Friday, I was good to go back to work, if not totally settled.... and I also had lovely, HUGE tonsils.
I've been unable to swallow much all weekend... just sipping hot throat comfort tea and swearing that I will never teach toddlers again since I am constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY ill. Despite my sickness, spring has finally arrived in Prague and I wanted to get to enjoy SOME of it, so I've spent the weekend doing relaxing/stretching yoga with the windows open and the sun and breeze pouring in and taking long, relaxing walks.
Yesterday, I decided to go on an adventure. Every morning on my way to work I see a dome off in the distance as I ride the bus, and every morning, I wonder what it is. I ended up walking to it to find out. It turns out, it's a quite ugly conference center, which was a let down. But I walked about 5 miles through Prague and discovered a gorgeous, peaceful old cemetery, so I'd still call the adventure a success.
It's getting late so I should head to bed before another long week! Hope things are going well stateside or wherever you're reading from!
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