I was very, very sick for a few days there... I stayed in bed from the afternoon of June 5th through June 9th... I never went to the doctor because my boss chose to tell me this time that I'm not not allowed to come to work on antibiotics (according to Czech law) which I've already broken a lot this year. Still, I decided to ride it out. Thankfully I felt better over the weekend (the 8th and 9th) and while I forced myself to stay in over the weekend (missing a BBQ and other fun events), I was able to be back at work on Monday antibiotic free (though not 100% healed).
I honestly don't remember too much of the week after that. I was still trying to get to bed early and survive until the weekend. The weekend was wonderful (and worth resting up for). It was June 15th and 16th... so 2 weekends ago, and it was the last weekend that almost all of our friend group would be in Prague (the next weekend some people had weddings and other travel plans and this coming weekend lots of people are flying out for good on Friday or Saturday). To celebrate the end of the year and to start our goodbyes, we met up at a wine and cheese shop at JZP (a metro stop in a cool area of Prague) call Le Caveau. The website is here: http://www.broz-d.cz/
My friend Katy found the place and I wish I would have known about it sooner... it's adorable. Delicious and affordable wine, sandwiches, cheeses and desserts (we all indulged in all of those things). We met up mid afternoon (Me, Katy, Tamela, Kate, Lauren, Tereza and Celieta and Jena joined after they finished skydiving) and started chatting and sharing wine. By the time we left hours later, we all had finished too much wine but were quite happy to be heading off together. The group headed for Riegrovy Sady to watch the sunset and I headed to pick up John (a guy I'd never met but a friend of my friend Jacob) and then took John to meet everyone. We were tipsy and John was ... not. I feel like we may have overwhelmed him just a little bit, but he was a good sport. After the sunset I took John on a walk around Prague (and got us lost multiple times... no matter how long I live here I just can't get my bearings in Old Town) and then I dropped him off at his hostel and went to meet my friends at one of our favorite dancing spots, Radost.
By this time, the group had evolved a bit. It was me, Tamela, Dino (a guy Tamela has been seeing), Jena, Tereza, Katy, Gary, and Nathan (a friend of Katy and Gary's who is staying with them for a month). We danced on stage and hugged and desperately avoided the creepy guy trying to give us weed (not sell, GIVE.... Prague is... very liberal). It was a fun night and I was very glad I was well enough to participate.
That Sunday I slept in and then started packing, did some shopping, and called Dad to wish him a happy Father's Day, but all in all, it was quiet.
Last week was a LONG week. First of all, it was hot. Overall, I LOVED it. 90-95 degrees is better than 50 degrees in my opinion, so I was happy to have all the windows in our apartment open and be in sundresses constantly. That said, the school where I work is not airconditioned. Every classroom has at least 1 wall that is completely windows. Some classrooms, like mine, have 2 walls of windows. It is a GREENHOUSE. Not only is the place not airconditioned... there are also not even fans. The school was stifling.
Although I will admit it was hot in the building, Czechs are really, really concerned about the kids getting overheated. On that Monday, it was only about 75 out when we headed out for recess.... but my co-teacher was scared that the kids would have heat strokes.... she lathered them in sunscreen (that part is good practice), freaked out that one of them didnt have a hat, and kept pushing water at them. The other mornings that week, she deemed it too hot to go outside at all. Now, I know I teach 2-3 year olds and they are more sensitive and such... but to someone like me, raised in GA, this is just borderline ridiculous. Then again, she thought I was being absurd in the winter when I would suggest that 18 degrees fahrenheit was "too cold" to take kids out into.
Tuesday of last week I had morning club (leave home at 6:20) and then we had a staff meeting and THEN I had to stay with Nikola and finish setting the color of the tie-dying that our kids did on handkerchiefs for their parents. I didn't leave school until around 6:25 in the evening. I went home, showered and changed and then Tamela and I went to dinner at one of our favorite places, Mood, for a nice dinner and our last roomy outing. When came back and settled in to watch the Bachelorette and then our power went out. Since it was steaming hot outside (and pretty warm in our unairconditioned apartment) and pitch black, we both just gave up and went to bed (we found out later there was a huge explosion in a suburb of Prague that caused the outage across about 1/5 of Prague).
Wednesday was another VERY long day. I left the house at 6:40 to get to school for parent teacher conferences. After a few, we had our class presentation that morning where parents stayed and the kids performed a whole list of songs they have learned this year. The performance went really well, but it always makes for a stressful morning (and way more crying when parents finally do leave bc it is out of routine). That afternoon we had more parent/teacher conferences (including a not so pleasant one) and then I had to teach Nikola how to do necessary things on the computer. Now, I love Nikola. I would not have survived this year without her... BUT... she cannot work a computer. I don't mean she just kind of can't... I mean that I wrote a step by step manual for her, complete with pictures, on how to transfer pictures from the camera to the computer... following said manual involved 2 hours and LOTS of questions. She has lots of talents I don't... but teaching her that computer stuff was painful and I was hot and tired and by the end of it... I was not holding my patience so well :( We left about 6:30 again that day... ugh.
By Friday, I was ready to relax. Jena wanted to spend her last Friday night in Prague (she leaves this coming Friday morning) eating Mexican at our favorite place, so she came over to the apartment and we made strawberry margaritas and guac (help keep us from spending so much there) and then me, Jena and Tamela headed out to eat. We had amazing food and a pitcher of margaritas and lots of good chatting and girl time. After dinner, I headed home to be productive, and Jena and Tamela went dancing.
Saturday was another perfect day. Jena and I met up at Letna (a huge park overlooking Prague/the Vltava River) and picked a spot in the sun. We bought popsicles and lounged about. Tamela showed up, and later Tereza and we just sunned and ate too many popsicles and talked. It was a lazy afternoon, but absolute perfection with the weather and the lounging. I headed home about 7 to continue productivity (goodbye letters to my students, putting together a photo album as Nikola's goodbye present, packing, planning Mallorca, etc) and everyone else headed to a music festival.
Sunday (yesterday) I got up and did some things for Oxford before meeting Nikola, Joanna, and Will to head to Konepruske Jeskyne- the largest cave system in the Czech Republic. We took the train to a town near the caves and then walked... I expected a short walk... it was 7 km (roughly 4.5 miles). Some of it was true hiking, other parts were along country roads. The landscape, however, was GORGEOUS. The weather was also cool and breezy and actually perfect for hiking. The caves themselves are incredible. HUGE caverns and very spacious... as a fun fact, in one of the caves, they found bones from a rhino that are around 13,000 years old. Which means 13,000 years ago there were rhinos in what is now the Czech Republic. Getting to the actual caves and through the caves was another 1.5 miles (and 500 stairs). After exploring we took a route to Beroun (a different town than the one we arrived to) which was another 4 miles. About 2 miles in to that portion I twisted my ankle. It hurt but I was/am able to walk on it. It's still sore but doesnt even feel sprained.
Anyway, it was a really cool day and I got to see a lot more of the Czech country side (plus, we rode there and back in a 2 story train and the upper level was SO MUCH FUN!)
Today was my last Monday teaching Blue Bunnies... only 4 more work days left. Exactly 1 week until Munich, 1 week and 1 day until Mallorca and Greg's 25th birthday, and 2 weeks and 1 day until home!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sick (again)
I spoke too soon about feeling better from that cold.
I've been in bed with a 101.5 degree fever since yesterday afternoon. Scarlet Fever is going around the school (cause by Type-A Strep which also causes strep) and I have huge tonsils, headache, very painful swallowing, and a high fever. No scarlet rash..... yet. Fingers crossed.
I thought I could ride it out, but I'm heading to see a doctor in the morning since I still feel really, really awful.
Sometimes I'm not SO different than my 2 year old students. When I'm this sick I just want my mom. No matter how old we get, I don't think that feeling ever goes away.
I've been in bed with a 101.5 degree fever since yesterday afternoon. Scarlet Fever is going around the school (cause by Type-A Strep which also causes strep) and I have huge tonsils, headache, very painful swallowing, and a high fever. No scarlet rash..... yet. Fingers crossed.
I thought I could ride it out, but I'm heading to see a doctor in the morning since I still feel really, really awful.
Sometimes I'm not SO different than my 2 year old students. When I'm this sick I just want my mom. No matter how old we get, I don't think that feeling ever goes away.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Prague Floods
The past week has been a bit of an adventure.
Greg arrived last Thursday. I still had a cold, though I was feeling somewhat better than I had been feeling. We decided to stock up on groceries for the weekend and then treat ourselves to dinner out at our favorite restaurent in Prague... a little italian osteria. Unfortunately, they were totally booked for the night, so we headed back to my apartment and cooked salmon, fennel, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and onions. After dinner and catching up with Tamela, I headed to bed since I had work the next day.
Friday Greg met me at Opatov (about 1/2 way out to where I work) and we headed back into the city to do some printing and scanning for our universities. For those of you who haven't heard- Greg will be completing a fully funded PhD at Cambridge through their NanoscienceDTC program (essentially nanotechnology that is presented through physics, material science, engineering, etc). I'm very proud of him and he deserves a big shout out. Anyway, he needed to get them some paperwork so we did that and then rushed home to have a quick dinner before going to see a dance show, "Bounce," as part of the Prague Fringe Festival. The description said, "Bounce is a must see performance from New York Fringe! Eva Dean Dancer's 'five brilliant dancers' (nytheatre.com) move with circus globes, poi balls and physio balls to create wondrous worlds. Dance theatre that has 'mesmerizing choreography.' (The Wall Street Journal). An 'unalloyed delight' with an 'infinite-seeming range of the lithe expressive physicality', (The New York Times).
Based on that, I think my expectations were way too high. I was expected something whimsical and acrobatic. Maybe like a miniature, amateur version of Cirque du soleil. Unfortunately, it was more just like modern dance with giant balls. Parts of it were quite entertaining, but parts were just too weird for me and a few parts were maybe even a little boring. Greg said he liked it so maybe I just didn't get it. During the show I also started feeling feverish again, but Greg had been dying to check out the Prague Beer Festival so I insisted we head over even though I was feeling really under the weather again. By the time we got there, I was feeling awful, so Greg drank a beer and took a quick look around and then hurried me home.
The next day (Saturday) we were supposed to go sky-diving. I got us vouchers for Valentines Day and we've had this weekend planned for a long time. Unfortunately, it started raining Friday night and was still pouring Saturday morning. The company called to let us know that the weather was too bad to go, but they asked if we wanted to reschedule for the following day, which we did. We made a big breakfast and then headed off to the beer festival in the pouring rain to spend the afternoon. As soon as we got a table, Greg went to order us beers and met a guy from California in line. He was in Prague for the weekend from his study abroad program in Germany and none of his friends had wanted to brave the rain for the beer festival. We invited him to join us and spent the afternoon just chatting and getting to know each other. It poured the ENTIRE time we were at the festival and still hadn't let up by the time we left. Greg and I eventually headed home to get changed and make out dinner reservation at Da Clara.
Dinner was, as always, spectacular. We started with our favorite salad (arugula, gorgonzola, walnuts, apples, and a lemon/honey/olive oil dressing and then drizzled with balsamic.) After that, we split a pasta dish with eggplant, tomatoes, almonds, ricotta, and garlic. It was phenomenal. It had sounded good to me, but I didn't expect it to be so outstanding. For our main courses I had duck in an orange sauce with roasted veggies on the side (potatoes, broccoli, carrots) and Greg had a steak with asparagus and cheese and a side of similar roasted veggies. Although the food and service was wonderful, as always, they charged us a table charge, and for the tap water, which they have never done before. We didn't complain, but it made me a bit sad... I'd honestly rather just pay a bit more for the food than have little charges tacked on. Still, it's a minor complaint and it was a wonderful last meal at my favorite place in Prague (I say last b/c I doubt I'll spend the money to eat there alone before I leave).
After dinner we walked the short block home and watched A League of Their Own, which Greg had never seen, and also skyped with our good friend Brittany who we love and miss dearly back in Philly. It rained all through the night, including what sounded like a monsoon... or more just like someone pouring buckets of water over my building. It was nuts. Sky diving was cancelled again (boo) and we instead had a very lazy Sunday watching movies (Totoro) and reading (Wheel of Time series for both of us) and eating. We also booked our vacation for the first week of July to Palma de Mallorca. I was hoping for Greece or Portugal, but we got a great deal on Mallorca and I'm actually really excited to have some neat history and a nice mixture of history/sites and relaxation/beach.
That night Greg was catching a mit fahr (carpool) back to Munchen and we realized that the city was in bad shape. We started looking at how he was going to meet up with his ride and realized that 8 metro stations had been closed, some trams weren't running, buses had been re-routed, etc. We managed to get him to his ride without too much trouble, but I was curious to see how bad things were getting so after dropping Greg off I walked down to the Vlatava to watch it rise. Lots of people in the city had the same idea. It was still POURING out, and the river was roaring and crazy high. I took some pictures and then decided to head back to my apartment. As I followed the news after getting home, I realized just how bad things really were.... parts of Prague were being evacuated... including animals from the zoo. This was quickly turning into the worst flood since the devastating flood of 2002 and THAT was the worst flood in well over 200 years.
Despite the fact that all public schools (and most private schools) were closed AND that there were major transportation disruptions, my lovely school decided to open on Monday. To be honest, my commute wasn't so bad on the way to school, but it took some teachers nearly 4 hours to reach the school. What quickly became concerning, however, was how to get home. It was STILL raining outside, so routes that had been open to get TO school, were gradually being closed throughout the day. When I inquired to management about whether or not there was a contingency plan to help get staff home (there were still open roads but none that have public bus routes for us to use to get back into the city), I was told that management was dealing with "more important things" and "wasn't keeping an eye on the transportation situation." Now, about 75% of the staff commutes in from Prague using public transit... and a small number of students do as well... so tell me why this wasnt at least being monitored. Thankfully, I was able to make it home... in the rain.
Last night it finally stopped raining. I made it to school again and so did most of the staff, though some teachers were evacuated and several have had their flats/houses totally flooded/damaged beyond repair. It's crazy to see some of my favorite places in the city just under water.
Keep Praha in your thoughts!
Greg arrived last Thursday. I still had a cold, though I was feeling somewhat better than I had been feeling. We decided to stock up on groceries for the weekend and then treat ourselves to dinner out at our favorite restaurent in Prague... a little italian osteria. Unfortunately, they were totally booked for the night, so we headed back to my apartment and cooked salmon, fennel, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and onions. After dinner and catching up with Tamela, I headed to bed since I had work the next day.
Friday Greg met me at Opatov (about 1/2 way out to where I work) and we headed back into the city to do some printing and scanning for our universities. For those of you who haven't heard- Greg will be completing a fully funded PhD at Cambridge through their NanoscienceDTC program (essentially nanotechnology that is presented through physics, material science, engineering, etc). I'm very proud of him and he deserves a big shout out. Anyway, he needed to get them some paperwork so we did that and then rushed home to have a quick dinner before going to see a dance show, "Bounce," as part of the Prague Fringe Festival. The description said, "Bounce is a must see performance from New York Fringe! Eva Dean Dancer's 'five brilliant dancers' (nytheatre.com) move with circus globes, poi balls and physio balls to create wondrous worlds. Dance theatre that has 'mesmerizing choreography.' (The Wall Street Journal). An 'unalloyed delight' with an 'infinite-seeming range of the lithe expressive physicality', (The New York Times).
Based on that, I think my expectations were way too high. I was expected something whimsical and acrobatic. Maybe like a miniature, amateur version of Cirque du soleil. Unfortunately, it was more just like modern dance with giant balls. Parts of it were quite entertaining, but parts were just too weird for me and a few parts were maybe even a little boring. Greg said he liked it so maybe I just didn't get it. During the show I also started feeling feverish again, but Greg had been dying to check out the Prague Beer Festival so I insisted we head over even though I was feeling really under the weather again. By the time we got there, I was feeling awful, so Greg drank a beer and took a quick look around and then hurried me home.
The next day (Saturday) we were supposed to go sky-diving. I got us vouchers for Valentines Day and we've had this weekend planned for a long time. Unfortunately, it started raining Friday night and was still pouring Saturday morning. The company called to let us know that the weather was too bad to go, but they asked if we wanted to reschedule for the following day, which we did. We made a big breakfast and then headed off to the beer festival in the pouring rain to spend the afternoon. As soon as we got a table, Greg went to order us beers and met a guy from California in line. He was in Prague for the weekend from his study abroad program in Germany and none of his friends had wanted to brave the rain for the beer festival. We invited him to join us and spent the afternoon just chatting and getting to know each other. It poured the ENTIRE time we were at the festival and still hadn't let up by the time we left. Greg and I eventually headed home to get changed and make out dinner reservation at Da Clara.
Dinner was, as always, spectacular. We started with our favorite salad (arugula, gorgonzola, walnuts, apples, and a lemon/honey/olive oil dressing and then drizzled with balsamic.) After that, we split a pasta dish with eggplant, tomatoes, almonds, ricotta, and garlic. It was phenomenal. It had sounded good to me, but I didn't expect it to be so outstanding. For our main courses I had duck in an orange sauce with roasted veggies on the side (potatoes, broccoli, carrots) and Greg had a steak with asparagus and cheese and a side of similar roasted veggies. Although the food and service was wonderful, as always, they charged us a table charge, and for the tap water, which they have never done before. We didn't complain, but it made me a bit sad... I'd honestly rather just pay a bit more for the food than have little charges tacked on. Still, it's a minor complaint and it was a wonderful last meal at my favorite place in Prague (I say last b/c I doubt I'll spend the money to eat there alone before I leave).
After dinner we walked the short block home and watched A League of Their Own, which Greg had never seen, and also skyped with our good friend Brittany who we love and miss dearly back in Philly. It rained all through the night, including what sounded like a monsoon... or more just like someone pouring buckets of water over my building. It was nuts. Sky diving was cancelled again (boo) and we instead had a very lazy Sunday watching movies (Totoro) and reading (Wheel of Time series for both of us) and eating. We also booked our vacation for the first week of July to Palma de Mallorca. I was hoping for Greece or Portugal, but we got a great deal on Mallorca and I'm actually really excited to have some neat history and a nice mixture of history/sites and relaxation/beach.
That night Greg was catching a mit fahr (carpool) back to Munchen and we realized that the city was in bad shape. We started looking at how he was going to meet up with his ride and realized that 8 metro stations had been closed, some trams weren't running, buses had been re-routed, etc. We managed to get him to his ride without too much trouble, but I was curious to see how bad things were getting so after dropping Greg off I walked down to the Vlatava to watch it rise. Lots of people in the city had the same idea. It was still POURING out, and the river was roaring and crazy high. I took some pictures and then decided to head back to my apartment. As I followed the news after getting home, I realized just how bad things really were.... parts of Prague were being evacuated... including animals from the zoo. This was quickly turning into the worst flood since the devastating flood of 2002 and THAT was the worst flood in well over 200 years.
Despite the fact that all public schools (and most private schools) were closed AND that there were major transportation disruptions, my lovely school decided to open on Monday. To be honest, my commute wasn't so bad on the way to school, but it took some teachers nearly 4 hours to reach the school. What quickly became concerning, however, was how to get home. It was STILL raining outside, so routes that had been open to get TO school, were gradually being closed throughout the day. When I inquired to management about whether or not there was a contingency plan to help get staff home (there were still open roads but none that have public bus routes for us to use to get back into the city), I was told that management was dealing with "more important things" and "wasn't keeping an eye on the transportation situation." Now, about 75% of the staff commutes in from Prague using public transit... and a small number of students do as well... so tell me why this wasnt at least being monitored. Thankfully, I was able to make it home... in the rain.
Last night it finally stopped raining. I made it to school again and so did most of the staff, though some teachers were evacuated and several have had their flats/houses totally flooded/damaged beyond repair. It's crazy to see some of my favorite places in the city just under water.
Keep Praha in your thoughts!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The past month
To be honest, I kind of forgot I had a blog there for awhile. I'll do my best to hit the highlights of what I've been up to in the last month.
First, on April 29th we celebrated the "Witch Burning" at school. The actually official day for this is April 30th, but the school celebrates a day early. Basically, in Czech tradition, the last day of April signifies the end of winter weather and the "Witch" represents winter. They make a "witch" out of cloth and straw and turn it into a huge bonfire. Then, we roasted marshmellows and sausages and just hung out. I was dreading staying so late after school ended, but it actually ended up being pretty cool.
Mixed in there were some fun nights out at Riegrovy Sady, a beer garden and park where you can order a beer and then sit on a hill overlooking Prague and just enjoy the weather. Pretty much every nice night a group of us would go and picnic and just enjoy the views. The first 2 weeks of May were really nice because we had 2 Wednesdays off in a row (May 1 and 8) so for awhile it went: Weekend, 2 days of school, 1 day off, 2 days of school, weekend, 2 days of school 1 day off, 2 days of school, weekend. It made those two weeks FLY by.
Around then one of my good friends, Jena, had her sister visit which involved a night out to our favorite Mexican restaurant and then some dancing at our favorite places. She also had some friends visit from France so I went out dancing with them as well. Both nights were tons of fun and now that the weather is less frigid, I feel like I've been out and about significantly more.
On May 17th Greg came to visit. We met up with friends, Katy and Gary (a British couple I work with) and went to Riegrovy Sady. While there, we witnessed a terrifying sky-diving accident (basically we saw a bunch of people jump and one parachute didnt deploy. We were a ways away but we watched the speck spiral out of control and fall out of sight. It was really awful and sad and scary and not at all encouraging considering Greg and I are supposed to be skydiving next weekend. Anyway, I had to work the next day so Greg came and picked me up from work and then we went to Lennon Wall where we each added quotes of our own. Then we came home and made a big dinner and just hung out. The next morning I took Greg to the bus station and saw him off.
That night was a friend's birthday picnic. Unfortunately, it rained, so we all picnicked on the floor of her apartment instead, but I still had a great time. It'd been awhile since the whole gang was around in one place, so it was good to catch up. I didn't do anything exciting the next day (a Saturday) but then on Sunday I met up with Katy, Jena, and another friend, Tereza, to take a long walk around Divoka Sarka. Divoka Sarka is a park that is located within the Prague city limits (granted, on the very edge) and is more like a nature reserve or state park than a city park. It's huge and really gorgeous with a stream, big lake, rock formations, cliffs, meadows, woods.... it's just unbelievable that a place like this exists in a huge city of 1.3million people.
This past week was a hard week at work.... just lots of kids acting out (using toilet bowl cleaning brushes as swords... after dipping them in unflushed toilets, hitting, a child spit in my face, etc, etc, etc) and lots of long days preparing for upcoming conferences and other end of the year activities. Only 5 weeks to go (25 days of actual school). I think I can I think I can I think I can.
Thankfully, this weekend has been much better than my week. Despite waking up with a migraine at 3AM on Saturday morning (so bad that I couldnt fall back asleep until 10AM or so.... I then slept until mid-afternoon), my Saturday evening turned out to be lots of fun. I woke up in the afternoon headache free and so Katy, Tereza and I met up to go to see a show that is part of the Prague Fringe Festival. A simple definition of a fringe festival is just performances that are not main-stream... generally a bit artsy and off-beat. We went to go see a play/monologue called Escape From Disney Land about a guy who worked at a disney themed fast-food restaurant. Parts of it were really funny and parts were just weird and a little uncomfortable, but I'm glad I went. From there, we headed to a tea shop where we all got a small sweet and tea/coffee.
Then, we decided to go meet up with Jena for a dinner/drinks. We went to an expat place called The Globe and ordered dinner/snack/drinks and then realized that they would be showing the Champion League Final (a soccer match that is a HUGE deal in Europe.... it's like the European Championship game). It was 2 german teams playing... Munich versus Dortmund, so naturally I pulled for Munich (and they won 2-1!) After the game, we all headed home.
Today I've had a lazy day. It feels like winter has returned to Prague. The high today is 46 and it's pouring rain. Greg will come sometime this week (I think Friday but perhaps earlier if he can get someone to pick up a shift for him at work) so I have that to look forward to.
June is going to be a busy month but I'll do my best to keep you posted!
First, on April 29th we celebrated the "Witch Burning" at school. The actually official day for this is April 30th, but the school celebrates a day early. Basically, in Czech tradition, the last day of April signifies the end of winter weather and the "Witch" represents winter. They make a "witch" out of cloth and straw and turn it into a huge bonfire. Then, we roasted marshmellows and sausages and just hung out. I was dreading staying so late after school ended, but it actually ended up being pretty cool.
Mixed in there were some fun nights out at Riegrovy Sady, a beer garden and park where you can order a beer and then sit on a hill overlooking Prague and just enjoy the weather. Pretty much every nice night a group of us would go and picnic and just enjoy the views. The first 2 weeks of May were really nice because we had 2 Wednesdays off in a row (May 1 and 8) so for awhile it went: Weekend, 2 days of school, 1 day off, 2 days of school, weekend, 2 days of school 1 day off, 2 days of school, weekend. It made those two weeks FLY by.
Around then one of my good friends, Jena, had her sister visit which involved a night out to our favorite Mexican restaurant and then some dancing at our favorite places. She also had some friends visit from France so I went out dancing with them as well. Both nights were tons of fun and now that the weather is less frigid, I feel like I've been out and about significantly more.
On May 17th Greg came to visit. We met up with friends, Katy and Gary (a British couple I work with) and went to Riegrovy Sady. While there, we witnessed a terrifying sky-diving accident (basically we saw a bunch of people jump and one parachute didnt deploy. We were a ways away but we watched the speck spiral out of control and fall out of sight. It was really awful and sad and scary and not at all encouraging considering Greg and I are supposed to be skydiving next weekend. Anyway, I had to work the next day so Greg came and picked me up from work and then we went to Lennon Wall where we each added quotes of our own. Then we came home and made a big dinner and just hung out. The next morning I took Greg to the bus station and saw him off.
That night was a friend's birthday picnic. Unfortunately, it rained, so we all picnicked on the floor of her apartment instead, but I still had a great time. It'd been awhile since the whole gang was around in one place, so it was good to catch up. I didn't do anything exciting the next day (a Saturday) but then on Sunday I met up with Katy, Jena, and another friend, Tereza, to take a long walk around Divoka Sarka. Divoka Sarka is a park that is located within the Prague city limits (granted, on the very edge) and is more like a nature reserve or state park than a city park. It's huge and really gorgeous with a stream, big lake, rock formations, cliffs, meadows, woods.... it's just unbelievable that a place like this exists in a huge city of 1.3million people.
This past week was a hard week at work.... just lots of kids acting out (using toilet bowl cleaning brushes as swords... after dipping them in unflushed toilets, hitting, a child spit in my face, etc, etc, etc) and lots of long days preparing for upcoming conferences and other end of the year activities. Only 5 weeks to go (25 days of actual school). I think I can I think I can I think I can.
Thankfully, this weekend has been much better than my week. Despite waking up with a migraine at 3AM on Saturday morning (so bad that I couldnt fall back asleep until 10AM or so.... I then slept until mid-afternoon), my Saturday evening turned out to be lots of fun. I woke up in the afternoon headache free and so Katy, Tereza and I met up to go to see a show that is part of the Prague Fringe Festival. A simple definition of a fringe festival is just performances that are not main-stream... generally a bit artsy and off-beat. We went to go see a play/monologue called Escape From Disney Land about a guy who worked at a disney themed fast-food restaurant. Parts of it were really funny and parts were just weird and a little uncomfortable, but I'm glad I went. From there, we headed to a tea shop where we all got a small sweet and tea/coffee.
Then, we decided to go meet up with Jena for a dinner/drinks. We went to an expat place called The Globe and ordered dinner/snack/drinks and then realized that they would be showing the Champion League Final (a soccer match that is a HUGE deal in Europe.... it's like the European Championship game). It was 2 german teams playing... Munich versus Dortmund, so naturally I pulled for Munich (and they won 2-1!) After the game, we all headed home.
Today I've had a lazy day. It feels like winter has returned to Prague. The high today is 46 and it's pouring rain. Greg will come sometime this week (I think Friday but perhaps earlier if he can get someone to pick up a shift for him at work) so I have that to look forward to.
June is going to be a busy month but I'll do my best to keep you posted!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The story of my life...
http://reasonsmysoniscrying.tumblr.com/
This blog sums up a number of reasons my 14 students cry on a daily basis (though is by no means even close to all inclusive). So tired of crying.
This blog sums up a number of reasons my 14 students cry on a daily basis (though is by no means even close to all inclusive). So tired of crying.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Visits from Mom and Dad are the best
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!
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!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Oxford!
Yesterday I was accepted to the MPhil program in Geography and the Environment at Oxford. The description from the website says:
The MPhil in Geography and the Environment is a two-year course designed for high-flying master's candidates who wish to include a substantial research component in their masters level studies. In the first year, candidates take the coursework associated with either the MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy or the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management.
I'm still waiting on funding decisions before I make any decisions, but if I attend, my coursework during year 1 will be from the MSc in Nature, Society, and Environmental Policy. The description of that is below:
The MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy equips students with a theoretically sophisticated and empirically grounded understanding of the dynamic relations between environment, society and policy. It recognizes that responding to profound political and environmental challenges requires a new generation of researchers and policy professionals who are able to think in innovative, rigorous and flexible ways across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries.
If you want to know more, check out the website: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/index.html?rn=4#strapline-box
The MPhil in Geography and the Environment is a two-year course designed for high-flying master's candidates who wish to include a substantial research component in their masters level studies. In the first year, candidates take the coursework associated with either the MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy or the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management.
I'm still waiting on funding decisions before I make any decisions, but if I attend, my coursework during year 1 will be from the MSc in Nature, Society, and Environmental Policy. The description of that is below:
The MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy equips students with a theoretically sophisticated and empirically grounded understanding of the dynamic relations between environment, society and policy. It recognizes that responding to profound political and environmental challenges requires a new generation of researchers and policy professionals who are able to think in innovative, rigorous and flexible ways across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries.
If you want to know more, check out the website: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/index.html?rn=4#strapline-box
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