Where did February go?

This week has been so strange. It's nice to have a schedule, but it is hard to get back into school mode. And, since it's been month, we are all freaking out about having to leave soon. We just got here, with the weather warming up and actually starting school, it seems like May is going to be here really fast.

I was the loser with a class on Friday, because the sections on other days filled up. Until today, I just went to the Thursday section, to see if I could fit, and... they let me in!! SO GLAD!! Now weekend excursions are going to an option for me. Infact, we are going to Berlin next weekend!! After class today, we went to get our bus tickets, there are 7 of us going, it should be a lot of fun!!

The other day we got all excited with this great weather, that we planned a picnic. Of course we had to wait until everyone was out of class and by the time we left it was dark. And since it was dark, we couldn't find the park we wanted...But it ended great, we went to the castle and picniced up there! The city is so beautiful at night. And people still are coming through after the sunsets to see the view. I want to go back there every night.

love from Praha,

Roxanne

I actually live here

Sunday everyone came "home!" Vienna sounds wonderful, as does Barcelona...but, the girls were sweet, they said that they missed Prague! It was so great to hear, they went to bigger, well-known cities and even stayed in places nicer than here, and they still got homesick for Prague and in only 3 days. I love being able to call this my home, I live here, here, in Prague.

Oh the weather! It's warming up so nicely here, it's lovely...Today it is going to be 60 degrees, practically swimsuit weather.

Love from Praha,

Roxanne

Just peacocks in the park, no big deal

Last night a lot of fun. I went to the ballet at the National Theatre. It's really great here, for the opera, the ballet or concerts and other productions they give large student discounts. Also we buy the tickets in discounted bulk, I only paid $5 to see La Sylphide and Napole last night and it was beautiful. I wish I was a ballerina, so graceful and lovely. Later a few of us, the few here this weekend, went out to MischMasch and danced the night away.

Today, I took my friend Kish, who is a med student here, to see the castle. He hadn't been, even though he was here last semester. When I found out that he hadn't really seen the castle I made sure his Saturday was free so we could walk around, how could you not have been on the 5 minute walk to the castle?! The weather today was perfect, we were coat free!!

While we walked around near the castle, we found a park and in the park there were PEACOCKS!! In the trees and all over. Just as I spotted the big male, he OPENED his tail!!!

He was such a showoff. I can't wait to go back with food, what to peacocks eat? After that excitement we ate a late lunch and then watched(creeped) a wedding party and their photographer before we came back to the kolej.

I am so excited for spring, the bushes and trees are just getting ready to bud. I can't imagine this place being more beautiful, but once there is green, it is going to be fantastic.

love from Praha,



Roxanne

Will be a lonely weekend

This week moved quickly, too fast for me. My class this morning was cancelled, I am a little upset, I didn't go to Vienna with a friend because of the class. Wednesday night was fun, we met a lot of other international students, some that we even have classes with! And then last night, we said goodbye to Jess, she left with Natasha (our Aussie friend,) for Vienna, and then at 4:00AM this morning, I went with Laura to the bus station so she wasn't alone for an hour, she is off to Barcelona for the weekend. Also, bunch of our friends left for Paris this morning and the other program in our dorm is taking a trip somewhere, the kolej will be empty. So far, a very uneventful weekend, it is still early though! It is supposed to get to 50 this weekend, I am super excited for a little heatwave! ;)

Love from Praha,

Roxanne

ps GIRLS RULE!....I'll miss you ladies in Janesville for GW!

It has been a MONTH already!

Monday night I had Czech visual studies, seems like it will be an interesting class. And I didn't have a class yesterday, so after Laura was done with class we went on a walk just before sunset. It is starting to warm up here, it is really nice to be able to walk around without a coat. We had clear skies yesterday for the first time in a while. Charles Bridge was crowded as usual, but we proudly walked across it yet again, and then climbed the Charles Bridge Tower. The view of Prague at any height never gets old, it really doesn't. Yesterday was a very r e l a x i n g day, a day where we really saw and soaked up the beauty of the city.

Today I only had one class, my second class was cancelled until next week. Today's, Introduction to New Media, should also be an interesting class. It is hard here, with English being the teachers second language they repeat a lot and seem to be very long winded in their explainations. I am sure it is just something we have to get used to. Tonight, there is an international student party that should be a lot of fun, we have all been wanting to meet Europeans since everyone in our kolej is American.

I can't believe it's been a month since I have been here...the time is going so fast, too fast.

love from Praha,

Roxanne

Love me do

Sunday was lovely. Not right away. When I was a breakfast a couple friends sat with me and we ended going to this HUGE flea market here, sorry, we didn't go, we tried to go. It was really far and it was freezing outside. It was closed when we got there, the market doesn't open on Sundays. So that was a waste of time and effort, except now we know where it is and when it actually is opened. After getting back, Laura and I decided it was time to hit up "Bohemian Bagel," it's just a chain bagel place that everyone RAVES about. On our way we found some of the boys from our Czech class, and one of them, Gabe, ended up joining us. We welcomed him in open arms, he knew how to get there, we were just going guess and check! The bagels were very tasty. After, the 3 of us, just went on a walk around. The plan was to find the Lennon wall, the girls had stumbled upon it before by accident, so it wasn't long before we had done the same thing. The wall is really cool. Everyone just draws peace signs and more creative graffiti, it seems to be the spraypaint hot spot of Prague. All around a bust of Lennon's head are different Beatles lyrics and random inspirational comments and so much more, every time you take a step forward or backward you notice something different, and the wall is constantly changing each time someone adds to it. Of course we are now on the hunt for paint. After the wall, we strolled around some more. The weekends here are very busy because of all the tourists, there are lots of Europeans who come here just for a little fun weekend. When we walk around, we just turn where we don't see people, always trying to avoid the tourist and always trying to blend in with the Czechs. I don't know if it is working or not! Yesterday we ended up at the river's edge looking up at the Charles Bridge. It was very peaceful and beautiful. I don't know how many times I have used the word beautiful, and I don't think I am going to stop...it really is beautiful here. We walked around more and talked about how excited we were for spring, this place will glow once there are leaves on the trees and green grass. We came back and made dinner, then all of us went on a room decorating binge, it was intense, now I look very settled in and obsessed with tram and metro maps (free wallpaper!)

Today we started school! My first class of the week is Czech, it is a really small class. I am sure I will learn a lot since there is a lot of face time, and 2 of the kids were in my intensive class, so I know it will be fun! I have a second class later today at 5:30, and that's it for today, most days I only have one class. Usually, one l o n g class. On Mondays and Wednesdays we have been given the opportunity to tutor Czech high schoolers in conversational English, it should be a lot of fun, I am excited.

love from Praha,

Roxanne

School starts on Monday!!

On Thursday we had more excursions to go on. I went to Kutna Hora, this town maybe and hour and a half away. They have a castle and a lot of historical sites, and used to be Prague's competitor in all ways. It was freezing and really hazy gloomy outside, but we were determined to have a good time. The castle was, as castles are, amazing. We only got to tour part of the first floor though, because people still live in it! How cool! it must so expensive to try to heat a castle, seriously. After the castle we walked around the town and basically were in lecture with our tour guide. He was really nice, but very long winded and gave us more information about everything than we would ever want. By lunch time we were all frozen, these past couple of days have been very very cold. After lunch we went into St. Barbara's Cathedral, it was beautiful. Most of the churches here are more of a baroque style, but this cathedral was textbook gothic. They started building the cathedral in 1388, but the work on the cathedral was interrupted several times, it wasn't finished until 1905. Work on the building was interrupted because of the Hussite Wars for more than 60 years! After walking around the town more, we got back on the bus for 20 minute ride to Sedlec. Now, Sedlec is where Sedlec Ossuary, the "bone church," is located. This cemetery was a very holy place and a very desirable place to be buried. The cemetery filled up very fast, and later with the Plague, there wasn' t room for everyone. What ended up happening was, well, they used the bones of 40,000 people to decorate the chapel. I don't know how to explain it, and I don't think I understand it. It was kind of uneasy to walk around inside, fascinating, but sligthly uncomfortable for me. After the Bone Church every silently boarded the bus and we drove home, the entire bus napped. It was a very strange Valentine's Day. When we got back we had dinner and called it an early night.

Friday was a very calm day, the best part, 2 best parts...first, we bought our bus tickets to Vienna. Bus tickets to the Vienna airport, where we are flying to GREECE for a week in March, pretty excited about that! Not as exciting, but I found a glorious grocery store with so much KINDER chocolate, for a cheaper price that we haven't been able to find around "home!"

Today we walked trying to find where are different classes are, but didn't have much luck. Our classes are spread all around the city. Starting school on Monday is going to be strange, it has been vacation this whole time! Having a real schedule will be nice though.

Always,

Roxanne

Breathing again

It has been a busy couple of days. Yesterday there were a few different excursions for us, the one I ended up in was not the greatest, but still a good time. We went to Tabor, which is a city a hour or so away from Prague. They have underground tunnels throughout the town that connect through everyones basement. After lunch we drove another 45 minutes to a ceramic school, as in a high school that focuses on ceramics and other arts. I wasn't expecting to spend 45 minutes at a local high school, but it was interesting to see such a specialized school in a very rural area. Nothing terribly eventful happened. When we got back a small group of us had to hurry to get ready, because were going to the opera, La Traviata. I have never been to the opera, I am so glad I got to go in Prague at their national theater. It was beautiful inside, just beautiful.

Today was my doctor visit, what a trip. I had to take the tram, then the metro, and then get on a bus. It took me 40 minutes just to get to the hospital, and all before it was even 8am. I stroll in, with some confidence, the receptionist is so confused by me and my terrible Czech that she gets up, and escorts me to the foreigner's reception. They send me up a few flights to my doctor. That was the easy part. She sent me all over the place, after discussing what could be wrong with me she gave me directions to where they were going to run a test. I wander around and get to the "lab." I am told just to hand them the paper and they will know what to do. They hand me a ticket and I just wait. After about 10 minutes my number is called (in Czech,) I hesitate, and then realize it's me, I also realize that I am in the lab where they test BLOOD. I had no idea that I was going have blood drawn. First my left arm, then she couldn't get it so she went at it on the right. I was silent the whole time, pretty much terrified. Finally she asked me, "Mluvíte česky?" Do you speak Czech? I responded, "Ne, jsem Američanky, Mluvím anglicky." No, I am American, I speak English." She was so sorry, and told me everything would be alright, I am sure I had my AM I GOING TO DIE? face on, you all know it. She was so sweet, while she was drawing my blood she stroked my arm "Dobré Dobré." Good good. She was so comforting. Too bad it didn't last long, I was sent back out into the hospital world to find my doctor again. They ran a few asthma breathing tests, of course the woman who administered the tests spoke next to no English. Really, her Enlgish was the same as my Czech. I could see how everyone else felt when I spoke Czech now. In the end of it all, I was given some medicine to stop the coughing and a new inhaler to help me out with all the smog here. And 4 hours later I got to leave. It was a really long day for me, very draining.

Today was also the day, Jess and I signed up for laundry. What a joke. We almost flooded the laundry room, and it turns out only 1 dryer works. So, now we have all of our clothes all over our rooms to dry, and have nothing to wear. At this point of the day, I really wasn't up for anything but crawling into a ball and sleeping forever. But a friend from class invited us over for dinner at her apartment so I had to go. Of course, I had a great time! Everyone brought something to share so we had a lot of pasta and bread, basically. Their apartment was really nice, they are the only Americans there, which as a lot of positives, but some negatives as well. It was wonderful to properly sit down and eat with everyone and to get out of the kolej.

We have another trip tomorrow and Valentine's day!

Always,

Roxanne

SHOUT OUT

{Congrats Heather!!}

The best day!!

Intesive Czech is over! The final wasn't that hard and the whole class did great. Only a few of us are going to continue though, I just think, while I am here, I should try to learn the language...it is only going to benefit me and enrich my experience here.

The girls and I have been trying to go this pub, "The Hippo." We tried 4 times and it was too full to get into...Friday was going to be our last effort. We walked in, and saw that there was 1 table, but it was reserved. Upset, but happy, because then we could try to make reservations. We asked the barteneder "Mluvím anglicky?" (Do you speak English?) When he responded with, "Nein." I was bummed. There was no way we knew enough Czech to make or even try to make reservations. I hadn't even noticed he spoke German to me, but when I realized it...Those reservations were a done deal. I didn't even know I knew that much German until that moment.

Saturday afternoon the girls and I were going to walk around and just enjoy a beautiful day in Prague.

Laura and I left around 1, and Jess was going to meet up with us later. We just headed towards the castle, there was a little crowd half way there...so we slowed down. And we noticed a lot of kids dressed up, as animals mostly. We also saw people dressed colonial, as gypsies and ghosts, we spotted 3 gorillas, 1 bear...and a lot of people not dressed up but had make-up on as rosy cheeks or freckles. It was crazy.

We had no idea what was happening, and couldn't call Jess fast enough. Someone finally explained, it was Prague's Karnival...just a few days late. We ended up marching in the parade with everyone. Finally, Jess found us and brought a few things for us to dress up in so we could blend in. Had I known that this was going to happen, I promise you, I would have packed a whole other suitcase with gypsy attire. People were all dressed up, and everyone was having such a great time. There were woman passing out little cups of moonshine to everyone...that wasn't strange. Next we watched a police officer gently grabbed one of the women and her empty bottle. He opened the poilce van, we thought he was arresting her. Oh no, he was taking her empty bottle and giving her a new full one. You would NEVER see that in America. It is just so different here, so much more relaxed than at home. Everyone was so friendly and willing to be in pictures...and even take pictures of us!! Saturday really was the best time I have had here. We really got to have some Czech fun. And after the parade we went to The Hippo for dinner. It was a very Czech there, they couldn't believe we were clever enough to make reservations. We sat at this table with 2 Czech professors, it was so great. The last night we got to go out with Daniela, which is always a good time. She is so sweet to let us go places with her.

We had a very "Czech" Saturday and can't get enough of the locals. I love the Czech, I love Prague.

Always,

Roxanne

[side note] I am still sick and haven't stopped coughing for over a week now. My program director made an appointment for me at the hospital for Wednesday. She thinks that the air here and all the smokey places are causing my breathing problems. She told me that coming from Minnesota, I am used to fresher air ... I guess we'll see what the doctor says, the little Czech I know will truly be tested then.

A teenager no more!

Yesterday, for our Czech class we went to dinner and practiced our ordering skills(the ones we have been using all week, not the ones we learned in class.) It was a good time. Afterwards I finally caved and bought a Vodafone like the rest of the continent, so now I am reachable by my friends here. It was probably a safe decision, meh. A few of us went across the street for birthday crepes when we got back, delicious. And then, at midnight we celebrated with some sparkling wine, more importantly, 20! Kinder eggs! Yea, I have a some sweet new friends! So far my birthday is off to a good start! Still not sure of our evening plans, but for class today we are going out for cake!

I almost have my voice back, but am coughing up a storm, ewww. Everyone keeps making me tea, I have probably tried every kind of tea there is by now!

Always,

Roxanne

For the first time, speechless.

In all my frolicking and fun, I haven't been taking the best care of myself. I have been getting sick the past few days, and this morning I had no voice, my laugh sounds like an old dance teacher smoking 9 packs a day. I stayed home today, and avoided shopping with the girls, and have tried to keep the chatting down to a minimum. We'll see how Czech class goes tomorrow.

We just got back from the pub, we were watching the Super Bowl, but it was in Czech. Another negative there were no commercials from home, and since it's is already 2:30am here, we barely lasted to the half time show.

(The picture is a view from the tower yesterday)

Not my favorite of days to say the least...but tomorrow is only a nights rest away.

always,

Roxanne

It's only getting better. . .

Oh yes, this place is wonderful. Although class seems to be getting longer, it is proving to be very helpful when out and about. On Thursday we went as a class to the Czech Press photo exhibition, even though I went last week, it was still great to go through again. Same pictures, but being away from home and what not made me see the pictures differently. I already view the world differently. Our class is sweet, we are like a little family now, riding the tram back together and always trying to make dinner and night plans together. The first week of Czech was rough, but it's half way done now, and so far everything we have learned has come in handy! Plus we are going out cake on my birthday, for class!

Friday night, I think every resident in the kolej went to this crazy 5 story dance club across Charles Bridge. It was a lot of fun, it's always a good time when there is dancing.

Today, Daniela came out here, Laura joined us and we went up the Petřín Tower, nearly 300 steps up. Yet again, I find a better view of Prague. It tried to snow this morning and was cloudy, but still another amazing view of the city! Then we went into this really fun mirror maze, part maze and part "fun house" mirrors, it was really cool. After that we strolled around the park and then went to lunch, yea, we seem to always be eating here. Came back to the kolej for a very chill night, just dinner and hanging out...The only problem is a few of us may have a serious addiction to Kinder eggs now, 2 a day keeps the doctor away? Our collections of toys are getting out of hand, yikes. I guess there is another problem, I might have fallen in love with this place, it's only been a week.

Always,

Roxanne

~SHOUT OUT~

{Happy Birthday Charles!}