running on 5% reserve battery!! hope this posts before the ole computer calls it quits!!

Franz Kafka Museum Terrace
Prague, Czech Republic
Saturday 24 May 2008
9:21 AM (USA)/ 3:21 PM (CR)



sitting with complete strangers as there are no empty seats; however, it is a beautiful day and this is really nice :)

Yesterday, our class went to Brno, Czech Republic. There we went to the Mendel Museum (father of modern genetics, pea plants, etc) which was super cool, our sustainability teacher Bob Patterson who is really deep and philosophical almost shed a few tears as he said, " To a biologist this ground, the land where Gregor Mendel discovered genetics, this is hallowed ground...sacred ground." :) We all think he is so cute; in his 60's with a slow southern drawl, he says things like, "this is very special, class," "that is the future, achieve your dreams." A wonderful person he is but don't let his personality over power his intelligence. As a world traveler to Europe and Africa he knows his way around, as well knowing both German and African Tribe languages. We talked about GMO (genetically modified organisms), world hunger and more. Either way, his reaction was the best part of the Mendel Museum.

After that we went to a wine shop where we had a wine tasting of eleven wines!! It was so fun and wonderful :) We worked our way through five whites then five red. What was really neat is that we could name the smells and tastes before the server told us what we should expect in the "bouquet" and flavor of our wine.

Also, not surprisingly, to begin with we were all a bit quiet and meek, not knowing our place amongst the tannins and sulfites; however, as we kept swirling, sniffing and sipping, a conversation between ourselves and the wine began to evolve.

Basically, we became friends. The liquid no longer intimidated us with its pedigree and in conjunction with our growing friendship was the volume level of our, the group's, table conversations. We got so loud! But it was all in fun and merrymaking as we left happy and light pocketed as they had wine in the front for us to buy.

The wine tasting was free; however, they made more than if they had of charged us because of all the vino we purchased. Myself, 3 Liters, one red tasting of raspberries and two of the same white that smells like roses. I'm planning on smuggling the white back. I never like whites, not really, and this one spoke to me. I loved it so I bought a bottle for here and a bottle to share with everyone at home :)

In Bob-esque dialect, "It's a very special wine, for very special people."

Oh and did I mention my 3L of wine costed me less than twelve dollars? Yeah, wine and such is cheaper than water. Who woulda thunk it? :-D

I'm also in the middle of reading a book called Eat, Pray, Love, an autobiography by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is a marvelous book. I've picked it up many times in Barnes and Nobles but always put in down because it just didn't catch my attention and also it is actually very popular and I felt too common buying a book everyone loved because it must just be some sappy feel good story right? ...au contraire

It is the story of a woman who is a traveling writer for a New York magazine and she's had a rough bit of luck lately. In response she goes on a spiritual journey through Italy, India and Indonesia.

What I like about it is her writing style and her ability to explain things in such a way that you feel like you've known her forever. Love the book.

...sorry for my lack of enthusiasm, I really want to be able to explain properly this book but, I don't know, I'm actually a little distracted by my own thoughts of the day because I got lost trying to meet up with some people so I'm on my own. But no worries I know where the tram and metro are I just wont be able to meet up with my friends I guess.

Also, I will admit that today is so beautiful and sunny that it has made Prague a much more beautiful place, endearing it to my heart so much more than before; however, simultaneously, with the drop of my guard, not needed any more to keep me warm against the drizzle and cold, my feelings are much closer to the surface as to catch the golden rays, meaning they are also more vulnerable and consequently causing me some nostalgia of home sweet home.

Also, it's memorial day weekend and I'm missing being on a boat, at the river, with my family. period.

But that's the way it is, and I'm surrounded here by good things as well :)

I love you all and I'm off to do some more exploring!!

ps please feel free to critique my writing, I'm always wondering if I sound like a crazy loon or something else horrible.

pss. Just call me Roller Coaser because I just got a wave of excitement for being here, after just being a little "nostalgic" haha.