Czech Please!!

I feel like Pocahontas

2008-06-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Public Library
Prague, Czech Republic
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
2:22 PM (CZ)/ 8:22 AM (USA)

trying to do some homework but I think it's more important to organize my thoughts. I just bit into some Wild Strawberry Orbit gum and I swear it's like childhood in a chew!! granted its no bubalicious, it's still pretty good.

So as I was walking here, a million things were zooming across the highway of my brain, ideas were honking at each other and shaking their fists; old farty thoughts were ambling along, laughing at the ones crammed in the Land of Four Lanes where King Stoplight was imposing harsh jurisdiction and all of a sudden it dawned on me that I was happy. Here I was in brightly colored clothes, warm, dry feet and surrounded by giggly tourists and a young, vibrant energy. I was excited about getting on the metro, riding it to the my stop, getting off and then journeying on foot to the library. I was thinking about what I was going to cook for family meal tomorrow night (me and another girl named Ashley are cooking for ten, and then we divide the grocery bill according to number of plates). I was thinking about my postcards that I have to send, when I was going to go to Petrin Hill, my dance class that I'll be going to in five hours...{I'll write about that tomorrow :) } So you see, basically, I had room in my brain to think these positive, progressive thoughts as I had finally shaken loose the gloomy-bad ones.

And then I figured out why the gloomy-bad ones had been there to start with. When I arrived in Prague it was rainy and cold. The temperature on average was 50 degrees and like I said, rainy. It rained a lot. My feet looked as if they were having an identity crisis and were attempting to be prunes. Also, I had to adjust to completely new ideas of what a normal day was, like you have to get ready and PACKED before you go to breakfast (which can take about an hour between sharing the shower, getting dressed, putting on make up, fixing your hair, and then having to pack food for lunch and supper so that you don't have to go out as well as your computer/books/camera as you need them that day). Here you must think ahead of schedule all the time and pre-plan. That was stressful in the beginning because of ALL the unknowns. Now that I have established several options that I know work-- taking only lunch because I'll eat supper at the hostel, packing a purse in my bookbag so that I can leave the Institute for a few hours and only have to take my camera and money versus my books, computer and food-- the chaos level has significantly lowered as it's not all so foreign, but expected and normal. It's just that here we have things spread out and you have to know which bases you'll be touching that day and plan accordingly. Also, not being able to have a cellphone to contact your friends with when you get lost is ANNOYING because you can't go anywhere by yourself with out risk of never finding them; which also leads to more preplanning so that you can meet up. Also not being able to call home whenever you would like was something hard to wean off of, not being able to access the internet in my Hostel was a big problem, and also not having even a microwave at the hostel to make oatmeal was an issue.

whew.

With that said, I have adapted and can FINALLY enjoy things I should be enjoying. Like I actually love Prague...well the CITY PRAGUE not actually Prague because as I've said a million times, the locals are beyond horrible. There is no way around it. However, the city, I really enjoy. There is a square with open air markets around every corner. There are cafes with big open windows and live music, there are festivals there are delicate chocolate shops, wine shops, cheese shops and butchers. They have flower stands with balloons. They have MILLIONS of parks and lots of lush green trees. I love the metro system and the Tram. I love being able to walk to the mall or take the metro to the larger one. I love that there are three groceries and countless open air markets near my hostel. I love all the little (and BIG) dogs that walk around. I love that FINALLY summer has arrived and I've found a little secret:

summertime is universal.

The mindset of summer is as universal as music. There are festivals, cookouts, icecream cones and live music. People have finally thrown to the wolves their black clothes and they are wearing color. The wind is so warm that it traces along your body and feels as if it were blown off of sun-warmed stones; it's intoxicating.

I also joined a gym at a special student rate AND bonus 50% because they were closing in two weeks, on June 28, for some reconstruction...I fly out of June 28, so it was perfect. I joined. That alone has helped tremendously because for me, being able to have a place to go, listen to music, work up a sweat, interact with other people, watch the TV's while I'm on the elipticle (there are NO tv's anywhere in the hostel or in the institute, which is fine with me, but it is nice to see the things with all their pretty colors from time to time :) also the one that plays MTV is great motivation because I WANT MUSCLES LIKE MADONNA! haha :) )

I just love the whole atmosphere. Then after I'm done I get to walk down Wensenslas Square to the metro...this is a lot of fun for me because people are on vacation now and I can enjoy their joy. They hand out happy vibes like flyers and believe me, I skimp on none. There are dressed up people with big white hats and red lips; there are dashing men in Italian suits and music that languidly rolls out of open windows and doors on the arms of full, satisfied customers. There are people in Hawiian shirts and flipflops, there are people in jeans and shorts. There are so many stories and lives and adventures that I almost explode confetti from my ears and start dancing like I'm at the disco. The lights, the perfumes, the decor of the resturants absolutely feed my soul.

I think that it's finally all clicking because like I said, I've learned enough to make a lifestyle, make my own decisions and am not dependent on the group. I need my alone time and now that I finally can compose a fairly decent day of events I know when I want to hang out and when I don't. And also the weather and the gym are huge. Not to mention, now that I've created my own fount of happiness, I am no longer (as) perturbed by the nasty locals because their reaction to me isn't a part of my formula for contentment; however, before I had established other things, they were my only source of local culture to enjoy, and what a joke that was!

Being here and loving the layout of the city {the local centers, squares, specialty shops, groceries, parks, etc and the fact that you can get to them easily by metro, tram or foot} has reaffirmed my love for New York, that had honestly dwindled. My impression of NYC wasn't so good when I went at Christmas, but after living in a city such as Prague and reveling in it's workings (after of course all the horrible adjustments. may it be known I will never forget how miserable that period was) I think that New York would actually be a suitable place for me to work and live for a few years. My family would only be a few hours away, I could call, get on the internet and use only one currency when traveling from state to state (versus here you change currency left and right), and all at the same time, live in the city while I was young and single, the only time you really should. For me the city is a temporary place for a person, or atleast for me and my aspirations to one day have a family and live in a much more rural area with horses and dogs.

I know God is laughing at me, with all my plans and ideas that I have, and I recognize that, so if it never quite works out to the way that I'm envisioning it (and I'm sure it wont, life isn't at all predictable) I will be fine knowing that He has so many wonderful things planned for me. And as always he is the best Travel Agent out there, ALWAYS with something better to offer compared to one of OUR most elaborate and carefully planned itineraries.

So in conclusion, I love this city and it's workings. I love the life the tourists bring here because theirs are my own, and I love being able to love. I will miss this tent-ative lifestyle as it is one made out of branches and sheets that came from my life in America. From the wreckage of my unhappiness I was able to make a few lean-tos and pin battered pictures to the walls that remind me of what I have to look forward too when I return. If I'm lucky I'll have collected a few branches and sheets from this life and be able to take them home, evolving the grand mansion I have there, keeping it updated and fresh.

Moral of the story: when ever you travel, be sure to bring your moccasins because like the Indians, you will be living in a Tee-Pee.

Boulderin'!!

2008-06-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

This is me bouldering at the boulder bar that we went to for a friends birthday. Smartly so, I had my beer AFTER I bouldered, but some had theirs before and lets just say it's a good thing that the floor was padded, haha :)

This was a lot of fun :) OH and we went dancing afterwards. how I love to dance, aaaaaaah.

Buda + Pest = Budapest

2008-06-09T01:27:00.000-07:00

Mellow Mood Hostel
Budapest, Hungary
Friday, 6 June 2008
12:14 PM (USA)/ 6:14 PM (H)

sitting on yet another bed in a different hostel. oh they joys of european travel :)

Last night at 9:41 twelve of us, eight girls, four boys, left Prague for Budapest. We bought tickets for a sleeper train so we got to watch the sun go down and the sun come up. It was breathtaking. The mountains and countryside are something to be awed and I've never seen so many stars. I suspect it's because out where we were, there were small towns, few lights and lots of fields.

We arrived in Budapest around 7 AM. To my dismay I figured out that they do not take czech crowns here, so I had to withdraw more money and I actually feel kind of panicky. I've never in my life seen money fly like it does here, especially when they use such large denominations. Here in Budapest, 1500 is 10 american dollars. In Prague 1500 is about 90 american dollars...big difference and keeping that straight, and your czech money from your hungarian money is REALLY fun, let me tell you.

Anyway, so far this trip has been pretty great. We had a great time on the train, even making friends with the czech countrymen in the compartment next to us :) We talked, we laughed and then....one of the boys farted.

oh. my. goodness.

First of all, let me tell you that the size of our cabin was the size of a large refridgerator box, which when we were young was huge; however, now is quite the opposite, and also extremely airless. So you can imagine how this fart affected our spaceless cabin...it basically singed our nose hairs off and caused a chain reaction of gagging.

I wont say who it was, but let it just be known that it was cruel and unusual. Peace be unto you.

So again, ANYWAY we got here and automatically I really liked the place. It's laid back, kind of crumbly, but the people, oh my goodness, the people are nice! The smiled and laughed and even helped us take pictures! We went to the castle, a house of parliament, crossed THE bridge, and looked out upon the Danube River. OH and we explored a labyrinth of caves!! The day was breezy and warm. Perfect.

So, basically, I've decided that just like with people, some have chemistry with others automatically and some never find that flame. I see, everyday, how beautiful and wonderful Prague is, and all the lovely reasons why people fall head over heals in love with the place: the architecture, the castle, the eateries, the flowers, the everything for crying out loud is perfect there. And what I'm here to say is that I can appreciate and understand other peoples love for it, but for some horrible reason, Prague isn't ready to share it's heart with mine. I don't get those butterflies that I get other places like Budapest or Cesky Krumlov. Prague and I speak different languages; however, broken our translations we are trying :)

I am loving it more and more everyday, especially in the morning when I run. I get to see the place wake up. I see people taking out their trash, talking to the shop keepers, taking their dogs for a morning walk. It's very nice. So Prague and I are coming along, it just wasn't love at first sight.

Tonight we are trying to find a cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap place to eat so tomorrow we can go to the river-beach thing. Oh and this is one of the best places in the world to get in a thermal bath so we will probably do that sometime Sunday before we leave.

Either way, things here are going good and I'm about to go take a shower...thank goodness right? haha.

Oh and just so you know, I'm rooting for Big Brown tomorrow in the Belmont Stakes, woo-hoo!! If he wins he'll be only the 12th horse in the history of racing to capture the triple crown! ahhh :) I love my horses.

Okay, until later, I'm Christin Hardy reporting live from Budapest.

Sayonara teenage years! I'm twenty :)

2008-06-04T03:56:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
6:12 PM (USA)/ 12:12 AM (CR)

...

So I have A LOT to catch y'all up on because I was originally just going to post photos of what we had done instead of talking about it AND I have some pretty funny pics; however, the internet connection is SUPER flimsy and it's just not strong enough to upload them all.

But this is what we did this past week. HAD LOTS OF FUN WOO-HOO!

Starting on Thursday, it was Katy's birthday, so we got pretty and went out...DANCING!! aaaah! We had so much fun! The club was called Duplex and we were on the top floor of a building in Wencen Clas Square. We had a blast, and danced the night away...literally. Haha, we didn't catch Tram 51 until 4 AM, when the sky was just beginning to show signs of light. Funny thing is, when we FINALLY got on, we ran into two of the guys in our program! They had accidentally not gotten off at their stop and had to ride the whole circuit again to get back where they needed to go, so it worked out :)

Four hours later, on Friday, we woke up, took showers and went to the Bee Research Institute where we got to eat fresh honey from the hive, make wax molds and watch a queen bee get artificially inseminated, which was kind of crazy, because the technology we have today is just too cool for school. What they do is inseminate a queen bee then sell her to a farmer who then uses her for his bee hive that will pollinate his crops. They maximize the usefulness of honey bees very well. As Bob (our Sustainability teacher) would say, "They are doing some powerful things here." We also got a chance to see the facilities in addition to his (the guy that owned it all) country workshop.

Honestly it was the best time I'd ever had. I had the opportunity to take some crazy pictures and overall it was just what the doctor ordered.

THEN on Saturday, it was MY TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY!! and off we went (eight girls only) to a place called Cesky Krumlov, a rural place out of Prague that had an ancient castle and really cool things to do like raft and horseback ride. We took a bus in which I had a seat but some people didn't so they had to stand in the isle meaning I had a rear end in my face for three hours. I kid you not. A derier in my face for three hours...And you know to begin with I was like, you know this is just how they do it in Europe, people are more comfortable being close, naked (you should see some of the postcards around here...on second thought,just be glad you can't). Anyway, I was humming along, enjoying my fellow human's warmth, breathing, you know, this is humanity, ahhh, loving humannnn, HEY WHAT THE CRAP IS A BUTT DOING IN MY FREAKIN FACE?? OMG I'M GOING TO NEED SOME AIR!!

Basically, the inner hippie within me was running low on happy drugs and decided to cut his hair, burn the last of his incense and throw out all his hemp clothing...or to put another way, it was a bit too raw for this chick.

Either way we finally got there and went rafting on the Vltava for three GLORIOUS hours :) It was so peaceful and relaxing...oh yeah until we spun circles because us girls couldn't paddle and floated backwards past a tour group, all the while they laughed with their GUIDE...we didn't have a guide so I thought we were doing great :)

It was just so nice, the Czech Republic is made up of temperate forests and have a lot of mountains, so certain parts of the river looked just like something from Western NC or some where in the mid-west; it was so great :)

Also there were about 5 pubs on the river banks and we would hop out of our raft, drag the thing on shore, get refreshments and keep going. It was kind of amazing!! When we got back, we had supper went to bed. Now the sleeping situation is something to explain. We had a dorm room next to a boys dorm room and they had to go through ours to get to theirs. In the middle of the night we hear, "'Ello? 'Ello girls! wake up! want to take a liquer shot? wake up!"

haha, we had these crazy people asking us did we want to drink!! We told him no thanks, but thanks and he left. Pretty simple, but the best part was in the morning we woke up and the tray of shots were just sitting on the floor in the corner, chillin' like they were born to sit there. It was like a bad dream, "OMG...that DID really happen! I wasn't dreaming!"

Anyway, it was then Sunday, they funnest day yet!! Are you ready for this?? I'm not so sure you are...WE WENT HORSEBACK RIDING!!! AAAAAAH! It was sooooo much fun! And just like on the river, our trail ride looked just like home. Mountains with evergreens, dappled light through the trees...omgoodness, it was BEAUTIFUL and so relaxing...to a certain extent because I was laughing so hard.

Let me explain. Some of the girls had never ridden before and didn't know how to stop, go, turn or keep their horse from eating every plant in reach. We didn't stay in a single file line, some horses went off roading, into ditches and trees, and one time a horse got such a clump of weeds in her mouth that she ripped a dirt clod up with it. I nearly lost it, like you had to be there with the tour guide saying in broken english, "Kiiiiiick Hiiiiim! Kiiiiiiiick Hiiiiiiiim!" (and the girls were like, I don't want to hurt my horse! and I was like, don't worry you can't...just nudge him with your heels)

So we finally got back and I tipped the little tour guide extra because I felt like she had earned it with us. After that we went to the Cesky Krumlov Castle, took a tour, and then went to the gardens and MAD DASHED to the bus station barely making our ticketed time.

SO, let me just say, I had a GREAT and SAFE birthday, in part to all of you who are praying for me :) Everything went so well and I know that without our faith and prayers lots bad things could have happened. I know bad things can still happen but, I ALSO know with out a doubt y'all back home are helping me have a fun and safe time here :)

I love you all dearly and hopefully I can get some pictures up, even if it's just a few :)

XOXO, Christin

Zen Monks use the Internet? What?!

2008-05-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
6:21 PM (USA)/ 12:21 AM (CR)

...

Aniael also told us of a Zen monk in Tibet who send her youtube videos of Barack Obama. The Zen monk liked what Obama had to say and Aniael spoke about him with reverence.

It is crazy to know that we are being closely watched from all over the world, even by Zen monks in Tibet.

Also, here is an excerpt from an article we had to read in class:

We still have all the potential for greatness, but only if we get back to work on our country. I don't know if Barack Obama can lead that, but the notion that the idealism he has inspired in so many young people doesn't matter is dead wrong. "Of course, hope alone is not enough," says Tome Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, "but it's not trivial. It's not trivial to inspire people to want to get up and do something with someone else."

It is especially not trivial now, because millions of Americans are dying to be enlisted -- enlisted to fix education, enlisted to research renewable energy, enlisted to repair our infrastructure, enlisted to help others. Look at the kids lining up to join Teach for America. They want our country to matter again. They want it to be about building wealth and dignity-- big profits and big purposes. when we just do one, we are less than the sum of our parts. When we do both, said Shriver, "no one can touch us."

Who Will Tell the People? by NYT columnist Thomas L. Friedman

I also really liked this line too:

We are not as powerful as we used to be because over the past three decades, the Asian values of our parents' generation -- work hard, study, save, invest, live within your means -- have given way to subprime values: "You can have the American Dream -- a house -- with no money down and no payments for two years."

We must rebuild our nation. Bottom-line.

On the ex-Czech President Havel; DISCLAIMER: the post below this one is more interesting honeslty. Purely ramble for my talkative thoughts.

2008-05-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
5:46 PM (USA)/ 11:46 PM (CR)

...

We watched a film on Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic, and as it turns out he is actually best friends with the Dali Llama. That might not seem significant; however, there is actually some meaty detail here.

Under Havel's presidency, Tibet was first recognized as a free nation. Havel and the Dali Llama became very good friends; however, that part was kept out of the documentary and it was Anaiel, who is half Czech and half Parisian and works at the Institute, whom informed us of the friendship. We all wondered why something so important to Havel, the president, would have been kept from the public eye?

Answer: the majority of Czech people are Agnostic or Atheist.

Under the communist regime you were punished or shunned for having a faith, and even before that, in ancient times, so many occupiers of this land forced their different religions onto the natives; therefore, they've had a rough time when it comes to religion. But honestly, what country hasn't? Either way, that is a fact, they are majorly Agnostic/Atheist and it is my belief that in order to hold the position that he held, he had to keep some personal details quiet.

My interest on the topic lies in the choice of Havel's "religion" (mind you he is not a self pronounced buddhist). This is the definition:

Buddhism has no creator god and gives a central role to the doctrine of karma. The 'four noble truths' of Buddhism state that all existence is suffering, that the cause of suffering is desire, that freedom form suffering is nirvana, and that this is attained through the 'eightfold path of ethical conduct, wisdom, and mental discipline (including meditation).

I can see perfectly why Havel would be attracted to Buddhism because it is basically a set of morals as there is no creator god. Anaiel told us that, in her opinion, that, "the new religion is money."

I don't want to call the situation dismal; however, the kids being raised today are being brought up in Agnostic/Atheist households; therefore, there probably will not be a rise in religion here in the Czech, even with a new crop of kids.

I'm not saying that religion is essential for any group of people to operate, that's not it at all, it's just that with no higher power to believe in, to center one's self around, I can now understand all the hopelessness that I saw, and see in the streets. It explains why things are they way they are here.

One of the politicians on the movie was talking about the Czech people and he was talking about how they had no morals, fought and stole constantly. The Czech people are not pansies, that's for sure.

Basically, it seems to me if they could adopt a set of morals, maybe something like our Bill of Rights or the Ten Commandments, they could begin to at least organize around something that would help direct their mentalities which is ultimately something religion does, not that that is the point, aligning what is acceptable and right is what religion does inadvertently. If you all believe in something, the mentality of the group will usually be on the same page, minus a few exceptions.

Either way, I feel that the Czech people need something to center themselves around, a way to define themselves in the cosmos because for so long they have held the identities of those who have occupied their land; they've been subject to the highest level of identity theft and there isn't much trace of it left.

Mmm-bop by Hansen :)

2008-05-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

The Black Madonna
Prague, Czech Republic
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
2:14 PM (USA)/ 8:14 PM (CR)

just finished some awesome Belgium chocolate...mmm

Today we had a discussion in Bob's class that went really well, and it was so neat to see the dynamics of our conversation as it popcorned around the room. I don't exactly have time to explain in detail the conversation but my conclusions were this:

In the past, to try and stop communism we empowered people such as Mobutu, an African Ruler, who is now one of the most hated people in all of Africa as he is a tyrant. In the past our decisions made sense, they were just, and yes slightly self promoting as well-- that part of Africa has lots of uranium-- however, running a country sometimes will dirty your hands with greed (but in our case it was for our people not just the ruler/president. other nations are greedy and only the ruler/king gets the spoils of war, where as here in America if we are greedy, at least everyone gets a share). Anyway that is another argument.

Basically, a lot of our "mistakes" and black sheep policies aren't so, only outdated and not proper for the times. Communism isn't the threat it was, so get rid of the policies used to stop it, as now they only pose as empty, seemingly irrational laws/decisions. We need to spring clean our past actions that are still having effect today.

I believe in letting the people of their own country rule it. I've heard people say, well if we didn't go in, then some one else more horrible would take over and would be worse than if we did...

We do not know that. We are speculating too much on what IF and not enough on what IS. We are too involved in the world and we need to back off and come home.

Did you know that we are borrowing money from Singapore? We have more money out of our country than in; 80% of it in China. That's right, or at least what I've been told; either way, more is out than in and we are still borrowing.

We can talk about Darfur, we can talk about how we must go into Africa and help; however, at the end of the day we are still wrong in someone's eyes because, for example as in Iraq, we've done to much and with Rwanda and Darfur we've done to little.

Those who try to help the most and/or do the most, will receive the most criticism.

My conclusion is that we must not be so large and mighty. First of all, America is not a proxy Superman. We represent the best philosophical government possible, a democracy, however, that doesn't give us the license to save the world.

Yes, I believe in relief aid in Africa. Yes, I believe in helping stop genocide around the world; however, NO, I do not believe in going into another country and overthrowing a ruler. I don't care if that sounds negligent; America alone should NOT be doing this. The United Nations is the best idea sense breathing air because instead of having one country run around doing all the work, which gets messy because we are spread too thin, there is a collective group to well round the decisions. Also, one country can't be blamed or hailed.

Operating as a one-hit-wonder in a seven continent world is reckless and bound to fail us one day.

I believe our best option is to pull out of Iraq (obviously), and also let other countries, such as the Congo, work on their own. That way we do not get tangled in a situation in which isn't our business, but that is exactly what we have done so far, making things worse for us credibility wise and for the countries' progress we've tried to help.

America is a wonderful place, and we have done many gracious things; however, we have done some awful things as well, such as ordering military coups for our own benefit. My point is that the running of a country, as I've already said, is a dirtying affair. That is the way of things, and the goal is to be more positive than negative. No one is perfect, not that we shouldn't try.

Our best bet is to cool off for a bit and leave. Just like with people who are mentally unstable -- depression, anxiety, etc -- they must take a break for themselves to get better, in order to be of some value to others. It may feel and seem selfish; however, self healing is vital for the health of a whole.

I'm a strong believer of that.

love for Tourists <3

2008-05-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Monday 27 May 2008
6:03 PM (USA)/ 12:03 AM (CR)

on my bed. again. in the hostel. buuuuuut, we did get new neighbors! replacing the Swedes are Hollanders? Hollandaise? Hollandisian? whatever, people from Holland moved in and they are super cool!!

This past weekend here in Prague showed me the city I've heard tale about, a place I didn't believe to exist. The sun came out, it was warm and I got good and lost by my self on Saturday. I ended up at the castle and on the hill behind it called, Petrin. On top there is a mini Eiffel tower that you can climb to the top of and see over all the land. I didn't actually go that far but I plan too :)

I did however just take my time and meander through the woods and the big sloping, green hills next to the castle. There were old people, young people, in between people and lots of dogs.

I loved every second of it.

It was so nice not to have any plans and just walk and walk, going where the needle of my internal compass pointed...

There wasn't any one moment that stuck out really, just the whole day was amazing and so, oh so, reviving. There was this one part when I was leaving the mountain and got behind a family group from Spain/Italy (not sure). They were all laughing, making jokes that I couldn't understand but humor is another universal emotion, therefore, it didn't matter that the punch line was lost in translation, I just enjoyed their laughter :)

Oh, and I found the Starbucks.

Let's see, oh and funny thing too. If you read the post that I wrote on Saturday at the Franz Kafka museum patio, you know that I got lost from Faran, but if you didn't well, I got lost from Faran, haha :) That night we talked and it turns out we went to the same place!! We both gave up the search for each other (we don't have cell phones here and internet is like a species on the endangered list) and took off. We both took off going where we pleased and went to the same place, just at different times. Funny huh? We hadn't even discussed this place, so it wasn't subconscious or anything.

aaaah, Serendipity at her finest :)

Anyway, that day I also noticed I was so much more comfortable, even though there were SO MANY bustling tourists; however, that's when I realized that the very fact there were tourists made my heart race. They were like me! They were outsiders, coming to a place unfamiliar and foreign. They were on school trips with their teachers, bringing back memories of field trips from the Outerbanks and the Asheboro zoo, to Washington, DC and San Francisco. I almost wept on the Charles Bridge I swear, because I saw EF Tour backpacks...okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it did bring back memories of high school trips :)

Basically, the tourists actually personalized Prague for me, reminding me I wasn't totally and utterly alone. Their smiling faces and typical tourist costumes, fanny packs , sun visers and lesbian looking sandles, (haha, Faran has a pair of Tebos/Chocos so I can say that, hahaha) triggered more happy memories than I could stand, Cragmont, Carowinds, christmas tree searching and any other trip including suitcases.

We all had a common thread of connection, being guests in a different place. That in itself was wonderful, to feel apart of something versus before when all I had for company was distant Gloom. I tell ya, the sun is one special star :)

Okay, so anyway, I am about to hit the sack but one last thing. The castle was unbelievable, I can't honestly believe it was all real. Of course it was, just the architecture is unlike anything I've ever seen. Quite amazing.

Okay, for real this time, (my roommate is happily snoring in her sleep), good luck and good night ;)

Angels and Demons

2008-05-26T08:21:00.001-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Monday 26 May 2008
3:10 AM (USA)/ 9:10 AM (CR)

just washed my face. still being embraced by Morning's securing arms, sand left from my visitor scatters the floor. i'll have to sweep up after him again, it looks like. my dreams from the night before, whispers of what they were, hide in the corners of the room, sucking in their fat bellies to escape Truth's golden rays. time is running out and my demons have no where to hide in the light of day.

So last night I had and awful dream that Faran and I were in Rome and a war started. We were at the Coliseum and whoever they were bombed it with us in it. The wreckage was horrible but Faran and I found a tunnel. We met people along the way and then we found a laundry bag and it was suppose to help us somehow, when I ran into a girl from the Fire Princess pageant and I asked her if we could do this laundry in her cave because we heard she hand an underground room. She said no. Then I woke up.

I think I know why I had this dream. Faran and I went to the castle, which was beautiful!! Absolutely gorgeous, actually my favorite attraction. It was sunny (had to actually wear sunscreen), green green green!, birds were singing, people were out and then...we went to the dungeon. I don't know why but I could feel it creeping me out more so than normal on the steps leading down.

There was a body shackle to begin with, and then the typical medieval torture things. I got in and out as quick as possible, but it was weird to me how much it...scared me. I don't know. It was weird because Faran and I had such a marvelous day. (my next post will be about beautiful beautiful Prague....ahh, it's a lovely place. mind you I said PLACE, because the atmosphere other than the tourists, meaning the locals make me want to run far far away.)

But what I'm getting to is that this morning, while my senses were still capped by Sleep's quilt, I thought of my family. Every single one of you. I thought about Sunday lunch and the beach. I know there more memories than a bottomless pit could hold, but those two particular ones found me this morning and shooed away anything evil. Basically, you're prayers are being answered, big and small for me, from helping me not get lost or harmed here in Prague to hugging me in spirit when I have a bad dream, you all are helping me :)

Hope this wasn't a downer, I'm just overly emotional lately it seems, haha, now I want some chocolate, haha.

Anyway, obviously I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! I will be seeing you soon but be assured that I'm having a wonderful time here and I don't regret at all coming to Prague, regardless of bad dreams and such.

ps the picture I uploaded is a great image to me, because it's an angel triumphing over a demon.
good stuff :) It's in the Prague Castle cathedral

XOXOXOXO

Indiana Jones + insulting History Professor= this post

2008-05-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Thursday, 22 May 2008
5:58 PM (USA)/ 11:58 PM (CR)

contemplating whether or not to go to the basement where the Designers and the Swedes are hanging out. It's the Swedes' last night here, and beer (pivo) is cheeper than water (about a $1.75 for .75l versus $2.50) I can only imagine, haha.

We just got back from the new Indiana Jones movie and I must say it was really, really cute and SO nice to hear English for a change. I loved all the classic elements, sword fights on moving vehicles, ancient treasure guards, and of course the love interest.

It made me think however, that I hope your movie industry isn't in any danger because if you think about it, this movie was a bit of a desperate move. A hit because of it's predecessors, this new Indiana Jones was more or less a movie made to commemorate the other films, a motion monument to Indiana Jones and all of his adventures.

Is Hollywood that bad off?

Also remember that the Oscar's almost didn't happen due to the writers strike. I guess producers felt it best to bring out some "old money" that would for sure draw a crowd or perhaps make only "safe" movies in the light of so much controversy. In that sense it was perfect timing for the Indiana Jones movie.

Indie saves the day again :)

On to the history lecture that we had today. A Czech professor of history came and talked to us today about years past here in the Republic. We learned of King Charles the IV, Jon Has and more. He was an excellent teacher, animated but not goofy and made his point, one of them being that we Americans are not the brightest crayons in the box. He made lots of little comments like, "alas, you will not understand this joke," or "we founded our first university in 1348...where was America at this time?" The kicker was when he spoke of Hitler, he didn't see enough recognition on our faces and said, "Oh my! You don't know of Hitler! Here in Europe his name is equal to that of..." when we broke in and were like, "we KNOW who Hitler was, as well as Lenin, Stalin, and Mussolini." He then asked us who Hlakdkqkliz (or something similar) was and of course we didn't know, and he said, "You see? Had we asked a Czech pupil who Abraham Lincoln was they would know, but you do not know of ours."

He went on to tell us about Communism and such and when he got to this one part I had to laugh. He told us that the back in the day there was a beetle that terrorized the potato fields. It was called the California beetle and ultimately the American beetle. The Czech blamed us and the government furthered it by using propaganda saying that (note this is a true story, right out of the professors mouth) we the USA, had the beetles parachuted into the Czech Republic to ruin their economy.

Now let's talk about who's stupid. I realize propaganda was strong; however, beetles being parachuted? I will take common sense over book sense any day and clearly to believe bottle fed lies is a bit weak and gullible in my eyes.

Anyway, enough about how he thought us stupid.

Like I said though, his teaching style was impeccable. Other than the dunce hat I felt I was wearing through out the lecture, I really enjoyed it...and I came to a few conclusions.

First of all, like I've already told you of the Czech mentality from the public-- sad, hopeless, gothic-- is constantly reaffirmed as to why when we learn of the history of this place as it has constantly been either occupied by foreign soldiers, pushed around by larger nations or playing stage to horrible governments. The past twenty years have been the first time in recent history that the Czech didn't have foreign soldiers occupying the land.

The problem arises from waaaaaaay back in 300 AD Germanic Tribes settled here and left. The were nomadic and settled, used the land up, and went on to another place. The Czech's came in and settled permanently; however, since the Germanic Tribes were there first, Germany has always tried to lay claim to the Czech Republic lands. For example, even when ever a King was crowned, the German ruler had to approve. They've never been allowed full freedom and like I've said, the oppression shows. The frustration shows. The anger shows.

The point at which they were most powerful was under King Charles the IV; however, they were very wealthy, the people were exploited and unhappy. After King Charles died the people took over, the Hussites (not sure of the spelling here). They went through the land, basically destroying it, they had been unhappy after all, and took the government into their own hands. They became happy. Poor, but happy.

They were wonderful warriors and "invented" they first army tank by using farm wagons filled with stones and when the infantry of a more sophisticated army came, they sent the stone wagons down the hill they were camped upon and stones knocked men off their horses, making it easy for them to use their pitchforks and other instruments of war that were much more crude than the opposing armies; however, with that strategy they won every time.

That was pure ingenuity. They were lacking, and less of an army, but using common sense and materials available they were able to defend themselves and win against all odds. I like that, it was so American and then I realized why...it's the story of an underdog, and naturally we love those stories because it is akin to our own. America roots for the underdog and look where it got us. We are, a world super power.

We do a lot of things wrong, but we do a lot of things right as well.

For example, we use crappy and cheap materials in situations where the Czech's would use a higher quality, such as the soda can versus the glass bottle (more common here. I still haven't seen a can of coke) That is merely craft, and as we are the teenagers of the world we have time to improve that; age matures everything. What we do have is a strong foundation with values that are timeless.

And I may be committing reputation suicide here but also make a note that the Czech's are predominantly agnostic and believe in nothing...that's all I will say.

Sorry for the tangent, back to Czech history:

Finally here, this is what happened. They had a civil war and did not, unlike us, survive it. After that the people were taken over by a King again and yata yata yata.

Moving on, when it came time for WWII the Czech employed the help France if they were ever attacked by the Germans. If France came, then Great Britain promised to come. So basically, this one nation with the population of North Carolina, needed the help of two other nations because they couldn't take care of their selves. This nation with no more people than our ONE state would have put at risk the lives of soldiers from both France and GB all because I feel, they are drama queens and will not join another nation and become bigger. They get constantly shoved and overpowered by their "bigger" neighbors, mainly Germany (granted it would SUCK to have Germany as your neighbor). The professor spoke of how production and legislation had been stopped because the surrounding neighbors had the arms tto man handle and stop the Czech's development. The Czech cause a lot of unnecessary trouble if you ask me. They COULD have joined the the Austrian-Hungary empire and had three-folds the people, land and recourses, but they didn't because the didn't like that the Austrian's spoke German.

The history professor even said that they Czech's were "rebels" always arguing over something. The Czech's are drama queen's causing more trouble than their share. My biggest problem with that is like in WWII when instead of doing something different (I don't know WHAT exactly, so perhaps this is an invalid argument because regardless of population size, they are people, they are humans and that is of the utmost concern and we must ALWAYS help our fellow man no matter the cost) they would have had risked two countries of lives instead of finding an alternative such as joining another nation such as Hungary or Austria (and that wouldn't have been odd for the times because then, borders were changing about every twenty years, with the wars and all). What I'm saying is that they selfishly almost endangered many lives for nothing more than what I see to be pride.

Another problem is that they constantly relate to things in the 1300's. They took a poll last year and their most voted popular Czech was King Charles IV, from the 1300's. It's an understatement to say they live in the past. Their glory years are in the 1300's basically, and the history professor kept referring to it. Their glory days are over and it IS likely they will come back. Empires fall and rise so there's at least hope for them; however, I don't appreciate the superior tone I got when their most recognized citizen lived over 600 years ago.

I realize that I am not even remotely CLOSE to being qualified to analyze this, I do not pretend to know it all. There are so many stipulations and delicate dynamics that I nor anyone else will know about other than the leaders of this nation. What has happened has happened, but don't try to tell me that you are better than us because you founded an university before we were discovered. Don't make excuses either about the German. They are tough but the French survived. Italy survived, we survived. Why not join another country and enjoy the benefits of an army and more stable government? Why leave yourself to be a bulls eye? But again I honestly have no clue what I'm talking about so...

There, I'm sure everyone has tried their hardest to make it better for the Czechs.

ps Im also sure that this blog shows my ignorance. don't hold it against me, I'm still young :)
pss for example of being shoved around: since all the neighboring countries are adopting the Euro, they have no choice but too. In 1968 the Russian's came in and stopped what was called the Prague Spring which was an uprising against Communism. The people HERE, fighting for THEIR independence were stopped by outsiders.That doesn't seem fair...because it's not.

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

2008-05-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Shirley Temple was right, the sun did come out (at least for a little while)

2008-05-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Blatnice Restaurant (blaht-nyee-ts-eh restaurant)
Prague, Czech Republic
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
7:44 AM (USA)/ 1:44 PM (CR)

getting lunch...well really breakfast because Faran I took a day off and slept in until 11:45!! it felt sooooooo good, ahh.

I'm sitting at a table in front of the windows so that I can see out and watch the foot traffic, and a man just came up to peer in (from outside it's hard to see in the windows until you get close) and when all of a sudden he saw me right in front of him. haha, he sheepishly smiled and went about his way.

Anyway, I felt better about everything this morning, I always do, UNTIL I electrocuted myself when unplugging my computer from the adapter.

Oh my goodness, I could have vaporized the thing through my morning eye crust.

That said we also got checked on the train this morning to see if we had our metro passes, which we did, so good job there.

I also found a seller at the market who sells his apples for 15 Kc (about one dollar) where as the other guy at the end sells his for TWICE (29 Kc) as much!! So there again, found a bargin, nice job :) Here the small things count, haha.

Anyway, I must go, my food's coming (mushroom omelet + cappuccino)!!

You'll find more than tourist on the King Charles Bridge

2008-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Cafe U Cerneho Beranaka (cafe oo-tser-neh-o bear-an-aka)
Prague, Czech Republic
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
9:00 AM (USA)/ 3:09 PM (CR)

my little cafe is at the base of the King Charles bridge-- as the prices suggest. the coffee is expensive but pleasant service-- that in itself is a treat, and the rooms are comfortably occupied...with Czech's and not tourist which is odd because the King Charles bridge has the largest concentration of tourist per day in Prague (that is a made-up statistic by Moi, but you get my point. also, they don't take credit cards which helps reduce the foreigners)

yayyyy! I picked a local spot...by myself!!

good choice.

As I'm alone, Faran went to english class, I went on a little excursion of my own, seeing Prague solo. I have so far traveled in a wonderfully round circle, then finally, with the help of a friendly Czech pointed in the right direction of the King Charles Bridge, the one I crossed this morning, but forgot my bread crumbs and couldn't retrace my steps, darn it.

This morning crossing the King Charles bridge was a wonderful experience as we got up early and took a tram to the other side of the Vltava, the river running through Prague, after a famous Jana Dmovo breakfast of cheese, jelly, a braided donut and chocolate pudding. Oh and not to forget the "tea, coffee, oran' juis', please?"

We got off at a stop that seemed right and began walking. It was crisp this morning and this side of the Vltava seemed more windy, however, it wasn't raining and anything was better than that constant gray drizzle. Which leads me to believe, my first few days here were the worst Prague can offer as it isn't suppose to rain all that much here. I hate that my first impressions were so severe in light of seeing this more fair weather; however, it has at least cultured me to enjoy more the Prague that people have told me about.

When we reached the King Charles Bridge it was heavy laden with tourists and artisans. As Faran and I were milling in the pack I looked over the edge that was still above ground and looking back up was a construction worker (the are fixing part of the bridge). Our eyes met for a brief moment and the surprise of finding a pair of my own staring back over the edge was enough to let a very genuine, friendly smile leave my lips.

Connection with the others, that's what I'm looking for, and there in that moment a zip line of instant communication was made. How magnificent that we as creatures can experience so much love for our own. This very part of human nature never fails to prove to me that we have souls.

And I realize that I may have read into that more than there was, but I'm okay with that :)

As we continued across the bridge I hear familiar sounds, as in words, that I could understand. Everyone was predominantly American, so now I know where to go, if I ever need a slice of home: the Kind Charles Bridge. Decorated with folk paintings, jewelry and a stunning view of the Vltava and Castle, I felt for the first time a happy sense of wonder and awe. There was the Castle, the people, the statues the green fields and trees just over the hill, waving to let you know they were there, and finally the Vltava and its ships. The Czech do not have access to the ocean, therefore, the Vltava must carry on its back all the expectations of the Czech people in what they wish of the water, which explains the many boat tours and scuba diving businesses I have seen ( I was for sure the scuba diving was strictly a joke or a rip off).

Going further down the bridge we came to stop in front of this group playing the blues, including a trumpet, a clarinet and a banjo! I think it's taking me a bit longer to get acclimated with this place because honestly, the people are sour and they make me uncomfortable and the weather is extremely inclement as of late. (this is written at a different time of day so the warm fuzzies I had in the cafe are gone, we watched movie on the Czech Republic's first president and I LOVED him, still am undecided on the people here)

First of all, my feet were drenched all day, second of all, I felt like I was starving constantly because we walk EVERYWHERE which is fine; however, WE ONLY GET ONE MEAL A DAY HERE AND THAT IS A MEASLY BREAKFAST. If I get hungry I have to either buy it or have premade and packed it in all the ziplock bags I do NOT have. They do NOT take debit cards as frequently as I was told and had to walk at least five minutes out of my way to find an ATM on the side of a stone in order to pay for some lunch. My back hurts from carrying my book bag and, and, I don't know, but I'll think of something else in a minute. Basically, the banjo made me homesick beyond what I ever would want to be. I miss my happy, celebratory family and homeland. I almost feel like the Czech Republic was a terrible choice for my first overseas adventure because they are quite the anomaly of a nation, very different from Great Britain, France, Italy, Greece, etc. This is such an oddball place filled with people with short, choppy dyed red, black, purple and green hair. Think of the outcast goth crowd and that is the Czech Republic.

Being here makes me realize with a pounding heart just how important our government is, or actually, lack of, in the sense that We The People govern, not a select few officials. Havel, the previous Czech president made a good point in his documentary that at the start of his term, people here were excited and energetic about politics (supposedly, I'm not sure I believe it), and he was able to make some major changes that with out such high willingness of the people he wouldn't have been able to accomplish. Likewise we in America are begging for different policies in the White House, which is why I believe my choice for President, Barack Obama, was the best choice because yes he may be less experienced but his ability to ralley the people and interject excitement into stale affairs is more important than a roll-a-dex of connections and shortcuts. His naiveness is our bliss and we should embrace that.

There's another thing that Havel said that was so perfect, he said, "A natural disability of democracy is that for the people who don't take it seriously, it allows them to do what ever they wish, and for those who do take it seriously, it allows them to do nothing to stop it." This is so true, and my thought is that perhaps the sign of a democracy well done is a crop of people taking advantage of the system, all the while an additional crop keeping close watch that things do not get too out of hand which would not even be democracy but anarchy.

Sorry to flat jack on you but I'm about to flip topics:

I saw two Czech boys greet each other today by a very acceptable fist pound and half hug. I saw camaraderie in person, live from the Czech.

The thing is we as humans constantly look for ways to understand and calibrate our world. We look for ways to relate it to us versus the other way around, so the advice that I give to myself is that: meet in the middle. And so you know, I AM trying, but I feel it's also necessary to go through stages of emotions when you first visit a place, so I am sure this weird, uncomfortable grossness that I feel toward the people here will fade into something much less intense and a more mellow emotion. I constantly try to imagine America through a foreigner's eyes and the things they would see and experience and I'm sure it would be the same as far as our ugly buildings, no side walked towns and obese population. America is not a sophisticated nation as far as craft goes, YET, but remember we are but the teenagers of the world. Prague and the rest of Europe have quite a few years on us. The thing is I realize I'm being extremely harsh; however, I'm taking in the full picture and it's just a stage of realization that I'm going through. I don't know what the next stage is, but I must exhaust this one and graduate, so if the next few posts are more like rants than not, don't be alarmed, I'm just getting adjusted :)

Overall, I'm supremely happy to be here with the people I'm with and the teachers, who are wonderful, and I believe in my heart that this trip to Prague is a prerequisite for something larger. I don't believe exactly that this trip to Prague is suppose to be amazing or thrilling, but rather an experience to ready me and help me find myself so that when the event this trip is preparing me for comes, my bags will be packed and ready. It is a building block in my foundation that with out would be poor and shaky which ultimately would lead to problems or a failure. I pray that He keeps my mind supple and flexible through out this trip that I may see things for what they really are. Like our great country that declares you are innocent until proven guilty I too give the Czech Republic the benefit of the doubt as I've not been here long enough to have even made a half way decent analysis of a culture dense with history and heritage.

ps. boats and water never fail to level my mind. I felt so at peace watching the boats on the Vltava River today.
pss. I ALSO realize that some of this can come off way too deep and philosophical. I'm a deep thinker but, hey, what can you do :)

Let's go to THIS park...haha

2008-05-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Jana Dvmolvo Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Sunday, 18, May 2008
4:55 PM (USA)/ 10:56 PM (CR)

sitting on my bed listening to the "French" girls talk in the common room to our American boys...

Turns out they are Swedish girls, and no they do not have BBB: Blonde braided hair, Blue eyes, and Big boobs. They are actually quite medieval looking, or no, distinctly European with their dress. It's not matchy-matchy and very dark.

Dark hair and pale skin,

much like the Czech people who, honestly I must say, still give me an odd vibe.

What I mean by that is that Prague is indeed a medieval city, and by origin is a bit odd. Think knights, dragons, damsels in distress (with their pointy flowing hats), witches, wooden flutes...A Knights Tale with Heath Ledger. Two other cities that unbeknownst to me were medieval are, Venice and Barcelona; all three were all founded in the 14th century. One telling characteristic of a medieval city are the roads, which are very organic in flow. No grids to be found-- meaning a delicious pub found today, may be lost tomorrow because in my mind, the winding passages (pronounced like massage) are hard to keep straight, haha.

In comparison, the people of the Czech, I feel, were already textured in behavior by their medieval roots, gruff and unglamorous (think hairy moles and large women drinking beer followed by man belches) and then when communism came through, oppressing them into oblivion, which has only recently been lifted, you have the present personalities of the Czech today: dark, melancholy, and again, slightly odd.

Walking down eerily quiet streets, the gray drizzle can seem like white noise, and the colossal buildings seem to have a living presence. That is also true of the underground subways that usually are only dotted with one or two people waiting on these brilliantly crafted stations that are vast and monolithic, made of stone, and all you can hear is the silence, when you feel it-- the wind. It starts out gentle with only the loose hairs around your face sensitive enough to detect it fan like sea grass, almost forebodingly so, when then like in a thunderstorm it suddenly grows in strength, rushing down the tunnel and passing you like a runaway stagecoach.

The wind seems reminiscent of messengers for the great Moravian Kings that used to occupy the land, announcing the arrival of its Excellency.

If nothing else it too reminds me of the Totoro Bus that meow's when picking you up, and has waterbed-like, fur covered seats (a cartoon that my grandmother had when I was little). What I'm trying to say is that they subway seems to breathe, not unlike the ornate buildings.

Also, something else that whispers communism is the fact that everything is grand and of a huge scale but only a few people seem to inhabit the land. It's like an empty movie set or ghost town...where are the people? Where are the people that according to communism should be happy and abundant because they all have the same equal portion? All I can say is soon they will figure out how to use their freedom, it's just hard to learn a new mentality, after all, they don't have Oprah or Dr. Phil helping them be their best self ;)

The city is very quite with the most noise being either tourists in the Old Town Square (Asian, Italian, Hungarian) or mechanical ones. On the way back to our hostel you may find the occasional authentic person walking their matted dogs in clothes ranging from brown to gray.

The buildings have more color than most of the locals.

Also, there is no rule about picking up after your pet, so poop sometimes shows up. Prague is an extremely dog friendly city; however, the point is, no one seems outwardly happy, even the dogs.

By this I mean, I don't see outwardly warm smiles, laughs or conversation. The trams and subways are dominated by a doorbell like tone followed by a bodiless woman's voice announcing the platform name. No one speaks and if they do it is quiet. Couples are the exception when it comes to outwardly signs of affection as they publicly display it with NO SHAME. Even that though it is sleazy, not sweet. I don't see many small children; mostly my age and up.

The oldest people definitely show signs of communism with their dark shaws/hats and inconspicuous, almost paranoid movements.

I've counted three people that I heard laugh today and one doesn't count because it was a sarcastic one-- I SEVERELY under tipped the man and he scoffed while walking away (still trying to understand the whole currency thing).

I think perhaps communism hasn't left the mentality of a lot of people, and the children that were raised by people that lived through it carry on that mindset as well, one of hopelessness and only a government to serve.

The happy side to this is that they finally have their freedom and once they figure out how to use it, perhaps cheer will return to the city that now it lacks (in the locals only, most of the tourist are ecstatic, which come to think of it may be more the reason versus communism, haha). We as American grow up with so much more...hmmmm what word will do...honestly, the word here is freedom, than the Czech. We as a culture did not grow up scared and frightened of some government official outside our door listening in on our political opinions, nor were our parents forced to work a certain job because the government put them there. We were not raised in a society that crept on eggshells. As kids we were able to run and play in gardens and fields, developing the full range of our emotions opposite the Czech who like a plant in a dark closet shrink with in themselves.

Even if an American was raised in the city, in the mid-west, a broken family or the projects we as American possess spirit. Instead of becoming depressingly vapid and emotionless, we get angry. We rise up and work as we are known for being the "Can-Do" nation. We, as Americans possess an effervescence that I am not sure can be found here in the Czech, or at least in Prague, I haven't made it to the country side yet.

However, I have been looking for more subtle signs of happiness because first of all, the Czech Republic is an eastern european city, which is more modest by heritage, and too because I get the impression they do not believe themselves to be unhappy, or do not realize that they are, because they do not know what they are missing out on and I do. One place that shows signs of life and fledgling hope are in umbrellas. I find that they do not wear colorful clothing, but find outlets in their umbrellas which range from neon to pastel. Also, I saw a laughing baby and mama today which was cute and universal: babies make people melt, even the Czech-- or warm up in their case as they aren't icy but seemingly sad.

I just want to say that..."I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free!" And of course I say that to make a funny but it's true, I'm very happy with where I hale from :)

The Czech Republic is a quirky city but not something that I mind, only pause to muse over.

~` ~` ~`

As for Faran and I today, we went exploring trying to find a park only to figure out that it was on the other side of the river, haha, so no big deal, it was only RAINING! haha. Either way it was awesome and we had a great time actually and we plan on exploring more tomorrow before our 2:30 PM sustainability on world foods and populations class!! I love our teacher for that by the way, Professor Bob Patterson, haha, he's SO cute and has white hair, always wearing flannel :) love it!

Anyway, I know this post was longer than most and some may be, I just kind of get up here and spill my thoughts.

As usual, LOVE YOU ALL and be seeing you soon :)

Tram 22

2008-05-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Jana Domov Mladeze Hostel
Prague, Czech Republic
Saturday, 17, May 2008
1:07 PM (USA)/ 7:07 PM (CR)

sitting on the balcony of my hostel, Jana Domov

I'm not sure, but I believe that the girls chicly dressed in all black behind me are French, so I'm trying my utmost in my double-patterened, no-black-to-be-found shirt to appear elegante ;)

Anway, about the day today. We had orientation at the Prague Institute, which is where our classes are held, and got a run down of Czech History and general information. After the information part we went on a walking tour to get our bearings and such, which was fun; however, after that was over we were free to do whatever because we have a tram AND subway pass that covers us the entire time we are here, so all we do is hop on tram or subway and head back to the hostel, when ever we please.

Sooooo, we walked around a bit extra and hopped on Tram 22. We accidentally got off at the wrong stop...

However, it was the most fun we've had all day!! We went to a festival/concert that we being held in the park. It was like a Renaissance festival or something, but there was a pony ride, candy, a band and a roasted pig...yes that's right a WHOLE roasted pig. It was scewered through the mouth and going alllll the way out the, well, you know, haha.

That little "happy accident" showed me the Prague that I was looking for. I hate cliche meaningless tourists points because, yes, they may be wonderful and world renowned, but I appreciate the other part of exploring a city more. I like to see the people that live here with their dogs and children, like at that festival.

The best place to get the feel of your new culture and the people is the market/ grocery store. The Tessco, their Wal-Mart, has a WONDERFUL supermarket with fresh eggs, tomatoes, fruits and bread, bread, bread. It was amazing. The packaging was different, no obnoxious colors and real material was used such as tin and stronger pasteboard. The people shopped different, for example no carts were to be found, only simple hand baskets that from what I saw, were filled with chicken breasts/ fish, leeks, a loaf of freshly baked bread and wine and/or beer (by the way Czech's drink more beer per capita than any other country). They were quick but not frantic, cosey in the sense of being in an outdoor market but not so close that you felt claustrophobic. Basically I felt that it was very wholesome and not a show put on for others to see how "healthy" or "green" they were being, they simply live and have lived this way their whole lives.

Another great and overwhelming thing about Prague is the architecture. People ooh- and ahh over it all day long, but until you see it in person, you can't possibly experience the magnitude and beauty of these buildings. There isn't just ONE row of historic houses, but the ENTIRE CITY, there are no plane facades to be found.

Prague is rich in history and people and I'm slowly figuring it out :)

I think Faran and I are going to go out for some supper/walking while it is still day light, so with that much love to you all and I'll be seeing you soon :)

London Bridge is falling down! That's okay, we flew anyway :)

2008-05-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Heathrow Airport
London, Great Britain
Friday, 16, May 2008
8:54 AM(USA)/ 1:54 PM (GB)

...or else my palate has become more sophisticated/ expectant to the bitters.

More on this topic. I've decided that everything for the first time has a high probability of sucking (excuse my language). For example, I'll be honest, combined with it being Christmas and missing my family as well as being in FRIGID New York for the first time with not many snacks (haha) it wasn't AS magical as Home Alone makes it seem; however, that being said I did in fact love it and it allowed me to know what was in store for me THIS go round (flying out of NYC). I liked it so much better (keep in mind the weather was great and nostalgia wasn't calling my name with every Christmas bell I saw). I understood so much better and extreme pains before were merely common place bothers...except when Faran and I lugged our luggage down to the subway and rode through Harlem. Let me explain.

As you know, New York isn't know for effective travel by car. It's slow and constipated (something I'm having NO trouble with at the moment. Sorry if that grosses some of you out--Justin, lol). So as a remedy we decided to have Debbie, Faran's mama, to take us to the 72nd Street subway and take Train A all the way to the AirTran, a shuttle that takes you straight to your airport terminal, and unlike fluctuating traffic, subways and trains are on a strict schedule. The "extreme pain" here was that this particular subway had no ramp, nor elevator, so we had to lug our 80 LB luggage (one 50 LB + second checked bag + carry on) down an incline that didn't allow us to use the wheels on our big bags. In conclusion, our bags man handles US and almost threw us down the stairs. But again, this was the first time we had attempted the subway WITH luggage, and next time we know to pick one either with a ramp OR an elevator because the rest was a breeze. It worked perfect.

And just to give the New Yorkers some credit, Faran and I had at least 4-5 people help us get our luggage downstairs AND the cop let us get onto the subway for free :) I don't know if it had anything to do with Faran's exotic eyes (think Ashley with blue eyes) and curly head of hair or my straightened, straw colored version or what but we had help from both men AND women which proves to me, New York is loaded with visitors...haha just kidding! They were genuine locals, who despite their frosty reputations actually helped us. Like the Grinch, the Tin Man, or anyone else who has searched and found a heart, the NYC locals have as well.

Even people watching is getting easier and not so awkward. I feel so much more comfortable in public, exchanging glances, just glances with nearby folks that are brightly dressed (Europeans LOVE color).

One last thing, on the way here we each had a personal TV with head phones, an eye mask, a blanket, a pillow and a toothbrush with tooth paste. The airline served us an amazing supper (really it was excellent for an airline I thought), snack, and breakfast. The Cabin Crew was genuinely sweet and nicely accented.

Oh and to get into the mood for the mother-land, I watched Elizabeth, with Cate Blanchett, which follows the life of how the first Queen Elizabeth came to be :) It worked, very heavy and lots opera sound tracks. Loved it, you should all watch it on a rainy night or one in which just one more 27 Dresses just wont cut it. It has a HARSH beginning, but weather through it, it gets better :)

LOVE YOU ALL! Faran and I are now about to board our Czech flight!!!

In New York City??!!

2008-05-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

John F. Kennedy Airport
New York, New York (USA)
Thursday, 15, May 2008
Around 4:30 PM

I can't get over the wonderful people in my life and the wonderful people that I run into. I'm exhausted with joy, worry, love...airports! Being around this many people experiencing their experiences... my watching and thinking is amazingly tiring.

There is a man sitting with a cart, on a crate and I keep on thinking that he is a midget. There's a dog barking.

WTC, a dog in the airport? I would have brought Layla had I known you could!

I'm a freak, I love to people watch.

I feel like people are reading over my shoulder....hey you there, stop reading!!!

Anyway, this is such a great place, so full of everything you could ever dream of and at the same time,I constantly find is that it is just a place. It's just a place made up of people like you and me. They are not super human because they live in NYC, not that I thought that; however, it is one thing to imagine these places and another to meet and greet with them. It sounds like I'm saying be prepared to be disappointed but that isn't the case, simply furthers my belief that imagination is one of the most powerful elements that a person has and is vital to a happy existance. Not to take away from things and their splendor, simply it is what you make it, open your eyes to see the wonder. That simple, otherwise you may spend a lifetime disappointed.

*(written later that day) Taking a spin on what I said earlier: NYC is beautiful in the spring. People are on bikes, walking and talking; there are sailboats on the Hudson.

People are smiling, laughing-- Spring seems to have sweetened this "acquired-taste-city", if you may, or else my palate has become more sophisticated/ expectant to the bitters.

Welcome all!

2008-05-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

So, this is my blog!!

This is the best way for me to keep in touch with you all as well as you being able to keep track of me :) I can't wait for all that Europe holds (nude beaches, crazy clubs, hash brownies...oh yeah, and of course classes!! haha)

I just want to say to everyone, that you all are the best support system and back up a girl could ever ask for and you mean the world to me :) I attribute everything thing to Jesus of course; however, you all are blessings of His so thank you all for being answered prayers :)

So anyway, this is the deal, go to this website as often as you like to see if I've made any updates. Other than that I'll be seeing you in a few weeks!!

I LOVE YOU :)

Millions of trees are accidentally planted by squirrels that bury nuts and then forget where they left them.

(H)