This past weekend was another adventure outside of Prague, this time to Poland! I chose this weekend to go because several of my friends were going to be going to Krakow for the weekend with their study abroad program, and I had planned to meet up with them once they got there so that we could hang out. Well, that didn't exactly happen, since my phone decided that it could not make phone calls or send text messages as soon as I got into Poland. I actually saw some of my friends at Auschwitz (kind of a weird place to have a "Hey, look, it's so-and-so, fancy seeing you here!" moment, but I digress), and I knew that there was a chance I'd catch them while I was there since their group would be there on Saturday like I was, but I only spent about 15 minutes with them. However, it actually turned out just fine, because I met a lot of new people on this trip, something I might not have done had I spent all my time with people I knew. And besides, I love meeting new people. I really do. And I've had to do a lot of that since coming here to Prague, because I came here knowing NOBODY, not a single person here. It's good to go places alone sometimes though, because then you have no choice but to branch out. Plus, it's also good to be alone sometimes. I think that too many people (myself included) are sometimes afraid to really spend time with themselves and travel alone. It was a great experience for me, and I continue to realize more and more that I can be comfortable in my own skin. It's a freeing feeling.
Anyways, I got to Krakow on Friday afternoon with only a couple problems along the way ;-) I had to take 3 different trains to get to Krakow, and the second train I took was running about 10 minutes behind. Normally, no problem, but the third train was supposed to leave only 5 minutes after I got to the station, so I really couldn't afford to be running even 10 minutes late. When I got to the station to catch the third train, the lady at the ticket office managed (with my lack of Polish and her lack of English) to explain that I missed the train. Feeling depressed, I decided to check the boards again, and amazingly enough, I saw my train posted up there as also having been late, so it was just now pulling into the station! Yet another miracle that I've had this semester. Then, when I got on the train, the conductor (who also spoke about 3 words of English) started to freak out when he saw my ticket, and I realized that he was trying to say I wasn't supposed to be on this train and had to get off at the next station. I got so worried, and then he even walked away with my ticket in his hand. Five minutes later, a different conductor came back with my ticket in hand, and handed me my ticket back. I asked if everything was alright, and he just looked at me with a very bored expression and said, "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" And that was that!
I did my own little walking tour of Krakow on Friday afternoon and evening, and as I was heading back to my hostel at around 19:00, I saw a sign posted outside of a gorgeous cathedral saying that there would be a chamber orchestra playing there that evening at 20:00. So I walked up to the man selling tickets outside the door, and after hearing that it was 50 zloty ($20), I figured that that was a little much. I started to walk away, but then turned around and asked if there was a student discount. Sure enough, I got in for $12. The concert was beautiful, and I met two very nice ladies who were also traveling alone while I was there, one from London, the other from New Zealand. While I was sitting there in this gorgeous cathedral with vaulted ceilings and elegant artwork and architecture, listening to some of the most beautiful songs that humanity has created, I couldn't help but think of what a stark contrast that evening would be to my day the next day when I would go to visit Auschwitz. I felt as though that evening, I was experiencing the best of humanity, the most beautiful offerings that mankind has, while the next day, I would be seeing the absolute worst side of humanity, seeing what horrors a person or group of people can be capable of. It gave me the chills.
I was up early on Saturday to get to Auschwitz, and though people told me that it was a bad idea to go by myself, I knew I didn't really have a choice. All of my new friends at the hostel had either already gone or had absolutely no desire to go there. So, I got on the bus and headed there alone. However, I decided to strike up a conversation with the girl sitting next to me on the bus and learned that she was also traveling alone to Auschwitz, and so we agreed to spend our time there together. And boy, am I glad that I had her with me. I realized when she left (she had to catch an earlier bus, so I spent the last 45 minutes or so alone out of the 3.5 hours I was there and didn't find my friends until almost the very end of that) how horrible I felt going through the camp alone. I actually started to go numb to what I was seeing and reading by the end, and the last building I went through, the one where the prisoners had their hair shaved off and were given their prison clothes, was basically in a daze. For those who haven't been there, there are actually 2 camps to see: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The first one is much smaller and is a museum. About half of the old barracks are filled with exhibits, and there is a lot to read and see. At Birkenau, about 3 km from the first camp, it is nothing but wide open spaces of old barracks and crematoriums. And, of course, the crushingly infamous set of railroad tracks that led straight into the camp...
Birkenau is massive, and when you walk along the railroad tracks with the wind whipping past you and the long rows of barbed-wire fences on either side, you can't stop yourself from imagining what it must have been like. If you were led to the right off of the train, you were taken to the barracks to begin a life of slave labor. If you were taken to the left off of the train, you were immediately killed. The women and children (except for the ones saved for cruel medical experiments) were almost always taken to the left immediately, and perhaps the saddest thing I saw all day was at the museum, where they had a gigantic pile of children's shoes that the Nazis had saved from their victims and were planning on selling. I felt as though I was going to lose it right there, but again, this was where it helped so much to have a friend, and she was very sweet, patting me on the back, asking if I was okay. The other moment where I felt as though I would break down and cry was when I was walking through one of the barracks where they had hung the pictures that the Nazis took of the prisoners when they first arrived at the camp. The pictures had been framed, and had the person's birth date, arrival date at the camp, and date of death. I couldn't help but glance at the birth dates on some of the pictures, and I found so many that were from 1920 or 1921, making those prisoners about 20 or 21 years old when they arrived in 1941 (that was the only year where they took pictures. After that, the volume of prisoners got so high that they stopped taking their photographs). All of a sudden, I stopped at a picture of a young man who was 21 when he arrived at Auschwitz, and who only lived about 6 months there before passing away. What arrested my attention was his eyes: he was looking straight at the camera with the calmest face I have ever seen, and all that I could think was that he was the same age as I am now. My heart broke to think of the life that had been stolen from him, yet he looked so calm and brave. I will never, ever forget that face and that moment in time where I felt as though he and I were connected. I am crying as I write these last few sentences, because I still can't believe how gut-wrenching of a feeling that was. I had always wanted to go to Auschwitz very badly, and it was an experience that I am very glad I had and one that I think everyone should have at least once in their lifetime, but it was so heart-breaking. It's actually a state requirement that every Polish student now go to Auschwitz with their high school graduating class, which I think is very important.
I didn't really have the heart to do any other sight-seeing on Saturday night after going to Auschwitz, so I went out with some girls from my hostel to have an authentic Polish dinner, which tasted absolutely amazing. Cabbage and mushroom pierogies with potato cakes = delicious! I also sampled some of the other girls' food, and although I don't remember the Polish names for those foods, they were amazing. Krakow is a really cool city, actually kind of like a smaller version of Prague. Almost the entire city has now been reconstructed from the WWII damage, and I only saw a couple buildings that were under serious renovation. On Saturday night, our group walked down along the river to see the famous Krakow dragon breathe fire. Yes, breathe fire ;-) I had actually seen the dragon from where I was up on the Castle Hill, and I had honestly thought that I was going crazy when I thought I saw fire coming out of the dragon's mouth, but one of my hostel roommates assured me later that day that it does indeed breathe fire. So, we headed down there to be able to see it at night, and it was pretty awesome! We girls climbed up on the sculpture, and, forgetting about the fire-breathing aspect, freaked out when he breathed fire as we climbed up there. Of course, we were far from the dragon's mouth and perfectly safe, but as a reflex, we all panicked when we saw the fire coming ;-)
Before leaving on Sunday afternoon, I headed out to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, which were absolutely amazing to see. The lowest our tour group got (all 3 of us ;-) that's what happens when you take the early Sunday morning tour, nobody is there!) was 200 meters below the earth. The mine became inactive back in 1996 and now is just for tours, but we walked through massive underground chapels that the miners had carved, including the world's largest underground cathedral. It was gigantic and beautiful, and the entire room had been carved out of the salt. They actually have masses down there every week, too!
So, I think that that's enough for now! Your eyes are probably crossing from reading all of this, dear readers, so I will let you go. Life is busy here in Prague this week, but only 5 days till I leave for Italy for spring break! Wooo!!!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Spring, Care Packages, and Health Care
I think it's safe to say that spring has officially arrived in Prague. Now, it might get cold here and there in the upcoming weeks, but I think that in general, we're headed towards sunshine, warmth, birds, and short sleeves. I love it. The windows were open all day long at the office where I intern, and every once in a while, I would just stop, close my eyes, and let myself soak up the sun that was pouring all over my desk. Just as I thought it would, Prague looks gorgeous in the springtime. The fresh sunshine glints off of the red roofs, and the river no longer looks dull and gray, but rather shimmering and clear.
I spent the last weekend catching up on and also working ahead on my homework, so that I can continue traveling on the weekends worry-free. It was nice to sleep in, and since everyone I know seems to be getting sick (including my roommate), I was worried that if I didn't take care of myself, I'd also get sick. Plus, who doesn't like getting extra sleep sometimes? ;-) It's strange, because while I only have about 8 weeks left in Prague, I get this feeling sometimes that this, what I'm doing now, is my life. That this is how things will continue indefinitely, with me living here in Prague and traveling around and meeting new people and going to school and interning. It's kind of unsettling to realize that everything I've now come to know will be gone before I even know it! The memories will definitely never be forgotten, as this trip has been life-changing. However, I think that the realization that my time here is short fends off most homesickness and loneliness. That doesn't mean I'm immune to all homesickness though, trust me. It just makes it easier to deal with it if it does hit. Having a boyfriend back home makes a big difference, I think, because no matter how amazing things are here, I am always aware that my best friend and other half isn't there to share in these experiences. On the other hand, the feelings of pride and independence that I get when I realize that I moved to another country and have not only survived, but am prospering and happy, are exciting. But for the record, this time abroad has reminded me more than anything else has before that Brian is my soul-mate. We are learning how to communicate so much better, and we have dealt with the issues of being apart, and while we're not back together yet, I am 100% confident that we're going to get through the second half of my study abroad just fine. When you really want to be with someone, you'll do what it takes to make things work :-)
Just yesterday, I got a care package from my mom and sisters, and it was packed with Easter candy and notes from my family. When I opened the box, I felt as though a whiff of home came right into my apartment. It was exciting to get a package, and promptly ate all of the candy that was in the box within 24 hours (okay, there wasn't THAT much candy in there, don't get any ideas about me being a totally greedy eater!). Brian just mailed out a package yesterday, and two of my friends also sent one this week, so I am eagerly looking forward to receiving those. To have something that you can physically hold on to and touch is a big deal when you're away from home! Don't get me wrong though, I have loved all of the sweet and wonderful messages that I've gotten online =) I honestly feel so incredibly blessed, because I am so happy here, BUT I also have a wonderful life to return to back home with amazing family, friends, and boyfriend. Not everyone can say that, and I realize that, so I am very thankful!
It's interesting to hear news about the U.S. while I am away, and of course, the biggest news right now is the passing of the health care bill. Most Czech people that hear the news are just surprised that it took the U.S. so long to pass such a bill, since even they have universal health care like most developed nations. I am very torn on the subject of this bill, to be honest. I see the fear of "the spread of socialism" as over-the-top in many respects, because to be honest folks, the government has long had control of many aspects of society, and the recent changes in our government doesn't mean that we are suddenly slipping towards the edge of socialist oblivion. Many people also ignorantly associate socialism with Communism, which, simply put, represents a lack of understanding of what socialism and Communism really are. However, I also disagree with many aspects of the bill. What really embarrasses me, though, is the way people are behaving about this. Why is it acceptable for members of either side of this argument to personally attack people for what they believe in? It doesn't make me less of a Christian because I don't wholeheartedly back this bill; yes, Jesus said to care for the poor and suffering, but did Jesus say that the only way to care for such people is by offering them universal health care? I thought not. And why is someone not a Christian if they support this bill? Christianity is now based on your political beliefs, and your political beliefs determine your Christianity? How sad. It's true that we are known by who we associate with, but in today's political world especially, there is a stark difference between the political ideologies of a party and the people that run that party. My point is this: realize what your words are doing. The U.S. is strong because we are allowed to hold different beliefs and ideologies, and in order for that system to continue, we need to respect others. That doesn't mean that we have to stop trying to talk to others about what we believe in and teach others about what we feel is right and wrong, but remember that everything rests in how you spread your message.
I spent the last weekend catching up on and also working ahead on my homework, so that I can continue traveling on the weekends worry-free. It was nice to sleep in, and since everyone I know seems to be getting sick (including my roommate), I was worried that if I didn't take care of myself, I'd also get sick. Plus, who doesn't like getting extra sleep sometimes? ;-) It's strange, because while I only have about 8 weeks left in Prague, I get this feeling sometimes that this, what I'm doing now, is my life. That this is how things will continue indefinitely, with me living here in Prague and traveling around and meeting new people and going to school and interning. It's kind of unsettling to realize that everything I've now come to know will be gone before I even know it! The memories will definitely never be forgotten, as this trip has been life-changing. However, I think that the realization that my time here is short fends off most homesickness and loneliness. That doesn't mean I'm immune to all homesickness though, trust me. It just makes it easier to deal with it if it does hit. Having a boyfriend back home makes a big difference, I think, because no matter how amazing things are here, I am always aware that my best friend and other half isn't there to share in these experiences. On the other hand, the feelings of pride and independence that I get when I realize that I moved to another country and have not only survived, but am prospering and happy, are exciting. But for the record, this time abroad has reminded me more than anything else has before that Brian is my soul-mate. We are learning how to communicate so much better, and we have dealt with the issues of being apart, and while we're not back together yet, I am 100% confident that we're going to get through the second half of my study abroad just fine. When you really want to be with someone, you'll do what it takes to make things work :-)
Just yesterday, I got a care package from my mom and sisters, and it was packed with Easter candy and notes from my family. When I opened the box, I felt as though a whiff of home came right into my apartment. It was exciting to get a package, and promptly ate all of the candy that was in the box within 24 hours (okay, there wasn't THAT much candy in there, don't get any ideas about me being a totally greedy eater!). Brian just mailed out a package yesterday, and two of my friends also sent one this week, so I am eagerly looking forward to receiving those. To have something that you can physically hold on to and touch is a big deal when you're away from home! Don't get me wrong though, I have loved all of the sweet and wonderful messages that I've gotten online =) I honestly feel so incredibly blessed, because I am so happy here, BUT I also have a wonderful life to return to back home with amazing family, friends, and boyfriend. Not everyone can say that, and I realize that, so I am very thankful!
It's interesting to hear news about the U.S. while I am away, and of course, the biggest news right now is the passing of the health care bill. Most Czech people that hear the news are just surprised that it took the U.S. so long to pass such a bill, since even they have universal health care like most developed nations. I am very torn on the subject of this bill, to be honest. I see the fear of "the spread of socialism" as over-the-top in many respects, because to be honest folks, the government has long had control of many aspects of society, and the recent changes in our government doesn't mean that we are suddenly slipping towards the edge of socialist oblivion. Many people also ignorantly associate socialism with Communism, which, simply put, represents a lack of understanding of what socialism and Communism really are. However, I also disagree with many aspects of the bill. What really embarrasses me, though, is the way people are behaving about this. Why is it acceptable for members of either side of this argument to personally attack people for what they believe in? It doesn't make me less of a Christian because I don't wholeheartedly back this bill; yes, Jesus said to care for the poor and suffering, but did Jesus say that the only way to care for such people is by offering them universal health care? I thought not. And why is someone not a Christian if they support this bill? Christianity is now based on your political beliefs, and your political beliefs determine your Christianity? How sad. It's true that we are known by who we associate with, but in today's political world especially, there is a stark difference between the political ideologies of a party and the people that run that party. My point is this: realize what your words are doing. The U.S. is strong because we are allowed to hold different beliefs and ideologies, and in order for that system to continue, we need to respect others. That doesn't mean that we have to stop trying to talk to others about what we believe in and teach others about what we feel is right and wrong, but remember that everything rests in how you spread your message.
Friday, March 19, 2010
You come to our country, you learn our language?!?
Ok folks, so while most of you have probably long since forgotten my promised post on a certain controversial topic, I had not! That's one thing about me, for better or for worse: I will not forget something that I promised to do. So if I promised to pay you back the money I owed you, I will! If I promised that I would punch you in the face the next time I saw you, well, I will also do that (I don't make many of the latter promises though :-) ). I am in Prague for the weekend catching up on homework, errands, and internship work, so I figured this would be a good time to bring this up before I have to post about another wild European adventure ;-)
So I have been seeing these groups pop up all over Facebook that have names generally akin to "You come to OUR country, you learn OUR language!!", and I can honestly say that it completely disgusts me that people actually subscribe to that sort of thinking. Coming to a new country, whether it's for a semester or a lifetime, is always a difficult thing to do. There are a million and one new things to adjust to, and the language barrier is one of the largest hurdles in my opinion. If you can't understand the language, you're blocked from doing so many things. For me, I have learned to tune out Czech when I'm out and about, because at first, it stood out to me so much and always distracted me. I couldn't help but feel painfully noticeable (even if I wasn't speaking!). It's as if I felt that everyone knew I didn't speak Czech just by glancing at me. I still stick out, I know, but I've learned to accept it =) I'm a foreigner and that's how it is.
And while just a simple annoyance with those that are different from you--while still wrong, if you ask me--might be the motive behind a group as the one I've mentioned, I feel that it goes deeper than that for many people. And this isn't just for Americans who are angry with those who don't learn English, although I think that we are typically guiltier than most. Czech people, for example, can be extremely rude and downright unkind if they realize you aren't able to speak their language. They expect everyone to be able to speak Czech and can be judgmental if you do not. Please, don't get me wrong. Not everyone is like that. But it's definitely true of a large part of the population here.
However, I think it's interesting that of all places, the U.S. would become a place that looks down upon those who can't/won't speak English. Your native language is one of your closest ties to your ethnicity, and for many immigrants to the U.S., the first, second, and sometimes even third generation would not fully immerse themselves into English upon moving here. Rather, especially in the large cities in the U.S., pockets of cultures existed in their own neighborhoods, and while some might cry out in fear that the immigrants to our country are no longer blending well, what would you call those huge Irish-,Italian-, Polish-, African-American neighborhoods of the 19th and 20th centuries?
There seems to be this whole debate going on nowadays about whether or not the U.S. is a melting pot or, as some say, a salad of sorts, where everything is all in the same bowl but not blended together. Ultimately, I find it silly, because I feel that a fear of immigrants is a denial of who we all are. I do find the economic and political situation in Mexico to be troubling, and one that should be remedied. Not so that we don't have immigrants here, but so that people do not feel that their only option for survival is to slip across the border. The dislike of those who don't speak your language can often mean a whole lot more than just frustration in dealing with someone who can't communicate with you; it can signal something deeper. And while I think that's it's vital to learn the language of the country that you're living in, I can also sympathize with those who are slow to learn English. When you are thrust into something completely new, it is comforting to converse in your own language, even if it's just amongst your family and friends. It sounds harsh and very close-minded to expect everyone to speak your own language. As Americans, we are lucky that when many people come to our country, even as tourists, they are able to converse in English. When we go to their country though, are we able to converse with them? Remember that the next time you get angry at someone for not speaking your language. English may be spoken by a lot of people, and so it may get easy to expect it out of everyone, but that's naive and unfair. Our country was not built on the ideology that we must all think the same way and act the same way.
So I have been seeing these groups pop up all over Facebook that have names generally akin to "You come to OUR country, you learn OUR language!!", and I can honestly say that it completely disgusts me that people actually subscribe to that sort of thinking. Coming to a new country, whether it's for a semester or a lifetime, is always a difficult thing to do. There are a million and one new things to adjust to, and the language barrier is one of the largest hurdles in my opinion. If you can't understand the language, you're blocked from doing so many things. For me, I have learned to tune out Czech when I'm out and about, because at first, it stood out to me so much and always distracted me. I couldn't help but feel painfully noticeable (even if I wasn't speaking!). It's as if I felt that everyone knew I didn't speak Czech just by glancing at me. I still stick out, I know, but I've learned to accept it =) I'm a foreigner and that's how it is.
And while just a simple annoyance with those that are different from you--while still wrong, if you ask me--might be the motive behind a group as the one I've mentioned, I feel that it goes deeper than that for many people. And this isn't just for Americans who are angry with those who don't learn English, although I think that we are typically guiltier than most. Czech people, for example, can be extremely rude and downright unkind if they realize you aren't able to speak their language. They expect everyone to be able to speak Czech and can be judgmental if you do not. Please, don't get me wrong. Not everyone is like that. But it's definitely true of a large part of the population here.
However, I think it's interesting that of all places, the U.S. would become a place that looks down upon those who can't/won't speak English. Your native language is one of your closest ties to your ethnicity, and for many immigrants to the U.S., the first, second, and sometimes even third generation would not fully immerse themselves into English upon moving here. Rather, especially in the large cities in the U.S., pockets of cultures existed in their own neighborhoods, and while some might cry out in fear that the immigrants to our country are no longer blending well, what would you call those huge Irish-,Italian-, Polish-, African-American neighborhoods of the 19th and 20th centuries?
There seems to be this whole debate going on nowadays about whether or not the U.S. is a melting pot or, as some say, a salad of sorts, where everything is all in the same bowl but not blended together. Ultimately, I find it silly, because I feel that a fear of immigrants is a denial of who we all are. I do find the economic and political situation in Mexico to be troubling, and one that should be remedied. Not so that we don't have immigrants here, but so that people do not feel that their only option for survival is to slip across the border. The dislike of those who don't speak your language can often mean a whole lot more than just frustration in dealing with someone who can't communicate with you; it can signal something deeper. And while I think that's it's vital to learn the language of the country that you're living in, I can also sympathize with those who are slow to learn English. When you are thrust into something completely new, it is comforting to converse in your own language, even if it's just amongst your family and friends. It sounds harsh and very close-minded to expect everyone to speak your own language. As Americans, we are lucky that when many people come to our country, even as tourists, they are able to converse in English. When we go to their country though, are we able to converse with them? Remember that the next time you get angry at someone for not speaking your language. English may be spoken by a lot of people, and so it may get easy to expect it out of everyone, but that's naive and unfair. Our country was not built on the ideology that we must all think the same way and act the same way.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Amazing Trip Where Everything Went Wrong
After coming home from Paris last week, I couldn't imagine having a trip as fun as that one was. Well, this past weekend in Austria, I have to say, was equally amazing as Paris, although in a completely different way. I honestly don't know if I have laughed so much as I did on this past trip, where I traveled with 4 other girls: Natalie, Madison, Chelsey, and Perri. Almost every step of the way, our plans unraveled and things went wrong, but amazingly enough, the alternative to the plans that we had made and the "wrong" thing that happened either turned out to be even better or it at least gave us a good laugh.
The trip started out with my almost missing it altogether. We were supposed to meet at the train station at 6:15, and I woke up 6:20 to a text message from Natalie saying she'd be a couple minutes late. Our train left in 55 minutes, and I have never gotten ready as fast as I did that morning. Obviously, I made it in time, thanks to the amazing public transportation here in Prague that got me to the train station in record time. After we got to Salzburg, all of us but Madison went on the Sound of Music tour; that movie is absolutely a childhood favorite of mine, and I have also dreamed of going to Austria since I was a young girl in the 5th grade, and I did a report on the country of Austria. I was not let down in the least, as the stunning Austrian Alps whizzed past us while we were on the train and tour van, with small villages and brilliant blue lakes dotting the countryside. Our tour guide, Peter, was a lot of fun, and he was the one that suggested we girls eat at a local beer hall in Salzburg for dinner.
After the tour and freshening up at our hotel, we all decided to hop on the bus and search for this beer hall. It took some searching, and we were just about to give up when we found it. I am so happy we didn't stop searching, because this stop was definitely a highlight of the weekend! We filled up our beer steins, loaded up on rich (read: artery-clogging) Austrian food, and sat down at one of the long tables in the hall. We were stared down by almost everyone in the room, and we quickly realized that we had not been directed to any type of tourist destination, because we were clearly one of maybe a few groups of foreigners in this packed hall. After a little apprehension, we all relaxed a little and chatted it up with our new friends at our table. This was our weekend of making new friends, to be sure! We walked to the bus stop afterward singing the "Do re mi" song from Sound of Music at the tops of our lungs, which, although embarrassing in retrospect, was so much fun at the time! : p
We all wanted to ski at Flauchau on Saturday and Sunday, but after getting to the train station on Saturday morning, we found out that not only was Flauchau 3 hours away, it was also extremely expensive. So we literally picked the next train headed in the direction of the Alps (Salzburg has mountains around it, but nothing suitable for skiing!) and hopped on it. When we arrived in the village 2 hours later, we were pleasantly surprised to realize that we had arrived at a mountain that was a bit more out-of-the-way and less touristy, which offered lower prices but equally amazing skiing. Our next new friends were the two guys working at the ski shop, who not only gave us free beer at the end of the first day, but they gave us discounts on our ski gear and great advice on places in town to eat. On that first gondola ride up the mountain, I almost had to pinch myself to believe that I was really about to ski in the Alps. I had never really dreamed of doing this, like I had dreamed of going to Colorado growing up, because I had sort of assumed that it was such an impossible thing to happen. However, it was just as incredible as you could imagine it to be. I would just stop skiing at times and pull off to the side to look around me and soak in the fact that I was skiing in Austria!
I had more experience than the other girls on the trip with skiing, so I headed off on my own most of the time, which was perfectly fine with me. We would meet up for lunch, and at the end of the day, but the rest of the time, I was free to ski as fast as I wanted ;-) I couldn't believe how good the majority of the other skiers there were, because after skiing for as long as I have been, I am generally used to being one of the better skiers on the mountain, but here, I was surrounded by people going as fast as I was and carving beautifully down the mountain. Unfortunately, my tendency to go off on my own is what led to my first disaster of the trip. My first of two, to be exact. After doing some tree skiing right underneath a ski lift, I noticed that off in the distance a little ways, there was more tree skiing with fewer tracks and more powder. Excitedly, I headed off in that direction, knowing that I still had ready access to the lift if I was over there, and that I would be fine if I stayed where the other tracks already were. I wanted to be adventurous, but not stupid, especially since I was alone. However, I unknowingly started down the run too far to the left, and although I followed someone else's tracks, I realized later that they had made a mistake in going where they were and had gotten lost. So in following their tracks, I did the same thing. After only going about 30 feet down the mountain, I realized I was in trouble. The snow was impossibly deep and way too fluffy to ski in safely. I also had quickly lost sight of the lift. As I skied towards a stand of trees, I suddenly started to rapidly sink into the snow, and suddenly I was waist deep in the snow and unable to move. I could feel panic rising inside of me, and although I tried to stop it, the fear that I would go in over my head in the snow and I would suffocate overwhelmed me. I started to wriggle like crazy, which only made things worse. However, I managed to get my skis off and pull myself out of the hole, and after a long time, pulled my skis out of the hole. After getting back up, I proceeded to sink again, and went through this experience 3 more times. Each time, my panic grew deeper, and I began to scream for help. In my foggy mind, I realized somewhere that I had a phone, but I knew that I had no way of really describing where I was, and I worried that I would sink again and if my head went below the surface, I might not have a lot of time. That realization all of a sudden made my brain re-engage, and I remembered all of those articles I've read over the years about what to do if you panic. I began to talk to myself in the calmest voice possible, attempting to pull myself out of the numbing panic I was feeling. Each struggle to pull out of the holes I sunk into sapped my strength even more, and so I began to feel weak, and I was drenched in a cold sweat. However, as I began to talk to myself, I could feel my brain clearing, and I slowly managed to slip my skis back on and skim as lightly as I could without breaking the surface of the snow until I found a small path with footsteps (of the person whose tracks I had earlier followed). From there, I took my skis off and walked for about 20 minutes hoping that it was the right direction. I eventually found where a run joined in, and I shakily put my skis back on. I took two long, slow runs down the other side of the mountain after that, because I did not want that experience to be the last one I had on the mountain. That experience terrified me, but in no way scared me off from skiing or even tree skiing. It did remind me, however, that the majestic beauty of a mountain also holds incredible danger if you don't respect its rules, and while I truly wanted to be safe by staying in sight of the lift and following all of the tracks, I ended up making a huge mistake that could have cost me so much more than just an hour of my day.
That being said, I still had a blast in Austria. I know you might think I'm crazy for saying that, but I ended up okay in the end, and I just thanked God a million times over for watching out for me. I know that I have so many people praying for my safety on this trip, and that was made even more obvious in both this case and in my next story. This one was also a "near-miss". Since we took the 4 AM train on Monday back to Prague (it was either that one, or we left the mountain at noon on Sunday to take the train back to Prague, leaving us with 2.5 hours of skiing on Sunday, which none of us liked). We stayed in the waiting area at the train station until 4 AM, getting absolutely no sleep, so when we got on the train, we were all anxious to sleep. However, I felt a little uneasy sleeping while all of our stuff was there, and although we were in a separate compartment with a closed door, if we were sleeping deeply enough, we would never hear someone come in. WELL. I decided to stay awake, but I was lying down on the bench seat with my purse right next to my face. Unfortunately, pure exhaustion caused me to slip into a doze. All of a sudden, I had the sensation that someone was standing over me, and I snapped my eyes open. All I see is the back of a very big guy headed out the door of our compartment with something purple under his arm. My purse. I leap out of my seat and race after him. I see him slip into a compartment next to ours and slide the door shut. Keep in mind, at this point, I had a major adrenaline rush, and I knew that nothing was going to keep me from getting that purse back. I yanked their compartment door open and (Mom, you'll have to forgive me for this, but this was not a time in my life to be nice) and screamed at the man to give me my purse back, sprinkling plenty of obscenities in there. By that time, he had passed my purse off to his buddy, and so I reached forward and ripped my purse out of the second man's hands. I think that I took both of them so by surprise that they didn't resist me as I yanked my purse back. I immediately raced out of their compartment and into the hallway, rifling through my purse to be sure that everything was there. It was. The conductor heard me screaming and came running, and although he assured me that he would get the police, as soon as he left to go the phone, the two bumbling thieves jumped out the door of the train and onto the snowy ground. From there, they tripped around and walked off into the fields. C'mon, this is Europe. Did you really think the police would help me much anyways? I am so glad I just got my purse back myself, otherwise I could have said goodbye to my passport, debit card, credit cards, ID, and camera. I normally keep those things in a wallet around my neck while out of Prague, but I hadn't planned on sleeping and had started putting things back in my purse. The other complication was that while I really wanted to stay in the hallway of the train and scream at those guys and (remember: adrenaline rush) punch them in the face, I also knew that none of us in our group were in a position to make the conductor notice us too much. That's because we unknowingly gave our ticket to Natalie when she left on Sunday (she didn't ski on Sunday). I though that since we had 5 sheets of paper, each one was a ticket, and so I gave her one. However, since we bought all the tickets together, only the top sheet of paper-the one I gave her-had our destination written on it. The others were basically worthless without that top sheet. So when the conductor came, she told us to get off the train or pay again (at least $50 for each of us). Luckily, I am nutty about being organized, and I had saved the receipt for those tickets. Although that said nothing about our destination on it, I think that the fact that I had a receipt was enough for her to let us stay. I think she also felt sorry for us. However, the next conductor didn't know that she had let us just stay on, so when he came wanting to talk to me about my purse, I said I was fine and didn't want to talk, in case he found out about our ticket situation.
I know that these two stories may make it sound as though my trip was horrible, but it really wasn't. I had two near-misses, but I pulled through them and feel stronger because of it. I also feel more aware of my safety, which is always a good thing to be reminded of! Anyways, it was a weekend of laughing and goofing off and making new friends, and whether it was Chelsey knocking wine bottles down at the grocery store as she swung her backpack on, or eating cheese strudel and apple strudel, or hearing from the man at the hotel counter that we couldn't pop popcorn in the microwave there because "that stuff veel grow and spread all over the microwave!! It could break my microwave!! Eet grows!", or getting free champagne our last night there, or just being together and bonding, it was the trip of a lifetime. I skied in the Alps baby!
The trip started out with my almost missing it altogether. We were supposed to meet at the train station at 6:15, and I woke up 6:20 to a text message from Natalie saying she'd be a couple minutes late. Our train left in 55 minutes, and I have never gotten ready as fast as I did that morning. Obviously, I made it in time, thanks to the amazing public transportation here in Prague that got me to the train station in record time. After we got to Salzburg, all of us but Madison went on the Sound of Music tour; that movie is absolutely a childhood favorite of mine, and I have also dreamed of going to Austria since I was a young girl in the 5th grade, and I did a report on the country of Austria. I was not let down in the least, as the stunning Austrian Alps whizzed past us while we were on the train and tour van, with small villages and brilliant blue lakes dotting the countryside. Our tour guide, Peter, was a lot of fun, and he was the one that suggested we girls eat at a local beer hall in Salzburg for dinner.
After the tour and freshening up at our hotel, we all decided to hop on the bus and search for this beer hall. It took some searching, and we were just about to give up when we found it. I am so happy we didn't stop searching, because this stop was definitely a highlight of the weekend! We filled up our beer steins, loaded up on rich (read: artery-clogging) Austrian food, and sat down at one of the long tables in the hall. We were stared down by almost everyone in the room, and we quickly realized that we had not been directed to any type of tourist destination, because we were clearly one of maybe a few groups of foreigners in this packed hall. After a little apprehension, we all relaxed a little and chatted it up with our new friends at our table. This was our weekend of making new friends, to be sure! We walked to the bus stop afterward singing the "Do re mi" song from Sound of Music at the tops of our lungs, which, although embarrassing in retrospect, was so much fun at the time! : p
We all wanted to ski at Flauchau on Saturday and Sunday, but after getting to the train station on Saturday morning, we found out that not only was Flauchau 3 hours away, it was also extremely expensive. So we literally picked the next train headed in the direction of the Alps (Salzburg has mountains around it, but nothing suitable for skiing!) and hopped on it. When we arrived in the village 2 hours later, we were pleasantly surprised to realize that we had arrived at a mountain that was a bit more out-of-the-way and less touristy, which offered lower prices but equally amazing skiing. Our next new friends were the two guys working at the ski shop, who not only gave us free beer at the end of the first day, but they gave us discounts on our ski gear and great advice on places in town to eat. On that first gondola ride up the mountain, I almost had to pinch myself to believe that I was really about to ski in the Alps. I had never really dreamed of doing this, like I had dreamed of going to Colorado growing up, because I had sort of assumed that it was such an impossible thing to happen. However, it was just as incredible as you could imagine it to be. I would just stop skiing at times and pull off to the side to look around me and soak in the fact that I was skiing in Austria!
I had more experience than the other girls on the trip with skiing, so I headed off on my own most of the time, which was perfectly fine with me. We would meet up for lunch, and at the end of the day, but the rest of the time, I was free to ski as fast as I wanted ;-) I couldn't believe how good the majority of the other skiers there were, because after skiing for as long as I have been, I am generally used to being one of the better skiers on the mountain, but here, I was surrounded by people going as fast as I was and carving beautifully down the mountain. Unfortunately, my tendency to go off on my own is what led to my first disaster of the trip. My first of two, to be exact. After doing some tree skiing right underneath a ski lift, I noticed that off in the distance a little ways, there was more tree skiing with fewer tracks and more powder. Excitedly, I headed off in that direction, knowing that I still had ready access to the lift if I was over there, and that I would be fine if I stayed where the other tracks already were. I wanted to be adventurous, but not stupid, especially since I was alone. However, I unknowingly started down the run too far to the left, and although I followed someone else's tracks, I realized later that they had made a mistake in going where they were and had gotten lost. So in following their tracks, I did the same thing. After only going about 30 feet down the mountain, I realized I was in trouble. The snow was impossibly deep and way too fluffy to ski in safely. I also had quickly lost sight of the lift. As I skied towards a stand of trees, I suddenly started to rapidly sink into the snow, and suddenly I was waist deep in the snow and unable to move. I could feel panic rising inside of me, and although I tried to stop it, the fear that I would go in over my head in the snow and I would suffocate overwhelmed me. I started to wriggle like crazy, which only made things worse. However, I managed to get my skis off and pull myself out of the hole, and after a long time, pulled my skis out of the hole. After getting back up, I proceeded to sink again, and went through this experience 3 more times. Each time, my panic grew deeper, and I began to scream for help. In my foggy mind, I realized somewhere that I had a phone, but I knew that I had no way of really describing where I was, and I worried that I would sink again and if my head went below the surface, I might not have a lot of time. That realization all of a sudden made my brain re-engage, and I remembered all of those articles I've read over the years about what to do if you panic. I began to talk to myself in the calmest voice possible, attempting to pull myself out of the numbing panic I was feeling. Each struggle to pull out of the holes I sunk into sapped my strength even more, and so I began to feel weak, and I was drenched in a cold sweat. However, as I began to talk to myself, I could feel my brain clearing, and I slowly managed to slip my skis back on and skim as lightly as I could without breaking the surface of the snow until I found a small path with footsteps (of the person whose tracks I had earlier followed). From there, I took my skis off and walked for about 20 minutes hoping that it was the right direction. I eventually found where a run joined in, and I shakily put my skis back on. I took two long, slow runs down the other side of the mountain after that, because I did not want that experience to be the last one I had on the mountain. That experience terrified me, but in no way scared me off from skiing or even tree skiing. It did remind me, however, that the majestic beauty of a mountain also holds incredible danger if you don't respect its rules, and while I truly wanted to be safe by staying in sight of the lift and following all of the tracks, I ended up making a huge mistake that could have cost me so much more than just an hour of my day.
That being said, I still had a blast in Austria. I know you might think I'm crazy for saying that, but I ended up okay in the end, and I just thanked God a million times over for watching out for me. I know that I have so many people praying for my safety on this trip, and that was made even more obvious in both this case and in my next story. This one was also a "near-miss". Since we took the 4 AM train on Monday back to Prague (it was either that one, or we left the mountain at noon on Sunday to take the train back to Prague, leaving us with 2.5 hours of skiing on Sunday, which none of us liked). We stayed in the waiting area at the train station until 4 AM, getting absolutely no sleep, so when we got on the train, we were all anxious to sleep. However, I felt a little uneasy sleeping while all of our stuff was there, and although we were in a separate compartment with a closed door, if we were sleeping deeply enough, we would never hear someone come in. WELL. I decided to stay awake, but I was lying down on the bench seat with my purse right next to my face. Unfortunately, pure exhaustion caused me to slip into a doze. All of a sudden, I had the sensation that someone was standing over me, and I snapped my eyes open. All I see is the back of a very big guy headed out the door of our compartment with something purple under his arm. My purse. I leap out of my seat and race after him. I see him slip into a compartment next to ours and slide the door shut. Keep in mind, at this point, I had a major adrenaline rush, and I knew that nothing was going to keep me from getting that purse back. I yanked their compartment door open and (Mom, you'll have to forgive me for this, but this was not a time in my life to be nice) and screamed at the man to give me my purse back, sprinkling plenty of obscenities in there. By that time, he had passed my purse off to his buddy, and so I reached forward and ripped my purse out of the second man's hands. I think that I took both of them so by surprise that they didn't resist me as I yanked my purse back. I immediately raced out of their compartment and into the hallway, rifling through my purse to be sure that everything was there. It was. The conductor heard me screaming and came running, and although he assured me that he would get the police, as soon as he left to go the phone, the two bumbling thieves jumped out the door of the train and onto the snowy ground. From there, they tripped around and walked off into the fields. C'mon, this is Europe. Did you really think the police would help me much anyways? I am so glad I just got my purse back myself, otherwise I could have said goodbye to my passport, debit card, credit cards, ID, and camera. I normally keep those things in a wallet around my neck while out of Prague, but I hadn't planned on sleeping and had started putting things back in my purse. The other complication was that while I really wanted to stay in the hallway of the train and scream at those guys and (remember: adrenaline rush) punch them in the face, I also knew that none of us in our group were in a position to make the conductor notice us too much. That's because we unknowingly gave our ticket to Natalie when she left on Sunday (she didn't ski on Sunday). I though that since we had 5 sheets of paper, each one was a ticket, and so I gave her one. However, since we bought all the tickets together, only the top sheet of paper-the one I gave her-had our destination written on it. The others were basically worthless without that top sheet. So when the conductor came, she told us to get off the train or pay again (at least $50 for each of us). Luckily, I am nutty about being organized, and I had saved the receipt for those tickets. Although that said nothing about our destination on it, I think that the fact that I had a receipt was enough for her to let us stay. I think she also felt sorry for us. However, the next conductor didn't know that she had let us just stay on, so when he came wanting to talk to me about my purse, I said I was fine and didn't want to talk, in case he found out about our ticket situation.
I know that these two stories may make it sound as though my trip was horrible, but it really wasn't. I had two near-misses, but I pulled through them and feel stronger because of it. I also feel more aware of my safety, which is always a good thing to be reminded of! Anyways, it was a weekend of laughing and goofing off and making new friends, and whether it was Chelsey knocking wine bottles down at the grocery store as she swung her backpack on, or eating cheese strudel and apple strudel, or hearing from the man at the hotel counter that we couldn't pop popcorn in the microwave there because "that stuff veel grow and spread all over the microwave!! It could break my microwave!! Eet grows!", or getting free champagne our last night there, or just being together and bonding, it was the trip of a lifetime. I skied in the Alps baby!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Oh Paris, how I loved thee...
Home again, home again. That's honestly how I feel being back in Prague, which is actually a surprisingly wonderful feeling. As I mentioned in my last posts, I had started to grow tired of Prague in many ways because the new and exciting feeling had faded. However, leaving the city made me realize that I wasn't really growing tired of it, I was just starting to feel like it was home as I grew comfortable here. Of course I miss home back in Milwaukee, but I love it here as well. It's the people that I truly miss in Milwaukee, although I do miss the city itself too. I can't wait to be back home to go to a Brewers game, or stop at Buffalo Wild Wings, or go running along Lake Michigan...things like that! It was actually a little disorienting to be in Paris, because I was not only away from my real home, but I was also away from my temporary home, and Paris was a completely new experience altogether.
A new experience, as well as a fabulous one. Although many people have told me that the city "isn't all it's cracked up to be", "it's all hype"...I didn't feel that way at all. Paris has a lovely, romantic, and elusive spirit about it, and one that I eagerly tried to capture. I felt as though, at times, I was able to grab onto that spirit, and it was exciting. I am a lover of all things historical, and walking down the streets of Paris filled my mind with thoughts of who might have once walked here and what happened here. Prague is an incredibly old city, but unfortunately, it's never found anywhere in a Western history book, so when I came here, I didn't arrive with childhood dreams of what I wanted to see and do. Not so with Paris! (It's the same with Italy, I think, I am so excited to be going to cities like Venice and Rome!).
I traveled to Paris with a fellow AAU study abroad student, Madison, and luckily, we both had similar agendas for what we wanted to see. I got into everything except for the Eiffel Tower for free; the Louvre was free on Friday night to students, the Palace of Versailles was free because I was considered an EU student (thanks to that visa that caused me innumerable headaches in getting! I'm glad it was good for something.), and on the first Sunday of every month, the museums are free, so we went to see Centre Pompidou and Musee d'Orsay for free. Everything about the trip went incredibly smoothly from start to finish; I couldn't have asked for anything more. The sun was out most of the weekend, and although the wind could be bitterly cold, it was generally just sunny and chilly most of the time. I had never stayed in a hostel before this trip, and it turned out to be a great first experience. Our only trouble was with how cold our room got, but I slept with 3 blankets and did just fine =) Our hostel was almost all students, and we all would gather in the lounge and chat, exchanging travel tips, discounts, and restaurant ideas. Madison and I spent Saturday with two friends that I met at breakfast that morning; although I am quite extroverted, I have a hard time making initial contact with people, but that morning, I told myself that although Madison was sleeping still and I was alone coming to breakfast, I wouldn't eat alone. I sat down with a bunch of people, introduced myself, and started asking where everyone was from. I was proud of myself, because as I said, it's actually really difficult for me to initiate conversation with people I don't know. I'm working on that....and I'm glad that I did so, because I made new friends that we were then able to travel with.
Traveling to Versailles was our day trip on Saturday, and it was a great trip. The Palace of Versailles is stunningly gorgeous, and I can't believe that somebody built that to live in. I was blown away by the architecture and landscape, the colors and fabrics, the vibrancy and grandeur. I also loved thinking about the history of the Palace, and of what it must have been like that night that the French peasants broke through the gates of Versailles and dragged King Louis XVI back to Paris. I have always loved history, but I have a professor back at UW-Milwaukee that has especially piqued my interest in European history, and after having a course with him about the French Revolution last year, I really wanted to see Paris. It was so fun to imagine the history of both Versailles and Paris; I think that I could spend a couple years of my life living in Europe reading old history books in cute street cafes and be perfectly content.
Madison and I conquered the public transportation in Paris on the first day. Our first time on the metro, we felt overwhelmed, but after studying the metro map for a little while, we figured out the system. Then it made perfect sense. However, we had our fair share of squeezing underneath the turnstiles at the metro stations. For some reason, many of the tickets we bought would not work on the machines, even if we literally had just purchased them a few feet away from the turnstile. At first, we felt embarrassed squeezing through, but by the last day, we had become experts at it. Our tickets worked less than half the time, and besides, I will confess, the last day we were there, we were out of tickets and-not wanting to spend any more money-just slipped through the turnstiles every time we got there. Ah well... =)
The food in Paris was oh-so-good. We ate out a couple times, but we also went to the grocery store for some of our meals. I will admit, it's slightly easier to grocery shop when all the food names are in French as opposed to Czech, since French is so much more like English than Czech is. Anyways, while I knew that crepes were of course a classic French food, I had no idea that that would mean that it would be sold literally on every street corner. It was everywhere. And the Nutella craze was full-blown. There were containers of it being sold in the grocery store that were up to a liter in size. Number of calories = who cares? The stuff's delicious! And besides, I always had bananas with my Nutella, so it was a bit healthier ;-) I bought some brie there, and we munched on baguettes. I always found it funny when I'd see people walking on the street with their long baguettes poking out of the bag, tearing off pieces of bread as they went and munching it. Silly Parisians, that's why you keep your food safely in the bag all the way, so that you don't eat everything just on the walk home. I know I'd have everything polished off if my bread was sticking out like that in plain view, tempting me.
Speaking of the Parisians, either Madison and I got lucky, or the stereotype isn't right, but the people we met in Paris were incredibly nice. We had people stop on the street when they saw us with a map and ask us where we were trying to go. It was nice to realize that so many people spoke English, because while almost everybody under 30 speaks some English here in Prague, it gets difficult to find someone over 30 that speaks it. In summary, Paris was an absolute blast, it was a dream trip, and I am so glad that we did it. To be able to spend a 4-day weekend in Paris makes me feel incredibly lucky; a 90 minute plane ride and we were there! I know I'll be back someday, Paris. You were wonderful to me, and you were a gracious hostess. Expensive at times, yes, but so worth it!
A new experience, as well as a fabulous one. Although many people have told me that the city "isn't all it's cracked up to be", "it's all hype"...I didn't feel that way at all. Paris has a lovely, romantic, and elusive spirit about it, and one that I eagerly tried to capture. I felt as though, at times, I was able to grab onto that spirit, and it was exciting. I am a lover of all things historical, and walking down the streets of Paris filled my mind with thoughts of who might have once walked here and what happened here. Prague is an incredibly old city, but unfortunately, it's never found anywhere in a Western history book, so when I came here, I didn't arrive with childhood dreams of what I wanted to see and do. Not so with Paris! (It's the same with Italy, I think, I am so excited to be going to cities like Venice and Rome!).
I traveled to Paris with a fellow AAU study abroad student, Madison, and luckily, we both had similar agendas for what we wanted to see. I got into everything except for the Eiffel Tower for free; the Louvre was free on Friday night to students, the Palace of Versailles was free because I was considered an EU student (thanks to that visa that caused me innumerable headaches in getting! I'm glad it was good for something.), and on the first Sunday of every month, the museums are free, so we went to see Centre Pompidou and Musee d'Orsay for free. Everything about the trip went incredibly smoothly from start to finish; I couldn't have asked for anything more. The sun was out most of the weekend, and although the wind could be bitterly cold, it was generally just sunny and chilly most of the time. I had never stayed in a hostel before this trip, and it turned out to be a great first experience. Our only trouble was with how cold our room got, but I slept with 3 blankets and did just fine =) Our hostel was almost all students, and we all would gather in the lounge and chat, exchanging travel tips, discounts, and restaurant ideas. Madison and I spent Saturday with two friends that I met at breakfast that morning; although I am quite extroverted, I have a hard time making initial contact with people, but that morning, I told myself that although Madison was sleeping still and I was alone coming to breakfast, I wouldn't eat alone. I sat down with a bunch of people, introduced myself, and started asking where everyone was from. I was proud of myself, because as I said, it's actually really difficult for me to initiate conversation with people I don't know. I'm working on that....and I'm glad that I did so, because I made new friends that we were then able to travel with.
Traveling to Versailles was our day trip on Saturday, and it was a great trip. The Palace of Versailles is stunningly gorgeous, and I can't believe that somebody built that to live in. I was blown away by the architecture and landscape, the colors and fabrics, the vibrancy and grandeur. I also loved thinking about the history of the Palace, and of what it must have been like that night that the French peasants broke through the gates of Versailles and dragged King Louis XVI back to Paris. I have always loved history, but I have a professor back at UW-Milwaukee that has especially piqued my interest in European history, and after having a course with him about the French Revolution last year, I really wanted to see Paris. It was so fun to imagine the history of both Versailles and Paris; I think that I could spend a couple years of my life living in Europe reading old history books in cute street cafes and be perfectly content.
Madison and I conquered the public transportation in Paris on the first day. Our first time on the metro, we felt overwhelmed, but after studying the metro map for a little while, we figured out the system. Then it made perfect sense. However, we had our fair share of squeezing underneath the turnstiles at the metro stations. For some reason, many of the tickets we bought would not work on the machines, even if we literally had just purchased them a few feet away from the turnstile. At first, we felt embarrassed squeezing through, but by the last day, we had become experts at it. Our tickets worked less than half the time, and besides, I will confess, the last day we were there, we were out of tickets and-not wanting to spend any more money-just slipped through the turnstiles every time we got there. Ah well... =)
The food in Paris was oh-so-good. We ate out a couple times, but we also went to the grocery store for some of our meals. I will admit, it's slightly easier to grocery shop when all the food names are in French as opposed to Czech, since French is so much more like English than Czech is. Anyways, while I knew that crepes were of course a classic French food, I had no idea that that would mean that it would be sold literally on every street corner. It was everywhere. And the Nutella craze was full-blown. There were containers of it being sold in the grocery store that were up to a liter in size. Number of calories = who cares? The stuff's delicious! And besides, I always had bananas with my Nutella, so it was a bit healthier ;-) I bought some brie there, and we munched on baguettes. I always found it funny when I'd see people walking on the street with their long baguettes poking out of the bag, tearing off pieces of bread as they went and munching it. Silly Parisians, that's why you keep your food safely in the bag all the way, so that you don't eat everything just on the walk home. I know I'd have everything polished off if my bread was sticking out like that in plain view, tempting me.
Speaking of the Parisians, either Madison and I got lucky, or the stereotype isn't right, but the people we met in Paris were incredibly nice. We had people stop on the street when they saw us with a map and ask us where we were trying to go. It was nice to realize that so many people spoke English, because while almost everybody under 30 speaks some English here in Prague, it gets difficult to find someone over 30 that speaks it. In summary, Paris was an absolute blast, it was a dream trip, and I am so glad that we did it. To be able to spend a 4-day weekend in Paris makes me feel incredibly lucky; a 90 minute plane ride and we were there! I know I'll be back someday, Paris. You were wonderful to me, and you were a gracious hostess. Expensive at times, yes, but so worth it!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Forward, MARCH!
*I know I promised my controversial topic for this post, but I'm feeling way too chill right now for that. I apologize, I know that my eager audience may never forgive me, but heck, relax people, I'll get to it ;-) Enjoy the read:
Yep, it's March now, and (for me, at least), the first day of this month is already almost over. I think the weather read my last blog post, because it's been beautiful outside ever since I wrote that last post. I won't complain at all, I'm loving it! But I'm ready to start a new month here in Prague, and, in fact, I was eagerly looking forward to a fresh start. I had started to really feel pretty down by the end of the month, which was largely due to feeling sick, but also to feeling restless. February was something of a blur, in many respects, although there are many individual moments and emotions that I can distinctly remember from that month, and I doubt that I will soon forget them. I am so glad that I started this blog, because I will treasure the opportunity to look back over my posts and remember everything all over again.
I remember my first jet-lagged days here being so tough, and my sleep schedule was completely screwed up for the entire first two weeks. Now, I am obviously fully accustomed to my new schedule; my weekdays are packed full with school and internship activities, and now that March has started, my weekends will be all about traveling. I'm headed to Paris for four days this weekend, and I can't wait! But I love that I can navigate the grocery store now (although now I shop at Billa, there's no Tesco close by my new apartment), hop on the trams and metro with no problem, and make my way around. I remember how strange it felt my first day here, walking through Wenceslas Square, dragging my two suitcases over the cobblestone streets. When I had read in my travel book that Prague had cobblestone streets and sidewalks, I did not realize that the author meant that ALL the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone. Yikes. Needles to say, I've tried wearing heels around here once, and I don't think I'll be trying again anytime soon. It's a wobbly mess to navigate cobblestones with heels on. Anyways, the shuttle bus driver that dropped me off that first day made it seem as though where he dropped me off was only a few minutes from my apartment. Yeah right, buddy. You try dragging all that luggage around a new city for blocks and blocks with only a faint idea of where you were going. Thank God for the two sweet girls who gave me directions and helped me with my bags! Sometimes I think it's a miracle that I survived those first several days here. No, it was definitely a miracle. So many things fell perfectly into place time after time, and things continue to flow so smoothly. I can't believe that I'll be home in 3 short months.
I got all moved into my new apartment with no problem, and I like it here. I haven't shared a room with somebody like I am now since I was 13 years old, when I was sharing a room with my younger brother Joe. It's definitely an adjustment, because I have gotten so used to my own schedule, but my roommate, Anna, is very sweet, and she's excited to have somebody to practice her English with. It's been interesting so far with us trying to communicate, because her English is fair, and I have to remember to slow down when I'm speaking so that I can be understood :-)
I still am not back into "school" mode, so to speak. Back home, I study and do homework constantly, but here, my classes are largely focused on the midterm and final exam, with a paper or presentation maybe scattered into the semester somewhere. I had a presentation tonight, which went well. I think it's safe to say it went well, because my professor walked over to me at the end of class while everyone was still packing up and told me, "Hey, you got an A. Good job." Pretty relaxed, but I'll take it! It just feels unnatural to be doing my readings and such, because I feel as though I should be on break, since I'm not at UWM. Anyways, I've been attending every class, and participating, so when those exams arrive, I'm sure that I will study hard and be fine. It's just a completely different feel for me.
I miss you all back home and love you very much! I'll be seeing you before you know it =)
Yep, it's March now, and (for me, at least), the first day of this month is already almost over. I think the weather read my last blog post, because it's been beautiful outside ever since I wrote that last post. I won't complain at all, I'm loving it! But I'm ready to start a new month here in Prague, and, in fact, I was eagerly looking forward to a fresh start. I had started to really feel pretty down by the end of the month, which was largely due to feeling sick, but also to feeling restless. February was something of a blur, in many respects, although there are many individual moments and emotions that I can distinctly remember from that month, and I doubt that I will soon forget them. I am so glad that I started this blog, because I will treasure the opportunity to look back over my posts and remember everything all over again.
I remember my first jet-lagged days here being so tough, and my sleep schedule was completely screwed up for the entire first two weeks. Now, I am obviously fully accustomed to my new schedule; my weekdays are packed full with school and internship activities, and now that March has started, my weekends will be all about traveling. I'm headed to Paris for four days this weekend, and I can't wait! But I love that I can navigate the grocery store now (although now I shop at Billa, there's no Tesco close by my new apartment), hop on the trams and metro with no problem, and make my way around. I remember how strange it felt my first day here, walking through Wenceslas Square, dragging my two suitcases over the cobblestone streets. When I had read in my travel book that Prague had cobblestone streets and sidewalks, I did not realize that the author meant that ALL the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone. Yikes. Needles to say, I've tried wearing heels around here once, and I don't think I'll be trying again anytime soon. It's a wobbly mess to navigate cobblestones with heels on. Anyways, the shuttle bus driver that dropped me off that first day made it seem as though where he dropped me off was only a few minutes from my apartment. Yeah right, buddy. You try dragging all that luggage around a new city for blocks and blocks with only a faint idea of where you were going. Thank God for the two sweet girls who gave me directions and helped me with my bags! Sometimes I think it's a miracle that I survived those first several days here. No, it was definitely a miracle. So many things fell perfectly into place time after time, and things continue to flow so smoothly. I can't believe that I'll be home in 3 short months.
I got all moved into my new apartment with no problem, and I like it here. I haven't shared a room with somebody like I am now since I was 13 years old, when I was sharing a room with my younger brother Joe. It's definitely an adjustment, because I have gotten so used to my own schedule, but my roommate, Anna, is very sweet, and she's excited to have somebody to practice her English with. It's been interesting so far with us trying to communicate, because her English is fair, and I have to remember to slow down when I'm speaking so that I can be understood :-)
I still am not back into "school" mode, so to speak. Back home, I study and do homework constantly, but here, my classes are largely focused on the midterm and final exam, with a paper or presentation maybe scattered into the semester somewhere. I had a presentation tonight, which went well. I think it's safe to say it went well, because my professor walked over to me at the end of class while everyone was still packing up and told me, "Hey, you got an A. Good job." Pretty relaxed, but I'll take it! It just feels unnatural to be doing my readings and such, because I feel as though I should be on break, since I'm not at UWM. Anyways, I've been attending every class, and participating, so when those exams arrive, I'm sure that I will study hard and be fine. It's just a completely different feel for me.
I miss you all back home and love you very much! I'll be seeing you before you know it =)
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