Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Nové Mêsto pod Smrken


Since Friday, September 21st, I've been in a small town called Nove Mêsto pod Smerken in the Czech Republic.  My group (Taylor, Emily, and I), took a wonderful coach bus to a town called Liberec.  From there we transferred to a train that took us to our final destination.  I always wondered what it would be like to travel on a train in a foreign country, riding through the countryside.  It did not disappoint.  The view was amazing, and each town we passed had a small little train station terminal and a couple buildings and houses that were the base for the town.  Otherwise, when we weren't passing quickly through the towns, we were in the mountains, riding under tunnels and picking out different livestock in the distance.  After about an hour on the train, we finally pulled up to the last stop: Nove Mêsto pod Smerken.  It was the last stop on the train because any further, and we would be in Poland.  That's how close to the border we were.  Anyways, we get off the train, and we are greeted by two French assistants, Tibaud and Sandra, who are volunteers at the 'House of Children,' where we were volunteering during our stay.  We walked with them to the 'House of Children' and as you can see from the picture, it is just a normal house, used for the children as an after school program.  The purpose of the organization is to give children and students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and participation in different areas of study, such as art, beekeeping, computer study, and sport activities.

The House of Children, where we slept and participated for the trip.
So on the first day, we brought our belongings to the house, and met a group of boys upstairs in the meeting room.  They ranged from ages 8-15 years old, some of them knowing only basic English words, others knowing a better range of English words and phrases.  They had a nice welcome meal, goulash and potatoes (again), and a little English introduction.  It was nice to learn a little bit about them and see how good their English was.  

Emily, Me, & Taylor walking around the town in an open field.
For the rest of Friday night, we spent our time with Tibaud, Sandra, and their other French friend Lucas.  We went to a pub around 8:30pm and stayed there until at least 12:30am, drinking beer after beer, making small talk with the locals, and singing Czech songs at the top of our lungs in the pub.  It was exactly how I imagined a small, local foreign pub to be, talking in Czech, downing beers, and aggressively playing the accordion.  The "funny man" of the night was a gentleman who clearly still thought it was the 1980s and rocked a mullet.  He did the BEST Adolf Hilter impression I have ever seen.  I have video of it, and I will try to upload it at another point so everyone can hear me cracking up as he is screaming German. It was one of the highlights of that night.

Saturday was a relaxing day. We slept in a bit, and started drinking at one of the pubs again around noon.  I didn't have that much because I was still kind of hungover from the night before.  Then, my group and our new French friends took a bus to the next town over, walked around there, and enjoyed the sights.  It was a quaint little town with a beautiful church and a nice little stream that flowed behind the church.  The afternoon was calm, and we were able to walk all around town in just a couple of minutes. We headed back before the sun set and had a nice dinner.  The night portion was interesting because we attended an "underground" discotheque, where they played cool Czech music, and people were dancing and enjoying the night. 

The church a town over from Nové Mêsto.
One thing you that I learned about the small towns on the outskirts of the Czech Republic is that they are very small, and therefore, the people know everyone who is anyone.  It was rumored that we Americans were the talk of the town because if anything happens in the town, everyone knows about it because the community is so small.  Over the time we spent here in this town, I'm pretty sure we met everyone in the town at one point or another.  We definitely met all the children, which was nice because they would wave whenever we walked around the town.

Sunday was the most active day since I came to the Czech Republic.  We all woke up around 9:00am, and met the boys from the "House of Children" around 10:00am to go hiking.  It was a gorgeous day, and we hiked all the way up to the highest mountain in the area.  We started at 10:30am and got back at 4:30pm.  The mountain was beautiful, with many trees and streams going through the paths.  We hiked up very steep portions of the trails, and made it to the top around 1:00. The height of the mountain was 5,550 feet above sea level, which means my legs were going to hurt 5,550 times more. I was happy to reach the top, because I love nature and scenery.  It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.  Just feet away was the Poland border and you could see a bunch of mountains in the distance.  The sky was so clear and the sun felt nice on my skin.  It was nice to get a little tan again.  Once the sight-seeing was over, we tracked our way back down the mountain, safe and sound.  I went straight to the shower and laid in bed for the rest of the night with Emily and Taylor.

Me, Emily, and Taylor hiking midway up the mountain. Beautiful view in the background.

Me at the top viewpoint of the mountain, 5,550 feet later.

The view of Poland, literally just feet away from the top.

The whole group together for a nice picture.

Monday & Tuesday were our last full days in the town, and we were able to get a chance teaching in the local schools.  We attended the primary school, the secondary school, and the special school for a visit.  The first two schools we went and taught English to the children.  They were very happy to have visitors from America, especially New York. We went from classroom to classroom teaching some basic letters, animals, and phrases in English (i,e, the letters A,B,C,D,E, my name is… i am 20 years old… I am from New York,,, dog, cat, duck, elephant). The secondary school was a little bit more advanced in that we were able to talk about favorite movies, colors, what do you want to be when you grow up, and how many family members do you have?  The special school was for children who don't have much money and need help increasing their IQs.  There, we sang some songs and played a few games with the whole school.  It was a very rewarding experience.  Many of the children we encountered came up to us after the lesson and said thank you, and wanted pictures with us.  Some even wanted to be my Facebook friend, haha.

The primary school classroom with the 3rd graders. We taught them basic alphabet letters and animals in English.

Emily & I with the special school children. Such a great experience.

Our last day on Tuesday was nice because we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening and relax.  Emily and I got a bottle of wine, hiked up a mountain nearby, grabbed a blanket, and overlooked the town as we drank wine on a grass field.  It was very relaxing and breath taking. The night ended with us saying goodbye to the boys and talking about some cultural topics and how we can stay connected in the future to see how things are changing.  It was definitely a heartfelt goodbye to them, as they have been very hospitable and gracious for showing us their town and their community.
I sit now on the bus back to Prague, where I will meet up with the rest of my colleagues, and head to the southern border of the Czech Republic for a little debrief until Friday. The town is called Česky Krumlov, a heavy populated city in South Bohemia, near the Austrian border.


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Feels Like A High School Routine

When I was in high school at St. John the Baptist D.H.S. on Long Island, I was in the prime of my studies.  I woke up around 5:45am just so I could get going and be on time for school.  My day consisted on 9 periods, most of which were subjects in the honors, advanced placement, and elective courses.  I'll never forget how junior year was the hardest year of all. I came home after a long day, and did homework non-stop. It was a busy routine for me, trying to balance after school clubs, organizations, community service, soccer, and seeing my friends.  Since those high school days, college has been a bit easier.  The workload is more dense, but I'm not spending 3/4 of my day with school and work.  Prague is a bit different.

This week really kicked my butt into gear.  I find myself waking up at 7:30am to get ready and commute to class.  My commute takes me a while, so I put on my headphones and read books that are assigned to us on a weekly basis.  I get to class, and I don't stop until later in the day.  The previous post contains a brief class schedule throughout the day.  By the time I get back to my home stay, it's about 5:00pm.  So I go say hi to my host family, ask them about their days, and walk upstairs to my room where I really don't come out until later in the night.  Most of the time I'm writing and reading, other times I'll take about an hour to relax and catch my breath (a.k.a. Facebook, Gmail, PerezHilton, NYTimes, the social/gossip/news update).  Then it's back to work until 11:00pm rolls around and I'm done with most of my work.  I don't mind the routine, it's just something that I haven't been used to in a while.  I'm happy that I'm being much more productive, and it may inspire me to keep the routine going when I return to Providence.  Since my papers are complete, my reading is done, and the homework assignments are completed for the week, this upcoming excursion couldn't have come at a better time.

Tomorrow, Friday, I will be heading to Nové Mêsto pod Smrkem, a community in the northern region of the Czech Republic and only a couple miles away from the Poland border.  It is 4 hours away from Prague by bus and train.  Below is a picture of the location, just to give you an idea:



This is my first excursion here in the SIT program, and my colleagues and I have been separated into three groups to be sent in different regions of the Czech Republic.  So tomorrow, Taylor, Emily, and I will be going to this location until Wednesday.  The objective of the regional stay is to incorporate the cross-cultural knowledge and experience in and around the community, and to observe the communication within the community.  To get an idea of what Taylor, Emily, and I will be doing, here is a direct description from our coordinator: 

"The program includes taking part in workshops for the little Beekeepers, mainly boys who take part in the ROROS programs; attending a local wedding; hikes in the local mountain area; leading an English class at a so-called, Special school - primary school or younger kids; as well as the regular school where you will have lunch at the school canteen; and a dinner at the home of the boys. Research the Jizerky Mountains to get a sense for the physical environment of the northern borderland."

I look forward to this excursion and experience (especially getting away from the center of Prague for a while).  I will try to update if I can, but technology is not recommended while I'm there.  I will have my international phone (420 775 545 194) and my iPhone (only gets WiFi) just in case.  So for now I won't have an update until later, but I hope to come back with a lot of stories and pictures from my regional stay. Ahoj!

P.S. Shoutout to my Mema! It is her birthday this Saturday and I love her and miss her very much! Guess I'll celebrate with you, Mema, when I get back! Babylon Express drinks on me!



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Speed of Sound

I'm due for an update, big time.  It's been approximately a week since I last blogged, and much has happened here in Prague since.

To give you an overview, I had my first full week of classes last week. My schedule follows along the lines of:

Monday 9:30-2:30
Tuesday 9:30-2:30
Wednesday 12:30-4:30
Thursday 9:30-2:30
Friday 9:30-4:30 (the longest day)

As for my classes, they are going very well.  All of them are interesting and Czech-based, giving me the opportunity to learn the historical part about society, art, theatre, government, politics, literature, and film.  I've visited some more museums, low-key galleries, film locations, and events in Prague.

This past weekend, I saw some interesting pieces of artwork at the National Gallery Museum as apart of my art history lecture. Below are some of the pictures I took:

 Me standing in front of a giant painting.
 Florescent light artwork.
Camouflage painting.

Saturday I visited a festival held on a psychiatric campus, where I toured the facilities that the patients use for leisure activities and assistance.  There was a wide variety of buildings and booths with things to purchase.  My reasoning for attending was to understand the festivals purpose of being held on a psychiatric campus.  It is in order to eliminate the social stigma that comes with those who have mental illnesses. I think I contributed to that stigma, but my view has changed since the tour:

My "I'm at a psychiatric facility" pose.

Saturday night, I attended my first Czech wedding.  That's right, a wedding. It was Jana and Petr's cousin's son who was getting married.  I wanted to see if there was a difference in traditional Czech weddings, and American weddings.  Although there isn't anything too different about the weddings, there are very interesting social interactions that take place during the course of the reception (games, raffle prizes, outdoor grilling, and American rock music dancing). Below is a picture of JANA & PETR with the bride and groom.  I put their names in all caps because I haven't posted a picture of what my host parents look like:

Petr, the groom, the bride, and Jana at the wedding.
A huge display of desserts made by Jana. She can bake. Someone needs to get her a cooking show.


Lastly, I'll end with Sunday. COLDPLAY. I went to the concert in an outdoor soccer stadium, and it was AMAZING. The stage was beautiful, the lights were awesome, and the crowd was packed and excited.  Coldplay came on around 8:30 and put on a firework show with light up radio activated bracelets that flashed to the stream of the music.  It was incredible.  One of the best concerts I've been to because they were so amazing live (both entertaining and vocally). Below is the link to a video that I recorded in the opening of the concert setlist. Enjoy! I'll have much more to post tomorrow about some exciting upcoming plans!



Monday, September 10, 2012

A Little Town Called Modrany

Sorry I haven't been updating the past couple of days, a lot has happened since I had that dinner with my host parents and walked across the Charles Bridge at night.

So Saturday (September 8th), I woke up for the last time in my hotel room with Tom and Dan.  I got all my belongings together, and headed downstairs for breakfast. Pickup time for us students was around 10:00am.  Petr was there on the dot. I took my big orange-colored suitcase, my duffle bag, and my backpack and put it in his car.  We drove for about 25 minutes south of the city center, driving along the Charles River.  He was showing me different sights, like old factories, water sources, tram stops, etc.  He even pointed out my bus stop and my tram stop for when I commute to class from now on.  Well, I arrived at the house, and all I can say is that it's beautiful! Here is a picture:


There is the first floor, where Jana's mother and father live. And I need to take off my shoes and put on slippers as it is a Czech tradition to do so. Up the stairs is the main floor of the house, with a kitchen, dining area, living room, and an outdoor patio.  Midway up the next flight of stairs are offices, and at the top of the house (with the brown roof part) are the bedrooms. I have a nice, comfortable room, with shelves, a desk, a mirror, and cabinets for my clothes.  The bed is really nice, and I have a pretty skylight view.

So that's the tour of the house, and I was able to unpack my things, and I was given a big lunch for my welcome.  Me, Petr, Jana, a family friend, and Jan (the youngest son, 25), sat down on the outdoor patio and feasted. It was so good and I definitely developed a food baby after that meal.  To continue, I finished unpacking, exploring the house, and later that evening, Petr took me by bus & tram into the city at night for a walk and a drink.  It was very nice and we even witnessed a marathon going throughout the city.  He showed me some more sights and landmarks, then we headed home because it was getting late. End of Saturday.

Sunday (September 9th), was a very active day for me.  It was the first time I was able to get some good sleep, so I slept a little late, then got some reading done.  I walked downstairs, had a bite to eat for lunch, and was invited to go biking with Petr around the neighborhood.  Woah, did we go around the neighborhood indeed. I was given a nice bike, seat hoisted up, helmet on, and off we went. He showed me all the trails, and many meadows that I could bike through, all which seemed so nice to get out and be active in the sun.  It was about 80 degrees and we went everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Through golf courses, along two rivers, to the playground, on a bike path, into 3 towns, stopped at 3 pitstops, visited a skate park, my tram stop, then biked up and down two hills, and saw a grass-based airport on the top. Altogether I would definitely say it was around 20 miles. I was beat. Exhausted. Tired. And worn out. It was so worth the trip, but I went back, showered, and fell asleep.  It was great bonding time with my host dad, and I know that my dad at home would really appreciate the bike trail I accomplished. So then, I decided to do some laundry before dinner, and the laundry here is also different.  I put a load of clothes in, and once it was done, I had to hand each article of clothing up individually on a clothespin rack outside. Timely, but entertaining.

Today (Monday the 10th), was the first day of full classes. I didn't get much sleep because I spent most of my night hunting down insects in my room (TIP: DO NOT leave your skylight window open during the night, the creepiest, disgusting, harmful insects will appear). So with about 3 hours of sleep, I woke up slowly, got dressed, and headed to the bus station.  From there I hop on a bus, take it 2 stops, then transfer to a tram.  The tram ride is about 25 minutes, then i arrive at the stop near my school. I got a quick espresso to start my day, then it was off to Literature.  We talked about the novel "Amerika" written by Franz Kafka, and transitioned to Theatre in the afternoon lecture.  It was a most successful day, and I might say that I grabbed a quick treat in the Town Square after school and walked around to "take in the day." A great end to a great day. Oh, and my laundry was all dry by the time I got home, but I went and ironed every single thing because the air dry wrinkles everything. Haha. Well, if you're still reading, thanks for catching up, and I'll keep you updated throughout the week about my studies and trips.

NOTE: COLDPLAY is in 6 days in Prague. I'm preparing my Coldplay playlist for my commute this week.


Friday, September 7, 2012

First Week, Czech!

As my first week comes to a close, it's time for me to move on and start an official routine for my stay here in Prague. First off, let me say that Bassnectar was mind-blowing, loud, and insane. Halfway through the concert, my ears were literally in pain from the bass that was going through my body.  I thought I was going to be deaf by the end.  His hair was quite something too (just thought I should comment on it, due to the fact he looks like a heavy metal male rupunzel). Anyway, I got home at a decent time last night, but waking up was hard this morning.
Once out of bed, I was good to go.  Went to school and had my last Czech lesson for the week.  Interesting fact: My Czech teacher, Martina, is a popular Czech singer, who has a beautiful voice.  I'm getting a copy of her CD right away.  After Czech lessons, we had our first Czech Civil Society class with a very interesting teacher.  He was very enthusiastic about the Czech Republic and its' history, which made it very interesting for me.  I have a list of facts I wanted to write, but I'll save that for another blog post. 

Once school was over, it was back to the hotel to get ready for the formal dinner with my host family.  I got ready, put on some nice darker jeans, a belt, my new J.Crew blue button down shirt, and my brown/blue knit striped tie.  Trying to make a good first impression, I really wasn't that nervous until I was sitting in the chair at the restaurant, waiting for them to walk through the doorway.  This was going to be the first time I was meeting the family that was going to invite me into their home for a semester: making my meals, introducing me into their home, customs, routines, and travels. Scary, but exciting.

They walked in, Petr and Jana (pronounced Peet-ter and Yah-nah), so cheery and welcoming.  I was greeted right away, and we all sat down at a table and talked for the evening.  They live away from the center of Prague, and have a lot of family.  (I can't give much information away, as it might be rude to post something without permission) So what I can say, is that, we talked about studies, hobbies, family, travel, cooking, history, and some other things. It was very nerve-racking, but exciting at the same time.  I am very happy with them, and I cannot wait to move in tomorrow.  They are coming to pick me up in the morning, from the hotel, and then I will stay with them for the rest of my stay. Amazing.

I ended my evening the right way, with a walk across the Charles Bridge at night.  It was my first time walking along the bridge and seeing the castle lit up at night, so I wanted to go by myself. It was breath-taking. Outstanding. It was the perfect temperature out, beautiful sky, reflection in the river, and a magnificent castle in the distance.  It was so liberating, and beautiful. Just the cherry on top of a perfect night. Enjoy the photo I took on Instagram below, tomorrow I move into my new home.


Thursday, September 6, 2012

A Little Czech Won't Hurt

Dobry den! (Good day!) It has been quite an educational past three days here in Prague.  We have started our Czech lessons and we are slowly making our way through the syllabi and onto our actual course study.  Every morning I wake up around 8:30, hop in the shower, and meet everyone downstairs in the hotel for a quick breakfast.  The breakfast doesn't have much variety, but it's free, and it's food. From there, we leave for the metro around 9:15 and arrive at school around 10:00.  Czech lessons go from 10:00-12:00 and then we get a break for lunch.  From 1:30-3:30 we have lectures on our courses and go over our syllabi.  It's been pretty interesting, but nothing new when we go over the syllabi.  A lot of information was definitely thrown at us in these past couple of days.  Once this week is over, classes will officially go into work mode, which is a good thing.  On Tuesday night, in the evening we saw a modern dance performance.  Very different. Very intense. Very emotional.  It was something really different that I have not seen, and showed me a different type of dance that was unusual to someone who doesn't see many dance performances.  Last night, Wednesday, we saw (probably the first and only show I'll see) a pantomime show (yes, with mimes with painted faces who don't talk).  That was quite interesting as well.

After our evening performances, some of us like to go and just grab a quick beer/drink before heading back to the hotel. And then the day starts over again.

Today, škola (school) was good. But the highlight today was finding out information on my homestay family!!! Tomorrow, I will meet them for a formal dinner, and Saturday I shall move into their home.  I am living in Praha 4, approximately 50 minutes away from school.  The mother and father are named Jana and Petr, both who are very active and adventurous.  They have 4 children, all whom are grown up, ranging from 24-31 years old.  They have a lot of family, including some grandchildren, the grandparents live in the same building, but not in the same home, and many members of the family come to visit often.  It seems very interesting and I can't wait to meet them tomorrow night! So much to learn! So much to know!

Anyways, that's all the information I can give right now.  Until then, enjoy this clip of Bassnectar, a DJ that I will be seeing tonight in the city of Prague. Ahoj!

Bassnectar European Tour Teaser


Monday, September 3, 2012

Being That Tour Group

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, this morning was off to a good start. The nicest day so far, we ventured onto the metro to get to our first stop.  An underground performance/tea cafe center where we will have most of our seminars.  We arrived and sat in a circle to talk a little bit more about our background, major, and some of our values (a more intense get-to-know-you) gathering.

Circled together for a little bit, more personal introduction.

With that, we began our 'american tour,' where we traveled throughout the city looking at all the touristy buildings and sights.  There were so many tourists our today, but we tried to blend in as much as possible, trying not to get bugged by the sellers and tourist traps.  We started in Wenceslas Square, where many of the protests and demonstrations occurred in 1989 and thereon. It was a beautiful strip, however we didn't continue down to the very end. 
Wenceslas Square.

Instead, we went towards the Old Town Square, a place me, Taylor, and Emily walked by briefly.  It was very full of people, cafes, shops, and sight-seers.  One of the highlights for me was the Old Town City Hall and the Astronomical Clock. It was a very gothic themed building.


Old Town Square.

Astronomical Clock.

We got to see many buildings from different eras, such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Medieval buildings.  They were all pretty much scattered throughout the city and the Old Town Square.  We went from building to building, exploring the architecture, the framing of the building, and the color/design coordination that is portrayed for the era it was built in.  Very fascinating, but I think it was definitely a lot for me to consume in one day (as far as art history goes).  Aside from that, we enjoyed the walk, the touring, and the adventure in the heart of the city today.  It was very interesting to see the streets and the city more busy on a weekday than on the weekend. 

Now, I lay back at the hotel lobby, typing away on this blog.  It's about 11:06 am back in New York, and my afternoon is just coming to a close.  I'm probably going to rest for a bit before we go out to dinner and maybe find a place that has a bigger scene. Wooo Prague nightlife!


Old Town Square on this beautiful day. A little more crowded.

Into the City

Ahoj everyone. I'm writing to you at 9:15am this morning and updating everyone about my day yesterday. It was quite exhausting with the many cultural encounters I came across.  Breakfast at the hotel is very limited, so I chose the healthy way with yogurt, granola, and a hard boiled egg.  From there, the ten of us took the metro (which is VERY easy to use) to our classroom.  The metro stations here each have a beautiful theme to its architecture.  The main station near the hotel looks like something our of LEGOworld if you ask me:


Cool huh? So we get to our classroom (a three story flat) that was turned into a study workshop for us. There is a kitchen, a bathroom, two classrooms, a meeting area, a computer work station, a greenroom, a project room, and a balcony on the top of the roof. Very beautiful. Beneath the school/apartment flat is one of the best bakery's/cafe's in Prague.  With it's elegant yet simple lighting, it has beautiful delectable desserts, and great smelling coffee.  In the back, there is a small courtyard with a lot of greenery (trees, plants, shrubs, and vines tangling up the walls) and a small fish pond.  Here is a view of the courtyard from the balcony of the classroom:


From the school, we went to lunch at a very nice restaurant.  It had a selection of italian foods that were quite good.  I had a really nice espresso machiatto, with some shrimp and cherry tomato risotto.  Once we were finished with lunch, we were split up into groups and sent on a 'scavenger hunt' into the city to look at different art and architectural buildings.  Me, Emily, and Taylor were sent into the heart of the city to visit a more modern, art/club full of different collections of art (including some floating sketches above the ground, and a projector room with several Polish videos and documentaries playing).  From there we sat at the bar, had a drink, and reflected on the artwork.  Our next stop was the National Theatre. So we decided to walk along the lovely cobblestoned streets to get there, walking alongside the Charles River.  It was closed for renovation, but still a very big and historical piece of the city that was interesting to see. Here are just a few pictures of my day to sum up a couple things:



Beautiful walkway through the city. Right near 'The Roxy' modern/art club.


Classic touristy photo in the old town square. 

After we finished our 'scavenger hunt,' we ended up at Letni Letna (a carnival here in Prague).  It wasn't like the carnival that we American's immediately think of. It was more of a laid back shop/drink/eat/lots of tents feel.  There were a couple activities to do, but it was more about the cultural atmosphere and the celebration of family and friends.  There was also a really nice acrobatic performance at the carnival.  From there we all decided we were hungry, so we tried somewhere different. It was called Klub Architektů, a restaurant in an underground cellar with a metallic bronze setting.  It was a little more pricy, but very cool.  We ordered a few drinks, and I ordered the meal pictured below:


My dinner: some turkey schnitzel.

It was very tasty.  As the night came to a close, we hopped on the tram, got lost, hopped on the metro, got lost, and then found our stop and went back to the hotel.  It was quite an adventure. But tomorrow seems promising as we go deeper into the city.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Touchdown

After many hours of traveling, I have finally landed in the beautiful city of Prague.  My flight on British Airways to London was very pleasant.  Takeoff was smooth and the flight service was much better than anything US Airlines has to provide.  With a very delicious menu, I got my tray a little bit after takeoff, accompanying the meal with some Coke and rum.  It was just the perfect thing to send me to sleep, that is, after an episode or two of Modern Family that the flight also provided.  With the spacious leg room, the small pillow, blanket, and socks BA gave, I dozed off for a bit, not getting the best sleep, but just enough. We landed in London around 3:00am EST (8:00am in London).  I had to take a bus to a different terminal, but let me tell you, I have always been impressed by London's cleanliness for their public transportation. Anyways, I got to the terminal, and I felt like I was at Walt Whitman Mall on Long Island.  Gorgeous hardwood floors, decadent accent lighting, comfy lounge areas, a beautiful Starbucks, Harrods, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Ferragamo, Burberry, etc. I said to myself "I should fly to London more often." So, I get to the next gate, and hopped on a flight from London to Prague.  This flight wasn't as comfortable as the first flight. My seat didn't recline, I was stuck next to a big man, and I couldn't fall asleep.  Not to mention, there was barely any leg room on this flight.  The guy in front of me was practically sitting in my lap.  Well, the main result was that I landed safely in Prague around 1:45pm CET.  I walked through customs like I was a Czech citizen already, and went to baggage claim.  I was lucky enough that, my tangerine colored bag was the first bag to come out of the claim.  Once I had my luggage, I met two other students on the program, Deanna and Dan.  Deanna is very charming and actually lives 30 minutes away from me on Long Island. Dan however, is from Illinois, and goes to school in Washington.  So we are greeted by Lenka, our head homestay coordinator for the program.  And off we go, in a taxi, into the city of Prague.

Driving through the city is very relaxing.  A lot of pastel colored buildings, and cobblestone everywhere.  It was quite a maze to drive through all the streets to get to our hotel that we are staying at for our orientation week.  The hotel is nice, located right on the corner of a small intersection in District 2 of Prague.  It's called the City Bell Hotel.  I walked in, got my care package and materials for orientation, and checked into my room with Dan.  There are only three guys (including myself) on the program, so we are all in a room together (spacious, and with a nice view).  I walked around with Dan and Deanna, just roaming some of the streets near the hotel before we had to meet up with everyone for dinner.

The streets are quite empty, but the buildings are beautiful.  Once we all met up for dinner, we met the head administrator of the program, Sarah.  She talked to us about some of our care package materials and answered some lingering questions.  What I found out was this:

  • We are given a metro pass, a student identification card, some Czech currency already, and a phone.
  • MY NUMBER IS: 420 775 545 194
  • I answered some more questions with Lenka about my homestay preferences.
  • We have a tight schedule for this orientation week. (Tomorrow, we are going to visit the school where we are studying, some of the city sights, and attending a big carnival/festival in the evening).
So my first official Czech meal was something I ordered off the menu, called traditional czech pan.  It consisted of little gnocchi, shredded bacon and beef, with potatoes, in a light vinegar cream sauce.  I also ordered my first Czech beer: Staropramen, a drought beer that tasted like very classy keg beer. It wasn't very strong to drink, and I enjoyed it very much with my meal. Below is a picture I took of my meal:


So we all finished our dinner, drinks, and dessert, and the 10 of us (total in the group) went on a nice walk as the night came upon us.  We made one more stop at a bar/pub across the street from the hotel to tip off our day. I know that there are going to be many memories with this group that I won't forget. 

So off on a busy schedule tomorrow I go, and I will keep you all posted about the days to come. Below is a picture of the group on my camera:

(From left to right: Allie, Dan, Deanna, Me, Alex, Emily, Taylor, Tom, Audrey, and Dora)


No Looking Back

The time has finally come, I'm packed with my big tangerine colored suitcase, my stylish Louis Vuitton duffle bag, and my backpack filled to the max. The past 24 hours have been full of family bonding, friendly visits, and many laughs, all which have ended with hugs, tears, and kisses goodbye. It was sad to say goodbye to my loved ones (even those I got to see up at Providence College last week), but I'm ready.

Sitting here in the JFK New York airport, I'm patiently waiting my boarding call. I chose a nice seat facing west, right near the window so I can watch the sunset. There is a HUGE British Airways aircraft to the right of my view, two floors high, and looking so magnificent. I can only think back to the modern family episode where they are going to Hawaii and Claire Dunphy hugs her youngest Luke, saying, "I will never get tired of this", something my mom would say to me. Then Luke says, "Hey mom, wouldn't it be funny if our plane got caught in a huge storm and we crash landed onto a desert island, like in LOST?" It gets me every time, especially since I was such a HUGE LOST fan. However, I'm not traveling with my family, or anyone I know for that matter. Just me.

I've been given a lot of advice about my travels, and I will take all of that to heart, along with the memories I've made this summer. So many good moments, and relationships that I was able to develop and draw closer to me. As the summer comes to a close for me, I'm happy with everything I've accomplished. But it's time for me to keep moving forward, and that means no looking back.

I'm just a few minutes away from walking through that gate onto my flight. It's like a rollercoaster, once you're strapped in, there's no looking back. And I'm not. I'm excited for what's ahead. So, see ya New York, it's been real, and AHOJ PRAGUE!