Week 1 Update

This is again a longer post, but far less wordy. I would have posted two blogs, but my internet stopped working Tuesday/Wednesday. 

So I will begin with random facts. So I found out that I am living on the smallest street in Prague. My roommate Kelsey is also Jewish! We are planning a Passover Sedar lol. The weather has been VERY COLD and crazy here. It was nice and dry when I arrived on Saturday. It snowed on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday it was windy and rainy, snowed again on Wednesday, Thursday was what I am calling 'snow flakes', we tried to take a photo, but it didn't show up but this snow was really light and every time it landed on my hat, jacket etc it would leave kind of like a snowflake flake-like impression -->* Friday was the first day it was actually nice and I saw the sun! (still cold tho <30 degrees Fahrenheit). As for food we went to the grocery got some food, but cooking with out an oven or a stove and only one hot plate you have to share with 4 people is always difficult around dinner time. Finding things you need like brown sugar is always an adventure. I also don't think fat free milk exists :'( I have been trying various place around campus for lunch. There is a shop near the school and the owner is American, so he speaks English! Which is awesome and he's super nice. I also discovered on Thursday there is a cafeteria-go figure! The food is surprisingly cheap and good! I got potatoes and fried chicken not like KFC style you are think. Food here in Prague is so much cheaper than in California. You can buy a medium cheese pizza for like $5. The Czech Republic is a very coin based country and the coins are a lot heavier that in the US too.

Czech Currency

Cafeteria Lunch

So begins the Czech Extensive Course and by extensive they mean extensive. So think back to Spanish 1 or French 1 or whatever language you took and all that you learned. Well we are learning all that in 2 weeks. So yeah it’s kinda overkill. So far we have learned simple phrases/conversations like how are you, what’s your name, where are you from etc. We also learned numbers, colors, food, verb tenses and much more. We had a quiz on Wednesday and I have another one on Monday. Next week is our final week of class for the Czech Extensive Course and then we’re done with that class and then being our real classes.

First Day of School Pics:

So my schedule looks like this:

Monday-

12:10-1:30 Politics

Tuesday-

9-11:55 Art and Architecture

Wednesday-

12:10-3:05 Gender studies

Thursday

9-10:20 Politics

3:20-5:15 Alternative Culture

Fridays are reserved for field trips. I might drop the Alternative culture class and take something else since I am not too fond of the 5 hour gap of time. I wish I was as lucky as some people they only have class 2 days a week. I would love that since I would be able to travel place since I have a 5 day weekend every weekend. It just sucks that my politics class had to be Monday and Thursday and that is the only class I have to take, oh well.

I also got a phone doesn’t have any cool features it doesn’t even have a camera, but it took like 25 min to change it from Czech to English with the help of Google translate lol. On Monday I finally get the SIM chip so I can make calls.

We had orientation all week long. By far the longest orientation I have ever had; I thought it would never end. On Tuesday, we went on a tour of New town by the school. It was pretty cool it would have been better and far more enjoyable if it was freezing cold and rainy. Here are some photos:

On Wednesday we had a quiz which I got a B on. On my way to school when I was taking the tram I saw this cool building, which I know nothing about so don't ask me all I know is it looks cool. Hopefully I will find out in my art and architecture class!

On Thursday after class, we took a tour of Old Town, the part of Prague where I am living. Here are some more photos:

Charles Bridge

Town Hall

So it’s Friday at last! Our teacher decided that we are going to spend half the class on Monday at a café so we can practice our Czech skills, which is awesome. Also Monday is my birthday, it is also another girl in my class’s birthday as well, so it will be fun. As for this weekend, I think we are going to the 5 story club more to be posted about my weekend when it happens! I also think I might be getting sick :( More Later!

Apartment: Anezska 3

bed

dresser

living room/sitting area chairs are surprisingly more comfortable then they look

toilet and washer

dinning room/sitting area

sink and hot plate

mini fridge and microwave

door to bedroom with a cute doggie poster!

bathroom (shower and sink)

Tour of Apartment:

Day 2 in Praha

Ok so I woke up ridiculously early today like 6:30 tried to go back to bed but couldn't. So I talked to people from home since it was like 10pm or something there. Then I took a shower but the spigot is to low it only goes to like my collar bone. To use the toilet in the bathroom you have have to lift up to flush. We headed to the meeting place "under the horses tail" for our orientation. We then we took the metro to where we were going to have lunch after we learned how to ride and read the metro maps of course lol. It's not too difficult kinda like bart there are only 3 lines a, b and c each with a corresponding color that I don't remember at the moment. We get to the restaurant which smelled of smoke I guess you are allowed to smoke in there. They have huge lunches, so we had a 3 course meal. First we had broccoli soup which was really good. Then they were having gulosh which is beef with a thick gravy-like saucy and a bread for lunch which is a traditional dish there. I decided to have the vegetarian dish which was veggies, what looked like meat but wasn't meat in a sauce and rice instead which was really good, glad I didn't go with the goulash. Then we had a doughnut like dessert and a cup of coffee (or tea if you preferred). Then we headed to the school where we'd be taking classes. On the way there it started to snow. First time that I have been in the snow since I was like 2 or 3 years old. Once we got to the school we got the run down of what is going on. My intensive Czech class starts tomorrow which we have for 5 hours a day for 2 weeks. We also got this cell phone package presentation which was helpful. It was a lot cheaper then getting a prepaid phone here so I might get it. Then we went on the metro to Tesco which is like giant target/kmart with like 5 floors. Some people bought bedding or whatever they needed. We had our first encounter with someone who spoke no English. We were trying to get like an egg crate/mattress topper pad type thing so we were doing charade like gestures, the lady there was very nice, but we couldn't find what we were looking for. We went to the grocery store in Tesco while we were there; you have to pay for whatever you want from that floor on before going to the next level. Then the girls from our building walked back to our building and we made it without getting lost! Well I have class tomorrow. Below is a video of my apartment and pictures from around Prague.

goulash that i decided not to have

A few photos from old town:

Snow!

  

view from room

Here at last!!

So I am going to recap the last 24+ hours or so in this blog it's going to be a longer one fyi.

So it's finally the day I leave for Prague. So my mom and I leave for the airport and get some Chipotle for lunch before my flight. I had an amazing chicken burrito. As my mom pulls up to drop me off I see another girl who looks familiar unloading in the car in front of us. Sure enough it's a girl from Chico going on the USAC trip. I say my good byes to my mom and head in. I catch up to the girl as we are dropping of our luggage I reintroduce my myself and she said her name was Jenna. I go to weigh my luggage and it's 23kg which is about 50 pounds which is the max I can carry on, I was so excited that I didn't go over i was worried! So Jenna and I walk together through security and it goes smoothly. Then we head to waiting area and we run into others that are on the USAC trip and we sit together and chat. It was SOOO hot in the airport I was like sweating bullets. and of course I am carrying a sweatshirt and jacket with me and wearing a long leave shirt. So we have to wait around for hours till we can finally board the plane. Finally we get to board the plane is huge there was 10 to a row (3, 4, 3). I got a window seat which I was happy about. So we finally take off and it's like 4:30pm it take them like 2-2.5 hours to finally serve dinner.  We had a the choice of pasta or beef. I went with the pasta dish which consisted of pasta with cheese and mushrooms, it was ok but it was really salty though. It also came with a roll that had a sand dollar like impression on the top it was ok as well. There was also a pathetic salad that only had a bed of lettuce, one tomato and two dollops of unidentifiable gross white cheese. Then for dessert there was a nasty gross cheese cake; I usually like cheesecake but this was gross. The flight attendant offered me some wine, I thought about accepting it, but I thought it might be a trap and she would be like "Can I see your ID miss" and be like crap I am not old enough so I didn't, but I found out later that I could have with out any issues. I took some sleeping pills and tried to go to sleep, but I could not. I got some but not very much and every time I went to look at the clock and I though it had surely been an hour it had only been like maybe 20 min. So it was a very long 10+ hour flight. We finally landed in London it was like 10:30am there time. So we have to go through security again. So everything is going fine then one of the people that works there was like, "is this your bag" and I was like yes it is. He said, "there is bottle of liquid in there that is more than 3 ounces." I was like what, then I realize that I had filled up my water bottle at the airport and didn't empty it out before going through security again like an idiot and I was like oh just dump it's only water. Well I guess if they find something it's required that they search the entire bag. So he sat there and unloaded EVERYTHING in the bag that was so neatly packed which took like 20 minutes. Another girl, Michelle, was nice enough to wait behind with me while my bag got searched. Apparently she had a tide-to-go and they didn't know what that was lol. So of course I feel bad about having her wait so I just shoved everything in the bag..sigh so much for organization. We had a 4 hour lay over so some girls were hungry so went to the restaurant called Giraffe. I didn't eat anything since I wasn't hungry, they had giraffe plastic stir sticks so we all took one I'll post a picture later! So then we go to look for where we are suppose to wait and it's too early of course so nothing is posted so we just find a random spot to sit. I felt gross so me and this girl Bridgette, who is one of my roommates, went to the bathroom to brush our teeth and try to feel cleaner. They finally posted where to go so we went there and met up with the other group flight out of Chicago.  We boarded the plane for a 2 hour plane ride to Prague. I sat next to this girl named Valerie that is also one of my roommates. We chatted it up, the plane to Prague was much smaller and pretty empty. We finally get into Prague and we go through customs and then to baggage claim. Right as I walk to the place they unload the luggage mine passes right by me. What a sigh of relief that it arrived; I feared it not making it. Richard, the assistant Residential Director, was there waiting to take us to our housing. First stop was to my apartment, Anezska 3. So we get to the apartment place and he tells us who is rooming where and hands us our keys, yes that's right keys. There are 4 keys to get into our apartment how is that for secure! Key number one unlocks the little red door next to the landlords wine bar. Our landlord's name is Karel nice guy kinda looks like Santa Clause just no beard, but he speaks no English only German. Once we enter the red door we have to lock it from the inside. Then cross the dark hallway stacked with crates of empty vine bottles to a gate where you use key number two which opens the steel gate that leads from the courtyard to the stairwell. The rusty old gate takes a few minutes and some toying with to get it to work or I am just challenged with keys probably that one. Once you unlock it you enter then relock from inside then ascend the chipped and crumbling spiral staircase which I swear I am going to kill myself on one day till we reach apartment door which is conveniently located on the 3rd floor. Key number three unlocks the top deadbolt to the door to the apartment and then key number four unlocks the bottom deadbolt. Once you enter you relock the doors from the inside. Not the easiest procedure to get in especially if you have to pee really bad. So we get into the apartment there are two rooms with two people living in each room. I am rooming with Kelsey and in the other room is Valerie and Bridgette. The rooms are decent size. We share a four drawer dresser and an closet. The kitchen is super small there is only a hot plate, a mini fridge, a sink and microwave. No oven or stove, so this should be interesting. The bathroom is divided into two rooms shower area and storage and sink and toilet in the other. We have a small living room/seating area and that is about it. I will post pictures later! We had a little time to unpack and get ready, then were off to dinner. We went to this cafe/bar hang out place and had breaded fried meat(chicken? not really sure), potato salad, bread, fried cauliflower, and any drink of your choice. I decided to try a glass of wine cuz I can so I picked a red one since it's usually sweeter than white, but it was really bitter I couldn't drink it. Then we had dessert. We had honey cake which is a traditional dish, it was very yummy and coffee for dessert. Then we walked around old town which is so pretty. I am taking tons of photos tomorrow and will post them. A number of people from the group decided to go out to the bar/club, but the girls from Anezska decided to go to bed early since we were all tired and a little jet-lagged and we have orientation the next morning. We that is it for now. More later!

Final Coutdown Stretch..2 more days!

Well it's two days before my plane takes off. I am super nervous and excited all that the same time. I finally got my passport back from the Consulate, but still waiting on my visa to get approved though...GRRR so frustrating. Is it bad that the person from the Consulate knows me on a first name basis? I am slowly saying my good-bye's to family and friends which is bittersweet.

Also, today my grandma passed away in her sleep. She was a fantastic, loving, inspirational women who I truly admired and looked up to. I will miss her dearly. On a positive note, we have a new addition to my family, my cousin's wife just gave birth to little girl!

I also bought the outlet adapter I need so I can use my computer charger and whatever else I need plugged in while I am in Prague/Europe. It looks pretty funny, let's hope it works and I don't end up frying and killing whatever I end up plugging into it.

That is it for now, Less than 48 hours till I leave!!!!!!

A Week Till Prague!!

So, I decided to start a blog. I will try to update it as much a possible, but we'll see how well that goes. So it's Sunday night a week before I will be in Prague. I am going to go get sushi with my family as an early birthday celebration dinner. I am pretty much all packed and still have extra room for all the stuff I end up buying in Prague :] I am pretty impressed I was able to downsize all this from my apartment in Chico:

into just two suitcases:

I am also patiently waiting (ok more like frantically waiting) for my passport to come back from the Consulate. Man was that the Visa process a pain, but I will just be happy when it is all over with! Well more to be posted in the days to come.