Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April Contiuned
It's been a long time since I've written...I'm not very good at this blog situation, but I'll try to write something more often. By now so much has happened that I cannot remember everything. Most importantly I suppose was our trip to Budapest. Honestly I had no expectations for the city but I fell in love. It was absolutely beautiful and the people were friendly. I loved the atmosphere and the architecture. I only wish I had taken more pictures! I'm happy that during this study abroad I am able to travel around in the region. We went to a lot of the historical sites including the Buda castle, the Parliament building, and the second largest synagogue in Europe. We also had the opportunity to go to a bathhouse while in Budapest! So of course I got a massage...but the thermal baths were just as relaxing and swimming in the big pool was refreshing. It had been a beautiful day so some of the group went to the outdoor pool...when suddenly it started hailing!! It was so weird especially since the polarity between the hot water and ice outside was shocking for our bodies, but the weather had been so strange. My only snag during the program was during the pub crawl one of the last nights. I was obviously not in my right mind, and accidently left my bag at the last bar we had been at. Luckily for me my wonderful roommate went back and found the bag. Unfortunately all of my money had been taken and my debit card was gone. I called the bank in the morning and there hadn't been any problems so I was lucky...but I have learned to be more careful about my things...it was a inconvient lesson but I have definitely been much more careful about my things. But I've definitely enjoyed the excursions so far and I'm excited for the next:
Next week we are going on a two day bike trip through southern Czech Republic or Bohemia! It's supposed to be some of the most beautiful countryside in the region.
But I have been talking to some of the people in the program and it sounds like people would be interested to take some day trips outside of the city. Prague is very quiet on the weekends. Most of the shops close early on Saturday and don't open at all on Sunday, and the nightlife is fun, but that gets old and expensive quickly. I think that a couple of people are going to look into going to a town for a day this weekend to see more of the Czech Republic and to be a little more adventurous. It would be ideal if there was a hostel that we could stay at for the convenience, but I think that it could be a fun day trip if we made it back to Prague the same day. I'm going to do some research about where to go and I'll post information about the trip, should it happen.
Next week we are going on a two day bike trip through southern Czech Republic or Bohemia! It's supposed to be some of the most beautiful countryside in the region.
But I have been talking to some of the people in the program and it sounds like people would be interested to take some day trips outside of the city. Prague is very quiet on the weekends. Most of the shops close early on Saturday and don't open at all on Sunday, and the nightlife is fun, but that gets old and expensive quickly. I think that a couple of people are going to look into going to a town for a day this weekend to see more of the Czech Republic and to be a little more adventurous. It would be ideal if there was a hostel that we could stay at for the convenience, but I think that it could be a fun day trip if we made it back to Prague the same day. I'm going to do some research about where to go and I'll post information about the trip, should it happen.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Prague in April
So much has happened since the last post I wrote that it seems silly to try to write everything...so here's an overview of the things that stick out:
President Obama came to Prague on his tour of Europe. Currently the EU Presidency is with the Czech Republic, and his presence caused a lot of excitement. The topic of his speech was on RADAR and installing a nuclear defense system just outside of Prague. There is quite a lot of controversy around the topic but I don't really understand enough about the relationship of the countries and the potential consequences for Czechs should the US follow through with that plan...but his speech was moving. He really has a charisma and physical presense that is unbelievable. And while the speech was short I thought that it was well delievered and eloquently spoken. After the speech Obama and Michelle Obama went to the crowds to shake hands...and Michelle shook my hand!!! It was an awesome experience, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
After the speech the group met up a small pub for lunch, which took awhile since there were so many of us, but was good. I've had the opportunity to socialize with the people in my program and have really appreciated the diversity and compatablitiy in our group. Everyone brings a little something else to the table and I really enjoy everyone's company, both individually and as a group. During the past two weeks I've had the opportunity to hang out with small groups, randomly formed and spontaneous, and it's through these experiences that I get to know people more intimiately. I wish I could remember some of the little things, but it's hard since I didn't write them down and I typically have so much going on, but I remember one day after class were a couple of us wanted to get a drink. It was a long day of studying and the sentiment was to take the edge off. We ended up at a bar dubbed "the Hobbit hole" which is small and rustic and underground. It was at that bar that we spent the next five hours! just talking and sharing our histories and getting to know each other.
It's easy to put the effort into getting to know someone when you've been sent abroad with a certain group, but I want to be able to take that ease back to the states and apply to people back home. It doesn't require a lot to spend some time to get to know someone, and I've already gained a lot from the people on my program that I could only imagine what it could be like for me at home.
I send my best wishes and love from Prague!
Shanna.
President Obama came to Prague on his tour of Europe. Currently the EU Presidency is with the Czech Republic, and his presence caused a lot of excitement. The topic of his speech was on RADAR and installing a nuclear defense system just outside of Prague. There is quite a lot of controversy around the topic but I don't really understand enough about the relationship of the countries and the potential consequences for Czechs should the US follow through with that plan...but his speech was moving. He really has a charisma and physical presense that is unbelievable. And while the speech was short I thought that it was well delievered and eloquently spoken. After the speech Obama and Michelle Obama went to the crowds to shake hands...and Michelle shook my hand!!! It was an awesome experience, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
After the speech the group met up a small pub for lunch, which took awhile since there were so many of us, but was good. I've had the opportunity to socialize with the people in my program and have really appreciated the diversity and compatablitiy in our group. Everyone brings a little something else to the table and I really enjoy everyone's company, both individually and as a group. During the past two weeks I've had the opportunity to hang out with small groups, randomly formed and spontaneous, and it's through these experiences that I get to know people more intimiately. I wish I could remember some of the little things, but it's hard since I didn't write them down and I typically have so much going on, but I remember one day after class were a couple of us wanted to get a drink. It was a long day of studying and the sentiment was to take the edge off. We ended up at a bar dubbed "the Hobbit hole" which is small and rustic and underground. It was at that bar that we spent the next five hours! just talking and sharing our histories and getting to know each other.
It's easy to put the effort into getting to know someone when you've been sent abroad with a certain group, but I want to be able to take that ease back to the states and apply to people back home. It doesn't require a lot to spend some time to get to know someone, and I've already gained a lot from the people on my program that I could only imagine what it could be like for me at home.
I send my best wishes and love from Prague!
Shanna.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
March 31 - April 1
So the first week of class has been great. Here’s the overview:
Monday - We gave ourselves enough time to find the building and our classroom which was good since we got a little lost/disoriented on the first day. But it was refreshing to be up and about by 9am and check out the city as it begins to get busy with people. We were introduced to our instructors, Vera and Michael, and went over some logistics of the class. Vera had arranged a group lunch at a restaurant later in the afternoon, so after getting our books we went on a walking tour of the city lead by Michael. It was nice to be lead around the city because I was able to enjoy the sights instead of focusing on my location. We walked around while Michael pointed things out, and about halfway through we stopped at a tall clock tower in Old Town Square where we could climb all the way to the top and look out over the city. The view was beautiful! I posted pictures on my facebook and I’ll post a couple here. After wandering in the city for awhile, we headed to the restaurant. It was a vegetarian bistro with an interesting atmosphere. The food they served was delicious! Plus it was nice to eat as a big group.
After lunch we wandered on our own and figured out how to get home. I bought a cell phone to keep in contact with the group and for safety reasons, and bought my tram and metro pass. In the evening, Amanda and I watched Bolt which was absolutely hilarious.
Tuesday - Tuesday was our first real day of instruction. Vera’s history class was very interesting and I felt really engaged through her lecture. She covered mostly recent Czech history and was quick to answer our questions about the dynamics of Czech culture and their histories. Michael’s political science class covered much more recent history and we talked a lot about Obama’s visit to Prague and what that meant in the context of the dynamic between the Czech Republic and the rest of Europe. But after class on Tuesday a bunch of people in the group decided to meet up later on for a drink. After my nap and quick dinner, we got ready and headed out. Since we were running late we missed the meeting place by about 15 minutes. Without a map we walked around and I used my phone to text anyone we could contact. Eventually we decided to head into Old Town Square since that was the place that we figured the pub would be. Luckily we were right! and we were heading in the right direction! It wasn’t long by the time we got to Old Town Square. We were accosted by a group of Italian boys who didn’t speak much English, but one of the boys from our program came over and lead us to the pub. It was nice to hang out with most of the whole group (some people didn’t get the memo), especially since we didn’t have a chance to socialize before the program. We decided to leave the pub, and since it was still a little early and a bunch of us still had a lot of energy, we hit up a club. The place really cool. It was underground and had stone walls. The music was mostly American pop, but it was still fun to go out with some of the people in my program.
Monday - We gave ourselves enough time to find the building and our classroom which was good since we got a little lost/disoriented on the first day. But it was refreshing to be up and about by 9am and check out the city as it begins to get busy with people. We were introduced to our instructors, Vera and Michael, and went over some logistics of the class. Vera had arranged a group lunch at a restaurant later in the afternoon, so after getting our books we went on a walking tour of the city lead by Michael. It was nice to be lead around the city because I was able to enjoy the sights instead of focusing on my location. We walked around while Michael pointed things out, and about halfway through we stopped at a tall clock tower in Old Town Square where we could climb all the way to the top and look out over the city. The view was beautiful! I posted pictures on my facebook and I’ll post a couple here. After wandering in the city for awhile, we headed to the restaurant. It was a vegetarian bistro with an interesting atmosphere. The food they served was delicious! Plus it was nice to eat as a big group.
After lunch we wandered on our own and figured out how to get home. I bought a cell phone to keep in contact with the group and for safety reasons, and bought my tram and metro pass. In the evening, Amanda and I watched Bolt which was absolutely hilarious.
Tuesday - Tuesday was our first real day of instruction. Vera’s history class was very interesting and I felt really engaged through her lecture. She covered mostly recent Czech history and was quick to answer our questions about the dynamics of Czech culture and their histories. Michael’s political science class covered much more recent history and we talked a lot about Obama’s visit to Prague and what that meant in the context of the dynamic between the Czech Republic and the rest of Europe. But after class on Tuesday a bunch of people in the group decided to meet up later on for a drink. After my nap and quick dinner, we got ready and headed out. Since we were running late we missed the meeting place by about 15 minutes. Without a map we walked around and I used my phone to text anyone we could contact. Eventually we decided to head into Old Town Square since that was the place that we figured the pub would be. Luckily we were right! and we were heading in the right direction! It wasn’t long by the time we got to Old Town Square. We were accosted by a group of Italian boys who didn’t speak much English, but one of the boys from our program came over and lead us to the pub. It was nice to hang out with most of the whole group (some people didn’t get the memo), especially since we didn’t have a chance to socialize before the program. We decided to leave the pub, and since it was still a little early and a bunch of us still had a lot of energy, we hit up a club. The place really cool. It was underground and had stone walls. The music was mostly American pop, but it was still fun to go out with some of the people in my program.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Arriving in Prague
On Friday I flew into Prague. While at the time I stressed and was unhappy, looking back, my setbacks were not that big. I missed my first flight in New York due to terrible traffic, but was placed on the next flight leaving only half an hour after my originally booked ticket. That meant that I could make my connection flight in London and avoid getting on two different flights and changing the time of my arrival. However, when I got to London I had to get out of my terminal and go through security again to get to my gate. Since I only had an hour to get to my next flight this process was stressful, but at least I didn’t miss my flight. When I arrived in Prague (a mere hour and a half later), I discovered that my luggage was placed on the flight leaving immediately after the flight I had taken. Since I had changed my original flight they assumed I wouldn’t make it onto the connection and placed my bag on the next flight. So, luggage-less I took a car into the city with some of the girls in my program and wandered around my apartment building for 20 minutes searching for a phone. All the shops were closed (small shops are usually closed on Saturday and Sunday) but I found a pay phone and called the student director of the program. She would meet me at the apartment in an hour. The next hour would be my favorite of the day. I sat in a small square, which I would later find out is the landmark of my neighborhood. It was warm with a light breeze, and just sitting outside and relaxing brought down my nerves and helped me enjoy my first couple of hours in Prague. My luggage came that night and I met up with my student director for my bag and then went back to my apartment and passed out.
My first full day of Prague wasn’t necessarily very full...I slept in until noon! But I was jet lagged and the sleep really did me good. After unpacking and settling in, I decided to take a shower and explore the city. I took a tram into town and ended up getting off too late. My apartment was closer to the center than I expected, but I didn’t mind walking. I wandered in what I though could be the right direction and ended up at the bottom of the center. There were booths set up selling little nick knacks and beautifully painted Easter eggs (big holiday) and as I walked up the center I passed several stores and cafes. Since it was still early in the day I decided to try walking back and discovered that the path back is almost easier than taking the tram... the tram would be just a little faster.
After arriving back at the apartment, Amanda and I headed to a grocery store (nonstop! a.k.a. 24 hours...) and also hit up a little fruit stand. The food here is particularly inexpensive and I’m starting to try a few cheeses :). And after getting online quickly we took the tram into the city center to find some food. We ate at a cute little pizza place that was relatively well priced. I ordered my first beer and enjoyed it with my pizza and tomato salad, and even had extra food to take home for tomorrow.
My first full day of Prague wasn’t necessarily very full...I slept in until noon! But I was jet lagged and the sleep really did me good. After unpacking and settling in, I decided to take a shower and explore the city. I took a tram into town and ended up getting off too late. My apartment was closer to the center than I expected, but I didn’t mind walking. I wandered in what I though could be the right direction and ended up at the bottom of the center. There were booths set up selling little nick knacks and beautifully painted Easter eggs (big holiday) and as I walked up the center I passed several stores and cafes. Since it was still early in the day I decided to try walking back and discovered that the path back is almost easier than taking the tram... the tram would be just a little faster.
After arriving back at the apartment, Amanda and I headed to a grocery store (nonstop! a.k.a. 24 hours...) and also hit up a little fruit stand. The food here is particularly inexpensive and I’m starting to try a few cheeses :). And after getting online quickly we took the tram into the city center to find some food. We ate at a cute little pizza place that was relatively well priced. I ordered my first beer and enjoyed it with my pizza and tomato salad, and even had extra food to take home for tomorrow.
I really enjoyed walking in the city and just seeing all the old buildings. Prague truly feels historic with its cobble stoned roads and old architecture. On my first day of class I’ll take pictures to post because words cannot describe the magic of this city.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Getting Started
Well I'm in Connecticut spending time with my family for the next week and just getting ready for my first big adventure on my own. I'll be leaving the country on Friday of next week. I'll be posting pictures and more information and updates when I can when I'm in Prague!
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