Relaxation is much appreciated!

So this past weekend, was much needed. We had Fall Break and therefore didn't have school on Thursday and Friday (my two busiest days!!) So for the first time on a big holiday, I decided to stay in the country and take a little more of a relaxed feel of vacation... and also cheaper :) So, me and my friend Stephen, who lives south of Prague, went to visit some of his friends down in the city of Ceske Budejovice. This town is famous for their beer.... Budweiser. The Czech beer was actually the original Budsweiser until someone stole the name and put it on crappy American beer. So we relaxed with some friends there for two days and saw some sights and then me and Stephen travelled to Plzen (which is also where the famous name of Pilsner beer comes from). So maybe we saw some very historic and important places in Czech Republic. It was fun. The cities were very beautiful and there was so much to see. And there was a lot of relaxing to be had. We walked around the cities, saw some of the important sights of the town, went to a museum, participated in the holiday festivities of the town.

Here's a quick shot of the fountain in the center of the awesome square in ceske budejovice.

From the top of the grand tower overlooking Ceske Budejovice and all it's glory. That's the square. It's a lot prettier than my town. It's a college town and lots of college age students. It was way cool to see people that were around my age, but i liked it!! :)

That' Mira, Me and Stephen just before the square in Ceske Budejovice. It's at nighttime if you can tell. Mira was the dude that showed us aroud and showed us a good time. He really treated us like it was his home! It was awesome. It always is better if you have someone that knows the town to show you around :)

This is the restaurant that we went to in the evening. It's supposd to be one of the most happenin restaurant/pubs. We had to make reservations. Translation... "Crazy Goose".

We stayed in a hostel type place in Plzen, but unfortunately, they weren't English speaking at all :( So I was lucky enough to get us a room and understand when we were supposed to leave. But when we got to the room, there was a small problem. The fridge had leaked a large puddle of water on the ground. Stephen insisted that i tell the lady about it. Do i know the word for "puddle"? of course not. And at the time, I had forgotten the word for fridge. :) So it was fun, with me trying to explain to the lady that "there is water on the ground. It comes from the machine where you put food. The machine where you have cold drinks." Wow, it was horrible, but she finially understood and came upstairs. But perhaps that was worse. She brought wtih her some kind of rubber towel. :) And for 5 minutes was sloshing around the water on the wooden floor. We were just standing there watching and it was really awkward. And then she turns to me and says "I'll lock up. Leave." And so we returned later that night to see maybe half of the water soaked up, and to also see the used rubber town set on one of our drawers :) Ahh, the beauties of a Czech hostel. There are reasons when it only cost $7 a night. Aha, we see a shower. so i go and ask her if they have any towels. She responds very frankly "No, we're not a hotel!" AHa, ok, thanks. :) It was a fun time. Really super trip! I'm looking forward to my next holiday already :) Here's some pictures from Plzen :

This is us in the square in Plzen. There's a really cool church in the middle of it, but that's about it. Not as cool as in Budejovice.

Um... so we found this sign on our tour. Apparently at first glance, it's apparent that you can't have pipes or candles :) But when you get closer, the literal translation is a bit more clear... "Forbidden Smoking and Manipulation with Fire". That's good to know, huh? :)

This is me and Stephen just enjoying our free night relaxing in a local pub talkin it up and enjoying the fresh homegrown goods of Plzen

This is my pride and joy. The first place I have ever seen to have my name embroidered in the stars! :) wow!

Living for the Weekends!

As I've started to become more and more comfy in CR as of recently, and as school has become increasingly more and more challenging with much more preparation and work, I have come to really enjoy the weekends that I have every week :) It seems that all week long, I'm just silly busy and once the weekend comes (though I do spend a moderate amount of time preparing for my monday and tuesday classes) I get to relax and it's a beautiful and necessary thing :) This Saturday was wonderful because I got to reminisce with my former Czech language teacher last year and we were talking and enjoyin everything and then she told me we were going to be able to continue as last year, and that made me super happy :) Because I learned so much with her and she's great, and I really need to practice my speaking skills a lot more. :) And then, later that evening, my Sophomore students decided that they wanted to take me out for my bday, so me and 7 of them went to the local teahouse and sat and chatted it up for 3 hoursish. And they got me a wonderful shirt and we talked about so many wonderful things and told stories. Wow, the weekends really are great! :) I love them!! And this upcoming week we have vacation for thursday and Friday, and so no school! which is super because I think i have 11 of my 25 hours on those 2 days :). So more relaxing and traveling around CR with my friend Stephen for a few days to some wonderful Czech cities. ok. So, I'll let you know how it all goes.


But.... don't get me wrong! I love the weekdays! I'm able to see so many students and they are really great times. But I like relaxing also :) That's my two cents.

Yet Another Transition.... from 21 to 22

Wow, so I never thought I'd say it, but yea... wow, I'm 22. It seems wierd to say at the moment! Can I believe it... quick answer is no. It's fairly impossible to believe, and to imagine that I've been living in the Czech Republic for my last 2 birthdays is fairly shocking :). Anyways, a lot has happens lately (due to the fact that it's my birthday of course), so let me start off on the earliest momento of my birhtday. On October 16, I actually looked at a calendar and realized what day it was and therefore what day would be in 2 days. I had just about forgot my birthday, wow, I know I'm gettin old when i forget my actual bday. Next I got my mother's bday present the same day full of wonderful toys for my dog and a few things for myself. The next thing happened on October 17, the day before my birthday. I decided to do a birthday lesson :) so I was talking about birthdays and all the things that we do on birthdays, and one of my private students gave me a bottle of plum brandy in celebration of my birthday :) It was a happy time :). And then the 3 girls proceeded to explain to me the 14 most important reasons why I should stay in Czech Republic! :) So... here they are:
14. Beautiful girls and women
13. Czech beer
12. Historic monuments
11. Safe schools (no guns in schools like in America :)
10. Nice people
9. Sports (many great Czech athletes)
8. Everything is cheaper! :)
7. Czech cuisines
6. Dangerous way home (on airplanes!)
5. Language (in CR I am one of the best English speakers! In America, not so)
4. No natural disasters!
3. Beautiful wine cellars
2. Wonderful Czech fairytales
1. The most important thing- more fun with stupid students :)

Wow, my bday had already started out on a good note.

The next day, MY ACTUAL BDAY! I awoke at about 530 as usual because Benji was wanting some attention, and then we fell back asleep until about 630 or so and we went for a walk (it was really cold, about 30 or 25, enough for frost), and then I was preparing for some of my classes. And then, while zoning out on my computer at about 740 or so, I heard benji barking and i was pissed! i hate when he barks. And then I saw some students scampering into my flat. They then came in singing happy birthday :) it was wonderful, and they brought me a tiramisu cake and some chocolate and a sweater! It was a wonderful start to the beginning of the day. We talked for a while and ate some cake and then they had to leave :( So, then I proceeded to teach a lesson to my class which started the class by singing happy birthday as I walked into the classroom :) Wow, could the day get any better, I suppose that it could, but it would be hard... yet it did. Then after the class, I was back in the English cabinet and the head english teacher, Zdenek, brought 2 liters of champagne to celebrate, so we drank one botter (maybe 5 or 6 teachers) then, and then I went to my next class ( my sophomore class which i have taught for the last year also). And I got to class ready to teach and they said that I wasn't gonna teach today and they blindfolded me and took me downstairs to the cafeteria and there was a bday cake with candles and i blew out the candles and they said "that's not all". so we went on a wild goose chase outside and around the school and back in the school to find a lemon which was dressed like a pig :) And it had a note saying that we would do something this weekend :) Then we went back and ate cake and I taught for 10 minutes. Then I went back to the English Cabinet and we finished the 2nd bottle of champagne :) So... by 11am, I'd had lots of cake and lots of champagne, and that's all. So I was happy when I was able to go to lunch and enjoy some solid food :). Throughout the day I would be walking around in school and everyone would come and wish me happy birthday. It seemed that most people knew it. Funny how it works. The next big event happened after school where I entertained myself for a bit at the weekly Chess Club. I lost after 2 moves (maybe 10 seconds). It was really bad :) Then I faired a bit better, but still lost, with another students and then beat a beginner :) It made me happy. Then I came home really tired and unprepared for my evening classes. I had to prepare quickly and off I was to my classes in the evening. My first class went fairly well (consisting of 3 women). It's fun and we were talking and reading and discussing genocide and anarchy in Africa! It was a wonderful lesson! I love history !! And then I got a wonderful Cd from a great friend! It's a Czech band that I like! And then I finished my classes with my class at the pub next to my house. Boy was I hungry, and cold, so I ordered some food and scarfed it all down so fast! I good conversation to finish a great day! I proceeded home where my roommate and his girlfriend enjoyed a wonderful bottle of wine with me and some conversation to cap off the end to a beautiful birthday experience. Wow, it was a wonderful day. And thanks for all the flooding of my 2 email accounts with so many congratulations to my birthday!! wow, I felt so loved! :)

Transitions from Yr. 1 to Yr. 2

Wow, so it's like October 14th today I think. I've been here for about 2 months i believe and been teachin for about 6 weeks. Boy has it gone fast. I think in no time, I'll be enjoyin the mild temperatures of a Kralupy May, but of course I'm gonna have to endure the bitter cold winter beforehand. I'll survive. So... it's the weekend, and this has been something I have grown to treasure so much these past few weeks. It' funny. I think last year I was always looking forward to the weekend so I could go exploring or something in Prague or around somewhere. I would come home Sunday night and try and prepare for classes the next day. Now... I finish my hardest day... Friday, and I'm wiped out. (I don't know if it's a sign that I'm a better teacher, due to the fact i'm planning more and giving more homework, or just a sign that's i'm growin older. I mean... after all i WILL be 22 on Wednesday. wow!). So nowadays, all i want to do is sit and relax and feel as comfy as I can in 2 days. I'm still busy on the weekends, going to play badminton or going to watch dancing, or bowling, or an assortment of other things, like walking benji or chillin, but it's been a significant change since last year I believe. Wow, it's crazy. I sure hope my students are learning stuff, cuz i'm workin my ass off for them.

New Hobby

So it's official... I'm a badmintoner (is that the correct phrase?) I went to the mall with 2 friends and bought my first ever badminton racket. I really can't say that I ever would have thought that I'd be a badminton fiend, but nonetheless, here I am, with my nifty racket and playin like the dickens. It's pretty awesome. I remember going to the gym and standing and laughing at all those silly Chinese fools playin badminton. But... it's pretty awesome! So... come one, come all, try and beat me. I'm up for any challenge. peace.