Christmas Tidings and the Jolliest of New Years

Well... as the show continues to go on, I take pleasure in every passing moment, or so it seems. The last week or so, I've been on vacation and I've been in the same place I started. It's been nice to relax and have lots of fun doing it. Me and Benj have been on 2 really long walks, I've seen lots of movies (I brought a projector down to my place and have been watching movies on the big screen (or rather the big wall as you might have it).

Sadly to say, but the Christmas season in Prague is simmering to a dull glow at this moment which means that there won't be a Christmas market after a few more days. It's quite sad actually, but not for the reason you might have it. (First, here's a pic of the Christmas Market in the Old Town Square)

At these markets, you can get all the fancy little special trinkets that can be found in most places, but it's special christmas trinkets, which doesn't really mean anything new. They have the same special sausages and fried cheese and whatnot. Special for Christmas season, they do have cool things such as:

- First we have the Trdelnik thingy which is like bread with cinnamon and sugar. It's pretty good.



- also we have something called a Super Vafle (Waffle) but it's different from a real waffle. It's super big first of all, and second, it's like two pieces of really thin bread with caramel in the middle. It's really cool. Couldn't find a pic, sorry.

- ANd what would Christmas be without Roasted Chestnuts


- Other such things that can be found there is hot spiced wine, or mulled wine, and a nice hot honey liquor


-And there's probably lots of other tasty things that you can get here, but these are the most important things... but I'm leaving out the most important thing. I'm quite happy that I was able to make it down to prague quite a few times this past month for various reasons because every time I made it into town, I made it a point to buy myself a nice freshly made langos (langosh). What it is is simple... It's just fried dough and then they add garlic, ketchup and cheese. It's really good. Explanations can't be deemed at this proper moment. Just look at it in it's glory...


That's all I have to say for now. Take care.

You Decide...

Which is which... apparently with my spectacles atop my head, the school populace is at a loss for words...

An Upgrade...? Or a Suckgrade...?

Merry Christmas to my flat. As it so has it, my flat got a very merry Christmas present... or did it. On the pictures below, you will see the new couch that we got!!! Wow, our old couch was old and broken and falling apart and everything was wrong with it, but I have to admit, some nights I found it more comfortable than my bed. And also we got a normal pretty armchair and some foot rests. All these things are a set which means they all are the same design and everything, mind you that the couch in the picture has some blankets on it as to protect it from anything...

And another reason for it... well... we looked at our room and realized that our room didn't really match beforehand, but now especially, it just looks ridiculous with this horrible black designed stuff, but let's not get things misunderstood, I'm highly appreciative for the new upgrade that my school has provided for me... but just one more thing to discuss here...

You see... who knows how long our couch had been here at our flat... it had to have been at least a million years old... but it was nice. Now... our new furniture had been donated to us by another teacher who had apparently gotten new furniture. But the question is... if you got new furniture, would you honestly want to give your old furniture to someone instead of throw it away? Of course you would!!! But wait... how bout this thought process... "I know what we can do... we can give these people our futon which is obviously not as comfortable as a couch and make these people throw out their perfectly fine couch... oh yea... their couch doesn't have any major problems with it, but we'll give them our futon which is completely BROKEN in the middle. Completely broken in the middle, that's right, that's what I said. There's just a big uncomfy hole in the middle

So... now, what have we done to remedy the problem? Well... we turned it around, and tried to make the backrest the seat, but it doesn't quite fit all the way, so now our futon is in like a constant position of a reclined airplane seal. Wow, more reasons to stay...? Or leave perhaps...? It definitely something to raise thoughts and questions about life. Take it any way you like and please stop by for a visit sometime to try it out yourself.

School Zone Ahead

I've always thought this was really funny. You see... last year, they repainted the white signs on the street, crosswalks and stuff, and then they repainted the School Zone markings. I wanted to take a picture of it last year before they tried to cover it up a bit, but as you can see... it is quite visible that they workers started making the drawing going the wrong way, then realized the error of their way and made it going the right way. This sign is directly in front of our school. It makes me smile every time I walk by it.

American Madness

I forgot all about mentioning something important that happened last week... sorry. About 10 American guys from VA came to Kralupy last week to help out with building an apartment for workers of this ministry directed towards helping people with addiction, both drug and alcohol from what I gather. But... since I have contacts with the people at this ministry, I suggested that maybe some of them come to some of my classes if they'd be interested in getting a more feel for things here. They came and talked and talked to 4 of my classes (which was awesome by the way) and then we sang some songs, preferably the Beetles, and then they embarked. But before them embarked, we had an English Cafe at school on Friday and all the Americans came and also some of our students came also. It was really cool. Everyone seemed to have fun talking and rockin out hardcore. I regrettably only have one picture of the even which i captured on my new handy dandy mobile phone

This was at the cafe where we had a lot of fun and good times. If I stay here next year, I look forward to the time when they are coming again

A Piece of Change

After tonight, and the last few days, sometimes with the conversations you have, you really, though you've been living in the place for long enough, realize the impact that the culture has on the lifestyle of its inhabitants. As I see how much Christianity plays a part of the culture and lifestyles of Americans, I've been awakened again with the impact I see on Atheism and its role and influence on the lives of the people here. Sure I've seen it time and time again, but for some reason, it seems to have been quite pronounced as of lately and I strive to compare the religious implications that both these religions (or nonreligions have you) have on the culture.

Because when I look at American culture, I see something, that something is Christianity and how it has overpowered our culture. Everyone is a Christian, and if they aren't, then they still are, but maybe they don't want to be. To me this sounds ridiculous, but when you look at every single other modern culture in the world, it's similar (not in the Christian aspect, but in their own prominent religious aspect). For example, here, with Atheism.

Here is a pronounced and declared Atheistic state. Ask anyone (anyone that has eyes) and it's obvious. Sure there are several that desire this, perhaps even a majority, but I've seen, personally, that although there's a majority, there is a big part of that majority that question their own atheism. They're sad because they know it's the way they have to go, but they wish and even hope that there is something different out there.

Now... it's true that this isn't true for most of them. Most of them don't care about the opinions of others, but even moreso than in the US, people are interested in what you have to believe, and that's just a straight fact. In the US, missionaries are dedicated to "initiative evangelism" but here, even if you don't try to do even indirect evangelism, it comes to you, people want to know of other possibilities. Some people don't, but it's undeniable that many people do. With 1% of the world being Atheists, Czech are in the minority and that's the fact. 99% of the world believe in something, and with that astounding percentage, the number seems to be rising.

Here's the facts as I see it, and that's all I got to say about that. Maybe some of you Czechs don't agree with the statements I've said. Maybe it's not true for you, and you think otherwise for the majority as I've spoken, and if so, I would still disagree with you and say that people are interested in what's out there, and that's just a fact. Our minds are meant to think of abstract things to not be able to see the extent of those abstract things. It's not a matter of opinion, it's just how it is. If you care to discuss, I'm always willing.

Christmas Joy

So i recently got a Christmas card and also a present in the mail from my brother. But the card is quite different (as you see Benji has it in his mouth right now, but this was the only time). The card is with Steve Carell and he talks about the joys of Christmas and reasons why to be happy... but he really actually speaks! The card speaks to you... which was quite a shock to me as you can imagine when I first opened it. Well... as time has gone by, the card itself just freaks the heck out of benji and he runs away even at the sight of it from now on and when you open it, wow, he just seems like the most scared dog in the world. Anyways, it's a funny card. Thanks bro. Merry early xmas.

Mikulas Day

So... if you don't remember from the previous 2 years, this is Dec. 5th and it's a day when Mikulas comes with his devils and angels and brings judgment to those of poor valor throughout the year. Maybe you'll get candy or maybe be taken to hell. And at school maybe students are put through torture by the graduating students. Here is the link to my first post made on Dec. 8th, 2005 (http://www.zbarnes.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html)
Anyways, here are a few pictures taken from my new phone of when one of the graduating classes came all dressed up as devils and angels to my class and tortured my poor little students and made them sing some stupid czech songs.