Warszawa- A Logistical Nightmare

First, I would like to say that I had a really awesome weekend, and wouldn’t have traded it for anything despite all the ranting I might do in the post. In terms of transportation, timing, etc. I have never had so many things go wrong in a trip. Which means I am pretty lucky--because it wasn’t even THAT bad. An adventure one might say.

I went to Warsaw with my Aussie exchange student friend Jenna and my ex-roommate from Ostrava, Tommaso (he drove us to Warsaw from Ostrava). In Warsaw we stayed with my friend Kasia who I know from Edmonton (we went to high school together!). This combination=FUN!

On Friday as we were sitting on the train to Ostrava Jenna said to me, “You know, when you invited me on this trip I had to say yes because I know that you will have planned it out perfectly!”

Oh Jenna, if only you were right.

Plan on the way there:
-Take the train from Brno-Ostrava and arrive about 5:00pm
-Drive to Warsaw, which should take about 5 hours
-Be there in time for Friday night partying!

Reality:
-Train from Brno-Ostrava was delayed 65min
-Stuck at the border for about 30 minutes and yelled at by border control for taking fun pictures and video of waiting at the border
-Found the right road…but it was closed
-Took a detour but were unsure of how to get back to where we needed to go
-Stopped for food in a sketchy roadside café. Realized that understanding some Czech doesn’t mean that you will have any clue what a menu says in Polish
-Got to Warsaw around 1:30am dead tired. No partying that night.

Kasia has the cutest apartment ever in a really good location. She didn't believe us when we told her that her apartment was pure luxury until we showed her pictures of where we were staying. She had 2-ply toilet paper!!

Saturday was really nice. A perfectly sunny day we spent wandering around the city. Meant to party it up on Saturday night and started to...but around 2am we realized that there was something that we needed more than alcohol. And that was McDonald’s. We were really excited there was a 24hr McDonald’s nearby. I know that McDonald’s is bad for me…but no matter what country you are in-- at 2:00am McDonald’s always is a solid choice.

Plan on the way home:
-Make breakfast at Kasia’s place
-Hit the road, hopefully without any mishaps
-Take the 9:00pm bus from Ostrava-Brno
-Home sweet home!

Reality:
-Breakfast was great….mmm..bacon
-Started to drive around 1:00 pm
-Missed the turnoff for Katowice and drove aimlessly for a while
-Went back and found the right way
-Hit another detour, but had no idea where we were
-Stopped for directions twice. Both times were told to ‘go straight and turn right’
-Finally found the way (and stopped at a really good roadside restaurant with a crazy salad bar!)
-No border problems, they just took the passports for 2 minutes, looked in the car and said our names and it was dobre! (good)
-Went to buy tickets in Ostrava for the 9:00pm bus. It was full. Went to the train station and the next train was at 2:30am
-Went back at 9:15pm to buy tickets for the 11:55pm bus. There was a little booth with 2 ladies inside. We could SEE them through the blinds. They made eye contact but didn’t respond to our knocking at the window. Didn’t even acknowledge us to say “Sorry, we’re closed and will not provide any information”. These were possibly the rudest, bitchiest people I have ever encountered in the Czech Republic. We just wanted to know if there were even tickets available for the 11:55pm bus, but they didn’t respond even though they saw us and we could see them! So we got pissed and kept knocking at their window. Finally we got a reaction, which I assume meant, “You better stop doing that or we will call the police”. The only thing I could understand from their yelling at us was the word 'police'. Frustrated and annoyed at the lack of service in the Czech Republic + tired from traveling all day is not a good combination. We decided to make the best of the situation and go for some drinks before attempting to take the 11:55pm bus. We also thought if those 2 bitchy ladies were there, our chances of getting on the bus were slim to none.
-Had some beers with Tommaso and 2 other trainees, then went back to the bus station and got the bus! The ladies weren't around, just had to buy tickets from the bus driver.
-Home Monday 2:45am. Score!!

Summary:
-Poland was fun, we had a good time singing to cheesy oldies in the car, it was great to catch up with Kasia, and it was an entertaining weekend. The company was fantastic. We all know each other much better after so many hours in the car together.
-McDonald's makes me Mchappy.
-Poland really needs to spend some money on repairing roads and putting up signs. We were going to the freaking capital city and the signage wasn’t that good. Also, when there’s a detour it is nice to know how to get back to the main road!
-Czech customer service sucks/is even worse than non-existent, it is just openly hostile. I can’t believe how angry people get when you expect them to do their jobs-- it’s not a revolutionary concept!

Pictures are in the Warszawa Part 2 album, and pictures from last week’s Cuban Salsa Night are in their own album as well!

Notes to Self

#1
Put the alarm on BEFORE you go out because you won't remember when you come home. You are not one of those people that wakes up on time without an alarm. You are that person who, without an alarm, will sleep until 10:30 then wake up wondering why it's so sunny outside. Oops, work starts at 8!

#2
If you take a shortcut home it's best to know where the flip you are going. Otherwise you might end up climbing over 2 fences and trespassing on private property. This can be dangerous, especially in the dark and if you have consumed some "beverages".

#3
If you are climbing over a fence, the ones without barbed wire at the top are better. Pat on the back for realizing this and walking a few meters down to that section. Things could have turned out poorly.

Pictures

Check the Big Pig 17-19.2.2006 album for pictures from the past weekend and the Kutna Hora & Telc 2-3.2.2006 album for pictures from earlier this month. This album has the pictures of the cathedral decorated on the inside with human bones! Yummy.

Big Pig 2006! Oink Oink!

This weekend I went to an event put on by Aiesec Brno called Big Pig. It involves a bunch of trainees, aiesecers, etc. in a small town in the middle of nowhere killing a pig and then cooking it and eating it. Yes, it was a big pig. We didn’t actually kill it, a professional did, and I didn’t actually watch the killing because….well…that’s gross!

So what did we do?

We got to the train station in Krizanov on Friday evening and were greeted by Eva-- who then informed us that we had to walk about an hour to get to the actual location of the conference (apparently the public transportation was not so good in the village). Anyway, it was completely dark and kind of cold, but still not that bad because we got some fresh air, and seriously I saw way more stars in that sky then I have in a long time. After about 45 minutes of walking one of the aiesecers in a large van picked us up, and we didn’t have to walk the last bit.

That evening there was not much of a program as the pig was only being killed the next morning so we amused ourselves by playing ‘Flip the Cup’ (thanks Will for introducing us to this wonderful game). Much beer was consumed and fun ensued.

When we woke up the only available food was bread, fried pig fat (or something along those lines), and sausages. So some of us decided to walk to the village to buy some beverages/snacks and some lunch as well. We walked to the village, and since this is the Czech Republic- pretty much nothing was open. We went into a casino/bar/restaurant type thing and attempted to ask where the store was and whether it was open.

First, Elina (Finnish girl who has lived in Czech Republic for over a year) goes inside to utilize her Czech skills and to ask:
-If they speak English
-Whether or not there is a store nearby that is open
Result: She comes outside and says that they don’t speak English, and there is a store nearby probably within 1km, but they don’t know if it is open (well, she thinks that’s what they said). Also, there is a guy inside who speaks German.

A-ha!! We had a trainee with us, Tillman, who is from Germany! We figured he might be able to communicate and clear things up. He goes inside to ask.

Result: The guy inside doesn’t really speak that much German and Tillman gets pretty much the same information.

We were prepared to go off in search of the convenience store when I saw through the window that they were selling Coca-Cola. I hadn’t eaten/drank anything all day and I am addicted to Coca-Cola. So I told the guys to wait for a second and I went inside. There were 2 people at the bar and a table of men with mullets enjoying an afternoon beer. I asked for the Coke, however it was in a glass bottle. Through hand motions I attempted to ask if it was ok if I took it outside (to drink during our search) and brought the bottle back. I cannot say that in Czech. I asked them if they spoke English. Stupid question, they obviously did not speak English and looked at me like the retarded foreigner that I am. I gave up and went outside.

Apparently I missed something very funny because while I was inside attempting to buy a Coke, the rest of the guys were standing outside and 2 little Czech girls were walking by minding their own business, not even showing recognition of the fact that randomly--in their town outside the casino/bar/restaurant-- there was a group consisting of a Danish guy, Italian guy, American guy, German guy, and a Finnish girl. However, the tranquility of their innocent stroll was soon shattered by Elina, the lovely Finn who startled them by asking them really loudly “DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH??”. To which she got the classic Czech answer, “Nerozumim. (I don’t understand).” And then the little girls got the hell out of there. Will did impressions of Elina for the rest of the night. “DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH??”

Anyway, after my departure, one very friendly mullet-man followed me and then showed us to a store. It was just a few blocks away, and it was closed. Luckily, the owner lived in a building attached to the store and he opened it just for us! How special!

Later on that evening we watched the hockey game (Finland won over Czech Republic…many an unhappy Czech that night and 1 happy Finn), listened to traditional Czech music, learned to polka, ate some PIG and participated in Topalky. For those of you who don’t know what Topalky is-- it's basically just boat races with beer. I am amazed at how fast some people can drink beer. One friend was on 2 teams, and they ended up playing each other. So, she had to start on the first team, run to the other side and finish for the other team. And there were like 2 rematches between them since they tied the first two times. She had a lot of beer that night. Luckily, one of her teams won! So it was worth it!

Maybe I didn’t get the full BIG PIG experience since I didn’t even eat that much pork and I didn’t watch the pig die…but I’m ok with that!

Jóvenes canadienses prefieren las 'relaciones sexuales' virtuales

Thank you to Juan for directing me to this article (which apparently is not a joke).

I'll summarize in English beneath the Spanish.

Febrero 14 de 2006
Jóvenes canadienses prefieren las 'relaciones sexuales' virtuales

Según un estudio, en vez del contacto personal, se inclinan por abrazar sus monitores y tocar sus teclados.

El 87 por ciento de los 2.484 estudiantes encuestados en 150 liceos y universidades en Canadá señalaron tener “sexo virtual” a través de la mensajería instantánea, cámaras webs o teléfonos.

“Estamos muy sorprendidos de que el número sea tan alto”, dijo Noah Gurza del servicio CampusKiss.com, que auspició el estudio.

La mayoría de estos estudiantes, de entre 18 y 23 años, crecieron utilizando computadoras y continúan rodeados de tecnología, ya sea para estudiar o interactuar con amigos, dijo Gurza.

Usar Internet forma parte de ellos “por lo que tiene sentido que esto se extienda a otros aspectos de sus vidas, incluyendo las experiencias sexuales”, destacó.

El 51 por ciento de los encuestados eran mujeres, y 49 por ciento hombres. Entre ellos, el 53 por ciento ha tenido 'relaciones sexuales' virtuales a través de la mensajería instantánea mientras que el 44 por ciento por cámaras web o teléfono.

Ottawa
AFP
http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/inte/eucanada/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-2743884.html

Young Canadians prefer virtual "sexual relations"

According to a study, in place of personal contact, they are more inclined to hug their monitors and touch their keys.

87% of the 2,484 students surveyed in 150 colleges and universities in Canada said that they have “virtual sex” through instant messenger, webcams, and telephones.

“We are really surprised the number is so high”, said Noah Gurza of the service CampusKiss.com that conducted the study.

The majority of these students, from between the ages of 18-23, grew up using computers and they continue to be surrounded by technology, to study or interact with friends, said Gurza.

Using the Internet forms a part of them “and it makes sense that this extends to other aspects of their lives, including sexual experiences”.

51% of those surveyed were women, and 49% men. Between them, 53% had virtual sexual relations through instant messenger while 44% had them through webcams or telephone.


Juan asked me if this was true and said that if he ever comes to Canada he is wearing gloves to use the computer. I said “No, Canada is cold, you need someone to keep you warm in person! This survey can not be accurate”. I’m sure that any survey conducted by Campuskiss.com isn’t reputable. But it is still kind of funny. Imagine the pick-up lines--"Wanna stroke my monitor baby? Can I caress your keyboard?” Endless fun. Could soon be another stereotype to add to the list:
-Friendly
-Polite
-Say “Eh. Oot. Aboot.”
-Like to get naughty on the computer.

Thoughts?

Amsterdammit visits Prahahaha

As previously mentioned, Sandy (from Edmonton working in Amsterdam) came to visit me in the Czech Republic, so we made it our mission to party hard in Prague (a.k.a. Prahahaha). In Sandyspeak—“It was the mostest!”. This weekend was totally rocking. We stayed with some Prague trainees at Andel (as usual…because it’s free and they’re fun!). There were actually only 3 of the Andelers in town for the weekend but we managed to entertain ourselves with them and the other Prague trainees.

Sandy and I spent Friday meandering around Prague and having fun girl talk during the usual castle-bridge-centre route. We made sure to hit the most important spots that day since we weren’t sure how we would feel the next 2 days. Juanito (Brno trainee) met up with us as well. We had some nice chats, found a fabulous restaurant with the friendliest staff ever (even though the waitress kept forcing beer on us), and just had all around good times. In the evening we went to a tea house (thanks Jenny and Al for the scenic tour on the way there) and ate baba ghanoush and smoked shisha before going out. We ended up at some bar that I can’t remember the name of with some other trainees. There were some really drunk Czech chicks who were the worst dancers ever who kept telling us we had to dance with them. We relented, and boogied a bit. They might have been bad dancers, but they were still friendly! Around 2am we decided a change of venue was needed and went to a club down the street that was playing everyone’s favourite type of music--80's! However, since it was the end of the night it was the “take me home” 80’s music and we were surrounded by drunk people slow dancing and making out. I still managed to snag myself a slow dance partner- Jenny. She just can’t resist the brown sugar. (Well ok, she can,but we did slow dance!).

We finally made it back to Andel and just as Sandy and I were in bed engaging in the usual pre-sleep chatter we had a wonderful guest stop by. Will decided it would be a great idea to jump on us and then tuck us in. It was special.

Saturday morning we decided to stop by another Prague landmark-- the John Lennon wall. According to some website, "the Lennon Wall came to represent not only a memorial to Lennon and his ideas, but also a monument to free speech and the non-violent rebellion of Czech youth against the repressions of neo-Stalinism." It’s basically a wall with a lot of graffiti on it. We had a lot of fun there taking Commie pictures, peace and love pictures, etc. We also added our own contributions to the wall with such witty comments as:
-John Lennon is kind of a big deal (Will)
-Come play with us, forever, and ever, and ever… Prosim! (Jenny on behalf of Andel)
-Thanks for the fun! Hugs and smooches (Sandy)
-Just give’r (me)

I was trying to think of some inspirational quote but I couldn’t manage it.

Afterwards we went to look for a place that Sandy wanted to see where they made new stained-glass windows out of old stained glass-- but it was closed! We then consoled ourselves with a meal and some hot wine. Sandy, Will, and I went on a little boat tour down the Vltava river (advertised as the Venice of Prague!) where instead of learning random historical facts about Prague we had a discussion with the boat driver on the pros and cons of communism. Yes kids, there can be happy things about communism too! Everyone has a job!

In the evening we went to the Staropramen brewery and then over to a housewarming party of some trainees. They officially have the nicest apartment of any trainees in the Czech Republic. Their list of luxuries include a couch, television, proper kitchen, and a fancy shower. A bunch of the Brno trainees came up as well, so lots of people there. After socializing we went out to a club. Great night. We were partied out by the end and just wanted to sleep. Around 9am Sunday morning we had another visit from Will who just got back from partying and burst into our room and said, “Ohmigod! It’s 9am and I’ve been partying ALL NIGHT LONG!” Then he jumped on us again. And tucked us in.

We got up a few hours later and went for lunch with Jenny to celebrate Chinese Lantern Festival. We went to Pizza Coliseum. Very traditional. Sandy and I did a bit more last minute sightseeing and cheesy souvenir buying before heading back to Andel to pick up our stuff and go to the airport. We were back at the Andel flat around 2:30pm and decided we should wake up Will. They have a gorilla mask and a werewolf mask (I’m assuming they are leftovers from Halloween) so we figured it would be funny to wake up Will while wearing them since he would probably still be kind of drunk and disoriented. We didn’t really bargain on the reaction though because apparently he had enough coordination to be startled and punch me in the face when we woke him up. I guess he didn’t like the gorilla mask. Fortunately, it was not a hard punch and there isn’t any bruising. It would be kind of hard to explain that at work the next day.
“So Aruna, why do you have a bruise on your cheek?”
“Well, uhhhh I was wearing a gorilla mask and trying to wake someone up...uhhh…and yeah...”

It was weird dropping Sandy off at the airport, it felt like she just got there. Another fun fact: her round-trip flight duration from Amsterdam to Prague was shorter than a one-way drive to Calgary! And actually, it took her less time to get back to Amsterdam than it took me to get home to Brno. Great weekend, although I think it will take me a few days to get rid of the pesky case of man-voice I seemed to have picked up from too much smokiness, partying, and not enough sleep. It was totally worth it!

Some of the many pictures are posted in the Praha 9-12.02.06 album.

Contributions from my sister Meena for your Entertainment

She's related to me, so obviously she's entertaining. Enjoy!

A little late but still noteworthy--

My Sister's New Year's Resolution

-Background-
The problem about my life in Ottawa, as exemplified by my contrasting experience in Edmonton, is that I am not surrounded by fabulous people. There are certainly some fabulous people worthy of our collective attention but at this point I feel my life being sucked away by people that I am around.

-Resolution-
No more. I say "NO MORE BORING PEOPLE". I say "SAY YES TO FABULOUS". I say "NO MORE HALF ASSED EVENINGS". This will be the year of adventure, the year of new experiences, the year of just given'r. This will be the year that I say no to parties with boring people and yes to random invitations. This is the year that I will refuse to hang out with people that just stay in their comfort zones-that look at people as 'cool' or 'uncool'. I will not subscribe to cool or uncool. We are adults now-we know many characters now-and these complex, wacky people enrich our lives. This is the year that I am open to random conversations with strangers (not scary ones), the year of road trips, the year of filling my life with interesting, unique people. This is the year that people stop telling me what to do--I am making my own destiny. This is the year that I learn diplomacy, coolheadedness and how to be forgiving of people. I will learn to be kinder this year, less judgmental. This is the year that I do not let the terrorists win-I will not let people who hate my way of life take me down, yo.

Hurrah!! Go Meena! I hope you learn diplomacy and coolheadedness if you want us to move in together later this year :) Make up some more dance moves too! Yes to FABULOUS! JUST GIVE'R!! (This is a Canadian expression some of you might not understand. I first heard it in the movie Fubar. Google it, maybe you can find the proper explanation)



My Sister's List of: Things You Learn at a Work Wine and Cheese

1. Get lots of food early because otherwise the good stuff (artichoke dip) is all gone or cold

2. Do not say you won't drink all night and then struggle to catch up when peer pressure gets to you

3. Do not invite people over after said work function and then ask them to cut carrots and cucumbers because it's healthy food or they are liable to take out a chunk of their finger

4. Do not keep saying 'my roommate hates me right now' over and over while slightly inebriated because eventually he will start to hate you

5. Even while inebriated making jokes about French Canadians is still slightly not okay-especially when they are right there

6. Learning how to do a sleazy French laugh is always okay....harh harh harh

7. Office gossip needs to be transmitted in a slightly lower volume

8. Going to sleep drunk on a work night means nightmares about waking up very late and subsequently v. poor sleep

9. Seeing people in the elevator at work the next morning and knowing you both were drinking together the night before but still can't remember their name is probably not the best way to start out the day.

10. Feeling like ass is so the right way to start out the day.


Everything in moderation my pet. Thanks Meenie!!! Yay for my big sister. She's 24 and single- any takers?

Movie. Message. Madness!

--Movie--
Yesterday I went to the European Film Festival in Brno (pretending to be semi-cultured) with some friends to see El Septimo Dia (The Seventh Day). It wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it was quite well-made. A bit gruesome and disturbing because of the fact it’s based on a true story-- of a rivalry between two families in small town Spain that starts with a love affair and ends up with a lot of people dying. There was a shoot-out at the end of the movie and 9 people died. Juan (Colombia) said, “Come on, that’s not so bad, only 9 people! You want to see real violence, come to Colombia!”. Funny.

--Message--
Dear Ralph Klein Premier of Alberta,
I am very happy that I live in the only debt-free province in Canada and that there was a surplus. I think you are a fool for not investing the extra money in education, infrastructure, more money for the rainy day fund for when our oil dries up, or some other worthwhile cause. Instead, you chose to give every resident of Alberta a $400 cheque. I think you are stupid, but I still plan to spend that $400 that was deposited in my account yesterday. Ha!


--Madness!--
Tomorrow I’m off to Prague where I will be meeting my friend Sandy (from Edmonton working in Amsterdam)!! Can’t wait for some good gossip and girl talk. And of course, it will be great to see someone from home. In the words of Sandy, “Super YAY!”

Just Call Me Pocahontas

On Saturday morning I met up with Tommaso and Mirka at the Brno bus station since Mirka was taking the bus to Greece. Yes, the BUS. Like 33 hours later I think she made it to Greece, but it’s cheap so you can’t complain. It was, of course, sucky (yes, that’s such a smart and descriptive word) to say goodbye, but what can you do?

Anyway, we wanted to make sure that Tommaso wouldn’t be too depressed with Mirka gone, so we decided the only remedy would be to get wasted. We met up with Lukasz in Cesky Tesin to get our party on. Cesky Tesin is a town on the border with Poland with half the town on the Czech side and half the town in Poland. It’s weird because across from Lukasz’s place there is a river and one side is Czech and the other side is Polish. The Czech side doesn’t really have much to do on it, so we went to Poland to hang out. We had dinner at a really good restaurant where the owner seemed to take a liking to us (yay for being a freak show) and gave us some free shots and suggested other liquors we should try. After that, we went to a disco and were dancing around and having random conversation with people.

First random conversation with a guy who said he was a police officer and Lukasz insisted was probably a security guard at a grocery store:
Guy: szszszszszszsz (whatever Polish sounds like)
Me: What is he saying?
Lukasz: He’s calling you a gypsy and saying he’s a police officer etc etc
Me: Why does he think he can call me a gypsy? What an asshole!
Guy: szszszszszssz
Lukasz: He doesn’t understand what you are saying. And he is still calling you a gypsy.
Me: (turning to guy) Fuck you! Rozumis (do you understand) that?

Then me and Lukasz made fun of him. He was a total loser.

Later in the night we made friends with some random Polish guy. Well, Lukasz made friends with him, I had no idea what he was saying.

Guy #2: szszszszszszs
Lukasz: This guy wants to know where we met. I told him we met in the States and that we are married. (making up stuff is so much more fun)
Guy #2: szszszszszsz
Lukasz: (turns to me) He says that you look like Pocahontas.

Yes kids, Pocahontas. Poca-fucking-hontas. Definitely the high point of the night. So, since I’ve been in the Czech Republic I have been called:
1.gypsy (more than once)
2.Mozambique pearl (by a really drunk guy on the bus)
3.Indian princess (by the ladies I used to work with in Ostrava)
4.Pocahontas

I am still struggling to decide which one is my favourite, but it’s definitely either Mozambique pearl or Pocahontas, they are much more imaginative than gypsy and so inaccurate.

Food Fun and Surprise Vacation

Food Fun

Last week I cooked for my ex-roommate (I had to move dormitories so now have a new roommate) and a bunch of exchange students. I forced them to eat with their hands--to get the true Indian experience and convince them that food REALLY does taste better when you use your hands. They enjoyed it, but suffered a bit as the French, Germans, and Greeks are not used to the effects of chilli powder. As well, I was in Prague overnight last week and cooked for the Andelers. They said they liked it too, but once again—chili powder usage was a bit excessive for their tastes.

Surprise Vacation!

Due to continuing drama with my work permit (which I got today, so drama is over) I couldn’t come to work last week on Wednesday and Thursday on the off-chance that the Labor Office did a surprise inspection and noticed that I was working illegally. So…I decided to take Friday off too and make it a proper long weekend and visit some places in the Czech Republic that I wasn’t sure I would have a chance to visit otherwise. I went with my friend Claire (French ex-roomie) and her friend Arno (I’m sure I spelled that wrong because it’s French and I have no idea how to spell it, but that’s how it sounds) on a little excursion to Kutna Hora-Prague-Telc. Kutna Hora is a town between Brno and Prague with a totally creepy weird attraction. There is a church that is decorated on the inside with bones. BONES!! A chandelier made with bones, candle-holders with skulls, and all sorts of other fun things. Once I get the pictures from Claire I will post them because they do more justice than this description.

After spending the day looking around Kutna Hora we continued to Prague where we met up with the Andelers and had dinner. Then I went to the movie theatre for the first time since August. We saw Munich, which was good (though a bit on the long side). Makes you think, which is good since I don’t really do too much of that here in the Czech Republic. (kidding)

The next day we caught the bus to Telc. Well, we caught the bus late after I got confused and was convinced the bus left from the really far away bus station instead of the really close bus station. Yeah, we spent some quality time on the Prague metro that morning. Anyway, Telc is on the UNESCO World Heritage List (so is Kutna Hora actually) because of the beautiful town square and the chateau there. It’s nice, but small, and really probably only worth it to go there in summer. Things are generally less impressive in the snow and cold. And apparently the gardens are really nice there….in the summertime. It was still worth it since I don’t think I would have been able to go there otherwise. We got back to Brno Friday night, and decided that since it was a Friday—we had to party. I met a bunch of the new exchange students and they seem nice.

So for all those people that say to me, “Do you even do ANY work?” the answer is that last week I sure didn’t. Although today I have been stamping papers with today’s date. Awesome!