Trutnov, Czech Republic

Lessons from this year, part 1

2007-06-20T18:23:00.000+02:00

1.) Fat happens

Exchange students gain weight. Actually, anyone put in a new and very stressful environment have the tendency to plump up. Accept it, and keep on living. Dont eat to relieve bordom or out of depression. That is the kicker. But, dont get to unhappy about it unless it spirals too out of control.

2.) School and education are different

School is a place where you learn skills for future jobs and day to day chores. It does not teach you everything, and you need to make up for that. Meet new people and let them become your teachers. They will teach you things without meaning to. Strangers will open your eyes if you let them. Mostly, ask questions. It doesnt matter if they are complicated, easy, stupid, spoken in caveman form, or whatever. Ask people about their history, about the history of their home, where they have been, what they have learned. If you think you can venture into the topic of politics, ask them why they hold the opinions they do. Visit places where history took place. Always take the tour if there is one. Go to places which people avoid for strange reasons, go to places filled with people, go to places that are off of the beaten path. Dont say you have seen enough. Even if places are similar, they are not the same. Observe people. Take metal notes about their personality, habits, actions, etc. Keep these in mind and dont be afraid to adopt them as your own. It will help you to express yourself in the best way.

3.) Dont be afraid to say "I dont understand"

People do not get upset if you say this. They will most of the time be happy that you said something beforehand. This will keep you out of trouble sometimes, because the loss of one detail can unravel everything. Also dont be afraid to use the past tense. "I didnt understand" can ease tension if something bad or negative happened, and can keep you in people good books more in the future. But, dont use this phrase unless it is true.

4.) Eat, then ask

Food taste is cultural and varies everywhere in the world. Some cultural group may thing something is discusting, even if you think it is normal. I.E. peanut butter. Part of one's education is trying new food. You may just find you like it, no matter the color or what it looks like. If you try something, it can avoid bad feeling with people, which can help both parties out in the long run. If you didnt like something in your childhood, try it again. Tastes change. I know I sound like the typical mother, but it is true.

5.) Dont mess with the Grandmother

Old people are smarter than you, have more authority, deserve respect, and really do try to do what they think is best for you. Dont try to change them by lecturing them about religion, language, cleanliness, habits, etc. You will inflict thier wrath upon you, and it is not pretty. Learnfrom them, ask them to tell you stories, laugh with them, dont get bored while looking through pictures. When they feed you, it is out of love. The denial of food is one of the worst thing you can do. Try to eat it (whatever 'it' is), unless it is against your beliefs, you have an alergie, or have have a REALLY good reason. If you feel sick, tell them and they will change things to suit your needs.

6.) Always say yes (within reason)

When people invite you places, go with them. Even if you dont like the activity, go anyway. You might find you like it, or plans may even change to something you like better. It is all about trying new things and spending time with people. You will gain stories to tell other in the future, new skills, and deeper bonds with people. Ask them questions, engage them in conversation, no matter how trivial it is. The effects in the future might be very positive. One activity that you dont like may turn into more invitations that you do like. Plus, people can profit from your company too. Note: this is not a drug reference. I still dont suggest those things that drive you to a dead end.

7.) Deny stereotypes

These things happen, but they need to be broken. Dont be afraid to be the quiet-spoken American or the smart blonde. Shock people. Make them see that everyone is different. It will most likely make them think better of you as a person too. Also, even better, discuss why the stereotype exhists. Its another chance to explore deeper into a new culture. The world needs more understanding, help it.

8.) Never leave your camera at home

Pictures are the best way to remember things, even if you are called an Asian tourist uncountable times. Shoot people, buildings, things close up, things far away, places you stay (hotels, etc. if they are interesting or memorable), friends, strangers, in the rain, in the sun, at night, sunsets and sunrises, and more. Back up your pictures on disks, online, and any other places you can think of. Share pictures becuase people want to know what you are doing. But, this doesnt mean you have to make public online photo albums of things that are only funny to you and one other person. Also, dont bury your head in the camera screen/viewfinder. Take time to look at things without thinking of what angle you want to get it from. Appreciate.

9.) Balence friends

No matter how many groups of friends, individual friends, family friend, etc, do not ignore one group or one person. Even if you dont spend a lot of time with somebody, doesnt mean you have to break the friendship. If you have plans with somebody, dont cancel it unless you have a very good excuse or an emergency. People will think you are trustworthy, which is a hard trait to earn and keep. Keep in communication. This doesnt have to be very time consuming like people think. 1-3 letters or post cards a year is plenty to keep on good terms with somebody and have a stable relashionship. If snail mail doesnt work, an email out of the blue is wonderful. Again, 3-5 a year is plenty. For younger people with worse communication habits, facebook and other blogs are fine, but can be too impersonal. Try to keep up email too.

Thats all I have time for now, but there are lots more forming in my head. Be on the lookout.

Mom and Dad's Visit!!

2007-05-29T17:06:00.000+02:00

9 Months. That's how long it had been since I had seen my parents. Yes, I was happy to see them, but it was strange adjusting to being around them again. They arrived in Prague on May 14, and had a few days in the city alone while I was forced to stay in school. On the Thursday, I met them in Wenceslas square and ran around Old town all afternoon. That evening, we had dinner at a 'boatel' (boat hotel and restaurant) before going to the National Theatre to see 'The Secret'. On Friday, we met and had coffee with my mom's coworker who happened to also be in town visiting family, then had lunch with a fashion designer friend who I met in Branson last year. Next, we caught the train back up to Trutnov, where my first host dad picked us up and took us to his/our hotel in Pec, half an hour away. We had dinner with my first host family (only one family member short) and had fun talking in Czech-lish. Saturday we hiked up the tallest mountain in the country, Snezka, and rode the chairlift back down in time for dinner and a dance show of traditional folk dances. Sunday we went hiking again, explored the town, and went back to Trutnov. we checked into my 3rd host dad's hotel, then went to dinner back at my first host family's house. They had the BBQ up and going for trout and veggies, and it was another great evening. Monday I put Mom and Dad on a train to the local 'rock town' and went to school for the day. That evening was Rotary, and my big presentation. I had a 25 minute speech/PowerPoint, a discussion time, and a very quick trombone concert for everyone. Then we went out for drinks with my second host family. Tuesday morning, we met my dad's Polish colleague , and he drove us to his research spots all around south Poland. We were out and about all day, mainly looking at rocks. But, we also saw the only Norwegian church outside Scandinavia and an interesting old Abbey. We stayed at a research lab, and went up into the mountains on Wednesday. Back in Trutnov, we had another BBQ, this time with my second family. It was such a fun evening, everyone laughing and joking together. Thursday, my second host mom picked up my parents and took them to another town, Pardubice, to catch the train. I was a little worried, because I had no heard the woman say more that 10 English words in 3 months, and she always said that she didn't know any English. I went off to school, and later talked with Mom and Dad, and they said that the talked in English the whole morning!! Friday, I joined them in Olomouc, my favorite town, and we had a nice evening exploring the cafes and restaurants. Saturday morning we rode the bus to Telč. We were lucky that there just happened to be a festival going on to celebrate the 15 years of being a UNESCO site, so the town was filled with historic dancers and bands. After lunch and a castle tour, we saw a parade, but were rained out as the first band began to play. So, we went back to the train station, collected our bags, and waited for the hail to stop. When it did, we went to the bus station to catch our 4:00 bus. It never came. I though there was a 5:25 bus, but it never came. Finally, we ended up taking a taxi to Jinřichův Hradec. This was the town were I had language camp, and I was happy to be back. We had dinner in the best Pizza place, and I showed them all the favorite places in town. Sunday morning, we took a tour of the castle before taking trains to Cesky Krumlov. There, we were 15 minutes too late to tour inside, but we walked around outside and explored before eating dinner at a restaurant overlooking the castle. Monday, we rode buses back to Prague and I put them on a plane back to Brussles.

Eurotour part 2

2007-05-29T16:34:00.000+02:00

Wow, life's been crazy! But I'm back now to finish my story.

From France, we took a passenger/cargo ferry across the English Channel to Dover. I was soo excited to see the White Cliffs, after learning about them in school so many years ago. Then, we rode the bus up to Greenwich for the afternoon. After taking pictures of the Prime Meridian, we toured through the observatory and slowly moved onto the Maritime Museum. It was amazingly well done!! Of course that topic was right up up alley, but I really did like everything. Before joining back with the whole group, I happened to run into my friend Mary, who is at my same school in Trutnov this year. Talk about a small world! Then, we all rode another ferry up to the center part of London, near the London Eye. The street performers entertained us for a bit, then we piled onto the bus once again and drove to our hotel in Crystal Palace, nearly an hour away. Once we were settled in our rooms, I worked with a bunch of my friends to book play tickets for later in the visit in London. The next day, we had a guided bus tour around the city with a Czech/English lady who was happy to show us around. We were set free at the Tower of London, but the 26 USD admission price was a little too much for us students. I ate lunch with some girls, then we rode up to the center and walked to the British museum. We soaked in some more history until it closed, then we wandered around the center and enjoyed taking pictures. The bus picked us up a little later, around 9:30, so we were back at the hotel late and went to sleep. Tuesday was completely free, that the Rotarians gave us our round-trip train tickets and said "have a nice day". I rode into the downtown with a small group, then split off for some family time. I rode the train to a suburb to visit the only relative (that I know of) in England. we had a wonderful lunch together, then he gave me a quick tour of his town. Back in London, I couldn't find the girls I was supposed to meet up with, so I played tourist on my own for a bit. That evening, I went to an amazing play in the West End, Equus. Yes, it is also known as the 'Naked Harry Potter play'., but it isn't just about the actors. It was intense, and really well done. When it ended, all of us (7 in all) rode the metro and train back to our hotel and checked in with the adults before sleeping. The following day was mainly a transport day, but a family reunion for me. We rode the bus back to Dover and caught another ferry to Calais. The we drove to Belge, in Brussels. Mom and Dad were there visiting Colin, so we met up for dinner and a family evening. The group was staying in Ghent, so I rode the train there with my family. After dinner we took a taxi to my hotel and said goodbye for another week. ON Thursday, we had over 9 hours to look around Brussels. It was a nice town, but a little small for that amount of time. I tried some Belgium waffles, saw the main square, and enjoyed the musical instrument museum. At the end of the day, we met the bus again and began our long, all night haul, through Germany back to the Czech Republic.

Eurotour! Part 1

2007-05-14T15:27:00.002+02:00

The highlight of the year for most exchange students in Europe is "Eurotour", a huge trip all around lots of different countries. We finally get to play tourist instead of immediately trying to fit into society. This year, the Czech/Slovak trip was a little shorter than in the past, but still a wonderful experience. Monday, 30 April, I rode a bus back down to Tabor, and met the big group. We had a huge Mercedes tour bus for all 43 students and 3 adults (great ratio, eh?) We drove to Plzen to pick up the rest of the group, and we were off. Our route took us through Germany, then straight through the night to Paris. We arrived in Paris brgith and early. After a quick driving tour of some of the sights, we went to Notre Dame and looked around for a bit. We had free time until mid morning, then walked on to the Luxemburg gardens. Some of the toured around the fountain/pond and then took a little nap in the sunshine. Then, we went to the Invalides, where Napolean is buried. After lunch, we had more free time, and I went with some other girls to the Effiel Tower. We climbed to the second story via the stairs, but then took the elevator back down because the wait for the very top was too long.

The next day, we went to La Defense (the modern business district of Paris) first thing in the morning. After some window shopping and picture taking, we rode the bus to Monmartre, my favorite place in the city. I dragged my friend katie to the top of the hill, where we looked inside Sacre Coeur, then looked through the artist neighborhood on the top of the hill. Of course we had to also make a stop at the famous Moulin Rouge for pictures. Then, the group had a cruise on the Bateux Mouche down the Seine. The weather was perfect the entire time for pictures and just enjoying the sights. Our next block of free time was at the Louvre. I got in for free (yay for being under 18!) and just soaked in the famous art. After dinner at the food court, we were about to return to the hotel, but they let us off thebus to take night picture of the Effeil tower. There was also a man playing the accordian on the side of the square. He heard us speaking Czech/Slovak, and struck up a conversation. It turned out that he was a Slovak, who lived in the Czech Republic for a while, and is now touring Europe!! What a small world!

The third day in Paris was out free day. I set out with two other girls to Pere Lachaise, the famous cemetary, to see the graves of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and others. I knew it was a long walk, but I had no idea it would take us over 2 hours to get there!!! But, in theend it was worth the distance. After looking around, we took the metro back to the louvre to save time and out feet. I then headed towards the Musee D'Orsay, which was my favorite museum. The impressionist art was amaing to see in person, after seeing it in books my entire life. Then, I walked up the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triumph. I got my pictures, then slowly walked back to the Place de la Concorde to meet the rest of the group.

Day 4 was the visit to Versaille, early in the morning. I took the audio tour with some other students, then we playing in the garden for a while. The bus took us to the Normandy area, where we stayed for the night.

Our visit to Normandy was another of my favorite days. we started at Pont Hoc, to look at the battlefield. There is nothing like seeing Canadians running around in military gear, Americans pretending to be bombed, and Mexican flying their flag from a flagpole. Maybe exchange students can be responsable, but we are certainly not boring! We then continued to the American cemetary and to a little town nearby where the Allies built a harbor right after D-Day. There was a good museum in the town, which we wandered through. We then had another long bus trip to Boulogne sure Mer. It was a quiet town, with nothing to do there, so we just ate and caught up on sleep bofre the next leg of the journey.

New Family, New Adventures

2007-05-14T15:08:00.000+02:00

Again, I must apologize for the lack of entries, but this time I really have been very buzy. I now am living with my third and final host family, and it is another good situation. My host parents, Petr and Johana, are the managers of the nicest hotel in town, Hotel Adam. My host sister Maja (short for Marie) is 22 and goes to the economy college in Prague. She is home on the weekends, and speaks perfect English after her Rotary exchange to Wyoming. But, we still talk in Czech most of the time. My host brother, Adam, is 18 and goes to the same school as me. He seemed to be a little more comfortable around me when he realized that he didn't always have to talk in English. We get along fine, but we have our different friends and activities. We live alittle out of town, in a wonderful house near the city park. They have 3 dogs and 3 cats. One dog lives inside, along with 2 of the cats. Less than 2 days after I moved in, they were already discussion adoption, because I speak Czech, cook, clean, work in the garden, and I like to help out. :) I guess that means that things are good.

I was only in the new house for 9 days before I was off on my next adventure, which I have been looking forward to all year. Eurotour.

Just a Little Taste of Italy

2007-04-16T16:58:00.000+02:00

Yay for Rotary trips! This past weekend was a short but amazing time in Venice, via Austria. Friday morning I left Trutnov at 8 a.m. and took the bus to Tabor, which is in the south part of the country. There, everyone congregated and we got on our charter bus at 4:00. We drove. Our longest stop was in Salzburg, Austria, for an hour, but we drove through the night. When I woke up on Saturday morning (yes, I managed to sleep), we were sitting in a parking lot near Venice. The city doesn't until 6 in the morning, so the locals can sleep. We drove to a closer parking lot, then walked to the center of the city. It was like walking into a fairy tale city, with all of the gondolas, canals, masks, and REAL Italian food. We had most of the day as free time, so I ate, took pictures, shopped for a mask, went into a museum, and soaked up the atmosphere. It certainly wasn't enough time, but we all met back in the main square at 6 and took a water taxi back to the bus. Most people slept almost the entire way back (10 hours) because we were so tired, and we pulled back into Tabor at 7am on Sunday. I also explored the center of that city more as I waited for my bus.

Please look at my photobucket for all 180 pictures. It also has more from Easter and other activities. I keep it updated!!

Easter

2007-04-16T15:57:00.000+02:00

Easter!!! Czech style!!!

It certainly is different than in the U.S. I was woken up Monday morning by my host mom, who knocked on my door. I went to answer it, and then my host brother and dad hopped into my room and started to spank me with whips made from willow branches. Dont worry, its not exchange student torture, its just tradition. In return, I had to give them hard boiled eggs that I had dyed. During breakfast, more people knockes on the door. I was summoned to the door by my host mom, and saw 5 of my host brothers classmates. So, I after more spanking, they were also given eggs, chocolate, and shots of rum (alcohol is also a major part of the tradition, but only for the guys). Next, the neighbor and his friend dropped by to have their go at me and my host mom. Finally, we escaped and went on a 47 km bike ride all day. I did receive a few more whippings from various people, but managed to finish the day with no serious harm from the branches. But, I must say that my butt was aching from the wood-like bike seat.

So...the explanation. Guys hit girls with the hand braided whips in oder to make them prttier and younger. We are supposed to be super happy about this abuse and give them eggs, sweets, and alcohol. In the east part of the country, guys also throw cold water on the girls (I dont know the 'logic' behind that one..) and in return the grils also spray perfum on the guys. Fun times huh?

Birthday Time!!

2007-04-08T16:55:00.000+02:00

Yay!! Im 17 now!! Time for the full story....

Last Friday, I took the bus to Prague, where I met a friend of my host mom. Martina has a 5 year old son and a 16 year old daughter, and in March suggested that we get together some time. We planned a visit that just happened to be over my bday. The family lives in a suburb of Prague about 30 minutes away from the center by train. I settled in on Friday night, and on Saturday we had our first excursion. Martina, her son Tomas, and I went to a chateau right outside Prague, in the little town where Antonin Dvorak was born. There, we toured the chateau and the museum in Dvorak's childhood home. The daughter, Miroslava (Blecha for short) returned home from a class trip to Germany in the afternoon, and I met some of her friends . On Sunday, we the 4 of us went to Karlstejn for the day. It is the most famous castle in the country, and I stil hadn't seen it... The tour was really interesting, and filled with history. Once again, pretty much everything was older than the U.S.A.. I love that!! Monday (Birthday!!), Blecha and I went to the city center by ourselves and explored some places that I hadn't seen yet. First we went to a hill near the castle, where we climbed the "Czech Eiffel Tower", and went to a mirror maze. Then was snack at the best (and only) bagel chain in the country. On the way there, we saw a man break into a parked van, steal the GPS unit, and run. Note to readers: if ever in Prague, DO NOT rent a car. Our next stop was the wax museum. There were old world leaders and entertainers, but my favorite part was the group of famous Czechs. Its not every day that Kafka, Smetana, Dvorak, and Charles IIII are in the same room. Then, we went to Blecha's school for an hour. (English class, of course :) ). In the evening, the family was super kind and cooked a special birthday meal of curry rice, with mojito ice cream for dessert. Tuesday, Blecha and I had a quiet morning on the computer, watching t.v., etc. After lunch, we went to a carnival that was temporarily in town. I loved the rides, given that I hadn't had any real ride-induced adrenaline rushes in a long time. Yep, Im a roller coaster junkie. Wednesday, we took Tomas to the zoo for the day. Its really a great zoo, though the weather was a little cool. On Thursday, it was another quiet morning of packing and entertaining Tomas as we waited for our ride back to Trutnov. I was certainly happy to be back in my host house, and ready to stay there for a bit.

Slovakia Ski Week!!!

2007-03-26T19:26:00.000+02:00

This has been a great week, and a perfect way to end the winter. Last Friday, I spent the night with my host grandma in Hradec Kralove, then my host mom drove me to the train station in the next town to the south on Saturday afternoon. I had a direct train to Olomouc (really, my favorite city in the country). In my compartment, there was me (an American), Nicole (another Rotary student from Canada), a Czech man, and a Polish man. We all had a long conversation in Czech. Its great how we all came from different places and communicated in my new language instead of English, the 'international language'. I stayed in Olomouc on Saturday night with two other students, and visited another one who wasn't going to camp. On Sunday morning, we all caught the train to Slovakia and arrived at our stop mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent getting to the hotel, settling in, eating, organizational meetings, and catching up with everyone. It was fun to see all the Slovak exchange students again. Monday morning we all went to another hotel to rent supplies (though I borrowed some from my family), then hit the slopes. I was in the 'its my second time on skiies' group. After a late lunch, I was at out hotel and the bigger hotel during the afternoon and evening. Tuesday I skiied the entire morning, then once again made the trek to the big hotel to check my email. Wedensday was more of the same, but in the afternoon I went to the little store down the mountain in the afternoon and ended up waiting an hour for it to open. Fun, I know. At least it was a time for me to get to know some of the Slovak students. Thursday was our main day of beautiful weather. I skiied in the morning, then in the afternoon, we had a group trip to the local cave, a thermal-spring water park, and the larger town near-by. the cave was really pretty, and the hot water felt wonderful after days of skiing. Friday was even more skiing in the morning, then our 'carnival time' in the afternoon. We had a snowman competition first, and I made a skiier running into a tree, because people always tell me not to do that. I ended up winning third place!! Then, we split into teams for a mattress race on the ski slope. The Mexican students (who love the snow) kept throwing snowballs, so we had a bit of a battle halfwat through the race. Great fun! My team ended up getting second place. Then, we had a bungee cord tied to a tree. Two representatives from each team had to try and collect little snacks that were put almost out of reach of the cord. After dinner, we had an award 'ceremony', then headed to a disco at another hotel. We danced until Midnight, then trugged back to bed. Saturday was horrible for skiing in the morning, because the slopes were pure ice. I napped most of the morning, after one run on the skiies, but went back out to the slopes after lunch. In the evening, some people went back to the disco, but most of us stayed in and played cards and packed. On Sunday, all of the students were surprized to hear that there had been a time change, and we all of a sudden had one less hour to finish getting our stuff together. But, we had plenty of time to catch the train and ride it all the way to out final stops. My host dad and brother met me at the station, and after a quick stop at family member homes in Hradec Kralove, we went back to Trutnov.

Spring Time

2007-03-12T10:19:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry for the lack of entries for the past month. I wont say I've been busy, because its been a quiet time, but I've just not gotten around to this aspect of communication. After Spring break, it was back to school and the normal routine. I'm continuing with my trombone lessons and going to the movies often with people from school. On the weekends, I continue to meet all sort of friends and family of my host family, and they all seem to be kind and welcoming people. I went to a folk concert with my host mom in February, and we have plans to see another group in April. Last weekend and early week I was in Prague with free time. I hit more of the tourist places, including the national museum, which is amazing. The weekend included meeting more family members....I also met one of the new Australian students who just arrived. The crazy guy tried to explain to me what a meat pie was, not realizing that it is my favorite food. This past weekend I went bowling with another new group of people. One woman invited me to go to school in Prague with her daughter for 2 days, which should be fun and interesting. This Saturday is the beginning of a more activity-filled time. I have a ski camp for a week, then my birthday, the another concert, and my last family. Time will really fly now, and before I know it, I'll be back in Arkansas. I'm trying not to think too much about that right now.

Spring Break...Part 2

2007-02-12T17:43:00.000+01:00

I'm alive!! Its a good thing, given that I was throwing myself down mountains all weekend with flat things strapped to my feet. Yep, that's right, skiing. Thursday morning I was back on the road out of Trutnov, headed towards Pec Pod Snezkou. There, I joined my first host family again. They have already been so generous and kind, I am so lucky to be able to be a part of that family. For an hour and a half in the morning, I was introduced to my instructor and fitted for boots, skiis, and poles. In a little open area off of the bunny slope, I learned the basics of putting on the skiis, going downhill, and stopping. Then, I hit the bunny slope, surrounded by lots of little kids and supervising parents. After a quick lesson on stopping, it was lunch time. In the afternoon, I learned some basic turning and had more practicing. IN the late afternoon, I rested and watched Harry Potter with Misa. Dinner was at the hotel, and I spent the evening with Katka and some of her friends. Friday morning, I learned more turning, and had more stopping practice. Stopping was not one of my strong points, as I found out when I ran into random Czechs at the bottom of the little slope. That afternoon, we moved to a slightly bigger slope and worked at higher speeds and steeper slopes. I also worked more on getting up when I fell. Dinner was also at the hotel and I spent the evening with the family in the cocktail bar, where all us kids had our refreshing virgin mojitos, even Misa. Saturday was my big day. I was all suited up and ready to go at 9:00, when I caught the ski bus with my instructor. we went to a Blue slope (the easiest of the colors) and ran down it for most of the morning. Right before lunch, we also went down a red slope, the medium difficulty. After a quick lunch of Mexican food (yum), we went back to the blue slope for a few hours. To reward ourselves for hard work, my teacher suggested ice cream, and I agreed. Unfortunately, the cafe was halfway down another red slope, I though I was going to punge to the bottom the entire way. I went at a snail's pace, much to the frustration of people wizzing past me. Boy was I happy to be at the bottom a little while later. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching more movies with Misa and nursing my sore limbs. 6 hours of skiing left me in a bit of pain.... I went to sleep early that night, after dinner and tea at the hotel. Sunday was a laid back day. I went swimming with Katka, Misa, and Karel (my host sisters and dad), then had breakfast, packed, and read a while. After lunch, I waited on Karel to finish up some work, then we returned to Trutnov and I had a nice evening relaxing with my current host family.

Spring Break...Part 1

2007-02-07T19:15:00.000+01:00

The road goes ever on and on.... Yep, I do love my Lord of the Rings quotes. Well, anyway... I've had a fun past 2 weeks. On Jan. 26th, I went to Prague. In the morning, I hung out with two of my fellow students who were there for a few days, but in the afternoon, I went to the airport to pick up Colin. That's right, my REAL brother. I had heard from other Rotary students that it can be awkward to see family member while on exchange, but it was just wonderful to spend time with my brother. The first weekend he was here, we went to Hradec Kralove to celebrate my host mother's sister's birthday (my host aunt, I guess). We saw the historic town center, and went to the movies to see Blond Diamond. On Sunday, we had a day to play in the snow (almost a metre), go sledding, and have warm drinks at a local pub. It was funny to hear my host mom call him Japanese because he took so many pictures. On Monday, he went to school with me for an hour (it was English class), then I put him on the train to Prague. He spent 3.5 days there, while I had a 4 day week at school.

Last Friday, I was back in Prague, picked up Colin, and we continued to South Bohemia. Our train made a stop in Ceske Budejovice, where we had a quick lunch with other exchange students, then we continued to Cesky Krumlov. We checked into the hostel, the met yet another student for dinner. At night, we made a quick loop around town, then went back to the hostel for more catch-up time and watched The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. There's nothing like a movie about Australian drag queens !! Saturday was our day to be tourists. Unfortunately, the town really closes down in winter. There were no tours in the castle, the museum was closed, and the town seemed dead. We still looked in the local church, walked through the grounds of the castle, went to the local brewery for lunch, then had coffee and looked in a little bookstore for a while. In the evening, I left Colin alone for some down time, and went back to Ceske Budejovice. That night was a Rotary ball, and other students had invited me to go. It was a fun event, with friends, dancing demonstrations, a live orchestra, and free dinner. I left about 10:15 to catch a train back to Cesky Krumlov. 2 people had told me to take the 10:41 train, so I did. Unfortunately, the ticket man looked at me like I had sprouted another head when I asked for a ticket there. The train didn't go to Cesky Krumlov! So, I ended up at a station near C.B., with a station operator who at first thought I was Russian. She was really nice, and called me a taxi. I got back to town with no more problems, but I was glad that my little adventure was over. On Sunday, Colin and I took a bus back to Prague, got his luggage, and parted ways. I then rode a train back to Hradec Kralove, where my host uncle met me at the station.

Sunday night was with my host aunt, uncle, and cousins. We had a very Czech dish of raw ground beef on toast for dinner, then watched t.v. and planned a trip to the theater. Monday morning, I went to school with Mychal, my host cousin. It was a fun and interesting experience, and I made some more friends. The classes were Biology, Physics, Math, English (2), and some sort of critical thinking class. We even had a fire drill! In the afternoon, I went over the my host grandma's apartment. She will be referred to as Babička from now on. We went on a walk around the neighborhood with her dog, Katka. In the evening, it was more t.v. (Lost! Dubbed in Czech, of course). Tuesday morning was also early. I went to a children's theatre with my host uncle and great-uncle. We had to talk our way in, because the show was supposed to be only for a private school group. But, in the end, we got in and had a private tour of the behind-the-scenes. Very interesting!! The play was definitely for little kids, but that was good for me because I could follow along and understand most of what was said. Then I walked around the old town with the great uncle, who is a great guy who lives part-time in Sweden. We love to swap stories about the country. He also decided to come to Arkansas right away when I told him we have a rodeo, live country music, and that Johnny Cash was born there. After lunch, Babička and I went on a LONG walk to some little food stores and the supermarket. I was on dog-duty, so I stood outside with Katka as she bought the food. In the evening, it was more t.v., Czech soap opera and CSI: Miami. This morning was a lazy morning, with reading and writing in my journal. My host mom picked me up in the afternoon and now I'm back in Trutnov. Tomorrow, I head to the mountains for skiing!!!!

New Family

2007-01-22T21:23:00.000+01:00

Whoever said that change is a bad thing must have had a terrible life. But I'm having great luck this year!! The changes make it interesting, and I appreciate that.

Saturday was moving day. After I packed up ALL of my stuff (there was a lot), and loaded it into the car, my first host mom drove me across town to my new house. My new host parents greeted us at the door. They are a wonderful family, very sweet and helpful. The parents speak almost to English to me because I asked them to speak only Czech. Their college aged son, Kuba, spent a year in Canada so he has almost perfect English. We still speak Czech most of the time though. He seems happy to teach me new phrases that I dont know, which is great. The more teachers I accumulate, the better.

The house is in the 'Czech Quarter' of town, even though the entire town is Czech. I can walk to school every morning now, because it is only 5 minutes away on foot. The view from my window is the downtown square and some of the housing sector.

My host dad is a heart doctor here in Trutnov, and a sweet, soft spoken guy with a clever sense of humor. My host mom is a 'drug dealer'. Yeah, I had the same shocked reaction. Dont worry, its all legal. She travels around the north part of the country, telling hospitals which are the best medicines to buy. She is the life of the party type person, and great fun to talk to because she is so animated. Kuba (short for Jacob) goes to college in Prague, but is on break until the middle of February. He has decorated the room I'm staying in with all sorts of Canadian stuff, which is a good reminder of all my new Canadian friends, and newly Canadian friend (you know who you are).

Ski Weekend....without snow

2007-01-18T10:30:00.000+01:00

This past weekend was supposed to be the Rotary cross country ski weekend in South Bohemia. Well, for those of you who have not been keeping up with your world weather, Europe is warm. Major ski resorts in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic are really hurting because there isnt enough snow to attract the tourists. I have seen that in my mountains, and it was noticable in the Sumava mountains in the south too.

I traveled to the Sumava mountains alone on Thursday, under blue sky and sunshine. It was a great break from the continuous rain and grey skies in Trutnov. My route took me through Prague, Plzen, and Klatovy. The meeting was in a TINY town in the mountains, Spicak. Normally it is busy with tourists who want to ski, but it is dead right now. Thursday night was just a chance to catch up with the small number of students who came, chatting and watching movies. Friday morning was a Czech lesson with Tomas (the teacher from language camp whom we all love.) In the afternoon we walked to a slightly larger town, Zelezna Ruda. By then, the rest of the students had arrived, a total of 15. Only half the group. We sat in the sweetshop for a while, then wandered around town. After dinner was more free time. Its amazing how social we are, never getting bored of talking. Saturday was a hiking day. We left by 10, walked to a ski lift (that looked like it was about to fall down), and rode half way up the mountain. When we had walked to the top, we had a snowball fight, then had warm drinks in a little restaurant. The people from warmer climates really liked the snow, but the weather was a little cold for them. Next, we hiked down the mountain to another restaurant, this time for soup. Czechs have a tradition of drawing out meals, so it is more unusual to be really hungary. Next, we walked to "Black Lake". It was a clear, cold, glacial lake. Some of the students decided that it was perfect for wading in. Crazy. The lake is famous because the Gestappo hid their records in it. The records were found in the 60s, sunk to the bottom. That night we had singing and dancing as a group. On Sunday, it was just another travel day. Once again, the weather was beautiful. I traveled with 7 other people to Plzen, then continued through Prague back to Trutnov

VERY IMPORTANT:

Tomorrow I move host families. It is only across town, but it is the beginning of another chapter of my exchange. For those of you who send me letters, please wait until I email out my new mailing address. If you do not recieve the email in the next week, let me know that you are interested in knowing. Thanks!!

Vacation and New Years

2007-01-04T16:20:00.000+01:00

First of all, Happy New Year Everybody! I'm back at school now, so it is time to write about the rest of my vacation. On the Wednesday after Christmas, the family, the Grandparents, and I had one more lazy day around the house as we packed. I went to the theatre with my host mom, older sister, and the neighbor (who is also 14) to see the Devil Wears Prada. It was in English with subtitles, so it was interesting to read the Czech while hearing the English. I never really though about how much of the humor is lost in translation. Some of the classic lines were put into simpler and more unimaginative sentences in Czech.

Anyway, off my tangent. Wednesday night we drove to Pec Pod Sněžou, a half hour drive. After a late dinner we settled into the apartment that my family has there.
Thursday we had a short hike up one of the mountains right outside town, to a little restaurant on a ski slope. Unfortunately there was not enough snow for skiing.
Friday was a longer hike, riding up a ski lift and walking in almost a giant circle, back to Pec. Some people were out on their cross country skis, but most of the other people we saw were also on foot.
Saturday I had a fitness day with Katka and the neighbor instead of climbing Sněžka again. The bad weather deterred me from hauling myself up the mountain. Instead, I used to hotel fitness room, pool, and sauna. Very refreshing!!
Sunday, New Years Eve, we had a short hike to another restaurant before getting ready for the fancy dinner and celebration. At the hotel, the 4 course dinner started at 6:30 and I went to bed around 2 or so. I sat with my family for the main courses, then joined the rest of the guests on the dance floor. One of the guest singers was a family friend who had come with us on some of the hikes. There was a fireworks show a little past midnight, then more dancing. I was dead tired when I finally crawled into bed.
Monday was a lazy day, with some of the adults needing time to recover. We stayed at the apartment except for lunch and dinner at the hotel. At night, we watched movies together, another popular holiday tradition. When we woke up the next morning, two inches of snow had fallen. This, of course, was the last day, therefore too late for skiing.
Tuesday we packed, had lunch, then headed back to Trutnov and unpacked. A quiet end to the vacation.

Christmas!!!!

2006-12-26T16:35:00.000+01:00

Ok, so I have heard from a little bird (my mother) that people are really wanting to hear about Christmas, and are tired of waiting. Well, my friends, I have been busy with my family. Isn't that what you want to hear?

On the weekend of the 8-10, we had a family celebration in Pec with about 20 other people, mainly extended family on my host dad's side. It was really laid back, with dinner on Friday night lasting until 10:30, and drinks followed until 12:30. On Saturday, we went for a hike back to Deer Meadows. This time the little mountain restaurant wasn't closed, so we stopped for drinks again. The adults had their beer, and the teenagers had water. On the way back to the hotel, it started to rain. During the afternoon, people used the 'fitness facilities'. In other words, I went swimming. Dinner was a buffet, then we sat around for drinks as we listened to the folk group, again. Sunday morning was a time for pictures. We all looked at the pictures from last summer on the group boat in Croatia, then Karel (my host dad) brought out his pictures from Peru. I think there must have been around 2000 pictures that he took in the week and a half he was gone. No, I didn't add too many zeros to that figure. When we finished looking at all of them (an hour and a half later), we had lunch and said our goodbyes. It had been snowing all morning, and was starting to stick on the ski slopes by the time the 5 of us went back to Trutnov.

The next weekend was our weekend in Prague. We drove to town on Saturday, and met the next door neighbors for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Just FYI, European Chinese is different than American Chinese. Then, we checked into our hotel (look at the pictures under Prague Christmas on my Photobucket), and headed to the theatre. We had tickets to the 3:00 show. I was impressed with the theatre, but I was amazed when I was lead to the VIP balcony, and instructed to sit in the front row of the balcony. Yep, my family had connections. The musical was fantastic!!! It was a combination of Romeo and Juliet, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Mis. The plot was roughly: The plague hits the Christian part of Prague, and the Christians get mad that the Jews aren't dying. They want to fight each other, but the Rabbi's daughter and one of the Christians try to stop the fighting. They meet and fall in love. The Jews call on an ancient figure, Golem, to protect them. Golem is made of clay and cant talk, but had protected the ghetto in the past. Unfortunately, this time the ceremony to bring him to life goes wrong. He turns out to be an evil Golem, and falls in love with the Rabbi's daughter too. Things go wrong, people die, and in the end the Christians and Jews have to decide to unite if they want to destroy Golem. The best part was, there were English subtitles, so I understood everything. On Sunday, we had family shopping time at a huge mall in the suburbs. It was a very American thing to do, except a lot of the store were British or French. If you are somebody who loves to shop, go to those countries, not here. This country is for the history buffs and nature lovers. Anyway, back to topic.....

I cant believe that Christmas is already behind me. Yes, I know that there is still a week without school, but the actual day is over. This Friday, we had some of the neighbors over for a nice holiday meal. I'm impressed with the positive relationship the Rada family has with their neighbors. The weekend was lazy, but still festive. On Saturday, I helped to decorate the Christmas tree with cookies, chocolates, glass balls, straw figures, and straw lanyards. My host mom's parents arrived on Saturday, and they are really nice, kind people. I'm happy to say that I can answer all of their questions in Czech. The Grandma is also learning English (its a trend here), and I can answer most of the translation questions she has.

Sunday, Christmas Eve, was the day with all of the celebrations. In Europe, people celebrate Christmas on the 24th. In the morning, I made little boats with Misa (the 4 year old) out of walnut shells. We put little candles in them and floated them in a bucket of water. I have heard two stories about the boats: If they sink, you die OR the distance they float is how far from home you will travel in the coming year. Misa pushed them all around the bucket, so I don't know how far mine would have floated on their own. The good news is that they all floated. In the afternoon, I went on a walk with Misa and the grandparents. Dinner was carp and cold potato salad, the typical Czech meal. It was good, but I think I like American Christmas food better. No scales, no hard boiled eggs. Next, the young people (me, Katka, and Misa) we banished to the computer room and instructed to look for baby Jesus. Here, there is no Santa Claus. Jesus brings presents to good kids. Misa is a really smart kid, she told me that Santa delivers presents in America and Baby Jesus delivers them here. When we were allowed back into the living room, there were presents under the tree. Before opening them, we sat on the couch (all 7 of us) and sang songs. Of course they were traditional Czech carols, but I chimed in on the parts that I knew. Most of you know how bad of a singer I am, but I sang Silent Night in English at the request of the family. Then, the mad present opening time began. I think everyone liked their American/Australian gifts that I had carefully picked out, or at least I hope so. The rest of the night, we watched movies together on T.V. and enjoyed our new presents.

Saint Nicholas Day

2006-12-08T10:12:00.000+01:00

Well, the Christmas season has really started. Tuesday was St. Nicholas day, which is the first round of presents for young children. My family and I went up to my host dad's hotel in Pec, where a celebration was organized for the guests. A rock band for kids played first, and the kids, aged baby to about 8, danced. They sang some Czech Christmas songs, traditional Czech kid songs, and some English songs. It was strange to see a man dressed in a Kiss costume singing to the group, and a man dressed as Freddie Mercury dancing around. As the teenagers and adults ate dinner, the traditional show began. A man dressed as St. Nick came out with an angel and some devils. Imagine a man in golden robes, a fake beard, and a pope's hat. Each child had their names called, and they had to recite a poem or sing a short song. The devil would try to convince St. Nick that they were a bad child, and they deserved to be carried off to Hell in his brown bag. The angels would argue that the child had been good, or deserved another chance. In the end, every child recieved a present (provided by the parents). It was scary for some of the youngest kids, because devils were staring them in the face, and all of the kids took it seriously.

Prague

2006-12-05T11:46:00.000+01:00

Wow, Prague is definately one of my favorite cities in the world now. I have fallen under its spell. This weekend I revelled in the town for three days with my new friends and had only a small taste of what it has to offer.

Friday was a day off of school for me because I left Trutnov at 11:00 in the morning. It was a 2.5 hour drive by bus, but I used the time to listen to music and sleep. I love traveling alone here, it is so hastle free. I arrived on the outskirts of town and hopped on the metro to the main bus station. There I met some of the students and former students who lived in Prague or near-by towns. We walked to the hostel, which was really close, where the rest of the group was already checking in. After a short time to unpack and settle in, we all went to a local pub for dinner. We were typical tourists, loud and hungry. Next was a hockey game between one of the Prague teams (Praha Sparta) and another team from another town. The Canadians of the group were the craziest, dressed in Canada shirts and hats, and wrapped in Canadian flags. Being a southerner, I felt really lost in the game. Soccer is more my style, to watch and play. Sparta won, and there were tons of loud and excited fans around us as we walked back to the hostel. I stayed up until 2:00 talking to people, then crashed.

Saturday was supposed to be an 8:00 start, so I was up at 7:00, like most people. Unfortunately one of the organizers was late, and the departure time was changed to 'later'. There was a scavenger hunt planned for the morning, so we split into groups to explore Old Town. We left the hotel at 10:15, armed with questions to answer and a sack lunch. The Rotex (former exchange students) walked with us, but wouldn't help. At first my group would ask people on the street, but we didn't get very far. Soon we found ourselves in the main square. The people at the town hall were very helpful, especially since we tried to speak Czech instead of English, like most tourists. With a map and names of destinations, we found a famous beer hall, a church with an unusially large alter (St. Giles church), the bar where Pilsner was first tapped in Prague, and an upside down statue, amoung seeing many other things. When all of the groups met up again, we slowly started to walk towards the castle. We stopped at another beautiful church ( I cant find the name right now), walked across the Charels Bridge (too many people!!), and up the hill to the castle. The castle isn't a regular stone mass with lots of towers, it has regular-sized bilding on the outside with a breath-taking cathedral on the inside of the walls. We walked through the cathedral, which has the most amazing stain glass panels I have ever seen. We also had free time in the Golden Lane, a famous steet inside the castle. It wasn't as great as the guide books say, it was just like other shopping places in Prague. Next we all took a tram to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. After eating, we had free time in the main square. The Christmas markets started that day, so there was good shopping opportunities. A stage was set up, so the sounds of children singing American and Czech Christmas songs drifted through the air, along with the smell of roasting chestnuts and sweet things. Sure, there were masses of people, but it was still magical. Most of the group went ice skating next, but I wasn't ready to leave the square, and I don't do well on skates. A small group had the same thoughts, so we went to a cafe for hot chocolate or coffee while sitting under blankets and watching the giant flashing Christmas tree. Perfection. When the ice skating group finished, we all walked back to the hostel. We had a short meeting to announce the winners of the hunt, and my group tied for first place. We had Czech cake to celebrate. We all sat and talked for a while, but one guy had his lap-top full of movies, so I watched Eurotrip and Boondock Saints with a few people. We started to watch Kill Bill, but lost interest. I went to sleep at 5:00, and slept like a log.

At 8:30, I woke up and felt like I had been sleeping for 10 hours. This is not normal for me, but in times like this, I can run on adrenaline alone. People started to head to the train or bus station, and I soon organized with my host dad to meet him at the Holiday Inn. I know, how Czech. He was in town for a conference, so it was convient to ride back to Trutnov with him. We stopped at his friend's apartment for a quick lunch, then drove back. I napped for part of the time (understandable, right?). When we arrived at the house, it was all decorated inside (except, no tree), so the Christmas spirit is going strong here.

Trombones and Thanksgiving

2006-11-19T19:20:00.000+01:00

Well, the my title isn't quite alliteration, but I tried. I'm now back on my feet 100 percent, with only a quick cough every so often. Hopefully I'll stay healthy for the rest of the year.
Last Tuesday I had my first trombone lesson. It felt so good to play my favorite instrument again. My sound was terrible because I hadn't practiced in over three months, but it was fun. My teacher doesn't speak any English, but we seem to communicate fairly well with my Czech and acting things out. There may even be some opportunities to play in a band or two.
This weekend was the Rotary Thanksgiving celebration. It made me realize how important it is to keep traditions with you, while adding new ones. I traveled down to Tabor (in the South-central part of the country) by myself, leaving Trutnov at 7:00 in the morning and greeting everyone with hugs and smiles in Tabor at 11:20. I proposed walking to the hotel instead of riding the bus, and a few others took me up on the offer. 40 minutes later, the 4 of us strolled into the hotel, only 3 minutes late. The afternoon was flexible. The girls were checked into a separate hostel because the hotel didn't have enough rooms. We also think it is because they don't trust us with the guys. There is no reason behind this, I promise, we are all like best friends. After lunch we had free time to use the hotel fitness facilities. A big group of us sat outside and sang or listened to singing as Issac played his mandolin. We are a diverse group, and everyone has many hobbies or stories to make them fascinating. When we were starting to get cold, we went to a cafe for a quick coffee or ice cream. No, I don't see the logic in ice cream to warm up, either. The Tabor Rotary club joined us for the dinner, so it was an unofficial club meeting too. Our pre-dinner treat was homemade eggnog from one student (no rum, the Rotarians were happy to see). We had turkey, potato salad, mushroom/stuffing cubes that tasted like quiche, Czech dumplings, and gravy. I think Czech dumplings are going to be a new tradition for me. Apple strudel came as a first course of dessert, then some girls brought out their pumpkin and pecan pies. We sat and talked for a long time, then the students slowly went to do other things. A lot went to a disco near by, but I stayed with another group to play ricochet and chated more. I love catching up with these people and swapping stories. This morning we had breakfast and people started to go back to their own corners of the country. I was lucky enough to find a direct bus back to Trutnov.

Sick Days

2006-11-12T17:34:00.000+01:00

Ah, the winter weather is here, and so is cold/sick season. I'm normally a healthy person, but the fact I'm in a new place with a new diet and new way of life didn't agree with the immune system. In other words, I've had a cough for about a week and I'm ready to be better. My host family has been wanting me to rest and heal, but locking a teenager in the house for 5 days straight is not good for mental health..... Tomorrow I get to return to school, which I'm happy about. Human interaction is healthy, even if there is never soap in the school bathrooms.

Next weekend is Thanksgiving with the Rotary students. I get to travel on my own again, which I really enjoy doing. Once I figured out the train system, it seems fairly easy. So bring on Turkey-Day!!!

Snow and Sound

2006-11-05T14:11:00.000+01:00

This past week saw the first snow of the season!!!!!! I was so excited, as I cannot remember a time when I have seen snow in November. The locals were unshaken, they simply put on their snow boots and continued with life. It is a funny contrast to Fayetteville, where life seems to stop when a little snow falls. Thursday and Friday I walked to school, and managed to stay on my feet despite slippery sidewalks. By the time I got out of school both days, most of it had melted or turned to slush.
Saturday it snowed on and off all day. I went to Pec with my family for lunch, on an uncleared road, but the weather didn't hurt too much. We all simply bundled up in more layers. Lunch lasted from 12:15 until about 4:30, when we drove back to Trutnov in freezing rain.
That night, Katka and I went to a concert here in town, at the old textile factory. Two Czech punk rock bands were playing, Vypsana Fixa and Wohnout. It was great to get right up in front of the band and go crazy with my new classmates. Everyone was surprised to see me there. Music really is the international language, it didn't matter that the band was signing in another language. I still had a great time, and was dead-tired by the time my host mom picked us up at midnight.

Trip to Olomouc!!

2006-10-30T17:17:00.000+01:00

This past weekend was a four-day weekend for yet another school holiday. The calendar at school simply said fall break, but there was also a national holiday on Saturday for the Independence day in 1989. One exchange student, James, had had a birthday earlier in October, and more of us wanted to help him celebrate it right.

First, Olomouc (said Olo-moats) is a beautiful historic town in central Moravia, and used to be the capital of Moravia. It was founded by Caesar and the Romans about 2000 years ago. For anyone out there thinking about ever going to the Czech Republic, this town should be on the top of your list of places to visit. I hear that it is just as pretty as Prague, but with less people and in better shape. I still haven't been to Prague, so I personally cant make a comparison.

On Thursday, I traveled by train and bus, by myself!, to Olomouc, where James met me and gave me a quick tour of the main square. After a late lunch we were joined by the other student who could come, Levana. She had booked a hostel for the three nights. I was lucky that they also had a bed for me. The rest of the afternoon was spent food shopping and exploring more of the downtown. Dinner was at a small cafe, but James had to return home early. Levana and I spent the night planning what we wanted to see for the next two days.

Friday was the main touring day of the larger town. There are lots of stunning churches in town: St. Michaels, St. Moritz, St. Wenceslas, St. Mary of the Snows, and the Annunciation of St. Mary, just to name the most popular ones. My favorite was St. Michaels. Olomouc has two squares, the upper and lower square. In the upper square, there are three fountains, the town hall, astronomical clock, and the HUGE Trinity Column. Almost every town in the Czech Republic has a 'Plague Column' as the students call them, to ward off the plague and remember the victims of it. The column in Olomouc is the biggest in the country. In the afternoon we saw some of James's life: his school, favorite places to go with his classmates, and the library where he spends his time. We cooked dinner at out hostel, then took to the town for the night. Olomouc has a great selection of places to relax, dance, and meet locals.

Saturday morning was great weather, so we went for a mid-morning walk in the large city park, stopped in at more churches, and got back to the main square by noon to see the astronomical clock's 6 minute show. The clock is one of two in the Czech Republic, but was changed by the Soviets after WWII. Now, instead of religious figures parading to the music, it is a collection of workers and athletes. In the afternoon Levana and I went to a smaller village outside of town, on 'Holy Hill', where there was another church and the Olomouc zoo. The church was also beautifully decorated inside and out, but the zoo was my highlight. There were animals from around the world housed in a wooded park that dipped and curved with small hills and valleys. The leaves seemed to be peaking with their fall colors. It was fun to see new species of animals that I had never seen before, many of which were endangered. North American animals were some of the strangest to see, just because I've traveled halfway around the world to see what I have at home. Most American zoos don't have armadillos. Back in Olomouc, we had a nicer dinner (not in a pub), and spent the night packing and reading some guide books in the hostel.

Sunday was a grey and rainy day. James met us in the morning, after some time confusion because of daylight savings time. We relaxed in his favortie cafe with 'world famous chocolate pie' and coffee before I had to catch my train. My host family was in Brno for the weekend, so I met them there, met my other Czech grandparents, and drove back to Trutnov.

More Czech Family

2006-10-23T15:55:00.000+02:00

This past weekend I met my my host dads entire family: the two other brothers, their families, and his mom. Wow, what a group. They loved to discuss politics and drink fine Czech beer together. The fact that the family owns a pub doesn't hurt.
Babička (Grandma) and one brother live in the village of Lhotka in Moravia. It seems like the family has lived there for a long time. The own the pub, and a car club. I'm not entire sure what the club is about, but it has the family name on the sign. The village is 600 years old, 3 times as old as America. Its creepy to think about as I'm walking the streets.
Saturday, 11 of us went to an open-air museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, a small town outside Ostrava. We toured a set of 5 different mills, and I had a guide printed in English to follow. The weather was perfect, a warm fall day with vivid colors in the trees. In the afternoon we went to a local soccer match, married vs. single guys. They singles won, I was told because the beer bellies of married men slowed them down. A Czech's words not mine, I promise!!
Sunday I helped to pick apples, pears, and look for walnuts. I felt like such a city girl transplanted to the country. On the way back to Trutnov we stopped at the local cemetary. In the Czech Republic, Halloween isn't about ghosts and candy, instead people celebrate the holiday by decorating graves of loved ones. We lit candles and put flowers on the Rada family grave site. It was really peaceful and nice.
So, I have learned that there are some simple rules concerning interactions with Babička. First, if she talks to you, act like you know what she is saying, then ask someone for a translation. Second, when she makes a suggestion, it is really a demand. For example, if she motions for you to move while watching t.v. so you dont hurt your neck, do it. Third, a food offer is an even stronger demand, if you pass it up, something must be wrong with you. Last, always act as though you like the food, even if you don't. She will love you for it.
One funny moment was when I was asked if I like pumpkin. When I replied that I like pumpkin pie, people looked at me like I was crazy. Pumpkin pie does not exist here, so I'm in charge of making it for the family at some point. They share their recipies, I share mine.

Weekend Activities and Language Update

2006-10-16T19:49:00.000+02:00

Yay!!!! I finally figured out how to put links on the left side of the page, so it is easier to get to my pictures. Also, there are links for my town and school, in English.
This weekend was another two days in Pec Pod Snezkou. My host dad is crazy, in a good way (I think), when it comes to outdoor activities. We went bike riding on Saturday, but I felt like falling over half the time. Yes, maybe I'm out of shape when it comes to bikes, but going straight up a mountain is not the right way to start conditioning. We rode a ski lift to the top of the mountain after Karel realized that the females of the group (two of us) were giving him nasty looks and muttering things under our breath. From the top we enjoyed the downhill, flat, and not-so-steep uphill roads. When it was time to go back down the mountain, Karel managed to find the steepest path with two foot drops off of rocks and tree roots. I walked my bike down in order to avoid killing the shocks and my legs.
Our next mountain was another steep one, so we rode another ski lift. I was scared out of my mind at first because I was 50 feet in the air, on a narrow bench, with no bar protecting me from falling, and a mountain bike on my lap. Not very safe. The views from the top were pretty, but a little hazy, as they often are. Fall here is nice, cool weather, with fog in the early mornings. Most of the time we rode on paved roads that went through the pine forests and past waterfalls. At one point two deer (Jelen, my new word) crossed the road in front of us.
On Sunday, a larger group of us went for an easy hike up a valley to a meadow. The trail followed a mountain stream and was shaded by trees with falling golden leaves. It is obvious that it is fall.
My language seems to be getting better still. Up until this point I was fairly quiet around the house, hard to believe I know. But now, I'm starting to engage in conversations. They might not be too intellectual, but it is impressive to me when I can say that I like the song being sung on Czech Superstar (like Czech Idol). This week one girl sang Hotel California. It is so strange to hear Czechs sing English songs that are by southern or country bands or bands that have country influences. So far I have heard versions of Eagles songs and of Creedance Clearwater Revival. I always laugh to myself.
Another personal victory was that I asked my host father if I could travel across the country by myself to visit a friend for his birthday. The entire conversation and follow up questions were in Czech, and I understood everything he said!!!! So not only can I ask for what I want, but now I will have the experience of traveling by myself. I am currently planning out every leg of the journey, and I will have my cell phone with me, so I will be just fine as long as I can get myself onto the right trains.

Field Trip!

2006-10-12T19:04:00.000+02:00

Today was my first class trip with school. We went to a small town, Harrachov, in the Northwest part of the Krkonose Mountains (Giant Mountains). During winter the town is another skiing hub, but we were there for other cultural activities.
The drive lasted almost two hours, but felt much longer. Curvey roads, lots of sudden stops by the driver, and more people than seats made everyone a little cranky. Upon arrival, we split into two groups. My group went to the mining museum and mine first. I couldn't understand the captions, but it was interesting to look at the types of rocks/minerals in the area, as well as some old tools and machinery. We toured the old mine in hard hats and warm jackets, as it was cold and wet inside. Mining stopped in 1992 because the exports from China were cheaper. We wandered around on the old tracks and looked at wet walls, old elevators, ventilation fans, and strange machines. I wish I could write more interesting facts, but I'm still working on simple sentences and questions. My English and Czech teacher helped a little bit with some trivia, such as the mine is 720 meters deep.
Our next stop was the glass factory. It was a small operation, but people knew their jobs and worked quickly. The amount of glass turned out was quite impressive. Men would actually blow in the glass into different objects using long metal pipes, then use moulds to get the shape they wanted. I saw large wine glasses, small glasses, and vases being made. One room had old-fashioned glass cutting wheels, like what was used over 100 years ago. After shopping in the 'outlet corner' of the factory, we had free time in the area.
I went to the glass museum with some of my classmates, then enjoyed a snack in the small restaurant. The ride home seemed even longer because of the driver's enjoyment of slamming on the brakes, and I was sitting in the aisle.