Celebrations

Christmas in Germany was great! I enjoyed every second, I just wish my family was here with me!

We went to church which was pretty cool. It was a little hard because it was all in Germany obviously. David thought it was pretty funny and laughed at me the whole time because I was trying to pay attention. Spence's family goes to the same church so we sat by them and when I started singing woe of the songs, he was laughing at me too. I guess it was pretty funny. It was also fun because a lot of Julia's friends from school go to her church too so I got to see them too. It was nice. I also met lots of new people and Julia and David were trying really hard to get me to say Frohe Weinachten but I was too embarassed. Haha.

After church we came back and had a delicious dinner of Racelette; so good! It was different than home but stsill so good. Its hard to beat melted cheese. After dinner we sat in the living room and they played recorders and the piano and sang. It was really great! I loved it! I also taught them the English words to Silent Night and we sang that too because I didn't get to sing that at church this year. Then we opened presents and had some desert which was also delicious. After presents we played some UNO and then another card game which was really fun. After that, I called my darling family and it made me sad I wasn't home for Christmas. But as I told them, if I'm not at home, I am really glad I am with my German family!!

This morning Evi's brother and his family came over and we had a delicious Champagne brunch. It was so good! We visited for a while and then Evi got out some slides from when they were kids and when their kids were younger. It was so funny. They were all cracking up! We visited for a while longer after that and then they left.

Tomorrow we are leaving for the Austrain Alps, lifes tough, I know. So I won't write again until after my return on the 30th. I miss you all and Merry Christmas!!

My Christmas PJs.

Evi and Martin

Julia and David

Our Christmas tree

Our delicious dinner

Frohe Weihnachten

What it looked like when I arrived.

Monday night was the last night of the Christmas markets so Julia and I went and met Sofia there. It was fun. We walked around and did some last minute Christmas shopping. We got some delicious food and some good treats too! It was very pleasant. I am going to miss the markets!

Yesterday, Martin brought home a tree but it was too big for the stand they have. Instead of doing it the Foley way, go get a different stand, we fixed it the Selje way: David and I sawed and chiseled down the trunk. It was freezing outside and I couldn't feel my fingers after a while but it was pretty hilarious. David was working on it for a while and we finally got it to fit. So today, after lunch Julia and I decorated it. Its funny, because its so much different than our tree. Its pretty uniform with just three different types of ornaments and its much smaller. I'm sad I missed decorating our tree at home, but my darling family sent me pictures so its kind of like I was there.

After lunch I just relaxed and hung out, did some more of the puzzle. Then Julia and I went to the mineral water "bath" downtown. It was really nice. There were a bunch of pools of different temperature. It was kind of crowded so we started outside first and then made our way to the warm mineral water. It was very relaxing, the guy sitting next to us fell asleep. Haha. We had a good adventure getting there too. Julia wasn't exactly sure how to get there by car so I had to navigate for her. It was pretty funny. And then we parked by a church and decided to walk the rest of the way but we weren't sure how to get there so we just guessed, and thankfully it was the right way.

After the baths we came back home and then Zippi and Julian picked me up and took me to get a doner before going over to Spence's house to meet him and Urs. We watched a movie and visited for a while. It was fun, they're really great.

Today is Christmas Eve but here they open presents tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Woho! Haha. And much to my surprise, they [being the Seljes] eat roclette on Christmas Eve too! It'll feel like I'm at home!

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

The Ludwigsburger Christmas market.

Eva and Julia

Eating at the Stuttgart Christmas market.

Stuttgart Christmas market.

Life in Stuttgart

Here in Stuttgart, life is much more normal than it was in Prague, which is good I guess. I spend a lot of time hanging out with Julia and David watching movies and relaxing. The Selje's are too good to me. They make delicious food, play games with me, and speak lots of English. Today after lunch we played a guessing sort of game and it was all in German so they had me try and translate some. I was pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

Yesterday, David and I spent all day watching movies in his room and then when Julia came home we got a doner and then watched another movie. Its been really nice to relax. I also got fitted for ski wear. We are going skiing after Christmas and I can't wait since its been so long since I last went. Should be really fun.

All the snow melted and with it went my hopes for a white Christmas. It is supposed to rain if anything. Bummer. I could be in California. Haha.

Going out with Julia's friends the other night was really fun. They are so cute and they are embarrassed to speak English, I don't know why. They are all really good. They went to a club after the bar but Julia and I left cause we were tired.

I am having trouble convincing anyone here to go ice skating with me though I think if I ask enough David will go. I need Alex here to go with me. They have these really funny penguins on skis that help people learn. They make me laugh.

Tonight I think we are going to a Christmas market on the other side of town. The Selje's haven't been there so its new for everyone. I am excited. If its anything like the main one in Stuttgart it'll be great! And I really want to try the gluhwein; I haven't had it yet.

Sorry there's no pictures yet. I forgot my camera the one day we went into the city so I don't have any. But they will come. I promise.

döners

So, as anticipated, the last night in Prague was pretty rough. I had to say goodbye to all my apartment buddies on the tram. Horrible. Katie and I cried through most of it and into the next morning when we said bye to each other. I guess thats a sign of a good trip though, when you don't want it to end.

The next morning I woke up early and bid all the K building folk a fond farewell before boarding my bus to Stuttgart, Germany. I fell asleep and woke up to a wintery wonderland which was great until it meant that there was much traffic on the way into the city and the bus was delayed almost an extra hour. Luckily, Eva and David were still at the bus stop eagerly awaing my arrival. I forgot how much I missed them and how happy I was to be there. That night we took it pretty easy and I was in bed by ten, trying to make up for my lack of sleep the previous night.

Yesterday I got to sleep in while Julia was in class and then I woke up and read for a while before Julia got back. When she got home she whipped up some delicious Maultashen, one of my favorite German foods. It was delicious! After that we just hung out and at about 8 Spence came and picked up me and David and we went and got döners. Delicious!! We took them back to his house and watched the Vfb Soccer game (the won!!) and then David and I came home and watched The Dark Knight.

Today Julia and I went into the city and walked around the Christmas market. It is so much bigger and different than the one in Prague. It has a little mini train that takes little kids around, a great ice rink, lots of glühwein, and all the stalls are decorated so well! It was awesome. Tonight the plan is to meet up with some of her friends from school - my friends from GAPP. That should be a lot of fun!

Its been hard to think about other stuff than my friends I've left but I think its much easier here than it would be at home!

Conclusions

As the end of my study abroad is quickly coming to an end I thought I would write again about whats been going on and what I am going to miss when I leave.

Here at the Slav apartments we thought a classy, fun night was in store so we all got dressed up and went to a nice dinner and then a couple bars before ending at Retro night at NEBE, one of our favorite bars [is it our favorite or do we always just end up there?]. It was really fun. Everyone looked great and we danced the night away at NEBE. Best part of the night was when unbeknownst to both Alex and I, we had a dancing competition with Andrew and Katie. We didn't know it at the time but we obviously won. And Alex told me that he has been practicing in his dreams. Haha. It was a really fun night.

Dancing with Alex

Andy and Max at Mother-in-laws.

Alex, Andy, Andrew and Max at dinner.

With Katie and Orange at dinner.

We had our USAC farewell dinner also. It was at a really nice restaurant in Malastranska. For some reason we had to walk about 2 miles in the rain so that we could say goodbye to Prague. We went up Petrin Hill and then walked down by the castle. But no one could look around because the cobblestones were so wet. There were a couple casualties: while trying to catch up with the group I slipped on a step and slammed my knee which resulted in a huge bruise on my knee, a brusie on my other shin and a bruise on the top of my foot. Also hurt two fingers in the process. Heather also fell. It was pretty hilarious. She tripped and fell face first but caught herself so only her pride was hurt. After dinner, there was slide show of pictures that was fun to watch and then we all went out to hip-hop night at Radost FX. It was fun to go out with everyone.

In Old Town, kind of by the square, they set up an ice skating rink. I went with Alex and Orange. It was so fun! Alex had never been and Orange hadn't been in a long time. It was hilarious. Alex was giggling like a little kid and has since decided that he wants to take up ice skating when he goes home. Orange fell and we all laughed really hard. His was the only fall of the night. After ice skating we met up with everyone at the Christmas market, had some mulled wine and then headed over to "Cute Bartenders" [not its real name] to hang out and play some darts. We headed home at the usual late hour and decided to go up to Vysehrad. It was really fun.

Last night we went back to ice skate. Haha. The previous time we couldn't convince Max and Nick to join us but we got the better of them this time, probably because Alex wa so enthused. Alex, Max, Nick and I went and it was even funnier. Nick was hilarious. He was trying to do the hockey stop but he was too scared to try for real so he only did it while holding on to the railing. I was dying laughing. Alex and I were trying to slingshot each other, unsuccessfully, and Max was trying for about 20 seconds at a time before taking breaks. It was hysterical. After we finished skating we went to the Christmas market, got some mulled wine, and just hung out.
Then Katie, Alex, Max, Nick, Orange and I went to the bar down the street from Slav, played some pool, went to another bar down the street, played some darts and hung out. It was a nice low key night.


Things I am going to miss:

Having slumber parties all the time
Chef Hudy cooking breakfast on Sunday mornings
Andy speaking in weird voices
Nick saying "Oh my Gooooooood"
Girl talk with Katie
Riding the trams with everyone
Cheers
Hanging out in Hudy's room
Listening to boy bands with the boys
Hurrying to catch the last regular tram before we go out
Playing sports with the boys
Watching Andy work his Mac
Seeing the castle lit up at night
Dancing with Alex
Watching games at the Sports Bar

and..
All the Slavojovas to name a few.

I wont miss climbing the Metro stairs or spending lots of money. I think, though, if those are my only two complaints, life is magnificent.

From here I am going to Germany to spend time with the Seljes and my other friends. I can't wait to see them, but its been overshadowed with the fact that I am leaving all the people and Prague. Its been such a treat to get to spend the last four months with them. I am going to miss Slavojova terribly. They are all great and I hope that our plans of meeting up will indeed take place. But "We'll always have Prague" as we've been saying.

Next time I write, it'll probably be from Stuttgart. So.... Na shledanou Prague. Its been great!

[Black and white pictures courtesy of Max Ungers]

Amsterdam

So for my final trip of the semester, Andy, Pat and I went to Amsterdam. We left on Thursday night and arrived to some pouring rain. We got lost, couldn't find the hostel, and almost got hit by a car while searching for a wireless network in a square. We hadn't quite figured out the different modes of transportation.


The next morning we woke up and explored the city before meeting up with Jenny, Andy's girlfriend, and her friends. Before coming to Amsterdam I talked with some friends that had been there already and they steered me towards the free walking tour. What a great idea. It was a three hour walking tour of the city and all the sights. They give tons of history and stories that you would never know if you weren't told. It was awesome. After the tour we got some food and then went to the famous coffee shop the Bulldog. It was pretty weird because they are basically bars but don't serve alcohol. Freaky. After that we went back to the hostel for the happy hour, one euro beers, and hung out with each other and Jenny's friends. It was pretty fun.


Saturday, Pat and I went out and explored the city. We walked all over and saw tons of really great stuff. We even stumbled upon a 3-D recreation of the Nightwatch by Rembrandt. It was awesome. Amsterdam is such a gorgeous city and we had some pretty great weather. We went over to the Rijksmuseum but the line was really long and we had to meet up with Andy shortly so we contented ourselves with seeing the outside and hanging out in the park that is right next to it. After that we met up with Andy and got some dinner while Jenny and her friends went to the Heineken Brewery. After dinner we walked around at night and Andy and Pat wanted to go to the Red Light district so we paid a little visit there. We came back, hung out at the hostel bar again and then went to sleep.

3-D Rembrandt.

Sunday morning, Jenny and her friends left so we had the whole day. We woke up pretty early and went to rent bikes at the train station. After we got the bikes we took a ferry across the main canal and then biked into the countryside. It was amazing, probably one of my favorite days here. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous and it was awesome. We rode out to a place called Zaanse Schans. It was really fun. We got lost a couple times but some nice Dutch people helped us out and we finally made it. There are like seven or eight windmills and a clog factory and a cheese shop. The cheese was awesome, Pat and I went back through the sample line multiple time. Delicious. After we rode back we got some fish and chips and then went to bed. Our little bike ride ended up being about 55Km so we were exhausted. Our flight was at 9 the next morning so we woke up pretty early and then headed to the airport.


It was a really great trip and an awesome way to end the semester.

More Turkey Bowl Photos

Action shots courtesy of Chesky.

Turkey Bowl Photo

Here is the post-Turkey Bowl picture. I wanted to include it in the proper blog but it was on Max's camera.

From left to right:
Alex, Andrew, Shoots, Andy, Max, Karelyn, Nick, Donnie, Adnan, Nathan,
Me, Hoodie

Divoka Sarka

Divoka Sarka.

A few weeks ago I discovered a gem of wilderness just outside the city center of Prague. I convinced some others that it would be really cool and so yesterday, Andy, Chesky, Nathan, Nick, Max and I ventured out to the area. We were a little apprehensive at first because none of us could remember an area that was "wild" on the way to the airport. We got off the bus at the McDonald's and had a little chuckle because the area was behind it and stretched on for at least a couple miles. It was really pretty. We decided to trek up the big hill in the middle. It was much more strenuous than anticipated but we all made it; Chesky had to go up the back way because she was not wearing proper hiking footwear. We walked around on the big hill and decided to stay up there for the sunset, which was quickly approaching. We watched the sunset and then headed back down, managing to avoid any major spills, but not without close calls; Nick's foot got stuck in a crevice, and then Andy, not so gracefully, slid down a rock and did a 180 turn in the air. Both were pretty danging funny.

After we got back down and to the bus stop, a charter-type bus pulled up and we weren't sure if it was ours or not. People exited and a lady got on before Nick and so he tried to get on. The bus doors closed. But they were not like the bus doors on the trams; they can't be held open. So needless to say, Nick started getting crushed by the doors so he took his body out but his left leg was stuck in the door. All he kept saying was "Are you kidding me?" over and over. The bus driver was looking at him in the review mirror so he definitely saw him. Then, with Nick's leg still in the door, the bus started driving away. Max, Cheksy, Nathan and I couldn't react because of disbelief; Nick started hopping along with the bus; Andy ran over to the window and started banging on the glass until the driver finally stopped and opened the doors. It was pretty freaky and could have been really horrible. But because nothing happened it was pretty hilarious. As we were all expressing our outrage at the bus driver a man came over and and told us that that bus was an exit only bus and that is why Nick wasn't allowed on. But it was still pretty jerk-ish of that bus driver.

After that we were all laughing pretty hard and made it home almost without more incidents. On the tram we boarded, someone had vomited all over one corner of the tram so it smelled horrible. Max was sticking his nose in his Coke bottle, Nick and I were using our scarves as a buffer and we were all complaining about it. Then a lady came on the tram and stood right in it and then preceded to eat a sandwich over it. That alone was vomit inducing. When we got off Max said "That proves my theory that Czechs are immune to bad smells. I am afraid I am going to go home and stink but not be able to tell." We all got a good laugh out of that.

It was a pretty fun day! We want to go back to the wilderness area because Andy's camera battery died and we didn't get to explore much since we went so late in the day. We also scoped out good sledding areas, so I am sure we will be back.

The sunset.


Andy.


Max and Nick.


Andy.

In Good Company

Sorry its been so long since an update but because my family was here we were busy many hours out of the day and sleeping the rest. It was awesome having them here! There is just too much to relay blow by blow so I am going to give you some highlights from having them here:

-Spending lots of quality time with my father in the airport on Saturday between all the delays in arrivals

-Re-doing all the touristy things with my appreciative family

-Watching dad make friends with homeless [?] Czechs and mom taking many pictures while the children cracked up. Then stopping to take a picture and dad saying "We are not stopping here, keep going."

Dad and his friend.

-Eating lots of good food in good company

Good beer in good company.

-Showing off my family to my friends here and reaffirming that my family is superior

-Eating a free hotel breakfast every morning

-Swing dancing with my brother in a bar and Alex cutting in because I taught him how to dance too. This ultimately led to many others wanting lessons.

-My family thinking that I can't go anywhere in Prague without seeing someone I know

-Spending some great days with my sister re-doing all the things I already did with my dad

-Karelyn being "chased" by a muskrat at Terezin. [It was really more of the muskrat turning and looking at her because she was walking up and then she took off up the hill and thought that the noise her backpack was making was the muskrat chasing her and all she could think about "were razor sharp teeth sinking into her calf." HAHA

The Muskrat

-Me being chased by a dog enclosed in a fence in Terezin and yelping in fear.

-Our Slavojova Family Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Beeler. It was amazing!

Chesky's dad carving the goose for our feast.

-The Slavojova Turkey Bowl. Teams: Me, Sis, Nick, Max, Alex, Matt Shoots vs. Orange, Andrew, Andy, Adnan, Donnie, Nathan. This also includes slipping all over the place, Andy and Adnan scoring touchdowns, having to go to "College overtime", Karelyn and I explaining to our team that we need to pick it up because we don't loose, the ball going into the river and Andy and Alex fishing it out, me face planting in the mud, me sacking Orange twice, Andy saying the worst position on the field was blocking me, and waking up very sore the next morning!

-Watching the lighting of the tree at the Old Town Christmas market.

The lit tree.

-Me and Karelyn serenading Matt Shoots on the way home from the Christmas market and then missing our stop. Also, sprinting to catch a tram back to the right stop.

All in all, it was a great week+. This morning [at 3.50am] I woke up and took my sister to the airport, concluding the family time. It was great!!

The Lennon Wall

Outside the Krematorium at Terezin


Inside the Czech Senate.

Dad/Dave at the controls once more with my final(?) installment as guest blogger on Bonnie's site. Just want to complete the report on my time in Germany before the rest of the Foleys' descend on Prague tomorrow.

Should also set the record straight on dates. They're correct below, but off by a day in my earlier messages. The error seems a fair reflection of the general difficulty I've had figuring out what day of the week it is ever since I got here. Actually, I kind of like that about vacations.

Stuttgart - 16.11.08
Landed at Stuttgart on Sunday morning in a state of high excitement despite 15 hours of travel and almost zero sleep. The few short periods of unconsciousness I was able to achieve were interrupted by the sound of snoring nearby! My outrage was tempered by the discovery that I was the one doing it. Wonder who else I was keeping up.

The whole Selje family was there to greet me - Martin, Eva, Julia, and David. Any concern I might have had about my reception evaporated in a series of hugs and smiles, and we were soon off on a series of adventures: a walking tour of the Hohenheim area near their home during which we discussed the differences between castles and palaces; a drive into the Stuttgart city center where we watched the clock at the old castle strike noon - a spectacle that must be seen to be believed; a trip to Esslingen for lunch and a brief lesson on the proper pronunciation of spaetzle.

Waiting for the show to start at the Old Castle

Neither of them would say so, but both Martin and Eva have plenty of English and with Julia, who recently spent seven months in Australia, there to fill in the gaps, we were able to talk at length. I enjoyed everything we did together, but nothing more than that.

Well, except maybe the 11 hours of sleep I got once I went to bed!

Next day, the 17th, Julia was my tourguide throughout the morning, and we visited two towers on either side of the valley that envelopes Stuttgart. The first was a 150 meter behemoth that provided striking panoramas of the area but also wind blown temperatures of about 7-8 degrees Celsius, or 'bone-chilling if you're used to thinking in Fahrenheit. The second was just 30 meters, one you climb up yourself, but much nicer climate-wise.

After lunch, it was Martin's turn. We took the scenic route - the very scenic route - out to Lichtenstein Castle. Pulling into a nearly empty parking lot I observed that one of the nice things about traveling in November is that there are so few crowds to contend with. On the other hand, the down side of traveling in November is that many things are closed during the week. And so we found the castle. We consoled ourselves with a brief walk around the perimeter and then one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had at the Ritter chocolate factory.

Now that's a castle!

Wanted a shot of myself here, but Martin insisted on being in it himself

The highlight of the day was dinner at the 'un-restaurant' (my term). If I understood this correctly, it's a house in town that the owners turn into a business for two months out of the year (April and November), during which they serve a fairly simple menu and their homemade wines. The setting could not have been better suited to having more fun conversation with the Seljes.

Two glasses of wine and one of schnapps saw Martin and I a fair way toward unlocking some of the important secrets of the universe. It started, as these things often do, with a discussion of music - The Beatles, the Stones, Jethro Tull, and that exquisite harmony at the beginning of the Beach Boys' 'In My Room'. At one point, Julia mentioned something about black holes and the next thing I knew we were trying to figure out the meaning of everything.

Perhaps a later evening, another schnapps, or just greater facility with one another's language would have brought us success but, it being a school night, we all needed to hit the sack. Besides, what would we have had left to talk about next time?

So, tomorrow's airport day - Karelyn arriving mid-morning and Jean and Tommy after dinner. Look for other guest bloggers as the week wears on. Finally, three pictures from Bonnie's and my hike around Prague today.

A rare bit of sunlight - would love some more


Temperature dropping...


March of the penguins