playing catch up!

Okay, so i hate that I haven't been posting more. Most of the time I've been working on various was of fanagling (sp?) my computer to capture the videos i've taken. Hasn't yet happened, and I'm desperate. I almost have a whole tape filled up already, and I only have 4 left, and I can't record over them until they are backed up onto my computer. SO. Apparently there's a mac store in Prague, and chances are very good they'll speak English there. I'm going to check it out today after class (elementary czech, 9:00-12:30).

So, let's rewind.


Monday night adventure! Chris, Stephen, Sam and I went to dinner at "U Fleku" [ http://www.ufleku.cz/ ] which is a pub I was excited to check out because they have their own brewery. They make a dark 12-degree beer, which was delicious (and is more potent than the lighter 10-degree you find other places). Then a waiter came around with a tray of shots, and offered it to us. It's called "becherovka" and it's a 38% alcohol drink that tastes, Chris and I agreed, like ginger. We gave them a try... I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I'll have to try it again. ;) The food at U Fleku was delicious. I got roast pork with kraut and dumplings. Goulash is also very popular here in CZ. After dinner, we began what was going to become the most intense night of bar-hopping I've ever encountered.

Well... i mean it's the only night of bar-hopping I've ever encountered, but I still think it was
pretty intense.

The four of us went half a block or so from the pub and came across a bar called "Absinthe Time." It was, clearly, an absinthe bar. Then we headed back to the hotel where we picked up about 300 other students (and by that I mean like 7 or 8) and continued on to another bar called "Bar 23," where we had 10-dgree beers. (By the way, just to give you guys perspective, the beer here is cheaper than the water. You can get about a liter of beer for equal to $1.50 USD.) After that bar, we went to a third. I'm not sure why we did this. It was a very cool place- underground, like a lot of the bars and clubs here, and the ceilings were curved like a cave. And they were playing michael jackson. it was a pretty snazzy dance club, it's just that it was a monday night and nearly no one was there. I was drinking red bull by then, just trying to keep up with everyone else's energy. After that, I was dying to get home- this is getting on toward 1:00am I think. I was falling asleep like crazy and just wanted to go to bed - but no one else was going home, and I wasn't about to go by myself. So we all went to yet another bar- this one goes from room to room to room, each one a little lower in the ground. I nearly fell asleep on a bench there, and Chris took pity on me and agreed to walk back with me. I slept well that night but not nearly long enough.

Tuesday!! Orientation.

9:00 we gather in the lobby, and follow the student assistants (sa) to the college (CHP). There we get assigned our chip cards, which grant us access to the school building and library books. Then we had a crash course in Czech language. (I'm looking forward to working with this professor- she is crazy.) I realized during this that my challenge in the class and the language is going to be learning the numbers. They're sort of complicated.

Next we went to lunch with a random group of students and one of the advisers. I went with Sam, Zi, Lisa, Kylie (sp?), and Lonny (sp??). We went with Alzbeta, the program coordinator lady. She was very nice and fun to be with, and she taught us how to tip waiters. (Minimally.) DAD- I had this GARLIC SOUP with quail egg in it. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever experienced. I'm taking you here and you're getting this soup when you and Mom come up. (Hi Mom!) I also had a plate of roasted tomatoes with cheese and asparagus.

After lunch, Alzbeta took us around town a little and showed us useful and important places like drug stores and places we could go to see doctors if we need to. She even took me and Sam to a store to get the plug adapters we needed. Then we went back to the school, got talked at for a long time about important things that I couldn't for the life of me focus on, and finally went back to the hotel to rest and get ready for dinner.

We went to dinner at this beautiful place right on the river. We ate in this ENORMOUS open tent area, with pre-determined menus. I had chosen the salad with pomegranate and orange dressing, followed by a marinated salmon steak on some fancy cous cous, followed by a desert of different fruit sorbets. I had about a half a glass of white wine with my dinner, and afterwards a cup of "kava" (coffee). Although when you order coffee here you get a cup of espresso. (Again, I thought of you, Dad. It was a pretty small cup.) Dinner was fantastic. Just before we began to eat, Stary, the program director, stood up and made a toast, and with great mirth, officially declared the program in session. I can't wait to get this footage up on here- this guy is fantastic.

After dinner, Zi, Shu, Sam, Kate, Rob, Stephen, Chris and I walked around the touristy part of Prague. (haha.. ok sorry. the MOST touristy part.) We went over the big famous bridge (Charles maybe?) and made some purchases, including some zmrzlina (ice cream). We watched some musicians playing on the bridge on the way back- the whole thing was beautiful. (Just... there were a ton of tourists who don't know how to walk in a straight line.)

AFter a while we headed back to the hotel to change out of our formal clothes. Then Rob, Kate, Lisa and I went out to a little underground bar just around the corner from our hotel and had a pivo which was light, but the menu said it was 12-degree. I don't know how it works. Anyway there was a dog hanging out in that bar- a beautiful big black lab. One of the ppl who worked there kept throwing this big dog toy under people's tables and the dog would go and disrupt their drinking to retrieve it. It was actually pretty hilarious. Jack, you would've gotten a huge kick out of it.

After that we came back to the hotel, I messed with my camera and computer a little more, to no avail, and finally gave up and went to sleep.


Wednesday (today).
I randomly woke up around 4:30. The sun hadn't come up yet but there was the slightest hint of blue in the sky. You know how sometimes you just wake up at random times, open your eyes, and realize you have absolutely no interest in going back to sleep? That was one of those times. I went and got a cup of the juice I have in fridge down the hall, and began messing once again with footage and chatting with people from home who were getting ready for bed.

Now I'm super tired and would like to go back to sleep, but I have to go get breakfast and get ready to head out for classes. My roommate (I now have one! she's cool!) is still asleep. I've been moving around here since 4:30- she sleeps through anything! Which is good for me cause I like to get up early.

Thanks for reading! If you have any comments or questions or professions of love, email me:
kacinmenendez2007@u.northwestern.edu

p.s. Hi family! I'm working on the calling card thing. I'll figure that out today and give you guys a call. I love you!