the blague lives on....

so the blague will continue. i had a lot of fun writing this thing while i was in prague, and so i figure its gotta be fun to continue it here in seattle. provided that i will find stuff to write about.

so anyway - the blog will undergo a makeover, i even have to come up with a new name. the current one is really kind of lame.

so im job searching at the moment - i have no money and a source of income would really come in handy. there are many concerts and things i want to do that cost money (seahawks? mariners?) and i can barely afford to buy myself lunch. so this is my main priority at the moment. there is also the fear of graduating from college 7 months and not having a clue what i want to do.

so caught up with a lot of people this last week. drank A LOT on friday night and ended up really paying for it. lets just say the delicious chinese food i had friday night made a re-appearance at about 4 am on saturday. gross. i have a fear of throwing up - in fact i can only remember doing it 3 or 4 times in my life. its just a horrible feeling. last time it happened was after drinking way too many of craigs long island ice teas. good thing is that i dont drink like that very often and have no interest in it. except maybe on october 2nd every year.

so ive been downloading music like mad since ive been home and ive "discovered" a little band called viva voce. i saw them open up for the shins last year and was really impressed. not really with the shins however. i loved their new album but after seeing them live i stopped listening to it altogether. i dont know what happened. but back to viva voce. really different from what i usually listen to. a little bit of flaming lips in there i think, but cant really put a finger on it. i recommend. also listening to st vincent, who are to open for the national on my birthday. female singer, which is rare for me. havent figured out if i like it though.

back to the job search. until then, cash donations welcome.

gettin frisked at heathrow and other random memories

...well, well, well, look who decided to come home. i did. was i gone two months? it feels like i never left, except summers almost over. was there a preseason football game on yesterday? wow. so yesterday was one of the longest days of the year. i left prague at about noon yesterday (local time) and arrived here in seattle about 5pm last night. doesnt sound bad, unless you consider the 9 hour time difference. plus i routinely got searched, frisked, and questioned in prague, london, then once i returned to seattle. "so why were you in the czech republic? did anyone give you anything to bring back to the states?" i understand that security was tight, especially here in the states, but it seemed that any chance to hassle me was taken advantage of. i got frisked twice in london. i guess my beard was a little too long for their liking.

but the trip is over, and i am here in seattle. i made a lot great friends, drank some good beer and met a very cool norwegian girl named marie. i hung out with (and fought with) my sister in foreign countries, ate more greasy food than i had in the year previous, and gained fifteen credits toward my bachelors degree. i also have no money, no job, and about 3000 things to do (or so it seems). the good thing is that i have become pretty motivated. i got up this morning at about 7, and have been busily cleaning, organizing, and getting myself for the next chapter. although i probably got up that early because of jetlag, i still want to give myself some credit. going to set up some interviews for next week, update that resume, and maybe even get a haircut and trim up the disgusting beard i have grown. the time is now.

things i will miss: not having to work, cheap (yet also delicious) beer, a great transportation system, great water pressure in the showers (shower heads they use on circus animals apparently), bbq tortilla chips, being close to everything (in prague itself and of course in europe), no last calls, the gross sandwiches from the mini mart on zitomirska, waking up on a train both sweating and cold, the "luxury" of not having a cellphone, alex's giant bottles of pop (see picture), sitting in a pub and not hearing any loud obnoxious americans, cheap beer, girls with accents (im gonna have trouble with that one), the wonderful czech krown, mon ami (just slightly), not showering for days, dancing like a fool in foreign countries, czech girls (more than anyone will ever know), droppin dueces on trains, old buildings, the kutna hora tourguide, euro mullets, rafting on the vltava river, naked statues, and - most of all - the fantastic fifteen, my professors, and a certain norwegian girl named marie.

things i missed: my car (although not looking forward to traffic), cereal, an overall CLEAN apartment, beers at the viewpoint, mac n jacks, omelets that actually taste like omelets, baseball, cable tv, sitting in a pub and hearing nothing but abnoxious americans, fast internet connection, dancing like a fool in america, pacific time, vitamin r, bacon burgers, using public bathrooms for FREE (this ones for you elise), my big comfortable bed and clean sheets, a clothes dryer and - most of all - my family, my friends and especially everyone who read this. you know who you are.

is this it?? not really. im thinking i want to continue to blog, as it will be inspiration to make my life a little more exciting. it was a fun ride though, this prague thing, but its over. and now i have to find a job, cause i invested a little too much into the czech beer economy.

the end is here

so the end is almost here. where did the last 2 months go? it really hasnt set in that its august now. june and july are gone. coming to prague could have possibly been one of the best decisions i have ever made. ive made some great friends, drank some delicious beer, seen things i never thought id ever see and i will never forget any of it. cesky krumlov was amazing. went rafting yesterday in the rain, ate a never ending feast at the eggenburg brewery, and slow danced to some sinead o'conner. i cant believe its over. the final phase is berlin tomorrow with elise and marie, then flying home monday afternoon. do i have to go home? i think i should. there is so much i miss about seattle. i miss my friends, i miss my family. i miss sportscenter and baseball tonight. ive seen 3 baseball highlights in the last 2 months. im watching espn for about 3 days when i get back. im craving cereal, kix in particular. the milk here ruins cereal. thats one of only a couple beefs i have with this beer drenched land.

i love it here, but the vacation must come to an end. the beer a day and half chickens for lunch must be left here. im leaving behind the luxury of a great transportation system and exchanging it for traffic on i-5. im abandoning a life without a cell phone for a life ruled by one. life without a job will transition to one where i desperately attempt to find my calling.

things are clearer for me now. ive set foot in some amazing places. ive met some amazing people. there is a whole world out there. id be a fool to not get out there and see it. central europe has been conquered. bring on asia. send me to africa.

so this magic carpet ride is coming to an end. it went by too fast, but i am elated to begin the next era of my life. ill graduate within a year. really? ive not known a life without school. heres my chance.

the end is here. i have tons of stories and great memories. by the way, im coming back across the pond in 9 months. next time, there will be certain people coming with me. i think you know who you are.

ps. the blog will continue after i get back. i really, REALLY like talking about myself.

last days in prague

so schools over and i havent been blogging much. i might not really have much of a chance since tomorrow im leaving for cesky krumlov then berlin afterwards. final presentations were today and i could not be more relieved that its over. cesky krumlov should be awesome. its going to be like a big field trip.

got to go though. will sit by the fire and tell stories of prague to everyone when i return.

almost over...

okay so things are hectic over here and blogging hasnt been the easiest thing to get done these days. auschwitz was by far the most intense day of my life and now it seems that with final project presentations on monday, there is little time for reflection. so heres the rundown on things... my sisters been here and weve been hanging out doing tourist stuff and its been pretty fun... drank hoegaardens yesterday and they were delicious. ive finally gotten some of the lonely planet stuff done and so i am glad about that. going to cesky krumlov on tuesday til thursday, then off to berlin friday and saturday before i train it back to prague by noon monday to fly back to seattle. its all been a whirlwind the past couple weeks but its by far been some of the most rewarding too. been reflecting on my time here (even had a deep and meaningful talk last night about it) and i promise to blog a few more times before i set sail for seattle. times going by fast here (much like the first couple weeks). there will be things i will miss, others not so much. i am looking forward to seeing everyone when i get back. im really excited about the next chapter in my life. auschwitz had a lot to do with it. i still get choked up a bit thinking about it.

anyway going to the zoo with elise today, then working on some homework...

ps. im planning on rocking a moustache tomorrow for final project presentations... lets see if anyones grading on a 'stache...

auschwitz...

i will write more later, as i am running on very little sleep, but i just got from a draining trip to auschwitz. its really hard to organize my thoughts right now but i will attempt to do so later today. basically it was the most intense day of my life. it has definitely changed my perspective on EVERYTHING.

gotta run... just know that im alive and well since i have not blogged in a little while. hope everyones well in the west.

postcards

since i am incredibly lazy i will not be mailing any postcards while here in prague. i will instead be buying one for each of you who have commented on this blog over the last month or so and handing them to you in person when i return to seattle. sound good? i might even write a special message on the back for you, maybe even write your address on it.

mom: i have a card for you also (in czech - have no idea what it says) that i will present to you over dinner at a place of your choice after i get back in town...

got to get to bed. hope everyone had as good a weekend as i did...

pictures!!!

me and the guard at the prague castle. i was going to pretend to kiss him but chickened out at the last moment. this, i guess, is the picture of the day. i would also like to point out that i am in dire need to do laundry. this was my last clean t-shirt. i think that guard smelled me. he has that look in his eye. i also had to pee really bad and the only thing close by was this fountain. actually i just couldnt resist a great photo op. i am so proud that i was able to find this fountain - i had a vague idea of where it was and we found it thanks to the genius sense of direction that ive recently attained. the two guys in the fountain sway back and forth also, which i took a short video of. the last picture is proof that marie exists. she wasnt too fond of posing for this particular picture, as you can see. but im glad she did. it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. i know one day shell have that picture framed over her fireplace. it was a beautiful moment and im glad we captured it. i hope shes not mad i posted this. especially since she is now probably reading my blog.

well, i gotta go, uploading those pictures took A LONG TIME. its late and i have early class tomorrow. good night planet earth.

pretending i know where things are

okay so ive been rehearsing in my mind all day what i was going to write in my blog tonight, but once i sat down its all left my brain. some of it was even pretty profound. but its gone.

so ill just go for it i guess. the weekend flew by. it actually went too fast. so as i eluded to earlier a certain norwegian girl i had met earlier on the trip came to visit me this weekend. pretty nerve wracking, but it went about as well as it could have possibly gone. shes a sweet girl. a couple of notables:

she brought up "poop" in a conversation before i did.

after complaining that my stomach hurt at lunch, she suggested that i fart and i would feel better.

okay, okay so those arent the classiest things to mention (sorry marie), but those are the things that stood out to me. the little things right? so we drank beers in old town square, walked behind big butted tourists ("baby got back") on charles bridge, and ate the most overpriced (and most disgusting) lunch in all of prague. not to mention we successfully found the fountain that has two guys peeing a pool outlining the czech republic (will DEFINITELY post that picture later). even posed with the guards at the castle. (oh wait i spelled "definitely" right... right?). would really have wanted the weekend to last a bit longer. more like a lot longer.

im looking forward to more good times in the coming weeks... as my big sis is arriving on wednesday. ive been practicing like i know where i am and where to go over the last couple days (even practiced on marie) and i am almost ready to crank it up a notch and not get lost in from of my sister. just kidding. i am excited to play tourguide (even pretending this weekend too) and look forward to MANY good times in the coming weeks.

ive been craving a real american breakfast since ive been here, and little did i know it, it was right under my nose. bohemia bagel. thanks to my lonely planet, which i have not used as much as i really should have, i discovered this little taste of home. so i get the "charles IV", two pancakes, eggs, bacon (american style!!), sausage, and a mini bagel. plus for 45 Kc bottomless fountain drinks, which is unheard of over here. so, i highly recommend bohemia bagel if your ever in prague and craving a big, disgusting, american breakfast. also, there was an item on the menu called (or something like it) "i dont want to do anything after i eat this breakfast." i actually wanted to do something after eating, so i went with the charles IV. it was a wise decision.

so now im tearing through the lonely planet trying to find more places like that... gotten into the habit of settling for the same old stuff around the neighborhood.

song of the day is "puncture repair" by elbow. have i confessed my love for elbow? theyve never made a bad song, and yet few people know about them. so im doing my part and mentioning them on this ever popular blog. that particular song is short but very poetic.

"i leaned on you today
i regularly hurt by never say
i nearly worn the window through
where was air-sea rescue?
the calvelry with tin sympathy?

you were there
puncture repair

i leaned on you today
i regularly hurt but never say
you patch me up and send me on my way."

okay so that was corny. but i cant help the love i have for that song. anyway - will post pictures tomorrow when i go to the internet cafe. got some funny ones. stay tuned.

kjg: cabin on august 18-19? boxing? im craving some curve balls. clams? fire up the grill!
cmb: i wanna hear about how much weight you lost!! dust off the kemp jersey!!

love and miss you all. go mariners.

jiggly will

have i not been writing on this a lot lately? i feel like i havent. no one complained so whatever. had another paper due yesterday and i busted it out in three hours (not counting the 5 hours of friggin research). so now all i really have to do school-wise is our final project. pretty excited about that. this program is gonna be over soon though, and i have mixed feelings. there are certain things ill miss, others not so much. i definately miss the comforts of home. comfortable bed, clean bathroom, clean apartment. oh well.

so we went on another bike ride today - this one not as long - just around prague. my ass hurt a little but not nearly as bad as before. my ass was a little disappointed that i lied to it saying we wouldnt be biking anymore. i promise no more. a little exercise doesnt hurt. im really gonna have to start running again when i get back. getting a little jiggly.

i gave myself a haircut with the clippers i bought. went really short, but it looks good, i think, almost like justin timberlake.

so anyway - i eluded to something else happening soon in my last blog and i guess i can reveal sort of what it is. has to do with a very cute norwegian girl coming to prague this weekend. thats all i am saying. i couldnt be more happy. cant wait for all of you to meet her. just kidding ;) (I think?)

THEN - my sister is coming up here a week earlier - on tuesday... so i am really pumped about the rest of the trip, etc. should be fun. i was going to extend my trip but have since decided not to since it costs a bit too much. oh well - at least elise will be here a week earlier. i will have a lot of school related stuff to do these last few weeks but that shouldnt be a problem. im so freakin smart.

ive been having a hell of a time uploading pictures to this stupid website and so ive pretty much given up for now. i know jon was interested in seeing the tourguide (maybe a little too excited), and i promise i will try to make that happen. nice myspace picture, by the way, lindsay.

is anybody still reading this?? its okay, i like talking about myself so much that it doesnt matter too much. im thinking about having a blog even when i get back home.

so - i am coming home to seattle august 13th as scheduled. clear the following weekend! ive been craving some vitamin r's. another bbq? a welcome back bbq might be in order. i swear the next time i leave for europe i might not come back

fun times at prague high

im in the process of acquiring MANY pictures from the trip from my friend bryan. a lot of them actually have ME in them. i know, i know, shocking. there are officially about 10 with me in them on the ones ive taken here. im also planning on pooling together with everyone else and get more pictures...

i have one more paper to write about the czech transition from communism to democracy - was it a success or failure? due tomorrow... all i know is that as soon as i get this one done, we will only have our final projects to work on. whew!

theres a prague bike ride tomorrow.... shhh.... dont tell my ass. will take pictures!

my sister is coming a week earlier than expected! she will be here a week from today... then i am trying to stay a week longer so we can travel around... we'll see what happens.

gotta hit the books! there are some economic terms that i have to get my head around by tomorrow... and try to post some pictures - its been a while since there have been new ones (sorry bout that)...

drinks, bones, and a beautiful tourguide

okay boys and girls, im back. it feels as if i have not blogged in a while. i apologize to all you loyal readers (and i know there are many of you). i had midterms due this past friday and so that occupied most of my time last week. i did two papers - one on the educational system under communism (it was a tough topic choice, by the way) and another for my visual culture class on a stalin statue in budapest that is only boots. fun stuff. i think my last blog was on phil collins, yeah? well i am still rocking some genesis on the iTunes. i hope everyone went out and bought that cd. anyway - went out friday night - beach volleyball again, but i could not play since ive been put on the dl. my back is better, but i didnt want to risk it. playin it safe, glad i did. got up early saturday morning for an optional field trip to kutna hora, an hour away from prague on the train. i was a little sleepy but i was a trooper. we went to a bone church - which is literally a bunch of art inside a church made of purely human bones. little creepy. ive also figured out that when they charge you more in order to take pictures inside a touristy place, its all a matter of honesty. i didnt pay, but there were not camera police in sight so i snagged some photos, which i will post later since i have not yet uploaded them. saved myself 50 crown. anything helps at this point when you are on a budget. ive become really cheap on this trip. didnt start out that way. but anyway - we went on a tour of the silver mines after lunch and we had the greatest tourguide ever. actually the most beautiful one ever. teresa - have a picture but once again not uploaded yet. i recommend going to kutna hora just so you can go on this tour and meet her. i might be in love. but then again so is every male that takes her tour. i will post picture later and you will all see. she basically made the trip. all the getting up early and sweating like mad was worth the hour and a half she was in our presence. anyway - sorry. the tour was pretty cool also we went way underground and it was pretty fun. i was pretty exhausted by the time we got to prague and all i could muster was a game of hearts and an early bedtime.

so how is life in seattle? anything happening? i feel so out of touch over here. thats the only downside of being over here. i miss the conveniences of home, but i gotta say this is really good for me to get me to step out of the comfortable bubble i live in in seattle. i really wish i did this earlier. please tell me someone wants to travel next summer. its very liberating.

i feel like i was going to blog about something else, but it has since left my mind. actually i remember, but i feel like its too soon to blog about. gimme a week.

song of the day - "the medication is wearing off" by eels. awesome song. eels is actually one guy (he writes a lot of depressing songs - his mom died of cancer and his sister killed herself). but theres an element of hope in his music and thats what i like. this particular song is just flat out cool. simple and cool. anyway. hope all is well in the west. the weather has cooled here, hoping that summer has arrived in the emerald city. i gotta go, time to musk up.

phil collins is god

okay so its time for a new song.... i was doing homework at Mon Ami (the restaurant across the street that is doing great business thanks to us) and i had iTunes on shuffle and the most awesome song comes on: "In Too Deep" by Genesis (most importantly sung by phil collins). have i ever mentioned how awesome phil collins is? so underrated. he may not be the most handsome man in the world, but the man can write and sing. go get a phil collins greatest hits (actually "Hits" or that live hits comp) and stash it away for a rainy day. or when you have a lady over and you want to share a tender monent with her. great ice breaker. "sussudio" should replace "star spangled banner" as our country's national anthem. anyway sorry - not much going on here (apparently) just working on some midterms, wishing i was done...

oh yeah, i hurt myself last night playing beach volleyball. little collision caused me to miss class this morning. lots of pain. but then again they have great ibuprofen. and beer.

song of the day

song of the day: Spoon's "The Underdog" off their new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (of course pronounced Ga Ga, Ga Ga Ga). the new spoon album is a grower. the more i listen the more i like it. also - a note on the national. they are also a grower band. i bought their last album "alligator" like six months before i actually appreciated it. so, give it time. listen, then forget about them for a while, and they will come back and (hopefully) you will love them like i do. "alligator" is a good place to start, which is my favorite. "geese of beverly road" is a song that my sister even liked. and her taste in music still has some work to do. no offense. i also recommend "mr. november" and "all the wine," my personal theme song. so many concerts to go to when i come back, hope i can sqeeze them all into my budget. maybe i should get a sugar mama.

burger king vs. PB & J

did i mention i went to BK while i was in budapest? i cant remember. it was disgusting and delicious all at the same time. it was horrifying and magical wrapped all in one greasy, beautiful whopper. i cant believe i was talked into it. i hadnt eaten fast food in forever, and havent had burger king in even longer. i got flashes of high school and getting french toast sticks on the way to home room. surprisingly, however, i did not feel any pain. in fact, i felt fine. maybe all that hearty food id been eating in prague this past month prepared me for that meal with the king. all i know is ive stopped eating out. ive moved on to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (speaking of turning back the clock). i think ive had 20 in the past week. ive also done this due to the shrinking of the budget the more time goes on (thanks vienna, you bastard). although having a beer is really inexpensive here, going out to eat nearly every day can really drain the bank account. im thinking i shouldve done this to begin with. oh well. im thinking itll be at least 10 more years before i take a trip to burger king again. anyway - back in prague now and its really (really) hot. mid 90s to 100s. took a shower this morning then 10 minutes later wanted to take another one. school is back in full swing - got 2 midterms due this friday and a final project that i know will come up fast since the first month has just flown by. i am also looking forward to getting back to seattle - i hope that there is some summer left. i feel like ive gained some weight over here, but im pretty sure ive lost some in the past few days due to sweating. mariners games anyone? green lake? not talaricos though. hell no. cant believe that even crossed my mind. so my sister is trying to talk me into staying a little longer since i will be here only a week when she is here and i will be gone for three of them. im thinking that all this living under meager surroundings in my apartment, it would be nice to stay in a nice room on a cruiseship. just a thought. we need to pull some strings though. im gonna need a vacation vacation though after this quarter is over. it may seem like its all fun and games here, but the classes are pretty time consuming. its a good balance. the heats not helping though. i think im sleeping for about 2 days when i get back. there was a picture of me eating a burger that i was trying to post but it is taking way too long. i have things to do. see you later.

long lost twins

so a weekend in prague is the cure to a tiresome week of traveling. made some london friends, had a couple beers. went to this little bar in the neighborhood and get this: one guy walks in with a william shakespeare goatee, glasses, a ponytail, white t-shirt and shorts. then, moments later, another guy, who does not know the first guy, walks in with the same facial hair, same hair, same outfit, literally the SAME GUY. only they did not know each other. i could not stop laughing. it was the most rediculous thing ever. it blew my mind. if i went into a bar and saw a guy who looked EXACTLY like me, i would confront him. theres no way im letting another dude go around looking like me. anyway - it was funny and you had to be there. wish i brought my camera. gotta get back to the books. have a wonderful sunday!

great moments in travel

so this priceless photo is in vienna in front of the fountains at the palace/castle thing, which i am standing in front of in the second picture. i could not resist a photo of this creepy dude, sorry. the second one is me wearing a yamecuh in a synagogue. cant really see it, but it was a first for me. it was a nice break from all the friggin churches weve been in. the next one is of a funny sign i saw moments after arrival to vienna. german is, and always will be, a funny language. gonna change my last name to "weinerburger." there are lots of "fahrts" in german street names and i couldnt get enough of it. but then again i had no idea how difficult hungarian would be. didnt even try to learn cause my sprained my tongue trying to say "cheers." another sign that was funny is the next one, lets see if you can find it. like a where's waldo type of thing. im taking lots of pictures of signs, is that boring? im also trying my best to find the best euro-mullets in the region. got a good one in vienna right here. everytime i try to take a picture of one the camera loses focus. almost like its unwilling to poke fun at peoples silly haircuts. but theres something classy about euro mullets compared to white trash mullets. its too bad i got a haircut. i also shaved today. rocking a goat and sideburns. gotta admit i look damn good. hopefully the ladies will notice. the ladies in prague are rediculous. oh how i missed them... so the mariners are still winning, right? whats with that? ichiro all star mvp, probably gonna re-sign. is this all because im gone? keep it up, dont let me down. thinking a mariner game or two should be in the works when i return. anyone wanna give me tickets? there is so much i wanna do when i get back. in a way i am excited about coming back, but then again this is a pretty sweet lifestyle over here. maybe ill move here and teach english or something. theres definately more of the world to see. ive only seen a small part of europe so far, but its pretty damn cool. so im thinking after i graduate in the spring of 08, would anyone be interested in the mediterranean? i would totally be down. im thinking i will only have enough money for one maybe two trips before heading home, so this is definately making me want to round up a crew and wander aimlessly around the world. kjg and cmb better be on board. vegas is cool, but being surrounded by people who do not share your language is a pretty cool thing. take pictures of euro mullets together. take dumps in castles. prague is really a place everyone should visit. so i signed up for classes this fall - "Race, Immigration & Ethnicity" "Water & Sustainability" and "Conflict in the Americas"... sound good i think. tuesdays and thursdays 845-320. being out here studying is really the best way to learn. but i should have a pretty good last two quarters at bothell. then the real world. hope that includes lots of traveling. still waiting on the mullet photo to load. so slow... theres gotta be a better way. how about everybody just come with next time? okay giving up on the mullet pic. try to get it next time.

october 2, 2007

okay so i know its far off, but i just got word that my favorite band - the national - is playing the showbox on my birthday - october 2nd. so - i already know that this is where i want to spend my 27th birthday. the question is - who else wants to go to see a great band, get a little tipsy, and spend the evening with yours truely? if you are interested - or even if your would like to hang out before or afterwards - message me. i think tickets go on sale soon, and i really think the more the merrier. i will be there. will you be too?

home at last?

okay so i thought i blogged last night (complete with a picture) but now it is nowhere to be found. it wasnt very long and i was tired so it is probably best. anyway - i am "home" now in prague. and its good to be back. vienna and budapest were fun, but a little expensive. the czech republic should never go to the euro. please stay with the crown, its one of your best features. its been a week away from here, and i really did start to miss it. vienna was really cool, but the euro really killed me. plus it took a chunk outta my right big toe. and budapest good also, but they arent on the euro, but their forint really made me question my meager math skills. budapest probably had the best food id had in a while, while parts of vienna were spectacular. the first picture, was the least spectacular part of vienna. i caught this dude posing in front of the fountains at the castle. too funny to pass up. who lays like that? anyway the castle was amazing. absolutely huge. the other picture portrays that a little better. i took some panoramic videos of both cities and i will try to put them on myspace at some point. in austria, theres no shortage of words like "weiner" and "fahrt." i captured a couple of them, one at the train station within 5 minutes of arrival. i think i mentioned that german is a funny language, and that is why. its really also hard to speak german kindly. maybe i just missed czech. in vienna at that castle, there was a labrynth and a maze. the labrynth sucked, maybe just cause there was not david bowie to lead the way. the maze was cool, as we got completely lost. fun though. thought of the human giant sketch "corn maze." corn maaaaaaaze. i kept saying it but no one really knew what i was saying. so vienna was scenic, but it really felt like a dream cause we were there for really one full day. but hey, i can cross it off my list. so i literally had 12 hours in prague before heading back out to budapest at 630 monday morning. on a bus. a stinky, sweaty bus. its a long bus ride - like 7 or 8 hours - and enjoyed some classic american cinema on the way. an olsen twins movie (kelly you woulda enjoyed that). also a really corny czech movie that put me to sleep. actually i think i watched the beginnings of a lot of movies on the bus rides. we get to budapest and i am ripe. so i am on a mission to get a shower before anyone else and i have to say that it was one of the greatest showers ever. we get a little tour of the city and grab some food. i really wish that the pictures would upload faster. i will go across the street later and make a post with nothing but pictures. sound good? everyone passes out pretty early and so the first night is pretty low key. played cards til 1am. think i was the last one up. we do have some making up to do the next couple nights. went to this place called old man's and it was pretty cool. not really anything special but fun nonetheless. one of our professors was out with us and stayed til dawn. played some favorites: vanilla ice, snow, even a little justin timberlake. those austrian clubs need to get a few tips from the hungarians. i am actually tired physically from dancing so much. maybe thats how i will work off all the hearty food i am eating here. the next day i go to burger king to eat (thanks natalie). hadnt had fast food in years. pretty delicious, but not sure if i really regret it. theres pics of this occasion also. after that its naptime and i sleep sound as a pound. dancing again? why not. when in budapest. went to cha-cha-cha which is an outdoor club. danced forever, maybe even more vigorously. left earlier though. saw a lot of the city, had some deep conversations about the holocaust and religion. ive really been opened up to the realities of the holocaust since ive been here. ive decided i need to go to auschwitz (sp?). so strange being in these places where ordinary people were taken away to be murdered for being who they are. deep stuff. elise says ill cry all day, hopefully i can compose myself. so thats that i think. i havent had access to internet recently so its hard to remember everything. things happen, and then i think oooh ill blog about that. but then i forget when it comes time to blog. write more today with pictures. happy birthday mom!

home at last

well i made it back to my home away from home - prague. its good to be home. in vienna for 3 days, then budapest for roughly 4. vienna is expensive and budapest isnt much better. prague is cheap and i like that. please dont ever go to the euro. i beg you. also the hot to not so hot girl ratio is a lot better in these parts. so ive officially been to 5 countries on this trip: england, the czech republic, austria, slovakia, and
hungary. i have lots of stories in which i will write more tomorrow, a day off.

budapest

okay so i am in budapest right now and its pretty cool. just got back from the baths. pretty odd, got the first massage of my life today. pretty interesting... i had to be naked and i got it from a dude. he slapped my ass when he was done, I HAVE MAINTAINED MY HETEROSEXUALITY NONETHELESS. but i feel really relaxed right now and we are all headed out to a jazz club and then go dancing. very invigorating massage, but a little weird. ill write more once i make my triumphant return to prague circa the end of the week. hope all is well in the west. lots of pictures to come...

watch your toes

well, apparently its the 650th anniversary of the charles bridge and everybody is down at the center tonight. except me. i just know i got home tired this afternoon and took a much needed shower and passed out to sleep. i just woke up 10 minutes ago to the sound of a silent neighborhood. does no one else realize how early we have to be on a bus to budapest? 6 am anyone? oh well, im glad i got at least some sleep. anyway. lots to catch up on. hopefully i can get to it all. ill start with the fourth of july. had tacos (a few actually) and drinks (also a few) at a classmates/neighbors apartments. then went to the local pub for pool and darts. pretty good times, but i think a lot of us paid for it the next day. toured the prague castle (or at least some of it) the next day, which was cool. pictures were taken, but uploading them now seems like quite the chore right now. after budapest i will get them on here. but anyway. my memory is failing me at the moment, so some info is slipping through the cracks. friday morning is spent training it to vienna. 5 hours more or less. beautiful buildings, pretty city. the viennese (sp?) go big or go home. very impressive castle complexes. got lost in a labrynth and maze and spent saturday in awe. friday night got my big toe caught in an escalator. i look down and my foot is covered in blood. so, with the help of my classmates we get it cleaned out (in a mcdonalds bathroom). im standing with my foot under the sink. pretty gross. plus it was a womens bathroom, but no one seemed to mind. better now. bought some decent bandages. let that be a lesson to you all. watch your toes on escalators. i always thought i was invinsible, but there is some truth to watching your toes. maybe just watch yourself in vienna. violent ones there. anyway. today consisted of checking out of the hostel and leisurely wandering around town. austria is expensive. its on the euro and so its so easy to blow a bunch of money and not even realize it. especially after getting used to the cheap life here in prague. gotta love the crown. and the nightlife was a little less to be bargained for. seemed like walking took up the majority of our nights. i tried to request justin timberlake in a club and i got a silly look. the austrians are an odd bunch. or was it us crazy americans? train ride back was decent... somehow between the three of us who didnt get up early today to catch the 830 train it was a good time. put down a few budvars. bonding is at a high level right now. couple of the classmates are becoming friends and looking forward to budapest to get to know some more of them. i really think that theres more to this weekend, but i honestly dont remember at the moment. will try to update in budapest. internet connection has been promised at our hostel. have a good night everyone, think im going to bed. watch your toes.

lifes moving by fast

okay so this is an abbreviated blog. i just got back from vienna and i am dead tired. leaving for budapest tomorrow morning. wild times. i dont quite have the time at the moment to recap the last 5 or so days but i promise to after a nap. song of the day = "Above You" by The Whitest Boy Alive. i know, i know, the greatest band name ever. but great song. i cant get it off the ipod. anyway - vienna a very pretty place, but night life a little weak. good to be back in prague. i have stories and even videos from a fun trip that i really want to upload when i get time. times going by fast, but i gotta admit im having a blast. have to give up the computer at the moment while my roommate writes a paper that was due a week ago. dont worry, i did it a long time ago. really good too. hope the weather in seattle is as nice as its turned out to be here. i miss everybody, hope all is well. dont hesitate to comment. i know you have to have a google account, but its free to register and i would really like it if you did. ps - german is a funny language. HILARIOUS. pps - the brake lights always on. part of the character of the car i guess

america the beautiful

happy birthday america!! went to a the national gallery today and had a ball. artwork is the perfect way to celebrate our great nation's birthday. i really want to play the "proud to be an american" song loud and break out my american flag mc hammer pants. pictures to come, the upload time is sort of long right now. the girls are making tacos and we are all gonna celebrate the fourth here in prague. texas hold em, too. hell yeah. its fun to gamble away all this little change ive been accumulating. ps - the french have the weirdest game shows. SO STRANGE. elaborate later. light up a sparkler for me.

haircut

so i got a haircut from a girl in my class. it was her second ever haircut. the first was on this trip. it looks alright. the pic is of mid-cut. i bought a hat, but it doesnt really have anything to do with the haircut, i promise, tiffany. i got a hat at h & m for like $8. thats all for today. wrote the paper on the fall of communism, and i gotta say its pretty good. at least im putting in more time than most of my classmates. happy fourth!! so weird not being in the states, but im sure we'll get out tomorrow and hit the town.

bbq tortilla chips are good

bbq tortilla chips yes. strawberry filled cake thingy no. buy a beer at a store and its gauranteed not cold. this is why you drink in a pub. song of the day: "White Lips Kissed" by Mew. spectacular song. sounds like they made it in space. tried vigilantly to get a picture of this wacky mullet at the museum today. pretended to take a picture of a friend but the mullet turned out to be a fast moving target. really want to play texas hold em. going to vienna this weekend! hell yes. this is what i am talking about. budapest the weekend after. im gonna be so full of culture when i come back. ive been in buildings older than our friggin country. all this terror stuff in london better be over by the time i have to fly through there next month. but i cant let the terrorists win. had english girls ask us if we voted for bush. so ashamed of our president. oh, and our classes are pretty interesting (since mom and possibly dad is maybe reading this). fit right in with the whole experience. and the professors are relaxed enough to not overload us with work. this was a good decision to come here. if only my financial aid would appear in my bank account. spent 430 crown on a lot of groceries the other day. what is that $16? beards coming along nice, although it needs a trim. seriously have a safe fourth, everybody. for i will not be celebrating. oh wait, yes i will.

random thoughts

getting bottled water that isnt carbonated is referred to as not having "gas." and its really hard to come by.


if there are people walking down the street handing out free beer, its probably non-alcoholic, which i didnt think existed over here. do not, i repeat, do not get any.


the juice is really sugary. like that flavored "drink" they sell at grocery stores.


beer is poured perfectly here. every american bartender should have to be trained here before ever pouring another beer.


when going on a two month trip, bring electric razor. put a hood and sunglasses on me and i look like the unabomber. im scaring the locals.


mineral water tastes like shit.


americans really are loud. sorry, prague.


taking a dump in a castle is a difficult task, but i promise to fulfill that dream, kjg.


eating a lot can make you fat. i caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror today. yikes. hope the clothes i brought still fit me by the end of the trip.


have i mentioned how good the beer is here? ah, so good. looking forward to a big weekend of beer drinking coming up. i mean studying. wait - what did i say?


euro mullets are much more sophisticated here. this one has a sort of "sasquatch in the forest" quality to it, but i promise to take more as i see them. maybe even pose with them. maybe even grow one myself. when in prague, right?

happy early fourth! lets not blow off any fingers this year!

a ballet, allergy hell & a sore rearend

so theres a lot to talk about, many pictures to see. ive been outta town in southern bohemia (near the austrian border) on a 70 mile bike trip. after this weekend, if i never get on another bike in my life, i would be okay. but lets start at the beginning. so we went to a ballet on thursday night at the national theatre. quite an impressive place. it was good to go inside, but to see my first ever ballet i was not so excited. i fell asleep just before intermission with my head rested on my arms. i was wearing a sweater and when the intermission began i had these lines on my forehead and so there was no mistake what i had been up to during the ballet. the music was kind of cool, but the ballet itself a little boring. it was a modern russian ballet or something, so it had modern music in it which i liked enough to stay conscious, but not really watch. so, my first ballet was okay. i could totally see taking a date there or something. anyway. so we get up early (6am anyone?) the next day to catch a train to southern bohemia. exhausted before the real exercise sets in, not a good start. its nice to get out of the city, but the allergies were insane. i never remember them being so bad. it was like allergy hell. endless wheat fields. i, foolishly, did not buy more claritin before the trip, so it really hit me hard. i felt as though death was imminent. on the way, we stopped and i had duck for lunch. i immediately thought of don. so this duck's for you (the one in the picture). and it was only 89 crown ($3.60?) we finally get to a small little town with a castle (henry's castle?) and its all fine. we get free food. i ate a whole chicken and a kielbasa and some of the best french fries ever. the food here is awesome. but i am on my way to a heart attack if i keep up this pace. oh, i almost forgot. the train totally reminded me of the movie top secret. the picture was inspired by that train ride where he is painting the trees flying by the window. i guess in a way, that will be the picture of the day, kelly. the whole train ride i was waiting for some thug running down the hall with steven segal calmly following him. anyway. distracted. so my ass is incredibly sore. in fact, i think most everybody's is. but i can only feel mine. i buy allergy medicine the next morning and drink extra water and i feel better in that regard, but the soreness of my hiney is pretty prominent. round two of bike riding is far easier (fewer hills) and we finally reach Trebon in time to miss our train (due to slow restaurant service) and so we are forced to take a train a little later. this gives us, and in particular me, the chance to eat and drink a bit more. ate this cinnamon and dough thing that was insane, had this ice cream that very tasty. went to the local brewery in Trebon and had a delicious 16 degree beer (8%). this place is great. but the biking kicked my ass (literally) and the allergies are trying their hardest to dampen my good times. we get in to Praha at midnight, and at this point, everyone wants to kill everyone else. we decide to hoof it (walk) all the way from the train station home since the subway is closed and the night tram does not run very frequently. i slept pretty well, and a lot of us are still asleep. good thing we have a paper to do by tomorrow. for the same professor who led us on this marathon of a bike ride. i was going to try to have a beer for everyone individually, but ive already forgotten who i had one for, etc. this picture is along the bike trail somewhere in bohemia. probably the best scenario for a beer. although i was a bit sluggish once returning to my bike. but nonetheless, theres nothing quite like relaxing outside with a delicious gambrinus. i cant forget about the sonic stuff. i am so pumped about durant and jeff green (and that guy we got from the celtics not wally). sorry to see ray ray go, but i think its a new era. durant is the real deal and the sonics better stay in seattle or i will be pretty unhappy. also, in an effort to spice things up in this blog, i am going to try to capture the best (and brightest) of the Euro-mullets i see every day here in Prague. i saw a gnarly one in Trebon that i will post later, but didnt get a great shot of. its really hard to discreetly take pictures of someones haircut without them noticing. and this guy was pretty big too. id hate to get beat up over here over something like that. i also find myself taking unconventional pictures of street signs and lisence plates like the one pictured. i could not resist. gotta take a shower and work on that paper. its a shame that i have to do actual schoolwork over here. i keep having this reoccuring dream where its the night before i leave for Prague and i am all panicky and such. but then i wake up all confused because i am actually here. am i really here?

to be continued

just had the longest two days of my life... will write more when i recover. durant and green baby!!!

song of the day

okay, so the song of the day is: "Each Coming Night" by Iron & Wine. I know, I know, its really soft. but it was featured in the Human Giant sketch (a show in which i encourage everyone to watch) where aziz pees on a bush and is sentenced to live 30 days as a bush (in a gilly suit) where he repeatedly gets peed on himself. i know, it sounds hilarious. the song is awesome seriously. probably going on the soundtrack to my life (closing credits?). if anyone has music suggestions or any other kind of suggestion related to anything please comment me. i know your wondering what exactly i am doing here, and this is your chance to find out what happens outside what i reveal in this blog. oh yeah, someone commented a while ago... pumpathump or something.. who is that? i feel like i should know. anyway. going to the ballet tomorrow. not voluntarily though. its required. i guess a little class in my life wouldnt hurt. oh and i have a rave - the salami here is so good its not even funny. so delicious. i almost want to put it in my corn flakes in the morning.

picture of the day

okay. if you work for dhl and you live in prague, you have to drive this thing. kind of like newman on seinfeld who dreams of getting the postal route in hawaii. riding around in this thing can be a little immasculating, though. walker texas ranger in dubbed in czech is on tv right now and i gotta say its pretty awesome. i took a video from the tower on top of the astronomical clock in old town square that i will try to upload on here but the internet speed is super slow. went on a tour of the old town hall, that was mildly interesting. mainly just a bunch of holes and old walls. interesting, but not worth taking pictures of - which everybody else did. is the nba draft today?? i had a nightmare the other night that we didnt take durant. dont screw this up sonics. by the way, the astronomical clock when it does its thing every hour is a little overrated. tons of people stand there like cattle to watch. i, however, was not impressed. so every morning me and my roommate nic try to get up early to catch the early tram to class, cause the first week we caught it (mainly because we were still jetlagged and getting up at the crack of dawn) there were unbelievably hot girls and now we cant seem to get up in time. today was to be our day, but i woke up late and everybody was still sleeping. maybe next week. going on a bike trip friday to southern bohemia. should be awesome. itll be good to get out of the city. feels a little cramped around here. the buildings are all so close together. feels like ive been here for a long time but i really havent. still have 7 weeks left. gotta go. its naptime.

picture of the day

here is the "Big Brother Banana." have no idea what it means. it was on the side of a garbage can. anyway, i really need a haircut and a shave. i look like hell. cell phone situation is a little complicated but going now to figure out. its been two days without a beer. it would sound so good right now...

half a chicken for breakfast

so this place is pretty rediculous. slept in a little late today and did not have time to get breakfast before our first class, so i waited til lunch to eat breakfast. i ignored my urges to eat at the bakery across the street, and ate authentic czech food at this other place. cheap. 90 crown got me a half a chicken with french fries. not doing that again. i was so sleepy by our next class started and i could feel myself dozing off towards the end. or maybe it was the lecture about Polish politics. maybe a combo effort there. its really a crazy thing to just sort of sit back and listen to the people around you. i did that the other night in a pub and i easily could be the only english speaking person present. strange feeling. still smitten with the ladies here. i realized in the other post that i may have said that american girls arent that great and thats not what i meant. i guess i am just so blown away by things here that ive forgotten what the states are like. its just different i guess. i just know they are amazing here. anyway. it seems that girls are all i talk about. ill branch out a little in future posts. if anyone can find the time, please comment me or email me, it will inspire me to keep up with the blogging.

settling in

so im settling in now. i officially slept in today. i didnt even have a beer yet today. yet. maybe later. i have to do some reading for school tonight, so maybe not. but i really feel like a nap. walked around a lot today. went to this park that overlooks the city. took a few pictures. it takes a while to upload them onto the blog since the internet connection is so slow. so kelly - this is the picture of the day. i kind of have my hand in it and you can see my reflection in the window, but the sign says it all. i also pervertedly took a picture of a couple girls, with the intention of trying to convince kelly that the girls here really are hotter than the states. this is just a sample. there are more. i will make you a believer. weather is nice today. it was so hot when we got here, but now its just nice. very seattle-esque summer. i havent gone to the atm (or bankomat in czech) in a couple days and i am really proud. it seemed that i was going almost everyday. the vacation feel has worn off a little bit. i havent bought any post cards but for all those who want one, please email me or comment me your address. the city is beautiful and so far this has been such an awesome experience. i anticipate more good times ahead. many more pilsners and hopefully, many more european girls. there really isnt anything better than a beautiful woman speaking a foreign language. english is so boring. why i didnt come here earlier in life i have no idea. so ive been seeing a lot of yellow labs lately. at first all i was seeing was these puny little rat dogs everywhere. i took a picture of one and will post soon. this one looked EXACTLY like Sasha. there are tons of dogs here, and its really making me want to get one when i get back. the last picture is of the view today at the park. i had the bottle of coke, which is more expensive than beer. i guess thats incentive to consume pivo. i noticed that on this blog it lists the time posted, but dont be confused. i am not up before 11 am. i am 9 hours ahead right now, so the days winding down. the sore throat turned into a cold, but i feel like its quickly passing. ive taken it easy over the past couple days, which has definately helped. plus the "potent" ibuprofen that they sell at the pharmacy behind the counter has been great. im getting a local phone number this week since i seem like a lame ass in the event that i try to get a girls number at a bar and i dont even have a phone. not going through that again. i am now quite fond of norwegian girls. they are like 90% pretty there. very good odds. anyway, i am just rambling on now. by the way, i will also mention songs that i am listening to at the moment (if anyone cares) . right now, its Elliott Smith's "Either Or" off the most recent album New Moon. probably my theme song for the summer. hope everyone had a glorious weekend. and mom - make sure you show grandma how to use the computer again. ciao.

a nap, a couple beers & a norwegian girl

well, things got a little better. i went from one end of the spectrum to the other yesterday. i napped, went out to dinner - thai food believe it or not - before having a beer and feeling a lot better. half of the group wanted to go into town and see what kind of nightlife there was. i gotta say its gonna be tough to come back to seattle and go to clubs or bars. in prague, no covers, cheap beer, beautiful girls all around. europe has there stuff together. i did take it easy last night, which was exactly what i needed. i think i had 4 beers over the course of about 5 hours. much less than certain other people in our posse. at this place called roxy, we waltzed right in to blaring hip hop and huge video screens - which a video dj controls - showing crazy stuff that i probably need to be high to fully enjoy. there was one video of muhammad ali sparring that was really crazy. but anyway - everyone just sits on this stage like thing hanging out, not much of a dance floor. fun nonetheless. when a new dj took over, she played this industrial techno that no one liked. so we move on. at this point, two beers. we are headed to this 5 story club by charles bridge, but get distracted by this place called bombay. typical club/bar, but only thing different is the beautiful girls. downtown theres a variety of people from a variety of places, so chances of meeting other people from all over the world are good. so heres where the norwegian girl comes in. beautiful, tall norwegian girl. blonde hair, brown eyes. we talked on the dance floor for quite a while (so i am told), and im supposed to meet up with her tonight when we go out again. i love europe. bars never close, by the way. theres no way i can live in the states anymore. anybody want to move out here with me? this place is insane. its only been a week.

sweaty & sick

well i woke up this morning with my throat hurting really bad. i got up and went to class, but i just couldn't handle it, and i came home at our lunch break. i cant really cant figure out what caused it, but it makes me realize that i should take a bit more care of myself. it is hotter than hell here. gonna have to start taking two showers a day. seriously. trekking to school on the tram and subway are sweaty events. i wonder if its hot in seattle? i would imagine not. i honestly cannot remember what the weather was like when i left. it seems like ages ago. the group of people i am with seem to be the party type, and i am trying to keep up, although once the initial novelty of being here, i think things will settle down. at least this sickness i have has slowed me down a little. bout to take a shower and put the ipod on and take a nap. i feel really ill. i hope this passes soon. i bought this "free hemp" energy drink at tesco yesterday and it had to be one of the worst things ive ever tasted. maybe thats what got me sick? i think i just need to relax. other than that, prague is still an awesome place. but still dont completely feel home. theres just something about my own bed and own shower that sounds so great right now. my bed is completely uncomfortable. my pillow is like a pillow case filled with t-shirts. shower time. love prague, miss seattle. ill be home soon enough. want to feel better soon though.

walking

we are walking a lot. my back is so sweating from carrying my backpack around. the pivo i am drinking is delicious. so glad i am in my apartment. our place has become the internet cafe, even though no one's internet works. mine does. dell makes good laptops. i would endorse them fully. dude your getting a dell. so we walked to the prague castle. pretty cool stuff. but its hot, and my backpack is glued to my back. we keep walking. we saw this interpretive performance about the iraq war that really made no sense, but what the hell. we're in prague. cool city. need to watch it on the spending money stuff. expensive food in the city center (where our classroom is) so you really have to watch it. sticking to the restaurants close to home. and pubs. is this getting boring? i feel like i should write less often. please if people are reading this comment, itll inspire me to keep it up. i feel like though once classes get going, i might have to do this a little less in leau of studying. until then i shall write. everyone found out that i was 26 and they were surprised. but i am not the oldest and so i feel good about that. we went a jewish museum today, pretty heavy stuff. hit me hard after piva in the beer garden. sobered me up quickly. so much history here. glad i am coming here at this point in my life. i dont think i would fully appreciate things if i hadnt first lived 26 years. its sinking in now that ive been here a few days.

the english menu

ordering czech food for dummies.

tired as hell

i am tired. stayed up til 4:30 am last night drinking beer and hanging out with the classmates. we met this british guy named Robin who lives in our apartment complex, and he hung out with us... hes fricken hilarious and hes gonna be very useful to have around. he plays piano at bars around town including one right across the street on wednesdays and i expect most of the group to be there... good times. what else. almost all of my classmates are here now, except a couple who we have no idea where they are. its good to have a few days under my belt, beginning to use come czech phrases and getting responses, which means im finally saying them right. the beer is still good, but they have this dark beer thats insanely good. walked a lot today, saw a lot of the town, but forgot to bring my camera. taking lots of good pictures nonetheless. theres this small little pub across the street that has 50 cent budvars, and the bartender is starting to appreciate the business. last night went there and played cards and sipped some beer. can you do that in the us? so much more laid back here, and i really like it (obviously). really interesting city, and taking the classes will definately help understand the culture, etc. our field trips look great too, a bike trip to southern bohemia next week and budapest a few weeks later. i cant freaking wait. still dont have the confidence to try to talk to one of the BEAUTIFUL czech girls, but hope to by the end of the trip. a lot of really pretty girls everywhere. its completely commonplace to have a beer with every meal, and i would not be surprised if drank beer for breakfast at least once. anyway, im gonna try to take a nap, i got literally 4 hours of sleep. plus i have my first reading assignment. oh yeah, the allergies that i thought i could leave behind in the states followed me over in grand fashion. bought some clariton, lets hope it helps. heres a picture of the cool store and me working on a spare tire. miss you all. by the way, can people send me their addresses? if you do, i will definately send you a postcard. you might not get it until after i come back, but its the thought that counts right? june 18th is almost over, while yours is just beginning. hope it was as good as mine.

CMB

so craig - heres the cmb store. first day of class today... should be fun, more to post later.

prague, beer and steak

so the last post was a little unnecessary, due to the fact that i was seriously bored during the whole flying thing... i just had my first official czech meal with my roommates and another one of my classmates. i had a steak, with a slab of bacon on it. no joke. could be the most genious idea ever or the worst idea ever. i can't decide. i know it was delicious, but i am sluggish now. all for about $10 in US dollar. also had my first official pilsner urquell (actually first two - which is piva in czech). i think i am going to like this place, but eating steak and beer every single day isnt the best habit to start. i figure once i get some of the czech phrases down, i should be good to go. oh, and GREAT NEWS. i get internet at home. it may be pirated, but its internet nonetheless. the apartments are decent, but beds are TINY. cant have everything, i guess. my roommates are cool, things are shaping up pretty well. theres a soccer match going on at a stadium a few blocks away and i can hear the chants of hooligans off in the distance.
on a side note: grandma - those odwalla bars that you gave me really came in handy. staying in a hostel by yourself with no local currency and an empty stomach led to consumption of tthose little buggers.
also - instead of saying turning something off, i am going to start saying "switching." it just sounds better. thanks, UK.
on another side note: you dont really appreciate your friends until you leave the country for two months. i can say now that i fully appreciate my friends, and i really wish you all were here with me now, drinking $1 pilsners. i'll just have to drink more for them, then.
and yet another side note: i have begun taking pictures and will post when i get the chance. comment back so that i know if anyone's even looking at this. god, i love prague so far. just gotta lay off the bacon n steaks.

06/14/2007
Well, I’m at the airport, and I am set to take off in a little less than an hour… it seems that this trip was so far away for so long and now it’s here. I’m sitting next to a herd of british flight attendants with their crazy ass accents. I guess this is my first taste of foreign lands. A lot more to come, I guess. There is a girl at the airport that looks EXACTLY like someone I dated, and it really freaks me out. Almost a spitting image. I’m hoping this blog doesn’t turn out to be a sort of Doogie Howser type of journal where I learn an important lesson at the end of each entry. I’m gonna try to avoid that sort of a thing, but if it happens and I don’t realize it, please comment and let me know. So far, this blog is boring, hopefully, once I get going with this trip, it will get more interesting. Keep checking. By the way, I am rediscovering the band Travis, after a long hiatus. Really smooth, almost a little poppy, but not so much that I don’t want to listen. Just a thought. Two months is going to fly by apparently, as everybody is telling me. I want this wait at the friggin airport to fly by. I am so passing out once I get on the plane. Nine hour flight here I come. Please let there be a model sit next to me on the plane, ala that Seinfeld episode. Sipping champagne and laughing it up all the way to London. We’ll see.
06/15/2007
So I’ve learned a few things in my stay at the London airport. The British really do have bad teeth. And I can’t understand them when they talk fast. Makes me worried about Prague. The newspapers are wide. And they have the worst sports section when you want to keep track of your fantasy baseball team. Some flight attendants have to wear silly looking hats. Security is SUPER tight – the guy with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle. Massive lines. Anyway – I hardly slept, and I badly want to get to Prague so that I can take a nap. My flights delayed by the way. At least the journey is almost complete. I sat next to two old British guys on the last flight. No models. Keeping fingers crossed for the flight to Prague. For some reason all I want to do is go on myspace. It’s a sad situation. If I had some euros I’d go play ms pac man. I need sleep. This trip is going to be awesome though, I can feel it.

pre-prague

well i havent left yet, but departure is imminent. only have eight thousand things to do in 2 1/2 days. next "blague" will be from the wonderful country known as the czech republic!



thanks to all who came to the bbq sunday... i am eating leftovers as we speak.