Catching Up

Wow! What a week. I have been so busy with classes, exploring, and trying everything new that I have not had time to sit down and post on the blog.

Due to time constraints, this post is going to be a brief overview of the last few days.

Saturday:
I rode the metro (equivalent of MARTA) for the first time to a big shopping center, then to the first day of orientation. I met a bunch of really cool people with the program, then lost them going in to the building because I held the door open for everyone else. After orientation, Hillary, her roommate Zoie, and I walked to see the John Lennon Wall and read some of the history associated with it. From there, we walked across the Charles Bridge and took a very brief tour of the Jewish Quarter. A lot was closed down because it was a Saturday.
That night for dinner, Hillary and I did not feel like going out. Instead, we went to a big grocery store and bought pasta and meatballs. They were amazing! We even tried some of the traditional Czech alcohol! Budvar, the original Budweiser, was awful. Krusovice, a traditional Czech beer, was also awful. So we tried Becherovka. A spiced hard alcohol that my roommate Matt thinks tastes like apple pie. It too was disgusting. In the end, I feel like not liking the alcohol of all things is probably not such a bad thing...

Sunday:
To get out, Hillary and I went to Wenceslas Square and got some coffee at Starbucks- I actually found a drink that I like! Because it was bitter cold, we headed to my apartment where the internet still works (hers was down). I made some more European sandwiches for lunch, then had a peanut butter banana one because I was still hungry- and American food always tastes good.
That night for dinner, we tried a pizza joint (dad) down the street called Pizza Einstein. The pizza was good, but their Focaccia was really odd- still good. That night we watched some Fringe to try and stay awake for the Super Bowl. As time grew closer, we found out that I could not stream the game on the internet, so I would have to miss it! That was the first Super Bowl I have missed in ages!

Monday:
I had to go to the Foreign Police Station- dont worry, I was not in trouble- to get my Visa checked. After a little miscommunication and the assistance of a translator, my visa was okayed. Apparently, there was a problem with the fact that we drove in to the country, but it was resolved. On the way back, I met two other guys from my apartment complex that live two floors down. Both go to University of Michigan.
We decided we were hungry and walked around the neighborhood for a while finally finding a traditional Czech place. I tried goulash soup and fried eidam cheese. Both were amazing!
From there, I headed to school to meet Hillary and straighten out some issues with our new email addresses through the school.
Once there, we found out that the IT guy would not be back until Wednesday. During the time we had set aside, Hillary and I walked through Mala Strana to find a decent restaurant before class. We found a place and got a salami pizza and pasta carbonara. I think I found my new favorite restaurant. The food was amazing, not to mention that the pizza came with hot peppers, which made me very happy.
Class that night, operations management, was boring. The professor was from Michigan- everyone here seems to be from Michigan or New Jersey, it is ridiculous.

Tuesday:
We had our art and architecture in Prague class. After walking through parts of town that Hillary and I had already seen, the class settled in to a cafe. The class did a little getting to know each other before heading our separate ways. Hillary and I grabbed some food before heading to our next class- Human Resources Management. The professor was from Germany and a tad hard to understand, but the class seems like it should be fine overall.

Because the rest of the week went by so quickly- and they all kind of blend together- this is an overview of everything else that has happened.

I made garlic cheeseburgers on the stove with white cheddar cheese on some rolls we found at the store.
We bought some butter (President butter)- which is now Hillary's favorite food.
 I am having trouble adjusting to the fact that the lowest percent fat milk that is offered is 1/2%.
The other night, we made nachos with sharp cheddar cheese and some really good salsa. We even made some cuba libres (coke and rum with a lot of lime juice) to go with it.
I skyped Ryan at South Carolina. I skyped friends in California.
We went back to Casa Latina- the place we had good Mexican food the first night, and it was just as good.
It snowed! a TON!
Friday, because it was snowing so much, Hillary and I walked down the Vltava River toward the Castle, then back through Old Town Square so that we could get new pictures of things that looked cooler in the snow.
I have gotten very well adjusted to the city, and now feel comfortable on any public transportation and in most restaurants despite only knowing the very basics. Dva= two. Voda= water. Prosim= please. Dekuje (like de kwi)= thank you.
Two of my roommates moved out- to live with their girlfriends, so now there is plenty of space in our apartment. One of my roommates, Justin, who is 28, spent over 600 on a guitar. He plays non stop. The guitar is always out of tune.
Life is good; homework is not bad. I am excited for this next week.
Four day weekends may be too long for me.