Peace Out

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Let's see now shall we?

Yesterday, April 12, 2008, I awoke in the morning at precisely 6:12am and proceeded to prepare for a CIEE planned day trip for school to Novy Bor and Bezdez. A short history will soon follow.

I was running pretty early on this particular morning. You see for trips with school, we always meet at "Na Florenci" a specific place in Prague, in front or a blue awninged book store. I was very early, as I previously stated, so I decided to not get on the first metro that came, and instead I sat on a bench in the Budeovicka metro. As I was in mid-seat, I turned my head to the right, when I suddenly saw Liz running down the stairs trying to catch the metro who's doors were closing. "She is never going to make it!" I thought. I smiled at her until she made eye contact with me, and began walking towards me. She was squinting and did not look too friendly yet, because she was not wearing her glasses and was not 100% sure if it was me. She sat next to me, took out a large monocle and questioned in a southern accent, "Becky Krause...is that you??" She blinked twice and then continued, "Why golly it is you Becky. It is you!" I gave her a pat on the shoulder and she asked me why I was just sitting there and did not get on the metro. I said "Ehh... I am running early so I thought I would just sit here". Liz had a slight cold/cough- so did I. We bonded over this fact.

We made it to the bus a couple minutes early and decided to walk to the metro to get Liz some tea. We then got on the bus and joked saying "Imagine if we were walking back and saw the bus moving away and had to chase it and then had to ride the whole way underneath the bus, holding on?!" It was hilarious!

The first stop of the trip was to a glass blowing factory, known as "Glassworks Slavia", established in 1999 and has almost 120 employees! "It is based in the very heart of the Czech Glass industry in a small beautiful town called Novy Bor. In 2001, they built new glassworks and their production program was expanded extensively. Slavia manufactures have a wide range of the unique domestic glass and has an excellent reputation for quality."

We heard some interesting speeches, that was translated from Czech to english by the art and architecture professor-lade (lade is singular for lady), Marie Homerová. As we were standing in the vestibule, workers (some wearing sweatbands) kept barging out of the factory door, looking at us and going into another door. They reminded me of characters out of a movie and it was like being in the Charley and the Chocolate Factory, factory. We soon were able to enter the workplace where we encountered men (there was only one young woman), blowing glass. It was really cool to watch and absolutely amazing to see how perfect the glass was shaped and made. I liked to watch how this one man constructed the bottom part of the glass- so perfect. A lot of twisting- a lot of blowing. A few girls in my program got to try to blow the glass and two of them got a free green vase. I tried stealing it from them after they fell asleep on the bus, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful due to my impeccable conscious.

We continued our tour to another room where men smoking ciggerettes were washing and shaping the glass- I looked at one guys hands and his finger tips were black. One can only assume this was some kind of mold growing on the pads of his fingers. I am no one to judge, I am not Uncle Steve or Sandra Day O'Connor (Well she is no longer a judge- or is she. I know she retired, but should I consider her a judge? Shall I remove her name from my large 'book of judges?')-

I brought two things from the glass store- it had good prices. We had lunch at the Grandhotel Prák- nice chicken with ham and cheese covering the top and potatoes. I also had a glass of cocoa cola light and a glass of milk (thanks to my friend Rose who got it first) Actually, during this lunch, I was suggested to drink warm milk with honey and cinnamon. The thought of that makes me think life is going to be ok.

Soon following, we headed to Bezdéz and after stepping off the bus, we began our hike. Liz and I sat next to each other on the bus, I read her boyfriend Marc's "zine". It was really fantastical. A zine, for the folks who don't know, is, according to Google 'define': it is the name for a small press publication or alternative newsletter. Marc draws and makes comics out his not only his life, but his and Marc's relationship. (I mean his and Liz's relationship. He does NOT in fact have a relationship with himself) Shoutout. So Liz and I could not decide whether we should bring our jackets or my backpack. Would it rain? Would it be cold? Would I need my laptop to communicate with the extraterrestrial? I only joking- I didn't bring my laptop. So I ended up leaving my backpack on the bus and only wearing my green vest that I purchased with my Mother in Sears prior to my study abroad experience. Shopping at Sears is not something I am proud of.

The Castle Bezdéz was "founded between 1265-1278 by the Czech king Premysl Otakar II as a local stronghold and a representative royal residence, built in Early Gothic. The king also found the medieval town beneath. However, the king was killed in 1278 in the War with Austria. His widow Queen Kunhuta and the successor Prince Wenceslas were imprisoned here by another royal candidate. Kunhuta secretly escaped, but Wenceslas was kept several years here. He was liberated thanks to a big ransom."

The hike up the hill was semi-intense but we made it and one at the top, it was magical. There have been two really magical days here in Prague, Czech republic during the time I have been studying. The first one was a while ago when we had an "intense czech" scavenger hunt and movie watching session in a bar during the day, then went to McDonalds and ordered five cheeseburgers by accident, then went to the opera, then out for a good night- and I really felt that spark of magic yesterday. I honestly thought "this is what life is about". I actually said that to Liz and she punched me in the face, pointed to her butt and said "No THIS is what life is all about". I was really confused. While at the castle, we had a guided tour-- however, Liz, Madeline and I many-a-time left the tour and explored on our own. I was weary about this because I get easily paranoid, but it proved for grand times. Madeline, Liz, and I found a beautiful view and Madeline asked us what the nicest thing anyone has ever said about us. Madeline told us one of her friends once said she was like "magic" or that she was "magical" and Liz said "Once my friend described a musty basement and it was beautiful" (Or something like that) and then I replied, "Once someone said I did community service." Liz burst out in laughter and we had a tree man...excuse me, a three man-hug. Actually it turned into a five man-hug because two other people joined (Don't worry we know who they were) and at that moment, I could have sworn I felt Macha's hand brush against my cheek. I looked up to the sky and as my eyes squinted from the sun, I saw his face in a cloud.

Who is Macha you ask? Well Karel Hynek Mácha is the "most significant representative of the Czech Romanticism, poetry and prose author. His work includes some fragments of dramas, abundant correspondences, and diary notes, landscape paintings and wash-drawings." In my Czech modern literature class, we actually read his most famous poem "May". Mácha was known to journey many places on foot, including the hike which we did to the top of the castles. At the very top of the watch tower, some people from my literature class, and myself tried to recite what we could remember from Mácha's "May" and Liz, Madeline, and I (after everyone went back down except two seemingly tourists) screamed at the top of our lungs to all of the Czech Republic. After questioning some CIEE students, we found out they did hear someone screaming. We told them it must have been the wolves.

On the way down the hill, Liz, Madeline and I sang some songs and tackled each other to the ground- what fun times. We rolled the whole way down! The three of us started the giant human rolling ball, and as we went down the hill, we collected other CIEE students. It will go down in the history of CIEE forever! Madeline sat with Liz and I on the bus ride home. It was pretty cute- the three of us sitting in what is meant to be a two person seat area listening to music on our ipods (well me and Madeline listening to music on MY ipod- we love our Oldies/the JUNO soundtrack) and dancing.

I made it back to my homestay in time to have a nice dinner with my host PAP- oh yeah! we had this really good dish in a crock-pot thing (I don't really know what a crock pot is) but in a metal dish with a glass lid on it, it was one layer of potatoes, one layer of hard boiled eggs, one layer of salami, and one layer of onions topped with one layer of potatoes. It was delicious, especially with some nice ketchup. However, the funny thing is, is when he went to serve it, the glass lid would NOT come off the metal. After two minutes of trying we both started laughing because it was just preposterous that this glass lid would NOT for anything come off the metal. I really thought we would not be able to eat the meal. I could not stop laughing and he took it into the kitchen and then proceeded down to his little tool room to get pliers and a knife. While giggling, I watched him in the kitchen trying with all his might to open the thing- until I heard the glass break. Upon inspection, I saw there was a little whole in the lid and the metal was cut. Luckily, there were no shards of glass in the section of the meal that I consumed! It was delicious.

I went to the opera, the Magic Flute this past friday night, April 11, 2008. It was the Magic Flute and I did not arrive to the theater until intermission. You see, I went to the wrong theater at first- so I was very late. I was twenty minutes late to the theater I thought it was at anyway, but I was just in the wrong place and the right time. There was a czech buddy in the show.

Tonight, Sunday, I saw "Citizen Havel" with Liz. We went to the same theater that I saw "Babel" with the host parents a while ago. According to IMDB.com, the film is "a documentary revealing former Czech president Vaclav Havel's private moments and backroom dealings." It was comedic and nice and a little long, and probably more enjoyable if I fully understood Czech politics. Presidents Clinton and Bush were in the movie- Clinton played the saxophone. Liz and I saw a woman with a funny balloon on the metro. We both agree that we like taking the red line of the metro without having to transfer, and we are going to write a novel on the fact that we don't think Vaclav and his new wife share love. Love is important in life. Is there more to life than love and being together? Nope.

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Photos

Glass Blowing Factory.
In Novy Bor, Czech Republic.

Bezdez Fortress
We hiked up to that castle! Macha, the writer, often made this journey.

Mia and I.
"Let's take a picture" aka "take a break from hiking"

I am standing in the castle corridor.
Me!

View from the top.
Spectacular.

laughter.
on top of old smokey. aka. the castle.

Madeline, Liz, and Denise.
My best friends here! This is taken one night before going to Pivovarsky dum and Friends! It is in Denise's apartment.

Having Czech Class outside!
It was so beautiful outside the other day that our teacher, Ludek, allowed us graciously to have class in the park. What fun!

The Opera: The Magic Flute.
One of those three girls (dressed in blue with the white wigs) is actually a Czech buddy!

The broken pot.
I still can't believe this happened.