Jessica in Prague

Hello all! Sorry it's been awhile since I've written, but I've been semi-busy for once. Classes started yesterday and I just figured I'd wait until I had one of each of my classes done before I wrote about them. My first class is Mon/Wed 8:30-10, and it's about Modern Czech and Central European History. My teacher is Czech, with a rather thick accent at times, but I manage. It seems pretty easy, just a midterm (45% of the grade) and a final (also 45%) that consist of a 3 page essay and 10 short answers. Then there's attendance for the other 10% of the grade. He's supposesdly taking us to the National Museum, which I went to yesterday and I'll get to that in a minute, and the Army Museum (yay). My second class yesterday was my Czech language class, Mon 10-11:30 and Thur 8:30-10... man I have never felt so stupid, ever. Jamie is in my class and we set the bar for stupidity... ugh. We didn't learn squat apparently in our Intensive language course. She may drop the class, but I'm kind of stuck. I will definitely learn a lot, I learned more in the first half hour of class than I did the last two weeks. Other than feeling really stupid, the class itself should be fine.

Today's class from 11:30-2:30 is called Marriages and Cultures. There are only eight of us in the class so far, but I'm told some European students are supposed to join us next week. There's a midterm and a final worth 30% of the grade each, attendance 10%, and a 3-4 page paper worth 30%. This semester will definitely be easy when it comes to papers. The class seems semi easy, but the professor is EXTREMEMLY softspoken. Even when I sat right next to her, I couldn't hear her, plus she's oriental and I think she's had a stroke because the left side of her face doesn't work quite well... thus I can't read her lips either. Sigh, I'll just have to deal.

So yesterday I went to the National Museum with Jamie, Wendy, Amaanda, and Mandy because it is free admission on the first Monday of the month. Thank goodness it was free... it's SOOO boring. The building itself is pretty, but everything inside is dull. Seriously, there are 5-6 rooms containing nothing but rocks and minerals, all labeled and color coded. Then there are rooms and rooms of taxidermied animals, and bones. Then there is the prehistoric tools exhibit that takes up roughly 7 rooms. The only semi interesting thing there was an evolution on media exhibit (yeah I didn't see the connection between that and ancient rocks and animals carcasses either). Unfortunately, it was all in Czech so I had no clue what anything was. Oh well, it was free, and it got us out of the dorms.

I've started making rounds at night around 8ish. What I do is just go around to all the rooms where I know people and say hi. I stick around for awhile, like maybe 10-20 minutes, and invite them to go with me on my rounds. I also invite them up to my dorm for hot chocolate or tea. (supply your own cup and spoon... and hot chocolate or tea). So far I've only done it 2 nights, but I think everyone's starting to look for me now, yay! This way, I see everyone before they go out drinking, socialize a little without having to drink myself. No, not everyone drinks here, I've actually found about 5-6 consistent people to hang out with on that level. Afterwards I return to my room and chat with my roomie (Mandy from Idaho)until we get tired. Two nights ago we got really bored and she taught me how to salsa dance. She even let me be the girl!

One last thing before I go, my plans for the night. I'm supposed to go see a play in czech, but am not totally sure because we don't know the price. It's The Full Monty, yes yes I know, I'm not supposed to see this kind of thing, but it's CULTURE! Plus it's in Czech! I'll let you all know how that one goes, won't post any pics on it though! Don't really have any new pics now, so until next time... Na Shledanou!