Prague - I Can't Get Enough!

On Friday, I toured Riverside, the international school in Prague. Besides two Czech classes, everything is taught in English. Quite a relief to visit - it was like stepping into an English-speaking bubble. Most of the teachers have lived in Prague for five to ten years, and few of them know the language - definitely made me feel better about my tiny vocabulary! The school reminded me of an impressive American private school, complete with after-school activities like in-line skating and judo.

After my visit, I headed to my hostel. After checking in, I ran/walked/took pictures for a couple hours on Petrin Hill. It's a beautiful maze of paths on a hill in downtown Prague, complete with towers, gardens, and statues. At the top of the hill is a tower (Petrin Lookout Tower) that was inspired by the Eiffel Tower. It was so much fun to run there (besides the cobblestones - ouch). When I got back, I met some of my roommates. They were all really nice, and one of them actually went to school at Madison in Wisconsin. Small world!

Mini Eiffel Tower!

By the time I got food, went back to my hostel, and showered, it was after nine. I went to eat down in the common room, and after a few minutes, a forty-some-year-old man approached my table. He stopped about five feet away and stared at me for about 10 seconds before I looked up. Slightly creepy, but we ended up talking for about an hour. It got pretty deep - we mostly talked about religion. He had a liberal view of God, so our discussion was quite interesting, but I tried to share my faith as best as I could. 

After that, I wanted to go to the city center just to walk around a bit before going to bed. When I walked out to the tram, an old man approached me and asked if I spoke English. I joyfully said, "That's the only language I can speak!" He had no idea where he was, or where his hotel was. He also didn't know the name of his hotel....yikes. His name was Patrick, and he was from Dublin. It must have been the night for religious discussions, because almost immediately after meeting, he brought up the topic. He was an atheist, and he had some strong views about Christianity. I tried to respond lovingly, but I definitely had to bite my tongue a few times. After an hour or so, we finally found his hotel, and we parted ways agreeing to disagree.

The next morning, I met with my friend Christa's friend Zdenick. He is an adorable old man who lives near Prague, and he kindly gave me a tour of the city. He took me mostly to places that I've already seen, but he pointed out unique details and filled me in on the history behind the buildings. For two hours, Zdenick spoke almost unceasingly about Prague. I learned a ton! He reminded me of my dad because of his depth of historical knowledge and uncanny ability to recite dates. This is probably sounding more like a history class than a fun morning to you all, but I had a great time. After we parted ways, I spent a few more  hours in Prague before heading home. It's sad to think that that may have been my last visit to Prague!

Today I ran a 6K with two of the teachers at school. It was a terrible day to run - really rainy (the course was a mud slide), but the entry fee was only $3, and we got free food...so I can't complain!

OK, time to go. Back to reality...back to lesson plans. My first day of teaching is tomorrow, so please say your prayers for me!