Catch Up: Week 1 (Prague, Czech Republic)

Meg:

Hey everyone :) So, we have been in Prague for about a month and a half now. A JILLION things have happened and most of them are pretty sweet. Tom told you about our arrival with Jan and Emma, they dropped us off and immediately we were dropped into TEFL land. The Language House (TLH) is an incredible instant community (see insert to the right). Apparently we were dropped off into a little alumni meet and greet. New students were meeting students of the past to see how their lives are now. Did they like the program? Were they able to find jobs? Do they like drinking Czech beer every night? Do they use it to brush their teeth instead of water because it's cheaper? The answer to most of these questions was yes. This night gave us a huge positive outlook on our next month because first of all, people survived a course that seemed to be very intensive, they were able to find jobs, and they still liked each other and the program! Like Tom said, we had had four big beers on empty train stomachs and then hopped over to this place, so we didn't partake like the rest of our crew, but we still had a blast meeting new friends and getting "forced" to try slivovice...a terrible plum vodka. We say terrible, others say perfect. Anyhow, the night went well, we walked home to unpack a little so we could continue orientation the next day.

The next day, we had a great time "orienting". Our new friend Nica, who is now a substitute teacher for our program and a previous student, showed our group around for the day. We did fun get-to-know-you games and a scavenger hunt and learned a whole bunch about Prague and the 11 new friends that we would be spending every day with for the next month. Guys, it turns out, they are super normal! And by normal, I mean the cool kind of normal that's a little bit crazy. :) Apparently, the "November" group of this program, that has been going for a lotta years, is always a little crazy (but not the good kind). It makes sense. November in Prague is dark. You wake up and go to school in the dark. The sun sets at 3:30 in the afternoon, so you get home and it's dark. "There are no holidays in TEFL" so we go to school on Thanksgiving. It's so close to Christmas so hardly any students go home, and what kind of people would volunteer for a time like that? Crazy ones. Luckily our group was full of the right kind of crazy....

Abbey-Crazy about fashion and lived in Prague for a summer, she's fun to follow around and we adopted her into our family
Alex-Crazy about plants and knows everything about Japan including the language
Andrew-Crazy about Michigan! He's from our state and is loud like a Michigander should be?
Becky-Crazy about traveling...somehow she's been to 87 countries and it shows, she also taught speech so don't try to talk while she's talking, you'll feel funny (we decided she would make a killer tour guide)
Drew-Crazy about Europe; he spent 1 or 2 months traveling to a billion different countries before he parked himself in Prague
Jessica-Crazy about Prague, she moved here with her boyfriend in September and already knew everything we were learning on orientation (so she didn't go)
Kelly-Crazy about hair, owned her own salon in the States and laughs one of those laughs that makes the people around her feel warm and happy
Kelsey-Crazy about fun, she's always looking for it and it causes the rest of us to find it
Macauley-Crazy about humor. She can't say anything without making everyone around her (and herself) laugh
Matt-Crazy about good food: used to work at Whole Foods and is scared of the sushi in Prague because it's a landlocked country-he makes a good point
Richard-Crazy about everything...our resident British kid who hates Christmas and puppies (but really) and we love him for it
TomandMeg-Crazy about each other. Married. Some people call them The Power Couple, Macauley calls them Mom and Dad behind their backs.

So with that crew, week one of our program FLEW by.

In a building found on this street (the door to our school is just to the right of the Tornado sign) across from a 5-story mall called The Palladium, TLH dropped us right into teaching methodologies, Czech lessons, lesson planning strategies, loads of games for our 'teacher toolbox', etc. etc. They took us out for a fancy dinner, made us teach a game to our new Czech students who looked at us all like we were crazy, and Friday night finished with the October group showing us around to all of their favorite places. We were exhausted after our first week here, but SO pumped up. We had learned a ton about Prague, about our new program, about our new friends and cue the music...a little about ourselves already. We can't wait to tell you more, but for now, it's currently snowing in Dresden, Germany and I can't look at this computer screen anymore when that old town beauty is waiting for us!

Christmas here was beautiful and we of course miss everyone at home so much. We hope your Christmases have been extremely blessed and you were able to focus on your favorites this season. Merry Christmas to all of our favorites (that's you)!!!!!!!!!

We made it... the Prague blog begins... (Prague, Czech Republic)

Tom:

After a peaceful stay in Budapest, which is tied for my favorite city (with Odou), we gather our absurdly heavy things one last time and board the train. A mixture of sadness and relief sweep over me. It's over. It's beginning.

I start to reflect on our trip - it has been an incredible two weeks. I have experienced a whirlwind of culture, cuisine, beauty, and love. The memories Meg and I have created together are precious, invaluable. I'm overcome with thankfulness, and am starting to realize that we get to share a lifetime of these types of moments. The thought makes me smile as the Czech countryside rolls by: We are going to live in Prague.

*Side note: If you are ever traveling from Budapest to Prague, I would recommend doing a little research before buying a ticket. Although the train was fairly empty and we had plenty of space, there was basically no food or drink for the 7 plus hour ride. Not cool, man.

As the train eases to a halt, we tussle with our luggage and manage to de-board. Our feet touch the ground, and we glance up to take in the moment. We immediately recognize two people that we have never met in person: Our hosts, Jan & Emma. The first thing that Meg and I notice is that Jan has a strong resemblance to my brother, Ben. As a matter of fact, he looks exactly like him. Thank you, Prague, I already feel at home.

This picture does not capture how massive this church is - this is what we see when we walk out of our door.

After Jan and Emma get us settled into the apartment (they picked us up from the train station and drove us there - they didn't have to, they offered), they invite us to have dinner and pivo (beer) next door. The restaurant has a cozy, comfortable feel to it - Meg and I can't stop smiling. Emma, who is from France, orders us both a half liter of pilsner. We clink our glasses together with anticipation, as we are about to have our first taste of the world famous Czech pivo. It does not disappoint.

The golden ale is light, smooth, and drinkable. It differs from the American style in several ways, but most notably in variety. There are basically three types of beer served in Czech breweries: Light, dark, and a mixture of the two. Most of the beer served in breweries is "tank" style, meaning that it is not pasteurized. As a result, it only stays fresh for about 5 days. Luckily, the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world - so finishing a batch is rarely an issue.

But I digress... while enjoying one to four large beers, we learn a little about our hosts. As I previously stated, Emma is from France - she speaks three languages (French, English, and Czech), and has lived with Jan in Prague for nearly 5 years. Jan is originally from a small village in the Czech countryside - he also speaks three languages, so they are constantly switching back and forth during conversation (super cool). He studied agriculture in the U.S. for a year at Kansas State and studied business in France, which is where he met Emma. In summation, they are kind, friendly, and incredibly interesting.

I feel my story meandering again... I think I'm trying to showcase my enjoyment of beer on my first night in Prague. So, after a lovely time, Jan and Emma (who insisted that they pay for our meal) drive us to another bar where we are meeting our TEFL classmates for the first time. Good thing we are sober!

After meeting our fantastic fellow students (I'll let Meg tell you more about them in the next post), we head home and collapse into bed. The dream begins.