Orientation Day 7, 9/5/10

Today I ate a lot of food.

I went to brunch at Lehká Hlava at 10:30 with Brianna and it was tasty, as always. This time we were seated in the night room. This picture doesn’t do it justice, so I’ll have to go back for another meal to take another picture! The ceiling had lights twinkling like stars and the table tops were crushed flowers under glass. Afterwards, I walked down Václavské náměstí where there is a bunch of shops. I bought a pretty scarf from H&M! In my defense, I don’t have a lot of clothes here, so I need scarves to make my outfits look a little different… so it doesn’t look like I’m wearing the same shirt every day…

A little blurry...

A smattering of Czech food that I really don’t know what they are

There's a Ben & Jerry's on Václavské náměstí!

H&M is awesome

We had the boat cruise with the NYU professors and staff at 2 so I had to go back to Machova to meet everyone who was going over at 1. We had the boat cruise from 2-4 and guess what, they served us more food! There was spinach lasagna, pesto pasta with tomato sauce, potato gratin, and a ton of bread, salad, and vegetables. It was sunny off and on, so the weather was pleasant.

The view from the boat. The castle is in the background.

The Charles Bridge

To the extreme right, is the 'Dancing House,' which looks like male and female dancers. This is a better picture: click. I'll have to go more up close at some point!

 On the way back to Machova after the boat came back into the harbor, we ran into (literally) a fashion show on Pařížská road! This was my first time seeing a fashion show in person, so that was really cool. It seemed like there were a few different designers showing there. You can’t tell from the picture, but the runway was fairly long, stretching out to the end of the street. I’ve decided that this street (right off of Old Town Square) is the 5th Ave of Prague. Literally. There are Dior, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci stores and the fashion show was the icing on the cake.

One of the models going down the runway

I had a couple of minutes to spare back at Machova before having to head back out again. Laura and her mom and brother were taking a train in to Prague from Budapest that afternoon, and they had invited me to go to dinner with them. I was expecting to get incredibly lost and confused trying to find the apartment building they’re staying in, but nicely enough it was really close to Old Town Square! In fact, the street is the same one that Bohemia Bagel is on (a lunch / internet café that is popular with the NYU crowd). I took them to Maitrea since it’s very close by (and my knowledge of the eateries isn’t too expansive right now). Afterwards, I hung out with Laura for about an hour then headed back to Machova by 10. (By the way, Laura is my friend from high school who is also studying abroad in Prague this semester with the School of Economics here.)

Meatless Kung Pao with vegan “chicken“ pieces, spring vegetables, peanuts, and rice

Tomorrow is the first day of classes so I’m sure I will have much to report on that! Speaking of, I need to check the schedule for which classes I have tomorrow… and where…

Orientation Day 6, 9/4/10

Yesterday wasn't too interesting. There was sports day from 3-6 at a gym somewhere, but I wasn't too interested in going to that. There was a Prague castle tour at 2, but I had already gone to one. And there was the Czech Philharmonic at 8 pm, but I had gotten tickets for the Marriage of Figaro instead.

How did I spend my day? I started it off great, by sleeping in for the first time. Later in the afternoon, I went to the gym via the metro. I decided to stop by the mall that is across the Flora station and walked around inside. There is a big Albert's grocery store at the bottom floor. You can get into the mall through the subway instead of leaving the station, going outside, and crossing the street... which will be nice when it gets cold outside. Anyway, I got to the gym and went on the treadmill. I was pleasantly surprised at how 'fast' I was running... until I realized the treadmills were probably set to kilometers, and not miles. Oops. On my way back I stopped at the Albert's right next to the gym and picked up a few things (cereal, water bottles, peanuts, and Pringles). Walking to the station and then to Machova was not fun with 6 1.5 liter water bottles.

That was it basically for yesterday. Nothing too interesting. I'm not going to attempt cooking until another week. I'll see how my schedule is first with school work and classes, before I go on a food shopping spree. Did I mention that I don't know how to cook?

Orientation Day 5, 9/3/10

Friday I had my alarm set for 6:30, which was pretty tortuous. But, I really wanted my first pick of trips, and I knew there would be a line. I was out the door by 7:10 and at the NYU center 20 minutes later… and sure enough the room already had a good 25 people. Anyway, I signed up for Český Krumlov and Kutná Hora as well as the waitlist for a few others. I would also like to go to Brno and the Caves, so it would be nice if a spot opens up on that list. Well, it was 8:30 by then and class only started at 10. Now, I’m not at Bucknell and my dorm is not 5 minutes walking distance from the academic quad. So, heading back to Machova for a 40 minute round trip ride was not worth it. Instead, I got a hazelnut hot chocolate (with a shot of expresso) at the Starbucks in Old Town Square and sat down with Kim, Brianna, and Skivjana. At 9 am we went outside to look at the astronomical tower as it has a traditional changing on the hour.

The astronomical clock in Old Town Square

A close up

Notice the guy in red with the trumpet?

Then I had my last (orientation) Czech class from 10-12:30. We learned the basic expressions for directions and cab rides. Fascinating stuff. Afterwards, I had lunch at Maitrea, which is very close to the Old Town Square. Maitrea is by the same owners as Lehká Hlava, and as expected, the meal was delicious. Eating meals this past week with a vegan eater and a gluten free eater have been tasty… but I am definitely missing meat! Maitrea restaurant website

I'm not sure what the point of laying these flowers out was, but they were pretty...

Thai eggplant with tofu, fresh coriander, chili peppers, and coconut milk with rice

White chocolate mouse with caramel wafers and strawberries

I snagged this picture of Maitrea from spottedbylocals.com

 I was back at Machova by 3 and had time to take a quick shower before I headed back out to get to the NYU center by 4. I had signed up for the Castle tour, so I was off to that. We saw the castle, changing of the guards, and some pretty churches. I don’t really remember all the names…

View from outside

Guards standing out front

Guards standing in the back

Changing of the guards

A church

Inside the church

Another church

And another

View from the top

Straight after, I was off to the opera to see Marriage of Figaro. NYU offered us 1 ticket to a cultural event of our choice. There was the Don Giovanni opera, the swan lake ballet, the Czech philharmonic, and La Putyka (a new circus festical). I had not been smart about setting my alarm early for this sign up… hence the opera tickets. Getting there was an interesting experience. The tour had gone too late for me to go to the NYU center and walk over with everyone, so I was on my own for transportation. I took a tram 3 stops too many. And then I took it back in the opposite direction 1 stop short. I finally got on a third time and got off at the correct stop, met Ruby in Old Town Square (fellow Machova-er) and we walked to the opera. The opera was an interesting experience as well, and I can now officially say I have been to a Czech opera. They had subtitles, but I still had difficulty understanding everything that was going on… and focusing.

Inside the opera house

Taking a bow at the end

Afterwards, it was way past dinner time but the smažený sýr was calling us. We went to the Wenceslas Square and got some delicious fried cheese. This is a staple Czech stall vendor snack, and I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I have it.

The famous smažený sýr

Orientation Day 4, 9/2/10

On Thursday I had Czech from 10 to 12:30. We learned some more basics – food vocab and grocery lingo. Then I went to lunch with Kim and Brianna to Govinda, a vegetarian Indian place. You ordered your food up front and they served you and then you seated yourself. The owners were Indian and wore the traditional clothes. I had some cauliflower/potato and a mixed vegetable pakora.

Afterwards, I had a couple of meetings to go to: upcoming trips at 2 and internships at 3. NYU sponsors several overnight and day trips throughout the next couple of months. We sign up on a first come, first served basis, and are allowed to sign up for one overnight and one day trip. Then we can put our names on as many waitlists as we want. We give a 500 crown deposit for the 2 trips we’re going to, and are returned the money when we get on the bus. I narrowed down my choices to Český Krumlov during September 10-11 and Kutná Hora during October 15.

The CK description is: “a small, beautifully preserved historic town located in the foothills of the Šumava Mountains in Southern Bohemia, CK is often described as the ‘pearl of Central Europe.’ The town played an important role in medieval and Renaissance Bohemia, but was more or less forgotten – and development halted – since that time. The town has experienced a revival since the Velvet Revolution, becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the CR.”

The KH description is: “was once famous for its silver mines and was one of the richest towns in the Czech lands. When the mines were emptied, the town was forgotten and the beautiful medieval and Renaissance architecture preserved. The town is on the UNESCO list of heritage sites, and also famous for its macabre bone church – a gothic church which was decorated by a creative priest in the 19th century with sculptures made from human bones.”

The internship meeting had several representatives speak. The different fields were: arts/film, journalism/media, business/law, development/international relations in the NGO sector, teaching/working with kids, and community service. I’ll apply to as many as I have time to write cover letters, since there’s no harm in sending out a resume/letter.

Later in the evening, we met outside Machova to go bowling with the rest of the kids in the program. We bowled until 11 and played a couple of games. It was fun… although I may need to rethink my bowling technique since my score barely made it into the double digits! The alley was pretty big and had about 13 aisles and was located in a huge mall. It was a bit far away, and we had to take a transfer, but it’s a big possibility that before the semester ends I’ll make my way over there again to check out what else the mall has to offer.

That was Thursday. Pretty busy, and an early morning the next day!

Orientation Day 3, 09/03: Delicious food, the gym, and groceries

So, this is my 2nd attempt at this blog entry. The first time all the content was accidentally deleted. Long story short.

 Yesterday I had my Czech class from about 10 to 12:30 (with a 15 minute break - this might sound odd that college students have a break in a class that's only 2 hours long, but believe me... we need it in this class!) Afterwards, I joined a classmate and her roommate (both of whom live in Osadni; Kim and Brianna) for lunch. A few fellow Machova-ers also came along. After a little search for the place, we arrived at Lehká Hlava in Borson 2, located in New Town (the NYU center is in Old Town - more explanation on the difference later as I still am not too sure on this!) Lehká Hlava restaurant website

The place was great! We had to wait a little bit for a table, as there were 6 of us, but it was definitely worth it. The menu has mainly Mediterranean influences with a few Mexican touches. I had the special which was a seaweed/mushroom soup and goulash. Along with water this came up to a grand total of 108 crowns. Not too shabby! The atmosphere is eclectic and funky. Our table was located in a mini room, which we had all to ourselves - door to close, and everything! Each room has a different theme - ours was the rainbow room. Needless to say, we are going back for the 1st Sunday of the month brunch (which is very conveniently this Sunday!) Anyway, after I finished my food, I asked the waiter (hesitantly). I haven't seen to many locals leaving eating places with doggie bags, so I wasn't sure if this was a cultural no-no. Well, the waiter obliged and brought me back a container with my food. The clincher? he also brought back an extra bill. Did I really just pay 12 crowns to take my leftovers home?! Interesting. Well, the total bill was 754 crowns for all 6 of us... so, nothing to complain about that.

Miso soup with seaweed and shitake mushrooms

Szeged goulash with tempeh, natural and jasmine rice, and lettuce

A table full of delicious food

The rainbow room!

Afterwards, we split up and I headed to explore the Machova neighborhood with a fellow Machova-er (Brandy). We took the metro 2 stops past Staremesti to Flora, where Alberts a grocery store is located. The store wasn't as big as Tesco (which is a giant) but it was still a good size. I bought a few things I wanted like strawberry yogurt, napkins, and yes... gladware containers! I held off on the milk since I'm not too sure yet on all of the words. Oh and by the way, you have to pay for your grocery bags at this place. What is with Prague and their containers and bags, I really don't know.

Then, we went to the gym, which is conveniently located right upstairs. NYU gives us special rates at the HIT Fitness Flora gym (40 crowns per visit). The gym wasn't as big as the ones back in the US, and not as hi-tech as Bucknell's, but I was definitely happy with it. It was a good size and plenty of cardio machines.

The metro system is incredibly simple compared to NYC's as it only has 3 lines. However, you'd be surprised at how long it took for me to figure out this sign...

Cardio section of the gym

I didn't feel creepy at all taking pictures here...

Frozen aisle of Albert's - a.k.a. the extent of my future attempts at cooking

And that way my day (yesterday).