Prague update

Time, it just goes so fast...when you're attempting to get your CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching for Adults) accomplished in just 4 short weeks! I've been swamped with work since my certification classes started on Monday. It's a lot like taking a full load of college classes in the course of a month. Oh, I had my first experiences with student teaching last week. I taught a class of native Czechs on Thursday and Friday. Thursday's class was a bit of a bust, but Friday's went much better.

I'm not so much homesick, as I am convenience-sick and friend-sick, if you catch my drift. I miss having so many Westernized conveniences at my fingertips and just being able to call my friends up anytime to hang out.

Get this - today a woman came up to me on the street and asked me if I spoke any German. I used the little bits I remember from my Oma drilling into my head as a child to respond that, yes, I know a little bit. She then told me that she is Czech and currently lives in Prague, but that she was born and raised in AUGSBURG, Germany of all places (Oma's hometown)! How funny is that??

My 26th birthday was fun, although I can't say just how much I missed having my close friends and family around :-( Beth, my new roommate, surprised me with a slice of traditional Czech honey cake in the morning. My fellow ex-pats (those who are in my class) and I went for Mexican food since we've quickly tired of eating nothing but carbs and red meat covered in gravy all of the time, and then to a pretty fun bar in the center of Prague's Old Town section with cheap drinks and a dancefloor. It's a bit weird trying to celebrate with people you've only known a week. Granted, we spend 8+ hours together in our TEFL classes every day, so we've gotten to know each other pretty well already and I've made a couple new friends. Today, I took some time to explore Hradcany and Prague Castle a little bit. Took some pictures, the area is amazing!