Bronwyn
Fayetteville to Czech Republic

First of all, Happy New Year Everybody! I'm back at school now, so it is time to write about the rest of my vacation. On the Wednesday after Christmas, the family, the Grandparents, and I had one more lazy day around the house as we packed. I went to the theatre with my host mom, older sister, and the neighbor (who is also 14) to see the Devil Wears Prada. It was in English with subtitles, so it was interesting to read the Czech while hearing the English. I never really though about how much of the humor is lost in translation. Some of the classic lines were put into simpler and more unimaginative sentences in Czech.

Anyway, off my tangent. Wednesday night we drove to Pec Pod Sněžou, a half hour drive. After a late dinner we settled into the apartment that my family has there.
Thursday we had a short hike up one of the mountains right outside town, to a little restaurant on a ski slope. Unfortunately there was not enough snow for skiing.
Friday was a longer hike, riding up a ski lift and walking in almost a giant circle, back to Pec. Some people were out on their cross country skis, but most of the other people we saw were also on foot.
Saturday I had a fitness day with Katka and the neighbor instead of climbing Sněžka again. The bad weather deterred me from hauling myself up the mountain. Instead, I used to hotel fitness room, pool, and sauna. Very refreshing!!
Sunday, New Years Eve, we had a short hike to another restaurant before getting ready for the fancy dinner and celebration. At the hotel, the 4 course dinner started at 6:30 and I went to bed around 2 or so. I sat with my family for the main courses, then joined the rest of the guests on the dance floor. One of the guest singers was a family friend who had come with us on some of the hikes. There was a fireworks show a little past midnight, then more dancing. I was dead tired when I finally crawled into bed.
Monday was a lazy day, with some of the adults needing time to recover. We stayed at the apartment except for lunch and dinner at the hotel. At night, we watched movies together, another popular holiday tradition. When we woke up the next morning, two inches of snow had fallen. This, of course, was the last day, therefore too late for skiing.
Tuesday we packed, had lunch, then headed back to Trutnov and unpacked. A quiet end to the vacation.

Ok, so I have heard from a little bird (my mother) that people are really wanting to hear about Christmas, and are tired of waiting. Well, my friends, I have been busy with my family. Isn't that what you want to hear?

On the weekend of the 8-10, we had a family celebration in Pec with about 20 other people, mainly extended family on my host dad's side. It was really laid back, with dinner on Friday night lasting until 10:30, and drinks followed until 12:30. On Saturday, we went for a hike back to Deer Meadows. This time the little mountain restaurant wasn't closed, so we stopped for drinks again. The adults had their beer, and the teenagers had water. On the way back to the hotel, it started to rain. During the afternoon, people used the 'fitness facilities'. In other words, I went swimming. Dinner was a buffet, then we sat around for drinks as we listened to the folk group, again. Sunday morning was a time for pictures. We all looked at the pictures from last summer on the group boat in Croatia, then Karel (my host dad) brought out his pictures from Peru. I think there must have been around 2000 pictures that he took in the week and a half he was gone. No, I didn't add too many zeros to that figure. When we finished looking at all of them (an hour and a half later), we had lunch and said our goodbyes. It had been snowing all morning, and was starting to stick on the ski slopes by the time the 5 of us went back to Trutnov.

The next weekend was our weekend in Prague. We drove to town on Saturday, and met the next door neighbors for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Just FYI, European Chinese is different than American Chinese. Then, we checked into our hotel (look at the pictures under Prague Christmas on my Photobucket), and headed to the theatre. We had tickets to the 3:00 show. I was impressed with the theatre, but I was amazed when I was lead to the VIP balcony, and instructed to sit in the front row of the balcony. Yep, my family had connections. The musical was fantastic!!! It was a combination of Romeo and Juliet, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Mis. The plot was roughly: The plague hits the Christian part of Prague, and the Christians get mad that the Jews aren't dying. They want to fight each other, but the Rabbi's daughter and one of the Christians try to stop the fighting. They meet and fall in love. The Jews call on an ancient figure, Golem, to protect them. Golem is made of clay and cant talk, but had protected the ghetto in the past. Unfortunately, this time the ceremony to bring him to life goes wrong. He turns out to be an evil Golem, and falls in love with the Rabbi's daughter too. Things go wrong, people die, and in the end the Christians and Jews have to decide to unite if they want to destroy Golem. The best part was, there were English subtitles, so I understood everything. On Sunday, we had family shopping time at a huge mall in the suburbs. It was a very American thing to do, except a lot of the store were British or French. If you are somebody who loves to shop, go to those countries, not here. This country is for the history buffs and nature lovers. Anyway, back to topic.....

I cant believe that Christmas is already behind me. Yes, I know that there is still a week without school, but the actual day is over. This Friday, we had some of the neighbors over for a nice holiday meal. I'm impressed with the positive relationship the Rada family has with their neighbors. The weekend was lazy, but still festive. On Saturday, I helped to decorate the Christmas tree with cookies, chocolates, glass balls, straw figures, and straw lanyards. My host mom's parents arrived on Saturday, and they are really nice, kind people. I'm happy to say that I can answer all of their questions in Czech. The Grandma is also learning English (its a trend here), and I can answer most of the translation questions she has.

Sunday, Christmas Eve, was the day with all of the celebrations. In Europe, people celebrate Christmas on the 24th. In the morning, I made little boats with Misa (the 4 year old) out of walnut shells. We put little candles in them and floated them in a bucket of water. I have heard two stories about the boats: If they sink, you die OR the distance they float is how far from home you will travel in the coming year. Misa pushed them all around the bucket, so I don't know how far mine would have floated on their own. The good news is that they all floated. In the afternoon, I went on a walk with Misa and the grandparents. Dinner was carp and cold potato salad, the typical Czech meal. It was good, but I think I like American Christmas food better. No scales, no hard boiled eggs. Next, the young people (me, Katka, and Misa) we banished to the computer room and instructed to look for baby Jesus. Here, there is no Santa Claus. Jesus brings presents to good kids. Misa is a really smart kid, she told me that Santa delivers presents in America and Baby Jesus delivers them here. When we were allowed back into the living room, there were presents under the tree. Before opening them, we sat on the couch (all 7 of us) and sang songs. Of course they were traditional Czech carols, but I chimed in on the parts that I knew. Most of you know how bad of a singer I am, but I sang Silent Night in English at the request of the family. Then, the mad present opening time began. I think everyone liked their American/Australian gifts that I had carefully picked out, or at least I hope so. The rest of the night, we watched movies together on T.V. and enjoyed our new presents.

Well, the Christmas season has really started. Tuesday was St. Nicholas day, which is the first round of presents for young children. My family and I went up to my host dad's hotel in Pec, where a celebration was organized for the guests. A rock band for kids played first, and the kids, aged baby to about 8, danced. They sang some Czech Christmas songs, traditional Czech kid songs, and some English songs. It was strange to see a man dressed in a Kiss costume singing to the group, and a man dressed as Freddie Mercury dancing around. As the teenagers and adults ate dinner, the traditional show began. A man dressed as St. Nick came out with an angel and some devils. Imagine a man in golden robes, a fake beard, and a pope's hat. Each child had their names called, and they had to recite a poem or sing a short song. The devil would try to convince St. Nick that they were a bad child, and they deserved to be carried off to Hell in his brown bag. The angels would argue that the child had been good, or deserved another chance. In the end, every child recieved a present (provided by the parents). It was scary for some of the youngest kids, because devils were staring them in the face, and all of the kids took it seriously.

Wow, Prague is definately one of my favorite cities in the world now. I have fallen under its spell. This weekend I revelled in the town for three days with my new friends and had only a small taste of what it has to offer.

Friday was a day off of school for me because I left Trutnov at 11:00 in the morning. It was a 2.5 hour drive by bus, but I used the time to listen to music and sleep. I love traveling alone here, it is so hastle free. I arrived on the outskirts of town and hopped on the metro to the main bus station. There I met some of the students and former students who lived in Prague or near-by towns. We walked to the hostel, which was really close, where the rest of the group was already checking in. After a short time to unpack and settle in, we all went to a local pub for dinner. We were typical tourists, loud and hungry. Next was a hockey game between one of the Prague teams (Praha Sparta) and another team from another town. The Canadians of the group were the craziest, dressed in Canada shirts and hats, and wrapped in Canadian flags. Being a southerner, I felt really lost in the game. Soccer is more my style, to watch and play. Sparta won, and there were tons of loud and excited fans around us as we walked back to the hostel. I stayed up until 2:00 talking to people, then crashed.

Saturday was supposed to be an 8:00 start, so I was up at 7:00, like most people. Unfortunately one of the organizers was late, and the departure time was changed to 'later'. There was a scavenger hunt planned for the morning, so we split into groups to explore Old Town. We left the hotel at 10:15, armed with questions to answer and a sack lunch. The Rotex (former exchange students) walked with us, but wouldn't help. At first my group would ask people on the street, but we didn't get very far. Soon we found ourselves in the main square. The people at the town hall were very helpful, especially since we tried to speak Czech instead of English, like most tourists. With a map and names of destinations, we found a famous beer hall, a church with an unusially large alter (St. Giles church), the bar where Pilsner was first tapped in Prague, and an upside down statue, amoung seeing many other things. When all of the groups met up again, we slowly started to walk towards the castle. We stopped at another beautiful church ( I cant find the name right now), walked across the Charels Bridge (too many people!!), and up the hill to the castle. The castle isn't a regular stone mass with lots of towers, it has regular-sized bilding on the outside with a breath-taking cathedral on the inside of the walls. We walked through the cathedral, which has the most amazing stain glass panels I have ever seen. We also had free time in the Golden Lane, a famous steet inside the castle. It wasn't as great as the guide books say, it was just like other shopping places in Prague. Next we all took a tram to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. After eating, we had free time in the main square. The Christmas markets started that day, so there was good shopping opportunities. A stage was set up, so the sounds of children singing American and Czech Christmas songs drifted through the air, along with the smell of roasting chestnuts and sweet things. Sure, there were masses of people, but it was still magical. Most of the group went ice skating next, but I wasn't ready to leave the square, and I don't do well on skates. A small group had the same thoughts, so we went to a cafe for hot chocolate or coffee while sitting under blankets and watching the giant flashing Christmas tree. Perfection. When the ice skating group finished, we all walked back to the hostel. We had a short meeting to announce the winners of the hunt, and my group tied for first place. We had Czech cake to celebrate. We all sat and talked for a while, but one guy had his lap-top full of movies, so I watched Eurotrip and Boondock Saints with a few people. We started to watch Kill Bill, but lost interest. I went to sleep at 5:00, and slept like a log.

At 8:30, I woke up and felt like I had been sleeping for 10 hours. This is not normal for me, but in times like this, I can run on adrenaline alone. People started to head to the train or bus station, and I soon organized with my host dad to meet him at the Holiday Inn. I know, how Czech. He was in town for a conference, so it was convient to ride back to Trutnov with him. We stopped at his friend's apartment for a quick lunch, then drove back. I napped for part of the time (understandable, right?). When we arrived at the house, it was all decorated inside (except, no tree), so the Christmas spirit is going strong here.

Well, the my title isn't quite alliteration, but I tried. I'm now back on my feet 100 percent, with only a quick cough every so often. Hopefully I'll stay healthy for the rest of the year.
Last Tuesday I had my first trombone lesson. It felt so good to play my favorite instrument again. My sound was terrible because I hadn't practiced in over three months, but it was fun. My teacher doesn't speak any English, but we seem to communicate fairly well with my Czech and acting things out. There may even be some opportunities to play in a band or two.
This weekend was the Rotary Thanksgiving celebration. It made me realize how important it is to keep traditions with you, while adding new ones. I traveled down to Tabor (in the South-central part of the country) by myself, leaving Trutnov at 7:00 in the morning and greeting everyone with hugs and smiles in Tabor at 11:20. I proposed walking to the hotel instead of riding the bus, and a few others took me up on the offer. 40 minutes later, the 4 of us strolled into the hotel, only 3 minutes late. The afternoon was flexible. The girls were checked into a separate hostel because the hotel didn't have enough rooms. We also think it is because they don't trust us with the guys. There is no reason behind this, I promise, we are all like best friends. After lunch we had free time to use the hotel fitness facilities. A big group of us sat outside and sang or listened to singing as Issac played his mandolin. We are a diverse group, and everyone has many hobbies or stories to make them fascinating. When we were starting to get cold, we went to a cafe for a quick coffee or ice cream. No, I don't see the logic in ice cream to warm up, either. The Tabor Rotary club joined us for the dinner, so it was an unofficial club meeting too. Our pre-dinner treat was homemade eggnog from one student (no rum, the Rotarians were happy to see). We had turkey, potato salad, mushroom/stuffing cubes that tasted like quiche, Czech dumplings, and gravy. I think Czech dumplings are going to be a new tradition for me. Apple strudel came as a first course of dessert, then some girls brought out their pumpkin and pecan pies. We sat and talked for a long time, then the students slowly went to do other things. A lot went to a disco near by, but I stayed with another group to play ricochet and chated more. I love catching up with these people and swapping stories. This morning we had breakfast and people started to go back to their own corners of the country. I was lucky enough to find a direct bus back to Trutnov.

Ah, the winter weather is here, and so is cold/sick season. I'm normally a healthy person, but the fact I'm in a new place with a new diet and new way of life didn't agree with the immune system. In other words, I've had a cough for about a week and I'm ready to be better. My host family has been wanting me to rest and heal, but locking a teenager in the house for 5 days straight is not good for mental health..... Tomorrow I get to return to school, which I'm happy about. Human interaction is healthy, even if there is never soap in the school bathrooms.

Next weekend is Thanksgiving with the Rotary students. I get to travel on my own again, which I really enjoy doing. Once I figured out the train system, it seems fairly easy. So bring on Turkey-Day!!!

This past week saw the first snow of the season!!!!!! I was so excited, as I cannot remember a time when I have seen snow in November. The locals were unshaken, they simply put on their snow boots and continued with life. It is a funny contrast to Fayetteville, where life seems to stop when a little snow falls. Thursday and Friday I walked to school, and managed to stay on my feet despite slippery sidewalks. By the time I got out of school both days, most of it had melted or turned to slush.
Saturday it snowed on and off all day. I went to Pec with my family for lunch, on an uncleared road, but the weather didn't hurt too much. We all simply bundled up in more layers. Lunch lasted from 12:15 until about 4:30, when we drove back to Trutnov in freezing rain.
That night, Katka and I went to a concert here in town, at the old textile factory. Two Czech punk rock bands were playing, Vypsana Fixa and Wohnout. It was great to get right up in front of the band and go crazy with my new classmates. Everyone was surprised to see me there. Music really is the international language, it didn't matter that the band was signing in another language. I still had a great time, and was dead-tired by the time my host mom picked us up at midnight.

This past weekend was a four-day weekend for yet another school holiday. The calendar at school simply said fall break, but there was also a national holiday on Saturday for the Independence day in 1989. One exchange student, James, had had a birthday earlier in October, and more of us wanted to help him celebrate it right.

First, Olomouc (said Olo-moats) is a beautiful historic town in central Moravia, and used to be the capital of Moravia. It was founded by Caesar and the Romans about 2000 years ago. For anyone out there thinking about ever going to the Czech Republic, this town should be on the top of your list of places to visit. I hear that it is just as pretty as Prague, but with less people and in better shape. I still haven't been to Prague, so I personally cant make a comparison.

On Thursday, I traveled by train and bus, by myself!, to Olomouc, where James met me and gave me a quick tour of the main square. After a late lunch we were joined by the other student who could come, Levana. She had booked a hostel for the three nights. I was lucky that they also had a bed for me. The rest of the afternoon was spent food shopping and exploring more of the downtown. Dinner was at a small cafe, but James had to return home early. Levana and I spent the night planning what we wanted to see for the next two days.

Friday was the main touring day of the larger town. There are lots of stunning churches in town: St. Michaels, St. Moritz, St. Wenceslas, St. Mary of the Snows, and the Annunciation of St. Mary, just to name the most popular ones. My favorite was St. Michaels. Olomouc has two squares, the upper and lower square. In the upper square, there are three fountains, the town hall, astronomical clock, and the HUGE Trinity Column. Almost every town in the Czech Republic has a 'Plague Column' as the students call them, to ward off the plague and remember the victims of it. The column in Olomouc is the biggest in the country. In the afternoon we saw some of James's life: his school, favorite places to go with his classmates, and the library where he spends his time. We cooked dinner at out hostel, then took to the town for the night. Olomouc has a great selection of places to relax, dance, and meet locals.

Saturday morning was great weather, so we went for a mid-morning walk in the large city park, stopped in at more churches, and got back to the main square by noon to see the astronomical clock's 6 minute show. The clock is one of two in the Czech Republic, but was changed by the Soviets after WWII. Now, instead of religious figures parading to the music, it is a collection of workers and athletes. In the afternoon Levana and I went to a smaller village outside of town, on 'Holy Hill', where there was another church and the Olomouc zoo. The church was also beautifully decorated inside and out, but the zoo was my highlight. There were animals from around the world housed in a wooded park that dipped and curved with small hills and valleys. The leaves seemed to be peaking with their fall colors. It was fun to see new species of animals that I had never seen before, many of which were endangered. North American animals were some of the strangest to see, just because I've traveled halfway around the world to see what I have at home. Most American zoos don't have armadillos. Back in Olomouc, we had a nicer dinner (not in a pub), and spent the night packing and reading some guide books in the hostel.

Sunday was a grey and rainy day. James met us in the morning, after some time confusion because of daylight savings time. We relaxed in his favortie cafe with 'world famous chocolate pie' and coffee before I had to catch my train. My host family was in Brno for the weekend, so I met them there, met my other Czech grandparents, and drove back to Trutnov.

This past weekend I met my my host dads entire family: the two other brothers, their families, and his mom. Wow, what a group. They loved to discuss politics and drink fine Czech beer together. The fact that the family owns a pub doesn't hurt.
Babička (Grandma) and one brother live in the village of Lhotka in Moravia. It seems like the family has lived there for a long time. The own the pub, and a car club. I'm not entire sure what the club is about, but it has the family name on the sign. The village is 600 years old, 3 times as old as America. Its creepy to think about as I'm walking the streets.
Saturday, 11 of us went to an open-air museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, a small town outside Ostrava. We toured a set of 5 different mills, and I had a guide printed in English to follow. The weather was perfect, a warm fall day with vivid colors in the trees. In the afternoon we went to a local soccer match, married vs. single guys. They singles won, I was told because the beer bellies of married men slowed them down. A Czech's words not mine, I promise!!
Sunday I helped to pick apples, pears, and look for walnuts. I felt like such a city girl transplanted to the country. On the way back to Trutnov we stopped at the local cemetary. In the Czech Republic, Halloween isn't about ghosts and candy, instead people celebrate the holiday by decorating graves of loved ones. We lit candles and put flowers on the Rada family grave site. It was really peaceful and nice.
So, I have learned that there are some simple rules concerning interactions with Babička. First, if she talks to you, act like you know what she is saying, then ask someone for a translation. Second, when she makes a suggestion, it is really a demand. For example, if she motions for you to move while watching t.v. so you dont hurt your neck, do it. Third, a food offer is an even stronger demand, if you pass it up, something must be wrong with you. Last, always act as though you like the food, even if you don't. She will love you for it.
One funny moment was when I was asked if I like pumpkin. When I replied that I like pumpkin pie, people looked at me like I was crazy. Pumpkin pie does not exist here, so I'm in charge of making it for the family at some point. They share their recipies, I share mine.

Yay!!!! I finally figured out how to put links on the left side of the page, so it is easier to get to my pictures. Also, there are links for my town and school, in English.
This weekend was another two days in Pec Pod Snezkou. My host dad is crazy, in a good way (I think), when it comes to outdoor activities. We went bike riding on Saturday, but I felt like falling over half the time. Yes, maybe I'm out of shape when it comes to bikes, but going straight up a mountain is not the right way to start conditioning. We rode a ski lift to the top of the mountain after Karel realized that the females of the group (two of us) were giving him nasty looks and muttering things under our breath. From the top we enjoyed the downhill, flat, and not-so-steep uphill roads. When it was time to go back down the mountain, Karel managed to find the steepest path with two foot drops off of rocks and tree roots. I walked my bike down in order to avoid killing the shocks and my legs.
Our next mountain was another steep one, so we rode another ski lift. I was scared out of my mind at first because I was 50 feet in the air, on a narrow bench, with no bar protecting me from falling, and a mountain bike on my lap. Not very safe. The views from the top were pretty, but a little hazy, as they often are. Fall here is nice, cool weather, with fog in the early mornings. Most of the time we rode on paved roads that went through the pine forests and past waterfalls. At one point two deer (Jelen, my new word) crossed the road in front of us.
On Sunday, a larger group of us went for an easy hike up a valley to a meadow. The trail followed a mountain stream and was shaded by trees with falling golden leaves. It is obvious that it is fall.
My language seems to be getting better still. Up until this point I was fairly quiet around the house, hard to believe I know. But now, I'm starting to engage in conversations. They might not be too intellectual, but it is impressive to me when I can say that I like the song being sung on Czech Superstar (like Czech Idol). This week one girl sang Hotel California. It is so strange to hear Czechs sing English songs that are by southern or country bands or bands that have country influences. So far I have heard versions of Eagles songs and of Creedance Clearwater Revival. I always laugh to myself.
Another personal victory was that I asked my host father if I could travel across the country by myself to visit a friend for his birthday. The entire conversation and follow up questions were in Czech, and I understood everything he said!!!! So not only can I ask for what I want, but now I will have the experience of traveling by myself. I am currently planning out every leg of the journey, and I will have my cell phone with me, so I will be just fine as long as I can get myself onto the right trains.

Today was my first class trip with school. We went to a small town, Harrachov, in the Northwest part of the Krkonose Mountains (Giant Mountains). During winter the town is another skiing hub, but we were there for other cultural activities.
The drive lasted almost two hours, but felt much longer. Curvey roads, lots of sudden stops by the driver, and more people than seats made everyone a little cranky. Upon arrival, we split into two groups. My group went to the mining museum and mine first. I couldn't understand the captions, but it was interesting to look at the types of rocks/minerals in the area, as well as some old tools and machinery. We toured the old mine in hard hats and warm jackets, as it was cold and wet inside. Mining stopped in 1992 because the exports from China were cheaper. We wandered around on the old tracks and looked at wet walls, old elevators, ventilation fans, and strange machines. I wish I could write more interesting facts, but I'm still working on simple sentences and questions. My English and Czech teacher helped a little bit with some trivia, such as the mine is 720 meters deep.
Our next stop was the glass factory. It was a small operation, but people knew their jobs and worked quickly. The amount of glass turned out was quite impressive. Men would actually blow in the glass into different objects using long metal pipes, then use moulds to get the shape they wanted. I saw large wine glasses, small glasses, and vases being made. One room had old-fashioned glass cutting wheels, like what was used over 100 years ago. After shopping in the 'outlet corner' of the factory, we had free time in the area.
I went to the glass museum with some of my classmates, then enjoyed a snack in the small restaurant. The ride home seemed even longer because of the driver's enjoyment of slamming on the brakes, and I was sitting in the aisle.

I had my first REAL Rotary meeting with my club last night, and I still hold everyone in high regards. The guest speaker was a businessman who was somehow connected to a big stadium (in think in Prague). He showed a video of the building process and opening events, which was interesting. The interest level on my part went down when he proceeded to talk for over an hour and a half about topics that went over my head. I played my part and sat and smiled, and paid attention like a good exchange student should. I was glad when he ended and dinner began. Dinner was served buffet style, and included GREEN VEGGIES!! My heart did a little dance. Rotary seems to have good taste in food.
When I was back at the table for dessert, one Rotarian struck up a conversation with me about school. I flexed my Czech skills, and we seemed to understand each other. He then helped me with some new vocabulary and a review of old vocab by going around the table and asking me names of foods. I surprised myself with how much I've learned.
Well, I think its time to tell more about my new country...Not what you learn in text books either. First, the new Miss World is from here, as of this weekend. People don't lie when they say that the women here are beautiful. Also, there have been mammoth bones found in Northwest Bohemia in the past month, for all you science nerds out there.
Some parts of everyday life are really new and different for me. Man capris....Need I say more? One habit that appears everywhere is socks and sandals, even in teenagers. I have always tried to train my family not to do it, but I'm slowly accepting it. Also, I have new (healthier) eating habits. During the school week I eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 big ones, so my metabolism is speeding up. My classmates do the same thing, its just normal here.
Little things were different for me at first, though I'm used to them now. All of the bath towels are the size of hand towels. No, I haven't gotten the two piles confused in the linen closet. Also, the beds have no sheets. I sleep on a mattress with a cover, and under a feather comforter. Its nice in the current fall weather, but I don't know if it will change in winter.
I know I talk a lot about the food, but it is good!! Another new favorite is Rohlik, a small long bread roll. People buy fresh bread a couple times a week, instead of processed stuff that is so common in the U.S. I have potatoes every day with at least one meal. My host family drinks a lot of tea, but I know it can vary by family. Many people prefer sparkling water, which took me a while to get used to. Its sort of like Perrier, but with more flavor options. I have seens lemon, orange, grapefuit, and pear.

Again, I keep posting pictures!!! Please check back often.

http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/b_dixon06-07/