Well - after 21 hours of traveling, I made it to Portland.
After spending a LONG day of cleaning and doing Robert's laundry (because I am the best girlfriend EVER - and because I was too jet-lagged to deal with much else), Robert and I had Japanese food and watched a really bad scary movie on the couch. I forgot how great life is when you get to lie on the couch with your favorite person in the world. :)
Today, I'm getting a MUCH needed haircut at a beauty school (pray for me). Then it's off to make my world-famous Chicken Parmesan for the cute lawyer - since he's in the midst of a big trial. . .
Anyways - we're going to Vancouver, B.C. and then to see my Aunt and Uncle on Orcas Island - so I'm not sure how much I will be around. But - I am super happy to be home and very, very, very happy to get to wake up to Roberts cold feet in the morning. :D I can't wait to see my buddies in about 10 days and to eat Flying Burrito. See you all soon!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Last Post from Prague
Well - I'm sitting here, waiting for three things: 1) My toenail polish to dry (can't have Robert seeing me tomorrow with unpainted toes), 2) My last load of laundry to finish (keep your fingers crossed that it will dry by tomorrow morning), and 3) For online check-in to begin on British Airways. It is crucial that I get my seat assignment in the first minutes of being able to check in - I WANT seat 41D.
Anyways.
I had a great "last" day yesterday (today doesn't really count since it's all packing and running errands) with the Directors of the Burma Center who took me to Karlstejn castle as a thank you for my work this summer. We had a lovely tour and lunch, and I can say it was in saying goodbye to them that it really hit me that I am leaving. And, I was sad. I have really enjoyed traveling in Europe and all of the experiences that living here has afforded me. I'm so excited to come home to my friends and family, but it is still hard to say goodbye to this place. Though I don't think I could see myself living in Prague again, I do think I could easily take a job in Budapest, Vienna or Rome. I love the lifestyle, the people, the food, the respect for family, the public transportation, and the ability to experience a whole new set of customs, culture, and language with a train ride. This summer has left me with a strong desire to continue to explore the world.
Beyond this, the work I did this summer has really changed me. I am so proud of what I did for the Burma Center and seeing their reaction to the "Big Burma Project" really helped to put closure on whether or not I made the right decision for where to go for this IPSP. The director expressed to me yesterday that they were becoming pretty down - rejection of the project from some of the past sources, coupled with the difficult life of running a non-profit, was really wearing on them. However, after my presentation, they both were rejuvinated and are really excited to see where the project can go from here. I was floored. I had no idea they were feeling so down, and for most of the summer, I wasn't sure if the project I was doing was really what was needed in the long term. Spending the day with them yesterday and hearing this affirmation of my work, I, too, feel rejuvinated about service and can see a future in project management.
So, after visiting 6 countries, learning nearly no Czech, meeting 3 Ambassadors, getting lost in 12 cities, spending an INSANE amount of money, eating more Milka bars then any one person should, and learning some pretty invaluable life lessons, I'm making my way home. I cannot wait to see all of you.
My favorite pictures from the summer:
Anyways.
I had a great "last" day yesterday (today doesn't really count since it's all packing and running errands) with the Directors of the Burma Center who took me to Karlstejn castle as a thank you for my work this summer. We had a lovely tour and lunch, and I can say it was in saying goodbye to them that it really hit me that I am leaving. And, I was sad. I have really enjoyed traveling in Europe and all of the experiences that living here has afforded me. I'm so excited to come home to my friends and family, but it is still hard to say goodbye to this place. Though I don't think I could see myself living in Prague again, I do think I could easily take a job in Budapest, Vienna or Rome. I love the lifestyle, the people, the food, the respect for family, the public transportation, and the ability to experience a whole new set of customs, culture, and language with a train ride. This summer has left me with a strong desire to continue to explore the world.
Beyond this, the work I did this summer has really changed me. I am so proud of what I did for the Burma Center and seeing their reaction to the "Big Burma Project" really helped to put closure on whether or not I made the right decision for where to go for this IPSP. The director expressed to me yesterday that they were becoming pretty down - rejection of the project from some of the past sources, coupled with the difficult life of running a non-profit, was really wearing on them. However, after my presentation, they both were rejuvinated and are really excited to see where the project can go from here. I was floored. I had no idea they were feeling so down, and for most of the summer, I wasn't sure if the project I was doing was really what was needed in the long term. Spending the day with them yesterday and hearing this affirmation of my work, I, too, feel rejuvinated about service and can see a future in project management.
So, after visiting 6 countries, learning nearly no Czech, meeting 3 Ambassadors, getting lost in 12 cities, spending an INSANE amount of money, eating more Milka bars then any one person should, and learning some pretty invaluable life lessons, I'm making my way home. I cannot wait to see all of you.
My favorite pictures from the summer:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Roaming Rome
I had a wonderful time in Rome, as evidenced by the pictures I took. Please excuse the 9 million pictures of Flat Stanley in front of the Fontana di Trevi - but it is one of my favorite places in the world.
Anyways.
I got in on Saturday night and headed to the hostel - the Village Roma. Having done my crazy research - I am a little obsessive compulsive - I knew that it was quite a trek out to the grounds, but I figured it was worth the extra commute to pay 20 bucks a night. The location sucked - there's no way to put it nicely, but for the price, it was a great place. There was a nice swimming pool and the "hostel" was really 3-person trailers with bunk beds and an ensuite bathroom. For the first two nights, no one showed, so I had the whole place to myself. On the third night, a girl named Lucy made it into the room, and we had a nice conversation about American politics - being from the UK, she was as enthusiastic as ever about Obama.
The first night, I ventured back into Rome and had a fantastic dinner, where I got quite the hook-up on the food, given that the waiter wanted to have drinks later - which I did not go to. . .but flirting for free appetizers, dessert and wine is always worth it. :) I then made my way down to see the Forum and Colisseum at night - both spectacular, as always.
The next day, I went to the Vatican because it was "Free Sunday." I have never, ever seen so many people waiting in line in my entire life - but it was worth the two hour wait to get in for free to see the Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel, and St. Peter's. I've been to the Vatican before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Flat Stanley is also a great buddy for making friends, and I met several people from all over the world - from Australia to Saudi Arabia to Figi. It was pretty cool.
Flat and I then made our way to the Canadian Ambassador to Italy's villa, an amazing house Mussolini had built for his Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador and his wife had me in for dinner, and we had a wonderful conversation about our shared family histories, public service, and their experience in Rome. I can't say enough good things about Ambassador Himelfarb and his wife - they were incredibly kind and upbeat, and I hope that this visit was the first of many for me and my new friends. I especially enjoyed spending time with their dog, Guido, who helped show me around the grounds of the villa. The Ambassador's son, Jordan, has a great mp3 blog - www.saidthegramophone.com - which I highly recommend you check out. I'm hoping he might come visit us at the Clinton School to talk about the success of the blog, often listed on the top ten list of independent and music blogs in the world.
The next day, I went back to the Colisseum to see the inside, and progressed through Rome to see everything I could possibly see in a day. The pictures will speak for themselves, but let's just say that by 4 pm, I couldn't walk another step and made my way back to the hotel to relax by the pool, before heading out for more sightseeing that evening.
Finally, on Tuesday, I made it to the Villa Borghese for my alloted time for the viewing of the Correggio exhibit. Given that you have to make reservations in advance, I did not think I'd be able to go, but the Ambassador was kind enough to set it up for me, and I felt so lucky to get to see these amazing pieces of art. The exhibit included "The Education of Cupid," which I have always loved.
I also managed to make it to see "The Dark Knight" (a totally different type of art) because I couldn't take it anymore. It was great.
So after a week's worth of sun, cobblestone, art by all of the Ninja Turtles, gelato, lasagne, Italian men, dirty streets, and wine, I am completely and utterly exhausted. I have my final meeting and hand-off of the "Big Burma Project" tomorrow, packing to do, and I leave on Tuesday. I will definitely write one more time with my thoughts, and I may even blog a little from Portland and Vancouver. A big shout out to Amanda - I'm glad that we became friends this summer and that you were here to share these experiences with me - it would not have been the same without you! See you in New York!
As always, my love and thanks to everyone else. . .especially my mom for her help with the trip to Rome. I am so lucky to have such loving, supportive friends and family.
Anyways.
I got in on Saturday night and headed to the hostel - the Village Roma. Having done my crazy research - I am a little obsessive compulsive - I knew that it was quite a trek out to the grounds, but I figured it was worth the extra commute to pay 20 bucks a night. The location sucked - there's no way to put it nicely, but for the price, it was a great place. There was a nice swimming pool and the "hostel" was really 3-person trailers with bunk beds and an ensuite bathroom. For the first two nights, no one showed, so I had the whole place to myself. On the third night, a girl named Lucy made it into the room, and we had a nice conversation about American politics - being from the UK, she was as enthusiastic as ever about Obama.
The first night, I ventured back into Rome and had a fantastic dinner, where I got quite the hook-up on the food, given that the waiter wanted to have drinks later - which I did not go to. . .but flirting for free appetizers, dessert and wine is always worth it. :) I then made my way down to see the Forum and Colisseum at night - both spectacular, as always.
The next day, I went to the Vatican because it was "Free Sunday." I have never, ever seen so many people waiting in line in my entire life - but it was worth the two hour wait to get in for free to see the Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel, and St. Peter's. I've been to the Vatican before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Flat Stanley is also a great buddy for making friends, and I met several people from all over the world - from Australia to Saudi Arabia to Figi. It was pretty cool.
Flat and I then made our way to the Canadian Ambassador to Italy's villa, an amazing house Mussolini had built for his Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador and his wife had me in for dinner, and we had a wonderful conversation about our shared family histories, public service, and their experience in Rome. I can't say enough good things about Ambassador Himelfarb and his wife - they were incredibly kind and upbeat, and I hope that this visit was the first of many for me and my new friends. I especially enjoyed spending time with their dog, Guido, who helped show me around the grounds of the villa. The Ambassador's son, Jordan, has a great mp3 blog - www.saidthegramophone.com - which I highly recommend you check out. I'm hoping he might come visit us at the Clinton School to talk about the success of the blog, often listed on the top ten list of independent and music blogs in the world.
The next day, I went back to the Colisseum to see the inside, and progressed through Rome to see everything I could possibly see in a day. The pictures will speak for themselves, but let's just say that by 4 pm, I couldn't walk another step and made my way back to the hotel to relax by the pool, before heading out for more sightseeing that evening.
Finally, on Tuesday, I made it to the Villa Borghese for my alloted time for the viewing of the Correggio exhibit. Given that you have to make reservations in advance, I did not think I'd be able to go, but the Ambassador was kind enough to set it up for me, and I felt so lucky to get to see these amazing pieces of art. The exhibit included "The Education of Cupid," which I have always loved.
I also managed to make it to see "The Dark Knight" (a totally different type of art) because I couldn't take it anymore. It was great.
So after a week's worth of sun, cobblestone, art by all of the Ninja Turtles, gelato, lasagne, Italian men, dirty streets, and wine, I am completely and utterly exhausted. I have my final meeting and hand-off of the "Big Burma Project" tomorrow, packing to do, and I leave on Tuesday. I will definitely write one more time with my thoughts, and I may even blog a little from Portland and Vancouver. A big shout out to Amanda - I'm glad that we became friends this summer and that you were here to share these experiences with me - it would not have been the same without you! See you in New York!
As always, my love and thanks to everyone else. . .especially my mom for her help with the trip to Rome. I am so lucky to have such loving, supportive friends and family.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Journey to the 16th Century
I have two tidbits to share from the weekend, and two new photo albums. . .
Saturday
I decided to head out to the end of a tram line to Bresnov monastery, where they are supposed to have a great restaurant with beer brewed on site, all run directly by the monks. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for a wedding, so I went on a tour of the monastery - all in Czech. The gardens were beautiful, the crypt was pretty awesome, but by the time I left, I was so hungry, I could have gnawed off my own arm. I hit up some (barely passible) Mexican food. There's a joke that Czechs bring their dogs with them to restaurants because they need a guide dog for the bland. Nothing has spice - ever.
From there, I headed out to the TV tower a few blocks away from where I work in Vinohrady. The TV tower is enormous (belongs to the same family of towers that can be seen in Shanghai, Mexico city, etc), but what makes it really special is an art installation called "Babies." These gigantic black iron babies are crawling up and down all over the sides. Bear with the zillion pictures I took - I was a little obsessed. I then went to the top of the tower - which had an unbelievable view of Prague, and saw a pretty crazy looking cemetery that I went in search of once I went back down to the ground.
Finding the cemetery quickly, due to its size, I saw that it was the Jewish Cemetery, which I had been wanting to visit. Given it was Saturday, the cemetery was closed, but I was able to take some pictures through the gate. You'll notice that all of the graves are right on top of one another - Hitler had required ALL of the Jews in the Czech Republic to be buried in this one cemetery, rather than in mass graves. Given that thousands died at Terezin (I'm going there this week - so I'll write more about that later), the gravestones are only a few inches apart. Hitler chose not to bury the Jews in mass graves because he planned to open a "Jewish Museum" in Prague to represent the "lost culture of the Jews." It was overwhelming, but I feel very lucky to have seen it before I leave Prague.
Sunday
Amanda and I went to Cesky Krumlov for the night. Cesky Krumlov is a TINY Czech village that exists between a U-shaped bend in the Vltava River. There is a huge, BEAUTIFUL castle and lots of little shops and cafes. We had a great tour of the castle - sorry, couldn't take pictures inside - ate at a great vegetarian restaurant, and finally bought our gift to the school. No telling. We had an interesting evening out with a few too many glasses of wine and some blood red shots at the Horror Bar -a gothic inspired locale with skeletons adoring the ceilings. The next morning, needless-to-say, we weren't doing so hot. So we went from cafe to cafe until it was time to go home. The town was absolutely beautiful and touristy - but it had a weird vibe. Maybe this was completely imagined by me, given that the movie Hostel was filmed there, so everything looked slightly familiar.
Anyways. Work is going so so well, and I am almost done. Christoph had me help him with some English terminology yesterday for his dissertation on Burmese media and diasporic interconnectivity. Interesting stuff. I have the rest of the week to finish out everything, send in my Clinton School paper, and burn off the "Big Burma" CD before I leave for Rome. I am so excited to make the most of the last two weeks, hand over the final product to the Burma Center, and get home to Robert.
Love you all - and a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Grandpa.
Saturday
I decided to head out to the end of a tram line to Bresnov monastery, where they are supposed to have a great restaurant with beer brewed on site, all run directly by the monks. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for a wedding, so I went on a tour of the monastery - all in Czech. The gardens were beautiful, the crypt was pretty awesome, but by the time I left, I was so hungry, I could have gnawed off my own arm. I hit up some (barely passible) Mexican food. There's a joke that Czechs bring their dogs with them to restaurants because they need a guide dog for the bland. Nothing has spice - ever.
From there, I headed out to the TV tower a few blocks away from where I work in Vinohrady. The TV tower is enormous (belongs to the same family of towers that can be seen in Shanghai, Mexico city, etc), but what makes it really special is an art installation called "Babies." These gigantic black iron babies are crawling up and down all over the sides. Bear with the zillion pictures I took - I was a little obsessed. I then went to the top of the tower - which had an unbelievable view of Prague, and saw a pretty crazy looking cemetery that I went in search of once I went back down to the ground.
Finding the cemetery quickly, due to its size, I saw that it was the Jewish Cemetery, which I had been wanting to visit. Given it was Saturday, the cemetery was closed, but I was able to take some pictures through the gate. You'll notice that all of the graves are right on top of one another - Hitler had required ALL of the Jews in the Czech Republic to be buried in this one cemetery, rather than in mass graves. Given that thousands died at Terezin (I'm going there this week - so I'll write more about that later), the gravestones are only a few inches apart. Hitler chose not to bury the Jews in mass graves because he planned to open a "Jewish Museum" in Prague to represent the "lost culture of the Jews." It was overwhelming, but I feel very lucky to have seen it before I leave Prague.
Sunday
Amanda and I went to Cesky Krumlov for the night. Cesky Krumlov is a TINY Czech village that exists between a U-shaped bend in the Vltava River. There is a huge, BEAUTIFUL castle and lots of little shops and cafes. We had a great tour of the castle - sorry, couldn't take pictures inside - ate at a great vegetarian restaurant, and finally bought our gift to the school. No telling. We had an interesting evening out with a few too many glasses of wine and some blood red shots at the Horror Bar -a gothic inspired locale with skeletons adoring the ceilings. The next morning, needless-to-say, we weren't doing so hot. So we went from cafe to cafe until it was time to go home. The town was absolutely beautiful and touristy - but it had a weird vibe. Maybe this was completely imagined by me, given that the movie Hostel was filmed there, so everything looked slightly familiar.
Anyways. Work is going so so well, and I am almost done. Christoph had me help him with some English terminology yesterday for his dissertation on Burmese media and diasporic interconnectivity. Interesting stuff. I have the rest of the week to finish out everything, send in my Clinton School paper, and burn off the "Big Burma" CD before I leave for Rome. I am so excited to make the most of the last two weeks, hand over the final product to the Burma Center, and get home to Robert.
Love you all - and a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Grandpa.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Skipped the beer, met a bear. . .
Hi all -
Well, besides the immense amount of writing I completed this week - "Big Burma Project" is in need of a few edits and it will be FINITO - I went to Plzen to visit my collegues from CEELI who are working at a "TEFL" school. For those of you who are anti-acronym, a TEFL school is a place where there are people a) learning English as a foreign language and b) learning how to teach English as a foreign language. Charles is on the administration of the school and has been working in Plzen for the past 18 summers. Julie, the project manager for CEELI and therefore my "boss" for the summer, is taking the TEFL course and teaching her own course on language for legal studies.
So, I took the hour bus, traversed Plzen, watched the course, met lots and lots of people from Memphis (Charles is a professor at the University of Memphis - so many of his students and collegues attend the course), and did a very small amount of site-seeing. Plzen is not the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic, but seeing the school and discussing my project with Julie was very useful.
I was supposed to go to the famous Plzen brewery the next morning, before Julie and I would leave to go back to Prague, however, beer and fermentation were not all that interesting to me at 9 am. So instead, I decided to go to another zoo. Not expecting a whole lot from the Plzen zoo, I was pleasantly surprised. . .especially when I got to get very up close and personal with some lemurs who left their enclosure and roamed around, one of them nearly hopping onto my back as I bent down to take another one's picture. It was pretty fun, I have to say. The last few pictures on the slideshow are from Amanda and my night out last night - we had the largest, most ridiculous drink you've ever seen - the pictures will prove it.
I have two weeks left here, some of which will be taken up by my ventures to Cesky Krumlov and Rome - so I'm trying to make the most of it. Pray for less rain - because I really need to do laundry and it hasn't stopped for several days. I'm meeting with Christoph and Sabe to make my final presentation to them regarding the work I've done and to hand over the CD-Roms with the work I've done. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. I love curriculum writing and planning - so this project ended up being a great match. I could definitely see myself in the capacity of a project manager or on staff at a university. . .or maybe even back in the education system as a curriculum director. I'm excited to get started looking for a career, armed with the skills I learned this summer. Now, I just need a job. :)
Well, besides the immense amount of writing I completed this week - "Big Burma Project" is in need of a few edits and it will be FINITO - I went to Plzen to visit my collegues from CEELI who are working at a "TEFL" school. For those of you who are anti-acronym, a TEFL school is a place where there are people a) learning English as a foreign language and b) learning how to teach English as a foreign language. Charles is on the administration of the school and has been working in Plzen for the past 18 summers. Julie, the project manager for CEELI and therefore my "boss" for the summer, is taking the TEFL course and teaching her own course on language for legal studies.
So, I took the hour bus, traversed Plzen, watched the course, met lots and lots of people from Memphis (Charles is a professor at the University of Memphis - so many of his students and collegues attend the course), and did a very small amount of site-seeing. Plzen is not the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic, but seeing the school and discussing my project with Julie was very useful.
I was supposed to go to the famous Plzen brewery the next morning, before Julie and I would leave to go back to Prague, however, beer and fermentation were not all that interesting to me at 9 am. So instead, I decided to go to another zoo. Not expecting a whole lot from the Plzen zoo, I was pleasantly surprised. . .especially when I got to get very up close and personal with some lemurs who left their enclosure and roamed around, one of them nearly hopping onto my back as I bent down to take another one's picture. It was pretty fun, I have to say. The last few pictures on the slideshow are from Amanda and my night out last night - we had the largest, most ridiculous drink you've ever seen - the pictures will prove it.
I have two weeks left here, some of which will be taken up by my ventures to Cesky Krumlov and Rome - so I'm trying to make the most of it. Pray for less rain - because I really need to do laundry and it hasn't stopped for several days. I'm meeting with Christoph and Sabe to make my final presentation to them regarding the work I've done and to hand over the CD-Roms with the work I've done. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. I love curriculum writing and planning - so this project ended up being a great match. I could definitely see myself in the capacity of a project manager or on staff at a university. . .or maybe even back in the education system as a curriculum director. I'm excited to get started looking for a career, armed with the skills I learned this summer. Now, I just need a job. :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Bit by a pig, slipped on a slug, accosted by bats. . .
I have been wanting to go to the Prague Zoo for a while now. I am slightly obsessed with zoos and aquariums, and given that the Prague Zoo is the 6th best zoo in the world, according to Forbes Magazine, I was pretty excited.
So, Amanda and I braved the forecast of 80% chance of rain, paid our 100 czk (about 6 bucks) and entered the amazing world of the Prague Zoo.
First and foremost, it is a GREAT zoo. Very natural which I like - the animals had lots of room to run about, but they were totally accessible. I think there were probably only 3 or 4 exhibits that we had a hard time finding the animals.
I was beyond excited by the hippo exhibit - they are absolutely my favorite animal and this exhibit was the best I've ever seen. A family of three were moving, swimming, and lounging about, and we even caught pictures/video of one of the hippos yawning. Pretty cool.
I had three hilarious stories of the day though, as evidenced by my blog title, so here you go:
(1) I really did get bit by a pig. In the children's zoo area, there were pigs and goats that you could pet and feed. Humorously, Amanda and I had a long discussion about whether pigs could bite, and we decided it was unlikely. So, I made it my goal to feed the pig. The goats kept getting in the way and my indignation over this fact greatly humored the German tourists that were watching me attempt to feed the pig. I stuck my hand down there and a cute little pink porker gently ate some food off my hand, his little snout pretty cold and wet. His little black friend pushed his way past the huffy goats, trying to get some of the cereal. Unfortunately, he mistook my finger as a piece of cereal and fully chomped down on my pointer finger. If you have ever slammed your finger in a door, you now know what getting bit by a pig feels like. Pretty awesome. My hopping, teary-eyed cursing concerned the German tourists, who I think may have been concerned about botulism. Just kidding. Amanda on the other hand, thought this was absolutely hilarious, and we spent a good portion of the rest of the day recapping my idiocy as I bounced around screaming, "that damn pig bit me."
(2) Rain started in full-force when we'd made it through about a quarter of the zoo. When it rains in Prague, slugs follow. Lots of slugs. Slugs for miles. While walking down a path from the tiger exhibit, I managed to step, crush, and slip on a very large juicy slug, falling pretty hard to my knees. Now, given that Lukman, Russ, JD, and Tim have each seen me fall (hard) five or six times each - they will chalk this up to general Sara "lack-of-grace" and klutzy-ness. But I swear, it was entirely the slug's fault.
And finally (3) I am afraid of very few animals. I'm not fond of spiders, cockroaches or bugs in general - but I'll kill them without shrieking like a girl. I grew up with poisonous snakes and scorpions in my friends' backyards - so I like them and they interest me but leave them alone. The only true animal that freaks me out is the bat. They are dirty rats with wings, and the thought of one of them flying in my face or getting caught in my hair eeks me out. So, as we walked through the nocturnal area of the zoo, I prepared myself to see the big display of bats. Behind glass, I can look at them, though I generally feel a bit itchy and creeped out afterwards. As we rounded the corner, a small bird was fluttering back and forth across the ceiling and I felt really bad for it being stuck inside the exhibit. We looked at bushbabies and white tailed ferrets and laughed at these really cool springhares, which look sort of like a kangaroo and a bunny mated. Finally, I saw the bats, flying around in their cage, hanging from small branches and realized THERE WAS NO GLASS. Therefore, the small "bird" flying about 5 inches above my head was a BAT. Amanda said, "Wow, that thing flew really close to my head," and with that, I hightailed it out of there, shrilling saying "get me out, get me out" as Amanda again, laughed at my idiocy.
So - check out the pictures of our day at the zoo. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
So, Amanda and I braved the forecast of 80% chance of rain, paid our 100 czk (about 6 bucks) and entered the amazing world of the Prague Zoo.
First and foremost, it is a GREAT zoo. Very natural which I like - the animals had lots of room to run about, but they were totally accessible. I think there were probably only 3 or 4 exhibits that we had a hard time finding the animals.
I was beyond excited by the hippo exhibit - they are absolutely my favorite animal and this exhibit was the best I've ever seen. A family of three were moving, swimming, and lounging about, and we even caught pictures/video of one of the hippos yawning. Pretty cool.
I had three hilarious stories of the day though, as evidenced by my blog title, so here you go:
(1) I really did get bit by a pig. In the children's zoo area, there were pigs and goats that you could pet and feed. Humorously, Amanda and I had a long discussion about whether pigs could bite, and we decided it was unlikely. So, I made it my goal to feed the pig. The goats kept getting in the way and my indignation over this fact greatly humored the German tourists that were watching me attempt to feed the pig. I stuck my hand down there and a cute little pink porker gently ate some food off my hand, his little snout pretty cold and wet. His little black friend pushed his way past the huffy goats, trying to get some of the cereal. Unfortunately, he mistook my finger as a piece of cereal and fully chomped down on my pointer finger. If you have ever slammed your finger in a door, you now know what getting bit by a pig feels like. Pretty awesome. My hopping, teary-eyed cursing concerned the German tourists, who I think may have been concerned about botulism. Just kidding. Amanda on the other hand, thought this was absolutely hilarious, and we spent a good portion of the rest of the day recapping my idiocy as I bounced around screaming, "that damn pig bit me."
(2) Rain started in full-force when we'd made it through about a quarter of the zoo. When it rains in Prague, slugs follow. Lots of slugs. Slugs for miles. While walking down a path from the tiger exhibit, I managed to step, crush, and slip on a very large juicy slug, falling pretty hard to my knees. Now, given that Lukman, Russ, JD, and Tim have each seen me fall (hard) five or six times each - they will chalk this up to general Sara "lack-of-grace" and klutzy-ness. But I swear, it was entirely the slug's fault.
And finally (3) I am afraid of very few animals. I'm not fond of spiders, cockroaches or bugs in general - but I'll kill them without shrieking like a girl. I grew up with poisonous snakes and scorpions in my friends' backyards - so I like them and they interest me but leave them alone. The only true animal that freaks me out is the bat. They are dirty rats with wings, and the thought of one of them flying in my face or getting caught in my hair eeks me out. So, as we walked through the nocturnal area of the zoo, I prepared myself to see the big display of bats. Behind glass, I can look at them, though I generally feel a bit itchy and creeped out afterwards. As we rounded the corner, a small bird was fluttering back and forth across the ceiling and I felt really bad for it being stuck inside the exhibit. We looked at bushbabies and white tailed ferrets and laughed at these really cool springhares, which look sort of like a kangaroo and a bunny mated. Finally, I saw the bats, flying around in their cage, hanging from small branches and realized THERE WAS NO GLASS. Therefore, the small "bird" flying about 5 inches above my head was a BAT. Amanda said, "Wow, that thing flew really close to my head," and with that, I hightailed it out of there, shrilling saying "get me out, get me out" as Amanda again, laughed at my idiocy.
So - check out the pictures of our day at the zoo. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ranting and Raving
I just want to comment on the robbers that are the airline industry. Today, I tried to book my flight home from Portland to Little Rock. Good 'ol American Airlines came up as the cheapest (still UNBELIEVABLY expensive - I have never paid this much for a domestic flight so far in advance - a one way ticket is costing me more than what I paid this time last year for roundtrip), but as I was going to type in my credit card numbers, I remembered the whole "paying to take baggage" thing going on.
Because of the luggage I will have with me from this summer - the trip on AA would cost me $40 more than the published price - and that's if my luggage stays within the weight limit.
Who does this punish? Certainly not the weathier members of the frequent flyers clubs (a club which I belong to, but don't qualify as a platinum member or whatever you have to be). And it doesn't hurt business men and women who generally have everything for a two-day trip in their carry-on. No, it hurts the people who are already trying hard to afford a family vacation, make it to their sister's wedding, or just trying to get home after a wallet-busting summer abroad.
I'm also thinking this means that there will be a huge increase in WAY too large baggage trying to be shoved into the overhead bins, which I am also expecting will mean a delay getting on and off the plane, making me nervous to attempt a 45 minute connecting flight.
I think it sends a very special message about how these poor little corporations are dealing with oil issues and a rough economy - placing the burden, yet again, on those who can barely afford to fly in the first place. I think it also speaks to the lack of creativity among busineses to save money and improve customer service. Especially when you take into consideration that US Airways is going to start charging $2 a pop for water, soda, and coffee on their domestic flights in the next few months.
I want to see some of that American enterprising spirit! I want to see some logical thinking! Why tack on this cost to the American middle class? I assume that it is because if they charged people for carry-ons (which would make a LOT more sense), the corporations would be taking money from the very people that own their stock.
I have never, ever experienced this type of landslide in the economy, and truly thought (8 years ago), that I never would. From layoffs to debt, every single person I know is feeling the crunch of this economic crisis. And it's only going to get worse.
So, not to be a downer, but I'm thinking of changing all my American dollars into Euros. :) But for now, I paid $15 dollars more to take a Southwest flight instead. See how easy a little creativity is, American Airlines? You just lost my business.
Because of the luggage I will have with me from this summer - the trip on AA would cost me $40 more than the published price - and that's if my luggage stays within the weight limit.
Who does this punish? Certainly not the weathier members of the frequent flyers clubs (a club which I belong to, but don't qualify as a platinum member or whatever you have to be). And it doesn't hurt business men and women who generally have everything for a two-day trip in their carry-on. No, it hurts the people who are already trying hard to afford a family vacation, make it to their sister's wedding, or just trying to get home after a wallet-busting summer abroad.
I'm also thinking this means that there will be a huge increase in WAY too large baggage trying to be shoved into the overhead bins, which I am also expecting will mean a delay getting on and off the plane, making me nervous to attempt a 45 minute connecting flight.
I think it sends a very special message about how these poor little corporations are dealing with oil issues and a rough economy - placing the burden, yet again, on those who can barely afford to fly in the first place. I think it also speaks to the lack of creativity among busineses to save money and improve customer service. Especially when you take into consideration that US Airways is going to start charging $2 a pop for water, soda, and coffee on their domestic flights in the next few months.
I want to see some of that American enterprising spirit! I want to see some logical thinking! Why tack on this cost to the American middle class? I assume that it is because if they charged people for carry-ons (which would make a LOT more sense), the corporations would be taking money from the very people that own their stock.
I have never, ever experienced this type of landslide in the economy, and truly thought (8 years ago), that I never would. From layoffs to debt, every single person I know is feeling the crunch of this economic crisis. And it's only going to get worse.
So, not to be a downer, but I'm thinking of changing all my American dollars into Euros. :) But for now, I paid $15 dollars more to take a Southwest flight instead. See how easy a little creativity is, American Airlines? You just lost my business.
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