Friday: Ok, so we had our Czech final on Thursday, but we still had to go to class the next day. So after only 4 hours of sleep, I dragged myself out of bed and went to class. However, our teacher had made plans for us to take a tour of the Jewish Quarter, which happens to be right near our school. We saw several old Jewish synagogues, including the oldest synagogue in the world that is still in use today. It was built around the middle of the 13th century, and the main hall is the only existing medieval-type hall of its kind. It is a traditional synagogue, and it still abides by the rules of medieval times. We also walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was established in the first half of the 15th century. Today, the cemetery contains almost 12,000 tombstones, although the number of persons buried there is much greater. I will post pictures of the cemetery in another entry, but I will say that for some reason this cemetery was particularly sobering. Whether it was because original tombstones from the 16th and 17th centuries are still there, or because the tombstones are so crowded together that you can't walk anywhere except for where they have prepared a path. Also, a lot of the people buried in the cemetery were buried there specifically because they were Jews. During the World Wars, the Jews were essentially quarantined in a lot of Czechoslovakia, and could only have been buried in a "Jewish" cemetery. It was really sad to think about this as you walk past the graves where, because of lack of space, people are literally buried on top of each other. After our class tours were over, I went to the post office and picked up a package from my mom. She sent me some cords that I needed, as well as a Valentine's Day card and some candy. THANKS MOM! It was a good feeling. After that, it was time for a nap and a shower, because that night I was going to a club called Lucerna. No joke, but they only play American music from the 80's and 90's. It was awesome!! And the Czech people love it! When "The Macarena" came on and all the Czech people started doing the motions, I was like, "This is officially my favorite country EVER!" I wish American clubs were this cool...they just play stupid rap songs...ugh! But, it was another late night as a result. I ended up leaving early, around 1:30 a.m., because I was just flat out tired. I discovered that one "fun" night a week is pretty much all I can handle, and after that I need like a whole day of sleep to recuperate. But the music at the club was so awesome...I will probably go back there for sure.
Saturday: Since I didn't go to bed till like 3 a.m. on Friday, I slept till 2 p.m. on Saturday. I really need to like shift my hours back so that I go to bed by midnight and get up by noon. I think in the long run it would be beneficial. But anyway, I did some souvenir shopping for the family and some folks back home. Ended up spending way to much money...seriously, a lot more than I intended, but I think in the end it won't matter cause I'm only in Prague for four months, and who knows if I will ever come back here. Might as well make the gifts and the souvenirs count. The weather was nice, so I got to take some pictures around Prague. Overall, it was a very successful outing. Then I came back to the room and got ready to go with some friends to the movies. We went to see Wolfman...and it was terrible. I can just hear my Dad saying, "Well I could have told you it would be." I knew going into it though that it would be pretty bad, but let me tell you something...the theater that we went to...AMAZING! It is officially the most awesome theater that I have ever been too, including the IMAX. We paid about $7 for our tickets, and it was totally worth it. The screen was, no joke, at least three times bigger than anything back home. There was a ridiculous amount of leg room on every row, and the floors weren't sticky at all! The chairs were cushy, and were positioned at a slight angle so that you wouldn't have to tilt your head very much to watch the movie. The Czech Republic totally beats America in entertainment standards. The movie was in English too! I'm taking anyone that comes to visit to this theater...it should be on all of the "must see" pamphlets for Prague. Pretty laid back day all in all. I got to explore a good bit of Prague on my own, and then go see an American movie in a phenomenal theater. I actually had a really great time.
Sunday: Today, I pretty much did nothing besides go to church. I woke up late, ate some breakfast, watched some cartoons online (yes...cartoons), and then went to church. It was good. We had some good worship, followed by a rather unorthodox service. Not really sure how I feel about it actually. The pastor gave an introduction to the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, and then opened the floor for discussion. Nothing I heard was blatantly unbiblical or anything, but I just didn't feel like I was taught anything about the chapter. I heard what other people thought the chapter was about, but I didn't hear what the chapter was actually about, if you know what I mean. In fact, everything I have participated in at this church has been very discussion oriented. Like I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is just different from what I expect church to be like. I guess I will have to find another way to learn this semester. Their worship is great though, and that has always been my favorite part. I got back to my room several hours ago, and have just been chillin' ever since. Classes start tomorrow for the semester, and I am actually pretty excited about them. However, I haven't actually been accepted into the class that I am going to tomorrow. I am second on the waiting list for the class, but it is one of the classes that will actually apply to my Psychology minor, so I am really hoping that I can get into it. I am going to the class tomorrow, and I will talk to the teacher about it. Hopefully she will add me to the roster. You can definitely keep that in your prayers! Other than that, this upcoming week looks pretty chill. I am going to the Romeo & Juliet ballet on Wednesday, and at some point I will have to do laundry and go grocery shopping. So, wish me luck!
how has the church been since then? have you been able to learn?
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