Hey, want to go to Germany this weekend? Sure!

This seems to be a common theme. Last minute trips to foreign countries. Kirsten Carroll, my roommate for life (aka from college) came to visit me in Prague for a week, and where did I take her? Germany.

While it wasn't random, it was last minute. Kir and I took a train to Zwickau Germany where we met up with our favorite dance maniac, Chris Fogel, or affectionately, Der Vogelmeister, a Manhattan College Grad and 4 year expat. From Zwickau we drove to Munich for dinner, and from Munich to Grainau, the town at the bottom of the Zugspitze, (or in English) the highest point in the German Alps.

Lets just say this, Germans are royalty when it comes to hospitality. Fogel's friends (we shouldn't be surprised) were incredible welcoming. They took us through a hike in the forest, out on the town to a crazy dance club named Peaches (?!), up on the Zugspitze, on a tour of an Ice Hotel, skiing, and out for amazing German food. It was a whirl-wind 4 day trip and what we will really take home with us is the open-arms generosity and hospitality we were shown.

Amazing.

Pictures shown:
German Alps from our hike
Carvings in the Ice Hotel
Kirsten and Fogel in front of the train on the way down from the Zuspitze
Our Aussie/German/American skiing and dancing group
Amazing German Beer
Fogel in his element - cheese and sausage breakfast

Belle in Bratislava

On a whim Carly, Nikki, Theresa and I went to Bratislava, Slovakia! (Who goes to Slovakia on a whim?! We do!)

Nothing wrong with hitting up a world capital, taking 10 zillion pictures of amazing public art, getting blown away by whipping winds, eating everything in sight, and (honestly) jumping up and down while saying, "We're in Bratislava, Yay!

Did I mention there was a hall of books? I felt like Belle in Beauty and the Beast! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyP4kuvXe9A

Hallelujah Broadway!

It was a Monday night in chilly Prague. February was in full force. What are 4 unemployed TEFL Prague Worldwide graduates to do?

Go to Hallelujah Broadway of course!

The 'random fun' gods were looking kindly on us as Jessica, Nikki, Carly and I followed a random expats.cz ad to a church in Prague 1 out of pure curiosity.

The ad read, "Do you like Broadway Musicals?" (YES) "Can you sing along to musicals like Hair, Jekyll and Hyde, RENT and many more?" (YES, YES, YES!!) "Come on down and be part of a live studio audience for a taping of a new PBS special, Hallelujah Broadway! (HELL YES)

We didn't have tickets but that didn't stop us and thanks to our new Irish friend/PBS ticket manager Anna we were part of a very lucky audience of 200 Prague-ers who saw an amazing show live that will air around the world on PBS this year!

Program it on your DVR's folks, you will see a very excited, lip syncing Yesh in the audience. (Oh yea, I was one of the clap-along-ers). We weren't allowed to take pictures of the full orchestra, full chorus and main stage singers but here are a few shots of the church after the cameras stopped rolling. Enjoy!

Paris - check!

Paris in 36 hours! Jason and I met in one of the world's most romantic cities at the end of January for what I dare say was one of our greatest adventures yet.

Staying in the Latin Quarter, we were walking distance from everything... and man did we ever walk. (Thank goodness because we pretty much ate our weight in French food).


Notre Dame
Eiffel Tower
Versailles
Mont Marte
(We were loads of places but just got really lost... a few times)


The only disappointing thing... THE ONLY... was that the bars close at midnight. It would have been fun to go out in Paris. I guess we got a good night sleep instead.

40 things you need to know about my apt. in Prague

We have 40 mugs. Not 39, not 41, we have 40 mugs that came with our apartment. Enjoy the view. (Can you tell I'm unemployed and have a lot of time on my hands?)

It Was A Long Walk Home

On Sunday night after a long and extremely scandalous game of Never Have I Ever with 22 of our TEFL classmates, Jess and I attempted to take the tram home.

Did the tram come? You might ask. Oh YES! The tram picked us up... but dropped us off 2 stops later. We were left on a tram track, next to the tram yards, in the middle of the night. We made the best of the beautiful snow and decided to make snow angels and bark at the guard dogs in the tram yard. Just LOVE walking an extra mile home. Let me repeat - Juuuuuust Love It!

Picture: Jess making glorious snow angels

First 10 days in Prague, A photo essay

TEFL snowball fight in the Old Town Square at 2am






































Wack-tastic Black Light Theatre























Giant Sausages with Will
























TEFL Prague Worldwide
January 2010
taking over Futurum









Gangster's Paradise










































Fabulous
roommate
Jessica









Hanging with Terry Smith from Syracuse, NY. Pro-bball player in CZ http://tinyurl.com/yd2nkap














Jess eating snow






















St. George Church in Prague Castle











































Kafka Statue

Snow, Penis' and Teaching, OH MY!

Prague is beautiful! As the locals tell it, Prague has not seen as much snow in years combined as we've seen in the last few days. People are busting their stuff everywhere on Prague's beautiful but irresponsibly slippery sidewalks, streets and stairs. NOT COOL. And yet you can forgive it all because its well, Prague.

These past few days have been spent gallivanting by myself, getting lost in the streets, braving pub life where I don't speak a lick of the language, meeting up with new friends and playing up the tourist role for all its worth! Prague-ians love this city so much that they'll forgive even the worst, (butchered) attempt at their language.

One of the gems we came across on our school sactioned tour was this little ditty not too many people consider as they narrow down their list of, "must sees" when they come to Prague.

David Cherny's, "Pissing Men". In real life you can text the sculpture a message and it will actually pee out your text onto the sculpted pool of the Czech Republic Border.

I'll let you interpret that message yourself. If you need to see it in action and can't make it out anytime soon, check out this YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnPkaOSvqeg

But seriously, I'm here to learn how to teach not to go sledding and check out the crazy art. (Okay, maybe I am). Today was my first class in my one month certification course. Lets just say this... intense. Tonight we wrote our first lesson plans, tomorrow we teach our first group of Czech students.

I don't even know how to say, "I don't speak Czech," in Czech yet.

Dog Poop

Ajoy from Praha City Centre!

I'm taking a break from the snowy day in Prage in a cozy, kinda smells like armpit internet cafe that I have fallen in love with for a quick update. I'm not going to post any pictures because I'm still, 2 days later, wearing the same outfit. Why would Yesh, who has been known to change her clothes 2-3 times per day being wearing the same clothes you might ask? Well... my luggage is lost... still lost. Haha. Today I bucked up and bought some new clothes at H&M of all places in hopes that some fresh underwear, a new shirt and some clean socks will get me through until it arrives. I'm pretty sure they left it in Chicago. Jerks.

HIGHLIGHTS
Keeping it brief, yesterday was, well... a hassle. Flying went perfectly but the highlights of yesterday included.
* Being locked out of my apartment
* Pissing off the director of the school I'm attending
* Stepping in a steaming hot pile of dog poop
* Crying in the arms of a receptionist at a random Hotel
* Having no luggage
* Taking the metro (scary at first but SO nice and clean)
* Eating... wait for it... RAMEN NOODLES, some dry Muscli, an apple and a Pilsner Urquel tall boy for dinner. Oh yea.

ON THE POSITIVE
I'm really excited to be here and today is going very well.

Leaving for Prague

I'm leaving today for Prague! Its pretty much not real at this point although I am packed, dressed, and at the request of my mother, wearing a very stylish "money belt" under my clothes. Basically I'm ready for an adventure I'm not convinced I'm actually leaving for. It'll probably all sink in soon.

I guess all I can say is.... BRING IT!

Lots of love to my family, bf (now official on Facebook after 1.5 years) and dear, dear friends. Thank you for all of your support.