I went out with six of my classmates tonight. We met at Caribou Coffee downtown at 8:00; I had a peach dream, or something like that. Around 9:30, we transferred over to Top of the Hill for drinks. I had a Blue Ridge Blue Wheat; it was excellent. A little about each of them:
Bastian - an outgoing, nice German guy who organized the get-together; has lived for half a year in Peru working for the Germany Embassy; also visited Chile, which he preferred to Peru; going to Bath then Madrid; once on an underwater rugby team
Svea - absolutely gorgeous girl from Hamburg; goes to school in Hannover, is only here for a semester; big fan of Schalke 04; doesn't like HSV; nervous about her English skills; like the Eagles and Dixie Chicks and Jurassic Five; not a big Rammstein fan, but likes Clueso; will have never been away from home as long as she is going to be this semester; her dad worked in Richmond, VA when she was a baby. Her family lived there for a year, but she doesn't remember it; once got her picture taken in front of the White House while she was asleep; seems interested in going to UNC football and basketball games
Frank - has bounced around between FL and NC, I think; went to three undergrad schools in the Asheville area; really big into IT stuff; married; going to Barcelona; looking for summer internship in DC; really, really motivated about school
Mary - originally from the Triangle area, went to undergrad at UNC; has a serious boyfriend in Florida; worked in Moldova for the Peace Corps;
Megan - quite a fascinating girl; originally from Chattanooga; spent a year in Ostrava, Czech Republic following high school; did undergrad at Macalester (sp?) College in St. Paul; worked as an English teacher for a year in Brno, Czech Republic; has spent time in Romania; plays rollerderby
Matt - from middle Michigan; a raft guide; very outdoorsy it seems; didn't get a chance to talk to him as much, as he was on the opposite end of the table.
What an amazing group of people.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
My daily April routine now that I'm back in Louisville
Wake up. Usually it happens around 8:30-9:00. Lay in bed thinking for about an hour.
Have a bowl of cereal, some fruit, a power bar, or a Slim-Fast.
Take a shower, brush my teeth, etc.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Wonder about whether she likes me, whether I've blown my only chance, what made me think I had a chance in the first place.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
What the hell am I doing here in this program? What am I going to do with my life? Do I have any sort of purpose? The only thing anyone's ever told me I'm good at is being a student. I can't do that forever. What sort of other options do I have, thought? I have a B.S., a B.A., was named my university's outstanding student in the class of 2009, graduated with Honors, and a slew of other awards, but I'm not sure what good that will do me. Will I be forced to become a janitor or Wal-Mart lifer or something? What's the purpose of busting my butt writing these papers when they are, in the long run, pointless, especially if I'm not here after this semester?
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Go run or lift weights.
By now it's around lunch time. If I have some food, eat. If not, either go get some or wait til dinner.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
On Monday-Wednesday, go to class in the afternoon. Otherwise, not. Usually one day during the weekend, I'll go spend way too much money on CDs, DVDs, and/or books are the Great Escape, Book and Music Exchange, or Ear X-Tacy.
If I'm lucky, there will be a concert or ballgame or some sort of event to go to in the evening (despite the depressing tone of this entry/note, I love living in Louisville. There's so much going on and fun stuff to do). Spend probably 2-3 hours doing that, one or two nights per week. If not, continue doing the same thing.
Make or buy dinner.
What the hell am I doing here in this program? What am I going to do with my life? Do I have any sort of purpose? The only thing anyone's ever told me I'm good at is being a student. I can't do that forever. What sort of other options do I have, thought? I have a B.S., a B.A., was named my university's outstanding student in the class of 2009, graduated with Honors, and a slew of other awards, but I'm not sure what good that will do me. Will I be forced to become a janitor or Wal-Mart lifer or something? What's the purpose of busting my butt writing these papers when they are, in the long run, pointless, especially if I'm not here after this semester?
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Think about places I want to go to next. Learn as much about them as I can.
Wonder about whether she likes me, whether I've blown my only chance, what made me think I had a chance in the first place.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Get mad at myself that I've been unproductive yet again today, but wonder if writing pointless papers is being productive in the first place.
Miss my friends and family.
Lay in bed thinking for about an hour. Go to sleep, usually around 2:30-3:00.
Repeat.
Have a bowl of cereal, some fruit, a power bar, or a Slim-Fast.
Take a shower, brush my teeth, etc.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Wonder about whether she likes me, whether I've blown my only chance, what made me think I had a chance in the first place.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
What the hell am I doing here in this program? What am I going to do with my life? Do I have any sort of purpose? The only thing anyone's ever told me I'm good at is being a student. I can't do that forever. What sort of other options do I have, thought? I have a B.S., a B.A., was named my university's outstanding student in the class of 2009, graduated with Honors, and a slew of other awards, but I'm not sure what good that will do me. Will I be forced to become a janitor or Wal-Mart lifer or something? What's the purpose of busting my butt writing these papers when they are, in the long run, pointless, especially if I'm not here after this semester?
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Go run or lift weights.
By now it's around lunch time. If I have some food, eat. If not, either go get some or wait til dinner.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
On Monday-Wednesday, go to class in the afternoon. Otherwise, not. Usually one day during the weekend, I'll go spend way too much money on CDs, DVDs, and/or books are the Great Escape, Book and Music Exchange, or Ear X-Tacy.
If I'm lucky, there will be a concert or ballgame or some sort of event to go to in the evening (despite the depressing tone of this entry/note, I love living in Louisville. There's so much going on and fun stuff to do). Spend probably 2-3 hours doing that, one or two nights per week. If not, continue doing the same thing.
Make or buy dinner.
What the hell am I doing here in this program? What am I going to do with my life? Do I have any sort of purpose? The only thing anyone's ever told me I'm good at is being a student. I can't do that forever. What sort of other options do I have, thought? I have a B.S., a B.A., was named my university's outstanding student in the class of 2009, graduated with Honors, and a slew of other awards, but I'm not sure what good that will do me. Will I be forced to become a janitor or Wal-Mart lifer or something? What's the purpose of busting my butt writing these papers when they are, in the long run, pointless, especially if I'm not here after this semester?
Tell myself it's time to start writing.
Think about places I want to go to next. Learn as much about them as I can.
Wonder about whether she likes me, whether I've blown my only chance, what made me think I had a chance in the first place.
Facebook. Fantasy Baseball. Email. FF. Sporcle. Wikipedia. Youtube music. Facebook.
Get mad at myself that I've been unproductive yet again today, but wonder if writing pointless papers is being productive in the first place.
Miss my friends and family.
Lay in bed thinking for about an hour. Go to sleep, usually around 2:30-3:00.
Repeat.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Post-Europe.
This is an abbreviated, edited version of my most recent Xanga post, as Xanga remains my semi-secret blog that is much more emotionally charged and private. This just hits most of the basics.
Tuesday, 3/30 - Studied at Waterfront Park before class. Sat on a hill and looked down on the city, the river, the playground, the stadium, the arena, etc. It was also the first real springlike day. It was fantastic.
Wednesday, 3/31 - Disappointed with Lolla lineup (figure out by O's and R's and blank letters)
Thursday, 4/1 - Didn't do much of anything that I can recall.
Friday, 4/2 - Bought ticket to Reds/Cardinals game for next Wednesday! Went to a pool party at the clubhouse to get some food. I drove to Carmichael Bookstore with the windows down, listening to Widespread Panic in 80+ degree sunny weather so I could buy Maurya a giftcard. Then I went Maurya's birthday at the clubhouse. We ate cake and watched Sherlock Holmes.
Saturday, 4/3 - Final Four games: Butler v. Michigan State and Duke v. West Virginia. Gus Johnson Sound Board!
Sunday, 4/4 - Went to a church service at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian out on Brownsboro Road and I LOVED it. The message was about an "Earth-centered Easter" and talked about how much Christianity has strayed from a message of peace and love on earth to a empire and death for the hereafter. The preacher talked about the Crusades and how messed up Popes used to be and all that. He recited a Buddhist meditation. Also, in the "good news/bad news" thing, a young lesbian couple got a round of applause when they announced their engagement. After the service, I had my Easter dinner from the potluck. I also met a cool young family, especially the dad, Todd. It was the most enjoyable church service I can remember post-2004......That evening, I followed an epic fantasy hoop battle with Ryan. He, Justin, and I were all within a game of each other for first place. Justin went 4-1, and I beat Ryan 3-2, so now, in the last week of the season, I'm currently 0.5 games behind Justin and 1.5 games ahead of Ryan. I'm going up against the worst team in the league (Lane) whereas Ryan and Justin are going against each other. So if Ryan wins just 1 out of 5 categories against Justin, I win the league.
Monday, 4/5 - Watched the title game b/w Duke and Butler (Butler missed a last-second shot that would've won it).
Tuesday, 4/6 - A routine day.
Wednesday, 4/7 - After class, I drove up to Cincinnati. Well, Covington; my car actually never left Kentucky. I parked on the Covington side of the river, walked over the bridge, and went to the Reds game. It was a lot of fun. I had $7 tickets but just sat wherever I wanted to. I ended up sitting a few rows up from third base, fairly close to a Lutheran minister from Indiana (Cards fan) and a middle-aged Reds fan. The game itself went great. The Cardinals won 6-3, Wainwright got the W, Franklin the S. It was tied 2-2 in the 7th before Albert Pujols' RBI single and Matt Holliday's RBI double gave the Cardinals four runs in the top of the 7th. After Kyle McClellan gave up a run, Franklin held on for the save. As for GABP, it lived up to what I'd read about it: nice place, not one of the best, but certainly not one of the worst. The food was great (Penn Station and Skyline Chili? Yes please), the setting next to the Ohio was cool, I loved the tradition (statues, mosaics, etc.), and the Power Stacks were a nice, unique touch. Still felt like something was missing, though. But overall, it was a nice experience. Fireworks show after the game. Courtney and I texted a lot this night =) I ran into some storms on the way back, but nothing major.
Thursday, 4/8 - Last class of Healthcare Systems! I came back to my apartment then went by Great Escape to pick a few CDs, then made the drive home. I stopped by in Conway to hang out with Dean and Katy at Sonic for awhile. Good to see them. We talked of school, their honeymoon, wedding plans, etc. Then as I left Conway, I talked on the phone with a special girl for like 20 minutes. :D
Friday, 4/9 - In the early afternoon, I drove out to Dardanelle to get a haircut at Benny and Matt's. From there, I went back to Appleton, where I hung out with Beth, Malissa, Ted, Aubrey, and Connor. It was so nice to see them for awhile. I can't believe how fast Beth's kids are growing. After that, I went and talked to Grandpa, Granny, and Ed for a good little while on the front porch. Such a nice feeling. That night....I met up with Courtney at Atkins around 4:00 and we headed to Little Rock in my truck. We got there early, and walked around Dickey Stephens Park and then across the bridge. We were going to visit the Old State House, but it was closed. Then we went inside the Peabody to look at the ducks, but they weren't there. At this point we headed back and went on to the concert. We stood in line so she could buy her friend a t-shirt. The opening band, the Lost Trailers, were extremely forgettable; thankfully they only did like 5 or 6 songs. Then Lady Antebellum played for about 45 minutes. I really like some of their stuff. After a long intermission, Tim McGraw started playing. He did 24 songs over the next 100 minutes or so. It was a great show. The best part, to me, was just hanging out with Courtney all night. :) We got back to Atkins around 12:30 or so.
Saturday, 4/10 - I didn't really do a whole lot today, I don't think. Uploaded pictures, watched the news about the Polish tragedy in Russia, watched the Arkansas Derby. When Courtney said she wasn't going to do anything with me that day, I drove back to Louisville after the Arkansas Derby. I left at like 6 p.m. Ugh. Such a longer drive at night, it seems. I pulled over at a rest stop somewhere just north of Bowling Green and slept for about four hours early Sunday morning.
Sunday, 4/11 and Monday, 4/12 - All I've done these two days is sleep, upload pictures, go to class, do a little homework, and think too much.
Random thoughts:
Tuesday, 3/30 - Studied at Waterfront Park before class. Sat on a hill and looked down on the city, the river, the playground, the stadium, the arena, etc. It was also the first real springlike day. It was fantastic.
Wednesday, 3/31 - Disappointed with Lolla lineup (figure out by O's and R's and blank letters)
Thursday, 4/1 - Didn't do much of anything that I can recall.
Friday, 4/2 - Bought ticket to Reds/Cardinals game for next Wednesday! Went to a pool party at the clubhouse to get some food. I drove to Carmichael Bookstore with the windows down, listening to Widespread Panic in 80+ degree sunny weather so I could buy Maurya a giftcard. Then I went Maurya's birthday at the clubhouse. We ate cake and watched Sherlock Holmes.
Saturday, 4/3 - Final Four games: Butler v. Michigan State and Duke v. West Virginia. Gus Johnson Sound Board!
Sunday, 4/4 - Went to a church service at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian out on Brownsboro Road and I LOVED it. The message was about an "Earth-centered Easter" and talked about how much Christianity has strayed from a message of peace and love on earth to a empire and death for the hereafter. The preacher talked about the Crusades and how messed up Popes used to be and all that. He recited a Buddhist meditation. Also, in the "good news/bad news" thing, a young lesbian couple got a round of applause when they announced their engagement. After the service, I had my Easter dinner from the potluck. I also met a cool young family, especially the dad, Todd. It was the most enjoyable church service I can remember post-2004......That evening, I followed an epic fantasy hoop battle with Ryan. He, Justin, and I were all within a game of each other for first place. Justin went 4-1, and I beat Ryan 3-2, so now, in the last week of the season, I'm currently 0.5 games behind Justin and 1.5 games ahead of Ryan. I'm going up against the worst team in the league (Lane) whereas Ryan and Justin are going against each other. So if Ryan wins just 1 out of 5 categories against Justin, I win the league.
Monday, 4/5 - Watched the title game b/w Duke and Butler (Butler missed a last-second shot that would've won it).
Tuesday, 4/6 - A routine day.
Wednesday, 4/7 - After class, I drove up to Cincinnati. Well, Covington; my car actually never left Kentucky. I parked on the Covington side of the river, walked over the bridge, and went to the Reds game. It was a lot of fun. I had $7 tickets but just sat wherever I wanted to. I ended up sitting a few rows up from third base, fairly close to a Lutheran minister from Indiana (Cards fan) and a middle-aged Reds fan. The game itself went great. The Cardinals won 6-3, Wainwright got the W, Franklin the S. It was tied 2-2 in the 7th before Albert Pujols' RBI single and Matt Holliday's RBI double gave the Cardinals four runs in the top of the 7th. After Kyle McClellan gave up a run, Franklin held on for the save. As for GABP, it lived up to what I'd read about it: nice place, not one of the best, but certainly not one of the worst. The food was great (Penn Station and Skyline Chili? Yes please), the setting next to the Ohio was cool, I loved the tradition (statues, mosaics, etc.), and the Power Stacks were a nice, unique touch. Still felt like something was missing, though. But overall, it was a nice experience. Fireworks show after the game. Courtney and I texted a lot this night =) I ran into some storms on the way back, but nothing major.
Thursday, 4/8 - Last class of Healthcare Systems! I came back to my apartment then went by Great Escape to pick a few CDs, then made the drive home. I stopped by in Conway to hang out with Dean and Katy at Sonic for awhile. Good to see them. We talked of school, their honeymoon, wedding plans, etc. Then as I left Conway, I talked on the phone with a special girl for like 20 minutes. :D
Friday, 4/9 - In the early afternoon, I drove out to Dardanelle to get a haircut at Benny and Matt's. From there, I went back to Appleton, where I hung out with Beth, Malissa, Ted, Aubrey, and Connor. It was so nice to see them for awhile. I can't believe how fast Beth's kids are growing. After that, I went and talked to Grandpa, Granny, and Ed for a good little while on the front porch. Such a nice feeling. That night....I met up with Courtney at Atkins around 4:00 and we headed to Little Rock in my truck. We got there early, and walked around Dickey Stephens Park and then across the bridge. We were going to visit the Old State House, but it was closed. Then we went inside the Peabody to look at the ducks, but they weren't there. At this point we headed back and went on to the concert. We stood in line so she could buy her friend a t-shirt. The opening band, the Lost Trailers, were extremely forgettable; thankfully they only did like 5 or 6 songs. Then Lady Antebellum played for about 45 minutes. I really like some of their stuff. After a long intermission, Tim McGraw started playing. He did 24 songs over the next 100 minutes or so. It was a great show. The best part, to me, was just hanging out with Courtney all night. :) We got back to Atkins around 12:30 or so.
Saturday, 4/10 - I didn't really do a whole lot today, I don't think. Uploaded pictures, watched the news about the Polish tragedy in Russia, watched the Arkansas Derby. When Courtney said she wasn't going to do anything with me that day, I drove back to Louisville after the Arkansas Derby. I left at like 6 p.m. Ugh. Such a longer drive at night, it seems. I pulled over at a rest stop somewhere just north of Bowling Green and slept for about four hours early Sunday morning.
Sunday, 4/11 and Monday, 4/12 - All I've done these two days is sleep, upload pictures, go to class, do a little homework, and think too much.
Random thoughts:
- Mainly I've been suffering through Ethical Theory work. I have GOT to get out of this program. It is absolutely killing my desire to learn, it's completely pointless, and I feel like I'm losing intelligence every single day.
- I have absolutely no self-esteem.
- I can't put into words how excited I am that John Nolan and Shaun Cooper have rejoined Taking Back Sunday, meaning the "Tell All Your Friends" TBS is now back together. YES.
- I had the potential for something amazing and I'm scared to death I blew it.
- GLEE TOMORROW!
- I can't believe the tragedy about the Polish presidential plane in Russia. Wow.
- I've spent way too much time the past few days uploading pics on facebook, but at least I'm finally caught up now.
- It's almost Derby time here in the Ville!!!!! Thunder is this weekend. How on earth am I supposed to get any schoolwork done? Oy. I'd best bust my butt the remainder of this week before the party starts.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Eurotrip recap
So I posted this on Xanga and Facebook awhile back but I'll add it on here.
Thursday, 3/18 - I woke up around 7:00 and headed to Little Rock with mom and Caiden shortly thereafter. After a quick stop at granny and grandpa's, we were on our way. We detoured on 365 through Mayflower and Maumelle due to interstate traffic, but even so we were able to make it to the airport by 9:15. On the flight from LIT to CLT, I said next to a grandma from Stuttgart who was taking her daughter and granddaughters to Rome, Paris, and London. The first day of March Madness was today. I was able to watch a little bit of Florida/BYU, Robert Morris/Villanova, and Murray State/Vanderbilt at the airport before leaving. On the flight from CLT to MUN, I sat in seat 43A next to Mrs. Chiolino. I watched an awesome Indian movie called Tum Mile, and I'm actually typing this somewhere over the Atlantic.
Friday, 3/19 - I slept for maybe two hours on the plane. I also watched an hour of The Invention of Lying; I wasn't able to finish it due to us landing. I am currently in the Munich airport waiting to start the day. We leave for Budapest at 11 (it is currently 9:30) *later edit* When we arrived at Budapest, we didn't have to go through customs (we're definitely not in the U.S. anymore), and were met by Paula our tour guide. We suffered through an awful drive to the hotel (we went in circles, basically) then walked to Millenium Monument/Heroes Square. In our 15 minutes of free time there, I walked by Vajdahunyad Castle and Szechenyi Baths. Then the group walked down Andrassy Street. The high schoolers and I stopped at Burger King, haha. Then the group went through part of Vaci Utca. I split from the group to walk by Inner City Parish Church before loading the bus to go to dinner. It takes us an hour to get to dinner. We passed the same museum THREE TIMES; I'm beginning to think Vaclav, our driver, is rather clueless. Anyway, we ate dinner at "Veranda," or something like that. I sat with Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach. Very good mushroom soup. After getting back to the hotel, I set out for Margaret Island alone at night. I improvised with a security guard by stomping and pointing to my feet to show him that I only want to talk around the park (free) rather than park a car (pay). I saw all the old ruins and such. The views over the Danube as seen from Margaret Bridge were gorgeous. On the way back to the hotel, I met two attractive Hungarian girls downtown who asked me for money so they could buy a drink. I said "I can't speak Hungarian" in Hungarian, and then they started talking in English. However, aware of schemes like that, I politely declined and said I had none. While walking back up Vaci Ut, a guy tried to ask me a question but I didn't understand. A few feet later he came back and said, "have time?" We tried to do a little conversation up Vaci Ut. He also helped point me in the right direction when the road split, and I gave my appreciation by saying, "Kussi!" which I learned earlier means thanks. I stopped at a random hole-in-the-wall to get a drink. I apparently butchered "one Arany, please" because some Hungarian guys behind me laughed. They were mostly nice, though. And the lady who ran the bar was awesome. I don't think she spoke any English, but she let me in just as she was locking up and served me with a smile.
Saturday, 3/20 - In the morning, we drove around Budapest, with our guide G____ (I forgot his name). We went to the Heroes Square for a minute, then drove around by the Vajdahunyad Castle, the zoo, and the Szechnyi Baths before one more time to Heroes Square. I was afraid the day was going to suck at this point, but he later turned out to be quite a good tour guide. We drove down Andrassy, eventually to the Great Synagogue. Then it was a drive-by the incredibly fantastic Parliament (freaking huge) before crossing the bridge and going to the Citadella for a stunning panoramic view of Budapest. We got out for a little while then and took some pictures there. Then we drove down to Castle Hill, where we stopped at a minute at the Royal Palace, walking about the white house (Sándor Palace) and eventually going to the Mátias Church. It was pretty cool. Loved the multiocolour roofs. Then, we drove out to the Elizabeth Bridge for some free time from 12ish-4:30. My free time consisted of me walking up Vaci Utca and having lunch (gholoush, kolbasz, Dreher) at a little cafe; browseing the central market hall, amused by all the meat and paprika stores; walking across Liberty Bridge to the Cave Church and Gallert Spa; going to the Hungarian National Museum, which had an absolutely amazing photography exhibit; walking and taking the tram to the majestic St. Stephen's Basilica; and finally walking through Vaci Utca (where I saw guys playing soccer) before getting back on the bus. The group rode out to a boat, took a Danube Cruise (I mostly hung out with the four Dardanelle kids)and then ate dinner (vegetable soup/gholash/rice/dessert) on a different boat (I sat with Mrs. Tipton and Mrs. Burroughs though I talked to the kids behind me a lot). Then we took the bus back to hotel. A few minutes later, I walked with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Jake, and Zach down Vaci Ut to the West End shopping centre with a goal of finding "the most beautiful McDonalds in the world," as described by our guide, Paula. We browsed through West End stores for a bit before eventually finding the McDonalds next to the train station. It was a pretty nice one, I must admit. I had a nagy shake and Jake had some ice cream but the rest didn't eat anything. Afterwards, we attempted to catch a Metro ride, but that fell through when I couldn't understand the operator guy because a) he knew no English, and b) I couldn't understand him through the microphone. So, we just walked back (regrettably; I wanted to ride the metro anyway).
Sunday, 3/21 - This was the day of our bus ride from Budapest through Slovakia en route to Kraków. After a couple hours in the Hungarian countryside (which is very pretty), we stopped at Slovakian border at gas station which charged 20 euros to use the bathroom (we found another one a little bit down the road instead) and get our money changed if desired (I didn't; ATMs only for me, thanks). We got further and further into Slovakia. You could tell it's still catching up to the development of Western Europe. The largest town we passed was Banská-Bystrica at the foot of the Tatras. As we got into the mountains, increasingly more snow appeared. The Tatras are beautiful. Eventually we stopped at Sport Hotel Donovaly for a nice lunch. I sat Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach again. Lunch was chicken noodle soup and chicken/rice then ice cream. Then, the long drive continued. I sat next to Mrs. Tipton the entire day. Paula showed the Boy in the Striped Pajamas on the last leg of the journey. After checking into our hotel, the entire Dardanelle group walked around Old Town Kraków. We stumbled upon some random/creepy church service/protest in the street. I attempted to ask four Polish policemen if they spoke English (in Polish!) but none did well enough to tell us what was going on. We eventually got ice cream things at an awesome little place on the square (Slotki Wentzl). I got tiramisu, Katherine got a creme boulet, Zach got a Pinokio, Jake got some sort of bear, Mrs. Burroughs got a cappucino, Mrs. Tipton a scoop of ice cream, and Hailey an iced coffee. *edit* So I looked up St. Mary's Church's website and found this: "Academic Way of the Cross through the streets of Kraków, run by Fr. Cardinal. Stanislaw Dziwisz In Defense of the Holy Cross 21 March 2010; Time 19.30. The Mass; 20:15. Getting Started; Way of the Cross; Stations of the Cross Meditations; -Fr. Card. Stanislaw Nagy; St. Nicholas' Cathedral. Anne Street. St. Anne's 11 at Krakwie." So apparently that was the creepy thing we saw.
Monday, 3/22 - In the morning we went to Kazimierz (the old Jewish part of town) with our tour guide Tomasz. Highlights included the Old Synagogue, Isaac Synagogue, Ariel Restaurant (where Spielberg/Neeson/Fiennes alledgely ate almost everyday while filming Schindler's List). From there it was off to Wawel Hill. We walked up to Castle, saw the fire-breathing dragon statue and a beautiful view of the city, visited the Wawel Cathedral (climbed up to the Sigismund Bell, saw the sarcophagus of Jagiellan, a cool statue of JP2, etc.). Afterwards we had free time in Old Town. I went to Pizzeria Pronto with Zach, the Collins', Mrs. Chiolino, Mrs. Ivey, and had some sort of pierogi. Then I walked around with Zach for the half hour or so we had left. We saw the Franciscan Church, Cloth Hall, and St. Mary's Church. Then the group took a bus to tour Auschwitz I, where we met our guide. After spending a couple of hours there, we rode the bus over to Birkenau, a couple of kilometers away. It was a lot more like the image of a concentration camp I had in mind than Auschwitz I was. Zach and I walked down the tracks to memorial after the guided tour of a couple of old buildings. Then the group rode back to the hotel to have dinner. Afterwards, I went with Hailey, Jake, Zack, Mrs. Chiolino, Mrs. Ivey, and some kid from Alabama to walk around the Old Town (approached by random cigarette guy, looked for soccer shops) before going back to the ice cream place. I had a cherry tort (ahhhh I'm eating so unhealthy on this trip). We just messed around in the Old Town before going back to the hotel.
Tuesday, 3/23 - I started off by running a little late; I thought we were leaving at 8:30, but it turned out to be 8:15. Oops. About 20 of the group went out to the Wieliczka salt mines. All of the Dardanelle adults except Mrs. Burrougs went. Apparently the kids just walked around shopping and such. The caverns were amazing. We had to take 350 steps of stairs down, haha. I spent the last bit of time talking to a cute girl from Colorado. Then we all had to take a tiny, cramped, super-fast elevator up (six people at a time). On the way back to the hotel, we went by Oskar Schindler's old factory. I definitely have to watch Schindler's List again soon now. I left immediately after we got back to the hotel go to some museums and then the soccer stadia. I went by the Collegium Maius at Jagiellan University of Kraków around 1:30. However, I saw that tours after 2:00 were free, so I decided to wait 'til then. I went to grab some lunch, and just as I left the building, I saw that Hailey had called me. So I went to meet up with her and the guys at the Cloth Hall. They'd already had lunch, so I stopped by a kebab place/hole-in-the-wall and got something called a Zapiekanka (a foot-long piece of toasted bread with cheese, mushrooms, and ketchup). We were all gonna go to a museum and then the stadiums, but they went back to the hotel to meet their new friend Zane from NC, leaving me to go back to JUK alone. You had to have a guided tour, which in my case at 2:20 consisted of me and the guide. Kind of awkward, but overall pretty cool. Lots of old relics there, included some related to Copernicus, Jagiella, John Paul II, etc. I stopped by the "English Football Club" on the way back to the hotel to get a Carlsberg beforehand (I thought Hailey said Zane wouldn't be there at the hotel til 4). At the bar, I saw an advertisement for "Wisla Kraków v. Lechia Gdansk" on TV at 8:00 tonight. Whaaaaaat? Anyway, I went back to the hotel at like 3:10 under the impression I had plenty of time. But as it turns out, he was going to be there at 3, and I got there just in time to have Hailey run back to get me. So we left. The group of us (me, Hailey, Jake, Zach, Zane, and the boy from Alabama) all headed to the two soccer stadia. By this point I'd decided to forfeit the National Museum since we were running kind of late (and I was only going there because the museum I wanted to see, Czartoryski Museum with the Da Vinci work, was closed). It was about a 45-minute walk out to the Cracovia stadium. We could see the Wisla stadium from there, but it took some work to get around it. We walked down an abandoned old run-down street that scared Hailey and maybe Zane so they initially turned back, but we convinced them to forge ahead. We walked all around the stadium and, much to the chagrin of Jake and I (who wanted to visit the team shop), kept going back to the hotel and arrived at like 5:30, after walking around the Planty and eventually the Barbican and Forian Gate. Dinner was at 6:30. In the time between, I looked up the Wisla v. Lechia game and found that it was a Polish Cup quarterfinal match, hence the reason I'd missed it when I'd looked at the Polish league schedule earlier. So I got my hopes up, but the concierge guy said he called the office and said they said tickets were sold out. Had I been on my own I would've attempted to go and buy one off the street, but since I was with a group, I couldn't. I was pissed off. The entire Dardanelle group went to that ice cream place again at 8:00, but I was so mad I didn't want to be around them. So instead, I left and went in search of a place to watch the Wisla game. I don't even know the name of the place where I finally went, but it was okay. I had a Tyskie and watched Wisla lose 1-3. I got back to the hotel a little after 10 and hung out with the kids for a few minutes before going out and walking around the old town square one last time.
Wed, 3/24 - We hit the road around 8 and headed west. After driving through southwest Poland, we crossed the Czech border, though we had a delay when the police checked our bus driver's info. We got to the old town of Olomouc shortly after 1. Our group got out and walked into the old square with a huge trinity column and a magnificent city hall. We were told we had like an hour to wander around; so, of course, I did. At first I went east (?) to another old square. I found an ATM and some nice statues/fountains. Then I went back to the main square and headed northwest (?) along some backstreets, saw some beautiful churches and houses and buildings. I eventually turned back around only to find out I was completely lost (in regards to which street to take; I knew I needed to go south). I soon found myself walking in a park alongside a river, with what looked to be old town walls around it. It was so great. I thought I was gonna be late, but I ended up finding the main town square around ten minutes before I was supposed to be back. I ran into Thomas and some other Carolina people before going to find some quick food. I saw a place selling smyrna syr (?) and french fries, so I settled on that unhealthy creation (good thing I'm walking a lot or else I'd be gaining 40 pounds this week). I then walked back to the main square, and we left after taking group pictures. The Czech countryside was stunningly gorgeous. We rolled into Prague right around sundown. After we'd checked into the hotel and had dinner, the group walked by the Novy Smichov mall and took the tram from Andél to Malostranské Námesti. We walked across Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) and into the old town. After being awed by the street shops, we found our way to the Old Town Square. Then the group walked to Mustov and took a metro ride home, but I, of course, stayed and explored some more. I walked down Wenceslaus Square (Václavské Námesti), looking at the shops and views and whatnot. I stopped at the end to eat at *sigh* McDonalds (I hate myself for that). The view of the National Museum was extraordinary. What a fantastic building. Then looking back down the square from the Wenceslaus Statue, wow. Just imagining it being filled with hundreds of thousands of people gave you chills. I saw the Victims of Communism plaque and then the balcony from where Havel and Dubcek addresses the crowds in 1989. I walked back to the Old Town Square, where I looked at a bunch of Franz Kafka-related sites. Very cool. I walked back across Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town. My first stop there was the Lennon Wall, which was absolutely amazing. I stayed for like 30 minutes there. I then went by the U.S. Embassy at the Shoenborn Palace on my way to the Nerudova street houses. I walked by the church with the baby Jesus of Prague on my way back to the hotel. I got to my room around 1:30 and after getting on my laptop for awhile down in the lobby (I didn't use it in my room so as to not wake Thomas), I got into bed around 2:00.
Thu, 3/25 - The Group got on bus, drove by Strahov, and eventually arrived at Castle, where we were met by tour guide Karolina around 9 a.m. Hailey developed a kidney stone on the bus, though, and had to go to hospital, so she, Mrs. Collins, and Coach Collins weren't able to go with us. I felt bad for them =( Well we went through the first courtyard and took some pictures with castle guards; they're like the ones who can't move at Buckingham Palace (only without the ridiculous hats). We then went through the second courtyard (built largely by Maria Theresa) and began our tour of St. Vitus' Cathedral, which was absolutely incredible. You have to see the pictures. After that, we walked down the Golden Lane and visited some of the little shops on our way to the Dalibor Tower/dungeon. We then left the castle grounds (we never actually went inside the Royal Palace, which frustrated me to no end) and walked through a little section of Lesser Town before walking across Charles Bridge. One notable street performer we saw was a guy on a deridgedoo who was pretty good. We then went through the Old Town again, and were free to go on our own after like 12:15. I did a quick walk-through the Easter Marker and got a couple of souvenirs, had a quick power lunch of a slice of pizza and Gambrinus, then headed to the Museum of Communism, which was pretty cool. I then walked over to the Powder Tower and Municipal House, the place where Kafka worked, the Estates Theatre (where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni), and Charles University (my future home?). Karlova University's location is absolutely incredible, though the facilities aren't all that great. I then stopped by a few little shops before going back to the Old Town Square. Then it was off to Maiselova Street and the Jewish town. Unfortunately, I got to the place to buy tickets to the Jewish Museum just as it was closing at 4:30. Oh well. I at least saw the exterior of the synagogues and other places, and discovered a hole from which I could look in at the Cemetery (the main attraction of the museum). So it worked out anyway, I suppose. Ironically, the "ghetto" now has the stores like Gucci, Louis Vitton, Burberry, Prada, etc. I got back to the Easter Market/Old Town Square, where I ran into Zack and Jake and the other guys for the first time in a few hours at a little after 5. Then I remembered the Bethlehem Chapel, the place where Jan Hus preached, and tried to make it there. Unfortunately, the church interior closed at 5:30, and I got there at 5:33. I at least saw the exterior. I then headed back to the Old Town Square (common theme here) to meet up with the group for dinner. Sadly, I got there at 6:03, and missed the Astronomical Clock show at 6:00 =( I sat with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Mrs. Chiolino, and Mrs. Ivey at dinner. We had Czech gulas (beef, potatoes, bread) that was pretty dang good. I wanted to go explore the city more and perhaps see a musical performance, but I was told by our tour guide Paula that Mrs. Collins wanted everyone back at the hotel. Suckage. So I went back and soon thereafter decided to walk around Smichov a bit (I hate staying in hotels while on holiday for any time other than when I'm sleeping). I ran into my roommate Thomas at the mall, and when I saw the Tesco, a light went off that they might have Jaffa Cakes. I looked and looked but eventually could only find a Serbian variation. Though not quite like the English kind that I like so much, they're still good. I got four packs' worth, haha. Then I went back to the hotel and went to bed around 11.
Fri, 3/26 - Wake up around 4:00 a.m. (!!!) and got on the bus to the airport. Upon arrival, I went to the restroom and briefly saw a mini-exhibit about TVs/radios/computers. Our flights were from Prague-Munich (30 mins), a 3 hour layover, then Munich-Charlotte (~9 hours), a 5-hour layover, then Charlotte-Little Rock (~2 hours). On the transatlantic flight, I watched Pope Joan (Die Paepstin), An Education, More Than a Game (LeBron James high school documentary), finished The Invention of Lying. and I think something else. When we got to Charlotte, the four high schoolers and I went to eat at Chili's. nom nom nom. Now I'm chilling in Gate E at CLT, trying to decide if I want to attempt a recap of my two days in Prague or just watch Tennessee/Ohio State on the computer before we board the plane. I'm thinking the ladder, so peace. *edit* The guy I sat next to on the MUN-CLT plane and I didn't say a word to each other the whole flight (yay for no awkward conversations). On the CLT-LIT flight, I sat next to a Chi Omega from Fayetteville and we shared a decent conversation. There were 40 of them coming back from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. At CLT, I had talked to my friend Courtney a bit, and she asked if I'd like to watch a movie, and since I haven't seen her in forever, of course I did. Unfortunately, it took us forever to get our bags at LIT and my mom and brother had left way too early so they couldn't bring my truck to Atkins, so it would've been like 2:00 before I got to her house. And by then it was too late. FML. So I got home and went to bed around 2.
Thursday, 3/18 - I woke up around 7:00 and headed to Little Rock with mom and Caiden shortly thereafter. After a quick stop at granny and grandpa's, we were on our way. We detoured on 365 through Mayflower and Maumelle due to interstate traffic, but even so we were able to make it to the airport by 9:15. On the flight from LIT to CLT, I said next to a grandma from Stuttgart who was taking her daughter and granddaughters to Rome, Paris, and London. The first day of March Madness was today. I was able to watch a little bit of Florida/BYU, Robert Morris/Villanova, and Murray State/Vanderbilt at the airport before leaving. On the flight from CLT to MUN, I sat in seat 43A next to Mrs. Chiolino. I watched an awesome Indian movie called Tum Mile, and I'm actually typing this somewhere over the Atlantic.
Friday, 3/19 - I slept for maybe two hours on the plane. I also watched an hour of The Invention of Lying; I wasn't able to finish it due to us landing. I am currently in the Munich airport waiting to start the day. We leave for Budapest at 11 (it is currently 9:30) *later edit* When we arrived at Budapest, we didn't have to go through customs (we're definitely not in the U.S. anymore), and were met by Paula our tour guide. We suffered through an awful drive to the hotel (we went in circles, basically) then walked to Millenium Monument/Heroes Square. In our 15 minutes of free time there, I walked by Vajdahunyad Castle and Szechenyi Baths. Then the group walked down Andrassy Street. The high schoolers and I stopped at Burger King, haha. Then the group went through part of Vaci Utca. I split from the group to walk by Inner City Parish Church before loading the bus to go to dinner. It takes us an hour to get to dinner. We passed the same museum THREE TIMES; I'm beginning to think Vaclav, our driver, is rather clueless. Anyway, we ate dinner at "Veranda," or something like that. I sat with Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach. Very good mushroom soup. After getting back to the hotel, I set out for Margaret Island alone at night. I improvised with a security guard by stomping and pointing to my feet to show him that I only want to talk around the park (free) rather than park a car (pay). I saw all the old ruins and such. The views over the Danube as seen from Margaret Bridge were gorgeous. On the way back to the hotel, I met two attractive Hungarian girls downtown who asked me for money so they could buy a drink. I said "I can't speak Hungarian" in Hungarian, and then they started talking in English. However, aware of schemes like that, I politely declined and said I had none. While walking back up Vaci Ut, a guy tried to ask me a question but I didn't understand. A few feet later he came back and said, "have time?" We tried to do a little conversation up Vaci Ut. He also helped point me in the right direction when the road split, and I gave my appreciation by saying, "Kussi!" which I learned earlier means thanks. I stopped at a random hole-in-the-wall to get a drink. I apparently butchered "one Arany, please" because some Hungarian guys behind me laughed. They were mostly nice, though. And the lady who ran the bar was awesome. I don't think she spoke any English, but she let me in just as she was locking up and served me with a smile.
Saturday, 3/20 - In the morning, we drove around Budapest, with our guide G____ (I forgot his name). We went to the Heroes Square for a minute, then drove around by the Vajdahunyad Castle, the zoo, and the Szechnyi Baths before one more time to Heroes Square. I was afraid the day was going to suck at this point, but he later turned out to be quite a good tour guide. We drove down Andrassy, eventually to the Great Synagogue. Then it was a drive-by the incredibly fantastic Parliament (freaking huge) before crossing the bridge and going to the Citadella for a stunning panoramic view of Budapest. We got out for a little while then and took some pictures there. Then we drove down to Castle Hill, where we stopped at a minute at the Royal Palace, walking about the white house (Sándor Palace) and eventually going to the Mátias Church. It was pretty cool. Loved the multiocolour roofs. Then, we drove out to the Elizabeth Bridge for some free time from 12ish-4:30. My free time consisted of me walking up Vaci Utca and having lunch (gholoush, kolbasz, Dreher) at a little cafe; browseing the central market hall, amused by all the meat and paprika stores; walking across Liberty Bridge to the Cave Church and Gallert Spa; going to the Hungarian National Museum, which had an absolutely amazing photography exhibit; walking and taking the tram to the majestic St. Stephen's Basilica; and finally walking through Vaci Utca (where I saw guys playing soccer) before getting back on the bus. The group rode out to a boat, took a Danube Cruise (I mostly hung out with the four Dardanelle kids)and then ate dinner (vegetable soup/gholash/rice/dessert) on a different boat (I sat with Mrs. Tipton and Mrs. Burroughs though I talked to the kids behind me a lot). Then we took the bus back to hotel. A few minutes later, I walked with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Jake, and Zach down Vaci Ut to the West End shopping centre with a goal of finding "the most beautiful McDonalds in the world," as described by our guide, Paula. We browsed through West End stores for a bit before eventually finding the McDonalds next to the train station. It was a pretty nice one, I must admit. I had a nagy shake and Jake had some ice cream but the rest didn't eat anything. Afterwards, we attempted to catch a Metro ride, but that fell through when I couldn't understand the operator guy because a) he knew no English, and b) I couldn't understand him through the microphone. So, we just walked back (regrettably; I wanted to ride the metro anyway).
Sunday, 3/21 - This was the day of our bus ride from Budapest through Slovakia en route to Kraków. After a couple hours in the Hungarian countryside (which is very pretty), we stopped at Slovakian border at gas station which charged 20 euros to use the bathroom (we found another one a little bit down the road instead) and get our money changed if desired (I didn't; ATMs only for me, thanks). We got further and further into Slovakia. You could tell it's still catching up to the development of Western Europe. The largest town we passed was Banská-Bystrica at the foot of the Tatras. As we got into the mountains, increasingly more snow appeared. The Tatras are beautiful. Eventually we stopped at Sport Hotel Donovaly for a nice lunch. I sat Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach again. Lunch was chicken noodle soup and chicken/rice then ice cream. Then, the long drive continued. I sat next to Mrs. Tipton the entire day. Paula showed the Boy in the Striped Pajamas on the last leg of the journey. After checking into our hotel, the entire Dardanelle group walked around Old Town Kraków. We stumbled upon some random/creepy church service/protest in the street. I attempted to ask four Polish policemen if they spoke English (in Polish!) but none did well enough to tell us what was going on. We eventually got ice cream things at an awesome little place on the square (Slotki Wentzl). I got tiramisu, Katherine got a creme boulet, Zach got a Pinokio, Jake got some sort of bear, Mrs. Burroughs got a cappucino, Mrs. Tipton a scoop of ice cream, and Hailey an iced coffee. *edit* So I looked up St. Mary's Church's website and found this: "Academic Way of the Cross through the streets of Kraków, run by Fr. Cardinal. Stanislaw Dziwisz In Defense of the Holy Cross 21 March 2010; Time 19.30. The Mass; 20:15. Getting Started; Way of the Cross; Stations of the Cross Meditations; -Fr. Card. Stanislaw Nagy; St. Nicholas' Cathedral. Anne Street. St. Anne's 11 at Krakwie." So apparently that was the creepy thing we saw.
Monday, 3/22 - In the morning we went to Kazimierz (the old Jewish part of town) with our tour guide Tomasz. Highlights included the Old Synagogue, Isaac Synagogue, Ariel Restaurant (where Spielberg/Neeson/Fiennes alledgely ate almost everyday while filming Schindler's List). From there it was off to Wawel Hill. We walked up to Castle, saw the fire-breathing dragon statue and a beautiful view of the city, visited the Wawel Cathedral (climbed up to the Sigismund Bell, saw the sarcophagus of Jagiellan, a cool statue of JP2, etc.). Afterwards we had free time in Old Town. I went to Pizzeria Pronto with Zach, the Collins', Mrs. Chiolino, Mrs. Ivey, and had some sort of pierogi. Then I walked around with Zach for the half hour or so we had left. We saw the Franciscan Church, Cloth Hall, and St. Mary's Church. Then the group took a bus to tour Auschwitz I, where we met our guide. After spending a couple of hours there, we rode the bus over to Birkenau, a couple of kilometers away. It was a lot more like the image of a concentration camp I had in mind than Auschwitz I was. Zach and I walked down the tracks to memorial after the guided tour of a couple of old buildings. Then the group rode back to the hotel to have dinner. Afterwards, I went with Hailey, Jake, Zack, Mrs. Chiolino, Mrs. Ivey, and some kid from Alabama to walk around the Old Town (approached by random cigarette guy, looked for soccer shops) before going back to the ice cream place. I had a cherry tort (ahhhh I'm eating so unhealthy on this trip). We just messed around in the Old Town before going back to the hotel.
Tuesday, 3/23 - I started off by running a little late; I thought we were leaving at 8:30, but it turned out to be 8:15. Oops. About 20 of the group went out to the Wieliczka salt mines. All of the Dardanelle adults except Mrs. Burrougs went. Apparently the kids just walked around shopping and such. The caverns were amazing. We had to take 350 steps of stairs down, haha. I spent the last bit of time talking to a cute girl from Colorado. Then we all had to take a tiny, cramped, super-fast elevator up (six people at a time). On the way back to the hotel, we went by Oskar Schindler's old factory. I definitely have to watch Schindler's List again soon now. I left immediately after we got back to the hotel go to some museums and then the soccer stadia. I went by the Collegium Maius at Jagiellan University of Kraków around 1:30. However, I saw that tours after 2:00 were free, so I decided to wait 'til then. I went to grab some lunch, and just as I left the building, I saw that Hailey had called me. So I went to meet up with her and the guys at the Cloth Hall. They'd already had lunch, so I stopped by a kebab place/hole-in-the-wall and got something called a Zapiekanka (a foot-long piece of toasted bread with cheese, mushrooms, and ketchup). We were all gonna go to a museum and then the stadiums, but they went back to the hotel to meet their new friend Zane from NC, leaving me to go back to JUK alone. You had to have a guided tour, which in my case at 2:20 consisted of me and the guide. Kind of awkward, but overall pretty cool. Lots of old relics there, included some related to Copernicus, Jagiella, John Paul II, etc. I stopped by the "English Football Club" on the way back to the hotel to get a Carlsberg beforehand (I thought Hailey said Zane wouldn't be there at the hotel til 4). At the bar, I saw an advertisement for "Wisla Kraków v. Lechia Gdansk" on TV at 8:00 tonight. Whaaaaaat? Anyway, I went back to the hotel at like 3:10 under the impression I had plenty of time. But as it turns out, he was going to be there at 3, and I got there just in time to have Hailey run back to get me. So we left. The group of us (me, Hailey, Jake, Zach, Zane, and the boy from Alabama) all headed to the two soccer stadia. By this point I'd decided to forfeit the National Museum since we were running kind of late (and I was only going there because the museum I wanted to see, Czartoryski Museum with the Da Vinci work, was closed). It was about a 45-minute walk out to the Cracovia stadium. We could see the Wisla stadium from there, but it took some work to get around it. We walked down an abandoned old run-down street that scared Hailey and maybe Zane so they initially turned back, but we convinced them to forge ahead. We walked all around the stadium and, much to the chagrin of Jake and I (who wanted to visit the team shop), kept going back to the hotel and arrived at like 5:30, after walking around the Planty and eventually the Barbican and Forian Gate. Dinner was at 6:30. In the time between, I looked up the Wisla v. Lechia game and found that it was a Polish Cup quarterfinal match, hence the reason I'd missed it when I'd looked at the Polish league schedule earlier. So I got my hopes up, but the concierge guy said he called the office and said they said tickets were sold out. Had I been on my own I would've attempted to go and buy one off the street, but since I was with a group, I couldn't. I was pissed off. The entire Dardanelle group went to that ice cream place again at 8:00, but I was so mad I didn't want to be around them. So instead, I left and went in search of a place to watch the Wisla game. I don't even know the name of the place where I finally went, but it was okay. I had a Tyskie and watched Wisla lose 1-3. I got back to the hotel a little after 10 and hung out with the kids for a few minutes before going out and walking around the old town square one last time.
Wed, 3/24 - We hit the road around 8 and headed west. After driving through southwest Poland, we crossed the Czech border, though we had a delay when the police checked our bus driver's info. We got to the old town of Olomouc shortly after 1. Our group got out and walked into the old square with a huge trinity column and a magnificent city hall. We were told we had like an hour to wander around; so, of course, I did. At first I went east (?) to another old square. I found an ATM and some nice statues/fountains. Then I went back to the main square and headed northwest (?) along some backstreets, saw some beautiful churches and houses and buildings. I eventually turned back around only to find out I was completely lost (in regards to which street to take; I knew I needed to go south). I soon found myself walking in a park alongside a river, with what looked to be old town walls around it. It was so great. I thought I was gonna be late, but I ended up finding the main town square around ten minutes before I was supposed to be back. I ran into Thomas and some other Carolina people before going to find some quick food. I saw a place selling smyrna syr (?) and french fries, so I settled on that unhealthy creation (good thing I'm walking a lot or else I'd be gaining 40 pounds this week). I then walked back to the main square, and we left after taking group pictures. The Czech countryside was stunningly gorgeous. We rolled into Prague right around sundown. After we'd checked into the hotel and had dinner, the group walked by the Novy Smichov mall and took the tram from Andél to Malostranské Námesti. We walked across Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) and into the old town. After being awed by the street shops, we found our way to the Old Town Square. Then the group walked to Mustov and took a metro ride home, but I, of course, stayed and explored some more. I walked down Wenceslaus Square (Václavské Námesti), looking at the shops and views and whatnot. I stopped at the end to eat at *sigh* McDonalds (I hate myself for that). The view of the National Museum was extraordinary. What a fantastic building. Then looking back down the square from the Wenceslaus Statue, wow. Just imagining it being filled with hundreds of thousands of people gave you chills. I saw the Victims of Communism plaque and then the balcony from where Havel and Dubcek addresses the crowds in 1989. I walked back to the Old Town Square, where I looked at a bunch of Franz Kafka-related sites. Very cool. I walked back across Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town. My first stop there was the Lennon Wall, which was absolutely amazing. I stayed for like 30 minutes there. I then went by the U.S. Embassy at the Shoenborn Palace on my way to the Nerudova street houses. I walked by the church with the baby Jesus of Prague on my way back to the hotel. I got to my room around 1:30 and after getting on my laptop for awhile down in the lobby (I didn't use it in my room so as to not wake Thomas), I got into bed around 2:00.
Thu, 3/25 - The Group got on bus, drove by Strahov, and eventually arrived at Castle, where we were met by tour guide Karolina around 9 a.m. Hailey developed a kidney stone on the bus, though, and had to go to hospital, so she, Mrs. Collins, and Coach Collins weren't able to go with us. I felt bad for them =( Well we went through the first courtyard and took some pictures with castle guards; they're like the ones who can't move at Buckingham Palace (only without the ridiculous hats). We then went through the second courtyard (built largely by Maria Theresa) and began our tour of St. Vitus' Cathedral, which was absolutely incredible. You have to see the pictures. After that, we walked down the Golden Lane and visited some of the little shops on our way to the Dalibor Tower/dungeon. We then left the castle grounds (we never actually went inside the Royal Palace, which frustrated me to no end) and walked through a little section of Lesser Town before walking across Charles Bridge. One notable street performer we saw was a guy on a deridgedoo who was pretty good. We then went through the Old Town again, and were free to go on our own after like 12:15. I did a quick walk-through the Easter Marker and got a couple of souvenirs, had a quick power lunch of a slice of pizza and Gambrinus, then headed to the Museum of Communism, which was pretty cool. I then walked over to the Powder Tower and Municipal House, the place where Kafka worked, the Estates Theatre (where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni), and Charles University (my future home?). Karlova University's location is absolutely incredible, though the facilities aren't all that great. I then stopped by a few little shops before going back to the Old Town Square. Then it was off to Maiselova Street and the Jewish town. Unfortunately, I got to the place to buy tickets to the Jewish Museum just as it was closing at 4:30. Oh well. I at least saw the exterior of the synagogues and other places, and discovered a hole from which I could look in at the Cemetery (the main attraction of the museum). So it worked out anyway, I suppose. Ironically, the "ghetto" now has the stores like Gucci, Louis Vitton, Burberry, Prada, etc. I got back to the Easter Market/Old Town Square, where I ran into Zack and Jake and the other guys for the first time in a few hours at a little after 5. Then I remembered the Bethlehem Chapel, the place where Jan Hus preached, and tried to make it there. Unfortunately, the church interior closed at 5:30, and I got there at 5:33. I at least saw the exterior. I then headed back to the Old Town Square (common theme here) to meet up with the group for dinner. Sadly, I got there at 6:03, and missed the Astronomical Clock show at 6:00 =( I sat with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Mrs. Chiolino, and Mrs. Ivey at dinner. We had Czech gulas (beef, potatoes, bread) that was pretty dang good. I wanted to go explore the city more and perhaps see a musical performance, but I was told by our tour guide Paula that Mrs. Collins wanted everyone back at the hotel. Suckage. So I went back and soon thereafter decided to walk around Smichov a bit (I hate staying in hotels while on holiday for any time other than when I'm sleeping). I ran into my roommate Thomas at the mall, and when I saw the Tesco, a light went off that they might have Jaffa Cakes. I looked and looked but eventually could only find a Serbian variation. Though not quite like the English kind that I like so much, they're still good. I got four packs' worth, haha. Then I went back to the hotel and went to bed around 11.
Fri, 3/26 - Wake up around 4:00 a.m. (!!!) and got on the bus to the airport. Upon arrival, I went to the restroom and briefly saw a mini-exhibit about TVs/radios/computers. Our flights were from Prague-Munich (30 mins), a 3 hour layover, then Munich-Charlotte (~9 hours), a 5-hour layover, then Charlotte-Little Rock (~2 hours). On the transatlantic flight, I watched Pope Joan (Die Paepstin), An Education, More Than a Game (LeBron James high school documentary), finished The Invention of Lying. and I think something else. When we got to Charlotte, the four high schoolers and I went to eat at Chili's. nom nom nom. Now I'm chilling in Gate E at CLT, trying to decide if I want to attempt a recap of my two days in Prague or just watch Tennessee/Ohio State on the computer before we board the plane. I'm thinking the ladder, so peace. *edit* The guy I sat next to on the MUN-CLT plane and I didn't say a word to each other the whole flight (yay for no awkward conversations). On the CLT-LIT flight, I sat next to a Chi Omega from Fayetteville and we shared a decent conversation. There were 40 of them coming back from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. At CLT, I had talked to my friend Courtney a bit, and she asked if I'd like to watch a movie, and since I haven't seen her in forever, of course I did. Unfortunately, it took us forever to get our bags at LIT and my mom and brother had left way too early so they couldn't bring my truck to Atkins, so it would've been like 2:00 before I got to her house. And by then it was too late. FML. So I got home and went to bed around 2.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Really quick Eurotrip update so far.
This is basically a running blog from things I write down right before I go to bed at night. Obviously there needs some touching up (confirmation of place names I can't remember, etc.) but here's a general idea.
Thursday, 3/18 - Woke up around 7:00 and headed to Little Rock with mom and Caiden shortly thereafter. After a quick stop at granny and grandpa's, we were on our way. We detoured on 365 through Mayflower and Maumelle due to interstate traffic, but even so we were able to make it to the airport by 9:15..........On the flight from LIT to CLT, I said next to a grandma from Stuttgart who was taking her daughter and granddaughters to Rome, Paris, and London.........Florida/BYU, Robert Morris/Villanova, Murray State/Vanderbilt.........On the flight from CLT to MUN, I sat in seat 43A next to Mrs. Chiolino. I watched an awesome Indian movie called "Tum Mile," and I'm actually typing this somewhere over the Atlantic. *edit at MUN*
Friday, 3/19 - I slept for maybe two hours on the plane. I also watched an hour of "The Invention of Lying." I am currently in the Munich airport waiting to start the day. We leave for Budapest at 11 (it is currently 9:30)..........Arrived at Budapest, didn't go through customs (we're definitely not in the U.S. anymore), met by Paula our tour guide....suffer through an awful drive to the hotel (clueless bus driver, first example).........walk to Millenium Monument/Heroes Square; in our 15 minutes of free time there, I walk by Vajdahunyad Castle and Szechenyi Baths; then the group walks down Andrassy; Hailey, Jake, Zach, and I stop at Burger King; walk through part of Vaci Utca; I split from the group to walk by Inner City Parish Church; load bus to go to dinner; clueless bus driver strikes again, it takes us an hour to get to dinner (we passed the same museum THREE TIMES)..........dinner at Veranda or something like that. I sat with Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach. Good mushroom soup.........come back to hotel.........I set out for Margaret Island alone at night. Improvise with a security guard by stomping and pointing to my feet to show him that I only want to talk around the park (free) rather than park a car (pay). Then the views over the Danube as seen from Margaret Bridge.........On the way back, I met two attractive Hungarian girls on STREET? who asked me for money. I said "I can't speak Hungarian" in Hungarian, and then they started talking in English. Finally, while walking up Vaci Ut, a guy tried to ask me a question but I didn't understand. A few feet later he came back and said, "have time?" We tried to do a little conversation up Vaci Ut (though we didn't get very far). He helped point me in the right direction when the road split, and I gave my appreciation by saying, "Kussi!" which I learned earlier means thanks. Then I stopped at a random hole-in-the-wall bar and tried some Arany Ászok (so good!). I apparently butchered "one Arany, please" because some Hungarian guys behind me laughed. They were mostly nice, though. And the lady who ran the bar was awesome. I don't think she spoke any English, but she let me in as she was locking up and served me with a smile. I got home a few minutes later, watched a few minutes of the NCAA tournament on MMOD, and fell asleep soon thereafter.
Saturday, 3/20 - Drove around Budapest, with our guide G____. We went to the Heroes Square for a minute, then drove around by the Vajdahunyad Castle, the zoo, and the Szechnyi Baths before one more time to Heroes Square. I was afraid the day was going to suck at this point, but he later turned out to be quite a good tour guide. We drove down Andrassy, eventually to the Great Synagogue. Then it was a drive-by the incredibly fantastic Parliament (freaking huge) before crossing the bridge and going to the Citadella for a stunning panoramic view of Budapest. We got out for a little while then and took some pictures there. Then we drove down to Castle Hill, where we stopped at a minute at the Royal Palace, walking about the president's white house (NAME?) and eventually going to the Matias Church. It was pretty cool. Loved the multiocolour roofs. Then, we drove out to the Elizabeth Bridge for some free time from 12ish-4:30.........My free time: walked up Vaci Utca and had lunch (gholoush, kolbasz, Dreher) at a little cafe; browsed the central market hall, amused by all the meat and paprika stores; walked across Liberty Bridge to the Cave Church and Gallert (?) Spa, went to the Hungarian National Museum (amazing photography exhibit), walk/tram mixture to the majestic St. Stephen's Basilica, walked through Vaci Utca (saw guys playing soccer by NAME? Ter)........we rode bus out to a boat, took a Danube Cruise (I mostly hung out with the four Dardanelle kids), ate dinner (vegetable soup/gholash/rice/dessert) on a different boat (I sat with Mrs. Tipton and Mrs. Burroughs though I talked to the kids behind me a lot).........bus back to hotel.........walked with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Hailey, Jake, and Zach down Vaci Ut to West End shopping centre with a goal of finding "the most beautiful McDonalds in the world," as described by our guide, Paula. We browsed through West End for a bit before eventually finding the McDonalds next to the train station. It was a pretty nice one. I had a nagy shake and Jake had some ice cream. Afterwards, we attempted to catch a Metro ride, but that fell through when I couldn't understand the operator guy because a) he knew no English, and b) I couldn't understand him through the microphone. So, we walked back, regrettably.
Sunday, 3/21 - About to leave to drive through Slovakia all day en route to Krakow. w00t.
Thursday, 3/18 - Woke up around 7:00 and headed to Little Rock with mom and Caiden shortly thereafter. After a quick stop at granny and grandpa's, we were on our way. We detoured on 365 through Mayflower and Maumelle due to interstate traffic, but even so we were able to make it to the airport by 9:15..........On the flight from LIT to CLT, I said next to a grandma from Stuttgart who was taking her daughter and granddaughters to Rome, Paris, and London.........Florida/BYU, Robert Morris/Villanova, Murray State/Vanderbilt.........On the flight from CLT to MUN, I sat in seat 43A next to Mrs. Chiolino. I watched an awesome Indian movie called "Tum Mile," and I'm actually typing this somewhere over the Atlantic. *edit at MUN*
Friday, 3/19 - I slept for maybe two hours on the plane. I also watched an hour of "The Invention of Lying." I am currently in the Munich airport waiting to start the day. We leave for Budapest at 11 (it is currently 9:30)..........Arrived at Budapest, didn't go through customs (we're definitely not in the U.S. anymore), met by Paula our tour guide....suffer through an awful drive to the hotel (clueless bus driver, first example).........walk to Millenium Monument/Heroes Square; in our 15 minutes of free time there, I walk by Vajdahunyad Castle and Szechenyi Baths; then the group walks down Andrassy; Hailey, Jake, Zach, and I stop at Burger King; walk through part of Vaci Utca; I split from the group to walk by Inner City Parish Church; load bus to go to dinner; clueless bus driver strikes again, it takes us an hour to get to dinner (we passed the same museum THREE TIMES)..........dinner at Veranda or something like that. I sat with Katherine, Hailey, Jake, and Zach. Good mushroom soup.........come back to hotel.........I set out for Margaret Island alone at night. Improvise with a security guard by stomping and pointing to my feet to show him that I only want to talk around the park (free) rather than park a car (pay). Then the views over the Danube as seen from Margaret Bridge.........On the way back, I met two attractive Hungarian girls on STREET? who asked me for money. I said "I can't speak Hungarian" in Hungarian, and then they started talking in English. Finally, while walking up Vaci Ut, a guy tried to ask me a question but I didn't understand. A few feet later he came back and said, "have time?" We tried to do a little conversation up Vaci Ut (though we didn't get very far). He helped point me in the right direction when the road split, and I gave my appreciation by saying, "Kussi!" which I learned earlier means thanks. Then I stopped at a random hole-in-the-wall bar and tried some Arany Ászok (so good!). I apparently butchered "one Arany, please" because some Hungarian guys behind me laughed. They were mostly nice, though. And the lady who ran the bar was awesome. I don't think she spoke any English, but she let me in as she was locking up and served me with a smile. I got home a few minutes later, watched a few minutes of the NCAA tournament on MMOD, and fell asleep soon thereafter.
Saturday, 3/20 - Drove around Budapest, with our guide G____. We went to the Heroes Square for a minute, then drove around by the Vajdahunyad Castle, the zoo, and the Szechnyi Baths before one more time to Heroes Square. I was afraid the day was going to suck at this point, but he later turned out to be quite a good tour guide. We drove down Andrassy, eventually to the Great Synagogue. Then it was a drive-by the incredibly fantastic Parliament (freaking huge) before crossing the bridge and going to the Citadella for a stunning panoramic view of Budapest. We got out for a little while then and took some pictures there. Then we drove down to Castle Hill, where we stopped at a minute at the Royal Palace, walking about the president's white house (NAME?) and eventually going to the Matias Church. It was pretty cool. Loved the multiocolour roofs. Then, we drove out to the Elizabeth Bridge for some free time from 12ish-4:30.........My free time: walked up Vaci Utca and had lunch (gholoush, kolbasz, Dreher) at a little cafe; browsed the central market hall, amused by all the meat and paprika stores; walked across Liberty Bridge to the Cave Church and Gallert (?) Spa, went to the Hungarian National Museum (amazing photography exhibit), walk/tram mixture to the majestic St. Stephen's Basilica, walked through Vaci Utca (saw guys playing soccer by NAME? Ter)........we rode bus out to a boat, took a Danube Cruise (I mostly hung out with the four Dardanelle kids), ate dinner (vegetable soup/gholash/rice/dessert) on a different boat (I sat with Mrs. Tipton and Mrs. Burroughs though I talked to the kids behind me a lot).........bus back to hotel.........walked with Katherine, Mrs. Burroughs, Mrs. Tipton, Hailey, Jake, and Zach down Vaci Ut to West End shopping centre with a goal of finding "the most beautiful McDonalds in the world," as described by our guide, Paula. We browsed through West End for a bit before eventually finding the McDonalds next to the train station. It was a pretty nice one. I had a nagy shake and Jake had some ice cream. Afterwards, we attempted to catch a Metro ride, but that fell through when I couldn't understand the operator guy because a) he knew no English, and b) I couldn't understand him through the microphone. So, we walked back, regrettably.
Sunday, 3/21 - About to leave to drive through Slovakia all day en route to Krakow. w00t.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
An unexpectedly great weekend.
Thursday night, I drove up to Indianapolis to visit my friend Kim. We met at the downtown mall again, and after driving around for awhile trying to find something to do, we settled on the Indiana/Illinois game in the Big Ten women's tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse. The game was fairly boring, but I really just enjoyed getting to sit next to Kim and talk with her. We left with a few minutes remaining and then we walked to Steak and Shake for dinner. After that, we walked down to the Slippery Noodle Inn. After talking some drinks for awhile, a local blues band, The Elect, started playing. They were really quite good. Some songs they did were Soulshine and Red House. But of course the best part was just being with Kim. I hate how she's decided to join the Air Force for the next four years; but, if that makes her happy, then I wish her the best, and will continue to try to hang out with her whenever she'll have me.
I left Louisville on Friday morning around 7:00 a.m. In Nashville, I was involved in an extremely minor auto accident around 9:00 CST. I clipped a guy's truck that was next to me with my mirror and cracked his passenger taillight. Well, that sucked, but get a police report and we'd be on our way. So we waited...and waited...and waited. A policeman didn't get there until just before 11:00, TWO HOURS LATER. Because of that, I knew I would miss Kyle's funeral. I didn't get out of Nashville til like 11:30. I went between 80-90 mph between Nashville and Brinkley and got there around 3:00....10 minutes after Kyle's funeral had ended. I'd been texting Sarah Warren and Candice Hoke along the way. Well, I missed the funeral, but I was able to make it to the interment. I found out I was horribly underdressed; I was in jeans and a rugby shirt and everyone else in dress clothes. Did I miss a memo about how formal funerals are? Oh well. The whole thing was a bit awkward. I went for Kyle, but I was reminded that I never really felt comfortable in Sigma Nu. Way too many awkward moments with my old "brothers." It was nice getting hugs from Sarah and Candice, though. And I enjoyed talking to Ben Fairchild and Jonas Donson. But regardless of my experience there, I hope Kyle is at peace now. He'd been battling demons for years, I know, and hopefully he's resting now.
After forcing a few conversations with people, I left the cemetery around 4:00 and went over to Subway, where I met up with Ben Martin. I couldn't believe it, but I hadn't seen him in over five years. How friggin fast does time fly?? It was nice to see him and chat awhile about a whole variety of things.
Around 5:00, I headed up to Jonesboro and, after driving through great towns like Fair Oaks and Weiner, I got there at like 6:00. Anyway, I met up with Josh and some people from his church at Blue Coast Burrito for dinner. It was pretty good, though not as good as Chipotle, Moe's, or Qdoba. After eating, we all went to the bowling alley there in Jonesboro. I finished last in our group of five the first round, but first in the second. Overall I had a really good time.
The people in his church group were pretty nice.
The next morning I'd planned to leave Cooke's house around 8:00, but ended up not getting around til like 9:30. Since I didn't want to miss the Louisville v. Syracuse game, so I ended up staying at his house until 4:30. Josh got around at like 11:00 when his dad made us all (me, Josh, his mom, his sister) breakfast. I spent my time until the Louisville game talking to Josh, working on homework, and watching various soccer and basketball games. Then came the Louisville/Syracuse game. Syracuse was ranked #1 in the country. It was the last-ever game at Freedom Hall. And it was absolutely glorious. The Cards were down five at halftime; then the world was introduced to Kyle Kuric. The 6'4" white sophomore guard from Evansville, IN had been averaging 3.5 points a game. In the second half alone, he scored 22 points, including four three pointers and three alley-oops. It was absolutely incredible. He was the main story on Sportscenter the next morning. Oh yeah, Louisville won 78-68. What a way to close out Freedom Hall.
I got back to Louisville around 11:30; I somehow missed my turn on the Western Kentucky Parkway and ended up driving to Nashville instead of Louisville, adding two hours to the trip. Oops. Holly and I texted each other most of the way back. I stopped in Bowling Green and redeemed my Denny's coupon for a free burger and fries.
I think I have decided to become a vegetarian for as long as I can stand it.
I bought a crap ton of CDs and a few DVDs today from the Great Escape. I spent like $280 but got soooo much music.
Now, I am watching the Oscars and tweeting about them with Cory and Quetta. I'll post the list of winners when it goes final.
I left Louisville on Friday morning around 7:00 a.m. In Nashville, I was involved in an extremely minor auto accident around 9:00 CST. I clipped a guy's truck that was next to me with my mirror and cracked his passenger taillight. Well, that sucked, but get a police report and we'd be on our way. So we waited...and waited...and waited. A policeman didn't get there until just before 11:00, TWO HOURS LATER. Because of that, I knew I would miss Kyle's funeral. I didn't get out of Nashville til like 11:30. I went between 80-90 mph between Nashville and Brinkley and got there around 3:00....10 minutes after Kyle's funeral had ended. I'd been texting Sarah Warren and Candice Hoke along the way. Well, I missed the funeral, but I was able to make it to the interment. I found out I was horribly underdressed; I was in jeans and a rugby shirt and everyone else in dress clothes. Did I miss a memo about how formal funerals are? Oh well. The whole thing was a bit awkward. I went for Kyle, but I was reminded that I never really felt comfortable in Sigma Nu. Way too many awkward moments with my old "brothers." It was nice getting hugs from Sarah and Candice, though. And I enjoyed talking to Ben Fairchild and Jonas Donson. But regardless of my experience there, I hope Kyle is at peace now. He'd been battling demons for years, I know, and hopefully he's resting now.
After forcing a few conversations with people, I left the cemetery around 4:00 and went over to Subway, where I met up with Ben Martin. I couldn't believe it, but I hadn't seen him in over five years. How friggin fast does time fly?? It was nice to see him and chat awhile about a whole variety of things.
Around 5:00, I headed up to Jonesboro and, after driving through great towns like Fair Oaks and Weiner, I got there at like 6:00. Anyway, I met up with Josh and some people from his church at Blue Coast Burrito for dinner. It was pretty good, though not as good as Chipotle, Moe's, or Qdoba. After eating, we all went to the bowling alley there in Jonesboro. I finished last in our group of five the first round, but first in the second. Overall I had a really good time.
The people in his church group were pretty nice.The next morning I'd planned to leave Cooke's house around 8:00, but ended up not getting around til like 9:30. Since I didn't want to miss the Louisville v. Syracuse game, so I ended up staying at his house until 4:30. Josh got around at like 11:00 when his dad made us all (me, Josh, his mom, his sister) breakfast. I spent my time until the Louisville game talking to Josh, working on homework, and watching various soccer and basketball games. Then came the Louisville/Syracuse game. Syracuse was ranked #1 in the country. It was the last-ever game at Freedom Hall. And it was absolutely glorious. The Cards were down five at halftime; then the world was introduced to Kyle Kuric. The 6'4" white sophomore guard from Evansville, IN had been averaging 3.5 points a game. In the second half alone, he scored 22 points, including four three pointers and three alley-oops. It was absolutely incredible. He was the main story on Sportscenter the next morning. Oh yeah, Louisville won 78-68. What a way to close out Freedom Hall.
I got back to Louisville around 11:30; I somehow missed my turn on the Western Kentucky Parkway and ended up driving to Nashville instead of Louisville, adding two hours to the trip. Oops. Holly and I texted each other most of the way back.
I stopped in Bowling Green and redeemed my Denny's coupon for a free burger and fries.I think I have decided to become a vegetarian for as long as I can stand it.
I bought a crap ton of CDs and a few DVDs today from the Great Escape. I spent like $280 but got soooo much music.
Now, I am watching the Oscars and tweeting about them with Cory and Quetta. I'll post the list of winners when it goes final.
Monday, March 1, 2010
2010 Winter Olympics = epic win
I followed these winter Olympics more than I have any other. I absolutely adored them. It probably helped that I sent and received texts/tweets/facebook statuses from so many friends throughout, such as Ryan, Kirk, Josh Cooke, Justin Lovelace, Cory, and Stephanie McCullough. What will I remember?
Titan Spirit was the song used in the final montage by NBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU0mu-qmy-U
At some point last night, I had perhaps a life-changing epiphany. I may or may not have figured out what sort of career path I wish to pursue. During the closing ceremonies, they had segments about the next games in London and Sochi, respectively. That got me to thinking about just how much planning there is that's required to put on an event of that magnitude. And then I realized...someone has to do it! I could be that someone! How cool would that be? Planning events like that, making site visits to the different cities and venues involved, marketing, etc. Therefore, I've decided to think about some sort of job with the Olympics or World Cup or some sort of major global sporting event. It would be perfect.
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On an unrelated note, I went to the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band show at Skull Alley on Saturday night...incredible. I caught one of the drumsticks Cuz threw into the crowd after the show! Then after the show in the lobby, I bought a CD, had them all sign it, and then talked to the band about seeing them in Tulsa two years ago, places in Fayetteville like George's and Bikers Blues and BBQ, and about a beer that Cuz had coming out. Those guys are so down-to-earth. One of my best concert experiences ever.
On Thursday, I went over to Ben Creech's new apartment and planned how our TRASH team was going to divide up questions. It was me, Creech, Josiah, Ram, and Colton. We watched the last few minutes of a Lost episode and then played Scene It - Turner Classic Movie Edition for like two hours.
That's it for now. 11 days til I'm back in Arkansas.
- U.S. hockey's unbelievable silver medal run. Led by Ryan Miller, Brian Rafalski, and Zach Parise, the Yanks exceeded ALL expectations, and took Canada to overtime in the gold medal game. In the preliminaries, they dispatched Norway and Switzerland before pulling a stunning upset over Canada. They were the #1 seed overall going into the tournament, and after once again defeating Switzerland in the quarterfinals quickly put away Finland after an astonishing 6-0 lead 13 minutes into the semifinal game. In the gold medal game, they fell down 2-0 to Canada, but came back and tied it when Zach Parise got one past Roberto Luongo with 24 seconds remaining in the third period. Sidney Crosby would hit the game-winner in overtime, but that took nothing away from a superb run by the Americans. Goaltender Ryan Miller was named tournament MVP, and deservedly so.
- Nodar Kumaritishvilli, a Georgian luger, tragically died in a practice ride on the day of the opening ceremonies. He was thrown from his luge and hit a steel beam head first at 90+ mph.
- Watching probably 80% of the hockey games on NBC, CNBC, or USA. The only ones I didn't get to watch were the ones shown on MSNBC (though I did make an effort to watch the first US/Canada game online).
- Other hockey memories: Jaromir Jagr getting demolished by Alexander Ovechkin in the Russia/Czech Republic game; Jonas Hiller's unbelievable performance in Switzerland's 0-2 loss to Canada; Slovakia giving Canada all they wanted in the Canucks' 3-2 semifinal win.
- Sweden's Johann Olson coming out of nowhere to win three medals in the long-distance skiing events. He had a HUGE lead in one event before his countryman Marcus Hellner overtook him in the final sprint. But he'd never even come close to a top-three finish in any world-class calibre event.
- Norway's Petter Northugg, who was apparently the #1 long-distance skier in the world, had a horrible start, but ended up winning some medals, including gold in the 50k on the last day
- Norway curling team's awesome pants.
- U.S. curling team absolutely choking largely thanks to skip John Shuster. We finished dead last.
- Naked Danish curling girl! One of Denmark's curling girls appeared topless in a Norwegian calendar, it found its way to Deadspin, and subsequently blew up.
- Actually understanding the rules of curling thanks to Ryan's explanation after 12 years of being clueless.
- Johnny Spillane winning the first American gold in one of the Nordic events ever.
- Simon Ammann absolutely dominating the ski jumping field. Also, it was the first time I'd ever seen ski jumping; that sport looks so much fun!
- Apolo Ohno, the face of America's winter olympics team. He was DQ'd in the 500m after pushing a Canadian skater. In one of the qualifying rounds he hurdled over a couple of guys that had taken a spill. And in his first race, he got silver after trailing the two Koreans that crashed around the last turn.
- Sven Kramer, a Dutch speed skating beast. He dominated one of his races to get one gold, but was controversially disqualified in another for a lane infraction.
- Alexandre Bilodeau, the first Canadian to ever win gold in a Canadian Olympics thanks to his winning the men's mogul. He has a brother with cerebral palsy or something. Very inspiring stuff.
- Lukás Bauer, one of the Czech long-distance skiers, did well.
- Marit Bjørgen, a long-distance skiing Norwegian girl, had the best individual Olympics of anyone, winning five medals.
- Lindsey Vonn, America's skiing darling or something. She had a bruised shin just days before the Olympics but ended up being able to compete in all five of her events. She won one gold and one bronze, but either crashed or didn't medal in her other three events.
- Bode Miller, who was a major disappointment in Torino, actually got gold in one of the downhill skiing events. I think he competed in a couple of others but only won one gold.
- A Canadian figure skating girl competed in her event like two days after her mom, who had made the trip to Vancouver from Quebec, died.
Titan Spirit was the song used in the final montage by NBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU0mu-qmy-U
At some point last night, I had perhaps a life-changing epiphany. I may or may not have figured out what sort of career path I wish to pursue. During the closing ceremonies, they had segments about the next games in London and Sochi, respectively. That got me to thinking about just how much planning there is that's required to put on an event of that magnitude. And then I realized...someone has to do it! I could be that someone! How cool would that be? Planning events like that, making site visits to the different cities and venues involved, marketing, etc. Therefore, I've decided to think about some sort of job with the Olympics or World Cup or some sort of major global sporting event. It would be perfect.
------------------------
On an unrelated note, I went to the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band show at Skull Alley on Saturday night...incredible. I caught one of the drumsticks Cuz threw into the crowd after the show! Then after the show in the lobby, I bought a CD, had them all sign it, and then talked to the band about seeing them in Tulsa two years ago, places in Fayetteville like George's and Bikers Blues and BBQ, and about a beer that Cuz had coming out. Those guys are so down-to-earth. One of my best concert experiences ever.
On Thursday, I went over to Ben Creech's new apartment and planned how our TRASH team was going to divide up questions. It was me, Creech, Josiah, Ram, and Colton. We watched the last few minutes of a Lost episode and then played Scene It - Turner Classic Movie Edition for like two hours.
That's it for now. 11 days til I'm back in Arkansas.
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