I dislike FedEx

What if Run Lola Run and Cast Away had an illegitimate love child?

It would be my day yesterday.

Back up. So my license expires on May 10th, nine days before I get home. I'll only be in Chicago for one day, a Sunday, so I can't renew my license. I can't get a license in LA until I'm a legal resident of CA, which happens after 30 days of residence. I need to drive. So mom discovered that the IL Sec of State will issue temporary licenses for situations like this, they just have to mail me some papers to fill out and send back, and then they'll send me the license, but they have to send it here, to the Czech Republic, because the whole point is I'm not in Illinois to renew it.

So these papers are in Prague, at the FedEx office, and for the past two days a delivery guy has come here and left without leaving the package, claiming there was no one home, when Tomas has been here both times (and I've been here one of them). It became clear that this package was just not going to get delivered. So last night, I decided it would be a good idea to go to the FedEx office, halfway to the airport, and get the damn thing myself. I had one hour before they closed to get to the outskirts of Prague, figure out how to get to FedEx, and get the package.

When I got to the metro stop, I had about 20 minutes to find the place. Plenty of time right? Needless to say (let's remember one of the ongoing themes of the past few months) I got slightly turned around and was afforded the opportunity to use my Czech skills with just about anyone on the street who looked nice. I wound my way around an intricate Soviet housing project, asked random people walking for directions, stopped in a bar for some more, and every time I was told something completely different. After I walked in a complete circle, I called up the place, and they told me to go back to the metro station (a 5 minute walk) and then take a bus to get to them, and they assured me that someone would be waiting for me despite their closing in two minutes.

So I got back to the metro station and went to the bus stop she had said. Unfortunately, there were about five buses that came to this stop, and I had no clue which one to get on. I tried to call the office again. Their automated phone system automatically routes calls to a recording after closing hours. I had a feeling for one bus -- but the last one had left literally one minute earlier.

Time to give up. Or is it? The greatest thing about the times I've been lost previously is how they all seem to turn out well for me, somehow. I was all the way out here, I might as well just try something to make this work too. So I asked these two guys if they knew where to go. They had an idea. But were unsure. And one of them was kinda swaying back and forth while he tried to talk to me.

I started to laugh while he was talking to me. Yep, I got directions from a drunk guy.

As the bus they told me to take turned back onto the street I had just walked while retracing my steps back from the housing project to the metro station, I knew I had tried hard enough. I came back home for some dinner.

Epilogue: I decided to skip my Czech class this morning to wait for the package to be delivered. I woke up at 9 to sit outside and wait for the truck, but figured it would probably be a good idea to check out the tracking info online first. Oh, not to worry, it wasn't coming! After I had tried to pick it up at their offices they left it there and didn't put it on the truck this morning! So I guess it's going to be delivered tonight, when I'm on a bus to Berlin.

Czech this morning was as glorious as always (really, this class is worth getting up for even though I went to bed at 5am last night). More bingo, more memorable quotes, more laughs. And in an hour, I leave for a fantastic weekend in Berlin (from Na Florenci street - don't worry, I'm leaving in about five minutes to get there this time). As the days wind down here, I'm reminded of just how much of an adventure it is to just be.

it's snowing!

One week here, and finally some snow! It's supposed to do this for the next two days - I can't wait to see what this city looks like with a foot of powder over it! Though the freezing cold winds do make it much more difficult to walk around.

Last night I stayed home, and Zuzan and I had a long conversation about assorted things. Most interesting, however, was her reaction to the fact that Lisa and I both have our own cars. That's unthinkable here, and understandably so. I guess you could compare it to having a car in New York City - who needs one?

I took a new route to class today that bypassed Baneofmyexistnece Hill. I know this probably comes as a shock, but I got lost again, and ended up right against the towering wall of Vysehrad basilica, about 100m directly below where I needed to be. As usual, after backtracking my entire route, I managed to find the obvious sign I had missed, and got to class 5 minutes late. But hey, here's what mom told me:

"btw-in the Frommers book on Prague-it says that if you don't get lost at least once in Prague, you haven't experienced Prague. I thought that was pretty funny!"

I have definitely experienced Prague. In fact, my legs are about finished experiencing Prague and would like a vacation. But here's the nice thing about getting lost, at least for me: my goal here was to try to calm the heck down a little, try to just lay low for a semester. So far, it's definitely been working. I get places late, I'm relaxed about this whole Czech language thing even though if I really want to learn it I'd have to be studying all night (I have a quiz tomorrow), and I'm generally alright with whatever happens. It's a nice change from my ridiculous life in LA.

Speaking of which, congrats to the Troy Tones for making ICCA semis!

Tonight, we have a get-together for our program that involves bowling and pool and possibly pizza and definitely beer (that should go without saying by now). Which means I have to go study for that quiz...

first weekend

First, a hats off to Casey, Mike, and JC, all of whom have either commented on flickr photos or blog posts. You guys are siick. JC - your advice is great, keep it comin! (see story below)

Nothing particularly interesting yesterday. Orientation in the morning, more touring in the afternoon (after a typical Czech lunch of fried cheese sandwiches. Literally a block of fried cheese on bread, with a piece of lettuce and some tartar sauce. Sooo tasty). Our Czech buddies today (we combined with another group) were fantastic (and gorgeous). After our trip to a big mall in Smichov (kind a suburb, but really close still), we had a big dinner for everyone in the program. It was nice to see everyone all together for the first time - we're a huge group!

My efforts to make sure to socialize were successful yesterday, and last night I headed back into the city at about 9 to meet with some folks and head to some pubs. I asked Tomaš what the best route would be to get to the dorms (where I was meeting people) and back after midnight (when the trams change numbers and routes, remember), and this led to a 30 minute conversation and map-searching extravaganza with me, Tomaš, and Zuzana. I know I've said it before, my I am truly lucky to be staying here, with people who care so much about making sure I'm comfortable with everything I do.

Yes, I had that long rant the other day about cultural poaching etc etc, and last night I was proud to be a part of a small group of us who, while we weren't going to hit the pubs Czech-style necessarily, were definitely not looking to go crazy. We walked...and walked...and walked...and finally settled on a pub on the other side of the river that wasn't the cheapest (40Kc [$2] for .5L of beer? Unheard of!).

The real story is in coming home, which I did successfully, but not without the standard drama. I needed the same tram as my friends in the dorms (thank goodness), and so rode with them half way, and then was on my own. I knew the stop I needed to get off at, but couldn't really hear/understand which stop we were at. So, when I thought it was time, I left the tram, looked around, realized I was in the wrong place, looked at the tram leaving, realized another didn't come for 30 minutes, and promptly panicked for a moment. Then I walked. And walked. And walked. 2.5km. All the way home. (I had gotten off early. Common problem, I hear).

The good part of this story - I got home, huffing and puffing from climbing the other half of Baneofmyexistence Hill, at about 2:15am, went to bed by 3, and woke up at 11:30am. Yay, I'm adjusted to the time zone! This morning, I went with Tomas and Zuzan for a sort of tour of the far suburbs of Prague (they often go with a sort of club of people, complete with a tour guide, to explore their own city). It was a nice walk, but they said it wasn't nearly as interesting as others have been.

Tomorrow, I think I'll start to plan more seriously some of my weekend trips - look up prices and stuff. That's before the Bears game of course, which lots of us are going to find a bar to congregate in to watch.

i wasn't lost, i swear

I left Sheldon and Dan at about 12:30 and caught a cab back to the house (he overcharged me, but I was happy to get home safe and not have to use the night trams...which, while on the same lines, have different numbers than the day trams). Tossed and turned a bit (time change, alcohol, who knows), and ended up getting about 4 hours of sleep. So I was in great shape for the morning, when I had to find my way to a new place - not the study center, but a place we had visited on our afternoon tour. No prob, he says, I love public trans, and once I get there I'll just find familiar sights. I'm a smart guy.

I am not a smart guy. We were scheduled to meet at 9:45. I stepped off the metro (at the correct station) at 9:30, plenty of time to wander around and find our meeting place. I went up and down every street. How hard can it be to hide a group of 100 loud American 20somethings? Up and down the streets again. I try new routes, places that looks kinda sketchy but might be right, you never know, didn't we pass that hostel yesterday? I'm not going to call our resident director, that's giving up (men never ask for directions! never!), oh the McDonald's, I know we passed that! OK, so it's around here somewhere right?

At 9:50, I called the resident director and she didn't pick up. Then I called other numbers on our contact list. No one. Alright Ev. Way to go. Now you're 'that guy.' Remember? The guy in the homestay who couldn't get here. Oh that guy, the short one, I remember him. At almost 10am, I walked far up one street, farther than they could have been, and was resigned to make my way back to the study center. I turned the corner back to the metro. And I've never been happier to see a large group of people. I rule!

So, a morning of more touring (saw a sweet synagogue and Dvorak's grave). Our Czech buddy was much better today, full of energy and knowledge. When we'd seen everything we were supposed to, it was about noon and we had an hour to kill before lunch. So what did we do? Guess. Seriously this tolerance has GOT to improve (and I have to eat bread all the time too, to make sure I can drink more. It's a curse...a wonderful, tasty curse).

Anyhow, after our afternoon orientation sessions (more patronizing rules. But I won't complain here), I met Taryn's friend Steph Beren, who I had spoken to on the phone. She seems really nice. We spoke for a minute, then went our separate ways home.

Which made me realize something important, and I'm happy I realized it now. I love this homestay (if you can't tell), but there is one single downside. I'm going to have to make an extra effort to make sure I meet people, by introducing myself and making sure I give out my phone number (which I didn't have today, otherwise I'd be bar hopping with the apartment kids). Definitely not a big deal. But something I have to keep in mind.

Away I go. I have to start planning out my weekend trips!