Yes...this past weekend I traveled to NY...for USY group leader weekend!
It was a very weird experience being back with loud Americans for a short period of time...
Now i'm back in Prague for a week of finals (4 -10 page papers, 4 exams and 1 presentation) literally Monday to Monday. Then I have a couple of days to relax and I leave for Amsterdam on the 14th and am home for good on the 18th of May!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Bratislava and Brno
Eastern Europe! Yeah!
We went to the Slovak Pub for lunch. It was huge and every chair was whimsy and could break any minute. The menu was funny and had a lot of student options...
We went to two castles in Bratislava. The Devin Castle and Bratislava Castle. Devin is to the north where the two rivers meet. It was beautiful and out in the middle of nowhere. Napoleon destroyed it so no it is mostly ruins. Then the Bratislava castle is being restored for the next 5 years so we walked around up there anyway...
The weekend we went to Bratislava was Bratislava weekend and museums and tours were free. We took a free city walking tour but the boat ride we didnt get on in time...because the Slovaks all cut the line and pushed ahead in front of us. Then we went to the National museum and the exhibits cost money...on free museum day...hmmm
Overall...nice town...not really like the movie Eurotrip
Then we went to Brno which is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and saw the Fed Cup match between the Czech Republic and the US. It is a big international tennis tournament. We were the only loud USA fans in the whole arena. Our seats were in the last row but after the first set we moved to the first row on the other side behind the american team.
The crowd was really loud after a point was scored with boom or thundersticks...and then everyone got quiet for the serve. If the Czechs won the point, the crown would scream and beat their sticks together, and if the Americans won, Dan and I would yell and clap our thundersticks and we would be the only ones.
The American players and coaches noticed us and started to cheer at us...we had to leave a little early to catch the bus back to Prague...but the Americans ended up winning!
We went to the Slovak Pub for lunch. It was huge and every chair was whimsy and could break any minute. The menu was funny and had a lot of student options...
We went to two castles in Bratislava. The Devin Castle and Bratislava Castle. Devin is to the north where the two rivers meet. It was beautiful and out in the middle of nowhere. Napoleon destroyed it so no it is mostly ruins. Then the Bratislava castle is being restored for the next 5 years so we walked around up there anyway...
The weekend we went to Bratislava was Bratislava weekend and museums and tours were free. We took a free city walking tour but the boat ride we didnt get on in time...because the Slovaks all cut the line and pushed ahead in front of us. Then we went to the National museum and the exhibits cost money...on free museum day...hmmm
Overall...nice town...not really like the movie Eurotrip
Then we went to Brno which is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and saw the Fed Cup match between the Czech Republic and the US. It is a big international tennis tournament. We were the only loud USA fans in the whole arena. Our seats were in the last row but after the first set we moved to the first row on the other side behind the american team.
The crowd was really loud after a point was scored with boom or thundersticks...and then everyone got quiet for the serve. If the Czechs won the point, the crown would scream and beat their sticks together, and if the Americans won, Dan and I would yell and clap our thundersticks and we would be the only ones.
The American players and coaches noticed us and started to cheer at us...we had to leave a little early to catch the bus back to Prague...but the Americans ended up winning!
Budapest
The weekend I came back from Israel, my whole program went to Budapest. It was funny, cuz I just flew through Budapest on my way back from Israel and then took a 7 hour bus ride there from Prague the next day.
We learned about the Jewish Community and the present state of anti-Semitism in Hungary. We went to the Dohany Synagogue, the second largest in the world. We went there for services and there were about 80 people there...but they told us it is full on the high holidays. I saw Viki who I met in Prague who lives in Budapest and she told me to come to shul Saturday morning at her shul. So I did...it was nice.
There are around 100,000 Jews in the city which is huuuge cuz prague has about 4,000. Most dont identify as jewish but are technically Jewish. The neo-Arrow cross party has just become more public there. This party led Hingary in the interwar period and was actively anti-Semitic. We were told about them and they wear arrow cross flags on the arms, but we actually saw them. There was a guy there who was wearing a Nike swoosh shirt but instead of saying Nike it said Nazi. It was scary...
Budapest was a nice city overall...very beautiful
We learned about the Jewish Community and the present state of anti-Semitism in Hungary. We went to the Dohany Synagogue, the second largest in the world. We went there for services and there were about 80 people there...but they told us it is full on the high holidays. I saw Viki who I met in Prague who lives in Budapest and she told me to come to shul Saturday morning at her shul. So I did...it was nice.
There are around 100,000 Jews in the city which is huuuge cuz prague has about 4,000. Most dont identify as jewish but are technically Jewish. The neo-Arrow cross party has just become more public there. This party led Hingary in the interwar period and was actively anti-Semitic. We were told about them and they wear arrow cross flags on the arms, but we actually saw them. There was a guy there who was wearing a Nike swoosh shirt but instead of saying Nike it said Nazi. It was scary...
Budapest was a nice city overall...very beautiful
Israel for Passover = AMAZING!
I loved being able to eat everything!
I had:
Burger King on matzah bun and chicken wings
Schwarma on Matzah
Turkey Burger on Matzah bun
Chicken Burger on Matzah bun
Kebobs
Steak
Lamb Ribs
and lots of other stuff...
I saw people in Jerusalem which was great! Literally I was outside at Hebrew U for about 2 hours on Shabbat and saw everyone I knew!
Went to services at the kotel, went to Paul's cousins apartment in the Cardo...Dinner was amazing! There were a bunch of people and she made a 10 pound roast and had chicken and salads and guac and egg salad and everything! It was great!
Saw Josh Rabin...met with my wheels staff (minus Avi) for a steak lunch at El Gaucho...
Went to Tiberias...went biking around the Kineret...ate at the decks!
Went to Haifa...chilled there
Flew back to Prague!
I had:
Burger King on matzah bun and chicken wings
Schwarma on Matzah
Turkey Burger on Matzah bun
Chicken Burger on Matzah bun
Kebobs
Steak
Lamb Ribs
and lots of other stuff...
I saw people in Jerusalem which was great! Literally I was outside at Hebrew U for about 2 hours on Shabbat and saw everyone I knew!
Went to services at the kotel, went to Paul's cousins apartment in the Cardo...Dinner was amazing! There were a bunch of people and she made a 10 pound roast and had chicken and salads and guac and egg salad and everything! It was great!
Saw Josh Rabin...met with my wheels staff (minus Avi) for a steak lunch at El Gaucho...
Went to Tiberias...went biking around the Kineret...ate at the decks!
Went to Haifa...chilled there
Flew back to Prague!
The Three Presidents
Our program took us on a trip to Terezin to see a ceremony with Shimon Peres, the Pres of Israel and Vaclav Klaus, the Pres of the Czech Republic. It was a very small ceremony with about 50 people there which was really cool.
Then Obama came to town! He spoke a lot about Czech history which was suprising and talked about working together to stop Iran from having nucleur materials.
Pics on Facebook...
Then Obama came to town! He spoke a lot about Czech history which was suprising and talked about working together to stop Iran from having nucleur materials.
Pics on Facebook...
Vienna
Our train was delayed for about 2 hours because it looked like the train hit someone...but we're not sure. We finally got there, went to the hostel and then took the metro into the center of the city where we were conned into buying tickets for the Imperial Orchestra from a guy dressed up in a cape and hat. It was pretty cool. It was about 10 musicians playing songs of Strauss and Mozart and others. There were two opera singers and ballet dancers as well.
We went to the top of the Stephensdom cathedral and had great views of the city. We then wandered to the Stadttempel and sat in on shabbat morning services for about an hour. The cantor had a great voice and there was a choir which was cool. Then we walked down the Naschmarkt which was a street about two miles long and it was packed with millions of stands selling fruits and veggies and spices and meat and fish and olives and nuts (kind of like the shuk in israel but bigger). Then at the end, there was a huuuuge flea market and people were selling really anything you could think of, from sink parts to dolls heads...
Then we went to the Kunsthistorisches, the Fine Art Museum and looked at a lot of paintings
Then we tried to get standing room tickets for the Staatsoper, the main opera house but we didnt find the line in time and were about 50 people away from getting tickets, so instead we saw a movie...Pink Panther 2...it was horrible and we knew it was going to be horrible, but all the locals in the theater were laughing at the stupidest things which made it mildly entertaining.
On Sunday we went the the Schloss Schonbrunn, the Habsburg Palace. It was very big and the grounds were huuuuge. It was also pouring rain. We went up a big hill to the top and had a view of the palace and grounds which was nice but i'm sure it would be nicer in the spring/ summer.
We went to the top of the Stephensdom cathedral and had great views of the city. We then wandered to the Stadttempel and sat in on shabbat morning services for about an hour. The cantor had a great voice and there was a choir which was cool. Then we walked down the Naschmarkt which was a street about two miles long and it was packed with millions of stands selling fruits and veggies and spices and meat and fish and olives and nuts (kind of like the shuk in israel but bigger). Then at the end, there was a huuuuge flea market and people were selling really anything you could think of, from sink parts to dolls heads...
Then we went to the Kunsthistorisches, the Fine Art Museum and looked at a lot of paintings
Then we tried to get standing room tickets for the Staatsoper, the main opera house but we didnt find the line in time and were about 50 people away from getting tickets, so instead we saw a movie...Pink Panther 2...it was horrible and we knew it was going to be horrible, but all the locals in the theater were laughing at the stupidest things which made it mildly entertaining.
On Sunday we went the the Schloss Schonbrunn, the Habsburg Palace. It was very big and the grounds were huuuuge. It was also pouring rain. We went up a big hill to the top and had a view of the palace and grounds which was nice but i'm sure it would be nicer in the spring/ summer.
Poland
It's been a long time and now that I need to procrastinate while studying and writing papers...its time to catch up a little bit. Pictures are on facebook
Poland - Krakow:
The town is great. There is a big market square in the center that is very big...i think they said it is the second largest in Europe. We were able to meet some Polish students in Krakow who are studying European Studies and the Holocaust which was pretty cool. They showed us around the city that night as well. It was very interesting to meet these students and see Poland from their perspective, as where they grew up and now live.
Warsaw:
Pretty boring. Pretty old town but all reconstructed to look old...
We went to a reform Jewish synagogue and had dinner there. The Rabbi there looked like Dick Cheney and liked to talk a lot and sing for us. I tried to join in some of the singing so as not to embarrass him. The Jewish community in Poland was very small and in this house they were having a concert that night and a lot of people showed up which was really surprising.
Auschwitz:
I save this for last because for me, it was not the main focus of the trip. I have already been to Auschwitz and it was obviously important for me to be back there, but it was everything else on the trip and the perspective of meeting with students both in Warsaw and in the town of Auschwitz that really made my experience in Poland different.
Poland - Krakow:
The town is great. There is a big market square in the center that is very big...i think they said it is the second largest in Europe. We were able to meet some Polish students in Krakow who are studying European Studies and the Holocaust which was pretty cool. They showed us around the city that night as well. It was very interesting to meet these students and see Poland from their perspective, as where they grew up and now live.
Warsaw:
Pretty boring. Pretty old town but all reconstructed to look old...
We went to a reform Jewish synagogue and had dinner there. The Rabbi there looked like Dick Cheney and liked to talk a lot and sing for us. I tried to join in some of the singing so as not to embarrass him. The Jewish community in Poland was very small and in this house they were having a concert that night and a lot of people showed up which was really surprising.
Auschwitz:
I save this for last because for me, it was not the main focus of the trip. I have already been to Auschwitz and it was obviously important for me to be back there, but it was everything else on the trip and the perspective of meeting with students both in Warsaw and in the town of Auschwitz that really made my experience in Poland different.
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