Dangling arms, watercolors, and carp

I started reading Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love", on the metro this morning. It's about her experiences traveling alone internationally and I felt comforted and confirmed with her words. I'm not sure what I think about her theology yet but that's beside the point. While I spent most of my day lost and confused, during those moments in between I felt powerful and courageous. I love this city and I feel like there couldn't be a better time in my life for me be here. While I have only been here two days, I feel like I am appreciating my life at home (school, friends, family, etc. ) but at the same time realizing that I am complete in Christ alone.
I started out my day in the Jewish Quarter which includes the Jewish Cemetery (left) and a few different synagogues. The Jewish Quarter was originally established to build a community among the Jews in Prague. In 1939, when the Nazi occupation began, the Museum was closed until 1942 when Dr. Stein tried to save all of the Jewish artifacts that were being destroyed by the Nazis. The cemetery contains about 12,000 tombstones in a fairly small area. They are all crammed together and overlapping and it's just crazy! But it gets even crazier...there are WAY more than 12,000 bodies buried here because several burial layers were superimposed one on top of the other. The Pinkas Synagogue is covered with over 80,000 names of Bohemian Jewish victims. They are all handwritten in relatively small font (like 20pt) and cover the entire inside of the building which is two stories high. It's devastatingly incredible as you think that each square inch represents a human life that was stolen. Also in the Pinkas Synagogue is an exhibit about drawings made by children who were in the concentration camp Terezin. A woman (I can't remember her name...) was taken to the camp and immediately began holding art classes for the children so they would be able to express their feelings through their art. She cataloged their work by different ages and emotional themes until she was forced to go to Auschwitz. Later, they found two suitcases filled with thousands of the drawings and 4,000 are housed in this synagogue. It was heart wrenching to say the least but hopeful in humanity as I thought about the heart of this woman.

Next I went to the Church of St. James which is the scariest church you could EVER imagine. The minute I walked in I got goosebumps. It was very dark with huge ornate statues looking down. If I had been the only one there I would have left. As I was leaving, I saw this thing dangling from the wall (right). I soon learned that it was a shriveled up human arm from centuries ago. Apparently, someone tried to steal the jewels off the statue of the Virgin Mary and so they chopped his arm off. It now dangles there as a reminder....

I bought three very exciting things today! First, my hat! I actually look hideous in it and I think its a funny lookin' thing but I desperately needed it. It is SO cold here it makes Spokane feel like Hawaii...not really but close. When I brought my hat up to the counter to pay for it the man said "You......aw......coot" which I roughly translated to "You are cute" which is funny because my hair is frizzy because of the weather and I hadn't showered(as you will see from the picture). What gives?! Anyway, he asked me about where I was from and what I was doing and once he learned that I didn't have any friends in Prague he decided that he would be my friend. Sweet! New hat...new friend!
I also got some BEAUTIFUL watercolor paintings from a street vender...and guess what dad? I bargained for them!!

After a long day of exploring "the city of 100 spires" I decided to try some Czech cuisine. From reading my guide book I know that grilled carp is a very traditional meal so I gave it a try. YUCK!!!!!! I love fish and this was the saltiest most "fishy" tasting fish I have ever eaten. I saturated it with lemon but it still couldn't mask the amount of ocean I was consuming. Well....been there done that.

I'm exhausted.
Tomorrow....Prague Castle!!! (see below)

P.S. I love it when people comment...the one thing about traveling alone is that you don't have anyone to share your experiences with. Reading your comments helps me not to feel so alone!!