Thats Miss Merriman to you!

I did it! My first day at the Prague British School (PBS) has come to an end...and I'm exhausted! Not because it was a hard day (it wasn't at all!) but because I couldn't sleep last night, finally fell asleep at like 2, and then woke up at 5.

The trip there was waaay more difficult than I thought it would (and as it turns out, more difficult than it should be). Everything worked out great at first, I got on the right metro, made the right switch to a different metro, found the bus stop, got on the right bus, got off at the right stop, but that's where it ended...looking at the map, it looked like the street PBS is located on is right next to the bus stop...it's not. So I found a couple random people walking and asked them one by one...none of them had ever even heard of PBS...great! It doesn't exist...perfect. I was about to give up and go home when I found a woman who didn't speak English. After finally conveying to her my destination, she told me to get on another bus and go a few stops and get off and...blah blah blah. She literally went on for about 3 minutes of "...then left then right then right then left then left then left..." except it was all with her hands because of the language barrier. I decided to just get on the bus and go from there. Once again, Jesus was right there with me and when I got off the bus, the first person I went up to asking for directions is a math teacher at the school! Needless to say, I made it there...and on time too....those are two very difficult feats for Kelsey Merriman (don't worry, I already gave myself a pat on the back). By the way....it turns out I took the longest way possible. Tomorrow I just have to take one metro and one bus...but thats no fun!

I am so excited about the school!!! Dave (the math teacher) took me in to meet Mr. Roberts, the head master and he said "This must be Kelsey Merriman!" What a relief that was...the school that doesn't exist remembered that I was coming! Anyway, he took me into his office and just chatted away for about 10 minutes and this and that and then got me hooked up with Mrs. Loppa who is the head of the English department. She rocks! She got me all hooked up with different teachers so I have a different teacher and different class for every class hour (period) of the day...no boredom for me!! She had me pick what years (grades) I like and she even told me what they were studying so I could choose my interest. She said I can observe, teach, assist, grade, whatever the heck I want to do..."Just let me know!" she said.

What I love so dearly about this school is that both the faculty and the students are from all over the world. In the English dept. alone, there is 1 Czech man, 4 British people, 1 German woman, 1 French woman, 1 Canadian woman, 1 Russian woman, and 1 American woman. They are also all pretty young and lots of fun. In between class, at break (there is a 1/2 break), and at lunch everyone hangs out in the English lounge and they are all so great!!! In some ways, it is like we are all on the same boat (except the Czech guy) because we are all trying to figure out this crazy wonderful place we call Prague. I love love love love the teachers....everyone is super chill and laid back but they are awesome teachers who are passionate about their students and what they are teaching. Oh! I almost forgot! There is a girl named Lindsey from Minnesota who is doing her student teaching there. It was her first day today too except she is staying until May. Its through a program at her school so she has other school mates in town but they are at different schools to student teach so it was fun to chat with her....hopefully we will get to know each other better and perhaps even hang out outside of the English lounge.

The students are great. They are super well behaved and they didn't make fun of me...which in my book makes them perfect :-) Plus they all have such different backgrounds and come from all over so I am excited to get to know them and hear about their lives. One thing that was strange was that the class sizes were so small! Granted, it was the Russian Christmas today so most of the Russian students were gone but one of my classes only had 3 students!!! I've been in small classes (yeah Whitworth!!) but not THAT small. It was slightly awkward at first but I got used to it by the end of the hour.

If you read this far you are probably bored to tears...but thank you for caring about my life and this trip! As to not look completly like a tourist on my first day, I didn't take any pictures of the school or any classes, but I will. For now...here is a picture of my laundry that I hung on the line all by myself. I liked it! I thought it was empowering. Perhaps I will save energy and not use/by a dryer ever again....naaaaaaah.

Tomorrow....when the rubber meets the road!

This is going to be short and sweet because it's 10:30 and I just realized that I need to wake up at 5am to get to school on time!! UGH!!! Today I just hung out with Tilly...reading, watching movies, doing laundry, being lazy...it was nice! Tonight I went downtown to look at some shops. I lasted about an hour and came home empty handed...I don't shop well when I am hungry. I just got back from the neighbors house, they invited me over for a movie :-) Be praying for me tomorrow...I'm a little nervous about getting to the school and when I get there (assuming that I make it), I'm nervous that the kids are going to make fun of me in Czech...seriously that's my big fear!! Grow up Kelsey your not 12 anymore!! Love you all

The Day I Met Guloush

Freya Stark once said, "When I travel, I have no idea what's in store for me, but if I'm wise and understand the art of travel, I let myself go into the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit". I agree 100% but I have to say that I owe part of my survival, or rather, my sanity, to the wonderful Czech people who I meet everyday on the street. If I'm lost which (ask Kyle) I frequently am, I simply go up to random people and ask if they speak English. This is actually quite a silly question because even if they say no I just pull out my map and we figure it out together. Jesus, thank you for creating us to be relational!!!

I had the most delicious lunch today and it changed my life forever....ok maybe it wasn't life changing but it was pretty darn close! Today was the coldest day so far and I couldn't warm up no matter what I did....until Guloush. I capitalize it because it deserves that kind of respect...like a holiday or my last name. I can't even begin to explain how tasty this dish was...it was even BEEF Guloush and I don't usually like red meat. The flavor was heavenly....the meat tender and juicy....the potato dumplings moist and...dumpling-like. I literally laughed out loud after the first bite because it was so delightful. One of the highlights of my trip--FOR SURE! A man at the table next to me was eating it too and he wasn't moaning or laughing or inhaling it like I was so I assume it's always this good. Man! This country's been holding out on me!!

Let me rewind to this morning: First stop, Charles Bridge. Before I crossed the bridge I walked to the top of the tower and had a beautiful view of Mala Strana and Stare Mesto. While I was at the top I got out my literary guide (which is a book I got that takes different areas of Prague and gives a portion of a piece of literature from a Czech author that is about that part of the city...an English majors dream!) and read Frantisek Langer's short story "The Sword of St. Wenceslas". It was a paradisaical moment. Truly priceless. As I walked across the bridge Langer's words rang true: "...as you walk across the bridge, it speaks to you like a chronicle in stone, and the sound of each footfall is like a line from that history" (60).

Under the bridge there is a little idyllic island called Kampa which is Latin for field as Kampa was once used for farming. Now it is a peaceful little community with cobblestone streets and coffee shops. I got a cup of mint tea and read a piece from Jindriska Smetanova.

Across from the coffee shop was a sculpture by Czech artist David Cerny. His work is controversial and very satirical. This piece is called "Proudy" which is translated to...um...well..."Piss". The shape that the men are urinating on actually an outline of the Czech Republic and they are spelling out famous quotations from Czech literature with their pee (the sculpture is computerized and moves). I guess that's one way to express your politics!

Next stop...the John Lennon wall. When Lennon died in 1980 he became a hero to the Czech youth. Police tried to whitewash it several time but it never last more than a day so they finally gave up. I feel in love with this wall. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen. There is a sculpture of John Lennon's head in the middle and they graffiti covering the rest of the wall. The graffiti consists of sketches of Lennon, inspirational quotes, Beattles lyrics, and names of visitors. I walked up and down the wall reading the words that made up this incredible story of emotions. I love the idea that so many people from so many different places of the world and for some many years have written their hearts upon a wall, expressing their beliefs with hope of a better tomorrow. I have never wanted a sharpie so badly in my whole life!


Next I went to the miniature museum where they have weirdo things like the Lord's Prayer written on a strand of hair...its CRAZY!!!!!! Next door was the Strahov Library which was stunning with a theology hall and philosophy hall adorned with magnificent frescoes on the ceiling. On a different note, on the way out there is this long brown leathery thing and according to my guidebook, if you ask the attendant they will tell you its a petrified elephant trunk. So...of course...I did and she told me it was a trunk. The reality, however, is that it is a whale penis!!!! Ok come on...I'm not the only one who thinks thats funny (and plus I had to mention a penis sometime in my blog as not to leave Katie on her own with Grandma...long family story, don't ask). Sidenote: it was "FORBIDDEN" to take pictures so I had to be sneaky

I was too tired to go the castle today...maybe tomorrow. Love you all

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!!

Czech it out!

<----Church of Saint Nicholas

After getting settled into the Hasik's wonderful flat last night, I finally fell asleep about 10:30pm, woke up at 2am, went back to sleep at 5am, and finally woke up again at 12pm...isn't jet leg great?!
Once I woke up, after showering and consulting my Rick Steve, I decided to was time to "do" Prague, starting with the Stare Mesto or "Old Town". However, a little glitch got in the way when the set of keys that I grabbed were not the right keys. Panicking, I started knocking on random doors but since it was 1:30pm on a Thursday afternoon, no one was home! I made it to the 6th floor, my flat is on the 2nd, and met a sweet old lady named Libuse. She spoke a little bit of English and to make a VERY long story short, she and her husband called a locksmith, invited me in for tea and cookies while I waited, gave me money to pay the locksmith since I hadn't exchanged any money yet, and told me everything I
could ever want to know about classical music concerts. But the fun doesn't stop there...oh no! Libuse decided that SHE was going to take me to the Stare Masto! So we hopped on the metro (after she helped me get my month long pass which required me to fill out forms and go to a separate location to have a passport photo taken) and for the rest of the afternoon she showed me around. And who knew a 75-year old woman could move so fast! I was very impressed.

I love the beautiful buildings!

When I was saying goodbye to Kyle (and crying) he kept saying, "Kelsey you are not alone...you are not alone" and how right he was. Not only do I have the Lord with me but He has put other people in my life when I need them the most. It makes me think about all the times that I have cried out to Him saying, "WHERE ARE YOU?!?!" and in those moments of darkness I forget moments like this, where God puts "Libuse's" in my path to help me get by and bring me joy along the way. Thank you Jesus, thank you!
After Libuse and I got back to the flats I remembered that I still did not have any food and so I walked to Alberts, a grocery store about 5 blocks away. What an adventure that was!!! Who knew that you had to pay for grocery bags?!! Not me! And the lady was not pleased with my ignorance as I held the line up trying to figure out what to do with my array of purchases.
It is now 7:40pm and I just finished my frozen pizza dinner. I am now going to unpack, watch a movie with my roommate Tilly (a cat), and go to bed!
More tomorrow :-)

My roommate Tilly






I thought I bought regular water at the grocery store but I accidentally bought sparkling water. I opened up every bottle and now I am trying to flatten the water...pretty clever if you ask me!

Here goes nothing...

What a way to start off the new year! I am currently writing this on the plane to Prague and although we haven't even left the ground, I am filled with so many emotions: excited, lonely, anxious, sad,...but ready! It was so hard saying goodbye to Kyle and my family, lots of tears that I couldn't control. In fact, the lady at airport security kept asking me if I was ok and she didn't even blink when I carried my 32oz water bottle through... way more than 4 oz of liquid (sorry TSA). What I realized as I boarded my plane was that I am so blessed and I don't realize it enough. I have so many people who love me and care about me. Thank you Jesus for all of the people you have put in my life to love and care for me. Thank you everyone who is supporting me and praying for me on this crazy adventure I'm about to begin...I love you all!