I'm here! (for a week)

So I finally got consistent internet service that will allow me to update more regularly. Praha is amazing, I'm having the best time! My flat is pretty huge, it looks like this from the outside
<----. Ha! Just kidding, that's the castle...my apartment looks more like this...The house is really gorgeous and huge with high ceilings. It's pretty far from the center, but we walk everyday and pretty much have the best apartment of all of them I've seen so far. Our area would, in America, seem sort of dangerous and shady because there's lots of grafitti and looks sort of run down: here, however, its considered very safe and I've had absoloutely no problems, even at night. According to everyone I've talked to there's almost zero violent crime in Prague, so while I'm being careful, I'm not too worried.

My roommates are really cool, I'm enjoying all of them and making lots of new friends from all over. The roomies are Kendra, Annika, Zach and Petr. I've met lots of Praguers who are amazing and full of good information. The kids on the program are also all great, so I lucked out.

So far I've been all over Praha 1, 2 and 3 which are the older parts of the city (the views you've seen in postcards). Everything is as beautiful as everyone says, but my favorite part is the way the older Baroque and Renaissance buildings contrast with the Soviet era structures (pictures of that to come). There are billions of bridges here too, which are really gorgy; the other day we went to an international students party at this club that was right on the river...sooo cool.

The beer is excellent, as expected, and actually cheaper (much cheaper sometimes) than water. Lots of different kinds, am making my way through all of them (slowly...).

Classes just started today so I can't really give you an update on those. Last week was intensive Czech, which was....intense-four hours a day of the most difficult language EVER is no fun. Czech is just as hard as everybody says, maybe worse for those of us with poor language learning skillzzz. I can say a few things, as I told some of you already, like: dva pivo (two beers), jsem studendka (I am a female student), and ahoj/cau (hey casually). Thank you is the HARDEST word to say, so I've sort of been muttering it and smiling.

The whole "Czech's are rude and provide bad customer service" is sooortttt of true, mainly in supermarkets and small resturants. All the young people I've met so far, however, are really great and fun/friendly. My favorite part so far is being able to meet so many different kinds of people.

This weekend we're visiting Cesky Krumlov, a small town outside of Prague that has a castle, I guess? I'll probably know more once we've visited...haha.

Sorry if I've been delayed on my responses to emails, I haven't really had internet and have had to rely on the kindness of my roommates. Will update again soon, though, now that I'm equipped!