Terminé, Bonsoir

I know you've all been waiting to hear about Prague and how awesome it is. Well, here goes it. I wish that I could just recount my entire trip on this blog but that would take entirely too long and I know ya'll wouldn't read it anyway. So I've chosen some pictures and hopefully with my captions you can piece together how incredible my trip to Prague actually was.

So when we first arrived in Prague we put our stuff down in our hostel, which was cozy and had free coffee. Then we left to briefly explore our surroundings. Seeing as Mathieu chose a great hostel right in the middle of town this is one of the things we saw first. It is St. James Cathedral. Does it not look like it could be the castle in Sleeping Beauty? I think so. Anyway it was neat because you have this gothic building jutting up from these low renaissance buildings like a mountain next to hills. Which is a really good example of Prague architecture in general. Its a giant hodge podge of different styles and different eras all mixed together in one city. Ok next slide....

There were four of us that went to visit a friend. It was Raina, Alex, Mathieu and I going to visit Maxime, an Orléanais who is "studying" in Prague for the semester. I put studying in quotations because you don't study in Prague... you drink.

Here we are at Charles Bridge the oldest bridge in Prague and also the only bridge up until the late 1800's. Imagine that. Prague really isn't that big we walked everywhere and basically saw everything.

Here is some really horrible english that we saw standing outside of one of the many parties Maxime took us to. I guess instead of having class they have parties...until 6 in the morning. But thats cool

So here is a typical Czech meal. Pork and saurkraut...and lots of it. Oh yeah and potato dumplings. I'm not going to say Czech republic is the culinary center of the world, but their sausage is damn good. And look how they made it look.

Also an important thing to note is that the beer is not only cheap, but it's cheaper than water. So thats what you drink and there are only two kinds. Light beer and dark beer. Surprisingly the people of Prague aren't the obnoxious drunkards, its the foreigners.

Here is a traditional czech dessert. Its just fried bread and sugar. I'm positive that every culture has its own version of fried bread and sugar...doughnuts, sopapillas, beignets etc.


Ok well I'm tired of writing captions. But I should just tell you that it is really worth going to Prague. There is so much to visit. I spent an entire afternoon visiting a series of Jewish museums because Prague has the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe... and you all know how much I love to visit cemeteries. The architecture there is like brain overload because everywhere you look there's tons of little details to look at. What I heard was that even though they were invaded by Germany Hitler decided not to destroy it so it still has a shitload of stuff to look at. Also think about this. We went out to a restaurant every afternoon and evening, we went to see museums and tours and we stayed in a Hostel... in all I spent 200 euros. That's all. Terminé Bon soir!

Love Leah

Glitter in the Air

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Closed your eyes and trusted
Just trusted
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don’t care."

It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before the lightning
And the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breathe before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La La La La La La La La

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight

------

I saw this on the Grammy's and thought it was awesome. Sweet and simple just the way I like it.

Love Leah 

Snow Angels

Apparently this has been the worse winter in 22 years. Thanks. At least next week I get to leave the country and go to Prague. YAY! And after that its only a month until my parents come! YAY! Well at least thats what they say... I'm not gonna get really excited until they buy their tickets. I don't really have anything to say I'm just bored and I thought I'd write.

Oh I sent my first batch of resumés out to french universities hoping they'll hire me for next year. We will see.

Love Leah

Gala 2010

Man prom would have been so much better if you could drink.
Last night was the infamous gala that Ive been talking about and it was exactly like a prom except you could drink and boy did we. Well not so much me because I had to sing but anyway. What was even crazier was the horrible ratio between dudes and girls there. I could have been 300 hundred pounds and gotten hit on I think. First we got ready at our house (Amanda, her friend, Raina, and I) and then we took a bus to get there.

That is me and David and here is Amanda and her friend

They were so pretty... well they still are haha anyway... You went in and there was a runway show in one room and in another room bands were playing (thats where I sang). It was pretty tight and then there was this huge room with a DJ and it was awesome everyone was dancing I mean like hardcore sweaty dancing. Especially Mathieu who at one point had his shirt unbuttoned and his tie around his head. And people say engineers are boring ha. Anyway it was really really fun. And apparently the band I sang with wants to record the songs so maybe you guys can hear them. Well Im off to clean my room and nap.

Ah I forgot Im on vacation yay!!!
Leah

Speak to Us Of Love

When love beckons you follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth he is for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses the tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself. He threshes you to make you naked. He sifts you to free you from your husks. He grinds you to whiteness. He kneads you until you are pliant; And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become the sacred bread for god's sacred feast.
All of these things shall love do unto you, that you may know the secrets of your heart and in knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing floor,
Into a seasonless world where you will laugh but not all of your laughter, and weep but not all of your tears...

... But if you love and still have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And bleed willingly and joyfully...

-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Put Another Dime In the Jukebox Baby

Hello world,

So this week marks the end of another chunk of school which means that Friday marks the beginning of yet another vacation. I thought teaching in the US would be awesome because of summer but this is just ridiculous. Anyway for this vacation Ill actually be doing something interesting, IM GOING TO PRAGUE! So thats exciting. Ill be sure to send lots of postcards.
So we had a dress rehearsal for the gala and apparently our group was one of if not the best. I wish that meant we were totally awesome (we were good) but it really just means that the rest of the groups werent so good. This one group covered some of my favorite songs that Ive always wanted to cover and they did it horribly. Oh well. It made me feel better at least. So the list of songs Im singing includes... Hit the Road Jack, Sunny, I love Rock and Roll, Fever and then some back up stuff. Its cool.
In other news I have to tell my gym when i want to end my subscription and send a letter to my landlord about when Im moving out... sadness.
Im doing Valentines Day with the kids today. Last week I had to break up a fight in this class so we'll see how it goes. I changed the seating chart so I dont think it will be a problem anymore. Plus they are 12 and barely come up to my chest so if they do get in a fight its not like Im risking injury in pulling them apart. But who gets in a fight during a lesson about Valentines Day, its LOVE people!! Im having them write poems. I realize it could be kind of cruel to make middle school kids write love poems considering its the most awkward age ever but oh well, theyll learn someday. And why not today? Ok Il faut que j'y ailles.

Love
Leah