When we finished running errands, we met up with Jenny and had lunch. I went to Mcdonald's because we were near Wenscelas Square and I had already tried the bratwurst. McDonald's in Czech Republic was kind of a let down. It tastes very American, but it gets bonus points for several reasons. First, they have the Big Tasty, which they no longer serve in the US. This is what I got and it was in fact, big and tasty with the special Big Tasty sauce of course. Second, they get bonus points for a special promotion they are doing right now for the world cup. You can check it out by clicking here, and I don't know what it is but it looks delicious. I'm definitely going back to try it. It comes with waffle fries--enough said.
After lunch we continued on to Old Town Square, where we were able to take group pictures of ourselves in front of the Astronomical Clock and Tyn Church. We made our way over towards the Prague Castle, but soon realize we wouldn't have enough time to actually go inside, so instead we went to the Torture Museum, which was a total tourist trap for USD$7. It was alright, interesting at parts, but I could tell it was a trap by the amount of foreigners in there. We were right by the Charles Bridge, but by this time it was time to head back to Roztoky to eat and prepare for the evening. Jenny had to go to pick up Aysegul, our Turkish intern, from the airport, so I led the girls back to Masarykovo train station and yes, this time we made it back to the town in one piece and on time.
On the way home we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things to cook for dinner, but each of us obviously have different tastes and different ideas for dinner. Ekta is completely vegetarian, she's never had any meat in her life, so obviously vegetables were the first place they started. I love meat, so I went straight to the meat section and got pork cuts. We got a bag of pasta, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, a bell pepper, potatoes, and a few random things. It only cost us 65CZK each, which is like $3.
When we got home, Jenny was still not back from the airport. We were tired, but Ana Luisa (from Brazil) and I began chopping vegetables right away. Ekta joined in the cooking and we figured out that we're just going to have to use every spice in the kitchen to make something good that we all can eat. I knew that we had to steam the cauliflower, but Ana suggested we put onions and garlic to sautee the mushrooms. Ana Luisa and I have a funny relationship. She speaks to me in Spanish, I respond in English, and she yells at me. She also realizes that I don't take her crap and so when she gives me a hard time, I can give it right back at her. She kind of reminds me of my sister in a way. When Ayşegül and Jenny arrived, the kitchen was cookin' with some pork meat (sauteed in garlic and spices), cauliflower (with salt, pepper and butter--steamed), pasta (mixed with mushrooms sauteed in grilled onions and garlic--cooked slightly over butter and salt and pepper). It was probably the most random meal I've ever had because we didn't really know what we were doing and we were trying to take a little bit of Brazilian, American, and Indian cooking techniques. Although Ekta brought spices from New Delhi, we ended up not using them because we didn't really know which one to put in what dish! The end result was a fantastic mix of everything and it really wasn't that bad.
After dinner, we sat around and talked. I'm really enjoying spending time with so many people of different cultures. I speak Chinese with Lin and Spanish with Ana Luisa, but beyond that, it's fun to see how our cultures relate and absolutely differ. Differences in food, customs, and senses of humor all make it one big learning experience.
On a random note, I'm the only one that brought a plug adapter, so Lin Zhou, Ana Luisa and I are all sharing my one plug for now. I feel bad that I'm blogging while Ana's iPod and laptop are completely dead and Lin needs to recharge her camera battery...but, oh well.
Another random note: Aysegul just made Turkish coffee, which was delicious. It is made by putting hot water and finely ground coffee together, with only a little bit of sugar. Surprisingly, it wasn't strong, but quite enjoyable. Let's see if I can go to bed now, being as it is 11:00 PM.
Tomorrow we have a lot planned for the day. We begin by going to Prague Castle. This time, I will actually go inside and I can't wait. Afterward, we need to be ready for an evening session, where Jenny and I will explain the agenda/schedule for next week and the week after. I'm kind of nervous because I only have so much to explain about the schedule. A lot of it still needs to be filled in with creative games and time-filling activities that do not consist of working on the special skill-developing projects. I'm sure I'll manage. More to come.
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