Additionally...

"No" doesn't mean "no" in Czech. It's short for "ano" which means yes. It causes problems.

Things I like about Prague:
- seeing dogs everywhere in little jackets
- cobble stone streets
- coffee places everywhere
- not having to tip more than 10% (if even that)
- the old man in Old Town Square who was today playing his saxophone to a recording of "Summertime" (Billie Holiday, not Will Smith)
- misspellings of the words "coffee" and "dessert" on store signs
- all the pretty buildings/everything looking like a fairytale
- the good transportation system
- not having to buy tickets every time you use the transportation system
- sparkling water
- cereal with chocolate and banana in it


Things I don't like about Prague:
- sandwiches often don't tell you what meat is in them (it is hard to avoid meat)
- you have to pay for water, and bread in the bread basket (they don't warn you), and to use the bathroom in malls/stores, and to use ketchup etc. etc.
- attitudes. get out of my life.
- laundromats are absurdly expensive (I talk about laundry too much)
- being around people all the time
- not understanding when people talk to me
- that homeless people beg on their knees with their heads down like a praying muslim
- that Czech is a super hard language that I will never come close to mastering

Tonight I saw the documentary Občan Havel about the post-Communism president of the Czech Republic (also a former dissident and playwright) Vaclav Havel (it's pronounced Vatslav). I think I read that the filmmakers followed him around for thirteen years through the death of his wife, when he was remarried, multiple terms as president and when he left. The Rolling Stones, Bill Clinton, Madeline Albright, George Bush, Condoleeza Rice, and Colin Powell all made appearances as they visited the Czech Republic at some point. When Clinton came they gave him a saxophone and he played it at some jazz club in Prague.

They are having presidential elections right now, but the Parliament decides who will be president, not the people. My teacher says it's being held up because they are trying to decide whether to keep the votes secret as they usually do or make it public. If it's public, people may vote differently. It's pretty undemocratic. He said that if it stays private, the current president Vaclav Klaus will definitely be re-elected. Everyone hates him. I tried to look on Prague's English newspaper for new information, but didn't find much.

I am tired and have to wake up for an early trip to Tabor and Bechyně (little towns) and will add some pictures of my weekend in Moravia later. I might steal some pictures some other girls took just so there is a picture with me in it in some form, per mom's request.