Sunday, May 19, 2013

Praha

This morning I woke up at 4:15 am to go with Nancy (our professor) to take one of the girls to the train. It took us an hour and a half to get back to our hotel because we got so lost. It was not fun being just plain lost in a place where the language isn't English and the streets are so confusing. Thankfully, I felt I should take a picture of the hotel sign last night so today we atleast knew what street it was on. If it wasn't for that we would have no idea. We didn't have a map because the girl who went on the train took it and I thought nancy would know how to get back and she probably thought the same thing about me. We asked a group of drunk kids and these guys walking who both pointed us in the wrong direction (or maybe it was a language barrier). We had no money but I finally said we should take a taxi and I'd run up to my room to get money when we got to the hotel. So grateful we finally got back. We got back right in time for me to get ready and us all to head to church. At the metro station we ran in to a senior missionary couple. It was such a blessing to happen upon them so we could follow them to church. Their names are Elder and Sister Munro. She was so cute and so excited to see us. She even took a picture of us all. The ward is so kind. AND we saw Elder Jakey! (I grew up with him and he went to mine and Mel's high school and Utah State for a year). It was so so fun to see him. He's cute missionary-awkward. He's so incredibly happy. I looked over at him during sacrament meeting and he's just sitting there with a little smile on his face because he's that happy. It was adorable. We're going to Family Home Evening at the ward tomorrow. They're feeding us dinner, which is so nice. After church we went to the Old Town Square and I got a sausage which grossed me out by the end but I felt authentic. Then we walked over the popular bridge and found the Lennon wall and a lock bridge.The Lennon wall was so cool! Wikipedia explains it best:

The Lennon Wall or John Lennon Wall, is a wall in PragueCzech Republic. Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.
In 1988, the wall was a source of irritation for the communist regime of Gustáv Husák. Young Czechs would write grievances on the wall and in a report of the time this led to a clash between hundreds of students and security police on the nearby Charles Bridge. The movement these students followed was described ironically as "Lennonism" and Czech authorities described these people variously as alcoholics, mentally deranged, sociopathic, and agents of Western capitalism.
The wall continuously undergoes change and the original portrait of Lennon is long lost under layers of new paint. Even when the wall was repainted by some authorities, on the second day it was again full of poems and flowers. Today, the wall represents a symbol of youth ideals such as love and peace.

Then we went and took a nap at the park. The weather has been incredible. Right now it is raining outside my window and it sounds wonderful. Then tonight we went to Even Song at St. Vitus cathedral. I felt like I had gotten away with murder by getting in to the service because you have to convince the guards you are really there for church, not just a tourist trying to get a cool experience. And a cool experience it was! The cathedral is GORGEOUS. 


Jakey!


Figuring out the map.


The Lennon Wall.





At the park.


Best popsicle thing ever.


No comments:

Post a Comment