Semester break continued!

Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, still. This is the red carpet for the Berlin film festival (Berlinale), which was finishing up just as I got to Berlin. Of course, this is during the early afternoon, so nothing very exciting was going on--the most important part of this area was really the Starbuck's just to the left...hehe.
Still Potsdamer Platz, and still in frond of Berlinale Palast, with my favorite sculpture in Berlin. I look pretty nerdy, but doesn't the sculpture look like a giant balloon animal-type thingy?

One more bear...I think she looks really weird, but once again, the key is that I'm pointing at the sun on her belly and making a pouty face because I'm ready for SPRING! So you know how Berlin's thing is the bears? Well, we stumbled upon this temporary setup of life-sized foosball--Germany against the rest of the world. Too fun, really. Except, we didn't actually play. Anne (basically my favorite European ;) and her friend Manu. Well, I suppose I can say Manu's my friend now, too. They're both pretty darn cool, and this picture was taken by yours truly when we went out for a drink in the Dutch quarter of Potsdam, just out of Berlin. Note, if you will, the gate and towers out the window. Just goes to show...Europe is not America. But I guess we already knew this by now, eh? *winks*We've now switched over to Prague (where I went straight from Berlin). This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip, with D'yon (roommate) and Clément (new French friend) in the snow. If you look closely, you can see that the two of them look quite happy, but surprise of surprises, I look sullen. This was of course on accident, and it happened because I thought my camera wasn't working and was annoyed. Classic Emilee, no? Anyway, it makes me think of a family portrait...where I'm the insolent, angsty teen. Hehe.

Clément and Pierre-Alexandre (aka Pab), our new French buds that we met and hung out with in Prague. Crazy crazy boys, but they really made our trip. (Props to D'yon for making friends with them on her busride over to Prague.) Seriously, these guys were hilarious. So now you've been introduced to them and will know who I'm referring to in the pictures to follow.

Lunch at a pub on the first day in Prague. From left to right: Clément, Pab, Grizzly Czech man, me, and D'yon. We don't know who the bearded man is, but he felt that our picture wouldn't be complete without him, so there he is!

A church at the Old Town Square. It was pretty gray out that day.Trying to figure out how to get somewhere, ie looking unmistakably like turned-around tourists. This happened quite a bit, but we always managed to figure it out.

We went here for a Gypsy music concert one night with the boys and the Czech girl they were staying with, and one of her friends. It was quite the interesting location--everything, decorations, furniture, was all made from old rubbish. It had a very edgy/arty feel to it, and was definitely a place and a concert we never would have found on our own. Oh, and the music was so much fun!

Our guys again, this time in Hanka's apartment making us all a "real french meal." You can see the quiche-type thingy on the counter, which actually turned out ok, despite the fact that all the ingredients were bought without any knowledge of what the labels said (since we're all so fluent in Czech and all.) Oh, and Hanka is the girl they stayed with, who took us to the gypsy music and rubbish club.

D'yon and I with our new Czech friends Hanka and Matja (sp?) at Hanka's apartment after our "french" meal.

Insert lots of photos of the Palace and Cathedral and the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) that never really got taken because my camera batteries died, and I'd forgotten my charger :( You'll just have to take my word for it that it was all quite nice.

Also insert pictures of the nice meal we had--the whole nine yards on my birthday eve. We're talking apératifs, soup, salad, bread, gooood wine (despite how silly the guys were, they definitely knew what they were doing when ordering/tasting the wine--how very French), dessert (with a sparkler and a song), amazing coffee...you get the picture. Oh, and then afterwards they told us it was their treat, which was really sweet!

We finished that dinner close to midnight, and of course, as soon as it turned midnight it became my birthday, and there was celebrating in the streets! Seriously, we're talking singing "Joyeux Anniversaire" loudly through the old Town Square in Prague at midnight, laughing and just being really silly. In the spirit of all this celebration, we quickly found our way into a kareoke bar...where Clément and Pierre-Alexandre insisted we should go so they could "sing" for us. And of course, in typical french fashion, they were terrible, but really enthusiastic--and I don't remember laughing that hard in a long time. Definitely one of my most memorable birthdays! Oh, and if you don't know how old I just turned, check out how many fingers they are holding up in the above picture...because that's how many!

Ok, I think you've been pretty well updated. A glimpse into my february break and travels, at least! I'm sure you'll hear lots more stories at some point...but probably in person, when I'm back home. So...à bientôt, tout le monde! Or, as I recently learned how to say in German: Tschüss!