V škola, At school

At least the math room has a nice view from it. The physics lab has only a boring monotonous roof across the street to look at. I know this because I spent most of today looking out the windows in my classes. After trying to pay attention to the teacher I gave up. When you understand one in every one thousand words other things tend to distract you. Like, "what's for lunch today?" and "what do I have next hour and is there even a remote chance I can find it on my own?" The answers to those questions lie ahead.

So at eight today the bell rang for class to start. As the professor comes in we all have to stand up out of "respect" although anyone who expects respect to be handed to them on a silver platter loses it in my book. Then when we're allowed to sit down again the teacher begins to talk. Czech Language is first hour. I listen for a while and then doodle. We're told what books to buy for the class and then given free time. I sit and try to ignore the foursome sitting diagonally in front of me who keep glancing at me and whispering to each other. I fail.

Second period. I sit in the same place because I don't get to change classrooms. It's time for math. The teacher talks again, but then we get to play Sudoku. At fist I am irritated, I'm dreadful at sudoku. But then I'm the second one done and I'm mildly proud.

Third hour. Double Physics. Death in class form. I cannot understand a word the teacher says, and neither can the unfortunate girl sitting next to me trying to translate for me. The teacher begins to write on the board and I am pleased because I think I can finally do something: take notes. Wrong again. Apparently people here write in some sort of cursive code that only they can read. The "t"s look like "l"s and the "S"s don't look like anything. I give up again. Then, apparently, we begin a lab. The poor girl next to me is forced to be my partner, aka she does the entire lab because I don't have the slightest inkling as to what is going on. I later find out we were finding the average size of an acid-oil molecule. Who knew? Not me.

Lunch. It was amazing. I had bowtie pasta in a white cream sauce. When I first looked at it I could only remember the spaghetti from East and how disgusting it is. As I took my fist bite I prayed "Please don't taste like vomit" and indeed it didn't. Easily the best school lunch ever.

Fifth hour is geography. Petr sits next to me and is spectacular at English. We have a pop quiz. I fail. Luckily it isn't graded. But I did realize, as Petr was translating the names of what we were supposed to be finding on our maps from Czech to English, that even if this had been in English, I would have failed. I was irritated. But I told myself that we were looking for ridiculous places like an island so small it wasn't even on the maps we were given and to find the some river in Africa I'd never even heard of. Of course I am wrong, but I feel better about failing. I did manage to find number six though; it was Cuba.

Sixth hour is biology. The teacher rambles on and Petr translates again. Except he doesn't say anything because he says she is boring and what she says is not very important. So much for biology I guess.

Finally I have Social Studies. We are told to buy a Politology book. Then the teacher, who I had had yesterday and knows very well that I barely speak Czech and who doesn't speak any English decided to try to have a conversation with me. She failed and I failed and Petr had to to translate for me again. Apparently I get a special case to hold my i.d. card. Lucky me.

School is now over and I am relieved. Then I go with Patrick, an older Rotarian who asked to spend some time with me, and we take a ride on his motorcycle. It is now I realize that I don't really like riding on motorcycles. I held onto the handles so hard I'm surprised they didn't dent or break. We take a tour of Uhersky Brod from the outside. Seeing it from the distant hills and it is beautiful. Later we stop and have dinner, when I get off my arms hurt from holding on so tight. After riding for a while though I did like it and it was really fun. So even though school was not the best experience of my life, after school was fun.

We get the coolest i.d. cards ever. To order lunch, you swiped it on these pads and it brings up a menu for the week. You get to choose between two options each day and then when you get your lunch you swipe them again. I get excited every time. You can also order lunch online. It's not like EAST where you choose each day, you get to pick in advance, I really like it. Also, everyone in my class stays together for the majority of the day. I hate it because it cuts out practically half of all lunchtime conversation such as; today, Fotsch said this, and it was funny. All classroom stories are cut out because everyone else was there to see/hear it. Most people are really nice though, very helpful and wanting to know and help me. They made a list of important school terms in English and gave them to me in Czech. And they let me follow them all around to the next class because no, there was no chance of me finding my way anywhere, and they invited me to sit with them at lunch. Unfortunately for me, I can't remember most of their names. Some even invited me out this weekend, but I have a Rotary weekend in Slovakia so I had to say no. Luckily, though, I've got a year. I was asked a lot of question today and I'll just tell you the funniest one in my opinion. In Biology today Petr asked me if, in America, we have to ask to use the bathroom or if we can just leave. I wondered who had told him we could just leave because he seemed surprised when I said we have to ask. Also, apparently I'm supposed to be changing my shoes when I get to school and then when I leave again. Supposedly I was expected to know this because Mrs. Hornakova seemed genuinely surprised when I said of course I wasn't. I still don't understand why even though I had it explained to me so I guess its just a cultural thing. O well. I guess that's why everyone is wearing socks with their sandals.