Wild Week, and I’m now TEFL Certified!!

So, the madness that is my intensive TEFL class is now completed. I can take my certification anywhere in the world (at least to a country that doesn’t already speak English) and theoretically get a job teaching English. So, with the world as my playground, i’m deciding to stick around in Prague, and see what kind of trouble i can get into.

I won’t bore you with the details of the week, but will say that my training has been successful in allowing me to meet many new people. Beyond my classmates, all of whom are very cool, i’ve also gotten to meet several of the students we have to teach. The most fun, of course, is when you can get to meet people outside of the classroom setting, and there are a few students that have come out with their “teachers in training” after classes, and we’ve all had a good time. It’s always fun meeting new people, and one of the great unexpected benefits of the class has been the people i’ve gotten to know. Some of my classmates are staying in Prague, which will be fun, and the rest are going all over the place, which means contacts, now, throughout the world. Pretty cool stuff.

The last two weekends have consisted of getting familiar with the night life in Prague. Clubs and bars here don’t have to close, and it’s very easy to lose track of time. Needless to say, i’ve experienced a couple of late nights the last two weekends, and even though i’m near dead the next morning, they have thus far been a good time.

This week, after my late night on Friday, i got on a bus at 10:15 Saturday morning to take an almost two hour bus ride to a town called Turnov, which i think is in the Eastern Bohemia region. It’s a very pretty area, with some small mountains, and lots of spire-like rocks similar to those found in the Black Hills, and also (of course) castles. I got in early afternoon on Saturday, and met up with Greg and Stania, and we hiked around the hills til dark (which is like 4pm now), and went to our hotel place.

The hotel thing was actually a house, in a neighborhood near Turnov. No one apparently lives in the house, and there are like a few rooms, two bathrooms, and a common kitchen and dining room. Greg and Stania got their own room, and i got my own as well. There was also another couple staying there in a different room. My room was very spacious, very comfortable, and all this only cost 350 Kc, which is about $17 or so. It was a much needed break from the city, almost retreat-like. Too short, of course, but nonetheless very refreshing.

So, Monday i have a job fair at my school. Hopefully, i’ll be able to connect with an English teaching school or something. One of my teachers already connected me with some kind of job for a couple of hours a week but supposedly well paying. Still waiting to hear from the guy, though.

My friend Fitzy is coming this Friday, which should be a lot of fun. We have our bus tickets and hostel booked for our trip to Budapest with Jessica over Christmas. Should be a good time.

I’ve got lots of free time this week, so i’ll try to get back to people with e-mails and maybe even send out some postcards (not gonna make it to the states before Christmas…). ‘til next time.

JC