Laziness and Zmrlzina -- I better be careful.

This is definitely the laziest day I have had thus far in Praha. I got up and ate breakfast downstairs, but then came back and layed in bed and read. Fell asleep now and then, read some more, woke up at 1:00 when Mike and Zac came to see if I wanted to eat lunch. I didn't. I read some more. The only good thing is Kathryn was doing the same thing, so I didn't feel that bad. It was quite funny how we kept talking/reading/sleeping away the morning. But sometimes you have to, and I don't feel like I did it out of depression, so that is good. I've been wanting to just relax and read, and now I have. Almost done with the Julian Barnes novel I've been reading since I left the States.

Had a fun night in Old Town Friday; ended up going out in search of a restaurant with Kathryn, Megan, Bekka, Laura and Zac. We wanted to go to a Thai place that had been recommended, but when we got there, it was a restaurant-combination-fancy-glass-art-gallery, and we decided it would be too pricey. So we ended up at a Mexican restaurant across the street, and had a great time. I had the strangest burrito I've ever eaten, with carrots and broccoli inside, and what tasted like pizza sauce instead of salsa. But it was good, and a ton of food for the price, so I can't complain. We walked around Old Town after that, half-heartedly trying to find a pub, mostly just wandering. Walked through Old Town Square at night, which hadn't done yet, and that was pretty cool. Had one of those, "Holy shit, I'm in Prague," moments, which I also haven't had in a while. Ended up going to KFC and getting 17kc cones of zmrzlina (ice cream!) and catching a tram home. (There is no such thing as normal ice cream here, only gelati -- even at American fast food chains.)

Went to Český Krumlov yesterday and had a really good time. I was worried it would be crazy running around like the trip to Moravia, but it was really calm and relaxing and just a nice day in a little Czech town. We walked around a bit with tour-guide-Zdenik, saw some old buildings and the castle there. Then we had free time for lunch, and Kat, Brian, Zac and I stumbled upon this awesome hole-in-the-wall Bohemian place. I don't even remember the name, but we climbed this little stone spiral staircase to a room with 4 tables, and ate the best meal I've had in the CZ so far. Kat and I got the "Old Bohemian Feast," vegetarian style, and it had all kinds of different authentic mullet casseroles and puffed barley and potato cakes and buckwheat and sauerkraut and fresh cabbage and I can't even remember what else. It was amazing. I also had a local beer, Bohemian Regent, that was pretty good. It was nice to hang out with Kat and Brian because they are so calm and chilled out. I really enjoyed it.

When we got back, I tried to round up people to go see this film at Kino Oko, in Praha 7. Zac, Kat and another kid, Justin, ended up coming, and we took a tram and 2 metro lines to get there. The film was awesome -- I had been craving a good film, a good few hours of escape. It was called Příběhy Obyčejného Šílenství, roughly translated to Wrong Side Up, and was originally a play by the same guy who adapted it into a screenplay; he cites artistic inspirations as Almodovar, Bukowski, Luis Bunuel, P.T. Anderson, and the social phenomenon of urban legends. It was set and filmed in Praha, which is still quite novel to me, and was full of seemingly random incidents, quirky characters, and strange situations, but it was so self-referential that it became not random anymore. I really enjoyed it. And the actress who played the main female character, Jana, was absolutely gorgeous, as many Českas seem to be. So, I was quite happy that I finally got to see a good Czech film, and explore a new part of town.

It has been a fun weekend, and I have managed to avoid any uncomfortable clubbing outings. I think maybe next weekend I might be up for that again, maybe trying to find some new, cooler places, but it has been nice to have a break and doing some things that are more unique and cultural and off-the-beaten-path. (If eating Mexican food can be considered as such. . .but I mean, Mexican food in the Czech Republic? That's gotta count for some kind of adventurousness. . .)

Don Giovanni is tonight. I am excited. Laura is playing Ted Leo in her room, and it sounds like home. We are all getting ready for the opera. School starts tomorrow. I am so psyched.