**written a few days ago, sorry, no internet connection to upload it!**

Friday!! Everyone is super excited because our end-of-intensive-course exam is over and we finally have free time (two whole days!). Although hours and hours of Czech class everyday has been helpful, being in class for so long on top of all the activities they've been scheduling in the evenings has been ridiculous. We come home, go grocery shopping, cook, do Czech homework and either go out to the bar, or more likely, just go to bed early.

Last night, CIEE bought us all 200 CZK (about $12) tickets to a ballet at Narodni Divadlo (National Theater, picture 3), a gorgeous building a few tram stops from my flat on the Vltava River. It was nice seeing everyone from the program all dressed up. The ballet itself was interesting... a couple of modern acts before a more traditional final one. One dance featured only male dancers, dressed kind of like thugs in a parody.

This afternoon, Maya, and I went with Leah, a girl from another CIEE flat, to a harvest festival in Narodni Miru (Miru Square). We ate tons of sweets, bought liters of Burcak (picture 2, sweet Czech wine only sold during the fall, or punch with a surprising strong kick), and watched a folk show (picture 1). I tempted to think that this is a typical weekly market, but really, I think it's more like a smaller Durham Fair to Connecticut - a special annual festival. Anyway, big sugar high.

More later. Tomorrow we leave for Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad, in German), the Czech spa town, and tonight Maya and I are visiting another flat before going to a ska concert with Helena!