czech it out

who knew that a week full of hannah montana and high school musical could be so great and refreshing!  i just got back from the middle school service project to chrastava, czech republic.   we built a community playground that is run and owned by one of the few churches in czech.  the country is only 1.5% christian and over 70% athiest!  the church we worked with had about 50 members and i think about half of them were out there helping us.  czech is a very crazy language to try to understand.  i got to know a lot of the girls i will be working with this next year.  they are precious and so much fun.  i accomplished one of my goals on trip: driving in europe.  with the help of a navigation system and a missionary named linda, i drove though czech, poland, and germany in search of a esso station that takes the military gas stamps.  we actually found one!  even though i've only been here for about a week and half, the trip is already proving to be quite triumphant in terms of other goals.

1. eat at a restaurant by myself-  this happened at the air port in philidelphia.  unfortunately, it was order at a counter style, so i didn't get to say, "jenna, party for 1" like i'd always hoped.  none the less,  i had a great time people watching.

2. navigate myself through a foreign airport- this happened in both the philidelphia and munich airports.  it was way easier than i thought

As i've been euro-ing (living in europe) here in germany, i have had several epiphany moments...

1. people really do drink hot coco in august (including me... its freezing here and the boxes i mailed with all my jackets have not arrived)

2. windows are my new favorite thing.  every time i go to open mine, i get really excited.  its giant and opens in 2 different ways depending on which way the handle is facing. oh, those germans... so precise.

3. the U.S. flag i've always thought of is actually wrong.  so your probably thinking, "how could somebody not know what their own countries flag looks like."  well, you are about to join the club.  all the soldiers on post obviously wear the flag on their right arm sleeve.  its a normal U.S. flag but the blue part is in the top RIGHT hand corner, which is actually the correct flag.  i've always thought it was the upper left corner...but no, i was wrong.  this discovery turned my world upside down.  the richardson school district failed me miserably.

4. i read almost twice as much as i used to.

5. the autobahn actually has a speed limit most of the time.

retina scan...eye doctor... same thing

ok so maybe i underestimated a little.  i said the town had about 75 houses but i was told that 2,500 people lived here.  but everything is very condensed so it feels a little smaller.

today was my first day to go to the post.  i got my official military i.d. which gives me access to pretty much everything american in germany.  i got a post office box, my military visa, saw the club building (young life club that is) and a lot more.  when i was getting my i.d. card everyone was looking into this tube with their other eye covered and i asked if i had to get an eye exam.  don't worry, it was a retina scan.  i looked real smart

we leave tomorrow for the middle school service project in czech and i couldn't be more excited!  it will be my first time to hang out with the kids and really get to know them.  AND we get to eat authentic czech food.  exciting!  

I feel like belle...dream come true.

so here it is: my blog- my thoughts broadcasted to the world.  we're not going to get to deep or philosophical here.  its mainly going to be my thoughts about my life and about the funny encounters i know i will have with germans.  

the town i live in is so cute.  due to my complete lack of german skills, i have no idea how to spell its name.  its pronounced soybersdorf. i think.  since i live in bavaria, there are hills and farms everywhere.  There are probably about 75 houses and the "main street" is about a 5 minute walk.  everyone is very friendly saying "hallo" as i walk bye.  i feel like singing, "little town, its a quiet village.  every day, like the one before.  Little town full of little people waking up to say."  but instead of bonjour they say hallo.  i really do feel like belle.