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And so it was decided several weeks ago, several times that we should return all of the empty bottles that we had collected during our say here in Prague. This was by and large the decision set upon by the floor as a whole, however the task fell to Marty, Craig and myself. Having the majority of the bottles between us it was more than fair and so we set about the task. How would we get them to the repository, would they take them, what would we do with the deposit? And so we brought home a case of beer and pondered the situation, thinking that ten more bottles wouldn't hurt, as our charge was to transport a mere four hundred and sixty of them. So sitting around with our mugs we wracked our brains on the topic. "That's a hell of a lot of bottles" seemed to be all that we could come up with, the sheer size of the chore boggling our minds. What we had done in the course of four months was to bring home at three Czech Krouns each over four hundred bottles of beer, and to consume them without continually returning them. Our local redemption depot being a good four tram stops, and thirteen floors east of where we lived. So we decided that we would get them there somehow, and the details would work themselves out. What we needed to do was to figure out what we would be doing with the revenue from our colossal icon to liver decease and late nights. We would be looking at around thirteen hundred Krouns worth of back money, and so the most obvious thing was to take it and buy several cases of beer, after which we could have a party for the floor, and invite over our classmates from the dorms. This being a perfectly acceptable idea with our floor we then proceeded to once again ponder the Herculean task, for as good as the idea was we still had that "hell of a lot of bottles" to move.
So it was happened upon that we possessed the very means necessary all along. We each had a large suitcase with wheels on it! It was brilliant, and we've Marty to thank for it, as he was to one to strike upon it first. It took mine, Marty's two, Craig's two, and Erica's, whom Karie donated to the task. Now we had the vehicle, we only needed the manpower, and finding a plentiful lack of that, we had to lug then along ourselves. All six cases, and a case of empties in hand per person, along with two backpacks. Karie, Craig's good friend Phil, Marty, Craig, and myself boarded the tram number twenty on our ludicrist mission. Luckily we had Phil come in this week, he was an invaluable asset to the entire evening, however much he would later regret his participation!
And so the glass train arrived at the station, the local Delvita. The locals thought it odd that all of these strange kids would be bringing in suitcases into the supermarket, each with a beer case under arm as well. Some of them put it together before we opened the suitcases too, but as we began to unload the reviews were a mixed bag. Some laughed, and pointed, many just sneered and scowled at us as they came past the redemption counter. The man in the rear was not entirely pleased either, but he gave over crate after crate for us to fill up and pass back fully loaded with bottle.
Duties were then split up, Craig and Phil took garbage detail, while I stood guard over the suitcases. Karie and Marty headed into the store with the receipt and two shopping carts, and now we were responsible for returning with full beer bottles to the party that was to be.
Now I'll tell you that it was no small peanuts getting all of those bottles down to the Delvita, and although we would be returning with fewer cases, they would now be full cases. I myself taking one in my back pack, and two in my suitcase, this was body building. But when we returned we made sure that the entire trip was well worth it. We began by bringing out a refrigerator to our TV room and a few extra chairs. Marty having a totally kicking stereo system here brought that out and we prepared for the rush. As soon about thirty people would be engaged in discussion, singing, laughing, and having a generally pleasant time, we even gave Justin a shave as his beard was bothering him. Not to mention slowly whittling away at the stash of beer as was hoped.
Now I don't know that I can remember all the names but I'm going to give it a go, as it was quite a party, and we all had such a good time pulling this off that I'd like to recognize as many as possible in my tale. Now there was myself of course, but also Marty, Craig, Keya, Phil, Karie, Erica, and Jon. There was Natya, Rob, Katya, Bengi, Lousiea, Justin, Anna, Jackson, but I think we had more. I remember, Aubrey, and Ali, being there as well. Now this is an incomplete list, but it is the best that I can do for the moment. (And should I have missed your name and this troubles you, please E-mail me the correction.)
Now I teetered off to my bed rather early at this event. Deciding to get up and check on my room mate, Marty and seeing that he too had decided to call it a night simply toppled into my bed and was out before I even hit the sheets. Hard work followed by beer is a good recipe for sleep, and should you ever question this I've got numerous testimonies to call upon. However it's not that we all crashed that makes for a story but rather the circumstances of our slumbers and eventual waking. I myself fell in my boots, and so fully laced they proudly hung from the end of my bed. However others were a little more and a lot less lucky. Now as to protect the reputation of a few of my friends here I will allow my examples to remain nameless, but one woke to a kicking by the hotel staff, as he crawled out of his room and fell asleep under a tree at the end of the hall. completely understandable from my point of view, however amusing! Then there was the fellow who's room mates heard in the shower, in the wee hours of the night. This poor man had awoken to his own explosive diarrhea, and the fact that his mate had passed out in the head and locked the door made any normal means of solving the problem out of the question, as time was at a premium. So the unlucky fellow took to the balcony, and shat his ever loving brains out on the stoop, and in the process fouled the flat's of the man whom had locked himself in the head. But these were isolated events, and not the hole of the rude awaking to come in the morning. I myself as with my roomie and Craig and his company were very rudely stirred from our slumbers, by one very loud woman. She was the head of the house keeping staff, and she was upset. We, thank god, were still totally sozzeled from the night before, and so it was much less upsetting than I'm sure the lady intended. However what we did get from her was that she was very upset about the refrigerator being out in the sitting room, and that we would pay five hundred Czech krouns to clean the rug. We would lose our television privileges, and so on. We in turn promptly fell back asleep after our morning lunging, and rested for another few hours before getting up and heading out to lunch at the local pub and starting the evening over again. A near repeat performance, minus the gigantic crowd of people, and our living room. So we headed to the local pool hall and chilled out for the evening.
Now if you've never had the extreme bliss of experiencing two days worth of hangover all rolled into one morning, you really should, at least once. This is a pain that is truly hard to describe, and at my best attempt I could only say that sunlight weighed far to much that Sunday morning as it crept across the sky. And in the numerous epiphanies that I had that day one was that god had a sense of humor, and if you could just laugh it would get better, as it could have been worse!
Now I think that this may be one of my last additions to the web page on Prague. So it is getting near to time that I begin to wrap it up. Wouldn't you think? Ali flew out on a Monday, and I bought all of the boys a drink. Jess would be leaving on a Wednesday, home before Christmas. Many here will leave on Saturday. Craig, Phil, Keya, Karie, Allison, all my very good friends here. Marty will be heading out to his family, as will Erica, and it will end at Jon and I. My departing on Tuesday next, Jon will be the last of the thirteenth floor to head homeward.
I managed to get sick just in time to fly home, and all. And I thought Mr. Murphy was an optimist! I'm already sad that I'm leaving this place, the Czech Rep. for all this semester is worth has taught a lot. Not so much in the class room as out of it, but it has been a good semester to learn. Most of us feel the same, we are all ready to leave, but not ready all the same. Being surrounded by such a beautiful city, where things work so well. The people are different, and to behave much better than in North America. All who told me of the European character, and held it as better, you were right. We Americans are rude people, well the Germans are too, but that's another argument, and I'll have to live in Germany some time to be sure as well. But the Slavs, ah the Slavs are by far some of the greatest people that I have ever had the privilege to live amongst thus far, and would like to thank them for their kindness' they are the things that will last a live, and only make it better.
And so I bring to a conclusion the Letters From Praha, sadly, but well done. And to all who followed my story I thank you, and only hope that it was at least entertaining for you. I've plans to always generate a page to write to as long as I travel and so keep your eye's peeled and we'll have to see where I pop up next.