The weather is cooling off here and the leaves are beginning to fall. It's my favorite time of year, execpt for the allergies. But nothing is perfect, is it? So here is another story....

Last Wednesday, I was going to Sokolov to meet with the other ESI teachers there. When I get to the train station all of the ticket windows were closed. So I make my way towards the international ticket window with which, I am now well aquainted. I stand in line and ask for a return ticket to Sokolov. I felt quite confident about this because I have done it successfully several times. But the lady started to scream at me in Czech. Of course, I just stand there in a "tharn" state (like a deer caught in headlights). Two men try to help me. One tells the lady the exact thing I did, to no avail. The other tries to speak to me in German beacuse everyone assumes I am from Germany. I am about to cry and I tell the man I don't understand German. He then tells me in English that it isn't possible for me to get a round trip ticket. I still haven't been able to find out why not. Have I told you that I HATE the train station? Well, I do. But my students have assured me this happens to them, too. They say the ladies who work there are old and cranky and yell at everyone. So I have some consolation there.

But there is a bright side to this story....when I got to the platform, I noticed something was different. All these people were there with cameras. I look up and there was the most beautiful train I had ever seen. It was blue with gold trim and lettering. It was the famous Orient Express! Wow! It was quite posh. I wish I could have gone aboard and explored. So I had to suffer a little yelling in Czech, but it was worth it!