Dear permanent headache, Please make yourself less permanent. Thanks. Love, Manda

I am determined to get everything caught back up to date...at least before I leave the country for good and this blog ceases to have a purpose. Although, I have determined that I rather like blogging. Maybe I'll start a different one. A day in the life of Amanda. Oh yeah...that'd be exciting....

New Year's Eve was altogether too much fun. Back in the states, it becomes a holiday of drinking for many. Ok, maybe that's a universal thing. But there's a big difference when you can go out without worrying about being on the road with drunk drivers. Thank goodness for public transit.
The night was absolutely chaotic, and a tad humorous from the standpoint of being amongst thousands of drunken, screaming people, while being completely sober yourself.
People were setting off fireworks everywhere, usually without any consideration to the proximity of other people to them.  Apparently the number of accidents seems to increase with every year.
But aside from the danger factor, the scene was magical. Prague is magical to begin with, but add a bunch of glowing lights being set off from random places, and you've just tripled the "wow" factor.
Once midnight hit, we were standing on the bridge right near my faculty building.  That was when the chaos started. Fireworks from every direction. Front, back, side..the middle of the street right in front of you, etc.
Me, being the worry-wart that I am, was a little concerned for the safety of the drivers that drove past/over the fireworks right before or after they were being set off in the middle of the street. And by the time the fireworks had been going on for 5 minutes, Prague had disappeared to the smoggy fog that was the residue from the explosions.
It was absolutely incredible. The whole night was an unforgettable celebration of the last amazing year, and the future that this year has to hold. So I guess we'll find out what has yet to unfold.. :]

Mom and I took some time to wander Mala Strana as well

Right in the middle of the street.

Dear Czech police, Thank you for protecting the drunk people from the tram. Or..thank you for protecting the tram from the drunk people?? Either way, you definitely helped the woman standing in the middle of the tram tracks talking to her daughter to see the oncoming danger..