Day two, well it was day two, enough said. Just kidding but my day started with me feeling like I was hit by a freight train. Jet lag smacked me directly in the face, this was a bit strange, because I cannot remember the last time the whole earth rotation thing caught up to me. So instead of sleeping, I am up late tonight writing about day two, I guess some things are just a little more important than sleeping. Of course about 2 pm tomorrow I am sure I will totally different about the situation.

But tonight, I write, so here we go! I would like to start by jumping ahead a bit. Sandy now has a suitcase! The best we can figure was that the bag never got off the ground back in the states, and since we had to switch carriers and that just seemed to further complicate the situation. But upon arrival back in to the apartments, the bag was sitting front and center, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

So once I made it up and out of bed this morning I of course headed to the shower. Upon closer inspection I realized that this was built to bathe the midget helpers in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, not a normal human. The head detaches and I am fine with that. What I am not fine with is the diagonal roof that exists. This essentially means I have to lean diagonal in the shower while not spraying the entire floor with water. Clothed versions of this picture may follow if there is a desire to see this. Really words cannot do it justice.

Done with that task, and out the door to spend the first couple of hours hitting the streets to see the city. One turn led to another and we found an entirely new part of the city. The upload on facebook keeps failing, but I will get them up as soon as I can. It was another beautiful day in Prague. Our first was a short walk to the train station. We went ahead and booked our ticket to Vienna, and coming in at just a little under 70 USD it seemed like a really fair price. Compared to many ticket brokers we looked at prior to the trip, this saved us well over 100 USD per ticket.
After grabbing out tickets we made our way over to the metro. We wanted to take a test run on it before we had to run to work. An all day metro pass is 100 KR which equals about $2.50 USD. For those who live in DC or have visited, this is a steal. A couple of minutes of waiting and we were off. The stations are clean, safe and the trains look like they aren’t more than a year or two old. This is a great way to get around town!

After heading up a stop to Muzeum we jumped off and headed up the steps, to see an American Icon staring us in the face. Eastwood, Obama, Joan Rivers, NO, Mcdonald’s… Now I was going to sing the praises about the lack of western influence in this city, until we stepped into cultural hell. Don’t get me wrong, I love all thing western, Lacoste, McDonalds even Levi’s. But this was a little much for me. Squeezed in between a Bohemian crystal shop and a violin maker were the golden arches. I know they have to eat, and who doesn’t like all the cheese and cat, but maybe I just wanted to go a couple of days without the trappings on my culture being infused half a world away.

But internally this raised a larger question with me. Does globalization mean something more than my current definition of the sociological topic of my generation? I have always looked at globalization as being something bigger. Banks and government working together to benefit a large part of the population on a level that one day we will understand, but just not today. Or is it the spread of nano technology through joint research in an effort to make our lives more efficient? What if it was so much easier than all of that? As we travel more, is cultural dilution only inevitable? Are we not setting ourselves up for a homogenized society?

Wow a little deep, but when you are running on fumes, what do you expect. I will spend the better part of the next 24 hours questioning my perspective. Feel free to contribute and give me your thoughts.

Back to the story! We killed the morning walking around and me taking pictures of the city that I hope I can share with my children one day when they are planning their own escape to Europe. After a wonderful breakfast of an apple pastry, fresh squeezed orange juice and a latte all for under $5 USD we were ready to head off to work. Winding our way through the streets we get to the metro, jump on the train and 20 minutes of effortless riding we arrive.

So we get inside and start setting up. All is going well until I plug in the power for the printer. Upon turning it on the pug pops and the aroma of a blown circuit permeates the air. With little support from IT back at home it was time to make something happen. I head to the electronics store and get laughed at for asking if I could buy a voltage converter. Keep in mind 20 minutes earlier the facility electrician did the same. So I ask around and apparently there is a place a couple of metro stops away called Electro World, the Best Buy of the Czech Republic. So I step out of the station and there appears to be a highway on both sides. Look to the left and about a mile down the road I see my destination. Let’s just say I now know what Frogger felt like.

Shockingly they could not help me. So I head back with the thought in my mind that registration opened in less than 30 minutes. I get back to the hotel and we are officially in crisis mode. After talking to the client a light went off. They have extensive AV at the event and the lead guy is from the USA. We talk, he has a converter and I can now print badges. There is still a strange humming noise, but it hasn’t caught on fire or produced a large shock, in my mind, considering where we were, that is a victory my friends.

The day went by servicing the nicest attendees and exhibitors on earth. Everyone wanted to bring us water or food and took the time to ask how we were before asking for anything. The civility of Europeans, bless you, it reminds me to take a breath and often you will accomplish so much more than you ever thought.

Sushi for lunch, more Aloe water and a quick trip to the grocery to buy some treats for the staff. We now have friends from all of the international offices, and I will tell you teaching someone your language and learing at the same time is genuinely humbling and amusing. Before we knew it we were looking at 10 pm. It was time to pack up and get ready to go home. A short metro ride back and we were home.

So we have come full circle back to the bag. While today was a challenge, I will have to write it down as one of the better ones. I am off for a late night walk to the river since sleeping doesn’t seem to be in my plans for the evening. Hope all is well at home. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you when I get back.