Like the diligent student I hope to be, I spent last week in Eastern Europe preparing for my forthcoming Russian linguistics and social science test.
Step 1: Form a study group.
(with big al and the beef in Prague)
With Alan wrapping up the final leg of European tour with me in Eastern Europe, we were able to get the Beef on board for one wild night in Praha.
Beef hit the road back to Germany first thing on Sunday, leaving us to a little independent study of Czech culture.
Step 2: Get to know the locals
After a night train from Prague to Krakow, I was pretty excited to enjoy a little polish sunshine. As you may recall my last trip to Krakow in Januaryish left me seriously frostbitten. 
The nightlife was as interesting as I remembered it. I had the pleasure of exchanging tales of loneliness with a nice young lady who shared the pain of trying to meet nice eastern european ladies... no pics, just one interesting story.
While Alan took a trip to Auschwitz, I decided to visit a few alternative sites I missed on the last trip. After a long walk out of the center, I ended up in the old factory district where Oscar Schindler's' factory has become a memorial to the Holocaust.
Step 3: Take in a little history...
Budapest style. We spent an afternoon at the House of Terror, and got a taste of what six plus decades of Nazi and Soviet rule must have felt like- not fun. 
We spent the rest of our time in Budapest getting a feel for the city and witnessing a bit of history in the making- say hello to the Hungarian boy-band craze sweeping the, um, really small city square outside our apartment...Step 4: Take the test. Next stop- Mother Russia!
