Prague in September

So Frank has known for a while, but I misheard and misunderstood and didn't know, that he's going to Prague in September for the entry exam and interview for the medical school at Charles University. (date is not set yet: he's supposed to hear sometime this month)

What sheould he know about Prague in September? Is there anybody he should be introduced to?

You can bet I'm thrilled (also anxious about where the air fare etc. is comign from, but he's this close to a decent-paying job that would last him till classes start in January).

And Keith went off to law school yesterday, and MC may have a job, ironically enough, helping out mnetally disabled adults.

Prague! Of course, if, as is likely once it's down to an interview and a science test, my boy's in Prague for medical school, I have to go at least once, right?

all talk: a whale: and premature squeeing

So I was closing in on the last word of the last chapter and I realized thagt these guys had been talking at each other for pages and pages and I was bored.

So I'm recasting the chapter: the same points get covered -- ick, how yucky it sounds to be talking about points that get covered -- anyway, over a longer chronology, but they do more stuff to get the points across, while talking a little bit less. But I haven't written it all yet.

Still, I expect Draft by the end of the weekend.

It's a water quality monitoring weekend, and also the Cabrillo Music Festival.

On another front, there was a young whale in the small craft harbor a couple days ago, and this guy went out on a jet ski in the middle of the night and herded it back out to sea. He may get into serious trouble for doing this -- legally you aren't supposed to go out on your own and do stuff to marine mammals even if it's well-meaning. It worked, which some people think trumps the law. Me, I don't know. But I do know of a case recently where a couple of people picked up two baby seals "abandoned" on the beach and the seals died. Scare quotes in this case because seals park their young: they probably weren't abandoned.

On still another front, Prague!!! And I can't figure out any of the visa stuff -- either he does or doesn't need a visa to take the test (he better not, there's no 90 days until the test), and the student visa, should he get in, requires him to arrange accomodations before he applies for the visa, and all documents, including his (non) criminal record and his health records, have to be presented in Czech.

But, Prague!!! If he gets in he needs $15,000 a year in tuition and fees -- if he spoke Czech he could do it for free! And then he needs living expenses. And I can't figure out how financial aid works if you're an American going to medical school in the Czech Republic. All the websites I visited that purported to deal with that actually didn't. But, Prague!

The Charles University was founded in 1348! Prague has been settled since Paleolithic times!

Shockers for the California boy, I bet: the summer is the rainy time, there is no ocean, and no salsa. But, Prague!

Actually, a suburban part of Prague called Motol. Green, it says, with public transport to the city center, and a huge hospital.