Stephen Cuffey

Our group celebrating Laura's birthday in Ostrava (Laura is in pink shirt third from left top row, I am in back with black cap on next to Zach in yellow coat) 

Ondra attempting to bowl. This was his first bowling experience ever, and hopefully not his last. 

Teaching the Czechs how an American bowls. 

Vasek, me, and Ondra hanging out and speaking English while doing a little bowling. 

Pavla, Ben, Vasek at the bowling alley. 

Isn't he cute? Ben at the bowling alley. 

Me in Poland. 

Ben, Zach and I in Poland. 

Me pointing out the Czech Republic on the map in our flat. 

The pictures posted here are parts of the more humorous side of Czech living. The first few pictures you will see are of our washing maching. It is a very old Slovakian machine with directions in Slovakian but still a lot of kick to it. Quite literally actually, during the end of the washing cycle it enters what we call the 'violent cycle' in which it tumbles the clothes so violently that it actually moves the entire machine. At the beginning of the year it moved and hit repeatedly the kitchen cabinets next to it, breaking a pipe underneath the sink and causing a small flood. So now we have to sit on the top of it or physically hold it back in some other way to keep it in one place.
The last two pictures were taken the day after we arrived home from Rome to find our heater broken and our flat at 5 degrees Celsius, which also meant no hot water. Coming home wasn't much of a relief from the cold temperatures outside. So we dressed in all of our warm clothes, layered together, and tried to survive. We lived in that for a couple days before the landlord came over and got it fixed. On the upside, it now works significantly better than before it broke. And life goes on in the Czech Republic.

The little devil we like to call our washing machine. Notice it's close proximity to the kitchen cabinets (to the right of it in this picture). This has caused some problems when it reaches the violent cycle. 

Another view of our washing machine. 

Inside of the washing machine is a metal container, maybe best described as a tumbler, with holes in it that spins around and around during the washing cycle. It opens up, the handle is the red plastic thing visible. 

Once open, you can put your clothes and detergent inside, close the metal container thing, and run the wash. 

Just trying to stay warm. 

Trying to work... 

So these are pictures that I stole from the cameras of Lindsay and Ben. I thought these pictures were worth seeing and so here you are seeing them on my blog. A quick note, I posted these all just now, but by scrolling down you will see my trip basically in reverse order. If you care to see it in the general order things happened, scroll down to the bottom of this Jan. 18th post and work your way up. Either way, enjoy the pictures and don't forget to play the Bible scene recognition game below. I will let you know the answers in a later post. I think that is all for now.

In front of the Colloseum. 

I'm having fun. Really. I am. With Matt, Wade, and Ben in Rome for New Years (Matt and Wade are in Rome doing missions with Campus Crusade for Christ). 

Ringing in the New Year with a lot of Italians and a lot of rain in downtown Rome. 

A New Years dinner with a lot of cool people in Rome. 

A great shot of the ancient Appian Way. 

A little IU Campus Crusade for Christ reunion. I was on summer project in 2002 in Ocean City, New Jersey with Katie (to my right), Lindsay (to Katie's right), and Ben (the other guy). Elizabeth was also involved in IU Cru and is now doing short term missions with Campus Crusade in Germany. 

Our group. Well, minus the right side of Lindsay's face. Up on the Palatine Hill. 

The gorgeous ladies we had the pleasure of escorting around Rome. From left there is Elizabeth, Katie, Christy, and Lindsay 

Me and Ben inside the Colloseum. This picture makes the weather look nice, but don't be fooled! 

What a well preserved ancient stone statue! I shall call it "Lindsay"!