Prague: Take One

Honestly, it feels like a movie set.

The streets are thin and winding, the ground consists of uneven stones instead of dependable pavement. The twisty curvy roads really make no sense, and I am not sure if that is because I am new or because they are just incredibly confusing. I am sure with time it will be a lot easier to navigate. I am going by the landmark system and my sense of direction—which has already improved in a matter of hours.



I am staying in a hotel/dorm not far from the center of Prague called the Jerome house. (http://www.jerome.cz/jerome-house.html) It is a lot nicer than I expected and the rooms are large and airy, with high ceilings, and buttercup walls. I share room 317 with a senior named Robin. She is great and we have a lot in common—most importantly, that we are shameless when it comes to stealing food at buffets. A good quality to have in a roommate, if you ask me. We have a beautiful window that overlooks the street—you can open up the window and hang out…it makes me want to have a clothes line stretch across the street. Like I said---everything looks cinematic here.

Yesterday, on my first day, I spent the morning trying not to get too lost in my jetlagged haze. The moment I came into my room, I went to plug in my converter that my dad had so kindly researched for me. The moment I plugged my hefty powerstrip in---it blew. A sickening electronic singeing smell told me it was its first and last breath. A bit disheartened, I took off in the sweltering heat to buy some towels.

I discovered a place called Tesco---which is the Czech version of a “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” store. I learned quite quickly that I was going to need to learn the language quite quickly to avoid being ripped off or generally embarassed. Although, the culture is such that it really isn’t customary to have unnecessary chit-chat—so I get by quite well on observation. It is strange, in American stores you see a sea of smiles and hear a chorus of “please, thank you’s, and excuse me’s”—not so much here in Prague. In fact, today we were assured this was completely normal. “Don’t worry, they’re mean to everybody,” assured our program coordinator with a smile as she perkily changed the powerpoint slide. Oh great, I thought, I have a ridiculous kneejerk reaction to smile. Perfect. I'll fit right in....

When I got back, I lost my stubbornness and took a very refreshing nap. Those three hours were enough to supplement my jetlag perfectly. We spent the evening with our TAs in a café/bar—our stay on the patio unfortunately was interrupted by a huge storm. Inside, language confusion resulted in complete meal mix ups, and my roomie and I picked at scraps until we decided to cough up the 125 korunas to split an appetizer (6 US dollars…we’re a match made in heaven. cheap and shameless). Our meal was accompanied by two young Czech men playing harmonicas and guitar—they played some Dylan with broken English and the rest was smooth and folky sounding. His voice was gorgeous—so a cd was purchased and we got his schedule for the summer. He has a website: http://www.nestihame.wz.cz/index.htm-- I wish you my best in understanding it.



After the rain quieted down, we headed over to the “Dog’s Bollocks”—which was amusing. They served Pilsner, a great Czech beer, and Hoegaarden, a German white by the half liter. You can get perspective from the photo--huge! Czechs know how to do beer, even I had a glass and I don’t touch the stuff in America. It is smooth and flavorful—some have it for breakfast! Impressive.

A short walk to the river and bridge later—it was time to head back and finish off that jetlag slumber. I leave you with a few facts on a national love of Prague...beer.



1. Beer = Pivo
2. Beer should be cheaper than water. If you are paying over a $1.50 per .5 liter--you are paying too much. Make haste and grab a new pub.
3. 160L a year is the average beer consumption.
4. In Prague, there are over 11,000 pubs...and about 150 churches.
5. A common saying in Prague is "Neni pivo jako pivo". Which basically means, "There's no beer like beer." The phrase seemed obvious before, but gains new meaning on this side of the atlantic.



Tomorrow—a lesson in Czech language.