In week two, things started to settle down. I’d done most of what I was meant to for uni, and had found some friends to hang around with. It was some time late during this second week that my roommate (yes, roommate) arrived. I was quite excited about this, and still am. It’s great living with a Czech person, because it means that I can actually practice my Czech without being limited to ‘hello’, ‘how much is this’ and ‘my name is Nick’. It’s also quite good because, as I forget if I’ve mentioned, the people in the office of our dorm don’t speak English. None. The one who does is over in the MAIN office, which is open some days, 9-5. The result: a very grateful Nick that when the proverbial hits the fan and my little translation dictionary isn’t holding up, there’s somebody to put out the fires. I swear it was only through his help that I got to wash my clothes. I think I had been insulting someone’s mother before that.
Prague is definitely a beautiful city. However, I haven’t really seen that many of the touristy sites. Charles Bridge was noteworthy of course, but packed with people from 8am – 10pm. Prague Castle looks amazing but, like so many other places, I haven’t yet been inside. There is also a Salvador Dali (my favourite artist) exhibition on Old Town Square, which I noticed on my first day but still haven’t been to. But I’ve rationalised all of this. It seems there will soon be an almost constant stream of Australian friends and family, including Emily, coming through Prague over the next few months. So, I can tell myself that it’s not because I’m lazy, but that I’m waiting to see it with my old friends. Good excuse, huh?
But, consistent with the phrase that you never do the things in your own backyard first, I have been on a couple of other trips. Two weeks ago, a group of friends and I ventured off to Berlin for the weekend. This heightened my envy of Europeans. To get to Berlin, ground zero of 20th century political struggles, was a mere 5 hour bus ride. And that was considered a slow bus. A five hour bus ride from Brisbane would take you to somewhere near Tenterfield. Now, I’m not casting any aspersions on Tenterfield, but let’s just say I remain jealous of Europeans.
Berlin was a strange city. Given that 90% of it was destroyed in WW2, you raise your eyebrow at its ‘old’ buildings, though they have been fantastically rebuilt. It also has a much different feel to Brisbane or, for that matter, Prague. In a city of 3.5 million people, there are only a handful of skyscrapers. The streets are wide, the demeanour calm and the city sprawling. It was unusual to be in a city with no discernable centre, and it wasn’t until we spent a few hours wandering on foot that we started to get a bit of a feel for the place. It seemed the sort of city that grows on you. That said, we saw some amazing things. To be at the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, standing atop the Reichstag or reflecting at the Holocaust Memorial stirs strange emotions. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable long weekend, but even German efficiency has nothing on the Prague public transport system.
The second trip was markedly different. Tucked away in the very south of the Czech Republic is Cesky Krumlov. It will forever have a place in my memory as the first place I saw it snowing. It was worth the frostbite. The town is dominated by a huge castle built on a cliff. Walking around it was beautiful. Every street was cobbled, the houses must all be over two centuries old, and its food was sensational. While not going in for the bear paw, I availed myself of the venison, rabbit and pheasant. Delicious. The photo attached gives some indication of the vibe of the place.
Which just about brings us up to today. Uni’s starting to take up some time, and I’m eagerly anticipating friends staring to trickle in soon. This weekend I’m going to Budapest (in Hungary), so there will be more to report back on shortly. I’ve probably forgotten something important, but I have no doubt that someone will point out what it is.
Nashledanou!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
I love a wind/rain/snow/history-swept country...
I can’t believe it’s been five weeks.
Five weeks since I arrived in Prague, yet it feels like only two. And now I’m sitting down to write this first blog and I don’t know where to start. So, without any better method, let’s go with chronology.
The first week was a mess. Really. I’d thought that the Middle East had been a bit lacking in the organisation department, but I was to experience worse. Apparently not everything Soviet has yet faded from everyday life (or, at least, the everyday life of someone travelling). Having to sort yourself out for university only adds to the chaos. The first day was a day of extremes. I’d arrived in Prague, blue-eyed and bushy-tailed and was really excited. I met up with my ‘tandem’, a Czech student who was lucky enough to have to show me around the place and get me oriented (Jan/John). Apparently he had volunteered. Fool. But we hit it off, which made the waiting that was to come slightly more bearable.
Walking through the first rain I had seen for 3 months (Brisbane drought + Middle East), I couldn’t stop smiling. Surrounding me were ancient buildings, cathedrals, churches, cobbled streets and, above all, rain! I got used to the rain part pretty quick though. Yet, with a shopping list of things to do before uni started in two days I had my work cut out for me. First stop: getting a student card. Three hours later, with student card in hand, to the dorms to find me somewhere to sleep for the night. By this stage it was 6pm, and the office was meant to have closed at 5. It was only through an act of god that the only English speaking person in the office had a massive love of ACDC and, being Australian, would thus go to the ends of the earth for me. Somehow I secured a room that night, all thanks to Aussie rock.
But the day wasn’t over, oh no. I was immediately taught what I’ve come to realise are the two most important words in the Czech language: pivo prosim. Armed with this phrase, Jan and I headed to the nearest place it would be most useful. Finding one attached to my college, we entered the fray and began my long spiral into, among other things, the Czech language. ‘Pivo prosim!’ I exclaimed. They had already guessed what I had wanted, and barely had the words left my lips than they were sitting on the counter in front of me. Two glistening, amber columns sent from god themselves. Czech beer is god’s beer, and I had two just waiting in front of me. Might I also add these important considerations. Beer here is around 4% and comes in half litres. The next consideration is that if you buy it in the supermarket, it will cost around 9 krona. If you return the bottle, you will get three krona back. And let’s assume that the Aussie dollar is currently pegging around 17 ½ krona. So if I buy 1 ½ litres of alcohol, at 9 krona each, and return the bottles… those of you who can do the maths deserve a pivo.
Jan and I made it out of there. How, when or why, I am none the wiser. And, in retrospect, it probably didn’t make the next day any better. This was the first of three days of the immigration police, trying to get a visa or register my address or just something. Something that would make the (one, two…) cumulative 17 hours I spent in that god forsaken police office all worth it. The third try, I was rewarded by my efforts by being told that, no, I couldn’t have a student visa, but yes, if I really wanted to I could register my address with them. Oh, and by the way, you have 90 days stay visa-free, just if anyone asks you, don’t mention you’re studying here. Done.
Somewhere in this time, I also got around navigating my enrolment in three different faculties, with three different systems (one online in two places, one on paper in two places, one with paper and one online), filled in various other forms, got my photocopy card, got my internet account and my library thing and could almost have time to go to class. Which takes me to the end of week one. But there was always time for pivo. Always. And the Czechs, well, the Czechs understand.
My roommate (yes, roommate, not flatmate) didn’t arrive until some time in week two, but he’s a really cool Czech guy. Unfortunately he goes home for the weekends, so I only see him for 3-4 days per week. But he’s been a great help with trying to navigate my way around the painful Czech language. I mean really, who needs 7 different cases? Nominative, accusative, dative, locative…
So we have reached the end of week one. I don’t want to try and recount more here, because if the posts get too long, you will probably get bored reading them. So some time in the next few days, I will write another one which should hopefully bring us up to date. Hope all is well in whatever country people are reading this in, including those who plan on visiting me here on their way through.
I think I should also mention that the Czech Republic is an amazing place. It only just strikes me that from my description it sounds quite painful. But even then it was fun, and gets a whole lot better. But the pivo? Well, the pivo can’t get any better.
Five weeks since I arrived in Prague, yet it feels like only two. And now I’m sitting down to write this first blog and I don’t know where to start. So, without any better method, let’s go with chronology.
The first week was a mess. Really. I’d thought that the Middle East had been a bit lacking in the organisation department, but I was to experience worse. Apparently not everything Soviet has yet faded from everyday life (or, at least, the everyday life of someone travelling). Having to sort yourself out for university only adds to the chaos. The first day was a day of extremes. I’d arrived in Prague, blue-eyed and bushy-tailed and was really excited. I met up with my ‘tandem’, a Czech student who was lucky enough to have to show me around the place and get me oriented (Jan/John). Apparently he had volunteered. Fool. But we hit it off, which made the waiting that was to come slightly more bearable.
Walking through the first rain I had seen for 3 months (Brisbane drought + Middle East), I couldn’t stop smiling. Surrounding me were ancient buildings, cathedrals, churches, cobbled streets and, above all, rain! I got used to the rain part pretty quick though. Yet, with a shopping list of things to do before uni started in two days I had my work cut out for me. First stop: getting a student card. Three hours later, with student card in hand, to the dorms to find me somewhere to sleep for the night. By this stage it was 6pm, and the office was meant to have closed at 5. It was only through an act of god that the only English speaking person in the office had a massive love of ACDC and, being Australian, would thus go to the ends of the earth for me. Somehow I secured a room that night, all thanks to Aussie rock.
But the day wasn’t over, oh no. I was immediately taught what I’ve come to realise are the two most important words in the Czech language: pivo prosim. Armed with this phrase, Jan and I headed to the nearest place it would be most useful. Finding one attached to my college, we entered the fray and began my long spiral into, among other things, the Czech language. ‘Pivo prosim!’ I exclaimed. They had already guessed what I had wanted, and barely had the words left my lips than they were sitting on the counter in front of me. Two glistening, amber columns sent from god themselves. Czech beer is god’s beer, and I had two just waiting in front of me. Might I also add these important considerations. Beer here is around 4% and comes in half litres. The next consideration is that if you buy it in the supermarket, it will cost around 9 krona. If you return the bottle, you will get three krona back. And let’s assume that the Aussie dollar is currently pegging around 17 ½ krona. So if I buy 1 ½ litres of alcohol, at 9 krona each, and return the bottles… those of you who can do the maths deserve a pivo.
Jan and I made it out of there. How, when or why, I am none the wiser. And, in retrospect, it probably didn’t make the next day any better. This was the first of three days of the immigration police, trying to get a visa or register my address or just something. Something that would make the (one, two…) cumulative 17 hours I spent in that god forsaken police office all worth it. The third try, I was rewarded by my efforts by being told that, no, I couldn’t have a student visa, but yes, if I really wanted to I could register my address with them. Oh, and by the way, you have 90 days stay visa-free, just if anyone asks you, don’t mention you’re studying here. Done.
Somewhere in this time, I also got around navigating my enrolment in three different faculties, with three different systems (one online in two places, one on paper in two places, one with paper and one online), filled in various other forms, got my photocopy card, got my internet account and my library thing and could almost have time to go to class. Which takes me to the end of week one. But there was always time for pivo. Always. And the Czechs, well, the Czechs understand.
My roommate (yes, roommate, not flatmate) didn’t arrive until some time in week two, but he’s a really cool Czech guy. Unfortunately he goes home for the weekends, so I only see him for 3-4 days per week. But he’s been a great help with trying to navigate my way around the painful Czech language. I mean really, who needs 7 different cases? Nominative, accusative, dative, locative…
So we have reached the end of week one. I don’t want to try and recount more here, because if the posts get too long, you will probably get bored reading them. So some time in the next few days, I will write another one which should hopefully bring us up to date. Hope all is well in whatever country people are reading this in, including those who plan on visiting me here on their way through.
I think I should also mention that the Czech Republic is an amazing place. It only just strikes me that from my description it sounds quite painful. But even then it was fun, and gets a whole lot better. But the pivo? Well, the pivo can’t get any better.
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