Monday, February 27, 2006
Coffee Houses, Civil Protest, Opera, Braids, Hockey, and Dog Dancing
My internet connection has been down more than it has been up this weekend. Tonight, I am finally able to post this message, but my over-priced Edge Technology WiFi Modem is refusing to transmit photos. I'll try to send them tomorrow.
Thursday I had coffee with David and Chris at Slavia. This is the kind of historic coffee house where if literati didn’t meet to exchange contraband manuscripts, they should have. It is right across from the National Theater. It overlooks the river and snow covered castle grounds beyond. It was such a wonderful Prague experience that I almost didn’t mind the pain of my Czech class that followed it.
There was a major civil protest about the healthcare system on Friday at Old Town Square. I have been following a series of these protests since the fall. The minister of health was forced to resign as a result of the fall protests, and now the protests are calling for the resignation of the new minister. The problem seems to be that the system is deep in the red due to a long series of issues ranging from corruption, to overpricing of services and drugs, to inadequate basic tax revenues, and high expectation for broad availability of services at very low cost. The current minister has imposed strict limits on spending which have curtailed availability of services, as well as payments to service providers. Not a pretty picture. The protest was very well attended and reminded me of some marches that Pam, Meg, and I attended in Washington.
I finally found the State Opera House. It is near Vaclav (Wenceslaus) Square, but on the far side of some mean looking divided highways. In only about 20 minutes of wandering this way and that, I found the pedestrian tunnels, crossed under successfully, and bought myself a ticket ($28) to see La Traviata. I hiked back home, past the Protest again, and changed out of jeans into more opera-like, although still cold weather-worthy, attire. I hiked back up to the Theater. If you saw Amadeus, you have seen the inside of this Theater. I sat in the first balcony and felt like I was in the movies. There was an older Czech woman next to me who had gorgeous gem rings on every finger. Her tall, thin, 50-something daughter had a turquoise, long dress, with matching bead necklace and ring. The people ahead of me were wearing jeans and speaking German. The people behind me asked the usher for a program in French, German, Italian, or Austrian, and settled for one in English. There were two intermissions. Champagne was $2, juice $1. The subtitles were in Czech, so when I got home I looked up the English libretto on the web to remind myself of the details of the plot…but the staging was so spectacular that even if you didn’t know anything about the story, it was worth the music and the staging to be there.
Kylowna, the Fulbrighter I hope to visit in the small town of Zatec in March, came in to Prague Saturday to have her hair braided…a five hour process! She called and we went to dinner afterwards at Hot, a nice, upscale place she knew on Vaclav Square. It was a relaxed evening of nice cocktails, really good food…rack of lamb, potatoes, salad, and cheesecake…good conversation, and hockey on a muted (thank goodness) huge screen TV. Hockey is a very big deal here and the Czech were playing for the Bronze medal against the Russians.
On the way back to her hotel and my apartment, we crossed through Old Town Square. A stage was set up and two gigantic outdoor TV screens. A thousand or more people were watching the hockey game. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit out there! We took pictures and didn’t stay. There were even temporary hot dog stands set up…big ones!
Today, however, was the highlight of the week….Dog Dancing! I went with Susan, a Fulbrighter from KU, by metro and tram, out to the stadium a bit away from center city. It was my first time out of the center of the city, since Russ and I ventured to the end of the Yellow Metro line in a fruitless search for IKEA to get some minor supplies we wanted for this all-IKEA apartment. It was a daunting task and we didn’t need the supplies enough to carry through to the end of it. Today, it was nice to see some open spaces and houses with yards. She and I walked around quite a bit looking for the stadium…if you get the impression that I spend a lot of time walking in circles looking for things, you have the correct impression.
Everyone needs to experience a Dog Dancing competition. The dogs are so smart. The people are so…hmmmmm….quaint. The dogs walk backwards, roll over, leap on their human partners’ backs, turn aerial flips, sing, twirl, and curtsy. What kinds of dogs, you ask? There was a foxterier, several border kolie, a čivava (the first letter sounds like the first letter in tsetse fly), a Belgicky ovčák Malinoa (who pulled his partner around the dance floor on her roller blades), a labrdor, a dobrman, a pitbul, a pudl, and even a bigl. This was definitely not my last trip to a Dog Dancing competition. What a howl!
Tomorrow is my second day of teaching my class. I may have scared them all away last week. There were 12 in class Monday, but only 4 turned in the assignment that they were to send by email yesterday.
Thursday I had coffee with David and Chris at Slavia. This is the kind of historic coffee house where if literati didn’t meet to exchange contraband manuscripts, they should have. It is right across from the National Theater. It overlooks the river and snow covered castle grounds beyond. It was such a wonderful Prague experience that I almost didn’t mind the pain of my Czech class that followed it.
There was a major civil protest about the healthcare system on Friday at Old Town Square. I have been following a series of these protests since the fall. The minister of health was forced to resign as a result of the fall protests, and now the protests are calling for the resignation of the new minister. The problem seems to be that the system is deep in the red due to a long series of issues ranging from corruption, to overpricing of services and drugs, to inadequate basic tax revenues, and high expectation for broad availability of services at very low cost. The current minister has imposed strict limits on spending which have curtailed availability of services, as well as payments to service providers. Not a pretty picture. The protest was very well attended and reminded me of some marches that Pam, Meg, and I attended in Washington.
I finally found the State Opera House. It is near Vaclav (Wenceslaus) Square, but on the far side of some mean looking divided highways. In only about 20 minutes of wandering this way and that, I found the pedestrian tunnels, crossed under successfully, and bought myself a ticket ($28) to see La Traviata. I hiked back home, past the Protest again, and changed out of jeans into more opera-like, although still cold weather-worthy, attire. I hiked back up to the Theater. If you saw Amadeus, you have seen the inside of this Theater. I sat in the first balcony and felt like I was in the movies. There was an older Czech woman next to me who had gorgeous gem rings on every finger. Her tall, thin, 50-something daughter had a turquoise, long dress, with matching bead necklace and ring. The people ahead of me were wearing jeans and speaking German. The people behind me asked the usher for a program in French, German, Italian, or Austrian, and settled for one in English. There were two intermissions. Champagne was $2, juice $1. The subtitles were in Czech, so when I got home I looked up the English libretto on the web to remind myself of the details of the plot…but the staging was so spectacular that even if you didn’t know anything about the story, it was worth the music and the staging to be there.
Kylowna, the Fulbrighter I hope to visit in the small town of Zatec in March, came in to Prague Saturday to have her hair braided…a five hour process! She called and we went to dinner afterwards at Hot, a nice, upscale place she knew on Vaclav Square. It was a relaxed evening of nice cocktails, really good food…rack of lamb, potatoes, salad, and cheesecake…good conversation, and hockey on a muted (thank goodness) huge screen TV. Hockey is a very big deal here and the Czech were playing for the Bronze medal against the Russians.
On the way back to her hotel and my apartment, we crossed through Old Town Square. A stage was set up and two gigantic outdoor TV screens. A thousand or more people were watching the hockey game. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit out there! We took pictures and didn’t stay. There were even temporary hot dog stands set up…big ones!
Today, however, was the highlight of the week….Dog Dancing! I went with Susan, a Fulbrighter from KU, by metro and tram, out to the stadium a bit away from center city. It was my first time out of the center of the city, since Russ and I ventured to the end of the Yellow Metro line in a fruitless search for IKEA to get some minor supplies we wanted for this all-IKEA apartment. It was a daunting task and we didn’t need the supplies enough to carry through to the end of it. Today, it was nice to see some open spaces and houses with yards. She and I walked around quite a bit looking for the stadium…if you get the impression that I spend a lot of time walking in circles looking for things, you have the correct impression.
Everyone needs to experience a Dog Dancing competition. The dogs are so smart. The people are so…hmmmmm….quaint. The dogs walk backwards, roll over, leap on their human partners’ backs, turn aerial flips, sing, twirl, and curtsy. What kinds of dogs, you ask? There was a foxterier, several border kolie, a čivava (the first letter sounds like the first letter in tsetse fly), a Belgicky ovčák Malinoa (who pulled his partner around the dance floor on her roller blades), a labrdor, a dobrman, a pitbul, a pudl, and even a bigl. This was definitely not my last trip to a Dog Dancing competition. What a howl!
Tomorrow is my second day of teaching my class. I may have scared them all away last week. There were 12 in class Monday, but only 4 turned in the assignment that they were to send by email yesterday.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
First Day of Classes, and a Concert at Smetana Hall
Monday was my first day of teaching at Charles U. My class was moved from some far-out location that other faculty members told me was less than ideal to a penthouse in a renovated mansion quite close to the center of the city. The whole building will become university space next year, but so far there is only my group…Civil Sector Studies…and one other in the space. It has a few problems, such as being a 3rd floor, walk-up. Also, it is a loft design with total open space above the walls of the offices and the single large classroom. Only one class can be taught at a time, and every sound is heard by everyone on the floor. If only I could understand Czech, I could learn all about the topics being taught while I am working at my desk. The space is fresh and has all new furniture. I have a skylight over my desk. All the faculty seem pleased with the new situation, except for the problem of no ceilings.
My class today went well. There are 12 "regular" students with whom I will meet once a week for the semester. Then there are six more who are "distance" students. They are part-time students who can come to the weekly classes, if they choose, but they don't have to. They are all employed, many of them outside of Prague in other parts of the Czech Republic. They meet on Saturdays. I only have to teach one seminar for them...on April 1. The other Saturdays they have lectures by other professors, on other topics.
The grading seems complex. Because I had heard that it was essentially pass/fail, I worked up a point system. I offered a total 150 points for things like attendance (1) a reaction paper based on an assigned reading (up to 60 at 10 each), a report on an assigned interview with a nonprofit leader (20) etc. My syllabus said they needed to accumulate 100 points to pass the course.
Then Monday, I learned that the students get a different number of credits for the course, depending on how well they do in it. So they don't get a certain number of credits with an A, B, or C grade; they get 1, 2, or 3 credits, depending on how well they do. My department chair said 3 credits would be only for WONDERFUL work. They need to accumulate 120 credits for their master’s degree. Okay. Revision-time. What I finally handed out says 90 points = 1 credit, 110 points = 2 credits, and 130 points = 3 credits. Before the next class, I'll talk to another professor just to confirm that I understand this correctly. If not...I'll revise. Oh, and the distance students only get 1 credit.
I continue with my Czech language class. The vocabulary is hard for me to remember because there are no cognates and it does not have Latin roots. But I’m slowly getting a bit better at the pronunciation at least, which is also hard.
After Czech class on Tuesday, I walked to Obecni Dum (Municipal House) and went to the Prague Symphony concert at the Smetana Hall. Beautiful...both the place and music. I’ll include a photo. I heard symphonies by Mozart and Stravinsky, and a Schumann concerto.
I almost went to the wrong concert. When I went in there were two box offices. I picked one and bought my ticket, only to discover it was for a concert in a secondary hall. I complained until they gave me back my 1000 czk ($40), and then bought what I wanted for 600 czk ($24).
I had a delightful walk home after the concert and met a couple of lost Brits, whom I was able to help. I felt like a Prague-pro.
Today, I had lunch with a couple of young professionals from an organization based in the UK. Among other services offered, the group acts as coach and advocate for NGOs, to help them build capacity in managerial areas such as financial management and accounting. We talked about how they might include in their offerings a communications component and perhaps also a component on measurement of results of “soft” activities, such as networking and public relations. I enjoyed thinking about ways to apply some of the strategies and techniques that I know to the situations that these NGOs face, particularly the skepticism that they meet from funders concerning the basic missions of the nonprofits. Unlike in the US, where nonprofits have benefited from a high level of trust because of the good work that is their mission, here there apparently is an ingrained mistrust of any organization that claims to have goals that focus neither on governing nor on profit-seeking. It would be a challenge to design a useable communications/measurement module for the seminars these folks provide.
My class today went well. There are 12 "regular" students with whom I will meet once a week for the semester. Then there are six more who are "distance" students. They are part-time students who can come to the weekly classes, if they choose, but they don't have to. They are all employed, many of them outside of Prague in other parts of the Czech Republic. They meet on Saturdays. I only have to teach one seminar for them...on April 1. The other Saturdays they have lectures by other professors, on other topics.
The grading seems complex. Because I had heard that it was essentially pass/fail, I worked up a point system. I offered a total 150 points for things like attendance (1) a reaction paper based on an assigned reading (up to 60 at 10 each), a report on an assigned interview with a nonprofit leader (20) etc. My syllabus said they needed to accumulate 100 points to pass the course.
Then Monday, I learned that the students get a different number of credits for the course, depending on how well they do in it. So they don't get a certain number of credits with an A, B, or C grade; they get 1, 2, or 3 credits, depending on how well they do. My department chair said 3 credits would be only for WONDERFUL work. They need to accumulate 120 credits for their master’s degree. Okay. Revision-time. What I finally handed out says 90 points = 1 credit, 110 points = 2 credits, and 130 points = 3 credits. Before the next class, I'll talk to another professor just to confirm that I understand this correctly. If not...I'll revise. Oh, and the distance students only get 1 credit.
I continue with my Czech language class. The vocabulary is hard for me to remember because there are no cognates and it does not have Latin roots. But I’m slowly getting a bit better at the pronunciation at least, which is also hard.
After Czech class on Tuesday, I walked to Obecni Dum (Municipal House) and went to the Prague Symphony concert at the Smetana Hall. Beautiful...both the place and music. I’ll include a photo. I heard symphonies by Mozart and Stravinsky, and a Schumann concerto.
I almost went to the wrong concert. When I went in there were two box offices. I picked one and bought my ticket, only to discover it was for a concert in a secondary hall. I complained until they gave me back my 1000 czk ($40), and then bought what I wanted for 600 czk ($24).
I had a delightful walk home after the concert and met a couple of lost Brits, whom I was able to help. I felt like a Prague-pro.
Today, I had lunch with a couple of young professionals from an organization based in the UK. Among other services offered, the group acts as coach and advocate for NGOs, to help them build capacity in managerial areas such as financial management and accounting. We talked about how they might include in their offerings a communications component and perhaps also a component on measurement of results of “soft” activities, such as networking and public relations. I enjoyed thinking about ways to apply some of the strategies and techniques that I know to the situations that these NGOs face, particularly the skepticism that they meet from funders concerning the basic missions of the nonprofits. Unlike in the US, where nonprofits have benefited from a high level of trust because of the good work that is their mission, here there apparently is an ingrained mistrust of any organization that claims to have goals that focus neither on governing nor on profit-seeking. It would be a challenge to design a useable communications/measurement module for the seminars these folks provide.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Internet, Dinner, and Party
I think I may have my internet problem solved. I bought an "Edge" technology modem from Vodafone, and although I've had to go back twice for adjustments, its working now. YES!
Friday evening I met MJ, who works for Radio Free Europe, for dinner. She's lived here since August and knows more places than I do. She recommended a vegetarian club, Rodosk, near Namesti Miru and I liked it a lot. Many rooms. Comfortable chairs and loveseats with coffee tables. Many menu choices. Quite fun. (Russ, Arnold and Ismini...a bit like the cafe with the 'mush-room' where we ate in Santa Fe.)
Saturday I spent the day preparing for my Fulbright get-together. Sixteen came and I really enjoyed having people in.
It was quite different getting ready for a party without having a car to shop and without having all my own kitchen stuff. My shopping list grew in the morning when it became clear to me that I had purchased ingredients for only about half as much food as I would need. Having only six plates and six flatware settings, I needed to supplement those too, or having enough spaghetti wouldn’t quite win me hostess of the year award, since people would have to take turns eating As I suspected, there were no plastic silverware or paper plates to be found, so I bought six of the least expensive plates and 10 of the least expensive forks I could find at Kotva.
Kotva is an interesting department store that is about ¾ of a kilometer from my flat. It has five floors and sells a wide variety of items: clothes, ice skates, treadmills, other spots equipment, jewelry, wigs, toys, household goods, porcelain and crystal, travel services, linens, hair cuts… It has a couple of restaurants and a small internet café. It is not a single vendor, but rather many, many small vendors that rent space within the department store. There are several shops that compete, so you must go to each to see if they have what you want. It is not like a mall, with different stores, but more like the antique shops in High Springs that have ‘booths’ of different vendors side by side and it is possible to not notice initially that it is many shops instead of one. The Kotva building dates from the Communist era and has no attractive features as a building…architecturally, somewhat like our big box stores in terms of its overall appeal to the eye, inside and out.
Albert’s grocery chain has a store on the same block and I got some of the food stuffs I needed there, then stopped at a small Vietnamese grocery on the way back. It is the only place where I have found tomato paste and sauce and I wanted more of them. My arms are getting stronger from carrying the things I buy.
Having only one relatively large pot made preparing and storing my no-meat and meat versions of my sauce a challenge. I ended up with a medium size stock-pot of meatless sauce, two small sauce pans of sauce with meat, and my large stock pot ready to cook spaghetti...one pound at a time. It took longer than I thought it would to prepare, since things had to be cooked sequentially, instead of simultaneously, but it worked fine.
People brought lots of wine, salads, desserts, water, and one big pasta dish. No one went hungry. At about midnight, the under 40 crowd left to go to the clubs and the over 40 crowd headed home.
Speaking of the club scene after midnight…More tourists have appeared in the past few days. The clubs on my block have a lot of customers well into the early morning hours. This may be a noisy place when it is really tourist season, but that is the price to pay for being in the middle of things…which, so far, is worth it.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Meeting "Under the Horse"
I see that my photos did not post yesterday. I’ll try them again.
Yesterday afternoon I went searching for the Post Office to get a couple of stamps to mail some business letters to the States. Wow! Is it a spectacular building. I would love to spend a week with Gary in this city. The architecture demands a knowledgeable companion to help you know what you’re seeing.
The system for buying stamps is also pretty amazing. I had to find an information office and ask what to do…which wasn’t easy because they only spoke about 10 words of English in Information. As you come in the building, in the corridor, there are automatic number-dispensing machines. I think that you get a different number depending on what you want to do. There was a menu in Czech with about 10 buttons that seemed to give people numbers for different “lines.” I just pushed the top button and it was the right line. You wait in the Union Station-like hall until your number comes up on a digital display, along with the teller you should go to. All in all, it took me about 45 minutes to find the place, figure out how, and buy two stamps
Next, I went looking for my Czech text books. Vaclav Square has several bookstores. The first was three levels. I found texts on level two but not mine…only “advanced” in the same series. I took it to a clerk and conveyed that I needed “Elementary”…I suspect she guessed fairly easily that I was a beginner She went somewhere and found it in about 15 minutes. They didn’t have the second one. I went to another store, found the texts on the 4th level, didn’t find the book, but did find an English-speaking clerk who suggested another store. The 3rd store was a fantastic maze of multi-level levels. There were information officers at about 4 positions on each level. Otherwise I can’t imagine how anyone would find anything. Down one escalator…to the back of the level…up a broad half-flight of steps…down a second escalator…to the front of the level…down a broad half-flight of steps..tah dah…found not only the workbook, but also envelopes, twine, tape, and a notebook, which I had sought unsuccessfully in several other stores. Eureka! And, I found my way back out.
I had a date at 5:30 to meet a contact from the Donors Forum “under the horse” at the Lucerna on Vaclav Square. I had watched for such a place while book and stamp shopping. I figured it must be really obvious, but I could find it. I stopped in the Grand Hotel…which is dripping with old wood, has a front desk with pigeon holes for keys (like the movies and the Island Hotel in Cedar Key), and looks like a divine place…and asked the concierge. He was nice and walked me outside to point out a mall entrance across the Square. Through it and past a block and a half of stores along an internal corridor, I came to a domed atrium, with a horse. I’ll try to post the picture. Glad I reconnoitered or I’d have missed my meeting time.
I went back to the apartment to drop off my purchases and change out of my hiking-around clothes. Went back to the Lucerna and had a really good meeting. I hope I will almost surely do some work with the Donors Forum on communication issues. They are helping companies implement a system for measuring the impact of their corporate giving. I am eager to see the template they’re using. It was developed in the UK.
Pavlina was interested in the work Kathy Viehe and I did on the topic and asked that I send a copy of the paper before we meet again next week.
I walked home in the rain. It is still raining this morning. From the weather map, I am guessing that it will rain for a couple of days…maybe turning to snow. I bought a thermometer, so I know that it is 2C outside my kitchen window.
I'll have to post the photos later...suspense builds!
Yesterday afternoon I went searching for the Post Office to get a couple of stamps to mail some business letters to the States. Wow! Is it a spectacular building. I would love to spend a week with Gary in this city. The architecture demands a knowledgeable companion to help you know what you’re seeing.
The system for buying stamps is also pretty amazing. I had to find an information office and ask what to do…which wasn’t easy because they only spoke about 10 words of English in Information. As you come in the building, in the corridor, there are automatic number-dispensing machines. I think that you get a different number depending on what you want to do. There was a menu in Czech with about 10 buttons that seemed to give people numbers for different “lines.” I just pushed the top button and it was the right line. You wait in the Union Station-like hall until your number comes up on a digital display, along with the teller you should go to. All in all, it took me about 45 minutes to find the place, figure out how, and buy two stamps
Next, I went looking for my Czech text books. Vaclav Square has several bookstores. The first was three levels. I found texts on level two but not mine…only “advanced” in the same series. I took it to a clerk and conveyed that I needed “Elementary”…I suspect she guessed fairly easily that I was a beginner She went somewhere and found it in about 15 minutes. They didn’t have the second one. I went to another store, found the texts on the 4th level, didn’t find the book, but did find an English-speaking clerk who suggested another store. The 3rd store was a fantastic maze of multi-level levels. There were information officers at about 4 positions on each level. Otherwise I can’t imagine how anyone would find anything. Down one escalator…to the back of the level…up a broad half-flight of steps…down a second escalator…to the front of the level…down a broad half-flight of steps..tah dah…found not only the workbook, but also envelopes, twine, tape, and a notebook, which I had sought unsuccessfully in several other stores. Eureka! And, I found my way back out.
I had a date at 5:30 to meet a contact from the Donors Forum “under the horse” at the Lucerna on Vaclav Square. I had watched for such a place while book and stamp shopping. I figured it must be really obvious, but I could find it. I stopped in the Grand Hotel…which is dripping with old wood, has a front desk with pigeon holes for keys (like the movies and the Island Hotel in Cedar Key), and looks like a divine place…and asked the concierge. He was nice and walked me outside to point out a mall entrance across the Square. Through it and past a block and a half of stores along an internal corridor, I came to a domed atrium, with a horse. I’ll try to post the picture. Glad I reconnoitered or I’d have missed my meeting time.
I went back to the apartment to drop off my purchases and change out of my hiking-around clothes. Went back to the Lucerna and had a really good meeting. I hope I will almost surely do some work with the Donors Forum on communication issues. They are helping companies implement a system for measuring the impact of their corporate giving. I am eager to see the template they’re using. It was developed in the UK.
Pavlina was interested in the work Kathy Viehe and I did on the topic and asked that I send a copy of the paper before we meet again next week.
I walked home in the rain. It is still raining this morning. From the weather map, I am guessing that it will rain for a couple of days…maybe turning to snow. I bought a thermometer, so I know that it is 2C outside my kitchen window.
I'll have to post the photos later...suspense builds!
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Valentine’s Day
It was a wonderfully sunny, crisp day. I worked on my classes this morning, and spent more time trying to get internet in the flat. I have engaged my real estate agent in the quest. I tried another 5 internet “providers.” Two, that I reached, said they would have a salesman call me in two or three days. Four others did not answer their phones, or had answering machines with messages in Czech, so I didn’t know if there was helpful information there or not.
The afternoon was a pleasant change from the internet search frustration. I walked through Old Town Square, passing a wedding along the way. Note the lovely white fur cape on the bride in the photos.
Carol asked me if there is music on the Square in the winter, as there was when we were here in the summer. So, I am posting a photo of the musicians in the snow…along with one of Carol’s favorite Czech “restaurant.”
From the Square, I walked over the Charles Bridge to the Mala Strana neighborhood. As a Fulbrighter, I had been invited to a lecture on the Middle East at the US Embassy. Most of the attendees were Ambassadors and Embassy personnel from other countries…Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco. I know they were there because they asked questions and identified themselves. The US Ambassador was there and I introduced myself and chatted with him. He’s a Bush cousin from Alabama. It was pretty interesting and I was glad I went.
This evening I took my first ‘Czech for Foreigners’ class. The other students are from Japan, England, Cuba, Nigeria, Tunisia, Spain, and Egypt. The language has declensions and conjugations! Heaven help me! Tonight I learned the verb “to be” and one of the three verbs for “to know.” There is a fourth verb that means “to not know.” I’m not sure if there are negatives for all three “to know”s. Oh my! I am glad I took Latin in high school. At least I know that Genitive follows prepositions and Nominative is for subjects of sentences. It was intimidating. Brian, just think, your love of Latin may lead to wanting to learn Czech and to your getting a Fulbright to be a student here!
My spirits were lifted on the way home way when I crossed again through Old Town Square and it was spectacular in the evening light. I’ll try to post a couple of the pictures I took.
Valentine wishes to all of you.
The afternoon was a pleasant change from the internet search frustration. I walked through Old Town Square, passing a wedding along the way. Note the lovely white fur cape on the bride in the photos.
Carol asked me if there is music on the Square in the winter, as there was when we were here in the summer. So, I am posting a photo of the musicians in the snow…along with one of Carol’s favorite Czech “restaurant.”
From the Square, I walked over the Charles Bridge to the Mala Strana neighborhood. As a Fulbrighter, I had been invited to a lecture on the Middle East at the US Embassy. Most of the attendees were Ambassadors and Embassy personnel from other countries…Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco. I know they were there because they asked questions and identified themselves. The US Ambassador was there and I introduced myself and chatted with him. He’s a Bush cousin from Alabama. It was pretty interesting and I was glad I went.
This evening I took my first ‘Czech for Foreigners’ class. The other students are from Japan, England, Cuba, Nigeria, Tunisia, Spain, and Egypt. The language has declensions and conjugations! Heaven help me! Tonight I learned the verb “to be” and one of the three verbs for “to know.” There is a fourth verb that means “to not know.” I’m not sure if there are negatives for all three “to know”s. Oh my! I am glad I took Latin in high school. At least I know that Genitive follows prepositions and Nominative is for subjects of sentences. It was intimidating. Brian, just think, your love of Latin may lead to wanting to learn Czech and to your getting a Fulbright to be a student here!
My spirits were lifted on the way home way when I crossed again through Old Town Square and it was spectacular in the evening light. I’ll try to post a couple of the pictures I took.
Valentine wishes to all of you.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Photos and Edits?
I have tried several times to add some photos, and to eliminate the duplication of text in one of the postings..but alas, so far no luck. I think I do not have a strong enough signal for the photos, but I'll keep trying. Perhaps on campus it will work.
Happy Sunday!
Ha! Got one to upload :)
Feb 11
Another no internet day. Yesterday my wifi worked all morning and it was delightful. I got quite a bit done at home. Then had a good foraging trip. I found a hairdryer for $12, and decent umbrella, and good hand lotion. My hands suffer in this dry cold. I wanted to watch the opening of the Olympics in real time, but could not find it on TV, darn.
Today was another new Czech experience. I went to Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni, at the Estates Theater where it premiered in 1787. How cool is that? Susan, a Fulbrighter from KU (Go Jayhawks!) went with me. I am including a couple of photos of the interior of the theater, but they do not do it justice. I felt like royalty just being there. It was an afternoon performance…2:00 to 5:00…and cost $18 for Row 8, orchestra, center. Amazing. The theater is spectacular; the staging and singing equaled it. I hope I can find more such treasures.
After the performance, Susan and I went to Dinitz for dinner. I had Pasta Fungi, and a nice red Frankovka (Posiedni Sebrat…’last picked’) to kill the carbs. I walked her to the Metro and Namesti Republiky and then walked home through Old Town Square. It is a crisp, moonlit evening. This was my first venture out alone after dark and I felt quite brave and grown up.
Now, I have found the Olympics, albeit in Czech. Ice skating doesn’t seem to need much English to be good watching.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Finding Friends (and Snow ) Southern Moravia
Feb 9
A lot has happened since I last wrote, but getting internet at the apartment…that has yet to happen. A week ago today, Nathan, a Fulbrighter from San Diego came over. He brought good luck, I think, because suddenly an effective wifi connection appeared on my laptop. It worked perfectly Friday, Saturday and before we left Sunday morning.
Mid-day Sunday, I left for the Fulbright Mid-Year Conference. We lugged my small suitcase with four days worth of warm clothes and my laptop the five or six blocks to the tram, then took the tram to the Fulbright Office. Russ went backed to the flat briefly and then left for the Airport-Hotel to spend the night before an early flight back. I have heard an inkling that the Hotel experience was not without problems, but I haven’t yet heard what they were.
I, on the other hand, had a totally smooth and quite interesting trip by bus to the south Moravian town of Velke Bilovice in the wine district. There were about 22 Fulbrighters (including families), four Fulbright staff members, and a Czech member of the US Embassy staff on the bus. Three families brought kids..ages 4-months, 2, 3, and 8. I had not met most of the people before. Several don’t work in Prague and had come in to catch the charter bus to the conference. Others had arrived after the party last Friday.
The countryside was snow-covered as soon as we got outside the city. The road was clear, thank goodness. Along the way we crossed the central highlands, rolling hills and forests with many open fields and, at the highest points, some very pretty, snow-covered spruce and white birch forests. In the open fields we saw jack rabbits and, in places, many, many raptors. There were also a couple of herds of small deer. Of course, my biology and botany may be totally off, but those are my guesses at what I saw.
The highway is made of concrete slabs that have expansion cracks, which of course are not at all expanded in this cold. So the bus ka-thumped along in a road rhythm that was a somewhere between sleep-inducing and insanity-producing.
We stopped in the south Bohemian city of Brno and picked up the rest of the Fulbrighters and staffers. As we approached the city, huge concrete high-rise appeared out of the fields. These are apparently the Soviet era housing projects of Brno. They are totally incongruous with their environment. Another 10, or so, folks joined us...then on to Velke Bilovice near where Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic meet.
The conference was at a small conference center. It was comfortable, except that there was only one internet connection for all of us to share. It was an extra computer in the hotel manager’s office, so if he was having a meeting, or had closed up for the day…no internet at all.
We were joined by a bus full of Fulbrighters and their families from Slovakia. There were about 80 of us I think. Some were high school teachers. Fulbright has a program in which high school teachers exchange jobs and houses for a year! They had some tales to tell, both about the exchanging experience, and about their teaching situations. They taught in very different places. Jen teaches in a vocational school sponsored by Citroen car company. She didn’t know why they sponsored it. All but two of her 120 students are boys. She teaches them English. Most will not go on to universities.
Megan teaches in a very high-end gymnasium where all the students will probably go to universities. They have every possible bit of technology and equipment. The others were in between, but in good schools. In her presentation, Kylowna from Los Angeles, compared the Czech students’ Senior Prom-type dance with the one at her LA school. All the students in the school come in the Czech dance…and all their families. Everyone drinks beer, of course. The students are honored for being in their final year and as they walk up to be honored, people throw coins at them…really heave them so the students have to duck and weave to avoid them.
The Fulbright Lecturers each described what they have been teaching since the fall and what lessons they learned…for example, you cannot expect that the students will read 70 pages of organic chemistry articles, in English, for each class, and that they totally do not get the idea that it is unacceptable to tell a classmate what the answer is on a test. Apparently, you can be having a test in a biomechanics class and students will just ask each other to explain things to them so they can get the answer. So, the only choice is to design the course to include collaboration on all assignments and tests because they will collaborate whether you plan it that way or not. Good to know, if you want to avoid a frustrating experience!
There were also some pretty interesting presentations about people’s research and teaching. From Karla, I learned about Toyen, a Czech/French artist with major sex issues. Tom read from a short story he is working on. Mark publishes a poetry journal back home and teaches contemporary literature here. David gave fascinating presentations on teaching languages. I'd like to take Steve's class on family and aging policy, and Srdjan's on public health. The doctoral students talked about their dissertation research, and most of them could have used some coaching on how to present. They haven’t learned yet that the audience really doesn’t want to know everything!
The restaurant where we had the welcome dinner was vaulted brick, like the winery tunnels we visited the next day. We toured the Knights Templar Wineries…pretty cool. The tunnels where their wine drums are housed were built in the Middle Ages. We also had a snowy visit to a very cold castle, with a nice warm green house.
When I got back, last night, the flat was 14 C because we had turned down the heat before leaving. It takes a long time to heat back up. I have it up to 20 so far, on the way to about 22. Otherwise, it was good to be back. I was able to catch Meg and Arnold and Ismini by Skype. I reached Peggy, but while we were talking, the wifi disappeared, just as suddenly as it had appeared last week. I feel very isolated when I do not have internet.
The wifi goddess did not smile on me this morning either. So I went to the Bohemian Bagel Internet Café and sent a few messages. I spent the rest of the morning exploring my options for Intensive Czech for Foreigners classes. I think I have located a good one for me. It will be two mornings a week, two hours a class, starting in a week. I also bought myself a three-month Metro pass. That was a bit of a task. I couldn’t find the right Metro stop at first, but a friendly ticket agent with good pantomime skills put me on the right path. After that, it was only a matter of standing in line a while. Since the wifi was still not working in the afternoon, I decided to metro up to where I will teach and see if I could get online there.
I got lucky. The secretary was in, even though it is semester break here until Feb 20. So I spent the afternoon in the comfort of e-space. On the way home, I passed a sale and a warm green sweater called to me, so I bought it. I’m happily wearing it now, waiting for the temperature to reach my goal. I stopped at the Potroviny (mini market) for some bread, eggs, and beer…I am going native with the beer but not yet with sausage and potatoes…so I settled for an egg sandwich for dinner.
The weather was quite tolerable today. I was able to go without a scarf for the first time. I think it might be almost up to 32F.
A lot has happened since I last wrote, but getting internet at the apartment…that has yet to happen. A week ago today, Nathan, a Fulbrighter from San Diego came over. He brought good luck, I think, because suddenly an effective wifi connection appeared on my laptop. It worked perfectly Friday, Saturday and before we left Sunday morning.
Mid-day Sunday, I left for the Fulbright Mid-Year Conference. We lugged my small suitcase with four days worth of warm clothes and my laptop the five or six blocks to the tram, then took the tram to the Fulbright Office. Russ went backed to the flat briefly and then left for the Airport-Hotel to spend the night before an early flight back. I have heard an inkling that the Hotel experience was not without problems, but I haven’t yet heard what they were.
I, on the other hand, had a totally smooth and quite interesting trip by bus to the south Moravian town of Velke Bilovice in the wine district. There were about 22 Fulbrighters (including families), four Fulbright staff members, and a Czech member of the US Embassy staff on the bus. Three families brought kids..ages 4-months, 2, 3, and 8. I had not met most of the people before. Several don’t work in Prague and had come in to catch the charter bus to the conference. Others had arrived after the party last Friday.
The countryside was snow-covered as soon as we got outside the city. The road was clear, thank goodness. Along the way we crossed the central highlands, rolling hills and forests with many open fields and, at the highest points, some very pretty, snow-covered spruce and white birch forests. In the open fields we saw jack rabbits and, in places, many, many raptors. There were also a couple of herds of small deer. Of course, my biology and botany may be totally off, but those are my guesses at what I saw.
The highway is made of concrete slabs that have expansion cracks, which of course are not at all expanded in this cold. So the bus ka-thumped along in a road rhythm that was a somewhere between sleep-inducing and insanity-producing.
We stopped in the south Bohemian city of Brno and picked up the rest of the Fulbrighters and staffers. As we approached the city, huge concrete high-rise appeared out of the fields. These are apparently the Soviet era housing projects of Brno. They are totally incongruous with their environment. Another 10, or so, folks joined us...then on to Velke Bilovice near where Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic meet.
The conference was at a small conference center. It was comfortable, except that there was only one internet connection for all of us to share. It was an extra computer in the hotel manager’s office, so if he was having a meeting, or had closed up for the day…no internet at all.
We were joined by a bus full of Fulbrighters and their families from Slovakia. There were about 80 of us I think. Some were high school teachers. Fulbright has a program in which high school teachers exchange jobs and houses for a year! They had some tales to tell, both about the exchanging experience, and about their teaching situations. They taught in very different places. Jen teaches in a vocational school sponsored by Citroen car company. She didn’t know why they sponsored it. All but two of her 120 students are boys. She teaches them English. Most will not go on to universities.
Megan teaches in a very high-end gymnasium where all the students will probably go to universities. They have every possible bit of technology and equipment. The others were in between, but in good schools. In her presentation, Kylowna from Los Angeles, compared the Czech students’ Senior Prom-type dance with the one at her LA school. All the students in the school come in the Czech dance…and all their families. Everyone drinks beer, of course. The students are honored for being in their final year and as they walk up to be honored, people throw coins at them…really heave them so the students have to duck and weave to avoid them.
The Fulbright Lecturers each described what they have been teaching since the fall and what lessons they learned…for example, you cannot expect that the students will read 70 pages of organic chemistry articles, in English, for each class, and that they totally do not get the idea that it is unacceptable to tell a classmate what the answer is on a test. Apparently, you can be having a test in a biomechanics class and students will just ask each other to explain things to them so they can get the answer. So, the only choice is to design the course to include collaboration on all assignments and tests because they will collaborate whether you plan it that way or not. Good to know, if you want to avoid a frustrating experience!
There were also some pretty interesting presentations about people’s research and teaching. From Karla, I learned about Toyen, a Czech/French artist with major sex issues. Tom read from a short story he is working on. Mark publishes a poetry journal back home and teaches contemporary literature here. David gave fascinating presentations on teaching languages. I'd like to take Steve's class on family and aging policy, and Srdjan's on public health. The doctoral students talked about their dissertation research, and most of them could have used some coaching on how to present. They haven’t learned yet that the audience really doesn’t want to know everything!
The restaurant where we had the welcome dinner was vaulted brick, like the winery tunnels we visited the next day. We toured the Knights Templar Wineries…pretty cool. The tunnels where their wine drums are housed were built in the Middle Ages. We also had a snowy visit to a very cold castle, with a nice warm green house.
When I got back, last night, the flat was 14 C because we had turned down the heat before leaving. It takes a long time to heat back up. I have it up to 20 so far, on the way to about 22. Otherwise, it was good to be back. I was able to catch Meg and Arnold and Ismini by Skype. I reached Peggy, but while we were talking, the wifi disappeared, just as suddenly as it had appeared last week. I feel very isolated when I do not have internet.
The wifi goddess did not smile on me this morning either. So I went to the Bohemian Bagel Internet Café and sent a few messages. I spent the rest of the morning exploring my options for Intensive Czech for Foreigners classes. I think I have located a good one for me. It will be two mornings a week, two hours a class, starting in a week. I also bought myself a three-month Metro pass. That was a bit of a task. I couldn’t find the right Metro stop at first, but a friendly ticket agent with good pantomime skills put me on the right path. After that, it was only a matter of standing in line a while. Since the wifi was still not working in the afternoon, I decided to metro up to where I will teach and see if I could get online there.
I got lucky. The secretary was in, even though it is semester break here until Feb 20. So I spent the afternoon in the comfort of e-space. On the way home, I passed a sale and a warm green sweater called to me, so I bought it. I’m happily wearing it now, waiting for the temperature to reach my goal. I stopped at the Potroviny (mini market) for some bread, eggs, and beer…I am going native with the beer but not yet with sausage and potatoes…so I settled for an egg sandwich for dinner.
The weather was quite tolerable today. I was able to go without a scarf for the first time. I think it might be almost up to 32F.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Feb 1
We still are not online at the apartment. Things move slowly and there is no hurrying them. Cesky Telcom appears to be trying to deal with us, but they are certainly doing so on their own inscrutable terms.
Friday’s party was interesting. Everyone was friendly and interesting. But the most interesting part for us was the apartment where it was held.
We took the tram (electric streetcar) about 4 miles south through the city, along the river. The ride was pretty, although it was dark already since it was 7:00 and the streetcars are unexpectedly noisy. The tram was crowded with people returning home from work and going out for the evening. There were a few dogs on the tram; many people have dogs, and they seem to take them everywhere.
When we arrived at the stop, the apartment buildings in the area were the soviet concrete block style high rises. Karla met us at the locked door and let us into the vestibule. Then she unlocked a wrought iron grate-style gate into the stairway. It was a second floor walk up, which means third floor, of course. The stairwell walls were festooned with electrical conduits, circuit-boxes, and spalling plaster. Incongruously, near some windows were potted tropical plants growing—or at least hanging on—in what seemed to be a near-freezing chill.
When we entered her apartment, light and warmth replaced the concrete and cold. She sublets from a woman who has spent a lot on remodeling the place. It has beautiful wooden built-in cabinets and shelves, wardrobes, and closets throughout… totally cozy, welcoming, and appealing inside.
We had great fun meeting the Fulbrighters...some doctoral students and some faculty people. Nice mix of backgrounds and interests.
Coal seems to be a main source of fuel here. We noticed it in Karla's neighborhood, as we have at our apartment. For Russ, the almost-forgotten smell of burning coal came back as a faint recollection from childhood. The coal smoke has surely left its mark as soot on old surfaces everywhere.
The weekend was warm enough to venture out a bit. We went to the castle and walked back through town. We found an underground grocery store that was much less crowded than the Tesco we found earlier. We wandered around looking for something familiar. We found ingredients for pea soup, lentil soup, and bean soup. Paper towels cost about $1.50 a small roll. Toilet paper, paper napkins, and Kleenex are equally expensive. Copy paper for the computer is about $6 a ream. But beer is 50 cents a half liter for 12% and wine is $2 a bottle. Although you would not confuse the thin cheap wine with Argentinian Malbec, the beer is far from any thin American imitations and great!
I went to my first Department meeting in the Civil sector Studies program on Tuesday morning. It was in Czech. Memories of my first six months at Gallaudet! I will have a desk, bookshelf, and a computer. That is a nice surprise. I had expected none of that. The department moved into city-center from an old soviet-era elementary school in the suburbs. The classrooms and offices are in the penthouse of an old mansion. It is cool. There are six faculty members and the department chair. Three faculty are on maternity leave. I think they get a long time off.
My class meets once a week, on Mondays from 1:20 to 2:50. Classes don’t start until Feb 20. Smile.
I have not yet made contact with my consulting people. Folks do not respond quickly to email here, and do not answer their phones either. I think I’ll enjoy going native on those points.
Tonight, being a bit tired of soup, we went to one of the restaurants within easy walking distance, even in this frigid weather. It was “typical” Czech…meat! I had beer, sausage, and goulash. This is not your mother’s goulash, which I think was a way to stretch ground beef. Goulash here is long-stewed beef in a spicy paprika sauce with dumplings and potato patties. Next, we’ll try Thai, I think, or French or Afghan…but we loved the Czech.
After dinner we washed a small load of clothes in our tiny washing machine. It is billed as a “washer-dryer” and is supposed to also dry the clothes, but I already gave up on that. They dry faster on the radiators.
Having a wonderful time.
January 27
We don’t yet have internet, so I am continuing this long first entry that I’ll post to the blog when I have access again.
Our apartment is great. There must be three restaurants on every block. We have been reading up on which are the best ones. We haven’t felt like eating out since we moved in because we got a bit tired of it when we were in the hotel. But, soon, we’ll venture out again.
It feels strange that we are neither on vacation, nor home—little pressure to attend to domestic tasks or to fill the available hours with local sights. We don’t feel pressed to be tourists, in part because it is brutally cold. I think it has not gone above 20 degrees since we’ve been here and the high was 5 degrees for two days.
Tonight we are going to the party the Fulbrighters are giving for us newcomers. They are making Tex-Mex food. I’m sure it will be fun. Time to get ready…
We still are not online at the apartment. Things move slowly and there is no hurrying them. Cesky Telcom appears to be trying to deal with us, but they are certainly doing so on their own inscrutable terms.
Friday’s party was interesting. Everyone was friendly and interesting. But the most interesting part for us was the apartment where it was held.
We took the tram (electric streetcar) about 4 miles south through the city, along the river. The ride was pretty, although it was dark already since it was 7:00 and the streetcars are unexpectedly noisy. The tram was crowded with people returning home from work and going out for the evening. There were a few dogs on the tram; many people have dogs, and they seem to take them everywhere.
When we arrived at the stop, the apartment buildings in the area were the soviet concrete block style high rises. Karla met us at the locked door and let us into the vestibule. Then she unlocked a wrought iron grate-style gate into the stairway. It was a second floor walk up, which means third floor, of course. The stairwell walls were festooned with electrical conduits, circuit-boxes, and spalling plaster. Incongruously, near some windows were potted tropical plants growing—or at least hanging on—in what seemed to be a near-freezing chill.
When we entered her apartment, light and warmth replaced the concrete and cold. She sublets from a woman who has spent a lot on remodeling the place. It has beautiful wooden built-in cabinets and shelves, wardrobes, and closets throughout… totally cozy, welcoming, and appealing inside.
We had great fun meeting the Fulbrighters...some doctoral students and some faculty people. Nice mix of backgrounds and interests.
Coal seems to be a main source of fuel here. We noticed it in Karla's neighborhood, as we have at our apartment. For Russ, the almost-forgotten smell of burning coal came back as a faint recollection from childhood. The coal smoke has surely left its mark as soot on old surfaces everywhere.
The weekend was warm enough to venture out a bit. We went to the castle and walked back through town. We found an underground grocery store that was much less crowded than the Tesco we found earlier. We wandered around looking for something familiar. We found ingredients for pea soup, lentil soup, and bean soup. Paper towels cost about $1.50 a small roll. Toilet paper, paper napkins, and Kleenex are equally expensive. Copy paper for the computer is about $6 a ream. But beer is 50 cents a half liter for 12% and wine is $2 a bottle. Although you would not confuse the thin cheap wine with Argentinian Malbec, the beer is far from any thin American imitations and great!
I went to my first Department meeting in the Civil sector Studies program on Tuesday morning. It was in Czech. Memories of my first six months at Gallaudet! I will have a desk, bookshelf, and a computer. That is a nice surprise. I had expected none of that. The department moved into city-center from an old soviet-era elementary school in the suburbs. The classrooms and offices are in the penthouse of an old mansion. It is cool. There are six faculty members and the department chair. Three faculty are on maternity leave. I think they get a long time off.
My class meets once a week, on Mondays from 1:20 to 2:50. Classes don’t start until Feb 20. Smile.
I have not yet made contact with my consulting people. Folks do not respond quickly to email here, and do not answer their phones either. I think I’ll enjoy going native on those points.
Tonight, being a bit tired of soup, we went to one of the restaurants within easy walking distance, even in this frigid weather. It was “typical” Czech…meat! I had beer, sausage, and goulash. This is not your mother’s goulash, which I think was a way to stretch ground beef. Goulash here is long-stewed beef in a spicy paprika sauce with dumplings and potato patties. Next, we’ll try Thai, I think, or French or Afghan…but we loved the Czech.
After dinner we washed a small load of clothes in our tiny washing machine. It is billed as a “washer-dryer” and is supposed to also dry the clothes, but I already gave up on that. They dry faster on the radiators.
Having a wonderful time.
January 27
We don’t yet have internet, so I am continuing this long first entry that I’ll post to the blog when I have access again.
Our apartment is great. There must be three restaurants on every block. We have been reading up on which are the best ones. We haven’t felt like eating out since we moved in because we got a bit tired of it when we were in the hotel. But, soon, we’ll venture out again.
It feels strange that we are neither on vacation, nor home—little pressure to attend to domestic tasks or to fill the available hours with local sights. We don’t feel pressed to be tourists, in part because it is brutally cold. I think it has not gone above 20 degrees since we’ve been here and the high was 5 degrees for two days.
Tonight we are going to the party the Fulbrighters are giving for us newcomers. They are making Tex-Mex food. I’m sure it will be fun. Time to get ready…
People, Places, Experiences
Feb 1
We still are not online at the apartment. Things move slowly and there is no hurrying them. Cesky Telcom appears to be trying to deal with us, but they are certainly doing so on their own inscrutable terms.
Friday’s party was interesting. Everyone was friendly and interesting. But the most interesting part for us was the apartment where it was held.
We took the tram (electric streetcar) about 4 miles south through the city, along the river. The ride was pretty, although it was dark already since it was 7:00 and the streetcars are unexpectedly noisy. The tram was crowded with people returning home from work and going out for the evening. There were a few dogs on the tram; many people have dogs, and they seem to take them everywhere.
When we arrived at the stop, the apartment buildings in the area were the soviet concrete block style high rises. Karla met us at the locked door and let us into the vestibule. Then she unlocked a wrought iron grate-style gate into the stairway. It was a second floor walk up, which means third floor, of course. The stairwell walls were festooned with electrical conduits, circuit-boxes, and spalling plaster. Incongruously, near some windows were potted tropical plants growing—or at least hanging on—in what seemed to be a near-freezing chill.
When we entered her apartment, light and warmth replaced the concrete and cold. She sublets from a woman who has spent a lot on remodeling the place. It has beautiful wooden built-in cabinets and shelves, wardrobes, and closets throughout… totally cozy, welcoming, and appealing inside.
We had great fun meeting the Fulbrighters...some doctoral students and some faculty people. Nice mix of backgrounds and interests.
Coal seems to be a main source of fuel here. We noticed it in Karla's neighborhood, as we have at our apartment. For Russ, the almost-forgotten smell of burning coal came back as a faint recollection from childhood. The coal smoke has surely left its mark as soot on old surfaces everywhere.
The weekend was warm enough to venture out a bit. We went to the castle and walked back through town. We found an underground grocery store that was much less crowded than the Tesco we found earlier. We wandered around looking for something familiar. We found ingredients for pea soup, lentil soup, and bean soup. Paper towels cost about $1.50 a small roll. Toilet paper, paper napkins, and Kleenex are equally expensive. Copy paper for the computer is about $6 a ream. But beer is 50 cents a half liter for 12% and wine is $2 a bottle. Although you would not confuse the thin cheap wine with Argentinian Malbec, the beer is far from any thin American imitations and great!
I went to my first Department meeting in the Civil sector Studies program on Tuesday morning. It was in Czech. Memories of my first six months at Gallaudet! I will have a desk, bookshelf, and a computer. That is a nice surprise. I had expected none of that. The department moved into city-center from an old soviet-era elementary school in the suburbs. The classrooms and offices are in the penthouse of an old mansion. It is cool. There are six faculty members and the department chair. Three faculty are on maternity leave. I think they get a long time off.
My class meets once a week, on Mondays from 1:20 to 2:50. Classes don’t start until Feb 20. Smile.
I have not yet made contact with my consulting people. Folks do not respond quickly to email here, and do not answer their phones either. I think I’ll enjoy going native on those points.
Tonight, being a bit tired of soup, we went to one of the restaurants within easy walking distance, even in this frigid weather. It was “typical” Czech…meat! I had beer, sausage, and goulash. This is not your mother’s goulash, which I think was a way to stretch ground beef. Goulash here is long-stewed beef in a spicy paprika sauce with dumplings and potato patties. Next, we’ll try Thai, I think, or French or Afghan…but we loved the Czech.
After dinner we washed a small load of clothes in our tiny washing machine. It is billed as a “washer-dryer” and is supposed to also dry the clothes, but I already gave up on that. They dry faster on the radiators.
Having a wonderful time.
January 27
We don’t yet have internet, so I am continuing this long first entry that I’ll post to the blog when I have access again.
Our apartment is great. There must be three restaurants on every block. We have been reading up on which are the best ones. We haven’t felt like eating out since we moved in because we got a bit tired of it when we were in the hotel. But, soon, we’ll venture out again.
It feels strange that we are neither on vacation, nor home—little pressure to attend to domestic tasks or to fill the available hours with local sights. We don’t feel pressed to be tourists, in part because it is brutally cold. I think it has not gone above 20 degrees since we’ve been here and the high was 5 degrees for two days.
Tonight we are going to the party the Fulbrighters are giving for us newcomers. They are making Tex-Mex food. I’m sure it will be fun. Time to get ready…
We still are not online at the apartment. Things move slowly and there is no hurrying them. Cesky Telcom appears to be trying to deal with us, but they are certainly doing so on their own inscrutable terms.
Friday’s party was interesting. Everyone was friendly and interesting. But the most interesting part for us was the apartment where it was held.
We took the tram (electric streetcar) about 4 miles south through the city, along the river. The ride was pretty, although it was dark already since it was 7:00 and the streetcars are unexpectedly noisy. The tram was crowded with people returning home from work and going out for the evening. There were a few dogs on the tram; many people have dogs, and they seem to take them everywhere.
When we arrived at the stop, the apartment buildings in the area were the soviet concrete block style high rises. Karla met us at the locked door and let us into the vestibule. Then she unlocked a wrought iron grate-style gate into the stairway. It was a second floor walk up, which means third floor, of course. The stairwell walls were festooned with electrical conduits, circuit-boxes, and spalling plaster. Incongruously, near some windows were potted tropical plants growing—or at least hanging on—in what seemed to be a near-freezing chill.
When we entered her apartment, light and warmth replaced the concrete and cold. She sublets from a woman who has spent a lot on remodeling the place. It has beautiful wooden built-in cabinets and shelves, wardrobes, and closets throughout… totally cozy, welcoming, and appealing inside.
We had great fun meeting the Fulbrighters...some doctoral students and some faculty people. Nice mix of backgrounds and interests.
Coal seems to be a main source of fuel here. We noticed it in Karla's neighborhood, as we have at our apartment. For Russ, the almost-forgotten smell of burning coal came back as a faint recollection from childhood. The coal smoke has surely left its mark as soot on old surfaces everywhere.
The weekend was warm enough to venture out a bit. We went to the castle and walked back through town. We found an underground grocery store that was much less crowded than the Tesco we found earlier. We wandered around looking for something familiar. We found ingredients for pea soup, lentil soup, and bean soup. Paper towels cost about $1.50 a small roll. Toilet paper, paper napkins, and Kleenex are equally expensive. Copy paper for the computer is about $6 a ream. But beer is 50 cents a half liter for 12% and wine is $2 a bottle. Although you would not confuse the thin cheap wine with Argentinian Malbec, the beer is far from any thin American imitations and great!
I went to my first Department meeting in the Civil sector Studies program on Tuesday morning. It was in Czech. Memories of my first six months at Gallaudet! I will have a desk, bookshelf, and a computer. That is a nice surprise. I had expected none of that. The department moved into city-center from an old soviet-era elementary school in the suburbs. The classrooms and offices are in the penthouse of an old mansion. It is cool. There are six faculty members and the department chair. Three faculty are on maternity leave. I think they get a long time off.
My class meets once a week, on Mondays from 1:20 to 2:50. Classes don’t start until Feb 20. Smile.
I have not yet made contact with my consulting people. Folks do not respond quickly to email here, and do not answer their phones either. I think I’ll enjoy going native on those points.
Tonight, being a bit tired of soup, we went to one of the restaurants within easy walking distance, even in this frigid weather. It was “typical” Czech…meat! I had beer, sausage, and goulash. This is not your mother’s goulash, which I think was a way to stretch ground beef. Goulash here is long-stewed beef in a spicy paprika sauce with dumplings and potato patties. Next, we’ll try Thai, I think, or French or Afghan…but we loved the Czech.
After dinner we washed a small load of clothes in our tiny washing machine. It is billed as a “washer-dryer” and is supposed to also dry the clothes, but I already gave up on that. They dry faster on the radiators.
Having a wonderful time.
January 27
We don’t yet have internet, so I am continuing this long first entry that I’ll post to the blog when I have access again.
Our apartment is great. There must be three restaurants on every block. We have been reading up on which are the best ones. We haven’t felt like eating out since we moved in because we got a bit tired of it when we were in the hotel. But, soon, we’ll venture out again.
It feels strange that we are neither on vacation, nor home—little pressure to attend to domestic tasks or to fill the available hours with local sights. We don’t feel pressed to be tourists, in part because it is brutally cold. I think it has not gone above 20 degrees since we’ve been here and the high was 5 degrees for two days.
Tonight we are going to the party the Fulbrighters are giving for us newcomers. They are making Tex-Mex food. I’m sure it will be fun. Time to get ready…
Settling in
January 26
Our apartment is a one bedroom flat in the Josefov section in Old Town. It is newly renovated, has fresh furniture, has linens, a washer/dryer and a kitchen well-equipped with dishes, pots, and utensils, and a dishwasher…nice. I can’t figure out the TV yet. It seems to need a PIN. I called the building manager, but don’t have an answer yet. I also have yet to figure out how to get internet. We’ve been here about 24 hours now and are having withdrawal symptoms with no internet.
This afternoon we went out foraging for food and supplies. It is a new experience to go shopping on foot, without a car to toss things in after you buy them. We brought some bags to carry things home.
There were no light bulbs to replace the two that were burned out when we moved in. They seem to be “special.” We’ll probably buy a non-special lamp. We couldn’t find a coffee maker. Maybe that’s why there are lots of cafes. The supermarket at Tesco was really crowded and the checkout line was really slow, which gave us lots of people watching time. When we left there, we stopped at a mini-market near our apartment. We may shop there most of the time. It was less overwhelming.
Tomorrow evening one of the full-year Fulbrighters is hosting a get together and has included us newbies. I am eager to meet the others and have many “how to” questions. It should be easy to get there. She lives near the same tram line that is closest to us.
January 25
Wonderful dinner at MJ’s. She has a beautiful two bedroom apartment with a view of the castle. We learned lots of useful information about shopping, taxis, cafes and restaurants, customs, and stuff in general. I’m eager to meet her colleagues in public relations at Radio Free Europe.
January 24 (Kathy’s 55th birthday)
The apartment hunt wasn’t smooth, but the results are lovely. Our first choice turned into a “bait and switch” on what was included. My agent was helpful. We went to our second choice. I think fate intervened. The second choice is really nice. We’ll move tomorrow.
Tonight we are having dinner at MJ’s. She is a friend of my colleague Mindy’s, has lived and worked here since August, and has been a good source of information as I prepared to come. Now she is our first non apartment-hunt related person to meet in Prague.
We're not in Florida anymore...-5C
January 23, 2006
We’re definitely not in Florida anymore. We arrived three days ago to snow and temperatures in the single digits. Okay! It is a beautiful place in winter, too.
Russ decided not to come for the whole time. But he is here with me now to help me get settled in. Happily, we have a decent, relatively inexpensive hotel with wifi.
With an agent recommended by a previous Prague Fulbrighter from Gallaudet, we looked at four apartments our first day here. One was great, but not in the area where I’d hoped to live. The others didn’t quite do it. Over the weekend we took long, cold walks, ate Czech food, drank real Budweiser and Pilzner Urquell (not at the same sitting)…nice.
Today we are going to look at more apartments. I got a cell phone. I tried to get more adapters to plug in American appliances to Czech outlets. I brought a voltage adapter and, before I left Florida, I bought chargers that didn’t need converters for most of my electronics. But I could use more than the one plug adapter that I bought last summer. Too bad, they were out in the only store I could find that might have them. I’ll just have to plug in one thing at a time.
Summer Trip to Prague
July 2005
It was as wonderful as one could hope. I can’t wait to start, even knowing that it will be cold in January and days will be short.
But first a semester of teaching, and my first BIG class…225 students in Principles of Public Relations.
It was as wonderful as one could hope. I can’t wait to start, even knowing that it will be cold in January and days will be short.
But first a semester of teaching, and my first BIG class…225 students in Principles of Public Relations.
Thinking about a Fulbright
June, 2005
I’m starting Peg’sPragueBlog to share my experiences during my Fulbright next spring. Three weeks from today, I’m off to scope out the city where I’ll have my Fulbright semester! Today, I can’t resist writing about how this amazing happening came to be. This entry is the view of the coming Fulbright from a distance of six months before it happens and 12 months after I applied to try to make it happen.
Of course I had heard about Fulbright Awards since I was in college. I’d even chatted with the Fulbright rep at my first AEJMC conference, in Phoenix, a few years ago. But spring 2004 was the first time that it seemed even remotely possible to try for one. It was the first time that I could imagine going away for a whole semester. In fact, it seemed like a pretty nifty way to start thinking about the eventual transition from our current careers to new ones...go someplace totally new; do something not totally new; see what windows the experience opens on the world; maybe, jump through one. It would be a fourth career change for each of us. Me: teacher, university administrator, professor, and the next. Russ: professor, research biologist, science administrator, and the next.
I surfed the www.cies.org website for opportunities where I didn’t need fluency in a second language, where the desired skills were in public relations, philanthropy and fund raising, or university communication management. And it had to be someplace not too scary. Tah dah! The Czech Republic. The application wanted someone interested in nonprofits and communication. Too good to be true.
I’d heard somewhere that you really needed to have a contact who would want you in the host country. I don’t know anyone in Prague.
Russ and I talked about it a lot. He’ll retire before it would start, so we could both go. Our favorite vacation trips have been to language school in Costa Rica and cooking school in Italy. We liked staying in one place and getting to know the locals and the place. A Fulbright would be that, times several months. Russ could surely find a place to work on a project with amphibians, or to start a new book. I could teach about communication for nonprofits and learn about nonprofits and communication in Prague.
I called some folks that I thought might have Prague contacts. I called Laurie at the CASE Resource Center thinking there might be a CASE member university in Prague that she’d know about. There isn’t, but….small world…she used to be a program officer at Fulbright and knew that “you have to know someone” is a myth! I called CIES. Muriel was great. I started working up my application. What’s to lose?
I mailed the application from New Hampshire, which I tell you because none of this would have happened if it weren’t for a great USPS employee in the post office there. Her computer was down and she hand calculated the postage needed to send the application. When I got home to Florida, I had a note from her saying she had undercharged me by about 50 cents, so she had put the money in herself and would appreciate it if I could reimburse her. Bless her! I would have missed the deadline if she hadn’t done that.
I had only been a professor for four years when I applied, following a 20-year career in fund raising and public relations for the University of Maryland, Mount Saint Mary’s College, and Gallaudet University. Fellow professors told me that you hardly ever get a Fulbright the first time you apply and that I was disadvantaged by my short teaching career. So I was amazed to hear in November that I’d made the first cut. It took my breath away in April when I got a “congratulations” email from Prague. Everyone was happy for me. I was happy. This is too cool!
Since then, I have made contact with the Civil Sector Studies program at Charles University…thanks to Roseanne Mirabella’s database at Seton Hall University of nonprofit academic programs worldwide…which turned out to be the program that Hana Rambouskova of the Prague Fulbright office planned to connect me with. Through Hana, I also made contact with an association of nonprofit organizations in the Czech Republic. In three weeks, I’ll go visit Prague for the first time and meet all these folks in person!
I’m starting Peg’sPragueBlog to share my experiences during my Fulbright next spring. Three weeks from today, I’m off to scope out the city where I’ll have my Fulbright semester! Today, I can’t resist writing about how this amazing happening came to be. This entry is the view of the coming Fulbright from a distance of six months before it happens and 12 months after I applied to try to make it happen.
Of course I had heard about Fulbright Awards since I was in college. I’d even chatted with the Fulbright rep at my first AEJMC conference, in Phoenix, a few years ago. But spring 2004 was the first time that it seemed even remotely possible to try for one. It was the first time that I could imagine going away for a whole semester. In fact, it seemed like a pretty nifty way to start thinking about the eventual transition from our current careers to new ones...go someplace totally new; do something not totally new; see what windows the experience opens on the world; maybe, jump through one. It would be a fourth career change for each of us. Me: teacher, university administrator, professor, and the next. Russ: professor, research biologist, science administrator, and the next.
I surfed the www.cies.org website for opportunities where I didn’t need fluency in a second language, where the desired skills were in public relations, philanthropy and fund raising, or university communication management. And it had to be someplace not too scary. Tah dah! The Czech Republic. The application wanted someone interested in nonprofits and communication. Too good to be true.
I’d heard somewhere that you really needed to have a contact who would want you in the host country. I don’t know anyone in Prague.
Russ and I talked about it a lot. He’ll retire before it would start, so we could both go. Our favorite vacation trips have been to language school in Costa Rica and cooking school in Italy. We liked staying in one place and getting to know the locals and the place. A Fulbright would be that, times several months. Russ could surely find a place to work on a project with amphibians, or to start a new book. I could teach about communication for nonprofits and learn about nonprofits and communication in Prague.
I called some folks that I thought might have Prague contacts. I called Laurie at the CASE Resource Center thinking there might be a CASE member university in Prague that she’d know about. There isn’t, but….small world…she used to be a program officer at Fulbright and knew that “you have to know someone” is a myth! I called CIES. Muriel was great. I started working up my application. What’s to lose?
I mailed the application from New Hampshire, which I tell you because none of this would have happened if it weren’t for a great USPS employee in the post office there. Her computer was down and she hand calculated the postage needed to send the application. When I got home to Florida, I had a note from her saying she had undercharged me by about 50 cents, so she had put the money in herself and would appreciate it if I could reimburse her. Bless her! I would have missed the deadline if she hadn’t done that.
I had only been a professor for four years when I applied, following a 20-year career in fund raising and public relations for the University of Maryland, Mount Saint Mary’s College, and Gallaudet University. Fellow professors told me that you hardly ever get a Fulbright the first time you apply and that I was disadvantaged by my short teaching career. So I was amazed to hear in November that I’d made the first cut. It took my breath away in April when I got a “congratulations” email from Prague. Everyone was happy for me. I was happy. This is too cool!
Since then, I have made contact with the Civil Sector Studies program at Charles University…thanks to Roseanne Mirabella’s database at Seton Hall University of nonprofit academic programs worldwide…which turned out to be the program that Hana Rambouskova of the Prague Fulbright office planned to connect me with. Through Hana, I also made contact with an association of nonprofit organizations in the Czech Republic. In three weeks, I’ll go visit Prague for the first time and meet all these folks in person!
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