As I was downloading my pictures from Prague, it’s ironic how a common subject turns out: people taking pictures. The pictures of Prague’s beautiful architecture are intentional. The pictures of people taking pictures are not. It must be a crowded day or I am really just a bad photographer.
Family
The one thing that I really like about moving to CZ is the fact that we are surrounded by family. This past week, we went to Moravia and met a handful of Jiri’s relatives. It was a very “eventful” week. I just weighed myself today and realized I am 2lbs heavier.
Domestic Diva in the Making
I am on the road to “domestic diva-ness”. As a stay at home mom, I find myself frequenting the kitchen more and more. It is now my favorite spot in the house. Although I have a degree in food technology, I am not that great when it comes to cooking. I know the theories but the interest is not there. All that has changed since I got here.
Now I have no excuse. I have no deadlines to meet or meetings to attend. All I have is my son, my husband and my house to take care of. Thus, I am cooking like crazy. I have not experimented in Czech recipes yet because my Český is not that great. The recipes are written in Czech. I am afraid I may make a mistake and end up cooking spicy beef instead of beef steak. Even my ingredients are labelled in Czech.
But the salt here is great though. While most american labels say “eco-friendly” or “earth friendly,” this one is “tooth-friendly.”
Pardubice
Two weekends ago, we visited our friends Dodo and Marketa in Pardubice. It is one of the major cities here in Czech. As always, I was again in awe of the beautiful architecture. Here are a few photos from that trip.
Český is the Key
“ I will cross the bridge when I get there.” – Me, 2009
I am now finding myself swimming in cold water. In this new place I now call home, I find it hard to ever do anything because of my inability to speak Czech. This past week has been rough. Combined with all the hormonal changes I was experiencing and the pressure to adapt into my new environment, I found myself experiencing bouts of enormous sadness. Without my husband, I can pretty much not go anywhere because I don’t speak the language. If I get lost, I will not be able to get home. Out here, almost nobody speaks English. Even the American movies shown on TV are dubbed in Czech. If I wanted to define myself in this country, I have to start with learning the language. Český is the key.
I had been forwarned. When Jiri and I got married, he had been bugging me about learning Czech. I started but never finished. It seems like there has always been an excuse whenever I sit down to do so. I was always stuck at Chapter 4. I thought learning Czech was easy because I already speak other languages. I always prided myself of being a fast learner. However, Czech language is very foreign to me. I had to re-orient myself with everything I already know. But it is a very beautiful language. It has 36 alphabets, 26 of which are the standard Roman alphabets. There is almost a word for everything. Though some words are almost spelled the same, they can mean different things if you are not careful. For instance, I told my husband: “Hey hon, the sign says Horky. It must be hot out there.” (Knowing that “Horký” means “hot.”) He then explained to me that “Horký ” means “hot” but “Horky” means “Hills.” I guess a whole lot of challenges are awaiting me as I try to learn Czech.
Safety Around Here
Here are a couple of observations on safety that I noticed around here:
1. Dogs are everywhere. Sometimes, an owner walks with a dog without a leash. Friendly or not, I don’t care. I don’t want them anywhere around my son.
2. There is one main highway without traffic lights. You really have to watch even when you are walking on a pedestrian lane because you can get run over by a truck very easily.
3. Harnesses not needed. When I was in the States, I have always been so vigilant about people not wearing harnesses when working up distances taller than 6ft. By OSHA (Occupational Safety Hazard Agency) rule, you have to be on a harness once you go up higher than 6ft. Out here, people could be working in tall buildings with nothing on them.
4. For some people, pedestrian safety is regarded very lightly. I was walking with my husband and my son on a runner’s path and on came at a high speed, this guy on a bicycle. No word said. Not even a honk to announce his approach. What if I swerved a little bit? We could have collided very easily.
Oh well, who am I to complain. From where I came from, things are even worse. You could just be standing by a bus stop and still manage to get run over by the bus.
They Really DO Know How to Drink
“If you don’t want to live for drinking, drink at least a little bit so I can live.” – Alois Cepicka
If there is one thing I’ve noticed about Czechs, it is the fact that they really do know how to drink. The moment we got here, I was offered a shot of Becherovka, a special cinnamon liquor, by my in-laws. That was during lunch. When dinner came, we had champagne. Wine is not only served during special occasions, but is almost part of the menu. Believe it or not, when you go to a restaurant, beer is cheaper than water.
Ever since I met my husband, I have significantly increased my tolerance for alcohol. Right as I am writing this post, he is in the kitchen preparing “BEton,” a blend of becherovka and tonic. So don’t be surprised if the next time you see me, I will be shaking your hand on one hand and holding a glass of slivovice (plum liquor) on the other.
Our first 2 days in Kolin
Kolin is my new city. It is an hour away from Prague. It has a lot of beautiful architecture…a whole lot of things to explore. Here are a few pictures I snapped on our first 2 days.
Our Journey Begins
After packing our bags and basically saying goodbye to the life we had in the US, we headed out to the airport at 5am on Wednesday, May 25, 2011. First destination: Brussels. Since my son is barely 10 months old, my husband and I decided that spending 2 days in Brussels would be the best solution to avoid over stressing our baby and somehow getting rid of the inevitable jetlag.
Brussels was nice. Like any other European city, it is rich in historical places and beautiful architecture. The only thing I didn’t like about the city is the fact that almost 60% of the population smokes. We had a hard time finding places that don’t allow smoking. The air was reeking with cigarette smoke. But here are a couple of things that I find different:
1. The baby changing station at the airport was a separate room. It had a sink huge enough to wash the baby’s bottom. I like this style. I wish they had this in the States.
2. When you say “thank you,” they say “please,” instead of “welcome.”
3. There was a french bidet right beside the toilet bowl. I’ve never seen one before, I thought they separated “number 1 and number 2.” If you know what I mean.
Czech the Flip 