Czech, please.

Hello again!

This time tomorrow, I'll be in Berlin! But until then, here's what I've been up to...

Last Wednesday I did, indeed, go vintage shopping in Old Town. I found this great little shop called "Retro" that had all kinds of vintage clothes, bags, accessories, etc. The owner was this really sweet American woman who said she'd moved to Chicago after she had her heart broken. There she met "the love of her life" who moved her to Prague. And she's been here ever since. The shop, I soon learned, has two sister shops. One of which, "Vintage," is also in Old Town, the other of which, "Wilde," is conveniently located across the street from my flat. I tried to be as thrifty as I could, but I just couldn't keep myself from buying this great one-of-a-kind dress :)

On Thursday night we finally met the FAMU students (the CET film students), and we took them to what has become known as "The Cave Bar." The bar consists of a series of stair cases that all lead you further and further underground to different levels. It's a fun place, and it was great to finally meet the other students (they arrived in Prague a week after the Photo and Central European Studies students).

Friday night my flatmates and I made dinner together for the first time. We made pasta, squash, salad, chicken and mushrooms. It was delicious! Later, we joined everyone at Radost, a night club where Rihanna filmed the video for her song "Please Don't Stop the Music." I'm not a HUGE fan of the artist or the song, but I'm more or less a celebrity now that I've been there ;)

Sunday morning, we left early for an overnight trip with CET to Český Krumlov, a little town in the Czech Republic about 2 hours from Prague. It was snowing when we got there, and none of us really came equipped for snowy weather, so it was FREEZING, and our shoes soaked through. After we settled into our respective pensions, we split up for lunch and my group chose a little vegetarian restaurant. TWO HOURS after we ordered, we were served, and although this was a little extreme, poor service isn't uncommon in the Czech Republic. The differences in standards of culinary service have probably been the most difficult adjustment for me. But if that's the worst that's going to happen to me, I think I can handle it.

After we inhaled our lunches, we met up with the rest of the group to tour the historic Český Krumlov castle. With over 300 rooms, most of which remain intact with original furnishing and decor, it was quite the tour. Unfortunately, we were prohibited from taking photographs inside the castle, but I did get some great shots of its exterior and the view of the town from inside. It was breathtaking to see the lavish interior, the ornate architecture, and the dozens of winding hallways and endless staircases. The castle was evacuated shortly before the Nazi regime moved to the Czech Republic, and was never used again following the end of WWII. After the castle tour, we met at the Eggenberg Brewery, which was rented out for our use only. There we enjoyed dinner and dancing with a gypsy band!

The next day...was beautiful! The sun came out for the first time in two weeks and dried everything up. We spent the day exploring the town on our own. I had so much fun walking around with friends, enjoying the beautiful day and really taking in the town. Everything about the town was small, unique, and untouched by industrialism. In fact, the town mayor wouldn't even allow McDonald's to move in. We departed later that afternoon for Prague.

Today, my Art History class went on its first "excursion" in the city. Every Thursday we will explore a different part of the city (museums, art exhibits, buildings, etc.) that corresponds with that week's lesson. Today we visited The National Gallery at the St. Agnes Monestary. It was so interesting to hear my professor discuss hundred-year-old works as we stood right in front of them.

Tomorrow, as I mentioned I leave for Berlin with some friends. I'll post more once we're back!

LOVE :)
keen














the castle!

Post Script

P.S. In case you haven't already figured this out, you can click on any of the pictures I post on this page to see a much larger version of them.

LOVE.

Jak se mas?

To answer my own question, I am great!

Classes began yesterday after a week of Intensive Czech (4 hours/day learning the language) and I finally feel like I have a solid routine. As much as I'm not looking forward to the workload, I'm glad to be able to plan my days and have a schedule. We have a great little grocery store a block away so I've been experimenting with different ingredients when I have time. I'm most proud of my baked ziti, mashed potatoes, and banana pudding recipes.


St. Nicholas



Last Thursday (the 29th), we enjoyed a guided tour from a native Praguer. With such a busy first week, it was really the first chance I'd had to see much of the city, beyond my street. We walked through historic Old Town, across the Charles Bridge, through the Church of St. Nicholas and up hundreds of steps to Prague Castle. It was truly a remarkable experience.



Zuzana!
On Saturday, our Czech buddy Zuzana invited us to go out with her friends. We went to this great bar/club with a live band that only played covers of old-ish American songs. Everyone was singing along and dancing, and between sets the ceiling would literally slide away to reveal the stars and a refreshing breeze.


Pilsner cellar



On Sunday, I took a bus trip with my roommate Andrea and fellow AU student Emma to Plzen, the town where Pilsner Urquell was first brewed. We toured the factory and saw thousands of recycled bottles running along a conveyor belt to be sterilized and learned about the brewing process (actually quite fascinating). At the end of the tour, we were lead into the decades-old underground cellars where beer is left to ferment in massive barrels for up to 5 weeks and there we sampled some delicious unfiltered beer (which they can't market since it doesn't keep for longer than 2 weeks). It was fun to learn about the origins of Prague's most popular beverage, and explore the 100-year-old factory.

As I mentioned, classes began yesterday. While I'm here, I'll be taking my Czech language class, a Czech history class, two photography classes, and an Art and Architecture history class. I've met and love all of my professors (especially the photo one), and am looking forward to what the rest of the semester holds! Every student has Fridays off, but I'm lucky to also have Wednesdays off. Later in the semester, this will allow me to spend time in the dark room developing and printing photos. Tomorrow, however, with no work to do, I plan to go out on my own (for the first time) and explore some of Old Town. First of all, it's easily the most beautiful section of Prague, second of all, I heard about some great vintage shops I want to check out, and third of all, I want to visit the open air market and browse the fresh produce, hand crafts, and candy!


Historic Old Town






Missing everyone at home!
lovelovelove,
Keen

Dobry den, rodina!

Hello friends!

It has been a very busy week for my fellow students and me, and I’m looking forward to a sizeable nap once I’ve finished this post (and watched LOST/The Office). Here’s what I’ve been up to since landing in Praha…

After my flat-mates and I got settled into our fabulous new home, we joined the rest of the students in our program (about 30, all from various American universities) and the CET staff for a delicious welcome dinner at a traditional Czech eatery. I ate chicken steak and pork with gravy, and Czech style mashed potatoes. It was a pretty heavy dish, but a typical meal for locals. We were also served pastries with crushed poppy seed filling and glaze. It was a yummy way to start the semester!

The next day (Friday) we had to wake up early for five hours of orientation, which was…neat. It was a long and painful experience during which we discussed things like medical insurance, academics and the impending flu epidemic. However, we also talked about fun things such as our spring trip (we’ll travel for 8 days through Bratislava, Moravia and Vienna), the nightlife and culture of Prague, and learning the Czech language. After orientation, and a long nap, my flat-mates and I hit the town for our first night out. We found a pub (which, in Prague, is like trying to find flowers in a flower garden) close to the CET building (where we take classes). In this particular pub, if you ordered pivo (beer), you had to serve yourself….from the awesome taps that sat in the middle of the table!

On Saturday we finally got a break from planned activities. I decided to join some of my classmates and a few of the Czech buddies to visit Vysehrad Cemetery in Prague – one that holds hundreds of tightly packed and ornate graves of some of the Czech Republic’s most famous people including actors, athletes, scientists, authors, politicians, martyrs, socialites, and the list goes on. There we saw the grave of a Czech scientist who invented the contact lens and the grave of a Czech science fiction writer who coined the term “robot.” In the same park we saw St. Martin’s, the oldest rotunda in Prague, and the beautiful Church of St. Peter and Paul. I also got my first areal/skyline shots of the city. It was an incredible day.


St. Martin's



Vysehrad Cemetery



Church of St. Peter and Paul



Prague



the Charles River



little cat on a roof in Vysehrad Park



More to come!
Lovelovelove,
keen

Greetings from Praha!

Hello family, friends and fans alike. Welcome to Czech Chat! As most of you likely know, I’ve chosen to spend the next four months of my life studying in and exploring the Czech Republic – specifically, in Prague. Here’s a little background about my journey…

I first considered Prague about a year ago when I began to seriously research my study abroad options. At the time, even in DC, walking to class in January felt about as fun as stabbing myself with a pair of rusty scissors, and I vowed only to study somewhere sunny. For a while, I was pretty dead-set on Australia, and before that, New Zealand. Additionally, I harbored a stubborn opposition to any language barriers. All the while however, I kept Prague in the back of my mind. I spoke to a few friends who had studied in Prague previously and to some relatives who spoke about their love of Europe. Long story short, I think I always knew I would end up in Prague. It is, after all, in my blood (Czech pride, yo).

One thing lead to another, fall semester came and went, and now here I am! And I can say in all sincerity that I am SO happy with the decision I made.

My first flight across the Atlantic (and out of the East coast, for that matter) went surprisingly smoothly. I was lucky to be able to fly out of Philadelphia on the 21st (after a whirlwind two days in DC for inauguration ’09), and the flight was incredible. I felt like a little kid in a playground on the plane. I’m sure my fellow passengers found humor in my reaction to the individually packaged headphones, socks, toothbrush/paste, eye mask, pillows and blankets that waited on each seat. I was especially lucky in that I had an entire row to myself (so of course I helped myself to the extra goodies and space). During the flight I enjoyed a few films, some radio talk shows, endless snacks, two meals, a glass of wine, and a short nap. Perhaps it’s a little pathetic, but I felt somewhat like a princess with all the constant attention.

We landed in London around 6AM local time where I caught my connecting flight into Prague. I arrived in my new (temporary) home around 11AM (which would have made it 5AM back in the States), and I was pleased to find that all of my bags had arrived safely with me. From there, I caught a cab to my flat. I think the driver must have thought I was crazy with my nose pressed against the car window the whole time, but I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. It took about 20 minutes to drive from the airport to my building, but with every turn of the wheel I “oooed” and “aaahed” at my surroundings.

Everything is beautiful in Prague. Untouched by the vast destruction of the World Wars, Prague’s architecture and original pavements remain intact. Buildings are old-timey with high ceilings, brass doorknobs, radiators, and large, single-pane windows. Concrete roads and sidewalks are uncommon. All sidewalks and most roads are made up of old cobblestones (so it takes a brave soul to rock a pair of high heels). The streets are clean and bustling with people.

Needless to say, I was pleased to be in this new city. In a tragic turn of events, however, shortly after the driver dropped me at my building, I discovered that, in fact, no one was waiting to claim me or key me into my new flat. And to add insult to injury, I was without a cell phone or any knowledge of the local language. I somehow managed to get someone to buzz me into the stair case and I spent the next hour riding the elevator with my luggage from floor to floor, ringing every bell in a desperate attempt to make sure I was in the right place. Eventually, much to my relief, a Czech student named Martina arrived to help me in. She was very sweet and apologetic about being late, and I felt more happy to see her than anything else. She took me to the second floor and gave me the keys to what is easily the coolest apartment I’ve ever seen.

More about my flat and first days in Prague to come in the next post! Stay tuned for some quality entertainment.

Much love to all my brothas in the States,
Keen