BLOG POST 9

“A Taste of Daily Life”

It’s odd how quickly I’ve fallen into a routine here. I go to class, I run errands, I do my homework; it’s like any usual college existence except for – you know – the whole being in a foreign country thing. One thing that’s different is that for the first time I have to buy and cook my own meals and lemme tell you, that’s quite the adventure in and of itself. It astonishes me how spoiled I was at home by the tastiness of Mom’s cooking and the variety of food at the ND dining hall. I arrived in Prague fully aware that I had zero cooking skills and a full semester of cooking awaiting me, but I was blissfully optimistic. I mean, I’m a stud at a couple tried and true gourmet recipes – toaster waffles and peanut butter sandwiches are my real specialties – so how hard could other recipes really be?

I start this tale at the grocery store, where the meal preparation truly begins. Luckily I’m a stud in the produce department (thank you for honing my fruit fondling skills, Mom!) but when I arrive in the normal aisles, I’m ridiculously befuddled. Why is there an entire aisle of cheese and not a smidgeon of it familiar? What kind of meat is the kind labeled “meat”? What do you mean I have to weigh my own fruit or risk angering an entire checkout line of impatient Czechs? Why is there so much Nutella out to tempt us recovering addicts? And perhaps most importantly – where the hell is the toilet paper?! I get to the checkout line only to discover yet another confusion. No bags?! But no, that can’t be right; I know my rights, I deserve my paper or plastic! But alas, grocery stores here charge per bag, so the majority of people simply stuff their groceries into giant backpacks or duffel bags.

As long as I’ve weighed my fruit properly, the remainder of the grocery experience is rather calm. My items are rung up, I pay, I pack my groceries in the plastic bags I’ve learned to always carry with me, and as I turn to go, the checkout lady looks me straight in the eyes and barks “Nashledanou!” I freeze in place and run through the transaction in my head – I don’t think I forgot anything, so why is she yelling at me? I smile timidly back, my hands spread in a helpless “what did I do?!” gesture. She glares even more intently at me and repeats: “Nashledanou!” Why do I not speak Czech, what is she saying, am I in trouble, will she call the police, will I grow old and decrepit in a crumbling Czech prison til I waste away and DIE?! I end up lowering my head and stepping away, and when she suddenly redirects her attention to the next person in line, I bolt. I’m all the way back at my dorm, my heart beating at 300mph from the sprint, when it dawns on me. “Nashledanou” is the formal Czech word for “goodbye.” Whoops!

The cooking that ensues is a bore so I won’t go into it, but let me take this moment to proclaim to one and all that yours truly is defying all odds and slowly but surely learning to COOK! So far all I can make is eggs, chicken, and pasta, but I’ve also got a handle on Ramen noodles and a mean peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich. I don’t usually like to brag but, well… I’m kind of a cooking stud.

When I’m not suffering the trials and tribulations of cooking, I’m usually exercising my young mind at class. As I already earned 3 credits from the two week intensive Czech language course, I’m only taking four classes right now: Contemporary Czech Literature, Forensic Psychology, Reading Prague (a class that’s part history, part literature), and by far the most snore-inducing of them all: Romanticism and National Identity in Central Europe. My favorite is probably “Reading Prague” because a) even though it’s a 3 hour class, we only spend the first 90 minutes in lecture; the second half we venture out into the city to look at important architectural and historical sites, and b) because the teacher is full of the random facts that I love. For example, did you know that the King Charles for whom practically everything in this city is named was an avid collector of religious relics INCLUDING – I kid you not – Mary Magdalene’s left boob?!

Next on my list is probably “Contemporary Czech Literature,” but that’s only because the teacher is absolutely precious. She’s an older British woman with a blatant dorky side that she totally embraces, and she’s even got the adorable name to match: Bernie Higgins. Now doesn’t that just sound like a huggable, loveable character? I wish I could get away with calling her “Aunt Bernie,” but unfortunately she might find that just a bit too fast, too soon.

“Forensic Psychology” is an intriguing subject, but three hours of straight lecture with a teacher with a soft, lulling voice who says “umm” more often than real words would strain even the most dedicated student’s interest. At least it’s better than “Romanticism,” a course so abysmal it almost defies description. The class is a mix of philosophy and directionless ponderings interspersed with one student’s insistent and long-winded contributions. Sounds like a real winner, huh? All in all, this semester looks like it’ll be far easier than most – not because there’s a significant change in amount of coursework, but rather because I have so much more free time here! At school I’m always go-go-going rehearsing for one show or another, busy beyond imagination but loving every second of it. Here, every evening is completely, 100% free, and oddly enough, it just makes me miss being busy; I really miss doing shows! I don’t know if anyone from PEMCo or FTT is reading this (I don’t actually know if anyone PERIOD is reading this) but I miss you guys. :)

Luckily, excessive free time is a problem easily remedied. I absolutely love living in a huge city like Prague because there’s just always something to DO. The clubbing scene is incredible, and I’ve still only tested a handful of Prague’s dance clubs. What I love most, though, are the world-class (but still cheap!) cultural offerings. I told you about my experience at the Philharmonic Orchestra and in a couple weeks I’ll be seeing an opera, too, but what has absolutely blown me away beyond reckoning is the ballet scene. Last week I went with AIFS to see “Romeo and Juliet” and WOW. I knew Eastern Europe was famous for its ballet – Russia is, at least—but I still wasn’t prepared for just how incredible the performance would be. This show had entirely original choreography, more West Side Story than traditional, classical ballet. It took the story and transported it to the 1940s complete with guns and cars, altering the story here and there but still creating a work as much a masterpieces as the original Shakespeare play. From the moment the curtain opened to the moment Juliet died in her beloved Romeo’s embrace, finally in death able to make the connection forbidden in life, I was riveted. I wish I could capture the absolute beauty of the work in words, but I know nothing I say can do it justice. All I’ll say is that the talent and passion I witnessed here passed magnificence and approached magic – it ranked up there with “Othello” (by the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago) and “Dracula” (by the Milwaukee Ballet) as one of the best balletic performances I’ve ever witnessed.

While “Romeo and Juliet” was incredibly modernized, the next ballet I saw – “Swan Lake” - was classical through and through. It wasn’t nearly so emotionally compelling but it was still technically impeccable. One dancer in particular stuck out above the rest – he played the court jester and he reminded me so much of Calvin Kitten from the Joffrey Ballet. His jumps reached mind-blowing heights but looked utterly effortless, plus his fouette solo was one of the longest and most impressive I’ve seen. The ballerina dancing Odette/Odile also blew me away not only because she was able to embody swan-like characteristics without compromising her perfect form, but also because her anguish in the closing act was so sincere and touching. I think that finally enough time has passed since my days of ballet that I can truly appreciate the art without being jealous it’s not me up there on stage, and that makes the shows all the more incredible. I’m so blessed to be here!