Prague Journal

Monday, September 6, 2004.

In the U.S., today is Labor Day. Here it is a regular work day, so I was able to go to the post office and get stamps and stop in a few stores to check out wares and inquire about computer printers, adapter plugs and cell phones.
Rick and I stopped at the fruitery at Hanspaulka and bought a few peaches, nectarines, apples, and broccoli. Typical vegetables available at most grocery stores are leeks, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, red and green peppers, and, of course, cabbage. The frozen vegetable options in most stores are limited to peas and carrots, Brussels sprouts, onions, and cauliflower. There are now some fancier packages of beans and “American” mixed vegetables, all fairly expensive, even by US standards. Rick wants to buy chocolate, but the offerings here are pricey and low quality, mostly with flavorings or fillings.
Our apartment suits us, but there are some conveniences that we miss. Without a disposal, brewing tea becomes messy, so even though bulk tea is much cheaper than bags, we are resorting to bagged tea to avoid the hassle of putting tea leaves in the trashcan. A dishwasher would be nice, but we really don’t have enough dishes to make a full load, and with only the two of us cleanup is easy. I do miss a shower. Our bathtub is situated such that standing up is difficult. Fortunately, we brought our own bath towels, since the only towels I’ve seen here are small and thin. Hand towels here look like what I’d call a dish towel. We don’t have much closet or drawer space, but we didn’t bring enough clothes for that to be a problem. On the other hand, we do have a microwave oven and hot-water pot this time.
I desperately need a haircut, but am sitting by the phone waiting for a callback from Český Telecom for our broadband service. The only call was from Hana Rambouskova, the Program Coordinator at the Fulbright office – a friendly and helpful voice. She’ll send me the itinerary for the orientation next week, since I haven’t been able to download my e-mail. I spoke with Miloš Frieb, the Fulbright financial officer, who will help us open a bank account. My first check should be ready at the orientation next week.
The Women in Business networking group now meets at Mlýnec, a fancy terrace restaurant overlooking the Vltava, just below the Charles Bridge. The bridge seems teeming with British tourists. But the merchants on the bridge – judging by their wares – are mostly unchanged from seven years ago. The WIB group was small, about 20 women. It was nice to see Karin and to meet some new people. It’s a more international group now, with several Czechs as well as Americans, Croats, Asians and Europeans. The expat community is never stable, so many of my “old” friends have moved away; some left just this summer, others are in the process of leaving now.

posted by JWinn @ 7:35 PM