Prague Journal

Tuesday, September 14, 2004.

Today’s Fulbright activities consisted of introductions (of grantees and Fulbright office personnel), information about the Fulbright program and scheduled activities this year, banking and internet issues, and some logistical information about Prague and the Czech Republic. Of the “scholars,” there are twelve of us this academic year (with one exception, on 3-4 month grants), six here now and six others who will come in February for the spring semester. Most are teachers; I am the only scholar here on a research grant. There are two others, Fulbright-Hays scholars, who are doing dissertation research. There are also four high school teachers on exchange programs, and eight students (mostly recent baccalaureate graduates) all of whom are engaged in research projects here for the full academic year. Rick is one of five or six “accompanying spouses.”
The morning’s activities consisted mostly of filling out forms and updating information, and short information lectures from the Fulbright Commission staff. After a nice lunch, we were put in small groups with Fulbright alumni for Q &A and “orienting” around the area for a more in-depth understanding of such things as pharmacies vs drug stores, pubs, restaurants and sweet-shops (dessert & coffee houses), laundry and dry cleaning services, and (at our request) information about cell phone options. The latter became an expedition to a store that sold several different models, which filled in some of the questions I had had during previous inquiries, mostly concerning the different companies’ rates, plans, and SIMM chip (pre-paid internal cards) compatibility. Phones are expensive here – as are most things not made in the Czech Republic – and all plans (including land lines) have varying (per-minute) charges depending on the time of day and the receiver of the call. The benefit of the mobile phones – and their most common use – is for instant-messaging (“SMS”) which is cheap and convenient. None of the phones here is compatible with the US cell system (these are all satellite based) and most people buy the SIMM chips rather than commit to a monthly fixed-usage contract.
In the mail today was an invoice from Dell, complete with official stamp and signature, accompanied by the invoice that I had signed at their office, verifying my purchase of the AC outlet cord that I had purchased last week!

posted by JWinn @ 7:45 PM