Prague Journal

Monday, October 11, 2004.

Eva’s office at the University of Economics is about the size of mine at DU. The biggest difference is that she shares the office with two others. Like most faculty offices, there is a sink and a hot-pot and cups to make tea or instant coffee. The faculty offices are along a different hall from the classrooms. Faculty bathrooms are locked; only faculty and staff have keys.
The classrooms in her building remind me of the old business building at DU (pre-renovation Sturm Hall), with long rows of tables and standard chairs. All classrooms have overhead projectors, however there are two digital projectors available for those who wish to use computers (which are also available for check-out). Most classrooms have black chalk boards, some have whiteboards. It’s common to have coat-hooks along the back of the room.
I don’t think I stand out as a foreigner when I toot around town. I am occasionally asked for directions. The ticket-police in the metro stations usually ignore me. But it is a bit disconcerting when I order cheeses or salads at the deli at the supermarket in the best Czech I know, to be answered in English or, worse, to have the entire transaction conducted in Czech and then to be told, in perfect English, “Thank you and goodbye.” or “Thank you and have a nice day.”
Today’s shopping expedition allowed us to have several types of pickled-herring salads with dinner. Nevertheless, I dislike grocery shopping here every bit as much as I dislike grocery shopping in the US. I seem to go when aisles are crowded and checkout lines are long. There is no one to bag groceries for you, so you need to get used to putting things in bags quickly while fumbling for cash or credit card. Since this is a walking culture, carrying bags of groceries – or flowers or easels or chairs or tools or instruments – is the norm.
This evening we went to see the Czech film "Horem Padem," which is billed in English as "Up and Down," but is probably better translated as "Topsy Turvy." The Prague Post describes it as “intertwining tales of a woman who buys a baby on the black market, her xenophobic hooligan husband, and a couple who broke up years ago but never divorced.” We found it to reveal interesting views of Czech culture and attitudes.

posted by JWinn @ 7:29 PM