Prague Journal

Monday, January 31, 2005.

Today was another frustrating day without email. I resent being subject to the whims of computer systems, yet it is an unavoidable condition of modern life because we are so dependent on technology for so many things. Fortunately, Rick's account is working so I sent distress messages to all the IT folks I could think of. I have yet to get a single response. This is very frustrating, and, frankly, surprising, since the IT folks at DU usually respond quickly and efficiently to such requests. All in all, this is not a pleasant way to start the week. The weather today isn't helping my already-bad mood: cold and dreary in the morning, heavy snow turning to light hail in the afternoon, and rainy and a bit warmer in the evening. My main errands this afternoon were getting money from the bank and finalizing our plane tickets for Israel at the travel agency. Since I’m without e-mail, it’s fortunate that I have a mobile phone to call or send messages to confirm plans for today.
I met Marketa for lunch at Albio, the natural foods restaurant near Republic Square. It was nice to see her and chat before she and Howard leave for their trip to South Africa on Thursday. After lunch, I went to Ami’s restaurant near National Square to have tea with Eunice. She’s been back from the US for two weeks, but this is the first chance we’ve had to see each other this year. It was nice to see Ami too!
In close order drill, I headed back to Republic Square to go to the Czech class at Irena’s flat. This evening there were seven of us, four regulars (young Richard, Mike, and Rick and me), “Big Ed” who was a regular in the fall class, Lucia from Croatia, who had come with Mike on several previous occasions but whom I had not met, and Linda from Minnesota, a newcomer to the group who has been in Prague for three years teaching Bible Studies. We’re studying pronouns, so even those who have been in the class since the fall were struggling. Czech has seven cases for nouns and adjectives, not counting plurals, and pronouns change depending not just upon the case but also the preceding preposition. So, in English whether we say “I see you” or “I look at you,” the object pronoun “you” doesn’t change; in Czech they say Vidím tĕ (or, for formal “you,” Vidím vas) or Divam se na tebe (or Divam se na vas) because “you” changes if it’s preceded by a preposition. “I see you” is “Ja vidim tĕ;” “You see me” is “Ty vidiš mĕ.” There are also four genders. But already I’ve explained more than anyone outside of the Czech Republic would want to know.

posted by JWinn @ 9:52 PM