Reflections

The wind was relentlessly whipping across our faces as we descended down the knoll and stepped over the small creek that twisted in between the pine trees. Jamie and I were told that this was a forest, but it looked more like an American tree farm than an actual living, breathing habitat of foliage, animals, regeneration and decay. Everything was in lines and you could walk between the trees like a row of corn. There were no animals on the ground. It was desolate and brown; the winter winds had killed off any under growth, if any had ever existed at all.

It is sad riding a train across the Czech countryside and gazing out at the rolling hills. One notices that most have no trees and if they have trees, they are the tall, spindly pines that grow about 50,000 feet in a year; Czechs harvest and sell them for lumber without having to wait decades to turn a profit. This land is aged and people have settled here for thousands of years. Historically, Slavs were farmers and the continuous cycle of plowing, tilling, cutting and planting has really left an impression on the environment.

Many years ago, the Czech Republic was covered by deciduous forests, where trees like oaks, maples and birches would reign supreme. Their decomposed leaves leaving bedding full of vitamins and nutrients for future growth and renewal. In the fall, I could imagine that the hills would turn into a panorama of red, orange and yellow, as if a painter lightly tapped his brush against a canvas creating miniscule paint blotches. I'm sure that it was beautiful.

Today, it is green. When hiking, one can sometimes see amongst the rows of skinny trunks a behemoth with a twisted torso and gyrating arms that look like the snakes that make up medusa's hair: one goes left, the other corkscrews right, one is pointing up and one is contorted in utter confusion. When it rains, the pine trees never look wet; their bark seems to soak up the water. But, the bark of a deciduous tree turns black and slick; it looks like oil amongst the pines. It is eerie, almost scary. I can't help but admire the longevity of the deciduous tree. It is surrounded on all sides by uniformity and likeness, and here it stands, a link to the past, a dying relic and the only color in the fall.

So, on the train I feel a sense of loss as I gaze at the pine trees.The Czech country side is wonderful, but I think that it is stunning because of the hills, farms and small villages, not for the wildlife. However, this is Europe and this is the place where people have treaded for hundreds, thousands of years.

Christmas is here and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. I know that I keep on repeating it, but really, it is shocking. We have been in Europe for almost six months!

In the past six months I have been pulled and prodded; I have seen extreme highs and apathetic lows; I have criticized, appreciated, misunderstood and received clarity. I guess that this is what is called life. I know that this experience living in a different culture, learning a new language and formulating relationships will teach me a lot about maturity, but I hope that it also teaches me about myself.

I still believe that everyone, at some point in their life, should live in a new culture and see the world through the eyes of people completely separated from their own worldview and history. It is so challenging, but it brings heaps of perspective; I can't help but feel that people are cheated if they don't take this step. I know that resources and time have a lot to do with the fact that many people do not travel, but a hidden arrogance might also be at play.

I am amazed at how many times I speak with Czechs and realize my own ignorance and also my own egotism as an American. I guess this might sound kind of funny, but the stereotypes about American personalities can be true, to an extent. When Czechs talk about their history or about their cars or about really anything 'Czech', I had this idea of, "oh, that is so cute." Maybe, "oh that is so cute," is not the best way to think about a nation of people. I mean, they might be a small nation of people, but not everything they do is so, little. The roads are smaller, the cars are smaller, the heating systems in the houses are not as large or as warm, their sports crowds are smaller, their stadiums are smaller, their television options are smaller, their cookies are smaller, the people are smaller....you get the picture? I do think to an extent I was letting my preconceived notions cloud my perceptions about the history, the culture and even the people.

Jamie and I can learn so much from the Czech Republic, we just have to let our eyes be opened. I think that both Jamie and I have to accept some of the cultural differences as our own: we have to be people who are both American and both Czech. If we are too focused on home or in comparison and contrasting, then we might miss the beauty of uniqueness. I can't focus on "this in relation to that." I have to focus on "this" (cultural entity) and appreciate it for what it is. I guess I would advise people to be leery about the tendency in all of us to question whether another culture can teach us anything more about ourselves; they can and they most often will, one just has to let go a little bit so the teaching can commence!

I feel very jumbled, there is so much to say, but I am really struggling with how to express it.

I've begun to realize the difference between traveling for a few months and living in a place for an extended period of time. I mentioned in an earlier post (maybe November) that everyone goes through a cycle when they travel: the first month is WOW; the third month is WOW/TIRED; the fifth month is, CRITICAL/SICK OF EVERTYHING. I often find myself in the "critical/sick of things" stage of my cultural journey. This is not to say that my time in the Czech Republic has been ruined by such a mindset. To the contrary, I am glad that I am having these bouts of overt criticism of the Czech people, as I think it keeps me honest and not too nostalgic about my host culture. For example, I don't like the fact that Czech people really struggle to take responsibility for tasks, or that they can be cold on the street and unwilling to engage in conversations with strangers. I also don't like the fact that people get right up on your butt in line, as if they want to take your spot, even though you have been standing there for 20 minutes!!!! I digress...

One night Jan and I were in the car together and I was explaining to him that I get more and more frustrated when Czechs speak about Americans and American culture. I feel that many of them just vent their frustrations about commercialized, exported culture and about Bush, which they then make the mistake of thinking that ALL Americans support. Jan told me, that he could tell that I had now entered into the criticism stage of cultural immersion and that it was officially my problem, not the people of the Czech Republic.He is right. Because I only understand certain aspects of Czech conversation, I make up the rest. What might seem like a very critical conversation about Americans might end up being a conversation about American film and the mass production of it.

So, I have begun to contort the discussion to fit into my own mentality, which is not so healthy to do. However, it does not mean that many of my complaints are wrong or misplaced. What it does mean, is that I have to wrestle with how to appropriately handle myself in a culture that is not mine, but that is not completely separate from who I am. The longer I live here, the more Czech I become; but at heart, I am still an American by blood, by memory and by habit. When someone insults the United States, I can't get offended and try to explain to them about the diversity of the country. They don't care. I can't change their ideas. I am not on a mission to change peoples' preconceived notions about the big, bully nation in North America.

I know that many of you might be thinking that this makes no sense, and it very well might make no sense to any of you, but just know that the more you stay in a place, the tougher it gets to place a finger on the people who live there. Maybe this could go a long way to international understanding. Think, only if rich whites would move into the inner city, then maybe we wouldn't label them as all lazy and derelict; or, if we middle class workers went and lived with the rich, then maybe we wouldn't believe them to be all greedy; and if we Christians went and lived in a nation of Muslims, then maybe we wouldn't believe them to be all blood-thirsty terrorists; or maybe if some people would travel to the United States, then they would see that not all Americans are fat, ignorant and rich. It is their choice however, not mine. It starts at an individual level.

So, I can rail against the Czech people all I want, but really, I am loving them. I love them for how they challenge me, who they are making me into and how they take easy answers and twist them like a pretzel. Through my Czech friends and students, I am able to see the world through a different perspective and it is this experience that laughs at ignorance and egotism. I need them in a way, because what would be exciting about life if all our senses were clouded with the mundane and the usual?

I urge everyone, to please step outside of your comfort zone, experience something new and judge it after. But, remember that you can not separate yourself from your life and you can't separate your life from your experience.

Christmas:

Czechs are not showy people, so in town, there are very few christmas lights or gaudy decorations of plastic Santa’s climbing chimneys, or gargantuan size snowflakes hanging over the road. It might seem like a bad thing to Jamie and me, as we are used to a very bright, sparkly Christmas season, but it has been quite refreshing. There are so many differences with the holiday season, that I would feel it best to just list them out:

* Czechs do not decorate the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. Many families still put wax candles on the tree to make it "twinkle." Jamie and I will not do this, because I am sure we would burn our apartment building to the ground.

* For dinner, the Czechs eat carp and potato salad. For the past week, there have been men in town selling the fish out of a huge steel cylinder. They grab the fish with the net and then plop them down on a table that has rubber on it, so the fish don't slide around. Families then can chose which fish they want to eat for dinner. Once the choice is made, the family can either opt to kill the fish there or take it home and put it into the bath tub until death calls. Putting it into the bath tub is the best, because the kids can play with it and watch it swim around. The Dus family has their fishy in the tub right now and it is pretty big. Carp are ugly fish, but they have cute faces. I can't help but feel sad for the fish; they really are helpless out of water.

* Czechs open their gifts on Christmas Eve, not Christmas day.* Children write letters not to Santa, but to "baby Jesus." More on this at a later date....

*Czech women make sweets all week in preparation for the big meal. Usually the sweets consist of ginger bread, cookies with jam in the middle, coconut cookies and little vanilka rohlicky, or vanilla rolls.

* Czechs have a "mini" fast on Christmas Eve. Supposedly, they are able to see the 'golden pig' if they do not eat any food before dinner. I have no idea what this is about, but I will try to get more on it later.

* Many Czech families go to "midnight mass," even though they are not Christian.

* Czechs really enjoy "Christmas events" like nativity scenes, caroling, workshops, etc.

* That’s about it for now....

Sadly, it does not look like there will be any snow for Christmas, which is disappointing. The winter this year has been really mild; we have had only one real snowfall all year....

living nativity

Last night we had a live nativity scene and caroling on the steps of the church. It was a chilly night, but I think that everyone who came had an enjoyable time! It was nice to see that people from the community came out to see this event, but it was a little strange that they did not join in the singing, since they probably knew the songs. Regardless, it was a wonderful night of fellowship with the members of the church.

Vánoce strom! (Christmas tree!)

Yesterday Jeremy and I went with our friends Vera and Karel to find a Christmas tree. The own a piece of land where they grow trees and offered to take us to get our Christmas tree with them, which was very nice. We walked thought a the little trees and found one that was next to a much bigger one and would surely die within the year due to competion. I'm not sure Jeremy was quite as excited as me, but we have our first Christmas tree! Earlier in the month we decorated our giant catus in the hallway of our appartment building, which is strange for most Czechs. Who would decorate a cactus?! So as you can see, we both: a Christmas tree and Christmas Cactus :)

Natalie in Policka!

I feel that since our move from PA to Policka Jeremy and I have been very blessed in the number of visitors we have had. Our first being our friend Dave, whom we went to college with and was studying a semester at Oxford. Kyle, whom we met in Amsterdam, and Abe, Kyle's, where the second. And last but not least, another friend from college, Natalie, who just finished a semester studying in Russia.

So on December 14th we picked Natalie up in Prague and brought her back to Policka. There has been so much happening lately, and it was so nice to have a visitor who understands living in a culture that is completely different. The 3 hour train ride to Policka was great, we talked about her time in Russia, our classes, how we help with the church, and bonded over the difficulties with learning a slavic language.

On Monday we took Natalie around Policka and then went by bus to Litomysl, a larger nearby town. I feel like this is a good time to explain the pictures I posted. The first is in Prague and the other two are in Litomysl. I wanted Natalie to see the castle, and there are some other fun things to take pictures by: a very large chain and a pool that has 5 naked scuptures around it (4 women and one man). The chair was already being used for a photo shoot, so we went to pose by the naked people. I think the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Anyway, after hanging out in Litomysl, we went to have dinner with our friend Magda and her two girls Klara and Bara. It was an enjoyable night, full of good conversation and laughter. The next morning Natalie was on her way back to Prague.

We understand that it is difficult for people to come see us, mainly because of the cost of the ticket, but please know that we are thankful and appreciate every e-mail, letter, card and package we have recieved. Thank you for all your warm thoughts and prayers. Hopefully you will be able to have a good picture of what is it like here through our blog.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

wow, our faces are HUGE!




The second installment of 'Filmovy vecer'--film night--went on without a hitch. After the resounding success of my first movie night, I knew that I had to pick a film that was a quality match in all categories, from cinematography, to acting, to story line. I feel that I did an ample job in meeting my criteria, when I chose to show What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. The dialogue of this movie is very spare and I knew that it would be manageable for the Czech audience to understand just by listening. In complete contrast to the first, this film is a slow moving, beautifully written story about the meaning of love and human altruism. It takes place in Iowa and the characters are a canvas of mid-western personalities; it is humble, unassuming, kind and not showy. In a strange way, it is much like the Czech people themselves, but that is for another time.

I really had no idea what size of a crowd I would receive; I was hoping for 20, like the first time, but knew that it would be much less. I was really worried that no one would come at all. Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw 10 people sitting in their chairs waiting for the show to start: it was half as much as the first time, but a respectable number nonetheless. The movie began at 7:15 and ended at 9:10, which made me nervous for the last 20 minutes, as I had promised the crowd that we would be out of the room by 9. Every time I heard an exhalation of air or a rustle in the seat behind me, I took it as displeasure and frustration; it was not a fun feeling. When the movie finally ended, I turned on the lights and apologized immediately for the tardiness of my program. But, when I looked at the crowd, I noticed that three people were crying and none of them seemed to mind that it was ten minutes past their expected departure. I gave a very brief closing remark and then told them good night, and as they left, many described the film as "beautiful" and "touching." Needless to say, I was happy with their reaction: 2 movies; 2 positive reviews!

Many of the adults at the movie were not members of the church. I can't explain how important it is that they are coming to this building and staying late into the night. This is our mission here: to show the community that Christians and the Church are places of art, of music, of relevant conversation, of care and of camaraderie.

This week I am having mini Christmas parties with the adult classes. I asked them to bring in some sweets that they bake during the holiday season, and many of them did. I ate so many sweet cookies that I did feel sick afterwards; but, it was worth it. I baked some peanut butter cookies and gave them to the class; they were very new for the Czech adults. Some didn't like the taste all that much, but the salty/sweet combination was a big hit with others. I was pleased.

If you are struggling to figure out what to get Jamie and I for Christmas, then let me help you: A monetary donation to this ministry would be great for us! But, if you want to give something more personal, a good letter of encouragement will go a long way! Check out the addresses and information on how to send donations and letters on the right side of this blog.

Updates

It has been about two weeks since Jamie and I have really posted some updates; A lot has happened and there has been much on our minds.

On December 5th the Czechs celebrate a holiday known as St. Nicholas Day. Now, I know that many Americans have "heard" of the celebration before, but very few of us actually celebrate it. The Czechs have a very unique, and at times, very frightening way of immortalizing the good, ole' Mr. Nicholas.
To begin, people in groups of three dress up as either St. Nicholas, an angel or a devil. As you could imagine, a majority of kids and adults WANT to be the devil (cert). Many times the costumes themselves can be quite elaborate with the devil taking the prize for the most creative.

With the Angels, you normally have the stock wings, white gowns and gold, glittery halos. Maybe a face painted white is a good touch, but all in all, the angel looks pretty typical. Oh, the angles are normally the women.

St. Nicholas has the outfit of an old catholic bishop: they have the pointed hat, the robes and numerous crosses affixed to their outfit. Additionally, a good beard is always necessary__preferably white. St. Nicholas has a few "accessories" that make his costume special: he carries a staff, which signifies importance and prestige and in the other hand he totes a gargantuan book. Now, the book itself supposedly has notes on all the children, whether they have been good or bad. If a child is bad, St. Nicholas will leave either coal or potatoes; sometimes, if the little one is a real terror, they get both. And, if a child is well-behaved Nicholas will bestow upon them sweets, fruits and nuts. But, more on that part a little bit later.

Now comes the devil. A good devil always has a chain, bell and a sack, which they constantly shake and make a racket with. The bell signifies the ominous, lurking presence of evil and the chain, well I don't know about the chain, maybe it is the physical manifestation of the bondage that the devil will put a bad child in?! The Sack is used to scoop up the naughty kids and bind them up, so they can be taken to hell. Yeah, a little bit scary for children, huh? Sure enough, in my adult classes, I asked them to give me some memories they have of this holiday and all of their recollections were similar: terror, intimidating devils, snow. It also doesn't help the situation, when the devils themselves are very showy in their costuming: animal furs, very black faces, horns, masks, burly voices, shaking bells, weird wagons with little ponies (seriously), and piercing eyes.

Parents of the children usually ask their friends to dress up and come to their house to give their children a good fright. Often times the parents tell St. Nicholas, beforehand, the bad things and good things that their kids have done, which again, makes this holiday seem all the more real, as St. Nicholas can recite TRUE events and actions that the child has made throughout the year. The devil is there too, shaking his bell, rattling his chain and threatening to take the kid to a fiery death. And, the loving Angel is encouraging the boy and yelling at the devil. It all makes for an interesting scene. You can hear the devils going around town, as the bells are clanged and the chains are shaken throughout early evening. The children all seem to have a look of alertness and terror on their faces.

Jamie and I were really excited to see this holiday, but sadly, we only saw the very beginning and the tail end. We saw some devils, but mainly our experience was the sound of the devils' bells. It seemed that many people came out to see those who dressed up, but did not actually dress up themselves. I guess that, in my mind, I had Halloween pictured, where everyone is out and in a costume, but here, it was not the case. It was a little bit disappointing, but I know that next year I will stay outside for the whole holiday. Maybe I will even dress up!?


The band had their second pokec of the year and it was by far their finest act. In fact, Jan gave them great encouragement when he told them that it was the best one he has ever seen! I was very happy for the band; they have been working hard and they needed a great showing. They sounded great and Honza and Madla played a couple of songs on their own, which were the highlights of the show. Our guest was Stepan Plecharchik, who works at the local Charity organisation that specializes in caring for and educating people with mental and physical handicaps. He gave and excellent talk and answered many questions. The only downside to the night, was that our crowd was really small. We have been advertising all over town and in the schools and we still only managed to attract 13 people and most of them were family. Jamie and I need to figure out how to get people into this building and to make our ideas more creative; it is frustrating.

The Christmas season is approaching and we have a lot going on in the church. In fact, Jamie and I will be acting in the Christmas play, where we have to sing and speak in Czech in front of the whole congregation. Yeah, it might be a little bit challenging. We will also sing carols on the steps of the church and have a "live" nativity scene. It should be a lot of fun.

These past few weeks have been quite difficult for both Jamie and I. Personally, I need some time away from Policka and the church. I need to energize. We have been thinking about the winter and spring and we have many great/exciting ideas; however, we just need to figure out how to get the word out in the community. In the end, I don't want our events and our program to be relegated to just the church members; we need to get it out and invite people of all backgrounds. I think these two weeks off will be a great time for relaxation and self-evaluation.

In case you are wondering, here are some ideas that we have been tossing around:

Mardi Gras Party
Presentation on American culture (race)
"pollywood" party
80's fitness/dance party
5k Fun run in Policka
Dodge ball tournament
1st Policka Disc golf classic
Movie nights
Spring cleaning (community cleaning event)

-so we have ideas and we both think that they are creative. Now, we just need guidance and prayer to get them out beyond the church walls and have people come. If you would love to help us prepare for these events, please comment on this post and leave your email. We will need supplies.

Jamie and I are thinking about our vacation during Christmas and we have three choices: a cottage in the mountains, Prague or Vienna. I think that we would like to do all three, but we will have to decide soon. Just thought you might like to know....

Paintings

going to the ball!

I really don't know how to dance. I remember being in junior high and seeing a few of my classmates make a large circle and then proceed to dance in the middle of it for everyone to see. Kids were clapping, shouting and yelling encouragments and sexually explicit remarks to those students who were girating their prepubescent hips and contorting their bodies into awkward, mock sex positions. All of this happened in the center of the circle, the stage, the show. There was no way I would willingly go towards the center, but I was very comfortable and often intrigued watching this spectacle from the outside. A few times I had the unfortunate experience of being chosen to enter into the vortex, but I slyly side-stepped back into the mass of kids standing on the periphery and made off towards the cafeteria where I could find my wall-flower pals and pop. Honestly, in high school, it wasn't any different for me: there was a circle and an overflow of oft-misplaced sexuality. I mean, no one actually 'danced.' My Grandma used to lament, "that no young kids know dances these days. All they do is hump each other and bee-bop."

Well Grandma, come to the Czech Republic. Kids here know how to dance. In fact, they even take classes in dancing: cha-cha, waltz, polka, blues, jive, samba, tango. This Friday, Jamie and I were invited to take part. Hearkening back to my junior high days, I figured this would be a social event, not serious dancing. Turns out, it was serious dancing. The guys were all dressed in suits and they were all sporting a pair of immaculate white gloves. WHITE GLOVES!? Who would have thought? Upon entering the theater I was blown away by the amount of YOUNG people dancing the waltz, which then quickly changed into the polka. Seventeen, eighteen year old girls and boys dancing the polka....the polka. My friend Honza, who I went hiking with (previous post), immediately grabbed Jamie by the arms and took her down to the dance floor, where they twirled and stepped around the whole stage, like two toy dolls spinning in a music box. I was amazed; he was good, really good. Jamie was great to; considering she had never danced the polka or the waltz before.

After about a half and hour, a few of my Czech friends were asking if I was ready to go dance, but I informed that I was an atrocious dancer. They didn't seem to believe me and egged me on anyway. Czechs have a funny way of thinking that anyone can dance if just given the chance, but I was obviously an exception. I was terrible, truthfully. I felt bad dancing, because many of them have fun when they can dance properly, but if they were with me, they would struggle to move, as I got my feet all tangled and I was confused as to where my hands should go. Our friend Madla tried to teach me, but I was a miserable student. Only when people started staring at me from the balcony did I really want to quit; however, I did have fun giving it a try.

Jamie was dancing for most of the night. I was really happy to see her open up and let loose, because she is so shy when speaking Czech, and for one night, it was me who was the shy one, hesitant, unsure and a little bit embarrassed.

Friday was also the first night where I began to take a sense of pride in the new friends that Jamie and I are making. Vividly, I remember standing above the stage amongst a row of empty tables and I saw about five of my close Czech friends walk past. They were all together and they were walking up towards the balcony. I remember feeling a sense of relief, because I knew, in that group, were people who cared about Jamie and I and who are willing to patiently listen to our basic Czech. They have been to our apartment, had dinner with us and met our friends. It is a very nice feeling to know that finally, Jamie and I are developing a group that we can call our own.

The climax of the night occurred during the dance competition, when Honza was chosen as one of the best dancers. He was called up on stage and given a number; they chose eight couples. He was number four. A literal "dance-off" then ensued where each couple had to dance four styles chosen by the judges. After each round, the couples would line up in the middle of the floor and receive their score. Repeatedly, he scored a "1". Jamie and I had no idea what that meant: was it good, or was it the worst? It ended up being the best, because Honza was announced as the winner. I watched him descend the stairs and was very happy for him. His face was aglow with pride, but more importantly, for Jamie and I, we were cheering, because we knew him . We know his mother, we've spoken to him about his dreams and we listen to his music. He is our friend, not just an acquaintance and it felt great to have somebody to cheer for.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving: what does it mean? What are you thankful for? These are questions that I asked my older students this week. Most answered "giving thanks" or "saying thank you", and told me that they are thankful for their computer, mobile phone, pets, family and friends. I told them that the holiday is important in the US, and that more people travel to see family and friends on Thanksgiving than on Christmas. This was surprising to them, and I tried to explain that the entire celebration revolves around being thankful for what you have; the most important being family. This got me thinking about past thanksgivings with my family, and how much I would miss small things like arm-wrestling tournaments, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, the smell of thanksgiving, and seeing all my relatives on one day.

Today is Thanksgiving and Jeremy and I had our own little Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, crescent rolls, and pomegranate (no cranberries). It was good, and even had the smell of thanksgiving, but it still wasn't the same. It was just the two of us and our families were far away (about 4,325 miles) and all we could do was reminisce about past thanksgivings. However, sitting there, just the two of us, made me super thankful to have Jeremy with me, because without him, living in Polička would be much more difficult. There are still times that we get lonely, even though we have one another, but it would probably be much worse with out each other. I can not imagine living in a foreign country by myself. I am also thankful for this experience, because it is teaching us a lot. Everyday there is something new to learn, be it Czech words or how to be more patient or when to discipline. But I am most thankful for our families and friends for supporting us during our time here. It is nice to know that people are praying and thinking about us. Each time we get something in the mail it is really exciting because it is from home. I hope everyone back home is having an enjoyable Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.

Shopping day in Brno

Saturday morning me and three girls from the church hopped on a train and headed to Brno for a day of shopping. This was going to be my first time in Brno, which is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, and I had heard many good things. The train ride wasn't long, and it was a nice way to see the countryside, which is now covered in snow. Once arriving in Brno the girls led me to where they wanted to go shopping: the mall.

I was surprised that they wanted to go to the mall, because I had heard that the main square was really nice and there where tons of shops that had everything from Czech lace and glass to toasters and turtle-neck sweaters. However, I had also heard from the older girls in my English classes that Brno was the place to shop for cloths and the mall was the best spot.

Upon entering the mall I completely forgot I was in the Czech Republic. Sure, the people around me were speaking Czech, but my eyes where convinced I was back in the states. The first store we went into was the New Yorker and every sign was in English, American music was playing in the background, and there was an entire section where you could buy a t-shirt with English plastered all over it. I was hoping this would be the only store like it, but to my disappointment every store we went to had something from English culture, be it the clothing, music, or the language painted on random things. There was only one store that we went into that I feel was Czech. It was a outdoor store called Rejoice, which is a Czech company that has been around since the 1998.

I hate to make generalizations, but after my experience in Brno I feel confident in saying that a mall is a mall, regardless if you are in Erie (Pennsylvania), Washington (DC), Toronto (Ontario), Nairobi (Kenya) or Brno (Czech Republic). I have been to all these places and found the same thing every time. It saddens me that American pop culture is being exported all over the world, seeing that most of it is garbage, however it angers me when people complain about it, because as a country it is their choice to import it. Do I laugh every time I see a hip-hopper in Policka? Of course, because I know they have no idea what culture they are imitating, therefore not being critical of it.

On a more positive note, I did have a lot fun in Brno, and I think the girls I went with did too. We didn't end up buying anything, but we did take some fun pictures and enjoyed a day in a big city.

update

Winter's chill is creeping around our bedroom; the windows in our apartment aren't sealed very well, so the sill is really cold when I lean my back against it. In the stores around town, Christmas decorations are lining up in the store-front windows. It is fun to peruse around and see all the excitement that is building. Everywhere I look, I encounter tin foil-wrapped, chocolate Santa Clauses and ginger bread.

This week has seen the arrival of two other Americans to Policka: Abe and Kyle. Both are good ole' western boys, as Kyle is from California and Abe is from Idaho. Jamie and I have opened up our apartment to them and they have since been sleeping on the floor, in our living room. It has been a blessing having them around; we speak in English often and I am relieved that I can speak as fast and with as many slang words as I want. It is comforting to know that Jamie and I can really foster a friendship without the worry of being misunderstood.

I am still a newcomer to the Czech Republic, but I am amazed at how long ago July seems. Each day I am getting more comfortable in my surroundings and I am pretty confident that I am able to anticipate the problems and frustrations that are inevitable when living in a foreign country. My Czech is coming along slowly thanks to the help of a wonderful couple: Valda and Lydia Hancil. They have personally taken up the torch to get me speaking Czech by having lessons every week. Usually the lessons consist of a complete bombardment of words and grammar rules. Confusion and frustration are always right around the corner, but then, miraculously, I understand a sentence and I feel much better. Learning a language is a task like no other; it requires patience, confidence and the willingness to fail. And, I do fail often.



Anyways, back to Kyle and Abe. Four months ago Jamie and I were traveling around Europe and made a stop in Amsterdam. We stayed at a hostel that was located right in center of the red-light district. Kyle happened to be in his first week working as a hostel employee and he was on duty the night that Jamie and I strolled in. I remember really liking his beard and thinking that he seemed like the type of personality that I would get along with. I don't know, this might sound crazy, but I think we were friends right away. Kyle explained to us that he had moved to Amsterdam and would be staying there for a few months, but planned on traveling in November. I asked him if he was coming to the Czech Republic. Kyle replied,that not only had he thought about journeying into Central Europe, but was determined to get there, as he deemed it one of his "top" destinations. We had known him for four minutes, but it was natural, we invited him to stay in Policka with us for however long he wanted. Many emails passed back and forth and one friend joined the party, as Kyle planned on having his buddy Abe come and travel with him. And, true to each others' word, they arrived and we gave them a place to stay. Thus, for the past four days, Abe and Kyle have sampled the beer, met some crazy Czech friends, indulged in the best of Czech cuisine and shared their stories and passions with us. All in all, it has been a fun week.

what about race?!

Barak Obama is the new President of the United States. Hooray! Change! History! blah blah blah.

I do support Barak Obama, but I am not naive.
I do support Barak Obama, but I am not a socialist.
I do support Barak Obama, and I am a Christian.
I do support Barak Obama, not JUST because he is black.
I do support Barak Obama, and I don't think he is the messiah.
I do support Barak Obama, not because I am young.
I do support Barak Obama, and I do see his faults.

Ok now that that is off my chest, I feel fine to write.


Some Europeans have a funny way of pointing the finger at everyone else, but never looking at themselves in the mirror. Now, don't get me wrong, we all have the tendency to do it, and I realize that I could fall into that very own fallacy with that first statement, but I want to work this out in my mind. For example, lets talk about Obama's race.

In class, I had the brilliant idea of bringing up the elections and using both John McCain and Barak Obama as the central points of a lesson that would be about American politics, American culture and American history. I decided to have a mock election in the class. Assigning each person in the class a role, I would have them play their character and tell me who they would vote for. Would it be McCain or Obama? Why? I wanted them to read, speak and learn a little bit about the diversity of the United States. To do this, I had some people who would be Mexican immigrants, conservative Christians, poor whites from Kentucky, a former Steel worker, a wealthy banker, a university student, a black man from Los Angeles and a New England Professor. I think I did a fairly decent job of creating some political, social and historical diversity in the class. You must know that it is hard for Europeans, especially ones who live in such a homogenous nation like the Czech Republic, to comprehend the vast amounts of people and diversity that make up the United States. I wanted them to see in a very visceral, tangible way why the American election is always more complicated than it seems from the outside looking in. Because, to most Europeans, Obama should win by 30 percentage points, and if he doesn't, then America is still full of ignorant, racist, egotistical bumpkins: they take it is as proof that we are a backwards nation, because George Bush won two elections in a row and that John McCain actually has more than 40 percent of the American vote.

Class got underway and I instantly stared talking about Republicans and Democrats. Initially, the students were reluctant to express their feelings, but after a few minutes, I was getting them interested enough that they began to ask questions. I did not want the lesson to turn into a lecture, so I brought in the character roles. I gave them each a sheet of paper with their character on it and a small write up about that person's political, cultural and religious background. I told them to read the description and decide who would be the candidate that they would vote for, if they were that person. I went around the room and it worked exactly as I had planned. I had 8 people in class and it was split: 4 for Obama, 4 for McCain. I explained that because our country really runs on a two-party system, that voting is never easy for many people, because what often happens is that Americans vote for a party that they know can't meet all their political and cultural wants.

Many were shocked that our class election ended in a tie. I wanted them to see that people who vote for McCain and the Republicans are not just "stupid" Americans, but they are people who vote, because the Republicans MAKE SENSE to them politically, economically and morally. I was very emphatic about pointing out that Czech voters would the same thing if they only had two parties. They would vote for the party that has the stronger platform for them, even if they do not agree with ALL of the party's political standings. I feel that it was an excellent lesson to show Czechs that even if Obama wins, he will not win by staggering percentages (Electoral College not counted).

Wanting to end the lesson with a small discussion, I asked many who they thought would win. Of course, all of them said Obama was the better candidate, but they were afraid that Americans were too "racist" to vote for a black man as president. Now, this was a shock to me, because I had just had a lesson where I explained that many Americans will not just vote for John McCain because he is white. Do we in America have racial problems? Yes! Are most Americans racist? No. Will there be people who vote against Obama because he is black? Yes, but I believe there are many more who will vote on issues, not on racism. The idea and the stereotype that we Americans are just dumb, ignorant, racists were still coming through in the class. I was mad.

At this point, I could have backed down and swallowed my embarrassment and slunk back into my chair and let them have their opinions, or I could have called their bluff by making them reflect on their own culture. I decided to do the later.

America is not the only place in the world where race is a problem. Here in the Czech Republic, many Czechs will openly share with you their disdain for the Roma minority. They call them lazy, derelicts, criminals and a leech on the social system. I know this, because I have been living here for three months and have heard it quite often. I knew what I was about to say would be hard for them to hear, but it was true. After taking a few minutes to gather myself, I slowly began to tell the class that Americans can be racist, that we have race problems, but I told them that to think Obama won't win because of racist is absurd. Number one, he already beat the most powerful democrat this year, in Hillary Clinton, so who is to say he wouldn't beat the Republicans? But, I didn't even go there. I went straight for the heart of the issue. I began to tell them that America is different. We have our problems, but we have always worked against the old-world order and understanding of things. I told them that I found it kind of hard to believe that some in the class would hold this opinion of American "racist" voters, because we are country poised to have a minority leader. We are no longer talking about equality, we do not give "lip service" to diversity in leadership, no, Barak Obama is black and by the end of the night HE might be the President. I asked them to think of their own country. Would the Egyptians ever have Coptic Christians as their leader? Would the French ever vote in a Black Muslim as their leader? And, here is where it got personal, I said, "Would the Czech Republic, you, ever vote in a Roma as your leader?" Emphatically, I stated "no." I heard audible gasps and I saw some of the students faces: they were shocked that I would say something like that. I had called them to account. Who are the racist voters? Do they only reside in the "ignorant" America, or can they reside in "progressive" Europe? Needless to say, I don't think they will accuse Americans of being a bunch of racists again.

In the end, I did not want to preach American exceptionalism, because this makes me nauseas. No, I wanted them to respect what this election stood for and to attempt to see the American people in a new light, not a "dumb" one.

So, back to the beginning; it is hard to look at one's self in the mirror. America, in many ways, has become the proverbial "fat kid" in the room: it is always easier to blame him for the bad smell than the beautiful blonde in the back. But, things are never as clear as they seem.

Halloween

Happy Halloween!
Friday evening we had our halloween party, however, the prerations started much soon! We knew that the kids had enjoyed Kati's halloween parties, so we had a lot to live up to. For Jeremy and I, thoughts about halloween started in September, and for students in my English classes halloween started the week before when we made masks for the party.

The saturday before halloween, Jeremy and I (with the help of many volunteers!) turned the sanctuary into a haunted town using a massive amount of cardboard, bedsheets, and glowsticks. The kids went trick-or-treating through the town, which consisted of a butcher shop, bakery, cemetary, school and handfull of houses that made up the town, all of which were inhabited by frightening creatures. All of our helpers did a fantastic job and the party would not have been a success without them! They had a big job to do and it was because them that the haunted street was as good as it was.

We didn't have as many kids as we had expected and it is primarly because the grammer school next door was celebrating it's 80th anniversary, and many of the student and helpers who would have come to our party were required to be at the school. At the end of the halloween party, we descided to go to the "halloween room" at the school, and we saw that the school was packed with parents and students, which was wonderful to see. The teachers and students had decorated the halls with artwork, each classroom was transformed into a living lesson about history or culture and I was personally extremely impressed with what they had done. Even we had less people than we expected I'm sure everyone enjoyed the night and I'm hopeful that atleast a few kids got scared!

thoughts.

Three months have passed since Jamie and I packed up our things and headed to the Czech Republic. There have been many adventures, wonderful sights and some challenging situations. However, novelties always wear thin and I began to really feel it this week. For the first two months, it was exciting to meet people, learn Czech words and feel the newness and excitement that comes from knowing that you are on an adventure of a life time. Then, work it:
each day carries the same amount of monotony that I would have had in the United States; I get just as frustrated at Czech students as I do at American students; I feel very inadequate to be teaching these classes, even though I MADE them myself; not being able to converse in Czech is not fun anymore, it is lonely; I don't go out with friends very much, because I am tired; it is hard to have a meal, because Jamie and I finish at different times during the day; being "foreign" is quite uncomfortable, especially when you are aware that you are clueless most of the time.

It was inevitable. The good times had to come to an end. For those who don't know, when one goes to a new place they must go through a period of culture shock. This is exciting and terrible all at once. There is newness all around you: there are exotic people, different hair styles, food and ways of greeting; there are funny smells and alien plants; there are even different social expectations, which one only discovers through trial and error. You have to able to laugh at yourself and have confidence. But after three months, culture shock turns into culture
paralysis. For example, I no longer find it funny when I screw up a Czech word or I am laughed at, because I was not aware of a "new" etiquette rule; I can get overtly nostalgic for home: family, friends, memories and food; I wish I was at home to watch the Penguins and Steelers while sitting on my butt eating mass quantities of chips and salsa, and I yearn for a burrito with black beans, onions, chicken, cheese and rice all wrapped up into a bundle of 2,000 calories of pure bliss. I think that my longings for home have come to me in sleep. I am having recurring dreams where I am eating lots of cheeseburgers. Now, if you know me, you know that I really don't like hamburgers, but I have come to reconcile this imagery as the subconscious manifestation of home, the U.S.A., the cheeseburger. I eat it and am never satisfied.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know that my feelings are the opposite extreme of idealization. My Czech really IS improving and I still laugh at my mistakes, it only SEEMS as if I don't want to. I HAVE been making new friends here and part of the inherent beauty is that we don't understand each other all the time. I also know that this experience can only make me a stronger, more experienced person. Additionally, I am vaguely aware that I will have the same feelings of nostalgia for the Czech Republic as I do for the U.S.A. when I do return home in two years. I guess I am trying to find the balance.

Sorry for this rambling post.

I think I meant to have a purpose, but it has since been muddled.

You all really should come over and hike in the Czech forests. They are beautiful.

Mushrooms are not that bad with eggs!

I love the Czech language. Dobrý den is an adorable greeting, especially when old "Babičky" say it. I am frustrated that I can't speak it more.

I can't wait until winter. I'm sure the countryside is beautiful covered in snow.

Policka is cute, because you can see anyone and everyone in the main square. It's like the "old times."

They burn coal for warmth. It gives the town a distinct smell and smoky look.

There are rolling hills here. Many of the houses look like cottages when they are built among the trees.

Many people still drive old cars. You can see some that are 50 years old and they are driven as if they are brand new. They even pull trailers with them.

Czechs don't like to talk about the past. Many are angry that their own countrymen are not more patriotic.

The Communist time here is remembered as bad and good. Things are always more complicated than they seem.

Czech students are apathetic. They are also very quiet, but not very respectful.

It seems like every woman is on maternity leave. And, why not? The Govt. pays them to take three years off from work.

Czechs have to be convinced that they are well off: they still think they are a poor nation.

There are many strollers and young children around.

They drive way too fast on curvy roads.

It is sad how much the garbage from America influences their culture. Young kids buy it right up.

I can't help but laugh when I see a Czech "hip-hopper."

I think many of the young girls here are too concerned about their image. ( I know, all girls are like this......)

We get a bad rap as a consumer culture, but is Europe any different? Even here?

The communist party is still strong, surprisingly.

Old men often have gold teeth. I find this fascinating.

Old ladies ride bikes here. They also ride up hills and don't stop.

Czechs eat tons of bread and cheese.

Also, don't get fined in Prague, they will ROB you.

Most Czechs don't have carpet. The houses are cold and drafty.

slippers are a necessity.

Pokec s Černou ovcí (talkshow with the church band)

Tonight was the first Pokec (talkshow) with the church's band, Černá ovcí (One black sheep), of the school year, so ofcourse the band was a little nervous. However it was a great success! There were 17 people who came out to see the band play and special guest Jelena Kleinerová (Madla's grandmother).

The band played well, and the interview with Jelena was very interesting (even though I had to get it explained to me after the fact...). She talked about living in Russia and how she left the city she was living in durning WWII, because it was not safe. When she returned, the entire city had been destroyed. After the war she married a Czech man and moved to the Czech Republic, which is how she got here. It was interesting to learn that the Czech that she speaks is a mixture of Czech and Russian, even though she has been here a long time. It makes me feel better about my Czech, since I know it is a mixture of English and Czech.

Anyway, the band sounded great and I think everyone who came enjoyed themselves!

Day of Trees (Arbor Day)

This week, on Thursday and Friday, I helped out with "day of trees", which was put on by the local Environmental education organization (Ekocentrum Střitek Polička O.S.). When I was asked to help three weeks ago, I was excited about the opportunity to do something in Polička that I feel like I am good at and knowledgeable in. I have spent the last two years teaching kids about trees and insects and other aspects of nature and it wasn't until this week that I really missed having a job like that. Teaching English is different and there are times when I feel like I have no idea what I am doing. Do the kids understand? Are the lessons too hard or are they two easy? But other times I feel comfortable and confident in the lesson I have planned.

The activity that I planned for tree day was "build a tree", since it is a good way to actively demonstrate what each part of the tree does. Most of the groups enjoyed the game, and it was fun to see how the students responded. I found that students (and teachers!) that were from small village were more willing to play than those from towns the size of Polička. I'm not sure why this is, but we could guess where the kids went to school depending on how willing they where to be silly and have fun.

Anyway, helping with day of trees was really fun, all though it had it's frustrations. I don't speak enough Czech yet, so everything I said needed to be translated, plus finding the scientific words for the parts of the trees in Czech was a challenge, but a fun one! I was told by a few of the teachers of younger kids (pre-school and kindergarten), that it was frightening some of their students to hear me speaking in English because they did not understand me. But for the most part the kids thought it was funny or they did not mind hearing me speak. In most of the classes there were a number of students that would say "good bye" to me in English, as well as count in English when they were determining the age of the trees.

Regardless of the challenges that came with tree day, I had a great time! It was such a joy to be able to talk about how a tree works, and play with the students that came. Working and talking with the high school helpers was also a wonderful time, and I hope that they had as much fun as I did.

Movie Night!

Tuesday night was our first installment of "filmové večery," or in English, "move night!" We decided that we wanted to show This is England, directed by Shane Meadows. It is a prophetic film about the absurdity of the skinhead culture with its triumvirate characteristics of hate, violence and blame. Set in England in 1983, the movie follows the semi-autobiographical account of a young boy named Shaun who finds his only solace from bullying and loneliness, in the skinhead movement; he develops a frienship with a group of skinhead teenagers. The movie takes a dramatic turn when an older, more politically involved skinhead, named Combo, returns from a 3 1/2 year prison sentence. Combo preaches a doctrine of nationalism and racism that splits the teenage skinhead group into two. Shaun chooses to stay with Combo and the more violent brand. Eventually, Combo will turn on the group, as violence and hate destroy Shaun's world and nearly kill his friend, Milky.

Quite an undertaking for Czech viewers, huh? Also, to add to the difficulty of the movie, the English accents are very thick, which only exacerbates the language barrier that is already present. Needless to say, Jan and Anna were nervous that this movie might be too complicated for the Czech audience. Yet, I did not want this movie night to be one of simple enjoyment and entertainment; I wanted it to inspire some thought. But, I must admit, that I was nervous too, because we needed the movie night to be good: this was our first one of the year and we wanted to make sure people would come back. Last year, the movie nights were dropping in numbers, as most films only managed to attract a handful of people; thus, my hope was to have 10 people show up. The whole day I was worried about how the showing would go.

At 7:10 we had about 10 people in the church; then, at 7:15, we had 20. I could not believe it, neither could Jan. We had a massive group: there were adults, community members who walked in off the street, teenagers and, my favorite, the local punk rockers. I gave a brief introduction to the movie and then let it "roll." I stopped the movie in the middle and gave a brief synopsis on what happened thus far and what is gearing for the end. The punks who were in the room were getting very tense with what I was saying about the skinhead culture. I believe they came, because they wanted to watch a movie that would edify the culture, and here I was, subverting it. The themes of despair and hate are easy to miss in this movie if one does not speak English, or is not a critical viewer; so, it was important that I tell the truth, even If I knew the punk rockers in the back of the room were going to get defensive. Jan claims that he could feel their hands on the table grip tighter the more I spoke. I was sweating, as I thought about what to say. I didn't want to shut the door to dialogue on our first meeting; I wanted to open the conversation up and I wanted this movie to get the ball rolling. I was very particular about what I said and how I phrased it. I did not want to alienate or attack the punk rockers. I let the movie continue and at the end gave a two minute statement on the futility of building your whole cultural paradigm around hate. I feel that I did an ample job of walking the line between not offending the punks who were in my presence, yet not letting violence get the last word.

The other Czechs who were in attendance loved the movie. I heard nothing but positive feedback. People who couldn't even speak English came up to me and told me that the movie was powerful (mocný). I guess it just goes to show you that human emotion transcends all cultural/language barriers. Even the punk rockers came up and gave me a handshake. I asked them if we could talk more outside of church and they all agreed. Jan was very happy with how the night turned out.

Cultural influences arise in the most unexpected ways. Last night, while showing the movie, I could not comfort myself, as I was tormented by the fact that I was showing a film, in a Church, that had copious amounts of swearing, violence and some sexual content. Even the fact that Jan, the pastor of the Church, was in complete support of showing such a movie was shocking to me. In the United States, there would be no way I would be able to show such a film or have such an honest and open conversation about racism. I would not have been able to get the punks into the Church, that is for sure. However, where is there a better place to speak about violence, injustice and blame: the Courts, with their very human view of what justice and reconciliation are, or the media, with their overly sexualized and entertainment driven news copies? No, it is the Church. I wish American congregations would get past the immature arguments about what is "Christian" or "secular." We need to realize that Christians are called to relevancy defined not by clothing trends and musical genres, but by how we engage our culture and how we, the Christan congregation, is working to subvert and challenge the modern "Rome." It is the way of maturity and it is the audacity to think creatively that can affect the world, not the tired hum-drum of moral judging and "other-worldly" hope that seems to define Christian cultural engagement. So, if showing a movie with some swearing and sexual content opens up a conversation about hate, injustice, racism and violence, then I think it is O.K. to do so.

Dave is here!

On Friday, October 2nd Jeremy went to Prague to pick up our friend Dave while I stayed to watch the Dus children. I think we both had an enjoyable night: Jeremy read on a train, picked up Dave and spent the night at Sir Toby's (our favorite hostel in Europe -Thank you Kati for showing it to us) and I watched a movie and played Legos with the kids.

Dave arrived in Policka on Saturday and the real fun began! In the
evening the three of us went out for dinner at our favorite resturant and pub in Policka, called Šenk. We met our friend Jitulka, had a tasty dinner, Jeremy and Dave had a Gambrinus, and then we all moved to the Kafe Bar. where we met up with Jitulka's friend Kája and had an great night. Dave enjoyed Policka pivo and learned a phrase in czech, "Vařím bublinku na moje televize s mym kamaradm Jeremy" meaning, I cook bubbles on my television with my friend Jeremy.

On Sunday, Dave came to church with us and helped out in the service. Jan was speaking about what happens when there are walls in your life and Jeremy and Dave played catch with a football and did not let me play to demonstrate that walls in relationships are bad. After church we played floor hockey with some kids from the church enjoyed a meal in the church.

Sunday afternoon we showed Dave around Policka and then headed to Prague, where we would spent the night, and show him around the next day. It was nice having Dave stay with us, even if it were only for a few days. Policka is wonderful, but it was nice to have a friend from home come and visit. We stayed up late each night talking about Policka and Oxford (Dave is studying there for a semester), reminissing about Waynesburg, talking about football, hockey, music, books, and what ever else came to mind. Needless to say it was great having Dave here and we were sad to see him leave.

Boulders and Barriers.

The sun finally came out on Saturday, which was a blessing considering it had rained for 8 days straight. Jamie and I went to Cachnov the week before and it was cold and rainy: the type of weather that seems to chill you down to your bones. I really wanted to take some of the guys bouldering, but I knew that if the weather turned ugly and even the slightest bit of rain fell on Friday night or Saturday morning, I would have to cancel the trip. Yet, the sun was shining and the morning did not have quite the bite that I expected. Needless to say, I was very happy walking towards the train station knowing that today would work out after all.

I met two guys Honza and Premek. I expected to meet Jirka, but he called and told us that he would not be able to make the trip, so it was just going to be three. I was happy with the small number, as it afforded me the opportunity to practice my Czech and get to know these two students. Both Premek and Honza are becoming my close friends. Premek is always good for a conversation about politics, history, culture and Honza is eager to share Czech music. I appreciate them both.

We hiked for 2 1/2 hours to Cytri Palice. Along the way we discussed culture, music, history and anything else that came to our minds. I told them that the big rocks would be down the path further, but we stopped to "practice" on a few boulders about 2 miles west of Cytri Palice. They were little bit hesitant to start climbing, but once our goal was set (the top) they had no problem jumping in with me. In fact, Premek and Honza both began asking questions and trying to figure out the best way to the top. It was a challenging boulder, as it was covered in moss and the rock was rounded, but we did climb up near the top. They both announced that it was quite fun and a little bit frightening. We then continued on our trek to Ctyri Palice, where we sat down to have lunch and would hope to climb the two largest and most difficult boulders of the day. In reality, the two largest boulders proved to be the least challenging and we hiked up to the top of them in less than 10 minutes. The look from the top was wonderful; we could see to the other side of the valley and the rolling hills beyond. We decided to hike back to Cachnov and along the way climb the last two rocks. I am thankful that the last two climbs proved to be quite technical, for bouldering, because it left Premek and Honza with a sense of accomplishment and a yearning to try bouldering again in the spring. All in all, we bouldered 5 rocks, hiked for 12 miles and got back to Policka before dinner; not a bad day!

Fun fact: the winter scenes from Narnia WERE taped in the Czech Republic, which means Jamie's observation, in the last post, was dead on!

Living in a foreign culture has its pleasures and its pains. There are many times when I feel down-right confused and vulnerable. You have to trust on a level that takes one out of their comfort zone. From the most basic conversation to a speech dealing with theory and thinking, I have to rely on other people. Those that translate are put in the position where they have to make a choice: are they going respect the person speaking, or will they change the words when it becomes suitable to them. Your meaning can be distorted through improper translation.
Often it is difficult to know even if they are talking about you! Yet, I know when something is being said that is not for my ears, because they usually change very quickly into Czech and then back into English; this is a very uncomfortable situation. We English speakers have a hard time doing this, because most people will try to hear what you are talking about, as many are perpetually "practicing" their English. Not having any privacy is a negative aspect of speaking a language that has become the de facto international tongue. Sometimes I wish that no one knew English, so Jamie and I could vent about frustrations without the fear of being understood! This is something the Czechs do not worry about, because they are sure (rightly so) that many foreigners don't speak Czech, so they can talk with a sense of secrecy. However, it is a delicate balance of trust. Czechs, just like the person translating, have decisions to make: will they speak in Czech knowing that they are leaving you out when it is convenient for them, or will they attempt to be open and transparent?
Out of all changes and difficulties that come from living in a foreign land, from food, to sport, to social expectations, nothing has been more frustrating than accepting the vulnerable position that I find myself in when I am in a social setting. To trust and to be respected takes on a completely different meaning when I have to attain these attributes through the mouth and tongue of a stranger.

Learning a new language is challenging: new words, grammar, sentence structure and a new alphabet. But, learning a new language can also be funny! Throughout the past two months, my Czech has been improving, but I have made my fair share of mistakes. I can only imagine how thickly-accented my words are and how often I bastardize the structure of sentences: "I want bar candy?!" Thankfully, Czechs are a forgiving people when it comes to speaking their very complex and unique language; they are usually more enamored with the fact that you are trying and will announce at once, "tův Cesky je moc dobrý!", which means, "your Czech is so good!" However, one must not be deceived. It is not your Czech that it is good, it is merely your effort at speaking this language that is admirable. So, without much ado, I will give you a snippet of my language mishaps. I hope you find these as enjoyable as me, and of course, as enjoyable as they were to the Czechs who heard them!

I once said:

"Premek, I would like to cook your parents for dinner", instead of saying, "Premek, I would like to cook your parents dinner".

Explaining to a notary secretary why I had two papers I announced:

"That paper is my wife", instead of, "that is my wife's paper."

Trying to tell Jirka that I thought his father was a kind man, I said:

"Jirka, your father is a nice man," which doesn't sound all that bad, until one realizes (ah, culture) that in the Czech Republic, what I really said was, "Jirka, your father is a very attractive man".

oh boy, remember earlier I spoke about being vulnerable.....

Hedgehogs, castles, and tlačenka

We have finished our first week of classes, and all in all Jeremy and I both feel good about them. There are things we will need to work on or change, but for our first week, it went well. I will need to find helpers for a few of my youngest classes, since we had trouble understanding one another. Jeremy seemed pleased with his classes, and I know he is going to make it fun and challenging for his students!


Anyway, on Thursday we were riding back to our appartment and we saw this little ball moving around in the grass, so naturally we stop to check it out. Turns out it was a hedgehog! Who knew that there were hedgehogs in the Czech Republic?! We also never knew that they were nocturnal...and they play dead. No joke, they do! We got super close to it and I look a picture with a flash and it didn't move a muscle until after we got back on our bikes and started to ride away. Good times.

Today (Sunday) we went to Svojanov with Bartošoví, which is a beautiful little place where Přemek's dad grew up. The entire day was great, from lunch at their house, which was amazing, to visiting Svohanov, a castle and then having dinner at a little resturant and meeting a woman who makes lace. Anyway, we went and saw the Castle of Svohanov, which was fun. It is a old little castle, which was still in pretty good shape seeing it was built in the 13th century. We took some fun pictures, drank some Kofola (pop) and then walked back to the house.


I think the most challenging thing about our Sunday adventure was eating at the small mill resturant and having tlačenka, which you can see to the right. We had our choice of three different foods, something made out of cheese, grilled chicken, and tlačenka. I choose the grilled chicken and Jeremy got tlačenka, after agreeing with me that we would split our meals. I am not going to lie, when it came out, I almost backed out on sharing my meal! There where two slices of it with onions and bread, and at first sight there is nothing that makes a foreigner want to eat it, because you can't help but wonder, "what is it?". The first bite was also a little difficult, because the texture is a mixture of hard and squishy, since it is made of pork meat and natural gelitin. The taste however, is not bad: it tasted like vinegar and onions. We were told later that homemade tlačenka is much better, but I think eating it once was enough for both of us.

Hiking is fun...and sometimes wet

Last Saturday Jeremy and I got on a train in Polička and went to Čachnov to go hiking along the blue trail. Our goal was to head south to Devět Skal and find some nice rocks that Jeremy could boulder with some guy friends this coming Saturday. We didn't make it quite that far since it was raining and cold and my left foot started to hurt a lot. We did end up finding our big rocks and had a good time doing it! It surprised me how well the paths here are marked. It seems like everywhere you go there is some sort of sign telling you where you can go, what path to take (blue, yellow, red...) and how many km it is to get there. We hiked as far as Čtyři Palice (9km or 5.6miles) and then went back to the train station, making our hike a total of 18km or 11.2miles.
I found it interesting that the vast majority of the trees where we have been are all pines that been planted. If there where more deciduous trees, the Czech country side would look just like western PA. The rows of trees did make our hike seem like we were walking through Narnia. When we did see a deciduous tree it seemed out of place and all most frightening, since the bark was much darker due to the rain and the natural curves of the trees were excerbated in contrast to the perfectly straight pines.
Needless to say, I think Jeremy and I will be taking every chance to explore more of the Czech country side durning our time here :)

Classes!

Jamie are in the middle of scheduling our classes. We are happy to announce that we have 106 students and are expecting more as the year goes on. The most popular classes have been the conversation classes for Adults, as we have a total of 20 students; thus, we have split the Adult classes into two sessions of 10 people. Jamie has done well with her conversation and has around 40 students all together. Our sports and art ideas have struggled to garner the interest and the numbers: sports has a total of 15 kids and art brings in the rear with 5 signed up. The classes for the high school-aged students are doing very well, as the University Prep has 12 students and the regular conversation class has 8. This is an excellent start to the year and we hope that through our efforts, the classes will grow in size.

This week, I am plan on taking a very small group of students bouldering. They have no idea what bouldering is, so I think it will be a challenging and exciting experience for them. In preparation for the trip, I looked up some areas that would be excellent for outdoor sports and found that there are some quality, beginner routes in our state, Pardubice Kraj. This Saturday, Jamie and I will jump on the train and head to the town of Cachnov and then hike to the village of Svratka. From Svratka, there are many options: Čtyři Palice, Drátník, Rybenské Perničky, Devět Skal and Bílá Skála, all of which possess prime bouldering locations. To the "North American" mindset, this might seem like a large trip; however, in the Czech Republic, things are not nearly as spread out. So, in all, the hiking and bouldering will take us about 7 hours to complete in full, which is not too overbearing. If Jamie and I like the route, I will take some of the young guys with me and we will have a "guy day" climbing and flexing our muscles, or in Czech, "muž den."

Last night I found myself walking home at around 8:30 pm in the company of three Czech youths: Honza, Lukaš and Madla. We had just finished band practice and I was walking back to our apartment, which is about a half-mile away from the Church. Madla and I were discussing the upcoming English classes when all of a sudden she asked me what I think about Czech people, and if she, Honza and Lukaš, were "typical Czechs?" I was taken back by the question, because I haven't had much time to think about the Czech people.
I told her that I believe the Czech people to be very humble in appearance and disinclined to bombastic personalities or narcissistic mentalities, which has its negative and positive aspects. For example, we Americans are open people: we give our opinions, show affection and generally are genial to strangers who are walking down the street. Czechs are not like this at all. If you happened to be walking down the street in a town like Policka, you would find that many of the people keep their eyes on the ground. Even if there are only two of you in an alley that is 10 feet wide, their gaze would be on the cobblestones; it feels a little bit cold. If you were to verbalize a greeting like " Dobrý Den", which is translated as "Good day", what you would get in return is a mumbled, barley audible reply. Is it because Czechs are a mean people? No, that is not the case. I think that it has to do with trust.

Czechs have a hard time trusting other people, especially ones they do not know. For forty years the totalitarian state ruled peoples' psyches, and in a way, it still does. Stalinist Communism was a system not only in control of state manufacturing and the political system, but it was a social philosophy that would manipulate minds by controlling mass quantities of information: books, news sources, dissidents, professors, television, art (socialist realism), music, etc. An easy way for the communists to remain in control of the people was by keeping tabs on all ideas coming in and going out of the nation. Thus, the Party became a long-armed spy machine manufacturing show-trials and using secret informers to keep tabs on the whole population. To western listeners, this might seem far fetched, but it becomes a reality when one is lucky enough to listen to Czech stories.

I know very few Czechs; I might know 45 people in all, yet, in those 45, there is a story. There have been numerous times I have heard Anna or Jan talk about family members and friends who were imprisoned for years at a time. Many of those who were thrown in prison were farmers or regular business people. They had no ties to political organizations and were not criminals. What they were, was a captive population that had no way to fight. Fish in a barrel, maybe?Some would spend years in terrible isolation, where their punishment was hard labor and only through back-breaking work would they earn their way back into society. And, when Czechs speak of it, they retell this history almost as if it is a common enough occurrence that it doesn't warrant further explanation, which makes sense, because many families have similar skeletons. It is life to the Czechs; it is their history. Communists controlled information by intimidation.

I often run through hypothetical situations in my mind. Many of the thoughts consist of a moral decision that must be made: would I stand up for an old women getting robbed, or would I march against injustice even if I knew my life would be jeopardized? I have realized that I always find myself winning; I know that I would do the right thing....right?? Many people always question why the Czechs didn't do more when they were suffering under Communism. I am beginning to see that when a question like that is put forth, to people who have lived through the oppression, it only serves to show the ignorance of the one who is asking. And, when Americans want to insult a liberal social policy as being "Communist", maybe they should think twice about what is REALLY being implied, as their statement only belies an out-of-touch notion of what communism was and a misconstrued retelling of history that serves to prove a moot point. I only hope that Czechs never hear Americans squabbling over the "commies" in the Democratic Party, because I would be ashamed as an American that the Czechs were so viciously assaulted, as it makes light of a hard, dark and very real past.

So, as you can see, there is always more than meets the eye when dealing with Czech people. Are they cold on the street? Yes, they can be. It only makes it that much better when a Czech does say hi to you and opens up, because you know that it is genuine, a real feeling of friendship and camaraderie. And this, I think, is where we Americans miss the point: we can be a little too fake when we put up our facade of happiness; but, then again, it might have to do with our history. After all, aren't we the "land of opportunity" and the bastion of the American Dream; being sad in America is against our whole paradigm. We haven't known hardship like the Czechs and the Czechs haven't known independence like us, so it all makes for a very "lucid-ambiguous" experience.