For anyone who is interested, these are our current travel plans for our trip home (June 26th-July 19th). Nothing is set, because something might come up. If we plan on coming to see you and you wont be around the day it says we will be coming, because let Jeremy or I know. We want to be able to see as many people as possible :)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Travel Plans
For anyone who is interested, these are our current travel plans for our trip home (June 26th-July 19th). Nothing is set, because something might come up. If we plan on coming to see you and you wont be around the day it says we will be coming, because let Jeremy or I know. We want to be able to see as many people as possible :)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
In preparation for a time to come and a reflection on time that has passed
Each day we inch closer to the date whereupon Jamie and me fly away from Prague and land in Pennsylvania. I remember, all the way back in July, that when we landed I was looking out the window and staring at the cracked 'tarmak' and the little blue lights that line the edge of the runway. I thought to myself, " Man, I don't want to fly anymore, my ears are killing me." Then in the next instance my mind retorted, "Don't worry about that. You have one year, one whole year."
Some times I remember my experiences from this past year as one big blur, literally. I imagine that if I had a slide-show of pictures and each one presented itself in succession back dropped with some epic, crescendo-building music, everything from language learning, to travelling, from relationships to loneliness, from frustration to unabashed joy, from snow showers to sunshine, would seem much more powerful. Today, it is not the case: I sit in the office and plan classes; I think about my run this morning and how happy I am that the sun is out; I wonder if I remembered to shut the windows in our apartment; I dread the fact that I have another 8 hours in the church building; I am slightly irritable because there is a slight pain in my temple; I am worn out from a monotonous routine, and I am left, in the moment, concentrating only on my nearest comfort, not reflecting, not appreciating, how much I have changed since July 17th 2008.
I know that my last post was very reflective and I feel that this one is going down the exact same path; I guess it is fitting that I am just starting to digest this past year in slow spurts, so please bear with another rambling, long-paragraphed, nostalgic post.
Recently, I have found myself in the company of Czech friends. Most of the time we are at a pub where we can talk for hours on end, which affords me an opportunity to practice my Czech, to remember and to ask questions about culture and, sometimes, frustrations.
I was speaking with my friend Jarda when he suddenly asked me if I realize that my first year is close to completion. I answered that yes I have realized, but with all the work that is left to accomplish, it seems that there is a barrier between when we actually fly away from Prague and the continuous work of everyday living. He then took the liberty to ask me about my home.
"Jeremy, is Policka your home?" "Would you stay in Policka after your second year?"
"Jarda, Policka and the Czech Republic are special to me. They have become my home for the time being, but the they are not my emotional home. Culturally,Czechs are different and many days I find myself fighting against it. I know now that this is absolutely futile and I have learned to accept and have come to appreciate some of our differences as a people. For example, when in line for a bus, I have come to realize that Czechs will push past me, as if there were only one seat left. I have grown to anticipate the fact that Czechs shy away from confrontation, so if there is an issue that needs to be discussed or brought to the fore-front, I will have to initiate the conversation. I know that when discussing family, I should just assume that all families live in the same town that they were born: grandma, great grandpa, mom, dad and baby. I have been frustrated by the expression of Czech pride, which is usually predicated by putting-down another culture (usually American) to make a point about the clarity, purity and beauty of Bohemian people. I have grown accustomed to people urinating, EVERYWHERE. I don't like the lack of food diversity here; I can only eat so many rohliku and svickova. I miss the countryside of Pennsylvania where there are bountiful, leaf-filled trees that change color and bud with the changing the season. I often find that Czechs can be quite closed-minded and justify this mentality by blaming it on history and position in the world. I am worried that Czechs don't think seriously enough about their own troubling problems with racism, as this country moves into the globalized world; you can't just blame it on the Roma...or the Vietnamese; we Americans know this.
Jarda, do not take this the wrong way. The beauty of this post is that I am able to reflect on the Czech people and realize that not all of it necessarily TRUE. The fact that I can be frustrated with you and still love being here and all that the country offers me, is a testament to the reality that the Czechs have become REAL to me: you are not just waiters in pubs during my vacation; you aren't just poor farmers on the other side of the world; you aren't the perfect caricatures that I read in travel magazines. No, you have become my neighbors, my friends, my family and, sometimes, my eyes.
Some times I remember my experiences from this past year as one big blur, literally. I imagine that if I had a slide-show of pictures and each one presented itself in succession back dropped with some epic, crescendo-building music, everything from language learning, to travelling, from relationships to loneliness, from frustration to unabashed joy, from snow showers to sunshine, would seem much more powerful. Today, it is not the case: I sit in the office and plan classes; I think about my run this morning and how happy I am that the sun is out; I wonder if I remembered to shut the windows in our apartment; I dread the fact that I have another 8 hours in the church building; I am slightly irritable because there is a slight pain in my temple; I am worn out from a monotonous routine, and I am left, in the moment, concentrating only on my nearest comfort, not reflecting, not appreciating, how much I have changed since July 17th 2008.
I know that my last post was very reflective and I feel that this one is going down the exact same path; I guess it is fitting that I am just starting to digest this past year in slow spurts, so please bear with another rambling, long-paragraphed, nostalgic post.
Recently, I have found myself in the company of Czech friends. Most of the time we are at a pub where we can talk for hours on end, which affords me an opportunity to practice my Czech, to remember and to ask questions about culture and, sometimes, frustrations.
I was speaking with my friend Jarda when he suddenly asked me if I realize that my first year is close to completion. I answered that yes I have realized, but with all the work that is left to accomplish, it seems that there is a barrier between when we actually fly away from Prague and the continuous work of everyday living. He then took the liberty to ask me about my home.
"Jeremy, is Policka your home?" "Would you stay in Policka after your second year?"
"Jarda, Policka and the Czech Republic are special to me. They have become my home for the time being, but the they are not my emotional home. Culturally,Czechs are different and many days I find myself fighting against it. I know now that this is absolutely futile and I have learned to accept and have come to appreciate some of our differences as a people. For example, when in line for a bus, I have come to realize that Czechs will push past me, as if there were only one seat left. I have grown to anticipate the fact that Czechs shy away from confrontation, so if there is an issue that needs to be discussed or brought to the fore-front, I will have to initiate the conversation. I know that when discussing family, I should just assume that all families live in the same town that they were born: grandma, great grandpa, mom, dad and baby. I have been frustrated by the expression of Czech pride, which is usually predicated by putting-down another culture (usually American) to make a point about the clarity, purity and beauty of Bohemian people. I have grown accustomed to people urinating, EVERYWHERE. I don't like the lack of food diversity here; I can only eat so many rohliku and svickova. I miss the countryside of Pennsylvania where there are bountiful, leaf-filled trees that change color and bud with the changing the season. I often find that Czechs can be quite closed-minded and justify this mentality by blaming it on history and position in the world. I am worried that Czechs don't think seriously enough about their own troubling problems with racism, as this country moves into the globalized world; you can't just blame it on the Roma...or the Vietnamese; we Americans know this.
Jarda, do not take this the wrong way. The beauty of this post is that I am able to reflect on the Czech people and realize that not all of it necessarily TRUE. The fact that I can be frustrated with you and still love being here and all that the country offers me, is a testament to the reality that the Czechs have become REAL to me: you are not just waiters in pubs during my vacation; you aren't just poor farmers on the other side of the world; you aren't the perfect caricatures that I read in travel magazines. No, you have become my neighbors, my friends, my family and, sometimes, my eyes.
Friday, May 15, 2009
a time for celebration
Today was the annual celebration (majales) for the schools in Policka. It is started off with a parade with all the classes from the top high school (in Czech "gymnasium"). Each class dresses up as something different in the hope of being awarded the prize for best costume. This year consisted of: old men and woman (the girls where the men and the boys where the women), monks, toilets, hippies, things from Egypt (including pyramids), Mexican swine flu, and Arctic explores with penguins. It was a lot of fun for me, since I know a quite a few of the students from our English classes (and most of them waved to me!). After the parade there are performances in the center of town and games for the younger students in the park.
Before the start of the parade I started thinking about when I was graduating from high school, and honestly it seems like a really long time ago (you know... since I'm now so much older and grown up...) but really it has only been 6 years. Anyway, I remember looking forward to our graduation. All 212 graduates, wearing red and white caps and gowns, filled the gym of Edinboro University, and we each got our diploma and were off to bigger and better things: universities, trade schools, the military and the work force. It was an exciting time, and it is what every high school student looks forward too.
Here it is still a time of excitement and anticipation, however the traditions that surround graduation are different. The hints of graduation start early in the year. Each student who is graduating had a special ribbon, from their school, that they have pinned to their backpack. The ribbons are all different, so you can tell who is from what school by the different colores. Then in January is a graduation ball for each school. This is a time for students to celebrate their upcoming graduation with their classmates, teachers, family and friends. The night it spent dancing and having a good time. The last major event before the big day happens in early May. Each graduating class has some sort of senior portrait taken and they are put up in a store window in town for everyone to see. Some are more traditional and others are creative and goofy. After this the only thing left for seniors is to take their exit exams. Each student chooses which subjects they will graduate in and then has the week before off to study for their tests. After all the exams are taken the students have one final celebration with there classmates and teachers.
Before the start of the parade I started thinking about when I was graduating from high school, and honestly it seems like a really long time ago (you know... since I'm now so much older and grown up...) but really it has only been 6 years. Anyway, I remember looking forward to our graduation. All 212 graduates, wearing red and white caps and gowns, filled the gym of Edinboro University, and we each got our diploma and were off to bigger and better things: universities, trade schools, the military and the work force. It was an exciting time, and it is what every high school student looks forward too.
Here it is still a time of excitement and anticipation, however the traditions that surround graduation are different. The hints of graduation start early in the year. Each student who is graduating had a special ribbon, from their school, that they have pinned to their backpack. The ribbons are all different, so you can tell who is from what school by the different colores. Then in January is a graduation ball for each school. This is a time for students to celebrate their upcoming graduation with their classmates, teachers, family and friends. The night it spent dancing and having a good time. The last major event before the big day happens in early May. Each graduating class has some sort of senior portrait taken and they are put up in a store window in town for everyone to see. Some are more traditional and others are creative and goofy. After this the only thing left for seniors is to take their exit exams. Each student chooses which subjects they will graduate in and then has the week before off to study for their tests. After all the exams are taken the students have one final celebration with there classmates and teachers.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Reflections
It has been quite a while since my last post. I have been really overwhelmed with anticipation; I am looking forward towards our trip to the U.S., I am nervous/encompassed by the English Camp in July, and I find myself daydreaming about our second year in Policka: Will things be easier? How will our Czech improve? Where will your relationships go?
Maybe I am focusing too much on whats to come, instead of leaning back in my chair and working/reflecting on the day at hand. I know that if I let my mind wander to the realm of "what will be", I might completely miss the kernels of insight that are right under my fingers, nose, feet...
I wish it was that easy just to focus, but it really is hard. Unlike previous years, this year's English-camp programming rests on the shoulders of Jamie and I. We are confident that we will be able to live up to the standards of the past, but we know that things will be different. What is more stressful is not coming up with ideas, but finding time. We are still in the midst of our classes, which means that our number one priority when headin' into the Church each morning, is planning and coming up with engaging lesson plans-- this might seem like an easy enough job, but after you have already planned over 50 of them, it gets a bit monotonous. On top of thinking creatively about the week-in and week-out work, we have to set aside time to brainstorm about camp activities. I don't want to sound like I am complaining, but this Spring is starting to feel like the final "kick" during a cross-country race: we are tired and have come so far, but we gotta' find the energy to get the legs moving faster than ever before. Then, when you add planning for our trip to the United States (no easy task), reapplying for our visa, closing out our classes, planning for Germans visiting and having a last retreat with the confirmation class, June becomes a little 'front-loaded.'
-- My daydream right now--
The night before heading back to Pittsburgh, I'm sure that Jamie and I will stay in our favorite hostel in Prague, Sir Toby's, where the basement is a fantastic pub that has all the charm and authenticity that you expect from a backpacker hangout. And as I buy my last Czech draft and sit in one of the over-worn armchairs, I will rest my head back, taste the bitter coolness of the beer on my tongue and for the first time in a long time, reflect on life, on the Czech Republic and anticipate the reunion with family, friends, familiar scenery and the things I deeply love. I look forward to this moment.
-- not yet jeremy, not yet--
I don't want to give the impression that I don't like being in the Czech Republic, because that is actually quite far from the truth. I really enjoy the experience, the peacefulness and the freedom that comes from living in a small town in the countryside. Each day I do not have to worry about crime, about going out at night, traffic, chaos, health insurance or bills ( we have some, yes). Each weekend Jamie and I are free to roam on the hiking trails that traverse the hills in all directions from Policka. One of the most beautiful, refreshing facts about my life here is that I haven't driven a car for almost a year; I walk, I ride my bike, I hike and I take life at a slower, more authentic pace. When it was cold in the winter, I felt the bit of the wind on my face and the snow brushing my eye-lashes. When it rains, I walk slowly and surely through the puddles and feel each drop clang against my head. In the spring time, I find myself noticing the the buttery-sweet fragrance of blooming trees and flowers. I even get to smell the freshly-manured fields when the wind is blowing just right-- this 'smrad' (czech for stench) reminds me, weekly, that I really am a city-slicker from upbringing, as I still "gufawh" every time I catch a hint. I find it really refreshing that I can see friends and students in the town square during the working day. I can buy rolls and bread from the local bakery, stop by the fruit/vegetable stand to pick up some fresh carrots and peruse through the book store to see what's new. I often get invitations to head to one of the local pubs, where I finally feel confident speaking Czech and know that I'm not completely looked at as an outsider (maybe a little, but it's better than in August!): I know exactly what beer is the best -- Policka Kvasnicove (un-pasteurized, yeast beer)-- and what table I prefer. I have grown accustomed to the weather in Policka, as I am used to its fickle manner: I know that in the morning, just because there is a clear sky and sun, doesn't mean that by afternoon there won't be any rain; I know that the forecast on the nightly news is usually a day in advance for us, so if it calls for rain on Monday, I can expect it Tuesday. I have grown accustomed to seeing elderly people gardening and walking around in their fields. I used to be shocked by this, because my mind was accustomed to seeing the aged relegated to wheelchairs, automatic lifters and 'rascal' scooters, but now I find it normal that a man aged 85 can still wield a hoe and dig a trench without taking a break every 2 minutes. I have adjusted to life without a dryer, which seems kind of silly, but when you have to plan laundry around its drying length, things are littler more complicated than just cleaning the lint trap, shutting the door and hitting the button. I've even managed to eat with both of my hands. Here in the Czech Republic, it is proper etiquette to eat with both elbows on the table and with utensils in your hands at all times: fork in the left, knife in the right. This has come about because the Czech meals, which are saucy and meaty by nature, require you to use both utensils for effective 'shoveling' as I like to call it. For an American who has been chastised his whole life for being a "pig" if both of his elbows were positioned in attack mode around his dinner plate, this change in dining habit is very difficult to get a handle on: many times, especially early on, I was fighting the thought of looking like a ravenous animal as I tore away at my plate with both hands surrounding it (American mind). Not to mention, it is actually really difficult for me to eat with my left hand, as I really don't use it very much, aside from playing baseball. I've also grown accustomed to using Czech phrases and words in my every day speech. I would say that sometimes I mix the languages completely, where I create some kind of CZENGLISH hybrid of a language: the word for hedge hog in Czech is 'jezek', which I use in sentences such as, "Jamie, I can't wait until the Jezeks come out." Or, when someone asks me a question, I have a habit of saying "ano, or nevim" instead of "yes, or I don't know." So, if you see me doing this, please laugh and 'roll with it.' In another way, I do believe that my personality has begun to change a little bit since my move here, but it is really hard for me to get a handle on what EXACTLY has changed, which might be a consequence of the fact that the process is still happening as I am writing this.
I am sorry that this post is one GIGANTIC paragraph (Faulkner anyone?). I really could write a whole lot more, but I might have to save that post for my last day before heading home. I guess in a way, this post ended as a warning to my family and friends: I might be a changed person when I come back, but please be patient with me and ask me questions, because it is through your observations that I can really begin to digest and understand my time spent here.
I hope you enjoyed some of the thoughts!
Maybe I am focusing too much on whats to come, instead of leaning back in my chair and working/reflecting on the day at hand. I know that if I let my mind wander to the realm of "what will be", I might completely miss the kernels of insight that are right under my fingers, nose, feet...
I wish it was that easy just to focus, but it really is hard. Unlike previous years, this year's English-camp programming rests on the shoulders of Jamie and I. We are confident that we will be able to live up to the standards of the past, but we know that things will be different. What is more stressful is not coming up with ideas, but finding time. We are still in the midst of our classes, which means that our number one priority when headin' into the Church each morning, is planning and coming up with engaging lesson plans-- this might seem like an easy enough job, but after you have already planned over 50 of them, it gets a bit monotonous. On top of thinking creatively about the week-in and week-out work, we have to set aside time to brainstorm about camp activities. I don't want to sound like I am complaining, but this Spring is starting to feel like the final "kick" during a cross-country race: we are tired and have come so far, but we gotta' find the energy to get the legs moving faster than ever before. Then, when you add planning for our trip to the United States (no easy task), reapplying for our visa, closing out our classes, planning for Germans visiting and having a last retreat with the confirmation class, June becomes a little 'front-loaded.'
-- My daydream right now--
The night before heading back to Pittsburgh, I'm sure that Jamie and I will stay in our favorite hostel in Prague, Sir Toby's, where the basement is a fantastic pub that has all the charm and authenticity that you expect from a backpacker hangout. And as I buy my last Czech draft and sit in one of the over-worn armchairs, I will rest my head back, taste the bitter coolness of the beer on my tongue and for the first time in a long time, reflect on life, on the Czech Republic and anticipate the reunion with family, friends, familiar scenery and the things I deeply love. I look forward to this moment.
-- not yet jeremy, not yet--
I don't want to give the impression that I don't like being in the Czech Republic, because that is actually quite far from the truth. I really enjoy the experience, the peacefulness and the freedom that comes from living in a small town in the countryside. Each day I do not have to worry about crime, about going out at night, traffic, chaos, health insurance or bills ( we have some, yes). Each weekend Jamie and I are free to roam on the hiking trails that traverse the hills in all directions from Policka. One of the most beautiful, refreshing facts about my life here is that I haven't driven a car for almost a year; I walk, I ride my bike, I hike and I take life at a slower, more authentic pace. When it was cold in the winter, I felt the bit of the wind on my face and the snow brushing my eye-lashes. When it rains, I walk slowly and surely through the puddles and feel each drop clang against my head. In the spring time, I find myself noticing the the buttery-sweet fragrance of blooming trees and flowers. I even get to smell the freshly-manured fields when the wind is blowing just right-- this 'smrad' (czech for stench) reminds me, weekly, that I really am a city-slicker from upbringing, as I still "gufawh" every time I catch a hint. I find it really refreshing that I can see friends and students in the town square during the working day. I can buy rolls and bread from the local bakery, stop by the fruit/vegetable stand to pick up some fresh carrots and peruse through the book store to see what's new. I often get invitations to head to one of the local pubs, where I finally feel confident speaking Czech and know that I'm not completely looked at as an outsider (maybe a little, but it's better than in August!): I know exactly what beer is the best -- Policka Kvasnicove (un-pasteurized, yeast beer)-- and what table I prefer. I have grown accustomed to the weather in Policka, as I am used to its fickle manner: I know that in the morning, just because there is a clear sky and sun, doesn't mean that by afternoon there won't be any rain; I know that the forecast on the nightly news is usually a day in advance for us, so if it calls for rain on Monday, I can expect it Tuesday. I have grown accustomed to seeing elderly people gardening and walking around in their fields. I used to be shocked by this, because my mind was accustomed to seeing the aged relegated to wheelchairs, automatic lifters and 'rascal' scooters, but now I find it normal that a man aged 85 can still wield a hoe and dig a trench without taking a break every 2 minutes. I have adjusted to life without a dryer, which seems kind of silly, but when you have to plan laundry around its drying length, things are littler more complicated than just cleaning the lint trap, shutting the door and hitting the button. I've even managed to eat with both of my hands. Here in the Czech Republic, it is proper etiquette to eat with both elbows on the table and with utensils in your hands at all times: fork in the left, knife in the right. This has come about because the Czech meals, which are saucy and meaty by nature, require you to use both utensils for effective 'shoveling' as I like to call it. For an American who has been chastised his whole life for being a "pig" if both of his elbows were positioned in attack mode around his dinner plate, this change in dining habit is very difficult to get a handle on: many times, especially early on, I was fighting the thought of looking like a ravenous animal as I tore away at my plate with both hands surrounding it (American mind). Not to mention, it is actually really difficult for me to eat with my left hand, as I really don't use it very much, aside from playing baseball. I've also grown accustomed to using Czech phrases and words in my every day speech. I would say that sometimes I mix the languages completely, where I create some kind of CZENGLISH hybrid of a language: the word for hedge hog in Czech is 'jezek', which I use in sentences such as, "Jamie, I can't wait until the Jezeks come out." Or, when someone asks me a question, I have a habit of saying "ano, or nevim" instead of "yes, or I don't know." So, if you see me doing this, please laugh and 'roll with it.' In another way, I do believe that my personality has begun to change a little bit since my move here, but it is really hard for me to get a handle on what EXACTLY has changed, which might be a consequence of the fact that the process is still happening as I am writing this.
I am sorry that this post is one GIGANTIC paragraph (Faulkner anyone?). I really could write a whole lot more, but I might have to save that post for my last day before heading home. I guess in a way, this post ended as a warning to my family and friends: I might be a changed person when I come back, but please be patient with me and ask me questions, because it is through your observations that I can really begin to digest and understand my time spent here.
I hope you enjoyed some of the thoughts!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
new paintings
Jeremy loves peanut butter, so I though it was fitting. 
Nearly every Wednesday evening this is the view out our front window. From the left there is Jeremy, Honza, then Madla. Honza isn't really that tall, he had his guitar on this back. So the three of them stand outside our appartment after every band practice and talk about stuff, which is great. I'll probably have this image of them in my mind for a long time. 
I like snails.
In November, I want and saw a dance preformace about Chess in the local theater with our friends Kyle and Abe who were visiting us. Two of our Czech friends, Jitka (in the white) and Kaja (in the black), were in in and the painting is from one of the pictures I took.
This is my most recent painting. I like painting with dots.
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