Thoughts on Prague

While I still have internet, I'd like to list some things that I've noticed...

1) The toilet paper seems to have been designed by either my father or the communists. It tears off in 2-square portions. And it is neither soft nor cushy. The toilets have odd flushing mechanisms; they don't have handles, but rather "buttons" to push, which consist of two separate sections. Having experimented with all possible combinations (e.g. just the right, just the left, or both at once), I have concluded that it really doesn't matter which button you push. They all use the same amount of water, the swirl is always clockwise, and it is mostly a matter of entertainment/ confusion.

2) There is only one place that makes dark beer in Prague (all other "Pivo" is Pilsner Urquell, which is no longer my favorite because it is the only pivo to be found most places in Prague). It is called U Fleku, and we ate dinner there last night. It has been serving beer (pivo) since 1499! It was rowdy, loud, cheerful, full of song. In other words, there was not a Czech in the house. We sat with a lovely Bulgarian family who are moving to South Carolina. In the next room, there appeared to be about a zillion Germans who spent the entire evening being serenaded by the tuba and accordian. They all sang so long and loudly that we all wished we knew the words! We tried to think of some American drinking songs, but only came up with "American Pie" and maybe the Grant Union Fight Song. Any suggestions?

3) I miss the sun. We've only seen it about a day and a half so far. It hasn't rained, but it's been foggy and smoggy the past week. In Gunnison, one of our claims to fame is that we have an average of over 300 days of sun per year. Not so for Prague.

4) There are not many places to see geology in Prague. Although the buildings appear to be made of stone, they are almost always actually made of cement. Inside St Vitus Cathedral (construction began during the 10th century) there were fossiliferous floor stones and columns:

When we visited the Jewish Quarter (Josephov), there were lots of Marly Limestone headstones in the cemetary. Interestingly, the cemetary holds roughly 12,000 headstones, but approximately 100,000 people. They ran out of room, so they began burying people on top of eachother, and hauling in new dirt to cover everyone up.

5) Trdlo is my new favorite food. It is suspiciously like an Elephant Ear that one might find at the county fair, except for the fact that it is often covered in whole Hazelnuts. It's also fun to say.

More photos

This is a caveman restaurant that we visited. No silverware, no manners, nothing else like it! We had so much fun eating with our hands and being grunted at by the waitstaff (who yell and grunt and dress like cavemen/cavewomen). We played a primitive dice game and I rolled an eye, so I had to drink some "unbelievably disgusting hog-wash", Robert got his face painted, and Tim had to eat lettuce. It was great fun! I'm still trying to figure out how to get a video clip posted successfully (still having computer issues), but until then, here are some examples from the menu:

PS- Tim, Robert, and I ordered Turo's Pee, and Mom had the Tobacco Juice. This was all drunk from earthenware bowls.


Until I can get my video of caveman waiters posted, check out the website:

Mom and I went to the Prague TV Tower. It is a huge, weird building on a hill that overlooks the entire city. And yes, those are giant babies crawling all over the tower.

We rode the elevator to the 8th floor observation deck. We got there right at about sunset, so we got to see this:

Here is a poster for the Museum of Communism. I want this tshirt!

Here is the parting shot for the day- the ubiquitous McDonald's sign. It true, there are 9 zillion McDonald's in Prague. Like Starbucks in Seattle.

We did actually eat lunch there one day because it was quick (all our other meals have taken a minimum of 2 hours). Here's a picture of the menu:

PHOTOS!

December 21, 2007
Flying over the German/Czech borderlands. No big mountains, but lots of neat hills and meandering rivers. Gorgeous sunset!

Tim's club- Radost FX

This is the underground lounge. Tim did the upolstery, painting, wall papering, design. I love this room! It's so silvery and mirrory. Can't wait for the New Year's Eve party in there!

We spend a lot of time on the escalators to the subway. Some of them are frighteningly fast, others have major wind issues. It's fun to see the posters for American movies like "Mr Magorium's magic emporium" and "PS I love you". I also enjoy the posters for something called "underwear in a can".

View of Wenceslas Square from the steps of the National History Museum. This is where the 1989 demonstrations against Communism took place. Imagine the entire length and breadth (in the night photo, as far as you can see lights) filled with people holding hands and singing. Half a million people. Below the statue is where Jan Paluk immolated himself to protest the Communist regime in 1969, an earlier protest.

The Charles Bridge (Karlovy Most). Prague Castle in the background on the hill. There are vendors all along the bridge, selling things like hand-drawn portraits and paintings of the town. There are also 30 giant statues of saints like Ludmilla (Wenceslas' mother) and Christopher and Cyril. The oldest statue, St. John Nepomuk was carved in 1683. The newest, St. Cyril with St. Methodius, was carved in 1938. We climbed the tower to take this photo:

Then we spent lots of very pretty money. The exchange rate has been about 18 Krowns to 1 Dollar.

This is another of Prague's 8 bridges.

And Tim showing demonstrating the process of preparing Absinthe. It involves a spoonful of sugar, a lighter, and a very strong stomach. It's awful! But I'm glad we all tried it. I'll try to post the video later.

Across from Tim's apartment is a delivery pizza place called "Pizza Go Home".

I apologize too....

Wireless internet is very hard to pick up in my flat. I could have been posting while at work though. Oops!

I thought I would also mention that we went to the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. The cathedral is apparently one on the three largest in the world. The castle is the largest in the world. About 8 footbal fields would fit in the castle grounds.

We toured the Charles bridge. Construction of this bridge was started 571 years ago. It is only for pedestrians and completely lined with statues of saints. The little quarter (MalaStrana) is the oldest neighborhood in Prague and is at West end of the bridge. We walked through their and had hot mead. A hot spiced white wine.

Also, a lot of time has been spent in the restaurant/Club I also call home; Radost FX. Erin helped me out one day so far and I will be recruiting more help for New Years Eve. We have a lot of pressure to be the best party in Prague as we just got the the results of a poll for the best nightclubs in the world and Radost FX came in at #8!!!!!! We were the only Czech club in the top 100!!!! Hoorayy!!!!

So this evenning we will defy all odds and post pictures!!! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!!!

My apologies for lack of posts since we came to Prague. There is absolutely nothing reliable about the internet here. Before I get kicked off again, here is a list of places we've visited:

Natural History Museum- the books say it isn't worth a visit, but that's wrong! It was amazing! Tons of killer fossils and neato mineral samples, and a giant stuffed Mammoth head.

Old Town Square- the astrological clock is hard to figure out, but at the hour it bongs and a line of saints parade past the windows. Very cool! Also, the Christmas Eve mass was not really very "massy". It was more of a concert. Beautiful music (in Czech, so we didn't sing along) and millions of xmas lights.

National Opera- On Xmas day, we went to see a performance of the folk stories of the Czech people, performed mostly by children. It was incredible- the dancing was beautiful, and the songs were very cheery (which is odd because these are the grumpiest, rudest, most awful people in the world).

Museum of Communism- it really is above a McDonald's! And next to a casino! And down from Bennetton! It tells the story of how Communism began, and why it seemed like a good idea. Then it follows the path from the idealism of Marx to the abuses by pretty much everyone after Marx. It told the story of the "Velvet Revolution" (foreign media's name for the CZ's overthrow of Communism). It took Poland 10 years to beat Communism. Hungary, 10 months, East Germany 10 weeks. Czechoslovakia 10 days. Amazing to watch the video footage of people who look like most of us, dress like most of us, and are my Mom's age- peacefully marching in Wenceslas Square, and being beaten by police (uniformed and plain-clothed). But it worked, and Vaclac Havel (essayist and philosopher) was elected President.

Because I'm on Robert's computer (and my photos are saved on Tim's computer), no photos today. I will try to trick the internet gods into letting me blog tomorrow.

I hope everyone is well and had good holidays. We're all sick today, and taking a much-needed break from tromping all over Prague.

Ahoy! (Goodbye)
Dobre nacs! (Goodnight)

My Photographic Handicap

I know everyone is eager to see pictures of the places we are and will be writting about. My dilema is I am just completely stupid with computers. The fact that I am posting on a blog is a miracle. Actually, I have been struggling with an ailing computer, and stuck memory card and the inability to use my computer to connect to the internet. Furthermore, my computer decided it no longer wishes to burn images to CD for me. We haven't spoken in weeks as a result. I blame communism. Tomorrow when the Cahills unite in Prague there will hopefully be some resolve. Till then hold tight and check out www.radostfx.cz. The nighclub I work in. There may be a few new pictures like the room with the blue light wall in baroque patterns is my work. I promise though I will figure out how to get you pictures of a bloodied carp on the sidewalk in Prague!!!!

The Carp Are Out .....

......And the streets are bloody with there sacrificial Christmas Cheer.

One of the big Czech traditions is in full swing this Christmas. On many busy squares and intersections you will find large tubs of water with giant carp swimming around inside. Outside the tubs you find large men in blood and guts splattered jumpsuits yelling at the carp. People walk up, pick one out and the flearless jumpsuit wearing man goes in after the fish. It seems the fish are not worthy adversaries because the men always prevail. Their victory of the catch is followed by loud shouts, so far I can't understand them, and then fish brutality. On the sidewalks in front of commuters, tourists and soon to be owner of fresh fish meat, the carp it sliced open. Blood runs from the carp, through the cobble stone and into the gutters. Once fully emptied of the unwanted inards, the proud new owners pays the large jumpsuited man and the rest of the carp swim and wait.

Merry Christmas!!!

Czech Trivia

This all comes from http://www.myczechrepublic.com/basics/trivia, http://members.shaw.ca/stauderm/html/czech_trivia.html, and http://www.princeton.edu/~slavic/Czech/Czech%20Webpage%20Files/facts.html

Did You Know?

...that the soft contact lens was invented in Czechoslovakia by professor Otto Wichterle in 1961.

.....that the word "robot" comes from the Czech language ("robota" = "work", "hard work" in some dialects) and was first introduced in Josef and Karel Capek's science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots).

.... The origin of the sugar cube can be traced to the Czech town of Dačice.

Famous Czechs

Alphonse Mucha, Franz Kafka, Ivan Lendl.

Did you further know?

...that Czech astronomers have named an asteroid "Dominik" after Dominik Hasek to thank the goalie for his contribution in the 1998 Winter Olympics.

...that Sigmund Freud was born in and spent the first years of his life in what is now the Czech Republic?

...the Czechs have been drinking beer since time immemorial. The secret of Czech beer is that agricultural conditions are ideal for growing hops, and chronicles establish their cultivation in Bohemia as early as 859 A.D., while the first evidence of their export dates back to 903. Bohemian hops were so prized that King Wenceslas ordered the death penalty for anyone caught exporting the cuttings, from which new plants could be grown.

Population Facts

from http://www.princeton.edu/~slavic/Czech/Czech%20Webpage%20Files/facts.html

Population StatisticsTotal Pop: 10,249,216 people

(51.3% female, 48.7% male)

22.8% under the age of 19

13.8% over the age of 65

81.2 % Czech

13.2% Moravian

3.1% Slovak

39.8% atheist

39.2% Roman Catholic

4.6%, Protestant

3%, Orthodox

13.4% Other

Geography

Area: About 30,450 sq miles (78,866 sq km), slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate: The average annual temperature ranges between 5.5°C (42°F) and 10°C (50°F), but temperatures are lower in the mountains.

The average annual rainfall is 693 mm (27 inches). The normal summer temperature varies between 23°C (73°F) and 29°C (84°F), and the normal winter temperature varies between -11°C (12°F) and 0°C (32°F).

The highest peak, Snežka, in the western mountains, has an annual average snowfall of 130 days.

The never ending Decorations.....

Never in my life did I ever think that all I would do from 8am to 11pm everyday was decorate, take down and then redecorate. Radost FX is the nighclub/restaraunt I do interior decorating for. Having been established longer than any other nightclub in the city the holidays are one party after another. I just finished decorating for a party and the doors open in 30 minutes. five hours from now I will take down some of it and then start adding more for tomorrow nights party. This is how it has worked for the last month now and will go on past New Year's. The club ceiling has around 300 snowflakes of different sizes dangling from it and more are going up. I am making icecycles taller then myself to go from the ceiling to the just above the floor. Friday is a Hollywood party with a lot of stage performances. For that I am making a twenty meter long film strip to wrap around the bar and a backdrop of the Hollywood Hill's in snow. In between the parties are catering events. Setting tables with candles, flowers and fabrics. Of course it is also my job to do the general upkeep. I have a bed cover to make out of silver snake print vinyl, a sofa in the VIP area to reupholster, lot's of painting. It sounds impossible but somehow I have to figure out how to get it all done......in the next couple days!!!!

Czech this out.....

I was supposed to start a blog back when I arrived in Europe. Oops..... So I am very excited to have the family here and play imposter tour guide. Sadly, I can't offer to much in the way of interesting facts, stats, remarkable stories or traditions from the Czech Republic. I work so much that I am not, Czeching things out as much I should. This is why I am looking forward to having the family here here to explore with.

How I got here........Long story that is still a little unbelievable even to me. I was beginning 2007 in a bad way. Sick, depressed and healing from a spider attack. After several peoples encouragement and urging I left for France where Dad, Beth and the kids were living.

Wow this is a long story.....

Ok so, I arrived in Paris on May15th spent nearly a week there walking the streets alone and visiting museums and monuments. Met some great people and really enjoyed the time there. Then I took off for Bordeaux by train. It was my first time on a high speed train. The trip by car I think is 5 or 6 hours but in the train it took only 2.5 hours. From there I took a bus to one of the farthest corners of France. Dad and Beth were living in the village of Lege' which is where I made my home for almost a month. It was a great time and we all had so much fun exploring and relaxing together. Well, I did most of the relaxing but I enjoyed it. As a final extravagant adventure together in France and a way to culminate all of our experiences there we set off for several days on a house boat a floated through the canals and rivers in south central France.

Prior to us leaving for the house boat trip. I had contacted friends in Prague telling them that due to good time I was having in France with my family and the fast appraoching departure date that I would not be coming for a visit. Also, I was down to very little money. So the day before we set out I get this email from Angelique, my dear friend from Portland whom I had known for 7 years. She informed me that she was passing on my story to people she knew in Prague. Next thing you know Raposa is emailing me with news of a possible job for me. Then the owner of Prague's oldest night club is calling my dad. It all became this buzz amongst as we were preparing for the trip the boat.

After ariving the our boat, "Berry", Dad got a 5 second lesson on how to drive the house down the canal and Beth and I tried to study and learn the manual to be prepared for the locks. We learned that just a few minutes into the excursion we had to pass therough 3 locks, one after another. Ahhhhhhh!!!! Well it was a panic and cool experience. We all were sure we were going to panic and I was having horrible images flash in my head of the boat getting stuck sideways in the lock or something, but it turned out cool. We deffientely felt cool after completing the third and set off drifting in the hot sun.

To celebrate our awesome success, we cracked open a bottle of champagne and took to our much anticipated life of leisure. Not five minutes of sipping on champagne and laying on the roof of the boat in my bathing suit did my phone start ringing. I was excited because the first three numbers were 420. I thought what a stoner number. Anyway I answered and here it is the owner of this nightclub, Radost FX. Bethea and just began chatting very naturally about ourselves and what was going on in our lives and then boom, she said I could have a job decorating the Restaurant/ nightclub if I would be willing to move to Prague. I told her, "Ok, I'll be there Friday." That's it really. Glamour and fortunes made on the canals of Southern France that transpired into National Lampoons Czech Cahill Christmas Vaction.

Things I know so far

• The CZ has not been under communitst rule since 1993. Tim's friends say that communism wasn't so bad; not like the communism we learned about in school.
• Czech is a Slavic language; that's why my mouth doesn't want to make those sounds. It's used to Germanic speech patterns, where we're spoiled by having vowels between the consonants. Vowels are like a break for your mouth. I hope the Czechs appreciate that I'm trying!
• Tampax are not sold in the CZ.
• King Wenceslas, of Christmas song fame, is a national hero of the CZ. We will be touring his castle, as it is in downtown Prague. Gramma has promisesd to teach me the real words to the song (I only know the parody version).
• Czech geology is pretty exciting. Lots of caves and marine sediments with little critter fossils. I'm sure there's some pretty great metamorphism in the mountains, but it will be fun to investigate! FYI: geology maps in the US use a different color scheme than other countries. This is good to know ahead of time, because otherwise you look at the map and say "what the hell was going on here!?"
• There are no Reece's Peanut Butter Cups sold in the CZ.
• There is no Vaseline Intensive Care sold there, either.
• Prague was one of the few cities not bombed heavily during WW I & II. The result is that there are many old (not like North American "old"- really old!) buildings and institutions still in existance. I'll post many photos once I get there.
• Some of the best beer in the world (well, my favorite, anyway) is produced in the CZ. Urquell (which I like to call "Erkle" because it makes the snooty bartenders mad) is the big one, but Tom the Czech Bartender (not snooty) tells me that even their worst beer is better than most American beer. I assume he's talking about Coors and PBR, because the PNW has some pretty awesome beer! In the interest of scientifically determining the quality of the beer, I will experiment much and report my findings.
• The CZ is not quite as big as Oregon or Colorado.

Okay, that is all for now. Thank you for visiting!

In the beginning...

This is the inaugural post of the blog designed to keep my family posted on the big Prague Adventure.

For those of you who don't know, my Mom, Gramma, Robert, and I are going to visit Tim (my younger brother) in the Czech Republic for the holidays. The countdown to liftoff began back in about August, and has finally reached a realistic number. As of today, we have only 16 1/2 days til departure!

The story of how Tim ended up in Prague is a good one, but maybe I can convince him to tell it on this blog, later. It's his story and he tells it well. Besides, I have such a reputation for exaggeration that no one would believe it if I told it! Haha

So, to begin this saga, I will detail some of the preparations (and bizarre questions that have come up) for our big adventure...

1) Learning Czech-
Mom got us all CDs called "Czech on the Plane". The hope is that we will learn a language so very different from Germanic languages... on the flight over. Mom and I are cheating; we've been listening to the CD already. So far I can ask for beer, a bathroom, say please, who and where, and two very bad words (from Tom the bartender who used to live in Brno). But hey, I have 16 more days to become fluent!

2) What to wear-
I recently found out that the climate in Prague is nothing like that of Gunnison. I thought it would be cold with very little humidity. Wrong. It's quite humid there. Today it was 87% humidity! In Gunnison we have about 10% for our average. It's going to feel a lot colder in Prague.

3) Are we required to eat Carp?
It's apparently a tradition in the CZ to select a giant, living Carp from a giant vat of swimming, happy fish. Then, according to said tradition, scales are removed and placed under the dinner plates and in the wallet. It's good luck. Then, the Carp is dispatched and eaten by the now lucky family.

So, in the interest of keeping this blog interesting and relevant, please feel free to ask questions and make suggestions. Thank you for visiting!