Czech Ads

I love Google. That is to say, I like Google as much as I could probably like an inanimate object.

However, I have recently been getting Czech advertisements on the side of my Gmail. So it's caught on that I'm in the Czech Republic, bravoooo! Too bad I don't speak Czech.

That's great. Excuse me while I don't bother translating this.

When advertisements are in a foreign language, I don't pay attention to them and they aren't so bothersome. Like my grandma who lost her sense of smell says, you might not be able to smell roses anymore, but you don't have to put up with odors either.

Language Barrier

I came to the Czech Republic without any knowledge of Czech, and quite frankly, with little desire to learn it. I've heard it's a simple language in that prepositions are not used much and sentence construction is easy, but I've also heard that it is difficult because, well, it is nothing like English. Or Spanish. Auto means car, politika means politics, and that is where the similarities end. Learning this language would be the definition of starting at square one, and the knowledge of it will be useful for me for exactly one year. After that, its relevance disappears. For me, at least. To make up for my lack of Czech, which I do at times feel guilty about, especially when I see my friends trying to pick up a bit of Czech, I have been working on improving my Spanish vocabulary by reading Spanish books. Spanish is a language I already know a lot of and plan to use for the rest of my life, so for me, it has more utility.

For these reasons, and probably more, I have not mustered up any interest in learning Czech, to which my trilingual German roommate snickered and stated that I am indeed a true American. I arrvived here without even knowing how to say hello, yes, or no, which, looking back, seems absurd to me now, considering how useful these words are. However, I came to Prague ethnocentrically thinking that more people would speak English than in reality really do.

I have picked up some useful words and phrases mostly because my survival instincts kicked in. Ano is yes. Ano is a lot of fun, because the way the Czechs pronounce it, it sounds like how I pronounce "I know" and so the rare times that I hear Czech people talking on their cell phones in public, when they answer the phone, to my untrained ears it sounds like they are stating to the caller that they know why they are calling. In addition, ano in Spanish means anus. Spanish is not my native language, so I try and imagine using the word "anus" in place of yes, and don't quite know how I would do it.

Dobry den means good day, but it is used as hello here. Ahoj (pronounced ahoy) means hello, but is only used for close friends and family. Prosím (proseem) means please and here's the really fun one: thank you is děkuji. I still have to Google Translate this one to get the spelling. The first time I looked this up I listened to it a million times, but could not say it. The thing with děkuji is that every person in the Czech Republic has his or her own way of pronouncing it. When I first got here and heard everyone pronouncing this word, I thought there were 14 different ways to say thank you, but in reality, they are all the same word. I've adapted to saying you-kwee or yicky, but the ways of pronouncing it are endless. The "d" is silent, by the way, and "j" sounds like a y. At this point I don't ask why, I just try to accept.

Lastly, and most importantly, about a week ago I learned how to say "I don't speak Czech" in Czech. This is probably an oxymoron, because by saying this, I am indeed capable of speaking some Czech. I have had at least half a dozen people come up to me and ask me for directions, even when my headphones are in, to whom I have stared, removed my earplugs, and said slowly, in English, "I'm sorry, I don't speak Czech." I must look Czech to them, which is a major contrast to Spain, where people rarely asked me for directions because one glance was enough to tell them that I am not a native. This is some annoying irony because I can actually speak Spanish and, believe it or not, give directions, at least around Granada, where I have spent so much time, yet in the country where people do ask me directions, I can't speak the language. Store clerks and train ticket-checkers often say something to me, and I don't like smiling and shaking my head in a confused manner. So I decided to learn how to say: nemluvím česky (pronounced neh mloo veem chesky). After meeting a nice Czech girl who told me how to pronounce it correctly, I can now say it, um, decently, although far from like a native.

Knowing how to say this has been one of the best decisions I have made in this country. Czech people really appreciate when I speak their language, albeit a very pathetic and conversation-ending phrase. Instead of trying to decipher my English "I don't speak Czech," they know right away that I am a foreigner and don't have to waste time trying to figure out why I can't seem to communicate with them like a normal Czech person. For example, the ticket-checker on the train today said something to me, and I told her this phrase. She smiled, said something that was probably the Czech equivalent of okay, and left me alone.

I think I've hit the plateau of my Czech knowledge. I still need to learn good night and goodbye, but I'm in no rush. However, today I learned 6 new Spanish words from a Spanish newspaper. In conclusion, bilingual is just fine for me.

Chimney Man

The other day something happened that has made me reflect and appreciate life a bit more. My boyfriend and I were sitting on the Prague subway chatting in Spanish and there was a man who seemed to be a manual laborer, perhaps even a hobo, with a gray one-piece suit on. As is par for the course, we had lost track of what stop we were at and started wondering out loud in English where exactly we were. Well, this man was sitting next to us and I could tell during the conversation that he was interested in what we were saying. He jumped into our conversation and told us in some broken English that the stop we were looking for hadn't arrived yet. He asked if we didn't mind, could we tell him what language we were speaking before we switched to English. We said Spanish, and he seemed satisfied with the answer. He said, "I make chimney man" which I quickly corrected (must be my inner English teacher) to be that he is a chimney man, ahem, worker.

Something like this, minus the hat

Normally, it seems that the Czech people that speak English work in higher paying jobs than the chimney sector. This made me think about how this man knew English...perhaps he learned it in school, perhaps he needs to speak it with his customers, or perhaps he has an interest in English and has managed to pick up some of the language himself. I feel bad for him though - it seems that he is a bit stuck in his job. Is he happy being a chimney man? Can he work in another job if he wants to? He speaks some English, so could he move to an English-speaking country if he wanted to, to work? I assume that being a chimney man does not pay very well, and I ask myself what options he has in his life.

All of which makes me grateful for the options that I have in my life, for the fact that I have flexibility in where I live and in what I do. Who knows, maybe he is happy "making chimney man" in his life and wouldn't trade it for all the jobs in English in the world. I shouldn't push my thoughts into his head. His head is not mine, and after all, we probably think differently.

Prague in Pictures

Ever wanted to see Prague without actually having to move from your couch? I decided to make the effort and do it for you. You're welcome.

Wenceslas Square

Oh good, McDonald's has reached Prague. I was worried there for a minute.

A cathedral, I'm still working on learning names...

Apparently people get married on Tuesdays in Prague

Old Town Square

Horses in Old Town Square

Um, statues in Old Town Square

What appears to be a cathedral

A nice summer market

A bridge

Meat

???

The following pictures are views from Charles Bridge on a beautiful, 70 (ahem, 21 degrees Celsius) degree Saturday afternoon.

The entrance from a distance

The entrance close up

I heard more English on this bridge than I've heard in my whole time here in Prague

Someone's beautiful balcony garden

Adorable river-side café where I want to eat. One day...

Looks like Venice!

I really think the hot air balloon adds so much to this picture

The other end of the Charles Bridge

Ok, you just virtually crossed the Charles Bridge. Congratulations! Now, no more vistas from the Charles Bridge. Just of the bridge :)

A park near Charles Bridge

So green!

View of the Charles Bridge

Again

A plaza off of Charles Bridge

Another bridge

A restaurant's menu at the entrance of Charles Bridge. I'll pass. And what's pork knuckle? That can't be too tender.

Malostranksa Square

Well, that's Prague in a nutshell! Once I discover more of the city I will have a lot of other exciting pictures, but these are the really popular, touristy sights of the city. Enjoy!

How do you say "FML" in Czech?

Adjustment to life in Prague has been smooth, for the most part, with the exceptions of some turbulent bumps. I needed to register in the Foreign Police office, as I am a foreigner. In the first meeting with my new boss, she told me to go register myself and that the people in the office would speak a bit of English. I went straight from my meeting with her to the Foreign Police office. As soon as I entered I had a feeling that something was not going to go right. First of all, I had an inkling that the 65 year old, obese man behind the "Informace" (Information) desk where I got in line just might not know any English. I waited in line to speak to him, and lo and behold, English, not so much. I handed him my passport and what my boss had written in Czech to get the point across of what it was I needed. He looked at my passport, smiled, and said American, eh? I only know this because American in Czech is americky, not too hard to figure out. He then went on to make what I can only imagine to be a snide comment, snickered, and handed me the passport back. He then said a few sentences in Czech, looked at me, and figured out I had not even the slightest clue what he just said. He then directed himself to the line and asked if anyone spoke English. Fortunately, a guy in the line did speak English and told me I needed to go to another office on a different floor than this office. He then proceeded to tell me the name of the office I was to go to, to which I pleaded he write down the horrendous, 57 syllable name of whatever office he just said. At that very moment, another worker at the office happened to pass by and the guy behind the counter asked her to show me where to go.

We walked to another building very close by, and at the door she signaled where I was to go and said everything in Czech, of course. The only reason I knew where to go was because the English speaking guy said 3rd floor, and this lady pointed to the left at the end of the hall. Using these clues, I made it with no problem to the actual Foreign Police office. I went to the computer that generated tickets. It was in English and Czech! This was a good sign; I relaxed. I figured out what I needed in English and printed the ticket, which was in Czech. I waited about 15 minutes and when they called me up I showed the lady my ticket and gave her my passport. She looked at them and then said things to me in Czech. As is my usual feeble response, I shrugged my shoulders and said "English?" She gave my passport back to me and the only English she then said was "You must speak Czech." After a moment of confusion, I asked if there was someone in the office who did speak English. She shook her head and said no. I was flabbergasted. This was the Foreign Police office. Surely they deal with English speaking immigrants on a daily basis, and no one in the office speaks English???

Before arriving to the Czech Republic, if I had to guess one place in the whole country that would speak English, I would guess the Foreign Office in the capital, A.K.A. Prague. After living here for a few days, I can now tell you that your best bet for English is the bank, pharmacy, and post office. The places where I would expect some level of English, like the Foreign Police office and the ticket booth for public transportation, are a bit lacking.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. Lesson learned. I came to Prague for excitement, right? Well, excitement I got!

Arrival to Prague

I’m in Prague! It’s been a stressful journey because Prague does not feel anything like home to me. In the past when I have crossed the Atlantic it has been to go to England to visit my family or to Spain to visit my boyfriend, and in both locations I always feel very comfortable and can speak the language. However, in the Czech Republic, I know no one, do not speak the language, and, well, do I need any more reasons?? However, Prague definitely has its redeeming qualities. Firstly, my boyfriend is also moving to Prague, and he is my main motivation for moving here. Secondly, I have attained a job teaching English, which is something I have always wanted to do after graduating from college. Thirdly, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Prague. I have talked to a handful of people who have visited, studied, or worked in Prague, and all have told me that they are just so incredibly jealous of me and will just have to come visit me while I’m there. So, I figured I can’t go wrong by moving to a city that all its visitors want to return to. According to them, and I will be confirming or rejecting this in a future entry according to my judgments, it is a beautiful, inexpensive city with incredible architecture, great nightlife, and fabulous public transportation. What can beat that? So making the decision to come here wasn’t much of a difficulty.

The major inconvenience for me in the Czech Republic is the language. I'm going to try not to be blatantly ethnocentric, but everything is in Czech! What is that about? I realize that it is the Czech Republic, and there is English occasionally on signs, like in the subway. But unless the food is an English brand, food in the supermarket is in Czech, so I spend a great deal of time eying food and reading Czech nutritional facts. So far I've learned fiber, calcium, fat, and protein. I'd translate them here but I've forgotten them already.

You knew there'd be a picture of milk in my blog. Notice there is nothing about skim, semi-skimmed, or anything. And the words in Czech on the front are not related to the fat content. I figured out that you need to look on the top of the carton for a percentage, A.K.A. fat content. Duly noted.


And here is the cereal I buy, with clear directions on the complex process of pouring cereal into a bowl, followed by the milk. The words above the picture say "Instructions for Preparation."

Oh, one more important thing to mention about the Czech Republic: the diet. As you’ll know from previous entries, it’s safe to say that I am a relatively picky eater, and do not eat meat or foods loaded with empty calories, generally. According to Lonely Planet’s guide book to Prague, the Czech diet is a “cardiologist’s nightmare.” Meat, dumplings, meat, goulash, fried cheese, wilted lettuce, with a side of meat. I have, however, read up on some vegetarian restaurants that I will be patronizing with frequency. But anyway, maybe this is a sign that I should start sharpening up my culinary skills and actually step foot into the kitchen to do something other than looking for snacks. Looks like it’s going to be a lot of boiled veggies and whole grain rice for a while.

Change of Scenery

I love the USA, I really do. I think it has a lot of great qualities, and it will always be my home first and foremost. The more I compare America and Europe, the more I think about how different they are. I am very happy in both places, but when I compare them, I start to see imperfections in America that I never noticed before. Until I studied in Spain when I was 20 years old, I thought America was perfect. I was quite happy with where my life was headed – I was an undergraduate student studying Spanish and enjoying college life. However, once I moved across the pond and started thinking beyond what new drink I would try at the bar next weekend, I realized that America has some serious flaws. For example, 45 million people are without health care because they can’t afford it. Another example – many Americans cannot afford to go to college, and thus do not attain an education level higher than high school and cannot make as much money as their more competitive peers who went to college and graduate school. These problems do not exist to nearly the same extent in Europe; there is more equality. I believe that America is oftentimes too capitalistic and inward looking, and has forgotten to care for the poor and hungry, or whatever shpeel the Statue of Liberty says. Life in the USA is not as good for many Americans as it was for me, and this bothers me. I want everyone living in America to live well, because that, to me, defines a perfect country.

So, I no longer believe America is better than any other country. It has some major flaws that could quite easily be worked out, if it weren’t for that obstacle we call politics. But don’t worry! I will still constantly be comparing America to other countries I learn about, more specifically, the Czech Republic, in the entries that follow. Why? Because I have moved to Prague! Read on for more details.