For Shabbos, Leah and I went to the Chabad house

gailpinetown (gailpinetown) wrote,
@ 2005-09-10 16:59:00

Current mood:	bouncy
Current music:	Ben Folds - Brick

Swallowed by the Czechs for a while - Omlouvam se
Ahoj! I have been too busy doing my Prague thing and responding to personal emails to write unfortunately but here we go:

This past week has been pretty crazy. We have had Czech class every day for a few hours and between that and just being here I am picking up things little by little. I will be studying the language this semester and am excited to improve. Monday I went on a tour of the Jewish section, which was a little bit too long and depressing but we were at least able to see the area and the shuls and the cemetery. So later that day my friend Julie, Leah and I went for some food at Irish Bar around the Old Towne Square and met some British men. Woohoo. Then to meet our friends at a hookah bar and then to a club on the Charles River where we danced the whole night away to bad and great American music until about. Czech class was definitely rough the next day. I was very proud of myself though because I was able to direct everyone to the river - Kristy and Sarah.

Tuesday - I think we went food shopping and got all of our food for under $40 for two of us. Not too shabby. We attended the Marriage of Figaro at the Estates Theatre, which was in Italian and subtitled in Czech and English - very beautiful. I am excited to study about it. It was my first opera I guess, other than Candide but that was English so I don't think it qualifies. Over the next few days we studied more Czech, wandered more about the city, and sought for vegetarian food. I went to a vegan place for lunch and was pretty disappointed with the food but I think I am just going to have to adjust to Eastern European style food. We went to a bar around the corner and they have a jukebox that lists genres of music, one of which was "Black Music (Rap, Reggae, R&B, Hip Hop). Europe is amazingly unconcerned about racial issues.

Leah and I also had a date one afternoon to go across the Charles Bridge finally, which we did after climbing the tower. In the middle of the river is a crucifix with Hebrew above it read "kadosh kadosh kadosh hashem tzivaot". The other side of the river is my favorite part of the city thusfar - preserved Baroque style row homes in pastels along winding narrow streets. Yay for Europe. There are bars, restaurants and stores lining the street under a long archway. I was dying. I am excited to go back soon.

For Shabbos, Leah and I went to the Chabad house, which had about 30-40 attendants. We were fortunate to be invited back to the Rabbis apartment for a feast of all feasts, in which we were able to finally eat meat and all sorts of other foods prepared and presented beautifully. The table was funny because we had English, Hebrew, Czech, French, and Portuguese present - therefore language became somewhat an issue, though we mostly settled on English and feel back on Hebrew when necessary. The family was very nice but I don't even know how many weekends I will actually be in Prague for Shab. Anyway, we were asking the wife how to get food here that we are able to eat because we can't read labels and apparently the Czechs use pig in breads and cheese but she basically told us that it is just very difficult to come by food. It takes a lot of effort and you really just have to do the best you can - or bring it from Israel. There were a couple of people at the table who travel to Israel every other week so we were asking them about the best way of flying there - it looks fairly expensive though. Leah and I are off to STA Travel tomorrow to try to figure out or Fall Break trip to the Mediterranean and our trip to Brno this weekend. Brno is the capital of Moravia, the eastern side of the Czech Republic. More on that as it approaches.

My schedule has giving me a bit a trouble as NYU keeps moving things but I think I am taking the a course of Central European cities, Czech I, Czech Art and Architecture, and Central and Eastern European Literature. I am also going to be applying for internships as soon as I get my act together - I guess tomorrow. I met my professor for my Art and Architecture when he took us on a tour of Prague Castle and I am in love. He is this soft but well spoken English chap. I am so excited to hang out with him twice a week. The castle is breathtaking - such fantastic views of the city, comprised of architecture all before the 19th Century, and with a great wealth and gardens. So there was a week in a nutshell.

Important information: I am starting Gmail Talk so I can talk to people without paying 50 cents a minute and you don't have to get a calling card. So you should join. It's free - you just need a mic. I am sgromanoski@gmail.com when you get it so yay we'll talk! I also found a found a place that shows two NFL games every week at 7 and 10 pm so I hope to catch a few Eagles game via that means. Hoorah. I have a friend's bday tonight at a hookah place and then a club so off to prepare for that. Thanks all for your email - they are hard to keep up with - but keep them coming. Hope all is well. Love.