I was awakened in the middle of the night by whistling wind and a creaking door. I should probably try to describe the doors in this house first. They're of a very peculiar construction, more like room dividers than actual doors. I have the worst time trying to get them to close. They seem to be made of heavy bendable plastic. There are two panels, probably designed to keep out noise, but it doesn't work very well. You have to pull it tight over the doorway and then latch it shut. They're definitely not my favorite, and apparently when the wind blows they rattle and shake like someone is trying to get in.
As is often the case in the middle of the night I spent the first few minutes just trying to assess what was really going on. Once I decided no one was trying to enter the room I concentrated more on the storm that was seriously brewing outside.
The room flickered with light. It took a while to figure out what was lightening and what was connected to machines. Mark and I both have macs, and when they're sleeping, their little lights breathe in and out causing the light in the room to grow and diminish around them. There are also the flickering lights of the wifi, and some glowing lights on the sound board. After deciphering what was what, I was truly in awe of the light that remained.
The lightening was literally flickering like a strobe light outside the window. It was almost constant and sometimes nearly blinding. Even thought the shades were drawn it filled the room nearly the the point of daylight. The thunder mostly rumbled endlessly, with occasional massive booms that made the room shake even more.
The strangest part of all, however, was when the light that flooded the room was not white but...green. I've never seen lightening like that. I was wide awake by this point, and tempted to completely pull up the blinds and see if I could actually see green bolts, but I wasn't quite that high energy.
This morning I asked Mark if he'd enjoyed the storm and he said he slept through it but made me promise to wake him up the next time.
Now we're all packed up and ready to head off to Susice where Mark's grandma lives. Should be an interesting weekend...
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Flash from the past
So today I was on tagged in a photo that was pretty impressive. Talk about bringing back the old, and most assuredly chubby days.
I'm guessing this is from about 2nd or 3rd grade era, based mostly on my extreme white roundness, so I'm probably 8 or 9 here. Could be a bit off, but that's my best guess. The really impressive bit was that Mark guessed right off which one was me. So crazy. I haven't seen most of these people in absolute ages, but I was able to clearly identify everyone. In the back we have Noah Dice, Daniel and Gregg Neitsch, Charlie Linfoot. Middle row is Shirley Ward, Ramona Neitsch, and Theresa Dice, then in the front you've got Savana Oliver, yours truly, and Amy Claypole. It was probably a Ramona birthday party since she was the one who posted the pic.
Just amazingly crazy to see this and to remember the era. This would be back in the days when I did insane things like eating 8 hot dogs plus buns plus chips and cake and ice cream at Christina Stewart's birthday party. Talk about SICK! What was I?
In contrast, I've recently been on a get myself back in shape kick. We're talking working out in the mornings with some serious sweating involved, and drinking liters of water on a daily basis. I was telling Mark this evening about back in high school when I gave up drinking water completely. There were 4 or 5 years of my life when I drank close to no water. He says it's probably changed because of the miraculous powers of the water here...maybe...
Together with the picture blast I was also teleported in the theatre. We watched the A-Team tonight and it was pretty much spectacular. As soon as the movie got going I had the old school theme song running through my head, and so many memories of the crazy characters involved. We both laughed a lot and definitely enjoyed the experience. It was a lot more exciting than the Knight Rider remake that we watched on TV a couple nights ago. The action and comedy definitely delivered.
In all, a pretty entertaining afternoon :)
I'm guessing this is from about 2nd or 3rd grade era, based mostly on my extreme white roundness, so I'm probably 8 or 9 here. Could be a bit off, but that's my best guess. The really impressive bit was that Mark guessed right off which one was me. So crazy. I haven't seen most of these people in absolute ages, but I was able to clearly identify everyone. In the back we have Noah Dice, Daniel and Gregg Neitsch, Charlie Linfoot. Middle row is Shirley Ward, Ramona Neitsch, and Theresa Dice, then in the front you've got Savana Oliver, yours truly, and Amy Claypole. It was probably a Ramona birthday party since she was the one who posted the pic.
Just amazingly crazy to see this and to remember the era. This would be back in the days when I did insane things like eating 8 hot dogs plus buns plus chips and cake and ice cream at Christina Stewart's birthday party. Talk about SICK! What was I?
In contrast, I've recently been on a get myself back in shape kick. We're talking working out in the mornings with some serious sweating involved, and drinking liters of water on a daily basis. I was telling Mark this evening about back in high school when I gave up drinking water completely. There were 4 or 5 years of my life when I drank close to no water. He says it's probably changed because of the miraculous powers of the water here...maybe...
Together with the picture blast I was also teleported in the theatre. We watched the A-Team tonight and it was pretty much spectacular. As soon as the movie got going I had the old school theme song running through my head, and so many memories of the crazy characters involved. We both laughed a lot and definitely enjoyed the experience. It was a lot more exciting than the Knight Rider remake that we watched on TV a couple nights ago. The action and comedy definitely delivered.
In all, a pretty entertaining afternoon :)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Just Call me Miss Mystery...
Being a substitute teacher in Alaska taught me a lot of things, perhaps the most valuable being that I most definitely don't want to do that job again. I learned things about how evil 7 year olds can be, how smiling at people can prompt them to be even more evil, and that not everyone has a desire to be good. In truth, some of them find any opportunity to be bad positively delightful. Okay, so basically I learned that being a substitute teacher is most assuredly NOT my dream job.
All the same, the year provided plenty of fodder for blogs and future classroom anecdotes. I mean how many jobs in your life provide being punched in the face by a 13 year old boy twice your size, trying to prevent 2nd graders from drop kicking their classmate, or standing outside in the freezing cold for hours while a slew of Kindergartners slip around on little red shovels.
Yes, there is a point to this walk down memory lane. I learned fairly early on in my year that one of the best ways to maintain at least some semblance of control in the classroom was to have a secret. It allowed me to have the upper hand, and that somehow kept their attention. The easiest thing to keep a secret was, of course, my first name. Of all random things. But it worked. They seemed rather horrified by the fact that they didn't know exactly who I was. Students would beg and plead for even the smallest clue, but in the whole year there were only two girls who actually guessed it correctly, and they were happy to keep it as a secret, granting themselves a little power over their classmates in the bargain as well.
One Fourth Grade class, being so frustrated by my tight lipped control, dubbed me Ms. Mystery. Rather liked that title myself. When a Second Grade class in the same school was whining about their lack of knowledge in the lunch room, I pointed them to these Fourth Grade girls who promptly assured them they would never find out and that I really was "Ms. Mystery."
I hadn't thought about that incident for a long time, but today I decided to adopt the persona once again. Since moving to the Czech Republic nearly 3 years ago, I've often found myself outside normal lines of communication. While I've "studied" Czech (yes I use that term very loosely) I'm still FAAAAAAAARRRRR from mastering this ridiculously difficult language. All the same, in my little town of Cheb, I generally didn't feel at a loss. Being a member of a community of native English speakers, there were generally 6 to 8 of us living in town, I was a curiosity, but not exactly an anomaly. I frequented the same places over and over to the point that I was well known. I was often irritated when clerks would speak to me in German, rather than Czech, since they obviously weren't going to speak in English, and I was trying to speak to them in Czech to begin with. The point is, I wasn't exactly anonymous there. I was recognizable, a known entity in the town.
Flash forward to the present.
I now live in Marianske Lazne.
While there are potentially a few of my former students floating around town, I really don't know, and am not known by, anyone here except for Mark and his parents. And while there might occasionally be other English speaking visitors in the area, I don't know of any other Americans actually living here. There might be some, but I'm not a part of their group, and am therefore on my own. Except for a few restaurants that Mark and I have been to together quite a number of times throughout the year, I'm an Enigma in this town.
The weather, as I mentioned in a previous post, has really warmed up around here. Due to that fact, Mark is happiest when he can avoid being out in the full heat. He has plenty of work to do on his music, and therefore, he spends his days hard at work, and I, who love the sun, wander about on my own. I've taken to spending several hours walking through the myriad parks, sitting in a small cafe with an ice coffee or somewhere in the center with a large bottle of water, writing in my journal or reading a book. This allows me time to really embrace the sun, while Mark can get some serious work done with no distractions.
Yesterday on my regular outing I had a most frustrating experience. Some ridiculously stupid clerk decided not to break my 200KC note for my 20KC bottle of water. Keep in mind, 200KC is about $10. Not exactly an enormous bill. For those of you who aren't quick on the math uptake, 20KC would therefore be about $1. She'd already opened her till, and I saw there rows of bills of various quantities ready to make change. And yet, for what ever idiotic reason, she refused to take my money, wanting something smaller. I showed her that I REALLY didn't have anything smaller, but she still wouldn't take it. I. WAS. ANGRY. All I wanted was a bottle of water. Seriously. And it's not like I was trying to pay her with a 1,000KC. Then I would have understood, but I've NEVER known anyone to refuse a 200. It's not big! So finally I shook my head and put my money back in my wallet. She seemed pleased with herself for having not sold me the bottle, and I spat out a very loud "Whatever!" as I made my way toward the door.
It's the "Whatever!" that is key. That one word set me on a different plane than the other people passing by her all day every day. It was spoken in a perfectly flawless American accent. We're talking Native English Speaker here. And I'm sure she had no clue what I'd just thrown at her in my rage. No expletive, just utter disgust.
It was then that I really felt a power in my anonymity.
I really am a mystery here.
I'm not expected.
I'm not a tourist.
I'm not Czech.
I'm not German.
I've decided, rather than being annoyed that they speak German to me, to be amused instead. They have no idea how to deal with me. I'm not on their general radar. I don't fit in with the standard modes.
Sunday when I went to meet Karina and her friend I was amused by a couple at the station speaking English. They were trying to figure out where they needed to be to catch the train. They weren't in any sort of trouble, and had plenty of time to figure it out correctly, but they were completely in the dark about my knowledge. I could fully understand every word they were saying. They were completely in the dark. Had they experienced some true difficulty, I would have stepped forward Good Samaritan like as was the case of the lost American women in Cheb square that I rescued when Julie was visiting. But it was fun to stand there in the know, fully anonymous.
It's easy for me to become frustrated that I have no one to talk to when I'm out and about. I like to talk. I like to communicate, to be with friends. But currently this is not the time or place for me to speak. It's a time to watch. A time to observe and to write. So for the time being I'm once again embracing the title of Miss Mystery. I'm enjoying the fact that they all have no ideas about who I am or where I'm from. I'm living the anonymity and doing my best to enjoy it.
All the same, the year provided plenty of fodder for blogs and future classroom anecdotes. I mean how many jobs in your life provide being punched in the face by a 13 year old boy twice your size, trying to prevent 2nd graders from drop kicking their classmate, or standing outside in the freezing cold for hours while a slew of Kindergartners slip around on little red shovels.
Yes, there is a point to this walk down memory lane. I learned fairly early on in my year that one of the best ways to maintain at least some semblance of control in the classroom was to have a secret. It allowed me to have the upper hand, and that somehow kept their attention. The easiest thing to keep a secret was, of course, my first name. Of all random things. But it worked. They seemed rather horrified by the fact that they didn't know exactly who I was. Students would beg and plead for even the smallest clue, but in the whole year there were only two girls who actually guessed it correctly, and they were happy to keep it as a secret, granting themselves a little power over their classmates in the bargain as well.
One Fourth Grade class, being so frustrated by my tight lipped control, dubbed me Ms. Mystery. Rather liked that title myself. When a Second Grade class in the same school was whining about their lack of knowledge in the lunch room, I pointed them to these Fourth Grade girls who promptly assured them they would never find out and that I really was "Ms. Mystery."
I hadn't thought about that incident for a long time, but today I decided to adopt the persona once again. Since moving to the Czech Republic nearly 3 years ago, I've often found myself outside normal lines of communication. While I've "studied" Czech (yes I use that term very loosely) I'm still FAAAAAAAARRRRR from mastering this ridiculously difficult language. All the same, in my little town of Cheb, I generally didn't feel at a loss. Being a member of a community of native English speakers, there were generally 6 to 8 of us living in town, I was a curiosity, but not exactly an anomaly. I frequented the same places over and over to the point that I was well known. I was often irritated when clerks would speak to me in German, rather than Czech, since they obviously weren't going to speak in English, and I was trying to speak to them in Czech to begin with. The point is, I wasn't exactly anonymous there. I was recognizable, a known entity in the town.
Flash forward to the present.
I now live in Marianske Lazne.
While there are potentially a few of my former students floating around town, I really don't know, and am not known by, anyone here except for Mark and his parents. And while there might occasionally be other English speaking visitors in the area, I don't know of any other Americans actually living here. There might be some, but I'm not a part of their group, and am therefore on my own. Except for a few restaurants that Mark and I have been to together quite a number of times throughout the year, I'm an Enigma in this town.
The weather, as I mentioned in a previous post, has really warmed up around here. Due to that fact, Mark is happiest when he can avoid being out in the full heat. He has plenty of work to do on his music, and therefore, he spends his days hard at work, and I, who love the sun, wander about on my own. I've taken to spending several hours walking through the myriad parks, sitting in a small cafe with an ice coffee or somewhere in the center with a large bottle of water, writing in my journal or reading a book. This allows me time to really embrace the sun, while Mark can get some serious work done with no distractions.
Yesterday on my regular outing I had a most frustrating experience. Some ridiculously stupid clerk decided not to break my 200KC note for my 20KC bottle of water. Keep in mind, 200KC is about $10. Not exactly an enormous bill. For those of you who aren't quick on the math uptake, 20KC would therefore be about $1. She'd already opened her till, and I saw there rows of bills of various quantities ready to make change. And yet, for what ever idiotic reason, she refused to take my money, wanting something smaller. I showed her that I REALLY didn't have anything smaller, but she still wouldn't take it. I. WAS. ANGRY. All I wanted was a bottle of water. Seriously. And it's not like I was trying to pay her with a 1,000KC. Then I would have understood, but I've NEVER known anyone to refuse a 200. It's not big! So finally I shook my head and put my money back in my wallet. She seemed pleased with herself for having not sold me the bottle, and I spat out a very loud "Whatever!" as I made my way toward the door.
It's the "Whatever!" that is key. That one word set me on a different plane than the other people passing by her all day every day. It was spoken in a perfectly flawless American accent. We're talking Native English Speaker here. And I'm sure she had no clue what I'd just thrown at her in my rage. No expletive, just utter disgust.
It was then that I really felt a power in my anonymity.
I really am a mystery here.
I'm not expected.
I'm not a tourist.
I'm not Czech.
I'm not German.
I've decided, rather than being annoyed that they speak German to me, to be amused instead. They have no idea how to deal with me. I'm not on their general radar. I don't fit in with the standard modes.
Sunday when I went to meet Karina and her friend I was amused by a couple at the station speaking English. They were trying to figure out where they needed to be to catch the train. They weren't in any sort of trouble, and had plenty of time to figure it out correctly, but they were completely in the dark about my knowledge. I could fully understand every word they were saying. They were completely in the dark. Had they experienced some true difficulty, I would have stepped forward Good Samaritan like as was the case of the lost American women in Cheb square that I rescued when Julie was visiting. But it was fun to stand there in the know, fully anonymous.
It's easy for me to become frustrated that I have no one to talk to when I'm out and about. I like to talk. I like to communicate, to be with friends. But currently this is not the time or place for me to speak. It's a time to watch. A time to observe and to write. So for the time being I'm once again embracing the title of Miss Mystery. I'm enjoying the fact that they all have no ideas about who I am or where I'm from. I'm living the anonymity and doing my best to enjoy it.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
So This is Summer
Who's that crazy cat...?
After months and months and months of drudgery in the weather department, the Czech Republic now proudly brings you: SUMMER!!! Yes indeed, summer weather is sweeping the little nation in the very heart of Europe, bringing with it blue skies, temperatures reaching to the upper 30's (that's close to 100 for those on the Fahrenheit scale) and a healthy dose of creepy crawlies.
Having always been a summer girl, I'm definitely enjoying the climate change. At the same time I'm trying to find ways to creatively deal with the new slower lifestyle. Granted, the time still seems to disappear without me getting done some of the things I feel like I should be doing, but I also have more than my fair share of down time. I'm still trying to figure out a schedule that will help me feel like I'm really accomplishing something as well as taking advantage of my summer here in Europe.
Last week, as I think I mentioned before, the Czech Republic hosted an International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. On Thursday Mark and I braved the heat and went to check out what was going on.
We'd watched some of the things happening there on TV during the week, and were excited to take a look at what there was to see. Sadly we'd missed Jude Law, who was the big star this year, and we didn't actually go to see any of the movies playing, but the place was just buzzing with energy. Perhaps that was partly due to the ridiculous number of Audi's cruising around the place.
This year these little numbers served as Taxis for the people with the power or the money, or whatever. We also saw other fancy little numbers thrown into the mix, a Maserati, Bentley, and Ferrari to name a few. Definitely a powerhouse weekend in Karlovy Vary. With the help of Mark, we even saw a star or two. While sipping on a cappuccino at the Thermal Hotel, home to most of the big events, Mark pointed out a Czech star. Just to prove it to me, he was able to look him up immediately on his iphone, and sure enough, it was definitely the guy. A few days later we saw his name on the credits of a movie as well. Pretty fun, and I would have had no idea who this guy was without Mark's help :)
We decided that since we couldn't see so many stars we'd just have to pretend we could live like them. We started this off with a little photo shoot making the most of all the props around town.
Then we treated ourselves to drinks at the Grand Hotel Pupp. The prices are, indeed, outlandish, but the ice coffee I had was pretty extraordinary, and on Mark's latte they were smart enough to put a little tribute to his musical skills :)
It was a lot of fun sitting there and watching snobby rich people talking about their films that were playing and such. It was an odd situation to be in, but amusing as well. Overall, it was a good experience to have, and we've decided we'll have to come back some day when we can actually check out some of the shows. Definitely a great day.
On Sunday Karina and a friend of hers who was visiting from America came by to see Marianske Lazne. It was the first time Karina ever made it out here, so it was great fun to be their tour guide. It was my first time as a solo tour guide here in ML, and after watching Mark show the place off to my family I think I did a relatively decent job. The weather definitely highlighted the beauty of it all, although it about wore us out. Still it allowed for some nice photos of the town.
Besides the little extras in life, I've been spending quite a bit of time at a lovely little cafe in a nearby park. It's a great place to sit, have an ice coffee, and write in my journal. It's not quite Starbucks, but it's a nice little place to enjoy this amazing weather.
And now I'll leave you with this little bit of entertainment from my walk through the parks this morning...
After months and months and months of drudgery in the weather department, the Czech Republic now proudly brings you: SUMMER!!! Yes indeed, summer weather is sweeping the little nation in the very heart of Europe, bringing with it blue skies, temperatures reaching to the upper 30's (that's close to 100 for those on the Fahrenheit scale) and a healthy dose of creepy crawlies.
Having always been a summer girl, I'm definitely enjoying the climate change. At the same time I'm trying to find ways to creatively deal with the new slower lifestyle. Granted, the time still seems to disappear without me getting done some of the things I feel like I should be doing, but I also have more than my fair share of down time. I'm still trying to figure out a schedule that will help me feel like I'm really accomplishing something as well as taking advantage of my summer here in Europe.
Last week, as I think I mentioned before, the Czech Republic hosted an International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. On Thursday Mark and I braved the heat and went to check out what was going on.
We'd watched some of the things happening there on TV during the week, and were excited to take a look at what there was to see. Sadly we'd missed Jude Law, who was the big star this year, and we didn't actually go to see any of the movies playing, but the place was just buzzing with energy. Perhaps that was partly due to the ridiculous number of Audi's cruising around the place.
This year these little numbers served as Taxis for the people with the power or the money, or whatever. We also saw other fancy little numbers thrown into the mix, a Maserati, Bentley, and Ferrari to name a few. Definitely a powerhouse weekend in Karlovy Vary. With the help of Mark, we even saw a star or two. While sipping on a cappuccino at the Thermal Hotel, home to most of the big events, Mark pointed out a Czech star. Just to prove it to me, he was able to look him up immediately on his iphone, and sure enough, it was definitely the guy. A few days later we saw his name on the credits of a movie as well. Pretty fun, and I would have had no idea who this guy was without Mark's help :)
We decided that since we couldn't see so many stars we'd just have to pretend we could live like them. We started this off with a little photo shoot making the most of all the props around town.
Then we treated ourselves to drinks at the Grand Hotel Pupp. The prices are, indeed, outlandish, but the ice coffee I had was pretty extraordinary, and on Mark's latte they were smart enough to put a little tribute to his musical skills :)
It was a lot of fun sitting there and watching snobby rich people talking about their films that were playing and such. It was an odd situation to be in, but amusing as well. Overall, it was a good experience to have, and we've decided we'll have to come back some day when we can actually check out some of the shows. Definitely a great day.
On Sunday Karina and a friend of hers who was visiting from America came by to see Marianske Lazne. It was the first time Karina ever made it out here, so it was great fun to be their tour guide. It was my first time as a solo tour guide here in ML, and after watching Mark show the place off to my family I think I did a relatively decent job. The weather definitely highlighted the beauty of it all, although it about wore us out. Still it allowed for some nice photos of the town.
Besides the little extras in life, I've been spending quite a bit of time at a lovely little cafe in a nearby park. It's a great place to sit, have an ice coffee, and write in my journal. It's not quite Starbucks, but it's a nice little place to enjoy this amazing weather.
And now I'll leave you with this little bit of entertainment from my walk through the parks this morning...
Monday, July 12, 2010
Noc Kostelu a Stary Vlak
AKA Night of Churches and Old Trains.
So this is going to be another one of those flashback posts. I really wanted to do at least one final update about Julie's trip here, because her last weekend in Czech was pretty fabulous and also highly unusual.
On the last Friday of May there was a very special night in the churches around the Czech Republic. In Cheb there were I think 7 old churches that were a part of this very special celebration. It was an event designed to connect the people of the Czech Republic with some of the amazing churches that fill their country.
I've long been impressed by these monstrously huge, and yet sadly empty buildings. When my students did their tour of Cheb one of them called the churches nothing but a bunch of old rocks. Such a tragedy. Here is a country so rich in church history, the homeland of Jan Hus, a great reformer who really called the Catholic church of his time to account, and began a serious reformation in this country that spread throughout Europe. Yet the people here scarcely know the point of these incredible buildings. They see them as historical monuments to a long dead faith, a place to step out of the heat during the summer, and little more. On this night, however, the churches came to life and I was in awe to see all the people, many of my students even, wandering around in these lovely houses of faith.
It was a day of total openness on the part of the churches. Areas usually blocked off with velvet cords, doors typically locked, were thrown open and the general public was invited to a glimpse of the most sacred and ancient parts of these buildings. Julie and I were in total awe as we were allowed into places, and even some buildings, I'd never been able to enter. Music poured forth, and the people seemed to truly embrace these places they know so little about.
I particularly enjoyed a youth choir that we were able to listen to. They weren't necessarily the greatest musicians, but their hearts were in the words, and it was amazing to see these young Czechs praising God.
We also went to a dance performance that was super cool. These young girls walked through the lives of ancient nuns through dance. They mingled their way through the aisles, doing repetitive steps that allowed everyone in the packed out audience to get a feeling for what they were doing. There was even a section when they joined the crowd in reserved chairs and continued to dance. At the end of the dance they took the hands of different people from the audience and encouraged us all to follow them throughout the ancient monastery where they demonstrated different activities of the nunnery. Julie and I particularly enjoyed one girl who had a huge round loaf of very tough bread. She was attempting to pass out chunks to people as they passed by, but it was quite a battle for her to get anything off. Quite entertaining.
In all, it was one of the most amazing nights I've ever experienced in the Czech Republic. Not only was it awe inspiring to enter the forbidden areas, it was so beautiful to see so many people inside the churches, interacting with what is happening here. The only thing that would have made it even better would have been if the small church that I attend had opened its doors as well. It isn't an ancient building, but I think the transparency and the welcome would have been a powerful opportunity for them to show the community that they too want to invite people in and have an impact on the people of Cheb.
Here are a few pictures that I was able to take during Noc Kostelu:
I forgot to note that most of these churches don't even allow photos to be taken most of the time, so that also made this even more exciting.
The next day we didn't have a chance to sleep in because we were off for another very exciting event. There was a celebration of transportation, and as part of this they brought out old vehicles and offered people free rides around the area. We met Mark in Marianske Lazne and were soon snug with a lot of other people on this old steam engine.
The travel was veeeeeery slow, but it was also quite interesting. We were on a beautiful stretch of track, running through the forests from Marianske Lazne to Becov Nad Teplou. It was so funny along the way to see all the people, predominately men, waiting in fields and along the road to get pictures of the train as it snaked along with huge clouds of ash spewing from the engine. If we put our heads out the window we were doused with chunks of coal, so it was best to keep in and just enjoy what little air came through.
At the big stops there were bands with majorettes waiting to entertain us. We got off in one place to walk around and enjoy the festivities. I really enjoyed watching this one little old couple who were so excited by the feeling in the air that they started dancing to the band. It was really precious. Sadly, I didn't get a photo of that, but here's a little peek into what the entertainment looked like.
When we got to Becov the train stopped for a couple of hours, so we got out to enjoy the town. With our special free train ticket we were able to get a reduced price for the chateau tour. We had a nice time and even got a few photos in :)
We had lunch as quickly as we could. Julie and I have learned that if we share a meal here we can actually manage to finish it, so it all worked out perfectly. Then we had time to get back to the train and still have seats.
Our next stop on the way back was Tepla. This is the location of an ancient monastery. It was highly damaged during the communism, but they have repaired some of it inside and the library, which is enormous and full of truly amazing books, was spared because it was already preserved by the state.
We really enjoyed looking around here, and Julie and I sang in the sanctuary which was a particularly special moment. So often these places are so incredible, and yet feel so desolate. It's such a gift to be able to let God's praises ring through them once again, recalling them to the glory they were designed to give. Despite the run down look on the outside, we were all impressed with what we discovered within.
Once again we were very thankful for our special tickets. After the regular tour was over we were allowed some very special access. We were on a small tour with only one other lady that went into the part of the monastery that is actually in regular use by the monks there. We saw their small chapel, a place we could imagine people being better able to focus on spiritual things rather than being distracted by the gold and statues in the main sanctuary. There was also this really incredible room where you they had painted statues on the wall that really did look 3D.
As we were finishing the tour the guide sent us down to the front on our own and there we ran into a very startled monk. It was quite funny to see his startled expression. Mark quickly explained to him that we were on a special tour. He still didn't seem to quite understand, so we hurried along on our way.
The monastery was once quite an important place in this area. It was a monk from Tepla who started Marianske Lazne. They used to bottle the special spa waters and they were the ones who encouraged the area to become a town in the first place. They also used to have their own brewery, beer being a general favorite of monks, but the Communists completely destroyed that during their occupation.
After the tour was complete we made our way back toward the train station, only to learn that we had about two hours until the next transport. After a small photo shoot
we went up into the town to get some dinner. We wandered around the area for a while and then ate in a very old restaurant. I can't remember the year it began now, but it was several centuries in the past. After dinner we went back to the station and still had to wait quite some time for the train. It was interesting to wander around and see the people in this small community and the way they interacted together. It was definitely different than in the larger places where I've lived. I love these little opportunities to get a glimpse of local life. To kill the time before we headed back home we played a little dice game and were quite amused by ourselves. Simple things for simple people I geuss.
In all it was a pretty incredible weekend.
Sunday we headed back to Prague and then on Monday I put Julie on a flight back to the US. And that...is pretty much that.
So this is going to be another one of those flashback posts. I really wanted to do at least one final update about Julie's trip here, because her last weekend in Czech was pretty fabulous and also highly unusual.
On the last Friday of May there was a very special night in the churches around the Czech Republic. In Cheb there were I think 7 old churches that were a part of this very special celebration. It was an event designed to connect the people of the Czech Republic with some of the amazing churches that fill their country.
I've long been impressed by these monstrously huge, and yet sadly empty buildings. When my students did their tour of Cheb one of them called the churches nothing but a bunch of old rocks. Such a tragedy. Here is a country so rich in church history, the homeland of Jan Hus, a great reformer who really called the Catholic church of his time to account, and began a serious reformation in this country that spread throughout Europe. Yet the people here scarcely know the point of these incredible buildings. They see them as historical monuments to a long dead faith, a place to step out of the heat during the summer, and little more. On this night, however, the churches came to life and I was in awe to see all the people, many of my students even, wandering around in these lovely houses of faith.
It was a day of total openness on the part of the churches. Areas usually blocked off with velvet cords, doors typically locked, were thrown open and the general public was invited to a glimpse of the most sacred and ancient parts of these buildings. Julie and I were in total awe as we were allowed into places, and even some buildings, I'd never been able to enter. Music poured forth, and the people seemed to truly embrace these places they know so little about.
I particularly enjoyed a youth choir that we were able to listen to. They weren't necessarily the greatest musicians, but their hearts were in the words, and it was amazing to see these young Czechs praising God.
We also went to a dance performance that was super cool. These young girls walked through the lives of ancient nuns through dance. They mingled their way through the aisles, doing repetitive steps that allowed everyone in the packed out audience to get a feeling for what they were doing. There was even a section when they joined the crowd in reserved chairs and continued to dance. At the end of the dance they took the hands of different people from the audience and encouraged us all to follow them throughout the ancient monastery where they demonstrated different activities of the nunnery. Julie and I particularly enjoyed one girl who had a huge round loaf of very tough bread. She was attempting to pass out chunks to people as they passed by, but it was quite a battle for her to get anything off. Quite entertaining.
In all, it was one of the most amazing nights I've ever experienced in the Czech Republic. Not only was it awe inspiring to enter the forbidden areas, it was so beautiful to see so many people inside the churches, interacting with what is happening here. The only thing that would have made it even better would have been if the small church that I attend had opened its doors as well. It isn't an ancient building, but I think the transparency and the welcome would have been a powerful opportunity for them to show the community that they too want to invite people in and have an impact on the people of Cheb.
Here are a few pictures that I was able to take during Noc Kostelu:
I forgot to note that most of these churches don't even allow photos to be taken most of the time, so that also made this even more exciting.
The next day we didn't have a chance to sleep in because we were off for another very exciting event. There was a celebration of transportation, and as part of this they brought out old vehicles and offered people free rides around the area. We met Mark in Marianske Lazne and were soon snug with a lot of other people on this old steam engine.
The travel was veeeeeery slow, but it was also quite interesting. We were on a beautiful stretch of track, running through the forests from Marianske Lazne to Becov Nad Teplou. It was so funny along the way to see all the people, predominately men, waiting in fields and along the road to get pictures of the train as it snaked along with huge clouds of ash spewing from the engine. If we put our heads out the window we were doused with chunks of coal, so it was best to keep in and just enjoy what little air came through.
At the big stops there were bands with majorettes waiting to entertain us. We got off in one place to walk around and enjoy the festivities. I really enjoyed watching this one little old couple who were so excited by the feeling in the air that they started dancing to the band. It was really precious. Sadly, I didn't get a photo of that, but here's a little peek into what the entertainment looked like.
When we got to Becov the train stopped for a couple of hours, so we got out to enjoy the town. With our special free train ticket we were able to get a reduced price for the chateau tour. We had a nice time and even got a few photos in :)
We had lunch as quickly as we could. Julie and I have learned that if we share a meal here we can actually manage to finish it, so it all worked out perfectly. Then we had time to get back to the train and still have seats.
Our next stop on the way back was Tepla. This is the location of an ancient monastery. It was highly damaged during the communism, but they have repaired some of it inside and the library, which is enormous and full of truly amazing books, was spared because it was already preserved by the state.
We really enjoyed looking around here, and Julie and I sang in the sanctuary which was a particularly special moment. So often these places are so incredible, and yet feel so desolate. It's such a gift to be able to let God's praises ring through them once again, recalling them to the glory they were designed to give. Despite the run down look on the outside, we were all impressed with what we discovered within.
Once again we were very thankful for our special tickets. After the regular tour was over we were allowed some very special access. We were on a small tour with only one other lady that went into the part of the monastery that is actually in regular use by the monks there. We saw their small chapel, a place we could imagine people being better able to focus on spiritual things rather than being distracted by the gold and statues in the main sanctuary. There was also this really incredible room where you they had painted statues on the wall that really did look 3D.
As we were finishing the tour the guide sent us down to the front on our own and there we ran into a very startled monk. It was quite funny to see his startled expression. Mark quickly explained to him that we were on a special tour. He still didn't seem to quite understand, so we hurried along on our way.
The monastery was once quite an important place in this area. It was a monk from Tepla who started Marianske Lazne. They used to bottle the special spa waters and they were the ones who encouraged the area to become a town in the first place. They also used to have their own brewery, beer being a general favorite of monks, but the Communists completely destroyed that during their occupation.
After the tour was complete we made our way back toward the train station, only to learn that we had about two hours until the next transport. After a small photo shoot
we went up into the town to get some dinner. We wandered around the area for a while and then ate in a very old restaurant. I can't remember the year it began now, but it was several centuries in the past. After dinner we went back to the station and still had to wait quite some time for the train. It was interesting to wander around and see the people in this small community and the way they interacted together. It was definitely different than in the larger places where I've lived. I love these little opportunities to get a glimpse of local life. To kill the time before we headed back home we played a little dice game and were quite amused by ourselves. Simple things for simple people I geuss.
In all it was a pretty incredible weekend.
Sunday we headed back to Prague and then on Monday I put Julie on a flight back to the US. And that...is pretty much that.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Paused in Transit
I'm sitting in between two worlds now. There is the strange space of time in which nothing concrete seems to exist. It's not just that I'm unemployed. It's that I'm poised on the verge and not really certain when play is going to be resumed. In the meantime, I want to keep living. To find ways to really exist in this space between.
I realize I have yet to actually finish talking about my visit with Julie. There are some things I really want to post about from that time, so I'm not quite ready to give up on it just yet, but I thought it'd be wise to do a little flash forward and take care of some more recent events first.
After Julie left the end of school really kicked into gear. The last month of school is generally my favorite. Of course this year it was mixed with crazy nostalgia as I realized it was really the end. Always before I knew I'd be back in September for another round. True, the daily students are always new, but just knowing we'll all continue to breath Czech air made it easier. This year, everything was coming to an end. Not only my time at Winfield, but everyone's time there. Winfield itself will cease to exist. What will remain will be split in two between two different schools, and nothing of what has been my home will remain. The hardest part for me is knowing that, not only will I be out of their lives, there will be no new ESI teacher coming. The general ESI model is set up so that we're all just links in a chain of influence. We can pass over the students we've prayed for and done our best to share our lives with to someone else who will come in and continue caring about them. But this time, that's just over, and that has added a fresh pain to this goodbye. Not wanting to allow myself to get overly emotional just now, I'll do my best to move on and just share some of the events of this past month.
It's kind of funny because I posted 7 times I think in the month of June, and yet basically none of those posts have anything to do with what was happening in that month itself. And believe me, it was a busy time indeed.
On a personal note, I spent a lot of my weekends doing some crazy hard work in the garden with Mark. There was a massive pile of dirt and rocks that needed to be shoveled into a wheelbarrow and hauled to a new location where it was dumped over a steep wooded bank. Here is a view of the hill after we'd already worked on it for at least 4 hours:
Let's just say that by the time we got it to look like this:
I'd earned ice cream on several occasions. It was a serious job, and now I'm just curious what Mark's dad will come up with for us to do next.
My favorite memory from the time spent working there was when we got to enjoy some tasty treats from the garden. Throughout the time there I was instructed multiple times to pick strawberries, but I usually only had time to eat one or two in the midst of work. At the end of the day, however, we had some time to just pick and enjoy. I'd gathered quite a few for myself, then Mark came over with a brimming handful and added them to what I already had saying I should just eat them all. I had nothing to put them in, so there really was no other choice. As Mark wound his way through the pea patch, filling his mouth with the sweet green vegetables, I sat with a handful of sun warmed strawberries, letting the hot juice sit inside my mouth as I slowly chewed each one. Unforgettable sort of moment.
In June we also had our end of the year retreat. We went to Konopiste, a castle not far from Prague. We didn't go on a tour inside the castle, but we enjoyed views from outside. True to usual form, I went on early morning walks alone (okay, this is typical Sarah behavior only on retreats when I generally end up "sleeping" on really hard beds and therefore give up before most people are ready to get up) so I had a lovely view of the castle all by myself. I'd heard that we were located literally in the parking lot of the castle, but wasn't sure exactly where it was at. I went on this walk around the lake and watched all the early morning fishers who had no doubt been out for quite a long time already by 7 AM when I was making my rounds. It wasn't until the walk back that I got a view of the actual castle, but I was quite impressed.
Later on we had more chances to explore, and I got some more lovely shots throughout the weekend.
It was pretty strange knowing that this was to be my last ESI event. After three years these events have just become something that I count on happening, and now they're over. The fact that I'm not likely to see most of those people ever again is quite strange, but at the same time part of the usual pattern of my transient life.
The end of the year is my favorite because this is when we get to just let loose and have fun with the students. There were day trips to Jesenice where we played beach volleyball for hours, a fact my right arm continued to remind me of for some time, seeing as how I don't serve very often in my regular life. There were also classes outside where we were able to sit and talk and just enjoy time spent together. Sadly a lot of students weren't around any more at the end of the year so most of these final classes were small, but it's quality, not quantity that counts, and I fully enjoyed every chance I had to get to know these amazing people a little bit better.
It all felt a bit odd, however, knowing that even though I'm done with my job, and moving on to something new, I'm not actually leaving the country just yet. Generally speaking, I leave the country as soon as the school year is over, but this year I find myself still here, waiting around to find out what will be next. All the same, I doubt that I'll see many of my students again. So we're not so far apart, and yet it's still over. Just strange.
The final Winfield party was part end of the year party and part a tribute to all Jarmila has done throughout her ten years as the manager of Winfield. It is so hard to believe that she's really finished with it, and yet I'm thankful she'll have a bit of a break after so many years of work there. It was a lot of fun, and despite the crazy thunder storm in the afternoon, the skies did clear and we were able to have it outside at Krajinka as planned.
After school was officially over I had a few days to work on pulling things together before my next move. Tammy put together a very nice party that I was able to invite friends and colleagues to, so that was fun. Always nice to have an excuse to dress up every now and then. It was a good way to end my time in Cheb as well.
On Thursday last week, that would be July 1st, I finalized all my packing up and Mark and his dad came to move me to their place in Marianske Lazne. So for the past week now I've been working on adjusting to my new life here in transit. We're still waiting and waiting and waiting for information on the visa situation, and in the meantime trying to really enjoy this time we have together. We're not sure what all we'll be able to do this summer, but I'm looking forward to having this time for us to really get to know each other better as we prepare for what God has in store for our futures.
I realize I have yet to actually finish talking about my visit with Julie. There are some things I really want to post about from that time, so I'm not quite ready to give up on it just yet, but I thought it'd be wise to do a little flash forward and take care of some more recent events first.
After Julie left the end of school really kicked into gear. The last month of school is generally my favorite. Of course this year it was mixed with crazy nostalgia as I realized it was really the end. Always before I knew I'd be back in September for another round. True, the daily students are always new, but just knowing we'll all continue to breath Czech air made it easier. This year, everything was coming to an end. Not only my time at Winfield, but everyone's time there. Winfield itself will cease to exist. What will remain will be split in two between two different schools, and nothing of what has been my home will remain. The hardest part for me is knowing that, not only will I be out of their lives, there will be no new ESI teacher coming. The general ESI model is set up so that we're all just links in a chain of influence. We can pass over the students we've prayed for and done our best to share our lives with to someone else who will come in and continue caring about them. But this time, that's just over, and that has added a fresh pain to this goodbye. Not wanting to allow myself to get overly emotional just now, I'll do my best to move on and just share some of the events of this past month.
It's kind of funny because I posted 7 times I think in the month of June, and yet basically none of those posts have anything to do with what was happening in that month itself. And believe me, it was a busy time indeed.
On a personal note, I spent a lot of my weekends doing some crazy hard work in the garden with Mark. There was a massive pile of dirt and rocks that needed to be shoveled into a wheelbarrow and hauled to a new location where it was dumped over a steep wooded bank. Here is a view of the hill after we'd already worked on it for at least 4 hours:
Let's just say that by the time we got it to look like this:
I'd earned ice cream on several occasions. It was a serious job, and now I'm just curious what Mark's dad will come up with for us to do next.
My favorite memory from the time spent working there was when we got to enjoy some tasty treats from the garden. Throughout the time there I was instructed multiple times to pick strawberries, but I usually only had time to eat one or two in the midst of work. At the end of the day, however, we had some time to just pick and enjoy. I'd gathered quite a few for myself, then Mark came over with a brimming handful and added them to what I already had saying I should just eat them all. I had nothing to put them in, so there really was no other choice. As Mark wound his way through the pea patch, filling his mouth with the sweet green vegetables, I sat with a handful of sun warmed strawberries, letting the hot juice sit inside my mouth as I slowly chewed each one. Unforgettable sort of moment.
In June we also had our end of the year retreat. We went to Konopiste, a castle not far from Prague. We didn't go on a tour inside the castle, but we enjoyed views from outside. True to usual form, I went on early morning walks alone (okay, this is typical Sarah behavior only on retreats when I generally end up "sleeping" on really hard beds and therefore give up before most people are ready to get up) so I had a lovely view of the castle all by myself. I'd heard that we were located literally in the parking lot of the castle, but wasn't sure exactly where it was at. I went on this walk around the lake and watched all the early morning fishers who had no doubt been out for quite a long time already by 7 AM when I was making my rounds. It wasn't until the walk back that I got a view of the actual castle, but I was quite impressed.
Later on we had more chances to explore, and I got some more lovely shots throughout the weekend.
It was pretty strange knowing that this was to be my last ESI event. After three years these events have just become something that I count on happening, and now they're over. The fact that I'm not likely to see most of those people ever again is quite strange, but at the same time part of the usual pattern of my transient life.
The end of the year is my favorite because this is when we get to just let loose and have fun with the students. There were day trips to Jesenice where we played beach volleyball for hours, a fact my right arm continued to remind me of for some time, seeing as how I don't serve very often in my regular life. There were also classes outside where we were able to sit and talk and just enjoy time spent together. Sadly a lot of students weren't around any more at the end of the year so most of these final classes were small, but it's quality, not quantity that counts, and I fully enjoyed every chance I had to get to know these amazing people a little bit better.
It all felt a bit odd, however, knowing that even though I'm done with my job, and moving on to something new, I'm not actually leaving the country just yet. Generally speaking, I leave the country as soon as the school year is over, but this year I find myself still here, waiting around to find out what will be next. All the same, I doubt that I'll see many of my students again. So we're not so far apart, and yet it's still over. Just strange.
The final Winfield party was part end of the year party and part a tribute to all Jarmila has done throughout her ten years as the manager of Winfield. It is so hard to believe that she's really finished with it, and yet I'm thankful she'll have a bit of a break after so many years of work there. It was a lot of fun, and despite the crazy thunder storm in the afternoon, the skies did clear and we were able to have it outside at Krajinka as planned.
After school was officially over I had a few days to work on pulling things together before my next move. Tammy put together a very nice party that I was able to invite friends and colleagues to, so that was fun. Always nice to have an excuse to dress up every now and then. It was a good way to end my time in Cheb as well.
On Thursday last week, that would be July 1st, I finalized all my packing up and Mark and his dad came to move me to their place in Marianske Lazne. So for the past week now I've been working on adjusting to my new life here in transit. We're still waiting and waiting and waiting for information on the visa situation, and in the meantime trying to really enjoy this time we have together. We're not sure what all we'll be able to do this summer, but I'm looking forward to having this time for us to really get to know each other better as we prepare for what God has in store for our futures.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Konec...
Finished. The End.
Today was the last day of school. The last day of Winfield College. The last day of my life as a teacher. It's strange, bizarre, sad.
All week, saying goodbyes.
Tonight the last party. The big shebang. The final farewell.
Hard to believe that three years have gone by.
It was a flash.
And now it's time to depart this stage, to drift again...
Today was the last day of school. The last day of Winfield College. The last day of my life as a teacher. It's strange, bizarre, sad.
All week, saying goodbyes.
Tonight the last party. The big shebang. The final farewell.
Hard to believe that three years have gone by.
It was a flash.
And now it's time to depart this stage, to drift again...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)