Its bulls and blood, its dust and mud…

I must confess. I’ve returned to an old vice this past week. It is a habit that brings pain and controversy to some; it’s a source of escape and joy to others. I’m not proud. And though I know this may negatively affect my relationship with some of you, the truth must be told.

I’ve been listening to country music.

Now, rather than letting this fact come between us, and in an attempt to help you look past the “Rodeo” quote that I’ve chosen as my title, I’m going to try and justify this blog entry…

There are some things in life (like a rodeo) that are appealing, and good, and worthwhile, but often these things end up kicking the tar out of a man in the process. This process is necessary, and it by no means makes the experience any less significant. We only need to recognize that when we embark on such experiences, we may occasionally find ourselves with the wind knocked out of us. I think we can all learn a good deal from that renowned philosopher, Garth Brooks.

For the sake of analogy, let’s project this country metaphor upon my teaching experience over the last few weeks.

So I have this group of students; they make up half of my seniors this year. Before this year, I knew very few of them. Over the last few weeks I’ve grown to really love these kids. They’re really intelligent, their English is great, they thrive on a good debate and are really friendly outside of class. They may also prove the death of me. On an individual level, they’re amazing. As a class, they’re terrors. They never stop speaking Czech, they challenge everything I say, and they refuse to believe that they are not the most important people in this town. For all of my classroom management and disciplining, these students are like the Hollywood bad guy who returns to battle stronger and more strategic than when our hero last faced him. Go figure; they’re my first and last lessons of the week.

These students, coupled with a string of worse-than-expected lessons this week, and a school that frequently fails to inform me of class changes, cancellations, and substitutions, I find myself a bit winded. Alas, this comes with the territory… I should expect it by now. In a few days time, I’m sure I’ll be back into a routine again.

In other news, I recently took a trip out to West Bohemia (German/Czech border) to spend some time with my fellow ESI teachers. My hosts in Cheb and Sokolov were quite gracious and provided an amazing weekend for all involved. Below, you’re find some pictures of our time at the Castle Loket and in the Spa town of Karlovy Vary. The latter is best known for it’s 13 springs which supposedly possess medicinal qualities. (Side note: the “13th spring” is actually the internationally renowned alcoholic beverage Becherovka, which was founded in and continues to be produced in Karlovy Vary). The twelve legitimate springs… though maybe medicinal… tasted horrible. I imagine if you were to soak rotten eggs in a rusty iron pot for an extended period of time, and then bring this water to a boil, you’d have a drink resembling the water we tasted. Its all in the experience, I guess.

That’s all I have for now. More stories to come soon, I promise. Remember, if you’re interested in hearing more about my ministry here, or you are curious about how God is working in the Czech Republic, shoot me an email (harveyme@gmail.com) and I’ll add you to my sometimes-consistent mass email list. If you’re on the list already, and you’re wondering why the crap you haven’t heard from me since early September; rest assured, there should be a new letter in your email box this week.

In the mean time, here are some of the things occupying my time these days:

Music:
Wynton Marsalis: Standard Time, Volume I
Garth Brooks: Live
Nickel Creek: Why Should the Fire Die?
Richard Shindell: Courier

Books:
Milan Kundera: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (Waiting anxiously for Book 7)
Karel Capek: Talks with T.G. Masaryk
William Faulkner: Go Down, Moses