Deutsch Days and Sore Soles

I’m sorry to report that spring break has come and gone… I guess you missed it. I certainly would have if nobody had told me. I guess the title of the holiday itself threw me off: “Spring” would imply something before the vernal equinox on March 21st. Apparently, something has been lost in translation because my calendar still says February. Rant finished.

So last Saturday morning I hopped a bus to Berlin. It’s a city with a fairly well-known history, so I won’t bore you with all of the details. However, I’d like to mention that seeing the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the thousands of unmarked blocks commemorating those killed during the Holocaust, and stepping across the line that formerly separated East from West is a much more visceral experience than I expected. It’s a city that has been destroyed and re-built on so many levels… one is acutely aware of the stark contrasts within the city at all times.

Apart from the historically gut-wrenching sites previously listed, I’d have to put my “Favorite” stamp on the Pergamon Museum. This huge building houses some of the most amazing artifacts I’ve ever seen… most of them bigger than an average suburban house. Seriously. Walking up the steps of the Pergamon Altar from 3rd century B.C. Greece or stepping through the Ishtar Gate from 6th century B.C. Babylon is enough to put anyone in his/her place. I don’t know how to think about things that are that old and historically significant.

I returned from Berlin on Tuesday morning, having spent the night bus ride with my new Argentinian film-critic friend, Javier. After giving Javier the dime tour of Prague, I returned home for a bit of rest.

On Thursday afternoon, I joined my friends Petr, Tereza, and Boris in the northern Czech mountains. I’d equate Pec Pod Snezkou (pronounced PETZ – pode – SNEZH-ko) with the Appalachians that run through New York. Not bad at all for a weekend ski trip. The funny part of the story comes with our arrival at the pension Boris and Tereza had reserved for us. Situated about a mile above the city, getting ourselves and our skiis, and guitars and whatnot required a 40-minute uphill ice hike. Hilarious in retrospect.

Overall, it was a great week. I’m sore but happy. If only it would warm up a bit.

I dare you to send me an email.

Mike and the Berliner Dom.

Sitting at the Brandenburg Gate. Not too long ago, this was a restricted area.

The bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Zoo Garten. Rather than re-construct the church as it was, congregants opted to build a modern church on either side of the old one. This is a pretty good indication of the contast in Berlin.

Me on the steps of the Pergamon Altar. In addition to the awe of the art itself, I found myself struck dumb by the work and ingenuity it took to transport all of it in the first place... and then squeeze it into a museum. Really unbelievable.

Our own private penzion. Buried in about 3 feet of snow.

Petr, Boris, Tereza, and Me atop Pec Pod Snezkou.

The Chronicles of Hubeny Stanislav

I was recently asked to take part in a great project.

My cousin Kate was given as assignment by her first grade teacher to "create a paper figure shaped like a 12" gingerbread man, dressed in the native costume of a foreign culture or country." His name is "Flat Stanley." Like the wonderful cousin she is, Kate chose the Czech Republic... because her cousin Mike lives and works there. Pretty great cousin, I know. Kate and my Aunt Norma spent a good while researching and dressing Flat Stanley, sent their little friend to me via USPS, and asked that I give him a grand tour of his native land. Well obviously I accepted the challenge, but under one condition... we give the little guy an appropriate Czech name. From then on, he has been known as "Hubeny Stanislav"... or "Thin Stanley." I consulted a few books and friends on his first name, and learned that "flat" doesn't translate perfectly, and can actually be seen as a derrogatory term, so "thin" it is.

Our tour took us all across the city of Prague to many of the important historical sites. Stanislav was a bit more mischevious than I anticipated, as you will see in the photos. But in the end, all was ok, and I think my vertically-challenged friend learned a great deal. I'm sorry to say that his time here was limited; Stanislav will be flying out tomorrow morning. He regrets his sudden departure, but it seems he is needed more in Mrs. Tully's first grade class. I can't say I blame him. Below you'll find a few of the pictures I took of Hubeny Stanislav.

In other news: Spring Break starts Friday. More on that to come.

I hope its warmer where you are than it is in Central Europe.

Stanislav and me outside of Prague castle. It was a chilly, rainy afternoon, but his traditional "kroj" outfit protected Stanislav from the harsh conditions.

Stanislav posing alongside a guard at Prague Castle.

All along the world-renowned Charles Bridge are street vendors offering art and photos of Prague. Apparently Standa (short for Stanislav) was mistaken as everyday art by a vendor while my back was turned.

Its harder than you might think to get opera tickets for a 12" inanimate object, so Stanislav and I opted for culture outside of the theater. Pictured is a statue commemorating the premier of Mozart's Don Giovani.

Early Mornings, Sore Knees, Plenty to Remember

Hi.

Had a big weekend, thought I'd tell you about it.

So last Thursday during my second lesson, I was informed that the following lesson would be cancelled due to a race from the cafeteria in the basement to the German room on the third floor. Oh, and that I was going to be a part of it. The race involved 12 of the classes at the school, 6 members on each team. The race involved all team members holding hands running as fast as they can up four flights of stairs... after climbing through a complex web of string, and memorizing 15 Czech words en route. I'm proud to report that the teachers succeeded in reaching the German room in 1 minute and 6 seconds, having memorized about 9 words. Unfortunately we didn't win. But we finished strong.

Thursday evening I headed into Prague to join my friends Joel, Chrissy and Courtney for a student ball (ples) at the beautiful Lucerna ballroom. We polka'd our eyes out, waltzed like never before, and even managed to not get trampled by the hordes of people packed onto the dance floor. It was a great night.

Friday morning, Joel and I rolled out of our respective beds at about 5:30am and again returned to the center of Prague. Our goal was to take pictures of some of the more beautiful, and normally tourist-packed spots in Prague... sans people. From 6 to about 7:30 they two of us amassed at least a hundred pictures. Below you'll find some of my favorites.

I returned to Kralupy around noonish and promptly went back to bed. The rest of my waking hours that day involved little more than eating pizza and reading John Steinbeck.

Saturday morning, I again rose from bed before 6, and prepared for a day of snowboarding with my roomie Zach and three students. We drove 2 1/2 hours north (5 of the most terrifying hours of driving in my life... Czechs aren't known for their defensive driving skills) to Spindleruv Mlyn in the heart of the Krkonose mountains. If you're familiar with New York skiing, think Holiday Valley, only a bit taller and with fewer chair lifts. This being only my second time on a snowboard, I found myself facedown in the snow more times than I care to admit. But it was really fun nonetheless.

Sunday, I headed into Prague one more time, this time for some alone time at one of my favorite coffee shops and a screening of Munich. I was fast asleep by about 9:30 Sunday night.

So there. I hope you enjoy a few of my pictures...

Me and Joel. We were both quite chilly when this picture was taken.

Charles Bridge circa 6am.

Old Town Square.

Charles Bridge at dawn.

Tyn Church and the Astronomical Clock.

The ples group. From the left: Joel, Chrissy, Courtney, Me.

This picture does a good job of demonstrating what a ples feels like. Now imagine you're in the middle of all of that, trying to remember how to do the polka.

Every hour a group of professional dancers, or students, or occasionally teachers will do a choreographed dance routine. I don't know which was the case here, but I thought it was a cool picture.

Mid-Day Race: Our fearless leader, Michal Mara, pushing ahead. You can kinda see me just coming through the door... sorry I don't have any better than this.

A Favor Por Favor

As you are hopefully aware, this coming weekend millions of Americans will partake in the time honored tradition of gorging themselves with food Dr. Atkins would scoff at, adorning themselves in bright colors and silly hats, and enthusiastically supporting a team they may or may not have ever supported in the past. Bring on the SuperBowl.


Here's where you come in.

If any of you, or anyone you know have the capability of recording said championship to a DVD, I would be willing to pay you (in US Dollars, Euros, or Czech Crowns) for any time, materials or heartache involved. The thing is, it really must be a DVD. My former roomie, Jason, and I received two copies of the SuperBowl on VHS last year, but found, much to our dismay, that our VCR will not play Extended-Play VHS tapes (necessary for a four-hour event such as this.)

My plan is to host a SuperBowl party for my Czech students, complete with chips and salsa, popcorn, and general rowdiness. We have a video projector and screen at our disposal, as well as dozens of students who love sports but know nothing of this strange American pasttime.

So, again, if you or anyone you know are able to record the SuperBowl (preferably with commercials and halftime show) then please send me an email at harveyme@gmail.com as soon as possible. Thanks for your time.