Sometimes its hard to break out of a mold. Your life tends to follow patterns. Wake up, school, work, play, sleep. Obviously, some order is needed so you can, for example, become specialized in a certain area. Repetition is comfortable and needed in most jobs in the name of efficiency. Waking up and going to bed are also important for physical well being and mental health. Repetition within school as well as going to school every day is needed so that you can learn. But that other part of the pattern of your life doesn’t need to follow a pre-destined order. Playing in different ways is definitely healthy, and experiencing a broader part of life can increase your understanding of the world.
Sometimes, my play gets stuck in a rut. By play, I mean going out to restaurants, the path that I take my morning jog on, dishes I cook, books I read, parts of Prague I visit, etc. You find something that you really like, and you continue to do it because you like it so much. We originally wanted to go to a different restaurant every time in Prague. We failed pretty quickly and already tend to go to Friends. It’s a really fun place, with a great atmosphere and great food. Of course, there are tons of other places in Prague that I should visit, but I’ve found my comfort in Friends, and it tends to be a place we visit. The problem is it is hard to break out of this rut. It’s scary to try other places. You never know what you are going to like, and what it is going to be like. If I jog a different path, I won’t know where I’m going. But at the same time, I would be able to see more and learn more about the city. It’s good to break out of repetition.
Why do we like repetition so much? It creates the familiar and it reminds us of our home. We create a group of people that we like and an atmosphere that we enjoy. For example, right now I’m typing with my friends in room 305, the room we always chill in. I’ve created a little Lindstrom in Prague, but with its own little quirks. But Lindstrom is a small town, and I’m limiting my experiences by trying to create a new home within the city. I need to actively increase the size of my comfort bubble and increase my capacity to enjoy life. This can be scary; what if I don’t like what I’ve found? But do you know what’s worst? Not finding what’s better.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Blaming me on the Blanket
We have had it pretty easy in Jerome House so far. Our landlady is very pleasant, and the housekeeping staff is really nice as well. Mom would be disappointed that I don’t have to make my own bed. But, we had an incident the other day that kind of spoils our relationship with the staff here at the JH.
Yesterday, I came back from my poli-sci mid-term (which is a fun class and I feel like I’m learning a lot about transitions to democracy etc) and asked for my key. They gave me a really dirty look and said we had to talk. Apparently, they think I threw up in a blanket and threw it out a window. Which I didn’t do, obviously, but all signs point to my room. Why may you ask?
1) Three days ago, my roommate, Alex, threw up on the wall, which I didn’t even know about, but he had to pay today to get it cleaned up.
2) When Robby and Jori were staying, we had rented out two blankets, two pillows and two mattresses. I could have sworn that they took one of the blankets back, but they think that we are now one blanket short.
3) They found a lot of boxed wine in the trashes in the kitchenette.
4) Someone had thrown up in the communal shower two nights ago, and they had to clean that up too.
I understand that they are blaming me, but it still really is quite sad that I have to pay for the mistakes of some asshole that can’t hold his red wine. I actually have an idea of who it may be, but I’m not sure if I can prove it, because I don’t have evidence. Liza and I think it was the people down the hall that either stole our blanket or are now one short. Fortunately, we are going to split the cost between a bunch of us, but it is still kind of sad that we are being blamed for someone's stupidity. 75 bucks for a blanket. Crap.
Yesterday, I came back from my poli-sci mid-term (which is a fun class and I feel like I’m learning a lot about transitions to democracy etc) and asked for my key. They gave me a really dirty look and said we had to talk. Apparently, they think I threw up in a blanket and threw it out a window. Which I didn’t do, obviously, but all signs point to my room. Why may you ask?
1) Three days ago, my roommate, Alex, threw up on the wall, which I didn’t even know about, but he had to pay today to get it cleaned up.
2) When Robby and Jori were staying, we had rented out two blankets, two pillows and two mattresses. I could have sworn that they took one of the blankets back, but they think that we are now one blanket short.
3) They found a lot of boxed wine in the trashes in the kitchenette.
4) Someone had thrown up in the communal shower two nights ago, and they had to clean that up too.
I understand that they are blaming me, but it still really is quite sad that I have to pay for the mistakes of some asshole that can’t hold his red wine. I actually have an idea of who it may be, but I’m not sure if I can prove it, because I don’t have evidence. Liza and I think it was the people down the hall that either stole our blanket or are now one short. Fortunately, we are going to split the cost between a bunch of us, but it is still kind of sad that we are being blamed for someone's stupidity. 75 bucks for a blanket. Crap.
Prepositions and Propositions
Yesterday, I was wondering around the city and I got kind of lost. I knew where I was going, but I thought that there was a faster way and I tried to take a shortcut. Unfortunately, I don’t know the city as well as I thought, and it wasn’t very long and I was very lost in Old Town. Luckily, I know enough to ask “Kde je Narodni Divadlo?” (Where is National Theater) and I asked multiple people where it was. However, I had no idea what they answered. I didn’t know enough Czech to understand their response, so I ended up just getting more and more lost.
I started noticing something interesting, however, and I was really excited to see that all the stores were using the preposition “u”, which means at, around, by, etc. When you use u, the following nouns and adjectives have to change to the genitive case (which is a complicated case within the Czech language, but kind of exciting for loser linguists like me). So, I was just wondering around, saying things like “oh, u Staromestke Kavy comes from Staromestka kava”. Well, that is a bad example, because I don’t think I ever found an Old-Town cup of coffee, but I think you get the point. So, I would alternate between exclaiming in joy when I saw another prepositional phrase and asking randoms on the street where Narodni Divadlo is. I finally found two Slovak men who had decent English, who were also lost, and we continued searching for Karluv Moct. I asked this older women if she knew where Charles’ Bridge was, and she told me to follow her and I did. Well, she brought me to a random door and said “joint” and obviously, I responded “ne”. She then made hand motions towards my crotch and obviously was implying that she would have sex with me. So, that is how my happy day full of prepositions changed into an encounter with a prostitute.
The guys and I finally found Karluv Moct, and they wanted to go to a club, but it was too expensive. I tried to convince them to go with me to Friends, but right before I got to Tingl Tangl, they left me, so I walked home alone.
I started noticing something interesting, however, and I was really excited to see that all the stores were using the preposition “u”, which means at, around, by, etc. When you use u, the following nouns and adjectives have to change to the genitive case (which is a complicated case within the Czech language, but kind of exciting for loser linguists like me). So, I was just wondering around, saying things like “oh, u Staromestke Kavy comes from Staromestka kava”. Well, that is a bad example, because I don’t think I ever found an Old-Town cup of coffee, but I think you get the point. So, I would alternate between exclaiming in joy when I saw another prepositional phrase and asking randoms on the street where Narodni Divadlo is. I finally found two Slovak men who had decent English, who were also lost, and we continued searching for Karluv Moct. I asked this older women if she knew where Charles’ Bridge was, and she told me to follow her and I did. Well, she brought me to a random door and said “joint” and obviously, I responded “ne”. She then made hand motions towards my crotch and obviously was implying that she would have sex with me. So, that is how my happy day full of prepositions changed into an encounter with a prostitute.
The guys and I finally found Karluv Moct, and they wanted to go to a club, but it was too expensive. I tried to convince them to go with me to Friends, but right before I got to Tingl Tangl, they left me, so I walked home alone.
Hostels
Hostels are crazy experiences. You never know who you are going to meet, and what the living conditions are going to be like. In Budapest, we stayed at this hostel in the middle of an island on the Danube between Buda and Pest. The island was surrounded by a park (with a perfect 5K running path) and it was covered with gardens; a sort of oasis from the city itself. The room, of course, was not nearly as luxurious, but the setting and the people made the hostel a blast.
We met a lot of cool people from around the world. Michael and Kevin (who we repeatedly called K-Fed) were two Scots that enjoyed drinking and playing some random Scottish card game. Michael was the more sociable of the two, and he went with us to the spa and walked around the city. K-fed would sleep all day, but would be hanging out at the patio during the night. It was interesting to talk to the two and to comprehend differences and similarities between our two cultures.
We also met two students from the States. Their names were Robby (with a y) and Jori (with an I). They were both from Harvard; Jori was legit, but Robbie oozed Harvard, like a newly formed pus-filled scab prodded by a curious four-year old pondering what may lie underneath the red abrasion and swollen membrane. Alright, it wasn’t that bad, but he was a sailor. Sailor=pretentious. They met up with us here in Prague, and we had to deal with them for some four days. We put up with their antics, but we are glad they are now on the way to Greece. (If you’re reading this Harvards, we still love you)
Of course, no hostel is complete without your share of crazies. There were some creepies that creeped around, but not as much as our little Chris Donahoe, as well as some anti-social kids. But we survived.
It was amazing how much we enjoyed the hostel. I thought that we would just sleep there, but the dynamic that was created with all of these fellow travelers really made our stay worthwhile (and we had just as much fun chatting on the porch with randoms as touring the city).
We met a lot of cool people from around the world. Michael and Kevin (who we repeatedly called K-Fed) were two Scots that enjoyed drinking and playing some random Scottish card game. Michael was the more sociable of the two, and he went with us to the spa and walked around the city. K-fed would sleep all day, but would be hanging out at the patio during the night. It was interesting to talk to the two and to comprehend differences and similarities between our two cultures.
We also met two students from the States. Their names were Robby (with a y) and Jori (with an I). They were both from Harvard; Jori was legit, but Robbie oozed Harvard, like a newly formed pus-filled scab prodded by a curious four-year old pondering what may lie underneath the red abrasion and swollen membrane. Alright, it wasn’t that bad, but he was a sailor. Sailor=pretentious. They met up with us here in Prague, and we had to deal with them for some four days. We put up with their antics, but we are glad they are now on the way to Greece. (If you’re reading this Harvards, we still love you)
Of course, no hostel is complete without your share of crazies. There were some creepies that creeped around, but not as much as our little Chris Donahoe, as well as some anti-social kids. But we survived.
It was amazing how much we enjoyed the hostel. I thought that we would just sleep there, but the dynamic that was created with all of these fellow travelers really made our stay worthwhile (and we had just as much fun chatting on the porch with randoms as touring the city).
Monday, July 9, 2007
More About Budapest
Yesterday was the 650th anniversary of Karluv Moct (or Charles’ Bridge). All of us were really excited (how often do you see a 650th anniversary?), but we were kind of dissapointed. Although it was a huge festival and the bridge was completely packed, we didn’t really understand exactly what was going on. Today at 5:31 am was supposed to be the important time with fireworks etc, but we didn’t make it that long. We did see a bunch of horses though and a woman that was dressed like Xena warrior princess yelled something in Czech about how we needed to move and punched Robbie in the chest, but besides that, it was just too crowded. It seemed that everyone in Prague was in the city; it took a half hour to get across the bridge. So, instead of boring you about specifics on the bridge, I’ll tell another tale from our weekend trip to Budapest.
We decided we don’t like Budapest as much as we like Prague. The city is beautiful, but it is too spread out. Prague is great and big and it is very compact. We never take the metro. In Budapest, we would walk for an hour to find our next destination, and it got quite tiring. Nevertheless, we did see some beautiful and interesting things.
The Parliament in Budapest is amazing. It is probably one of the coolest structures I have ever seen in my life; we didn’t go inside, but the exterior was fulfilling enough. Gothic spires just amaze me and the color of the building is really unique.
We also visited, as mentioned before, St. Stephen’s Basilica. It not only had a great view, but also had an amazing interior. Everything was vaulted inside and there was a lot of gold and marble. The marble seemed to not be true marble; perhaps it was a marble coating over some other sort of material. Otherwise, this would have been a pretty pricey building to construct.
Of course, regardless of what the exact materials were, the Basilica had to have been a very expensive project. Although it was beautiful, and the great works of art inside and construction made one think of heaven, at the same time it made me a little upset. The amount of money that was needed could have helped those who were in true need; those who needed food and shelter or medical attention. I could imagine living in the 19th century and living on the streets when this huge building is being erected to spread the ideas of Christianity. It’s quite a dilemma; the beauty of the church and its spiritual benefits on one side against the material needs of the disinherited. Personally, I think the money could have been better used by helping those in need, but I understand the need to create such places of worship.
That’s enough criticism of the Catholic church for now... one of the most interesting aspects of the Basilica was its relic, which was the mummified hand of the first king of Hungary. It is so interesting to think that there is so much value and spiritual significance in the hand of a man that has been dead for almost a millennium.
As I’ve said before, Budapest is made out of Buda and Pest. On the Pest side, we visited a public garden that had a beautiful castle and some random modern art pillars. It was weird to look at an impressive structure and twenty feet away, some ugly 80's style artsy pillar thingies. We weren’t quite sure what they were, but they were awfully fun to climb.
There was also a carnival and a zoo, but since we have visited the zoo in Prague already and I still kind of feel sick from that carousel back at the shopping mall, we decided against it. There was also a beautiful spa in the public garden that is world renowned. It has huge ceilings and indoor and outdoor medicinal spas that are supposed to be great for your body. Unfortunately, we decided to go to a cheaper spa.
The spa we went to, Lukas, was on the Buda side. It was pretty close to our hostel, and at 1500 Florin, it was only about 8 bucks. We should have splurged at the nicer one. By far, we were the youngest people at the spa; it should have been called Geriatric Spa and Grill. Everyone seemed to be in their 60s and 70s. I didn’t mind, but it felt like we were out of place, and we seemed to be the only foreigners. Rather than a place to relax, it was the place to meet for the gray-haired Hungarians. It was definitely a unique experience to be surrounded by octogenarians in their speedos...
Speedos are very interesting. Obviously, they haven’t caught on much in the states, but they are the norm here in Europe. Social constructs in both regions have changed the idea of what is acceptable and what is not. Here, it is no surprise that a woman in her 90's can wear a two-piece or maybe even just a bottom. Swim trunks seem out of place with the men. Public nudity is also much more prevalent in Europe than in the United States. It makes you wonder why there are such huge differences and especially how breasts became so sexualized in the US. When men are allowed to walk around bare-chested, why do woman have to cover up even when going for a swim? Social constructs seemed to have grown to restrict the way people behave. It seems odd that they are so different between two parts of the “western” world. Both nations are predominately Christian, so it doesn’t follow that it has strong religious ties. I wonder if it is a result of advertising. Breasts are now used to sell things, and have become associated with sex. Eventually, this has resulted in covering up one’s body when it doesn’t naturally seem necessary. Wow, that was off topic, but back to social constructs. Body hair also seems to be something that was created in our heads as bad. It is 100% natural. And most women in Europe do shave their legs. But where does this come from? When was it decided that having smooth legs were beautiful? The way that society shapes mind-sets fascinates me, and I would love to know when the construct that body hair is unpleasant was created.
Traveling through Budapest was the first time I was in a foreign country without knowing a single word of the foreign language. I tried to learn a couple of phrases, but the language was too difficult, and I couldn’t even figure out how to pronounce thank-you. It is hard to be in a country and not have the ability to verbalize how you feel. Luckily, lots of things can be accomplished without words. It can be quite amusing to watch someone try to order food or buy something by pointing, grunting, shrugging, nodding, and smiling. It’s a lot of work, but most of these things are cross-cultural and can be used universally. Of course, this is not completely true; in some cultures, pointing can be quite rude, and I know in Bulgaria when you shake your head ‘no’ it means ‘yes’ and vice-versa. Luckily, this was not the case in Budapest and we were able to eat without offending people. However, we did discover one interesting difference in the counting system. When holding up 2 fingers, like if you wanted to waters or something, you are supposed to use your thumb as finger number one. Holding up your “peace” fingers is an insult in Hungary. So don’t wish Hungarians peace with your fingers. Instead, try to say this mouthful:
Öt török öt görögöt dögönyöz örökös örömök között.
“Five Turks are massaging [or beating up] five Greeks amid everlasting delights.”
We decided we don’t like Budapest as much as we like Prague. The city is beautiful, but it is too spread out. Prague is great and big and it is very compact. We never take the metro. In Budapest, we would walk for an hour to find our next destination, and it got quite tiring. Nevertheless, we did see some beautiful and interesting things.
The Parliament in Budapest is amazing. It is probably one of the coolest structures I have ever seen in my life; we didn’t go inside, but the exterior was fulfilling enough. Gothic spires just amaze me and the color of the building is really unique.
We also visited, as mentioned before, St. Stephen’s Basilica. It not only had a great view, but also had an amazing interior. Everything was vaulted inside and there was a lot of gold and marble. The marble seemed to not be true marble; perhaps it was a marble coating over some other sort of material. Otherwise, this would have been a pretty pricey building to construct.
Of course, regardless of what the exact materials were, the Basilica had to have been a very expensive project. Although it was beautiful, and the great works of art inside and construction made one think of heaven, at the same time it made me a little upset. The amount of money that was needed could have helped those who were in true need; those who needed food and shelter or medical attention. I could imagine living in the 19th century and living on the streets when this huge building is being erected to spread the ideas of Christianity. It’s quite a dilemma; the beauty of the church and its spiritual benefits on one side against the material needs of the disinherited. Personally, I think the money could have been better used by helping those in need, but I understand the need to create such places of worship.
That’s enough criticism of the Catholic church for now... one of the most interesting aspects of the Basilica was its relic, which was the mummified hand of the first king of Hungary. It is so interesting to think that there is so much value and spiritual significance in the hand of a man that has been dead for almost a millennium.
As I’ve said before, Budapest is made out of Buda and Pest. On the Pest side, we visited a public garden that had a beautiful castle and some random modern art pillars. It was weird to look at an impressive structure and twenty feet away, some ugly 80's style artsy pillar thingies. We weren’t quite sure what they were, but they were awfully fun to climb.
There was also a carnival and a zoo, but since we have visited the zoo in Prague already and I still kind of feel sick from that carousel back at the shopping mall, we decided against it. There was also a beautiful spa in the public garden that is world renowned. It has huge ceilings and indoor and outdoor medicinal spas that are supposed to be great for your body. Unfortunately, we decided to go to a cheaper spa.
The spa we went to, Lukas, was on the Buda side. It was pretty close to our hostel, and at 1500 Florin, it was only about 8 bucks. We should have splurged at the nicer one. By far, we were the youngest people at the spa; it should have been called Geriatric Spa and Grill. Everyone seemed to be in their 60s and 70s. I didn’t mind, but it felt like we were out of place, and we seemed to be the only foreigners. Rather than a place to relax, it was the place to meet for the gray-haired Hungarians. It was definitely a unique experience to be surrounded by octogenarians in their speedos...
Speedos are very interesting. Obviously, they haven’t caught on much in the states, but they are the norm here in Europe. Social constructs in both regions have changed the idea of what is acceptable and what is not. Here, it is no surprise that a woman in her 90's can wear a two-piece or maybe even just a bottom. Swim trunks seem out of place with the men. Public nudity is also much more prevalent in Europe than in the United States. It makes you wonder why there are such huge differences and especially how breasts became so sexualized in the US. When men are allowed to walk around bare-chested, why do woman have to cover up even when going for a swim? Social constructs seemed to have grown to restrict the way people behave. It seems odd that they are so different between two parts of the “western” world. Both nations are predominately Christian, so it doesn’t follow that it has strong religious ties. I wonder if it is a result of advertising. Breasts are now used to sell things, and have become associated with sex. Eventually, this has resulted in covering up one’s body when it doesn’t naturally seem necessary. Wow, that was off topic, but back to social constructs. Body hair also seems to be something that was created in our heads as bad. It is 100% natural. And most women in Europe do shave their legs. But where does this come from? When was it decided that having smooth legs were beautiful? The way that society shapes mind-sets fascinates me, and I would love to know when the construct that body hair is unpleasant was created.
Traveling through Budapest was the first time I was in a foreign country without knowing a single word of the foreign language. I tried to learn a couple of phrases, but the language was too difficult, and I couldn’t even figure out how to pronounce thank-you. It is hard to be in a country and not have the ability to verbalize how you feel. Luckily, lots of things can be accomplished without words. It can be quite amusing to watch someone try to order food or buy something by pointing, grunting, shrugging, nodding, and smiling. It’s a lot of work, but most of these things are cross-cultural and can be used universally. Of course, this is not completely true; in some cultures, pointing can be quite rude, and I know in Bulgaria when you shake your head ‘no’ it means ‘yes’ and vice-versa. Luckily, this was not the case in Budapest and we were able to eat without offending people. However, we did discover one interesting difference in the counting system. When holding up 2 fingers, like if you wanted to waters or something, you are supposed to use your thumb as finger number one. Holding up your “peace” fingers is an insult in Hungary. So don’t wish Hungarians peace with your fingers. Instead, try to say this mouthful:
Öt török öt görögöt dögönyöz örökös örömök között.
“Five Turks are massaging [or beating up] five Greeks amid everlasting delights.”
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Train Travels in Central Europe
Getting to Budapest, and the return trip, were both a lot of fun. Traveling by train is a very unique experience; it’s like the transition between driving in a car, and flying. In a car, you are usually pretty comfortable and have your own space, and go at your own pace. In a plane, you are crowded and get to the destination quickly. Planes are almost the best of both worlds; you can enjoy the scenery and have your own compartment, but you don’t get the inevitable tired feeling that driving for hours gives you. And trains can take shortcuts and help you reach your destination quicker. In short, they are a blast.
On the way to Hungary, we got a sleeper car. Our train left at 11:30, and I didn’t want to be late, so I kind of pushed the group to get there by 10, which was kind of stupid of me since trains are not planes. In fact, you cannot know which platform to even board until about 20 minutes before the train leaves. So, after forcing our group to get there early, we waited for a while, eating some zmrzlina and just chatting. There was a little song playing whenever a train left, so my friend Emily and I made a little diddle. You can watch it here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=54W6PItXGDQ
I’m not sure why it sounds like Inspector Gadget, but after waiting a while, it seemed that singing was the most exciting thing to do. When we finally got into our train, we were really excited to find out that it was a really old sleeper car. It seemed like a classic movie, and we immediately settled into our beds. We locked our cabin, and fell asleep pretty quickly. At 6 AM, we were woke up by Passport Control, and gave them our passports and fell back asleep. Unfortunately, Liza forgot to lock the cabin after they stamped our passports, and we had quite a scary experience. When we all woke up around 8, we realized that our things had been moved. Someone had come into our car while we were sleeping. Everyone immediately checked their belongings to see if anything was missing. I was fortunate- I had no cash on me and they didn’t steal my passport or credit cards. My friends didn’t fare as well. 3000 Kron were stolen from Emily, 1000 from Molly and Alex’s Game boy was stolen. The fact that there was a thief in our car was more disturbing than what was stolen though. Somehow, he was able to take things while we slept inches away...
The return trip was a little different. On the way home, it was day so we didn’t get a sleeper. Instead, we were able to enjoy the countryside from Budapest back to Prague. Sitting with friends, reading Primo Levi, and taking a train that parallels the Danube is one of the most relaxing things in the world.
Of course, there were also some very interesting people on the train. One lady would not stop staring at us. We had brought bread and bananas and were eating it when she came on and she wouldn’t stop giving us dirty looks. She was an older Czech woman, and obviously did not like the way we were acting. Maybe she was shocked at the way we held ourselves. Alex, for example, was sleeping across three seats. He can sleep anywhere, and was able to sleep with his head on one chair and his feet across the aisle on another; this meant that his back wasn’t supported at all. I think that it might be rude to put your feet up in the Czech Republic...
Or she might have been upset that we were enjoying life. For a good hour, the five of us were passing around my iPod and lip-syncing whatever song popped up while the others guessed what the song was. It was a great game, but a little loud. We videotaped parts of it...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mgUKUtHsqFM
As you can see, we may have been annoying foreigners, but the game was silent, so it seemed that the lady was just being nosy. I guess that is all I have to say about the railroad right now... I’m sure I’ll take it again!
On the way to Hungary, we got a sleeper car. Our train left at 11:30, and I didn’t want to be late, so I kind of pushed the group to get there by 10, which was kind of stupid of me since trains are not planes. In fact, you cannot know which platform to even board until about 20 minutes before the train leaves. So, after forcing our group to get there early, we waited for a while, eating some zmrzlina and just chatting. There was a little song playing whenever a train left, so my friend Emily and I made a little diddle. You can watch it here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=54W6PItXGDQ
I’m not sure why it sounds like Inspector Gadget, but after waiting a while, it seemed that singing was the most exciting thing to do. When we finally got into our train, we were really excited to find out that it was a really old sleeper car. It seemed like a classic movie, and we immediately settled into our beds. We locked our cabin, and fell asleep pretty quickly. At 6 AM, we were woke up by Passport Control, and gave them our passports and fell back asleep. Unfortunately, Liza forgot to lock the cabin after they stamped our passports, and we had quite a scary experience. When we all woke up around 8, we realized that our things had been moved. Someone had come into our car while we were sleeping. Everyone immediately checked their belongings to see if anything was missing. I was fortunate- I had no cash on me and they didn’t steal my passport or credit cards. My friends didn’t fare as well. 3000 Kron were stolen from Emily, 1000 from Molly and Alex’s Game boy was stolen. The fact that there was a thief in our car was more disturbing than what was stolen though. Somehow, he was able to take things while we slept inches away...
The return trip was a little different. On the way home, it was day so we didn’t get a sleeper. Instead, we were able to enjoy the countryside from Budapest back to Prague. Sitting with friends, reading Primo Levi, and taking a train that parallels the Danube is one of the most relaxing things in the world.
Of course, there were also some very interesting people on the train. One lady would not stop staring at us. We had brought bread and bananas and were eating it when she came on and she wouldn’t stop giving us dirty looks. She was an older Czech woman, and obviously did not like the way we were acting. Maybe she was shocked at the way we held ourselves. Alex, for example, was sleeping across three seats. He can sleep anywhere, and was able to sleep with his head on one chair and his feet across the aisle on another; this meant that his back wasn’t supported at all. I think that it might be rude to put your feet up in the Czech Republic...
Or she might have been upset that we were enjoying life. For a good hour, the five of us were passing around my iPod and lip-syncing whatever song popped up while the others guessed what the song was. It was a great game, but a little loud. We videotaped parts of it...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mgUKUtHsqFM
As you can see, we may have been annoying foreigners, but the game was silent, so it seemed that the lady was just being nosy. I guess that is all I have to say about the railroad right now... I’m sure I’ll take it again!
Feeling Vertigo
I've never really had a fear of heights. Nevertheless, I get a weird feeling when I look over an edge, or see someone else getting close to a railing. Most people would describe this as vertigo, or a fear of heights. (Which I guess is medically wrong, but when I think "vertigo", I think fear of falling. So, I'll use it incorrectly throughout.) We climbed to the top of St. Stephan's Basilica in Budapest and I felt this sensation various times. In "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Kundera, a Czech writer, he describes vertigo as less of a fear of falling and more as the desire to fall. The Basilica helped me comprehend the feeling I get when I'm near the edge. The feeling you get when looking to the street below isn't fear; it's definitely a feeling of excitement. It's exactly the same as opening a letter of acceptance, or denial, from a college. Of course you are afraid, but the overwhelming emotion is a desire to know what's inside. Similarly, I wanted to know what it would be like to fall. Obviously, I'm not suicidal. Falling is not the same as death. Falling is more like freedom, getting away from the world, and experiencing something new. Of course, there is fear of the new, but I wanted to fall. That is exactly what I'm doing here in Europe. Falling into a new life-style, perceiving the world differently. Vertigo is change, and sometimes it's needed; it's life.
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