Sunday, April 15

Catalyst


I have been terrible to you, and I am sorry. No posts for a week?? I know, but there's a good reason I think...this blog has always been a kind of safety net for me, a way to bring my head back to home and have something comfortable. With my parents here, I guess I don't need it as much.

Spending time with my parents for the past week has been really great. They don't want me to go into detail about anything having to do with them (guess everyone's scared of the media these days), so I'll keep it pretty vague...but I told you last time about how great it's been to use their visit as a tool to reflect on my time here, and that has proven itself very true.

So what did I come up with? A bunch of things. Tuesday night, they came here and I had my second incredible experience of someone from home meeting the Jančařik family. Mom and Dad did their best to talk slow enough for everyone to understand, and once we got a few drinks in us (and then a few more. And a few more. And oh what the hell how bout a few more) things loosened up quite nicely. Mom said something that's stuck with me: she told Tomas and Zuzana that I had really learned patience since I've been here. I wouldn't say I've learned it so much as it kind of found me. There hasn't been a time this entire semester where I've felt impatient about anything, but then, there hasn't been anything to feel impatient about - no rushing, no appointments, nothing to make me wish things were going faster. Plus, when you have to speak slower to make sure you're understood (and when you talk as much as I do), you don't have much of a choice. All the same, I hope that's something I can take back with me.

Wednesday night Mom and Dad took everyone out to dinner, and it was another really nice night. But I'd like to talk a bit about Thursday, a great night with my dad. I think I spoke a bit about a famous Czech band called the Plastic People of the Universe, leaders of the Czech Underground culture during the Communist era. One of my classes had a field trip to see them play on Thursday night, and I invited my parents to come with me, not expecting them to come along. Mom wasn't too interested...but Dad was all about it!

So we went! I introduced him to all the usual suspects, including my teacher ("I can't believe you'd be interested in seeing the Plastic People!!" she screamed. What can I say, Dad's kinda cool). We walked into the venue, drinks in hand, and headed towards the seats in the back of the place, away from the rest of my friends. The band was really outstanding, especially once they got going (Dad wore earplugs. What can I say, he's really cool). The whole night was a tribute to their Underground colleague and frequent source of inspiration, Egon Bondy, who died last Monday.

Friday was the big drive to Budapest, followed by an excellent weekend of fantastic walks around a really nice city (not quite as nice as Prague or Amsterdam, but worth a visit all the same) in summer weather. Dad and I won some cash at the casino next to our hotel, we saw every Jewish-related site there was in the city, and we ate one of the greatest meals I've ever had (contemporary Hungarian food - I had fois gras (I know they're mean to the geese when they make it, but I had to try it. And DAMN that shit's good), Goose breast in a gingerbread sauce, 2 glasses of Hungarian wine, and a shot of Hungarian Peach liquor). Pictures soon (from Amsterdam too).

You know, maybe it's the seemingly constant words of encouragement that I get form my parents, but the whole visit was just really reassuring. They actually like my hair (WHAA??), and they really like spending time with me and seeing what I've been learning and living for these past three months. It gave me a sense of peace and confidence I don't think I've ever felt before, like it justified everything somehow. Of course I don't need that kind of justification for things, but you gotta admit it's damn nice when you can get it.

Especially when you've only got one more month left in a place you've grown to love so much. I feel like I've started something here, a kind of new life, and it's going to get cut off right when it's about to find its stride. Then it's back to the land of impatience, to-do lists, less reading for pleasure, and more bike riding to class. They say the culture shock going back home is worse than the culture shock getting abroad. I can see why, and I'm not looking forward to it. (Though I am excited to see everyone at home again).

Time to wrap this up...this week is not nearly as eventful, so you'll probably hear from me more often. I've been posting really vaguely for a while, which makes this really uninteresting, so I'll do better this week! (though this blog had a record number of hits last week, 115 on Wednesday alone! If you're reading on Facebook, you really should just take a peek at what these posts look like on evaninprague.blogspot.com) It's scary, but I can actually visualize the end now: next weekend I'll be here in Prague again (I need the rest...badly) followed by a weekend in Berlin and Munich (Vaclav is trying to get 2 free nights at his hotel's branch in Munich so we can go together...two free nights in a 5-star hotel? Eh, ok). Then it's back in Prague, finals, Croatia, and LA for the summer already.

Where does the time go?