Spring Forward, Fall Back

So, today Daylight Savings Time begun. Yes, I guess they have that here, though, if you were me, you wouldn’t have known that ahead of time because nobody talks about it (or, if they do, they talk in Czech, and as you can see from the list from last time, we haven’t learned that yet. This morning I woke up extremly confused, but it all turned out just swell when I realized I had an extra hour to spend in Prague.

That ended up being a valuable hour, since today was the first day when I truly felt like I belonged in Prague, and I even (blushing), might be starting to fall in love with it.

Reasons Why I Liked Prague So Much Today:

1. I took the train into Prague from Rostoky. I should have done this before; it was awesome, easy, fast, and made me feel like a train regular.

2. I went to THE PARK. The big one. And it was totally magical. See pictures coming soon. I could live there. There were sculptures, there were families, there were people playing frisbee, there were leaves of many colors, there were frolicking dogs, there were ducks. I would not have changed a thing, and I’m not joking.

3. At the park, I spent at least a half an hour pretending not to watch this 40-year-old man in the middle of an expanse of grass trying to do handstands and cartwheels. He was extremely awful at both and looked totally ridiculous, and I commend him for trying in such a public space. I probably looked ridiculous too, since there was nothing very interesting around for me to fake looking at, and I laughed out loud several times while trying to be nonchalant, so maybe there was someone watching me, too.

4. It was Czechoslovakian National Statehood Day, and throughout the park I could hear music from a nearby concert. I never ended up finding the concert, which was a shame, but inconsequential, since I later came across a large gathering with music in Old Town Square.

5. I went to the Botanical Gardens and they, too, were magical. (Sidenote: I found the zoo, but I didn’t go in. That will be a project for another day.) I went specifically to see the exhibit for Halloween, which I was told was Jack-O-Lanterns. It ended up being a bunch of moldy, decaying carved pumpkins set throughout this beautiful garden (they had been there since the beginning of October, to be fair), and then basically small tent housing many different types of gourds. It was the most pitiful attempt at being cross-cultural that I have ever seen, and I loved it. It was actually nice just to see gourds and pumpkins (oh, the ones that were carved were so bad, I was embarrassed for the carver. I made better half-moons-for-eyes by the time I was 5). I would have been more disappointed, but the beautiful day and awesome rest of the gardens more than made up for it, plus it was really really funny.

6. I found a cafe filled with books (unfortunately all in Czech), and everyone who came in (except for me, again unfortunately) grabbed a book off the shelves and read it while they were there. That is, except for two guys who were playing chess. It looked a lot like my heaven. To be fair, it was very smoky, which is good because it kept me grounded.

7. I know a lot of the main part of the city, I really do, and I am learning more and more how to get around, but I never fully appreciate how close things are together until I také a slightly different route one day and realize that my favorite cafe is only a block from my favorite potraviny. Today, I walked a full circle connecting three of the major landmarks (Charles Square, Wenceslaus Square, Old Town Square), and it took me maybe 20 minutes, tops, but I needed to do it because now I get it. I finally have a picture in my head of where things are. Finally. It feels good.

8. Fireworks.

9. I had a full conversation with the guy from whom I bought apples. AND I bought my first Czech toothbrush, which makes me feel like I’m really living here, you know?

10. When I got back, Elena made me eat what they ate for both lunch (pasta with mushrooms and chicken) and dinner (salad with fish- shady I know but actually quite good), and a peach. I am so full I could burst, especially since I had eaten quite a bit already today.

It was a good day. Next time, more on food. Seriously. Not kidding. I promise. For real.

Oh, and last night I watched The Firemen's Ball, a movie directed by Milos Foreman (the movie that got him jobs in the US). It was quite good, and I recommend it if you want a taste of Czech humor. It's in Czech, so check (ha) for English subtitles.