Perpetual Change

Notes on Czech

I spent all summer between Cesky Krumlov, a world heritage site with the biggest castle complex in Czech, and Cesky Budejovice, the town whose German name is Budweis, and so the original home of a Budweiser. It was all very stunning.

In Czech there is no way to say Bohemia. The reason being that the Bohemii were a tribe of Celts, that were later overrun by a Slavic nation led by Czesko. The surrounding people knew the land as Bohemia, but the Czechs didn't. So the two words became interchangeable, but not in the Czech language. The term Bohemian or Bohemian lifestyle comes from the French actually. They saw Romani people (or gypsies) living in and around Paris in a free and nomadic way, and thought they were the people from the land of Bohemia. Later artists and poets adopted this term along with the lifestyle. (Seems like many strange fads came from the Slavs via French popularity. Neckties were part of Croatian military uniforms until the French adopted them as fashionable).

How do ATM's NEVER mess up? How have we created a machine that efficient and precise. At least, I have never had one mess up or even heard of it messing up. I've heard of them out of order, but never giving the wrong amount. Have any of you? This thought came to my mind when once in Czech, I took out the maximum amount option and it gave me just one bill! Come on, what I am supposed to do with a bill like that?

The very first day that I arrived in Czech, I spent about an hour and a half wandering around Cesky Budejovice, waiting for my train to Cesky Krumlov. I had a coffee, saw the square and market, and bought some groceries. I had never been to where I would be sleeping that night (and most of the rest of the summer), and I had just gotten off a night train, and yet after that time I really felt like I had a pretty good grasp on the place. I felt its heartbeat. Is that skill or naivety?

Being back in Czech after many years and a few weeks in Tuscany and Denmark, and after walking around Cesky Budejovice, I was struck again by how charming it was, but I kept hearing "Back in the USSR" playing in my head.

Getting there had been stressful, I may have paid a bribe, but I did then end up with my own train cabin, a good night rest, and a cheaper price then when I had gone to Tuscany from Vienna.

When I walked up to the counter in Cesky Budejovice to by my ticket to the small village just outside of Cesky Krumlov. I used my knowledge of Slavic languages, and a bit of Russian to guess at how to pronounce the town and ask for the ticket. I met a look of confusion from the woman, but I am not sure if it was because she was surprised that she understood me, or she was surprised at where I was going.

Later in the season, I came back from being in Hungary (stay tuned for that blog), and I was sent to pick up a van from the repair shop. I brought another van with a small problem in. The man asked me a detail about the problem, which I didn't know because I had only just driven the van in, and knew nothing more, as I said, just coming from Hungary the day before. He asked where his normal contact was, and I said that he had just gone to Croatia for a month. I felt a bit like a spy then. I also felt that way on this return as I was swapping one currency out of my wallet into my collection of 4 others, and hunting around for the right sim card to power my cell phone on the appropriate network. I have 7 (1 british, 2 Italian, 1 czech, 2 ukrainian, and 1 swiss).

Finally, I often saw huge billboards on the blank side of the communist apartment blocks. They really are a great use of space but very conspicuous. I wondered if the communist leaders are rolling in their graves to see how great their housing blocks work for capitalism.

Labels: old notes

posted by jjs @ 11:42 PM