On Monday I had my usual full day of classes but it was special because I got my scavenger hunt back, and I got one of the best grades in the class. It was a lot of work but it was interesting and I learned about some thing I would not have otherwise. I was looking around my classes and I realized I am going to miss having class in the palace, Tulane just seems pedestrian in comparison.
The next day I was done with class at two, so I checked out the Mucha Museum which is a two minute walk from school. I was aware of his posters in Paris and the different series and but I was not familiar with his Slovak Epoch. His dedication to telling the story of his countrymen is admirable. As well, I did not know how influential he was in Czechoslovakia. After the first war, he returned and basically designed everything from money to stamps to medals for the new nation. It is a really nice, small museum. On Wednesday I had my living history class, and we continued looking at Old Town, this time focusing on the Jewish Quarter.
I didn’t travel anywhere this weekend so I checked out services at a synagogue a couple blocks away from my synagogue. It’s always interesting trying to find things in Prague. They all have two address numbers and synagogues that aren’t in historic buildings just blend in with the apartment. Services were held in the basement, for me and eight other people, all Czechs. It was reminded me a lot of the underground synagogue in Terezin. The service was in Czech but because the man leading services (I don’t think he was a Rabbi) knew I spoke English he said the page numbers in English. Although I had some short conversations with some of the people in Czech though there was not much I could communicate beside where I am from and that I am a student at CU. All of the people were really sweet, its funny, though, a few of them asked me if I was English. Maybe its as hard for them to tell English accents apart as it is for me to differentiate Czech, Slovak and Russian.
Over the weekend I did some school work, and on Monday we didn’t have class because it was a holiday. I went with my roommate Laura to support her while she got a tattoo. It was really interesting to watch. It looked like it hurt but she was really brave and it turned out really well. That night one of my professors, for my Holocaust class, so instead he had us all come to a restaurant called Casa Blue because class was cancelled. Before I went to my friend Mirka’s apartment; she’s a Finnish student doing a semester in Prague. I always forget I’m supposed to take my shoes off when I go into a European person’s home. It was nice to get a chance to speak to the other Czech students outside of class. One was really interested in Judaism and asked me how my family celebrated Shabbat. One of the boys in the class asked why so many Czechs are so cold towards Americans, and the Czech girl’s answer was interesting. She countered that Czechs are not reserved, Americans are just fake. She explained that there is a strong line between people you know and associate with and who your friend is and you act accord. While Americans are kind and friendly it does not really mean they want to be your friend, which we may see as courteous but Czechs see as disingenuous.
This Wednesday in Living History we walked around and saw all of the modern buildings in Prague. Most of them were from the 70’s and really ugly except for the Dancing House.
Yesterday, I went to Kutna Hora, a small historical town an hour outside of Prague. The first thing we saw was a church that is decorated with human bones. I can’t really say how or why though, because our tour guide didn’t really speak English. Then we took a short walking tour which was awful because it was so cold and rainy, but the exciting part was it snowed for a few minutes! Then we toured an old silver mine. We had to wear white jackets and helmets and use flashlights. Some parts of it were really scary because the spaces got very tight and the walls looked all slimy. It was really cool, though, I’m glad we went even though the weather was really bad.
This morning I woke and it was snowing outside! I was so excited that I stepped out on to my balcony in just my pajamas to get a better look. The city looks amazing all covered in white.
A couple of my friends from Tulane are coming to visit this weekend and I am very excited to show them around Prague.
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