1/18/2007

Praha 1, or Wherever Your Final Destination May Be

I'm here! I'm more discombobulated than a drunken elephant, but I made it. My luggage wasn't so fortunate - one of my two bags are still floating around Heathrow Airport somewhere. They promised to send it in on the next flight to Praha, but we're having a huge wind/rain storm here that's preventing any flights from coming in. The same winds that pushed my two planes in half an hour early are now stopping all the flights.

That said, I'm doing okay. I got to my apartment without mishap, and found four of my five roomates already there and sleeping off the jet lag. I joined them fairly soon after, but first needed to collect myself and explore my new space.

The apartment is very large, for only six people. Two single bedrooms, and two doubles that easily rival the size of the biggest Smith doubles. The kitchen has plenty of pots and pans, and the bathroom even has a standing shower as well as a tub! My only complaint would be that the building is old enough to be very drafty, and the high winds have been making our windows slam and clatter since we arrived.

"We" is what my dad would call "a buncha girrrrrrrrrrls." No crunchy Jewish queers in this group, but I did have a fascinating conversation with a kid from Wellesley about reclaiming body modification (tattoos in particular) in the name of Jewish political identity.

Dinner was with the head of our program at an italian/pizza place with surprisingly delicious thin-crust brick oven pizza. The director, Kim, said jet lag plus a huge storm plus a new city plus moving in plus plunging into Czech food would be a little much for one day.

And I found this internet in a shop up the road from my apartment. I do have to buy an orange juice or a coffee in order to get the free wi-fi, but it's worth it to be able to write to you all.

And apparently, the man who lives downstairs speaks fluent Hebrew. Go figure.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey - glad to read your post! Sounds like your cooking worries were overrated and you can stew to your heart's content! Let us know when you get a phone too!
Have fun!!
Love,
Mom

Yael said...

I'm so glad to hear you made it over safely; I hope that your bag gets over there soon too! It sounds like you've been up to a LOT already. I hope that things go well, lovely, and aren't too overwhelming. (And I think it's really cool that there's a Hebrew-speaker down the hall--because I'm ridiculously dorky like that. Of course.)

Take care ♥

Elliot Coale said...

I'm overjoyed to hear that you got there safe. Sorry about the losing of the luggage, though.

Much luv.

Anonymous said...

tee hee lost luggage!!

well thats good about the space, seems like you're gonna like living there. And nice about the cafe up the street...I knew they wouldn't leave ya hanging w/out internet.

see? not so scary after all :-p

Anonymous said...

Hi Dane
Aliyah told me about your blog so I thought I would send you a note. The adjustment to another country is always challenging but I bet you will do fine. I hope you have a blast. Make Aliyah visit you, you are not so far apart. I am hanging in there and we had a great visit to Florence in December. It is always best to not worry about food, besides you have a kitchen, and you know how to cook.
In Peace
Ellen (Aliyah's mom)

Anonymous said...

Dandoo Dandoo
Wherefore art thou Dandoo?
Whether tis nobler to leave one's parents wondering what's up
Or to write again and fill their hearts...
love,
guess who, from the bin...

Anonymous said...

Hey Hon,
Glad to hear you got there alright!
Love ya
Annie