Praha 7, or Notes from the Mental Portfolio of an American Student

(1)
Last night, one of my flatmates invited some of her friends over to drink and hang out before hitting the bars. Not just friends from our program, but friends from her US college who are studying on different Prague programs. I was all set to spend the night trying to get my homework done around them and be grumpy, but then something hilarious happened.

A kid locked himself in the bathroom and couldn't get out.

Not your typical American bathroom, mind you. In most of Europe, the toilet is separate from the tub, and has its own little room. Ours comes with a tiny sink in the toilet room as well, for convienence, since the shower/sink part is all the way across the flat. However, the toilet takes up most of the room. If you stick your elbows out, you hit the two side walls. So it was good that he wasn't claustrophobic.

He was in there for over an hour. I know because I became invoved in the rescue team. We tried everything - twisting, jamming, picking, even unscrewing the handle and sliding the bolt out. Nothing worked. The kid started getting a little desparate, and tried to kick the door down, but couldn't get his leg far back enough to get any momentum. Finally, we called our program director around 11:30pm, after he'd been in there for an hour. Jiri (the director, pronounced YIR-zhee) told us he would call a locksmith, but that it would cost us 1.000kc - about $50. We told him to call anyway, and that we'd pay the expense.

Meanwhile, we had no toilet, and people were starting to get desparate. Some went down the street to the pub, but you had to buy a beer first. For some, this was too long to wait, and I think people might have actually relieved themselves out the screen-less back windows into the neighbor's courtyard.

Finally, as everyone was sitting back and waiting for a locksmith, Mickey (one of my flatmates), came rushing to the toilet door, a little drunk. "I've got it!" she yelled. She then proceeded to do what had managed to escape everybody else at the party (by then there were probably 30 of us).

She had him slide the key under the door, and then she unlocked it from the outside.


(2)
Today, my Czech teacher, Zdenka, took us on a field trip to Cafe Slavia, one of the most famous old hangouts in Prague. This is where Franz Kafka and his friends used to hang out, chain-smoking and sipping dark coffee for hours. It's nothing like an American coffee house; you can quite literally sit there all day, nursing a single cup of kava (coffee) and nobody bothers you for the bill, or to leave! Cafe Slavia is right on the Charles River, and offers one of the most beautiful views of Malastrana (the lesser city) across the water. It would be the perfect place to study, except for all the smoke, which gives me headaches. In Prague, there are no smoking bans *anywhere*, so everyone smells like an ashtray once they leave a cafe or pub.

At Cafe Slavia, I ordered one of my favorite childhood treats - palačinka (pa-lah-CHEEN-ka) - which is the Czech version of crepes. Mine were thicker than crepes, but smothered in a blackberry/raspberry sauce with raisins and freshly whipped cream. Delicious!

(3)
Eyore,
If you want to join a sorority, by all means, go for it. Honestly, I think it might be fun for you - new group of people, instant friends (drama included). What sorority is this, by the way? There are several greek life girls on my program who want to know. That said, I appreciate your advice regarding change and transition. Who better to knock me over the head with common sense than my little sister?

Love,
~me