As some of you know, I recently moved to Prague.. What you may not know is that the Czech word for hello is "Ahoj" (pronounced Ahoy). Why is this significant? I'm glad you asked. You see, I'm subleasing a room in a shared apartment. The woman whose room I'm subleasing met me in the apartment the first day and showed me all the ins and outs of living there as well as taking me around the city and showing me all her favorite hangouts. Then, while she went off to teach a class (she's an English teacher), I set about unpacking.
While I was unpacking, my new flatmate, whom I had not yet met, came home from work. As the door opened, I looked up to see a youngish guy with long hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a blue bandana, just like a pirate.
"Ahoj!" he said. I just about lost it. I had to really restrain myself from answering,
"Ahoy, matie!" The only thing that was missing was the eye patch and maybe a pegleg or a hook arm.
For those of you who want to get caught up on all my exploits of late, I am in Prague, taking an intensive, one-month course to get certified to teach English as a Foreign Language. I'm thinking very seriously about looking for a job right here when I get out, because I'm enjoying being here so much. Although it's not a huge city, it's very international, and I enjoy meeting people from all over the world.
The woman who sublet me the room, as I mentioned, is also an English teacher, and she left me a lot of great information on schools and teaching... let me read her teaching books and even gave me the email of her agent who gets her teaching jobs with private students. She's also a musician and is involved in community theater here in Prague. I'm really psyched about that, because community theater is something I'd really like to get back into. I had such a positive experience with it when I lived in Mexico. And she was such a warm, comfortable and hospitable person that I'd like to be friends with her when she gets back. I've already met some of her friends, and they're all really nice and friendly, too.
My flatmate is great. He's so clean and quiet (quite a change from my last place in Poland... I'm going to have to put some photos up). And he's very friendly as well. He's always bringing me stuff to eat and drink... apple juice, wine, cake, corn on the cob.... I never know what to expect from him.
The course started out a little shaky. I wasn't sure if I agreed with the teaching philosophy they're trying to teach us, but I'm finding that I have more common ground with their philosophy than I'd thought at first. And most of the students are Americans in their twenties, and it's pretty cliquish. Kind of reminded me why I left the States in the first place. They are starting to open up a bit more as time goes on, but it's never going to be like living in Poland. Age is way too important in America. Drives me crazy. But, there are plenty of other people in Prague, and I aim to meet a lot of them.
So, that's what's been going on with me. What's been going on with you?
kruuyai posted on Jul 10, 2007
| views: 733
Comments
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silverwhisper said on Jul 10, 2007....
i'm glad you're finally settled enough to blog again, kruu--i've missed you, as have others. you should look here to see what's been happening with little box, btw. :>
things are, well, things. :> there've been a few folks lately asking about dream interpretation and i've been telling 'em you're the reigning soulcast expert on the subject. now i have to remember who they were!
welcome back, kruu!
[massive bearhug]
ed -
polarheart said on Jul 10, 2007....
Ahoj, Kruu! As I may have mentioned before, my friend that I have known since I was 5 now lives in a suburb of Prague. Her parents emmigrated from then Czechozlovakia to South Africa probably about 40 odd years ago. We use to live next door to each other and they are like family to me. My friend and her hubby, their kids and her mom moved back to Prague about 8 years ago. So, I grew up with "ahoj" and "prossem" (which I think either means please or thank you - ask your flat mate pls). I really need to get my butt to Prague soon as they keep asking for us to come and visit. I will def let you know if I pop over. Good to see you blogging again! -
beyondtheveil said on Jul 10, 2007....
kruu- Holy moley, so great to see you back. My (coffee) cup runneth over. Sounds like you have found a home for a while. The place just isn't the same without the kruublogs.
I've heard a lot about the architecture in Prague. Will we see some pics?
So good to have you back kruuyai.
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secretlife said on Jul 10, 2007....
hey kruu- so nice to see you posting!
sounds like the food is ALOT better in prague than in poland!!
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kruuyai said on Jul 10, 2007....
ed: Hey, thanks for the welcome, and for the link to LB's whereabouts. I was just talking with Daily tonight, and we were both wondering about her. Dreams, dreams, dreams... ahh, to dream again without interruptions... how great would that be? Mine have been interrupted by the alarm clock lately (going off promptly at 8 am.... I don't know why I'm sleeping so late... maybe the weather... it's been freaking cold here!)
polar: Oh, I wish you would come to visit! Yes, "prosim" means please. I am learning a bit of Czech, little by little. And my Polish is helping tremendously.
beyond: Thanks, sweetie. It's good to see you, too. I might could put some pictures up, eventually (how's that grammar for a wannabe English teacher?)
secret: I'm not sure if the local cuisine is all that different from Polish cuisine, but Prague is such an international city that you can find all kinds of restaurants, and even the supermarkets have a lot of food items that you cant' find in Poland (or at least in Szczecin). I went crazy the first week making myself burritos (can't find tortillas in Szczecin). And I had the most incredible eggplant lasagne smothered in goat's cheese, at a restaurant not far from my house. Mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
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Alyss said on Jul 10, 2007....
It's good to see you here again Kruuyai. Glad you're feeling more settled. -
botoni said on Jul 10, 2007....
Hello Kruu! Its so good to see you re back in town. I ve missed you tremendously and I m really looking to hear more about Prague. Sounds like you ve lucked out on living accomodation. Great. All is good here. -
pickersplock said on Jul 10, 2007....
I've been wondering where you were. Glad you popped in! -
moonriver said on Jul 10, 2007....
i was about to conclude you were thrown into a dingy turkish prison after they caught you doing that primal scream, kruu. ah, beautiful prague. now you've got me really envious and wistful. with ginger in roma, and you in praha... damn! i can't even get to meet my two favorite concubines in person at the same time, stranded here in the backwaters of the east... LOL
pix, luv, ya gotta post some pix of your new flat and your one-eyed pirate mate. if he's anywhere like a johnny depp look-alike, i'm sure ginger would borrow and cadge her way to praha within 24 hrs.
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boyzmom said on Jul 11, 2007....
It sounds like you really like where you are, I am so happy for you! Young americans can be difficult sometimes, it's because they don't see the benefit of experience on one's life. -
kruuyai said on Jul 13, 2007....
Alyss: Thanks. It's good to feel settled. Too bad this is only a sublet and I can only stay here for two months, then I have to move again.
botoni: Hey! How are you doing? I was thinking about you when the HC site got all messed up. Were you one of the new members whose profiles got dumped and had to submit it all over again? Do you have a profile up now? Should I look for it? I'm getting flooded with requests to stay at my place in Prague, even though my profile says that I can't host right now because I'm so busy with my course. But at least I know that, living in Prague, I'll never be lonely! Can't wait to start hosting. I'm going to meet a guy from Sri Lanka for coffee next weekend. At least I can do that much.
pickers: Yes, it'll still be come and go for a while, but I haven't disappeared.
moondoggie!: I remember that primal scream. It went on for a hell of a long time. Hmmmm, maybe your two favorite concubines should make a detour to the backwaters of the east.... what say we bake an eggplant and goat cheese lasagna in an earthen oven and savor it over a glass of white wine while the sun hangs low in the Bok Choi hours over those backwaters?
The one-eyed pirate mate? Not anything like our dear Mr. Depp, but rather cute in his own way.
boyzmom: You can say that again. But the cliques are starting to open up. I think the motivation for these particular cliques was not really exclusivity, but people feeling a need to take care of their own social needs quickly, and going for convenience (hanging out with the people they share the student housing with) and comfort (people in their own age group. But once I was given the opportunity to show an interest in socializing with them, I've been included in more things. One of the girls is planning to stay on in Prague and teach, and we've talked about sharing a flat. Not sure if that will happen, or if I even want it to, but it will be nice to know people here who are going through some of the same things that I'm going through.
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moonriver said on Jul 13, 2007....
kruu -- hmmm, i can smell it baking already. you know, i really do that sometimes where i am, only i have to use regular cheese, and rice wine. let's see... ((doing calendar calculations in his mind)) ... yes, i do think we can fit in a week of fun around summer next year. :-)
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botoni said on Jul 14, 2007....
kruu.....I better look into that. It could well be that I got dumped. I got an acceptance note and havent heard a darn thing since. Would you maybe send me the site addy again please....I seem to have lost it in my messy storage....oooops. -
kruuyai said on Jul 14, 2007....
moonie: oohhh, that's a long time to wait. You know what they say... next summer never comes. :) And my mouth is just watering for that 'regular cheese!' I may have to go ahead and cut the cheese without you. I'll save some for next summer, though. ;-)
botoni: sure thing, it's www.hospitalityclub.org The more often you log in, the more likely you are to get requests. Of course, it depends on how many people want to visit where you're living, too. :)
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moonriver said on Jul 14, 2007....
kruu -- ((sighs, checks calendar again)) yeah, well... i will definitely come (in more ways than one). anyways, i'll save some of the rice wine for when the two or either of you decide to drift eastward...or when the one of me fumbles westward. regards to the one-eyed flatmate, see that he doesn't bother you in ways that you won't approve of ... :-)
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kruuyai said on Jul 14, 2007....
mooners: You will, you will... I'll make sure of that! ;-) I'm just wondering how far east I'll have to drift? And after all that drifting, will I need a rest, or will I be inspired to get right to work? How, pray tell, will you help me re-energize?
Ah, the flatmate... well, there really aren't too many ways that I wouldn't approve of, even if he doesn't look like Johnny Depp (it dawned on me today, while I was watching an old episode of M*A*S*H, who he does look like... are you ready for this? Just imagine Radar O'Reilly with thick, straight, brown, longer than shoulder length hair, usually pulled back in a pony tail, wrap a bandana around all that, grow a scruffy beard that's not all filled in, and you've pretty much got my Pegleg Pete). Alas, rumor has it, he's gay, but just hasn't realized it yet. Darn those rumors! Maybe he's just shy.... or just bi... that could be interesting. His friend that always stays over here is drop dead gorgeous.... oh, I'm sorry, are there still people here? I was just getting lost in my thoughts. :)
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botoni said on Jul 14, 2007....
All right you two! I m feeling left out. Kruu....I think you re right I was dumped at HC. I ll go through the process again. When I get cleared, again, send Pete and his friend. I ll give them any insturction they need. -
kruuyai said on Jul 15, 2007....
botoni: Oh, you little minx, you! As if I don't have enough competition already! :) Oh well... after you get them trained and fully operational, can I have them back? -
moonriver said on Jul 15, 2007....
kruu -- you can stop drifting at the gmt+8 timezone. you'll be inspired to get right down to work... and then, you'll have to rest. but i'll help you re-energize. (i'm using "you" without being definite if it's plural or singular, mind you...)
i had to google-search "radar o'reilly" to jog my memory. wikipedia has a pic of him. ah so, that is how your pirate looks like... :-) i guess he's ok, he and his drop-dead-gorgeous friend will probably bother you only in wholesome ways. hey botoni, train them well, hear?
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kruuyai said on Jul 15, 2007....
moon: Is that standard or summer time? Yes, I'm sure that no matter how exhausted we are when we arrive, just being in the presence of the master will revitalize us. It remains to be seen, however, if any human being can truly survive what comes next. I'm sure you can think of plenty of creative ways to rest as well. Let's just not do it under any coconut trees. I want to live long into old age to have lots of time to sit in my rocking chair and fondly reminisce about my first meeting with the great moonriver. :)
I took a look at that wikipedia pic, to see what version of Radar you were seeing. It's pretty close, but Pegleg smiles a lot more. They both share a sort of wondrous innocence, though. My bedroom, by the way, is only separated from the kitchen and bathroom by a sheet hanging over the passageway, and it's usually open. So, as I was sitting here working, Mr. Drop-Dead-Gorgeous came through to brush his teeth, clad only in a T-shirt and underwear. Mamma mia! I had to remind myself, "Okay, kruu, put your tongue back in your mouth and get your eyes back on the computer." Ahhhh, so many men, so little time.
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moonriver said on Jul 15, 2007....
kruu -- standard time. we don't save summer daylight hrs around these parts. we spend them as soon as we get 'em...:-)
if you don't want to do it under coconut trees, how about on top of coconut trees?
i mean, harvesting coconuts is hard work, and i could sure use a pair or two of extra hands. i'm pretty sure you'll survive into old age to tell stories to your grandchildren how you climbed the trees, picked off the nuts (of the coco trees, not mine!...lol), and subsisted on them for a week without getting diarrhea.
ahhhh, indeed. so many men, so little time... exactly the reason why botoni's offering to help you out...lol.
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kruuyai said on Jul 15, 2007....
moon: Got a chunk o' daylight burning a hole in your pocket, do ya? (Or is it just that you don't have any pockets in that birthday suit that you insist on wearing around the island? I suppose all those nooks, crannies and crevices can't hold as much as your standard pair of Levis. Still, you've gotta save something for a rainy day.
On top of the coconut trees? I didn't realize that we were going to be rewriting the Kama Sutra. That'll be quite a project. No wonder we're going to need a rest. So tell me, exactly how does one rest up after rewriting the Kama Sutra? Or is this your first time? And how should I go about preparing for my journey? By the way, I'll try real hard not to pick your nuts off! :)
Botoni seems to have disappeared, and I've got a story for him. I guess he'll have to catch it in the next chapter.
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botoni said on Jul 15, 2007....
I have returned! Had to slip out for a rock concert. I m contemplating coconut trees and thinking I ll find my nuts elsewhere. Kruu has a story? OH! I m all ears. Next time Kruu use the video for Mr. Radar Pirate.....I need some distraction. -
kruuyai said on Jul 15, 2007....
I got a guy named Bony Botoni..... yeah, yeah... He's so skinny like a stick of macaroni.... .... oops, where was I? Was it that kind of rock concert? Yeah, I'm with you... coco-nuts are a little hairy for my tastes. Maybe plucked coco-nuts... how does that sound? Video, huh? I could use a little distraction myself, but I don't think a video is gonna do it. :) -
botoni said on Jul 15, 2007....
LOL......I m not really big on having my nuts plucked.....yowzers that would be painful. I could be talked into some shaving maybeeeeeeeeeeeeee. -
kruuyai said on Jul 15, 2007....
hee hee....my boyfriend in Mexico used to shave his nuts. Made 'em a lot easier to swallow. Okay, we'll save the nut plucking for people that we really don't like. :) -
moonriver said on Jul 16, 2007....
kruu, botoni -- yuu twu are tuu funny! i was talking about harvesting coconuts, not shaving a man's nuts. i was thinking of making dried copra, not revising kama sutra. this thread has totally gone nuts...lol.
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kruuyai said on Jul 16, 2007....
moon: Dried what? -
moonriver said on Jul 16, 2007....
kruu -- copra... ya, know... as in, making copra. oh btw, when we make copra in these parts, we do shave the nuts first (in a manner of speaking), then crack it open with a machete, so we could get the oily meat inside. don't try doing this at home with your pirate duo...lol.
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kruuyai said on Jul 17, 2007....
muun: Hey dude! How did you get a picture of Pegleg? And why is he wearing a red bandana instead of blue? And don't worry, I'm sure I can find ways to get at that oily meat inside without the aid of a machete. Know what I mean? -
botoni said on Jul 17, 2007....
I strongly recommend that the machete be left out of the seduction process. Them things is dangerous. -
kruuyai said on Jul 17, 2007....
botoni: Yeah, but they sure come in handy for opening those Polish cans! -
skald said on Jul 17, 2007....
Kruu I am now catching up on your blog. Good to read you again. -
kruuyai said on Jul 17, 2007....
Hi skald! Thanks for stopping by. It's good to see you again, too. :) -
queenparanoia said on Jul 28, 2007....
hello kruu!!! sorry if i just read your post! but i'm reading all of them now! and sorry i wont read the comments olny the post! anyway i miss you and i hope to see the pics. i'm happy you like it there now... =) -
kruuyai said on Jul 30, 2007....
queen: Hi sweetie! It's good to see you in the neighborhood again. Thank you... I really do like it here. :) -
wakingharmony said on Sep 05, 2007....
Wow Kruuyai.....makes me feel a little family bell go off..I have been doing family tree and have seen Prague listed in the census.. -
kruuyai said on Sep 06, 2007....
waking: Ohhh, you should come. It gorgeous. Did you know that Prague is one of the three most visited cities in the world? (after Paris and Rome)
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