Proseem? Prosím! Pivo!

So this weekend, Michelle and I traveled to Praha (Prague, for the unknowing) to visit some of my favorite babies. Kyle played an excellent tour guide and if I didn't have a heart I would have started calling him Tour Guide Kyle-Doll... Ok, that's a bit much. But seriously, most accommodating host and I hope to be the best hostess cupcake when he and Alexis come to visit in a month.

Prague is an, erm, interesting city. Parts of it are gorgeous, as in: The Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Old Town, the astronomical/astrological clock (both names work, ok?!), and anything that is well, distinctly old. As a matter of fact, my favorite parts of Prague were buildings that were super old and probably older than many things I've seen here in Paris. However, with all beauty there is a downfall, that downfall being the Czech language. Now, there is nothing wrong with Czech, but there is something super wrong with it when you can't speak it. I have never felt so hopeless in all of my life. I mean these people are talking a million miles a minute in a language that just sounds funny. I can't blame them for it, but it just makes me realize what a huge Francophile I really am. Aside from funny speech, there are parts of Prague that made me feel like I was in a huge time warp. The transportation system seems to be stuck in the 80s, particularly with its decoration. It really is the city of red: red roofs and red metros. It is not distinctly Western, in the sense that fashion has really not come to this city and the women are not as preoccupied with beautifying themselves every morning as they are in Paris. That was a huge relief when I rolled out of bed at 7AM to catch my flight. Food in itself is so heavy and people drink beer with everything. Apparently you can get beer in the morning with breakfast. HOW ARE EUROPEANS SO THIN? This is all so mysterious to me... I finally got my Goulash and my spaetzel so I am a happy little expat in Paris.

Walking over the Charles Bridge was like living a dream. Charlie bought me this poster a couple years ago that was of the Charles Bridge, when I started thinking that maybe I'd want to study in Prague (no way, no how), and so my only true hope for this weekend was to walk across the bridge at twilight. Mission Accomplished, thanks to Tour Guide Kyle and Michelle for depeching herself all over Praha with us. The view from the bridge made me understand why people consider Prague the Paris of the East, which is apparently geographically incorrect, as Kyle tells me Prague is actually central Europe. Anything past Germany is East to me... slash anything that was Communist is obvious East. As a European Studies student, I should probably be less shallow about the countries I visit and should probably refer to them based on where they are located. Anyway, it was magical, the lights from the city all came on around the same time, and the light was a golden, slightly fluorescent glow, similar to that from the view of Pont Des Arts, and that brought me much joy.

The other thing is at a certain point, you assume that every one in Europe speaks English. I assume everyone speaks either French or English, always hoping for the former so I can see how obvious my American accent is. The truth is, they don't. It's definitely a Western thing for people to speak English, and Western I think truly meaning France and Germany. People in Barcelona spoke English, but not the cab drivers. So much of it is a generation thing, and I feel so guilty going to countries and not even knowing the basics of the language. Like, in Barcelona, I forgot that Hola was "hello." Uh... it's not like my little sister doesn't watch Dora or Diego at home. I guess it is now my job to try to learn a couple other languages so I don't seem like such an American bigot.

This post is really erratic, but then again so is my life right now, as I describe pieces of art I don't understand and study for a test that on things in French history that I barely understand. Who knew the Vichy period didn't mean the part of France taken over by Germany? I know that now.

Other accomplishments this week: I ate at Les Deux Magots, tried beef carpaccio, tried fried cheese in Praha, didn't die or have a heart attack on the plane, made a relatively yummy dinner for Adrienne and myself, and have almost managed to upload everything off my external harddrive onto my computer. Three cheers for getting shit done.

Rock on.