Nemluvin cesky (I don’t speak Czech..)

*Justin made up these little cards with 25 Czech phrases and words and how to pronounce them, laminated them, and we carry them around. They are Awesome! Here’s the thing: even if I can say the phrases on the card just fine, I may run into the problem that a Czech person may then think I can speak Czech fluently and start speaking quickly to me. So what I like to do is to read the phrases off the card in an obvious manner with either a pained or hopeful look on my face. That conveys to them that really I know diddly squat in regards to the Czech language, but that I am trying!

*Flying to Prague on Lufthansa airlines (loof-THAHN-za)
instructions are in English (GB for Great Britain) and German (DE for Deutche):
GB: Life Vest Under Your Seat
DE: Schwimmweste Unter Ihrem Sitz

*There are some phrases you need to know to stay polite: Please, Thank You, You’re Welcome…. When a waiter/ess takes away your plate it’s kind to give a quick ‘thank you’. The problem for me is this: I want to convey that I appreciate their help, but “thank you” in Czech is “Dekuji” pronounced DICK-kwee. So, to me in my English-thinking mind, it sounds like every time someone is nice I respond with “dickweed.” It’s as if someone opens a door for you and in return you call them a jackass. So, I just smile really big each time I say “Dick-kwee”

*Some waiter/esses here are super nice and some super curt and give the impression that they are pissed off that there are tourists in their city. Our first night there, though, one complimented Justin on his pronunciation of “The bill, please” at the end of dinner. That made Justin happy. 
(CZ = Czech) GB: The Bill, Please
CZ: Za Platim, Prosim
(zah PLAH-tim, PRO-seem)

* In Czech, the language is
Cesky (CHEH-skee).
Yes = Ano (AH-no) and No=Neh
Thus, if someone on the street asks you if you’d like to buy tickets for a concert, have dinner at their restaurant, or exchange foreign money on the street (Uh! don’t do it!! We didn’t, cuz we read not to. Scam!) , it is better to say a direct “No” or “Neh.” If you falter and say “Uh, no” then it sounds like the Cesky “Yes” being “Ano” and confusion ensues.

I am sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner..

I’m not sure if my pen is frozen… nope, seems ok.
lots of dogs- no cats. lots of people. no sight of anyone wearing any flip-flops: too cold (see mention above of possible frozen pen).

We are currently sitting outside at a cafe, Justin drinking a diet Coke (Coke Light), and I am having some hot spiced wine.

The high for today is estimated at 5 C (41 F), low of 0 C (32 F). This cafe has fleece blankets for the customers, draped over the backs of the chairs. That is to say the *blankets* are draped over the chairs, not the customers. In the background is some mixture of Hindi-techno with the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” mashed up. Pretty upbeat.

There are propane torch heaters to keep us warm(er). I bought a really warm hat, and here’s what else I’m wearing: scarf, gloves, long johns & jeans, socks up to my knees, tank top, T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, quilted vest with fuzzy hood, leather trenchcoat with quilted zip-in lining and I am still cold. I am, however in the Czech Republic in October, no surprise: it’s cold.

Rollin’ down the (Vltava) River…

We went on a dinner cruise on the Vltava River (which the Moldau symphonic piece is written about) and sat at the table with 4 other tourists: Georgi and Tatiana (from Germany) and Juisette and Jeanne (from France). Tatiana could understand some English, but didn’t speak it very well, & Justin and I felt sorry for her not being able to join more freely. Georgi, Juisette, and Jeanne all spoke different levels of English, but much of the conversation was in scattered English and French, to which Georgi and I spoke a little. (je parle tres peu francaise)

It was amusing, because Jeanne wanted to practice her English, and I wanted to practice my French.

I heard and fully understood when she was asking Juisette in French “How do I say ‘I want to travel to Canada’?” (Common dit’on ‘je voudrais voygaer au Canada’?) and I said “I Understand you- yes- Canada.” It has helped in my resolve to pickup learning French because even though we’re in the Czech Republic speaking Czech (well, the locals are, at least), the fact that I knew some French helped in a 3 hour dinner cruise with 4 other strangers.

They were all very nice, and we exchanged contact into. So, should we ever end up in Frankfurt, Germany, or in Nice, France, we’ll have somewhere to stay! Awesome!

sitting on a big plane flying straight from Portland, Oregon to Frankfurt, Germany. Big plane: 2 aisles: 2 seats, aisle, 4 seats, aisle, 2 seats.

Sitting here, realizing that all of us are facing the same direction makes me realize how fantastic and/or terrible an airplane would be for Karaoke.

You even have the little TV’s for the lyrics.

We also had a 3 hour layerover in Frankfurt.

There’s me… in Frankfurt.

…ready to start packing, Justin was at the computer, looking up last minute things. I asked what he was up to, because I wanted to check my email before we left, and he said he was just finishing up his packing check list… get it? my Czech List?