As the time counts down to my inevitable departure, I find myself looking back at the times that I have had in this place. Not that I have much choice. I sit on my butt reading or trolling the internet all day for reasons amounting to staving off boredom just for a little while. This, of course, is not my choice. If I were employed in Prague I would most likely be working. But I'm not. And that's not bitterness. It's...a way of saying, 'Ok Prague, you had your chance. Time for something new.' But I do get caught up in the nostalgia. Who wouldn't in this city? I have started writing my thoughts about this very subject a number of times, and have never finished the first sentence. So this time, I'm off to a good start.
Prague is unique. In a bad way. When I'm walking around the little cobblestone streets and admiring the intricate artwork and architecture on the building facades, I run right smack into the person in front of me. Not because I didn't notice the person. No, I am pretty good about keeping my eye out for dog shit on the ground (there is a lot of it, but not as much as in Budapest, hooray!), people on the street, and the facades that I was just talking about. No, people here tend to stop in mid stride for no apparent reason. In the middle of the street. So the bumbling person behind him, let's just say for humor's sake, is me, walks into his heel and makes an awkward scene. No amount of 'sorry' or 'pardon' really does the trick. They don't actually notice you just ran into them. This is their common practice.
I have run into Czechs who stop mid stride literally hundreds of times. I'm pretty sure it's a national pastime of theirs. 'Let's fuck with the people on the street today,' says one. 'No, we do that every day!' says the other. 'Oh c'mon, you know you love it,' the first will say. 'Allright, but make sure they trip and fall down this time!' is the reply.
This is just one of the many problems I have with Czech people. They can't walk on sidewalks. You would think after the millions of American, British, Canadian, and Australian tourists who pollute this city and walk around in droves, that the Czech locals would figure out how to walk in large groups. Not so! My friend Hunter, and yes, his name is Hunter, weird right? Two grown Hunter's in the same city districts. Crazy I know. His favorite game is to walk right into a Czech person and do that weird awkward walk dance. You know, the one where you run into someone, you try to walk one way, they go the same, you try walking the opposite way, and they walk the same, etc. etc. Yes, he likes to do this on purpose, but keeps going the same way the other tries to walk, so it becomes a play on the Czechs' consistent (non)walking habits.
Prague is not unique in all bad ways. The city really is beautiful. And if it were not for all the English speaking tourists and retarded Czechs not walking around where they are supposed to, the city would be encapsulated in the nostalgia of a different era. I've read many books that speak of this very thing. A city steeped in mysticism and magic. Prague really is like that. When you get by all the bullshit that is so in your face, that is impossibly to deny, then you will see it. The city still has that magic touch. But not many will notice, and not many people even know about it. The ones who come here go out for a good time, drink great Czech beer, visit the Cabarets, and stumble back to their hostel; they don't really know what the city is. They see and feel and smell what the 21st century has made it. Which, if you look beneath that sweltering blanket of sleaze, you might see something else. Something that is scary. Haunted.
But that blanket is usually too much for most people. I feel like even the Czechs who have lived here their whole lives don't see the city for what it really is. Even me. I sometimes forget that I am living in such a place, in Prague for Christ's sake. I am too caught up in worrying about money and work and what the next meal is going to be. I lose sight of my being here, which I wanted to always appreciate.
And then I run into someone who just stopped mid stride.
What I said above, about Prague being unique in a bad way: That's not always the case. I am really glad that I came here, that Jamie and I were able to live a different life for a while. But it takes a lot out of you. It's not the cheap destination that everyone says it is. As more and more tourists embark on their quest to conquer the Czech Republic, the more inflation rises. The more the food just absolutely sucks. For all you Czechs: Your food sucks! Really! Go learn from the Hungarians something. Like cooking. That's one of the worst things about living here. What I cook in my own kitchen is better than what 95% of restaurants are dishing out to their customers. The other 5% just got lucky. Seriously.
I guess this has turned into a bash the Czech capitol bonanza for me. Maybe I needed to vent. But all these things have been weighing on my mind for a long time now. Most people I know here are not happy living here. The Czechs who I have interacted with and met, don't seem happy. If they are, they are amazing at acting unhappy and sad. I wouldnt say it was a mistake to move here. It showed me what I did not want in my life. That this was not the place for me. Sometimes, it takes you having to live through those experiences to really understand what you like and what you don't like.
I don't like Prague. Or rather, I don't like living in Prague. I think one day I will come back, when I have money, and I can enjoy the subtle things, like going out, but for now, I look forward to leaving this place for some place I know I love.
Budapest.
Prague is unique. In a bad way. When I'm walking around the little cobblestone streets and admiring the intricate artwork and architecture on the building facades, I run right smack into the person in front of me. Not because I didn't notice the person. No, I am pretty good about keeping my eye out for dog shit on the ground (there is a lot of it, but not as much as in Budapest, hooray!), people on the street, and the facades that I was just talking about. No, people here tend to stop in mid stride for no apparent reason. In the middle of the street. So the bumbling person behind him, let's just say for humor's sake, is me, walks into his heel and makes an awkward scene. No amount of 'sorry' or 'pardon' really does the trick. They don't actually notice you just ran into them. This is their common practice.
I have run into Czechs who stop mid stride literally hundreds of times. I'm pretty sure it's a national pastime of theirs. 'Let's fuck with the people on the street today,' says one. 'No, we do that every day!' says the other. 'Oh c'mon, you know you love it,' the first will say. 'Allright, but make sure they trip and fall down this time!' is the reply.
This is just one of the many problems I have with Czech people. They can't walk on sidewalks. You would think after the millions of American, British, Canadian, and Australian tourists who pollute this city and walk around in droves, that the Czech locals would figure out how to walk in large groups. Not so! My friend Hunter, and yes, his name is Hunter, weird right? Two grown Hunter's in the same city districts. Crazy I know. His favorite game is to walk right into a Czech person and do that weird awkward walk dance. You know, the one where you run into someone, you try to walk one way, they go the same, you try walking the opposite way, and they walk the same, etc. etc. Yes, he likes to do this on purpose, but keeps going the same way the other tries to walk, so it becomes a play on the Czechs' consistent (non)walking habits.
Prague is not unique in all bad ways. The city really is beautiful. And if it were not for all the English speaking tourists and retarded Czechs not walking around where they are supposed to, the city would be encapsulated in the nostalgia of a different era. I've read many books that speak of this very thing. A city steeped in mysticism and magic. Prague really is like that. When you get by all the bullshit that is so in your face, that is impossibly to deny, then you will see it. The city still has that magic touch. But not many will notice, and not many people even know about it. The ones who come here go out for a good time, drink great Czech beer, visit the Cabarets, and stumble back to their hostel; they don't really know what the city is. They see and feel and smell what the 21st century has made it. Which, if you look beneath that sweltering blanket of sleaze, you might see something else. Something that is scary. Haunted.
But that blanket is usually too much for most people. I feel like even the Czechs who have lived here their whole lives don't see the city for what it really is. Even me. I sometimes forget that I am living in such a place, in Prague for Christ's sake. I am too caught up in worrying about money and work and what the next meal is going to be. I lose sight of my being here, which I wanted to always appreciate.
And then I run into someone who just stopped mid stride.
What I said above, about Prague being unique in a bad way: That's not always the case. I am really glad that I came here, that Jamie and I were able to live a different life for a while. But it takes a lot out of you. It's not the cheap destination that everyone says it is. As more and more tourists embark on their quest to conquer the Czech Republic, the more inflation rises. The more the food just absolutely sucks. For all you Czechs: Your food sucks! Really! Go learn from the Hungarians something. Like cooking. That's one of the worst things about living here. What I cook in my own kitchen is better than what 95% of restaurants are dishing out to their customers. The other 5% just got lucky. Seriously.
I guess this has turned into a bash the Czech capitol bonanza for me. Maybe I needed to vent. But all these things have been weighing on my mind for a long time now. Most people I know here are not happy living here. The Czechs who I have interacted with and met, don't seem happy. If they are, they are amazing at acting unhappy and sad. I wouldnt say it was a mistake to move here. It showed me what I did not want in my life. That this was not the place for me. Sometimes, it takes you having to live through those experiences to really understand what you like and what you don't like.
I don't like Prague. Or rather, I don't like living in Prague. I think one day I will come back, when I have money, and I can enjoy the subtle things, like going out, but for now, I look forward to leaving this place for some place I know I love.
Budapest.
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