Jerry's Party Saved Me

Grayson and I decided that we had to go to Jerry's party. After all the complaining I have done about how unfriendly the Czech people are, there was no way I was going to pass up an invitation from my one and only Czech friend. Tim, Sue and Laura had gone to the National Theater to see the ballet and Dave was under the weather, so Grayson and I were on our own. We did our best to dress like rock-stars, but had VERY limited resources-I think we did OK. We took the tram to Jerry's apartment and found it pretty easily. The party was in full swing when we got there-it is a bit nerve-wracking showing up to a party full of strangers when you don't know if you'll be able to communicate with them-but everyone was friendly! There were people from Prague (in addition to the international friends) and everyone spoke English! Grayson and I held one girl hostage while we fired 3 months worth of questions at her. We talked to her for close to an hour-she probably hates Americans now. We danced and partied until far too late, meeting all kinds of exciting characters and hearing all manner of juicy stories. When it was time to go, we were standing on the street corner trying to figure out which tram to take and where the nearest tram stop was located. (Trams run constantly, but after midnight they are few and far between.) A car pulls up to us and rolls down the window-it was the girl we had just ridden with in the elevator and she was offering us a ride! These people aren't evil! We told her where we were staying and she said that it was no problem, on her way home. At 3 a.m., she seemed like the most generous person I had ever met. The drive was 10 minutes-it would have taken us an hour or more on the tram (if we didn't get lost). This was the first time we had been in a car in Prague and it felt luxurious. We thanked her so many times that she probably thought we were deranged.

The unfortunate part of our adventure was that we didn't get to meet any of these people until a week before we were due to leave. However, it was really fortunate that I did get to meet them because it gave me some new ideas about the Czech people. It is still my opinion that they are not a friendly group, and are not generally receptive to strangers. But it seems that once you have met someone who will vouch for you, they introduce you to all of their friends and welcome you with open arms. Basically they are really clique-y. If you've ever been a newcomer to Raleigh, (or maybe any new city), then you probably know what I'm talking about. The difference is that people in the south are outwardly friendly, but it can take a long time for them to accept you in to their "inner circle". Either way, it makes "making friends" challenging. Generally, I feel relieved to have come away with a positive experience-I was worried that I was going to harbor feelings of hatred for all of eternity, swearing never to set foot in the Czech Republic again. Thanks for saving me, Jerry.

Fun or Misery

My parents and sister left yesterday after having been here for a week. We did plenty of sightseeing and extraordinary amounts of eating. And of course we did another segway tour! (Not that I really gave anyone the option.) Our group consisted of Tim and Sue (parents), Laura (sister), Dave (husband), Grayson (classmate and friend), and myself. I had specifically asked for Jerry (our previous tour guide) because he was so friendly and full of great information. I think he was scheduled to have the weekend off, but agreed to meet us at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. We got there and each person went through a trial run without any problems. However, Tim was going very slowly and wouldn't bend his arms and legs which made him look like a very tall robot. Regardless, we were ready for our tour. Before long, everyone was comfortable and we were zipping around Prague like pros. The segways are only allowed to go 10 kph in the city (their max speed is 20 kph) which isn't really fast enough once you get used to it (according to Tim, 10 kph is too fast). We stopped for beverages and fellowship for a bit, and I learned some interesting tidbits about my new friend Jerry:

1. He OWNS the segway tours place with two business partners (he's probably in his late 20's or early 30's) and the business is doing well.

2. He has a degree in Art History from the Sorbonne.

3. He plays the organ and organizes organ concerts in the community.

4. We heard him speak at least 4 languages.

5. He has written and published articles about art history.

All of this came up during our beverage break (because we grilled him-not because he was bragging).

So we were off on the rest of our journey. At one point we were zipping along and I realized that Tim and Sue were no longer behind us. We turned back and saw them at the other end of the, street-they had completely missed the turn and were on their way to being lost forever. Shortly after that, Dave was dismounted from his vehicle while trying to navigate through a tight construction area. He tried to hold on to the segway, but they are designed to right themselves. So when he went down, the segway jerked out of his hands and was standing up straight while Dave was sprawled on the ground-limbs akimbo. He wasn't hurt and it was hilarious.

I talked to Jerry while we traversed and he told me that he was having a party at his house later that night. Since his friends are spread throughout Europe, they choose one person's house to meet for a party once a year. There is a dress-up theme and drink theme-this year was 'rock-star' and gin and tonics. He invited us and gave me his number.

At this point we finished our tour with most of our egos in tact. Everyone had a great time, but Tim says that 'fun' is just too stressful for him to handle on a regular basis.

Segway-Where have you been all my life?

Jen and her parents came to visit this last week and it was SOOOO nice to see friends from home. We did lots of eating and sightseeing, but the best thing we did was the segway tour. Unfortunately we couldn't do it until after Mary Jane and Michael had gone back to Raleigh, so it was just Jen and me (plus 4 other strangers). First, our instructor, Jerry, had each of us do a trial run, one at a time. Everyone did great, no trouble. When it was my turn, I wobbled out of control, ran up the curb and fell off. Perfect. At that point I saw a sign for mojitos and was thinking that perhaps my afternoon would be better (and safer) spent on the restaurant porch with a cocktail. (Of course Jen got a video of me wrecking-it's probably on her facebook page.) Also, if you don't want to be the center of attention, a segway is not your best option. You look completely nerdy zipping around standing up wearing a helmet. That being said, segwaying is FANTASTIC! Jen and I have decided to go on segway tours in every city that has them. We had a 2 1/2 hr. tour where Jerry took us to see things we wouldn't have found on our own and gave us stories that may not be in the history books. Example: There is an old church that no longer has services. The reason: Years ago, the priest was an alcoholic and started selling the organ pipes one by one to pay for his cocktails. The organ no longer works. Jerry told us all kinds of juicy tidbits about Prague-I should have done the tour my first week here. The tour cost $75.00 which seemed steep initially, but I would pay it again in a minute-it was more than worth it. I can't wait to do the one in Raleigh-let me know if you want to join our segway team!

Istanbul-Final Chapter

When we weren't buying rugs and steaming ourselves in the hamam, we were walking. And walking and walking. We also took the ferry on two occasions- one to an island with castle ruins and the other to a small summer vacation island, both with more delicious food and tea, of course. We saw castles, mosques, churches and a beautiful underground cistern. All of these places were amazing, as you would imagine, but the three things that I keep thinking about were not nearly so grand: water, plumbing and strays. First, the water-you can't drink it-everyone drinks only bottled water. You can shower and wash clothes, but that's it. By the end of the week, I was really appreciating the water in the US, where we never have to worry about dysentery or weather we have enough bottled water to brush our teeth before bed (which is when you realize that you forgot to buy more). One morning, without thinking, I drank two cups from the faucet in the bathroom. As soon as I realized it, I panicked, but eventually realized that there wasn't alot I could do to change the situation, so I waited. Miraculously, nothing happened, but I was much more vigilant after that. Next, plumbing. Holy smokes. Every trip to the bathroom was a new adventure. You can't put ANYTHING in any toilet anywhere, ever-not even toilet paper. And it's not like you might want to sneak and do it because that may lead to having a very awkward conversation with someone who doesn't speak English about why you have not followed the rules and just destroyed their bathroom. Definitely not worth the risk. Now just think for a moment about putting all of the things you flush down the toilet into the garbage instead......not pretty or fragrant. However, there is an upside (can you believe it?). In the back of the toilet bowl near the top is a water-squirter that keeps you from having to use quite so much toilet paper. It's sort of like a toilet and a bidet in one, but the water is ice-cold. It will nearly make you jump right off the toilet if you aren't ready. Dave was so enamored that I think we may be getting all new toilets when we return to Raleigh.

Istanbul also has another kind of toilet (mostly older public toilets) which is a basin in the floor with a drain, no water. You squat over the basin (hopefully you remembered you're own toilet paper) and when you're done you fill a small plastic pitcher with water from a spigot to pour down the drain. This type of toilet really helps to improve balance, hand-eye co-ordination, fine motor skills and multi-tasking. All in all, making you a better person when you are finished.

Finally, strays. There are dogs and cats everywhere (alot more cats than dogs). Initially I was really concerned, so I asked the rug man and got an interesting answer. Instead of euthanizing healthy strays, in Istanbul they tag/microchip the dogs and let them go. (I don't think they do the cats.) All of the dogs looked healthy and none of them were aggressive. People seem to adopt them, almost as a neighborhood pet, looking after them and feeding them. They spend most of their days laying in the sun. All of the cats looked healthy, too. Not old, skinny or sick. If I understood correctly, they wait until they are sick to euthanize. I think they also spay/neuter the animals. The reason for this is that in the Muslim religion you are not supposed to hurt any living thing, even bugs. So basically the community takes care of the animals. It's a very different solution to the problem of strays.