Welcome to Prague
The Rest of the Journey
Let me begin by saying that was a painfully long flight, not to sleep through...
Mental Note: Drug yourself before an 8 hour flight... and never fly out of JFK.
My flight from Boston to JFK was delayed getting off the ground because JFK issued a ground stop. Luckily it didn’t last too long and we were able to take off within 45 minutes.
On my way into New York I could see the Empire State Building in the distance. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. It was quite majestic looming in the distance. This image didn’t last long though. Most of JFK is in rough shape, and under some sort of construction.
I collected my bag, and put my Entertainment and Media Law book back into my checked bag, as I had to remove it to drop the bag below the weight limit in Boston. The tram ride to the next terminal was a piece of cake... after you figured out what the heck the signs actually meant... I think that that was strike 3...
The international terminal on the other hand was beautiful. There was even high end crystal stores in the terminal. I grabbed some sort of sandwich after getting my boarding pass and checking my 25kg bag (Czech Air took my bag... why wouldn’t Jet Blue?)
I made it back thru security (a miracle considering they had to hand inspect 28 rolls of film) and went to the gate to have some food before boarding. I talked to a number of NYU students there, so at least I would know someone... Although nobody I was talking to was living in my dorm.
Strike 4 for JFK came when we sat on the tarmac ready to go for an hour because they were backed up again. Seriously people? How long has air travel been huge, like 40 years? And they still can’t get it right.
They really know how to take care of you on the plane though... aside from the movie selection. “My Best Friends Wedding,” “Mr. Bean,” and “Fun With Dick and Jane” were what was on tap. I watched a few TV shows and a movie on my iPod in addition to the featured films.
Dinner was served with real silverware, and consisted of Chicken with a spinach/mushroom dish served over mashed potatoes. It also included a roll and two different kinds of salad... one of which was LOADED with peppers. I decided to spare myself the pain, and avoid that one. Dessert was a chocolate sponge cake with a light frosting.
Side note about the flight: drinks are free. Alcohol too. I had a glass of wine with dinner (not too bad for a Czech wine). They also had a selection of spirits that I declined, but if it would have made time go faster, I would have gladly obliged.
I was sitting next to a Russian woman whose perfume I was allergic to, this added to the exceptionally dry air that was bothering my throat made for a rather long flight. It probably didn’t help that I had nobody to talk to...
Sunrise at 37,000 feet was absolutely majestic. The sky started with a deep purple-red hue and gradually changed to an orange-yellow color. Then the sun was in my eyes and it was just annoying. But you can’t see the sunrise without the glare getting you eventually, now can you?
Upon arrival, we exited the rather narrow jetport, and followed the signs to what appeared to be the baggage claim area, of course after the customs glance...
I collected my bag, called the folks, (at 1:30 their time mind you) and left the terminal to be greeted by a driver holding a sign with my name on it. There is nothing more reassuring than someone standing there with a sign with your name on it, waiting for you.
We walked to the car, a silver Mercedes. He put my luggage into the trunk, and off we went, down these crazy windy roads that made no sense with signage I have never in my life seen before. A fairly large number of streets and sidewalks were under construction, in addition much of the roadways are cobblestone with trolley tracks laid into them. It was not the smoothest ride, but I got there, and In record time.
Side note about gas: Its like 37 crowns/liter(?) I’m pretty sure that its more than Massachusetts gas... including our ridiculous taxes...
We arrived at the end of a one way street, and he said three more words to me, thus making this word count a total of six... “It’s up there”, he says pointing up another cobblestone street.
Unsure of what to do next, I sign the paperwork and head up the street to the building where there are two buttons, among 24 or so, that have “NYU” written on them. So I press them both, and wait.
After some more obsessive button pushing, and 10 minutes or so later, a security guard opens the door, and quite bluntly I say, “I’m an NYU student... Can you help me?”
The guard motioned me in and made a phone call in Czech, pointed to the stairs where two Czech women appeared in pajamas.
I guess I was the first to arrive...
I got a personal tour from Veronika and Pavlina, before I unpacked. My roommate Jack arrived shortly thereafter. We have Mike and Guy next door in the suite. We have a kitchen, a balcony off the kitchen, a toilet, and a washroom (they separate them over here) and a foyer. It’s a ton of space for 4 people, so we will fair quite well. As you can tell I have a skylight over my bed.
This is both simultaneously good and evil... I love natural light, including in the morning... but the fact that I have a skylight means I’m on the top floor... up 5 stories... and these aren’t 8’ or 10’ stories... I’m talking like 15’ ceilings here.
I was thinking about a gym membership, but now I realize I have my own personal stair-master for the next 3 and a half months...
The first two stories of this building are commercial offices. the top 3 (and then the loft, so there are people who have another flight of stairs above me) are all NYU apartments. There is also a lounge/study area on this floor.
The rules state no alcohol is allowed in the dorms, but what about our wine and cheese parties? and what about the Bordeaux with dinner? I’m going to work on this one.
In the mean time I took a nap, emailed most everyone to say hello, and am just updating the blog. I have a few trips to make into the city, namely to pick up some goose down pillows and Egyptian cotton pillow cases... But I’m also excited about buying my first Czech extension cord.
Pizza for dinner tonight. I’ll be sure to let you know how that one goes. For now its 68 degrees under blue skies... and I’m so happy to be here. Even if I want to leave, I’m not going to want to leave... The thought of another plane ride is painful right now.
There will be a pictures page up soon and I’ll have a whole bunch of them posted. For now, this is all I got...