Prague 201: Find Everything... But What You Need.
Wait, Where’s American Express?
We all have those days... that it seems like nothing we wanted to accomplish happened. I suppose the ominous signs were out there... Last night we shattered the only baking dish we had by warming rolls in it while it was on the stovetop... All that remained was a head shaped piece of porcelain... So I did want came naturally... I drew a face.
I am one hell of a Picasso.
Just to add insult to injury I locked myself in a bank last evening. Unlike in America where the doors just push open from the inside of the ATM so you can get out, here you have to press a button. With out realizing this I’m pulling and tugging on the door until some nice Czech woman let me out... from the outside. I acostted the RA’s for not telling us that we need to let ourselves out of the bank
They rolled on the floor and laughed.
While most everyone went out last night, I decided to hang tight. There’s plenty of time for craziness later in the semester. No sense in frying brain cells when I don’t need them...
Wait a minute...
Anyways I should have known that today was going to be troublesome when I woke up with not one, but two mosquito bites.
I’ve been bit by my first Czech mosquito. I’m not sure how to feel about it.
This picture has been enhanced slightly to allow better contrast to see the bite. But trust me, they itch just like American mosquito bites. After itching my way through the shower and breakfast I dashed out of the house to get my metro pass. This was one of the few things that went right today. I was able to get it in 5 minutes with no line... Unlike the 2 or so hours of line that are typically there in the afternoon.
And I even made it to Czech class on time.
After class I went with guy to the church of Saint Nicholas in the Old Town Square to see if we could get tickets to the concert of Ave Verum this Sunday.
WHY on earth would they build two identical churches with the same name, in the same city, but on different ends, I’ll never know.
I have to find “the other church of Saint Nicholas.” We’ll see how that one goes.
I then went to an Afghan restaurant appropriately called “Afghan Restaurant” with Guy and some of his friends. Lunch was excellent (chicken and potato wedges). Thus far it’s the closest thing to American chicken and french fries I’ve had yet. There will be a return visit. Afterwards I made it back to the French place I had lunch at yesterday to have their cake. I asked for it to go, but they didn’t give me a fork... Figured I’d just have to take it home and eat it there.
I walked with Allison (one of the people I had lunch with) to Mustek, a train station at the foot of Wenceslas Square. She went downstairs to get her metro pass while I went looking for the American Express office to change my travelers checks. I walked all the way around the square. No American Express. This is no small square. It’s a solid mile loop, and I’m in Bostonian wingtips.
If they weren’t broken in, they are now.
Feeling hopeless I walked another half mile to T-Mobile to recharge my cell (it’s all prepaid here). That transaction went smoothly.
Unless my American Express card was charged 1000 USD and not CZK. Let’s just hope it went through okay.
From there it was back to the NYU center to see if they could help me resolve my American Express issue. Again I was made to feel like I was completely incompetent. The address of American Express is in the packet they gave me at the beginning of school... and the location is in the Old Town Square... about a quarter mile from where I had lunch... and go to class.
YEAH RIGHT. I ended up at the Czech tourism office. They pointed to an area that was right up by Mustek and Wenceslas Square!
So I find an office with an American Express sign. The receptionist when asked in poor Czech, and simplified English, pointed across the street.
Still no American Express. Evidently the sign was just to fake me out. Maybe they were offices or something... BUT I STILL NEED TO FIND THE AMERICAN EXPRESS.
Reminder: Still haven’t had my cake yet. Gurrrr.
So I’m getting ready to walk back to the tram and go home when I run into Allison who suggests we walk thru the shops. It was worthwhile because I found a French wine and high end liquor boutique. Maybe there is some hope.
But not for my American Express.
We parted ways, and I boarded the tram (another half mile away) and went home.
Stopped at the bank on the way, to try and get 20 crown coins to do laundry. Bank was closed but the ATM was open, so I picked up another 500 Crown note for the trip selection tomorrow morning at 8am.
And locked myself in the bank. Again. Found out that you have to PUSH and HOLD the button while you let yourself out. And again there were two Czech women who were laughing at me... and talking to me in Czech.
I don’t speak Czech.
Walked up 11 flights of stairs and put my cake in the fridge which was half melted and no longer standing up straight... but pulled it out five minutes later and ate it. It was AMAZING. Probably would have tasted better had I eaten it when they pulled it out of the case, but there’s always tomorrow for another piece of cake.
So of the 10 things on my to-do-list, I effectively accomplished two. Even if this was baseball that’s still not great. Hopefully tomorrow will work better for me.
Tonight is bowling with the RA’s, which should be good... and I still have a shot of being in bed before 12. Tomorrow is up and out early to sign up for trips. I have some pictures of Wenceslas Square posted under the photos tab, as well as some pretty fountain Allison and I found... On private property.
Oops.