I've been introduced to a lot of Czech food recently, courtesy of some Czech friends, and it's been a fun (if sometimes wierd) experience. It's also given me the opportunity of visiting real local-style places. I haven't quite decided what the criteria for distinguishing a 'local-style' place is yet, but if it's in anyway intimidating then it almost certainly counts.
The food I've been served reminds me a lot of the food I used to eat in England as a child: heavy, meaty, and simple. Popular foods here are dumplings (potato and bread varieties), meats and meat sauces, bread, cabbage, and cheese.
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Prague is being subjected to a minor heat-wave at the moment, and towards the end of last week it managed to break records, reaching around 38 degrees. Pretty hot and coupled with a high humidity it makes for very unpleasant and sticky days. Sleeping at night can also be difficult, partly because of the temperatures, but also because you need to leave open windows, and so invite all sorts of outdoor noises and bugs.
The noises are a side-effect of living in a narrow street with tall buildings on both sides. Even relatively quiet sounds echo upwards, and in the dead of the night everything just seems louder anyway. Of particular note are three Terrier dogs (currently residing near the bottom of my least-favourite-dogs list) that like to make themselves vocal, and an owner that doesn't seem to mind.
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So the old Czech lady who cleans the stairs accosted me today. Normally when we meet in the communal areas she nods and says a polite Dobry Den, and I do the same in return. This time she waved a piece of paper and planted a pen in my hand. I peered at the paper in the hope of picking out some recognizable words, but it seemed to be a table with different numbers and very little else.
Not knowing a whole lot of Czech I tried to tell her I didn't know what this was... ne Česky, ne Česky! She spoke some more and I told her in English that I had no idea what she wanted me to do. She then laughed and I went to get my lunch.
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They say that technology is converging and that our gadgets will soon do much more. I'm not sure who they are, but it seems to be true - mobile phones can take photos and play games, computers double up as VCRs, and even fridges are online.
My apartment here in the Czech Republic is a fine example of Czech architecture, and is lovely and spacious. It's got most of the modern conveniences I could want, except for a telephone line. I have a mobile phone, but it’s very expensive to call my family back in England, and just as expensive for them to call me.
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