Rainy Days

At 4:00 (or 16:00, which I have to get used to), Reed and Leo ran off to their respective matches and trainings. Leo to watch his baseball team (he learned tonight that he'll get to play in games much earlier than we thought, so that's great news) and Reed off to football training. They can both go to the same tram stop and then Leo gets on the metro and Reed takes a tram to practically the end of the line.

Reed REALLY wanted me to go with him to the tram stop, which I was happy to do, but then I'd miss skyping with brother Dave, so I assured him that Leo would not lead him astray and he would be fine. He was.

Leo has a much better sense of direction (takes after his dad), and poor Reed's mind must be wandering who knows where whenever we try to lay out the path for him (takes after his poor old mom). He says he's got it, but then gets lost and calls in a panic (happened only once so far).

I decided to go on a walk without a destination in mind, which is one of my favorite things to do. I walked south and saw this dilapidated building; not sure its story.

Then I wandered through a large park with a steep incline to the west and a small creek to the east; the park is mostly used for dogs from the looks of it. I wandered through, not sure if I was up for taking the steep stairs; figured I'd leave that for a nicer day. The weather looked threatening and I didn't have an umbrella or proper jacket, but figured I could dive into a pub or restaurant quickly enough.

As I walked, I saw these statues.

Then, I dipped into Billa to buy some berries and lo and behold found a bag of simulated Cheerios--the boys will be THRILLED. But, when I was done shopping, the rain came pouring down. I made my way down the street; not entirely sure where I was, but saw Tram 22 with direction Bila Horah, so then I knew I was okay. Thought about diving into a pub, but was too drenched. I made it home, poured a glass of red wine and took a shower, but first, I got to see another rainbow in Prague. And therein lies the hope I'm looking for and patiently await.

Tonight is Kol Nidre. And today, I found out that my Dad's condition isn't malignant. The rainbow was a sign and I'm so incredibly relieved. I look forward to a night of contemplation; thinking about all that I'm grateful for, and pondering those parts of myself that I would like to change. G'mar tov.

Unpredictable Prague

I thought Chicago weather was fickle, but Prague weather has it beat. Luckily, as I left the house in a short-sleeved shirt (and the omnipresent scarf) because it felt hot when I stuck my head out our window on the 7th floor, I was determined to find the second hand shop I found last week, where there was a short purple jacket for under $10. But, they don't take credit cards, and apparently they don't barter because I was 50 czk short. I found the shop today, but the purple jacket gone. Damn. The runner up, light green jacket, was still there. So, I bought it--she took the price from 280 czk to 196 czk--so that was sweet. I cut off the price tag, put the jacket on, and was on my way, perfectly dressed for the slightly cool day.

As I made my way into the center to find a synagogue, I dove into a cool looking atrium. What do I see, but a group of tourists looking up. No surprise there. But I was certainly not expecting to see this statue hanging from the ceiling.

And I certainly didn't expect this search, "prague statue of man on horse hanging from domed ceiling" to bring up this link.
Of course, it's a David Cherny exhibit. Should have known.

Last, but not least. one of my greatest unpredictable moments was rowing down the river, looking up and seeing all three of my boys running along the bridge with flowers in hand, yelling down to me! I'm the speck in the background, of much less significance than the love and support from my boys.

A Mish Mash

It's the Subtle Differences
Today Leo made his classmates laugh. Apparently, the Czech language has some subtle differences. When his teacher asked the kids to get out their peros, Leo took out his pen and said pero with a long emphasis on the e. Unbeknownst to him, when you emphasize the "e", pen becomes penis. Why, Leo asks, would a people create a language where such errors would occur?

L'Shanah Tovah
When we first learned we were coming to Prague, I researched some synagogues and read about the Spanish Synagogue as being a beautiful and welcoming place for the holidays. My new friend, Liz, who is a close friend of Sarajane, one of our Early Childhood families, turned me onto a progressive Jewish congregation. I looked up their website and was shocked to discover they were Reconstructionists, too. Who'd a thunk? They advertised their services to be at the Pinkas Synagogue, which is known for the inscriptions on its walls of all those from Bohemia and Moravia who perished in the Holocaust (Madeline Albright's family members included). So, I took Tram 17 to the Pinkus Synagogue and saw no signs of Jews congregating for Rosh Hashanah. I asked the security guards about a service and they didn't seem to know. I went to a museum around the corner and asked, but got a surly woman (my first) who declared I must be part of the Jewish community to attend services. I said I was, and she pointed me to the Spanish Synagogue. I walked through its lobby to see a woman putting out an oneg of apples and honey, wine and challah. It felt so comforting to wish her L'shanah Tovah, and to be understood. The sanctuary was stunning with detailed designs and gorgeous stained glass windows. It was a small space with an intimate gathering of about 20 people--some young in their late teens, early 20s, others middle aged and beyond. Two rabbis led the service, one American and the other from the Czech Republic. When it came time to say the Mourner's Kaddish, the Czech rabbi talked about one of their congregants who either died that day or her yartzheit was that day; I wasn't sure, but she was the congregation's only Holocaust survivor and had lived to age 100, so we held her in our hearts for that Kaddish. One of the lighter moments came when the rabbi asked an older couple to come up for an alliyah. The man refused, but his wife stood up, plucked the kippah from her husband's head, and to chuckles throughout, made her way to the bimah. When she was done, she sat down and her husband good naturedly plucked the kippah from her head and placed it on his.

images of the Spanish Synagogue

First Day of School

Thankfully, we have a lift, but it sure is tiny.

Getting up at 6:30 was the easy part. Getting everyone out the door by 7:15 wasn't too bad. Getting on the tram and arriving plenty early was easy. Leaving the kids at the school entrance, surprisingly difficult.

When we get off the tram, we walk through the Andel mall to school. Reed decided at the last second that he would like to have flowers for his teacher, so we made a pit stop at Tesco and he chose some small purple flowers, which he zipped in his backpack.

Walking through the mall, we saw other parents with their children; a boy in a blazer, girls carrying bright yellow and purple flowers, parents dressed up. Leo wanted to be on his own; felt like a baby having me take him to school. I assured him that most parents would be there, and they were. The boys wouldn't let me walk them into the school, though. Reed threw me a quick "I love you." No look back from Leo.

I stood there in the foyer and the lonliness and sadness seeped in. Parents were greeting each other and I understood nothing. I had no friends who I hadn't seen to hug and greet. Peeking through the crowd, I could see Reed in the lobby, and I felt so sad for these two boys going to a place where they know no one and barely speak the language. Truthfully, I just wanted a quiet place to cry, but school was out in an hour, so I only had time for Tesco. I roamed its aisles, found laundry detergent, bandaids, bubble bath, and a bright pink sweater for $10.

At 8:30, I returned to the school lobby. Parents were milling about. Some parents were sitting behind a desk, apparently selling mice and some slippery little red & white snakes. No thank you. Leo's teacher, Martina, found me and shepherded me to the cafe to help select lunches for the week. My guardian angel. She told me there's an Israeli girl in Leo's class who speaks English and helped him. And in Reed's class, there's a boy named Martin. I thought Martin had lived in Aspen, Colorado, but turns out he only spent two weeks, but he does know English. Unfortunately, he hates football; only loves skateboarding.

The purple flowers never left Reed's backpack, as I anticipated might happen. Turns out, no big kids were doling out flowers to their teachers. Perhaps it's only for the little ones. Now, I have lovely flowers in my kitchen.

The boys have already run off on Tram 10 or 16 to the trampoline park in Vinohrady to meet Alex and Arthur, their expat buddies. In two hours, I'm off for an hour of sculling. Jan, my coach, will put my boat in the water for me, and then I'm on my own. Let's hope I don't catch a crab.

First Day of Classes for all 3 Hurtig Boys