Full Speed Ahead

Okay! The play is over, so Fulbright preparations now get to take over my life. A few things I've learned since my last post:

1. Two other women--one from St. Louis and one from Montana--will also be on exchange in the Czech Republic next year. We've just started emailing, and are hoping to meet up once in a while in Prague or something. We'll all be in different corners of the country, but it's still nice to know that there will be other people having similar experiences. I'm the only one who is going alone, however--apparently this is more rare than I thought.

2. Learning Czech is pretty important, as it turns out. However, I also got an email from a woman in Detroit who spent the '05-'06 school year in the CR and she gave us some really good tips. I ordered a bunch of language materials from Amazon today, so one of my tasks of the next three months will be to learn as much as I can! It's actually good that I'm finally taking this step--Honza's parents don't speak English and it will be really important to be able to communicate with them, at least a little bit. Fulbright will pay for summer language institutes but they are all four weeks long and offered at universities in the CR, and I would lose the entire month of July. I feel like I don't have enough to get ready for this as it is!

3. Honza is receiving a stipend from Fulbright to help offset the costs of living in the U.S. I also had a conversation with a very nice man yesterday who informed me of some options Honza will have to quickly and easily (and cheaply) acquire a car to use for the year. This is a huge relief--maybe I really won't have to move!

I know this post is a little less exciting, but it feels good to report the little things that are starting to make this seem more real. I'm getting excited again, which is also a good thing. And of course, I'll keep you posted!

My exchange school in Hronov

Jan tells me that this is the view of the main school building, sort of across the main square in Hronov. The elementary school takes up the majority of the building, and clearly has the more architecturally interesting part, but it's nice to know that I'll be going to work pretty much in the heart of the town.
This is a closer view of the rear portion of the building where the Hotel & Tourism school is housed. If you're interested in more information about the school itself, there is a link to their website at the end of this post. When you get to their page, if you click on the British flag, all the text will convert to English.

These final two photos show the "canteens" at the school, where students preparing to be chefs or restaurant staff get to practice their skills. One gigantic perk of working at this school is that I can have a three-course lunch in one of these places every day, and my bill at the end of the month will be about $20 US. I am scared for Honza to discover the realities of an American high school cafeteria--I have to think it's going to be more than a tad disappointing.

http://www.hshronov.cz/

Hronov: my soon-to-be home

As I write this, the Mach family is in the midst of packing up their belongings in Velke Porici to move to this apartment in Hronov, which is apparently only a two minute walk from school. It makes my commute next year much more simple, but Honza (the casual form of Jan) assures me that he and his family are looking forward to living there upon their return because it is a much nicer apartment. I will try to return the favor by finding a place for them to live in Junction City next year, but I am less thrilled about living so much closer to school when I get back. Oh well!
I was amused and pleased when Honza included this photo in one of his recent emails. He says that this is quite a nice wine shop and is located very close to the new apartment. He encouraged me to frequent it when I arrive--I have no trouble imagining that I will!
It is often said that European cities have a picturesque quality rarely matched by anything here in the New World. Photos like this certainly seem to reinforce that--I am very interested to learn more about the history of Hronov. The retaining wall along the river here seems like it could date back several centuries.
I think I won't have too much trouble feeling at home in Hronov. With these kinds of views and a population comparable to Junction City, I hope to settle in quickly. That, of course, remains to be seen . . . .