Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
Summers in Colorado were, and are, much happier: there aren't any insects droning or buzzing, the air is light and cool and there's usually been a thunderstorm, earlier; and the sun sets over the mountains. Mainly, my family's in Colorado, and we're all sitting on the front patio, sitting around the table, talking. This is how I spent my first night back, on Sunday, even though I was so jetlagged I nearly fell off my chair.
On Monday, my parents and I drove up to Boulder, which is a great place to walk around in the summer, and, moreover, is a fantastic place to study as a graduate student (at the University of Colorado). Boulder is a politically way-left-of-center city, set against the reddish-brown Flatirons mountains, and bursting with intellectual and cultural activity. Here's a sampling of the kinds of bumper stickers you see in Boulder: "Wanted, dead or alive: Schroedinger's cat, with or without its box."
Only in Boulder would you find a reconstructed teahouse from Tajikistan, with tanned people in shorts and sandals lined up outside, waiting for tables. We stopped there for lunch. It's known as the Dushanbe Teahouse, and is named for the town of Dushanbe in Tajikistan. Tajikistan and Boulder are "sister cities", and the major of Tajikistan sent the mayor of Boulder the teahouse, as a gift. That's a pretty big gift to top; I have no idea what the mayor of Boulder sent back. (Photo from http://www.boulderteahouse.com/.)
As you can see, it's carved from wood and plaster, and is covered in colorful designs. The teahouse's web page notes that the artistic traditions reflected in the teahouse date back over 2,000 years.
The teahouse is open on two sides to the wind; inside, with its carved pillars and multicolored painted walls, it looks and feels like no other cafe or restaurant in the U.S. It reflects the essence of Boulder: colorful, playful, and atypical.
It doesn't feel that strange to be back in the U.S. Everything looks and sounds familiar, even though I've been away from it for a year and a half. However, daily life here is very different from daily life in Prague.
In Prague: I have a tiny espresso at breakfast. Here: I have a big mug of coffee.
In Prague: I leave the apartment and hop on a tram. Here: I get in the car.
In Prague: I have to think hard about what I say, both in English and in Czech. Here: conversation is easy! ;-)
The view out the window in Prague: the courtyard and other people's gardens. The view out the window, here: a giant deer, munching on grass.
I'm glad to be back. Prague is home, but Colorado is home, in a different sense. It's where I grew up.
A bit of news: I'm leaving the KJP to be the English-language editor at the Prague branch of a Dutch publishing company. I've always wanted to work in publishing, but I'll miss MFF, especially you all.
Here's one of the final stanzas of "Summertime"; I've always liked its optimism.
"One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky."
Good luck and best of success to each one of you. :-)
2 comments:
Hi! Thanks for the entertaining year I spent in your class. We will miss you too! :o)
Thanks, Petr. Have a great semester! :-)
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