VISA
Today (December 17th) Mike went with us to the Czech offices where we were to get our six month visas. Notice how I said ‘were’ and not ‘did’. Typical bureaucracy.
In September we had applied for a long term residency permit based on information we had read and the information the Czech Embassy in Washington D.C. had sent us, only to find out that this is only for people who will be working or going to school here. With this form we needed two photos, a letter stating we had a place to live, and proof we had more than $600 in the bank. So we had some idea of what we may need for a visa. We took along our copy of our rental agreement as proof of a place to live, the photos, a copy of a bank statement, and all the paperwork from the long term permit, just in case.
When you enter the building there are a row of about eight small office doors with a line of people outside each office door. Mike had us go to the far right. He had discovered (because he had to do this every year before he married a Czech citizen) that the first four or five offices had the longest lines because people naturally walk in and don’t realize there are more offices down the hall. We picked a line with four people. He went off to get our ‘stamps’.
Mike knew that you don’t pay the necessary fees to the person who gives you the permit. You must first stand in a line to purchase a stamp that resembled a postage stamp (two stamps in our case). These cost 200kc (or about $6.00) each. The stamps are then proof that we have paid the necessary fee. Why you have to purchase them from a different person-who knows-maybe it’s a control on the money coming in-maybe it’s just to confuse the issue?
So we now have our stamps and proof we are who we are. Mike said he needs to go to another line to get the blank forms. Forms? The Embassy never mentioned forms had to be filled out in advance. They only said we should go here once we got here... He just smiled and said if we get to be next in line for one of us to come to the information line where he would be. Our line moved quickly so we didn’t get the forms in advance. Mike had hoped we would get a sympathetic person who would have the form and let us quickly fill them out. This wasn’t the case. Instead of just a copy of our rental agreement they needed our landlord to fill out a form and have it notarized. At least she gave us all the forms we would need and didn’t tell us to go stand in the information line to get them. On the bright side, we got to see a part of Praha we had never been in.
WEATHER
The warmer than usual weather has spoiled us. It has gone back to a more normal, if not below normal, temperature. At this point I would be using the cute little degree symbol, but, my simple little program doesn’t have that particular character as a choice. So you’ll just have to make the best of it. Yesterday it was -8C (about 15 F). Nippy enough that we put on the old long johns because of the 10 minute walk to the tram. It was bearable. I even took the dog for his daily walk.
Today was to be -6C (20F), but the wind was strong from the south. It was bad enough along the street, but downright awful when you got to an open area. Pooch got an abbreviated walk today. Normally, it is comfortable during the day in the apartment. It’s a little too warm for us at night though. We are used to turning the thermostat down at night back in the States. We have hot water heat now, but, we don’t control it. The uncle upstairs does. Anyway, even the radiators are having a problem keeping up. Luckily tonight the wind has died down some. On occasion I can hear it against the windows, but nothing like this afternoon.
Windows were all frosted over. This is an older building so they are not thermo pane glass, just regular glass and a storm window of regular glass. Strange thing is the south window was frosted over quite thick this afternoon, but this evening it’s not. We can see the little tree that the Asian people across the street put lights. Maybe it had something to do with the sun being on that window today. Now that the sun is gone down the frost is gone. Of course, that would not explain the frost on the window to the north.
GROCERIES
I still haven’t gotten into a good grocery shopping habit. Seems we run out of something every other day. This making meal two and three times a day is requiring more thought than I normally put into meal planning. Up to now, if I didn’t have anything planned,, we got into the car and went out for dinner. Ahhhhh the good old days, garage, no snow boots. Next week’s project will be planning a couple of week’s worth of meals. Shall I start singing “Beautiful Dreamer” now or later?
I also have a better understanding why someone would go through the hassle of washing out food storage bags. I have even gone so far as to wash out a sandwich bag. Ok, I’ll admit it. I ripped off a piece of plastic wrap that was too small for its intended purpose, and I kept it in the drawer to use later. It’s better than wasting it and having to buy it later.
I don’t know the layout of the stores. We go to three different stores. I don’t remember which stores handle what product. I swear they don’t handle the same thing week to week. Waste not want not is becoming my motto. Besides, the man goes off to work and the woman has to walk to the store. Dragging a bunch of groceries a half dozen blocks into and off of a bus or tram isn’t exactly fun, so we understand first hand why a woman would be frugal.
Water is another item that is no longer wasted or overused. A six pack of l.5 liter bottles gets heavy quick. Costs about 70kc ($2.00) and lasts just about a week if we watch ourselves. You should see how careful we both are when making ice cubes.
Mike picked us up on Monday to watch a taped football game and I put together a big shopping list just to take advantage of his car. I’m amazed how fast a person can change their prospective of something based upon inconvenience. Cost hasn’t been that much of a factor, at least not up to now. I need to put together some sort of list to know when something is overpriced or a good deal. Right know I know we spent 70kc on the water because I saved the receipt and wrote next to each item what it is in English. But, I couldn’t tell you what we bought water for a week ago at a different store. I saved some receipts at first, but didn’t put in English what it was, so I tossed them the other day.
The other thing is reading instructions. Case in point, we had an early lunch so we had a small sandwich when we got home around 3:30pm today. Instead of making a big dinner we agreed to just make a prepackaged chicken soup I had picked up.
Instructions read:
Obsah sacku vsypeme do 3/4 litru varici vody a zamichame. V nezakytem hrnci varime 8 minut. Obcas zamichame.
The obvious was 3/4 liru should mean 3/4 liter and 8 minut would be 8 minutes.
I know ‘vody’ (voda) is water, and ‘do’ means into.
Sacku probably is sack (for the package), however there have been times I thought something was obvious and I wasn’t close.
So, do I bring the water to a boil first and then add the package mix, or add the package mix and bring to the boil for 8 minutes? It has spiral type macaroni.
According to the dictionary, (and I’ll time this to show approximately how long it takes, its 8:47):
Obsah: contents, area, volume
Sacku: No sacku, but sacek is bag
Vsypeme: No “vsy” of any sort
Do 3/4 litru: I know without looking is “into 3/4 liter”
Varici: No varici, but varecka and varic is boiling, cooking, cooker
Vody: I know is water
A: I know is and
Zamichame: not listed. zamilov is in love, zaminka is pretext
Different thinking; what is stirring in Czech: nice try, its hybat or pohnout or michat depending how its used in a sentence.
How about what is mix in Czech: michat, misit, stykat
If obacs is occasionally, every so often, then zamichame has to be to mix or stir.
V is at
Nezakrytem: It says to see nepokryty. Nepokryty: uncoverd, open, unconcealed
Hrnci: no hrnci, but, hrncir is potter, pot, jar
Varime: not listed maybe similar to varici and that means back to the boiling.
Obacs is occasionlly
and Zamichame we figured should be stirring.
So it took until 9:10, about 23 minutes, to figure out I need to put the package into 3/4 liter of water, mix it, bring it to a boil in a pot without a cover for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. This really was an easy one because I have used soup mixes in the U.S. but, I bought a package of premixed potato dumplings (bramborove knedliky). Now that will take some work. It’s three paragraphs long.
Another project for me to do! Translate a few simple instructions and make a list so I know the words without having to use the dictionary every time.
We are going to Mike’s for Christmas day. Naturally I want to make something to take with us. I brought along a whole bunch of recipes (because I’m going to learn how to cook while I’m here. HA!). I picked out two cookie, two deserts, and two appetizers recipes; All very basic and uncomplicated. I then wrote the ingredients that I need to pick up grouped by recipe. I’m going to go to the Tesco market as they have the best import items. Whichever recipes I can find all the ingredients to will be what I make. I figure two out of six isn’t asking a lot, is it? I have yet to see, but I haven’t really searched for, baking soda or powder. Flour here has a different texture. It’s not as powdery as we have. There are three types, but, I have yet to figure out what the difference is. Hanka showed me the package for the universal flour, but could not explain the differences. Hopefully one is more of a self rising. There is less of a variety of herbs and spices.
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