first post from prague:

got in yesterday, having sat in the last row, last seat of the plane i could see the surly and generationally diverse cleaning crew come up through the back of the plane - all in stretch pants, taking turns kicking the roller vac around the runway while waiting for the mobile staircase to get wheeled into position. welcome to the czech republic.

got a ridiculously expensive cab to my new apartment in karlin, prague 8, just north and a little east of tourist prague and just north of hipster prague, yes hipster prague, because gosh darn it this place is bangin' more than ever - the dollar is worth only 23 korun and boutique hotels abound, but don't let me jump the gun, let me brag.

MY APARTMENT IS AMAZING. amazing. well, i was welcomed by my landlady's friends, who had been there prior to me, and didn't speak a word of English. never one for cliches, i would call this simply ' trial by fire ' and put it at that. They spoke very quickly, and like all adorable over-60 couples, both at once each taking turns to shout over the other. Through a door, a courtyard, another door. the world's smallest elevator (warning: this elevator breaks frequently - yikes!) to the top floor.

one bedroom, elegant, packed to the gills with books in czech, french, english, german and russian - i sublet from a professor. The words 'absolutni vule' total bull, run through my head: a Plastic People of the Universe song, a lace outline of a bull framed in glass over the retrofuture living quarters. Bits from Ikea NJ/Pittsburg abound - collapsed retro chic in the post-soviet international summer student renter paradise. Not one but TWO balconies, full of plants, comfy chairs and yes, yes yes, tchotches! but like, cool kitsch. Something endearing about a picture of the building of the Brooklyn bridge framed on the front porch overlooking the Vltava. This is where my friend Chris would insert the 'sentimental' snark.

Well, okay. Got up, did laundry (I don't even have laundry AT HOME!) and made tea, read the paper and listened to czech news about how an illegal rave caused at 15 km traffic jam and got shut down by the police, then stepped out to find school since I have to be there at 8:45 am and, my brave readers, I don't even know what time I'm on - night day, sleep no sleep, anxiety fright fear expectation, what drugs! - so I need to make sure I know where I am if I'm a zombie.

Speaking of zombie, I went straight to the internet cafe I used five years ago - Bohemia Bagel, which still is playing hilarious breakbeat/jungle international signifier of coffeehouse kool as before, just better computers and more veggie food selections to be had. Good thing, since my rohlik s sunkou (breadroll with ham) left by the adorables this morning was a sad disappointment. They pretended to not understand (nerozumim!) when I said, "jsem vegetarianska!" - I travel halfway around the world to be treated just as my mother would, me.

*i CAN get mail, even have key (I don't even have a key AT HOME!) so send me love if you dare.