Chlohemian

Village Life

Two years later update: Native Tišnov residents, I do know that Tišnov is not a village. But it seemed like it at the time!

Village is a funny word in English. It implies the simple and rustic. The ancient and agricultural. A symbiotic organization of life that probably doesn’t exist in the modern U.S….or not the one I know, at least. In Tišnov I have all the modern amenities and yet,

Right across the street. Right around the corner.
Right across the street. Right around the corner.

And I have some local chickens to thank for some delicious scrambled eggs.

scrambled eggs
Local eggs, local mushrooms.
Local eggs, dried apples that grew on the front lawn.
Local eggs, dried apples that grew on the front lawn.

Everyone has a garden here. EVERYONE! And they constantly eat and make food from what they’ve produced with their own care.

Tomatoes growing in someone's garden.
Tomatoes growing in someone’s garden.

It’s such a small little town, and yet I love the peace and the freedom, the dogs running around on the street, the smell of the breeze, the sound of children babbling in strollers as they’re taken for walks, chickens clucking and boys riding their bikes and sometimes even just the sound of quiet. And I still can’t quite get over waking up to see this…

View of Tišnov from my front window.
View of Tišnov from my front window.
My house seen through flowers.
My house seen through flowers.

Something I love most about my “flat” is that I can have a coffee on my balcony in the morning… turkish

The simple life.
The simple life.

*** But alas, things are not always simple. This is my first full, head-on week of teaching. Every week I teach 18-20 hours with kids 11-19 years of age. Every class is different, but I’m loving it. I get to play a lot of games, and impress invariably become the cause of giggle fits when I say anything at all in Czech. I make a lot of powerpoints; for example, about NYC, American healthcare system, US geography/sightseeing, art and architecture. It’s a demanding job but I hope to fall into a rhythm soon. I’m getting the most regular sleep I probably ever have, going to sleep at 10pm and waking at 5:30am every. single. day. BY CHOICE.

*** Some other updates: As of last Thursday, I finally have a Czech phone! #backtobasics

My second iPhone.
My second iPhone.

I also discovered the best beer in the whole world. From Plzen.

fenix

Wheat beer, coriander and orange, baby.

11 comments

  10. […] My last post was called Why Are You Really Here? So many people asked why a New Yorker would come to a small town in Czech Republic; some still do. First I was surprised, then indignant. What’s not to love about this wonderful place? The mushrooming, the stinky cheese, the famously untranslatable hody festival (coming up again in a week! Should be interesting to compare my experience), the village life? […]

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