There are about 50 European countries and 50 US states. 50 places with people, opportunities, and memories sprinkled throughout both continents that bring, and have brought, invaluable amounts of light into my life. As my love for both of these continents continually interconnect, recently I have found myself wishing for the impossible: the ability to be in two places, thousands of miles apart across the globe, at once. When I am busy in one place, I sometimes catch myself wishing for the comfort of the other. And then when I feel alone in one place, again, I catch myself craving for the comfort of the other.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs “time” for me is one of the biggest enigmas of life. Why does time seem to stop when stress consumes your life? And why does it move at the speed of light when life finally starts making sense? Returning back to my English literary roots, a beautiful quote of William Shakespeare spoke to me when sitting down to write this week’s blog. Shakespeare eloquently said:
Time is very slow
for those who wait
Very fast for those
who are scared.
Very long for those
who lament.
Very short for those
who celebrate.
But for those who love,
time is eternal.
“Wait” is paired with “slow,” “Scared” with “fast,” “Lament” with “long,” “Celebrate” with “Short” and, most important, “Eternal” with “love.” Thinking about the simplicity of these words, but the complexity of the emotions that follow them, I realize that “time” is only difficult to figure out if you let it confuse you. Time is personal, and productive, especially when paired with love.
So why all this convoluted introspection? This week I did not spend any time in the mountains. No time climbing or with students in after-school clubs. No trips to Ostrava to teach at the primary school or American Corner. No Fulbright reunions. This week I spent most of my time working at the gymnasium or at some café, the gym, or my flat, alone with my crazy, scattered thoughts. I kept telling myself maybe I was doing something wrong, not maximizing every week of my Fulbright grant.
However, as I traveled to Prague to head back to the US, sitting on that 4 hour train tide, I realized that while definitely a bit lonesome, maybe some time by myself is more productive and useful than I may think. Even though I did not spend time going on crazy adventures or engaging in some after-school running or baking clubs, I was still able to sit and have meaningful conversations with students, family, and loved ones. And sometimes these conversations are worth more than any trip I could take – they help me appreciate all the memories that I hold with those I love in the Czech Republic and the US.
So, with this idea in mind, Valentine’s Day was this week and I decided to share a lesson about the holiday, celebrated on the 14th of February, with some of my younger students. As soon as I mentioned that we would spend the lesson discussing Valentine’s Day, some students looked intrigued but the majority of them groaned and rolled their eyes. I would have reacted the same way in high school, and even for most of my time at Bates. That said, I have gained a new appreciation for the day and told them that we would explore the holiday in a different, fun and enlightening way.
My goal was for all my students to leave with a new appreciation for the day or at least to be able to hear the name of the holiday and not groan 🙂 I first asked them about other days in the Czech Republic associated with love such as Woman’s Day (March 8th) and Labor Day (1st) and why they thought these days were celebrated and important. Recently I have decided to always include information about Czech history in my US cultural lessons because I think it is very valuable to gain an understanding of our different cultures and see how our two worlds are connected.
I then read aloud the history of Valentine’s, or St. Valentine’s, Day and had the students write down facts that they heard from my reading. They were particularly surprised by the origins of the day in Rome with the festival of Lupercalia – a day that celebrated the coming of spring and fertility rites of women. On this day women were also paired off to men via a lottery system – everybody gasped upon reading this fact and started talking about why this was crazy. After this reading, the students gave my lesson a chance 🙂
Together, we then made funny, romantic, personal and sweet Valentine’s haikus and then discussed creative stories for some various photos of dates that went terribly wrong. All in all, we learned about the evolution of the day and how while it is definitely a time for romance, families and friends also express love for each other on this day. I also emphasized to students that some self-love deserves celebration and sweets as well!
Additionally, for my Maturita students, I began a two-part lesson about the history of the United States. There are thousands and thousands of years to cover, and many American figures and personalities to review. This history has touched the US and the Czech Republic differently depending on the political situation of both places during distinct periods of time. I am to cover this rich history over the course of two 45 minute lessons. Again, so little time but I ultimately decided to maximize every minute by having the students pepper me with questions press conference style in order for them to absorb and hold onto new information according to their own inquisition. Students could reflect about what they already know and practice asking questions to gather new information that they personally think is important.
This lesson structure is designed to exercise the students’ agency over what they want to learn, while also encouraging them to understand the importance of realizing historic roots and how they still impact today’s world. All of this academic discovery occurred, and will continue to occur, in English! Together, we are practicing and working toward empathy as US and Czech history will unfold for all of us over the course of the next few weeks and coming months.
Finally, I am now headed back to the US as the gymnasium is on a spring holiday next week. Since I am flying out of Prague, and Prague and Česky Têšín are so far apart, I headed to Prague a day before my flight. I traveled with a friend and colleague from the primary school in Ostrava and together we visited Vyšehrad cathedral and cemetery. With this visit, I was convinced that Prague is always a perfect pit stop for me before travel because I have found that every time I visit this enormous city, I gain a deeper appreciation for the depth of history, beauty, and art that it has to offer.
Vyšehrad was a peaceful and beautiful site in Praha 2. The cemetery serves as a memorial ground for famous Czech artists, professors, writers among other occupations. Again, I was able to listen and learn about the history of the country I decided to pursue for my Fulbright grant. Two figures that stood out to me were:
- Bozena Nemcova: She is a famous Czech fairy tale author, her most popular and famous novel is the Christmas classic “Three Wishes for Cinderella” or Tri oríšky pro Popelku in Czech. She touched the lives of people of all ages with her mystical and endearing fables. She was a Czech writer during the final phase of the National Revival movement in the Czech Republic and her image is featured on the 500 CZK, the banknotes of the Czech koruna.
- Antonin Dvorák: He was a famous composer and affiliated with Czech opera. Dvorák was one of the first composers to receive world-wide recognition. He employed rhythms of folk music of Moravia and Bohemia into his musical scores. Dvorák also composed “Song to the Moon,” a lyrical piece written for Rusalka, the opera I saw in November at the National Theater.
To conclude, this was another week of empathy, reflection, and a deeper appreciation for the country that I have chosen to spend my Fulbright year – a country bursting with history, beautiful landscapes, cultural immersion, and wonderful friends and family. While my Fulbright grant spans 10 months, and I will be heading back to the US to start my graduate studies in the fall, with each passing month, I am truly convinced by Shakespeare’s words:
“But for those who love,
time is eternal.”
The passing of time I think may always confuse me in some way but as I head back to the US, and prep myself for some breath of familiarity, I know that I can transport this reflection to and from, and back again, to the Czech Republic. I love seeing and being with those I love in both America and in Czech and am excited to share and appreciate memories in both places with everybody that has brought necessary light to my life.
I will return to this blog upon arriving back to the Czech Republic from the United States. Again, I am sure I will have lots to report as I again navigate (dis)orientation in both countries. I definitely feel more prepped because, as I have written in my 2020 blogs, both places hold special, interconnected meanings for me.
So, until then, ahoj! Happy Valentine’s Day, celebrate the weekend with those you love…and don’t forget to celebrate yourself as well! 🙂
Redefining Escape 