In the works

My new life is in the works. Of course, the top priority after the skiing accident was assessing the damage. When it became official that I needed surgery, I began to evaluate my options. Staying in Prague seemed out of the question. Even if I could manage to pay for the surgery here, it's a walking city, just like every other European city. Getting around and supporting myself here would be impossible for the recovery period after surgery and extremely difficult in the in-between time. The other extreme would be going home to Knoxville to live with my parents. I stayed on that option for a few days. However, after some internet research, talking to many people who have dealt with similar knee issues, and being encouraged by my Atlanta friends that they'll help me as much as I need, I decided I can manage in Atlanta.

According to webmd, most people are walking (with a crutch) quite easily within a week or two after the surgery, which is itself a two-hour long outpatient procedure. The long process is actually the physical therapy after surgery to re-build my knee's strength to it's original capacity. Webmd also says that with 6-9 months of diligent PT, most people regain 90% of their original level of activity. A torn or ruptured ACL is an athlete's injury, so everything I found made references to athletes returning to their game. Very encouraging.

So here I am looking for a new job and new apartment from the other side of the world:). Very fun. Since I'm about 75% housebound with wireless internet and a laptop, it's not such an arduous task. Just yesterday I had a Skype interview with an Atlanta job prospect. The second interview with that prospect will be the day after I get back, as well as another phone interview on Wednesday morning. And a third interview will be arranged once I'm back in town. I waver on which is my favorite of the job possibilities, but I could definitely be happy doing any of them.

I hate the gambling feel of this phase, though. I have three possibilities, for all of which I'm very grateful. I could get three offers or none. If I get none, the broke phase will last longer. And thus, the apartment search goes well, but I'm limited by the ambiguity of my income.

That's what really sucks about this injury. The week before Munich, I had finalized schedules for teaching English with three different language schools, which is how it's done here--piecemeal, and met with the director of La Strada, the THB NGO. I was going to teach 20 hours a week, which is considered full time and plenty to live on, and volunteer at La Strada one day a week, helping with grantwriting and fundraising. I also had plans to work with the social workers who helped the clients. In short, I was on the verge of earning money.

But instead, in one week, I spent more than I'd spent in the whole time I'd been in Prague. Bleh. Of course, my health insurance will help, but not for awhile, and it'll only help a little. Bleh, so it goes.

I'm excited to see my friends in Atlanta, but I was also excited about the new friendships that were just beginning here in Prague. I have mixed feelings about going back, but mostly, I'm disappointed. I really had every intention of staying here for awhile, at least 6 months, maybe even beyond a year. I know I can come back. I also believe that change isn't always for good or for bad, it's just simply change.

My Day in the Alps

Most people want their day in Hollywood, or 10 minutes of fame, whatever. Not me. I wanted my day in the Alps. In making plans to visit a friend who lives in Munich, I discovered that the Bavarian Alps were just a short train ride away from Munich. And all total, the day trip would cost me about $100. Therefore, I decided it would be well worth it to take a day to ski. Off I go to Garmisch-Partenkirschen with my newly purchased ski pants, sunglasses, and borrowed ski gloves. I'm psyched!! Skiing in the Alps!!! Woohoo!!

Here it goes: Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007. I got up bright and early, walked to the metro, and caught an 8:32 train to G-P. I arrived and found a ski schule to rent equipment. I headed up the mountain and inquired to know how the European system works for rating the difficulty of slopes. I picked an intermediate slope and made my way down.

Then about halfway down, I hit a patch of ice on a downward curve and fall. Except that it's not that simple. The skis went haywire, but they didn't come off. The skis (or at least one of them) should have popped off, but the binding was too tight. Instead, my knees twisted with the skis. I heard them pop, and here we are.

I thought I could rest a bit and then finish the slope. I tried once with the skis still on, fell, and took them off. I rested some more and tried to get up with the skis off. Nope. Fell again. During this next rest period, guy stopped and asked if I needed help. I told him I'd be fine after I just rested a little bit. Not so much. I tried several more times, but the boots felt like concrete blocks on my feet. Even when I could get on my knees and position it so I wasn't lifting the boots so much, I fell. Again and again.

Finally, I decided I needed help. Another guy stopped to help me. He took my skis and poles, and then helped me SLOWLY walk to a nearby building. I would get more comfortable, try to walk slightly faster, and fall again. Then the man would help me get up again. Or when we had to go down a small slope, I'd lose my stability. At this point, I started to realize the seriousness of the injury.

There was a nice older couple who helped me sit and stayed with me while Mr. Samaritan went for the Mountain Rescue. Then I rode the snow mobile down to the nearest ski lift. At the ski lift, they put me in a wheel chair and took me down the mountain. The ambulance came to the Rescue Station and took me to the hospital in Garmisch-Partenkirschen. The doctor did x-rays on both knees, and told me I would need an MRI on my left knee. He said I would probably need surgery on the left knee, but that only an MRI could tell me for sure.

I tried to ask questions, but his English was limited. He said I could either stay there until
Friday for the MRI, or have the MRI done in Munich. I also got a splint, crutches, and a shot to prevent trombosis. I was instructed to give myself one shot per day as long as I wore the splint. At this point, they asked if I had transportation. I told them I arrived on the train and they scoffed. I tried to call Tobi in Munich for advice, but he didn't answer. I figured he was driving back from Frankfort because he'd gone that day to get his visa for the US.

I asked the hospital receptionist how much a taxi would cost all the way to Munich (because I could barely stand even with two crutches and a splint), and she said 300 euro. I though, ok, I can handle the train. But the taxi driver came to take me to the ski schule and return my boots, and then to the train station. I asked her how much she would charge me to go to Munich, and she said 135 euro. So I started to consider.

After almost falling on the two steps up to the ski schule, and still not carrying any of my stuff, I decided against the train. So we were off to Munich. This time I was aware of driving on the autobahn and paid attention to her speed, which was 160-200 kmh most of the time. That's between 100 and 120 mph. Thrilling! :) I called Tobi from her cell phone, and they agreed on a meeting place just outside of Munich, to avoid rush hour traffic.

That first day was rough. I've never broken any bones or needed to be on crutches, so I hated feeling like such a cripple. It also took me awhile to adjust to actually functioning with the crutches. The taxi driver told me over and over to use my good knee. But I didn't really have a good knee at that point. Even though the right knee is only strained and will heal itself in 3-4 weeks, it's still far from 100%.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent finding a place to get the MRI and a doctor to prescribe more trombosis shots. The orthopedic surgeon who looked at the MRI and prescribed more shots agreed with the radiologist that I definitely had to have surgery. But thankfully, it can wait a few weeks until I return to Atlanta. The doctor also examined my right knee because up to this point, the two felt the same (granted one was in a splint) and I was concerned.

This doctor also gave me tips on exercises to do with my knee, but I forgot to ask him how long to wear the splint. Insterestingly enough, in all this injury process, pain is not the primary problem. I feel pain and stiffness in the mornings, but it goes away quickly. My biggest issues are stability, mobility, and range of motion. When I come close to falling, I feel pain and wobbliness in catching myself, but the actual fall feels more like my knee(s) buckle or give out on me. As one friend found it described on the internet, it's like trying to walk on roller skates. You go along, but at any minute, you can be surprised and lose your balance quickly. So it goes.

But over the past few days, I have been continually surprised at the increased strength and mobility of both knees. At this point, I get around easily with just the lefthand crutch and the splint on my left leg. I only need the righthand crutch for extended walking or numerous stairs. Around the house or apartment, I can do some walking without either crutch. I have found some good info on the internet about best practice for the ACL pre-surgery. I've also talked to various people who have experience with this type of injury.

I was well taken care of in Munich. Tobi's parents were disappointed that I couldn't see their city, so they drove me around on Saturday to see as much as possible. I also promised to return another time to see more of it. Tobi's Dad even took pictures for me. They'll follow later.

blitzkrieg

Definition from Merram-Webster Dictionary Online: war conducted with great speed and force; specifically : a violent surprise offensive by massed air forces and mechanized ground forces in close coordination. Even though experts consider the method most uniquely used against France's superior forces later in WW II, the term was coined after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which started WW II in Europe. For more info on the word and the history, go here.

Here's how my weekend began. Three of my roommates had been planning a quick trip to Poland, but originally, I planned to skip out. Then I'm hanging out Thursday evening, listening to their plans and preparations, and I think, "Maybe I'll go. It's only a $65 train ride, no hostel costs, take my own food, not a bad trip." That was at 7:30pm. We were on the train to Krakow at 8:55. How's that for quick decision-making?

With an 8 hour train ride, the game plan called for sleeping on the train, catching an early morning train from Krakow to Auschiwitz, returning to Krakow for the afternoon and evening, and returning to Praha on the 10:30 pm train from Krakow. Precisely how it happened.....or close anyway. The sleeping involved proved quite cumbersome. The four of us were in a 2nd class car together. We tried all sorts of positions trying to sleep, but to very little avail. About halfway into the trip, we notice several empty cars, so we're able to spread out, 2 ppl per car, and get slightly more comfortable for sleeping purposes. Oh, and the first ticket guy attempted to communicate with us, but we couldn't quite get the message. We figured he meant to tell us he's be going back and forth from different cars, or something. No big deal.

Nope. Come 3:30 am, we were aroused from our fake sleep. The message was then clear: our car was being cut off the train, so we had to move if we wanted to keep going to Krakow. We spent the next 10 groggy minutes asking various peeps around the platform: "Krakow? Krakow?" One guy pointed to one car and we went in. Then another guy on the car said, "No, this train is going to Warsaw." And so on. Finally, we got on the Krakow car, and to our dismay, we were forced to split up this time. Leah and I joined Mr. Stinky Foot Man in one car while Jenweb and Nicole shared with a quiet young Asian couple. Lucky for them, the couple got off the train about an hour and half shy of Krakow, so they had it to themselves for a little bit.

We arrived in Krakow somewhat grouchy, slightly disoriented, and a bit disheveled. Then we boarded a train to Auschwitz not long after that. We joined a cute young guy in his car. He was all suited up, and he had a certificate document that resembled a diploma. And he was quite obviously nervous. We speculated that he was on the way to his first post-graduation interview. And we liked him because he got off on the first stop. It was a short ride to Auschwitz, so we dozed a little, but mostly just chilled.

Auschwitz has yet to fully digest for me. We arrived there around 8 am, and our best choice for a return train to Krakow was 11:20. We booked it to the museum to get information. Auschwitz included three camps: Auschwitz I was the administration center; Auschwitz II-Birkenau was the extermination camp; and Auschwitz III was the work camp. There were also about 40 satellite camps around Auschwitz III. When prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, they were divided into groups: women, children, elderly, and the sick were sent straight to Auschwitz II-Birkenau; men who could work went to Auschwitz III or one of the satellites.

It was raining lightly, but we went ahead and walked the 1.5 miles to Birkenau-Auschwitz II. We all wanted to see the barracks and the gas chambers. In November 1944, right before the war ended, the Schutzstaffel, SS (German for Protective Squadron) bombed the gas chambers in an attempt to destroy the evidence of their crimes to save themselves from advancing Soviet troops. But rather than actually eliminating them, they actually became exposed. We saw the barracks and the ruins. I think there may have been more to see, but by this time, the rain was steady, the wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped. We were all cold and wet. Maybe I'll go back another time when I can take a slower pace and explore more.

In the barracks, I was really touched by the roses people had placed on several bunks. You can see the picture I took. And initially, I thought the chimneys coming out of the ground were evidence of the gas chambers below ground. But they are actually barracks ruins. The gas chamber ruins that we saw was roped off because of the rubble. The fact that we were the only people in all of Birkenau made the experience majorly creepy and way more powerful than if it had been crowded and sunny. I get frustrated when I have it shoved in my face that depressing historical sites are also tourist attractions, so to speak.

When we walked back to the Birkenau museum, we asked the one guy there to call a taxi back to the train station for us. We weren't convinced that he understood, but he led us outside and kind of wrote with his finger on the door. I thought he was trying to explain how to walk back to the train station. Nope, he was writing how much he would charge to drive us himself. Felt like I was back in Tblisi, Georgia where the lady who owned our hostel would call her friend to drive us to the airport.

Krakow was fun. We spent two hours eating lunch, staying warm, and drying off as much as possible. We ate Polish peirogi, which reminded me of Georgian khinkali, and I had a cup of stone soup. My peirogi had cabbabe and mushrooms. Jenweb and Nicole also had white keilbasa, and Leah had a broth with meat dumplings and salad bar. The salad bar was fascinating: shredded carrots, red cabbage, white cabbage all marinated in a sugar-lemon juice. I've had a cucumber salad that resembled it. Obviously :), salads doesn't mean lettuce, or even an assortment of vegetables in a bowl. In Georgia, it mean sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on plate. In Czech cuisine it matches Leah's Polish salad bar: one vegetable or another shredded and marinated, served by itself in a bowl. We also shared a couple of delicious desserts. One was essentially crepes with raspberry jam and the other french toast with peaches. Yummy. Eating so much amazing food right after the Auschwitz experience was bizarre.

When the umbrellas came down, we ventured out on the old town square. Krakow reminded us of Prague, only smaller and less touristy. We spent the afternoon and evening exploring and taking pictures of the city.

Our train back to Prague left at 10:30pm Friday evening. We were careful to pick a car as close to the front of the train as possible, but we still had a scare halfway through the trip. The long stop en route made Nicole nervous, so we all roused, thinking we'd have pick a new car like before. But a lady assured us in English that we were fine. This was our first opportunity to split into two cars. And now we're home, and we've all had our long naps.....36 hours older.

For curious minds....

Ok, for those of you who are inquisitive:), I've started meeting people on Craigslist Prague. It's amusing and diverts me away from the flatmates and job search routine. Last week I had pizza and pivo (beer) with a Frenchman named Gautier. He was nice, but he smoked, so I doubt I'll go out with him again. He also wanted to call me late at night for a "kissing party." I told him I don't do booty calls, lol. Whatever.

Today I'm meeting a guy for lunch. He's a musician, and he's finishing his TOEFL certification here in Prague. We'll see. He sounds cool, but most of them do, initially, LOL.

Music of the Night

While I love having 3 roommates and 2 more flatmates (seriously, I love it), getting to sleep when three of the four of us in one room are sick proves quite difficult. I almost wrote this blog last night because of the snoring, but I did fall asleep eventually. I apologize for the delay in a blog update. My life has found a groove, so it feels less exciting, "bloggable" if you will, of late. However, this weekend included a couple of good tourist activities. Descriptions and updates will come first. Pictures later.

On Saturday, Jenweb, Leah, and I took a bus to Cesky Krumlov, a small Bohemian town about 3 hours South of Prague. As a testament to the "cheap life" as people here call it, I spent an equivalent to $16 getting there and back, including a store-bought water. It had been described to us as the quintessential Bohemian village, and that's precisely what it was. It has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1992. Unlike Prague, it was spared the "ugly Communist buildings" and has preserved all of its Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. Not that I know enough of each to guarantee that my pictures include evidence, but alas:).

That night, we met up with friends who had been watching the England/Scotland rugby match: apparently a big deal:). Then we went to a joint going away/birthday party for another group of friends of one of my roommates. She technically lives with a close friend, who's Czech, from her study abroad undergrad experience, but spends 75% of the time at our apt for various (understandable) reasons.

The pub was the smokiest I've experienced yet, and the pubs are all pretty damn smoky. The minute I walked in, I was choking. Combined with my impending headcold, I counted down the coughing and sneezing until midnight when we could leave. Lucklily, there's this threshold of how late we can stay out. If anyone's taking the train home, they have to catch the last one by 12:30. If we're all walking, then we can close a place at 5am, or whenever, but I also have the easy option of walking home alone if need be. One beauty of multiple roommates is always having someone either to go out with or to go home. And I'm the lucky one who doesn't have to go to class, so I have a guaranteed hour minimum of empty apartment 3-4 times a week. I have yet to go stir crazy, but Leah and Jenweb are feeling it, I believe.

Yesterday we went on the Jewish tour in Prague. It was really great. More to come about that, too.

Good news!! I had an email from the ED at La Strada, the THB NGO, today, asking me to come in for a meeting/interview on how I can help them with fundraising. I'm excited!!

Searching for a paying job chugs slowly but surely. I'm committed to submitting 5 resumes per day.

I'm headed to Munich next week to visit my friend Tobi. Also exciting!