Vitejte v Chebu

So, I am here.

And here I sit, in a cafe, first time by myself, first time successfully ordering a cappuccino, by myself, and indeed feeling rather pleased... with myself. It's amazing how nerve-racking these little things can be in a country that uses far more letters in its alphabet than I care for. Also, I never thought I'd see the day when German is as welcome a sight as English. Thank you, high school German teacher.

I am trying to take it all in, but I am so "in" it that it's hard to get my bearings. My new world is filled with color, with oldness, and with this new language that my mouth can't handle. I read a quote from Annie Dillard this morning: "We keep waking from a dream we can't recall, looking around in surprise, and lapsing back, for years on end. All I want to do is stay awake, keep my head up, prop my eyes open, with toothpicks, with trees." That's exactly how it is. It might be a form of culture shock, but it's wonderful.

I am learning. The citizens of Cheb are proud of their town; they may not be religious, but somehow they managed to gather 9 million crowns to rebuild their cathedral's spires exactly the way it was before it was bombed in WWII. And they are knowledgeable in their history; they are not afraid to talk Communism, to talk Prague Spring, to tell their stories and share their views. They are open and honest, and it is refreshing and new.

The picture, for instance, is of a beautiful garden the city renovated only a few years ago. During Communism, it was known as a "jungle" of sorts--overgrown weeds, gnarly trees, litter and garbage everywhere. And then suddenly Communism vanished, and one of the first things the city did was to bring beauty back as much as they could. The buildings were re-painted (hence the bright colors everywhere), gardens were brought back to life--it was a 'rebellion' of beauty, in a sense. The garden, then, was renovated and had a sister garden in a German town only a few kilometers away. They brought in "gardens" from dozens of different countries, each one having its own little plot to represent a new world community, no longer ostracized by Communism. A couple years ago, they decided it was too expensive to keep up, so they simplified it down to what it is today in the photo you see. But what a beautiful story, yes?

I see hope here. I see life beginning again, and in more places than just gardens. I think it is in people too. Another thing I have learned: there is a great similarity between Czech people and American people--it is the simple fact that they are all people. Crazy, eh? It is ridiculous to stereotype, to assume, to generalize. The feelings, needs and wants that are felt in Grey Eagle, Minnesota are also felt in Cheb, Czech Republic. There is no one above, no one below. Simplistic, but true. And what is known is not always so readily understood, and truth is the only goal anyways.