Most people drive pretty respectfully here except for young people (same as anywhere I suppose), and delivery van drivers (I guess they get paid by the minute). Passing can be a bit of a sport, especially on a two lane road with poor visibility (as in, why would that stop anybody from passing you). Overall, though, we've felt quite safe on the road, though Teresa has not yet mustered the courage to try to remember stickshift driving.
Speed limits are easy: Inside any town - 50 km. Outside any town - 90 km. On the highway - 130 km. We like driving in kilometers much better than in miles because they go by so much faster. Also, it sounds much more impressive to say, "I was driving 130!" Then there is also the fact that the metric system is logical (1000 mm = 1 m, and 1000 m = 1 km), as opposed to the American system where 36 inches is a yard, and 1760 yards is a mile. Who came up with that nonsense?? Road signs are pretty universal throughout Europe, so if you are familiar with them in any European country it is easy to adapt here. Just occasionally do you come across a construction sign that has some warning in Czech that you pray doesn't say something like, "Turn around before you drive off the unfinished bridge, you idiot!" To our good fortune apparently none of the signs have meant that yet.
Phil and the boys ventured to the car wash today. It's funny how every little thing is a challenge the first time (the post office is a challenge every time). Standing in front of the car wash, with the instructions all in Czech (and the phrase book at home), we opted for the cheater's approach of watching someone else do it first, and then following suit. It's a good thing too, because you drive your car into the automatic car wash, get out, walk back to the entrance, punch in your code, watch your car get washed, then go back to your car, get back in, and drive away. Surely this would have gone calamitously wrong had we not watched the other guy first. It would have made for some good newspaper headlines though, "Dumb foreigner and two children sucked into car wash."
English evenings have concluded now, after what we believe were four successful evenings. The cookout was a bit of an adventure with the $5 grill we bought at Tesco (nominally equivalent to Walmart), the rain, and the fact that Phil had forgotten this thing called lighter fluid. That's probably better, because who knows what kind of explosive concoction he might have accidentally purchased. Pastor Milan bailed us out with a bottle of clear liquid that said bio-something or other on it. It was very flammable and did the trick. The umbrella smelled like charcoal for a couple of days, but all of the hamburgers were quickly eaten and apparently enjoyed. Teresa's cheesecake was also a success, though standing in the milk aisle trying to distinguish between whole milk, half and half, soy milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, or whatever else there might have been was trying. Of course the little translation dictionaries were useless for such finer points of language, so a couple of quick text messages to the pastor's wife saved the day.
Tomorrow morning we leave for a week of youth camp - yay!! It is about 3 hours away, about an hour south of Prague (we still intend to get there at some point). We were pleased to discover that "Ninja" is well known by the Czechs, and that their rules are substantially the same as ours - except for one nice formality at the beginning we might introduce in Sterling. We look forward to "capture the flag," football, softball, and many other activities with the youth. Phil will be giving a 2-hour seminar on Wednesday, a sermon on Thursday, and we will both be helping to lead English language discussions on current topics each evening. In addition, Phil has been asked to preach again next Sunday here in Tachov after we return. That must mean either that they liked it the last time, or that it was so bad they are giving him another chance. Either way, Teresa and the boys have made him promise to keep it a bit shorter this time. Daniel also said to Phil today, "I'm going to be really tired of your voice by the end of all this. Please don't be offended if I don't come to your 2-hour seminar." No offense taken. The next sermon will be out of Philippians - which has always been a favorite for Phil - probably chapter 2.
Some Photos:
A quick game of Ninja with Pastor Milan:
I am glad Phil is preaching. I hope he preaches using the expository style which has become my favorite over the years. Just make Christ the meat of the sermon, not just the light seasoning which so many preachers do now a days. Best wishes to all!
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, Phil, Daniel and Young Man! We always look forward to reading your adventures, so keep up the great blogging. And when looking for an easily-brough-home souvenir of your stay? Remember that local post office! Full sheets of national commemorative stamps often mount beautifully in a picture frame once you get home, and you wind up with something that holds pictorial and linguistic reminders of your stay. We're watching the Voices of Youth blog to track our Emilies as well ... Let me know in FB if you want the URL. Be well ... We miss you!
ReplyDeleteLove,
The Baileys