Facts about Prague (many food related)

The word for chickpea means "outsider." Obviously its not grown here. Its still pretty cheap, though, and I make hummus for our apartment whenever we run out.

Mung beans are the cheapest bean.

Cabbage is the cheapest vegetable.

Millet is the cheapest grain.

Bananas are a more highend fruit here, and are not ridiculously cheap as they are in Texas.

Walnuts are the cheapest nut, far cheaper than almonds, which are the cheapest nut in the states (not counting peanuts which are legumes anyway, and highly subsidized in the US).

Burdock doesnt exist here, but there is another strange root vegetable here that I havent tried yet.

Nori, the cheapest seaweed in Texas, is the second cheapest seaweed here. The surprise is that one of my favorite seaweeds, wakame (very good for the female reproductive system by the way), is the very cheapest.

Tohum tahini (unrefined brown sesame tahini) and white tahini are the same price, and are equally as available here. I get tohum tahini for hummus and potato salad (which I havent dared to make since I got sick) and for a while was eating it straight. I love it, though not as much as Nicole, who claims to be addicted to it. I made a beet tahini vegetable sauce for whole wheat pasta the other day, and she literally cant stop eating it. Okay, not literally. Shes out of town now and probablz eating fried cheese. She thinks that my destiny is to open a Hideout style place with a cafe and theatre and cook for it.

There are two purely vegetarian grocery stores that I know of, Country Life and Albio. Country Life is cheaper and better in every way. For a while I thought this one woman who worked there was ripping me off with a secret override button on her laser scanner that jacked up the prices on bulk item barcodes. I insisted that she go through every item on the receipt with me, because I thought most of them had been rung up wrong. She did, and approved every item. I just had to go along with it because I dont know Czech, but I was still suspicious. Since then, every bulk item I buy is more expensive than I think it will be. Which means that I must just be completely out of my mind.

Nicole and I have heard rumors of a grocery store somewhere that has spinach. Still, I have yet to see any greens here, and sqaush and sweet potatoes are the other staples that I miss. I think about food a lot.

So what about Prague for you non foodies out there? Lets see...

You may think youre standing in a pedestrian area, but then all of a sudden a car will be driving on those cobble stones right beside you and all the pedestrians will scatter.

The cross walks make clicking noises, both to indicate walk and dont walk. Sometimes at night when youre by yourself, it sounds like music.

It stopped snowing here a while ago and hasnt been all that cold lately. However, the one place where the snow never leaves is near the dorms. Theres a statue of Johannes Kepler there. Not sure if that is a clue.

The countrys culture isnt nearly as oppressive and monolithic as I previously stated. The only reason I thought it was was Yuval, who seems to be more into Czech traditions than the Czech people themselves are. Still, I dont think this is the best place to raise a kid. Better than a U.S. suburb obviously, but youd do much better in maybe Brattleboro or Brooklyn or even Austin.

Every dog I see here just gets fluffier and fluffier. This is obviously a good country for raising a dog. Czech dogs are very well behaved and very adorable and never bark. European dogs are into nudity and are very liberated in general.

The ys and zs are switched on the keyboards here. Requires a lot of on the spot editing.

People are into nudity here, though I havent seen any naked people, thank goodness. Theres that informal life drawing class I mentioned earlier. And Marie, this woman from Austin who lives here now, wants me to come to a sauna with her and her boyfriend. Sounds like fun, but the catch is... zou have to be naked! I know I talked big on the whole life drawing modeling thing, but when it comes down to it, I dont think Im liberated and European enough zet.

Times up at the library. However, Marie says I can use her internet at her house sometime. Hopefully there wont be a bunch of naked people steaming themselves all over the place.