Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1399 - Part I

Sunday July 16, 2006 (continued again)

Everyone was filled with warm, fuzzy feelings after giving and receiving praise for a job extremely well done. Now it was time to celebrate and go out in style. So we loaded the buses and prepared for the hour drive to our final group event in the Czech Republic.

To pass the time, Bubu (we love you Bubu) decided to teach our bus a traditional Czech song. Supposedly all four buses were learning a separate song, and later in the evening we were to have a sing-off to declare the winner. Bubu wanted her bus to win and we wanted to win it for Bubu! The song was called: Ó hřebíčku zahradnický. It sounds a little like Oh, My Darlin' Clementine, and it is about walking in a spring garden, smelling the rosy perfume, and being oblivious to anything else. It was really hard to bend the tongue around some of the words, but after a couple of run-throughs we felt confident that we would easily blow away the other buses! :-) In a singing mood (aren't singers always?), we decided to belt out other songs during the ride. There was a wild variety; everything from Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Bicycle Built for Two, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, to the theme song of the Flintstones. It was like some crazy a capella karaoke (without the machine of course), but it made for a great time!!

Finally, we arrive at our destination; DĚTENICE CHATEAU BREWERY . Most people tend to think of Germany when it comes to beer, but I have since learned that beer from Czech Republic is supposed to be the best (I personally do not like beer of any nationality...but I have friends who do, and I made sure to take notes for them). Like their beer-loving neighbors from Germany, the Czechs brew their beer under purity laws where the only ingredients allowed are hops, yeast, malt and water, resulting in a deliciously pure product. Gulping a massive 159 liters per year, the Republic is home to the world’s highest beer consumption per capita. In fact, about 20% of the population are registered alcoholics, leaving the country nursing an inevitable hangover. The best known Czech beer is the original Pilsner beer, Pilsner Urquell, brewed in the town of Plzen and exported worldwide. The most widely exported Czech Beer is Budvar (Budweiser in German), the name of which is also used by an unrelated American brew.

During the day, you may tour the brewery and learn about its rich history. Located in the cellars is the Medieval Tavern, where we were going to be spending our last evening together. We had NO idea what was in store for us. We entered the building into the first restaurant area that looked to be for the locals. People were eating at long wooden tables and benches as we passed into the second room. This was a larger area filled with tables where the adults and college students were being seated. The high-schoolers were paraded to the back and final room, which was decorated in...well let me get to that later.

While we were all psyched to be here, let me say there is no way a place like this would be in the US. There had to be at least fifty safety violations inside. The arched rooms of stone were lit with real candles, on wall sconces, iron chandeliers and on table candlesticks. Strewn all over the stone floor was a layer of flammable hay, to give you that medieval feeling, just like the huge fire pits where the food was cooked. Oh well, live and let live...let's have fun!

I sat at a table near the door to the third room, sitting with my trip roommate Carol Loar, and Converse girls Katie McDaniel, Anna Katherine (AK) Smith, Lauren Pope and Leala Shishakly. On our table were three round loves of hard bread and large glass steins of beer, oh and a flaming candle. Not really knowing what to do, we sat and waited. Jirka (and let me tell you in case you think his name is pronounced Jerk-a....it is actually pronounced "Year-kah", been meaning to clarify that)...anyway, Jirka came to our table and told us to enjoy our traditional peasant meal of beer and bread, and walked off. This was it? All we were getting was beer and bread? Nah.... I took my bread and created a bread puppet, which many around me got a kick out of...I think I'll name him Chleba, which is bread in Czech.

Our waitress, dressed as a tavern wench (of course) took our water and coke orders, while a man, dressed as a leper, complete with long filthy hair, dirty skin, tattered clothes and a large walking staff to lean on, trudged up the aisle dragging his "bad" leg behind him. We acted accordingly and moved away from the leper when he approached our area. The tavern staff was dressed in many other old-world garbs. There was the Jack-Sparrow wanna-be, with tri-corn hat and cool black boots, there were the musicians looking more like heavy metal superstars in their leather and chains, and then there were the gypsy girls!! Oh, yes, it turned into a Medieval Hooters!

The gypsy girls, decked in black slit skirts and belly baring leather halter tops, jumped on the wooden tables and began to belly dance to the hypnotic rhythm of the drumming provided by our metal head musicians. It got the attention of every red-blooded male in the building! A few college boys sprang to their feet to join in the wild gyrating. The girls made their 6-pack stomachs quiver so quickly, it almost looked like they were having fits. The festive lads at their sides proudly showed off their dance-club moves, garnering looks of awe and respect from the gypsy girls. It was one of the moments when you watched, had a great time, but felt like surely you would have to have some sort of penance later. There were many other moments like that, as you will see later.

During the music and dancing, the real food was laid out buffet style on a center line of tables. There was more meat than I had ever seen, with kabobs, sausages, chicken, pork, beef...a vegetarian's nightmare. Oh there were a few veggies, grilled corn and pickled cabbage, but mostly it was a meat lover's feast. Still, we loaded our plates and dug in...it was yummy.

While we ate, a man draped with a huge python approached our table, showing off his cuddly pet and inviting anyone who wanted the snake wrapped around them to come forth. Lauren Pope had a major panic attack, and not in a humorous way. No one could have known she was terrified of snakes that much, and when she fled the building, it took a while to console her and convince her to come back inside. Meanwhile, AK loved the snake...she wants to join the circus and be SNAKE GIRL! It was hilarious! But we asked Snake Man to leave and to please not come our way again.

When AK went to tell the man to not come back, she was grabbed by the Jack-Sparrow man, who looked her up and down and made like he was going to abduct her. AK's father, Jimmy Smith, was also on the trip with us and when he saw AK with "Sparrow" he went toward them. Now, we all thought Jimmy was going to ask "Sparrow" to leave his daughter alone, but Jimmy is a really fun loving guy and played right along with the display. Jimmy informed "Sparrow" that he needed to see some money if "Sparrow" wanted his daughter. We all howled in laughter when "Sparrow" shrugged ok, and started digging in his pockets for loose change. AK was stunned! She gave her dad a look of surprised indignation, but smiled all the same. When "Sparrow" showed Jimmy the money, Jimmy said it was not enough. Out of no where, the Leper appeared and became an additional player in the performance. After some bartering, AK was somehow sold to the Leper, who was dismissed with a playful slap to the face. It was to look playful, but the slap knocked off a fake golden earring which Jimmy claimed as his own. We shouted out comments like "Jimmy, we can't believe you sold your daughter to a leper", giving AK looks of mock sympathy, all the while wiping our mirthfully wet eyes.

Just when we didn't think it could get any better, noise from the back room got our attentions. Just what was back there??

Until next time...
Renee

Accolades All Around

Sunday July 16, 2006 (continued)

After a wonderful day of shopping and independent sightseeing, our last real day in the heart of Prague, it was time to prepare for our final group event before everyone departed for home. We all met in the conference room of the hotel, where we had been holding our rehearsals. There, waiting for us was Jirka, Dr. Gutierrez, and all of the wonderful helpers we had during the week; BuBu, Lucka, Dana and many others.

Once settled in, Jirka thanked us for all of our hard work and dedication during the week. He told us again, how proud he had been of our performance the previous night, and how the response was something he had never really seen from the Czech people. Then Dr. Gutierrez spoke, giving us his own praise and thanks and saying he enjoyed working with our group immensely. He explained, too, how his passion was teaching, and how he encouraged all of us to continue learning and pass our knowledge along. And if you want to look him up, Dr. Gutierrez informed us he plans on being at TCU for a long time, doing what he loves best, teaching the love of music. It was a shame we did not have a chance to say good-bye as well to Dr. Walders, for he was also a huge part of our success. He was just wonderful!

When Jirka spoke again, he asked for responses or comments from anyone around the room, about their experiences or observations. Many people, including myself, spoke. I told them of how this was simply a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and that I would have never imagined myself working with such high caliber professionals such as the ones that surrounded me throughout this incredible week. And I thanked Jirka and his staff for just an amazingly organized and well thought-out itinerary. Everything was the perfect balance of work and play. During the course of group comments, I know I began to feel extremely emotional, and looking around the room at the other misty eyes, I knew this week had a huge effect on us, musically, physically, and emotionally. It was just not something we were EVER going to forget. Then, we were all given a certificate that read the following:

DIPLOMA OF EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC
Present to
(in this case) RENEE HILL
for your artistic achievement
in the Hartwick College Choral Festival and Institute
Carl Orff: Carmina burana; Czech National Symphony Orchestra
July 10 - 17, 2006, Smetana Hall, Prague, Czech Republic
signed
Dr. German Gutierrez, Columbia
Conductor
and
Dr. Jirka Kratochvil, Czech Republic
Artistic Director

This was just the icing on the cake! Or was it? We still had a big night planned ahead....a wild, medival blow-out!!
Coming soon,
Renee

Leisurely Sunday in Prague

Sunday July 16, 2006 - Just the start of a long day

Today was our FREE day in Prague, where we could walk unassisted around the city, to explore on our own, to shop for souvenirs for our loved ones back home, to blend in with the people and absorb our surroundings one last time. With everyone's agenda within the group so different, I don't think I can really put into words all of the experiences of that day, but I can tell you how I recall it at least.

Our morning began with two choices. The first choice was to go to a Czech mass at St. Nicolas Church in the Old Town Square. After the mass, the James Madison Singers would perform a capella for those who wanted to listen before heading out for shopping and exploration. Our second choice was not to go to the church but to start the free exploration right away, but find our own way into town. Everyone was asked to return to the hotel on their own by 5 pm.

I chose option two. A couple of girls from Converse had missed our tour of Prague earlier in the week, and had asked me and my roommate, Carol, if they could come with us to shop and while out we could point out all of the sights for them. Our first mission; get downtown. Those going to the church service rode on buses earlier, so we had to make it another way.

One aspect of Prague that we had not yet tackled was the tram. All around Prague (except for the heart of the historical areas), electric trams transported people to and fro. I grew accustomed to seeing the long red trams stop and then zip by, as well as their distinct sounds as I heard them run throughout the night from my hotel window. But I was a bit apprehensive about attempting more of the Prague transportation system.

Traveling around Prague FELT extremely treacherous. Our bus drivers drove very rapidly down the narrow roads, and there were many times I would flinch at the sight of a car thisclose alongside us. Same with the taxis, when a group and I rode back to our hotel from Don Giovanni. Our driver must have imagined himself in the Indy 500, as he rocketed us to our destination in record time. I wonder if there are still indentations from my clinched fingers in the taxi's upholstery...very heart-stopping ride. And that reminds me...drivers don't like to stop over there! I know I voiced quite frequently that there were not many Stop signs, or red lights, or yield signs. Everyone in the group chuckled at my observations, but I was serious! It was very unnerving!

But then, I was a tourist, not used to the speed in which the city moved. I watched in amazement at locals walking confidently across the street in front of oncoming traffic. Yet no one was injured. They just had the timing down to a science, or just had such assurance that a speeding vehicle would slow in time. It made the video game FROGGER come to mind...and I did not want to be squashed.

But the tram was the cheapest and most accessible way for us to get where we wanted. A ticket only cost 20 Kc (more on the money later), so Carol, Leala, Lauren and I bought our tickets and headed down to the tram station nearest our hotel. To get there we had to go down a huge flight of concrete steps. (Based on this, and the fact that the two tiny elevators in our hotel never came when needed and we had to take the stairs to our rooms all the time, I am convinced that is why our hotel was named Hotel STEP!)

Once at the main road, we asked a Czech woman for directions to the station. She spoke no English and our Czech was limited to "hello" and "thank-you" but she got the gist and we followed her to a station. She was pushing a stroller, and if I had not seen a baby myself, I would begin to wonder that this was a clever "decoy" used as a way to ensure speeding motorists would stop in time, since she too just crossed the road with not an ounce of fear.

Once on the tram, you validate the ticket by placing it in a machine to get stamped. It pretty much is the honor systems, since not one person checks it when you come on or off, though they will random check from time to time and if you are caught with no ticket or an old ticket, the fine is pretty heavy. Our tram was not that crowded and once we figured out the map, we the four rode to near Wenceslas Square and then began our free day.

It was mainly a shopping expedition, with a little more sight-seeing tossed in. The weather, which had been usually warm during the week, was absolutely perfect. With a gentle wind, mild temperatures and fair skies, it was incredibly pleasant to be out and about Prague. It was very crowded, with lots of other tour groups following their guides, some of who would hold up a silk flower above their heads for easier location. But we felt like old pros by this point and rather easily maneuvered our way up the streets around Old Town Square.

There were many shops to chose from, ranging from indoor storefronts, to outdoor booths near the square. Paying with Czech koruna ("koruna" means crown) was a little hard for me. Well, to be more precise, I had a hard time not trying to be frugal. The exchange rate while we were there was about 22 crowns for every dollar, so there were a lot of good deals. But my brain would revolt instinctively at 100 Kc price tag. It would say "There is no way I am paying 100 for that!!", but in reality it would only be close to $5.00. Or when I went to the ATM to draw out money, I felt a tad panicky withdrawing 2,000 Kc...even though it was a little over $88.00. Once I managed to get over that neurosis, I happily purchased the gifts I wanted for my family.

We ate lunch at a great little pizzeria, and I took a ton more photos of some of the 30 statues that are mounted to the balustrade of the Charles Bridge. They form two rows, one on each side. My most favorites were: The

Crucifix and Calvary, Statue of St. John of Nepomuk , Statue of St. John the Baptist, & St. Francis Seraphic. These are simply remarkable, some with their golden accents blazing from the sunlight. The first time we encountered them the day had been a bit gray and misty, but today's impeccable blue sky backdrop exquisitely showcased the statues .

There were lots of artisan's along the bridge selling their work, and I got the cutest print called Small Night Music by Zuzana Polívkovi . I really loved it because it incorporated the Charles Bridge of Prague and Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart and seemed whimsical, like the city. I did acquire some traditional watercolor prints as well. One mission I had was to purchase painted eggs, a Slavic tradition. I found one place selling them and purchased 10. They are very similar to these. Long story short, despite my most constant attention on the way home...only 9 made the trip! :-) But still, I was successful!

Finally it was time to ride the tram back to the hotel to prepare for our last evening here. So Carol, Lauren and Leala and I hopped the number 3 to get back. The way back was very confusing, since everything was written in Czech, and the automatic announcing of stops was said in Czech. Somehow when we got off, we didn't quite end up where we thought we should be. When we went down a road that we expected would come out to the tall steps leading the the hotel parking lot, we ended instead at train tracks near the hub we would hear outside our hotel windows. It was a panicky moment, especially when Lauren and Leala decided to just continue ahead and cross the tracks hoping to come to a road. When they turned a corner and disappeared for a very moments, I felt anxious for them...and it did not help to see strange men approaching from that direction either. But I went after them, and Carol and I eventually found the girls basically climbing up the side of the hill that somehow came to the very steps we were searching for. Despite the unexpected hike, I was just relieved that we made it safe and sound.

One thing I had been lucky in, during the entire trip, was not to be a victim of pickpockets. Apparently that is a big problem in Prague, as in many other cities, but we were all trying to be extra cautious of that during our stay. It was so unfortunate that one of our SFC singers did have a "bump-in" with a pickpocket while getting on to a tram. Our very last day there, and Roland's wallet was stolen from his front pocket in the split second it took him to just grab a bar to hold steady and then sit down. We all felt badly that he would now have to go through the process of canceling credit cards and getting a new license. What a shame. The good news was that there was no money in the wallet, it was safe with Julie, Roland's wife, and despite it all, Roland just had such a positive attitude, as always. Still, they are too nice of people to have that happen.

When we returned, I heard from the others who went to the mass and heard the JMU singers perform. They all raved about the church and its' beauty; how amazing the JMU singers sounded in such an acoustically live space, and how excited they were when some joined the JMU singers for a few songs. It made me wish I had been able to go to that as well. The church's exterior is so magnificent on the corner of Old Town Square, and I can only imagine from what I heard that it was equally ethereal inside. But it just goes to show how much Prague has to offer a visitor, and how you simply cannot hope to accomplish it all in one day, and our day was far, far from done!

Next post: How we celebrated our last evening, and boy, was it ever a celebration! I will post it later this week!
Renee

The Afterglow

July 15, 2006

With satisfying success, Spartanburg Festival Chorus, along with 110+ other voices, sang Carmina Burana in Prague on July 15th! It was a thrilling experience and though this next post is two weeks after the moment, the sights and sounds are still fresh within me and will certainly remain in my memory forever. Even now, little details pop into my mind about the concert that I failed to mention before, such as:

Maestro Gutierrez conducted the orchestra, chorus and soloists that evening ALL FROM MEMORY! He did not have a stand with the score in front of him, as is typical. It was so impressive to watch him realizing he knew exactly where a certain instrument was highlighted, when the music changed time, and he even mouthed all of the difficult text along with us!! It was truly an amazing show of talent and ability. His students at TCU are very fortunate to have him as their leader on a daily basis, and I can promise that should he conduct anything near me again, I will make the attempt to go, so much respect I have for this man!

At the VERY last minute, we had six Czech men join our group to sing with us. They showed up at the dress rehearsal two hours before the concert, and then performed with us. It was a bit scary, because as I said early, this was a MAN peice and there are some very tricky parts. So to add six men to the mix so close to showtime made some of us nervous. They spoke no English, so communicating with them was interesting. I was near three of the new singers, and they had no idea of the little things like entering/exiting the stage protocol or other things Dr. Walders went over with us earlier. Niether did they match the other men exactly in terms of attire, small things really, like some were wearing short sleeves when they were supposed to wear long. Still, during final rehearsal, these men did well. Tthey spat out the text with clear enunciation, and did not slow the pace of In Tabernum, which could have been the nail-biting section. I don't know any of their names, but it turned out that they blended in nicely to our eclectic group.

After the concert and once the audience departed, all festival people (that was us), congregated in the seating area to be led to our evening's after concert dinner. According to our itinerary, we were expecting a twenty minute walk to have a cold buffet dinner near the Vltava River. It didn't sound all that exciting, a cold buffet, but by this point we were just thrilled with everything and excited to continue the evening. I am sure a large group of dapperly dressed singers walking through Old Town Square caused some heads to turn. (But more heads turned when a group of girls wearing bunny ears (reminiscent of Playboy I suppose) walked past us....right Jack? LOL)

Everything at dusk just looked enchanting. Clouds painted orange and purple made stunning backdrops for the buildings we had come to recognize, giving everything a fairy-tale sense. It only added to the warmth that filled me. I had really come to love Prague and it was then, that I knew, I just have to come back and bring my family some day!

Along our walk, we laughed and were very playful. Some of us were "teaching" Eranga Goonetilleke (a Converse student from Sri Lanka with beautiful aristocratic speech) the finer nuisances of Redneck phrases such as "Git r done", and "Kiss My Grits", with hilarious results, as we watched Eranga try to wrap her mouth around the harsh stretched-out words. It made me think of My Fair Lady, when Professor Henry Higgins is tutoring Eliza Doolittle...but in reversal. We all agreed it would be a shame to ruin Eranga's elegant speech.

We soon stopped walking and arrived at our SUPRISE!!. Our meal was not near the Vltava, but ON the Vltava on two dinner boats, one boat for the high school and college students, one boat for the adults. We separated and were treated with a lovely selection of food and desserts and allowed two drinks. I tried my first Czech beer, a Pilsner. I don't like beer, but felt I needed to "Do as Praguers" at this celebratory moment.



The scenes before us as we floated down the Vltava were stunning...all of the magnificent buildings that filled us with wonderment during they day, became magical at night, awash in the gentle glow of lights. The air was cool with a gentle breeze, the food and drink were plenty, the ambience was flawless, and the company of people I kept were warm and gregarious. A fitting way to end our perfect day!

The buses eventually took us back to the hotel, and with a feeling of sheer fullfillment, we went to bed, wondering what our last day in Prague would have in store for us.

:-)
Renee