life in this republic
There is a new building in our town.
Podzámčí.
Under the Castle.
http://www.podzamcihluboka.cz/cz/
It is an uber-modern building plopped right down next to the baroque church on the baroque square. The proposed construction of this multi-function apartment building and shopping center was put to a vote of the residents of our fair town as Hluboka is notorious for having strict building laws so as to preserve the historical appeal for the residents and the tourists, in keeping with the baroque castle around which the town is built. Unfortunately, it seems this project was funded and begun under the table before the vote was even put out and the bill ratified. Construction began before the majority of votes came in, all against this building. Primarily because it is right next to the church on the square. And it does not at all conform to the historical architecture required of every other building on the square. It appears they didn't even consider a representative facade to match the other buildings surrounding it.
All that said, the building is finished and it is quite luxurious and beautiful. We popped in for the first time yesterday on our way home from the gym, just to have a look around.
Just to give you some background information, there is a guy in town who many think behaves strangely. He used to run a cafe that I would go to sometimes, and now owns his own cafe in the new building. I taught his daughter at the Czech school and have run into him on many occasions and he is quite...exuberant. Really different from the typical Czech culture. If I have no time for a lengthy conversation I will often walk on the other side of the street to avoid him seeing me through his cafe window and the potential interaction. He is really very nice, he is Czech although doesn't look typical. He has lived and worked in Manchester, Maine, Singapore and somewhere in Chile. He has tons of interesting stories to tell and very strong opinions about things. He speaks English very well with a Manchester accent, although we mostly speak Czech together. He just is different. And folks in these parts don't take too kindly to different.
Back to today's story. We popped our heads into the new building to see what it looked like. And, man, that guy must have radar, cuz he flung himself out of his cafe waaaay down at the end of the building and ran to PULL me inside. PULL. By the arm. All the way into his cafe. He wanted to give us coffee. I think he is lonely. So, for fear of suffering more physical molestation, we conceded and sat down to be served. We ended up staying a while and talking, which is always the case with this guy. You think you don't have time, but then it ends up being such an interesting conversation that time passes unnoticed.
He always tells me that I am the most beautiful American woman in Hluboka (I'm the only American woman in Hluboka). And he always tries to give us our drinks for free. We always pay him, of course. Today he told me that he works now 7 days a week because he owns the cafe and has no employees. I ask him if he sees his wife and kid, and he said that he is free on Sundays after 3pm. His cafe is empty. Many people in Hluboka don't like this man. But I kinda do. He has an interesting past, a unique take on things and is so counter-cultural. I just wonder if he can survive the anti-change mentality here in Hluboka.
Just to give you some background information, there is a guy in town who many think behaves strangely. He used to run a cafe that I would go to sometimes, and now owns his own cafe in the new building. I taught his daughter at the Czech school and have run into him on many occasions and he is quite...exuberant. Really different from the typical Czech culture. If I have no time for a lengthy conversation I will often walk on the other side of the street to avoid him seeing me through his cafe window and the potential interaction. He is really very nice, he is Czech although doesn't look typical. He has lived and worked in Manchester, Maine, Singapore and somewhere in Chile. He has tons of interesting stories to tell and very strong opinions about things. He speaks English very well with a Manchester accent, although we mostly speak Czech together. He just is different. And folks in these parts don't take too kindly to different.
Back to today's story. We popped our heads into the new building to see what it looked like. And, man, that guy must have radar, cuz he flung himself out of his cafe waaaay down at the end of the building and ran to PULL me inside. PULL. By the arm. All the way into his cafe. He wanted to give us coffee. I think he is lonely. So, for fear of suffering more physical molestation, we conceded and sat down to be served. We ended up staying a while and talking, which is always the case with this guy. You think you don't have time, but then it ends up being such an interesting conversation that time passes unnoticed.
He always tells me that I am the most beautiful American woman in Hluboka (I'm the only American woman in Hluboka). And he always tries to give us our drinks for free. We always pay him, of course. Today he told me that he works now 7 days a week because he owns the cafe and has no employees. I ask him if he sees his wife and kid, and he said that he is free on Sundays after 3pm. His cafe is empty. Many people in Hluboka don't like this man. But I kinda do. He has an interesting past, a unique take on things and is so counter-cultural. I just wonder if he can survive the anti-change mentality here in Hluboka.
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