Going Postal

Today’s adventure takes us to the local post office. 

We received a notice in the mail that our new SIM cards for our phone had arrived. We got our passports and the package slip and headed to the post office. 

Upon arrival at the post office, there is a machine with NINE options: 

Only one ticket may be selected.
It's like Highlander, without the immortality. 

The option selected determines the line to be in. We think.

We were Klient 523

At this particular post office, no choices are in English, as expected. We are living in a foreign country after all. No problem, we will just go to Google Translate on our phones. No, no we won’t. The whole point of us being at the post office was to pick up the new SIM cards for the phones. Most every cellular plan here is prepaid and ours had run out. 

So we ran into the proverbial catch-22. We needed to push the right button to get the SIM cards and we needed the SIM cards to know what the signs said in order to push the right button. We stared nervously at the nine options, realizing that a wrong choice might send us to a stamp purchasing line and not the parcel pick up line. Or maybe even some mystery line, with some sinister purpose such as paying for internet. 

Which line is it anyway? 

The tension began to mount as no one looked on and no one cared. A little old lady entered. She walked directly to the machine we were standing in front of and confidently pushed the button. It’s not a challenge if you can read the words, lady. 

We decided to go for it. My gut told me it was option one, so naturally we went with a different option. The result? 

We got the SIM cards! Another small achievement unlocked! 

How can one fit in the box and not the other? 

When we got home we checked the mail box. We found a sale paper inside that was larger than the SIM card packaging. We began to wonder if this was all just a test to see if we could victoriously navigate the postal system here. Probably not, but if it was, we passed. 

No blog next week! We will be on fall holiday! 

Let's Take a Walk

A police officer checked
our permits before the walk.

Yesterday we participated in the annual A21 Walk for Freedom. This is a walk that promotes awareness of the worldwide human trafficking epidemic. 

We gathered in Wenceslas Square, which is a nice central location in the city. Everyone dressed in black and we placed a strip of tape over our mouths. The tape had the name of a person who had been rescued on it. A21 posted companion podcast on their website that told the story of these rescues. 

Here is that link: http://www.a21.org/content/walk-day-of/gop0rs

Some of the students that made the walk possible!

As we walked, single file and very slowly, I was deeply affected by the reactions we were getting. Everyone we passed stopped to read our signs. Some said “We support you!” Others questioned what the movement was even about. There were the naysayers, of course, but that is to be expected. 

The thing I think I liked most about the walk was the diversity of our group. We had high school students, teachers, and parents. We had Czechs, Americans, and Brits. But I think the most interesting dynamic we had was this: Christians and Atheists. 

It made me think that maybe there’s hope in this world. If we can get people who disagree to unite for a common cause, then we might just win the fight against trafficking after all. 

Our whole group!

Abolishing Slavery One Walk At A Time

Walk for Freedom

Did you know it is estimated that every 30 seconds someone becomes a slave? More people are enslaved today than ever before. Evil does not discriminate; human trafficking is occurring all over the world right in front of our eyes. It is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Unlike drugs, guns, etc. a person can be sold over and over again and therefore it is an appealing and lucrative business for criminals. There are many forms of trafficking including sex, forced labor, bonded labor, involuntary domestic servitude, and child soldiers. Traffickers use a variety of methods to recruit victims such as: false job advertisements, targeting impoverished families, loverboy (pretending to be in love), and abduction. In order to maintain control of their victims, traffickers use violence, deception, imprisonment, debt bondage, isolation, etc.

It is horrifying to think that social media sites such as Facebook and advertisement sites such as Backpage.com are being used to sell humans but that is the reality. Here is where we come in: Next Saturday, October 14^th, people from all over the world will be participating in A21’s annual fundraiser and awareness event called #WalkForFreedom. For those who don’t know, A21 is a global anti-human trafficking organization working to free millions of men, women, and children trapped in slavery. The walk is a simple and tangible way for everyone to get involved. Check out A21.org to sign up to join the walk in your area and for a list of clues that may help in identifying a possible trafficking victim.

If you would like more information on how we are getting involved in anti-human trafficking here in Prague you can request to be added to our newsletter list by sending us a quick email at tonyataylor33@gmail.com or by sending us a PM on Facebook.

The Golem of Prague and Other Legends

It's October, and that always puts me in the Halloween spirit. (Or Harvest, for all you evangelicals out there.) Ever since I can remember, I have loved scary stories and the thrills and chills they inspire. 

One of the many things I love about Prague is its legends and ghost stories. My favorite among those stories is a little gem that comes out of the Josefov section of Prague One: The Golem. 

This statue is just outside the entrance to the Jewish Quarter (Josefov). Photo courtesy of the Prague Post. 

In this story, a rabbi makes a golem out of clay to defend the Jewish people in Praha from evil and oppression  The golem even performs various tasks for the people, because of its great strength. The golem is powered by a small scroll that is inserted into its mouth. Other accounts have the golem being powered by a word carved into its forehead. 

This Golem patrols the streets of Josefov today.  He enjoys taking donations in exchange for pictures of him. 

But something goes horribly wrong, and the creature begins attacking its own people. The rabbi is forced to deactivate the creature because it has gotten out of control. The scroll is removed from the golem and it is rendered motionless. (There are varying accounts on how the golem was deactivated, depending on who tells you the story.)

The Old-New Synagogue

So what happened to the golem? Accounts differ, but the most popular one is that the golem is housed in the Attic of the Staronova Synagoga (Old-New Synagogue). Legend says that if you enter the attic and look upon the golem, you'll die. 

There are many more amazing stories in this city we call home, such as the poker playing ghost that simply can't lose, a headless Templar Knight, and a skeleton that begs drunk people for money just after dusk. Look them up if you get a chance! 

Next: Anti-Trafficking Updates!

Buttermageddon 2017

It is truly a desperate hour. It's disappearing off of shelves faster than it can be replaced. Prices are skyrocketing. People are panicking. Well, mildly complaining anyway. It's nowhere to be found at a reasonable rate. What is it? It's butter. Golden, delicious butter. 

There is a nation wide butter shortage here in Czech Republic. Head to your local Billa and prepare to be disappointed. Enter your local Albert and be downcast. You'll be greeted with an empty shelf and a sign that reads: 

As a civilized society, what are we expected to do? Use margarine? Why don't we just go back to living in caves and communicating in grunts and gestures. 

Luckily the Czech spirit has yet to be crushed, choosing to channel their outrage in memes: 

("Cerstve Maslo" means fresh butter.)

The next few weeks here will be taxing on all of us. I feel confident in our ability to persevere though. Buttermageddon 2017 will not keep us from living our lives. 

In times of crisis, heroes rise. This time, they'll be butter flavored. 


Next Week: A local legend or two!

Groceries and Culture

I remember going to the grocery store shortly after we arrived here in 2012. It was a necessary evil but I’m not sure going to the grocery store in a new country with a major case of jetlag is the best idea. We spent approximately two hours perusing the aisles and maybe bought two bags worth of stuff. Thankfully, this time around was much smoother.

I have found that going to the grocery store is one of the best ways to learn about a new culture. One can quickly come to a pretty accurate conclusion about the do’s and don’ts of a new country and what is most important to the people of that country, (regarding food anyway) within minutes of entering a grocery store. Here are some of the interesting things I have learned while grocery shopping in CZ.

Even the small shops have a decent selection
of fruits and vegetables. Mushrooms are a staple in this country.

In CZ and much of Europe it is commonplace to grab a shopping basket on the way into the grocery store. These can be found in some grocery stores in the U.S. as well but in my experience they are rarely used. I wouldn’t say that grabbing a basket is required here, but the majority of people seem to follow this unspoken rule. Having said that, depending on what part of town you might find yourself in the rules seem to change. For example, in one part of town if I choose not to grab a basket because I only need to pick up an item or two, I may be followed around the store by a security guard the whole time, while in other stores, basket or not, no one seems to care. Rule of thumb: when in doubt, look around and copy the locals. Speaking of security, I’m sure there are security guards in many grocery stores around the U.S. but I never really noticed them. Here there are security guards posted in just about every store, because they don’t have security cameras everywhere.

Now, on shopping trips where it is necessary to buy a bit more I can always use a cart instead of a basket. However, any store that offers a shopping cart, whether it’s the larger chain or the smaller local grocery, you will be required to insert a coin into the shopping cart, which will release the chain that binds all the carts together before your are able to actually use the cart. This system seems to work rather well in preventing people from either stealing carts or leaving them all over the parking lot.

Grocery store across from David's school

Buying in bulk is not really a thing here. I’m sure some people do it but I would venture to guess it would be mostly expats. The only bulk buys I’ve seen from locals are water, boxed milk, and beer. In fact, you can actually buy toilet paper by the roll in most stores. For us, buying large quantities isn’t practical anyway for a few reasons. The first issue being that refrigerators in Europe are half the size of those in the U.S. It can sometimes be challenging to fit even a week’s worth of items into our little fridge. Secondly, even if we could fit a large amount of items into the fridge we would be seriously challenged to actually get them home. Our choices of grocery stores require either a ten-minute walk one-way or hopping on a bus for about 15 minutes one way. In other words, there is only so much we can carry at once. Lastly, items tend to spoil here much quicker than in the U.S., which means planning meals for more than a few days at a time really isn’t possible.

Small shops often owned by Vietnamese immigrants

Some of the major differences in grocery shopping here vs. the U.S. occur during checkout. I have found that in the U.S. checkout workers often ask personal questions, comment on something you’ve bought, interact with children in line, or in general make some kind of small talk even if they don’t know you. Perfect strangers may strike up a conversation while waiting in a long line in the U.S. This is quite unlikely in CZ. Small talk is not really even a thing here and store checkout is as speedy as possible. In fact, it should be a new Olympic Event, keeping up with the scanned items that are flung your way as you try to place them in an organized manner in your bags. Oh yes, baggers don’t exist here either. You are required to bag your own items and you can either bring your own personal bags with you to do so, or you can purchase bags at checkout because they won’t be free.

Side note: I’ve decided to try one new thing every time I go to the store even if I don’t know what it is. This is a fun way to explore new food options!

What's The Point?

"There are a few of us here." 

That phrase gave me goosebumps today. It was a moment that I think will stick with me for a while. A student approached me and asked me if I have ever heard of a local Christian organization in town. We talked for a bit and I asked her if she was a believer. 

"Yes. There are a few of us here." 

What an uplifting statement. When I wrote the last blog I mentioned that I would be talking about why we're here. This is why. We're here to offer hope to anyone who wants to find it in Christ. We celebrate with those who have already found it. And for those who aren't interested, we're here for them as well, to be a blessing to them any way we can. 

I am excited for what we're doing here. From the day to day ridiculousness to the harsh reality of the anti-trafficking movement, I can't wait to share more stories with you. 

Next week: Grocery store shenanigans!