Perhaps the most difficult concept for me to grasp here has been that nothing is ever free. We say that to ourselves in America often; “nothing comes free,” “everything has its price,” we grumble. But in the Czech Republic, everything actually does have a price and it is printed clearly at the top of the bill. This means that a 0,2 liter glass of water costs money to consume. The same goes for the bread that is already sitting on the table at any given restaurant. Even the tablespoon of butter that accompanies said bread has its price. So it should have come as no surprise that the dessert brought out to me at the Thai restaurant where I opted to celebrate my birthday was not free of charge. But I was somehow surprised anyway. Maybe it is because making someone pay for dessert on their birthday just seems like a heartless crime to me… Is that too harsh?
But aside from this small moment of culture shock, I have to say that the Czech Republic granted me one of the best birthdays of my life. I was worried that I might miss my family and friends from home because those are the people that I usually look forward to spending my birthday with, but the incredible friends that I have made here really helped to fill the void in my heart. We celebrated by cooking dinner together the night before my birthday and then going out to the club where Rihanna shot the music video for “Please Don’t Stop the Music” at midnight. They also surprised me with a cake from a local bakery the next day which was such an unexpected and kind gesture.
To top it all off, my best friend from high school was in town visiting me and she served as a great stand in for all those I hold near and dear in the states. Because I didn’t have class, she and I spent the day gorging on tiramisu and lounging in the sun soaked parks of Prague. It felt like I was in a movie and I still can’t completely believe that that is how I spent my birthday. Then again, each day I am here I feel stunned by the immense beauty and character that everything around me has. Needless to say, this birthday was one for the books.
