I’m enjoying the heck out of Lonely Planet’s Czech phrasebook–can you tell that I really ought to be packing instead?
Here are two “found poems” based on their useful suggestions:
1. Glad (sort of) I’m not that young anymore
Kiss me.
Kiss me.
Take this off.
Kiss me.
That was amazing.
Will you marry me?
Would you like a cigarette?
Kiss me.
Do you feel like going for a run?
2. But, Officer….
What am I accused of?
You will be charged with no visa.
You will be charged with traffic violation.
You will be charged with murder.
Just joking!
Kiss me.
One set of phrases offered by Lonely Planet has really made me wonder:
- I’m sorry, it’s not the custom in my country.
- I’m sorry, it’s against my beliefs/culture/religion.
- I don’t mind watching, but I prefer not to participate.
What are these phrases used for–bear-baiting? cannibalism? ethnic jokes? I’ll let you all know if I ever find out. But for now, darn it, Betsy, will you go pack?!!!???
Tags: Pilgrimages
In Czechoslovakia, the polite guest brings flowers–an odd number, please–with no wrapping paper around them. Shoes are left by the door. Don’t eat or drink before wishing the others good health.
The Lonely Planet phrasebook is full of good advice for travelers much more adventurous than I am. I hope I won’t need Czech phrases for “Do you have a condom?” or “I’m on methadone.”
I love to travel and I love to learn about places I visit, most especially their languages. You can do lots more stuff when you speak and/or read the native tongue–even in the Netherlands where everyone speaks English the train stations and museums are a lot more fun if you can read some Dutch. But we’ll be in Prague just a week, so I have merely stocked up my “Language Emergency Kit”–ten rock-bottom minimum sentences for any trip:
- Where’s the bathroom? (gdeh yeh zah-khod?)
- Thank you very much. (dyeh-kuh-yi mots-kraht)
- Please. (pro-seem)
- Yes. (ah-no, sometimes abbreviated “no”–nod head as you say it.)
- No. (neh– shake head as you say it.)
- No, thank you. (neh, dyeh-ku-yi)
- I’m sorry. (yeh meh leeto).
- My husband is vegetarian. (mooy man-zhel yeh ve-ge-ta-ri-ahn)
- Does this dish have meat? (yeh ftom-hle yeed-le ma-so?)
- Is there a local Internet cafe? (yeh tah-di in-ter-net ka-vah-na?)
If you don’t have vegetarian husband, here are two different usefuls: “Do you have a non-smoking section?” (mah-te od-dye-le-nee pro nee-kur-zhah-ki?) and “It’s beautiful” (to yeh krahs-neh).
Tags: Pilgrimages
