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The Czech method = How complicated can we make it? Hmm, let’s see…

So I took to the streets for the third day in a row!
Wait,
That didn’t sound right….
But you’ve been following my journey all month, so you know what I mean.

Today I had to pick up my translated documents and take them to the Canadian embassy, which is way and hell gone on the complete other side of Prague from where I had to pick up the documents.
And the embassy is only open till 12:30pm…naturaly…rainy Tuesdays being the exception…this being Bohemia and all…I mean, what exactly were we expecting anyway?

So I hit the streets again.

Now, anyone who has walked the streets of Prague will spout on endlessly about how charming and olde worlde the cobblestones are, but believe me, if you need to seriously get from point A to point B, there is absolutely no charm in these wonky, watch-where-you’re-going cobbles.
In the over-all sweeping view they look charming…

…but these are the cobbles close up at ground level.
Forget wearing heels by the way, you’ll never make it.
It’s a core body workout trying to keep your balance in flat sandals, never mind heels.

Anyway, the short version of the long story is that I ran out of the house at 9ish, as soon as I got the email saying my translated documents were ready, trained it into Prague, walked the 2km to the translation office, paid, and walked the 2 km back to where I could catch a tram out to the neighbourhood of the Canadian embassy.

And then walked another 2km to get to it.

But then I stepped inside and wow what a feeling.
I’m on Canadian soil there. I’m back in Canada.
I must tell you that never in my life have I ever needed to go to any embassy, so have nothing to compare it to, but this feeling, this feeling of home, and safety and belonging, took me completely by surprise.
There’s our beautiful Canadian flag flying high, and the Queen’s portrait, and our Prime Minister’s, and everything is in English and French, and there are little buttons commemorating Canada’s 150th birthday this year.

It’s like coming home.

If you guys ever get a chance to stop by your home embassy in your travels I highly recommend that you do it.

Anyway, shortening the long story, just for the hell of it, now I have to go to the the township of my last known address to register there.
How the heck am I supposed to know something like that?
Well, it seems that my mother worked in a hospital about 118km away form here in a town called Usti Nad Labem, and it makes sense because our summer cottage was in that area too.
So I’m all ready to drive there tomorrow to register my citizenship papers and (i’m crossing my fingers and knocking on wood as I type this…which isn’t easy), that might be the completion of that.

So, with nothing else to do for the aft, I asked my cousin Marian if he had time for a lunch with me and he said he did.
We met at the horse statue on Wenceslas Square, and walked to a nearby restaurant.

As In was waiting for him trying not to fume about the awful, paper-filled, super-stamped and supper-certified, double-certified and triple-certified nonsense which getting my Czech citizenship back is turning out to be, I realise I was sitting on the perfect bench.
That made me smile and helped me calm right back to normal.


We chatted about family ups and downs, our children, our parents…you know, cousin talk.
And then he had to get back to work and I had to get back to Helena and Zdeneks,

I stopped at Tesco on my way home for a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers for Helena.

Tomorrow guys is probably going to be a bit of an emotional day for me. I haven’t seen my childhood summer cottage since 1990 and have been wondering if I should go, but maybe I should.

But first! More paper work, here we come. šŸ˜€

Comments: 5

  • Paul Karbusicky

    June 27, 2017
    reply

    Your Canadian embassy visit reminds me of my visit to the Czechoslovakian embassy in Vienna. It was at the beginning of our exile, and now almost fifty years ago. I needed to extend Czech visa into Austria. I walked into the embassy, and it was feeling of being back home behind the Iron curtain. Scary!!! I was afraid that someone will be able to read, what I feel and think. What a relieve it was to be back on the street in Vienna. Kafka hadr!!!

  • June 28, 2017
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    Your citizenship project is very complicated indeed, but I think you are definitely enjoying being back in Prague. Such a beautiful city. And yes, I remember those cobbled sidewalks very well.

  • June 29, 2017
    reply

    Red tape is red tape the world over! When we were in Japan a few years ago, we attended a reception at the Canadian embassy. Yes, a little bit of home!

  • July 2, 2017
    reply

    reminded me of Venice and how walking on cobblestones is not something you do without thinking about it …

  • July 4, 2017
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    More running round! And those cobblestones look really hard going .. throw away the heels! I just love the idea of visiting the embassy while away. I must do that one day ..

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