Party at the Czech embassy (Part 2) /Vecirek na ceske ambasade (cast 2.)

Now that you guys know my husband and I actually got through the security check point, let me tell you the details on how it went inside the embassy and how I got to meet the president.

We entered a room filled with about 200 people which led to yet another large room which was filled with about 300 anxious visitors. You could feel the excitement in the air and you could also smell some good Czech cookin’. A few minutes after we surveyed our new surroundings we saw a little commotion in the other room – the president was already giving a speech!! Could we see him? No. Could we hear what was he saying? No. But I am sure it was to the point. Since it was a day after the president had signed the Lisbon treaty  he probably touched on that amazing milestone as well in his speech, but once again, I can only guess, since I did not hear a word.

His speech ended up being quite short. Next thing we see is a huge huddle of people under the stage and that’s where we were headed too – where the action is. Our next mission was to get in the middle of that huddle (we were hoping to find the president in the middle of it). It turned out to be quite a difficult mission, however.  Those people were determined to do WHATEVER to shake Mr. president’s hand! Since I am not a fan of such situations (I feel rather silly), I was acting quite mellow at first, waiting my turn. The problem was, that there was no turn. It was pretty much, whoever has the biggest elbows gets in. Just when I thought it was my turn someone else pushed me aside and I was waiting again…..But that’s how it goes if you want to meet someone famous, right?

Finally it was somehow my turn so I introduced myself and my husband in English and then went on speaking in Czech.  I realized I had about 3 and half seconds with this man so I tried to be concise and somehow entertaining at the same time. So I said to him I had gone to the same grammar school as he and that I used to go to his O.F. meetings with my mom way back in 1991. And then he asked me if I lived here and I said ‘yes’. So really, nothing too exciting, but at least my wish came true and nothing embarrassing has happened.  He did not point out at my one-dollar hand bag and said “Hey, I know that bag, that thing cost one dollar right?”. I did not spit at him and I did not stutter too much. So all in all it was a success. And on top of it all, my husband managed to take a picture of the two of us!

Few minutes after that Mr. President left and it was just us – the people – and the food. So what do you think that ads up to? A big mayhem. Everyone crowded the the tables and if  fighting for his life all over again. The problem was, that  there was no line and nobody was willing to let you in. People just camped out at the actual serving table and kept filling up their plates and re-filling them once they were done with their initial portion. I managed to slide a hand through this unconquerable people-wall and sneaked out 2 plates. But that was just about it. After 10 minutes of pointless waiting we went to get some Czech beer in hopes that the ‘line’ will thin out. When we came back most of the food was gone everywhere only a famous goulash souce was left…and a couple of pieces of good Czech bread. But hey, I was happy! We managed to sneak out some other goodies but you had to be quick otherwise you were out of luck.

During the reception we met this fun gentleman who told us that his parents were Czech. So I asked if he knew the Czech language and he said he knew only a few words from his Czech grandma who used to babysitt him when he was little. So I asked what words, and he said, “Things like ‘Co to zase provadis, ty kluku sakramentskej!‘” He actually never really knew what the words ment so when I translated it for him (meaning “What are you up to again, you God-forsaken kid?”) we had a good laugh about it.

Will there be part 3? Maybe, maybe not :0) Meanwhile, check out my husband’s outlook on this adventurous trip.

CZ: Ted, kdyz je uz znamo, ze nas bezpecnostni prohlidka na ambasade nezatkla, a ze jsme se do mile ambasady dostali zivi a zdravi, pojdme se podivat, jak ten vecirek vubec probihal….a co jsem si s tim nasim presidentem vubec vykladala?

V dvou obrovskych salech se minglovalo asi tak 500 lidi, vsichni nervozne ocekavajic prichod presidenta Ceske republiky. Jelikoz jsme prisli o trosku pozde, nemuseli jsme na nej cekat dlouho. Za par minut po nasem prichodu jsme slyseli  podezrely frmol ve vedlejsi mistnosti. Videli jsme Vaclava Klause pri jeho proslovu? Ne. Slyseli jsme ho? No, to taky ne. Bohuzel vsechna jeho slova splynula v jakesi nesrozumitelne huhnani.  Zatimco jsme se snazili najit lepsi lokalitu vzhledem k onomu podiu, pan president domluvil a pak zmizel…tedy zmizel. Pod podiem se objevilo hnizdo natesenych obdivovatelu, ktere se kazdou sekundou zvetsovalo, s nadeji, ze osobne poznaji pana Klause. Nebudu vam nic nalhavat, hned jsme se stali parem srsanu a naklusali tam take. Jak to tak ale byva, kdyz chcete poznat nejakou tu celebritu, hemzi se to kolem ni samymi loktari. Slusny clovek se mezi ne proste nedostane! Byla jsem nucena se taky trosku probijet, az jsem se nakonec probila k cili. Vedela jsem, ze s nasim presidentem budu mit asi tak 3 a pul sekundy, tak jsem do nich chtela vmestnat alespon neco trosku zajimaveho. Rekla jsem mu, ze jsem chodila do stejne zakladni skoly, a ze jsem jako mala s mamou chodila na jeho meetingy O.F. (obcanskeho fora). Jemne se usmal a pak se me zeptal jestli tady v Americe ziju a ja ze ano. No, a pak jsme se spolu vyfotili a mise byla uspesne splnena. Zadny trapas se nestal, president si nevsiml me dolarove kabelky, ani jsem ho pri behem tech 3 sekund nepoprskala….no proste se to vsechno vydarilo vyborne.

Vaclav Klaus nas ale opustil velmi brzy, ani se mu nedivim, nemohl si tam chudak ani v klidu vypit sklenici piva. Ambasadu opustila hlavni atrakce vecera a lide se vrhli na ceske lahudky: gulas, vepro knedlo zelo, pasticky, suncicky, parecky, svickova, kure na paprice, vetrnicky, roladky, indianci…..no, na co si jen vzpomenete. Problem byl v tom, ze se k jidlu nedalo dostat. Lide totiz kolem stolu vytvorili neprustrelnou zed a nehodlali jen tak odejit. Proste si tam ustlali, jak se rika po cesku. Nevim jak, ale dokazala jsem mezi ne vtahnout ruku a ukrast dva prazdne talire, ale to bylo tak vsechno. Beznadejne jsme krouzili kolem oblozenych stolu, ke kterym se nedalo dostat. Nakonec se nam podarilo ukoristit kure na paprice – bez kurete – a par krajicu vyborneho ceskeho chleba. Zakusky uz byli snedene, ale nejake ty chlebicky jsme take sblajzli a zaludky si naplnili.

V jedne z tech beznadejnych front jsme poznali (asi velmi vyznamneho) pana, Cecho-Americana, ktery byl vychovavan take jeho ceskou babickou. Zeptala jsem se ho, jestli si neco z cestiny pamatuje a on na to: “Not really, just things like ‘Co to zase delas, ty kluku sakramentskej'” Tak jsem mu to prelozila do anglictiny (nevedel totiz, co to presne znamenalo) a vsichni jsme se tomu srdecne zasmali.

Nasleduje cast 3.? Mozna, mozna ne – to si budete muset pockat :0) Zatim si prectete, co si o tomto dobrodruzstvi mysli muj manzel.