PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC 2018 - 3 - OLD TOWN, A MAGICAL PHENOMENON OF ITS OWN

I am wiped with jet lag. My alarm goes off at 8, but my body wakes up at 10:30, that is perfectly fine. I feel in good shape after 10 hours of sleep. Quick breakfast with fruit, off I go to the riverside.

Walking along the east side of the river at least once a day will become my most favorite pastime in Prague... Charles River and Prague Castle in the backdrop

After walking along the east side of the river all the way to the magnificent National Theater, I cross the bridge and discover that the islands on the river are in fact very small protrusions out of the water allowing one or two hefty buildings on them. In the middle of the Legii bridge south of the infamous Charles Bridge, I take the steps down to the Strelecky Ostrov (Shooters island). The only building in the middle of it happens to be a restaurant with beautiful view of the river in both directions as well as of the National Theater, the grandiosity of which is much more on display from afar.

Charles Bridge with its entire length from the Legii Bridge

There are no customers, the waiters are very graceful and they show me the entire terrace basically to choose a table from some 40-50 tables. I pick the first small table along the railing. The server spells the name of the river for me on my scrap paper, Vltava River. Czech language is indeed notorious for using multiple consonants with no vowels. The river is calm, peaceful, opening her bosom only to an occasional paddle boat or two. The restaurant is on an elevated large deck, almost a terrace with full command of the river.

National Theater from across the Vltava River

I learn that they are open from 10 to 10 every day, but Czechs usually have their lunch after 1 pm, so it is no surprise that they don’t have any customers before noon. I am still in breakfast mood and order a Czech potato soup with dried oyster mushrooms. Although, it is a vegan dish, it surprises me with the layers of flavors, must be the herbs and spices. After I have enough of the river for now, I head north toward Charles Bridge from the west side of the river. Czechs’ very progressive and beloved young king Charles IV, who combined the old town and new town, started building this bridge and its statues in 1357.

I will have several drinks and soup at the café across the river watching Charles Bridge and the elegant swans of the Vltava

Most of the time, the bridge is like a street mall or festival site, full of people with all ethnic backgrounds, except for Africans, it is surprising that I have seen in the 36 hours I have been in Prague, 2 or 3 black people. Various languages are passing by me as I walk toward the east end. The bridge is adorned with numerous statues with religious themes. The one of St John in the center of the bridge has become specifically special for good luck for Czechs:

St. John and his pilgrims trying to touch the panels below both of his feet

Whenever I pass by it, I will see anywhere from a few to lines of people touching both sides of the base on which St. John is standing for good luck. It is interesting that the adults make sure they touch both sides of the base at the same time. As a result, human skin oils have been polishing the base who knows for how many centuries. The rest of the statue is black, the natural color of bronze, but the particular sections of the base are sparkling in gold color, no chance for oxidation. A bit ahead, I see a man, folded almost into two in a seating posture, with a dog in his lap, his hood over his face, his hand on the dog’s neck, both caressing the dog and murmuring something to him. On the bridge in front of him is a hat with coins in it. I can’t help but feeling something warm to the guy more than what I usually feel for begging people, my coin joins his other coins.  Through the week I will observe that all beggars on the bridge are folded onto their laps and sometimes in knee-chest posture on the floor of the bridge. One saleswoman tells me this is how Prague beggars beg… Interesting, there may be more to this, but won’t be able to get to the bottom of it…

This is beggars' routine posture on Charles Bridge, no eye contact with passers-by 

When I cross the bridge back to Old Town side of the city, I visit Smetana museum, who is Czechs’ famous musician, contemporary with Wagner. It was established in 1936 in a beautiful neo-Renaissance building, which has full command of playful Vltava River. It is wonderful to see that in the last several decades the Smetana Foundation has been working across the country with local communities to discover Smetana’s lost statues and they have been quite successful in that, too.

Closest look at the Charles Bridge before entering it from the west end 

Gradually, I find my way to the Staromestske Namesti (Old Town Square) to do justice to it after my brief pass-through last night. This square was the market square of the old. Bohemian resistance to Habsburg rule, city’s embrace of Renaissance, and development of Czech national identity all have markers in and around the square. My first stop is the Old Town Hall, which competes with the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge for #1 must-see places in Prague. First I visit the 228 feet high tower built in 1338 and take spectacular pictures of Old Prague all the way from Old Town to Hradcany, where the infamous castle is.

 

East end Tower on Charles Bridge leads to Old Town

 

The tower has been designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1993. The clock in this tower was built in 1410 by imperial clock master. Then, in 1490 another clock master perfected it into its current astronomical clock features, which is capable of showing Central European, Bohemian, and Babylonian times simultaneously. I take a guided tour of the complex, which turns out to be a great idea: Town Hall now consists of five houses with the hopes that the sixth, which is now in private hands may soon join its original peers to be opened to public. However, multiple sections of even the current five homes are not open to public and only groups led by a guide that the museum provides can visit the Romanesque and gothic cellars for instance.

Prague Castle in the distance from the Old Town Tower upper balcony 

Although the some parts of the Hall was established in 13^th century, its full function did not materialize until the 14^th century due to disagreements among various rulers of the city. Once its function was well established, over the centuries, more buildings were added to the original complex. Although, fires destroyed most of the complex multiple times, renovations followed one after the other in the 15^th, 17^th, and 19^th centuries with continued expansion of the Town Hall. In the last days of WWII, allies bombed the southeast section of the hall, which was not redeemable. As a result, now we have a green space adjacent to the current Hall, last renovated following the WWII.

St. Nicholas Church on the town square, where chamber recitals are held every day 

I was being amazed with how well Prague was able to preserve its historical architectural tissue, which in turns preserves their long long history and national identity. I didn’t know, in order to do that, they had to persevere and work really hard by building what was destroyed time and time again. The Chapel of Virgin Mary is the first section of the Hall we visit. I am not surprised to learn that due to political rulers of the old being so enmeshed with religious leaders, they would come here and pray before any government related meeting.

 

The Tyn Church is more impressive from the Tower...

 

After the Municipal Hall, which was renovated after WWII, comes the Old Council Hall, which is one section of the complex that was not affected by WWII attacks. Its ceiling is covered with sections of gilded paintings made by peasants and transported from local shops to the Hall; very impressive art form. It has a huge stove from floor to ceiling on one of the walls, which I will continue seeing at the Castle as well. This room is one of the places where “defenestration” took place.

 

Impressive ceiling frescos of St. Nicholas Church

 

New rulers that took over threw the mayor out of the window of this Hall and dragged him with broken legs to the Town Square where he was executed. There is quite a bit of blood in Czech history, just like many other countries’. I hope mankind is getting more humane… The Assembly Hall is a large space furnished with huge paintings of the medieval era, each of which weighs 600 kg, 2/3 of a ton! This hall is apparently still being used for receptions to host and impress foreign envoys visiting the city. The George Hall has a beautiful painting of Prague from the old days, which was one of my most favorite art pieces in the Hall. Then come the locked cellars to which our guide allows us with her key that looks like a dungeon key of the old! Apparently, the cellars 8 meters below the current street level was the actual street level in the medieval era. A major flood took place, after which partly due to flood itself, but partly, to prevent such flooding again, the street level was raised, and people of Prague continued building on top of the old buildings. Thus, old buildings became a foundation for the new buildings. Impressive innovation, almost what we have been doing in Iowa after the 2008 flood.

 One of the windows in the Gothic Cellar

The Gothic cellar has a very sad, shaming history: It is also home to a dungeon, which is basically a relatively wide well! However, when I hear 20-30 people would be locked up in it with no food, no water, no toiletry, all of a sudden it becomes a suffocating tiny hole in my mind. Under these circumstances, it doesn’t require rocket science to understand that whoever entered that hole could never come out alive and our guide verifies, either by starvation and dehydration, or by execution, they all died. There are torture instruments that were used at the time in the space above the dungeon. This practice apparently ended in 14^th century. Pheeew, humanity is moving toward a softer path, I guess and hope. When we are released from both the dungeon area and the Old Town Hall into fresh air of the square, I feel something of a relief. I am free, so do the people around me seem to be…

Street Band playing one of the most lovely music I heard in Prague 

A very interesting group of men playing jazz music, engulfs my senses and I am centuries away from the dungeon now. One of them is playing a metal instrument, almost like a flat accordion with no bellow. He is wearing metal rings at all ten finger tips, with which he touches different parts of the metal plate that he is wearing on his chest. He produces such variety of sounds, he is almost an orchestra by himself. 

Stone Bell House, which is the City Art Gallery nowadays, where famous architect Santiago Clatrava's productions were on exhibition 

I visit the City Gallery next by chance. I learn later on that this gallery is housed in a 14^th century house, called Stone Bell House, in which King Charles IV, who is considered to be the father of the Czech nation might have lived some time. The architect Santiago Calatrava, who apparently built Milwaukee Art Center, also built multiple contemporary structures in Prague. I am very impressed with what a through and through artist he is from painting, to sculpting, to pottery, to architecture, to installation art, you name it. His sketches and draft statues or installations in and of themselves intricate art pieces that clearly involve a lot of engineering. 

Santiago Calatrava is a through and through artist, not only an architect

 

There are two major churches around Town Square: St. Nicholas and Our Lady Before Tyn, the latter located on Tynska street. I will soon learn that all old buildings are surrounded with restaurants, shops and similar businesses on the main floor. As a result, the entrance to them may not be in plain sight, but hidden within one of the businesses, which happens to be the case with Tyn Church. It is, expectedly, much more impressive than St. Nicholas.
 

Town square toward the castle from the Tower

 

In 36 hours in town, I have figured out that music is part of Czech blood and flesh: All major churches, public buildings and private entities integrate music into their daily function. I was thrilled that I was able to join Prague’s music culture from my first evening here on. As soon as I visit St. Nicholas Church and learn that they have a concert with three musicians playing, organ, piano, and trumpet, who will be accompanied by a soprano, I sign up for the 5 pm show.

 

The Castle from the Town Square Tower

The church is full to the brim before the concert starts. We are all surprised that the musicians are up by the organ on the upper balcony. Initially, we all try to look back and see them playing and singing. I come to understand that what they mean to do cannot be to give a crooked neck to all of us at the end of the concert. I start meditating to the beautiful sounds in great joy. For the last three pieces, they come down to the altar and piano replaces the organ and our visual satisfaction is also fulfilled. At the end of the concert one of the older female tourists is upset that she had to look back to see the musicians. I am grateful that I didn't make it a big deal, instead enjoyed myself meditating to the beautiful sounds...
 

The trio at St. Nicholas Church at the end of their concert 

Finally, before I leave the Town Square, I visit the Golden Ring House, in which another museum is housed telling the story of King Charles IV’s life, how he started as a 17 year old young leader and built a nation during his reign. Certainly around religious themes and goals of the time, but he must have done a lot of good, since even contemporary Czechs seem to be identifying with him, so much of what they have is named after him…

 

Golden Ring House displaying artifacts related to King Charles' life

Powder Tower, which was supposed to be the last spot in Old Town, not only gives me another opportunity to view the town from up above, but also drops me off right in front of Narodni Divadlo, where Swan Lake Ballet will be showing tonight. When I first heard about it, at the gift shop of the Tyn’s church, I had thought, one concert is enough for the day. But now that I am right in front of the theater, to which I probably will not return, I change my mind and get a ticket.

I have 45 minutes to have dinner. As I am strolling around the quarter, I come across a “Buddha Hotel and Bar”, go figure. That is quite fitting with my mindset; I enter, the lobby is quite peaceful, I head to the bar to see if they would serve any food. There is nobody except for the barman, who is very young, 18-20… I ask him if he serves any food. Not, here, but downstairs in the restaurant… I see lovely baked goods in a big bowl, which would be more than enough for me for the time being. I ask him whether he can just serve me some of those.
 

Powder Tower: Border between old town and new town

 

He points to the platters on the counter and tells me “Help yourself, it is self-service.” I take one piece of each of the three kinds of baked goods onto my plate as I ask him if I could have a mojito. He then tells me, in fact the bar is closed and he is working on inventory. Just as I hear this, I have already taken the first bite of my delicious apple turnover. I apologize and want to leave after paying for the cookies. However, he is so sweet, he tells me “Don’t worry, these are for our guests and free”. But I am not a hotel guest I tell him. Finally he understands, I just walked in as a customer to pay for what I eat and drink. He tells me it is perfectly fine and even genuinely attempts to refuse the tip, I assume would be the cost of the food I am now devouring… It is clear that he is open to conversation and we start chatting. He is from Slovakia, his country is still in turmoil with the assassination of a journalist, who was killed by Mafia because he was working on exposing them for the last year or so. For the last 6 months, since his death, the killers are still at large and the society is in discontent with this lack of justice prevailing.

Divadlo Hybernia, where I watch Swan's Lake 

He is in Prague, because “I am young, I don’t have kids, and I want to see another country.” Fair, we both chuckle in good spirit. He is getting ready to deliver a room-service order and I need to leave for my show. We part with best wishes for each other and he promises, he wants to visit Istanbul as soon as he can. As I walk toward the Narodni Divadlo,  I notice a man, who has gathered a sizeable crowd around his table, on which he had placed some 20-30 wine glasses. Each glass has a different amount of blue colored liquid in it. It soon occurs to me that the beautiful music I hear comes from these glasses that he creates by rubbing his palm along the rim of the glasses! Apparently, the amount of liquid changes the tone of the sound. In one hand he has a large syringe full fo the same liquid that is in the glasses. Throughout his music-making with one hand, the hand with the syringe is adding liquid to certain glasses, it looks like that is how he “tunes” his instrument to specific tones. Amazing…
 

Musician playing beautiful classic music with wine glasses full of various amounts of a blus liquid! 

Swan’s Lake is very well staged with beautiful choreography and world-class dancers. The only down side is that the music is recorded not played by a live orchestra. I am still content with all the audiovisual beauty. On the way back to my apartment, now more confident that this is a safe city to walk in the city center at night, I am thinking of all the musical encounters of the day, understanding this city better with its musical juices splashed onto magical architecture... I am grateful for my job, which takes me to these unforgettable places on earth, while I teach and help...

The castle, I will find out is much  more magical from afar as the backdrop of the beautiful Vlatava than from nearby...

 

 

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC 2018 - 2 - MOZART'S DON GIOVANNI IN THE OPERA HOUSE WHERE WORLD PREMIER HAPPENED

After a trip with mishaps at every leg of the flight I am finally in Prague. The most difficult part of it of course was being told by Delta that the first leg of my flight had already left by the time I had arrived at the airport. It was such a surreal experience. In the past, if something like that had happened, I would have been very angry.

The humility to accept that no one including myself is perfect is such a simple tool to calm down any seed of anger. and cultivate compassion and caring instead...

I could never understand then that anger arose from fear: Fear of failing, fear of not having things go the way I had planned, fear of missing out, fear of not being perfect in my planning, on and on and on. I would have reflected in a situation like this, that fear as anger, on the people that would be trying to resolve the problem. Imagine, how embarrassed I would have felt upon discovering that in fact it was I, who was responsible for this mishap. With that negative energy I would have emitted, the staff trying to resolve the issue would have been also anxious, stressed, and eventually angry in the process. Even if the problem were resolved; nothing ever got out of control to give myself credit, everybody would have been left with significant amount of negativity and as Tara Brach says with “contraction of the heart and a smaller self” than we all were.

In my experience, fear is one invariable emotional as a guiding force behind anger

Every time something like this happened in the past, I was always left with distaste in my heart, mostly toward myself, I just didn’t know how to change this trajectory. Fear of unknown was the master… Especially, if later on, I found out that my own role, as was the case this time, led to all the crisis, I would feel guilt and shame, which would turn anger toward myself for the very same reasons… I must humbly say, in the last five years, but more so two years, I have learned a different way of existing through mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhist philosophy.

I hope before the end of my life I will master all these skills and some more... Now that my major, self-imposed life responsibilities have arrived at a favorable resolution, I hope in myself...

This travel crisis was yet another wonderful experience to put into practice what I have been working on in terms of pausing, observing, recognizing, and cultivating positive energy under any and all circumstances. I am now more dedicated to mindfulness after this experience than ever… Turning angry crisis-reaction attitude to mindful and peaceful crisis-response that left both everybody involved in the process of resolving the issue and I calm, happy, and feeling positive toward one another with no negative energy generated, was testimony that it works. After this big problem was resolved to the satisfaction of everybody, the other relatively minor problems were almost “No big deal at all…”

You may sign up for such Rolce Royce tours in Prague, but the city is covered with public transportation across the entire metropolitan expanse...

Traveling from the airport to my apartment is unbelievably easy, the beauty of being in Europe; public transportation! Bus 100 to Zlichin metro station, which is a south-western suburb of Prague. Then Line B metro to almost right across from my apartment. My citymaps app is again working beautifully. This time, I discover I can add notes to selected places on the map for future recall, nice.
 

Kitty corner from my apartment building is a Turkish fast food joint: It turns out Doner or Gyro in Greek has become THE fast food in Prague, although they are not run by Turkish immigrants...

The apartment building I am staying at is very close to old town; as a result, it is an old building, too; you have to enter it through a passageway that leads to a restaurant, first. Past the restaurant is the door to the apartment. However both the building is well kept and my apartment turns out to be a very charming two-bedroom one that could actually accommodate up to 8 people with the multi-functional furniture available.

This is the entrance of the Estates Opera Theater I will be heading to this evening

As soon as I put things away, I shower and change into a nice dress since I have a ticket tonight for Don Giovanni at the Estates Opera Theater in Prague, which I purchased couple hours before leaving Iowa City serendipitously: I had been listening to Czech language CDs for the last week. Yesterday morning, one of the sentences used was related to National Theater, which triggered an interest in perhaps going to a show while in Prague. Vola, Don Giovanni was on from August 9^th to 31^st! Now at 4 pm of August 29^th, leaving the house to stroll around old town, I want to wear something that will be OK both for walking around but also to go to the opera without having to come back to the apartment. I didn’t even know that Mozart in fact had visited Prague in 1781 for the first time. After falling in love with the city, he had returned to Prague and written Don Giovanni there and finally had dedicated it to the good people of Prague. I will further discover while in Prague that they are in fact infatuated with Mozart returning their appreciation of his appreciation of their city. It will be such a lovely experience.
 

Looking down west on Vaclavske Square from the National Museum end

I walk toward Vaclavske Namesti, known as Wenceslas Square in English, which is named after a 10^th century Bohemian Duke. The main avenue is on tram route, “Good to know in case I may need it tomorrow.” is my first thought. However, in my entire stay in Prague, I will use the metro or tram only three times, it is a city one can explore exclusively on foot. The square, which was the site of a large horse market in medieval times is almost ½ a mile long, not so wide, but lined with many old picturesque buildings.
 

National Museum on the east end of Vaclavske Square

On the east end of it is the National Museum. On the middle divide, close to the museum, is a vigil site, still being kept for young men who had set themselves on fire one month apart during the 1968 uprising. My heart goes to them. The Melantrich Building, from where Vaclav Havel and Alexander Dubchek, the leaders of the 1989 uprising against the communist regime addressed the crowds is also on this square. Since, it is getting close to dinner time, I am looking for a place to eat before the opera. I want to find the Propaganda Bar, which apparently has artifacts from the communist oppressive era that display their absurdity. Unfortunately, I discover it is closed.

The vigil site still kept alive for the young men, who set themselves on fire during the 1968 uprising

During my search, I find a lovely corner café, where I have a delicious vegan vegetable goulash. After a quick tour of the Old Town Square, I head to the opera house. I have over half an hour and there is a lovely sidewalk café/restaurant right across from the opera house. I feel like having a glass of wine, but unfortunately, they don’t have any outside seating for me. Just as I am planning to leave, a woman probably my age volunteers to share her table with me. She has a very sweet and warm face, I will later learn her name to be Pietra. She will go to the opera, too! She is from Germany and is in town because her husband is a book cover plate maker and is attending an international conference on this matter!
 

The art of book cover plating leads to this kind of elegant book covers, I learn from Pietra, my fellow opera-goer...

The Turkish proverb, “Who travels more learns more than who reads more” was meant to be for moments like this. I didn’t even have such a concept in my mind and nor would I ever have a reason to explore anything close to it had I not bumped into this woman to learn about it. Apparently, book cover plating is the art of illustrations on the front cover of a book with or without the title as one would typically find in old books. It sounded from her description, though, that it is still an art form. This much interest in books, justly so, and what I experienced while I watched Fahrenheit 451 last night on the plane, what a contrast:

Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 are a film and a book everybody should read...

I can't help but think "Can any force eliminate off the face of the earth human kind’s interest on books, language, thought and learning?" Fahrenheit 451 was a nightmarish science fiction movie with motifs from the book 1984, in which the rulers of a futuristic American society are trying to eliminate all books and intellectual tools that trigger thought! All such materials are confiscated and burned by huge fire trucks controlled by a Ministry and the owners of any intellectual material, who are called “Eels” are jailed and/or killed. I share this with her, she not only watched the movie, but also read 1984 and knows what I am talking about. No wonder, we instantaneously connected. She is also very impressed with the fact that in that futuristic society depicted in Fahrenheit 451, people, who wanted to preserve written material and books shared the responsibility of reading and memorizing a book that they believed had to live in human memory. When she leaves, I am left with her warmth. Although I am trying to feel the same compassion for all that I encounter, how can I not feel closer to a human being like her with our shared love for books, thought, and art? I move to her seat and the Estates Theater is now in my view with all its humble grandeur...
 

Old town square with the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn on Tynska Street

This opera will be memorable for me since Don Giovanni, Mozart, and Prague have this strong interconnection. When Mozart returned to Prague and wrote Don Giovanni here, he chose this very theater for the world premiere of his opera, which he conducted himself! When I walk in, it will feel like I know this place. No wonder I will think to myself later when I read that the 1984 movie Amadeus had made generous use of this theater. Interestingly, I am not the only tourist with an interest in this show; I hear a variety of languages spoken around me.

As time gets closer to 7:30, crowd in front of the Opera House grows bigger, too...

The variety of nationalities represented in the audience must be in quite contrast with the world premiere, but who knows... In my balcony box is a family of three from Netherlands! This phenomenon of globalization has a beauty to it, too: How else people from all over the world would have been able to come to an opera in Prague so that in one box, there are no Czechs but spectators from 2-3 other countries? My neighbors are very sweet and warm people. They almost feel guilty that they have already lined up in the front but I am happy in the tall chair right behind them, which still gives me a beautiful view of the stage. Throughout the opera it downs on me where the Turkish “Don Juan” adjective comes from to describe men, who are exactly like Don Giovanni!

The cast receiving our gratitude and appreciation

When I come out of the opera house, I am debating whether it would be safe to walk outside at 10:30 pm alone or whether I should get in a taxi. Old town is as crowded as day time. I decide, it should probably be safe. I wear my little backpack on my front body and walk back to the apartment staying on the main avenues. No problem at all. To tell you the truth, Prague now is a truly European city, with no more or less risk for pickpockets or other delinquencies compared to other big cities in the continent.
 

If anybody could let me know how this man overcomes the center of gravity physics rules, I would appreciate it.

In fact, in Paris, my cell phone was almost stolen from underneath my travel book in a café, in southern Spain our entire luggage was stolen from our rental car, several meters away from where we were in another café. Not once I felt at risk in Prague. Although I paid attention to my surroundings especially on Charles bridge, in Old Town and in the subway system, there was not one encounter that made me feel there were unsafe people around me. All I received from people of Prague was warmth and goodness. When I arrive home, I am without sleep over the last 36 hours. How tense it started, but how peacefully it progressed. Tara Brach says “In the thick of things, it may be difficult to remain compassionate, positive, and non-reactive. When all is said and done, one needs to go back and think what could have been done differently to make that difficult situation less stressful and more positive an experience for future encounters. I practiced this several times in the last two years. This time it was different: the lightness in my heart is from finally being able to say that, even in the thick of things, using these skills I have been practicing is possible…
 

Tara Brach's lovely tool she recommends to deal with difficulties in our lives, I fully believe it is a helpful tool

I know, life will give me plenty opportunities to continue these skills. I can’t help but feel grateful to those, who have helped me see that I have to be patient with my close circle to allow them be, the way they would like to be, not the way I believe is best for them to be. I can only hope that those that might have felt pressured by my fear-led comments and acts, although made with the best intentions in the past, can forgive me for unintended stress and perhaps sadness I might have caused. My face is wet, but my heart is light, lately I can touch the good and kind core in my heart much better than I ever have . I know that, that is true me…

That is the guarantee to lasting journey to our deep good core...

Without this, is it possible to show true compassion to others?

 

 

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC 2018 - 1 - MARA THE GODDESS OF TESTING IN FULL FORCE

Wow, what a start for a trip, which I had thought would be all peaceful and easy. I am on my way to Prague to attend the biennial “World  Child Maltreatment Conference”, which is organized by a group of bright, dedicated, kind colleagues from all over the world including my dear friend, emeritus professor Figen Sahin from Gazi University.

The Turkish delegate attending World Child Maltreatment Conference, the bright color is Figen Sahin's reflecting the light she emits under all circumstances...

My flight is scheduled to leave Cedar Rapids at 5:38 pm, at least so it says the print out I must have put in my folder when I had gotten confirmation from Orbitz. You can sense something not so good is coming, right. I don’t know that, yet, though. My plan is to leave work an hour early to make it to my flight. I check in the night before, all is well... In my mind… Soon I will find out one more time, yet again, that what is my understanding may not reflect the truth.  
 

I wish I had learned the value of asking questions much earlier in life...

 

Part of missing the truth has to do with me not being as detailed as my dear friend Jeanne would have done the opposite of what I did in preparation for this trip: I didn’t check Orbitz website to make sure that the original flight schedule was still valid. I didn’t check my flight times and numbers on each leg of the flight when I received “you are checked in!” confirmation from Delta, to make sure they matched what is on my print-out, off of which I am now operating. I also got absorbed with what I had to get done with at work and with checking the art scene in Prague before leaving and I forgot to print out my boarding passes! Way later, after arriving in Prague, I will discover that in fact the sole culprit of this hole I will soon discover having put myself into was and is me, myself, and I! Nobody else: I hadn’t printed an update e-mail from Orbitz but had saved it in my Prague e-mail folder way back. I suspect, I must have been distracted with something urgent at work while I was saving it in my folder and totally forgotten about it by the time urgent issue was resolved and it got buried in my electronic folder without making it to my hard copy folder.

Who knows which one of these distracted me from printing out my updated flight schedule way back in June 2018 

Just as I change to my travel attire and find time to check my cell phone around 2:55 pm, 50 minutes before I plan to leave my office, I see a Delta text from 2:45 pm, which announces that my flight from Cedar Rapids now will depart at 3:11 pm! What!!!??? This can’t be true… Did I read on my print-out, the 15:38 military time as 5:38 pm by mistake?  For a second I catch myself scolding myself with my father’s critical voice, for not having done all the things I could have done, which might have prevented this oversight, if it is one…
 

Only when we are able to use our words compassionately toward ourselves, are we able to use them impeccably with others, too...

 

Thanks to all the instructions from Tara Brach, Pema Chodron, and others… I pause and change gears. It is not time to scold myself; for one, I don’t know if it is my doing or Orbitz’ or Delta’s? Secondly, it is time to respond to this crisis and it is I, who has to respond to this mindfully. That is how I am able to recognize the high alert reaction that my limbic fight-flight-freeze system has already put to work. My muscles are as tense as can be. My thoughts are racing who knows how many miles an hour in my mind... Yet, despite this reaction, but because of the awareness of it, I am able to pause instead of allowing the fear guiding all this reaction turn into anger. With that pause, I am able to allow my limbic system collaborate with my frontal cortex! One says “You have to leave right away!”, the other says “Take a mindful look around the office, make sure you take with you everything you will need. They are all right here anyway.”

Pause is the best tool we have to prevent harm to ourselves and to others and to have a peaceful life under all circumstances. I admire those, who have practiced it all their lives...

I grab my work clothes I just changed out of, the bag of work shoes, my carry on, purse, cell phone and car keys and fly out the door! Every time, my monkey mind, the limbic system that is, tells me “You have to call Delta” my cortex responds “Calm down, as soon as you get in the car, you will, stop fear control you. And, worse comes to worse, you will leave tomorrow, one day in Prague lost, not the end of the world.” I love that voice of wisdom, it is so soothing... It is amazing to observe that I can listen to both voices as I am acting in lightening speed! And I breathe, deep big breaths, every now and then noticing how tense my muscles are, causing a bit of shakiness, literally, I am shaky, I observe that as I continue shaking lightly.

When I am able to go back to my body under stressful circumstances, it never fails me, after several breaths-long awareness of my body always calms me down when under stress...

I tell myself “You are shaking, that is fine, let it be, yes you are afraid all your plans may have to change and you don’t like this, but can you see this as a chance for letting go of grasping? Can you settle down for the worst outcome? In that comfort and peace, can you remain positive?" Gradually, I start counseling myself "The person you will talk to didn’t do anything wrong so treat her/him with compassion and dignity; and in fact there must be an explanation to how this went wrong, and who knows you may be the one responsible for this mishap.” not knowing, yet, in fact that will be the biggest truth, which is at this point against all my understanding of the situation and the assumptions my mind is full of. Back to deep breaths. As I leave my parking ramp, I am already answering some of the questions the digital secretary is asking me. When I provide the artificial intelligence my confirmation number, he gets the gravity of my dilemma right away; my flight must have already left! I hear him say “Let me connect you to a customer representative” and in a second, I have a sweet Rosa at the end of the line.
 

The utmost representation of grasping is anger, and what uncontrolled anger serves could not be depicted better than this analogy...

I am amazed how lovingly I am able to talk to Rosa with this positive attitude… I am able to feel and express my gratitude for her efforts to her with this awareness and the non-grasping attitude and “technique”. Despite all the "shaking” and tension I am engulfed with, I am able to remain sweet and understanding, which allows in turn Rosa to remain positive and full of desire to help me more.
 

...Or one mindfully chooses to recognize being positive serves everybody well including the person, who emits positive energy... 

Rosa tells me after quite some search -to understand it herself probably-, what she is seeing is the truth of the moment “Back in June, Orbitz had reached out to Delta and asked them to reschedule my departure to this mid-afternoon flight and thus, a new ticket was reissued apparently under the same confirmation number!” I share with her that I never received such a reissued ticket and had I received it, it would have been in my folder, which I will discover is not the truth, but I am in firm belief that it is the "truth" as I know it, or should we say I assume to be the truth, at this moment. My being able to check in online last night with no trouble also doesn’t eliminate the fact she is sharing with me, since the rescheduling occurred under the same confirmation number!

 

If only we can see that everybody that we encounter in fact is trying to do their best in life, so much compassion can be cultivated... 

 

It isn't even worth thinking of what could have prevented this turmoil, at this point...  I was probably doing my best at the time of this arrangement, anyway; trying to be compassionate to myself... “OK Rosa, whatever happened, happened; please find a way to get me to Detroit this evening so that I can connect with my flight, I am on my way to the airport.” I can’t believe how calm I am… Maybe all this mindfulness and meditation work is working! Rosa is very sweet, she goes back and forth between her customer service supervisor and I, no luck, she eventually tells me since Delta did nothing wrong and Orbitz rescheduled my flight, they cannot send me to Detroit tonight. Last resort I use “Rosa, I have to be in Prague tomorrow, I have a talk, please let me speak with your customer service supervisor, would you?” Just as I turn into the Airport Long Term Parking Lot, I am connected to Cheryl.
 

Generosity in kindness paves a path of appreciation and desire to get along and love...

 

I share my dilemma with her as I walk into the airport. Would she please find a way to send me to Amsterdam tonight, via Minneapolis, Atlanta, I don’t care, I have to leave Cedar Rapids tonight, although, part of me is also settled with the possibility of an only option of leaving tomorrow. I tell her, I am at the airport I can leave on any flight as early as 4:30 pm, in the next 45 minutes, that is. She sounds like she is energized with the fact that I am at the airport. She takes a brief leave as I approach the Delta counter. We enjoy her lovely music on speaker when I explain what is unfolding to a South-Asian looking young woman at the Delta counter as I make a mental note of her beautiful smile. Her boss, a young Iowan man with a sweet face gets curious and approaches the counter and Cheryl’s voice is back on: She has a flight to Detroit leaving from Cedar Rapids at 4:35 and she will reissue a ticket for me!

 

I so wish I had listened to people better in the past, rather than insisting that they heard what I had to say and thought I knew was best for them...

 

She warns nobody at the counter should be trying to check me in, otherwise her work can be canceled. The two lovely Iowans back off and we are all patiently waiting for Cheryl to reappear. I can see that both of them are as relieved and happy as I am. In the meantime, the young man and I chat a bit and discover that we exercise at the University Recreation Center that is how he has recognized me. His female peer is curious about what I do at the university and what my talk in Prague will be on, I tell them what I do as a child abuse pediatrician. As it always happens, their faces change to some kind of sadness, I know they are both feeling for the abused children I take care of.

 

Four Delta staff made peace for me, for themselves and for the world in that hour...

 

Finally Cheryl‘s “music to my ears” voice is telling us all, I am good to go and they may check me in. Our collective happiness almost turns into a celebration, including Cheryl. I thank Cheryl profusely and tell her I would like to send her boss a positive evaluation about her efforts. As she hangs up an automatic Delta recording asks me whether I would hire this person, no surprise my answer is “Definitely without a doubt on a scale of five”!When I turn my attention to the two young people at the counter, as the young woman checks me in for this new flight, her kind words are a gift to my heart “You do all this good work, you get back good from others.” What a sweet, compassionate, loving, kind sentiment. Although, I don’t expect to get back anything for the good I might be doing for the children of the world, it doesn’t hurt to hear a kind word or two occasionally, as what this sweet, kind woman just gifted me with. Our eyes connect, she knows how much I appreciate her words, I know how genuine her words are…

I have seen it all... I am in bliss that all I saw spilling out of the eyes I contacted today was kindness and shared joy... 

At this point, I feel my heart being expansive toward myself, toward Rosa, and toward Cheryl, who worked hard to resolve the issue for me. I feel the same even toward Orbitz staff, which I believe at this point "seemingly changed my flight schedule without communicating with me". I am still thinking, "Or did they and might I have deleted a message from Orbitz thinking it must be one more of their promotional ads?" All in all, I am grateful that whoever caused this difficulty, gave me the chance to grow through it. Who knows, (I give the benefit of doubt to all involved in this turmoil) where the truth is, after all, as is the case in most if not all of our judgmental moments?
 

I am thrilled to see that the more I dive into difficulties and respond to them gracefully, the more I am able to love and care... 

When I finally discover that it was in fact my oversight of their proper and timely communication with me, I will go back and feel grateful for this moment of not judging Orbitz staff. I tell myself compassionately, “Any time, you feel judgmental toward a person, a situation, a culture, a group, whatever it may be, keep in mind, the truth may not be what you think it is. Give them a chance and stay with compassion and connectedness…” As Pema Chodron says "Every day is a new opportunity to work with what you have inside toward enlightenment." I agree with her that we all have a good core with various thicknesses of a crust we have built around it as a result of the difficulties we have had throughout life. I see with great delight that as I dare to create holes in that crust to touch my good core more and more often, I become happier and more content... I will continue that drilling, until all there is the shining kindness of my good core with no expectations...

This is the sole guarantee of happiness and content...

This also belongs to this moment...