STILL SNOWING.

1) Despite my best efforts, I am once again addicted to caffeine. Lenka, our host in Relhovice, runs a seasonal coffee shop among her other professions, and I pretty much fell in love with the home-brewed espresso she prepared every morning. Unfortunately, the love story has morphed into physical and psychological dependence – I tried to wean myself in Prague, but no dice. I don’t have the willpower at the moment to fight the headaches and lethargy on my own. Drip coffee does not seem to exist here, either, so I drink frightening quantities of super-charged espresso and black tea. My host family (and Czechs in general) loves their instant coffee, and since I am nothing if not culturally adaptable (…er…), I’ve developed a taste for the ubiquitous NesCafé as well. Maminka, I think of you every time I pull out the teaspoon.

2) This is my list of American food: Chocolate chip cookies. Peanut butter. Raw food / California-style health food. Bagels. I can't come up with much more.

Here, I am struck by the overwhelming Czech-ness of the cuisine. Czechs eat Czech food at every meal. If they were to spend time in America, they would miss their cuisine, because it’s such a well-defined part of their culture.

I do miss chocolate chip cookies, but I'm also accustomed to pasta at one meal and tacos at the next, hummus and spanakopita followed by apple pie. The repetition (and the meat) have been more of a shock than anything.

Is there anything I cannot express through food?

3) Gum. I’m so addicted; it’s ridiculous. Sometimes I catch myself chewing gum because I need the cultural separation – I know it’s vulgar, I know I’m marking myself, I know I’m wasting money / draining my supply, but I’ve decided to just indulge until I can stop wearing my winter coat. I think that’s also when the tourists will turn out in full force, so that will hopefully add more incentive – I do not want to be the obnoxious American tourist in Prague.

4) Czech. Despite more than a month of language classes, I still don't feel like I know any. This will hopefully change before my quiz tomorrow.

5) While I do like my new system of composing emails without the internet, it has ruined my new-found, internet-free productivity.

6) Poland and Slovakia next week! Any suggestions for Krakow?