August 2023
A normal person won't end up in Třešť, but I did. As always, coincidences coincided: at the beginning of the year I started aikido, then I liked it there and stayed. This particular section goes to Třešť once a year for a kind of summer camp for adults. I was worried that I'd be alone among Czechs, and I'd be scared and sad.
In reality I partied and had fun for a whole week.
We drove in a car with another aikido newbie. We talked about kids (yes, welcome to life 30+) and how a person can even end up in Třešť. After an hour of driving an anomaly happened - I saw a shop from an article from a decade ago about the town of Kostelec. That's the kind of surprise God decided to give me, sending me to this area almost exactly on my ten-year anniversary of living in Czechia. I got nostalgic.
I'll share some observations with you too. Actually it's an amazing thing, this life. In the article about Kostelec and Telč the context is: I'd just moved to a new country, hadn't been abroad yet. I walk around all important, taking photos, building a serious relationship. I'm learning Czech, going to classes. In general, quite confident that's how it'll always be.
Fast forward 10 years: fuck that. Serious relationships aren't built at all, casual ones - a cart and a small wagon. I already understand Czech, Russia - not so much. I don't even try to predict what will happen tomorrow. Podebrady.ru is no longer a dangerous guy from the internet, but a beer grandpa with kvartira.cz who will soon have kids. It may not sound as cool, but life has become more fun and happier, even though I thought happiness was in something else.
Another thing has changed - smells. Reading articles about Telč I directly remember that these photos smell of not-home. That smell of Czechia in the first years can't be mistaken for anything: it's such a mixture of dampness, loneliness among people and fear. Now it's a smell of comfort for me. I especially feel it well when I walk with foreign girls or girls who just arrived in Czechia. I directly feel that they feel this smell of Czechia of the first years, which makes them nervous, but near me they feel confident and good, so Czechia immediately starts to smell like home for them, and I - like a man.
In general, it's good that I write these articles because they help remember that life goes on.
By the way, the summer aikido school in Třešť has been held 15 times or something like that. Also nice proof that there's life outside my head. And that there are things that don't disappear over the years.
Now about the town - Třešť is already in the 21st century, so on the main square stands a super-device showing the weather
If you go into the courtyard, the 21st century changes to about the 16th
Czech theme: someone buys crates of beer. People take a bottle, write on paper who took what. At the end bottles are returned, money is sent to the account.
There's internet
There's a bus station
There's cinema
There's Europe
There's Albert (my favorite store since Poděbrady times)
We were going to swim in the pond but the weather wasn't great
Beauty of Třešť
State of 99% of buildings in town
Park
In it we practiced aikido
Most classes were held in the Sokol building, a local ancient sports organization. We slept there too, even though we're 30-50 years old
And one fine day it was decided to cook goodies for each other. For the first time in a year I got drunk, smoked and got high
In this park I prepared for the 5th level aikido exams (passed)
Outside town there's even modernity
But mostly, typical abandoned Czechia
And we also roasted "burty and špekáčky" on a fire. Then Czech colleagues sang songs about American gold miners, I temporarily disconnected. Stars were falling in the sky, saw it for the first time in my life
Glory to Třešť!
