Cherry Cola and An Eye Opener

Apparently, Cherry Coke is a rare commodity here in Central Europe and a huge American stereotype. I didn't even notice it when one of our trainees was talking to me about American stereotypes and she said, "All you Americans have your flip flops, shorts, sunglasses and Cherry Coke." I laughed at the general idea of an American looking like that, because--in fact--I fit this stereotype very well as I walk through Prague. I don't have capris, I wear my sunglasses, I have shorts and I wear flip flops that click with every step I take. The Cherry Coke thing didn't settle in until I bought a bottle of it and brought it to one of the workshops one day. As I put it down on the table, it took a few minutes for everyone to notice, but eventually they did.  "What is this?" they asked. "Just Cherry Coke, Why?" They were so confused. "What do you mean 'Cherry' Coke?" It was hard to explain that it just had cherry flavoring in it, but for people who had never heard of Cherry Coke they were flabbergasted. It then escalated to everyone having to try my cherry coke. Most of them didn't like it, saying it was too sweet, but I just had to laugh because to me, there really isn't that much of a difference between cherry coke and regular coke. It is sweeter, but to me it's a normal beverage. I guess the rest of the world just doesn't enjoy Cherry Coke as much as Americans do.

 "An Eye-Opener"

One really cool thing I forgot to mention happened one day when Jenny and I were going to pick up my Green Day ticket from the Ticket Pro office in Prague. We were walking toward the office and we passed by a public square where there was a black tent with no windows or anything. I asked her what was going on and she told me that the sign/words on the side of the tent said something about blind people. I knew right away what it was. It was a blind person restaurant. These are the "new" thing to do in big cities. Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York all boast these blind experience restaurants. Let me explain a little bit. These restaurants were designed by an artist, not a restaurant owner. They are designed with no windows and there are no lights inside. You cannot bring your cellphone inside or anything that emits light. Before you enter the restaurant, a blind waiter (the entire staff is blind), asks how many people in your party and then leads you to your table. To find your table, you need to hold the hand of your waiter as they navigate you through the tables and chairs inside. You cannot see anything, but they know the way. The menu is fixed, so you pay the same price per person and do not need to read a menu to decide what you are going to eat. The waiter pours your wine, serves your food and helps you with anything you may need. It's supposed to be a surreal experience. You cannot even see the face of the friends or family you are dining with. The blind people are the only source of communication within the restaurant. They show you where the restrooms are if you need them and they also help you find the way out. I thought it was awesome to see this in Prague. Although it was temporary and probably very expensive, I really wanted to go. Maybe in New York I'll take someone there to enjoy this experience with me!