Weekly Roundup

Listening: Silennnnnnnce. well, as close to silence as one gets living smack dab in the middle of a massive transport hub in a capital city.
Eating: Polished off an Anglicky Rohlik from the bakery this morning (cheese, carbs and bacon make any morning significantly more bearable, I believe), and am looking forward to a trip to Makro later for sushi fixins... and a vast array of baking supplies!
Feeling: Relief at only having once class left today. Phewwww. 
Loving: Yesterday's Skype chat with Steph, during which I got to see a preview of what her cooking show would look like should Food Network ever pick up the fabulousness that is her cutting strawberries (and then shoving them in her mouth while her iPhone is held at a rather unflattering angle, but then, what's the point in preparing food if one cannot enjoy it wholeheartedly and with reckless abandon?). Also how quickly the weeks seem to go to get me through to another fabulous weekend (though also hastening the end of summer, so mixed feelings on this tbh).
Hating: nic! Okay, I'm getting slightly perturbed by all the people out with their little clipboards taking surveys for one of a bajillion different reasons who give me death stares when I say "Prominte, nemluvim cesky" (okay, so I guess that sentence doesn't terribly help), but get outta my way people. Places to go.  
Wanting: Baking goodies - pans and tins and sheets, oh my!
Needing: I wouldn't be averse to a nap right now...
Thinking: My brain is jelly. No thoughts. Summer mode. Wish I had vacation to match this.
Planning: What to bring to the UK next week, weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Saturday, Donut and I headed to Ještěd, the highest point of the Ještěd-Kozakov mountains near Liberec. The weather gods were not smiling on us, so I conceded to putting on a long sleeved teeshirt, thinking this would be fine. I swapped my jeans for capris fearing I'd be too hot. (It's soooooooo hard to be fashionable and outdoorsy, amirite?) So off we went in the car, Donut shaking his head and going "I told you it was going to be cold. This is the top of a mountain. Why don't you ever listen? Why are you such an idiot when we do athletic, outdoorsy type things? When will you learn" (Well, not really, but I'm pretty sure most of that was running through his head, in Czech obviously) Thankfully we stopped at a mall to grab cash and upon sticking my ankle out the car door realized I'd be absolutely frozen. So while Donut went off in search of a bankomat (there is your czech lesson of the day!), I headed off in search of heat-retaining attire. Massive sale at Intersport? Don't mind if I do! Found myself a ridiculously obnoxious hot pink jacket and off we went.

In the words of Melissa Gorga, 

As we're driving up and I'm muttering "Hellllllllllll no I am not climbing that mountain!" I realize it's going to be mighty chilly at the top.

Thankfully, there is a cable car that whips you up to the top, though I should note that whilst in the coziness of this cable car, I did see a weeeeee child scaling the rocks and the very top. Show off. 

Brrrrrr - it was frigid. Ice! Ice in August! What??? (Although, in retrospect, I suppose this could have just been a shiny wet rock... hmm.) We had a hot chocolate at the very retro restaurant at the peak and walked around to check out the views (you can see Poland! And Germany! Though I cannot tell you where in the miles upon miles of fields the Czech Republic ends and another one begins.), and I read the little plaque that claimed that Vaclav Havel made the last televised broadcast to a free Czechoslovakia from the TV tower there before the invasion of Soviet forces. 

There's me, in my snazzy new jacket. 

Here's Donut, giving me a heart attack. 

From here we began our hike down hill. Said hike would have gone a lot faster had I not been blessed with the grace of a drunken flamingo. 

Thankfully, Donut has come to expect my coordination and the slow pace of our outdoor maneuvers, so he just laughed, took pictures chronicling my attempts to get down the side of a mountain without turning into a human avalanche, and scouted out a naturally grown snack for us.

It's all very Hunger Game-y, isn't it?

I'll tell you what ti vole (2nd Czech lesson - it's dude!), those Czechs are pretty resourceful. I, as a suburban American, was naturally somewhat dubious about this little amuse bouche, but after ensuring that Donut hadn't seized up and died, down they went. 

Eventually, mercifully, we made it to the bottom, where, as I am starting to complain about how much this downward jaunt was hurting my legs and hips, we came upon a little old German couple ready to hike up. And little old Frau was wearing heels, no less. I immediately shut up. (Well, for a while, anyway) Good for you Frau, good for you. 

This was followed by an insanely delicious lunch from Mama Donut at the cottage, which is totally adorable and cozy and very Czech. (I mean, I guess. Having never been in another Czech cottage, I don't really have a basis for comparison, but that's the vibe I got.) Having momentarily forgotten what the rest of the afternoon held in store when face to face with a massive piece of cake, I shoveled in as much home cooking as I could. And then I remembered...

We were off to Babylon AquaPark. So now that I resemble one of those little dumplings I had recently so happily shoved down my gullet, I had to squeeze into a bikini. (So maybe was looking more like a sausage at this point?) Babylon promises adventure, relaxation, wellness... all things I was looking forward to after our trek. On the website, Babylon looks beautiful and lovely and calming and soothing, ahhhh. In reality, Babylon is overrun with children and people and mehhhhhh. Without kids, I think it's a skip. 

Back to the cottage for Donut's brother's bday bbq. Still stuffed from lunch, I forwent the grilled meats, but did manage a couple pieces of šnek, which is yummy flaky pastry stuffed with whatever you want, but in this case, cheese and bacon and butter (which you already know culminates in basically the greatest food ever as far as I'm concerned). It was there that I got to experience a sight you will never, ever see legal in the US... 

Searching hopelessly for a picture....

...No luck. Anyway, this product is called something like Fun Party Djus or Magic Party Djus and is essentially a fizzy pink sugar bomb bottled up inside a highly pressurized container and covered with pictures of princesses, leading little girls to yell "šampaňské! šampaňské!" There are two main reasons you will never see this in the US. One, people will argue, this will undoubtedly lead to earlier drinking ages. Similar to flavored cigarettes, kiddies will think this is like candy, which we all know is basically crack for children, and off they'll go down their path of addiction. (Though I seem to remember being quite fond of champagne from an early age, even without the pretty pretty princesses on the bottle...). Secondly, and this is where my real concern comes in, is that most adults cannot properly open a champagne bottle without someone getting maimed. Putting one in the hands of a child is just asking for tears (theirs, or someone else's). Sometimes, the Czech Republic really is a much different world. :) 

Sunday was much lazier, full of golf (Donut), reading (me), and a big lunch and a nap (both). So there you have it. The weekly roundup, on the correct day this time.

Will apologize in advance for not writing for the next two weeks, but I'll be busy drinking tea and eating sausage rolls and AeroBars in the UK, and due to a) the absurd luggage restrictions on WizzAir, and b) the failure of my grandparents to move into the 21st century, I shall be computerless. Which will actually be quite nice, I'd imagine! 

Thursday Roundup... slightly delayed, oops!

In my excitement about the weekend, I completely forgot to post on Thursday. Just as well, because have lots to write about!


Listening: Run Run Run by Buckingham Celeste, Black Heart by StooShe
Eating: Attempting to leave the leftovers from yesterday's far east feast until dinner. 9:30 is not an acceptable time for fried noodles. What am I saying?? Any time is an acceptable time for fried noodles, silly girl.
Feeling: Sooooooooooooooo relaxed. Don't even care that it's Monday! (well, yet.)
Loving: All things on boats. Working on getting my sea legs ready for September's trip to Croatia. Have a long way to go! 
Hating: Nic!  
Wanting: To rewind and do the whole weekend again!
Needing: Korunas. 
Thinking: There's a lot to squeeze into the last month of summer! Better get moving!
Planning: How to pack minimally for England so I have lots of spare room to bring home delicious things like Minstrels and Aero Bars. Hmmmm... do I dare sacrifice shoes for chocolate??


Last weekend we went out to bid intern Kelly a fond farewell as she returned to what was left of her summer vacation. Went to Hemingway's for delicious cocktails. Had a Lavender Fizz - yummmmm. The rest of the weekend was spent lounging around various parks and trying (unsuccessfully) to get a tan.


Shannon and I checked out a meditation class last Monday. Think both our chakras are slightly out of order, but I still appreciate any situation where I can sit down and shut off for an hour and a half. Would have been much more enjoyable if there wasn't a child chucking playing cards and her book at my face, but hopefully the munchkin will stay home tonight. Ohmmmmmmm.

Went to Sazava Fest on Friday to watch Donut's band play - you can check them out here: Pankix. Had a blast watching them, and Fun Loving Criminals, Nightworks, etc. 

Woke up on Saturday morning and continued on our way to Cesky Krumlov for a day of boating with some of Donut's friends. I was fairly convinced I'd be over the side of our little canoe in approximately 2.5 minutes, but I managed to stay inside the entire trek, though was thoroughly soaked after the first dam. It was an excellent day! The sun was shining, the company was excellent, and I cannot wait to go again. We stopped off at the Eggenberg brewery for lunch before finishing up our trek in Zlata Koruna.

We also managed to somehow just bypass a massive hail storm that hit the area. Very strange to see the roads covered in ice after just having spent the day in a bikini. Headed back to Prague for some amaaaaaazing food from Donut's mom. God, so good. Don't know why he ever moved out, silly man.

We continued with our boating on Sunday by renting a paddleboat in the city center. I channeled my inner tourist and went a bit photo crazy. This was followed by drinks with Peej trying to woo a new potential roommate, a far east feast, and lots of much needed sleep. 

All around, an excellent weekend. :) Now, back to the daily grind.

Thursday Roundup

Listening: trams, taxis and the dreaded washing machine. Ahhhh, home.
Eating: Have been bitchin' in the kitchen all afternoon after finally going grocery shopping. Farfalle pasta salad, which will be lunch from here til eternity, and spicy thai noodles with carrots and peanuts for dins. Delish. Also planned on making peanut butter banana oatmeal breakfast bars, but then I got sleepy, so I decided, mehhh. 
Feeling: Like I would enjoy another cookie, and also, this:

Loving: The fabulousness that was the Korean Symphony Orchestra, which we went to see last night at the Rudolfinum. They were incredibly impressive, given that half of them looked to be about 8 years old... 
Hating: That all our little expat buddies are leaving. Whyyyyyyyyyy?! But will try to be positive, so instead am going to just look at it as me gaining all these fantastic new vacation destinations. That the streets of Prague are not conducive to my collection of high heels (they just look so saddddd sitting there all unused most of the time.) And all of the stupid shortcuts that this laptop has built into it. Windows 7, if you continue to close windows and disable my keyboard and reboot without me knowing why, you can suck it. 
Wanting: A weekend full of sunshine.
Needing: A tan. 
Thinking: That summer's going by way too quickly, it's almost August and I'm not prepared - SLOW DOWN!
Planning: Subtle ways to slip my new student a copy of my resume. ("Today we're going to do a lesson on CV writing!") 


In his valiant efforts to make me into a much better version of myself, Donut offered to give me Driving School Sunday. This began on the driving range at Letnany. I fear there's no WPGA championship in my future, though I am excited about the wardrobe possibilities. I do love a good visor. I look forward to going back and getting my ball to move more than the average 7 and a half inches it did last weekend. Also, I like that it's at a municipal airport, so there are enough amateur pilots taking off and landing to take some of the focus off my terrible game. 


This was followed by a trip to IKEA (ohmmmm), and then part two of driving Sunday... in the vehicle. My experience with driving a stick shift up until this point was one disastrous lesson with my mom on a tiny one way street in England, and playing the part of happy passenger/musical accompaniment beside someone who actually knows what they are doing. All this was about to change. 


I had half-heartedly said "Yeah, sure, I'll learn one day, in a big empty parking lot where there's nothing I can hit." That day was Sunday. That parking lot was a side road with an alarming number of cars for a Sunday. Off we went. Then off we went again, because we stalled after about two feet. And then again. And again, and again. And then magically we are on a fairly busy road, while I'm having an internal panic attack that we are about to die because I can't manage to work both my legs simultaneously while also trying to move around a little stick. We pull of the road and into a neighborhood, where I proceed to blindly ignore all traffic laws until stalling out one final time and saying, "I'm done, time for a drink." 


Overall impressions of driving school Sunday: 

• Golf - when can we go again? When can I buy a visor and pastel plaid??
• IKEA - come on. There's meatballs, and containers. That's all I need to make me happy.
• Behind the wheel - if Donut cares to continue with the ruin of his vehicle, I will try. But I think it's best if someone finds me a video game or something first, for the sake of the car, the road-bound citizens of the Czech Republic, and our relationship. 
• Donut is an excellent and incredibly patient teacher. I think he missed his calling, though I would hardly advise him to switch careers. :)

You Learn Something New Every Day...

Last Monday, it was how to roll sushi. So, as promised, here are the fruits of our labor...

Please excuse me playing around with the filters. We ended up making 11 rolls. I'm pretty sure I ate about 7 of them single-handedly. 

Felt very intellectual (and if I'm being honest, a little smug) as Donut and I went to go see a showing of The Doors: When You're Strange last night. Think Dad would be proud.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have more things to craft, and more beer to drink. Ciao! 

Thursday Throwdown

I realize that I update this far too irregularly, so this is my attempt to change that. After spotting Tina Azmuz's occasional update on, where else - Pinterest, I thought - I can do that. And so, I shall. Just slightly modified.

Listening: If you don't count the parade of drunk girls underneath my window screaming "Woop Woop, Woop Woop" right now, then it's a rotation of Some Nights by fun. and all things Cheryl Cole.
Eating: Just had dinner with Peej, Kimi & her absolutely lovely friend Amy at Ambiente, full of wine, yummy pasta, and too much dramatic shenanigans for such a lovely summer. This is also a veggie only week, to counteract the previously mentioned month of US and boredom eating.
Feeling: Ecstasy that it's not currently raining. Sadness that some men boys don't realize how blessed they are, because my girls are fantastic catches who anyone would be lucky to have. For shammmme. In the words of the ever-wise Allison, "Move on and move up!" However, seems to be a global problem.
Loving: A good old fashioned porch party. Long overdue, and missing a couple key players, but splitting an excellent bottle of Chilean CabSauv with Peej on our balcony is a fabulous way to wind down an evening, which shall be repeated often.
Hating: This horrendous excuse for a summer that the Czech Republic has been trying to pass off this past week. July should equal sunshine, beer gardens, and swimming, not rain and coats. Blehhhhhh.
Wanting: A sewing machine, so I can make all the fabulous clothes and pillows I see on Pinterest. And curtains. I want some curtains. Which I would sew, on my sewing machine, if only I had one.
Needing: See above. And a new job. Workin' on it!
Thinking: Am turning into my mother. First it was the sewing machine. Then it was the manic need to clean before the cleaning lady comes. This is fine with me, because if I turn out like my mom, I'll be in good form indeed. :)
Planning: On how to squish all my furniture into Tandrew's room when they move out, so Peej and I can continue our porch parties without traipsing through a stranger's room. And how I'm going to take over the world, obviously.

Donut taught me how to roll sushi on Monday... think I'm something of a natural. ;) Pics to follow... eventually!

Disco Fries & Drunken Watermelons

Paul John and I spent a lovely three weeks back in NJ, soaking up as much sunshine, pool time and diner food as possible. It was, in the words of Nikki, devinnnnne. Here's a round-up of why going home is fabulous...

• Swiss Air is delightful. They give you yummy chocolates and ice cream, lots of leg room and all the free Swiss wine you could ask for (which, in case you're wondering, is a lot).
• Some things never change. My friends back at home are always going to be the best, most amazing group of people on the planet, who are fantastic flip cup players but could really do with a bit of practice when it comes to pong. My family is always going to be crazy wonderful, zany, and if you ask Greg, a bunch of cheaters. The diner will always make disco fries that taste like they were cooked up in heaven. And Tucker will remain the most cuddly adorable little critter that ever roamed the earth. 
• A pool is never more than 20 steps away. There's an ocean. 'Nuff said.
• I can wear heels without fear of cracking my ankle in half by collapsing into a tram line or through the cracks in the cobblestones. 
• Fist pumping is a totally accepted form of dance. 
• Beach sangria will always be delicious, especially to wash down a KC bagel and Dunkin coffee. 
• No one looks at you with disdain if you run errands in your sweats. 
• You can understand everything! (though sometimes, you don't want to...)
• Michael's fulfills every Pinterest ambition I've acquired since moving here. This contributed largely to my additional suitcase going home.
• As did my trips to A&P. I can fit about five of my local Billas inside one A&P. Eggos, I will miss you tremendously. 
• Two words: Free. Water.
• Watching two of your besties do something as grown up as get married is a wonderful thing. Congratulations again to the new Mr. & Mrs. Dempsey... love you both!

And here are a few reasons why such a long vacation is not necessarily the best thing...

• All of those previously mentioned Eggos and bagels take a toll. Vacation eating is fine, vacation eating for three weeks while operating under the taste buds of Buddy the Elf is not. 
• A certain Donut was very, very far away for a very, very long time. 
• You eventually have to turn around and go back, and it's just as hard as it was the first time around. I crammed as much into my suitcases as possible, but sadly, there was not enough room to fit everyone else along too. I'm incredibly lucky to have such amazing people on both sides of the Atlantic, but it certainly makes saying goodbye very difficult. (Paul John, I apologize again for the sporadic bouts of tears you had to witness throughout our flights home.) 

A wonderful trip back, and I cannot wait to see everyone again. I want lots of visitors this year!

Prague Spring

Historically, the Prague Spring was an attempt to grant civil liberties and a loosening of restrictions in Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia in 1968 (as one might imagine, not well-received by Mother Russia & led to the invasion of the nation by troops set about halting these reforms, thus kicking off an era of "normalization"... but that's enough history for one day, folks).

In 2012, Prague Spring means crazy weather, visitors galore, umpteen castle tours (even some I wasn't leading, hurrah!), zany traditions, more hills than I care to count, horrible work schedules, doing work (Grope would be so proud), frozen men, and general running amok. It has been glorious.

Since we ran through the streets of Budapest, drunk on spring break excitement (and breakfast wine), it's been nonstop. Steph finally arrived, and we kicked things off appropriately enough by playing flip cup for hours, getting kicked out of a [herna] bar (the shammmme), crying on the sidewalk, and me falling down. It's nice to know that some things never change!

Pre flipcup, enjoying the lovely views from Letna beer garden. 

This is where the problem began...

Steve arrived two days later and many sausages and beers later, I wished them well on their road trip through Germany and Austria and prayed they'd make it halfway there before Steve veered their car into a ditch on purpose. From the sounds of things, it was a bit of a close call! 

They came back the next weekend and were treated to absolutely gorgeous weather, and so commenced the second part of Laura's Little Tour Company trips around Prague (seriously - fall back plan.), which included strolling around Vysehrad and then huffing and puffing (well, me and Steph were huffing and puffing) up Petrin Hill towards the castle. Steph flew home the next day, and Steve and I tagged along with HS on what we were told would be a "nice walk in the nature".

Nice walks in the countryside clearly mean different things to Americans and Czechs. This is probably largely due to the fact that as a whole, Americans don't really walk. Ever. Czechs, on the other hand, seem to approach every athletic diversion with the gusto of an Olympian. This is why I'm always gobsmacked when my students tell me that they had a nice relaxing weekend with a 90km bike ride thrown in, or cross country skied halfway to Bratislava. This is a fact I forgot, and so it was that Steve and I geared up and headed out to the hills of Cesky Raj (Czech Paradise). 

I think it's fairly obvious that I am not what one would call outdoorsy. In fact, this basically sums up my attitude to nature:

But I'm also game for anything, and despite all of my grumbling and panting and fears of impending death by falling off a boulder and the fact that on more than one occasion HS had to propel me up inclines by pushing my ass (not that I'm complaining, but I feel like in general, was not at my most attractive that day - sweaty, covered in dirt from scooting down hills on my butt, and covered in mud from...?... I'm not sure), it was awesome. Cesky Raj is stunning - just look:

Ten miles later, we were back in Prague and I was popping Aleve in the hopes of fending off impending muscle debilitation. Aleve and beer. Lots of beer.

Steve left on Labour Day, which we have off and were lucky enough to be blessed with more perfect weather. Joined HS for a lazy (comparatively) day at the Botanical Gardens, enjoying a nice bottle of wine and lounging in the sun and walking around the river. I think it may have possibly been the most enjoyable, most relaxing day I've had in ages and ages. Ahhhhhh.

The following weekend, HS & I set off for Cesky Krumlov, the "Venice of the Czech Republic". I cannot even tell you how absolutely in love with this little town I am - it is adorable and charming and gorgeous and perfect.

We also went to Rozmberk, which is a little village a few kilometers away and also precious. Did a castle tour, which is really enjoyable when it's not the same castle for the 230498398 time and you're not actually leading the tour (just kidding, I love all my visitors!).

Had another day off, this time to commemorate Victory in Europe Day (woot woooot) and spent it traipsing around Divoka Sarka and eventually winding up back at the botanical gardens (I cannot resist their wine). It's around this point that I'm sure you are starting to realize, like I was, that days spent with HS are rarely lazy. Would like to imagine that this will make me terribly skinny just in time for bikini season, but people keep bringing me chocolate, and well, I'm not exactly known for my willpower, am I?

Jennica and Cole arrived for a whirlwind weekend in which we managed to cram in all of the major Prague sights, a nice at the beer garden, a nice dancing at Retro until sunrise and more ham and sausages than necessary (Aha! Perhaps it's all the Czech food, thanks to all my American visitors, and not yummy chocolate. Take this as a sign that it's acceptable to continue eating chocolate as much as I want because will not be having Czech diet constantly anymore. Though am about to go home to the US, so don't think that's much better...) before getting them back on a plane and getting myself to bed. Exhausting weekend, but it was great to have them here!

Sadly, no more days off, so last week felt terribly long, but finally got to the zoo on Saturday and it was awesome! So well done - am in love with the gorillas. The entire thing is incredibly well put together and nicely laid out and it was a lot of fun, though could have done without the bats. That was more than I needed to deal with in the pitch black tunnel surrounded by strangers and kids with sticky fingers and god knows what else. Eeeeek.

Speaking of children with sticky fingers, Sunday was our Children's Day and Benefit Concert for the Pink Crocodile. The weather was beautiful and we had great turnouts. Am happy to say that have "mastered" enough Czech to piece together a conversation with a three year old and left covered in paint and spit and marker, but totally happy. The Pink Crocodile is an amazing organization here in the Czech Republic that works to provide care and education for special needs children here and in India. You can find out more on their website by clicking here.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have lots of sleep to catch up on!