Monday, April 25, 2011

A cat, a duck and a cat

Well, here are a few random happenings from the past few weeks...

I was at a cafe with some friends on Kampa, a little island near my school. We were drinking beers when we hear this strange pecking coming from outside the window, from a side of the building just a few feet away from an ivy covered stone wall. It was a duck sitting in the ivy. It was a little lost as the river runs along the cafe, but on the other side. It was still quacking and moving about and it seemed a bit flustered - then we noticed above the duck, level with the top of the window, was a wrought-iron grating - sitting on that grating was a cat.

The cat was stalking the duck and had it caught between a building, the wall and under the grate. It was just playing, waiting to pounce. A man at the table next to us got up, opened the window, reached out on the ledge and picked up the duck. He carried it through the cafe and out to the little footbridge you have to cross to get back to the island and there, where it was safe, he let it go.

The cat hopped off the grate a moment later and could not figure out where the duck had gone.

That's the first cat I have to write about right now. The second is Odin. He's ours. He's the newest addition to our family and is a little under 2 months old right now. He's awfully cute and sweet and has (not surprisingly) very sharp claws. He also looks like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, but isn't striped in silly colors, just shades of gray.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Wednesday - The Red Carpet Ball

OK, I didn't find a gown and  the Kid wasn't able to return on time but the evening was not a miss. In fact, it was awesome - incredible, if you will, and an absolute blast. I grabbed a dress I had, threw on some heels and stuffed some flats in my bag. The weather has turned unseasonably cold (snow was forecast) and so a warm coat and hopped in the taxi - and the driver promptly got lost, in my neighborhood.

Other than going the wrong way down side streets he was hilarious - chattered at me in Czech the entire way, asked if I was going dancing and then did a driving-dance imitation of the polka, obviously with sound effects.

The ball was incredible. Scroll down for a video of the venue - and the chance to listen to some Czech. I was a few hours late as I was dealing with the Turkey debacle but when I arrived there was still formal ballroom dancing taking place, accompanied by a live band. Then there were some dance exhibition, a few student musical performances, more formal dancing, more dance exhibitions, a rock band,more dancing, a dance competition, more general dancing and then a DJ and then more dancing... and then the after-party. Somewhere in the middle of the dancing and more dancing, yes, I did change from ridiculous heels to reasonable flats. I was definitely not the last to leave but I got home at 4:30. By pre-arrangement school was closed until the afternoon. There was only one complaint I heard from the guys and girls alike - sore feet. Overall it was a great night - students, parents, teachers, friends - lots of laughter, great entertainment and a lot of fun. I sincerely hope this was the first annual and not the only ball the Student Council organizes.

Here is the video of the venue, Narodni Dum na Vinohradech- it was so beautiful :)




Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The turkey is stuck in Turkey.

The Kid's school group missed their return flight this afternoon. She is currently stuck in Istanbul.

I have a school commitment tonight - the ball. I don't have a dress and I don't really want to be there. I'd rather be at home welcoming her back!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

ball gown countdown

I've got 6 days to find a ball gown. Apparently on Wednesday I am expected at a ball and shockingly enough I don't have a gown. Or a date.

This may end up being lame.