tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45037882062163215962024-03-05T07:52:17.534-08:00Our Life in CzechThoughts, fears, adventures, and reflections of a 30-something mother and her teenage daughter as they move from California to Prague, Czech Republic.could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.comBlogger546125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-1677282733208806062016-11-17T03:51:00.001-08:002016-11-17T03:51:11.617-08:00Democracy in Crisis - another Forum 2000<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year, what I believe will be a key year for the future of democracy, the topics of Forum 2000 were a critique on the progress and status of democracy over the decades.<br />
<br />
Shortly thereafter were the American elections.<br />
<br />
I wish more people in the world, in leadership positions, were more in-tune with the base concepts of individual freedoms, valuation of individualities, th e underlying concepts of human rights, and moving towards understanding the minor impact of our differences, be they cultural or religious, rather than focusing on how differences divided us. Most people in this world want to live in a safe environment, have a family knowing they're secure when they walk out the door, and have financial security. Those are core shared goals. How we view those concepts may differ, but until we value each person on this planet and their right to live outside of a war zone, their right to food and safe water, shelter and clothing, to be free of religious persecution, or persecution based on gender (inclusive of gender identity), sexual orientation, race, or disability - we will continue to move towards a divisive world rather than one that inclusive and oriented on a peaceful existence; we will continue to move towards a world run on fear and mistrust, inflammatory rhetoric, and the elevation of self over others.<br />
<br />
These concepts, this momentum, this exertion of will over right, undermines the concepts of democracy, It does, in fact, place the future of democratic societies in crisis. And it makes the world an inherently more dangerous place. Not just for people of color, women, non-Christian faiths, or nationalities or heritage other than that of the country in which they reside - but a destabilized world is one that is less safe for the majority as well . It breeds discontent. It continues to grow fear, from all people not just the dominating populist, and may lead to a self-actualizing reality of conflict upon delineated lines.<br />
<br />
We need compassion and humility on a global scale. I do. I'm trying. And hopefully you are trying to act from a place of peace, love and respect as well. </div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-62643819039216286352015-11-05T14:58:00.000-08:002015-11-05T14:58:22.191-08:00Of a decidedly more feminine nature - not for the delicately minded<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't written, probably in a few years, as life had fallen in to an certain flow and just continued moving along as it should... Recently, however, there's been a bit of a turn and these past few weeks have been the source of a great deal of anxiety. To quickly bring you up to speed - I've got uterine fibroids which will require a series of medical procedures. The first, a D&C, will allow for diagnostic testing before the next step It is done on an out patient basis in what they call a 'sanitorium'.... I've always associated that word with a place for the criminally insane. Seeing my appointment set there didn't do much to calm my nerves.<br />
<br />
It - from start to finish - was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I was alternately in a heightened state of stress and under heavy drugs when you read my notes below. Yes, I started writing as I had to get my mind off what where I was and what was going on. Please keep in mind - these tests and this care, which is medically necessary, are those that are provided by Planned Parenthood in a caring and supportive environment. Even with the differences described below, I knew that the doctors and nurses were there with care, concern, and without judgement; I cannot begin to imagine how much harder the process would have been had I not been able to obtain affordable, immediate, and shame-free care for a truly invasive diagnostic procedure.<br />
<br />
I've walked in to a very bright light room - stark, actually with four beds and two cots, each with crisp lavender bedding, five of them occupied by women of varying ages, all younger than me. The women are readily apparent as there aren't any curtains dividing the room.<br />
<br />
A wardrobe stands next to the door. The nurse opened it to show me an empty shelf and then handed me a white gown and told me to change. I was the sixth and last person and didn't know where to go as there wasn't a changing center. As she left I asked for the bathroom and was given directions. After figuring out how to put the gown on (white of all things! white when, if you're not bleeding now, you will be soon!) I came back out to put my things on the shelf. These gowns have one tie, at the top, and that's it. It felt like a juggling act, trying to open the wardrobe, put my things away, and keep myself decent. I'm not a good juggler. And all eyes were on me. This was a very uncomfortable start.<br />
<br />
My bed was the last cot, wedged against the wall between the wardrobe and the bathroom. 'Cot' may be a generous term. The top of the mattress barely reached mid-shin. The coils of the mattress were visible through the sheets. But the blanket was warm. I didn't want to lay down at first as it was a bit poky. I got over it and ended up curled up in the blanket with my head sunk deep in the middle of the giant pillow. I didn't want to see anyone or to be seen. My cramps hurt. Obviously, feeling a bit vulnerable right now.<br />
<br />
One by one we're called out of bed. We had done the check in and signed paperwork prior to being brought to the room but apparently they do the payment after everyone is tucked in. One by one, six women have to climb back out of bed, find their wallets and conduct the transaction while their bare butts are hanging out of the mini-gowns - that one tie makes sense actually as it's not just a mini-gown on me but on everyone, no matter how skinny - barely covered the back and your bum is free and clear of everything that could possibly provide a bit of modesty<br />
.<br />
I've been laying there wondering if this is just pre-op and where do we go for post? There's no monitoring equipment in this room and not enough room to navigate a bed so I don't know what's in store. OK. The door just opened. Apparently I missed girl #1 being taken out but she's just been brought back in. This is also post-op. She's in a wheelchair, though, and has to stand to be transferred to her bed. It's not an easy process and she's got a full size bed. I've no idea how they're going to do this for me on this rinky dinky cot.<br />
<br />
When I'm sitting in my bed I can't see the door. The wardrobe is to my back. I see the door to the toilet and a window. When I turn my head I can see the faces of a few of the women. Nobody looks comfortable. It's dead silent in here.<br />
<br />
The lady came for me - my turn to pay. I gave her some money and she needed change. She said something abruptly, it took me a moment to process, and in that second the middle bed gave me a translation. Her speaking and my thanks brought a momentary lapse of tension with a few smiles being shared but, now, back to my cot, downstairs, while they're still upstairs in the real beds.<br />
<br />
The only other cot girl is maybe in her early/mid 20s. She's been chattering away on her tablet like it's a phone, for a while. She makes me thing of someone you'd find in WalMart at 3 am. She's got pretty, strong features but a coarseness comes through that undermines her physical beauty. And a lot of makeup. We were told not to wear any and I'm not, but she's got a face and a half full at least. She's the only person I can see easily while laying down.<br />
<br />
I've not had any pill, shot or injection to start the dilation and it's after 1. My pick-up is scheduled for 3 so I'm a bit anxious about getting things going. I don't know how they're going to get dilation, put me out, wake me up, make sure I'm not still bleeding and decide it's safe for me to leave all in less than 2 hours. Along with all of these other women, too.<br />
<br />
The only sound in this room is the rustle of the pages when I turn this notebook... and the woman nearest me, she's on the verge of tears, she can't sit still and I hear her blanket move with her anxiety. I think she's the only one with underwear still on.<br />
<br />
I'd really like to just sleep through this whole experience, starting about 20 minutes ago, but unless that sleep is natural I'm not sure that'll happen as nothing is going on. An IV with some sort of anti-anxiety or relaxer or something would be really nice. I can hear some noises behind me but I can't see what's going on and my cramps hurt too much to contort in to a better position.<br />
<br />
I tend to think of a difference between an institution and institutionalization. This is more more on the institutionalization side. Not undermining the integrity of the institution I'm in, but this is far more institutionalization, but like institutionalization lite, I suppose.<br />
<br />
There are women here who want to be mothers but are losing babies - or have lost them already, women who don't want to be mothers, and women like me who no longer could be if they wanted to. It's palpable. The emotions, the greater impact, the implications... My presence, my condition, this step and the next - not my choice. Not what I wanted. This is not where I want to be and so far from what I want to be doing. I understand the necessity but I just want to skip ahead and be done with it.<br />
<br />
I think the first girl just woke up. The one I saw wheeled in in her chair. She's a bit chatty and sounds high - high pitched, giggly, and just plain out of it. But, being on this side of it, that's not so bad... she's not miserable. She fell asleep again.<br />
<br />
The tablet girl is back now and she's moaning. Not cool. Sh'es not awake and this is not cool.<br />
<br />
It's very quiet again. There are two girls sleeping, one girl is out, two girls are silent and then there's me. I just farted. I guess it's better now than in surgery.<br />
<br />
You can hear them in the other room calling the girl's name - I don't know what it is, actually but they're calling her name over and over... you don't get a gradual wake up here. Your procedure's over? WAKE UP, you gotta get yourself off the table, into the chair and then out of the chair and in to bed. (?!?!?) Wow.<br />
<br />
HOLY COW. I'm back. I've had more than my fair share of general anesthesia but I've never had one that I came out of like this... I normally don't' remember anything, any of the hallucinations or whatever, but this time, on the waking up end, I was FB messaging with some friends and the Dr kept popping up in messenger and it was a bit frustrating till I saw she was telling me to wake up... so I did.<br />
<br />
I do not remember anything after that but I'm in my bed now... cot, still. And I hurt. Worse than the cramps.A lot worse.<br />
<br />
I think I fell asleep again. The lady in the middle who did the translation is back and I swear she never fell asleep or something but whatever they gave her kicked her mouth in to overdrive.<br />
<br />
I fell asleep again. Woke up to translation girl talking, still, in Czech, about Yosemite, Las Vegas, San Diego, Obama and WalMart. For a bit I thought I was hallucinating again so I sat up and asked for clarification yes.... they were all talking about the US and I joined in a bit... amazing how drugs loosen the tongue.<br />
Honestly, though, I have no idea how she is so awake. I think I've fallen asleep a few more times and she hasn't shut up as far as I can tell. For a second time I thought maybe it was me, but I don't understand a lot of the words I'm hearing and I don't think my brain would hallucinate in a nonsense language, foreign I can go for, with words I know, but stuff I don't know... I'm not sure brains work like that. The nurse just came in and told her to be quiet as we must sleep... I don't think it's just me anymore.<br />
<br />
There are only 5 of us now. The teary eyed girl went last. She was beautiful and the entire time she's looked like she's struggling not to cry. My heart really goes out to her. Whatever she's going through her struggle was clearly printed on her face.<br />
<br />
It still hurts.<br />
<br />
I've slept some more. The last girl is back and now the nurse and doctor are in. One by one, they come to each bed, spread your legs... yep, you're bleeding, ok, no sex, no baths, no blah blah, get a fever - call, goodbye. No privacy. I've literally got blood dripping down my legs. Actively, still. Got up to get my clothes and find that I'm more efficient than Hansel and Gretel... and yet it's time to go. All of us. We're all still bleeding, Six women, half naked and bloody, bleeding, trying to find their underwear and get dressed, while in discomfort - emotional, physical, psychological and quite possibly, for some, spiritual as well. This is so abrupt and feels premature - like maybe, hey - shouldn't we stay until we're all wide awake and not actively bleeding this much? Actually, I think I'm bleeding more than everyone else - everything I've touched is now stained. That sounds so biblical.<br />
<br />
The doctors and nurses are efficient and pleasant enough but the absence of privacy I find shocking. It feels so clinical, like I'm but a cog in their machine - and in truth that's what I am. This is a typical Tuesday afternoon, kind of like the group from the rest home that goes to the movies every Tuesday afternoon... you'll see the horde climb off the bus, sell them tickets and snacks, maybe one or two need an enhancer for their hearing aid, and then you'll clean up after them but they, as individuals, don't really exist. It's just what happens on Senior Special day.<br />
<br />
I'm home now. It still hurts. Right up behind my belly button. It hurts. And cramps. I know I've got another surgery in the future, a bigger one, one that requires actual hospitalization and extended recovery time, and I'm torn between wanting to start researching my local options and not wanting to think about it at all. I'm going to go with the latter for now as there's plenty of time for all the anxiety that research will bring. And right now, I hurt. Not too bad but enough. But that was expected. I have no complaints about the quality of care today. I think, rather, the setting in which I got it sort of knocked me out of my head space so much that in a sense it was easier for me than if everything had been more familiar and comfy, cozy and catered.... except that then I'd have gotten an IV and drugs a whole lot sooner. Maybe this way wasn't so bad though. I survived. Unscarred and unscathed. Literally.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-35053492615076447302013-09-17T09:15:00.002-07:002013-09-17T09:15:38.950-07:00Forum 2000, 2013 ed. - Dalai Lama, Suu Kyi and de Klerk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once again I was able to attend Forum 2000. This year’s
guests were overwhelming – while I had anticipated an appearance by the Dalai
Lama I was completely taken aback by the grace and peace that radiated from
Aung San Suu Kyi – you may remember her as the Nobel Peace Prize winning Burmese
dissident who was under an illegal house-arrest some years back on an island
when an American swam across, uninvited, to see her, stayed to recover his
strength and then swam back – his intrusion earned her an additional sentence
of 3 years of hard labor which was commuted to another 18 months of house
arrest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People talk about Audrey Hepburn as an iconic image, this
slight wisp of a woman who carried an air of grace, elegance and benevolence. Suu
Kyi is the personification of the ideology. As she settled in to her chair the
dying applause was replaced with an almost palpable sense of ease and calmness.
I had not read much about her prior to this event, familiar with her on only a
surface level, and was completed unprepared for the experience her presence brought
about. She is viewed as the modern day Gandhi for her non-violent activities
devoted to ensuring appropriate care and representation for her people. The
label assigned to her by Indians gives me a greater insight in to the force of
Gandhi’s character. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her warmth, kindness, care and compassion were neatly
complimented by F.W. de Klerk, another Nobel Peace Prize winner, former
President of South Africa and the man who freed Nelson Mandela and brought an
end to apartheid. Again, a man of
compassion, integrity and wisdom whose presence was an entirely different force
– not an oppositional one, but one that carried his kindness and gave a glimpse
of a highly effective man. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today’s closing ceremony was again inspirational – chaired
by Gareth Evans, F.W. de Klerk was joined on stage by the former Czech Foreign
Minister and the man who should be President, Karel Schwarzenberg, by the Cuban
activist Yoani Sanchez, previously identified by Time Magazine, and others of
that ilk as one of the world’s most influential people, one of the 10 most
influential Latin American Intellectuals and one of the World’s Top Dissidents,
and the Dalai Lama. Suu Kyi was seated in the front row and wrangled in to the discussion
as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me say that I am grateful to the media today. Not that
this event will receive the attention it warrants but because in the midst of
the conversation taking place I was listening without reflecting; hearing in
the moment and not fully processing, and the value of the words shared, while
immediately apparent on one level, were not fully realized until I had some
time to read them and sit with them and give some attention to the individual
statements, both in context and as independent truths.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The love and compassion for people; the statement by the
Dalai Lama that prayer and meditation were very nice but there is a stronger
need for action; the evaluation of motivation; the need for selfless
governance; the willingness to risk harm in order to ensure equality for others…
there was so much more said, but not said in theory or remote observation but
said by those who had lived it, who continue to live it, and who are focused on
spreading it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was in the eighth row. This is a free event. I cannot
encourage you enough, wherever you are, to make a point to attend it next year
and to support it however you can now. Don’t think about what is wrong in the
world and ponder what can be done to fix it, come and listen, learn, meet
people who are focused on implementing positive change and live it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKDubYqthRQ/Ujh_nvEYKPI/AAAAAAAAC70/q05HPiXwohw/s1600/Forum_2000_OB_MON_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKDubYqthRQ/Ujh_nvEYKPI/AAAAAAAAC70/q05HPiXwohw/s400/Forum_2000_OB_MON_0317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zofin Palace - primary space of the Forum 2000 - image from Forum 2000 website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-75771857094166941312013-09-01T14:24:00.001-07:002013-09-01T14:24:38.521-07:00G20 and the Dali Lama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been home all weekend. I wish I could say I've been super productive and my house is all unpacked, decorated and sparkling clean but it's not. Food poisoning or something like it hit me Friday and I've been resting ever since.<br />
<br />
It is now quite late on Sunday and I'm finally putting together some stuff for school. What am I looking at, you might wonder... well... some documents created by Seimens addressing the topic of transparency and anti-corruption for inclusion in the G20 Summit set to take place in Moscow later this week. Yes, Moscow, that haven for homophobia. Good lord, at this rate I'll never make it to St. Petersburg.<br />
<br />
Surely that's not the only thing occupying your mind this lovely evening, you might say... well, you're right. I'm also review the topics at hand for the various panel discussions at Forum 2000 and noted I am set to attend a closed session with the Dali Lama. Yes, that Dali Lama.<br />
<br />
The dichotomous nature of those two events in one mental space should create a rift in the time/space continuum. </div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-72837670842573981772013-08-15T12:13:00.002-07:002013-08-15T12:13:39.026-07:00death and a departure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't posted much lately; I've had a great two months with my kid while she's been in town - while it's been peaceful and relaxing it also seems as though we've been chock full with activity. We both hit a new decade and took some trips to celebrate. She got to reconnect with old friends and made some new ones. It is such a pleasure having here here. She left today. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While she was here I moved, again. This time from a small place that was making me quite sick - mold - to a much larger and more spacious and healthy environment. The thing is - this has only been my home with her presence and now... now it's empty. Loomingly empty.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This week has also brought about news of the death of two friends - one I have known for 4 years but until this year thought of him as a strictly fun and party kind of guy. This year I got to know the inner bit and I found a lot of respect and a new appreciation for him. The other I've known for about 15 years and had a tremendous amount of respect for him. One lived here, one lived back in my hometown. The one here I saw with some frequency, the other I'd make a point to stop by and see him each trip home. One had recently expressed his desire to return home, move away from the partying and start a "real" more substantial phase of his life, the other was married, had children and was successful in his work life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They both died of a heart attack. They were both far too young for such a thing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For some reason this is sticking with me. My local friend - we couldn't have been more different. But we both valued family and our friends and both of us knew <i>this</i> wasn't permanent. <i>This</i> was fun and temporary and offered a modicum of success in our respective career paths but didn't allow for opportunities in the ways we each wanted - familial connections and support and wider ranging financial and personal development in the work arena. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm going to miss these people. They weren't a part of my daily life and they've not left a nagging hole but I'm accustomed to them and their role in my life and I enjoyed their company. I'm also stuck looking at the disparity of two men who died unexpectedly and the lives they led; trying to think about my own.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And, after dropping my kid off at the airport at 5 a.m. this morning and returning home to a hot bath, with these various forms of loss weighing on my mind I felt lonely. Not alone, but lonely. Empty and alone. For the first time in a long time. I think a hot dinner, a good night's sleep and some time will help to alleviate that; developing a new routine, putting my house in order will help to create a new sense of belonging, but right now this is where I'm at. At home. Alone. Sad. And lonely.</div>
</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-35267802838198214892013-06-18T23:25:00.000-07:002013-06-18T23:25:51.217-07:00June has been an apocalyptic month <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We started off with massive flooding and fear. The anxiety in certain regions was palpable. The national State of Emergency lasted for the first two weeks of the month.<br />
<br />
Last week they cleared away the flood barriers, most, not all, and reopened a number of the the parks. It was cold.<br />
<br />
Immediately over the weekend we transitioned to a massive heat wave. There hasn't been a break. The national meteorological release has warned people to stay inside, reduce their activity, and increase their water consumption.<br />
<br />
Not all parks have reopened since the flood.<br />
<br />
Monday night, the first day of the oppressive, sweat in the shade sort of heat, a large portion of the city lost water.<br />
<br />
Last night a power station blew and on the second evening of the heat wave, a night when fans were required in a country without residential air-conditioning, the power went out. It impacted the same area as the water loss and far beyond. Half a city of over a million people lost power. It was still sweltering. There is no nighttime cooling here. Fortunately just before the power blew I had taken a cool shower trying to wash the sticky sweat off my body and out of my hair. Even so, after cooling down and cleaning up, even with the fans running, I was sweating again, before the power went out. And then I had to start lighting candles.<br />
<br />
I woke up at 6 a.m. The sun is harsh and the heat relentless.<br />
<br />
Tonight I'm going to the gym. It's in an air-conditioned building and I will be swimming in a pool that usually feels quite cool but I expect will feel a bit tepid at this point. But I am looking forward it nonetheless. Afterwards I will be riding out to the airport to retrieve the kid. I just hope that when we get back, after her day and a half of traveling, that we have both water and electricity so she can clean up and get a nice, cool, comfortable night's sleep.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-15254925994944788542013-06-13T05:43:00.001-07:002013-06-13T05:43:55.929-07:00I wanted to give a little cheer, instead I had a heartfelt smile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, roundabout lunchtime narrative here... let's take it back a few months for a moment:<br />
<br />
I moved last October. Apparently I left behind all of my warm weather shoes. I've been trying to get them back ever since but I think the girls who moved in have the same size foot as I do and have appropriated them for themselves as, despite an ongoing dialogue, they're never available for me to come by.<br />
<br />
No, why am I talking about warm weather shoes when we've been on a flood alert? It was called off. We're officially in the clear - it happened within the last 24 hours. And now, it's really rather warm, rapidly approaching hot. People out and about in sleeveless shirts and shorts and such...<br />
<br />
And I only have one pair of shoes that aren't winter shoes. And they're not comfortable. Tiny little ballet flats without any structure or support and so thin every little edge on each cobblestone seems to poke its way through the soles.<br />
<br />
So today I went shoe shopping at lunchtime. Shoes are one of the things I've learned should be quality. Unfortunately, here, that means disproportionately expensive, but I know they'll last. So first I went to the Clark's store - but I struck out. Then Ecco and I found some. Some that are remarkably similar to the last past of Ecco sandals I bought a few years ago and to the pair my Mom bought in the past year or two too... but they're really, really comfortable and pretty good summer sandals.<br />
<br />
That's not what made me want to cheer.<br />
<br />
On the way back I took the metro to Mala Strana and then got out and waited for the tram. There was a long delay due to traffic and then I heard a police siren. I thought maybe there'd been an accident but it was only one car and he wasn't in a rush, in fact he was going pretty slow. And then, behind him, were a few oversized flatbed semi-type trucks.<br />
<br />
My first thought was - what in the world? Why does an oversized load get a police escort? Then I saw what was on the flatbed - the individual components of the flood defense walls. The police were escorting the last bits of the river defense system away. And <i>that</i> made my heart a little brighter. </div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-3794555191343157692013-06-09T09:18:00.000-07:002013-06-09T09:18:24.567-07:00Prepping for part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The thunderstorms have just started. It's 6pm. At 3pm the metros finally fully reopened. Now we have received word that the river is expected to return to its peak within the next few days. Supposedly we're set for storming from now until Tuesday.<br />
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So often lately the forecasters have been dead wrong. I am so hoping this is one of those times.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-45169292845184432592013-06-08T06:14:00.003-07:002013-06-09T09:16:30.226-07:00The roar of silence - Turkey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last night I had a conversation with a Turkish diplomat. We were at a small table with a few of my colleagues and the former ambassador to Algeria. Obviously the rioting was a topic of conversation.<br />
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I started to detail it here but have since changed my mind... here's the summary - it was sad. He seemed sad, or maybe a bit resigned, and didn't hold a lot of hope for effective change. He was pleasant but was quite contained and measured with his speech and focused on history and facts, addressed nationwide cultural conflicts and social unrest and what has brought things to where they are today rather than what is happening today.He also talked about the growing problems with Syria.He was neither an advocate nor a detractor of his government and its actions. His words were very matter of fact but the feeling was that he was being restrained and the pleasant little sparkle in his eyes and smile evaporated.<br />
Silence sometimes speaks louder than words, especially when one is not permitted to speak an oppositional view.<br />
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If you don't know what I'm referring to please open a new window and do some research. You should keep in mind the proven efficacy of social media and know that it's been completely shut down at this point. More State controlled silence.<br />
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Families are being gassed out of their homes and then beaten in the streets when they flee.People are being shot point blank with tear gas canisters and a number of people have lost their eyes and/or been permanently blinded. Unarmed civilians, tourists, and protesters alike are receiving direct blasts from water cannons - the force of which can render one unconscious. This information is easily ascertainable. The US and the EU have both condemned Turkey's actions.<br />
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Please pay attention. Be aware of what is happening in the world at large, not just your region. The Arab Spring is far from over.
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-23823058336456304172013-06-05T03:36:00.000-07:002013-06-05T08:45:35.516-07:00Prague zoo - please help<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Prague Zoo has again been completely devastated. After the 2002 floods they built a 20 foot wall to protect the zoo for further potential flooding. It proved to be insufficient. Fortunately they started evacuating animals earlier enough to save them from drowning (with very few exceptions, two stoats and a rabbit that they couldn't get out of their burrows) and relocated them to higher ground and other zoos. Now the Prague Zoo is facing over 160,000 million crows in repairs and renovations. That number is the current estimate, but as the zoo is still mostly underwater there is no way to fully calculate the damage at this point.<br />
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Below are a few pics from our trip to the zoo - one that has been recognized as one of the best in the world - and our family's favorite. These are obviously from far sunnier times than today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the walk-through lemur exhibit - up on the horizontal branch in the middle you can see one running through the crowd. </td></tr>
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This is what it looks like today. All of the areas shown above are now underwater. These photos were taken by the Prague Zoo.</div>
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The zoo has been inundated with people from all over the city, of all nationalities, offering manual labor and cleaning supplies but what they really need is money. The zoo has had to reopen their upper levels as they are dependent upon the income generated from visitors and they cannot afford to lose any income at this time. If you can, please donate to the zoo. One way to do so is through their <a href="http://www.zoopraha.cz/en/help-us/zoo-adoption" target="_blank">Zoo Adoption Program</a>. They also have a <a href="http://www.zoopraha.cz/en/about-zoo/news/prague-zoo-is-flooded-let-s-help" target="_blank">Flood Recovery Donation Account</a> that has been established. You can click on either link for more details.</div>
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-64783658872720204022013-06-04T03:56:00.001-07:002013-06-04T03:56:54.714-07:00Tuesday flood update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm back at school today - not the ideal setting, in my opinion, but that's where I am. The sun was out for a moment but now the clouds are back and it's going gray again. It poured last night... I also watched the Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones last night so (if you're a fan) you can understand that last night was a bit much.<br />
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Here are the photos from today: <a href="http://zpravy.idnes.cz/foto.aspx?galerie=povodne-3-6-2013&online=1005263" target="_blank">IDNES PHOTO GALLERY</a><br />
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Idnes is a Czech news outlet so the text you will see at the bottom of the photos is in Czech. If you're not using Google Chrome, which should allow you to automatically perform the translations, then you can copy and past the text in to a translator if you want to know what you're looking at. The pictures aren't just from Prague, although it seems the majority of them are, but from all over CZ.<br />
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In other news - more people have died. The sewage system has become overwhelmed in Prague and sewage is now being pumped directly in to the Vlatva. The city recommends that if you touch the flood water that you go home and disinfect yourself. Outside of Prague the water systems have been compromised and tap water is no longer safe. Inside of Prague the water pressure is not consistent and some districts are sporadically without any water at all. A lot of the metro stations are closed - before this meant that the metro just didn't' stop there but it ran through the station but now they've just shuttered parts of the system entirely.<br />
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And finally - something you'll not often see...<br />
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(photographer unknown)</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-39685565061550546472013-06-03T10:58:00.001-07:002013-06-04T04:05:39.460-07:00Monday afternoon flood photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, to start off here are a few random pics I took while on a walk a few months back. They're not the ones I wanted but I can't find those, so these are the one's you're going to get. They're just to give you an idea as to the dimensions of the river bank and surrounding areas.<br />
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<span id="goog_561490512"></span><span id="goog_561490513"></span>Pretty and cheery right? (Yes, that's a bride.)<br />
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So, here's today, the same general area. I can't get one that shows where the boat was as it's gone - that region is mostly underwater. The closest I can get is what was behind the boat - a little island with a playground. Click on it and you'll see you're looking at the top of a slide and the top of a swingset.<br />
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In the photo with the bride this little restaurant with the red roof is in the distant background. I was standing under the arches in the background when I took the pic of the newly married couple. </div>
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You can see some stairs that lead down - but that's just the first of three sections you take to get to the lower level. </div>
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The streetlamps aren't like sidewalk street lamps, these serve large boats that dock here so they're quite tall.<br />
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This is the top of a billboard.</div>
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Here you can see how they're keeping Kampa Island and parts of Mala Strana safe. You can't even see where the stairs down to the lower restaurant level start as they're completely underwater.<br />
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The city is pretty dry. There have been deaths but some of those are due to stupidity rather than an general threat (rafting, surfing, etc). Areas have lost power and water but it's being restored. Around the country about 7,000 have been evacuated. Other cities, towns, really, have been much harder hit than Prague has. The metro has been greatly impacted but there are supplemental buses and trams running in order to ensure the backup doesn't get too crazy. It's stopped raining for a bit - it had while I was taking the photos too - but we're expecting more... and they have to release water from a dam in order to ensure the dam doesn't break, so they expect the river to increase even more - but it's already receded a bit. Fortunately they don't expect it to get to the level of the last flood - but the city is prepared for that level of flooding, so even if it increases dramatically things should hold.<br />
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Hope you're warm and dry and having better weather than this.<br />
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-35033468742112550762013-06-03T01:18:00.000-07:002013-06-04T03:57:36.062-07:00Monday morning flood thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The National Library worked through the night to move books out of the low-lying storage areas. This morning I found a map of the closed streets and realized our school's library borders one of the streets closed for flooding... the school's website has noted the library is closed until further notice, but it says that about the school in general so I didn't think too much of it until this a.m. Now the library is on the first floor (European style first floor, second if you're in the US) and it's hopefully not too likely the water will reach that high, but as I understand it, if you're evacuated you're not allowed right back in to the building once the water recedes. The owners have to clean and sterilize it and get approval from one of the few engineers qualified in the post-flood cleanup process to certify not only that it's clean but that structurally, addressing the building, water and electricity conduits, that it's sound and safe for rehabitation - and then you have to take that paper to the municipality for them to process it and release the lock-out.<br />
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This whole process can take a number of days... and now I'm worried that maybe while the water won't get to the books that possibly secondary moisture damage could. I hope that's not the case. I think we have the biggest English language library in the country and it'd truly be a tragedy if it were damaged.<br />
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I also realized - my leather winter boots are under my desk inside a building that is currently inaccessible. And my umbrella is right behind my desk, about two feet away from my boots. That was stupid. I went to the Fringe Fest after school on Friday and left my umbrella and boots in the building to collect today as I thought I'd chill at home for the weekend and skip the rainy weather... that was mostly true, but now the weekend is over and the building is still locked up. I think I'm going to need to find my warm rubber boots to head out in a bit and a stupid very thin rain jacket - like a single layer of plastic - that actually does keep me dry but does nothing for the cold.<br />
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So here's a repeat photo for you - one that was taken yesterday afternoon (it was already seriously flooded) for contrasting purposes.<br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971043_10200992435760710_696178827_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971043_10200992435760710_696178827_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And now here's the same location, but taken just before 8:30 this morning.<br />
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-84463938741615743252013-06-02T14:55:00.000-07:002013-06-04T03:57:50.626-07:00Flooding June 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The country has been hit by massive flooding. (Don't worry, family, I live on a hill outside of the flood-zone and am absolutely fine!) The government has declared a state of emergency and transport across the country has been impacted.<br />
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Friends are being evacuated, the zoo has been evacuated, the National Library is relocating all of their books, hospitals and rest homes evacuated, schools and buildings have been closed.<br />
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There is a lot of stuff going on and very little one can do. There is a hotline to call to help, but they've accepted 200 volunteers and aren't accepting anymore - and even those 200 aren't being fully utilized.<br />
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The first image below was taken (none of them are my own - photographers unknown unless identified) after the flooding had already started, the second today after a bit more time - the peak still hasn't hit.<br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971062_10152406785496393_2047446378_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971062_10152406785496393_2047446378_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is one of my favorite areas of Prague, but it's completely underwater right now... in the lower right hand-side you can see the windows of the restaurant you walk past in order to get to the open air bar and farmers markets areas.<br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971043_10200992435760710_696178827_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971043_10200992435760710_696178827_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's an image where you can see a river-side restaurant underwater. <span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;">(Foto: Lukáš Horáček)</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QKa0-ygHtY/Uau_D1kcvJI/AAAAAAAAC18/pE2gXYPjjlY/s1600/944225_541825749196994_1043211222_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QKa0-ygHtY/Uau_D1kcvJI/AAAAAAAAC18/pE2gXYPjjlY/s320/944225_541825749196994_1043211222_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is a beautiful building, the Municipal Building, before the storm.<br />
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-8273369170157220192013-02-21T04:35:00.002-08:002013-06-02T14:34:05.348-07:00Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nope... not yet. It was peaking out there for a second, not even a second, half a second but now the cold grey has settled in again.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: white;">Th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <span style="line-height: 19px;">Czech Hydro-Meteorological Office had a bit of news release today - not shocking to those of us who've been living it, but.... the sun has been hiding.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 19px;">Seriously. There's been only 43% of normal sunlight hours. In the month of January, the <i>whole</i> month mind you, there were only 20 hours of sunlight. Last week there were two hours of visible sunlight.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 19px;">Bleak.Grey. Dreary.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 19px;">Hope it ends soon. </span></span></div>
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could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-882545600704996652013-01-14T12:41:00.001-08:002013-01-14T12:41:42.331-08:00Sick, not stuck<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Each winter I get really sick. I caught a cough in November, it started to improve in December while I was away, and now it's come at me with a vengeance. I am wheezing when I'm not even breathing. It sounds like my lungs are snoring in between my breaths. I'm conscious of each breath I take. I wake up violently, gasping, wheezing and feeling like I'm choking, within minutes of falling asleep, each time I fall asleep. It has made me hesitant to take the medication that will make me drowsy. Today I had another round of lung x-rays. Have never had to do this in the US but have had to quite a few times here.<br />
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And while I'm still waiting for my results I have made some decisions...<br />
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Unless there is a complete and final resolution for my breathing problems this will be my last winter in this country. I cannot live some place if I can't breathe there. I don't know where I will go yet, most likely not back to my place of origin (doesn't meet the below criteria), so I am about to start researching other countries: places with a low cost of living, moderate climate, comprehensive and affordable medical care, and some sort of expat community/English language opportunity. If you have any suggestions please send them my way.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-21180548629091047202012-11-27T14:03:00.001-08:002012-11-27T14:03:16.592-08:00Feeling like a grown-up for the first time, all over again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since moving to Europe I have lived in furnished apartments - at first this sounded exciting, a little luxurious maybe... sorta like a hotel or something. It's not. Its a big ole crapshoot. And after while you become aware that there's nothing substantial that belongs to you , nothing considerable you own and that aspect of adulthood sort of slithers away in to this odd remote concept that no longer applies to your life.<br />
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The first flat we had was tastefully furnished, if a bit spartan. The second - not as much... the third flat was filled with furniture from the second and the fourth was awesome. Really, it was freakin awesome. I loved that flat.<br />
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Now, I am here alone, living alone for the first time in my life and in a flat that is not fully furnished. It came with a wall unit, a couch and some wardrobes but no bed, table or chairs.<br />
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Tonight, for the first time in over four years, I am sleeping in my own bed. I am sleeping in a bed I own. Not a 'bought it cheap from some expat headed home' deal, not a second hand special from the shop around the corner but a brand new bed, new frame, new headboard, new mattress, all of which I went to the store for and picked out for myself. And I feel a little more adult-like, a little more established in my environment and a little more like potentially I may be a long-termer. And dammit, it's comfortable and I like it.<br />
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Now I need to bring the rest of the house up to the bed's standard :)</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-40785662660239113282012-11-27T09:09:00.001-08:002012-11-27T09:09:06.767-08:00dating doldrums defined<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A friend was talking about this speed-dating thing recently - actually a few of them were, both male and female. There is a FB group I belong to that is getting hit hard with this speed-dating company's promotion - they've been called out for spamming but it showed up again today... so, in light of my recent conversations, I clicked on it to see what they were about before they got banned for their spam.<br />
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Here's the take-away... there are various age group divisions. In the 20-something to early 30s, both genders pay the same, full price. In the late 30s to mid-40s females, early 40s to late 50s men, the men are offered a 50% discount.<br />
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That is how bleak it is.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-87590807998918274952012-11-14T22:10:00.003-08:002013-06-04T03:59:04.285-07:00my new best worst date<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I went on a date a little less than two weeks ago. On the date my date met someone, someone who was listening in on our conversation and then sat down at our table. They are now living together. <br />
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I am still waiting for my dating karma to change.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-71608233150007979022012-11-04T11:27:00.003-08:002012-11-04T11:27:51.316-08:00Lend me your fairy tale... or rather DON'T!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every country I go to I try to buy children's fairy tales from that region. I have a hard time in the past but have usually been successful. Never before have I experienced what I did today...<br />
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I'm in Dubai for a short while. I had a touristy evening last night and have a few days consumed with school stuff. Today, however, I went to the mall adjoining my hotel and went on a book hunt. I succeeded in finding a solid little English language bookstore. Not super shocking since every speaks English here and I'm both in an expat community and in a hotel complex, but nevertheless I was quite pleased with it.<br />
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I started my hunt for the kids books and found a huge selection and a ton of fairy tale options. After working my way through Hansel and Gretel type stuff I found the local fables... and I choked. Literally. These are not pretty kids stories, they're gruesome fables with mature themes and horrible endings. I read book after book after book.... then I found the Islamic story book for kids (the title was something like that, I don't mean there's only one) and I was horrified - and then I thought about the Old Testament's stories and put things in a bigger perspective.<br />
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The local fables deal with death, suicide attempts, murder, thieves, starvation, and punishment. They were not stories I would ever tell a child, ever. I could see the religious overtones coming through without necessarily being able to identify which religion it was - just old, style, heavy handed fear of God rammed down your throat type of stuff... not even fear of God, just FEAR of doing something WRONG.<br />
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I bought some really gentle books for my nephews and a little girl who doesn't yet appreciate that she has an extra aunt on the other side of the world and then picked out one of these books to share with my Mom. I'm not going to detail any of the stories in that one but I'll give you a summary of a story I thought was HORRIBLE!<br />
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In the jungle a rabbit wanted to get to the other side of the river. The lion offered him a ride but he was scared the lion would eat him so he went to his friends to ask advice. They said don't worry. The lion is trustworthy and he won't eat you. The rabbit was still scared so his friends said again, don't worry, we'll even join you. The rabbit took a ride from the lion and made it safely to the other side. When he climbed off and sighed with relief then all of his friends jumped on him and kicked him and hit him until he was dead and then they ate him.<br />
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Moral - don't always listen to your so called friends - you'll be better off when you think for yourself.<br />
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SERIOUSLY?!?!?</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-52294411092743875882012-09-15T01:05:00.000-07:002012-11-09T14:10:07.897-08:00summertime summary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you know, I spent three months on crutches. During that time my kid went back to the US for her annual summer visit. I was scheduled to follow her out a month later and then we'd return together.<br />
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Not what happened. I got off crutches, went to a wedding in southern Moravia, was mistaken for a prostitute by a rather dirty nearly toothless man in a car who followed me while I walked to the wedding brunch, went to graduation, went on a weekend trip to Slapy, and then, just before I was to fly to the US for a pleasant summer holiday, the kid called to let me know she'd decided to stay.<br />
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So I packed an extra suitcase and moved over some of her favorite things. While I was there it wasn't so easy. There was an underlying level of tension in the air and a lot of preoccupation which made it hard to connect to the people I love most. Another family member was in failing health and that caused a great level of totally understandable stress. After three weeks, the chance to see my siblings and nephews and some friends, and celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday I returned.<br />
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And then I had to start adjusting to being alone, not waiting for the kid to come back, but truly being alone for the first time in my adult life. Temporarily I have someone staying in her room, but that's truly temporarily. The cat is still here.<br />
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And now, just over a month after my return. I've had a family member pass away. This isn't the moment in which I'll pay tribute to him, but rather the moment in which I'm updating the events in my life. It wasn't sudden, he was in ill health for a long period of time and deteriorated while I was visiting. It doesn't make the loss of his physical being any less. It hurts. And it hurts knowing that I"m not present to be part of my family at this moment. I'm not able to share in the joy and the love and memories that are free flowing as he gave all of us so much and so many. And I'm not there to sit with my mom or my daughter or my grandma. I'm here, alone, and crying.<br />
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The last few months have been a bit of a rollercoaster. The time spent on crutches brought an underlying injury to my arms and hands to the forefront and I'm dealing with ongoing pain and required medication. Getting blindsided by the kid, adjusting my life and mentality to the empty nest and now the loss of a loved one. I've taken a bit of a break from a lot of things. This post doesn't necessarily mean I've returned, but in case it's a while longer before I write again... well, now you know what's going on.<br />
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I hope you are all happy and healthy. And maybe you can sit down and write or call someone you love but don't see very often. Make sure the people you love don't just know it on an inner level but are aware of it on an ongoing basis.<br />
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I forgot - due to a rash of deaths this week from methanol poisoning the Czech government has suspended sales of all hard alcohol - anything over 20%. In respects to liquor this country is dry until the government can identify the source and destroy all of the poisonous alcohol. People have bought it in stores and restaurants across the country and so far 20 people have died and an unknown number have been blinded and otherwise seriously injured. There are a number of people here in an uproar about this "prohibition" and deprivation of alcohol. I think that's an ignorant and shortsighted stance. The government is going shop to shop, bar to bar and restaurant to restaurant to make sure that what is available isn't going to kill the consumer. Then it, the suspension of sales, will be over. Chill out.</div>
could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-47486798721298259882012-06-13T07:31:00.001-07:002012-06-13T07:31:16.990-07:00Not truly notable news - sex, sexism and sports in reverse orderThere were two articles released in the news today that are the kinds of articles that make you pause and ponder - what in the world is going on?!?<br />
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The first article covered an employer's guide to Euro Cup 2012. This is basically an HR guide covering:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>how to handle an expected increase in absenteeism </li>
<li>what to do when you're given false medical certificates (something I have experiences with now)</li>
<li>how to handle it when your employees come back from that extra, extra long lunch break drunk</li>
<li>how to how to accomodate your employees' viewing hours by creating flexi-hours</li>
<li>potential charges of sexism, nationalism or other discriminatory issues that may be raised by those uninterested in football (this I found a little sexist - I like football and watch more than some men I know... does this mean the flexi hours are only meant for male Euro Cup viewers?)</li>
<li>what to do when your suit and tie guys engage in football hooliganism.</li>
<li>how to handle the betting pool</li>
</ul>
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The second was an article about a primary school principal who was just fired after his S&M porn star past came to light. What a doofus.</div>
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But that leads me to some statistics that may be more horrifying than interesting - ok, statistic singular. I don't think I'm jumping leaps and bounds if I say, <i>generally speaking, </i>that European women have a different attitude towards nudity, sex and sexuality than Americans (I'm going to lump UK in with America on this one). And this region of the world sex and sexuality are even less... taboo isn't the right word, more of a non-issue? I don't know what I'm looking for exactly but the approach is more relaxed. Anyway, here's that statistic - approximately (that's a strong start for a statistic, but...) approximately 20% of Czech women have appeared in pornographic material - or at least material that by more American standards would be viewed as pornographic. A number of ads that are printed here would violate American standards for commercial publication. But that's the percentage. I heard it from someone involved with research in the industry who is not prone to over-inflate his figures. That's pretty high.</div>
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And leads directly to the billboard we saw on the way to the airport this AM - picture this... dawn rising, a peaceful taxi drive on a highway surrounded by the lush green of a country-side landscape and a billboard appears.... it's a close-up on a business woman - no, not the woman, on her bust. She's wearing a suit - and... ok, wait, it's a suit jacket and a bra, a push-up bra. That's it. It's a giant billboard of some woman's boobs. And the tagline? <b>Boost your business</b><br />
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Here's a<a href="http://www.expats.cz/prague/article/czech-culture/sexism-in-czech-advertising/"> link to an article</a> I'd thought I'd linked to earlier but apparently hadn't. It doesn't showcase the billboard we saw today but it definitely will give you a taste for the more outlandish and overtly sexualized advertisements that are displayed here. </div>
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<br />could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-599996902751047122012-06-11T11:03:00.001-07:002012-06-11T11:03:56.558-07:00Technically correct - not always the best choiceIt's been a few months and I'm still dealing with the knee issue. Had my second appointment with the orthopedist today. Last week's was a treasure. He did a less than cursory (it is possible) interview and told me to take off my pants, walk around and then and lie down. I did. He started feeling around my knee and leg and then said he was going to give me a shot. I don't like needles and would prefer to avoid them unless absolutely necessary. So I asked what type of shot - I was already on medication and wanted to 1) make sure it wasn't duplicated, and 2) see if a pill could be substituted instead. He turned to me and said I didn't have to have it if I didn't want it, never mind. He was a bit snippy. I was uncomfortable and I still didn't know what he wanted to give me. I forgot that doctors here aren't used to as many questions. Then he told me not to walk, lose the brace, elevate my leg and keep ice on it. He sent me out to schedule another appointment.<br />
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Today was my follow up. He seemed in a slightly better mood. I got to keep my pants on. We were off to a good start. He felt around a bit and it hurt. He felt around some more and it hurt more. Then he told me that there's too much fluid and he wants to test it. Here's the technically correct part that totally freaked me out - the way he said it. <b>"I am going to puncture your knee."</b> <br />
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Puncture in the same sentence as any body part will never sound good. You don't say 'I'm going to puncture my ears tomorrow', you say 'I'm going to pierce them.' You get blood drawn or you get a blood test you don't puncture your arteries. Dog bites leave puncture wounds, drug addicts have puncture marks, to test for meningitis our MS you get a lumbar puncture (yes, technically it refers to a region of the body but it's not such a body-part sounding word, lumbar, that is)... none of those are lovely sounding things. And it's not fun when you puncture your tire either.<br />
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Anyway, the use of the word puncture in relation to my knee freaked me out. But, it's going to happen - it just didn't happen today.<br />
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One more note - and actually, I really like this hospital, even though the staff often sends me to the wrong places and, unlike their advertisements, the nurses and intake people don't all speak English - I've gotten lost there a few times. With directions like "Follow the white line" it's totally understandable.<br />
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<br />could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-43827486527481019692012-06-01T17:38:00.001-07:002012-06-01T17:38:17.687-07:00things to look forward to - or to skipPretty soon I will write a bit about...<br />
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DATING as a foreigner. FYI it can suck.<br />
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And that's not just my opinion. Details to follow when I'm in a less cynical mood :)<br />
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And, yes input is accepted. As are flowers and other romantic gestures.<br />
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(That input isn't to be your advice or views addressing <i>my</i> situation but rather it should be a sharing based upon <i>your experiences </i>dating as a foreigner.)could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4503788206216321596.post-25082757337572471932012-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:002012-06-01T17:28:12.024-07:00a little midnight anxietyIt's not keeping me up, I'm awake already, but my knee and potential surgery are kind of freaking me out right now. I'm starting to realize that I'll be here alone. And the hospitals here are clean but not friendly - 8 - 10 people per room, no dividing curtains, no sensitive caring nurses (nurses galore, just not sweet ones), I won't have any family around, I'm terrified of needles - and I have a very real and rather firmly entrenched fear of pain. Not just a dislike of pain, as is most common, but an actual fear of experiencing pain. After many years of a pain condition it's become ingrained in me - not knowing when it will stop increasing in intensity - being fearful that it won't; when, if ever, it will end; how to make it stop without screwing up my brain or the rest of my body... stuff like that. I'm realizing that this will be a very lonely and isolating experience. Right now I don't even know if I'll be having surgery in my "home" town or a few hours away - honestly, though, it won't matter when it comes to company. When I had major surgery in the US I was about an hour away from my house and the only person I saw was my husband. I was there for a week. I'll be in hospital for about a week here, too, but I'm no longer married so I can't count on that. And the hospital is in the outskirts of the city, in a rather isolated and difficult to reach location. I honestly don't expect anyone will make it out there. The kid will already be back in the US so that's a no-go. Even if she weren't I wouldn't necessarily want her to come see me and stress out about stitches and tubes and stuff like that. Kids don't want to see their parents out of it. On the plus side, I will have competent care. I will be able to walk freely in a few months and I will be able to pay for it without having to worry about going in to debt. Maybe I'll get some new pajamas for the thing. You don't get much here, not even a real gown. When my friend broke his head and spent a week in the hospital he was in his underwear until I brought him some clothes - and the half dozen men in his room were either naked under the blankets or naked under the hospital gown - and let me tell you.... it's not just in the US that the gowns aren't made to fit. I believe that design flaw is global.could you pass the peace pleasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08181169935167645375noreply@blogger.com0