No, not me... the people on the street today.
Actually, they were Unicef workers, finishing up their shift. As we stood at the tram stop they all decided to change. So guys yanked their shirts overhead and then fussed with their t-shirts buried deep in the bag... and girls kept their shirt cover their chest as they shrugged it off, overhead and through the armholes, their new t-shirt quickly in place - it was only a moment, a quick flash, but quite brazen nonetheless. Especially as right next to me was a police officer with a roaming, watchful eye.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
mail call!
As you know I moved recently... as I've recently discovered - the mail-delivery person doesn't care to deliver my mail. So, please if you have a note or postcard or pictures or package or whatever - send it to my school address - contact me for that - cause otherwise it may take many months before your mailing surfaces... back at your home!
AND if you're a local - what in the world do I have to do to get them to deliver my mail??? My name is on the box - but the box remains empty and I have been told that mailings sent to me, here, have been returned. WHY???
AND if you're a local - what in the world do I have to do to get them to deliver my mail??? My name is on the box - but the box remains empty and I have been told that mailings sent to me, here, have been returned. WHY???
Thursday, July 9, 2009
those super sneaky ticket checkers
I got checked today - hasn't happened in a while, and grateful I took the time earlier this week to renew my ticket after riding around for a few days with an expired pass...
(poor planning on my part - didn't realize there were a series of holidays and the ticket office was closed).
HOWEVER - those ticket guys are super sneaky!!!
He was dressed like a tourist - this old guy with sun glasses on his head, and one of those "I AM A TOURIST vests - 600 pockets and zippers galore... he even had an English language PRAGUE laminated foldable map sticking out of his pocket.... super, super sneaky!!!
So - watch out... cause they're totally in disguise!
(poor planning on my part - didn't realize there were a series of holidays and the ticket office was closed).
HOWEVER - those ticket guys are super sneaky!!!
He was dressed like a tourist - this old guy with sun glasses on his head, and one of those "I AM A TOURIST vests - 600 pockets and zippers galore... he even had an English language PRAGUE laminated foldable map sticking out of his pocket.... super, super sneaky!!!
So - watch out... cause they're totally in disguise!
Friday, July 3, 2009
1st catch-up attempt for you US-ians
so, i've been totally neglectful this past month... rather busy, missing coral, tryin to find my groove without the kid - don't really like that part of life :(
BUT here's a bit, a brief overview:
Back at the end of May I started and finished writing course through school - we attended the international writing festival here in Prague and the opening of Entropa (please goggle Entropa after you read this if you don't already know about it - it's crazy huge! like 4 stories or something!!) This course presented me a new challenge that had nothing to do with the curriculum or the events we attended - a very friendly acquaintence (we've shared quite a few conversations and have go to tea a few times after class... and this was our 3rd term together) apparently is fiercely anti-american... HATES americans and everything related to America... and is quite generally unhappy at the moment. Her emotional state and intense emotions were rather over-powering and difficult to take when seated next to her in a four-person class where we present and critique our writing.
Coral left and that was a bit of unhappiness for both of us.
I started a new course in intercultural communication - at first i was a bit resistant to the generalizations but am now seeing the truth in so much... and am trying to adapt my form of communication across cultural divides to increase my odds in my attempt to convey to my partner what it is that I mean in the context in which I mean it... I can try to explain later if you really care about it....
Made it to a few more couchsurfing events where I continue to have a great time and meet interesting people, am hosting a few more people which is always interesting. I got caught up in a group of 8 Brazilian travelers - 2 of whom I agreed to host, 1 of whom actually stayed here - across the 2 generations they were all awesome!!
Went to the opera - la Traviata - which was amazing. I can't say enough so I'm not going to say anymore.
My water broke - one morning it came out dark brown - the next morning there wasn't any water.... I have water now.
I moved - my mail is not coming to my new house... not my old mail and not my new mail so if you want to send me something you'll have to use my school address and if you want that ask me for it :)
I've been kind of sick and really really tired for a few weeks - can't seem to get enough sleep even when I stay in and go to bed early... which is really frustrating.
Had a major meeting at work (my univeristy job) and discovered that our Welsh review board is way cool and that the stress I was placed under and the extreme intense energy directed towards me during the prelude to their visit was extremely misguided but not unwarranted - although not for the reasons expected!
My two teachings jobs came to an end. I am really stressed out - I was given a verbal notice from Coral's school that they had made a miscalculation and I owed about 54,000 crowns, which is now down to 25,000-ish but still not at all cool in any remote possible way, especially as my income just ended.... I have gone on two 4 hour job interview type things and am hoping that the third one Monday will not only be much shorter but will also work towards confirming my in a position by the start of the following week.
Lots of celebrities died, there were 2 memorial services back home for women some outstanding well loved women, two of my favorite czech friends each had a grandparent pass, and my brother and his wife welcomed their second child. A cousin was married and another cousin is about to be. A third cousin may stop by for a visit. A high school friend who visited me earlier this year send his Mom over - and I had a nice visit with her Thursday night... I have to meet up with her again as she brought me some chocolate Jello pudding (yum!)
I know there's more, this is sort of the glossy version... but, that's what I offered here. Hope you're great - please let me know - I miss everyone, and today being the 4th of July is making me a bit homesick as that's the last big iconic party thing before I left... and I miss the California summer - this really marks the start for me, which will be followed by our birthdays and my grandparents' birthdays, my Grandma's visit, my sister's birthday.... and more.... things that are part of my idea of summer... over there.
BUT here's a bit, a brief overview:
Back at the end of May I started and finished writing course through school - we attended the international writing festival here in Prague and the opening of Entropa (please goggle Entropa after you read this if you don't already know about it - it's crazy huge! like 4 stories or something!!) This course presented me a new challenge that had nothing to do with the curriculum or the events we attended - a very friendly acquaintence (we've shared quite a few conversations and have go to tea a few times after class... and this was our 3rd term together) apparently is fiercely anti-american... HATES americans and everything related to America... and is quite generally unhappy at the moment. Her emotional state and intense emotions were rather over-powering and difficult to take when seated next to her in a four-person class where we present and critique our writing.
Coral left and that was a bit of unhappiness for both of us.
I started a new course in intercultural communication - at first i was a bit resistant to the generalizations but am now seeing the truth in so much... and am trying to adapt my form of communication across cultural divides to increase my odds in my attempt to convey to my partner what it is that I mean in the context in which I mean it... I can try to explain later if you really care about it....
Made it to a few more couchsurfing events where I continue to have a great time and meet interesting people, am hosting a few more people which is always interesting. I got caught up in a group of 8 Brazilian travelers - 2 of whom I agreed to host, 1 of whom actually stayed here - across the 2 generations they were all awesome!!
Went to the opera - la Traviata - which was amazing. I can't say enough so I'm not going to say anymore.
My water broke - one morning it came out dark brown - the next morning there wasn't any water.... I have water now.
I moved - my mail is not coming to my new house... not my old mail and not my new mail so if you want to send me something you'll have to use my school address and if you want that ask me for it :)
I've been kind of sick and really really tired for a few weeks - can't seem to get enough sleep even when I stay in and go to bed early... which is really frustrating.
Had a major meeting at work (my univeristy job) and discovered that our Welsh review board is way cool and that the stress I was placed under and the extreme intense energy directed towards me during the prelude to their visit was extremely misguided but not unwarranted - although not for the reasons expected!
My two teachings jobs came to an end. I am really stressed out - I was given a verbal notice from Coral's school that they had made a miscalculation and I owed about 54,000 crowns, which is now down to 25,000-ish but still not at all cool in any remote possible way, especially as my income just ended.... I have gone on two 4 hour job interview type things and am hoping that the third one Monday will not only be much shorter but will also work towards confirming my in a position by the start of the following week.
Lots of celebrities died, there were 2 memorial services back home for women some outstanding well loved women, two of my favorite czech friends each had a grandparent pass, and my brother and his wife welcomed their second child. A cousin was married and another cousin is about to be. A third cousin may stop by for a visit. A high school friend who visited me earlier this year send his Mom over - and I had a nice visit with her Thursday night... I have to meet up with her again as she brought me some chocolate Jello pudding (yum!)
I know there's more, this is sort of the glossy version... but, that's what I offered here. Hope you're great - please let me know - I miss everyone, and today being the 4th of July is making me a bit homesick as that's the last big iconic party thing before I left... and I miss the California summer - this really marks the start for me, which will be followed by our birthdays and my grandparents' birthdays, my Grandma's visit, my sister's birthday.... and more.... things that are part of my idea of summer... over there.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
so many midgets ?!?
I don't know why I keep seeing little people here... there are some short people, some average people, some very tall women, and a surprising amount of little people...
I already told you about the guy who was shaped and looked just like a little person but was actually about six feet tall - well last night I had another odd encounter.
I was walking home with a classmate when I realized there was a disturbance on the road up ahead of us. Two police officers were out of their car dealing with two very animated men and there was a large metal object in the street. As we got closer they got louder and I could make out the expression of the female officer. She had stepped away a bit and was turning her head stifling a laugh, while the male officer was up close to a dripping midget who was gesticulating wildly - the officer was making a really foul face while the man yelled at him.
As best as I could make out - somehow the large metal grate had been removed and the little guy had either fallen down the waterway (or in to the sewer) or had gotten stuck while trying to retrieve something that was down there.... there was still something down there that he wanted...
It was gross and stinky.... and his pants were soaking wet and falling down - his companion was also smelly but not dripping.
The whole thing was very, very odd.
I already told you about the guy who was shaped and looked just like a little person but was actually about six feet tall - well last night I had another odd encounter.
I was walking home with a classmate when I realized there was a disturbance on the road up ahead of us. Two police officers were out of their car dealing with two very animated men and there was a large metal object in the street. As we got closer they got louder and I could make out the expression of the female officer. She had stepped away a bit and was turning her head stifling a laugh, while the male officer was up close to a dripping midget who was gesticulating wildly - the officer was making a really foul face while the man yelled at him.
As best as I could make out - somehow the large metal grate had been removed and the little guy had either fallen down the waterway (or in to the sewer) or had gotten stuck while trying to retrieve something that was down there.... there was still something down there that he wanted...
It was gross and stinky.... and his pants were soaking wet and falling down - his companion was also smelly but not dripping.
The whole thing was very, very odd.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
swine flu dominates soco
Apparently this article in my hometown paper had such a crazy statistic that it made it to the Google News homepage.
You can read it if you want, or, for a one line summary:
In my county a minimum of 98% of all cases of the flu are now the swine flu.
Being the good mother that I am I made sure to send my child in to a swine flu center... not really, there are only 25 diagnosed cases and one death in our area, but I think that's about what exists in the entire Czech Republic.
Nice job Jen.
You can read it if you want, or, for a one line summary:
In my county a minimum of 98% of all cases of the flu are now the swine flu.
Being the good mother that I am I made sure to send my child in to a swine flu center... not really, there are only 25 diagnosed cases and one death in our area, but I think that's about what exists in the entire Czech Republic.
Nice job Jen.
room service?
I'm living in a new, furnished flat - sometimes it feels like I'm living in a hotel room... I went through this with our last flat too.
There are moments when I am genuinely confused, usually upon waking or when I'm late returning home, and wonder why the heck the maid didn't pick up.
Even thought I know better I am still waiting.
There are moments when I am genuinely confused, usually upon waking or when I'm late returning home, and wonder why the heck the maid didn't pick up.
Even thought I know better I am still waiting.
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