The Past Few Weeks

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur, but I'm going to try to post a bit about them, if nothing else to help chronicle my time in Prague.

Right after my last post, I left Prague for Munich to see Greg do his thesis presentation.  I arrived in Munich Monday night, (dec. 3rd), and promptly got lost.  Greg was still at the lab putting final touches on his presentation when my bus got in and first I got confused trying to buy an S-Bahn (metro) ticket to get to his place.  After studying the machine for about 10 minutes, a very nice man came over and helped me.  I was pointed in the right direction and made it to the stop near Greg's apartment without much trouble.  When I came out of the metro though.... totally lost.  It was freezing cold (literally) and icy out and my vision at night is particularly bad so I was having a hard time reading street signs and also had all my bags.  Needless to say I got really lost and Greg had to come find me at a bus stop somewhere.  Fail.

We got back to Greg's and ate dinner and went to sleep b/c he had to be back at the lab early.  THe next morning he was up and away and I took my time napping and then picking up bagels for us and heading to the lab to see his presentation.  I think it went really well and I was excited to see a bit more of what he does (researching a new way to make thin film solar cells) and where he works.  I was really proud of him and although he's really self critical, I think overall he was also happy with how it went.  We were at the lab until midafternoon and Greg was really tired, so that night we got take-out from an asian themed place with good stir-fry and hung out and watched movies.

The next day Greg took off work and we slept in all morning and then Greg went shopping so we could have ingredients to cook his flat mates dinner than night.  Then we ate brunch/lunch and bundled up to see the Christmas Markets.  The ones here are much bigger than the ones in Prague, but also much more expensive.  I didn't buy anything, but we wandered through 2 different ones and I insisted on looking at every booth.  Greg also bought us some "flame bread" (that's the english translation) which is thin bread baked over a fire with various toppings.  We got ours with potatoes and cheese and it was SO GOOD.  I love me some potatoes.  And bread.  And cheese. mmmm.  We also got spiced cider/punch (for me) and mulled wine (for Greg).  We returned to the flat after the markets to make dinner for Greg's roomies.  He'd been working so hard on his presentation that he hadnt been around the flat much and he wanted to do something nice.  We made carrot-ginger soup, a big salad, and homemade bread.  It all turned out really well if I do say so myself and everyone ate 2 helpings.

The next day Greg had to work.  I slept in again and then went to the store and bought a bunch on ingredients to make chili.  I knew Greg still had to finish the written version of his thesis to turn in and that it'd be back to frozen dinners and take out so I made a big pot of chili and another loaf of bread to last him for a few meals.  Then I packed and headed to the bus station.  I got into Prague late that night (Thursday) and headed to bed since I had to work the next day.  It was bitterly cold when I arrived back (though to be fair, it'd been pretty cold in Munich, too) so I wasn't too excited about work.

The next day was frigid.  The high was only 25 F. The next day was just as cold and I was supposed to go out for SantaCon (a big pub crawl done in lots of cities around the world where everyone dresses us in Santa themed clothing) but it was just to frigid for me to think about spending time outside caroling and walking from bar to bar.  Tamela agreed so we called her boyfriend, Al, and all decided to eat at Da Clara... my favorite restaurant in Prague and less than a block from my apartment.  It was amazing (as always) and the duck ragu I had was just unreal... though still not quite as phenomenal as the tuna steak that Greg and I ate there.  After dinner we headed to a cocktail bar also about a block from the apartment and I had a "foamy bellini" which is simply prosecco topped with peach foam.... so good.  We got dessert after that and called it a night.

That Sunday was again FREEZING and I only left my apartment to go grocery shopping.  It was snowing hard, and sticking, so the walk down the hill t the store was treacherous, but admittedly beautiful.  

The next day we took the kids sledding at school which was fun, but SO cold.  I went sledding with them and got SOAKED but I'll admit, it's pretty fun.  The next day, Tuesday, is the day I have to be at school early, so I headed out around 6:15AM to the bus.  I caught the first bus, then the second, and got to Opatov to catch the third and final bus which stops at the school.  I was there around 6:50 and a bus comes at 7:00, though it's often a few minutes late.  That Tuesday, when it was 17 degrees and FREEZING out... it just never came.  I waited for 35 minutes in the snow and cold until the next bus came.  Needless to say, I was a shivering mess all day.

The rest of the week flew by and before I knew it, it was Friday, time for the staff Christmas party and a meeting with my landlord.  My landlord, who was in town from Austria, is SO NICE.  He bought me a lamp and a duvet cover and has gone out of his way to make sure Tamela and I like the apartment (which I do!).  I got the form I needed from him to change my address registration for my Visa and then he and his son (5 and adorable) left.  By that time, it was getting close to time to leave for the staff Christmas party (which was on a boat that was pushing off at a set time) and I hadnt changed or showered and I had a really bad headache and a friend arriving into Prague around 10PM that night.  I decided to skip the party so I didnt have to rush around and end up feeling worse.

I met up with Roashan, a friend from Penn, around 10ish and we headed back to my place to drop his stuff off and let him change.  He was in Switzerland for work earlier that day and decided to hop over to Prague to see me for the weekend before flying back to the states.  We dropped his stuff off and then headed to a club called Nebe.  I got us lost (surprise, surprise) but in my (slight) defense, there are 3 different Nebe locations and I was simply going to the wrong one.  Anyway, by the time we got to the club, all my friends were WAY ahead of us drinking wise and the coat check was full.  I kind of wanted to stay but I knew I'd end up trying to take care of friends and not able to dance b/c i'd be carrying by coat.  Tamela and Al were heading out so we left with them and grabbed a drink at a bar and then just called it a night.  We decided to cab it home because it was SO cold, and the guy didnt know or couldn't understand me when I gave him my address.  I told him "Slovinska" which is the bus stop right next to my apartment... turns out it's also a road not anywhere close to my apartment.  Communicating that wasn't easy and it turned into a very expensive cab ride.  Remind me to just type my address into my phone and show it to the drive next time.  :(

The next day we'd planned to get up and get brunch, see sites, etc, but Roashan slept until after 2, so that didn't happen.  When he did get up and we finally headed out, we just ate an early dinner and then checked out the Christmas market in Old Town Square, which is really, really gorgeous.  After that, we headed bad and relaxed a bit before going to the cocktail bar down the street.  The Slovakian bartender took a liking to us and kept offering us a taste of this and that on the house, and made my drink a double on the house.  I only paid for two drinks but I left feeling like I'd had about 5... too many.  All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed, but Roashan really wanted to check out a club so we went to a gay club where my former roommate was having his birthday party.... it was oddly sparsely populated and I was tired and cold and grumpy.  I'm afraid I was a bit of a downer and just sat in the corner and tried to stay away from all the smoke while Roashan had a drink and made a few rounds.  I feel pretty bad that I didn't show Roashan a better time in Prague b/c the club scene is really amazing, but it was definitely a miss.

The next morning we got up and I took Roashan to the bus stop to go to the airport and waited until he was on it.  Then I headed by the thrift store (I had a 100czk gift card) and picked up a few books and a gift for the white elephant gift exchange Tamela and I were hosting that night.  It was a small get together but a fun time- Carrie, Lauren, Will, me, Tamela and Al all sat around and drank champagne and ate chinese food (odd combo, I know) and exchanged gifts and just laughed A LOT.  It was a blast.

Monday at school went by quickly, but that evening, Tamela and I had an "encounter" with our downstairs neighbor, who we'd never met.  She came up to complain about all the noise we've been making, a "wild" party last month (Thanksgiving), stomping "like hippopotamuses", slamming doors, etc.  Tamela and I were (and are) a bit confused because we certainly feel like we walk normally, we never purposed slam doors (though occasionally the laundry room door slams, we never do laundry after 10PM as per apartment rules and it's not a regular occurrence).  Anyway, she basically said we are really disruptive and threatened to call our landlord, to which I told her he'd been over about 3 nights before and by all means, she should call him.  I told her nicely, and also told her we would make an effort to be more careful, but that was mostly to placate her since she kept saying how she wished we would "keep her and her poor family in mind as we stomp around making so much noise for such young ladies."  The whole thing was a little absurd.  We live in an old building and the floor supports aren't great, we hear the people above us as well... it's just the way it is when you live in an apartment building... especially a really old one.  We also nicely but firmly told her we will be hosting more dinner parties but will be careful to stick to quiet hour rules.  When she left, I called our landlord who said we'd handled it fine and while we should be nice, we should always feel comfortable living in the space we are paying for (within reason) and that from meeting us both it seems like we do.

Tuesday was a long, long day at work (got there at 7:15AM and left at 5:30PM and of those 10 hours and 15 minutes, 8 of them were contact hours with kids... brutal).  After work though, was a blast.  I ran home and dropped off my stuff and then headed to a restaurant we'd never tried with Katy, Tamela, Gill, and Lauren.  The food was really wonderful (good find, Katy!) and we were all very pleased.  After that, Gill split off and the rest of us went to go see a movie that was part of a film festival called Beasts of the Southern Wild.  You can watch a trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF7i2n5NXLo  It's a beautiful film, sad and thought provoking and wonderfully done.  I really enjoyed it.

Wednesday was another long day at work.  When I left, I wanted nothing more than to go home and get some laundry done so I'd be ready to pack Thursday and leave Prague on Friday (we don't have a drier so clothes need at least 24 hours to dry before packing or wearing).  I also wanted a shower and a big glass of water and to make dinner.  When I walked up to our apartment, a guy walked out that I didnt recognize.  I assumed Tamela knew him but still asked if I could help him.  He said in somewhat broken english that he was "helping with the water."  I walked inside to discover that Tamela had been home with a stomach bug all day and that our apartment had no water.  Worst. Combination. Ever.  The man was a neighbor who called a plumber for us and also checked with others in the building to discover they also hadnt had water earlier in the day but that theirs had all come back on within an hour or two.  He called a plumber for us, who showed up about 2 minutes after the water came back on... I had a hard time communicating that the water was back on b/c he didnt speak english and the only relevant czech words I know are "good" and "water".  I just kept saying "water good.  water good."  The man left a bit irritated- probably b/c he came out after hours and then didnt even get paid :(

Thursday was our class party.  I did NOT expect so many nice gifts from kids/parents, but Nikola and I both got jewelry, ornaments, a plant, nice soaps, cookies, a gorgeous ceramic christmas tree, and more. The party was really stressful, but mostly fun.  The fire alarm went off in the middle of it though... we had 11 two year olds all with parents who were just trying to pick them up and take them but we also needed to get a count of everyone.  It was chaos.  Still, I think the kids mostly had fun.  They ate way too much sugar and were little hellions for the rest of the day though.

Yesterday (Friday) I finally finished my last day before Christmas and headed to Munich.  I woke up this morning with an upset stomach.... bug or stress or something I ate.  It's not been too terrible but I've been in bed sleeping pretty much all day and trying to feel better before I get on an 11 hour flight tomorrow.  I THINK Greg is coming back to the states as well so with any luck we'll both get on the flight and maybe even get seats together.

I've been a bit homesick and Prague has lost a bit of it's luster with me being sick constantly, the cold, and the corruption and "Czech tricks" as a lot of the expats call them.  That's not to say lots of Czechs arent amazing and wonderful, but overall.... I'm seeing that under the Western front the city tries to show... it's still a very Eastern European city.

Can't wait until HOME!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Markets

It always seems to me that life gets busy and I get TERRIBLE about updating my blog- but this weekend I've had time to catch up so you can settle in for a nice, long post.

The Monday after moving I had a check-up with the ENT doctor.  I was still sick-ish, but starting to feel very slightly better- so he cleared me and sent me on my way.  Of course, the next morning, I woke up fever-ish and sick again.  It was the same sort of thing, but more flu like and less cold like.... body aches and really, really weak, upset tummy, congested, headache, sore throat.... really the whole nine-yards.  On Wednesday, I pretty much completely lost my voice to the point that I could only whisper.  On Thursday (Thanksgiving), we had a class presentation for parents where all the parents come in to watch a presentation of what we've learned so far.  I teach 2-3 year olds... so we really just sang songs and hoped that the kids wouldn't be too intimidated by having an audience to actually sing.  They did great, but I still didn't have much of a voice and my fever spiked up.... at one point I had to leave to go sit outside because I started feeling really dizzy.  I was really proud of my kids, but it wasn't the easiest morning to get through with having to be professional and really upbeat while talking to parents when I felt awful.

After the parents all left, it was lunch time.  One boy never wants to eat but I can generally coax him into at least eating most of his meal.  That day, he was putting up a HUGE fight.  I never force him but I was persistant and he finally ate about 5 bites..... which he promptly threw up onto the table.  Needless to say, it wasn't really such a great day and when I got home and talked to Mom and Dad and heard all my family in the background, it's the first time I've been truly homesick while here.  I've missed home, and been a touch homesick here and there, or missed something specific (like when it's freezing outside, I washed both pairs of jeans and they are still damp.... I miss a dryer as I blowdry them to try to help make them not so cold).... but Thanksgiving is the first time I just wanted to go home.  I wanted my Mom and Dad and my bed and my dog and my house.

After I hung up with Mom and Dad, I was talking to Greg and telling him how sick I was and complaining that I couldn't even get comfortable enough to sleep and I didn't have anything to read, and a few minutes later I got an email saying that someone had bought me a book I've been wanting to read and it had been automatically delivered to my Kindle.  Sometimes the point to which he understands me and knows how to cheer me up is a little unbelievable, but it made me feel like someone was really watching out for me and wanted to make sure I was okay even though I was sick and homesick.

The next day I felt slightly better, but I was starting to get really nervous about the Thanksgiving dinner that Tamela and I were hosting on Saturday.  Tamela had said she was sous-chef and this was my thing, and I was starting to realize that not only had I never cooked Thanksgiving dinner, I'd also never cooked for 20 people before.  Friday evening, Tamela and I were supposed to go shopping for groceries and do some prep work (roasting garlic, baking pies, prepping stuffing) so when she got home around 6:30, we sat down, reviewed the grocery list, and then I was ready to head out.  I didn't feel great and I wasn't super excited about going out in the cold, I was also hoping to get to bed early-ish, so I was getting irritated when Tamela kept puttering around the apartment and I couldn't get her out the door.  First she wanted to eat, then her boyfriend called, then she did some dishes.  When I finally heard her putting her coat on, I was relieved and came out of my room so we could leave.  It was around 8PM at this point so I was really itching to get the shopping done.  When I came out, Tamela was taking the trash out and said she wasn't ready to go yet.  I suggested we just head out and take the trash out on our way but Tamela said, "I'm weird about trash... and I think i need some air!" and practically ran out of the apartment.

By this point, I was really frustrated so I took a deep breath and went back to my room.  When I heard Tamela come back in, I didn't bother getting up to go see if she was ready to go, resigned to going whenever she decided she was ready.  I was sitting on my bed being a bit mopey when I heard someone in my doorway- I looked up and Greg was standing there.  All I could say is "What are you doing here?!" about 50 times.  He had told Tamela he was coming and so she had been stalling so we were at the apartment when he arrived.  I had NO IDEA he was planning to show up but he said I'd just been sick and homesick and stressed about Thanksgiving and he just wanted to check on me and take care of me for the weekend.  It was a wonderful surprise and I was crazy excited.  Tamela sent us off to the store and we stocked up and then returned home to do some cooking... only to realize we didn't have a can opener and therefore couldn't make any of the things we had planned.

We got up the next morning and immediately started on the first of two turkeys.  Neither Greg nor I have ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal, so getting the turkey in the oven was a little intimidating but as soon as we got it in, we ran back to the store for a can opener.  Then we can back and made the fruit salad and started prepping other things that needed to go in the oven once the first turkey came out (including stuffing, sweet potatoes, pies and the other turkey).  The meal took the ENTIRE day to prep and cook- Greg nor I ever left the kitchen.  Finally, we left Tamela in charge of setting up the apartment and cleaning a bit and we went to get ready for guests.  By the time everyone arrived, I was exhausted and not feeling very good, so I wasn't very social.  I stayed in the kitchen and nibbled on turkey and baked pies and helped serve people when they came in for seconds from the living room.

I do not think I could have survived the day (and I KNOW all the food would not have gotten done) without Greg there.  He is presenting a year's worth of research in 2 days... so about a week and 2 days before that he made time to come see me just b/c he felt like I could really use it.  I can't even begin to communicate what a good feeling it is to know that that support is there.

Greg left Sunday morning to head back to Munich and I've spent the past week trying to get better and exploring various Christmas markets.  Thursday after work I headed to the markets for the first time and bought all sorts of gifts for the family.  The markets are all decorated and there are lights and trees and the whole place smells of cinnamon and mulled wine.  On Friday night I headed back to the markets and then, deciding I still hadn't had enough, I took a long walk on Saturday (yesterday), through my neighborhood and then straight west all the way to some of the markets.  I keep stopping at one booth to buy more of the same thing and the lady now knows me.... I should probably stop spending money-- I bet she loves to see me coming.

I've had a quiet day today- laundry, cleaning, some writing, watched a Christmas movie, etc.  I'm about to go pack now.  I leave for Munich tomorrow to go see Greg's research presentation.  There will be more markets there so I will let you all know how they compare :)