I do like scary movies, actually.

I think watching the first three Scream movies back to back last night might be more unhealthy than all the junk food we ate.  But still, it was fun.  Especially since we'd all seen them and yelled things at the screen the whole time.  Oh, the 90's. 

Friday was a friend's 4 year anniversary party.  She's one of those that came here after college and hasn't left yet.  But she just finished her masters and says there might not be a 5th.  Hence the party.  It was supposed to be outside but unfortunately it was raining and we had to go indoors.  It was still fun, we paid for a buffet (which wasn't very good so a friend and I stole some bread on the way out).  Then we all went to Sedm Vlku, one of my favorite places here.  Hadn't been there since my birthday!  A lot of people wound up crashing at her place since it was closest.  One of those fun mornings here where you order pizza for breakfast with 6 other nationalities and don't leave the house until 3pm.

Tonight is my friend's "World Premier" of his expats film.  All the people interviewed in it (and more) are going to go over and watch it.  Should be fun but I know everybody is nervous about hearing and seeing themselves talk.  I'm excited about it though. 

Abba a Qveen!

I've been to a Czech hockey game.  I've seen some sweet live music here.  I ride the tram everyday.  But little entertainment could compare to being part of a live studio audience at Cesko Slovenska Superstar.  Prague's version of American Idol.  We went on a good night too.  Each contestant sang one song from ABBA and one from Queen.  And they dressed up accordingly.  Actually a pretty big and professional production.  Lots of fans with signs, lots of cameras moving around and setup.  We couldn't understand the judges reviews of course, but it was still fun to hear them singing songs we knew (or some, I don't know a lot of ABBA.)  There were several times where my friend and I would turn to one another slowly with a disbelieving look on our face.  Then tried not to giggle hysterically.  I have lots of moments here where I think "If you had told me a year ago that I would now be..." and this was definitely one of them.  Here's a sample:



Saturday I went to the zoo, which was very cool!  It was pretty hot but there was lots of shade and benches and ice cream to be had.  Not a lot of English heard, mostly Czech families which was also cool.  Got some Czech Mex and drinks with friends.  Stole lots of new music to get through too.   ....Too much Nick Cave to handle right now.  Watched the new Doctor Who.  Watched "I Love You, Phillip Morris".  Tried to read more of the non-fiction I'm currently toting around town.  Failed.  Played with a new friends' dog.  Lately I've been getting the Sunday Evening Blues where I'm bummed the weekend is ending and I have to go to work the next day.  But then actaully getting up and going to work isn't as bad as anticipating it.  I enjoy most classes and when you have a good one it feels really good afterwords.  Just have to get over that Sunday bump.

(And yes, it's spelled "Qveen" because that's how it sounds with a Czech accent and it's amusing.)

It's my birthday too now.

Cheers to the best 25 years the planet has seen!  And cheers to my esteemed gentleman friend (among others) throwing a semi-surprise bash for me!

The birthday started at Thursday's music night with the boys.  Right after midnight The Boy pulled two tickets out of his wallet.  To a cool concert?  Nope, even better; Cesko Slovenska Superstar.  Which is apparently the equivalent to American Idol here.  One of his students gave them to him.  It'll either be the best or worst thing ever.  I'm excited.

Friday I was told to go to the boy's place around three.  Shortly after I arrived his roommate B showed up with flowers in one hand and a leash on the end of a huge muscular Amstaff in the other.  Pretty much every time I see a dog I name the breed or want to pet it or just say "awww!".  B has been here a few years and Boy asked B if she knew anybody with a dog.  I don't think he expected her to bring a beast of solid muscle that came with an entire page of instructions.  Ekko is really sweet and loving and adorable.  With people.  But he kind of wants to kill any other boy dog he sees.  And he was ours for the day!  Not only did he come with instructions, he came with a muzzle so no worries.  We walked him around and let him roll in the grass and dug our heels into the pavement whenever we saw another dog he didn't like the look of.  I think Boy thought he'd bombed when he knew we weren't going to be able to realy play or take him to any parks (this is Prague, everybody has a dog, and most are stupidly off-leash).  But I had a lot of fun.  It was hot anyway and Ekko seemed a little confused about who we were and where his daddy was, so we took him home after a while and just played with him in the flat.  He knows B and relaxed more there.   

Part 3 of the birthday fun was going up to Petrin hill which I'd never gotten around to doing before.  I'd mentioned that to Boy and he wanted to take me.  I don't know why I'd never gone but it's beautiful!  There is a train that takes you straight up but we took the hike since it was so nice and pretty.  I didn't know what was going to happen there but I was pretty convinced it was just going to be us, other friends "had plans" or "work" or were "going out of town" or whatev which I was cool with.  However, we turned a corner and took a path and there stood C and J!  And they had booze!  We found a table and a while later B and a few others showed up with Ekko again.  Boy and I went up to the top of the tower which offered a great view of the city.  After that we all got dinner (ate outside since we had a dog but it was nice).  The waiter was completely enamored with him and brought him a bowl of water and asked us if it was okay to give him a bone.  That dog was one happy boy.  He didn't even notice other dogs around with that greasy, meaty thing in front of him. 

Then to a favorite bar in our hood, Zizkov.  Mojitos galore!  P tried to teach me how to say "It's my birthday" in Czech, but I kept saying "It's my I don't understand!"  We all  got pretty sleepy after a while and headed home. 

Great birthday in The Prague!  Had a lazy day and while I should take care of some stuff I kind of want to keep riding the birthday wave tonight.  We'll see if anything happens.

Goddess on a highway. Got us in the car.

6 Month anniversary!!!  Half a year abroad.  It's a big one.  I have friends who have been here for years but this feels like a pretty big deal/acomplishment(?). 

Also, Friday is my birthday!  I was a little miffed because one of my TEFL friends stole my idea and birthday thunder by having a party in the beer garden for her husband.  They got to the day first, fair enough.  However, I needn't worry.  I've been told to be free around 3:00pm on the day.  Don't know what's going on.  Don't know who will be there besides the inviter, (probably not the TEFL group at the other party).  I do know that there won't be ponies.  I asked.  Will report what happens on Saturday....or probably later.

Saw Mercury Rev last night (at a lame club called Roxy).  Apparently they've been around a while and are semi-big.  Never heard of them until music friend shared some with me and then shortly after we saw a poster advertising the concert.  Weird but cool.  I'd tried to listen up on them a bit before the show.  They're not quite my style but I dug songs here and there.  They were really awesome live though.  They had that been-together-a-long-time-well-oiled-machine thing going on.  It was super loud and crazy with the lights.  All of the songs I'd heard softer album versions of were taken up to 11.  They were all full of energy, especially the front man.  Bunch of middle aged dudes still rocking.  There were probably only about 150 people there and we were quite possibly the youngest ones (by not too much).  It was a diverse crowd though, and you could pick out the super-fans.  I thought the band might be put off by the size of the crowd but they gave it their all, seemed to have a great time, and were really gracious and smiley at the end.  Need to listen to more.  Having another music night with the boys tomorrow, excited!

Monday on the way.

The weekend came to a close as I sat on the hill at Riegrovy Sady, drinking a beer, watching the sun set over the city.  With about a million other people, but it was still nice.  I was bummed about how quickly two days went (especially since I don't have many lessons for this week planned yet), but then some dude who had had a few too many lost his balance on the hill and stumbled right into a bush.  People went silent as he lay there motionless.  Then he rolled out, stood up and lifted his arms into the air.  We all cheered.  And with that, I was ready for the coming week.  Oh Prague.

No zoo, but still a satisfactory weekend.  Hung with friends, saw "Source Code" which looked really crappy from the trailer but was actually pretty awesome.  Two for two from Mr. Duncan Jones.  I look forward to more.  Ice cream in a square, explored parts of the city I don't know so well yet, avoided tourists, ate awesome home-made chili, watched the new Doctor Who, played with a dog, and fun watching drunks in the park.  Nice and low key. 

And a very happy mother's day to all those stateside!

Don't leave me hiiiiighhh, don't leave me dryyyyyyy...

All I've been listening to lately is Radiohead.  Namely "The Bends".  I've been here before.  It isn't healthy.  But then again, I learned a lot in the Spring of 2007 when all I listened to was "OK Computer".   (We don't care, Mary.  Talk about Prague.)  Fine. 

What happy days Spring has brought.  It's gotten nice weather-wise again.  It's amazing how different this city is depending on whether it's sunny or not.  There are still things I haven't done and places I haven't been here and I should probably get on that. 

Classes are good, I only have one I really don't like.  Four women who either don't care at all, are too shy to speak much, or really are just morons.  It could be a combination of all three. 

Friends are good.  Had a BBQ last Saturday at a friend's new place.  Made dinner (well, ate a home-made dinner) with another friend last night.  We had won a bottle of wine in Sunday's pub-quiz and had that.  It tasted pretty cheap.  It tasted of victory. 

Going to my flat-cleaning gig for weekend pocket money soon.  Then to Bohemia Bagel with yet another friend.  (So popular!)   I love the food there but hate the people.  It's a big expat place and must be advertised in every university study abroad tour brochure because there's usually hoards of stupid college girls and boys being loud.  But hey, good burgers and an actual fountain drink dispenser! 

The weekend promises excitement of frisbee, badminton*, and beer in the park.  Going to the zoo.  And the recent Sunday tradition of watching Saturday's new episode of Doctor Who. 



*That's how it's spelled?!  Everything I know is wrong. 

(BTW, this is usually the look on my face when listening to Radiohead.   ...Or when I see something appalling and unmentionable happening on the streets here.)

Gonna make a record...

Prague is back to its old, wicked ways of being rainy and cold.  One of my students assured me that it's normal to have a few nasty days in the beginning of May.  The little weather thing on my desktop says it should be warmer by the end of the week.  Soon the warm hooded winter coat will go back from whence it came.  ...Well, probably not the trift-store just yet, I'll hold onto it for a while just in case. 

Most of my current classes will be coming to an end in the first week of June.  I've picked up a couple during the summer and will probably get more.  Will also keep cleaning the expat-flat for extra cash and hopefully get some private students.  Things tend to dry up in the summer teaching-wise.  Time for extra curricular activities, but tighter on cash. 

I have possible summer plans of going to Austria for a concert, England for a friend's home-visit, and Amsterdam for....god knows what.  I still need to go pick up my visa (and hopefully they'll give it to me) in Vienna.  I want to make sure I have everything sorted out before going though.  I also don't want to go or think about it much before my birthday rolls around in a couple of weeks.  Which I'm really really excited about for some reason.  It's on a Friday and if the weather is nice I'm just going to invite everybody to the beer garden to hang out.  Should be fun to turn 25 in Prague.  :)

Here have more Arcade Fire to celebrate the new month.  I have high hopes for you, May.