Santa's on his way to Prague

I am so fascinated with the Santa Tracker. He's starting to hit Eastern Europe now and should find his way to Prague soon.

Kept Man and I have been very christmasy this year. We got the tree. We baked the cookies. We listened to carols and we watched tons of movies. I got in my favorites, Scrooged, It's a Wonderful Life and One Magic Christmas. Plus loads of other silly movies while making christmas cookies.

I've also enjoyed experiencing Christmas in Eastern Europe. The traditions are basically the same but just that little bit different. Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve. And Santa basically is celebrated earlier in the month with St. Nicholas Day. It's all a big jumble to me but still all the thoughts and ideas I'm familiar with are mixed up in there and it's interesting to experience a new version.

It's been fun seeing Prague all decked out for Christmas too. First there is the snow. Then there are the Christmas markets with food stalls, spiced wine, candied nuts, traditional/homemade gifts and randomly singers. Every day when I step off the tram in Andel and start walking home someone is singing on the stage set near all the christmas stalls. And it's not Christmas music they sing. Kept Man asked me if it might be Karaoke as it can be that painful. Once I found myself knowing the melody of a song but not being able to recognize it as the words were in Czech. I realized as I walked home that it was a song from the movie Grease. Trippy.

Kept Man and I exchanged one gift this evening, as is our family tradition. I gave him belgian chocolates. I love watching him eat them. He's always so delighted. And he got me an angel for the top of our tree.

I've been saying for weeks that I want an ornament. I like to get one every year to remember the holiday by. You'll notice that our Angel is holding a fish.

It's very traditional in Eastern Europe to eat carp for dinner Christmas Eve. Why I haven't really been able to find out. Something about luck. Carp have been everywhere the last few days.

All of a sudden kiddy pools showed up on street corners full of fish and people buy them and have them butchered right there. On the wholes it's pretty messy. Apparently some people take the fish home alive and put it in the bathtub until Christmas Eve. Although the girls I work with were telling me that they don't even like carp and people apparently have started protesting the carp sales in the street. It's now an animal rights issue. Go figure. So now we have an Angel with a fish to remind us forever more of Prague.

Kept Man and I are now getting ready for bed and for a mellow Christmas tomorrow. We're on our own with plenty of presents to open, monkey bread to eat for breakfast and I'm sure a silly movie to watch during the day. Then I'm going to cook dinner for once. Lamb. I like lamb for Christmas although I don't think it's a traditional dish anywhere for the holiday. Oh well. Here's to our own traditions.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas in Prague

Kept Man and I purchased a Christmas Tree today.  I didn't get one last year (Morocco) or the year before (too lazy) but living in a christian country with temperature appropriate weather for the holidays a tree was mandatory this year.

Only one problem all of my great ornament collection is at home cluttering up mom's closet. So we purchased some generic ones so the tree didn't look naked. And I strung some popcorn and we bought some lights. Not spectacular but it's tree and I'll take it.

And now I will continue to watch Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with Kept Man. Next week? Christmas cookies!

Cold Weather

A couple of things that make living in a cold climate ok

1. Gluhwein. How does it keep you warm even when it's freezing out? Kept Man has come up with a pretty good home version which keeps me happy when I come home from work.
2. Christmas markets and all the yummy food. Sausages, gingerbread, warm candied nuts and Trdelnik are worth the cold weather

1. It's picturesque. Walking to work with snow flakes coming down is pretty surreal for this California girl and it distracts me long enough get to work and back.
2. It really feels like Christmas. Screw fake snow and 70 degree weather. (I'll admit I'll probably be ready for the snow to be over after Christmas, but I can revel in it for now)
3. I actually have use for hats, gloves and scarfs. I've never used them so much before. And I look cute. 
4. I have a reason to buy and use leg-warmers. And I don't look like an idiot and no one cat calls, "Hey Flashdance" or anything like that. It's awesome. It's ok. I know you're jealous.

So winter time with snow is pretty much ok. The only downside? Slushy snow. And slipping. I was doing ok until yesterday when I totally bit it and landed on my ass. But I'm ok. The only bruise I have is from running into the corner of our bed. Which basically means it has nothing to do with my falling. I'm nothing if not a klutz. And in case anyone was wondering my foot is all better. I went to a doctor and she pretty much told me that if I had broken it it isn't anymore. And I can wear heels again. Yeah for winter!

Connected

Kept Man and I have entered a new era of our phase of living abroad. No longer satisfied with lame less than 100 KB per second internet we finally bit the bullet, got up enough courage and went to the local telecommunications chain and ordered internet for the house. It was installed yesterday. It's like we were living in the dark ages.

At the same time Kept Man had enough of our 13" macbook pro as our main source of multimedia watching. We had been debating TVs or computer monitor for a while but the cost, size and thought of moving it left me unable to make a decision. After a year of 20" or smaller screens we now have a projector Michele style. And such a tiny machine if we ever move. No need to sell it! And it's mobile! Want to watch TV in bed? We can do that! And with the big walls in our apartment there is plenty of wall space to have a projection at least 5 ft x 3 ft.

Not the greatest picture but you can make out the couch just below the screen

This TV addict is pretty much in heaven. And our inagurial movie? Teen Wolf. Surfin Safari. Awww yeah.

Run do not walk

and watch Jamie Does.

Jamie Oliver in different cities exploring the food and culture. The boy is hilarious (I mean seriously)


the food yummy and the scenery spectacular.

First episode is Marrakech. Kept Man and I are getting the cookbook. And I want to go to Stockholm

Vienna & Back

Mom asked for more pictures.

So I present a few of the ones we took in Vienna. The truth is we didn't do much. We hopped on a train from Prague to Vienna at the ungodly hour of 6am. This crazy hour was offset by the fact that I do heart trains and the view was relaxing. And there was a nun! On the way to Vienna! I'm sorry all I can think about when I think of Austria is the Sound of Music. Hence excitement over nuns. We will make it to Salzburg soon. I must experience the Sound of Music tour.

And then Kept Man went and took his test. Which he dominated by the way, if you were not aware. And I hung out in the hotel and caught up on TV. I know, I know. But I was tired people! And I had the whole night and next day to explore with KM. So I vegged. And loved every minute of it.

Then we went to dinner at the Biesl and managed to miss the cut off hour for dessert at a cafe.


The next day involved sleeping in and sight seeing. We visited a food market (what else?) and made a stop at Oberlaa for coffee, pastry and macaroons! I love macaroons. We should have bought MORE macaroons. sigh. After that we mostly walked around the inner stadt and looked at all the pretty buildings. I also attempted to shop. But very badly. Apparently the older I get the less patience I have to look for anything not on the internet that can be delivered directly to my door. We had lunch at a seafood chain restaurant Nordsee because well....it had fried shrimp. Eventually we made it to the Hofburg Palace and we had a look around.


After getting enough walking time in we headed to a restaurant called Meierei which translates to Dairy and/or Milk Bar. It's a beautiful little restaurant in the park that specialized all things dairy such as milk, hot chocolates, cheese, etc. I had a hot chocolate and Kept Man had wine and then we ordered an insanely sized cheese plate that we were unable to finish. You can see pictures from a food blogger here, which is how I found out about this place. I highly recommend it. I'd love to go back to try breakfast.

Later that evening we caught a movie. Cause we are party animals and that is how we roll. Later we had a late night snack of currywurst and french fries from a street vendor. Currywurst gets two thumbs up. Kept Man has raved about it since Hamburg and I have to say I agree with him.

We were up early again the next day and had coffee and pastries at Aida before catching a Student Agency bus back to Prague. Weird thing apparently getting to Vienna via train is cheap but heading back is super expensive. Thankfully the Student Agency buses are comfortable, cheap and easy and took about the same amount of time as the train.

And now here we are back in Prague thinking we might need to plan one more weekend trip before it gets really cold here in Eastern Europe. Any suggestions?

Fall in Prague

You know what I like about Prague? Seasons. Sure it's cold now that it's autumn and I'm having to wear a coat, scarf and hat. But that's kinda fun and it's not so cold that I've been driven to wear a heavy duty coat or gloves and I can still manage skirts with pantyhose. Plus I get this view

Doesn't mean I don't miss 70 degree weather in October. But forget the 75 degrees year round Santa Barbara weather I'm used to. This is about seasons. Summer, Fall, Winter Spring. Right? Mmmm I wonder when I get 75 degree weather again.

Wiener Schnitzel wha?

Kept Man and I went to Vienna for the weekend. We walked, we gawked and we did what we do best, we ate.

Wiener Schnitzel is probably the most well known traditional Viennese dish. Now being an uncouth American with no real prior knowledge of wiener schnitzel do you know what I automatically thought of? You get a prize if you yelled sausages. Most Americans would because of this lovely chain of fast food restaurants.

But here's the thing, true wiener schnitzel doesn't even involve sausage. Nope. It involves veal being breaded and deep fried. So while not sausage wiener schnitzel is still pretty tasty (and fun to say). I didn't try the traditional wiener schnitzel. I had the hausschnitzel at a traditional beisl we visited (although I've just learned it's also called a Salzburger Schnitzel) which instead of veal was pork with the added benefit of being stuffed with cheese, onions and bacon and then breaded and deep fried. I like to really go for the calories when I'm out on the road. I also got a nice side of boiled potatoes.

Our Vienna food tour also involved beer, wine, cheese, hot chocolate, coffee, macaroons, and curry wurst, but sadly no cake. But more on all that later.

Finally A Home!

Can you tell which books are mine and which are Kept Man's

Our stuff came this past week. After 2 months we have our things again. Although for me I honestly feel like I haven't had my things for 9 months now. Periodically I would have them but for the most part I've been living this past year out of a suitcase. Having all this stuff is overwhelming. It's a good time to get rid of things and makes it harder for me to justify buying new things because all of a sudden we have so much stuff.

But my books. Oh books. Seeing them is like really feeling at home. It's like seeing old friends. Although seeing them makes me realize how many old friends are missing. The kindle is great, but it's harder to have such warm fuzzy feelings about electronics. It sure does save on space though.

I see lots of nights filled with book reading, moving watching and cooking in our future.

I feel so posh

and lazy. Kept Man and I are getting someone to help with the housekeeping duties. Just every other week for an hour or two. To do the things we hate. The vacuuming, the mopping, the dusting and cleaning the bathrooms. All that blah stuff.

It's completely affordable and totally worth it and yet saying I have someone coming in to help with the housework feel so hoity toity. So very bourgeois. The question is will I let that stop me from not having to do housework?

Ummm no.

1 Year, 2 months, 18 days

Is how long it took us to have a photo from our wedding framed and displayed in our home.

It's a start. Now if we can just get more than one photo framed......

Black and Blue

What happens when you're at a bar for a goodbye party and all of a sudden a stool falls on your foot?

This

It only really got bad after I wore high heels two days later. It's not broken I swear. Just really blue. Or green. Or something not normal. Seriously don't worry. Kept Man is worrying enough for you. I'm not even limping or anything. Really.

Another Czech Language Lesson

The word for yes in Czech is 'ano'. Which to me sounds like "ahhhhh, no". I constantly therefore feel like I'm saying no when I say yes. Someone suggested that I use the more informal 'jo' which translates to 'yeah'.

I love this language in it's simplest form. (In it's more complicated form it's damn hard) When else would I get to say 'ahoj' and 'jo' in daily life and not sound like a retard? So here I am with another word that I get to use on a daily basis that makes me giggle to myself every time I say it thinking of the movie Rocky and how my sister hated growing up with Adrienne as a name in the 80s. Awesome.

Home Sweet Hotel

As many of you know Kept Man and I made it out of Morocco alive. Not only did we get our stuff packed and shipped out, but we managed to get a reimbursement and our deposit back. All in all a successful finish to our year in Africa. (It still feels strange to say we lived in Africa, yes it was North Africa but still...)

We've had no word on when our stuff will arrive, but the moving company assures me that the received the magic paper that allows our things to leave the country so I'm assuming it will show up eventually. I have a second magic paper (I got a back up just in case. When in doubt in Morocco always have back up copies) so if there is any trouble I'm prepared.

Now we are just trying to settle into life in Prague. The weather has been on the colder side. Apparently autumn has come early but Kept Man is pleased with this change after 100 degree weather in Marrakech. We have also found a place to live. A friend is sadly leaving Prague in the next month to head back to Hong Kong, but conveniently leaving when we need an apartment that is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute tram ride to work. And is furnished. And bigger than our last apartment. And includes wireless internet.  And doesn't involve paying a commission to an agent. We move in the first weekend of October. Just in time for me to do some fall baking. As long as I can find canned pumpkin. I hope I can find canned pumpkin. Of course I can! It's not like this is Africa or something.

As you can tell things are settling down. I've got Kept Man here with me full time. I feel more secure in work knowing I'm here for the long haul and that I'm not going to be shipped back to Marrakech anytime soon. Kept Man is also starting to look into schools and applying for jobs. Which he's able to do here in the Czech Republic since I have French citizenship and we're in an EU country. We're exploring new restaurants and locals in the city. All in all it feels nice to be making a home again. Just a few more weeks and we'll have an apartment instead of a hotel room and I plan on hibernating at home through the winter. With maybe a weekend or two in a nearby city.

So if anyone wants to see us I think you need to plan to make a trip to Prague. I'm done moving this year. No more flights! No more limbo! This homebody has got a home again!

Laminated Gold

Today I finally received my carte de sejour which is basically my work visa in Morocco. This means I can open up a bank account, stay in the country for longer than 3 months at a time and overall be considered a resident in the country instead of an extended visitor. 

Mmm...too bad I'm leaving forever next week. That's right. It took a year to get this card. And it looks like the only thing I will use it for is to get out of the country. 

I've survived day one of Moroccan bureaucracy. I never felt so exhausted by waiting and looking stupid while other people discuss me and what it is that I want. The end goal is to receive a piece of paper that allows our belongings to make it through customs. I hope to have it by the end of tomorrow. Cross your fingers that my vapid express continues to work and they give this poor girl a customs clearance just so she'll go away and stop staring at them blankly.

I will never complain about any form of US bureaucracy. Ever. Again. You don't know how good you have it with the DMV. Yes, I'm serious.

Home is where he is....and the food.

Beef Bourguignon is in the oven. Husband is in the house and we are not in a hotel room. Life doesn't get much better than this.

What a difference a year makes

Last year on this day Kept Man and I flew to Marrakech for the first time. I was nervous, scared, unsure and uneasy.

And it was Kept Man's birthday.

This year on the same day I am again flying into Marrakech but for the last time. I'm coming to officially say goodbye, collect our things, my husband and move our lives out of Morocco and into the Czech Republic.

This year Kept Man and I will celebrate his birthday in better spirits. At a restaurant we've been trying to eat at for the past year even though it is around the corner from our apartment. This is going to be a better year. Things are settling down.

So Happy Birthday Garren! I hope that this year provides you with the opportunities you want and that we're together so much you're practically sick of me. See you in a few hours birthday boy.

This week

.....I was annoyed by the fact that since I have bought my Kindle there have been many books that are unavailable to download. The books I have most desperately wanted have been 'unavailable in the ebook format' and I have been told that I should 'click here to inform the publisher that I would like to read the book on my kindle'

This weekend I decided that I no longer wanted to play by the rules of the publishers who were trying to gouge me price wise for an ebook or just deny me completely so that they sell more hardback copies. So i did some minor looking on the web. Previously I've had no luck, but this time I found four books that I have been wanting to read for months now in pdf version. I was able to download and have readable copies of all four books on my Kindle.

Good job guys. Instead of having a client who was willing and happy to buy your books, you restricted the availability or increased the price to ridiculous amounts so that she found a cheaper, more readily accessible option. Smart move. Really. How long do you think it will take before most ebook readers are downloading free copies instead of paying you for one? Maybe you should ask the record companies what they think. Re-think your ebook strategy. Now.

On the brighter side I've finished two of the four books I've downloaded and am as happy as a clam.

Arrrrr Matey!

You know what I love about the Czech Republic? Their work for 'Hi' is Ahoj as in 'Ahoy Landlubber!'

It's like I'm on a pirate ship every day. I keep looking out for sails, masts and canons. Alas no pirates ships are in sight in a land locked country but everyday secretly, I add Matey to the end of my ahoj greetings and giggle silently to myself.

It's the little things people.

I hear you Danny Glover

Went on a little outing last night to La Bodeguita del Medio. It's a popular cuban bar near Old Town Square with live music on the weekends and salsa dancers to watch. The music is great as are the mojitos and daiquiri and if you're looking for a lively evening in Prague I would recommend it.

But at the same time last night was a strange echo of evenings spent at Santa Barbara bars with Krista or Courtney in tow where party buckets full of booze and long straws could be seen at other tables. While there were no party buckets there were 'classier' fish blow size mojitos at various tables with long straws. And while the crowd was not 20 something college students everyone there was pretty much acting as if they were. I was constantly looking around myself last night and laughing at how people don't change. At any age group people who are out looking for a good time basically all act the same way. Age is not a defining factor for stupidity.

So while I had a good time, next time I think I'll enjoy the music, dancing and drinks but leave an hour or two earlier because I am not interested in doing the things I did in my twenties. Namely drinking too much and staying up too late. And today in old lady fashion you probably think I'm displaying, I'm going to dinner and a movie to be in bed at a reasonable hour to get my beauty sleep.

Destroyed

A weekend in Barcelona equals good food, decent weather, great friends, mini reunion with my husband of one year, amazing gelato and painful feet.

Either I didn't expect to walk so much or my flip flops really just hate me. Blisters and a possible streched tendon were my prize. Don't worry Christine, I don't think it's actually streched or skewed or really hurt it at all. I'm ok. Not even limping anymore. I swear. My feet are only starting to forgive me for abusing them, and only because I have avoided the blister loving shoes since returning to Prague, but the weekend was worth it.

Want recommendations? I've got them!

Amorino Gelato - They shape the gelato into a flower people. And you can have as many flavors as you want. Genius!
Ciutat Comtal- mmmm Razor Clams and Champagne based Sangria
La Bouqueria - I love you Spanish Iberico Jamon. LOVE YOU
Park Guell - Gaudi is not boring

And as usual I need a vacation from my vacation. One of these days it will be a lay on the beach and only roll over for booze or food kind of vacation. One of these days....

Hopefully Kept Man will provide you all with photos. He has the camera.

Bastille Day

**Begin sappiness**

A year ago today I said, "I do" to Kept Man. It was the most perfect day shared with family and friends and I think back on it often knowing that it was everything I could have wanted and that he is everything I will ever want.

While our wedding day was as close to perfect as possible our first year of marriage has been less than stellar logistically. A move to Morocco, lack of work and stability, separation, and a general feeling of uncertainty about where we will end up has lead to a frustrating year abroad as newlyweds. Despite all that we still adore each other, (At least I do. I hope he does.) and while we miss our friends and family I think that our first year of marriage alone in a foreign country together has been good for us. You might think that a couple would get sick of each other in a new country with a small and/or non existent social circle, but I find that it has made us appreciate what we have together. Shared jokes, frustrations, discovering a new culture, forging new friendships, and various travels together and apart make us realize that we both have the one person who knows us the best and that in itself is amazing, but it is also a huge comfort in a new place filled with changes.

So while we are sadly separated on our first anniversary, I can't wait to see what another year with my amazing husband will bring with us together, settled and happy in one place. Happy Anniversary Hon! Here's to year 2. I love you.

**End sappiness.**

C'est sa vie

You know what I love about living in Europe. Randomly hearing songs on the radio that remind me of my summers in France as a kid. Things I would once upon a time never hear in the States, but nowadays might hear once in a blue moon. Except this classic. This one I'm not likely to ever hear in the States, but they've been playing it on the radio lately here in the Czech Republic. Why? I don't know but it's awesome.



Trivia fact for those who care - That girl singing, that's Johnny Depp's girlfriend/wife.

Matches and Anniversaries

A while back a friend introduced Kept Man and me to the Globe Bookstore and Cafe here in Prague. It's a nice little place with decent food and English books to browse through. They also do lots of weekly events and seem to be a general gathering place for expats.

In addition they also have a projection screen that they use for movie nights and sporting events. Can you guess where I'm headed tonight? That's right! Big screen watching of the final World Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands. If you're wondering I'm rooting for Spain.

On a side note today is also the 2 year anniversary of one of my favorite couples - Toby and Jade. Happy Anniversary you wild and crazy kids. I hope you're having fun on your cruise.

July 11th is apparently an important date as another one of my favorite couples - Christine and Adam are getting married today. Congratulations! I'm looking forward to celebrating with you in Barcelona.

And speaking of weddings and anniversaries, Kept Man and I are celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary in 3 days. Unfortunately we are separated at the moment with me in Prague and him in Marrakech. While we won’t be together on the exact day of our anniversary which is sad we will be together for a weekend in Barcelona at the end of the month. For a couple who never celebrated an anniversary of any kind prior to their marriage, in fact Garren revealed in not having an anniversary, I think we’re doing okay celebration wise.

So that’s me in a nutshell for those of you who were wondering what I was up to. I’m watching world cup games in Prague, missing my husband, and looking forward to a weekend in Spain. Not perfect, but not so bad either.

Lame

What will I do without TV Shack? I know the government couldn't have siezed every site out there but TV Shack was so organized. I'm not in the States people and you won't make Hulu available to me! How the hell else am I supposed to keep up on my tv shows?

My world is upside down. At least it's the summer. There are no new shows per say.....I was currently just getting into True Blood, Season 1. And looking forward to new Entourage episodes. AND waiting for Eureka to start. sigh. I could go on really.

Want to know what the hell I'm talking about? Here's a small article on the subject.

Extra Time

Kept Man and I are back in the States. We made it! After a delay in departure in Madrid and a mad dash to our connecting flight in Newark, we are back in California. It has already been a mad whirlwind of non stop eating and visiting. I'm loving every minute of it (even with my cold) but I secretly wish that we were able to take more time. Two weeks just doesn't seem like enough.

But today is the first day where there is no where to run off to. Nothing that needs to get done. TV watching and lounging around are on the agenda. So I thought I would do a little blog catch up. Especially since I have internet connection.

As I mentioned previously Kept Man and I did a weekend mini-break to Cesky Krumlov with a couple of friends while we were in the Czech Republic. Cesky Krumlov is a Unesco World Heritage site and has the second largest castle in the Czech Republic. It's a charming little town which sits in the middle of the bend in the river with lots of outdoor restaurants along the river and old fashioned warm indoor medieval style eateries. Here as in Prague there are many bars and restaurants which are in old cellars or converted buildings. It's all very gothic and cozy. (Can gothic be cozy?) We happened to go a weekend when the weather was on the colder side so we didn't get the chance to do a lazy float down the river, but we did get a chance to drink mead, see bears, eat at an outdoor grill and party at the local bars. Side fact about the bears, apparently the Rosenberg family who owned the area/castle back in the day added bears to their coat of arms to tie them to the noble Italian Family Orsini (orsa meaning she-bear in Italian) and then later went so far as to keep bears to support the supposed family tie. So there are bears hanging out at the castle. They were pretty awesome.

My favorite portion of the trip was the dinner we had at Restaurace U Dobraka. The food was all grilled on an open fireplace and all the tables were outdoor picnic tables. Every other restaurant we had tried to get a reservation at in town was booked solid but this place was relaxed with full of only locals. We couldn't figure out why it wasn't busier, but we were glad to have made it.
We had a great time with our friends Alex, Tony and their dog Sophie. My only wish is to back when the weather is nicer so that we can enjoy the outdoor activities that the city has to offer. If you're in the Prague and are looking for a day or weekend trip I would highly recommend the city. It's small, but with lots of cute B&Bs, rustic food, great views and outdoor activities it a welcome break from the city live in Prague.

Layover Check

We're about to leave Madrid for a 16 hour travel day to California. Thanks for the day Madrid, it was great. You made our lives much less stressful with no possible missed connections and you had space for us at the bullfight. Good day.

We go?

4 days and counting until I'm back in Marrakech

10 days and counting until Kept Man and I are on a plane to Spain (The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.....sorry musical interlude)

11 days and counting until this "adventurous" couple are back in California where they belong and I see my mommy and the cats (cat lady all the way!)

12 days and counting until we have a BBQ with our friends and family

14 days and counting until we spend some time with the Fishers in Redding

16 days and counting until I get to see my sister and future brother in law

17 days and counting until I get to go to a Giants game (where are my crackerjacks?)

18 days and counting until we just can't wait anymore to go to Wood Tavern

19 days and counting until my mom graduates. (Seriously. It's about time!)

21 days and counting until Finer Things Club is reunited (and if feels so good)

25 days and counting until my best friend who I've know since I was five (that's one whole hand people) gets married

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We go now?

Stop. Reject.

I have not been doing well on keeping up with my short term goals. Pathetic really. And all I can say dear readers is that I am exhausted. You would think that living where you work would be easier, no commute, you can go home for lunch, but really all you end up doing is working more because you just have to walk upstairs and you just want to finish one more thing. And the truth is I like having a commute (a short one mind you) but I need that 20 minutes to wind down, relax and process my day.

Basically I come home, lie down and do not want to move. Kept Man was always good at getting me to go out, to keep me from being a bed potato, but he's off traveling and I'm here in Prague in the hotel room wallowing.

And I want to say Stop. Reject. No wallowing. No depression. Get up and do something. You're in Prague. It's new. It's different. But the truth is that I'm over not having a home. This whole year has been starting off new in two different places and as soon as I start feeling comfortable in one I'm yanked away. I miss having a place of my own. A kitchen. Family. Close friends. A life outside of work. I wish I could look at it as one big adventure. I wish I could not take it all so seriously and just enjoy what I do have. But for the most part I find not being able to plan out my personal life and things I want to do frustrating. I do not like being all about work.

I'm hoping to have some answers about where the rest of this year will be going in the next few weeks. I hope that the rest of this year will be settled in one place or another sometime soon and I hope that makes me happy.

And that is where I am at today. I promise that the next blog will be less blah and more fun. Kept Man and I visited Cesky Krumlov last weekend with some friends and as soon as I can access the pictures I'll be sure to post about the trip. Which is fun and upbeat. Really. I swear.

A Yummy Little Whale

Kept Man and I have periodically been attending some events here in Prague hosted by InterNations and MeetinPrague. It's been a good way to meet other expats in the Czech Republic and while I was in town on my own it forced me to get out of the hotel and interact with people besides my work colleagues.

A few weeks ago the event organizers posted a 'Secret Dinner' which was limited to under 15 people and was to highlight a lesser known restaurant in the city. The name of the restaurant was not to be revealed until closer to the date. I thought it looked interesting and right up our alley. Food + drinking + limited number of people = good times. We managed to secure a place at the table and then found out that the restaurant was The Little Whale (U Male Velryby) which is right across the street from the hotel and a place I had been telling Kept Man we should try.

I had a bad day Thursday and I almost didn't want to go to dinner but I had been looking forward to the night so I ran out of work 15 minutes before we had to meet at the restaurant, did some speed dressing out of work clothes and into normal clothes, and we headed on over. I'm so glad that we did. The evening lifted my spirits and got me out of the stressful mood I had been feeling all day. The restaurant in a word is YUM. I mean super good, and in my humble opinion it was Wood Tavern good. I can give no higher praise.

The chef is Irish. He said a quick hello, but he could have a rat under his hat whispering cooking techniques for all I cared, as long as everything I ate that came out of the kitchen continued to be lip smacking delicious. The waitress was also wonderful and managed to keep everyone in a larger group very happy. And her husband is from Morocco. Marrakech is always a source of conversation wherever we go.

We had a set menu for the evening. For starters I had the octopus salad and Kept Man had sauteed duck livers. We both had the cod with mash potatoes (lumpy, ah yeah) and a creamy mustard sauce and some sort of crunchy light bread topping for our main course. The steak was also apparently very good which had a side of corn on the cob. And for dessert it was a chocolate torte with brown bread ice cream. Weird right?! But incredibly, it was amazing.

Besides the great food and service we had a great time with the group of people put together by the InterNations Ambassador and we got to know some of the people we had met in passing at these events a little bit better.

Kept Man and I had previously avoided the Little Whale because we found the pricing to be a bit high, but now having gone I can say that it was definitely more than we usually spend during a night out for dinner in Prague but was much less expensive that what we regularly spent at our favorite restaurant in Berkeley. While dining we noticed that the restaurant has a tapas menu and reasonably priced wine by the glass so a sunny afternoon sometime soon we plan to head across the street to sit on the patio and partake in some delicious bites offered from the Little Whale kitchen.

U Male Velryby
Maltézské náměstí 15 | Praha 1 | 420257214703

Sunshine and Beer

The Czech people take their beer drinking seriously and once the weather turns nice they leave their bars and homes and head out to the parks and patios.

Yesterday we decided to enjoy the sunshine and try out one of the beer gardens we'd heard about. We headed out to Letensky Zamecek in Letenske Sady park which is a large venue with a few restaurants, bocci ball area and plenty of picnic tables with a gorgeous view of Prague to enjoy.



Not only was there beer, sunshine, views and grass to lay on there were so many dogs! I know that Kept Man thinks that I am crazy but I miss having furry animals around me and I miss people having pets. In Marrakech it's only stray dogs and cats and the only one you see are pets are with older french expats. It's depressing. But here in Prague people have dogs as pets and they take care of them and bring them out as much as possible. I cannot believe how much I have missed seeing happy animals who belong to someone. But it makes me smile.

It was a beautiful afternoon spent drinking some mandatory beers and soaking up the sun and the views over the city of Prague. Now all we have to do is compare and contrast and try the other big beer garden in Prague, Riegrovy Sady which has TV screens for watching football games as well as sunshine. Drunk Europeans getting worked up about a football game is always a good time.

Just need to make sure that we find the nearest bathroom locations next time so this doesn't happen

A Mom Favorite

I decided I should write more about the places we are eating at here in Prague because let's face it Kept Man and I are food OBSESSED. Seriously. For our trip home in June to California all we can think about is where we are going to eat. It's a little silly.

So the first place I decided to blog about was actually the first restaurant we went to in Prague. When I first arrived I was working like a fiend and barely saw my husband for 3 days. Once things calmed down he dragged me out of the hotel just down the street to a little French Restaurant he had noticed. Last night after attempting to go to Indian food and being thwarted by the lack of trams or replacement buses we listed a couple of places nearby we could go to and I'm so happy that Cafe de Paris had room for us. Apparently once the weather turns nice it's impossible to go to dinner anywhere on a Friday night. Who knew?

It's a small place that always seems to be busy but both times we have gone they have managed to squeeze us in somewhere. The menu is limited but when we're talking French Brasserie do you really go for anything but Steak Frites? Not in my family you don't. The best part of the these Steak Frites? The sauce. It's the 'Cafe de Paris' sauce and it is apparently a secret recipe. I can tell you there are shallots and garlic in it and that is enough for me to try to mop up every last tasty bit with my french fries. There were also some other yummy looking options on the menu last night including a Sea Bass and a Mushroom Risotto.

After a stressful week and a good 45 minutes of trying to make our way to another restaurant, Cafe de Paris with a glass of red wine was a welcome evening out. Pricing is about $15 per person with salad, french baguette and steak and french fries. Don't follow our lead and just show up. Reservations are recommended.

Cafe de Paris
Maltészké náměstí 4 | Praha 1 | +420603160718
open daily 12pm - 12am

Here Kitty Kitty

Today was the 2nd day of actual Spring weather in Prague that I was able to enjoy. We went to the zoo. Prague's zoo, two thumbs up. But I'm exhausted. Who knew walking around looking at animals could make you so tired? So out of laziness I leave you with just this one picture. Pretty kitty.

Married Talk

"You're feeling better" I say to Kept Man as he's smiling and joking with me.
"How can you tell?"
"Well you're not talking about your liquid poop anymore."

After that the conversation decended into a fit of giggles with incoherent exclamations about Kept Man's recent tummy troubles.

Apparently there are no boundaries in our relationship anymore

So Much to Say

...except not really.

I'm still in Prague. Kept Man is back. Yeah. But I'm super busy at work. boo. Truth is I haven't been much fun. I'm working crazy late hours and am exhausted when the day is finally over. And to top off the crazy work week hours I worked a half day on Saturday.

So here I am on a Sunday, laying around in bed, catching up on tv and doing a token post so my mother knows I'm alive. There are many things I want to be doing in Prague. The Zoo. Wine Tasting. Castle Viewing. Paddle boating. I mean when will I ever have the chance again to possibly be semi-living here? Probably never. But with the work craziness thrown in getting motivated to get myself out of the hotel room is sometimes a huge task. Especially when Kept Man is not feeling so well.

So I leave you knowing that I am alive and well in Prague if lame and boring with non stop work. We did recently take a trip to Karlovy Vary. Spa town with lots of Russians. But I'll leave that for a more motivated post.

Gooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllll!

I thought I would stay on top of one of my goals by bitching about the fact that I can't force myself to do another one of my goals.

I am supposed to go to an Irish Pub tonight to listen to an Irish band. Who are starting to play right about now. But it's cold out. And I'm tired. And I don't want to walk across the city by myself. And I don't want to go to a bar by myself. And I'm all comfy in my pajamas.

But my husband is giving me a hard time and I'm feeling guilty about setting a goal and not achieving it. I still have more nights to try to make it to listen to a band. I don't HAVE to go tonight.

And let's talk about the things I have done.

• I've gone to the gym at least twice a week. 
• I've been blogging at least twice a week. 
• I went to brunch on Sunday which was part of the MeetInPrague group and met some people, had some food and got out of the hotel.
• I'm contemplating going to see the opera Carmen on Friday. 
• I'm also going to try really hard to go to spin class on Thursday.

Some of these things are a bit easier for me to do while doing anything involving any social interactions and/or exercise is harder. Such as showing up at a Pub by myself, ordering a beer and then sitting alone, by my lonesome, hoping that no one comes up to talk to me while at the same time trying not to look anyone in the eye in order to avoid any potential social contact. Look at the baby! Look at the baby!.........

Does it show that the thought of this makes me uncomfortable? Sure listening to the music would be great, but my social awkwardness (read fear) is totally winning. 

Yeah. I'm totally not going. There is always tomorrow. It is St. Patrick's Day after all and maybe I'll be able to blend in the background and just enjoy the music. Yeah. Tomorrow sounds like a much better plan. If I can't make it to an Irish Pub to listen to some music on St. Patrick's Day then I don't deserve to call myself half Irish anymore. 

Hold me to it people! I obviously did not cave to my husband's peer pressure, but maybe your peer pressure will make all the difference!

I would totally be going if my husband was here. Where is my social crutch when I need it? I miss you honey!

Je suis un ananas

Kept Man and I were having our nightly skype call (gotta keep the romance alive!) and he was mentioning that he's been trying to watch movies in French to get more exposure to the language. Only problem is that even the Disney movies talk really fast and use big and/or slang words making it hard for a beginner to really keep up.

Trying to think of something easy for him to watch I remembered these silly videos in Middle School French classes that involved a pineapple. The word for pineapple in french, ananas, is one of my favorite words in French to this day because of this video.

Once I mentioned a talking pineapple be both immediately googled (like the bay area nerds we are) and low and behold Ananas is on You Tube. God bless the internet.

And I had forgotten about the song! And Ananas is pretty freaky looking. He looks like one of those strange dolls with the moving beaks and the eyes that move back and forth. I forget what they're called.

Anyways now Kept Man has at least 13 episodes of Ananas and beginner French to enjoy. Or be slightly disturbed by. Whatever.

I smell

like an ashtray.

I don't know if it's just Europeans or Eastern Europeans in particular but people in Prague smoke. A LOT. Apparently the anti-smoking campaign has not hit here yet.

It's no wonder Philip Morris has a big presence here.

Gross.

Alone Time

As many of you know I'm back in Prague. Alone. Kept Man is back in Marrakech taking care of the apartment, cooking, running, biking and hanging out with some friends.

I'm working, catching up on TV that Kept Man hates and holing up in my hotel room. A bigger hotel room than last time I might add. Same category but just a little more space. And larger windows. Kept Man is going to smack me now.

Many of you may be wondering why I didn't just stay in Marrakech. Why go back to Prague. Why separate myself from Kept Man and our life in Marrakech. There were a couple of reasons.

1. I'm doing interesting and brain challenging things at work which is so much better than the current situation in Marrakech where I'm left with practically nothing but busy work to fill my time.
2. I'm raising my profile in the company. I hope. Which at this point in time is pretty important.

Things aren't looking so great in Marrakech. No opening date, lots of people leaving, lots of tension. Anything I can do that results in positive impressions of me and keeping me working in the company are a priority numero uno at this point.

Unfortunately the novelty of staying in a hotel and being in another city has worn off. Basically I'm bored an lonely. And while I tell myself about all the career pluses to being here, the opportunity to have a little alone time and pleasure of watching some tv shows without groaning in the background I miss Kept Man horribly. I miss the silly faces, and the hugs and the nightly cuddles. I also miss his not so subtle pushings to make me get out of the hotel on the weekends.

I am a creature of habit and I hate to do new things. I like familiar things. I like knowing where I'm going, who will be there, what the place looks like, what's expected of me and how to act. New places and experiences have none of these things and I therefore do not like to deal with them unless pushed, prodded, or accompanied by someone familiar.

I'm sure many of you are now thinking, "how did this girl end up in Morocco?!" The answer is I pushed myself to make the move to Morocco. And I didn't think. I leapt with out looking. And I knew I would regret not having taken the opportunity and adventure when I had the chance. And I had Kept Man who gave up his job to go traipsing around Europe and North Africa with me. I had a human security blanket.

But funny thing about taking a leap it can sometimes lead you to somewhere unexpected. And the leap to Morocco has now lead me temporarily to Prague. With no familiar people, places or things. With no Kept Man and a lot of time to think. And be lonely and feel sorry for myself and lay around in bed like a bed potato. And I've decided I need some goals. To push me. To keep me active. To keep me from hiding under the blankets all weekend with only a computer as a companion. And I hope that you my very few readers will help keep me accountable for these goals. Some of them are of course more long term but I'm hoping that on the way to reaching the bigger goals to tell you all about the short term ones when I accomplish them or more amusingly when they might blow up in my face.

So in no particular order, the goals, ahem:

• run or bike for a least 30 minutes 2 times a week
• make it to a spin class once a week while in Prague
• go to a Meetin Prague event
• go to the Irish Music Festival the week of St. Patrick's Day in Prague
• go to the opera once more in Prague
• finish all the books I have with me in Prague
• take a trip to the Sahara Desert with friends
• take a trip to Essouria with Kept Man
• try out Surf Berbere or something like it
• become better at French
• save for a down payment for a home
• find a hobby I enjoy. The following are ideas to try
• Knitting
• Quilting
• Biking with Kept Man
• Photography
• Gardening
• Ballroom Dancing
• Home craft projects
• go back to school and/or take classes to help better my skills for my career
• start a family
• blog at least two times a week 
• take a trip to the greek islands with Kept Man
• go see a leg of the tour de france with Kept Man

Hold me to it people! Or tomorrow being a bed potato is going to sound even more appealing than it did today.

*Suggestions for the goal list are welcome
**Obviously not all of these goals (even the shorter term ones) will be possible in Prague or Marrakech. They're to remember later
***Amendments can and will be made to this list
****Berating is allowed in order to get me to accomplish any short term goal. 

It's not a Wishing Well

A few weeks ago Kept Man and I took a day trip out to Kutna Hora. Mostly we went because I had heard years and years ago about a bone church (otherwise known as Sedlec Ossuary) with a chandelier made out of every bone in the human body and I wanted to take a look.

So what did I think of said bone church? Artistic displays of human remains? Pretty creepy. And dirty. No one dusts the bones. Ever. I mean they're on display shouldn't they be cleaned. Wouldn't that be a nice gesture towards those whose remains have been used? Another nice gesture might have been to not make them look like party streamers. But maybe that's just me.

Maybe I'm just being harsh. Maybe I just don't like being confronted with my own mortality. Maybe I'm just creeped out.

Despite my reaction to this church I still have to confess that it is fascinating to see in person. So if you're every in Czech Republic it's worth a look and the graveyard I found to be particularly interesting and pretty even in the winter. There is a also a beautiful church (St. Barbara) and a castle in the town that is worth taking a look at if you happen to be in that neck of the woods.

But I do recommend Spring...or Summer...or even Autumn....or really just not the dead of winter. The town was pretty much D-E-D as my Granda would say when we were there and it happened to be a particularly cold day. By the time we made it back to the train station we were like two human popsicles. But still we got out of Prague for the day! Yeah us.

So on that note, Happy Valentine's Day. And for those of you wondering, Kept Man surprised me with a watercolor of the Charles Bridge as a present this morning. It's to match my watercolor of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice which after 10 years I have yet to get framed. I'm hoping with a matching watercolor from another city I might make a better attempt. Kept Man does ok when we wants to. He just likes to set the expectations particularly low.

Kept Man and Me at St. Barbara's Church in Kutna Hora. See how cold it is?

Alive in Prague

Kept Man took me to the Opera last night. There was lots of pageantry, women with big boobs and obviously singing of the opera variety with subtitles for those of us who don't know what the hell they're singing about. All and all a good time.

No elephant, just tusks but some people shouldn't provide unrealistic expectations. I'm looking at you girls.

My favorite part of the evening was during the overture. We were up in the first gallery right over the pit and could see all the musicians. Watching them begin to play was like watching a wave. First a few on the right start, then some on the left join in then the brass section all pick up their instruments at the same time. It's mesmerizing. Or I'm just easily amused.

It's Still Not Here

No sign of my package. And no freaking update on UPS.com. It has "left the seller facility and is in transit". How non descriptive. Where the hell is it?!

Annoying. Sigh.

It only took me 2 months (according to Garren)

to convince myself to buy a kindle.

At first I thought it might be an option for an xmas present, but then we nixed getting presents for each other as we were traveling over the holidays. Then I thought, I don't need one, I'll just get the books I'm dying to read when we go to London. Then the books I wanted to read had not yet been released in the UK.

Then. Then I just got depressed. I mean I have books. Books that have been sitting on my shelf for months. And I bought one or two in London (which I already finished) but there is not a big selection of new choices in Marrakech and I won't have too many trips to London. And frankly with all the weight limitations these days on flights it makes bringing them or buying them kind of a pain.

And then Jade got one for xmas. And I asked her to tell me that she hated it. She didn't. She told me it was fabulous. And then I had to tell myself it was too expensive and remember I had a lot of books on my shelf at home that I could read. And then I remembered all the books I wanted to read and how they are oh so inaccessible. And then I started obsessively reading the reviews on amazon and comparing the kindle to the sony e-reader and trying to decide which one I would get, if I could convince myself to spend the money on it.

And I'm still not sure I should have spent the money on the thing. Garren finally decided for me and told me to shut up about it and buy the damn thing and soon so he didn't have to hear about it anymore. And secretly (Garren says, "Really?! Secretly? Really!?") I'm really excited to get it.

So it's arriving. In 2-6 days. Make it 2! Probably won't be until 6. sigh. And hopefully it's as fantastic as I hope. And I won't curse it for broken non instant access to books I want to read. Hopefully it will be magic instant access to books I want to read.

I'll let you know.