Friday was fun. I ended up at Bombay, which wasn't that fun, but then went to M1 which was a blast. It was a good crowd, there were shots of Becherovka involved, and after all that I ended up at Rincon Latino for about an hour where I met a guy who is half-Bolivian half-Mexican. I like his nose. He is a singer, I saw him play at a restaurant once... we hugged a lot because we were both a bit drunk and I told him how much I miss my Mexican friends back home. Hopefully I'll see him again, we didn't exchange any info. Plus, last time I saw him, he had a girlfriend :)
Speaking of girlfriends, I think I spurred a fight by accident. A cuban guy came up and started talking to me. He was older, I really had no interest, but it was just nice to have someone to chat with, especially in Spanish. We talked for a while... and then his Czech wife came over (who speaks Spanish, ironically). She got mad at him but I tried to diffuse the situation by kindly explaining that I'm new here and he was just giving me some general Prague advice, which he was. She started talking about where to look for a job, and he interrupted with, "She already has a job, she doesn't need your help." Uh oh. They started yelling at each other, he stormed off, the girl and I made friends, and then she went off to find him. Later on he came back without her and said to me in Spanish, "You're my new girlfriend, I can't stand her. We can get married, you're so pretty, and I just married her for papers anyway." Yikes. He was drunk, and stumbled away after that.
I walked home to spend my last night in my temporary apartment. I got to bed around 5:30am. On Saturday I woke up around noon, ate some quick lunch and packed up like a fiend. Katy and Derrick met me around 3:30 to help me move into my new place (there are 3 flights of steps to walk and I had three heavy suitcases and some other misc. bags). We took a cab over for only 79Kc, and the driver was super nice. He only spoke Czech, but Katy told me how he was saying that my neighborhood is THE nicest neighborhood to live in in all of Prague. He said the little pub down the street from me has the best beer in the entire city, and I'm super close to Andel that has lots of good restaurants and shopping, connection to the whole city by public transport, and also the most beautiful park in Prague practically right next to my house (Bertramka, where Mozart lived). It made me feel even better than I already did about my choice of apartment :)
We got my stuff inside without a problem, and promptly went to have dinner at a restaurant in Andel. I went to Tesco afterward and bought some necessities for the new place: a general kitchen/bathroom cleaner, a pot (since I don't have anything to cook in until my stuff arrives), two bottles of handsoap (kitchen and bathroom), dishwashing liquid, a towel, a potato masher (I know, but I have four small potatoes in my fridge and don't know what else to do with them), and a collander. All of this unfortunately came to about 1600Kc, which is more than I wanted to spend, but I didn't buy one thing that I didn't really need. Well maybe the potato masher, but that was only 59Kc, so shush.
I then took the bus home, because all that stuff was HEAVY. I felt really proud that I found the correct bus info (the stop, which bus to take, etc.) all by myself - usually someoen shows me once and then I'm fine, but this one was all me :) Hooray for small victories!
I was tired after all this. After unpacking, I went to sleep on my little corner of the floor for about 2 hours. Got up around 10 to get ready to go out to Radost, which I was dreading. I had a horrible time last week and didn't want to go back, but my friends begged and I gave in.
While I was waiting for the tram, a too-skinny trippy girl was standing in the street looking like she was going to fall over and pass out. Her boyfriend, a very tall Czech guy, kept having to fix her to be standing up straight and holding her up. What a treat that they were on my tram on my way to I.P. Pavlova!! She was shivering the whole way, and couldn't keep her eyes open. They got off just after we crossed the river. They took a long time to get up and get off the tram, so the doors were closing as they were just getting there. The guy started flipping out and screaming in Czech, and the doors opened again. They still took a long time so the doors closed again as they were moving through them. The guy got outside, started screaming some more, and kicked the side of the tram twice before we started moving again, and again AS we were moving. What a city...
I met the crew in front of Radost and we got in before having to pay the cover. I had a surprisingly good time. I ended up seeing my old friend Blaise from Tulip, the bar that sells more marijuana than beer, and we chatted in French (my horrible broken French:) for a good hour. I ended up dancing with some guy from the Bahamas for a while at the end, who lives in Vienna. Then we sat in the cold and ate KFC from the walk-up window until the trams started running again. We caved and got taxis instead, because we couldn't wait and it was so freezing. All in all it was a good night.
I slept my full first night in the apartment, and spent today there. I discovered that the shower sprayer has no pressure at all, the stove doesn't work, but the washing machine is great and easy to figure out - and only takes about 30 mins, not 3 hours like all the others I've seen here so far. All in all, it's okay, at least I'm ailve and happy.
I'm going now to meet Katy and Derrick for dinner, then Brazilian Carnaval party at Smichov Beach. We'll see how THAT turns out!
Hugs to you, Pittsburgh.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
CHCETE MLUVIT ČESKY?
Today I:
-Changed desks
-Talked on the phone with my mom for about 20 minutes. Man did that feel good.
-Went to my last dinner with Brent at an Italian place we like.
-Made my first cash withdrawal from my Czech bank account.
-Bought a book called "CHCETE MLUVIT ČESKY?" (Do you want to speak Czech?) I saw it on the shelf and said, "Why, yes I do!"
-Went to Paul bakery and bought a "pomme chausson". It is to die for, like everything else I've had from there.
-Said goodbye to Brent
-Wiped a few tears from my cheeks after I turned the corner. He was the last slice of Pittsburgh I had. I'm really on my own now. I didn't realize it, but it didn't really feel real until just then. I'm really on my own...
I think I'll go read my new book and try to adapt. Going out with Katy and her friend Derrick tonight, who is visiting from the states. This is the first weekend so far that I don't have to work, so I plan to enjoy the hell out of it.
:)
-Changed desks
-Talked on the phone with my mom for about 20 minutes. Man did that feel good.
-Went to my last dinner with Brent at an Italian place we like.
-Made my first cash withdrawal from my Czech bank account.
-Bought a book called "CHCETE MLUVIT ČESKY?" (Do you want to speak Czech?) I saw it on the shelf and said, "Why, yes I do!"
-Went to Paul bakery and bought a "pomme chausson". It is to die for, like everything else I've had from there.
-Said goodbye to Brent
-Wiped a few tears from my cheeks after I turned the corner. He was the last slice of Pittsburgh I had. I'm really on my own now. I didn't realize it, but it didn't really feel real until just then. I'm really on my own...
I think I'll go read my new book and try to adapt. Going out with Katy and her friend Derrick tonight, who is visiting from the states. This is the first weekend so far that I don't have to work, so I plan to enjoy the hell out of it.
:)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Updates...
Been a boring couple of days besides some personal stuff I won't go into here.
I did my first big customer training yesterday from 4pm-7pm, and it went really well. I feel a huge weight lifted from my shoulders for having the first one out of the way. Afterward I called Hernaldo for about an hour, because I wanted to tell someone about it.
I did my first big customer training yesterday from 4pm-7pm, and it went really well. I feel a huge weight lifted from my shoulders for having the first one out of the way. Afterward I called Hernaldo for about an hour, because I wanted to tell someone about it.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Up and down, up and down...
I am such a rollercoaster lately.
I gave an entire Sourcing Pro to no audience at all, out loud, here in my apartment, to prepare myself for tomorrow. It went well. In my mind, the users all told me how informative and sweet I am.
My next plan was to make my last packet of soup (mushroom, yum) and watch episodes of The City on mtv.com. I forgot that "studene" means cold, referring to the water in which I am supposed to empty the soup packet. It is ruined and inedible. I am out of groceries and do not feel like walking to Tesco to buy something else. I promptly burst into tears.
I think I have a couple of nectarines left in the fridge. I should submit this to fmylife.com for sure.
I gave an entire Sourcing Pro to no audience at all, out loud, here in my apartment, to prepare myself for tomorrow. It went well. In my mind, the users all told me how informative and sweet I am.
My next plan was to make my last packet of soup (mushroom, yum) and watch episodes of The City on mtv.com. I forgot that "studene" means cold, referring to the water in which I am supposed to empty the soup packet. It is ruined and inedible. I am out of groceries and do not feel like walking to Tesco to buy something else. I promptly burst into tears.
I think I have a couple of nectarines left in the fridge. I should submit this to fmylife.com for sure.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, Sunday...
Sundays are the hardest days. I usually find myself sleeping late, not leaving the apartment, and playing on the internet all day, checking the same websites over and over for no reason at all. How boring I am in this new city. I would never let an entire Sunday go by back home, especially during summer.
Sundays were nice after I met Hernaldo. We'd usually hang out Saturday night into Sunday, and on Sunday we'd go to a park and stroll around, go out to lunch, watch movies, and just be together. Before I met him they were still nice; I'd go out to lunch with Mom, or shopping around Cranberry.
And then of course, before that, Sundays were spent sleeping all day, all to rest up for Sunday night dancing. I really miss going out in Pittsburgh... I miss always having cumbia partners and dancing I was sweating like crazy and my feet hurt.
Now my feet only hurt because of the cobblestones.
Sundays were nice after I met Hernaldo. We'd usually hang out Saturday night into Sunday, and on Sunday we'd go to a park and stroll around, go out to lunch, watch movies, and just be together. Before I met him they were still nice; I'd go out to lunch with Mom, or shopping around Cranberry.
And then of course, before that, Sundays were spent sleeping all day, all to rest up for Sunday night dancing. I really miss going out in Pittsburgh... I miss always having cumbia partners and dancing I was sweating like crazy and my feet hurt.
Now my feet only hurt because of the cobblestones.
Another night out
I had every intention of writing a big entry about my night out, but I'm just not up to it.
Here's the short version.
-I went out with Katy and Dana again.
-We went to Radost.
-Radost is full of the skeeziest people in all of Prague.
-If one more Nigerian asks me about my sex life within two minutes of meeting me, I am going to freak out, throw drinks on them, and then throw the glass at their heads. What nerve.
Here's the short version.
-I went out with Katy and Dana again.
-We went to Radost.
-Radost is full of the skeeziest people in all of Prague.
-If one more Nigerian asks me about my sex life within two minutes of meeting me, I am going to freak out, throw drinks on them, and then throw the glass at their heads. What nerve.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Small additional update
I updated my blog colors one more time - frequent readers probably noticed that they change kind of frequently. I've never been quite happy with them but I like them now. I also changed it so that anyone can leave comments, because my mom is the only one who ever leaves them, and I suspect it may be because she's the only one who takes the time to login with her Google account. Or maybe not as many people are reading it as I think :)
Either way, feel free to leave them now, if you're reading!
Either way, feel free to leave them now, if you're reading!
S--A--T-U-R--D-A-Y.. NIGHT!
It's 8:13pm and I am in the office trying to get some work done that was impossible during the week because I had to be Auction Admin all week alone, and I have a ginormous project due Tuesday. First off, FML for that.
Second, there is this horribly creepy fly that keeps landing on me. It flew near my eye, and it kept landing on me and my screen while I was trying to work at my desk. I figured it was hanging around that area, so I came down the admin station which is kind of far away, and did a remote connection into my computer so I could work down here. And it found me AGAIN.
So I went and turned on every light on on the other side of the office and I am sitting here in the dark. It is so dark that if I look down I can barely see my feet, the only light is that from the computer screen.
And if that asshole flies near me again, I will kill the motherf@#$er.
I really really hate bugs.
Second, there is this horribly creepy fly that keeps landing on me. It flew near my eye, and it kept landing on me and my screen while I was trying to work at my desk. I figured it was hanging around that area, so I came down the admin station which is kind of far away, and did a remote connection into my computer so I could work down here. And it found me AGAIN.
So I went and turned on every light on on the other side of the office and I am sitting here in the dark. It is so dark that if I look down I can barely see my feet, the only light is that from the computer screen.
And if that asshole flies near me again, I will kill the motherf@#$er.
I really really hate bugs.
First big night out
I finally got to go OUT!! Boy did I miss it, and boy did I have a great time. And boy did I wake up at 2:30pm today.
Work yesterday was uneventful, except that it was Rob's birthday. Birthdays are always fun because we get cake, but every cake here seems to have a layer of mushy fruit inside crispy Jell-o, so so far I haven't enjoyed it too much :( But it was still nice. Happy birthday to you, Robby McGee :)
Tiago (as we were walking out for lunch): So Rob, how old are you today?
Rob: Oh, I'm 28.
Tiago: Shit...
Rob: Thanks.
:)
After work I went home and took a short nap, then went for Afghani food with Leila and Tiago. It was just as good as ever. I almost got to arm-wrestle one of the waiters for the cost of the meal, but he wouldn't agree to the terms :( Next time, maybe.
I went home and got ready in a hurry, then took a metro to Náměstí Republiky where I met Katy and Dana to go out. We were going to go to a place called TAT Bar because there was some kind of Panama Party going on with all latin music, but she stopped by there and told me that it was in face a strip club...so we didn't go. Instead, we went to a couple of clubs in old town called M1 and Bombay - they are a 30 second walk from each other with no cover, so you can go between them very easily.
We went to Bombay first and had a couple drinks. I was eyeing a boy that I thought must be Arab, but he was with friends so I didn't put in much effort. He turned to leave and came right to me and said, "Hi...my friends and I are going to another club, will you come with us?" I said I was with my friends so I couldn't, but asked where he was from in the meantime. He said he was from Egypt :) I told him I'm Palestinian and he said it's too loud in the club, and could I go outside for a minute to chat. I said sure, so we went outside.
He turned out to be very nice, and even though I couldn't go with him, we exchanged numbers and will probably hang out sometime soon. I've met my first Arab friend :) Yay. We'll see if he ends up being cool or lame.
After that we danced awhile, had a few drinks, and went over to M1. The music was great, lots of reggae, reggaeton, and hip hop. We danced and talked to some people, then went back to Bombay, back to M1, and so on about 10 more times through the night. Finally I started getting sleepy and bored, so around 3:30am or so I told Katy I was going to go home.
I had every intention of walking to Smichov from there, which would probably take a half hour or maybe a little more, but I like walking in Prague. So I said goodbye, and headed back the way we arrived.
At one small cobblestone intersection, nothing looked familiar. I stood in the middle of it, looking each way I could go, and finally recognized that one street would lead to Palladium. So I turned and heard a voice say, "How are you tonight?" It was an African guy who was just kind of hanging out on the sidewalk around some other people. I replied in my usual friendly manner, "Oh, a bit lost, but I'm okay now!" and kept walking.
He started walking with me and chatting. After a bit, I asked where he was from, and he replied, "Camaroon."
Rewind about 6 months:
It is February. I am walking around Mustek with Leila at night coming home from what was then called Tropison. A guy comes seemingly from out of nowhere and starts chatting to us. I asked where he was from. He said, "Camaroon." We had a friendly chat and that was that.
Fast-forward back to last night:
"Camaroon?"
"Yes."
"Did I meet you before?"
"You know, I was wondering the same thing."
"About six months ago, I was walking down the street and you walked with us, and we chatted to me then."
"Yes, I do remember!"
"So is this just what you do?"
"Huh?"
"You just randomly follow girls on the street and talk to them?"
"No.. no I don't!"
"So it's just me then? Twice?"
Ha.
Anyway we talked about Prague, how we ended up here, etc., and he said he was going to Bombay (the club) that night, and asked if I'd like to go back. So, I did.. then it started raining a lot.. so we made the run to M1. It was nice; it was nice to have someone I don't work with to chat with about random things. After not so long I went home. I got back around 6am, took a shower (it's still legal to smoke in clubs here), and fell right asleep until about 2:30pm today :)
I haven't done much, but it's after 4pm now and I really need to go to the office and get some work done.
Tonight I'm going to what used to be Tropison but is now called Club Palanca (I think) to see Son Caliente play, a live band that my acquaintance Mario plays in. After that we might go to Radost, we'll see how it ends up.
That's all for now!
Work yesterday was uneventful, except that it was Rob's birthday. Birthdays are always fun because we get cake, but every cake here seems to have a layer of mushy fruit inside crispy Jell-o, so so far I haven't enjoyed it too much :( But it was still nice. Happy birthday to you, Robby McGee :)
Tiago (as we were walking out for lunch): So Rob, how old are you today?
Rob: Oh, I'm 28.
Tiago: Shit...
Rob: Thanks.
:)
After work I went home and took a short nap, then went for Afghani food with Leila and Tiago. It was just as good as ever. I almost got to arm-wrestle one of the waiters for the cost of the meal, but he wouldn't agree to the terms :( Next time, maybe.
I went home and got ready in a hurry, then took a metro to Náměstí Republiky where I met Katy and Dana to go out. We were going to go to a place called TAT Bar because there was some kind of Panama Party going on with all latin music, but she stopped by there and told me that it was in face a strip club...so we didn't go. Instead, we went to a couple of clubs in old town called M1 and Bombay - they are a 30 second walk from each other with no cover, so you can go between them very easily.
We went to Bombay first and had a couple drinks. I was eyeing a boy that I thought must be Arab, but he was with friends so I didn't put in much effort. He turned to leave and came right to me and said, "Hi...my friends and I are going to another club, will you come with us?" I said I was with my friends so I couldn't, but asked where he was from in the meantime. He said he was from Egypt :) I told him I'm Palestinian and he said it's too loud in the club, and could I go outside for a minute to chat. I said sure, so we went outside.
He turned out to be very nice, and even though I couldn't go with him, we exchanged numbers and will probably hang out sometime soon. I've met my first Arab friend :) Yay. We'll see if he ends up being cool or lame.
After that we danced awhile, had a few drinks, and went over to M1. The music was great, lots of reggae, reggaeton, and hip hop. We danced and talked to some people, then went back to Bombay, back to M1, and so on about 10 more times through the night. Finally I started getting sleepy and bored, so around 3:30am or so I told Katy I was going to go home.
I had every intention of walking to Smichov from there, which would probably take a half hour or maybe a little more, but I like walking in Prague. So I said goodbye, and headed back the way we arrived.
At one small cobblestone intersection, nothing looked familiar. I stood in the middle of it, looking each way I could go, and finally recognized that one street would lead to Palladium. So I turned and heard a voice say, "How are you tonight?" It was an African guy who was just kind of hanging out on the sidewalk around some other people. I replied in my usual friendly manner, "Oh, a bit lost, but I'm okay now!" and kept walking.
He started walking with me and chatting. After a bit, I asked where he was from, and he replied, "Camaroon."
Rewind about 6 months:
It is February. I am walking around Mustek with Leila at night coming home from what was then called Tropison. A guy comes seemingly from out of nowhere and starts chatting to us. I asked where he was from. He said, "Camaroon." We had a friendly chat and that was that.
Fast-forward back to last night:
"Camaroon?"
"Yes."
"Did I meet you before?"
"You know, I was wondering the same thing."
"About six months ago, I was walking down the street and you walked with us, and we chatted to me then."
"Yes, I do remember!"
"So is this just what you do?"
"Huh?"
"You just randomly follow girls on the street and talk to them?"
"No.. no I don't!"
"So it's just me then? Twice?"
Ha.
Anyway we talked about Prague, how we ended up here, etc., and he said he was going to Bombay (the club) that night, and asked if I'd like to go back. So, I did.. then it started raining a lot.. so we made the run to M1. It was nice; it was nice to have someone I don't work with to chat with about random things. After not so long I went home. I got back around 6am, took a shower (it's still legal to smoke in clubs here), and fell right asleep until about 2:30pm today :)
I haven't done much, but it's after 4pm now and I really need to go to the office and get some work done.
Tonight I'm going to what used to be Tropison but is now called Club Palanca (I think) to see Son Caliente play, a live band that my acquaintance Mario plays in. After that we might go to Radost, we'll see how it ends up.
That's all for now!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Not that I regret my decision...
...but things were a LOT easier in Pittsburgh. What a shitty, shitty week.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Dream, Dream Away
I had some really interesting dream "blurbs" last night. Dreams where nothing really happens and you can't remember a whole plot, but just moments.
Blurb 1:
I was riding the bus with Hernaldo, and we were sharing headphones like we used to, and listening to his iPod. I was slouched down with my head on his shoulder, and he had his arm around me. This one made me sad and wistful :(
Blurb 2:
I was at the big "plaza" area around the National Theater here in Prague with Leila, Tiago and Farid, but there was a big wooden gazebo with tables and benches. Leila was sitting and just watching, and Farid and Tiago were on rollerblades skating all around the place. I was writing letters to people back home but I had like 40 sheets of paper, as if I'd been writing for hours, and just turning the page and writing more each time, front and back. When Farid asked me what I was doing, I told him, "I'm just writing a journal," because I was embarrassed for writing so many letters home.
Blurb 3:
I was at a cafe where they taught basic/conversational Spanish classes with Shannon (in the dream, she wanted to learn Spanish). She said a few sentences in Spanish (the one I remember was "Me llamo Shannon") and asked me how she sounded - I said, "To be honest, your accent is too soft and pretty, it has to be harsher - it's not French." (She actually does speak French with a very nice accent). Then I said, regarding the learning order of the languages (and that she learned French before Spanish), "It's easier to go from hard to soft than it is from soft to hard." Then we both screamed at the same time, "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID."
Yes, this really happened in my dream, and it was awesome.
There was another one but it was gross and involved a lot of blood, so I won't share that one. But these stuck with me when I woke up, so I thought I'd jot 'em down.
Blurb 1:
I was riding the bus with Hernaldo, and we were sharing headphones like we used to, and listening to his iPod. I was slouched down with my head on his shoulder, and he had his arm around me. This one made me sad and wistful :(
Blurb 2:
I was at the big "plaza" area around the National Theater here in Prague with Leila, Tiago and Farid, but there was a big wooden gazebo with tables and benches. Leila was sitting and just watching, and Farid and Tiago were on rollerblades skating all around the place. I was writing letters to people back home but I had like 40 sheets of paper, as if I'd been writing for hours, and just turning the page and writing more each time, front and back. When Farid asked me what I was doing, I told him, "I'm just writing a journal," because I was embarrassed for writing so many letters home.
Blurb 3:
I was at a cafe where they taught basic/conversational Spanish classes with Shannon (in the dream, she wanted to learn Spanish). She said a few sentences in Spanish (the one I remember was "Me llamo Shannon") and asked me how she sounded - I said, "To be honest, your accent is too soft and pretty, it has to be harsher - it's not French." (She actually does speak French with a very nice accent). Then I said, regarding the learning order of the languages (and that she learned French before Spanish), "It's easier to go from hard to soft than it is from soft to hard." Then we both screamed at the same time, "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID."
Yes, this really happened in my dream, and it was awesome.
There was another one but it was gross and involved a lot of blood, so I won't share that one. But these stuck with me when I woke up, so I thought I'd jot 'em down.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Royal Misunderstanding
I can't believe I forgot to share my funniest moment in Prague yet with my loyal readers.
I was in Rincon Latino my first weekend. Leila and Naima had left, and I decided to stay for one more drink. I didn't want another mojito, and Czech beer comes in such a huge glass. I decided to ask for an old favorite - a bottle of Corona with a juicy lime.
The bartenders are Cuban. They speak Spanish and Czech. So of course, I chose Spanish.
Me: Una Corona con limón, por favor.
Bartender: Una corona con limón?
Me: Sí, gracias.
(waiting)
Now, not everyone speaks Spanish, so I'll fill you in. The Czech currency is the "Koruna", or as we say in English, the "crown". Corona in Spanish also means crown.
He returned to my spot at the bar and gave me: a one-crown coin, a piece of lime, and a smile.
:-D
I was in Rincon Latino my first weekend. Leila and Naima had left, and I decided to stay for one more drink. I didn't want another mojito, and Czech beer comes in such a huge glass. I decided to ask for an old favorite - a bottle of Corona with a juicy lime.
The bartenders are Cuban. They speak Spanish and Czech. So of course, I chose Spanish.
Me: Una Corona con limón, por favor.
Bartender: Una corona con limón?
Me: Sí, gracias.
(waiting)
Now, not everyone speaks Spanish, so I'll fill you in. The Czech currency is the "Koruna", or as we say in English, the "crown". Corona in Spanish also means crown.
He returned to my spot at the bar and gave me: a one-crown coin, a piece of lime, and a smile.
:-D
I've been googling a lot since I got here. I've discarded the old style of googling (search keywords). Now I ask Google questions as if it were a friend.
"How many centimeters tall am I, Google?"
"You are 167 centimeters tall, Alia."
I love it.
In other news, in Tesco today I decided to buy myself a treat for after dinner (which has grown boring having only one pot to make things in). I bought myself something called "Coconut Pleasure."
These will be fully stocked for when Mom comes to visit next summer, as they will be her new favorite thing EVER, as they are now mine.
"How many centimeters tall am I, Google?"
"You are 167 centimeters tall, Alia."
I love it.
In other news, in Tesco today I decided to buy myself a treat for after dinner (which has grown boring having only one pot to make things in). I bought myself something called "Coconut Pleasure."
These will be fully stocked for when Mom comes to visit next summer, as they will be her new favorite thing EVER, as they are now mine.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Laundry, Part III
Just an update that everything turned out A-okay :) If it used 70 degree celsius water, then I sure can't tell - everything is still its rightful size and color. My apartment looks like a jungle with all the stuff hanging from every cabinet possible, but it's a small price to pay for clean (sort of?) clothes.
I still wish I had a dryer. :)
I still wish I had a dryer. :)
Feeling confused
I feel so confused... I went to my bedroom to do a word puzzle, a diagramless one that my mom has been saying I'd enjoy (it is very fun, good call, Mom), but I guess I was a bit sleepy from the pasta because the next thing I woke up and it was 10:10pm!
Time to get the laundry!
So I went downstairs and the 3h machine was done, as expected. Then I saw the other one and my things were just sitting there, not moving, and a red light was blinking - never a good sign. What did it want from me? I pushed and pulled various knobs/buttons when I realized that one was turned to - yep - 70 degrees. Probably celsius?? Does water that hot exist? Eff - hopefully there wasn't anything shrinkable in there :( I am hoping that because it was on the delicates setting, nothing bad happened, but how will I know? I cannot open the door to the washer.
I finally got it to move again, but it started filling with water! It had already run nearly 4 hours, and it was filling with water again? I took a seat on the floor in front of it, legs crossed like an indian, and watched the show. It turned and turned for what seemed like ages in the water, so finally I pushed a button and turned a knob to something that looked like what might be a spin cycle (a swirly icon).
It washed a bit longer, then the water drained out and it started to spin at a speed I'd never seen/heard before. My poor clothes probably hate me. I sat for about 20 minutes when I realized the rest of my stuff from the other load was crumpled in a bag, still damp, so I came upstairs to put it on hangers and spread it around the apartment like decoration. I have things hanging from the handle of the refrigerator, the front door to the apartment, and from kitchen drawers.
Nothing seems to be ruined, so now I'm just praying for the other load where most of my work shirts were.
In other topics, how on earth do you lay out socks to dry? The best I could come up with was spread out on a table, but it seems like only one side will dry. I guess tomorrow I'll turn them over. I am imagining a device that will make socks dry easier... I wonder if it exists?
Sometimes when I talk like this I hear Marzio's voice in my head instead of my own, thick Italian accent and everything.
I think I need a vacation already.
Time to get the laundry!
So I went downstairs and the 3h machine was done, as expected. Then I saw the other one and my things were just sitting there, not moving, and a red light was blinking - never a good sign. What did it want from me? I pushed and pulled various knobs/buttons when I realized that one was turned to - yep - 70 degrees. Probably celsius?? Does water that hot exist? Eff - hopefully there wasn't anything shrinkable in there :( I am hoping that because it was on the delicates setting, nothing bad happened, but how will I know? I cannot open the door to the washer.
I finally got it to move again, but it started filling with water! It had already run nearly 4 hours, and it was filling with water again? I took a seat on the floor in front of it, legs crossed like an indian, and watched the show. It turned and turned for what seemed like ages in the water, so finally I pushed a button and turned a knob to something that looked like what might be a spin cycle (a swirly icon).
It washed a bit longer, then the water drained out and it started to spin at a speed I'd never seen/heard before. My poor clothes probably hate me. I sat for about 20 minutes when I realized the rest of my stuff from the other load was crumpled in a bag, still damp, so I came upstairs to put it on hangers and spread it around the apartment like decoration. I have things hanging from the handle of the refrigerator, the front door to the apartment, and from kitchen drawers.
Nothing seems to be ruined, so now I'm just praying for the other load where most of my work shirts were.
In other topics, how on earth do you lay out socks to dry? The best I could come up with was spread out on a table, but it seems like only one side will dry. I guess tomorrow I'll turn them over. I am imagining a device that will make socks dry easier... I wonder if it exists?
Sometimes when I talk like this I hear Marzio's voice in my head instead of my own, thick Italian accent and everything.
I think I need a vacation already.
Adventures in Laundry and Other Things
My day out with Brent was nice. An American girl named Lindsey that I met on expats.cz also came along, and she turned out to be really nice and fun to hang out with. The three of us walked for about 5.5 hours with just a stop for lunch and then a drink at the very end, plus we went in a few shops here and there. All in all we saw probably the majority of the center, minus any touristy spots that Brent is saving for Megan (his wife) when she comes to visit soon. I'm glad I met Lindsey, we seem to get along well and have plans to go see a movie this week, and maybe do some other fun thing this weekend (zoo perhaps?). We'll see!
Just after I left them I got a call from my friend Alex, also from the Pittsburgh office, to say that he and Jarod (also from PGH) were at Jet Set. I said, I am literally walking by it this second, and went inside to join them :) They were out on the patio so I had a water and chatted with them for a bit, then mosied on home.
Part of me wanted to go out but part of me was exhausted with tired feet, so I ended up just staying in. I did word puzzles, watched a movie online, just chilled. I wish I had known that I would do exactly this for all of Sunday, or else I would have forced myself out of the apartment on Saturday night :) Sunday was spent VERY lazy - I didn't even change out of my pajamas. Though I don't feel tired part of me thinks I'm still adjusting, or maybe that's just my excuse for a day of laziness :)
Work today was normal, not especially busy or slow, and after work all I did was call my mom and go to Tesco. The lady asked me a question in Czech, and I had no idea what she asked. She said, "Frances?" I said, "Oui, un peu..." so she continued on in French. Thank goodness what I knew from college magically kicked in (fight or flight:) and I realized she was asking me for the 18 cents, if I had correct change, on the end of my total amount.
This is where I say a big WTF - who has 18 cents here? I have only seen one coin smaller than 1 crown, and that was a 50 cent piece, and I only have one and it's my favorite coin so I wasn't about to give it up. I just replied in French that no, I didn't have change, and she gave me the rest. She probably cheated me by a fraction of a crown but I don't care.
I hiked home carrying laundry detergent and some food items, plus nail polish remover and cotton pads because I am in desperate need (and want) of a pedicure :) When I got back I went through my clothes to decide what needed to be washed, and finally caved and decided all of it should be washed. I went downstairs to the building lobby where there are two washers that are completely different. There is no measurement for the detergent, just a giant hole where it should go - who knows how much to put? I just put "some". As for picking a setting, I just picked the coldest and fastest looking setting possible so as not to ruin my things....but one washer is now running for 4 hours and the other for 3 hours. To which I pray:
Dear God,
If you are reading this blog, please save my clothes. They are all I have in this country right now. I cannot read Czech and I do not know why it would take 4 hours to wash some shirts, underwear, and socks, but please just keep them safe.
Amen,
Alia
Since then, I made packaged pasta which was mediocre and not quite done (I think I mismeasured the 0,5 L again), but I also had a couple nectarines which were good. Anyone else would say they were bad; they were very hard and crispy and not sweet, but that's how I like them :)
Anyway, I'll let you know in 3 more hours how the laundry turned out...
Until then, besos. :)
Just after I left them I got a call from my friend Alex, also from the Pittsburgh office, to say that he and Jarod (also from PGH) were at Jet Set. I said, I am literally walking by it this second, and went inside to join them :) They were out on the patio so I had a water and chatted with them for a bit, then mosied on home.
Part of me wanted to go out but part of me was exhausted with tired feet, so I ended up just staying in. I did word puzzles, watched a movie online, just chilled. I wish I had known that I would do exactly this for all of Sunday, or else I would have forced myself out of the apartment on Saturday night :) Sunday was spent VERY lazy - I didn't even change out of my pajamas. Though I don't feel tired part of me thinks I'm still adjusting, or maybe that's just my excuse for a day of laziness :)
Work today was normal, not especially busy or slow, and after work all I did was call my mom and go to Tesco. The lady asked me a question in Czech, and I had no idea what she asked. She said, "Frances?" I said, "Oui, un peu..." so she continued on in French. Thank goodness what I knew from college magically kicked in (fight or flight:) and I realized she was asking me for the 18 cents, if I had correct change, on the end of my total amount.
This is where I say a big WTF - who has 18 cents here? I have only seen one coin smaller than 1 crown, and that was a 50 cent piece, and I only have one and it's my favorite coin so I wasn't about to give it up. I just replied in French that no, I didn't have change, and she gave me the rest. She probably cheated me by a fraction of a crown but I don't care.
I hiked home carrying laundry detergent and some food items, plus nail polish remover and cotton pads because I am in desperate need (and want) of a pedicure :) When I got back I went through my clothes to decide what needed to be washed, and finally caved and decided all of it should be washed. I went downstairs to the building lobby where there are two washers that are completely different. There is no measurement for the detergent, just a giant hole where it should go - who knows how much to put? I just put "some". As for picking a setting, I just picked the coldest and fastest looking setting possible so as not to ruin my things....but one washer is now running for 4 hours and the other for 3 hours. To which I pray:
Dear God,
If you are reading this blog, please save my clothes. They are all I have in this country right now. I cannot read Czech and I do not know why it would take 4 hours to wash some shirts, underwear, and socks, but please just keep them safe.
Amen,
Alia
Since then, I made packaged pasta which was mediocre and not quite done (I think I mismeasured the 0,5 L again), but I also had a couple nectarines which were good. Anyone else would say they were bad; they were very hard and crispy and not sweet, but that's how I like them :)
Anyway, I'll let you know in 3 more hours how the laundry turned out...
Until then, besos. :)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Yesterday and Today
Work yesterday was surprisingly calm - it felt so good to be productive without all the chaos of the rest of this past week. After work I went with Beliza and Brent to Ikea in Černý Most. Černý Most is FAR. I never realized how far it was. I realized I was looking for apartments of equal distance in the opposite direction, and I'm so glad I picked the one here, so close to work.
Ikea was as fun as it always is, but exhausting as well. It turns out Beliza and I are insanely alike, right down to the type of mattress we like, to the bed we want, to the pillow we like, and a lot of other little things we keep finding out every day. We ended up falling in love with the same mattress and bed, difference is that she bought hers yesterday and I am waiting a while until I have it lined up financially. I was glad I got to see the total though, so I know exactly what I'll be spending. She didn't pay to have it taken upstairs, though, so my delivery cost will be different - she has an elevator and I have 3 flights of steps. Those men will be taking it upstairs AND putting it together for me! Heck if I'm going to have a squeaky rickety bed for the next few years.
Everything else was just overwhelming. I don't even know yet what I need, so trying to figure it out now is just impossible. I realized I'll have to go to the apartment, clean, move things around to my liking (as there is already some furniture there), and slowly think of certain individual items I want/need to make it complete. I tried to figure out how I'm going to hang a shower curtain, as it will need to have a corner/curve, but I'll worry about that later. None of it is pressing or urgent, just the bed - that's the only thing I want soon. Other than that, I'm content doing this piece by piece, like a project.
Admittedly I would really like a couch, though, and a chair, and some decoration. It's going to take forever before it looks like "mine".
After that extravaganza, we got the 8:45pm Ikea shuttle back to the metro station, and took the station back to Národní třída. We went to a restaurant whose name I can't remember now (Beliza and leave another comment on this one:), but where I had the most satisfying meal that I've had since I've been back.
Brent got some kind of chicken dish that Beliza recommended, and Beliza and I both had something that was described as "spiced mixed beef with egg yolk and french fries" blablabla... this ended up being a hamburger patty with an egg yolk cooked on top of it, with french fries and a couple different kinds of cabbage on the side. Might sound boring/odd to some of you but I will say this with no hesitation - I effing love Czech food! Every meal feels like "Mom's homemade ___" (fill in blank) because it's always hearty and filling and warm. It just always tastes homemade, which is nice when I'm this far from home.
Alas, I am back to the real world of wanting many things that I can't have (yet). Today will be fun, I'm going to walk around the city with Brent today. We did a lot of walking last night - we went from Národní třída metro station and after searching for a bar to have a final beer, ended up just walking back to Anděl, and me a bit further toward Bertramka. It was pleasant :)
Anyway, it's nearly 10:30am and we're meeting at 12. I'm going to go shower, get dressed, and get going.
Hugs to everyone.
Ikea was as fun as it always is, but exhausting as well. It turns out Beliza and I are insanely alike, right down to the type of mattress we like, to the bed we want, to the pillow we like, and a lot of other little things we keep finding out every day. We ended up falling in love with the same mattress and bed, difference is that she bought hers yesterday and I am waiting a while until I have it lined up financially. I was glad I got to see the total though, so I know exactly what I'll be spending. She didn't pay to have it taken upstairs, though, so my delivery cost will be different - she has an elevator and I have 3 flights of steps. Those men will be taking it upstairs AND putting it together for me! Heck if I'm going to have a squeaky rickety bed for the next few years.
Everything else was just overwhelming. I don't even know yet what I need, so trying to figure it out now is just impossible. I realized I'll have to go to the apartment, clean, move things around to my liking (as there is already some furniture there), and slowly think of certain individual items I want/need to make it complete. I tried to figure out how I'm going to hang a shower curtain, as it will need to have a corner/curve, but I'll worry about that later. None of it is pressing or urgent, just the bed - that's the only thing I want soon. Other than that, I'm content doing this piece by piece, like a project.
Admittedly I would really like a couch, though, and a chair, and some decoration. It's going to take forever before it looks like "mine".
After that extravaganza, we got the 8:45pm Ikea shuttle back to the metro station, and took the station back to Národní třída. We went to a restaurant whose name I can't remember now (Beliza and leave another comment on this one:), but where I had the most satisfying meal that I've had since I've been back.
Brent got some kind of chicken dish that Beliza recommended, and Beliza and I both had something that was described as "spiced mixed beef with egg yolk and french fries" blablabla... this ended up being a hamburger patty with an egg yolk cooked on top of it, with french fries and a couple different kinds of cabbage on the side. Might sound boring/odd to some of you but I will say this with no hesitation - I effing love Czech food! Every meal feels like "Mom's homemade ___" (fill in blank) because it's always hearty and filling and warm. It just always tastes homemade, which is nice when I'm this far from home.
Alas, I am back to the real world of wanting many things that I can't have (yet). Today will be fun, I'm going to walk around the city with Brent today. We did a lot of walking last night - we went from Národní třída metro station and after searching for a bar to have a final beer, ended up just walking back to Anděl, and me a bit further toward Bertramka. It was pleasant :)
Anyway, it's nearly 10:30am and we're meeting at 12. I'm going to go shower, get dressed, and get going.
Hugs to everyone.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A new old face in town
Brent is here, my buddy from the Pittsburgh office :) He got in yesterday. He didn't come to work yesterday due to getting in at like 7am and needing a day to let his body figure out its schedule, but we met up after I was off work to go walk around and have dinner. It felt cool to show someone else the ropes around here, since I'm usually the lost/clueless one. We had dinner at an Italian place where I've only ever ordered one thing because the thing I order is soooo effing good, then walked around the mall for some shopping. It's nice to have him around for a few weeks.
Today at work was stressful as usual, I'm starting to feel really frustrated. But, that's another story, and one that isn't for the blog. Instead I'll talk about after work. I went with Naima and Beliza to Mustek. We walked all around that area looking for a dress for Naima to wear to a wedding this weekend. I am proud to say I picked the winner and it looked fabulous :) After that we went to Palladium on a quest for shoes and who knows what else. We had a fun time walking around and it was really nice to have some girl time (shopping, giggling, you know how we do).
After the shopping around nearly 9pm, Naima headed home and Beliza and I went to a small place (whose name I didn't catch) to satisfy our hunger. We both had a really nice chicken salad that really hit the spot. The restaurant/bar/whatever you want to call it was a very cool spot, I could see going back for sure.
And now here I am, tired, sore feet from walking around in flip-flops (I am trying to find comfy walking shoes I like, but I am too picky:), and relieved to be home (in my temporary place.
It's 11:10pm and I am more than ready for bed.
Good night, world.
Today at work was stressful as usual, I'm starting to feel really frustrated. But, that's another story, and one that isn't for the blog. Instead I'll talk about after work. I went with Naima and Beliza to Mustek. We walked all around that area looking for a dress for Naima to wear to a wedding this weekend. I am proud to say I picked the winner and it looked fabulous :) After that we went to Palladium on a quest for shoes and who knows what else. We had a fun time walking around and it was really nice to have some girl time (shopping, giggling, you know how we do).
After the shopping around nearly 9pm, Naima headed home and Beliza and I went to a small place (whose name I didn't catch) to satisfy our hunger. We both had a really nice chicken salad that really hit the spot. The restaurant/bar/whatever you want to call it was a very cool spot, I could see going back for sure.
And now here I am, tired, sore feet from walking around in flip-flops (I am trying to find comfy walking shoes I like, but I am too picky:), and relieved to be home (in my temporary place.
It's 11:10pm and I am more than ready for bed.
Good night, world.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Lots of updates for once!
It's been a fun week so far, and it's just Tuesday!!
Yesterday was a pretty normal day at work, and afterward we went out for Elena's birthday to Potrefena Husa. There were quite a lot of people, and we stayed until about 9pm (more stayed later, but that was the time when I left). I had a really nice Bohemian potato soup in a bread bowl that was just great. After that I went to the cinema with Beliza and Naima. We saw Public Enemy with Johnny Depp. I liked it very much, Beliza wasn't too impressed, and Naima was in the middle I think. Oh well :)
I went back to my temporary place after that and got ready for bed, I was exhausted. The movie was long, and I didn't get home until nearly midnight I think.
Work today was very rushy, but the most important part is that during the day for my break, I went to my new apartment to get the keys and sign the lease!! I met the landlord for the first time, who is a man of probably around 65 years old or more. He doesn't speak any English but was just the sweetest guy you could imagine. Radek the Reality Friend was a bit late, so the guy and I were left there alone trying to communicate. We managed to say a few sentences between my very limited Czech, my limited German, his limited German, and his very limited English. So we just smiled a lot. :)
I love my apartment even more seeing it the second time - it's more spacious and brighter than I remember. I just adore it and couldn't be happier. It's perfect for me. The stairs are getting easier, too, because I'm forcing myself to take the stairs everywhere I go now - even in my temporary place where I'm on the 5th floor.
After that I went to the equivalent of Subway to get a to-go sandwich so I could alleviate Jose of his auction admin duties. I only had 500 CZK left in my wallet, and gave it to the girl to pay. Actually, I gave 520 CZK, because she didn't want to make that much change for me. My sandwich was 120 CZK, so when she only gave me 100 CZK back, I said, "Oh, I gave you a 500 bill." She said, "No, you give me two [hundred]" in very broken English. I said, "I'm sure I gave you 500..." she said, "No, you give me two" and held up a 200 CZK bill. I didn't know how to argue so I just left, kind of confused.
When I got back to the office, I told Jose what happened, and he said this is a very common trick that some places do with foreigners, because 1. we're too polite to argue and 2. we can't speak Czech. I really just felt so cheated and taken advantage of. It's only about 300 Kc but I'm earning a Czech salary, too... and not to discuss my personal finances in my blog, but 300 Kc is nothing to spit on for me right now... paying for the apartment is killing my bank account. I still just feel sick inside over this, even though in my heart of hearts I know that 300 Kc is a small price to pay for an important lesson learned. Why do people have to be so dishonest?
Well, they lost a customer - I'm sure they won't notice or care, but I'll be sure to warn anyone I meet who might go there as well.
So, anyway, after work I went for a drink/snack with Leila. I really wasn't very hungry but knew I should have dinner, so I had a bowl of mushroom soup that was really fantastic, along with some very nice homemade bread. She had a salad on a plate that was the size of two people's heads. :) The salad itself was, although large, not abnormally large, but the plate was hilariously huge :) We had a nice talk and caught up on our lives, then went for a walk from Andel down to the center, along the river, and then we went our separate ways.
And that brings me here. I'm going to go watch some crappy US TV shows online now and enjoy the hell out of them :)
Prague is fun again.
Yesterday was a pretty normal day at work, and afterward we went out for Elena's birthday to Potrefena Husa. There were quite a lot of people, and we stayed until about 9pm (more stayed later, but that was the time when I left). I had a really nice Bohemian potato soup in a bread bowl that was just great. After that I went to the cinema with Beliza and Naima. We saw Public Enemy with Johnny Depp. I liked it very much, Beliza wasn't too impressed, and Naima was in the middle I think. Oh well :)
I went back to my temporary place after that and got ready for bed, I was exhausted. The movie was long, and I didn't get home until nearly midnight I think.
Work today was very rushy, but the most important part is that during the day for my break, I went to my new apartment to get the keys and sign the lease!! I met the landlord for the first time, who is a man of probably around 65 years old or more. He doesn't speak any English but was just the sweetest guy you could imagine. Radek the Reality Friend was a bit late, so the guy and I were left there alone trying to communicate. We managed to say a few sentences between my very limited Czech, my limited German, his limited German, and his very limited English. So we just smiled a lot. :)
I love my apartment even more seeing it the second time - it's more spacious and brighter than I remember. I just adore it and couldn't be happier. It's perfect for me. The stairs are getting easier, too, because I'm forcing myself to take the stairs everywhere I go now - even in my temporary place where I'm on the 5th floor.
After that I went to the equivalent of Subway to get a to-go sandwich so I could alleviate Jose of his auction admin duties. I only had 500 CZK left in my wallet, and gave it to the girl to pay. Actually, I gave 520 CZK, because she didn't want to make that much change for me. My sandwich was 120 CZK, so when she only gave me 100 CZK back, I said, "Oh, I gave you a 500 bill." She said, "No, you give me two [hundred]" in very broken English. I said, "I'm sure I gave you 500..." she said, "No, you give me two" and held up a 200 CZK bill. I didn't know how to argue so I just left, kind of confused.
When I got back to the office, I told Jose what happened, and he said this is a very common trick that some places do with foreigners, because 1. we're too polite to argue and 2. we can't speak Czech. I really just felt so cheated and taken advantage of. It's only about 300 Kc but I'm earning a Czech salary, too... and not to discuss my personal finances in my blog, but 300 Kc is nothing to spit on for me right now... paying for the apartment is killing my bank account. I still just feel sick inside over this, even though in my heart of hearts I know that 300 Kc is a small price to pay for an important lesson learned. Why do people have to be so dishonest?
Well, they lost a customer - I'm sure they won't notice or care, but I'll be sure to warn anyone I meet who might go there as well.
So, anyway, after work I went for a drink/snack with Leila. I really wasn't very hungry but knew I should have dinner, so I had a bowl of mushroom soup that was really fantastic, along with some very nice homemade bread. She had a salad on a plate that was the size of two people's heads. :) The salad itself was, although large, not abnormally large, but the plate was hilariously huge :) We had a nice talk and caught up on our lives, then went for a walk from Andel down to the center, along the river, and then we went our separate ways.
And that brings me here. I'm going to go watch some crappy US TV shows online now and enjoy the hell out of them :)
Prague is fun again.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Never again!
Today I successfully made soup in 1 L of water.
As George W. Bush says:
"There's an old saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee... that says... fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
And that's how it's done. :)
As George W. Bush says:
"There's an old saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee... that says... fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
And that's how it's done. :)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Foiled
Today I was foiled by the Czech Republic because I don't know what a "litre" is. I ruined my soup packet and rendered it inedible :( What a waste of 22Kc.
Did the needful
Today I did the needful. I went to work feeling just a bit sad with memories, but cheered up quickly. At 12:30 I met my reality friend, except he was 15 minutes late. No worries, he was quick to take my money and ask for more for Tuesday :) At least I'll have a roof over my head, I can't complain. I rushed to the bank then and was only 4 minutes late. The guy, Daniel, was very kind and helpful, and his English was definitely good enough to get by. I got a good deal with the account and am happy with my choice of bank.
Work blew up right around 3pm, and I ended up working till 6pm due to some leftover auction issues, leftover escalations, and a site admin request (I know). I went to Tesco and bought another few bags of stuff as I got very tired of the same pasta and sauce in just 3 days. The next thing on my wish list is a toaster, and once I have that I think I can stop wishing for things and can survive just fine. I really need to start saving, because this apartment is costing a lot more than expected (you pay like 3x the rent the first month). Luckily I found out today I'll be getting paid this month with everyone else - I was scared it would be one of those weird things where I don't get it until one month in or something, because that would really hurt.
Around 8:30-9pm I met up with Naima and Leila for Afghani food - it's still the best thing in the world. We had kofta and karai and ashak and some spinach and some afghani bread and a nice rice with carrots and raisins in it. Delicious. The owner even shared his plums with us at the end because we're such nice girls :)
We went to Rincon Latino after that for dancing but it was ridiculously hot in there, too crowded, all Czechs and hardly any latinos, and just generally not as fun as I remembered it. Naima left quickly, Leila soon after, and I stayed for one more drink alone just because I hate to go home early on a Friday night. Around 12:45am I caved and left, and was back in my temporary place by 1am. A shower never felt so good, it was so humid in there and it's even kind of humid outside, even though it's not hot.
Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'm not sure how I'm going to spend Saturday yet. I really need to do some work. If I get up early enough, maybe I'll go put in a few hours, then go walk around the center and take some pictures, have some lunch, and get some sun (hopefully it's sunny again tomorrow:).
Have a good evening, Pittsburgh. Prague is sleeping - if you don't believe me, look out my window at the empty streets.
Work blew up right around 3pm, and I ended up working till 6pm due to some leftover auction issues, leftover escalations, and a site admin request (I know). I went to Tesco and bought another few bags of stuff as I got very tired of the same pasta and sauce in just 3 days. The next thing on my wish list is a toaster, and once I have that I think I can stop wishing for things and can survive just fine. I really need to start saving, because this apartment is costing a lot more than expected (you pay like 3x the rent the first month). Luckily I found out today I'll be getting paid this month with everyone else - I was scared it would be one of those weird things where I don't get it until one month in or something, because that would really hurt.
Around 8:30-9pm I met up with Naima and Leila for Afghani food - it's still the best thing in the world. We had kofta and karai and ashak and some spinach and some afghani bread and a nice rice with carrots and raisins in it. Delicious. The owner even shared his plums with us at the end because we're such nice girls :)
We went to Rincon Latino after that for dancing but it was ridiculously hot in there, too crowded, all Czechs and hardly any latinos, and just generally not as fun as I remembered it. Naima left quickly, Leila soon after, and I stayed for one more drink alone just because I hate to go home early on a Friday night. Around 12:45am I caved and left, and was back in my temporary place by 1am. A shower never felt so good, it was so humid in there and it's even kind of humid outside, even though it's not hot.
Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'm not sure how I'm going to spend Saturday yet. I really need to do some work. If I get up early enough, maybe I'll go put in a few hours, then go walk around the center and take some pictures, have some lunch, and get some sun (hopefully it's sunny again tomorrow:).
Have a good evening, Pittsburgh. Prague is sleeping - if you don't believe me, look out my window at the empty streets.
Friday, August 7, 2009
One of these mornings
One of these mornings I'll stop wanting to listen to "Si no te hubieras ido" by Marco Antonio Solís on repeat...
Te extraño más que nunca y ni sé que hacer
despierto y de recuerdo mal amanecer
espera otro día por vivir sin ti
el espejo no miente,
me veo tan diferente
me haces falta tú...
So far that morning hasn't happened yet.
Te extraño más que nunca y ni sé que hacer
despierto y de recuerdo mal amanecer
espera otro día por vivir sin ti
el espejo no miente,
me veo tan diferente
me haces falta tú...
So far that morning hasn't happened yet.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Celebrate good times, come on!
Today some work friends and I went out for drinks/dinner at TGI Friday's. They were playing Kelly Clarkson, and with my Ultimate Margarita and my sesame Jack chicken strips, I felt like I was back in the US of A. This is also the first day I feel sickeningly full, what does that say for the US :) It was a really fun time, though. I finally got to meet Jose's wife Jolanna and their son Toby, who is an absolute doll even though he's kind of shy :) So cute. Leila, Naima, Tiago, Jose, and Adina were all there for the whole time, and it was a blast as always with that crowd.
Afterward I went to see a movie with Naima. I bought my first Czech "appliance" - a hair straightener! For 899Kc I am the proud owner of a Philips hair straightener. The box and instructions are all in Czech and Russian :( Luckily I know how to use one. Let's just hope it doesn't say something like, "Do this special thing to it first, or else all your hair will burn off." Fingers crossed, people.
Oh, and we saw Bruno. And it was hilarious. Mom, you really should see it, I think you'd laugh a lot :)
Tomorrow will be a big day: I'm going to pay the agency fee on the apartment I saw yesterday. Yes, I bit the bullet and decided to take it :) I have an appointment at 12:30pm with Radek. Tomorrow is also the day I open my Czech bank account! I decided on Raiffeisenbank, a German bank that I've seen all over Prague. They speak English, they have a nice website and online banking, and the charges are the same as every other bank, so essentially there's no difference.
So, here I am. Tomorrow will be Day 5 (though it's really Day 4, because on Day 1 I just arrived and slept a lot:). Let's call it Day 5 though, just to make it even since it's Friday. Okay, too much discussion: let me start this over.
AHEM.
So here I am. Tomorrow will be Day 5. By the end of the day I will have found a residence, assimilated financially into the Czech world, and did it all on my own. Mom, be proud :)
Tomorrow night, the plan (so far) is to go get Afghani food with Leila and maybe (hopefully) Naima. That is one of the gems of Prague that we don't have in Pittsburgh - Afghani food. The owner knows me and is really sweet, so I'm looking forward to seeing him (and if he remembers me after this much time - he knew me before I left!). After that, RINCON LATINO for some SALSAAAA!!!
I can't wait to go to the center and see the castle all lit up again. I missed that view. I do feel sad for a few moments sometimes, thinking of home and my mom and my friends and what I'm missing there, but I really really love it here. And I think I'm only going to love it more once I'm really settled in my place and feel like I have a space that's really my own.
Enough corny stuff. I'm going to do some crossword puzzles and go to sleep :) Got a long day tomorrow!
Afterward I went to see a movie with Naima. I bought my first Czech "appliance" - a hair straightener! For 899Kc I am the proud owner of a Philips hair straightener. The box and instructions are all in Czech and Russian :( Luckily I know how to use one. Let's just hope it doesn't say something like, "Do this special thing to it first, or else all your hair will burn off." Fingers crossed, people.
Oh, and we saw Bruno. And it was hilarious. Mom, you really should see it, I think you'd laugh a lot :)
Tomorrow will be a big day: I'm going to pay the agency fee on the apartment I saw yesterday. Yes, I bit the bullet and decided to take it :) I have an appointment at 12:30pm with Radek. Tomorrow is also the day I open my Czech bank account! I decided on Raiffeisenbank, a German bank that I've seen all over Prague. They speak English, they have a nice website and online banking, and the charges are the same as every other bank, so essentially there's no difference.
So, here I am. Tomorrow will be Day 5 (though it's really Day 4, because on Day 1 I just arrived and slept a lot:). Let's call it Day 5 though, just to make it even since it's Friday. Okay, too much discussion: let me start this over.
AHEM.
So here I am. Tomorrow will be Day 5. By the end of the day I will have found a residence, assimilated financially into the Czech world, and did it all on my own. Mom, be proud :)
Tomorrow night, the plan (so far) is to go get Afghani food with Leila and maybe (hopefully) Naima. That is one of the gems of Prague that we don't have in Pittsburgh - Afghani food. The owner knows me and is really sweet, so I'm looking forward to seeing him (and if he remembers me after this much time - he knew me before I left!). After that, RINCON LATINO for some SALSAAAA!!!
I can't wait to go to the center and see the castle all lit up again. I missed that view. I do feel sad for a few moments sometimes, thinking of home and my mom and my friends and what I'm missing there, but I really really love it here. And I think I'm only going to love it more once I'm really settled in my place and feel like I have a space that's really my own.
Enough corny stuff. I'm going to do some crossword puzzles and go to sleep :) Got a long day tomorrow!
The Hunt
I'm on a crazy apartment hunt. Yesterday I wrote about how I saw a place that was up a bunch of stairs and didn't feel very homey, and I forgot to include that it was up a big hill. In a country that has a lot of winter, it wouldn't be fun to trek that every day when it's icy, plus a bunch of outdoor stairs (then a bunch of indoor stairs).
Well today I saw another place. Last night before bed I went on a few websites and wrote to about 6 or 7 different places. Today a guy named Radek called me and asked when I could see one place. I said I was free at 5pm. So we met up at 5:15 in front of Novy Smichov and walked to the apartment (yes, walked! It took about 10 minutes to walk there). Downside, it was kind of uphill the whole way, but not steep hills. He walked really fast naturally, but on a nice day, taking that walk would be nothing.
We got to the apartment, and the front hallway is wide and big. The outside of the building is a pretty gray color, almost like a bluish gray. The street has parking on both sides (think of a one-way parking aisle at Giant Eagle or something, with the diagonal spaces). What I liked was that just one block away was a busy street with buses (that go from work to about a block away from this place), business, bars, shops, etc., but that the street with the building was quiet with pretty trees and was just residential. In my current place, when I have the windows open and my computer volume on max, I can't hear it because it's so loud. This street was perfectly quiet and peaceful with the windows open.
When you first walk in, you're in a little hallway. To the right up a tiny step is the kitchen, which is cute and modern, and blue and brown colors (kind of a funky decoration, I liked it very much). It didn't have an oven, but the guy kind of laughed when I mentioned this and said, "Hahaha, why, you are going to bake something?" I said, "...yes..?" and he got serious and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, it is just not very common here." :) If you go through the kitchen, there is a very tiny bedroom. And by tiny I mean you can fit a double bed, which I have to buy, but there's already a wardrobe. I could also fit another chest of drawers or something right next to that, but it would be cramped. You know, though, I was thinking that it doesn't really matter. In this temporary apartment, I've only gone in the bedroom a few times at all - I'm always out in the living area, playing on the computer or watching TV or cooking. I only go in there to sleep. And it's cozy - it's not like it isn't big enough to fit what's necessary. There are double windows which will be good for winter - like you have to open one window to get to the other one, so it's like double protection. Admittedly those windows seem kind of old, but they definitely close tightly so I'm sure it's fine.
Now if you come through the door and make a left, there's a door to the bathroom right there. The bathroom contains a bathtub, a sink, and a washing machine. Yes, a washing machine - this is very very common, that's just where the washer goes in any apartment. I like that it's included, and it's a decent size (very small compared to the US, but bigger than some I've seen in other apartment ads). You might be asking yourself where is the toilet? Well it's down the hall in what looks like a little closet :) It's truly a "WC" (water closet) as Shannon pointed out, ha. There's also a real closet in the hallway as well, which is pretty big and could store quite a bit.
And then there's the living room - this is spacious. There is a big door that goes out to the BALCONY (yes! and it's a nice one, it's not tiny, there's room for 3-4 people to stand out there, or probably for 2 chairs or so), and the view is gorgeous - it looks out over the street, a tree, and then if you look kind of "through" the trees there's a gorgeous view of all of Prague. This street LOOKS like *Prague*. It's not super modern, it has that old Prague kind of feel to it. It's just lovely.
Back to the living room - there is some furniture in there. A nice TV stand with a TV (I'd probably buy a bigger one once I could afford it), a dining table with a few chairs, a loveseat that is hideous and that I would replace immediately, a coffee table which is just fine, and a few little shelves that would come in handy for my books/DVDs that are on their way to Prague now on a ship :) There's plenty of room to move around in there, it's a great size. Most importantly, it's bright and sunny - there are new windows in there - the realtor told me that the front of the apartment was renovated but the back wasn't yet (window-wise). So the balcony door is new, the windows, etc. It's all in very good condition.
There are a few cracks in the walls here and there, which would bug some people but to be honest for me it just gives it charm. And it's really not bad, I only really noticed because I was examining closely. So, that's that. I am very interested in it, and unless anyone calls me tomorrow or Friday for more viewings, I will probably take it - I need an address soon to give the moving company so all my stuff can arrive. I sure hope they deliver/carry it up for me, because it is on the 3rd floor with no lift (pssst, that's Czech for elevator).
So, a summary:
Pros:
Spacious living room
-Lots of light
-Good windows
-Cute modern kitchen with fridge/freezer and stovetop
-Balcony
-Some furniture included, so I don't have to buy everything right away - also the realtor said that if I decide to buy new stuff, they can remove what's there
-Nice neighborhood and very pretty street with trees
-5-10 minute walk to work - I found this out when we left, and I passed Andel park where our office is - very nice!!
-Landlord gave me a discount after I asked if it was possible - the total per month including utilities will be 12,500Kc - the other one was 14,000Kc!
Cons:
-Very small bedroom
-No oven
-3 flights of stairs to walk up - what if I forget something small once I go downstairs :)
-Not too connected to transportation - it's a bus ride to get down to the Andel trams/metro, or a walk (which might suck in winter - but I think this will be an issue no matter where I live, if it's in my price range)
-Very small bathroom with toilet in weird separate room (again, I will be living alone, so do I really care?)
Honestly I think that's it for the cons. After listing it out like that, I think the cons just don't matter, and all the pros are really good.
I'll talk to some people at work tomorrow and see what they think. I will say this, when I was there, I could just see myself living there. The first place I saw, I just couldn't "picture" it - it didn't feel like "me". This one just felt.. homey. The realtor was reeeeally nice, too. Radek was the friendliest Czech person I've met so far - he made conversation and was easy to talk to and joked about his English and taught me a couple Czech words. The landlord only speaks Czech and was worried that I only speak English (he didn't care that I'm foreign, just "felt bad" - Radek's words - that he wouldn't be able to talk to me directly as his tenant) - so I would be talking to Radek for any apartment issues.
Anyway I think I've written enough about this place. Friends, please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think!!
Here is a link to the place if this helps:
http://czech-properties.cz/byty/pronajem/2+kk-praha-5-smichov-1977906680
Good night :)
Well today I saw another place. Last night before bed I went on a few websites and wrote to about 6 or 7 different places. Today a guy named Radek called me and asked when I could see one place. I said I was free at 5pm. So we met up at 5:15 in front of Novy Smichov and walked to the apartment (yes, walked! It took about 10 minutes to walk there). Downside, it was kind of uphill the whole way, but not steep hills. He walked really fast naturally, but on a nice day, taking that walk would be nothing.
We got to the apartment, and the front hallway is wide and big. The outside of the building is a pretty gray color, almost like a bluish gray. The street has parking on both sides (think of a one-way parking aisle at Giant Eagle or something, with the diagonal spaces). What I liked was that just one block away was a busy street with buses (that go from work to about a block away from this place), business, bars, shops, etc., but that the street with the building was quiet with pretty trees and was just residential. In my current place, when I have the windows open and my computer volume on max, I can't hear it because it's so loud. This street was perfectly quiet and peaceful with the windows open.
When you first walk in, you're in a little hallway. To the right up a tiny step is the kitchen, which is cute and modern, and blue and brown colors (kind of a funky decoration, I liked it very much). It didn't have an oven, but the guy kind of laughed when I mentioned this and said, "Hahaha, why, you are going to bake something?" I said, "...yes..?" and he got serious and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, it is just not very common here." :) If you go through the kitchen, there is a very tiny bedroom. And by tiny I mean you can fit a double bed, which I have to buy, but there's already a wardrobe. I could also fit another chest of drawers or something right next to that, but it would be cramped. You know, though, I was thinking that it doesn't really matter. In this temporary apartment, I've only gone in the bedroom a few times at all - I'm always out in the living area, playing on the computer or watching TV or cooking. I only go in there to sleep. And it's cozy - it's not like it isn't big enough to fit what's necessary. There are double windows which will be good for winter - like you have to open one window to get to the other one, so it's like double protection. Admittedly those windows seem kind of old, but they definitely close tightly so I'm sure it's fine.
Now if you come through the door and make a left, there's a door to the bathroom right there. The bathroom contains a bathtub, a sink, and a washing machine. Yes, a washing machine - this is very very common, that's just where the washer goes in any apartment. I like that it's included, and it's a decent size (very small compared to the US, but bigger than some I've seen in other apartment ads). You might be asking yourself where is the toilet? Well it's down the hall in what looks like a little closet :) It's truly a "WC" (water closet) as Shannon pointed out, ha. There's also a real closet in the hallway as well, which is pretty big and could store quite a bit.
And then there's the living room - this is spacious. There is a big door that goes out to the BALCONY (yes! and it's a nice one, it's not tiny, there's room for 3-4 people to stand out there, or probably for 2 chairs or so), and the view is gorgeous - it looks out over the street, a tree, and then if you look kind of "through" the trees there's a gorgeous view of all of Prague. This street LOOKS like *Prague*. It's not super modern, it has that old Prague kind of feel to it. It's just lovely.
Back to the living room - there is some furniture in there. A nice TV stand with a TV (I'd probably buy a bigger one once I could afford it), a dining table with a few chairs, a loveseat that is hideous and that I would replace immediately, a coffee table which is just fine, and a few little shelves that would come in handy for my books/DVDs that are on their way to Prague now on a ship :) There's plenty of room to move around in there, it's a great size. Most importantly, it's bright and sunny - there are new windows in there - the realtor told me that the front of the apartment was renovated but the back wasn't yet (window-wise). So the balcony door is new, the windows, etc. It's all in very good condition.
There are a few cracks in the walls here and there, which would bug some people but to be honest for me it just gives it charm. And it's really not bad, I only really noticed because I was examining closely. So, that's that. I am very interested in it, and unless anyone calls me tomorrow or Friday for more viewings, I will probably take it - I need an address soon to give the moving company so all my stuff can arrive. I sure hope they deliver/carry it up for me, because it is on the 3rd floor with no lift (pssst, that's Czech for elevator).
So, a summary:
Pros:
Spacious living room
-Lots of light
-Good windows
-Cute modern kitchen with fridge/freezer and stovetop
-Balcony
-Some furniture included, so I don't have to buy everything right away - also the realtor said that if I decide to buy new stuff, they can remove what's there
-Nice neighborhood and very pretty street with trees
-5-10 minute walk to work - I found this out when we left, and I passed Andel park where our office is - very nice!!
-Landlord gave me a discount after I asked if it was possible - the total per month including utilities will be 12,500Kc - the other one was 14,000Kc!
Cons:
-Very small bedroom
-No oven
-3 flights of stairs to walk up - what if I forget something small once I go downstairs :)
-Not too connected to transportation - it's a bus ride to get down to the Andel trams/metro, or a walk (which might suck in winter - but I think this will be an issue no matter where I live, if it's in my price range)
-Very small bathroom with toilet in weird separate room (again, I will be living alone, so do I really care?)
Honestly I think that's it for the cons. After listing it out like that, I think the cons just don't matter, and all the pros are really good.
I'll talk to some people at work tomorrow and see what they think. I will say this, when I was there, I could just see myself living there. The first place I saw, I just couldn't "picture" it - it didn't feel like "me". This one just felt.. homey. The realtor was reeeeally nice, too. Radek was the friendliest Czech person I've met so far - he made conversation and was easy to talk to and joked about his English and taught me a couple Czech words. The landlord only speaks Czech and was worried that I only speak English (he didn't care that I'm foreign, just "felt bad" - Radek's words - that he wouldn't be able to talk to me directly as his tenant) - so I would be talking to Radek for any apartment issues.
Anyway I think I've written enough about this place. Friends, please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think!!
Here is a link to the place if this helps:
http://czech-properties.cz/byty/pronajem/2+kk-praha-5-smichov-1977906680
Good night :)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
(Full) Day 1
This morning I went to work. I got there from the apartment without any issues, I asked one guy on the street if I was going the right way. Actually, how it really went down (since during my first week on the last visit, speaking English to anyone in the street was a disaster and made me cry), was I pointed down the road I THOUGHT would take me to work and said, "Andel?" The guy pointed the same way, smiled, and said, "Andel."
See, nothin' to it. The fewer words, the better.
Work was great - seeing everyone was super fun, and I barely noticed that I didn't have a computer for the first hour or so :) The new IT guy, Ondrej, is super nice, and Jiri set up my email for me. My sweethearts, Jose, Leila, and Tiago, gave me flowers for my first day :) They are the sweetest. I met a few new people, including Michael, an AMERICAN (we are now the only two:), and Elena the team lead. It was a relatively uneventful but enjoyable day. And thanks to my 16 hours of sleep, I wasn't even tired :)
After work I decided to call Hernaldo. It was really nice to hear his voice but I ended up teary-eyed. I called my mom, then (actually I called her first but she didn't answer, then I called Nalo, then I called her again and got her). During that time, Jakub my reality friend called (pssst that's Czech for "realty") and told me I could go see the apartment today! He sent me an SMS (pssst that's Czech for text message) to meet him at the place at 19:00 (pssst, that's Czech for 7pm).
So by some miracle, I actually found the place. I even had a conversation in Czech to get there! Czech it out:
Me: Prosím.... (pointing to the street)... Holeckova?
Guy: (also pointing to the street with a wavy motion) Holeckova.
Me: (showing him the text message saying "58 Holeckova", which is the address). Fifty-eight? (I shrug my shoulders in a where-could-it-be motion)
Guy: (points down the road and motions to the right side of the road)
Me: Dekuji!
Guy: (nods and keeps walking)
I am so good at Prague.
Anyway, I got to the place and met my super emo 15 year old looking reality guy Jakub for the first time in person. He took me up some steps, and some more steps, and some more steps, until we reached the apartment. The place itself, for one person, wasn't bad. I do wish the bedroom were a little bigger, but the bathroom is decent, the living room is very big, and there is a small balcony, which is super cool. Downsides? There's no closet in the bedroom, so I'd have to get a wardrobe or something. Also there's no washing machine, but he told me the owner was planning to put one in.
I told him that I found some other places (a lie) that were more in my price range that I was also going to see, and he said he'd talk to the landlord to see if he could lower the price a bit. I told him that would be great. :) If it were cheaper I'd probably take it, but as it stands, it's 11,000Kc/month plus 3000Kc for utilities, which is too much.
After that whole dealie, I took one illegal tram ride down a stop (I was tired of walking) to Tesco to get some food to cook. As it turns out, there are no cans of soup (I really just wanted some soup). There are pouches of soup, which actually looked pretty good, but the directions were all in Czech and I felt scared. I ended up buying pasta and sauce in a jar, which normally I'd make myself but I didn't feel like buying a bunch of spices when all of mine are on their way in the ground shipment). I also got oranges, a KitKat bar that I'm saving for when I really need it (a homesick day), some milk, some Museli cereal, two packs of what look like Ramen noodles in case of a true emergency, and extra pasta and sauce. Oh, and a box of tea bags. Oh, and some bread and some butter.
The best kinds of groceries are HEAVY.
So tonight for dinner I had a bowl of pasta and sauce, which really wasn't TOO bad (still, it's from a jar), and a small orange. I feel pleased but regret not buying some more interesting drinks, I just have water and milk here.
Things I learned today:
1. It is okay to wear short denim shorts and a denim vest with ankle socks and dirty white sneakers in Tesco, especially if you are a man.
2. The tram stop Betramka is as far a walk as just walking to Tesco. I will be just walking from now on.
3. reality is a tough business.
4. That smell is always someone else.
That's all for tonight. :)
See, nothin' to it. The fewer words, the better.
Work was great - seeing everyone was super fun, and I barely noticed that I didn't have a computer for the first hour or so :) The new IT guy, Ondrej, is super nice, and Jiri set up my email for me. My sweethearts, Jose, Leila, and Tiago, gave me flowers for my first day :) They are the sweetest. I met a few new people, including Michael, an AMERICAN (we are now the only two:), and Elena the team lead. It was a relatively uneventful but enjoyable day. And thanks to my 16 hours of sleep, I wasn't even tired :)
After work I decided to call Hernaldo. It was really nice to hear his voice but I ended up teary-eyed. I called my mom, then (actually I called her first but she didn't answer, then I called Nalo, then I called her again and got her). During that time, Jakub my reality friend called (pssst that's Czech for "realty") and told me I could go see the apartment today! He sent me an SMS (pssst that's Czech for text message) to meet him at the place at 19:00 (pssst, that's Czech for 7pm).
So by some miracle, I actually found the place. I even had a conversation in Czech to get there! Czech it out:
Me: Prosím.... (pointing to the street)... Holeckova?
Guy: (also pointing to the street with a wavy motion) Holeckova.
Me: (showing him the text message saying "58 Holeckova", which is the address). Fifty-eight? (I shrug my shoulders in a where-could-it-be motion)
Guy: (points down the road and motions to the right side of the road)
Me: Dekuji!
Guy: (nods and keeps walking)
I am so good at Prague.
Anyway, I got to the place and met my super emo 15 year old looking reality guy Jakub for the first time in person. He took me up some steps, and some more steps, and some more steps, until we reached the apartment. The place itself, for one person, wasn't bad. I do wish the bedroom were a little bigger, but the bathroom is decent, the living room is very big, and there is a small balcony, which is super cool. Downsides? There's no closet in the bedroom, so I'd have to get a wardrobe or something. Also there's no washing machine, but he told me the owner was planning to put one in.
I told him that I found some other places (a lie) that were more in my price range that I was also going to see, and he said he'd talk to the landlord to see if he could lower the price a bit. I told him that would be great. :) If it were cheaper I'd probably take it, but as it stands, it's 11,000Kc/month plus 3000Kc for utilities, which is too much.
After that whole dealie, I took one illegal tram ride down a stop (I was tired of walking) to Tesco to get some food to cook. As it turns out, there are no cans of soup (I really just wanted some soup). There are pouches of soup, which actually looked pretty good, but the directions were all in Czech and I felt scared. I ended up buying pasta and sauce in a jar, which normally I'd make myself but I didn't feel like buying a bunch of spices when all of mine are on their way in the ground shipment). I also got oranges, a KitKat bar that I'm saving for when I really need it (a homesick day), some milk, some Museli cereal, two packs of what look like Ramen noodles in case of a true emergency, and extra pasta and sauce. Oh, and a box of tea bags. Oh, and some bread and some butter.
The best kinds of groceries are HEAVY.
So tonight for dinner I had a bowl of pasta and sauce, which really wasn't TOO bad (still, it's from a jar), and a small orange. I feel pleased but regret not buying some more interesting drinks, I just have water and milk here.
Things I learned today:
1. It is okay to wear short denim shorts and a denim vest with ankle socks and dirty white sneakers in Tesco, especially if you are a man.
2. The tram stop Betramka is as far a walk as just walking to Tesco. I will be just walking from now on.
3. reality is a tough business.
4. That smell is always someone else.
That's all for tonight. :)
The big journey (this will be a long one, look out)
Well I've gotten several requests now to update the blog, so here goes.
I'd like to start with my last night in Pittsburgh. My mom and I had a few friends (Tara, Maira, Shannon, and Oscar) over the house for a nice dinner and just to say some final goodbyes. I still hadn't even begun to pack and was feeling very overwhelmed. My favorite neighbor ever, Jaye, came over to have cake with us at the end and everyone hung around working on my mom's jigsaw puzzle. I was about to excuse myself from the party to go start packing, when Oscar and Jaye left and I was left with Maira and Shannon, who SO graciously offered to help me pack. Let me tell you, they were two little miracle worker bees. They had me completely packed in 2 hours. They rolled clothes, organized my stuff, advised on a few extra things I should take, yelled at me when I tried to take stupid things (my stapler is the prime example:). It was a dream having them there, so thanks again ladies.
Around 12:30am they headed out along with me, to go say my goodbyes to Hernaldo. I got him at work and took him home. We stopped to hang out for a few hours and around 4am I knew it was time for goodbye. It was a tearful one, but as I told him, it was an "Hasta luego" and not an "Adios"... I'll really miss him. Maira, you can say "I told you so."
I got home, showered, slept for a few hours, woke up, ate leftover chicken (my schedule was all out of wack at this point), and then headed to the airport. I kept my cool until I was told one of the suitcases was 7 lbs overweight, and I had to move things around, right there in the middle of the ticketing area. I did so, luckily there wasn't a huge line and the lady was nice and patient, and that was that. I unfortunately had to put all that extra weight into my carry-on, which made it ridiculously heavy. I had two big carry-ons to deal with. Usually I just have one small one and my purse, but I just had too much stuff (hey, I am MOVING to a foreign country!). It was a pain but I don't regret bringing it all.
So, the flight to Charlotte was a breeze. Other than the embarrassment of trying to fit my huge suitcase in the overhead, which DID work, it was fine - I sat next to a Jerome Bettis look-alike who was wearing a Pirates hat and a terrible towel out his left back pocket (crip-style:). He helped me with my suitcases and was very sweet.
In the Charlotte airport, I sat around, wrote my mom an e-mail, and cried. I tried not to, but I felt so alone and cut-off from the world. Little things kept happening that I wanted to text to my friends, but I couldn't, because my cell phone was gone. I missed my mom. I missed my friends. I got over it quickly, though, when I stumbled across a place called "Casa Rum" - a restaurant dedicated to Bacardi. The cute latino bartender, Eddie, called me babydoll and sweetie, which got him extra tips for sure :) I had two gin&tonics (I know, I know, I just wasn't in a rum mood) and chatted with a British lady, an old black women from NYC, and a 19 year old deep-water construction worker (the guys that build underwater and have to dive like 200 feet) from Detroit. Eventually they all left me and I ate a cuban sandwich.
The plane to Munich wasn't bad. I sat next to a cute and friendly French guy who tried, in vain, to get my personal movie screen to work. Finally we told the flight attendant and I had to have my "computer" restarted, but then it worked - what a miserable flight it would have been without any movies. I watched "I Love You, Man" with Paul Rudd, which Tara would have found HILARIOUS - I kept thinking of her through the whole thing. I liked it, too, but I kept wanting to laugh out loud. After that I ate my sad little airplane pasta dinner to an episode of Monk I'd already seen, but I knew I was getting to sleepy to stay awake through another movie. My French buddy watched Star Trek, then 17 Again starring Zac Efron :) He was nice.
The Munich airport is AWESOME. I flew through Frankfurt last time and seriously wanted to shoot myself the whole time I was in that airport. This one isn't *small* but it's well set-up, it has better shops/restaurants, and is brighter and friendlier (the Frankfurt airport looks like a warehouse, and the people are mean). I missed breakfast on the plane because I slept through it so I bought a little sandwich and a bottle of water for 8 EUR (ripoff). I felt cool I even had euros, though, leftover from my Berlin trip last time around. I had trouble not falling asleep at the gate waiting for the plane. When I got on the plane, I fell asleep before we took off, and woke up when people were starting to get off the plane.
In the Prague airport, I got my things without a problem (no lost luggage, yay!), went to exchange all my dollars, got money out of the ATM (since I didn't have that many dollars, just about enough for the taxi), and bought more minutes for my Czech cell phone. I felt very in-the-know this time around - I know the currency well and how much I need for this and that, I knew how to do my cell phone, it just felt nice to arrive and not be so lost.
I stopped by the office in the taxi to get the keys to my temporary apartment and saw Jose and Naima for a brief moment. I was SO happy to see them, but probably looked like a zombie - I was such a wreck. I got to the apartment also without a problem, and it's very nice. I unpacked everything first thing, because I hate living out of suitcases. Took a shower, which was the GREATEST THING EVER - I felt sooo icky from 18 hours of flying/layovers and just felt worlds better with hot water pouring over my head.
After that I turned on the TV to try to find something to watch, without luck. Every channel is in German - I even found King of Queens but it's dubbed in German. I did find one channel with Arabic/Persian music videos, which has been on since I arrived. At least I enjoy that, even if I can't understand it all. There are a ton of porn channels, but they're not actually porn, they are just advertisements of stillframes of naked girls with phone numbers to call. Seriously there are like 30 of those channels. And they're all in German, too. :)
And that brings me to now. I arrived to the apartment around 2pm. After I fell asleep after the shower, I slept until about 6pm on the couch, then went to the bed and slept until about 11pm. I woke up and am still tired, but I wanted to pack my bag for the office tomorrow and just get myself organized. I also wanted to update this, because the longer I wait, the more there is to write.
If anyone actually made it through reading this whole thing, kudos to you.
Summary... trip went as well as it could have, I miss everyone in Pittsburgh, but am really happy to be back here at the same time :) I'm super excited to go to work tomorrow and see everybody.
Fin!!
I'd like to start with my last night in Pittsburgh. My mom and I had a few friends (Tara, Maira, Shannon, and Oscar) over the house for a nice dinner and just to say some final goodbyes. I still hadn't even begun to pack and was feeling very overwhelmed. My favorite neighbor ever, Jaye, came over to have cake with us at the end and everyone hung around working on my mom's jigsaw puzzle. I was about to excuse myself from the party to go start packing, when Oscar and Jaye left and I was left with Maira and Shannon, who SO graciously offered to help me pack. Let me tell you, they were two little miracle worker bees. They had me completely packed in 2 hours. They rolled clothes, organized my stuff, advised on a few extra things I should take, yelled at me when I tried to take stupid things (my stapler is the prime example:). It was a dream having them there, so thanks again ladies.
Around 12:30am they headed out along with me, to go say my goodbyes to Hernaldo. I got him at work and took him home. We stopped to hang out for a few hours and around 4am I knew it was time for goodbye. It was a tearful one, but as I told him, it was an "Hasta luego" and not an "Adios"... I'll really miss him. Maira, you can say "I told you so."
I got home, showered, slept for a few hours, woke up, ate leftover chicken (my schedule was all out of wack at this point), and then headed to the airport. I kept my cool until I was told one of the suitcases was 7 lbs overweight, and I had to move things around, right there in the middle of the ticketing area. I did so, luckily there wasn't a huge line and the lady was nice and patient, and that was that. I unfortunately had to put all that extra weight into my carry-on, which made it ridiculously heavy. I had two big carry-ons to deal with. Usually I just have one small one and my purse, but I just had too much stuff (hey, I am MOVING to a foreign country!). It was a pain but I don't regret bringing it all.
So, the flight to Charlotte was a breeze. Other than the embarrassment of trying to fit my huge suitcase in the overhead, which DID work, it was fine - I sat next to a Jerome Bettis look-alike who was wearing a Pirates hat and a terrible towel out his left back pocket (crip-style:). He helped me with my suitcases and was very sweet.
In the Charlotte airport, I sat around, wrote my mom an e-mail, and cried. I tried not to, but I felt so alone and cut-off from the world. Little things kept happening that I wanted to text to my friends, but I couldn't, because my cell phone was gone. I missed my mom. I missed my friends. I got over it quickly, though, when I stumbled across a place called "Casa Rum" - a restaurant dedicated to Bacardi. The cute latino bartender, Eddie, called me babydoll and sweetie, which got him extra tips for sure :) I had two gin&tonics (I know, I know, I just wasn't in a rum mood) and chatted with a British lady, an old black women from NYC, and a 19 year old deep-water construction worker (the guys that build underwater and have to dive like 200 feet) from Detroit. Eventually they all left me and I ate a cuban sandwich.
The plane to Munich wasn't bad. I sat next to a cute and friendly French guy who tried, in vain, to get my personal movie screen to work. Finally we told the flight attendant and I had to have my "computer" restarted, but then it worked - what a miserable flight it would have been without any movies. I watched "I Love You, Man" with Paul Rudd, which Tara would have found HILARIOUS - I kept thinking of her through the whole thing. I liked it, too, but I kept wanting to laugh out loud. After that I ate my sad little airplane pasta dinner to an episode of Monk I'd already seen, but I knew I was getting to sleepy to stay awake through another movie. My French buddy watched Star Trek, then 17 Again starring Zac Efron :) He was nice.
The Munich airport is AWESOME. I flew through Frankfurt last time and seriously wanted to shoot myself the whole time I was in that airport. This one isn't *small* but it's well set-up, it has better shops/restaurants, and is brighter and friendlier (the Frankfurt airport looks like a warehouse, and the people are mean). I missed breakfast on the plane because I slept through it so I bought a little sandwich and a bottle of water for 8 EUR (ripoff). I felt cool I even had euros, though, leftover from my Berlin trip last time around. I had trouble not falling asleep at the gate waiting for the plane. When I got on the plane, I fell asleep before we took off, and woke up when people were starting to get off the plane.
In the Prague airport, I got my things without a problem (no lost luggage, yay!), went to exchange all my dollars, got money out of the ATM (since I didn't have that many dollars, just about enough for the taxi), and bought more minutes for my Czech cell phone. I felt very in-the-know this time around - I know the currency well and how much I need for this and that, I knew how to do my cell phone, it just felt nice to arrive and not be so lost.
I stopped by the office in the taxi to get the keys to my temporary apartment and saw Jose and Naima for a brief moment. I was SO happy to see them, but probably looked like a zombie - I was such a wreck. I got to the apartment also without a problem, and it's very nice. I unpacked everything first thing, because I hate living out of suitcases. Took a shower, which was the GREATEST THING EVER - I felt sooo icky from 18 hours of flying/layovers and just felt worlds better with hot water pouring over my head.
After that I turned on the TV to try to find something to watch, without luck. Every channel is in German - I even found King of Queens but it's dubbed in German. I did find one channel with Arabic/Persian music videos, which has been on since I arrived. At least I enjoy that, even if I can't understand it all. There are a ton of porn channels, but they're not actually porn, they are just advertisements of stillframes of naked girls with phone numbers to call. Seriously there are like 30 of those channels. And they're all in German, too. :)
And that brings me to now. I arrived to the apartment around 2pm. After I fell asleep after the shower, I slept until about 6pm on the couch, then went to the bed and slept until about 11pm. I woke up and am still tired, but I wanted to pack my bag for the office tomorrow and just get myself organized. I also wanted to update this, because the longer I wait, the more there is to write.
If anyone actually made it through reading this whole thing, kudos to you.
Summary... trip went as well as it could have, I miss everyone in Pittsburgh, but am really happy to be back here at the same time :) I'm super excited to go to work tomorrow and see everybody.
Fin!!
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