Czech kids galore

In the short time that we've been here, Jonah's had a chance to spend time with tons of kids. At preschool, of course, though there he was so distracted by crying that he didn't really notice who was around. (Hopefully that will get better soon).

A few days ago Jonah and I went to hang out at my best Czech friend's place, which is quite close to where we live. They have a great backyard with swings and two kids close to Jonah's age (5 and 7). There are also lots of kids in that neighborhood that play together. Jonah had a blast jumping around with those kids as well as raking and building bunkers out of dry grass.

The language barrier didn't seem to bother him, though in the beginning the other kids briefly closed him off from themselves - literally. When I went to investigate, they said that he is not allowed to follow them because they don't understand him. I told them that he will learn Czech from them if they teach him and that if they are nice to him, he will be nice to them. Things changed after that and the other kids, all older than Jonah, included him in their games.

It was funny to watch them get to know each other. My friend's son, who's five, kept trying to establish rapport with Jonah by trying out his English on him: "Jonášku (Czech for 'little Jonah'), apple!" and "Jonášku, orange!" Very sweet. Here is Jonah with one of his new Czech friends, Jáchym.



Yesterday my dad treated us to another steam engine train ride. He invited his neighbor-friends and their kids along. Here is a picture of the kids on the train and a couple of views from the scenic train ride.

around the neighborhood pt. 2

"Scootering. What's your price for flight?" (Do you know that song?)



a playground a few blocks away:



sprayed tags are everywhere!

... and the moment I'm sure you've been waiting for

The alarm rang at 7 am. We ate, got dressed and ready for "school" today. Jonah was game until he realized we were going to take the subway, not the tram. That was the trigger -- mysterious as any of them tend to be. A tantrum ensued which propelled us at rocket speed down the stairs and escalators, onto the crowded rush-hour train (where I successfully kept his flailing body from injuring others and my eyes from meeting other eyes) and up the escalator to the square near Jonah's school. Still, once above ground, he was wailing and flailing.

Finally, when he paused for breath, sweaty, yet trying to keep my composure I asked if he was scared. He said that he was. I asked him if he would feel better if I stayed with him at preschool for a while. He stopped screaming hysterically and said in his angelic voice that he would feel better. He even began to get excited about his first day at school, for which we have been trying to prepare him for months. Perhaps the build-up was just too much to handle.

Once at school, he kept the corner of his eye on me while staying busy driving the various trucks and construction equipment from the school's "private stash" and observing the other little people. I tagged along like a third wheel all the way through the morning snack, practicing the Zen of transforming myself from the annoyingly-uptight-and-nervous mom to one who's so cool and aloof that she's invisible.

After snack I told Jonah I would be going to the store and coming back. Apparently he did fine for the 45 minutes I was gone, but when the kids were getting ready to go outside, the teacher couldn't find Jonah's shoes and forced him into someone else's sandals, which angered him to the point of tears.

It is important to note that this is his very first experience with an institution (though he did spend about 20 minutes in a supermarket daycare once, but Daddy had to be paged because little Mr. was on the verge of a panic attack). Also, his pre-school is basically a language immersion experience for him. No easy task for anyone, especially for a person who has experienced so many changes lately. Yes, children adjust quickly, but they do have fears and anxieties -- perhaps more pronounced ones than adults -- because their understanding of relationships is limited. Nevertheless, I decided to give him another practice round and left for yet one more hour, following the advice of the school's director.

The second time around Jonah did worse. He cried, looking for me for the whole time that I was gone. I surprised him so when I returned that he yelled at me to go away. Soon he calmed down and we talked about how the day went.

In the end he liked pre-school. He just got scared when I left. He vowed to not cry the next time, though I did tell him that it's ok to cry when he's sad or scared. We talked about how kids usually cry the first day or two at pre-school. And he was in good spirits after just a few minutes.

He is going back for one more practice day on Thursday before pre-school starts for real next Monday. Keep your fingers crossed for us for an easy transition and no more tantrums on the subway.

the old landlord's last hurrah

They say it ain't over till the fat lady sings. Our skinny caulk-obsessed ex-landlord has surely sung his last tune: a dragon's last fiery puff. That cooky man sent us a spreadsheet -- yes, spreadsheet -- listing the dozens of alterations he had to make to the house upon us moving out, billing us for every single detail.

You see for yourself that this man is "missing a screw," as we say in Czech (literally, apparently). These are just three of the many items on the list that irk me:

- Removal and repair of tape and nails in walls/woodwork ($5 per item): $5. Oh my god, he had to take one nail out of the wall!!!
- Replace light bulbs ($3 per item): $9
- Missing phone jack $40 - what? Why would we take that? Esp. to Prague where the phone jacks are different.

I have never, in my 35 years alive, met anyone more anal than Mr. Caulk, who apparently, when listing things like broken fridge door shelf bar and damaged floor air vent, does not account for three years of wear and tear. Mark my words: this will not go unchallenged!

transportation

Here are some pictures I've taken over the last week. The theme: some of the forms of transportation we've experienced here thus far.

Last weekend, we celebrated Jonah's birthday (on my birthday) with my dad, taking a train ride through a scenic valley on a historic train, powered by a steam engine. My dad charmed his way inside the engine with Jonah. The rough, yet friendly, train conductor showed Jonah the fire that heats the coal. He asked Jonah in Czech: "Do you want to see hell?" Jonah nodded, but as soon as the conductor opened the heater door, Jonah went looking for Daddy.

The fun day, albeit coldest of the summer here, culminated with Jonah test-driving his battery-powered monster jeep, a present from his Czech Grandpa. Love at first drive.

The other pics are taken inside the Prague metro (subway) and trams. Enjoy.







cute train station:


my dad, his wife, dog Cotie and Mr. Jonah in his new monster jeep:


putting together a train track of my dad's childhood model train (Jonah asked him where his train was as soon as we walked in the door. He had remembered for weeks that my dad had one!)


waiting for a tram & riding a tram


at a metro (subway) station:




and a cool art shot of an underpass:

daddy-O's birthday

Today is Tim's birthday. It took him a week to catch up to me in age! Yes, it's true; there is only one week each year when he and I are different ages. Now he can feel as old as I do.

My Grandmother invited us over for a Czech traditional (and some say 'national') dish of pork, dumplings and cabbage. Those who have experienced the phenomenon of vepřo knedlo zelo are surely salivating now. And my Grandmother's cooking is out of this world. I stopped eating pork a couple of years back, but today I made an exception. It's all for the sake of childhood memories...

Tim was in heaven! Jonah did not want to leave his prababi's house. Here are some pics from this special day:

how much is that doggie in the window

I've been making a note of what everything that we may need costs here. For our apartment we are paying about what we paid in Portland - with bills, give or take $100 per month. Gasoline seems about twice as much as in the U.S. But more about that later once we get our new (used).... drumroll, please.... car up and running!

Groceries vary in price. For instance (keep in mind you get about 15 crowns for a dollar nowadays):

• a fresh roll: 3 koruny (crowns) = 20 cents
• a bottle of mineral or regular water: 14 crowns
• a carton of organic soy milk: 40 crowns
• bottled beer (very important for Tim, as you can imagine): 9 to 12 crowns (60 to 80 cents)
• canned beer: about 20 crowns ($1.30)
• a carton of juice: about 25 crowns
• bottle of wine: about 54 crowns (less than $4!!!)
• blueberries: 54/kilogram = $1.60/lb

Produce is mostly limited and sold according to what's in season (unless one visits a supermarket with an expanded "exotic produce section"). And no good lettuce can be found in any stores I've seen, though. Only iceberg! (Do the Czechs just stay clear of lettuce? It's not even served in most restaurants. Or has someone forgot to tell me about the latest salmonella outbreak?). Now one can find mostly bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and green onions. Standard fruit selection: apples, bananas, oranges and now plums. Onions, cabbage and potatoes are always available, I'm sure.

That reminds me: today I saw a guy walking down the street with the biggest bag of potatoes in the world!!! It was nearly the size of the man! And he was a big dumplin'-eating man, mind you.

• Eating out (we haven't done this much yet, but here is my tally so far):
• Chinese food: about 70 crowns a dish
• Typical Czech dish outside the touristy area in Prague: 60 to 85 crowns
• Pizza for one (tasty brick oven pizza is available just about on every block. Yay for me!): 100 to 150 crowns
• Lunch special (incl. soup or salad and main dish, sometimes also a drink): 75 to 90 crowns
• Beer: 20 to 40 crowns (depends where you go)
• Espresso/Coffee drinks: 40 to 60 crowns = small and EXPENSIVE! Darn.

Clothing, which I really hope to avoid buying here -- except for Jonah since he's still growing -- seems so pricy! 20 to 100% more than in the U.S.!!!

Best of all, public transportation costs us $100 each for three months! We can hop on and off the trams, buses, and subway as we please. Jonah rides free.

P.S. I did not take this photo.

queuing like there's no tomorrow

Over the last few days, I've been busy running errands. There is so much paperwork to take care of. Examples: city transit passes, a notarized and signed rental agreement, health insurance, local bank accounts, cell phones, Tim's permanent residency, yadayadayada... the list goes on.

Of course, for each little thing I have to go to a different office. Just the transit passes we have already attempted to get three times to no avail! I'm having flashbacks to the Communist Era - seriously. Queuing forever just to ask a question and learn that one has been standing in the wrong line!

The transportation passes, for instance, require photographs, but the places where the passes are made don't provide an ID photo service. Also, some vendors sell certain types of passes, others different types. We tried one little photo store, but the lady told us grumpily that she ran out of photo paper and to come back the next day. We went to a different shop, of course. Today we waited in line for twenty minutes with our little photographs and filled out forms and learned that we were in the wrong line. We had to head to a different location, about ten minutes away, to get into a different queue. As soon as we got in that line, I noticed that the only vendor helping folks had a sign that she takes a half-hour break every day precisely just at the time we had arrived, and -- in typical Czech fashion -- right smack in the heart of rush hour, the busiest time of day. So, still no transit cards.

It's quite amazing. Just when a person lets out a sigh of relief that one document has been taken care of, one realizes a component is missing! That happened to me with our bank account, phones, and the rental agreement. So, back across the whole city on the subway and tram we will have to go to provide the missing signature or to show up again when supplies have been delivered or a computer system fixed. Wow!

Of course, the ultimate queue, in which people get one to three days ahead (and stay overnight just to be sure their turn comes when needed) is the Foreigner Police office where all non-Czechs have to report within three days of arrival to the country unless staying at a hotel which registers visitors automatically. You remember that video I shared? Well, thanks to my dad, the Senator, we will be able to bypass that mess by going directly to the Chief of Foreigner Police to apply for Tim's permanent residency status. Talk about a sigh of relief!

I can't wait till all the paperwork has been taken care of. Hopefully this will be by the end of the month!

Na zdravi! (Cheers!)

In the few days that we have been in Prague, I have come to realize, as I had suspected, that organic produce is extremely difficult to come by. Organic dairy and grain products can be found in many places, but produce and meat not so.

I am not sure how available eco cleaning and hygiene products are, but I haven't seen them yet.

In Portland we were very conscious of the products and food that we bought. We made sure that almost everything we consumed and cleaned with was organic, but here, unfortunately, I don't think that is possible.

I have also noticed that, though cancer rates seem high here (with one of the highest mortality rates in Europe and the world), I don't think most Czechs are really aware that plastics, for example, are one of the major cancer-causing substances. Czechs happily sip on hot coffee, tea, mulled wine and 'grog' from thin plastic cups in which these drinks are sold by most vendors. Lots of people also seem to cook "instant rice" in little plastic baggies. Many of the traditional foods here such as pate, meat and snack foods are filled with artificial ingredients and preservatives. (Of course, they are as well in the States. I am just disappointed that the trend is so far-reaching.)

In fact, I find it ironic that our relatively young good family friend, a food chemist and candy "flavor designer," (could've been working for Willy Wonka!) has been battling breast cancer for some time. Could there be a connection?

Aside from food, the amount of air and general environmental pollution seems high here as well. Well, maybe not compared to China... but still.

A couple of years back the Czech Minister of Health had his blood tested. The chemicals they found in his blood are typical of most Czechs, I presume: a high level of PCB, DDT, a chemical called PBDE used in the making of upholstering, carpets, blinds, and computers, for instance. Perhaps these chemicals are likely to also come up in blood tests of typical Americans, but it's just something I've been thinking about.

We will do our best to continue with our healthy lifestyle choices, given the lack of accessibility here.

around the neighborhood pt. 1

Lucky for Jonah, right around the corner from our building is a little park with benches and a sandbox, fenced in to keep the thousands of city lap doggies in check. Though it's been a rainy couple of days, Jonah has insisted on going digging. Digging, of course, ranks right up there as one of his very favorite activities.




As lacking in greenery as our street is, right around one of the other corners on the next block is a street lined with huge, beautiful trees and rowhouses with quaint gardens. While walking around the block, I also found some pretty little cobblestone alleys so narrow, they have to be one-way streets.





More about our neighborhood to come.

here we are

After a frantic several days of sorting, packing, repacking, loading and unloading trucks, birthday celebrations and family in town, we managed to successfully make our Big Move to the Czech Republic. Here we are in Prague, one day after touch down still reeling from the jet lag.

Prior to leaving Portland, we spent the two nights at Tim's brother and sister-in-law's because most of our stuff was already moved out of our old house and into storage. Jonah got to spend a lot of the last few days in Portland with his Aunt Jenni and Montana Grandparents. They took care of him while Tim and I spend time liquidating our old house, schlepping stuff to storage and getting ready for the trip. Jonah seemed fine until the first night at Uncle's. He suddenly began to cry, wanting to go back to the old house. Tim managed to calm him down, but Jonah tossed and turned all night, talking from his sleep and waking up constantly. I could tell he was worried about the changes.

The next night, he and I talked about what was to come, as we had been for months. But this time the transition was actually becoming reality for Jonah. He asked me: "Are there going to be scary things there?" I told him that there wouldn't be. That we will all be there: "mommy, daddy and Jonah together" and that we will be happy. Jonah made sure then to request that somebody sleep with him in his new room in Prague. Specifically: "Can daddy sleep with me in my room? Mommy you can sleep in your own bed."

I was quite impressed with his ability to identify and verbalize his fears. Not only that, he came up with a solution that would help him feel better. I don't know many three-year-olds, but this seemed like a very mature thing to do.

After our talk, we both slept better.

On the day of our flight, we went back to our old house to pick up Sarafina, soon-to-be-International-Cat. We said goodbye the house. Jonah blessed the front yard with one last tinkle on the bamboo. Shh... don't tell the landlord, if you run into him.

Jonah did just fine on the flights, as he always does. He slept for a few hours, even. Tim and I, of course, never did fall asleep during the course of the twenty-some-hour long trip. Talk about a parental marathon once off the plane, keeping a very sleepy puffy red eye on one hyper monkey!

Once we arrived in Prague via Frankfurt and got our million bags off the conveyer belt, we approached the "oversize area" to pick up our well-fed furry friend. No, don't laugh. They did not name the office after her. We were alarmed to find her cage there, empty. Instantly I was sent to a desk clear across the baggage area. No one knew anything about what had happened to our cat. Her food bowl, water bottle and blanket were gone along with her. That told us she hadn't escaped, but of course, the worst possible scenarios flashed through my mind.

After a dozen calls made to a variety of airline and airpot employees, Tim wandered back to the Oversize area to take a second look. Luckily he spotted Fini there in another carrier. Apparently someone switched her from her small carrier that I thought was quite luxurious to a bigger one because, according to code, a cat is supposed to be able to stand up with a minimum of was it three inches above her head inside the carrier. No one bothered to tell us. We were just happy to have found her healthy and eager for our affection.

Sarafina is doing fine, adjusting to being an indoor kitty after ten years of being able to go in and out of the house as she pleases.

Jonah likes his new room and spends quite a bit of time playing in it with the hordes of toys we brought from Portland and the new ones he received from Czech family members upon arrival.

We have begun to explore the neighborhood, but I will write more about that later. For now, here are a couple of pictures of our street from our windows. Lucky Jonah looks out into the courtyard, full of tall leaf trees while our living/dining room and bedroom face the street.





(our building is the yellow one next to the trees in the last photo)

Jonah turns three

Our sweet Jonah turned three on Monday! We had a brunch with family and friends to celebrate on Sunday and a little party for Jonah in his uncle and aunt's backyard on his actual birthday.

Now that I mention it, I realized I totally forgot the piñata! Oh no! Well, I guess he will have his first piñata experience next year when he turns four.

For the first time, Jonah got that his birthday was his time: presents, family and all, though he did like to tell everyone else "happy birthday" too. I think he thought it was the right response to birthday wishes. Sort of like "you're welcome" is a good response for "thank you."

Our celebrations were bitter sweet. So nice, but mixed with sadness because we knew we wouldn't see a lot of our friends and family for a while. I was glad we were able to squeeze in some special Jonah time with the crazy move and all.

I still can't believe my little boy is already three!

one last time

One last time we will sleep at our house tonight (then at Jonah's uncle and aunts for two nights before we leave for Prague). One more day Jonah is two (tomorrow he turns three). It's truly a time of change.

When I told Jonah that his birthday is coming up and that we will celebrate with friends today and again tomorrow at Uncle Andy's and Aunt Jenni's house, he said: "Will you sing me the birthday song?" This is indeed the first time he, at least somewhat, understands the concept of a birthday. What a big boy he is now: three, starting tomorrow.

foreigners = cattle?

Once we get to Prague, by law Tim is required within three business days to register with the "foreigner police" and apply for permanent residency. This must be done in person. There is only one office which takes care of this, and, from what I hear, the queue is horrendous. Sometimes up to 800 people wait to be helped in one day by handful of office clerks most of whom only speak Czech. Those same office clerks process paperwork and provide information. It often happens that one queues for hours to just ask a question and learns s/he has been in the wrong queue all along. Apparently people start lining up on the street at 10 pm and wait nine plus hours to make sure they aren't turned away the following day! Talk about bureaucracy in a post-Communist country!

I googled "cizinecka policie" or foreigner police and came across this video illustrating what happens when the door finally opens in the morning. Poor Tim! I hope we can use my dad's clout as a Senator to somehow expedite the process and avoid this hell.

Freud, oh Freud

Good old Freud must be turning over in his grave. I used to think Freud was crazy, but, now closely observing my toddler, I am beginning to wonder if Herr Sigmund may have been on to something.

Tim has been gone for a few days, doing the YMCA dance somewhere in the Cascade mountain range with his boyfriends - anyways, that's what I like to imagine he does on "Man's Weekends," as he calls his retreats with his male friends. I don't mean to mock these very important bonding occasions. I think it's wonderful that this tradition has been established and is still going strong.

But back to my little toddler wonder. For the first time this weekend -- and I hope he doesn't announce this to Tim as soon as he sees him -- Jonah has insisted that he wants daddy to stay camping and not come back. "I don't need daddy," he says vehemently as if hoarding me. When asked, he can't really explain why, but he insists this is what he wants. This strange attitude is definitely a new side of Jonah. He must be entering Freud's Phallic Stage of Psychosexual Development. Right on schedule, I might add. This is the stage of the infamous Oedipus complex, when boys become interested in genitalia and must struggle with "the unconscious desire to possess the opposite-sexed parent and to eliminate the same-sexed one."

Just look at this picture. All he wanted to do during my sister's wedding was ride this giant cannon that happened to adorn the courtyard where the ceremony and reception took place. Freud, oh Freud. Maybe you weren't so out there after all.

the tall tales he tells

Jonah has been quite the story teller lately. His favorite --especially during meals -- is to tell stories where he is the main hero who commits all types of violent acts he can think of... usually against .... drum roll, please... none other than me. Mind you, we don't ever use violence to discipline him and we don't have a television, though he does sometimes watch cartoons on the computer. Could they be the culprits or is this just a natural tendency to channel in-born aggression and fear?

So, yes, I am most often the lucky recipient of his imaginary aggressive attacks. He sprays me with his fireman hose, chops me with his ax, drops me down off a mountain into water... But all this is said for pure and innocent-seeming amusement. No malicious grin or thirst for vengeance.

My friends who are parents of toddlers tell me this is normal. My dad says channeling his aggression into stories is healthy. I believe them. I do feel privileged to figure so prominently in his stories, but do I like to be, albeit virtually, bruised and abused by my shrimp-sized son?

For your enjoyment, and to illustrate, I transcribed one of his breakfast tales today. Notice that when he runs out of violent verbs, he invents his own.

Jonah: "I'm gonna dash you. I'm gonna rake you (makes a raking motion in the air): rake, rake, rake. And then I smash you and water splashed all over you and poured all over you and dripped. Then you fell into a hole and got lost and I pulled you out and threw you into a garbage truck and crushed you. I'm gonna throw a dragonfly at you and splash bubbles at your eyes. You don't like water poured on your eyes?"

me: "Not too much."

Jonah: "I'm gonna pour water on your eyes (making a pouring motion): wag, wag, wag. When a hamburger fall on you, it say: 'Oomlet.' It pokes you in your eyes. And then you'll fall down under the tunnel and go fall in water and then you splash at me. I splashed back at you at your head.

"Mom, I wanna 'gorp' you: gorp, gorp. I'm gonna crush you. Crush your mouth. I 'trushed' you."

He smiles sweetly and we hug and nuzzle.

today

Today Amalia would be six-months-old. This flower is from a camellia tree Andy and Jenni gave us in memory of their niece Amalia. It bloomed in May.

bye, bye old workplace

Yesterday was my last day of work at the place where I've been employed for the bulk of the last ten years. I've had my share of lay-offs and goodbyes there, but I think this one may be final. Then again, I thought the others were too. But for some reason I just couldn't stay away. Well, perhaps this time the umbilical cord has been cut and I am moving on to other opportunities - hopefully bigger and better, though I did enjoy my last teaching job quite a bit.


The boss took us out to lunch today. Jonah joined us, posing for the top photo, noodle soul patch and all. The other picture shows all the staff in my program -- other than me. The man is the boss, the younger woman of the pair a fellow instructor and friend, and the other woman a job developer (i.e. someone who helps clients find employment).

It hasn't quite hit me that I am getting laid off. The reason? Program funding is ending. (Such is the world of grant-funded services). I do have a job lined up for Prague, which makes the parting easier. We timed our move for this, anticipating my lay-off. So, technically, things are moving right along. I wonder what my new job will be like. Hard to say. My guess is not as fulfilling, but it will definitely be a new challenge and I thrive on those.

back from New York

Just three days ago we got back from New York where we cheered for my sister at her wedding. The trip centered on family, though we did take in some sights as well. The favorite was the Brooklyn Promenade (see pic) with nice views of the Manhattan skyline and an adjacent playground - a hit with Jonah! We also got to see my sister perform at Prospect Park - a huge show. And get this: she was the opener for Philip Glass!


My sister's ceremony was beautiful and she and the groom looked happy as can be. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting my brother-in-law's family.

I'll put up a few pics soon. For now, just a tease.

And may I just say that the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott was definitely one of the best hotels I've stayed in. For sure, worth your money, in case you want to know. And they didn't pay me to say that... but perhaps they should.

check-ups all around

We took our kitties to the vet for their check-ups, shots - the works before our big move. Now that they are both in their senior years, we figured might as well have their teeth checked and cleaned for the first time. Fini's were just fine, but Pancho had some spoiled teeth, poor old cat, so they had to pull a few out. Apparently he had been in pain, so the extractions would make him feel better once healed.

When the kitties got home, I had to warn Jonah to be gentle to the kitties after their surgery. I told him that they had their teeth cleaned and pulled. He was very concerned and said the following:

"I'm gonna ride (my scooter) to the store for more teeth, for new teeth... new teeth for Pancho, new teeth for Fini."

And:

"I'll run to the store and get new teeth for Pancho. And he'll feel better and it'll not be hurting and he'll eat food with the new teeth. And he'll say thank you."

What a sweet, caring boy.

Today we went for his three-year check-up. He said: "Oh, like the kitties." Something like that, anyway. Except no shots, no teeth pulled.

He now weighs 31.5 lbs and measures 37 inches, which puts him in the 50th percentile in weight and 90th percentile in height.

ten years later

While rummaging through my mounds of paper in the basement, I stumbled across a list of goals that I typed up for myself about ten years ago. It was interesting to go through the list and note how I have done fulfilling those and how my focus has, in some ways shifted and, in others, stayed the same.

Examples:

• Teach adult refugees and immigrants English - ✔

• Teach English to students with other first languages - ✔

• Teach theater to adults - no longer interested in this

• Teach youth or children 8 or older theater - ✔

• Teach English, theater or other subjects in a public alternative high school - ✔

• Open, run and teach in an alternative public high school - my former student is doing this instead. She hired me to write some of the curriculum for her school. How cool is that?

• Teach Czech - ✔

• Get a Master's Degree and a teaching certificate in ESL for middle/high school level - ✔

• Run, direct and perform in a private theater - not going this direction anymore

• Write a novel - no longer interested

• Write short stories - not on my list anymore

My greatest vision at the time was to start and run an artist community that would have a local and global component to the artists' work. This was to be a place, a center, where artists live together in a beautiful setting, share ideas and cooperate on projects.

I ended up doing this on a small scale. Many of you may still remember Community Art Share, an event I created and ran for two years during which artists from different disciplines presented their work. I enjoyed it, even got a grant to continue, but I got burned out by how much work it was for no pay.

What an interesting find. I should make a list of new goal, shove it some place, find it in another ten years, and see how I've fared.

When I shared my discovery with Tim, he said in typical Tim flat affect: "My goal ten years ago was just to surround myself by lovely people." He said this looking at Jonah and added: "I'm still deciding about you." Nice husband I have, huh?

I can't believe it

I can't believe we're moving in just three weeks! I've been sorting stuff in the basement like mad, throwing away junk and organizing the rest. It feels good to group and label and to purge. Of course, the hardest stuff to go through are old journals and random bits of memories: a poster from a college play, love poems from high school, you know the deal... Whenever I run across such an emotion-laden relic, I get swept away into the past. Talk about time-consuming.

I'm proud to say that I've reduced my basement belongings to just a handful of boxes, which only cover two levels on one of those metal frame utility shelves they sell in the power tool sections. That's quite an accomplishment. The bulk of what I am saving are photographs, letters, old journals and notebooks filled with my sophomoric fiction and poetry attempts. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get rid of those.

In the process, I also discovered I have a couple of envelopes of drawings I did as a kid. Some even from the time I was three (Jonah's age). Can you believe it? That's all thanks to my grandmother, who has been the chief memorabilia keeper in our family. And I'm grateful for it.

the sights

We've had a busy social calendar, treating my dad & his wife to all kinds of tourist attractions. I'm starting to feel like a professional tour guide! But it's fun to show family around.

Yesterday we took a trip to the Columbia Gorge - Bridge of the Gods, Multnomah Falls, Crown Point, Sherrard Point... They are impressed with the city and the surrounding scenery as well. Yes! Pics here.

Jonah has been putting up with all the activity well, but he is still under the weather, so I'm sure he'll be happy to have a little rest next week before we head out to New York for my sister's wedding. Busy summer!

family

My dad and his wife are in town for the first time this week. We've been having a great time sightseeing and restaurant-hopping.

Though their first words (after hellos and kisses) upon stepping off the airplane were: "You live so FAR," in only one day, both family members have been thoroughly charmed by Portland. Finally they understand why I have been living in the "ass of the world," as Czechs -- affectionately, as they are -- call remote places.

Here is a picture of Jonah with his Czech grandpa. More photos here.

bug

Jonah caught a bug. He's had a fever since yesterday and it's been so hot here! We've been inside all day, staying mellow reading books and watching videos. I hope the fever subsides by tomorrow. This sucks, because my dad and his wife are coming to visit us for the first time and they get in tomorrow night. I had so much planned. I hope Jonah feels good by Tuesday.

a shelter over our head

As of yesterday, we have a place to live in Prague! Thanks, dad! I haven't seen pictures of the apartment. All I know is that it has two bedrooms, is furnished and that it's on a quiet street close to everything.

The building is practically across the street from a Jewish cemetery where my paternal grandparents AND Franz Kafka are buried. The location is quite good - only a few subway or tram stops from city center and Jonah's pre-school and my work, which are within blocks of each other. One tram ride will get us over to see my grandma as well.

One of the best parts is that my best Czech friend and her three kids (and husband) live only a fifteen minute walk away. Her kids are 6, 7 and 13 years old. They have a backyard (with a swing set!)- a rarity in Prague, where most live in apartments. Let's just hope the furniture and wall colors aren't too horrendous in this place. But I can't complain. We have been able to take care of most of the essentials remotely - job, place to live, and Jonah's pre-school. What more can I ask?

Name Day

By the way, today is Amalia's Name Day in the Czech Republic.

Before we decided to name our daughter Amalia, I consulted a Hebrew language scholar and this is what he said: Amalia is a 'hebraized' name of either Italian (Latin) or German origin. In German, Amelia means "hardworking" and in Hebrew Amalia means 'work of God' or 'God has worked/perhaps 'wrought'. Our little girl both worked hard in her short life... just to breathe alone... and she was indeed a work of God.

Now back to the tradition of 'name days.' I will surely remind you when mine is coming up (in October), so you can send me flowers, cupcakes or any such small gift. Thanks in advance.

Jonah's is September 27th and Tim doesn't have one since his name doesn't have a Czech equivalent. Aw... poor Tim. I guess we'll have to assign him an arbitrary date -- maybe on Labor Day or some such nameless holiday -- so he doesn't get left behind.

park encounters

Today Jonah surprised me. At the park I marveled his interactions with two other kids. One boy, about six years old, sat on the slide alone, looking sad and bored. Jonah came up to him and began to talk to him. Pretty soon, the two of them were playing together under Jonah's leadership. Jonah was the one who came up with the games: bus driver and passenger, pretend skateboarding, riding and feeding a squirrel-shaped rocking toy... The other boy perked up and had a great time. This was really the first time that I had seen Jonah engage an older child like this.

The second interaction happened later in the day when another boy, also a couple of years older than Jonah was crying on a platform leading to a slide. Jonah bent over the boy and touched his shoulder, concerned. The boy said that a girl kicked him and Jonah looked in the boy's eyes and said compassionately: "Sorry I kicked you." He apologized for something he didn't do, but the intention was to make the other boy feel better. I told him how proud I was of him that he did that in the car on the way home and again before he went to sleep today. What a sweetheart he can be.

All this is new. Up until about two months ago, he was mostly only able to play next to other kids, but he has reached a new developmental stage that is much more social and interactive. I think he is ready for pre-school!

4th of July

The fact that I am not a big fan of 4th of July is no secret to most of my friends. Loud firecrackers scare me and I hide from the sound of fireworks like a little scared dog. Red meat, baked beans and barbecue sauce are permanently off my menu, and drunk people shouting out national anthems into the night are not my favorite companions.

This year, though, we were invited to a friend's barbecue. She has a son just six months younger and Jonah. The boys have been friends since birth. To add to the festivities, my friend's parents, visiting from Korea, and her sister, brother-in-law and nieces, in town from Texas, were all there. These pre-teen girls just loved Jonah. They kicked a soccer ball around with him, read to him, jumped around with him... In short, Jonah was in heaven. What a fun day! We've met up with these girls a few times and every time, Jonah has had a blast. I had no idea he would take to girls eight and ten years older than he is. Surprise, surprise. More pictures here.

The day after 4th of July, an old family friend came to visit from Seattle with her twelve-year-old daughter and her daughter's friend. I had never seen anyone as rude as these young girls were. No thank-you's when offered something, just a plain no with a snarl. No eye contact. The girls just ate and slept at our house, ignored Jonah when he made attempts to talk to them and play with them, yet at the same time they sweet-talked our cats.

I was so stunned that I could hardly sleep the night they stayed over. The ruder girl of the two came from a privileged family and apparently has no idea what gratitude and manners are. It felt as if she had polluted our house with her bad attitude. I actually fantasized about kicking the girls out, but one can't really do that to kids. I felt sad for Jonah who so looked forward to having visitors. Compared to our 4th-of-July friends, these girls were monsters. I hope my son never behaves as ungratefully.

this just in!

Here is for some exciting news: I was just offered the job I recently applied for in Prague. The bulk of what I will be teaching will be "business English." I look forward to having a new challenge and a new work environment. After all, I have been employed by the organization where I currently work for the majority of the last ten years!

The strangest thing about this new offer is that the people who hired me never met me. They saw my resume, cover letter, and a picture of me on my resume (a required component of a European resume). They interviewed me over the internet (voice only; no video) and I got the job. This is definitely the first remote offer I have had. Ah, technology...

words and thoughts

The latest advancements in Jonah's language development are dependent clauses. For a long time, he has been using "and" to connect two statements or to make lists. He has recently begun to lengthen his sentences, using "but," "because" and "while" clauses. The stories he likes to tell have become longer and quite a bit more elaborate as today's quote of the day exemplifies ("I'm a night man and I'm blue. And daddy is a bad guy. He has a scratchy back").

The other day Jonah also correctly counted three items. I have read that two-year-olds, though often able to rattle off numbers in correct order, are not able to grasp the concept of counting. They can only distinguish between one item and two or more which they will, no matter how many there are, count as two. I have noticed that exact phenomenon with Jonah. By the age of three, toddlers are able to count three things and as they get older, they begin to really grasp the concept of counting. So, Jonah counted to three the other day. It was trucks, I think.

Jonah has been asking a lot of why questions as well. For example: "What do ladies wear bras for?" and "What is the sky for?" I didn't think that at barely three-years-old, my child would make me sweat and strain my brain as I try to respond to him.

Speaking of words, I have become completely addicted to playing Scrabble online (Scrabulous, actually, via Facebook). In the morning, that's the first thing I always want to do, and when Jonah falls asleep, I can't wait to jump on the computer to play some more. Maybe it's because playing the game takes my mind off other stressful things, like grieving. It's so much fun; my latest obsession.

The addiction is paying off -- as far as games are concerned anyways. Last night I had a couple of friends over for "game night" and I kicked ass in Boggle. Yeah! Too bad we didn't play for money! I think it's just because I've been in word game mode and I've been learning new words, useful for such empty pursuits as Scrabble and Boggle.

When my students learned about my Scrabulous addition, they said: "Well, at least it's not cigarettes or alcohol." Wow, I think they took the word 'addiction' a little too literally.

getting ready

We are getting ready for our big move. There is so much to do! Find homes for our kitties, sort and pack up our stuff, reserve storage... The list goes on and on. Sometimes when I think about it, I feel overwhelmed. But I'm also excited.

I wonder how the transition period once there will go. Jonah is not used to be in a fluent Czech environment and he will be starting Czech preschool come September. He is really ready for preschool, constantly eying and trying to interact with other kids. I've gotten him a couple of books about children going to school and it seems like he is very excited. A friend said: "Starting preschool is always hard at first, so I don't think you have to worry about the language. That way he will be adjusting to both all at once." I think he is right.

As far as my job, I still haven't heard back. They were waiting for my manager's references which he sent yesterday. He said: "She is very skillful teacher, her reliability, commitment, organizational ability and willingness to help others is a win win for whoever hires her." Is it bad to tout your own horn once in a while? Well, I've done it again anyway.

I'll keep you posted on further developments.

Crater Lake

We just returned from a trip to Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park. What a magical place! I will write more about it when I have time. Here are some pics.

workin' it

I've started putting an effort towards finding a teaching job in Prague. Last week I emailed my resume and cover letter to three language schools there. Within a couple of days I heard back from two. One wanted to set up an interview using Skype (basically a free internet phone service with a video option). So, this morning I had to get up at 6:30.

Tim woke up Jonah too, quickly changed him out of his pajamas and whisked him over to his new favorite breakfast joint. I showered, dressed up in business attire, did my make up, and got ready for my video appearance.

As it turned out, the school did not have a way of seeing my image, so we just used the audio part as if talking on the telephone. Darn, I could've stayed in my sweats! I was nervous about the interview (and I teach these skills!). The reason is that this was my first job interview ever in Czech.

I think I did OK, though the two grammar-related questions they gave me to test my knowledge really had me sweating. I could explain the difference in meaning between sentences in several tenses, but I didn't know all the terminology for those tenses (first, second and third conditional - anyone?). The school didn't seem to mind. All they cared about was how well I can describe the different meanings.

After my interview, I called a friend, a fellow English teacher I met in teacher college. We talked about the phenomenon that in this country it's possible to go through seventeen plus years of school and never learn grammar terminology or too much about the grammar of this country's primary language, for that matter. I don't think Europeans quite grasp that. Language instruction is predominantly grammar-centered there.

Soon I will hear back from the school to find out whether they have decided to offer me the job which consists of teaching English to employees at a variety of businesses, generally large Western corporations such as banks and chain stores. The school has a good reputation and is located within walking distance from the pre-school where we signed Jonah up. I could easily then pick Jonah up from school on my way home from the school.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

my son the hooligan

It is very odd observing one's child exhibit behavior which proves that humans truly are beasts. Our toddler is no exception. We, the parents, try hard to acculturate our little caveman into Society, to teach him to curb those primordial violent urges: no hitting, kicking, punching or scratching other fellow creatures, namely us humans and our furry companions. Our child's father and I work hard at being the models of emotional maturity, but one wonders sometimes.

The other day, for instance, I happened to walk in on a gruesome scene: Jonah brutally and repeatedly kicking Elmo, who was doubling over, laughing, shrieking and begging for more in his battery-powered voice: "That tickles! Do it again!" I assure you that this event ranks up there with one of the creepiest slices of life I have witnessed.

And here is my dilemma: Do I ignore this odd bout of violence, instead sneaking out quietly without my son ever knowing I was there, happy no sentient being was the target this time, or do I tell him to stop, forbidding him from abusing his animated robot friend with a human-like voice ever again? If you guessed that my reaction was the former, you were correct. But Tim's, on a separate occasion, was the latter. (For his love of Elmo?) Here is where we differ. What would you have done?

melu, melu pšeničku...

For the first time today Jonah recited a Czech nursery rhyme to himself. While spinning the handle of a pepper mill, he muttered to himself: "Melu, melu pšeničku..." . The rhyme actually had to do with using a mill. It means: "I'm milling, milling wheat..."

I was so excited that my eyes welled up with tears. I never thought that would happen. My persistence is paying off!

our father's day went like this

Because I was too disorganized to make a Father's Day brunch reservation, I suggested we try out the Hot Cake House down the road from us, a diner-like joint open 24 hours. The place was crazy: a blue-collar family hangout where people from all walks of life queue to order gynormous heaps of grub from ex-cons greasing the greasiest of grills. I had never seen such mounds of food before - one serving of biscuits and gravy could have probably fed half of a refugee camp.

We had ourselves a merry breakfast. Jonah went wacko on the pancake and sausage. Tim was in Dad Heaven. The place was fun for people watching. While taking in the sites and zeroing in on a man filling up his coffee cup at the self-serve station, Jonah remarked: "That man has funny hair," prompting me to respond: "Those are called dread locks, Jonah." You live and you learn.

The place was definitely a breath of fresh air for Tim who is sick of being surrounded by hipsters.

Alas, the restaurant adventure ended with Jonah kicking me repeatedly in the booth, followed by me whisking him outside and Jonah screaming his head off. A Father's Day off to a fabulous start, eh?

After about ten minutes, Jonah calmed down at home and we had a nice rest of the day. The highlight of the day was a little girl --only about a year older than Jonah-- who just happened to be visiting her uncle, our neighbor next door. The girl played with Jonah most of the afternoon. They were both in heaven, running back and forth between our backyards and houses. Jonah asked the girl to hold his hand, which she did. He gave her a flower, which she refused. He hugged her, which she didn't know how to take. But they had such a good time that she cried when it was time to go home.

Tim and I were both thinking about Amalia and feeling melancholy throughout the day. We both think of her constantly, though we don't talk about it much. But today she was really missed.

the storm that he is

Little Mister has some good days and some bad. But by bad I mean BAD: a minimum of three huge tantrums in a single twelve-hour period. Drama at its utmost. His grandparents saw this happen numerous times last weekend and it truly is a wonder.

Just about anything will set Jonah off and he'll lunge into a screaming fit that from afar sounds like the child has been overtaken by Satan. All kids his age go through this. That's what those-in-the-know say, but some days I feel like I have to walk on egg shells. Of course, I want him to know he doesn't run the world, but sometimes I have to pick my battles. Parenting gets harder and harder and Tim and I have already found our styles differing.

This is the age when wild beast (within) battles man, I guess. Let's hope man wins.

To add to the tantrum-filled stage, Jonah has also become quite unpredictable with his insatiable quest for learning what's right and wrong - physically. He will prance around the house happily, telling stories, and all of a sudden 'bonk' one of us in the head or back with a bat or a hammer or a drumstick... I guess it's a stage of testing, but it's hard to relax sometimes when there's no telling what's coming your way when.

But we're doing our best to navigate the stormy seas and to appreciate the good days and moments of absolute joy and tenderness.

Just tonight before going to sleep, Jonah whispered to me: "I love you so much, mom," which just about melted all the stress away.

grandparents

We just got back from visiting the grandparents in Montana. Jonah had such a good time! He was so used to attention and someone always there, ready for action, that it took a few days to adjust back to mellow life at home. Here are some pictures. More here. We all enjoyed the visit, as you can see.

still here

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted here. Just got back from visiting Jonah's paternal grandparents in Montana. The trip was relaxing for the parents and fun for Jonah who got more attention and play from grandma and grandpa than ever. A big thanks to them!

Pics coming as soon as I can get my act together.