Jessica's Czech In Page

2011-08-31T14:56:00.004+02:00

I came across an interesting series of articles about the Czech mentality. They are quite fascinating and enlightening. You may find them interesting as well as it will give you an idea of the differences in ideologies of Czechs and Americans. After reading the 1st article, be sure to scroll down all the way to the bottom for the links to the rest of the series. http://prague.tv/articles/zine/czech-mentality-1

2011-08-29T17:33:00.004+02:00

It's good to be home.

I'm finally back in Prague and so much has happened already! Our flights were fraught with delays but fortunately, we arrived only 20 minutes later than scheduled. I realized during the flight that I did not have the key to my building. I arrived at my front step hoping my sub-letter was home, which she was not. After several failed attempts of ringing my neighbors' bells and telling them in my broken Czech that I didn't not have my key, one kind soul had pity on me and buzzed the front door open. I slept on the couch that first night as it was the sub-letter's last night in Prague. I didn't care, I was just happy to be home.

Kafka would be proud.

The next morning, I rose early and headed to the Ministry of the Interior's office for my area of Prague to announce myself and register my visa. My friend, Tereza, met me there and acted as a translator. After waiting for almost 3 hours, we were told that I was (yet again) at the wrong office. I had researched this for hours and all the information I was able to find said we were at the right place but why should I be surprised that it's not. So we headed off to the Foreign Police, where we waited for a mere 2 minutes before we were seen. The police officer searched my passport several times over and grumbled to himself then would look at me for an answer. I kept asking Tereza what he was saying but she had no idea since it was all mumbles. He finally asked where my passport was stamped. I was afraid of this. I didn't realize until after I was pass the passport control in Frankfurt, that he didn't stamp my passport. You can't go back to passport control once you are through. Fortunately, I had my plane ticket with me to show to the police officer. He said it was a good thing I had it, otherwise it wouldn't have been good for me (not sure what that meant and glad I didn't find out.) He also told me to demand a stamp next time. HA!

Strange days, indeed!

Several people have stayed in my flat while I was gone. There was a group from YWAM who stayed about a month, a couple of ESI teachers were here over Easter and a sub-letter for July and August. I have found some of my things in interesting places but also, some things that aren't mine at all. Some of them were a lovely find while others are a bit strange. Here's a list in no particular order:

1. A bottle of Tokaji wine! Thanks to Erin and Maria. There was a lovely little card that went with the wine that I found a day or two later.

2. A dried piece of moldy bread in the pantry.

3. A million fruit flies courtesy of the watermelon left on the counter.

4. Several packages of dried-up cheese in the fridge (what a waste!).

5. My dishes on the highest shelves possible which I cannot reach.

6. My Dallas Cowboys to-go coffee cup in the bathroom under the sink sans lid. I have yet to locate the lid.

7. A ginormous jar of Nutella. Yum!

8. An almost empty, smaller jar of generic nutella.

9. A plastic bag filled with small, dried shrimp. EW!

10. Various and a sundry seasoning packets with Asian characters on them.

11. A refrigerator full of food that I have to throw out.

12. Two very LARGE spiders who seem to live on despite how much hairspray is sprayed on them.

Regardless of the above list, I am glad to be back in the city I love doing what I love doing. Home is home, no matter what.

2011-07-31T04:08:00.002+02:00

I know that a blog post is egregiously overdue and I apologize in advance for the shortness of this one. The past few months have been interesting, to say the least. I am finally feeling I am back where I belong or on the right track, rather. We have just completed the first week of the four week new teacher training. I, along with the Regional Director, am responsible for preparing the new teachers for their upcoming adventure. It's exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. I love getting to know the new teachers and sharing my heart for Central Europe. However, training is jam-packed with activities starting at 8:00 am and lasting until about 10:00 pm. Please pray for stamina and strength for the next 3 weeks and for times of rest. Also, pray for me as I begin a new fundraising campaign for this year.

2011-04-01T18:09:00.003+02:00

Visa status update: Stagnant. I have to wait until the Czech Consulate receives an official rejection letter until I can reapply. The Consulate General and his assistant went over my file with my boss and said it was a perfect file and they don't understand why I was rejected. I am gathering all the needed paperwork so I can file my new app immediately after this famous rejection letter arrives.

I have been really homesick and missing Prague the last few days. I am in a state of limbo. I have been going back and forth between two friends' houses. I am working everyday and focusing on what is going on with my organization in Central Europe. Right now, my heart is there but I can't be. And it sucks!

Here's what I miss:
1. The castle, Charles Bridge...really all of that amazing, old architecture that gives you a sense of history. I am in awe everyday when I walk amongst those buildings, I feel as if I am touching a part of history. The little town I lived in before, Cheb, is celebrating its 950th year as a municipality this year. Yes, almost 1000 years! Unbelievable!
2. My friends, Americans, Czechs and few other nationalities. Czechs protect themselves emotionally and don't let their guard down or make new friends easily. I was just really feeling like I was settling into my community in Prague when I had to leave, was just beginning to break through some of those tough outer-shells to make friends.
3. My church in Prague. Don't get me wrong, it has been wonderful to be home and spend time with my CCC family here in Arlington. They are a wonderful support and I couldn't do what I do in Prague without them. But there is something special about worshiping with folks from all over the world. I can't even describe it.
4. Cafes. I love long, deep conversations and there is no place better for them than over a strong cup of coffee at a cafe. Europe has that down and it one of my most favorite things to do!
5. Beer. I know, I can get good beer here. But I can get a 1/2 liter of great beer there for about $1.25. You can't beat that! And Czechs are known for their beer.
6. Public transportation and a great train system. I hate driving!
7. I definitely have a healthier life-style there. I don't eat out very often and never eat fast food. I have to walk much more than I do here.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Texas! I just feel I am torn between two worlds right now and Prague is where I should be. Thanks for letting me vent! Now someone needs to make me laugh because I'm pretty sad.

2010-08-26T00:54:00.002+02:00

Oh jet lag, how I hate you.

I should be in bed already but jet lag has struck again. It has been a bear this time around and I am really tired of it. But I wanted to give you a little taste of the perfection that this day has brought, barring the aforementioned jet lag.

I had a late lunch with Tereza, who I met in Texarkana this past winter. She was an exchange student whose host mom happened to be an old friend of mine. She was so excited when she heard I was moving to Prague. Do you know how rare it is to meet a Czech who has been to Texas, needless to say Texarkana? I think Tereza and I have a special connection and I can't wait to spend more time with her.

After lunch, I met up with a former student. I haven't seen her since I left in 2006. She's in university now and we had a nice evening together. She went with me to look at a flat. Then we had dinner. We had a really good talk about things going on in her life and that was exciting. I'm so glad I can reconnect with former students.

Then, when I was walking to the flat from the tram stop, I came upon two hedgehogs! They were so cute, rooting around, sniffing for something. I hope they find what they were looking for. I watched them until I couldn't see them anymore. I love hedgehogs. This first week has been filled with a lot of my favorite things about the Czech Republic. I've only had really one frustrating moment, actually 40 minutes of frustration but it is so small in comparison to the great things that have been happening.

2010-08-23T12:50:00.002+02:00

Getting Settled In

I arrived in Prague Friday afternoon after a really long travel day. The flight from LAX to Frankfurt was quite noisy. For some reason, many people thought they should stand in the aisles and talk loudly while people were trying to sleep. Needless to say, I didn't get much. Then we had to run to get our connecting flight. I was literally one the last ones to board. Thanks to Shelly for helping me with my carry on! The flight attendants were not very helpful and told me I had too much stuff. I told her I was moving to Europe, so of course I would have the max allowed. Thank goodness it was a very short flight because I was dripping in sweat and had to hold my backpack in my lap. But I am in Prague and that is all that matters!

I am slowly settling in. I don't want to get too settled because I will be moving into my own flat soon. Just have to find one first. I have been impressed with my Czech skills. I was able to buy credits for my phone pretty easily. The only problem is that I don't seem to have a signal here in the flat. I have a few errands to run tomorrow. I'm buying a metro pass and I need to pick up my insurance papers. I'm also having lunch with Kelly tomorrow. Yea!

I'm going to run for now. Need to fix some lunch and finish organizing a few things. I miss y'all but I so excited to be here!

2010-07-02T06:49:00.002+02:00

Passport Agency

I just realized about a week ago that I only have 3 blank pages left in my passport. This is not an ideal situation for someone who needs a long-term resident visa and is expected to travel quite a bit for her job. I really didn't have time to send it off to get pages added, so I decided to brave the Dallas Passport Agency. It was actually quite painless. I had all of the needed documents and everyone was nice. I go back tomorrow afternoon to pick up my passport. So now customs officials in all countries can feel free to stamp away!

2010-06-30T07:29:00.003+02:00

Back in the Saddle Again

I am starting up my blog again. I haven't blogged since I moved back to the states. But since I am moving back to the Czech Republic, I decided it would be good to write about what's going on with me.

I leave Arlington on July 14th to go to Pasadena, California. New teacher training starts July 17th and I will be there for the duration. Then I am flying to Prague with the new CZ teachers at the end of August. It's all happening so quickly. I have a lot to do before I leave Texas and even more to do before I leave the states.

Tomorrow's To Do List:
Sell books to Half Price Books
Get oil changed
Get buy offer from Carmax on my car
Start packing
Talk to new boss
Make appointment to get pages added to passport
Return bookshelf to Target
Take pics of furniture for sale
Lunch with a friend
Add music to itunes
Laundry

Luckily, I am off tomorrow, so I have a good chance of getting some of these things done. ;)

2006-04-18T18:38:00.000+02:00

It's hot in here
It hit 100+ here in the DFW area yesterday. Can you believe it? It's only the middle of April. We are 2 months ahead of schedule for egg-frying-on-the-sidewalk-hot! It's supposed to cool off to the 70's tomorrow, we'll see.

Win, Place or Show
Some of you know that I have been working at a temp job which will end at April 28. Will I have already started another job. I am working weekends at the new job until the scoring job is up, then full-time at the horse races. Yes, folks you heard me, the races. My old boss from the bank called me last week. She is managing the money room out there and she had a job just waiting for me. Right now I am learning several jobs. Saturday night I was in the money room, counting money. Sunday (yeah, I worked on Easter) I was quasi-training to be a dealer. I learned a lot about the races that day. I had never been to a horse track until this past week.

What's a dealer, you may want to know. Well, the tellers take the bets from the gamblers and the dealers act as bankers for the tellers. So if they need more $, I give it to them. Simple as that. I would be responsible for getting the money to and from the money room. Now, don't worry, this is a seasonal job. It ends in October, just in time for me to go to certification classes. How about them apples?

Ok, that's enough for now. Gotta eat something. Missing all of y'all who are far away. Hope y'all had a great Easter. He is Risen!

2006-04-07T01:27:00.000+02:00

For Sarah Jane
Sarah says I need to freakin' blog; although, she is a member of Bad Bloggers Anonomyous herself. Maybe she can be my sponsor since she seems to be blogging again. This one's for you, my dear. Honestly, I have very little time on the computer nowadays and limit that time to emails.

J-O-B
I do have a temp job scoring 7th grade writing TAKS tests. It's the state test given to students. I thought only ESL students had trouble with to, two and too or even better, still, steel and steal. In case you didn't know, these words are interchangable with each other. Example: I couldn't get the bunny to sit steel. I get up every morning at 5:15 (yes, that is correct...not a typo) so I can catch the 6:34 commuter train into Dallas. I do this so I can be at work before 8. I get home around 6:15 each evening which leaves me only a few precious hours before I have to start all over again. It's getting old and I am having a hard time staying awake to read the 150 or so papers that I score each day. I hope I can last to the end of the project; the money is decent.

One of my old bosses called me a few days ago to offer me a seasonal job at the horse tracks close to my house. It starts soon and runs through October. I'm pretty sure I will take it.

I really like taking the train, it's the only place I feel completely normal. The only thing I don't like about it is everyone is speaking in English, loudly. I try to sit by the Spanish speakers so I feel a little more at home.

Ok...I gotta run eat sushi. Will blog more later, promise. Oh and my sister got engaged last weekend! Yea!

2006-02-17T15:30:00.000+01:00

Nada Mucho
So, not much has been going on since I got back to Texas. I've been keeping a low profile and catching up on some TV and movies I have missed. On Demand Cable is the best invention in the world! I'm still waiting to get my car so I am pretty much stuck at home.

The weather has been crazy. I have been home a week now and it has gone from the 30's to 78. Yeasterday, we had a record high of 85 only to drop to 42 last night. It's supposed to sleet tonight. Weird, huh. But the sun is shining and I'm grateful for that.

I have only seen a few friends far. It's weird, because I really don't know what to do in social situations. Why does the waitress come every 5 minutes? I forgot to put the napkin in my lap both times I've been to a restuarant. (Sushi and Mexian, in case you were wondering.)

I had my first session of acupuncture on Monday. I really like the doctor. She is softspoken and calming. So, I know you want to know what it feels like. But really, I barely felt the needles go in. You really can't feel much at all, they're so thin. She also hooked some of them up to wires and ran an electric pulse through them. It felt like a massage. It was quite relaxing. I even dozed a little.

Thanks are in order
I would really like to thank all of the ESIers who came out to see me before I left. It meant the world to me! I love and miss y'all and am still praying for you. It was nice to have pizza and talk. Y'all are the best!

That's all for now. Blessings my friends.

2006-02-07T11:14:00.000+01:00

Goodbyes

So I've said most of my goodbyes. It's been quite sad. Marianne just left a little bit ago. Tammy and Sarah are meeting me at the train station. My next door neighbors, Marie and Jiri, sent me off with a shot of Becherovka and a Bohemian crystal vase. My neighbor downstairs, Mr. Zdenek, brought a bottle of red wine over last night to toast my health. I didn't get to say goodbye to most of my students or coworkers which makes me a little sad. I hope I can come back to see them before the end of the school year, maybe at graduation.

Aaron and Aram are here to help me with my bags and we'll head to the train station soon. I kinda feel like I'm breaking up with the Czech Republic.

2006-02-03T10:57:00.000+01:00

Bad News
I haven't written in a while and a lot has transpired since the afore mentioned hospital visit. I've been bounced around between 4 different doctors (one was a neurologist) with no possitive results and more importantly, no pain relief. I have missed 2 1/2 weeks of school. I came to the painful conclusion this past weekend that the jig is up, it is time to go home. So I will fly to Texas on Wednesday the 8th. I will seek alternative treatment. I have an appointment with an acupuncturist the following week. I pray this works as I don't want to have surgery again.

I can't tell you how hard it was to make this decision and how utterly sad it makes me. Two of my favourite students, Ludvik and Vaclav (yes, Ludvik, it's true!), came by my flat yesterday to say goodbye. They brought me a beautiful rose and a bottle of Hungarian wine (Vaclav's family is Hungarian). It was such a sad meeting.

I went to school yesterday to pack my things. I tried not to cry while I was there but it was impossible. So many students asked how I was. Many didn't know I was leaving. It's so hard to explain it to them. Please keep me in your prayers as this is one of the most difficult things I've ever gone through. I will go back on Monday to collect my pay and say my last goodbyes. :(

Today I will do some shopping and buy a few things I've always meant to get, but just haven't. Then I'll finish packing and hang with my friend Marianne. Hope y'all have a good weekend.

2006-01-22T21:40:00.000+01:00

Pirates! ARRRG!
My life has had a pirate theme as of late. I've been reading Under the Black Flag, a history about pirates. It has been quite interesting until the detailed chapter about the boats. Who cares about what kind of boats they had or what kind of rigging was used. Just tell me where Jean La Fitte hid his treasure, right?! This guy hasn't mentioned La Fitte or La Salle once, either. But I have learned a lot about Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and the Dread Pirate Roberts. I've got about twenty pages left so I hope to finish it tonight. Then on to Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

The other pirate aspect of my life is due to the hospital I live behind. I have to walk through the hospital campus every day to school. And most days I see a sobering sight: Someone either walking to the hospital or out of the hospital with an eyepatch on. We (the other Cheb ESIers and I) have begun an eye patch alert and have made many jokes as to the origins of all the eye patches. We've decided that no matter what you go in for, you come out with out an eye. We're joking, of course, but it makes for some funny dinner conversations.

As many of you know, I have endometriosis which causes me a lot of pain. Walking in snow makes the pain worse and since I live in a country where it snows a lot, this makes walking to school difficult. On Thursday, I realized there was no way I could make it to school. The school told me I needed a doctor's excuse which I told them I couldn't get because I was in too much pain to walk to the doctor's office (almost a mile away.) They told me they would pick me up and take me to the hospital (which is about 100 yards from our front door.) I freaked out. I didn't want to go to the hospital. I told Sarah I was partial to both of my eyes. But I was told I wasn't to object and to the hospital I went.

I won't bore you with details. I was examed and sent home with a really BAD diagnosis but both eyes. But I will share the only funny thing about the visit. I had to give a urine sample. The nurse gave me a plastic cup that resembles a parfait glass. I was told to pee into it and bring it back. Pee into it? I didn't want to hold it. It looked like many people had used it before and it had not been cleaned. And this is what they wanted to use to diagnose me? Crazy! Also, the nurse said that I should drink more beer and I would feel better. This is a usual comment from Czechs when it comes to health. It never ceases to amaze me.

Just so you know, I am going to try acupuncture and a radical change in my diet to help control the pain. I am going to my regular doc on Tuesday. He also does acupuncture so I'll get more info about it then. I am also trying to get an appointment with an English speaking doc in Prague this week. Will update you on the situation soon.

2006-01-10T14:24:00.000+01:00

Let it Snow!
Not really, I don't like snow so much. But it is pretty when it is falling out of the sky. And I like how quiet everything seems when there's a lot of snow on the ground. I also like the crunchiness of freshly fallen snow under my feet. I'm a tactile person, if you didn't know. Who said tactless??? That wasn't funny! ;)

We actually haven't had much snow during the last week. But it decided to snow this morning, just a light dusting as I was walking to work. This picture is really for all you folks in the 80 degree Texas weather. I know y'all are complaining that you haven't had winter, yet. Well, consider this a gift of winter from me!

Hair today, gone tomorrow
Here's an after pic sans mullet. I know you wanted to see it. Sorry I took so long and that this is the only one I have. More to come, I promise.

Is it too early to be counting the days to Spring Break? It's 31, in case you're wondering!

Jess

2005-12-31T12:10:00.000+01:00

Stasni Novy rok! Happy New Year!
I hope all of you have a wonderful 2006! I am expecting lots of good things! This afternoon, our friend from the Army base near by will pick us up and take us to a party on base. I am excited to spend New Year's Eve with some Americans, especially Americans who have volunteered to protect me and my loved ones.

Winter Wonder Land
It's been snowing almost everyday since Christmas. It's pretty white. I had a nice relaxed Christmas. I got a crochet kit at the ESI party. I've already started my first project, a scarf. I now have another way to kill time on these long winter nights. I also got a very nice pen and ink drawing of Cheb from my principal's family.

Translator
Last night as I was walking through the hospital campus to my house, the security guard started to call, "Hello, hello, hello." I turned around and told him in Czech that my flat was over there, pointing toward my building. (I live behind the hospital.) He asked me if I understood Czech and I said a little. He tells me this young man who is standing with him has a big problem and doesn't speak Czech, could I help. I was a little afraid because my Czech skills are really limited to restaurants and trains stations. The security guard tells the other man, "English," and motions towards me. So the guy says in very broken English that he has lost his identity card and mobile phone in Prague. He has his passport and a little money but his bank card is gone too. And I'm like, ok but what do you need. Then the police show up and I'm trying to tell them in my horrible Czech what this guy's problem is but I don't know the words for lost or stolen. I finally realize that he just wants to make a statement so he can drive back to Prague and go to the Slovenian Embassy. The police man finally understands this and they tell him to get into their car, they will take him to the station and he could use their phone. I asked the police man if he spoke in English because he had said yes a few times. He was funny. He told me in Czech that he only knew how to say, " Dobry den a mam hlad." Which means hello and I'm hungry. Then he said he knew how to say another beer. This made me laugh.

The security guard was very nice. He told me he remembered as I was walking by that I spoke English. He was glad he remembered and happy that I could help. Then he wished me a happy new year and then spoke something in Spanish to the Slovenian guy. I thought this was funny and surreal at the same time. I don't feel like I helped that much. I don't think I will take up translating Czech as a profession anytime soon.

That's my funny story of the week. I hope you are safe tonight! Jess

2005-12-24T17:19:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas! Vesle Vanoce!
Christmas Eve is Christmas here in the Czech Republic. I've spent the day baking pies from scratch, one for tonight (apple) and one for tomorrow (pecan-thanks Mom!) I've wrapped all the presents and I am just waiting for my hosts to pick me up. It's 5:22 pm here and we will have Christmas dinner at supper time. And like the good Bohemian that I am, I haven't eaten anything all day. Well, I had a bowl of cereal this morning but don't tell anyone. If you don't eat all day on Christmas (Eve) you will see the "golden calf" before dinner. It's supposed to be good luck. Czechs eat fish (carp) and potato salad for their traditional holiday meal. But I am eating at my principal's home and her husband, Jaroslav, doesn't like fish. He prefers turkey. So Lenka fixes both. After dinner we will wait for a bell to ring. That tells us that Baby Jesus has just left the presents under the tree. I am sorry to say that we were lied to as children. Santa doesn't go all over the world bringing presents on Christmas Eve. He lets Baby Jesus do his job in the Czech Republic. They have no idea who Rudolf is either.

Tomorrow I am off to Prague to spend Christmas day with my ESI friends. I may stay a couple of days to take advantage of the after Christmas sales. Funny, for an atheist country, they don't mind calling Christmas what it is...Christmas. Hmmmmm, point to ponder. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a very blessed New Year!

2005-12-07T18:44:00.000+01:00

"Ode to Appliances in My Hallway"
If you didn't know, we have a penchant for collecting major appliances in our flat. I had three fridges in my flat for a long time during my first year. We have had at least two fridges since January of 2003, and still do. (If you want to hear the "3 Fridge Story" post a comment and I'll write about it. It is entirely too long to post today.) I've been having major damage with my oven for about a year now. The temp can't be regulated and it was getting too hot too fast. We finally got a new stove delivered last week. It has been sitting in the entry hall of our flat for a week now, until yesterday. They installed it yesterday. But guess what? Yeah, we still have the old one. They just swapped them out. We have a washing machine and the old stove in a hallway that is about 4 feet wide. Sarah has to move the oven out of her way to get to her clothes in the wardrobe. It's a blast! We have no idea when they will cart the old stove away. Ahhh, life!

Running Errands
We all have to run errands and we all hate it, except Angela who has made it an art form! Image doing them in a foriegn country where it is easy to get yelled at if you don't speak the language. I usually get very nervous if I have to visit the post office for any reason. Yesterday was no exception. I had a package to send to my family for Christmas. I looked up the word for package because I wanted to make sure I didn't get yelled at for being in the wrong line and not speaking Czech. I prayed the whole way there that it would be a plesant experience. I guess it worked! Not only did I notget yelled at, the lady was quite patient and helpful. She helped me fill out the customs form and gave me two different prices to choose from. And the best part is I did the whole transaction in Czech. I had no problems understanding her and vice versa. I was quite proud of myself. So what did I do? I decided to tackle the lekarna (pharmacy.) I've had a really bad cough and have run out of medicine. I went to my normal pharmacy where a few of the staff speak English. But none of them were there and I got this jerk who refused to help me because I didn't understand him. I told him I needed cough syrup and he started asking me questions that I didn't understand. I asked him if he spoke English and he told me to go to a different pharmacy if I wanted to speak English. I get really tired of that kind of treatment. So I went around the corner to the bigger pharmacy and immediately told the pharmacist that I didn't speak Czech well and that I needed cough medicine but I didn't know what kind. This was all in Czech, of course. She asked if I spoke German and I told her no, English. She said she didn't speak English but she was very helpful and showed me 3 different syrups. So I picked one and went on my merry way. After living here for over two years, I still don't understand why it is so hard for people to be helpful. I guess I never will. I am thankful and surprised when I am helped like I was today. But it still gets to me when I get the jerky guy, too.

2005-12-01T18:54:00.000+01:00

"I Love Rock n Roll!"

You have all waited for this moment for about a week. So here it is. Drumroll please....

So I know it's a bit blurry but hey, I don't need a very clear pic of me with a mullet. Wait there's one more....

Ok, so now you are all gasping for air and clutching your chests. I know, I went through it too. But rest assured, Sarah wacked that mullet right off. I now have short hair that is Carol and Joan free.

What do you think of the glasses? I totally dig them. We haven't taken photos since the demulletizing but will post them as we take them. Living in Europe is a riot!

Jazz, please and thank you
Last night we went to the Jazz Cafe to see a trio from NYC; although, two of them were Austrian-go figure. They played funk/groove and they were smokin'! The bass player and the drummer were amazing to watch. The bass player is from NY and he's very nice, good looking too. Sarah, Marianne and I had a great time.

Angels and Devils and a man called St. Nick
In the Czech Republic children celebrate St. Nicholas' Day on Dec 5th. Children must sing a song or recite a poem and St. Nick will give you something sweet to eat. But he has two cohorts, an angel and a devil. If you've been good all year, the angel will give you a blessing. If not, the devil will give you coal, potatoes and onion. I guess if you were really bad, you could make a soup when you get home.

The teachers had a party today in honor of the jolly old saint. I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time. Two of my coworkers dressed up, one as an angel and one as a devil. We all had to put our hand in the devil's sack and take out a bag. There were bags of coal in many sizes. The larger the coal, the worse you were. I got the the largest piece of coal if that tells you anything. It was funny seeing my fellow teachers reciting poetry and singing children's songs for treats. I sang "Away in a manger".

That's all for now. Please stop laughing at my hair.

2005-11-30T19:06:00.000+01:00

Ok, I know you are dying to see the new hair. I only got one or two pics before I had Sarah doctor it up for me. Here are some exerpts from emails to my friends that may give you a better idea of the "hair situation."

Let's just say "bad hair day" has taken on a whole new meaning for me. It's Joan Jett circa 87, no kidding. Except it's blond and red. actually, the color is the best thing about the she-mullet I got going on. Sarah will take some pics of it then we are going to try to fix it. I'll post them on my blog. But the good news is, I have the coolest hair at school. It's scary when Czech's like my hair and RAVE over it because they have horrible hair and fashion sense. Oh well....it's only hair.

Think Joan Jett meets Carol Brady with a euro twist and you've got it!

Where are the pics, you might ask. Well, we've been having technical difficulty. As soon as we can get them uploaded, I'll blog them. Until then, this will have to do.

Going to a jazz concert tonight, some group from NYC. Hope it's good. C ya.

2005-11-23T18:52:00.000+01:00

Oh my! I think my Euro experience is complete. I got my hair cut today and ....just wait. Hopefully I can get Sarah to take pictures so you can see for yourself. I don't have a digi so we have to use hers. We'll leave it at that for now, brace yourselves.

2005-11-16T18:26:00.000+01:00

I'm totally freezing. It has turned cold and is supposed to snow tonight. It looks like snow from here on out. Thanksgiving in the snow....oh, well.

Did I tell you I feel taller when I'm wearing my new glasses? I know it sounds weird but I'll take taller anyday. We have our thankgiving retreat this week. So I won't be able to post until Sunday.

Still feeling queasy but I'm getting my appetite back. The only problem is I feel sick after I eat. Yuck!!! The good thing is I can see the hollows of my cheeks for the 1st time in years. Let's hope that stays!!!

2005-11-15T17:38:00.000+01:00

Y'all have to check out this blog! I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants!
http://overheardlines.blogspot.com/

2005-11-15T14:32:00.000+01:00

So today while I was preparing lessons for those precious students of mine, I got a phone call. It was some lady speaking czech. So all I understood was, "blah,blah, blah...optika....blah, blah, blah." Then she asked some one how do you say glasses in English. Then she spoke a little German. Finally some one else got on the phone and said the same things in czech again, then said glasses. I asked, "today?" She said, "Today nebo (or) tomorrow." I said ok and thank you very much and czech. To make a long story, I have new glasses. I'll get some pics up asap.

On another note, I've been a little puny. I've been nausous since Friday. I spent the whole weekend in bed and watched a bunch of DVD's. I went to school today because I only had to teach 3 classes. And we will miss school Friday because of thanksgiving. Ok, I'm getting a slight headache from my new glasses so I'm gonna sign off.

2005-11-09T17:08:00.000+01:00

So I went to the optician today, sans translator. My colleuge set up the appointment but couldn't go with me. She told me that the lady spoke English and what to expect. I get there and realize that I have no idea how to say, "I have an appointment." I'm struggling along in Czech with the one person in the whole office who doesn't speak any English. Then someone else comes out and says in Czech, "Oh, Pani Jessica!" (Miss Jessica) I was relieved. I was then ushered into an examining room, told where to put my things and asked to sit down. They put a machine infront of me and I was to look at this picture without blinking. This lasted less than a minute. The machine printed out a piece of paper which told them what my perscription should be. Then I had to do the which-is-better-1-or-2 thing. We were speaking half in Czech and half in English. It always cracks me up when a Czech is asking someone else how to say something in English and I answer for them. They are usually quite please and surprised.

To make a long story short, I'm getting new glasses. They're kind of euro Sally Jesse but don't let that freak you out. I think they're hip. I'll post a pic once I get them. The process of picking them out was a doozie and I won't bore you with the details. But everything cost 2880 Kc, a little over $100. Not bad, my friend.

We will celebrate Thanksgiving a week early this year. We have a retreat at a nice hotel and have them make turkey and stuffing for us. We bring pies and have a feast! This means I will be teaching on the actual Thanksgiving day, but don't cry for me Argentina! I'm making pies for some of my classes and I may force them to watch some American football if I can get a tape or DVD (hint,hint.)

Ok, that's all for today. The nice weather is gone for good, I'm afraid. It's been cloudy and cold. It's supposed to snow next week, YIKES!!!

2005-11-01T16:28:00.000+01:00

Reasons I love Fall:
1. pretty leaves
2. my birthday
3. the crispness in the air
4. the smell of fires
5. halloween candy
6. football
7. wearing sweaters
8. thanksgiving
9. pecan pie
10. pecans
11. caramel apples
12. the fair
13. the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet
14. the smell of pumkin and spices

2005-10-31T15:35:00.000+01:00

Fairytale
This is the castle in Tabor. I love that I can find a castle in almost any town I visit. It's the little girl in me who wants to be a princess.

Students
Apparently, I have been a horrible teacher because I have neglected to mention my students' names in my blog. This fact was brought to my attention in class today by my student, Ludvik. He and his best friend, Vaclav, are terribly hurt because I have not ever written about them here. I will do so now to make up for this egregious error. Ludvik and Vaclav have just recently formed a band and won some studio time in Karlovy Vary. Hopefully, I will receive a CD soon. They have also asked me to play drums for their band, which I declined. Moonlighting is against ESI policy. They also obtained my cell phone # under suspicious circumstances which I haven't been able to drag out of them. Maybe this blog entry will be incintive for them to come clean. I hope this fulfills my obligation to write about them. I will keep you updated. Let me know if you like hearing little tidbits about my students. I will start writing a few vingettes. Hope y'all have a good day and a safe Halloween.

2005-10-30T10:17:00.000+01:00

Fall Break....
Kelly and I had a few goals for the trip: 1. See some castles. 2. Relax! 3. See fall colors. 4. Drink some nice wine. We accomplished all of the above. Both of these pictures were taken in a town called Jindrichuv Hradec, Henry's Castle in English. One of the pictures is of the zamek (castle.) I'll let you figure out which one. We also visited Tabor, which is where some of the Hussite Wars were fought. There were some cool underground tunnels that are beneath the town square. They were used during the wars (late 1500's) and to store beer. We took a tour and I was amazed that I didn't feel cluastrophobic.

Unfortunately, the trip was marred by bad news. My Grandma Weaver passsed away on Wednesday morning. After talking with my family, I decided not to go home for the funeral which was a very hard decision to make. The funeral was Saturday and I was able to speak to several family members afterwards. Please keep us in your prayers.

2005-10-24T17:12:00.000+02:00

Frontier House ain't got nothing on me!
We watched the whole series of Frontier House last week and I have to say I was inspired. I didn't have to work today, so I made biscuits from scratch. Mmmm Hmmm, were they good. Sarah took a pic, thought I'd share a visual since I can't send any to you. Notice the flowers in the background. The roses are from Lucka and the others are from the school, both for my birthday. Don't be hating on my martha skills!

I have the whole week off so of course, I must make a small trip somewhere. Kelly and I are going to the southern part of the country to check out some castles. Have I mentioned I live in Fairytale land? I'll post some pics, don't worry. But I probably won't write again until the weekend.

My birthday was low-key. Didn't make it to the jazz thingy due to some communication breakdown and laziness. But I will make up for it this week at the castles. Someone's gotta treat me like the princess I am, right?!

Gotta run. I've started teaching a class on Monday evenings for my church. They want to be able to communicate with me better and asked me to teach them. It has been working out really well. They are the best behaved and most eager of all my students! Tell next time!
Cau!

2005-10-19T16:52:00.000+02:00

Here's a self-portrait of Sarah and I in Loket . We went there the first weekend in October with some of our friends. It was a perfect fall day. There is a great castle in Loket (which means elbow) complete with a dragon and torture chamber. I will go there again in December for the great Christmas market. Some of you have recieved things I have bought there in the past.

Oh, by the way, I am writing this in the comfort of my on home. We got internet today! Woo Hoo! Be prepared to be amazed.

2005-10-18T11:16:00.000+02:00

So here's the deal. Sarah and I are getting a wireless connection at our flat, hopefully this week. Translation: I will be able to blog more and hopefully start putting some pics on this thing!

As far as I know, my Dad is still in Texas with my sister. Don't have any info haven't spoken to anyone in the fam since my last blog. I've been so busy this month, I've barely got time to sleep. But we have a fall break next week. It's supposed to be a 5 day holiday but I think we will have the whole week off from school. I'll find out for sure tomorrow. Kelly and I are going somewhere in South Bohemia to relax, enjoy some fall foliage and possibly stay in a castle. What fun. My goal is to see as many castles as I can this year. Not hard in the Czech Republic!

Thursday night I am going to the annual Jazz Jam here in Cheb. I LOVE jazz and I'm quite excited. It has started to cool off a bit; the highs are in the mid 50's and lows in the lower 30's. My butt was pretty cold today walking to school. Guess I gotta start wearing tights. Yuck! Well, gotta grab a bite before I teach my last class. Ahoj!

2005-10-05T13:41:00.000+02:00

I've got lots to write and not much time so here goes... Update on my family in SW Louisiana: I don't have much information. What I do know is that all of my family's houses are standing but I have no idea how much damage they have sustained. My uncle has been able to get back to his house and he had electricity this weekend. My father has been staying in a hotel in Hot Springs, ARK with my grandfather and one of my aunts (she actually lives in Pheonix but was visiting when all this transpired.) My grandmother was air evacuated to a hospital in Hot Springs before Rita hit. My father will be staying there until he is allowed back in Lake Charles. I haven't been able to speak to my father yet. I always get a busy signal when I dial his cell phone. I will keep you updated.

I was out sick most of last week. Luckily I was home on Tues. morning because a pipe burst under the kitchen sink causing the entire apartment to flood with HOT water. It was crazy. I ran to my neighbor's because I couldn't turn the shut off valve. I can't believe I was able to speak so much Czech and make any sense. I was quite distraught. Things are ok now. I will give more details next time. I must go teach.

Jess

2005-09-26T15:30:00.000+02:00

So sue me
I know, I know. I've been hearing it from many of you about the lack of blogging. The fact is that I haven't been able to get to the computers as often as I'd like. So please bear with me as I adjust once again to a new schedule.

Welcome back, Kotter
So we're back in the old flat. Well old for me, new for Sarah. It has been nice to get a fresh perspective of the place I've called home the last two years. She moved some things around in the kitchen which inspired me to rearrange my bedroom. I think I like it but am still getting used to it. I now have two seperate areas. We've been buying new things and it's a good thing. I set up the DVD player and was thrilled that it played the region 2 DVD that I have.

Hurricane Rita

It seems she hit Lake Charles pretty hard. If you don't know, that's where my dad and his parents and siblings live. As far as I know, everyone was able to evacuate. My father emailed me this morning to say he was fine. I don't know the extent of the damage yet. Will keep you posted.

I am not feeling well. I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection. I am going to the doctor tomorrow morning and will probably be out of school for a few days. Sorry I have been so sporadic with my updates.

Jess

2005-09-07T11:45:00.000+02:00

Chaos

So, I know you are all wondering why I haven't been on this here blog. I am sorry that I haven't kept you updated. Reality set in quite quickly and I got so busy I didn't know which way was up. But the dust is starting to settle and school is under way. Now I have a few moments to breathe and blog.

No Place of my Own
Some of you may know that Sarah, my new teammate, and I have been displaced for a while. See, my flat is owned by a pharmacy that has a connection to my school. I won't go into the connection but it's nepotism plain and simple. The pharmacy hired a guy from Croatia to work here this summer and guess where he is living....Yes! my flat. Sarah and I have been staying at Tammy and Marianne's pad and they have been gracious hostesses. There are four of us in a two bedroom flat. But miracles of miracles, there hasn't been any problems. However, I am ready to go home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and cook in my own kitchen.

The Joys of Teaching
This is the first full week of school. I started teaching on Monday. My poor students, my rules get harder every year. We have changed the grading scale this year so all English teachers are consistent. Apparently, I am very strict with grades. Here's the grading scale after our compromise:(Students get a grade of 1-5, with 5 being the worst)
100 - 91 =1 (A)
90 - 71 =2 (B)
70 - 45 =3 (C)
44 - 35 = 4 (D)
34 - 0 =5 (F)
Needless to say, this is very difficult for me to understand. It seems completely unfair to me but I do think all teachers in the same dept. should grade the same. I probably won't be as lenient on test scores as I have been in the past. I'll let you know how it goes. That's all I have time for now. Will try to get one more posted this week.

Miss y'all!

2005-06-24T17:55:00.000+02:00

Home again, Home again, lickety split
I made it back to Texas. Wasn't sure I'd make my first plane. There was a problem with the guy in front of me in the passport control line. I barely made it. I had some sushi today and was it good! But the heat is killing me! Talk to y'all soon!

2005-06-21T13:13:00.000+02:00

Final Countdown
This will be my last entry before I get home. I will go to Prague tomorrow afternoon and fly early Thursday morning. I'll arrive at DFW around 2pm Thursday. Yippee!! I am almost done packing and still have to get some last minute things. I will teach a couple of classes tomorrow and then I am out of here for two months! I can't wait to see y'all!

Jess

2005-06-20T11:06:00.000+02:00

Houston, we have a visa!
Yes! I have it, finally. I had to go back to the Foreign Police on Friday because one of my papers was incorrect. The document that shows I have a place to live had the wrong dates on it. They had everything ready to put in my passport but waited until Lucie came back with a new document. But I left with a visa and a great amount of relief! Now if I can only get packed...

2005-06-15T10:49:00.000+02:00

Visa Part II
I got there at 7:30 am (the office opens at 8) and there were 30 people ahead of me in line. My principal called like she said she would and they told her they couldn't take me out of the line; it would cause a riot. But they did offer me a special appointment for tomorrow at 9 am. I must apply 14 days before my visa expires which is June 30. Tomorrow is exactly 14 days. We are so down to the wire. I just hope I have everything in order. Tak, tomorrow!

Jess

2005-06-14T13:33:00.000+02:00

It finally decided to warm up at bit. It's now about 70 but cloudy and rainy. I was tired of the cold. All the radiators have been shut off so I was freezing! I've started packing. I'll be home next week. Can't believe year number two is almost over! I'm having to pack twice because someone will be living in my flat this summer and won't move out until three weeks after I arrive back inCZ. So I have to take a few things over to Tammy and Marianne's place, where I'll be staying the first few weeks in the fall.

Visa....it's every where you want to be!
I'm still in nerve-wracked mode about my visa because the application hasn't been turned in yet! I stood in line for over 3 hours yesterday to get my visa renewed. I finally got to the front of the line (there was only one person in front of me) at about 4:30. At 5:00 a man came out and told us they were closed; come back Wednesday. They are only opened Mondays and Wednesdays. And Wed is the absolute last day I can apply for my visa. So pray that I get in. The man in front of me waited for 7 hours and didn't get in. I will be there bright and early tomorrow morning before they open. My principal will call them at 8:00 am when they open and tell them they need to see me ASAP. She can be very persuasive. Let's hope it works because tomorrow is the very last day I can legally apply for a renewal.

Nudity, revisited
I was watching Conan O'Brien this weekend and Queen Latifah was one of his guests. If you didn't know, she has been filming in the Czech Republic this year (Prague and Karlovy Vary,) and they were talking about her time here. She said she got a few massages while she was here and commented on how they were different from ones in the good ol' US of A. When asked how they were different, she responded that in the states you are usually covered with a sheet or a towel but in CZ they leave you, "buck-ass naked!" Needless to say, I was rolling on the floor when she said this, cause it's TRUE!!! She also said they left the door open while she was being massaged and that people would walk by and she would smile and say, "dobry den." She also mentioned the brisk rubbing and the shaking they did. I felt like maybe she had Mr. Slash as her massage therapist too.

That's all for now. Will get to the maturita stories, I promise!
Jess

2005-06-08T12:41:00.000+02:00

It's June and it's 51 outside. Last week it was in the upper 80's. The weathers changes quicker here than it does in Texas!!

I have to admit that I am a bit nervous because I have not received all my paper work that I need to get my visa. And I am running out of time. The whole process is nerve-wracking in itself. Ask me when I get home (in two weeks), I'll explain it to you then. I get tuckered out just thinkin' about it. I taught Southern idioms today and tuckered out was one of them. Thought I'd try to get back to Texas mode.

That's all I have time for at the moment. Maybe I'll have some time this afternoon to tell y'all about maturita.

Till then,
Jessica

2005-05-26T13:35:00.000+02:00

Part II

Nudity....it's not just for Europeans anymore
Last weekend was wonderful! We had a leaders retreat at a hotel on the Slapy lake. It was warm and beautiful. I was able to wear flip flops outside for the first time this year. One of the amenities of the hotel was massages. The girls decided it was a must for the weekend and went to check it out. We asked about times and prices. They asked if we wanted full body or neck and back. I was pretty adamant about getting the full body, at $20 bucks you can't beat it. Kelly discreetly pointed out the man who would be doing the massaging. I quickly changed my mind and asked for neck and back. Then everyone got yellow and decided they wouldn't go first. So, Jessica, the immodest one (acting and all that), is forced to be the guinea pig.

So, I follow this man, who has the aura of a used car salesman and the looks of Slash from Guns 'N Roses, to the massage room. It's a huge room with two tables. He says something in Czech and points to a clothes rack, then tells me to have a seat. I can only assume he is telling me to take off my clothes and have a seat till he comes back. I'm thinking, "No way am I just hanging out naked in a chair!" Since I am only having my neck and back done, I only remove my top and bra and lay down on the table to wait. Look Ma! No sheet! Mr. Slash walks in and tells me through gestures that I am facing the wrong way. I am topless and have to get up and but my head at the other end of the table. Then he's upset because I am wearing my jeans. He tries to pull them down. I end up having to sit up once again so I can unzip my pants so they can be lower on my hips. Finally, I begin to relax when the massage gets underway. Everything is going great and I am beginning to forget my embarrassment from before...when suddenly, he asks me to sit up. I am shocked and I repeat his question. Yes, he definitely wants me to sit up. Ok....I am sitting up now and he's rubbing my neck and shoulders. I am more than a little uncomfortable. Then I look up an notice a cabinet with glass doors right in front of me. Can it get any worse? Oh, yes it can! When the whole thing is finished, Mr. Slash walks to the sink which is right in front of me. I turn away from him and zip up my pants. My clothes are next to him so I don't want to walk toward him to get dressed so I just stand with my back to him waiting for him to leave. The next thing I know, he is wiping the oil off my back with the sheet I was laying on. I just wanted him to go, finally he did. I got dressed and left. I only had a few seconds to prepare the next victim as to what to expect. We all had a good laugh when it was over. I think it was a good bonding experience for us.

I think it is funny how differently two societies view nudity. People change clothes in front of others of the opposite sex all the time here. On school trips, they only get enough rooms for the exact number of students, regardless if boys have to share rooms with girls. Even after living here for two years, I was so uncomfortable in that situation. I hope you think my story is funny, I do. That's why I shared it with you.

This weekend I am going canoeing in Cesky Krumlov. I can't wait! I'll tell you all about it next week. Only 3 1/2 weeks till I'm in Texas.

2005-05-23T16:21:00.000+02:00

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow! Has it really been a month since I posted? Sorry y'all. I haven't been quite on top of everything this year. I have a lot to share with you. I'll do it in sections and see how far I get before I have to leave to announce graduation grades for four of my seniors, explaination to follow.

Mama Mia!
My mother's trip was quite nice. She loved Prague and has decided she wants to visit again next year. The great thing about having my mother visit is that she paid for all the touristy things that I am too cheap to spring for. So I got to see many things for the first time. I also had some of my students give her a tour of Cheb. She loved it. It was my first time to see inside the Cheb castle which is next door to the school. I also learned lots of new things about my town.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
We are still in seasonal limbo. It was in the 50's when my mother arrived. It warmed up to the mid to upper 70's while she was here. In fact, there was a record high that week. Then cooled down to 39 the day before she left. It was in the 50's again last week but this weekend it was 80. We are back to 59 today. Nothing like fickle weather!

češi do toho!
In case you didn't know, Hockey is the national sport of the Czech Republic with soccer coming a close second. Last year the USA beat the Czech's for a final spot in the International Hockey playoffs. Needless to say, I was shunned. This year is a different story. The Czech's beat USA 3-2 in overtime. It was a great game and it landed Czech in the finals. The championship match was between Czech and Cananda, who had won the 2 previous titles. Some friends and I went to see the game at the movie theater. It was like being at the game. People had noise makers and clappers. They jumped out of their seat when Czech scored. They yelled at the screen and even did chants together. I was glad we went, especially since Czech won. It was a great year for Czech hockey. Since the NHL didn't play this year, all the Czech players who play NHL played in the Czech Republic.

Ok, I must go. To be continued.....

2005-04-27T14:03:00.000+02:00

Sorry, but this has to be a quickie. My mother is flying in tomorrow and I have lots to do this afternoon to prepare. Cleaning my room, for one. I am excited that she gets to see where I live and work. Also, she'll get to see some pretty cool castles. Everyone should see a real castle before they die. They're pretty cool if you're the romantic type...like me.

I went horse back riding this last weekend with a former student of mine. It was fun and scary at the same time. It was a great way for her to increase her English vocabulary and like wise for me. It took me a few hours to remember the word "gelding." I am slowing losing my vocabulary and it's a very sad thing for me.

My seniors only have 2 weeks left of school. They have a free week to study before their graduation exams. I need to study as well because I am not up to snuff on my Canadian, British and Australian history.

Well, gotta go. Have a great week.
Jess

2005-04-15T14:38:00.000+02:00

I don't even know where to begin. First of all, no snow, which is good for me. It has been around sixty and sunny the last few days. I love it.

Last night I saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It was great! Marianne and I laughed our heads off. It was nice to just chill for a while.

We had such a great time last weekend. Some of us went to visit a friend of ours who is stationed at the army base in Bamberg, Germany. It was cool because it's like an American city in the middle of Germany. We had some culture shock. We must have looked like idiots in the grocery store. We were oohing and aahing over stuff like peanut butter and chocolate frosting. The prices were in dollars and everyone in that store was American. After filling up a huge basket, we were amazed that it only cost $100 for the 4 of us (Marianne, Trent, Emily and me.) Then we had dinner with five of the guys from the base, all of whom had just returned from Iraq. I was amazed and touched that these guys each gave up a year of their lives to fight for our country on foreign soil.

Well, I'm hungry and anxious to start my weekend. So, until next time...
Jess

2005-04-01T14:03:00.000+02:00

Wow! What a month. I was out of school more than I was was there; therefore, no blogging. We did get our flu holiday. The timing was perfect as it coincided with Angela and Lura's (yes that's how you spell it) visit. Unfortunatly, I got really sick while they were here and gave my illness to Lura. Needless to say, the trip wasn't as fun as we had planned. Oh well... They did get to see Prague and of course, Cheb. They came to a few classes and it was really interesting for my students to hear other Americans speaking. I also took them to Nurnberg, Germany. It is such a cute town.

We had our Easter holiday which is a 5-day weekend. I went to Prague and hung out with my friend, Kelly. We saw Finding Neverland. I really enjoyed it. We had some really good meals and even better talks. It was great to just get away and relax. I also didn't have to worry about getting hit with a pomlaska on Monday. I may have written about it last Easter. But the Czech tradition on Easter Monday is that boys make switches of braided willow branches. They use these pomlaskas to bestow beauty and health on the female population by hitting the girls' legs with the stick. The girls in turn give the boys painted eggs, chocolate or booze. Feminists, watch out!!! I told my students that this tradition wouldn't go over very well in the states. I, for one, would probably punch any guy who tried to hit me with a stick. They thought that was funny.

I think Spring is trying to poke it's head out of the clouds. It has been warmer, around 55, this week. The sun has been shining and the birds are singing their little hearts out. I am so happy that there is no snow and that I can leave the house in only a polar fleece jacket. I hate looking like the Michilen Man. I hope y'all had a great Easter and are enjoying the nice Spring weather. Have a great weekend!
Jessica

2005-03-04T12:56:00.000+01:00

It's really cold!!! Even the Czech are complaining! For those of you who are wondering, the ples was fun. The midnight surprise was really good. The senior's formed a band and played two songs; "The Wall" by Pink Floyd and a Czech song that every did the Twist to. It was weird because it was the type of song one envisions a mosh pit and everyone was twisting the night away. Marianne and I had a long laugh about that. Paul, one of the seniors who can hardly speak English, asked me to dance the Student-Teacher dance. It was really sweat and ...well, let's just say he had no idea how to waltz. All in all, it was a nice time.

School may be closed next week for a "flu holiday." Who knew you could get a holiday for the flu? I think 40% of the school has to be sick to close down. We'll see.

I went to see The Tempest this week at the local theatre. It was ok. Not the best I have seen. It is hard to watch Shakespeare performed in a forgien language. I was exhausted when it was over. Also, the Czechs love curtain calls. The are uneccessarily long and tedious. My theatre friends should know what I mean! Well, I'm hungry and want to go home. Talk to you soon.

Jess

2005-02-24T12:56:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone is well. This has been a really weird week. All of the seniors have been taking state exams. I see different groupings of the seniors between two or three classes a day. Either I have had canceled classes or only 4 students in a class. We have played UNO and done some online quizzes. Tomorrow night is the Maturitni Ples or graduation ball. It's a mixture of prom and graduation. I wrote a detailed account last March. I am not really looking forward to it this time around. I don't feel a connection with this class like I did last year. And they have been such slackers. I've already told them that we will work like dogs until their exams since they didn't want to work last semester. I AM excited to see the students who graduated last year. They come back for the ples, kinda like homecoming. So I get three for the price of one. I'll give you an update next week.

And for those of you who are curious.....it's still freezing cold here! Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Jess

2005-02-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to jot a quick note. I went to the doctor the day after my last entry. I had an upper respirtory infection. I missed the last two days of school before the break and had to stay home for the entire break. I watched tons of movies and read a bit. Basically, I lazed around and did nothing. I am much better now and am trying to stay motivated until the sun reappears and the snow is gone for good.

I do have a request: Will someone record the Oscars for me? My friend Angela is coming in March and maybe she can deliver the tape. It would be wonderful if someone could put it on a DVD. But I'll take what I can get. My favorite band, Counting Crows, will be performing their nominated song. I would love to see it ( I know you think they're lame, Alp. But I can't help it!)

Have a great weekend!
Jess

2005-02-01T13:34:00.000+01:00

I feel as if I am in neverending Winter. It has been snowing nonstop for almost 2 weeks now. I think I wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't have to walk in it every day. Especially in the places no one shovels. My pants were soaked today when I arrived to school.

The students received their grades yesterday. Thank goodness that is over! It was very stressful for me. It was the worst one yet. I am also glad that our break starts Friday. I have been a bit under the weather for the last couple of weeks. I just want some rest. I am not doing anything for the break. My plans for cheap and warm fell through. For those who were curious, it was Egypt (Daddy, don't worry. I am NOT going!) Lena is still going. She decided on a package that was a bit over my budget. But we had gone to Rothenburg, Germany two weekends ago and I spent some of my spring break money there. Oh well......

I have some visitors coming in March though. Angela, Lura, Amy and Justin are all coming the same week. Lena's dad will be here during that time too. So I'll be busy. I also have to teach that week.

I hope y'all are well! I made some more chili last night. Only 2-alarm this time. Love and miss y'all! Jess

2005-01-19T11:55:00.000+01:00

So, things have been a bit hectic around here since I got back from the states. It's the end of the term and we are doing last minute tests and trying to get grades turned in. What really surprises me is the way students don't really care about grades until Jan. Then they want to know what they can do to "repair" their bad marks. I have been so frustrated and flustered this week but I have decided to let it all go. It's not worth it. Also, the Czech system is so subjective. I was told my marks were very strict. This was after I adjusted my grade scale to be more generous. Hmph!!! They have grades ranging from 1-5 with 5 being the worst. So I think 1=A, 2=B....etc. But now 87ish and up is a 1, 75-86 is a 2, I won't bore you with it. Just know I am frustrated.

Good news is we have 2 1/2 weeks till "Spring" break. It's in Feb so it's not spring. Lena and I are trying to go somewhere warm and cheap! I'll let you know. It's cold and snowing now and I want the sun and maybe a tan.

Well gotta run, more later!

Jess

2005-01-05T13:11:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I really enjoyed being home and spending time with friends and family. I am back in Cheb and trying to get back into the swing of things.

Jet lag finally caught up with me Monday and I couldn't go to sleep. Lena and I decided to watch my Will & Grace DVDs around 1:00 am. We realised after one episode that it wasn't going to help us get sleepy. You can't sleep if you are laughing. So Lena came up with a great plan: Master & Commander. She said it was really boring and we would be asleep in no time. She was right, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I made it to bed a little after 2 am. Good thing I didn't have to be at school until 10:25. Unfortunately, Lena had to leave the house by 6:20. Skoda. (pity)

It snowed most of the day Monday but it has melted. It has been windy and cloudy and DARK! Except for yesterday afternoon, when the clouds broke up just in time for the sun to go down. But there was a glorious sunset. Bet I won't see that for a while. It's supposed to "warm" up to the high 40's this week. We'll see. Have a good week!
Jess

2004-12-21T18:53:00.000+01:00

After the most horrible travel day I have ever experienced, I am home. Maybe I should say days. I'll start at the begining. On Sunday, my principal and her family drove me to Munich. It snowed most of the way there and it was a lovely drive. It was my first time on the German Autobahn and quite an experience. There are no speed limits and we were averaging about 100 mph while others blurred by as if we were standing still. We went to the Christmas market in Munich, which was overpriced and not very Christmasy. Then they drove me to a hotel near the airport. I checked in and asked when the shuttle left for the airport in the morning. I had a 7:15 am flight and needed to be at the airport around 5:00. Imagine my surprise when the receptionist told me the hotel did not opperate an airport shuttle. I was quite shocked because I had the German teacher call them and ask specifically if they had a shuttle and if there was a charge for it. She was told yes they did and it was free. I explained this to the nice lady and told her that was why I picked the hotel. She said she could order me a taxi to the airport that would cost about 15 Euros, about $20.

So, I go to my room and get settled in. I decide I should eat an early dinner and go to bed since I was exhausted and would be getting up at 4:00 am. I walk to the reception desk and asked them to order me a taxi for 5:00 am. I walked to the restaurant, sat down and waited and waited and waited. So I got up and went back to the desk and asked if indeed that was the restaurant. Yes, it was but it was closed. I was told there was a nice Bavarian restaurant which was a five min walk. Since I had no choice, I walked about 10 minutes in 5 inches of snow until I found a pizza cafe. I ate there and walked back, read a book and went to bed. Got up the next morning and went to check out. The taxi was waiting for me but there was no one to check me out. Finally got checked out and into the taxi, 25 euros later (about $35-40) I arrive at the airport.

My first flight was uneventful, 2 hours to London. Once in London, it was a bit crazy. We had to go through another security check. They asked a bunch of questions and re-issued our boarding cards. Then I had about 2 hours to kill. Was happy to get on the plane and get going. The flight itself was ok, a little bumpy but ok. Until we landed in Raleigh Durham. First of all, we landed on one wheel and I was a bit concerned until we came down on the other one. Then as everyone was getting their things together we get an announcement from an US Customs and Border offical to take our seats. I was worried at first, did something happen at the airport, some terrorist attack? Was there a dangerous person on the plane that had to be apprehended? Something did happen. A water main had broken and there was a huge leak in the federal customs area. The whole area was under 2 inches of water and we couldn't deplane until it was cleaned up. So I start a conversation with the bloke from London who sat next to me in silence the entire flight. He promptly tried to pick me up so I started to read a book. Two hours later they let us off the plane and packed us into two sealed off gates and we were guarded by fed agents until they could finish the clean up which was anther two hours or so later.

From there chaos insued. They herded us through customs, letting those of us with connections go first. We went through passport control then had to collect our baggage to take to customs. Since mine was being sent on, they had to hand inspect my bags and do a swab test before re-checking it. The guy inspecting my bags told me it was good that I was still smiling. "What else can you do?" I asked him. Then we went to the exit where no one from AA was waiting to help us with our missed flights. We finally found someone to help us (a nice British lady named Meg, who was going to Dallas, too) who booked us onto a Delta flight, two flights actually....Atlanta then DFW. So I made it at 1:00 am CST with out baggage, of course. I won't tell you about having to go through a special search by delta after the harrowing experience we had or the nasty shuttle driver. We'll just leave it at that. The important thing is I am safe and at home. And now I am going to watch Savannah ride her bike. She has been bugging me since I started typing this. Ciao and Merry Christmas!

2004-12-16T11:53:00.000+01:00

So, I was wondering....have you ever been so cold that you felt like your nose hairs were freezing? Yes, it is as awful as it sounds and it hurts! What I am saying is, it's pretty darn cold here. I am literally freezing my butt off, your butt gets extremely cold when you walk a mile to work. And it's only going to get colder. It's supposed to snow all weekend. The best part about that is I get to see the pretty snow before it turns to ugly snow then hop on a plane to Texas with no snow!!!!! I don't think y'all know about ugly snow in Texas. It turns black from the cars and the roads are all slushy and it's easy to fall on your tush.

So...Texas, a little (Ha Ha!) place we like to call "God's Country." I'll be there in 4 days. I am excited and I hope I won't be too overwhelmed since it's such a short trip. I have finished all my Christmas shopping and I have to say it was a bit different without the Salvation Army bell ringers at every store. I felt like something was missing. I am sure I will get my fair share next week when I visit my favorite store, Target. Can't wait for options galore and reasonably priced clothes. Ok...look me up if you have time. Can't wait to see y'all. Merry Christmas!

Jess

2004-12-08T10:44:00.000+01:00

Ok, so I promised you a story about 5-alarm chili. It had been snowing like crazy all day and it was one of the first really cold days. Being the good Texan that I am, I decided it was time to make a pot of chili to warm things up a bit. Well, I looked at a new recipe and made a few changes. I look at recipes as more of guidlines rather than hard and fast rules. I decided that the amount of chili powder called for was not enough. I added more and lots of onion and garlic to boot. You can guess the outcome. It was some HOT chili but it was yummy! I will make it again, but with a little less chili powder.

I would like to respond to a comment I recieved earlier this week. I have NOT been de-Texanized. I was merely being sarcastic when I said that 40 was a warm spell. The Czechs say it is like spring time and I was making fun off that. I have been freezing my butt off and it will only get worse! I've heard that this will be one of the coldest winters on record. I hope they are wrong.

It's funny what amuses me now. Lena's contact fell out the other night. It is my job to find them when she looses them. I couldn't find it anywhere and I asked her to look in the pocket on her shirt. When she pulled it open she wiggled a bit and squealed, "ooooh, I found it!" She then lifted up her shirt a little bit and there it was, sitting in her bellybutton. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I was crying I laughed so hard. Yes, I know....I need to get out more.

I will be home soon. Can't wait to see y'all and eat some of my favorite foods. Hope you aren't too busy with the holiday rush. See you in two weeks!

Jess

2004-12-01T13:43:00.000+01:00

Let's try this again, shall we? I know I have been remiss in my blogging duties as I have only written about once a month. I hope to correct this egregious lack of communication and try to stay on top of things. I wasn't at school the last two weeks. I was at home with a sinus infection and wasn't allowed to go to school. The doctor tells you how long you will be sick and you can't work until he says you are ok. Your insurance pays your salary while you are out and they even have "health police" who make sure you are home resting and not out playing. I went to the doctor with out anyone to translate. He was nice and told me I spoke "perfektni chesky." He's a liar but a good doctor.

It has snowed several times this month. We don't have any snow now. We are in the middle of a warm spell; it's in the 40's.

Thanksgiving was very nice. I spent it with 56 other Americans at a hotel in Hodonin. We had turkey and dressing and lots of pie. I made a pecan pie. Thanks to Mom, she sent me pecans and Karo syrup. It was a big hit and I have requests for another one.

I will be home in three weeks. I can't believe it. It's the first time I haven't wished for a white Christmas. I want it to be nice and sunny so I can hold that in my memory for the winter.

Well, I need to go. Look for the next post, I'll tell you about my 5 alarm chili.

Jess

2004-11-30T14:06:00.000+01:00

I just spent over half an hour writing you a very long, detailed blog. Then things started popping up in Czech and the internet shut down. I don't have time to rewrite it at the moment. I am starving and I must go shopping. I will try to redo it tomorrow. It's such a pity too because it was awfully funny. Sometimes I hate computers.

Jess

2004-11-03T13:44:00.000+01:00

WOW! I haven't written in a long time. Whoa! Slow down, I can't handle so many questions at once. Yes, I am alive and kicking in the Czech Republic. I have been extremely busy to the point of just wanting to stay in bed for a few days. But alas, no rest for the weary. I will give you a brief update on what has happened in the last month.

Lena and I went to the opening of a Czech Folklorica muesum exhibit with our neighbor, Mr. Zdenek. Mr. Zdenek is 73 years old and is enjoying practicing his English with the two of us. The exhibit was great. There was live traditional Czech music and free wine and snacks. Mr. Zdenek got a little happy after a few glasses of wine and begain to quiz us on our Czech. He decided to see if we knew some of the bad words, too. Needless to say, all three of us were embarassed at one point. He didn't think we would know them.

Ah, yes...my birthday. I had a nice day at school. There was a party for all the teachers whose birthdays were in Sept and Oct. I got roses, chocolates and some nice handmade Czech pottery. But I was too busy planning some offical ESI visits that I was unable to really celebrate. Mr. Zdenek picked some fresh mushrooms from the forest and cooked them for me. He also made a little flowerbox with the mushrooms you can't eat. They look like the red mushrooms that the Smurfs live in. It was very nice of him and I love mushrooms. Mr. Zdenek and I went to a Jazz Concert the next night. The old man kept me out past midnight. I was sooooo tired. It's sad when a 73 year-old can kick it longer than you. But the music was great and I saw some pretty famous Jazz musicans.

Last week was our fall break. Mandy Welch came in and we spent our time in Prague and Vienna. Vienna is so beautiful!!! So much to see and do. It's always a nice day when you can just hang at a palace. Those Hapsburgs sure knew how to live! The weather was gorgeous. Sunny and in the 60's. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend. It is always fun showing people the places I have discovered in Europe. But we had even more fun discovering local places with no tourists. We hung out and made friends and just enjoyed life. It was a good break from my busy schedule and even better to share it with someone from home.

So the election is upon us and there is no decisive winner as of this writting. It seems that the lawyers will get there say in this election, too. Is this what we have come to? The people can't decide on there own? I hope things will be more cut and dry than last time but....we'll see. So let me know what's going on in Texas or where ever you hang your hat. And guess what folks....I'll be home for Christmas. So see y'all in about 6 weeks! Woo Hoo!

Blessings,
Jessica

2004-10-01T14:14:00.000+02:00

Sorry I have been so distant (ha ha!). I have been quite busy and haven't been able to get to the computer as often as I like. I have to do things like actually teach classes and prepare lessons. Can you believe that's what they expect when you're a teacher? Who knew? Really, this year has turned out to be quit busy. Which is good but I have less time for the internet. I have only been home (Cheb) on weekend out of five, if that tells you anything. But I will stay home this weekend and hopefully get some things done around the house, like laundry. I will try to be more faithful, even if it means small entries. I must go beacuse I am starving! Have a good weekend!

Jess

2004-09-15T09:59:00.000+02:00

First off I need to apologize for not writing. I have been so busy and haven't been able to get to the computer as much as I like. Needless to say, I am wiped out. I've been in Prague every weekend since I've been back in country. I am supposed to go to Oktoberfest this weekend but I think I will have to, "Just say NO!" I need to rest. I couldn't wait to get back to CZ so things could get back to "normal." Oh well, doesn't look like that is going to happen anytime soon. I gotta run, have to teach and all. Will write soon, promise!

2004-08-25T12:25:00.000+02:00

Well, I made it back to the Czech Republic safe and sound. I apologize for the radio silence over the summer but promise to update regularly from now on. The summer was busy and went by very quickly. I feel like I spent most of my time in airports, not my favorite place in the world. I tried to spend time with friends and family. I wasn't able to see everyone or have the quality time I wanted with those close to me. But a little is better than nothing, right?

There have been a few changes in Cheb over the summer. It's amazing what happens in two months. I saw a student yesterday and I swear he grew at least 3 inches. I also discovered a few items missing in my flat. Now I only have one set of sheets and no school supplies. The school is looking into it, I think. I'll let you know. I'll be in Prague the next few days visiting with friends from the US. Needless to say, it's been busy so far. I miss you all. Please keep in touch!
Jessica

2004-07-03T17:44:00.000+02:00

I made it home yesterday around 2 in the afternoon. I was exhausted! I had some sensory overload issues, suddenly I can understand everything that is going on around me. It's a bit strange. But I had a couple of Dr. Peppers and a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's so things are looking good!

It's funny, I got so used to living without some convenience. I was talking to Angela on the phone when I heard this awful beeping in my ear and thought we had been disconnected, until I realized it was call waiting. Something I've had since high school and I forgot what it was in a year. Amazing!

My niece and nephew have latched on to me permanently. I think they will have to be surgically removed. I went to bed at 8.30 last night after being awake for 22 hours. And guess what? I woke up at 4 am after my usual 7 hours sleep. So I read a book and listened to some CDs until 7 this morning until I couldn't take it anymore and had to take a shower! Then my mom made me pancakes. I haven't had any this whole year. Yummy. Well, today will be busy: Lunch with Ducki, definitely a nap, and welcome home party this evening. Whew!

Happy 4th!
Jess

2004-06-28T11:33:00.000+02:00

Three days until I leave, four until I arrive home. I have a force layover in Frankfurt for one night. So I will see some of you at the end of this week. I feel a bit like Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods, excited and scared. Scared may not be the best word, but I am definitely nervous!! So much happens in a year: deaths, births, marriages, new boyfriends/girlfriends, new jobs, new shows. We all change some in a year but we usually go trough the changes gradually. It's different when we haven't been around each other to see the changes and get used to them little by little. So let's make a pact, I'll accept your changes and you'll accept mine, for better or for worse. How's that sound? Hopefully we have all changed for the better. And maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe there is nothing to worry about.

I am also anticipating some glorious FOOD!!! Mexican and sushi, any seafood actually. Be prepared! Miss y'all so very much and really can't wait to see y'all this weekend.
ciao!
Jessica

2004-06-21T09:41:00.000+02:00

I had a really nice time on the class trip. We stayed at a camp site near the town of Sušice. It was beautiful! We were up in the mountains and the camp was on a river. It reminded me of family trips we used to take to Caddo Gap on the Caddo River in Arkansas. I had so many wonderful childhood memories that I hadn't thought of in years. We hiked up to a castle on Thursday and I mean up! The castle was on top of a small mountain. Needless to say, I was a wee bit sore the next day. But the view wasincrediblee. The castle was built by Charles IV in 1356 and is the highest situated castle in the Czech Republic. I think castles are a big part of my fascination with Europe. Call it the romantic in me, but I LOVE to see the castles, even the ones in ruins. There is something majestic about them. It still amazes me that things are so old here. The history is so rich.

Well....I'll be home in nine days! Where does the time go? I have a lot of washing and packing to do and some mental preparation as well. Please go easy on me when I get home. I'm afraid I'll get to Target and never leave. There will be too many choices! Ok see you soon!

2004-06-15T13:47:00.000+02:00

Don't have much time to write. I have to go give my last test of the year. Tomorrow I am going on a class trip with Sekunda. They are 12 year olds. It should be fun to say the least. I'll tell you all about it next week. We'll be gone until Saturday. I have so much to do in the next 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS!!!! That's right folks! Two more weeks and I will be back in God's country, TEXAS!! Yee Haw!!

See ya!
Jess

2004-06-08T10:24:00.000+02:00

This weekend was our End of the Year Retreat. We went to a small town outside of Prague called Hořovice. It was really nice to see everyone and start to put some closure on our year. It didn't dawn on me that this was the last time I would see some of these people until it was almost time to go. Then it felt like the last day of camp, a really LONG camp. Out of 24 teachers, only five of us are returning. The Czech team will be receiving 28-31 new teachers. That's a lot of newbies. Last year the ratio was almost 50/50. So we will have some new challenges.

I also discovered a new love....cinnamon ice cream. I have been craving it ever since I had it on Sunday. I had a small waffle cone with chocolate and cinnamon. Man, was it good. I think I will search it out until I find it again. It was really that good!

čau for now!

2004-06-02T15:32:00.000+02:00

One Down and One to Go....

The pharmacy that owns our flat came and took one of the three refrigerator that have been making our flat an obstacle course since January. Why, you may ask, did we have three fridges? That is a very good question. One that I will try to answer since I am not really sure myself. When we arrived here in August we had to plug our fridge in. It took it a long time to cool off. We were excited because we had a huge fridge with a BIG freezer. Most of our friends had very small, dorm sized ones. Well it just didn't seem that things were staying very cool. My milk went bad after a few days. I told Lucie about it and she said it must have been bad milk. Then our meat went bad. So I only kept veggies and drinks in the fridge and put the meat in the freezer. I asked the school to get it fixed.

I put a thermostat inside of it and it measured 53 degrees F. It should be around 35-40. I asked again for it to be fixed. This went on until December. One of my neighbors who speaks English asked me if I needed a fridge about two weeks before Christmas. I told him that I did in fact. The day after we put his fridge in our flat, the motor burned out and blew a fuse. This was the two days before Christmas. So then we had to put everything back in the old fridge and throw out everything in the freezer because it thawed. So when we went back to school, I told them that both fridges were not working. It took Kelly, our regional director, to give an ultimatum to get us a new fridge. The pharmacy brought us a small dorm sized fridge and fixed the fridge that our neighbor gave us. But they didn't remove the original fridge. Viola! Three large kitchen appliances and no where to put them all. We had two in the kitchen and one in the entry way which made it hard to go in and out of the front door. Then someone from the school said they were going to get the little fridge but they never came. That was in February. So finally, we are back to two. Hopefully, we will be down to one soon. But I'm not holding my breath!

This weekend is the End of the Year retreat for ESI teachers. I hope it will be relaxing and a good time to catch up with teachers I don't get to see very often. I hope y'all have a great weekend!

2004-05-31T11:58:00.000+02:00

Well, it's Monday and I am exhausted. I went to a women's conference in a small village outside of Brno. It takes over 7 hours to get there and I am worn out! Elisabeth Elliot was the speaker of the conference. She has written several books, one of which I have read. She and her husband were missionaries in Ecuador in the fifties. He and four other missionaries were killed by the natives they were trying to evangelize. They had only been married 2 years when he was killed. She stayed on in the jungle and continued her work, with her small baby. She has some amazing stories. It was really neat to hear her speak.

Last week, Lena received a package from one of her friends who visited us in April. It was filled with all sorts of goodies; Pace picante sauce, tortillas, velveeta, candy and DVD's. We were a little confused by the DVD's since we have no DVD player. Then there was a bag in the package, a case of some sort. Lena thought it felt heavy and she opened it. Inside, all shiny and new, was a portable DVD player. Can you imagine?! I was in shock! I started to cry when Lena showed it to me. It has a small screen or we can hook it up to the TV. It also has an 8 hour battery pack. It's the coolest thing! I can't wait to watch some of the movies she sent us. Woo Hoo! Well, I hope you all had a good weekend and know that I will see you soon. I'll be home in a month!

2004-05-26T12:01:00.000+02:00

Ok, now don't faint on me because I wrote twice in one week! Boy, am I tired! Yesterday we finished the Maturita testing and I am happy to report that everyone graduated. My student, Lukas who I wrote about in an earlier blog, really should have failed the English exam. David and I gave him a 5 but there was a vote from the official panel and they decided to pass him with a 4. I was so torn because I wanted to pass him but knew that he deserved a 5. He failed his maturitas last year and you only get 3 chances so they just wanted to move him along. The grading is very subjective here. If a teacher likes you, you get good grades. I had students thanking me for the grades I "gave" them last semester. The idea of earning grades hasn't occurred to most students. It is so different from what we know in the states.

Speaking of different...last night was the farewell party for the graduates. The seniors grilled meat (the so called BBQ...and sorry to say Mandy, no sauce!) and there where 5 cases of beer plus numerous bottles of vodka, rum (made from potatoes, not sugar), wine and other liquors. This was a party for the teachers and the seniors with a few juniors to boot. Can you imagine hanging out, smoking and getting drunk with your teachers in high school? I thought not. It is the norm here, I think. But quite surreal for me. I gave each of the seniors a postcard from Texas with a small note and my email address. I also gave them a souvenir from Texas i.e., magnets, keychains, etc. Thank you Angela and Ducki for supplying the goods! I had exactly 16 things and 16 seniors so it worked out perfectly. I think they were really touched and that makes me happy. They were a special class for me because the were the best English speakers in the school and helped me adjust in many ways. They made me feel welcome and really wanted to get to know me.
Needless to say, it was a LONG day. The tests started at 8.00 am and finished at 5.00pm. Then there was a short ceremony followed by a champagne toast for the teachers, then the aforementioned party which I left at 12.45 am. The graduates were going to a pub after the party and said they would stay until it closed which is about 6 or 7 am. There is no last call in the Czech Republic so you can drink all night.

2004-05-24T15:59:00.000+02:00

Well, today was the first day of maturita testing. I have to say, it is quite an interesting process. Most of my students were so nervous. They have a computer program that randomly selects a topic number 1-25. Then the students have 15 minutes to prepare a short speech on the topic (it should be at least 10 minutes), read a short article and be prepared to answer questions from it. They also are given some basic grammar exercises to do. I was surprised how unprepared some of my students were. The topics don't differ much from year to year so they should have known most of the info. The students who got Canada and Australia knew very little on those subjects. Granted, I don't know much about those two countries myself, but I would have made a point to learn it for my graduating exam if I knew it was my only shot.

One student got the topic "Social Problems of the World." He had to describe the social problems here in the Czech Republic. He said that there were problems with the Gypsies but it wasn't a social problem or racial. The problem lies with the Gypsies themselves. I was flabbergasted by the things he said. Gypsies are horribly discriminated against here. They are segregated in schools and usually can't get hired. So they are unemployed and need government subsistence. This student doesn't believe the Gypsy (Roma) population should get assistance. He thinks they are just lazy. He said that anyone who really wanted to work could find a job. Good luck in a country with about 15% unemployment. He had no facts to back up his opinions. David and I tried to ask him questions to help dig him out of the hole he had dug, to no avail. I asked him, "What about the people who try to get jobs but are turned away because they are Roma?" He didn't believe that it happens. I guess he never reads the papers or watches the news. This student almost failed. He received a 4. Five is the lowest and means failure. He didn't receive such a low grade because of his opinion. Stating his opinion is not wrong, but he was being tested on facts and his ability to articulate them in English, which he did very poorly. He made horrible grammar mistakes. So don't think he was punished for his ghastly opinions. He wasn't.

Anyway, tomorrow is round two and afterwards there will be a BBQ. Yee Haw!! I asked if it would be a Texas BBQ to which one student replied, "It will be if you come!" I'll see what I can do about that! I'll update you on tomorrow's tests and BBQ. Should be interesting. By the way....it snowed here yesterday morning, really!!!

2004-05-19T11:43:00.000+02:00

Well, things are moving right along. Next week are the graduation exams called maturitas. The graduating class must take exams in Czech, a foreign language and two other subjects such as biology, math, history, etc. There is a list of 25 topics for each subject. A topic is randomly chosen for each student. They have 15 minutes to prepare. For the English exam they are given a short reading. They must answer a few questions about the reading then they have a few grammar exercises to complete. After that they must speak about the topic for 10-15 minutes. Some of the topics are easy, such as "My Family" or "My Daily Program". Others are rather difficult, like "Generation Gap" and "The USA Throughout Time". The seniors are quite nervous. They have to be ready to speak on 100 different topics in one day. You must pass all four subjects to graduate. They don't look at the semester's grades. It seems quite stressful to me. I am a little nervous, too. I will be grading them along with one other English teacher. I do not know much about Australian or Canadian history. Nor do I know the land mass of the US in square meters or miles, for that matter! Maybe I should be studying this week, too!

I was in Prague last weekend. It was good to get away. This weekend is my only free weekend before I go home. So the countdown begins. I keep thinking of all the things I want to eat when I get home. Angela is coming in a few weeks. I am glad she is coming right before I go home. I think it will be a good transition for me. I know I will experience reverse culture shock when I get home and maybe this will ease it a little. I hope everyone is doing great. Have a good week!

2004-05-11T13:33:00.000+02:00

WOW! Thanks for all of the responses! Y'all really know how to cheer a girl up! I am making a few changes on my blog. Let me know what you think. I can't believe it is already the middle of May. The next month and a half are going to be so busy. I am helping my seniors get ready for their graduation exam in two weeks. I don't have a free weekend from now until I go home. I think I will have to start pacing soon. I have lots of goodies to bring home....Christmas in July. Yippee!

Sorry this is so short. But I gotta go. I'll try to write more this week.
Jessica

2004-04-29T13:53:00.000+02:00

Last Saturday there was a ceremony commerating the liberation of Cheb from Nazi occupation by US troops. It was very moving. Around the monument honoring the American soldiers who died stood soldiers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the US. There were speeches and our National Anthem was played. It is surreal to be on foreign soil, surrounded by people who speak a different language and place your hand over your heart as you hear "The Star Spangled Banner." It is something I have done thousands of times but I was really struck with the meaning of it this time. Patriotism takes on a different meaning when you are in a country far away from home. It was nice to walk through the town square and see Old Glory waving along side the Czech flag on so many buildings. It's good to know that there are some countries who do not take their freedom for granted and give honor to those who helped them achieve it, especially in this time of anti-America sentiments. I am glad I got to experience it.

Tomorrow I will go to a town close to Sokolov for a Spring festival. There will be a bonfire where they will burn a witch in effigy. The witch symbolizes winter, which they burn to welcome the spring. Then a May Pole is erected. We've all seen pictures of May Poles so I won't embellish. The kids have definitely caught spring fever and are always wanting to go outside. I wish we could have all our classes outside but that isn't possible.

I hate to say it but I've been a bit lonely lately. Loneliness is not an emotion I have much experience with. As most of you know, I like to be alone a lot. But in the states, I could choose when I would be alone. There was always someone to call or something to do if I wanted some company. But here there are few people and few choices of diversions. It is finally getting to me, I believe. Also, my thoughts have been turning more and more to Texas lately as I try to schedule my very short time home this summer. I think I am just missing y'all and hope these two months fly by. So why don't you help me out a bit? Drop me a line or just comment to one of these posts. I'd like to know who is reading them and I want to know what's going on with you. I get a bit discouraged when no one replies. Hope y'all are enjoying the spring. Happy May Day!
Ciao for now!

2004-04-21T13:34:00.000+02:00

I am so happy because the weather is BEAUTIFUL!!! I went out of the house without wearing socks for the 1st time since October. The sunshine is great and the flowers are blooming. The only down side is my allergies are in an uproar. What can you do?

I am happy to tell you that I have been asked to be on the leadership team next year. This means I will be responsible for helping new teachers adjust to living overseas and will serve as a go-between to their schools and ESI. It does give me a larger work load but I am excited about this opportunity to serve the new teachers. I will also go to California for the 1st three weeks of training to help train the newbies. This means three weeks away from friends and family but I feel it is worth it.

My seniors are gearing up for their graduation exams which are in 5 weeks. I will let you know their progress. I have one student in particular that I am worried about. I have been trying to give him some extra conversation practice because they have to speak for 10-15 minutes on a topic in English. I can't get him to understand when to meet me and I refuse to tell him in Czech. He has taken English for at least 6 years, maybe longer. So he should be able to understand Tuesday at 3:40. Let's hope Lukas does well but I am not very optimistic.
I hope you have a good week. I am going to enjoy the weather.
ciao!

2004-04-14T14:46:00.000+02:00

Hope y'all had a great Easter! I had a wonderful time in Krakow. It is such a beautiful place and the weather was quite nice. I took a tour of the castle. I wasn't able to the last time I was there. It was really interesting. And I did a lot of shopping. I found a book store that didn't inflate the prices of English books like they do in the Czech Republic. It was a dangerous place to be. But I showed self-restraint and only bought two books. Although, Penny sent me back with five more. Now I should have a few books to keep me occupied for a while. I have been keeping a log of all the books I have read here, something I wish I had done my whole life. The total is around thirty now. I average a book a week. I think it would be interesting to know how many books I have read in my life. Too late now I guess.

I saw The Passion of Christ on Good Friday. What a powerful film. I still haven't digested it all. It had Polish subtitles so I feel I missed a lot of the dialog. I wanted to know what Simon the Cyrene said to Jesus while he was helping him with the cross. What an impact that must have made on him. The Latin dialog was easier for me to understand but I still feel I didn't get it all. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to go. It doesn't matter what your spiritual beliefs are, this film recreates an historical event that changed the world. It shows the true depravity of humanity and leaves a lot to consider. I want to see it when I get home so I can read the subtitles in English. Well, I need to prepare some lessons so I will sign off. Have a great week!

2004-04-05T12:15:00.000+02:00

So, I hope y'all had a great weekend. I had a nice day Saturday hanging in Sokolov and watching some taped TV from home. Thank you Maleka for sending the tapes!!! I have 3 more tapes to watch and I am pretty excited about it! I am also pretty stoked because I only have to teach 3 days this week. We have Thursday, Friday and Monday off for Easter. I am going to spend the holiday in Krakow with my friend Penny. I will be the first guest in her flat. Some other ESI teachers will be there, too. So I'll get to hang with them as well. Krakow is a beautiful city, my favorite in Poland. I really can't wait to spend a good amount of time there and really get to know and enjoy it.

I am coming down with a strong case of Spring Fever. The weather has been so nice that I don't want to be inside. But it is supposed to rain all week. I hope it will clear up while I'm in Poland! I have also been missing American culture and food a lot. I want to go to the movies all the time and I really want to eat some food I can't get here. There are days where I don't want to speak any Czech and I get very frustrated with things. I have been thinking about the summer a lot. I guess it is because I miss y'all and can't wait to have conversations that don't drain the heck out of me. Well, gotta go. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Amy! If you know her, bug the heck out of her...she turn's the BIG 3-0 today!!
Ciao!

2004-03-29T13:45:00.000+02:00

Friday night was the school's ples which is a graduation ball. It is a cross between prom and graduation, sort of. I had such a good time. It is a ball to honor the graduating class. They don't have a graduation ceremony like we do at the end of the school year. It is a formal affair, like prom.....fancy dresses, getting your hair done, etc. It started around 8 and ended at 2:30. The maturants (seniors) did a pre-dance to songs from the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack. It was well choreographed. Then the maturants are presented with sashes and their class rings. After that was the champange toast from the teachers. There was a receiving line and the teachers went through to toast our students. It is a little odd to drink with your students, it's so taboo in the states. The next part was one that I was quite apprehensive about, the student-teacher dance. First of all it was a waltz, which I haven't danced in a very long time. Secondly, I was afraid of which student would ask me to dance. One of the maturants has a huge crush on me and I thought it would be awkward if he asked me to dance. And sure enough, he did. But it was funny. He didn't know how to waltz either. He asked me, "How do we start?" I told him that was a bad sign. So we stumbled through the dance and it was hilarious instead of weird. So I began to relax a little after that. The rest of the night there was dancing and drinking and raffles. It was so weird to be around my students who were drunk and it was completely acceptable. It's part of the culture. I won a nice dinner for two with a bottle of champagne at a hotel in Cheb. My students where asking me if I would take one of them. Right! The official festivities end with the "Midnight Surprise" which usually involves boys in drag. Don't ask me why. The whole class did the can-can. It was pretty amusing. It was nice to see my students and co-workers all dressed up and looking nice. It was really quite the event. I hope y'all had a good weekend, too!

2004-03-23T11:11:00.000+01:00

Hey y'all!

Well it cool and rainy again. But that's ok because I know Spring is out there somewhere. Just wanted to give y'all some good news. My teammate Lena and I are both coming back to teach in the Czech Republic next year. The best thing is that we have already figured out how to live together and we actually have a clue of what it is like to live here. So next year should be easier in some ways. I am excited that Lena is coming back, it saves me the worry of finding a new teammate! And for those of you who are curious, I'll be home the beginning of July. If for some reason you need more details, email me and I'll give you the scoop!! Gotta run and teach!
Jessica

2004-03-17T11:22:00.000+01:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Well, we are back at school and Spring is in the air! The high for today is 62 and I am thrilled. I was getting tired of the cold and snow. The sun is out, the sky is blue and the birds are singing. It's wonderful.

I had a great time over Spring Break. Ducki (aka Laura Homan) flew into Prague. We stayed there a couple of days then moved on to Budapest, Hungary. What a beautiful place. I had the best Italian meal I've had since moving here. We went to the thermal baths on Tuesday with a bunch of ESI teachers who live in Budapest. It was so relaxing. I even enjoyed the peppermint sauna and I don't like saunas very much. There are two outdoor baths which were so warm and cozy. One has a strong current in the middle that carries you around the pool. All the baths were mineral water which is supposed to be good for what ails ya. It was nice visiting with some of the other ESI teachers, too.

Then we headed to Vienna, Austria. We were there about eight hours. It is a gorgeous place. We took a tram around the city to see the sites. Beautiful buildings and gardens were everywhere. We had lunch at this place that claimed it made "the most famous schnitzel in Vienna." Ducki and I split one because they were bigger than the plates they were served on. Then we went to St. Stephen's Cathedral. I love old churches. It was beautiful. We had sacher torte and cafe Vienna at the Sacher Hotel Cafe, where we felt completely underdressed. We walked around and shopped. But my favorite thing was eating hot wings at TGIFriday's! I have been craving them for a long time. The waitress was so sweet. She told me they were really spicy and that most of the customers complained. I told her not to worry, I was from Texas and I wanted spicy hot wings. Then we went back to St. Stephen's and listened to the choir rehearse. It was quite uplifting. We went to the train station and got on an overnight train to Cheb. We had a whole sleeper compartment to ourselves.

We relaxed a bit in Cheb and popped over to Nurnberg one afternoon. The weather was so nice that day. We ate at Burger King. I know it isn't very creative, but I have to get some American food sometimes. Ducki flew home Monday, the 15th. It was great to be able to show someone from home where I live and give them a feel for what I do here. Well I gotta go. Hope you are wearing green so you don't get pinched!

2004-03-02T13:56:00.000+01:00

Sorry I didn't write last week. It's been busy and I've been crazy. As Jimmy Buffet says, "If we weren't all crazy, we'd all go insane!" This week is even crazier. My schedule changed and I have classes that I didn't know I was going to teach so I was not quite prepared for them. Something close to suicide if you can't think on your toes!

Our ESI retreat was really good. I was so glad to see my other teammates from around the country. I was also challenged in several ways. I met a man who had to flee his home in Iran because he became a Christian. He could stay there and be killed or he could leave his home, family and all that he knew and live. What a choice. He chose to leave and he can never return. It made me realize the we, as Americans, take our freedoms for granted. We live in a place where we have freedom to choose how to worship or if we want to worship. We may be looked down on or laughed at because of our beliefs or non-beliefs but it isn't a matter of life or death. It is right that we have and don't give a second thought about. Maybe it's time for that second thought.

On a lighter note, next week is my Spring Break. I will try to check in and update you about my travels depending on internet access. Please refrain from emailing me next week as I don't know how often I will be able to check email, if at all. I am going to Prague tomorrow to see Swan Lake at the National Theatre. I'll tell you all about it as soon as I can!
Have a great week!
Jessica

2004-02-19T13:59:00.000+01:00

So, I hear y'all got some snow in North Texas. Funny, the snow's all gone here! It started snowing yesterday and it snowed most of this morning but it's not sticking. It's supposed to be in the mid 40's this weekend anyway. I think the snow is pretty much gone except a few flurries here and there. Fine by me!

March is almost here and with it comes SPRING BREAK!!!! I am so excited! Ducki is coming to visit and I am really looking forward to showing her around and impressing her with the little Czech I know. I am learning a little Czech. I know some of the nasty words so I can bust my students when they say them. You should see the look on their faces when I give them extra homework for saying sprosti (vulgar) words in Czech. They can't believe I know them!

I saw The Return of the King last week. Good movie! The movie theater here is nice (hesky)! It doesn't have regular seats. It has big, overstuffed couches and waiters! You can have a beer and pizza or a cappicino. Lovely. I am going to Prague for an ESI retreat this weekend. I hope y'all have a good one!
Jessica

2004-02-11T13:53:00.000+01:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. It has been kinda the same ole, same ole. Cold, lots of snow...you get the picture. Last we we had a bit of a warm snap. It was in the 40's and 50's. The Czechs kept telling me it was like Spring. I told them it was like Winter in Texas. They thought that was crazy. This past weekend I went to a ples in Sokolov. It's kind of like prom and graduation together, but not anything like them either. It was a unique experience. My school's ples is at the end of March. I'll take plenty of pictures so you can see. It was a lot of fun. Gotta run and teach a class. Jessica

2004-01-15T15:27:00.000+01:00

Well, January has settled in. It has snowed 13 out of 15 days I think. I don't think it will ever end. The Czech word for January is leden, which means ice. How's that for straight to the point? I hope y'all are happy with your 70 degree weather. I am still in awe everytime those fluffy flakes fall but walking a mile through the slush to school is no fun. I am not complaining, just telling it like it is. It's funny how I would have never considered walking a mile to work each day at home. But here it is quite normal.

I think some of my students are having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. They have been quite a handful lately. Even my older ones who are usually quite good. I have done my share of being mean the last two weeks. I feel like I am being mean, anyway. I guess it is normal.

I am getting my hair cut and highlighted today. I am quite excited about it since I haven't had my hair cut since July. Let's hope it goes well. The lady cutting it speaks English so it should be ok. We shall see.
Later, Jessica

2004-01-05T12:26:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I was sick for the entire two weeks but I had a great Christmas. I had a traditional Czech Christmas on Christmas Eve at my principal's house. It was quite nice although I was there much longer than I planned to be. And of course we had slivovice to drink!

Christmas day found me in Prague for dinner with other ESI teachers. It was nice to be with Americans and to not worry if I was completely understood. We had a small gift exchange and watched movies. Then I was off for Paris. Paris is always wonderful, it's my favorite place in the whole world. It was nice to be able to understand people and have them understand me for a change. Even though me French is terrible it 100 times better than my Czech.

We spent New Years at Brian's flat in Sokolov. We watched movies and MTV and just had a relaxing time. It has been snowing for the last three days and we still have snow from two weeks ago. I hope I don't freeze to death. It is really cold now. It is amazing how much colder 20 feels than 30. And this girl from Texas is just not used to all of the snow! It is pretty but.....

Hope y'all have a great 2004. I know this week we will all be getting back into the swing of things. Tell me about your holidays. I would really like to hear about it!

Blessings,
Jessica

2003-12-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Ok, it has been an exciting and busy week. I am sure y'all are busy, too. We got 4-5 inches of snow on Monday. It was so beautiful and I forgot to bring my camera to town. Oh, well, next time. It was not so pretty the next day when I had to walk through slush. But I bought a good pair of boots last week, just in the nick of time. They have proved to work well and I am very proud of my purchase.

Sunday, Lena and I went to Loket. I wrote about the castle there in October. There was a medieval Christmas market complete with minstrels, fencing, a live nativity scene and mulled wine. It took place at the castle and I bought a few pretties for some special folks. We had a great time but it was COLD! It started to snow while we were there.

I will spend Christmas Eve with the Headmistress' family. There will be 5 Brazilians celebrating with us, as well. Christmas day I will travel to Prague to celebrate with other ESI teachers. Then, Beth and I will go the City of Lights, Paris, for a few days. I am so excited to spend my first Christmas away from home in my favorite city. I will let you know all about it.

Thanks to everyone who sent me goodies for Christmas. I haven't opened them yet, Mom! I did get some great things like Cheddar cheese and tortillas and salsa to make me feel more at home. This will be a special Christmas. I hope it is a nice one for y'all as well.

I won't be checking my mail very often over the Christmas Holidays, but will check in when I can. I miss you all very much and I pray the Holiday Season will be filled with Joy, Peace and Blessings.
Merry Christmas! Jessica

2003-12-09T13:34:00.000+01:00

Well, I am sure you are curious about the doctor's visit. It was fine and not degrading or demoralizing like I thought it would be. He put me on different meds and I go back in two weeks. If it works we will try it for six months. I am already feeling a bit better and will let you know how it is going.

Tomas, my student with the concussion is back at school and is fine. Thanks for all of the prayers. My students now know how dangerous it is to lean back in their chairs!!

Friday was St. Nicholas' Day. St. Nick, a devil and an angel come around to visit the children. If you are good you can sing a song to St. Nick and he will give you sweets. If you are bad the devil will give you a potato and /or a lump of coal. The angel gives blessings. It was quite funny to see all these characters running around Friday afternoon and into the evening. It is neat to experience the traditions of another culture. It makes your own traditions more special in a way.

Today I received a package from my sister and my church with presents. I was told to open one immediately and it was a small Christmas tree! Yea!

Well I must go plan a lesson for my 13 and 14 year olds. Hope y'all have a good week.
Jessica

2003-12-03T13:46:00.000+01:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I am so excited! Yesterday morning I saw a HUGE Christmas tree being driven to the town square. When I was walking home from school, they had it up and lights on it. There are lights and greenery everywhere, even mistletoe. I will take some pictures one night this week. It is so pretty. Now I just gotta get some decorations for my flat. Can't wait.

Yesterday, one of my students was rocking in his chair and fell back, hitting his head on the wall. This happened between classes when the students have no supervision. I get to class and all the boys are talking to him and he keeps saying, "Ne viem," (I don't Know) while he is trying hard not to cry. I asked what was going on and the boys told me what happened and that he couldn't remember hitting his head. He wanted to go home. One of the boys took him to the secretary and she called an ambulance because he was seeing double. He has a concussion. It was really hard because he is a beginner student and I couldn't ask him the questions I needed to ask him to assess his condition. I was thankful that they were concerned and did everything they could to help. This a group of 13 year-old boys. They showed a great amount of maturity and compassion. Please pray for Tomas to get better.

I am going to see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. I have been in quite a bit of pain lately and need to see if he can change my medication. I hope this won't be too horrible. One of the English teachers, Lucie, is going with me. I am a little nervous because I have heard they don't give you robes, or any covering at all for that matter, when you are examined. My co-worker will be in the room with me serving as a translator. It will be a bit awkward. They have different attitudes regarding nudity and modesty than Americans. I will just have to get over it, I suppose.
Have a great week.....Jessica

2003-12-01T13:55:00.000+01:00

Well, I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a great time at our retreat. I got to spend time with my friends from training and just relax. We had turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberries. Then we had pie. I was so excited because I had pecan pie!! I never expected it. I think it was one of the best pecan pies I ever had!!

Living over here is improving my cooking skills. I made homemade tortillas and salsa the other day. I would never have attempted it at home. But when you gotta have tacos, you gotta have tacos. The torillas are actually quite easy to make, they just take a little time. I am going to make a bunch up and freeze them so I can have them when I want them.

That's all for today....more to come.

2003-11-25T13:33:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone is doing well as you are getting ready for Thanksgiving. It has been neat to get to explain a holiday unique to North Americans. My students know a little of the history and I have had to relearn some of it. How soon we forget our own history.

The entire Central Europe ESI team will be together for a Thanksgiving Retreat this weekend. We are staying at a hotel in Hododin, Czech Republic. It is on the Czech/Slovak border. The hotel is to prepare a normal T-Day dinner for us. We will also have a bit of training this weekend, too. It is why we can get two days off from school. I am excited to see my friends from training and will be glad for the break. But it will be a long travel day. Lena and I are leaving Cheb at 5.50 am and will arrive there at 1.20 pm, by bus.

I am being observed by an ESI alum tomorrow, so I need to prepare for that. She is also staying at my flat tonight so I need to do some shopping and cleaning. I wish all of you a great Thanksgiving holiday. I pray it will be a wonderful time with family and friends and that each of you take time to give thanks for all of our blessings. I am truely thankful for the wonderful friends and family I have supporting, praying for me and cheering me on back home. I am also aware of how much we, as Americans, have to be thankful for. We are truely, truely blessed. Until next time-----Jessica

2003-11-18T12:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was a holiday, so I had a nice long weekend. Lena, my flat mate went to Salzburg with 3 other ESI teachers. I stayed at home because I was really buzy and it was nice to have the place to myself. Sunday was great. I went to have lunch at the restaurant where one of my students (Vladka) is a waitress. She was so glad I came. She invited me to a pub later that night where one of classmates would be celebrating his 19th birthday. I went home and made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. I took some to my next door neighbors. They have helped us in so many ways. They were so excited that they invited me for "American Coffee." Maria, the wife speaks a little English. Jiri speaks none. We had an interesing time with broken English and Czech but it was very nice. I left with some apples and a standing invitation to come over for coffee anytime. Jiri says he will teach me Czech and I can teach him English.

Later, I went to the pub with Vladka. I gave Filip, the birthday boy, some of the cookies I baked and a "Don't Mess with Texas!" sticker. He loved both and was very glad I came. Although, I doubt he will remember much of it. He was quite drunk. I had a coffee and a great conversation with two of my students, John and Boris, about films and attitudes about Americans. I had such a good time that I didn't even mind walking home in the rain.

Today I received a nice package from my friend Penny. She sent some magazines and books and a nice fleece sweatshirt! It is a nice surprise. One of my students just asked for a Rolling Stones magazine. I hope they don't all start asking for things. There is no way I can get them everything they want. Well, that's all for now. Next week is Thanksgiving and the Central Europe team (Czech Republic & Hungary) will have a retreat together in South Moravia. We will have Thanksgiving Dinner prepared for us by the hotel. It should be great. I will let you know.
Jessica

2003-11-11T13:27:00.000+01:00

Hello y'all!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am fine and dandy. I am starting to teach some students some slang and idioms. So if any of y'all have some good ideas, let me know. It is really hard to actually think of slang because it is so common for us. And I have been trying very hard not to use it around students because they may not understand. Thanks for your input!

I went to see Bruce Almighty last week. It's a great movie if you haven't seen it yet. If you guys see any good films that you think would be good to discuss with my students, let me know. I am going to see Far Away from Heaven tonight. I hope it is as good as it has been reported to be.

Ok, so did you know that there is no such thing as cheddar cheese here? Being a big fan of cheddar, I was quite shocked and dismayed by this fact. The thing I miss more than cheddar cheese is pominto cheese sandwiches. But my friend, Penny, has saved me from a pominto cheeseless existance. While she was visiting me, she introduced me to a paprika flavored cream cheese spread that tastes like pominto cheese with a kick! I am thrilled to say that I haven't bought another kind of cheese spread since. And it is cheaper than the others that I was buying. So once again, it's the little things that make me happy.

Have a blessed week--Jessica

2003-11-07T14:11:00.000+01:00

Ok, you are now able to post comments on this site. So please do so! It will be nice to have your comments immediately.

I am having a much better week. I want you to know that I am trying to be real with y'all. I don't want to paint a rosy picture when I think it's grey. But the grey moments are few and far between. I am really enjoying myself here.

I got a nice package from my father. I am now prepared for a blizzard! He sent me some great gloves, a ski mask, two hats, a scarf, headband, ear muffs and silk thermals. Thanks Dad!

I got my health card today. Now I can go the doctor for free. But I don't know if there are any English speaking doctors here. One of the other English teachers said she would go with me. We'll see.
Gotta run!
Have a great weekend!
Jessica

2003-10-31T13:47:00.000+01:00

I hit a wall yesterday. It was a small wall, but a wall none the less. I will not go into details since the they have been cleared up but we have had some scheduling problems for the last two weeks. I got embarassed and my feelings hurt in front of my students. I had a big crying jag at home and I feel a little bit better. I can see how to get over the wall now. So now that has been said....on to some fun things.

I went to Nurnberg on Monday. Penny and I had so much fun. She got to show me around one of her favorite places in Germany. We shopped, we ate and we shopped some more. I didn't buy much, a few Christmas presents and a scarf for me.

Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings via email and packages. I had a wonderfull birthday, one I will always remember.

Just a reminder, if you are going to send me anything for Christmas, it must arrive at the school by Dec. 19th. Our holiday starts after that and I won't be able to receive packages until Jan. 5th. The post office told my mom to send by the middle of Nov. I hope that helps!

I am so excited! I am going to start a film discussion group with my older students. They are excited about it, too. I will let you know how it goes. Have a great weekend! Jessica

2003-10-26T17:42:00.000+01:00

I am at an inernet cafe in the town square. It has snowed three times this week. Can you believe it? My friend Penny is here and we have had a great time talking and walking around town. We are probably going to Nurnberg tomorrow (Monday). I have a 3 day holiday so I don't have to be back to school until Thursday.

I am slowly learning the language and I mean SLOWLY. But I know way more than I did 2 months ago! There is a lot of music and noise here and it is hard for me to concentrate so I will write more later. Hope y'all had a great weekend.
Jessica

2003-10-21T12:57:00.000+02:00

I have so much to tell and not lots of time. I may have to do installments on the weekend. But first of all, it is SNOWING!!! Yes, that's right, snow. The weather forcast was for warm (55 F) days and some rain. Not so. C'est la vie!

I got my visa last week! This is wonderful news because I can get paid now! I crossed the border to Germany on Sunday so I could get an official entry stamp when I came back to the Czech Republic. I only live about 5K from the German border so this was not a problem and the train to border towns is free on the weekends. I went to the forgein police yesterday to give them my visa number, so my registration with them is complete. Now, all I need is my health card and I will be totally offical!

Friday I went to Prague with some students to see Othello. It was really good. And yes, it was in Czech. But I know the story and I read over it again before I went to refresh my memory. The costumes were wonderful and I loved the set. There were several strong actors in the cast. It was well done and shorter than I remember. Lots of fencing!

Saturday is one for the books! Lena made me cookies for my birthday. Then we went to the Dragoun (Vietnamese) market for some Pho. We go to this restaurant and try to order in Czech to a man who speaks Vietnamese. Two Germans sit next to us at the same table. They are very curious about me eating Pho with chopsticks. They keep asking me about it in German. It was quite an international experience! Then we go to the Hypernova (it's like a super target) and pick up a few things. I bought an antenna for the TV. We now can pick up 4 Czech stations. But it may help us learn the lang. who knows? Then we were meeting friends for pizza to celebrate my birthday!

I have had a great birthday. Saturday evening was spent with American and Czech friends ( and one Canadian) at a nice pizza place. My Czech friends, they are fellow teachers, gave me a beautiful wooden box, a pencil made from a stick (very cool!), some lucky bamboo and some flowers. I got a book of quotes from children, some homemade fudge and tortillias from the Sokolov girls, a nice card and some sponges from the Sokolov guys. Don't know about the sponges, but I am sure they will be useful! Josh gave me a box of Chocolates and Lena gave me a wonderful ceramic plaque to hang in my room. We had so much fun talking and laughing. It is exactly what I wanted to do to celebrate! Yesterday, my actual birthday, was very nice, too. My small kids sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English and I got some chocolates from one of them. Other students gave me a candle holder, a beautiful green pen (expensive, too!), cards and more candy! The head mistress gave me a gerber daisey and a bottle of Slivovice, the plum liquor I had at her house. I also got a package from my friend Angela, it had some stationary and a book about the day I was born. There was also a very touching card that made me cry. I got lots of emails and phone calls from family and friends. Who could ask for anything more? I have been told I have other packages on the way, so I will have my birthday all week. And Penny is coming this weekend to celebrate, too! I am truely blessed! I hope things are going well for everyone. I miss y'all!-Jessica

2003-10-14T13:46:00.000+02:00

I had a nice Saturday with the headmistress and her two daughters. I was picked up a little after 11:00 and got home around 11:30 pm. They had no intentions of taking me home sooner. I had a traditional Czech lunch, it was quite good. Then I was given the traditional Czech drink, Slovovice, it is liquer made from plums. My glass was never empty the rest of the day. Everytime I finished it, they filled it up. Apperantly, it is good for whatever ails you. I sipped it very slowly with very long intervals between sips. Otherwise, I would have been passed out on the floor in front of the fire. We just sat around and talked and watched movies in Czech. Fortunately, I had seen the movies before or I would have been lost.

That's all I have time for today. More later--Jessica

2003-10-09T14:44:00.000+02:00

The staff birthday party was yesterday. It was quite nice and not as rowdy as had been reported. I was given two beautiful green coffee mugs and some insence and an insence holder. I was touched. This was the first time I had really spent any time with some of my non-English speaking collegues. It was funny to say the least. At one point two teachers were asking each other if they spoke English (one of the few phrases I actually understand). They were telling each other in Czech that they didn't speak English so I told them in Czech that I didn't speak Czech. They started laughing so hard because they thought I couldn't understand them at all. They started to ask me how much I understood and I told them malo (small). That was pretty much the end of our conversation but we had fun trying to communicate. Later, when we were all together, the other teachers were asking me about Arnold winning the election in CA and about Thanksgiving turkeys.

Since we are talking about communication, let me tell you a funny story. Tuesday, the headmistress, Lenka, stopped me on the way out. She wanted to invite me to lunch Saturday. Lenka doesn't speak English. She told me the first week of school that I could speak to her in bad French. So Lenka is speaking half in French and half in Czech. Her daughter, Martina is translating the Czech to me as I am trying to remember French phrases so I can reply. Then Lenka asks the Spanish teacher, who knows that I understand a little Spanish, to tell me in Spanish. So we are now speaking four languges. Can you imagine how funny this was? No wonder I could not remember how to say, "I am tired," in French. But I remembered just as I was falling asleep. It amuses me.

Flat update:
We did get a washer a few weeks ago.....of course there is a catch. It can never be cut and dry. There where two holes in the wall between the toilet room and the bathroom (yes, they are separate.) These holes were stuffed with plastic bags and covered with stickers. It wasn't until the washer was put in front of that wall that I understood that these holes were to put the hoses from the washer through them. Except the hole for the hose that hooks up to the faucet is not big enough. I have been trying to use a drill for the last three days to make the whole bigger, to no avail. Right now we are not able to close the toilet room door all the way if the washer hose is hooked up. This may be something we have to live with. I have to give the drill back tomorrow, so if I don't finish it today that's that.

I have not been hurting as badly this week, so thanks for the prayers. I am going to grade some tests and get some lunch. Talk to you soon---Jessica

2003-10-07T13:53:00.000+02:00

Well, the weather is turning cold. They high today is 48. All of the restaurants on the square have put away all of their outdoor seating, a sure sign that fall is here and winter is approaching. So please think of me when you are enjoying your nice warm fall weather. A Texas girl like me isn't used to all of this cold weather. I still haven't bought a winter coat, yet. I have been waiting until I get paid. I did get a nice trench coat with a zip-out lining that one of the previous teachers left behind. It has been very handy and I am thankful for it!

My park gets more colorful every day but I am not able to sit and enjoy it anymore because of the cold. One of my students is going to help me figure out which bus or buses I should take to get to school and back. I am afraid I won't be able to walk so much when it begins to snow. I'll be a popcicle!!

I got several nice long emails yesterday from friends and family. It is nice to catch up with people. Must go and teach....more later.

2003-10-03T14:00:00.000+02:00

It is a perfect rainy fall day. Everyday I am anxious to get to the park to see which trees have changed colors. Last weekend some of us went to Locket to see a castle. It is beautiful there! I will have to go back in a few weeks when more leaves have changed. The whole town is surrounded by wooded hills. There is a bridge leading to the castle and pygmie goats live under it. Cute!

Next week the teachers at my school will celebrate all the birthdays in Sept., Oct. and Nov. I am told it will be quite a party. I am going to bring chocolate chip cookies, a novelty for Czechs. Apparently, they drink a lot, too. It will be the middle of the day and I have to teach a class afterwards. I don't think I will partake in too much drinking. I will tell you all about it next week.

On a sad note, I found out one of my theatre friends from Texarkana died this week. It was quite sudden. So to my friend, Steve Pearce, I say, "Adieu, Adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow....." He will be greatly missed.

And for those of you who believe in the power of prayer, I have a request. Most of you know that I had surgery in March for Endometriosis. Well, I have been experiencing some pain the past week. It is very hard because I walk a lot and that seems to make it hurt worse. So, if you could keep me in mind, I would appreciate it.

I hope all is well back in the States. Please email me and keep me apprised of what is going on in your part of the world. It is much easier for me to respond to emails than to generate them.

Blessings,
Jessica

2003-09-24T13:46:00.000+02:00

The weather is cooling off here and the leaves are beginning to fall. It's my favorite time of year, execpt for the allergies. But nothing is perfect, is it? So here is another story....

Last Wednesday, I was going to Sokolov to meet with the other ESI teachers there. When I get to the train station all of the ticket windows were closed. So I make my way towards the international ticket window with which, I am now well aquainted. I stand in line and ask for a return ticket to Sokolov. I felt quite confident about this because I have done it successfully several times. But the lady started to scream at me in Czech. Of course, I just stand there in a "tharn" state (like a deer caught in headlights). Two men try to help me. One tells the lady the exact thing I did, to no avail. The other tries to speak to me in German beacuse everyone assumes I am from Germany. I am about to cry and I tell the man I don't understand German. He then tells me in English that it isn't possible for me to get a round trip ticket. I still haven't been able to find out why not. Have I told you that I HATE the train station? Well, I do. But my students have assured me this happens to them, too. They say the ladies who work there are old and cranky and yell at everyone. So I have some consolation there.

But there is a bright side to this story....when I got to the platform, I noticed something was different. All these people were there with cameras. I look up and there was the most beautiful train I had ever seen. It was blue with gold trim and lettering. It was the famous Orient Express! Wow! It was quite posh. I wish I could have gone aboard and explored. So I had to suffer a little yelling in Czech, but it was worth it!

2003-09-18T14:45:00.000+02:00

Ok, I have some time so I will relate a few stories of my existence here in Cheb. Two weeks ago, I had to go to Munich. Now, this was not an easy feat, as I had to buy a ticket from people who do not speak English. I have mastered how to buy a ticket to Sokolov (the next town over). But nothing I learned in that process prepared me for buying a ticket to another country. First, I went to the CEDOK office. I was told I could by any type of travel tickets there and that they speak English. Well, they do speak English but would not sell me a train ticket. Off to the train station. I get there and go to the ticket office and explain where I would like to go. No dice. Apparently there is an international ticket booth. I go there and state my request. I get a nice print out of the itinerary I requested. I asked where to pay and how much. She said "tickets" in English. So off I go back to the ticket counter only to be told that I can not pay for that ticket there. Through charades and broken English and Czech phrases, I realize that I must go back from whence I came. Frustrated and near tears, I got back to the International office and figure out I spoke to the information person and the ticket booth was closed and had been for 30 minutes. It opened shortly and I got my ticket. Whew! But let me say this....I HATE the train station!

However, that is not the end of my story. The train didn't leave until 1:12 am. I had to ask one of the guys to walk me to the train station at midnight. We get to the train station at 12:25 and it is locked. Go figure. We walk around and try all the doors to no avail. Finally some comes and unlocks the doors. I said good bye to Josh and made my way to the platform. It is dark and cold and there is only one bench. I sit down and try to memorize the phrases I think I will need on the train when I see a man walking toward me. There is only one bench so I move over but I don't look at him. He gets right up to me and says, "Hello, Jessica." I look up shocked and it is Honza, one of the English teachers from my school. He helped me buy my cell phone the week before. I was relieved at once because I had been nervous about taking a night train by myself . He helped me out once again and I made it to Munich in one piece.

That's all for today. I will tell you another story next time. Have a good weekend! Jessica