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

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!

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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!!!

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

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.

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!!!

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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...

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

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

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

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.

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.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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