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.