Blog Clog

Below you will find a messed up link to Tara's blog, which blogger won't allow me to fix. Sigh. It's what I get for being a day late wishing people a happy birthday. Of course now that the text is eaten I can claim that it was my most eloquent and urbane post in history. All in the honour of Tara... Happy birthday.

HRH

What we want is more punctuality

Though it's a day late, may I welcome

All by myself...

Yup, I'm all alone in the office today and actually listening to that song. Normally a state of being I would completely embrace, but today I actually need my co-workers here to get some work done. Will it ever work out right? Had I known I would have brought some really peppy dance music in to cheer myself up. Things are stressful at work, and I'm a little peeved at myself for letting it affect me so much. If M and I were people of faith (which we aren't) I'd nominate him for prehumous, naively assuming that the antithesis of posthumous is prehumous (laugh all you like), cannonization for being such a saint to me this past week.

The thing about work that's making me crazy is that (using my popular pants anaology) I'm spending more time on the things that aren't my job than I am on the things that are. The things that I like and the things that make me feel satisfied with myself. It's as though someone has handed me a pair of pants that don't fit and have asked me to wear them until they get back... but I can't make any alterations. So not only am I uncomfortable, but I look funny too.

HRH

I want to ride my bicycle

This afternoon I got some exercise in the name of a 4 hour bike ride. Like the terrain of the latter part of the ride, my feelings for it went up and down. The ride started just near Karlovo namesti. We made our way down to the river bank and headed south towards Branik. This part of the ride was wonderful. The weather today was perfect fall weather. Sunny, cool and there were still green leaves on the trees. We passed Vysehrad and a collection of "really big rocks" as Evan said. There is a nice wide and flat bike path along the side of the river, which gave us some great veiws of the riverside and I remembered why seeing a river cutting through green hills is a beautiful site. I usually come down pretty hard on rivers, having been raised on the shores of one of the Great Lakes, but this day, and this area made me regret my earlier critcisms. It was simply beautiful.

For awhile I forgot I was in Prague, and I finally felt that release I'd been looking for. Freedom from the cars and smells, from noise and work. It was a sweet moment. Sadly, it didn't last. Now don't get me wrong. I'm very glad I went on the bike ride today, but I'm certian I went over my limits. This over exertion is exemplified by the fact that I have a pillow on the chair I'm sitting on. That is all the detail I will give.

Once we reached Branik, we made our way from the river towards Krc and the Kuntraticky Les (forest). Sadly, this destination took us up a hill. Some more experience cyclists would say an easy hill, I would say a big and unpleasant bohemeth of pain. Not for my heart or my legs mind you, but for the reason that I'm sitting on a pillow. Eventually I had to get off the bike and just walk up the hill (briskly, mind you). This part of the ride took us through neighbourhoods and along freeways, and kind of put a kibosh on my whole relaxed and out of the city vibe.

However it did come back. At last we arrived at the Kuntraticky Les. A lovely forest in the middle of a city. We took some exciting hill paths (many of which would have been more exciting if the people walking on the path understood the concept of getting the hell out of my way, but I digress) and arrived at a charming pub/restaurant on the edge of the forest. We sat and chatted for awhile and my desire to inflict painful death upon everyone I saw faded away. Don't misunderstand, I was among wonderful company and would hate to have any harm come to any of them, I just get REALLY hostile towards everything when I have to cycle up hills and can't do so.

Anyway, when I evaluate the whole thing, I enjoyed myself, and with a little more experience (and maybe some trackpants with a padded bum) I could do that alot. Thank you to everyone who took me out today. It was the perfect day to spend outside and I'm glad I was convinced to do so. Prague really is a lovely city from foot and from wheel. I'd love to see the centre become more bike friendly. Less exhaust fumes and healthier travellers. I may even cycle to work from time to time (granted I live in walking distance)... you can ride a mountain bike in a pink wool skirt....right?

HRH

Burcak

Yesterday M and I attended the new wine festival in Vinohrady. We had a chance to give the new bikes a run up and down the hill and I had the chance to try Burcak for the first time. What is it, you ask? It's like cider made from grapes and it's generally only available just after the harvest as it gets too strong to drink when it ferments too much.

Burcak looks like muddy water. As we were riding into Namesti Jiriho Z Podebrad I noticed all these people with 1.5 L bottles, with what I assumed was muddy water. Maybe there was some Czech tradition on Svaty Vaclav involving pouring muddy water onto unsuspecting passers by or whoever decided to wear green that day. Who was I to know? I thought this was a totally rational country until I spent my first Easter here and everyone went mental getting into this tradition of chasing women with pomlasky (sticks) and hitting them on the legs and behind to make or keep them fertile. (Yes, I stay inside on Easter). Unusual traditions are all over the place, so my dousing suspicions weren't such a stretch.

Anyway, it turns out there's no tradition of pouring muddy water on people, that's just what Burcak looks like. And if you close your eyes when you drink it, it's just a very sweet cider like drink. It comes with a pink hue and an orange hue (it all looked like muddy water to me). I only had a little, and was saved the day-after-burcak hangover from hell. I'm certain there are a lot of people who were there yesterday that cannot claim such clear headedness today.

HRH

Truly self aware


Which Buffy Girl Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

HRH

Wouldn't you at least ask?

Yikes! Kari's blog has been listed on the PragueTV webiste as a "Prague Weblog." I think she's taking it well, but the whole notion of being listed on something other than a blog gives me the chills. It's my whole issues with privacy thing. And yes, I know it's a contradiction to have privacy issues and have a blog. That doesn't change how creepy it is. Which is why I clicked on "No" when I had the choice between public or private blog. Didn't stop it from getting onto Google now did it.

I can at least be relieved that I'm no where near the writer that Kari is, hence Prague TV wouldn't pass me a second glance. I knew these spelling issues would come in handy someday.

HRH

Laughing

There was a wonderful kind of laugh I had when I was in university and at GW. I don't laugh like this very often, though I love it. I can't stop it once it's started and it consumes my entire body. This morning I got to do it again.

My outrage at being called old and the ensuing flame war on the message board got Soapbox Preacher and Feelafel hurling insults at eachother. The age thing was resolved, with the current business manager of the paper doing a little bit of sucking up.

Her Highnessess, a profitable campus newspaper? Unheard of! But now GW runs with a stinging capitalist passion!

Not only is he complimentary... he's done his rescearch.

HRH

Of course you realize this means war

Preamble: M, Mike, Andrew, Ian and I are all almuni of the same University and the same humour paper. Recently, Andrew posted on the message board at said paper, putting out a call to other alumni of our era. For all our fights and whatnot, we were a pretty close group of people, so it makes sense that during the month of September we all get a little nostalgic for the parties, the Trasheteria, and (maybe if we have a fever) Press Nite (TM). "Fire it up!"

Issue: So Andrew posts to the message board, looking for alumni. And I know he's already found me, but I decided, hey I gave 4 years of my life to this paper, 2 of which I was pretty much glued to the office chair, I'm going to stand up and be counted. And what happens. Some sissy-ass "I'm editor or something so I'm king of the known world" type calls us "Old."

And I quote... "You're all so old I can actually hear you decrepifying."

Then bitch-boy goes on to ask us to support his on-going alcoholism...

"On a related note, who is going to be back for homecoming?
The current GW staff will be at ritual on friday wearing each decked out in their special, personalized GW Jersey.

Come see us, buy us drinks."

1. What makes you think that after you've called me old I'm actually going to dish out coin to buy you drinks. I may give you a beating to teach you to respect your elders, but don't even dream that I would sink so low as to buy you a beer.
2. Dude, we all have jerseys, and we all have crests...and we have "personalized" hats with hippos on them. If I were coming to homecoming at least your "personalized" jersey would help me find you to hurt you.
3. DO NOT call me old two days after I turn 26.

HRH

You are an obsession…

Okay so this proves that I’m not the only one in this relationship carrying the banner of anal/obsessive. At least M’s obsessions are with accents, terminology and hair styling. I cannot claim such noble obsessions (okay, maybe the hair). Given his penchant for detail and correctness, it’s a baffling how he ended up dating Chelsea the Wonder Speller. I guess I’m lucky there wasn’t a written entrance exam to this relationship.

HRH

Czech Radio

One of the things I’m going to miss about Prague when I leave, someday, is Czech radio. Generally speaking it’s insane. And I love it. The station I listen to the most, I shamefully admit, is Radio City 93.7 (devet tri sedm), which is not only the biggest station in the country, but is the place where you are mostly likely to hear pop-y crap. It doesn’t play the most euro-trash in the city, which may be why I like it so much (very little Scooter. A band that has a song where they guy says, and I kid not "Siberia… the place to be." Not even a dash of irony in that).

The best thing about Czech Radio is that there are no rules. A station with a pop format will play anything from Eminem (uncensored) to Enya. You get your Czech songs, which are sometimes great and sometimes not. Or you get alt rock songs that wouldn’t get any play in North America. Think of it this way, the biggest pop station in the city will, on occasion, play The Cure and Depeche Mode.

Still it’s not Radio paradise. The greatness is usually stuck between euro trash which means I have to get up every 4 minutes and change the song, like I’ve been doing the entire time I’ve been writing this post. Ohh, Blur, I don’t have to get up.

What about the alternative station. It’s 91.9 and called Radio 1 (Radio Jedna) and sometimes it’s totally right on. Playing great songs from electronica to lo-fi. Unfortunately, with that right on-ness, comes unending droning voices of DJs talking to DJs and bands, or just spending way too much time introducing a song in that disaffected alternative DJ voice (which is damn irritating in a different language). And then there’s World Music mornings. Radio 1 does impress me in that it’s weekday morning show is a mix of all kinds of cool music and then songs from musicals. Recently they’ve had a thing for Moulin Rouge, which can always get me going in the morning.

HRH

The day after

Big thank yous to everyone who made my 26th birthday so great. From people in Prague taking me to dinner (yum), giving me books, DVDs and fruit to people far away like Roland (The spell checker rocks), Adrienne, Mike (Late and Spectacular), Andrew (Amazing Card dude!), Tara (Freaky chipmunks ;) ), Laura, Wendy (even though she's in town, but sick) and my mother and sister expressing their birthday wishes with a digital presence. It was a great day.

Thanks everyone. Not only is it great to be a year older, but it's great to know how many truly excellent friends I have.

HRH

It's beginning to look at lot like...

Well, I know what I'm getting Kari for chirstmas. Going from emotionally unavailable to deviod of emotions.

Yes, I am starting my christmas shopping now. Stop looking at me funny.

HRH

You look like a monkey... and you act like one too!

Yep. It's my birthday. And it already totally rocks.

I wake up this morning to birthday wishes and presents from M. What does the world's greatest boyfriend get me? Not only the DVD of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me or The Pilot episode of Twin Peaks, but also the entire first season special edition DVD set. Weeeeee. I'm going to dream of trees. Thank you M!

Then I get to work and my email inbox is full of e-cards and messages from friends and family. There was also a message from my good friend Roland who got me a brithday present that all the readers of this blog will appreciate, Blogger Pro. Yes that's right I am now equipped with a spell checker. Though I haven't found it yet... It may only appear on my PC and not on a Mac. Regardless, there are piles of new and exciting toys on it. There is much to learn. Thank you Roland!

Mother nature also gave me a present today. While most people are grumbling about the cold today, I'm happy as a clam. It's about 12 degrees here, my favourite temperature. My enemy, the sun, is hidden by some clouds and there's little or no wind. Thank you mother nature!

All this and it's barely 10 a.m. There's a lot of birthday left. Technically I don't turn 26 until 4:30 a.m. CET tomorrow (I was born at 8:30 p.m. EST). Tonight M, Kari, Wendy and I are going to my favourite restaurant in Prague Zahrada V Opere, which translates to Garden in the Opera. If you go to the website you'll see that the Opere has been crossed out and replaced with oblezeni, which loosely translates to "under seige." No Steven Segal won't be serving our drinks. The restaurant is connected to the RFE compound, so while RFE is surrounded by APCs and guards, so is the restaurant. They say it's the safest place to dine in Europe. I'm definitely starting with the stuffed Aubergine tonight. Weeee.

HRH

I'm picky

Those who know me well, know this a part of the essence of me. I try not to upset people with it, hence my independent streak, however it sometimes mixes with my most unflattering trait, stubborness, and people occaisonally get grumpy with me about it. Do I change? Heck no. If I can take care of myself, then I'm going to do it my way.

Anyway, where did this fit of psychobabble come from? Two places really. First, This girl's blog and her affinity for lists got me reflecting on my "laminated" list and how it's really short. And when M and I were watching Almost Famous this weekend and I (I'm sorry Kari) just really didn't find Billy Krudup (sp?) attractive in the slightest way. M suggested that it was part of my basic distain for moustaches, but even after seeing a photo of him in InStyle I wasn't convinced. M then said that I'm picky and I'm crazy. (true on both counts).

So why am I so picky about men? I've dated some total losers, so clearly it's a taste I've developed in recent years. I think I'm attractive, but I know that I'm not the kind of girl who creates that slow-motion-soft-focus effect when she walks into a room (mostly because I walk pretty fast), so who the hell am I to be dissing Billy Krudup? Here's where I clarify. If someone doesn't make the "laminated" list, it doesn't mean I think they're butt ugly and I'd spit on them. It just means that they don't ring my bell, honk my horn or cause me to create any kind of alarm or warning sound. Most people become more attractive as you get to know them. With that in mind, someone who would incite the desire to hop out of your pants would have to be spectacular. Like totally spectacular. And spectacular is an individual thing, with lots of criteria to be met and just a dab of je ne sais quois.

Which is why the list is so short. And I'm in a relationship where I find a lot of happiness in reality, so even the men on the laminated list would have some serious impressing to do to catch my eye. It takes more than a pretty face, though a cape never hurt anyone. Also I think it's important to distinguish between the people (actors) and the characters. You really know nothing about the people, so it's usually the character you're in to as the real person is most likely nothing like the character...hence all the acting. Like I'm sure Harrison Ford leaves the toilet seat up, but Han Solo doesn't.

And like Cher said in Clueless "You see how picky I am with my shoes... and they only go on my feet."

Famous men/characters that I find visually pleasing, and that might, just might, impress me in a cape or would be allowed to resuce me from peril
-Han Solo
-Keanu Reeves
-Angel (before he got his own show and that enormous 'tude)
-Aragorn (in the movie, because the one in the book is old, like really old.)

HRH

(Additon: You may notice (Kari) that Anakin Skywalker (or Hayden Christensen) is not on the list. It takes years to get on the "laminated list" and I think it would be hasty to add him after only one movie. He still has some proving to do.)

Shaggy

Why, oh why did Andrew have to bring up all the exploding heads again. I'm trying to wash even the concept of that from my mind...

Michael (aka Shaggy) is living the life in Japan right now. Teaching the English and eating the Sushi. He's also slightly in the dog house with me as he's not coming back to Kingston for Chistmas to see a) his family or b) The Two Towers with me (he kindly sat beside me as I freaked out for most of The Fellowship), but is instead going to Singpore for Christmas to enjoy the temples, cusine and brothels (in no particular order). People and their priorities, I swear.

Somewhere in Japan... Shaggy reads Chelsea's blog and mutters under his breath "Evil."

HRH

Get ready

So Kari's got my back no matter how far away she's going to be. Still nothing will save me from the abuse of M and Mike. Of course I know the trick is to ignore it and it will go away, (god I almost said something awful here, proof that my brain is shifting into evil mode a whole month in advance) but that would require me being a much bigger person than I am. Or maybe the problem is that I don't hurl abuse back at them. Sure they're formidable opponents, but I can take them. Okay. This October/November... the gloves are coming off.

As for reporting on their abuse, the trouble is that they tend to try and embarass me or gross me out, thereby ensuring that I won't repeat it as there are some things that I just will not say or put in writing. Either because it's evil and gross or just so incredibly dumb that I can't bring myself to acknowledge that I heard it in the first place.

HRH

Additon and subtraction

Let's start with the happy stuff. I have a new bicycle. I'd link to an image of it, but the site works on frames (evil) so I can't be sure you'll see it. It's cool. It's red, white and black, has front shocks and is the Author model Mystic SX. We did a little bit of riding yesterday, which was nice. M is sick today so we're not going to go on a huge trek until next weekend. Still, I'm happy with it.

The sad stuff. Kari has given notice at RFE, which means she's moving back to LA. October is going to be a grumpy month for me. Wendy leaving at the beginning, and Kari leaving at the end. I know they're moving on to good things and that they're done with Prague, so I'm trying to be happy for them. But try as I might, I can't be happy that I won't be able to see them all the time or that we're not going to have our wonderful shared exeperiences. It's hard to sing with each other over email. I'm sluking about it today and maybe tomorrow too. Then I'll be an adult about it.

Part of me had hoped that Kari would at least be able to stay until Mike came to visit. My reasons for this are totally selfish (as all reasons should be). It's better to have another girl around so Mike and M don't pick on me the entire week. Sigh.

HRH

Shook my groove thing

Belly dancing rocked. I've signed up for the rest of the year and apparently I have some skill at it. Our teacher didn't realize that Tania, Clara and I didn't speak Czech until after the class, so we really couldn't understand what she was instructing us to do... we we watched and copied. And it was a blast. I did understand that I was doing the moves well, since every time she came over to inspect me she smiled and said "Vyborne!" (excellent).

So now I'm going to have to find a scarf that makes noise, as the belly dancing moves are totally enchanced by the sounds of the metal chips on the scarf. And belly dancing music is excellent. She had some traditional stuff, but also some newer stuff that had some drum and bass elements.

Today my belly hurts a little, but in a good way, like I was working it. My arms are a bit sore as are my legs. Still I'm hooked. I managed to perform all the moves she taught us without feeling silly or conspicuous about my body... until we had to do the really fast shoulder shaking (like moving your shoulders back and forth, alternating each one, but really fast). I'm a woman of decent decoletage. I'm not like disproportionately large, I suit my build, but I'm not like Holland either. Needless to say when the shoulder shaking got going quickly, things got pretty funny, and I had to laugh. I'm going to have to tape myself down or something next time.

HRH

Kudos are in order

My former roommate Adrienne is engaged! You go girl. This means that every girl I’ve shared a room with is married or altar bound (of course there are only 2 of them, so it’s not like a huge statistical feat) While I’ve never seen her with her husband-to-be, I can happily say that I was there when they first met. Wendy will approve of this union as they met over a Beastie Boys song. Way back in 1996 or 1997, we were at Ritual at Clark Hall Pub. While we were getting wacky off purple juice, Adrienne decided that she needed to hear some Beastie Boys.

Let me digress for a moment. Adrienne is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I’ve never known her to be anything but herself, she’s brilliant with numbers and languages (people say that I’m good with organizing things, but this girl is like my Jedi Master), she danced ballet but was one of the biggest Beastie Boys fans I’ve ever met. She gets this glint in her eyes when she’s listening to them or "singing" along, which is cool because the excitement in her eyes contrasts to well with her chilled demeanor. She also laughs at all my jokes, which makes me think highly of her regardless. She’s one of those friends who I can not see for a couple of years and when we get together it’s like no time has passed. We also shared the bond of generally having guys for friends, so we would indulge in girly-ness sans typical women crap. It was cool.

Back to the story… Age (as she is known to most) requests (I think) The Sounds Of Science from Paul’s Boutique. A lesser known song, but dude, it’s good. Age comes back to the table reporting that the DJ seemed enthusiastic about the song, so odds were high we were going to see it. Several songs pass and the DJ says something to the effect of "I just want to tell the girl who requested this song that this is THE COOLEST request I’ve ever had." Age beamed with pride.

Years pass, relationships come and go, and one night Age meets this guy at a club, there’s a connection and after getting together a couple of times the start dating. And then it comes out… Ian is the DJ who played that song. I do hope they play it at the wedding. Leave it to Age to find her man doing something cool. She’s like that.

Tomorrow is her birthday (she’s a whole 3 days older than I am), so Happy Birthday Age! And enjoy planning your wedding. Well all know it’s going to be great… and cool.

HRH

Shake your groove thing

So tonight is my first belly dancing lesson.

I think that's all I need to say.

HRH

Satan is the only one who really understands

I couldn't really think of a good title for this blog and for some reason I woke up with the Cake song "Satan is my motor." That line always struck me as interesting. Not because I believe in god or satan, and think that one would be more sympathetic than the other (Name the movie - "He's trying to lead you down the path of rightousness. I'm going to lead you down the path that ROCKS."), it's just not something you'd hear every day.

I've started reading The Two Towers in preparation for the December release of the movie. Sure, the last time I read it was a year or so ago, but it's come to my attention that I never really absorbed what happens in each book since I read all three of them in one volume. That and M, who's never read The Lord of The Rings, keeps asking me questions about why certain things are happening in The Fellowship Of The Ring (mostly because I've watched the DVD about 4 times in the last 2 weeks), and if I give him misinformation I'll never hear the end it.

HRH

As if I needed another reason to become sickeningly wealthy

Sigh. Now if they were selling Princess Leia's jewelery or hair clips... I'd sell an kidney or something.

HRH

Busting out

This is something that should make Andrew a very happy camper...

HRH

Starlight

I don't know if anyone else is like this, but sometimes when I discover a new song that I like, I play it over and over for a couple of days. I don't play the rest of the CD (which makes M crazy, being a whole CD of listening kind of guy), but just the one song. Recently I've been obsessing over Eminem's Without me and Avril Lavinge's Complicated. Yesterday, M saved me from being brainwashed into the MTV cult and lent me a wonderful CD. A CD of music that I genuinely like, music that is not at the top of the charts but still being made in some cases. Sweet, sweet electronic music. I squealed with glee when he told me he had it ( I think I actually kissed him too) since I've been looking for a copy of this song for close to a year now.

There's this association from France called The Superman Lovers. I'm not calling them a group because the line up is apparently going to change from CD to CD. Anyway, they created this amazing song called Starlight, which is a perfect song to do the "cute girl" dance to, but not as irritating as the songs put out by the various incarnations of Daft Punk (must be a French thing). Anywho, it has a cuteness to it, but also an undeniable funkiness. It's one of the songs that I am inclined to dance to by myself in my living room (I use the mirror too Kari). I can almost imagine Mike and I dancing to it in the GW cube.

I miss that.

HRH

Curses

Love her as I do, damn Wendy for putting that stupid Eurotel song in my head. It's taken me almost 2 years to be free of it. 2 YEARS! Granted it is freaking hilarious to see everyone bobbing their heads to it when it comes on...

HRH

Vegetables can and will kill you

Last night, M and I made this healthy dinner. Not the usual simple thing we usually have, but we had spinach tortellini with basil sauce, a green leaf salad and then vegetables. Brocolli, Cauliflower, Carrots and Olives and lots of them. I was so proud of us that I took a photo of it so email to my mom. And we chowed down, telling our bodies to enjoy the vitamins cause it could be awhile until they get them again.

You'd think after chowing down on such healthy food we'd feel superb. But no. I was up all night with a stomach ache and M is feeling Gah today. If we'd just stuck to our usual borderline healthy eating, we'd be fine. It's almost 11 and my stomach still hurts. Evil veggies.

HRH

Birthdays

So today is my father's birthday, yet strangely enough I received an E-card from Star Wars Kids wishing me a happy birthday... a week early. It's not the first time this has happened either. It's like people and computer programs alike always seem to get my birthdate just a little bit off.

Ahh well, just means I get to celebrate over an extended period of time.

HRH

I'm Batman... BAT DANCE!

It's never too early for a little Prince. It is with joy that I have been intorduced to the blog of Mr. Ian "Batman" Neufeld (I'm html lazy today so you can find his link on the side bar). Ian often springs to mind when I begin the GW chant of "dance, dance, dance, dance...", spoken in a menacing whisper. My heart breaks for Ian as I see that he is still in the apex of evil known as Edmonton. Be strong of heart and the evil will not break you.

FYI Ian, Kari is one of my best girl-friends, who I met in Prague and am fiendishly trying to convince to stay in Prague and not move back to La-La land. My mother said that she and I act more like sisters than my actual sister and I do. Kari kicks very much of the ass, knows big words that scare me and can tell you all the names of the presidents, kings and prime ministers of all the Middle Eastern and Asian Countries. That's why she's always on my team for trivia night.

HRH

The fraud that is curling mascara

Yesterday M and I went shopping. We were looking for bicycles, but for some reason, all the bike shop owners in Prague don't think it's possible that someone might want to purchase a bike on Saturday afternoon. Nope, people only want to buy bikes, when they're at work or on Saturday moring when they're catching up on much needed rest.

Anyway, we didn't get bikes, so we went to the mall (2 malls in fact) and I hit Sephora. M laughed at me because apparently I can't walk into that store without buying something. Which I guess is true. Yesterday's purchases included my first ever purchase of curling mascara. "What is this?" ask all the men reading my blog. Well, it's mascara (obviously) that is formulated to make your lashes curl up, creating the look you get from using a lash curler, without having to put that device anywhere near your eyes. I have to confess. I don't use my lash curler very much. I find it uncomfortable and I've never really been able to see a difference. So either this means that the necessity of lash curling is just a lie created by the lash curler industry, or I have naturally curly eye lashes. Seeing as these are the only eye lashes I've ever had, I really can't say.

So I buy this premium (it's a nice way of saying expensive) mascara that is supposed to define AND curl. FleXtencils by Lancome in Brun Flex - Full Extension and Curving Mascara. I decided to get brown so I could really look like I had these natually curly lashes. Black would have been more dramatic, but would have tipped the "natural" hand. Plus, they were all out of black and there was no way I was buying blue (even though navy blue mascara makes the whites of your eyes whiter). There are no instructions on the box, so I assume that I just brush it on like all other mascaras. To be fair, the mascara is excellent. My lashes looked great, but no curlier. Maybe if I use the mascara it enhances what the actual eyelash curling device does. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm not upset about my purchase, as I have a really nice mascara to use. I still need to hunt down a decent black as I've been using this L'oreal Intensifique, which is pretty good for drugstore brand mascara, but has a tendency to clump and irritate my eyes. I have another brown mascara I bought by mistake (thinking it was black) by Clinique, called lash doubling mascara, which is good for day to day wear, but I need to pitch it soon as it's more than 6 months old and that's just dangerous (eye infections). Finally, like any good make-up hound I have the obigatory Maybelline Great Lash mascara in very black. A good cheap formula, but once you start using brushes that come with the premium brands, it's hard to embrace using the little great lash brush.

HRH

A sorta fairytale

There's a new Tori album on the way. I must confess that I wasn't really thrilled with the last one, as I prefer her own music to her covering the music of other people. M has been kind enough to lend me his laptop at work, so I can listen to the new single while I'm "working." I think I like it. It feels like a fall song. You know, slower, more thoughtful, kind of the way we are in the fall. It makes me want to wear big sweaters, drink tea and speak with big intelligent words.

Only Tori can break my heart and give me hope at the same time. While this fall looks like I'm going to be one of the harder ones I've had, I feel like it could be a good time for introspection. I'm not where I thought I would be at this age, and I think it's a good thing. However, now that I've accepted and embraced my life as it is, I'd like to understand it. I'm not looking for some huge altering change, but like minor tweaking.

HRH

Oh no. We don't want your money

I'm one of those people who wholehartedly embraces technology and the wonder that is Internet shopping. Though I'm going t give up on it soon... Know why? Because the secure servers the companys have are so damn slow. And apprently Chapers.Indigo.ca doesn't let you send things as gifts. Not only are they wasting my time with their slow server, but they're also forcing me to do that so unclassy thing of letting the person recieving the gift see the price.

I'm shopping at Amazon now.

HRH

The Two Towers

I'm reading this column on Eonline about the stars of Lord of the Rings, and their dramatic love lives. And, whatever, I'm not even sure why I read the column. I guess I like to know what's happening, even if it is the lives of the beautiful people. Anyway, this thing about Vigo, Orlando and Elijah also included some spoilers about the romantic tone of The Two Towers...

Arrrrh... there be spoilers below for people who haven't read The Two Towers

In the book, Eowyn, the horse riding, sword weilding lady of Rohan (read: Tom-boy) falls for Aragorn. He's all, "yes you're beautiful and strong and many other good things, but I am betrothed to the fairest of the Elves, Arwen." And she's sad, throws herself at him some (bitch, he's taken), but then finds her own path and her own love without ruining the incredible romance of Aragorn and Arwen. This article suggested that Aragorn would be less than honourable, shifting from his "I'm very flattered and honoured by your affection, but I'm going to pass" to "Maybe I have time to chase some tail before I invade Mordor and take my place as King of Men." These trashy hollywood types are smutting-up my heroes...

It is, however, entirely possible that I'm just falling prey to hype.

I quote here: As last year's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring left off, Mortensen (Aragorn) and Tyler (Arwen) were clearly headed for a romantic something, right? Yep. And nope.

"There's going to be a romantic triangle in the next one," said a source ultra-connected to this year's holiday offering. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, I'm told, might more aptly be titled Ménage à Towers, as Arwen's desires for Aragorn get rather complicated by the arrival of an unladylike Lady Eowyn (played by What Lies Beneath's Otto). "We sexed it up a bit," admits a Ringsmaster.
"... there will be plenty of tension between the three."

Spoilers above for those who haven't read The Two Towers. Watch your head.

Maybe they're just talking about what happens in the book, I do hope so. Maybe things will stay as they were and this is all just part of sucking in the people who enjoy watching scandal (I'm sure I've been one of those people once in awhile). I truly hope so. Please don't mess with my book too much Peter Jackson!

Who the hell "sexes up" Tolkien?

HRH

Gablabberflluushed

You know, maybe the interview wasn't so bad, but I feel like I might as well just made mornic moaning noises. Maybe I'd feel better about it. I think it went okay. I'm just not meant for radio. And dude, was I nevous.

At least no one knows me in Africa.

HRH

Nerves

South Africa will be calling me any minute now. And of course, there are far too many people in my office. I'm nervous, so I'm edgy. I'm sure it's not a big deal at all. I'm just nervous. Did I mention the nervous before.

Oddly enough, I think my co-worker Irena is actually more nervous than I am. It's like sympathy nerves. Richard, the other person in my office, thinks that by making totally not funny jokes and teasing me, I'll feel better. It's so not working and is in fact making me more tense. You'd think the fact that I'm not laughing or relaxing he'd clue in a realize that it's n-o-t working.

Okay, people are getting quiet. Thankfully they're going to leave when they call me, as I'd just be too nervous to do this in front of people.

Tick Tock.

HRH

Why am I not being serious?

Yeah, it's been a year. I guess I should have written sooner, like this was the first thing on my mind this morning. But to be honest, it wasn't. It was pretty late in crossing my mind and when it did... well, I didn't have a moment of horrible pain or sorrow. Just my continuing drive to keep working and keep living.

I'm not a good mourner. Never have been.

I remember where I was last year. I was at SPUSA, I was about to teach a class and the Mona came in a told me that the first plane had hit. It was just about an hour earlier than it is now. I knew before a lot of people, but didn't see anything on TV until much later. I made a lot of phone calls to be sure that everyone was okay. And they were.

I've been really lucky living here. I wasn't inundated with everything like people back home were. Yes, I was sad, angry and sickened by it, but not crippled by it. I've talked about it a lot, with most people I've met. It was a huge thing. There are going to be memorials, film premires of 11.09.01, television shows, and in many ways, tonight is my chance to see a lot of the things I'd missed by living here and not having satellite. I wonder if I'll take it.

I remember last year, we went for Italian food.

HRH

It simply blows my mind

I survivied lunch and even had some nice asparagus soup. After talking with Kari, I thought I'd actually follow the link on her blog to learn how to... I can't even type it. Look for yourselves.

Having been to this site, a malestrom of questions pop into my brain. How did Kari find this site? When did this become such a phenomenon? Why is it totally freaking me out? And, well, gah. I rather like the privacy that women's restrooms afford and, well there are many other things I could say about this, but frankly, I just don't think they should be said.

HRH

I have a bad feeling about this.

Kari had this great idea of having lunch with Wendy and I in the restaurant in the Zizkov television tower. It's the highest structure in Prague, like a little brother to the CN tower, and really ugly. I think the idea of dining up high is cool, however it dawned on me that today might not be the day to be dining in high structres in populated areas. Areas in proximity to a much hated US insitution (hated by the people with the big hate on for the US) - Radio Free Europe.

Nothing is going to happen. If they were to attack on a large scale, it wouldn't be here and it wouldn't be today. And it's not like me to be afraid of living my life.

Just somehow it seems like a bad idea.

HRH

If I had a hammer..

I'd walk nextdoor and bash the heads in of the moronic drunk guys who think they're the next best thing in singing. I'm all for singing, but at appropriate times, like as in not at 12:30 a.m. in a space that is open to several apartment buildings. Singing at the top of their most certianly drunk lungs. I'm trying to think of something I can throw at them, or maybe I can create some sort of bomb form cat litter that will silence them and tell them what I think of their singing. Oh no, it would have to be made out of used cat litter.

Noise makes me insane. Very much so when I'm trying to sleep because I have a meeting very early in the morning and I need sleep because I've had a very stressful day and odds are tomorrow will be like that. I'm really happy for these merry minstrels that they don't have responsibilties that entail them being awake, alert and competent at early hours. How fucking nice for them. I'm not sure when I decided to wage total war on them. Was it all the crappy Czech songs they were singing (I'm sure they're great songs, I'm just reallly cheesed), or when they started singing the song that never ends "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" or when the one guy burst into a version of "A Sol Amio" that was just a couple notes high of his actual singing range. Maybe, in trying to hit the high note he actually ruined his vocal chords. Nope... he's singing again.

It's so loud its inescapable. And now he's singing Queen. Maybe there is some sort of God and it really, really doesn't like me.

This is war. Off to build the kitty litter bomb.

HRH

Oh my god! I was wrong... it was Earth all a long.

I feel compelled to share this with you all. From Kari:

OH! I misused my fancy word. I called you a pederast, which actually
means sodomy between two men, USUALLY a man and a young boy. but that
has nothing to do with you and Hayden. I thought it meant child molester. I apologize. I should have called you a pedophile. ;)

HRH

A star is born?

So I'm getting an unusual amount of media attention for a girl who works for an NGO. This morning, my mother eamils me that the local Kingston paper is indeed going to write about the flood relief fund, but they'd also like some info about me. Gah. I freaked. Mum calmed me down, but I'm still not so good with attention. Especially when the attention comes from my hometown, which I left. Eeeek!

Then I get a call from a South African radio station that wants to interview me on Thursday about the Endowment Fund and about being an expat in Prague. Mental I tell you. I think I have to be one of the worst people in the world to be on radio. I have this sillly nervous giggle and I mumble.

From my mother:

I think you will be fine. Your enunciation has become clear and normal since you started teaching ESL, and I haven't heard your nervous giggle for a long long time. You come across to us as being confident, experienced and controlled. Just pretend Daddy and M and I are your listeners! (just don't imagine us in our underwear - or you'll guffaw!) And for god's sake, don't blow your nose on the air - there will be mass hearing impairment!

Cool thing this entire experience has taught me... South African emails end in .za

Life never ceases to amaze me.

HRH

You actually go outside in these things?

Yep, I watched X-men last night. It saddens me to realize it, but I can't take Ian McKellen seriously as Magnito after just having watched him as Gandalf. It's like a problem I had when I was yonger with Star Wars. I watched this movie where Alec Guniess was playing Hitler of all people, but he was doing it with the same tone and intonation as Obi Wan Kenobi. Talk about messing up your perceptions of things.

I had no idea Wendy liked Primus so much. I once dated a guy who liked Primus a whole heck of a lot and I just didn't get it. Yes, Les Claypool is a very talented bassist, but I just can't get into the music. It's like the soundtrack to a kindergarten full of kids with attention deficit disorder.

Mike is back from Vay-Kay and you know, we were all checking on his blog every day to see if he'd posted. But he stayed true to his promise and even sent out a ltitle something to all of us in the Old World before it became Tuesday. It was seen and much appreciated as Mike's electronic presence was greatly missed. Almost as much as his actual presence is missed.

I'm about to head off for my Czech lesson. It's something I know I must do and I want to do well, but I just so bad with languages. I didn't think I was, but apparently I am. Sometimes when Czech class makes me feel particularly dumb (and not by any fault of my teacher, she's kind and understanding) I buy a French or a German newspaper and read it to make myself feel better. In fact I had a moment of "maybe I'm not retarded with langauges" last week. A friend of M's and mine from Munich, who has moved to Australlia for a year sent us both messages telling us her new mobile number. Of course, almost all of her friends are German, the message was in German. But I'm pretty sure I understood it and that was a little triumph in my battle against languages.

Off I go to fight the battle of personal pronouns and prepositions. I used to think it was declining the nouns and adjectives that was hard, but no... the real evil in Czech is pronouns. At least for this week.

HRH

I thought that I had walked into a dream.

I got all pro-ed up today for this meeting I was sure I was supposed to have this morning. I'm wearing the skirt from my new suit, a flattering top, the "I'm a smart, well dressed and classy girl" shoes are on and I even blew my hair dry last night, allowing it to assume it's proper glory. And guess what... The meeting is NEXT Monday. I may be really cute today, but I'm still a bit dumb.

I have to say, I had an excellent sleep last night. Very restful. I wasn't too hot or was I too cold. The cat woke me up once, but I fell back asleep very quickly. And I had some awsome dreams. Dreams that ended the way I wanted and didn't turn into the ones where I'm stuck in a dream loop, using all my mental energy to take of my sweater. It amazes me how many of my dreams end up with me trying to take off or put on a peice of clothing and not being able to do so, and getting stuck on it. I wake up very frustrated from dreams like that. Or I wake up terrified from dreams where I'm being chased by what I think are actors from Law & Order, and no matter how fast or far I run, they're always right behind me. I have that dream less and less, now that I don't really see Law & Order anymore.

Anyway, niether of those dreams happened last night. Everything was pleasant and there was no looping. There were factets of Lord of the Rings, Buffy & Angel, music from my current favourite band Muse and the more pleasant aspects of actual reality. It was a nice way to start my week. Of course, now I don't really want to work, I just want to go back to my dream. Which I can't do, because I'll just end up tangled in my sweater or trying to lace up skates for 4 hours.

I can't work right now anyway. I'm waiting. One of the 84 pieces of e-junk mail I receieved on my computer today is corrupt, so I have to wait as the saintly IT guy goes through my outlook express and removes the evil message. However, I can hear him in the finance office making the ladies there giggle, as he's known to do. I don't think I'm forgettable, yet he always manages to forget me. And I wait. I wonder why I get so much junk mail in Chinese? I wonder why people send junk mail? Is anyone that dumb that they'd click over and learn how to enlarge various parts of their body? It's like the people who buy the sea monkeys that are advertised in the back of Archie comics.

Speaking of Archie, I've been asked ot join a girl band. It should be fun, but we're going to be named Betty. Which I guess is cool, but I always liked Veronica better. Come to think of it, I never really liked Archie that much, and wondered why Veronica would waste her time with him. Reggie was cuter.

Okay, now I'm writing about nothing... maybe I can organize all the staionary in the office.

HRH

Why live life from dream to dream...

It has been a great weekend for movies. First on Friday, when I took the afteroon off to do some writing for work, I watched Lord of the Rings while sitting in bed with my lap top. That's working I tell you. Of course when 7000 Czech students get their lesson plans on battery power and read it like some epic struggle between positive and negative leads, at least we'll know why. "Frodo, the lithium-ion battery must be recharged. The only way is to run a current through it, negative current to the one that drained it. This current can only be found in the fires of Mount DOOM!"

Later that night, after several vodka based cocktails and some sekt, the supergirls and I watched The Sound of Music and much singing, laughing and fun was had. Wendy had the most fun I think because she spent most of the night going through my In Style magazines, oohing and ahhing at all the pretty clothes and products you can buy in the New World. I think she almost gave up on law school in the hope that she could just join the working world, make some coin and buy some very pretty shoes. It's a future that awaits many of us.

Kari and I spent Saturday evening eating overpriced, but oh so worth it and much needed sushi at Slovansky Dum. We sat on the patio and I told her the sorted details of the history of my love life. Girl meets boy, boy convinces girl to commit, girl finds boy boring and possessive or boy moves to Alberta, girl leaves boy. Lather, rinse, repeat. After that, we watched Moulin Rouge. And there was much singing along and Kari drooling over Ewan M. (Sorry, but he's short).

Speaking of people in Star Wars, my lastest issue of In Style, the "What's sexy now" issue, has a wonderful photo of cape-boy himself Hayden Christensen. Of course no one else seems to be as impressed by it as I am. M: "I don't like him." Wendy and Kari: "You're a pedophile." (okay Kari used a different and more difficult word, a word you would know if you had your masters in journalism, which I don't). Totally unfair. I'm like 4 years older than the guy! And I'm not even old. When did I turn into Joan Collins? Anyway, it's a nice photo and he looks nice, even without the cape.

And guess how much the collectors edition of the lightsaber costs... about $300 USD. I guess I know why nerds are paid so much. Collecting all those toys is expensive.

HRH

I am 25 going on 26, I know that I'm naive...

M is having a bonding weekend with his dad, so I have the place to myself. Weeeee. What have I done with my short term solitude? Last night the supergirls and I went to Radost for dinner. Really I shouldn't have had the Tirimisu. I know it's my favourite dish, but I'd alreadyhad dessert once this week, and really, as tirimisu goes, it really wasn't worth the dessert guilt I had about it. Anyway, after that, I had the girls over and we finally showed Kari The Sound Of Music. And that was totally fun. Fun aided by the two bottles of sekt we picked up at the train station. Dude, did I ever feel like a class high roller walking out of the convenince store double fisting bottles of sekt. And of course, I have the sekt headache this morning, which is okay, since I had so much fun, and got to sing.

I'm totally going back to Austria.

Today, I'm "cleaning." And by cleaning, I doing just enough to make things smell and look presentable. Once the last load of laundry is done I'm going to head out to the park for a walk. It's been awhile since I've been for a walk in the woods. I wonder if I'll still like it. And I wonder if it will do anything for my hangover.

HRH

Whump!

Dude, I am tired. And there's nothing that makes you feel more tired than realizing that your only real chance a rest is months upon months away. Okay, maybe there will be a restful weekend retreat to the Sumava mountains somewhere in there. But this tired is only going to get worse. And you know what, I'm going to vent about it for a moment.

My boss had her first child today. At 3 a.m. she was born and dude, that's cool. But what's less cool is that there's no replacement for her. So my collegue and I are doing the work of 3 with 2. Which I think we could have done pretty easily before all this flood fund business started. Now I'm feeling just a little overwhelmed. And there are going to be 2 fundraisers this fall, and I've already had one sleepless night about the one coming in October. Irena and I are working our butts off. And that's tiring. Fufilling, yes, but tiring. It would be less so if this were my only job, but it's one of 3. And I really should stop teaching, but I'm actually considering taking on more classes to make more money. I want a vacation by the sea next year and those don't come so cheap.

Maybe it's a product of the fall air. This was always the time of year when I was crazy busy at school after a month or so of working. Maybe I feel like I slacker if less than one moment of my day isn't devoted to productivity. Of course that's never the way it is, but my sily brain always invisions it like that. I always feel like I need to do more. Work more, learn more, clean more. That's why I actually need a vaction out of the city. Where I can't do any of that. Weekends aren't restful for me. I spend them cleaning and shopping, even if I don't have to. Granted there's some great dinners and movies in there too.

I've lost my perspective on things today. I'm just too tired, so everything is really blown out of proportion. I'm going to go home and take a nap... naps are good.

HRH

The perfect gift

If anyone is wondering what to get me for my upcoming birthday or this chirstmas, the search is over. I want THIS. I've dreamt of owning one of these. This is the perfect gift.

HRH

Holy crow

M blogged! I thought I was going to have to sustain myself on Kari's posts for the week while Mike was on Vay-Kay (I can't believe that he wouldn't blog... not even once... please?) and Wendy was living the computer free unemployed life. This seemed a little silly since Kari and I pretty much constantly email all day when we're working and then at night we sms. It's kind of like what Xander says to Willow when she's in that coma in Becoming Pt.2 "Who am I going to call at night and talk about the things we did all day."

Anyway, M came out of the blue and blogged, making my blog world a little bigger and not making my life seem like one big hmtl converstaion with Kari. Not like that's a bad thing, but it's always good to have a little diversity in the mix to keep things fresh.

HRH

A different world

I was going to write this long blog about my personal philosophy and my reflections of the evils of mysticism, but I'm not going to. Some things just don't need to be said.

I've just finished reading this story about the 9/11 terrorist attacks from the LA times. It's a novel and it's heavy. Not in the heavy "giving a face to the dead" kind of way, but in the way that it outines some of the planning behind executing the attacks. It's horrific. And the only thought that goes through my mind is "how is that were all exsiting in the same reality." I know I'm sheltered and pretty naive, but it's all so unfathomable.

Happy thoughts will return. As reality is full of more reasons for happiness than sadness.

HRH

Possessions

So M pointed out this blog of a girl who he said is just like me. Or at least in the sense that she enjoys and values many of the same things I do (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, also plays the double bass). Which was cool. (see how I'm not doing that thing where I freak out and feel like my entire identity is being challenge and somehow comprimised by someone I don't know sharing the same interests as I do. That said, should this girl and I ever meet, you all know I'd get offensively competative. But I'm not doing that. See.) Anyway, it got me thinking about the 7 material things I value the most, which is hard to know as most of my possessions are in storage (a scary thought when you look at so much stuff I have that's not in storage) and not on my mind. I imagine I'm going to cry and feel like I've been reunited with old friends when I go though it all someday). Anyway, dealing with what I know here goes. Oh, and I'm doing 10:

My list of most valued material items.

1. My Palm Pilot/Mobile phone (just waiting for the 2 to be joined)
2. My Double Bass (we've been separated for 2 years now. 'sniff')
3. Bundy, the puppet rabbit I've had since I was born. Looks like it too.
4. My widescreen THX version of the Star Wars Trilogy
5. My mini disc recorder/player/walkman.
6. The silver locket my Mother gave me for my 16th birthday.
7. My dress for the 2000 Science Formal.
8. My Buffy DVDs.
9. My transcript from NYU.
10.My Tori Amos and Massive Attack singles.

HRH

Temperature

I just want to tell everyone that it's al