Káva Káva Káva

This is for you, KT.

FYI, I might have been a little dramatic when I said there is no good coffee in this town. This is actually right around the corner from my place and it's decent. It cost 42Kč (approximately $2). Sure that's not expensive in America (it's no FourBucks), but it is by Czech standards. 


Be comforted that good coffee does exist if you search for it. You just have to get through a hundred cups of instant "coffee" first.

Continuation: Vyšehrad

My house is some where in the middle there.

I'm a dirty cheater, I know. Deal with it.

Sneak Preview: Vyšehrad

This is just a sneak preview.

Check out Tales of a Traveling Texan on Sunday and there should be a full account of our three-hour trek around Vyšehrad.

Time Goes On

Random clock tower near my apartment.

I actually heard this sucker going off when I left my apartment at 7 a.m. the other day. Who rings bells at 7 a.m. on a Thursday?


** Sorry for the delay. I'm having computer issues.

Snow Attack!

It snowed all day long. 

** Sorry for the delay. I'm having computer issues which started about four minutes before I took this pictures and I realized about 30 seconds after I took it. Damned water bottle.

I'll Take Warm

So I definitely have an absurd and irrational fear of radiators. 

I honestly think I can blame this one on either movies or the news. Or both. Either way, I fall asleep anxiously concerned that my radiator is going to light the entire building on fire (which is not even feasible as long as you don't put anything flammable on it). 

Sleep warm and fearful or cold and at peace? I'll take warm.

Laundry Without a Dryer

Not having a dryer sometimes sucks.

But honestly, it sucked more in Taiwan. There is was humid and polluted and even if you hung your clothes immediately they ended up smelling gross and often took what felt like a hundred years to dry.


With this drying rack, at least things tend to dry relatively quickly and there's lots of room for everything in a relatively condensed space. I suppose I can get used to this.

Bring It On, Winter

It snowed again.

Not only did it snow, it snowed basically all night long. I woke up to about two to three inches of pretty powder. Some people thought I wouldn't make it living in snow. I'm showing them!


Get back to me later this week. The high on Friday is -4°C (roughly 25°F) and the low is something like -13°C (about 8°F).

Two for One: Around the House

Bevo chilling out with the awesome quilt my college roommate made and gave to me for Christmas.

Today you get two photos. It just so happens that I have a lot of really creative, crafty, amazing friends. Meghan gave me this awesome quilt. She made it back in the summer and when I was home for those two months I spent a lot of time telling her how awesome I think it is. 


No, I wasn't dropping hints. I am just thoroughly impressed by her quilt-making powers.

Then Flannery gave me this awesome garland she made. 

Flannery tried her best to make sure Texas occurred as many times as possible on this garland, so it's one of the major features on what is slowly becoming my Texas wall. You'll also find the Texas handkerchief she gave me more than a year ago as a gift and a bunch of postcards she has sent me (including one with Lady Bird Johnson's smiling face). 


Hopefully I'll be adding more postcards and stuff soon. Either way, I think it's pretty amazing I have such badass crafty friends.

Why Prague?

Does this answer your question?

People, especially Czechs, often ask me why I chose Prague. Why not Paris or London? Why not, well, any where else? 


I don't think you need any more of an answer than a photo like this. It's winter. It's pretty cold outside. But I still love walking around this city and seeing amazing views like this.

Praha 90210

The Peach Pit is only a few blocks from our apartment... and has karaoke on Wednesdays.

If you've ever been a Beverly Hills 90210 fan then you know this is hilarious. They played lots of '90s music. Just as we were getting ready to leave they started playing the theme song to the show, then promptly switched over to techno music. Good timing.


**One of my roommates borrowed my camera yesterday so today's pictures is courtesy of my roomie Zuzka.

It's Winter Wonderland-y Again

Ah, A fresh dusting of snow and the sunrise. What better way to start the morning?

It was was all rain/sleet/snow all day yesterday so I was really happy to wake up to find out it was actual snow on the ground and not ice. I was afraid would be another one of those falling down days. Luckily, it's pretty easy to walk in fresh snow.

Full Moon

There was a full moon tonight. 

Crazy how the clouds kept opening up to let it shine through. It was awfully pretty.

Before Dawn

When I left for work this morning it was still dark. 

Open Card!

Public transport, zoo discounts and library books will be mine!

My Open Card came in two days early which is the best thing ever because now I can buy a month transportation pass to put on it instead of buying a pass every time I get on the metro. It's been adding up. 

Hooray for saving money!

Love Padlocks

Love Padlocks on Velkoprevorske Namesti.

Apparently love padlocks are a worldwide tradition (which I had never heard of) in which lovers lock a padlock onto a fence or bridge railing such as this and then throw away the key. 

When I first saw this I was like, "Oh that's cool," but I had no idea why it was there. I figured it was some form of random Czech art (because it's everywhere). But then I did some research and now I think it's super sweet. 

Has anyone ever seen something like this anywhere else before?

P.S. Yes, I cheated and I took this picture on Satuday, but it's TOO cool not give give it's own story.

David Černý's "Brownnosers"

Yep. That's me with my head inside an asshole.

David Černý is a piece of work. We went to Futura Gallery and this was the crowning moment of a seriously bizarre hour. Most of us came out not knowing what the hell had happened.

Who Needs Instructions Anyway

Instructions in every language imaginable... except English.

P.S. I know I'm kind of late, but I passed out much earlier than planned Friday night and didn't get a chance to post this before. But I did take it on the 14th and that's the important part.

You've Got Mail

I love getting packages in the mail.

If it weren't for the need to transport actual goods rather than just information, snail mail would be dead. I think we all knew that already.

I'm glad it's not dead though. I like receiving packages and postcards and what not from family and friends.

I'm creating a Texas wall with postcards and such things. I'm sure that will make an appearance here as soon as it's gotten along a little further.

Until then, thanks to my big sister for sending me my super winter clothes, warmers and some home-made cider-y mix. Yum.

I'm Melting! Melting!

The snow has nearly all melted away.

Luckily (?) it's supposed to snow again tomorrow. Unfortunately, (seriously!) it's supposed to rain through the weekend.

Make up your damn mind, Mother Nature.

**Sidenote: Wizard of Oz - favorite movie of all time

Life-size Diarama

This makes me think of something akin to a life-size diarama.

OK so even I'll admit this can be slightly creepy, but it was just so painfully obvious to me that this could make an awesome picture. 

All through my class, I couldn't help but look out the window while I was waiting for my students to finish the tasks I had assigned. I wasn't totally spying on anyone, but I thought it was interesting how we go on with our lives as though no one is watching when — in reality — someone might be.

It's kind of like a behavioral scientist's wet dream — an unadulterated life-size observation experiment.

I Love Public Transportation.

Who needs a car when you have trains and trams. Though I'm still not a huge fan of buses.

A Little Crowded Around Here

See what I mean by too many books? I mean, look at all those cook books!

Also, is it possible to have too many Lonely Planet books? I even gave my Taiwan one away when I left. Oh well, at least I don't walk around with my nose constantly buried in one. They're just such great reference!

And yes, I realize there is an obscene amount of Texas paraphernalia. Wait 'til y'all see my Texas wall.

Grocery Store Adventures

"Uhm, there are feathers on these eggs..." — Zuzka

Also, check out the pictures in my Picasa Web Albums where you'll see that the Czechs post helpful visual aids in the grocery store. There are little pigs beneath the pork products, cows beneath the beef and chickens beneath the chicken.

You know, just in case you weren't sure. (Honestly, sometimes I'm not.)

Bud. Weis. Er.

This Budweiser company actually makes good beer.

Let's be honest, the Czechs just don't even know how to make bad beer.

Apparently there are three companies out their name Budweiser, the Czech — Budweiser Bier Bürgerbräu (which came first dammit), the American — Anheuser-Busch *cringe*, and the other Czech one — Budweiser Budvar.

Trust me when I say Czech Budweiser is infinitely better.

We'll likely visit this subject again when I get a chance to visit my friend in České Budějovice.

David Černý's "Horse"

Ever heard of the phrase, "Beating a dead horse"?

This is essentially a representation of St. Wenceslas (patron saint of the Czech Republic) riding an upturned dead horse. Ever heard the phrase, "Beating a dead horse"? I think you get it.

 

As for the artist, David Černý, this guy has been to jail for his art and continues to produce what can easily be classified as controversial art. His stuff is all over town so believe me when I say you'll be seeing more of it. I'm only sad that some of his installations tend to be temporary and so I've missed out on what seem to have been some of the more impressive/alarming ones.

Václavská Klobása

Sausage is just amazing in this country.

I'm seriously never going back to regular hot dogs. However, did you know how difficult it is to eat with gloves on? Even the ones like mine where you can pull the mitten cover off and go fingerless. So difficult

Jiřího z Poděbrad

Church of the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord

 

 

Sky Over Smíchovské Nádraží

Have I ever mentioned how much I am in love with clouds?

This View Ain't So Bad.

The view from my room in my new apartment in Prague.

This is going to be a lovely year.

Happy Flippin' New Year, Folks!

I could not in a million years have made a better face than this. 

Yay, Champagne! Happy New Year!