Beer Gardens - You Gotta Lov'em

One thing I especially appreciate about this part of the world is the beer garden. What can be better than sitting at a picnic table, under the shelter of chestnut trees, gently downing a beer or "pivo", enjoying an evening breeze on a warm night, and engaging in conversation ranging from types of dogs to Monster Truck "Sunday, Sunday, Sundays" to the current fad of bringing pet rabbits to restaurants and bars near Old Town Square?

I'm really enjoying the convenience of my current apartment. This is coming from a girl who lived in Hoboken NJ and was intimately familiar with the late night schedule of the PATH train from 33rd St and Christopher Street. Let me tell you: it was brutal some nights; waiting for the PATH rivaled a trip to the dentist in terms of pleasure. When I worked in Manhattan, absolutely NO ONE wanted to make the trek out to Frank Sinatra's stomping grounds. No... we had to cajole and offer rides to our parties and dinners. Of course, it all worked out in the end...friends did eventually come. Never forget that classic American baseball flick, Field of Dreams. I can tell you it is true: Build it and they will come. I still miss the breath-taking view of lower Manhattan from Pier A and B in Hoboken, but it sure did take a whole lotta effort.

But, back to convenience. Get this: I live less than 3 minutes walk from a happening beer garden, Riegrovy Sady. I don't need to stand in line at the port-a-pot. I do love my ability to walk almost anywhere in center city Prague. It's fantastic. As an American, to drive down free-ways, with the windows rolled down, and jiving to one's favorite tunes blaring in the background is the mark of freedom, but I'm a firm believer that to be car free and with happy feet is the true liberty!

The Whiz Kids are it Again in Washington

A record 288 young bucks or brains rather are at it again in Washington, D.C., competing in one of our most cherished American traditions: the Scripps National Spelling Bee. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/ap_on_re_us/spelling_bee_5)

Looking at the likes of words such as “ambuscade”, “Manhattanese”, “pinyin”, “eidetic” makes me wonder if I still have it in me. I'd like to think the answer is yes, but, man, do these kids today blow my socks off…

For those of us nerds - yes, I am lumping myself in that camp - an all expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., including air travel and 5 days at a luxury hotel with a parent or guardian was the ultimate reward and satisfaction for enduring other kids’ wise cracks, teachers making a spectacle of you in and out of class, endless nights of falling asleep to tapes of yourself spelling out words, and evening after evening at the kitchen table with the monster of all monsters: Webster's Third New International.

It is hard to believe now in my early 30s, but competing in the National Spelling Bee was a monumental event – a turning point – at the age of 11. For the first time in my life, I realized that if I worked really, really hard, I achieved pretty darn good results and could actually go places. No offense to Binghamton or Chenango Forks Middle School, but the Scripps National Spelling Bee truly opened a door to the wider world not just of unchartered cities and geography, but of opportunity. I was simply so excited to experience life beyond the Southern Tier of New York.

So, what did donning my lucky pair of golden shoes (yes, I actually wore a pair of gold-tinged loafers through every competition) and living and breathing and SPELLING “radzimir”, “filiopietistic”, “ichthyology”, and “zymurology” to name just a few get me… my first ever airplane ride, a special dinner with Mom at Trader Vic’s, champagne brunch (also with Mom), fried bananas, bbq and a Fife and Drum Corp welcoming at George Mason’s estate, Italian with the WHOLE family at Filomena’s in Georgetown, Stephanie making pasta with the Italian ladies in Filomena's window … and the list could go on and on. Of course, eventually, there came “galvanneal” and “debabelization” and ultimately the fatal bell that led me to the "consolation room" where I was greeted by the warm and welcoming embrace of my grandfather and the rest of my Fetzko and Wyszkowski family.

What a ride it was and it is…

Thanks, God.

Running Just to Stand Still

Yes, it has been a while. I don't know where the month of May went. Fortunately, it is not yet over... sigh. With the passing of the month, I will actually hit my 6 month mark, which is hard to fathom. A good friend recently pointed out to me that there is a difference between a defined term and an open-ended move overseas. And, Anna was so right. One processes the two situations in very different ways. The former is temporary, with a known start and end date; the latter ventures into the great unknown. I can't exactly say I feel at home quite yet, but I guess I'm a few steps closer.

Last week was a killer. We had proposals due and along with them a whole lot of moving parts. Somehow, I'd like to think by the grace of God, we pulled it off. I even left work on Friday a little early and caught a bus to Rokytnice nad Jezorou (http://www.rokytnice.com/) for a church retreat. I have to say northern Bohemia is my new favorite place in the country. I love the mountains there, the Krkonose, close to the Polish border. I hiked in the area on May 8th and got to hike yet again this past weekend near the ski slopes.

One of the key themes of the church retreat was "pilgrim or drifter" - what it means to live with purpose and out of our comfort zone for that is truly when God uses us. I came away refreshed and rejuvenated, more able to listen and still myself, and most importantly, with a greater sense of community and the importance of fellowship. We humans are made for relationship - we not only crave it, but require it. The retreat provided the perfect opportunity to get to know people better, including the adorable kids I see running around pews and the like. I came away feeling like I ever so slowly am actually laying down some roots here in the Czech Republic.

Hmmm, what else might be of interest... I actually got up at 6 am this morning and braved the exhaust-filled Prague 2 and Prague 1, and made my way to the Vltava river bank, where I ran up to the mythic Libuse's bath near Vysehrad.


It felt so good to get up early and to run. Of course, I mixed in some walking, too. Who knows, maybe I'll get back in form and do the Budapest 1/2 marathon this fall. We'll see. I still have a far way to go in that respect! Unfortunately, my right hip's bursitis flairs up whenever I get a bit too jogging-happy.

In other news, I played my first game of Risk and lost. I have also taken up cross-stitching, starting with a traditional Slovak pattern, thanks to my dear friend Hanka. I'm sad to say I haven't gotten all that far, but I have hope.

Well, Russian homework is calling...

Weekend update: Wet, wet, baby

Highlights of the weekend:

Getting caught in a torrential downpour on Friday evening on my way home after work. I literally had to hang my clothes and put a towel around my head once I walked in my flat. It was crazy... and I didn't make it easy on myself. Resolved to simply walk up the hill home, I refused to stop and wait out the storm under a store awning. No, as they say in Polish: stubborn like a donkey, that is me.

On Saturday, I hit the ceramics fair in the town of Beroun, a short 40 minute train ride from Prague's Hlavni Nadrazi, passing by Karlstejn castle. Together with Steph from work and her friend in from Geneva, we traversed the main square during dry spells, hitting nearly every stall, in search of ART! When the rain fell, which it persistently did intermittently, we successfully scored a table with a smiley elderly Czech lady and a Popular Mechanic magazine reading/pivo drinking Czech man. We were mad shoppers. My big purchases of the day: an off-green, leaf-motif vase; a decorative aqua-brown bowl; and two mugs in similar color family, i.e. green and aqua. Oh, and I bought lavender.... it smells amazing!

Then on Sunday, I continued the arts and crafts theme of the weekend following a morning sermon on faith. After a lovely lunch with Daniel and Hanka, including coffee, poppy seed roll (as well as raisin roll), and pudding, I started my first Slovak pattern cross-stitch. It will be a monotone blue threaded, snow-flake-like pattern in the shape of a coffee table runner. It was so relaxing to do something with my hands. I can't say I'll be changing my career anytime soon, but hopefully I'll be less stressed :)