New format & more

In case you haven't noticed, I have changed the format of this blog. I like this one better - it's kind of girly, and the colors are relaxing and nice.

So, people ask me, what's going on, how's life in Prague? And there's not that much to say. We are (still) just relaxing and taking it easy. I have been sick for two weeks, but that hasn't stopped me (much) from going out, especially this week as the illness has wound down.

I am still learning Czech, teaching myself with the help of a pretty good text book and accompanying exercise book by Lída Holá called "Czech Step by Step". Czech is so darn hard to learn it's crazy. Here's some examples of things I know, and say often:

"Vím" - I know
"Nevím" - I don't know
"Rozumim" - I understand "Dobry den" - Good day (said when you walk into a store, restaurant, pub, etc.)
"Na shledanou" - See you later (said when you leave a place or person)
"Ahoj" - Hello
"Čau" - Hello, Goodbye
"Dam si velky pivo" - I would like a large beer
"Ano" - Yes
"Ne" - No
"Pujdeme do kina pondeli, chceš jít?" - We are going to the movies on Monday, do you want to come?

Czech is a tricky language to learn, because it's really verb-based.There's a lot of conjugating going on. But I'm totally getting a hold of it, and trying to use it more. Andy has to watch himself because he is the main person I talk to, and he usually uses English. And then there's David, Andy's brother, who knows English and likes to practice, so it's hard to get him to use Czech with me.

Besides learning the language, I read a lot (currently reading Diary by Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, next book is A Dirty Job Christopher Moore - both supplied by my dearly loved friends Heather and Crystal on their recent trip here) and we rent a lot of movies, since most are American or British and are in English with optional Czech subtitles. I like to leave the subtitles on so I can get used to the written Czech language, though at this point I need to be speaking more than reading. We have gone to a couple movies while we're here - "Tropic Thunder," "The Dark Knight" - and are going to see a bunch this week.

We have been eating out a lot this week, both at a new pub by the soccer field in Ujezd nad Lesy, where Andy's parents live, and in the center of Prague. In Prague we went to Vermeer on Monday and had reuben sandwiches (Andy's a little done with Czech food, so we're trying out some of Prague's international offerings) and Wednesday we went to La Casa Blů and had some good cheap beer and some very tasty Mexican.Surprisingly good!

When we were in Prague we also visited a Thai Asian market I'd heard about and bought ingredients for Thai Tom Yum soup. It was tasty and simple, with coconut milk, cilantro, chilies, shrimp and lemongrass... despite my insane mushroom issue (recipe called for shitake, I could only find dried oyster mushrooms... this is how they end up - who knew they'd grow so big?!?).

Also on Wednesday we went shoe shopping and I got some Bata boots (shown here), which gives me great pleasure because they are a)comfortable, b)decently priced and c)unavailable in the US so I feel like a very cosmopolitan jet-setter.

Although earlier in the week the weather was very nice and fall-like and quiet and still, today is cold and windy. We have rented "Capote," which we never saw, and are in for the evening.

Me, near the I.P. Pavlova stop in Prague on Monday.