I'm loving this September in Prague. The weather has been great. (Today looks a bit iffy, but it was sunny all week so one grey day ain't that bad.) This time last year I was digging out winter gear. I remember because last September I went off to London and was grateful to escape the chill in Prague for a week. What puzzles me now are people who absolutely swear this is a colder Fall season. What?! We must not be living in the same city. My boots and jackets are still packed away. Hopefully well into October.
Moving on. Good news. I picked up my third renewal visa on Tuesday. Woo-hoo. (Read about my first and second renewals.) Mirek (Miroslav), my sweet-faced immigration consultant, was on-hand again to navigate me swiftly through the Foreign Police's red tape. From entry into the building to getting the visa stamped into my passport and exiting, the entire process took about ten minutes. Sweeeeet. I had a coworker recently complain about how Mirek's firm handles immigration. Again, can I say: What?! Try dealing with the Foreign Police on your own and let's "re-talk".
Here's a tidbit about me: I'm a glass-half-full-if-not-overflowing kinda girl. I'm always grateful because I know things could be worse!
I've heard of grown men reduced to tears by the machinations of the sadists at the FP. Or sadly, companies that bungle the visa process for their expat-employees. Read about EmptyNester's experience here. Last week, Expat.cz published a very timely article about visa rejection.
By the way, I'm still sorta famous. Mirek told me: “We saw you on tv!”
What they say about fame is true! For a second, I thought, “Hmm, did I have another television appearance recently? Gosh, I can't keep track of myself....”
Ha! I'm ridiculous!
And well-fed. Last night, I was treated to a delightful dinner at a chi-chi French restaurant by a business acquaintance. Hmmmm. By chi-chi we're talking the type of restaurant where the waiters don white gloves to place cutlery on your table; surprise you with amuse bouche; appear to refill your wine glass after two sips; and give lengthy presentations about the cheese platter. Ooh-la-la? It was delish. It was fun. It lasted five hours. Though it's almost noon today I have yet to touch breakfast. BlackGirl loves these types of experiences and would like to have more of them!
Tonight, I'm heading to a free motivational seminar—how to achieve your goals, be successful, etc, etc. I wonder if wanting more evenings of five-star dinners can qualify as a goal?
Cauky.
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There's a part of me that feels I came to Prague to “grow up”. Yesterday, I brought home my first sofa. Yay!
Yup, I've been here three years and have had no real furniture save for a bed, a table and a chair. Ask my guests. (I also have an air mattress that I'll be selling soon because felines and inflatable stuff don't mix.) Meals with friends were conducted picnic style on layers of blankets and pillows. When I was tired of seating at my table I went to the bedroom. It's no wonder napping became a favored pastime.
Why did furniture shopping take so long? In no particular order: Laziness. Budget. Uncertainty. Time. Perfectionism. Patience.
Then I pledged to get a kitten from my friend Mme D whose two cats had a litter. And then I pictured a new kitten wandering about my empty apartment alone and the image struck me as sad. (Indeed her first week in the apartment, unaccustomed to me and with no proper hiding place Lulu crouched in corners or stayed in her hooded litter box.)
Well, the situation got me thinking: “She's going to need furniture to play with and hide under.” I joke not. Getting a cat forced my hand.
Through a random browsing of Prague's expat website I found Klara, a sweet Czech student pursuing a certification in interior design and who was looking for clients to start her portfolio. She showed up at my apartment one Friday afternoon in late July: “Wow, you're not kidding, it's really empty.”
Weeks later, we trekked to Libensky Most, to a desolate former shipping yard that now houses antique and used-furniture shops or bazaars as they're called here. In one store, we saw terrific antiques, but found them quite expensive and/or in need of repair. Another store was filled with rejects from the 80s and early 90s. A lot of glass, pleather and atrocious patterns. Then I saw it: a boxy two-seater, stripes, no arms, two backrests supported by steel frames. Hmmm.
Intrigued, I called Klara over. We bounced on it and found it stable. In a sea of ugly three-seaters and sectionals, the sofa was plain and small, and thinking it would look lost in my living room I pictured it in the kitchen. We moved it out of the row to take measurements: we each grabbed one end and—what the...? The two seats separated and swiveled outwards slightly; the backrests buckled. Whoa. A defect? We pulled again, making a 90-degree rotation, and to our amazement/delight/glee the sofa transformed into a flat daybed.
Sold! For approximately $60. I joke not. I knew that a good makeover would completely transform it from a charming or lucky bazaar find into a stylish piece worthy of being included in a design magazine.
Klara helped locate an upholstery store in Prague 4 where I chose a light gray brushed suede fabric. The makeover and the fabric (expensive!) cost over five times the price of the sofa, but some things you just know are/will be worth the extra cost.
Placed in my living room yesterday, the sofa looked stunning and plush. I'm still camera-less, so Klara took pictures with her phone. (When she sends them I'll post.) Because she's been so instrumental to the [on-going] project I offered her the “inaugural sit”.
Lulu and I took a quick nap on our new daybed this afternoon. As I type, she's still curled up on it fast asleep.
Cauky.
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BlackGirl, Where have you been and what have you been up to?
Still in Prague, keeping a low profile. It's been a strange year, and I've had a lot of thinking to do.
About what exactly?
The usual stuff—life, asking questions, looking for the big B: balance. Strangely, once the half-marathon was over I got unhinged. I didn't realize how much energy, not just physically, I had put into achieving that one goal; when the day came and went and the high faded things I had neglected came rushing at me for attention. I became very cranky.
Are you better now?
It took almost five months, but I'm getting back to me. A few days break in late August helped tons. I packed a bag and went off to a tiny mountain town called Bedrichov in the Jizerske Hory region. On my second day, I decided to take a walk to the highest point in the area—an old television tower. Well, thanks to my rusty Czech I ended up taking the long way there. Three hours on a small, winding road heading to who-knows-where is a lot of time to talk to oneself—aloud. The rest of the trip I was also able to get to a second reading of Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now". Love Mr. Tolle!
That's been your only trip?
Nope. After the race I was in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, for a week in April. For a company conference. The city is massive! And beautiful. I stayed on Vasilievsky Island—the Hermitage and other top sites (Church on Spilt Blood—simply divine) were just a ten-minute-plus walk away. My hotel was a dream—ten different types of saunas and steam rooms, a gorgeous indoor pool. I tell ya, traveling on the company's dime sure is sweet. I'm going to miss it.
Uh-oh, what does that mean?
Yeah, that pesky financial crisis hit my company kinda bad. We're getting acquired.
Doesn't sound good. You've been through acquisitions before at two other companies; you know what happens with those, right?
Yeahhh, but that's topic for another post—if I feel like it.
Did you meet any oligarchs in Russia?
NO. (Sucking teeth.) I mean, where the heck were they?!
Probably losing sleep over the crisis.
You've got a point.
Any other trips?
Scotland (Glasgow & Edinburgh) for a week in May. The States (California & New York) for five weeks from late May through June. Caught up with my family, my girls, and some friends from way back—high school. Facebook does have its uses other than time-wasting.
Other highlights?
Tan returned to Prague for a brief spell! She wanted to give Prague another try, but the job market was bone-dry. She's back in Australia now. It was great to have her around again if for a while.
Aren't you going to mention your “two seconds of fame”?
Oh that. Obama was in town in April. (Squeal!) I went with some friends to see him. I ended up getting interviewed by two Czech television stations. Friends watched it on the evening news and I got a flurry of SMS messages and Facebook comments.
Were you tickled?
Of course. I'd been waiting for that moment all my life. (Snort.) I was more concerned that my statements (the question was about nuclear proliferation—yikes!) made no sense. But it's impossible to sound dumb in a 5-second clip. I think.
Who's loving you these days?
My crazy new kitten Lulu. Unfortunately, my camera is out of commission so I can't post a picture of her.
Are you back to blogging again?
I'm still in recovery mode, so no promises. Let's just take things one entry at a time.
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It was almost a year ago that Namesake and me stood on Staromestka Namesti at the annual Tesco 5K Night Run, and as we watched the runners cross the finish line I declared that I planned to run my first race—a half marathon—in 2009. Which I did, and the summary of that race marked my last real blog post.
(The next post will give a quick summary of what I've been up to since that race. Promise. But please don't get excited—it ain't that much.)
I returned to the square again last night for this year's run. Namesake was there again for support and to capture the Kodak moments.
But was I in for a shock or what? 5K's are freaking intense! Unlike in a half-marathon or other longer races, there's no time to build momentum—the opening shot goes off and everyone starts flying. It was insane.
Before the race started, I had breezily told Namesake: “Don't go anywhere. I'll back in thirty.” Haha-ha. I was sucking wind 1km into the event.
This was not the same BlackGirl who cruised through a half-marathon in March. Sure my running regimen up until the race had been spotty. (On a few occasions I would show up at the gym, give the treadmills a passing glance and head for the sauna instead.) But left-over confidence (if there is such a thing) or plain naivete had me thinking the 5K would be a peach. And, and it also didn't help that I queued up at the end of the pack (a lesson for the future?); throughout the race it seemed I was trying to play catch-up and thus was running faster than I had anticipated.
On the final stretch down Parizska street I was oh-so-ready to give it up and start walking. Then I saw the finish line (Can I make it?) and the clock up ahead: 00:28:xx. (Oh yes you will! You are gonna make it under 30 if it kills you!) I tapped into the last bit of juice I had left, heart pounding and sprinted to a 00:28:08 finish. Woo-gasp-gasp-I-may-have-a-heart-attack-hoo.
Happy to report that BlackGirl Power was very much on display last night as Kenyans swept the three top spots in the race in under 16 minutes.
Call it the Tesco-5K effect—Namesake has now vowed to run the race with me next year!
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