Thursday, December 23, 2010

Krasne Vanoce- Merry Christmas


Feeling a huge case of bahumbug this Christmas. Everything is so different from what we would normally do during Christmastime that it's a bit surreal. Normally, we'd be so busy trying to get things ready for our four Christmases that we attend. Yup, just like the movie, we have four Christmases to attend due to the dynamic nature of multiple divorces. And that's just my side of the family- I can't imagine how busy we would be if Jason's family lived on the west coast.
To go from the insane Christmas rush to this is a bit unsettling. We aren't exchanging gifts with each other this year, as money is really tight and we hope to travel next week. So that's a big change, I really love getting Jay presents and seeing his face when he opens them. Our flat is too small to fit a Christmas tree so we don't have it all festive for the holidays. We do have some really cute Christmassy candles that add a bit of flair. Ok, enough complaining. We ARE getting something pretty special for Christmas- two good friends! I can't wait until they are here, it's going to be awesome to share this experience with them. Ashley will be here for a week and Pat for three- like one big sleepover. Though we don't have much Christmas decorations around our flat, this tree is really breathtaking and it just so happens to reside right around the corner...Krasne Vanoce everyone!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Winter Snow

Winter is here! My idea of winter is the Southern California version- 60 degrees and cloudy, maybe 55 degrees on a really cold day, so for this California girl, the proper winter here in Prague feels a bit more like the North Pole(or as the Brits like to call it, Santa's Grotto). Every day I layer up with as many layers as I can possibly get away with and take a deep breath before I venture into the frozen tundra.
We've had snow on the ground for a month now, and it's truly remarkable how beautiful the landscape looks with a blanket of snow, but travel to and from work has been a bit interesting! After a few nasty spills and a trip to the Czech Foreigner's Hospital I have had to rethink my plan for surviving this winter. First, I've increased my walk to work by about 20 minutes to avoid walking down the slippery, unmaintained hills near my work. Second, I've lost all manner of fashion sense and bought some ridiculously expensive winter boots. We have a Christmas party to go to tonight and I'd considered dressing up. There's no way to look cute with shoes like this, I give up! I am eternally grateful for their ability to keep me vertical, however. If I can get back to California in one piece, I will gladly wait to wear my cute shoes.