Paranoia

The more I watch TV, the more hesitant I get to have a baby. People killing people, global food crisis, violent videogames accessible even to minors-- the list just never ends. I'm not sure if it's a world fit for a child anymore.

I had a great childhood. My parents rocked, especially my Mom. She moved heaven and earth for us to be shaped into good individuals and I'll always give her credit for that-- that, plus the fact that the world two or three decades ago, was probably a saner one than what we have right now.

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Maybe I just watch too much TV. What I'm sure about is that I'll be a good parent. I know I will be able to take care of my child the way she deserves. The question is, will the world be able to take care of her?

Průhonice

Průhonice is a town about 6 km from Prague. It's very near our apartment since we are near the city exit. What's special about this place is its huge park right in the middle of the town. The park has a chateau, ponds and hundreds of flowers now in full bloom. It's a great place for a picnic, biking or to simply commune with nature.

Entrance fee is 40kč ( about 3USD). I've read online that it's open daily all year round.

Here are some pics taken when we went there last week. I also tried to upload a video so many times last night but without any luck. YouTube was probably possessed with an evil spirit.
A bird's eye view of the pond taken from the chateau's terrace. I've read that this and two others are used for fish production. They also serve as a refuge for many water species for birds and animals.


The chateau. Isn't it pretty? We didn't go inside though. Maybe next time we will.

The park has a collection of local and exotic plants. This looks like an exotic one. Then again, what do I know about plants?

The park area covers 250 hectares with about 25 km of footpaths. It's surely a place made for itchy feet like mine.

So is this place worth the time? Absolutely. It's worth even a second or a third or a fourth, make it numerous, visits.

Today

Snippets of my (mis)adventures today:

1. We got stuck in a traffic today on our way to the farm for a field trip. We took the public transport. The traffic was moving in a snail pace similar to the horrible Manila jam. Suddenly the door near the driver opened and the driver himself got out. All eyes zeroed on him wondering where he was going. Guess where he headed? To the bushes along the road in the middle of the city to pee. One of my kids, who is four, exclaimed in a scandalized voice; "He's going to the toilet?!"

Welcome to the Czech Rep! I guess here the motto is " You gotta go when you gotta go."

2. Still on the bus, it was hot so my Brazilian-American co-teacher rolled up her sleeves. One of our kids, who is already very much showing signs of following the footsteps of Dolce and Gabbana, was horrified to see that my co-teacher has faint dark hair on her arms. In verbatim the next D&G exclaimed "Your arms have hair. Not nice. Like man's!"

3. You'll be surprised at the things you experience or see when you're stuck in a bumper to bumper jam. Today we also saw a man apparently sunbathing on the rooftop of a three-storey mall. He had a towel on when he stood up, but for some reasons, be it the wind or a sudden inspiration to flash, the towel came off. The Brazilian shrieked behind me but the Europeans on the bus took the show with a bored look on their faces.

4. At the farm, I got attacked by a bee. It dived into my hair and claimed residency right away. It took a huge amount of energy to finally flick it out of my crowning glory. It then showed its annoyance by getting into my co-teacher's ear (the one who flicked it out of my head) and leaving a sting so bad she had to be treated right away.

5. Rudeness is common among shop assistants here. Customer service is nonexistent in some stores, especially this one near our school. I can't count the times I felt like smacking them but what do I get from stooping to their level?

Today I bought food for my cooking afternoon with kids. It was only worth 50kč. I asked the cashier for a stamp on my receipt (the school's accountant requires it if you use the petty cash) and he freaked out. He was like swearing and rolling his eyes and saying something like why on earth people need a stamp for a 50kc purchase. Worse, the tall, dark but nevermind man behind me started laughing. I was fuming mad but couldn't articulate hell in Czech so I fired back in English, calling him a fool and a rude ignoramus.

The nevermind man behind me wanted to show off that he understood English and said to the ignoramus, "She's saying it's alright."

"What alright are you talking about?" I was on the verge of swearing to them in Czech (this I can say fluently) but really what's the point? I can't change the rudeness, this attitude about work I can't define, by joining their game. So I gave them one last dagger look and marched out of the store.

There. That's how it was for me today. Now I'm sleepy so dobrou noc (goodnight) from bush-peeing, rude swearing, bee stinging, hair raising, and yet exciting Prague that I come to love.

Spring thing

Spring isn't my favorite season anymore. With the buds blooming, it means nonstop sneezing for me. I'm allergic to virtually everything that blooms in CZ. Usually the torture would start in late spring and ends mid-summer, but obviously not this year. As early as now my nose already feels like it will fall apart soon from constant blowing, and my eyes? Oh, I look stoned, courtesy of myself constantly rubbing them.

This means I need to pop in my doctor's clinic soon. When I came to see her for the first time, she rubbed liquids on my arm to determine what I'm allergic to. Out of probably 15 samples, 12 turned red! The three non-reactive musketeers were dust, molds and cats. The ones I remember which my skin really had violent reactions from were wheat, rye and barley, even feathers.

Well, we don't grow wheat in Cebu or Surigao, do we?

As for dust, we breathe them all the time in Cebu. Molds sounds gross but well, my immune system is apparently cool with them.

And I love cats, hands down.

Spring allergies can be really bothersome. So now I'm allergic to spring as well. I've decided my most favorite season is- what else- summer!

"Zlatý Déšt´" in bloom

It's 22C in Prague today, the first real warm day without the clouds gate-crashing now and then. Earlier I was out in the garden with my kids soaking up the sun in just my shirt and leggings. Finally, no more bulky coats or jackets for the next few months!

And zlatý déšt'? It means "gold rain." It's a kind of shrub, called Forsythia in English, which blooms prettily in spring. They're blooming everywhere here now.

Better off without

My co-teacher last week ranted about her friend who just couldn't get herself out of this hopeless relationship with someone. This friend's boyfriend apparently has a wandering eye and his eye wandered not once, not twice, but three times in their three-year relationship.

One affair each year. Quite a record. It's a no-brainer that one day he will wander off again.

I wonder which is worse, to turn a blind eye on what's happening in your face or to be so clueless about not so teeny-tiny indications that Romeo indeed has another Juliet and be the last one to know?

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On breaking up and moving on, the most important thing I learned from my one and only experience is you gotta have friends to save you from severe self- esteem malfunction, especially if you got dumped. Directly or indirectly dumped, it doesn't really matter.

I call these friends "band-aid brigade." They are the ones who would pat your bruised ego and deflated self-esteem by telling you that that other girl looked like a long-lost member of Phylum Mollusca, in no way near your allure level. Nevermind if it's untrue, you need all the leg-pulling for the healing to start.

These are also your friends who will throw you these predictable questions; "Geez, what in the name of Gulay did you ever see in that guy?" "Didn't you get repulsed with his ginger-like toes?" The list will go on and believe me, total band-aid brigade brainwashing will make you start believing you're better off without him.

And you're right. You are.