Pre-Valentine Surprise

Published on by Grace8 Comments

I am quite anxious to go skating tomorrow. Due to the extremely low temperatures, the lakes, ponds and some rivers in CZ are frozen. To take advantage of this natural phenomenon, we have planned on going to Stara Lysa to go skating with some friends.

I don’t own skates simply because I couldn’t skate. Prior to having Jakub, we used to go ice skating at the Pasadena Ice Skating rink with some friends.  All I can remember was I fell so many times.    If not for my husband’s presence I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.  I only managed to go through the rink a couple of times since Jiri was always holding my hand, or I was always holding the rails.

Back then, I looked like I knew what I was doing because Jiri was holding my hand.

The other day, my husband gave me a pre-valentine gift by buying me my own pair of skates and some winter sports gear. It is such a pleasant surprise.

Somebody's more eager than me to open my present.
My brand new skates
More winter snow gear for other snow related stuff. wink*, wink*

There will be no more rails  to hold come Saturday. I’m praying that my legs will hold me steady enough not to fall so many times. Otherwise, I may depreciate the value of these items long before I enjoy them.

Betty Crocker meets Bob the Builder

Published on by Grace4 Comments

As I was discussing house designs with my husband a few nights ago, I noticed 2 admirable traits of Czech people.   The women are domestic divas and the men are builders.

The women do amazing jobs at home.  I attended a birthday party once where the woman of the house cooked/baked everything that was served in the party, including the birthday cake.  I think that is just amazing considering that she has to keep the house clean, prepare utensils and decorations for the party, and souvenirs for the attendees….all by herself.  I don’t know how she did it, but it just simply blew me away.

In our old place, we once had a neighbor who did a major renovation for his mother’s house.  Day and night, he would go there and work till the sun settles.  At first I thought he lived there, but there were days when we saw him  drive in with his bike at 6am, then leave at 8pm.    He insulated the whole house and made a balcony complete with French windows.  I thought  that was awesome but little did I know that my own husband, my father-in-law and my brother-in-law did the same.  My husband insulated the house and rebuilt the garage.  My father-in-law built a room and a garage in his house.  My brother-in-law renovated his whole house.  And they did these with little to no help.

This terrace was built by my brother-in-law. Just a sample of what Czech men can do.

I realized all these because when I told my husband I wanted a Japanese style door, but not sure where I can get them, he simply replied:  “Oh, I can make them.”  Hello, Bob the builder!

Love Month

Published on by Grace3 Comments

It’s the love month!   Love is the theme.  If you still haven’t gotten any ideas about what to give your special someone this Valentine’s Day, click on the link below for some suggestions:

Shop Amazon – Valentine’s Day Top Gift Ideas

 

HiberNATION

Published on by Grace5 Comments

Due to extremely cold temperatures, I guess most of the people in my little town are in hibernation mode these days. The weather is very disorienting because despite the seemingly bright, warm sunshine, the temperature is really sub zero.

This is what -12C looks like in my little town.

In my household, we have shun ourselves from the outside world, but there is a lot of action going on inside the place. I, for one hand, am cooking and cleaning while the boys are trying to have fun even with the limited space available.

Jakub begging his father to let him try the exercise bar.
Kolin fit club, feather weight division
In the absence of a swing, resourcefulness comes into play

Although it was disappointing not to be outside and do anything active this past weekend, I was happy because I felt that we were closely bonding as a family. We slept together in one room, ate together and played together. I am amazed to see how Jakub has grown. He slept through the night, ate by himself, and laughed with us when we were making jokes. All these wouldn’t have been possible if not for this extremely cold weather. Talk about looking at the brighter side of things.

House Arrest

Published on by Grace2 Comments

It’s our second day now on house arrest. We have been having sub zero temperatures lately and I didn’t want to go out of the house. If it was up to me, I would go….just for the heck of it. But with my 18month old, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I cannot put a scarf to cover his nose, nor will I ever train him how to breathe.  I don’t want to risk getting him sick.  So here we are, stuck at home.

When he doesn't get to go out, this is what happens in his room.

Watching TV is a no no for me, but I have broken this rule. I’ve probably watched teletubbies with Jakub 10x already within the past 24 hours. I’ve been cleaning the house, cooking and baking. Jakub on the other hand, has kept himself busy too. Too tired of playing with his toys, he has decided to play with my stuff.

Now he is messing with mommy's gloves

I hope this cold weather won’t last too long. I’m afraid that if it does, I may add 5 inches to my waistline.

The Cannabis Effect?

Published on by Grace4 Comments

I guess i spoke too early when I kept on telling people that winter this year isn’t too bad. For all I know, the worst is yet to come. This week, the temperature forecast says that temperatures may dip as low as -30C. Whoa! Back in the Philippines, I thought 20C was already cold. Back in California, I thought 15C was already cold. Geez, I have yet to experience what -30C feels like.

Together with this cold climate is very dry air. I always have to turn on my humidifier and always make it a point to moisturize Jakub’s skin and my skin whenever we go out or whenever we wash up. I’ve had problems finding the right moisturizer because the brand I used in the US is not available in all the stores. I keep on trying several brands in search of the right one.

Recently, I found a variant that uses Cannabis as one of its key ingredients. Out here, you don’t just smoke it, you use it to moisturize your skin. A very interesting thing though: As the label says, “……it encourages the regeneration of hands.”  I am not sure if that was a typo or simply just the “cannabis effect.”

Children Do Say the Darnest Things

Published on by Grace6 Comments

I almost freaked out yesterday when Jakub uttered the four-letter-word: “F**k”. I thought to myself,  “Goodness, did he hear me say that word?  Has he been watching too much TV?  Did his dad say it? ”  It has been my policy in this family not to say those words in front of Jakub.  I want to raise a well-mannered, polite and well-behaved child.  I don’t want him to have a foul mouth.

Then, he did it again this morning.  This time, he was pointing to his books.  I didn’t make a big deal out if it so he will think it’s not a real word and will soon forget it.  As I was reading his picture books with him, it became increasingly clear where the word came from.

Jakub's picture book

He simply combined “frog” and “duck” , and came up with “f**k”.  Kids do say the darnest things!

 

They call it Fitness

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Ouch! I got muscle pains all over my body. These past 2 weeks I have started a new exercise regime. I do Tai Chi on Sundays and go to the gym twice during the week. The Tai Chi came about when a new friend invited me to try it. Man, it is so much harder than what it looks like. The routines are slow, but they require endurance. I am enjoying it because it is very challenging…very different from all I ever know.

The gym on the otherhand, came about as a New Year’s resolution. It is located very close to Kmochuv Island and I have been eyeing it for the longest time. Since me and my boys are big Kmochuv fans, we often times pass by it. Until one day, I decided to search it online and learned how it worked. It is quite small. It is twice the size of my office in the States. However, I love it because it is so worth the price. There are no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, you pay whenever you use the gym, and there is no time limit.

But if it was a gym in LA, nobody will go there. Not because it’s small, but because the people running it are not ripped. No pun intended, but they are quite heavy.  But really, here in the Czech Republic, it is rare to see people who are fat.   This explains why the people in the gym are not the regular LA buffs that I know.  Those who need to go there are the ones who need it.  😉  That’s fitness.

 

Straight to the Point

Published on by Grace5 Comments

One of the things that I really like about Czechs is their straightforwardness.  What I mean by this is that everyone is responsible for taking care of their own.  When going out with friends, one cannot expect the person inviting them to pay the bill. Everyone pays for the things they ordered. In Philippine culture, it is almost expected that whoever makes more money pays. In American culture, whoever makes the invitation pays, unless otherwise agreed upon. But in Czech culture, it doesn’t matter what social or financial status you’re in, you foot your own bill. It also doesn’t matter if you got invited to somebody’s birthday party. You are still responsible for paying everything you ordered.

I like it this way. It makes people responsible. There is nothing like a free lunch.

Another thing I have noticed is that everything out here is really functional. You don’t own just for the sake of owning. Big cars are for big families. Small cars for single people or for a couple. I haven’t seen anyone driving a big pick-up truck without a load of hay or workman’s tools. In LA, pick-up trucks driven by single guys flood the streets. I may be wrong, but it almost seems like these guys do it to prove a point — I am a man. Oh well, different culture, different means of expression.

Several months back, I snapped this photo of preschool children taking a walk with their teacher. This may seem a little bit harsh for some, but I totally like how this teacher wanted to prove her point. There are no words that can beat the message she wants to relay: “Don’t stray away from the pack.”

There are no fancy equipment to keep preschool kids all in a row. A simple rope will do the trick.

What A Year It Was!

Published on by Grace2 Comments

As I look back in 2011, I can only sigh. What a year it was! In 2011, My husband and I left our stable and promising US careers, packed our bags and moved to the Czech Republic. It was a total lifestyle change for me and up till now, I am still adapting to this new change. My son has grown so much since our last move.  I am glad that he has adapted better than me.

Last year, I also lost mom’s brother, Uncle Cris, one of my favorite uncles. My husband never really got to meet some of my family members other than my parents, but met Uncle Cris twice during his US travels.  For that, we will always have fond memories of  him.

And who could ever forget Typhoon Sendong.  The worst typhoon ever to hit Cagayan de Oro, my former city.

With all these events and changes this past year, I can only anticipate what’s in store for me this year.  This year, it is my goal to be healthy and active again.  I need to find my niche in this country and it all starts here.