Christmas 2020

Merry Covid Christmas!  With the lockdown there was no way for me to go to Berlin for Christmas this year.  So just like the virtual Thanksgiving, this year Christmas is on Skype.  

Der Weihnachtsmann still made an appearance to drop off a bag of presents.  Just this year it was at the fence and he didn't come inside the house.

Dinner in Berlin

Claudia's mom usually makes Buletten, traditional Berlin meatballs, on the 24th.  

So I decided on meatballs for dinner so that we'd all be on the same page.  Not as good as her's but not bad.  There was even some red and green cabbage in that care package I received so it felt more like being there.

This morning, we got up early and Skyped with our favourite Kiwi in Wellington and tonight I'll FaceTime with my family in California.

I've got to admit that Christmas was way better last year.  Hopefully 2021 will be more normal.

12th Annual Czechsgiving

The 12th annual Brno Czechsgiving was much smaller than in previous years.  Certainly smaller than last year's fiesta.  Due to COVID-19 and the new state of emergency it just wasn't meant to be this year.

The smallest Turkey ever

On the bright side the cooking didn't take as long.  Last year's bird was 11 kg (24 lbs) while this year I just ordered a turkey breast that was only 600 g (1,3 lb) since it was just going to be for me. Yet I still ended up with leftovers.

Claudia ordered food from a restaurant in Friedrichshagen and her parents come over for dinner.  We then got on Skype and had a virtual Thanksgiving.  

Basically like one of the recent virtual pub nights but with dinner.

It was nice to keep the tradition alive but I did miss all of the madness that goes along with a flat full of people all getting together to celebrate the holiday.  Hopefully we can all get together again next year. 

I have a feeling that it's going be a virtual Christmas as well this year.

Another Virtual Pub Night

Thanks to the new state of emergency our regular pub night isn't possible.  So Friday was time for another virtual meet-up.  

I'm starting to lose it a bit I think with all of this virtual-ness.  All of my work meetings are virtual, all of my Czech classes are virtual, and we're back to pub night being virtual.  Even Czechsgiving this year will be virtual.  

As maddening as all of this is, I'm thankful that I'm healthy and that work is fine.  Busy but fine.  All of my friends and family are healthy too.  But I am so looking forward to life getting back to normal.  Whatever that will look like in the future.

Rome Family Reunion

Today was a little reunion on Skype with the Rome family.  It's hard to believe that our trip to Rome was 9,5 years (and 4 kids) ago.  Where does the time go?  

I haven't seen Janelle since the Rome trip.  I saw Eiko in Helsinki in March.  I think I last saw Liz at Eiko's wedding in Helsinki in 2016.

Since we couldn't get together this year, due to COVID-19, Skype was the the next best thing.  

Czech Language Memes

Since my citizenship test and language exam were cancelled and postponed until December I've continued to focus on studying.  Lots of Skype lessons have at least given me something to do during the lockdown.  I've come across several memes about the Czech language that I thought I'd share.  Trust and believe that they are all true.

There's the Ř sound that doesn't exist in any other language.  I can do it now but it was hit or miss for a few years.

There's ty and vy - the informal vs formal versions of "you".  Not that difficult but then because of the 7 cases there are actually 8 words that all mean "you".

The grammar is difficult.  I understand a lot more than I used to but it is difficult for native English speakers.

There's the verbal aspect which means that you have to basically learn two different verbs for every verb in English.

Even Czech months have to be difficult to learn because unlike other languages they aren't based on Latin.

I speak Spanglish and German so I can confirm that this one is pretty dang accurate.

I didn't make any of these memes.  I just found them online.  Well enough bitching about Czech as it's time for me to get back to studying.

Republic of Estonia

The Republic of Estonia is the smallest of the three Baltic countries and is located between Latvia and Russia.  Across the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland are Sweden and Finland.  Eesti includes 1,520 islands and, in total size, is a little smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined.  As one of the smallest countries in Europe it is home to 1.3 million people.  Tallinn is the capital and its largest city.

Estonia had been ruled for centuries by Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Russian Empire.  After WWI, it gained independence in 1918.  In 1940, it was annexed by the USSR and became the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.  The non-violent Singing Revolution led to independence in 1991 and the last Russian troops left Estonia in 1994.

Today, Estonia is a parliamentary republic.  In 2004 it joined both the EU and NATO.  In 2011, the Euro replaced the Estonian kroon as the official currency.

Estonia is one of the most online counties in the world.  Wi-Fi is everywhere and it was the first country in the world to allow citizens to actually vote online.  Without Estonia there would be no Skype.

Like Czechs, Estonians are among the least religious people in the world.  The largest religious denominations are Evangelical Lutheran and Russian Orthodox.

At 18, all males have compulsory military or civil service for 8 - 11 months depending on education.

Estonian is the official language.  It's a crazy language.  Nouns and pronouns have no gender, verbs have no future tense and there are 14 grammatical cases.  The closest language is Finnish and they only understand around 40%.

During Soviet times, many Estonians were arrested, killed and/or deported.  The Soviet Union brought in many Russian speakers.  Russian was encouraged as the unifying language across the USSR so Russian speakers had no incentive to actually learn how to speak Estonian.

When Estonia regained its independence, citizenship was granted to those who could prove family ties prior to 1940.  Those Russians who came to Estonia between 1941 - 1991 were permitted to gain citizenship but had to pass an Estonian language test.  Those "Russian" Estonians who did not receive citizenship are non-citizens and are not entitled to an Estonian passport.

Instead they hold an alien passport which does not allow them the same travel privileges as other EU citizens.  They are also not allowed to vote in national elections.  Ethnic Russians make up about 25% of the population (more in Tallinn and the east) but many do have Estonian passports.  There are about 95,000 non-citizens.  While I'm sure that most Russians can't get a passport because they can't speak Estonian, can the exam really be that difficult?  I get that Estonian might not be the easiest language to learn, it can't take 20+ years to become proficient enough to pass a test.

Estonia is part of Schengen so those with Estonian passports need an expensive visa in order to visit Russia.  Russia permits those with the alien passports to visit without a visa which is one reason why many people retain the alien passport instead of getting an Estonian passport.  Estonia does not permit dual citizenship.

Russia's claim that it has a right to protect Russian speakers must be an alarm for Estonia.  Russia used this argument to invade Georgia in 2008 and more recently in Crimea.  Russia could use the same argument about Ethnic Russians in Estonia.  The key difference is that Estonia is a NATO member so trying to annex parts of Estonia would be considered an attack on all NATO countries. 

On our upcoming trip to Tallinn, we plan on taking a day trip to Narva which is in a predominantly Russian area on the border.  Here's an interesting video I found on YouTube that talks about the border town.

©Deutsche Welle

2013 Blog Contest Results

Yeah!!  I repeated as the top expat blogger for Czech Republic.  Thanks to everyone who voted!

This year's contest was much different from last year.  I'm not sure that having the contest around Christmas was the best time to hold it as most people tend to be quite busy.  This may have deterred my main challengers from last year from entering this year's contest.  None the less, it does feel quite nice to have won again.  Congrats to the runner up - Czechesotans. 

Here's was my original entry...

Top 5 Things I've Learned Living in Czech Republic

1.  Czechia (Czech Republic) is located in Central Europe; not Eastern Europe.  Just look at a map and it's clear that it's located right in the middle of the continent.  Eastern Europe has negative connotations.  Most of the former communist countries want to be found in Central Europe.  Even Belarus claims to be in the center of Europe.  I guess that's true if you consider Europe running from Iceland to the far eastern bit of Russia.  Regardless, Czechland is perfectly centered for travel which is why in less than five years I've been lucky enough to visit 43 countries.

2.  Patience really is a virtue.  Anyone who has spent time in a former communist country knows all about the mindless bureaucracy required in order to get even the smallest thing done.  However, what can be even more draining is just everyday life with a foreign language.  Simple, mundane things such as going grocery shopping, visiting a pharmacy or mailing a package at the post office can require an awful lot of energy.  It's important to never give up.  OK, sometimes you buy sour cream instead of coffee creamer but as long as you don't make the same mistake twice then you at least get a humerous anecdote out of it.

3.  You never know where life will take you.  I grew up during the Cold War.  When I joined the U.S. military, we still taught German, Czech and Polish.  Times change.  Who would have thought that 20 years later I would work for IBM in Czech Republic?  Much less regularly visit East Berlin, have a Bulgarian boyfriend or be Godfather to the prettiest little German-Hungarian princess.

4.  Carefully choose your words.  Just because two people speak English doesn't mean that they speak the same language.  In school, most Europeans learn British English.  Therefore it's often better for me to adjust my vocabulary in order to better communicate.  Elevator becomes lift, apartment becomes flat, and pants become trousers while underwear becomes pants.  It can be a bit confusing at times.  For example, I once called a Romanian girl "chica" which means 'girl' in Spanish and is commonly used in the USA.  Imagine my surprise when I received a lecture about how she didn't appreciate being called "a chicken". 

My most recent English-language blunder was referring to the loo (restroom, WC, toilet) as the "little boys' room".  The next five minutes trying to explain how the little boys' (or little girls') room has nothing to do with pedophilia wasn't exactly fun.

Once I was in a hurry and said that "I was off like a prom dress."  Big mistake.  Huge!  For the next 40 minutes I had to explain what an American high school prom was and why a dress would come off.  Forty minutes of my life that I will never get back.  Lesson learned...save the colloquial expressions for other native speakers.

5.  It has never been easier to be an expat.  I don't think that I could have been an expat 20 years ago.  Aside from e-mail and Skype to keep me connected to family and friends, there are a whole slew of social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  The Internet provides an incredible amount of information to help people get started.  My blog started out simply as a personal journal so that my family could keep up with my adventures.  I would never have guessed that I would receive +125 new visitors per day from all over the world.  With all of the expat blogs available there really is no reason not to get started.Top 5 Things I've Learned Living in Czech Republic

1.  Czechia (Czech Republic) is located in Central Europe; not Eastern Europe.  Just look at a map and it's clear that it's located right in the middle of the continent.  Eastern Europe has negative connotations.  Most of the former communist countries want to be found in Central Europe.  Even Belarus claims to be in the center of Europe.  I guess that's true if you consider Europe running from Iceland to the far eastern bit of Russia.  Regardless, Czechland is perfectly centered for travel which is why in less than five years I've been lucky enough to visit 43 countries.
2.  Patience really is a virtue.  Anyone who has spent time in a former communist country knows all about the mindless bureaucracy required in order to get even the smallest thing done.  However, what can be even more draining is just everyday life with a foreign language.  Simple, mundane things such as going grocery shopping, visiting a pharmacy or mailing a package at the post office can require an awful lot of energy.  It's important to never give up.  OK, sometimes you buy sour cream instead of coffee creamer but as long as you don't make the same mistake twice then you at least get a humerous anecdote out of it.
3.  You never know where life will take you.  I grew up during the Cold War.  When I joined the U.S. military, we still taught German, Czech and Polish.  Times change.  Who would have thought that 20 years later I would work for IBM in Czech Republic?  Much less regularly visit East Berlin, have a Bulgarian boyfriend or be Godfather to the prettiest little German-Hungarian princess.
4.  Carefully choose your words.  Just because two people speak English doesn't mean that they speak the same language.  In school, most Europeans learn British English.  Therefore it's often better for me to adjust my vocabulary in order to better communicate.  Elevator becomes lift, apartment becomes flat, and pants become trousers while underwear becomes pants.  It can be a bit confusing at times.  For example, I once called a Romanian girl "chica" which means 'girl' in Spanish and is commonly used in the USA.  Imagine my surprise when I received a lecture about how she didn't appreciate being called "a chicken".
My most recent English-language blunder was referring to the loo (restroom, WC, toilet) as the "little boys' room".  The next five minutes trying to explain how the little boys' (or little girls') room has nothing to do with pedophilia wasn't exactly fun.
Once I was in a hurry and said that "I was off like a prom dress."  Big mistake.  Huge!  For the next 40 minutes I had to explain what an American high school prom was and why a dress would come off.  Forty minutes of my life that I will never get back.  Lesson learned...save the colloquial expressions for other native speakers.
5.  It has never been easier to be an expat.  I don't think that I could have been an expat 20 years ago.  Aside from e-mail and Skype to keep me connected to family and friends, there are a whole slew of social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  The Internet provides an incredible amount of information to help people get started.  My blog started out simply as a personal journal so that my family could keep up with my adventures.  I would never have guessed that I would receive +125 new visitors per day from all over the world.  With all of the expat blogs available there really is no reason not to get started.
- See more at: http://www.expatsblog.com/contests/767/top-5-things-ive-learned-living-in-czech-republic#sthash.DIlFyOnS.dpuf

Top 5 Things I've Learned Living in Czech Republic
1.  Czechia (Czech Republic) is located in Central Europe; not Eastern Europe.  Just look at a map and it's clear that it's located right in the middle of the continent.  Eastern Europe has negative connotations.  Most of the former communist countries want to be found in Central Europe.  Even Belarus claims to be in the center of Europe.  I guess that's true if you consider Europe running from Iceland to the far eastern bit of Russia.  Regardless, Czechland is perfectly centered for travel which is why in less than five years I've been lucky enough to visit 43 countries.
2.  Patience really is a virtue.  Anyone who has spent time in a former communist country knows all about the mindless bureaucracy required in order to get even the smallest thing done.  However, what can be even more draining is just everyday life with a foreign language.  Simple, mundane things such as going grocery shopping, visiting a pharmacy or mailing a package at the post office can require an awful lot of energy.  It's important to never give up.  OK, sometimes you buy sour cream instead of coffee creamer but as long as you don't make the same mistake twice then you at least get a humerous anecdote out of it.
3.  You never know where life will take you.  I grew up during the Cold War.  When I joined the U.S. military, we still taught German, Czech and Polish.  Times change.  Who would have thought that 20 years later I would work for IBM in Czech Republic?  Much less regularly visit East Berlin, have a Bulgarian boyfriend or be Godfather to the prettiest little German-Hungarian princess.
4.  Carefully choose your words.  Just because two people speak English doesn't mean that they speak the same language.  In school, most Europeans learn British English.  Therefore it's often better for me to adjust my vocabulary in order to better communicate.  Elevator becomes lift, apartment becomes flat, and pants become trousers while underwear becomes pants.  It can be a bit confusing at times.  For example, I once called a Romanian girl "chica" which means 'girl' in Spanish and is commonly used in the USA.  Imagine my surprise when I received a lecture about how she didn't appreciate being called "a chicken".
My most recent English-language blunder was referring to the loo (restroom, WC, toilet) as the "little boys' room".  The next five minutes trying to explain how the little boys' (or little girls') room has nothing to do with pedophilia wasn't exactly fun.
Once I was in a hurry and said that "I was off like a prom dress."  Big mistake.  Huge!  For the next 40 minutes I had to explain what an American high school prom was and why a dress would come off.  Forty minutes of my life that I will never get back.  Lesson learned...save the colloquial expressions for other native speakers.
5.  It has never been easier to be an expat.  I don't think that I could have been an expat 20 years ago.  Aside from e-mail and Skype to keep me connected to family and friends, there are a whole slew of social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  The Internet provides an incredible amount of information to help people get started.  My blog started out simply as a personal journal so that my family could keep up with my adventures.  I would never have guessed that I would receive +125 new visitors per day from all over the world.  With all of the expat blogs available there really is no reason not to get started.
- See more at: http://www.expatsblog.com/contests/767/top-5-things-ive-learned-living-in-czech-republic#sthash.DIlFyOnS.dpuf

4 Years in Czechland

Today is a big day.  For years ago I set foot in Czechland and began this adventure.  Most people can't believe that I moved to a country without ever having been here before.  I can't believe that it has been four years.  Where did the time go?

When I started this trip, my agreement with work was that I would stay for two years with possible one year extension.  Well it's four years later and I've already extended my visa until 2015.

It's been quite the proper adventure.  And one that seems properly balanced between a job that I enjoy, great friends and lots of travel. 

On the downside, there's the cold.  Plus, my family and best friends are so bloody far away.  Thank goodness for e-mail, Facebook, and my Sunday Skype sessions.  Let's see what the next year brings.

Time Change

Daylight savings time ended this morning in ČR.  Our clocks fell back one hour and we are now back to CET (Central European Time).  That extra hour of sleep was really nice.  The only thing here is that it will now get dark so early.  In summer, I can leave the office at 7 or 8 pm and it's no problem.  It is still light outside and I know that I still have time to get things done.  But now, it will start getting dark around 4.  This is the time of year where I just want to go home, grab something to eat and go to bed.  I need to come up with something to do during the week, besides my Tuesday and Thursday night Czech lessons, that will keep me energized.

It's funny to me that when the time changes it doesn't change everywhere.  Normally Atlanta is 6 hours behind and California is 9 hours behind Brno.  But they don't set their clocks back until next week so when I Skype everyone tonight they will only be 5 and 8 hours behind.  Arizona is confusing.  They don't change time at all so half of the year they are the same as California and the other half of the year they are an hour ahead.  Which, I think, leaves mom & dad 8 hours behind for the next six months.  Very confusing at times.

Again, the extra hour of sleep was nice.  However, when I woke up I found that we got a bit of snow.  Not a lot but seriously!!??!!  Snow in October?  Something tells me that it is going to be a long, long winter ahead.

One week in Atlanta

I can't believe that I've already been back in Atlanta for a week.  Or that my trip to the USA is already 1/3rd over.  Damn!  Time is flying by.  It feels like I just got here.  I've had a great time here with Steven and Michael.  They run one heck of an inn!!

I didn't get to see everyone in Atlanta I wanted to this time so I guess I'll have to come back a little more often than once every three years.  Now it's time to get all packed up for my flight to Arizona.

Me & Sasha

I'm going to spend a few days with my parents and then we will drive on to California.  Skype is great and all but it will be nice to see and talk to my family in person.

Me & Steven's Mom

Michael & Steven

My big challenge here is my luggage.  Flying between Europe and the USA (in business class) allowed me to check in 2 suitcases.  Both of which could be 32 Kg (70 lbs).  However, now I'm flying Southwest Airlines from Georgia to Arizona and my two bags can only be 23 Kg (50 lbs) each.  I did shed some weight by giving out some of the gifts I had brought.  But I also did a bit of clothes shopping.  Time to start moving things about so that I don't get stuck with any excess baggage fees.  Once I unload all of the gifts I have in Arizona and California my suitcases will have lots of room for me to fill up back to the 32 Kg mark.  I foresee lots more clothes shopping.

Gram 1919 - 2011

My grandmother recently passed away which has been really hard. This June she would have been 92 years old. It has been a rough couple of weeks to say the least.

People ask me quite often about the benefits of living abroad. Well this is when living overseas, and so far away from your family, isn't so great. Especially when dealing with the 9 hour time difference between here and California.

I've called my grandmother every Sunday for years. When I told her that I was moving to Europe she was afraid that she wouldn't get her Sunday calls anymore. She didn't really get how Skype worked. All she knew is that every Sunday I called her mobile phone from my computer.

One of her very good friends from church used to come by several times a week to give her communion. They would also sit together and read all of my blog posting from Europe. Thank you Francis!! I really appreciate everything you did for my grandmother.

Although I miss her a lot, I know that Gram is in a better place and I need to be happy about that. Though it's especially tough on Sundays.

Update:  Here's a memorial video that my mom's cousin (my first cousin, once removed) made a posted on YouTube.

One Year Down

So I made it!! It’s been a full year since I packed my bags and moved to the Czech Republic. Sometimes it feels like I just got off the airplane and sometimes it feels like I’ve been here for years. I remember my first few days and not knowing if I had made one huge mistake by coming here. I didn't know a soul, could not speak the language, didn't know where anything was, had no mobile or Internet access, felt isolated in the temporary flat I was renting, and wasn't due to start work for a few days. But I did survive.

Thank the Lord for the Internet! There is absolutely no way I could have done this whole expat thing without the Google. Having the Internet, e-mail, my blog, Skype and Facebook has helped fight the homesickness. In fact, I’m in contact with some folks more now than I was when I was still in Atlanta.

Czechs can take bureaucracy to a whole new level. I think it’s a holdover from communism when everyone had to have a job. Now it means you have to jump through all kinds of hoops in order to get things done. I am glad that I moved here but there are days when I just wonder “WTF!?!?!”. Especially with that logic that only makes sense to Czechs. I call it “loczech”, but more on that later.

After a few months over here I met a couple of Americans in “Bratsville”. That’s what I call Bratislava. And it’s funny because I’ve even got Slovaks calling it that now. Anyway, it was great knowing that Janelle and Marcus were only 1.5 hours away and we were able to get together for some wonderful adventures, including Thanksgiving. We were like a support group as we tried to fit in over here. But life goes on and they have both gone back to the U.S. Dang them! Marcus is back in Atlanta and doing well. Janelle got married in Dominica and is back in New York. I still can’t believe that she’s a married woman now. She sent me some wedding photos on Facebook and she looked so beautiful.

The care packages help a lot. Hint! Hint! Especially the ones which Steven & Michael have personally delivered to me. Twice. Thanks boys!

I still miss good restaurant service and being able to just turn on the TV and understand what’s going on. I’m getting better with the metric system but it still isn’t second nature yet. I love the emphasis here on quality of life and I rather enjoy all of the vacation time I now receive. I’ll probably end up visiting 12 different countries this year.

I miss having an actual out, gay community like you find in any major metropolitan area back in the U.S. The majority of people I’ve met who are actually out tend to be in their early to mid-twenties. I find it sad that the gay people here, around my age, are actually married and in the closet because they didn’t have the option to come out twenty years ago. But it’s not like I’m living in Tehran where gays are executed so I’ll just count my blessings.

I understand that Czech is the official language here and I always try Czech first. As an American, I’m used to hearing English spoken with all kinds of accents and can pretty much understand anyone. Czechs are not used to hearing foreigners speak their language. So if you slightly mispronounce something then they can’t (or won’t) do the mental gymnastics to figure it out or meet you half way.

My Czech language classes have gone a long way towards feeling more at home here. I’m making my way through the grammar and I find myself relying less on subtitles when I watch a Czech movie. But it gets incredibly frustrating at times when I’m speaking and don’t have the vocabulary at the tip of my tongue. But that’s something which just takes time. I’m going to be screwed at the end of September when my Czech tutor, Jitka, moves to Germany. She’s completing her Ph.D. and is off to Bavaria to teach at university. Now the hunt is on to try to find another private teacher. She has set the bar so high that I wonder if I’ll be able to find someone half as good as her.

Obviously I still miss my family, my friends, and my dogs. People here and back there ask me all the time when am I going back to visit. The answer is that I don’t know. During my first six months, it was easy to say that I had just arrived so a trip was out of the question. And this year I’m taking advantage of Brno’s central European location to see as much as I can of Europe. Many Czechs go to Egypt, Tunisia, or Croatia for beach holidays. Egypt and Tunisia are far cheaper because you can stay at all-inclusive resorts. I’m going to Croatia because, again, this year I want to see as much of Europe as I can. So it looks like I may try to visit the U.S. in 2011 or 2012. The problem with going to the U.S. is that it is so far away. In order to make the trip worth it I will need to go for at least 2 – 3 weeks, which will eat up over half of my vacation time. I lived in Atlanta for 13 years so that is (or at least was) home to me. But all of my family is on the West Coast. I can’t go to one coast and not the other without getting in trouble with someone. And it’s a good 5 – 6 hour flight between the two so I can’t just bop between the two. So I guess I’ll have to fly in to Atlanta for a few days, make my way to L.A., and then fly back to Europe out of LAX. I’m going to have to cash in SkyMiles for this whirlwind visit because it will suck having to do it in coach. But it will be good to see everyone again. And it’s much cheaper for me to visit then it is for everyone to come over here.

Well...I guess this is enough babbling for now. The important thing is that I’ve survived my first expat year in the Czech Republic. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me this second year.

First Mail

Today was an eventful day. I finally had something in my mailbox...a letter from the U.S. It's about damn time ya'll!!! But then again, with Skype, Facebook, Sametime, and IM's it's not like I'm not in the loop. I don't know if I could have been done this whole expat thing pre-Internet.

I found a gym that I can go workout at. It is only about a block away from my flat. And I don't need a contract. It's 65 Kč (~$3.60 U.S.) per visit or 600 Kč (~$33) per month. It's going to be nice to start working out again. And once my household goods get here in about 5 or 6 weeks, I'll have my spin shoes and be back on a bike. http://www.spinningafitness.cz/

After work I went to the tram station and bought my 1st train ticket. It is always cheaper to buy a round-trip ticket and the cool thing is that the return portion is good for 30 days. So you have a lot of flexibility when traveling.

This weekend is my first road trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. Marcus and I are going to a wine festival in Pezinok on Saturday. It should be a lot of fun. Now I've been told that Bratislava is not really as bad as they portrayed it in the movie Eurotrip. Let's hope not...

Getting Ready to Move

The last few days have been busy but I feel as if I've made some progress. Moving definitely provides one with an opportunity to downsize. So far I have about eight bags of clothes to donate to charity. And I'm still not done.

But the best thing I did was get set up with Skype. A subscription is really cheap and so far the call quality has been great. Skype offers what it calls an "Online Number" that allows you to set up a local telephone number. Your family/friends, that don't use Skype, can call the online number and Skype routes the call to you via the Internet. Whoever calls you only has to pay for a local telephone call. And the service comes with voicemail so if you're not available then you can at least get the message. Plus, Skype will e-mail you letting you know you have a message waiting. This will make it a lot easier, and cheaper, to stay in touch with everyone back here. There is now even a Skype status indicator on the right-hand side of this blog that lets people know if I am currently signed in or not. By the way, my local California online number is (909) 509-5799. The CallerID will show up as Ontario, CA.