BIBLIOGRIND
The Life of a Wordsmith — Read … Live … Write
Archive for June, 2011
June 30, 2011 at 5:34 am · Filed under The Prague Blog
AsiaMark went to Prof Kriz’s 20th Anniversary gala of his law firm’s founding (with partner Belina). I’ve been invited to pretty much all of the Prof’s events, held at either his offices or one of the nat’l theaters, but last night’s party was as posh an elegant as they get.
Held at Zofin Gardens, the island setting on the Vltava was perfect for a warm summer evening. There was a champagne toast with the celebrants at the entrance. The wine & beer list was a-typically superb.
And then there was the food:
6 kinds of appetizers: sushi, baked salmon, cold fish, indian, etc all on tapas dishes.
Grills meats & veggies: sausage and steak and turkey; peppers and zucchini and potatoes and rice pilaf.
Dessert: creme bruele, chocolate tart, etc
We gorged on this lovely menu like starving immigrants. All a part of our pre-marital diet, of course.
June 29, 2011 at 2:16 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
My Mont Blanc “Nobles Oblige” finally went kaput!
After many operations, I can no longer repair the pen properly. Notice its intestines spilling out of its gullet.
Tragic!
I’m thinking of trying to get a replacement for the front half, but the pen is 13 years old, and long out of manufacture.
Boo hoo!
June 29, 2011 at 2:13 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
Accept for one small item … the foreign police form, which I’ll get 4 days before the wedding.
But finally all forms and fees have been submitted, accepted, approved, and paid for:
July 22, 2011 … Here We Come!!
Asia was so excited, she needed a nap … as the JamesBunny & Teddy look on:
June 22, 2011 at 4:59 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
When the rains let up, I was able to take Jen & Kim and Sister City Ambassadors to Prazky Hrad. We did the full tour, and learned some more about Czech’s penchant for throwing rulers out of high windows. Also: cobblestones are tough on the feet.
The girls liked the deer mote and the cave passage beneath the bridge. A photo in front of the cute guards should go well with the photo they’ll get in front of the cute guards at Buckingham Palace a few days from now.
The city views were spectacular, and catching Charles Bridge from a distant bridge is the best photo op in town.
Old Town gave them a sense of wonder at its size, and the size of a roasting pan (au gratin potatoes) at one of the food kiosks serving up Czech delights.
The Mucha museum had 80+ lithos on display, with lots of the art nouveau master’s sketchbooks open, too.
The teen ambassadors like to shop, and two were on the hunt for garnet rings … which after 6 stores and some careful shopping, they went away happy.
I led the group through the winding streets, and gave them a bit ‘o history. After that final walk to the house, Asia & I cooked up a meatball & pasta meal w/cerveny vino. And for dessert (must have dessert!), Asia made her now-famous StickyCake w/plums.
We’d wanted to see the sunset fall behind Prague Castle from Riegovy Sady, but the rains came once again and, though the view was still there, the sun was not.
June 21, 2011 at 7:21 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
The radio interview is archived on the Cotswold radio site. To listen, click here, and scroll to “The Cooler Breakfast: Saturday, 18 June” …. You’ll need to advance the playback bar to about the two-thirds point (there’s no proper numeric counter to pinpoint). Thanks to Richard Price, radio jock at NCCR.
Enjoy!!
I did
June 19, 2011 at 9:58 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
Asia’s first opera. La Boheme. She looked lovely in her black dress. In Prague’s state opera house (the old opera house) we sat on the main floor, but all seats are superb in this intimate setting.
As an added bonus, Jen-Jen & Andrea, along with Kim & the other girlscouts, came to see Puccini’s classic, tragic, love story.
At intermission, we had champagne on the balcony overlooking Prague’s Baroque buildings and Gothic church spires at Old Town.
As it turned out, the girlscouts pretty much slept through the performance. Opera can be a tough go, your first time out, as the dark hall, the soft music, the dreamy operatic voices, will lull you to sleep if you’re not careful. In their defence, they had only come in town that morning from an all-day flight from San Diego.
Asia loved the aria duets, noting their contrasting voices. We all loved the opera house with its classic boxes and gilt filigree, all baroque.
June 18, 2011 at 4:55 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
This morning on North Cotswolds Community Radio, I was interviewed by Richard Price on The Cooler Breakfast show. I was invited to call into the station to plug The Village Wit. This was my first radio interview, and the anticipation had me a bit nervous.
To dispell the possibility of red-light stage fright, I wrote out two simple answer scripts for questions I anticipated the Jock would ask: What’s the story about; and What’s the idea behind the “sexual politics” of which I wrote in the synopsis.
We had a 7 minute conversation that was, for me, fluid and positive and outgoing to the Cotswold’s listeners. I’m waiting for the archive to be put up for Saturday June 18′s episode of the Cooler Breakfast Show so that people can listen for themselves.
Meanwhile, in the morning, Asia was more nervous/excited than I, and she hid in the other room so I wouldn’t be distracted or disturbed. Afterwards, we had a good laugh.
June 15, 2011 at 11:25 am · Filed under The Prague Blog
With a wealth of wayward pupils — out of town or out to lunch — and Prague’s transport strike set for tomorrow, I’ve had some time to get creative.
Prague’s largets union is striking tomorrow, in advance of a gov’t confidence vote, trying to move these ruling Bozos into dissolving the coalition, and thus ending the present government and forcing new elections. If new elections happen now, it’s likely the socialist party (CSSD) will win, and taxes will become astronomical, debt galactic, and the fall of the country is easily possible.
On the other hand, if the present gov’t makes it through the end of June, then the “cucumber season” begins for the newspapers/tele, which means little coverage and no great scandals shall be exposed (as 2-3 have broken each week since before Christmas!). And if they make it through July & August, then the gov’t will likely cruise into the end of the year.
The problem with all this is that nothing is getting done, not least of which is health care reform and pension reform, without which the country will be bankrupt in 2 years. So really the Czechs are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Meanwhile, I’m about to make Spanish tortia !!!
June 14, 2011 at 6:27 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
Morte D’Urban by J.F. Powers. The story of a small-order priest who work is underappreciated and prowess overlooked. Father Urban gets sent to a nowhere place in Minnesota, but makes the best of things, only to get the screwgee in the end. Author Powers delivers a well balanced book with spot-on imagery.
 Lady Oracle by Margarette Atwood. Another strong-weak female character trying to overcome (mostly) herself. The reward is good with Atwood, whose familiarity is like that of a favorite auntie telling family scuttlebut over tea and cookies.
The Possibility of an Island by Michel Houellebecq. This book was a complete failure for me, mainly because the author didn’t bother to hide his disdain for men & women & society & humanity in characters who mattered, but instead used faceless people to deliver jeremiads about post post-modern society. No fucking shit, MH.
June 11, 2011 at 9:04 pm · Filed under The Prague Blog
… you get to see her in the cute outfits, too!
That’s what I’m talking about, people!
Brush, Brush, Brush!
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