The cost of being stupid...

I bet no one knew there was an actual price list for acts of stupidity, but apparently there was enough of a need here in Prague where locks were concerned to create one and yesterday my Supreme Act of Stupidity cost 1840 czk (or $116.45 USD).

Heading out with Logan to pick up Alex from school, which is a daily routine that is so rote I could do it in my sleep, I somehow managed to leave my keys in the lock while pushing the stroller out into to hallway. Normally I would not even push him out until I had grabbed my keys out of the interior lock and placed them in the exterior lock but yesterday the routine hit a snag of the four-legged variety.

Apparently the enticement of a new area to explore outweighed the usual aversion Dominic and Erika have to Logan's stroller and they kept trying to escape when I would open the door. So I pushed Logan out as fast as I could and was only trying to close the door enough to contain the kittens, as I knew I had not grabbed my keys yet and I wanted to run back in for my backpack.

Well, as I was closing the door Logan let out an ear-piercing scream and I turned to see what could have possibly happened to him...realizing too late that I had moved my foot out of the door frame and turning back just in time to see Dominic rubbing against the door - which gave it the final push it needed to close all the way.

So now we were not only locked out of the flat but once we left the building we would not be able to get back in. So I sent Ben a text message and due to his meeting schedule I would now have to go downtown with the kids to pick up his set of keys. We went and picked up Alex and I told her of our new plan of heading down to Daddy's office. She wanted to go home because we were supposed to bake brownies and was not happy with what I had done. After a huge sigh and calling me silly, she resigned herself to the fact that this was not a choice I was giving her but our only option of getting into our home...maybe even in time to still make those brownies. We hopped on a tram and headed down to Narodni Trida. When we got off the tram, the first thing Alex saw was a display of slipper socks at Bankrot. Brownie visions left her mind as she spied two pairs of these that she simply had to have. I told her we could stop there on the way back from getting the keys and we were able to move on.

As we approached the office I had a terrible thought. Even with a key in hand, would I be able to open the door with my keys hanging on the other side? I had no idea if Ben's key would push mine out or if my key would block access. Ben came down with his keys and I mentioned this to him. Hmmm - this just might be the case but the only way to know for sure was to get home and try getting in. So, off we went back the way we came with a quick stop at Bankrot where Alex picked out her slipper socks and patiently waited her turn in line. The clerk thought she was adorable and was much impressed with Alex's math skills - she knew she needed change (I had not said this) so held out her hand - and even more so with her use of Czech during the transaction (she said Please, Thank You, and Goodbye all at the appropriate times). The time was now 5:45pm and I thought, perhaps if this works we can still bake those brownies.

Getting off the tram and walking toward our building, we ran into our temporary neighbors who are here for a month. After I explained to them what I had done, they graciously invited us to their flat in case Ben's key did not work. My fears were indeed confirmed when I tried to put his key in and it would only go 90% of the way in. A quick text to Ben and we were traipsing down one flight to take Bob, Gayle, & Linda up on their offer. They gladly watched the kids while I ran upstairs over and over again with numerous 'tools' we would come up with to try knocking my key out of the lock. This was of course interspersed with messages and calls from Ben asking if I had any success and letting me know that he had called Tomas at the management company. Tomas was in the hospital yet he still managed to track down a coworker, Pavel, to assist us. Pavel, in turn, managed to get a hold of a locksmith who could be here in 30-60 minutes to let us in. Time check: 6:30pm

With Ben's dreams of going to Poker dashed, he called me and said he was on his way and should he grab drinks for the kids. After 25 minutes we left our friends to begin our wait for the locksmith and as we were walking down the stairs, Ben arrived and called me to come let him in the building. Apparently he had stopped at the McDonalds nearest work and grabbed the kids some food and started dolling out the Chicken McNuggets. Moments later, a car pulled up and I guessed correctly that it was the locksmith. We all headed back upstairs, the kids hungrily consuming (3) nuggets a piece in the space of 3 minutes, and we ready to watch what we are sure will be an intricate job.

In less than 1 minute the locksmith had opened our door...without using any keys. The only one who had actually witnessed what he did was Alex who thought it was "pretty neat that a long metal thing and a hammer" could get the door open. Ben and the kids went inside and I dealt with the bill. I was told that we had a really 'super' door and that it was of high security. Really? So a junk door would have been opened in under 10 seconds with a string and a paper clip a la MacGyver? I am not sure how happy either of us were that it only took this professional fewer than 60 seconds to get in without using Ben's key to open the door however we can only hope that when locked, the 8 metal rods that move into the frame would cause more of an issue. Time Check: 7:35pm. Brownies were now completely and without question not going to happen unless I made them myself and that would be defeating the point of time with Alex... Thankfully, she had forgotten all about them as she happily ate her French Fries and watched 'Night at the Museum'.

So there you have it folks. The next time you lock yourself out of your flat, home, or auto...or have assistance from a four-legged friend...just go to www.goldkey.cz and find the matching rate to your level of stupidity :)

To move or not to move...

I am starting to get bored with where we live. This is one of those quirks that Ben has had to deal with off and on throughout our marriage. I usually will state that I can commit to 3-5 years somewhere before the 'itch' starts however things are a bit different in this situation.

Of course, we have always had our own homes before moving to Prague so I could hold off this issue by painting or moving around the furniture. There is nothing quite like changing the colors of your rooms, setting things up differently, or even hanging up pictures to make your place seem new again.

However, when you are renting a lot of that is taken away from you. Here, it is excruciating for me. I am not allowed to paint the flat and let me tell you right now none of the colors here would be of my choosing. I cannot hang up much...mostly because the walls are cement and we left our good drill and bits in the States, but also because we would have to pay for any excess damage or holes so Alex has her art work taped up in the playroom but the rest of flat is pretty empty. As for moving furniture this is also not much of an option. The rooms barely contain what we brought over and most of the layouts are forced due to slanted roof lines, built-ins, and door/window placement.

Please do not get me wrong, I love this flat for the most part...it is just not the layout of my choice and I am not happy with having to live with someone else's personality and color selections.

On top of all this, we have friends who have moved and friends who will be moving soon to our old neck of the woods. It is really making that itch of mine come out in full.

What is the final icing on this cake is that the stairs have finally gotten to me and my knees. I would blame it on the weather except I now know there is something wrong with my right knee and I will have to make an appointment soon to have it looked at. A house or villa would not have had as many flights of stairs and most flats are in buildings with lifts...the most you have to do is a half flight up or down to the lift, and a half flight when you are entering or exiting the building.

So, I have been giving a lot of thought to moving. I think about it almost daily. It has become a true obsession of mine to find something affordable (ha), the size that we need (ha ha), in a part of the city that I would find more enjoyable. Of course, I have now limited myself from ever finding the dream flat because there really will not be anything affordable, in this size, without being a Villa or House and that will certainly not be found in Vinohrady. To make matters even harder, I am really not thinking about renting the property, but buying it. The monthly mortgage would be cheaper than our rental fee...as long as we did not go overboard and buy a castle or something near Embassy Row...and we would be able to do whatever we wanted inside and out to make it truly our home. If and when we leave Prague, we could even keep it as a rental property and have somewhere to stay when we came back on visits!

Then reality rears its ugly head and I am forced to look at the one major con associated with moving next door or down a few flights, let alone across town. Two words sums it up: TOO EXPENSIVE

Different from our initial move, we would be the ones sporting the bill for having our items brought from one place to the other. We could certainly help keep some of the costs down by moving a few items by ourselves...clothes, toys, toiletries, and some other items in suitcases are all things we could handle. However, the amount of furniture we have, all the electronics, and all the kitchen/dining items would require professionals. Now add in the fact that we live on the 4th (5th in US standards) floor with no lift and that nothing larger than a box truck is allowed on our street and the numbers are not looking too good.

Beside the cost of moving there is the fact that when purchasing or renting you need a good deal of money upfront. When you rent, it is typical to pay fees that include the first month, the security/last month, and the fee to the agency that you would use...which is equal to one monthly rent payment. When you buy, obviously you need a down payment. After shelling out the money for one full year of health insurance for (2) children and (1) adult to VZP, plus the Annual Fee for my Mediconet coverage things are not looking too swell in that department.

Last thing I must consider in these monetary woes is that we signed a 2-year contract on this flat. I am not entirely sure what the repercussions are for breaking said contract. Some owners are very good about giving you an 'out clause' where if you notify them 90 days in advance and have a reason both parties find as valid you are free and clear. Others allow you to leave whenever you like...if you pay out the remaining time on your contract.

So, it appears that we will be staying here for the next year and I will just have to deal with that fact. I cannot argue the fact that we live in a tremendous flat, in a beautiful section of the city, with a great view, allowing Ben a terrific commute, and the 5 minute walk to Alex's school is nothing short of a major plus! Gee - when I look at that list, I almost want to stay here :)

One Year Anniversary...A Look at the Pros

Now, there are certainly a lot more pros than cons as we enter our second year and there have been many changes that are noteworthy. However we will start with the (3) Pros mentioned in the last post and go from there...

Pro 1 - Fulfilling a Dream
Most people only dream about living in a far off country, for us this became a reality. We have a great opportunity to explore all the places that we read about and are providing a unique experience for our children. Hopefully we will all get on board and start learning not only Czech, but languages of the surrounding countries that we visit and our educations will never end! The unbelievable amount of knowledge that is at our fingertips is overwhelming and we plan on taking full advantage while we are here!

Pro 2 - A Most Beautiful City
Sure, most have never fantasized about living in Prague or the Czech Republic but to them I can only say you have no idea what you are missing. The "City of One Hundred Spires" is nothing short of an architectural wonder. No matter where you look there is something beautiful and breathtaking that will catch your eye. Each part of the city has its own personality from the style of the buildings to the pattern of the cobbles on the main streets. There are castles, churches, statues, and fountains the likes of which you have never seen. There are so many green spaces it is hard to believe that there is a busy crowded city nearby. There are so many things to do and see without leaving the direct area that it all seems unreal at times. This is one of the easiest 'jumping off points' to other cities, countries, and all the amazing sights they have to offer. To top it all off, the beer is incredibly good and unbelievably cheap and a short drive away you can experience the amazing wines of Moravia while basking in the beauty of that region.

Pro 3 - Someone else paid to get us here
Without someone else footing the bill for the beginning of this adventure, it would have never happened. I do not know the extent of the expenses involved and I hope I can say the same for when we are packed up and moved to our next location. Surely it was not cheap - that much is a given. So Thank You Monster :)

Pro 4 - Prague is Home
Strange but true, it feels like home. Granted a somewhat dysfunctional, something is missing, not quite right type of home...but it is home nonetheless. On the few visits we have made back to the States we felt disjointed...we no longer quite fit in there and there is no easy way to explain that. Yes, our families are there. Yes, our best friends are there. Yes, even the vehicles and most of our belongings are still there. However, there is something very out of sync. Perhaps it is the fact that we no longer have a true home base there. We are still financially stricken with 18 Hardwood Road and our Drivers Licenses say NH but the house is empty and there is no returning to that place or time in our lives. It has become one of those "It's a nice place to visit but..." scenarios. After our fill of driving and paying for gas, eating the majority of meals out, and buying up Walmart we all start itching to get back to our Public Transportation, our view of St Vitas and the Summer Palace, and yes, our new friends that we have made. It is a very strange phenomenon that we never thought would happen but it has and we are prepared for a long stay in Europe.

Pro 5 - Out and About
Now that the Winter Season has subsided and Spring has come to Prague, we are all feeling quite happy about getting out of this flat and seeing more of what this city, this country, and what Europe has to offer.
Sure we are dealing with allergies but that is nothing compared to the Norovirus, the Severe Otitus, and the never-ending head-colds of early 2008! It is getting time for a final wash of the winter coats and clothes, we are starting to open windows, and best of all we are walking again. There is nothing quite like being healthy enough to bypass a few tram or metro stops in favor of fresh air and sunshine :)
In 11 days we start our 2nd big Holiday. Alex is extremely excited because she is finally going to see London and she is also returning to Spain. I am extremely excited because I am finally getting to see London which has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I also am looking forward to the second portion of the Holiday since our resort has a Kid's Club and we may actually get a few hours to relax on our own. Ben is pretty much excited in general to have so many days off...and still have more vacation days to use further on in the year!
This year we plan on visiting some nearby towns, spending a weekend in Moravia so that Ben and Alex can meet the Spevak Clan and enjoy the beauty of that area as Logan and I did, and doing some tourist-type things around the city. I am sure there will be some other long weekends to neighboring (and not so neighboring) countries and we are definitely getting to Dresden by the end of June. We also are trying to plan a visit back to the States so we are really looking forward to our upcoming months.

Pros 6 & 7 - Little Slices of America
American Television
For us nothing quite beats the fact that we can still access our favorite shows...albeit a few days after they actually aired...and as long as no one talks or writes about the episodes you are allowed to enjoy them as if they were being viewed on regular broadcast. However we truly get to enjoy this more than the average viewer thanks to the fact that ALL COMMERCIALS have been cut out. Not only does this cut down on the actual amount we are sitting in front of the 'boob tube', it also takes away the potential brainwashing of advertisements that may have one or all of us clamoring for the latest new fad back in the States! we have yet to think of a show that we cannot obtain - and we have time to enjoy all the ones we have on queue as we wait for the new seasons to begin. Oh this also works for movies as well and we have even been able to view a few of them before they were mass released on DVD or even to theaters so that is pretty cool :)

American Foods
With enough visitors - whether friends and family or Maynard employees - we have been able to place some shopping requests for items we just cannot live without and so far things have remained pretty well stocked. As long as we never run out of Annie's Homegrown Mac & Cheese we will be in great shape.
Now this is not to say that you cannot find a lot of things over here, because you can. However, the prices are astronomical and I refuse to pay for things that I can readily bring here myself or that will not take up too much luggage space or cause an excess baggage charge for those willing to be our pack mules. However, you cannot get Annie's, Quaker Oats Granola bars, Sun Maid Raisins, Mrs Buttersworth or better yet, real Vermont Maple Syrup, Brianna's Salad Dressings, Luna Bars/Z-Bars, Fruit Snacks & Yogos, and a whole bunch of HABA products that we are accustomed to using so until my email inquiries to these companies come back with "Yes Mrs. Hodson, of course we can ship that out to you" or "Here is the list of current distributors in Prague" I will be relying on the kindness of others and our visits back to keep us all stocked up!
With other things, we have finally learned what their closest equivalents are and have made the change over quite nicely. For other items that I did not mention above we have high hopes of finding them in Germany or Poland...cheaper than flying to the States and gives us the needed push to visit these two countries sometime soon.

Pro 8 - Expanding Group of Friends
We have been working on meeting new people and this has really provided us with some great new friends. When we first arrived, we were limited to what we could do and when we could do it. Logan was 7 months and took up a great deal of time, and we had never had a babysitter and were not quite ready to tackle that hurdle so we had to do kid-related things with people willing to be subjected to them. With the primary group of Monster Employees being young, single, and male the first 5 months were very difficult. There are a great bunch of co-workers who we did things with but we held back a bit since we did not want to make anyone feel like they had to babysit the entire Hodson Clan.
However, between some work contacts, school contacts, the other employees from the States, and some chance encounters we started having other people to hang out with. A lot of them have children close in age to Alex and Logan so that has been an extra bonus. We have play dates, we have adult nights out, and we have people who can relate to our experience. This has certainly made the biggest difference to our lives here and we look forward to adding to our circle of friends in the future.

One Year Anniversary...A Look at the Cons

Wow - hard to believe this is true, however we have now called Prague home for one year! I would have said one 'full' year but since the kids and I lived in Windham for the an entire month last summer it does not seem quite accurate. It's a technicality but all too true nonetheless :) With that said, let me return to the subject at hand...we have been Expats living abroad since March 27, 2007 and it is only fair to try to put some perspective on that. When this whole adventure started it had a sort of romanticized feel to it. A chance to live in Europe? In one of the most beautiful cities in the world? With someone else paying for the flight and to move our belongings over? What could be better than that? What could possibly be a con to that magnificent list of pros?

Con 1 - Housing Woes
Well, for starters there was the whole having to live in an apartment...excuse me, a flat...again. Could we have found a house? Sure, but then we would have been further out from the city than we already are and the public transportation did not seem as readily available in all areas...or if it was, Ben would have had to endure a commute over 15 minutes long (by metro), over 20 (by tram) or...gasp...over 30 (by foot). After leaving the 45-60 minute, one-way drive behind him, Ben was really not up for anything longer than 20 minutes by metro. Not to put the entire blame on Ben and his commute, you really have to start thinking about how far away a store is too boot. Without a car to go shopping, perishables become somewhat of a new challenge. So, in all fairness, the few villas that we did see (and they were shared, not single family set ups) were beautiful but I would have arrived home with melted and wilted everything.

Con 2 - Language Difficulties
Next up, the language barrier. With slightly more than a (calendar) year under my belt I now know all (4) daily greetings from Good Morning through Good Evening...though truth be told, I had learned them on my visit back in 2006! However, I will say the pronunciation is much better than a year ago and I now know the correct times of the day that these apply to. I know my numbers from 0-20...a great help at the supermarket when they ask you how many items are bagged up from the bakery, as well as when someone asks how long I have lived here. Could I ask these same questions? No - it is just through the repetition of being asked the same things...How many of these do you have? Do you want to keep these hangers? How old are your children? How long have you lived here? What would you like to drink?...that I can fake my way through :) I can ask how someone is doing...and answer back if asked myself. I can say "Nice to meet you" but really do not have much of an opportunity to use that one! Yes - No - Thank You - Please Hello - Goodbye - See you again - and of course my favorite...Sorry, I cannot speak Czech, do you speak English? There are more but nothing quite qualifies as being conversational. My plan is to have private lessons this summer and we have started using breakfast time to listen to the language programs we have so maybe some day I can actually have a very short conversation and not feel like a failure for my lack of ability with Czech. This is a very hard language to wrap our tongues around and the Slavic-base is nothing like the Latin-based Romantic languages we are taught or used to hearing.
Honestly, America fails its people with the lack of education in the language department. We start later than almost every country and we do not have enough of a push to really learn a language flat out. To top it off, we are a bit idiotic in the languages we do present to our scholars. Point being, we are taught Parisian French. Do we live near Paris? No, we border Canada to our North and let me tell you from experience having dealt with both countries and listened to what they have to say...THEY ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME! The dialects are as different from one country to another as they are throughout the various regions within their territories. To the opposite end of America is Mexico, South America, and their own territories and islands. Do we learn Mexican? Nope, once again we cross The Pond and learn the Spanish of Europe. Once again, very different dialects and structures and as with the Canadian-Parisian comparison...THEY ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME! However, as this is not the point of this entry I will move on.

Con 3 - Communication
Another disheartening hurdle has been the lack of day-to-day contact with friends and family that had been so much a part of our daily existence. At the start, this did not seem like it was going to be so hard. There were daily flights to and from both countries...surely we would see people. We obtained a Skype phone number based in Massachusetts to make calling easier on everyone back in the States...surely we would hear from people. We added this new Blog to our standing website so that everyone could read about our new lives...surely people would leave comments as is the standard on every Blog out there. So what happened to all these great plans? Well, not everyone can really afford to take the time or spend the cash on a flight to Europe. That is not to say we have not had any visitors, or that we are not grateful beyond measure for the ones we have had, it is just that we had hoped for many more. Skype has not worked out as planned for 2 reasons: (1) almost no one has jumped on the bandwagon and downloaded this FREE method of communicating with us and (2) because of the time difference, and because this is a computer-based tool there is a limited window for great connections with a land-line.
Now, contrary to popular belief, this is neither Eastern Europe nor is it a third world country. They do have internet and satellite and cable television here. However, that said, I must admit we are living with one of the worst internet connections that we have ever had since 1991! We get dropped many times a day, lose our connection for hours at a time, and worst of all have issues with sending emails because of our new International ISP address and people's high level security settings on their work and home pc's. So honestly, the best and easiest way to guarantee communication with us is through Skype since it has voicemail, ongoing chat ability, and is live. We have it installed on our living room machine - which is connected to our television - so we get immediate notification of any and all activity. We have made it very easy for everyone to find us...our Skype name is the same as our website: CasadeHodson. Get it and use it people. We miss you all and want to stay in touch as much as possible!!!
On to the Blog. I am not sure how familiar everyone is with the concept of a Blog but let me explain some basics. One or more people write the entries, people hopefully read the entries, and then the readers write their comments to the entries. This allows many things to happens: the writer(s) know that the entries have been read, the reader(s) get a chance to express their opinions on what they read, and it is yet another tool to open up the lines of communication. There is nothing more disheartening to us than to hear someone read the Blog..or read about the fact they read it in some various email account. This is something that takes a lot of time, energy, and vulnerability to write and put together. Right now, the only reason we continue to write is so that we ourselves have a running account and history of our life here. It would be nice to receive from feedback from time to time or just a quick message that lets us know this isn't pointless.

Con 4 - Health Insurance
You have seen my earlier entries about obtaining healthcare coverage here and I will not bore you all with a recap of those times. However, I did just go through the renewals for the children and for myself and I still wanted to bang my head against a wall through the entire experience!
First, I will take some of the blame for why this was not the smoothest transaction. I somehow fooled myself into believing that the three of us ran out on the same day and that I had plenty of time to get the renewals done. I knew Logan had an upcoming Doctor visit on April 1st so I took out his insurance card to verify he would be covered that day. I was looking at the card on March 14th...he and Alex had only been covered through the 13th. I was in a total panic. Since I had let it run out, I now had visions of going through all the initial requirements again and I was not thrilled at this prospect. However, the following Monday I ran over to their pediatrician and asked for renewal letters in hopes that I would be given a 7 day grace period. The letters would be ready on Wednesday...and could I please bring Alex in that day as well for a very important vaccination. Umm - yes I could do that and I prayed that they would overlook the fact that she would not have any insurance. Wednesday we went to the office, she received her vaccination and I was given my letters...nobody mentioned the fact that the coverage had expired and I was not going to mention it either. I dropped her off at school, picked up Logan from the flat so that Ben could get to work, and headed to VZP. Here is where the renewal fun began...
There is no such thing as a 'Grace Period' here and there was also no such thing as an easy renewal process. I had to fill out two application forms (per child) again, attach the Doctor's letters of approval to continue their coverage, and then they still had to send the forms out to that "specialist" they talk so much about for his stamp of approval. Come back next week. I received no tongue lashing for waiting so long, yet I humbly left the office with my renewal applications in hand. I still had about 11 days on my insurance but had yet to even see a doctor so I had to find one and get a renewal letter of my own!
While this was going on, Ben decided to add me to the Mediconet program that he received through work. I could now see a whole slew of doctors and specialists and not have to worry about hunting one down on my own. Logan and I met him at Mediconet, paid for my policy with them, picked up my contract, and made an appointment for my physical so I could get the renewal letter...the earliest they could get me in was March 27th. Great - I still had coverage for 5 days after that so I should be fine.
I had my appointment, received my letter, and the next day I headed to VZP to finalize Alex and Logan's policies and start my renewal. I did all the things one needs to do to obtain their new cards and then passed in my paperwork. Well, the ration of %^$# I received this time was over the top. They knew I had started everything late, they knew I had just picked up my paperwork the week prior, they knew that I could not obtain my letter until I had my appointment but none of that mattered. What mattered most was giving me a hard time and beating a dead horse even more.I still do not understand why it was no big deal to them that the children had almost 3 weeks of no health coverage whatsoever but boy did they give me a hard time about the fact that I would now go 3 days without any coverage!!!I had gone 6 months without insurance, did they really think I cared about 3 days?!?!? Anyhow, I left with the kid's cards and that was what mattered most to me. Plus, my renewal was now in the hands of 'the specialist' so things were out of my control. I was asked to come back the following Friday and we left.
As it turned out, the following Friday I was home with two sick kids and was not going to be able to get to VZP. Whatever...I was not in a rush. Monday afternoon came and I still had not made it to VZP since it was raining all day. Again, no biggie. Well, then I received an IM from Ben telling me he needed all of our health cards and Passports since our Visa renewals were almost complete. Now, it was a big deal and we worked out a way to get me to VZP the following morning...on my own...so that I could do things quickly. By 10:30am on Tuesday April 8th I had my new card in hand. The best thing about it all was that I had renewed the three of us for a year so I do not have to deal with VZP again until March 2009...when I make sure I go in 14 days before any of our policies expire :)

Con 5 - Over the top PDA
I am sure I will get a lot of flack on this one but I do not care. It is not something I am going to change my feelings on and that is all there is to it. What, some of you may be asking, is the issue? What is a PDA? Well, for those not in the know it stands for Public Display of Affection. So, again, what is the issue? I will tell you...
Hugs and kisses are one thing. I think it is great that people are in love and that they want the whole world to know. However, I draw the line at unbelievable displays that are all around me. I do turn away, thank you very much, but most of the time it is just to see another PDA more over the top than the last! People cannot seem to control themselves at all. This is more than your basic snog or the hands in the jeans pocket that you see anywhere else. This is literally the most furious game of tongue hockey to the worst "Get a Room!" moment you can possibly imagine. There was only one incident, thank God, where I honestly had to look for a camera set up somewhere because they could have been shooting a (very adult) movie but there have just been too many times when I have had to witness things that are best left in private.
Europe is definitely more open about their physical attractions and sex in general and I am trying not to be a prude but honestly, there are just some things that I should not have to be explaining about yet to my 4 year old!

Con 6 - Stand Out Like A Sore Thumb
From the blanks stares on our faces when someone approaches and speaks Czech to the fact that I refuse to dress my kids like Nanook of the North and everything in between, we do not come across as Czech Citizens and thus seem to be objects of much scrutiny.
The first will hopefully become less of an issue over time as we learn more of the language so for now, I can deal with the little laugh after I tell people I do not speak Czech or the way the women at Albert like to 'discuss' us at the check-out line (this is not in my mind, they literally point right at us and say things to each other with little laughs or smirks), even the need to carry around my Phrase Book and the new huge Anglicko-Cesky Dictionary we purchased is alright with me since I am learning new words everyday.
The second will continue to be an issue as I flat out cannot adhere to the thought process that my children must be drowning in a pool of sweat inside their layers of clothing to be healthy. It is obvious that this all results from generations past when women thought it best to have their children in 2 or 3 more layers than they themselves were wearing...as if babies and children did not have the natural ability to be warm. The US, famous for its studies, stated a few years ago...with the results of years long tests...that babies and children DO NOT NEED to be dressed in any more than that which is comfortable for the parent. Layers are great but can be taken off.
This new found bounty of information will most likely not hit this region for another 10-15 years and those who have elder family members helping them out will still have to struggle with the taboos of those bygone eras, however I am sure that one day there will be happy Czech children who are not overladen with 5 layers of clothes, a snowsuit, and a fleece cover over their strollers in 50-60 degree weather.
Until that time, I will continue to dress my children and myself in what I feel is appropriate for the temperature du jour...and I am not one of those crazy people who pull out the t-shirts and shorts for the first 60 degree day...and I will take the stares and dirty looks in stride.
As for everything else in between, well it is only bound to get better with more time under our belts. We will never be true Czech Citizens but as time goes by I think we will definitely fade a bit more into the background and begin fitting in.
Now with every bad list, there also comes a good and there are a bunch of Pro thoughts on the way...I just could not subject anyone to 'the never-ending blog entry' :)