Casa De Hodson EU Adventures

Logan's Birthday

2008-08-12T15:08:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday we had a birthday party for Logan. He turned 2 earlier in the week but this was a far better time to celebrate. We invited over a bunch of our friends with kids so we had a good collection of people. I made pasta with both the classic red sauce I have been making since I was like 13 and my garlic Alfredo sauce along with an ample supply of garlic bread. We ordered a cake from a local bakery shop (pekárna) who delivered. We had selected a very nice yellow car with chocolate cake and chocolate cream filling...Indulgent and rich barely describes it. Logan had a great time with his friends and opening his presents, He received a lot of car toys which has become his obsession. Insisting he take a matchbox to bed with him the other night is one example of this. The Olympics provided entertainment and much food for discussion for the adults. It is always amazing to me to see the different points of views you get from having people from like 4 or 5 different cultures in one room. By the end of the day we were all well feed and very tired... and just a little bit older..

Happy Anniversary to You!!!

2008-07-27T23:55:00.001-04:00

Happy One Year Anniversary to Kelly, Alain, Paige, & Colby :)

Yes, another family has made that miraculous milestone of making it through a year in Prague!!!

You may remember a past post or two right about this time last year when we were all exceptionally excited at their impending arrival - we would have new friends to go through this with and the kids are all close in age so there were play dates to be had as well. There was also the additional bonus of their extreme kindness in doing a weeks worth of shopping for us that shipped in their container ;)

It has been a wonderful year having them here and you can check out their blog to see how the Prague Experience has been for them: www.lavelanet.org

Happy, Happy Anniversary!!!

Train Ride to London

2008-07-07T09:45:00.001-04:00

Thursday, April 28th

We started our first real day in the UK by traveling via train from the East Midlands area to London proper. The very first thing I noticed was that people here must not have babies/infants or be handicapped because there were no facilities to assist them from one side of the station to another. There were signs basically stating that you would be taking your life into your hands if you needed to use the access path across the tracks - they have unbelievable High Speed trains that pass through and the only way to guarantee safe passage from one side to another was to use the Upper Walkway...3o or more steps up and down. Oh what fun with all the bags and the defective stroller!

The joy continued as we got on board to the announcement that the Reservation System was was down and since they could not prove who had purchased Reserved Seating (God forbid they actually READ the tickets which state this) it would be open seating. So glad that I spent the extra money on seats for the kids! Ben and Alex made it into an actual car compartment while Logan and I were in the passage/doorway with a jump seat that I had to get out of at each stop. Oh and I cannot forget to mention that I got to move the stroller around quite a bit since each station platform was on a different side.

The icing on this journey was when I saw Ben coming my way and motioning to Alex to stay put - which of course did not happen. He was looking for wipes since Alex had been sick and he had used up his supply already. I took her into the bathroom and cleaned her up good as new. However the only thing she was upset about was that she had ruined her Brand New Barbie Magic Activity Book which she had received from our friend Lyuba and we had saved special for this trip. Now we had to look for a stroller and a replacement Barbie item as soon as we hit London!

Along the way we were treated to some very lovely picturesque scenes of English countryside, hamlets, and small burgs. Evening it out were a few spots that could easily pass for Oslo's backyard (Keeping Up Appearances for those not 'in the know') but it was simply gorgeous for the most part and made me wish that we could have a country home here....or just move in general :)

Logan slept for almost the entire ride which canceled out the purpose of his first "Thomas-like" experience but a sleeping Logan probably made things easier on the whole, plus he woke up in time to witness the absolute beauty of St. Pancras - Yes, it IS beautiful - so he got to see many trains and it was most likely an entire Isle of Sodor moment for him in the end.

With just a bit of an issue we were able to get all of our baggage off the train and begin our London Experience. So all we had to do now was find our way out of the station, find our hotel, try to find a new Barbie Activity Book, find a new stroller, and pray that there would be no more issues. The stress-free holiday I was hoping for was slipping through my fingers...bu it was still early so there was hope!

Not so Easy (Jet) Start to our Holiday

2008-07-07T09:30:00.002-04:00

I received some flak for wanting to keep all these posts in chronological order...seems no one would scroll back to see that there were a bunch of new entries so I have changed the dates from the original time period (April & May) so that they will appear 'new'.

April 27th

Wednesday night we kicked off our trip with a 21:55 (that's 9:55pm to our readers in the States) flight to the Nottingham East Midlands Airport. We had the usual running around and crazy rush out of here but things were looking good in the schedule department and we were ready to start a stress-free holiday.

We have decided not to kill ourselves with rushing too much as long as Logan is under the age of 2. See, we still get Priority Boarding without having to pay for it so it does not matter what time we check in since we will be in the Second Priority Boarding Class until August 4th :) This means we can allow some extra breathing room using the Public Transportation to the airport - which we need when we have (3) bags for check-in, (3) Carry Ons, and a Stroller :)

We had a very nice, uneventful (read: no one got sick for a change) flight to the UK and were ready to just go through Customs, get our bags, and use whatever method necessary to reach the Travelodge we were staying at for the night. Ben took charge of getting the luggage while I ran off with Alex to find the nearest W/C - the poor girl had been holding it in for almost 20 minutes and we were reaching critical leg clenching.

When we exited the Ladies Room, we saw Ben with all the luggage and Logan in his stroller - Great, I thought, two things down and one to go. Insert typical Dramatic Music here. As we approach I notice that Ben is making a lot effort to make eye contact before I get to the desk he is standing by. "Small problem" he says...and moves over to the stroller to demonstrate the new fold over ability of the handle which was broken in transport. With the aid of a Service Rep we get the Damaged Bag claim filled out and our sheet of instructions for how to finalize the claim upon our return. Another attendant realizes we are SOL without two working handles and runs off to find something to use as a brace and something close to Duct Tape. This proved to be a good short term fix but it would not last more then a day or 2 max.

Now, anyone who knows what I have to do daily with this stroller can appreciate just how horrible this situation was for me. To make matters worse, it had to be broken on this portion of our trip...the first few hours, in the most expensive city of all.

With nothing to be done at 11pm at night, we gathered our items and I pushed the stroller one handed to an Information Kiosk. We were told our best bet would be a Taxi to our lodging and we carefully folded down the stroller and made sure it sat on top of everything for the ride. We checked in and collapsed since we had an early start the next morning to catch a train from Loughborough Station to St. Pancras International in London. With GBP signs swimming in front of my eyes, I fell into a fitful sleep...worries about finding a suitable replacement that I could carry up 8 flights of stairs plagued me most of the night and unfortunately blew the stress-free start.

What can happen in just a few days time...

2008-06-29T16:56:00.004-04:00

When I left here on Friday afternoon, everything was just as it had been the day before...and the day before that...and the day before that. When I returned this evening, I marveled at the strange things that can happen in just over 48 hours:

When 2 Becomes 1

Friday, I lived off a two-way street, had two children, and two cats... Sunday, the street was now one-way and Dominic has become the one Cat in the flat...guess I should just be thankful that there were still two children :)

Overflow

When I left on Friday, I had the dryer going with a massive load of whites inside. Upon my return, the dryer was still full of the clothes and apparently had been dripping water from the condensation drawer which was chock full and splattering all over the floor. Hmmm...

Greater Appreciation

On Friday, while not content to be here in all honesty, I was reserved to the fact and ready to continue. By Sunday, I had rekindled my enjoyment with fresh air, open spaces, cleanliness, and having a girlfriend around to talk to. I may not be able to do anything at the moment about the first three things (although there will be a lot of effort involved) but I am DEFINITELY going to do as much as I possibly can with Kelly until she and her family return to the United States next year.

Mini Mine Fields

Friday the flat was as spotless as it can be with an almost 2 year old boy on the loose. When I returned it appeared that mini battles had been fought all over the place and we had the losing side. Oh well, at least I will not be bored my first day back :)

What is it with people?

2008-05-29T11:27:00.002-04:00

Okay - this entry is a total 'need to vent to feel better' blog but if anyone has any insight, please share.

As anyone reading our blog knows, we live on the top floors of a 4-story (5 to the US) building. This building has no lift and my daily workout is carrying my son, Logan, the stroller, and whatever is in my backpack up 8 flights of stairs.

Today, we enter the building and there are two Czech women getting their mail and in conversation as they make their way to the stairs. Alex is right behind them and I tell her to hold back so we can have some space between us before starting the hike up.

I wait until they are almost up to the first landing and start my ascent. They stop and look at me lugging about 30 lbs or more up the stairs before continuing...now at a more leisurely pace. Perhaps they think I live on this floor so it would not matter if they are now about the same speed as your average snail.

However, we then turn the corner and start out way up the next flight. They are not at the next landing before they both come to a dead halt, blocking any access to move further.

Apparently, they needed to stop all movements to fish the keys they just had a moment ago out of their over-sized luggage-like purses. With keys in hand, they take two more steps onto the landing and stop once again.

I growl a "Pardon" and make my way by them in the smallest amount of space they have provided and I found myself thinking I would love it if the stroller knocked into them.

We continue up the last two flights of stairs and unlock our door in time to hear them say good bye to one another. One woman lived there on the second floor, and a few moments later we could hear the other woman opening up a door on our floor!

So I ask you, what is wrong with these (and all the others out there just like them) people? Are they blind? Stupid? Just plain rude? What is it that makes people everywhere stop in the most inconvenient places imaginable and what makes them then think they are so superior that there cannot possibly be anyone else on the planet around them that may also need that exact same space, at the exact same time?!?!?!

Top 5 Reasons (Today) Why I Hate Flat Living

2008-05-19T08:44:00.004-04:00

5. No say in building maintenance (our section needs some outer beautification)
4. Cannot outfit it with the appliances of my choice
3. Cannot paint, hang up anything, or change the way a door hangs without approval
(and that is not going to happen here)
2. Cannot play my music anywhere near loud enough
1. Some fool is always doing reconstruction work right at nap time

Honestly, I think these will always be the same with the exception of Number 1 but it will be interesting to see if anything changes...

The cost of being stupid...

2008-04-18T04:04:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-04-15T09:58:00.004-04:00

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

2008-04-13T03:32:00.006-04:00

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

2008-04-02T07:12:00.015-04:00

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' :)

Easter 2008

2008-03-27T07:11:00.002-04:00

Call us crazy - and that may very well be accurate - but after spending the quietest Easter in the history of our lives last year, we wanted to be surrounded by people this year. So, without giving anyone too much notice, we decided to invite a few people over for Easter Sunday Dinner.
Of course, as always happens with Ben and I, we start out with a certain number in mind and then it gets exponentially larger until it is out of control. Our initial figure for this started with a comment made 3 weeks prior when I asked one of our friends if thy had any plans for Easter. They did not and I said I would send them out an official invite once the day got closer. This initial addition was 4 people. When all was said and done, we had invited 23 people to our flat! Unfortunately, not everyone could make it so the final tally - including ourselves - was 19 and let me tell you, it was a blast!
Since we are not going to flat out decide what 23 (possible) people will be eating - it's just not our style and I mean really, from the smallest office party to the largest weddings you are at least granted two options! - we decided to send it to a vote...where majority would rule.
Everyone who knows me, knows that I do not step in a kitchen except to pass through, so Ben came up with three possibilities...that he would be willing to make: A Traditional American Easter Meal of a Roast Beef or Ham, an Italian Feast, or a totally nontradtional Chinese Meal. Hands down, the Roast Beef won. Terrific since we love a good roast...now the only problem was where to find one :)
We found a great site for a shop that actually supplies the Argentinean Beef to the local Argentinean Steakhouses, but alas it takes an entire week to get your shipment...from the hillside farms of Argentina. So Ben decided to try the butcher shop closest to the office. Needing help with what he was actually looking for, he asked one of his coworkers who immediately contacted her Czech mother-in-law
to find out what he would ask the butcher for. Armed with the proper Czech phrasing, he left the shop with 5+ kg of roast.
That night we heading to the IKEA out in Zlicin to find the necessary tools to host this many people...plates, utensils, wine glasses, chairs, and folding tables. We have all this and more - back in storage in the States. Who would have thought it would be needed here? More importantly, given the size of the average flat, where would it have gone? Oh well, the fact of the matter was we needed it now and we were on a mission to find it. Thankfully, IKEA is the place of dreams and we were able to find everything we needed...and set up delivery for Saturday morning!
After everything was delivered, it was time to clean, get everything unpacked and set up, run everything new through the dishwasher, and figure out a set up that worked. When that was accomplished, it was time to go shopping for the rest of the items that we would be taking care of. Thankfully, everyone coming took on a specific task from Beverage Patrol (Kelly & Alain), to appetizers (Gita & Colin), to salads (Hannah & her Mum), and dessert &plus some fabulous cornbread (Marie & Kevin).
Sunday morning was spent watching our children try to find the chocolate easter eggs that Ben had hidden the night before. They did very well finding all 12 of them, with Alex being able to declare herself the winner with 2 eggs more than Logan :) When that was over, we moved on to the final set up and a once over cleaning. Ben got the roast in around noon and we got both Logan and Alex to take a nap! It was truly a great thing that they did because they were both up until 10pm and 11pm respectively.
It was fantastic having this many people to share our day...and our traditions with. Yes, we initiated everyone into the Greene Family Easter Egg Smash and I think it was enjoyed by all. We did learn that when you have that large a group, you either need to be near the median age (so that your egg does not see that much action) or that we will have to split it up into smaller groups if we are lucky enough to have that many here again.
Monday was a Holiday here as well and we devoted the morning to returning the flat to normal. We found places to store the two tables and the eight new folding chairs, and the service settings found a new home in our old bar buffet. By Tuesday night the last load had been washed and put away and there were no signs that anything had happened here except for the occasional trip into the fridge for leftovers.
We can honestly say that this was a terrific Holiday and we wish to thank everyone who helped make our day that much more enjoyable. Hope everyone else had a terrific day as well!

Dominic and Erika

2008-03-21T05:38:00.001-04:00

Well it did not even last a year. Our great love of animals, the incessant pleas of one 4 year old girl, and the look of sheer joy on Logan's face as he cried out "Meow, Meow" caused Ben and I to do something crazy.

It all started when I received an Instant Message from Ben telling me that there were the most adorable kittens running around the office and that they needed homes...why didn't I pack up Logan and come have a look? Leaving all common sense behind, I quickly got both of us ready and we headed down to see them. Within seconds of laying eyes on them, Logan was running around with widespread arms and a matching smile making mewing sounds and laughing. Something inside me snapped and I realized just how much I missed having animals in the house. Now of course, I am more a dog person but I cannot see having a dog in any but a first floor flat and would not be willing to deal with all the trips out to take care of business. But kittens? That was doable...ridiculous...but doable.

So we picked out the two we wanted...yes two because you should always get animals in pairs so that they have someone to keep them company while you are out...and we waited the three weeks until they would be ready to leave their mother. Neither of us told Alex anything since we did not want to deal with the endless stream of "When are the kittens coming?" inquiries. We decided to buy the supplies the week they were arriving and surprise her when they showed up.

As it turned out, they were due to arrive while David and his parents were here so Alex was already having one of her "best weeks ever" and this was just the icing on the cake.

I missed all the excitement of the actual drop off - David and I were at Palac Flora finding important items like food bowls and some other last minute items - but she was still beaming when we arrived so it was very enjoyable.

Next came the naming process. Alex had been on a total Star Wars kick and I was worried that Luke and Leia would top the charts...or perhaps Ro & Antonio from Barbie as the Island Princess. So it was with amazement and relief when she picked out the names of the two lesser characters from Barbie's Princess and the Pauper :)

Now the fun begins...

Beautiful words from a Beautiful Visitor

2008-03-21T05:06:00.001-04:00

Just to make things perfectly clear, this Blog entry was NOT composed by either me or Ben - it is the views and expressions of one of our visitors and I must apologize to her that it took me so long to get her amazing composition up here. So, read on and enjoy...

Looking out the window, I can see faint color emerging from the the fog. I've heard this is "the city of a thousand spires..." so where are they? I crane my neck to try to see.

The day before I was introduced to Europe - the sight of people who look the same as me. They would lock eyes to begin a conversation and then, out from their mouths spilled a strange set of noises and sounds!

It's not that I've never heard another language before. Far from it. It's just that it's been indirect, around me, or maybe in a school classroom where I know if I speak English instead, everyone will understand.

Not here! Not in Eastern Europe. Maybe they know a word or two, but dive too deep into English and be ready for the blank stare of confusion.

For me most of travel is about the people I meet. I was frustrated not being able to talk to those people, not being able to find out where they come from or what their father does of if they have a boyfriend or why they hardly smile. No, our interface was limited to dobre den, prosim and a few numbers I can't even remember now.

Even without language, though, the stories were all around me. They were in the spires - which I did manage to see and fall in love with. The stories were in the walls of the castle, and in the cobble-stones streets. They whispered through the Jewish ghetto and screamed from the walls of the Pinkish Synagogue and the cemetery it opened into.

The angels and demons in the reliefs above the churches, the organs, the Astronomical Clock, even the wind had something to say.

Oh, Powder Gate, why are you called that? Why are the doors in Golden Alley so small? Where did the Hunger Wall begin and end and why?

Prague is so much more that a place to look at from above or below. It is more than the five-story club at the end of the Charles Bridge. It is a place to be in, a place of tales, of people both good and bad, of horror and delight, of pleasure and pauper.

It is like the woman, perhaps not immediately beautiful, but intricate - and mysterious. She perhaps has a crooked nose, winding ever so gently like the disjointed Prague streets. Maybe she has a faint smile and eyes that invite questions, mirroring Prague's crannies that beckon exploration. She has a sing-song voice that speaks through pursed lips...a sound that comes from deep within like the music flowing from Prague's many hidden chambers.

And both, the more you look at them, the more you study them and the more you interact with them, become ever more beautiful, simply because they are alive and bursting with character.

Starting March off the right way...

2008-03-19T05:43:00.004-04:00

There is only one way to start a month perfectly and that is to have visitors coming :)

Sure there is some work leading up to their arrival...cleaning, moving things out of the guest room, coming up with a quasi plan of things to see and do...but it is all done with a cheerful smile and yes, even a tune being hummed because you know that you are soon going to see people you love.

March 8th through the 16th were wonderfully happy days for us...our great friend David and his parents had shelled out hard-earned cash to visit us from the States and it could have only been made better if they had been able to stay longer ;)

Even though we had the bedrooms available, we felt that 2 bathrooms were not going to be enough for (5) adults and (1) child to share so David's parents - Art & Mary - were able to experience Prague in the comfort of their own flat...in our old building in Vinohrady! So much better than a hotel room, not to mention cheaper, they were able to enjoy a foyer, a full bathroom - including washing machine, a full kitchen with dining area, and a living/bedroom complete with Sky Satellite Television and Internet. Honestly, if any of our readers plan on visiting Prague please let me help with the accommodations (unless you are staying with us of course!) and set you up in style. If you prefer to do it on your own, please allow me to suggest our friends at this website because they are da bomb www.pragueclassicrentals.cz

We had some terrific weather to help make the sightseeing more agreeable - it was almost Springlike - and were able to cover some of the basic highlights of the city. However, with three days planned in Moravia, we were not able to give Prague its due...so they will just have to come back again...and again...and again :)

Unfortunately, Alex was ill the night before our departure so she and Ben stayed behind while the rest of us explored Moravia with the help of our friends, the Spevak Family. They are an unbelievably gracious family who gave us an intimate look at their hometown of Horni Hut, Dubnany, and many surrounding areas as well. Frank, the patriarch of the family, runs a rather large vineyard and I suggest getting your hands on any one of their fabulous wines to compliment your next meal!

Because of their many business connections and friends, we were able to have private tours of a castle and their eldest son David's school - which of course, given the area, was dedicated to the production of wine :) We also were treated to a walk around the grounds of another castle in the midst of reconstruction and one of their own vineyards.

I will have to dedicate another entry to the beauty of Moravia to do it justice and try to give some perspective on just how different this area of the Czech Republic is from ours.

Getting back to the real point of this entry, we had a fabulous time sharing our new surroundings with folks that we have considered true family members for many a year. Alex had David tuck her in and read her bedtime stories and sing some songs (Fergie's 'Glamorous' is "their song" and I am sure there were a few Mary J tunes thrown in as well), and by the 3rd day she was calling his parents Grampy Art & Grammy Mary.

She and Logan were as thrilled as we were to have them all here and were very saddened by their departure. When I returned from accompanying them to the airport the day of their departure, Alex saw me crying and after hearing why I was so sad she said, "I understand but they had to go back to America. We do not live there anymore, we live in Prague now. But we can visit sometime...Grampy Art even said so!"

What is it about kids that they never seem to listen to or retain your comments about cleaning up their toys or basic rules of behavior, but someone in another room mentions a vacation (this happened to be to the Cape on our next visit back) and not only will they hear it, but that will be fresh on their minds - and inquired about almost daily - until it happens?!?! Oh well, that could be another whole blog entry!

Many thanks to David, Art, and Mary for giving us this fantastic gift...it honestly meant the world to us to have you here and we are already planning your next visit :)

Prague at Night

2008-03-13T06:08:00.004-04:00

Friday night found me with time to myself. I packed up my camera gear and headed out into the city to try my hand at night photography. I had my Nikon, 2 lenses, and my tripod. I started with the gate across from our flat and then moved on into Letna Park. I got some nice pictures there of the Pavilion restaurant as well as several shots of the bridges and buildings below. I then walked down the hill and headed back up some very long stairs to the ramparts of the castle. From here I was rewarded with some more great pictures of some of the beautiful Prague buildings including Petrin aka the Czech Eiffel Tower.
I then headed down the hill into the city. I stopped on Mánesuv most, one bridge up from Karluv most, and took some 20 second exposure shots of this famous bridge. The water was very rough on the river but having the shutter open so long made it appear flat in the photos...smooth as glass.
I then headed down to Karluv most itself and found a public terrace on the east side of the river. From here I took some pictures, looking back up at the castle, with this beautiful bridge in the foreground.
Overall, I was out for 4 hours hiking around the city and was pretty wiped out by the time I got home but felt I had learned a lot and had taken some very nice shots.

Pete visits from Maynard

2008-03-13T05:56:00.003-04:00

February 18th through the 22nd was a great week. Pete...one of the guys on my team who is located in Maynard...came over to do training. Pam, my team in Prague, and I made sure he had a fun time and was kept busy. We all met him on Sunday afternoon, shortly after he arrived, and took him on a brief tour of the city hitting some of the high points like the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and the Lennon Wall. We then went to a restaurant downtown to introduce him to Czech cuisine, beer, and shots. It was a great time...I only wish I had gotten more pictures. The rest of the week consisted of more of the same - going to many more restaurants, more sightseeing,some shopping, and of course...MORE BEER!

Birthday and Boy in a Tote

2008-03-08T05:03:00.003-05:00

We had a fun kids event the other day. A friend's daughter was turning 4 and they had a big birthday party at a DĚTSKÝ KOUTEK (an indoor play area) downtown.
A DĚTSKÝ KOUTEK is like short-term daycare. They are in lots of malls here and this one was in the same building as a spa and Marks & Spencer store. The idea is that you drop your kids off and then go shopping. They have a few people to keep an eye on your kids and usually lots of toys and slides, etc. They charge a very low hourly rate of approx $4 an hour or so. I think the idea is you will shop longer and happier if your kids are not with you bugging you to get going. Not to mention, the bonus of your kids asking to go to the mall to play.
This particular place was rather large and had a large slide with ball pit, a climbing wall, and a slot car track...though it had obviously not been used with slot cars in some time. Logan did not seem to mind and had fun pushing cars around the track. There was also a small tree house at the top of the slide for the children to play in. It was a very nice set-up and had many small toys and games as well. Everyone was kept very entertained.
About 18 kids showed up for this party and it was pretty much (slightly) controlled mayhem :) This was great as the kids were having a wonderful time with only a few bumps from minor collisions...mostly at the bottom of the slide.
Logan thought the slide was great. It was maybe 10 feet high with a bump in the middle and it emptied into a small ball pit. He marched right up the stairs to the top of the slide, turned, sat, and down he came. He bumped his head a couple of times on the bump in the slide and then was deposited into the ball pit. He was wide eyed laying there as I retrieved him and he had the look of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Apparently it had been too much for him to handle and it turned to crying. However, it was only a slight scare as in 20 seconds he was squirming to get down. He went right back to the top of the slide but would go to the edge and turn away repeatedly. Between that and playing on the race track he seemed very happy. After about 20 minutes he made another attempt - this time being slowed by another parent about half way down the slide. It went better... there were still a couple of tears shed but was nowhere near as bad as the first time. On his last attempt, later in the day when most kids had left, I slowed him and he laughed as he landed into he ball pit. He loved the ball pit most of all and climbed in several times during the party - throwing balls everywhere before I had to retrieve him to keep him from getting hit by a sliding child.
Alex had a great time on the slide and did very well on the climbing wall. She had never been able to quite figure these out before. The one they had did not go all that high so I think that helped with the scare factor and there was a large padded mat under the wall. She called to me when she had climbed all the way to the op on her own and then just jumped down onto the mat. She had a great time doing this right up til when we had to leave.
They had a great cake and lots of food as well for the kids and adults. We were there for like two and a half hours and the kids actually looked tired when we left.
They even went down for a nap at home which was good because our friends from the US were arriving and we were having a small party with Prague friends at the flat that night to welcome them.
So, you may be asking, what about the other topic listed above? Well...
In this Blog entry picture collection are some great shots of Logan after he climbed into a Rubbermaid tote that stows the kid's ball collection. He would climb in with the balls and then would throw them all out and wait for someone to refill it on top of him. He loved it! I also tried dragging the tote around on the rug with him sitting in it which he enjoyed too...making train sounds as he went along.

How 2008 has been so far...

2008-01-25T11:01:00.002-05:00

To say that this has not been a banner year so far would be downplaying how badly things have gone so far.
I could pretty much tell you day by day just how the year is going but that seems a bit OCD for my taste so let me sum it up for you in 15 words:
There have only been 3 days that have found the 4 of us quasi healthy
From December 29th through almost 2 weeks ago, Logan and I had Bronchitis, Alex had some variation of it, and Ben had Sinusitis plus a cold of his own. As always, mine lingered longer than most so I was just getting over things when new illnesses struck. Ben came home from work last Wednesday saying he did not feel well...upset stomach, headache, very tired. Okay, all things that could be a combination of his illness, his new meds, and his allergies. Then Thursday, Logan seemed a bit off and he was sick that night. Friday night Ben & I went out although neither of us was feeling that terrific and I received a call from Nanny Hannah that Alex had been sick but things were under control and not to rush home. Terrific. When we got home, we stayed up to watch one of our newfound favorite (downloaded) shows...Chuck...and then went upstairs. I peeked in on Alex and she had been sick in her sleep. We got her taken care of and my stomach started hurting but I figured it was just the knots over this continuous unhealthy run we had been experiencing. Saturday Alex was feeling better and we changed out plans from a day of fun at the Toy Museum to a short trip to IKEA. Everything was fine the rest of the night until I peeked in on Alex again when we were heading up for the night. Yup, a replay of the previous evening. Now I really felt horrid but again marked it as nerves, lack of sleep, and total exhaustion. In the morning, Alex & I woke at the same time and she immediately told me she was going to be ill...she was right. I brought her downstairs, Ben mentioned making pancakes, and I ran out of the room - I had finally been struck. So at days end this is how things stood: Logan seemingly was feeling better, Ben not so great but nothing drastic, Alex on the mend, and me just starting with whatever this was.
Monday Alex went to school feeling fine, Ben went to work, Logan was still out of sorts, and I was wishing I could find a plastic bubble to live in.
Alex had her afterschool session of "Singlish" (definite blog entry) and Logan and I waited in the playroom at the school with 4 other mothers and their younger children (all right around Logan's age give or take a few months).
The next day we received an email from the school that one child had been sent home sick on Thursday and another that day...the culprit? The Norovirus that had just swept through the UK and had made it to Prague. Now we had a name...
When Hannah arrived that evening (Yes, come hell or high water we were still going out!) she told us about how lousy she had been feeling and I had to own up and apologize and let her know what we had given her. I really felt awful because I could pinpoint the exact moment when she was exposed to this wonderful illness.
No calls this night and we figured everything was wonderful. We got home a bit early and enjoyed some time just talking with Hannah and discussing non-kid topics. We were exhausted from staying up until 2am the previous evening so we could watch the downloaded Pats Game so up we headed. As had become the norm, I peeked in on Alex and as had become the norm on her part she had been sick again. after cleaning everything up and getting her all set and ready for bed again, I came down and sent the school an email that Alex would be out for the rest of the week.
Last night was once more looking good fro Alex - I still had some issues and Logan seemed to be coming down with another cold but since I was mainly concerned with her I was happy that we had made it through the day and things were looking up. Also, it had only taken a week but I had successfully washed and dried both sets of Alex's sheets, her two mattress pads, her four pillowcases, and just had her blanket and four pillows to get through (which for anyone who knows about the HE4t's that I had to leave in the States this was a killer since I could have done all that in a day). We took the kids up to bed and while Ben read her a story in our room, I completely remade her bed and was all happy that she was no longer on a towel atop the mattress with a fleece throw over her.
After a lousy night of broken sleep thanks to Mr Logan, I had just crawled back into bed at 6:15 to be aroused 5 minutes later by the telltale sounds of Alex the Sick. Yup - so much for her being better, so much for the fresh bed, so much for any more sleep, and so much for me having a day without laundry :(
Here we now stand at 7:20pm on Friday the 25th of January. It has been almost a full month since the entire family was healthy or even left the flat on a daily basis (Ben is the only one to have seen the outide of this place since Tuesday night). Maybe some day we will all be okay again but I am not going to hold my breath waiting for that day.
Hope 2008 is treating the rest of you a whole lot better :)

Small things...

2008-01-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how much a small thing can brighten your outlook on life but it really does happen.
Last weekend when everyone was feeling good for a few hours, we made an excursion to IKEA. We owed Alex a computer chair and I decided it was high time we picked up some curtain rods to hang the valances we brought over with us. With those finally in our possession I was looking forward to getting things going.
As misfortune would have it, we all woke up the next day feeling somewhat off. No surprise that nothing got done that day.
By Tuesday, Alex was having her 2nd round of Norovirus, I had never stopped, Logan had something new coming on, and Ben was feeling rather poorly. Alex had to stay home from school the rest of the week and between her, Logan, and myself there was not an opportunity to put up the rods. Add in that Ben was exhausted by the time he got home each night and was feeling progressively worse and there was no hope of the packaging coming off.
However last night I decided enough was enough and I was going to put those rods up no matter what! I got out all the tools and the ladder and started marking where the holders would go. It became obvious that this venture was not going anywhere when 30 minutes later I had managed to only drill 2 holes...and they were in the wrong place :( One should never attempt measuring or have any sort of power tool at their disposal when they are ill!
Today dawned a new day and I was feeling better so I decided to give it another try. I am now sitting in the living room marveling at how such a small thing like getting 3 (I'm halfway there!) valances up can not only change the look of the room, but my outlook on things in general.

New Years 2008

2008-01-01T05:43:00.005-05:00

On New Years Eve Alex and I went with Sara, Janice and Alina to Letna park to watch the fireworks over the city. The place we went is on a high ridge over looking the river and the city. We got to our spot about 20 minutes before midnight.
There were already fireworks going off all over the city and in the park itself over our heads. When I say all over I mean as far as the eye could see there were sporadic fireworks going off. The downtown square where my office is had a constant barrage of fireworks going off from the time we got there to watch until we left at about 20 past. I have no idea how log they had been going or how long they went on for but it was pretty amazing.

Visitors!!!

2007-12-28T06:59:00.001-05:00

On December 28th, 2007 an unbelievable phenomenon occurred. We had visitors arrive!

Yes folks, that is correct. And not just 1...oh no, 3 brave young souls spent their hard earned cash on tickets to Europe just so they could spend New Years Eve in Prague and visit with us!

Never did we think this moment would arrive. We have received all the apparently obligatory "Oh we cannot wait to come see you!" and "Of course we'll come to Prague" statements from friends and family but it began to seem like the only way this would happen was if snowdrops began falling in that certain somewhere.

However, dreams became a reality when I received a wonderful email from my niece Sara with the simple subject line "It's Booked!" followed shortly by the actual itinerary showing purchased, non-refundable tickets to Prague :)

Her email has since been followed by two more notifications that others are going to make their way over to see this beautiful city. Our wonderful friend David and his parents are going to brave the end of the winter season in early March, and our friends Penny and Ray are going to leave the unbelievable warmth of Homestead, Florida to come see us in May!!!

I met Sara and her friend Janice at the airport and then after a short wait, the last member of this exclusive group, Elina, arrived and we were heading back to our flat. Alex was very excited at the prospect of having some new people to entertain and willingly gave up her room and bunked in Logan's room so that Sara could have a room to herself.

I have to admit, at times I think we are crazy for having one of the largest flats in Prague (compared to the norm, ours borders what locals may call excessive) - especially when it comes to cleaning it! However, it did not seem so silly once we had three extra bodies staying here.

To get an honest view of their trip, they would have to send me entries for the blog (which I hope they do) however I can state, with all honesty, that I think they enjoyed themselves. I can also report that we were jealous of a few things:

a) their unwavering energy which allowed them to keep on the go 24/7
b) their ability to come and go as they pleased with no kids to deal with
c) the fact that they have officially seen more of the tourist type attractions than we have, the nearby town of Kutna Hora, and even made it to Budapest before us

The only real time we got to spend with them and show them around was the first day they arrived and the evening before they left. The rest of the time, they were out and about experiencing Prague on their own. This was in no way the plan for their visit - Ben and I had looked forward to spending a great deal of time showing them around ourselves, however when their are kids involved plans tend to go by the wayside. On the day after their arrival, they were off seeing the Castle and we were off seeing the halls of the Hospital...Logan was really not doing well and the end result was Bronchitis, with a double ear infection and a sinus infection. He ended up with (4) prescriptions and we were off for home - what had started as a week of fun things to look forward to doing with the girls had turned into the prospect of finishing off our holiday season tending to a sick child. And as always happens in a closed household with one person ill, we l ended up coming down with it.

However Sara and her friends were not daunted by this new turn of events - and were most likely relieved to not have the two geriatric tour guides with them, slowing them down and cramping their style! They could now see the city on their own terms. With the unbelievable transportation system here, this is not hard to do however they actually enjoyed taking in the city the old fashioned way...on foot. Many miles were clocked in and they really crammed in a great amount of sights for such a short visit but they still departed with a list of "Must do's" for another time.

It was great having people here and we promise, if this entry motivates anyone else to start looking up flight prices, we will keep the communicable diseases to a bare minimum :) (More pictures of Kids and January Stuff)

Reaching us by Phone

2007-12-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

We can be reached by phone through our Skype number: (781) 328-2742

This appears to confuse most people so here is a not-so-short comment on the subject:

We have a Skype account and obtained a Massachusetts based number to make it easier and cheaper for all those still in America to continue to call us. If you can make a call to Massachusetts, you can call us. There is no secret or magic involved - pick up the phone, dial the number as you would anyone else's, and voila! if we are available, we will pick up. If not, we have voicemail.

The only things that you need to worry about are these:

a) The Time - keep in mind that we are 6 hours ahead of the Eastern Seaboard so any calls after 4pm EST will go directly to voicemail as I have had to turn on the Do Not Disturb function to stop the 1-3am wake up calls.

b) Skype is a computer based phone system so the best connections are with those who also download Skype to their computer and get a cheap Radio Shack headset or the more costly USB handsets. A standard land-line to computer call will have some issues like drop out and echo, all of which will be made worse as the number of users online goes up. So far, the best reception I have had is with calls made from the States or made by me anywhere in the 7pm - 7am EST range. What does this mean? It means you should all download Skype immediately and at least enjoy the Chat function if a headset purchase is not in the near future :)

This is our only tool for live communications and it would be great if more people would utilize this. Not only is it great to hear a familiar voice - even if only a short voicemail - but the chat sessions are like live IMing that you can keep a running history of (if you so wish) and is the easiest method of getting a hold of us since Skype runs 24/7 on the set up in the living room...unlike email which is on the computer in the study, a room I rarely get to see lately. If you write a chat entry, we get an instant notification that there is a new even awaiting our attention. The beauty of this function is also, of course, the obvious fact that you can write any time you want to without worrying about the reception factor and we will respond as soon as we see it.

Yes, I know this sounds like email to most of you but it isn't. There are no security settings or ISP issues that block messages to and fro...in simplistic terms, you type...we read...we type back.

So even if you do not want to download Skype for the calling ability, it would be a great way to keep in touch via the chat ability.

For more detailed information, and to download, please visit www.Skype.com

Address Details

2007-12-27T07:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a really quick entry that apparently should have been done a long time ago.

We have received many requests for our address and with all the issues we are having with emails not getting through to everyone, this seemed the most viable spot to post the data. However, for obvious reasons we are not particularly comfortable with actually posting this information for all the world to see so here is how you can get it:

Send me another email with that as the only subject (otherwise, the response will most likely get lost in answering all the other points)

Contact my mother, by phone of course, if you have her number.

Contact my sister, this is an email option since she is not technologically challenged.

After you have obtained this information, here are some guidelines to insure that we will receive what you send.

For regular mail:

Insert First Name Here Hodson
Street Address
Apartment Number
Hradcany Praha 6
160 00
Czech Republic

A standard letter under 16 ounces will cost you $0.90, after that I am not sure what the incremental charge is per ounce but it is a great way to get rid of those old 37 cent and below stamps!

For anything other than a standard letter:

Benjamin or Pamela Hodson

DO NOT use both names or either of the kids names as we have to present an ID and sign for items at the Post Office. The kids cannot write their names in cursive and if both of our names appear, then we both have to be present to pick something up.

DO NOT declare any value of goods and list anything you send as "Used" taking all tags off the items inside. If you are thinking of shipping something expensive, DON'T!! Wait for us to come home or for someone you know to come here.

Over a certain value and we have to pay a taxation on the shipment. Use a real description of what is inside, and if interest is intrigued on the receiving end we are likely to not ever see the package.

Check online or with your local Post Office to ensure that the item(s) you are thinking of shipping do not fall into the illegal category for the Czech Republic. You would be amazed at the things that are not allowed here through shipping. If you are ever bored and have a dull moment, try a mock order on Amazon.Com and see how many of your line items will go through. My first order of (10) line items ended up with (1) item viable for shipment...and the cost was astronomical.

So, there you have it...the address and how to use it ;)

Christmas In Prague

2007-12-25T05:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas is a big holiday in Prague. There are lots of people all over the city from Christmas through New Years. The City was as packed as it was at the height of the summer tourist season. For the Christmas Season they put up up the small shack-like kiosks in the central parts of the city. They sell various things from food and drinks to ornaments to clothing and beautiful rock lights...think of it like all the extra little carts that show up in the mall at Christmas time. These same booths are used for Easter time as well. There are also dozens of Christmas trees put up around the city - some fake, some real - all beautifully and very differently decorated. The largest of these was a real tree set up in Old Town Square. It was a very large tree but rather crooked and, while not perfectly shaped like the trees you expect at home, it had a very natural look. It was kind of scraggly, with lots of missing branches at the bottom...which they made up for by placing many smaller trees around the base for a fuller appearance.
We got our tree a few weeks before Christmas. Alex and I went out and found 'the one' 1 metro stop away right by the top of the exit. It was about 6 feet tall and cost about 25 dollars - a rather large savings from what we would have paid back in the States. They netted it up and then I put it on my shoulder and we brought it home on the metro. As our flat is on the 5th floor with no lift, I got quite the workout bringing it up. Alex and I then went out and got a stand and some lights at Tesco. When we got home we got the tree set up and had to explain why it needed some water before we did anything else. Over the next week, the tree was decorated with all the ornaments that Alex had made last year and topped with a nice sisal angel Pam and Alex got at one of the Christmas booths at a nearby tram stop.
A few days before Christmas we ventured down to Old Town in the evening to see the big tree and check out the booths they had down there. Apparently everyone in Europe had the same idea and it took us over an hour to walk the 1/4 mile from my office to Old town square usually a 5-7 minute walk. The streets were packed wall to wall with people and you could barely move. Once we reached the square it was not much better. Think Times Square on New Years at midnight... We met up with Kelly, Alain, Paige, and Colby and after a treat of warm, candied nuts (one of the delightful items available at the kiosks) we all headed out the nearest street to go to dinner far from the square where it was much less crowded.
Alex was very excited about Santa coming this year. She put out cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer and was very excited to see the empty plate the next morning. It appears that Santa thought Alex was a good girl and Logan a good boy in 2007 as there were many presents under the tree Christmas morning.
We both have to admit it was wonderful to have this Hodson Family Christmas for a change and do everything on our own schedule, without having to travel here, there, and everywhere for the holiday. Normally we never get to open our stockings or our gifts around our own tree until the day after Christmas so, while we did miss seeing our families, it was very nice to have this relaxed day and the kids really enjoyed being able to open everything and play right then and there!
We did pass on the major holiday tradition they have here...the Christmas Carp. All around the city, barrels and holding tanks sprung up on the street corners days before Christmas with live carp in them. Upon purchase you could choose to take the carp home alive where it would most likely live in your tub until meal time, or they would gladly beat it with a bat, gut, and clean it for you while you waited. This made for a somewhat gory street scene...one which Alex did not enjoy at all. It also made for an interesting time walking around since these fish were in barrels of water, which were filled via courtesy of the hydrants and thin hose lines that apparently had some unpatched holes, and the immediate area became mini ice rinks. The daytime was better since you could readily see the ice and steer clear of it, but at night it was a bit more of a challenge.
From the street it appeared that few people here have taken up the Christmas tree tradition. We had been told that trees and outward decorations had not been on display during the Communist Era here and it seems that it has been a very slow build up since that ended. Mostly Expats are the ones with big holiday displays so we probably stuck out so a sore thumb...our tree was pretty much the only one you could see in any of the neighboring buildings, although candle lights were a big thing. We were also the only ones who kept things lit up until the Epiphany. However the city put up a large tree with white lights and a star on top and decorated all the

surrounding live trees at the gate across from our building so there was a whole Winter Wonderland feel to the area and we all enjoyed the view.
What seemed to be the big thing was to buy the tree a few days before Christmas and leave it netted out on a balcony until Christmas Eve. Then a day or two after Christmas, it found its way back outside in a holding pattern until the trash men could pick them up. Pam had read on the Expats site that you could just leave it by the Recycling Dumpsters and they would pick it up when ready, but that the best
method was to simply wait until you saw a pile of trees somewhere and then add yours to it. Last weekend we noticed 3 or 4 trees had been placed by our local dumpsters so we immediately added ours to the pile and are now enjoying the process of daily vacuuming as pine needles spring up out of nowhere. A live tree is wonderful, however we all appear to share the same tree allergy so next year we will most likely join the Eco-Friendly community and purchase a tree we can enjoy for years to come!
More Pictures