Oh, Ohio

I've been silent. I dropped the ball in February and March when it came to my blog. That is due in large part to my jaunt home to visit a new little bundle of life. Her name is Lucy Soell. I've loved her mom, January Newbanks, for years and years. She has held my hand through all the ups and downs life has thrown at us, she makes me stronger.

And now I get to love her little one. I flew back to Ohio for the sole purpose of sitting on Jan's couch and holding little Lucy. And that is in fact what I did most of the time in Ohio.

When Lucy and I weren't bonding, I was in Zanesville hanging out with my mom and little siblings. I was also able to attend my cousin's baby shower and have breakfast with an old, dear friend.

Usually, when I'm in Ohio I feel like I am a visitor. I run around seeing people and being busy. This is nice because I love these people and I love hugging them. But this time I felt like I was home. There wasn't any running, it was just being. I like being when it involves family, a sweet Lucy, a best friend and her husband, pints of ice cream and Becherovka cocktails. Viva Ohio!

My Valentine

This blog entry is only for me. It concerns my sweet Valentine and the Valentine gift he gave me. The question really is: How to explain and convey this experience? Well, it involves food. Anyone who knows me (especially my students!) know that I am a "foodie". Good food means a good life. This doesn't mean that I don't have the occasional iced coffee at McDonald's, but it does mean that I don't recognize this as food. It doesn't nurture, it doesn't take time, it doesn't bring people together. Those are the things real food do.

My Valentine gave me a gift of food because he knows me. H told me that he wanted to take me to dinner for Valentine's Day. Fair enough, that is a standard for Valentine's Day. But he wouldn't tell me where. Last time he pulled this trick for my birthday a few years back, I found myself at a Michelin starred restaurant. My curiosity was sparked. I put on a skirt and shined my shoes and when we got to the tram he gave me a clue. "Starts with "l""Hmm, didn't ring a bell. "Next letter is a". Still nothing. "D" And it is more than one word? "Yes." Oh my gosh! I think I know.

It was La Degustation Boheme, a world renowned restaurant that specializes in Czech infusion food. The menu consisted of names which anyone who's lived in Prague for awhile should know, but nothing was served as expected. I guess that's the beauty of infusion food. We were served such luxuries as cauliflower puree with caviar, quail egg in aspic, beef tongue and mini crepes.

The meal lasted of nearly 3 hours, during which time we were waited on as if we were the only diners in the restaurant even though it was full. The manager greeted us at the beginning of the meal and checked on us throughout.

It certainly isn't an every day experience, or even once a year. But at least once one should take part in this food theater. Bon apetit!

The Snow Queen

Not long ago I wrote about the National Theater here in Prague. I suppose it is the long winter but I've had a taste for the theater lately. So a few weeks back I bought myself a couple of tickets online and printed them at home (yep, it's that easy), sent a facebook message to H's little sister inviting her out for the day and headed the Stavovske divadlo (The Estates Theater).

I chose a play this time. Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen". A little known fact about me is that I adore fairy tales. I have a collection of fairy tale books back in my mom's house. They are a look into the collective psyche of a culture.

When we arrived at the theater, there were crowds of children quietly filing into the theater. Logically, a fairy tale theater production was a huge draw for the family crowd. The kids were dressed to the nines in frilly dresses and mini tuxedos. Adorable! Every kid should have such a luxurious experience.

The play is the story of a little boy who is abducted by the evil Snow Queen. His best friend goes in search of him, eventually finding him and freeing him from the Queen's clutches. The acting was engaging for both children and adults, the scenery was simple yet layered so that one or two props could be used to illustrate different scenes and the costumes were well designed. My favorite was the Reindeer. The costume was a full reindeer suit for the actor, the clever bit was that the front "legs" were a type of crutch or stilt held by the hands that allowed the actor to lean on them, bent over a bit from the waist so that he imitated the movements of a reindeer.

I can't sing the praises of Czech theater enough. It is affordable. It is culture. It is surprising. It is fun. It just has to be done!