Update

Dobry den

I have been a bit slack sorry... Now just trying to think what we have done in the last wee while...

Oh I had my first drive in Prague - it all started fairly smoothly. I had to take Jase to the airport early last week as he had to fly to Paris for a meeting somewhere outside of Paris. I was a little nervous as the car is quite confusing for a start. It doesn't have a key - instead you insert the 'thing' (don't know what else to call it) into a slot 3 clicks, then foot on the brake and the car starts. The handbrake is a press button (still can't work out if you pull or press it), and the car turns off completely when you stop at the lights etc (quite off-putting). When you lift your foot off the brake it goes again. The drive to the airport went well, despite the darkness and rain, and of course the crazy drivers on the motorways here. Then on the way back I received a panicked call from Jase - he had left his passport at home..... AAAAAHHHHHHHHH - My leisurely 'get used to the car' drive turned into a major speeding panic! I raced home (thank god I didn't get lost this time) and then sprinted inside and got the passport, and then hooned back to the airport as fast as I could. Luckily for me, 50km/hr zones didn't seem to mean anything to anyone else on the road either. I made it - just! Jase came racing over to the car and turfed his toilet bag in and grabbed his passport and ran! Luckily he only had a small bag so could take it carry-on. I would have perhaps been annoyed, had I not been so focused on the task at hand! He did send me a text afterwards telling me I was a legend. I simply responded...I know!

That afternoon, since I had the car I went to the Zlicin mall and had a Starbucks. I am still unimpressed with the luke warm beverages they serve here - but I used to love Starbucks so I was willing to give it another try. It failed me - again!

Since it was pouring with rain I went back to the Hostivice gym. Wow what a display of crazyness in there that day! The owner looks like he has had far too many steroids, and marches round the place in the normal wide legged, arms out, body builder strut. This day, it was a lunchtime, and a whole group of similarly built 'gym men' came in. I have never heard so much macho grunting in my life! One guy was doing DB bench press - and also had a spotter - but proceeded to drop the heavy weights from supine bench height to the floor at the end of each set (after letting out a huge grunt). It was bizarre - why he didn't hand them to his spotter I will never know! Luckily the floors over here are super thick and strong! I didn't see many women come in to the gym, but the ones I did seemed to be caked in makeup, and really looking the part. I guess that's why I was getting some odd stares as I had sweat running off my arms onto the floor when I was on the exercycle for an hour dressed in my old running gear. Maybe I am supposed to 'glow' rather then sweat!

Last Friday I went on a mega adventure ride in the country forests. It was awesome, but man was it cold! The weather here is now like mid-winter in Christchurch - as cold as we would ever get (maybe colder). Unfortunately coming down a steep rocky descent, a big rock flicked up and broke a spoke on my front wheel....grrrr! The wheels lasted for the rest of my ride luckily, or it could have been a long walk home. Finally I have succombed to the fact that I need new training wheels. I have been told by the bike shop for at least 2 years, that they are stuffed. The back hub is so buckled that I can feel it wobbling when I ride. Luckily we now know a guy at the bike shop in Hostivice who speaks good English. Tomorrow I will bike in, and run home. I hope they can sort it all pretty quickly as we are planning to go away this weekend on a mtb adventure.

On Saturday we went into Prague again. We went to the castle and just generally had a look around. It was soooooooo cold that we both had to wear gloves, jackets etc - and we were still far too cold. I don't think I would cope here in winter - glad I am returning home for summer! On Sunday (after watching the All Blacks on the internet - wow - too stressful!! Great result though) we went for a run in the park, and then went to Zlicin to try and find a camera attachment - YES!!! We have one - I will see if I can do it without Jase....

Hope all is well back home.
J

Oh PS: The language over here just got crazier... we live in Liboc (Leebock we thought). Turns out it is prounced Leebotz. How does that work? Hostivice (Hostivitza). Oh and the guy at the bikeshop is Jiri (get this....yearjee). I give up...

PPS: Dear god the photos worked!!! All by myself too. Very proud. I won't tell you how long it took me though!!

An explanation of photos moving from top left to right....

1) Men's stair section of cyclocross race in Plzen - was very steep

2) Our apartment complex - we are on the 1st floor in the block you can see on the right

3) Jase in central Prague (or Praha if you are a local)

4) Church in Prague (we are not yet cultured enough to find out what everything is called)

5) Central Prague taken on the walk down from the Castle (amazing to think I couldn't have walked up there last year!)

6) The church in Hostivice taken from our bedroom window in the Penzion we initially stayed in

7) Me in Central Prague - Charles Bridge in the background

8) This is an example of the jumble of letters that are Czech words - a road sign - have no idea what it means - this justifies getting lost as the place names look similar so you just don't remember what the signs say!