Thursday, July 6, 2006

Happy Jan Hus Day.

A lot's happened since my last post. For starters, I got here. May & Ella will arrive in 9 more days. Can't wait.
Given the short work-week, I've worked 2 days - and love it. Incredible position and role; my only 'complaint' would be the job's dresscode. Neckties are just upside-down nooses.

With a 2-week headstart on the girls, I'm turning our flat into a home. Most of what I've seen in Prague so far ends with a cash register. I like shopping but I'm more enjoying finding the right stores. I've gotten lost more than a few times in our neighborhood, just wandering, trying to remember where "that one shop" was.

Early priorities were an iron, basic cookware and toilet paper. Done with that. Now, the shopping list is longer, but just different foods. Now, the key challenge is packaging.
Next time you're at a supermarket, look at the packaging --try to figure out what a product is by the bottle shape, color or picture, not by words. Seeing a lemon on a plastic bottle could mean lemon juice or toilet bowl cleaner. Anything I can open and smell wins points. Just not enough clear bottles to make it easy. Thankfully, everything's cheap enough, so ...win some, lose some.

Found the organic food niche -- "Bio". When it's "Bio-...", it's free of pesticides, steriods, etc.

I thought I broke the washing machine and knocked off our gas yesterday. The landlord's building super was ...super-responsive. Got it fixed last night...turned out to be two circuit breakers, plus the washer's water input was turned off. When I ran the machine with no water, it popped the breakers for it and the in-line gas/water heater. I have to say a few words about building super, Mr. Hronik. When Jeff Klein and I met Mr. Hronik last month, he immediately introduced his daughter as the office's English speaker. He was obviously real uncomfortable even trying. Well, this week, his daughter is on holiday in Bulgaria (I think I understood him right). About Mr. Hronik, he laughs to himself when he tries to speak English. Like 5 seconds of giggling for every word, right or wrong. Getting someone to come by and look at my washing machine/gas issue made for a pretty funny phone call. He's great as a maintenance guy...

Went to IKEA yesterday - MASSIVE PLACE - and got a crib and crib mattress. They were delivered this morning and I put it together in 10 minutes. IKEA rocks...the crib assembly instructions were completely pictorial, not a word. The only written directions were in 17 (yes, 17) languages and said "Do not throw away the assembly instructions."

Enough for now...going food shopping. -Jeff