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              | 100 in 1000 |  
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Spend a week up a mountain learning to skiVisit Karoline's place in MoraviaHold a conversation in Czech (only)Drink 500ml of each of the following beers:
PilsnerStaroprammenBudvarVelke PopoviceU FlekuGambrinusKrusoviceRespond to at least one GOARN request (WHO and MSF are 
also acceptable)Travel across the AtlanticReturn to South AmericaRead a book to, or with, an impressionably aged childParticipate in one NanoWriMo Challenge and come within at least 10,000 words of the goal lengthHave my nose piercedHave my next tattoo drawnPurchase the perfect jeans (x 2 pairs)Attend a spin class 3 times a week for 8 consecutive weeksBake Viv's cheesecakeMake David's casserole Make David's Chicken Cashew-nut StirfryInvite 4 people who don't know one another too well to dinnerRide from Vienna to Venice on a motorbike (pillion acceptable, those less desirable)Attend a book group for at least two booksGo on a choir weekend (learn and perform difficult piece in two/three days)Visit Madame Tussaud's (in London)Take an architecture appreciation courseJoin an all-girl group and sing a soloPublish in a scientific journal (top two authors)Cook a duck or other 'waterfowl'.Locate the Al-Timimi's from Doha Veterinary PractiseHave a pedicureMaintain a Brazilian (ouch) for three months.Find a trustworthy Czech hairdresserTreat my inner-6-year-old twice a week (at least)Do the liver-cleansing diet properly (12 weeks)Don't eat out for one monthFind a flat and flatmatePurchase one Joseph sweaterPurchase one of the following pairs of 
designer shoes (they MUST also be COMFORTABLE, and be able to be worn with 4 
different outfits and 2 types of occasion): Jimmy Choos, Manolo Blahniks, 
Christian Louboutin (Ebay or 2nd hand are acceptable)Send 5 books to the booksphere and track them.
Go hangglidingRead 10 'classic' books (from 1001 Books to Read before you Die)
Moll FlandersEverything is illuminatedMadam BovaryZen & the Art of Motorcycle MaintainanceCatch-22OdysseusOn the Road 
Run (non-stop!) for 5kms outside (preferably in a street race thingy)Send Christmas Cards on timeMake a collage/mural out of street lights on my wallBuy a bed, build it, and sleep soundly in itGo to AfricaHost an 'event' (classified as and when)Organise a 30th Birthday PartyWear a costumeSing on stageBuy a painting that evokes memories of Prague (cannot involve queues!)Learn a god-damned card game that stays in my memory (other than fish/snap)See sunrise. Be sober. Have woken for it. Excludes months Nov-MarTake a walk and flip coins at each intersectionWin somethingDraft a willTake a roadtripGo to Italy alreadySea Kayak around Abel Tasman Park (NZ)Get plantsTake a train to another Eastern European Destination (accession countries are acceptable) alone preferably.Get UK to give me a provisional motorcyclists license and simultaneously get a 'card' license. Go SCUBA diving again - at least two dives lasting 30mins each. Go to a dentist. *sigh*Do a Czech Wine Trail. And live to tell the taleMake an 'outbreak emergency kit'. Go to bed prior to 11pm every night (inc weekends) for four consecutive weeks.Marvel over lack of tirednessDine at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant (or Nobu)- preferably for free. 
Bet on the nagsDo something for charity (applying and getting a 'red card' will count)Walk along the Champs ElyseeDo 100 sit ups in a rowDo 50 pressups (arms in tight)Make branston pickle (or nearest substitute)Cook something 'new' and 'adventurous' at least once a monthFind a mentorBe a mentorLearn what mentoring is all aboutMeet an online person in real lifeResist the flirt. Once. Just one night. It's okay if people don't immediately succumb to my natural charm. Really it is.Spend time at a spa (spa towns in the CR don't count)Send a care package to someoneGet a Tata Bojs CDTake a French/German/Dutch course and SPEAK THE DAMNED LANGUAGE WHEN I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME SOUND 
LIKE AN IDIOT!Order new contact lenses. Make a list of things I take with me when I pack for different occasionsEat lobster. Prepared by someone else. Back up the blogPut everything onto an external hard driveFind a DDR mat and console and 'dance, I say dance!'�Go to the beach and lie on the warm sand. For an hour. (with sunscreen on, natch)Take and complete a course in either: Tango, Salsa or FlamencoJoin the Municipal Library of PragueMove to another country Go to a live concert of a band I actually likePay off debts (student loan excl.)Send thank you cards for every gift I receive (other than the gift of happiness, blah blah blah).Get an agent (literary or theatre)Go to a sports bar without cringing, by personal choiceRide a rollercoasterHold a snakeSpend a day wandering around a museum (not art gallery!) |  | 
              
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                      | Allez allez allez (thanks to stringy spinning boy)! |  
                      | Wednesday, 12 July 2006 |  
                      | Adam returned last night (yippeeee!), with a large jar of Bovril (hoorah!), a bag of Minstrels (I only had three!), laundry detergent (as you do...) and a pyrex measuring jug (YAY!!!). 
 Včera večer, měla nerandý rande. (last night, I had a nondate date – for all those learning Czech – though I’m not 100% sure about the ‘nondate’ bit…).
 
 And it was perfect. Z and I met up for a wine (icy cold Lambrusco – the temperature here was in the 30’s, I think it’s perfectly forgivable to drink glorified grape juice) an hour before the concert started. We talked continuously. At one point, he mentioned his previous relationship which had been with a Polish/French girl in Prague.
 
 I’m sorry; what?
 
 That’s right folks, he said girl. I checked this several times (in case a just-about-perfect English speaking Macedonian could have a similar issue with gender identifying pronouns as the Azeri’s do) using ‘she’ and ‘her’ in the conversation that followed and wasn’t corrected. Turns out his partner prior to that had a feminine name too, AND long hair, shaved legs, a menstrual cycle etc. (all the usual entrapments of the fairer sex).
 
 STILL not convinced (hell, YOU have my history and be convinced of the sexuality of someone wearing twill pants (in SUMMER?! Are you INSANE!?), a short sleeved white t-shirt under a black waistcoat with a yellow & black tie!), we went to the concert. Much giggling and enjoyable conversation (talked through entire intermission without so much as leaving our seats) about literature (him: “Some books I read in French, some in English.” Me [thinking]: “someone kill me now, or at least smote me with a few more languages please!”) then we disappeared up the posh street for Gelato (yes Mum, will take you!) which was to be my ‘taste of Italy in Prague’. (All Europeans I’ve spoken to in Europe are HORRIFIED I’ve yet to visit 'the boot'. It’s not MY fault I’ve been at the other end of the world for the last 10 years!!)
 
 We walked; we talked. We stopped and looked at the silk shift dress in the window of Hugo Boss (wedding to attend – I have NOTHING to wear!) which had magenta roses all over it. He exclaimed “But it’s last season - irrespective of the cost!” to which I asked, “Are you SURE you’re not gay?!!!!” and was followed with, “I was wondering how long it’d take you to ask. No I’m not. Thought about it, but it didn’t work…”
 
 One moment please.
 
 He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. He’s not gay. (This is by no means intended to offend my gay readers – I just thought there WERE no straight, intelligent, attractive, young, hip’n’groovy, English-speaking, friendly men living in Prague.)
 
 Thank you. Moment over.
 
 He IS: smart, well read (better read than myself – but isn’t everyone?), intelligent, thoughtful, a bit moody, a flautist (8 years!!!), a singer (sort of), tenacious (a PhD in Computational Mathematics - I think that’s what it was called), gorgeous (in a skinny weasel manner, yes Lira!), a better dresser than I (despite the crap description, it worked!), a fabulous dancer and…did I mention this? STRAIGHT!
 
 Oh, and Clive Owen would play him in the movie of his life, while I’ll be portrayed brilliantly by Rachel Weisz thanks very much. I STILL don’t get the Natalie Portman thing – apparently it’s her vulnerability that men lap up like small yappy type dogs – which would possibly explain WHY I don’t get it.
 
 Welcome to my (new) crush.
 
 However, let it be mentioned now (and therefore, I’m obliged to live up to what’s written on le blog) that I’m not doing the chasing this time.
 
 Having an ex tell me “you’re scary” and an admirer suggesting I “play a subtle form of "not that interested, but thanks awfully"” are the foundations for today’s resolution – if you two have lead me astray, I’ll kill yas both!
 
 He is off for three weeks (out of country) and so we won’t see each other till after then. However, with our goodbye kiss (at the tramstop – I’m sooooo Prague), he said “Listen, I’m neither proud nor stupid. I will call you.” (Books open now, odds set at 10-1 he won’t).
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                      | posted by Nomes @ Wednesday, July 12, 2006   |  
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                              | 3 Comments: |  
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                                        Oooooh...make sure to keep us up to date :) I'll check in here more often now for the next few days.
                                      
                                      
                                        Congratulations Nomes, lovely to hear!
                                      
                                      
                                        Hmmm... good odds. Put me down for $100. |  
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Oooooh...make sure to keep us up to date :) I'll check in here more often now for the next few days.