| 100 in 1000 |
- Spend a week up a mountain learning to ski
- Visit Karoline's place in Moravia
Hold a conversation in Czech (only)- Drink 500ml of each of the following beers:
PilsnerStaroprammen- Budvar
- Velke Popovice
- U Fleku
GambrinusKrusovice
Respond to at least one GOARN request (WHO and MSF are
also acceptable)Travel across the AtlanticReturn to South America- Read a book to, or with, an impressionably aged child
- Participate in one NanoWriMo Challenge and come within at least 10,000 words of the goal length
Have my nose pierced- Have my next tattoo drawn
Purchase the perfect jeans (x 2 pairs)- Attend a spin class 3 times a week for 8 consecutive weeks
- Bake Viv's cheesecake
Make David's casserole Make David's Chicken Cashew-nut StirfryInvite 4 people who don't know one another too well to dinner- Ride from Vienna to Venice on a motorbike (pillion acceptable, those less desirable)
- Attend a book group for at least two books
- Go on a choir weekend (learn and perform difficult piece in two/three days)
- Visit Madame Tussaud's (in London)
- Take an architecture appreciation course
Join 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 hairdresser- Treat my inner-6-year-old twice a week (at least)
- Do the liver-cleansing diet properly (12 weeks)
- Don't eat out for one month
Find a flat and flatmate- Purchase one Joseph sweater
- Purchase 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 hanggliding
- Read 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 time
Make 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 costume- Sing on stage
- Buy 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-Mar- Take a walk and flip coins at each intersection
Win something- Draft a will
- Take a roadtrip
Go to Italy already- Sea 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 tale
- Make an 'outbreak emergency kit'.
- Go to bed prior to 11pm every night (inc weekends) for four consecutive weeks.
- Marvel over lack of tiredness
- Dine at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant (or Nobu)- preferably for free.
Bet on the nags- Do something for charity (applying and getting a 'red card' will count)
- Walk along the Champs Elysee
- Do 100 sit ups in a row
- Do 50 pressups (arms in tight)
- Make branston pickle (or nearest substitute)
- Cook something 'new' and 'adventurous' at least once a month
Find 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 someone
Get a Tata Bojs CD- Take 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 occasions- Eat lobster. Prepared by someone else.
Back up the blogPut everything onto an external hard drive- Find 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 Flamenco
- Join the Municipal Library of Prague
- Move to another country
Go to a live concert of a band I actually like- Pay 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 choice
- Ride a rollercoaster
- Hold a snake
Spend a day wandering around a museum (not art gallery!) |
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| Tuesday, 15 August 2006 |
Warning: rant ahead. Bear in mind anything I say in the next entry may change in a split second. And I’ll probably take it down tomorrow – so make the most of the brief insight into Nomes’ state of mind IN REAL TIME while it lasts.
I HATE THIS PLACE AND I WANT TO GO HOME.
Army drill sergeant inside head says, “This is it baby. This is where you live now. This IS your home. Suck it up, you girl.”
Er – well, yes actually, I am a girl. Your point?
So, I forgot my keys – left them at home today. And the cleaning lady has already come and gone. And locked me into my building.
I have a choice: climb out of my office window – drop a few feet and hopefully land reasonably comfortably or call security and do this sensibly.
I (foolishly) chose the latter. Only, I’ve got no idea what the word for security is in Czech. Look up in dictionary. Check phone directory for our site. No match. Surprise sur-fucking-prise.
Phone a number that’s written on the fire evacuation plan thingy by the main door, figuring that’ll be SOMEONE helpful. Take a moment to congratulate self on masses of self-containment and observation skills.
Dial.
Have the most unsuccessful conversation I’ve ever, EVER struggled through. I’ve decided that tears of frustration at not being able to say the phrase “I’m locked in” really don’t help when you’re searching for the words instead to convey the following sequence of short ‘in the present tense’ phrases:
“I need help. I want to go home. I am in [or possibly at] building 30. I want to outside. I don’t have my key.” And are responded to with the words “I don’t understand.”
Am resorting to foul language – including Kunt with a C. Not CALLING him names, you understand (I totally agree it’s not his fault I don’t speak his language), this is AFTER we’ve hung up.
I’m sick of this. I’m tired and I’m done. I’m usually good at making myself understood, and I’m sitting here like a complete fucking waste of TIME, not able to use my brain, my intellect, ALL of the things that I’ve worked all my fucking life to hone because of some bastard fucking system that means I can’t read things/listen to things/think of things/act upon things in case people get upset. And to top it all off, I’m in a damned fire hazard/trap! ALL FOR 150E/month. It ISN’T worth it (though I would miss the travel).
You know what?
I want out.
I half hope the coordinators DO read this. Or some knight in shining white armour. Oh fuck it. This isn’t the movies (dear god, I wish it were…right now, someone would miraculously appear with a key. Either that or if the movie starred Meg Ryan they wouldn’t appear until AFTER I’d made an idiot of myself by getting stuck at the top of the fence or something…then there’d be an embarrassing interlude…where I’d STILL have great hair…)
Right. Window it is. Ciao all.
Remind myself that there is no such word as ‘helpful’ in the Czech lexicon. Seriously. Okay, I looked it up and there IS, but there's clearly no...no...willingness.
P.S. if any of you unhelpful wankers decide to remind me that it’s my fault for forgetting my keys, don’t think I haven’t already gone down the self-blame route. Did that about 40mins ago. Now am just angry (and slightly scared of view outside my window – do I procrastinate until it’s dark or just go or what? PLUS I have one more fence to climb over too…) This is ridiculous!
Rant endeth. |
posted by Nomes @ Tuesday, August 15, 2006   |
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| 5 Comments: |
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Hang in there Naomi, you have done so well to get this far, and although it seems hard, it doesn't always. Everyone back home is very proud of you. Chin up and take care of yourself.
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Nomes -- I too have had those days. The inability to comminicate is one of the MOST frustrating things.
And I would imagine, especially frusrating for one as gifted with words as you :)
I have been leveled for the last month or so by a backslide in my physiotherapy. Two steps forward, one HUGE ONE back. That's the way it goes sometimes.
As a result, I didn't get read your 'request for books' blog entry until now.
Here's a list or two of mine for you to check out.
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/17EVZW736X5QG/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full/701-7991662-0909933
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/2JOADWP1BU7Z0/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full/701-7991662-0909933
Hopefully those links work for you -- let me know.
Marisa
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"when ever I feel afraid..." Ok.. perhaps you won't whistle a happy tune. However, sing your favorite broadway melody at the top of your voice, gain the attention of a startled ageing security officer, and nonchalantly stroll out into the evening a free woman. Hang in there doll- We misses you too. *hugs* - Brett
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I always find it's best to say things as simply as possible.
Ne mam klič!
And then say it three our four times to make sure they understand.
Ne mam klič! Ne mam klič! Ne mam klič! Ne mam klič!
And then end with the universally understood:
BIG PROB-LEM!
or if you want to be more Czech
Ty vole! Velka problem!
Hope this helps in any future lock-ins/outs.
:-)
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Oh and thanks for my inclusion on your blogroll!
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Hang in there Naomi, you have done so well to get this far, and although it seems hard, it doesn't always. Everyone back home is very proud of you. Chin up and take care of yourself.