Goulash Grab-Bag

Ten Tidbits for Y'all from the Czech Republic:

1. This is the mildest Winter Prague has seen in 550 years, apparently. Since I've been here there's only been three days of snow, and today was around 60 degrees. Amazing. Some students postulate that global warming is causing their probelms (last year was the worst Winter in a millenium), but I tell 'em it's just Avimaan going all Nolan Ryan on them and bringing the Texas Heat.

2. When I told my students what a "connoisseur" was, and asked them to think of what they were connoisseurs of, they all assured me they were "connoisseurs of beer."

3. When doing a storytelling exercise, the same group of students came up with the following jobs for "Emma": Private Eye, Prostitute, Lesbian, Lesbian Prostitute. Good times.

4. The bites still continue. I think they're beyond understanding at this point: they're never the same size, I get them while sleeping or sitting at my desk or on the metro, I get them under clothes or on open skin. I don't really notice them anymore, but nevertheless, some sort of morphing bug continues to plague our flat.

5. I've finally been converted to the European way of writing the date before the month. Not sure what this means about me as a person. Probably bad things.

6. The same group of students, when asked what they had a "talent for" (preposition exercise), all insisted they had a talent for drinking beer.

7.Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion is so much better than One Flew Over the Cuckko's Nest, it boggles my mind that this isn't Kesey's defining work. Wide in scope, nearly flawless in execution, a beautiful novel. Pick it up, open it, find the first page of the novel, then commence in reading. I urge this much of you!

8. I've been struggling with my novel for a while now. Editing is so much harder than the first draft! Sometimes I forget that I've written and rewritten the first chapters several times, and when I see these later chapters I panic. It's hard to control. Also detrimental to writing--getting Internet in the flat. I started having a mandatory Internet disconnect for writing/reading time, and that's helped. October and November was such an amazing creative burst that I sort of freaked when the eventual comedown occurred. Reading heavyweights like Rushdie or Kesey can be alternatively inspiring or detrimental (as in, shit, mine isn't anywhere near that). It's really hard to clear your mind and just do it.

9. Last weekend my hair decided that it was firmly in its "long" phase again. Good to be back.

10. I've felt like I've had to give my two weeks notice ten times so far (telling each group of students). Not fun. But two night classes have insisted on the last lesson being a pub lesson. Much more fun. Cheers to all.