M.E.L.
Students of mine told me at one time about the name Mel, as in Mel Gibson. Mel was a very popular name during communist Russia, but with a totally different meaning from the American perception of 'innocent Mel'. Mel stands for 'Marx.Engels.Lenin'. M.E.L. Mel. Pretty sweet, eh? If you said yes then you are a Commie and I will have to kill you. Kidding....*looks around*.

Friday night I got really wasted, to the point of swaying when standing up. I was dreaming of drinking beer and doing other things all last week, so it felt good to get out, not to have to worry about work, and to try to have a fun social time. The night started out going to Mala Strana, to a tiny club that a Czech we knew was playing with his band at the place. The music was Czech punk, so it didn't settle too well with me, but the guy we knew was the singer and he put on a good show with a lot of energy. The beer was cheap and plenty. I enjoyed this part of the night a lot, just chatting with 2 other friends. Outside, the temperature was hovering around 1 degree fareinheit, and steadily plummeting down to pure artic weather. We left the club to go to a different place where people we knew were. Stupidly, we walked it, going over the river and a few miles into staromestka. We wound up at the Chateau, which is a pub that I extremely hate. It is a huge expat bar, with sleazy people everywhere and usually way over-crowded, even with the 2 floors of room. Plus, the drinks are a little on the high side. All of us got exremely drunk, and when it was time to leave, that is when hell knocked on my door. I congradulate Prague for having night transportation (24 hour public transportation, really godsend), but I really did not enjoy walking across town in order to catch the night tram that goes in the vicinity of my flat. Once at the stop, I had to wait 30 more minutes in the freezing cold, completely wasted. Not fun, i thought i would die. I have never experienced my mouth physically freezing up, to the point that I couldn't talk, if i tried, it sounded as if I had tons of novacaine. Stupidly, I got on the wrong night tram and the closest stop to where I live was about a 2 mile walk. Really sucked. I do remember being on the tram, standing up over this guy since there were no extra seats (these things get packed around 3am when everyone is trying to get home), and this guy was completely purple. He was shaking violently. I have never seen somebody so purple from the cold and I felt bad for him. Eh, done.


xero blogged on 1/25/2004 01:35:00 PM


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BEER

Well, the Czech Republic did it again. The citizens of this country consume the most beer litres of beer per person. For 2003, the average for a czech is 165 litres of beer per year (which really isn't a lot, but it counts children, babies, etc.). Second place came Ireland with 148 litres per year and I believe Germany came in third. If one was to consume 165 litres per year, that averages to about 0.50 litres a day a beer, which is not much, actually that is just 1 glass of beer a day (the norm is ordering a half litre of beer here as a drink). Minimal, I drink 3 beers a day, and that is only when I drink with meals (1 beer during lunch and 2 with my dinner). When I go out to the pubs or clubs, add another 5-6 beers to my tab.

I definetly had to adjust to the beer culture here, as it has fabalous historical roots in the Czech Republic and people regard beer as a good thing to drink, a social norm. In America, beer and alcohol in general is looked down upon with a tinge of negativity, which I thought was acceptable when I was living in America. But there was nothing like arriving to this country, going to a traditional Czech beer hall and seeing a bunch of old Czech men getting wasted on the most beautiful golden pilsner with massive thick foam-heads. Okay.....now I really want to go to the pub, but alas, I have no money to do so. I don't have enough money for pasta sauce either, so my dinner is consisting of dry pasta and cigarettes.

Speaking of money, beer in the Czech republic is the cheapest drink, which adds to its popularity. At a pub, the average price for a beer is 20 kc, which is 77 cents. Water, which is not given free at any restaurant I have seen thus far, costs 25 kc (97 cents). Beer is the water in this country, the liquid life-source. In the supermarkets, a single bottle of Czech beer costs 9kc (35 cents), where a carton of milk the same size costs 15 kc (58 cents). *note, currency conversions listed here is as of today's market, which is not stable and the American Dollar is weakening against the Czech Krown everyday.

So will the world someday universally call all beer 'pivo' (the czech word for beer)? I can only hope so =)

My work week has ended, even though I have a meeting tommorow afternoon at work, so I plan on getting extremely high and talk to myself and make elaborate shrines in the 4 corners of my room so I can pray to the concrete god with sincere discipline. Gawdz.


xero blogged on 1/22/2004 07:26:00 PM


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I haven't written to you my darling because I have been very busy with teaching and all. These Czechs need a lot of help with English and I am definetly not their man for the job.

Today on the metro I saw a very old lady pull out of her purse a picture frame with a man's picture and she squeezed the picture frame to her chest and kept it there. It made me sad. This evening I was on the metro once again, returning from my last class at the contruction site for the new ice hockey arena (which is holding the next ice hockey world cup...yeah, hopefully my students can hook me up with some tickets and a all-I-can-drink-beer coupon), and so I saw a little kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old sitting by himself, having fun playing with the knots in his headphone wires. On to the metro comes an old lady who made the little boy leave his seat so she can sit down. I, as well as everybody around me were pretty stunned. The kid got very scared and ran to the other end of the metro car and exited at the next stop. The old lady kept on pointing to the handicap sign over the seat the boy was seated, but she wasn't handicap! To top it off, there were a lot of open seats in the metro car right near the 'seat' she witched into (yeah, i am making witch into a verb, so bugger off). Difference between Czechs and Americans is that Americans watching this scene would have said something to the lady. The Czechs wouldn't ever, and didn't in this case. I really think Czechs on public transportation day-dream the whole time about goulash and bread dumplings. Yowza.


xero blogged on 1/20/2004 05:46:00 PM


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so yesterday, rather last night, I went to a friend's house to watch "a movie or something", thinking I can persuade certain individuals to go to a pub instead. Well, I fell into a trap! Wicked women! So, 4 hours later, after having to had sit watching the 2 most ungoldy horrible movies I have yet to have seen. I was very much awake so I went home to burn off some energy walking there. Did that really work? Actually, yeah it did.

In an almost utopian fashion, an unidentified person approached me yesterday, lashing out and raging, accusing me of complaining too much. Well PERSON UNIDENTIFIED, that was not nice of you. It was a complete 180 degree from your usual mind set. But whatever, YOU CANNOT CENSOR ME!!

In a few minutes I have to meet a friend to go around the centre for god knows what. Too cold, but I am bringing my camera for some amusement. Perfect day for the pub!

You Pissin me? (i hate you brits!)

Oh, the name of the movies I watched last night were Cruel Intentions and About A Boy. Yeah, that was 4 hours of nightmarish hell.



xero blogged on 1/03/2004 12:13:00 PM


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do O Aye Look Green To ME>?
-alikeness of wolves, alkaline whores

Chicken Soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup, chick in soup, chick in soup, chick in soup, dead chick in soup, dead chick in soup, bread czech soup, bread czech soup, bread czech soup, bread czech soup, red cheeks up, red cheeks up, red cheeks up, blue smiles frown, blue smiles frown, blue smiles frown, I was once a clown, I was once a clown, on a glorious June day, on a glorious June day, on a glorious June day, I was prince for a day, I was prince for a day, in the yellow streaked moon, pass through the yellow beamed fumes, yellow washed god.

My mind is pacing, a before-the-meeting type of pace; hands behind the back, shirt tie in a tight knot, chin pointing at your solorplex, and with the look of knowing you are about to face a situation. Like any situation, as a person, we have a direct outcome that which we alone control. Eh, I think I need to clean my mousepad.

For some reason I cannot stop seeing the word "whore" popping into my head for the past few days. Hi, my name is Jon and I am losing my mind. What was the question again sir? Ah, yes, yes, well, *cough*cough*, yes, I was scared for a little while, but why have the extra burden of fear ontop of an already growing problem? Dealing with my melting mind (more like evaporating, but nothing superfluous) I will need all the strength I could muster. Let's just say for the record that I am NOT on my mind's side. It has turned against me.

I wish I could hang out with my friends in NY, only for the selfish reason of renewing the close bonds we all shared. Ser had. I guess Ser was a very generous man, indeed he was. I picture him as the monopoly guy, my friend Ser. Anyway, those are the only friends I ever bonded with, though it could it have only been because of the drugs, but it doesn't matter. I'm gonna go watch the snow fall.


xero blogged on 1/02/2004 02:32:00 PM

here is a pretty little poem that wil help you sleep at night.

Mother

Invisible again, such hatred abound,
Strangled life, my suppressed being of need.
Please Mother, take back the life you gave,
As I have failed you, my creator,
My innate sanctuary.
Push me back in and close the door,
Oh Mother, please deafen my screams.
Fell my scratches against your soft tissue,
Take the pain fro me, just baby me.
The world will go on without me,
As you should have never conceived.
What did I do wrong to deserve life?
Trickery is bliss, isn’t it Mother.
Suffering like this, screaming,
Like an animals, paws caught in a hunter’s trap.
Bury me deep within the cavity of chaos,
In your womb, where no light dwells,
Only the sound of our beating hearts
As one, a unison of devotion, a choir of faith.
Let the world hear our rhythm, the beat of reason.
Oh Mother, don’t frown at me, so sour to taste,
Why refuse my entrance to comfort?
Mother, don’t push me away with such powerful haste,
No, Mother, no, don’t turn your head to my troubles,
Please don’t slap the last of my breath from my chest,
Nor dig my shallow grave for my untimely end.
One more chance Mother, don’t leave me withering away alone!
Oh Mother, please Mother, just touch the tears on my face,
Wet with purity as they fall with my innocence,
Mother, don’t grab my face with such force,
Let the pain flow from me, just look at me with your utter care,
Stare Mother, look on with worried eyes,
The red stains of agony glued to my hands,
Basking in the guilt, the shame of admittance.
I took my life, Mother of all fairness,
My failure will be your loss.



xero blogged on 1/02/2004 02:03:00 AM


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-Thursday, January 01, 2004 -

Hello World


xero blogged on 1/01/2004 12:27:00 PM


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