I think the title is pretty much self - explanatory. This journal is now under a friend - only lockdown. I left some articles public. Pretty banner will come later. If get around to do it:P

So I was thinking the other day and it occured to me that I could make the Prague Walks thing (previous entries can be found here and here) something of a series. I have a few ideas of my own, but I was curious whether you guys have any particular wishes and whether there are any specific parts you would like to see. Art? History? Nature? Shout out! I will go there for you:)

Just came back from seeing Watchmen. Literally JUST came back, I even still have boots on (though that may mostly be because I adore them and sometimes I fill the female shoe - obsessed stereotype to a tee). I havent read any reviews on it yet and I dont care really because...

THIS MOVIE IS SO AWESOME!!! (yes, the three exclamation marks signifying a deranged person are mandatory in this case) As Chester A. Bum would put it - OMG THIS WAS THE GREATES MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!

it was so fucking amazing from the very first second right to the end when... well, at first I was really mad that they decided to change the ending but in retrospect I think it is understandable. This way it may not make the outcome as strong and convincing, but it is less far - fetched than in the original. The first time I read the comic I went WTF? but they made a funny little reference to the original end in the movie so it was okay:) what it was, Im not going to say because if you didnt read the book or you did and you want to see for yourself, I dont want to spoil it for you.

Rorchach was...oh, Rorchach. I could make this entry all about him were I to discuss the heights of awesome he reached. The best character ever to have appeared in any graphic novel and they nailed him. The guy who played him was phenomenal. Funny, the voice he had in the movie was exactly the same voice I always heard in my head when reading his parts. And the actor actually has this pleasant voice IRL, I bet he must have had sore throat by the end of the every day of shooting but man, was it worth it! And when it came to the end, despite the fact, or probably because of me knowing what will happen, this movie was the first movie since Dragon Heart came out that nearly, NEARLY made me cry. So yay Rorchach! You have always been the biggest BAMF and you always will be. And no, I am not a fangirl. Not THAT kind of fangirl, at least. No the slashfic writing,sqealing kind. I only laugh maniacally whenver he rips somebody to shreds in a particularly inventive way:P

What was up with Nixons nose? everytime he showed up on the screen it made me giggle, it was that...big. I knew the guy had a big nose, seen pictures, studied US history when I lived in the States, but THAT big? Odd.

When Laurie and Dan got real cozy in his owl aircraft - gotta love the visual metaphor. Go see for your self. Many lulz will ensue.

The only thing ruining the mind - boggling experience was the audience. That is probably the biggest reason why I dont go to theaters much and prefer the screen of my laptop instead. I sat right in front of this clingy - touchy - kissy - obnoxious couple who kept making out for the better part of the movie. The whole time I kept thinking "Jeez, get a room you two, some of us are here, oh I dont know, TO SEE A MOVIE." I wouldnt mind it so much but god, were they loud. And there was also this group of sixteen year olds, they came in expecting another ye olde generic superhero movie. I knew that and with me the rest of the theater because before the movie began they kept talking so very loudly about all the cool movies they saw in the past few years. Anyways, about 30 minutes into the movie they got up and left, all perplexed. Not what they expected, I guess. But it was good riddance. Too bad Romeo and Juliet who coulnt keep their hands off each other didnt follow their example.

Also - you Americans have trouble pronouncing foreign names. That is not how you say "Kovacs" lol. (this is not a malicious or snarky comment, I am just amused) Good thing they didnt try to say Lauries last name:P

Zack Snyder likes slow - mo. A LOT.

Silk Spectre II was ridiculously hot. I think I nearly got a crush on her.

Senseless and graphic violence in movies is the best thing ever invented by mankind:P Deranged? Who? Me? Nooooo

So - it was good. As good as the Sun is warm. 9/10. because I didnt like how it ended with Laurie and Dan going "now that this is all over lets go play superheroes!" which went pretty much against the note the book ended on. oh well. one cant have evrything.

And blue penis FTW *giggle* (this is for you, Lyosha:P)

Living with a med student does have its advantages. For example, if you fail to crawl out of your bed, cant speak and keep coughing and sneezing your brains out, she will give you something to feel a bit less crappy and order home arrest. So I had to cancel work today, didnt go to school, bt what bugs me most is that I dont get to see Danny today. Dammit. Oh well.

The quote of the week is "To sue is civil". If you were wondering what are they teaching us in Law schools, well, this is it. That and "You think Law has anything to do with justice?" If I had any illusions before I came here, they would be shattered and danced upon by the end of my first week.

do birds dream?

last summer was very hot. Alkor, being half gyrfalcon (an arcitc falcon specie) was not doing too hot in the sun. and yes, pun intended. so when the temperatures got really terrible and it was nearly unbearable for him and for me to keep him outside, i would smuggle him into my room where we would hang out together and he would often fall asleep. Once he woke up with a very loud sqawk and was completely terrified, took me a while to calm him down. so yeah, i would like to know whether it is possible that he could have had a nightmare

significance and otherness

Prague is one of those cities which you never really come to know, no matter how long you live there. You think youve got it down, you discovered everything worth discovering and then the Hundred - towered laughs into your face and presents you with something that surprises you completely.

I didnt even notice the sign when I walked by it every time I went to work. There are hundreds of those on houses along the Silver Line (the Silver Line is actually a series of lines that connect all significant landmarks of the city, its more like a Silver Web that covers half of Prague). Most of them inform people who are walking by that somebody important was born/lived/worked/died in the house you are just passing - artists, writers, politicians... Or sometimes they inform you that it is one of the spots where people were killed during the German occupation in World War II or in one of the many other wars that swept through what is today known as Czech republic during the course of history.

But I am getting too grim. My point is - these sings are not hard to be find in Prague, they remind us of great and not - so great moments in Czech, and essentially also Czechoslovakian history. After a while one gets used to them and pays very little to no attention to them eventually. But today I stopped by and had a look. What I read was this:



No, I am not going to make you look it up in dictionaries. I am not that cruel. Translation:

"Since the 17th century, there has been a house here in which nothing memorable ever happened. May the history keep avoiding this place."

I hope that translation is not too awkward. Some things are really hard to transfer from one language to another.

( Danny )

Just saw Eden Log. The overall impression I got can be summed up as "What. The. Hell."

This movie is weird. Very wierd. Its one of those movies who want to look smart and make you analyze hidden meanings in order to fully uderstand it, but this one was plain confusing. Basically its something you would get if you crossed "The Cube" with "The Descent" and added a Shyamalanian twist to it.

">

( Review/Recap Under Cut. Warning - it is long )

What follows is a rant. Therefore reading it is on your own responsibility. You have been warned.

I didnt really think about this until recently, because I have a test in Labor and Work Law tommorow (uck uck and uck) and I am the worst procrastinator on the planet.

Anyways: A few days ago I went out with this guy who seemed nice enough. However, the whole thing changed when we got to talk about the greatest obsession of my life - falconry. When he learned what I was he went literally blank and for didnt believe me at first. When I finally convinced him that I indeed "suffered" from this diagnosis, he just shook his head in disbelief and said:

"I wuldnt guess you were involved in such thing in a million years."
"How come?"
"Well, I have plenty of friends who are in vet school, work in animals or are generally outdoorsy types. I wouldnt pick you as one of them."
"Why?"
"You dont dress like they do. You always look so ellegant. People like that dont really dress ellegant."

Wait a second there, back up. So just because I am a falconer, I cant wear high heels, boots, skirts, long coats and such? I have to walk around with dreadlocks on my head and in rags that would put me in the same category as a hobo? I can only like earthy colors like green? I cant wear pink? WHAT THE HELL?!

So he said that basically yeah, because of the high heels and my lack to adopt the hippie look he is still very sceptic about me being involved in falconry. I know it may sound petty and, well, girlish, but at the moment, it was so infuriating. I am a falconer so I cant enjoy ellegant? Go to hell.

Needless to say, I am not going out with him again. EVER.

End of rant:)

It still pisses me off when I think about it, though. I mean, jeez. What is the big deal? You want to know a secret? I hate camouflage patterns. Despise them. I have a green jacket and some gray pants, solid colors. Camouflage just creeps me out.

Okay, this is the actual end of rant.

Thanks for bearing with me.

Also, I had a cigarette today. Two of them, actually. I know, I am weak. But its semester finals period. I need to smoke or else I come to pieces. A few smokes cant kill me. Or can they?

Bah.

Bad mood. Apologies.

Forensics and Investigation final today. Considering this is one of the very few subjects this school has offered so far that I didnt feel like throwing the book around and wish I could burn it, I dont think its going to be as bad. Will see.

And oh, hello, who is this? Withdrawal, you say? Come, sit down, lets talk. Yes, after five years of smoking I have decided (for about the fiftieth time) to give it up for good. Though this time I mean it, learning you have a genetic predisposition to heart failure at a young age really makes you reprioritize. So I havent had any nicotine since last morning and man, is it hard. On my way to school I passed this guy who was smoking and felt like sucking the air right out of his lungs. A friend who went through this all said first three days are worst, each harder than the next. Wait, it gets worse?!

Also, I noticed I only use tag "madness" with "school". I wonder what strong connection the two have.

Anyways, Im off to last - minute craving, I mean, cramming. Cant eait for the test to be over. Afterwards I can run to birds and do something meaningful for a change. And not think about cigarettes.

Marvin from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". There has never been a robot more awesome than him.

And I guess Bender from "Futurama" is not too bad either:P

OH DEAR GOD WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME

About a year and a half ago, my falconry sponsor and a dear friend got offered a job at the Prague Castle, chasing off the Pigeons who were ...polluting the historical buildings and thus quickening their deterioration. I got to tag along. We first flew falcons from the roof of the Royal Palace. Oh God, thinking back to it now, it was such a treat to walk through all those little corridors right under the roof of the Castle, knowing the last falconers to probably have gone through there were the ones employed by the king.
One day the security guard took us to a different door. "The Cathedral is full of them too," he said and ushered me, my friend and Ali the white gyr/peregrine hybrid inside. The walls climbed so high up I felt like an ant who just wandered into a human house. There were paintings on the walls, ancient crumbling paintings, conserved only enough to not to fall apart for just a few more days. The air was cold, stuffy and thick with dust.

Only then did I notice a new - looking construction in the middle of the room and a pair of iron ropes hanging from somewhere under the gothic cieling. The contruction nested something that looked like an oversized bucket. The two men climbed in and the whole thing rocked violently.

"Get in," my friend gestured me. I didnt bother to hide my disbelief. That thing looked like it could barely carry him and the security guy, let alone the three of us plus the falcon.

"You want to stay here or what?"

Oh what the hell. Nobody lives forever.

So me and Ali got in and the whole thing started rising with a strange squeaking sound. I expected the whole thing to crash down any moment, but surprisngly, it held. And the ground, a solid marble floor, was about sixty feet under mine. We finally stopped climbing and got out of the lift and onto a small platform. There was another door.

( Behind the Door... )

Well, fortunately I didnt manage to overdose on caffein, though I had never had such caffeine rush as last night/morning. I still think I owe an explanation as of what the hell was that supposed to be.

Here you finish college with National exams. It is a test everybody has to take and they pretty much ask you about everything you ever learned during the time you spent in the school. Which is A LOT. Thousands of pages. So some schools, particularly the ones who deal mostly with theoretical knowledge split the tests into a few that the unfortunate student takes as they go. Ours is split into three parts - the first one you take during your second year, the second during the fourth and the final one when you finish the damn school - during your fifth year. If you fail, you can repeat the test, but you only have three shots before they kick you out of the school. Also, if you hesitate and dont pass it by the time your next National is due, they also kick you out of the school. I took the test last year, when I was in second grade (gosh that sounds so much like elementary school, haha), as I was supposed to and I just blanked out and failed spectacularly. Today I took the test again. And I passed. And as it was the National Test in Law Proficiency (since I am in Law school), it means I am one third of a lawyer now! It sounds horrible and when somebody calls me a lawyer I take that as an insult, but I just cant be bothered to care right now. I am floating on the waves of euphoria and after spending all of last night huddled over the books, different kinds of Codes of Law, Commentaries to Czech Constitution and its historical development, I am going to bed and I am going to sleep like a log.

I always freak out before a test and this was one of the biggest ones I will ever have to take, so I freaked out big time. Sorry if I scared/confused/creeped you out. I promise not to do it again in the forseeable future.

Good night:)

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Major, MAJOR test tomorrow. Today actually. In about 12 hours.

Cramming. Not sleeping. Hating the guts of my school. Overdosing on combination of caffeine and nicotine. Will definitely be shaking like crazy tomorrow. Heart rate unknown - gizmo exploded upon touch. But nothing a shot of vodka wouldnt cure. Now that I think about, may possibly be on a very successfil way to self - destruction.

Definitely not amused. Yet amused at the same time. See title of the post.

The other day I got an email from Western Sporting, an online falconry store:

A falconer:
1) has smelly right pockets*
2) has a right arm that is more dexterous and a left arm that is very strong
3) knows that a "bird" doesn't mean a lady
4) constantly stares out of car windows at passing birds
5) knows the origins of the terms "codger" and "bowser/boozer" and "old hag"
6) automatically starts to calculate the distance and windspeed upon seeing a rabbit or crow in a field
7) has a freezer full of all manner of birds and mammals
8) feels no hesitation in picking up roadkill on a first date
9) has knowledge that a "slip" doesn't always refer to a woman's undergarment
10) has mysterious holes all over the lawn and garden
11) lives in a household in which the kitchen scales frequently go missing....

*If left-handed, please substitute "left" for "right" and vice versa.

Sadly. Tomorrow night I will get on a bus with approximately 800 kilometers to cover in about 11 hours and return to Prague. I always get emotional when leaving home after my rare and usually fleeting visit, I just have a hard time giving up the feeling of security and tranquility and trade it for chaos, noise and stress of the metropole that wakes me up with sounds of sirens of ambulance cars every morning.
I am always torn when leaving home; on one hand I want to stay, just for one more day, on the other I cant wait to be back in Prague, back in the center of everything, and, definitely not least, back with the birds. Though I dont have a bird of my very own anymore, I was given one to train, which I am very excited about. These first weeks, when you are getting to know each other, both you and the creature on your fist suspicious of one another, but making a steady progress every day, ending up in a trusting relationship of two equals who always know they can rely on one another. Just the sole thought that I will get to spend some time with them and will get to experience this feeling, is what makes me get up every morning and head for work or school, just so I can be done with them as soon as possible and head for a completely different world.
So I am enjoying my last days at what my brother calls "the end of the world, where even flies turn around" which is my home by doing some old - fashioned manual labour. It was snowing for most of the day yesterday, so I jumped at moms remark that "someone should shovel the driveway" put on my warmest clothes and got to work. And nothing feels as good as working manually after two months of being buried in school books and trying to cram as much as possible into your head. The sense of satisfaction after youre done is just priceless.

Well I think the title i somewhat self - explanatory, haha. Either way, I hope you will all have a great year, at least better than the previous one. May you have the strength to make your dreams come true and may you have the courage to make the first step if you made any resolutions.

Oh yeah, and world peace, haha.

Falconers - may your birds soar high and Asper stay out of your pens - all of them.

Happy New Year!