December 27, 2008

Good to hear from you - so since your hard drive crapped out, use the one I

I still got one, but it's misbehaving a bit and not sure how long it will last, after it fell out of my bag once and onto the pavement. Anyway, online may be the way to go. these webhost companies do double redundancies and all that shamooz, so it's pretty safe, and ftp on web is an easy way to transfer. The internet will only get faster and cheaper, but portable harddrive is definitely good for transfering if in the same location, which I'm usually not anymore.

Do you mind downloading through http? I generally only give ftp access for uploading only, and then I can copy the files to my webdownload folder, as some people could screw up and accidentally erase everything. My internet (got a new 3G modem so am happy to have high speed internet right on the beach) is a bit slow at the moment, so will send you the details once I got faster internet. In the meantime, you can check out what I got at:

http://kenax.hypermart.net/web.programs/

Just uploaded about 50 gigs and I'll transfer that to this same folder once my internet is faster (am lazy about opening the backdoor at the moment to put my modem outside).

So you wanna start a business? Would be interested to hear what about.

You use avaxhome.ws for downloading movies etc? They're selling 500 gigs of space for some 54 Euro a year, and with that you get to download like a mfkr, so I might do that once I get cash again. Right now I got their free account thing and downloading can be choppy, but I'm still busy downloading the 50 gigs, which I only discovered recently, so I'm downloading from avax in between.

Attaching your file to show what movies I'd be interested in, if you'd be up to uploading them. Can send ftp details later.

Yah, still write my travel blob once in a while. Made a shortcut link through kenax.net/travel, so not sure what you read last. Not sure it's ready to make me any money yet. Downloaded a bunch of seo programs recently so we'll see if that can produce anything.

Maybe I could help you brainstorm with some of your ideas. I think that one very important key of success in business is not to give up. I refuse to, because I absolutely detest the office environment and never want to return to it. I'd rather shovel shit or much rather do construction work. But I did apply to google, after reading about their corporate culture. If I could work in my shorts, no tie (which Ilike to call a corporate leash) and can work whenever I want, sometimes from home, then I'd consider working in an office. I like that google has foosball tables there, and I would suggest setting up a volleyball session out on the lawn to break up a shift. Otherwise, with 8 hours straight, I find people just get tired, go home and watch TV. I'd rather break up the shift, and then work later.

Well, have a good one. Tell me how fast it was downloading from my site. Am curious.

gave you :-) sure, I'll download whatever I can get my hands on. I have the following - not sure the best way to get them up for you but could figure something out. I have been using Rapidshare and I think they're pretty good. Life here in Prague is the usual work life it has been for me. Busy busy, but at the moment not as insanely busy as I was before, which is good. I've also been trying to invest more of my time into things that make sense for me. Have been thinking through a couple ideas, but nothing in formation yet. I always have the problem that I have the idea and then find million reasons not to do it - over-analyze it. I plan to spend some time off end of year to think it through - write down all the advantages and disadvantages I can think of for each idea and then just go and do it. For now, still at Monster. Monetizing your website skills makes sense. I tell you, you really should put together a blog for your travels. That's probably the most head-turner thought that jumps out through all of what you're doing right now, and you know yourself that hardly anyone is doing it. Why not write all about it for us office-folks to read and envy over :-) you're good at writing stories and I'm sure you could monetize that. You're right about the focus though - anything like this you definitely need to commit to and keep doing for a year or so. My problem is that I always have the idea but then lack the focus to execute on it. Be well, and let me know how things go for you with the eventual drive over to new location - take care.

--------------------------------------------

yah, I think it just further satisfies me as to my situation. First of all, translations are pretty well always needed and I have never somehow felt connected to these global or domestic economic swings. Second of all, with no rental or electricity bills and the ability to survive on roughly 10 bucks a day, I think I could survive a global depression. Not to mention that I'm creative and I can always find work, and survive with such low costs. And third of all, I can always rev up the beautiful ol' engine and drive somewhere else, such as for example urban areas where these riots and unrest develop. I think people on islands are more chill, perhaps grow their own food, and that's where I'll gladly make my home for the next many years. I was practically shocked at what came over Vancouver when I was visiting there. It used to be such a mellow town and now its infested by a bunch of aggressive crackheads. I think I'm gladly done with big cities. People can party just as hard in small villages, except they tend to be more genuine and truthful. They say villages can become a sesspool of gossip, but I found the cities easily worse. Then again, perhaps Prague really is only just a village. In any case, the language barrier probably saves me from this problem. I'll always find good people wherever I go and really don't need to concern myself with these weak gossipping types.

well they're having race riots in Russia right now, the people want all immigrants removed (for taking their jobs). The same thing happened in Germany last year, and in Paris (I think two years ago) when the very poor neighbourhoods, the ones with the Algerians and Morrocans, were set on fire.   When times get tough people close ranks and look for any excuse to be hostile the the other guy. The US is looking towards a very difficult decade; usually for an economic crisis like this it takes seven years to recover (unless the government embarks on a plan of inflation, it might be three to five years). The US is simply printing money, it may solve some things now but in two years when they have to make payments on $1.8 trillion things will get very dicey.   Meanwhile securities and financial people are finally being investigated, only now are authorities starting to discover people who, over several years, ripped off like RBC Capital Investments, CIBC, some big bank in the States, Stephen Spielberg, etc., for billions of dollars. More horrifying news will come out in the New Year I am sure.  From my contact Les at DowJones . . .  "WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Home construction took its biggest tumble in 24 years during November, falling to a record low, while a sign of future building also plummeted.     Housing starts decreased 18.9% to a seasonally adjusted 625,000 annual rate compared to the prior month, after dropping 6.4% in October to 771,000, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Originally, Commerce reported October starts fell 4.5% to 791,000.     The November decrease was much bigger than Wall Street expected. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires forecast a 5.2% drop to an annual rate of 750,000. The 18.9% drop was the sharpest since 26.4% in March 1984 and carried housing starts to a record low.      Year over year, housing starts were 47.0% below the level of construction in November 2007.     Financing for construction is becoming harder to secure. Also, builders are restrained by plunging sales. The latest government data, issued about three weeks ago, showed new-home sales dropped 5.3% to 433,000 in October. Year over year, sales were 40.1% lower. Sales are dropping because prices are tumbling. High inventory of unsold homes are depressing prices.

-------------------------------------------------

now that you are in Prague i was wondering if you would be so kind as to set up a bank account for me. I grew to realise that ebanka was slowly increasing its prices and I was paying some 330Kc a month, which when I converted one day to USD worked out to some 20$ a month, which is absolutely ridiculous. I told them they could take these charges and shove it deep up their arse, but fortunately miracles happen in my life and I got into a peculiar situation where my account is free of charges for one year. After that I will no longer have a bank account in the Czech Republic, or Europe for that matter. Which could negatively affect my business if I start to get a lot of work again, or have to pay other translators. Already I've run into some problems because of this. When in Greece I will try to drive to Bulgaria at some point, as a translator of mine recommended a bank there that does not charge anything for holding onto my money. People in Czech told me that there is a new bank Mbank (I think mbank.cz) which also does not charge anything to hold onto my money. Over the years, not earning so much, I've been reducing my costs here and there, and now own several bank accounts around the world which do not charge me anything, except for Bank of America, which charges 6$ a month and it is well worth it, for several reasons. I don't see why any bank should charge me to hold onto my money and they are all a bunch of thieves. Anyway, no stress or rush, since my ebanka is now free for a year, but if it isnt too much hassle, maybe you could drop by one of their branches once and see if it would be possible for you to open an account for me.

Hope that guy buys my treeplanting software so that I can get to Greece and have that stable backup income. Still struggling with internet on the Greek side of this island, because it turns out that the 3G modem I bought on the Turkish side is locked, and I am trying to get it unlocked. Otherwise I'll probably buy another one somewhere, but make sure it is unlocked, and hopefully the Turks will give me my money back or something. They said they should give me an answer this week and I've been walking across the border occasionally, as I am in the capital city on the island for the purpose of resolving this problem.

So at the moment I have crappy internet, going to the internet cafe for an hour a day to check my email etc. But as you can see I can STILL run my business, as I am translating a job right now. Of course it is better that I have some means to check my email once every hour while in the truck, as I have for the past two years, but with my new 3G modem locked and Ruskin having broken my pocketpc, I simply do not have that luxury at the moment. But I can still operate, so that you do not think something silly like I cant etc.

latero

-----------------------------------------------------

wow, that is insane. Werent they talking about global warming all this time? But I guess a general warming can easily result in ocean currents changing and weather patterns changing as a result in different parts of the globe. The arctic is generally melting but who knows. As long as the big ocean belt does not stop moving, which it apparently does once in a while, and lead to The Day After. Ever seen that movie? Bush tried to ban in while in office. Scary shit, and can happen.

But at least it seems you had a nice white Christmas, and sitting around a toasty fire after shoveling snow. I always dig that. My Christmas will probably be walking around Nicosia, where I am now, trying to resolve my internet problems, walking around in my shorts with a beer in my hand. The town can become a bit of a zoo. My Czech-American friend from the Turkish side occasionally drives up so we can play chess. That's my Christmas, but not really complaining. I just keep working and that's fine with me. Except now my CD player isn't working and I can't play movies, boohoo. Will have to fix that soon.

this is insane. I don't know what's going to happen later today, but right now we have a total whiteout. I had everything shovelled, my house Marie's house and Zohar's house, completely yesterday. I even dug out Mark's car, just in case we got a freeze and his car turned into a popsicle for three weeks.  It's fun I don't mind doing it, I get good exercise and have an excuse to be outside in this weather.  Today it doesn't even look like I did anything. And its supposed to go on all day. Here is a shot of what Burrard Bridge looks like right now . . . I'll take some photos of the house later, I am running out of places to put all the snow!!  If I can get down the hill this afternoon I will go to Jarmilla's they are expecting me. But if something bad happens (power failure, traffic accident, etc.) I'm just gonna stay here. They are suggesting to people unless you really need to get somewhere, just stay home. Either way it's fun for me, I'm just not enjoying this particular dump as much as last time because I know it is getting to be rather a hardship for other people.  Walked down the hill yesterday for some firewood and beer, so can hunker down at Marie's and have a lovely time if I have to.  Hope you are enjoying where you are, finding some good Christmas times. It's so peaceful and quiet here with all the snow, it kind of feels like the beginning of time.

---------------------------------------------------

days to Morava with a friend. My copmuter acts funny, capitals were not intended but I donot feel like erasing and starting agian.

What capitals? Letters? Don't understand.

Weather is not good but dry so we can walk. little cold. But it is winter in Praha. There is a calamity in Vancouver. I am sure Keta reprots to yu. She did not make to Jarmila for Jezisek after all as well as Dvoraks did not go. I do not remember anything likethat in Vancouver. Little sorry I am not there but it would not be fun at all in that unfinished house with impossible driveway.

Sounds like it would be fun for me in Van. I like crazy stuff like that. Nice for a short visit anyway.

Where were you for Jezisek. ? I made a fish soup just for you. It is in the freezer now,maybe you haveit later. :):)

Will drink it in my brain. Nothing happened for Christmas eve, but the day before my Czech-American friend drove up from the north side to party and play chess in the capital, where I'm parked now, trying to resolve my internet problems.

Vlad is still sick, OK in the morning but bad by the evening., I am getting it.  But fighting. Never had Christmas like that. So what it is with you walking across the border from Greece to Turkey? Where is the blue box? Take care of it.

Safe on the south side and wont take it across to the north anymore, since too many problems there. Walking across is okay. Am trying to resolve my internet, which is why I'm in the capital at the moment, the last divided capital in the world. Walking across is easy enough. With a car its a bigger problem, especially with my beast.

Did the treeplanting company paid you everything???? If not ask for retainer or full price before youstart working. Be careful, people do not pay now. Often they can not!!!!! Taliking from experience, we had to break the lease on the apartment. I hate doing it but I have no money to pay for it. And do not feel sorry for the guy who owns it, he has lots of my money beforehand anyway. But people do not pay their bills now. everywhere. so do what you want but do not believe in promises. Money up front.

As I thought I explained, I'm just selling the software I had already developed over the summer, so no extra work. My plan is to send it to him, then he pays me a thousand bucks, then I develop it more (since he wants me to incorporate something), then I ask him to pay the rest before I send him the update. We'll see. But will be nice to do something intelligent. Would rather switch to stuff like this, with translations self operating on the side. What I've been shooting for for the last couple of years, just hasn't materialised yet. But when I get a job like this, it always excites me.

NOthing to report from here. Will go to see Cisariks on Friday afternoon. I walk Prague as much as I can. I almost enjoy it most when I amalone. Can think and remember people when I want and pay attention only to myself. Did not do much of that in my life. Went to cemeterny to mama a tata and lkit the candle for all of us..  Mainly Jana. Going to call her now, if anything new I willwrite again. You write and tell me about you whenever you get to the internet. And do not be mad at me all the time. I mean well I just think diferently than you. thank goodnesssssss

Well, we all think differently, like Simona says, which is what makes the world more interesting. I guess I was in a rush because at the internet cafe on limited time and felt I needed to answer right away, rather than later on in peace in the truck. Sounded like preaching again, plus I'm rather sensitive about that response, because that's what Jens said and it really angered me. Long story but I know my situation and such naïve interpretations that it's because of less accessible internet... I've been comparing my situation a bit to Job, and been actually reading it recently. Some guy is having problems and everyone judges him at face value, assuming that his suffering must be because of some sin. But it is a lot deeper than that. Complex story, as are the various arguments. I find my predicament absurd and assume there must be some complex God reason behind it all. just too many hurdles in my way all the time and it doesn't make sense.

And I think my CSOB charges me 50 Kc a month for my account. I need details.

I used to have CSOB. Anyway, I don't want to pay anything. Why should I? We'll see if we can sort something out, otherwise perhaps I'll go up to Bulgaria and open something myself. With the internet transfers should cost next to nothing and I should not have to pay anything for someone to hold onto my money. adio

November 27, 2008

Yes, your link would show up on every page/post on the side, under "Featured Links". The total of 3 months includes the free month so let's say you start in December then your "contract" would expire at the end of February. Also, do you translate from English to Czech as well?

Hi Tanja,

no, I don't, but I got lots of translators and contacts in my database.

Took a closer look at your offer and I see my link out would be from your links page, the links on every page linking to this link page and not to me, which is what it seemed from your ad. This is a big difference. Furthermore, your links page has a nonexistent page rank, which is very important for a linkout. Do all those companies on your links page pay for the link? I perused your site and it seems more like a blog. Not sure if this will benefit me for the investment. Right now I'm second on google for "Czech to English translator" and, once and if I start to get a juicy stream of income, I might consider investing into your page, but for now I'm a bit too poor to try this investment.

Alternatively, perhaps I could add a blog article for you, as I also do that, and link out to my page from that. Perhaps you'd find it interesting, about a Czech who escaped with his parents in 1968, grew up in Canada, moved back to Prague after university to live through the early and interesting times while trying to build up a waterbed emporium, but my import/export business did not get off the ground and resorted to translations to survive, which eventually became successful, until the time when I moved from Prague (15 years was plenty) into a truck so I can finally travel around the world. Got solar panels on my roof, 3G mobile travel internet and other means of hooking up, and run my translation agency while parked on various lovely beaches. Many customers were afraid to give me translation work because I was no longer in Prague, but that's just stupid Czech Republic mentality. Now I'm approaching the international community because I'm tired of dealing with Czechs, and not getting paid. Now I'm in Cyprus, a nice place to spend the winter. I could even link to your page if you like, as I have a lot of Czech Republic pages myself. A good starting point for you might be Czech festivals where my Europe travel pages start through http://kenax.net/travel. So linking to you from my pages could help you as well and be a good link exchange, in addition to an article I could write for you.

While checking out your pages I saw your picture, and must say it is nice to see the consistency of beautiful Czech women. In which city do you live in California? My exgirlfriend lives in LA and she's sorta a superstar. Think you two might get along and can hookya up if you like. She used to be "Senior Pub Coordinator" at Oscar mobile network in Prague (now Vodaphone or something) and she's a great blast to be with.

Anyway, now I have this new and fast internet right on the beach, I want to finish a movie I recently downloaded and which I started last night before falling asleep: Lasky Sedm Krasky. Think I'll download all of Forman's flicks. And after chatting with you, in between this flick, I feel all tingly and Czechy. Maybe I'll have myself a knedlik! Oh, by the way, I'm a bit of a fantastic cook myself and put my recipies on the internet as well. have a good one!

 www.czechmatediary.com Hi Tanja, okay, I'd like to try it. Managed to get my website Websitehttp://001yourtranslationservice.com/me/CV/czech-to-english-

 translator.html in third place now on google for they keywords Czech to English translator and I'd like to start investing into some good backlinks to keep it up there. I'd like to link out from the keywords Czech to English Translations Translator I read your advertisement page below and it seemed to say my text link, for 10$ a month, would be put "site-wide". Does that mean on every page? If not then on which page(s). If I pay for three months you say I get the first month free, meaning four months total? I'd like to try it. This would be my first purchased backlink. Have a nice day, > >

Good to hear from you. I agree, your services would do very well if advertised on Czechmate Diary. Unfortunately I only exchange links with some non-profit organizations. Businesses like yours are welcome to advertise under a very reasonable monthly fee. I am also currently running a special where the first month is free of charge if you sign up for 3 months or more. You can find more information right here: http://czechmatediary.com/advertise/

I´m a native English speaker, born in Prague, grew up in North America, and have translated from Czech to English for more than a decade. Most recently I set up a Czech translation office in Chicago, and working on one in Saint Paul Minnesota as well, where there are sizable Czech populations. I have created many interesting pages about the Czech Republic, where I have lived for the past fifteen years, and you can check out these pages through the links found at the bottom of my translation CV: http://001yourtranslationservice.com/me/CV/czech-to-english-translat or.html Through those pages you can find links to some of my other Czech pages, and near the top right a link to my Chicago office. I was wondering if you would be interested in some sort of link exchange with your website http://czechmatediary.com/ This page was listed on Wiki´s Czech-American page, which is why I am approaching you. I am presently near the top of google in such keywords as "Czech to English translator" and think a link out to your website could serve it well. Looking forward to hearing from you,

----------------------------------------

Yah, think we've gone over this a few times. In synopsis, she lived in a dreamworld, her parents died when she was still fairly young and she was the youngest of three sibblings, so it probably affected her and gave her a deep imprint, and she's always looking back to the those glorious times, where the mushrooms and strawberries are the biggest in the world, because she didn't get old enough to find faults in her parents and realise they are just people. It was probably very beautiful times, as I saw from the pictures, and then came a long period of hell and suffering, moving to Canada, breaking up with dad, having to raise us to children and eating the left over fat off my plate because she was hungry but made sure we had enough to eat, and went to summer camp every year, then she had to deal with me as I became an uncontrollable adolescent. Now when Mala Jana met her she admitted to Lucka that she has become self inflated. Perhaps she holds onto that as some sort of comfort after suffering for so long. Perhaps she feels like she has gotten back to those glorious days of her youth, when everything was carefree and fun. Yah, living in a dreamworld, and I can see her mind could snap as she gets older. I realise you must of had significantly more of the brunt end of the stick than I had. I only had to deal with Vladimir. Many others, like Mala Jana and Liba, felt sorry for me when I was a kid saying that mom was quite neglectful, and that it must have affected me deeply, but I don't feel that. Perhaps things just wash off me like soap. What concerns Vladimir, by forgiving him in my head and trying to have a nice relationship with him, I have effectively rid myself of that burning hatred and anger that I have carried with me for many years, and feel a lot better. Just trying to follow Jesus's words and now see the wisdom behind it. I guess you got a lot more chips on your shoulder to deal with and hope you will sort that out at some point, for your own benefit. One might not see so well how these chips can harm one's psychie until they have gotten rid of them, feel a much lighter load and feel so much more carefree, and only then look back and see how hindering etc. it was. Personally mom seems caring to me, worried about me and willing to lend money and all that. Dad certainly didn't want to bother, and I believe he has plenty means. I'm disappointed but I guess just another relationship to downgrade, and shoot the shit if I ever go to Prague again. Generally don't want to carry chips around with me. I had a kzillion chips when I left Prague, sickened by how gossipy everyone was turning and repulsed by many who I thought were my friends, but managed to wash that away as well, and feel a lot less poison in me. That is my eternal goal, because the poison has a tendency to keep building up, even with new people I met. Perhaps one can tend to become a grumpy old fart and jaded with age, but I'd like to avoid this. One of the reasons I like to hang around younger people, because they have such a fresh outlook on things.

Anyway, I guess it can drive you batty also because mom is in the same city and you have to deal with it more.

On an end note, found this website you might find useful: http://www.roundedcornr.com/

It makes rounded corner script with images for you, if you ever want to add such stuff to your website. I've also figured out how to do it quickly from scratch, and will continue to use that, because I'd like to develop the skill and be able to control the specifics more, rather than just produce some generic thing based on limited variables. I can tell you how I did it, as it's not that complicated, or perhaps make some fancy custom ones for you if you link out to my graphics design page or something.

Anyway, have a good on.

Oh yah, and I seriously hope you start to respond to your emails better. It probably takes me longer to scan through an entire letter looking for where you start to respond to me, rather than you just pressing ENTER twice and separating it somehow. I find it rather lazy and ignorant. Do you respond like this to your customers? Very unprofessional. Hotmail is garbage. With gmail you get 7 gigs of space, and you can forward your mail, forward copies, pop download from other providers, pop download from gmail itself, all of which Hotmail will charge you for. I can even set you up keta@kenax.net if you like.

I think this could be good for them, a little more modesty. Unfortunately they are not normal in the way they look at things. I was there yesterday to help mum go through stuff, she has to give away all the duplicates and extras. While we were going through it she was talking about how "those days are over" that she can't just go buy whatever, or see something and just buy it whether she needs it or not. She's said that to me before a couple of times . . . I can't help thinking how its inappropriate to say that to me when, included in that time she's talking about, is my university days when they didn't help me AT ALL and it was the choice between having dinner or taking the bus to school.I mean it wasn't terrible, like I had more than enough beer on many days, but I was really poor. And that's fine, going to school was my choice but listening to my MOTHER complain about not having money any more and recalling the "good old days" when those days were very difficult for me just doesn't seem . . proper. There were times when I lived on 12th when I was struggling to figure out how I was going to pay for my books and mum would show up, one of the rare times because I didn't see her often in those days she was always cancelling lunches and visits with me because some business meeting or opportunity came up (and she wonders now why I am stand-offish and not very liberal with my time with her, I mean that's how she raised me, that's how she was to me, that's how she created our relationship), anyways I was just trying to figure out how to pay for books and she dropped by in her Mercedes with her fur coat and posh hat on and I was all grubby in my ripped clothes you know, just looking at her like, "Who are you??" it didn't even seem like she was related to me. Not so much because she was all done up and I was not, but because there didn't seem to be any actual connection between us, in reality. So anyways yesterday we were having tea after going through her stuff and she was being a stress case, kind of like how she was when you were leaving, the exact same actually except she was really trying to keep a lid on it after you and I gave her a hard time for yelling at me at her house and after I hung up the phone on her the day after you left because she was being, let's face it, a total bitch. I was doing my best to help her maintain the calm mood, you know she goes on about how she can't sleep and stuff but here we are in a quiet moment and she starts talking about everything she has to do and gets all nervosni and holding her head in her hands, so I was like, "Ok ok we won't talk about it now, you have 10 minutes we'll be quiet and calm and you can have this time to relax before you have to do stuff again." She actually started yawning and I said, "good, see, now after I leave don't get all running around again, just do a couple of things but stay calm and quiet and tonight you should be able to sleep." She said, "yeah" and kind of tried. I know the reason she's a stress case is because she doesn't do any of these simple exercises to handle it. She just keeps running away and going on, then when it's bed time it's all milling around in her head and she can't sleep. Of course that didn't last long and she started talking about all the stuff she had to do again, sitting forward on the couch with her elbows on her knees and head in her hands. I said, "Come on mum you've done this before, moving from West Point Place or to Whistler or whatever just before a trip." She said, "But every other time the place I was moving to was finished!" ok, that's a good point, the monster house is still being worked on, floors put in etc. Then she goes, "Besides, then I had money. This is the first time I am doing it without money!" and looked at me pointedly, like, "feel sorry for me" or "my life is so hard" or whatever. I mean this has to be sixth or seventh time she has said something like that recently and it's just hard to hear for me. So I looked back at her, right in the eyes, and raised my hand and said, "Hello? Welcome to my entire life." And she just blew it off, I mean didn't even like reflect for a second then reject the thought, or consider in any way the fact that my teenage state or early adulthood lack of money had anything to do with her at all. And just started talking about something else.About herself. She only ever wants to talk about herself and can barely contain her impatience if I manage to squeak in 2 minutes about me or something I am doing. I interviewed the Minister of Forests the other day for the second time, I mean that's interesting! She can't wait to get off me and talk about herself again. Its really getting worse, even than before.So then I was leaving and at the door I said, "You don't need the Imelda Marcos closet with all the shoes anymore. And stop buying two of everything!" She made a face at me about the shoe comment, and replied, "My father bought THREE of everything!!" with that "I am a Princess from Prague" look on her face.I just turned away and went to the elevator. What do you say to a person like that? I don't even know, I'm pretty much out of ideas. Now it's just a matter of getting through the conversation. To me its not rational, I personally if I was in her situation would 1) take a lesson that this way of making money is so high-stress and so risky, its speculation basically and change, and 2) be happy with all the wads of money I made in the past and the trips to Hawaii and skiing in Switzerland and all the parties and The Klub and the lifestyle basically and be quite satisfied and happy to downgrade now and enjoy the memories.I said 2) to her before and she just shot back, "But I want the money now too." I don't think they are going to learn and become modest or anything. I think they will continue to struggle and try to get it back, I think they will continue to fight with each other and drive friends away, I think they will become more and more irrational and inaccessible and full of nonsense and I think they will end up VERY bitter.We'll see, but I'm probably right. I get her real self, she saves her anquish and bitter complaining just for me. I respond with moderate comments, trying to get her to see the big picture but she stubbornly refuses.Anyways this is really long and rambly, I was just waiting for my morning radio show to finish, I'm off to get sweaty.talk later!

Cool shit. Hey, can I take out the economics non-family stuff of this letter and put it up on my web, and point a link to you? Always looking for new content, and have gotten good at categorising it, some in very dark and secret corners where people who know me wont find it but which will get indexed by google and help my other pages. Considering this below, reminds me of one of my many dreams, which is to get some international investors etc. and buy some coastal valley in BC, build a big log cabin hotel complex, and rent it out like a resort where people can excape from work, but where there will be highspeed travel internet and they can keep working, but away from the hustle bussle. Rent bycicles to ride around in the forest trails, perhaps horses, walking trails through the forests, and every night live guitar around a campfire. The people making the trails and playing music could be a community of love freaks living in tents or whatever off to the side, and it would be a lovely marriage between the rich and the bohemians around the campfire at night. I'd build up a database and make sure to never invite back those wankers who cause problems and think they can shit on everyone else just because they have money. It would be a sort of commerical commune, the rich paying the way for the poor, me making some money of course (but primarily enjoying making trails and planting trees etc.), and everyone happy. Maybe we could combine it with your cabin idea, heh heh. Yah, I'm sure they'll have to swallow defeat, but humility is good. I've been living it the last two years and whenever I do go down into the slumps, I always realise I never needed all that shit and haave found simple spiritual happiness, which can be difficult when you got shit coming outa your arse, as the bible says. I think this could be good for them, a little more modesty.

They buy certain name brands out of the fear that they might not be accepted in their work/social group. They work hard to get a bigger house than the Jones´s for the same reason.yeah and it's these very people that are going to have an extremely difficult next 2-5 years given what is going on with the global economies. all of that vanity, all of that inflated sense of self worth which was based on the THINGS they could buy and how other perceived them due to that (our parents are a perfect example) are going to feel like crawling down a little hole.the whole system, and this collapse, was based on the stock market and people trading worthless paper (asset backed commercial paper) .. . "backed" by those zero-interest mortgages, you know, the ones that everyone is defaulting on now. That commercial paper was repackaged and resold up to five different times, it went on for so long with so many people making money, making money at doing NOTHING, making money at trading on peoples' dreams of owning a BIGGER HOUSE, it came down to a situation of hot potato. Whoever was left holding that piece of paper - because they were often traded on 60 day terms, 60 days for a 10% to 20% return, I mean wouldn't you ASK, is this a solid investment?? they didn't because they were greedy - is the one that lost everything. And now can't get even one cent back.the system was doomed to collapse at some point, where three months ago the economists and analysts were saying, "What the hell . . ?" and "We don't know what happened." they are now saying its surprising it lasted as long as it did, and that once it is determined exactly how far it went, how high (probably after the New Year I figure for all of this to sort itself out, for sure once the Obama government has a proper look at the books) that is what will tell us how low it is going to go, how bad.I am watching copper very closely right now, if it goes any lower we are in for several years of very bad times. if it stays level or even goes up a bit then only the people that manipulated the system and basically tried to rip everyone off, "Oh but we didn't know!!" yeah right, you just didn't ask, will suffer. At the moment the US job situation is very, very bad but that could also just be a temporary blip.It's unfortunate that a lot of hard working, normal people got caught up in this and also lost or will lose their homes but to my mind an absolute crash, a total cleansing and rebuild, is what is needed to straighten things out again. There is only work, you know? I don't know where mum and Vlad and people like that got the idea that there is some magic ride to being a millionaire. You just work, you build something, you make something REAL not an illusion, and if you do it right and nothing bad happens when you are older you have something solid that can support you. > >

-----------------------------------------

hmm, makes me think that you might consider forwarding your email part below to mom. It's not written vindictively or angrily, and simply writes in clear terms your feelings. When I was going to Prague for Christmas and was supposed to live with them for a month and a half, I was paranoid as shit and sent threats that I have lots of friends I can stay with and if she gets on my case she will certainly see much less of me. And I said I don't need Vladimir blowing up in my face over whatever nonsense. Not sure if it was because of that, but the entire month and a half went remarkably smooth. Perhaps you should just try to convey your feelings. I think mom would rather focus on the things that bother you to make sure you are happier seeing her than to focus on some selfish need to unload her miseries on you. You could write it nicely in an email, if you feel it is impossible to bring things up to her in person. But the below email seems nice enough to me. Just leave my comments out. Maybe its a women thing that they don't bring things out in the open like guys do and forever dance around each other. From your very different points of view several years ago, I felt I needed to step in and mediate. You initially complained that I was opening an old can of worms, but this I feel is precisely what is necessary - to bring things out in the open and talk about it. Otherwise it seems you guys were drifting apart and almost out of reach of each other, so I wanted to quickly step in and get the worms out in the open.

When I was in Vancouver I had absolutely no problem about waiting on the sidewalk for mom. After all, she went shopping and was bringing tons of food, so why on earth would I not want to do such a small favour in exchange and make sure I would be right there to help her bring in the groceries, and not force her to look for parking, then carry a bunch of bags like a slave to important me who's watching TV or whatever. Seemed like a perfectly normal and decent thing to do. And when we were all together things seemed normal enough. Seems that you are generally sensitive about certain things, and you don't need to, and it would be better to express, even if in email, the concerns you mentioned. If you don't express it, I think you hold it in and become sensitive to things, and it strains your relationship. personally while I was in Vancouver i didn't see any problems. Sure, mom is hectic etc., and rushing here and there, but whenever we were sitting around the table I felt relaxed enough, so I think you are getting agitated because you are sensitive to certain things because you are not bringing it out into the open. Maybe you should just try the email thing, if you cannot get a word in once you two do hook up. Try to write it nicely. Too bad though that she is leaving now. Maybe you should wait until she gets back and has been in Vancouver for about a month. Now it will bother her and she will go to Prague worried that she could have patched things up better but now she can't, cause she's in Prague, and she will only worry more and sleep less. k

I know we've been over this before and I like that you acknowledge how it was different, difficult in a different way, for me when we were kids. But rather than thinking I am carrying a chip on my shoulder I think you should understand that - while in my writing I bring up the past - the important thing for me is that it is still going on. Not like the neglected childhood or irrational Vladimir or whatever but mum and all her weirdness. It is a fact of my life every day. Don't be mistaken in thinking that the way she phones here, declares she is coming and that I should go outside to meet her on the sidewalk in 20 minutes was only for when you were here! That's how it is, and, progressively more this past year, the conversations are solely about Vlasta and all her troubles. Its a very one-sided "relationship" where I am meant to listen to the complaints of a 'poor little rich girl', however the same courtesy is not extended to me. Do you see what I mean? Normally for me in a friendship there is balance; whatever is going on in either person's life gets generally equal weight, so there is an exchange between talking about each other. This way we share in each other's lives equally. Of course when there is a particular crisis going on that person gets more attention until there is some solution or resolution. And that's where mum takes over, she grabs the maximum of focus for herself, by either fabricating or actually having some crisis going on pretty much constantly. I have sympathy and listen and try to help but also I get a bit . . . not frustrated but disinterested because its endless and its all stuff she did herself. the position she is in right now is a direct result of the way she has lived her life and the decisions she has made so she really shouldn't be complaining.I'm not sure you realize what a drain she is on my positivity and my psyche. Of course it is up to me to not allow people to use or abuse me and I don't let her, but the fact is that I KNOW every single time I see her she will be laying on me a list of woes while at the same time actively dictating that I am not allowed to talk about any slightest trouble I might be having makes me . .. basically makes me glad she's going away for a long while because it gives me a break. There is little to nothing I can do to help her, sometimes I am able to offer advice she actually takes but that's not what she wants. She just wants to unload on me, spread around the worry and stress, make herself feel a bit better. It smacks very much of her trying to make me feel bad, quite frankly, so I am always a bit on the defensive when I see her. Its pretty much once a week, with another small meeting in between, so its not like I am completely drained, but it is a fact I have to deal with on a regular basis.I hope it doesn't seem to you like I am doing the same to you, using you to dump my problems with mum on! Remember before when I said that when I write I am deliberately trying to convey the feelings of what I am talking about: if I recall a memory from childhood that made me angry it comes across as anger on the screen because that's how it was, but it doesn't mean I am still carrying anger now. (for some things I probably am, but much less than I was a couple of years ago when you and I first started talking about all this stuff). I tell you all this because I only thinks its fair that you know what is going on as it happens. I probably don't have to go on in such detail or with such a stark language but, hey! you're a good listener so that's what you get, haha.

----------------------------------------------

> glad some business is coming your way.

Well, not much, and things are strangely quiet at the moment, but at least my Czech translation pages are at the top of google and waiting like a fish bait in water for something to bite. I check the rankings every day and so far it is holding. Will keep doing what I am doing to keep it up there, and now to just wait until more work comes in.

When are you leaving and will you be safe?

My bills are paid for on this half of the island until around the 23rd of December, which is when I plan to leave. Once on the Greek side I will drive to the port and see about getting over to Greece. Being around Christmas I doubt ships will be leaving much, so everything depends those variables.

Why would I not be safe? The Turkish part of this island is definitely more safe than Vancouver or many other places. Couldn't believe all those crackheads I saw in Vancouver. The Greek side is still safe, although people generally more aggressive there than here. Can't imagine it being unsafe on the ferry. And I imagine Greece should be safe.

You were concerned in your last mail. You are sorry to leave the island and your beach but you are not going there forever and also on that beach you could go hungry with low income.

Well, the beach doesn't really have anything to do with it. I'm doing exactly the same work as I was doing in Prague. The only thing that the beach has to do with it is that some idiot Czechs stopped sending me work when they realised I worked on a beach, even though I have internet here etc. So I stopped telling idiot Czechs (basically any Czech) what I am doing. They never met me before when I was sending them work, so why should it matter to them where I am? In any case, if I was in Prague, paying 14,000Kc a month for rent etc., I'm sure I would have starved to death a long time ago. With total costs of 10bucks a day on a beach, I think my survival has a better chance. Anyway, hope work starts coming in at some point again. Once it does, with my really low costs, I should be able to put most of it into the bank etc.

Make sure you eat properly as much as possible. There is nothing new here except I am already packing (and I hate boxes) having trouble renting this place, have no money and banks are very very noncooperative. Vlad is doing almost impossible wer keep hoping that at the end it will not be a total disaster.

Oh yes, today it occurred to me if he has any webpages. I've learned some fancy stuff recently and think I can whip up something really nice for him. Like a present for Czech Christmas or something, and perhaps it will help him find work, if he has a really nice presentation for his past work. I can check out what pages he has now, and if I think I can make something substantially nicer, I can create it for him, and if he likes it, he can incorporate it into his present website etc.

I do not sleep and useless to tell me not to be stressed in this stupid situation, nobody expectedthis hell.

Well, as I always say, stress does not solve anything. In fact, it can make things worse, because you think less clearly when you are stressed, and you cannot function as well when you don't sleep well. Whenever things got totally stressed in Prague I would just grab a joint, and it would help me forget about everything. I kinda didn't give a crap about anything, and would just sit there, take a five minute break, slow down in my breathing, and then get back to work in a relaxed manner. While traveling and it looks like I will die of starvation and I am getting all stressed and anxious, I say, "What the crap," buy myself a beer I cannot afford, and just sip it while sitting by the side of the sea, forget about all my problems, and enjoy my beer like it is the only thing in the world. And then I can go back to work without stress. That is why I've always suggested you two go to some meditation class or something. Your stress obviously does not solve anything and only endangers getting a heart attack and all that stuff. But it seems to me that you both enjoy the stress or something. It is obviously your choice, or perhaps you both will need at least one or two more heart attacks before it comes to your senses. Just think about it. You can still work hard when you are not stressed. And you can work better if you sleep better. You can change these things. It's called mind over matter, and breathing exercises, and there are all sorts of tricks you can learn to control this and your life. Just letting yourself get carried away by stress is like a chicken with its head cut off. It's like those people who shreak and scream in times of panick. They seize up and become absolutely useless. They can freeze and not be able to move while a buldozer moves slowly towards them, while someone who has learned how to manage their feelings can think and react. It is similar. But you guys are always so convinced that you are right, to your own detriment bohuzel.

We are toooooo old for this. I am hanging up ,my license for 4 months as it costs me 500/month, no need to pay when I am not here anyway. Try to save on every item. On my way to buy lottery.:):):):) Send me 6 lucky numbers.

Yah, I've been knocking out items for the past two years and realising what a bunch of unnecessary fat and baggage I've had as business expenses. Always thought it was necessary, but this situation has taught me otherwise. For example, I recently stopped paying my Czech bank 20 bucks a month for holding my money. What a ridiculous waste of money. There are many banks now who do not charge for holding your money, and they certainly should not at all.

Hope next letter will be more enthusiastic. I am just very tired. Jana is like a rock but she is probably overdosed and has bad side-effects and is very concerned about it. So am I. It is not easy to talk to her ( I call every day) thankgoodness for Skype. Thinking of you very often and hope that all will be well in Greece and you get there safely. xxxxxxooooooooooooomamamamama Hope it all works out best for y'all!

November 26, 2008

okay, I'll Skype America and see if I can get it sorted. Think they also sell it in the UK but probably much more expensive than the US. Will research everything as soon as I get back to the north side and have my fast internet again. Basically, without the technical details, I now get fast internet through my new mobile modem thing, so I don't have to drive somewhere, which costs gas money and time, and is a pain in the arse (looking for a signal etc.). The problem is that, for the travel internet to be fast, the signal has to be strong. Like I have to be parked close to one of their transmitters, which is unlikely on a remote beach, where I usually like to be, or at that house we are supposed to reconstruct. Since he wants me to work for him for 40 to 60 hours a week, I wont have much time to drive places and look for fast internet etc. I need fast internet for a lot of my work. So I'm just trying to plan ahead and make sure I have a good strong signal at his house. Or my remote beach somewhere in the future. This is where this box come in. You put a good antenna on your roof or outside or whatever, the box catches the signal, then it amplifies it and either broadcasts it within the house, or you hook it up directly to your mobile phone etc (the best and strongest option). Apparently it can multiply a signal by up to 15 times!! So very good for the situation I am in. With this job I am sure I'll be able to pay you back quickly. Need your postal address where to send the stuff! Should I use the following still?

I can imagine that this housing/financial crisis does not do you guys well, and that the only person who would buy it is a capitalising millionaire who will offer half price or something. I have several friends who develop property in the US and Europe, perhaps I could ask them if they have any contacts or advice? One of them I will be working for. He has six properties in Bulgaria, 6 in Czech, something in Portugal, and have no clue how much else he has throughout Europe. He is a bit of my mentor, because he gave me great advice how to survive on the road, since he does roughly the same driving between all his European investment property. So of COURSE he knows what he is doing. If not, that's his problem, cause he's paying me for my time anyway. He's the guy who accidentally sent me 40,000Kc instead of 4,000Kc, when I was driving through Croatia. Gotta thank the old farts who are not used to online banking. But one friend who knows him says he probably did it on purpose, to help me out. So I gotta pay that off as well.

Yah, Ilona is a cow. Some customer owes me more than 2,000Kc, but now that I do not have a bank account in Czech Republic anymore, I wrote her an email if she could pick it up from him. She did not respond at all. I asked David, and he explained that "on nema klast podminky na mne ale ja na nim". So she's a lazy arse cow who can't lift her finger. At least I was sending her more cash than I was supposed to for several years, but now when I'm down, she cant lift a finger. That is fine. When I have cash again, I'll send her the minimum, and any more David will have to work for. At least we have a nice email relationship together, and I hope to travel with him one day, or perhaps I'll suffer another season of treeplanting so that he can make good cash and learn something valuable about life.

OK. I was just going to write you that I really do not have any money. when you new mail came. it is quite drastic now, I never thought it would come to this. But it is not just us, it is everybody around. Our stupid timing got us in extremely dangerous position as ALL we have is in the house, there is an enormous mortgage on in and we have no income other than selling our projects. It worked reasonably well and would continue should this global thing did not come upon us. Our danger is that not only diminishing value of the project but also that nothing like that is selling. We do not have staying power to hold onto that gorgeous, unfinished house. WE will finish only part. Anyway I do have some credit on my card left and I will help you out but I will really need it back when I am in Prague as we will live on credit there and on what I luckily stashed away last time. NOt much though. So lets go for it but it is a short time loan. This time I am not kidding. We fly on points therefore free. Apartment is ours and Hamets, we can not rent it out, it is not ours only. We are lucky that we have it. So lets hope that somebody will fall in love with the design of that beast which sits on top of the rock, looks down on the beautiful Vancouver and the Bay and is hungry. For money. Every time I pick up the mail there is another bill. I would really like to live in in it for a while. It was the plan. So lets hope. Tell me more about that little box which is so important (no technical details, I think I got that) but practicality. HOw to get it, where are you ordring from.....Will solicit Keta's help. And sorry about being so gloomy, I am very tired today, did not sleep but I will be better tomorrow again. I have my last German to french lesson, have no funds and time now, will bring tapes with me to Prague so I can excercice my lazy brain :):):) I am also cancelling my real estate license for 4 months so I can save on my fees. Tomorrow I will buy lottery. Keep your fingers crossed. But most importantly lets all stay healthy, nothing is more important and while we are healthy we can help each other. I wish you all the luck with your crazy project in Greece, I hope you guys know what you are doing. And careful with your "byteckovy auto" Did you hear from David? Do not tell them I am coming, I am really pissed off with Ilona and will have to decide if I will call them at all. Sorry for David it is not his fault hope he will sort it out when he grows up a bit. So Karlicku, kralicku take care and stay well. > maminkaxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooomamamamamamama

-----------------------------------

It costs around 300 bucks, I'll order it, and all you need to do is bring it to travel Europeand then send it to me. But if that is a pain don't worry about it. I can pay for it now but, if you have the means, I'd ask if you can lend me the money, to make sure I have enough to get to Greece. Once I'm there I will not be paying for food or rent and be earning something, even more if some translation work comes in. If I will be out somewhere remote working on his cottage, I think this mobile signal booster will possibly be necessary, for my translation work etc. Don't think it's available in Europe yet. Sender Allowed have no idea what are you talking about, forwarding it to Keta so she can decifer for me. What is it you want me to do and what does it cost and where do I get it....... Keta help please..

oh yah, and forgot to mention concerning the mobile signal booster. I'd have to research it, but it seems difficult to get where I am, or in Europe in general. New technology I think and some US company. If you think you might be interested in helping me out, I can do the following: - find out if in fact it works for Europe (1800 MHz) - find out the total cost, get it sent to your house. It's a small box and I can find out the exact dimensions for you (you can take it out of the box), so of course one factor is if you'll have room in your luggage or the desire to deal with this at all - I have money in my account now, but I'm worried if I'll have enough to get to Greece. Once and if I make it to Greece I'll have my room and board paid for, so I should be able to pay you back quickly. Or perhaps my costs to get to Greece wont be so high and I will be able to pay you right away. I'm just worried about having enough to get to Greece, and seeing you are coming to Europe, thought I'd try to nab the opportunity and see about getting this device sent to me. It can be quite a tedious pain to constantly have to drive somewhere to a good signal. If I had this booster, I could probably just work construction on my friends rubble house, in between go to my room or caravan truck to check if any translation work comes in, and work on my webpage designs at night after work etc. We already agreed I could stop construction and do translations if anything comes in. So having this good internet right at his place would be pretty nifty. Anyway, it might be possible to get it shipped to Europe as well. Just exploring my various options, so no need to stress about it at all. lateroo > >> >

----------------------------------------

promin ze mi to bere tak dlouho nez jsem se dostala k tomu abych ti odepsala....Trvalo mi dost dlouho nez jsem si vubec neco precetla z tvych cestopisu, ale abych pravdu rekla moc jsem tomu cas nedala, protoze jsem stale zamestnana nejakymi vecmi, ktere hori ....

No problem. Hope you get everything sorted.

I took a quick look at the web link you sent me and if I understand it correctly, you didn't make enough money while tree planting... I also didn't understand why you finished earlier than originally planned - was it because it was not well organized or because you couldn't keep up with the speed?

Well, there's summer planting and then there's spring and fall treeplanting on the coast. Generally if you want to plant in the fall you need to start with a treeplanting company on the coast in the spring. It is much more difficult to plant on the coast, as you can probably imagine from the pictures on my hardcoretreeplanters site. But I've done it before and I can probably get on again, but I need to act early. I didn't think of starting the treeplanting job until it was too late. I almost got onto the coast with a company I used to work for, but they changed their mind at the last minute. But if I would want to do this again, and I'm thinking about it, I would simply have to apply earlier. I got a full summer season in and tried to get onto the coast, but nothing was for certain and I didn't have the money to just hang around Vancouver and see what happens. I already had a plane back, so I just jumped on it. So not only did I not earn the 500$ a day everyone promised but I only put in three months, which got me 10,500$ but not enough to pay for the plane tickets and everything and make it all that worthwhile. Furthermore my boss jipped me out of a lot of cash, so that was unfortunate as well and seems the story of my life.

In any case, got an offer from a friend to help him recostruct the attached house. Seems like it will be a challenge and good learning experience. I think I'd like to do the same one day in the future once I make some good cash again. He has properties all over Europe and this one is in Greece. Hope to leave there in about a month and work on it over the winter, perhaps continuing with his crew onto Bulgaria during the summer. He says I can stop working any time if I get some translation work. Will get free room and board and 7 Euro an hour, so good backup cash. But it seems I might not even have that much time to reconstruct (although I'd like to at least do two hours a day, to get some exercise and learn something new) because my Czech translator pages have finally climbed to near the top of google. Just checked today and I am happy to find that it is THIRD on google for the keyword search "Czech to English translator". So my latest search engine optimization strategies are working well and I hope to push it up higher. Already I've started to receive new orders and hope to soon have a regular income. The past two years I have been learning about SEO (search engine optimization) and things are finally paying off, as I imagined they eventually would, but didn't think it would take so long. It seems that almost everyone I know assumed I was just wasting my time and frolicking on the beach, but no one really knows what I have been working on. This SEO is a very complex business, and highly competitive, yet I have finally become successful at it and now to slowly translate that into cash. But that I find is usually the case with struggling entrepreneurs - everyone looks down on them when they are struggling, but they continue their work diligently and with uncompromising perserverence, and once they get over the top and become successful, only then do people have faith in them, because they can actually see the results. A successful entrepreneur has faith in himself and often has to face all the troubles alone, but that is just the price of success, and I always knew I don't want to be some dork who works for someone else. This is something I refuse to do and will go to the ends of the earth to achieve my dreams. Once I achieve them, then everyone claps and pats me on the back. It is sad that no one has faith in me when I need it, but I have grown accustomed to that and don't hold it against them.

Also I read somewhere at your link that you borrowed money from some of your old friend and that friend is going to stay with you now at the Cyprus island? So is he there now? What are you doing now? Did you find some job or do you do some translations? I felt sorry when I read that you made web page for some Czech restaurant in Cyrus without a proper contract with the real owner :(

My friend was here and now he is gone. It was nice playing a lot of tennis.

Yes, sad that restaurant did not pay me and I really needed the cash at that time (which is one of the reasons I got so desperate and decided to go treeplanting), but I am using the site for my own resume, am glad to have finally learned Flash, and the site will benefit me in other ways. I think I will also add some more info to it, as my recently visiting friend suggested, pointing to tourist locations in the northern, Turkish half of the island. The Greeks, such as those who did not pay me, absolutely hate the Turks, and it will be funny to anger them by advertising where to go on their Greek website. I paid for the domain for three years, and will probably renew it, as it only costs 30$, so this site will remain a thorn in their side and bad advertisement about their pub until some time in the future when they might decide to pay me for my services.

David rikal, ze od tebe dlouho neslysel. Nutim ho vice mluvit, letos jsem najela na jiny styl a chci aby vice mluvil, problem je v tom, ze on toho nerekne moc ani v cestine. Po prazdnicnach jsem mu rekla aby si pripravil 15 min speech o tom co delal v lete.... on ale dalsi tyden neprisel a poslal SMS ze ho boli hlava :) Ten dalsi tyden prisel a mluvil jen 5 minut. Vidim ale, ze je to pro neho dobry exercise, protoze ho mohu opravit na miste ...take ted musi psat 2 az 3 vety na kazde nove slovo, ktere probereme. To mi ukaze jestli tomu rozumi a hned ho mohu opravit.

Cool about the lessons and hope to take him traveling with me one day, or maybe treeplanting. I write to him occasionally but he doesn't write much back. If he wants a relationship with me he has to make an effort as well. It was by my effort that I first contacted dad and we renewed our relationship. He is becoming an adult. I know that his mom might encourage him to be mazany jako vsechny dalsi Cechy, but this is something he simply has to learn. In any case, I think we have a good email relationship and hopefully we'll be able to hookup once he's older. It is out of the question that he goes to Canada and stays with my mom or sister. In fact, because of the recent housing crash, my parents can't even stay in Canada anymore and are moving to Czech Republic to save on costs.

Good to talk to you and that you are getting my emails now. Will send another short one to make sure you are getting them. k

Myslim si stale, ze nejlepsi by bylo pro Davida, byt alespon na pul roku v Kanadske skole. Jsi si jist ze by ho tam mama nevzala? A co Marketa, ta by to nemohla pro tebe udelat? Ona je snad stale single a pracuje z domova, ne? He would become completely different person and would be greatly challenged by this experience. Pak by asi take i jinak pristupoval k te anglictine, mel by vetsi zajem, kdyz by videl jak tu anglictinu muze pouzivat. Myslime na Tebe Kajo a nezapominame se za Tebe modlit. We hope that God is with you and showing you His love and light ... - xxoo Liba

-------------------------

when my vision becomes reality, and then all the little folks around say, "congratulations. How did you do it? Connections through your daddy or something?"

Yup, funny shit. Oh, by the way, what happened to your emailing system a few days ago? Since then I’ve had to fumble through your mails to find where my email ends and yours starts. Using a new email program or something?

Just checked and this morning I was third, and now I’m SECOND on google for “Czech to English translator”. Amazing. And 24^th for “Czech to English translations”. Hope to keep climbing and nice to see I’m so far ahead of the big Czech agencies. Just today I agreed to pay 10 bucks a month to have text links to my translator CV page from some Czech pages in the US. So basically the same price as I just got for one outlink from some of my other pages. This will be my first paid back link. The good thing is that my outlink is supposed to be “site-wide”, which I’m thinking might mean it will be on every one of their pages. If so that would be great. It’s also good that they have a PR of something like 6, so that should really help my PR, and they get something like 6,000 unique visitors a month. Mostly Czech Americans I guess, so not only will the outlink help my page rankings, but it could lead to actual business as well. If this strategy works I’ll keep spending more on other backlinks. Getting rather excited at the prospect of receiving lots of work. I also set up an “affiliate office” in Chicago, and working on one in Saint Paul (same google postcard thing you did for me – I got friends all over the world), the two largest Czech-American populations in the US. So I’m really strategizing and am anxious to find out how this will all work. These local sites will of course point to the translator CV page, so it should be a further help. Then I’m trying to set up a new subdomain like czechtoenglishtranslator.kenax.cz, and submit that to the top directories (I found they do not like buried pages, like kenax.cz/stuff/czechtoenglishtranslator.html), and once that is accepted into them, I will make a link to my Czech cv page, and other Czech Republic pages, so that will be a further boost. Meaning that all this planned work should only solidify my position on google for a long period of time, in addition to all the other stuff I plan to keep on doing, so I’m really looking forward to see if it will all work. If I start to get a lot of work, figure I should totally beautify the page to death and apply all my new css/html and flash knowledge, and make it look totally hotrod.

Concerning what you said below, kind of reminds me of Anne Rand’s “The Fountainhead”, I believe it was called. Think you would dig that book. Rather famous. They’re just small little people and I guess we should just feel sorry for the poor little miserable bastards, heh heh.

oh man, I know exactly what you mean. people are idiots and don't see the obvious outside of what they have known all their lives or how people have always done things . . . "isn't that what people do??" when I ask, why are you marrying THAT guy? or, why do you stay in that job then if it's so crappy?for me I'm glad I 'came into my own' when I'm a bit older because - while you may get asked about connections through your daddy - I get the look, "there must be a husband or boyfriend behind this, there is no way a young lady can go buy her own computer and know how to work it" not to mention the photography stuff which I had a guy, the only time it happened and of course it had to be a guy that asked, whether I myself took those photos. he stared at me in absolute wonder like it could never have occurred to his (small) mind before that a female person would take such photographs of such a subject.I guess he thought a female and photography can only be about studio lighting and makeup, not about standing around outside for hours in the cold or in the surf to get that one great shot.What I take away from it is, what is THAT person doing? If I come across someone that questions my methods or my ability and they are, say a published writer or professional journalist or something credible, then I might think about it. But it never is, in fact quite the opposite when I do come across people like that either in working for Madison's or my eagle stuff they invariably are positive and encouraging and offer me advice/suggestions/critique for how to do things more correctly. The small minded people when they toss doubt or try to undermine my confidence or try to get me to question my abilities (it's so ridiculous, to doubt something that I am already doing! and have been for years. but I guess it's as you say, I am not wearing flashy clothes or operating with an asshole - ego - attitude so I must not be doing well) I just look at them directly, barely nod, hold it for a brief second then move on. Almost always when, if, I come across that person again they are still doing the same old thing they were the first time, no happier no more fulfilled, no growth or progress, while I can say, "Oh yeah I did that, now I am doing this other thing."All I care about is being productive. I don't consider the vast majority of effort most people do as productive, they're really just filling time. They wait for the boss to tell them what to do, the family to determine how the weekend time goes, and have no initiative or drive of their own.Mum and Jana are the old generation, in fact in the business world they are two generations ago. Literally from the last millenium! not even the last century, but last millenium.

November 14, 2008

> Ahooj! Great to hear the "English lessons" are working out for you!

 

well, not yet. School will start soon and I'll drop some ads within the next couple of days.

Konstantinos seemed normal enough to me. Then again, didn't talk to him much, and I'm a bit crazy myself I think! Then again, I think crazy is more normal than "normal" people, who seem more concerned about being "normal", which is essentially doing what everyone else does, because they are scared little babies who fear rejection and ridicule. So all the weak copy one another, and when someone else does something different, just because they feel like it and it seems normal to them, the week feel threatened, or envy the person's freedom, and start to badmouth and gossip about them. So I cannot consider them normal at all but just a bunch of cowards.

What's new with me? Well a big trouble make is coming to visit me. Long story, but didn't want to see him ever again. But he lent me cash for a plane ticket to go treeplanting and I feel I owe him one, so I invited him for a visit. Now he will be here for a full month. He loves to get drunk, occasionally into fights, and he is a big womaniser. In any case, I think my next month should at least be interesting, but I'm a bit scared! Will have to ask him to control himself.

Did any research on that tulip bulb you brought with you? Curious if you can get it to grow. It rains a bit now during the fall, and maybe winter. They bloom during the fall, and somehow survive 50C temperatures in burning dry sand over the summer. Amazing thing! byebaby

 

Tell me more. I want to write longer email but since i got back from Cyprus i have a friend visiting and i didnt have much time for myself not speaking to write emails. Please give me few more days, she is leaving on Friday. I miss you, i miss the sun and sea, I miss the weather and of course, i miss Konstantinos too, even though he is crazy and if we were living together i would have to kill him soon! I am currently in Brussels and the weather sucks as usual, dark and raining, oh today is also a bit windy... good chocolate though. So let me know what is new with you!!! looking forward to hear from you. and remember even though i am not writing emails every day you are on my mind alot!!!take care. hugs,bananaK

 

Yah, I enjoyed your visit too. Can't find your other letter but I remember you were saying something about understanding solitude. Well, actually did find some friends here. Play chess regularly with a Czech-American, and every day I spend in an air conditioned office with free internet at my Iranian friend, who needs to practice English. Have found that putting up fliers offering free English lessons in exchange for beer has turned out to be a great strategy. Actually, plan to print out some more fliers tomorrow, this time though saying "Nice Canadian boy willing to give FREE ENGLISH LESSONS to nice girl(s) - boys buy me beers." Heh heh. The girls seem all hot and yearning at the start of every school year, looking for new boyfriends. Anyway, I'm mostly just interested in female company, as I like to have a balanced life and social network. Otherwise, have grown tired of constant blabber. The last few years in Prague I would sit in the pub, sipping on my beer and listening to the conversation, and it seemed to amount to absolutely nothing. Little jokes responded by giggles and other little jokes, so I've actually learned to appreciate being much more productive by myself, working pretty well whenever I'm awake and choosing what I want to "work on" at any time. My life also gets sprinkled occasionally by travellers I meet etc. But I would like to know a few more people, because one does need a certain amount of interaction to remain sensible and sane. What stories were you talking about? Will try to see your flick. I write my regular blobs on the internet, and have been trying to write better every time. Now I want to starts a "travel reflections" page for tidbits and ideas I cannot squeeze into my regular stories of my travels. All part of my mad science to help me get more customers (search engines like text), find co-travellers, and make money off of writing in other ways if possible. Have always felt I wanted to be a writer one day, so I guess the translations and learning how to type fast has been good partial training for that. Hope your tulip works out! This is the time of year when they bloom. During the summer the bulbs are in burning hot and arid sand. Pine cones only turn to seed and grow another tree during a fire. Maybe you should research it on the net, as apparently these don't grow anywhere else. Have a good one. :o)

 

i really enjoyed seeing you and talking to you again as well! i wish i could come more often but it is not that easy. i think i was pretty lucky to get the ticket, the prices doesnt go below 400EUro per ticket. Anyway, i hope to be back some time and hopefully soon. i brought the shell you gave me and the sand and the bulb and i will try to grow it here, it is my project now. i also think that yu should keep writting the stories you were telling me about. i like it. i think you should see the "WALLY" movie. you would like it. thank you for inviting me/us for an exciting trip through the norther island, it sounds great and who knows, maybe it will happen. i miss it so much. it is 11C now and finally a little bit of sun but not for long i am sure. enjoy it there for me! take care. hugs,k

 

was good to seeya again banana! If ya ever wanna come for longer and you can tolerate my sardine can, you're welcome to stay here for free. Even your friend. We can boot around the Turkish side. Maybe later I'll get insurance for the south side as well. My friend is coming from the 8th of October to the 8th of November. So early November the weather may still be a bit tolerable for a swim in the ocean.

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

> Ahoj! Tak jak to jde?? Vse ok? Nebo jsi v pruserech az po usi?! Ozvi

> se, pa

 

just finished driving around the island (Turkish part, because I don't have insurance for the Greek part), and on the way the police stopped me and I discovered that all this time I was supposed to be paying some customs or something on the caravan truck. So now I owe something like a thousand bucks in fines. Will stay put on my beach until I can afford to pay something like that. At least I have insurance on this side.

We drove to Kyrenia and then all the way up the Karpaz, to the very farthest point of the peninsula, where I swam 10 metres to the next island. Was thinking of trying the next island out too, but the first island was too sharp to walk on barefoot. But at least that was all fun.

Things settling down with my friend, as the island seems to pacify people. As long as I pay him what I owe him, he said he'll probably cover all my beers while I'm here, so that's nice. Otherwise, he likes to drink a lot and it would be painful not to be able to join him. He admits he's saving a lot not having to pay for a hotel, and he's loving the beach and sun here. Made a bit of money over last weekend so financially I'm getting better. Need more work though. Have a good one!

 

---------------------------------

 

Ted prave odesel David z anglictiny.... Promin ze jsem se drive neozvala ale dostala jsem od tebe dva kratke emaily v dobe kdy jsme byli v Coloradu a od te doby co jsem prijeli (mid Sep) jsem v jednom kole ... Babicku jsem prestehovala do Senior home a mam s tim mnoho prace, old people have difficulties to udjust to a new surroundings.... She is doing well for her age but of course she is fragile. I have to keep her spirits up going there often now, till she acclimatizes ...

 

Hope everything goes well with her. Must be tough getting old like that.

 

Take jsem cekala az zacneme s anglictinu, abych ti mohla reportovat jak to jde Davidovi. Ptala jsem se jestli mu pises a rekl mi ze uz dlouho od tebe neslysel ale naposled ze jsi psal ze hledas praci.... Davidovi to jde dobre ale ted ho nutim aby vice se mnou mluvil anglicky. Zacala jsem jinou metodu krome cteni primo z knihy... Pri prvni hodine jsem mu rekla aby priste si pripravil 10 min speech about his summer activities. Den kdy mel prijet poslal SMS ze neprijde, protoze ho boli hlava ... ale priste prisel a bylo vse v pohode, mluvil ale kratce. Takto vidim kde dela chyby a co je treba vylepsit. Dnes uz je vice relaxed about it. Jinak je chytry a slusny kluk....delam vse pro to, aby se u nas citil dobre. Zda se mi, ze ta mama o nej dobre pecuje, dela proste co muze. Ja se snazim ho nasmerovat tak, aby mel plan studovat IT na vysoke skole a ne jen nejake stredni skole, nebot takto bude mit potom vice moznosti ... Bezpochyby ma na studie vsechny predpoklady.

 

That's cool that you're helping him with English and I try to write to him in English, translating certain words in < > brackets etc. to make it easier for him, but he just seems lazy and doesn't even read my emails. So I stopped that approach. Maybe I could resume it at some point in the future. Or speak to him in English if I ever make enough cash to bring him with me on my travels a bit. I thought it would be good for him to try treeplanting, if I were ever to do that again. He would get strong, learn what work is, practice his English, meet other cultures etc.

 

No a jak to vypada u Tebe Kajo? Ted jsi mohl byt opet s Marketou a mamou, doufam ze jsi si to uzil a mel cas si straightened out your priorities a myslet about your future.

 

Well, I think I reflect on my priorities, think about my future enough, and know what I want to do with my life. I was rather angry the entire summer, and still am a bit, how you guys responded to me. Not wanting to help me is one thing, but judging me in such a harsh way I found rather unreasonable. You can check out

http://hardcoretreeplanters.com/

if you are interested to learn what treeplanting is truly about (I made that webpage), instead of judging them as a bunch of beer drinkers. Where did you find that, on the internet or something? They are mostly young kids who know how to push themselves, so they can make big bucks and get through university. They are also more independent thinking. Most people couldn't even dream of doing such work and just quit, so they can sit in an office and do what someone else tells them to do. They are the kind of people I relate to and this job, which I have done for six years while going to university, has shaped a lot of my character, so I take it with offense when people make such naïve judgements. Anyway, I already wrote a few long letters to you about this, and it seems you did not get any of them. I am guessing that you use some spam filtering system that throws certain mail into your spam or junkbox, triggered by some words. So the longer I write my emails, perhaps the greater the probability that it might end in your junkbox or something. You should add my email address to your whitelist, to make sure you get all of them, otherwise I just end up wasting my time writing. So what I have started to do, with certain people who occasionally do not get my emails, is that I send a second email only with the text “did you get it?”. Hopefully that one with few text gets through. If you did not get my long letter than I try to send it another way. But you really should set your filter so you get all my emails. Maybe you are paranoid and have all your spam and protection settings on maximum security, but you can train these things and tell them that certain sites are okay. For example, my travel stories. They are definitely safe and I know a lot about computers.

 

Jake bylo tree planting? Mam tu od tebe dva kratke emaily, ten jeden jsi napsal uz snad z Londyna, nekdy v srpnu, ze jsi na ceste zpet to the island ... Myslela jsem si, ze budes sazet stromky az do konce zari. Vydelal jsi si nejake penize? Psal jsi v tom prvnim kratkem emailu jak tezko si si zvykal na tu praci - to si dovedu predstavit, je to tezka prace. Co ted delas? Nasel jsi si nejakou praci? Jak to vsechno vidis....

 

I made about 10,500$ over three months and averaged 250$ a day, but I could not get more work and the total earned was kind of low when you consider the plane cost out there and some equipment purchases. Or the fact that I had to stay in hotels sometimes, and other costs. I guess I would need to do it for about five months to make it worthwhile. But hopefully I wouldn’t have to do it again. There are also other jobs I could do in BC. Perhaps I could work hard for many months and save up enough cash to survive comfortably for the rest of the year. I like developing my company and learn a lot while doing it. I’m also looking into other options. Treeplanting is good because it gives me quick survival cash.

 

Modlim se za Tebe aby jsi byl zdravy a spokojeny a financne nezavisly. Neni to jednoduche, ale jsi jeste mlady, roky pribyvaji a pak je to cim dal tezsi... Dnes ta ekonomicka situace to nedela pro nikoho jednoduche, ani pro nas.

 

Well, I figured out how to live for 10 bucks a day. I don’t pay rent, or electricity in my caravan (because I have solar panels), yet many people seem to look at me like I would be better of in Prague, paying 14,000Kc a month for rent and all sorts of other costs, with friends constantly tempting me to go out for beer. I have become quite more productive while on the road, because there isn’t that much to do. But I enjoy being more productive, and having low costs. I’ve had enough of Prague and I generally love being on some lovely beach. I work much more, and then I go for a barefoot job and a swim, then continue to work. There is nothing wrong with that and it seems quite sensible to me.

later

 

> Ozvi se mi, modlim se, xxoo Liba

 

----------------------------------------

 

yah, I know. I've talked with friends about this. One stopped drinking totally, but says that after a year he doesn't feel any smarter. It is an age thing mostly, although drinking can certainly affect things for the worse. I've generally slowed down and just stick to moderate amounts of beer. But life is life and more enjoyable than being worried about being a little bit stupider. We kill a hundred thousand brain cells just by sneezing. Did a research and smoking dope has no long term affects on cognitive ability, although the affects alcohol consumption can be compounded over time. The acceptable drug of the masses, like cigarettes, which is more addictive than heroin. One of the reasons why smoking dope may be illegal is that it makes you think, and question authority. Apparently in Maine US or something like that you can be charged with conspiracy against the government if caught high on LSD.

 

good luck anyway, and I mean it a kind way. Have some fun at the same time, do not drink much it destroys the brain. I took up french again after 35 years. Well what I start to remember from before comes to me but what is new to me today I will forget by tomorrow. Now I understand Ciki when she complains she doesn't know in the morning what she read the previous evening. And she dos not drink now at all and before, well, she did maybe like me. The age is stupid and it shows. So take it easy with drinks so you can keep your brain little longer :):):) talk to you after a week. going to bed now but will check the machine tomorrow.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

I hope you have more dreams like that!!! I would defend you in real as well you know. BTW, i sent you halloween card but it bounced back again, i guess it is because i sent i from my yahoo account? anyway, today is your name day according to czech Republic calendar...SO HAPPY NAMEDAY!!!! do you still have the visiter around there? and anyway, whats NEW?!! Will write more soon, promise. Kisses, bananKa

 

Thanks my favourite banana! Didn't even know it was my nameday. Guess I'll have to find some online calendar thing to remind me of these things, cause all my harddrive keeps frying and I lose all this information. I think your birthday was a month before mine or something like that? Do you use some online calendar service?

Friend is still here and we have reached a remarkable and peaceful symbiosis, playing tennis every day and drinking only a couple of beers, playing chess on the beach and stuff like that. So it's been rather pleasant and enjoyable.

For your Yahoo address, did you get a challenge message asking you to go to some website and verify you are a real person and not spam? That would add your address to my whitelist, otherwise if you tell me your address, I can just send an email to it and that apparently adds it to my whitelist.

Have a good one, and thanks for defending me! Actually, after I got tired about 4:30 in the morning I went back to sleep and was setting my mind to have nice dreams with you again. But the next time they were slightly on the weird side, although still innocent of course! Have a good one banana!

 

> hi my favourite banana,

>

> just woke up from a beautiful and innocent dream with you where

> everyone was

> crapping on me but you were the only one defending me. I'm still all

> fuzzy

> with

> happy feelings. Thanks for saving me banana!

 

-------------------------------------

 

That’s pretty funny and well articulated. I’m surprised Vladimir got a heart attack before she did, but I guess this all makes sense because of his short temper, quickness to explode, and be angry at every dog damn pichovina. So they are doing this to themselves. I’ve said it many times to her. Or like when I mentioned to both of them once, “Why are you working? It is so that you can spend your earnings and enjoy it, no?” Referring to how they seem to work like dogs, first and foremost, like from some childhood indoctrination that is so sacred one should never even consider questioning it. Like the majority of this planet it seems, who rush into the rat race and buy garbage in between as if they were under a hypnotic spell and are simply too rushed or busy escaping their own thoughts and feelings that they would take a moment on the tram to reflect on their entire life. And their response to my simple question was that they simultaneously rolled their eyes and said, “Yes, we know your theories.” I mean, this is so basic, it had to confound me that someone wouldn’t see its blatant simplicity. But since then I’ve grown to understand that so many people are just too scared to reflect on their lives. They buy certain name brands out of the fear that they might not be accepted in their work/social group. They work hard to get a bigger house than the Jones’s for the same reason. All their actions and entire life is practically based on fear, including the prospect of self-reflection, lest they realize what an utter farce and waste of time their entire life is. How horrific it must be when these people lie on their death bed and finally realize the stupidity of it all, realise that it is too late to do anything about it now, and only regret that they had not come to their senses earlier. How they live their life over entirely differently if they only good. So now they just lie their in fear and trepidation before they will have to stand before God.

Oh, by the way, mom forwarded you a request I made to her. Reminds me of all those times you don’t understand my emails and call me a stoner. My emails seem to make total sense to me and I think you must just read them fast, or cant be bothered to figure them out. What do you want, point form explanations for like a kindergarten kid?

 

She told me she sent you an email last night when she couldn't sleep so you probably know all this now but I'll send to you as well. She went to Dominican Republic for a week last week, it was really for Vladimir's birthday. They got some super deal I don't know. Anyways she came back mid-afternoon Friday, called me. I was out having lunch, had had a pretty crazy week and didn't feel like talking to ANYBODY. Took a bath. She called again in the evening, I don't answer my phone in the evening because it is always charities or sales people. Saturday morning I went straight to get a blood test (just a simple thing for thyroid my doctor thought might be good) because you can't eat or drink before. Then I went for my coffee. I got home at just before 11:00 and there were two more messages from her. Each more frantic than the last, finally her saying, all winded, "I'm coming there! this is crazy. "I called her back they were like three block away. I told her not to be a freak. She came here, met me at the side of the house practically decomposing, all teary and gasping for breath, "don't do this to me *sob* " grabbed on to me in a big hug like I had just come back from a year away. I just chuckled at her dramatics, then said, "You need to examine why you are so insane about this." "yeah yeah yeah" she said. Then she said she wants Marie's number! I said "No Way!" The last thing Marie needs, while trying to be in three places at once driving those boys all over to extra school lessons and sports is my mum calling all weird and freaked out, "have you seen my daughter I haven't heard from her since yesterday!" I mean really. What if one of the boys answered the phone, they'd might get scared. Anyways I think the whole thing is symptomatic of what you and I were talking about, how there is so much dwelling in her psyche she doesn't even have perspective anymore. I said, "What the hell is the matter with you?? I didn't go away anywhere, what reason do you have for this exaggerated worry??" She knew I was going to ask and was ready, "Well the one time you moved and hurt your back and couldn't get up for three days . . . " and some other time I was sick and couldn't even go to Safeway to get juice so I called her. Remind me not to do that again!! I said, "Even if I had hurt my back again, it's no reason to get so agitated." she just "Pfft." her usual dismissive motion. Part of it I know is panic of losing Jana, to mum Jana is the last touch with her childhood past, the good times when her dad was alive and they were stinking rich. the motivation behind all this constant effort to get back into a position like that, or at least LOOK like they are in a position like that. So she has given notice on the apartment, will store everything in the garage at the site, booked a ticket to Prague for Dec. 13 for three months. To 'save money'. Of course, she was having a pedicure at the moment she was telling me all this! It's so perverse, and she doesn't even realize it. I kind of have to laugh, you know? I think out of everyone you understand that the most. She said she will go see Jana during the time they are in Prague, which I think is very good. I know mum doesn't want to go to Prague now, or for that long, but I actually think it will be better to be away from here with all the "work", just running around really, and being confronted with the missed opportunities, and having to face the fact that really they should just retire and chill the freak out. anyways, it's Remembrance Day, exactly 11:00am here so I am having my moment of silence. later,