Prague Daily Monitor Articles

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Settling into autumn (on two wheels)

Embracing the changing season

How I learned to speak Czech (and you can too)

#what happens when you stay

Driving School at 40

Yielding to the right on Prague’s cobblestone streets

Welcome home (Czech style)

Transitioning back to life in the Czech Republic

Learning from the young

How to survive when your child speaks better Czech than you do

Away we go

A few things you should know about a busload of preschoolers (and the parents left behind)

The power of a smile (and not a fake one)

Changing old Czech stereotypes

Why I cross my fingers and hold my thumbs

Even childhood anxiety gets a bi-cultural spin

Rabbit’s teeth & a boar’s jaw

How CZ cuisine has taught me to appreciate game meat

Let ‘er rip (or not)

Overcoming fear and disappointment in the Swiss Alps

A cup of tea

Learning patience, one tea party at a time

Look out Camp Cheerio, here I come

Sending my daughter to her first sleepaway summer camp in the US

When I grow up

Reflecting on 10 years of motherhood in the CZ

Witch burning in the CZ

A community event with a fiery twist

Flying home

How living so far from my roots actually makes me feel closer.

Spring time has sprung

Enjoying the new season as a temporary mother of one

The balance shifts

Czech becomes our dominant home language, in spite of my best intentions

Holiday countdown

Savoring the sweetness, frenzy and all

Decking the halls

Preparing for our traditional bi-cultural Christmas

Thankfulness for my Czech home

A note of appreciation to my readers and adopted homeland

Holiday improv

Adapting Halloween to our life in Prague

Wine country

Enjoying the autumn harvest by bike around Moravia

The mother lode

Mushroom hunting in the Czech forests

Hellos and goodbyes

Making peace with life’s inevitable transitions

A week in the tropics

Transitioning from downpours to a heat wave

Going beyond “Repeat after me”

Active English language learning in Czech state schools

And the rains came

Another damaging flood hits the Czech Republic

Riding the bilingual see saw

The ups and downs of language acquisition

The big catch

Fostering the skills of a budding fisherman

A first look at the Czech Republic

Condensing the best of our home country into a single visit

Park life

The happy co-mingling of nature and city life

Sudoku for expats: translating

Reading between the lines

Race for life

Moving forward in times of adversity

Let the good tunes roll

Rocking out in Prague

A moment alone

Carving out a bit time for myself

The elusive white egg

Perfecting our Easter decorating skills

The flu, round two

Getting through the end of winter flu

A needed dose of sunshine

Good-bye gray winter, time to be gone

A nose for curiosity

Making new friends in new places

Back to the basics

Making an effort to follow the “real” food trend

Seeking perfection

Regional and home-cooking authenticity

First run

Hitting the slopes family style

The pandemonium of politics

The Czech Republic’s 1st direct presidential elections

You can’t take it with you, or can you?

A new lens in the New Year

Ježíšek or Santa Claus?

Blending traditions for a bilingual holiday

Naughty or nice?

St. Nicholas arrives with his angel and devil

Glad tidings

Holiday traditions new and old

Just dance

Polka, rock, and a night to remember

These feet are made for dancing

Suiting up for a formal ball

Truly bilingual

Home is where you speak the language

Dark storm

Counting our blessings

Escape to Šumava

A weekend of fresh air, sunshine and nature

From a not-quite tourist’s eyes

Seeing downtown Prague anew

Teaching the wee ones where to “wee”

Toilet-training in all its many forms

Marital M&M’s

Bridging marital differences with chocolate

Trampoline time

Not just a blast from the past

Choosing to vote

Request a ballot and make your voice heard from overseas

Crossing back

Snippets from a cross-cultural summer

Dog days of summer

Gearing up for our annual US summer holidays

What it takes to be happy

A balancing act

Hola, ni hao or guten tag?

Adding a third-language to the bilingual mix

The culture of collecting

Matchbooks, postcards, stamps & stickers

School in nature

Škola v přirodě, a Czech rite of passage

Grandma time!

A Mother’s Day tribute

Over the river and through the woods

Taking a quiet moment to enjoy the local nature

Talking the talk

Language matters

Color me gray

Cultural implications to hair color

Raise the pomlázka

It’s for your health

Gifts to be treasured and released

Parents, children and independence

On the playground

The importance of the great outdoors

Tooth by tooth

Exploring Czech dental tradition and services

The house that crackles

Finding character in aging

The name game

Navigating Czech name culture

Getting the cooties

No cultural boundaries for pestilence

Give the devil his due

Czech fascination with devils, witches and malevolent spirits

Let’s go see the stars

Czech arts and patriotism at Národní Divadlo

Mighty tights

The clothing item not just for superheroes

Missing “Old Man” Winter

Making do without snow

Barometer of change

My old friend Prague

The perfect evergreen

Decking the halls for the holidays

Christmas countdown

Cultural significance of Advent calendars and nativity scenes.

Techie kids

Should iPhones and iPads be on Santa’s gift list?

Christmas for skeptics

Blending religion into Czech holiday traditions

Wrapped in white

A winter wonderland or a serious pollution crisis?

The language of food

Translating recipes across cultures

Beyond bilingual, bi-literate too

Boosting language literacy through storytelling

Fashion forward

The regal life of a Czech dog

“Wild” Šárka’s story

Teaching cultural history though mythological legends

“Check” Republic

Complications of posting to and from the Czech Republic

Babí léto

Welcoming the warmth of “old lady” summer

Czech humor – SOS

Being funny in another culture and language

International ice hockey tragedy

Drawing the lines closer

Škola: Finding a place for creative learning within the Czech collective

Art cases, lunch cards and a locker with a key

If it’s broken, shouldn’t you fix it?

Czech attitudes about services in their homeland

More gelato, please

Cultural differences first-hand in Tuscany

Language and literary

Is it okay to read to your child in another language?

Firing up the barbeque

Grilling for a multicultural party

Krtek in space

Making a little mole story come to life

Lunch

Czech school traditions for the midday meal

Czech biking culture

Combining exercise with leisure

No longer the new-kid on the block

The benefits of sharing similar life experiences

Which way do you tilt?

Bookshelf cultural trends.

Eating local

Sustainable food trends with Prague’s farmer’s markets

Spring fever or spring fatigue?

Cultural implications of seasonal change

Bite into this

Keeping BPA plastic out of the mouths of Czech babies

Travel bonds

Sharing the love of new experiences through travel

Starting the week with Sunday?

Finding cultural significance in the calendar

Are you what you drink?

Cultural aspects of thirst-quenching

Being bilingual, but not bashful

Building healthy brains, building confidence

A “healthy” compromise?

Government and doctors come to an agreement in the nick of time

Terms of endearment, Czech style

When do Czechs say “I love you”?

On the sidelines

Balancing observation and guidance

Waiting for a spot

Registration day brings both nerves and excitement

Many happy returns

Transitioning back from another cross-Atlantic trip

Going “home” for the holidays

Maintaining a sense of tradition, even when traveling

Becoming one of the “family”

My quest for a Czech birth number, “rodné číslo”

Headed to First Grade

A look at the Czech primary school registration process

Zumba Zumba

Testing out the hot new trend of dance aerobics

Ouch that hurt!

The Czech approach to pediatric medical procedures

Pediatric care

Immunizations and pediatric procedures in the Czech Republic

“Na zdraví!” (To your health)

What do the Czechs know about “healthy” drinking?

Learning without the books

Motivating young learners using all the senses

Home-remedies, family traditions

Keeping up a family from a sick-bed

Ear piercing

Should the decision be a parent’s privilege or a child’s choice?

“Expat” – a dirty word

How life can redefine particular terms

Sexy politics

Making international headlines with a politician pin-up calendar.

A season of extremes

Weathering summer’s ups and down: Inclement weather and a new baby

Fighting for change in Prague’s traffic safety

One father’s humanitarian mission after a devastating tragedy.

Summering in the Czech Republic

Finding close-to-home, kid-friendly activities for school holidays

Being small

The language of Czech diminutives

The unforeseen disaster

Coping with unexpected adversity while living abroad.

Moving on or staying put

Flexibility and transitioning while living abroad

Nudity at the spa

Is being pregnant in-the-buff ok sauna etiquette?

Observing Czech elections

Corruption, empty promises and negative billboards

Playing rough

Sticks and stones, guns, swords and daggers.

The business of expat insurance

A potentially sticky situation for some newborns to non-EU parents

Language acquisition

Giving the second language a learning boost.

Spring in the air

Easter and spring preparations get a warm weather boost

Socializing in Czech

Creating a social network in a foreign language.

Děda’s Svíčková

Acquiring an original Czech recipe

Masopust revelry

Parades and bacchanalian parties wind down.

A half-n-half identity

When a bi-cultural identity is as natural as anything else

Babysitting dilemmas

Who’s in charge of the kids when there’s no babička?

Adopting a more global English

Communication often trumps regional language usage

Czech cooking the “proper” way

Can you cook svíčková like babička?

The “handy” Czech

Why pay someone for a service when you can do it yourself?

The Haitian tragedy as observed from Prague

Distance and interconnectedness in this age of technology.

Cultural revelations in coloring

Demonstrations of imagination, practicality and a wish to conform

Skiing, sledding, svařák and sleigh bells

Winter charm of the Krkonoše Mountains

Christmas Carp

Holding firm to a Czech fish tradition.

Holiday treats

Sweet anticipation and preparation frets

Showers, bedding, forks and knives

Discovering culture significance in hygiene and social graces

Sv. Mikuláš

Celebrating the Advent season with St. Nicholas, an angel and a devil

A bi-cultural Christmas

Is two-times the holiday, twice as much fun?

Prague safety at night

Pickpockets and petty thievery on Prague’s streets

Birthing a multicultural baby

Traditions and superstitions associated with pregnancy and childbirth

Blending Autumn Traditions

Hunting for mushrooms, gathering nuts, flying kites and carving pumpkins.

Teaching English in školka

Teaching Czech children English presents its own set of challenges

Babiččina láska (Babička’s love)

Finding a common language with my Czech mother-in-law

Learning about Jesus in Italy

An Italian monastery prompts discussion on Christian traditions.

Pass the dumplings

Learning to appreciate traditional Czech food

Half-n-half: Mothers’ Centres

A look at a fast-growing, grass-roots tradition

Cultural gaffes

The grammar and rules of informal vs. formal

Leave your shoes at the door

Exploring the cultural norm of wearing slippers

Smoothing Out the Bumps

Building neighbourhood relations, improving roadways

Once Upon a Time

The universal language of fairytales

Pirouetting past gender

Fighting an age-old cultural stigma of the male ballet dancer

A balancing act

Reaping the benefits of transitions

Summer holidays: Quality family time

Cities, countryside, family, friends and needed relaxation

To cut or not

A controversial custom with strong historical, cultural, religious and health implications

The customer is always wrong

A look at the service industry (or lack thereof) in the Czech Republic

The long legacy of crossing cultures

Keeping Native American traditions alive in the Czech Republic

Lose the diaper, but keep the bottle?

How do economics and culture play a role in determining toddler training?

So, you’re … married to a Czech?

Finding other “half-n-half” families makes Prague feel more like home

Daycare dilemmas

Weighing the pros and cons of different educational paths

Bundled up for winter fun

With the cold snap, even backyard skiing is possible

Tracking down Santa

Our search for a “real” Santa experience

A ‘proper’ Czech Easter

What’s Easter Monday without a whipping?

Nudity: Getting (Un)dressed in the Czech Republic

Navigating the subtle differences between nudity and sexiness.

Bending the rules Czech style

Loosening my rule-abiding tendencies is an ongoing process

Fairytale childhood

Who needs Disney World when you live in the Czech Republic?

Czech state preschools: An increasingly tough placement situation

Finding a spot in a state preschool is as likely as winning the lottery.

Don’t miss: Prague’s 2nd annual Bilingual Picnic

Mark your calendars and join the gathering.

Bilingual Playtime

Languages ricochet like ping-pong balls during playtime

Mikuláš

Celebrating at the Sokolovna in Únětice

Pumpkin season

Finding the right pumpkin keeps getting easier

Casting a vote abroad

Living abroad makes voting do-able, but a little more work

Runners to your mark

As spring nears Prague’s parks abound with fleet-footed runners

Visiting the doctor

It’s flu time

Pond ice skating

The thrill and perils of natural ice

Ski School in Lipno nad Vltavou

The challenges of standing on the sidelines

Transformation of a monolingual American

The trials of speaking Czech

The Language of Love

Cross-cultural marital communication

Half-n-half: Naming: The culture of ‘-ová’

Taking on a Czech surname wasn’t as simple as I’d first thought

Old toys, timeless fun

Enjoying historic toys and playthings at the museum of Central Bohemia

Giving thanks

Gifts of food from my Czech in-laws

A visit to the foreign police

That impenetrable monolith of Czech institutions

Walking shoes

Traversing Prague’s cobblestone streets

Bringing up a bookworm

Reading aloud helps define a love of stories and sparks the imagination

Bird adventures

Learning about life (and death) by watching the birds