I have visited Kiev for a wedding of Denis Aparshyn, one of my best friends. He has married Marina. They are now husband and wife. Here are some photo moments.

Great sunny weekend. Tip to Krivoklat castle photos.

On Saturday with Tomasz and Iva visited Dobris castle in about an hour drive from Prague. There Tomasz showed Iva how to take nice photos using his professional Nikon D 700 camera. Their masterpieces are yet to be posted (here). In comparison here are few taken by my blue Nikon Coolpix 4100.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Déborah
Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Subject: Ah ah
To: Anastasia
Cc: Ivan, Producer of arthousetraffic.com, Ivanna

Merci pour les cartons!!!! Bises from Iva,Marina,Ivan,Dennis and Deborouchka

Envoyé depuis mon iPhone

Hilarious film I would recommend to see is "Hank and Mike".

"HANK and MIKE's Blurbs:
HANK and MIKE is a feature film that is probably unlike anything you've ever seen. It's the story of two Easter Bunnies who get fired and have to figure out what to do with their lives. It stars Thomas Michael as the hard drinking, chain-smoking HANK; Paolo Mancini as the neurotic and insecure MIKE; Chris Klein as the arrogant efficiency expert CONRAD HUBRISS; and Joe Mantegna as the mischievous businessman MR. PAN. We're just getting this site up and running, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the official HANK and MIKE website at www.hankandmike.com. Word to yo mama! -Hank & Mike"

Few photos from the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

Fifth Prague Museum Night took place on June 14th 2008 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. For me it was a 3rd one I have participated. Free entrance to museums, free organized transportation. Friends, Prague at night, walking and fooling around. Also it was a chance to learn about one more MEETinPRAGUE community from meetin.org - and opportunity to meet new, cool people. Photo report here.

Latest adventures were:

• Trip to Hanover, Germany to meet my dad and help him with translation and moral support during the CeMAT intralogistics exhibition. Here is photo story.

• Meeting with Dominic and Pieter in Basel, Switzerland for some culture, city-walk, party time and watch the opening of the EURO2008 championship on a big TV in a public fun zone. Here is photo story.

I'm volunteering my free after work time for the Prague Fringe Festival this year (same as I did last year).

http://www.praguefringe.com/2008/programme.php
From the insiders perspective of Fringe Festival:

I would recommend to see/hear at least:
-40 Feathered Winks (touchy feeling...)
-Adolf (mind opening... please remain till the very end of the story
even if you feel like quitting in the middle)
-Sax to the Max! (many many great musicians exported from UK in
location that is normally hidden from general public)
-Magic & More with Frisco Fred (just hilarious)


Personal rating:
1. Magic & More with Frisco Fred
18:30 - 19:30 Divadlo Na Prádle - Kavárna
Comedy On The Square
Come spend a fun hour with the world's only nearsighted comic, magician, ...

2. 40 Feathered Winks
21:00 - 22:00 Divadlo Na Prádle
The Paper Birds
One third of human life is spent in bed; resting, crying, hiding,
lovemaking, ...

3. Adolf
8:15 - 19:15 Nosticovo divadlo
Pip Utton
Utton, looking uncomfortably like the Fuhrer, stands before a huge Nazi ...

4. Karagiozis Exposed
19:30 - 20:20 Divadlo Na Prádle
Open Arts
Karagiozis is a Cypriot shadow puppet. Through a mistake of his
puppeteer, ... In English and French


I heard was good (did not verified yet myself):
-The Sacred Sow
19:30 - 20:30 A Studio Rubín
Prague Playhouse
Dark and lyrical, the play's characters spin yarns about themselves, each ...

-The Tale of a T-Shirt
18:30 - 19:30 Divadlo Inspirace
Kennwort:Bergstation & Fixt Point Theatre
Float around the world as you follow the fantasy of a t-shirt, from cotton ...

-A Stretch of the Imagination
19:45 - 20:45 Nosticovo divadlo
Monk and Mort
Monk O'Neil, in the back of beyond, is facing death alone, with resilience ...


For those who appreciates music and songs:
-Sax to the Max!
19:30 - 20:30 Kostel sv. Jana Křtitele na Prádle
The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain
SAX to the MAX! pushes the energy and imagination of thirty feisty
saxophonists ...

-Yellow Sisters
5:30 - 16:30 Divadlo Na Prádle
Ženská vokální skupina (Female a cappella group)
"… four hearts, four souls, four voices, four ways to share emotions ...

Some photos from volunteering times here /some more here / from Kostya.

Great, great District 59 Toastmasters conference is over. I have enjoyed every moment of helping to organize this conference. I have learned so much!!! Even guiding the Prague castle and old town walking tours under the rain was somewhat new and interesting, that I have never done before. Here are photos from main event and following gala dinner.

Been to Kiev on May vocation. Home. Intense meeting days. Got charged emotionally. Kiev is not an easy place to live, but it there is an electricity of growth and development. Very motivational environment - feels like you have to do something, stand for your rights, dreams, territory, otherwise you may be pushed overboard. Natural survival. But at same time there is tender love and natural beauty everywhere.


Here are photos.

It was a fun weekend. Been to Arno concert at Palac Akropolis; Arthur's (a fellow toastmaster from Bohemian toastmaster club) speech video record at Casa Luisitana, Karlin, Praha; Depressive photo Exhibition of Gregory Crewdson at Rudolfinium; Museum of the Prague city, incl. Prague's coffeeterias exhibit and historic/modern images exhibit; Gypsy music at studio Rubin. Here are photos.

Horoscope for Russian readers.

• Photo report from SUN Tech Days in Saint Petersburg.
• Photo report from my 1st social event with Czechs/(other photos). 1st!!! Believe it or not but it took me 2,5 years in Prague to be invited for a social event by Czech colleagues. I don't know if I had a bad luck or it is really Czechs being a closed society. I believe in many other countries it would have happened much earlier.
• Photo report from the concert of a French band Les Touffes Kretiennes and opening of the Febiofest 2008.

Been to a great concert of Rihanna. But the most important I had a great and fun company to go with. So it was another cool day with Ivanna. Despite it was snowing and cold.



Photos are here.

Great weekend we have been up to:

• Have met a girl, who I was thinking was my classmate visiting from Kiev, who has contacted me via odnoklassniki.ru community site, and later on I have figured out that we actually have never been a classmates before, but she has just got on my friends list by chance. Interesting and fun, huh?!
  
• But we had a great fun climbing to the Petrin Hill Tower, that offered a best city overview in the sunny weather. Definitely it is my favorite tower location in the city now.
• Been to the Birthday party of a friend Aisa. Congratulations, darling!
• On Sunday: Iva's friend Nadia took us by her lovely little silver Skoda Fabia to a nice town neighboring Prague - Teplice. We were very surprised by the picturesque areas around it and the noble history of this spa city itself.
  

Photos here.

During the last weekend we have been up to:

• Angelka, sister's friend from Kiev was on a biz training here in Prague and stopped by our home.
  
• Motorbike exhibition at Vystaviste.
• Checked the dentist emergency service, since Iva has a "wise tooth" appearing.
  
• Saw the Japanese movie, within OneWorld festival -Mechanical Love.

Photos here.