Weekly Report #41: Extracurricular Activities

In St. Louis this week, it was all about baseball, so much so that I turned down an opportunity to go to the Rams game on Monday night. But even all the sports made it impossible to forget the election that's just around the corner. It's amazing to me the way you can't turn on the TV or radio and not hear an ad for--you probably think I'm going to say Bush? Kerry? No, this election cycle, all the fundraising money in the St. Louis metropolitan area is being spent on the Maag-Karmeier race for the Illinois Supreme Court. Those are the commercials you can't miss.

So there were those extracurricular activities this week. Andrea and I also had some charity events to attend. Friday morning was a breakfast for Voices For Children, which was underwritten by Carey & Danis, where I was formerly a partner and am now "of counsel." Meanwhile, my firm, Schaeffer & Lamere, was one of the sponsors of a March of Dimes event in Madison County, Illinois, called the Gourmet Gala, which also took place this week.

The Gourmet Gala is a dinner-and-auction type of thing, and it was memorable as a result of something surprising that happened. First of all, although I wasn't necessarily sober, Andrea was. So what happened can't be blamed on alcohol. In short, Andrea gave approval to a plan for me and a lawyer friend to bid on the big end-of-the-night auction item--a trip to Prague. It was for a good cause, remember, which is what everyone kept saying. So we bid on the trip, and kept bidding, and finally won.

It means I'll be going to Prague with my friend sometime between now and the end of March. I'm already getting excited. The last time I was in Europe, I was alone, I was living out of a backpack, and I didn't make a single phone call in three months because it was too complicated and expensive. This time, phone calls will be easy, I can eat real food, and I'll have access to hot water. I can even take a tiny computer and update my weblog. Or not . . .

Comments

[OLS]

I loved Prague - I was there earlier this year and had the best time there out of all of my travels around Europe. My top 10 recommendations (though I know you didn't ask):

1. Restaurant called Gitanes on Trziste 7, Mala Strana;
2. Stay somewhere central - there are lots of great hotels in around the Wenceslas Square - my mate stayed at the Europa, which was truly beautiful in a 1920's sort of way;
3. Take a day trip to Czesky Krumlov (but make sure the castle will be open first);
4. If you're interested in the history of the place (which I found fascinating), do one of the day tours that leave from the Old Town Square around mid-morning;
5. Go to the Opera at the State Theatre;
6. Take photos of each of the statues along the Charles Bridge;
7. Piunice Radegast - it's in the Lonely Planet - off the Old Town Square, and does cheap Czech food and Czech beer;
8. Check out the adverts for shows/venues in the tourist centres. I found a sax quartet doing Gershwin and this great little jazz club this way and both were brilliant;
9. Negotiate the price of your ticket for any shows. They know you're a tourist and will try to sell you the most expensive tickets. I got most of mine for about 1/2 the price that was originally quoted;
10. Check out the open-air markets and shops in the Jewish Quarter and in the alleyways between Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square. Often the best stuff was in the back.

I had painstakingly taught myself a couple of phrases in Czech before I went. But I never used it - everyone seemed to speak perfect English wherever I went. Although I did get bright smiles and patient corrections whenever I did use my garbled Czech to say the basic courtesies.

- OLS

[Evan]

OLS: Great comment! Thanks a lot. I'll certainly do my best to follow your suggestions.