Movie Stars HUNT!!!!

Everyone who has ever been to Los Angeles and Beverly Hills particularly, has for sure noticed those signs "Movie Stars Homes Maps". We were no exception. Last weekend we bought one of those maps and planned our own "tour". With highlighted numbers of homes and the list of "most wanted" we hit the road.

The houses in Beverly Hills are gorgeous.

First of all I have to say that the area of Bel Air and Beverly Hills is breathtaking. It is a weird feeling one may have there. You drive and walk there so close to those people. They are human beings just like everybody else but still..... You wonder what their life is like, what they are doing behind those high walls? Are they really there? Now?

Barbra Streisand's former home.

Brad Pitt's home. Who does he get letters to this mail box from??

Paul Newman. One of the fewer houses not protected by a high wall.

It was a very nice day. We saw a plenty of awesome houses. Perhaps "a mansion" would be more appropriate word for what we saw that day. We saw homes of Meg Ryan, Burt Reynolds, Walt Disney, Phil Collins, Elvis Presley, Ozzy Osbourne, etc.

I wish I had........

I am loosing weight - I am running AGAIN!!!!!

Yes, I started running here. There are great tracks all around my house. Around the lake with my discman on. Hmmm, nice. I keep running for 60 minutes now. It is pretty good. So...Good bye McDonald's, KFCs, Burgher Kings and many other lovely restaurants. It is the sad end of a big eater.....


Nothing but sweat, toil and tears.


......and blood!!!

Old Pasadena

Beautiful, beautiful and beautiful. I will let pictures speak.

SOKOL Organization in Los Angeles

Hamburger Hamlet Restaurant in Pasadena - cozy place, delicious cuisine


Romana - very nice and patient teacher.


This is just great. Amazing people. They are all so nice that I can't even describe it here. I have been there only twice but I already feel like home there. It is a little piece of the Czech Republic here. They are members of the SOKOL organization and many of them have lived here for many many years. A few of them were born in the Czech Republic and a few of them are over 80 years old. Can you believe it??? And they are so vital. They all come to a wonderful restaurant in Pasadena where they learn Czech language. They don't want to forget it and many of them learn it asd a new language. It is very cute to listen to them. There you realized how difficult words like "čtvrtek" and "září" are. Their teacher Romana is a very patient teacher and they all like her very much. And yes, they do their HOMEWORK!!!!!!! You should have seen them. It is like a big family. I hope and wish them to meet there like this even after another hundred years. Thank you very much for all the gifts we got from you.

Isn't this a cute picture? A dream class for every teacher.


This is Milly or Milada if you like. The "Boss". She is a wonderful person.

The first place where Adelka could understand what people were saying.
I was amazed. People were reading mine and Kylowna's blogs. See Ky Ky, you are doing it for the whole world to read. Keep blogging.

3rd Annual Nike Run Hit Wonder 5K /10K

When we came out of the ScienCenter we saw so many people in yellow shirts with the famous swoosh symbol. "What is going on here?" There were thousands and thousands of runners. Why didn't I go? Damn! It was too late to register, so maybe next time........

California ScienCenter

Veeeeery interseting weekend we had again. The week at school was very long this time, but I enjoyed it very much and gathered a new experience. However I couldn't wait till the weekend came. On Saturday we went to Exposition Park where there is California ScienCenter. The best thing about this place is that you can really touch everything they have there. And I mean it. They encourage people to try things how they work. The place was full of kids and their patient parents. We saw chickens to be hatched and one really hatched while we were waiting there. Amazing. You could experience an earthquake, make a movie, see a water whirlpool, see how electrical signal is transmitted, etc. You could also ride a high wire bicycle. Thrilling and breathtaking attraction, but you know how much I adore heights. Did I tried it??? Nooooo.
Did my wife tried it????? Yeeees. Crazy.


There were really amazing things. 3D experience in IMAX with Tom Hanks "Walking on the Moon" made me goose bumps. I wanna be an astronout!!! Oh, my heights. OK, I stay being a teacher, it is safer (sometimes).

Oh, Tess. How can I forget. The biggest woman in my life. In Body Works Theater.

There is also the Olympic Stadium in Exposition Park. Do I look as a proud american? I am very happy to be czech btw.

American Passo Tonale

I felt like in Italy. This is a small resort though but very cute. I might go skiing here in winter. It is inexpensive ski resort not far from Los Angeles. And the people again..... friendly and helpful. No sniffing!!!!


Ski resort Wrightwood. American Passo Tonale. No, we know that Tonale is only one and only!




Nice pubs and restaurants, very mountainlike.

One time at band camp.....

Cowboy......or rather a cowgirl??


That is what I did this weekend. We had awesome time. Wrightwood - Episcopal camp. I was invited by one of the teachers in Birmingham High School. His name is David and his wife is Lynn. Excellent people really. They looked after us VERY well. We stayed in cabins very high in the mountains. The cabins were equipped with bunk beds, bathrooms and basic furniture. Beautiful place. There were about 30 people who brought their kids with them so Adela had somebody to play with. Little relief for us finally. The kids found it very interesting that she doesn't speak any English or Spanish. They asked her what her name was, she didn't understand so she came to ask us. We told her, she had to answer: "Adela" and as you can imagine she answered "Adela" to every question the kids had asked her. Veeery funny indeed.
There was a schedule for both days. We went canoeing on the lake,fishing, we practised archery, played b-ball, badminton,etc.
We really enjoyed it very much. It was our first journey out of the city and it was awesome. Here are some pictures to share:

Davin and Lynn.


Cabin number 2 - our home

Canoeing

Fishing

Archery

The whole group of the poeple at camp Wrightwood

Adela with her new friend. Eating marshmallows. Yummy!!!

Sniffing?!

Yes, sniffing. The first really weird thing I have noticed here. People are making really funny sounds. Even educated people. Is it a common thing here?? Poeple are doing it everywhere. In a quiet room where everybody can hear it. Can you believe it? It is funny. I always picture myself when I was a little kid. When I did it, my grandmother slapped me so hard that I was unconscious for half an hour. Well, different country, different customs.

Who do I teach?

This is my 5 period class. English 9 graders honor class. They really didn't want to take this picture and I almost had to beg them. But now I am surprised how happy they are here (not in my class but in this picture)! THANK YOU. ....... no one wearing pink! Strange, huh?


This is my 3 and 4 period class. The kids are from Mexico, El Salvador and Cambodia
..........who is it in the middle? My best student?


This is my period 1 and 2 class. Kids from Mexico, El Salvador, Chile ........will you be quiet some day Ana?

Comments

There are some comments on my blog. I am glad. Thank you. Especially to no puzzy 4 ju. Yes, I mean my blog being both funny and informative. I am here on Fulbright Exchange. It means one American teacher went to the Czech Republic for a year teaching in my school and I am here. No, you don't need czech teachers in your schools.:-) We exchanged housings, cars, jobs, friends..... almost the whole lives. It is cool. Thank you for your comments.

Baseball Game today - DODGERS!

Cars are really BIG here, as everything.


Cotton Candy, YES. Everybody likes it. Even we, Europeans.





My first baseball game here in LA. We went to see the Dodgers with Denisa, Adela and my new friend Nancy (Kylowna's friend). She is so funny. Hilarious time we had. The stadium is in a great place. Beautiful view over the downtown. Good game, Dodgers won. Great atmosphere. Everybody standing for the national anthem. God bless America!

My first week of school.

My classroom inside. Every morning we recite the pledge of allegiance.

It is my little home in the US. Information about the Czech Republic for students.


Yes classroom C87, my place of action. It looks more like a prison, but.....
OK. It is Friday and the first week of school is "under my belt". I survived, it is a good sign. I was very nervous the first day, but when I mentioned at the beginning that this school is very well organized, I mean it. They have retired teachers to help the new ones the first week at school. I was lucky, my "helper" was great. She really helped me to distribute new books, with classroom management, etc.
And my students???
I teach 3 classes. 2 are ESL (English as a Second Language) and 1 is English 9th graders-honor class. The 2 ESL classes are full of kids from Mexico, Pakistan, Cambodia. They are cool. I like them a lot. No blond ones though!:-) It is difficult to teach them now because some of them don't even know how to say "I am" and the others are more advanced. It is a challenge. I know it is my first week but I love it. The 9th graders are all born in the USA, so they will teach me. It is interesting class. Very smart kids. The most difficult thing is their names. Very difficult to remember: Pisal, Guadalupe, Jose Antonio, Eric, Griselda,Menith, Anakaren....etc. The names are giving me hard times. But on the other hand Jiří Harajda is impossible for them. So I am Jui, Izzy, Jiri, Džiri or Mr.H. (eijč) It is funny. I love it.

Birmingham High School

American football in Birmingham High School. They are city champions from last year.

Every new teacher got such a cart full of pens, pencils, paper clips, tapes, pins.........


Birmingham High School, Lake Balboa. The biggest campus in LA area. 3800 students enrolled for this year. Unbelievable. The students are mostly Hispanic or as they say now Latino. The staff here is extremely helpful. Everybody tries to help me here, really everybody. They want me to feel home here. Marsha Coates is the principal. She is not new to this school, but it is her first year being the principal. She is great! The school is such big and they run it so well. Everything is very well organized. They do so much for the kids. Before the school started they had organized "Movies under the stars" where they played movies for three nights. We went to see the Spiderman. It was great. Also before the school started they had given us so much stuff: pencils, tapes, markers, paper clips, cleaners, tissues,etc. Anything you need. Every teacher has a laptop computer for his own use. One can even take it home. We got key string, sipper, both with emblem of this school.
Before the school started there were groups of teachers who met in one teacher's house for breakfast. It was excellent. The family arranged everything so perfectly one couldn't believe. Perfect breakfast which we ate on the terrace with a beautiful view over the Valley, then we had a tour around the house. The teachers were talking about their summer and so and then we went to school. Can you imagine better start for coming school year??

Beverly Hills

Rodeo Drive - Versace
Rodeo Drive - THE shops.


Beverly Hills. Sunset Boulevard. The Stars' homes. Rodeo Drive where they do their shopping. It is a beautiful area everybody should see. Breathtaking houses (and prices). Palm trees, wide open boulevards, luxurious cars........etc.