Estonia... A Very Pleasant Surprise

I recently attended a conference called 'Game Jam' on behalf of my company, Cashplay. The conference was held in Tallinn, Estonia.

Of course, I didn't know what to expect - and I was very pleasantly surprised. There's a very cool combination of gothic era architecture merged with modern buildings. Don't tell the Czechs this, but their English was generally better than what I have encountered in Prague. It also has a very mobile tech culture of not only usage, but programming and development as well. And WiFi was available everywhere... I mean everywhere, even the parks.

The food was quite good. There's a lot of international cuisine in Tallinn, and all of it is delicious. I hosted a dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant which served better prepared food than any equivalent I've had back home in Austin, Texas. I also met some great people in the process. Special hugs to Kadri and Kati.

I just realized, that's probably the highest point in terms of latitude I've ever been!

The Harry-est Potter

In September, I was able to visit London for two days and stayed with an old friend - Susan Bolten. She and I attended sister? brother? high schools in California and I haven't seen her in person for probably 15 years or longer. It was absolutely amazing to spend time with her again and it was meaningful to me to be able to reconnect with her.

In her infinite wisdom, she treated me with a day trip to Leavesden Studios near London where the Harry Potter films were made.

As you can imagine, it was absolute candy for me. Many of the sets were full-on, real. I was able to run across the exploding bridge, touch the giant chess pieces, and ride Hagrid's motorcycle. Life is good.

Prague Has A Zoo?

Not just any zoo, but the best zoo I've ever seen in my life. All the animals I'd expect, and many I didn't, were represented here in a very animal-conscious way. It also helped that it was a beautiful day and everything was clearly visible.

It really was a perfect day. I just happened to be able to spend it with my best friend from Malta - Rainer Borg.

And my favorite creature in the animal kingdom is, without a doubt, the tiger.

A Friend In Prague

I've made what I consider to be a good friend in Prague. His name is Boris. He isn't Czech... He's Bulgarian, but his English is perfect - which makes communication between us very easy.

He's also been an expat in Italy and understands what it's like to deal with these funny (some not so funny) issues.

Very glad to know him!

Euros? No, Thanks.

The Czech Republic is part of the EU, but not the economic zone yet. They have their own currency: the Czech Crown (Koruna). Their currency and economy are strong enough at the moment that they don't need to convert to the Euro.

And hey, it's fun to carry 5,000 of anything in my wallet at once.

Prague... My Very Own 'Leap From The Lion's Head'

Recently, I made a big decision to work... and live... in Prague.

For those of us keeping score, that's in central Europe - Czech Republic. NOT Czechoslovakia, mom. Unless you managed to wander into Narnia and it still exists there.

It really is beautiful here. That's not just some shameless plug. There's an amazing combination of gothic and renaissance era architecture literally everywhere that instantly transports you.

When I arrived, Day One, I was told that when I enter any shops or restaurants I must say "Dobry Den" - the Czech equivalent of "Good Day" - to the first host(ess) I see. If I didn't, the customer service repercussions would be severe. Let me tell you, they were right.