Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Apparently, that's how you say Merry Christmas in Czech.

Greetings from frosty Prague! I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas day.

This is such a beautiful place. I'm having a lovely time wandering the streets, drinking hot wine in the Old Town Square, exploring the castle and some excellent churches and soaking up the festive atmosphere. The Christmas lights are breathtaking and the city is even more lovely than I remembered.

And best of all? My brothers are here.

Oh yes, I said brothers. The People's Champion and I flew in on Saturday morning with Rip van Winkle and Ms A, his lovely girlfriend. Waiting in our hotel bar was Captain Kloss, having flown all the way from Brisbane to surprise the hell out of us. Best. Christmas present. Ever.

We have had a fantastic weekend - I can't remember the last time we were together for such a concentrated period. My hands are cracked from the cold, my belly is full of lager and dumplings, my face is sore from the laughing. It's awesome.

Merry Christmas, you guys!

Hiatus

Hello, you guys. It really is inexcusable that I haven't been around here for more than a week, especially after promising that I would mend my slack ways.

However! I have logistical issues. I am in an internet cafe right now, which does not make me very happy. Here is why: firstly, we have, as yet, no internet in our new flat. Despite it being the first thing I tried to organise, apparently we won't have it until at least the end of next week but more likely sometime the next. Guh. I am finding this very tiresome.

Secondly, my prolific November blogging has had an unforeseen and unfortunate consequence: I have been officially cautioned at work for my internet usage. I wasn't using it THAT much, but the policy is strict and I broke it. Given that I am reasonably serious about keeping this job, I am now seeking to overcompensate by refraining from net usage entirely. Again, this is very tiresome. RVW pastes news stories into emails and sends them to my work address so that I can keep up with what's going on in the world. I hope none of you have been eaten by a bushfire.

In other news, all is well. The flat is coming together, slowly but surely, and we are hosting a Christmas dinner tonight as several of our friends are about to depart for the holidays. I have tinsel and an uber-tacky Secret Santa gift, RVW is doing the roast. I'm excited.

And here's the best bit: my little brother has arrived in London! The People's Champion, as he will be known until he lets me know what he would like his pseudonym to be, landed at the crack of dawn on Wednesday to begin his working holiday adventure. It is very lovely to have him here. I am being predictably annoying with the 'and another thing you need to know about London is...', but he's taking it in his stride so far. Talk to y'all again soon.