A timeline of a restaurant
At some point in the past (facebook implies November 2017) a restaurant gets opened, and for some reason gets named Cik Cak.
October 2018 I move in a flat in the same building.
Later on I try out the restaurant and find that it serves Únětické pivo 10,7°.
And quite nice food.
The restaurant becomes a place where I would go quite often. It's a nice change after the local pizzeria. I'd even have dates there. Invite friends to meet up there.
I over time learn the menu by heart and have a strong set of favourite dishes. Their vegan dish choices are nicer than a lot of other non specialised Prague restaurants.
They change their ribs recipe to a less nice one.
I'm not too sure now, but I remember it being closed only on Mondays.
They move the creepy painting from the wall just by one of the tables, to hanging in the corridor to the bathrooms.
After a while, they change the ribs recipe back to the previous one.
A rather stalker-ey woman who fancies me waits for me at Cik Cak, hoping to catch me when I exit of the building. As it happened, by some coincidence I was down by the river by that time already.
The opening hours change, and the restaurant is now closed on Sundays and Mondays. As a consequence, I happen to go there a bit less. Turns out, I prefer to dine out on Sundays.
During the lockdowns, the restaurant operates as a take away.
I find out that they make marvellous kebabs.
When possible, the restaurant gets reopened as a dine in again.
The rib recipe is still good.
But the restaurant now is open only Tuesday - Friday.
I still some times go to dine there, but more often I would just get a takeaway.
They serve kebabs only during certain weeks and solely as a part of lunch menu. You can't get them at dinner time any more. Which I strongly disapprove of.
If there are additional public holidays during the week, I come to expect that the restaurant will be closed until the next week.
A friend from the UK visits Prague and I make him go all the way here. We share a meal, some quesadillas and beers, and he tells me how surprised he is to discover that I do actually live on a hill. I am surprised in return, as I have mentioned this a few times. He says he never imagined it to be an actual hill.
They have a TV and are showing the ice hockey championship. The place gets very busy on those days.
Summer comes and they put seating outside.
A sign appears that they are looking for a new chef.
When some friends from abroad come to visit, that day the chef is not there. Only certain basic dishes are available. However I was absolutely starving. The list includes quesadillas. Those are still good.
They are still looking for a new chef.
The Euro 2024 football hype comes. They now show those games.
Still looking for a new chef.
One Thursday night I'm passing by the restaurant on my way home. It's late, but there are some people inside still. Why not have a party on a Thursday, I nod approvingly.
The sign about looking for a new chef is still there.
Friday, the 28th of June 2024: there's a sign in the restaurant door that it is permanently closed, thank you for understanding.
Add a commentAnd on this day
I was today years old when I found out about galloping as a rapping flow. O_O
Now I just need to find a video that explains it for especially thick people (being me atm). Which seems to be harder than it sounds (no pun intended, but I'll leave it in).
Another thing on my mind lately about my voice is that I often sound sarcastic or even snarky (the 'ar' pronounced as the posh long 'ɑː' and dropping the 'r'.). Generally speaking, I like the way I sound. However, it can create certain misunderstandings, when I meant what I said genuinely at face value, but my voice twists it into an unintended irony.
Which also means I'm creating awkward situations for my own self when practicing rapping. As it generally prolongs the sound, so I need to either select a different word, or pull the phrase (or line) out into its own rhythmic thing.
Anyway, saving this link for my own future ref: The Science of AESOP ROCK: Galloping Rap Flow?!
My Playlist 27
I have a playlist with songs for vocal inspiration. As I practice spoken word stuff, it mainly consists of rappers and melodic speaking examples. However, it also includes Sisters of Mercy, Rob Dougan, and Peter Gabriel.
existential rant nothing to see
I've been thinking lately a lot about life and attitude towards it.
In my defence, I've been watching series about grim reapers talking people out of suicide, and most recently I've started watching the last season of You. So some existentialism was bound to happen.
During the last couple of years, I've been generally following the thought "life is what you make of it. if you don't like it, you can change it." Granted, it implies a certain privilege and access to do so, but lucky for me - I have options.
This line of thinking has also led me to believe that other people who have at least my level of options, if they just whinge and whine about their life, but never do anything to change it, they must like it enough still. Or, whinging is their hobby and they need a constant stream of stuff to whine about. Not judging, I don't care enough.
Now, nobody's life is perfect. Not even the super rich, see Elon who's constantly throwing fits and is getting worked up by people disliking him. Anyway, back to the real world.
The idea of "everyone has a bad day from time to time" is also very close to my heart. Because we all do, even Furfur does. But I'm starting to think that having a bad day here and there is good for me. Those are the days when ideas regarding potential changes come about, or at least stem from.
But lately I've been having these nagging thoughts about how much of it is just in my head. I mean, of course all of it is in there. But what nags me is why.
stuff on telly
Kae: Today I was watching this Korean series and I saw a woman strangling a soldier with a lab grown human intestine.
Neighbour: Such must be their customs.
Kae: No, no, in the series this was a completely new innovation, the first company to be able to grow real and usable human organs in a lab, so it lacks the long standing tradition part to be a custom.
Neighbour: Oh ok, sure. Innovation then.
Kae: And this was on Disney! Not on Netflix!
Neighbour: You mean the Disney that makes kids movies?
Kae: That's the one.
Which leads me to another story.
I've been complaining about my Czech language textbook. It has all the most depressing adult themes in it - how to look for a job, how to write your CV, what to do at the government offices, all those things. In a way, I started to want to switch to textbooks meant for children, at least those might have some animals in it!
Yesterday we started a new lesson in the book. And it's about animated films. I'm overjoyed! Finally something on my level :D
During the lesson, I also found myself saying that watching the Adams Family cartoons as a kid, I learned about diversity and how very different people can complement each other, how they can still care for each other.
things I didn't know
I had no idea what I really am going to miss during the recovery time after dental surgery is going to be seeded bread of all things.
Other random note about the whole ordeal is that sobriety is really messing with my head. I haven't done this much online shopping for years.
I don't know how else to say this
It's easy to get from F minor 1st inversion to F minor 7 chord and immediately go for D minor 7b5, but then what?
subject beatGiveaway
Bandmate: I wrote this bass line today **plays**
Me: wow, that’s a fun one, I like it.
B: yes, I like all the sounds in it. Oh btw, I can give you this drum beat if you want. **plays**
Me: yes, please! **listens some more** yes, yes, yes! I have a [Bitwig] project for it!
B: good. It doesn’t go with this bass, but I thought you might want it.
Me: totally!
Solving mysteries
Sometimes the weird hip pain that won't let me sleep has nothing to do with the state of my joints. sometimes it's a cat's toy I'm sleeping on.
Music has sheets, and sheets need stands
My new hobby has now escalated to the point where I need a music sheet stand. So, I opened my favourite local music related thing shop and found the section for notové stojany.
I did not expect that this is going to spiral into a whole new research I need to do. So many options and details that I had no idea about. How does one choose!
Btw, I am also a proud owner of a Shure mic since the beginning of last month. Which seems to have impacted my blogging frequency. So, here's a snippet from a conversation I had with my Bandmate the other day:
Bandmate: I had a lot of fun creating this **plays me some new music**
Kae: **listens carefully** would you be surprised if I said that I have a poem for this?
Bandmate: No, not at all.
So, after the washing machine has finished the cycle, I need to record this particular poem. Until then, I'll get back to the new world of music sheet stands.
The current political world observation
I hadn’t seen this many articles stating “we stand with Ukraine” for a long time.
So there’s that.
Today
On days when I'm composing, my favourite track / song is the one I'm composing now. I might think it's utter rubbish the next day, but that's tomorrow's problem.
Musical inspirations and the results
I was playing my newest 2 synth piece to my bandmate tonight.
Bandmate: very jazz-ey!
Me: I know, and I don't even like jazz.
Bandmate: so, you listen to techno dude youtube music production lessons, hip hop music for inspiration, and end up composing jazz!
Me: I know, I am disappointed in myself.
* this is the 3rd time I have heard him referring to my (different) piano-synth compositions as "jazz-ey".
One day, one day
One day I'll write a poem about my distain towards the nature phenomenon called 'snow'. But it won't be today.
As I was just outside for about 3 minutes and all I can write atm is:
"I hate this fucking snow
I hate this fucking snow."
And that's not even my OC, that's me paraphrasing Tricky.
More seasonal stuff
My Neighbour dropped by last night for dinner and drinks. He asked if he needs to bring anything and I said no. Then he arrived and opened my fridge to get a couple of beers for us.
Me: oh, just like every year around Christmas time, I turn out to be good at hoarding alcohol.
Neighbour: never change that about yourself!
Reflections and no regrets
It's the end of the year and as it is customary, people tend to reflect on their lives. Over the last year and often even further past. I at times dabble in this practice, but I try not to go overboard with it.
However, a trail of thought today had lead me to remember how a woman once was genuinely surprised to find out that I had never been married. And at our age, too!
So, how did I manage this? Easy.
Principle one: "No" is a legitimate answer to a question when someone asks you do to something.
Will you change your shirt to something smarter? - No.
Will you dig out that tree? - No.
Will you marry me? - No.
I also have used another tactic. This one's a bit more elaborate and the steps to take can vary case by case basis, however when executed in a timely manner it is very effective. I have tested this out multiple times and all were successful. And it's goes like this: break up with them before the subject matter comes up.
Though, I should note that sometimes this tactic needs to be combined with the Principle of No.
So there, something simple and no regrets. Also, cheap (or so I've been told).
