Finally... Made it to the Moravian area!

So just this past weekend David and I made it finally to Moravia. I've been wanting to go there forever. The area we stayed in was Otrokovice, near Zlin (Southeastern part). We also went to several of the small towns around the area. Check out the map to get a better understanding of where we went.

Miloslav and Marketa were our hosts (they live in Otrokovice). David actually met Miloslav on one of his gun forums. They are both Czech lawyers who just officially got their licenses to practice. They were super awesome because they were nice enough to drive us around everywhere and give a great tour. Not only did they show us everything, they had tons of information to tell us about all the different locations. The location of their house was in a small and very quiet neighborhood... It was so quaint! It reminded me of when I went to Czech when I was 17. At that time my uncle drove me around to so many different towns and villages. The vibe of the towns in Moravia is so different compared to fast pace Prague.

For David's Birthday we also went to a gun range and went shooting. It's been so long since I've gone shooting. David of course was right at home.
Oh yes, we took the dogs. I think it was really good for them because they got to walk the whole time. They were always really good. No problems on the train (which was a pretty long trip, like 3/4 hours), restaurants, etc.

Velikonoce v Praze

Art and Kai (David's dad and sister) came to visit us for their Spring break. They actually ended up staying for about 10 days. It was nice to be able to show them around our new home. We were able to walk around and eat at restaurants. David also took them to see the castle Karlstein, and we all went to Karlovy Vary. Luckily I didn't need to do anything too drastic for school, so I enjoyed a more carefree 10 days with them.
David took Art and Kai up the Old Town Clock Tower to get a great view of all of Old Town. I've already been up there when I was 17, so I just hanged out below, I think I grabbed some delicious treats at the Easter market stands. Art and Kai ended up staying at the Liberty Hotel which was located right downtown by Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square). Their second hotel was closer to us, right near Namesti Miru.

Here are a few pictures of the Easter stands. I wanted to buy some of the painted eggs because they are so pretty... But I don't need them right now, obviously I don't have my own house to decorate for Easter. The hand-painted decorated egg (kraslice) is actually the most recognizable symbol of Czech Easter. Girls decorate Easter eggs to give them to boys on Easter Monday. Eventually I'm going to buy some to put up around during the holiday.

The sticks with the red, green, yellow bows are called pomlázka. An Easter pomlázka is a braided whip made from pussywillow twigs and are thought to bring health and youth to anyone who is whipped with them. The origin of the pomlázka tradition (pomlázka meaning both the whip and the tradition itself) dates back to pagan times. It has been used for centuries by boys who go caroling on Easter Monday and symbolically whip girls on the legs. In the past, pomlázka was also used by the farmer's wife to whip the livestock and everyone in the household, including men and children. Boys used to make their own pomlázkas in the past (the more twigs, the more difficult it was to braid one), but this tradition and skill is long gone and pomlázkas can be bought in stores and street stands. However, I remember visiting some years back and my uncle Zdenek made his own. It was a pretty big one too.
Above and below is Kai taking some awesome classic photos =)

Starting with the picture above, us in Karlovy Vary. In the early 20th century, Karlovy Vary was the most famous spa metropolis in Europe. After World War II, Karlovy Vary wasn't too excited over restored peace because the year 1948 brought the nationalization of all springs and sanatoriums. The spa clientele recruited almost exclusively from the citizens of the then Soviet Union. It was only after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 that Western tourists began coming back to Karlovy Vary again.

We ended up taking a bus at 8am to get there and left at 3pm. The town has a very small center, so it was just enough time. We tried all the different springs, which were very... interesting tasting. Kai was constantly making all sorts of faces at the taste of the water. Lol, it was pretty funny.
Haha, funny picture... They are following the sign =) We made them do it.

For our last dinner on Sunday, before they left, we met up with Pepa, Bara, Lenka and her husband at a Celtic restaurant on Manesova. It ended up being really yummy. Half way through the dinner the power went out in all of Prague 2. So the waiters busted out the candles for us to finish up. The mood was definitely perfect.
Here are some pictures of Kai that I took for her senior pictures. I think there were some really good ones. I just chose three random ones. I'm not even sure she'll pick any of these.

I really hope that some other people will be able to make it out and visit. Really it's not just about visiting us, it will be a real European vacation (except at a much lower cost!). Everyone needs a good vacation... come to the Czech Republic!

Bye Bye!

Busy Month

With classes starting and Spring approaching... I've got tons on my mind.

First of all I am really determined to stay on top of my studies and pass all of them with 1s (As). I have decided to risk only taking the first exam with no opportunity to retake anything. I've chosen this because I bought my ticket to go back to the States June 3rd. I think the last day of classes is May 21st, so this will give me just enough time to finish up all my papers and tests the very first week of finals. I am super excited to go back in June. I know that after the first month I will probably have my fill (mostly because of the working part, not friends & family) and be okay with heading back to Prague.

This month David is finally coming back, I'm super excited. I won't be alone all the time anymore! I mean it will be pretty interesting to see us get back in the groove of living together because I'm quite used to being by myself. It can be relaxing at times. I can throw all my focus on school and other things. I'm also starting to work out every day, so hopefully I will successful fulfill my goal by June 1st! I had my opportunity to work out everyday during the time David was away but it has been so cold and snowy that I've been so discouraged! I really want to go out and run like I used to. Currently I've started a diet along the lines of 'The biggest Loser,' I really hope it works out!

I'm also very excited for Art and Kai to come visit! Finally someone is coming over here! Too bad I have school, but I will try my hardest to get a couple weeks of homework and readings done so I can hang out with them. I really hope that my mom, sister, and cousins can come here next year sometime too.

Oh ya, and so many birthdays are coming up! I wish I could be there for everyone's birthday! I would make everyone an awesome cake! Honestly I'm just happy that I'll at least be able to celebrate David's birthday with him. I already got him something that I found here at the market. I think he'll like it.

So as far as a job goes (for when I get back), I think I have some ideas. I was considering asking for an old job back working in an imports store. I like the job because I only have to work with one/two other people and then the majority of the time I can be by myself. I love just being independent and talking to costumers on my own dime. It's a very chill atmosphere and I've really gotten to know the ladies that manage the shop. I really hope that they pay good though (meaning above minimum, although I'm not expecting much). I also really want to see about not working Saturdays. I know this is like a dream that will most likely not come true... but I can hope! I think I'll write a letter to the owner and the managers and ask them what they think about me coming back. Then I can tell them my situation and ask about pay and days on & off. I might also ask to work at the old time photos place again on my days off. I think I'm going to start work the 9th... something like that. I need a couple of days off so I can really see everyone and visit!

Well that's enough for now! Thanks for reading! Bye!

PARIS, FRANCE

Hello Everyone!

So I know this is way late... Since my trip was in January, but I've been so tied up in the new semester that I haven't had much time for writing in this blog. I did manage to create a sweet little video of my trip to Paris, so I hope you all watch it because I think it turned out pretty good.

Paris IS everything it's made out to be. Paris has NEVER been on the top of my list to visit. I just thought it was way over sold and romanticized. The only reason I decided to go was because the tickets were so cheap and the hostel was a good deal. I also figured that I could take at least one trip without David, and why not Paris (since it wasn't a place I had to go to). Well... now that I've been there, I can confidently say that I can't wait to take David there. I also know that when I go back it has to be warm. I was expecting it to be cold but the wind was so intense it made the cold nearly unbearable! My friend Katie (who accompanied me) and I were constantly running into places just to get out of the cold.

Paris was defiantly a whole new travel playing field for me. I had no past knowledge of the language... I've never even said Merci, S'il vous plait, or Bonjour seriously before! When I went to Athens, at least I had a little phrase book and was able to learn the basics. And when I went to Germany I already had one semester of German under my belt (not that I remembered much, but still). Katie had some French background though, so luckily she steered me through it all.

There were so many amazing things about Paris that I really don't even know where to begin!

As you can see, on the right is my hostel room. I was really lucky to get a room with only three beds and my own bathroom. That's the one thing I hate about hostels, not having my own bathroom. One night we even hung out downstairs and hung out with so many different people from all around.

When we took the metro to our hostel we got off at the metro stop right under the trian station. Our location was really great because it wasn't too far from everywhere and it was right in the nightlife area.

One thing I didn't realize about Paris is that there is SO much to see. There are amazing museums and buildings that have so much history. The food is also amazing. I really tried to stay on a budget, so I didn't get to eat out very often, but even the foods they sold at the grocery store was super yummy. I think that when I come back I'll have to go to more restaurants and enjoy the great food. It's really too bad it's so expensive.

I even got to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a pretty long line to get up and just as long to come down. I really don't know if I'll be able to do that again! It wasn't even tourist season and it was bad. The view was pretty nice, we actually got there when it was sunset.It was pretty cold and misty, but the pictures turned out pretty good. I found it pretty interesting that the Eiffel Tower was kinda out of the way. I imagined it to be smack dab in the middle of a city center. Paris is so big that it seemed like there were many different center points that had major sights or buildings.

Below is Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. It sits at the highest point of Paris on the Montmartre knoll. I really loved this cathedral, we were able to go inside and see how beautiful it really was. The street around it were also very village like.
Musee D'Orsay was my favorite museum. It houses the world's most important collection of impressionist and post-impressionist painting. There are three floors of modern works, from Degas' ethereal dancers to Monet's water lilies (it is so amazing in person, one of my favorites!), all the way to Gaugin's leafy jungles. Major works by Van Gogh, Delacroix, Manet... etc.


The Louvre was really amazing. It was the largest art museum I've ever seen, we couldn't even go through it all in one day. It is really the world's largest and most diverse collection of pre-20th century painting, sculpture, and decorative objects. Below is the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. There were also tons of artwork by famous artist like Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and countless others.
Below: Nortre Dame Cathedral
The Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees was really awesome too. The 164-foot Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Emperor Napoléon I to evoke sheer military power and triumph. It was built in an age when leaders erected monuments in their own honor. The arch's beautiful sculptures and reliefs commemorate Napoléon's generals and soldiers.The Panthéon in Paris was really amazing, I loved it! The inside was just beautiful.

3 classes passed & 3 classes to go...

Ok. So I'm pretty relieved to have three of my classes officially passed and only three more to go.

Classes that I've completed:
~European Policies and Practices Towards Ethnic Minorities (elective)
~Geography and Politics in Europe (required)
~Media & Society; An Introduction (required)

Classes I still need to finish (finals and papers):
~Marxism in International Relations (elective)
~Theories of International Relations (required)
~West European Comparative Politics and Society (required)

By February 8th I should be done with everything. The new term will start February 22nd. That means I will have some care free time off. If anyone has any ideas on what to do, please let me know. Since the 'comments' part doesn't work, feel free to email me. I think I will end up going some place local here in Czech.

New Video- New Years!

Well I wanted to share my New Years video with you all. I figured it would be a nice little look into how things played out... It's short and sweet, enjoy!

I hope everyone had a good New Years!

Štastný Nový Rok!!!!

This Silvester was a pretty tame and low key event. My friend Katie and I decided to hang out together. Althought Katie's parents are in town they decided to stay in their hotel in the city center. So it was just us two... until we visited my family.

At first we started off by having a few drinks at my place, and caught up. It's been a while since we talked because she's been busy hanging out with her family. She even took a trip to Vienna. I'm very jealous, I would love to go there some time. After we chatted for a while we went upstairs to visit Pepa, Bara, and their friends/family. There were a ton of people up there from Bara's side of the family. We hung out, made some drinks and had a good time. People even started to song and dance! After a while we wanted to venture out to a local pub we know. We had some beers and watched the fireworks outside when midnight approached.

Katie and Lenka

Also, an update on David's situation. I went see the foreign police to register and to ask about David. The woman there gave me the answer I thought she would... David will just have to apply for a VISA based on the fact that I have one (family reunion). I think technically I could apply for a permanent residency but only because I used to be a citizen. David will never be able to apply for the residency because he has no ties to the Czech Republic (since I can't get my citizenship back). It would have been nice for him to have the residency because then he'd be able to work (and do whatever an EU citizen can), instead of hassle with a VISA. Now we know he can stay (if they accept the VISA), but it still won't be a work VISA, so he'll have to find a job under the table. Ugh! Always something!