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Published: June 13th 2011
Čau,
It's taken a long time for me to get around to writing this and letting you all know that I'm still alive and enjoying myself. That's exactly why it has taken so long - I've been enjoying myself so much.
It's been wonderful to be back in the Czech Republic, I definitely made the right decision coming back here. I must have looked like such an idiot on the bus from Berlin to Prague. As we entered the Czech Republic, and later as we entered Prague, I was so happy and just sat there smiling to myself. I felt like I'd come home.
Being here has been like when I used to live here, I definitely don't feel like a tourist. I really know Prague so well, probably much better than a lot of its citizens. When Liz came to visit me here in Prague, we stayed in hostels and it was so strange, like it would be if I stayed in a hostel in Mount Gambier. Luckily Liz wasn't very interested in doing much touristy stuff because the huge hoards of tourists in Prague really test my patience sometimes. Instead, we rented pedal boats on the
Berlin - Botanic Garden
World's biggest flower that only flowers once a year. Unfortunately it hadn't opened yet so we didn't get to smell the rotting meat smell. Pity.river, ate in smoky, dingy Czech restaurants, swam in a lake in a huge nature reserve and went to a music festival in a psychiatric hospital.
I should probably backtrack a bit, before I get too wrapped up in Prague. For my first 4 days in Europe, I was in Berlin staying with Liz, who was studying at the Goethe Institute for a month. It was so nice to have a friend meet me and accommodate me because my journey to Europe was exhausting. I had a really bad cold so every time the plane descended it felt like my head was going to explode. That, combined with almost no sleep for nearly 3 days, meant that I spent my first couple of days pretty zombie-like.
I really like Berlin, it's got something for everyone – interesting history, good food, crazy nightlife, big parks, beautiful buildings, multiculturalism... I felt very comfortable in Berlin but I'm so glad I didn't stay long before going to Prague.
I was excited to see all of my friends in Prague again, having them makes being there so much more enjoyable. Especially Maja, who was like my own personal planner and event
Berlin - Botanic Garden
Recycle your papyrus antiquus and glasus vulgas here. organiser. Life with her around is never dull! A few too many late nights out with her and I've somehow managed to develop an average bedtime of around 3am.
I stayed with Maja for about 2 weeks, both at Kajetánka and in Třinec (her hometown). It was so nice to be back in familiar territory. Being at Kajetánka felt just like when we used to live together, except that this time I was sleeping on the floor. I've never enjoyed sleeping on the floor so much! It's funny how much my opinion of Kajetánka (the Czech Republic too actually) has changed since I first set foot in there. Love is definitely blind.
Having Czech people around me has been great, although there were many times when I would've given anything to have much better Czech. I've started understanding quite a bit, but I still have a lot of trouble speaking. My grammar's bad and I just don't know enough words. I know a lot of new words now though (some more useful and polite than others), because Maja and I always found me a 'word of the day'. Being around Maja and her friends was really good for
Berlin - Botanic Garden
Picnic with Liz, Willow and Hannah. me because they spoke enough Czech that it was good practise, but enough English that I didn't feel left out.
It was funny one night when we went out because I discovered that one of the guys with us spoke Swedish. It was the first time here that I've been the one that no-one else could understand. Everyone was just staring at us because it was so unexpected and strange to hear us speaking a language that no-one else knew.
So, just to give a quick run-down of some of the more interesting things I've done here in the Czech Republic. I have:
-Been to a boxing class with Maja, where guys and girls shared the same change room.
-Been in my first orienteering competition and didn't get lost or come last.
-Been to a free outdoor music concert in a thunderstorm and had our picnic sheltering in a tent with heaps of other people.
-Been to a Charlie Straight concert in Ostrava. They're my favourite Czech band and from Maja's hometown.
-Been looking for mushrooms in the forest and found my first mushroom.
-Seen a building in the Old Town burn down.
-Been to Museum Night and
Berlin - Gabi
Enjoying strawberry cocktails and guacamole made by Gabi. saw enough museums to last me the next year.
It hasn't been too bad finding things to eat here, although sometimes it's been pretty challenging. There have been times when I've had to sit and watch others eat while I went hungry or had a plate of salad for dinner. I had a list of vegetarian restaurants in Prague, so I've been doing a mini tour of Prague's vegan-friendly restaurants and ticking them off my list as I go. I'm a little apprehensive about some other countries though, where I won't be able to understand ingredient lists or menus.
I unfortunately had to spend quite a few of my days in Prague sitting in front of a computer and working. I had to get my TEFL course finished and my Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency job application submitted on the same weekend, a couple of weeks ago. Not really how I wanted to spend my time in Prague, but I guess it was the best place for studying, when I had lots of time. Now I'm a qualified English teacher and one step closer to becoming a government employee.
Apart from going to Třinec with
Maja and Liz, I also went to Jičín and the Česky Raj (Bohemian Paradise) area with Maja. I'd never been there before and I'm so glad I decided to go. Maja and her friends were in some Czech orienteering competitions there during the weekend – it's where I made my orienteering debut. The Česky Raj area has some amazing rock formations and forests, it was a beautiful area. Plus there was a big lake next to where we were staying, which I was so happy to jump into after my run through the forest.
And now it's time for me to leave the comfort and ease of life in Prague and become a bit more adventurous. As I write this, I'm on a bus out of the country, to a place I've never been...
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Kris
non-member comment
WOW...
Your photos are outstanding, it shows that you are definitely enjoying yourself. Hmm one day 'us' Weir's will travel the countryside - Outside Oz Land Great blog Kimberley Wish you Well Loveya Kris XXX