Living in Prague: Expectation v. Reality

It's been about two months now since I moved here, and I'm starting to feel at home. I think my waves of culture shock are getting shorter each time I travel, because I feel like I already passed the honeymoon phase, then the rejection phase, and am already on to the acceptance phase. In other words, I loved Prague, then hated Prague, and now I feel a sense of balance and normalcy, where I'm happy to be here despite some frustrations. So, this seems like a good time to blog about impressions and aspects of life here (as opposed to writing about some trip or other, or focusing on school, etc.).

Before coming to the Czech Republic, I read books and talked to people about what to expect. There were a few negative stereotypes, a few positive ones, and a few which I'm not sure how to categorize:
Negative:
1) "The people can be cold and unfriendly, and there is kind of this post-Communist grey, dreary feeling hanging over things."
2) "The food is terrible for a vegetarian. You won't be able to find vegetables."
Positive:
1) "Prague is so beautiful, you will love it! It's like a fairy-tale."
2) "Prague is magical, and once you come you'll never want to leave."
Neither:
1) "Czechs don't like to talk about politics."
2) "Czech is one of the most difficult languages in the world."

So before arriving, I had a wide array of ideas in my head, but knew not to trust any of them much based on past experiences (both Ghana and Korea defied the expectations people told me to have).

Roommates :)

My first impression was of my (now) friend calling my name with a big smile on her face, helping me with my bags, lending me her iPhone to call my family to tell them I'd arrived, and taking me to her house where I stayed for a few days before moving to my flat. She was everything people told me not to expect from Czechs and more: smiling, friendly, outgoing, generous, welcoming. From that moment on, I have had very minimal experiences with the "cold, unfriendly, 'grey' Czechs" which I was told to expect. Instead, from my friend at the airport, to my roommates, to my teachers and classmates, to the people at the market and beyond, I have encountered a huge number of kind, friendly, welcoming, funny, and helpful Czechs. I don't know why people have different impressions, perhaps I got lucky by connecting with my friend and roommates online before coming, or perhaps as a Midwesterner I'm so disarmingly friendly that it affects my interactions with people here. I don't know and I don't care, because whatever it is, I've felt welcomed here and am grateful for that.

Smazeny syr (fried cheese)

As for the food, I have also been pleasantly surprised. I had heard Farmer's Markets were hard to find, and instead found one twice a week at the end of my street along the river. Now the faces there have become a familiar part of my week, and I am a regular customer at several stalls. There are plenty of vegetables, in addition to fresh breads, cheeses, and fruit, and today I even bough freshly cooked fish. I bought the fish, though, because it is hard to be a vegetarian here, even with all of the great fresh veggies and so on. I have not found tofu nearby, though I've heard it exists on the other side of town, and generally depend on eggs and dairy for protein here. Hence the fish this morning, which was actually very tasty - so maybe I'll become a pescetarian...? In Czech restaurants I can't eat much on the menu, but people told me there wouldn't be salads, when, in fact, I have found salad with Balkan cheese on nearly every menu, and haven't been disappointed yet. Not to mention the fried cheese - but that's not something you can stomach everyday, even if it is delicious :)

Narodni Divadlo on the far left

As for the fairy tale beauty? I see it. Every day. I avoid taking the metro and choose to go by tram just to look out the window and take in the architecture, the river, the castles, the cathedrals, the cobblestones (which I've learned are beautiful but not practical), and the everyday life of Prague.

Fairy Tale Prague?

Yesterday I went to the National Theatre (Narodni divadlo) to see Dvorak's "Rusalka," and as I sat looking around the theatre I imagined what it must have been like at the premiere in 1901. Of course some remodeling has happened since, but it's amazing to imagine it then: people all dressed up in their opera best, looking down at the orchestra and singers and taking in the same songs, the same thrilling high notes and the same deep bass notes, and appreciating the humanity and the tragedy of the story and the music.

Sometimes I walk around the streets and am completely overwhelmed by the amount of foot traffic that must have traveled the same roads before me, in a different time, under different rulers, with different purposes.

Vaclavske Namesti (on a normal day)

On Thursday I went to Vaclavske Namesti (Wenceslas Square)  to see Slavoj Zizek speak on the anniversary of the student demonstrations and march there in 1989, which led to the fall of the Communist government a month later. In no time I was surrounded by 2000 people, all standing in the same place where some of them stood 22 years ago - and some near me had clearly also been there back in 1968 when the Russian tanks came in to crush the Prague Spring. In 1969, Jan Palach self-immolated there in protest against the Russians, and a month later Jan Zajic did the same. The weight of history is palpable when you stand there on a normal day, so to stand there on the 17th of November was even more impactful.

Memorial to Jan Palach and Jan Zajic

I can hardly articulate how I felt. There was a mix of reverence, and solidarity, as well as a feeling of wistfulness that I wasn't able to be in Wisconsin last winter when I could have stood with my own family and friends at my capitol building. But my friend reminded me that it's not about "your" protest versus "their" protest, it's about solidarity with people wherever you are, We may come from different places, but we share a common humanity and quest for human dignity, which may manifest in unique ways and to various degrees in different places, but which creates connections between us nevertheless.

Fairy Tale Prague?

So that brings me to two other expectations: politics and language. I have not found Czechs to be any more opposed or interested in discussing politics than anyone else I've met. I have had many interesting conversations about politics, identity, Czech history, etc. and I have also met people who don't care about it and we talk about other things. If Thursday was any indication, though, there are at least 2,000 people in Prague who are interested in talking about and taking action in politics.

Fairy Tale Prague?

Unfortunately, I couldn't understand as much of the demonstration as I would have liked because one expectation has proven somewhat true: Czech is a very difficult language to learn. I have made a little bit of progress, but it's different enough from other languages I've studied to pose more challenges. Still, I'm hoping to keep learning, even if it is a slow process, because every time I successfully use the Czech I've learned (usually at the market) I tend to get a smile, and I love to make people smile :) Plus, the more I learn, the more I can pick up on new ideas and the better I'll be able to understand this city (and country) and the people who call it home.

Magical Prague Puppets

So for now, many of the negative warnings have proved invalid, as far as I'm concerned. On the other hand, I have written posts about the frustrations I've had here as well, so I'm not completely smitten, either. It certainly can feel like a magical place, but at the same time daily life is pretty mundane most of the time. For now, I feel comfortable starting to think of this as home, with the ups and downs that entails, and I hope I'm able to call it home for many months to come...Fingers crossed.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

Oh, and a belated Happy Halloween!

Last Tuesday, on a whim, I decided I wanted to visit London. After a Monday filled with disappointing visa news I spent Tuesday talking with people at my school's international office about my options - or lack thereof. By the evening I'd gone into panic-mode/motivation-mode - a combination of despair and frustration with this visa nonsense and a determination to find a solution, likely one involving changing to a different graduate program at a different university in a different country. (Sorry for that run-on sentence...)

Enjoying myself at the National Gallery

London seemed like a good choice for several reasons: 1) I know several people there whom I enjoy being around, 2) Several of those people have had experience with studying abroad for undergrad and grad school, 3) I always have wanted to go to London and Oxford, and to get up the courage to apply to Oxford for school, and 4) London is not in the Schengen Zone, and thus not part of the nightmare that is the Schengen visa process.

So after failing to get airline tickets - thank you fraud protection... - I found cheap round trip tickets to London via bus. Not ideal, but Student Agency gives a discount for ISIC (International Student Identity Card) holders, has pretty comfy seats for a bus, serves hot drinks, and plays movies. So it was bearable for the 18 hours there and 18 hours back. I almost wasn't allowed into the UK because in my rush to go I hadn't thought to find out my friend's exact address where I'd be staying, and that led to a whole host of other questions, including my favorite:
Border Police: "What do your parents do for a living?"
Me: "One is a special education teacher and the other is a social worker."
Border Police: "So how do you have enough money to be supporting your travels in Europe?"
...

The London Eye on the Thames

After a moment of being completely offended by his classist remark, and his insinuation that I was still financially dependent on my parents, I retorted: "I made ____ dollars teaching English in Korea for two years, so that's been just fine, thanks." Despite my annoyance, I smiled sweetly, answered all of the other questions with poise and a convincing tone of voice, and was finally allowed in and told to enjoy myself. So I did.

I met my friend at the British Museum, which involved a trip on the tube from Victoria station - an experience I never want to repeat because it reminded me so much of how anchovies must feel in those suffocating packages. I was thrilled that we spent most of the weekend walking to and from our destinations.

Big Ben

That afternoon I got to sit in on a seminar with him, and was very impressed with the caliber of students and with the fact that their faculty allows them to have "wine and nibbles" afterwards to contribute to further discussion of the talk and to start off the weekend. His friends in the program were wonderful to me, and I felt a bit envious of their close-knit and enthusiastic community. Later that evening we met up with two friends who also taught in Korea, and it was both surreal and wonderful to see them outside of Korea.

On Saturday my friend and I headed to the National Gallery and came upon a jobs rally in Trafalgar Square, and luckily we both enjoyed the impromptu stop and stayed awhile to listen and to appreciate the energy of the gathering - a mixture of frustration and hope that is always a bit intoxicating at protests.

My personal favorite

We saw a guy dressed as Guy Fawkes (it was the 5th of Nov, after all) and enjoyed seeing an Australian acrobat do tricks, in addition to simply people watching. The Gallery itself was also a treat, and we lingered so long that by the time we left it was dark - even though it was just after 5:00pm. We made our way down to the Thames, Big Ben and Parliament, and the London Eye because we heard there were going to be fireworks, but after walking for awhile without any sign of them we changed direction. I ended up stopping to buy a small Banksy print, only to end up having a lovely chat with the Irish woman selling it who then gave me 3 for free (I credit this moment to my mother and grandfather, who taught me the art of stranger-small talk).

The Guy Fawkes procession arrives at Occupy London

Not long after leaving the river we went looking for someone with information about fireworks, but saw across the street a group of about 30 people, most wearing Guy Fawkes masks, following someone waving the Anonymous flag and headed towards Occupy London at St. Pauls. Since we'd planned to go there anyway, it seemed like an obvious choice to join the procession - though we were not dressed appropriately. My pastel blue jacket and bright pink scarf stood in stark contrast to the mostly-black garb all around us. After walking for awhile and nearly getting hit by several cars going the wrong way - ok, the right way, but it felt so wrong - we made it to Occupy.
The tents, the crowd, the mic check, the General Assembly, the free kitchen and medical tent, the "Star Books" lending library outside the Starbucks, the posters plastered across columns and walls, and the sounds of people making music and discussing social justice - I felt very at peace among all of it - at peace, and very cold. After talking with a nice Welshman about the USA's best qualities and about the ways in which Occupy London could be more inclusive of visitors (which was the question posed to the GA for discussion), we headed back to my friend's place to make a warm dinner and to rest our weary feet.

Somerset House, with a Christmas Tree in November...

On Sunday I met up with another friend who studies a field similar to mine, and has similar career goals as well. We talked about our school programs, plans, goals, etc. and it was nice to just catch up and hear another person's perspective on all the things I've been turning over in my head lately. It put me in a great mindset for my day trip to Oxford on Monday, too.

In Oxford Park

Although it was the grayest and drizzliest day of my stay, it was also inspiring. I met a friend of mine at St.Antony's, which is home to several area studies programs. While my friend was studying, I headed to a seminar on Ideational Threats in NATO-Russia Relations, put on by the Russia and Eurasian Studies Center. The lecture was interesting, but the Q+A was great. The questions were well thought out, critical, interesting, and made me feel the way I thought graduate school was supposed to feel. I even asked a question, and after was able to meet several of the people in the department, as well as some fellows and doctoral students. It was the kind of environment I've dreamed about for school, and I'm not exaggerating.

I headed over to the Social Sciences Library,which involved a lovely walk through the park and past another college, Linacre. I spent a few hours doing source research for my thesis and wishing our university had a library as full and as enticing as theirs - which later my friend and her peers said was the least inspiring library to study in (which must mean the others are even better).

St. Antony's, Oxford

That evening before catching the train back to London, my friend introduced me to some of her friends and I was able to talk to them about their programs and experiences at Oxford. One program really appeals to me, and the girl in the program had only great things to say about it, which piqued my interest even more. I left Oxford feeling re-energized and reminded of why I love to be in school (yes, I know, I am so "white and nerdy," as Weird Al would say).

Now, after a looooong bus ride through the grey skies of the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, I am finally home. As the bus drove into Prague along the river across from my neighborhood I couldn't help feeling like I was back where I belonged - for now, at least :)

Spontaneity

Living in the present is so simple and fulfilling. I decided to go to London yesterday. I bought a ticket today. I will leave tomorrow. Wow.

I think I love living in Europe.

The Visa Maze

I feel like every time I think I'm close to sorting out this visa paperwork something goes wrong. I spent two hours traveling around the city today trying to get things fixed, only to learn about more problems. I'm trying to keep my hopes up, but also starting to look at other options. Where in the world should I go next, if I have to leave sooner than planned? (Note: it must have easier visa requirements or less meticulously mean embassy workers.)

On the bright side, I was just 50 yards away from a beautiful castle, leaning against a pillar outside of a palace, while I had a mini-meltdown today. It couldn't have been a more picturesque setting for a melodramatic moment. Also, I couldn't help but feel better listening to the tourists speak so many different languages while I went about my boring and frustrating business in one of the most lovely and famous areas of town.

Studying, Sightseeing and Socializing

Early this month I headed to DesignBlok, an exhibition of art and design that goes outside the box. My friend had gone before so she took me and we spent the afternoon snapping tons of photos of the thought-provoking and unique creations on display. Some of my favorites were the jewelry with toy cars, as seen in the picture, and a room with furniture and other at-home designs with geometric shapes that played off of shadow and light, like this clock that reminded me of a sunflower. 

The last few weeks I've been pretty focused on school. I'm taking ten classes, which sounds like a heavy load but it's manageable so far. I'm happy with some of them, but on the whole I haven't been as thrilled with my program as I'd hoped. Classes are mostly larger than expected, due to many Erasmus (European exchange program) students taking Masters classes because there are no Bachelors classes offered in English. This is great in the sense that you get to hear from people with pretty diverse backgrounds and ideas - however, classes have minimal discussion time and many students don't participate when discussions are opened. As a result, I don't feel as engaged in my courses as I would like to be. On the bright side, I'm not alone in my frustration , and several other students and I have bonded as a result. Some of the professors have also been reaching out to us this week, offering extra seminars or trips around Prague, which is nice. Hopefully things will continue to improve, since several professors also want to see the program be re-designed some to improve our experience.

Václavské náměstí

Staré Město Námestí

But, enough about my school. I continue to be taken with Prague more and more each day. A fellow teacher friend from Korea came to visit for a day, and we went to the Hrad/Castle area finally. It was a beautiful day for it, too, we were lucky. It had been raining all week, but on that day the sun was shining. We started at my favorite place, the Farmers' Market, and grabbed brunch. Then we ended up walking across most of Prague, starting from my place at noon, and coming back at 6pm. We went to Václavské náměstí/Wenceslas Square, where several mass demonstrations took place in November 1989 before the fall of communism here. Then we went to Staré Město Námestí/Old Town Square, to see the Astronomical Clock and to go to the Mucha/Dali gallery. I really loved the gallery, and grabbed some new Mucha playing cards to add to my collection (yes, little known fact, I collect decks of cards from all over...).

Hradčany

Katedrála svatého Víta

After that we headed over the river (but not through the woods) to Hradčany/Prague Castle. We wandered through some pretty gardens, the Senate building, and then up a winding road to the Hrad/Castle and Katedrála svatého Víta/St. Vitus Cathedral, which is an imposing and beautifully ornate building. It didn't take long for us to tire of the crowds, though, and we didn't want to pay to go in to any buildings, so we started the long walk down. 

Talk about a tourist center! How many can you read?

We passed some lovely vineyards, with a beautiful view of the city, and walked through Kampa, the neighborhood along the castle side of the river. We saw some interesting sculptures and graffiti, in addition to watching the sun begin to set over the river before arriving back home. 

A simple truth :)

Although my feet were sore by the end, it was a nice day to be a tourist and to see some of the sights which have made Prague famous. Often I catch glimpses while walking through on my way to get errands done, or to meet people, so it was nice to slow down and appreciate things with a more patient eye and a friend to share the sights with. 

But, as the weather begins to get chilly, and November nears, I will be spending less time outside and more time reading and writing in libraries - or in my cozy loft on lazier days like today, when my roommate is out of town and I have the place to myself. I'm also really enjoying spending more time with other students, and have been meeting more people in my classes as the weeks progress.

Praha

Vltava River

It's be wonderful to have nights, like last night, for instance, when I find myself at a table surrounded by people who all speak different languages and come from different places, but who all have a reason to want to be here, together. We had a wonderful Diwali dinner with my professor, who is from India, and students from Germany, Quebec, Israel, the USA, and the Czech Republic. As I looked around I couldn't help feeling that, despite some bureaucratic headaches and school imperfections, I am so lucky and thrilled to be living here.

Swans, Strangers and Sniffles

After returning from Vienna, I had a lovely weekend settling in to life in Prague.

I spent most of the day Friday either at Ikea or at home, and got my room all set up. My roommate and I had a really nice time shopping together, and we're both happy with the results. I'm so relieved that everything is working out so far with my flat. My flatmates are also very nice, and have been welcoming and happy to help me with my Czech and to practice their English with me. One of them is bringing Czech films from home so we can have a culture weekend. There are six of us, but often only 2-4 at home at one time, and so far there haven't been any issues with the bathroom or kitchen. Fingers crossed that things continue to go well!

Before

After

On Saturday I headed to the river, which is about a two minute walk from my flat, and walked around the Farmers' Market. I bought myself a rosemary plant and a slice of baklava, and enjoyed people-watching and swan-watching for awhile. It also gave me a chance to just sit in the sun and read a book, which is always a great weekend activity. 

Swans on the Vltava

Farmer's Market

On Sunday my roommate and I headed to Petrin Hill, which I first read about years ago in The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. Not only did it become my favorite novel, but it also was my first inspiration to someday come to Prague. I was thrilled to be going to a location which featured heavily in the book, and I was not disappointed. We took the funicular up the hill, and at the top we discovered beautiful rose gardens, lovely old buildings, a mini-Eiffel Tower, as well as walking paths and grassy areas to rest in. We found a spot where she could slack line while I read a book. While there, two Egyptians and two Germans happened to come by and we all got to talking about religion, politics, and life. The Egyptians shared their bananas with us, and we all sat around passing the time with great, spontaneous conversation. The Germans left, but we ended up walking down to town with the Egyptians (on the way I rolled my ankle and scraped my knee, which has resulted in a pretty ugly bruise, but no real damage). We grabbed dinner at an Italian restaurant near our flat and continued our deep conversations. It was one of those encounters that makes me sure that I am on the right path, making travel a priority in my life. I was so happy to be debating morals, belief systems, history, logic, and political revolution with strangers. I am so happy to have met them, and to have had the time to give to the conversations we had. 

The Rose Garden at Petrin Hill

My roommate doing slack line - she's so much cooler than me, haha : )

Unfortunately, by Monday, my allergies and asthma problems, which have been bothering me slightly for several weeks now, turned into what seems to be a full-blown cold. I feel like my head is full of fuzz, and I am constantly embarrassed by my violent coughing fits in public. As a result, after my first class on Tuesday, I thoroughly dusted my room, washed the windows, and made a homemade neti pot with saltwater and a ziploc bag (it works!). Luckily, several of my classes have been canceled this week, which has given me more time to rest, so I think I'm on the mend...I hope! That could just be the Theraflu talking, which I found in with my tea, leftover from my bouts of colds in Korea. I've heard pharmacies here need prescriptions for just about everything, so I was relieved to discover it.

Boats on the Vltava at sunset

Swans on the Vltava at sunset

My classes so far seem manageable, so I've decided to take 8 classes for 48 credits. I decided not to look for work until the spring when my visa is all sorted out, so I have a lot of time to study this term. I'd like to finish in a year and a half if possible, so hopefully it will work out fine. My impression so far has been that US schools are more rigorous and have higher expectations, so I'm maybe better prepared for the course expectations than my European peers (based on what other students and some professors have said). Of my 8 classes, though, only 3 have actually met this week, so I'll have to wait two weeks to get a better idea of what they will all be like. All of my classes are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except one (which will only meet 4 times in the semester, and always on Friday mornings). I don't know why I'm giving so much detail...so I'll stop.

For now, I'm trying to focus on getting well, getting paperwork taken care of, and getting started on the readings for my classes. I'm looking forward to sitting by the river for the Farmer's Market tomorrow (it's every Thurs and Sat) and reading about counter-terrorism. And yes, really, I am so excited : )

The Ups and Downs of Vienna

On Wednesday I headed to the train station to get a train to Vienna. It was a beautiful morning, and I woke very early, as I have been doing all week. I got to the station just after a train left, so while waiting for the next one I walked around enjoying the neighborhood, and then planted myself in front of the Departures sign to find out my platform. While waiting, I overhead the people next to me speaking a language I thought only I knew - Spangtalian, a mix of Spanish and Italian. So, after pondering this oddity for a moment, I got up to courage to speak to the woman in Italian. This led to us carrying on a conversation entirely in Italian for about 20 minutes, until our train arrived. It was fantastic! I had no idea I could still make any sense when speaking Italian. I can kind of write it, generally, but usually Fraspangtalian comes out when I try to speak (yes, I added French to that mix - why not?).

After saying arrividerci to my new Argentinian acquaintances (ah! the Spangtalian makes sense now, right? I felt that way, too, when I heard). I found a seat near some Spanish speakers, but sadly with Italian filling my brain, the only straight Spanish I could muster was gracias when they explained (in English) that I could sit anywhere. Which I did. For the next 5 hours I say glued in my seat with my eyes firmly facing out the window, trying to take in all of the beauty we passed. There were streams, lakes, rolling hills, and quaint towns with the occasional castle or cathedral differentiating it from the others in a spectacular way.

Oddly, I could tell the moment we switched into Austria. I think it was the roads. By then I also just wanted to arrive, and was happy to get off a little later in a new city - and a new country (Europe is so cool...). I as pretty hungry by then, but had no Euros, so I found my way to the metro I needed and was pleased to discover a mini mart in the metro, where I bought bread, cheese, tomatoes and chocolate which sustained me for the rest of the trip. At my stop, I decided to walk to my hostel, thinking that Google had said it was about 2 km from the station. If that's what Google said then Google lied. While it was easily one of the most stunningly beautiful walks I've taken (think cute mini cottages along tree-lined streets, with gardens and vineyards here and there and people out enjoying the warm fall weather, and a grandma and granddaughter collecting chestnuts at one point...), it was also a steep incline all the way up from the station, and was about 4km, not two. My light bags felt like lead weights by the time I got to the top. And then, as I hit the top, I forgot about my bags.

The view from the top.

In front of me at the top were two buildings - a massive, lovely, fancy white hotel and a cute, neat, inviting hostel. But I barely noticed the buildings because I was too busy looking down the hill, past the vineyard and out upon the whole of Vienna that lay below. The sun was just beginning to set, coloring the sky in pinks and lighting up the city roofs in shades of salmon. I actually stopped in my tracks, dropped my bags, and just stared for a bit before thinking to get my camera out. I checked in, and then headed back out with my food and sat down for a picnic as the sky grew darker and the view more captivating every minute. I almost cried at the beauty of it and at my good fortune to be able to experience such a life-affirming moment in time - and because I couldn't help wishing I had people I loved there to share it with, as I looked around at the families, couples, and friends around me as I sat alone.

I fell asleep at the crazy hour of 8pm, and woke at 5am, but made myself wait til 6 to get ready, grab my camera, and head out again to watch the sun rise again. I was the only person outside for about 30 minutes as the sun began to peek through the grey night clouds and ease its way across the city, slowly illuminating the roofs in an orange glow, as a nearby church bell rang out each quarter hour. Again, I stood, completely mesmerized, until I got goosebumps and stomach rumbles. I headed in for a great breakfast spread provided by the hostel and included in my room charge, and then headed off, this time to catch the bus instead of walking.

Early sunrise over Vienna

I went to Vienna for an appointment with the Czech Embassy there to get my visa process going since I had delays in the USA. I was feeling positive about the trip, and was distracted as I rode the bus...which explains why I got off too early after thinking I'd missed my stop, walked back, found a map, and discovered I had added an extra 20 min walk to my trip...My second accidental workout in Vienna, after the accidental jaunt uphill. I got to the station near the Embassy (again, according to Google) and started walking, but wanted to make sure I was right. A lady told me in German (which I didn't understand) and gestures (which I did) to go back, across a bridge over a river, and walk a while. This seemed wrong but I stupidly did it anyway, only to have a lady on the other side send me back, where I again ran into the first woman. This time she asked a third woman, who clarified that I was looking for the Czech Embassy, not the Turkish Embassy. I have NO IDEA why the first woman was sending me to the Turkish Embassy. So, with the right directions, I began speed walking, because by then I was 15 minutes late thanks to the Turkish confusion, and I arrived stressed, out of breath, nervous, and on the verge of tears 30 minutes late.

I calmed down, and brought my papers up to a mean woman who snapped at me for not speaking German or Czech and told me she didn't speak English. She took my papers and began writing on post-its and tut-tutting me, which was the first bad sign. A bit later, she called a man over and he kindly explained about 8 steps I need to take to change or add to my paperwork in order to have it ready, while I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes despite trying desperately to remain calm. When he finished, I sat, cried, and apologized to another American woman waiting. She said it was okay, that she cried on a weekly basis when she got her Masters at a Czech University. Surprisingly, this did not make me feel better.

Schönbrunn Palace

After washing my face and reapplying makeup to look less awful, I headed outside. Although the palace I'd planned to go to sounded less exciting after the stress of the embassy, I forced myself to be positive and seize the day. Thank goodness for the attitude adjustment, because the Schonbrunn palace was gorgeous, and I got to sit in a lovely garden and eat my picnic leftovers and listen to birds chirp and feel the wind and sun on my face and life seemed almost perfect again.

So I had to fix some visa stuff, so what? I was at a palace!! Wheee! I meandered over to a fountain and as I was snapping a photo I heard, "Hello! Ciao!" from behind. I turned and who should I see but my Argentinian pals from the Prague train station! My day brightened dramatically then, as I felt the rush of serendipity and joy at such a chance encounter, and I was able to hold on to that for the rest of the day and all the way back to Prague and to my new apartment, where new friendly faces were waiting to welcome me home : )

I ran into the Argentinians from the train station!

Day 2 or When the Jet Lag Kicks In

I woke bright and early this morning, ready to meet new people and see new places - including my flat (apartment). My buddy and I hopped on the tram and headed to the administration building for my faculty with the intention of getting some paperwork done. When we arrived, however, the halls were full of undergraduate exchange students (part of the Erasmus program across Europe). It was clear that my questions could wait until my smaller graduate orientation on Friday. My buddy likewise tried to get her work done but the admin person basically told her, "I don't care. Come back a different day." So she and I both ended up getting nothing done. Still, I did run into two Canadian girls in my same program, which means there are at least three people in my major - and that's a good sign that there could be more! They were both very friendly and I'm glad to have met them by chance.

After getting nothing done at the admin building I headed down the river to my flat to meet my roommates and to see where I'll be living for the next four months. First impression of my roommate: she seems outgoing, athletic, and adventurous. We hit it off right away, as we did via email, so I felt a wave of relief. The flat itself is located in a nice neighborhood, very close to the river and close to several parks, including the city's botanical gardens - which is funny to me since my brother lives across from botanical gardens in Philly. The kitchen is spacious, the bathroom has a tub and is pretty spacious, too, and the rooms have big windows with sheer curtains that let lots of light in, so those were all great perks I noticed immediately. On the other hand, I'm out of practice living with other people, aside from family (and even that was hard to adjust to this summer), so living with five strangers who are all Czech will be an adventure and probably a challenge. I think I'm up for the challenge...?

After seeing the flat, my roommate and I headed out for lunch. We walked a bit until we found a Chinese restaurant and had a nice meal - with tofu (which, coincidentally, I saw for very cheap at the supermarket yesterday, which was a huge relief). Then I headed off to meet my buddy to go back to her flat, but got a bit lost-ish in the process. By lost-ish I mean I knew where I was supposed to go, and had an idea of where I was, but had no sense of how far I should walk and if the streets were going to get me there. Happily this meant that I accidentally took a detour through Old Town and ended up on the main tourist street, Karlova, which turns into the Charles Bridge to go to the castle. It was so fun to be swept up in the mass of people walking by, to pass the tables of patios filled with people eating, drinking and people watching, and to see the amazingly beautiful buildings along the way. Luckily, with some help from my discreet mini map and from my buddy's texts I managed to turn around and head to Namesti Republiky to meet her, and get away from the throngs of tour groups and their flag-waving guides and back into lovely narrow cobblestone lanes.

All of the walking and wandering and being lost-ish made the jet lag kick in, so I settled in for what I meant to be a short pick-me-up but turned into a two hour long sleep. I woke to a text from my college friend, S, and realized I was supposed to be meeting her and another friend, M, right then. I scrambled to meet M since she lived in the area, and planned to meet up with S in the city center, but my phone died and in the end I didn't get to connect with S. Still, I had a really nice time with M. We headed across the Charles Bridge and down into Campa, which is a cute neighborhood just south of the castle along the river. We found a bar and each had a glass of Kozel, a black beer (only one glass, dad ; )), and had a great chat, catching up on life and talking about travel and living in new places.

Whew, I didn't plan to write this much, especially when I wrote a lot yesterday. Right now everything still feels so unreal that it helps me to write it down just to keep everything straight as I'm adjusting! As I walk around I feel like I'm constantly mentally pinching myself. I feel as if I might wake up tomorrow in Madison and have dreamt this.

First Impressions of Praha

After two surprisingly smooth (but relatively sleepless) flights - Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Prague - I arrived safe and sound in Prague. After changing some money and rearranging my luggage I headed out to the waiting area with some anxiety. I had plans to meet my university "buddy," who said she could help me with my bags and offered her home as a place to stay until Wednesday, when I move into my flat. What we hadn't discussed included: where exactly we'd meet, our appearances, phone info or backup plans.

As I glanced around trying to look nonchalant but secretly flipping out, I heard my name ring out from the crowd. I spun and saw my tall, composed, and beaming buddy coming towards me to save me from my nerves. Luckily for me, she had assumed that I would not look Czech or Spanish, and that I would have more luggage than most people. When I (being obviously neither Czech nor Spanish and lugging more than my weight in suitcases) stepped out of the doors she knew she'd found me. I've never been so happy to be an obvious American.

We hopped on a bus, transferred to a tram, and then walked up to her lovely flat - which is home to the oddest lift (elevator). The lift stops at the half floor, which means you have to still go up or down a flight of stairs to reach the apartments. After showering off the stench of airplane (a noxious mix of sweat, stale air, alcohol from the winos in front and behind me, airplane food, and lavatory odors...) we headed out to walk from across the river and through the cobbled streets of Praha 1 - Staré Město (Old Town).

Prague is separated into different districts, all numbered. I'll be living in Praha 2 - Nové Město (New Town), which is south of Old Town but still really really really old - by American standards at least. New Town has existed since the rule of Charles IV, who also founded my university in 1348. So it's not that new anymore...But it is home to many beautiful buildings, most built in the 19th and 20th centuries with some still surviving from earlier times.

Back to today. After being a bit touristy and pulling out my camera several times to catch shots of the castle, the river, and the architecture, we met up with my buddy's flatmate and the three of us headed to Zizkov, in Praha 3. We had a tasty meal at a restaurant named Lavička, and were able to enjoy the warm, sunny fall weather on the patio, overlooking a garden. If I hadn't been almost falling asleep in my delicious mushroom risotto it would have been even better, I'm sure.

Back in Praha 7 at my hostess' home we decided to venture out to the Sparta v. Slavia game at the stadium nearby, despite hearing that the game was sold out. Walking over, it became clear that the game was not only sold out but also a huge deal to those in attendance. Like Korea, drinking alcohol in public is allowed here, so the area around the stadium was filled with people tailgating...and as I write, those same people are now filling the streets and cheering as they stumble home from a 3-0 match (for Sparta). Earlier in the day we even witnessed a man chuck his half-drunk beer cup out the window of our tram - and apparently his mouth was a foul as his littering habit. Anyway, when it became clear that we had no chance of getting in to see the game, we hung out on a side street and watched the police drag people out who had become too aggressive, while catching glimpses of the match through a gap in the stadium. We cheered along with the first two goals, which rocked the stadium as fans leapt up and bellowed their appreciation in unison.

While it would have been amazing to stand among that mass of people (the TV estimated 20,000 in attendance), I was happy to walk home, take off my shoes and say na shledanou (goodbye) to my first day in Prague. I'm looking forward very much to an indefinite number of wonderful days ahead in the city that will be my home.

Prague Prep.

In two weeks I should be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on an Iberia flight to Prague via Madrid. In three weeks I'll be starting my first day of graduate school classes. Last month I was starting to think my plans were falling apart, but somehow things are coming together.

I left Korea in early June after a wonderful 21 months, and came back to Madison to get my Czech visa. Unfortunately I didn't have a background check from Korea...so I spent the whole summer waiting for that one piece of paper to arrive and watching the deadline to get my paperwork in get closer - until it passed.

Now, I have my background check from Korea, as well as one from the USA, along with the other stack of papers I need to get my student visa - but it's too late to get it from the US. Instead, I'll be arriving in Prague as a tourist, taking a day trip to Vienna to go to the Czech consulate there, and then waiting and hoping for everything to go smoothly. If all goes well, I'll have my visa about 60 days after I arrive. If it takes longer than 90 days...well, I'll be seeing stateside sooner than planned...

I'm practicing "Don't be worry," on the advice of the woman in the international office at my school. Seriously, she said this, in her latest reply to my somewhat panicked email about the airline (which claims it will not let me on the plane with a one-way ticket unless my visa is in hand).

So on that advice, I have paid for Czech health insurance, paid for my flight, set up a visa appointment in Vienna, reserved a hostel for my arrival, and (just today) secured a room in a flat near my school. I found a roommate online (...) and put aside my paranoia when she wrote about being a semi-vegetarian, with similar interests, and a willingness to live with me. How could I say no? This room is for four months, so even if it turns out to be awful (which I don't expect it to, but you never know) I'll be able to look for places in the meantime.

The only thing left to do is pack, which is going fairly smoothly since I only ever half unpacked from Korea. Still, I should probably get to it...

Premature Nostalgia? Or, Why I Love Korea

I'm not great with expressing emotions. Actually, that's only partly true. I am fairly capable of expressing anger and frustration. I am more than happy to show when I am feeling happy, or excited, or overjoyed. Sadness, though, has never been my forte. I don't like feeling sad. I don't like others to know when I feel sad. I work to hide it, or avoid it, which means it usually catches up with me at inopportune moments. But, I'm working on learning from my mistakes instead of repeating them, and am starting to think it's time I learned to let myself feel sad when I am. So, hey, I'm sad. In fact, it's not even sadness as much as a premature sense of longing for what I will soon miss: everything in Korea. Ok, not everything. Still, there are so many things I will miss that I feel completely overwhelmed by how much this city and country have become my home in the time I've been here. I don't have doubts about going to graduate school, and I certainly have no doubts about going to Prague in the fall. It's the leaving Korea part that's hard.

I am not making a bucket list for this last month. I have plans to do things that I've wanted to do all along, but I am not suddenly thinking of the things I need to do one more time before I go, and I'm not going to try to think of new things that I should have done. One of the best things about Korea has been the way in which I have gained patience and an appreciation of the present. I've gotten much better at enjoying what is happening without worrying about what is coming next. And if you're reading this and thinking: Ha! Yeah right! I get it, I'm still not great at this - I'm simply getting better. So, to honor that trait, I am trying to just live this month. I am trying to get things done to leave early, so that I can continue to appreciate whatever events and opportunities come my way, and appreciate those things rather than wishing I'd done something on a list.

Still, it seems strange not to make some kind of list. I'm a big fan of lists. I make to-do lists and pro/con lists and playlists...I love lists. So the following list has been building for, well, the whole time I've lived here.

At Namsan Tower in Seoul they have a fence with locks, mine is in the middle. I like the idea that it will probably be there for a while.

Things I Love About Korea (and will miss)

(in no particular order)

• The market women on my street whom I pass almost daily, and who always smile and acknowledge me in return. They were the first people to make me feel like I was part of the neighborhood.
• My students - or 95% of them - who will be the hardest people to leave behind, and who have made my time here worthwhile beyond a doubt.
• The ex-pat community in Busan, which made me feel welcome, gave me a place to belong, and has produced countless friendships that I hope to maintain for years to come.
• The KTX - and the Mugunghwa and Saemaul - trains.
• The Hadan 5-Day Market
• The Juice Farm cafe in Dangni, my first neighborhood coffeeshop.
• Hands in Dangni, my most recent coffeeshop.
• The walk to Hadan.
• Nice taxi drivers, especially those who engaged me in conversation, and therefore put up with my attempts to speak Korean.
• Learning to speak Korean
• The Kimbap ladies who let me order meals without meat and fish, and even smile at me now, even though I think they hated me for being a picky vegetarian for the first few months.
• The subway.
• The 1001 bus, and all of the other buses to boot.
• Busan harbor at night.
• Busan harbor during the day.
• All of the beaches, but especially Gwangan-li and the bridge.
• PIFF
• The Fireworks Festival
• The lanterns hung around the city (and country) for Buddha's birthday
• The Dadaepo Kite Festival
• Visiting Pyeongtaek, where I made friends with the unlikeliest of people from my past and can't imagine not having that friendship now.
• Visiting Seoul and becoming better friends with someone from the past who I'm so grateful to be closer to now.
• Discovering a group of female friends in Busan who have shown me nothing but acceptance and warmth.
• My coworkers, both present and past, who I've been grateful to have with me on the journey that is working at a hagwon.
• The random people who have come and gone, and in doing so have opened my eyes to new experiences, ideas, and cultures.
• BSNL
• The Busan Musical Revue
• The Vagina Monologues 1 and 2 - and Eva's, where my picture still hangs from the 1st show in 2010.
• The usual places and faces in Kyungsung on a Saturday night
• The view of the ocean from the walk around Dongbaek
• The ocean in general
• The mountains outside my window
• The mountains in general
• Seeing and trying to read Korean everywhere - and the moments when I realize that I understood what I read
• Hearing Korean - and the moments when I realize I've understood what I've heard
• Trusting things to work out even when I have no idea what's happening - like when I was in the hospital, or whenever I've gotten my hair cut...among other things
• Eating outside my cultural norms and comfort zone: raw octopus, grilled octopus, roasted and marinated silk worm larvae, pickled squid, processed fish, raw oyster, fried shrimp and pickled everything
• Learning that I like pickles
• Trying new foods that are within my comfort zone, and learning to make (some of) them at home for myself: ddok bokki, bibim bap, kimbap, kimchi, and (my favorite) sun dubu jjigae
• Learning to live without foods and other things that I'd taken for granted (like cheese)
• My apartment (though for the first 4 or 5 months I despised it with a passion)
• My kayageum, and learning to play despite a serious language barrier with my teacher. Luckily, music is a universal language, and can help us overcome almost any barrier in our way.
• Having lots of free time
• Learning to love myself and my body, even when naysayers (like my students and strangers on the subway and in stores) tried to make me feel inferior and out of place. This is a love in progress.
• Won, especially the 50,000 notes, which are really beautiful.
• My bank teller, who always is kind and flatters me, and makes banking a breeze.
• The ajumma at the GS25 down the block, who just the other day grabbed my hands and rubbed them because she felt bad for me that they were cold when she handed me my change.
• Cute Korean babies, which are everywhere.
• Nampo-dong and Jagalchi
• The mornings I spent last spring learning that I am capable of being calm long enough to do yoga, followed by Korean classes, followed by reading the news and doing the crossword at a cafe in PNU - if I had a regret, it would be that I stopped that routine.
• Temples. Every single one I have been to has left an impression on me. Despite meeting many people who feel like seeing one is like seeing them all, I still find a different kind of magic and energy at each temple I've visited. I think it's fair to say I loved Yonggungsa the best, perhaps because we went on Lunar New Year's Day and it was so full of people and prayer and promise for the coming year - plus I went with two amazing friends. Tongdosa is probably second on the list, or Daewonsa, which was stunning in the mist and drizzle of a fall day.
• Jirisan, despite the fact that hiking that mountain was utterly miserable in the rain. The challenge was met, and I felt like I was on top of the world when we reached that peak.
• Crazy nights spent out until the sun rose
• Artbox, and all of the cutesy products they - and other similar stores - sell
• My students' pencil cases
• Lighting fireworks and sparklers on the beach
• Spending the 4th of July at Camp Humphreys
• The traditional village in Suwon
• The Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae
• Our trip to Jinha beach, including a wild ride on...something...at an old amusement park
• The motorbike trip we took back from Jinha along the coast from Ulsan to Busan
• Gamcheon Wildflower Park (ok, if I had a bucket list, this would be on it...)
• Walking across Yeong-do in the snow on the crazy snow day earlier this year with an amazing friend, on the way to see other amazing friends
• Taking my kids outside to the parking lot to catch snowflakes on our tongues when it first snowed a few flurries
• Feeling safe almost all of the time
• Learning that I can pick up and move across the world and make a home and a life for myself

Thank you to all of the people who have made my life here in Korea amazing. I will miss you all when I go, and hope to come back and see some familiar faces in the not-too-distant future. I look forward to the time I have left with all of you, and know we'll make the most of it : )

There's a spring in my step...

So spring is in full force, the sun is shining, and my spirits are high. This past weekend I took two fantastic trips to the nearby countryside to see the sights and enjoy the flowers in bloom.

On Saturday, a group of us headed to Gyeongju, a two-hour ride on the slow train north of Busan, to rent bikes and ride around the lake. The train went along the coast and was a beautiful start to the day. Although the day didn't go as smoothly as planned, we had a wonderful time. We grabbed some lunch, and then spent about 20-30 minutes just crossing the four-lane street because we couldn't decide where to go first and didn't know which side to catch the bus.

We finally settled on taxis, and it's a good thing we did since the traffic was terrible and it took us 45minutes to get to the lake, which would normally be a 15-20min drive. Once at the lake we rented our bikes (5,000w each for 2 hours), and went on our way...until we were stopped by traffic cops.

Apparently the path around the lake was for pedestrians only, no bikes allowed.

So, our 2 hours of biking ended up being about 15min of biking, parking our bikes, taking pictures and relaxing by the lake, then a 15min bike ride back. Though not quite what we'd planned, even the short bit of biking was lovely, and it was fun to take in the sights. We grabbed a taxi back, leaving 45 min to get to the station to catch the train...and this time it took 15-20min to get back, leaving us time to rest at the station before heading home.

Once in Busan, a few of us went to JK Factory, a new bar that was opening overlooking Gwangan-li Beach.

They were offering free quesadillas, and when they brought beef, they were kind enough to make me an additional, also free, cheese and veggie one! We played some darts, had a couple drinks, and then called it a night early, around 10pm, when most people were arriving. We took some pics and a break on the beach, and then caught the bus. It was a full, beautiful day, and I slept soundly for the first time in a week.

On Sunday I headed to Ulsan via the KTX to meet another group of friends for a day trip to Yangsan, just north of Busan. The KTX line has made it faster for me to go to Ulsan than to go across the city.

High speed rail is genius. 8,000w for a 20 min trip that would take 2-2 1/2 hours by subway/bus. I got there faster than my friends from Ulsan. Ok, so anyway, we met there and then took the #13 local bus to my friend's cafe in Yangsan. It's called Lakeside Cafe Somok, and he's also building a gallery to showcase indpendent artists' work, and hoping to do some independent films screening there as well in the future. The location is stunning, and I highly recommend visiting if you're taking a trip to Tongdosa, which is about 10min away by car or bus from his cafe.

For the cafe get off the 12 or 13 bus at Bang-gi Cho-dong Hak-gyo/ Bang-gi Elementary School. We lazed around there eating and sipping coffee and wine, and having great conversation. It was a relaxed afternoon in the sun, with the cherry blossoms and mountains providing a great backdrop to the good company and food. As the sun started to head for the mountains, we headed to Tongdosa (Tongdo Temple). The drive was beautiful, as we passed a cherry blossom festival and streets lined with the full trees.

The road to the temple was hung with the first round of lanterns in preparation for Buddha's birthday in a few weeks. The temple grounds were stunning, with multiple temples dotting the landscape. Buddha's remains are in a special courtyard, instead of the usual statue. It's good luck to walk around 7 times, and you make a wish, which I spontaneously decided was exactly what I needed right now, and promptly joined behind two other women. It was a peaceful experience, and I went away feeling lighter and more calm. As the sun set, the buildings gained an added beauty, and the calm that was settling over the whole place was mesmerizing. I could have stayed for hours, but the light was going and we had to get back.

Weekends like these make me so grateful to be here.