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.