Snowbound in Bologna

Well January flew by, full of exams and essays. Happily they are all finished, and I am only waiting on one more professor to post grades. Since classes for the spring semester don't begin until February 20, I decided to join my travel buddy on a trip to Bologna. He's studying there for the semester, and it seemed like a great excuse to visit Italy again. 

When I traveled to Italy in 2005 it was only as part of a short 2.5 week trip to Europe (paid for with money saved from selling Girl Scout cookies in high school - the embarrassment of being an 18 year old Girl Scout was erased as soon as I stepped off the plane in Paris). I attribute my prioritization of travel to that trip, because it was my first real taste of travel abroad (we can all agree Canada doesn't really count, right? ; P) At the time I had been studying Italian for two years, mostly due to my opera aspirations and a taste for risotto, gnocchi, lasagna...you get the idea. It was intoxicating to be able to communicate in a language other than my own, even poorly, and the whole Eurotrip was unbelievably wonderful. I was so tempted to just miss our flight out of Roma, and to stay and try to find a way to live in Italy. But college was calling and the cookie money was running out. I vowed to return and couldn't be happier to have achieved that goal :)

Bologna is an old city. Very old. It is home to the oldest  (secular) university in Europe, dating back to the eleventh century. My first impressions, however, were disturbed by the weight of our luggage and of not having a place to stay at first. The city, therefore, seemed uninviting at first - the graffiti and dilapidated buildings which I now see as giving a kind of character to the city at first seemed to be simply indicative of the dirtiness and possible unwillingness or inability of the city government to take care of its business. Once we found a place to stay - with a great flatmate who has welcomed us and made us feel at home with him, his house, and his friends - the city seemed to open up as well, showing itself to be more inviting than at first glance. 

From the get go the majority of people here were kind, welcoming, helpful, and warm. It has been a joy to hear Italian and to understand much of what is said, though all too often when I open my mouth I feel suddenly terrified and unsure of the words I have practiced over and over in my head. Sometimes it comes easily enough, though full of error. Other times I let my anxiety get the best of me and completely mess up what I'm trying to say, stuttering and stumbling through vocabulary that I know but don't trust my instincts - and sometimes I take the easy way out and speak English...Being here makes me wish I could stay much longer, or return, in order to really earn a level of proficiency through lots of trial and error and dedicated practice. I bought a novel in Italian yesterday, and used some news articles in Italian for a recent paper...hopefully with time, even if I can't be here, I'll be able to improve quite a bit. 

I have taken photos of the city, but unfortunately I don't have my camera cord along on the trip to upload them yet. But to give you an idea of what it looks like here - right now - just watch this beautiful video I came across (credit to SebSeb on vimeo), showing the snowstorm from earlier this week. You can watch it below, or use the link above. 

Bologna - Snow storm, 1 feb 2012 from Seb Seb on Vimeo.

The city basically shut down - the uni closed for a week, as have many offices, museums, etc. It has been beautiful, but cold, and it is becoming a nuisance - and a dangerous one at that. The streets are often marble, which gets very slippery and the ice and snow haven't been cleared away in most places, so walking is a pain. The last two days the city has worked to clear the huge icicles hanging from buildings so that they don't fall on people. So it has been an unexpectedly cold and snowy trip in Italy, but nevertheless I am thrilled to be here with by travel buddy, meeting great new people...and experiencing an Italian snow emergency!

I'll be here for another week before heading to Paris, and then I'll be in Paris for a week before heading back to Prague. I hope that my friends and family all over are staying warm despite the cold fronts which seem to be hitting all over the world right now. <3 

A Goodbye to a Great Year

2011

Fireworks over the Vltava River in Prague, as seen from Letna Park

As the year came to an end, I thought back on the past year, and couldn't help feeling completely blown away. The year 2011 was one of the best years of my life, hands down. I feel so grateful for the opportunities I have had this year, for the places I've gone, the people I've met, the life I am living. If someone had told me a decade ago that my life would turn out this way, I wouldn't have believed it. But in this one year, I lived in Korea, the US and the Czech Republic. I traveled to Canada, Austria, the UK, and Germany. I saw family and friends whom I hadn't seen in months and years, and met new people who have enriched my life in so many beautiful ways. I began graduate school to study issues I am passionate about, I feel supported by the people I love, and I am excited about the present and the future ahead. 

As the year 2012 begins, I can say with conviction that I am truly happy, and that is no small thing. 

Lots of love to all of the amazing people in my life from all over the world. I wish you happiness in 2012 (and beyond). <3 

Happy New Year!

A Busy End to 2011 Part IV: Christmakkuh in Prague

Back in: Prague, Czech Republic

Old Town Square

 Prague was completely transformed into a kind of magical Christmas wonderland this winter. While fluffy white snow would have made it even more stunning, I'm sure, I can't complain about the warm weather. It has been a bit chilly, but for the most part it has been unseasonably mild, which means I get to enjoy walking around outdoors even in the winter.

New Town Square

On the 24th one of my closest friends from college came from Israel to visit me for the holidays. It turns out that Israel is much closer than I thought, and a cheap round trip flight, which has me pondering a possible trip later this year if time and money allow. 

Christmakkuh Dinner

Here in the Czech Republic the 24th is the day when everyone celebrates, and the dinner has a few staple foods, including fried carp and potato salad. If my older brother had been here, I'm sure the carp would have been on the table. I, on the other hand, had no idea how I would go about buying and cooking carp, so I stuck to the potato salad. My friend and I also cooked up a tasty mushroom-parmesean risotto, green beans, a salad, and a fruit salad. Other friends brought tzatziki, pork, and more. The dinner was delicious, and the company was great. We even played Apples to Apples, which is a holiday tradition in my house in Wisconsin, and I found out later that my family had been playing at the same time as my friends and I were on the other side of the world - coincidence? ;)

Our "Hannukiah"

Since three of the guests were Jewish, we also made a...unique...Hannukiah to light in honor of Hannukah. In true Christmas spirit I also decorated a cute miniature Christmas tree. For our Christmakkuh celebration we were joined by several other friends, resulting in a very international group, with four countries represented around the table, and all of us celebrating far from home. While I missed being home with family for the holiday, I was happy to be surrounded by such a great group of people here in Prague. 

My neighborhood,
seen from Vysehrad

With DK here, I finally went to Vysehrad. The castle is less famous than Prague castle, but is beautiful and is a mere ten minute walk from my house. It is up on a hill, with a lovely view of parts of Prague I hadn't seen before, as well as a view of my neighborhood - since it is actually kind of in my neighborhood...

Staropramen Brewery

DK and I also enjoyed a tour of Staropramen Brewery, though we laughed so hard at the ridiculousness of the audio-visual guide in one room that I tripped and over a box of hops, spilling them all over. It only made us laugh harder. The tour was more expensive than Pilsner Urquell but less cool. Still, the hop fall was pretty memorable.

Vaclav Havel Memorial

We also were lucky to enjoy the post-Christmas Christmas Markets. I had been afraid that DK would miss them, but they were still around after the holiday, so we enjoyed eating holiday foods, drinking mulled wine, listening to street musicians, and looking at the kitschy trinkets for sale. In addition, we stopped by the memorial to Vaclav Havel at Vaclavske Namesti.

Charles Bridge, Castle in Background

Later, we headed up to Prague Castle, which I've been to before, but at a new time of day, so of course I took loads of pictures that are nearly identical to other pictures I've taken. Every time I go, I can't get over how beautiful it is...

Jewish Cemetery

But we also went to new places, like the Jewish Quarter, which includes one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. It also has a museum dedicated to the Czech victims of the Holocaust, with pictures from children in the Terezin Concentration Camp, many of whom went on to die in the gas chambers at Auschwitz - where I'll be heading this weekend, actually. One of the synagogues also lists the names of the approximately 80,000 Czech Jews who died in the Holocaust. I can't really describe the feeling of being in that room.

Narodni Divadlo

On the evening of the 28th we were able to get standing tickets for just 30ck each (about $1.50) to see the Nutcracker Ballet in the beautiful National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo). The performance was interesting, because it combined the story of A Christmas Carol with The Nutcracker, all set to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet.

Inside Narodni Divadlo

Instead of starting with the Christmas Party and Clara, it began in the town square with Scrooge ruining the day for the villagers. He breaks Clara's Nutcracker, and that night he dreams that the Devil comes with Zombies to his room. But then, an Angel arrives, and she shows him the way to good. The Devil and Angel are important figures in the Czech holiday season, as on December 5th, St. Mikulaus Day, the Devil and Angel join St. Mikulaus in visiting children to give them presents (the Angel) or to throw them in a sack and take them to hell (the Devil). You can read more about it here. So the first act had the Devil and Zombies instead of the Army of Mice, and the second act had the Angel showing Scrooge the magical land with the same characters from the Nutcracker. In the end, Scrooge learns his lesson and brings Christmas back to the village, and fixes the broken Nutcracker. I was happy to go and see the ballet, which was a Christmas tradition in my family for many years, but to also have a new Czech twist that made it a different experience.

View of Prague from Vitkov Hill

On the last day of DK's visit we headed to Vitkov Hill, where there is a national monument and a national history museum, which includes the mausoleum of former Communist President Gottwald. It's a pretty intense place, very dark and imposing, as one might expect.

National Monument on Vitkov Hill

The history museum had a special exhibit about the influence of Communism on Museums (a very meta exhibit). In addition, it had a general timeline of Czechoslovak and Czech history since 1918. The location was in Prague 8, a neighborhood I hadn't been to before, and the hill provided a stunning view of Prague at sunset. I was glad we discovered the museum, since it's a bit off the beaten path and no one had mentioned it to me before. I would recommend it to history buffs who have the time to make it part of their visit to the city.

All in all, it was wonderful to have DK visiting for the holidays. I was so happy to actually have the time to enjoy Christmas this year, since I worked teaching English on the last two Christmases in Korea. This year I was more homesick, with the time to really appreciate the holiday season approaching, but I was also thrilled to be surrounded by people who made me feel at home in Prague nonetheless. Thank you to DA, DK, MP, ME, RG, RB, and LP for making it a memorable and fun holiday.

At the John Lennon Peace Wall

A Busy End to 2011 Part III: Vienna (Take Two)

Vienna, Austria

View of Vienna and Schonbrunn from the Palace Gardens

In mid-December I had to head back to Vienna, where I went in September, to deal with my (extremely long, frustrating, exhausting, discouraging and woefully bureaucratic) visa process. Unlike the last trip, which ended in tears, this trip was a roaring success, and I celebrated with a return to the Palace garden where I had picnicked in September (then as a means of cheering myself up). Although the trees were no longer green, and some statues had been covered for the winter, it was a lovely, sunny day. We fed some birds and enjoyed a walk around the palace gardens and up the hill, which afforded us a picturesque view of the city. 

At Naschmarkt 

For the rest of the weekend, with my visa status happily stamped into my passport, I was able to relax and enjoy the visit immensely. One of the best parts was reconnecting with my very first Couchsurfer. He had come to Ithaca in 2007 to surf our couch, and had then offered his couch if I were ever in Vienna. 

Typewriters for sale at Naschmarkt

Happily, the timing was right and we enjoyed getting to know him and his girlfriend better, and enjoyed a delicious Sri Lanken meal as well as a traditional Austrian one. In addition, he took us to Naschmarkt, a street with a long outdoor flea market, food market, clothing market, and more. We had some hot mulled wine, tasty olives, and even a tropical fruit from South America! In fact, in our weekend in Vienna we ate food with origins in at least five different countries - it was a bit of a gastronomical world tour. 

Downtown Vienna at Night

Vienna is a stunning city, and I was happy to have a few days there to walk all over and take it all in. We were able to visit three art museums: the Leopold, the Albertina, and the Belvedere. All three were beautiful buildings in their own right, and their collections were impressive. We spent a good amount of time in the first two, but had to squeeze in the Belvedere before leaving. 

Vinegar at Naschmarkt

Merry Christmas!

Sauerkraut at Naschmarkt

What I loved most about visiting Vienna were (and this is going to be no surprise to anyone who read my last post on Dresden) the markets, both the Nashmarkt and the Christmas Markets all over the city. While I love Prague and the Christmas Markets here, I have to say that Vienna's range of stalls was astounding and impressive. 

Christmas Market at Rathaus

I was a bit enamored with them all, and I was happy to be traveling with a level-headed person whose frugality and common sense prevented me from spending money on every cute thing I saw. Instead, I just took pictures - which are almost always free (I say almost because a number of museums and tourist attractions make you pay a fee to take pictures). Now I have the memories without the hole in my pocket - though, funnily enough, I also have a literal hole in my coat pocket... 

To Give You an Idea of What the Christmas Markets Offered:

A Stationery Stall

A Gingerbread House

They even sell football (soccer) jerseys from around the world!

Beautiful paper star decorations

I thought my nephew would like these a lot :)

A Busy End to 2011 Part II: Dresden (Plus Why I Love Markets)

 Dresden, Germany

Hofkirche...and other pretty buildings...

In early December we headed to Dresden, which is only about two hours north of Prague, just across the border into Germany (formerly part of East Germany). Before going I had known nothing of Dresden outside of the firebombing by the Allies (US) in WWII. Related to that, I had only the image carved in my own imagination from reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (a great book, if you haven't read it). I was therefore interested in going for historical reasons, but had a very fuzzy image of what was actually awaiting me there. 

We found a last minute Couchsurfer to host us (see http://www.couchsurfing.org/ for more information about that) in a big student flat, and all of the flatmates turned out to be welcoming and friendly. They had a huge party the second night we were there, which gave us the opportunity to meet lots of unique and memorable people. 

Frauenkirche

We had basically one day to see everything, because we had gotten a special deal on bus tickets, so we had to maximize our time. This meant waking up at about 7am and walking around the city the whole day, until 11pm. It could have felt like a miserably long day, but the city was so lovely, and the company so pleasant, that I didn't even notice the time pass - until about 9pm, when it grew dark and cold...

Among the sites we saw were some beautiful cathedrals, museums (but we didn't get the chance to go in because of time and money constraints), a beautiful opera house, and the Zwinger palace. Many post cards showed pictures of the city after its destruction in 1945 compared with current pictures, and the contrast is stark. It is a stunningly beautiful city, with real charm. It is entirely possible that a good deal of charm was due to the markets. It was Christmas Market season, so we walked through the stalls selling foods, arts, crafts, drinks, trinkets, and more. 

I'm also in love with this guy, at Zwinger Palace

Side Note on Markets:

This brings me to an epiphany of sorts that occurred to me in my travels this month: I am completely in love with these markets. I am in love with all markets, in fact. When I think of all my travels around the US and the world, I remember markets vividly. My experiences of markets - walking past them, walking through them, "window" shopping, buying things, smelling things, tasting things, trying things on, checking things out, communicating (verbally or non-verbally) with people - these have been some of the most memorable experiences of my life. So, for just a moment, I would like to honor the markets which have contributed to my love of traveling and interacting with people all over the world: the Farmers Markets in Madison, Ithaca, and Prague; the outdoor markets in Paris,  Milano, Venezia, Firenze, Roma, Kumasi, Accra, Medie, Klikor, Seoul, and Busan; and the Christmas Markets in Prague, Dresden and Vienna. 

Back to Dresden:

After seeing the sights, we went to see the Dresden Philharmonic. We got last minute student tickets in the very first row, which distorted the sound and the sight lines, but didn't detract at all from the fantastic performance. Plus, from my seat I could see the facial expressions of the conductor, who was easily one of, if not the most, animated and excited conductors I've witnessed. It was clear from start to finish that he was passionate about his work, and the orchestra responded in kind. I was thrilled to be there.

A Busy End to 2011 Part I: Plzen

December flew by. I was so busy with classes ending, exams beginning, and weekend traveling, I never once sat down to write a new post about it all! So, I decided to divide the month into several retro-active posts, so you don't have to read them all at once :)

The last month (-ish) was full of great trips in the region, and I was lucky to have a good travel partner to join me in my adventures. In addition, for the holidays I had a friend come from Israel to join me for the week, which meant more great company. While it was hard to be away from family over the holidays, I feel very grateful for the wonderful people I have met here who made the month fly by and filled it with happy memories.

Plzen, Czech Republic (Nov. 20)

Plzen, through the window of the tower

I last wrote right before taking a trip to Plzen (Pilsen), the home of Pilsner Urquell brewing company. The town is small, but is known for a cathedral with a high tower, a beautiful old synagogue, an opera house, and, mostly, the brewery. We went to all of these places in a whirlwind day trip. The tower offered a beautiful view of the city, and the bells rang out while we were at the top, so we were able to see the massive machinery that worked to make them chime - loudly. The synagogue was closed, but even so it was a lovely building, as was the opera house.

Pilsner Urquell Brewery - if you have a bottle,
you can see this gate on the seal and imprinted on the side

Our primary reason for the trip was to check out the brewery. Despite being born and raised in Wisconsin, home to hundreds of microbreweries and the Brewers baseball team, I had never been on a brewery tour. Pilsner set a pretty high bar, too. From the moment we stepped into a bran-new glass and chrome elevator with a 70 person capacity, I knew we were in for quite a tour. First, we saw a video about the unique brewing process in a surround-sound and 180-degree screened theater.

Nazdravi! 

Next, we walked through a room with waterfalls and water under the glass floor to learn about the special water used, before going into a room with hops you could touch and with tvs to see the special yeast used. We moved on to the furnace rooms, and then down to a museum with famous stuff...But the best part came at the end. The last part of the tour goes through part of a massive underground maze of caves, where the beer ferments and is iced. It was very cool, especially when we got to try the unfiltered freshly brewed Pilsner at the end. It really was about 10 times better than the stuff you get from the bottle, and 5 times better than on tap.

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.