Loyal fanatics,
Regrettably, my time in Praha is coming to a close; my days are literally numbered.
My matka had come to join me in Praha this week- she arrived on Sunday. Though I fear I haven't been very good company as of yet, I've been somewhat preoccupied with finishing up being a student and packing up my life and all. But she seems to enjoy the city, while possibly not with the same forgone infatuation as me... What can I say, other than I'm absolutely in love with this city?
School is completed as of today- though I don't feel the relief I normally would at this fact.
This evening was dinner with matka and a good friend Katie, whom I unfortunately had to say goodbye to. And then it was goodbye drinks with another kamarádka, because as much as I'd love to deny it I am leaving dreadfully soon. I decided to walk in the gorgeous snow to the nearest Green line Metro station rather than take a tram. Upon approaching Namésti Miru, the effulgent purple Christmas tree couldn't help but capture my attention; and of course I had to stop and gaze.
The snow was blowing in circles all around my person, the flakes getting caught in the tangle of my eyelashes and melting as they kissed my always too warm cheeks, and I couldn't move from that one spot. I just gaped at the tree and tried my hardest to breathe in that elusive scent of snow.
I am truly going to miss this place, and the magic I feel here.
And so now we prepare to leave for Istanbul on the morrow, matka's Christmas gift to me. May I just say- my brother is set to receive a golf bag, and I am somehow swinging a trip to Turkey? Not that I am in any way complaining- I would just like to know how this went down so I can use my apparent stellar persuasion for future endeavors. :)
I'm afraid that's all I've got for the time being, or rather all I am in the mood/have the time to divulge.
Perhaps a more detailed account when i return from Turkey, where I hope to engage in many activities involving various types of poultry. And see- now I'm getting so tired that my jokes are losing their pajazz, so it is most definitely time for bed.
Cheers,
Erin
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
wind mills and waffles
Readers,
This past weekend was my trip to Belgium, which in turn became a 3 day side trip to the Netherlands- meaning Amsterdam. Honestly not my favorite of the cities I've traveled to, but then again I've seen some extraordinary cities, and they can't all be uber-fabulous.
It all started with a plane ride to Brussels, then a bus to the actual city center, then we found ourselves at the train station looking at the board, saw a train to Amsterdam leaving in 8 minutes. JC inquired, "do you want to go?" I couldn't think of a reason to decline, so off we went toward Holland. We arrived in the rain to a shimmering city of neon.
We then proceeded to wander around for close to 4 hours, in search of an internet cafe and then a hostel.. Regardless, we finally found a place to lay our weary heads, though it seemed a shame to just pass out in a city as notorious as Amsterdam, so we went out for a beer or two. Before long, we found ourselves at a rather tawdry watering hole, complete with confederate flags and what appeared to be a band channeling Lynyrd Skynyrd. We didn't last there very long.. Did some more wandering, and before long ended up back at the hostel for some much needed sleep.
More aimless wandering the next day, this time mostly outside of the kitchy tourist center. Marveled at the timeless Dutch architechture, meandered through an open park, followed the lines of the canals, took a ferry to the north side across the port, tried to get some good shots.
JC decided he'd like to stay in Amsterdam the majority of our trip, especially considering some people from our program were due to arrive on Saturday. Being myself, I obliged- however, the girls never showed so we spent the majority of Saturday wandering yet again and spending far too many euros on Belgian frites and Heineken. Sometime during this day, my camera decided it would be prudent to crack along the edge of the screen and obscure 2/3 of the image. Which honestly wouldn't bother me much, except for the fact that it doesn't have a viewfinder so I have to aim and pray for a good shot. But I still ended up with some pretty nifty shots, so I suppose I needn't care too much.
Sunday we said our goodbyes to Amsterdam and made our way back to Brussels. Upon arriving, we saw another train to Bruges leaving in 11 minutes, and decided to spend the evening there, on JC's suggestion. So we boarded another train, and were off to another city. Bruges is a beautiful little tourist trap in the East of Belgium, in the West Flanders. It is a small city, of course paved in cobblestone and roofed in tile. We wandered, we ate waffles, we climbed towers, we ate mussels, we drank, we watched futbol in a local pub- we experienced most of what the city had to offer. I won't say that we got a local experience, as I doubt there are very many locals to begin with; but it was fun, and the food was exquisite.
The next day I took the reigns and said I'd like to see some of Brussels before we flew back to Prague that afternoon, so back on the rails we went. We only had 2 hours in the city, and somehow managed to wander without a map- this basically consisted of, "Well that building looks important, let's go that way." We found the city centre, another beautiful little Christmas market, got some waffles to go and were back at the train station in time to catch our bus to the airport.
It seemed a very long weekend, and I think it's safe to say I'm acutely joyous to be back home in Prague. Though I'm going to have to uproot and leave soon, back to another house and another home. Reverse culture-shock is a very real possibility.
Cheers,
Erin
This past weekend was my trip to Belgium, which in turn became a 3 day side trip to the Netherlands- meaning Amsterdam. Honestly not my favorite of the cities I've traveled to, but then again I've seen some extraordinary cities, and they can't all be uber-fabulous.
It all started with a plane ride to Brussels, then a bus to the actual city center, then we found ourselves at the train station looking at the board, saw a train to Amsterdam leaving in 8 minutes. JC inquired, "do you want to go?" I couldn't think of a reason to decline, so off we went toward Holland. We arrived in the rain to a shimmering city of neon.
We then proceeded to wander around for close to 4 hours, in search of an internet cafe and then a hostel.. Regardless, we finally found a place to lay our weary heads, though it seemed a shame to just pass out in a city as notorious as Amsterdam, so we went out for a beer or two. Before long, we found ourselves at a rather tawdry watering hole, complete with confederate flags and what appeared to be a band channeling Lynyrd Skynyrd. We didn't last there very long.. Did some more wandering, and before long ended up back at the hostel for some much needed sleep.More aimless wandering the next day, this time mostly outside of the kitchy tourist center. Marveled at the timeless Dutch architechture, meandered through an open park, followed the lines of the canals, took a ferry to the north side across the port, tried to get some good shots.
JC decided he'd like to stay in Amsterdam the majority of our trip, especially considering some people from our program were due to arrive on Saturday. Being myself, I obliged- however, the girls never showed so we spent the majority of Saturday wandering yet again and spending far too many euros on Belgian frites and Heineken. Sometime during this day, my camera decided it would be prudent to crack along the edge of the screen and obscure 2/3 of the image. Which honestly wouldn't bother me much, except for the fact that it doesn't have a viewfinder so I have to aim and pray for a good shot. But I still ended up with some pretty nifty shots, so I suppose I needn't care too much.Sunday we said our goodbyes to Amsterdam and made our way back to Brussels. Upon arriving, we saw another train to Bruges leaving in 11 minutes, and decided to spend the evening there, on JC's suggestion. So we boarded another train, and were off to another city. Bruges is a beautiful little tourist trap in the East of Belgium, in the West Flanders. It is a small city, of course paved in cobblestone and roofed in tile. We wandered, we ate waffles, we climbed towers, we ate mussels, we drank, we watched futbol in a local pub- we experienced most of what the city had to offer. I won't say that we got a local experience, as I doubt there are very many locals to begin with; but it was fun, and the food was exquisite.
The next day I took the reigns and said I'd like to see some of Brussels before we flew back to Prague that afternoon, so back on the rails we went. We only had 2 hours in the city, and somehow managed to wander without a map- this basically consisted of, "Well that building looks important, let's go that way." We found the city centre, another beautiful little Christmas market, got some waffles to go and were back at the train station in time to catch our bus to the airport.
It seemed a very long weekend, and I think it's safe to say I'm acutely joyous to be back home in Prague. Though I'm going to have to uproot and leave soon, back to another house and another home. Reverse culture-shock is a very real possibility.Cheers,
Erin
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Vienna: palaces, singing adolescents, and the headcold from hell.
Those who haven't grow tired of my antics as of yet,
Vienna was several days ago, but as I've been preoccupied with being a student the past few days, I haven't had the adequate attention span to tackle blogging. But alas, we know that the internet waits for no woman.
I must unfortunately report that last week I fell just the tiniest bit ill.. You know- fever, coughing, stomach issues.. 'twas rather glorious. But being the obscenely stubborn individual I am, I refused to let it affect my trip to Vienna. With the exception of 16 hours of sleep upon my arrival.
But I woke up the next day determined to see and experience the city; and I managed to stay out of bed for a whole 14 hours, a definite success. Did several walking tours, which merely allowed for us to witness important buildings.. The highlight of my morning was the national library. This should come as no surprise, as I am assuredly classified as a bona fide bibliophile. Words can't embody the magnificence, so pictures will just have to do-
It was truly breathtaking. I spent far too much time drooling over the books (which I regrettably did not have the rank or security clearance to touch) and then wandered around one of Vienna's many Christmas markets. It was kitschy, it was expensive, it was magical :) Wandered around with another tour guide and saw endless baroque beauty, a few more palaces. Then before I knew it, it was time to go meet someone I actually knew in Vienna!
On my last night in Budapest, I stayed up to a rather unreasonable hour talking and playing chess with 2 hostel mates, one of whom was a girl of the Austrian persuasion; Angelika, a grad student in Vienna. I mentioned that I would be visiting the next month, and we made plans to get together- which to my great surprise actually came to pass.
We met on the steps of the Volkstheatre, and from there she took me to another Christmas market. I was expecting a repeat of the touristy wonderland from earlier that day, but it was not even remotely close. Hidden in little alleyways right outside the centre of town was this small, romantic market- with twinkling lights strewn across the top like a canopy of celestial bodies. It was gorgeous, and the mulled wine and puncsh were significantly cheaper, and of course since I couldn't find a hot toddy, a few of those were deemed absolutely necessary. Anyhow, we wandered around there for a fair while, sampled a small bit of Austrian cuisine (my stomach handled it haphazardly) and she gifted my with "the best Chocolate in Austria". We then ventured back to Kitsch Central to meet some of her friends at the gargantuan market in front of town hall, and after a few hours of standing around drinking punsch-
"You can't drink gluhwein here, you must come to my village and drink it. Not in Vienna, it's bad."- Angelika
"Where is your village?" - Erin
"Far, far East. In the mountains." - Angelika
"As in, in the Alps?"- Erin
"Yes."- Angelika
"Well that sounds great, but... It might be a bit far for me."- Erin
I decided to give in to my afflicted side and head back to the hotel and get as much sleep as possible before the Vienna Boy's Choir concert in the morning. Which was wonderful, of course. Reminded me some of my days in Texas Girls Choir... I wonder if they have a director who whacks you with a yard stick and frequently gives preteens nervous breakdowns? To be discovered at a later date...
All in all, Vienna was an enjoyable time. I wish I hadn't been ill, but so is life.
And now onto things of a more present nature- Thanksgiving!
It was indeed this young adult's first time away from home (one of my many) for this holiday of gluttony and gratitude; quite a change. I did miss the traditional Indian food that usually graces the table, courtesy of my lovely step-Grandmother Elaine, but all in all I'd say it was still a successful holiday. My program set up a dinner for us at the Marriott on Thanksgiving day- turkey, ham, yams, the whole nine yards. EXCEPT mashed potatoes. I was perplexed by that, no potatoes on Thanksgiving? Where did they scavenge up the yams? But regardless, there was pumpkin pie and I was a happy camper.
I also managed to swing an invitation to an Ex-pats Thanksgiving meal on Friday evening. I came, I carved the turkey, I conquered. My friend Colleen also made one of the best apple pies I've ever had (in her oven with no temperature gauge, yeah Czech Republic!). A good time with good people.
And that's all I know. Or at least, all I'll own up to- therefore I'm going to go be a student now and complete the last two papers I have this semester so that I can be frivolous the next few weeks.
Cheers,
Erin
Vienna was several days ago, but as I've been preoccupied with being a student the past few days, I haven't had the adequate attention span to tackle blogging. But alas, we know that the internet waits for no woman.
I must unfortunately report that last week I fell just the tiniest bit ill.. You know- fever, coughing, stomach issues.. 'twas rather glorious. But being the obscenely stubborn individual I am, I refused to let it affect my trip to Vienna. With the exception of 16 hours of sleep upon my arrival.
But I woke up the next day determined to see and experience the city; and I managed to stay out of bed for a whole 14 hours, a definite success. Did several walking tours, which merely allowed for us to witness important buildings.. The highlight of my morning was the national library. This should come as no surprise, as I am assuredly classified as a bona fide bibliophile. Words can't embody the magnificence, so pictures will just have to do-
It was truly breathtaking. I spent far too much time drooling over the books (which I regrettably did not have the rank or security clearance to touch) and then wandered around one of Vienna's many Christmas markets. It was kitschy, it was expensive, it was magical :) Wandered around with another tour guide and saw endless baroque beauty, a few more palaces. Then before I knew it, it was time to go meet someone I actually knew in Vienna!On my last night in Budapest, I stayed up to a rather unreasonable hour talking and playing chess with 2 hostel mates, one of whom was a girl of the Austrian persuasion; Angelika, a grad student in Vienna. I mentioned that I would be visiting the next month, and we made plans to get together- which to my great surprise actually came to pass.
We met on the steps of the Volkstheatre, and from there she took me to another Christmas market. I was expecting a repeat of the touristy wonderland from earlier that day, but it was not even remotely close. Hidden in little alleyways right outside the centre of town was this small, romantic market- with twinkling lights strewn across the top like a canopy of celestial bodies. It was gorgeous, and the mulled wine and puncsh were significantly cheaper, and of course since I couldn't find a hot toddy, a few of those were deemed absolutely necessary. Anyhow, we wandered around there for a fair while, sampled a small bit of Austrian cuisine (my stomach handled it haphazardly) and she gifted my with "the best Chocolate in Austria". We then ventured back to Kitsch Central to meet some of her friends at the gargantuan market in front of town hall, and after a few hours of standing around drinking punsch-
"You can't drink gluhwein here, you must come to my village and drink it. Not in Vienna, it's bad."- Angelika
"Where is your village?" - Erin
"Far, far East. In the mountains." - Angelika
"As in, in the Alps?"- Erin
"Yes."- Angelika
"Well that sounds great, but... It might be a bit far for me."- Erin
I decided to give in to my afflicted side and head back to the hotel and get as much sleep as possible before the Vienna Boy's Choir concert in the morning. Which was wonderful, of course. Reminded me some of my days in Texas Girls Choir... I wonder if they have a director who whacks you with a yard stick and frequently gives preteens nervous breakdowns? To be discovered at a later date...
All in all, Vienna was an enjoyable time. I wish I hadn't been ill, but so is life.
And now onto things of a more present nature- Thanksgiving!It was indeed this young adult's first time away from home (one of my many) for this holiday of gluttony and gratitude; quite a change. I did miss the traditional Indian food that usually graces the table, courtesy of my lovely step-Grandmother Elaine, but all in all I'd say it was still a successful holiday. My program set up a dinner for us at the Marriott on Thanksgiving day- turkey, ham, yams, the whole nine yards. EXCEPT mashed potatoes. I was perplexed by that, no potatoes on Thanksgiving? Where did they scavenge up the yams? But regardless, there was pumpkin pie and I was a happy camper.
I also managed to swing an invitation to an Ex-pats Thanksgiving meal on Friday evening. I came, I carved the turkey, I conquered. My friend Colleen also made one of the best apple pies I've ever had (in her oven with no temperature gauge, yeah Czech Republic!). A good time with good people.
And that's all I know. Or at least, all I'll own up to- therefore I'm going to go be a student now and complete the last two papers I have this semester so that I can be frivolous the next few weeks.Cheers,
Erin
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
more tours; and a revolution draped in velvet
Greetings, blogglings-
It's so strange, this transitory way of living- people in and out of your life constantly, often times long enough only for a first impression; then they're gone and you never hear from them again. I suppose it's all part of the nomadic nature of the "European Journey" one so often takes, but these people still leave their marks.
It makes me ponder about all those small two-land highway towns I drive through back and forth from Dallas to Chicago- constantly being invaded by outsiders. But outsiders that never set down roots, they merely pass through or stop long enough to make a first impression, then they're gone. Are those towns resentful, I wonder? Though those travelers who (like me) decide to take back road Oklahoma routes rather than the congested and mediocre major highways are their main if not only source of income- do they hold our ephemeral nature against us, though we are merely passerby?
And in turn, the Czechs must also feel this way toward we who are only here for brief amounts of time- we who stay longer than a mere weekend away, upsetting the balance of quiet patriotism. Just in time to put down a few roots, only to have them savagely ripped from the soil when we inevitably defect, leaving scars in the ground.
But I digress.. I'm beginning to think about leaving Prague, and it makes me rather sad, and therefore I'm turning to my regular behavior- contemplation.
I tried my hand at tourguiding once again with some lovely Polish girls I happened upon via couchsurfing.com and another amiga- I fear I overloaded them with information. I hadn't realized how much information about Prague I've accumulated in my time here, but apparently it's enough to make a couple of visitor's heads spin. Took them for the best guláš and dumplings in the city, well worth the 135kc.. Then said na shledanou (goodbye) and haven't heard from them since. Again- in and out of your life so quickly you barely have time to blink.
Today was the 20th anniversary of the Velvet revolution- yes, yet another 20th anniversary! First Berlin, now Prague- probably the best time anyone could have picked to come here.
There was a long march/parade- which I walked in. It followed the same path students (from my university!) took 20 years ago to protest Communism. It took 2 1/2 hours, but it was absolutely worth it; and the weather was nice, though I might have appreciated a little more sun for my shots. :)
There were police reenacting brutality on a corner near Vyshehrad- that threw me off until I realized it was in fact, a reenactment. There were choppers, protesters, protesters on stilts, and musical performances. It was, for lack of a better description- glorious.
I felt a little bit wrong, walking with the Czechs- I've certainly never lived under communism, I've never been any situation that could remotely relate; but it was incredible to be there, and no one really seemed to mind.
Vienna this coming weekend, I'm sure once again that I'll take far too many pictures- several of which are bound to end up here.
Cheers,
Erin
It's so strange, this transitory way of living- people in and out of your life constantly, often times long enough only for a first impression; then they're gone and you never hear from them again. I suppose it's all part of the nomadic nature of the "European Journey" one so often takes, but these people still leave their marks.
It makes me ponder about all those small two-land highway towns I drive through back and forth from Dallas to Chicago- constantly being invaded by outsiders. But outsiders that never set down roots, they merely pass through or stop long enough to make a first impression, then they're gone. Are those towns resentful, I wonder? Though those travelers who (like me) decide to take back road Oklahoma routes rather than the congested and mediocre major highways are their main if not only source of income- do they hold our ephemeral nature against us, though we are merely passerby?
And in turn, the Czechs must also feel this way toward we who are only here for brief amounts of time- we who stay longer than a mere weekend away, upsetting the balance of quiet patriotism. Just in time to put down a few roots, only to have them savagely ripped from the soil when we inevitably defect, leaving scars in the ground.
But I digress.. I'm beginning to think about leaving Prague, and it makes me rather sad, and therefore I'm turning to my regular behavior- contemplation.
I tried my hand at tourguiding once again with some lovely Polish girls I happened upon via couchsurfing.com and another amiga- I fear I overloaded them with information. I hadn't realized how much information about Prague I've accumulated in my time here, but apparently it's enough to make a couple of visitor's heads spin. Took them for the best guláš and dumplings in the city, well worth the 135kc.. Then said na shledanou (goodbye) and haven't heard from them since. Again- in and out of your life so quickly you barely have time to blink.
Today was the 20th anniversary of the Velvet revolution- yes, yet another 20th anniversary! First Berlin, now Prague- probably the best time anyone could have picked to come here.
There was a long march/parade- which I walked in. It followed the same path students (from my university!) took 20 years ago to protest Communism. It took 2 1/2 hours, but it was absolutely worth it; and the weather was nice, though I might have appreciated a little more sun for my shots. :)
There were police reenacting brutality on a corner near Vyshehrad- that threw me off until I realized it was in fact, a reenactment. There were choppers, protesters, protesters on stilts, and musical performances. It was, for lack of a better description- glorious.
I felt a little bit wrong, walking with the Czechs- I've certainly never lived under communism, I've never been any situation that could remotely relate; but it was incredible to be there, and no one really seemed to mind.
Vienna this coming weekend, I'm sure once again that I'll take far too many pictures- several of which are bound to end up here.
Cheers,
Erin
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Krakow, Auschwitz, and the Berlin Wall. All in one weekend- ambitious much?
Salutations, readers-
This past weekend I ventured off to Poland with the kids from my program. And I mean ALL the kids. 50 or so 20 year-olds trapped on a bus together for 9 hours both ways- yeesh! But, it was still a good time :) Then the Freedom Festival in Berlin Monday evening- but let's do this in a linear fashion, eh?
Be warned- this is going to be a looooong one. With lots of pictures. I did alot the past few days, there's much to say about it!
Left at 8am Friday morning for Krakow. Stopped at the border at a Walmart-like supermarket monstrosity for an hour to stretch our legs and get some provisions to move onward. Let me tell you- whoever's idea it was to put a bunch of bored, hungry kids in a Walmart for an hour on a roadtrip must have had some sort of commission deal happening with the store- we all bought WAY too much. Arrived in Krakow around 6pm, had a lovely vegetarian meal with a kamaradka, decided we were a bit too worn down to go out, and fell asleep watching movies dubbed very poorly into Polish.
Next day went on several walking tours with the group. Saw yet another castle, the Jewish ghetto, a flaming statue, all sorts of nifty stuff. Evidence below-
Polish pride!
Town square.
I make such a cute little tourist, don't I?
So many gorgeous churches...
See, wouldn't you be intimidated if a group twice this size entered your establishment? :)
Had Ukrainian and Polish food, drank tatanka- my new favorite beverage! A special spiced vodka mixed with apple juice- so gooooood. Then Sunday morning it was another early day, this time we were off to Auschwitz.
So if you know me, you know that Religious studies is my passion- what I want to do with my life, so to speak. You would also know that Judaism is my area of specialty. So this was a really important trip to me. I've studied the subject of the holocaust of course, and I had been to a concentration camp here in the Czech Republic; but this is Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp built by the nazis, and the site of the largest mass murder in the history of humanity.
We arrived, and entered the camp of Auschwitz I- walked under the infamous "Arbiet Macht Frei" [work makes you free] and saw the brick buildings, one after another- lined up menacingly against the backdrop of ever-gazing watchtowers and twice erected razorwire fences. Each building is an exhibit to a different aspect of either the camp itself, or the people who were butchered there. It was truly chilling, and I'll admit openly that it brought tears to my eyes more than once. Auschwitz I was used not just for the extermination of Jews, but also for Poles, 'political uprisers' (those who even breathed a word against the Nazi regime), homosexuals, and whoever else the Nazis thought to eradicate. After 2 hours, we took the quietest bus ride I have ever experienced to Auschwitz II, Birkenau- a camp used specifically for the extermination of the Jewish people.
The above picture is the view from inside the camp of the railroad tracks where boxcars were constantly bringing in new 'prisoners'. This camp is a vast, open, haunting place with buildings here and there- little more than barns, used to hold 'prisoners'. It is extremely grassy, but I'm told that no flowers grow there; no birds ever fly over; no wild animals live in the surrounding woods. It is a damned place. The gas chambers are all but gone, as the Nazis destroyed them to cover up their crimes. But this isn't a history lesson... I just mean to express how much being in that place affected me. In the back end of the camp, there stands a monument with plaques in no less than 15 languages, all with the following inscription-
'For ever let this place stand as a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly jews from various countries around Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945'.
Being in that place only reiterated to me that me life's calling is to teach religious studies, to teach the history of those people to the next generation. I've never been so sure of that until now, and I know that I will follow through on it. I know I will not be the first nor the last to do so, but it is what I choose to devote my life to.
And now onto a less intense, but still extremely important topic- the Freedom Festival in Berlin, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the wall!
Got back to Prague from Krakow at 7.30pm, and by midnight, I was on another bus to Berlin, due to arrive at 5am. Got there, met a friend at his hostel, got a few hours of sleep- then off to the festivities! Did lots of wandering, went through 3 rolls of film, saw the painted dominoes the city had set up for a 1.5km around the Brandenburg Gate where the wall used to stand, ate currywurst, drank beer and spiced wine, then stood in the freezing rain for 5 hours with the other 500,000 people there, listened to speeches dubbed from various languages into German (including Hilary Clinton, ugh), and finally watched the dominoes fall. It was an amazing experience, and I have pictures to prove it!
Dominoes by the river.
Very cool domino painted by kiddos.
Myself and my brother-in-arms J.C. , drinking the mulled mead to keep warm!
Wet!
Why yes, that is Bon Jovi performing.
It was very cool. Caught a midnight bus home and arrived at 5.50 this morning. I won't deny, I did miss my 9am class today... I just couldn't wake up to get there. But I somehow made the 12.30 one, and went grocery shopping, and updated all my pictures and blogs and yadda yadda yadda... In short, this weekend was very FULL, but absolutely spectacular. Somber at times yes, but completely worthwhile. But it was nice to get back to Prague to my tiny little flat/dorm room and sleep in a familiar bed and cook on my own little hot plate. And I have no doubt that tonight will be a glorious night's sleep. The first full one in 3 days!
Once again- have I mentioned what a spectacular experience studying abroad is turning out to be?
That's all I've got- and it's alot regardless!
Cheers,
Erin
This past weekend I ventured off to Poland with the kids from my program. And I mean ALL the kids. 50 or so 20 year-olds trapped on a bus together for 9 hours both ways- yeesh! But, it was still a good time :) Then the Freedom Festival in Berlin Monday evening- but let's do this in a linear fashion, eh?
Be warned- this is going to be a looooong one. With lots of pictures. I did alot the past few days, there's much to say about it!
Left at 8am Friday morning for Krakow. Stopped at the border at a Walmart-like supermarket monstrosity for an hour to stretch our legs and get some provisions to move onward. Let me tell you- whoever's idea it was to put a bunch of bored, hungry kids in a Walmart for an hour on a roadtrip must have had some sort of commission deal happening with the store- we all bought WAY too much. Arrived in Krakow around 6pm, had a lovely vegetarian meal with a kamaradka, decided we were a bit too worn down to go out, and fell asleep watching movies dubbed very poorly into Polish.
Next day went on several walking tours with the group. Saw yet another castle, the Jewish ghetto, a flaming statue, all sorts of nifty stuff. Evidence below-
Polish pride!
Town square.
I make such a cute little tourist, don't I?
So many gorgeous churches...
See, wouldn't you be intimidated if a group twice this size entered your establishment? :)Had Ukrainian and Polish food, drank tatanka- my new favorite beverage! A special spiced vodka mixed with apple juice- so gooooood. Then Sunday morning it was another early day, this time we were off to Auschwitz.
So if you know me, you know that Religious studies is my passion- what I want to do with my life, so to speak. You would also know that Judaism is my area of specialty. So this was a really important trip to me. I've studied the subject of the holocaust of course, and I had been to a concentration camp here in the Czech Republic; but this is Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp built by the nazis, and the site of the largest mass murder in the history of humanity.We arrived, and entered the camp of Auschwitz I- walked under the infamous "Arbiet Macht Frei" [work makes you free] and saw the brick buildings, one after another- lined up menacingly against the backdrop of ever-gazing watchtowers and twice erected razorwire fences. Each building is an exhibit to a different aspect of either the camp itself, or the people who were butchered there. It was truly chilling, and I'll admit openly that it brought tears to my eyes more than once. Auschwitz I was used not just for the extermination of Jews, but also for Poles, 'political uprisers' (those who even breathed a word against the Nazi regime), homosexuals, and whoever else the Nazis thought to eradicate. After 2 hours, we took the quietest bus ride I have ever experienced to Auschwitz II, Birkenau- a camp used specifically for the extermination of the Jewish people.
The above picture is the view from inside the camp of the railroad tracks where boxcars were constantly bringing in new 'prisoners'. This camp is a vast, open, haunting place with buildings here and there- little more than barns, used to hold 'prisoners'. It is extremely grassy, but I'm told that no flowers grow there; no birds ever fly over; no wild animals live in the surrounding woods. It is a damned place. The gas chambers are all but gone, as the Nazis destroyed them to cover up their crimes. But this isn't a history lesson... I just mean to express how much being in that place affected me. In the back end of the camp, there stands a monument with plaques in no less than 15 languages, all with the following inscription-
'For ever let this place stand as a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly jews from various countries around Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945'.
Being in that place only reiterated to me that me life's calling is to teach religious studies, to teach the history of those people to the next generation. I've never been so sure of that until now, and I know that I will follow through on it. I know I will not be the first nor the last to do so, but it is what I choose to devote my life to.
And now onto a less intense, but still extremely important topic- the Freedom Festival in Berlin, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the wall!
Got back to Prague from Krakow at 7.30pm, and by midnight, I was on another bus to Berlin, due to arrive at 5am. Got there, met a friend at his hostel, got a few hours of sleep- then off to the festivities! Did lots of wandering, went through 3 rolls of film, saw the painted dominoes the city had set up for a 1.5km around the Brandenburg Gate where the wall used to stand, ate currywurst, drank beer and spiced wine, then stood in the freezing rain for 5 hours with the other 500,000 people there, listened to speeches dubbed from various languages into German (including Hilary Clinton, ugh), and finally watched the dominoes fall. It was an amazing experience, and I have pictures to prove it!
Dominoes by the river.
Very cool domino painted by kiddos.
Myself and my brother-in-arms J.C. , drinking the mulled mead to keep warm!
Wet!
Why yes, that is Bon Jovi performing.It was very cool. Caught a midnight bus home and arrived at 5.50 this morning. I won't deny, I did miss my 9am class today... I just couldn't wake up to get there. But I somehow made the 12.30 one, and went grocery shopping, and updated all my pictures and blogs and yadda yadda yadda... In short, this weekend was very FULL, but absolutely spectacular. Somber at times yes, but completely worthwhile. But it was nice to get back to Prague to my tiny little flat/dorm room and sleep in a familiar bed and cook on my own little hot plate. And I have no doubt that tonight will be a glorious night's sleep. The first full one in 3 days!
Once again- have I mentioned what a spectacular experience studying abroad is turning out to be?
That's all I've got- and it's alot regardless!
Cheers,
Erin
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
tacos & mediocre tourguides-R-us.
Bloggers of the globe- unite!
Been a bit, I need to rack my brain to see if I remember back far enough to give a full recap... Though to be honest, much beer has been consumed during that span of time, so my memory may be just the teenist bit foggy. But alas, the internet waits for no woman! (that's right, woman!)
So last Tuesday, my lovely kamaradka Katie and I decided we deserved a break from the constant veggie stirfry my hotplate so frequently produces and that we were going to make tacos. Oh yes- tacos. Dare I admit, this seemed a feat almost too big for one tiny Prague kitchen- but we were not afraid! After a near excruciating 2 hour class disecting Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, we marched over to the market within our favorite metro station to assemble our ingredients. Tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese of some czech variety, and meat with a cow on it that seemed safe. But what is "Mexican" food without chips and salsa? Guac? So we ventured upon these questionable items as well. To sum it up, the guacamole tasted strongly of dill pickles, the salsa like pasta sauce- but the tacos? The tacos were surprisingly glorious... Just doused them in hot sauce, and we were happy campers.
The ingredients-
Finished product-
Happy Americans!
Then this past weekend, my good friend Jake came over from France (he's studying on the lovely European land mass as well) for the weekend. I did my best to be a good tourguide, though I'm not sure I did a very good job... However, Jake is so amiable toward everything I could have taken him to a knitting class full of crochity old Czech woman and he still would have been exceedingly enthusiastic about the experience.. Took him to the castle, made him food on my magic hot plate, flea marketing, went out with some of my Czech (or rather, Ex French and Americans that live in Prague) friends, and generally had a good time.
And then Halloween happened.
Wonderful, crazy, ridiculous Halloween- in all it's drunken glory. I don't mean us, we weren't quite so thick as to think that would be a good idea- I mean everyone around us. We mistakenly went to a college student party at a club over in Prague 4, thinking it would be fun. Which it was, after we got in- we had to wait an hour to get in, as the place was so packed! Bloody zombies, scantily clad girlies (and a surprising amount of gentlemen) and ravaged creatures of all sorts in every corner of the place- it was crazy! But we finally found some familiar faces and danced a good portion of the night away. Evidence below-
Jake, myself, and kamaradka Daisey.
Then Sunday morning got there before it seemed humanly possible, and it was time for Jake to leave. But he was a wonderful guest, found the air mattress I managed to scrounge up to be a luxurious slumber area, and made my time here in Prague that much better. :)
This week was midterms, I wrote my first paper in 6 months! Oh, how my microsoft word was getting lonely... But not to worry, I got through it quick and simple! ... Right? Well, I got through it at least, and that's what counts! I won't deny it was a difficult task, getting back in the swing of ACTUAL schoolwork... the first real assignment I've had since May... haha.
But I do believe I rocked the aforementioned assignment. It was a critical film review of Dreyer's 1928 Passion of Joan of Arc. Don't believe me? Just read this! -
"When her judges are speaking to her, screaming questions and accusations, they are never cast in the frame with her; thus the film’s non-linear nature again disallows the viewer to see Joan as a creature capable of empathy. She is her own entity, something incapable of evoking feelings of empathy, as you are unable to put yourself into her position. So is Dryer’s Joan meant to be a spiritual figure, and consequently a reminder of Christ like martyrdom, or is she merely a case study in suffering and cinematic expression?"
Boo-yah!
Had a test in Jewish History today, it was relatively simple. Ergo, Erin gets back into the swing of schoolwork! But considering I only have 3 papers for the rest of the semester, and they aren't due for another month and a half, I might be inclined to backslide just a bit..
Anyhow, I believe that's as complete a recap as I'm able to reiterate, so I bid you and this blog Ahoj and am off to bigger and better things! (meaning of course, a movie on my laptop and bed.)
Cheers,
Erin
Been a bit, I need to rack my brain to see if I remember back far enough to give a full recap... Though to be honest, much beer has been consumed during that span of time, so my memory may be just the teenist bit foggy. But alas, the internet waits for no woman! (that's right, woman!)
So last Tuesday, my lovely kamaradka Katie and I decided we deserved a break from the constant veggie stirfry my hotplate so frequently produces and that we were going to make tacos. Oh yes- tacos. Dare I admit, this seemed a feat almost too big for one tiny Prague kitchen- but we were not afraid! After a near excruciating 2 hour class disecting Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, we marched over to the market within our favorite metro station to assemble our ingredients. Tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese of some czech variety, and meat with a cow on it that seemed safe. But what is "Mexican" food without chips and salsa? Guac? So we ventured upon these questionable items as well. To sum it up, the guacamole tasted strongly of dill pickles, the salsa like pasta sauce- but the tacos? The tacos were surprisingly glorious... Just doused them in hot sauce, and we were happy campers.
The ingredients-
Finished product-
Happy Americans!Then this past weekend, my good friend Jake came over from France (he's studying on the lovely European land mass as well) for the weekend. I did my best to be a good tourguide, though I'm not sure I did a very good job... However, Jake is so amiable toward everything I could have taken him to a knitting class full of crochity old Czech woman and he still would have been exceedingly enthusiastic about the experience.. Took him to the castle, made him food on my magic hot plate, flea marketing, went out with some of my Czech (or rather, Ex French and Americans that live in Prague) friends, and generally had a good time.
And then Halloween happened.
Wonderful, crazy, ridiculous Halloween- in all it's drunken glory. I don't mean us, we weren't quite so thick as to think that would be a good idea- I mean everyone around us. We mistakenly went to a college student party at a club over in Prague 4, thinking it would be fun. Which it was, after we got in- we had to wait an hour to get in, as the place was so packed! Bloody zombies, scantily clad girlies (and a surprising amount of gentlemen) and ravaged creatures of all sorts in every corner of the place- it was crazy! But we finally found some familiar faces and danced a good portion of the night away. Evidence below-
Jake, myself, and kamaradka Daisey.Then Sunday morning got there before it seemed humanly possible, and it was time for Jake to leave. But he was a wonderful guest, found the air mattress I managed to scrounge up to be a luxurious slumber area, and made my time here in Prague that much better. :)
This week was midterms, I wrote my first paper in 6 months! Oh, how my microsoft word was getting lonely... But not to worry, I got through it quick and simple! ... Right? Well, I got through it at least, and that's what counts! I won't deny it was a difficult task, getting back in the swing of ACTUAL schoolwork... the first real assignment I've had since May... haha.
But I do believe I rocked the aforementioned assignment. It was a critical film review of Dreyer's 1928 Passion of Joan of Arc. Don't believe me? Just read this! -
"When her judges are speaking to her, screaming questions and accusations, they are never cast in the frame with her; thus the film’s non-linear nature again disallows the viewer to see Joan as a creature capable of empathy. She is her own entity, something incapable of evoking feelings of empathy, as you are unable to put yourself into her position. So is Dryer’s Joan meant to be a spiritual figure, and consequently a reminder of Christ like martyrdom, or is she merely a case study in suffering and cinematic expression?"
Boo-yah!
Had a test in Jewish History today, it was relatively simple. Ergo, Erin gets back into the swing of schoolwork! But considering I only have 3 papers for the rest of the semester, and they aren't due for another month and a half, I might be inclined to backslide just a bit..
Anyhow, I believe that's as complete a recap as I'm able to reiterate, so I bid you and this blog Ahoj and am off to bigger and better things! (meaning of course, a movie on my laptop and bed.)
Cheers,
Erin
Monday, October 26, 2009
american-style chinese food in Budapest.
Katie, myself, and Rakel being just a bit touristy on Buda Hill.
Bloggers of the globe;
Hitched a bus to Budapest, Hungary for the weekend... thoroughly enjoyable experience. Let's recap it together, what do you think?
First things first- bus out of Prague at 6.30am. Which means arriving at the bus depot right before 6. Therefore leaving the kolej around 5.20am to switch metro lines and get there a little bit early, as I am nothing if not my father's daughter. Which meant waking up at 4.15 so there would be time for a couple hits of the snooze button and a leisurely bowl of cocoa puffs.. but I digress. Woke up early, got on the bus- yahoo. Stopped off in Bratislava for a half hour, attempted to use a loo but had no Slovakian cash so used the scary bus one with a hole in the floor (yikes!) then back on the bus 4 hours to Budapest.
Our hostel was spectacular.. 'Twas an apartment renovated with open lofts in each room in an Asian/fusion-on-a-budget style run by this former American rocker-boy and his Hungarian girlie. I had access to a real stove, with an oven!! I was very excited about that... made a glorious omelet and Hungarian sausages for dinner one night.. but back to the matter at hand!
Hung out at the hostel a bit, but Katie was restless to see the city, so we set off in search of Hungarian adventures! -
Wandered the area around the river for a long while, shot endless pictures, then made our way over to a supposed underground club.. Which turned out to be wicked amazing courtyard that had been converted into a club with multiple levels, dancefloor in the dungeon-type basement area. However, it was far too early to be clubbing at that time, so we bought a few beverages at the local potroviny (mini-mart) then proceeded to plop down on a statue and have philosophical discussions about life, love, and Halloween whilest sitting. Eventually made it back to the club, fooled around to the reggae music for a bit till we couldn't stand the smoke any longer, and decided to make our exhausted little booties back to the hostel. Little did we know, public transport ends at 11pm in Budapest- oops! Oh, and did I mention it was raining? No? Well.... yeah, it was.
Made it back to the hostel, and didn't resurface till around 10.30am the next day... But then we went exploring with our new mate Chris, who's lived in Budapest for over 6 months, so he should know tons, yes? Not so much... but we still had fun!
Took us up Buda Hill, which was a great vantage point to see the city-
Had tacos for lunch (questionable decision) then explored a bit more, with Chris stopping frequently for a nice cold beer.
Eventually made our way to one of Budapest's most spectacular attractions- the Turkish baths. There are apparently hot springs under the city that make for excellent "healing waters". Though I highly doubt they run from the underground in this day and age, the romanticism adds to the atmosphere while you're wading around in a giant body of water filled with people (oftentimes hairy men covered in jewelry with girls curled around them). I've never seen so many speedos in my life! But it was an experience to say the least, and the water did feel amazing. However we got trapped "after hours" and then told to pay 1200 florents (about $8) each to get the gate unlocked for us; which we politely refused, as no one told us of any such restriction, or that we were supposed to have been gone (there were many other people still in the water). So we had to follow an irritable Hungarian woman around for some time, until she finally shooed us and let us free. However, we'd lost Rakel and Chris at that point so I had the wonderful anxiety again of worrying where a kamradka could have wandered off to..
Found our way back to the hostel, had a wonderful breakfast for dinner, chilled with some hostelmates, then ran for the door like excited puppies when we heard Rakel's voice in the hall. A sweet reunion indeed.
Next day woke up early (8am) to hit up a flea market known for former Communist propoganda and 'authentic' Hungarian antiques. Had a bit of an issue with the bus schedule, though... So I did what any rational American girl would do, I stopped at a mall and asked information where to go! Got there no problem after that, and it was truly spectacular.. I nearly bought a coin from a Jewish ghetto in Germany from the 1940's, but it was over $200 and I couldn't rationalize it, though I still wish I had sacrificed good-tasting food for a month and bought it.. But again I digress. Didn't have enough time to look through each booth, but Lord knows we tried. Katie ended up with some gorgeous old buttons and a few second-hand black and white photos; Rakel bought several sets of photos as well; and I got a former Hungarian Soviet militaria satchel. All in all, a successful trip.
Did more walking; saw parliment, saw more of Pest, saw the house of Terror, Hero square, then wandered around the labirynth underneath the palace grounds by lantern light.. pretty cool. Then chinese food, good conversation, and back to the hostel for a good night's sleep for our 7am bus in the morning. -
Oh, but there was a party happening at the hostel! So... very little sleep for the poor little American girls. But it was all good- enjoyable people, stellar music, tolerable beer (everything but Czech tastes terrible now) and they only stayed a few hours, so we still got.... 3 hours.... of sleep. But wait, you haven't heard the best part! Daylight savings just so happens to take hold of Europe at 3am on that particular day, so we ended up waking up an hour early!
The girls went back to sleep and I took one for the team and remained awake to make sure we didn't miss our bus time.
All in all, a glorious weekend. Very relaxed, full of great photoshoots, and with people whose company I was actually inclined to crave- definitely a winner.
That's about all I know, hope the states are being nice to ya!
Cheers,
Erin.
Bloggers of the globe;Hitched a bus to Budapest, Hungary for the weekend... thoroughly enjoyable experience. Let's recap it together, what do you think?
First things first- bus out of Prague at 6.30am. Which means arriving at the bus depot right before 6. Therefore leaving the kolej around 5.20am to switch metro lines and get there a little bit early, as I am nothing if not my father's daughter. Which meant waking up at 4.15 so there would be time for a couple hits of the snooze button and a leisurely bowl of cocoa puffs.. but I digress. Woke up early, got on the bus- yahoo. Stopped off in Bratislava for a half hour, attempted to use a loo but had no Slovakian cash so used the scary bus one with a hole in the floor (yikes!) then back on the bus 4 hours to Budapest.
Our hostel was spectacular.. 'Twas an apartment renovated with open lofts in each room in an Asian/fusion-on-a-budget style run by this former American rocker-boy and his Hungarian girlie. I had access to a real stove, with an oven!! I was very excited about that... made a glorious omelet and Hungarian sausages for dinner one night.. but back to the matter at hand!
Hung out at the hostel a bit, but Katie was restless to see the city, so we set off in search of Hungarian adventures! -
Wandered the area around the river for a long while, shot endless pictures, then made our way over to a supposed underground club.. Which turned out to be wicked amazing courtyard that had been converted into a club with multiple levels, dancefloor in the dungeon-type basement area. However, it was far too early to be clubbing at that time, so we bought a few beverages at the local potroviny (mini-mart) then proceeded to plop down on a statue and have philosophical discussions about life, love, and Halloween whilest sitting. Eventually made it back to the club, fooled around to the reggae music for a bit till we couldn't stand the smoke any longer, and decided to make our exhausted little booties back to the hostel. Little did we know, public transport ends at 11pm in Budapest- oops! Oh, and did I mention it was raining? No? Well.... yeah, it was.
Made it back to the hostel, and didn't resurface till around 10.30am the next day... But then we went exploring with our new mate Chris, who's lived in Budapest for over 6 months, so he should know tons, yes? Not so much... but we still had fun!
Took us up Buda Hill, which was a great vantage point to see the city-
Had tacos for lunch (questionable decision) then explored a bit more, with Chris stopping frequently for a nice cold beer.Eventually made our way to one of Budapest's most spectacular attractions- the Turkish baths. There are apparently hot springs under the city that make for excellent "healing waters". Though I highly doubt they run from the underground in this day and age, the romanticism adds to the atmosphere while you're wading around in a giant body of water filled with people (oftentimes hairy men covered in jewelry with girls curled around them). I've never seen so many speedos in my life! But it was an experience to say the least, and the water did feel amazing. However we got trapped "after hours" and then told to pay 1200 florents (about $8) each to get the gate unlocked for us; which we politely refused, as no one told us of any such restriction, or that we were supposed to have been gone (there were many other people still in the water). So we had to follow an irritable Hungarian woman around for some time, until she finally shooed us and let us free. However, we'd lost Rakel and Chris at that point so I had the wonderful anxiety again of worrying where a kamradka could have wandered off to..
Found our way back to the hostel, had a wonderful breakfast for dinner, chilled with some hostelmates, then ran for the door like excited puppies when we heard Rakel's voice in the hall. A sweet reunion indeed.
Next day woke up early (8am) to hit up a flea market known for former Communist propoganda and 'authentic' Hungarian antiques. Had a bit of an issue with the bus schedule, though... So I did what any rational American girl would do, I stopped at a mall and asked information where to go! Got there no problem after that, and it was truly spectacular.. I nearly bought a coin from a Jewish ghetto in Germany from the 1940's, but it was over $200 and I couldn't rationalize it, though I still wish I had sacrificed good-tasting food for a month and bought it.. But again I digress. Didn't have enough time to look through each booth, but Lord knows we tried. Katie ended up with some gorgeous old buttons and a few second-hand black and white photos; Rakel bought several sets of photos as well; and I got a former Hungarian Soviet militaria satchel. All in all, a successful trip.
Did more walking; saw parliment, saw more of Pest, saw the house of Terror, Hero square, then wandered around the labirynth underneath the palace grounds by lantern light.. pretty cool. Then chinese food, good conversation, and back to the hostel for a good night's sleep for our 7am bus in the morning. -
Oh, but there was a party happening at the hostel! So... very little sleep for the poor little American girls. But it was all good- enjoyable people, stellar music, tolerable beer (everything but Czech tastes terrible now) and they only stayed a few hours, so we still got.... 3 hours.... of sleep. But wait, you haven't heard the best part! Daylight savings just so happens to take hold of Europe at 3am on that particular day, so we ended up waking up an hour early!The girls went back to sleep and I took one for the team and remained awake to make sure we didn't miss our bus time.
All in all, a glorious weekend. Very relaxed, full of great photoshoots, and with people whose company I was actually inclined to crave- definitely a winner.
That's about all I know, hope the states are being nice to ya!
Cheers,
Erin.
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