Happy Halloween from the Czech Republic! The Czechs don't really celebrate Halloween as we do. There are some All Hallows Eve things at some churches but no Trick or Treating. Which means there's no Halloween candy :(
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Fall Foliage
Today Tonje and I went on a Fall Foliage walk to see all of the pretty fall colors.
Tonje loves to pose me in front of random things
Playing
Look, leaves that change color!
Castle Spilberk
Castle Spilberk
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Hot Plate Cooking.
Myma wanted to know if I was eating okay. It's hard to cook like I used to, on just a hot plate with a mini fridge. Plus, I only have a few pots, no pans or even correct utensils to cook with! But, I've gotten tired of eating out with the heavy Czech food. I've been experimenting while my roommate just laughs at me. She's used to small kitchens and hot plates! I will learn and adapt soon. Thankfully I found Sriracha sauce to flavor everything!
Let Myma know I'm eating well!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Swan Lake
Tonje and I went to the Ballet last week! There was a performance of Swan Lake. We decided to dress up and act like elegant ladies. Key word there is 'act'. During the break we were drinking Coke out of a bottle and scarfing down Snickers bars. We were hungry!
Szechenyi Baths
Tonje and I had been planning all week to go to the spa on when we were in Budapest. The spas in there are world famous. These spas are thermal pools and baths for medicinal purposes. There are a few spas in the city but we went to the biggest and oldest one, Szechenyi Bath.
So Saturday morning we made reservations for 30 minute massages and pool access, all 4 of us. I could already tell that this was going to be an adventure. Tonje and I left the boys and went to the spa early because we had to get suits. We had an option to rent suits, but, ew, no. The bathing suits cost just as much as our tickets and we had to buy towels and flip flops. Also, the suits were absolutely hideous and too small for both of us. I was already uncomfortable but these suits just increased that. I had the first appointment so I set off to find the massage room. I walked around, showed my ticket to every attendant I could find, went through ev
ery single pool room like a lost tourist. Finally, with some help, I figured it out. I walked into the massage room expecting something…completely different. The room was huge with about 20 cubicles for privacy. I handed my ticket to a very large man who I assumed was just the attendant and he led me to my cubicle. And then signaled that he was my masseuse. Greg very accurately described him as the Hungarian Fat Bastard from the Austin Powers movies. Huge and hairy, but very professional. The massage is basic; legs, back and arms. At first I was extremely uncomfortable and debated leaving but then I said to myself that this is Hungarian Spa and thousands of people do this every year. It’s an experience that I might not have ever again. And let me tell you, it was amazing. This masseuse found knots in my back that I never knew were there.
After my massage I waited for everyone in a heated pool. When they were done (Greg had the same masseuse that I did, I don’t think he enjoyed that), we hopped around to the different pools, saunas and steam rooms. For a day at the spa, it was exhausting.
Tonje and I in the outdoor bath.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
People of Brno.
Tonje. She's from Norway and sadly she's only here for the semester. We get along like 2 peas in a pod. She's sarcastic, adventurous, beautiful, happy and kind. She introduced me to Garlic Soup. And H&M and Zara. She makes me get out of my room and off my butt. I don't think she's ever met a stranger. Also, she is one of the most stylish people I have ever met. It must be a Scandinavian thing. She can just throw on a scarf and sunglasses and look better than everyone else. I am her personal dictionary. If she doesn't understand an English phrase, she'll ask me to explain it for her. The other day she was reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac and every other page I had to explain what a beatnik or some other random saying was. That being said, she speaks better English than most Americans. And with that cute accent.
The Americans: Chris and Greg. They will get a combined post because they are like cheese and wine, old and work best together. They are here on a one semester exchange from some college in Missouri, which I didn't know that people in Missouri could spell college so I'm pretty proud of them. Greg spent some time in the South, near Dothan, so he actually knows where Marianna is! He says he'd have to kill me if he told me what he's done. Chris, I don't really know what he's done with his life prior to this. I think he was a frat guy and worked in a bar at one time. Possibly all lies. Actually, knowing these guys, probably all lies. They remind me of my brothers and make great drinking buddies. These boys know how to appreciate Czech beer. They are pretty experienced backpack travelers and made plenty fun of me when I told them I've never ridden on a subway system before Prague.
Princess, my roommate. Princess is from Nigeria, and spent 6 years in the UK for her first degree. She had some trouble with her visa, so she arrived about 3 weeks after school started. She is in her first year of studying Medicine and is in classes all day, every day. It's been very interesting to live with someone from a completely different background than me. She's introduced me to some interesting British phrases and Nigerian food. I'm pretty sure she's trying to heal me of this cough that I have by making spicy soups and insisting I try them. Let me just tell you, our spicy is nothing like her spicy. Pretty sure my throat closed up after one sip.
Nadja, she is Bosnian but she lived in the US for 12 years! The first time I met her, she said "Are you American? Do you like to watch American TV? I'm losing my American accent so we will be friends so I can work on that!" Nadja is in my degree program so she will be here the full 2 years. She is sweet, talkative, studious and open for anything. It's helpful to have someone who knows Eastern European culture and American culture, that way we don't make any social gaffes.
Veronika, my tutor. Honestly, I probably would have gotten right back on the bus I took from Prague if she hadn't of met me at the bus station. She took one look at my jet-lagged face, grabbed a suitcase, checked me into the dorm and took me to get McDonalds. Which was exactly what I needed. Then she continued to be the greatest tutor ever and helped me check in with the Foreign Police (who, contrary to what you would think, don't speak a word of English), open a bank account, get a cell phone, took me to a wine bar and dealt with Chris and Greg when they tried to hit on her friends. This girl is a life saver. Now I consider her a close friend, not just a tutor. She still helps me with my Czech though!
There are many others, such as the Spanish girls; Victoria, (Tonje's roommate) She's a yoga, aerobics and latin dancing teacher who has convinced me to take one of her yoga classes. Andrea, a 4ft10in Spanish spitfire. The Swedish girls, Pamela and Maria, who live in the most awesome apartment in Brno and host amazingly fun dinner parties. The Former Yugoslavian block Group, Jelena, Maja, Dominick, etc.
I can't begin to describe how awesome it is to meet such a wide variety of people. It's so interesting to hear different opinions, backgrounds and ideas.
(I might post photos of my friends later, I'm going to ask for their permission first)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Uncle Craig asked me if it was always twilight in Brno... meaning that it's been awhile since I've updated.
I'm working on getting (stealing) some pictures from friends and I will have some new posts soon! I need to tell y'all about Prague, Mom, Dad, Aunt Sonya's and Uncle Craig's visit, life around Brno, and some of the...interesting people I've met here.
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