Venezia

What's that phrase, better late than never?  Well, that is so true about these pictures!  My sister, Heidi, visited in mid-June on my last day of teaching and just a couple days after she arrived, we went on a fantastic one week holiday in northern Italy.  We started our adventure in Venezia, Venice, and while I cannot pick a favourite place in Italy, Venezia certainly holds a special place in my heart.  We spent two days wandering through this incredible city. Getting lost, finding amazing food, wonderful people, and beauty everywhere.  I loved taking the water buses everywhere and did not once miss cars while we were there!

Canal and gondola

Grand Canal

Very cool window

Heidi preparing for our first Italian meal.  We had prociotto and melone at almost every meal!

I love markets and I especially love watching people at markets.

I hope to be this cool someday - seriously!

Heidi's birthday and our first gelato of the day around 10 am.  When its hot, why not?

Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Tiny strawberries from the market.  They tasted like flowers.

This guy flicked me with water as he passed by.  Gondolier flirting technique?

San Marco Square

Birthday lunch and more prociotto and melone!

I LOVE Italian espresso!

Waiting for our water bus

Our water bus driver "works" hard on our trip to the island Murano, where the glass is blown.

Everything comes in and out on a boat here!  My inner city planner loved watching the delivery trucks, trash trucks, etc.

Murano

Italian fashion is fantastic

Don't step here or your leg will fall off and your arm will disappear.

Yep, that's our third gelato on Heidi's birthday!

Grand Canal

Outdoor restaurants everywhere.

A cool window

The canals just never got old to me

Restaurant where we had Heidi's birthday dinner and met a very friendly couple from the US!

I really enjoy the Italian lifestyle.  Good food, good wine, great scenery.  They really appreciate good things, and I appreciate that!

There's a time for change

Prague Sunset

Fall is always a time for change for me.  I find myself having the Brady Bunch song, Time for Change stuck in my head lately.  So, I thought there was no better time then to write a fall blog post and talk about some changes.

Having worked in education for a number of years now, fall always marks new beginnings.  And while my first day of school excitement is different from the children's excitement, I do get excited for the new opportunities that await during this time of year.

The leaves are just beginning to change here and while the weather has mostly been phenomenal, we've also had some rainy/dreary days foreshawdowing winter a little.  Its those days that make me take extra care to get out and enjoy those sunny, beautiful days we do have, as I know soon, we'll only have daylight for about 9 hours and the cold and snow will be everywhere.  However, with that cold and snow comes the Christmas Markets, mulled wine, and many lights.  There's always something new.

Just today as I was coming home from my class, I crossed the river, saw the Prague Castle and the view of the river and bridges, and it literally took my breathe away.  I didn't believe that a year into living here, I'd still love this city so much, but it's true.  Somethings change; somethings stay the same.

I've been very lucky to have many visitors this spring, summer, and fall and I figured I have toured Prague about 8 times from May through October.  Each time I learn something new and we never get to see everything there is to see, however its always fun for me to see the city through new eyes.

During the last two weeks I had two very interesting visitors.  All my visitors have been incredibly interesting, but these two visitors were "blasts from the past."  The first was a former Resident Assistant (RA) that I worked with at the University of Wyoming in 2006-2007.  We kept in touch via facebook since, but our lives went in different directions.  She happened to take a European adventure this fall and made Prague one of her stops partly because of all the posts and pictures I have made.  It was a treat to take her and her mom to one of my favorite (not at all touristy) restaurants and just talk.  We talked in a way that wasn't possible when I was her boss, and we had amazing conversations about life, adventure, travel, and the world.  It was a treat to get to know this wonderful former student and now friend in a new way.

And just this week, my high school band director and his wife were in Prague.  I figured out I hadn't seen them since my sister's wedding 10 years ago, so we too had much to catch up on.  We had a wonderful time tasting Czech food and beers, exploring the city, and seeing the Prague Symphony perform.  It was all a bit surreal, but wonderful.  It was amazing to hear their impressions of the city, Czech culture and food.  It was also fun to see their pictures (mostly of food, beer, and of the concert halls they visited) which were very similar to the types of photos I like to take when traveling.  It was incredible to share my experiences with a former teacher and mentor, and to become friends as an adult.  I feel incredibly grateful for that opportunity.

So there have already been a lot of changes occurring in my life, and I sense more are coming.  Things always seem clearer in the fall to me.  I have turned a bit inward this fall and am thinking about changes I want to make for myself.  I've recommitted to working out more regularly and eating healthy.  I even hired a personal trainer, which I'm certain will be a post topic soon.  She speaks no English, so our sessions are entertaining.  I've noticed over the past months, I've put my goals as a lower priority, and it's time to change that.  I've also set a new goal of shedding 40 pounds in the next 9 months.  I decided to make this a more public goal, as I need encouragement and support.  Its not easy for me to ask for that help or to be this open about this type of goal, but I think its just what I need to make it happen.  This physical goal is just one more change on my proverbial plate these days.  It represents all these other changes that have occurred in my life, and its my time to make myself a priority.

A quote from the John Lennon memorial wall in Prague

Summer adventures, Praguiversary, and all the exciting things that lie ahead...

Wow, I cannot believe how much has happened this summer and how little I've written!  Guess there's no time like the present to get started.  I'll start with a big re-cap post, and I promise pictures from my adventures will be posted over the upcoming weeks.  I have no big adventures planned (aside from the amazing daily adventures of life in Prague) for the next couple months, so I should be able to get things updated!

I have been very lucky to have so many visitors this summer!  I've tour guided people through Prague five times this summer, and I have a couple more visitors coming in the upcoming weeks.  I'm almost a certified tour guide! Well, if nothing else, people get to see my favorite parts of Prague, and really, isn't that a little what it's about when you go visit someone.  You want to see the city through their eyes.

In addition to touring Prague, I also went to Italy, Germany (3 times), the USA, Poland, and Switzerland.  Poland and Switzerland were new countries for me, so that's always a fun adventure.  My trip home was already mentioned in a previous post.  I went home for my grandmother's funeral.  I'm still grateful for the opportunity to have been able to go home and celebrate her life with my wonderful family.

Italy was a great adventure of traveling with my sister for the first time ever - just the two of us.  Sure, we suffered (sorry mom and day, but you already know this) through several painful visits to really old relatives in Germany together when we were growing up.  And yes, we did actually tell our parents NEVER to bring us to Europe again because it's so boring.  And yes, I DO regret saying that all the time!  What can I say, I was 8 years old!  So, Heidi and I had a blast in Italy eating as much prosciutto and melone as humanly possible!  We enjoyed everything - the espresso, the pasta, the wine, the desserts, the people, the culture, the sights - truly everything!  We even rented a Smart car for our adventures through Tuscany.  Heidi drove us well through the tuscan country-side while I continually marveled at how poorly our GPS pronounced Italian words (Firenze was pronounced: Fy-renz).  One of the highlights of this trip was spending two nights at a villa in Tuscany.  The views were absolutely incredible.  More pictures to come soon!

The view from our villa apartment

Then in August, my best friend from college, Cate, came to visit and once again got our travel on.  I met her in Munich and then we went to Kunzelsau, where my aunt, uncle, and cousin and her husband live.  We spent two marvelous days there being pampered and eating amazing food cooked by my aunt.  We also got to see where my dad grew up.  After this visit, we headed south to Leutkirch to the Harle brewery.  I still love going there, as it's pretty darn cool to see your name on a beer bottle.  We got a great tour from Gottfried, my dad's second cousin, who runs the brewery.

Then our adventures really began with an overnight train from Munich to Krakow, Poland!  There'll be more stories and pictures on this later, but lets just say, it brought back funny college loft memories, except this time, our beds were moving at speeds of 80-100 miles an hour!  We had a couple wonderful days in Krakow seeing this beautiful city and also making a trip to Auschwitz.  That was an incredibly powerful and emotional experience, that I still struggle to express with words.

After Krakow, another night train to Prague and a couple wonderful days at "home."  Highlights in Prague were having Cate meet many of my friends here as well going to an opera at the State Opera House.  What a treat!  Following Prague, we did a quick trip to Switzerland, and spent two nights in Zurich with an afternoon trip to Lucerne.  Switzerland was gorgeous and I really enjoyed eating fondue, paddleboating on the lake in Zurich, and being around mountains again!  Then we were back to Munich for one more night, and we ended our adventures with a great night out to a beer garden Munich style, with about 3,500 other people!  We drank liter beers and ate great food, and it was our version of Oktoberfest!

Then it was back to Prague for me for some new teacher training.  See, I did work a bit this summer.  ;)  I even did a few summer camps in between all my other adventures.  After just one week back at work, my parents and aunt and uncle visited, so once again, we toured Prague!  We saw another opera and paddleboated again (two of my favorite Prague activities).  My parents and I also went to Germany again to get together with the Harle family for a massive family reunion.  It was a treat to see everyone for the first time in years!

And now, I'm back at work and enjoying seeing many old faces and many new ones too.  I've actually been home sick the last couple days, but am feeling much better now.  I guess the kids gave me a little "welcome back gift" of a cold, but it could be worse!

Thinking back about this summer and this past year, I still cannot believe that this is my life!  September 6 was my one year Praguiversary.  Now, I'm back as a more experienced teacher, I know my way around the city, and I am basically settled into my life here in Prague.  What a difference a year makes.  Last year sure was a trip.  I met amazing friends for life and saw places I never thought I'd get to see.  I can hardly wait to see what this year will hold...

It's all a matter of perspective

Let me start this post by first apologizing for not getting more updates done about my travels in June.  It has been a whirlwind summer with more adventures coming, so I'll work on getting pictures up this fall when things calm down a bit.  Something to look forward to!

In the meantime, I'll tell you I had a wonderful visit with my sister Heidi to Italy - Milan, Venice, and Tuscany as well as spending time in Prague.  I finally got to do all the touristy things in Prague I hadn't done yet, so that was very fun.  Again, more pictures to come soon!

I also made a quick one-week trip home for my grandma's funeral in late July.  It was a sad reason to return home, but I was grateful for being able to see all of my family and spend some time with everyone.  As one of my aunt's said, it was one last gift from my grandma that I'd be home to help celebrate my mom's 70th birthday!

I've been in Prague for 11 months now, and am starting to see how my perspective has changed on so many things just being in a new environment for that long, and being home, even briefly, made me see how foreign being in the US felt.  The large streets, wide open spaces, overwhelming stores, driving everywhere, just the overall sense of things being so big.  In contrast, some things seem really small.  For example, beer is served here in 1/2 liter portions (about 16 oz), so bigger than in the US.  I had a couple beers while home and found the bottles to be so small!  ;)

In contrast, being back in Prague, I realized some of the things I love about being in Europe.  I love walking everywhere...realizing I make a quick 1/2 mile walk to the grocery store at least a couple times a week.  In the US, I wouldn't fathom walking that.  I guess its a difference in perspective.  In the US, I always feel like I have to rush everywhere and hurry up, but why?  What am I rushing to?  I can't seem to remember.  Here, the pace of life maybe seems a bit slower?  Or maybe its just my perspective or my responsibilities here.  Something has changed, and whatever it is, I like it.  I do miss being closer to friends and family of course, but I absolutely love life in Prague, so I'm so happy here for now!

I'm back to work for one day this week, helping at another camp, and then I'm off work for a few weeks to travel with my college best friend in Germany, Czech Republic, and Poland and maybe Austria or Switzerland.  We'll see where our adventures take us and I'll post updates soon!  Shortly after my friend leaves, my parents and aunt and uncle arrive for another round of touring before school starts again mid-September.

A burglary or Czech Spiderman in action?

Let me just start this post by re-assuring everyone that I'm ok, safe, and there is nothing to worry about!

Our flat was broken into two weekends ago at about 3 in the morning.  I have four roommates, but only two of us were here.  I didn't hear a thing until I was woken by the sounds of men screaming Czech and seeing flashlights in our hallway.  I went out to see what was going on, and I saw three police officers with their guns pointed and flashlights looking in the rooms of our flat.  My initial thought was what the hell is going on? I honestly felt like I was in a movie or on the news.  I had images of the raids you see when they're searching out illegal immigrants, and while I'm here completely legally, my first thought was what did we do?  Are we getting deported?  By the way, none of the five of us who live here are Czech, and we are all here legally.  However, it's been ages since I've been woken up at that hour for an emergency, so my response time was a bit slow.  Thanks to my years as a Hall Director, I quickly became coherent enough to try to figure out what was going on.

I then look out in the hallway outside our apartment, and I see my one roommate who was home, Daniel  in the hallway, being restrained by the police.  Again, I had no idea what was going on and I tried to ask him, but the Czech police were talking to me.  I told them I don't speak Czech: "Nemluvím česky" And they asked me for my passport.  The police thought Daniel was the burglar, because he answered the door when they arrived.  This later made us laugh, because what kind of burglar answers the door when the police arrive?

Anyway...obviously, all this happened in Czech, and I was proud I had the thoughtfulness to speak in Czech and understand what they wanted.  So, I gave them my passport, and then I saw the room across from mine had glass everywhere and the two large windows were broken.  There was a rope hanging from the window frame.  By the way, we live on the 3rd floor, so we weren't sure how they did this.  It looked like my roommate's computer was gone (but he was traveling so maybe he had taken it), but nothing else was messed up.  There was even some money on a table that was there.  It was really strange!

The investigation continued as the police saw a piece of glass by the front door and blood in the hallway.  The police figured out that the guy just walked our our front door.  Thankfully Daniel speaks Czech, so he was translating for me as best he could.  The police went upstairs to talk to the neighbors, as the police seemed to think the robber came from upstairs based on the ropes.

In a broken translation, I found out that the girl who lives above us is the daughter of the woman who owns the building.  She seemed to be worried the police would tell her mom as "this has happened before" and she'd get kicked out if it happened again.  I wasn't sure what that meant, but there wasn't much of a chance to ask any questions.  I did learn that no one was up there that had a cut leg from crashing through windows, so nothing happened that night.  The police took pictures and left around 5 am and I went back to sleep - or at least tried to.

Our landlord came in the morning to clean up the glass and figure out how to replace the windows which happened a few days later due to two national holidays that following week.  I still hadn't heard anything, so I e-mailed my landlord to see what he knew about the situation.

He said that it was indeed a friend of the girl upstairs who apparently was on drugs and thought there were cameras in the building "watching him."  So, he took a rope and climbed out the window in an attempt to find the cameras and get rid of them.  He made it down to our level, but then he couldn't pull himself back up.  So, instead of dropping to the street (a 2 story fall), he crashed into our flat and walked out the front door!

The police know who did this and he will have to pay for the damages.  Our neighbors have claimed this guy will never come back to visit again and all is well in the world.  What a random, crazy, scary, and strange situation!

I'm grateful that it wasn't a robbery and feel much safer now.  I originally thought the whole thing was pretty strange, but it did freak me out a bit.  Especially since it happened in the middle of the night and while I was home.  I do feel very safe in Prague, but this has reminded me that its always important to be safe and careful no matter how safe you feel.

Love/hate relationship with Czech health care system

So, I know I've already posted the fun times visiting the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.  While the experience wasn't pleasant, the outcome was - I haven't been sick in months *knocks on wood.*

I've been dealing with pain in my right foot since I ran the San Francisco half-marathon last July, and I have been working on fixing the problem since I've been here.  Thanks to a good Czech friend, I found a new doctor who is wonderful and seems to be helping a ton!  So again, the moral of the story is that all is well (or getting there), however, getting there isn't always so fun.  And such is life...

So, I originally started seeing a private doctor (meaning health insurance didn't cover it), who didn't spend much time with me and charged a lot of money.  After several months of not seeing many results, I asked a friend for help and he helped me find a new doctor who is great.  He recommended some exercises to help strengthen my leg, some medicine to help with the pain/inflammation, xrays to see what's going on, and special inserts made for my shoes.  The first two tasks were very easy to accomplish.  The last two, were a bit more challenging...

I went to the shop to get the shoe inserts and no one speaks any English.  So, I wrote what I wanted to say on my phone translator and showed them the poorly translated words.  It was basic, but it worked.  I have to admit, I get a little anxious going to shops to accomplish something like this, because my Czech is really poor.  I don't like assuming people will speak English - many people here do - however, I am finding that the number people speaking English in the medical field is low.  Thankfully technology helps the translation a bit easier, but still, I don't like not knowing what the heck is going on!

And finally, I had to go get xrays.  My doctor just said, "Go to the hospital in your neighborhood."  Well, I didn't know where that was, so I turned to the internet and found two options.  I went to the first and found the radiology department, but there was no one there.  Even though I had wandered around aimlessly for an hour to find it, I decided to try the other option.  I asked for help at the information counter, and she just pointed and said "next door."  I couldn't find anyone to help and no one at this place seemed interested in helping the crazy lady (me) who was wandering the hallways.

So, back to the tram and off to the next hospital.  Again, grateful to have gps on my phone to help me find it.  However, I thought I knew where it was rather than looking at the map, so after about a 2 mile wander, I finally found the hospital and radiology department.   Thankfully my foot hurts, but I can obviously walk.  However, I do find it ironic that I had to wander around the city for a few hours to figure out where to get an xray on my foot.  This was mostly because I was being stubborn and didn't want to ask directions.  I thought a hospital would be easier to spot - there I go making assumptions!  ;)

I finally found the hospital and the radiology area, gave them my x-ray order and my health insurance card, and within 20 minutes, I had my x-ray, a cd of the x-ray and I was on my way home.  Oh, and by the way, I didn't pay a cent!  Health insurance here is amazing and when you see a doctor, the patient's co-pay is only costs 30 Czech Krowns (about $1.75).  So, while I find it frustrating to figure out this new system of health care, partly out of my stubbornness and will to figure it out on my own, and also partly because many people I did ask along the way in the hospitals were not helpful and seemed annoyed with my questions, the ultimate results are positive!

Where did the last 10 months go?

This is our last week of teaching, and its been more difficult to say goodbye to my kids than I thought it would.  I know that I will see most of them in the fall (and some I'm not too sad to say goodbye to), however it marks the end of this year which has just flown by!  I'm still having a wonderful time here and grateful for this experience and this opportunity.  I'm excited for the summer and at least one more year in Prague.  My sister arrives tomorrow for 2 weeks of traveling in Italy and the Czech Republic, then I have one more week off and then I work summer camps for 4 weeks in Prague and other locations in the CR.  After that, more travel with friends and family and the school year resumes mid-September.  I'm sure the summer will fly by as quickly as the last 10 months have!

Today is especially bittersweet, as the transport workers union has waged a 24-hour strike and has basically shut down the city's transportation.  Therefore, I was not able to go to my classes today.  Thursday's are my marathon days with 9 classes, so I wasn't too sad to not go through that again, but I was sad not to be able to say goodbye to my kiddos.

I did get a chance to take some fun pictures of my last classes so far this week.  Tomorrow, just 3 kindergarten classes and then my sister will be here and the summer officially begins!

Second Graders Anna and Lucie.  When we did a colouring activity of what our favourite activities were,
these two girls drew and then said "I like to learn English with Suzanne."

First Graders: Misa, Ondrej, Vicky, Tereza, Johana, Milos, Radek, and Kaya

Acting like birds (Kindergarteners)

Betinka: Yes I do! 

Ondra

the other Ondra

Vlastik

Honzik

Acting like rabbits

Red light green light acting like elephants

Honzik: STOP!

GO!

Acting like turtles

Close your eyes!

What's missing?

Kuba: normally a trouble maker like none other, but on our last class, he chose to quietly sit at the table the entire lesson.

Counting to 8 on the hopscotch mat

Colouring

Story time!

And we're finished...congratulations!

First graders: Jirka, Alzbeta, Anezka, Anna