Friday, December 14, 2012

Mission Complete: Prague

This is it. The last day. I decided to wander into a cafe near Wenceslas Square to write this last blog post in Prague.  In less than 24 hours, I'll be up in the air, probably next to some foreigner, trying to watch a movie comfortably and peacefully.  I'm in shock at how fast the time has passed.  I keep having flashbacks to my final moments at Providence College last semester, my last days in Ocean Beach on Fire Island, and saying goodbye to all my family and friends that last day of August.  Now, I'm coming home, and it feels so good.  I miss all of it.  It's like I stepped out of my body for a couple months, did something unthinkable, and made it a wonderful experience.  But it was all me, all real, and all encompassing throughout my journey.

The past couple days, me and my wonderful classmates traveled to a little village in Janov (North Czech Republic) with our Academic Director, Sarah.  We spent Wednesday-Friday morning there, evaluating, preparing, and reminiscing about our experience.  Located in a little pension all by ourselves, we lounged in the cafe/restaurant downstairs near the fireplace, talking about our first impressions, the moments we've made together, the classes and work we took part in, and the excursions to other countries.  I can honestly say that I will never have enough time to do everything I want here, but for the semester-long time range, I think I did more than I've ever expected.  I was packing my things and came across all these tickets, pamphlets, and memorabilia that made me think of each moment here.  I'm keeping all of it.  I want to.  Even though I'm come home with another suitcase full of stuff, I have collected many things that will remind me of my time here.  In these last days up north, we (me and my classmates) enjoyed family dinners, funny moments, and Christmas movies throughout the day.  It was a great way to relax and enjoy each other's company as a whole, one more time.

While reflecting, I realized that this was my experience.  I can try to share as much of it as possible with all of you, but it will never compare to what I've felt, encountered, experienced, and lived with during the time I was in Prague.  The only people who can relate are my classmates, but I guess that's what makes it special for me.  It is my own experience.  A chapter of my life that has started and closed in the blink of an eye.  And I'm thankful for all of it, so much.  I want to send a special thanks to my mom and dad who supported me for this trip, this experience; something everyone should do at some point or another in their lifetime.  And I want to thank my Mema and Umpa, both who have inspired me to travel and explore the world.  There wasn't a moment that I didn't think about all of these people, and how thankful I am to have them in spirit with me while in Prague.

Tonight, I will pack the final things, enjoy a farewell dinner with my host family, and go out for one last round of drinks with the gang.  I also want to say how thankful I am to Jana and Petr (my host parents) for making this experience just as great, and opening up their home for me.  It will be hard to say goodbye to them, and my classmates tonight.  Tomorrow, I leave for the airport at 9:00am Prague time, and I'll be back in New York around 6:00pm (EST) (because I'm going 'back in time').  I can't wait to see everyone, so please, don't hesitate to contact me and meet up over winter break.

New York, here I come.

Me in the freezing cold town of Janov.  So much snow, I couldn't feel my legs.

The gang altogether for one of the last group photos. All smiles. Going to miss them.

The view outside my window in the pension.  So pretty and scenic. 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Down to the Last Week

Well, the countdown has officially begun.  The last seven days of my stay here in Prague are starting now, and I couldn't be more happy with everything I have done here.  It seems like just yesterday that I was leaving my house, heading to the JFK airport and looking out the window on the plane to see the view down below.  When I first arrived, I had no idea what to expect, and there were so many questions unanswered for me: where would I be staying, who is my host family, where is the school located, what is their currency like?  Now, I can answer mostly anything.  Although my Czech language is only basic, I've learned to understand the culture in more ways than one.

Even though there are only 10 of us students in the program, I've enjoyed every minute with them.  They're great people, and I hope I get to see them at some point or another in the states.  We come from all over, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Colorado, Maine, Illinois, and so on.  It will be hard, but we're all going to stay in touch.  Apart from the group, I found myself becoming much more independent than ever before.  I thought my independence was challenged when I first left for college 2 years ago, but boy was I wrong.  I mean, yes there were challenges going away to Providence College, but I made friends, a new family, and I got to see my real family about once a month.  Today marks the 100th day I've been away from home (I just counted).  Since then, I have traveled into the city everyday, navigating the streets on my own, taking long walks along the cobblestone, popping into different bars and cafes, and looking at all that Prague has to offer.  School was school, and once classes finished, I spent almost everyday alone.  I woke up in the mornings, went into the city center, and always found myself doing something different.  I've learned to trust myself, rely on myself, and enjoy the time I've had alone.  When I first arrived in the Czech Republic, I was definitely nervous, being in a foreign country, with no idea how to speak the language, pay for a cup of coffee, or travel from point A to point B.  Now, I know the basic language skills to get me around, I have spent my money wisely throughout my stay, and I am more than confident with directions here.  It's interesting because I spent my days with my backpack and my thoughts, exploring the city, and becoming somewhat socially independent.  I'm the kind of guy that likes to make small talk with strangers, meet up with friends when I'm not busy, and plan all kinds of activities.  Here, all of that was limited.  I don't know the language well enough to make best friends here, the Czech culture is very direct so the strangers are very forward with you, and it was hard to find other people to meet up with, so there were many times when it was just me, myself, and my thoughts.  I had plenty of time to focus on my studies, work on my final project, and explore the city on my own.  I couldn't rely on anyone except myself, and that was okay.

Now it's the final week, and of course I am looking forward to having some of my independence revoked.  I miss my family and friends, my house, being able to drive, planning get-together's with friends, etc.  I'm giving everyone a fair warning, because once I'm home, there is a part of me that is going to be released, and I'll want to be around someone all the time.  It's hard being on your own, but it also makes you appreciate everyone and everything that is valuable to you.  And I can say, that has been one of the most important lessons I've learned here.

7 days. <3

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

One Month, and Counting

So, I apologize for the no-so-updated blog posts.  I really just don't what to write about these days.  I mean, the touristy things are over, classes are done, no more excursions, and no more work, right?  Well, I am in Prague, and I have been trying to make the best of it.

As of November 9th, I finished my classes at SIT.  I managed to cram a lot of work with 4 classes [Czech History, Arts, and Social Change I / Czech History, Arts, and Social Change II / Intensive Czech Language / and Field Study Seminar].  This last month I have been developing a project proposal for my final project.  It is counted as a class, but in reality, it is not a class, but an independent study.  That is what I have been working on since classes ended, and the final project will be presented and written just a few short days before I head back home to NY.

My project incorporates NGO activity, multicultural studies, and czech education.  I am representing the Multicultural Center of Prague in a project they developed called La Ngonpo.  I am traveling to schools in the Czech Republic to see how the project works in a class setting, observe the cross-cultural atmosphere in Czech schools, and evaluating the project with my own observations and questions.  I am traveling tomorrow to a city called Brno to attend my first class and I am very excited!  I'm not so happy about waking up at 5am though, haha.  As far as last week goes, I have been confirming these trips, visiting the Multicultural Center, and catching up on some sleep and sites in Prague.  So, needless to say, I have been taking it easy a bit, but now it's crunch time.  Less than one month and I will be back home in NY with my family and friends.  I sit here now, reading all the statuses and messages about Thanksgiving break, and I'm very jealous.  If you're smart and know your history, that whole Indian & Settlers meal that took place in America, yeah, that's where the holiday was created.  So no, they don't celebrate it in Europe.  However, me and my classmates are getting together to have our own little Thanksgiving feast on Thursday (I'm making the sweet potatoes).  I am looking forward to a nice, traditional, American meal.  The good news after that, my Uncle Vic is coming from London to visit! He'll be here all weekend and I'm VERY excited to see him and enjoy the funny martini-filled nights.

Some other little tidbits to entertain:
-I visited the club where Rihanna shot her "Don't Stop the Music" music video. Radost FX is the name.
-I attended my first film festival in Prague to see a collection of international films.
-I signed up for a gym (finally) in Prague.  It costs about $45 USD and takes me 45 minutes to get there, but it's worth it.
-I intern for the Multicultural Center about twice a week, reading articles, proof-reading English-translated publications, and evaluating projects.
-I spent a good portion of the past weekend blowing my nose, going through countless amounts of tissues, and coughing up a storm (a.k.a. I was sick).
-I witnessed some guy puking his brains out on the tram.  The driver stopped the tram, came out behind the wheel, and yelled at the guy, delaying us about 15 minutes in traffic.
-Another person fell on me (not on the tram) but on the bus.  He was covered in construction filth and left my lap covered in god-knows-what.

Well, that's pretty much my latest update.  I'll have more to talk about after my visit to the school in Brno, my Thanksgiving dinner, and my weekend with Uncle Vic.  But for now, 25 days until I'm home!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Hurricane Sandy for President

"Stranded" here in the Czech Republic has forced me to watch all the Hurricane updates from overseas. What a tease.  The biggest hurricane that hits the Northeast in 100 years, and I'm in Prague. I can't say I'm disappointed though, because unlike many of my family and friends, last night I had electricity and wasn't concerned about my safety.  I was too busy thinking about the safety of others though, friends, family, loved ones, etc.  Now that the storm has passed, I am glad to say that everything at home is okay, but watching the news feed last night as an outsider really shocked me.  I saw everything LIVE online, as it was happening.  What a different experience it has on me, not being present for the storm.  I did have my own storm here in Prague though, on Saturday, October 27th.  There was quite a lot of snow that coated Prague, my host community, and those around.  But hey, I can't complain about it, because what happened to the Northeast this week will go down in history books.

The view outside my window Saturday morning. SNOW!
Today in class, we had a very interesting lecture/debate about the election coming up in the Czech Republic and in the United States.  There were two representatives from the Czech campaign, who are assistants to the candidates, who came to our classroom to give an informal discussion about the election history and the views of their candidate.  The two candidates for president mentioned in today's discussion were: Jiří Dienstbier and Karel Schwarzenberg. It was a very interesting discussion today, because the politics and government here in the Czech Republic are very different from that of the U.S.

Since it is election season both here and in the U.S., here are some notes on what I learned today (skip to the bottom of the page if you're not interested in the political bulls**t):
  • Eligibility for President: at least 40 years old, Czech citizen, participate in a 5 year term
  • Election/Voting details:
    • Direct vote/majority vote
    • Two-round runoff voting
    • New law of election passed in July 2012
    • Election days are January 11th-12th this year
    • Candidates register 66 days before election
    • Candidates need 50,000 signatures in order to be a valid candidate (unless nominated by their party platform)
  • Czech Constitution details:
    • The president does not hold executive power like the U.S. president does
    • Strong role in foreign policy
    • Ratification process can only happen through the president
    • The president does not have the role to be a "free leader of the world"
  • Problems with the election and process:
    • This is the FIRST time that the Czech public is directly voting for their president. Previous presidents have been appointed by the Parliament or the Communist regime. Therefore, it is hard to foresee how the election will go
    • People are confused as to how the president will be represented (i.e. will he have a role in domestic policies, environment, negotiations, attending certain conferences, signing different documentation, etc.)
    • This year, there is approximately 10 candidates who will run for president in the first round, all who have the mandatory requirements to run
    • There is confusion in the public as to what each political party stands for
    • Media plays a majorly low role in the campaign and events after the president is elected, which is unfortunate because the communication between media and the government is weaker
    • Since it is the first time for a direct vote of the public, this may bring more instability to the government system
    • National identity is unclear when it comes to the presidents opinion and the public vote
So, without further due, the title of my blog post Hurricane Sandy for President.  I was in a very political mood after everything that has happened today, and it made me question both campaigns (in the C.R. and the U.S.). First, the campaigns will definitely be put on hold in order to recover the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  I think it is a very responsible decision of Obama to focus on that, because he is still president of our country and needs to attend to the need of the Northeastern region.  With all the talk about Hurricane Sandy, politicians in the C.R. are also aware of the situation in the U.S., commenting and forcing candidates to talk about the issue as well.  So as a result, Hurricane Sandy really is the talk of the country, especially with elections and campaigns going on.

Well, thanks for reading, and if you're reading this, I assume that you Northeasterners have power back. Here is a photo of me and my friend John Cody from this past weekend. He's a great guy, working and traveling across Europe since he graduated this year from PC. 

P.S. Ahoj is pronounced "ah-hoy" like the sailors say. NOT "a-hoe".... mom. Haha

Me and John in Namesti Miru. Notice the snow. Haha.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Save the Last Dance for Me

With everything that's been going on lately, I have barely had any time to catch up on things. No, wait, that's a lie, I practically slept this whole weekend, so I had plenty of time.  Well, I'm blogging now, and I have a couple things to catch up on.

First off, I thought, going in, that Slovakia was going to be less of a favorite (out of all the places I've been so far).  Turns out, I enjoyed myself a lot trying to learn about the culture.  The key idea, is to want to have a good time.  I had all these negative thoughts going in, but once I volunteered for activities and opportunities, I found myself having a really great time. The trip there was intense, winding up and down hills and mountains in a van, getting really motion sick, but I battled through it.

So, upon arriving, Slovakia was very foggy, misty, murky, what have you, and you could barely see 5 feet in front of you.  The place where we were staying was up on a hill, so the weather was heavier.  However, we were staying on a farm, a farm ran by this wonderful family who sustained a life there for about 27 years.  They run a camp/community center where they try to assist locals and neighboring visitors with fun activities and events of all sorts.  The father, works all day on the farm, and altogether, produces fresh milk, makes homemade cheese, jam, bread, etc.  All of the food was delicious, especially the fresh milk from the cows.  On the farm, they had 3 pigs, 1 pony, 4 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats, 4 dogs, 5 cats, 1 rooster, and 8 chickens. Holy cow. I was not ready for all that animal.  But, it was very enjoyable, especially the farm dogs and the cats.

Some of the activities over the past couple of days included:
- Attending the cultural center in Černy Balóg
- Making handmade leather bracelets
- Visiting a traditional Slovakian home
- Weaving cloths
- Trying traditional Slovakian food
- Attending a historical lecture on Slovak "loggers"
- Taking a train to the logger workshop
- Taking part in logger activities
-Walking through a nature route
-Learning the traditional Slovak dance

Me in traditional Czech clothes. I know, get a good laugh now, because it won't be funny later.
Dora and I sawing the log. Pretty clean cut we had.
The view from the farm on the last day. After all the misty weather, the sun finally showed.
Now, according to the title of this blog, "Save the Last Dance for Me", I have done a lot of dancing in the past few days (no, not the hip-hop/pop kind either). The song in the title, is sung by none other than Michael Bublé, my idol.  I found it appropriate because it came across my iPod during my trip there in Slovakia, and I was always one for volunteering the dance portion of my stay.  For a good listen, Click Here. So, at the traditional Slovakian home, me and all my classmates, danced around and around, learning the moves, and dancing to the accordion.  The next day, we had a professional Slovak dance team come in and teach us a dance.  Personally, I did really well, and led most of the group with my dancing.  The instructors were very impressed, and if all else fails in life, I'm running off with them to Slovakia to dance in a Slovak costume, haha.

To sum up the trip, we stopped in another Slovak city called, Žilina, where we visited a "reborn" train stop for artists and people alike to express themselves in a new medium.  We also participated in a book-making workshop, where I crafted 2 book covers for these small notepads.  It was a lot of fun arts and craft time.  I ended my trip this past Friday, and I met up with the most fun-loving girl out there, Kelly Allen.  She and I are on BOP together and I continued my dancing with her as we attended the Lucerna Music Bar for the 80's & 90's Music Video Dance Party.  What an amazing time. So much fun. So, on this music note, I'll leave you with another song, not Michael Bublé, but a shout out to someone special. Enjoy. Click Here: Ho Hey - The Lumineers

Kelly and I at Lucerna Music Bar. We're so abroad.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Krakow, Poland

Thursday morning, I hopped on a train at the main terminal in Prague, and traveled to Krakow, Poland for the past couple days.  The train ride was long, but I enjoyed most of it because we had cabins (like the ride to Hogwarts in Harry Potter), and spoke with this nice Canadian couple who were backpacking through Europe.  The total travel time of our day went from 9:30am-5:30pm.  We spend most of our time on the train, all the way to a stop in Poland, where we transferred to another train to Krakow.

Upon arriving in Krakow, it was dusk already, and we slowly slumped our luggage to the hotel, approximately 10 minutes from the station. We got to a very nice hotel that had apartment style rooms, and of course I roomed with Dan and Tom.  That night, after having a delicious Polish meal, and many perogies for dinner, the bunch of us went to walk around a bit in the Old Town.  There was beautiful architecture. I definitely noticed a difference in the way that Krakow introduced itself, compared to Prague.  The cities had similar history, but architecturally and socially, the city had a different atmosphere to it.  I really enjoyed the people, seeing all type of city life and observing the culture in a different country.  Not to say that I like Poland better than the Czech Republic, but Krakow made a very good first impression to me.
The Krakow Old Town, where I spent most of my leisure time.
The following day was a bit adventurous.  We woke up early, and walked to the square where we met a Polish professor (who spoke very good English).  He talked to us about the period between the 1950's-1980's in Poland, and the communist period that erupted during that time.  He was very informative, telling us about Pope John Paul II, and his huge impact on society. PJPII showed society how Catholicism could be a gateway to their problems and prayers at the time, allowing for a religious revolution to Catholicism in Poland.  The population is approximately 95% Catholic, which goes to show that his presence had a big effect on the country.  I can accept that fact, because around every corner on the streets of Krakow, there is a picture of him, or a big statue of him, eyeing you down.  

Later on, the group of us went to an old factory building in Nova Huta, a town that was highly impacted by the communist regime.  The factory was reconstructed into a theatre, where many performances and shows take place.  I was surprised to know that The Killers, one of my favorite bands, performed there just two months ago.  Nova Huta is recognized as an old communist town because of the physical change that the town went through.  Though it's maintained its communist styles, the people are still marked by the communist period.
The archways in one of the church's I visited.  The design was absolutely gorgeous.
Saturday was the most interesting day out of my visit to Poland.  It was the day I went to Auschwitz, the concentration and death camp during the Holocaust.  I went alone, traveled about an hour to the camp from Krakow, and I wanted to be by myself for the experience.  Upon arriving, I signed up for the "English" speaking tour, and waited in the film room where I watch a short video on the camp.  I'm not going to go through the whole tour step by step because it is an experience that I'm mainly keeping to myself, unless it comes up during a discussion.  The camp has been maintained in it's entirety, but there have been several adjustments to make it more "tour" friendly.  It was deep, intense, personal levels of information, ranging from the arrival to the camp, the separating of the prisoners, the labels of the prisoners, the daily life routine, and the executions.  The most powerful moment for me was the hallway in one of the buildings.  It had all the recovered pictures of the prisoners upon their entrance to the camp.  No matter man, woman, or child, you were shaved, given a uniform, and your picture was taken as a form of identification.  If anything were to happen, an escape or an identification purpose came about, Nazis would use these photos to identify the prisoner.  However, that system stopped after 2 years because prisoners starved and died from hunger, leaving them emaciated and unhealthy, nothing compared to their photos upon arrival.  So, the hallway had all of those pictures, side by side, just staring at you as you walked down, seeing the hundreds of faces of people who were killed.  It was just awful, seeing their faces, knowing at the time, that they had no idea of what was to come.  My tour guide even mentioned that sometimes people walk through that hallway, relatives of the victims, and identify their relatives, finding some of their personal information from the time.  
The entrance gate to the camp. This is the original gate, and it welcomed prisoners with the slogan that translates to "work brings freedom."  Clearly, the slogan was a lie.

These were some of the buildings that the prisoners stayed in.  The living conditions were horrible, and over 1,000 people were crammed into one building.

The barbed wire that separated death and freedom.
So my day ended at Auschwitz, but I kept the experience to myself for the most part, and enjoyed the rest of my evening in Krakow.  Sunday was the last day in the city, and I had a very relaxing day.  I slept in, and woke up around 11:00am to get ready for the 12:00 noon mass at the famous St. Mary's Church in the center.  I knew that if there was any place I would attend a mass during my stay, it would be in Poland.  The church was magnificent, and although I didn't understand the words spoken in Polish, I understood the order and rituals of a daily Catholic mass enough to make out what was going on.  I knew that my Umpa would be proud, sitting alongside me, attending mass in a foreign country, and telling me the bit of history that comes with the location.  In a way, it did it for him.  Trying to experience what he experienced when he traveled the world.  And now i know.

The rest of my stay included a nice shopping trip to the big mall, and the market square.  I got some nice winter sweaters, and shopped around for some market items that turned out to be more of a "window shopping" experience.  

I now sit here, on a farm, in Slovakia.  That blog will come after this, once my stay here is finished on the farm.  I go back to Prague this Friday. But don't worry mom and dad, i'm not sleeping with the cows. Haha.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Canoes, Community, Cycling, and Contacts

The past 4 days have been very busy for me in my schedule, even on the weekends.  I'm constantly trying to do work, while also incorporating the work fields that my classes summarize.  I'm having all the best of fun along the way, and I would never imagine doing any of these things that I've done here in Prague a year ago. It is quite a revelation.

On Saturday, I joined my host family, Jana, Petr, and Jan, down in a beautiful city called Písek.  The city is one of the oldest here in the Czech Republic, known for it's historical bridge (older than the Charles Bridge in Prague), and the big river that flows through it.  My host family had a cottage down there, and they were meeting with some family and friends for a little gathering on the weekend.  Sidenote: Here in the Czech Republic, it is natural for an average family to have a weekend house/cottage to go to on the weekend. It's different in America, where we think if someone has another house somewhere, that it's a summer house, or an expensive time share in an exotic location/city.  Anyways, we drove down to Písek, and arrived just in time for lunch.  I met many of the family and friends present, but spent most of my time hanging out with Jan.  There was also a big pig roasting for the evening meal, which kind of reminded me of my traditional Filipino meals back at home.  Pig is always on the platter. So, after about an hour of meet and greets, Jana, Jan, myself, and some others went in cars up the the northern part of the river.  There we were greeted by a man renting us canoes for the afternoon.  We rode in the canoes on the river, all the way back to Písek, which took about 3 hours total.  I was prepared to go canoeing, and I even got my own canoe, but it was quite difficult navigating my path with a small oar. I managed.  By the time we got back to Písek, it was time for an early dinner and socializing.  Petr, also gave me a little walking tour through the town to talk about some of its history.  Things I found out:

  • The flood of 2002 almost damaged the historical bridge.
  • Yes, cobblestone exists EVERYWHERE in the Czech Republic.
  • There is a big black bus that stops in different cities that serves you coffee...blind.  The waiters are physically blind, and you are blindfolded upon entering the bus to experience what it is like not to see. 
  • Recycling cans are so cool.
  • People practic sword fighting during the day in public.
  • There was a castle here, but it was modernized overtime by hotels, restaurants, and other stores.
Jan (my host brother) and I, our after canoeing shot.
Písek, my camera got an awesome shot of the town.
It looks like I'm canoeing in a banana boat. Haha. So great being in nature though.
The next day, Sunday, I slept in a bit because I was a little drained from the canoeing and touring.  I was excited because I would be meeting up with the one and only family member that I would see during my time here in Prague: Aunt Diana.  She and her girlfriends were traveling in the region, and she was staying for 2 nights at the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague.  I arranged all of Sunday with her, and met up with her around 4:00pm.  We had a little snack in the Four Seasons restaurant, then walked around the touristy parts of the city.  Old Town Square, the wooden shops, the bohemian crystal stores, the marionette store, etc.  It was just so nice to be with her, catch up, and walk around.  We both share an equal love for the city, and she can't wait to come back again.  The rest of the evening, we went shopping, drinking, and eating.  We found a nice outdoor table under a heat lamp near the astronomical clock, ordered some wine, and watched the clock ring in. For dinner, we went to this lovely, fancy restaurant across the bridge, where we indulged in more wine, duck, rabbit, and goulaush.  Unfortunately, my night had to come to an end, and I departed ways with my aunt and her friends after dinner. It was just so nice to spend time with her. Thanks Aunt Diana, and thanks again for the wrap-around knit scarf!
Aunt Diana and I in Old town Square.
Us having some wine outside near the astrological clock tower.
Monday through Wednesday, it was back to school.  However, we spent a lot of time outside the school, and in the city for some of our classes.  We went to the Institute of the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, where we learned first hand about the Secret Police and the files that were kept during the 1970's-80's.  Czech Republic was still under communist rule, so there was a lot of discussion on the time period and what it was like to be a citizen at the time.  The files had so many details, and the Secret Police consisted of over 15,000 members, most of who spent their time following an assigned person for years.  They conjured up specific details, minutes on who you met with, pictures when you weren't looking, etc.  It was hard to be private, even in the private part of your life.

Tuesday, I had a meeting for an interview with the Multicultural Center of Prague.  I was arranging the interview to talk about the center, and gain more information on it for a project that I am working on.  I was greeting by a great group of people, in a cozy center with many projects going on.  The main project I was interested in was the La Ngonpo project, which means "A Meeting Place" in India.  The summary of the project is to use cross-cultural methods in education to introduce communication between two different locations/countries.  The project is focused around the Czech Republic and India, but is looking to expand it's horizons in the future.  While there, because I showed much interest, and they are looking to communicate with other countries, they offered me a flexible internship during my stay to assist with developing the project, and working on any of the English articles or research needed.  I'll keep everyone updated on it, but I'm highly interested in the position.  Here is a link to their website: www.la-ngonpo.org

Tuesday night, my friend Tom had 2 extra tickets for the Opera that his host-mom had available.  I was given one, and I saw a performance of Les Contes D'Hoffmann at the National Theater.  I really enjoyed the performance, and had a successful first-time experience at the opera.
My view from my seat at the opera.
Wednesday (today), we watched a movie at the MAT studio, called "Walking Too Fast," a movie also on the time period of the Secret Police. Then, we discussed about the environmental sector of CZ, and spent our day on bikes, seeing the city of Prague from a different perspective.  The city is slowly becoming more populated, full of cars, trams, buses, taxis, and the buildup of traffic.  It is taking away some of the crucial elements of the land and nature that citizens used to appreciate.  So Auto*Mat is an organization that tries to make awareness of this issue through the creating of new bike paths, and how transportation can changed the view of a city.  We acted as "cars & trams" and rode our bikes in the lanes with the other cars, riding behind trams, and swerving through traffic.  I felt like a cyclist in NYC, traveling in the busy streets on a bike. 
Artsy self picture of me biking today. Ahoj!
Tomorrow, I leave for Poland and Slovakia.  I won't be back until next Friday (19th), but I am bringing my computer.  We start with Poland, and then make our way into Slovakia later on.  I'm also preparing myself for the Holocaust site in Auschwitz, where I will get a more direct image of the Holocaust, as opposed to the Holocaust Museum I visited in Washington D.C. my junior year of high school. Here is the link to that website too: http://en.auschwitz.org/z/

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Tangents & Tirades: Abroad Edition

So since I haven't really been up to much this week, other than completing a lot of schoolwork and having to blow my nose every 5 minutes, I've decided to ramble a bit about what is on my mind. So far, I've mentioned a lot of experiences, mostly positive and influential during my time here in Prague, but it's time to have a bit of fun.  For those fellow Providence College friends, you probably got a sense of what this blog would be about, referencing the school newspaper, The Cowl. For those who don't know, the title of this blog refers to a column in the newspaper where students comment on certain issues and topics of discussion (mainly negative or funny complaints). So I'm going to give it a go. WARNING: This is not meant to offend anyone or anything, and I'm trying to put a little humor into my experiences.

KEEP YOUR BALANCE. I find my daily commute quite enjoyable. I always manage to get a seat before it gets too crowded, and people have to stand and hold onto the rails. I like to look out the window, stare out into the nature and city as it passes by. I simply put my backpack on the ground in between my legs, put my earbuds in, and listen to some music throughout the commute. It's very relaxing... until someone falls on top of me. Yes, people love to fall on top of Kyle. When the tram gets too crowded, people are forced to squeeze tighter into the aisle and hold on to the railings. Lucky for me, I always manage to get the not-so-smart commuters. Three times I've had people fall on me once the tram starts going. As soon as the tram moves from the stop, it jolts forward, sending everyone backward. So naturally, I'm always finding people fall abruptly into my lap, grabbing my pants to break their fall, and coming real close to my "jewels." I'm tired of it. Get a grip, hold on, and brace yourself, because these native Czechs have been here longer than I have, and you should know the transportation by now.

NIGHTTIME TROUBLES. In my lovely room on the top floor of the house I'm in, I have a really cozy setup with a nice skylight window. I close it every night before I go to bed.  However, there have been times when I encounter some real difficultly within the room. On multiple occasions, I spent hours trying to kill mosquitoes at night.  Listening for their every move and smashing them when I finally find them.  I woke up one time with the biggest mosquito bite I've ever had the size of my big toe. So I make it a point, not to leave the window open too long. Another thing, there is a create in the neighboring house next door. I don't know what it is, but it sounds like a cat on steroids who has a bad case of bronchitis.  It makes this weird growling noise, and it reminds me very much of the Gremlins when they are exposed to water. It's not pleasing and kind of scares me. Lastly, there are the dogs.  Now, I love dogs. I'm a dog person. And I see so many well-trained, cute dogs here, everyday. But, at night, once one dog barks, the whole dog population of Prague barks too. They don't even bark back and forth to one another. It's just an overlap of horrible dog barks and whines. So please, go the f*ck to sleep.

TAKE A PICTURE, IT WILL LAST LONGER. One thing I learned about Czech people is that, they love to stare. Stare, stare, stare. It doesn't stop. On the bus. On the tram. while you're walking. Getting coffee. Eating dinner. On the metro. On the phone. Whatever. I know that I'm a handsome guy, but I don't get it. Do I have a sign on my forehead that says "American tourist"? No, I don't. So you know what I do? I stare back. I make them feel how uncomfortable it is. And I get a better glimpse of how Czech people dress. Haha.

ICE? WHAT'S ICE? So since I've gotten here, let me say there is no ice. I'm waiting for winter, so the snow can fall down and I can collect snow or put my drinks in the snow to stay cold.  Back in America, I love ice in everything. My soda, my water, my coffee, my wine, an ice-cold beer, my juice, etc.  Here, there is no such thing. I have not had one iced coffee since Dunkin Donuts back on Long Island. The wine I get here is lukewarm, along with the water and soda.  The beer is a colder temperature, but not cold enough. I'm thinking about going out and by my own freezer to get ice cubes for myself. Donations welcome.

BOOZE IS BACK. For those of you who have been under the Czech radar, there was a prohibition that started since the second week of my stay here in Prague.  It didn't phase me that much because I was too busy enjoying the beer at the pubs.  The beer here is the best I've ever tasted, but I can only have so much of it.  See, I'm not a beer guy, I'm a hard liquor/wine kinda guy.  I like my mixed rum and coke, or my Malibu pineapple mix, or anything with some Tequila.  The problem was that there was a poisonous car substance, used in car fluids, exposed to the hard alcohol chain and production.  So up until three days ago, it's back! I was so happy, I went with a couple of friends and had a nice round of drinks.  Quite enjoyable and tasty. I do love Captain and coke the best!

Well, I think that's enough to go off on. Tomorrow, I go with my host family to a family reunion party in South Bohemia for the day.  Then, Sunday, my Aunt Diana is visiting with her girlfriends, and I will be showing her around for the day! I'm so excited! It's going to be great to see a family member! A sign of life from America. Haha. Ahoj!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Nové Mêsto pod Smrken


Since Friday, September 21st, I've been in a small town called Nove Mêsto pod Smerken in the Czech Republic.  My group (Taylor, Emily, and I), took a wonderful coach bus to a town called Liberec.  From there we transferred to a train that took us to our final destination.  I always wondered what it would be like to travel on a train in a foreign country, riding through the countryside.  It did not disappoint.  The view was amazing, and each town we passed had a small little train station terminal and a couple buildings and houses that were the base for the town.  Otherwise, when we weren't passing quickly through the towns, we were in the mountains, riding under tunnels and picking out different livestock in the distance.  After about an hour on the train, we finally pulled up to the last stop: Nove Mêsto pod Smerken.  It was the last stop on the train because any further, and we would be in Poland.  That's how close to the border we were.  Anyways, we get off the train, and we are greeted by two French assistants, Tibaud and Sandra, who are volunteers at the 'House of Children,' where we were volunteering during our stay.  We walked with them to the 'House of Children' and as you can see from the picture, it is just a normal house, used for the children as an after school program.  The purpose of the organization is to give children and students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and participation in different areas of study, such as art, beekeeping, computer study, and sport activities.

The House of Children, where we slept and participated for the trip.
So on the first day, we brought our belongings to the house, and met a group of boys upstairs in the meeting room.  They ranged from ages 8-15 years old, some of them knowing only basic English words, others knowing a better range of English words and phrases.  They had a nice welcome meal, goulash and potatoes (again), and a little English introduction.  It was nice to learn a little bit about them and see how good their English was.  

Emily, Me, & Taylor walking around the town in an open field.
For the rest of Friday night, we spent our time with Tibaud, Sandra, and their other French friend Lucas.  We went to a pub around 8:30pm and stayed there until at least 12:30am, drinking beer after beer, making small talk with the locals, and singing Czech songs at the top of our lungs in the pub.  It was exactly how I imagined a small, local foreign pub to be, talking in Czech, downing beers, and aggressively playing the accordion.  The "funny man" of the night was a gentleman who clearly still thought it was the 1980s and rocked a mullet.  He did the BEST Adolf Hilter impression I have ever seen.  I have video of it, and I will try to upload it at another point so everyone can hear me cracking up as he is screaming German. It was one of the highlights of that night.

Saturday was a relaxing day. We slept in a bit, and started drinking at one of the pubs again around noon.  I didn't have that much because I was still kind of hungover from the night before.  Then, my group and our new French friends took a bus to the next town over, walked around there, and enjoyed the sights.  It was a quaint little town with a beautiful church and a nice little stream that flowed behind the church.  The afternoon was calm, and we were able to walk all around town in just a couple of minutes. We headed back before the sun set and had a nice dinner.  The night portion was interesting because we attended an "underground" discotheque, where they played cool Czech music, and people were dancing and enjoying the night. 

The church a town over from Nové Mêsto.
One thing you that I learned about the small towns on the outskirts of the Czech Republic is that they are very small, and therefore, the people know everyone who is anyone.  It was rumored that we Americans were the talk of the town because if anything happens in the town, everyone knows about it because the community is so small.  Over the time we spent here in this town, I'm pretty sure we met everyone in the town at one point or another.  We definitely met all the children, which was nice because they would wave whenever we walked around the town.

Sunday was the most active day since I came to the Czech Republic.  We all woke up around 9:00am, and met the boys from the "House of Children" around 10:00am to go hiking.  It was a gorgeous day, and we hiked all the way up to the highest mountain in the area.  We started at 10:30am and got back at 4:30pm.  The mountain was beautiful, with many trees and streams going through the paths.  We hiked up very steep portions of the trails, and made it to the top around 1:00. The height of the mountain was 5,550 feet above sea level, which means my legs were going to hurt 5,550 times more. I was happy to reach the top, because I love nature and scenery.  It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.  Just feet away was the Poland border and you could see a bunch of mountains in the distance.  The sky was so clear and the sun felt nice on my skin.  It was nice to get a little tan again.  Once the sight-seeing was over, we tracked our way back down the mountain, safe and sound.  I went straight to the shower and laid in bed for the rest of the night with Emily and Taylor.

Me, Emily, and Taylor hiking midway up the mountain. Beautiful view in the background.

Me at the top viewpoint of the mountain, 5,550 feet later.

The view of Poland, literally just feet away from the top.

The whole group together for a nice picture.

Monday & Tuesday were our last full days in the town, and we were able to get a chance teaching in the local schools.  We attended the primary school, the secondary school, and the special school for a visit.  The first two schools we went and taught English to the children.  They were very happy to have visitors from America, especially New York. We went from classroom to classroom teaching some basic letters, animals, and phrases in English (i,e, the letters A,B,C,D,E, my name is… i am 20 years old… I am from New York,,, dog, cat, duck, elephant). The secondary school was a little bit more advanced in that we were able to talk about favorite movies, colors, what do you want to be when you grow up, and how many family members do you have?  The special school was for children who don't have much money and need help increasing their IQs.  There, we sang some songs and played a few games with the whole school.  It was a very rewarding experience.  Many of the children we encountered came up to us after the lesson and said thank you, and wanted pictures with us.  Some even wanted to be my Facebook friend, haha.

The primary school classroom with the 3rd graders. We taught them basic alphabet letters and animals in English.

Emily & I with the special school children. Such a great experience.

Our last day on Tuesday was nice because we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening and relax.  Emily and I got a bottle of wine, hiked up a mountain nearby, grabbed a blanket, and overlooked the town as we drank wine on a grass field.  It was very relaxing and breath taking. The night ended with us saying goodbye to the boys and talking about some cultural topics and how we can stay connected in the future to see how things are changing.  It was definitely a heartfelt goodbye to them, as they have been very hospitable and gracious for showing us their town and their community.
I sit now on the bus back to Prague, where I will meet up with the rest of my colleagues, and head to the southern border of the Czech Republic for a little debrief until Friday. The town is called Česky Krumlov, a heavy populated city in South Bohemia, near the Austrian border.


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Feels Like A High School Routine

When I was in high school at St. John the Baptist D.H.S. on Long Island, I was in the prime of my studies.  I woke up around 5:45am just so I could get going and be on time for school.  My day consisted on 9 periods, most of which were subjects in the honors, advanced placement, and elective courses.  I'll never forget how junior year was the hardest year of all. I came home after a long day, and did homework non-stop. It was a busy routine for me, trying to balance after school clubs, organizations, community service, soccer, and seeing my friends.  Since those high school days, college has been a bit easier.  The workload is more dense, but I'm not spending 3/4 of my day with school and work.  Prague is a bit different.

This week really kicked my butt into gear.  I find myself waking up at 7:30am to get ready and commute to class.  My commute takes me a while, so I put on my headphones and read books that are assigned to us on a weekly basis.  I get to class, and I don't stop until later in the day.  The previous post contains a brief class schedule throughout the day.  By the time I get back to my home stay, it's about 5:00pm.  So I go say hi to my host family, ask them about their days, and walk upstairs to my room where I really don't come out until later in the night.  Most of the time I'm writing and reading, other times I'll take about an hour to relax and catch my breath (a.k.a. Facebook, Gmail, PerezHilton, NYTimes, the social/gossip/news update).  Then it's back to work until 11:00pm rolls around and I'm done with most of my work.  I don't mind the routine, it's just something that I haven't been used to in a while.  I'm happy that I'm being much more productive, and it may inspire me to keep the routine going when I return to Providence.  Since my papers are complete, my reading is done, and the homework assignments are completed for the week, this upcoming excursion couldn't have come at a better time.

Tomorrow, Friday, I will be heading to Nové Mêsto pod Smrkem, a community in the northern region of the Czech Republic and only a couple miles away from the Poland border.  It is 4 hours away from Prague by bus and train.  Below is a picture of the location, just to give you an idea:



This is my first excursion here in the SIT program, and my colleagues and I have been separated into three groups to be sent in different regions of the Czech Republic.  So tomorrow, Taylor, Emily, and I will be going to this location until Wednesday.  The objective of the regional stay is to incorporate the cross-cultural knowledge and experience in and around the community, and to observe the communication within the community.  To get an idea of what Taylor, Emily, and I will be doing, here is a direct description from our coordinator: 

"The program includes taking part in workshops for the little Beekeepers, mainly boys who take part in the ROROS programs; attending a local wedding; hikes in the local mountain area; leading an English class at a so-called, Special school - primary school or younger kids; as well as the regular school where you will have lunch at the school canteen; and a dinner at the home of the boys. Research the Jizerky Mountains to get a sense for the physical environment of the northern borderland."

I look forward to this excursion and experience (especially getting away from the center of Prague for a while).  I will try to update if I can, but technology is not recommended while I'm there.  I will have my international phone (420 775 545 194) and my iPhone (only gets WiFi) just in case.  So for now I won't have an update until later, but I hope to come back with a lot of stories and pictures from my regional stay. Ahoj!

P.S. Shoutout to my Mema! It is her birthday this Saturday and I love her and miss her very much! Guess I'll celebrate with you, Mema, when I get back! Babylon Express drinks on me!



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Speed of Sound

I'm due for an update, big time.  It's been approximately a week since I last blogged, and much has happened here in Prague since.

To give you an overview, I had my first full week of classes last week. My schedule follows along the lines of:

Monday 9:30-2:30
Tuesday 9:30-2:30
Wednesday 12:30-4:30
Thursday 9:30-2:30
Friday 9:30-4:30 (the longest day)

As for my classes, they are going very well.  All of them are interesting and Czech-based, giving me the opportunity to learn the historical part about society, art, theatre, government, politics, literature, and film.  I've visited some more museums, low-key galleries, film locations, and events in Prague.

This past weekend, I saw some interesting pieces of artwork at the National Gallery Museum as apart of my art history lecture. Below are some of the pictures I took:

 Me standing in front of a giant painting.
 Florescent light artwork.
Camouflage painting.

Saturday I visited a festival held on a psychiatric campus, where I toured the facilities that the patients use for leisure activities and assistance.  There was a wide variety of buildings and booths with things to purchase.  My reasoning for attending was to understand the festivals purpose of being held on a psychiatric campus.  It is in order to eliminate the social stigma that comes with those who have mental illnesses. I think I contributed to that stigma, but my view has changed since the tour:

My "I'm at a psychiatric facility" pose.

Saturday night, I attended my first Czech wedding.  That's right, a wedding. It was Jana and Petr's cousin's son who was getting married.  I wanted to see if there was a difference in traditional Czech weddings, and American weddings.  Although there isn't anything too different about the weddings, there are very interesting social interactions that take place during the course of the reception (games, raffle prizes, outdoor grilling, and American rock music dancing). Below is a picture of JANA & PETR with the bride and groom.  I put their names in all caps because I haven't posted a picture of what my host parents look like:

Petr, the groom, the bride, and Jana at the wedding.
A huge display of desserts made by Jana. She can bake. Someone needs to get her a cooking show.


Lastly, I'll end with Sunday. COLDPLAY. I went to the concert in an outdoor soccer stadium, and it was AMAZING. The stage was beautiful, the lights were awesome, and the crowd was packed and excited.  Coldplay came on around 8:30 and put on a firework show with light up radio activated bracelets that flashed to the stream of the music.  It was incredible.  One of the best concerts I've been to because they were so amazing live (both entertaining and vocally). Below is the link to a video that I recorded in the opening of the concert setlist. Enjoy! I'll have much more to post tomorrow about some exciting upcoming plans!



Monday, September 10, 2012

A Little Town Called Modrany

Sorry I haven't been updating the past couple of days, a lot has happened since I had that dinner with my host parents and walked across the Charles Bridge at night.

So Saturday (September 8th), I woke up for the last time in my hotel room with Tom and Dan.  I got all my belongings together, and headed downstairs for breakfast. Pickup time for us students was around 10:00am.  Petr was there on the dot. I took my big orange-colored suitcase, my duffle bag, and my backpack and put it in his car.  We drove for about 25 minutes south of the city center, driving along the Charles River.  He was showing me different sights, like old factories, water sources, tram stops, etc.  He even pointed out my bus stop and my tram stop for when I commute to class from now on.  Well, I arrived at the house, and all I can say is that it's beautiful! Here is a picture:


There is the first floor, where Jana's mother and father live. And I need to take off my shoes and put on slippers as it is a Czech tradition to do so. Up the stairs is the main floor of the house, with a kitchen, dining area, living room, and an outdoor patio.  Midway up the next flight of stairs are offices, and at the top of the house (with the brown roof part) are the bedrooms. I have a nice, comfortable room, with shelves, a desk, a mirror, and cabinets for my clothes.  The bed is really nice, and I have a pretty skylight view.

So that's the tour of the house, and I was able to unpack my things, and I was given a big lunch for my welcome.  Me, Petr, Jana, a family friend, and Jan (the youngest son, 25), sat down on the outdoor patio and feasted. It was so good and I definitely developed a food baby after that meal.  To continue, I finished unpacking, exploring the house, and later that evening, Petr took me by bus & tram into the city at night for a walk and a drink.  It was very nice and we even witnessed a marathon going throughout the city.  He showed me some more sights and landmarks, then we headed home because it was getting late. End of Saturday.

Sunday (September 9th), was a very active day for me.  It was the first time I was able to get some good sleep, so I slept a little late, then got some reading done.  I walked downstairs, had a bite to eat for lunch, and was invited to go biking with Petr around the neighborhood.  Woah, did we go around the neighborhood indeed. I was given a nice bike, seat hoisted up, helmet on, and off we went. He showed me all the trails, and many meadows that I could bike through, all which seemed so nice to get out and be active in the sun.  It was about 80 degrees and we went everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Through golf courses, along two rivers, to the playground, on a bike path, into 3 towns, stopped at 3 pitstops, visited a skate park, my tram stop, then biked up and down two hills, and saw a grass-based airport on the top. Altogether I would definitely say it was around 20 miles. I was beat. Exhausted. Tired. And worn out. It was so worth the trip, but I went back, showered, and fell asleep.  It was great bonding time with my host dad, and I know that my dad at home would really appreciate the bike trail I accomplished. So then, I decided to do some laundry before dinner, and the laundry here is also different.  I put a load of clothes in, and once it was done, I had to hand each article of clothing up individually on a clothespin rack outside. Timely, but entertaining.

Today (Monday the 10th), was the first day of full classes. I didn't get much sleep because I spent most of my night hunting down insects in my room (TIP: DO NOT leave your skylight window open during the night, the creepiest, disgusting, harmful insects will appear). So with about 3 hours of sleep, I woke up slowly, got dressed, and headed to the bus station.  From there I hop on a bus, take it 2 stops, then transfer to a tram.  The tram ride is about 25 minutes, then i arrive at the stop near my school. I got a quick espresso to start my day, then it was off to Literature.  We talked about the novel "Amerika" written by Franz Kafka, and transitioned to Theatre in the afternoon lecture.  It was a most successful day, and I might say that I grabbed a quick treat in the Town Square after school and walked around to "take in the day." A great end to a great day. Oh, and my laundry was all dry by the time I got home, but I went and ironed every single thing because the air dry wrinkles everything. Haha. Well, if you're still reading, thanks for catching up, and I'll keep you updated throughout the week about my studies and trips.

NOTE: COLDPLAY is in 6 days in Prague. I'm preparing my Coldplay playlist for my commute this week.