Then and now

I’ve been living in Prague for over a year now. Wow, I never thought I would find myself in one piece after quite a time in the Czech land. One year passed with countless soap opera days and nights with me being the star of such dramatic episodes in my life, and A being the helpless viewer. I missed home terribly. I missed everything Pinoy. It was just so difficult for me to adjust. I have to give my husband credit for his patience and unconditional love especially during those times when I was at the pit of depression.

I never thought I led a “pampered” life back home until I came here. We aren’t rich in the Philippines but I was earning more than enough for me to enjoy some pampering in Cebu where I lived. These were the things I found difficult to let go and which made me miss the Philippines more:

1. The weekly manicure-pedicure-foot spa/massage I had. Sounds so shallow, right? But if it was as natural as breathing, you would surely “die“ during your first months without it. Can you believe I had to see a doctor to cut my problematic toenail? I didn’t know anything about cutting my own toenails then. Somebody did it for me for years.... I know, I’m quite ashamed to admit it right now. :)
2. Tatay’s cooking. He cooked for me and my sister since we moved with him nine years ago. He’s kinda like our landlord but he considers us his family. He still cooks for my sister. I never cooked in my life until I came to Prague. These days it’s the neverending trials and errors in the kitchen. You have no idea how frustrating it was to look at food blogs for some recipe not having a clue of what a peppercorn was. Finally, I cooked my first successful adobo a couple of weeks ago. The feeling of success was I think far better than the taste of the adobo itself. :)
3. Working with an assistant/ secretary. Yes, I had one in my previous life as a so called immigration consultant. Now I am a full-time English preschool teacher and a part-time English teacher. This career shift is so surreal to me. I never wanted to be a teacher. In fact I remember telling myself teaching small children would be the last thing I’d do when, on my first few weeks in Prague, I saw two preschool teachers on the metro with several pumped up kids who can’t stay still and be quiet. I officially took back those words last September. I’ve been loaded with hilarious moments only small kids are capable of making since I started teaching. I’ll make a post about life at the preschool very soon.
4. Food, food, and food. I became obsessed with Filipino food. I’ve had cravings for yellow mangoes from Guadalupe, fried bananas, stir-fried squash, etc, etc. I still crave for them now and then. Some Czech food I like. Some I totally find horrible. They use a lot of butter here on almost everything they eat. I have no problem with butter but not when you eat it with meat already floating in oil. Yaaak.
5. My friends and their unparalled sense of humor. There’s nothing more depressing than having nobody to laugh with you, or to be surrounded with people who would look at you in confusion when you‘ve just delivered a punchline. Thank goodness A has a sense of humor. He appreciates my eccentricities and vice versa. But aside from him and a couple of others more, I’m a fish in a small pond of duh-ness.

Like I said, I missed everything back home. I still do. Everything that I miss can’t be covered in one post so I better stop here. What’s important is that things are better for me now. I have learned to take care of myself by myself. Little by little I am learning to adjust and be Czeched in some ways. I can’t help but also add that being with A compensates for the things that I miss back home.

I’m so sleepy. It’s raining in Prague right now. The sound of rain makes me want to jump in bed and crash to oblivion. Speaking of rain, I was so ecstatic that spring has finally arrived but with it comes the rain as well. What a bummer!

Ok, I’m out of here. Dobrou noc (goodnight) everyone.

Kutná Hora in a day

Maybe A and I were born under a wandering star. We take every opportunity we can to satiate our hunger to explore. Now that spring has finally arrived in the Czech Republic, we are revved up for some adventure so off we went to Kutná Hora last Saturday as it was a beautiful sunny day. We just couldn‘t spend a day like this staying at home.

Kutná Hora is a town not far from Prague. It’s easy to get there. Just take a train from the main station (Hlavní Nadrazí) to Brno. It’s the second stop, right after Kolín. Return fare is around 200kč or 5euros. The town is under UNESCO World Heritage list.

I’ve passed by Kutná Hora on the train from Prague to Brno and back so many times before. I thought the town was the one visible from the station but it’s actually on the other side. If you‘re traveling independently, be prepared for an amount of walking before you’d even reach the center. It’s wise to buy a map of the town before going there. And please, no high heels for the girls. I saw a couple of tourists strutting in probably designer heels. I have five words to say about this: Be kind to your legs.

OUR STOPS:

Sedlec Ossuary- what can I say, this is one of the most bizarre art displays I’ve seen in my entire life. Imagine 40,000 real human bones arranged in the most fascinating patterns! A didn’t go inside because he’s already seen it some years ago. I chickened out in taking some pictures maybe because of the additional fee of 70kč if you bring a camera inside, and also because it was really strange for me being surrounded with thousands of human bones. In the once sleepy town in Surigao, the Philippines, where I grew up, it was believed by some people that a soul wont rest in peace unless its bones will be properly buried in a cemetery. If there was a bit truth in that, imagine 40,000 restless souls inside the walls of this tiny church.

Museum of Alchemy- I’ve never been into the subject of alchemy unless we talk about Paolo Coelho’s book which I’ve read a couple of times. A is curious about it and his curiosity brought us to the most interesting place in town. (At least for me.) The museum is located right at Palackého Náměstí where restaurants, hotels, cafes and souvenir shops are lining up along the square. Underground is where you can explore some of 14th or 15th (I don’t really trust my memory when it comes to numbers.) century relics of alchemy. The most memorable part was the “gaol at the bowel of the earth“ where failed alchemists would “reside“ for God knows how long. Trust me, you’ll never want to be in this room especially if you’re as claustrophobic as I am. Upstairs, on what might be the second or third floor, (here I am again, unsure of the right number) is the prayer room. It was where the resident alchemist would pray before going on a task. Etched in stone was the prayer of the Alchemist Hermes. Maybe I will post a copy of that prayer sometime soon.

Note: If I didn’t get the facts right, feel free to correct me. But please, be kind in your words. There are enough headaches in this world...

Another stop we had was at St Barbara’s Cathedral. We just admired the church’s facade and took a couple of pictures. We also checked out Hrádek Mining Museum but again didn’t go in to explore. They required suitable clothing for going on fours as you explore its medieval mining shafts and tunnels but A was wearing leather shoes and his one and only pair of expensive designer jeans. Crawling was definitely a no-no for him at that time. Of course I didn’t go in, either, being a certified claustrophobic that I am. Škoda, sayang, a pity. :)

We also paid a visit to these other two main attractions: the Stone House at Václavské Náměstí and the Fountain which they call Kamenná Kašna. When the day was winding down, we ate at this Italian Pizzeria where service was quick and the pizza was good. Sunset was spent sitting at the pond quite far from the center. We took the train back to Prague at 7pm.

Do I recommend Kutná Hora as a place to visit? Yes, if you are all for artistic and historical sights. But if you are like me and A, who are more into communing with Mother Nature, then it is probably not the place for you.

Finally

It took me quite a while to decide if I should share my thoughts, or my life in particular, to the rest of the world. Finally, here is my answer, a birth in the blogging universe. I guess one of the reasons why I was hesitant to do it was for fear of confirming to myself that I am a boring person, (though it's been lurking in my mind for years) or that I have nothing much to write about. I was afraid I would read in my own words how monotonous my European existence is, that everyday is not a stroll along Prague's narrow and winding streets the way I would sometimes like to believe, but rather a mad rush on the highway of daily existence. But boring or monotonous or not, there are good things that are happening in my life, things that I'm grateful for. These things make me correct what I had just said--- I don't just exist, I live.

Welcome to my life, its high highs and low lows. But really, it's the highs that always count....

I share this life with A, my husband. We are two parallel universes.