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my czech expat christmas: guest-posted
today is the first weekend of advent, friends. to me, this means that the christmas markets are open and the tree lighting ceremony happens to be tonight: a wonderful evening of drinking vanočni punč, eating trdelnik, and listening to live music in the old town square. better than a birthday. join me as i gush more about my excitement for this season and explain some czech christmas traditions over on a guest post over on my buddy van’s blog, snow in tromso. she is doing this fabulous “christmas around the world” series featuring a different holiday guest-post every saturday… something i can really get in to! a little change from…
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a {real talk} look back on thanksgiving
i’m sure you’re a bit tired of me announcing all of my first this and second that, but today it is the good ol’ fashioned thanksgiving holiday. that means that this is the third thanksgiving i’ve celebrated abroad since leaving in mid-2012. i can’t believe that for three holidays in a row i am away from home. and furthermore, STILL HERE. the holiday has got to the point where i really can barely remember what a normal american family thanksgiving dinner is supposed to feel like. but then again, i never had a holiday dinner celebration like the ones they portray in movies or on commercials. not even before this…
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favorite czech & slovak cuisine
instead of write about my all-time favorite food while traveling, i chose to narrow the focus a little: czech & slovak cuisine (and no, that’s not czechoslovakian cusine because although the two countries were intertwined for decades, they’ve been doing their own thang for over twenty years). and i have to say: czech food is so much more than just pork and dumplings. in fact, i’ve been doing a “no pork” thing for almost a year now and there are still so many dishes to try that would please carnivore and vegetarian alike. some of my favorites include… česnečka (garlic soup). a garlic lover’s dream! the czechs don’t skimp on the…
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lately, november
hi friends! we’re almost at the end of the month now and i’ve seen the mild weather go from pleasant and sunny to cold in almost an instant… funny as i was just bragging about our warm weather as recently as last weekend. no longer! this month has so far seen golden autumn countryside walks, celebrating our second “czechaversary”, and the first weeks of hosting travel tuesday! here’s what else has been up… … eating: the past few weeks haven’t been too kitchen friendly. it’s honestly felt more like a chore a lot of times and i kept buying only ingredients for one certain kind of food. for example, one week we…
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the lennon wall, prague
the lennon wall started in prague in a tiny little hard-to-find lane on velkopřevorské náměstí in prague’s malá strana quarter in 1980, when the world heard the news about the assassination of john lennon on december 8th of that year. the world was stunned, and those hopeful peace and freedom lovers (and john disciples) took to painting this wall as an expression of grief using it almost like an altar. although the communist government at the time didn’t like it, they mostly turned a blind eye and it became a place of art and rremembrance to commemorate john. it’s a wonderful prague landmark, enjoyed by lennon fans and other tourists who…
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second czechaversary
i’m the kind of person that can’t help but to remember anniversaries of everything. if i met you once ten years ago, i probably still remember your birthday (with a couple days of leeway, of course). so it stands to reason that i think about and celebrate every little milestone associated with living abroad. mostly because i am still amazed that i had this kind of hare-brained idea to leave my job in seattle and fly across the world. not only that, but there is a wonderful country that has let me live here for two years now: the czech republic. i didn’t even really know when i became an…
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living without stuff, pt. II
(alternative title: in which i realize that some stuff is good to have) a strange thought occurred to me the other night about all the food products so beloved to me that i haven’t touched for years; obviously not by choice, including cheerios, shredded-wheat cereal, campbell’s soup (don’t judge), and a whole load of other things that i can’t think of right now that i won’t even know i have missed until i see it again. not only that, but all of my belongings and clothing sitting in the family garage. next summer when i’m going through all those things i’ve forgotten about, it’s going to feel like christmas. what better to…
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ABC’s of travel: travel tuesday
happy travel tuesday! it’s a very special one for me as i have been chosen to be a co-host for the next couple months (alongside the lovely bonnie, courtney & yalanda) and i couldn’t be happier about it. so thank you! i’ll do my best to make you all proud. for my first week abroad the #traveltuesday express, i wanted to share a little about myself and travel moments, and if you’re new around here, so you could get to know this orange-haired american in czechland a little better. i present to you, the good ol’ abc’s of travel, cynthia-style. (a)ge you went on your first international trip: age 9, on a family…
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sunday cookin’: lentil-tempeh tacos
crunchy tacos. MY FAVORITE. and after some experimenting, i’ve come up with THE PERFECT vegetarian answer to beef-style taco filling: lentil-tempeh tacos. the lentils are filling, versatile, and make me feel good. combine it with tempeh, a soy product similar to tofu but consisting of a “cake” of whole soybeans, which has a fantastic texture that could be similar to a meat substitute. when seasoned just right, you will not know these aren’t from taco time or your similar favorite taco joint with who-knows-what that beef filling is actually made of, plus none of the fat. it’s so healthy and delicious and can be made in simply the time it…
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a forest wander. have you ever gone out for a hike or walk and just end up somewhere completely different than you had originally planned for (by accident)? this happened to me on a lovely sunday hike through the forests of nearby rudolfov (an old nearby mining village, pictured above). i definitely had a different destination in mind but was shocked to find myself right back to where i started! but oh well, at least the walk was good… and scenic! november can be such a great time for walks, especially in this mild, golden weather which is fading fast. lastly: you know you’re really in the czech countryside when…
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