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weekend, unplugged
i went offline this weekend, not entirely by choice. the internet was down (or rather, “the landlord’s wifi we’ve been leeching has not been working”) which initially would bum anyone out that just wanted to sit in bed and read some blogs on a sunny saturday morning, but it was somewhat of a blessing in disguise. i picked up wild by cheryl strayed (whose earlier book dear sugar i had previously enjoyed) and plowed almost 70% through that baby… and i almost never do that kind of thing! what a great novel to get you in the mood for a) nicer weather and b) a hiking trip, preferably along the…
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what i love about “home”
české budějovice isn’t what i consider HOME home, but it certainly is my home for now and it’s important to think about and remember why i chose to live here and what makes it great. i’ve thought of plenty reasons, but here’s my ten favorite things about good ol’ CB. 1. i LOVE my flat i could easily spend days holed up here in this haven of english speaking, great cooking, and ornate early twentieth century architectural detail, but force myself to get out once and awhile. we really got lucky! the flat next door is vacant as it’s being remodeled, so we don’t have to worry about being too quiet…
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risking it
us ESL teachers are a transient bunch. it’s common for people to teach english for nine months to a year before heading back to wherever they came from. i always thought that i would share this fate… until things greatly improved financially, we met more contacts and realized– hey, we could totally stay here for longer. life is good! i certainly didn’t anticipate my life abroad teaching english to be much more lucrative than a life in seattle slinging coffee and interning for positions that will never materialize into jobs, but hey. living in the czech republic is a bit different than the rest of western europe, but it’s also…
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brno
if someone told me earlier “in a week, you’ll travel to brno for the day”, i would’ve wondered whaaaaat would ever compel me to undertake that. but my father (whom i haven’t seen in 3+ years) was on business from singapore, so it would be almost criminal not to meet up after being so close! brno, the second largest city in the czech republic, is almost four hours away by bus which isn’t exactly day trip material. but you know what? brno it is! because sometimes plans change! as my mind surely did as i stepped off the bus and was greeted by the warmest sun on my face i’ve felt…
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berlin valentine
berlin for berlinale and valentines’ week was a hell of a time. i was a little unsure about returning so soon after my all-too-short weekend getaway last summer somehow rubbed me a little bit in the wrong direction, but the city’s back on my good list now and it seems that valentines’ week was the perfect time to realize that it was just a rough patch we were going through. as i was being smothered by winter monotony here in south bohemia, five days in the hauptstadt was just the thing to refresh my spirits. although i was looking forward to seeing the city in it’s snowy winter glory, the…
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february noms
it must be winter because food is largely on the mind again. and guys, i’ve been creating some gooooood stuff lately. my week of good cooking has been capped off by a sunday excursion to tesco to exchange my twenty-five stickers for a $46 grundig blender. THIS THING IS A BEAST! it’s got this gigantic 1.5 liter glass jug and the base is the size of kilimanjaro. i have been wavering back and forth on this purchase for literally months, as it is really hard to justify buying stuff during my time living abroad– plus, i’ve already lived here over a year without it and got by okay. but…. eh,…
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normal
maybe because it’s the middle of winter and there’s not much to do besides the usual, but recently, i wake up out of bed, get ready, and go about my normal routine giving absolutely no thought to the fact that i live in the czech republic. even to overhear czech spoken on the streets sparks no wave lengths out of the ordinary in this brain of mine. this slavic language that’s all around me doesn’t even sound that strange anymore. or, i’ll be walking down a beautiful cobbled street on my way to a lesson and pay it absolutely no mind that i live in a foreign country. instead i’ll…
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football & tea time
hands down, the best part of winter is drinking mugs upon mugs of tea. bonus points if you’re drinking tea and it’s snowing. last weekend we had a proper british tea time (hosted by our new english friend) with a bakewell tart (did not know what that was until a couple days ago) and yorkshire tea– apparently the best brand. hey, as long as it’s a good black tea with milk, i’m happy. i’m hoping tea time will become a regular fixture through the rest of winter and spring! (picture via) i’ve been a tea aficionado since college, where the other girls in my house would giggle at me for loading a…
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czech eats + winter lately
south bohemia, a region of central europe that used to be part of germany but now remains in south-east czech republic has a very rich history and traditions. and of course, food is a large part of people keeping their traditions and culture alive. after over a year in the czech republic, i’m not a huge fan of traditional czech meals like goulash, bread dumplings, and pork everything… in fact i’ve vowed to eat very little to no pork in 2014 ‘cause, well, i’m just bloody tired of it! and i’d rather eat other things. but there are many other south bohemian food items i have taken an interest in….…
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A Broad, Abroad: Secrets for Traveling Europe on a Budget
since i embarked on my very first trip to europe in 2004, fresh out of high school, i have learned an enormous amount about how to travel on the cheap. i am the self-professed queen of frugality (as well as a euro budget travel vet) and i cringe at paying full-price for anything. so here’s a list of excellent tips that i use all the time that will allow you to travel even in western europe for dollars a day. and even if you no longer like to travel on such a budget, these tips are just plain smart and will help you save money for the part of your…
