mám ráda slunce - i love sunshine.

I need to write about my weekend in East Bohemia, but I think I will save that for another post and just talk about the sun and its effects on the city of Brno.

The sun has officially been shining (save for when this side of the world is turned away from it) for the past 6 days. Which is a miracle, I think. But I have no complaints.

Last Thursday was the first day of spring in Brno as far as the people of Brno were concerned. It was like the city came alive. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping (and i'm not talking about the pigeons!) and all the sudden the main square was packed with smiling people, laughter, and an abundance of little booths and markets. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought I had accidentally entered a different city. But it was the same old Brno, just alive and sunny! I loved it here before, but I love it even more now that there is life. Let me just share a few of my new favorite things that Spring has introduced into this city:

-Soft Serve Gelato: I thought gelato was the best it could get. But I was completely wrong. They've set up a soft serve machine right in the middle of the city (not in a shop or anything just a little stand sort of like you would see a hot dog stand in new york) and you just walk up, pay your 20 koruny (crowns, approx $1) and they give you a GINORMOUS cone with the most delicious ice cream you could ever dream up. I'm not even kidding. It was such a euphoric experience for me. And those of you that know me, know that I am a freak for good ice cream. And this stuff was the best I've ever had. And while it is almost double the price of gelato, it is definitely worth every korun. Incredible stuff.

-Easter!: All over town people have set up stands selling all sorts of traditional easter goods ranging from elaborately painted eggs (real and wooden) to musical instruments and wreaths and cookies made from the traditional honey cake. It's so fun. On Thursday Jeongmin and I wandered all around town checking out the stands.

-SUN!: The sun has literally transformed the people here. They are nicer, more patient, and more willing to listen to us attempt to speak Czech. Which has been so fun! The sun has also provided plenty of opportunities for more exploring. Jeongmin and I have been running every evening and we found this beautiful park just down the hill from Vinarska! The first time we ran there, I was feeling a little nostalgic because it was so much like the greenbelt in Maryville! It definitely makes me want to run more. Or at least go on more walks.


Overall, things here have gotten even better (if you can believe that!) Classes are starting to pick up, which is to be expected I think. And the days are getting longer and more activities are consuming those extra minutes, but all in all it's really great. I am spending this Easter weekend with Magda in Poland and though I'm a little nervous (none of her family speaks English and Magda is very vague about what to expect haha) I'm really excited to get to experience a traditional Polish easter. I'm also hoping to make it to Krakow and Auschwitz, since I missed the school trip because I was sick. So we'll see.

One thing that is not so exciting, however, are the traditions the Czechs and Poles have for Easter. In Poland, it is traditional to throw water on each other on Easter. Basically you try not to be the first one to get soaking wet. So that will be interesting. In the Czech Republic, though, it's much worse. The tradition is that girls are supposed to paint really pretty eggs on Easter Sunday and then on Easter Monday, the boys come knocking on the girls' doors and when the girl opens the door, the boy whips them with some form of a switch (which they are also selling at all the stands around down in varying sizes, pictures to follow) and in return for her beating (which is supposed to give her good health and fertility) she gives the boy the pretty eggs she decorated. If the boy comes after noon, then the girl has the option of pouring water on the boy when he gets there, but only if he doesn't do it first. It's crazy. And you might be thinking, oh wow what a crazy tradition they had back in the day. Because that's what I thought at first. But no, it's still alive and well, especially here in Brno. It's all anyone talks about. All I know is I will not be answering the door on Monday ;)

Well anyways, I need to write a paper now. Here're a few pictures of mine and Jeongmin's sunshine day in Brno:


This is one of the medium sized switches they sell.

Jeongmin and I decided we wanted to become street performers. I would play this sweet flute and she would dance. We're still working out the details ;)

This guy scared us pretty bad, so to make up for it, he agreed to take a picture with us. Apparently he's from a lot of Czech fairy tales. which should tell you a lot about Czech fairy tales :/

Probably my favorite kind of Apple juice - Cappy. It's so delicious.

So excited to play in the sun!

when the darkness closes in...

I wasn't going to write this blog. Part of me still doesn't really want to. But I know that in order to paint an accurate picture of my time here, I need to include everything - the good AND the bad. Not that much has really been "bad." I mean, I'm in Europe. It's hard to find things to complain about, because the good outweighs any inconvenience or mishap that may come along. But there are those days you wake up and simply don't feel like staying awake. I've had a few of those days lately.

It all started on Saturday night when I was getting ready to "go" to Sam's concert in North Carolina (via Skype, unfortunately). It was about an hour before the concert was supposed to start when my internet cut out. I thought maybe the cord came unplugged or something, but after a few frantic moments of plugging, unplugging and replugging and then scrambling to find my papers from orientation to relogin to the network, I come to find out my wonderful school/dormitory had decided I had reached my limit and blocked my internet for four days. Great. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that I had been so excited to get to watch Sam perform. After a minor breakdown, Magda was SO wonderful and let me borrow her computer so I could still watch. Which was such a blessing. I can't even express how grateful I was. But then Sunday came, Magda received word that her uncle had died and left for Poland, leaving me in an empty room with thoughts of death (I know, morbid, but it's the truth) and no access to the internet. I started thinking about what I would do if I got a call like Magda's telling me someone I loved back home had died. I wouldn't be able to hop a train and get home in a few hours. Anyways, it got me all emotional and I spent Sunday feeling pretty depressed and homesick for the first time since I've been here. It's crazy how one small little thought can snowball and consume your heart in a matter of minutes. And how that one small thought can drastically change a good day into a bad one.

Anyway.

I spent Sunday night and most of Monday contemplating a lot of things, and feeling pretty sick. I'm not sure what's up, but my body has been pretty brutal to me since I've been here. We have been having on again/off again wars. But anyways. In the middle of all my self-absorption, God, in his infinite grace and love for me, led me to a passage of Scripture in Psalms:

"Then I realized how bitter I had become, how pained I had been by all I had seen. I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand. You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."
Psalm 73:21-26

I really am so blessed. When I stop to think about where my life is at any point, I can't help but praise God. Even if my internet is blocked, or my body is aching and revolting, or the people I love most are thousands of miles away and a ginormous body of water separates us from each other, or any number of other "bad" things, God deserves my praise. He remains the strength of my heart. I am so blessed.

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."

Psalm 63:3

in living color.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day.
It's amazing how just a little sunshine can make everything look so much more beautiful and colorful.

I decided to ban all things motorized today and walk wherever my legs decided to take me. I ended up at the Spilberk castle (castle turned prison turned park/tourist attraction) I pass the sign for it almost everyday and have been wanting to check it out, so today I finally got around to it. I had no idea what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole PARK! The castle itself was nothing too magnificent, but the view from the top and the pathway there was breathtaking. I think I spent a good two hours there just taking pictures and enjoying NATURE (a rare commodity around these parts!) I was surprised at how much something so simple and cheap can renew and revitalize my spirit. The day was so relaxing, so peaceful, and such a refreshing change from the dreary and drab days we've been having. I'm really looking forward to more sunny days because there are so many hidden treasures in Brno that I really want to explore sans winter coat and seventeen layers of clothes. I will admit, though, that one thing that will depart with the cold that I will definitely miss is the cute little bundles of children that waddle around downtown. They are so cute. I wish I had pictures of a few of them. Every kid is always bundled in big puffy jackets, gloves, hats, scarves - the works. But there's something different about them then kids from back home. I'm not sure what it is. But they are precious. And I will miss their layers. But not enough to wish the sun away ;)

Anyways,
here are a few pictures from today's adventures...

my studying is getting in the way of my abroad.

I realized I haven't said much about my school life here in Brno, so this (short!) post will be dedicated to just that: what my schooling is like. But first let me tell you what my schooling is NOT like. My education here is not that of a typical Erasmus (international) student.

The typical Erasmus life consists of sleeping in until 2 or 3, maybe going to class (if you feel like it) then staying out all night drinking pivo (beer). Class is just a nice time filler when you happen to wake up earlier than the parties start. The teachers of the typical Erasmus courses don't take attendance (appalling, right MC people!?) they don't give homework (WHAT?!) and usually instead of a final exam, you are required to write one paper for the whole course. It is basically a joke. Most students don't even go to class.

My life, however, is strikingly different. I am only enrolled in one of the "Erasmus" courses (Modern Czech Theater) and it really is a joke. We have three different professors that alternate each week, we meet once a week for 90 minutes, and for the whole course, we just have to write one paper on any topic related to theater. That's it. Crazy. The other normal class I am in is my Czech Language class. It is a little more challenging, mostly because it is a language course and if you don't go to class, you don't learn the grammar (obviously I learn plenty of vocab outside of class, given that my life is like one giant flashcard). We only have 1 exam for class at the end of the semester, but if we don't pass it, we don't pass the class. Last semester 45% of the class failed. But I'm really not too worried. I enjoy the class and I make an effort to go and learn something, so I'm already ahead of about 90% of the other students who don't care one way or the other.

Since I am taking the CELTA course, I have a much different set of expectations given me by my "tutors" (professors, basically). We are required to attend every class, which only meets on Wednesdays from 9am until 4:30 pm. If we miss one class (or even one section of one class) we fail the whole course. Unless we are on our death bed. In which case we fail sooner. Once a week we have what is called TP (and yes, I did double check my acronym accuracy this time!) which stands for Teaching Practice. We are required to teach 6 hours, 3 to upper-intermediate students and 3 to elementary students of English. We are observed during our TPs and given a pass/fail for each lesson we teach. We are also given a pass/fail for each lesson plan we make. We are only allowed to fail one part of one lesson (either the plan or the execution). Each lesson is 40 minutes long, with the exception of the midterm and final lessons, which are both 60 minutes. There are several other things required of us, but I won't go on. You get the idea.

Anyways, yesterday I had my midterm TP and let me tell you - It was exhausting. I was required to teach 4 narrative tenses enough for the students to be able to tell their own narrative using the 4 tenses properly. The students are upper-intermediate and are a lot of fun to teach, so that helps. Unfortunately, my knowledge of English grammar is quite shallow. So I spent 8 hours on Monday and about 4 more on Tuesday researching and preparing myself for questions on past simple (I worked), past perfect (I had worked) past continuous (I was working) and past perfect continuous (I had been working). In the end, I passed both parts of the lesson and am now preparing to climb mount everest. Because I feel like I could do that now. hahaha. The sad part, though, is that was my last time teaching the upper-intermediate class because no we switch and teach 4 lessons to the elementary students. This is going to be especially challenging for me because, well, I tend to talk a lot. And that is no good for students who can't quite yet understand the language well enough to understand a rambler. So it's going to be a good challenging few weeks.

All that to say, I am really enjoying my education here, as grueling as it is (and as much crap as I get from other students asking me why I am actually going to class and doing homework all the time..). I'm really looking forward to the end result and have already started looking online at job opportunities for teaching English. I've realized lately a restlessness in my heart to know more of the people of the world. Every Wednesday at the country presentations, I am reminded at how huge the world is and how many different kind of people there are and my heart does all these crazy things inside when I think about them all. I really want to know people who are different than me. And I know God is preparing so many awesome adventures for my life (with my husband!) in the near and distant future, so that's exciting. Also I'm getting married. Which is awesome. :)

Here are a few pictures of how I spent my Monday afternoon....

OCD and COD

OCD

This past weekend, I was supposed to travel to Krakow, Poland and on the way stop at Auschwitz (the largest Nazi concentration camp there was). Unfortunately, I woke up around 3am Friday morning (the bus was leaving at 6:30) and me and my stomach were at odds. Riding 6 hours in a bus was the last thing I wanted to do, so I opted out of going on the trip :( It was a hard decision to make, but I know that I would've been miserable on the trip if I had gone. To be honest, I think God was giving me a way to simply rest, something I don't often allow myself to do. So I spent Friday and Saturday mostly in bed (with one adventure to the store to try to buy some soup...) On Sunday, I was finally feeling good enough to actually get out of my bed and move around, so I spent a few minutes folding and putting away my laundry from a few days earlier (yes, i finally did laundry!) I mentioned to Magda that we needed to vacuum our rug and I think something must've snapped in her brain because she got in the CRAZIEST cleaning zone. Now, for those of you know know me, you know that I really enjoy cleaning (for the most part) and am generally a pretty clean person. Compared to Magda, I feel like Pigpen from Charlie Brown. She is crazy OCD, I'm pretty sure :) We spent approximately 3-4 hours yesterday cleaning every INCH of our room. And I'm not exaggerating. Magda vacuumed everything from our sweet burnt sienna window curtains to both our chairs to our shelves and everything in between. She then coached me on how to use a mop (because apparently I'm not very good at it) It was such a funny day. Magda continued to surprise me with the things she considered a necessity to clean and/or do. While she vacuumed, I tried to help out and move things and dust and what not and finally at one point she goes "You can just lay on your bed, Heather." haha. It was definitely a new experience for me. But now we have a spic and span room. All my friends always talk about how nasty their showers and toilets and sinks are, and I could never agree because ours really aren't that bad. And now I know why. :) Here are just a few pictures from our cleaning escapades... (Magda finally scolded me for taking pictures so I had to stop)

















COD

One thing that I've really come to love about living here is the large population of active old people. Since not many people drive cars, there are always plenty of cute old people (COD!) on the trams and buses and they always make for some good stories. For the most part, the old people here are pretty grumpy and rude (I mean, they did live through Communism and for the REALLY old ones, WWII) and generally don't interact with younger people (especially foreigners) except to make them get up if they need a seat on the tram/bus. It is the best thing ever, though, when an old person breaks this stereotype and does something unexpected, like smile at you. I know it seems comical, but it really can make your day when an old person smiles your way. I know, because I've experienced it first hand. A couple times, even! The other day, I was sitting on the bus on my way to class and this cuuuute little old lady sat down in the seat in front of me and set her bag on the floor between our feet. It fell forward onto my feet and she looked at me and said "Prominte!" (sorry!) I didn't know how to say it was okay back so I just smiled and tried to reassure her that it wasn't a big deal and she gave me the biggggest smile in return. It was so unexpected I couldn't stop smiling after that. We rode the rest of the way like that, her smiling, me smiling, general comraderie (even though we couldn't actually communicate) When my stop came, I got up to leave the bus and she turns to me and says "NA SHLEDANOU!" (good bye!) and had a beaming smile stretching from ear to ear. I honestly got choked up. I stammered a good bye in return and literally could not stop smiling the rest of the day as I thought about my sweet little new friend. It's great. I think what I love so much about instances like that one is that it is such a reminder that love always wins out. What I mean is, a lot of the older generation here has been hardened and made more stoic as a result of things they have lived through. But love still leaks through and it's such a joy to get to experience that. I wish I could speak the language fluently and talk to the cute old people just to hear their stories. I know they would be fascinating. But for now, I will just revel in the little ways I can communicate. And let God take it from there.

The Prague Blog.

Since I really need to get some sleep so I can write a lesson plan in the morning, I'm just going to cliff note this weekend's adventures in Prague. I'll come back later and tell in a more storylike format my feelings and thoughts on Prague. But for now, the simple facts will have to suffice. Sorry. :)

THE RUNDOWN:

Riding in cars – Rode in a REAL car for the first time since being here!






Walked around a bit – Getting our feet wet in Prague. Physically and metaphorically speaking.



St. Vitus’ Cathedral




Indonesian food for dinner – cooked by our sweet Indonesian friend Carolina. (car-oh-leeena)

Stories of Carolina’s Indonesian life during mealtime:

• Had a pet dog who was killed for food (felt bad until we found out..)
  
  
• She had 36 other pet dogs who weren’t (and they were just the 1st generations!)
  
  
• Bonnie with the long flowing locks (her mom’s favorite dog who frequented beauty salons)
  
  
• The dog hooked to an IV (her surgeon dad’s favorite dog who lived three extra days as a result)
  
  
• Dog cemetery (in her backyard, of course)
  
  
• Eating dog/pork in chicken blood (enough said.)
  
  
• Catering (gathering?) from the hospital as a young child
  
  
  
  
  

  The purple lady on the bus – Gotta love the older generation and their crazy stylish ways. Purple from head to foot. Tosh, you would’ve loved it.
  
  
  

  Sweet English speaking old lady on the bus – what? Old Czech people speaking English??? Hogwash! (nope, it’s true, she did. And we could’ve squeezed her to death she was so cute)
  
  
  

  The dancing building – Something about it made us take a crazy insane amount of pictures…
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The garden with peacocks – beautiful.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The airport (airport buddy!) – Jess switched her flight home so now we leave on the same day meaning we can ride to the airport together!!
  
  
  
  John lennon wall – Imagine all the people… who have put their grimey hands all over it. Didn’t stop us from doing the same…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ROBBED/police station – As we were about to eat dinner, Jess’ purse was snatched right beneath our noses. We ran after the guy, but a moment too late. With a physical description from our waitress, we trudged down to the police station where we waited 2 hours for all the necessary paperwork and interviewing and reassuring to take place. Unfortunately for Jess, everything important was in her purse – passport, credit cards, school cards, ID, digital camera… Jess’ reaction when all was said and done? “Sometimes you just gotta give in and buy a new ticket” (in reference to a couple we saw at the airport trying to argue their way out of paying for new tickets after they had accidentally missed their flight) Jess is such a cool person.
  Church! – English speakers? Americans?! We’re not in Brno anymore…
  Birthday lunch (rib s!) – Happy birthday, Carolinka! Thanks for the yummy ribs!
  Ballet times 2 – Note to readers: La Sylphide and Napoli are two different ballets. For the price of one. Also, the Prague National Theater = FAVE.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lonely bus ride back to Brno – Jess and Carolina stayed an extra day so Jess could go to the American Embassy (unfortunately I have to prepare a lesson plan!) so I was trapped on a bus watching crazy, psychedelic Czech music videos for 2 hours.
  
  
  

  
  

It's a "Good Morning, Beautiful" day!

I woke up this morning in the best mood, even though it was 6am and I still had a good hour and a half until my alarm was set to go off. I've been feeling pretty crummy the past few days, so when I woke up this morning and my stomach and head weren't hurting, I was overjoyed. I'm pretty sure I literally jumped out of bed, anxious to greet the day. I was in such a good mood that I optimistically packed my sunglasses because I was convinced the sun would reflect my attitude and shine. (unfortunately this wasn't the case, but we'll get to that later) As I danced my way down the streets of Brno to my 8 hour class, I started thinking. (It happens when you have 30 minutes to yourself with nothing else to do) I wondered to myself - what is it about being sick that makes being healthy so wonderful? Why does it take being sick to make us thankful for our good health? Why can't I wake up every morning thankful for my health? I was rather convicted of this. Often times I wake up and my first thought is, "How soon can I go back to bed?" What a way to thank the Creator of Life for mercifully granting me one more breath, one more day, one more opportunity to experience his goodness. I should be overjoyed every morning. But the truth is, I'm not. It's something I plan to work on in life. Yeah, that's right, life. Because let's be honest, it's going to take me a lifetime to learn. But someday, I want to be able to wake up, feeling groggy and sniffly and achy and miserable and say "Good Morning, Beautiful." to my Creator and thank him for another beautiful day of a beautiful life.

I realized that because I woke up in such a great mood, my day was completely altered.
Because I was fixated on my God from the moment I entered consciousness, my attitude towards life was different.

Let me explain..

Today was one of those days that could've gone horribly wrong. For starters, I had to spend 8 hours learning the complexities of the English language. Brutal. On my way to class, I nearly was mauled to death by a vicious dog. I was literally dancing along the street (I had my ipod on) and this big black dog was ahead of me, being restrained by its owner from playfully greeting a dog across the street. In my disregard for anything else but my thoughts and my music, I accidentally stepped on his toe. He freaked out a little, his owner glared at me, and I fumbled an apology and went on my merry way. Well, I guess the owner wanted to scare me a bit, because she scurried by me and let her dog bark and snarl and growl and foam at the mouth as it tried its best to remove the muzzle over its snout (most dogs here are required to wear them, thankfully for me!) and chew straight through to my femur. It was pretty terrifying and could easily have put me in a bad mood. But all I could do was laugh. After class, I had about 30 minutes before I was scheduled to meet a few friends so we could go birthday shopping for another friend. The plan when I left my room this morning was to walk around outside in the beautiful sunshine with my sunglasses on and maybe even buy some fresh fruit from the outdoor market. Too bad. The moment I stepped outside and started to get my sunglasses out, the rain started to pour. In the 30 minutes I was waiting, the weather went from rain to sleet to hail and back to rain again. I wore my sunglasses anyways. And while I was waiting, I danced to some "Let the rain fall down" and ate gelato, despite the freezing temperature. It was so fun.

Today really made me realize the effect my attitude has on the quality of my life. It really is amazing how the decision to be joyful regardless of circumstances can radically change everything.

"This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

I hope all of you, whom I love SO much, can find joy in any circumstance. I know that most of you have much bigger, harder circumstances than the things I faced today, but God is bigger than it all. As is his joy. Life really is so much more fun when you can experience the joy that comes from worshiping our creator. Seriously. Try it. :)





There's still beauty to be found. :)