Things you will find in Prague

“You take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” -- Italo Calvino

Prague is by far my favorite city in the world. Sure, every time I heard about Prague I heard nothing but great things. It is a small city, it has great public transportation, it is cheap and the best places to eat vegetarian/vegan food as well as for meat eaters. You can rent a nice apartment for $250 USD/month and get this, go to the movies, buy popcorn and soda all for about $8. But that is not all, I mean the people here are friendly, they don't mind accommodating Americans with their lack of spoken languages so most people here speak english and don't seem bothered by having to do so. It is a fairy tale city with its castle sitting on top of a hill overlooking Charles Bridge and its cobblestone streets. Not to mention that one feels safe walking through dim-lit parks at night and leaving your Mac on the table while you go to the restroom-- though this is something that always gives me anxiety while I am in the toilet. And definitely no pickpockets on public transportation. It is, needless to say, perfect.

Or is it?

Well just as with everything in life, it has its pros just as much as its cons. One thing you will be sure to find on the streets is none other than dog poop. Yes. Dog Poop everywhere. Freshly made and the way you'll know that is because someone hasn't been unfortunate enough to step on it. Other than that, you'll always see how the unfortunate ones dragged it along for a few meters on the cobblestone trying to get rid of the curse, and the stink.
If you're a runner you'll have to travel a bit to get to a nice park where you will be sure you won't be stepping on dog poop while you're on that runner's high.
My first day here, while I did not step on any, I was rolling my suitcase on the street when it happened to roll over some old dog poop. What a great beginning to my adventure here, I thought.
But, guys and girls, so far that is it. That is all I have found unfavorable in this magical city. Of course, it is just a small nuisance that in the end it is far worth the outcome if you get to spend a few days here. Just keep your eyes on the road as I have.

My favorite place to eat thus far, Café Sladkvoskÿ
I have been eating everything on the menu that is listed as Vegan/vegetarian and not once have I been disappointed. The decoration, the service and the prices are all too good to just come once. And the best part is that I am living just across the street.

Lose the Map, Find Yourself

What do two people do who waited in the freezing cold for hours only to realize the bus that they were waiting on doesn’t have room for them? They lose the map and find themselves. 

Danilo turning to the left, to the left (props to you if you get it). Looking nostalgic, perhaps thinking of Patrick.

Watching Prague go by as we don our matching hats. Disclaimer** No bunnies were destroyed in the making of the hats.

Aside from all the silliness, yesterday was sort of an object lesson for me. I have always been the type of person that likes to plan ahead. I always have a schedule for my daily routine and "appointments". I always had my life planned up to a year, and I always knew what I wanted in life. Well, I am 29 years old now and for the first time in my life I cannot make up my mind on what it is I truly want for myself. I have absolutely no idea what I will be doing or even where I will be for that matter in the next month. And while it is a great recipe for adventure and living life on the edge, at some point I gotta stop and ask myself, what is it that I really want to do with my life?

As we rode on the tram yesterday, I kept thinking, "where are we going?" "we are leaving the city, we may not find anything interesting out here" "I should just look at google maps and find something where we can eat". However, in the end I opted for not giving it a second thought and yes, to just enjoy the ride. I lost myself looking out the window, watching the people go by on their daily life. A grandma cleaning her windows. A couple holding hands, walking on the street while she looked up at him with that smile that you just know, she is in love. I saw people walking to the west and to the east. I saw a father playing with his children at a park, bouncing up and down on a trampoline  And I saw for the first time, what life really is. It is people getting older,  people having children, people falling in love, and people rushing to and from work. Life is a cycle and and we all go through it. The difference lies in how we choose to go through it. 

While I still do not have the answers I am seeking at this moment, I just know that for now, how I choose to go through life is by never stopping to feel like every day is an adventure. 

Snows of Kilimanjaro

One of the most daunting realizations I've ever come to have is that I can do anything I set my mind to. I can travel the world even when I have no money in my savings account. I can now run 5K everyday when I could barely run for 5 minutes. I can live in another country and make close friends even when I don't speak the language. Anyone can do anything  they set their mind to except, make someone love them---- that being said, I've decided I'm going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this September.

Why Kilimanjaro and not Everest? Simple, I once read a short story written by my fellow Ernest Hemingway titled, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and he's also the one that said, "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

So, in an attempt at being superior to my former self I've determined to conquer this mountain. 

Diaries of South Korea

I have now entered my 8th month of living in South Korea. So far, I have written subjective thoughts about what it's like being here. I think it's time I write something more neutral for anyone that is wanting to get a glimpse of this country. I find it very interesting- for lack of a better word- that most Americans are terrible with geography and history. Before leaving America, upon being asked where I was going, I'd say “Korea”. For me it was simple. It was obvious it was South Korea, because really, we should all know the situation between North and South Korea. Right? Right. 

Anyway, I am in South Korea. The first 6 months were the hardest. Culture shock? Adapting to new people? I think it had to do more with the work schedule. First class started at 7am and last class ended at 9:10pm. Mind you, I had a 3 hour break from 12pm-3pm for lunch and a quick nap. 

Not only was the schedule a nightmare but being an introvert, an INTP at that, I found it exhausting having to constantly deal with people the whole day. So weekends would come, and I would not leave my bed unless it was to grab some food or go to the bathroom. 

This is not what I had signed up for, I thought every single day as I woke up to go to work. Though, everyday I thought that was the day I would break my contract and leave, I didn't do it. I vowed I would see my commitment through because, after all, that had been one of the main reasons I had signed a one-year contract; to learn commitment. 

It is now April 3rd and I have finally began to embrace my life here in Korea. I have not been to many places outside of Seoul but I will mention the few areas I have been to and that I really enjoy frequenting. 

 Myengdong 

This area is for the avid shopper. It is an oasis of clothing stores, beauty shops, electronics, boutiques, and the best of all, food street vendors. Here you will find two H&M’s on the same street, a forever 21, Zara,  Nike store, UniQlo, among others. For beauty shops you will find, the Body Shop, the Aritaum, and Etude House, of course these are only some among many. 

Now on to the food street vendors. They start setting up around 4pm or so. As I am a vegetarian there isn't many food options for me here but I do find that I can eat fried bananas, fried cheese, strawberries covered in their famous red bean custard (or whatever it is called). All of these cost about 3,000 won. Oh and I can't forget about the roasted chestnuts! Newfound deliciousness. For meat lovers they sell all kinds of things, from chicken to squid, to crab. 

Also if you love cats or dogs, they have many cafes where you can mingle with any of these lovely animals for a de-stressing time after so much shopping and eating.

 Hongdae 

This is not typically my favorite but it's an up and coming hipster area. You'll see young Asian men and women dressed in the most eccentric fashion. There is a university located here, hence the young population. While there is room for shopping, Hongdae is best well known for their night scene. However, if you are older than 28 years old you may as well go find another place to hang out because (as some of my students told me) most nightclubs will not let you in if you are older than 28. Also, if you are looking for a place to do something new with your hair, I feel I must mention the hair salon Soonsiki. After looking for a trustworthy place to make a change with my hair color, I found this place. The guy named BK- or Bek- as he calls himself, is a top notch hairstylist. He speaks good English and is confident about doing the job right. Just be aware that it is not very cheap. Though after seeing what he did with my hair, I felt every penny I paid was worth it. 

 Itaewon 

This area is mostly known for all the expats living there. You'll find yourself surrounded by many foreigners, so much so that for a split second you'll wonder if you have left Korea. You can find the best places to eat, great Mexican food made by a Korean guy- he lived in Guadalajara, Mexico for one year. Also, a vegetarian bean burger at a pub called the Wolfhound. For vegans there is a cafe called Plant. And for those not willing to be adventurous you can always find your regular American restaurants such as On the Border, Outback Steakhouse, etc.

 Insadong 

To be honest, I don't really like this area too much, but as a foreigner visiting once is enough. Here you can buy all the souvenirs you need. Traditional candies, keychains, and the opportunity to dress in traditional Korean clothes (Hanbok) and get your pictures taken. 

These are the areas I have frequented the most. My favorite is Myengdong. I like to get lost in the crowd and go unnoticed while I enjoy some fried bananas! South Korea has a lot to offer.

A Weakness so Strong

In the loneliest hours of the night I lie awake, hearing the melody of a song being played in my head like the parting words of a recent lost love. Each year I learn that I haven't learned a thing. My only comfort lies in the fact that my heart is getting stronger. Up until now, I had not known how much drive I could have once I put all my feelings into good use. Emotions are overrated. We only accept the positive ones and reject with disgust the negative ones. But why? We were all endowed with the same emotions, positive and negative. Not necessarily good and bad. There is a time for everything, as my fellow Solomon says. So why is it that when we are the most sad or angry we try to suppress those emotions? They're a coping mechanism for our mental health if we know how to control them. The problem lies when we allow these emotions to take control over us. Over the past year I've learned a valuable lesson. Knowledge will never defeat infatuation. The mind knows but the heart feels and sadly, it always has the last word. Until it needs rescuing. Mind over matter then. Time to patch up the wounds and let time do what it does best.
The rarity is finding within you a weakness so strong you didn't know you had. And seeing through your own tears a future so bright that pushes you to finally take the leap into the unknown of a beginning.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬