Horrifying Cluster of Consonants

Of course, I'm borrowing the phrase "horrifying cluster of consonants" from Lída Holá, who wrote Czech Step by Step, which I acquired earlier this week during my first day of Czech language class for beginners.

Naturally, I'd already much earlier noted the strange collections of consonants in words, like the word for today, "Thursday," čtvrtek.  Or the name of the river that runs through Prague, Vltava. Or even the word for "today," dnes.  In the summer of 2008, my first time here in Czech Republic, and well in the middle of my graduate studies in English and its relationship to other languages, I was busy taking note of these words, remembering academic books on what are acceptable strings of letters in one language relative to another.

My Lída Holá book has listed two particular examples that boggle my Anglicized mind - strč prst skrz krk (which means "Put your finger in your throat.") and vzcvrnkls (which means "Did you flick up?"). I have to glance down at my book to spell these out properly, and we aren't even on the subject yet of pronunciation.

I don't think this particular story has any sort of conclusion, and I may have just been rambling on, chatting with you about my new language's "horrifying clusters of consonants." Not to mention the daunting seven cases which I only vaguely remember encountering as I pursued my master's degree in English Studies, Language.  Something about more than just the nominative case, but the genitive, locative, even vocative case. You don't need to know all the gory details, unless you're an English teacher, or an English major, like one of my former classmates.

Let's just say that since English has such a strict word order, we don't need so many inflections in the language. Or is it because we've lost the inflections (which we used to have in Old English) that there has to be such strict word order, that's a chicken and egg question I suppose.

I hope you don't think I'm complaining about the language. Well, I suppose I'm sort of complaining about the arduous task of having to learn such a difficult language, but that's all part of it.

But certainly, isn't a word like vzcvrnkls worth sharing?

It's almost as good as that anecdote about that American businessman who was in the elevator with a bunch of Filipinos, somewhere in Manila. And as the elevator kept stopping at every floor, every time the doors opened, a person about to get in the elevator would ask the elevator operator:

Bababa ba?

To which the operator would say, Bababa.

And this precise exchange happened on every floor.

Passenger getting on: Bababa ba?

Elevator Operator: Bababa.

The American was astounded that Filipinos could communicate with only two letters. Haha!

Of course, if you're a Tagalog speaker, you know that the passengers were just asking if the elevator was going down, and that the operator was saying that yes, it was going down.

In fact, if you're a Filipino, you've probably already heard that joke before :)

I don't know if I told it well, but I thought it was a nice cap off to my brief tale about strange clusters of consonants in the Czech language.

Big Week

I've been back in Prague for a little over 30 days. And going into my fifth week here in Prague, this week I would say is a pretty big week.

This week marks the start of rehearsals for Prague Playhouse's production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown! where I have been cast as Peppermint Patty. This week is also the start of my Czech language classes, which cost a little more than we would like, but that's life.

I have to say I am glad to enter a new month where I will have the opportunity to talk to other people (besides my husband) in English. You know, one can only get by for so long with a handful of stock Czech phrases at the mall, gym, or regular commute around the city, before going eventually a little crazy.

I discovered that during our first reading for the play that I was already beginning to develop dysfunctional habits borne from 30 days of isolation.

One won't really notice at first - after all, I go out every day, either to the mall for some window shopping, or to buy groceries, or work out at the gym. Sometimes a longer commute out to meet my husband, and have a cup of coffee together, or a snack or drink out.

But when I really think about it, who have I been speaking to?

Just you, whenever I get to write (and no wonder I'm on facebook so often, when I know next to nobody here at the moment), and my husband. I see his family once a week, but they speak Czech, and not English, so in the end, we're still conversing through someone else's translation.

And what do I really say to people at the gym or the mall, besides the usual "Dobry den"(Hello) and "Dekuji" (thank you) and "Nashladano" (See you or Goodbye) or how-do-you-spell-it.

So this week is a big week for me, as two new things begin in my life, and I have - finally - my own activities where I can actually engage in casual conversation with other people because we have a common goal, and we know the same language.

It's gonna be a big week. I've got high hopes for this one.

The Art Scene in Prague

Not that I'm about to embark on a heavily-detailed account of the art scene in Prague, which will take me years of constant research and Czech language lessons to decode, since the art scene is incredibly rich in Prague!

Why one of my favorite stories to tell is that I walked past a theater where Mozart himself played, and it is still intact. Mozart!!! Can you imagine that?! The architectural history of this city is nothing short of astounding, that I better not get ahead of myself. Let's focus and go back to the tale at hand.

I was just going to tell you about my two brief glimpses of the performing arts in Prague.

Some of our good friends treated us to tickets to the ballet of Othello at the Narodni Divadlo (that's National Theater to you, folks) a few days ago.

Now, I tell you, of all the times I'd been in Prague, I've watched two operas (Aida in the summer of 2008, and Carmen in the winter of 2009-2010), and one other ballet (Swan Lake).  My husband, old soul that he is, is quite good at this stuff. 

I have to admit that though I find these forms of art incredibly beautiful, there are a few ocassions during all 120  minutes of it that I tune out every now and then.  I am from a Broadway generation, used to my Hairspray and Cabaret, Chicago and Glee. 

Othello was great though, not once did I lose concentration (I don't know why that happens to me during Swan Lake), and I was completely drawn in to the story and the characters' journeys, desires, and emotional turmoil.

Maybe it helped that I once saw Othello back in my alma mater, the University of the Philippines, about ten years ago. I was so in love with the story, the cast, and the director (Tony Mabesa).  

Last summer, I briefly worked on the play for my summer term at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. 

So bottom line is, it always helps to watch a ballet or opera loaded with a lot of information, or some information! The more, the better!

Now, I have to admit, I'm no ballet or dance expert, but it seemed to me that some of the choreography wasn't your traditional kind. There were some moves that Desdemona, Othello, or Iago did that seemed almost modern, sometimes breaking the line, with flexed feet instead of pointed toes. 

I kind of found it refreshing, and different, kept me on my toes! No pun intended ;)

The only complaint my husband had (as well as some folks I realized I knew in the row behind us) was that the ballet was a little too short. All of 75 minutes total, when we're usually in there watching shows that last for 120 minutes.

But I quite enjoyed it, although Youri Vamos, the choreographer and director, took a few liberties and edited out some parts of Shakespeare's story. Some were probably apparently needed for dance - instead of a hankerchief, Othello gave Desdemona a large white scarf. 

However, they also cut out the part where Emilia steals the kerchief from Desdemona, which later on leads to Emilia's discovery that she has also betrayed Desdemona thanks to her gullibility and trust of her husband -- this is another subplot altogether, and in the ballet was simplified, skipping over Emilia, and having Iago be the one to hand the scarf to Cassio's lover.

Iago was brilliant, his choreography incredibly different, almost grotesque-looking to communicate his dark character. I also really appreciated Roderigo, whose frustrations and irrational infatuation for Desdemona was so clearly communicated in his solo appearances and pas de deux with Iago, very clear execution of the message!

Of course, I think we all loved Desdemona's and Othello's pas de deuxs, from the classical courtship, their sensual lovemaking, and especially Desdemona's violent death.

Set design and costumes (Pet Halmen) were just right - I loved how the bare set and the varying shades of the moon communicated so much to the tone, and atmosphere of the scene, bringing more of Shakespeare's words to the dance in another medium.

Since I hardly watch ballets, just seeing the precision of the opening number, with the chorus dancing the exposition for us, drove me to tears. Ballet is so magnificent, so exact, so beautiful. You just can't help but appreciate and be moved by the fruit of such hard work and incredible discipline.

Am I already rambling on? I better come to a conclusion then.

Seeing Othello as a ballet at the Narodni Divadlo was a terrific experience, a great way to spend an evening in March, when winter's just about ending, and slowly, almost reluctantly, giving way to spring.

As for the second thing I was going to tell you about when it came to the performing arts in Prague, I just wanted to tell you that I've been through a series of auditions, and one of them has borne fruit, and I'm so excited! I got cast in Prague Playhouse's You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, the musical, and will meet the cast this weekend! Shows are in May of this year, so watch out for it!

Still hoping for more auditions, more opportunities, and I'll go to every single one of them, and hope that I get to keep performing here and making a living out of what I love to do. 

A Feast Fit for Gluttons

I was just telling a friend that writing is both really good therapy and companionship for a young expatriate who just moved to Europe and doesn't yet have much to do.

When we lived in Manila a few years ago, it was my husband who was the expatriate, and how the submissive, polite, always-smiling people of my country kowtowed to him, this white man. It's always the case. Call me politically-incorrect, but it's true.

Now, a few years later, I suddenly find that I am the expatriate.

How new and strange.

Today marks our fourth weekend together since I arrived in Prague.

Discovering daily what newly-wed life is like, from the everyday mundane things, to the tiniest of daily routines that no one really notices, except yourself. It is both a study and a pleasure, as I dissect my new life, like looking at a favorite piece of art for hours and hours.

We spent this Sunday with his family, dining at a luxurious Brazilian restaurant in the heart of Prague called Ambiente. Here's the link, in case you're curious: http://www.ambi.cz/

Oh my, I never quite realized the joys of ordering a steak rare or medium rare until now, or sinking your teeth into the tenderest of meats, succulently and artfully prepared with the most carefully selected array of spices, bite after bite, slice after slice of sheer carnivorous heaven. 

No wonder so many people pay so much for Wagyu/Kobe beef.  This is what it must feel like. 

Biting into a slice of meat has never felt so good, so orgasmic.

Wait a minute, I don't think my short, generic descriptions of meat heaven and nearly-orgasmic bites of meaty morsels will be enough to paint the picture for you entirely.


Here's the link to the Brasiliero menu -

http://www.ambi.cz/ambi_brasiliero_menu_eng.php 


My favorites from the starters were the fabulously creamy (yes, creamy), melt-in-your-mouth Nigiri Sushi, while I believe my favorites from the churrasco rodizio were the beef with Parmesan cheese, the hump from the Brazilian bull with herbs (although in the resto, they said it was a bull from Uruguay?), and even the fabulous grilled pineapple.

Now, I know, I know, if you're from the Philippines like me, where pineapples are abundant, and incredibly sweet, maybe this is nothing special. But I never thought I would be moaning in ecstasy when I bit into slice after slice of that warm, grilled pineapple. 

A perfect complement to all our meat, I found, was also the fried banana (not to be mistaken for the Filipino bananaque, which is just as good, but that's thicker and coated in more sugar) that was served as a side. Rolling in sweet food ecstasy.

To accompany our scrumptious, three-hour, eat-all-you-can meal, we ordered a 2005 bottle of  Boscato Merlot from Brasil.  Many of us also had a glass of variations of the Caipirinha.  To help us eat even more, a few shots of pear vodka (Hruskovice) here and there, and the occassional shot of Brasilian rum (three years old) and Guatemalan rum (13 years, nice).

Cap that off with a banana and passion fruit mousse over crumbled-over shortbread for dessert.

And off to our third geocache for the weekend!

Vyborne!

This Saturday's Mini-Adventures

Right then, let's get started, and let's see if I won't wax poetic while writing impromptu, while my husband languishes in the bath, and I entertain  myself with Chilltrax and writing.

Not avidly inspired by anything in particular, as I get most times when I find myself sitting in a cafe for hours, nursing a warm cup of coffee, watching people.

But yesterday was great, I got to audition for my first theater production/musical/play here in Prague (in English, of course).  That marks my third audition/casting for my first three weeks here since my arrival. Not bad, I say. A good beginning. I have no idea if they'll cast me, or if they find me any good. But I had fun, and each time I come from a casting (for TV commercials) or audition, I'm on a great adrenalin high, kind of like the way you feel after getting off a roller coaster.

Maybe all performers like performing because they like the adrenalin rush?

By the way, my husband and I just embarked on this new activity called Geocaching. We started on Friday, where he found his first geocache, and on Saturday, he forced me to find the second one. I was so scared, but I found it, and it was so exhilirating finding one!

Never again will I look at cities, or Prague (where we have begun geocaching), the same way again. There are so many secrets that the city holds, thanks to such a game.

You can look it up here, in case you would like to know what it's about -

http://www.geocaching.com/

In my words, it's sort of where the old-fashioned scavenger's hunt meets today's GPS technology. You have to be linked online to find these "caches," and then go off in the real world to find them!

There are quite a great many "caches" to find in Prague.

And since I'm from Manila, we thought, just for fun, we'd look up my city of origin online to see if there were any caches hidden there. There are five of them in Manila :)

Of course, it will be a while before we set foot in Manila again, but I think we'll look for at least one cache in each city or country that we find!

We capped off the day's activities by visiting the Orchid exhibit at Botanicka Zahrada, by the Prague zoo.  I'd been eyeing these beautiful orchids and other blossoms since my first days in Prague - they are sold everywhere! We'd had a lot of visits to home-building shops like Ikea and other shops like it, for one. Even at the malls, there was always at least one flower shop selling potted plants and flowers, and I found that I loved to look at them. I wanted to take one home with me.

Last weekend we caught sight of the Orchid exhibit poster, so we decided to make the trip this weekend.

The flowers were great, and I'd never seen so many different orchids as I did then! There were tiny miniature orchids, each the size of a dime, there were funny Lady's Slippers that made me think of those carnivorous plants that devour ants that fall into their holes.

They were smart enough to have a little orchid shop outside, and I got to browse to my heart's content.

Finally, we went to the home-building shop near our home, where I got to stare at more orchids, from the baby ones that were just growing and more affordable, and the larger ones in expensive glass vases.

I've decided to be responsible and look up orchids and how to care for them first before buying one.

We have a lot of indoor plants at home, and I'm finding that if I can't have my cat with me, or get a pet just yet because we don't know where in the world we will be a year from now, that having a flowering plant might be a great activity for the time being.

A New Chapter

After my blog about snowboarding and greeting the new year 2010, I wasn't to write online again until 2010 was coming to a close.  I eventually had to fly back to Manila shortly after my New Year's adventures in the mountains of Slovakia (though I was able to try cross-country skiing as well in Czech Republic before the winter ended), and went back to my life in warm, sweltering Manila.  And prepared for a three-month trip to New York City that summer of 2010.  

Interestingly enough, I never did write a blog about my Big Apple experiences. But I had enrolled for acting class that summer, and I found my nose stuck in a book everyday, reading one play, and then another.  I wrote little snippets in my notebook that time though, when I had the time.

But here we are now, 22 days after having arrived in Prague for the 3rd time, and this time, for the long-haul (to borrow words from my casting director, who used the phrase to describe my stay).

I have only one more flashback left, and it's not from too long ago. They are my first set of reflections from when I landed here in Prague for the third time.  This was written on the 26th of February 2011...

Just a few quick thoughts of outstanding impressions, as I begin a new chapter in my life, begin this marriage that has been waiting to start since three months ago when we P and I were wed, and finally beginning our lives together in his home country.

     First, a few thoughts about food - oh,  I enjoyed the main meals on both flights.  The first was Bangus (milk fish) in Adobo (a vinegar and soy sauce mix that is a Filipino specialty) butter, and the choice I made on the second flight was Mutton Curry. I couldn't help it, I was headed to Europe away from Asia, I had to make as many Asian culinary choices as I could. Not that Prague doesn't have Asian cuisine. The world is now so small, I can just go down the block from our flat in Prague to a Chinese restaurant. But it must be a mental need for it, and I loved my Asian food choices on the plane. Never understood people who complained about "bad airplane food that taste like cardboard," because I do enjoy my airplane food, in their cute little compact cases, all hot and steamy and flavorful. I quite enjoy it!

     And then there was setting foot at the Prague Ruzyne Airport, and the sight of familiar things from my last three months of living here last winter greeted me - familiar signs like the Relay shop you could find at every train station (kind of like your 7-11 or Mini-Stop), or the pub with a large Pilsner Urquell (a popular beer brand in CZ) over it - just made me feel like I was coming home, to my second home. This was no new, strange place, but a place I had been to before, and it felt strangely like home somehow.

I was finally going to be with my husband, and how sweet that was to me.

Yet I admit that as the plane began its descent down to Prague, I tried desperately to put down in words just what I was feeling, which was a contradiction of emotions. There was sorrow at leaving so many things behind, a life that I had known all thirty years of my life, yet the excitement and joy of beginning this new chapter of my life which had been waiting to begin. Really hard to describe, and I am afraid that despite my love for words and talkativeness, that I cannot quite find the words to describe how this feels. Although at the NAIA airport back home in Manila, I finally fully realized why they say that "parting is such sweet sorrow."

     Because it is. There is nothing like parting which shows you how greatly you are loved, and how greatly some people who you love so deeply love you back. I never embraced my little brother (who's not so little since he stands 6 feet tall) while crying before, but I did. There is a great well of emotion that just opens up as you say goodbye. Even though you know it's not goodbye forever, but just for now, till we see each other again on my next visit.

     I am jetlagged and have been awake since 4.44am , Prague time. Now it is nearly 7am, and the late winter sun is finally rising, and I think I will conclude this little essay, and go on beginning this new chapter of my life.

Looking Back, Part 5

My flashbacks nearly complete, and I can soon go back to looking forward and writing in the present, there are still a few more incredible experiences I wrote about as 2009 gave way to a new year.  Something about doing something for the first time in your life:

Lesson in Winter # 2:  How to Snowboard and Celebrate New Year in Eastern Europe

This was about my first time ever experience on a ski slope!!!

Snow boarding.

Ahh.  Well you see, K had it in mind that I ought to try some snowboarding while the rest got on their skis, and he got on his own snowboard himself - only because during Day 1, there happened to be a spare snowboard.

We ended up renting a pair of snowboarding shoes for me.  They're these gigantic, stiff monstrosities that make you walk funny, but they are specifically built to be strong around your ankles so that they connect to the snowboard, giving you better control.

First lesson was key, it was about how to fall.  You are going to fall when you try snowboarding for the first time. Or the second time.  Falls are a part of it, so K had to teach me the basics of falling.  When you fall, fall on your butt, feet up in the air, hands close to your chest.

This was key, because I did find myself in the next two days on occasion falling on my hands, and the impact of falling, and my body weight falling on my wrists was quite painful! Ouch!

The rest was learning how to man that board, at least as basic as you can get.  First was to know how to break, which meant going on your heels, so that one side of the board would be scraping the slope, the snow, the ice, controlling your descent down the hill. 

To maneuver yourself in the direction you want simply meant pressing your weight on the right foot or the left.

I discovered by my second day of snowboarding that you, just like the skiers, have to sort of make this S-shape as you slide down the slopes, following the curves of the mountain, as the slopes curve from left to right.

Day 1 was actually okay.  We were utilizing only about 30 meters of the entire 2.5km slope, just walking up and down all afternoon trying it.  Not too demanding for a first timer who's never been on a ski slope, never done any winter sports, and never snow boarded until that day.

I was quite elated, and excited that I tried it, and managed thirty meters.  By my last ride down that tiny sliver of slope, I didn't even fall once :) 

It was not until Day 3 of our trip (Day 2 was spent at this magical thermal spa in Porprad),  that I nearly killed myself on the slopes of Tatransky Lomnica.  This time, P and I got a full pass at the slopes, which meant we had access to all 2.5 km of the mountain, as often as we liked.

Erm. Not good for a new snowboarder.

Attempted the ski lift.  Was terrified. Of everything. 

The heights, the freezing cold, my snowboard strapped to one foot, and bracing myself for the landing that took ages to come.

By the end of that afternoon we did discover that that slope at the very top was a more advanced slope - for the  ... well - advanced.  Not for beginners.  However, P kept insisting on playing Marine Colonel with me, and we actually traversed that difficult slope three times together.  The drops were steep, and just getting off the ski lift was designed so that you actually skate gracefully off the lift and straight down the slope.

Not I.  I couldn't maneuver myself at all, and each time I tried I fell flat on my face, at the risk of the next skiers arriving behind me hitting me.

There was also something about the weather conditions that didn't make this high slope the best one that day - there were many parts of the mountain that were of ice, rather than snow.  I found myself falling on this hard ice countless times that day, and it was so, so, so painful I could barely bring myself to get up and finish the slope.  By the third try, I was so terrified I was nearly paralyzed with fear, but I kept going, just to finish the 800 meter advanced slope.

By the time we got to the bottom, my nerves were shot, and I had to sit down and asked to P to go on without me for the next one.

After a 15-20 minute break, still sort of shaken, I braced myself and prepared for another ride.  I was relieved when P suggested we try the lower slopes, which were 1.7km long, but were less steep, they were for beginners.  The first drop for me was difficult, as the basic slope intersected with a difficult drop that I nearly fell into, I was so scared, and had such trouble controlling my board towards the left to avoid the steep, 35 degree angle drop, that I took of my snowboard and went on foot for 8 meters just to avoid that scary drop.

The rest was actually fine!!!

By then, it was already getting late, and we only managed to get through the basic slope twice that day.  But it was better, and it was a good way to end my second day of snowboarding.

I was a beginner after all, and a beginner's slope was really ideal for me.  On my second day, I was only beginning to learn to master the board, learning how it worked.  On baby slopes that were sometimes nearly flat they were almost like plains, I felt I finally had control of my snowboard:  when to break, when to make an S shape to the left, when to allow my board to go to the right, as you follow the shapes of slope.  It was good.

Ahh what a relief.

Day 1 was the last day of 2009, and what a great way to cap off my last day in 2009 by doing something I'd never done before:  Snowboarding.

And that's about where my story ends, and what a pleasure it's been recounting my impressions of the first few days of 2010, with all the experiences I went through. 

It has felt like quite a special way to greet the onset of a new decade, because I had done several things I had never before done in my life during this New Year's weekend.  I had gone and stretched my limits, stepped outside of my comfort zone by going snow boarding, stepping into a thermal spa with my head exposed to temperatures close to freezing point, partied with 23 Polish people, and traveled to the Slovak Republic.

What an interesting way to kick off 2010.

By Day 4, Sunday, third day of January, it was time to head home to Prague and bid farewell to cozy Poprad.

Happy New Year, everybody!


Here's to Doing Something For The First Time.

Looking Back, Part 4

On the 15th of December, 2009, I couldn't help but write about the snow, from my Southeast Asian, never-experienced-winter perspective.  I called this essay Welcome to Winter:

My first winter.  My notes this season are best read perhaps by winter novices like myself - those who have grown up in the sunny tropics, in the Philippines's sweltering heat and cold days of 26 degrees Celsius.

About three days ago, I saw my first snow fall of the winter season here in Prague.  It was still miniscule, but it was good.  Finally the chilly, rainy Novembers had given way to Celsius degrees below zero.  Just imagine that you have rainfall, but because temperatures were already at the freezing point, those raindrops had transformed to these tiny slivers of snowflakes as they made their way to you, and to the earth.

There they were, as I made my way across Prague to visit my family away from home to bake Christmas cookies (a Czech tradition for families).

By Sunday, there was icing on the ground.  Gone were those sordid puddles of gooky cold water and muddy lanes, all of them had transformed to ice puddles - solid and slidy.

Today is Tuesday, and as I set out for the post office, I was in awe the entire time, as I saw more snow fall.  They were small at first, but eventually, the snowflakes were getting a little larger by the time I made my way to the bus stop to commute to the center of Prague.

Awesome, how beautiful it was.  At 29, walking down Prosek with snow fall all around me, I was just in awe, in wonderment (I invented a word), I felt like a little child, seeing something for the first time.

Well, that's because this is my first winter.

I've seen a little freak snow in Arizona once, in the middle of April when it suddenly got too cold.

But this was something else.  Not the wet, dirty snow melting the morning after outside your camper - this was the first of winter, the beginnings of a white Christmas, just like in those wintery postcards where there's inches of snow and a naked tree beside it.

Snowflakes, snowflakes, snowflakes.  I was standing there agape and would have longer if I didn't have to rush to the Philippine Embassy.  Snowflakes.  I felt like such a child, so surprised at the snow, the snowflakes, so surprised I would hold out my gloved hands to catch a few snowflakes in my palm, laugh with glee when I did, and stare at the snowflakes on my gloves in perfect fascination.

Truly magnificent, God's nature.

Looking Back, Part 3

I penned this essay early in December, 2009.  A little tale about what best to drink in Czech Republic during the cold December days ...

Lesson in Winter # 1:  Surprising Secrets to Staying Warm

Well, my secrets are really no surprise nor secrets to your average Czech.  But for a Filipina,  these past couple of weeks between autumn and winter in Prague have presented a bevy of beverages to me which are actually great ways to staying warm that I never would have heard about otherwise.

They are alcoholic beverages served steaming hot!  According to my source, drinks such as Hot Wine might be a blasphemy to your average French or Italian (well, it does tend to be slightly warmer in those parts than of Europe, anyway), but I found these drinks a delight as a kick-off point in Prague and Brno!!!  I found the idea really strange at first, but once I had that drink in my hands with only 5 degrees outdoors, that hot Svařak (pronounced [svarjzhahk]) made a lot of sense to me. 

In temperate and warm Manila, it makes a lot of sense to grab an alcoholic beverage on ice, like your average vodka tonic.  I've heard many a European in Manila screaming indecencies at the warm temperatures of wine served in the Philippines (after all, 'room temperature' in the Philippines is far different from 'room temperature' in Italy). 

But grabbing that steaming cup of Svařak and feeling it going down was exquisite, warming you to the core, your red mulled wine coming in rich berries and cinnamon scents, while your Bily Svařak (White Mulled Wine), if you're lucky, can come to you in sweet, fruity notes.  Amazing!

One of my favorites was definitely Horka Medovina (translated as Hot Mead) - wonderful!  Just think, Harry Potter at that pub that Rowling writes about, and the butterbeer the minors drink together with Rosemerta's Mead that the adults have access to.  It tastes just like Rowling describes, and to begin with, I have never encountered Mead in the Philippines - a pity.  It could be I've been looking in the wrong places though, eh?  Anyway, to discover mead (an alcoholic beverage distilled from honey) was such a sweet pleasure.  It goes down like your Strawberry Wine from Baguio City (Philippines), just as sweet, but has that sort of thickness of golden honey.  Delicious.  It's great chilled, or hot.  And on a cold day out in Brno, a cup of Horka Medovina was where it was at.

Another classic is the Grog - hot rum infused with tea and lemon.  Yikes.  A very manly and strong drink, but one cannot have been in Czech Republic during the cold season without trying at least a cup.  I tried one while out in the zoo (the only animals in a good mood this time of year were the polar bears and the wolves).

To cap things off, a glass of warm Punč served by my host family over dessert.  Oh-ho, not your average fruit punch with apple bits swimming in it.  This was a syrupy alcholic concentrate served together with hot water, a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of sugar.  Warm, steaming hot, with that slice of alcohol sliding down your throat, warming you all over as you sip it in the comfort of a warm living room, while outside, the sun sets far too soon.  But still, there you are with the comfort of warm Czech drinks, your Czech adoptive family, and all is well.

Postscript:

I almost forgot, lest you think I've become an alcoholic here in Czech Republic, there is a great little trick I learned here, which is a great comfort drink when you're coming home after a cold day into your warm apartment - a cup of hot milk with three large teaspoons of honey!  Really nice warm-you-up drink to cap off a day, soothe your senses (not to mention your aching muscles - aching from the cold), and still reminds me of mead, with the milk so rich in honey tones.  Yumm.

Looking Back, Part 2

Just a little more ... my thoughts on 29 November 2009 

(I had entitled this Old Town Square in Autumn):

It is so strange for me here in Prague, arriving late November, when the nights are so so long and the days are so short.  The sun rises past 7am, and begins to set by 430pm.  I've been told the days will get even shorter as fall gives way to winter.  Yipes.  For a girl from sunny, warm, tropical Philippines, it is disconcerting to see such little daylight.  Each day I awake, I feel as if I am on a race against the sun going down.

Still, Prague in autumn is not without its beauties.  The people take care of their architecture so much, that once the sun sets, the city and the old squares are all aglow with light, bathed in beautiful golds and oranges, highlighting the history of the neighborhood, going as far back as when Mozart was a child playing in one theater here or another.  It can be very romantic.

Can't believe it's already the first of December.  Just like that, my first 11 days have flown by, and the Christmas tree has been lit in the middle of precious Old Town Square.

Walking past it, smelling the sweet scents of cinammon and Svarak (hot wine) wafting through the air to comfort cold passersby, is almost like a sweet dream.

Looking Back, Part 1

There are just some incredible thoughts I wrote down every once in a while, ones that I won't be able to replicate again, because those things I talked about happened to me for the first time in the winter of 2009-2010, right here in Central Europe.  I guess by "incredible thoughts," I mean thoughts about incredible, first-time experiences.  My favorites are in Looking Back Parts 3-5. But let's begin with arriving in Prague for my first winter.  This one is from 24 November 2009 (entitled Traveling to Eastern Europe):

I was surprised to find myself all sentimental, parting from my family, embarking on a three-month experience away from home.  Only hits you when you're saying your very very last goodbye to your mother!

Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff.

I had a bunch of impressions travelling alone, just random little things, like how right the reviews were on KLM airlines, and about the planes being old.  My flight from Hong Kong to Amsterdam was about 12.45 hours long, and it might have been horrible if I hadn't been so tired and slept through most of it. 

Firstly, there were no little TV consul things on the backs of seats.  It was really nice in Qatar Airways, when I had flown to Europe last year, with their little consuls, tens of thousands of selections to choose from like movies and games, and you could even hit the pause button on your movie selection if you had to go to the bathroom.

KLM didn't even hand out little packets of toothbrushes and toothpaste, good thing I was prepared with my own just in case! 

I also realized that the reviews I had read were probably written by mostly tall male Caucasian travellers all standing about 6 feet tall and weighing close to 200 lbs.  There were lots of complaints about how small the meals were and how there was very very little leg room, so much so that if the person in front of you reclined his seat, there would be no escape and no room to get out! Haha, this sounded hilarious,but I remembered this review well once I found myself on the plane - how true it was!  However, all things are relative, since at 5'7", the leg room was not a major issue, although I could see what the reviews were talking about.  The meals were okay, for an Asian my size, the portions were actually just right.

That's all for now, I suppose.

Just my travelling misadventures.  I've only been in Prague four days, taking it easy, acclimatizing myself slowly.

I guess what I mean to say is, such is the power of the written word, and the internet.  My boyfriend found me these reviews on KLM airlines, and they helped.  It helps to know ahead of time what to expect, so you are prepared (in my case, with a good book, a well-stocked ipod, and a fashion magazine and lack of sleep) to handle the situation.

I'll let you know about my impressions of Prague soon :)

Newly Resurrected

Now that I've finally managed to resurrect this old blog spot of mine (and so excited about it), I can comfortably shift my daily thoughts here as I attempt to assimilate myself into a new country and home, right here in Prague!

But before I get ahead of myself, I'd like to import a few words and thoughts from where I was trying desperately to blog before - so I hope you don't mind if I take the liberties of cutting and pasting some thoughts written from the winter of 2009-2010 (my first winter), and a few other thoughts in between. 

I will choose what I'll bring back, but I just thought that if I'm to move forward, I want it to be as seamless as possible, so I want to be able to look back at a few thoughts I wrote down before. 

So let me do that now, in the next few entries - look back. 

And then let us commence forward ...

At the Cafe

I saw a husband waiting for his wife and child this afternoon.
How sinister he looked at first, with his lone coffee, sitting there alone with his greasy hair.
A total transformation once she arrived with the baby carriage.
How his face lit up at the sight of them.
Now he looks like a teddy bear staring at his most precious jewel,
completely harmless,
satisfied,
docile,
content.

Thoughts of Home

Today feels different. But then again, no day is ever the same, after all.
Still at the same place where I always write.
Coffee Heaven, somewhere in the heart of beautiful, whimsical Prague.
Today, I'm not reeling from a brief audition high (that buzz all actors get after an audition, or a performance), as I was last week, the last time I sat down at this very same Coffee Heaven to write down a few of my thoughts.
But each day, no matter how ordinary, still brings with it, always, something new and good. No matter how small. Today, it's just discovering that I feel more at home in Prague.
Entering Week 3.
Last week, I felt ill at east, wondering what do with myself.
Now, I feel more at home. No longer "namamahay" as we say in Filipino, or "looking for home," as the word comes from the root word for "home" or "house," bahay.
I am making this place home, slowly, daily.
Pushing myself to be busy. Even if, on Day 17, that just means commuting to this particular Coffee Heaven, or picking up some fruit at the hypermarket, good enough to last me the next few days.