Spontaneous Day in Karvina

Today, I woke up thinking that it is gonna be my first day of work. Hence I made the effort to wake up early, dress up nice, and put on some make up since I wanted to make a good first impression. Michal, an AIESECer, brought me to my workplace and introduced me to my would-be colleagues. I met my Director and he told me that I have one week off before my actual work would start. Lucky me! 

After the meeting, Michal randomly asked me if I wanted to go to Karvina since he was going there anyway. Since I did not have any plans for that day, I did not hesitate to go with him. Karvina is a town located 18km east of Ostrava and near the Beskydy Mountains. Upon our arrival, we first visited the AIESEC Office in Slezska Univerzita, his alma mater. I met a bubbly blonde lady named Martina, who I later found out is the Local Committee President of AIESEC in that area.

Today is a normal school day for most Czechs so they had a hard time figuring out who could bring me around town. I assured them over and over again that I was okay and that I could manage myself. But still, they insisted that someone should go with me. So they called up another AIESEC Trainee who might be free at that moment. 

Around an hour later, a Polish girl named Makata showed up at the AIESEC office. The first thing I noticed was her dark brown hair with red highlights as well as her resemblance to Ashlee Simpson. She has been in the city for several days so she offered to show me around. I knew right then and there that we would hit it off!

We proceeded to walk to the city center, which is just 15 minutes away from the university. It was a beautiful sunny day, so Makata and I made the most out of it by taking a lot of photos just like tourists. It is good that Czech people understand Polish words, hence she was able to ask some people to take photos of us together. There were lots of pretty townhouses in the square, which the Czech people call as Burgher Houses.

We passed by Empire Fryštát, an ordinary castle but with an interesting history linked to its founders and especially to its last owner, Count Larisch-Mönnichs, who is related to Empress Elisabeth or "Sissi", according to this site. Beside the said castle is the Holy Cross Exaltation Church, which looked more like a castle than the real one beside it because of its huge spire. 

Beside the Church is the state-owned Česká Pošta or post office. Later on, we walked to the park behind the castle. The park which was founded in 1804 is called Bozena Nemcova. It is an immensely huge park covering a total area of 36 hectares. Makata and I talked a lot while strolling around and a while later, we were both famished.

We went back to the center to grab some lunch. We chose this small cafe that served Italian and Czech food. Makata ordered Banana and Chocolate Crepes With Vanilla Ice Cream while I got the Baked Penne Pasta topped with Cheese and Tomatoes.

It was a perfect meal for a perfect day. After our hefty lunch, we walked around some more to burn some of the calories from the food we ate. Haha! 

After all the walking, we went back to Makata's dormitory, Cosmos, to get some rest and to chat some more. Today was truly a lovely day! A friendship was born and tons of memories were made!

Settling Down

Today, I have finally settled down at my 35 square meter flat. I do not have any roommate so I have the place all by myself. I love the clean and modern interiors, the big closet space, the flexible window (it opens two ways), the many storage areas in the kitchen and the spacious toilet and bath.

Being the OC person that I am, I tried to make sure that all my things are as organized as possible--my toiletries in one place, my make up in another, etc. It was only then that I realized that I brought way too many things! The toiletries were essential for me to get by during my first few months. As for the clothes, I promised my mom that I would not shop while in the Czech Republic, hence I brought a lot with me. I wonder until when I could keep that promise..Haha! I am so bad at keeping shopping-related promises.

After four long hours, I was finally able to put my clothes and coats in the closet and arrange my table and shelves. It felt really good to get rid of the clutter and see everything spic and span. I always get this sense of fulfillment each time I finish organizing my things. Below is a picture of my place after all my effort to clean up my mess as well as the picture of my bathroom and kitchen. 

Ahoj Czech Republic

Ahoj Praha! After my 20-hour journey from Manila via Dubai, I finally landed in Prague, Czech Republic at 2:50pm. I was met by an AIESECer named Irena. She held a short bondpaper at the arrival hall with my name on it. The first thing we did was purchase a phone and simcard for me. We proceeded to the shops near the arrival hall and went to the Vodafone booth. I got the cheapest unit, the Vodafone 246, for only 777 CZK or approximately 1900 PHP.

After purchasing my phone, we took the bus to the city center. It was agonizing to carry around my 30-kg large luggage, 10-kg small luggage, 10-kg backpack and equally heavy shoulder bag. Upon arrival at the city center, Irena directed me to the train station where I would be taking another train to my final destination.

Upon entering the SC Pendolino train, I noticed how the ambiance was similar to that of the airplanes. The 632 CZK fare I paid for this trip was definitely worth it. The journey was very smooth sailing that's why I easily dozed off. When I woke up an hour later, a tall scruffy looking man was seated infront of me. I noticed that he was trying to start a conversation but I couldn't understand anything he was saying so I simply ignored him. He showed me pictures from his phone and still continued talking. Later on, he stood up and went to the bar at the next compartment. I heaved a sigh of relief because I thought he was not coming back.  

But lo and behold, he came back with two tiny bottles of Becherovka, a Red Bull energy drink and two plastic cups. I was hesitant to accept the drink because he was a total stranger. I didn't want to end up like those people in the movies who got drugged by a stranger. But since he was persistent, I eventually accepted the drink after I checked if the bottled were sealed. After I took my first sip, I realized that the Becherovka is actually tasty. It wasn't bitter at all. The alcohol content was quite high though (38%), so I had to decline his offer for a second drink.

After three hours, I finally arrived at my final destination. Two AIESECers, Tomas and Heiner, fetched me at the Hlavni Nadrazi (Main Station). We got lost on our way to my flat because their GPS was not working. When we finally found my place, the guys told me that  there was a party with the other AIESECers in the city. Although I was already very tired and sleepy, I didn't want to appear as killjoy so I still accepted their invitation. I merely dropped off my luggage and we took off immediately. 

We first went to the pub, Desperado El Tequila Cafe Bar de las Americas in Stodolni Street. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary pub but I was amazed that there was another door inside the pub that led to a pocket garden with another bar. The bartender was a friend of Tomas and he gave us free drinks. An hour later, the other international AIESEC trainees arrived. I met a Colombian, Greek, Bulgarian, Egyptian and guess what...another Filipino!!! What a small world. She is also Bisaya like me so I didn't have a hard time talking to her. Afterwards, we moved to another pub just across the street, Cafe de la Ostrava. Honestly, it looked more like a house rather than a pub. Upon entering the main door, there was a flight of stairs that led to the pub itself at the second floor. It was so cramped yet people were still having fun.     

After we each got a shot, Tomas took me and Heiner to Istanbul Kebab. Tomas paid for the 60 CZK kebab and we all ate at the sidewalk while staring at the drunk people around us. It was good to eat something hot with the chilly weather. Later on, we went to Music Club E99, another pub in Stodolni and got reunited with the girls. The pub's interiors were very hip. There were motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and an old car was redesigned as the DJ booth. After some chitchat and dancing, we decided to call it a night. I got home around 2:00am--dead tired yet really happy! I can't believe so many things happened in just a span of one day!

Dubai: Pit Stop

I arrived at Dubai International Airport at 4:45am. After more than 8 hours in the plane, my butt was already as flat as my seat! I was too lazy to stand up during the flight, not even to the toilet. All I did was sleep and eat during the long flight.

The airport looked more like a five-star hotel or shopping mall. There were Duty Free shops that sold jewelry, electronics, cosmetics, liquors, luxury goods and sports equipments. There were also a number of cafes and restaurants that specialized in exotic cuisines like Irish, Lebanese and French as well as fast food chains like Burger King and McDonald's.

After four hours of endless walking, I took a seat on these comfy chairs since I still had two extra hours before my flight to Prague. Before I went to my designated boarding gate, I passed by a mini garden smack in the middle of the walkway. It was a sight to behold! Around 9:45am, I boarded another Emirates plane bound for Prague.

The Start of My Euro Journey

Around 9:00pm of September 2, Daddy and Achi Mia dropped me off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. I hate goodbyes because it makes me cry easily so I just gave them a kiss on the cheek and I hastily lined up at the entrance. The line for the check-in counter was pretty long. I think there were over 50 people ahead of me. I managed to doze off a bit while lining up because I was really so sleepy. I was not able to sleep the night before because I was panic-packing!

After my power nap, it dawned on me that one of my luggage was missing! Omg! I must have left it somewhere so I started to look around the departure area. I found two security guards at a random corner who seemed to be crowding around something...it was my luggage! When I went over to claim my luggage, they told me that my name, which was on the bag tag, has been paged over and over again. I didn't hear my name at all because I was so sleepy. They said that they never dared to touch it because they thought it might be one of those bomb threats! Good thing I was able to remember my missing luggage before checking-in or else my departure would have turned out a big fiasco!

The boarding area at the NAIA Terminal 1 looked horrible! There were too many people and not enough seats. It looked more like a refugee camp rather than a boarding area because some people were already lying down on the floor! It was agonizing to wait for my final boarding. Finally, around 11:45pm, the staff announced that my flight was ready for boarding. I was so excited to sit down (25K, window seat) and get some sleep. Even before the plane took off at 12:20am, I was already in dreamland!

It was my first time to take a Middle Eastern airline and I was very impressed. The seats were comfortable and the leg room was reasonable. Most of the passengers on that flight were Filipinos. In fact, I was seated beside a Filipino seaman.

When I woke up two hours after departure, I found a food tray infront of me. Everyone else had finished eating while I was still fast asleep. I was served with rice, beans with vegetables, beef in spicy sauce, bread with butter and a cupcake. While I was halfway through finishing my meal, I again fell asleep! Thirty minutes later, I was awake again and I continued eating.

Finally, after 8 hours and 25 minutes...we arrived at Dubai International Airport for our six-hour stopover. I was glad that the first leg of the trip was over!

Farewell Dinner

I am leaving Manila in a day but I still have a long list of things-to-do! I haven't finished packing my clothes yet and I still need to buy extra toiletries. Plus, I still have lots of last minute paperworks to do in the office! Despite all these chaos, I managed to squeeze in a last minute dinner with my good friends--Sir Mico, Jana, Mina and Johnolle--at Crustasia Asian Crabs and Seafood House in Shangri-la Plaza Mall this evening.

It was wonderful to spend my last night in the Philippines with the people who have been my constant dinner and movie buddies for the past three months! I will surely miss their company.

Dimensione

While strolling in Rockwell last week, I chanced upon the furniture concept store, Dimensione. They have some of the most unique furniture and home accessories!  I bought this eye-catching clock for our living room in CDO. It was quite pricey but I wanted it so badly because I was so sure that it would look good in our living room. And I was so right!

Quiddity

I recently stumbled upon the Facebook page of my college batchmate, Gen Go, who has long been known for her creative genius. Back when we were still in college, she started this small business called Quiddity. It is an arts and travel shop specializing in quality art supplies, journals, and other travel gear fit for every quirky globetrotter.

I love her collection because I could very much identify with it. I super love quirky things! Her collection has a very personalized touch which is a plus factor. Here are some of my personal favorites from her Fall 2010 collection:

At first I didn't know what are these cute wooden things for. I later found out it could be use as bookmarks. The designs are so adorable. Apart from their bookmarks, I am also lusting over their cute writing journals. I love collecting journals ever since before, but I never use them. I just love to keep them.

High School Get Together

I recently had a reunion with some of my childhood friends: Trish, Gret, Chitoy and Joey. We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen in Greenbelt. The entire night, we couldn't stop laughing as we reminisce our carefree days back in Kong Hua School. 

Just Moved

Last July 31, my family and relatives gathered together in our new home. We had our home blessed by Fr. Gil around 4:00pm. It's hard to believe that earlier that day, the house was still in total chaos---the TV was not yet set, some cabinets were still being repainted and boxes were still lying on the floor. We finished everything exactly an hour before our relatives started arriving. We felt like we were on The Amazing Race! Haha!