Missing NATURE

Few weeks ago Jar* told me that he does not like my way of visiting places. He was having impression that I am visiting just for one reason - to be able to say that I have been there. Honestly, not true. For me the true and real visiting is equal to discovering, enjoying the original and unique spirit of the place and admiring of everything that cannot be seen anywhere else. There is nothing better than finding the secret coin that sometimes even people from the place do not know.

On the other hand, I have to admit that during my last weeks in Belgium I was quite tired. I was lacking energy for being enthusiastic about every detail. The reason was very simple. I kept visiting from beginning of the September - every single weekend with some exceptions was spent on journey. And that is quite a lot, I suppose. Even for such a traveler as I am.

Then one day, after short walk around the neighborhood of the house where I was staying, I realized one thing. How much I am missing the nature, walks in the forest, singing birds, flowers, the smell of mushrooms and wood noises. Mountains. Lakes. Trees. Every single detail. As it was one of those early spring days, the smell was even stronger. Just like the village in the countryside.

Birds were singing, people were working on their new houses, the smell of burning leaves reminded me of my childhood. It made many memories come back to my mind. I remembered all those summers spent at my grand-mother’s place with all my cousins, wonderful walks in the forest, the huge amount of mushrooms, green meadow with all bugs bothering me from time to time :-)

And suddenly, in that moment I realized that probably going back to Prague would not be so bad :-)) Instead of visiting cities I would be enjoying walks in the nature. Two weekends are gone already, have not started yet. But hopefully, soon I will be heading somewhere out of Prague.

Oh, actually, this is my second new year's resolution. Even if it is probably quite late for that. I will try to spend much more time in the nature during this year. In order to have much more "hiking" kilometers in my shoes :-))

Working for NGO

After my stay in Peru I started to think about working for NGO. I wanted to give sense to my life and have good feeling about the result of my effort. I was very glad to meet Ivana in EP, she talked a lot about her job in Človek v ohrození, which is NGO operating in Slovakia. According to what she was telling me, I thought I really might like it.

When I came back from Belgium, I decided that it's time to start doing something. The result of my effort was that I joined one group in Amnesty International. There are really interesting people there (some of them with dreadlocks :-)) I have impression to be in a different world. These people are really concerned about what is happening, and according to my first impression they are not so much into business as the most of people I know.

On the other hand, it is not exactly the kind of work I was looking for. At the moment we are organizing demonstration for Tibet in front of the Chinese embassy. I would love to work on some concrete project and see some concrete results. For example fund raising money for school in Africa (current CEMS Humanitarian Project) or improving hospitals in developing countries or organize educational trainings where it is needed etc. I think I would love that. But so far no result and it does not really seem there will be any. So I keep looking for.

Coincidences

Few months ago I read wonderful book written by James Redfield, the title of the book was Celestine Prophecy. I just loved it. It was about coincidences and how everything is connected. Very interesting point of view. Since then, I was thinking about the topic. Do I really believe that everything is based on coincidence? And that somehow we still have the power to influence it by our way of thinking and acting?

Few days ago I put my AIESEC T-shirt on after quite a long time. Thanks to AIESEC logo on it we started discussing with my room mate one guy that both of us know. He used to be member of AIESEC as well. She told me he is leaving soon for a traineeship and later on, he would like to get the scholarship in Hamburg. Since then I could not prevent myself from thinking about the scholarship. Is there any real opportunity to leave and finish my studies abroad?? I was determined to look for it on the Internet, maybe I would be lucky and possibly find it out. It was not really necessary.

The following day I decided to buy the hair dryer. While whenever walking in the center of Prague I hardly meet someone who I know. Coincidence or not, I met this guy. He was actually leaving the same day for Germany, so I was really lucky to meet him. Of course, I asked him about the Hamburg thing and we discussed it a bit. He was no more motivated to pass his Master studies in Prague. None of us is. Then I wished him good luck and we said bye to each other. I had really mess in my head. Big mess. I was asking myself if this was the sign that I should try to get abroad again. I had crazy idea. If I meet him one more time that day, I will do that. I bought my hair dryer. And decided to buy some chocolate. And I ran across him again...

Then I was trying to organize somehow my thoughts. Was that really coincidence? Should I try to find some way of finishing my studies abroad??

Maybe I would not be so worried about spending one and half year back in Prague. So far I am slightly getting used to it, even though I am missing Brussels a lot. What I am afraid of is the lack of motivation after one year and half. I remembered myself when I came back from Strasbourg. It was more or less the same feeling. I was so determined to get back there for my university studies. But only 5 months passed and I had decided not even to apply for that. What if this happen to me again just because I am too lazy???

Relaxed state of mind

I used to be so much hyperactive, always in a hurry, with no free time left for myself. I realized that I have slightly changed, or at least, I am trying to be more relaxed. I would say that I am in a bit different state of mind at the moment. We will see, for how much time I will be able to keep this approach heh

Actually, last two weekends were so much relaxing. The first one at home, the second one here in Prague. I was being spoiled by my Mum, it was just wonderful to be in Bratislava for a while. This weekend, on the contrary, I stayed alone in a dorm, my dorm mates left on Friday evening. I spent the whole Saturday reading a book and later on, finishing one motivation letter. I was wondering, how it is possible that it still takes me so much time to write one. I have already written dozens of them heh In the evening I met Lucka, she is Slovak and from CEMS as well. Really nice girl, she invited me to spend a weekend with bunch of Slovak people. I am really looking forward to that!!!

On Sunday I met Andrej, the son of the eurodeputee I used to work for. He is studying in Prague as well and we met in EP when he was there for internship. I really like his company, I always learn something from him. Moreover, he is nice and open, just perfect person for interesting and relaxing chat. We went to see exhibition about Albrecht from Valdstejn, quite good one. And then for pizza, yamiiiiiiiiii :-))

The week ahead will be probably a bit busy, but I like being busy. In a relaxed way :-))

I am back in Prague

Yesterday I get on the plane and when I woke up, I was already in Prague. Everything was the same, and somewhere inside I was asking, if I am the same as well. Probably from outside there is no major change. And from inside? I am richer because of people that I have met on my way and because of things I have lived. That's it.

My new room mate seems to be really nice, hopefully, we will get on well. Moreover, I got my Bc. diploma today, it is nice piece of paper :-)) Looking forward to have the real one with Ing. written on it :-))

I decided to write just very shortly. Otherwise, I would be writing about very weird feelings that I have now, how strange it is to be back again and having the impression of not knowing anybody. But it is not really important. What really matters is that I have to make my life here again and depends on me, on the way I arrange it, how it will be. So I selfishly keep my fingers crossed for me :-))

The first snowdrop in 2008

As I love flowers, it is really easy to imagine my joy while finding this beautiful snowdrop in the garden of the wonderful mansion in Ichtegem in Flandres Occidentales.

Countryside in Flanders

Instead of going to Boulex, the Brussels' most famous party taking place the first Saturday of each month, I was discovering Flemish countryside. Jean-Charles, ex-kotmate of Ashika, invited me for a house party in Ichtegem. As I did not have any expectations, the final result was very nice.

I was impressed by the house. It reminds me of real aristocratic mansion.

It has plenty of rooms...

...wonderful garden...

...tennis courts, green house, lake (during each party taking place in the house somebody is thrown to it - this time it was Pierre, boyfriend of the girl in possession of this house) ...

...small house for guard and nice park around the place.

And just 15 minutes far from the sea!!!
Unfortunately, nobody is living there anymore. So the overall result is quite miserable. But still, wonderful place to be.


(Almeric and Jean-Charles having "breakfast" at 2pm :-))