Ei otsikkoa

My future me, (released a year later from writing)

as expected, one cannot keep on writing to keep people posted....way too hard. Anyways, this last month have been more or less boring due to the final exams, presentations, essays and other responsibilities that most of the people seem to hold important. Due to these tasks the time has somehow seemed to go a little slower, giving the sucky ass weather that doomed entire Central Europe in floods... though if you're too lazy to even drag your pretty bottom to the city center, you will miss the big news.

Despite the grey and depressing times in Prague, there is a memorable and definitely one of the best trips that was made to dam-dam-Amsterdam! Having our usual moment of spontanousity in the famous 250 room, where boys live (Germany, Chile, Mexico and Ukraine), we decided to take the flight to Rotterdam the very next morning in less that 12 hours, and there we were, standing on the lands of Netherlands. To achieve full normality is though impossible when our Salzburg-gang (me, Mexico and Chile) is on the move. On the airport the customs stopped Mexico because he didnt really have a visa. At all. But seeing the dutch hospitality, they let us all in the country, so hurray to our luck!

Reaching Amsterdam was easy with the train, finding our christian hostel in the red light district was fairly easy too. They had prayers every day at 7.30 pm and 11.30 pm, cool people, but according to our thinking we could've changed the concept of the hostel pretty easily.... :). The next day on Monday our Chinese child joined us in the hostel, and the next day the big Larry. So there were five of us from Prague, two Italians and a Mexican who felt the delight of our company. With this group, sometimes together sometimes not, we went off to have an Amsterdamian adventure.

The city itself seems like full of little things: coffeeshops, restaurants and sex-related shops in the very center, arts spread around on the edge of the center. Although we got lost due to different factors every single time we went anywhere, the city seems also very small from the tourist's point of view at least. We managed to get everywhere by walking, one unsuccesfully successfull bike-trip was fun but short. So the first impressions of Dam are: very international and artistic city. Seeing where our European painters got their inspiration from....well, I think it's just fantastic.

I was supposed to write every week...

Dear me and everyone else,

Prague

on one wonderful monday, as illogical as it sounds, was the first sunny day in a reeeeally long time. So all those who  ever told me that the spring is going to come early in Prague can politely go f*** themselves. We don't have sun here at all And when it ones comes out, you enjoy the most of it. (Yes, appearantly it's true that only Finns can talk about the weather like it REALLY is the most fascinating topic.)

Right from the moment of waking up, me, and four latinos (yes, again, what's wrong with me) climbed up the Petrin Hill halfway right after visiting the John Lennon Wall, had our lovely picnic and wondered back to the city pretty happy. Next thing we see is KFC, a god sent gift from the heavens!! I was about to throw away my french fries when all Mexicans looked at me with huge eyes: "Are you not gonna eat that??!??!"....."No....?Im fine thanks, you can have them." Whooooooooz momomommmm 2 seconds, and they were gone. The attack of the latinos on french fries like I've never seen before!

The day continued sunny and wonderful just like in movies. You wonder around in central European city, having hot chocolates and shooting pigeons....ah, jealous already??? Well, I had my movie day, and can honestly say, it was one of its kind!

Karlovy Vary

After my wonderful monday, it is time to go back in reality, school, homework, tasks.... how boring. But you know what helps --> a trip, AGAIN! The city I visited is right here in Czech Republic called Karlovy Vary, the city of spas and James Bond glamour. As part of the city, all people seem to be walking like in a deep dream. Then it's your turn to go to relax in a pool, and there you are one of the wondering zombies. Though the city is completely Russianilized, the buildings, springs make it all worth going... for one day.

Regensburg

As my short-term memory is definitely better than long-term, something very not important happened between Karlovy Vary and my next trip. Probably some school shit again. Nevertheless the next trip I took was back in Germany, but this time it was Bayern baby!! I got to meet my first exchange student from back in Finland in Regensburg. That's where she lives (for those who do not understand my english). Seeing a friend back form 4 years was amazing, seeing a typical Bavarian city --> full of surprises! In the middle of the  hills, just like that, there stands a huge Walhalla, a Greek type building. I repeat, in Germany. Go google it if you still don't get why I was amazed. Or then it's just me thinking every fly in this world is amazing. Another thing I got to learn is that Bavarian people have their own freaking language. It's not German. Second thing is that of course they have an entire day devoted to the oh so holy beer. So I will need to come back there for the beer festivals that will take place in May, just to see how these people devote 2 weeks of their life to beer.

London

Now because I realised at the end of April that my time in Prague is running out there should be no weekends wasted. I was asked to go to London. What do I say? "Hell yeah!". London calling. London the royal highness. London the everything. Now this trip had a great beginning:

• Book the flights on Monday for the 24th April
• Make yourself believe 24th is Thursday
• Print ONLY the ticket from London to Prague and make yourself believe it's the ticket from Prague to London
• Go to Prague airport accidentally barely on time
• Pass all check-ins, securities and other airport people with the wrong ticket
• Appear to the gate just to hear you have the wrong ticket and that my flight was indeed on 24th Wednesday!
• Feel free to feel like an idiot!!

So, eventually I arrived to London on Friday night in  a hostel where apparently peeing in bed is just fine! In spite of the rocky beginning, the city managed to charm me completely. It was more than I imagined and one needs a looooooooot of time to explore the city. Plus planning won't hurt. The nature of my trip was more walking around and getting the feeling of the city. Sure Sherlock and Baker street were unavoidable. But the rhythm of the city is pretty fast, taking the tube can make you insane, but STILL you love the city. Even Arsenal stadium was visited, just outside but still,  (I'm  a hockey girl, so this was a big step for me) and the atmosphere just sweeps you away with all the charming Britts 50+. So London will be calling me again!!

Back in Prague now final exams are waiting, but so are many other cities. Also, an update of my future skydiving will be here! Cause I need to cross some stuff out from my bucket list!!

The flying time

Dear readers and future me,

it's April the 6th and I could not bring myself here earlier. Oh the shame, maybe because I will never be a real blogger. Too much work.

But what has happened since...... woooaaah, here we go.

After a confusing Ice Breaking Weekend (IBW) and seeing too many mostly naked men asking for condoms, I was in bed for a week due to a killing virus... it was terrible! And then, a visit overstayed, my mother for 8 days. Seeing Pague from the cultural perspective wasn't bad at all. The castle, clock tower, museums --> all good! The most depressive factor in the equation is the weather. Seriously, what the hell is happening. Trying to see the sunlight in Prague is harder than going to school on your Erasmus!!

So the weather keeps on sucking, but after a week of pure proper partying, it was time to head to Berlin. The easy way was a bus and in 5 hours from Prague, you're there. The bus went through beautiful Bohemian mountins, with  a little castle somewhere on the background. On my arrival in the former city of the Iron Curtain I got welcomed in the most magnificent way, a huge bucket of flowers and a nice ride through the city. Just like I remebered it about 7 years ago, big magnificent Berlin. During my 5 day stay by my cousin, we visited Rostock,

 

the little city for 60 + years old dudes. The rest of my cousin's family lives in Rostock, so it was more than a pleasure to finally meet them all after ..well, never visiting them before :)

 

 Back in Berlin, no expenses saved, it was again party time in VIP style. Not a bad experience at all and I got to see a little something from my future super rich life.

Getting back in Prague was a bit of pain since all the thoughts were supposed to stay in the school work. What? Oh, but no wait, let's go to the Alps the very next day, that will take your mind off crappy stuff like school! So, like in  a proper latino style,  a trip to Salzburg was made disregarding the education.

Every person in this world must have a bucket list. Seeing the Alps was on mine, which Salzburg trip succeeded to fulfill from the second we drove off our beloved Prague to the moment we came back. The trip was made by me, and two latino men. Other one managed to lose his driving license back in home country, and another one never had driven  a manual car. (But we managed to give the rental car back on time without damages, no worries!) The best part of the trip was that nothing was planned and everything was made step by step. The mountins were an hour ride away, and when we finally got there.... it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!

 

Skiing on this giants felt like flying, and a couple of times I managed to fly on my nose too... but a dream was reached and I was happy. After ski chillaxing happened once in the mountins, and another night back in Salzburg, which revealed its magnificent castle that we never had time to go to. Amusingly so, I believe I turned my way of thinking to more latino than ever before!

 

Now, dear future me and other fellows, I am back in Prague, thinking where did this 2 months disappear. It's time to enjoy the next two like never before.



Arrival at the dog city

To make it clear from the get go, I might bore myself with this, even someone else. But I believe in the power of humour after a year, seven or 50 when I will open this and see the redicilous cliches and other bizarre thoughts that ever crossed my mind. So, I decided to put everything down here, where written words will always be found.

A year ago I applied to the Erasmus programme, the one that has changed even Jack the plummer's way of thinking. The best time of his life, seeing the world with new eyes. Sure. Why not. Except that I've been mostly hanging out with exchange students since I moved out from home, being 19 years old. I felt it was my complete opening of eyes (moving out from home, Ruokolahti, to Kuopio can do this, wtf). I hate Finland, I want to travel, see my new foreign friends, see places, people, cultures. This desire never died for three years and here I am now, finally sitting in Prague, in the beginning of my travels.

Just to make it clear, Prague was never my first choice, I wanted to see warmth, sea, something that Finland will never see. And I ended up being in Prague. A bit cold, grey, living in an area resembling the movie "Hostel". Nice, isn't it? Oh well, I will embrase this experience, since I am literally in the middle of Europe: both East and West are all unexplored, so let's see how far money can take me.

I have been here now for 4 days. First three I saw nothing but dorms and school, today finally seeing the beautiful side of the city. Old buildings make you feel the history, little streets and pubs make it all worth to visit every single one. The people are funny though: the customer service goes pretty much like this: You nodd as a sign of a greeting, so does the person behind the counter. "Do you speak english?", since I don't speak any czech, and the beautiful smile the lady had just  a quarter of a second ago turns into disgust and depressive face, as if the communism is back in town. "I would need my transportation card for 3 months, here are my documents." The lady grabs your papers, letting me know very clearly I am the little fly she wants to stump. No words are exchanged and I get what I needed. Perfect!

Though somehow tourists are not the most popular people here, I like the people as they are, it makes it more interesting. The absolute favourite I enjoy here are the multiple dogs running around free without the leash: they sit in front of the shop waiting for the owner, come to the pubs and restaurants (a great way to let your dog get fed btw) like we're all one big family. I love it!

So these are the first steps here, eager to see more and getting to know more international and national people and experience my new home country for the next coming 4 months full of cheap drinks!