Prague is a lot of things. It’s a home for 1,2 million people and it hosts millions of guests every year. From the airplane it looks absolutely tiny, making it difficult to understand how many little streets there are in it, and how much happens on and along those streets, in parks, at peoples’ places, in bars, on trams…
Seriously, right now when I think about my 5 months in Prague, it feels like they flew by in no longer than a second.
I’m happy that they happened. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to be there. And I’m extremely grateful for all the good things that happened to me.
One moment it just occurred to me, how freaking cool it really is that I could live, work, and do absolutely awesome things there in Prague. I had been cruising through my time there, but now when I look back at it, I’m amazed by first, all the things I did, but most of all, all the great people I met there. You are the ones that made my stay there unforgettable.
Here are a couple of things that characterize my ex-hometown:
Czechs. Czechs are great people. They’re friendly and have a good sense of humor. They get your point. If you have heard a stereotype for Czechs being unfriendly, it’s probably because of the few superb individuals in customer service positions. They are a true blessing for the image if their country.
Foreigners. There is a large number of foreigners in Prague. They can roughly be divided into three groups: tourists, who roam on Charles Bridge, eat in overpriced restaurants and go on pub crawls; English teachers, who most commonly come from the United States and tend to spend their free time in the overwhelmingly lovely company of other English teachers from the United States; and the so-called ‘expats’, who are a general group of foreigners living and working in the Czech Republic, and who find it soothing to hang out with each other, even if the only thing they had in common was the fact that they'd be categorized as ‘expats’.
Despite my sarcastic tone, most of my best friends were exactly those English teachers, expats, and some unlisted weirdoes who happened to enjoy my company. :) I love you guys!
Beer. Czech Republic is said to be the country with the best beer in the world. The beer is goood. Beer in the Czech Republic is a beverage and the cheapest thing on the menu. And it’s good. So why not drink some beer?
Beer gardens. Night or day, sunny or cold, Monday afternoon with colleagues or Sunday morning with family, beer garden is always a good idea.
Dogs. Prague is full of dogs. All kinds from tiny Chihuahuas to these huge dogs that can easily be mistaken for horses. Seriously, in Prague you will run into dog races you would never have known existed. The dogs aren't almost ever a menace though. They are well trained and often without a leash. When you sit on the grass in the park you always have like five dogs playing and running around you.
Vltava. The river. Absolutely beautiful at night time.
Riegrovy Sady and Letná. Parks. Both with gorgeous views to the castle and over the city. Both with great memories of days and nights in them.
Fried cheese. The best midnight snack after throwing your wildest dance moves in a club or bumping the roof at the karaoke. It is literally a chunk of cheese deep fried and served in a bun and with all the mayonnaise and mustard and ketchup you want. Trans-fat ahhh… *Imagine Homer Simpson drooling here.* And it’s totally cheap! Ohhh, I gotta go on a diet or I’ll be bankrupt when I go back to Finland!
My flat. Right in the center and with the best home boys and girls and house cat. Discussions in the kitchen. Cooking. Guests. Parties. Game nights. Sleepovers. Arrested Development and South Park marathons.
My friends! I really hope I can see you all again soon! Until that, have a big hug from me!
Risks. Life is more interesting when you take some. ;)
