Category: Culture

Filipino Czech Association

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When I first got to the Czech Republic, one of my initial instincts was to connect with people from my country of origin.  Through facebook, I found “Pinoys in Czech Republic,” an informal group of Filipinos living in CZ.  I regularly visited the site, participated in some discussions and eventually attended a Christmas Party organized by the Philippine Embassy in December 2011.  When the organization was formed during that party, I volunteered for a position in the newly formed “Filipino Czech Association.” (FCA)  It is interesting to note that although the climate in the Czech Republic does not sit well with us people from the tropics, there are actually 350 of us currently living in this country.

On May 26, 2012, we shall be formally launching the FCA.  FCA’s objective is to promote camaraderie and goodwill among Filipinos, Czechs and other nationalities in the Czech Republic. It also aims to promote Philippine culture and tourism and facilitate the integration of Filipinos into Czech culture.  To do that, it will organize solid activities, programs and events that will promote Philippine culture and tourism, on its own, or in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Prague and other legal entities in the Czech Republic.  It will also conduct other programs or events that will help promote social awareness and development.

If you are currently living in the Czech Republic, and would like to know more about the FCA, consider this as a personal invitation to the Launching Party.  More info on that event can be found here.

Sleepless in Warsaw

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During our recent trip to Warsaw, it was the first time I was away from my son for more than a day.  I was sleepless.  The first night due to a bumpy train ride, the second night due to missing my son, but on the third night it was due to having so much fun.

Although not often mentioned as one of the “must see” places in Europe, Warsaw is one city that you should never miss.   Its historical buildings with its beautiful architecture stands testament to a rich cultural past and the strength of its people.  After a short trip to the old town square, I can almost never tell that it had once been flattened out during the 2nd world war.

The Royal Palace at the Old Town Square

Our journey began with an 8 hour train ride from Kolin to Warsaw.  As mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to try the night sleeper train.  This we did, and it was good.  The train ride was not the most comfortable at all, but it was better than I expected.

The moment we got to Warsaw, the clouds were gray and it was raining slightly.  However, this did not stop us from taking a short walk to view the city.

The next day was my friend’s wedding, so it was mostly spent indoors.  The ceremony was held in the Zamkowy Palace and the reception in a quaint restaurant in the old town square.

The Newlyweds

When it comes to celebrations, the Poles are not to be outdone. The whole celebration started at 2pm and ended at 12am the next day.  That meant eating the whole time save for the “disco breaks.”  I prefer to call them “disco breaks” since the DJ mostly played “old”  music pleasing to the ears of the “young once.”  Since my husband and I were childless, we really made it a point to enjoy ourselves and danced the night away.  Being the triggger-happy mamarazzi that I am, I never even managed to get a single shot of the reception.  What, with all the good food, good wine, good music and the company of good friends,  the night slipped by very quickly.  And yes, I think it also involved a couple of vodka shots.

Saving Mother Earth, Saving Money

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One of the things I like about Czech is the conservative measures taken when it comes to usage of things.  Recyling the trash, bringing shopping bags to the grocery store instead of using plastic, and using small cars which obviously consumes less fuel are only a few of those measures.

When I first got here, I hated the fact that whenever we go shopping I have to bring a shopping bag and bag my own groceries.  Back in the Philippines, the bagger is a special position in the grocery store.  For a small fee, you can even get your groceries brought by somebody to your vehicle.   The same is true in the US.  But here in Europe, it is common practice to bag your own groceries.    And if you don’t bring a bag with you, you either take your groceries “naked” or you purchase a plastic bag .

Recycling is also strictly followed over here.  You can choose not to recycle but you will end up with too much trash in your trash receptacles and get to live with it for a week.  Not without saying that the trash receptacle is half the size of those in the US.  Unlike the US where you get a special bin for recycled items, over here you have to bring your recycled items to a designated container .  And there’s only one or two per street!  If you live far from the recycling bins, it provides a good workout.  My arms are already toned from this twice a week exercise.

Recycling bins for one street

But I guess the best earth saving practice over here is the use of everything small.  From small vehicles to small appliances, you name it, they have it.  I rarely see SUVs, hummers or limos.  They do use vans, but mostly for delivery purposes.

Small cars in a small street

In our own home, we have a small oven, dishwasher, washing machine, drier, etc.  Even the fridge is small.    Having a small fridge is an advantage though because I am forced to cook fresh stuff.  From spring to fall, the farmer’s market is open Mondays to Saturdays.  They only close on Sundays because everyone is out  — in the woods, I guess.   And in winter, who needs a freezer?  Just leave your stuff outside and you’re good to go.

The farmer's market open 6 days a week.

On our first trip to Prague, we went by public transport and used our son’s jogger instead of a stroller.  We almost didn’t fit in the subway lift because the jogger was too long and too wide.  We somehow managed to get in but it only accommodated us.    It was also difficult to get it into the subway train or the tram because of its size.   There was no other recourse but to walk.  Now I know why Czechs are not afraid to eat calorie-loaded stuff.  Through one’s daily task, you get to burn it off anyway.

The best part though is that through this earth saving measures you also get to save money.  It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.  Saving mother earth is saving money!

Velikonoce na Moravě

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Our first Easter (Velikonoce) in CZ was celebrated in Moravia,  my husband’s hometown. As mentioned in my previous post, they have this tradition of whipping women on Easter Monday. This year, I had my first whipping experience.

In my husband’s family, the girls are outnumbered.  There are 6 males and 3 females.  Thus, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I had to endure 6 whippings.  It was all in good fun though and one cannot wish for a better rationale than the one behind it.

Since it was a long weekend, we also spent some time visiting several relatives and childhood friends.  Several of my husband’s friends decided to spend their Easter weekend in a cottage by the woods.  On Black Saturday, we went there to say “hi.”

Cottage where my husband's friends spent their weekend.

We also went on a little hike with them and even participated in an Easter egg hunt in the woods.

Easter egg hunt in the woods.

Jakub enjoyed the trip very much because he got to play with a lot of children.

Back in the house, he also loved the company of his cousins.  Since it was raining on Easter Sunday, we had to stay indoors.  But even in the absence of toys, these boys know how to have fun.

Without any help from the women, they managed to stick themselves in their grandma’s living room cabinet.

Meanwhile, this is what their fathers were doing.

On Easter Monday, after whipping the women in the house, all 6 boys went around the village whipping neighbors, aunts and grandmas.  Us women, on the otherhand, spent our time drinking shots of slivovice (plum liquor) and becherovka, a Czech specialty spirit.  We talked about our husbands, sons, and life with them boys.   It was a great bonding time for us since my sister-in-law and I learned a lot from my mother-in-law and we somehow know what to expect when the boys grow up.

When the boys came home, each of the small ones brought a pack of these.

Jakub's reward for whipping the women in the village

For the big boys, they were given this.

I had a wonderful time spending my first Easter the Czech way.   With all those chocolates that my son got, he would need a lot of help consuming it.

Easter Fever

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Next to Christmas, Easter is the biggest celebration here in Czech.  Although there a number of Christians in the Czech Republic, its is not a serious religious celebration.  Easter is now limited to the beginning of spring since during the Communist era, its religious connotations were suppressed.

The other day my husband asked me to buy a whip for my son.  Yes, a whip(pomlázka).  Not to whip him, but to whip me.  It is a long held tradition over here for men/boys to whip the women during Easter.  It is believed that whipping chases away illnesses and bad spirits and bring health and youth for the rest of the year to anyone who is whipped.  In return, girls reward boys  with a painted egg, or a candy.

Since it will be our first Easter here, we are celebrating it with my husband’s family.  I do not know how to make a whip or hand-paint eggs so I bought them from the Easter market.  Easter markets are also very popular over here.  Like Christmas markets, you get to see crafts and  food items sold in the stalls.  The atmosphere is generally festive and both locals and foreigners flock these markets.

Prague Old Town Easter Market

In my husband’s family, boys outnumber girls.  I expect  a lot of whipping and a lot more eggs.   When my husband told me about this tradition, I thought it was weird.  It gets even weirder when Easter Sunday is actually celebrated on Monday.

Czech the Choco

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I am a chocoholic.   If there’s anything I love as much as rice, it’s chocolate.  Before coming to Czech we had to drop by Belgium, so I had a good dose of Belgian chocolates while we were there.

Now that we are here in CZ, I decided to try the local brands.  So this is what you will find in our cupboard.

Yes, I am a big Milka fan.  I think it’s one, if not the best, chocolate here in CZ.

And here’s one that’s purely local —as in Kolin local.  It is a chocolate for diabetics though, but it doesn’t taste too bad.  It’s good for dieters too.

When I used to work at Hostess, I thought I was in heaven when during the plant tour I saw the chocolate fountain used to enrobe the baked goods.    I thought to myself, “so I get to taste that everyday?  pure awesomeness!”   They told me I will get tired of it after some time.  But in my case, it’s not really true.  To this day, I still miss having to do daily product scoring with our chocolate hohos.

Any More Questions?

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The longest time I’ve ever spent on a train is 2.5 hours travelling from Brno, the capital of Moravia, back to Kolin.  Back in the Philippines where I grew up, a train is not the usual mode of transport since we are bordered by Islands.

In a few days, my husband and I will be going to Warsaw to attend a friend’s wedding.   Since I am unfamiliar with interstate train rides, we decided that this would be the best mode of transport for us — for the experience.  From our online search, we found a train that has a bed and perhaps even a private bathroom.  However, it was not defined as to how many passengers are in one room or what size the bed/room will be.  Because we do not want any unpleasant surprises, we wanted to know all the details before we even get our tickets.

My husband takes the train on his way to work every morning.  So, he figured that he will just drop by the international ticketing station and ask the information desk about all these details.  And that’s what he did.  The lady at the information counter answered most of his questions except the most important  question  –  the details of the room.  When he proceeded to ask about how big the room is, where the luggage is kept, how many people are in one room, she replied:  “I don’t know.  I’ve never been on one.”

“Utikej, Pani, Utikej”

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Two weeks ago, my running partner, a.k.a my son, decided to quit his job.  I used to be able to put him on the jogger and do a short run with him.  However, now that he is stronger and more active, that has become impossible.  I stopped doing it because the last few times I did, he wailed like a hyena and yelled, “pomoc! pomoc!”  (Czech word for “help!”).  He prefers being part of the action and that involves getting out of the stroller.   Hence, I can never have a decent run when he is with me.

Back when I used to do races, I ran with the pack.

However, due to the recent time change this past weekend, I am now able to do my outdoor runs.  This is because my husband is now available to take care of my son while there is still daylight.  Thus, I had my first post winter outdoor run today.    It was great!  But I know it will hurt tomorrow.

This was because I pushed too hard.  I wouldn’t have if not for the old guy who told me, “utikej, pani, utikej.”  (Czech for “run, lady, run”).  The thing was, there were 2 other runners in front of me.   The old guy probably thought I was one of them.  I may have looked like I was trying too hard because my tongue was out like a mad dog and I was sweating like a rapist.  Whatever it was, he decided to give me a boost of encouragement.    I intended to tell him that I was not running with them, but before I can translate my thoughts, I was already past him.   A few minutes later, when I reached home,  I was gasping for breath.  I knew I overdid it when my husband thought I was back so soon.  When asked how my run went, my answer was almost inaudible because I was still catching my breath.  Then he told me, “Oh honey, I forgot to tell you not to push too hard.”  But I did.  This will definitely hurt tomorrow.

Who’s Your Daddy?

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Spring is certainly here.  This past weekend was so beautiful, we had to be out and about.   Armed with my camera, I was a trigger-happy mamarazzi for some unsuspecting men in Kolin and their kids.

I love weekends.   It is my time.  After taking care of my son the whole week, I always welcome the time when my husband takes over.

Like father, like son.

But it looks like I’m not the only happy mom in Kolin.  As we were walking to Kmochuv Island this past weekend, this is what I saw.  Dads were doing their share of the whole childcare thing.

“Daddy, daddy, watch me ride!”  I can almost hear this little child say.

“Don’t go too close to the river.  Otherwise you’ll fall.”  I suspect this is what this other daddy is saying.

This is my favorite shot.  I think you know why.

I highly admire a man who is not afraid to look silly.     Fatherhood is pretty much like motherhood.  One is a transformer.

So you may be wondering, where the moms are?  It’s ironic.  I was looking for a beauty salon to get a hair treatment but all of them were booked!  Question answered:  That’s where the moms are.

The Joys of Motherhood

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If I were to describe my role as a mother, I would say I am a transformer.  One day I’m an airplane, next day I’m a dog, maybe tomorrow I will be a horse.  As my son is getting more and more active these days, I constantly need to find ways to keep him entertained by playing whatever game he feels like playing at the moment.    Plus, I have to get him out of the house twice a day to get him tired so he will be able to take his nap or sleep at night.  It is tiring, I tell you and it has a lot of quirks too.

One day while having lunch with a friend and her daughter, Jakub shouted “Kaka” (Czech word for “poop”) in the middle of a bustling restaurant.  Now that I have started potty training him, he has figured that the best way for him to get released from his seat is to shout the magic word.  I felt a little bit embarrassed, but I guess people treated it like a regular thing because nobody seemed to mind.  On another instance, while walking on the streets, Jakub pointed to a guy’s truck and said “garbage.”  It was because it resembled a garbage truck and he loves watching the garbage truck from his bedroom window.  I’m not sure if the guy understood.  I hope he didn’t.

Yesterday at Sokol, as we were exercising with the other children and their mommies, he collided with another child. They both cried and they both had noticeable bumps on their foreheads. The irony was, I had Jakub wear a shirt that says, “I want to rock.” The other child on the otherhand, had a shirt that says:  “Here comes trouble.”  The other mom and I just looked at each other and sighed.  That somehow explained the whole situation.