kolin – Czech the Flip

A Walk in the Woods

Published on February 19, 2014 by Grace6 Comments

The weather has been slowly getting better in our side of the world, so I took my kids out yesterday for a walk in the woods. Why the woods? Well, you might as well say that I am slowly becoming Czech. The malls are not as appealing as the woods anymore.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I was able to snap.

My little boy is growing so fast, and he really enjoys his new role of being a “big” brother. While I was busy looking for things to photograph, he took over and pushed the stroller of his baby sister.

Tired of doing it the regular way, he is experimenting with other ways on how to move it.

At this point, I took over for fear that he may accidentally flip the stroller with his sister inside. Instead, I asked him to lead the way.

He obliged and even told me: “Don’t worry, mom. I will protect you and Michaela.”

The end of the trail is the entrance to the city center through this bridge.

There was nobody during that time. It is still winter, afterall.

But we did see a fisherman on the river. He was fishing while Jakub was feeding the ducks and swans.

A new set of exercise bars were also built in a little space by the river. I think they finished it last year, but I didn’t see it because I was too lazy to walk towards this side of town when I was still pregnant with my daughter.

When the temperatures finally go up, I think I would like to use one of these bars for fitness.

But for now, I’ll just enjoy short walks with my kids.

Despite the cold, it was a very nice walk. Definitely another day well spent.

How are you coping up with winter in your side of the world?

Back from Hibernation

Published on February 3, 2014 by Grace5 Comments

After a very long absence, I am now back from hibernation. Not a lot of exciting adventures lately, as we have been confined at home. I’ve had my own share of motherhood challenges, but everything is ok now. Things are slowly getting back to normal. My new “normal,” that is.

Winter is relatively mild on this side of the globe compared to what the people in the US East Coast is now experiencing. Temperatures are sub zero during night time but has been consistently positive during the day. We’ve had a little snow but it is now slowly melting.

So what’s new? Well, for one. My daughter is now 3 months old and at a stage where her schedule is more predictable. She is getting more and more curious about the world around her and somehow seems to communicate through babbling.

Here is a quick photo I snapped of both my kids.

I am also starting to standardize our daily routine. It is very difficult to manage a household with two very young children. Although I am very happy that my eldest is at a stage where he is completely independent and even helps me out. He is the one opening doors for me when all three of us are out and about for our daily walk in our neighborhood. I haven’t been in contact with the general public since winter set in. It is pretty tough.

I couldn’t just go to a Starbucks shop and get a good cup of coffee these days. Well, there is no Starbucks in this town.

Anyhow, we managed to bring Starbucks home — coffee beans straight from the Starbucks shop in Prague.

It is the perfect pair for these shortbread cookies which we got as a gift from a friend.

We also managed to get a taste of California through this bottle of Chardonnay from Tesco.

There is nothing special about this wine, but it is the perfect pair for fish or pasta on these cold winter nights. Reminiscing our life in California gives me a warm feeling inside.

If the forecast is right, it should get warmer towards the end of this month. Once it does, we will be on travelling mode again. I am anxiously awaiting the new adventures that lie ahead.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Halloween

Published on November 5, 2013 by Grace9 Comments

Celebrating halloween is not customary here in Czech. This year we decided to carve out a pumpkin in keeping up with the celebration.

The weather was wonderful on halloween day. Since times like these are quite rare this season, my family and I decided to take Michaela out for a walk in our neighborhood.

Afterwhich, my husband and son decided to carve a pumpkin they got from friends in our neighborhood.

Jakub was goofing around while I was trying to capture his dad in action.

The pumpkin that they carved turned out well. It was my husband’s first carved pumpkin. I thought he did a good job.

Jakub had to take a posterity pose beside the finished product.

There was no trick or treat, but we still displayed the pumpkin outside. We then capped off the day with a nice dinner and some quiet time with the family.

Beautiful Autumn Colors

Published on October 21, 2013October 18, 2013 by Grace7 Comments

Last weekend, we took a short walk in the woods close to our neigborhood. I couldn’t help but admire all the beautiful colors from the trees. Here I am sharing these photos with you.

Right outside, this is what you will see as you enter the forest.

I let my boys lead the way. I’m very camera shy at the moment.

As you can see, we were not the only ones in the path. Several others were also there. Did I mention that a walk in the woods is a favorite Czech past time?

We found a mushroom. But unluckily, I was told that it is one of the poisonous kinds.

We also found a feet less lizard. This is something new to me. I thought it was a small snake.

And finally, here’s a closeup photo of the leaves.

Don’t you just love the colors of fall?

Pregnancy classes and Childbirth

Published on August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 by Grace8 Comments

As my due date comes to a close, we are now preparing the important details for the arrival of our little princess. One of the most important things to consider is the birthing place. Out here in CZ, everyone is covered by a national health insurance. Although it is a good thing, one of the downsides is that there are really a few choices when it comes to healthcare.

Since we are from a little town, there is only one major hospital in this area. There are a couple of hospitals in Prague, but it is a 45min drive from us. So, without even considering other options, I decided to enlist at the Kolin hospital. After all, the current Czech president, Milos Zeman, was born here. It can’t be that bad, right?

So last week, we went on a hospital tour. The tour itself only lasted 15mins, but there was a 2 hour class before it. My husband came with me, so he translated some important parts of the class.

And then we got this….

A box full of goodies for expectant mothers.

It is not as great as the Finnish baby boxes, but at least it is something.

The class was in Czech and so was the tour. Even though I didn’t fully understand everything, I was thankful that we enlisted for it. It just eliminates the hassle of trying to find places and people on labor day itself.

When I was pregnant with Jakub, I remember attending all sorts of classes. I was a first-time mother back then and didn’t know anything. I had a pregnancy yoga class, a lamaze class, a general childbirth class and a detailed hospital tour. When labor day came, I had prepared for everything. I even had a detailed birth plan where I wanted everything to be natural – with no epidural, and the anticipation of breastfeeding my baby right after he is born. But on the day itself, none of it went as planned. Needless to say, I had an emergency c-section, was unable to breastfeed my baby on the first few hours of his life and he had to stay at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for a few days.

It’s a good thing to know a thing or two about childbirth and all the birthing techniques, but in the end it is really up to the child on how he/she chooses to be born. This time I know better. The only class that I ever attended was the one that came with this hospital tour. I will just go with the baby’s wishes and let nature take its course. As they say, “prepare for the best and expect the worst.”

Spring is Here!

Published on April 17, 2013 by Grace8 Comments

After the seemingly endless winter weather that we’ve had over here, I was elated this past weekend as spring finally came.

We took a walk to town through the woods and were having a grand time just looking at these leaf buds. The birds were also singing and the air smelled so fresh.

We then went to feed the ducks and the swans.

And of course the trip wouldn’t be complete without a quick stop at the playground.

Right now, a lot of visits and weekend trips are already planned. On top of that, we will have to put in a lot of work with our house landscaping too. With too many activities planned and with relatively short time, I am now beginning to understand why Czechs really love the outdoors.

Snow Freaks

Published on January 29, 2013 by Grace14 Comments

My son is now sick. I think it’s my fault. I must’ve overindulged him in too much snow. I did get what I wished for. We had a good amount of snow these past few days.

After seeing this much snow from my son’s bedroom window, it was only natural for him to want to go outside and play.

So last Friday, I took him out for a long walk in the woods.

It was -4C that day, but the cold did not seem to bother us. We were having fun! We crossed the woods to get to the other part of town. Everytime we find a little inclined space, we take advantage in sliding downhill on his sled.

By the time we got home, he was literally spent. He didn’t even wait to get to his room. He just crashed on the sofa.

This past weekend, we went skating with some friends. Because he is still too young to skate, we placed my son on a sled so he can still enjoy the ice with us. It was very cool. Unfortunately, that didn’t do him well. He got cold. And because he was also tired, getting sick was inevitable.

Now I am nursing him back to health. Hopefully, we can cut the “down time” so we can enjoy the snow all over again.

Integration

Published on December 13, 2012December 13, 2012 by Grace16 Comments

Yesterday, it was -4C (25F) outside. But I found myself enjoying my homemade guláš and downing it with a mug of cold beer. A year ago, the idea of drinking cold beer on a cold day was quite repulsive for me. Having been raised in a tropical country and spending a lot of time in a temperate country with very mild winters, snow was very foreign to me. But the longer I stay here in Czech, I am starting to appreciate it now. Somehow, dealing with the cold temperature has become a way of life. I guess I am now integrating.

Another tell-tale sign is that I am starting to dig Czech humor. Although I still don’t understand everything, I somehow get the drift. Here is one popular Christmas commercial that touches on a Czech tradition and is presented in a very humorous way.

During Christmas, some people still practice the old tradition of fasting prior to midnight. Little children are told that if they don’t eat anything, they will later on get rewarded with a sighting of a golden boar. In this commercial, the little girl is asking her dad what the boar looks like. She further mentions that she doesn’t need to wait for later since she is already seeing one.

I hope to awaken the Christmas spirit in me, as we are moving to our new place this weekend. After the long wait, it is finally here. The place is not fully furnished yet, but it is already “habitable.” But we don’t have a tree yet. I hope we don’t end up like the dad in the commercial. Ironically, we live close to the woods.

Almost Done!

Published on October 18, 2012 by Grace42 Comments

I have been keeping mum these past few months about our big family project, but I cannot hold it off any longer. I am super excited. Our very own “passive house” is about to be realized!

Aesthetically, it may not look like anything from this perspective, but the main reason why we chose this type of design is its promise of slashing the heating energy consumption by an amazing 90%. It’s all about functionality! Not only is it environmentally-friendly, it will also be very pocket-friendly in the long run.

So what is a “Passive House”?

The passive house design was introduced by a German physicist Wolfgang Feist and Swedish professor Bo Adamson. It In 1996, the Passive House Institute in Germany was founded by Feist. Here in the Czech Republic, it is starting to gain popularity. According to Mother Earth News, there are only 15,000 buildings worldwide that are certified to have met passive house standards. In the US, this type of technology is just beginning to catch on with about a dozen buildings certified as “passive.”

The passive house design goes by the following basic concepts: Reducing Air Infiltration, Superinsulation, Eliminating Thermal Bridging, High performance (and properly placed) windows and doors, Super-efficient balanced ventilation systems, and Energy efficient design (compact) with healthy building materials and furnishings.

I wouldn’t go into details any further, but if you would like to know more about passive houses, this video presentation may help. Click here.

I will have to say that all credit relating to this project goes to my dear husband, one of the best engineers in the world. Long before this concept had been brought into fruition, he had it in his mind all along. When we decided to settle and build a home, he tirelessly did all the research on the best design that will fit our needs. The passive house was a clear choice from the very beginning, given all the benefits that this concept has to offer. We already knew what type of house we wanted to build without even knowing where or how it was going to be built. All the engineers in the family believe it is a great concept, so here it is.

Our house is situated in a new residential development area within Kolin surrounded by woods and a small body of water. We chose this location due to its proximity to nature and the neighborhood surrounding it.

This is the “zoomed in” view of our community.

But this is how it really looks like from the highway.

And this is what our “beach” looks like.

Who knows, it may even double as a skating rink during the winter. That, I have to find out soon.

Right now, we are very busy doing the final stages of the construction. Well, at least my husband is. I know it’s going to be a long project, but our goal is to move in before winter settles in. I am very curious to know if this passive house design will really live up to its concept and save us some money on our heating bills.

Although there is a lot of pressure ahead, I’m excited…..and I’m happy!

One of the most interesting things about a “passive house” is that it recycles all internal heat gains, including body heat from humans, the appliances, the computer, and the light bulbs! Needless to say, that during winter time, visitors can actually lower our energy bills.

So, will you come and visit?

Are You Adventurous?

Published on October 11, 2012 by Grace17 Comments

Having lived in 3 continents, and travelling to various parts of the world, I may as well consider myself adventurous. Well over a month ago, my friend Reena of www.reenareigns.wordpress.com, passed on the adventurous blogger award to me. Thank you very much, Reena!

To receive the award, one has to answer a couple of questions:

In which country or region would you like your next adventure to be? I would like to explore the African continent. I’ve read and heard a lot of good things in this part of the world but have never visited it. I hope I will have the chance to explore Africa someday.
Where would you recommend for an adventurous time? It depends on how much time you have for this adventure. There are a lot of interesting places in Asia, the US and Czech. But if you have limited time, I would recommend visiting the Yosemite Valley in California.
Most interesting culture: What I find interesting may change as I age, but I currently find Czech culture pretty interesting. After living here for a year, I found out that it has a lot of similarities to my own culture, but also a lot of differences when it comes to Asian culture in general.
Favourite activity: Tasting the food, conversing in the local language and spending time in historical places.
Most dangerous risk taken: Hiking in Bryce Canyon, Utah. I’m a wimp when it comes to heights.
Favourite quotation:
Adventure is worthwhile in itself. – Amelia Earhart
Happiness is: CONTENTMENT

As part of my blogging journey, I have met a lot of wonderful people who inspire me everyday with their own adventures. Though I cannot name everyone, here are the 12 bloggers who I think should also be receiving this award:

Writing Between The Lines

Crazy Train To Tinky Town

Another Day in Paradise

I write what I Like

Bucket List Publications

50 Year Project

The Open Suitcase

On the Road with Jim and Mary