Tag: kolin

Mushroom Hunting: A Czech Hobby

Published on by Grace31 Comments

Mushroom hunting is a favorite past-time for Czechs.   It is said that 7 in 10 Czechs go for some mushroom hunting between the months of July and November.

In keeping up with tradition, we had the opportunity of introducing Jakub to his first mushroom hunting activity this past weekend.

Dressed in our mushroom picking garb, we headed out to the woods close to Konarovice, a village close to Kolin.

Our first mushroom find got Jakub very excited.  Although he didn’t fully understand what a mushroom is, he was excited with the thought of looking for something and eventually finding it.

It was hard to explain that not all mushrooms are edible.

It became even more challenging when he started to pick out moss that was shaped like a mushroom.

I, on the other hand, had a hard time distinguishing the edible from the inedible ones since I am always more attracted to the colorful ones.  Most of the time, they are either poisonous or inedible.

But then they served a different purpose. If I can’t feast on them with my mouth, I might as well feast on them with my camera.

This year, we were not very lucky, because we didn’t follow one basic rule:  wake up with the sun.

When we got to the woods, a lot of people were already there before us.

But the whole activity in itself proved to be very worthwhile.  I found more enjoyment in communing with nature rather than picking the mushrooms.  I also enjoyed seeing my son seriously in the prowl for those precious goodies.

After finally admitting that there were no more to be found,  we found a precious spot were we rested and basked ourselves in the warm sun.

Our son on the otherhand, got busy pretending that he was drilling something in the trees.

It was such an awesome experience — one that we will definitely do over and over again.

Have you ever picked mushrooms in the woods?

This Little “Big boy” and His Crazy Mama

Published on by Grace16 Comments

I was on the Krokodyl facebook page today and saw a couple of pictures of Jakub from their school activities.     I always appreciate seeing these photos since I am curious to know how my son is thriving in school.  From the looks of it, he is having fun!

This is his “take-a-picture-of-me” photo.

Photo courtesy of Zuzana Yousif

And when I say he is a handful, this is what I mean.

Photo courtesy of Zuzana Yousif

It’s hard to keep him still, as he always wants to be on the move.  Worst part is, he always wants to do what the bigger kids are doing….or the opposite.

Photo courtesy of Zuzana Yousif

Sometimes, he even wants to do what mama does to him.

Oh, this boy!

On another note, while I was on my way to pick him up from school this morning, I was wondering why people were looking at me like as if a nut fell out of my head.  It was then when I realized that I was pushing an empty stroller.   So those people may have passed me off as a looney.

Oh well, what can I say….I have my hands full.  🙂

The Little Boy Goes to School

Published on by Grace15 Comments

This past week had been a busy one for us.  Our little boy had his first day of school last Thursday and I started a new gig.  For a two year old,  Jakub is pretty good with separation anxiety.  In the beginning, he was overwhelmed with the new surroundings and the new faces, so he was clinging on to me.  But as soon as he saw the toys and warmed up to the people, he was perfectly fine.

Photo courtesy of Zuzana Yousif

Sending him to school was like replaying those memories when I had to put him in daycare because I had to go back to work.  It was a little bit tough to go back home to an empty house.  And of course, it is also normal for a mom to be anxious about her child’s safety when in somebody else’s care.  But because I know that  he is safe and can survive by himself, it was a lot easier for me.  There were no tears shed.  When I picked him up that afternoon, both of us came home happy and satisfied.

He is recently attending a private preschool close to our place.  The place is called Krokodyl Kolin and it is operating on its first year this year.  After a quick search on preschools within our area, I opted to let him go to Krokodyl because of its  Montessori pedagogy approach that favors individual work of children, where the caregiver is a guide and mentor and the child is encouraged to get things tested and explored.   Tasks like  dressing, hygiene, working with utilities, cleaning, preparing snacks etc. are just a few of the activities that they teach.  Teaching is mainly in Czech which is perfect for Jakub’s adaptation into Czech society.

Photo courtesy of Zuzana Yousif

Krokodyl offers a variety of programs to suit each child’s needs.   Whether you prefer sending your child to school the whole week, 2x a week or even once per week, the choice is yours.  Since Jakub is only 2, I decided to let him attend classes two times per week, halfday.  Besides, we have an exercise class that we regularly attend on Mondays, and I wanted to spend the other 2 days with him.  Ten hours of “me” time per week is enough for me.   So far, I have observed that he is quite happy with this arrangement.  He comes home with artwork that he did in class and sometimes I would catch him singing nursery rhymes that I am not familiar with.

The little guy serving his own meal.

If you would like to know more about Krokodyl, please click on this link.  You can also find them on facebook here.

On his first day, his teacher promised to send me a text message to update me on how he is doing.  She said:  “Jakub is perfectly fine…the quickest child here.”  I am not so surprised.  Even if he is my only child, I already have my hands full.

“Happy Day”

Published on by Grace7 Comments


This past weekend, a couple of friends visited us in Kolin. There was a children’s event at Kmochuv Island and we went there to check it out.

A famous TV personality for a children’s show was supposed to show up.  But for some reason, her appearance got cancelled.    Ironically, the event was called “Happy Day.”  But I guess it wasn’t too happy for the kids who got disappointed with the TV personality’s absence.

So the organizers made sure that the kids enjoyed the children’s disco.

But for our group, it didn’t matter at all.  We still managed to have fun.

..At least the kids did.  We were there for the children’s disco.

It was fun to watch my little boy dance.

At the end of the event, everything would’ve been perfect except for a mini meltdown.  He refused to wear shoes!

Luckily, his ever-patient daddy dealt with it.  After all is said and done, it was still a “happy day.”

How was your weekend?

An Eventful Weekend

Published on by Grace9 Comments

Despite the scorching heat this past weekend, it was a very eventful one.  On Saturday, friends from Prague and Brno came to visit us.

Picnic at the park

Jakub had a new favorite buddy –  Kuya Mico.

He always likes to play with big boys.

On Sunday, they bonded again because we went to Prague for the FCA dragonboat recreational activity.

While the kids were checking out the boats, we were paddling on the river.

The dragonboat activity exceeded my expectations.  In a scale of 1 to 10 for fun, it was a 10!  I got nervous in the beginning fearing that the boat would capsize because all the paddlers were amateurs.  But we amazingly did well.  Thanks to a great team and wonderful coach –  FCA President Marison Rodriguez.  The Prague Dragonboat Club were gracious enough to let us use their boat and their facilities, and the generous members of FCA brought yummy food, so the bbq portion that followed the activity was equally enjoyable.

With fun activities, good food and good friends, this weekend was one of the best I’ve had here in Czech.

Photos courtesy of Arnel Cueto and Glenn Sanchez

Kolin: Home Sweet Home

Published on by Grace22 Comments

I have featured several towns here but don’t really have a single post dedicated to my little town. So what’s in Kolin?

We have historical buildings.

We have awesome architecture.

We have a nice park inside Kmochuv Island that is very beautiful in the fall.

The river that is surrounding it is equally beautiful.

We have a place for kids.

New flats are sprouting all over town.  There are those that are modern….

…..and those that have breath-taking views of the countryside.

But best of all, there is still space for one and for all.

Don’t you just love my little town?

Kouřim: Remnants of an “It” Town

Published on by Grace9 Comments

Kouřim is a historical city located 45kms east of Prague.  During the 13th to the 16th century, it used to be one of the most important cities in Bohemia.    The first 300 years of existence of Kouřim as a city experienced bloom and prosperity that was seriously untouched even by the Hussite wars. In 1421, it surrendered without a fight to the approaching troops to remain spared. The end of the Hussite wars and the subsequent secularization of church property brought a huge economic boost to the city.  At the turn of the 15th and 16th century, Kouřim stood in the zenith of power and wealth.

The first harbinger of the end of the “golden age” of the city was the year 1547, when Kouřim actively participated in the rebellion against the Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg.  But that was suppressed and the town suffered severe punishment in the form of economic sanctions, especially the confiscation of almost all of its landed property. Horrible disasters followed including the Thirty Years War where the city was repeatedly looted by passing troops. Although in 1648 the Peace of Westphalia ends the greatest horrors, it is unfortunate that at the end of the 16th century, it was further  decimated by religious oppression, plague and a series of fires.

Today, Kouřim stands as a favorite destination for history lovers.

The Kourim town square

Relative to the size of the city, it has a pretty big town square.  In it is found the Statue of the Virgin Mary  which was built in 1850.

Also found in the square is a huge rock, called Prokopu Velikemu to commemorate the battle of Lipan.

(Rickard, J. (12 October 2000), Battle of Lipan, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lipan.html)

But perhaps the biggest attraction in Kouřim is the Church of St. Stephen, which has a unique Romanesque Gothic style, and is one of the oldest churches in Europe, built sometime during the 13th century.

So if you are visiting the Czech Republic and would love to know more about its history, Kouřim is definitely a “must see” spot for you.

Sources:  Mesto Kouřim, Wikipedia

A Year Wiser

Published on by Grace9 Comments

I celebrated a significant milestone yesterday.  I turned a year older.

This year I got an orchid.

The powers-that-be knows it because the sun was shining brightly and everyone was out and about.

As we were walking through the town square, we saw a marching band.

I can’t remember the last time I saw one of this.  It only brings me back memories of my highschool years in the Philippines.

I’m not sure if it was a rehearsal for a bigger event, but these girls did pretty well with their performance.

It looked like there were other groups too.

This little darling looks so cute in her majorette outfit.  Too bad we missed her performance.

Meanwhile, as we walked through the other side of town, this is what we saw.

I remember the last time I saw a stunt like this was 5 years ago on Venice beach.  Gee, I’m old.

But I love my little town.  It has a its small old town feel that brings me back pleasant memories of years past.

I really did turn a year wiser!

Let’s drink to that.  Na Zdravi!

Who’s Your Daddy?

Published on by Grace4 Comments

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.