Goodbye Praha. Until next time...

Ukončete prosím výstup a nástup, dveře se zavírají. Příští stanice: Namesti Miru.
Please finish exiting and boarding the train, the doors are closing. Next stop: Namesti Miru.

I've heard these words (and its variations) countless times upon entering the metro daily. My next stop is no longer in Prague, however. My next stop is America.

For the past 4 months, this place has been my home. Coming here - to this country and with this program - has been, hands down, the single, best decision of my college career.

I knew eventually I would have to leave. I knew I wouldn't want to. I knew I would probably be looking forward to going home and the comforts and familiarities that affords. There are things I've missed about the US: having a cell phone plan, extroverted strangers being helpful (ie: helping me up when I fall or giving us directions), and understanding the language. And then there are things I won't miss about Prague: paying for WC's, paying for tap water, paying for take out containers, giving up metro seats to anyone older than you, and being short changed. There are of course things I'll miss about Prague... living in an ancient, preserved city, not having to pay tip, and the ability to readily take public transportation to another country among many other things. I didn't know how much I would want just a little more time here. I actually want a lot more time. But I'd settle for a little, also.

Franz Kafka once said, "Prague never lets you go... this dear little mother has sharp claws." Upon hearing this statement at orientation, I scoffed at these words. What a melodramatic exaggeration, I thought. And look at me now, quoting the surrealist himself.

I knew next to little about this country before moving here. Now, I know a lot. I know the streets, the city layout, the transportation, the customs, how the people are, the weather, the currency the culture... the city. I still obviously don't know a lot (namely the language), and granted I was in somewhat of a bubble while studying in this "Island Program" and granted I was still a "tourist" regardless of my extended stay student visa status.  Regardless, I was still living in this city, and living on my own. The independence on a daily basis here and the freedom on the weekends while traveling was unparalleled to anything I have ever experienced. I learned to book flight tickets and hostels, to navigate myself in foreign countries, to figure out foreign Sim cards and banks, and to cook (in foreign grocery stores - not the easiest thing).

This semester was a very (much needed) refreshing change to the life I have always led. In some ways it was exactly what I needed. There wasn't anything "perfect" about this semester, in fact, there were a few mishaps along the way. There were times when I was so incredibly busy that made me feel entirely drained and exhausted (note to self: never travel to 4 different countries 4 weekends in a row!) but I have no regrets. My time and experiences here and in the rest of Europe was spectacular. I loved always having something to do and leading a fast paced schedule (not being held back by academics was an added bonus as well!). It will definitely be an adjustment to go back - to my previous life and to America (I can't wait to hear people speak in English!) and I may even experience "reverse culture shock" - I know I definitely experienced culture shock when coming here initially. If you ask me would I ever come back to Prague to live indefinitely or would I want to move here, I would reply with a definitive "No." But am I glad that I tested my limits and wasn't restricted by conventional norms by choosing an Eastern European country? Absolutely, yes. And if you asked me would I ever think of moving to western Europe for a period of time... my answer would be absolutely, yes. This semester widened my perspective, tested my boundaries of what I am used to, and I might even say made me grow up a little.

This semester with NYU v Praze will always have a special place in my heart as I fondly look back to it. I made great friends, and lived in a wonderful place. What more could I have possibly asked for? One of my friends summed it up pretty nicely: "I realized that this past semester has felt like a slow motion jump, a smile on pause. This has been some of the greatest times I’ve ever had in my life, and I realize that in hindsight. I think one of the most rewarding things you can encounter in life is being in one of those moments where you feel as though life can never get any better and actually recognizing it. And I think I have."

The shuttle NYU set up for us is coming at 6:45 AM. My flight is at 10 AM. After a connection in Paris, I will be back in the USA at 3:40 EST. This is it for this blog - the end. I hope you enjoyed reading about my life here as much as I've enjoyed my life here.

So long Praha. I think it's appropriate for me to now use one of the few Czech words I know - dekuji. Thank you.

Vinohrady Tour

Vinohrady, in Prague 2, is the neighborhood I live in. You've heard me rave about it countless times, so I thought I'd give you the historic (self) tour that I did on Thursday, 12/16.

Church of St. Ludmila

The Neo-Gothic Saint Ludmila Church (Kostel sv. Ludmily), a two-tower basilica from 1888 - 1893, dominates the Náměstí Míru Square. Many renowned artists of the time worked on the interior and exterior of the church, including sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek, author of the statue of St. Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square and the sculptures in the Vyšehrad park.

Church of St. Ludmila

The square bears the name of the Hussite king Jiří z Poděbrad (George of Poděbrady) who ruled the country in the 15th century. It is a good starting point for a walk around Vinohrady.The square is easily recognized by the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord (Kostel nejsvětějšího srdce Páně). This monumental modern church is a unique architectural work of Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik. It was built in the years 1928 - 1932.

Church at Jiřího z Poděbrad

The street's name pays tribute to Josef Mánes, a 19th-century Czech painter and author of the images of the twelve months on the Prague Astronomical Clock. Mánesova is a beautiful tree-lined street with buildings featuring colorful Art Nouveau facades, many of them restored.

Mánesova Street

The Neo-Renaissance National House of Vinohrady stands at Náměstí Míru 9. It dates back to 1893 - 1894 and was designed by architect Antonín Turek. The building has served as the seat of various organizations and corporations and today houses businesses and occasional expositions

Vinohradský Národní dům

The historic Vinohrady Market Hall at Vinohradská 50 is located a few blocks down Vinohradská street from the Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. You can walk or take tram 11 to Vinohradská tržnice. The market hall was built in 1902, following the design of the leading Vinohrady architect of the time, Antonín Turek. It is one of the three remaining historic market halls in Prague. The interior is now taken up by an upscale shopping center, the Pavilon.

Vinohradská tržnice

There is the majestic Art Nouveau building of the Vinohrady Theatre, one of Prague's oldest and most reputable theatres. It opened in 1907.

 Divadlo na Vinohradech

A short walk from the Jiřího z Poděbrad Square is Prague's TV tower that provides a fantastic 360-degree view of Prague through the windows of its observation deck. It is located in Mahlerovy sady (Mahler Gardens) off of Ondříčkova street, just outside of Vinohrady in the neighboring district of Žižkov - essentially in the center of the city. The controversial tower was built in 1985 - 1992 despite the protests of locals who feared that this giant construction would become an eyesore to Prague. In recent years, it's become known for the baby sculptures attached to it (created by artist David Černý) that give the impression of babies crawling up and down the tower.The tower is now an unmistakable Prague landmark and has made it on the list of the World Federation of Great Towers. It is 216 meters tall and besides providing Prague with a TV and radio signal, it offers a panoramic view of the city and Central Bohemia from 93 m above ground (an elevator will take you there). On a clear day, one can see to a distance of up to 100 km/60 miles. At the height of 66 m, there is a restaurant and the Blue Café.

TV tower

Officially my last day here

Thursday, 12/16... my last day in Prague.

We went to Sestra Strudel - but it was closed. This was slightly anti-climactic. Afterward, we went to a bunch of places in Vinohrady - click here.

Then I did a bunch of errands... and souvenir shopping... and I fit in a bit of last sight seeing! I saw the "Hanging Out" statue by David Černý (same guy who did the Prague TV tower and the Peeing Man statues).

Hanging Man Statue

I only have 6 hours left here.

Coming down the homestretch - my 2nd to last day here

Wednesday 12/15 I finally had freedom from finals. On Monday I turned in a 10 page English paper at 9 am, and I had the Czech written and oral exam at noon. On Tuesday I took the history exam at noon and had to turn in a sociology 10 page research paper by midnight. Tuesday night I finally got to breathe... and sleep.

I only had 2 days left in Prague, so I had to take full advantage of my limited time left.

Unfortunately, it was snowing again. It was incredibly cold, but we trudged on. Literally. In 1992 the historical core of the city covering 866 hectares was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register. Therefore, the streets and sidewalk are never salted and the cobblestone is not entirely conducive to a surface easily paved. This combination equals tons of slush, puddles, ice and many not so fun walks trudging through the accumulated snow.

We went to the Christmas markets, and Havelska markets... and attempted to find the Sestra Strudel place which is supposed to have the best apple strudel in Prague. But we gave up after bus mishaps. I later went to Mama Coffee with my English class - our professor was great in this class and we had arranged to get coffee with her.

In the night, NYU arranged a buffet at Radost FX for us! They had a slideshow and it was a great night.

(Pictures coming soon)

I only have 1 more day left here.

Machova 11/4: Suite and room tour

I've been meaning to make this post since orientation... Well, this is where I have lived for the past 4 months.

My building (it's the white one)

There's a guard's room when you walk in on the first floor. The basement has the TV room and the laundry room.

On the landing of the first floor there is the door to the outdoor courtyard - our yard is complete with a grill for cooking.

The bottom middle square was ours

Suite hallway

I live on the fifth floor, which only has one suite (instead of 2). My suite has 4 bedrooms. There is a triple, a double (mine), a single, and the RAs single.

In the kitchen we have a full sized fridge (not pictured) and there's a stove, oven, sink, dishwasher (!), and a mini freezer.

Bathrooms...

WC

Bathroom

The balconies on the kitchen and bedrooms are permanently locked. We can only open the top part in order to allow for some breeze. The bottom part is always kept locked. Apparently, NYU does not trust their students on open balconies at high elevations... Take this for whatever you may think, but personally, if I had a working balcony off of my room, I would use it all the time. And I don't think my life would ever be in particular danger.

Our double is the last room on the hallway before the stairs to the study lounge. We have bunk beds (I have the top - but it's really not that high, so I don't mind), a desk / chair each, a wardrobe / small drawer stand each, and we share a mini fridge.

 Right side of the room when entering (From L-R: my wardrobe, bunk bed, her desk)

 Left side of the room (From L-R: our fridge, her wardrobe, and my desk)

Study lounge

Balcony off of the study lounge

Home sweet home.

The final ballet

Yes, I have officially gone to 5 ballets. A part of me wishes I'd also seen the Czech philharmonic, a musical, or the black light theater, but I did enjoy all of the ballets, so I don't regret going back so many times.

Saturday, 12/11, I saw Goldilocks. In the Czech version, a cook disobeys the king and eats a piece of the snake he's preparing for him - and is then able to understand animals. The king is furious and orders the cook to find the golden haired princess that they both hear the animals talking of. The ballet then follows the cook's journeys to get to the princess, the trials he must pass in order to take her with him back to the king, and how he and the princess later overcome the king and attain the crown. It was definitely an interesting take on the classic version of a hungry girl who eats porridge from 3 bears that I'd always heard growing up. (If you're interested in reading the Czech story, click away)

The cast of Goldilocks taking a bow

Afterward we went to U Fleku a Czech restaurant and microbrewery that is pretty well known. It was my final meal of Czech food consisting of beef goulash, bread dumplings (I don't recommend these), and speck dumplings. The place itself is very reminiscent for me of the Oktoberfest tents. The long tables make up several rows so that you are seated next to different parties of people, there is live music from the accordion player and the waiters carry large trays of food up and down the place much like the Oktoberfest vendors. All of these factors contribute to a very festive and jovial atmosphere.

U Fleku!

I only have 5 days left here.

Holiday Fair

Today, 12/10, NYU had set up a Holiday Fair for us. It took place in the NYU center from 2-6. There were a bunch of stations set up as workshops for traditional Czech customs (although I don't think all of them are actually). I decorated gingerbread cookies, made candles out of wax sheets and crafted tshirts. One of the staff members even had a puppet show... though most of it was in Czech (for the professor's young kids), and some of the students had prepared some holiday songs to carol.

Puppet show

Later on in the evening, I went to Kavarna Slavia, a cafe right across from Narodni Divadlo (national theater). Daily a musician plays the piano from 5 pm to 11 pm and we had been meaning to soak in this scene. I got the roasted pear in cheese pastry, filled with nuts, served with maple sirup and fresh mint and we listened to him play the grand piano for a while.

Kavarna Slavia

A somewhat relaxing evening - before heading back to Machova to tackle finals studying!

I only have 6 days left here.

People in Need Internship

You may or may not remember that during orientation we had an internship meeting with representatives talking on behalf of several Prague based companies. I applied to a few NGO and journalism companies, and after a couple of interviews I decided to accept an internship with People in Need.

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech organization that provides relief aid and development assistance, while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom. At home, People in Need administers social integration programs in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and provides informative and educational activities. PIN is one of the largest organizations of its kind in post-communist Europe, and has administered projects in thirty-seven countries over the past fourteen years.

PIN is located in Prague 2, just a 5-10 minute walk from my building in Machova. I've only had to go to the building a couple of times for information meetings though. I do all my work on my own time where ever I please. My main responsibilities thus far have mainly revolved around editing. I have edited a few documents and a couple large manuals (they needed a native English speaker). I also did some research on databases and most recently I gave a test run of a capacity development handbook by reading through it and answering the questions.

For the most part, the internship was not too taxing. Since it lacked a precise schedule, however, I would very sporadically get a lot of work accumulated at once. I'm glad I interned here though. If only to find out that employees can bring their dogs to work, it was an experience I wouldn't take back!

Exhibits and the 40s

Thursday, 12/9, I had another early start to my day. I did some errands before class and after class I went to the Galerie Rudolfinum to see the 'Decadence Now! Visions of Excess' exhibit. Curated by Otto Urban, a NYU in Prague professor, I was initially curious about the exhibit because of countless field trips and I'd heard of made over to the gallery. It didn't hurt that I needed to write a short paper for my English class on a Eastern European cultural event that I'd attended. Nothing like the last day of class to tackle that assignment, right?

Decadence Now! is organized into 5 categories: Pain, Pop, Sex, Madness and Death. Some parts were definitely graphic and gory. Others were slight more light-hearted, but in general the exhibit was definitely different than any I'd ever seen before.

Gallery director Petr Nedoma says, “It’s the other way around: it is what they reveal – not the works themselves – that are shocking. You can accuse some artists of intentionally setting out to shock. But in this exhibition we deliberately avoided such work. If you look at what’s on view, compared to the portion of violence, blood, and helplessness which we see every day on the TV news, this show is a walk in the park. These works reflect what already exists, rather than deliberately setting out to shock.”

Galerie Rudolfinum

With a bit of downtime in Machova I later headed out again, this time back to the NYU center. The photo class was having an exhibition of their final projects, and a few of my friends were in that class. After checking out the exhibit, we went to Jam Cafe, where there was another RA event. The theme was 40's Retro Night.  We saw a jazz pop band called Chamber Worcester and Megaphone. I bowed out before getting a chance to see the performance of swing and step dancing, but it was still nice to experience a local Czech hang out place.

 Listening to music at Jam Cafe

I only have 7 days left here.

Libraries, the ballet, and tea

On Wednesday, 12/8, I had another busy day. I met a friend at Old Town before class to grab a quick Indian meal at Beas - a self serve vegetarian place. We wandered through the Christmas market and looked at the marionette dolls (Prague is famous for puppet shows) and then I had class from 12 to 3. After class, I went to the Klementinum, the national library of the Czech Republic. I had been meaning to for awhile, and I'm glad I did even if it was just to see the interesting sculpture in the front lobby. The upright hollow tunnel like figure was made entirely out of books stuck together. The most interesting part was that when you looked inside of it, it looked like it was never ending... because there were mirrors placed at the top and bottom!

 A tunnel of books

After about an hour to regroup back in Machova, I headed back out to Cafe Louvre, a Parisian style café and billiard hall, dating from 1902. I got the large pea cream soup with mint, potato with cream and bacon and the ricotta cake with lemon and whipped cream. Then it was time for the ballet! NYU in Prague was subsidizing tickets to the Nutcracker, which I'd never seen. It was great, but I'll have to see it again in the US someday... the Prague version combined the Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol.

Nutcracker cast taking a bow

My night wasn't yet over. Another RA, had organized another RA event at Siva, an Arabian style tea and coffee room. I'm not too big into tea or coffee, but it was a nice atmosphere and something I hadn't yet done in Prague! As you can see, I'm trying to cross a lot of things off my bucket list while I still have the chance... I only have 8 days left here.

SPARTA!

Tuesday, 12/7, I finally went to a hockey game. Located in the Tesla Arena in the holesovice neighborhood, we went to see a home game - Sparta versus Plzen. I don't follow hockey (or any sports, for that matter) but I'd heard hockey games were a must see and that the fans are intense. There were cheerleaders set up in the far left side and the Sparta fans, all dressed and painted, in the far right side. Hearing the cheers of everyone around us, it was definitely exciting when Sparta scored!

Tesla arena

Afterward, we had dinner in Malastrana at Maly Buddha. We had heard rave reviews and our expectations were definitely met. Serving Vietnamese food, the place was cozy, warm, and interestingly decorated. After dinner, we walked to the nearby Strahov monastery, which is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1149 by Bishop Jindřich Zdík, Bishop John of Prague, and Prince Vladislav II. There were great views from the hills here of the city below and Petrin tower in the distance. My camera doesn't take anywhere decent night pictures though, so I'll leave that out.

Mikulas and Ice skating

You may remember me talking about St. Mikulas Day that I had missed the previous Sunday, on 12/5, since I was coming back from Florence. Well, Monday 12/6 the NYU in Prague RA's had a little surprise stored up their sleeves. 3 of them came class to class dressed as the angel, St. Mikulas and the devil. They put ash on a volunteer's face (the 'naughty' child) and gave us candy!

(In case you're wondering, our RA's - there are a few per building, 3 in mine - are Czech college students. They live in our residential buildings as RA's, and also work part time in the NYU center buildings in the library or front desk... depending on the rotation. So, they live and work with us. And since they are Czech they are extremely helpful with any Prague/Europe questions we have! Another part of their job is having RA events. Each of them from time to time organize and advertise for their event that is open to all the students.)

The angel, St. Mikulas and the devil

My 1:30 class was a double session that day, serving as a make-up class... but I left a little earlier... to go ice skating! One of the RA's was having an RA event at a local ice skating rink, and as NYU was subsidizing the cost, I figured this was the perfect time... for a first try at ice skating! Well, I only fell once. And spent a lot of time hugging the railing. And the RA was even nice enough to try to teach me how to ice skate... but my best bet was definitely the ice walker!

Ice skating

After ice skating we stopped by Old Town Square and I picked up a párek v rohlíku, which is a nontraditional hot dog (the hot dog is slid into a hole inside the bun) - I had worked up quite an appetite from skating!

Firenze, Italia: Days 3 and 4

Florence, Italy

Day 3: Saturday, 12/4

We started off the day in Piazza del Duomo again. We hadn't yet had the chance to go inside the Duomo before closing hours, so went inside the cathedral and also into the crypt. We then climbed the hundreds of stairs up the bell tower. The Campanile, bell tower, is commonly called Giotto's Campanile since the first story was designed by Giotto.

 View of Florence from the bell tower
(You can see Santa Croce and Palazzo Vecchio here)

We had some lunch at Trattoria Za Za where I had the lasagna al forno and the flourless chocolate tort with pudding. We then walked by a square (I can't remember the name) where there were many carts and vendors set up. There is also a small statue of a boar here. Legend goes that if you rub its nose you will have good luck!

 Caption

We then went to Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce. This is the largest Franciscan church in Italy and holds the tombs of several important Florentine's including Michelangelo and Dante. The vast interior contains stained glass windows and frescoes. One of Brunelleschi's most important works, the Cappella dei Pazzi, is in Santa Croce.

Set up in the piazza was Florence's Christmas markets! It wasn't incredibly impressive, mostly because the majority of the products were surprisingly... from Holland. Around the piazza are also several leather stores that we walked around in.

 Santa Croce

We then headed back to the city center and passed through the Ponte Vecchio again where we saw all the jewelry stores. In the main square by the Duomo there was some sort of parade with people playing instruments.

A parade

After a day of sight seeing we had some dinner at Tratorria Anita where I had la ribollita, a Tuscan bread soup with vegetables.

Day 4: Sunday, 12/5

My last day in Florence was pretty low key. I had some packing to do and we slept in. We later stopped by a cafe and I had a pizzette with prosciutto and mushrooms. I also picked up a small panini with arugula, roasted mushrooms and mozzarella for the plane ride later. Alex then took me to the train station so I could catch the shuttle to the airport for my 5:30 pm flight. This time, I landed in Munich on time at 7:30 - with more than enough time to spare until my connecting flight at 9:30! Fast forward to 10:30 and I had landed in Prague... where it was of course snowing!

Firenze, Italia: Days 1 and 2

Florence, Italy

Day 1: Thursday, 12/2

On Thursday I headed to the Ruzyne airport after having class from 12-3 for my 5:30 flight. I was there with plenty of time to spare... but inconveniently enough, the plane ended up being delayed by an hour. This wouldn't be that big of a deal except for the fact that I was supposed to land in Munich at 6:30 to catch a connecting flight to Florence at 7:35. I landed at 7:30. Hyperventilating, elbowing suitcase toting passengers, and sprinting across the Munich airport, I made it to my next gate - with about 90 seconds to spare before the shuttle left for the plane. The flight then took off and I landed on schedule in Florence at 9:30.


I met up with Alex (my college roommate who is studying with NYU in Florence) at her apartment that is located in the city center. We spent the night hanging out, catching up, and meeting her friends!


Day 2: Friday, 12/3

We woke up on Friday to do some sight seeing. We first went to Yellow where I got my first authentic Italian meal! I went traditional with a margherita pizza. Alex then took me to the Piazza della Signoria, which is Florence's most famous square. It's in the heart of the historic center and there is a free open-air sculpture exhibit. The Loggia della Signoria holds some important statues including a copy of Michelangelo's David. The piazza has been Florence's political center since the middle ages and Florence's town hall, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza

Next up was the Galleria degli Uffizi, which holds the world's most important collection of Renaissance art. The Uffizi holds thousands of paintings from medieval to modern times and many antique sculptures, illuminations, and tapestries. Artists whose works you'll see include Michelangelo, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, and Raphael. Most notably, I saw the Birth of Venus by Botticelli here.

 Piazza della Signoria: Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, and Loggia della Signori

After going to the museum we walked by the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), which was built in 1345 and was Florence's first bridge across the Arno River. It's is the only surviving bridge from Florence's medieval days (others were destroyed in World War II). The Ponte Vecchio is still lined with shops selling gold and silver jewelry.

 The Ponte Vecchio and Arno river

We then walked by Florence's most popular site - Duomo, the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. The huge Gothic duomo was begun in 1296, consecrated in 1436, and holds 20,000 people. Its exterior, made of green, pink, and white marble, has several elaborate doors and interesting statues. The inside of the Duomo is a vast space and contains only a few works of art. Among these are its 44 stained glass windows, which were designed by some famous Renaissance artists, including Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, and Paolo Uccello. The Crypt contains the archeological remains of the ancient cathedral of Santa Reparata. Also in the crypt are the tombs of past bishops of Florence and the tomb of dome architect Brunelleschi

 Duomo

We then took an ice cream break and got gelato. I got the cioccolata extra noir (extra dark chocolate) and stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate chips) before boarding a bus to visit NYU in Florence's campus. For NYU in Prague, we live outside the city center and go to school in 2 buildings located right off of Old Town Square. For NYU in Florence, they live in the city center and go to school in an estate that was converted into a small campus.

Part of the campus

We spent a while there walking around and crossing the bridge where there were views of the city. We later took the bus back and had dinner at Ristorante La Grotta. We all split bruschetta, and Alex and I split a spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken with asparagus in white sauce between us. I finished off the meal with tiramisu in a cup and then it was back to the apartment for the night!

Tour of Čestmír Suška's Atelier

Today, 12/1, we had another field trip for my English class. We took the metro, took a transfer to another metro, a bus, and then finally trudged through the snow and blistering cold (it's about 15 degrees Fahrenheit in Prague) to our destination. We were visiting Čestmír Suška, one of the foremost Czech sculptors in the country in his atelier just outside Prague.

He took us on a tour of the place (a warehouse like area... that did not have heat) and described a lot of his pieces. His sculptures range from glass, wood and metal, but one thing they have in common is their gigantic weight and size. Suska carves intricate patterns, which he says he gets from curtains and lace table-cloths, into industrial junk, such as gas and beer canisters. The end result is that his massive, weighty sculptures seem skeletal and frail.

 Some of his pieces in his studio

And some more

A quote from his truly, "At first I felt that metal was something that was man-made, which is partly true, but all materials comes from nature, only in different ways. And I have to say that I work with metal in the same way that I work with wood, only it is easier, because I just go to some scrap yard, and it is so easy to find beautiful shapes, they are waiting there to be destroyed and I revive them. I bring them to my studio and I change them into what I hope is a beautiful sculpture. It's like in a fairy-tale, when a frog is changed into a prince."

http://www.suska.cz/e_index.htm 

And some more Christmas markets

11/29, Tuesday, I found some time in between my classes, internship, and make up classes to check out some other displays of Christmas festivity. And to try out some street food - I had a pizza 'lagos' for a quick lunch in between class. This is made of fried pizza dough and spread with tomato sauce (sweet ketchup) and cheese. Continuing on, the food market that is always set up on Havelska Street had been decorated and lit up - tree included.

Havelska street market

I also went to the Wenceslas Christmas Market. It was the standard set-up seen in Old Town Square so it was the similar stalls, Christmas tree and nativity set. In the night, however, was a different story. The trees had all been decorated with hundreds of light producing a cozy effect.

Wenceslas Square, in all its lit up glory