The start of our European holiday

As I mentioned yesterday the semester has finally come to its end, and today we had to check out of our apartments (wah). It was bitter sweet, I really enjoyed living on my own. I loved having my own space to cook and entertain in. I am really going to miss having my girl friends over for sleepovers. The majority of the students in my program left Prague today to return back to the states. As you know my mom and I are having a European holiday. So from my apartment I literally walked around the corner to the hotel we are staying at for the rest of the weekend. Which let me tell you was so convenient its a pain in the you know what lug heavy suitcases from point A to point B. If you know my mother you know she is an over-packer. Even that is an understatement. I told her before coming her “PACK LIGHT! Think of light, then pack lighter than that, then think lighter than what you imagined and pack half of that.” Did she listen…? Nope. It was comical to watch her though. 

After we checked into the hotel, which is beautiful by the way. We were upgraded to a suit on the top floor with an amazing view of the river. I wanted to show her the place that have meant the most to me. To give her a real feel of Prague not just the touristy things. Although that’s what I have planned for tomorrow. Before anything we had to get coffee, we came across a shabby chic cafe, where we were able to sit and talk for about an hour. From there we visited Museum Kampa located near the Charles Bridge. Then for lunch I took her to my favorite soup place (mentioned in a previous post). It’s so funny to see her react to this new city. Back home we don’t have a great public transportation system, we drive ourselves everywhere. I’ve just become so used to taking trams and the metro, I forget she isn’t so I have to keep an eye on her cause there’s been times she’s almost gotten ran over. But it’s an adventure as we always say. From lunch I took her to Wenceslas Square (New Town Prague) where we explored. We made our way back to Old Town got more hot wine and did a little shopping at the Christmas market. Then window shopping down Prague’s Rodeo Drive. We ended the night at my favorite tea place (mentioned here). If you’re in Prague I recommended visiting it they have the best exotic loose tea from all over the world and great shisha. I have enjoyed going there and getting to know the owner Emily. Who is half Czech half French, she came over and talked with us for a bit. I really appreciated that cause it gave my mom the opportunity to talk and interact with a local. Something we may not have gotten to do had we been here on strictly vacay. Well, I’m getting sleepy so that’s pretty much all you need to know about today.

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The eagle has landed

And by eagle I mean Ching Chong-aka my mom! She got here this afternoon after about traveling 22 hours. Her phone had died when she left the airport so there was no way of telling me she had arrived and was on her way. Naturally I began to worry watching the time get past the time I figured she should’ve already gotten to my apartment. So I get a gut feeling to head for downstairs and go outside to look for her. At my apartment there is a buzzer system however there are no names/numbers at the main door, therefore you can’t tell what apartment you’re calling. But I figured out I can pick up my phone and listen to see if anyone is at the door. I happen to pick it up and hear my moms frantic voice asking the a couple of students in my building; “Excuse me! Do you speak English? Do you know Ashley? Is she here?”. So I ran down the stairs to get her, apparently the cab driver brought her to my building and she couldn’t believe from the outside it was apartments. So they drove on until he convinced her it was the correct place. So there’s my mom who has never traveled outside the states just so lost and in shock from how different the Czech Republic was. It was quite comical. Anyways, today was the commencement ceremony for my school so we cleaned her up and went to the lunch. It was so funny to watch her take in this new world, I’ve just become so accustomed to. Around every corner it was “Oh, ah, oh my gosh… Ash!”. It was cute. We’ll be in Prague through the weekend so I’ll be able to take her around to my favorite spots, then were off to Italy for Christmas! I cannot wait Italy is my FAVORITE place to travel. I’m also looking forward to showing her around there too. It feels so surreal that my mom is here. Having a piece of my world in this place I have experienced completely on my own feels strange. But more importantly it feels so good to have that piece of home/familiarity here.

The Worlds Greatest Christmas “Card”

One of my favorite things about the holidays is getting (in the mail) Christmas cards! You know the ones your mom usually forced in to taking back in the summer. It is always something I look forward to receiving, and I’m sad I’m not home to see who sent what this year. I have noticed that over the years that less and less people are actually evening doing those anymore. If they are it’s no long sent via your local mail service but email. (BORING) I could just check-in with you on your constantly updated social media page. For me I like the being able to have something tangible its more meaningful to me. It’s also fun to break out the ones from years past and see the changes among the different families. But I recently came across this video that has to be the greatest holiday mood booster ever! Being a film student I know this video took a lot of work to put together, and it is just so stinking cute! I’m okay if this is the direction “holiday cards” are going in, I’m not okay with they completely disappearing. Just because we can instantly update our friends and family via social medias I think its important to send out those family holiday cards. They really mean more to people then you would think. But this year this family gets the cake for best Christmas “card”! Check it out for yourself:

Music Memory

Have you ever noticed that one song can store a dozen memories or associations of something you once lived? The other day I was out and about in Prague (which is fuh-freezing by the way) with some friends; we went to my favorite soup place-Polévkårna and we got to talking about music.  Music is certainly something I cannot live without. Being here in Prague has created a greater bond between me and music. There’s something about the quietness in the city, people here aren’t extroverted like in the states. You don’t get smiles from others on the tram, people are just in their own bubbles minding their own. Anyways we got to reminiscing about our first memories of music and what songs were the ones that stuck out and where we were, how old we were, who we were with. Looking back at my childhood I associate jams to spending time with my dad. He had this huge boom box we called the “Ghetto Blaster” and we would take it to the pool, the river, the beach you name it. The two songs I can first remember were Bob Marley’s Buffalo Solider and TLC’s Waterfalls. TLC recently preformed this year on the AMA’s which marked 20 years since their first AMA debut. When I was younger we would have these dance parties in the living room, just jamming out to music videos on the big screen. We also had a wooden coffee table I remember making my stage. It’s funny how something so simple was so fun and able to bring us together. I must have been no older then three. It had been a while since I remembered those times, it felt like it was yesterday. It was nice. What is the first song you remember?

My lentil soup