14 Italians and a Pizza Place

There was some sort of minor explosion that caused a two-day electrical black-out in Rajská Budová (Paradise Building, where most of my classes are held) - or so this was what was told to us by a Professor whom I'm 90% sure was drunk when he stumbled into our class on Wednesday.

With my Thursday classes canceled, I now unexpectedly have a four-day weekend in my hands. It's piss-pouring rain outside, and has been, for the past two days. I couldn't stick to my initial plan of snapping more pictures of quaint buildings in downtown Prague. Nor could I take a whirlwind trip to neighbouring countries seeing that I'm passport-less at the moment.

Then came the invite from an Italian friend asking us out for an Italian meal he swears is amazing. Intriguing. From what I understand, no Italian meal tastes better than his Mama's home-cooked food.

It was evident that we were going to be late for our 9.00pm reservation when we were still waiting for the rest of the group at 9.10pm. Getting to the restaurant itself was another story: we kept getting lost. In the end, a call to the restaurant was made so we could ask for directions. I started having doubts about this little outing when Leo asked, "What's your restaurant's name?"

The bunch o' Italians

The long search in the rain had us all starving by the time we reached Pizza Nuova at 10.05pm. Th entire table opted for Verace pizza e pasta, a "sample as much as you can" pasta/pizza meal.

Mangiare: Go
Basta: Stop

Food will keep getting piled on your plate until you flip to the red side of the coaster.

We had to loosen our belt buckles by the end of dinner. I think I'll skip breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

N2N Parties Spell Wednesdays Hell

The aim of (Nation2Nation) parties is to present different cultures and have all the international exchange students meet together.

Cheap beer and good company makes a great party that goes into the wee hours in the morning. And this happens every Tuesday.

Good thing my Wednesday classes start in the late afternoon.

Say "Pivo"

Setting the scene for VŠE's Ice-Breaking Weekend:

- 150 students in their early 20's
- Surrounded by nothing but fields and forests
- Two pubs within 100 metres walking distance; beers for 20Kč per pint (i.e. € 0.75)

The party started two minutes into the bus ride

The country-side was a refreshing change from the Gothic architecture buildings in downtown Prague

The three-day trip to Dol u Sedlic in South Bohemia was wicked fun. Strangers were easier approached to strike up a conversation; "Hate to ask this, but we didn't meet at the party last night, did we?" became the typical conversation starter. I've endured too many instances where I'd introduce myself to someone and have them inform me that we've met before. My excuse? Foreign names are too hard to remember...

The dress-up theme was Sci-Fi, which explains the abundant use of tin-foil. It took me a few gulps of the grossest wine bought from Tesco to summon the guts to step into the bar as "Space Greek". (Paula unintentionally turned into the Statue of Liberty after her olive crown creation went awry.)

Icky...

...would be the one word to describe today's weather. The skies opened up just as we headed out to the meeting point for our day-trip to Hrad Karlštejn (Karlštejn Castle). I was less than thrilled to trudge through the torrential downpour; not after enjoying five days of glorious summer weather. With most students being unprepared for the weather, the happiest person was probably the umbrella seller by the street.

The steep climb towards Hrad Karlštejn shrouded in mist and rain

You know how it takes ages for jeans to dry when it's wet? And that "crunchy" feeling when it does get dry? Picture wearing damp jeans for half a day and then crunchy jeans for another half of the day. All in all, not a very comfortable feeling. I'll have to deal with laundry. And soon - once I figure out how to sign-language to the Czech-speaking only dorm lady who has the laundry room keys.

I'm Lovin' It

No pictures taken of Prague can do this city any justice. Everywhere you turn, there's another picture waiting to be captured. In the end, you just learn to sit back and enjoy the view as you walk along.

The view from Věž chrámu sv. Mikuláše (Tower of the Church of St. Nicholas).
Spot the throngs of tourists on Karlův most (Charles Bridge) in the background.

And walk we did. Aside from the administrative stuff that I had to deal with on my second day here - poor Veronika was probably tired out acting as the translator for me while I dealt with my many errands - all we did was walk, walk and walk more. Don't get me wrong. Public transportation here is way better than a lot of places I have been to. As well, unlike Eric and his unfortunate run-in with the tram ticket inspectors, my experience was uneventful.

These inspectors appeared out of nowhere. They'd flash a badge at you and ask for your tickets. Veronika had helped me purchased a seven-day ticket before my arrival, so I was all set for my commutes back and forth to town. A friend got away with two minutes left on her ticket and our stop looming up front. What a close call indeed.

Pražský hrad (Prague Castle) and Katedrála svatého
Víta (St. Vitus Prague Cathedral) from afar

Katedrála svatého Víta (St. Vitus Prague Cathedral)

Buildings lining the Vltava River

Fishing in the twilight

Goodbye Victoria, Ahoj Praha

Oh, Victoria

Bidding adieu was harder that I thought. I was leaving behind the sun and sea of Victoria in favour of an eight-month shenanigan in the very heart of Europe. The traveling went smoothly. 14 hours after leaving Canada, I found myself face-to-face with a Czech immigration officer. My passport was flipped through back and forth a couple of times, the word “visa” then uttered; the officer proceeded to pick up the phone and rattled off to the person at the other end. I was then pointed to the direction of a very stern-looking visa officer. Oh oh. After a summer-filled of visa woes*, I should have known that this would happen.

Stern-Looking Visa Officer turned out to be a nice man who merely asked my purpose of visit, then waved me back to the immigration counter. This other immigration officer looked at my passport, glanced at a piece of paper on his desk, flipped through my passport, and told me to go to the visa counter. Urm… say what?!?!?!? A joke. This is a joke. I cannot be deported. Not when I was this close. I said Stern-Looking Visa Officer had told me to come here. Some muttering went on between this officer and the one beside him. I bit my lip and quietly prayed.

Chop. The stamp of my date of arrival in my passport was the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. Whoooosh. My lungs deflated. I didn’t even know I was holding my breath.

I was literally skipping to the luggage carousel where my bags were rotating for the fourth time. This has never happened before! My bags have always been the last to arrive every other time I’ve traveled! A random cute Czech boy helped steady the suitcase on my cart. Things were looking up. As I made my way out, my buddy, Veronika, called out a cheery “hi” amongst the jostling crowd; we quickly introduced ourselves, distributed my luggage between the both of us and exited the airport.

Taxis in the Czech Republic are known for charging exorbitant prices. I opted for the public transportation. It’s not an easy feat to take the bus, switch to the subway metro and then hop onto the tram when we were each lugging 51lbs bags. After much wheezing and panting, we finally made it – only to check into the wrong dorm. Gritting our teeth, we struggled over a little hill towards the right direction, 300m away. Success!

The dorm flats have the most basic amenities and the worst possible beds ever, but boy did I sleep well that night.

* The initial plan was to study for only one semester; with the bilateral agreement between Malaysia and the Czech Republic, I could get away without needing a visa. Halfway into summer however, I was offered an opportunity to work four months in the Country and hence needed a visa. My visa application was still awaiting approval the day I left for the Czech Republic.

Road Trippin'

The longest road trip I'd ever taken was a six-hour drive to Pedu Lake Resort when I was nine. After all, Peninsular Malaysia is small. It's a mere nine-hour drive from the border of Singapore to the border of Thailand. Hence, I was all down for it when Amy suggested we drive from Calgary back to Victoria. There just was no better way to wrap up summer - 14 hours of driving also meant lots of random conversations and off-key singing. Plus, having spent summer in different cities, we had tons of catching up to do.

I wish I get to see more of the Canada I saw in that long ride home. The drive through the Rockies reminded me of the drives home from the KLIA Airport to the KL City Centre. Really though, I shouldn't be comparing one of the magnificent wonders of Canada to eroded hilltops of metropolitan Malaysia...


Banff Springs Resort is historic looking and castle-like; Lake Louise was a brilliant hue of blue, and with the Rockies as backdrop, it was rather picturesque.

Vernon was amazing. The Stevens' new condo was gorgeous, and the view of Okanagon Lake simply spectacular.


The plan was to spend two nights in Vernon and sneak in some water skiing lessons. It was just too bad I spent half my time there either having my face in the toilet bowl hurling chunks or sleeping like a baby. Being sick sucked, but not much damage was done. Thank you, Tylenol and healthy genes. And so, we were on our merry way the next day.

It's good to be home.