Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Weekend Trip to Berlin
This past weekend, Kacey, Alyssa, Elizabeth (who was visiting from London), and I took a bus to Berlin. Despite spending half the trip sick, it was a lot of fun. It's a young, unique city that I would like to see more of some day. Also, we stayed at a hostel on a boat which is now something I can say I've done. My favorite part of the trip was the gigantic Sunday flea market. To the side, hundreds of people gathered to watch karaoke. I have major respect for anyone who has the confidence to do karaoke, let alone those who can do it (soberly) in front of hundreds of (sober) people.
Fall Break Part 3: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Fall break concluded in Amsterdam. I was mostly exhausted and tired of dirty clothes but I still was able to appreciate how gorgeous and bike-friendly the city is.
Fall Break Part 2 : Brussels, Belgium
I fell totally and completely in love with Brussels. It's gorgeous, quirky, affordable, and a lot of fun. I can't wait to go back and see more of the city. I could definitely imagine living there one day.
Fall Break Part 1 : Stockholm, Sweden
NYU gave us a week off of school at the end of October. Kacey, Alyssa, and I decided to spend a few days in Stockholm, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Medium Format
I've gotten pretty bad about updating this blog. I've been busy as usual in Prague and having trouble believing I only have four weeks left in this place. I'm trying to make the most of it.
A few weeks ago I took out my Yashica. I am going to try to get at least one more roll finished while I'm still here.
A few weeks ago I took out my Yashica. I am going to try to get at least one more roll finished while I'm still here.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Budapest, Hungary
On Friday I took a bus to Budapest with Alyssa. We had a great time although I don't feel like I saw enough of the city to say much about its culture. One thing I'm sure of is that it's artist friendly: the nightlife is quirky and bizarre from bathtubs instead of chairs to knick knacks glued all over the walls.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Veganism in Central Europe
I'm going to go out on a limb here and talk about eating: I generally don't do this because whenever I mention the word vegan, people assume I'm about to lecture them. This is not a lecture, I promise. Eat what you want to eat, I'm just trying to dispel some misconceptions about Central Europe. I'm also enthusiastic about being vegan: I've made a choice I'm happy with for myself and that's all I'm trying to do.
In the months leading up to departing for Prague, I was warned over and over again that it would be impossible to be vegan here and probably hard to even stay vegetarian. I cannot count how many times someone told me, "They only eat meat and cheese!" or "They don't have vegetables there!" I resigned myself to keeping a vegetarian diet while I was here, which I generally do when I'm travelling- I know there's only so much that can be done when you're outside of your comfort zone. However, the first week left me a little ill since after 5 years, my body just cannot relearn to process cheese.
As I suspected, this country has vegetables as long as you're not eating Czech cuisine constantly. I don't really see how a diet of only goulash and dumplings is appealing anyway. On my 5 minute walk between the metro and my dorm, I pass about 4 stores called "Ovoce a Zelenina" (Fruit and Vegetable) which have tons of fresh produce and a lot of corner store needs. The produce is delicious and cheap: depending on the store I can get anything from [the best ever] eggplant to fresh basil. In addition to all the fruits and veggies I can purchase between 7 am and 9 pm around the corner, I can also go three blocks to a German drugstore chain called DM where they sell tofu. Yes, I buy tofu at the European equivalent of Duane Reade. They also carry soy milk, lentils, quinoa, nutritional yeast, and many other vegan staples. My friend Kacey is vegan and took the same vegetarian approach coming here but has also noticed how keeping vegan is somewhat effortless. Not only is vegan easy but our friend Alyssa is mostly vegan and gluten intolerant and so many of our meals are without meat, fish, eggs, milk, or gluten- it's quite doable.
Pictured below: 1. tempeh stir fry with a whole bunch of veggies; it was served on top of quinoa. 2. Pizza with tofu ricotta, roasted veggies, fresh basil, and instead of a traditional gluteny crust we used Polenta- which I highly recommend, I'm definitely going to start using it instead of regular crust!
So yes, I cook a lot- but I also go out to eat a fair amount. In addition to the 4 or 5 great specifically vegan restaurants, Prague also has a great selection of ethnic food. My favorite restaurant is a tiny Himalayan take out place 10 minutes away.
I've also noticed an Asian market near my dorm but I didn't stop in until today. Now I feel totally foolish since it's the mecca of all things stir fry. The only other selection that I've seen rival it was in NYC's Chinatown. I picked up a bunch of great pastes and sauces that I couldn't find anywhere else, as well as some fresh ginger and sprouts. I can't wait to start stir frying with these great ingredients.
So let's call this myth busted! As long as you have time for cooking (and a kitchen), vegan living in Prague is not remarkably different than in any other big city. Sure, travelling outside of Prague I come across vegetables in a pool of butter but from what I've discovered, as long as it's not cheese, my body can keep on keepin' on.
In the months leading up to departing for Prague, I was warned over and over again that it would be impossible to be vegan here and probably hard to even stay vegetarian. I cannot count how many times someone told me, "They only eat meat and cheese!" or "They don't have vegetables there!" I resigned myself to keeping a vegetarian diet while I was here, which I generally do when I'm travelling- I know there's only so much that can be done when you're outside of your comfort zone. However, the first week left me a little ill since after 5 years, my body just cannot relearn to process cheese.
As I suspected, this country has vegetables as long as you're not eating Czech cuisine constantly. I don't really see how a diet of only goulash and dumplings is appealing anyway. On my 5 minute walk between the metro and my dorm, I pass about 4 stores called "Ovoce a Zelenina" (Fruit and Vegetable) which have tons of fresh produce and a lot of corner store needs. The produce is delicious and cheap: depending on the store I can get anything from [the best ever] eggplant to fresh basil. In addition to all the fruits and veggies I can purchase between 7 am and 9 pm around the corner, I can also go three blocks to a German drugstore chain called DM where they sell tofu. Yes, I buy tofu at the European equivalent of Duane Reade. They also carry soy milk, lentils, quinoa, nutritional yeast, and many other vegan staples. My friend Kacey is vegan and took the same vegetarian approach coming here but has also noticed how keeping vegan is somewhat effortless. Not only is vegan easy but our friend Alyssa is mostly vegan and gluten intolerant and so many of our meals are without meat, fish, eggs, milk, or gluten- it's quite doable.
Pictured below: 1. tempeh stir fry with a whole bunch of veggies; it was served on top of quinoa. 2. Pizza with tofu ricotta, roasted veggies, fresh basil, and instead of a traditional gluteny crust we used Polenta- which I highly recommend, I'm definitely going to start using it instead of regular crust!
So yes, I cook a lot- but I also go out to eat a fair amount. In addition to the 4 or 5 great specifically vegan restaurants, Prague also has a great selection of ethnic food. My favorite restaurant is a tiny Himalayan take out place 10 minutes away.
I've also noticed an Asian market near my dorm but I didn't stop in until today. Now I feel totally foolish since it's the mecca of all things stir fry. The only other selection that I've seen rival it was in NYC's Chinatown. I picked up a bunch of great pastes and sauces that I couldn't find anywhere else, as well as some fresh ginger and sprouts. I can't wait to start stir frying with these great ingredients.
So let's call this myth busted! As long as you have time for cooking (and a kitchen), vegan living in Prague is not remarkably different than in any other big city. Sure, travelling outside of Prague I come across vegetables in a pool of butter but from what I've discovered, as long as it's not cheese, my body can keep on keepin' on.
From the top of Sněžka
The NYU in Prague program is really awesome. For anyone who goes to NYU, or has a kid that goes to NYU (hi Mom and Dad!), it's obvious that NYU is a little pricey and not always the most generous with their services. The program in Prague is very different. Not only are all the dorms extremely comfortable, they also provide fully furnished kitchens and cleaning supplies. In addition, there are a ton of highly subsidized or free programs for students from free yoga to weekend trips. At the beginning of the semester, everyone was allowed to sign up for one overnight trip and one day trip, generally to different locations in the Czech Republic; all of the expenses covered by NYU. My overnight trip wasn't very fun- it was basically to a smaller version of Prague where there was little to do. However, I also signed up for a hiking trip on a whim - a hiking trip that turned out to be climbing the tallest mountain in the Czech Republic.
Sněžka is the tallest peak and sits on the Northern border of the Czech Lands- in fact, on the top of Sněžka lies the Polish border. After a long, tough hike to the top, I found myself strolling back and forth between the Czech Republic and Poland. The views were unbelievable and it was rewarding to see how high we had climbed. After, we climbed down through a very, very long route - we ended up hiking for about 4 or 5 hours. Only three days later have my muscles stopped aching (in a good way, though).
Sněžka is the tallest peak and sits on the Northern border of the Czech Lands- in fact, on the top of Sněžka lies the Polish border. After a long, tough hike to the top, I found myself strolling back and forth between the Czech Republic and Poland. The views were unbelievable and it was rewarding to see how high we had climbed. After, we climbed down through a very, very long route - we ended up hiking for about 4 or 5 hours. Only three days later have my muscles stopped aching (in a good way, though).
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Vienna!
Sunday Morning we took a train straight to Vienna which was definitely less eventful than our travelling the day before. Unfortunately, the first night was not only cold and rainy but also many bars were closed because it was Sunday. Kacey made a good point that we have been lucky enough to live in two places (NYC and Prague) that do not close bars for any reason. We called it an early night and decided to rest up for a busy, full day in Vienna.
Monday was beautiful: sunny, pleasant autumn weather. We grabbed a cheap, delicious breakfast at a student cafe and then headed out on a city tour that we organized ourselves in an attempt to save precious Euros. This ended up being a great idea because we saw everything we wanted to see at our own pace.
We all fell in love with Vienna. It's not only an old and gorgeous city but it's also come into its own in the past decade. It reminded me a lot of NYC - a very young diverse population (and with it, similar NYC prices.) One of my absolute favorite things about Vienna were the bikes though. There are bike lanes and bike stop lights on every single street. Bike racks are loaded with cute bikes yet it didn't appear that Viennese bikers were obsessed with showing off their bike-snobbery. The only downside was the lack of helmets- otherwise I would've definitely rented a bike and rode around the city.
After a long, fun day of wandering around the city we grabbed dinner at a vegan Viennese restaurant and whiskey bar which had over 400 kinds of whiskey. This place was made for me (for those of you who don't know, I drink like a 60 year old Irishman). The food was fantastic and relatively cheap and well, the whiskey wasn't so bad either. The night ended at a dive bar that was projecting American films on the wall which we all got a kick out of.
I really hope to make it back again this semester! It's such an interesting place.
Monday was beautiful: sunny, pleasant autumn weather. We grabbed a cheap, delicious breakfast at a student cafe and then headed out on a city tour that we organized ourselves in an attempt to save precious Euros. This ended up being a great idea because we saw everything we wanted to see at our own pace.
We all fell in love with Vienna. It's not only an old and gorgeous city but it's also come into its own in the past decade. It reminded me a lot of NYC - a very young diverse population (and with it, similar NYC prices.) One of my absolute favorite things about Vienna were the bikes though. There are bike lanes and bike stop lights on every single street. Bike racks are loaded with cute bikes yet it didn't appear that Viennese bikers were obsessed with showing off their bike-snobbery. The only downside was the lack of helmets- otherwise I would've definitely rented a bike and rode around the city.
After a long, fun day of wandering around the city we grabbed dinner at a vegan Viennese restaurant and whiskey bar which had over 400 kinds of whiskey. This place was made for me (for those of you who don't know, I drink like a 60 year old Irishman). The food was fantastic and relatively cheap and well, the whiskey wasn't so bad either. The night ended at a dive bar that was projecting American films on the wall which we all got a kick out of.
I really hope to make it back again this semester! It's such an interesting place.
Mishaps in Southern Moravia
Last week we found out that we had an unexpected 5 day weekend due to a Czech holiday. Alyssa, Kacey, and I quickly booked trained tickets and decided to go to Vienna- stopping in the Southern Moravian town of Hodonín on the way. Our train was delayed causing us to miss our connection and to have to deal with a whole lot of unpleasant rerouting. We ended up sitting around a beautiful old train station for an hour in a tiny town which was a lot more fun that I would've ever thought. In fact, it was better than Hodonín itself- due to our delay, we did not have time to go to wine cellars in Southern Moravia and ended up bored in a tiny border town.
Jsem v Praze!
Not too shockingly, I haven't been great about updating the blog. While I've been taking lots of photos, I rarely find myself at the computer long enough to post.
I really don't know how to express how much fun I'm having in Prague. The city is beautiful and the weather has been exceptionally nice since the second week here. I've been taking Czech classes and I have fallen in love with the language. School is interesting but my workload is light which leaves me lots of time to explore the city and plan trips elsewhere. I've also been doing a lot of cooking with my friends Kacey and Alyssa since Czech food does not agree well with our vegan bodies.
Here are some photos from the past month...
I really don't know how to express how much fun I'm having in Prague. The city is beautiful and the weather has been exceptionally nice since the second week here. I've been taking Czech classes and I have fallen in love with the language. School is interesting but my workload is light which leaves me lots of time to explore the city and plan trips elsewhere. I've also been doing a lot of cooking with my friends Kacey and Alyssa since Czech food does not agree well with our vegan bodies.
Here are some photos from the past month...
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Ahoj, Praha!
Prague is a wonderful, beautiful place. That's the best way I can sum up my time here so far.
This past week has been a blur. A mostly fun blur but also exhausting and a bit frustrating. Adjusting to life in a new city, country, and continent is not easy but mostly it has been a lot of fun. I was warned about culture shock but so far, I love the Czech Republic's culture. Dry, cynical humor is my kind of thing. And any country that bases their culture around a love of beer is fine by me. Also- little known fact but the country's southern region produces pretty great white wine.
Coming to Prague, one of my main concerns was eating: In NYC I maintain a strict vegan diet but I knew I'd have to compromise a lot coming here. While I understood I would do my best, many people warned me that I wouldn't be able to avoid meat. However, veganism is actually quiet easy here. While I try my best to stay vegan at least when cooking for myself, even going out to eat there are many vegan options. Adjusting to a new cuisine is still difficult but luckily the warnings about the lack of vegetables in Prague did not ring true.
I'm still reeling from the week but I'm trying to post photos while I still have the chance. Classes start tomorrow but I'm sure there will still be plenty of time for photos.
This past week has been a blur. A mostly fun blur but also exhausting and a bit frustrating. Adjusting to life in a new city, country, and continent is not easy but mostly it has been a lot of fun. I was warned about culture shock but so far, I love the Czech Republic's culture. Dry, cynical humor is my kind of thing. And any country that bases their culture around a love of beer is fine by me. Also- little known fact but the country's southern region produces pretty great white wine.
Coming to Prague, one of my main concerns was eating: In NYC I maintain a strict vegan diet but I knew I'd have to compromise a lot coming here. While I understood I would do my best, many people warned me that I wouldn't be able to avoid meat. However, veganism is actually quiet easy here. While I try my best to stay vegan at least when cooking for myself, even going out to eat there are many vegan options. Adjusting to a new cuisine is still difficult but luckily the warnings about the lack of vegetables in Prague did not ring true.
I'm still reeling from the week but I'm trying to post photos while I still have the chance. Classes start tomorrow but I'm sure there will still be plenty of time for photos.
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