Thank you Marie!

The teacher I am staying with here in Frankfurt has this amazing relationship with a Turkish family across the street. Just now we went to buy zuccini and they wouldn´t let her pay. For over a dozen years Marie has helped the son with schoolwork and has helped the family adjust to and learn about life in the states. She hopes to get a better job so she can help the son realize his dream of a college education. Thank you Marie, for your amazing heart for that family. You inspire me!

Thoughts on Religion and Spirituality

"Pretty much any religion is brainwashing."
- Conversation with a professed athiest near Vienna.

Believe

"I don´t belive in God cuz nobody ever told me ´bought him."
- 18 year old Czech girl standing in front of Prague Cathedral.

Bone House

Kutna Hora, Czech

Silver Mines- Kolin

Kolin, Czech Republic

Kolin, Czech Republic

Vienna

Thank you Simon and Dorothy!

Dorothy, your artwork is amazing, and I want a copy of your book when it comes out in English! I enjoyed our walk through Vienna... especially the climbing and picnic in that crazy park. Thank you!

Vienna April 15th

Czech Au Pair- Klara, 18

To all my friends and family...

I just met an 18 year old Czech girl who would like to work as an aupair in the states next June and July. If you would like some live in childcare help next summer, you can e-mail Klara at ciki.kiki@seznam.cz. Klara has worked as an aupair in England and Czech.

Czech Au Pair- Klara, 18

Religion in Czech

I experienced an evangelical service and a weeklong homestay with an athiest/ evangelical couple, which is not much experience to speak on religion for a country, but in several conversations it seems that nonchristians are more open than Christians in expressing their faith. Most people I have spoken with claim athiesm. Next month an evangelical church in Wisconsin is coming to help the church I attended.

Cheap Travel

If you book ahead and travel off season, you go to Europe and back for under 400 USD. Flights between major European cities are cheap when you book ahead and off season. No joke, the first flights go for nothing. You only pay taxes and fees, which are about 14 to 20 USD.

Teaching in Kolin

What is the education system like in Czech? Teachers do not need a university diploma and are grossly underpaid. I taught some English classes (for a high school teacher who had never stepped foot in a university) in Kolin Public School in Kolin, Czech Republic. She and another English teacher combined their two classes and took full advantage of having a native English speaking teacher. After teaching I spoke with the teachers about the difference in the education system during the communist regime and today and how students today lack discipline and motivation to learn. In my observations in the classrooms in Spain, Czech, Germany, other countries in Europe and the states in general, students seem much the same.

Travelling East

I definately noticed the difference in moving from western to eastern Europe. Compared to Spain and Germany, the buildings here in Czech are less modern, the homes smaller, and the schools staffed by less qualified, more overworked and underpaid teachers. People seem to eat cheaper foods- pasta and potatos as opposed to seafood and red wine in Spain, for example. Of course all is generalization, but I definately feel and see the difference in culture and economic status between the east and west.

Czech Evangelical Church

Gimme 5!

Are You Sleeping? Czech

Czech Butr

Patrick and Rebekah roasting Czech "burt" sausage and singing English songs... Czech English :)

Czech Religion

Czech people remain skeptical of religion and consider conversions brainwashing. Jiri, the father of the family I am staying with, speaks of his experince with Mormon missionaries and Chrisitan English teachers in the 90s. Missionaries of all faiths poured into Czech after the communist regime fell and Jiri remembers many of them knocking on his door to share their faith with him when he was in his early teens.

Online Teaching

I've been teaching a bit online and recently got a request for English grammar lessons from a doctor in Iran. It will be interesting to learn about life in Iran from someone actually living in the country. While in the tea shop yesterday we heard about a Czech man travelling through Iraq, Iran, Syria and other countries in the middle east. I'd never go there, but it would be interesting to see his photos.

Host Family

I'm staying with a Czech family in Kolin, which is about an hour from Prague. The mother works as a primary school teacher and the father teaches for different schools and leads exchange programs for teachers from Turkey and other eastern European countries. They host international students and there are currently two Turkish students staying with them. The couple has 5 children- one is adopted. The father, Jiri, is well travelled and quite interesting to listen to when he speaks of the old Czech. I'm working for them as a sort of live in nanny/ housekeeper in exchange for accomodation.

Tea House

Austrian Market

Government Protest Near Prague

Tomorrow about an hour north of Prague some gypsies, anarchists, and fascists will be meeting for a demonstration. How interesting...in a former communist regime-now democratic-and the police and Czech government know and approve.

To Prague

I´m taking the 12 o´clock train from Vienna to Prague today. It will be interesting to see the difference in culture between the east and west. The Czech is like the dividing line between the two although the more modern east is quickly spreading west.

Danube

Vienna

Art Galley

Vineyards

Vineyards

Catholic Church