Morning Has Broken

Recently I have come across blogs where people have written about how they jolted down their dreams somewhere, read The Secret and yay! they got what they wished for. I know it probably required some work, too. But, with one’s goals in one place, it’s easier to work toward them.

So let’s give this a try.

At the moment, I’m dreaming about:

• An interesting new job. As I mentioned in my previous post, I (+ the boyfriend) will be moving to Sweden in the beginning of April. The location will depend on where we find a job. Thus far I have applied only for jobs outside Stockholm that sound interesting. Stockholm will be included in the search because, like it or not, that’s the one place where one may find international jobs. The problem with Stockholm is that it’s difficult to find decently-priced accommodation. An interesting job for me is one where I can use my language (and other) skills, but where language skills don’t define me. It includes meeting new people, being (verbally) creative and communication. I would also like to train people.
• A home. With a move comes a home. I would like to live in a nice flat with a lot of books. With some space for growing herbs. Not too far away from my family. There should be an airport close by.
• Travelling. I want to widen my horizons and travel outside of Europe.
• More time to be creative. One has to find the time. I want to find the time to write, to paint, to cook, to learn languages and to do yoga. 

 

What are you dreaming about?

Good Morning, Monday!

The weekend came, saw and conquered. Happy Monday, World! The weekend was so relaxing, we went to a spa yesterday with the girls and it was so relaxing. I actually don’t mind it being Monday, although I need to get my stuff together and start working on my thesis. Also, it’s not very long until we will be moving to Sweden. Quite frankly, the thought is starting to sink in now. I have applied for a couple of interesting jobs, so I’m waiting to hear back from those. I’m nervous. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you?

Wishing everyone a tremendously lovely Monday!

Places: Olomouc

Olomouc is almost 1000 years old. Unlike Ostrava, the city is breathtakingly beautiful. Very much like Ostrava, the city requires a comfortable pair of shoes and an interest in seeing and learning. Walking around in the historic centre of Olomouc was like stepping into another world; it was colourful, bright and optimistic. It had the feeling of a summer town; many places closed at noon on Saturday and we were quite on on our own when climbing the hills in the spacious centre.

Is the Eiffel Tower Straight?

Could someone tell me if the Eiffel Tower you see right now is straight or not? Silly question, yes. But different web browsers show me different things. In Firefox it’s straight, in Google Chrome not so much.

Maybe my blog is having an identity crisis?

Places: Ostrava

So, last week we decided to take three days off to find some adventures in the Czech Republic. First we were off to Ostrava – an old industrial centre and apparently one of the most polluted cities in Europe. I actually liked the city very much, mainly for the following reasons:

• There were numerous bookshops. Any city that boasts with an extensive range of bookshops is a must-go.
• I had a hot stone massage for less than 2o €. You do not want to know how much that would be in Finland
• There were a lot of green areas, and the generally speaking, the city was a mix of old and new. If you ever go to Ostrava, bring comfortable shoes.
• Sometimes the most fascinating places are not the ones with the most beautiful architecture – Ostrava is one of these places.

How to go there? From Bratislava one may take the train heading to Warsaw and jump off at Ostrava. Another option is to catch the train going to Prague and then change trains at Breclav. The ticket is about 20€ one way and takes apr. three hours.

Where to stay? We found our accommodation at booking.com and were very happy with both the price and quality.

What to do? We were mostly just walking around. I would, however, recommend renting a car to visit places outside the city. There are some old mines, parks etc. that may well be worth a visit.

When to go? February is not ideal because of the weather, but it was OK. I think the best time to visit is either in spring or autumn.

 

Ahoj, Ostravo!

A quick hello from the north-eastern corner of the Czech Republic. Ostrava – the industrial city – turned out be a very nice place. Hope you are well and enjoying your weekend!

Bratislava Tip: Arab Restaurant

One day, on our way home from the supermarket, our eyes caught a sign saying Arabská reštaurácia. We were a bit intrigued; Bratislava does have some restaurants of the more exotic kind, but this was the first Arab one we had bumped into.

On Sunday we went there with a few friends. The restaurant is small, but cosy. The service was good; the waiter spoke English (do not take this for granted in Slovakia), but more importantly, he was very friendly and service-minded. The restaurant had run out of some very basic things (such as coke and some wines), but we got good replacements as recommended by the waiter. The food was very tasty; simple, yet fresh. There was a lot of meat on the menu, but some of the dishes would suit a vegetarian as well. The feta cheese was delicious, and so was the Lebanese wine  

My rating (I think this is the first time I do a rating in this blog): **** (out of *****).

Name of the place? Sindibad - Arabská reštaurácia

Address: Trenčianska 56F, 821 09 Bratislava – Ružinov

Website (in Slovak): http://www.sindibad.sk/Sindibad.aspx

posledné inšpirácie [SK: Recent Inspiration]

Women’s magazines. What’s your take on them? I actually hide a pile on the toilet for inspiration. I don’t buy them but I’m very happy when someone gives them to me because they are a good source for inspiration.

Had it not been for women’s magazines, I would not have thought about the following things recently:

A lot of cool destinations. Sri Lanka (looks amazing), the Canary Islands (I think it could be worth it with some effort), Croatia (we knew that already!). Speaking of cool destinations, I would be very very happy if I could go somewhere warm right now. Spring is slowly arriving in Slovakia, but having been ill for the last three weeks or so, I would really need some summer.

Turkish literature. There was an article about Elif Şafak, who seems to be a very interesting woman. I want to read something written by her. In general, I have very limited knowledge about Turkey. 

The Finnish pornography industry. The most fascinating point was that many people in the industry are actually women. Not the actresses, but the photographers, writers, movie-makers.

The art of failure. Many of us aim for goals and chase dreams; sometimes we reach them. But what happens when our dreams fail? When it turns out not to be what we expected? Or if we don’t have what it takes to maintain the dream alive? The art of failure is the art of life; for only when we have seen both sides of the coin have we lived.

How to wear the colour red and fashion in general.

 

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Cesnaková polievka/ Garlic Soup

I might have mentioned it before, but it may be worth to repeat it. Slovakia is the dream for any garlic-lover out there.

One of our favourite foods – which is served at most restaurants – is garlic soup, or cesnaková polievka. This is something we make in our house as soon as either one of us is showing any trace of a cold or an illness. It’s quick, it’s tasty. Basically, all that is needed is some vegetable stock and garlic.

Now, this is the simplest version. At a restaurant, garlic soup may come in many forms. There is creamy garlic soup, garlic soup with cheese and garlic soup served in a bread bowl.

Cool Things Right Now

I just published a post about February Beginnings. I also wanted to write about February Resolutions. What are my expectations for this month?

First, I want to be healthy so that I can be more active. I also want to do a bit of yoga, as well as some creative work (painting, writing, translation). Speaking of being active and productive, I also want to cook some delicious meals.

Cool thing# 1: my new bag from Primark. Love owls

Second, I want to have some time for spirituality. I’m normally a very unspiritual person in the sense that I can openly admit that I have no need for spiritual reflections and I’m far from religious. More than anything, spirituality is a way of staying connected to the world and a set of moral and ethical guidelines.

 

Cool thing #2: speaking of moral and ethical guidelines, let’s have some vodka. JUST KIDDING! I like the slogan of this ad; Ideme žiť! Let’s go and live, shall we?

Third, I want to go on a trip. We have, in fact, planned to go to Olomouc in the Czech Republic. That is something I’m really looking forward to.

Fourth, I want to do some de-cluttering. Get rid of all the stuff I don’t need.

February Beginnings

At the beginning of the year we make resolutions. We like to begin a anew on Mondays or when a new season begins.

February is also a type of beginning. The spring is beaming behind the corner. Or something. Yesterday we started the month by talking a long walk through town from Ružinov to Petržalka, where we visited the Danubius Gastro Exhibition. The gastronomy part was so and so, but the real fun part was the travel exhibition. There were so many lovely travel photos from all around the world and the stand were nice too – we were taking an extra look at the stand of Morocco as that is a place we both want to go to soon!