EVS blog

Beers and Czechs go together like bread and butter. So people told me. It is not unusual, as Tom Jones would put it, to see people have beer during lunch on a working day, in the cinema, while waiting on a tram or even on a tram. Hell, even I helped myself to a portion of liquid bread on a tram once, just for the sake of experience.

After living in Prague for a while and using its public transport (PT), I have noticed something else - people tend to pass their time in different and sometimes interesting ways. Most of them are either giving windows the thousand-yard stare or hunt for Pokemon with their phones. There is, however, another kind of passengers. Not as high in numbers as the two mentioned before, but definitely more numerous than the beer-drinking kind. And no less dedicated.

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Holidays are slightly coming closer and Prague looks now even more beautiful with all the lights, Christmas markets and smells of cinnamon and fried chestnuts. The city is full of events, concerts and happy tourists.   

Traditionally in the end of November St. Mikulas day is held in Toulcuv Dvur. On 27 November, we took part in the event which celebrates the Advent. The day started with workshops for children (and sometimes for curious parents) and I faced the first big challenge during the first part of the day when I helped with a glass candle holders. How to explain to children what to do without speaking Czech? Well, gesture language is obviously not enough to explain why you have to glue paper on the jar. Thanks to the help from another volunteer, I didn’t have to speak much.

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At this day, one month ago, I, coming alone with the huge suitcase, arrived in Prague. Because I waited for 1 year to join the YEE team, I hardly believed that it finally happened. Only one month has passed, but I actually have a feeling that I live in Prague for years but can't help admiring it again and again.

It is interesting how fast people get used to something unusual for them, for example, there is no recycling system in my home town and I have never did this before, but now after just one month I can't imagine not separating  trash. I also got used to this “magic” of Prague's public transport which always comes according to the schedule. 24/7.    

During this month practised  working with some new softwares and due to doing some research on ecological topics I learned a lot of new things. Did you know that pumpkin seeds have shown to fight diabetes? So, now I know it:). To be honest, I haven't felt such an urge to learn since being in primary school. I can remember feeling that my brain is really “full” by the end of the first week,  but I still feel very excited and I want to learn more and more every day.  

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Summer said goodbye with a bang.

The Training Course “Be(e) the change” and Annual Meeting were followed by several follow-up activities - some of which are keeping us busy until this day. The wind of change blew through YEE's office and replaced Amelys with Diana.

Then came the harvest festival - Dožinky. People from near and far could try themselves in the ways of old or, if not keen on the past, just enjoy goods from numerous stands occupying the courtyard of Toulcův dvůr. Dožinky was a great opportunity for me to help out one of the local NGOs, experience Czech culture and even practice what little there is of my Czech.

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