Kristiina Baltzar

Finland

2008, 5 months

I remember sitting in the YEE office trying desperately to make the YEE Newsletter. Me working always let some signs - beer bottles and coffee mugs all around the office. Depressing music playing loud - luckily I had an understanding boss.
Occasionally I got some fresh air - I left the office to work in the kindergarden of Toulcuv Dvur for couple of hours in week. I'm afraid of children. They threw rocks at me. They were evil, but nobody believed me. You'll see if you go there.
My colleagues made me watch Happy Tree Friends over and over again. I think I got traumas. Now I think the violence presented there is extremely funny.
Sometimes after work we went out for a beer - or two. I like beer and Czech beer is the best in the world.
Sometimes I stayed in the office during the evenings when there was nobody there anymore. I liked those times. I went out for a smoke and whole Toulcuv Dvur was quiet and deserted. The sunset and the calmness in the board of the capital of Central Europe - something to experience. I took a walk around the farm. Stood by the pond, listening the frogs and the birds. A nice counterbalance for the noisy parties in the night clubs of Prague.
NGO work is interesting - it gave me a buzz maybe to do it again in the future. It's a way of life; stressful, hard, annoying - absolutely wonderful if your made for it. I recommend trying.
I learned some Czech too - had the best Czech teacher in the whole Prague! Unfortunately, I only had the courage to speak it under the influence of alcohol.
I learned a lot, grow a lot, met a lot of nice people. Those were good times. YEE was a good host.