It is only a 2.5 hour train ride from Ostrava to Bratislava, Slovakia.  Jill and I went there for 24 hours. My first surprise was that the language was so similar that I had no trouble reading signs, menus, basic information. I knew Czech and Slovak were similar, but it was more so than I'd... Continue Reading →

Monika, my colleague, landlord, friend, and "parent" of Tobi, entrusted me with her chinchilla. My mantra was, "he cannot die on my watch," which is precisely what he did. He was not looking good. Chinchillas typically live to be 9 years old in the wild, longer in captivity.  Tobi was 15.  During his last few... Continue Reading →

We went on a whirlwind tour of 'bergs' to see sites that Jill might use for developing a course on famous female mathematicians, and a few castles on the side: Bamberg, Nurenberg, Heidelberg, Wurtzberg, Meersberg, and Munich.  We encountered massive snowstorms, driving in a tiny mini Cooper. Let's just say we were hoping, on the... Continue Reading →

Everyone asked me if I went back to the U.S. for Christmas and New Year's and when I said no and that my family came here, they assumed we spent our time in Praha.  We spent Christmas in Ostrava and New Year's in Brno and it was the most amazing family holidays I've had in... Continue Reading →

The Czech Republic is one of the most atheistic/agnostic countries in the world. Yet, they embrace Christmas. That includes the tree, St. Nick (St. Mikuláš), and even a big focus on making wreaths with candles to light for the four Sundays of advent. I love this contradiction, I admit! Christmas markets are a big thing... Continue Reading →

Olomouc (pronounced oh-low-moats) is a city that just feels old. Yet there is so much going on here. It is home to Palacký University which brings it some youthful life. A lot happens amidst ancient cathedrals and fortress walls. I came here to conduct interviews for my research and am so excited to go back... Continue Reading →

When I got off at the main train station in Brno, I was shocked at how metropolitan it is. Brno is the 2nd largest city in the Czech Republic after Prague, and Ostrava is the 3rd. But Brno feels a lot like Prague, whereas Ostrava feels calm by comparison. It was rush hour and insanely... Continue Reading →

We (my Fulbright partners-in-crime and I) stopped at so many places for treats and drinks. Here for a pivo, there for a slice of dort (cake). There for a vino, here for a káva. Finally a meal where it is hard to eat traditional Czech food as a vegetarian, but I managed to find sauerkraut,... Continue Reading →

Česky Krumlov is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns/villages I have ever seen. It is gorgeous at every corner. It was a trip back in time to cobblestone streets, buildings with 18-inch thick walls, castles, towers, chateaus, and moats. Coming from Ostrava, however, it was an Odyssey to get there. There were to be... Continue Reading →

One thing I love about living in Ostrava, and in the Moravian-Silesian region, is that so many small villages with gorgeous castle remains or beautiful town squares, are a short train ride away. You can make a decision to go at the last minute, spend $6 round-trip to get there, and come home by early... Continue Reading →