Natalie for president!

Ok, I am on the other side of the globe through a "cultural exchange" programme. And I started a blog. So you probably expect me to write a long story about all the differences I have encountered.

Sorry, I have to disappoint you. Of course there are lots of little tiny differences, but the people I had the privilige to get to know a little bit closer here are not from another planet than those back in Czech Rep. In fact I have lost a lot of misconceptions about different cultures and nations since I came here. Sometimes you get to read an article in newspapers of see a report on TV about a conflict between two countries which can't possibly ever be solved because "there are such a huge cultural differences, that these people will never agree on anything". For me this a poor excuse why not to put a bit more effort into the resolution of the problem.

Last week Institute of International Education (IIE) have sent me and other 153 fulbrighters to an "enrichment seminar" to Denver, Colorado. I would really have to think a lot to remember another equally valuable experience. Thank you IIE for giving me the opportunity to meet all these wonderfull people from Egypt, Tunisia, Mexico, Izrael, Palestine, New Zealand, Canada, Japan or Iraq, and so many other countries and to realize that we can sit and laugh together at the dinner, we can be equally amezed by an instalation or painting in Denver Art museum and that we all look the same bad at the breakfast after partying all night.

My french friend Natalie says that the more people from different countries and cultures you meet, the more you realize that everybody is the same. That we all share the same fears and worries, the same things are making us sad or happy.

I would sign my name under this.

Natalie for president!

Inside out and upside down

It has been more than 8 months since I left you - my friends, dormitory room, boyfriend and cat in Prague, Czech Republic. Sorry guys back home, I know I promissed so many of you to start a blog and keep you updated on how the "land of freedom and unlimited possibilities" is treating me and I actually tried to do a little something (it's not even worth clicking unless you want to download some cat paintings). Looking at it now I feel like it was written by a completely different person. Let's hope this will be less dumb and will last a bit longer.

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Two years ago I was working as a project specialist in Prague. I have just got my master degree in math and I thought that I am supposed to get a real job, appartment and PhD somewhere on the way - to be able to get a better job and bigger appartmetnt - and generally become a serious person.

After 88 days of being serious I was standing in my boss's office in tears telling him I was quitting because I felt useless ... it's hard to be implacable in the middle of a nervous breakdown and so I've spent another 10 months working for them. Don't take me wrong, I loved the people I was working with and wasn't so bad in what I was doing, but I needed a somewhat bigger challenge in my life than surviving till friday afternoon.

Challenge. I don't remember when and how exactly I got to know about the Fulbright programme and I didn't want to go to the US, I just wanted to try whether I would be able to get one those incredibly generous scholarships they were awarding. After all if they choose me, I can always say "no", right?

On friday August 11, 2006 I found myself standing at the San Francisco International Airport with two suitcases and a realization that I am going to spend the next ten months in the United states.

Do you sometimes feel like you have just turned your life upside down and inside out just because it sounded like a good idea and not because you would have thought through all the options and consequences and cautiosly decided that this is the best thing to do?

I do. All the time.