The passion in our lives

After a long silence I have decided to post kind of philosophical post (as usually:)). It is supposed to be a thought about the passion in our lives - what is fulfilling our lives - what are we living for - what do we devote our energy to...


Why I got into this thinking today? What was the impuls?
I saw a post from Marjam about focus and planning. And how actually to reach our goals. I think it is really inspiring. Also my friend Jarda has just started his blog and I read a few posts that require some thinking. Last but not least I saw a reality show "A Model Life with Petra Nemcova" In short- about 7 young girls from all over the world came to NY to become a Model. And Petra was making a first interview with them - and asking them what they want to reach in their career, what is their passion... Inspiring. (Note: Models are not always stupid)



What continued after the impuls?
I sat down and put on paper a few thouhts. What I would like to do and achieve in coming 6 months. There are many changes and challenges ahead: new job, further studies as a postgraduate student, learning spanish, travelling, keeping the life balance and sharing great moments with Edu and my family and friends. And with all that I was finding out what is the THING, to which I would like to devote my passion in my life. I am still stumbling. I am not sure yet what exactly it is. I am already aware of some directions (having a great life experience so far), devoting my time to things that make me happy and develop myself further. But what exactly is the PLAN, I don´t know yet.


How to sum it up?
It is great to keep our eyes open. To keep searching. To be on our way. It is not a failure if we haven´t exactly find out yet, what the others has already found. Their passion in their lives. I am always insipired by people, who have found it. I believe that once I will become one of these people who will ispire others with having my own passion.

Inspiration and Feedback

I am sure it has happened to you too. Someone is talking, having a presentation or just chatting in a pub, playing at a concert. And you get so much inspired. I like these moments. And I try to catch them, remember and give feedback if possible.

I beleive, when you like something a lot, you should not leave it just for yourself, but tell the people, the musician, the lecturer or your friend that you liked what they have said, what they have just played or what they have just shared with you. Everyone likes to hear it and it makes them even more eager to carry on their path with a passion.

It has happened to me recently two times.
Firstly, just a few days ago after one concert. I liked it a lot and I happened to talk to the main musician and tell him that they played really well and I had a good time. He told me: "You really liked it?" When I nodded, he said Thanks and frankly smiled.
Second time, I was inspired by a very cool presentation at our university. I sent an email to the lecturer with big Thanks and a follow up on the presentation and points what I liked. He got back to me happy to hear my feedback.

To sum up, don´t worry to say Thanks or tell somebody that you liked what they said. I belive this keeps people going and whichever honest feedback shift them further on their way.

As we say: "Sharing is caring".

A Thought

"There is a funny thing about coming Home. Looks thesame, smells thesame, feels thesame... You realize what changes... is You."

from a movie: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Who is your "friend"?

Without any doubt - Facebook became a part of the Generation Y´s life (Gen Y - ppl in their twenties and thirties)
The other day I have been wondering about the Facebook ethics. I have not found any formal document regarding this issue. Anyone knows, if there is any?
My point is that people are using something, that they really don´t know how to use. Some people are more conservative with putting their personal info online, the other change their status every second hour to let me know that they have just gone to take a shower.

But the basic question I have been thinking of is following: Who to add into your Facebook account? The current number of my "friends" list is now (after a recent adjustment) 287 people. However, some of them are very close, some of them I have talked to just once or twice. The second group I try to reduce (nice to be in touch, but email is just nice tool of communication). And when it comes to adding people to your "friends" list, what is right? Who you should add and who is ment to stay out of your cyber life?

Facebook has its "Life cycle"(taken from a marketing perspective). The theory is elaborating on 4 phases - Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline.
The first two phases come together. The new user of Facebook is excited and keeps on adding new friends, interacts, puts all the pictures he has from now and from the past. The Maturity phase follows, while the user realizes that he is already wondering who to add and who to ignore (esp. the completely unknown stalkers) and starts to reduce the status updating frequency and pictures-of-every-day-life uploading. Accodring to myself, the Decline phase = the "reaching the know-how" how to use Facebook comes last. I think I am on the way there... :) Nowadays I choose who I know enough to add him into my cyber life page and which pictures and situations I want to share with all my "friends". As I mentioned above, the list of my "friends" has reached quite a high number. So, my question is - to delete or not to delete. And if so, who to delete. What is the measure of being a "friend" on Facebook. And here we come back to the beginning - Where is the written ethics of Facebook?

The good thing about my final exam

Fistly I have to say, that I have successfully passed both exams (huge thanks for the support) and that I am no longer forced to study for any kind of exam in order to get my university degree. Only a master thesis to be written.
On one hand this thought sounds cool and exciting. On the other hand, life now seems a bit empty without all the lectures to come, tests to be writen and hours to be spent with books. Life will change. But that´s life :)

During my study time (aprox. one month) I have realized two things. Firstly, the whole studying for Commercial communication and International trade exams gave me a big picture on the field of economy - international trade especially (which was actually the purpose:P). Many things got finally connected and shaped, several of them had just clicked. I got more into the monetary functions, how the banking and trading system works and so on. Actually, I am gratefull for this kind of final exam, cause now I see that during the passed 6 years I have really learned something, that hopefully I will be able to push forward in coming years.

Secondly, there is one thing I have again made sure about: I admire people, who are mastering the feild of their work. Who understand the reasons and the consequeces of issues that they are dealing with in their professional life. What do I mean exactly? The lecturers at our universities, the economists that write commentaries to the newspapers and people who know what is "behind the thing". These people inspire me and motivate me to strive for the same. To become a master in a field that once I will be working in.

Finishing one part

Yesterday I got a grade from my last subject at the uni, which means, that I have fulfilled nearly all school obligations - except for 2 state exams and final thesis. These will arrive in a nick of time. I have sate exam from minor and major specialization in coming days. Later on I will write my thesis and graduate :)

The whole "finishing the uni" thing makes me think how GREAT these 6 years have been. I have been also thinking if I did my best to get the most out of it and I think I did (well... sometimes I could have been studying harder ;) )!
Now, new chapter of my life is coming slowly! Exciting, sad, challenging, happy!

But for now: STUDY HARD, baby!:)

I had a very nice and a special visit a few days ago (which now feels like ages ago again:(). Let me share a few pictures :)
With Edu we visited Vienna, Prague, Brno, Strakonice and Šumava mountains.

The power of a song

I was browsing youtube.com just now and I found one song that I have been listening very frequently during my stay in Malaysia. I had it in my MP3 player on hunderds times.

And since then I have come across it just now - a few minutes ago.

Somehow it was a very special feeing. I closed my eyes and I felt like being back. Sitting in the Kuala Lumpur´s LRT(subway), travelling to work, sitting on my chair at the office, working, coming back home, dropping by at Edu´s, cooking dinner and then falling asleep, waking up, going to work again, seeing twin towers from the LRT, seeing the slums, temples from the subway, malay people sitting next to me. It was such a vivid flash back!!!

What a power of a song!

My minor specialization

I have to say I made a very good choice.
At the University of Economics while studying two years of Master´s we have the posibility of choosing a minor specialization next to the major one. There are many options and I chose Commercial communication. And I have no regrets.

The whole-semester course block is focused on media communication, advertising, PR, market research. All these topics mentioned above have a course itself lasting at least one week. And now why I like it so much: For each lecture we have an interesting person from a certain company, who can tell us, how it really works out there. And that is what I appreciate. Finally at the university, we can get the glimps of how these things work in real from a perspective of mostly very interesting people. Sometimes our teacher who is responsible for the whole course organizes an excursion - to a television, radio, marekt research company. And I really appreciate it.

Finally, already two months of Commercial communication is shaping my ideas of what I would like to do in future, what I might be interested in and what is not my cup of tea. There are more ideas for the future coming up. So lets see till the end of the whole course.

University of Economics in Prague

has been awarded as one of the top business universities in the World! Welcome on the red carpet of 27 top World´s business universities :)

http://www.eduniversal.com/business-school-ranking/country/czech-republic/53

PS: Congrats to VSE and all the people who are in charge of this success!
PS2: Proud to study at VSE!:)
PS3: Knowing this, the studies will not get any easier (or tougher hopefully ;))...

Status

Pavlina is wondering what the future brings. And hoping. Sometimes the destiny is in our hands, sometimes it is not. So, let´s hope and see.

Being "special"

After coming back from Asia, where European people tend to stand out from a crowd, I am one in the million now?!

This is basicly one of the biggest diferences that I have encountered while being back. Noone cares. Well, it can be both - advantage and disadvantage. You live your life peacefully and noone gives a sh*t. On the other hand you are no longer the one who people concider as "the different, special one". Well, honestly I have to say, that I liked the feeling of being differnt. To have the opportunity of being an example for the others, give my opinions on different topics, but also learning from locals, feeling that I am the only European in the whole subway train. I didnt mind people looking at me. Well, I am just curious how long would I need to stay in the "different" country, till it gets upsetting or till I get used to :)

Here are a few questions that pop in my mind while thinking about this topic:

What is the difference that matters?
Why do people want to stand out from the crowd?
Why do we want to feel "special"?
And when we get to the point of feeling special, how can we benefit from that?

Are you special? Or one in the million?

Cesky preklad meho blogu (Czech translation of my blog)

Pri serfovani jsem narazila na moznost prekladu textu - sluzbu kterou nabizi Google. www.translate.google.cz Osobne mi to prijde jako super napad.
Zkusila jsem si prelozit nejeden muj clanek a vybrala jsem jeden - o potapeni. Prikladam kousek pro pousmání (diky me anglictine, preklepum a googlovskeho prekladu) :)

" Druhý den našeho potápění v Sipadan byl prostě skvělý. Chodili jsme spolu na zeď colourul plné korálů a ryb. Najednou z ničeho velký Sea Turtle přišli a plaval jen jeden metr ode mě! Naše Divemaster (osoba, která je dodávána s námi na show okolo nás) se nám to trochu jeskyně, ale také plaval přes otvor ve vápencových, viděl žraloka asi 2 m dlouhy, škola plavání ryb nad námi .... prostě paráda. Když jsme se viděli jedno velké ryby z ničeho jiného velkého někdo přišel!"

Reintegration is always an issue

Once coming back from abroad, you must be sure, it will come. Sooner or later. The only thing is, which attitude you will have to it, how much you will let it come close to you and how you will face it.

I have always had a reintegration shock. Even though I was thinking sometimes its not there, but it is.

How does it look like?
- I tend to deal with ordinary people the way I used to in Malaysia (sometimes I had to encounter that locals did not get my points and I had to explain on, sometimes with higher voice)
- the weather has been always an issue, especially the autumn foggy one, that is letting me into depression
- not to mention the people, they have been always missing there home (Both my stays abroad - Sweden, Malaysia - its both thesame!)
- rice. I have a special attitude towards rice since I have come back from Asia. Cant define it, but I do :)
- I try not to bother my environment too much with: the stories, comparisons, inner moods, which actually means that I keep it in myselft, that leads into my more reserved mood.
- I am back to my timemanagement (try to be on time)
- I feel more stressed out. With school, and other things, eventhough I try not to take stuff too seriously, but I feel stressed inside :S
- I busy myself with school, nowadays I am having interesting courses in Marketing communication, that make me think out of the box and give me different perspective on things.

Basicly, I think there is no common advice how to overcome a "reintegration shock". With the trend in today´s World I believe it will become a serious issue. The main factor is time, I believe. With time things get "better" and the abroad stay is becoming less relevant in current life reality that is now full of studying, working or living present life. However, its still there and will be. And that is why the abroad experience shouldnt be feared. The life we lived, the exprience we gained, this all makes us stronger and with wider our World view, that in today´s busy cosmopolitan Big Apple full of different kinds of issues is so important! Moreover, I got to think that the main purpose of all this is to put the experience in everyday life, influence people, share the experience and in the end even run a business in the same field...

To conclude, reintegration shock is worth it.

Indonesia - dropping by for a visit

When I met Tya last year, I did not think I will be dropping by for 6 days to her home city Bandung so soon.
And indeed. My last days of semester break I set off to Bandung (West Java) and spend with Tya, my ex house mate, few great days.

Firstly - Indonesia is different from what I have come through in SouthEast Asia so far. People are nice and very different in many corners of the whole country, because there are huge distances from one island to the other one (no AirAsia to ease the distance handicap). Basicly, there are still old tribes living in Papua (the naked ones we know from National Geographic:p), there are also university students using interent in Bandung and there are 21st century shopping malls and skyscrapers in Jakarta.
As soon as I exchanged Malaysian Ringitts I became a millionare, cause of the Indo currency! :) If only all these millions were not a Rupiah, but an Euro :)

What I liked was, that Bandung is very green city - many trees, light wind and dry weather (what a paradise compared to humidity and heat back in Malaysia). Bandung was main city for Dutchies, when they conquered Indonesia back in old times. I recommend to visit! (Great number of Factory outlets and best Brownies ever!)

I stayed with Tya at her place, we made several trips - to a volcano Tangkuban Prahu, that was still "steaming", to tea planations, to hot springs, just around-in and out- Bandung (all great places to visit) or just chill in J.Co donuts with friends.
Great experience was to see kids playing Anklung (musical instrument) - little poor kids are learning how to play Anklung and then they perform daily for foreginers.

We also made one day trip to Jakarta, where we saw National Museum. The most interesting was to see whole map of Indonesia (the whole archipelago) and the various people living there. The tribes in Papua, people from Aceh (province on Sumatra that was the most hitten by tsunami 2004), Javanese people, tribes from Sulavesi (Celebes) ... they all have different face features, but look simmilar.
In Jakarta we visited the Old town with Tyas friends. In Batvia Cafe I ordered a beer, that came in a tea pot (cause of Ramadhan i had to drink BEER from a TEA CUP!) Near Old Bank I saw a young Indonesian couple holding hands. That would be not possible at all in Malaysia. Perhaps the relegion there was not that strong.
Anyway, I really had a great time in Bandung and Indonesia. Thank you, Tya!
I am sure I will come back one day. I really would like to see Borobudur and Prambatan (Budhist and Hindu temples in Central Java) and of course see Tya again (Although its your turn now, gal!)
Dinner with Tya´s mum at a goreous place with a magnificent view on the whole 2million Bandung

Tangkuban Pragu, the Volcano

With wooden colourful puppets after Anklung exhibition

Buddy check, deep breath, jump, bubbles & entering a new world!

Scuba diving! My new passion and huge discovery!

My first encounter with scuba diving was about a year and half ago, when another intern, Janne from Finland, asked me, if I am interested in a scuba diving course. I said: Well, yes, why not... and i was not sure what does it all involve, this scubadivning. But now i am grateful for that decision.
After about a month lasting course (one lesson per week in a pool) we went for our first open water diving to the Redang Island on East coast of Malaysia. It was really cool, but after that I was thinking that I will just hide my PADI licence of Open Water Diver somewhere in a drawer and i am not gonna dive anymore, cause of the lack of opportunities...
BUT next time was it on Phi Phi Island with Eduardo, when we started with a night dive. That was an experience. To enter an underwater world, when everything around is black. We were going round one island and we were watching underwater world by night with a flash light - watching a moray eel and other colourful fish and corals.

When going scubadiving from a boat, you have to assamble your equpment on the shore, prepare all the important stuff, like a mask, fins, wet suit and tank with oxygen...
On the boat you just get into all that and do a buddy check (buddy is the person who is diving with you, in case you get out of air, he gives you his bit of oxygen, which happned to me also these days!) Buddy checks your equipment in 5 steps, if everything is allright and then just "Giant strike" jump in the water and slowly going deeper down and explore the unknown...

Just now I got back from the World no. 3 site for scuba diving - Sipadan Island. It is an island in Celebes Sea, East side of Borneo. This island is like a tower coming from the bottom strait up. A few years ago there was a lot of publicity made by J.J.Custeau - he explored the island and stated that place as a marine paradise.

And indeed it is. You have to buy a permit in advance to go there, since it is a marine park.
Our first dive in Sipadan was like entering a paradise. The island itself is a little green patch in a aquamarine sea, "kde se vzal tu se vzal":) White sandy beach... And when we juped out of our boat, the real uderwater paradise was yet to come. Beatiful colourful corals, rainbow fish - Clown fish in anemone (Nemo), sharks, water turtles (a plenty of them!)....
Our second dive we were not that lucky, cause we went on a spot called Barracuda point - a place where barracudas meet and creat a big cirles, but that happenes only when a big current comes. But we did not see them. Anyway as one diving place said "the worst day diving is still better then a day in the office", it was a great dive in the end :)

Second day of our diving in Sipadan was just great. We went along a wall full of colourul corals and fish. Suddenly out of nowhere a big sea turtle came and just swam a meter from me! Our divemaster (a person who comes with us to show us around) took us to a little cave, we swam also through a hole in the limestone, saw a shark about 2 meters ling, school of fishes swiming above us.... just great. When we saw one big fish out of nowhere another big one came!
An hour long break between dives (each day two dives on Sipadan) we spent relaxing on the island, just walking around with a cup of tea...

Scuba diving opned a new, unknown chapter of my discovery and adventure part of myself. If you ever wondered to try it, I can recomend it 100%. It is loots of fun!

Expats in Malaysia

Well, firstly - I am NOT an expat.
Expat means a person, who gets to travell to another country on business and lives there for some period of time. They get allowances and high salary. Higher then locals of course. And then, they can afford stuff..
I couldnt help but wonder, how is the life of these people....

Since I have been living here I came across many people of this kind. They usually have big and luxurious appartments, fancy cars! What a life :) And all I came across were nice people!
In Malaysia, the good thing is that this country is very multicultural and expants (or foreginers generally) are treated nicely.
I am also wondering till which extent foreigners get into deep understanding of Malaysian culture mix and the whole backround of governmental censorship and simmilar intriques... At this point it is always important to have a close local friends to get you into the picture. The other day, my friend Alan was telling me about the elections here and generally about the "backround".¨I was grateful to him for opening my eyes in that field. Because foreigners normally DONT KNOW.

But back to Expats. Im glad that there is such a vast infrastructure build for expats. For example there are supermarkets focused on "Westerners", as well as shops full of fashion clothes, expat focused furniture... and of couse many Western food oriented restaurants. (which are also pricy).

Nevertheless, I have to say that life here for an expat must be quite easy going, not much stress (as I was talking the other day with one of my friends, she plans to stay in Malaysia - on of the advantages for her is exactly this "easygoingness"). People are respecting you as a foreigner and the economic growth here so far has been powerfull, environment is nice, flourishing nature...

On the other hand, I couldnt stay several things (especially above mentioned, the heat, no parks to stroll in and sometimes too easy approach to things. Finally, I am an European and i am structured.

To close up, I am glad to have the opportunity of living in this country for about a year now and I am gratefull for realizing all the things about "foreigner living abroad". Now I can say, I value my own culture a lot, my country. I was also happy to see other countries in Southeast Asia and my thumbs up goes to Malaysia for such a quick growth in past few years! (heya oil and petrol lah :p) And who would think like me one year and half ago that Malaysia is worse than 3rd world, I have to tell them, that it is not true :)

My holidays in Malaysia

It has been about 2 weeks now since I have been in KL!
I truly have a great time here, especially because being here with THE one :)

There has been several things that surprised me since the last time. Firstly, since our Czech currecy has appreciated a lot, somehow even when the petrol prices has risen in Malaysia, for me things are cheeper here. E.g. before (2007) RM1 was CZK 6 now its only 4,6!
Secondly, I havent experienced any rain since I have been here. Apparently purely dry season nowadays. No rain, but a propper food poisoning experience for the first time in Asia (!).
I have started to write my master thesis, but well, to be honest I wrote only very brief brainstorming what it should be about, so I am not making a big plans about writing a big piece of it here.

With Edu we made a trip to a new capital, Putrajaya, then with Evicka Skokankova visiting KL we went for a nice trip to Batu Caves and Perhentian island, which was very cool! Now several trips are ahead - Redang in two weeks time with my Edu and later on we also go to Borneo for diving. I m getting excited...

I like the relaxed atmosphere that we have here. Its great to be happy again and it feels just nice! I also like to catch up with my friends, I am being updated about news and meet new people. Basicly I can say, I am Happy!

AIESEC UKM trainees visit (I met Huda, a girl who was attending as a newie Jordan conference, the one where I was a faci)
Paul van Dyk was playing in KL! Second time already
Perhentian Island with two Slovaks and 4 more internationals

On a visit in Putrajaya, new govermental capital of Malaysia

My holidays plans

My holidays has already started! After finishing passed semester I worked to make some money for my further plans. I was working 4 weeks all together and swapped between 3 jobs (from hostess to office job...) it was cool, cause i got different experience, that i wouldnt get if i was just layzing at home. At the beginning of July i moved home from Prague and here i am just LAZYING :) (im visiting my grandparents, im just at home and enjyoing that summer-ish mood) The other, coming, part of holidays I will spend far from Europe, yes, South-east Asia again. BTW. SE Asia became very popular among my friends, too, cause there are many backpackers these days from Prague, that i hope i will manage to meet in and around KL :)

Well there must be some-thing(-one) that makes me come back lah :) Im really looking forward! I will spend about 2 months in KL with Edu, also Evicka will come over, so we will go to some beach resort, I am honored to travell with Tya (and maybe with Irene) to Indonesia and aslo we plan with Edu do to diving to Sipadan, the best diving place in South East Asia (the tickets are already booked!!!)yaay, cant wait!
In the meantime I will sutdy Spanish, go to the gym, read books, i will try to start with my master thesis and of course hang around in KL, go out and party!... and enjoy layzing in KL :) 2 weeks to go...

Sensation White 20008

This year again. And again great... People, atmosphere. Just amazing.