#11 and 12: Prague Zoo and my Czech Christmas Concert

I didn’t mean to make this a double post like last time, but I became quite sick. I had to sleep a lot, and then suddenly it was next week. Soooo… here we are.

I did see a doctor today and was given some antibiotics. I should be better in the next few days. I don’t want to spend my last week in Prague sick, especially with all of the amazing Christmas markets popping up. I haven’t visited many of them yet and I really want to explore before I leave for the states.

Since I was quite sick last week and stayed in Prague the week before, not a lot has happened recently. I haven’t traveled out of the country and I don’t plan to travel much since I have finals next week. That doesn’t mean I won’t continue to make memories though. I’ve really taken the time recently to connect with local friends and I plan to continue to do so for the rest of my time here.

I was able to see a Prague Christmas market earlier with my friend Rae. We had a pleasant time seeing local creations and buying a few Czech souvenirs. Ryan and I also explored local life that Saturday. We visited a nearby Saturday market and had a few homemade Czech treats. Everything was so good!

I also explored Prague Zoo that weekend. It’s apparently one of the best zoos in the world. It was quite vast and their feline exhibits were very impressive. The zoo has a very successful tiger breeding program. Two years ago, they bred one of the most critically endangered tigers, the Malaysian tigers. They were very cute! Unfortunately, a lot of the neat exhibits were closed off due to the cold weather. I did get to ride up the chairlift though! It was a very unique experience. I would definitely visit this zoo again in the summer.

That week, I was also able to visit the Communist Museum with Ryan and Honza (an ISA staff member). I learned some very interesting facts, such as the Stalin Monument. It was HUGE and was called the “meat line” by Czechs because the locals went to the statue to collect food for their family. It was eventually destroyed when the Communist Party released information about Stalin’s actions. The Czechs didn’t want to glorify him, so they destroyed the statue. The exhibit was interesting and well-thought-out. It even had some footage from the Velvet Revolution, which was very powerful to watch.

Then, I became sick and I had to slow down a lot. I rested a bunch so I could perform with my choir for the Christmas Concert. Thankfully, I was able to sing with them! And perform my solo! We also had the pleasure to sing with a Czech blind choir. They were amazing and very fun to rehearse and perform with. Ryan and Ari were able to come and support me. All of it was in Czech, but it was so much fun. It’s an experience I won’t ever forget.

Enjoy pictures from these past two weeks! I may have to do another double post since my school studies are becoming demanding. We’ll see! Love you all! I can’t wait to see you all in person soon. ❤