being an Eastern European in Denmark

First of all, the fact that I call myself an Eastern European is kind of offensive to all the Czechs out there and I get it- technically we are in the heart of Europe, but over time there's actually nothing bad about embracing the eastern spirit a bit. So what, if we complain a lot, drink too much beer, escape to our chalupa's during the weekend, lack any sense of fashion and wear socks in sandals. (I had to google all the stereotypes about Czechs just in case I forgot some of our amazing habits).

This article won't be full of complaints about my life here, don't worry. Although I have shitty days and experiences, I am still very glad about that random decision I made two years ago; the decision to move to a country which I never visited before and study abroad. I want to write something a bit useful this time; a tiny survival guide, based on my experiences which hopefully might make your life here or anywhere in the "rich West" easier. Some tips might be obvious, so be patient or skip to the others ;).

1/ before coming, make sure you have savings/financial support
-this is an obvious one but very crucial especially for us, poor people from the "East"
-I personally never found a job here due to my laziness and lack of language skills (nope, Danish is too boring for me, sorry) and I depend on the financial resources from my parents and grandparents
-of course, it sucks if you don't have a job and if you can find it, good for you! You can most probably get SU (financial support for students) from the Danish Government if you work around 40 hours per month (if you're Danish, you get that "automatically")
-don't forget! Denmark is REALLY expensive so this step is a must if you decide to move here

2/ live in a dorm or find roommates to save $$$ on rent
-living alone sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Because sharing a place with filthy human beings who can't even wash dishes after themselves sucks.
-but if you're willing to make sacrifices in order to save some money on rent, this is definitely a way to go
-I live in a dorm and I might be able to write a book one day about all the struggles I came across with while I was living here (the mess, the annoying dormmates, the food thieves and so on) but it is cheap (not so cheap in the Czech terms)
-if you don't have such option, look for roommates- join facebook groups where people look for people to share their apartments with and just wait if you get lucky

3/ food
-food is something that you can save a lot of money on especially if you're willing to get your hands (and clothes) a little dirty in the process
-I previously wrote an article about my experiences with dumpster diving and I can't imagine living without it- it became a hobby and something I enjoy doing
-if you want to try it, do a bit of research, look around the stores in your area and check their bins after opening hours. If they don't lock them, you might get lucky
-the more obvious point is to buy store brand food (Lidl, Rema, Fakta, Netto, Kiwi) and buy items on sale which usually have yellow stickers on them (Stop Madspild "movement")
-to get some extra cash, return all bottles and cans with flaskepant sign on them (gypsy tip: sometimes you can find these bottles on the street and get money for free)
-avoid buying bottled drinks (they are crazy expensive); invest in a good quality water bottle (ex. Retap) and drink tap water instead 

4/ must-haves
-bike: it will become your best friend, save your money, keep you fit and annoy you at the same time
-bike lights: you can easily get a fine and it's definitely not worth it
-raincoat: forget umbrellas! Good quality raincoat (ex. Rains) is a way to protect yourself during rainy and windy Danish days
-all black outfits: want to fit in? forget colors.
-activities that will help you overcome depression: this is crucial, trust me! Go to the gym, do yoga, read, attend parties if you're into it, join clubs at your school, learn new things... there are endless opportunities
-water bottle, spare canvas bags, good sneakers, backpack (Fjällräven to be stereotypical)
-an endless supply of chocolate (for the bad days)

5/ useful links
www.rødbillet.dk for cheap bus tickets
www.gomore.dk for ride sharing
www.etilbudsavis.dk for all the store magazines and finding amazing deals ;)

I probably forgot to mention a lot of things and I might as well write a better article one day but hopefully, this has been a little helpful for anyone who plans to come here or is looking for some tips.

Have a good one.

T.

bad tinder date

I never thought I would have to write such article. I mean, how could that happen to me right? It only happens when you walk alone on the streets at night, when you're passed out at a party, unable to say no and it's always done by a stranger. Well, guess what? It isn't and we all should acknowledge that. If you expect a funny anecdote about a tinder date gone wrong, I also wish that it was just that.

When I started using Tinder back in 2014 in Berlin because I was looking for people to show me around I was not really sure what it all meant. Matching with people based on few pictures, short bio and preferably the distance... what could be wrong with that right? But if you're a girl on tinder, you know what it includes; creepy dudes who don't even say hi and immediately after you match with them they ask for sex (yes tinder is MOSTLY for sex, but come on, do you also just walk on the street and randomly ask strangers to fuck with them? I don't think so), creepy dudes who don't seem creepy at first but when they get your number/snapchat you receive unsolicited dick pics and when you're lucky, few normal guys who will at least invite you for a coffee or drink before they actually try something. The list of types of people on tinder could go on and on. Sometimes I actually have a need to sort guys into groups based on their profile pictures, but that's an article for another day.

After parting our ways with my ex-boyfriend (whom I met on tinder, what a surprise, right?), the loneliness came and so my decision to try tinder once again, just to see what is happening around me. Using Tinder in Denmark is a totally different experience compared to Prague. I mean, just the fact that Prague is full of tourists from different countries, you really get to meet a lot of interesting people. On the contrary, living in a small town in the middle of nowhere here in DK is quite different. Either it's guys whom you've already seen around or they are some farmers with a picture from a slaughterhouse (not a way how to win vegan's heart). So when I matched with one good-looking guy few days back, who lived just few kilometers away I was like: YES, maybe I'm lucky.

This is where this story goes a little wrong. And I want to write about it just because it could happen to you, your friend, your sister. Especially with Valentine's day coming up and the urgent need to look for a date for that so not important day of the year.

Since I'm a big Wes Anderson's fan, I thought it would be a good idea to put it in my bio: "I'm looking for someone to watch Wes Anderson's movies with and cuddle." I KNOW, lame as fuck. But it actually started few interesting conversations so I let it be. And then we're getting back to the famous match. We started talking based on that and it was all going quite well. We seemed to have shared interests and I was pretty excited about getting to know him more. After few messages, we decided to meet and watch one movie on a Friday evening. This is when I was still pretty sure that everything will turn out fine. I mean who wouldn't enjoy a low-key evening like that.

Moving on to Friday. We still talked on tinder before we met, both excited about seeing each other. But then we met and I already felt a little wrong. First of all, the ambiance was kind of strange between us, he seemed drunk and he was making me really uncomfortable. Stupid me, I thought that it's just because we are "strangers" and it's just awkward because of that. This is when I should have just gotten my bike and go home. This was the moment and I just didn't do it.

It did not end up okay for me. I have bruises and teeth marks all over my chest. I feel much more vulnerable than ever before because he forced me to do things I didn't want to do that evening. I ended up being kicked out from his apartment and realizing what had just happened. I spent the whole weekend in my bed because I just couldn't do anything else. And now I'm here, telling my story because it is important to share it.

Thinking back, I know I made mistakes that evening. Many mistakes and it was another life lesson for me. But why should I blame myself for that? Why should I blame myself because of the fact that someone doesn't know that rape or any action without consent is absolutely wrong? I am grateful that it didn't end up in a worse way. I am grateful that I was able to get home, wash the tears and shame away. But it could have been worse. And I'm aware of that.

So no. It doesn't have to be just a random person on the street, it doesn't have to be the creepy dude and I wasn't unconscious at a party. I just trusted that "nice guy" from tinder.

Stay safe.

T.

I make a shitty blogger.

Tereza, the self-proclaimed blogger is back with yet another meaningful post about her current life crisis. It's been a while and honestly, not much has changed. My life in Herning is pretty much making me feel like I am the most boring person in the universe. If someone said that being a university student means partying, having a great social life and having the best times of my life, they were wrong. Well at least about me. I feel like I turned into a very old soul and a much bigger introvert than I was before.

Take January for example. It was a month which first of all started very shitty; illness, break-up, leaving home to come back to Denmark after Christmas. The list of reasons could go on and on, to be honest (and yet I told myself that I will be much more positive in 2017). But on the other hand, it was another month that gave me a chance to realize a lot of things (yes this year is ALSO about realizing stuff... thanks, Kylie Jenner for ruining that one for me). I moved my ass a little and started doing yoga every day (Yoga with Adriene, thank you very much!) which helped tremendously to my mental and physical health. I also read a lot of books and I plan on reading even more in the following months (my goal is 25 books for this year). And lastly, I'm trying to stay organized. Everyone is following the bullet journal trend which I find pretty cool but with my lack of creativity and overall ability to always mess everything up with my handwriting, it probably won't work for me on long-term bases. So I purchased a very lovely planner from Doller (which deserves all the hype around it) and even though my schedule is not one of the busiest, I still manage to at least keep track of all the activities that I have during my days in Denmark.

So yes, as much as 2017 seems not so different from 2016 (well it is just a number), I feel that it could lead to new opportunities and experiences. Which surprisingly will begin very soon since I need to figure out my situation after graduating from VIA. Should I stay in Denmark for another year? Should I go back to Prague and start studying from the beginning even though I don't feel like being a "freshman" once again? Well, decisions have to be made and as much as it sucks to plan my life ahead, it has to be done.

Let's hope for another interesting year and also that I will be able to ramble more frequently on this blog than before.

T.