One Weekend in Prague

We decided to make a short trip to Prague by car. It took us about one hour to get there. Some motorways were still under construction and the signs weren't clear enough that's why we arrived a little bit later. We went out for dinner and looked for the main attractions such as the Prague Castle, the astronomical clock, the Charles Bridge, the old town square and the Jewish quarter.All in all it was too short to discover the whole culture of Czech Republic, but it is definitely a nice city with very friendly people.

High-Wheel Bicycling In Dresden

My next mission was an Engineering apprenticeship in Dresden. We started our study at the technical university and after lunch we went to the transport museum, where we tried out a high-wheel bicycle from 1817.

The rest of the day we walked along the river Elbe and enjoyed the nice weather in Dresden.

Bird's Eye View Of Mondsee

For my new project I had to search for locations for our video production. I had the pleasure of flying over Salzburg and Mondsee by helicopter. It was my first flight in a helicopter, I was very scared, but the outstanding views calmed my nerves away.

Enjoying Flair Of Vienna

I visited the flea market in Vienna. My friends always recommended it, and I am so glad that I went. I love antiques and I was surrounded by beautiful pieces from all around the globe! Negotiating is allowed! Next we saw floods of people on the streets celebrating the International Dance Festival. We carried on towards the Bruno-Kreisky parc where we could put up our feet and relax on hammocks. In the evening I met my dance friend Sandra at Passage. It is a very classy club with models and beautiful people. I had a great time, even though the DJ stopped playing music at 3 a.m., so we were disappointed to leave so early.

Subway Station Afloat

One weekend I decided to go to Vienna. I arrived on Friday evening and went directly into the city, to the Karlsplatz and enjoyed the beauty of the city with two friends. In the evening we went to the Casino. Due to heavy rain, the subway station was submerged under one meter of water, so we had to get a taxi back home.

Culture Crash

I spent two weeks in Japan and Korea and they were worlds apart from anywhere else I have been. The culture and the people were so different, and here is my brief guide of what to expect:

1. Japan:
- Never say no, the Japanese society is very much a "yes" nation. You don't want to lose face and this is not accepted by the Japanese society!
- Tokyo is one of the safest cities I've ever seen. It is very common not to lock up your door. You can trust your neighbour in this country.
- Never give a tip at a restaurant or in a bar.
- If you ask a Japanese person for directions, he/she will show by accompanying you to your final destination.
- As a female business woman you must not wear a short skirt. Your skirt has to be lower than your knees. The conservative way is always the right way. Black is better than a white dress.
- Never look too deep in the eyes of another person, especially between a man and a woman.
- The door of a cab opens automatically.
- Never enter a house with your shoes on, you must wear slippers.
- Japanese apologize for quite everything.

- The breakfast includes heavy food like fish, rice, soup and fruits.
- Showing emotions in public is forbidden. Kissing on the streets and holding hands too.
- Most people own a bike instead of a car. The train system is very good.
- Girls dress up like dolls. Fancy and cheesy is the trend. Japanese love to wear different clothes other than  the conservative dress sense in business.
- The Japanese don't talk in the train. They love silence.
- White is beautiful.
- The Japanese can't party at all. They prefer Karaoke with close friends.

2. Korea
- Cabs are very cheap, but you have to be careful of the price. They will try to let you pay more than a local. They usually jump red lights.
- It's very difficult to find someone who can speak English.
- Korean food is very spicy.
- Koreans are less conservative than the Japanese.
- They don't like silence and are upfront to others.
- White is beautiful.

- Karaoke is the trend in Korea. They also like to dance.
- They like eating dry fish instead of potato chips.

- You'll find in Korea different meals than in Japan. A lot of the food are insects!

Close To North Korea

Finally we got one day off! The night before was very long, but we had to wake up early to drive to the Northern border Line between North Korea and South Korea. We first stopped at the Station on the Gyeoungui Line where the famous steam locomotive at Jangdan is located. Next we went to the Advance Camp at the Demilitarized Zone. The Joint Security Area (JSA) or Panmunjeom, was one of the most interesting parts. At this zone South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face. We entered the Mac conference room, and took pictures with the soldiers. We always had to listen to their advice and follow rules. Don't laugh at the soldiers, don't touch them, don't wear clothes with holes, because they could be used for propaganda etc. Next we went to the Freedom House and the Bridge of Return. All in all it was a very good experience. In most areas it was absolutely forbidden to take pictures.

Karaoke Night

We had a very nice Korean dinner in Seoul city with all the students. Next we went to a Karaoke bar to test the voices of our colleagues. Karaoke is very popular in Japan and Korea. Young people like to sing with their friends and I can confirm that they are really good at it. I sang "Hit me baby one more time" by Britney Spears and "I gotta feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas. All in all the students had been shy and nobody really wanted to sing, except our British colleague who loved to stay on stage and perform, haha. Afterwards we went out with a couple of students, to the Cocoon club. It was very crowded. The air conditioner in the club didn't work and everyone was really sweating. I haven't sweated so much in a club before. The atmosphere was amazing. One of the best clubs I've ever been to, but you couldn't dance for much more than one hour in there, the air was too bad.

Fancy Plush Toys

Friday: the day of the exam. The case study: Amore Pacific: From Local to Global Beauty. We had four hours to prepare for the exam. After the exam we visited the Plush toy company, Aurora World. The employees presented to us the history and vision of the firm and showed us the structure of the whole company. Finally we also got one plush toy as a present to take home with us.

Mobile Changing Room

Next day, new program. We moved to the Namsangol Hanok Village at 2 p.m. to see the traditional tea ceremony and to go in the Kimono. In the village you'll find traditional Korean style gardens and five houses. It's a very peaceful and beautiful place. We got a really detailed explanation of the way Koreans drink tea and afterwards three ladies sang and played instruments for us. Next we walked through the village with a tour guide. After having seen every corner, we drove to Myungdong where each one of us could start shopping. I walked with Jenny, the Korean student, in the city. We had a short Chinese dinner together. She left me at 8 p.m. and I continued shopping until 11 p.m. Shopping is so much fun in Seoul. In some stores you can try to negotiate. My most successful barter was to pay 5,000 Won less than the asking price. As the Korean shops are small, they don’t have any space for changing rooms! The shop assistant just gives you a large skirt to cover you and then you can take off your pants to try out the new ones. A very interesting method, which I've seen more than once this evening! Myunddong is definitely a very good place to go shopping! I can recommend it!

National Museum Of Korea

After our lunch we went to the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, built in 1945. When we arrived in Itaewon we only had 30 minutes to walk around and get an impression of the city. There are many little stores, but to be honest, it wasn't enough time to find something to buy. We met in the Maple House where we had dinner with all the students. They had prepared for us a Korean barbecue with beef and garlic, and salad. It was very delicious. After our meal we got on the bus and returned to our hotel. On the bus we sang karaoke again. At 9 p.m. I met with some students to go out to the city, and have a few drinks. We went into two bars, learned about Korean drinking games and had a nice chat with the Korean students.

First Korean Cooking Lesson

The day started with a lesson in leadership and corporate strategy. Next we had lunch in the university canteen. Korean food is quite different. We had a lot of vegetables, like spicy kimchi. The dessert was very weird: Salad with a sweet apple sauce and chocolate pieces. At 2.30 p.m. we arrived at the Female Monk's Association. We learnt how to pray correctly and after that we got a cooking lesson to make temple food which is "clean" and "healthy".

Later we arrived in Samsung town, and went into the Samsung delight store. We then passed the river, and went to the Dongdaemun market near to our hotel. We tasted some dry fish...it was horrible!!

This is another impressive toilet in Korea.

Welcome To Korea! 한국에 오신 것을 환영

At 8.30 a.m. the bus left the hotel for the airport. We landed at 4 p.m. in Seoul, and had a welcome dinner with very nice food and red wine. After that everyone checked-in. For our stay in Korea we had double rooms. There were washing machines and even a small kitchen to cook in; very sweet. I am sharing my room with Sandra, like I did in the U.S.

Farewell Party With Host Families

We met Mari’s parents at the train station. I quickly changed my clothes in the restroom and we then met all the other students in the lobby of the hotel. The directors made a speech in front of all the host families and students. The atmosphere was very nice. A buffet was ready with drinks and, of course, sushi. After the directors’ speech everyone joined the buffet and chatted to each other. The highlight of the evening was the karaoke with everybody. We sang both Japanese and German songs. At 7 p.m. the host families had to leave. We said goodbye and checked into our hotel rooms for one more night. I told Mari to join us for the rest of the evening. We wanted to go out in Tokyo. About eight of us went to Shinjuku where we met two other boys and entered a bar to have some drinks and food. After that we tried to get into some clubs, but as the boys didn’t have the right clothes, we couldn’t get in all together. We tried several times and decided at 5 a.m. to go back to the hotel.

Disneyland Store In Tokyo

Although we were in a hurry, we had time to go into the Disney store. The design of the shop is very cute. Inside they have more than just teddy bears. Mari and I enjoyed it and felt like children in the store. We greeted Minnie and Micky and took a picture as a souvenir.

Marriage At The Meiji-Schrein

The next morning we wanted to leave the house very early. We first went to the Meiji-Schrein, and took pictures of the temples and monuments. We had been lucky, because we saw a Japanese marriage that day. The bride was wearing a Kimono. Next we went shopping again. We had to hurry up, because we had to be back at the PSK hotel by 5 p.m., for dinner with all the students. We passed Shibuya for the Apple store, Disney land store and ate sushi at a sushi circle restaurant. You cannot compare the sushi taste of Europe with the one here, it’s so delicious. I bought a lot of clothes and I decided to wear one of the dresses at the party.

Traditional Japanese Massage

After dinner, Mari and I went to Shibuya to shop. She showed me one big store with a lot of small shops. A lot of clothes were cheap because of the summer sales. Girls were shouting for customers, like in Turkey. When the shops closed at 9 p.m. we had a cold coffee and went back home. Mari promised me a massage, because she had learnt how to do one. For one hour I could relax. I really enjoyed the massage and I wanted to fall asleep. At 3 a.m. we finally slept.

At A Ninja’s House

The Ninja restaurant in Akasaka is a special restaurant designed as a Ninja house. It’s not a woman who is serving you, but a Ninja in a black costume. The way to the room where our meal was, was very adventurous itself. We passed down a dark hallway, a door closed, another opened. Finally we arrived, the food was Japanese, and had an aperitif as a starter. The meal took two hours in total.

Welcome To My Host Family

At 2 p.m. I had to be back at the PSK hotel, because a host family was meeting me there. I will stay with them for one day at their home. I was super excited to see them. Mari is 23 years old and came with her parents. They have a dog, a Chihuahua, which is a really cute dog. He liked me a lot. The family hasn’t got a traditional Japanese house. It was really modern and I didn’t have to adapt at all. Mari can speak pretty good English, because she lived in Sydney. Her parents also understood English. After a green tea and giving them my present, we all went to dinner together.

Perpetuation In Tokyo

Each of the girls had three minutes to draw my face on a piece of paper. The results were amazing and interesting. The students had been very happy with me as a model and asked if I could come again. Next time, when I’m in Tokyo, I should spend a longer time there and then I am sure that my face will be immortalised in one of the most popular Universities of Arts in Tokyo.