PragueBuzz!

I’m now hosting a Chinese university student who is traveling in Europe before heading to Massachusetts for his study. I could have hosted another Turkish student too but we ended up hanging out instead. It was fun and stamped out any doubt I have about meeting complete strangers. Next month, hopefully I will be a hostee myself and really look forward
for the experience. This is one of they best way to meet people while I’m not traveling as I can rehash their travel stories and get a tipsor two. Also I know how much accommodation cost can dent a frugal traveler’s budget. I didn’t choose to host at the moment since I have no free space in my flat other than the kitchen, the narrow hallway and the floor in my own room, but I accepted their requests anyway. Next year when I move out to a new flat, guests can stay more comfortably in the living room.

There is a thing called “chance” which I believe, and we meet a particular someone for a reason. To find a great example, I don’t have to look very far. Next week, the community where I work organizes a multiple-event competition; one of games is table tennis. Now, I don’t play ping pong no care so much about it. I didn’t even consider in this competition at all, let alone ping-pong. But out of a whimsical moment after learning that my team leader registered for this event, I thought to myself “Oh maybe I should do it too.” And so I did. After all, I do know how to hit the ball over the net and into the table…sometime. They keyword here is “sometime.” My euphoria lasted only momentarily because then I realized I will surely look like an idiot the ping-pong table; I played ping-pong only five times in my entire life. No, to be correct, I stood by the table and hit the ball back and forth five times in my life.

Then there comes the handy Chinese who knew and can teach a few tips or two about the games. And then the Turkish joined in and he also was good, beating the Chinese 2-1. Can I get better coaches than that? So for two hours, they taught me how to hold the racket, serve, backhand, forehand…Well, I still desperately hit balls after balls into the net and smash 9/10 outside the table. Yuck!!!! The only thing that can change my potential idiot status next week is other girls handling the balls just the same.

Free stay resource

• Globalfreeloaders (Chinese guy)
• Place2stay (Turkish guy)
• Couchsurfing (Me looking for hosts)