Encountering Adventures Prague Berlin and Leipzig Travel Diary

When I was young, I grew up listening to Jolin Tsai’s songs, especially remembering her popular song “Prague Square”. Unfortunately, after arriving in Prague, there was no wishing well, no white doves in the square, and no open space for me to dance and spin freely. When you look up, you can see the crowds of tourists, and you can hear languages ​​from all over the world.

I feel that Eastern European countries have a sad and angry atmosphere. When I lived in Latvia before, I felt that everyone here has a face of bitterness and hatred? At that time, I thought it was because of the cold weather, but when I came to the Czech Republic in the scorching summer, I still felt the same way. People in Eastern Europe are completely different from the lazy and relaxed people in Southern Europe and South America that I often come into contact with. In Portugal, there are not many people who are serious about wearing clothes in the 30-degree high temperature. Here, everyone is still covered tightly, which is interesting Compared.

The main task of coming to Prague is to worship Kafka. Visited his former residence and museum, and learned a little more about his life and anecdotes. A writer is inseparable from his environment. Whenever I look up at the castle on the other side of the river in Prague these days, I seem to have the same fantasy as Kafka. Maybe he has already implanted the story in my mind, maybe it is The castle that seems to be within reach but is actually far away does have a kind of magic. In short, it will make people have an urge to describe it. So, I collaborated with chatGPT to write a Kafka and Prague story:

A long time ago in the city of Prague, there lived a young man named Kafka. He is an extremely sensitive and thinking person, always exploring the meaning of life and the value of human existence. Kafka had a heart longing for freedom, but he found himself bound by a strange force.

One day, Kafka found himself suddenly transformed into a giant beetle. His body was covered with a black carapace, and a pair of hideous large pincers grew out. Kafka was shocked and confused by this turn of events. He didn’t understand why he became like this, and he didn’t know how to get back to the original state.

Kafka’s parents and siblings panicked at the sudden change. They were afraid to face Kafka and did not know how to help him. Kafka was shut up in his room, cut off from the outside world. He felt alone and hopeless, not knowing how to move on with his life.

However, although Kafka’s body changed into a beetle, his thoughts and emotions did not change. He can still think, still have strong inner feelings. Kafka began to observe his surroundings, and gradually discovered the strange power in Prague.

Prague is a city full of mysteries and sorrows. The Pluck Massacre during World War II, the world-famous Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution… In this city, people’s thoughts and behaviors seem to be influenced by some invisible force. Bound by rules and routines, unable to truly pursue your heart’s desire. Prague’s buildings and streets are full of medieval melancholy and heaviness. This unique atmosphere makes Prague a source of inspiration for literary and artistic creation.

Kafka began to realize that his own transformation might be a manifestation of the restraining forces in Prague. His image of the beetle became a symbol of people’s inner dilemma and depression. Kafka is determined to find a way to escape, to help himself and other bound people find freedom.

So Kafka embarked on a journey of adventure. He walked through the narrow alleys of Prague, among the old castles and churches. During his journey, he meets a variety of characters, each with their own troubles and obsessions. Kafka listened to their stories and shared his thoughts and insights. Through his communication with these people, he inspired the courage and desire deep in their hearts. Kafka used his actions and words to try to awaken the repressed free will in everyone’s heart.

In the end, Kafka became an enlightener and guide in the city of Prague. He gradually discovered that liberation is not just about getting rid of external shackles, but also a kind of inner awakening and pursuit. He understands that everyone has their own Prague and that everyone needs to find their inner door to be truly free. Because of Kafka, Prague has become more colorful, full of creativity and freedom.

These few days in Prague, I ate meat and drank beer every day. One day, I was sitting in front of a restaurant having dinner. Suddenly, a girl with an Asian face came over and asked me in Chinese if I was Chinese. I nodded. Then she said excitedly that I was eating deliciously, and asked me if I would recommend this restaurant. This restaurant was introduced by my local friend, so I told her she must recommend it. Then the girl took her mother in to order, and after a while she ran out with the menu and asked me how to order which one I ordered, I told her about it, she thanked me and then ran away. My friends all said that I eat very deliciously, and every restaurant should put me eating and drinking at the door as a living sign. I didn’t care about it before, but after seeing some friends taking photos of me eating, my eyes really shine. The day when it is full and delicious is a beautiful day!

The main purpose of coming to Berlin is to experience the local clubbing culture. I have a good time with the digital nomad friends I met from Nomadlist . I suddenly understand why Japan and Germany have such a wonderful culture. I think it is the shame and remorse from the defeated country, which will leave a deep imprint on the hearts of several generations, and people always need a breakthrough to vent their emotions. This is also the source of many wonderful cultures.

A German friend I met in Madeira recommended me to go to a Berlin noodle restaurant. After I ordered and sat down, a Chinese girl came over and asked me if I was alone. , Tell me that she has stayed up late for several days and finally completed a project, and today she has something good to celebrate.

At first I resisted, I just wanted to eat noodles alone, why did you come to talk to me. But I couldn’t hold back the girl’s enthusiasm, so I chatted with her for a while, but I didn’t expect it to be quite interesting. She knew that I came from Portugal, so she said it was the hometown of Ronaldo. This ignited my interest, and I started to discuss Melo and Mbappé with her, and then the topic of football rose to German and French immigration and political correctness. On the topic, I haven’t talked enough after dinner, and I chatted all the way to the subway station.

It’s funny to think about it now, if I hadn’t met my German friend in Madeira, I wouldn’t have been to this noodle shop, or met this girl, let alone this thought-provoking conversation. Everything in the world is connected to each other by a special energy. What I can do is to open my heart and let everything pass through me instead of controlling life with my limited wisdom.

In Berlin, I happened to meet friends from New Zealand and the United States, as well as an old friend I met at the London Book Club. I haven’t seen this old friend for more than three years. He said that I have become much calmer. I remembered that when recording the last farewell show of Ideal Village, the male anchor also said similar things, saying that compared with when I first started recording podcasts, my overall mood is much more stable. Over the years, I always feel that I am still the impatient person, but the perspective of others can always help me see some blind spots. This kind of visible progress shows that the meditation and meditation over the years have been subtly working. It’s nice to know you’re on the right path. People always have to find a way to live in peace with the world, don’t they?

If I had to choose only one German city to worship, it would have to be Leipzig. Bach worked here for 27 years, Wagner founded the opera house here, Nietzsche taught at the University of Leipzig, Marx studied at the University of Leipzig, Goethe and Schiller performed literary creation here, and the Leipzig Red Bull football team sent outstanding players to the five major leagues .

Leipzig is indeed a magical place to me. Fa Xiao, who I haven’t seen in nearly 20 years, got together here! The reason is that she seldom plays Weibo. A few nights ago she suffered from insomnia and started to browse Weibo. She saw the picture of Leipzig I posted, and she just flew from Australia to Germany to visit relatives this month. She just stayed in Leipzig for one day. She happened to see Here I am, and so there is this wonderful reunion, the two of us chatting and renewing our relationship in a devil-themed underground restaurant mentioned in Goethe’s “Faust”.

Interesting to say, with the blessing of German wine and meat, I felt that I should go to the gym, so I found a local CrossFit Box to experience it. As soon as I entered the door, I was warmly welcomed by a little brother. He was super enthusiastic to help me carry the rowing machine and the big box. He probably looked at my diminutive appearance and my physical strength was probably not very good. I felt like old friends at first sight, and I was invited to have breakfast at his house. I feel that our experiences are so similar. Before the epidemic, I moved from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere and planned to travel in Europe. However, the epidemic disrupted the plan and I lived alone in the new country. After more than half a year, after finally opening up, I found a city that suits me (I am Lisbon and he is Leipzig). We all started working remotely in 2019. We would rather get less salary and pursue a place where we can arrange our time freely Work remotely .

In addition, I also had an unnatural experience in Leipzig these days. As I said before, I am a person who is easily influenced by the environment. The small theater in my brain will produce different hallucinations and behaviors when induced by a specific environment. When I visited the former residence of the Bronte sisters, I lived in a homestay built in the 17th century, and I could see the graves of the Bronte sisters on the opposite side. In those few days, when I looked out the window, I felt possessed by them. Then I worked hard for several days, and finished most of the content of the English novel.

This time I wandered around the campus of the University of Leipzig, where Nietzsche once walked and taught. Then I suddenly burst into tears, and even saw someone similar to Nietzsche walking towards me, so I wanted to go up to him and give him a hug, telling him that there are people in this world who understand you. I often look up at the sky, and the image of God drawn by William Blake in “The Ancient of Days” will appear in front of my eyes. At this moment, my legs are weak, and I have an urge to kneel and surrender, and a strong and powerful voice resounds in my ears, It’s OmAhHum, it seems that only I know the specific meaning behind it.

Finally, I would like to recommend the Bach Museum in Leipzig. It is a model of a musician’s museum. Not only is the content well done, but the key is to allow the audience to participate in it. Whether it is composing music or listening to surround sound stories, it is entertaining and rewarding. rich.

By the way, I was writing my first English novel, and I kept playing Bach’s BWV 639 on a loop, which gave me a lot of inspiration and motivation. In the book “Tools of Titans”, Tim Ferriss summed up the common points of people who have made achievements in their respective fields. One of them is that most people have the habit of listening to a song repeatedly to concentrate their energy. True.

Attached are a few others:
1. 80% of respondents meditate every day.
2. A large proportion of men over the age of 45 never eat breakfast.
3. Many people use ice packs at night to achieve a comfortable sleeping temperature.
4. “A Brief History of Mankind”, “Poor Charlie’s Almanac”, “Influence” and “Searching for the Meaning of Life” are at the forefront of all recommended books.
5. Listen to a song repeatedly.
6. Almost everyone has a side hustle besides their main one.
7. Believe that failure is only temporary.
8. Almost anyone can turn their weaknesses into strengths.

During the epidemic, I helped NZTE, a subsidiary of the New Zealand government, to do the Palma de Mallorca sailing cup project in London for six months. I had been preparing for so long, and I was thinking about accepting the results. In the end, I couldn’t go because of travel restrictions. , okay, remote viewing is also good.

As a result, today, two years later, I accidentally stayed here for a day. Looking at such a familiar and unfamiliar place, I once again lamented that fate is like an interesting playmate, always surprising you inadvertently. As Einstein said, there are only two ways of life in the world, one is to believe that there is no miracle in everything, and the other is to regard everything as a miracle.

Halfway through this trip, I have a feeling of wanting to go home. I feel that the desire to travel is getting less and less. In addition to eating some local specialties, meeting local friends, and encountering some wonderful things and people, the attractions are very important to me. It is a waste of time to talk about it, it is difficult to see the real thing that shocked me, and the detailed background introduction on the Internet fascinates me even more. I can finally understand that my favorite writer Pessoa has created an incomparably gorgeous world without leaving home. The joy of soaring in the spiritual world is really unparalleled.

Speaking of the spiritual world, the little brother I met in Leipzig has a cool tattoo, which originated from Plato’s “Origin of Love”. Stephen Trask wrote a song of the same name for the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, discussing love, Themes of identity and the desire for connection capture the universal desire to find a soul mate and seek wholeness. Perhaps one of my major pursuits in the spiritual world in this life is to have a soul mate who knows you and understands you.

Finally, I attach my Google map guide in Prague and Germany, welcome to refer to:

Germany: https://goo.gl/maps/q44HcW59QaJGy48x6
Prague: https://goo.gl/maps/VTsu49WuYNki1gbD7