Edinburgh, Scotland

 

My friend Joao and Jenna talking to a performer on the street.

just came back from Edinburgh, Scotland. I volunteered at Edinburgh Festival Camping from 29 July to 17 August, roughly 22 days in country. It was my second time volunteering with this company. The first timie was in 2017 during my around the world tour post Navy enlistment. Unfortunately I didn’t blog it. I stopped blogging about my trip in Portugal. I regret that. I blame my lack of discipline.

The Campground is located near Edinburgh International Airport, in the Royal Highland Center. The campground is only open during August, during that month the population of Edinburgh doubles in population because of the Fringe festival. ” It is the world’s largest arts festival, which in 2018 spanned 25 days and featured more than 55,000 performances of 3,548 different shows.” -according to Wikipedia.  Most accommodation is marked up because of the high demand.  The campground is one of the cheaper options during the festival.

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I managed to draw and water color a bit while I was in Scotland. It was very relaxing. 

I came back to Edinburgh because I remember that I had a good experience. I met people from all over the world, usually people that are traveling. This year was no different. As volunteers we shared experiences of our travels and exchanged cultural ideas. There were people from England, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, Austria, Belguim, and The Netherlands.  There were many that were practicing their English.  We were given large tents and a roommate. My room mate was Nicolas, a trained chef from a city near San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. We spoke Spanish to each other maybe 60 percent of the time. I invited him to Houston if he ever gets a chance and he invited me to his city as well. These exchanges were quite common. Most volunteers would share a bond, a camaraderie from the experience. Especially for the Europeans, they very well could visit each other easier than I or Nicolas could.  It was refreshing to meet so many people from so many places in such a relaxed atmosphere.

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My room mate”tentmate” Nicolas making pizza for pizza nights.

I also saw people I met last time I was here in 2017. When you go to a place even though its similar to your last experience, there is still a degree of uncertainty of meeting new people. It was good to see some familiar faces among the volunteers. Most of the staff I seen from the time I was here before. It was refreshing to see and reconnect with people you met once before. It’s like catching up with an old family member or childhood friend whom you haven’t seen in years.

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This was 2017.

Will I return next Year? I don’t know.  There is a strong possibility that I will.  Honestly I this entire week I’ve been back I have been looking for ways to go back to Europe for work or at another volunteer capacity.  I can’t deny that there is a feeling or energy that comes from a place when a bunch of strangers meet then become friends after a very short time.  There’s something that I don’t get when I travel around in the US that happens when I travel in Europe or even elsewhere.  I’m not sure what it is but the feeling just compels me to keep coming back to Europe.  I’m not sure if it’s the diversity of languages all on one continent, different cultures just hours apart from each other, or the people who live differently than me but still want the same things in life.

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One of the volunteer nights in 2019. 

Alaska

I work outside drawing as a caricaturist at the local aquarium here in Houston. It is hot and humid. The worst I’ve ever felt. Mind you I lived in the California desert before, 29 Palms. I don’t mind dry heat. I think humidity is the worst. I really wanted to travel this summer. My knee recovery and lack of funds prevented me from traveling. What I enjoy most about my life is the freedom of choice! I can stay up all night, eat ice cream for dinner, or play video games. When I don’t have a wife or kids. I can do whatever I want. It feels great. One of my favorite things to do is to plan potential travel adventures.

Alaska next summer is on my potential destination list. This isn’t some Into the Wild pipe dream. I want to work in Alaska, not go into the Alaskan bush. I also would like to use this welding skill I gained last year. I watched this video, Timothy Ward, on seasonal jobs in Alaska. He pretty much sold me on the idea. I will do more research. He worked as a hotel care taker. I’ve volunteered around the world in exchange for room and board. I feel this would be a good experience as well as a story.

Timothy Ward mentioned this website coolworks.com, it is a site where you can find jobs all over the country for different seasons. Looking at all the options was a little overwhelming.  It was a good place to start. I’m familiar with websites like this because I have used workaway.info for volunteering when I traveled abroad. Volunteering is cool but I like to get paid. I am not in the military anymore and need some sort of income.

Potential plan next summer. 1. Find a welding construction job next summer in Alaska. 2. Worst case scenario. I just find a normal seasonal job next summer.

My research consists of watching a lot of youtube videos on the subject and reading a couple blog posts.

If you have any stories of working Alaska or aboard please share in the comments. Any tips or advice would appreciated.

Next Post: Being a caricaturist.

Week 7 Post Surgery

I know, I know. It has been a long time between posts.   It just isn’t on my to do lists.

A few things to report on the past few weeks.

Cloth Drawings.

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Purpose of the Drawings.  I want to get better.  I need to work on a portfolio. I think back of Daniel Adel’s Paper drawings.  Amazing. It really is practice.  I went back to drawing instead of water color because to paint you really have to be a good draftsman.

A failed Comic book.  On my birthday I tried to do a 24 hour comic since I couldn’t travel or do anything I wanted to do like Jiu Jitsu.  I wanted to do a comic about my travels in 2017.  It was a good subject.  I just didn’t have enough skill, experience or drawing endurance to complete such a task.  It was a major undertaking.  I learned a lot from the experience.  My curiosity peaked to study the world of comics and drawing more.  I read Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud again. Then I read Making Comics. Now I’m reading Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner.  It is a project I still want to do in the future. 

Some provoking questions to ask myself.  What do I want to do with my Art?  Do I want to make beautiful art. Yes. But that can’t be the only reason to make art.  Anyone can make a pretty pictures.   How do I transcend the surface of it?  Story.  Maybe a narrative to connect the viewer/reader with the art. Beauty gets boring.  I like to laugh and have fun. How can I steer my work in that direction?

My friends and family came to visit.  It felt great to get out and experience Houston with my guests.  I have friends here in Spring but childhood friends have a special place.  We laugh and reminisce. They are also very creative and doing different things with their lives.  Its interesting to hear their stories.  We did a myriad of things. We visited the Johnson Space Center, watched a pro wrestling event in a parking lot in Montrose, saw the Fighting with my family movie, ate Texas BBQ at Corkscrew BBQ and tacos at Bigotes.  Larry and Fernando are going to start a pro  wrestling podcast. I fully support them because of their wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry.  I pitched them a travel show where they go to different countries and interview the wrestling scenes in each country. There are subcultures in every country and pro wrestling is no different.  I suggested the countries I’ve visited or want to visit. South Korea, Ireland. South Africa or Mexico.  I can be their camera man  I think its undiscovered territory in the Vloging world.

We went to Nasa Space Center. 

My mother and sister came.  I can’t thank them enough for their love and support.

My mom and I after 1 week post surgery. 

Day 135. Porto, Portugal

Surfing, Jiu Jitsu and Family

Bruno, our surf instuctor, helping out Svenja with standing up.

A few days after the Copenhagen Camp I ended up in Porto, Portugal. I wondered what I would do when I got to Porto. From the start of my trip I knew my family was coming to Portugal. I had to decide what to do before I met them in Porto. My options were I would either walk another Camino from Porto to Santiago, hang out in Porto for a week, or…. wait for it. Go to a surf school.

How long does it take to not be self conscious in a wet suit?

Porto will be an unforgettable chapter in my trip.  I learned to surf and met other beginners from all parts of the world. I trained Jiu Jitsu in the afternoon and nights after surfing. I drank and hung out with cool people whose couches I could use in the future. I was reunited with my family and I had old fashion family vacation.

Food brings people together. Argentina, USA, The Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, and France.

I booked the camp when I was in Vienna after talking to Tina, from Leipzig post, who described her love for surfing.  I thought that I should try it out. One should push themselves outside of their comfort zones. How else can you grow as a person? I found Surfivor on Google.  A great place with very comfortable accommodations. Bruno and Albert are very good surf instructors.  It seems they still have a lot of enthusiasm for it after many years. There were plenty of beginner students just trying it out.  Most nights the students ate dinner together and drank together. This experience has made me really enjoy surfing.  I will continue to surf in the future.

Gabriel from Romania. He just finished the Camino Frances.

I get my recommendations where to train from the BJJ Globetrotter Facebook Group.  I simply remember or search where people go to train on the forum. So far every place I’ve trained at has not disappointed me. I account that this is also a very open community that loves the sport and showing people their love for Jiu Jitsu.


Focus Jiu Jitsu in Porto, Portugal was one of the best places I’ve trained.  Manuel Neto, the head instructor, was very friendly and welcoming.  Focus has Jiu Jitsu three times a day Monday through Friday with one class on Saturday. The location of the gym is located inside a bigger gym/crossfit/MMA place about three blocks from the beach.  I rented a bike and it took about 15 minutes from my hostel.  A large amount of higher belts, one them just came back from Worlds and was awarded Black Belt. The facilities are clean, showers and a large mat space. The majority of population of Porto could speak English and the gym was no exception. I will definitely return to this place in the future.


My family visiting Porto before they attend a wedding in Lisbon was my favorite part.  I love Jiu Jitsu and surfing, but I enjoy spending time with my family.  It’s a good recharge from the months of travel I’ve been through.  There were many times on my journey where I get homesick.  I would call my sister and see how things are doing back home.  I did this more on this 4 months of travel than my 7 years in the Navy.  I took them to the restaurants that Tiago, the surf camp owner, recommended to me. They enjoyed the Francesinha, Restaurante Ababia do Porto and eating at the grilled fish street. We spent roughly two days in Porto together but I instilled them the love for Porto that I felt.

After 4 months of traveling I am reunited with my family.

My plan is to come back for a month to Porto maybe next summer. The surfing, Jiu Jitsu, and the amazing Portuguese food are a few reasons why I will return.  I’m already planning my return to Portugal.  I want to continue surfing when I return to California so I will be better when I come back.  The lifestyle is very similar to something I imagine myself I would be when I grow older.

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Day 122. Copenhagen, Denmark


My first BJJ Globetrotter Camp. When I first decided to travel around the world this was the first thing I booked, it was also one of the cheapest camps. All I had to do was travel to Copenhagen, lodging not included in price. I didn’t know what to expect for my first Jiu Jitsu camp. I kept my mind open and trained as much as my mind and body let me.  At the end of the camp I gained many friends and invitations to different gyms all over Europe.

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Peter from Sweden, Nick from Wisconsin, Patrick from London,

Some of my favorite tips from the Copenhagen Camp Information Guide by Daniel Bertina. Pace yourself, take notes and be social. Six days of 8-9 hours of Jiu Jitsu is a lot for anyone.  I didn’t want to burn myself out so I went to open mat at least once a day and I attended an average of 2.5 classes.  I would have liked to have attended more classes but it will just be a goal for next time.  I took notes for the classes that I did attend.  A tip that I will do next time is record myself doing the moves again in sequence with a partner to accompany the written notes. I should have been more social during the camp. This is one aspect that I did not take advantage until the end of the camp which was too late.  Next time I will attend the welcome meeting/ Jiu Jitsu speed dating, dinners and a few drink afterwards. The trick is to have a right balance of socializing and rest for the next days training sessions/classes.  As you can tell I’m already convinced that I will attend another camp.  The next important question is which one?

Nikita from Ukraine and Brian from the US.

A rolled with the original BJJ Globetrotter on the last day, Christian Graugart. Many years ago he went on a trip around the world to train Jiu Jitsu in as many different gyms as possible. It spawned into the friendly travel community we now know. He is not the first to make Jiu Jitsu camps but his BJJ Globetrotter brand has the most amount with 10 camps in different locales around the world. I felt honored to roll with him. He rolls like a black belt, relaxed and very composed against a lower belt, like myself. Although very playful and fun. A very approachable guy, it was interesting to pick his brain about the camps and his travels.

I trained everyday during the camp. I didn’t go to every class even though I wanted to. I socialized more on the last few nights. I should have went out more in the beginning especially for the Jiu Jitsu speed dating session to meet people.  I should have recorded myself summarizing the techniques I just learned. A Gopro is good but my iTouch with a tripod would have been fine. I met people from all over the world and received many invitations from gyms and gave out just as many.  I wonder when and where my next BJJ Globetrotter camp will be?

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Day 116. Leipzig, Germany

Tina and I having a picnic.

How I came to visit Leipzig is one of those serendipity moments.  I met a girl from my hostel in Vienna and she invited to visit Leipzig after Dresden.  It wasn’t on my plan, but why not I thought.  At times I think about how I travel before and how I travel now. I make more room to meet different people and have unique experiences. For example, I don’t have a concrete itinerary and I couchsurf through friends of friends. I’m glad that I had room in my schedule to see this city.

 

There was a free outdoor concert in the park to celebrate end of the season.

Tina showed me around her Leipzig during her off day.  We had lunch then we walked around the city center. We went to a museum about the GDR( German Democratic Republic), it was all in German but I had a translator with me. While traveling through Czech Republic and East Germany/ Dresden I am learning more and more about that time.  Tina said Germany is a young country when you think about the unification of the West and East sides. Germany is only 26 years old. Germany is a millennial?

Völkerschlachtdenkmal, the monument of the Battle of the Nations

She took me to see Völkerschlachtdenkmal, it’s a famous monument that symbolizes Napolean’s defeat in Leipzig.  I should read more about Napolean, his legacy is still lingering in Europe. He is one of those historical figures that I studied in History but I don’t remember the details. History tends to be buried underneath new history on top of present day news.  For it’s worth learning more about a continents history because in turn it affected the United States become what it is.

​Music was everywhere in Leipzig. Not only can you find it walking around down town or in the park, but when I was at the haupbahnhof and a traveling choir started singing in the atrium. It was an incredible experience that I can only give thanks to letting things go and see where things end up. I will definitely come back especially since I didn’t have time to train Jiu Jitsu.

Day 114. Dresden, Germany.

 

Thomas and I at Bastei.

Dresden, Germany. A city famed for being bombed on February 13, 1945.  I stayed with my friend, Thomas, on old Camino friend. We went hiking to Bastei and reminisced about the Camino. The weekend I came to Dresden there happened to be the biggest party of the year. I met some local Germans, had a picnic, and drank some beer. Dresden has the advantages of a small town and of a big city.

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Frauenkirche Church in Dresden.

I originally heard of Dresden in Howard Zinn’s You can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train documentary.  During the final weeks of the war, Dresden was bombed to great extent. The amount of casualties is still up to debate because of the amount of refugees from Czechoslovakia. Most of the old buildings were destroyed and the old town was leveled. Since the end of World War 2 and the fall of the iron curtain, the restoration has reinvigorated the old town and the city itself.

Thomas, Louis, (unknown friend), and I.

I walk with Thomas and Maria during my Camino hike last October. I visited Yun-Jin (Maria) last month in Seoul. I made a point to visit Thomas in Dresden.  It was great to go to a new city and already have friends. It’s one of those things I really appreciate traveling through Europe alone.  I slept on Thomas’s pull away Ikea couch. We saw another Camino friend, Louis, who studies in Dresden. It was during the biggest party of the year in Dresden.  It was a great experience. On Sunday, we went on a hike to Bastei. It was good to get out of the city and see nature. Thomas had to work during the week but we hung out when he came home.  We met up with Louis again my last night.

Frauenkirche building out of legos in the Karstadt.

We had a picnic BBQ next to the Elbe.  In central Europe it is very common to see people in the park having a picnic and drinking outside. Thomas has this small convenient grill that we used to cook some chicken, pork and steak. It was a perfect day for a picnic when the weather is perfect. I met Rebecca, Thomas’s room mate, and Thalia, Rebecca’s sister. I heard Rebecca’s au pair experience in Arizona. It’s interesting to hear other people’s travel experience of my own country.  Picnics are one of my favorite things to do. I have to do more when I get back to the States.

Rebecca,(Thomas’s roommate, Thalia?(Rebecca’s sister), and myself at BBQ

I spent five days in Dresden, but I felt that wasn’t enough time.  I saw some friends and met new people. I tried to train Jiu- Jitsu but google maps led me on wild goose chase. I was able to get some exercise by hiking and biking to the ghost gym. The weather was really excellent to enjoy with friends.  I don’t know when I’ll return to Dresden but I had good memories here.

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Thomas and Louis on the Elbe.

 

Day 108. Prague, Czech Republic

What was Prague like? It was beautiful and very picturesque.  I had long term travel fatigue episode, I had coped with it. I tried out my first couch surfing experience. I’m glad I’m an older solo traveler, I can’t keep up with these young people. Meeting local people is my favorite part about traveling. I met up with a old friend from when I was in the Navy.  Took a train out of Prague to Dresden.  I will definitely love to come back and visit the city.

The Dancing House by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić.

I came to Prague with over 100 days on the road.  It is very tiring being a tourist.  Some days you just want to go back home. Yes, even for the people living their dream there are bad days.  After I had this thought of long term travel fatigue, I looked and there was already a blog post about it, here.  I read this post after I recovered.  What did I do to recover. I kept going, I pushed through.  There are interesting places everywhere, you just have to keep looking.  I went to the National Technical Museum in Prague, practically no tourists there.  It was an inspiring to see different types of technology evolve with time. There is a photography exhibit, medical technology, film, architecture, appliances, printing presses and many more. Then I went to see the National Gallery.  I enjoy looking at painting and modern art because I studied a little bit when I was in art school. It was really exciting to some famous artists that I admired.  The title picture is a close up of a Alphonse Mucha. I love his decorative style and color palette.  What got me out of the slump was to keep doing what I’m doing, keep working, keep searching, and keep exploring. Eventually it will pass. That’s advice if you need it. Please see the link above, that post is also good advice for any plateau.

Sometimes you just need an afternoon to read and drink in a Beer Garden.

You know when your friend would send you a postcard from Europe, Prague is a perfect card. Prague is located in central Europe as the capital city of the Czech Republic.  It’s the fifth most visited city Europe.  To say there were a lot of tourist is an understatement. When Richard Simcott, the polyglot superstar, studied here in the 90’s he described the Charles bridge as walking through a living radio when you turn the dial fast.  So many people and so many languages you can hear maybe five or six walking through it.  I didn’t have that exact experience, but I did hear a lot of English. Prague is beautiful but the amount of people detract from it. There are cool things to do you just have to look closer than the average tourist.

I managed to get some training amidst my slump.  In fact, Jiu Jitsu is a really good way to get back into it.  Exercise is good to way to move forward with a situation.  I have now taken classes in Spanish, German, Czech and English. I wonder how many more languages I can learn Jiu Jitsu in. Honza Stach told me about Richard Andres at Penta BJJ. It’s great to meet people and that other people recommend. Richard spoke English very well and took time to show me certain details in English.  He trained on and off in Minnesota. He is as technical as Honza said he was.  I really enjoy that the network of Jiu Jitsu is just an interconnected network of people.

Richard and I at Penta BJJ.

I met Jan through a mutual acquaintance.  I was in Chile on a bike wine tour. A fellow, Matej from Slovakia, told me to check Czech Republic out and if I was going to Prague he might know someone to put me up.  I didn’t think anything of it. I gave him my email address, usually nothing comes from these situations. Maybe because I’m American and people are flaky in America. I’m used to it. After a few weeks he emailed me some advice on Slovakia and Czech Republic. He gave me a contact for Prague.  That is how I ended up on the Jan’s couch.  It’s so great to hear the perspective of a local about their city.  It’s honestly a priceless experience. I don’t think many tourists experience traveling this way.  I learned a lot about the history and attitude of Czech People through Jan.  He is one of the reason I want to return and really experience Czech Republic.

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Jan and I at Palour

I extended my stay in Prague an extra day to see and old Navy buddy, Robbie. I was his LPO(Leading Petty Officer) in the department of ICU. He is now stationed in Japan.He has been traveling around Europe for about a week now.  He showed me his itinerary and I managed move some things around and spend a day catching up. We went to pub crawl, urgh I thought. A bunch of other English speaking tourists. Not really my scene but nonetheless I had fun. I met some new people, I got lost, I found my friends and I had a great time. Normally I would shy away from stuff like that. The further I go along in Europe I will probably go on more drunken nights with big groups of strangers.

Austrialian Adam,  Me, Nina from Colorado, Robbie, Justin from Canada.

Overall a good time in Prague.  Sometimes you feel down even in the most beautiful locations. Just keep going and learn from the experience. Keep your hobbies close so that you can feel normal even in a foreign country.  It’s great to meet new friends and old friends all in the same city. Czech Republic left as space in my heart I will try to fill it some day.

Day 100. Brno, Czech Republic

 

A Farmers market around Parnas Fountain.

My rundown of Brno, Czech Republic. It was my first Matsurfing experience. The overall level in Brno is young but promising. The hospitality of Jan “Honza” Stach amazes me. I took a private lesson for leg locks. I will like to return some day to train for a longer period. The feeling of a new city every week has itself turned into a routine, still a good routine.  By the end of the week I gain new friends that were strangers at the beginning of the week. This has been a really memorable part of my journey.

 

 

 

If any one knows about long term travel from experience knows that it isn’t cheap, everything costs money.  Europe is no exception. BJJ Globetrotters started a site called Matsurfing.org. It is like couchsurfing but with Jiu-Jitsu contacts. I booked Vienna and Bratislava months ago. Now I don’t have that much money. So I decided to give mat surfing a shot.  An aspect of travel is pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. So I sent a few emails near my itinerary and Brno was the first to reply back. I plan to use it as much as I can for the rest of my journey. It was a great first experience with the site.

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Jungle BJJ Brno

The overall level of Jiu-Jitsu in Brno is blooming.  A very young scene in Brno at the current moment of 2017.  A lot of white belts and a few higher belts instructing.  That doesn’t mean to count them out of anything though.  I met Michal, the instructor of Jungle BJJ Brno.  He has beautiful school with a lot of hungry students.  A very friendly guy, who took me to lunch after a training session.  Although in general Brno Jiu-Jitsu level is low, Jan Stach at Fight Club Brno is doing tremendous things in the No-Gi realm.  His beginning students have adapted his leg lock attacking style. They may not have heel hook or attempted a knee bar on me but their straight ankles are just as lethal. I’m eager to fast forward to see what five years will look like.

 

I slept in a backroom with a couch. I woke to this every morning though.

I arrived on a Monday and I needed a night to myself in a comfortable environment to write.  I met up with Jan on Tuesday, training wasn’t scheduled for that day, but he introduced me to Jirka, a white belt who cross trains in different gyms, who took me to Jungle BJJ Brno.  I trained five times that week.  Jan told the other instructors about me, so they knew I would be sleeping in the gym.  Jan was very helpful and available if I had any questions.  There was a couch in the back room of the gym with blankets. There was also showers and toilette.  A draw back was no Wifi. The gym was located right next a tram line that goes direct to the city center running every 5-10 minutes.  There were 3-4 really good guys at Jan’s gym.  I was schooled by the different approaches to Jiu-Jitsu.

“Teaching Jiu-Jitsu is like being a lighthouse keeper.  It is a lonely job but you still have to go up there and turn on the light and be beacon for others to guide off of.” – Jan Stach, paraphrased

The No- Gi game at Fight Club Brno humbled me and my defensive skills.  I normally can relax when someone gets my back but Jan and his students had implemented an arm trap system to secure the back. It’s a sequence that I haven’t seen before. Afterwards I asked Petr, a hulk of a Czech with gnarly Cauliflower ears, to teach me.  I’m eager to also implement it into my game.  I learned so many new techniques that opened my mind to the possibilities of Jiu-Jitsu even more.  It think because of the school being primarily No-Gi. I asked for a private lesson in leg locks and Jan was happy to give it that Friday.  I learned one version of his entries to his leg locking system.  It is through circumstance and opportunity that I was able to train in Brno. I’m so grateful for passing through this city.

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A No Gi Competition near Trencin, Slovakia.

On my last day I traveled with Fight Club Brno to a competition in Slovakia.  Jan, Michael, and Petr competed.  I watched and recorded video.  I didn’t want to compete because I didn’t want to risk getting injured, especially because my travel insurance doesn’t cover competition.  Michael won two and lost in the Finals to an armbar from Jan. Petr took first place in his advanced division. Jan swept the division with submission victories. Afterwards I told him he needs better competition. Jan has only been training 4 years and competes almost every weekend. It is a testament to his teaching and his grappling style that he and his students placed in the competition.

(Kubo, Michael, Me, Jan, and Petr)

Would I Matsurf again? Yes.  I was able to meet with people and train more because I slept where I trained.  The generosity of Jan and his love for Jiu-Jitsu is contagious. The only thing I can do is pay it forward.  I’m excited for this pivotal time in Jan’s career and Jiu jitsu in Brno.  It will be interesting to see after the scene in Brno when I return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(​I caught the last two minutes of the final. Jan’s transition were impressive.)

How to get to Brno: FlixBus from Bratislava or Vienna.

Gym Count: 13 visited in 2017

“Most travel, and certainly the rewarding kind, involves depending on the kindness of strangers, putting yourself into the hands of people you don’t know and trusting them with your life.” ― Paul Theroux

Day 95. Bratislava, Slovakia

A summary of Bratislava. I arrived on a Monday and I left on a Monday.  I stayed in a Botel. I attended my first Polyglot Gathering. I also helped the event as a volunteer. I went on a tour of Devin Castle and a wine tour. I added a few more friends to my Facebook network. It was incredible new experience.

My room mates badge with the flags that represents that languages that he speaks.


I took a bus from Vienna Erdberg to Brastislava Einsteinova.  The worst part was if I just stayed bus till the end of the line I would have been closer to my hotel.  Since I got off a bus stop before the end I had to walk an extra 30 minutes to my accommodation.  Lesson learned for Bratislava.  It wasn’t a big deal, it could have been avoided if I possibly knew German or Slovak.  The growing pains of traveling, its almost impossible to not a make a mistake, cultural or logistics during travel.

My Botel on the Danube

I stayed in a Botel, not quite a hotel, not quite a boat on the Danube River.  It was the more economical choice when it came to lodging options for the Polyglot Gathering.  It’s location was the selling point.  It was about a 10 minute walk to the bus stop and it was a 10 minute walk from the city center.  It was very convenient for the conference.  Many other attendees or polyglots were also staying there.  My roommate was from Lithuania, he spoke many languages. We mainly conversed in English and Spanish, the only languages I can converse in.  Having a roommate made the experience better and put my whole anxiety at ease.

Richard Simcott

My first Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia.  I felt very intimidated because I only spoke two languages, and one of them wasn’t at a high level.  There were people there that spoke 4-5 languages fluently, then there were Rockstars in the community like Richard Simcott who can speak  as many as 20 languages.  I felt at awe when I was walking around and seeing all these people I watched on Youtube.  By the second day I realized that these people are just human beings, like me.  I started talking more as I got over the intimidation factor.

Devin Castle


Audrius and I


I helped as a volunteer since I got there a few days before the event started. As I wrote before I was apprehensive of my language skills so I decided to volunteer to help get over my anxiety. By being a volunteer you see more behind scenes and how things operate from a stage left point of view.  It’s something I learned in the Navy, by being behind the so called magician’s curtain we can see that some things aren’t that special or magical. I met other people that spoke only three languages, a few didn’t even speak English, they were from Slovakia.  I even saw Esperanto exist on a working level with the volunteers.  I enjoyed volunteering and had more one on one time with the other staff.  I was glad that I was able to help such wonderful event.

I took some tours that the organizers of the Gathering had set up.  The first day was non-stop talks in the morning and afternoon, it felt like school. My tour of Devin Castle was in the afternoon of the second day, it was a good break from the talks.  It was good to meet and talk with the other people from the Gathering in another setting. I didn’t want to go to Slovakia and not see some historical monuments. Another was a wine and old town tour. On the afternoon of the third day we walked around the old town and heard the history of Bratislava. Which ended in drinking wine in a cellar near the center. I enjoyed the tours more for the socializing with the other attendees than hearing the history, though it was interesting. I was engaged with a lot of interesting conversations about languages and where people are from.

Last night at the Slovak Pub.


I ended up connecting with more people in the end. I was able to open up more by the end of the conference. I think the tours were a good icebreaker to meet other people, especially when wine is involved.  I practiced as much of my Spanish as possible, usually when I practice Spanish it’s with native speakers. I hope meet all the people I talked to at future events.


If you are a language learner or if you are wondering about attending one of these events?  I recommend it and I plan on going to the next one.  Whether you only speak one or 13 languages, everyone is welcome.  As long as you have an openness to learn and speak. Where else would you meet people who are as passionate about learning languages, travel, food, and cultures. I’m glad I was able to stop by in Bratislava for this conference. I’m incredibly fortunate to attend all the events I wanted to do this year.

 

Farewell Picnic the Monday after the conference.

Langfest- Montreal, Canada.- August 25-27, 2017

 

Polyglot Conference, Reykjavik, Iceland.- October 27-29, 2017

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin