Czech Made

Blogger, we need to talk...

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Dear blogger,

We have been together for more than a year and you will always have a special place in my heart. But the last few months I have felt like there is something wrong between us.

And believe me, it's not you...it's me. I know this is a horrible cliché but it's true. I feel like we have just grown apart. We are at two different places and I just can't pretend that everything is fine anymore.

I have tried really hard to keep this up, to make this work...for the sake of our relationship. But now I know that I have to do this for both of us. You deserve somebody who will give you everything and who will be there for you 100%.

I have to leave you. Yes, I have met somebody else but trust me, our problems started long time before that. Please know I will always cherish the memories of the laughter and the tears we shared. You have helped me through a lot and I will never ever forget that.

I hope you will find a place in your heart to forgive me and maybe, some day, we can be friends?

With love,

Petra

P.S you can find me here: czechmade.tumblr.com

Small things worth missing

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:05:00 +0000

Bonjour mes amis!

Being an international student living far from my home and all, I sometimes miss the smallest things that differentiate the home from just a place you live. Usually, when you have these things, you don't even notice them but you start to miss them terribly when they are gone.

So, there is the list of things I miss the most.

Smell
I love the smell of my home. It smells like... a fresh spring day when you just sit on a terrace enjoying the sun and sipping lemonade.

Cleanness
When you enter my home everything is clean and tidy. Yeah, there are some misplaced things now and then but there is no old dirt. It's hard to get that when you live in a house with 3 other people who have different opinion on what clean actually means.

Being close to someone

Whenever I'm at home I don't have to talk to my mum that much, it's enough that I know she is in the house. But when I'm in Preston or London or wherever, I have to talk to her every single day (yeah, mollycoddle I know). Although I do have friends over here, I don't know them for that long (2yrs max) to feel safe enough to talk to them about anything. Simply said, my mum knows me the best.

Full Fridge

When at home, I don't have to think about the shopping, rising prices of food, and weekly budget. Whatever I want to eat is already in the magic fridge that is never ever empty. You just reach in and get a banana...just like that. No extra effort needed...

Bread

Czech bread is THE BEST!! Screw French bread, screw English fluffy basically-just-air toast. Czech bread is just dense, fulfilling, tasty...simply amazing.

My bed

I think I don't have to comment on that.

Disney has broken the heart of my inner child

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Hi there,

So, I'm back at Uni, enjoying the student life free of all worries. Kidding. In fact, I'm trying to stop myself from the famous burn-out syndrome. You see, I'm that kind of person who just hates having nothing to do, therefore, I'm just looking for things to do and end up having no time at all.

Currently, I have 'just' two jobs. I work in a Digital Journalism department as an assistant and than as a PR manager a company that sells LED lights and solar panels. Plus, I have decided to start an advanced French course that is far from being easy.

That takes me to what I actually want to talk about in this post. To better my listening skills, I've started to watch movies in French. The first movie on my list was Pocahontas. I used to love this movie as a kid so I was really excited to see it again as an 'adult'.

I found the French version on YouTube, watched it, and, surprise, still loved it. However, when I finished watching it I noticed that there was a link to Pocahontas 2. All curious, I clicked on it.

Pocahontas 2 basically picks up where the first movie ended. We see Pocahontas going to Europe when she hears rumors about John Smith being dead. Automatically, she becomes a new sensation in the higher circles of the society and faces the struggles that come with it: rotten society vs. pure life in the sync with the nature. That would be completely fine if the lovely people at Disney didn't decide to 'add a little spice' to the whole plot by creating a love triangle between Pocahontas, John Smith and...John Rolfe.

Suddenly, the whole big love story from the first movie is belittled into a meaningless affair as Pocahontas falls in the arms of John Rofle, who looks a lot like John Smith except the hair. it wouldn't be that bad if they didn't 'tweek' the Smith's character a bit so the break-up would fit the story and wouldn't make Pocahontas fans so mad (which it did anyway).

I know that in life people's feelings change and that love may not be eternal. However, Pocahontas' and Smith's story formed a huge part of my childhood. Yes, the movie may be naive, unrealistic, historically incorrect (common it's a Disney movie) and whatever. But I loved it for its purity, for the memories I have attached to it, for the image of love it portrayed (unlike other Disney movies there was no marriage or girls doing everything to get the prince).

For my own good, I have decided to forget that Pocahontas 2 even exists.

Day in London

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I have finally finished the video I wanted to do for sooo long. Anyway, thanks to my brother's shaky hand and his impression that every video needs a little bit of 'action' (which for him equals loads of uncontrollable and fast movements) the quality is not as high as I planned. But, that's life...

Change of Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:21:00 +0000

Hi readers!
(I will have to come up with better greeting because I'm getting tired of this one)

I love food. I adore food. I wouldn't be able to live without food (surprising, isn't it). But not every food is actually food. I have come across a documentary called FOOD. Inc. that talks about the food industry in the USA. Don't wprry, it's not like one of those PETA videos that make you want to vomit after several second of watching them.

Food, Inc. gives you the full picture of how the current state of the industry seen through the eyes of consumers, farmers, supermarkets and big corporations. It shows you what a huge part your choice of what you buy and when plays in this monstrous system and how a little change can help loads of people.

Being the suspicious girl I'm, I have done my research around it just to be sure it's all based on some kind of truth. Honestly, most of it is pretty much straight-forward but I felt that some bits around the companies needed to be looked into further (I don’t like making assumptions based on just one resource). But, surprise, surprise, it was true.

I believe that people should be educating themselves about these matters. It's a no-brainer. If you vote, you should know a big dealt about politics and why to vote this or that party, person. If you eat, you should know a big deal about where your food comes from and what an impact your choices have.

Anyway, for those who are wondering how this documentary has changed my life...I have decided to buy food that's in season, local and organic. For all the Brits out there, here is a link to a great site that not only lists food that's in season each month but also gives you some great recipes you can try.

It's not about changing your diet. It's about changing your choices.So, why not?

Petra Opelova

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Petra Opelova: "This is your new Flavors.me page. To visit my personal page click on:
opelova.com
"

Sexuality in Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:28:00 +0000

Hi guys,

I haven't done anything PR, ads related so I though I could throw something in.

Have you noticed how women are usually portrayed in ads? Either they are hopeless when it comes to tough stains on their white blouse or they are half-naked (or completely naked) winking on the camera and licking their lips.

And I get it, if you have an ad featuring a sexy girl being flirty with the audience, not many guys will change the channel. It’s cheap and without a hint of creativity but it works.

However, I think it can be done differently.Don’t’ worry, I won’t go all feministic on you. Days when a girl couldn’t choose whether to do a certain type of ad or not are long gone. So, if the girl wants to earn some good cash for showing her booty, it’s her problem. I’m not fan of it (and I certailny don't like the ad above), but I can’t judge anyone.

What I want to talk about is adding a little bit of creativity, or humour to it. Have a look at the next ad.

I love this one. I think it's just simply witty. It has the girls that many guys would love to watch, it has the humour and thanks to that, it will stand out. And instead of looking cheap, it looks smart.

Spanish Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Hello my lovely readers!

As promised, I have some pictures for you from the Spanish Day Festival here in London. I must say it was a great day. I went with my brother's girlfriend, let's call her Miss Jimmy Choo (she works for Jimmy Choo so the name is more than appropriate).

So we started off by standing in a line with another 500 people waiting to get our hands on some free paella. 45minutes later, we were happily munching on our portion of golden rice with chicken and beans. I was really surprised that it was so good since they were making around 1000 portions at once.

They were basically making the whole dish on a huge pan in front of a huge audience.

Finished and ready to serve!

And there is me, being happy. :)

We have also seen the famous "Dancing Horses" (or how it is called). It was breath-taking. Literally. I didn't have any idea how much saliva can a horse produce during 15-minute long performance. Really remarkable. I just hope that the horses enjoyed it as much as the people watching them.

Free Churros (which look something like fries but it's sweet) with a chocolate dip.

There were little stands where you could learn about different parts of Spain and get some stuff for free. Usually, it was sampling of local food like Gazpacho (soup which is served cold - Red Dwarf fans surely know), or meat. I just loooooved the meat!

Overall, it was great fun. There was music, free food, dancing, horses, useful info...what else do you want?

Next week, I will have a video from the Royal Ascot for you! So excited!!

Online Dating

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Hello my lovely readers!

Before you jump to any conclusions, let me explain: No, I haven't ventured into the unpredictable territory of online dating. As an intern at Frank PR, I have participated in a focus group that was just testing a new online dating site called Somebody to Love. Honestly, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

First, a little bit of introduction. Somebody to Love is quite different from the traditional dating sites as it uses rather unique system. You don't have to fill in loads of info about yourself. The only thing you have to do is to put in your birth date.

The system is basically a merge of Western and Eastern astrology, so when you put in your birth date, it spills out your personality profile with some predictions for the future and stuff.

When you have enough reading about who you actually are, here comes the relationship bit: the system offers you matches.

If you already have someone you can try just submit his/her birth date next to ours and see how compatible you are.

Now, back to my story. I'm extremely skeptical when it comes to astrology and all this jibba jabba. Therefore, I took the whole thing as a great fun, and what a fun it was.

I was surprised that my own profile was spot-on. There were some things I would add but nothing I would take away. Then it came to matching me and my ex and that was when the real fun started. We were like 3.9% compatible. When I saw the score I burst out laughing. Again, spot-on (maybe should be even lower).

Then I read his profile (while laughing) and it was...spot-on. Generaly, the profiles, although they were not as generic as I would have expected, seemed to be more or less right. However, when I tried matching relationships of other people, I'm not sure the compatibility percentage was right for every case.

All and all, I think it's a great fun. I can see loads of people completely falling for it. And why not? It's an interesting idea. But not me. I guess I'm too skeptical and traditional for that.

On a slightly different note, the bloody DPD Domestic delivery did NOT deliver my video camera on time so I won't be able to make a video tomorrow. :( But I will post some pictures, at least. Plus, I have to go to the city anyway because when I was buying some stuff at H&M, the guy didn't take off the magnetic thingy from my shirt so I can't wear it now. He should have payed attention to what he was doing instead of asking me about the weather and other stuff. Well, there is nothing I can do about any of this today...so whatever.

Walking weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:59:00 +0000

Hi guys!

So, now I'm in London for the whole summer, I have decided to dedicate my weekends to exploring this city and showing it to you guys through my blue eyes. :)

I would also like to know whether you be interested to see some videos from London. I don't have a camcorder yet, but I want to buy one and this would be a perfect excuse to do so. :)

Anyway, this weekend I went to the Kensington area with my brother and his girlfriend. We started off by visiting the offices of Jimmy Choo, where my brother's girlfriend works. (btw: if you are curious whereabouts it is, just have a look at the map below. I have highlighted where we were going and places we took pictures of).

Jimmy Choo offices are on the right.

Entrance to Jimmy Choo offices.

Me, having a cup of coffee at COSTA.

After a nice cup of coffee at COSTA, we headed off straight to Kensington Gardens.

This should be an Embassy Romania. Fancy.

Kensington Palace

Small garden next to Kensington palace.

When you get to the nice gardens next to Kensington palace, you will definitely notice one thing: squirrels. These fearless little creatures are just everywhere. Because they are used to tourists giving them all kinds of stuff, they just walk up to you waiting to be fed. Unfortunately, we didn't have anything to give them so they let us be.

Fearless squirrel

Kensington palace gardens

Italian gardens...you can actually see Hyde Park from here.

I have totally fallen in love with these apartments! They face the Kensington Park and have sooo big French windows (again, I love French windows). Unfortunately, they are ridiculously expensive.

Here is the map of our Kensington trip. :)

View Kensington trip in a larger map

Hope you liked it. :)
Next week, I'm going to the Spanish Festival here in London. Let me know whether you would like me to do a video or if pictures are enough. ;)

My Internship!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sat, 28 May 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Hope everyone is doing great. :)

I'm in London. Again. But this time I'm straying here for three months filling my free time by working for Frank PR, which is a PR agency.

I also have a new place to live. It's not far from Finsbury Park station.

It's quite nice, I think. I live with 5 other people who come from all different places (Italy, Brazil, New Zealand etc.). I will show you pictures of my room soon. Promise.

I just haven't had time to do anything besides working and sleeping.

So, how is my internship so far? I'm rather reluctant to say anything definite as I have been there just a week and a lot can change in the next 10weeks. But I think it's getting better and better. :)

On Thursday after work (which was around 7pm), I jumped on the underground to get to my friend's birthday party that took place in Bill's restaurant. I arrived to Covent Garden and started running around to find the bloody place. I asked loads of people for directions but everybody was clueless.

After about 15 minutes of hopeless searching, my friend called and her friend (so many friends in one sentence) finally helped me to get there.

When I got there, I was both exhausted and excited at the same time. I gave my friend Becherovka, which I had bought in the Czech Republic, as a present and he was so kind to open it and give everyone at the table to try. At first, I didn't want it because I knew I had to work the next morning, plus, it was quite late, plus, I was hungry and I didn't know what it would do to me. But he insisted. So, as it was his birthday dinner, I had to try.

Bad choice. Don't worry, I didn't get drunk. I "only" realized how delicious Becherovka is (well, it was invented in the Czech Republic, so it's no surprise. ;D). My friends said that it tasted like Christmas. Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't. Either way, I love it!!

BTW: I hope you like the new design of my blog. It's still in progress but I will finish it asap!

Back from my online holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I'm back online. Why I have been away for so long? Because I just needed some kind of online detox for a few weeks and just enjoy being with my family and my dog.

I have been offline for a month or so and when I finally opened my email and looked at my Facebook account, I was a little bit shocked. Loads of people were asking if I was even alive and if everything is ok. Interesting thing is that none of those people send me a text or called me.

Plus, some people have stopped following me just because I was silent for a few weeks. Funny how your follower base you have been building for ages collapses when you don't supply it with new stuff on daily basis.

Anyway, I wanted to show you some pictures from my home, the Czech Republic. My brother got new camera so the pictures look really nice (at least that's what I think). Hope you like them. :)

That's my dog. Her name is Britannica of Yellow Queen but we call her Brita...it's shorter. :)

That's my brother playing golf. If you enlarge the picture you can even see the golf ball. :)

I have a few more pictures of myself but my mum says that I look like idiot in them so I'm not posting them. :D

Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Last week I was in London for yet another interview. I woke up at 4am, got on a train, and arrived in London around 8ish. This gave me around 2hours to find the offices of Frank PR - my final destination.

Needless to say, I was pretty nervous.

Right before I went in I told myself: "Just relax and breathe. Everything will be alright. You know your stuff."

As the interview progressed, I realized that it was quite easy. I talked about what I'm more than interested in (social media, PR, community management, video games etc.) and it all seemed just...natural. Plus, my interviewers were so friendly and nice that it was more of a chat than an interview.

...this is so nice.

After the interview, I went back to the railway station to wait for my train. Just when I was sitting in a crowded cafeteria, sipping my cup of tea, my phone vibrated. I got an email from the agency saying that they liked me and wanted me to work for them!! I started jumping around and couldn't stop giggling.

But then I noticed that everyone was looking at me with both surprise and judgment in their eyes.

So, I tried to tame my excitement a little bit. :)

Now, I'm just happy and grateful as my work has finally paid off!

It's getting tough

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:35:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

I have only 3 weeks to go till the end of this semester. Although it doesn't seem like much, believe me, it's a lot. Why? Because during those 3 weeks I have so much to do. When I think of it, my whole March has been loaded with assignments and work.

I usually enjoy doing assignments. Especially presentations as I love designing it and making it visually appealing so everyone is like: "Wow! That presentation looks AMAZING!"

Sometimes I use PowerPoint, but I think that's getting quite old school. I loooove doing flash presentations so it's dynamic and people don't get bored watching it.

Did I hear group work?

However, what I hate to do is group work. I wouldn't be stressed at all if it wasn't for that bloody group work!!! This semester I have been teamed up with people who didn't care about getting first, not even 2:1, and their only wish was to pass while not doing any work. And that is nerve-wrecking for someone who is striving for the best grade possible (aka me).

You are supposed to work people!!!

When one of my group mates showed me her work, I just couldn't believe how bad it was. Both grammatically and stylistically. I, a foreign student, was correcting and redoing work of a English student. I have never ever seen so many mistakes in my life.

I was working my ass off to get the work done, rewriting and correcting the work of others, and trying to make them meet the deadlines. I was wrecked.

Nightmare. So last week when my tutor announced another group work.....

But then I thought...whatever...

So what? I may end up doing way more than others. My grades may be worse due to the ignorance and lack of discipline of others. But there is no way around it. I have to do it. So I may as well suck it up and do the best I can. No matter how energy-consuming and nerve-destroying it will be.

Because that's how I roll. :D

Erasmus vs full-time students aka my first comic ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:39:00 +0000

Whoop! This is my first comic ever and I'm so proud of it!! Hope you like it. ;)

Click to enlarge. :)

Who is messing with your mind?

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Yesterday, I had one of those nights when all you want to do is to drink tea and watch documentaries. Whenever I feel like this, I just turn on my laptop, go straight to Top Documentary Films and pick whatever looks interesting (yes, in this case I judge a book by its cover...and title.)

This time I came across two amazing documentaries that even related to PR (so I was basically studying!). Both of them were produced by Metanoia and you can watch them online for free.

PsyWar: The Real Battlefield is the Mind
The documentary focuses on the evolution and various methods of thought manipulation primarily used in times of war or crisis. Scott Noble, writer and director in one person, tries to open our minds by talking to intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky, and looking critically at current media.

It explains terms such as elitist theory of democracy, psyops [psychological operations], perception management, and embedded journalism.

I love, love, loooooooove this documentary. It makes you realize how easily influenced you can be when sitting in front of TV and simply consuming what is being said. I'm not suggesting that you should perceive this movie as the ultimate truth, or just another conspiracy theory. No, just have a look, think about it...and decide for yourself.

Human Resources
Ok, this documentary occupied my mind long after I watched it. Plus, it scared the hell out of me.
Unlike PsyWar, it talked about things I was not so familiar with so most of the time I was just watching with my mouth open thinking: This can't be true. They can't be serious.

Human Resources takes you behind the doors of hospitals, scientific facilities and prison cells, where people , curious about how the human mind works, do totally inhumane things. Experiments on animals, soldiers, unsuspecting citizens, and even innocent children introduced chronologically from the first behaviorists, through Nazis scientist, up to know.

I found it both fascinating and horrifying. Definitely worth a look.

The Hardships of Getting an Internship

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:19:00 +0000

Hi guys,

so yesterday, one of my favorite companies replied to my internship application. Mind you, I have been trying to get an internship there from September and I have had several interviews with them. I have fallen in love with that company and that has made my desire to work there even higher.

After ages of biting my nails, researching everything what was researchable about social media and the company itself, after whispering please into the empty void of my room more than 1000 times, I received an answer.

We have found somebody more suitable.

Yes, that's how it goes. I'm not good enough. And guess what happened?

I cried.

And cried.

And cried some more.

After several hours I realized that this was going nowhere. I stopped. And I changed my attitude. Yes, I have given the internship so much of my energy, so much of my dedication, so much of myself...I'm NOT going to give up just like that!!! I will fight. Because I believe that I have something no other inters have.

I won't give up on my dreams.

I won't give up so easily.

Getting an internship of your dreams it though...but I'm tougher!

Hangover on the social media

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:19:00 +0000

Remember the days when everyone was hiding their hangover behind huge sunglasses and tried to pretend that they are ok? Well, I don't. When I was old enough to understand what hangover even is, I was already part of the Facebook generation.

I admire Facebook for many things. I like the way it has connected people and how it has opened doors for many good causes to get noticed. Some people claim that Facebook is evil. I think that Facebook is just a tool. How you use it (or don't for that matter) is up to you. Don't blame others.

However, what is interesting about social networks is how safe it makes people feel. Even though there are numerous articles all around the offline and online media doubting the safety of Twitter or Facebook, people still share information concerning their personal life including their current location. With Facebook's safety settings change like cravings of a pregnant woman, the notion that what is on Facebook stays on Facebook (or any other social network) is quite naive.

This takes me back to the hangover issue. It seems like the normal boundaries we use to have about sharing personal information with total strangers have lowered considerably. This has marked an emergence of a new online 'hobby': look how hangover I'm (again).

When I moved to the UK, I was very surprised (to say the least) at how my fellow students bragged about their hangovers and even supported each other in going out and getting 'wasted'. Sometimes they competed who had the worst hangover. It seemed to me as they were proud of it (and they probably were). This took place not only offline (in class) but also online. I found this phenomenon quite fascinating.

Believe me, if I can read this tweets/statuses so can everyone else (your parents, employers, teachers)

So why they do it? I have came to understand that hangover is such a huge part of some students' lives that they just HAVE TO share their experiences (not talking about pictures from the night out). Plus, if drinking and consequent hangover are a necessary part of being accepted as a worthy member of some group, or just an statement of some personal qualities (good drinker = alpha male :D), there is one more reason why to use social networks for informing as many people you can about how great you are. ;)

Don't take me wrong, I'm all for nights out (once in a while). It's just amusing to see what for some people drinking stands for and how they talk about online. Take it as an interesting study of human behavior. ;)

My Valentine's day disaster

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Hi guys,

I did this at 11pm, one take...that was all I could do. Bare with me, please. ;)

The Blanks and Edinburgh..

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Hi my lovely readeeeers!

As promised, pictures from my night out...

Ready to head out...however my choice of footwear was not very fortunate. As I'm not used to wearing heels, I was unable to walk home from the concert...and my feet were bleeding. :(

My lovely dovely Urban Decay fake tattoo.

Me and Kate

And now, pictures from my and my housemate's day in Edinburgh...

If visit Edinburgh you have to go to the Camera Obscura. It is the best place to see.

I didn't know my head could get any bigger...

I'm finally smaller than my housemate!! Yeey!

Starry, starry night :)

Moi and my housemate Kate :)

The labyrinth made of mirrors..freaky!! But great fun! :D

It has been 6 years since I visited and fell i love with Edinburgh for the first time...and I have fallen in love with it again. And who wouldn't...it's a wonderful and stunningly beautiful city. It makes you feel at home.

I truly admire writers who speak their minds in not speech-free countries no matter what the consequences. Please, have a look at this website HERE and help to raise awareness about writers who have been killed or imprisoned for not adhering to the ideologies of oppressing regimes and deciding to shout out.

This is the Our Dynamic Earth building where they take you from the Big Bang through the evolution to the world we know today. Plus, they show you a cool 4D movie and this (just bigger with an jaw-dropping effect):

WAA Trailer 1 from NSC Creative on Vimeo.

So...that was my day and night...hope you like the pictures (credit goes to my housemate) :)

My Birthday!! Yeey??

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:51:00 +0000

So...I'm 21. Today.

Woke up at 4:30. Went to work. Was back from work at 11am. Cleaned the house. Had a shower. Had a lunch. Heard mice running above her head (yeah, we have mice in our house, although I clean more than Monica from Friends) Wanted to make herself a cake. The oven broke down. Gave up. Went to her room. Started studying.

Maybe it's not the best Birthday ever. But I don't care. Pourquoi?

Reason No. 1
My family wished me a Happy Birthday-

Reason No. 2
My lovely housemate gave me a beautiful Birthday card.

Reason No. 3
My housemate and I are going to see THE BLANKS tomorrow!! Yessss! The Blanks is a band that was created while filming Scrubs, which is a very popular American TV show.

Yup! And I will wear my new top from FOREVER21.

With my new fake tattoo from Urban Decay which goes nicely with the pattern on the top.

That's the Urban Decay box.

I will upload a picture of myself tomorrow (if I look decent). ;)

Reason No. 4

This Wednesday, I will go for a trip to Edinburgh for a whole day! Hope it's not raining... :D

Reason No. 5

I had a nice launch.

btw: that's pasta + salmon + sea food (loooove that) + spinach, broccoli, onion, garlic, leek + pesto + cheese

Reason No. 6
Let's be honest...it could be way worse. :D

Good Deeds have to be punished!

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

I have done another video. NO IDEA what the beginning is cut off...just imagine me saying HI GUYS and you have it complete! ;)

Btw: I did it just on one take...probably looks like it. :D

Will we all die in 2040?

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:50:00 +0000

A strange thing happened to me. My tutor, who I admire, came to the class today and started off by saying that, according to the scientific findings, the humanity should be wiped out by 2040 (Olduvai Theory). How this will happen? We will simply starve to death because all the resources we need for growing food (water, gas, oxygen etc.) will be exhausted by then. Don't be afraid, not all of us will actually starve…there will be horrible wars before that so if you are lucky enough you will be killed. This is really not the thought I wanted to start my day with.

These deadly forecasts of the ultimate apocalypse usually go pass me. However, not this time. Maybe it was because I respect that teacher so much, or because I had a weak moment of some kind, but I was really freaked out. Not because I'm afraid of death. It was because I simply couldn't stand the thought of people I love dying or suffering. So, like a proper freak, I texted my mom and my brother and shared the big news. Their reaction: laugh.

Ok, so I got a little bit carried away, that happens. However, it made me think about the amount of resources we have compare to what we consume. I bet that was exactly what my tutor wanted us to do.

Overpopulation, water shortage, climate change all that kind of stuff. These are issues that we need to think of. I know, you are probably fed up with other people telling you to look after our planet, behave responsibly and bla bla bla. But don't think about it as environmental issue, if that's what discourages you from recycling, but think of it on more a personal level...look out for those you love. Believe me, I would recycle my ass off if it helped, even a little, my family.

Perhaps, there is no apocalypse waiting around the corner, but certainly there is a considerable amount of stuff we can do better for the sake of those we love (wow, I'm a bit melodramatic, sorry).

Anyway, my brother concluded, that even if there was a shortage of food it would affect only those with no power and money. The top layer of society would keep all that food for itself and ,eventually, come up with a way how to renew all those resources needed for their survival.

In the end, it's up to every single of us.

Infographics of new year resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 10:21:00 +0000

I know it's been two weeks since New Year's Eve but this topic is never too late to mention. New year resolutions fill us with hope for a better, more successful year, when we will reach to all those wonderful dreams we have failed to achieve in the past. However, after a few weeks most of us realize that although the number in the calendar has changed, we haven't. Consequently, we give up and fall into those old habits of ours.

My opinion is: if you can't make a change throughout the year don't expect miracles from the new one. It's just a date, it doesn't hold any unique powers that would help you to turn your life around. Everything depends on you. Do you want to change? Start now. Not on Monday, next week, month or year. Now.

Steve Jobs' new year resolutions on a napkin.

Anyway, that's not what I actually wanted to tell you guys. I want to show you few infographics that show the world of new year resolutions in nice colors and interesting numbers.

Do you make any of these resolutions as well?

Now, one of the most popular resolutions among women: loosing weight and getting more fit. As you can see, it has more positives than just looking nice in a cocktail dress.

It wouldn't be me if I didn't put something social-media related in here. Just have a look at what the world of Internet brands and networks wants to achieve this year.

Where are you??

noreply@blogger.com (Petra Opelova) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, or SCVNGR: great location apps you can have fun with or just a stalker's dream come true? Let's try to have an objective look at those little miracles of modern technology and see where they can take you.

Foursquare

It's (nearly) everywhere: UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and other hi-tech parts of the world. This easy-to-use version of location-based game has users all around the world. No wonder it has gone commercial ages ago. Do you love Gossip Girl? Why not to feel like one of the popular characters and explore the gossip girl recommended walk around the NY! Maybe she will be watching you (yeah, like that could happen :P)!

If you are not a huge fan of TV series, no worries, there are tons of brands like Starbucks, Domino's Pizza and others who are happy to offer discounts or free products if you become a mayor of their place. How to become a mayor? Easy peasy, all you have to do is to check-in a certain place more than other people. The more you use foursquare, the more badges you can get.

However, foursquare, like everything, has its bugs. Well, one huge, to be precise. You can check in places even though you are actually nowhere near them. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can cheat and become the ruler of foursquare world. You can lie in your bed or watch TV while eating high-calorie cookies and still travel the around your city through foursquare. Imagine the power.

Foursquare has decided to follow the phone photography trend and introduced a new feature which allows you to add pictures of the places you visit. Some companies have already announced interesting photo competitions to get a bigger presence in the foursquare world.

Gowalla

Gowalla can be described by just a few words: fun, colorful and engaging. Do you remember the times when you got a stamp in your passport wherever you traveled? I was totally into collecting them as a kid. Well, that's exactly what Gowalla is: your own virtual passport you can show to your friends. For every new place or country you visit you get a nice funky stamp, plus, you can upload pictures to remember what you actually were doing there.

Moreover, if you decide to complete some challenges designed by big names such as National Geographic, you get a badge to mark your achievement. If you don't fancy already created trips, you can make up your own and share them with your friends. This leads me to another thing. Unlike foursquare, Gowalla is way stricter about your location. Simply said, you can't check in Mount Everest if you are not there.

Nice Disney Badges

Both foursquare and Gowalla are great apps for your phone, although Gowalla is not on the new Windows Phones yet, which annoys me a bit. Gowalla is more game-like and has a cuter design. However, foursquare has a larger user base and, therefore, it is more commercial. Depends what you are looking for. Personally, I would go with Gowalla if it was available for my Windows Phone.