The Chronicles of Curious Characters

EP1 Klara: Body and Mind
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Konrad: [00:00:00] Before we play the first episode, and because this is the first episode, I want to thank you for downloading it and for listening to it. I hope you will enjoy it, and you will also continue listening to our future episodes. To give you a very brief introduction of what Chronicles of Curious Characters are.

It's a podcast I wanted to create for a few years. I will be interviewing people that I've met that I know for some time, or that I know just for a few minutes because I believe that everyone has an interesting story to tell and to share with others. I hope you will enjoy it, and again, thank you for listening to it and downloading it.

So let's start with episode one of the Chronicles of Curious Characters.[00:01:00]

Hi, I'm Konrad, and these are the Chronicles of Curious Characters.

We feature a new character in each episode and their unique story. We explore their backgrounds and their passions. We focus on the melting pot of Luxembourg, but every now and then we will have guests from other countries. We'll be talking to locals and expats about what they love to do, what they're enthusiastic about in life, and what makes Luxembourg such a special place for them.

Klara: I'm Klara from, uh, the Czech Republic from a small town. I started travel and uh, when [00:02:00] I was 25 for short time jobs and here in Luxembourg, I met my future man. It's like compromise between us to be here in Luxembourg because he's originally from Normandy, so still he can visit, like we stay here, we can visit both families easily by car.

He can work here easily with his language. Me, I'm communicating mainly by English. I stayed at home with children because we had twins and after a boy, so I'm really grateful for my man that he let me at home because I don't like the fashion here that everybody's running to work and children in crèche.

And um, my thing is that I love to make massage. I love to help to people. So yeah, I started to work at home .

Konrad: Clara had traveled around and visited quite a lot of countries before finally arriving and settling down in Luxembourg. But one of the main reasons that made her to travel was not so typical. In fact, it was a really bad [00:03:00] relationship that helped her make a decision to travel around Europe.

Klara:

Thing that I saw people around me, like my my age, my, my friends traveling, and I said, well, I want also to go somewhere, but I didn't have the courage to just go, I need it. I say all the time, I need somebody to kick my ass, and after I had really bad relationship, really bad, you know, that, uh, you break up and you are afraid to walk outside to meet the person.

I was afraid of my telephone. I was in debt, so I needed money to pay the debt because of this person. And I met one person. He say he has agency for work abroad, so I ask him, I say, Hey, I really need to go somewhere. So he sent me to Germany. I planned my way. I wrote the cities, uh, where I should pass on the paper.

And that saved me actually because after I lost my train. So I really needed to know the cities, and I say, okay, I serve. I survive travel like that. So yes, I can continue. I was traveling alone like that a few [00:04:00] years, I think six years for short time jobs. And after I say, okay. It was great experience to meet one psychopath like that because that was the kick in the ass, you know, push you to go and like that I'm grateful for this experience.

Konrad: Traveling around for so many years, as well as working different countries, helped Klara to understand herself and her value, and she also has a few tips for those who want to follow her path.

Klara: What I learned, what I see around me is good to start when you are really adult, when your personality is made.

Because I saw young girls who started, I don't know, in 18 and uh, was job like, you know, uh, in bar you made hosts, you made waitress, bar made, and like that. You are, you communicating a lot with men. You are receiving tips. So some girls were crazy about the money. About the attention and you see the alcohol and everything.

No, it's not, it was not so nice. I was all the time happy that I keep myself. I was more friendly than other things, so, okay. That was the thing that I [00:05:00] was proud of myself, how I am. After another thing, you see so many people. You see also the people in, uh, the men who communicate with you, that they appreciate you, that you are like you are.

For example, in places when they wanted the girls do something more and me, not after they call me back. And are you coming? I said, no, you know, I, your place is not so me. For me, I will not come back and after to keep contact with the people to come to visit, to see the place, for example, uh, to see Cyprus, to see Corsica four times, to see Helsinki was, was amazing.

And for the, with the money I helped to my mom, we made reconstruction of our flat. I visited Africa, I visited Thailand, I visited Brazil, so that was the biggest profit on this.

Konrad: The whole path of settling down in Luxembourg wasn't so straightforward for Klara, as it is for some of us. She visited Luxembourg and worked here a few times before finally [00:06:00] deciding to settle down.

Klara: My agency or somebody said, yo, go to Luxembourg. It's a great place, great money. And say, okay, why not? I will try. And when I was here, I was here two, three times during the time I met my man, after he had another job, I continued my travel after he found job for season in Austria in luxury hotel. And I was there with him for the interview, like, not really interview, but speaking about conditions, about starting things.

I say, so you have something for me maybe? And I say, oh, what do you wanna do? I say, I dunno. Cleaning, massaging, spa. What do you want? They say for massage we have somebody. But you can take care about spa and cleaning. Okay, great. So we ended up a season together in five star plus hotel. An amazing place it was amazing.

Really. Uh, so like that we try to, to live together. That is working. I was not used to that somebody screaming at me like my boss was really, you know, when you are [00:07:00] impressed, you, you are impressed, so you are screaming. So that was her and afternoon, whenever the, everything we can say the most important things were done.

So she relaxed. I say, oh Klara, you look tired. You want beer with me? She was cool. No. Okay. So that was great experience. And uh, he was in summer in Sweden, so I came there to see him since Sweden. It was also amazing. And I say, wow, I would like be like a gypsy, you know, to be one season there, one season there, but we never made it. With children you stay in one place and you only look for the comfort around, so we stay here.

Konrad: But as for some of us, it was thanks to Klara's partner and his work that she ended up in Luxembourg

Klara: Like was, uh, was depending him because, uh, he was a chef, chef patisserie, chef boulangerie. So he depends the contracts, me, I was, I didn't care. I say every time I find something, he was [00:08:00] working here in one luxury restaurant.

He quit the job and he traveled, and after they call him back, they say, Hey, come back. We need you and blabla. So he said, okay, how is the condition? And they didn't offer flat like before, before they had flat for, uh, the employees. And now not. But he said, okay, I will be with Klara. We will manage something.

So, okay. So he accepted, he came back and like that. First he stay by friends looking for flat. And when he find the flat, I came to him. So already seven years ago. And I came here and during looking for a job, I find that I'm pregnant. So , no job, .

Konrad: With her job as a masseuse about which Clara will speak in a minute.

She helps people from the outside, but her husband as a chef and as a pastry chef also helps people in a slightly different way.

Klara: When people of the staff then could eat, uh, his, his sweets, his uh, dessert, everybody was like, wow, wow. You are so [00:09:00] lucky that you live with him. I say, no, I'm lucky here. I can enjoy here because at home I never can enjoy .

So yes, when I eat what he's doing, I say, wow, I love you. I interesting you put something like the sweet in, in the mouth, but that's it. Yeah, he's, he's really talented, passionate about his work and next to it he's really hardworking. He's all the time taken care about to make good job for people. Not only that, we want to be good for people, but we are also both creative.

So all the time looking for, uh, ideas, solutions and, oh, you have three. The flat around this really on typical.

Konrad: I guess all those experiences of traveling, meeting new people, learning about yourself, helped you in finding your, your hobby, your purpose in life mm-hmm. that, that you are, I guess doing right now in Luxembourg.

Klara: The purpose was quite clear from my young time.

Every year, you know, when people were looking for the purpose for January, for New Year, for me it was every time clear. I want to help people. [00:10:00] That was clear in my head.

Konrad: How did you find out exactly?

Klara: It's also funny because already like teenager, I will do. I was massaging my family, my neighbors, uh, friends from school.

And I say, okay, that's the thing, what I would like to do. So to be a physiotherapist, to, to touch people. But after I was afraid because somebody saying, yeah, you must be physically strong, perfect condition, good in physics, mathematic, say, huh. It's not my strongness, it's my weakness, and I have strong scoliosis. So I was all the time,

okay. I don't do jumping. I don't do running. The doctors say they care about you, so I say, okay, maybe this school is not for me.

Konrad: If you could maybe walk us through the process that you went to become an experienced masseuse. I guess there are some schools. Trainings that you, uh, looked at, you investigated and that you decided to take?

Klara: I don't remember the moment, but just, uh, by, uh, during my traveling I saw publicity on [00:11:00] Facebook and was international massage school. Extra academy in Prague. They have lot of, uh, schools in Europe and the certificate that is valid everywhere in Europe. Say, okay, that's perfect for me, for my traveling. And actually, uh, with, when I presented my diplomas here, they say, okay, it's not healthy.

Um, because in Czech I studied the course of medical massage was really intensive. Few months we had, uh, one week experience in spa with people. So in Czech I can, uh, work with physiotherapist, but uh, here, no, here they send is only be editor. So Okay. People will see if they like it or not. They will decide.

It's, I think it's not so, not so important, the classification. But after you see if you are, uh, recognized, like for example, the special insurance can pay it, that would be much more comfortable for people. Yes. Thought it was. I made this course. I like the, the people, the, the school. So I came back for a few weekends. Another, another [00:12:00] kinds of massages. I try to follow them, uh, on YouTube or um, on distance. And now I'm learning something else to go more in the energetic way to help people also on distance.

Konrad: And, and what do you find the most interesting and unique by having your own business and, and doing massages for people.

Klara: To have my business is because I want be flexible for my family.

And also because before I was used to have freedom, I decided where and when I go work and when I stay at home. So this kind of freedom and also cause I'm aquarius also, they like freedom. This, this is another thing to help to people that I can decide how I will help, that I have no boss who will uh, scream at me, you will do it like this, you will do like that. For example, if you go from massage to a salon, they say, but you know the massage him maximum 50 minutes. You leave the person alone to take off the clothes after you leave him alone to take on the clothes, and you are keeping one hour because after you want somebody else, Me say, [00:13:00] no, no, no. I will not work like that.

I want the time for the client. I want to give the tea. I want to speak. I don't want to press that, okay, 30 minutes, goodbye. 60 minutes, goodbye. No, no, no. So for this, I really like to have my business to to be independent. But another thing is when you have alone, when you are alone, you must make marketing.

And there there's also quite funny thing because after my man say me are all the time with the phone. I should not be on the phone, but I need to communicate with people why you want take photo. I need to present me, I need photo, uh, and children say ah Mama. I say, oh, I know. Sorry. I'm sorry. So I'm with the family and I don't do nothing online.

So you see, it's all the time to find the balance.

Konrad: Oh, I, from what you're saying, I, I, I keep hearing that first of all, you are, you're very independent in a sense that you know what you want. Yes. And you, you go for it. On the other hand, you also have to take care of your, like you said, marketing business and on the [00:14:00] third hand, so to speak, the, the, what I get from what you were saying is, is family is, is very important, uh, for you as well.

Klara: That's the number one.

Konrad: How do you manage all those, those three?

Klara: I feel good. I feel that I manage well because also children, uh, I have quite, uh, how to say, traditional, uh, strict education. So also I'm not afraid to do massages when children are watching a story, while they are at home. So that's, I think a lot of people don't understand why they can be so silent, but they are. If not, uh, I'm not happy. So yeah, that's working well. They understand my job. Sometimes they are funny that uh, they want to use the massage table. They lay on or they come to me to make me massage or they say, ah, it is still here the person, we want to see the person. I said, you will say hello. No, I'm shy. Say so hide you and be shy. Close your mouth. So they respect my work.

When I have the person in front of me, I think about what he has, like problems. Sometimes I see it clearly. Sometimes you just touch the legs. They [00:15:00] say, wow, you are full of stress with your work or your family? And they start to think about sometimes the people come with the bend, uh, back, like, you know when the area of scapula is quite round and after the massage is much less. So I'm happy that it worked well. No, but the feeling you, you are touching the person, you are helping you know that you made well because also, you know, massage on yourself.

For example, me, I love massages when somebody touch my back, I love it. So I know that I'm doing well for the people. And if my children would like to continue, I will say, okay, great, but you need the school to be respected, not like me. I did, uh, only something small and, uh, I have not so much respect, but if you have the school, like physiotherapist is much better. So I would encourage them to do this- the school.

I

Konrad: would like to circle back to your work as, as a masseuse From your experience, what are the the biggest problems that you find, uh, that people have when they come to [00:16:00] you?

Klara: They expect too much. Everybody expects too much.

You are stressed from, uh, your boss, but what will happen if it's not done? What will happen if you don't listen, uh, all the time, blah, blah, blah. You must do this. You must do this. Why? It's not done. What will happen if it's not done? Somebody will die? Somebody will get sick? No, some contract will be late. And look at Covid. Before covid everybody say it's not possible. It's not possible, blah, blah, blah. They say, well, we like that. Everybody was listening. Everybody was like, okay, now we don't work. Before you could not believe that it's possible. Now we say What, what happened? Now we, I feel like it was a bad movie because if you look back what boss was totally crazy.

So, but was perfect example of that when we say it's not possible, it's possible. And what I what, uh, you ask me what I see as like the biggest problem [00:17:00] that people expect too much. Like lady, explain that she will put baby in crèche. She will manage job. She will manage the house after she can't manage, so she has to pay a lady for cleaning.

She has to pay nanny, she has to pay a gardener. The husband is in office all day after children don't see him after he's giving money to make the children quiet. Both are tired from work, from the boss, from colleagues. They give children in front of the screen. Let me in peace. Go play with the phone. Go play with the tablet.

We are not happy. The children are not healthy. It's totally magic circle. Wow. It's making me crazy. Just I speak about it. People are sick. They don't think that they are sick. They just want some tablets to feel comfortable, tablets to sleep. Tablets against depression. Look how many people have already in young age they are, they have the burnout. Uh, now we see the young people who don't understand that they should work physically because they grew up in comfort. Nobody wants to work. We are [00:18:00] missing people to, to work properly in the houses with electricity. We to make woods, uh, to make roofs. We are missing workers because everybody wants to sit in office and they don't realize that in office they are damaging their body, their brain, their eyes.

Konrad: From your experience, obviously the, the most obvious part is to say, well drop out something, change a job. Spend a bit of time outside. Try to be less stressed, which in quite often it's, it's not a magic pill that can happen from one day to the other. But, um, from your experience, is there, is there something that people can start doing on their own slowly to, to become less stressed, more relaxed, enjoy life a bit more?

Klara: I would say, uh, that they can scream little bit at work. I mean, don't expect everything from me, but after, if you would say something at work, you are afraid that they fire you. And there's this also [00:19:00] crazy thing I saw also by my man because he was working well. They boss appreciate him, but they didn't want put, uh, they didn't want pay more.

So my man quit. After his boss says all the time calling him, please come help. Please come for extra. Now, if you appreciate before, you are not in a critical situation, and this is typical for all the bosses here. They are stressed from work, but they don't appreciate the people. They say, go away. We will get somebody else.

But nobody, you need time that the person learn. And after he's working well, you will fire him. You will get new one again. He needs time to learn again. You will fire him. The company can't work well. So we always circle. Everybody should be more polite to, to each one, to ourself, to each, everybody around.

We should be more polite. I think that's it to be. Kind, respectful, polite. Not only say hello, that's great, the American style. And after you don't care about the person.[00:20:00]

Concretely what to do: to go more in nature, to have more contact with smile. Smile to your neighbors, speak with your neighbors. Go to nature.

Speak with people. For example, how, how you have nice dogs. Just simple thing. And uh, people would be more happy than, than now. I see. For example, on Facebook, I'm in Community Ladies of Luxembourg. Everybody is nice, everybody is helpful, advising, but if you will speak on the street with people, everybody will turn away because already I see here clients and they say, I'm living in building and neighbors are not saying me hello. And this is general, uh, everywhere in Luxembourg. So it's strange. Now on internet it will be nice, but uh, in practical life in on the street, they are not so nice. I dunno, people don't speak with because they are afraid. I don't know. Somebody will think something wrong. Somebody will, will say something wrong. They are afraid to speak, but it's really sad.

Konrad: And you mentioned that you are working on you, [00:21:00] you want to do some additional certificates for your work?

Klara: I started, uh, you mean massage? Mm-hmm. . I started Theta Healing and that's, that's going more in, uh, that I can connect to you in distance also. It's about the waves of our brain.

Now we have different kinds of waves. It's normally proofed and the Theta waves is, uh, that you connect with the source. You imagine that, uh, you are in the white light speaking with the creator, with the universe, somebody can call in a god, but to be neutral, I would say creator or or the universe. So when you are speaking with the upper power, your brain can, can see a lot of things.

So I'm just on the beginning. I just started. After winter, I will continue another course to, to be better and better. For example, I made two sessions with a lady , who's working with this technique and I was amazed. She, she can see the body. On distance. No, she's telling that my chest is weak.

She says things what I know about myself, so she's not [00:22:00] lying. She said, well, wow. The potential I could learn is amazing. I was with her, the, we were learning, speaking, and I say, her please, can you, can you help me with my coughing because I catch cold and normally when I'm coughing it's for one months minimally. She say, okay, we check it.

She made something and second day, I swear I was not coughing. I said wow Veronica you are great.

Konrad: And that was done on distance.

Klara: Yes.

Konrad: So she was how many kilometers away from you?

Klara: In Czech Republic.

Konrad: That's quite a few . Yeah. So, so if I, if I understand well, Once you practice and work on it, you will be able to help connect. Yes. The people that are far away, yes and diagnose them?

Klara: Can be diagnosed, but more is like to help with some blocks and fears and with the traumas and with things like that. For example, where you are paying for your psychoterapist, I don't [00:23:00] know, I see it only from TV because I never was with psychoterapist. You are paying hours and hours for repeating stuff. Here you can have it, uh, I don't know, in one hour can be made.

Konrad: We are recording this in December, so we are approaching the end of 2022. What are your plans for the next few months or for the next year.

Klara: As we would like to have at least one contract in the family, I have to find part-time job. I want continue my massages.

Children, uh, should continue the school or we should move away. We should move to a bigger place. That will be the focus to get contract and to move away.

Konrad: Well, I wish you that very much . Thanks. And I wish you also to get more and more customers, but with much less stress.

Klara: No. It's there problem. Me, I like to help, but also it's for them if they want the help because a lot of people think only, okay, the massage relaxes me, but you need to work on yourself also, it's like each therapy , it's like [00:24:00] 50% because the therapy show you the way, help you a little bit on the start and after 50% is on you, if you do something on you.

Like I said to everybody back stretching or relax at home.

Konrad: A big thank you to our guest, Klara for coming on the show and telling us her story about her travels, helping people through the massage and the tips on relaxing, which I think most of us need in this new year. You can learn more about Klara and her massage studio: Hope for Your Body and Mind by visiting her website: hopeforyourbody.com or check out the show notes for links. Music in this episode is thanks to Paddington Bear, who I know for the fact has been trying to make us [00:25:00] relaxed with these tunes.

In the spirit of the British motivational poster from 1939: let's keep calm and carry on.