Na Stravi (Cheers)!
Well my first week in Prague just came to a close and I sure have a lot to talk about. You are probably wondering why this post is entitled "Culture Shock," but never fear...I will get to that. First I must tell you about the rest of my week and my trip to Moravia.
It snowed earlier in the week and I cannot tell you how happy I was to see that! The entire country was blanketed in white and the cold didn't even bother this California girl...all those winters in Colorado sure helped! A lot came down and we all relished the chance to have massive snowball fights. We soon figured out that it is impossible to make a snowball with frozen hands...
On Thursday our Czech language teacher took us up to Prague Castle where the Prime Minister lives. It was absolutely beautiful and had an excellent view of the snow covered city. It does not look like a typical castle...but more of a massive compound atop a hill. We got some beautiful pictures and then headed down the icy road to our dorm by foot. We got a little lost, but ended up right where we needed to be. To be honest, I have never felt lost since I have been here because the tram system connects to everything and all you have to know is how to read it...pronunciation is a little tougher. But we have come up with fun ways to remember our normal stops. Hradcanska has become H-Rad and we get off there to do our laundry or transfer to the underground metro, which is also extremely easy to use. I am really going to miss the tram system when I get home--paying for gas, what?!
Friday morning we departed by bus to Moravia, a south-eastern section of the Czech Republic, famous for its wine. We stayed just outside the capital of Moravia, Brno. It was a beautiful mountain town covered in snow. Our hotel even had towel warmers! Friday evening I went out with my group of friends to celebrate our friend Tim's birthday. We found an underground, sort of sketchy looking, restaurant. Someone was brave enough to go in and it turned out to have live music, great food and even better wine! It takes about three hours for any meal (Europeans are way more relaxed!) so we had great conversation and a three course meal. I had turkey schnitzel and mixed vegatables (yay Mom!), you should try it.
Saturday morning we went on a walking tour of Brno, which is a city with a lot of interesting history. A lot of the architecture in the city carries with it a lot of sarcasm. For example, one church in town has a little angel above a window with its naked bottom facing the street. Our tour guide told us it was the architects way of showing the other church across the street what they really thought about it! So much for sweet little angels... We all enjoyed a laugh and toured the rest of the city. Another example of architectural sarcasm was in an elaborate decoration adorning a clock tower. One of the pillars in the design is crooked. Apparently, the architect thought the Brno council stiffed him by not paying what they agreed, so he designed to focal point to be crooked!
We also learned that Brno has a very elaborate underground tunnel system that was made a couple hundred years ago. Once a year the tunnels are opened up for the townspeople to explore. There is also a legend in Brno history that the town used to be guarded by the ferocious Brno Dragon--a crocodile that shows its face all over the town on souvenirs, post cards and t-shirts, as a mascot, if you will.
Later that afternoon we took a bus to Austerlitz--a Napoleon battlefield and monument. We couldn't stay for long, however, because we had to make it to dinner at a local winery. We arrived at the winery at about 6:00 p.m. (or 18:00 as it is in the CZ) and found out we had to walk almost half a mile to the actual underground cellar (or at least it felt like it). The road was icy, but luckily no one sustained any injuries. We had chicken for dinner (a very small portion in comparison to the American ones!) and then we began the wine tasting. We had four wines, two white (bily) and two red (cervena) wines. They were all delicious and we learned (by translator) how to properly sample wines. After the tasting we had our choice of buying two of the wines for a flat price of 150 korunas (Czech crowns) which is quite a steal at $3 a bottle...the exchange rate is great here!
Side note...we also discovered that warm wine is quite delicious. You should try it!
On Sunday, we went to Gregor Mendel's (the father of genetics) garden which I thought was absolutely amazing. The garden was covered in snow, but it was still very surreal to be standing in the place where genetics was discovered. We all did not recall learning that this was discovered in Brno...woops!
We then made the trek to an underground Punkva cave system which was gorgeous. Good thing I am not claustrophobic! We had a tour of the caves and rode a small boat through the underground artificial river made in the 1920's.
So anyway...culture shock. I have not experienced bad culture shock as of yet. No sleepless nights, no homesickness, just a few slaps in the face. In general, Europeans are ok with Americans--indifferent if you will. But I have noticed there are a few differences as far as manners go. For example, in Tesco (the Target/Wal Mart of Prague) people will ram you with their cart, or hit you with their canes just so they can get through. Men don't hold open the door for women, and if you accidentally bump into someone and say excuse me or sorry (in Czech, mind you), they look at you like you are just a complete idiot. They laugh at us when we try to speak Czech, or won't even let us try. It's sad that everyone here speaks english. My favorite thing is when I ask if someone can speak english (Mluvite anglitzsky?) they always say "a little bit." Next thing I know, I am special ordering food or carrying on a conversation with them. When I say I can speak a little German or Spanish...I really mean a little. There is no way I could carry on an intense conversation with anyone.
Another one of the bigger shockers we found out was that the Czech people rarely, if ever, say "I love you" to one another. Our czech language teacher (who may have been exaggerating) said that she had never said "I love you" to her husband of 34 years. Wow. In America, so much emphasis is put on those three words. It is the dividing moment in relationships and to me, completely necessary to say to family. I say it all the time and I really do mean it. They apparently just think it's not necessary. I, being the dork that I am, felt the urge to do research on the topic of love in different cultures. Maybe in my second life, I will be a professor and will assign that topic. :) Who knows...
Anyway, culture shock has not been nearly as bad as anyone said it would be. Practically everyone here speaks english (it has NEVER been a challenge even if they really do only speak a little). I am very excited to learn more about this city and its culture. It's hard to believe that only 14 years ago, this was a communist country. How far it has come!
Anyway, LOVE YOU ALL!!! I hope everything is going well back in the states or wherever you are reading this from. Na schladanou (Goodbye)!!
Love,
Steph
Monday, January 29, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Finally in Prague
Well I am finally in Prague and I only have one word to describe it...Disneyland! It is something out of a fairytale and I am constantly in awe by the architecture and scenery.
Before we came to Prague we stayed in Munich, Germany for the night. I had a chance to practice my limited German skills and visit a truly unique city. We were all very exhausted by the time we arrived, unfortunately, so I hope to go back. We had a short bus tour of the city and then went back to our hostel. We then went back to downtown Munich to grab dinner. We decided to go to the famous Haufbrau house, but decided it was a bit too intimidating. The waitresses were wearing traditional German dress and serving beers bigger than my head. I met some locals who said we just had to sit down at a long table and wait to be served. It could have taken hours, and we were starving. I am embarrassed to say, we ended up at an Italian restaurant that seemed to attract every other student in our study abroad group...we practically took over the restaurant. Our study abroad director warned us to lower our voices while abroad because Americans are identified by, among other things, our tendency to talk loudly. We were sitting at a table of eleven, and I decided to conduct an experiment...I told everyone to stop talking for a minute, and the restaurant was reduced to silence. That was the first sign that we really needed to practice being respectful!! Fortunately, the waiters love us American students because we tip too much and order so much food. You win some, you lose some!
After crashing at our hostel, we woke up the next morning and boarded a bus headed to Prague. Driving through Germany was absolutely beautiful. The countryside was a mix between Colorado and California, with pine trees lining the roads and some stretches of beautiful green countryside (like from the California "Happy Cows" commercials!). After crossing through the Czech border, we stopped at the famous Pilsner brewery just outside of Prague for lunch. I enjoyed a delicious lunch of beef with dumplings and a great Pilsner light beer (don't worry it's legal in Europe!)
We finally arrived in Prague late Saturday night, dropped our stuff in our "charming" dorm room (It is beginning to feel like home) and hit the town. We went to a great Australian themed restaurant where the waitress put us in a room by ourselves, we hope it was just because we were such a large group and not because we were American. I tried Kangaroo for the first time and it was very good. It was hard for me to eat a non-traditional meat, but I thought I should live this experience to the fullest. Halfway through our dinner we looked over and saw a full grown Shar-pei dog in the bar area with its owner. Apparently, dogs really ARE a part of the family in this country--thus allowed everywhere. This is quite possibly why I love it so much here. Most dogs are leash broken, and follow their owners loyally through the crowded streets. No dog whisperer needed here!! Now all I need to learn is how to say, "May I pet your dog?" in Czech!
Sunday night consisted of orientation, a tour of Prague and more exploration. It was nice to finally see the city in daylight! We learned the lay of the land, including how the tram system worked. It helped since we got lost for two hours the previous evening. We soon learned that the system is very easy and it is actually impossible to get lost. We have it down to a science already!
Today we had our first Czech language course. My teacher is a very hyper Czech woman with a lot of personality. We spent the whole class laughing at her antics. We did learn a few common phrases through the laughter, and I am very excited to continue on. It is really not as hard as I thought, just unlike any other language I have ever heard. "Dobry den!" means hello. There's your first lesson--I'll tell you more later. :)
After the lesson, my travel buddy, Amanda, and I went shopping/exploring in Prague. We probably walked about 5 miles in total and it was simply amazing. I cannot wait to explore more of the city and tell you about it. I am setting up a shutterfly account to make it easier to post pictures and will post the link on this site.
This weekend we are off to Moravia, in the southeastern part of the CZ. I hope things are well wherever you are. Love you all!!!
Love,
Steph
Before we came to Prague we stayed in Munich, Germany for the night. I had a chance to practice my limited German skills and visit a truly unique city. We were all very exhausted by the time we arrived, unfortunately, so I hope to go back. We had a short bus tour of the city and then went back to our hostel. We then went back to downtown Munich to grab dinner. We decided to go to the famous Haufbrau house, but decided it was a bit too intimidating. The waitresses were wearing traditional German dress and serving beers bigger than my head. I met some locals who said we just had to sit down at a long table and wait to be served. It could have taken hours, and we were starving. I am embarrassed to say, we ended up at an Italian restaurant that seemed to attract every other student in our study abroad group...we practically took over the restaurant. Our study abroad director warned us to lower our voices while abroad because Americans are identified by, among other things, our tendency to talk loudly. We were sitting at a table of eleven, and I decided to conduct an experiment...I told everyone to stop talking for a minute, and the restaurant was reduced to silence. That was the first sign that we really needed to practice being respectful!! Fortunately, the waiters love us American students because we tip too much and order so much food. You win some, you lose some!
After crashing at our hostel, we woke up the next morning and boarded a bus headed to Prague. Driving through Germany was absolutely beautiful. The countryside was a mix between Colorado and California, with pine trees lining the roads and some stretches of beautiful green countryside (like from the California "Happy Cows" commercials!). After crossing through the Czech border, we stopped at the famous Pilsner brewery just outside of Prague for lunch. I enjoyed a delicious lunch of beef with dumplings and a great Pilsner light beer (don't worry it's legal in Europe!)
We finally arrived in Prague late Saturday night, dropped our stuff in our "charming" dorm room (It is beginning to feel like home) and hit the town. We went to a great Australian themed restaurant where the waitress put us in a room by ourselves, we hope it was just because we were such a large group and not because we were American. I tried Kangaroo for the first time and it was very good. It was hard for me to eat a non-traditional meat, but I thought I should live this experience to the fullest. Halfway through our dinner we looked over and saw a full grown Shar-pei dog in the bar area with its owner. Apparently, dogs really ARE a part of the family in this country--thus allowed everywhere. This is quite possibly why I love it so much here. Most dogs are leash broken, and follow their owners loyally through the crowded streets. No dog whisperer needed here!! Now all I need to learn is how to say, "May I pet your dog?" in Czech!
Sunday night consisted of orientation, a tour of Prague and more exploration. It was nice to finally see the city in daylight! We learned the lay of the land, including how the tram system worked. It helped since we got lost for two hours the previous evening. We soon learned that the system is very easy and it is actually impossible to get lost. We have it down to a science already!
Today we had our first Czech language course. My teacher is a very hyper Czech woman with a lot of personality. We spent the whole class laughing at her antics. We did learn a few common phrases through the laughter, and I am very excited to continue on. It is really not as hard as I thought, just unlike any other language I have ever heard. "Dobry den!" means hello. There's your first lesson--I'll tell you more later. :)
After the lesson, my travel buddy, Amanda, and I went shopping/exploring in Prague. We probably walked about 5 miles in total and it was simply amazing. I cannot wait to explore more of the city and tell you about it. I am setting up a shutterfly account to make it easier to post pictures and will post the link on this site.
This weekend we are off to Moravia, in the southeastern part of the CZ. I hope things are well wherever you are. Love you all!!!
Love,
Steph
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Londontown!!
Cheerio!
Hello from Londontown! It has been a whirlwind trip but we managed to get in a lot of stuff.
My travel buddy, Amanda, and I started our journey on Sunday evening at 10:00 p.m. when we flew out of LAX on a red eye to New York City. We got off the plane at 5:45 in the morning, dropped off our bags at our hotel in Manhattan and headed off to the city. We went to a great little diner for breakfast and then spent a few hours walking around--we made it to Times Square, and the surrounding area. We pretty much did a walking tour of Manhattan and were simply exhausted by the time lunch rolled around. The city was amazing, and it was everything I imagined. Later on, we met up with a friend from Chapman and went to the Natural History Museum for the afternoon. That evening we joined her for dinner at an Italian restaurant next to where Letterman is shot and then went to bed for the evening.
The next day was spent travelling all day from JFK airport, then to Dulles, then to London. To make a long story short, we arrived in London on Wednesday the 16th early in the morning. We then had the rest of the day free which we spent drinking coffee, napping and getting used to the time difference. We went to a fun dinner at Med Kitchen, a posh restaurant down the street from our hotel. Everything is so expensive here, so I enjoyed a small salad with hardly any dressing on it--but it was delightful in its own special way.
Later on we went to our first english pub had one drink and then went straight to bed.
This morning we enjoyed a bus tour of the city where we saw The Tower Bridge, St. Pauls Cathedral and some other great sites around the better part of London. I will be uploading pictures pretty soon.
This afternoon, we had a great lunch at another pub in London. We then took the "Tube" to Westminster Abbey and the famous Harrods department store. Tonight we are seeing the musical, "Avenue Q." We are all very excited!!
Tomorrow, we are off the Munich for the evening and then Prague the next day. Miss you all, and I will post another update soon.
Much love,
Steph :)
Hello from Londontown! It has been a whirlwind trip but we managed to get in a lot of stuff.
My travel buddy, Amanda, and I started our journey on Sunday evening at 10:00 p.m. when we flew out of LAX on a red eye to New York City. We got off the plane at 5:45 in the morning, dropped off our bags at our hotel in Manhattan and headed off to the city. We went to a great little diner for breakfast and then spent a few hours walking around--we made it to Times Square, and the surrounding area. We pretty much did a walking tour of Manhattan and were simply exhausted by the time lunch rolled around. The city was amazing, and it was everything I imagined. Later on, we met up with a friend from Chapman and went to the Natural History Museum for the afternoon. That evening we joined her for dinner at an Italian restaurant next to where Letterman is shot and then went to bed for the evening.
The next day was spent travelling all day from JFK airport, then to Dulles, then to London. To make a long story short, we arrived in London on Wednesday the 16th early in the morning. We then had the rest of the day free which we spent drinking coffee, napping and getting used to the time difference. We went to a fun dinner at Med Kitchen, a posh restaurant down the street from our hotel. Everything is so expensive here, so I enjoyed a small salad with hardly any dressing on it--but it was delightful in its own special way.
Later on we went to our first english pub had one drink and then went straight to bed.
This morning we enjoyed a bus tour of the city where we saw The Tower Bridge, St. Pauls Cathedral and some other great sites around the better part of London. I will be uploading pictures pretty soon.
This afternoon, we had a great lunch at another pub in London. We then took the "Tube" to Westminster Abbey and the famous Harrods department store. Tonight we are seeing the musical, "Avenue Q." We are all very excited!!
Tomorrow, we are off the Munich for the evening and then Prague the next day. Miss you all, and I will post another update soon.
Much love,
Steph :)
Monday, January 8, 2007
One Week To Go!!
Hi everyone!
This is the first of many posts I intend to make during my study abroad experience in Prague, Czech Republic. I am very excited, but a little nervous to travel so far from everything I know so well. My wonderful boyfriend Scott will be dropping me off at LAX on Sunday, Jan. 14th (Happy Birthday Talia!) and I will take off headed towards JFK airport in New York at 10:00 p.m. I will arrive in the early morning of the 15th and tour the city (which I have never been to) for the day with my travel buddy from Chapman, Amanda.
On the 16th, we fly out of New York to London where we will spend a three-day stopover with the rest of the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) students also heading to Prague. From London we will fly to Berlin, where we will then ride a bus into Prague. I will be posting about that trip as soon as I get computer access.
I will send out an email every time I post something new, so look out for pictures and stories that I will be very excited to share!
Thanks so much for all of your support and I look forward to sharing my study abroad experience with you.
All my love...
Steph
This is the first of many posts I intend to make during my study abroad experience in Prague, Czech Republic. I am very excited, but a little nervous to travel so far from everything I know so well. My wonderful boyfriend Scott will be dropping me off at LAX on Sunday, Jan. 14th (Happy Birthday Talia!) and I will take off headed towards JFK airport in New York at 10:00 p.m. I will arrive in the early morning of the 15th and tour the city (which I have never been to) for the day with my travel buddy from Chapman, Amanda.
On the 16th, we fly out of New York to London where we will spend a three-day stopover with the rest of the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) students also heading to Prague. From London we will fly to Berlin, where we will then ride a bus into Prague. I will be posting about that trip as soon as I get computer access.
I will send out an email every time I post something new, so look out for pictures and stories that I will be very excited to share!
Thanks so much for all of your support and I look forward to sharing my study abroad experience with you.
All my love...
Steph
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)