Across the Pond

5) Cultural Comparisons

Many cultural differences can be seen between a native Nebraskan like myself and the Czech people that I have come into contact with.  On our first day of orientation, we had a teacher from Palacky University come speak to us as he was born in the United States, but had been living in the Czech Republic for the greater part of two decades.  He warned us of a few major differences between Americans and Czechs to take note of.  The first was that Czech people think Americans are loud.  I would agree that Americans and Czechs have different opinions of what loud is, as personally the locals I have conversed with seem soft spoken.  When our teachers are lecturing I sometimes have a hard time hearing what they are saying.  Nevertheless, it was good to know as I am more cautious of my volume in public.

Our speaker also said that Czechs only ask if they care.  He used the example that when Americans ask each other how they are doing we always reply the same way no matter the situation.  I can’t disagree as when people ask me how I am doing I always reply “Great, how about you?”  I believe this is because Americans view this sort of interaction as casual conversation, but the Czech people only ask how you are doing if they are actually interested in the response.  Some people took this as the Czech people being grumpy, but I chose to infer that they are just honest. 

People in Olomouc also heavily rely on public transportation.  I find it interesting because I am from Omaha, a town of around 500,000 people and have used public transportation only a handful of times.  I have been living in Olomouc, a town of around 100,000 people, for about two weeks and have used public transportation every day. 

Another huge cultural difference that I have noticed is restaurant service.  The first few times I went out to eat in Olomouc I thought I did something wrong because the waiters seemed rude.  However, I was told that it is nothing to take offensively as most waiters and waitresses don’t see the importance of customer service.  This may be because the tipping system in the Czech Republic is very different than it is in the United States.  Some people informed us that it wasn’t necessary to tip, some people told us to simply round the ticket up, and some told us to leave 10%.  For the most part I was told to only leave 10% if you were incredibly impressed with the service. 

At first I thought that eating out wasn’t as pleasant when the waiters and waitresses weren’t as upbeat, but I have started to get used to it.  I even spoke with some Croatians that think eating in America is very annoying because the waiter stops by their table every five minutes and interrupts their conversation by asking if they need anything else.  The opportunity to speak with different people about their views on random topics has been enlightening. 

Ordering water in the Czech Republic is also very different than in America because you have to pay for it here!  Granted it’s not tap water, it is actually bottled and very fancy.  Indulging in a beer is about the same price as ordering water.  Personally I just keep a water bottle in my purse and drink that, but many people seem to think beer is the better option.  Restaurants here also don’t seem to be open as late as in the United States.  The fast food is basically just McDonalds, but you can stop at some quick corner shops that have good pizza or burgers.  Shopping malls and stores also close early.  I tried to go shopping after class one day at 7:00, but H&M was already closed.  I also had a few friends that said most of the clothing stores close at noon on the weekends. 

These variances are what I have picked up on within the first two and a half weeks of being in Olomouc.  Traveling has allowed me to view life from a different perspective, and I’m excited to continue to learn about the cultural differences in the upcoming months.  

Prague and Dresden

7) Field Trip 1

Over the weekend I had the remarkable opportunity to travel to Prague and Dresden.  This was my first experience traveling by train, which was surprisingly very comfortable.  The group and I arrived in Prague on Thursday morning and from the train station we toured the main attractions of Prague including St. Wenceslaus Square, the Astronomical clock, St. Charles Bridge, and the John Lennon wall.  Martin, our tour guide for the weekend, is one of the most intelligent people I have had the pleasure of learning from.  Tours with him are always interesting as he knows about the main historical facts, as well as fun legends that accompany the monuments. 

St. Wenceslaus Square was the first stop on our tour.  St. Wenceslaus Square was filled with lots of people and excitement.  As Easter is approaching, the square was decorated with pink and yellow streamers.  The street vendors even had their little shops decorated: making it the perfect time to visit the city. 

The Astronomical Clock was the next stop on our tour.  This is a magnificent piece of architecture and is actually the clock used in the Harry Potter movies.  Legend says that the more times you view the ringing of the Astronomical Clock, the longer you will live.  This explains why mass groups of people flock to the Astronomical Clock a few minutes before the ringing begins.

The group and I then visited St. Charles Bridge which overlooks the Vltava River.  The river connects the older part of Prague and the newer part of Prague. 

The last stop on our Friday tour was the John Lennon Wall.  This was actually my favorite part of our first day in Prague.  To the Czech Republic, the wall symbolizes the rebellion against the communist regime.  John Lennon was an advocate for peace and equality throughout society, so the younger generation of Prague decided to express their criticisms of the Communist Party through the John Lennon wall.  Objectors would paint the wall with their oppositions at night and the Communist government would quickly paint over it.  The John Lennon wall shows me that even younger generations can make a positive difference by fighting against the inhumane actions of society.  After all John Lennon stated, “Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives.  I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.  That’s what’s insane about it.”

On Friday morning, we headed to the St. Wenceslaus cathedral.  This building held some of the burial sights of famous kings and religious leaders.  The tombs were lavishly decorated.  The church itself had magnificent architecture, beautiful stained glass windows, and decorated ceilings.  On our way out of the church, I witnessed the changing of the palace guards.

We had the afternoon off, so a few friends and I decided to attempt to locate the remake of the Eiffel Tower that is located in Prague.  Unfortunately, we got a little bit lost.  My health app indicated that we walked 11.24 miles and climbed 58 flights of stairs.  However, the view from the top was completely worth it.  This trip has taught me to enjoy being lost as you can end up finding some breathtaking sights I might have missed if I took the main roads. 

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for our day trip to Dresden, Germany.  Weirdly enough, you can make a day trip to another country when you’re in Europe.  The first place we visited was the Dresden Frauenkirche, which has a statue of Martin Luther in front of it.   The Dresden Frauenkirche is beautiful and holds and interesting history as most of it was demolished when the Allied powers bombed Dresden, Germany at the end of World War 2.  The Dresden Fraenkirche was built with the exact same way after the war, and was even built with some of the left over stones from the original.  In the picture you can see the dark stones are from the original building and the lighter stones are what was used to rebuild it.  Dresden was bombed in retaliation to the German army bombing civilian cities in England, however it was still surreal to be in a city that was virtually destroyed by the allied powers. 

The Dresden Fraenkirche had a platform at the top that allowed you to see the entire city of Dresden.  It was again a lot of stairs and another view that was more than worth the jaunt to the top. 

On Sunday the group toured the Jewish Quarter that was previously a Jewish Ghetto during World War Two.  This was specifically a tribute to the Jews that died from the Czech Republic during the Holocaust.  Visiting the Jewish Quarter was a unique and heartbreaking experience.  When you walk into the building you see the names of the thousands of people that were viciously murdered during the holocaust.  At the beginning of World War 2 there were 110,000 Jewish people in the Czech Republic and 85,000 of those innocent people lost their lives.  During history classes we have always been told the number of people that died during the holocaust, but seeing their names and ages engraved in the Jewish Quarter made the tragedy of the situation unmistakable.  Learning about the holocaust is imperative so that history is never repeated.  I am thankful for people that have fought for human rights throughout history and continue to fight against societies injustices in the present.   

Adjusting to Paradise

1) Daily Life

It is day seven here in Olomouc and I'm still adjusting to my new home in the Czech Republic. The beginning of my study abroad adventure was anything but smooth, but that's all part of the experience. My two friends, Emily and Louie, and I all flew out of Omaha together on Thursday morning. We landed in Atlanta on time and good condition, but our flight from Atlanta to Paris was delayed. This caused us to miss our flight from Paris to the Czech Republic. Language barriers made it a little more difficult to reschedule a flight, but overall the airport staff were accommodating which helped ease the stress of the situation. I learned that it is important to always pack your most valuable items in your carry-on bag just in case! We finally arrived in Prague, but unfortunately our luggage did not. Emily and I were lucky enough to receive out luggage that night, but poor Louie had to wait until Monday to get his.

I spent the weekend in Prague which was breathtakingly beautiful. I also got to enjoy my first drink as the legal drinking age in the Czech Republic is 18.  I was also surprised that Emily, Louie, and I never got carded at the bars. It seems that Americans emphasize a specific age more than Europeans.

We met someone from Texas and two people from El Salvador in our hostel that were just as fun as they were informative. They worked for an airline and told us some good travel places to book weekend trips through. They also took us out on the town. We went to an underground bar that was probably my favorite. There was stone on all of the walls and it was a really unique atmosphere. We also went to a five story club which was a lot of fun. There is certainly a more vibrant nightlife in Europe than there is in Nebraska.

For lunch on Saturday Emily, Louie, Jordan, and I went to a cute little pasta place. They cooked the pasta right in front of us, but the cook didn't understand English so we all just winged our orders. I tried to order spaghetti sauce and ended up with something similar enough. The sauce had bacon in it which was actually delicious. There was a place upstairs to eat and the decor of the restaurant was cool. The railings were noodles and there were pictures on the wall of the owner buying fresh produce at a local grocery store. I could barely even eat half, but I noticed Europeans don't use to-go boxes so unfortunately it went to waste. Europeans also don’t seem to get orders "to go" at restaurants. Overall they seem to eat at a slower pace than Americans. This has caused me to block out more time for lunch and dinner on my daily schedule. The best part of this meal was that it was a little over four American dollars.

My favorite part of Prague was the architecture. The buildings were colorful and full of history. The cobblestone streets, although they're not as fun to walk on, were also beautiful. After a fun weekend in Prague, the group headed to Olomouc on Sunday.

Monday morning we had orientation bright and early, which I will admit I had a hard time waking up for. However, it was an incredibly informative and enjoyable day. I was given my tram pass, which frightened me as I have never really used public transportation. However, I have grown to love the tram. It is incredibly convenient to be able to hop on public transportation, so it came as no surprise that most people in Olomouc don’t own cars. The tram will definitely be a part of my daily life as it takes me to school, the grocery store, and into the city for meals and exploration.

We continued with orientation on Tuesday and Wednesday, but started class on Thursday. Our regular schedule will consist of class Monday-Thursday 3pm-7:15pm and class on Friday from 10:30am-3pm. I’m really content with this schedule, as having class at 3pm allows me to get up and explore the city before class starts. I planned on using the “gym” in our dorm before class also, however it is smaller than my dorm room and only has two machines. Because of this, I decided to just run outside which has given me the opportunity to explore even more of the city. Walking around the city is also good exercise and I have noticed that the locals always seem to bring their fuzzy friends with them on walks. As an animal lover, I enjoy getting to see dozens of dogs a day. They even get to ride the tram!

Every day in Olomouc is different and exciting. The staff from Palacky University are incredibly helpful and educational. They planned both a welcome party and a bar crawl for myself and the 22 other UNK students on the trip. They know how to impress the college crowd! The great thing about Olomouc is even if there is nothing planned for the day, I can simply ride the tram to the city and walk around. I’ve explored the city every day and it still feels like I’m living in a town that belongs in a fairy tale. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to study abroad and plan on making the most out of everyday here in Olomouc!

Less than a month

In 25 days I will be flying over seas to spend two and a half months in the Czech Republic.  The next three weeks will be spent preparing myself for this amazing experience.  This includes everything from completing assigned reading for class to figuring out how I am going to pack three months of essentials into a suitcase.  I am incredibly excited and thankful for the opportunity to study abroad and I can't wait to get started!