When I was little, I remember having a dream about a place by a river, with terracotta roofs and balconies with vines hanging down them under a twilight sky. Minus the vines--except for on the lower walls of the houses along the Amstel River in Amsterdam, I saw a lot of these styles of houses in Europe. Studying abroad is one of the best things you can do as a student. So far, I’ve only studied in Rome, and for the past month I’ve studied in Prague, and it’s been a transformative experience. My classmates and I have been studying Franz Kafka and dream logic, but I’ve learned so many other things that I can’t just take from a book. At the beginning of this month, I had the same feeling that I felt in Rome: that I was finally in the place of the dream I remember so vividly. My month has been a sunny and warm one, and here’s everything under the sun that I’ve been enjoying.
We stayed right across from The Dancing House, which used to be an apartment where the Soviets spied on Vaclav Havel, a playwright, and the first post-Soviet era Czech president. We walked around this "city of a thousand spires," crossed and the historic Charles Bridge. We even went to Terezin and the homely village of Česky Krumlov. Every Tuesday and Thursday we walked across the Vltava River to class, which was at top of a hill where the Middle-Aged fortress, Vyšehrad sits.
The food here is amazing. Some people will say that meat and potatoes are all you will eat, but there’s so much more than that. I had a decent amount of boar, duck, hen, and pork knee, heart, and liver. Goulash, mainly beef with potato or bread dumplings, never failed to satiate my appetite. There’s also bramborak, a crunchy side dish that’s known as a potato pancake. Beer is also an enormous part of the culture. It’s cheaper than water, and it has been for a long time. In the Middle Ages, manure was sometimes stored in the wells, and when people wanted drinking water, any remaining manure had to be boiled out. Water had to be disinfected while beer was readily available. With Pilsner Urquell being the most famous Czech beer along with Budvar, the original Budweiser, it is hard to miss at just about every restaurant or café. And the beer doesn’t stop there. There’s beer soup, which tastes a lot better than it sounds, and the occasional beer garden.
Eating in Prague is also a lot different than eating in the U.S. If you want to eat anywhere, you don’t have to wait to be seated. It’s custom just to sit down, and order your meal when your server comes to take your order. If you get a beer or wine, cheers are welcome, and eye contact is essential. Nostravi! Also, while tipping isn’t custom, it’s encouraged, but 10% is the normal tip for servers. You also don’t leave it on the table, but you hand it to the server. Because Prague is a cultural hub, you’ll find anything from Indian food to Chinese, Italian or Greek or more, and the occasional McDonalds, Subway, or KFC.
Along with the food, there’s no shortage of good views of the city. Petrin Hill, Letna Park, Prague Castle, and Vysehrad all provide amazing views of the city skyline and the hills beyond. There’s the belfry of St. Nicholas Church, Old Town and New Town Towers. You can take a funicular up to the Petrin Lookout Tower. Around parks, there’s always lime (not the fruit) and cherry trees. and oak trees, and occasionally, palm trees that frame the view of the terracotta roofs, yellow, pink, orange, teal, and red buildings. Peacocks also find their way into the smaller parks around Hradcany and Old Town. I was glad I bought two pairs of shoes because it takes a while to get used to not being in a hurry all the time and ruining my running shoes on the cobblestone sidewalks. For the few times I got lost, all I had to do was ask a local if they spoke English, and if they didn't, even a friendly finger point to the Vltava River that curves east by the Prague Castle, which stands out above the short buildings of the city, could lead me home.
Along with the beautiful nature, the city life itself is very familiar to city life back in the U.S., but there are subtle differences. One thing that my group was told immediately and is very noticeable is the unspoken “tram etiquette” that people hold so dearly. Most people on the trams don’t speak to each other, and it’s courteous to sit silently with your colleagues. Quiet talking isn’t shunned, but it’s generally appreciated if voices and interactions are kept to a low. Some say it’s because the people of the country have learned to get used to staying quiet after forty years of the Soviet rule directly after Nazi occupation. People on the streets also won’t return our friendly American smiles. I didn’t really know that was “an American thing" until I came here, but unless you can find someone who is familiar with English and American culture, you’ll receive blank looks from the faces you smile at. They may be blank, but they aren’t empty. The people give a look of mutual respect, and they won’t be rude to you unless you are rude or intrusive. There’s also an honor system to the trams so that it can go as quickly as possible. You don’t have to show your ticket, but if an inspector is on the tram and they find you without a ticket, then you’ll have to pay a hefty fine. One thing that I had a little trouble getting used to was being a little bit more energy efficient. In Prague, our apartments didn't have air conditioning, and some days it got up to 90 degrees. We didn't have dryers, we just used a drying rack to dry our clothes. In fact, most restaurants, cafes, and pubs we went to didn't have air conditioning either. After a week or two, I just got used to it.
There's plenty more that sets the Czech Republic apart from the U.S. In certain parts of Europe, bathrooms are abbreviated WC (water closet), and if you want another beer you normally will get one without asking, but if you want two beers, the Czech use the thumb and forefinger to count two. The patio closes at ten, and you're on your way out. There's also a whole lot more ads against smoking. On cigarette packs, there's nasty pictures of tarred lungs and eyes with cataracts. Don't expect the bread on the table to be free, because you'll be paying for it if you take a piece. Same goes for water. On some doors, you have to twist the lock three times, and also expect to see a lot of dogs everywhere you walk! A lot of people say walking through Prague is dreamlike, and I would have to say that they're absolutely right.
