Hello from Prague

Hello all or dobrý den,
In case you forgot (or didn't know) I'm Katharine and I am a Tufts University junior currently studying abroad in Prague.  After a week and a half, I've started to settle in so I offer you my reflections on my first 10 days experiencing Prague and the Czech culture.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera cord so I don't have any pictures to upload but hopefully I can share some with you soon.

The Language
The official language of the Czech Republic is not surprisingly Czech so all CIEE students are required to learn the language.  For the next 2 weeks, we only have intensive Czech class for 5 hours a day and once the regular semester courses begin, we will drop it down to twice a week.  The language is quite challenging and unlike anything I've ever studied. While "no" is one of three ways to say "yes", "čau" is pronounced the same as "ciao" and has the same meaning.  Consonants are common and words like "zmrzlina" (ice cream) and "čtyři" (four) and quite a mouthful.  Our Czech buddies say it will be difficult to learn Czech, but I'm hoping to soon have some knowledge so I don't have to rely on my English.

The Food
The food is awful.  Czech cooking relies heavily on meats and bread/potatoes.  I do like meat, but most of the kind they serve in the cheaper restaurants is fatty pork or beef.  I was excited to try the goulash with dumplings, but was disappointed to be served a plate of beef with slices of white bread.  Another thing Czech cuisine lacks is fresh foods.  Produce is scarce and when I visited Tesco to purchase groceries I settled for bags of frozen fruits and vegetables.  Lean chicken is nearly impossible to find at stores as is skim milk.  It will truly be an adjustment to make the most of what is offered at the grocery stores here (though if somebody wants to open a Whole Foods in Praha 2, I would not be opposed!)  Another huge part of Czech dining is beer, or pivo.  At restaurants beer is cheaper than water.  Pubs line the streets and at all hours of the day you can see Czechs enjoying a beer on the sidewalks, at the bar, or along the river.  While beer is the common beverage of choice, water is not.  Water at restaurants is not free and water fountains are hard to find.  Luckily I am the queen of carrying water bottles, though I ditched my favored Nalgene bottle for a Bobble bottle that has a filter in it.

The Buildings
Prague is postcard perfect.  The buildings in Europe (though I've only seen Zurich, Prague and Karlovy Vary) put those in America to shame.  From the grandeur of Prague Castle to even our simple dorm, the architecture is stunning. I have no clue what style the buildings here but hopefully after my Art & Architecture of Prague class I will know more. I'm in awe every time I travel down the cobblestone streets at how fairytale-like Prague is.  Most days I run along the river with a scenic view of the castle that is hard to beat, though the cobblestone is sure hard on my knees.  I can't imagine living in a city that is so beautiful.  I'm excited to explore the surrounding towns and other European cities to see more buildings.

The People
My friends and family know that I can be quite loud, but here in Prague my voice is probably alarming.  Czech people are very reserved.  On the trams and metro, most of the conversations I hear are in languages other than Czech.  Czech people stereotype Americans as loud and obnoxious and if you ride on a late-night tram with a bunch of rowdy American study abroad students, you would see how they came to this conclusion.  Another interesting thing is that our study abroad director told us not to make eye contact with our professors.  Making eye contact is uncomfortable for the Czech people.  Coming from a town where people say "hi" and smile to people they pass on the street, this will be quite different for me.  

Overall Prague has been an incredible experience so far.  My favorite moment was when we went to a dance club last Friday for 80s/90s night.  The walls had huge tv screens playing American songs from Bon Jovi to Spice Girls.  Though many people there did not speak English, most knew the words to every song.  I also have heard American music in other establishments--from Justin Bieber in Tesco to Rihanna at a restaurant, I am keeping up with all the current tunes.  I look forward exploring the city even more and hopefully traveling to more European destinations.  Feel free to comment here or email me at katharine.majewski@tufts.edu and I will get back to you!

Katharine