Ahoj Praha!

View of the Prague Castle from my orientation building

Ahoj! I have been in the beautiful city of Prague for a little over a week. So far I have had a week of orientation, free time, and yesterday I started the intensive Czech language course. I still have two more weeks until the rest of my classes start. Orientation mainly focused on the cultural differences, and how Czechs perceive Americans. The main take away: the Czech people have a "sensitive ear" and think we are loud. We are loud. Very loud. You cannot talk on the metro without getting the occasional stink-eye. Czech people can throw shade; it is impressive.

There are two main things I have noticed while walking around the city, the first being that Czech people avoid eye contact at all cost, and the second being that dogs walk around without leashes. Yes, the dogs are so well trained they just stay by their owner and walk as they please without barking! If any of you know Cooper, you know that would never be a possibilty. I should have brought him along and taken him to some sort of Czech dog class.

Burgerfest 2014 held at U Výstaviště 170 00, Praha

I have had only a few traditional Czech meals so far, but that is not uncommon because Czechs typically eat the "traditional" meals on Sundays. So far my favorite has been roasted duck with the popular potato dumplings. I have also tried a traditional Czech cinnamon-almond pastry called Trdelník from the food vendors, which was delicious, albeit a total tourist move. In addition, I also attended the Prague Burgerfest 2014, where it was great to have a little taste of home.



I live in large flat in Praha 3, in an ex-patriate neighborhood. I have both a tram stop and metro stop nearby (the public transportation system is fantastic, and a semester-long metropass was included in my program). My flat is huge, even for four people: tall ceilings, lots of natural light, and our own washer (but no dryer)! I also have a Czech buddy, Jakub (who is actually Slovak); he lives next door and is available anytime we need help. So far my roommate and I have cooked a few meals and tonight I even made banana bread! We have a grocery store on other side of the block, which I have frequented almost everyday, with today's purchase being sour cream and onion chips.

Powder Tower

Somehow I keep ending up at Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) as I wander around the city, so clearly it is time I look closer at the map so I can discover other parts of Prague. The GoogleMap app has been a lifesaver! If you load the address and select your route while still connected to wifi, you can use the map offline; the app can still track your location and it has great directions for using the public transportation. I have only gotten lost once, but I was able to take this great picture, so it wasn't all that bad.

However, my week has not been struggle free by any means. I have ordered sparkling water from the vending machine instead of flat water. My feet are sore because I am unaccustomed to all the walking. I made a long and exhausting trek to IKEA and only returned with a few cups. My laptop decided to stop working, but more on that later. This week I will continue my intensive Czech language course, along with going to two internship interviews, attending the opera, and taking a field trip to Kutná Hora! Until next time, ahoj!

Blog title credit goes to the one and only Natalie Hall.