Our First Week in Praha

I've been in the Czech Republic for several days now and am still taken aback by Prague's beauty every time I step outside. The colors and architecture of the buildings are unlike anything I've ever seen. The iconic tourist areas like Old Town Square and Charles Bridge are not unique in their beauty. Every street, every building, every road is gorgeous. I assumed there would be a visible influence from the Communist era, of grey concrete buildings with little character or color (think of the St. Lawrence Library), but little of the city is reminiscent of that chapter in Czech history. The physical  revitalization of the city since 1990 is remarkable. The older generation, with the grim reality of communism still relatively fresh in their memories is pretty austere and cold. Unlike American cities where most people are warm and personable, the Czech people rarely make eye contact, let alone smile or say hello. It's a stark cultural difference that will take some getting used to. Younger Czechs are more receptive to Americans and friendlier in general. They are still, however, shy and quiet in comparison to Americans who are loud and much more forward. Despite our attempt to fit in, we stick out like sore thumbs at any pub or restaurant. My understanding of the culture is only several days old and it will be interesting to revisit my initial perceptions of the city and people after living here for several months.

Waiting in the terminal at JFK, I found myself watching the Packers play the Eagles surrounded by a very eclectic variety of individuals also waiting for flights. Although we were all of different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, we were all tied together by the fact that there was only one TV on. That moment was a sharp contrast between a uniquely American experience-the NFL-and the diversity of the world I was about to experience. It left me with a sense of national pride as well as an excitement about what the world has to offer. Knowing that those sissy Europeans could never furnish a football team to compete with American athletes was patriotic. On a side note, Tucker knew a kid form Amherst who starred on a Czech semi-pro football team while on a semester abroad in Prague. For a moment I thought about trying out and had visions of Tuck and I being carried off the field as national heros. Maybe a little unrealistic?

A delayed take off from New York meant a missed connecting flight in Brussels and 8 hours in the airport. Navigating an airport in a foreign country alone was quite an adventure. I wanted to see the city itself, but my ambitious demeanor was taken down a few notches when I got to the train terminal. Huge crowds, an intricate ticket system and everything in Belgian elicited visions of ending up in some rural village and missing my second flight of the day. So, instead I sat in the airport and had a few Stellas at 10:00 in the morning-which I justified as a cultural experience in itself because Stella Artois is the big Belgian beer. I finally made it to Prague that night, albeit without my bags and met the rest of the American students studying through CERGE.

We've spent the past few days exploring the city and searching for apartments. We're looking into a nine-person flat right off Wenceslas Square, which is the "new town." The Czech sense of "new," however is a little different than its American counterpart; most of the buildings are several hundred years old. We are a few blocks from the beautiful historic district that hosts all the famous sites, a few blocks from Charles Bridge and the River, and a three-minute walk from the CERGE building. There are innumerable pubs and corner markets in the city, several of which are right below our building. Just up the street is the big strip of cabarets. Needless to say, Molly wasn't thrilled with that prospect although I assured her my cultural research will stop at "pivos." Our roommates are a fun group from Tulane from around the country. We have a week of orientation, tours, and lectures about the city and culture next week before starting our normal course schedule. We have a busy month of traveling in October and have already planned to trips to Munich for Oktoberfest, Istanbul, where we will meet Tucker's Dad for a weekend, Paris to meet Molly and Emma, and possibly Budapest all before Halloween. Coming home to Prague after traveling, where beer is cheaper than water, will be nice considering how expensive other cities are.

The Officers and I after lunch in Essex pre-departure on one of my last days in the states.

A typical street in Prague. The picture doesn't do the color justice; most buildings are painted yellows, greens, or reds. That along with the typical red shingling on most roofs makes for a very colorful city, even on rainy days.

The CERGE building, which is part of Charles University, one of the largest universities in all of Europe. This building houses the Ph.D Economics program and our undergrad exchange program which consists of half American students and half Czech students. Several scenes from the 2001 film, The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon were filmed inside the building. Next door is the Communist Party Headquarters, and has been for 60 years.

Tucker and Andrew, one of the Tulane crew, in Old Town Square. 

Tucker and I on Charles Bridge. This was the first sunny day we had; the weather this time of year is pretty dismal, with constant drizzle and temperatures below 60 Fahrenheit.

Charles Bridge again with the iconic statues and Prague in the background. Just trying out the panorama setting on my new camera.