My pre-Prague vocabulary consisted of one word, a word everyone who had visited this remarkable city regarded as essential to its navigation: pivo, or beer. After ten hours of intensive Czech classes, I can now confidently ask for a “pivo, prossim,” or a “beer, please.” This language is more closely related to Slovak tongues, a far cry from the romance languages that more closely resemble English. Think 90% consonants. People really appreciate any lingual effort, no matter how simple or incorrect because Prague’s hordes of tourists usually don’t try to understand the culture at all. That being said, Americans have a much better reputation than do other Europeans, especially Germans, for historical reasons, and the English because of their brash, almost vulgar reputation. American pop-culture is as central to urban life here as it is anywhere back in the states. Kids wear Yankees hats. Radios kill the same Eminem song that’s being overplayed in the States. People love McDonalds.
In addition to intensive Czech, we had several lectures and tours this week as a final push of orientation. One of the lecturers, talking about culture shock and the contrasts between American and Czech cultures, told us that smiling is a mysterious expression to the Czechs. He warned that many older people assume someone smiling on a tram or on the street is on some kind of drug and that otherwise, they have no idea how to decipher such a gesture. We had a tour of Prazsky Hrad, or Prague Castle, which is the largest functioning castle in the world. Situated on a hill overlooking Old Town Square, it is a complex series of squares and buildings that surround a massive Cathedral. Because its construction has been an ongoing process spanning more than 12 Centuries, the diversity of architectural styles is amazing; Gothic and Baroque buildings and churches connect to 18th and 19th Century Palaces. Its grandeur and pompous nature are reminiscent of powerful European Empires. I don't know how effective the walls and bastions were, as the Czech people have been ruled by foreign monarchies and empires for the vast majority of their history.
Tucker in front of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the 1400's and was finally completed in the early 20th Century. My mom keeps urging me to photograph the flavor of the local culture, as she did in Spain during her time abroad capturing candid shots of children and wagons. Unfortunately, its a little less socially acceptable for me to be taking pictures of little kids and whatnot, so I'll stick with the scenery and buildings for now.
Every day here is an adventure. We've all significantly improved our public transit skills, but are still learning the city. Prague is a very fun city to live in as a college student, and despite the rather dark image of its inhabitants that I think I've painted, there is a lot of fun to be had; the clubs, bars, and restaurants are full every night of the week with Czechs and tourists. We went to a little hole-in-the-wall, local bar two nights ago called the Big Lebowski. The owner, who could barely speak English, was an American film fanatic, hence the name. The crowd there was purely Czech, but posters from Forest Gump, The Godfather, and Pulp Fiction lined the walls. After several delicious beers, we gave him a list of other American classics, lesser known cinema masterpieces enshrined in our culture. Talledega Nights, Step Up II, and The Mummy Returns III with Ben Fraiser were atop our list. I mention the bar in this blog because the concept behind it is amazing. There was no menu, no list of prices or drinks. We simply ordered whatever we wanted and at the end of the night paid what we thought we owed. The bartender just held out a tin and everyone dropped in a handful of coins and bills. It's really too bad it took us this long to find out about the Big Lebowski...
The four other Larries in Prague, on our first night together, enjoying a few beers at the Big Lebowski. Hannah and Leah, on the left are studying through CIEE and live across the city near the river. Caroline and Matt are on St. Lawrence's pilot program. We were upset there were no pictures of Ricki Bobby on the wall amongst other American film greats, as he surely deserves the recognition despite the film's lack of an Academy Award.
The view from our boat tour on the Vltava River. As the last event of orientation, everyone on the program, administrators and professors included, took a shot of local plum liquor to celebrate the beginning of the semester. We cruised around the city enjoying pivos and incredible views.
Tucker and I from Prague Castle, overlooking the Old Town. It happened to be hosting the Prague Wine Festival that week, which was a fun slice of local culture.
The crew from 25 Ve Smechach on our first night. The wine was $1.80 a bottle. We wanted to spoil ourselves on the first night. The six on the left are from Tulane, followed by Tucker and I, and then finally Paul, the odd man out from Ithaca.
Tomorrow, Tucker and I leave for Bratislava, the "secret gem" of Slovakia. Click the links below to watch two clips from Eurotrip, a comedy about four American students traveling in Europe. In this scene they accidentally end up in Bratislava. We're hoping for a similar experience...
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