Town Hopping

            This last week we started off on our last group trip to a couple of small towns in the Czech Republic including, Litomysl, Kutna Hora, and Cesky Krumlov. We went what I would call town hopping in this 5 day span.

            We spent our first day/night in Litomysl. This was a cool experience for us because we got to stay in the castle in this town as well as take a tour of their beautiful church and learn a little about the history of this town. We also got to enjoy various art structures that were unique for being in this small town. A few of us decided we were going to climb up this bus, which looked like a slide had been put right in the middle. When Megan and I decided to go climb it we got all the way to the top and got yelled at to get down. However, it was still a lot of fun and we ended up getting pictures and sliding down. That night we didn’t end up doing much but a bunch of us ended up just hanging out in the hotel. This is when mid-conversation Megan realized her and I have a matching mole, we decided this meant we were long lost sisters.

            The next day we got up and headed to our next destination Kutna Hora. On our way there we made a pit stop to visit this little town, called Lezaky that was destroyed after the Nazis discovered some people in the village had ties to the those who killed one of their higher ups, Heydrich. The Nazis did not just go after the few involved but the WHOLE village and leveled the place. Today stands a beautiful memorial to remember what had happened there. A couple of us had noted how ironic it was that this place was so peaceful for the tragedy that happened there.

            When we finally got to Kutna Hora, we got to tour St Barbara’s Cathedral, which was beautiful. However, it does resemble a majority of the other churches we saw. The one cool thing about this church is the significance of the name. St Barbara is the mining saint and holds close ties to the history of Kutna Hora for the longest time Kutna Hora was a hot bed for silver mining. The next day we even got to tour the silver mines in town before we left to our next destination. The silver mines were awesome and we got to dress up and maneuver our way through the narrow and short passages of the mines.

            We then headed towards Cesky Krumlov, but before getting there we stopped at Budweiser for a quick tour. This should not be confused with America’s Budweiser, they are two separate companies who happen to be disputing over the Budweiser name. In fact Europe’s Budweiser cannot send their product to America and vice versa. However, this was a fun experience where we got to see the whole process of how their beer is made.

            When we finally got to Cesky Krumlov we were given the evening to relax and do some exploring of our own. Cassie, Emily, and I got to enjoy watching USA hockey beat the Czech Republic team in a shoot-out in our hostel bar. We being American of course cheered loud and were not very popular and got out of there as fast as possible and head to find something to eat. After eating we spent the rest of the night just hanging out in the hostel and I did some math homework for my classes back in the states.

            The next morning we headed out to tour the Castle in town, which again was very ornate and showed just how much wealth one family should not have. It’s almost sickening to think that people had this much money. One item could probably pay for all of my schooling plus more, which is honestly sad. After our tour we headed out to lunch and got some good pizza before some of our group went on a rafting trip in the cold. I, on the other hand took a 2 and a half hour nap. At the end of the night we wrapped up our trip with our last group dinner, it was honestly a great way to end our week time together. Good food and good company.

Out of Place

I have now spent over eight weeks abroad and can adequately talk about the cultural differences here in the Czech Republic.

            Here in the Czech we deal with many cultural differences. For example, throughout a normal day here in the Czech Republic no one smiles back at us friendly Midwesterners who are used to smiling at everyone that passes. This was very weird to us at first but we have now gotten fairly use to it and get way too excited when we see someone smile. Kind of playing hand in hand with smiling is customer service. In America we are too use to being waited on hand and foot. As most of us all know we get asked what feels like a billion times if our food is okay. Here is quite the opposite, after you receive your food the waitress or waiter leaves you alone and in some cases may ask once if our food is okay. The server is not particularly friendly and most of the time refuses to smile. Then when it comes time to pay the check you have to ask, whereas in America the waitress or waiter is usually watching so closely that it’s there by the time you are ready or they get it to you even before you are ready.

            On another note the music here is so outdated. If it isn’t in Czech and I can actually understand it, the music is from 90’s to 2000’s pop. If we are lucky we get some electronic dance music (EDM), which honestly isn’t that much better. What this means is no today’s hits, country, R&B, hip hop, rap, etc. The variety of music here is very limited and that makes me sad, because when I think about culture one of the first things that come to mind is music. Music to me can adequately sum up what a places culture is like. I feel like if I could understand their Czech music I would have a lot better understanding, but for now my views are limited just like their music choices.

            Another way I saw the culture here is through their Easter celebration. It is honestly quite odd. First they have vendors set up in the main square of town 2 weeks prior to Easter and they stay there until Easter is over. Then on the day of Easter men will buy a braid of sticks and hit women with them, this is supposed to give the women beauty throughout the rest of the year. However, what is even odder than these silly little traditions that take place is that Easter happens on Monday instead of Sunday. Also here in the Czech Republic they do not have an Easter bunny. Children and adults still decorate eggs, usually by painting them which was a little taste of home that I enjoyed seeing.

            Overall, the Czech Republic is very different from America culturally. They have a lot of traditions that stem from all they have been through with the constant change of regimes and the mish mash of cultures that happened with those changes. I have found it beyond interesting to learn about the Czech Republic and get to experience their culture in person. However I do feel culturally out of place.

Poland Round Two!

            After a long day and a bus ride I sit down to reflect on our group’s time in Krakow, Poland.

            At first I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this trip but I got a pleasant surprise. When we got into Krakow we went straight to the salt mine for one of the best tours I’ve had since I’ve been here. We learned a ton about the mining industry in Poland and the particular mine we were in. The tourist route of this mine housed many facilities, such as multiple chapels. They also housed a stable for the horses that they brought down into the mine. These horses stayed in the mine until the work was done. I never knew how beautiful a salt mine could be until I saw the many salt crystals that formed some of the chandeliers and sculptures throughout. On our way through we all also got the chance to lick the walls, which is an experience I will never forget.

            That evening we checked into our hostel and relaxed for the rest of the night. The next day we woke up and headed out to tour Wawel castle. Our group was led by a tour guide through the armory and the state rooms of the castle. We saw many interesting weapons and rooms with tapestries and paintings galore. However, I did not gather much information from my tour guide due to her accent and her fast paced talking.

            After we were done with the tour we were free for the rest of the day. Emily, Cassie, and I went and enjoyed some Hard Rock Café, with American food and free refills, which is a rarity in Europe. We then decided to go through the outdoor market that was taking place in the square right outside of Hard Rock. They had many homemade, hand-crafted items that were beyond unique. It was fun to walk around and see what their culture brings to arts and crafts. We then ventured back to our hostel where we ended up taking a three hour nap and then just relaxing for the rest of the night.

            Our last day in Krakow we got to take a tour of Schindler’s Factory. Most American’s know this story through the film “Schindler’s List”. This man kept many Jews out of concentration camps by being a part of the Nazi party but realizing the worth of a human life. Being in the building that he helped so many people was beyond surreal. We got to see Poland all the way from before the Nazi occupation to the end of the war, and the way Schindler utilized the factory to save Jews. More importantly we got to see the original office of Schindler himself, and a wonderful exhibit of Schindler’s list.

            Reflecting on all of the things I saw this weekend is hard because each facility was so different than the last. But overall I feel like this was a great experience to see all the different things that Poland went through in their history.

Tour of Italy

A week long spring break in Italy… How can you go wrong? It’s not possible. After our class field trip to Vienna and Venice, we got to enjoy a week off for spring break. Cassie, Emily, Preston, and I did a tour of Italy.

            Our first night of spring break we spent in Venice at a camp site where we got upgraded from our tent to a bungalow, which is just a cabin. After checking into our bungalow and getting everything settled we headed back into town. This is when we got to enjoy a 30 minute gondola ride. This is something I was looking forward to and it was definitely worth the time and money. After that we headed back to our hostel and went to sleep because we had an early train the next morning to Rome.

            Rome, what can I say? I was very underwhelmed by this city. When I think of Rome I think of a spectacular city, full of wonder. What I got from Rome, a little bit of wonder and a whole lot of dirty. My first impression of this city was trash everywhere. It honestly looked as if no one cared what their city looked like. When we finally got to our hostel which again was a camp site where we stayed in tents, which by the way was the best experience ever, we were amazed. We went from the dirty streets of Rome to an immaculate site. It was one of the best places I have stayed in my whole trip. Granted we did stay in tents but there was a restaurant on site and wonderful staff, who were very helpful and fun to be around.

            Our first day in Rome we toured the Vatican. This of course was everything I expected. Ornate and immaculate are words I would definitely use to describe this place. We got the joy of going through the museum with a wonderful guide who was very knowledgeable about all things Vatican. I definitely enjoyed our time there, however what I enjoyed most was the Sistine Chapel as well as St. Peter’s Basilica. Seeing the wonderful works of Michelangelo was truly a life changing experience. I never in my whole life thought I would be so lucky. St. Peter’s Basilica was a marvel. It was so ornate with tons going on in all directions. What I found cool about this church is that they offered confession for all languages. I do not participate in the act of confessing my sins to a priest but found the accessibility wonderful. The best site of the whole thing however, was the canopy over the altar. An all bronze wonder really, stands 95 feet tall, and is constructed in a very beautiful way. I am extremely glad that I got to experience the Vatican.

            The next day we got up semi-early to go the Colosseum. We ate at a restaurant right down the street and then walked the Colosseum. It is a unique structure with a weird but interesting history. It was of course used for gladiator games, which were just a cruel invention where men and animals would fight to the death, and people would come and watch. What I found weird was the cross that stood in the Colosseum, for such a violent place I was not expecting this. It turns out that back when the Colosseum was utilized they would hold church services in this facility. Another interesting fact I learned about the Colosseum is the fact that materials from the Colosseum were stolen to help build St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. This first of all caught me off guard because the materials were STOLEN to build a church, and second because the place the materials came from was not exactly a happy place in our perspective nowadays.

            The next day we headed off to Florence, when we got there it was already pretty late in the day. So we checked in to our hostel, had supper, and then returned and went to bed because we had a long day ahead of us. The next morning we got up and did tons of site seeing. We started off our day walking around town and eventually got to the look out over the city this view was unbelievable. After that we continued our walk through town and did a little shopping. Finally, we ended up at the museum which houses the Statue of David which is a real work of art. However, when it comes to a statue of that type a bunch of college students can’t resist from making some sort of inappropriate remark. This is how we made friends with a family from Colorado that were on a family vacation. The grandma of the family heard our remark and came right back with one of her own which just made us laugh. When we finally got in to see the statue it truly was amazing and not just because of the inappropriateness of it but because it was so well done by one of the world’s most famous artist. However, in the end we got in trouble with museum staff because we were having a little too much fun with the grandma we had met in line.

            The last destination on our Tour of Italy was Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Let me tell you it did not live up to my expectations of what it would be. I definitely thought I would feel out of place in my sports pants and sweatshirt but in Milan I felt more in place than when I am in Olomouc. During our time there we did not do much site seeing but we of course shopped because who can resist when you are in the fashion capital. We went into an outlet store if you will filled with designer labels. This place was beyond crowded and made me sick to my stomach. Who spends 1200 euros ($1383.42) on one item, such as a shirt or shoes? The cheapest thing we saw in the whole store was a scarf for 98 euros ($112.98). We got so overwhelmed we didn’t even make it through the whole mall. However, what we ended up finding was even better. We found stores that are perfect for a college student on a budget. Alcott, was by far my favorite and is very comparable to H&M but at a much better price. We ended up going to Hard Rock Café that night, the nicest one I have EVER been into, and had a wonderful dinner. It was the perfect way to wrap up my spring break.

            The next day we headed back to the Czech Republic and although I was sad to leave Italy, I was happy to get back to something familiar, something that has begun to feel like home.

We're Going On A Trip

After 2 weeks of no classes and traveling around, it’s time to reflect on the school trip we took to Vienna, Austria, and Venice, Italy.

            When we arrived in Vienna we checked into our hostel which turned out to be very nice. The next day we went out to visit one of the castles of the Habsburg’s. The family was ridiculously rich and had a lot of possessions that have become property of the state now. This is due to the fact that they were forced out of their ruling and when this happened they did not have time to gather all of their things. Walking through this museum of stuff, mostly useless random things, I was baffled by the amount of money in this place. If I could sell just one earring in one of the many sets that were housed here, I would be able to pay for college, a house, a car, and still have money left over. This was truly an interesting experience. Thinking about all the poverty in the world, we have people who had and still have this amount of money that could easily solve a whole lot of problems with a fraction of their money.

            After that our group split up and got to enjoy a variety of museums. I choose to go to the Natural History museum, which was a great decision. While we were there we saw everything from different types of rock, jewels, and gems, to all types of animals. My favorite part of the whole museum was the dinosaur section. While I did enjoy the bones and cool dinosaur finds, the most fascinating thing for me was the life size dinosaur that moved and made noise. I was so entertained with it, like a kid in a candy store. We did not have near enough time to see it all but we sure tried. While we walked through we took many pictures and had fun.

            The next day we headed out toward Venice. We left super early for a 7 hour bus ride. Around lunch time we stopped to grab a bite to eat and luckily we got a wonderful mountain view. When we got there we got settled into our hostel and then headed out for a short tour of the city. This is where our guide Jan left us to fend for ourselves. Venice is actually made up of over 100 islands. This makes it very easy to get lost but in the end getting lost was a good thing. We were able to find food and get the layout of the city.

            Our next day out in Venice we visited the palace of the Duke of Venice, which again was a Habsburg. The palace is right on the Grand Canal in Venice, which made for a pretty view. This building was very ornate, just like all of the things we saw in the museum in Vienna. There was also some very pretty artwork throughout. However, the last thing we saw in the palace was the jail. This jail was a long trek but worth it in the end. Jan showed us the window where most prisoners saw the last of the outside world they would see. This was a sobering thought because even though these people had committed crimes they would not be able to see anything but the prison again.

            This trip gave me good insight into how greedy people can be. All the money in the world would not cover the price of the things I saw on this trip and that is truly shocking to me. This being the halfway point of my time here, I have come to the realization that the Czech Republic has a deep and long history that most people don’t even know about. This country maybe small but they have been through a lot like the Nazi invasion, communist rule, and dealing with people like the Habsburgs. The Czech Republic should be given more historical attention than what it is getting now. It is truly sad that in America we don’t focus more on worldly history. America is great and it’s wonderful that our students are learning about our history but there is a lot more going on outside the US boarders that could potentially affect the United States.

Heart Drop

            A three hour bus ride and we were there, Auschwitz. This is something I can honestly say I was looking forward to experience during this program. However, after being there I realized I only need to experience it once. The moment we pulled up my heart immediately sank. If this was not an eerie enough place already it was raining and gloomy, with birds flying around making their noises. We started making our way through and saw some of the most horrifying things and heard about the people’s time there.

            We made our way up to the gate into Auschwitz. Inscribed on the gate are the words “Arbeit Macht Frei”, which translates to work will set you free. This of course was a lie because most of the people who entered did not make it out. Over 1 million people were killed at Auschwitz. We visited many of the barracks that had displays of not only things that were found after the liberation but also pictures that were found of this horrible occurrence.

            The things that were found ranged from shoes, glasses, pots and pans, and luggage.

            After making our way through Auschwitz we made our way over to Birkenau, which is just right up the road. This camp is bigger than the first and had separate sides for men and women. This camp was also less preserved than the first because when word came of the allies coming to liberate the camps they started destroying the buildings and moving people to another camp. The moving of these people was known as the death march because most of the people either died on the way or couldn’t walk any further and were shot. This was due to the fact that the Nazi’s did not want any survivors to be a tell all to the allies.

            This whole experience made me reflect on things I complain about every day.

How can I justify complaining about the food I get at a restaurant that just isn’t good enough?

Prisoners of Auschwitz typically got three meals a day and they weren’t nutritional. For breakfast they got a liter of coffee or tea that was typically not actual coffee or tea. Lunch consisted of vegetable soup which consisted of rotten vegetables. Dinner was typically a piece of bread, which was mostly saw dust in order to save supplies, and jam.

Most of the time I get more than 3 meals a day and they are big meals. They are warm and nutritional. I will never ever complain again about a meal.

How can I justify complaining about my sleeping conditions?

            Most of the time the prisoners slept on the floor with a straw bed. In Birkenau, we saw the women’s arrangements, which were basically bunk beds without the bed. It was a platform that multiple women would have to shove onto and sleep with multiple people. A lot of times they would wake up next to someone who had passed in their sleep due to starvation or dehydration or poor hygienic conditions. The beds were typically covered in lice.

            Most of us let’s be honest have a twin bed or bigger all to ourselves. We complain when the bed is just a little hard or too soft. But we don’t wake up to death, or lice, or the fact that we are in so much pain lying on just wooden bunks.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”     -George Santayana

            This is a great quote that really stuck with me. In the very first barrack we went in this was up on the wall. It is good for us to remember the past no matter how horrible so we do not end up in a situation like most of Europe did. I will forever remember this experience. It left me nauseous and light headed, with my heart so far down in my chest. This is the first time I have ever experienced my heart drop.

Home Sweet School

School has always been a necessity for me. If I wanted to get where I wanted in life it was necessary that I spent the thousands of dollars on an education where only half the classes apply to my major. However, here in the Czech Republic, Czech students go to school for FREE. Free tuition has always been something that Americans have hoped and prayed for and in Europe it’s a reality. Even tuition for those of us who aren’t Czech is super reasonable here. For a bachelors in English the tuition is 750 euros which is the equivalent of $854.51 for the whole year. It honestly makes me question my school choice and how much money I am spending on college.

Here in Olomouc classes are typically an hour and a half long, which is somewhat comparable to my courses back home, maybe even a little better. One of the main differences in my course work is that I have classes back to back that don’t start until 3pm and get over around 6:15-7:15pm on Monday through Thursday. On Friday, I have class at 10:30am and get done at about noon, which to be honest isn’t too bad because then I have the rest of the day to do some site seeing or begin some travel. I didn’t get to choose my courses so we didn’t have much say on when they were or what they were, but overall it isn’t a bad set up.

As for teachers in the Czech most of them are soft spoken and have A LOT to say. It can often times be hard to concentrate on what’s going on. It is very easy to get distracted and not pay attention in the classroom because they allow you to have your phones and computers out at all times. However, we all do our best to pay attention and be respectful to the professors that gave up their time for us and often times struggle to get through a whole lecture in English which is understandable of course.

 The classrooms are set up very similar to those in the United States in that the teacher is at the front and the students are in rows of desks. While this set-up is getting less popular in most of my college classes it is a commonality here. I am studying to become a teacher back in the States and it is proven through a lot of research that most students do not learn well in rows. The better set-up is when they can collaborate with others in the classroom, not only the teacher but peers. Here you can see that learning is uniform. However, I had a teacher here last week tell us that he has the capability to take his students out to cafés and beer gardens for class when it gets nicer. Whereas, in the United States that is frowned upon, the students must stay on campus for class and there is no other way about it in most cases.

While I am enjoying the more laid back approach to college in the Czech Republic I will also look forward to my return. It will be nice to get back to outspoken teachers, who provide me with just the information I need and adapt to my learning styles. While I may not enjoy spending the thousands of dollars on school I will appreciate the American standards of schooling and getting back into what I am use to. I am grateful for this experience and am glad that I am being pushed out of my comfort zone but nothing can compare to my home sweet school.