So, I’ve been in Prague with the American Institute for Foreign Study for about a week now! I just finished my first week of classes at Charles University and every day is a new adventure. Classes here are more demanding than any I’ve taken before - I am in class 6-8 hours a day and during the first week, we were expected to give a fifteen-minute presentation on a Czech film. Though it is nerve-racking, I am so glad that I am here and able to study in a new culture.
Though the classes are difficult, the culture itself is surprisingly laid-back. Going to a restaurant is a leisurely experience; taking a stroll through Old Town Square is very common. This is something that the people in my group have had a hard time adjusting to, though. When we’re done eating, we want our tab, but the Czech people can wait up to an hour to give it to you.
However, the structure of the city and its architecture make every day feel special. Taking a tram everywhere feels so novel, and passing all of the ornate and unique buildings remind me of what an amazing and historical city I am living in.
Travel to close towns is also enjoyable. A bus ticket, round-trip, runs about $15 with an ISIC card. (If you are planning on studying abroad, I highly recommend this.) Just a few days ago, some of my new friends and I went to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, which is the largest film festival in Europe. This was an amazing experience. Though we were only there for a day, we were able to see two films and had fun exploring a new city.
The people I have met here are also incredible. My room mother, Zuzanna, emigrated to America with her husband during the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. Before that, her husband was a proclaimed war hero for the Czech people during WWII. Another woman, Barbora, who works for AIFS, has been very kind to me. She took me to the hospital when I had a corneal infection and stayed with me during the time when I was in and out of there for a few days. (My words of advice concerning this are to NOT wear contacts on a transatlantic flight; the air can’t be cleared and bacteria can latch onto your contacts. At the hospital, I was told that they may not be able to save my right cornea because of it.)
However, that seems to have cleared up. Now, I am on to worrying about my classes, which is the way it should be, I think. And how to get to the market. Fairly normal stuff. Well, I also feel concerned about eating out because of my allergies (and hardly anyone speaks English), but I’m eating oatmeal in my dorm until I feel braver.
Until later!
Andrea Wright
Though the classes are difficult, the culture itself is surprisingly laid-back. Going to a restaurant is a leisurely experience; taking a stroll through Old Town Square is very common. This is something that the people in my group have had a hard time adjusting to, though. When we’re done eating, we want our tab, but the Czech people can wait up to an hour to give it to you.
However, the structure of the city and its architecture make every day feel special. Taking a tram everywhere feels so novel, and passing all of the ornate and unique buildings remind me of what an amazing and historical city I am living in.
Travel to close towns is also enjoyable. A bus ticket, round-trip, runs about $15 with an ISIC card. (If you are planning on studying abroad, I highly recommend this.) Just a few days ago, some of my new friends and I went to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, which is the largest film festival in Europe. This was an amazing experience. Though we were only there for a day, we were able to see two films and had fun exploring a new city.
The people I have met here are also incredible. My room mother, Zuzanna, emigrated to America with her husband during the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. Before that, her husband was a proclaimed war hero for the Czech people during WWII. Another woman, Barbora, who works for AIFS, has been very kind to me. She took me to the hospital when I had a corneal infection and stayed with me during the time when I was in and out of there for a few days. (My words of advice concerning this are to NOT wear contacts on a transatlantic flight; the air can’t be cleared and bacteria can latch onto your contacts. At the hospital, I was told that they may not be able to save my right cornea because of it.)
However, that seems to have cleared up. Now, I am on to worrying about my classes, which is the way it should be, I think. And how to get to the market. Fairly normal stuff. Well, I also feel concerned about eating out because of my allergies (and hardly anyone speaks English), but I’m eating oatmeal in my dorm until I feel braver.
Until later!
Andrea Wright
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