Hannah Czechs Out Prague: Pes v větrovka?! (A Dog In A Windbreaker?!)

Hello everyone! Or as we say here in Prague, dobrý den! After being here for a little over a week, it is safe to say that I could not be more in love with this place. Although I was warned many times before my departure about the relative coldness of native Czechs, I have come to find many of them to be extremely helpful and welcoming of Americans. Of course this should never be expected when you are dealing with a girl like me that can barely master basic Czech phrases, is pathetically bad at charades (if you can't say it, act it out!), and has absolutely no sense of direction. Luckily though, I have found many kind strangers who have been more than willing to help me with everything from reading a map to ordering meat at a deli (which really is a feat in itself). Being faced with new cultural norms has truly made me realize how much I take for granted the most basic daily tasks and interactions, whether tipping a waiter or waitress, or maneuvering public transportation.

After 20 hours of intensive Czech language class over the course of the past week, I remain hopeful that I may someday be able to carry a coherent conversation in Czech. My Czech teacher here, Zdenka, is nothing short of phenomenal. I have never been taught by a more patient and encouraging teacher. She even gave us a mini-orientation at the grocery store in order to clarify our many questions and concerns regarding shopping for food. I have no doubt that 20 American students gathered around the deli discussing why the meat is in jell-o attracted a great deal of attention, but for the most part, the confused glares were minimal.

As a dog lover myself, I was quick to notice the prevalence of dogs in Prague. However, dogs appear to behave very differently here. The first thing I noticed is that dogs are often not walked on leashes here, but rather, they are trained to walk next to their owner on the sidewalk. I find this to be very counterintuitive, particularly because we are in an urban setting. Part of my astonishment also stems from the fact that I have a dog that has never been trained a day in his life, and would thus take the opportunity to stalk people around for food if he was ever let off his leash. I have even seen dogs waiting patiently outside store entrances by their own free will for their owners to exit the store. It appears that dog training is not as optional here as it is in the United States. Another trend I have seen is dog garments, by which I mean vests, sweaters, and windbreakers for dogs. I have been attempting to persuade my parents for years that our dog needs a windbreaker, and finally I have my proof. I think I will pick one up for him while I am here. Let's hope that they have size XXL (he's a 90 lbs black labrador retriever).

In true character, I will now delve into my recent experiences with food, which have been pleasant to the say the least. As I predicted in my first blog post, meat (maso) and cheese (sýr) are very much staples of the Czech diet (oh and did I mention potatoes?), however I have been extremely impressed by the amount of vegetarian food that has been offered at nearly every restaurant that I have been to. I am by no means a vegetarian, however I come from a family that eats very little meat, and thus I have taken full advantage of the vegetarian fare that Prague has to offer. My favorite restaurant so far has been one of the most highly recommended vegetarian restaurants in Prague, Maitrea. Nestled in one of the back streets off of Old Town Square, the restaurant has an ambiance that is both welcoming and beautiful, not to mention a reasonably priced menu that would appeal to nearly any vegetarian or non-vegetarian alike (foodie in the making perhaps?!). My roommates and I were also pleased to see that they offered guacamole (a personal favorite), which paired wonderfully with the delicious salad that I ordered. Although I have yet to dabble in the meat dumplings, I plan on doing so in the near future. After all, I am a Wisconsinite at heart!

As a true test of our map reading abilities, our program coordinators sent all of the students in the CET program on a scavenger hunt around the city. Now do not be fooled, this was far from any amateur scavenger hunt, being that it covered nearly the entire city of Prague, and it took a grand total of seven hours to complete. Did I mention that it was 20 degrees outside, and I have terrible circulation to my fingers and toes?! By hour five, I was definitely not a happy camper, but we got the job done, and saw some extraordinarily beautiful and interesting places in the process. We also placed 3rd out of 12 teams, which is quite the accomplishment considering our overall lack of direction. My only saving grace has been the gift of gab that I inherited from my mother, which has been very practical in terms of asking for help or directions. I also contributed to my group's success by picking an excellent restaurant for lunch! (suprising, right?) All in all, it was a great experience, and only one of many that I have had here thus far.

Let's hope that my first week of classes does not involve any solo navigation around Prague!