People Watching

Prague is a great place to sit and people watch and that is exactly what I did...except I have a zoom lens so I can take pictures of people without them knowing. Haha. Sneaky sneaky. I went around Old Town taking some pictures of people (some while holding the camera at my waist to be more discreet) and tried to capture people without them noticing me. Id say most of the people in my shots are tourists, Old Town is where all the tourists go to see the pretty buildings and stuff. Which brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk about.

Tourism. It is really apparent in Old Town especially and even more so if you leave Old Town and go to outer Prague to see where people actually live. I know that the tourism is a big money maker but it is really sad to see sometimes. There are 14th century buildings with advertisements stuck on the side. Lots of department stores, kitschy souvenir shops, and way over priced restaurants line every street. Numerous McDonalds have even infiltrated. (Which I sadly have to admit that Ive eaten at a couple times. Haha. They are the only thing that is open 24 hours - which the Czech call Nonstop - so we all grab the night tram and go get a Party Meal - 3 burgers and 3 fries - at the Nonstop McDonalds.) It is hard to get a grasp on what Prague is really about, its history and culture in this maze of tourist traps. Its really sad because this is probably the only thing that people visiting see. The school is in the middle of Old Town but our pension (hotel) is in a part of town called Vinohrady, which is not touristy at all. This helps us get a little better view of the real Prague and it is so much better than what most people see in Old Town. Maybe not as beautiful but more complex and real.

Anyways, check out the pictures below of people watching, mixed with some other sights, and I will write again soon. Hope all is well back in the States! Im going to Vienna this weekend so Ill bring back some good stories.

a Czech unicorn...seriously

I guess the Czechs supported the south because that is definitely a rebel flag shirt

alien invasion in Prague?

at Vysehrad (the old castle)

Walk About

One thing is for sure, I will be in tip top walking shape when this trip is over. If I had to estimate, I would say we have walked between 8 to 10 miles each day, especially those where we go out and wonder around the city. The first couple days I was hurting but I'm finally getting my traveling legs under me. It definitely makes sleeping at night easy, even though we pretty much sleep on a wooden box with a piece of foam on top of it.

But we walked around the city again yesterday. We went to a botanical garden and to the Dancing House building. Here are some images I got along the way:

A Lesson In Culture

So we continue to take photographs in the city, for class and fun. (See the bottom of this post) But I want to let you in on a little bit of the Czech culture. It is really different from ours and they definitely have their quirks, as im sure we do to them.

First off, the Czech people are really reserved. They don't seem to smile much, they sit quietly on the tram and metro, and have a somber silent public attitude. It is very easy to tell who is a foreigner and we really stand out. I guess I never thought that the people in my studio were a loud bunch, minus a few of us, but it is really apparent when compared to the volume that we have and Czechs have when in a normal conversation.

The Czech people also have a very weird attitude about public activities. Several times we have been yelled at when doing things that we would never think of as offensive. For instance, we were riding on the tram and one of the girls in our group pulled up her feet and put them on the seat of the tram to get them out of the way of a passing woman. The woman, instead of acknowledging her trying to get out of the way, started yelling at her, which of course we didnt understand because it was in Czech. There have been a couple other incidents like this as well. But what makes this so weird to me is that they get mad at these things while they allow other things that would be taboo in our nation. For instance, I was walking to the grocery store behind a father and son, who was probably 3 years old. I guess the son had expressed his need to go to the bathroom because the dad pulled down his pants and held him towards a tree in the sidewalk and the boy just went on the tree, right in the middle of the square. It was really funny but at the same time really shocking.

It is also very clear that the Czech people in general get tired of foreigners. Prague is a very touristy city and the locals get a lot of visiting people from around the world. I have had a couple interactions with Czechs who seem to be angry that I am here and I cant say that I really blame them. I know that in the US it is very frustrating when people who dont know our language or cultures seem to do what they want without reserve or consideration to us. I think this is a valuable lesson that I have learned and that everyone can benefit from. We all need to learn some patience for others at home and abroad and to try to understand and learn about others cultures so that we have a better understanding of each other as a human race.

Well...thats all for now. I hope all is well back in the States and I will keep the pictures coming as I know thats what yall really want. (cough...victor...cough). Haha. Talk to ya soon!

Zizkov Cemetery

Winslet Square (day and night)

Old Town Square and Surrounding