Budapest, Hungary

After completing finals on Friday, I was able to kick off the summer by visiting the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary for the second time. After visiting the city for a weekend, we decided that we did not get to see as much of it as we wanted so we booked another trip back. I am pleased to say that the city was even better the second time.

During our first stay we experienced the Budapest baths. It was quite different than anything I have ever experienced, but it was a great time, nonetheless. We also spent a lot of our time at a market that was set up in the city center for the weekend. There were many stands with a variety of Hungarian trinkets for sale.

Upon arriving Friday night, we checked into our hostel and decided to check out the infamous ruin bars of Budapest. The ruin bars, are old buildings from the communist time period that were originally abandoned. It was a very unique atmosphere that I am so glad I got to experience.

The following morning we decided to tour the area near the Danube River. We started off by hiking up the beautiful Gellert Hill that overlooks the Pest side of Budapest. Despite not having our hiking shoes and clothes on, it was a beautiful view from the top.

We then walked along the river to the Royal Castle. It was the prettiest castle I’ve ever seen and looked as though it belonged in a fairy tale.

After that we crossed The Széchenyi Chain Bridge back to the Pest side, and headed over to the Parliament building. The parliament building was constructed using incredible architecture. It stands in front of the Danube. It is currently the largest building in Hungary and still the highest building in Budapest.

After viewing the incredible parliament building we made our way back to the hostel to get ready for our evening boat cruise down the Danube. It was yet again an incredible view of the city. It was amazing to see the city come alive at night looking over the river. It was an amazing day in Budapest.

We woke up the next day and walked over to Heroes square. Heroes Square is one of the major squares in Budapest, Hungary, noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important national leaders. After that we decided to visit AquaWorld, which is known as the best waterpark in Central Europe. It was a great way to end the amazing weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

I have arrived safely back in Olomouc, where I will spend my last night packing up for America. I will be traveling the next 12 days through the Bohemian region in the Czech Republic, and then my last week on the coast of Croatia before getting on my flight back to America.

Can’t wait to see you all in 12 short days!

Cultural Comparisons-Part 2

5.Cultural Comparisons

I spoke briefly in one of my previous blog posts about a few cultural comparisons, however I have learned so much since then about the differences in Czech and American culture, I wanted to dedicate another blog post to it. Here are a few more aspects I have learned from Czech Culture:

The little things aren't free.

In America it is so easy to take for granted the free water, condiments, and bread we receive at restaurants, but I have learned very quickly that most restaurants in European countries don’t offer that luxury. I have, however, found it very reasonable after learning about the shortage of water in many American states, due to the free water we offer. I will admit though, I was taken by surprise the first time I walked up to a line of shopping carts at the grocery store and realized they were not free. And then again, once I had checked out at the grocery store and did not receive free plastic bags. However I was most shocked the first time I was stopped before entering a restroom and asked to pay a fee. This aspect of culture has taken me a while to get used to but I believe it has made me more resourceful as well as cautious of the environment.

The big things are free.

I was so pleased to be from a country that didn't charge for things such as water, public restrooms and condiments until I learned that in Europe they pay small fees for those items and receive healthcare and education free of charge, which would obviously save a lot of money in the long run. In the United States healthcare and education are 2 of the most expensive things we pay for. I felt bad for the professor that taught us about this subject, as we were all very bitter that we will spend the rest of our lives paying off student loans while the kids across the Atlantic Ocean will come out of college debt free. I always knew that the prices of education were much higher in the United States, however, I was unaware college education was free in other countries, and if they get sick or injured they do not have to worry about spending their entire life savings on a surgery.

Czech’s behave in a much calmer manner than Americans.

Another aspect of culture that took me by surprise was the manner in which the people of the Czech Republic behave in public. It became evident the first time we rode the tram in silence where no one said a word for 30 minutes that American’s and Czech’s were very different. From my time in the Czech Republic, I have noticed that the people here are much quieter and more serious. They obviously enjoy going out and having a good time, just like the rest of us, they just behave differently while doing it. When Czech’s go out for the evening, they generally have a couple of beers and chill. Americans are known for being loud. Prior to coming on this trip, I never thought that was true, however I can now understand the stereotype. Another difference I noticed was the lack of friendliness on the streets. They rarely say hi to strangers on the streets, and if you ask them how they are doing, you will get a very honest response. This is a very drastic difference from Nebraska, where you say hi to everyone, and always tell people you are doing well, regardless of the truth. My description might make them sound rather rude which was not my intention. I know there are plenty of Czech’s that are great people, however it was just more difficult to get to know them due to the difference in culture.

It has been difficult getting accustom to these differences in culture, but overall while living in the Czech Republic. However from this I have become a more open-minded person, and I am more than excited to take my new perspectives back to the United States in just a few short weeks.

Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Wait, you actually have class?!

2) Academic Life

Although our academic life differs greatly here, at Palacky University, than it does back at UNK due to the condensed course schedule we have, I still feel as though I have learned just as much as I would have back home. Our class schedule in Olomouc, consists of us in class 5 days a week. Monday through Thursday we are in class from 3-7 PM and Friday’s we are in class from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM.

We start our school day with guest speakers who always have something interesting to share with us. Our guest speakers have come from a variety of different backgrounds allowing them to share their unique perspectives with us. The topics usually range from The Holocaust to World War 2 to The Cold War. It has been very interesting to hear history taught from a Czech perspective as opposed to the perspective we get back in the United States. In the United States we have a very negative connotation with the word communism. Being here, I have learned that the communism was not forced upon all of the countries. Interestingly enough, the Czechs voted for communism in the beginning because the ideology behind communism had good intentions, however it was not successfully carried out. Learning from these professors that have lived in a once communist country has been an eye-opening experience.

After our guest speakers, we move on to our Czech language class. Learning a second language is always a difficult task, so we definitely have had our work cut out for us as we are learning one of the more difficult ones. We have spent our time learning basic Czech, however I know there is still so much more to learn. We have also covered pronunciation as well as some basic conversation skills such as, “Hello, my name is Emily. How are you?” and so on. We have also learned some restaurant lingo and a few different foods, which has been very helpful. It has been so useful to know basic levels of Czech while being over here since English is so rare in Olomouc.

Lastly, we finish off the day with our lecture taught by Jan and Martin, our program directors at Palacky. Martin and Jan have been very patient with us as well as helpful. I have learned so much from them in and out of the classroom. They know so much about history it’s almost as if they were alive to experience it. It has been very beneficial to have them around on our field trips as well. They are able to show us the best side of each city. They also do an amazing job of balancing history and fun on all of our trips. This trip would not have been the same without them.

Overall our academic life has been very beneficial while here in Olomouc. I have really enjoyed learning from different perspectives and all of our professors have been amazing. It really has made it worth while.