First of two posts.
I’ve been in Prague for a month now, which is so surreal (albeit amazing). I honestly didn’t realize how much and how quickly I would fall in love with this city. Around every corner is a new surprise in the form of architecture, people, food, etc. I haven’t had much time to truly explore since I’ve been so busy with the TEFL course, but I’ve made a few excursions and done a lot of observing. So far, this is what I’ve noticed:
-Everyone smokes. Okay, not everyone, but A LOT of people. And most of them young, which is difficult for me to understand since we’ve been shown the disgusting and painful consequences of the terrible habit for many, many years. Smoking is allowed in all the bars, which makes going out slightly unpleasant, especially when I come home reeking of cigarettes. But I digress—I can’t stop anyone from smoking, so I’ve learned to limit my time in certain places or around certain people.
-There’s no wheat bread. At least that I can find. All I’ve found at the grocery at this point is white and rye. Sad.
-Public transit is on point! I have to say that Prague has one of the best public transit systems I’ve ever encountered. The buses, trams and metro are almost constantly running to every corner of the city, and they are almost always right on time (and when they are late, it’s only by a minute or two). I can’t imagine why anyone within a 20 mile radius of Prague would want/need a car—so convenient!! Just remember: trams ALWAYS have the right of way!
-Dogs are all over the city and they are super well trained. Often the dogs are off leash and will patiently wait outside of shops or schools until their owners come back out. I also learned that all dogs are required (by the state) to be micro-chipped. Dogs are allowed on public transit though I believe they have to be muzzled as a precaution, but I have yet to see or encounter an aggressive or poorly trained dog in this city (and I see probably 20+ dogs when I’m out).
-There’s a fixation on the 80s and 90s at many of the bars/clubs, and it makes me happier than it should. What can I say? I’m all for rocking out to Britney, Billy Joel, Spice Girls, Whitney, A-HA, Bon Jovi and Queen :-) Also, everyone is terrible at dancing in the clubs, so there’s this incredible camaraderie of acceptance and understanding of the bad dancing…which means everyone just has fun. I love it.
-Graffiti all over the place. Now I can appreciate some street art and graffiti in appropriate places, but I have to say this is one thing that boils my blood in this city. Because it’s everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Without respect to the history or location of whatever is tagged. And especially since the architecture in Prague is so splendid, it hurts my soul to see a half-assed tag on a three or four hundred-year-old building. People have also tagged historical landmarks, statues, memorials. I just don’t get it.
-Along similar but less gear-grinding lines, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of new and old throughout the city. Buildings that are hundreds of years old host McDonald’s or H&M with modern advertising in the windows. Sometimes while I’m on the tram I’ll find myself daydreaming of what used to be in those buildings…
-I play Lunch Roulette most weekdays. This entails pointing at anything on the lunch menu and hoping for the best because the lunch specials are always in Czech (you can ask for an English menu, but the prices will be higher). I haven’t been disappointed yet, though. Czech food is hearty and satisfying. Pork and potatoes and cabbage are the standard, but I’ve had some excellent beef and stuffed pepper dishes as well.
-Černý Pivo, or Black Beer, is definitely my favorite type of the Czech brews. I have never been a Pilsner fan, so I was slightly concerned that was all I would be able to find in Pilsner-land, but I have been pleasantly surprised. All bars have at least a lager and the best bars (in my opinion) serve the black beer. It’s not quite a stout, but bolder and thicker than a brown ale. Delicious.
-Finally, the essential Czech female cannot be without the following (in black, brown or grey) in the winter: wool coat, blanket scarf, skinny jeans, boots and purse/satchel. I got myself a messenger bag this week to start my assimilation. Boots are next—wish me luck!
