(6) SOCIAL LIFE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Everywhere I have visited, whether it is in Europe or the United States, has a different social atmosphere. The people have different languages, but I’m not talking about the verbal language. I’m talking about the nonverbal ques, the social feeling, the way people express themselves. That is what I have noticed most about being in Europe. That means I am constantly adapting to the environment. I have been in Europe for 46 days now, the majority of which has been spent in one social sphere, Olomouc. Olomouc is a quiet town, with humble people. My first impression of this town was that it was depressing. The people are soft spoken, and being loud is not a social norm. It was difficult for me to talk to the locals that did know English, not because I was scared of them, but because I didn’t want to offend them. The American culture has the stereotype of being loud and obnoxious, so it is easy to see where the two cultures may not mix. However, now that I have a feeling for the social environment of Olomouc it is easier for me to talk with the locals. I know that during the day, it is better to have a calmer attitude about things, but during the night, the locals enjoy a “louder” environment at the local pubs. Seeing as how the Czech Republic is one of the highest consumers of beer in the world, it is easy to see the correlation between an increased social environment and the evening events.

This has also taught me a lesson. In the United States I feel like my social groups are always trying to talk over one another. Discussions become a clustered mess of people yelling and people one-up each other. Here in Olomouc, when I’m talking to a local, I feel like they are truly listening, and it feels great to have them respond to what I am saying, and not responding just so they can get their word in. I believe the social context of Olomouc has increased my want to listen to people, to hear their story. I’m not saying I don’t listen to my friends, but I am saying that I can get caught up in a loud group. Our Czech professor taught us that when you ask a Czech how they are doing, it truly means you are interested in their life. However, in the states, I feel like a casual, “how are you?” is only a formality. Although my initial experience in the Czech was rough, I believe I have learned a great deal about patients and listening.

(10) SPRING BREAK: NAPLES, ITALY

In my previous blog I talked about Venice, Italy, and that I was surprised by my experience there. The next city on my travels is called Naples, Italy. This was perhaps the biggest surprise I have had in Europe yet! Although it has many interesting stories, I will share the most exciting events.

Naples, Day one: Our arrival to Naples was not a pleasant one. When we were dropped off at the airport we tried following the hostels directions; however this only let to more confusion and us circling the same city block about 5 times. Finally after finding someone who spoke decent English, we found the bus stop and were on our way to the hostel (Giovanni’s Hostel). This hostel was the most unexpected piece of haven. As soon as we walked in the owner, Giovanni, greeted us with open arms and a glass of water (the hike to his hostel is quite steep). At first glance the hostel looked rather run down and we were a bit disappointed. Soon Giovanni gave us our keys and told us what the rules of the hostel where. We thought that was it, because every hostel we have stayed in was very unpersonable, but Giovanni asked if we would sit down so he could describe “his” city to us. We looked at him a bit odd, but he explained that Naples is a beautiful city with so much to offer and going into it with no direction would be a shame. Since we had no other plans we listened as he mapped out our entire vacation for us. Including where we should go, when we should go, and how to get there! To top it off Giovanni then asked if we were hungry and proceeded to make us lunch, pasta of course. He was one of the most generous men I have ever met. Day one was filled with tours, attractions, and the best pizza I have ever had! It was a little restaurant called Sorbillo’s Pizza. The wait was around 1.5 hours, but boy was it worth it! The crust was thin and soft, the herbs strong, and the sauce was silky smooth. I couldn’t believe what I was eating! That night ended early because we had a long next few days.

            The next 3 days I will condense into this last portion, I believe that the first day influenced our experience so much that the details were necessary. The second day was spent on a little island 40 minutes off the coast of Naples called Procida, Italy. This Island is the most underrated, hidden gem in all of Italy, and possibly Europe! The island is not a tourist trap, but the locals love to have tourists come and experience what they have to offer. They have kept the Island completely original, and want to keep it that way. The buildings are painted in multi color and along a hilly island that is very small. Just looking at it it looks like a painter had a lot of fun creating a work of art. Our initial view of the city was by the harbor, but once we climbed to the highest peak on the island I was at a loss for words to describe the view. 

The view of the city was epic because it was so imperfectly perfect. The buildings were built many years ago, and since then modern architecture is rare, and only allowed if it is built the same way it was done years ago. I wish I could explain this magnificent sight in more detail, but this is one of those things you have to see to believe.

            For lunch we heard of a local pizza place, and thought we could compare it to Sorbillo’s; however, it was closed. Not to be defeated by our disappointment we decided to go to a couple local markets and pick up food for a picnic on the beach. The beach was nothing special, in fact it was dirty and the sand was black. Not exactly the pristine white beaches seen in the movies. However, at the time it seemed like the most beautiful place. The beach was about 1 mile east of the city and like Venice we saw the whole town with a mountain background. That day was filled with great friends, and an amazing picnic of different cheeses, fruit, and local wine.

            The rest of our time on Naples was spent sight seeing. This city has so much to offer and it was probably the most difficult place to leave. The experiences I had were unforgettable; it only makes me want to visit again!

(7) VENICE, ITALY. WHAT A SUPRISE!

Venice, Italy has been advertised to have romance, amazing food, and the fame of being the city build on water. Don’t get me wrong, I love the excitement any place has to offer, but it’s only an idea until you’ve experienced it. Before entering Venice I told myself not to get too excited. That the city is not nearly has beautiful as the picture on Google show, the Gondola Ride at dusk is only romantic in the movies because, well, it’s a movie and everything in movies is “perfect”, and food is food; therefore, I will only expect to eat mediocre pasta. Going in with these expectations, I was prepared to be pleasantly surprised, or happily pleased with my self that I anticipated nothing special.

Venice day 1: The group of students from UNK met at the hostel and made our way to St. Marks Square. If I could say anything about Venice from that walk, it’s that having a map is the most priceless tool to have. Every side walk ends, and every time I turned I was never sure if I had been there before. After being in the city for a couple days, I managed to navigate one or two routes, but that was it. At St. Marks Square we visited the cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful, but I couldn’t appreciate it like I wanted or should have. Every detail was on point, and every painting had a spiritual meaning that would drop most peoples’ jaw. In my case, I found it hard to appreciate the architecture and meaning, not because it isn’t amazing, but because we have seen so many cathedrals in the past. Although it was a shame that it felt just like another cathedral, I left knowing I had seen something created by the hands of passionate architects and sculptors. I think I appreciated that more than anything, the passion for creation.

The next part of day one was filled with surprises. The food of choice for the evening was of course pasta. When in Italy, do is the Italians do! At least I thought that was the best idea when ordering my pesto pasta. I will say it surprised me by being above average! The Gondola ride was also a surprise. We cruised through the city “streets” just as the sun was setting. I got some amazing picture, which I believe could be advertised on Google images. All in all, day one was the second most surprising part of Venice.

            Venice day 2: This was the most eventful day in Venice, but I will only elaborate a little. Not because I don’t have anything to say about the city, but because it is difficult to explain what I saw. In the morning a group of us headed to St. Marks Square, which is next to the shoreline. From here we got the most beautiful view of the city. Venice has a curve to it almost like the city is circling a body of water. If you walk far enough down the coastline you can see the skyline of the city. The architecture of Venice looks untouched by modern buildings, and it creates a fairy tail like atmosphere. There are so many words to describe the city, but it would be monotonous to wright.

            Overall, I found Venice to be a surprise. I made it out to be a city overhyped and overrated by tourists who got caught up in the idea of the city. After going I can say that Venice is an ideal place to go for a few days. Like I said the Island is small so there isn’t too much to see. However, I would highly recommend visiting at least once in your lifetime.

(5) Cultural Comparisons

When it comes to culture shock, coming to Europe is about as big of one as I have ever had! Last summer I lived in Princeton, NJ for an internship, and I thought it was a shock out there. The traffic was faster, to get anywhere I had to drive because public walkways were not very accessible, and having to pay almost double for anything out there was not uncommon. However I have never had quite the shock as I have had in Olomouc, Czech Republic. My first few days in Olomouc were spent getting use to a new area geographically, but now I have come to realize the cultural boundaries, which exist. Instead of discussing the obvious shocks such as language, nonverbal communication, and fashion, I will divulge on three issues, which have affected me most.

Distance in Nebraska is measured in hours, and if you travel more than 5 hours that might get you to one end of the state. In Nebraska Transportation across any sort of distance is usually conducted in a personal vehicle, such as a car. Interestingly distance in the Czech is also measured in hours. However, distance is measured in a couple of different forms. Many times 5 hours seems like an awful long drive, mainly because 5 hours will get you into a completely different country; or distance is measured in how long it will take someone to fly into a new country. Traveling has taught me how relative things can be depending on where you live. In Europe, going to a neighboring country can be easier because you might have some cultural or historical background that is similar. However; flying to further countries can make someone just as much of an alien as I am here in the Czech Republic. Also, While transportation is conducted using cars, the rail system is much more common. Taking trams to get across town, and taking trains to get to cities is much more common than the small town of 2,000 people I come from. I will say I have enjoyed not having to drive everywhere.

Space is relative, and never has that been more apparent to me than when I first got to Europe. Europe has a much more narrow view on space. What I mean by this is that buildings, yards, classrooms, furniture, anything you can think of is much smaller. It seems like, in Nebraska, bigger is better, but here, if it is too big than it will not fit, and therefore does not belong in the culture. When I first opened the door to the suite I would be staying in with 5 other roommates it was not the 5 star accommodations I was expecting. The stove has two burners, which are half as big as the ones at home. The cooking area is very small, in fact there is no room for a table even! The bedroom is much smaller than the campus rooms at UNK. There is barely enough room for two desks, a small fridge and one small closet. Even with all of this it made me realize how life at UNK is almost too good. After living in Europe for one month I am doing perfectly fine with the size of things. I can store all of my belongings that I brought, I can cook great meals in the small kitchen, and the size of the bedroom has not affected how I sleep at all. In fact it is nice not having a lot of room because I do not have to worry about how to fill it with stuff. Stuff that I don’t need.

 Life in Europe seems to be much simpler than I had expected. Even with all of the history and the different things to experience. The necessity for things does not seem to be as high as in the U.S.A. People are not constantly on their phones here, which allows for more human interaction, and if you do not have the brand name items, like in the U.S.A., than that’s okay. I have enjoyed the open-mindedness that Europe is surrounding me with. I am learning how to live with less so that I can do more. If that makes sense, but if not let me explain. I am able to focus less on what I think I need or want, and more about how to live in the moment. Something I think everyone should consider.