From top: Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, Astronomical Clock, My apartment building!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Some pictures....
From top: Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, Astronomical Clock, My apartment building!
Friday, February 13, 2009
P.S.
I successfully set up a wireless router for our apartment! Still don't have cable or hot water though...
"Všechno nejlepší k narozeninám..."
Which means "Happy Birthday to me..." Thanks for the wishes everyone! I celebrated in New York and in Atlanta before I left so the 21st birthday in Prague was really just icing on the cake. Which was carrot by the way, because somehow my mother can find a way to get a birthday cake to me even from a different continent and time zone.
Sorry I haven't updated this week, but to be honest nothing that exciting has been happening! We are in orientation 9 am-5 pm which includes intensive Czech language courses and then a series of lectures on Eastern European culture, education, history, architecture, etc. Some of the lectures have been really really interesting, like the Holocaust survivor today who told us in detail about his time at the camp as teenager. Some are rather boring and long-winded, like the professor who discussed philosophy in the Eastern European context.
I have been exploring the city a lot during our lunch breaks and in the evenings and have finally managed to find my way around for the most part! (Thank you Google Maps!) Yesterday i realized that a road right by our apartment takes you directly into the old town square in about five minutes. We had been doing a giant 20 minute loop and entering from the other side of the square. I think its so amazing how you can be walking down the little cobblestoned streets and tiny passageways and all of a sudden be in the middle of this huge open square with gorgeous architecture and an amazing astronomical clock. It is also chock full of tourists at all times of day and night. The best part of this city is that its really really safe and violent crime is about non-existent. I love being able to wander around the city and along the river and discover neighborhoods i would never purposefully go to.
I'm sad to say I haven't done many of the tourist sights yet. They say you can see everything in Prague in four days, but i think it will definitely take four months for me to get to every spot! I haven't been to the museums and churches and other sights yet (not even Prague castle!) but I wanted to feel like I lived here before i became a tourist. I think I'm going to spend all weekend seeing the sights. Or wait for people to come visit me!
I wish I could post pictures but my camera screen has somehow cracked in half and I need to replace it or buy a new camera. They will come soon, promise!
Until then, Dobry vecher. Na schlecdanou. (Goodnight and Goodbye).
Sorry I haven't updated this week, but to be honest nothing that exciting has been happening! We are in orientation 9 am-5 pm which includes intensive Czech language courses and then a series of lectures on Eastern European culture, education, history, architecture, etc. Some of the lectures have been really really interesting, like the Holocaust survivor today who told us in detail about his time at the camp as teenager. Some are rather boring and long-winded, like the professor who discussed philosophy in the Eastern European context.
I have been exploring the city a lot during our lunch breaks and in the evenings and have finally managed to find my way around for the most part! (Thank you Google Maps!) Yesterday i realized that a road right by our apartment takes you directly into the old town square in about five minutes. We had been doing a giant 20 minute loop and entering from the other side of the square. I think its so amazing how you can be walking down the little cobblestoned streets and tiny passageways and all of a sudden be in the middle of this huge open square with gorgeous architecture and an amazing astronomical clock. It is also chock full of tourists at all times of day and night. The best part of this city is that its really really safe and violent crime is about non-existent. I love being able to wander around the city and along the river and discover neighborhoods i would never purposefully go to.
I'm sad to say I haven't done many of the tourist sights yet. They say you can see everything in Prague in four days, but i think it will definitely take four months for me to get to every spot! I haven't been to the museums and churches and other sights yet (not even Prague castle!) but I wanted to feel like I lived here before i became a tourist. I think I'm going to spend all weekend seeing the sights. Or wait for people to come visit me!
I wish I could post pictures but my camera screen has somehow cracked in half and I need to replace it or buy a new camera. They will come soon, promise!
Until then, Dobry vecher. Na schlecdanou. (Goodnight and Goodbye).
Monday, February 9, 2009
Internetless and Apartmentfied
Dobry den! I wish I had been able to update more the last few days because so much has happened! In short, I took a beautiful walking tour around Prague, visited the communist museum, followed a realtor around looking at flats, found a flat, signed a lease on the flat, moved into the flat, and promptly broke the flat's internet. This update is only possible thanks to Starbucks Wi-Fi.
The official orientation with intensive czech lessons begins tomorrow morning and it has been nice to have some time to settle myself in the city, especially now that we have moved into Prague 1, only 5 minutes away from the old city square. I still have been making a lot of wrong turns and taking the "scenic route" wherever I go, but finding my way around seems to be getting slowly easier. I plan on being temporarily lost a lot in the next four months.
The apartment is beautiful! I have the biggest bedroom I have ever had and we have a full kitchen and living room. There are a few downsides and inconveniences (aka lukewarm water, no shower, and an unfriendly neighbor) but all in all I think it will be a nice place to be for four months. And the rent is ridiculously cheap.
So having been here for a few days now, I have made a couple observations about Prague and the Czech people...
- As an American, no matter where we go we are always the loudest people in the room. Czech people are notoriously reserved and almost always silent in public places. When I was out to dinner the other night with 4 or 5 other kids in the program, we were somehow three times as loud as a table of 20 locals sitting next to us.
- Everything is underground. And not just underground, but waaaay underground. The elevators down the metro gave me acrophobia. Also underground are pubs, bars, museums, and grocery stores. I feel like I'm in a cave a lot of the time.
- I haven't seen the sun once. It's not cold but its always foggy and overcast.
- The city is very clean and (unlike New York) rodent free! Its a nice change.
- The food is terrible. I made some pasta last night and it was the best thing I have eaten in 5 days.
I have a lot to tell everyone but I finished my cafe latte about an hour ago and getting strange looks from the barista...Email me! Please!
The official orientation with intensive czech lessons begins tomorrow morning and it has been nice to have some time to settle myself in the city, especially now that we have moved into Prague 1, only 5 minutes away from the old city square. I still have been making a lot of wrong turns and taking the "scenic route" wherever I go, but finding my way around seems to be getting slowly easier. I plan on being temporarily lost a lot in the next four months.
The apartment is beautiful! I have the biggest bedroom I have ever had and we have a full kitchen and living room. There are a few downsides and inconveniences (aka lukewarm water, no shower, and an unfriendly neighbor) but all in all I think it will be a nice place to be for four months. And the rent is ridiculously cheap.
So having been here for a few days now, I have made a couple observations about Prague and the Czech people...
- As an American, no matter where we go we are always the loudest people in the room. Czech people are notoriously reserved and almost always silent in public places. When I was out to dinner the other night with 4 or 5 other kids in the program, we were somehow three times as loud as a table of 20 locals sitting next to us.
- Everything is underground. And not just underground, but waaaay underground. The elevators down the metro gave me acrophobia. Also underground are pubs, bars, museums, and grocery stores. I feel like I'm in a cave a lot of the time.
- I haven't seen the sun once. It's not cold but its always foggy and overcast.
- The city is very clean and (unlike New York) rodent free! Its a nice change.
- The food is terrible. I made some pasta last night and it was the best thing I have eaten in 5 days.
I have a lot to tell everyone but I finished my cafe latte about an hour ago and getting strange looks from the barista...Email me! Please!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
"Trams can't brake on command you know"
Dobry den!
It's about noon here in Prague and we just finished a very short morning orientation at the CERGE-EI building for Charles University. It is a very beautiful historical building right in the city center complete with gold gilding and ceiling frescoes. I think it was some sort of government building during the Communist era.
Yesterday we had a very long day of orientation lectures by the program directors. Lessons learned: how to board/get off the trams (they don't have "brakes" by the way), the exchange rate is 24 crowns to a dollar and getting better every day, everybody is looking to rip you off in some way, and the Czech people are very reserved and quiet especially compared to American students. The day included many horror stories about pickpockets, kidnappings, and tram accidents. So I am suitably warned and absolutely terrified, don't worry. Also managed to acquire a cell phone and cell phone plan which makes me feel a lot more comfortable in the city. I think skype is still the best way to communicate with me from the states though :)
Came back and crashed at the hotel for a couple hours (I think the jet lag and messed up sleeping schedule finally caught up with me.) We had a bunch of people arrive from heathrow yesterday where they had been snowed in for over 24 hours and were still missing bags...makes me really appreciate Air France and the easy trip! Later we all ventured out to find some food which was a learning experience to say the least. Our hotel is in Prague 3 which doesn't stay active open very late, so there were very few people out and very few places open. One of the reminders of the communist era is that places don't have set "open" and "close" times and days of the week...they pretty much just open and close when they feel like it!
One small restaurant we wandered into was chock full of tables of elderly, cheerful Czechs singing a lovely ballad to a live band. Unfortunately it happened to be a private party that we stumbled upon and they immediately stopped singing when we entered, laughed loudly, and pointed to the door. Ah, the joys of being an American tourist. Finally found some local cuisine at a small pub which left much to be desired. I had "boullibon with noodles" and managed about three bites before the excess of salt ruined my appetite. Others enjoyed their beef and chicken goulashes so I may have to try that today.
Today will be spent meeting with realty companies and looking at apartments. Apparently they will all try to rob us blind so this will be an interesting experience! I hope to be moved out of the hostel and in an apartment by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
Skype is nkumar288...call or e-mail me! Ciao!
It's about noon here in Prague and we just finished a very short morning orientation at the CERGE-EI building for Charles University. It is a very beautiful historical building right in the city center complete with gold gilding and ceiling frescoes. I think it was some sort of government building during the Communist era.
Yesterday we had a very long day of orientation lectures by the program directors. Lessons learned: how to board/get off the trams (they don't have "brakes" by the way), the exchange rate is 24 crowns to a dollar and getting better every day, everybody is looking to rip you off in some way, and the Czech people are very reserved and quiet especially compared to American students. The day included many horror stories about pickpockets, kidnappings, and tram accidents. So I am suitably warned and absolutely terrified, don't worry. Also managed to acquire a cell phone and cell phone plan which makes me feel a lot more comfortable in the city. I think skype is still the best way to communicate with me from the states though :)
Came back and crashed at the hotel for a couple hours (I think the jet lag and messed up sleeping schedule finally caught up with me.) We had a bunch of people arrive from heathrow yesterday where they had been snowed in for over 24 hours and were still missing bags...makes me really appreciate Air France and the easy trip! Later we all ventured out to find some food which was a learning experience to say the least. Our hotel is in Prague 3 which doesn't stay active open very late, so there were very few people out and very few places open. One of the reminders of the communist era is that places don't have set "open" and "close" times and days of the week...they pretty much just open and close when they feel like it!
One small restaurant we wandered into was chock full of tables of elderly, cheerful Czechs singing a lovely ballad to a live band. Unfortunately it happened to be a private party that we stumbled upon and they immediately stopped singing when we entered, laughed loudly, and pointed to the door. Ah, the joys of being an American tourist. Finally found some local cuisine at a small pub which left much to be desired. I had "boullibon with noodles" and managed about three bites before the excess of salt ruined my appetite. Others enjoyed their beef and chicken goulashes so I may have to try that today.
Today will be spent meeting with realty companies and looking at apartments. Apparently they will all try to rob us blind so this will be an interesting experience! I hope to be moved out of the hostel and in an apartment by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
Skype is nkumar288...call or e-mail me! Ciao!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
24 hours and several time zones later...
Dobry vecher! (Good evening in Czech)
After a long and arduous journey (not really), I am sitting in a lovely little hotel room in the heart of Praha where they have conveniently provided us with free Wi-Fi so instead of sending many e-mails I can update everyone at once via blog.
After an extensive security check at the Atlanta airport (what exactly do they think I was hiding in my socks/the waistband of my jeans?) the trip was relatively painless. Air France was clean, on-time, and didn't lose my bags! I even had the entire row to myself from both Atlanta to Paris and Paris to Prague and enjoyed several lovely on-flight movies. By the way, Nick and Norah's infinite playlist=hilarious. I highly recommend it.
The Czech airport was easy to navigate and there was a nice little man waiting with a "Mr. Nishi Kumar" sign right outside customs. Glad we spent so much wasted energy worrying about the student visa...nobody even asked to see my passport! I guess not that many people try to sneak into the Czech Republic on a regular basis.
After a 45 minute taxi ride (the cab driver chattered in Czech and I smiled and laughed in what I hope were appropriate places) I arrived at the Hotel Proponka where the rest of the students in the program had already checked in. Because of my mishap at the airport ATM, I didn't have a tip for the driver but he seemed plenty happy with the stick of gum I offered instead. We had a quick orientation and then headed out to grab a bite to eat/find an ATM. The area isn't in the main district of Prague, but it seems very lively with lots of old churches and pubs lining the winding cobblestone streets.
Everyone in the program seems great although I can't remember anyone's names. We have a two-week orientation beginning tomorrow morning so hopefully by the end I will have found an apartment/learned how to use the metro/greatly extended my limited Czech vocabulary. Tonight I think the plan is to get lost in the Prague 1 district and discover some great underground nightclub or something of the sort.
Best find so far...full pizzas for about $2.50 US. Gotta love the exchange rate.
After a long and arduous journey (not really), I am sitting in a lovely little hotel room in the heart of Praha where they have conveniently provided us with free Wi-Fi so instead of sending many e-mails I can update everyone at once via blog.
After an extensive security check at the Atlanta airport (what exactly do they think I was hiding in my socks/the waistband of my jeans?) the trip was relatively painless. Air France was clean, on-time, and didn't lose my bags! I even had the entire row to myself from both Atlanta to Paris and Paris to Prague and enjoyed several lovely on-flight movies. By the way, Nick and Norah's infinite playlist=hilarious. I highly recommend it.
The Czech airport was easy to navigate and there was a nice little man waiting with a "Mr. Nishi Kumar" sign right outside customs. Glad we spent so much wasted energy worrying about the student visa...nobody even asked to see my passport! I guess not that many people try to sneak into the Czech Republic on a regular basis.
After a 45 minute taxi ride (the cab driver chattered in Czech and I smiled and laughed in what I hope were appropriate places) I arrived at the Hotel Proponka where the rest of the students in the program had already checked in. Because of my mishap at the airport ATM, I didn't have a tip for the driver but he seemed plenty happy with the stick of gum I offered instead. We had a quick orientation and then headed out to grab a bite to eat/find an ATM. The area isn't in the main district of Prague, but it seems very lively with lots of old churches and pubs lining the winding cobblestone streets.
Everyone in the program seems great although I can't remember anyone's names. We have a two-week orientation beginning tomorrow morning so hopefully by the end I will have found an apartment/learned how to use the metro/greatly extended my limited Czech vocabulary. Tonight I think the plan is to get lost in the Prague 1 district and discover some great underground nightclub or something of the sort.
Best find so far...full pizzas for about $2.50 US. Gotta love the exchange rate.
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