7)Field Trip 1 - Prague

Prague was one of my dream cities to visit and finally I am able to enjoy my dream city! We had a field trip to Prague and a day trip to Dresden, Germany last weekend. It was my first time to take a train in Europe and it was a wonderful experience. The Czech train we took offered a free coffee and water that made me so happy, not to mention the spacious compartments and comfortable seats. I was even able to practice my basic Czech with some people I met.

Astronomical clock in Prague. A lot of people were waiting to see it chime.

The first day in Prague we just walked around the town. On the way to the John Lennon wall we crossed the Charles Bridge and it was the most beautiful bridge I have ever crossed. There are 30 statues along the bridge and they all have their own story. One of them, the most significant, is a memorial to Saint John of Nepomuk, who was thrown into the river and killed in 1393.

Great performance on Charles Bridge

Jone Lennon wall

After crossing the bridge and a short walk away was the John Lennon wall, which is a symbol of freedom and rebellion against to communist regime in the 1980’s. It was not as big as I expected but I could feel the longing for freedom and peace through the artistic expression in the graffiti.

It was pretty cold so we had delicious hot soup in a Chinese restaurant. Restaurants in Prague were a little more pricy than Olomouc. It is still cheaper than America, but I think the cheap price of food in Olomouc has spoiled me! I had a short nap and we all went to the Irish pup and enjoyed some beer.

The next day we went to Prague Castle, the place I was anticipating most. This magnificent castle was very beautiful and amazing. It has many monuments and historical buildings such as churches and palaces. We visited St. Vitus Cathedral, Romanesque Basilica of St. George and Golden Lane. When I felt the beauty of the cathedrals, it was an overwhelming feeling! 

cute small house

excited to be here!

 I enjoyed the medieval arms and armor museum in the Golden lane, and it was interesting to see the small houses there. I went back to Prague castle late at night because I wanted to see the view of Prague from the castle. The buildings in the castle were more atmospheric than when seen during the day, giving me a different feeling.

 

I am so glad that I am in this beautiful city..! 

5)Cultural Comparisons

Finally, I am in Olomouc!! 

Since I started my new journey in Europe, I have felt a lot of things in a very short time. I am already used to living in a different country since I moved to the United States about three years ago from South Korea, but it has been very interesting to see different people, languages and money in different countries. Staying in different countries gives me a chance to compare cultures and find out about the similarities and differences that exist between countries. 

I am so happy that I can take a picture with this tower finally!

I was very surprised that South Korea and Czech Republic have many similarities culturally and historically. Both countries have kept their national identity even though they faced great hardships under occupation and during the democracy movement. South Korea was occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945 and Czechoslovakia was under Germany colonial rule from 1938 to 1950. Even after their liberalization, both countries had democratic movement protests, and they suffered a great deal in order to establish democracy in their countries. When I saw a video that showed the Palacký university students protesting against Russian invasion, it reminded of me of the Korean students in the 1970’s and 80’s. After being in Czech for a short time, I have begun to notice how well the Czech people have preserved and protected their national identity, even though they are surrounded by many powerful countries. I want to learn more about Czech history and culture during the rest of my time in Olomouc so that I can compare Korea, America and Czech Republic better!

 Korean Democratic movement in 1980 

The Prague spring of 1968

I also learned that Czech has their own language (Czech) and currency (Koruna), which is another similarity with South Korea. Koreans speak the Korean language that was created by the King in 1443 and use their own currency (Won). I believe that having their own language and currency makes the people feel proud of their country. I was wondering why the Czech Republic is in favor of the Koruna even though the Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and the neighboring countries use the Euro. However, if I were in the same position, I would prefer using my country’s currency since the currency is a part of history of the country. Also, I am so happy that living expenses in Czech is cheaper than America. I am not afraid of eating out in Czech!

This is 15 Koruna Ice cream! It is less then 70 cents. Yummy!

One more thing that I found out is that Czech people love to drink alcohol like Koreans. They enjoy drinking with friends and family. One of the reasons is that alcohol is very cheap compared to other countries. I was very surprised about the fact that beer can be cheaper than water. But I am sure that a lot of people from all countries enjoy drinking as much as the Czech people do!       

I love to drink beer in Czech