3) Locals

         I was really curious about what Czech locals are like before I came to Czech because I have been interested in the history and culture of this country for a while. Like I mentioned in my other posting, Czech Republic is a country that has a long and rocky history, and it has undergone many hardships and great suffering because of the actions of neighboring countries. Since Czech has many similarities with Korean history, I became interested in the people of Czech Republic and the differences between generations.

           During the orientation, a professor told us that Czech students are very quiet and more reserved in the classroom and also in public. I haven’t been in class with Czech students, but when I hung out with them they were more active and talkative than I expected. I was surprised that many Czech students can speak English very well, and they enjoyed talking about their culture and history with UNK students. In addition to university students, many young people who I have met are open to different cultures and very active.

At the welcome party with Czech students 

We had a nice talk and I really enjoyed the time !

          On the other hand, I have been able to see the difference between the old and young generations. Czechs of the old generation are quite different from young people in that they are not familiar with other cultures and more likely to be passive. As a Korean, in my own country I have experienced the gap between generations steadily becoming bigger because of the great differences in social and economic backgrounds. I have seen many poor and worn out elderly Czechs who understand and have experienced hardship that the young generation will never know. The old generation lived through the Soviet occupation and some of them the Nazi occupation. However, whenever I ask old people for help while traveling, they were always willing to help me. This difference is seen in the way that older Czechs are more solemn and quiet will young Czechs are more vocal and active, especially when drinking beer. 

In the tram. I feel like Czech people are very quite in the tram.

          Overall, Czech people, especially people in Olomouc, are very kind and friendly even though they seem very quite and shy. Once you try to get close to them and talk with them, you will feel their warmth and kindness!

8) Field Trip 2- Vienna and Venice

Since we had a very successful field trip to Prague, I was very excited for our second trip to Vienna and Venice. This field trip has given me a great number of incredible memories! In Vienna, I was surprised that the city is a lot bigger than I expected. We had to walk a long way to the city center from the hostel where we stayed, but, as I walked, I could see the difference between the new town and old town.

On the first day we walked around the old town and went to the Imperial Treasury. The Treasury has a great number of treasures from the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Empire, including crowns, swords, orbs, and royal garments. All the treasures were really fascinating and beautiful. Because they were so well preserved, I could picture the people who used them in the past as if it was today.

National Library in Vienna. It was one of the most beautiful libraries! 

The Museum of Natural History in Vienna.

During our free time we went to coffee shops, one of which was quite famous, Café Sacher Wien. The cafe looked really fancy and expensive but I was willing to pay for the coffee and cakes of Vienna! I was very satisfied with the taste of coffee and their service. We walked a lot for two days and visited so many churches and Opera houses. We went to the People’s Opera House and even though we had to stand during the performance (because we paid only 4 euros to save money) it was a great experience.

I can't believe that I was in the Opera house in Vienna!!

Time flew by and we moved on to Venice!! When we first got there, the beauty of the city amazed me; bridges connected many islands. Boats are the major form of transportation, as there are no streets for cars or buses. I love the feeling of being in such a unique city. We don’t need to do a lot of things there, just walk and take in the sights. Walking around is the best way to enjoy Venice!! 

I visited all the churches I encountered while walking. Incredibly, many churches house famous paintings and fascinating decorations. As a group, we all went to the Doges Palace St. Marks Basilica. I still cannot believe how the people of the past built these buildings and created art works of such beauty. 

I strongly recommend buying a 24-hour Water-bus pass even though it is a little pricey. Using the pass, I enjoyed the night view from the boat and I was able to visit Murano and Burano Islands too!  Venice is one of the most beautiful and unique cities I have ever been to. Getting lost in Venice is the first thing that you have to do there!!

I went out during the night to see the night view of Venice. Amazing! 

Nice weather and beautiful place and....me! 

4) Language Issues

Language is the first, and by far most prominent, obstacle that we encounter when traveling in different countries that have different languages. I have been traveled in Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Italy so far, and have had language problems on so many occasions. I do my best to learn some of the basic words of other languages, such as 'thank you' or 'sorry', before I travel, but it is often not enough to continue a conversation with such a limited vocabulary. When taking a train or bus, or ordering food or drinks in a restaurant or café, a more thorough knowledge of the language is required.

I am getting used to figuring the metro map out in different countries!

I believe this problem can also be an aspect of attractiveness to traveling abroad because it makes each encounter with locals very unique. But only to a certain extent, sometimes it becomes a bit frustrating. There are many people who can speak basic English in the Czech Republic or other countries in Europe, and this certainly helps. But, if there is no language to be shared at all, it is very difficult to order food or drinks. I learned how to read the drink and dessert menu in my Czech language class and this has helped me a lot when ordering drinks or food in a cafe! There is always a risk, though, when I order food that I don’t even know what it is. I am happy to try new things, but having no idea what I am about to drink or eat is a bit risky, but this is how we learn when we travel.

I studied the Czech drink menu at the coffee shop.

And I got a delicious coffee!

When I travel to places that are not famous tourist areas, I have the most difficulty communicating with people, as there is often very few people who can speak English. Sometimes it makes me frustrated when I can’t explain what I want and I have to simply give up. When I had an issue in the Slovakia train going back to Olomouc, I thought I was not going to make it to Olomouc and almost cried. But I am sure that all travelers have the same problem!

1)Daily Life in Olomouc

            One of the best aspects of this program is that I have more time to sleep in the morning. Since we have class at 3 most of the time, we have a lot of free time before and after class. I decided to explore Olomouc as much as I could, so I try to visit many places and experience new things everyday. 

            The most important aspect of my daily life in Olomouc is eating and drinking at many restaurants and coffee shops, experiencing the food and drinks. I was not a big fan of eating out in America because it is very expensive and there are limited options.  I have a variety of options to choose from in Olomouc and the exceptionally cheap price gives me more options! I have been to several coffee shops and I really enjoy trying their different kinds of cakes and coffee.  The only problem I have encountered is when a restaurant doesn’t offer an English menu. I need to ask to workers, hoping they speak English, or just guess what it is.

The best Czech food ever!

My favorite Pho bo 

I love to try cafes in Olomouc!

                The second part of my daily life is visiting many historical sites in Olomouc. Whenever possible, I love to find things that have historical significance. Whether it is an old church, castle, street, or treasure, I find it very exciting to imagine these things as they were in the past. When walking down some streets in Olomouc, I can picture the street in the 15^th century being filled with merchants, peasants, horses, and nobility. I have been told that Olomouc is one of the few cities in the Czech Republic that is renowned for looking very much the same as it did in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. There have been movies shot in the streets because they look very similar to what they did hundreds of years ago. My favorite place that I have visited in Olomouc is the Archbishop museum. It has a lot of historical artifacts from the early people in the area. I was also able to see many beautiful treasures of the Archbishop Church. I was very fascinated to see the old church in the basement that was built sometime in the 9^th century. I would love to talk more about the other places I have visited next time.

At the Archbishop museum

My daily life in Olomouc has been so interesting, and I still need more time to explore Olomouc!!