Locals

           One of the most interesting parts about studying abroad is meeting new people. We have met people from all over the world here, even the occasional person from back in the states. Though I have loved meeting so many world travelers, I want to talk about my experience with the local people here.

           I remember when we got here, we were told quite a few different things about the people here. They said something about how the people here do not walk around smiling all the time, and they will not just say they are "good" when you ask them how they are. This sort of put into my head that there must just be a lot of unhappy people here, and that just seemed strange compared to what I am used to back in Nebraska. I think I even started to think that is how everyone here was at the beginning, just because I was still a little culture shocked and not used to my new surroundings. However, my "idea" of what they people here are like could not have been farther from the truth.

           Since I have been able to get adjusted, I have really noticed how friendly and nice the people here are. I have met quite a few people, mainly students, who just want to go hang out and get a drink or some food or even play pool at a pub somewhere. At restaurants, even if no English is spoken there, they will still try their hardest to understand you and make your meal very pleasant. My favorite part about the locals is when they try to speak Czech to you, even knowing that you do not speak any of the language. Sometimes, it does not matter that you tell them you do not understand or that you only speak English, they will still stand there and talk your ear off. One particular instance at a tram stop comes to mind when I think of this. We were waiting for the tram to come take us back to the dorms, and this older lady comes over and tries to talk to us. We told her that we did not speak Czech, but she just continued to try to talk to us. So we tried to listen and pick up on some of what she was saying, but it just was not working. But we stood there and she talked to us both at the stop and on the tram until she got off at her stop. It was an interesting experience, and it definitely gave me a new perspective on how friendly the people here actually are.

           I could think of quite a few times where I have encountered some of the locals and walked away smiling after our encounter. It has just been so much fun to meet them and learn more about the people here. For the most part, they have all been very welcoming to us, and for that I am so glad. Sure we might have a language barrier sometimes and maybe we smile too much or them not enough, but we are all very similar people who just happen to live an ocean apart from each other.

Us with a few of our Czech friends that
 we had dinner with at the beginning of
our program