Katie Czechs Out Europe

|The Nocturnalist|

27/6/19

Today is my last day in the Maymester Prague program, and I am very sad. This program has been a life changer for me in so many ways. Not only did I get the chance to travel to Europe for the first time, but I also got to dive into photography more than I ever had previously. I have also learned more about myself through traveling to many different foreign cities. Although there are so many thing that I will miss, there is one thing that I am looking forward to when I get back to the states….

Warm hospitality.

It may be our loud American accents, but for some reason, the people in the Czech Republic are very harsh to all of us. They talk to us as if they are tired of us speaking, even if we have only said one word. Many times, waiters have gotten fussy with us. I miss the service back in America, where the customer always comes first.

However, there are times where the Czech’s hard exterior cracks, and you can see their big hearts poke through. While waiting for the tram, I saw these two girls notice each other on the street. It seemed as if they had not seen each other for a long time. They ran toward each other and embraced for quite a while. It was a sweet moment that you do not see very often in Prague. Nevertheless, even the toughest have a soft side.

|Small Wonder|

26/6/19

I only have a few days left in Prague, and I cannot believe it. These last few weeks flew by faster than I could have ever expected them to. I wish my adventures could last just a bit longer, so I made my way to the Charles Bridge one last time.

On the Charles Bridge, you can find a large crowd gathering around a singular statue. They all seem to be trying to squeeze their way through, reaching their arms out to touch the bronze in front of them. It may seem strange, but there is a good reasoning behind it.

It is said that if you touch the image of St. John Nepomuk being thrown into the river, you will return to Prague. After even a day in this city, you will be running to touch the Saint yourself. There is something special about Prague that separates it from other European countries. Although there are many tourists here, the town does not try to be a tourist attraction. It lives the way it always has and that attracts millions of people every year.

This little boy was very excited to touch the statue. His mom hoisted him up so that he could reach his hand out and brush his fingers on the bronze.

For his sake and mine, I hope the legends are true. I cannot wait to come back to Prague in a couple of years.

|Weekend Miser|

25/6/19

The Prague Zoo is the second most visited tourist destination in the Czech Republic, and after going this afternoon, it’s clear to see why.

The Zoo is ranked the 4^th best zoo garden in the world, and is home to the most popular celebrity in all Czech zoological gardens. When it only costs about $6.69 to take their kids, parents see it as an easy weekend trip for the entire family.

Families are the target audience of this attraction. There are interactive activities for young children everywhere you look. I turned the corner and suddenly saw about 20 naked children running around in a small man-made pond with a playset placed right next to it. Children naturally love the zoo, and Prague has done an amazing job at furthering every kid’s experience.

The kids’ attraction to the zoo was seen beyond the children’s areas. For instance, when I was looking at some reptiles, this boy was standing next to me. His mom was squat down beside him as she told him about the small animal he was looking it. His eyes were wide with amazement. He started to talk to the reptiles, trying to communicate with the little guys. His innocence was infectious.

I normally do not like zoos very much, but this zoo seemed different. I do not know if it was the amount of giggling children running around or the wide open spaces the animals had, but it put zoos into a better light for me.

|Thousand Words|

24/6/19

The skylines of the Czech Republic are scattered with the tall towers of century old churches. Their interiors are decadent and eye-catching. The architecture astounds everyone who stumbles upon it. The buildings took decades, sometimes centuries, to make. Now, they stand for a different reason.

In 2011, 35% of Czechs did not have a religion and 7% state that they are atheists. With numbers like these, many churches no longer hold services. They are only used as historical landmarks and a peak into Czechs fascinating past.

As someone who is not very religious, I was a little timid about going into so many churches. However, I quickly realized that visiting churches is a very causal affair here. As seen in this picture, people sit in the pews as if they were regular benches. Their attention is not directed toward God and their savior, but instead to the conversations and people next to them. I always figured that elders would be more respectful to the holy sites, but they are just as nonchalant as people my age.

|Noticed|

23/6/19

As many people know, when I was 20 and 21, I was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive type of cancer called acute promyelocytic leukemia. It was two years of hell that not only left physical scars but left even more mental scars as well. I would not wish cancer on anyone, even the evilest of people. Which leads me to one question…

Why do so many people smoke here in Europe?! You are practically asking to get cancer!

For those who are worried about kids Juuling in the United States, should direct their attention overseas. According to Europa, 20% of the EU population over the age of 15 smoke cigarettes. Although this sounds unbelievable, once you are here, it is easy to see how it is possible. Every block has someone lighting up another cigarette, many of which are people on break from their job. Like the man in this picture, they step out onto the busy sidewalks to make their breath stink of tobacco.

If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, do not come to Europe. People, like this man, will not think twice about breathing smoke into your face.

|Small Wonder|

22/6/19

I have lost count of the amount of times I have taken pictures of the beautiful pastel colored buildings around the city. There seems to be one on every street, and they are the social media influencer’s dream.  After seeing so many of them, I never stopped to think about how they still look bold and bright despite being at least one hundred years old.

During our architecture tour today, I was too busy looking at the grand buildings the tour guide was talking about, that I almost did not notice this adorable older man. He caught my eye because his ladder made him only about 7 feet off the ground. At first, I thought he was washing the windowpanes, but then I saw the paint brush. He was repainting the building.

I stopped and looked around—is this how all the buildings are kept in pristine condition? Are these the unsung heroes of Prague? Are there painters that go around and paint all the bright facades in town?

I did not have time to ask, for the tour was moving on without me. But it truly made me wonder about the people who have the smaller jobs that help keep Prague magical.

|Noticed|

21/6/19

A little over an hour away from Prague is a small town called Kutná Hora. The streets look very similar to both Prague and Český Krumlov do the little buildings’ architecture  and the warn down cobblestone, but do not be fooled. Kutná Hora has a surprise up its sleeve—the bone church.

The bone church, properly known as Sedlec Ossuary, is something from a horror movie. Inside the church are the bodies of 40,000 people. Actually, not there bodies, but their bones. Towers of skulls star back at you in the most eerie way. Chandeliers made of fingers and toes hang above you, and crests on the wall are configured from what is left of the dead.

It is almost surreal. How could something like this exist? I talked to several people who all said that it was hard to accept that it was real human bones. It feels like they are just movie props.

Everyone who walked through it look spooked; especially, the man in this picture. He took his time as he took at the unusual sites around him. His very alive and expressive face was constantly framed by the faces of the dead. It was a juxtaposition that put a knot in your stomach.

|Morning Glories|

20/6/19

During this time of year, navigating through Old Town Square can be a hell whole. There are so many tourists, you can barely walk across the small square. Pick pocketers spy on your every move, street entertainers try the hardest to get your attention, and all you want to do is see some pretty architecture. It has become a place that many of us try to avoid.

However, in the early hours of the morning, this tourist attraction is almost barren. The streets are very quiet. You cannot help but feel bliss wash over you as wander through the cobblestones. The sun starts to shine through the buildings and begins to light up the city.

In a normally hectic part of the square, I found this peaceful man. He was completely asleep against a small wall. Although it was a bit sad since it was obvious that he was homeless, there was also a bit of a silver lining. I am glad that he was able to find such a magical place to lay his head for the night. There were even policemen in the square, but they were not bugging him. He was given time to recharge himself before the heat and chaos of the day began.

|Location Notation|

19/6/19

When I was in high school, there was a running joke that any school that competed in the One-Act Play competition in UIL would automatically advance if they performed “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”. No judge could possibly say that a play about the holocaust was bad, so they would go several rounds further than normal. I always had a negative viewpoint of the play because of this. However, I never thought I would find myself in the place where the poem, written by a small Jewish boy, was written.

It is extremely hard to imagine that something as horrid as holocaust happened, but then you step onto the very ground where the catastrophes occurred. Terezín has been impeccably preserved. You are thrown back in time when you walk through the museums. The most well-maintained area, however, is the Small Fortress which is just outside the borders of the old ghetto.

As our tour guide led us through the maze of the old military based turned concentration camp, it was eerie seeing the new juxtaposed against the old. We are all holding our powerful digital cameras and wearing bright white shoes with modern clothing. Our backdrop is the worn-down walls that have been stained with blood, disease, and horror. These comparisons go to show that no matter how far we advance as a society, our past is always there—haunting us everywhere we go.

|Not From These Parts|

18/6/19

When I first applied to go to Prague, I never thought that anyone that I knew would be in this semi-popular tourist at the same time as me. To my lucky surprise, right before I left Austin, one of my best friends, Shaunik, told me that he was going to be here for a few days with some friends. I could not hold back my excitement. To make it even better, he got reservations to a Michelin star restaurant here in town… and there was a spot for me.

The restaurant was called “Field Restaurant, and it was in the upscale neighborhood of the Jewish Quarter. To some, it may seem stereotypical that an upscale restaurant would be in a place where there is a large Jewish community. However, Jews have not been treated well in Prague over the last millennium.

In the 13th century, the Jews in Prague were forced out of their homes and into what is now the Jewish Quarter. Then, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the buildings were destroyed. Fortunately, a few of the buildings survived, and they are now some of the most remarkable of their kind in Europe.

Having lunch in the Jewish Quarter was historic enough; however, the fact that the restaurant was a Michelin star made it even better.

Alex’s innocent laughter in this photo says it all. We were in disbelief that we got to experience such a chance. For those two and a half hours, we got to explore “how the other half lives”, eat in a place of important history, and giggle through the whole meal.