Katie Czechs Out Europe

|Weekend Miser|

7/6/19

When you walk into the middle of the city center of Pilsner, you are greeted by an array of vendors. There is something very quaint about the little shops that send you back in history to a simpler time. Most of the stores sell some type of traditional Czech food, including this amazing woman who had almost a hundred different sweets.

This woman made me smile the entire time I was at her stand. Not only did every single sweet look absolutely amazing, she was also the sweetest woman. She repeatedly said, “don’t think with your mind. Think with your heart!”

Honestly, this is the perfect thing to say to a group of girls who have huge sweet-tooths but are trying to watch their figure.

Her quirky words convinced me to get one small treat for myself. It was extremely delicious. I was tempted to buy some more, but I found the willpower to turn around. I hope I find away to go back to that kind woman and buy some more of her baked goods. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of the cream Brule eclair I had.

|Around Here|

6/6/19

As a self-proclaimed “Dog Mom”, I can truly say that there are few things in your life that can make a person smile more than dogs can.

It is hard not to notice the number of dogs there are in Prague. I always thought Austin was a pretty dog centered, but this city definitely has it beat. More people have dogs in Czech than compared to anywhere else in the world. I have spotted them in malls, restaurants, parks, and even on the metro.

Based on these facts, it was no surprise that when we went to our local beer garden, Riegrovy Sady, we found that it had been turned into a makeshift dog park. I have honestly never seen so many dogs at once… and it made me overflow with joy.

The whole time I was at Riegrovy Sady, I could not stop smiling. The energetic dogs were jubilant because they got to play with other furry friends. They were also not afraid to come up to strangers to give them a nice welcoming hello. Many times, different dogs came up to my friend and I to lick our faces. Some even decided to sit next to us for a while, as we pet them and told them repeatedly how good they were.

This kind man had several dogs at the park and treated each one as if they were his own kids. The adorable black and white one kept wanting to be picked up, so he would pick him up for a while and the set him down. Of course, this was not enough for the pup– he wanted to be held the entire time. I captured right when the owner gave up, and picked up the little guy on last time. For the duration that they were at the park, the owner held the dog in his arms, never letting him go.

|Thousand Words|

5/6/19

When you walk through the halls of the Pinkas Synagogue, the names of Holocaust victims surround you in almost every direction.

It’s extremely sobering.

As someone who’s ancestors escaped from Europe due to Jewish discrimination, seeing the names of thousands of people who were not as lucky makes me wonder how the world could be different if even half of them survived.

Would there be a cure for cancer? Would World War II have ended earlier? Would one of their grandchildren have solved the global warming crisis? The sad fact is, we will never know. The only thing we can do is learn from our history and grow from the mistakes of our past ancestors.

While walking through one of the corridors, I ran into this kind old man. I like to imagine that he was there, scanning through the names of people who were part of his generation, trying to find a familiar name among the cacophony of letters on the wall. He was being transported into a harder time where life was not as kind, and people were separated in the most inhumane ways.

|Around Here|

04/06/19

It’s extremely easy to get wrapped up in your own country’s politics and forget that other countries may be suffering just as badly.

The constant news about Trump and our own government is enough to make you feel nauseous. In fact, I have found myself turning off almost all politics because I just cannot take it anymore. Unfortunately, this has made me blind to all the other citizens and countries in the world. Just a few days before leaving for Prague, my brother sent me an article from The Economist about protests that had started here demanding action from their scheming Prime Minister. I did not think I would get the chance to be a part of one, so when I overheard that there was a protest happening in Wenceslas Square tonight, I knew I had to go.

It’s funny how introverted the Czech people can be. Even in a crowd, protesting about something they deeply care about, they still have a quieter presence about them. Although I was standing in the middle of a hot political climate, I never felt scared. It felt almost too easy to capture the citizens holding their flags (like above) and waving their creative, sometimes hilarious, signs around.

There was such a sense of community in the square. Every generation showed up to stand up for themselves and their country. I couldn’t help but feel excitement flow threw me as I heard hundreds of people singing to Czech songs and cheering on the motivating speeches.

What have I taken away? That the world needs some leaders who are not so selfish and actually care about the beautiful, amazing people they govern over… because there are so many extraordinary people on this planet.

(Also, I’m getting closer and closer to my subjects! Progress!)

|Location Notation|

3/6/19

It’s astounding to me that in an era of people constantly taking pictures on their phones, getting the perfect picture of a stranger can still be extremely hard.

The other day, I took the tram up to the hipster part of town—Letná. If there was ever a place that seemed like Austin in Prague, this was it. Especially at Letná Zahradní, where there are about a hundred picknick tables spread out between a giant park and one of the best views of Prague.

When I went there the first time, I was determined to get a good picture for my blog. However, I felt myself tense up. How does one take a picture of a stranger without seeming like a stalker or rude? My hesitation was noticed by those I was photographing. They could sense that I was uncertain, so they themselves felt cautious toward me. Many would turn their backs to me once I got the courage to raise up my camera. I left there with a bunch of bad pictures and my hopes shattered.

Alas, against my will, I was forced to come back with the class the next day. This time, I told myself to not stress. Just try and get as close as I can do my subject without getting scared. This is how I came across this photo.

After drinking with our group, some friends and I wandered through the park surrounding Letná Zahradní. There we saw a separate look out occupied by couples, salsa dancers, and this lone man. All of them were taking in the magic of Prague during the sunset. The sunlight danced off the roofs as the sun said goodbye for the day. It was breathtaking.

I may not have gotten as close to my subject as I would have liked, but I’m still proud of myself. I’m getting better at approaching strangers and being stealthy when snapping their portrait. Hopefully, tomorrow I will get my first up close and personal picture.

|Weekend Miser|

1/6/19

…is definitely another man’s treasure at Prague’s largest flea market—The Bleší Trh.

In a place that is far away from central Prague, hundred of vendors drive in with their cars stuffed with goods to sell. Once they are there, they lay them out and wait for the busy Saturday/Sunday to commence.

The diversity of the people there is hard to miss. Within walking 50 feet, I heard a handful of languages. There were so many, it was hard to concentrate on one without another dialect cutting it. The age range is also immense. Little kids finding cheap toys to entertain themselves with are mixed in with an older generation who are just trying to safely get through the cobble stone and gravel.

The little boy in this picture was quite a happy surprise to see. As everyone around him was very serious, he laughed as he pointed his gun to the mirror. He pulled the trigger and swung the gun back and forth, pretending to aim at his enemies. I pulled out my camera which caught his attention, and he waved at me through the mirror. This may have been the only positive reaction I received while I was there.

The people are not the only things that are diverse; each booth is completely different than its neighboring vendors. There were some items that I suspected, such as old clothes, shoes, and toys. However, there were tons of surprising booths as well. There was one vendor who was selling Costco amounts of soaps and cleaning supplies, and another was selling a bunch of tires. The vast amount of some of the items shown made you wonder how these vendors got ahold of these goods, for a lot of them seem like they had to be a result from a success pit pocket.

I personally found it extremely intimidating to buy something here. I’m already scared to haggle in the United States, so being in a country where people are more direct made me shy away from actually purchasing any of the items on sale. Maybe next time I’ll be able to muster up the courage, but until then, I’ll be brushing the dirt off my shoes from my long walk through the winding vendors.  

|Architecturally Speaking|

31/5/19

Whether Czech citizens like it or not, the Roma people are a part of The Czech Republic’s long, extensive history.

The Roma people (also known as the derogatory term “gypsies”) are not welcomed amongst the people in Prague, and they are highly discriminated against.  However, this does not stop them from publicly displaying their rich culture during a week-long jubilee called the Khamoro festival. The festival comes to an all time high during their big parade.

Once a year, on a Friday in May, the Roma people gather in their elaborate costumes at Wenceslas Square. Dancers warm up and musicians get their instruments ready as they prepare to march their way toward Old Town Square. As soon as the parade start, the infectious music and dancing takes control of the Romas and their tourist spectators.

Once in Old Town Square, the rich history of the Czech Republic reveals itself. Buildings such as the Astronomical Clock and other infamous Czech sites surround the Roma. These historical backgrounds take you back in time and help even the common day tourist better understand the history of the Czech Republic and the Roma people.

As I danced down the street with the Roma, I could not help but be envious of their dresses swishing back and forth. As I took this picture, I made sure their skirts were flying. However, their faces were not as jubilant. They looked at me in an ugly manner. This is probably due to the fact that they are used to people taking pictures of them for bad publicity. I wish I could have spoke Czech so I could tell them that I was taking pictures to celebrate them.

|Around Here|

30/5/19

The thought of drinking out a public water fountain in the United States is gross enough to send a shiver town my spine. However, in Prague, the tap water is so clean, people drink out of all kinds of spickets without thinking twice. Although beer tends to be the drink of choice here, it does not stop people from getting a mouth full of public access water for a quick refresher. These two darling girls were no exception.

While on my lunch break during class, I sat next to a water fountain that I mistook for just a water feature. It wasn’t until these two toddlers came running and giggling by that I realized it was a place people drink from. They stuck their tongues into the running stream and continued to laugh as they splashed in the small puddle the water had made.

The joy on their faces was contagious, and they made something as simple as drinking water seem like an endlessly entertaining activity.  

It made me stop and think; what would these two little girls think about the water fountains in the States? I wonder how lost they would be to play in a park and not have a place to quickly take a swig of clean water before continuing to run about in crazy circles.

|Not From These Parts|

29/5/19

It is no secret that Prague is a place full of tourist and wanderers; you find them even in the smallest of places.

After wandering through Old Town Square and its winding streets, my friend, Caleigh, and I found ourselves crossing the bridge across the river into a tiny, quaint part of town. The closer we got to the pastel buildings, the more the crowds seemed to dissipate. The bustle of the square faded away as we strolled further down the cobblestone streets.

Before we knew it, we were at the edge of a river, where we found another couple dozen tourist taking in the breathtaking skyline of the Old Town Square across the way. However, they were not alone. Hundred of ducks, pigeons, and swans were hanging out around us. They waddled and flew in groups—following the foreigners. It was obvious that they were used to being fed scraps of food and were hungry for their next meal.

I turned to my left and found these two women giggling and laughing as birds crowded around them. The birds were not shy. They flew straight into the brunette women’s hands, hoping to find some food in them. The women took pictures of each other, for they knew this unique moment would not last long. It was only about a minute before the birds flew away to find their next generous tourist.