This morning was a slight milestone for me, because it was the first time I traveled to NYU (or anywhere, really) alone. I had my first class of the semester at 9am, and in typical Glasser fashion left early, both because it was in the building I wasn't really familiar with, and also because it snowed again last night, and the Czechs don't really care if you have to walk on icy streets. However, it didn't take me that long to get there, so I ended up arriving at the building before the NYU part was even open!
I really enjoyed my trip to class, though (except for the part on the Metro when I realized that about 15 people around me needed to get off at the stop before mine and I was standing right in front of the door and had to get out of the way...Czechs like to push). I think the morning might be my favorite time of day in Prague, because that is the time it seems to be the most alive. My friends and I have already discovered that, somewhat contradictorily, weekends are very quiet and weekdays have more activity going on. But this morning it seemed even more alive, as the sun was out (only the second time I've actually seen it!), and people were just out and about on the tram and Metro and sidewalks, going about their daily routines to an extent that I hadn't observed before.
During my walk, I wondered if I stood out as a foreigner, or if I'd managed to blend in somewhat, or if the Czechs don't really pay enough attention to care. Probably that last one. At first, I smiled good morning at them, but then remembered that Czechs don't really do that, so I stopped. This morning was one of the few times so far that the fact that I'm truly living in another country sunk in...I guess because for the first time I wasn't with a big group of loud American students who speak my language and come from where I come from. But in New York when I walked to class, I felt like a part of the city, like it was mine and I belonged there. Here, I don't feel that way, yet. I went through the motions of getting to school, but the whole time I was very conscious of the fact that this place is not my home. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Instead of walking down Third Avenue through Astor Place to get to class, I walked down Francouska street and took the Metro to Mustek. It was just very different feeling. But I definitely enjoyed taking everything in, and I'm interested to see how this feeling develops.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
"Don't Forget it for a Moment, Though": Week 1 Photo Highlights
The Metro station near my dorm, which I use pretty much every day.
The famed astrological clock, literally steps away from where I have class.
Main NYU academic building
A bunch of my friends and I out at what is going to become one of our favorite hangouts!
In front of the Prague castle!
View from the top of a hill...Prague is so beautiful!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
"Something familiar, something peculiar"
After a few days in Prague, it seems like we've been here forever. I now know how to get to the NYU center from my dorm (short walk, two metro stops, short walk), and how to say a few things in Czech. Yet, it still feels like a vacation. Classes start Monday, and once I get into a routine I'm guessing it will feel more like an actual academic semester.
Obviously, like New York, Prague is a city. My friends and I were discussing how happy we are that we go to school at NYU, because we do a lot of walking and use the Metro frequently (got a 3 month pass for about $70...and you don't even have to take it out and swipe it each time!), so we don't need to adjust to both living in a foreign country and not on a campus. In that way, the atmosphere is familiar.
However, also obviously, there are lots of major differences between Prague and NYC, some of which feel quite peculiar. The Metro is a big one. I mentioned the low cost of the 3-month pass, and how we don't need to swipe cards every time we enter (its on the honors system, but if an officer stops you and you don't have a valid ticket, there are huge fines). The Metro also closes at midnight, which is a slight annoyance when we are out at night. There is also a tram, which arrives close to our building, and that runs at night, but at certain times only. We're still figuring that one out. But NYU gave us the number of a safe cab, which two friends and I took last night across the river to get back to our dorm, and it was only $5 each!
Another big difference is that Czech people are really quiet. Our first weekend here, it was kind of eerie because there was no noise on the street. No screaming, no cars honking, etc. It took me about three days in Prague to hear a car beeping its horn, which is crazy! The Metro is also completely silent. We're starting to know when there are tourists on it, because only then do we hear people talking. It is a Czech law that people must be quiet on the streets after 10pm...but apparently some people from our group are still getting used to that one.
Also, the myths are true: beer is cheaper than water. I have to get used to not having unlimited water refills when I go out for meals! Most things are cheaper than NY, which is great. I went to the grocery store the other day, and bought materials to make myself lunches for a few weeks, plus some snacks, and it was only 261 crowns! Thats about $16 :) :) You have to know what is cheaper, though, because most of the restaurants near the NYU building are on the expensive side for Prague, since its near a touristy area, and certain things in stores tend to be more pricy.
Another big difference is how aesthetically beautiful Prague is. Of course, I love New York, but the buildings here are all unique and colorful, and shorter than the skyscrapers I'm used to. There are also cathedrals and landmarks, like the astrological clock, mixed in with the skyline, and its all just really nice to look at. The short roofs are slightly dangerous in the winter, though, because icicles and large clumps of snow tend to fall on the sidewalks. A friend and I saw one that literally broke the windshield of a car parked on the street! You know things are really crazy when they block off sections of the sidewalk in front of particularly dangerous buildings. Then, its safer to walk in the street and risk getting hit by a car than to walk underneath the icicles. The snow has stopped, at least for now, and we actually saw the sun yesterday, which was really nice!
The past few days have been extremely busy, because we have intensive Czech from 10-12:30 every morning, then I've been going on tours, running errands, going back to the dorm, having dinner, going out with friends, going to sleep, and then doing it all over again! I went on a tour of Old Prague on Monday, and it was really cold and icy, but very interesting to hear stories behind the buildings and landmarks we are going to be walking past every day. Tuesday I went on a tour of Jewish Prague, which was absolutely fabulous! The Jewish quarter is right near NYU, and its beautiful. And, we went into 5 synagogues! It was awesome. A very cool feeling to be walking through it all as a contemporary American Jew wearing a Jewish star in a city that was supposed to have a museum of Jews as an extinct race only a few decades ago.
NYU doesnt seem to get that we all need sleep, because tomorrow morning at 8am at the main academic building we are supposed to sign up for school-sponsored trips. There are a limited number, and limited spots, and it takes about a half hour to get there. Guess I'll be going to bed early tonight!
I will try to post some pictures on here, but I also put a bunch on Facebook if we're friends. Prague is amazing and I'm so glad I'm here! Na zdravi (Cheers)!
Obviously, like New York, Prague is a city. My friends and I were discussing how happy we are that we go to school at NYU, because we do a lot of walking and use the Metro frequently (got a 3 month pass for about $70...and you don't even have to take it out and swipe it each time!), so we don't need to adjust to both living in a foreign country and not on a campus. In that way, the atmosphere is familiar.
However, also obviously, there are lots of major differences between Prague and NYC, some of which feel quite peculiar. The Metro is a big one. I mentioned the low cost of the 3-month pass, and how we don't need to swipe cards every time we enter (its on the honors system, but if an officer stops you and you don't have a valid ticket, there are huge fines). The Metro also closes at midnight, which is a slight annoyance when we are out at night. There is also a tram, which arrives close to our building, and that runs at night, but at certain times only. We're still figuring that one out. But NYU gave us the number of a safe cab, which two friends and I took last night across the river to get back to our dorm, and it was only $5 each!
Another big difference is that Czech people are really quiet. Our first weekend here, it was kind of eerie because there was no noise on the street. No screaming, no cars honking, etc. It took me about three days in Prague to hear a car beeping its horn, which is crazy! The Metro is also completely silent. We're starting to know when there are tourists on it, because only then do we hear people talking. It is a Czech law that people must be quiet on the streets after 10pm...but apparently some people from our group are still getting used to that one.
Also, the myths are true: beer is cheaper than water. I have to get used to not having unlimited water refills when I go out for meals! Most things are cheaper than NY, which is great. I went to the grocery store the other day, and bought materials to make myself lunches for a few weeks, plus some snacks, and it was only 261 crowns! Thats about $16 :) :) You have to know what is cheaper, though, because most of the restaurants near the NYU building are on the expensive side for Prague, since its near a touristy area, and certain things in stores tend to be more pricy.
Another big difference is how aesthetically beautiful Prague is. Of course, I love New York, but the buildings here are all unique and colorful, and shorter than the skyscrapers I'm used to. There are also cathedrals and landmarks, like the astrological clock, mixed in with the skyline, and its all just really nice to look at. The short roofs are slightly dangerous in the winter, though, because icicles and large clumps of snow tend to fall on the sidewalks. A friend and I saw one that literally broke the windshield of a car parked on the street! You know things are really crazy when they block off sections of the sidewalk in front of particularly dangerous buildings. Then, its safer to walk in the street and risk getting hit by a car than to walk underneath the icicles. The snow has stopped, at least for now, and we actually saw the sun yesterday, which was really nice!
The past few days have been extremely busy, because we have intensive Czech from 10-12:30 every morning, then I've been going on tours, running errands, going back to the dorm, having dinner, going out with friends, going to sleep, and then doing it all over again! I went on a tour of Old Prague on Monday, and it was really cold and icy, but very interesting to hear stories behind the buildings and landmarks we are going to be walking past every day. Tuesday I went on a tour of Jewish Prague, which was absolutely fabulous! The Jewish quarter is right near NYU, and its beautiful. And, we went into 5 synagogues! It was awesome. A very cool feeling to be walking through it all as a contemporary American Jew wearing a Jewish star in a city that was supposed to have a museum of Jews as an extinct race only a few decades ago.
NYU doesnt seem to get that we all need sleep, because tomorrow morning at 8am at the main academic building we are supposed to sign up for school-sponsored trips. There are a limited number, and limited spots, and it takes about a half hour to get there. Guess I'll be going to bed early tonight!
I will try to post some pictures on here, but I also put a bunch on Facebook if we're friends. Prague is amazing and I'm so glad I'm here! Na zdravi (Cheers)!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"Strangers sharing the beginnings of a journey" (Ragtime)
I have two things to say before I continue documenting my venture to and semester in Prague:
1) I tried to sign in to blogspot and it took me a while because everything was in Czech...I couldn't figure out how! You know you're really in another country when Google is in a different language.
2) My challenge to myself with this blog is to title each entry with a showtune lyric. Apologies to those of you for whom musical theater is not your thing. I just think it will be fun.
So, I kinda have no idea what day or time it is right now. The computer clock says 11:30am, but its dark outside, since we're 6 hours ahead. I was on a plane flight for hours yesterday...or was it today? (Ironically enough, I watched Julie and Julia on an Air France flight). I was on a group flight, so met a number of people on my program, which was really nice both because many of them live in the same dorm as me, and also none of us really knew what we were doing, so at least we got to feel lost collectively. We finally got to Prague around 9am (my luggage was remarkably practically the first to come out on the baggage carousel!) and were put on a bus to the dorm. There are 11 students on my floor itself, 7 girls (3 doubles and a single), and 4 boys (2 doubles, on the opposite side of the floor, which also contains a communal, fully-stocked kitchen), plus an RA (one on each floor). Thankfully there are four toilets on the floor, but crazily enough there is only one shower for all the girls. Guess we'll see how that goes...
When I got to the dorm I unpacked, which was weird because there aren't really drawers, but there is a lot of shelf space. Took some maneuvering to figure out where to put everything. My roommate hasn't arrived yet, and as of this afternoon, only 2 of the girls and 3 of the guys from my floor had arrived. Most of them I had met on the flight, and everyone is really great so far!! There was supposed to be a walking tour of the area with an RA, but only my floor showed up, which turned out to be great because we got to ask the RA all our questions, and, don't read this parents, went with her to a local pub/cafe thing, where we had our first Czech beer!! Its is pretty good, and costs roughly $1.50-$2.50 depending on what brand you get. Yep, Prague is awesome.
Tonight we're supposed to have dinner with the people from our program, and they really don't give us time to adjust because we have a full day tomorrow starting at 10am, and intensive Czech for 2.5 hours next Monday-Friday starting at 10am at the campus center, which is about 20 minutes away. Not that anyone knows how to get there yet.
Its very cool to be here, and awesome to see snowy Prague when we landed. I'm not too stressed about learning everything yet, although transportation is tricky because there are both a Tram and a Metro, and they go to similar places, plus, unlike New York, Prague is totally not a grid and the streets are really windy and kind of tricky to navigate (not to mention the cobblestones!) It is a very beautiful and unique city, and I am excited to see more of it, and to be spending so much time here. It doesnt yet feel like we'll be here for four months, or that we're actually going to have an academic semester with classes and stuff. I'm sure that will change, though.
1) I tried to sign in to blogspot and it took me a while because everything was in Czech...I couldn't figure out how! You know you're really in another country when Google is in a different language.
2) My challenge to myself with this blog is to title each entry with a showtune lyric. Apologies to those of you for whom musical theater is not your thing. I just think it will be fun.
So, I kinda have no idea what day or time it is right now. The computer clock says 11:30am, but its dark outside, since we're 6 hours ahead. I was on a plane flight for hours yesterday...or was it today? (Ironically enough, I watched Julie and Julia on an Air France flight). I was on a group flight, so met a number of people on my program, which was really nice both because many of them live in the same dorm as me, and also none of us really knew what we were doing, so at least we got to feel lost collectively. We finally got to Prague around 9am (my luggage was remarkably practically the first to come out on the baggage carousel!) and were put on a bus to the dorm. There are 11 students on my floor itself, 7 girls (3 doubles and a single), and 4 boys (2 doubles, on the opposite side of the floor, which also contains a communal, fully-stocked kitchen), plus an RA (one on each floor). Thankfully there are four toilets on the floor, but crazily enough there is only one shower for all the girls. Guess we'll see how that goes...
When I got to the dorm I unpacked, which was weird because there aren't really drawers, but there is a lot of shelf space. Took some maneuvering to figure out where to put everything. My roommate hasn't arrived yet, and as of this afternoon, only 2 of the girls and 3 of the guys from my floor had arrived. Most of them I had met on the flight, and everyone is really great so far!! There was supposed to be a walking tour of the area with an RA, but only my floor showed up, which turned out to be great because we got to ask the RA all our questions, and, don't read this parents, went with her to a local pub/cafe thing, where we had our first Czech beer!! Its is pretty good, and costs roughly $1.50-$2.50 depending on what brand you get. Yep, Prague is awesome.
Tonight we're supposed to have dinner with the people from our program, and they really don't give us time to adjust because we have a full day tomorrow starting at 10am, and intensive Czech for 2.5 hours next Monday-Friday starting at 10am at the campus center, which is about 20 minutes away. Not that anyone knows how to get there yet.
Its very cool to be here, and awesome to see snowy Prague when we landed. I'm not too stressed about learning everything yet, although transportation is tricky because there are both a Tram and a Metro, and they go to similar places, plus, unlike New York, Prague is totally not a grid and the streets are really windy and kind of tricky to navigate (not to mention the cobblestones!) It is a very beautiful and unique city, and I am excited to see more of it, and to be spending so much time here. It doesnt yet feel like we'll be here for four months, or that we're actually going to have an academic semester with classes and stuff. I'm sure that will change, though.
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