This July, I have been studying global marketing at the University of Economics in Prague. In addition, I have traveled around Central Europe, seeing more cultures and cities than I could have imagined. I have met students from across the globe. Yes, even from The University of Alabama.
In fact, walking around a major street in Munich, I spotted a “Bama Bound” T-shirt. We of course met and discovered we had many mutual friends. In total, I have seen five people with Alabama apparel, all of which received a strong “Roll Tide.”
Prague is a dynamic city, just recently coming out from the grasp of the Iron Curtain. The city is situated in the heart of the Czech Republic between rolling hills and the Vltava River.
The architecture is breathtaking throughout the entire city. Almost all of its oldest buildings are still in existence, partly because no major battles have been fought here. The colors of the city are magnificent. Some Turkish friends I met described the buildings as looking like “delicious cakes.” In addition, Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire for some time, a fact that no local will pass up the opportunity to tell you.
Walking around the city center of Prague offers insight into a plethora of eras and styles of life. In some ways, the city has returned to its wealthy past. There are many beautiful, tree-lined streets filled with luxury stores.
Just a few blocks away from the city center is the Jewish section of town, containing some of the oldest synagogues in all of Europe. In addition, New Town of Prague offers the cultural and artistic flavor of the city with some of the top clubs and discotheques in the world.
Yet with all of this beauty and positive history, one can easily sense the impact the communist years had on the city. Only in the last ten years has the Czech economy seen sustained growth.
Many of the older citizens have a stern exterior. Locals are not rude, but are reserved by nature. In Prague, public smiles are at a premium. Anytime I try to speak the little Czech I know I always include a smile. Some parts of the city seem run-down by American standards. Yet, these sections of the city offer an insight into world few Americans could dream of.
Although I have learned much about the Czech culture in my stay here, I have also had more self-realizations than I expected. First, and most importantly, I have found a deep love for my own country. I love most aspects of the European way of life (I am going to miss the regularity of unprocessed foods.) However, living in a foreign country has made me appreciate the positive characteristics of the USA. The positive attitude of most Americans, that ideal that anyone can always improve, is something strangely missing in a lot of European countries.
Oddly enough, my stay has improved my people skills as well. Having patience and cultural competency has been necessary during my stay. At my university in Prague, finding the computer lab has not been an easy process. Most of the workers for the university who helped me spoke only Czech, which is not the easiest language to understand. Often hand signals and lots of smiles go a long way in communication when words can do nothing.
In a study abroad experience, some moments go beyond language, culture and any barriers. Such a moment happened while I was in the city center of Vienna during a rainy night. Rather than call it a night, a few of my friends from my program and I ran in the rain with some Australians we had just met. Although I’m pretty sure I contracted hypothermia, times like these are those that I will never forget.
