Category: Prague

The End

December 6, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

By now, you have probably had the chance to catch up in person with your friends and family who went on the Prague program. Still, it wouldn’t seem right to not have a final blog post (albeit one 3 weeks late!).

After we came back from Karlovy Vary, the rest of the term was all hustle and bustle . We had an ethics portfolio to complete (If you’re interested, you can read some students’ thoughts on penile plethysmography, castration, and various case studies.), as well as two papers and three exams. Not to mention we all had a few more places that we wanted to visit before leaving Prague! One of the most special moments of our final week, though, was celebrating Jiri’s son’s first birthday. His wife brought a homemade cake to CET, and we all sang and clapped for him.

On the Wednesday before the program finished, many people participated in Czech Christmas. It was hosted by Kristina and Zdenek, who were two of the Czech buddies. Holiday tunes played in the apartment, citrus and candle smells filled the air, and merriment was everywhere 😉 We decorated a tree together (a few people may or may not have eaten a couple of the chocolate ornaments), baked cookies, and made Czech Christmas candle boats. After eating some tasty potato salad and fried cheese, we played white elephant. The night finished with Zoe, Julia, and Francesca surprising Brandon with a big piece of chocolate-cherry cake to celebrate his upcoming birthday. Needless to say, it was a beautiful evening.

Our lovely holiday hosts. credit to Katie

Zoe and Theresa wrapping their gifts. Credit to Katie

Brandon and Julia decorate the tree. Credit to Katie

Helen and Teddy make candle boats while Brandon offers the camera soft smiles. Credit to Katie

Isn’t she the greatest? Credit to Katie

Nom nom nom. Credit to Katie

If you give Lianne a cookie…Credit to Katie

Finishing touches to the tree. Credit to Katie

All smiles for the birthday boy on the big 2-0. Credit to Katie

Cute group photo + the facial stylings of me. Credit to Katie

When our final dinner rolled around the next day–on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution , we were all sad to leave. It was hard to believe that three months had already passed since our arrival. We gave Ken and Jiri photographs and thanked them for all they had done for us throughout the program. After eating, there was lots of hugging and then everyone went out to enjoy the rest of the night.

Nicki, Olivia, Teddy, Jeremy, Cari, Lianne, Kaitlyn, Caroline. Credit to Katie

Brandon, Edylwise, and I toast our last night in Prague. Credit to Katie

Waiting for dinner! Credit to Katie

Katie, who deserves thunderous applause for all the photos and videos she took during the program, recently finished this masterpiece (you may want your tissues ready).

Thank you for following this blog and for supporting us in our adventures. I hope you have enjoyed it!

Karlovy Vary: Final Excursion!

November 21, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Guest post by Katie!

Our second to last weekend we all traveled to Karlovy Vary, a spa town in the Czech Republic. Even our Czech buddies came along! It was good to spend time relaxing in the sauna, Jacuzzi, or massage room before hunkering down for our finals.

Some photos of the beautiful town

We first went to the Moser Glass Factory, where we got to see glass being melted, blown, and shaped. Moser is a world-renowned brand in glass production, and we got to see some incredible works of glass.

One of the amazing glass works in the Moser Factory.

Glass blower in the factory

Czech buddy Barbora trying her hand at blowing glass.

On Saturday night, we did the mineral water tour in the town, visiting and tasting various mineral water fountains. We all bought our own mineral water tasting cups, and had fun tasting the mineral water. Some enjoyed it more than others as the water had a strong, unique taste.

Lena filling up her cup with mineral water

Some mineral water fountains we visited!

Edylwise tells it like it is. Credit to Katie (added by Mary 😉 )

On Sunday, some of us went on a hike in the hills of the town. The hike surrounded us with beautiful fall colors and provided some breathtaking views of the whole city at various lookouts.

View of the town from one of the lookouts on the hike

Some of the group at a lookout. Credit to Aidan

Some of the group on the hike. Credit to Aidan

Throughout the weekend everyone enjoyed the spa features of the town and our hotel. Whether time was spent in the spa, walking around the town, or hiking, it was a relaxing last trip as a program.

Go Vote!

November 8, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

In early October, many of us went to Ambassador Shapiro’s residence here in Prague to cast our votes for this election. It was a great experience, especially since it was the first time we could vote in a U.S. presidential election. Many more have mailed in absentee ballots. Today is the day; if you have the opportunity, go exercise your civic duty and VOTE.

Just arrived at the Ambassdor’s residence in Prague. Rachel, Lena, Evan, Lianne, Olivia, Caroline, me, and Theresa. Credit to the cool woman who offered to take our picture

Post-casting our ballots! Lena, Rachel, Lianne, Caroline, Ambassador Shapiro, Evan, Olivia, Theresa, and me. Credit to the nice woman in line behind us!

Czech Republic Adventures!

November 4, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

While many of the blog posts have focued on the wonderful trips we’ve had in various European countries, we have had many fun adventures in the Czech Republic, too! Just last week we attended a Sparta hockey game. Unfortunately, they lost, which brings our fan record to 2-1. Still, it was a super fun time. We all made it on the jumbotron, and Austin really bonded with the mascot.

Austin, Alp, Kaitlyn, Katie, Edylweiss, Teddy, and Theresa pose with the mascot. Credit to Francesca

Austin, Alp, Kaitlyn, Katie, Edylwise, Teddy, and Theresa pose with the mascot. Credit to Francesca

Anne (visiting from France!), me, Brandon, and Rachel enjoying the game. Credit to Theresa

Theresa, Helen, and Julia smile in front of the ice. Credit to Katie

Olivia and Nicki–it was Olivia’s birthday!

The Sparta fans show their true colors.

Last week many of us also attended a conference in Česke Budêjovice. It was organized by Professor Salim Murad, who teaches our Nationalism, Minorities, and Migration course. The conference was about the Roma people, the largest ethnic group in the Czech Republic. Much of the discussion focused on the discrimination that the Roma face in education. Ken was a speaker and offered insights into ways to counter prejudice. It was very interesting, and many Carls asked great questions.

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Zoe, Evan, Brandon, me, Julia, and Theresa sit during the first portion of the conference. Credit to Francesca

Kaitlyn and Lianne listen to Ken at the conference.

Poland

October 29, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Day 1: Arrival

Recently, we headed out on yet another sleeper train. This time our destination was Krakow, Poland. Our first day was very relaxed, with a brief morning tour around the city and the rest of the afternoon free. A few highlights from the tour included hearing the trumpeter at St. Mary’s church (who plays every hour on the hour), seeing Igor Mitoraj’s Eros Bendato, or “The Head” as it is commonly known, and walking around the castle grounds.

Gardens at Wawel Castle

At the Wawel Castle. Beautiful Renaissance architecture!

Olivia and Edylweiss listening to our guide.

Olivia and Edylwise listening to our guide.

Eros Bendato. Credit to Nicki

Day 2: Tours

Our second day in Krakow also began with tour, this time around the Kazimierz, the historical Jewish district. We were able to see many synagogues with historical significance in the city, including the Remuh Synagogue and the Izaak Synagogue. It was a cool chance to learn a lot about Jewish history in the region, and it was nice because we don’t often visit synagogues on our tours (generally we see examples of gothic or baroque architecture in Catholic churches).

Inside Remuh Synagogue

Cemetery at Remuh Synagogue

Izaak Synagogue

After our tour around Kazimierz, we had a brief lunch in the area. Many people ate zapiekankas, which are these delicious open-faced Polish sandwiches. A large one cost less than $3!

Katie and her sandwich!

Once we ate lunch, we visited the Museum of Polish Resistance, which is in Oskar Schindler’s former enamel factory. We spent a couple of hours there, but that wasn’t even long enough to fully appreciate the amazing exhibits that were there. After that museum, we finished up the day with our Cross-Cultural Psychopathology class.

Day 3: Free day

The weather was iffy while we were Poland, which meant that some of our tentative activities, like going on a bike ride around the area, weren’t able to happen. But that was okay! Because the free time allowed us to explore on our own on Friday. Many people went souvenir shopping, visited the main square more, or did school work. That evening, though, we all went to the Wisla versus Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza futbol game. Wisla won 2-0, thanks to our new favorite player Zdenek Ondrásek.

Go Wisla! Credit to the man sitting in front of us.

Katie captured an amazing PK by Ondrásek!!! Clearly, I was very excited!

Day 4: KL Auschwitz & Birkenau

Saturday was a tougher day but also an incredibly important day because we visited KL Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland. In the morning and early afternoon, we toured KL-Auschwitz, or Auschwitz-1, which was the main camp. It is a museum now, but the buildings are the originals (most of the exhibitions we saw were held in former barracks for the women). One of the hardest parts was seeing all the hair of the victims–nearly 2 tons of it. We also saw holding cells, where many prisoners would be kept for two weeks; a wall against which prisoners were shot; and one of the gas chambers and crematory. It was all very surreal.

Entering KL Auschwitz. It reads “Work Makes Free.” Credit to Katie

Barracks at KL Auschwitz.

Cari looking through the names of 4 million people who died at concentration camps during the Holocaust. The names of 2 million people are still unknown.

Evan looking through the names of 4 million people who died at concentration camps during the Holocaust. The names of 2 million people are still unknown.

Evan, Jeremy, Teddy, and Edylweiss looking through the names of 4 million people who died at concentration camps during the Holocaust. The names of 2 million people are still unknown.

The latter part of the afternoon was spent at Auschwitz-Birkenau. This is the camp with the infamous railway station, although it was only added in the last year of the camp’s existence. When we were there, we saw the bathroom barracks, the men’s barracks, and the women’s barracks. We also saw the ruins of the gas chambers and crematory and the registration room, which the Nazis had tried to destroy. Additionally, we saw several chimneys that stood where former barracks had deteriorated over time because preserving all of them had not been important during the Communist era. One of the most haunting, things, though, was seeing the ditches where the human ash was dumped. People had the chance to walk the grounds either in groups or on their one, which was nice because it allowed us to reflect however we chose.

Chimneys at Birkenau

Railway at Birkenau.

Several of us commented on how it was such a beautiful fall day weather-wise, which felt ironic. Still, the experience was powerful.

From the room where 4 million victims’ names are listed.

Day 4: Wieliczka & Nowa Huta

For our last day in Poland, we went to the city of Wieliczka where we toured the salt mine. It is one of the oldest salt mines in the world, and there are many amazing salt carvings throughout it. In fact, there is even a chapel where mass and weddings are still held!

Walking through the mine. Credit to Katie

Chapel in the salt mine. Even the chandeliers were made out of salt crystals! Credit to Katie

Group shot down in the salt mine. Because salt was so valuable, kings would have salt busts as a sign of importance! Credit to Jennifer

After the salt mine tour, we went to Nowa Huta, which was created during the time of communism. It was fascinating to see the grey neighborhoods that were created for efficiency. We also saw a Arka Pana, a Catholic church that looks like Noah’s Ark and sparked a lot of controversy when it was built in the 1970s.

Main square in Nowa Huta.

Arka Pana in Nowa Huta.

We had yet again another great weekend trip! One more to go–Karlovy Vary next weekend 🙂

6th Week Updates!

October 19, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Kutná Hora

Per usual, it’s been a very busy time with the Carleton Cross-Cultural Psych program. Last weekend, many of us went on a day trip to Kutná Hora, a city in the Czech Republic that is known for its Gothic architecture, the Sedlec Ossuary, and silver mining.

Bone chandelier at the Sedlec Ossuary.

The ossuary was our first stop, and it was really interesting to see all the decorations that had been made out of bones. Many of the bones were left over from the Hussite Wars. By looking at the skulls, we could distinguish between the head injuries that had started to heal and the ones that hadn’t–those that started to heal had smooth edges around the wound.

The House of Schwarzenberg coat of arms. We also saw this when we visited Cesky Krumlov. In the lower right corner, you can see a raven pecking out of the eye of a Turk, which commemorates the take-over of a Turkish fortress.

After the Sedlec Ossuary, we went on a mine tour at the Museum of Silver. For this, we went underground 32 m (about 105 ft) and crouched through the spaces just as the miners had. Interestingly, we learned that natural silver actually looks dark grey rather than shiny. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any…Additionally, we learned that the miners had to work by very little light. If their light ever stopped flickering, it was a bad sign because that meant that oxygen was no longer flowing through the area.

We weren’t able to take photos in the mine, but you can see the outfits we wore! Credit to Theresa

Throughout the day, we also saw many examples of Gothic architecture in the city, especially at the cathedrals!

Cathedral of St. Barbara. Check out those flying buttresses!

Sparta Game!

The fun did not stop with Kutná Hora. On Sunday, we attended the Sparta vs Jihlava. There was a lot of energy, and Sparta won 3-0!

Carrying in the flags before the game.

A tense moment.

Zoe, Brandon, and Julia are so festive!!! Sparta, Sparta, Sparta!

In the video, you can hear one of the many cheers chanted by the fans! Credit to my mom 🙂

We are now in Poland, so stay tuned for details on this trip.

Clinic Visits

October 16, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Recently, we went on two clinic visits for our Cross-Cultural Psychopathology class. Our first visit was to the Psychiatrická Klinika, where we listened to a lecture from Professor Fratisek Krch on eating disorders and then had to the opportunity to meet and talk with two of his patients.

The entrance to the clinic. Credit to Rachel.

Brandon and Julia are ready for the lecture! Ken and Prof. Krch talk in the background. Credit to Rachel.

Our second visit was to the Institute of Sexuology, where we first listened to a lecture from Professor Ivo Prochaska about gender dysphoria. We then were lucky enough to meet two transgender individuals and hear their stories, as well as ask them questions. Finally, we listened to a lecture on paraphilic disorders from Professor Petr Weiss, who is well-known expert on such issues. While this portion of the visit was not the most comfortable, it was an interesting learning experience.

Teddy laughs with Prof. Prochaska and his associate.

Teddy smiles with Prof. Prochaska and his associate.

Prof. Weiss begins his lecture.

All-in-all, the clinic visits are great because they are when the cross-cultural psychopathology component of our program is witnessed firsthand.

Two Tours, One Ballet, and So Much Food!

September 19, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

As we enter into our second week of classes here in Prague, there is a lot to talk about from this past week. Classes are off to a busy start, just like any term at Carleton. We are all taking the Nationalism, Minorities, and Migrations in Europe course, which is only on Mondays, but it lasts three hours. While it is a long class, it was a fun first day because our professor took us on a tour of sites that have been especially significant in Czech history. (Did you know that Woodrow Wilson is a well-respected figure here because of his stance on self-determination?) In addition to this tour, the art and architecture class toured the city and an exhibit on King Charles IV, who is celebrating his 700th birthday this year. Evidently, King Charles IV loved to collect relics and could be very aggressive about it.

A nap before the final exam! All survived! Credit to Rachel

On Monday and Thursday, we had a special, two-part tour through the town with a boisterous guide named Zdenek, Zed for short. He provided us with an explanation of the establishment of New Town (because it was less safe to live in the new part of Prague, people who moved there were offered 15 years of tax exemption), a moving description of the Old Jewish Cemetery, and trips to Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. We even got to see a special, secret stone carving behind an old bookstore. Once again, Katie, has graciously shared some of her photographs of the experience, as well as a video of Zed singing the national anthem–shout-out to Teddy for remembering to ask Zed to sing at the end of the tour!

Zed explaining the history of Charles Bridge

Evan, Ken, and Jiri on Charles Bridge

Evan, Helen, and Theresa (please admire how safely the Helen & Theresa are wearing their bags!)

Jeremy and Caroline as we wait to enter the old bookstore

Zoe, Alp, Cari, Theresa, and Julia in the bookstore

Zoe, Alp, Cari, Theresa, Julia, and Kaitlyn in the bookstore

Theresa in front of the hidden sculpture–one of the oldest items by Charles Bridge!

Francesca walking back from viewing the sculpture

Austin, Rachel, and Brandon heading into Old Town. Credit to Katie

The gardens by the castle were closed, but they were still beautiful from afar!

Theresa, Helen, Kaitlyn, and Lianne laughing with Zed in front of Prague Castle. Credit to Katie

A guard in front of the Castle. They are paid 2x that of other officers, but, according to our guide, they aren’t supposed to fight back! Credit to Katie

Inside the church at Prague Castle.

Each stained-glass window includes details of the group that commissioned it. Credit to Katie

One of the amazing shots Katie took at Prague Castle

^^Thanks, Katie, for filming this!!!

After the tour on Thursday, we all attended the ballet La Bayadère at the National Theater. It was a fun opportunity to dress up, not to mention that the interior of the building was gorgeous!

The performers bowing. Credit to Katie

Because we don’t have classes on Fridays, the long weekend was a chance to move about at our own leisure. Some went on tours at Prague Castle, while others tried Power Yoga the gym. The highlight of Friday night, though, was when Alp cooked us all a delicious dinner of beef, tofu, and chicken, which was complemented by pasta from Julia, Francesca, and Zoe and topped off with brownies from Helen!

Alp preparing dinner!

Katie slicing the chicken! (No fingers were lost in the process.)

Julia & Brandon–washed millions of dishes but kept on smiling

Similarly, Saturday and Sunday were opportunities for exploration, with a few of us visiting the local farmers’ market while others experienced an underground tour of Old Town. The adventures are sure to continue this week, as we head out to Slovakia in a couple of days!

Helen and me at the market. Credit to Rachel

All dogs here in Prague love Helen

Tasty berries! Credit to Helen

So many veggies and flowers! Credit to Helen

First Days in Praha!

September 10, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Ahoj, from Praha 2!

Two days ago marked the beginning of our program! We all arrived in Prague at various times. For some, the journey in was relatively smooth with fun layovers in Norway, but, for others, there were passport worries and troubles with taxi drivers. (A word of wisdom for those who don’t know– be sure to call a taxi driver from a specific company when arriving in Prague, because the regulation of drivers here is different than in the United States, so some will be sassy and try to charge more than they should!) All arrived safely, though, and most had the chance to begin to settle in before heading to a tasty dinner at Restaurace U Fausta, which CET provided for us. It was a great opportunity to catch up and share stories of summer and travel experiences.

All smiles at the welcome dinner: Francesca, Lena, Zoe, Olivia, Evan, Teddy, Caroline, Theresa, Helen, Katie, and Ken

All smiles at the welcome dinner: Francesca, Lena, Zoe, Olivia, Cari, Evan, Teddy, Caroline, Theresa, Helen, Katie, and Ken

Teddy, Nicki, Cari, and Brandon chatting at U Fausta

Carls dining with the Czech buddies: Zdenek, Denis, Rachel, Kristina, Alp, Jeremy, Austin, and Barbora

Austin and the tiny strudel spoon!

Each apartment is unique, but they are all spacious and equipped with kitchenettes, washing machines, and living rooms. Perhaps the best part is our great location: we are within walking distance to many restaurants and shops. Additionally, nearly every apartment has a Czech host; they are all very fun and friendly, and they have helped us with small daily activities, such as grocery shopping.

Since Thursday was a day for settling in and dealing with jet lag, Friday was the first real day we had to acclimate to our new surroundings. At 11 am, we all met for orientation, which started with a brief tour of the area we live in as we headed to our CET school building, as well as an explanation of the metro system here in Prague. The school building itself is cozy, with a couple of classrooms, a library, a small kitchen, and a sitting room. It should be a nice place to study!

After the orientation, Ken brought us to the gym so we could set up our memberships. There are various classes we can participate in as part of our membership, and the man who runs the gym is a former body builder who knew Arnold Schwarzenegger! As we left he said, “Hasta la vista!”

For the remainder of Friday, we had the chance to walk around the city at our leisure. Some went out to lunch and then to Charles Bridge, while others cooked in their apartments together. A few of us went shopping for school supplies together. While the prices are great, it is a still a bit of challenge to figure out which product you want to buy, what the features of an item are exactly, and whether or not you’re reading the price tags correctly. However, it’s still a fun and interesting experience.

In the evening, a few of the girls went to explore Old Town Square. One of the highlights was seeing a fire twirler! Katie took several shots–see for yourself!

A night shot of Charles Bridge. Credit to Katie

Rachel walking around in Old Town. Credit to Katie

A clock tower. Credit to Katie

Today (Saturday) was a free day for us. Many of us went down to the Vlatva River to do paddle boating; it cost about 350 kc for one hour, which is about $15. The weather was beautiful, so there were many people on the water, in addition to ducks and swans. It was a unique vantage point from which to view the architecture of the city.

A view along the Vlatva River. Credit to Brandon

Swan! Credit to Katie

A view of the boater and scenery. Credit to Brandon

A view of the boaters and scenery. Credit to Brandon

Katie and Helen. Credit to Brandon

Rachel, Mary, and Cari. Credit to Brandon

In addition to the boating, some people went to an all-you-can-eat chocolate museum, where they were able to see a chocolate making demonstration (and eat the results, of course!). Finally, the day wrapped up with a big group hang out. We have several events to look forward to this week: our scavenger hunt tomorrow, the start of classes, a final exam (!?), and a ballet! Safe to say, we are off to a busy and exciting start!

Almost There!

August 25, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

In just under two weeks, Carleton’s Cross-Cultural Psychology program commences! Currently, I am still unsure as to how to best pack for the next couple of months, and there are still many family and friends that I want to see before we leave. However, as the days grow closer, and information begins to fill my inbox with housing assigments and syllabus details, I feel more and more excited about the adventure my fellow Carls and I are about to embark on together. With four to five clinic visits scheduled, as well as excursions to places such as Poland and Slovakia, we are sure to learn a great deal. Perhaps what is most exciting about this experience is simply the chance to explore. As we grow in our understanding about course material, the cities and communities we visit, and, inevitably, ourselves, I hope that you can join in our journey through this blog! Stay tuned!