the background

Prague

an old city.

neutral colors.

quiet individuals.

trams, taxis, metros.

never stand out; blend in.

hundreds of years of history.

cobble stones and ancient architecture.

cold and snowing then warm sunshine weather.

Apparently I'm pretty observant and I've been picking up quite a lot about culture here in Prague. Things are kind of different than I expected and very different from what I'm used to. Here are some basic things about Prague and the people that make up their wonderful culture! 

Prague is one of the oldest cities in Europe because it was preserved behind the iron curtain and has little damage from wars. The town hall was burned down by Hitler (above picture shows the last piece of the hall and nothing has been rebuilt in its place) so that they knew not to mess with him, but he did spare the city as a whole because he thought it was so beautiful and wanted to save it for himself! The city has been well preserved and restored over the years. The streets are filled with cobble stones and modern day shops can be found inside buildings built in 1500s. The Prague castle is also the largest castle complex in Europe and it is stunning (picture below) There is so much history here and the city is a hidden gem!

One thing that I'm currently feeling the affects of was when the US was unable to save Prague from going under Communist rule in the late 1940s. The current day older generations felt the affects firsthand and hated that their freedom was taken away while America stood by and did nothing.

So how am I feeling this? The older generations are very opinionated towards Americans and refuse to speak English. My first day in a food store I had an older teller and she refused to speak English to me even though I kept saying I didn't understand and was clearly confused. That is just part of life here. Most people will speak English but anyone over the age of 30 might be a little more resistant if they don't have to use English.

The people of Prague are very quiet. The tram rides are so quiet you could here a pin drop. I think the loudest people can be found in the tourist areas because they're foreigners! Everyone is focused on being independent from an early age. Kids are taught at a young age to take public transportation, trams, buses, metros, to and from school alone. Which also means that the city is a fairly safe city. (Silly foreigners who go to the wrong places late a night are the ones to be concerned about - not me!) However, no one really want to stand out in a crowd. People are individuals but never wants to draw attention to themselves. They go about life and just do what they have to do.

I found out the people are very independent because of the country's history with communism and not being able to trust anyone. So people don't have friends and tend to head into 'nature' (the woods and campgrounds) on the weekends to be together with people they can trust or to be alone and just get out of the city.

The history of this country is so deep, rich, painful, and wonderful. I'm learning more and more each day and personally think that this country has been involved in more aspects of history than any other.