Czech Differences

So I finally figured out how to change Blogger from Czech back to English! I can actually start posting again. I have so much to say but I'm going to start by mentioning all the differences between Prague and the US. They're public transportation is amazing. You can get anywhere so easily. They don't even check your passes before you board. They're really trusting. Sometimes they do random checks but that's it. The escalators going to the metro go really fast and they're extremely steep. I finally am getting used to stepping on the escalator just in time. People have a ton of dogs here but they're rarely on leashes, they're so obedient. But people here do not always pick up their dog poo so you have to look out. Also, some people here do not use deodorant and it can get smelly on the metro. But the metros and the stations are so clean and nice. Compared to the loop it's amazing.

The people are so nice here. A lot of them speak English or know a little bit of it. If your lost they're really nice and point you in the right direction. The other night our Social director took us all to one of his favorite beer gardens and it was filled with a lot of locals, a lot of them were middle aged. There was a whole group of them at a table singing and playing on the guitars, it was nice. An old man asked one of my friends to dance, which was pretty cute, just smidge creepy. Later he asked the waitress to dance and she danced with him then got our table up to dance  and by the end everyone in the bar was dancing together. We all grabbed hands and danced like we were dancing the hora. Another interesting thing is that open beverages in public is legal. A lot of my friends grab to-go-beers before heading to the next pub. I'm still getting used to it. I want to tell them that they have to finish it before going outside. They also serve beer in large quantities here. My guy friends have two liter bottles of they finish. It's crazy! The people here drink beer all day long, for breakfast lunch and dinner. One of my friends teachers says he likes going to work so he can drink. He said why would he want to drink water all day? That's disgusting.

Also pot and Prostitution here is legal. I think all drugs here are legal, or that's what I've been told. I think it's just if you become reckless they arrest you or you get in trouble. My Czech teacher told me that recently all the adds for escorts has been banned recently so it's not like Amsterdam. My Czech Culture teacher also told me she loves smoking pot, she loves drinking, she loves life. You don't really hear teachers say that lol. But she's definitely a Czech version of a hippie. She grew up in Communist Czechoslovakia and through the revolution. She actually said she liked living under a Communist regime and looks fondly back on it, but I believe she is one of the few. She only liked it because people would get into small illegal groups and enjoy illegal music and things. She didn't have to worry about clothes or makeup. It's really interesting learning what has happened in the Czech Republic the last 100 years with WWII then Russia coming in and making it a communist nation then the Czech Republic gaining their freedom.

Czech crowns are the currency here and I have gained such a bigger appreciation for them. After going to Amsterdam and using euros, czech crowns are nothing. A liter of water here is a dollar. A pint of good beer at a restaurant is three dollars. A big meal is about six dollars. I don't know what I did if I studied abroad anywhere else, I'd have no money left. I've tried to buy some things at stores that I just can not find. I can not find ziploc bags, ziplock containers, or cotton balls anywhere. The gelatos and pastries here are too good and cheap. It's not good. I'm hoping all the walking and stair climbing will work it all off lol. My next post I'll talk about Amsterdam. I'm going to try to figure out how to put up some pictures too. But until then, Caio!