The first word I have learned in Czech is dobry den, which is a formal way of
saying hello. In Russian, which is my
first language, it would be the same only you pronounce it softer: dobryj den’. So, I got really excited
thinking that Czech and Russian languages are almost the same. Well, after the
first class of Czech I was quite disappointed. It is true that Czech and
Russian languages have something in common; some words are almost identical,
some words sound similar but have different meanings, and there are even some
similarities in grammar. However, overall these are two completely different
languages with different alphabets. Therefore, when I hear Czech people’s conversations,
I have no idea what they are talking about, even though I can catch some words.
I still believe that being fluent in Russian language was definitely an
advantage and, therefore, learning Czech was a little bit easier for me than
for American students.
I remember when we first arrived at Olomouc and
started our new life here, everyone was shocked by the language barrier. If you
never traveled outside of United States or if you visited only big cities full
of tourists, you do not really know an awful and even embarrassing experience of
having the language barrier. When you do not know the language of the country
you live in everything becomes ten times harder for you, even some basic
everyday routine such as a grocery shopping. You learn how to explain what you
need with gestures and mimics and you have to start reading people’s faces in
order to understand what they want from you. Unlike for most of my classmates,
it was not a new experience for me. I moved to United States when I was fifteen
and did not know any English at that time, so I had to go through all the difficulties
and discomfort of not being able to understand anyone. Coming to Czech Republic
reminded me of those times a little bit, only now as an experienced person I
felt more comfortable and confident. I feel like everybody got used to language
barrier by the end of our trip. It is something that scares you at first but
after a while you adjust to it.
Another thing you need to adjust to in a foreign country are the local people because they would be different from the people you used to be
surrounded at your home. Czech people tend to be more serious than Americans;
they won’t smile or laugh without a reason. Everywhere we went to, like shops,
restaurants, boutiques, we did not receive a great customer service or even a
simple warm greeting. So, we thought maybe they do not like tourists, or
Americans, or any other people in general. This is not true at all! After my last
weekend trip to Karlovy Vary I completely changed my opinion about Czechs. In
Karlovy Vary I stayed at the cute, little pension outside of town. The hosts of
this pension were a married couple. They met me at the bus stop and took
directly to the pension. The hostess was kind enough to make me some pancakes
and brew a coffee; she even sat with me at the table and talked about the town
and places that I should visit. Next morning, they took me to the famous
glassmaking factory “Moser.” I was able to watch the entire process of making
glass, and since their friend works at this factory I got a chance to blow a
glass bobble. Then they dropped me off at the city center and explained how to get
back to their pension. I have been traveling a lot lately but I have never experienced
such a warm welcome and hospitality. I felt like I came back home after a long
journey. Czechs are actually very friendly people once you get to know them.
They are just not as open to strangers as Americans.
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| The hostess of the pension with her daughter and me at the glass factory |
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