Burning of the Witches and May Day

Hi Everyone,
Today is a kind of holiday in the Czech Republic, though it’s not a day off from work! Today is the Burning of the Witches! This celebration dates back to very pre-historic times. Some believe it was originally a celebration to ward off evil, others say it was originally celebrated as a time to say farewell to winter and to welcome spring! Now, this Burning of the Witches is seen as a combination of both practices, but is done in fun!

Tonight, people will gather around bonfires all over the country—some in their backyards (yes—isn’t that a scary thought!!!) and some on high hills (this is traditional). They will bring food, such as sausages, to cook over the fires. And then, late in the evening, they will bring an effigy of a witch (something like our American scarecrows) and put it on the fire to burn. There is much celebrating as the witch burns. It is a night of drinking and all kinds of revelry! I have not witnessed such an occasion myself, but have been told that these celebrations are somewhat like a mini version of Spring Break! So, it is necessary to use caution when visiting a Burning of the Witches—make sure, ahead of time, that the one you visit is family-safe, otherwise, you might get in on more than you intended for this celebration!

Tomorrow, May 1st, is a public holiday here—it is known as May Day. May Day is celebrated as both a day for lovers and International Labor Day. This holiday also has very deep roots into the past, and has many ways of being celebrated, depending on what part of the Czech Republic you are in. The celebrations vary from May poles to political parades and rallies! The origin of May Day has its roots into the very ancient practice of fertility cults and the celebration of the Spring Equinox. Now, however, May Day, here, is celebrated as a day off from work and a day of lovers. Lovers, here in Prague, will visit Petřín Hill and walk up its beautiful paths to find the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha.

Karel Mácha (1810-1836) is a famous Czech poet. He had a very tragic and short life, but he is famous for writing a beautiful poem called Máj (May—to see an English translation of this poem, please visit here. This poem is about spring and a tragic love between a young man and a woman; the woman dies in the poem and so their love is unfulfilled. Mácha’s poem was rejected by publishers of the time, and he had to have it published at his own expense. It wasn’t until many years later that his poem was “rediscovered” and was appreciated. Now, Mácha’s Máj is considered to be a classic work of Czech Romanticism. It has become traditional for lovers to ascend Petřín Hill and to stand in front of Mácha’s statue and kiss underneath the blooming cherry trees. It is said that a woman should be kissed on May Day so as to keep her from growing old!

The other version of May Day, International Labor Day, has been a national public holiday, off and on, since 1890. It was originally celebrated in recognition of the worker’s movement around the world. International Labor Day was a public holiday in the First Republic, and was a public holiday after the world wars. This holiday was nationalized by the communists when they took over in 1948. At that time, it was mandatory that everyone would take part in the May Day celebrations. People were punished by the communists in many ways (not being able to find a job, go to college, etc) if they did not participate in the May Day celebration. However, after the fall the of communist regime, the May Day holiday celebration reverted back to a public holiday for working people and became known as a day for lovers.

Nowadays, May Day celebrations do include political marches and rallies, but most people see it as a day off of work and a day to spend with their families. This is the way my husband and I celebrate May Day—and yes…he will be kissing me under a cherry tree tomorrow!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful and happy May Day!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

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(c) 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

You Think Life’s So Easy Here, Don’t You?

Hi Everyone,
The title is a joke that my husband and one of his colleagues use from day-to-day at their office. I’m not sure what it means exactly…well, not sure what it means at all (!!!), except that it appears to be a somewhat ironic type of saying that is typical in the Czech Republic! The Czechs have a very different type of humor than what we are used to in the US. Czech humor seems to be ironic/black/a little bit sarcastic, and they are able to also see the comic side of themselves and their culture and country…in other words, they don’t take themselves too seriously…well, at least not all the time! I’m only just beginning to understand, and slightly appreciate this Czech sense of humor!

My husband also uses this saying “You think Life’s so easy here, don’t you?” with me, too. At first, it was very maddening—“Of course I don’t think Life is so easy here”, I would tell him! He would say it just to tease me. But I didn’t see it that way at all! Life is not easy here, or anywhere else, for that matter. I’ve experienced some tragedy in my life (as have most of us on the planet Earth)…and just look at the headlines in the news…food riots, oil prices skyrocketing, the current economic situation which has hit everyone around the world, etc.! No…I don’t think Life’s easy here or anywhere! So, his statement/teasing would drive me crazy!!!!

Well, to combat this saying that he is so fond of, I first decided just to ignore him when he said this to me. That didn’t work as Czechs are notoriously stubborn and persistent…so I finally got wise and said, “No, Life’s not so easy here…it’s a pity!” When I said that the first time, my husband was so shocked…and then he laughed. Finally, I was catching on to this Czech humor a little bit! And I finally was able to surprise my husband and tease him back!

Now, this sentence is not so irritating…it is just a nice game we play every-so-often to make one another laugh. This type of teasing is very common in the Czech Republic….once you begin to catch on a little bit, many doors begin to open for you just into the Czech culture and psyche. It is nice to begin to understand this just a bit; I’m looking forward to being able to understand more and more…and make some progress into this onion of Life in the Czech Republic! Life is really not so easy…here…Believe me!!!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Mobile Phone Car

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note about these pictures…this is a car that was on display in Prague one day. The car was covered in mobile phones…it might have been an ad for one of the mobile phone companies, but I’m not sure! It was a great ad…and another typical Czech sense of humor!! So, I thought I would share that with you today, too!

Have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

PS My husband is coming along with his cold...he's almost over it. I don't know if it is due to the garlic soup, or just the cold has run its course!!! I just know that I am sick from smelling so much garlic this past week!! :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
Photos property of S. A. Vacik
© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Garlic Soup--Cure for the Common Cold

Hi Everyone,
Lately, I’ve been getting lessons in how Czechs treat a cold as my husband is currently sick with a very bad cold. It is so funny and interesting how people treat illnesses in different parts of the world. The Czechs have some very interesting ways of going about relieving and curing a cold!!!

My husband is suffering from a sore throat with this cold, and I offered to get him some ice cream or sorbet. It is common, in the US, to use cold things to help soothe a sore throat and make it a bit numb. But here, in the Czech Republic, cold is anathema! The Czechs believe that cold is very bad...cold of every sort and for anything only makes the problem or illness worse and/or a person sicker. Czechs also hate air conditioning, for the most part, too, except when temps reach about 90 F and higher. Then, they will turn on an air conditioner, but they will also put a sweater on and make sure to stay out of the cold air! They will only use something hot for a sore throat—like hot tea with lemon, hot soup, or even a hot, damp cloth tied around the throat.

One of the most recommended treatments for a respiratory illness, here, is garlic soup! Even my doctor has recommend garlic soup when I’ve had a sinus infection…he also recommended eating raw garlic! Anyway, garlic soup can take different forms…sometimes, people just have some broth with garlic in it, and other times there are other vegetables plus the garlic. Any form that garlic soup takes it has one thing in common…and that is the garlic must be fresh and VERY strong! We were at my mother-in-laws home this past weekend, and she made Jiří some garlic soup. The garlic was so strong-smelling that we had to open a window…it was really making me sick! I like garlic, but not to the point where the smell is worse than week-old socks!!!! Even so, I do know that garlic has many qualities that make it a very healthy food. It is a natural antibiotic, antifungal…well actually, it’s just about an anti-everything!!! It surely keeps everyone away…thus, maybe one of the effects is to keep everyone far enough away from the sick person to keep from getting sick themselves!

Another cure that has been recommended to me is to put my elbows in hot water to help relieve the congestion from a sinus infection! That was something I’ve never heard before in my life! I asked my family and friends back home if they had ever heard of this…no…no one had ever heard that this would help with sinus congestion! I’m not really sure about why or how putting your *elbows in water would help, except that the steam from the water would certainly help to ease the congestion. So, why don’t they just do like we do at home, and put their heads over a bowl of steaming water? I don’t really know!!!!!

It is so interesting how cures and treatments can vary from country to country, and from culture to culture. We all have different ideas about what works…and we need to follow what works for us, as well as doctor’s orders! My husband and I definitely have different ideas about how to treat a cold, but we respect one another and follow what’s right for each one of us…and eventually we get over our colds…one way or another!

That’s all for today…I hope you are all healthy and happy and that you have a great week!

God bless,
Sher :0)

*It has been suggested that putting your elbows in water would help to relieve a sinus infection in this way: the hot/warm water would expand the veins in the hands which would help to relieve pressure in the sinuses.

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Prague Peculiarities

Hi Everyone,
Today, I’m writing this post about some Prague Peculiarities--peculiarities that are to be found all over this city! It could make one never- ending blog post if I were to list them all! But, in the interest of time, I want to share three of these peculiarities with you today.

The first one is a bit strange…well, that’s a bit of an understatement…more than a bit…it’s downright strange and crude (by American standards)! It is called the “Pissing Statue”…you read that correctly! This statue, by David Černy, is located in the Kampa area of Prague. The statue is of two men urinating, while standing in a puddle that is shaped like the Czech Republic! My husband told me about this statue, but I didn’t believe such a thing existed, until he took me to see it! The statue is certainly an eye-full as the men are not dressed, and use their anatomically correct parts to “write” with while urinating. There is a number you can send an SMS to…whatever text you send, the statues will “write” into the puddle with their you-know-what parts. It’s true!!! Otherwise, they are “writing” quotes from some of the Czech Republic’s most famous writers and poets…yes…this is true!!! Please see my photo. Since this is a family-oriented blog, I chose to block out the anatomically correct parts. If you would like to see the statue without my artistic blocking, please see David's website. And you can find more information about David Černy, here in an interview with the Prague Compass Magazine. He is a very innovative artist, and has several works that can be seen around Prague. One of his most famous works was the Pink Tank! There was a Russian military tank on display in one square, here in Prague. It was seen as a symbol of the Soviet take-over of the Czech Republic. David Černy painted the entire tank pink, thus deflating the power of this symbol and turning it into something that was representative of the peace and freedom that is to be found nowadays in this country.

The next Prague Peculiarity is definitely very family-friendly! This one is called the John Lennon Wall. It is also found in the Kampa area, near the French Embassy. This was once just an ordinary wall that was completely blank. But in 1980, when John Lennon was killed, this wall became a symbol of peace and freedom to the Prague pacificists. John Lennon was a great symbol to the young people of Prague; in that time, they were still suffering under the communist regime. Lennon’s, and similar music, was banned by the communists because it was praising freedom and was seen as rebellious music. Many musicians who sang such music were even put in prison!

When John Lennon was killed, some young people decided to paint a graffiti commemoration to him on this wall. They painted his picture, along with graffiti defiant of the reigning regime. The authorities found all of this graffiti and used white paint to cover it up. This round of graffiti and painting over happened time and again! At one point, the wall was guarded at night, and also had surveillance cameras installed to watch it, but even so, the youth returned to paint again, even with the threat of prison if they were caught.

This monument to Lennon became an important place for those who loved his music and desired peace, and was also seen as a monument for freedom and non-violent rebellion of the Czechs against the communists. The original painting of Lennon is gone (covered under many layers of paint), but the wall is still an important place for people to express themselves…mostly, there are signs of love and peace written here, now. There is also an insert of a sculpture of Lennon’s head that can be seen on the wall. It is really a pretty place, and somehow very peaceful and calming! I had no idea that such a commemoration to Lennon even existed here, in Prague! The Lennon wall is free to see…I would recommend it highly as a place to visit during your stay here!

The last Prague Peculiarity I would like to share with you today is of a wheel barrow! As we were walking in the Kampa area, near Mala Strana, we came across a place where they were busy reconstructing the street. There were no workmen in sight, they must have been on a break. The man using this wheel barrow was obviously worried about someone stealing it while he was on break!

Well, that’s all for today from Prague! Have a great day! And, as they say here, “Hezky vikend” (have a great weekend)!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath
All photos property of S. A. Vacik

Visit to the Dentist

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I had a visit to see my dentist. He’s very good—he’s really a specialist here, in Prague. My dentist is a great and funny guy, who also cares about his patients. My husband has visited him for several years, and when I moved here, the dentist agreed to take me on as a patient. That is not an easy thing since I suffer greatly from TMJ—temporomandibular joint dysfunction. TMJ makes visiting the dentist a hard thing as it causes more pain and discomfort during and after dental procedures. For more information about this condition, please see http://www.tmj.org/tmjds.asp. I also have severe allergies and asthma, and was not certain how my body would react to the different medicines they use here for numbing the pain! Poor me and poor dentist!!

I had heard so many horror stories about dentists in this country—about how they are rough, not clean, don’t use up-to-date drills, etc.! I was a bit nervous, well, actually, scared to visit the dentist that first time! My husband had talked to his dentist before I came and let him know that I had TMJ. Jiři (my husband) assured me that the dentist did understand TMJ and how to deal with it. OK. He also talked to the dentist about my allergies and asthma and the dentist said he understood. OK. Next, we set up the first appointment. I was pretty nervous, well, actually scared!!

Our dentist’s office is in a nice, but older building near Anděl, Prague 5. I was not used to seeing buildings that are older and sometimes a bit on the crumbly side. That made me a little more apprehensive. I was used to having a dentist in a fairly recent building that was nice on the outside, and had a well-manicured lawn, etc.! Seeing the building of our dentist, here, made me a little bit more apprehensive! I was not used to these things when I first came to the Czech Republic, and so based some of my expectations on the outside of buildings. That doesn’t really work here!

We got inside the building, and the entrance hall was good-sized and much nicer than the outside of the building—done in an older style, but very clean and nice, really. I was so shocked by this! If you see a building on the outside, in the US, and it looks like it’s older and not well-kept, then you can expect that the offices inside are shabby and probably dirty, and that they don’t have decent employees, etc.! Anyway, we took an elevator up to the dentist’s floor, and it was even nicer up there…and his waiting room was very nice. I’ve never seen a waiting room that is as clean as his (actually, my other doctors also have very clean waiting areas here)! Especially considering the outside of the building looked older and wasn’t as nice! That is one of the oxymorons of living here! You can’t judge the quality of an office by the outside of the building! The waiting room was very clean, very modern and up-to-date, but my apprehension was still pretty high!

Finally, it was my turn to see the dentist. My husband came with me as the dentist doesn’t speak too much English! (Which also added to my then high level of apprehension!!!) Our dentist is probably in his mid-40’s, balding, and is tall. He seemed very nice. The office was immaculate in all ways! And he had very up-to-the-minute dental tools! The dentist examined my teeth and told us what work needed to be done. One thing, though, he didn’t take any x-rays! I asked about that…he just smiled! That was making me nervous, as in the US, a typical first dental exam always includes a full set of x-rays! Well, evidently, not here! OK…well…that was a bit surprising, but he seemed to know what he was talking about! We set up my next appointment right away.

Since then, I’ve had many visits to our dentist. He is very caring and tries to be gentle. There is only one thing that I really miss, though, and that is laughing gas that they have available at most dentists’ in the US. I love that stuff, as it calms me down and makes me very relaxed. It also lessens the pain when you have something like TMJ. But they don’t use it here, in the Czech Republic! I have been able to get through most of my dental appointments without the gas. But right now, we are working on my lower teeth, and the pain’s pretty fierce from my TMJ. Our dentist is aware of this, and he is trying to do a little work at a time. That should help a lot, rather than doing a lot of work in a short time. I will have a period of recovery in between visits!

I have heard from others that very talented dentists and good dentists are very hard to find here. Those horror stories I heard, before moving here, are true! But I have been very lucky and blessed to have such a good dentist here! There are other options for expats that include dentists who are from the West and have offices here. But, I’m living here as if I was a Czech, and those expats’ dentists are very expensive, and usually don’t accept the Czech health insurance plan I have. So, I have opted to stay within the Czech system on all things, including the dental. And so far, this has been a good way for me to go. If you come to live here, it is possible to find a good and talented dentist! Just be sure to ask people where you work, or even check out the Expats’ website: Expats.cz. They offer very helpful information on many topics for people who are moving here.

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher
http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffhthebeatenpath

Charles University

Hi Everyone,
This week, Charles University (also known as the Carolinum, in Czech) is celebrating the 660th anniversary of its founding! It is hard to imagine a facility of this kind being around for 660 years! Last weekend, the university held an open house that included a free tour of the facility’s oldest buildings. Some friends and I took the tour and saw some very interesting and beautiful artifacts. I would like to tell a little bit about what we saw on the tour, but first a little background information is necessary about Charles University.

The university was founded on April 7th, 1348 by Charles IV, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans (title prior to becoming the Holy Roman Emperor). Charles the IV is one of the Czech Republic’s most renowned rulers--he was a very innovative and far-thinking man of his times. Charles University bears his name, and is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It was structured on the models of the universities of Paris and Bologna, and had four faculties: law and medicine, the free arts, and theology. Charles University quickly rose to international renown, with students and academics coming from all over Europe. If you would like further background information, please see my website Czech Off the Beaten Path.

Back to our tour on the weekend! The tour took place in the oldest buildings of Charles University. These buildings are just off Old Town Square, on Ovocný tr 5. Wenceslas IV, son of Charles IV, bought a palace, the Rotlev Palace, in 1383 in which to house the university faculty, students, and administrative offices. After renovation, the university was opened at this spot in 1386. There are many aspects from the 1300’s that are still visible throughout the building. You can see, in some spots, ancient windows and doorways that are now closed and/or bricked up—but which still bear the shape of the original architectural designs from that time. Also, there are the traditional arched hallways throughout.

On the tour, we were taken through the cellars which are very old. They sit upon even older foundations of the Romanesque-Gothic style (which the Rotlev palace was originally built on). There were many exhibits and artifacts on display. Some of the most fascinating were bits of statues and pillars from the original palace, and many documents, books and paintings from medieval times. I saw one Bible that had been written by hand, and was beautifully illuminated, from 1400! On one corner of the visible page of this Bible, a small monkey had even been painted! It was very amazing. I was not able to get a picture of this book as it was under glass and the lighting was very dim. Also on exhibit was the original founding charter from 1348! It is so interesting to see things that have been in existence from that time…these were all original documents!

We were also able to see the Great Hall (auditorium) where graduations and other academic functions are held. This room is very large, with a very high ceiling, and is one of the most beautiful rooms in the building. In the front of the room is a famous tapestry of Charles IV, kneeling before Wenceslas IV, and handing him the charter for Charles University. It is also possible to see an oriel window that was originally a chapel window, dating from the mid-1300’s. We were also able to see the maces (something like a baton) of each of the faculties of the university. These were done in gold and jewels, with various insignia and symbols that varied for each faculty.

This tour was completely free to the public, and I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to take the tour and see a very important part of Czech history, which is still in existence today, and is still famous throughout the world!

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sherry :0)
http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath
All photos property of S. A. Vacik

Czech Etiquette, or Lack Thereof

Hi Everyone,
After writing Friday's post, I was reminded of a couple of personal stories dealing with Czech etiquette, and sometimes their lack thereof! One of the stories deals with my husband, Jiří, and my Mom right after our wedding!

We were married in December of 2004, here in Prague, and my Mom was able to come over for the wedding. We had a beautiful wedding and reception afterwards. We also had a tour of parts of the Šumava, letting my Mom meet our new in-laws!

After that tour, we came back to Prague for a few more days. One day, my husband, Mom and I had all been out shopping. When we came back to our studio apartment, my husband was doing his normal routine--changing clothes. But, he started to do this in front of Mom! Jiří began shucking his pants in front of Mom, while talking to her at the same time! I was so shocked and couldn't even get a word out of my mouth! Mom was very relaxed...and didn't react at all...just kept talking to Jiří!! Finally, I was able to say something...and told him it was not proper to shuck his pants in front of Mom!! Jiří became very embarrassed and went into the bathroom to finish changing. Poor guy!!! Mom was OK, just a bit surprised, but she stayed very cool and calm throughout this whole process!

Here, in the Czech Republic, it is OK to change clothes in front of family and very close friends. It is even considered normal and appropriate! The Czechs say that God made us born wearing nothing, so it is only human, and there's nothing wrong with changing in front of others. Everyone does this...I have been the witness of this many times. It is very hard for me to experience this "custom", being from the US and very strictly raised. When I was growing up, if we had one room, we would at least go into a bathroom to change...not do it in front of other family members or friends. But here, that is not the case. Often in the past, here in this country, families would have several children who all stayed in one room, and sometimes, even the parents would be in the same room. There was no place for privacy as we know it, in the US. So, here, if other family members were in the same room, they would turn their backs when someone was dressing or changing clothes.

One extreme example of this practice of changing in front of others was on a canoeing trip my husband and I took a couple summers ago. We had finished our canoe trip, and were working on getting the canoe out of the water and onto the beach, when next to us, a woman who had just finished swimming pulled off her swimsuit bottom and changed into biking shorts--right there in front of everyone on the beach! I was so shocked and embarrassed! My husband said that is a bit extreme, most people would not behave in that manner in public. But, still, Jiří was unable to understand why this upset me so much! It is just not done where I come from!! I am not able to change in front of others...this is something that I cannot adapt to. It might be OK for some, but not for me!!!!

Another practice that has been very difficult for me are the greetings and good-byes. Here, it is common practice to shake hands, hug, and also give one another a kiss on the lips when greeting others or saying good-bye. This is mostly common amongst family and very close friends. Well, I'm not at all used to this! My family, back in the US, is demonstrative, but we don't kiss one another on the lips. That is solely the realm of husband and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, etc.! But when I first came to the Czech Republic, everyone was greeting one another and me, too, with hugs, kisses and hand shakes. There were some very awkward instances when I would turn my head as someone was trying to greet me!! Now, everyone understands that I'm not accustomed to this...so they will kiss me on the cheek. That's OK and I can do that when saying hello or good-bye!

Living here, in the Czech Republic, has been an interesting experience, so far. I'm learning alot, but am only on the outside of the onion as far as understanding customs, language, etc. in this country! It is an on-going process, I only hope one day I will graduate to the next layer of this onion of experiences and learning here, in the Czech Republic!

God bless and have a great day,
Sherry :0)
http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com/
(c) 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Czech Etiquette

Hi Everyone,
Life here, in the Czech Republic, is similar in many ways to life in the US. The Czech Republic shares many of the same traditions and forms of etiquette we are used to in the US; after all, many of us in the US are of European descent! So, of course, many of these traditions and customs were passed on to the following generations born in the US. At the same time, there are some great differences that are hard for us, from the West, to fathom! Here is a list of some that I have encountered since living here:

1. Shoes. It is customary to remove your shoes at the entrance (or in the entry hall) of someone’s home. The home’s host will offer you what they call “home shoes”…these are often a form of sandal that can be easily slipped on and off, or might even be what we know as slippers. The thought behind this practice is that if you wear your regular shoes into someone’s home, then you are bringing the outside dirt into the home. That is a very disgusting thought to Czechs. My first encounter with this custom was very hard for me. I didn’t want to put on “home shoes” that other people had worn. My husband could not understand this, but for me it is a matter of hygiene. But to the Czechs, it is a greater matter of hygiene not to bring dirt into their homes. So, now, I usually just stayin in my socks (which drives most Czechs crazy...they say I will get sick, etc.!!!!), or I take my own "home shoes" to wear. That's OK, as long as you don'g bring in outdoor dirt!

2. Greetings and Good byes. This is one that is not so hard to understand—it is a form of politeness that I find really nice. When entering a small shop, office, elevator, train compartment, it is considered to be good manners to greet those you encounter, and the same for when leaving a small shop, etc., you should say good bye. If you enter a big store/bank/office, it is not possible to greet everyone, so you usually are expected to greet the cashier, or teller, or receptionist before asking for their help. You will not be treated nearly as well if you fail to do these common courtesies. This was hard for me to remember when I first moved here. It felt very awkward for a while, but over time, it has become normal, and sometimes I find that when I go back to the US I want to do the same thing!

4. Knife and fork position after eating. This is another tricky custom that I have encountered since living here, in the Czech Republic! Czechs have an understood sign that they would like to have a second helping at meal time. They position their knife and fork at the 10 and 2 o’clock position on their plates…with the handles going out. I think I learned this from reading…but I can’t remember. I started watching my husband and how he placed his silverware at different times…and sure enough! When his knife and fork were at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions, then he asked for a second helping! But, when he was completely finished, he would put his knife and fork together on theright side of the plate, with the handles pointing out! This practice is also followed in restaurants!

5. Sniffing and nose blowing. I have very bad allergies and asthma. So, sometimes, when I’m very congested (even after all the meds I take) I sometimes sniff in order to breathe. Well, here, in the Czech Republic, that is a huge no-no! People look at this as very bad manners, and expect that you will blow your nose instead of sniffing. Well, that’s OK, but sometimes, with allergies, the inside of the nose lining is inflamed and there’s nothing to blow out! (Sorry…that’s gross…but true!!!). When people here blow their noses, they sound very similar to a very loud fog horn!! The first time I heard someone do this, I thought it was just someone who didn’t know any better. In the US, when you blow your nose, you do it discretely…not with a fog-horn sound! Well, the longer I’ve lived here, the more I see that this is just normal…everyone does it! Once, when I visited my GP, I had to blow my nose while in the waiting room. When I blew without much sound, everyone looked at me like I was an alien from outer space, rather than an alien from the US!!!

6. Lace! One of the most confusing customs I’ve encountered here is lace not being considered proper to wear on every-day clothing! Lace is considered to be a “tease” and a sign that you are somehow sexually promiscuous. This, in a country where it’s OK to be topless or even nude on the beaches or at the pool, etc.! I talked about this at home with my family, in the US, and no one could understand the thinking or reasoning behind this. When talking to a younger friend, here in the Czech Republic, about the issue of lace, she told me that it’s just not done as it is looked upon like showing your underwear, etc. So, if you ladies decide to visit the Czech Republic, be sure to not wear any lace or someone might thing you are more than just a tourist!

That’s all for now…you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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