Back to Reality

     After almost 24 hours of traveling and staying awake for about 28 hours straight, I can say that I have finally been reconnected with my family and friends. It is so hard to comprehend that my 7,171,200 seconds, that is 83 days, of Europe are over. I was able to experience and learn things I could never have dreamed of. This blog will cover my major takeaways and serves as a follow up to my London blog.
     My classes abroad focused mainly on European history and the Holocaust. In the U.S., we all learn about the Holocaust, but nothing could have prepared me for learning about it in Europe. We were in the same area that all of these atrocities happened. We were learning about the Holocaust from our professor's family history. It brought my understanding to a completely new level. I heard personal survival stories and saw the devastation first hand. I walked the paths of millions of victims. I visited multiple concentration camps and saw the terrors. I saw with my own eyes the destruction caused by the Nazi regime. In the US, my classes always made the Holocaust sound bad but I still never understood  the true immensity of the terror. I was always able to disassociate from my previous learning because it never truly affected me. Yes, it was always heartbreaking, but I still never understood what truly happened. I always received the glossed over version of history. I now carry around a heavy heart for all the victims and survivors. I have a new understanding of the atrocities that occurred and a new found passion on sharing my experience with others.
    In my first blog post over London, I mentioned having a rather unique experience that would be revealed at the end of my trip and here it is! When I first arrived in Europe, I went to Europe with two of my sorority sisters. We had all been to Europe in the past, so we were feeling pretty confident. Do not worry this changed by the end of the day. We checked into our first ever hostel not really knowing what to expect and hoping it was nothing like the movie "Hostel." Everything started out wonderfully. We took our stuff up to our hostel room and started chatting with our French hostel mate. We probably talk to this guy for twenty to thirty minutes and everything seemed great. The hostel was nothing like the movies and we would be just fine, right? Wrong. A hostel worker came to our room, opened the door, glanced around, and ran down the stairs. Moments later, the hostel manager and a police officer were in our hallway. Our hostel mate was taken out into the hallway and arrested. We heard bits and pieces of the arrest followed by the clinking of the handcuffs. We sat in our room scared to death. What the heck just happened? Did we make the right choice? Were we about to die? The hostel manager came back upstairs a while later and talked to us about the situation. I guess the French man was arrested on sexual harassment charges from the day before. We were assured that the man would not be allowed back into the room and that the man was reported to the police by the hostel itself. Looking back, we were so terrified and we all just wanted our moms, but now it makes a great story that we can shock people with.

Oh, the People You Will Meet ( Assignment #9, Category #3)

     When we first arrived in Olomouc, we were told so many different things about the locals. Our very first lecturer told us that no one smiled, and everyone kept to themselves. I have to admit, this scared me. I love meeting new people, and I am probably smiling 90% of the time. I was so hesitant to be myself in order to seem like a local rather than a tourist. However, I am happy to inform you that our lecturer was, for the most part, wrong in his stereotype of the typical Czech. 

     People here are definitely more reserved than people back in Nebraska. You will not receive a lot of smiles on the streets or random hellos, but I can assure that the people are SO nice. Walk into a shop and you will be instantly greeted with "Dobry den" and again with "Na shledanou" when you leave. In my experience, shop owners will talk your ear off even if you explain multiple times that you do not understand. A few weeks into our stay, I met a lovely elderly woman on the tram. I gave up my seat on the tram and helped her sit down. During this time, she noticed that I was American, and she welcomed me to her home town. She told me about her younger days teaching English and about her children. She even mentioned the myth of the typical Czech and wanted to make sure that the city was welcoming us. It was one of the best conversations I have had in Olomouc. On the other hand, I have noticed that they are much more blunt. Ask anyone how they are doing and you can expect nothing but the truth. No one sugar coats things, so be prepared for some truth.

     Now on to the local university students. During the day, they seem to be much more reserved and relaxed, but do not let this fool you-they know how to let loose. Once the evening time hits, the students become very talkative and extremely welcoming. Just this past Thursday we were invited to the History department’s annual BBQ where I met many different students. We sat around in a circle with a few drinks and a guitar. The students played different songs to which we sang along to. It was just like being home. I have made so many Czech friends here whom I will miss dearly. The number one thing to learn from this post is: do not let yourself be blinded by stereotypes. Get out there and start chatting!

"The Final Solution to the Jewish Question" -Trips to Terezín, Auschwitz and Auschwitz II: Birkenau (Assignment #8, Category #9)

    A handful of our lectures have focused on Judaism and the Holocaust. The professors have presented me with a much rawer, uncensored version of antisemitism. The fact that over five million people were murdered by a single group of people following one man's ideology is incomprehensible. Hitler managed to get a large group of people behind his "Final Solution". How was it possible to brainwash an entire country into killing a group of people? Historians will never know. We can not think of the Holocaust as a thing from the past, it must be remember and serve as a warning to all. I was able to gain a new emotional awareness of the Holocaust by visiting three different concentration camps: Terezín ,in the Czech Republic, and Auschwitz I and II, in Poland. This blog post may be graphic, but it does not even come close to the real horror the victims felt while being held prisoner in the concentration camps.
     "Arbeit Macht Frei" translates to "Work makes you free" and was a common phrase among the three camps. Jews and other prisoners were forced to complete twelve hour work days in harsh conditions with malnutrition. The saying was not meant to give false hope to prisoner; rather, it means that the prisoners will die of exhaustion and achieve spiritual freedom.

"Work makes you free" signs at Auschwitz I and Terezin

     Terezín was a small fortress of a town occupied by Nazis and turned into a Jewish ghetto and concentration camp. The already existing fortresses meant that Nazis did not have to build a structure.  The main fortress served as a Jewish ghetto while the small fortress served as a prioson.The Nazis used Terezín as a "model" camp. They convinced the international Red Cross that they were doing the Jews a favor by providing them a nice little town where the could live in "freedom." Nazis forced prisoners to put on a show or be killed. Kids were allowed to be "educated" and people played sports. This show of happiness kept the Red Cross from further investigating other Nazi camps. They even canceled their visit to Auschwitz. In the camp. 1500 Jews were prisoners and over 500 of them were tortured to death. The others were transported to other camps or remained in the camp. The total number of prisoners who passed through the camp amounts to over 32,000 people.
      The group cells of the old camp each housed 100 prisoners(top right). While these cells were crammed full of prisoners, nothing compares to the cell reserved for Jewish prisoners. This cell felt crowded with our tour group of 25, but Nazis often forced 60 Jews into the tiny space(middle right). Jews were forced to sleep standing up, had no toilet, and were given a tiny hole to receive fresh air(bottom right). We took a walk through the "Execution Tunnel" to reach the other side of the camp. This tunnel was walked by prisoners facing execution. It was dark, damp, and dreary. The experience was almost too much for me to handle. I was walking the same path hundreds walked before, but while I was able to continue my day prisoners saw their last glimpse of life. After regaining my mental stability, our group walked to the new section of the camp. Nazis added on to the camp by adding new group and solitary cells. The new group cells were used to house 400-600 prisoners at a time. The 125 solitary cells were used to house 15 prisoners in one cell. Imagine 15 people in a space barely large enough for two twin beds.
     Outside of the Terezín camp, we visited a former school house for children of the ghetto. The museum showed how children lived in the ghetto and general history of the two fortresses. The walls of the first floor of the building were covered with the names of children imprisoned in Terezín and other camps. Original drawings and poems of the children were displayed. The following poem really made my heart ache. It shows that children knew all too well of their fate in the ghetto.

"A little garden

Fragrant and full of roses,

The path is narrow,

And a little boy walks along it,

A little boy, a sweet boy,

Like that growing blossom,

When the blossom comes to bloom,

The little boy will be no more."

         The records kept by Nazis claim that a total of 33, 210 lives were taken in the Terezín Ghetto between November 24, 1941 and August 20, 1944. 

Infectious diseases: 3,045

Malignant tumors: 534

Glandular and metabolism disease: 155

Respiratory diseases: 6,511

Digestive tract disease: 9.159

Blood and Heart disease: 4,720

Nervous system diseases: 1,630

Urinary Tract infections and STDs: 513

Miscellaneous: 103

Old age: 6,530

Suicide: 259

Accidents: 51

     Terezin alone shows the damage and destruction of the Nazi regime, but the most infamous symbol of the Nazi rule is Auschwitz. Throughout my schooling, I have learned again and again of the horrors of Auschwitz. I had thought that I had mentally prepared myself for what I was going to see, but honestly it was impossible. The area was full of sorrow. Nothing in my life could ever compare to the hardships these prisoners faced every day. I walked the same paths prisoners walked everyday. Except while I was learning about history, these people were fighting to survive. 

     Auschwitz I housed 20,000 prisoners. The Nazis were so "good" at deception they got people to buy their own train tickets to Auschwitz. People blindly purchased their tickets to death. Transports were done in cattle carts. 80 people with 25 kilos of luggage each were crammed into a single cart

Original cattle cart used for transport

without food or water or toilets. Transports lasted 7-10 days and few survived the trip. When transports of prisoners came, their fate was determined by one physician. He decided who had a "chance" and who should be eliminated immediately. Only 25% were seen as helpful to the Nazis and allowed into the camp. Among those who never stepped foot in the camp are the elderly, children, and the mentally ill. All belongings brought by prisoners were sorted and kept in buildings at Auschwitz II: Birkenau. Rooms were filled with the prisoners personal belongings. Displays showed tens of thousands of pans, shoes, glasses, hairbrushes, and luggage. One display showed two tons of human hair, shaved off of 40,000 dead women. (All murdered prisoners were shaved. This is what is left of the evidence.) Nazis sold this hair to textile companies for carpets and used it as filler in mattresses. This was one of the worst things to see at the camp. This hair is all that remains of 40,000 women. These women were daughters, mothers, wives, and friends. Their lives were stolen from them.

     Another block was dedicated to the living conditions of Auschwitz. Prisoners were given around 250 calories worth of food each day. This number was carefully calculated by Nazis to give prisoners 2-3 months to live. This allowed for turn over rates in the camp and kept the workers fresh. Breakfast was coffee like water, lunch was rotten vegetables and supper was a black piece of bread and a smidge of cheese or jam. The hospital at the camp existed not to help prisoners but to conduct medical experiments. Many attempts at prisoner sterilization occurred in the hospital. The most known physician of the camp was Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death. He had spent much of his time performing experiments on identical twins and dwarfs.

The Execution area

     The last block we visited was the prison with in the prison. It contained three different methods of torture: suffocation, starvation, and standing. Cell 18 was the starvation cell where prisoners were housed without food until they died. One polish priest, St. Maximillian Kolbe, sacrificed himself in place of a man with a family that was still alive. The priest was placed in a starvation cell where he survived for days until the Nazis killed him. Cell 20 was a suffocation cell where forty people would be shoved into a room without a fresh air source until they died. The last cell is 22, the standing cell. Theses cells were so small the only way to enter it was through a small hole at the bottom of the wall.Prisoners would be crammed into the tiny space and forced to stand until the work day started. This process was repeated until the prisoners died of exhaustion. Outside of this block is a small courtyard used for executions. The prisoners executed here were used as examples to the other prisoners. Often, other prisoners only heard the screams because Nazis boarded the nearby windows. Everyone was subject to execution here, even small children and babies. Our guide stated that Nazi did not "waste" bullets on the children and babies, they simply smashed their heads against the wall. This was often done with the family watching.  

     Auschwitz I had a gas chamber used for executions. 1,000 prisoners were instructed to strip and remember where their clothes were. They then piled into a dark empty room where they realized no shower was going to happen. 12 cans of zyklon B were dropped in through the chimney. 20 minutes was all it took to kill 1,000 people. The weak died first and people piled on top of each other with the strongest climbing the mound of bodies for a breath of fresh air from the chimney. After another 30 minutes, prisoners were sent in to drag the bodies to the crematorium. It took 24 hours to cremate 340 people. This meant three days for Nazis to dispose of evidence. ( By the way, disposing of the evidence meant using human ashes as fertilizer and dumping them into rivers.) This gas chamber was too inefficient for the Nazi's goal and prompted the creation of Birkenau where 1,500 bodies could be cremated at once.

     Birkenau was even worse then Auschwitz. The camp was four times bigger and consisted of wooden buildings with no insulation. Birkenau was an extermination camp that housed 200,000 prisoners at a time.Three toilet rooms existed for every 8,000 prisoners giving prisoners 30 seconds to use the bathroom only twice a day. Survivors claim that being employed as a

Top right: entrance to Birkenau, Top left: memorial to victims,
Bottom right: pond with ashes Bottom Left: remnants of chamber

bathroom cleaner was the best job you could have at the camp. They scooped sewage out of the cement structures all day, but they were allowed a certain amount of freedom. They could use the bathroom whenever they wished, and Nazis rarely stepped foot in the building so they could relax. Birkenau housed multiple gas chambers much larger than the ones at Auschwitz and much more efficient. Prisoners were sent to take a shower and were never seen again. Other prisoners were sent in to dispose of the bodies by cremation. The ashes were then thrown into the pond next to the chamber. This pond still exists today and now serves as a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Every 2 months this group of prisoners was changed. The previous group was murdered and the next group started by disposing of the previous groups bodies The Nazis did this as a precautionary measure. At the end of the war, all gas chambers at Birkenau were destroyed as a final attempt to destroy evidence of the Nazi's crime against humanity.

     Of all three Auschwitz camps, over a million and a half people were murdered. 90% of that 1.5 million people were Jews. A memorial was created between the two main gas chambers of Birkenau. It consists of twenty-three slabs with the same saying in twenty-three different languages. Each language is representative of all victims. I believe the memorial says it all. The slab says:

"Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity,

where the Nazis murdered about one and half million men, women, 

and children, and mainly Jews from various countries of Europe.

Auschwitz - Birkenau

1940-1945"

Language and Communication (Assignment #7, Category 4)

     I have touched briefly on how difficult the Czech language is to learn, so you can imagine I know very little of this lovely Slavic language. It is so different from English because the Czech language often has three or more consonants in a row -something rare in English. I never realized how much I appreciate vowels until I came here. 

     Ordering food in a restaurant is almost like playing Russian Roulette. I close my eyes, wiggle my finger, and throw my finger down to see what I will be eating today-at least that is how it was initially. When we first got to the Czech lands, I had absolutely no knowledge of food words such as chicken or fish, but luckily I have picked up that kuře or kuřecí maso means chicken. I can know scan menus looking for kuřecí and at least know that I am getting something with chicken. Fortunately, most restaurants either have a "translated" menu or a waiter who know bits and pieces of English. I say "translated" menu because often the menus make little sense in English or sometimes the dish could be described as chicken meat with the [word does not exist in English] sauce. That is kind of scary right? 

     Communicating with locals is a completely different experience. The other day, I walked into a souvenir shop and was greeted by a friendly Czech woman who knew no English. The language barrier did not stop her from talking off my ear. I could pick up on little bits of what she was saying, but most of the conversation was blank. She understood that we were from Nebraska, but she did not understand me when I said it was in the middle of the United States. So, we began an impromptu game of Pictionary. She used the air as her drawing board and put California in the bottom left and New York in the top right. With her holding her hands to symbolize the states, I took my hand and placed it directly in the middle to show her the Cornhusker state. She laughed and began talking again. From what I gathered from her hand motions, I believe she said she had gone swimming in California. We semi-successfully had a conversation not knowing much of each other's languages but by reading body language and hand gestures. It was actually kind of fun!

     I have realized during my European travels just how fortunate I am to know English. English has replaced Latin as the common communicating language between different countries. This means that most people, especially my generation, know basic English. I have been told that European children begin learning English in grammar school. This ensures that they will be able to travel around Europe and communicate with others. While this is great for me, I still feel slightly ashamed that I, as an American, know little of other languages. Our schools only require two years of a foreign language, and it is taught after our critical period, a time span in which the brain is more susceptible to acquiring languages. This means that outside of the critical period, age 5 through puberty, learning a language is much more difficult. I am fortunate that English is my native language, but I need to show my appreciation for other cultures by at least communicating mannerisms in the native language. Natives, in my experience, appreciate any attempt you make to speak their language. Just give it a shot!

The Spring Break of a Lifetime( Assignment #6, Category 10)

     After our class field trip to Vienna and Venice, we were free to explore Europe for about a week. My group did an island tour around Venice and then went to Rome, Vatican City, Paris, and Barcelona. That means four countries in less than two weeks!

The island of Burano

     Our island tour was a half day excursion to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Murano is an island known for their glass blowing. We were able to see a demonstration and let’s just say it was amazing. In less than five minutes, the master created a beautiful gondola and flower vase. It was unbelievable. The next island was that of Burano which is known for lace making and colorful house. Apparently, the town has permanently assigned each house on the island with a specific color. This ordinance makes the island one-of-a-kind. We even saw a lace making demonstration here. Some lace works have multiple people work on it to complete it because each person specializes in a specific stitch. It was unbelievable to watch! The last island was that of Torcello. This island is one of the oldest continuously inhabited islands of the Republic of Venice. Currently, it only holds about 11 inhabitants. The island was the first island I saw with grass! On the island, is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta which was built in the 11th century. Looking at the church seemed so unreal. Before I came to Europe, I could never have imagined being able to step foot into a place so old. On our way back to Venice, our boat traveled by a few other islands. Some were abandoned, some housed monastery, and one was even the cemetery of Venice. Who knew an island cemetery existed? Not me!

     Once we got back on "solid" ground, we were off to Rome! By the time our train arrived in Rome, it was already evening. We decided to explore Rome in the dark! Our only stop of the night was to Trevi Fountain, but we were left disappointed. The fountain was under construction, so we had to settle for throwing a coin into a mini pool of water. Hopefully this substitute fountain will still fulfill the role of Trevi fountain and my wish will be granted! In order to overcome our disappointment, we filled our stomachs with the best homemade ice cream I have ever had. It was located right next door to our hostel, so we came back on multiple occasions.

Pope Francis greeting the crowd.

     Our second day in Rome was spent venturing to Vatican City. We were fortunate enough to visit it on Divine Mercy Sunday, so we were able to see Pope Francis give mass on screens outside of St. Peter's Basilica. After the mass, Pope Francis gave his Papal address! I never would have guessed that I would be fortunate enough to see the Pope! The rest of the day was spent back in Rome. We went straight to the Colosseum. We bought tickets and were able to walk around inside it. The ruins were amazing but nothing compared to our next stop: the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is a plaza of Roman ruins and the central square of the old city. Most buildings were only partially intact, but one church was stable enough to walk in. I have to say that the Roman Forum was my favorite part of Rome. So much history and beauty was packed into one space. My biggest regret is not having hours to spend here. We left the Forum just in time to see Trevi fountain and walk around inside the fountain, a bright side of it being closed. Before grabbing dinner, we walked to the Pantheon for a few pictures. I cannot even imagine living in a city as old as Rome. It seemed like everywhere we looked more history popped up.

     The last morning in Rome was spent revisiting Vatican City. Since we first visited it on Sunday, everything was closed. We bought a last minute tour through the Vatican City Museum, Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter's Basilica. I spent a little more than I would have liked, but it allowed us to see everything we wanted to see in just a few hours. I still can't quite wrap my head around being in the same room that Michelangelo once was. 

     We took an evening flight to Paris, but took our night easy. The next day we set off to the Palace of Versailles. It was my second time here, but yet it seemed like the first. Versailles is a magnificent palace covered in gold and crystal. I cannot fathom how much the palace is truly worth or how Kings justified spending so much money on a single place. Trust me, I'm not complaining but I think there could have been better uses for the money. Nonetheless, it is definitely an unforgettable sight. After the palace, we ventured off to the Eiffel Tower where we took the typical tourist pictures before setting off for the Catacombs. The Catacombs are a series of underground tunnels that run throughout Paris. They are filled with over 6 million skeletons that are all arranged. Piles of bones are intersected by skulls to create art. It was a very eerie experience to walk down tunnels with skulls "starring" at you from every direction. I would suggest that anyone in Paris visit the Catacombs- it really is an unforgettable experience. After our journey through the underground of Paris, we headed back to the Eiffel tower to grab a night view of the city. I had already climbed the tower once, so I convinced my friends to take the elevator. We were able to the last part of the sunset from above- something only seen in movies. Even in the busy city of Paris on the tourist filled tower, I was able to forget about everyone around me for a while and enjoy the view. 

     Our last day in Paris included a trip to Notre Dame and the Louvre. Notre Dame is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture complete with gargoyles. We then left to the Louvre where we saw many famous pieces of art. We headed to find the Mona Lisa before we set forth to navigate the Egyptian wing of the Louvre. I was able to a mummy and multiple Egyptian artifacts. Our trip through the Louvre was cut short when my friend began to feel ill. We hurriedly made it to our last stop of the day: the Ponte des Arts Bridge. The bridge is covered in locks that symbolize an everlasting love for those who place it on the bridge and throw the key into the river. Unfortunately, in recent years the city had to remove many locks due to structural compensation-yikes. A few of us continued on through Paris and found ourselves back at the Eiffel Tower. We planted ourselves by a nearby fountain, placed our feet in the water, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end our time in Paris. 

 

La Sagrada Familia

    The last stop on our Spring break journey was Barcelona. We dropped our bags off at our hostel and headed to La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a breathtaking church that has been under construction for over a hundred years. The outside of it is covered in different sculptures depicting different parts of the bible. It is unbelievable to think of all of the time put into its construction. The original designer did not even see its completion. We took the afternoon easy by strolling down Las Ramblas: the city's main street. The next day we walked across Barcelona to Park Guell. Unfortunately, we were unable to actually enter the mosaic part of the park, but we were able to walk through the park. The park itself is an oasis inside of Barcelona complete with views of the city. To recover from our disappointment we found the best smoothies of my life before doing a little shopping. We ended the night with a trip to a club on the beach. It was a weird mixture of really fancy people and college students. The next day was saved for relaxing. We lounged on the beach all day drinking, eating, and soaking up the rays. It was a glorious way to end an amazing and exhausting two weeks.

       I cannot get over how fortunate I was to be able to see everything I did. I meet and bonded with people from all over the world and from all different walks of life. I ate food on outdoor patios and saw places older than I can even comprehend. I got lost over and over again and spent more money than I planned; but I learned and grew so much more than I could have ever dreamed of. The world is yours to explore, do it.

Austrian Hospitals (Assignment #5, Personal Topic)

     As mentioned in my last blog post, I had to go to a hospital during my stay in Vienna. I had not been feeling the best for the past week, but by the time I decided I needed medicine all of the pharmacies had closed for the Easter Holiday. I planned on just grabbing so medicine at a pharmacy while in Vienna and just resting in my room, but that did not happen exactly as planned. Our first stop in Vienna was the Treasury. I could tell that I was getting a bad headache throughout the museum, but all of the sudden my body felt like it was on fire. I somehow managed to deliriously get through the last third of the museum and was lucky to find two of my friends at the exit. They escorted me out of the museum shop where we were fortunate to find one of our program directors, Martin. Martin came to the rescue and hailed a cab. I'm not for sure how things would have gone if we were unable to find Martin. He was the only one in our group that knew German. I can't really remember the taxi ride except for the last few minutes. You would think hospital emergency rooms would be easy to find anywhere, right? Wrong. The taxi drive took a sequence of turns to navigate through a windy ramp up to the emergency room access of the hospital. Where he let us off at didn't even looked like a hospital out of a horror film. EMTs, nurses, and other hospital employees were by the entrance smoking and playing on their phones, something you would never see in the States. They instructed us to go down this long hallway find the emergency room and after what seemed like forever we finally found it. 

My rough floor plan of the ER

     The emergency room was basically one large open space. This space included a reception area, a nurses station, ten hospital beds and a small waiting area. We waited in line at reception only to be told to see the nurse first. The nurses station was int the back right corner of the room, sectioned off only by a thin curtain. Here my vitals were taken along with my symptoms. I was running a 104°F with a blood pressure of 177/103 which were definitely a cause for concern. The strangest part was that a nurse sent me down a windy hall with nothing but a yellow line on the floor to guide my incoherent self to the restroom and back to collect a urine sample. I walked through the crowded waiting room with a Styrofoam cup in hand and made my yellow line journey with the help of the wall for support. I can't say that that was the safest or most ideal way to do this, but it is something I will never forget. After I returned to the nurses station, I was handed two slips of paper and instructed to go to the reception desk.

     At the reception desk, I filled out one short paper on my personal information. It only asked for my name, DOB, address, and insurance- a nice change from the stack of papers one must fill out at an American hospital. I had to pay a 150 euro fee for using the hospital. This fee included two urine tests, two blood tests, an ultrasound, and three or four IV's of medication. Not too bad for a hospital that does not accept private insurance. I then had to go down another hallway and sit outside of a door to see a specialist. Once my name was called, I followed a doctor into a room filled with medicine and machines. I laid on the bed while a doctor and two nurses communicated in German for most of the time. Occasionally, the doctor would tell me to do something in English before continuing on in German. I was completely lost in what they were doing. The only thing I could do was have faith in them. I was probably in this room for an hour and half to two hours. Here I had an ultrasound done, blood tests done, and two IVs. I was told that my final blood test would determine if I could leave or if I had to stay. The doctor believed that with my vitals and temperature that I would be forced to stay overnight. Eventually, I was allowed out of the room and instructed to lay on one of the ten bed in the open room. Here I was given two more IV bags of medication while I waited for my final blood test result. The IV was inconveniently placed in my arm rather than my hand. This meant I had to hold my arm straight for over three hours.

     While laying on my hospital bed, I could see all of the other people laying on the beds and everyone in the emergency room, something very different than any of my previous emergency room visits. Once my IVs were finished, I was shooed off of my bed by a German speaking nurse. With a needle still stuck in my arm, I sat in a chair in the waiting room until my blood test results were finished. Ill individuals were pushed around the waiting room  on beds and in wheelchairs,

something I had never experienced before. I'm sure that my name was called on the intercom a few times, but it was all in German so we could not understand it. Luckily, my doctor came and found me. He took me into the same room as earlier and told me some of the best news I had ever received: I could leave the hospital! I was written a German prescription and sent on my happy way. Martin called us a taxi and away we went. I have never been so relived in my life. The thought of staying at the horror film-esque hospital for an entire night was one of the most terrifying things I could think of. The only thing that went through my mind were images from different horror films I had seen. I was convinced that if I stayed over night my experience would be the same as in the movies. (Weird I know, but I wasn't completely with it after all of the medication I had received.) 

     We took a cab back to our hostel where we left Martin. Keyli, Jessica, and I grabbed some well deserved KFC and ice cream. After all, we deserved it! The next day Martin took me to a pharmacy and communicated with the pharmacist to get my medication. My medications were only 30 euro without insurance bringing my grand total to 180 euro or $193.29. It is amazing how cost friendly European health care is. In Nebraska I am sure that my emergency room visit and medication would have cost that if not more with insurance. Martin shared with me that healthcare in the Czech Republic is free except for dental work. I can not even imagine having a healthcare system like that in the United States. It was 

     I am so thankful for my friends and Martin. Keyli and Jessica gave up an afternoon in Vienna to keep me company during my emergency room stay and if it weren't for Martin we probably would have never made it to a hospital. Things could have been much much worse and I am so fortunate to be 100% back to normal. 

The two V's: Vienna and Venice (Assignment 4, Category 8)

     It has been awhile since my last post because we have been traveling for just shy of two weeks. It has been an exhausting but rewarding time. As a class, we went to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy before being sent our separate ways for Spring Break.     Vienna was a very cultural city. Our first day is pretty much a blur to me. We started the day off by visiting the city's Treasury. This place had important items from the Austrian and Holy Roman Empire. It was interesting to see relics from so long ago. We were given free time after the Treasury, but my time was unfortunately spent in an Austrian hospital. (More on that experience in a future post.) The next day we attempted to see a horse show, but were disappointed to find out that the "show" was a training day. I made sure to make a mental note to research things before I buy tickets. Luckily, one of the guys in our group talked to the chief and we were able to get a partial refund. We used our refund to visit the city's Natural History Museum. It was amazing and is probably one of the best museums I have ever

visited. The museum was filled with colorful jewels, rocks, and fossils. We even found a meteorite from Nebraska and a gift snapping turtle from South Dakota. It was cool to see something from home so far away. I was able to see my very first dinosaur fossils including a T-Rex! My favorite exhibit was one that focused on the evolution of man. I was able to see skeletal remains that showed how man evolved, something I never imagined being able to see. The museum even had a set of Neanderthal footsteps stamped into stone. It was covered with glass and I was able to walk literally in their footsteps. It was an experience I will never forget.    
     After our two days in Vienna, we embarked on an over seven-hour bus ride to Venice,
Italy. On our bus ride, I was able to see my very first mountain range: the Alps. The beauty of the range can not even be expressed in an image. It was truly breathtaking. Our first afternoon in Venice was spent getting lost all over the Island. We walked into a few of the city's churches, and enjoyed our dinner on the waterfront while watching the sunset. We got lost again on our way back to our hostel and ended up making a giant circle around the island. Getting lost was so easy to do on an island composed of dozens if bridges and winding alleyways for streets. Getting lost gave us the opportunity to explore sections of the city we never would have seen and made us work together together to interpret Italian street signs to get back to our hostel. The next day we visited Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's palace. This palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the ruler of the old Republic of Venice. It was built with beautiful Gothic architecture next to St. Mark's Basilica because St. Mark's was the Doge's personal chapel. Interestingly, the palace has prison cells on the east wing of the palace. These cells were referred to as Pozzi, the wells, because they were dimly light and damp. Eventually, the cells were outgrown and a prison was attached via bridge to the palace. This bridge is called the Bridge of Sighs because prisoners and their loved ones would sigh at the last sight of each other when crossing from the palace into the Prison. I can't even imagine how crossing the bridge felt. Prisoners were teased by their last glimpse at freedom and the beautiful pier. We spent our last afternoon in Venice getting the best pasta I have ever had and enjoying a gondola ride. Our homemade pasta was from a small shop down a dark alley and served in Chinese takeout boxes. (It was kind of sketchy but it is rated as one of the best places to eat in Venice.) Our gondolier took us on a thirty-minute ride through the canals of Venice. It was honestly one of the most beautiful and peaceful things I have ever done. I still can't quite imagine living in Venice and driving boats everywhere. There is a boat for everything: postal service, garbage service, delivery service, taxis, police, and ambulances.It was truly an eye opening experience in the 'Floating City.'

2.) Academic Life (Assignment #3)

  The first few weeks in the Czech Republic have been amazing and filled with fun. Sometimes so much so, that I forget that we have academics too! With the program including so much travel time, we only have class 29 of the 70 days of our program, but we have already learned so much. Travel is a learning experience all by itself, but when it is coupled with some instruction it is much more meaningful.

     Our classes at Palacky University focus on three things: Czech language, Central European History, and the Holocaust. So far, the most challenging of those classes is the language course. Our professor makes the class very interactive and fun, but it is still a challenge. The Czech language is very different from English when it comes to pronunciation. It seems to be consonant after consonant with very different pronunciations. Try reading these words/phrases and interpreting them:

• nejinteligentnějším- most intelligent
• Jak se řekne česky ______ - how do you say _____ in Czech?

     Our other courses are taught by a large number of professors from the University. The lectures have included information on medieval civilization, economics, witches, religion, and the mistreatment of Jews throughout time. The most interesting lecture thus far was on Witches and Scapegoats. One of our program leaders, Martin, took us back in time to explain different scapegoats throughout European history. He mainly focused on the creation of the myth of witchcraft. This myth apparently started as a way to explain death or wrongdoings, and it spiraled out of control. The same hysteria that spread throughout Europe came to the US years later. Europeans then believed that these witches they burned at the stake could come alive as vampires which only made it even crazier here. It is said that the region we are in, Moravia, is the first area to think of and believe in Vampires, how exciting! While it is hard to believe that people created all of these myths, one has to understand that in the 17th century science was still young. People needed scapegoats and myths to try to understand the world they lived in. It is just unfortunate that these explanations lead to the mistreatment and death of thousands of people. 

     Jews were even used as scapegoats. Jews were made to do the "dirty" work of handling money and were often blamed for stealing money. At one point, they were even blamed for the plague. People believed that the Jewish businessmen brought the plague with them and conspired with the Lepers to spread the disease throughout civilization. It is important to remember that during this time people were very anti-Judaic not antisemitic. This means that they were discriminated against based on religious beliefs not as a ethnic or racial group as today. It is heartbreaking that Jews were continuously discriminated against throughout history. I look forward to becoming more educated on European History, social inequality, and everything else my classes have to offer!

     

Prague-ress, Take 2 and the devastation of the Holocaust (Assignment #2, Category 7)

     Thursday we left for our first field trip of the program. We spent Thursday, Friday, and Sunday in Prague and Saturday in Dresden, Germany. All I can say is wow. A little over a week had passed since my first visit to Prague, but the city was completely different. Easter markets had taken over the town's squares, and it was even more jam-packed with tourists! Our first day we did a short walking tour to see the Astronomical Clock, Charles' Bridge, and John Lennon's Wall. The clock has four figurines on the outside that represent four ideals despised by the Czech's during its construction. These figures represent vanity, greed, death, and Turks. The clock is obviously not the most politically correct thing in the world with its representation of Jews being greed and Turks being infidels. The clock could be considered racist if constructed during modern times, but it is still very eye appealing. Every hour the clock puts on a "show". During the show, the four figurines move slightly, and the two doors at the top of the clock open up to reveal the twelve apostles are rotating one by one by the windows. While it may not be the most impressive thing I have ever seen, it is still amazing when I remember how old the clock is. I have already talked about Charles' Bridge so I will move ahead to Lennon's wall. The wall was seen as a symbol of rebellion during Soviet rule. Individuals would often paint images of Lennon or Beatles' lyrics on the wall to symbolize freedom. Often, authorities would paint over the images but it was a never ending cycle or rebellion. Last year, some students painted over the wall to say that the age of rebellion was over; therefore, taking away a lot of the history the wall had. 

     Friday was spent with a very long journey uphill to see the Prague Castle. The journey was extremely tiresome, but when we finally reached the top of the hill, the views were breathtaking. The castle is connected to St. Vitus Cathedral. The Gothic cathedral is the suspected burial site of St. Wenceslaus and other important Saints and Kings. While the cathedral's construction was started centuries ago, the newest addition was completed in the early 2000's. By the time we had finished our walk through the Cathedral, it was time for the noon changing of the guards at the Castle. The changing of the guards was an over ten minute ceremony complete with music. From what I saw from behind the crowd, the ceremony was simple and to the point. Apparently becoming a guard at the castle is a very difficult task. One most have a specific height, low weight, perfect eyesight and health, no facial hair, no cosmetic defects, and they must pass a rigorous psychological examine. While it seems very over the top, the guards do guard the castle that houses the Czech President whose presence can be indicated by a flag flown at the top of the castle. The part of the castle we were able to access was very old and fulfilled my idea of a medieval castle. Once we finished our tour of the Castle, a few girls and I walked even further uphill to see the Strahov Monastery. Unfortunately, the monastery was closed for the day so we had to settle for seeing the outside of it. Still determined to see more of Prague, we continued our uphill battle to the Petřín Lookout tower to view Prague from the outskirts of the city. The view was worth all of the stairs!

     Saturday we ventured to another country, Germany! I was back in the motherland! We visited Dresden, a city bombed during World War II. The city’s most historical sites were almost all destroyed during the war, leaving the city very modern. Some the city’s sights were reconstructed from the ruins including the city’s Lutheran Church: Dresden Frauenkirche. The church was completely reconstructed to replicate the church’s previous form. Architects examined old church plans and images to ensure accurate reconstruction. They even used some of the old stones from the original church to construct the new one. These stones are dark in color from the fire that ravaged the town after the bombing. It is said that the bombing occurred in stages. First, flares lit up the entire city. Second, red flares designated places to be bombed. Lastly, two raids went through with explosives and fire bombs. Some say the inferno was visible from over 70 miles away in Prague. We climbed up the church to see the mostly modern city from above before heading to a museum.

     Sunday was even more heartbreaking than our visit to Dresden. We spent Sunday morning and afternoon in Prague visiting the former Jewish Ghetto. For hundreds of years, Jews were forced to live in one section of the town away from everyone else. This meant that no expansion could occur, not even the cemetery could be expanded. We first entered one of the synagogues which served as a memorial to the Jewish Czech’s murdered in the Holocaust. 77, 297 people murdered. Over two-thirds of the Jews of the Czech lands were murdered. In my head, I knew that almost 80,000 people is a lot of people. It is over three times the population of my hometown, but yet seeing the names of every single individual murdered brought things to a completely different level of realization. The entire synagogue is covered with the name, date of birth, date of death, and residence of each of the 77, 297 Jews. Families are grouped together, making the number hurt even more. Some family lists go on and on, showing how entire families were murdered simply for their religion and race. Even now reflecting on yesterday’s experience, I still tear up and have a knot in my stomach. I cannot even begin to fathom how something this terrible happened. After taking in all of the names, we moved on to the Jewish Cemetery. For centuries the

Jews only had one small lot to bury all of their dead. Gravestones are piled on top of each other. Each gravestone could represent an entire family. As the space continued to run out, the Jewish community was forced to bury people in the same lot. This meant burying up to six people in one lot. Another synagogue had an exhibition of art by Jewish children in the concentration camps. The images were heartbreaking. Children dreamed of going back home and depicted the horrors they experienced. Drawings and paintings of transportation to concentration camps, guard examinations, “play time”, and heartbreak were all around. The childhood of so many little children was ruined by a system of oppression. The oppression that the Jewish community faced throughout time was only worsened by the Holocaust. At least now, the Jewish community is allowed out of the ghetto and welcomed into society as they should have centuries ago.

     I am glad to be back in Olomouc for a few days before our next journey. I need time to recover, both emotionally and physically. I am not exactly for sure how to prepare myself for our future visit to the concentration camps Auschwitz and Theresienstadt. These trips will surely bring my knowledge and awareness of the Holocaust to a new level. 

**More images of my trip can be found on Facebook.

5.) Cultural Differences (Assignment #1)

  It goes without saying that the Czech Republic is very different than Nebraska. We have had the opportunity to meet multiple Czech students as well as a few foreign exchange students and it has been a treat. One thing that has shocked me is the way that people hang out. In Nebraska, my friends and I would often hang out together at coffee shops or watch movies. My experience here has included meeting people in pubs. It seems as if there meeting place is always the pub. Just got done with class, let’s go to the pub. Just finished a movie, let’s go to the pub. It’s a very different atmosphere and something that I am trying to get used to. Meeting people in pubs creates a very relaxed atmosphere with less pressure on keeping my "indoor" voice, something in which I struggle.

     Voice level is another difference I have noticed between locals and our group. We tend to be a slightly rambunctious and loud group. Most Czechs are soft spoken and blunt. As Nebraskans, we tend to be polite and smiley, even if we are not feeling the best. One of our professors used a very good example to express this difference. In Nebraska, it is very common to ask someone how they are doing even if you are not extremely interested. It is simply polite to do and could be considered rude not to ask. If you ask a Czech how they are doing, they will respond with a detailed answer and they do not hold back. If their day was terrible, they will tell you. There is definitely a big difference there.

     It also shocked me that you can smoke indoors. In Nebraska, we have laws prohibiting smoking in public establishments, so this is a hard adjustment. To make matters more complicated, it seems like everyone smokes here. I do not know if there is actually a larger percentage of smokers or if it is just more apparent because people can smoke where ever they please. The pubs, which are the meeting place of young people, seem to be only found thick beneath a fog of smoke. 

     A very pleasant change is how they handle pets. Dogs are found all over the city. People can take their dogs with them on public transportation and often leave them outside the store while they run inside. I would love to implement this in Nebraska, but I feel that it would be very challenging. The dogs here seem so obedient. Many owners leave their dogs loose to stroll around town and the dogs never stray from the owners. It is truly amazing. I know personally that my dogs would never be calm enough to take on public transportation. They would be jumping on everyone's laps begging to be pet!

     The last and probably the most shocking difference is the enforcement and strictness of liquor laws in the Czech Republic, more specifically Olomouc. For instance, there is a law that forbids liquor and open containers in public. This law is almost never followed. You can go to a bar and order cocktails to go! This is just completely shocking. They also have much more relaxed laws pertaining to alcohol in general. For starters the drinking age is 18, but this is rarely verified or enforced. I have never been asked for my I.D. but in the US it is required to always check the buyer’s age or you could face prosecution. It was also shocking that Clubs and bars stay open until the crack of dawn. Since clubs stay open until five in the morning most people do not even show up until midnight. Norfolk, Nebraska’s liquor laws are quite strict. Liquor can not be sold before noon on Sundays and bars close around one in the morning.  Bars in Norfolk can not sell liquor after one and all bottles and liquor most be put away or finished by 1:15 AM. I have yet to see anything of this level of seriousness here. I feel that the vast differences in the way each town handles liquor is directly related to its level of misuse.

     I still can not believe that I am really here!

Until next time,

Miranda

 

Prague-ress, Take 1

Nerudova Street

     After our long and tiring journey in London, we decided we should take a little bit of time to relax. This was especially true after our red eye flight to Prague. We left our London Hostel at the ripe time of three in the morning. Unfortunately, our hostel was at the very top of a scenic hill, Nerudova Street. This meant that we had to lug our bags all the way to the top. Exhausting! When we arrived at our hostel, we were pleased to find out that our room was available right away. We took the first night easy and wandered around the city.

The view from Charles' Bridge

      The next day we decided to try a walking tour, but it didn't quite work out for us. We got about half way through the city tour when our guide informed us that his wife was in labor.  I believe his exact words were, "My wife, the water, it broke!" Definitely an interesting experience to say the least. Our short time with our guide gave us lots of information. We visited The Church of St. James in Prague. Just to the right of the entrance was a mummified hand. The arm belonged to a thief who tried to steal jewels and offerings from the Madonna statue. Legend says that Madonna grabbed his arm and didn't let him leave. The police found the thief the next morning and were forced to cut off his arm to get him out! The monks then took the arm and hung it by the door as a warning to all other thieves. It was shortly after the church that our guide had to leave, so we did the most logical thing and visited the city's Ice Pub. It is a pub made completely from ice sculptures! It is so cold inside that they give you a giant parka, gloves, and a hat upon entrance.
After our freezing drink, we strolled across Charles' Bridge -- it was breathtaking. On our walk back to our hostel we decided to try trdelnik, a pastry-esque dessert favored by Czech tourists. It was good, but way too sweet. 

     Sunday came much faster than expected. We mapped our route to the airport very extensively, but yet we still failed. We took a tram to the outskirts of Prague where we waited 45 minutes for a bus that never came. (We figured out later that the bus was out of commission for the day.) Luckily we left with amble time to spare because we had to go all the way back to the city center in order to trace another, much more successful, route. We were finally off to Olomouc!

London Calling

              We arrived in London on Tuesday, which seems like forever ago. London is even more amazing than pictures portray. Beautiful buildings and architecture are all around the buzzing city. We successfully navigated the intricate tube line back to our hostel without any hiccups. Our hostel experience was one that will never be forgotten. Three bunk beds were shoved into a room only slightly larger than my room at home, leaving a little walkway to the beds. The walls were dark and the bathrooms tiny, but it was a place to sleep. We had a rather unique experience within the first thirty minutes of our stay, but that will be revealed toward the end of my trip.

Trafalgar Square

                After we gather our bearings, we went on a self-guided trip around London. We walked through Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and all around Soho. I swear we walked for miles. We finally found our way to an underground and continued our discoveries on the other side of the river. We relished in the views of Big Ben and the house of Parliament. I don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing this sight. We ate fish and chips near the London Eye and then continued toward Westminster Abbey. We saw places in London most people never see and it was amazing, even if it was only because we got lost. We ended our night exhausted and full of burgers and fries. 

                The next day was what I like to call our major tourist day. We saw all of the stereotypical places of London.  The day started at the Kensington Palace where Will and Kate Middleton reside. The place was beautifully painted and had great exhibitions. We saw dresses the Princess Dianna wore as well as dresses from different times in history. One dress was almost covered in jewels.

              

                Westminster Abbey was our second stop of the day and unfortunately no photography was allowed. The place was absolutely breathtaking. Beautiful sculptures and carvings covered almost every square inch of the church. Many of these sculptures comemerated different people throughout time. The ground was covered with stone engraved with the names of important people burried in the abbey. It was eerie to think of all of the people buried beneath the abbey. The abbey had different chapels funded by different Kings and Queens. The chapels had kings, queens, and other substantial people throughout history buried in tombs. One of the chapels was in memory of the Royal Air Force. This chapel also housed the body of Oliver Cromwell, a man who over threw the Monarchy. He had himself buried here after his death but his body was removed after the Monarchy was reinstated. The Royals had his corpse hanged and decapitated for his injustice.

                After our visit at Westminster Abbey, we were starving. We made our way to Borough Market, a giant outdoor market situated underneath a bridge. The market was full of fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, baked goods, and food. We decided to eat roast pork on a ciabatta bun because we could not get over how good it smelled. After we were completely stuffed, we went to the Tower of London which is where the Crown Jewels are located. The fortress was huge and filled with different buildings and towers inside. Once finished, we made our way to the Tower Bridge. We walked on the very top of the bridge and saw London from a different angle. The bridge was breath taking on its own, but the views from the top were even better. We learned a little about the bridges history before we made our way to the last stop of the day, the London Bridge Experience. The London Bridge Experience is a history lesson from actors on the bridge. We walked through what seemed like a maze and learned about the bridge’s long history. At the very end of the experience was something called the London Tombs. This was basically a haunted house, but nonetheless it was fun.

                We ate supper at a small local pub. It was chicken night, so we were able to get ten hot wings, fries, coleslaw, and a drink for about $7. We returned to this pub again because the price was so good! That same morning we went to The Making of Harry Potter. This place had most of the set pieces from the film and a multitude of props. It really gave me a new appreciation of the films.`This was our last day in London and I have to say I was ready to leave. While the city is beautiful, it is a little too much for me. Everywhere was filled with people, something I’m not used to in Nebraska. Even when we left for the airport at 03:00 on Friday the streets were still busy with people.

If you want to see all of my photos from my trip you should be able to access them on my Google Profile.

Next destination: Prague.

Cheers,

Miranda

Surreal

Surreal. Everything right now just seems so surreal. Am I really leaving Nebraska in 20 days? Yes, at least according to my flight schedule. It seems so difficult for me to wrap my head around the idea of leaving home. In less than three weeks, I will find myself in London with two of my sorority sisters. We will be out of the "safe haven" of the United States and into truly foreign territory. Our lives in Nebraska will be stopped waiting for us to return in three short months. In the meantime, we and our fellow classmates will be exploring the world. We will visit places most people only dream of. We are the fortunate.