The Craic Dealers of Dublin: A Sort-of Guide

Surely, you’ve all read or heard about this peculiar breed of students who party 24/7, expect professors to cut them slack, miss classes, ask stupid questions, and, oh horror, somehow they manage to have it all, while after years you still haven’t figured out why this one professor never gave you an A; plus you kind of look like a panda (and a very sad one), struggling to combine not getting expelled with working and trying to enjoy the pathetic scrambles of social life you do not have time for... And as if to mock your misery, the EU pays for those slackers’ beer with the amount of money that you wouldn’t mind making after graduation.

Okay, I’m being overly dramatic, but the life of Erasmus people is surrounded by mystery, and so I too decided to check it out by spending 9 months at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. It was not so much greed or laziness that led me to filling out an application, but the opportunity to spend some time at one of the top universities in Europe and the chance to take a break and experience a new piece of the world. As a result, armed with these honorable motives, I arrived in Dublin in early September with two bags of luggage, a firm disbelief that one cannot survive on 505 euros per month and with great expectations inspired by erasmusconfession.com.

Immediately I was faced with the difficulties that would send me and my flatmates into fits of depression during the first few weeks, because that is the time when newly arrived ‘Erasmuses’ have to deal with way too many novelties. Everything seemed way too expensive: sandwiches, coffee, transport, accommodation, heating, clothes, umbrellas (which, by the way, never last more that a few windy days), books – the list is endless. Secondly, although I was lucky to have obtained accommodation with the help of Facebook,  many of my fellow newcomers to Dublin spent weeks at a hostel trying a room without too much luck So, if you’re heading to Dublin – better start googling weeks prior to your arrival.

A word has to be said on the seemingly confusing Trinity registrations. The lines at the academic registry may be long, the building you need – nowhere to be found. However, if you regularly check your Trinity email (which you are instructed to obtain shortly after you get accepted) and act on the calls for registration without delay – the entrance should be smooth. Finally if your passport says non-EU, the long hours and the fees paid at the foreigners’ police will make you wish you went somewhere, anywhere else. However, the frustration will pass, and soon you’ll find yourself giving advice to the newcomers regarding closest thrift shops, greenest parks and nicest flea markets. Besides, after a few weeks, apart from the high prices, all the major struggles can be considered completed.

Although, I guess I forgot about studying. It is debatable whether studying at Trinity is more demanding that at FF UK (Faculty of Arts, Charles University). Depending on the department, there will be tests, essays, attendance policies, presentations, homeworks, groupwork and even extra hours at the lab. However, I have to admit, the phrase: “I’m sorry, I’m Erasmus…” worked almost all too well for me and my fellow exchange students. Naturally, there are limits to professors’ kindness. You can fail and fail miserably, especially since cheating on an exam is virtually impossible. The advice to start your papers early on in the semester is not given in vain and the penalties for late submission are pretty rough. Rewrites and resubmissions are possible… sometimes… in a way… better avoid them.

The advantage of the Trinity exams is that one roughly knows which questions to expect, which makes the whole process of cramming easier and less stressful.  However, as a result, one has to deal with the professors’ expecting in-depth knowledge of three to five topics in two hours and about ten pages. But anyways, exams only happen twice a year, so let’s look at the joys of being on Erasmus in Dublin.

Dublin is clearly a cultural centre with various attractions that offer students’ discounts like all the Dublin festivals and museums and are sometimes even free of charge: St. Patrick’s parade, The Book of Kells, discussions at The Irish Film Institute and the Dublin culture night.

Another special thing about Ireland is its landscape. Even not being a fan of hiking and having endured the eternity of the 30-minute battle with seasickness on the ferry to Aran Islands, I found the cliffs, the forests, the paths and the stones astonishingly beautiful. And so was every other place in Ireland I managed to visit.

Nevertheless, the very epicenter of the social life for Erasmus students at Trinity are the 100-something student societies that make having fun in Dublin affordable and which accommodate every interest, ranging from  food and gaming to foreign relations. There is a 2 or 3-euro registration fee, which provides one with year-long access to either free or discounted food, parties, wine, pub quizzes, trips, classes, guest lectures (who thought Angela Merkel and Steven Pinker would grace a bunch of university students with their presence?) and many other forms of entertainment.

All in all, now, almost seven months after completing my Erasmus, when the daily struggles with expensive heating have been forgotten and all the credits put into SIS, it feels like everything was great, even though partying was too expensive to do 24/7, I feel like I worked hard for every A,B and even C – and by the way all the questions I ever asked were strictly to the point.  And yes, the 505 euros did not cover much apart from noodles and accommodation, but I met wonderful people, recharged my passion for English Studies, took a sneak peak at the Irish and their Irishness, got a Trinity email address, and learned to imitate Dublin accent… even if only in my head. Not too bad for 9 months, don’t you think.

Elena Tkacheva

My First Impressions of a Scottish Life

Moving to Scotland for two semesters sounded like a dream for me, since I have already lived in the UK before I thought moving northwards this time could only mean a better experience. Although arriving to Edinburgh felt like coming home, I can state surely having been there for three months already that this city has a lot of surprises.

Walking down the streets of the Scottish capital is always a guaranteed adventure. Certainly a physical one, since there is hardly one flat street so you always find yourself going down or uphill, or forced to take dozens of stairs appearing from nowhere. The city is build upon several layers and has a lot of secret passages that makes a map completely useless here, but this is what adds to its specific spookiness and creates a bewitching atmosphere. It is a place where the historical past and mystery are integrated into everyday life, therefore it is absolutely natural to meet a person in a black scary cloak in the afternoons, a tour guide for the ghost tours, as well as see a group of men walking in kilts. To be even more clichéd they usually happen to be bagpipe players and make most of the people hate this Scottish squeaking instrument after hearing it every single day. It is an amazingly diverse city having an old and new part with different architecture as well as people, moreover there isnature only a few steps away –Arthur’s Seat. While for some it is only an obstacle on their running day and for others it seems like an impossible challenge to climb it definitely offers a mesmerizing view. Not to mention all the parks and green parts of the city as well as an occasional trip to the seaside, being careful enough not be blown away by the strong wind.

However, going outside in Edinburgh requires a certain amount of preparation, since one has to be flexible to all the four seasons in one day. Everyone knows that the weather up north is predictably unpredictable throughout the whole year, but I have never expected to be soaked every day and to regard the sun as just as an old friend who you once knew but now who appears only occasionally. The weather is a very influential aspect of a Scottish life and especially for those who are not used to it; it makes me angry and even depressed on a daily basis but quite the opposite when there is some sunshine; but most importantly it just amazes me. The weather is the principal division between the people of Edinburgh; the tourists are cold and complaining all the time, whereas the locals are just indifferent to it. The contrast can be spotted at first glance and particularly in the winter time. Everyone who wears warm clothes, boots, a coat and definitely carries an umbrella is not from here, while those who wear t-shirts, sandals and use hoodie as a protection against the rain will definitely have a Scottish accent.

Before studying here I could not wait to hear this impressive accent all around me, however, after a few rather embarrassing encounters I have come to the realization that there are three stages of the Scottish accent: the first which sounds different than the standard but is enjoyable, the second when only few words can be recognized, and finally the third stage which can make the nonnatives’ lives miserable and does not even sound English anymore. To add to the confusion, during one day all the differentEnglish accents can be heard, since surprisingly most of the students in Edinburgh are actually from England and there are a lot of Americans, Canadians as well as Australians, not to mention the swarm of international students. Most of the foreigners just end up being confused how to address people or how to speak in general, since the Scottish accent is quite hard to comprehend and is regarded as rather amusing by all the others. However, it is definitely worth a try because the locals will appreciate it with a warm smile which always helps on a freezing day.

All in all it is a magical city, very Scottish and yet international which could even resemble a fantasy world with all its dark graveyards and tourist attractions. If you are adaptable to any kind of weather and to any kind of prices without getting a stomach ache when seeingtriple the usual, than there is no reason at all why Edinburgh should not be enjoyed to its very last drop – just like a dram of good old Scottish whisky.

Lucy Szemet

How to Enjoy Budapest in 10 Steps

Budapest is essentially my second home, so I feel cheeky enough to put together a short guide on how to get the most out of your Budapest experience. And I can promise you that it will be truly and more about Budapest than George Ezra’s hit song.

1.     Plan ahead: know where you want to go and how to get there to avoid the extra stress caused by getting lost in a foreign city. The locals are friendly though, seemingly ever-searching for opportunities to practice their English with quizzical-faced tourists and so if you get the út and utca wrong, they’ll help you out, no fear.

2.  Most (if not all) galleries and museums are closed on Mondays. That includes the Kiscelli, Ethnographic, National, Liszt Ferenc and Szépművészeti museums. So plan some spa-going or shopping for that day, as all art is taking a break from you.

3.   Make use of the spas. The entrance fees aren’t that high, especially considering that you can stay as long as you like there. The number one spa to go to according to various tourist guides and sites is Géllert – but it is extremely crowded, more expensive, there is only one thermal (= warm) pool and the indoor swimming pool is freezing. However, it is the place to go if you’re after artificial waves and outdoor pools. If you prefer thermal pools of higher temperatures and saunas, then Rudas is your destination. Only be warned! The pools smell like eggs. But the copular ceiling with colorful star-shaped vitrages and laid-back and intimate atmosphere of the Turkish spa is worth feeling like you are in an egg factory. (By the way, this spa inspired my short story Slow Down.)

4.   Converting forints to Czech crowns = a lot of easy math. I assume that most people doing Anglophone studies are little or no good at math and seeing the long number of zeros in prices makes you go like “350F for a half-liter of water, that’s so expensive!” Don’t worry. Just subtract one zero and you’ll get roughly what the item costs in crowns. All is good now.

5.     Use public transport. Prague’s DPP has a lot to learn from the Budapest’s BKV, especially when it comes to the time tables of trams, metro and buses. All of them arrive mostly on time and if you have missed one bus/tram/metro, another will come along pretty fast, not 10 or even 20 minutes later as it is here. It also saves time to just pay 350F (how much is that in crowns again?) for a one-way ticket to get up to the Budapest castle than walk up the hill. Because who got energy and time for that? Not me.

6.     Entrance tickets are always cheaper with an ISIC, so have it with you. But if you want to take photographs in the gallery/museum, you have to buy the “photograph ticket”, which is usually half the price of the entrance ticket. (Knowing this should save you from the quite lengthy lectures given by the angry security guards.)  

7.   Fan of Ancient history, especially Roman? Then visit the Roman City of Aquincum or the Amphitheater. Budapest was once part of the Roman Empire and ruins of the period are scattered especially in the north of the Buda side of the city. If you don’t want to make the long journey up there, then you can go see Ancient Roman stone graves and other objects from the period in the grand National Museum (Nemzeti Múzeum) in their entire ruin splendor.

8.    Looking for original jewellery and creative gifts? Local boutiques and design shops are definitely the places to go to! The people working there know their stuff and are usually kind and helpful. Also, a pair of nowhere-else-to-be-found earrings or rings cost around 1490F, which is equal to that of items found at regular stores. My personal favorite again are earrings made out of squashed Nespresso capsules – and they come in all different colors, from metallic (not really a challenge, but still) to pastel and are super-popular as gifts for friends or myself. My personal favorite is Bejuska located in Dob Utca street - they not only have these Nespresso capsule jewelry, but also the plastic Hungarian character earrings by Folqa that I often got complimented on.

9.  Food at choose-and-pay-for-what-is-on-your-plate places is a better choice than pizzerias or kebab places. Honestly: you may cringe your nose because of the mere idea of taking a tray and getting a meal like in a school canteen, but believe me: the food at these places is very tasty and keeps you stuffed for hours. Fine, most are tourists who come in also because of the free live Gypsy music, but the delicious goulash and pörkölt are worth waiting in the long(er) queue. You can find these canteen-like places in the Czernok market or at the Budapest Castle.  Insider tip: Another great place I recommend is Hanna that offers Kosher Hungarian food for decent prices. It also feels a bit more fancy and the Orthodox children playing outside are a special bonus to the Jewish quarter experience.  

10. Lastly, Budapest is filled with so-called “ruin pubs” – and these places are fantastic for evening eats and drinks! They are crowded with people, but that only contributes to the atmosphere – which is already unique, since the interiors are decorated with objects from the Communist era. The spaces are in result messy, but warm. My favorite ruin pubs are Csendes (Ferenczy István utca 5) and Szimpla Kert (Kazinczy utca 14). The prices are usually a little higher, but ruin pubs are a more creative equivalent to our hospoda and are definitely a part of the Budapest experience! Just like travelling on the cranky Russian trams and in metro wagons, taking long walks through the city center or frowning at the incomprehensible language.

Anna Hupcejová

El Verano Estupendo, or, the Most Amazing Summer of My Life

Hola, qué tal? Cómo fue tu vuelo? – Those were the words that marked the beginning of my six-week adventure in Spain. I have to admit that even though I was really excited about it, as soon as I got off the plane in Valencia I felt this strange tickling in my stomach. I’ve never done this before, what if I mess up? What if they don’t like me? But you love kids. And you love experiencing new things. Of course you can do this! So I picked up my luggage and headed towards salida (exit) and my first au-pair experience.

My family was already waiting for me and as soon as they spotted me in the distance…well, everybody at the airport knew I was coming. But they were really nice and probably even more excited than I was. They immediately treated me like a member of their familia and all my worries suddenly disappeared. Just like that. They were a family of four; Ana and Oscar were the parents, and Martina and Mauro were the kids. Martina was a five-year-old girl, a sweet little princess with big brown eyes and the cutest childish laugh I’ll never forget. Mauro was a ten-year-old boy, friendly, good-hearted and always in a good mood. First few days of my stay we spent in their apartment in Alcoy, a small Spanish town only 50 km away from Alicante, but then we moved to their beautiful summer house in a nearby village called Planes de la Baronía. I loved it there! Surrounded by hills and hundreds of olives, so quiet and peaceful that you could hear your own thoughts. Every day was simply awesome. Martina and Mauro took me for their older sister and we spent all days playing games, or swimming in the pool, and when Ana and Oscar returned from their work, we often went on excursions. 

Thanks to them I also visited a lot of beautiful places, learned something new about Spanish culture, tasted their typical dishes, met amazing people, and of course, improved my Spanish. I will always remember Villajoyosa, a picturesque costal town where we spent our first day at the beach and where I tasted my first paella, a typical Valencian dish from rice and sea food which is regarded as one of the identifying symbols of Valencia. I will also never forget Alicante or Benidorm, amazing places with busy streets full of tourists and the scent of the sea in the air, or Isla de Tabarca, a small island where they took me for our last trip - and where I saw a real life performance of mariachi singers! 

But all good things come to an end and so did my six-week adventure. When we were saying goodbye before I headed to Barcelona to enjoy vacation with my sister, I knew that I’ve found my second family and we promised that until we meet again, we will stay in touch, but the sooner the better. I also miss tinto de verano, the most amazing drink ever!

So any girl (or even a boy) thinking about being an au-pair, but have doubts, I just say go for it! No more words needed.

Renata Longauerová

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Wales – Well, Maybe You Did

What do you actually know about Wales? Well, I surely didn’t know much – a country of Dylan Thomas, Manic Street Preachers, Catherine Zeta-Jones and of course, the town with the longest name. This (together with few scraps of Welsh history I remembered from Professor Procházka‘s lecture in ‘Introduction to British and American Culture’) made me think of Wales as quite a mysterious country and as it is always great to learn something new – especially about other cultures – it really caught my attention when I saw a poster at the faculty inviting for an evening presentation of Welsh history and language given on the 6th of May by two Welsh Erasmus students – William Francis Hannell and Elan Grug Muse.

photo credits: Ivana Herglova

The first part presented by William was dedicated to Welsh history and culture and gave us really in-depth overview of the country’s history from the settlement of Wales till present – the modern history concerning the political situation, creation of The Welsh Assembly etc. was probably the most interesting part for most of us along with Welsh literature and culture in general.  But the second part of the lecture presented by Elan was truly fascinating as it was focused on Welsh language. I’m not going to lie, even the pronunciation of the letters of Welsh alphabet wasn’t easy for us – and it’s probably time to stop boasting about the Czech sound “ř” as it is nothing compared to some of the Welsh sounds. But after we embarrased ourselves few times we could proceed with some useful phrases like Rydw i’n dod o’r Weriniaeth Tsiec (I come from Czech republic), Hwyl fawr (Goodbye) or Ga i beint o gwrw os gwelwch yn dda? (Can I have a pint, please?).

We were also told some interesting information about Welsh language system itself like consonant modifications (if you’ve taken the Irish course, it would be quite familiar to you) and regional differences in Welsh. After this crash course in Welsh we were completely exhausted – but the reward was worth it as everyone got to taste ffroes, a typical Welsh pastry a bit similar to pancakes.

Johana Lajdová

A Reflection on My BA Years

What have Anglophone Studies given me? Well, I would rather start with what it took from me. Unfortunately, it took almost all of the last illusions I had. I realized that I will never learn English (or any other) language to such an extent that it would satisfy me. How could I – when I make mistakes even in my own mother tongue? Together with this arose another issue – how can I teach someone if I am not perfect myself in the subject? Maybe it seems as a triviality but it is not, particularly with regard to my future job.

I always thought that literature is amazing. And this belief stayed with me for these three years. Although, I am not that sure that to anatomize every single detail in a book or in a sentence is such a deserving act. How could it be when some people in our age learn how to save human lives? Or develop amazing gadgets which we will never understand?

BUT – studying literature / linguistics means studying life in general. It will not help us to get a job or an acknowledgment from those who can never understand the concept of humanities...yet, it provides us with a certain feeling of appurtenance, with a detached view on the world behind the walls of our alma mater. We can feel somebody else’s stories over and over again, and simultaneously realize it. We can find details which others may not be able to find...

This makes it so special – and also gives a reason to endure all those unpleasant moments of student´s hardship. And lastly, would you find any other studies that would provide you with such an extensive list of good books to read?

Veronika Soukupová

Pragadise

When I was offered a place at Charles University for my third year of study, I had never been to Prague and I did not have any significant knowledge of the city, or even of the Czech Republic. I find myself still having to correct my Uncle when he refers to my new home as Czechoslovakia. For my first Erasmus term I stayed in the Hostivař halls of residence before moving to Prague 1 for the summer term, and these were nothing like the accommodation at my Kent (my home university), they were much more basic but definitely an experience! My roommate was from Switzerland and luckily we got on very well - I even managed to improve my French. My Czech on the other hand, despite several attempts, remains insubstantial, so I am very grateful and not at all offended that my dobrý-dens are - the majority of the time - returned with hellos.

Image credits: Robyn Bairstow

Kent is a campus university which means everything is very easy to find and going from class to class rarely takes more than five minutes. Travelling from Hostivař to Staroměstská meant many early mornings and an extra cup of coffee, though I could always finish my reading during the 40 minute journey! The transport system in Prague is probably the best I have ever seen, it is so cheap and efficient – my three month travel pass here would not even cover one week’s transport in London! Prague and London are very similar cities as there is a lot going on and a big diversity of people and cultures, also both packed with tourists. The main difference is definitely the cost of living, probably one of my favourite things about Prague; I am still amazed that water is more expensive than half a litre of beer, a concept that would be ludicrous in my £4-a-pint hometown (the equivalent of 130kc)!

I would definitely recommend a year abroad to anyone with the opportunity to have one, and I am so grateful that I was able to spend mine in such an amazing city. Meeting people from all over the world has taught me about different cultures, languages (and most importantly for me, different foods), and given me invaluable experiences I would never have had from staying in Kent for three years. I really have learnt something new every day - academically or otherwise - and this new knowledge, as well as my new friends and endless memories, is what I hope to remember from my year in Prague… after passing some on to my Uncle!

Robyn Bairstow (Erasmus student of Comparative Literature from Kent)

The Best Are the Easiest to Talk to

I wouldn’t really know how all of you feel about your studies at Charles University. Has it been something you had always dreamed of? Has it been an inevitable turn of events that brought you here? Or are you hurrying to finish studying so that you can start working and be productive as soon as possible? I myself probably belong to the last group, always in a hurry to start being an independent grown up. Studying is fine, but what is out there afterward just looks better. It is like having to be satisfied with eating a chocolate bar while actually craving for a juicy peace of chocolate cake.

I am thus fascinated by people’s decisions to go back to college after actually having gone out and lived a full-fledged life, created a family and pursued a career. I notice a few of them around me every day. Every time I cannot help but think about what motivates them to do that. What motivates a person to pursue education after having done it once? Isn’t that just unnecessarily complicating your own life? Who would want to go through the hell of exams all over again?

As I discovered after having talked to Jitka, sometimes it really is about complicating your life and making it harder. Jitka has been one of my classmates for a few months now. She has also been a full-time musician and teacher for the past 30 years. She has two successful sons around my age, and has led quite an interesting life in Australia after having finished the music conservatory in Prague. “I walked past this building [the Faculty of Arts] every day for six years,” she says “and every time I watched the young people busily walking in and out of the main doors. Now I am here and I never imagined I would be, never believed I was going to get in in the first place. Charles University was an opportunity I never had. Me and my brother weren't allowed to attend college because no one in my family was in the communist party. It was a miracle I was even allowed to finish the conservatory.”

Despite the many difficulties, she talks about her education with awe. She considers herself lucky to have been taught by incredible musicians of the time. “Can you imagine us,” she says with a wide smile, “little nobodies in the presence of some of the most amazing virtuosos, such as Lazar Berman, Garrick Ohlsson or Sviatoslav Richter. And they talked to each of us, showing interest in our music, in what each of us had to say... We were so bewildered and excited, so of course we couldn't possibly play anything to them, but the fact that such musicians were genuinely interested in us and spoke to us... It was an amazing feeling and such an effortless thing to do, talking to them. The best are the easiest to talk to.”

Having heard her incredible experiences, I began to understand why she looks so happy and seems to be enjoying her teaching job so much. She spoke of how she used to examine her students in Australia by having concerts for her students and their families at her home. “Music is sharing, not a set of rules or fear of making mistakes. You have to make mistakes to learn. It's how life goes.” She sees teaching as the best job in the world. “It gives you the ability to create and see a person grow. And I learn from my students as they learn from me.”

According to the new Czech laws, in order to be a teacher one has to have a master's degree. This does not apply to Jitka since she is a music teacher but I could see the frustration she felt for her colleagues' situation. “Can you imagine how someone who has taught his whole life and has quite a lot of experience must feel when forced to do something like attend university again because of these circumstances? It is so humiliating.” She returned to studies because she never wants to stop learning and wants to learn from the best as she's used to. She doesn't need it, yet she still does it. In a way, she is willingly humiliating herself because she believes that's how we learn humility. 

She fills me up with positive energy so much as we talk, that I find it hard to think about unpleasant and humiliating things when I am with her. It is a part of her charm, the fact she always smiles. But I can see the strong-willed woman behind that smile. And it is that strong-willed woman that sees humiliation as another way of learning in life. Difficulties are motivating for her, and her courage more than motivates me. She never believed she will get into Charles University, but she tried and did.

I was also quite interested in how she sees us, the young adults sitting around her, living in our own young worlds. Her view was a shocking discovery for me; I had never looked at it in that way before. “Our generation, and a few after it, have something wrong with them,” she says. “It is always about having a bigger house, more cars... It's a rat race. The new generations seem to be different from us. It is not easy for you, as it wasn't for us, but you view the world differently, in a good way.”

I cannot possibly describe how thankful I am for the opportunity to meet someone like Jitka and be able to talk to her. It felt so natural and effortless, despite the different times and cultures we grew up and lived in. I am thankful she shared her story with me, enabling me to share it with the rest of you. And I am thankful for her being the person she is and inspiring young people around her. She might not realize it, but she was not the only one given an opportunity here. She gave us an opportunity to see what determination and bravery can do, and that they are limitless, just as kindness and positivism are. And for all that I am grateful, Jitka. Thank you.

Angie Siljanoska

Prague impressions from a Melbournian

Having travelled all the way around the world for more than 20 hours on a plane, it is no wonder that the most common question I receive after people learn I am from Australia is “why Prague?” I don’t blame them. It was not an easy decision to pack up my bags and leave ‘Down Under’ and my comfort zone, but as I approach the end of my third semester here, I do not regret the decision at all.

It is true that things in this country are definitely different, but most of the time I have enjoyed these differences, and actually some of the time they work in my favour! From the academic perspective, the classes at Charles University in Prague are a little bit more ‘relaxed’ so to speak. The biggest difference is the ‘three chances’ policy during exam time. Back in Melbourne there is just the one chance, that’s it. There is no “I didn’t study enough, I’ll just take the next term”. I must admit, for obvious reasons (I am a student after all!) this system here in Prague is much better! Another thing that adds to the ‘relaxed’ nature is the fact that for the majority of my subjects there has been no roll call; that is, collection of names. Ok, there may have been one or two subjects that did this, but on the whole, it is less strict than in Melbourne; where you must attend at least 75% of all your tutorials (what are called seminars here).

Of course, before coming to Prague I had always known about their obsession with beer, but you don’t really comprehend this until you arrive. And can you really blame them? At just under $1.50 Australian dollars for half a litre, it was very easy to develop a love and admiration for beer. In many cases you were economically better off if you bought beer instead of water. I dread the day when I return to Melbourne and have to pay over $7 (124CZK) for a beer (and it’s not even half a litre!) The cheap price of beer means that generally just about everything else is cheaper as well, so as a student it is the ULTIMATE study (a.k.a drinking) destination.

Image credit: Elena Fermanis

Also, all this nonsense that the Czech people are ‘cold, just like the Germans’ just doesn’t stick. Of the many Czech people that I have met, the majority have been more than willing to meet and have fun with people from around the world, and nothing says bonding like 3 litres of beer! I don’t know how much of this rings true to older generations, but the student-aged people I met were generally pretty down to the earth and awesome. The sense of humour is obviously going to be different when one person is not using their native tongue, but half the fun is in these translation mistakes!

As for the city of Prague itself, it is by far one of my favourite cities in Europe. It is compact enough to walk around, and the buildings and architecture is simply stunning. Even as I go down the road to the supermarket I can be amazed at the beauty around me. This is one thing that I will never get over, no matter how long I live here or how many times I will come and visit in the future. However, from a logistical point of view the transport system is so good that it puts Melbourne’s to shame (which is pretty poor for the price you pay). I love Prague’s trams the most as you can see the city more of the city; as long as you are not stuck in one of those single carriage ones after 4am! The trams cover just about all the most important areas, and if not, the metro and buses do a good job of connecting the outer suburbs too. But most of all, they all generally run on time!

They say that time flies when you are having fun, and that has certainly been the case during my time in Prague. I know that when I eventually leave, the things I miss the most will be the things I take for granted right now: beers for ridiculously low prices, an education system that says it’s ok to fail an exam, and a transport system that never leaves you stranded. Prague is definitely a student’s heaven!

-          - Elena Fermanis (student of Economics from Melbourne)

Czech it out: my term abroad in Prague

When I reminisce about Prague, I think of the cobbled streets, the distorted shadows of the statues on Charles Bridge at night, the smoky bars and the taste of hot goulash and beer.

It is quite exasperating to live in a country where you cannot speak or understand the language because it is impossible to communicate with the locals and you are immediately targeted as a tourist when you speak out loud the street. After three months in Prague, I only learnt some basic Czech. The only link I had with anyone Czech were my teachers and my Czech buddy who was studying French for his M.A, and preferred practicing French with me. Despite this, daily life was quite easy; I shook my head and smiled a lot. Interactions were usually successful, unless it was with someone from an older generation who could not understand a word of English. There were of course more difficult times like when I lost my wallet and had to declare the loss to a police woman who could not understand a word I was saying: the result is that I am not sure until today if my loss was properly declared. However, as I studied in Charles University and FAMU, I spent a lot of time in the center of Prague where being understood was rarely a problem.

One of my best memories from Prague is going jogging early in the morning across the city and along the Vltava. I would cross Kampa Island and David Černý's giant babies, pass the John Lennon wall (graffitied since the 1980s as a form of rebellion against the communist government) and cross Charles Bridge, invaded by a swarm of tourists from morning until dusk. My trip would conclude at the top of Letná Park where they erected a huge monument to Stalin in 1955: it was then destroyed nearly a decade later and in its place was installed a metronome. The view from there is beautiful and you can see from afar Národní Divadlo (literally translated as National Theatre) with its golden roof glittering in the sun.

Image credits: Fiorella Lecoutteux

One place I loved to visit is a bar my friend discovered near Můstek, in the center. It's an apartment transformed into a bar which sold jewellery, organized indie film screenings, had a shelf full of card games and chess boards and sold cheap beer. It's in this bar that I met a lot of Czech students. They taught me that Kafka and Kundera were not the most famous writers in the Czech Republic, as the first considered himself German and Jewish and the second moved to France in the 1980s. Rather, they told me about Karel Čapek who lived in Prague during the 1920s. He was a journalist, fiction and children writer who was politically involved and was a fervent critic of communism. His dystopian novel War with the Newts is a hilarious yet terrifying account of newts taking over the world because of human greed. I would recommend it to anyone.

What started as a simple Erasmus trip thus transformed into a chance for me to delve into a unique central European culture. The food is very much a mix of German, Hungarian and Austrian specialties but with a Czech twist. People seem to eat a lot of street food and one thing I loved when it was cold was trdelník, cooked dough with cinnamon and sugar. The city is vibrant with culture. It hosted the German festival as well the French cinema festival at Kino Lucerna during the autumn. You can find a little shop across the street from this cinema which sells all kinds of posters to postcards. I especially enjoyed discovering the artist David Černý. During November, the Czech Republic had new elections because of a recent scandal. The artists spoke up against the rise of pro-socialist government led by Miloš Zeman by erecting a huge purple middle finger in the middle of the river towards Prague Castle and the home of the president. Černý has installations all around the city and one of my favorite can be found at the gallery Futura in Prague 5 where there are two larger-than-life sculptures of bodies bending forward, revealing videos of President Václav Klaus. Another installation of his is a fountain in the form of two men urinating in a basin in the form of the country Czech Republic, symbolizing life under the Communists.

Living in Prague is also great for travelling as it is very central; I went to Germany and Hungary over the weekend for a very cheap price and little travel time. Erasmus allowed me to meet people from all over Europe; from Russia and Ukraine to Poland, Germany and Hungary. It was a great mix of people and cultures. Next June, we are all planning on returning to Prague for a week.... because let's face it, we simply can't get enough of it.

-          Fiorella Lecoutteux (Literature and Film student from Brighton)

Prague So Far

Moving to a strange country is always filled with trepidation and anxiety, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel them as I packed my bags. One always has the fear of being stuck in a strange land with strange people and becoming a recluse unable to connect. Naturally this was balanced with excitement, I’m one of those people who gets restless if stuck in one place for too long; new people, new country, new food, new (better) beer.

It’s been good. You might have guessed that I have not become a Boo Radley-esque recluse (yet, I’ve still got 5 months left) and I’ve been keeping busy. There’ve been things that I’ve liked, things that I’ve disliked. Much like with any other place. The city itself has to be one of the great pleasures of mine; walking through the streets in the sunlight, taking in the wonderful views at Petřín, finding a café or hospoda and sitting drinking with friends. After a year studying in central London, where a pint of beer is usually around £4.50 (150 Kč… ouch) and usually worse than what you’ll get here. If there’s one thing I miss about London though it’s the sheer variety of it; there’re people from everywhere, food from everywhere, you can find anything and can do anything. Sadly this usually comes with a hefty price-tag but my nostalgia sometimes forgets that and tea… I miss tea.

I would say though that of all the cities I could have chosen (Moscow, Krakow, Tartu, Helsinki, Belgrade, Budapest) Prague probably has the most going on culturally. In my time here I’ve visited both small and grand events; from poetry readings in small cafes to seeing Dvořak’s “New World Symphony” performed by the Czech Philharmonic (and that was sublime). I’ve also started to love Ice-Hockey with a passion rarely seen, the fact that the arena sells beer is much appreciated.

Photo credits: Dita Havránková

Music’s ubiquitous as well; from the pianos placed around the city, the video of the police playing one is glorious, to the mezzo-soprano who busks near Náměstí Republiky, wandering into a church and unexpectedly hearing the most-lovely choral music. If there’s one thing I wish I’d done more of during the summer its traveling. I managed to visit a few of the national parks, Pilsen and had a trip down to Brno but I do feel that when the weather improves I should take the opportunity to see some more of the Czech Republic, then potter around Hungary and Poland for a time.

I’ll take a minute here to talk about bread. Unless you’ve visited the UK you can’t quite realize how much better it is here. By comparison bread in the UK seems to be made with the same rat poison they use to make cocaine go further, only without the cocaine. Whereas here; (mouth waters) the strong aroma, that wonderful crunch as you bite in, the softness and chewiness of the inside. For that matter, this pretty much extends to all bakery products here. I need a pastry now.

I’ve found the country to be charming, quirky, unusual and full of unexpected surprises. I’ve liked my time here and am even considering staying on after I graduate. Perhaps nothing can sum up the charm of the Czech Republic more than this. I asked a waiter in my rather bad Czech about why a larger beer was cheaper than a smaller one, his response? “Sir, this is the Czech Republic.”

-         Graham Bush (MP’s Native-speaker co-editor; Central European Studies at UCL in London and Charles University in Prague)

Erasmus experience

Spain is an amazing country. Even though this is not my first visit to Spain (nor the second one), I still feel fascinated by the parched rocky landscape lashed by wind.  I found myself living in a country where seniors walk in parks listening to the radio playing in their pocket and where people eat bread (or rather, as they call it: “baguette”) with every meal (even if the meal contains pasta, rice, or potatoes). Though living in the second coldest city in Spain (by the way, I´m wondering which one is the first) is sometimes harsh, but I am very happy that I can be here.

My Erasmus experience started many months before by filling in the application form. During the entire administrative process I was really looking forward to spending half a year living and studying in a foreign country. However, when the date of departure was just several days away, I started to experience fear too. What will it be like? Who will my flatmates be? What will the courses be like? And many other questions preoccupied my mind. However, when the plane landed in Spain I started to enjoy my stay.

I realized (despite my expectations) that many of the stereotypes and myths about the Spanish people are true. Before going to Spain you should learn at least three basic Spanish words: “mañana” (tomorrow), “fiesta” (party), and “siesta”. The one that says that the Spanish do everything “mañana” (tomorrow) means that when you apply, for example, for a library card in the municipal library and they tell you that you can collect it “mañana”, you should understand that the card will not be there sooner than in a few weeks. Otherwise you will keep going to the library every day and asking for the card and they will keep telling you that it will be there tomorrow.

Another very popular – even among people who don’t speak Spanish – word is “fiesta”. The stereotype that many Spanish think that life is an endless fiesta is also true. Moreover, during the most productive hours (generally 2pm – 5pm) in Prague you can buy anything, go to bank, post office,... but here it is “siesta” (understand that almost everything is closed). To my Spanish friends it seems totally natural – they say that the people working in the shops, banks, offices also want to have their lunch. To me however, it seems that 3 hours for a lunch is a pretty long time.

Spain is also a country where almost nobody speaks English well enough to be able to communicate in it – I don´t mind that; I am here to improve my Spanish, but when ordering anything with an English name in restaurants (e.g. muffin, chicken wrap) one has to resist the tendency to pronounce the name “correctly” (in English). If you want to be understood and get what you ordered you have to pronounce it in the Spanish way, which often makes English words sound so strange that no British or American person (with no previous knowledge of Spanish) would ever understand them.

As far as the language is concerned, for me studying in Spain does not mean only a simple fact that the lectures and seminars are in Spanish, but also a change of working languages. Translating from Spanish to English and vice versa helps me to find new connections between the two languages and to perceive better the similarities as well as the differences.

Erasmus is really an international experience. There are many foreigners at the university (the majority of them are French, Italians, or Belgians) and I find myself practising even languages that I don´t speak. Now, after more than two months that I have spent here, I would recommend Erasmus (or any other possibility to study for some time abroad) to anyone. I think it can enrich you and you can benefit from the experience a lot!

- Veronika Sochorová

Dear Sheffield, you’re awesome. Dear Prague, I miss you with all my heart

I miss Prague. I miss the city. I miss the night rides in trams, where you're trying not to fall asleep or someone would immediately steal your iPhone. I miss that you can smoke everywhere and get a beer for 30 crowns/1 pound. I miss the omnipresent homeless people asking me for change while waiting for the metro. I miss the confusing bureaucracy of Charles University. I miss spending half the day waiting at the student’s department to get a small piece of paper in 5 seconds. I miss SIS, the most annoying thing in the world. But I love it here.

Sheffield Hallam University, where I'm trying to somehow get my masters in Cultural Policy and Management, is the 3rd biggest university in the UK. After (not particularly successfully) studying English and American Studies for a year, I thought no essay assignment could surprise me. I was wrong. English Skills in Cultural Communication (oh dear, how I loved the course) was nothing compared to this. The basic idea is; no tests, no learning by heart, you're academically mature enough to find out the useful information yourself and we challenge you to deal with them properly. Luckily for us, our university library is a high-tech sanctuary open 24/7 (compared to the Jan Palach Library quite impressive). The first month here I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Czech universities can only dream about the facilities we have here. Not only the library is awesome, we also have a lovely gym, employment or accommodation centre and tons of other (for an Eastern-European student with rose-tinted glasses on) fascinating things. I am rather not talking about the students residences which look like the most luxurious apartments in Prague. I am definitely not going to talk about the local student information system, which compared to SIS is a sci-fi miracle. A miracle. On the other hand the food in canteens tastes basically the same, which is a shame.

People keep asking me about culture shock. Guys, this is not Japan! The only unusual things are; driving on the wrong side of the road and using wrong type of plugs, also the obvious habit of drinking only black tea with milk. Most of us have been to England, so I don't even need to mention these (rather stereotypical) things. What strikes me more is English political correctness which does however disappear with a few pints of ale/stout/lager (do not call it beer, please) and the "health and safety" obsession, which sometimes grows really bizarre.

Overall I love England, and I love my university. You need to pay a tuition fee here, but it reflects on the fact how well the system works (although it is not flawless of course). I don't want to give out wisdom here, but Czech teachers could learn from the British ones in terms of attitude towards their work and the students. British cuisine could, however, learn from the Czechs by avoiding Yorkshire pudding in any form.

- Eliška Černá