Submitted by Madeline Mahoney on the 2017 fall semester study abroad program in Prague, Czech Republic…
I have only been here for a week but I have already fallen in love with Prague. The first weekend we were here, we stumbled upon a farmer’s market on the bank of the river. There were stalls with ciders, cheeses, beer, fresh fruits and veggies, pastas and meats. I found myself drawn to a stand that sold homemade bread with different types of pesto spreads. In this type of environment, a farmer’s market with local people, I was nervous to talk to the vendor because of the language barrier. However, although some Czech people may come off as cold, they are very welcoming and are excited to hear Americans try and speak a little of their language. During our school’s orientation, I learned the basic greeting, dobry den, and how to say please and thank you, prosím and dekuji. When I greeted the pesto vendor in Czech, she immediately started asking me a question in the Czech language. I shook my head and she laughed and started speaking to me in perfect English. I paid and said “dekuji” and she beamed. Even though I don’t speak fluent Czech, she appreciated the effort I put in to respect the language and culture.