9 culture bumps Americans need from inside the Czech Republic

1. You’ll sometimes devour dessert for lunch.

From the the very first time my personal number mummy served me personally ovocne knedliky — fluffy dumplings filled up with fresh fruit (usually fruits, or plums), topped with dissolved butter, powdered sugar, and an area of sour ointment. And there’s palacinky, their unique form of pancakes/crepes, that can easily be supported savory yet still taste sweet in my opinion. These meals are perfectly appropriate food options, and aided myself perhaps not feeling so embarrassed at having a slice of meal for lunch occasionally.

2. you should don slippers inside the house.

Not barefoot, rather than actually socked foot — every person in my personal number family members have their very own collection of slippers or an independent pair of “house footwear” which they changed into as soon as they came indoors. It had been a comfy technique them to work around the house, but I was so used to using my footwear for time at any given time this grabbed plenty of adjusting to. Czechs won’t have a problem asking you to take out your shoes, and might have even slippers for visitors, however it’s one thing to know (keep a couple of clothes to you if concept of ‘community slippers’ freaks you out).

3. you may see men and women wearing hardly something indoors.

I experienced toward metallic myself sometimes when browsing homes of friends, understanding that several of the household members can be scantily clad. Maybe not in a hot ways, mind you, but there had been fathers who had no issues sitting regarding the home in nothing but a tank top and underpants, and moms who prepared breakfast in their slips, and little children playing around nude, or maybe just wear t-shirts but no trousers. While I thought unpleasant at first, I had to consider my own personal traditions — how frequently performed we circumambulate in my own underwear whenever nobody was actually house? Like, all the time. Czechs are not as enthusiastic about human anatomy image like People in america were.

4. you will most certainly drink more alcohol than h2o.

Ordering an alcohol at a restaurant are a much cheaper choice than buying bottled water (certain areas won’t offer tap), which was both interesting and shocking in my situation, since I have was used to buying beer only on special occasions home. I was a beer drinker automagically, and was more fatflirt review happy as a result of it.

5. You can easily nonetheless smoke inside.

Brand-new laws provides dining and taverns to accommodate cigarette indoors should they therefore pick. Inspite of the additional touristy locations breaking down, you’ll nonetheless get a hold of most pubs is smokey plus some even allow you to purchase smoking cigarettes from behind the table. To start with I was delayed by these spots, but smoking in fact assisted myself are more social in Prague, especially when there clearly was a difficult language barrier. We don’t smoke any longer, but to be able to do so in public areas really assisted me render new friends in a unique town.

6. You might get an officer smoking a joint.

Pot statutes are pretty relaxed inside the Czech Republic. a cop might imagine to bust their golf balls about holding grass, next show exactly how cool he is and inquire your for a light. And you’re more prone to bring fined for selling weed than smoking it, but once more, it’s as much as the discretion on the officer. Watching a cop about avenue of Prague try a rare incident in any event, and so I never really had a concern cigarette weed publicly.

7. You’ll see a tale upon inquiring, “How are you currently?”

it is really easy for Americans to greet some other Americans with, “Hi, how could you be?” understanding we won’t in fact receive a reply besides, “Good, thanks a lot.” But this same matter in Prague offered me personally with more ideas than I wanted knowing:

Tesco cashier: “Oh, you are aware, my pet died yesterday evening.”

Barista: “i’m distressed. My personal favorite sweater shrank when you look at the clean, and that I needed to stand-on the longest queue within industry today. Furthermore, nonetheless raised the price of milk products without telling anybody, so now we must change the costs too, and…”

Best friend: “I’m not close, You will find diarrhoea.”

8. You’ll experience some 90s flashbacks.

I thought I became planning blend in European-style using my dark colored denim jeans, black sweaters and structured boots/jackets. Bit performed I’m sure that lots of Czechs choose the styles on the 1990s, so I nevertheless caught aside as a tourist in a lot of places. It had been peculiar in the beginning to see many mullets, light-denim trousers, and flannel (this is before 90s style began to make a comeback). All pubs and groups played hits through the 90s, plus some of my pals nonetheless had dial-up or cable modems. Although 90s happened to be awesome, so if I became planning reside in a period warp, at least the Czechs selected a good one.

9. You’ll recognize how small folk worry about faith.

Though it’s regarded as “rude” to share religion in the USA, every person will it anyhow. And that I hate that the all of our primary governmental behavior are occasionally predicated on Christianity at the same time (you never listen a law passed away considering a Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim philosophy). But with more than 60% Czech residents deciding on themselves getting irreligious, used to don’t have to worry about discussing my beliefs to my friends and friends. The thing I think was also worthwhile had been how anyone nonetheless went along to chapel, or famous Hanukah, simply because they noticed more religious or nostalgic, than compelled. It’s a very modern way of thinking about modern-day faith.