Kevin with props at Prague Castle

Author: Kevin Zhao | Major: Biology | Semester: January Intersession 2024

While abroad in Prague, I took the class “Czech Culture, Food, and Brewing Tradition.” I chose this program specifically because of this unique class it offered. Although one can experience any culture while living in it, I wanted to learn about Prague thoroughly under the guidance of a knowledgeable professor. During this class, I learned all about the history and culture of food, brewing, and Prague itself. Our class went on field trips and experienced Prague’s local eateries and breweries. Both the in class lectures and field trips were insightful as the professor was an anthropologist and was very knowledgeable about the culture of the Czech republic. Through each class and expedition, I learned more and more about the country. I was taught the history of how the country transitioned from being from communist to capitalist and all the important events in the process such as the Velvet revolution. Along with this transition, many aspects of the Czech Republics culture also changed. Meat became more accessible, and food was no longer rationed. During my studies, one of the things I found most interesting is the amount of drinking done in the Czech Republic. Despite the current science on alcohol and alcoholism, people in the Czech Republic still drink so much. In fact, the Czech Republic has the most amount of alcohol drank per capita every year. The effect of this trend can be seen as alcohol-related disorders are around 2 or 3 times higher in the Czech Republic. As a nutrition minor, I am very aware that all that we put in our body effects our health. My time abroad in Prague has been eye opening about the deep effects of alcoholism. This has been a valuable experience for me as I am trying to pursue being a doctor. I hope to one day share my experience of being in Prague to patients to warn them about the effects of alcoholism.

The culture in Prague was spectacular. When I first arrived, all the Christmas decorations were up. The city’s gorgeous architecture was amplified in beauty under the warm glow of the Christmas lights. I explored many historic sites such as the Prague Castle and the Charles bridge. Along with the wonderful historic sites, there was amazing food such as Chlebicek and Kolac. Chlebicek is an open-faced sandwich with a spread and a variety of toppings such as salami. Kolac was a round pastry often with sweet jam in the middle. I enjoyed getting to experience these foods and learn about their history in the Czech Republic.

Overall, this program was a great program. The teacher was very qualified to teach the course and the staff was very kind and helpful. Each day consisted of lectures and field trips which I thought were very insightful as we experienced everything that we learned in class firsthand. Though what I knew before hand is that most of Prague speaks strictly Czech. In most European countries I’ve been to, there was almost always people that spoke some English. However, in Prague there will be some places where people speak little to no English. This was quite a culture shock; however, I was able to adapt. I wish I had known about this language barrier beforehand so that I could’ve been better prepared for it. Despite enjoying my travels, I am excited to be home so that I no longer have to walk everywhere in the cold. Prague was a wonderful educational and travel experience; one I’ll never forget.