Day 8 came too early for some in the group 🙂

But after a quick breakfast and settling the bill at the pension, we packed up our stuff, bid Mrs. Sebinovska good-bye, and headed off to our respective destinations – they to the airport and me to the train station. As before, the travel was without any complications and I left the group with a hug and small lump in my throat as they boarded a bus to the airport.  While I was really glad to be getting back to my family and to be moving away from the daily hustle of leading the group around the country, I was also finally cognizant of what my colleague Anthony Olorunnisola had said at the beginning of my planning for this trip. Having led students to South Africa several years before, he pointed to a picture he had displayed in his office of the said travelers as we discussed all that was necessary to plan such a trip and said: “those students and that experience is for life – it will resonate well beyond the moments you live in them” – I couldn’t have had a stronger sense of what he was referring to. And I couldn’t have been happier or more glowing with that sense of accomplishment – in all senses of its meaning. I walked down to my train, took my seat, and as it pulled out of the station heading west to Krnov and my family, I began to think about the journey I myself had just taken in the previous week, and all that I had also learned from this trip as well as what it will all mean in the future for us all

Location: Prague

Day 7 — the last full day in Prague for the group. By this time, we were all pretty tired so I specifically planned a casual morning, letting everyone do what they wanted. Some wanted to shop and so they went off to peruse the offerings. Staci came back with the prized Czech hockey jersey — her quest achieved!. Chenjerai decided to get his puppet/marionette at the airport. Others slept in and got themselves packed up after a leisurely breakfast.

Finally, at 1, we went on our last visit — to Sanoma publishing and were met by Petra Bobekova, a dear friend and former student of mine from my Ostrava days (when I taught at Ostrava University) and now the Marketing Manager of Kvety, the oldest magazine still published in the world (yes, the world — first published in 1834). We were given several formal presentations (including one from the overall content director (a Dutch individual named Frank Hitzert, and a very interesting one from the Tomas Turecek, the manager of the Czech version of National Geographic) about the Czech magazine market and its dynamics and particular cultural nuances, opportunities, and challenges. As before, a 2 hour tour turned into 3 hours but it was very interesting throughout, with — thanks to Petra — an opportunity to tour the offices and speak to the employees personally. There were several ex-pats employed in the company, so it was great to get their insights as well. Finishing the tour, we felt a sense of closure in that we all recognized that the trip — for better and/or worse — was coming to an end. In that light, we decided to go back to the Coolna restaurant as a means of coming full circle, symbolically going back to the place we started as a means of closing the experience out.

The mood was upbeat but also reflective, as we went around the table talking about the experience and what it meant/would mean. At times awkward, but sincere, it was a great way to put a period on the trip. Had no idea it would happen but again, credit it to the great group of people I was with who were clearly on the trip for more than a party and a change of scenery. And for that, I was very thankful.

The students went back to U Akatu to partake in their own last night festivities (having made strategic purchases prior to dinner) and Chenjerai and I went off to meet an old friend of mine, Martin Ledvina, a celebrated contemporary musician, producer, and songwriter. We met when I filled in on the drums with Druha Trava in 2004 and have stayed in touch as he went on from being a side musician to being a 5 time Czech grammy winner with Lenka Dusilova, Aneta Langerova, and others. Chenjerai, being a musician and producer himself, it seemed the two would hit it off. We met up in a smoky czech pub and then moved to a smoky cocktail joint, talking music, genre, and production perspectives and memories. The two eventually agreed to look at the possibility of collaborating and as I write this, it appears they are already at work on some ideas which may have potential. It was a great meeting (as we had not seen each other in over 5 years) and it felt like yesterday without missing a beat.

Chenjerai and I went back to U Akatu to find the students in full revelry (actually, Chenjerai found them and they came to get me to join them). Late into the evening, we talked — moving ever deeper into each others psyches — building bonds and memories that were priceless. I can only sum it up — once again — using the Breakfast Club as a metaphor, as we tried to figure each other out through the clues we’d offer up, often after much-needed badgering by the others. And I can say that although I did more listening than talking, it was great to hear their perspectives and to find out — in sometimes surprising ways — just how complex these people I thought I “knew” were. They were, in a word, a really special group thinking deeply about life and how to live it. It made me proud to know them and be a part of that special moment. And at the right moment, the old professor (“oracle”? 🙂 went to bed, leaving the revelry to continue on into the night which it did. I fell off to sleep, contentedly smiling about just how well this trip had gone.

Location: Prague

 At 9:45 on Day 6, I awoke to hear Martin calling us to breakfast, which was to end in 15 min. Actually, he was calling to get us up and out in general (but I didn’t register this till I was at breakfast) — seems we had to be out of the hotel by 10 and while I wasn’t aware of this (although it was written on the back of the door to my room), we did our best to pack up and head out. In various states of cognition, we were shuttled back to Znojmo, where we ate at a restaurant adjacent to our bus stop, bid Martin and Tana goodbye and thanks, and waited to board our bus. Besides Drew and Chenjerai having difficulty finding their tickets (mildly distressing but it all turned out alright — lesson learned: keep the group members focused on keeping their stuff in order – if you only could have seen how they rummaged through their “packed” luggage – best quote from Drew: ” everything that does not have its place is in this pocket” as he pulled out add receipts and clumps of paper ), we were all in good spirits, the day was sunny, and we set off on our 3 hour bus ride back to Prague.

This turned out, unfortunately, due to construction, to be more like 4.5 hours, which would not have been a problem if I had not been beset by a stomach virus (which I later found out was working its way around the Czech Republic). 3 hours in and I was battling all manner of digestion rebellion. Each deadstop on the highway didn’t help, nor did the fact that the bus (as most in the CR) did not have a bathroom (no Greyhound amenities). In tremendous discomfort, I managed to keep the situation at bay, and we finally arrived in Florence station back in Prague in time for me to lose my cookies in the restroom (thankfully, in private).  Moreover, while violent, it was brief, and did not impede my ability to partake in the evening’s planned festivities. Even more thankfully, it also did not affect anyone else in the group, who patiently supported me as I suffered through. 

We got back to U Akatu, and then proceeded to meet up once again with our compatriot CzechMates in a restaurant to have dinner, converse, and to watch the Czech hockey team play the Russians for the World Hockey Championship, a match they were heavily favored to lose.

The food and drink flowed, the conversation was robust, and the Czechs played heroically, ultimately defeating the Russians 2-0 and setting the city into open celebration. As the game ended, we decided to make our way to the Old Town Square, so as to witness ground zero for the masses in hockey ecstasy. The entire trip there was, however, one raucous party, with flags, hockey jerseys, and rambunctious fans rocking the metro trains, singing on the escalators, and jumping up and down en masse on the platforms and sidewalks.  Moving quickly so as to witness the scene and yet catch the last metro back to our pension, we moved ialong as a scattered group, eventually separating with a few of us going back to sleep and the others taking it upon themselves to explore the celebration more deeply. As they had already managed public transportation afterhours, their fear of being on their own had long dissipated.

I had seen something similar after the Czechs won the 1998 Olympic Gold Medal in Nangano, so I was happy to head back to our abode. But I was also happy to know that the students would have the possibility to witness a different form of national pride and unity. While I’ve never been a fan of nationalism (in its more blind and extreme forms, especially), Creig raised an important question in the midst of it all, namely, why would we celebrate their form of nationalism (Yeah, we are Czechs), when at the same time, we might condemn similar celebrations in the American context (i.e. being “critical-thinkers”). I did not answer him at the time (as the question was actually posited indirectly to me) but I will do so here and the difference for me is thus:

In the Czech Republic, because of their history, national pride shows itself in subtle and inconspicuous ways. While being nationalistic, it is very rarely paraded in public, as Czechs are as ready to disparage their country/countrymen and women as they are to celebrate it. In turn, Czech flags and other national symbols are hard to find, except around such moments (hockey titles) or something similar (i.e. election time). To the point, you will have trouble finding a Czech flying their flag at their house, much less wearing it on a (insert clothing item/accessory here).  It is something that emerges only in times of real triumph and then subtly fades back to their collective conscious.

Contrast that with America. My first Czech girlfriend asked me if Americans often forget where they are. I had no idea what she was talking about and replied no, while simultaneously asking why. She said because she could find no other reason that there would be — from her vantage point on a hill in my hometown — 27 flags visible (banks, schools, homes). And it made me think that we display the symbols without thinking about what they really mean. The symbol stands in for the intellectual associations/reflection (i.e. think after 9/11, when we put up flags without asking harder questions about our nation and its roles in the world; if you did, you were deemed “unpatriotic”). 

Moreover, Americans often declare themselves champions in various sport leagues/competitions (i.e. the World Series, Superbowl, etc.), without inviting the world to participate in the competition (i.e. our sports leagues)! How much different would the world series be if Japan or Latin American countries were in the leagues. Maybe not much different. But we won’t know until they are participating. Moreover, in more international engagements (i.e. the US team was in the World Championship tournament that the Czechs won), we are not really invested in the outcomes/following the competition unless we are/will win (i.e. the Olympics). And if we lose, we are often incredulous (how could our basketball team NOT win the Gold!). In short, and in my opinion, we are not very good in our sportsmanship. Now, we are getting better as a country (witness the diversification of our Olympic coverage since the 90s – not just covering the events we are expected to win — and the current world cup interest as well), but we are not ones to cheer on the losing team for trying. Czechs are. Sure, they get frustrated too, but they seem to be in it for the long time (the thrill of the competition) moreso than the US, which is often focused on the ecstasy of victory; if it doesn’t happen, we move on to the next contest.

So the difference for me is also in this commitment to building and celebrating the attempt as much as the outcome. For me, and again, it my opinion, US interest is predicated on the obvious expectation of victory. We rarely say “boy we did our best but they were simply better!”; rather, I often hear “how is it possible we lost.” This is the difference – a humility and stronger commitment to the contest, coupled with the “underdog” complex (it is, after all, a nation of 10 million people – NYC is bigger!) which leads me to cheer/celebrate their victories moreso than those of my home country.  Hope that helps.

So to bed I went and I saw the pictures and heard the stories in the morning over breakfast – again, a moment for me to reconnect with my own experiences/awakenings to such events and intercultural connections related to Czech culture. And again, serendipity in that the moment occurred while we there.

Location: Prague

Day 5 started with everyone rising early to catch a 9 o’clock bus to Znojmo (actually Hnanice, which is a few kilometers beyond Znojmo where we stayed at this hotel http://www.penzion-hnanice.cz/index.php?a=ubytovani). Znojmo is located in the southern central part of the Czech Republic and is known for its temperate climate, rolling hills, and vineyards, which produce some of the best Czech wines. The country is known primarily for its whites (it does dry and sweet white wine well) but also produces some light reds as well. Tana and Martin had arranged for us to participate in a Vineyard tour/wine tasting for the day and after a 3 hour bus ride and shuttling ourselves (thanks to Martin and Tana) to the hotel, we quickly set off on another bus with approx. 30 other people for a tour of the Vineyards.

Now this isn’t Napa Valley; it is something much more rustic, natural, and scaled-down. In total, we visited 4 Vineyards (we were in the actual fields: the bus would stop, we’d get out and tramp to an open space, where an event tent was pitched for the servers) and stand while the servers came around to fill our glasses and our guide explained (in Czech) where we were and what we were tasting. Then we’d march around the field to either another tasting area or our bus. The weather, which had been unusually rainy and cold for May in the Czech Republic was somewhat cooperative, with intermittent sunshine mixed with spring (and at times, torrential) showers. After the third  vineyard, however, the weather was not an issue anymore.

The wines, while good, were less robust than their American  counterparts, but were nonetheless satisfying. We tasted 12 wines in all, and also managed to sample a bit of Slivovice (plum brandy, often made locally and not for the faint of heart — so Martin did most of the tasting for us with this — it is in the vein of a less strong version of grain alcohol, but of course with a plum taste). 

At the conclusion (about 3 hours later) it was back to the hotel to eat a big dinner in preparation for more wine tasting in the basement of a monastery. Together, we were part of a group of 200 who sat at individual tables, ate  bread, talked with our waiters, and after tasting another 12 wines, sampled more of those that we liked. Before we knew it, Megan was pouring for the house, having made friends with one of our servers

All of us enjoyed ourselves immensely, as we joked, discussed wines and winemaking, and made new friends throughout the day and evening — especially Staci and Megan, who gained a whole new appreciation for Czech men named Jakub.

Tana, sanely, went to bed after this (about 11); the rest of us, however, weren’t ready to sleep and we set off to sample the nightlife. Not an easy thing to do in a small village late on a Saturday night. Undeterred, we followed our fearless leader Martin Loksik, who used his distinct navigational and negotiating skills to lead us past dens of inequity to the warm environs of what can only be described as an authentic village pub where we sampled the local offerings, talked introspectively about deep social and psychological subjects, and even bandied about the idea of a drunken brawl (which a local tried to pick with me — it was just the alcohol flowing and par for the course as I know from experience. The situation was defused easily, though the apology from the man’s friends was much appreciated albeit unnecessary).

To bed we went, happy to dream about the unique adventures we’d had and the related thoughts and memories conjured/exorcised — happy, that is, until we learned we had to check out at 10 the next morning. That, unfortunately, was never emphasized and that would be our first – but not only – challenge for Day Six.

Location: Znojmo

Day 4 started with our trip to Google Czech Republic. Google is a relatively new organization here, with roughly 15 people working for the company which is the second most popular search engine behind seznam.cz, a local server, in the Czech market — this makes it unusual as it is not the dominant organization it is in America. The offices were situated in a larger office complex and had no overarching identifiers, so we immediately got the point that it was a less conspicuous operation (not even a wall logo to speak of!). To the point, Google was not the monster-sized behemoth one from America might expect to find.

We were met by Petr and Filip, two great people, who graciously took us through the development of the company in the local market, as well as discussing what set the market apart from its larger European (and the American) counterparts. Drew Stephens, a Czechmate with an IST degree (newly minted from PSU this May), had many great questions, but in fact we all had a chance to explore their perspectives regarding what it is like to work for such a global firm in the Czech context. To our surprise, Google CZ has been so successful (as a subsidiary, making great headway with less money invested) that it has often been cited as the prototype for expanding the company’s operations in other smaller markets by Google’s directors in the US.  As such, the pressures from the global HQ were never as pronounced as seen in other cultural industries (for example, CT24 spoke of the pressure to keep costs in check, despite being a state station).  We came away again with an extended visit and important insights about developments in the European and Czech telecommunications sector, as well as the strategies employed in these markets in light of contemporary financial and cultural challenges, and they ways different cultural industries deal with different infrastructural challenges/complexities

From there, we met up with Martin L. again, boarding a train for a 35 min. ride out of town to Karlstejn http://www.hradkarlstejn.cz/ a gothic castle dating from the 12th century. While not my favorite Czech castle, it was nonetheless an opportunity for the students to see one of the most visited and important castles in Czech history. It is under reconstruction in some places, and we couldn’t go up into the highest tower (it opens June 1) but it still offered a pleasant day out in the Czech countryside, a nice lunch in a courtyard under the castle itself, and a pleasant walk around the castle with its beautiful views of the surrounding land.

This took most of the afternoon, and we came back to U Akatu to freshen up, before meeting Martin again (and Tana Michova, Martin’s partner and a famous Czech TV personality and long-time friend of mine) for dinner. We had interesting conversations about the communist period in Czech history and the changes that came after, as well as a lovely meal. We all then retired later that evening for a good night sleep as we had another trip to Znojmo the following day and we had to catch an early bus.

That is, except CK and Drew.  They were ready to hit the town and do some dancing. After getting a tip from my rock star friend (Martin Ledvina), off they went at 11pm to discover what the club scene in Prague was like. I would find out the following morning that it was wild and intriguing, with Drew’s experience entailing something of an ethnographic exploration of the the differences between America and Europe regarding club protocol related to dance (how it is initiated, how close it it can be, differences in dance styles, music, and fashion, etc.). It proved to be such fun that they missed the last metro and had to negotiate an alternative form of transportation (i.e. the tram) to get back to the penzion. At 3 am they arrived, safe and sound, and all the more empowered having found their own way back by successfully navigating the language and cultural differences through this enlightening adventure. Hopefully, Drew will post his videos of the evening.

Note: this was a really important event (and one that I would strongly encourage other instructors to incorporate) in that it accomplished what I had hoped, namely that the students would feel comfortable exploring their own interests ON THEIR OWN. Easy to do when one knows the customs and language — not so easy when every move one makes can be humiliating. I have to say that Drew did an amazing job of trying to explore his perspectives and how far he could go beyond his comfort zone. And he did great (he’ll have to tell you what insights he gained from it) but I was really proud on the whole that the Czechmates were into trying to break out from their cultural box. But the trip to the club took it to a new level. Very happy.

The key was that they had a telephone if they needed help, and they weren’t naive, drinking and being ostentatious liked they owned the place and.or asking for trouble. They engaged the scene on its terms and had a great time because of that — as global individuals, not as a PENN STATE mob.

To the Point — I think one thing that often gets lost on study-abroad opportunities is that it should not come to be a PSU semester in paradise, but rather a chance for our university students to move beyond the PSU mentality, and in doing so, strengthen our “brand” globally (i.e. penn state students are great cultural ambassadors who really know how to “be” in the world). My one wish is to break up this type of thinking when one is studying abroad — namely, I would suggest that if you want to study abroad, you should go someplace off the beaten path (stay clear of spain, italy, and the UK) and go solo, really challenging yourself to go beyond your comfort and knowledge zone — you will come back a new, stronger, and better global citizen who CAN be a force for changing the world. Believe me.

For the Czechmates, Day 5 meant a trip to Moravia, the hinterlands of the Czech Republic and the seat of (some might say) real Czech culture. And so it was to be an amazing excursion in more ways than one.

Location: Prague, Karlštejn

Day 3 found us up and early to make a meeting at Charles University with Martin regarding a tour (and personal tour guide) he had arranged for us in relation to the Czech Senate. One of the CzechMates on the trip (Megan Albright) is a political science major, so I arranged for us to visit the Czech parliament as a way to connect her interests to our trips (I tried to do that with each of the students on the trip, namely have us visit a business or institution that related directly to their field of study; thanks to connections and planning, it worked out — note to instructors: this was a good idea, as each visit allowed particular students to ask poignant and intelligent questions because it was related to their studies — making the trips interesting on the whole and us look like an intelligent and engaged group — all good!). The tour of the Senate was almost too good, as our guide was so educated on the topic that we got more information than we bargained for. Nonetheless, it was an amazing excursion, highlighted by our 10 minute foray into the actual senate to watch the proceedings. Everyone was delighted and having such an intelligent guide made the trip so much more meaningful.

From there, it was on to tour Prague proper. First stop. Food. We found a nice restaurant in the Mala Strana (small side) of the city (very close to where our tour of the Senate ended, and we settled in to lunch and a slight rest. Most of the students continued to sample the different types of food and drink, and all were enjoying the beers as well. From there, it was up the hill to the Prague Castle. Glorious and austere, it is a sight to see, especially the St. Vitus Cathedral which still takes my breath away although I’ve visited it over 20 times. The stained class is enough to keep you in awe for an hour (I know, it has for me).  Most of all, the students seemed to be taken aback by the fact that the castle dated from the 1300s and that people worked for their whole life on it without seeing the finished product. It is, in all meanings of the word, awesome.

From there, a quick trip to the castle walls, to gaze upon splendid views of the city (and the  “bumblebee”) and from there, it was back to U Akatu to prepare to meet our true CzechMates.

Thanks to the help of Todd Nesbitt, the Communication Department Chair at UNYP (University of New York in Prague), an English language University and an extension of the SUNY system , the four PSU CzechMates were able to connect up (via facebook and skype) with four students from his UNYP class. These students (Anička Kvasničkova, Barbora Quastová, Lucie Voriskova, Martina Slozilova), agreed to meet with us a pub near I.P. Pavlova to connect in real time, having gotten to know the students to varying degrees over the previous three months.

In a word, the meeting was incredible; everyone sharing thoughts, ideas, laughs, and information about intercultural perspectives, in ways that were natural and immediate (thanks to their incredible English skills and welcoming personalities). The original plan (i.e. mine) was (if we were lucky) to meet for a few hours once; it went so well we made plans to meet again a few days later. It was so great to see everyone having such a good time and it was definitely a highlight of the trip in that it truly took the PSU Czechmates well beyond the tourist gaze. We (PSU Czechmates) went back to the penzion with such warm feelings for our counterparts. To be honest, I didn’t know how well it would go so I was a bit nervous. Turns out, I had no need to be (and I didn’t have to do any facilitating of the conversations — in fact, I could have been somewhere else and the students would have had as great a time and dialogue).

For instructors (and note to myself): this was a great idea and one that I will develop further in future trips, probably in an even more incorporated manner. In today’s world, it is possible to create connections via Social Media that can (and did, in our case) extremely enhance the experience of the students. Of course, we were lucky to get such great participants (on both sides) but now the groundwork has been put in place (we started two facebook groups, limited to those who participate in the program) and allow for the group to extend by keeping all participants in the loop (so to speak — in other words, this year’s CzechMates will remain part of future group conversations, meetings in they like). Thanks to Todd, we were able to connect the students, but I didn’t push its potential enough in that I didn’t really incorporate it into the requirements; I was lucky this time but its potential can certainly be incentivized and my hope is that I’ll not have to do much, but I now realize that with a bit more organization, this has much potential for enhancing the development of the program for each trip, and more important, for the longterm.

My deepest gratitude to all the students for connecting so closely (i.e. really trying to connect with each other!) and to Todd at UNYP, who let me push him into helping me (I’ll make it up to you!) incorporate this aspect successfully into the program design.  A wonderful day all in all, and the group dynamics were beginning to gel.

Couple closing observations: Small groups are the best — going to keep the limit to 5, as not only did it allow us to do more intimate tours (and engage them more robustly) but it also allowed the individuality of each member’s thoughts and perspectives to shine through. In other words, it became very cool to really begin to get to know more about the students and their thoughts on the trip. What I would call the BCS (Breakfast Club Syndrome). In a word: AMAZING!

Geoblogging, while a wonderful concept, began to interfere with really experiencing the moment (i.e. do we live the moment and then document it or live the moment TO document it — or simply allow our documentation to disrupt our living the moment); Outcome — geoblogging got put off in favor of notes and anecdotal quips to jog the memory for writing the blog at a later time (i.e. like I am doing now). More important to lose yourself in the moment and let it happen to you, rather than being worried about getting it all down

Linking up with our Czechmates allowed us to connect to the local at the student level. It allowed us to explore the everyday culture with interpersonally, granting the students real interaction with the language, customs, and dynamics of each other’s cultural life.

Encourage the student’s to explore their thoughts and perspectives as they move beyond their comfort zone. Their ideas, shared freely rekindled the magic and fear of doing so in me and allowed us to more broadly discuss their reactions in ways that put them at ease and helped them to continue (at least i think) their explorations beyond their cultural box. In a word, we were in it together.

Finally, it was essential for everyone to have downtime, or time to themselves to process it. Can’t say it enough — plan time to recouperate/reconnect to oneself each day.  Made each excursion all the more enjoyable.

Day 3 down and the next would include our first excursion outside of Prague. Was really happy with how it was all exceeding my expectations on every front. Missing my family (in Krnov) but thrilled with the outcomes of the trip so far. On to day 4….

Location: Prague,

Day 2 started with a planned rest, where we could all sleep in to account for jetlag. Good idea and highly recommend it to other instructors, as the group was bushed and out of it.
Moreover, what I found as we went through the week is that it is imperative to plan rest/downtime into the program. As it was, many of the planned visits I had arranged fell through, leaving us with about half as many as I had hoped (meaning formal visits to corporate offices, cultural events, etc.). In the end, I was glad that they had not worked out, because it most certainly would have made the trip more pressured and tense than was wanted. Lesson learned — be reasonable in how you plan your day and activities, accounting for the slower group dynamics and mobility issues.

As it was, on the first full day we were scheduled for our first visit — to Ceska Televize 24 (Czech Television 24 — their version of what would be most similar to CNN Headline News) and it was to start at 1. And with sleeping in, we were still almost late (highlight of the day — Drew Stephens running out of the door, barely dry from the shower, dressed in business casual, belt almost falling off, smiling, dripping wet hair, and hustling in disheveled fashion to be with us (“I’m with ya, I’m here” — in the rain as we walked to the station which was about a half mile from U Akatu, our bed and breakfast (“penzion” as they call it here).

Btw, I should also mention this: to avoid bureaucracy and  confusions with exchange rates, money issues, etc., I decided to collect from all participants before we left the money needed (in total $500 from each of them) for accommodations and this was smart, as it meant they did not have to have lots of money with them and I could manage it all in one fell swoop — namely  I withdrew it from my bank account at a lower exchange rate (be careful, there are maximum amounts you can withdraw per day — meaning I had to plan to have it withdrawn in parts across the days we were in Prague) but in the end it really saved, time, money, and the hassle of collecting all the fees needed for our hotel from everyone.  It also meant they only had to deal with covering their own food and travel (and we bought passes for transportation, so it was also less expensive and less of a hassle). In short, it made the business behind the daily routine something we only had to think about once. And I had all the money at hand to address all bills. To the point, leave the university out of the trip in as much as possible (i.e. icards, money collection, etc). The less bureaucracy, the better.

Enter Martin Loksik, professor of broadcast journalism at Charles University (the Czech Harvard). I’ve known Martin for many years and he offered to help me in organizing this first CzechMates excursion. “help” does not begin to describe all that he did for me/us.   As someone who is completely dialed in  regarding the Czech media realm, he was able to make some amazing arrangements for us, providing access and information that we could not have done on our own.

This morning, he came to our penzion and directed us to the TV station where we were introduced to Martin Reznicek, who was the Director of Foreign News for the station. Again, his English was impeccable and he graciously gave us a tour of the station, its news and broadcast rooms, and discussed in detail, the operations and changes occurring therein. The students had many interesting questions and although the tour was scheduled for one hour, we went almost two thanks to his hospitality and willingness to accommodate our  interest. Best of all, he talked with me about the possibility of developing internship opportunities with Penn State (and Staci Pawlak, a current CzechMate student is slated to be the first if all works out in our plans in the coming year). All in all, it was a wonderful excursion that satisfied and/or exceeded all our expectations — interesting, informative, and insightful for the students.

When we were planning the trips, we tried to think of gifts from Penn State we could tender to our hosts after our visits. T-shirts are tricky in terms of fashion and size.  Kitschy gifts (pasta, bottle openers, etc.) don’t translate well. We decided on calendars, but to our dismay, it is hard to find a calendar in the late spring, or one that does not have only pictures of Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lion American football team (again, translation does not work). As such, we settled for golf balls and PSU towels, as we thought they might appeal to burgeoning  class interests in the Czech professional sector. If nothing else, they were quirky without being tasteless.

Point to note: always think ahead with regard to bringing gifts to your hosts — sets a good tone and leaves a good impression. For their time and to distinguish your visit, PSU offers many gift options — it is up to you the impression you want to leave and how well you know the people. Even then, it is hit or miss. Next Xmas, I’ll be stocking up on calendars as they can be given to “everyone” in the office in general, they show a bit of our home turf, and they are often classy in their photography. A winner all around, I would think. They are also relatively inexpensive and easy to carry as well and I think leave a good impression. Of course, one is always guessing to some degree.

We finished the tour and went back to U Akatu to change (we all went to the visit in business casual, also to be respectful) and then it was to the center to meet up with Martin for a quick tour of part of Charles University, the highlights of Prague, and then on to dinner and drinks in a Czech pub.

The tour of Charles University, although brief and incomplete, was nonetheless important for how it showed the differences between Penn State and the Czech University system — no campus life on display, centuries-old buildings, no “campus” spirit to speak of and no sweats or bedheads in the halls or classrooms, etc. We did get a chance to see where Martin teaches (state of the art digital computers and broadcast equipment) and talk with him about what and how he teaches.   All in all, I think the students were a bit in awe of the mystic of the place — hallowed and timeless, yet contemporary as well.

From here, we left en masse to see what is arguably the highlight of Prague, namely Old Town Square. And here we encountered firsthand what remains a big problem in the Czech Republic to this day — namely racism. Raw, uninhibited, naive, sickening, and stupid.

While waiting to watch the famous clock chime in the hour, I suddenly realized I was hearing several voices singing boisterously about ” the white man marches on” and “N**gers blood”. I was in disbelief, even moreso when I realized they were singing it to CK. Stunned, I went into automatic mode — scanning the group with the singers (schoolkids, maybe Czech, but more probably German, boys and girls, maybe 15 years old, not too big, not too many boys, if CK takes a crack at the four boys singing, who might I need to get if they come to his defense (scan the group, scan the group, etc.) all the while reading CK’s reaction.

It was brilliant but more controlled and restrained than I could have ever managed. He drew his camera out, turned on the video, and encouraged them to sing it again for him. In a heartbeat, they lined up like lemmings, and piped in again with gusto (to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic – I later discovered that the song was written for American History X) bolting out the song in the tops of their lungs, smiles and shameless — perfect jackasses, but more accurately perhaps ignorant of the profound connotations and feelings that their words connoted. But in one action, CK emasculated them. While several passersby hurled epithets at the children, CK owned the show, and in doing so, profoundly and without any question, framed their ridiculousness and idiocy for all to see. Masterful. But I still would have liked to have punched their lights out. CK is a bigger man than me (and I have to say that thanks to CK, the following headline — “American professor on visit to Prague assaults several children in Old Town Square”– never appeared in the Czech  newspapers).

But it was nothing to make light of, as it haunted all of us in a sickly way for the rest of the evening, each of us trying to process it. For CK, for ourselves, for humanity. Martin was profusely apologizing for the shameful display without reason. And although we had a wonderful dinner and great discussions for the rest of the evening, I think we all went to bed trying to process just what exactly had happened and if we were going to see it again. Thankfully, we never did. Rather, we encountered only tremendous generosity and welcoming dispositions. But once was more than I wanted. It still bothers me.  At some point in the coming weeks, I hope to talk with CK about it, and to let him know he’s a bigger man than me. I learned something from this for sure. That no matter how much one thinks they know a place, there is always something else that can surprise and shock you. Day 2 finished with bittersweet satisfaction surrounding the first day and mild trepidation regarding what other surprises might await us in the coming days. 

Location: Prague,