Culture shock

Some of the symptoms of culture shock are: excessive concern over cleanliness and the feeling that what is new and strange is “dirty”; a feeling of helplessness; irritation over delays and other minor frustrations out of proportion to their causes; a feeling that the ‘natives’ are really perverse; delay and outright refusal to learn the language of the host country; excessive fear of being cheated, robbed, or injured; great concern over minor pains; and finally, that terrible longing to be back home, to be in familiar surroundings, to visit one’s relatives, and, in general, to talk to people who really “make sense.” Most likely, you will experience some level of culture shock. After all, it’s normal to miss the comforts and familiarity of home. Don’t let it overwhelm you, remind yourself of the benefits you are gaining by this experience. The International Office and the International Student Club offer a sympathetic ear – talking it out, at length, can be very therapeutic.

National Holidays

• Jan. 1 New Year’s Day
• March/April Easter Monday
• May 1 May Day
• May 8 Victory Day
• July 5 Introduction of Christianity
• July 6 Death of Jan Hus
• September 28 Czech Statehood Day
• October 28 Foundation of Czechoslovakia
• November 17 Day of Fight for Freedom and Democracy
• December 25, 26 Christmas
  

Czech habits

Dress has become less formal; neat casual wear is usually acceptable, though attendance at the opera or at a symphonic orchestra concert requires a modicum of formality. If you are invited into a Czech home, bring flowers or a small gift and offer to take your shoes off before entering.

Clothes

For most occasions as a student, informal wear is OK. However, do bring something more formal, too. You may be invited to a concert. Also, have in mind that some Czech professors are unimpressed by students who present themselves for an oral exam in jeans and trainers! Much of the older generation considers it is rude to have headwear on indoors, or when speaking to a lady or to an older gentleman. The adoption of baseball caps by some Czech students is considered a sign of the degeneracy of the younger generation.

Theatres

You can find a lot of theatres in Prague. Some have special prices for students with an ISIC card. Here are some of the most famous ones.

• National Theatre (Národní divadlo) - http://www.nd.cz
  Ostrovní 1, Praha 1, Tel: 224 901 377
  Mon – Sun: 10:00 – 17:00
  You can reserve tickets over the Web but it will cost you almost double the normal ticket price. It’s best just to go to the box office and buy them directly.

• Estates Theatre (Stavovské divadlo)
  Ovocný trh 1, Praha 1
  First stone-built theatre in Prague
  The same contact as the National Theatre

• State Opera – Smetana Theatre http://www.opera.cz/en
  Wilsonova 4, Praha 2, Tel: 296 117 111
  With performances from the international repertoire

• Laterna Magica (Beside the National Theatre) http://www.laterna.cz
  Národní třída 4, Praha 1, Tel: 224 931 482
  An experimental theatre with a fantastic mix of multi-screen film combined with live actors

Cinemas and programmes

Prague has dozens of movie theatres, with a particular concentration around Wenceslas Square. Many show recent releases, often in the original version with Czech subtitles. Cinema Svetozor – http://www.kinosvetozor.cz/en/ shows Czech movies with English subtitles.

Concerts

There’s no language barrier when it comes to music. In Prague it’s easy to find a concert or musical performance, anything from grunge to Mozart, any time of the year. http://www.musica.cz

Museums

Here are some of the most famous ones:

• National Museum (main building) - http://www.nm.cz/english/
  Václavské náměstí 68, Praha 1
  Information: tel. 224 497 111, open daily 9:00 – 18:00
  Free admission every first Monday of the month, closed every first Tuesday in the month.

• The Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures
  (Náprstkovo museum asijských, afrických a amerických kultur)
  Betlemské naměstí 1, 110 00 Praha 1, Tel: 222 221 416

• National Technical Museum
  (Národní technické muzeum)
  Kostelní 42, Praha 7

Art Galleries

• National Gallery in Prague - Collection of old art, http://www.ngprague.cz/
  (Národní galerie v Praze - sbírka starého umění)
  Hradčanské nám. 15, Praha 1
  

• Center for modern art and contemporary art of The National Gallery http://www.ngprague.cz
    Veletržní Palác, Dukelských hrdinů 47, Praha 7
  

Clubs and nightlife

There are plenty of things to do when the sun sets over the beautiful skyline of Prague Castle, and the illuminations go on. The downtown area is home to good pubs, bars and hangouts where good music is being played all night. Do remember that pickpockets a very pleased to see inebriated students in bars. Besides the traditional night activities, the best things to do at night in Prague include sightseeing.

In the eighteenth century, Bohemia supplied musicians and composers to the whole of Europe and it remains one of the most musical nations. Not just classical music, connected with famous names such as Smetana and Dvořák, also jazz has deep roots among the Czech people. Prague jazz is highly concen-trated in the area between the National Theatre and Wenceslas Square. Rock legends on world tours reckon to stop off in Prague.

Some recommended clubs:

• Agharta Jazz Centrum, Krakovská 5, Praha 1
  local and international jazz

• Reduta, Národní 20, Praha 1
  best-known of Prague jazz clubs
• Lucerna, Vodičkova 36, Praha 1
• Malostranská Beseda, Malostranské náměstí 21, Praha 5
  folk, reggae, blues, rock
• Rock Café, Národní 20, Praha 1

An overview of all cultural events in Prague can be found at http://www.pis.cz/en/prague/events

International radios

• BBC FM Prague - Prague - FM 101.1
• Radio Praha (English, Deutsch, Espanol, Francais) http://www.radio.cz

International newspapers

Some newspapers and journals are published in English and German.

• Prager Zeitung http://www.pragerzeitung.cz
• Prague Post http://www.praguepost.cz

Bookstores

There’s a fair selection of foreign language bookshops now in Prague and in a few of them you can enjoy food and coffee too. A few of the major Czech bookshops also have a selection of foreign language titles - usually tour guides and famous Czech authors in translation along with the odd bestseller. For a wider selection of fiction The Globe, Big Ben and U Knihomola are your best bet. The Globe sells new and used books but both it and Big Ben deal with English language books only. U Knihomola and the Globe are both cafes, as well.

Technical books published abroad are scarcely obtainable here.

• Bohemian Ventures
  Nám. Jana Palacha 2, Prague 1
  Metro: Staroměstská, open: Mon - Fri 9:00 - 17:00
  Located inside the lobby of Charles University’s philosophy building, this small shop sells English-language books with an Eastern European slant. There’s a good guide selection, and translations of the most famous Czech bards.

• The Globe www.globebookstore.cz
  Pštrossova 6, Prague 1 (near the Dancing House), Tel: 224 934 203,
  Opened in 1993, Prague’s first English-language bookstore/coffeehouse stocks more than 10,000 titles. It has moved to the town centre now, and it is no longer a place where poets get drunk and drunks get poetic. But it is still a good bookshop and a good coffee bar, and now it has internet, too.
  

•  Big Ben Book Shop http://www.bigbenbookshop.com/
  Tel: 224 826 565, Malá Stuparská 5, Prague 1, Tel: 231-8021
  Open: Mon - Fri 9:00 - 18:00, Sat - Sun 10:00 - 17:00
  It seems that with its recent change of location Big Ben is now heading for serious business. The more spacious room in a pretty old building across from the Chapeau Rouge bar is furnished with taste and apparently aimed at those burned out on The Globe: a small bulletin board and low-cost book ordering service have been introduced, and the friendly staff is eager to help. The choice of books has improved, as well, from the obligatory Prague reference corner and English-language teaching materials to a wild mix of intellectual, trashy or simply decent reads.