Recently my husband and I felt like characters in a fairytale: an imposing castle on Hradcany Hill overlooking the
Vltava river, an Old Town with charming bridges boasting Neo-gothic figures, and even an astronomical clock chiming every hour. Although hidden from the world while under Communist control (1948-1989), Prague has made up for the time lapse. We arrived with little knowledge of the Slavic culture and left charmed and still very curious, especially about water.
Why would we be charged for a glass of water? As Americans we expected “extra friendly and smiley” service including a free glass of water. Did we really need to pay for it? Actually we felt more curious than disgruntled. Nothing personal was happening. Although the waiter walked away while we still had quizzical looks on our faces, this was how things were: there’s a fee for water because “sometimes guests only order food and not drinks. We must cover our costs.” Little incidents that might have aggravated us represented instead just differences in cultural norms. Curiosity became our ally.
Admittedly when visiting as a tourist, it’s difficult to say too much about a culture. The locals we met worked in 
the service industry and didn’t represent a cross section of the city. Still, they were a starting point. Further, they’re humans just like us. They go to work, enjoy a good Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell, celebrate holidays with family and friends, just like us. These people have experienced many joys and times of happiness, just like us. The Czech citizens we met wish to be healthy and have fulfilling relationships, just like us. When we oriented ourselves toward a shared humanity with a large dose of curiosity, the water charge became a little bit of an enigma and nothing more. People are good everywhere!
Living as a traveler means having curiosity and gleaning similarities. Here are a few tips for enjoying any culture.
- Acquire a few keys phrases in the country’s language. In Czech, “Thank You” is “De`kuji” (duck-wee) ; “Please” is “Prosi`m”; and “Cheers” is “Nazdravi`”
- Ask thoughtful questions to demonstrate genuine interest and foster understanding.
- Be patient. What’s so important about being served quickly? Relax and enjoy where you are. Remember to allow plenty of time around the dining table.
Every night in the main town squares, Christmas Markets were in full attendance. Music, shopping, singing and eating ensued with delectable dishes served from large cast iron pans or spits roasting fresh pastry dough. Music reigned in this city. We attended a concert of the Czech Philharmonic in the beautiful Neo-Renaissance “Rudolphinum”, performing a program of Shubert, Mozart and Hayden. During the performance the audience was spellbound. No one moved an inch! Many ladies were dressed in long dresses and during intermission, champagne was the drink of choice. Celebrating the holidays brought us into the culture.
Like in our country, some professional Czech athletes are revered, including the ice hockey player, Jamoir Jagr. According to our proud waiter (and Wikipedia), in 2017 Jagr was the oldest player in the NHL with 1914 points, only second to Wayne Gretzky. He’s known for wearing the number “68” throughout his career, in honor of the Prague Spring that occurred in Czechoslovakia at that time. His grandfather died in prison the same year and had previously been imprisoned for opposing the collectivization of his family farm in the postwar Communist takeover. To be sure there are many more stories of brave citizens who faced suppression. Although our history does not include Communist oppression, as humans we all yearn to live free.
Water to drink. Check. Independence. Check. Rich differences. Check. Similarities. Check. Shared Humanity. Check.
Share and hear more stories! Join us for The World Within Reach: A Travel Workshop, Thursday, January 24th. Check out details on A Traveling Time home page. Click to REGISTER .
