Origins of My Host Culture

List some interesting historical facts about your host destination that you have learned since your arrival. How does the history of your destination impact daily life today? Do you have the opportunity to witness any historical monuments or sites associated with these facts? Why might it be
beneficial to learn about your destination’s past before arriving?

What may be the part of Czech history that is most relevant to my experience here is its communist past. Czechoslovakia was communist for 40 years, beginning with a coup d'état by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in 1948 and ending in the bloodless Velvet Revolution in 1989. This period of time is marked notably by the Prague Spring on August 20, 1968, when Soviet powers invaded Czechoslovakia after one of their major political party leaders, Alexander Dubček, made a number of liberal reforms (i.e. lifting a censorship on media) (Wikipedia). Refusing to accept the presence of these invaders as a new normal, Charles University student Jan Palach (followed by Jan Zajíc a month later) set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square, a well-known and traversed location near the center of Prague, in 1969, later succumbing to his injuries (Wikipedia). Unbeknownst to me before I got to Prague, I arrived on the 50^th anniversary of Palach’s act. Though I did not get to see any demonstrations to honor his memory because I spent most of the day in transit, at the airport, or at orientation, a few of my classmates did catch glimpses of the historically significant moment.

Jan Palach's name draped in the front of the National Museum (Narodni muzeum)

     When it comes to daily life, it is very interesting to see the differences in people from different generations. There are those who came of age and social consciousness during communism, others for whom the fall of the regime happened while they were still figuring out the society they lived in, others who have no memory of the regime whatsoever but were raised by those that lived it, and then young adults near my age who are preparing for very different futures from those that came before them. This difference also relates to the likelihood that a Czech person knows English, as younger people that grew up in a society with a friendlier disposition towards the West are more likely to have been taught it in school.

     For my personal life, I have definitely benefited from Prague being as globalized as it is, since I can rest assured that I will be able to navigate and interact with people with only my knowledge of English (but I have been practicing my Czech!). Culturally, I have noticed a lot of 80's and 90's music being played at restaurants/bars/clubs, but I am unsure of how that differs from bars/clubs in the States. This also might relate to the fact that the region of the Czech Republic that Prague is in is known as Bohemia, so there is quite the affinity for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".


Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora (Catholic Church of St. Salvator) and Kostel svatého Františka z Assisi (St. Francis Of Assisi Catholic Church)

     One should definitely learn about their host country's past before arriving, because it serves as a good foundation upon which to orient one's self when they arrive. I believe it mitigates culture shock, since there would already be an understanding of the cultural roots and norms in a country's history that influences its people daily. It is a due diligence to the country and culture that will be your home for several months.The experience is also very different, looking forward to something that you have already learned about compared to learning about it in the moment and probably forgetting about it sooner thereafter because it has not been with you very long. There is a complex, beautiful, historically rich world out there, learn about it!