Indo-Czech exchange December 2012

 

Day 1: Sunday, 02nd December 2012

 

One of first things that struck us was the fact that Mr. Marks himself came to pick us up at the airport. It was a sign of the hospitality that we could expect from the rest of our hosts. We had traditional fried chicken and potato salads for lunch, which some of the boarders cooked themselves. They also made an Indian version of one of their rice dishes for us, which was a very thoughtful touch.

 

We went for a walk in the forest after lunch and it was such a great experience, since we don’t have anything similar at home. It felt like a dream, since there was snow everywhere and the whole scene was like something out of a Narnia movie. The walk ended at a tavern and we tried local coffee, fruit tea and pancakes, which were served with whipped cream, ice-cream and chocolate. Needless to say, we were completely stuffed by the time we had to leave. Our hosts came to meet us in our rooms and they showed us around the school, so that we would be familiar with it for next day’s lessons. After a sumptuous pizza dinner (which was once again prepared by the students living in the dorms), we had a chance to interact with the students who were coming back to the school after a weekend away.

 

Day 2: Monday, 03rd December 2012

 

Attending classes here was a really interesting experience. We found that their way of learning was very different from what we’re used to. Given the student teacher ratio, we found that there was a higher level of interaction and communication. It was very nice of the teachers to take the time to incorporate us into their classes, even though we didn’t always do the same subject. For example, in the French and Spanish classes, they asked us what we’d like to do and they used the time for us to share our language experiences with them, and vice versa. We picked up a few words in Czech as well.

 

 

In the evening, we visited the café created by the students and run by students themselves to raise money for themselves, and it’s a part of their CAS activity. It was a lovely experience to see how students here had their own private recreational space. The most popular drink in the café is ‘Kaffola’ which is very refreshing and different- something we have never tried before.

 

Day 3: Tuesday, 04th December 2012

 

We headed towards Prague early morning via local train. We started our day with something called ‘Bubble tea’ which was something we have never tried before; it was extremely refreshing. We walked on the cobbled streets of Prague through the Christmas market, which was filled with local dishes and souvenirs.

 

 

We took a tram to the Prague castle. Within the castle was a cathedral, which took around four centuries to build. The Cathedral was an architectural marvel with its stained glass paintings and gothic structures.

 

After visiting the Cathedral we walked around the castle, which overlooked the city. The Czech students were really informative as they enriched our knowledge about the history of Prague. We then walked one of the most iconic bridges of Prague called ‘Charles bridge’ built by Charles the fourth. We were then given some time to explore the city by ourselves and came across a larger Christmas market. It was nice to see how the entire place was lit up for Christmas; there was a 20 feet tall Christmas tree, lights everywhere, a stage where children were singing etc.

 

The city was full of magnificent ancient buildings including the National Theatre, the museum, the library etc., which gave the city its charm. Compared to Mumbai, Prague is a pollution free city. In addition to that, the cleanliness of the city awed us. Prague is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Walking through this gorgeous city was like a dream come true.

 

 

Day 4: Wednesday, 05th December 2012

 

We woke up with a feeling of euphoria because we knew that today would have a certain buzz to it. After our morning classes, we spent the afternoon with some of the students from the lower grades. They had some trouble with the English language and we spent two hours that afternoon teaching them and conversing with them. We thought up different games and strategies to help them out and it was really cool to watch how excited they were while interacting with us. This task was particularly challenging since we didn’t know their language to explain things in. So we had to use many other strategies like drawing, acting, etc.

 

 

Prep time began with havoc in the kitchen as both the Czech students as well as the Indian students began preparing the dishes for the fest. A very close atmosphere had developed with both sides exchanging valuable tips and trying to peek into each others’ dishes.

 

We tried teaching the Czech students the name of our dishes and so did they, but apart from the names of some dishes both us and them couldn't say the names. We saw Toni in action, dressed in his chef clothes, cooking his all famous spring rolls.

 

The final menu from the Indian students was: Tandoori Chicken, Nimbu Paani, Sev Puri and Gajar ka halwa. The Czech menu included Pork schnitzels, potato salads and two traditional Bundt cakes. Tony, the Vietnamese student, brought some cup-noodles and Vietnamese salami in addition to the spring rolls he made.

 

Day 5: Thursday 06th December 2012

 

The day started off with our presentation for the students of Open Gate at their assembly. We spoke about where we came from, our experiences in Prague and showed them a video about our school.

 

 

We embarked on our journey to Kutna Hora early in the morning. The temperature was about minus three degrees Celsius thus sending a chill down our spines. Kutna Hora is regarded as Old Prague and it is splendid. Ironically, in the tranquil Kutna Hora we visited the scary yet enchanting Bone Chapel.

 

The Chandelier there was made up of all the 206 bones in the human body. None of us had ever seen something like this before. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

 

In the evening we went to the Classical Concert of Baroque and Christmas music, which was taking place in Prague city. The concert was held in a library of an old monastery. There were beautiful frescoes over the walls and ceiling of the hall. The lights were dimmed and the musicians played by candlelight. We had front row seats, which allowed to us to watch the musicians up close. We were amazed at skills of the quartet. Some of the pieces were sung by a mezzo soprano, whose voice was absolutely beautiful. It was a very unique experience for all of us and gave us a look at yet another facet of Czech culture.

 

Day 6: Friday, 7th December 2012

 

Our experience with the primary school kids of the Open Gate School at Prague was truly enriching and very interesting. We dressed in our traditional clothes and it was really flattering to hear the compliments from all the students in the Primary school. They were really impressed and awed by the brightness of the fabrics and colours. In each class, we spent some time telling them about various aspects of Indian culture like our monuments, our cities, our festivals and our music. They children were absolutely fascinated and had dozens of questions for us, which we were happy to answer.

 

 

Later that afternoon, each of us went to our host families, all of whom came from different areas in and around the city of Prague. That weekend was filled with new experiences of a different culture, accompanied by a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It was truly a fitting way to end the trip.