Czech

We've been living in Prague for a week tomorrow, so I thought I'd share a few observations. Just a few things we find interesting/difficult/beautiful.

* Sandals and socks are socially acceptable.
* Public transport kicks arse. The stations could be cleaner, but with trains and trams coming every 3-10 minutes, it sure rivals most Australian public transport systems!
* This town's too cool for air conditioning.
* A Czech's personal space is about 20cm less than ours in Australia. Small country + lots of people = small personal space.
* Most expats here haven't bothered to learn the language, it's too difficult.
* Every sidewalk is made of cobblestone squares approximately 2x2 inches....it must've taken them forever to pave the city!
* People blow smoke in your face unapologetically. This happens in Australia, but with $5 smokes I'm sure it happens a lot more here.
* Dogs on trains and in shopping centres are okay.
* For females, pull anything from your wardrobe of 1996-2001 and chuck it on, no worries. Show that belly!
* There are massive parks littered throughout the city, you can't catch many a metro without popping out above ground next to one. Nice!
* As a 'house rule', we are required to pull the icicles off of our balcony in winter....! We are also not to walk on the grass or hang clothes on our balcony.
* Contrary to what we have been told, living here is not cheap. It's about equivalent to living in Australia.
* Bread rolls are the way to go. Though we're yet to find fresh, doughy bread rolls. Still, a bit of metwurst and cheese makes the experience worthwhile.
* We have seen many people with disabilities here. On our first day we saw three people who were blind and have since seen two groups of people who were deaf.
* Prague gets warm in the Summer! My one pair of shorts are getting a work out.
* Homeless people catch trams. A few days ago we stood near a man who had fallen asleep on the tram and had a massive snot dripping from his nose to his chest, for the entire trip. Yesterday we hopped in a carriage with a man who stunk so badly several people changed carriages and at least three of us were obviously holding our noses. Even I, with a cold, smelt him and had to sniff my freshly moisturised hands to mask the smell...
* Everyone takes their shoes off at the door. We love this! Even the tradesman who came to fix our light took his shoes off at the front door. Apparently this is Czech tradition and it sure makes it easier for us as we're presently sweeping with a dustpan and brush.
* Coconut milk costs $3 a tin...
* We've found Jin Ramen! My favourite brand of Korean Noodles....we also found Kim Chi in the same store, but it was about $10 for 150 grams.
* You cannot assume that anyone speaks English, least of all anyone over 25.
* Shopping is difficult, especially when the packaging often has 5-6 different languages on it and not one of them is English.
* There are shops around the place that appear to have had their stock since 1973. Time warp!
* The trees have not yet started to lose their leaves or even turn yellow, which we love.
* The city does not concern itself with removing graffiti or cleaning the sidewalks.
* In the Old Town, every turn is photo-worthy.

That's all for now, but I'm sure we'll update you as we learn more about this lil' city so far from home...

Can you tell we're missing Australia?! I'm sure it's normal.

Love, Us.