History Has It's Eyes On You

A  day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau

As you can tell by the subject of this post it won't be the happiest of blogs, but I will try to lighten things up by the end. On Saturday we took a day trip to the concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. I was very hesitant, but interested in this trip even before I applied for the Nebraska Semester Abroad Program. The Holocaust has been a time in history that has always drew my attention, however even if I read every history book and memoir I would not have been prepared for what I would see and feel on our three and a half hour tour. As we approached the museum I looked at the window and saw the train tracks that I have read and been taught about. The tracks transported people to these camps where in most cases only their souls would leave. Our first stop was at Auschwitz II. The camp was made up of different blocks or buildings. Each building had a different purpose. Some were used for barracks or housing of the Jews, Gypsy's, and Poles others were 'hospitals' or like block 11 a building of torture and experiments. Our tour guide explained to us what would happen when a train would arrive. The passengers would be unloaded from their small cargo car, given instructions to leave their belongings, and by the move a thumb from a solider their fate would be decided. A movement of the thumb to one direction would mean the person would be registered and put to work in the camp a move to the other direction and they were sent directly to a gas chamber to be exterminated. Later in the day we stood in the exact spot that this selection took place and I was overwhelmed realizing that only a short time a go someone else was standing exactly where I was with their fate in another persons finger. Our tour guide told us a story from a survivor that witnessed a younger boy sent to be registered, but his mother and sister were sent the other way. The mother fought for her family to stay together and the soldiers agreed, little did she know that they were all being led to their deaths.  We were also led down the path the the gas chambers which were located in a forest very close to the camp. The chambers at Birkenau were destroyed before the liberation of the camp, but I could still feel my stomach drop as we approached the ruins. We were also led into a block that housed all of the belongings of the people that were brought to the camp. The soldiers would tell them to leave their things in various places and at various times and would lie that they would get them back to keep them cooperative. Part of this building also had clothing and hair that was removed before the people were killed. We walked in to a room that was floor to ceiling covered in women's hair. We were not allowed to take pictures in this room, but even if we were I'm not sure I would have one, as I had to almost immediately remove myself from the room. The people that were chosen to live obviously lived a very miserable life and most would pass away within months of arriving. They were given three meals a day and were allowed to relieve themselves twice a day and had to work around 11 hours a day. Due to malnourishment many people suffered from bloody diarrhea and had no option but to relieve themselves while they were working or while the slept.  My heart ached and still does for the humans that could do this to other human beings.  After the liberation of the camp and it being converted in to a museum survivors were the ones to give the first tours to first visitors of Auschwitz that would come and leave voluntarily. In the end I cannot even put in to words what I felt or saw during my tour. I wish this could somehow be a field trip every person in the world is required to go on, but until then we must remember to love and accept one another for our differences.

Pictures used as a roll call every morning. Everyone pictured died in the camp. 

Shoes removed from the perished

Ruins of the gas chamber at Birkenau

A little bit of happiness

Hi. I thought I'd give all of you (Hi Mommy) a little look to the future of my trip so this post would end on less of a sour note. This week we leave on a class trip to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy. We get to spend a week exploring these cities with our professors and tour guides, Jan and Martin and then get to go on Spring Break! Sami, Molly, and I are spending a day in Milan and then jet setting up to the UK for a nice little break without an language barrier and we get to explore the beautiful cities of London and Dublin. This trip is going so incredibly fast that when we get home we will only have 38 short days left in Europe. I am so unbelievably grateful that I am here and can't wait to see all your beautiful faces and drink all the Starbucks when I get home. Until then I am happy to call the beautiful city of Olomouc home and will probably be homesick for this city while on Spring break and even for a little bit when I get back to the states. I hope this little blip lightened the mood a bit. Can't wait to tell you all about my spring break adventures!

P.S.

Weird things I realized I haven't done in my time here, but would do at home.

Worn a seat belt

Made a phone call (with out wifi)

Drove

Danced (like real danced not my weird club dancing)

Worked

Auditioned for something

Received a smile when I make awkward eye contact with someone

Cooked a meal(don't really do this at home either)

See you next time,

Brianna

Budabust.

April Fools

Entrance of the Grandio

I'm not sure how to describe my first 24 hours in Budapest. We left immediately after class on April 1st (P.S. you are welcome for my April fools joke, America) and arrived to the city via train around 7:30pm. After withdrawing Hungarian currency and figuring out which direction to go, we walked about 20 minutes to our hostel. We were welcomed by a graffitied entrance, bars on the windows, clothing hanging from the trees, and a drunken staff. I will leave you with these pictures to give you a little more of a visual representation of the 'beauty' of the Grandio Party Hostel.

Grandio's house 'rules' and 'amenities' 

I was so overwhelmed by the hostel I was supposed to stay in for the next few days and was ready to leave immediately after walking into our room. Luckily my Mommy(here she is saving the day again) was on top of what a disaster the place was and rebooked Sami and I, as well as five other girls in a hotel down the street. We were all extremely flustered, but got moved to the hotel and then had a comforting American dinner at Burger King. Once we returned to the hotel we decided it would be better to stay in for the evening and tomorrow would be a better day. Saturday morning we decided to go on a free walking tour. On our way to the meeting point we stopped at a bakery to get breakfast. Sami and I had the money that was refunded from the hostel and were trying to split it up. We were at a table in the corner away from the entrance and all of a sudden a hand reaches in between us and runs away with 20,000ft (roughly 72 USD). Sami tried to stop him, but was unsuccessful and the man ran out, but was shortly followed by another man who sprinted after him and got our money back. I wish I could have taken a picture to capture this moment, sadly it wasn't possible. 

Fools no more.

View from the top of the dinner cruise. (Ft. a woman's elbow)

We finally made it to the meeting point at Vörösmarty Square and were greeted by a very friendly tour guide, Andrew. He ushered us around the city for two and a half hours and gave us great tips and tricks for the rest of our stay. That evening we decided to book a dinner cruise. Best $40 I have spent! We had a buffet of traditional Hungarian food, three free drinks, live music, and the most beautiful view of the historical building along the Danube. The cruise finished our second day on a much higher note than the first which was a happy feeling.  Our last day in Budapest was spent at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. The facility had 17 'pools' as well as various spa amenities. It was such a relaxing and therapeutic way to end a trip that had started horribly. Overall the city of Budapest was fine. It was a city culturally different from our home in Nebraska, due to the belligerent drunks that roam the streets late at night and the early hours of the morning, and the way men 'cat call' and sometimes even touch women at any hour of the day. To end this on a more positive note, I was very grateful to be in a city that had an insane amount of English. We were welcomed in English, heard English almost always while walking, and most signs were even in English. So, thank you Budapest for having me, however I will not be coming again. 

Széchenyi Thermal Baths

P.S.

Things I am so thankful for:

my Mommy

wifi

people back home that talk to me regularly 

Olomouc feeling like home

Sprite 

being in Europe for three months

Spring is finally here

Trying out my Travel Legs

Bohemian Blues (Homesick)

Sometimes you need your Mommy

For those of you that don't know, the Czech Republic is separated into two regions, Bohemia and Moravia. The field trip this weekend we spent in Prague, which is Bohemia, but we also traveled to Moravia on a day trip, but more on Moravia later. While I am not normally one to show my emotion, everything on our field trip made me want to cry. I'm not exaggerating when I say the sandwich I ate for lunch, the way some said a certain word, and anytime I heard English made me feel so emotional. I also hated the hostel, but I am so incredibly weird about where and how I sleep that sometimes I don't even want to sleep at a family members house, but never the less it was a struggle. I spent Thursday crying in the hostel in my room alone because I had no way to contact anyone at home because of the horrible wifi, I spent Saturday crying in the shower because I felt so alone, and Monday crying because a joke I played back fired on me. I know this starts this post off in such a somber way, but I wanted to address the issue and not sugar coat my experience here. I think the homesickness really set in because of my lack of communication. It is so different being away in another state because you can call whomever or text whomever you want without any restrictions, in Europe I have to relay completely on wifi which is difficult. I also think that coming back to Prague my subconscious thought my trip was over and it was time to go back to The States when in reality I am only twenty something days into my journey. The homesickness was aided by finally finding wifi and talking to my Mommy and other friends back home. Even if I didn't tell you I was homesick this weekend, know that you helped so much just by communicating with me in anyway, and I thank you so incredibly much for that. 

Prague, Czech Republic 

John Lennon wall.  An appreciation for little things. 

However, this homesickness did not hinder me from having a fairly decent time in Prague. I had already been to Prague at the beginning of trip, so I wasn't too excited to go back, but the way that Jan and Martin explained the history gave me a new appreciation for the area. I loved seeing the Charles Bridge, Prague Caste, and the John Lennon wall through their historical eyes. The city is so incredibly beautiful I am not sure I could ever get enough(as long as I don't have to stay in that hostel ever again.)

Changing of The Guard. Military band playing. 

We visited the royal palace while in Prague which was a little anticlimactic for me. It was a very cool place, but was not exactly what I envisioned. However, while we were there we saw the ceremonial changing of the guards which was such an awesome experience. I also got to visit the old jewish ghetto which was incredibly eye opening. As a person that's has  never had their religion, race, or occupation persecuted against its hard to fathom what that would be like. Seeing first hand what the Czech Jewish community has gone through for thousands of years was incredibly eye opening. 

The Old New Synagogue

I honestly could not imagine being a part of a race and religion that has always had something against them, and commend their faith for sticking to their beliefs. While on our tour of the  Jewish quarters we saw the oldest synagogue in Europe, 'The Old New Synagogue.' I'm not one hundred percent sure what I expected out of the view of the Synagogue but what I saw was no where near what I thought I would see. Which was a surprise I welcomed with open arms. On another note of religion, I also was able to attend Easter mass at  St. Vitus Cathedral while in Prague. The service was in Czech so even the devout Catholics felt out of place, but it was still somewhat comforting to be in the house of God on the day celebrating his accession into Heaven. However,  I did miss the booming voice of the pastor in tiny Wheaten, Kansas that I hear every Easter spreading the news, "He is risen, He is risen indeed."  I am so blessed with this experience and so happy I got to experience Prague in a new way.

Dresden, Germany

Dresden Frauenkirche

During our field trip to Prague we got to take a quick day trip to Dresden, Germany which was absolutely impeccable. I'm not sure if it was a change in pace from the Czechs or if it was a true shift in attitude but I felt so much more welcome in Dresden. We didn't do a lot of things, but none the less the city now has a special place in my heart. Dresden, holds the most important Lutheran church in Europe, the Dresden Frauenkirche. Being a Lutheran it was a nice change a pace to walk in to a sanctuary I felt comfortable and almost strange feeling of home in, instead of the Catholic churches we walk in to almost daily.  I also got to pose with the man himself, Martin Luther in front of the church before we went in. While at this church we also climbed to the top of the steeple and saw beautiful views of the city of Dresden.  The end of the day was spend viewing art work in the famous museum, 'Old Masters Gallery.' The museum  was quite interesting but without headphones or English explanations my interpretations felt subpar to what was truly meant by the artist.

Old  Masters Gallery

The city felt so unbelievably safe and homey, but as much as I wanted to stay there I knew Olomouc was calling my name and I needed to come home. I am so blessed to have seen two beautiful cities in one weekend I couldn't be happier to be studying abroad in Europe. 

A New Place to Call Home.

As I promised I'm here with a blog post! YAY!! Hope all my devoted followers enjoy it(That's you Mommy) and hopefully get a baby taste of my adventures here! So here we go...

Jet lag at its finest.

I've been in the beautiful country of the Czech Republic, or Cesky as the the locals call it, for a little over a week. I keep pinching myself because it doesn't seem real. My first few days I spent in Prague, and they were amazing. It is a city fueled by tourists so it reminded me of my lovely NYC, but also incredibly rich in history as all of Europe is. Sami and I landed at the Prague airport on March 10th a little before 2pm after we had conquered an hour flight delay which made us sprint through the Minneapolis airport barely making it on board our international flight one minute before the doors closed. However, we made it! Our first day in Prague was spent conquering the dreaded jet lag. This was even more of a struggle because Sami and I slept an hour on the plane between the two of us. While we were checking in to Hotel Caesar, which I was very impressed with thanks Mommy for teaching me to read reviews while booking, we found our other travel buddy Molly. The three of us wandered the city for awhile and we found the coveted DOUGHNUT ICE CREAM CONES. I'm sorry to disappoint, I did not like the ice cream cone. That's just my opinion so come to Prague and taste it yourself. :)

Kissing the cone before I realized I didn't
like it.

The rest of our stay in Prague was spent exploring. We met up with Lydia and Jessica and took a hop on hop off tour of the city. Which was the best 500kc(roughly $20) I have spent on this trip so far. We visited Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Queens Palace, and explored Kampa Park. It is so amazing how much history one city can have and how many centuries it can go back. We lack that in America due to us being such a young country. The tour also allowed us to have a section on the Vltava river which was a very unique view of the city. We met up with some other UNK students later that evening and experienced a little bit of what Prague's night life has to offer.  The next day we visited the John Lennon Wall which is a symbolic grave of the Beatles band member. The wall is full of anything and everything anyone wants to say or 'spray' with a can of paint it was artistically refreshing. Our night was finished with a little more art and saw a black light theatre show 'Phantom'. My thoughts on this production could probably fill a book so if you are truly interested call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me. The last day we had in Prague I got to walk through the city solo to go meet my friend from Kearney, Madi at St. Vitus Cathedral. Walking around anywhere by yourself gives you a very cool perspective and I kind of felt like a local for a few minutes. Once I said goodbye to my friend we headed to the airport to meet the rest of our group. After we all made it to the arrival terminal we took a bus to the enchanting city of Olomouc and  have been here for exactly one week. 

Panoramic view of my dorm room

We arrived in Olomouc close to 8pm on  Sunday and everything felt very disorganized. It was all very chaotic and it left me feeling a little homesick and unsure of the new place I would have to call home until June. This uneasy feeling passed after a goodnights sleep and in my seven short days here I can proudly call Olomouc home. Nebraska abroad is partnered with the group call ISHA. Which is the history students at Palacky University here in Olomouc.  The students planned a welcome party, a tour of the city, a tour of the university buildings, a pub crawl, a day at the Antique Market and a trip to the Holy among other events. I am very grateful for all they have done for us in our short time here.

Group trip to Holy Hill

I am here to study so I should touch on that in my first post. We had our 'syllabus week' our first couple days here along with guest lectures. I was not aware how connected Olomouc as well as the rest of the Czech republic is connected with America and Nebraska. All three of our guest lectures had different information on our historical connections. My regular classes are language, holocaust history, and a field study class. All three of the classes sound very interesting and I can't wait for them to start. The only class that has truly met is our language class. Czech. Is. Hard. The language still uses our latin alphabet but each letter sounds different as well as new letters being added. I am excited but also very intimidated to dig deeper in to this new language. More to come on how wonderful our classes are later once they get in to full swing! ;)

A traditional Czech dish, Fried cheese. YUM.

The cultural change is also something I have been observing. A huge culture difference from America, especially the midwest, and here is how we greet each other. Czechs are very straight faced/angry people. One of our guest lecturers told us if you ask a Czech how they are doing they will always respond with, "Everything is shit.' When in Nebraska we always say we are 'good' or 'fine'. Alcohol is another big thing here. You can order a beer or some sort of alcoholic beverage anytime anywhere. I couldn't imagine walking in to Panera and watching someone order a beer with their lunch it is something our culture doesn't embrace. Food is an area I thought would change drastically and an area I would struggle with as a very picky eater. This being said, I haven't had a meal I didn't like. I've even tried traditional Czech dishes a few times! I can't lie though, I can almost find any American dish I am craving. We've had chinese, burgers, pizzas, tomato soup(my favorite), and even sushi. Ordering has been a little bit of a struggle but nothing that can't be handled. I could probably type for hours but I will spare you until my next post. Na Shledanou! 

P.S.

Things I miss

1. Ice/Free water
2.  Fountain Pop
3. Dancing/ Everything in the FAB
4. My own schedule

Things I don't miss

1. Driving
2. How Expensive eating out is
3. Cow smell
4. Mornings

Okay, Now I'm really done. See you via my blog in a week.