I anticipated that today was going to be a great day, and, by the end of the day, my assumptions proved to be reasonable. We started off the day by visiting Stredoceske Inovacni Centrum (SIC), which is a company that assists in the development of new companies and startups. After this, Jake and I went exploring. I was dying to find a razor to shave my 4 o’clock shadow, and Jake was craving a unique Czech haircut. We eventually found ourselves in a barbershop that accepted walk-ins where we were provided cups of tea and sugar (something we were not used to at all). We both convinced ourselves to get haircuts at the time, but as time was running out before the beginning of our next event, we had to leave. We made sure to finish the tea to be as respectful as possible, but it was an awkward situation. We intend on returning to this barbershop potentially.
On our way to the next event, we saw a thrift store where we both ended up buying clothes. I even found a Pittsburgh Pirates jacket (see below). We then proceeded to our event and attended two Czech language lectures at Charles University. This was followed by a scavenger hunt for practicing our newly learned skills. Our day then concluded with a tour of the Pilsner Urquell: The Original Beer Experience and a delicious meal at Kantýna with a few guys from our group. Here, I tried steak tartare for the very first time (above is an image of Dylan eating some).
One major highlight of today was the practice and use of our newly learned language skills. When I ordered lunch and dinner today, I attempted to use the Czech language, and it was partially successful. It was always difficult when the server or cashier asked a follow-up question that I did not understand. Usually, in this case, I resort to English, but I would say that my pronunciation of the fundamental words is on par (except for words including ř). It really made me realize the importance of understanding language, especially in the working world. Right now, I would say that I am sort of on vacation, and I can get away with not knowing much about the Czech language, but, if I were to be in a professional setting (say an international engineering project), my Czech skills would not be sufficient. I would consider my skills sufficient if I could go a day without using English, which, right now, would be impossible. Considering that I would like to potentially work internationally, this challenges me to further pursue the enhancement of my language diversity. This would be a very valuable resource both personally and professionally.
Also, by the end of the day, I was able to get a razor and shaving cream and shave my beard. I was dying to do this every single day of this trip so far, and this milestone is so significant that I had to include it in my blog.
Swanson School of Engineering 