Czeching out of Czech!

It's the morning after the International Law and Human Rights program finished and I can't quite believe it is all over! Putting into words the experiences, friendships and memories made here is very hard, but I will try!

We have had an absolutely amazing final week here in Brno, Czech Republic. Monday was karaoke night! With the help of our coordinators we managed to find a karaoke bar in Brno. After a few pivo's for courage, most of us got up and had a sing. We even heard from our coordinator Martin, who sang a Czech song about Mexicu! The entire Australian group tried very hard to provide back up support for him, but we only ended up ever getting the word Mexicu out!

At the ice hokey - Go KOMETAs!

Tuesday involved a trip to the ombudsman's office, but most importantly an opportunity to go to the ice hockey!!! Brno's team the 'Kometas' were playing at their home stadium. This was such a fantastic atmosphere! We even learnt some chants in Czech (Still not quite sure what I was saying!)! Whilst the Kometas narrowly lost, it was still a fantastic night.

The team on the ice at the ice hockey game

On Wednesday the weather suddenly turning very cold! We were cold when the temperatures were minus three, but when then dropped to minus fifteen most of us were struggling pretty hard! The cold weather and some illness amongst the group provided some great excuses to spend all of Wednesday studying for our exam. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, law students still cram the night before, have group pizza/study sessions and hate exams!

With the exam and official academic program completed, Thursday brought the day where all could let their hair down! We went out for a final dinner with the whole group, our lecturers and coordinators. We brought the program to a close and received our graduation certificates. Little did we know that the best was yet to come Our amazing coordinator Martin had organised a surprise for us after dinner - a private tram party! During our time in Brno we had spent much time on the trams. It was an efficient means of getting places and after three weeks we had really mastered the system! Martin had hired us a private tram, complete with Czech band and bar, which drove us around the city for two hours. It was probably one of the highlights of my entire trip!

Me with Ban Ki-Moon at the UN in Vienna!!

Friday morning arrived (far too quickly for my liking!) and we were saying goodbye to Brno, bound for Vienna, Austria. After settling into our hostel, we made our way to the United Nations Headquarters. This was a really special experience and we were privileged to receive lectures on the UNODC's work in human trafficking and anti-terrorism. After a guided tour and with souvenirs in hand, the official program came to an end.

The representatives from the University of Wollongong outside the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University

These are some of the highlights and greatest memories of this trip:

• Seeing Swan Lake performed by the National Ballet Company

• Piña coladas in Prague

• Crossing the Charles Bridge in Prague whilst it was snowing

• Australia Day in Brno

• Seeing the Philharmonic

• Going to the Rudas baths in Budapest

• Seeing the ice hockey in Brno

• Having a private tram party!

• Going to the UN in Vienna

• Meeting some of the most amazing people and creating life time friendships!

This has just been the most life-changing experience - one I wouldn't take back for anything. If you are thinking about doing an AIM overseas program - do it! You want regret it!

Lauren Howes is participating in our January 2012 International Law and Human Rights program at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Lauren is about to start her 5th year of a Bachelor of Laws/Medical Science degree at the University of Wollongong.

Food, shelter and love in Brno

Well, what an amazing first week in the Czech Republic or, as the locals say and the Australians mispronounce, good old Ceska.

We’ve managed to cover a lot in our first days in this quirky country - too much to include in one go!

Seeing as we’ve spent most of the first week on the various human rights enshrined within international conventions, I’ll stick with describing how some of the basic needs for human life work here.

FOOD

Food here is a number of things. Filling. Warming. Potato-tastic. It is also DIRT CHEAP and I doubt I will ever get over being able to dine out in a fine restaurant with gorgeous views for under AUD 20.00, including drinks and dessert. Fancy a scoop or three of gelato? That’ll be AUD 1.20 please. A slab of steak? A handful of crowns will see you through. And don’t even get me started on the pivo (beer). Not only is it high quality pilsner, but it’s also all of AUD 1.00 a glass in most places. Sometimes it’s as little as 25 cents. I’m not a beer person but I’d be willing to convert for that price.

Typical meal at the cafeteria - Goulash with potato dumplings

Stepping out of the frosty air into a warm café for a spot of hot chocolate so thick it has to be eaten with a spoon is, no lie, one of the biggest highlights of my day.

That, and visiting Billa, the local supermarket chain that sits across the street from our residence. From Hello Kitty ice cream to Hannah Montana non-alcoholic wine, Billa has all your essentials covered. It’s pretty much become our local and we frequent it at least once a day.

Baby bear apricot cake. The weirder it is, the more compelled you are to buy it and try it.

Italian is big here. As an alternative to the traditional meat and potato dishes that still retains a high level of warming carbohydrates, it makes sense. But it soon became our mission

to find a non-Italian place after eating risotto and ravioli for dinner every night. Not to hate on the pasta though, it’s all delicious - gnocchi’s on every menu to the delight of many.

Success! Happy Chinese New Year!

SHELTER

Living in a university dorm seems to have thrown up a mixed bag of experiences amongst those participating, especially those rooming with an actual student of Masaryk University. I have been more than blessed, however, with my lovely Serbian room mate, Ana, who frequently shares her cake, fridge, excellent English and knowledge of good places to eat in Brno with me.

View from my room of my first night in Brno

On a broader level, the architectural landscape of both this city and Prague, which we visited over the weekend (!) is consistently stunning. 15^th Century baroque and neo-renaissance cathedrals seem to be as carelessly scattered throughout Europe as RSL’s are back home. St Petrov’s Cathedral in the midst of Brno, with it’s sky high spires and panoramic view of the entire city, is a typical example of the astonishing buildings you can expect to see on an everyday skyline. Same goes for ornate metalwork and gold leafing on balconies, marbled facades for any one of the six or so major theatres and generally complementary colour scheme that all the buildings in Brno seem to have going on.

The view of Brno from the top of St Petrov’s Church. Note the red nose.

Tradition vs. modernity in Freedom Square

Beautiful Brno

A place where we spend a fair amount of time is room 038 in the law faculty of Masaryk University. The building is gorgeous, open and lit by a lot of sunlight which glances off the white marble and wood that makes up a lot of its interior and exterior. It feels a bit like a UN building. Apparently it was used by the Gestapo during the Communist regime.

WARMTH

It’s generally agreed that the weather here has been ridiculously mild for what is supposed to be the depths of European winter. We’ve been lucky enough to have blue skies and sun for most of our time, save one episode of rain and driving, wet, sideways blowing snow in Prague during a four hour walking tour. There have been a few magical bouts of falling snow in Brno but they never seem to last long - the quest to craft a snowman still remains.

LOVE

Everyone on this course, without exception, is lovely. Our tutors, co-ordinators and guest speakers have so far been endearingly enthusiastic about their respective areas of expertise. One of them even claps his hands a little bit when he gets really excited. There have been plenty of scheduled and spontaneous group dinners and activities and new friendships have become Facebook official. Whatever reservations anyone had were quickly tossed aside during group cocktails and other bubbly filled, strobe-lit outings in Brno and Prague. After readings had been finished, of course.

Outside St Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Loving the shopping at the moment. Everything’s on sale and most people have purchased at least one or two new items for their travel wardrobes. Shoes were a big one after some pairs got wet in the crazy Prague snow. Dresses for an operatic ballet were another good excuse to trawl through Zara and H&M. It’s safe to say that we’re quite a sartorially splendid crew at the moment.

Most of all, loving the essence of travel. New people, new places, new words, new knowledge and new experiences. And by the end of it, new you.

Czech-ing in again soon,

Jam..

Anything but pedestrian Prague!

 Anything but pedestrian Prague! - International Law and Human Rights Blog with Lauren Howes

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, getting up on a Monday morning is very hard. Especially when you have had such a fabulous few days in one of the best cities in the world!

It's hard to believe that we are more than a third of the way through our International Law and Human Rights Course. We have had such great experiences already! On Thursday we got to be judges for a few minutes, taking our seat on the bench at the Constitutional Court. A few of us were also lucky enough to get tickets to the National Ballet Company performing the 'Swan Lake' ballet! It was a truly spectacular performance and it only cost $7 AUD!

The whole group on the bench at the Constitutional Court

After a week of anticipation, Friday finally arrived and we were on our first weekend trip away. Two and a half hours later and our train pulled up to the 'hlavni nadrazi' in Prague! We walked from our hotel through the beautiful streets of Prague to the offices of Allan and Overy. We were given a great talk by the office manager of the firm, who spoke about the ethical responsibility of corporate lawyers. This was then followed by talks from representative of Czech NGO's. There were some really interesting perspectives on human rights, and it was great to compare the Australian and European systems of law.

Saturday was definitely the best day I have had so far. We started early and began our walking tour of Prague. Accompanied by our wonderful your guide Wencelaslas, we conquered most of the major sites of the city. From the Prague castle to Charles Bridge, words can't quite describe how beautiful this city is! Standing on the Charles Bridge with a bunch of new friends whilst it was snowing was just amazing! A word of caution though: the streets here are all made of marble. This is very pretty, but when it starts snowing it gets very slippery!

Our walking group with the city of Prague in the background

After such a big day on Saturday (and for some, a very big Saturday night!!!!), Sunday morning was very early. We checked out of Hotel Evropa and caught the train to a little city about an hour out of Prague. Kutna Hura contained a fascinating church that houses the bones of 30000 plague victims. These bones had been turned into works of art - everything from pyramids to shields and chandeliers. Honestly - it was a little bit creepy! We finished up the day visiting a beautiful church and eating deep fried cheese!


 

I've found out there are definitely some things I take for granted in Australia!

• Laws about smoking! The Czech Republic has no laws about smoking - you can smoke anywhere! This includes inside in shopping centres and restaurants!

• The natural beauty of Australia - especially the beach! The Czech Republic is a beautiful country, but it's landlocked! I definitely miss seeing the beach.

• Vegetables. I love salad and vegetables. But nothing is served here with vegetables! I have eaten a lot of potatoes, bread, meat and cheese, but not much else!

• Shower screens! No shower has a shower screen over here. Let's just say I have learnt the hard way not to put any dry clothes anywhere near the shower.

I'm very excited for the week ahead. We have a lot of really interesting activities scheduled! Until then!

The gorgeous Prague Castle

A shield made of bones at Kutna Hora

The group in Kutna Hora

Charles Bridge in Prague

Lauren Howes is participating in our January 2012 International Law and Human Rights program at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Lauren is about to start her 5th year of a Bachelor of Laws/Medical Science degree at the University of Wollongong. 

"You will develop a love of beer" - Stefanie's 3 weeks in the Czech Republic

Stefanie (centre) with friends in the midst of acquiring a palate for Czech beer

Stefanie Dziadkiewicz is currently in her penultimate year of a Business/Law degree at Victoria University. Stefanie did AIM Overseas’ International Law and Human Rights course in the Czech Republic in January this year. Stefanie took some time out between exams to speak to us about her time living and studying in Eastern Europe:

Hi Stefanie! Tell us why you chose this program.
I chose this program as it appealed to me to knock out a subject overseas and I thought that three weeks in Europe was just perfect – and then I spent a month afterwards travelling around Europe, which was awesome!

What was a typical day like for you during the program?
We got up at about 7.30-8 most days. We had classes from Monday to Thursday from 9 until 12.15, with a short break in-between. I was fortunate enough to share my room with a lovely girl from the University of Canberra and we’ve become really good friends since. We started walking around the local neighbourhood a couple of times a week to burn those eastern European calories! We were fortunate enough to have a little supermarket across the road so we would go and buy some fresh pastries before class.

After class, everyone met in the cafeteria – we all got along really, really well – and we’d discuss the afternoon activities together. Then we’d do some shopping, we’d go to the ballet, go ice-skating… Brno’s a great town with lots to explore and so much to do!

Every Tuesday, Masaryk University planned some activities for us: for example we visited the Ombudsman’s office and the Constitutional Court. The university also planned some traditional Czech dinners for us a couple of times a week, which was really cool.

Thursday nights always consisted of packing because every Friday, Saturday and Sunday we had our weekends away, which were just amazing! [As part of the program, the host university organises weekend trips away for AIM Overseas students] On our first weekend, we went to Prague; the second weekend we went to Budapest; then the third weekend we went to Vienna to visit the United Nations, which was a definitely highlight for me.

Why was it a highlight for you?
I love the United Nations and just love the organization as a whole. We did a tour and we had some lectures on human trafficking and it was just amazing to see the organization from an internal perspective. I’ve been to the United Nations in New York before so I wanted to see even more, I guess!

How was doing this program different to learning about the same things in a classroom in Australia?
It was totally different! We had three fantastic lecturers who were so knowledgeable and very, very experienced in all of their fields. I found the content really interesting. We had lectures as we do back home in Australia but I just found the content to be so much more interesting and coming from a more worldly perspective with respect to topics such as genocide and human rights, instead of presenting only an Australian perspective. It wasn’t all just textbooks and lecture notes – we engaged in really interesting discussions and I found it to be a very open environment.

What was it like living in the Czech Republic?
We lived in Brno for the 3 weeks and I absolutely loved it! It felt like home to us; whenever we came back from our weekends away it was like returning to our comfort zone.

We lived on campus – literally about 3 to 4 minutes walk from where the Law faculty was. I was really impressed with the student residence and where we were living – it was a 12 or 13 storey building with all these Masaryk University students. There was a pizza place downstairs as well where we’d all congregate. I had always wanted to live on campus so it was my dream come true I guess!

Do you have any funny anecdotes from your trip?
I wasn’t actually there but I heard about this happening to one of the girls in the group: she was on a tram in Brno and she was commenting on how cute another passenger’s dog was; she was saying that she wanted to buy the dog and asked another student jokingly about how to say in Czech, "How much is your puppy?" The owner of the puppy then turned around and said in English, "She's not for sale." Everyone had a joke about how it should be assumed that lots of people speak English in the Czech Republic.

Do you have any travel advice or tips about living in Brno for future students?

I would tell students to seize everyone opportunity! As soon as class is over, maximise your day. Study, of course, but really maximise your time in Eastern Europe. It’s just such a fantastic opportunity and I would highly recommend it to any Australia university student.

Do the study prior to classes and look through the lecture notes – that will really help you in the class discussions.

Pack light because everything’s cheap and shopping is amazing over there!

You will develop a love of beer! I didn’t like beer prior to this trip but, I mean, it’s 80 cents for a really big pot of beer so you will definitely come to like beer, so get your palate acquired to beer!

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of doing this program?
Definitely, definitely do it! It’s such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine travelling with undertaking such an interesting course in a European city, especially in winter and being surrounded by beautiful mountains and snow… it was just amazing! You get to immerse yourself in Czech culture and Eastern European culture, meet great people and learn some really interesting concepts. You get to learn some new languages. You get a grant from the Australian Government* and possibly from your university and you get to knock a subject out so it’s definitely a win-win situation all-round!


During a weekend trip to Prague


Masaryk University, Stefanie's home for 3 weeks this January


The view from Stefanie's room in Brno, Czech Republic


*Some students might be eligible for a $5611 OS-HELP loan from the Australian Government. Email info@aimoverseas.com.au or go to the OS-HELP website for more information.