Around Here

“CUSTOMS”

Around Here
A Tram // 6.20.2019

The public transportation system in Prague is ranked one of the best in the world and has made navigating the city during my time here incredibly safe and easy. While my friends and I frequent the underground metro most often, above-ground trams are another useful tool we’ve utilized for traveling farther distances. Unsurprisingly, unique Czech customs seep their way even into metro and tram etiquette.

As a young and able-bodied person, I am low on the social hierarchy when it comes to sitting down on public transit. It goes without saying among Czechs that the elderly are most deserving of a seat on trains and metros, followed by other adults, then children, then young adults and teenagers. If there are limited seats available on the metro when I walk on, I look around and make sure there are no elderly people boarding behind me before I take that seat, if I have the courage to sit at all. When I do sit down, I am constantly scanning the visitors that board at each stop to make sure I am ready to offer up my seat to someone who ranks above me.

If you disrupt or ignore this system by taking a seat when you shouldn’t, you will likely be glared at or even yelled at until you yield your spot (and trust me, the Czechs are not afraid of public shouting). That’s why the woman I encountered above stood out to me instantly; she remained standing in front of me our entire tram ride despite the plethora of open seats around her. Her gaze was glued to the city beyond the tram windows, and standing certainly gave her a better view of outside. In fact, she was so fascinated by what was whizzing by her window that she never once noticed me snapping pictures over her shoulder in the reflection of the tram’s front wall. I can only guess that she cared just as much about enjoying her journey as reaching her destination, a refreshing thing to witness in the busy times we live in.

“THE PERFORMER”

Around Here
Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) // 6.6.2019

Street performer culture is alive and well in and around Old Town Square. Acts range from men painted silver like statues to artists crafting landscapes using spray paint. Many of these entertainers are the same types of people tourists encounter in big U.S. cities like New York or LA, though Prague is not nearly as metropolitan as these areas. While all these acts deserve applause, the people I’ll really stop and observe are the ones that are unique to Czechia.

One such act was this young man, who had claimed a space for himself on a road outside the square by strategic placement of speakers. As he pressed play on his iPhone and stepped into the center of his invisible stage, slow piano began to trickle out from his stereo. He held in his hand a clear ball, which he proceeded to let slide along his arms as he simultaneously began to dance. He ended his dance in the pose pictured above, scarcely touching the ball with his hands the entire time. I had seen acts like this on talent shows, but never in real life. This type of dance is especially popular in Eastern Europe, which made it a sweet moment to witness so close to its home.

“GIRLS, SISTERS, DAUGHTERS”

Around Here
Khamoro Festival // 5.31.2019

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taught to acknowledge that the freedoms Americans enjoy are not universal and to be grateful for the lifestyle I am able to live in the U.S. In countries across the globe, different people groups suffer from restricted freedoms. There are a few specific parts of the world that come to mind when I think of communities with limited rights, and admittedly the Czech Republic has never been one of those. Yet, the Roma community in Czechia faces massive discrimination and segregation.

The Romani people are the Czech Republic’s largest ethnic minority group. Romani wondered from their place of origin in India starting in the 9th century, eventually making their way into the Czech Republic over 600 years ago. They are commonly referred to as gypsies, mistakenly labeled by the rest of the country with many of the negative characteristics associated with such people. Essentially, the Roma community currently faces real social loathing to the point of segregation and poverty throughout Czechia.

Once a year, however, the Romani community bands together for a summer festival, which features a lively parade. Dozens of (mostly female) Roma donned festive garb as they twirl down the streets near Old Town Square today, accompanied by male musicians and a swarm of tourists. The parade was comprised of a broad age spectrum, though children made up a significant percentage. The parade and festival as a whole aimed to remind the rest of the country that the Romani are a legitimate part of society that deserves respect, despite the civil struggles they endure daily.

Pictured above are two young girls seated in a hired horse-drawn carriage that swooped in to lead the parade about halfway through the procession. They spent their whole ride smiling for an enchanted audience, twirling their skirts and posing for photos. As the front of the parade, they served as the precious face of the Romani people and their fight for social equality. Their innocent yet stunning presence struck me as I followed them through the streets. They have likely already faced obstacles that I will never have to, and yet there was something universal in their childlike beauty. Each of those girls was a sister and a daughter, just like me.