PRAGUE SUMMER SEMINARS 2007

The view of the Vltava River and Prague Castle from our classroom building.

Newsletter

WELCOME! PRAGUE SUMMER SEMINARS 2007 Table of Contents Contact Information ------------ 4~5 Your Accommodations ----------- 6 Telephone Calls ------------------- 7 Money ------------------------------ 8 Travel Preparations --------------- 9~10 What to Bring ---------------------- 11~12 Travel and Arrival ----------------- 13~16 Preparing for the Culture --------- 17~18

Ahoj!

(“Hi” in Czech, pronounced Ahoy!)

Time is flying and we are all getting excited about a month of culture, art and learning in the fantastic city of Prague. This newsletter includes lots of details and information to help you prepare for your trip. Please read it carefully and contact me if you have any questions! My office telephone number is (504) 280-6388 or email: [email protected]. I will also be sending you more information in the mail, and be sure to check the website often for frequent updates on specific class and program information: http://inst.uno.edu/prague I am looking forward to seeing you in Prague!

Mary Mary Hicks Program Coordinator Prague Summer Seminars

Your Contact Address Your mailing address in Prague: Please do NOT send mail to the dorm. Mail should be sent to our office at Charles University and will be available for pick-up during office hours. Tell friends and family to address mail as follows: UNO Prague Summer Seminars c/o Cyril Simsa, Internacional Office Faculty of Social Sciences Smetanovo nabrezi 6 110 01 Praha 1 CZECH REPUBLIC Regular air mail should take 7-10 days. Packages: If you are planning to ship items to yourself from the US, or if others will be sending you packages, expect long delays and expect to pay customs duties that can be as much as 25% of value. As a general rule: •



Don't ship it if it can't go through regular mail. Private shipments through UPS, FedEx, or DHL are treated as commercial shipments (i.e., imports), and held at customs for duty. Don't ship it if you can't afford to lose it. The rate of lost items is not negligible, and the higher the declared value, the more likely the item will be held at customs. Always list contents as for personal use, not for commercial value.

Phone numbers at the dorm: Desk phone from the U.S.: 011-420-233 051-111 (The desk attendant may or may not speak English.) Student room from the U.S.: 011-420-233 051 +room number (afte you have set up an account with the front desk of the dorm)

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The UNO Prague Summer Seminars Office in Prague: Address & Phone Numbers Address: UNO Prague Summer Seminars Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences, Room #117 Smetanovo nabrezi 6 110 01 Praha 1 CZECH REPUBLIC Office phone: From the U.S.: 011 420-222 112 201 (direct line) From Prague: 222 112 201 Office fax: 011-420-224 235 644 Program Coordinator Mary Hicks: • Until 6/22/07: (504) 280-6388 • After 7/2/07: o from the U.S.: 011-420 222 112 201 (direct line) o From Prague: 222 112 201 • Cell phone o note: after 7/2/07, and for emergencies only. o If calling from the U.S., please try to consider the time difference—7 hours ahead from CDT o From the U.S.: 011-420-776 754 193 (or 011-420-603 91 96 96) o From anywhere in the Czech Republic: 776 754 193 (or 603 91 96 96) Our contact at Charles University Mr. Cyril Simsa: 222 112 228 or 222 112 273 If you cannot reach the program coordinator or you need help between 6/22 and 7/2, please call the Division of International Education at UNO, Main Office at (504) 280-7455.

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Your Accommodations Students in the Prague Summer Seminars Program stay in the Charles University dormitory named Masarykova kolej (dorm). The address is: Masarykova Kolej Thakurova 1 Prague 6 On arrival day, Sunday July 8, we will have an airport shuttle service to the dorm until 7 pm. If you arrive after 7 pm, on any other day, or not at the airport, please see the section “Travel and Arrival” on page 13 for directions on how to get to the dorm. Masarykova kolej is our dorm, located near Dejvicka (pronounced “deyvitska”) metro stop. It is only 3 metro stops away from the center of the city. The building houses a restaurant, cafeteria, and pub. All units have telephones, but you won’t know the number for your room until you check into the dorm, open an account for your phone (front desk) and prepay to use that direct phone line (both for incoming and outgoing calls). There are also pay phones in the lobby for phone cards. Sheets, blankets, a pillow and small towels are provided with accommodations, but if you want a large fluffy towel, you should bring your own. Breakfast is included in the price for housing and is served in the dorm. Note: you may have to pay a key deposit of $10.00 upon check-in on July 8. Please have that money handy when you arrive at the dorm in Prague. The deposit will be returned when you hand in your key at check-out. Alert: Due to Prague city policy, there may be a hot water outage for a few days during our stay (for regular maintenance). We apologize for the inconvenience.

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Telephone Calls Again, you will be assigned a room telephone number only after you check in, i.e. after you open (and prepay) a phone account at the front desk. Thus, you will need to make the first call to your contact in the U.S. In the few hours between arriving and contacting someone, your family and friends can call me (Mary) in case of emergency (see numbers on page 5). You can also bring along a long distance phone card, which will allow you to call a local access number from any pay phone (which there are in the lobby of the dorm) to connect with a U.S. operator and be billed at standard international rates. Here are access numbers for the Czech Republic and web addresses and numbers for more information. MCI’s Worldphone: 800-001-112 (not accessible from mobile phones) http://consumer.mci.com/ (click on International Plans) MCI: 1-800-955-0925 US Sprint Foncard: 0042-087-187 http://shop.sprint.com/residential/voiceservices/internationalAccess /search/search.jsp US Sprint: 1-800-877-4646 Zaptel www.zaptel.com At this site you can purchase a phone card with a certain amount of money on it. The ‘Students’ Choice’ card is ‘rechargeable’- meaning that when you use up the money on your card, you can easily add more by going to the website. Check out the different options. Explanation of numbers and dialing codes: International number from U.S.: 011 Czech country code from U.S.: 420 All Prague numbers start with a 2 and have a total of 9 digits (including the 2). Example: Prague Summer Seminars Office Phone: 011-420-222 112 201 International number to the U.S.: 001 + area code + phone number

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$MONEY$ The currency in the Czech Republic is Czech Crowns, koruny in Czech (abbreviated Kc or CZK). Even though the Czech Republic joined the European Union in May 2004, it has not yet adopted the Euro. 1. The easiest way to get koruny is with your ATM card. Make sure you remember your PIN! 2. You can also use your credit card to make purchases, but many places still do not take credit cards. Also, stick to major cards: MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Cash advances on these can be expensive. Alert: Check with your bank to make sure that your ATM/Debit/Credit card is “validated for Europe.” Some banks have a new security policy that may make your card invalid outside of the U.S. It is generally a good idea to let your bank know that you will be traveling internationally and that there will be some transactions in foreign currencies. 3. Bringing Travelers Checks is another alternative. Commission/transaction fees are high, so you will want to exchange more than one travelers check at a time. Record your numbers before you leave and keep the record in a separate place from your checks. It is also a good idea to put some checks in a different place, so you will not be wiped out if you lose some. The most widely accepted travelers checks are American Express checks. 4. Try the American Express Travel Funds Card: a prepaid travel money card that is not linked to your bank account. For more information go to http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,18622,00.a sp American Express Office in Prague: Vaclavske Namesti (Wenceslas Square) 56, Prague 1 (near the National Museum). We have found that they also have pretty good exchange rates. Recently, the average exchange rate (Dollars to Crowns) has been approximately 1US$=21CZK (as of 4/21/07). 8

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Travel Preparations Passport: If you do not have a valid passport, you should be applying for one NOW. You can obtain one at any passport agency (look under ‘State Department’ in the U.S. Government listings in the phone book) and many state or federal courts. Many post offices also handle passport applications as well. You will need to bring proof of your U.S. citizenship (birth certificate or naturalization papers), identification (driver’s license or your old passport) and two passport photos. For more information go to: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. Again, apply for a passport as soon as possible if you do not have one yet. They can take several weeks to arrive, so be prepared! Losing your passport can be a major problem. Not only can it be difficult to replace, but also you will not be able to travel until you get a new one. In the event that you do lose your passport in Europe, you should notify the local police and nearest U.S. Embassy. You will receive contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Prague at the on-site orientation. Make sure you photocopy your passport (the information/picture page) and keep a copy separate from the original. Leave another copy at home with someone as well. This will make getting a replacement much easier.

Travel Arrangements: If you don’t have your plane ticket yet, start looking for tickets now. Call a travel agent, browse the Internet, or check with consolidators in the travel section of the newspaper. Please note these details: We will provide a shuttle-bus from the airport to the dorm on Sunday, July 8th ONLY (until 7 pm). In order to arrive on the 8th of July, you need to leave the U.S. on July 7th. The last day of the program (departure day) is August 4th. IMPORTANT: You must give us your itinerary for your arrival in Prague so that we can meet you at the airport. As soon as you get your itinerary, call in (504-280-6288), fax (504-280-1218) or email ([email protected]) the information (airline, time and date of arrival, and where you will be arriving from).

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Medical Insurance: UNO has made medical insurance very convenient for you. Full-coverage insurance is included in the price of the program. It is not necessary to purchase any additional coverage. If you wish to travel beyond the dates of the program (before and/or after), you may extend this insurance by contacting: Tommy Lord Insurance Agency: 1-800-633-2360 / [email protected] You may also purchase this insurance for spouses or children who will be accompanying you this summer. You should have received a brochure with the details of the insurance plan.

International Student Card: This is a very useful form of I.D. abroad that entitles students to discounts at many tourist attractions and it only costs $22. This may be worth getting if you are planning to travel after the program. There are some eligibility restrictions on the purchase of the card if you are not a full-time student. You can also look into eligibility for the International Youth or International Teacher card. Go to http://www.statravel.com/ for more information.

Academic Preparations: You are responsible for getting your own textbooks and materials. Most syllabi for the classes are now on the website, with the required texts listed. You may obtain the books from any source, including your favorite online book seller.

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What to Bring Packing: Pack this newsletter or a list of the program contact numbers and addresses well as a change of clothes and immediate essentials such as prescription drugs, minimal toiletries and contact supplies in your carry-on bag. It is best to bring your film in your carry-on; the machines at the gates will not damage it, but the checked baggage X-ray equipment is very strong and may affect your film.

Money: We recommend bringing a few hundred dollars (not more than 500) in cash, as well as a major ATM card with a PIN code and, possibly, a credit card. You will probably need between 500 and 1000 dollars in spending money total, depending on your lifestyle. You may want to try calling banks in your area to find out if they have Czech Crowns. They are difficult to find and the bank may charge you a fee to obtain them. Having fifty dollars in Czech crowns could come in handy at the airport in case of an emergency. If not, there are money exchange offices and an ATM at the airport in Prague.

Clothing: The weather in Prague can have a good deal of variation in July and August, so you should be prepared for some cool nights as well as for some very warm days. You should bring a light jacket and a sweater. Cardigans are very convenient and layers are the way to go. Consider also that it may or may not rain during your stay; an umbrella or windbreaker would be a good idea. The dress for all of our events will be casual, except for concerts that you may attend if you go on the Vienna field trip or are in the music classes. For these occasions you should have one outfit that is a little dressier. Be SURE to bring some good walking/hiking shoes and socks. Prague is hilly, the old cobblestone streets are rough, and you will be doing a good bit of walking. A blister on your foot can be a major distraction from the experience. Don’t over pack! Remember that you have to carry everything to and from the airport and to various places if you travel afterward. A good tip is to pack at home, carry your bags around your house or

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neighborhood for a while and see how much you need to lighten your load.

Computers: You can bring a laptop computer if you want (you must bring on if you are in one of the photo classes, and it is advised for the Engineering classes); there MAY be Internet access in the dorm rooms or you can log on through the phone line. Also, we are told that there is wireless in the classroom building. Cyber cafes are also very reasonable and fairly easy to find in Prague.

Electrical Items: Electrical outlets in Prague are 220V. You will need to bring plug adapters for any electrical appliances such as laptop computers you wish to bring. The adaptor you need will be called "Grounded US to Continental Europe;" they can sometimes be found at travel accessory stores or in catalogs online. Also, check the label on your appliance to make sure it can handle the current. Some will have a switch, and on some the label will indicate a range of allowable voltage (100-240V., for example). If the appliance is rated only for 110V, the current in Prague will probably ruin it EVEN IF YOU HAVE A VOLTAGE CONVERTER. Voltage converters are unreliable and not worth the expense. It is usually easier, safer and less expensive to buy small appliances like hair dryers in Prague than to buy a voltage converter to make your American appliance work.

Other Items to Bring: Travel alarm clock Sunscreen/glasses Extra set of eyeglasses/copy of prescription Small extra tote bag for weekend trips and for gifts to bring home Calculator/currency converter Portable CD or tape player Travel sewing kit English/Czech dictionary (you can buy these cheaply in Prague too) Czech phrase book Hand-held fan Bath towel

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Travel and Arrival Again, we will provide transportation in the form of a shuttle-bus from the airport on Sunday, July 8th ONLY (until 7 pm). Look for our student assistant outside baggage claim; they should be holding sign that read “UNO PRAGUE SUMMER SEMINARS.” In order for us to pick you up at the airport, we must have your itinerary! Please send it (via email, fax, or mail) as soon as you have it. Please note: We cannot guarantee airport pick-up if you arrive later than 7:00 pm. If you arrive after 7:00 pm, on any other day, or not at the airport, you will have to get to the dorm on your own (see instructions below). Don't panic if your checked baggage does not arrive at the airport with you; this happens quite often. Just give the dorm address to the baggage claim people and your bags will be delivered. We have never had an incident of a participant not receiving their checked baggage; lost baggage usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours.

Getting to Masarykova Kolej (Dormitory) Thakurova 1, Prague 6

1. Arriving by Air All international flights arrive at Prague Ruzyne Airport, approximately 20 km to the Northwest of the city center. You can get into town either by catching a city bus, a cab, or the airport shuttle service. All minibus shuttle services to the airport are run by a single private company called CEDAZ. You will see their white vans waiting 14

outside the terminal. There is also a taxi service run by a company called Airport Cars FIX. There are three ways you can get from the airport to the dormitory: A. Take a taxi. This is undoubtedly the most comfortable way to travel, but also the most expensive. Prices for a taxi journey from the airport into town range from Kc 120 – Kc 870 depending on your precise destination. You will find a price list for the service offered by Airport Cars FIX at the company's stand in the airport lounge. If you do decide to use a taxi, make sure you get a written estimate for the cost of your journey from the company in the airport lounge before you set out, since this reduces the chance of the driver trying to overcharge you (which happens quite frequently). Anytime you take a cab in Prague, always ask the fare before getting in. Another recommended cab company is AAA taxi and you will probably need to call them from a pay phone inside the airport (222 333 222). Tell or show the cab driver the address for your dorm: Masarykova Kolej Thakurova 1 Praha 6 B. Hire a city shuttle van to take you direct to the dormitory. This is charged at a flat rate of approximately Kc 360 for 1-4 people, or Kc 720 for 5 or more people, and is generally cheaper than taking a taxi. However, it is also slower, since the van will have up to eight passengers, and will have to visit up to eight different addresses. Your address may be eighth in line. Write down the address of your dormitory to show to the shuttle driver since communication may be difficult if you do not speak Czech. C. Take public transportation (city bus 119) to Dejvicka Metro Station (by the Diplomat Hotel). Get a Kc 14 ticket before entering the bus (available at newsstands or yellow vending machines), and punch the ticket inside the bus. Bus 119 should be the only bus at the airport stop. Travel to the last stop, DEJVICKA (pronounced deivitska). The ride takes about 20 minutes. From the bus stop to Masarykova dorm: walk back along Evropska Street (uphill), cross the street at the first pedestrian crossing and

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continue walking along Evropska. You will soon come to Thakurova Street on the right. Masarykova kolej is on the corner of Evropska and Thakurova. The walk should take about 5 minutes. For general information on Prague Ruzyne airport, see the Czech Airport Authority website: http://www.csl.cz, which includes full details of transport to the airport by city bus, minibus and taxi (in English). 2. Arriving by Train or Bus Most international trains arrive either at Prague Main Station ("Hlavni nadrazi") or at Holesovice Station ("Nadrazi Holesovice") to the north of the city. Both stations are on Metro line C (the red line). International buses usually arrive at a Bus Station Florenc (on Metro lines B and C, yellow and red) or at Bus Station Zelivskeho (on Metro line A, the green line). From the train walk downstairs to the main lobby of the station. Find the METRO (underground train) entrance, direction HAJE (red line C). Get a Kc 20 transfer ticket before entering the METRO and punch the ticket. Get on the metro. Get off at MUSEUM and transfer to the Green line (A), direction DEJVICKA (pronounced deivitska). Get off at Dejvicka. This ride should take about 15 minutes. From the metro stop to Masarykova dorm: Get off at Dejvicka, exit the metro, and walk along Evropska Street (uphill). After about 200 yards, you will come to Thakurova Street on the right. Masarykova kolej is on the corner of Evropska and Thakurova. The walk should take about 5 minutes. 3. General Notes on Using the Prague Public Transport System Tickets: For all the journeys described above, we recommend that you buy at least two Kc 14 tickets before you set off (one for the journey, one in reserve). Tickets are widely available in the airport lounge, in the hall of Holesovice Station and Prague Main Station, at newsstands

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and kiosks, and from ticket machines at the entrance to the Metro, but please remember that you must validate the ticket by datestamping it before starting your journey. Tickets are also available from bus drivers for the slightly higher price of Kc 25, and these must also be date-stamped, even if you use them in the same bus where you purchased them. To date-stamp your ticket: look out for the little yellow boxes with a green arrow, which are available at the entrance to the Metro, and on all trams and busses. Place the ticket in the slot below the arrow, with the blank strip on the bottom edge uppermost. You will hear a faint whirring noise, and the ticket will emerge with the time and date when you started to travel. Your ticket is not valid without this time and date. You may be fined if you are caught traveling with an unstamped ticket. (Please also try to hold the ticket the right way up when you are stamping it. Some ticket inspectors can be very nasty about this!) How many tickets should you stamp? Non-transfer tickets (Kc 14) are valid only for 20 minutes on bus and streetcar and 30 minutes on the metro and generally do not allow changes. If you are not sure how long or how far you will be riding, it is safer to buy a Kc 20 transfer ticket, which is valid for 75 minutes on all forms of public transportation (90 minutes in the evening or weekends). You do not have to date-stamp your ticket a second time when you transfer between bus and tram or Metro. Finding your stop: throughout the Prague public transport system, the names of each stop are announced in the public address system before the doors open. At each stop, the PA will first give the name of the stop where you have arrived, and then say what the next stop is (in Czech, of course). In more the modern trams, buses and Metro trains, there is also a computer display which gives information about the stop that you have reached. However, this feature is not yet universal. For further information, please see the Prague Public Transit Co. website: http://www.dp-praha.cz/en/os-profil.htm (in English).

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Note: For the remainder of the program you will receive a public transportation pass to use all over Prague on all modes of public transportation, and you will not have to buy any more single tickets.

Preparing for the Culture This is the fun part. In order to orient yourself to Prague and the Czech people, it is a good idea to get acquainted with the facts, history, art and literature of the country. Below is a list of websites, books and films to help you do this.

Websites: www.czech-travel-guide.com/ and www.czech.cz These two sites have helpful information and they are good for planning travel before or after the program. www.czech-language.cz/ Read about the complexities of the language. www.bohemica.com/ http://www.byki.com/fls/ download free software to learn some useful vocabulary and phrases. www.praguepost.com/ The English-language newspaper in Prague. See what’s going on! http://www.myczechrepublic.com/links/arts/photography.html More general information and Czech artist info.

See also our web site for further links about Prague and the Czech Republic: http://inst.uno.edu/prague.

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Books These three will give you a feeling for the days of Communism: The Unbearable Lightness of Being and The Joke By Milan Kundera Love and Garbage Ivan Klima Czech ‘Magical Realism’: I Served the King of England Bohumil Hrabel Classic Czech Satire of Austrian/Hungarian Rule of the Czechs: The Good Soldier Sweik Jaroslav Hasek A Czech woman’s life in a refugee camp before the Wall fell: The World is Round Iva Pekarova

Movies Some of these may be difficult to find: Czechs in World War II: “Dark Blue World” by Jan Sverak “Divided We Fall” by Jan Hrebejk “Closely Watched Trains” by Jiri Menzel (black and white classic) Great adaptation of the book: “Unbearable Likeness of Being” by Philip Kaufman “The Firemen’s Ball” by Milos Forman (one of his early ones) During the ‘Velvet Revolution’: “Kolya” by Jan Sverak _______________________________________________________

Have fun getting ready, call with any questions and we will be in touch! 19