Trip to the Aquarium

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I woke up this morning with a sore throat and aching ears and body. I felt terrible but really wanted to take Ava to the “giant aquarium” advertised online. So, I took a hot bath and we headed out. The aquarium was only a 12 minute bus ride from our dormitory. Unfortunately, it was not as giant as we had hoped. Instead, it was one room that had been made to replicate a rain forest. The lower part of the room was a tunnel under the water that we saw above. We really liked it, but would have appreciated more of it.

There was also a little gift shop and a café. I bought Ava some glow in the dark dolphins to put on the wall by her bed. The ladies at the café gave her some candy.

I have to argue with those who have told me that the Czech people are slow to be kind or warm. I have had a few people mention this to me since I have arrived, some of them foreign, and a few that were Czech. This hasn’t been my experience at all. It is true that the people don’t smile as often as the average American, but this certainly doesn’t make them cold. Everyone I met has been kind and helpful from the moment I met them. They’ve been really thoughtful and all the teachers have given me a lot of affirmation on a regular basis.

If any of you come to the Czech Republic, remember that smiling like a fool doesn’t make you a better person. Keep your hearts and minds open to the world around you and remember that people are people everywhere you go. Not everyone is actively kind or even-tempered, but the majority of people have good hearts and want you to feel welcome in their country. I certainly have felt welcome here J

video of Ava at the aquarium:

Comments

[Zuzana Tomas]

Hi!
Enjoying your posts (especially the shorter ones! :))) Glad you made it to Germany (very brave of you) and are otherwise enjoying your experience. Especially happy with your observation regarding smiling. It's just different in Europe--people don't feel they have to behave as friends to strangers. Knowing your personality it does not surprise me that you have encountered warmth around you. Warmly, Zuzana

[TravelingBirds]

Hi Zuzana!
Yeah, I know that some of my posts are a little long winded, but I'm glad you are enjoying them. I think it's ok not to smile so much, and I think North Americans are a special case regarding this. The people in Japan weren't exceptionally smiley either, but they warmed up once engaged in conversation. Even though I am one of those people who smiles a lot, it's nice to feel like I don't HAVE to smile. Sometimes, I get lost in thought and don't pay attention to what my face is doing. When others aren't smiling, I kind of assume they are doing the same thing, regardless of the custom. Hope things are going well for you and your family. I also hope that we get a chance to meet up this summer over here. :-)