Culture Tips

Hey, guys! 

Culture tips for future reference (because, trust me, you're going to need them): 

1. Czech people, mostly, aren't going to be very friendly. This isn't because they don't like YOU per say, it's because they haven't completely opened up to the idea of tourists. In The Spirit of the City by Václav Cílek, it says it perfectly: "The tourist explosion begins at 9:00 in the morning. Just after breakfast in the hotels, the city becomes inundated. The genius loci—the spirit of the ages that rises from the city, connecting you to Prague’s ancient past—is trampled down deep into the cobblestones by the throngs of tourists, while the Czechs mutter, “The city is no longer ours.” “Why didn’t Max Brod just burn Kafka’s work? Why do people without a shred of sensitivity amuse themselves at the expense of his unhappiness?” a friend says to me, pointing at one of the ubiquitous Kafka posters." This doesn't mean that they are going to be rude to you. They just won't go out of their way to speak to you, or be friendly. Essentially, don't expect people to smile at you on the streets when you're clearly a tourist. Which brings me to my next point...
2. Don't smile at random people. People don't do that in the Czech Republic. If you do that, they will either look at you strangely, or (if it's at night or near a pub) think you're interested in them.
3. For the love of carbs, stand to the right on the metro escalator, unless you're walking down. People will get really annoyed with you if you're standing on the left and they are trying to walk down to get to the bottom faster. 
4. Give an older person your seat on the metro/tram. If there aren't any more open seats and an older person gets on the metro/tram, STAND UP AND GIVE THEM YOUR SEAT. It's courtesy, and it's expected of you. 
5. Bring a bag to the grocery store. Or you're going to end up paying for one every time you go. They aren't free. 

These are a few I've learned in my first few weeks here. More to come! Cheers.