Sunny Skies and Steamy Dishes

Dobrý den!

Today was our first day in the classroom at the CIEE Study Center, a gorgeous old building on a hill above the city. 

During class we took a look further into the Czech government as a continuation of our learning from our parliament visit yesterday. Our lesson dove into the political past of the Czech Republic, the formation of their current government, and recent political news and action within the country. During class we split off into groups to compare the Czech constitution to the US constitution which it is partially based on, then we shared our findings with the rest of the class. 

Students comparing the similarities and differences between the Czech and American constitutions

Overall there were some interesting differences between the two structures. One example found in my group was how bills are passed between sections of parliament in the Czech Republic compared with chambers of congress in the United States. In the Czech Republic Parliament consists of the Chamber of Deputies (similar to the US House of Representatives) with 200 deputies and a Senate with 81 senators. In the United States when the House of Representatives passes a bill to the Senate, the Senate can deny the bill and effectively kill it. The Czech Republic is different because it allows for the Chamber of Deputies to have a second chance on a bill if the Senate denies it. If the Senate kills a bill, it is sent back to the Chamber of Deputies to be voted on again, and the Chamber of Deputies may pass the bill themselves using an absolute majority.

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Following class, we broke for lunch in the surrounding area. Before leaving, several of the students walked up a small hill outside of the CIEE building to admire the city of Prague from above. You could see almost the whole city from where we were, a truly magical view!

A view of Prague from outside the CIEE building

For lunch, myself and a few peers decided to explore the area around us, finding some local eateries, a lovely gelato shop, and some more wonderful views of the city from the riverside. 

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Our last activity for the day was a cooking class with some local chefs. We split off into groups and learned how to make some delicious Czech dishes and a dessert. We collectively made Potato Pancakes topped with Sauerkraut, a hearty potato soup with mushrooms, some Goulash and some delicious Chocolate Souffles.

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Overall, a wonderful day in Prague for your favorite PLU students. Ahoj!