Brno, Jan 30 (BD) – The Czech Republic has many traditions and customs that you can read about in books. But, there are a lot of things that you a book cannot tell you. You simply have to experience them. Photo: @Brnodaily
By Bruno Zalubil
For example, be prepared to drink a shot of slivovice when you visit someone’s home, regardless of the day or night. Take off your shoes before you enter a home. And say hello when you enter an elevator and say goodbye when you leave, even if there has been zero additional human contact.
Coming soon, I warn you now, is the not-written-in-books crème-de-la-crème of hard-earned experience. Heed my warning or risk ruining your day.
This Friday, the tram and bus schedules will change: Friday is the one-day Winter Break between semesters for students throughout Moravia and, this year, Spring Break will be next week. Almost every part of the Brno mass transportation system will be adjusted for the reduction in passengers.
Timetable, line #12. Credit: Bruno ZalubilIf you do not have school-age children then this change can be a shocking surprise. The schedules may change by only a minute or two, but if, like me, you have your bus schedule tuned to your internal clock as part of your no-room-for-error morning routine, then you will spend a lot of time steaming mad while standing in the pre-dawn cold of winter wondering what happened to your ride.
Suffice it to say, I have had many days ruined by the extra minutes I spent waiting for the next bus.
There is a plus side, though. If you work in an office, many of the senior members of the company will take vacation to spend time with their children. Don’t plan any meetings; instead, plan for long lunches — not because of the crowds at the restaurant, but because, you know, when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
