Right after I was settled in a dormitory on Jana Opletalova st., 77, my very first cultural shock followed immediately – a lady at the reception could only speak Czech. And I did not speak Czech at all (I still avoid her in present, though).

It is noticeable that you can put in applications and buy some snacks (water, chips etc) at the place for somewhat fair prices. Evidently, it is convenient for all the new-coming students, as communication at the shops will most probably be awkward during their first days in the city.

Fortunately enough, a friend of mine met me at the airport and gave me a lift to Poděbrady; he also assisted me at the reception. The lady asked for my passport, then looked for my name in the list of students and gave me the documents to sign.I received a lot of information regarding the city (in English, Spanish, French, Czech and even in Russian), a map and a key for my room, together with a permit (I’ve yet to figure out the purpose of the latter).

The room is quite wide (approximately 10 m2) and has a small lobby.

There is a shower room and a toilet: (more…)