Linguistics student Melissa from the University of Vermont studied abroad in the Czech Republic. We caught up with her to ask her what her favorite memory was about her time in Brno?
Melissa: “Pancakes. Crêpes. Блины. Pannenkoeken.”
One of the most vivid memories I have of my study abroad revolves around pancakes. That’s right, you heard me, pancakes. After about two weeks in Brno, all of the international students had finally gotten to know each other. One of the topics that had somehow come up for debate within these two weeks was the topic of pancakes. Whose were the best? What did they look like in each country? Are crêpes really better than блины? We decided to find out.
This infamous event would come to be known as “Pannenkoeken Dag” (Dutch for, you guessed it, pancake day). We ate American pancakes, crêpes, pannenkoeken with powdered sugar, блины, Taiwanese pancakes, and many other national dishes from countries like Hungary, Greece, Spain, and Slovakia.
While there were many international themed events organized for us over the course of the semester, our self-organized “Pannenkoeken Dag” was by far my favorite. We were all still getting to know each other, and trying to break the ice, and what better way to break the ice than with more pancakes than you could ever imagine?
Throughout my semester abroad I traveled all over Europe, I learned how to speak some Czech, and did all sorts of other incredible things. But, my favorite memories involve the people I met there. The crazy, silly, fun, amazing, kind, incredible people I met, who made my experience the best it could possibly have been.
That is why I have such fond memories of “Pannenkoeken Dag”. The people. (And maybe the pancakes too.)
It’s not too late to make friends (and pancakes!) of your own next semester – apply by May 1 to study abroad in the Czech Republic! Talk to your study abroad advisor to learn more about study abroad in the Czech Republic.
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