Bukola Lois Ojobe

Why the Czech Republic?

This is one question I have had to answer many times over the last six months, and the answer has always been: “Why not the Czech Republic?” Well, it was an easy and straightforward choice; I needed a country that was known as forward-thinking with the technological know-how to help me reach my goal. Secondly, UCT Prague offered me what other universities across the world did not provide: a chance to specialize in a field I love.

How did you come by the idea to study in the Czech Republic?

Choosing a school brought the Czech Republic onto my radar and as soon as I knew I would be coming over to the Czech Republic, I did a lot of research and was impressed with the culture and lifestyle. I was most curious about the weather and the food. Thankfully, the weather wasn’t much of an issue to deal with; I got used to it in weeks. As for the food, I haven’t tried many Czech specialties, but hopefully, in the coming months I will be more adventurous and try them out.

What surprised me the most about the Czech Republic?

People are incredibly nice in the Czech Republic. My first few weeks were delightful despite my being homesick the moment I landed, which I attribute to being from a tightly knit family. However, people here made me feel welcome, and one of my best memories of being shown kindness was when I was given a gift in the metro, a can of beer. I keep it at home as a reminder to be kind to others as well.

How funny is the Czech Language?

I thought, being multi-lingual, that it would be easy for me to learn to speak Czech. When I heard it for the first time, I knew it would be a little challenging to learn. For now, I have armed myself with a least four Czech words, and I hope to expand my vocabulary soon by attending Czech classes.

Do I speak/ study/understand Czech?

Sadly, I don’t speak or understand Czech yet. I will be attending classes soon, though.

What do I miss most about Nigeria?

Hot peppers! Most Nigerians will understand this; we love our food very spicy, especially Nigerians from the Yoruba tribe like myself. I also miss our native delicacies, Amala and Ewedu. The good news is I have been able to improvise and make my own versions of Nigerian food. So it’s been easy-breezy.

I miss our Christmas and New Year celebrations, which are big reunions of family members one didn’t see in the previous year. However, technology makes this easier and over the holidays I had a lot of video calls with family and it was nice.

Do you like Czech bread, dumplings, or beer?

Sadly, Czech bread is a little too salty. I am used to sweet bread, but because Czech breakfasts have a lot of sandwich menus, the bread isn’t as sweet as I am used to. I have gotten used to it yet. I haven’t tried Czech dumplings but will do so soon.

As for the beer, I don’t drink beer, so I haven’t tried that yet.

I do not believe much in culture shock and I attribute this to my ability to blend well anywhere I find myself. Apart from the language, everything in the Czech Republic has been pretty easy to work with.