CZECHS ARE...DIFFERENT (10 quirks I've noticed Czech people have - from an expat's perspective) 

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Carrying the flowers upside down causes them less damage than carrying them normally. And when we give them to someone we remove the paper and turn them the right way again, blossoms up. I've also heard that when you carry the flowers upside down, more water stays in the blossoms bc gravitation and they don't wither as quickly.

"If a czech person spots a line, they'll just get into it, because there must be something at the end worth having." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I once got an autograph from a singer I had never heard of, to whose concert I had never been, simply because there was a queue for them.

Czech florist here! Its just so you don’t damage the flowers or to protect it from the rain and wind, we give them normally of course

About the blue ink: If you go to any ordinary papírnictví asking for a pen without specification of ink colour, they'll give you blue automaticaly. We don't use black ink pens normaly. I have one black ink pen just because I use it for drawing sometimes.

the reason we put the flowers upside down is so that the wind doesnt damage them… or at least thats what my parents told me when i asked them as a kid… and then it just becomes a habit to hold them upside down even when youre inside… i also find it easier to hold it that way

"Chlebíček" is a Czech specialty and tastes better than a closed sandwich. That's why Czechs make closed sandwiches only for trips and travel. :))

Je zajímavé, že rohlík se šunkou a sýrem nahoře chutná jinak, než když ho vložíte dovnitř! Asi je to horním patrem v ústech.

Chlebíček vymyslel (údajně) lahůdkář Paukert a jde o občerstvení pro slavnostní chvíle a návštěvy- recepce, divadlo, prezentace atp. Tudíž kromě toho že si člověk pochutná musí i hezky vypadat. Na výlety si chystáme obložený chleba, podobně jako Američané sendvič, tradicionalisté samozřejmě řízek mezi chleby.

There is difference between draft (pruvan) and quick ventilation (vetrani). We also like to ventilate our rooms to exchange the air but we don't like constant flow of air because of the deadly illnesses like cold (same asbeing barefoot) and stuff muscles 😜 as well as shutting the door by draft. It was common to have door with a glass inlay inside and you really don't want the shatered glass because of the draft.

Oh no, put another slice of bread on top of chlebíček ??? Chlebíček is not just a sandwich, it is a piece of art! It puts all the ingredients in a mouthwatering display plus delights your eye by its colorful and intrigue composition. Each housewife and deli shop owner are proud of their chlebíčky´s arrangement. You are supposed to take a little time to enjoy your chlebíček eaten from a little plate- or at least a napkin and for a while feel like a 1930´s movie star. It is considered absolutely barbarian to squash it all just to make it more comfortable to bite into while running in the street. Plus- why would you want to eat a double portion of bread with it? You can of course pack two slices of bread with something in between them (a pork schnitzel for example) when you go hiking or travel on a train- but that is something completely different :).

Hi, Jenn! Květiny: na tento dotaz už zde odpověděli v komentářích jiní, takže bych jen doplnil - poloha květy dolů, stonky nahoru je poloha přepravní - květy se nepoškodí, ve stoncích se udrží voda a jedná se o praktické držení, kdy ruka držící kytici při chůzi volně splývá u boku - nést kytici květy nahoru je při chůzi nepraktické, protože je takto nutno kytici držet v pokrčené ruce s loktem ve vodorovné poloze jako při předávání kytice zvolené osobě, navíc takováto chůze s kyticí vypadá hloupě, jako bys tu kytici nabízela každému, kdo jde po chodníku proti tobě... 😂😛 Kavalírství: mě by spíše zajímalo, jak na mužské kavalírství reagují v USA tamní přeemancipované ženy nebo přímo feministky?! To je můj dotaz pro tebe! 😂😉😄😛 Stolování: americký způsob používání příboru mě odrovnal, neměl jsem o tom ani tušení! Zvláštní způsob úchopu vidličky, který jsi u některých Čechů popsala, jsem ještě u nikoho neviděl, ale je možné, že tito lidé se nikdy v mládí nezůčastnili kurzů tance a společenského chování, jejichž součástí jsou i pravidla slušného stolování... Předbíhání: kromě nevychovanosti některých lidí může být také důvodem předbíhání příliš velká mezera, kterou necháš mezi sebou a člověkem před tebou ve frontě - ostatní lidé se mohou domnívat, že ses zastavila, aby sis rozmyslela, zda v té frontě postupovat dál, nebo ji opustit a jít někam jinam... Mručení: Někteří lidé si při přemýšlení pomáhají různými zvuky či pohyby, někteří mručí "Hmmm..., Huh!", někteří zase přecházejí sem a tam, gestikulují a podobně. Modré podpisy: jsou jakousi nepsanou tradicí z dob, kdy neexistovaly průpisky a psalo se inkoustovými pery s modrým inkoustem. Červený inkoust používali učitelé při opravách chyb žáků v písemných úkolech a inkoust jiných barev se většinou nikde nepoužíval, takže podpis vlastním perem/průpiskou s modrým inkoustem/náplní zůstal tradičním stvrzením daného člověka pod nějakým dokumentem, smlouvou a podobně. Počítání: proč Evropané počítají od palce a Američané začínají až ukazováčkem nevím, zřejmě se jedná o nějaký kulturní rozdíl... 🤔 Průvan: V USA je kvůli teplejšímu podnebí prudký závan chladného vzduchu vítaným osvěžením, zatímco v Evropě je brán jako příslib rýmy a nachlazení... 😷😂😉🇺🇸🇨🇿 Sendviče: se sendvičem nebo hot-dogem se to v USA má stejně jako s kávou ze Starbucksu - je široce oblíbeným typem rychlého občerstvení, lze si ho totiž snadno vzít do práce, školy, na výlet, tedy s sebou. V Evropě však jsou lidé zvyklí si svůj pokrm vychutnat včetně toho, že vidí, co vlastně jedí. Proto jsou zde oblíbenější obložené chlebíčky či rohlíky, které se většinou konzumují v klidu u stolu, nikoliv za chůze či běhu do práce! 🍺🍽️😂😉😄😛

About cutting the line... The thinking goes something like this: "Does she not see that big gap? The line has already moved up. Oh god, she's standing there like a Lot's wife, daydreaming about something. Well, if she is not going, I am going now, why should she hold me up..."

Hi Jen, Silesian here (but I think I can talk for most Czechs). We do eat "something like sandwiches" made from bread, rohlík or houska, but only when we go to school or outside in general and we don't buy it, we make it at home. When we eat at home, we put everything on top and when we're buying something, it's either sandwich-like (baguette most of the time) or fancy like chlebíček. Chlebíček isn't something you eat when you go hiking :)

Hi, a Czech person here! I found your video entertaining. Flowers - we carry them upside down because this way there is less chance of them being damaged before they reach the person for whom they are intended and no, we don't give them upside down! 😁 Queues - as a Czech, I totally hate others jumping the queue. They are the sort of person who think they are being clever outsmarting the other 'dumbos' who nicely stand in the queue. Draughts - ehm, I seriously don't know what you are talking about. We don't enjoy sitting in a stuffy room. It all depends on the weather and whether the room is stuffy or not. If it's stuffy - we open the windows. If it's hot, we gladly create a current of cool air. On the other hand, if there isn't the necessity - no stuffy room, no stifling heet, there is really no need for chilly airflow licking your neck. That is not good specially for an elderly person. 😉 Chlebíčky - the topping is done in a decorative manner, so covering them with another slice of 'veka' would ruin the look. Rohlíky - not everyone piles the cheese slices and salami on top. I don't and many other Czechs don't. It also depends whether you are on the rush somewhere and don't have access to a knife or don't have the time, it's easy to buy a rohlík, few slices of whatever you fancy, create your snack/lunch on the go and Bob's your uncle! 🤓👌 Chivalry - as others have pointed out, the man should enter first in any room (not only a pub) in order to prevent his lady to be oggled by other men in that room. Other tips: when going upstairs, a lady should go first, man behind her so he can catch her if she stumbles, when going downstairs, it's the other way round so the man can stop the lady falling if is stumbles. Another rule: if a woman extends her hand to shake a man's hand, he should accept it. But if she doesn't extend her hand, he should not extend his - basically it's the woman who initiates a handshake and she decides whether she wants to shake hands with a man or not. Though nowadays that rule is not really applied...

Remember the scene in Inglorious Basterds in the bar? Drei Gläser! Most of europeans count with thumbs first

Draft: I feel like there is some misunderstanding as to what is understood as draft (or průvan). Simply having a window open in the room doesn't cause a draft as long as there is no other outside source of air present. E.g. To have a window and a front door to an appartment opened at the same time can cause a strong draft breaking glass door and windows, messing up with light objects etc. Blue ink: I have honestly never noticed that signing anything with different than blue ink might be a problem. Vast majority of pens is of course blue, so that might be the reason why I didn't notice :). Rohlíky: Cutting of rohlíky probably depends on how lazy you are and how sharp a knife you have. Cutting rohlík with a dull knife might be a challenge. Huh huh huh: Meaning that you are considering what the other side said and trying to figure out a solution. Chivalry: This I would call a basic etiquette. It's basically good manners to know about these things in European culture. Details will change from country to country but there will always be some similarities. Yes, these quirks might be strange to an outsider but something like this is present in every culture (which is beautiful :)). What I for example don't like about Americans is their overfamiliarity, especially in services. It just reeks of dishonesty.

Ahoj Jen, bohužel se mi to nepodařilo formulovat v angličtině, tak snad to pochopíte v češtině, nebo Vám to někdo z přátel přeloží :) Mám pro Vás vysvětlení citoslovce "huh huh, huh". Když Češi přemýšlejí, tak tomu někdy říkají, že se jim "točí mozkové závity" a tohle je zvuk, který ty mozkové závity vydávají :)

myslím že je lepšie objednať jedno pivo palcom ako prostredníkom a to huh, huh, huhhhh znamená prijal som váš podnet a riešim ho , niečo ako presýpacie hodiny vo windows

You have to get used to the fact that the people of Prague always go first. I live in Moravia and it doesn't happen to me that anyone overtakes me 😂

Hi Jennifer, Sir_Mac here, the local! 1) Flowers - Ha! Now, nobody can say that Czechs are not polite or friendly! When in normal position, the buquet is bigger in its upper part, right? And moving it down means you are reducing the space you occupy during your movement, and also, buquet down means it doesn't cover your field of vision. I would classify this as logic and proper behaviour of a man! :) 2) Yeah, perfectly explained. And when leaving the pub, restaurant, etc., woman always leaves first, with the pretty much the same explanation... What if the brawl has started there? Woman leaves first and the poor gentleman is hit by a chair ... 3) Now I am going to be judging by myself - I use knife in right hand, fork in left hand and I use fork in right hand only when eating spaghetti or any other neverending pasta... In that case, a fork is in my right hand and a spoon is in my left hand... And if I eat baked chicken / goose / duck, I remove all the bones from the meat by my hands first, I clean / wash my hands and after that procedure I eat the meal. I don't want to be disturbed by un-bonification. The weird fork-grip - the fork is some sort of stabilizer, when you want to use the knife and why to turn the plate so the meat / meal is in proper position? Turn the fork, it is quicker. 4) More space in queue? It makes the queue bigger / longer, AND if the queue is (partially or fully) outside, you don't want to be outside for much long, if there is cold or rain. Space efficiency, I would sum this up. That disrespect to the queues, when there is always someone who wants (and will) skip the queue, that is, for me, a punch rewarding behaviour. The only exception, in my eyes, to the rule are pregnant women. 5) huh-huh-HUUUUH It can mean two different things - A) What do we have here? (Vocalisation of surprise or decent shock) B) I pretty much doubt it. (Vocalisation of comparing two information) In both instances, it is almost "sung" vocalisation of displaying mental activity, when you are surprised or deliberating or doubting about something. 6) Blue ink signing tradition - When printers and copiers were printing in black-white scheme (fifty shades of grey), the blue ink was some sort of quick warranty that the document was sign and not printed or copied with the sign as well... 7) Oh yeah... Your dog is (in 99% cases) more beautiful than you, it swings its tail, it deserves to be given water or even something small to eat (which you will have to pay of course)... :-D 8) Counting by your fingers - Gavin Roy mentioned this, because it is done differently in the US, in Brasil and in the Czech Republic. We start to count with thumb, no matter if left or right thumb, and when we reach the number five, which is the end of the first hand, we start using the second one, and with the thumb as well! 9) Being directly exposed for a colder air during long time means that exposed body part will get cold through and you will need to cure it by Voltaren Gel or some similar salve... 10) Chlebíček is "open faced sandwich", and regarding the rest with rohlík, I cut it on the longer part, so I have two (long) halves of rohlík... And you can put, on the two halves of rohlík anything you want... It is, again, an "open faced" solution... No "top cover" by another half of rohlík...

The issue with drafts is also connected to energy preservation - when you want to cool the room down or refresh the air, you are thaught to "ventilate quickly and effectively" by fully opening the windows for just couple of minutes, allowing the air to replace and then close them again before too much heat/cold is lost from the room. This significantly contributes to energy conservation in winter and to preservation of cool air during hot summer days as most buildings and houses in Czechia do not have AC.

Vidím že na květiny není třeba odpovídat pač těch odpovědí je tu habaděj ale nikdo se nezaměřil na to "huh huh huh" .... a do tedka mi to nepřišlo ani divný ... až ted když si na to upozornila .... ani nevím jak, kdy a od koho jsem se to naučil ale používám to snad celý život ...a dáváme tím na jevo své udivení a nebo se snažime přemýšlet a tento zvukový podnět nám asi pomáhá si vzpomenout ... teda aspon u mně to tak funguje xD xD xD Jinak skvělé video. :) :) Jen tak dál. :)

Again, a nice one today :-) About "huh", we rewrite as "hmmm", is officially a so-called hesitation sound, it's on the same level as silent coughing or others. From a linguistic point, the person basically wants to say "Hmmm, and now what should I do?", but stops at saying just the first part. About flowers, apart from the reasons mentioned by others below, I personally feel my arm is getting tired when carrying a flower upside up, especially if the bouquet is big and heavy, by carrying upside down, you can rest your arm along your body. Anyway, your point about origami chlebicky-packaging made my day. Unlike flowers, you have to carry it upside up all the time as if you carry a precious piece of Jesus' cross remain.

another thing about flowers upside down: if you keep upright while walking on the street, anything falling from the sky (rain, snow, cigarette ashes, bird shit) can fall on the flowers. Keeping them down during transportation keep them safer, and cleaner!.

Czech fathers always say that "A man enters the pub door first if some pig was running out." :D

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I grew up with my Czech grandmother- OMG, I use my silverware just like Czechs, count starting with my thumb, etc! This explains a LOT! Thank you!!!

Speaking about lines-- I visit Czechia a few times a year, and in supermarkets I have been kindly invited by Czechs to cut the line and stand in front of them a few times just because if I have very few things to buy, but they have full trolleys. Once a man cut the line in front of me without saying anything. But he was wearing a worker's uniform, and I thought it was a custom in Czechia to let people in the queue if they have a lunch break. So, being so many times in the country and buying grocery regularly, I only have noticed one episode of cutting the line.

That is pretty normal carrying the flowers upside down, even one Russian spy was identified and caught because of it in the USA.

(1) flowers - it’s pretty common here in Sweden as well. Reason is to protect against rain but also to keep water in the blooms/flowers. (2) sandwiches - sandwiches are not hamburgers, ok. (3) utensils - the Czech way is the general European way. The American way of eating is generally seen as totally uncivilized / childish and should be avoided at all cost in Europe. I’m thinking about two other things: (4) smoking - I’ve noticed in Central and Eastern Europe that women generally don’t smoke in the street/when walking. Smoking is done when sitting down at a cafe or restaurant. (5) eating - in Central and Europe people don’t really eat in the street or when walking as is more common in the US.

I always forget about the even/odd number of flowers thing. Whenever we go to visit my tchyne the first thing I do is get her some flowers. A dozen, of course. Because that's what Americans do. I think my tchyne and manzelka have given up on me because I don't get corrected on that anymore.

Hi, Jenn, ještě přidám pár poznámek ke kavalírství. Většina mužů v ČR prošla v mládí tanečními kurzy, kde se také seznámili s pravidly zdvořilosti. Proto dávají ve dveřích přednost dámám zcela automaticky. Vzpomínám si, jak jsme šli v Minneapolis ve smíšené skupině po chodbě, já jsem šel v čele a před lítacími dveřmi (swinging doors) jsem zastavil, abych je otevřel pro dámy, které šly za mnou. Ty s tím ale nepočítaly a narazily do mne, div že jsme všichni neupadli. Podle pravidel etikety jde muž první nejen při vstupu do hospody, ale i do jakékoliv veřejné místnosti. Důvodem je, aby pozornost upoutal na sebe a dáma tak nebyla vystavena nepříjemným zkoumavým pohledům. Také jsem si všiml, že Američané nectí pravidlo, že v páru jde muž vždy vlevo a žena vpravo. To je pravidlo z historie, protože většina mužů byla a je praváky, takže vlevo nosili meč. Také je pravá ruka silnější a šikovnější, kdyby dáma uklouzla, pravou rukou ji lépe zachytí než levou. K počítání na prstech: ano, v Americe se počítá jinak než v Evropě, ale asi by tě překvapilo, že v Číně (možná i jinde v Asii) počítají úplně opačně. Začnou od rozevřené ruky a postupně sklápí prsty, takže při 5 je ruka sevřena v pěst. Amerika je prostě hodně rozdílný svět než Evropa, hodně za to může historie a počasí (skoro celá ČR leží zeměpisně na sever od hranice USA s Kanadou a Řím je severněji než New York). Hodně se dá odpozorovat z filmů, ale bylo by to na dlouhé povídání nebo spíš na celou knihu.

Omg, I am from Austria (I have Austrian and Czech roots) and you are totally right with the "Huh huh huh"!! I have never noticed I did it before you mentioned it, but I do😂I can't even explain the meaning, but I think I do it for example if I consider, what do do next in any kind of situation or for example, if I start writing down something🤷🏻‍♀️

Re Blue Ink: I believe this dates back to the Hungaro-Austrian bureaucracy when all ink intended for handwriting (even before fountain pens) was blue. Black ink (tuš) - more expensive - was for technical drawings and such. And since everything in this and other bureaucracies had to be regulated blue ink became a norm (written or informal I don't know). A very strict no-no was red ink: That was reserved for someone with authority to point out errors or make corrections.

These are so spot on 😂 I never realised that the “huh huh huh” is our cultural thing. I didn’t even realise that so many people do it as well. But I do it all the time. Typicaly while starting to solve some problem, wether it’s some written exam or I come to an isle full of chocolates in the store and I need to choose one 😃 As fort the weird fork holding I’ve seen people do that as well and it’s freaking weird. I can’t imagina that I would ever eat like that. Also do Americans also use fork kind as a knive as well? I often use only fork to eat food. I will cut it with side of the fork and then eat it… :)

Never seen anyone holding the fork like that 😂 must be so impractical But I think it's cultural, growing up in Czechia and living now in Denmark, I notice people hold the cutlery differently than I do 😂

někdo mi říkal, že jezení jednou rukou v americe pochází z dob divokého západu, kdy stolovník chtěl mít jednu ruku vždy volnou aby mohl tasit zbraň :)

Flowers being carried upside down - it is more relaxing for your hand (natural position). It would be a faux pas if you give it to somebody upside down. Using fork in left hand - ettiquette we learn in early childhood. Huh huh huh - probably to show that I am thinking about your question. Blue ink - obsolete rule from the black and white printer time. Doggies first - czechs love them. Fingers using - japans start counting with little finger :)

If those are the worst things we do, it's OK.

9/10 times when Czechs cut rohlik, they just turn into two chlebíčky instead of closing it up again as sandwich. You know, too much carbs is bad for you and who wants to taste all the pastry and no filling. Skipping that top break gives you better ratio.

13:35 - Chlebíčky jsou jiný druh jídla. Chlebíčky NEJSOU sendviče a nikdy sendviče nebyly už z podstaty věci. I ve je videu je řečeno, že nemají horní překrytí druhým kusem pečiva, tedy ani nenaplňují technický význam slova "sendvič", tj. "dvě či více vrstev látky(hmoty) spojených jinou látkou(hmotou)"...

About the fork, the first way you show it is something that is quite common but from my point of view even more common is holding the fork "upside down" (meaning the "curve" is down, kind of like a spoon). And the second way you showed, I've never seen that. With the huh huh huh, you really made me laugh, I never realized this is a Czech-specific thing. Now I wonder what the origin of that is, but I just do it without knowing where it came from. About the draft, I don't know what part of Germany you're talking about but I lived in Stuttgart and now I live in Berlin and my experience and experience of my other expat friends, Germans LOVE draft. Unless it's below 15 °C inside, the windows must be open. And about sandwiches, we do eat sandwiches, we just don't use the toast bread as often, but rather the normal Czech bread. And it's usually not something you buy, but something you make at home when you want to eat on a trip or while walking.

Jen, bylo to naprosto vynikající, skvěle jsem se bavila 😀 K rohlíku bych osobně řekla, že používáme oba způsoby, jak obložit ho svrchu, tak rozříznout a ten salám, sýr etc. vložit dovnitř. To, že se dá jíst s tím salámem a sýrem a bůhvíčím ještě navrchu, je nejspíš dáno tím, že jeho velikost je ještě taková, že se náš rohlík vejde do úst. Jako svačina dětem do školy, na výlet, do práce, se maže a náplň dává dovnitř do rozříznutého rohlíku. Přesně kvůli tomu, aby se od toho člověk nezmazal a šlo to v nějakém ubrousku, sáčku nebo krabičce bez poškození přenést. Stejně tak jako si Čech rád a tradičně na výlet vezme řízek mezi dvěma krajíci chleba. Protože se od toho nezmaže, hodně se nají a je to tradice 😀 Za sebe ale musím říct, že za celou dobu školní docházky, kdy jsem z 90% měla ke svačině rohlík s něčím uvnitř, ještě připravovaný večer předem, tohle jídlo tak ukrutně nesnáším, že když už si dám rohlík teď, což se stává tak jednou do roka, mažu a obkládám ho zásadně čerstvý a zásadně pouze vcelku 😂 Jinak mi prostě nechutná. No a tousty se tu taky už celkem uchytily, ale to víš, stále tu vládnou generace, které na toustech nevyrostly, za komunistů tousty nebyly. Byl chleba, housky a rohlíky 😆 Na nadvládu toustů si musíme počkat až na generaci našich dětí. Možná 😆

Haha I had to grin at most of those. Yes, I am guilty of most of these as well :-D However, I have a completely different experience with open windows. Growing up in Czechia, having fresh air inside was the ultimate priority and if a person doesn't sleep with their window open, they usually open it first thing in the morning to "vyvětrat". And this has been one of my pet peeves here in the UK where people just would not open their windows EVER! And that's something, we continetal Europeans, always complain about here that it's almost forbidden to open your window in the UK. :-D And also holding your fork like this, I've never seen it before. I've seen people holding it like a pen, which is weird and quirky too.

The "Huh huh huh" doesn't come naturally to everybody?! What?! I thought it is universal thing to say/do when you are thinking something through and*or filling the silence when you are thinking.

Your videos are sweet reminders of our time living in Prague. ❤️ I saw myself counting from my thumb the other night.

You deliver your observation of the weird quirks and peculiarities of Czech culture in such a sweet manner. It was so considerate and respectful. Thank you. You are awesome!

the flowers - wind wont damage them so much, as their stalks dont need to carry the weight of the flower, the lines.. i think that is just prague problem? didnt met it really anywhere else, also because we czech are really trigger happy if someone will cut in line, but if there is generous space between you and next one person, some people may think you are not in line, the blue ink... i think it is because it is easier to tell if it was photocopied (it isnt original) if it is in color, while if the text is in black, the sign is in black, and you copy it, it is hard to tell which one was original, the drafts - going from hot temperature to cold can cause headaches, we also hate drafts because it keep shutting doors really loudly, the chlebíček isnt toast, it is meant to be eaten immediately

Regarding flowers, yes, as far as I was taught it's to relieve stress on the flower. Many are fragile, Gerberas make a good example. Nowadays they often strenghten them with wire but not always and a few decades ago it was never done. And it's also to keep heads of flowers safe. Surprisingly, e.g. in a full tram, there's plenty of space at leg height while at chest height you can easily get them crushed. And no, we don't give them upside down. Regarding lines, it's a while since the last time I got the line cut in front of me. Sometimes somebody comes to me asking if they could go in front of me because e.g. they only got one thing to pay for. Then I usually let them. It's rare and it's with consent. But yeah, not keeping the gap to the person ahead of you too big is one important thing. And the other is, if someone cuts the line in front of you, feel free to scold them and send them to the back. Cutting the line is certainly not considered normal. Regarding the blue ink, some time ago I got a document via e-mail and the instructions were to print it, sign it in blue ink, then scan it, and send the scan vie e-mail back. Great way to avoid a forgery I say... On similar note, official documents used to have to be stamped with a red (rubber) stamp. Blue or black were not acceptable. I think it's not that hot today yet I believe most government agencies still use red stamps.

Very entertaining! Yes!! The flowers upside down - holding the fork - the Czech “sendvich” - all things we noticed right away when we lived in Prague! Love this!

Rohliky (bread rolls) comes originally from abroad, from Paris, like other bakeries for example pretzels which comes from Germany. Chlebicky (in plural "little breads") are considered a treat food ideally used for a bit special occassions such as birthday celebrations, colleague leaving from work team, etc. The content is carefully composed of Czech potato salad (contains more stuff such as salami, egg, green peace, sometimes carrots, sweet and sour pickled gherkings - made with malt vinegar, and all is flavoured with scoop of mustard, all neatly cut in small cubes and then mixed the gether) - very good! Then you have on it slice of ham or cheese, slice of haidboiled egg and more slice of pickled gherkin or slice of tomato. Some chlebicky (of chlebiceks) have cheese and garlic spread as the first layer instead of potato salad and then long threads of grated cheese. I love them all! This bread again, is not Czech bread, but sliced french baguette instead. Czech bread is made of sourdough, with European cumin seed, moist inside, dark and hard outside. Aromatic. Delicious! Can be eaten on its own or again as open sandwich. It is because is more sturdy and harder in texture, so it needs thicker slicing. Otherwise it will be difficult to put into your mouth. But we also eat it with fried schnitzel and mustard

Kvetiny: because is better hold flowers down, then you put your flowers into to water, because the water in the stem feeds the petals.

I never realized "huh huh huh" was odd and regional. :D Anyway, there's a silly "huh huh huh" joke that's ubiquitous at least in Moravia: How do you kill a rabbit in winter with a razor blade and a carrot? You put the carrot down and plant the razor right in front of it. A rabbit will come, see the carrot and go: "Huh huh huh, a carrot in winter?" Shaking his head and cutting his throat. Yeah, it's not a good joke. :D

Ahoj Jen, květiny předáváme normálně květy nahoru. A květ dolů je nosíme aby se ty květiny nezlámali...nebo mi to tak vždycky říkala moje mamka.🖤 Ps: miluju Tvá videa je zajímavé vidět všechny věci, které si často ani neuvědomujeme z jiného pohledu.😀

We, in the Netherlands also carry our bouquets upside down. That way the water stay in the flowers and they will look better for a longer time.

“huh huh huh”, neboli "hm hm hm" může být nevyslovené "mrkev v zimě..", pocházející z vtipu: Jak se loví zajíc v zimě? Řešení: položíte na cestu mrkev a nad ní natáhnete ostrý drát; přijde zajíc, vidí mrkev, začne kroutit hlavou: „Chm, chm, chm… Mrkev v zimě…” …a uřízne si hlavu.

I have never seen such perpendicular fork holding. I'm used to use fork under index finger. Second kind of holding is fork with pins horizontal so it can load a few sauce. Typical Czech fork has a part similar to flat spoon for sauce.

I just love your videos! You just get such a good insight to the czech culture which you couldn't otherwise without living there for a while, simply by watching your videos. Exactly what I've always searched for so thank you! :)) PS: In Germany we all count that way (with the thumb first), too. To me it's so weird if you start with your index finger!😅Also I NEED drafts. I love them. But you're absolutely right, almost every German I know has a desperate fear of it. Every window, every door, always closed and beware if you leave it open. I hate that xD

3:14 - flowers upside down, oriented "by the wind" and protected by paper are more resistant to wind or minor bumping from other ppl 7:27 - well, if you stay far from the line's end, it gives an impression, that you are still thinking about whether you have everything or you are going to dart back into the shop for something, or perhaps you are waiting for someone… 9:11 - well, those "odd little grunts" are sort of "talking to oneself" and actually have a meaning based on their intonation. :-D The one you reproduced means something like "Ok, let's look into this". There is also "positive hmmm", "negative hmmm", "affirmative hmmm", "questioning hmm" and "Are-you-serious hmmm"… :-D 10:14 - Actually, it's way more complicated. First of all, this is not entirely true. And by "not entirely", because while it was never official, some municipality offices required it. However, there are 3 reasons, why they do it: 1) Blue ink is a standard one. So any other colour is weird on its own. Unless it's accompanied by a round stamp with a state symbol - then it's OK to use any ink, even purple, as I do... :-D 2) Additional thing is, that forgery is a real problem and thus you need to be sure, that you've got original, not a photoshopped document. And particularly in the case of black gel pens, it's really hard to tell apart the original signature from inkjet print - even for me, with my set of tools and practice. In the case of colours, the situation is different, as in the CMYK space, "standard blue" is actually about 95% cyan, and 5% is yellow and magenta. With modern printers, quality went up, but you can still find the artefacts. Thus when using at least a 30x magnifier or microscope, you actually see the dots now and there. And sometimes In the case of just lame copies or print-outs from an e-mail, you can tell straight away, that it was printed - not so easy in the case of black colour. 3) Machine readability (persistent idea) - back then, when technology was way less developed and you wanted to make a form with closed questions and checkboxes, that could be then digitalized you needed the machine to recognize, whether a checkbox in a certain place is or isn't crossed. Well, the oldest machines were black and white, thus if the ink wasn't black or dark enough, it was not recognized. In the case of newer software, the approach was quite different: Forms were printed in black colour and when scanning, black was ignored and the scanner focused on blue (standard ink colour). Of course, today scanners are much more precise and software way more intelligent, but some ppl are stuck at the technology level 30 years ago… 11:25 - a bowl of water for a dog is sort of standard (almost every Czech had a dog through their lifetime, so they know, that dos tend to suffer thirst a lot), everything else is mostly limited to "hipster zones" 13:25 - Not really. What you fail to recognize, is that "chlebíček" is a sort of "ceremonial food" and it has nothing in common with sandwiches! It's just XXL version of what is known as "tapas" elsewhere. The standard size version of the "czech tapas" would be called "jednohubky" (which name is self-explanatory for Czechs), probably made from sliced "rohlík" Also at 14:48 you fail to differentiate between the "pre-made" and the "on the run" version. That said, there is no "instead" - if you prepare it in advance, envisioning transportation (as a snack for yourself or your child to school) you will slice it and fill it inside. However, if you are "hungry as a wolf" and you have 15 minutes to eat (including shopping) and with no need to transport it anywhere, it's a waste of time on esthetic BS. In that case, you can also see ppl buying "rohlíky" with some sort of mayonnaise-based salads for a snack "in the field" with no utensils available, whereas "rohlík" is also used as an improvised spoon.

We do cut _rohlík_ horizontally as well, but I think the most common alternative to American sandwich is _houska_ - we usually put butter or margarine inside with some cheese or ham, though they can be done with jam and many other ingredients.

6:52 ahahahah I never saw someone hold a fork like this. That's definitely not normal here

Happy Thanksgiving Jen.

I often use utensils the American way. :-) When you repeat it, it sounds silly, but huh huh huh is just a variant of ummmm, like interjection of thinking. I would say about drafts that there are teams of draft lovers and draft haters who fight in offices or anywhere. I do cut rohlíky in the middle.

Hi Jen, flowers normally pass flowers up. And we bring them flowers down so the stems don't break ... or that's what my mom always told me Ps: I love your videos, it's interesting to see all the things that we often don't even realize from another perspective. 🖤

:-) Great vlog, Jen. Thanks! Reading the comments suggests one more quirk you could've mentioned: Even though you said that this vlog was for your foreign audience, Czechs, 'de facto' eavesdropping on the conversation, get defensive about your observations, going as far as asking you to go home and even to address your foreign audience in Czech, with English subtitles. With what word would you summarize this Czech quirk?

Dutchie living in Prague... and we too are taught to carry flowers upside down to make them last longer, but once I start thinking about it...

Ahoj Jen, hodne jsem se pobavila :-) Miluju tvoje videa. At se ti dari!

Have you looked at the text on the spine of Czech books? When a Czech book is laying on the table, front cover facing up, the text on the spine is bottom to top, is upside down. While on US, British, Scandinavian, Benelux books the text on the spine is top to bottom.

As a russian in Czech Republic I'd say there are not enough 24h flowers places :D But the fork hold is so weird... Was shocked when I saw it first time and still have chills every time I see a person using a fork in that weird way.

We do make sandwitches, from our regular bread and even from rohlík, but it is usually only when you want it to go, either for school/work or for a hike. When you are eating at home, you just want your meal to look nice and in my oppinion you also want less bread and more of the "good stuff". Chlebíček is very specific as it is mostly used for parties and celebration, so again it is made to look nice. Buying chlebíček to go seems to me like either you don't have any other fast meal option or you want something to feel just a little bit special, like your little personal celebration or a "feel good" food.

One my colleague from US was surprised about the cutlery after you finish the meal. We put fork and knife to the same part of plate. If you don't finish you put them opposite of each other.

Czech guy here: The "huh huh mmm mmm" sounds are - as I see it - sort of universal half-self speaking. Because you can express joy, surprise, anger, sadness, boredom or interest with different tones of same sound. You can even express "no" "yes" or "question" and other stuff with that. Honestly this is probably first time anybody get me to think about it...hmmm...thanks🙂

Rohlík se taky krájí na půlku, když se nosí s sebou a stejně tak chlebíčky nejsou varianta toastů nebo sendvičů, tou je obložený chléb (dva plátky chleba a mezi nimi třeba sýr, máslo, šunka a zelenina). Jo a příbory se u nás typicky používají opačně než jsi ukázala. (Vidlička je obráceně.)

This was so on point!! And I do most of the things myself *covering rohlík with a slice of ham* 😁🤭

You have some etiquette explained here very thoroughly. Who walks in first, goes first upstairs/downstairs. Great job. I remember some American on youtube complaining about etiquette, that it is very complicated, that he doesn´t know who has the right to introduce themselves first etc. (simple, you just need to decipher who is more important) Jen, you might like it. There´s an old Czech etiquette book from Guth-Jarkovský (the first republic era). It is hilarious!!! If you ever get hold of it, give it a try. We spent one evening reading it, laughing hysterically.

"lady at the Úřad" :D :D ten kyselej obličej uplně vidím :D ... btw to s tou vidličkou je divný, párkrát sem to už taky viděl a nechápu to :D

When I first moved here I was very confused with the way czechs write the date, instead of using a dash or slash (for example 29/11) they use a dot (29.11). So weird to me, but now I'm more than used to it. Of course, as an American you probably were more confused with the order: day/month/year :')

Hi Jen, Californian in Prague here too (14 years)! I always thought a weird Czech quirk was that they don’t put their napkins on their laps. They keep them to the side of their plates throughout mealtime.

Hi there. Native Czech here :D The "huh huh" is probably close to "hmmm" xD But with more optimistic feeling (whereas "hmmm" sound feels kinda sinister - the Witcher kind xD) and both are used when pondering over something. With the flowers - many have already answered. It's easier to carry and we think water stays closer to the blossoms (gravitation), so they don't wither till we can put them in the water again. Another quirk explained is chlebíček - it's topping is decorative and is more of a treat than a snack. We do make sandwitches to carry around - to work/school. "Blanketed" rohlík is the same mentality - if we are in a rush/or lazy we just throw toppings on top and eat it like that. If we need to carry it samewhere, we take more time to prepare (or we're in the mood) - to slice it and pack the inside. Thanks for the vid. Well made and funny :D

U nás se jídlo předkrajuje jen dětem, aby rychleji vychladlo. Třeba řízek v celku vydrží déle teplý, když se krájí postupně a i jídlo na talíři vypadá upravené, až do posledního sousta. Ale nikdy jsem nikoho neviděla, že držel vidličku jako pračlověk. Z některých rozdílných chování jsme vypadali jako kreténi. Dětem do školy se taky dávaly dvě půlky chleba nebo rohlíku a mezi to třeba sýr, ale slovo sendvič k nám přišlo až po r.89. A chlebíček se jí většinou v klidu a né jako bageta, která je spíš rychlé občerstvení a nejvíc tam člověku je cítít na jazyku ta žemle.

Over 30 years "rohlík" Went throw some changes. Its not shaped as cresend moon And you cannot roll it open. As kid i liked eat it that was so i ended with two tipy connected by soft insides.

I like the chivalry in men! The "huh huh huh" sounds cute, if many do that it's a good guess it could be a media influence, huh :). I am from the USA but I agree with them regarding drafts. I would like to visit some day. You decided to stay? That's pretty cool. Merry Christmas.

OMG... I lived in Prague for 3 1/2 years.. and you are cracking me UP! SOOOO true!

It is also more relaxed position for the arm. If You want to flex your muscles so You can carry them in normal position. Just enjoy your meal, do not think too much about table manners. Table manners are for snobs. :) Overtaking is very rude. This does apply for the queues in shops but also for cars. Some people are in rush mode.

In club, I count "one" like american, but "two", "three"... like czech, respectively like german

wow, this is interesting for me as a czech too. it gave me a view on how these things are different everywhere

Hi, Jenn! Neznám žádného Američana, jen Vás z Vašich vtipných videí. Dělá te to dobře, děkuji. Ostatní Vám vše vysvětlili. Mě už nezbývá než napsat: Přeju Vám štěstí, milá Jenn! :-) . Z.P.

salám na rohlíku je lepší, než salám uvnitř rozkrojeného rohlíku :)

I'm British and I thought we knew how to queue, the majority of the time, the Czechs beat us hands down. As for people cutting in to talk to the person behind the counter etc, it's definitely a thing, as in when indicating to pull out they accelerate as everyone is in a hurry...

Amazing video as always! I am buying flowers almost every week, just to make our apartment more cozy.

Sometimes we make regular sandwiches, either from bread or rohlíky - when we're packing a snack for a long trip.

It's really sad that basic etiquette is being considered a quirk these days 😔 globalization is powerful and I watch how more and more people even here act as if chivalry and good manners somehow threaten women's independency. Those two shouldn't be in the same sentence. "Even though Czech women are independent, men open the door for them," 🤦 Don't get me wrong, I really like your videos, they are funny. Modern pseudofeminism is just a pet peeve of mine. I can have a husband who cooks for our family and I can be the one who makes more money and fix the plumbing but I still appreciate it when he opens the door for me or helps me sit at a table at a restaurant. Manners and independency are not something that can't coexist... I raise my son to be a gentleman and I fear for how it will be perceived once he grows up. 😬

4:20 yeah that's pretty much it. Or at least everyone always told me to hold them upside down so they won't get destroyed. And don't worry we give them normally 😂

About the flowers, if you carry them upside down, the remain watter will be deliverd to the flower so it stays longer "alive"

Carrying the flowers upside down also occasionally results in their loss 😂😂 I´ve heard several anecdotes about flowers slipping out of the paper on the way unnoticed and the following surprise of both the presentee and the giver 😁

Pamatuju, že hrál v televizi pořad Etiketa, kde takovou zábavnou formou vysvětlovali zásady slušného chování a jak se chovat ve společnosti. Byl tam i názorně vysvětlen případ, proč mají muži vstupovat do hospody jako první :) Určitě se ten pořad dá najít i na RU-vid.

I was like "what's so irrational about fear of drafts?" before I realized you don't mean the military :D

I like how most of these are kinda subtle things. That shows you've been living there for quite some time ... nice.

In Poland, in Hungary too we have to sign our papers in blue ink only, otherwise it may be considered as forgery.