I would definitely recommend Plus3 Transfer Plus Czech Republic to other engineering students. Two weeks was the perfect amount of time to get to know my peers and the city around us. I think that the biggest thing that I would recommend is to be really intentional with how much you pack. I took one…
Tag: Brenda Rea
Grateful for Redirection
In beginning to reflect on my Plus3 experience, it is difficult to pinpoint just one thing that I am grateful for. I feel immensely blessed to have even had the opportunity to embark on this program. Between the flight logistics of being rerouted from the South Africa program to scholarships transferring correctly, it is hard…
Narrowest Alley in the World!
Today was a long but eventful day. We got to have a behind the scenes tour of Kunsthalle Praha which is a new, non-profit art gallery. During the tour we saw the loading dock, storage center, “gold” room, galleries, and offices. Through the opening presentation, we learned about the preservation efforts that they made to…
Czech Customs
The Czech custom that resonates with me the most so far is greeting people when you enter/exit local businesses. I think it’s a kind gesture to greet people in general let alone when you enter their storefront. People sacrifice so much of their time and energy to create a business that it is truly their…
Czech Cuisine
When thinking about my favorite meal in the Czech Republic, one specific meal comes to kind. A few days ago we went to this beautiful restaurant that served traditional Czech food near the famous John Lenon wall. We all ordered fancy raspberry lemonades and for my meal I ordered a pork knee. While it seems…
Copycat Czech Statue
It’s hard to believe that just last week was our pre-departure meal in Benedum. Throughout this past week I have had a great time exploring Prague and meeting people along the way. One thing that we learned before embarking on our journey was that Czech people were pretty standoffish and were not the friendliest to…
Czeching out Charles University
Today we visited Charles University again for a language lecture followed by a history lecture. We covered the alphabet, common phrases, and the history behind how languages formed. Once we had a quick lunch and watched the Kafka head spin, we went back for a second lecture about how history affected innovation. The history was…
Czech out the Instagram
Today was another great day in Prague! We started off the day early with a trip to the Central Bohemia Innovation Center and later went to a nuclear fallout shelter museum and a local festival. I was worried that having such busy days would make me exhausted, but I am surprisingly able to get through…
Pork Knee vs. Pork Knuckle
When traveling to a new place and experiencing a new culture it is easy to feel like a “fish out of water”. While at times I may feel out of place and in the way, every Czech person that I have interacted with has been very kind. The more time I spend exploring the city…
Hidden Valleys of Travel
Traveling to get to Prague came with its challenges; however, the reward of arriving at such a culturally rich city makes it worthwhile. Personally, I always struggle with getting enough rests on long, international flights. I tried to take advantage of the almost seven-hour flight to London but could not manage to fall asleep. As…
Donuts = Essential Packing Item
As I begin to embark on my Plus3 journey, there are so many experiences that I am looking forward to. I know that this program will give me the opportunity to network with professional engineers and learn more about how the engineering field differs from country to country. While I am certain that I will…
Prague Plus Me
Hello Blog! My name is Brenda Rea and I am a sophomore chemical engineering student here at Pitt. I am originally from Pittsburgh, so naturally Pitt was the right choice for me. As much as I love Pittsburgh, I am eager to go abroad and experience a new culture. I chose Plus3 Transfer Plus (Prague)…
Hitting the Beach!
My time in Cyprus has sadly come to an end. Throughout my two weeks here, I have learned so much about Cypriot culture and business/ engineering practices and gotten to know my peers and instructors. I am happy to say that I will be leaving this trip with not only a lot of knowledge but…
Last Meeting!
Today was another pretty packed day! We started off the day with a tour of Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) which houses a state-of-the-art facility filled with high-tech equipment and transitional seating. The meeting began with a hologram video of a representative from the company who described PWC and discussed their mission statement. My favorite aspect…
Touring Famagusta
Today was another amazing day in Cyprus; I truly cannot believe that I am leaving in just a few days. Today began with a walking tour of Famagusta which is a town that has been abandoned for over 40 years. Because of a Turkish invasion, the Cypriot government ordered all of the people to flee…
Forecasting my Week in Cyprus
Today was full of learning! We arrived at the University of Nicosia early in the morning for our first meeting with Fleet Management Limited(FML). Two of their representatives gave informative talks regarding the role their company plays in the shipping industry. Fleet Management Limited is the fastest growing shipping management company on the island of…
Hitting the Beach
Today was such a fun day! We started off the day with a delicious hotel breakfast which served food that was similar to our other hotels breakfast display. Both hotels served poached and scrambled eggs, fruit salad, pastries, fresh juices, and an assortment of meats and cheeses. The food is much fresher and more bountiful…
Climbing our Way through Paphos
I have been eagerly awaiting today’s activities since we started preparing for the trip! The first stop of the day was an ancient Kourion where we were able to see the ruins of an old home and an amphitheater. Our tour guide did a great job explaining what each room was and even where the…
Cementing Memories
Today, we drove to Limassol to tour Vassiliko which is a cement company based in Cyprus. I was really excited to learn more about their manufacturing process as this company employs chemical engineers to make their process safe and efficient. One of the lead chemical engineers with over thirty years of experience at Vassiliko went…
The Hotel of the Sea
Today was a packed day filled with lots of information about Cyprus’s main source of revenue, the shipping industry! Because of the location, Cyprus is in a prime location to easily receive and transport goods. We began our day at the Limassol New Port security checkpoint where we were able to see Dubai World Port’s…