Hi everyone I have been reading your postings for a couple of weeks and have been learning so much! I am in high school and will be living in the Czech Republic for 11 months! I have only 5 months to learn all that i can about this beautiful country! I would love to hear what you think about the Czech and what i need/should know before i leave! thanks so much
KJP: sorry for being a pain in the ass but what's wrong with that guy's english? Alright, it might not be absolutely perfect but there are people around here whose english is way worse (like mine for example) and still no one cares. I see no point in discouraging newbies from posting here in such a silly way. (no offence, just my opinion) sakte007: "I would love to hear what you think about the Czech and what i need/should know before i leave!" Sorry I'm Czech myself so I'm probably too biased to tell you what the Czechs are like but regarding your second question - I wouldn't say there's anything special you NEED to know before coming here, we're just a more or less ordinary western-style kind of society (even if it still has a bit of Eastern Bloc feel to it) so it will probably be pretty easy to adapt to living here. Maybe learn some basic czech phrases like "How do I get to...?", "I'd like a glass of beer", "I don't speak czech" and so on. Otherwise just use common sense and you should be alright.
Thank you fabik317 for standing up for me! I am very sorry for not writing in proper English. I am trying to learn a bit of the Czech language, though I am finding it a bit on the difficult side; however I am having fun speaking a small amount to my friends! Dekuji
well, I too apologize then, but here was my point: who do you think leaves their country to go live in one where they 100% will make less money? This tendency doesnt exactly attract the highest caliber people, and I was hoping that, being a fellow American, she/he (unk) would do their best to represent their country well, which starts by being a good diplomat and speaking correctly in your native tongue. We all make typos, myself included, but I have met far too many here that can't speak their own language well, come to teach or try to learn another langauge...:} My apologies skate...hold our nation and our butchered English high. Our reputation is bad enough thanks to that golf player George W. (I find him competent at nothing else but golf
Are you going with AFS? 'cause if you are, then you'll spend your first week at an orientation camp where AFS will tell you all you need to know. I can't think of any vital rules right now that you MUST know before arriving in the Czech Republic, but if you have any direct questions about certain things I'd be more than happy to help, being an former exchange student myself. I think all you have to do is be open minded and relaxed and you'll be living a Czech life and enjoying yourself with your new family and friends before you know it. The only thing I can reccomend is, try to study just a little czech before you go. Knowing the basics, such as the correct pronunciation and stuff helps alot. Maybe I'll think of something else later on, when I'm in the Czech Republic this summer, but untill then. Take care and good luck
I would think that choosing your destinations and your way of living based on other criteria besides making money doesn't show low calibre, but rather the other way around.
allow me to clarify: The American Medical Center in Prague. I spoke with one of the doctors who told me that they had to take from the bottom of the barrel just to get a few doctors to come to Prague, for they made half the money here. 2 years later, shut their doors and packed it up... Prague is full of recruiters, business advisors, pyramid schemes (thanks to NuSkin and Amway, it is now an illegal model, but don't tell that to Marcus Evans, they willingly call themselves a pyramid). If you could consult me on my business so well, you'd probably be running a successful business yourself, but they are not. HR? Well, everyone knows this is a position you get into when your telemarketing days end ( and they will ). These two fields constitute the majority in the expat community...then there are the backpackers, the DJ wannabees, artist, photographers, etc. that stay until Mom's money runs out...I just don't find other populations of expats here, and no, I don't look for them, for when in Rome, I do like the Romans. If I wanted to hang with Americans or Brits, I would be there, not here :} If you are sucessful, why would you shut that down to move to a location where you definately will not make the same amount of money? I did it for love.... Admirable, if you are close to retirement, and have the means to survive regardless of income. But your point is well taken, it should be that way. It shows high character to not value money so much...I just think that reality doesn't always allow for it If we were all so lucky as to promote character before income :}
