DON'T MOVE TO PRAGUE (Before watching this!)
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- čas přidán 9. 05. 2024
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Definitely don't move to Prague before watching this video! Let's be realistic, shall we? I want you to make a successful move to this beautiful country, so here are some tips to help make your move a successful one!
00:00 A realist's advice on moving to Prague
01:21 Beware of other expats
02:50 You're not going to learn Czech (easily)
04:30 Limited job opportunities
05:30 Earning power
07:11 NordVPN offer
08:21 Visa Process
09:53 The Bureaucracy
10:58 It can be lonely
11:39 It's not the same as home
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▶ A B O U T D R E A M P R A G U E:
Ahoj! I'm Jen, native Californian, living in Prague, Czech Republic for the past 9 years with my husband and our rescue dog Tobik. One fateful night, we drank a bottle of wine, threw a dart at the map, and bought one-way tickets to move our entire lives to the center of Europe! Every day we learn something new, about Czech people, Czech culture, Czech history, Czech language and how to battle the Czech bureaucracy. Dream Prague started as a place to share what we learned with other foreigners living here.
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Kde jsou česke titulky Jenifer?
@@boristurek7 dal jsem si automatický překlad angličtina - čeština
We inherited the bureaucracy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and we keep riding this crazy rusty steam engine with little maintenance through the 21st century :-D
I've heard that before....amazing that a complicated system has lasted so long!
@@DreamPrague Not really. There is simply sense of continuum, which immensely help during transition in 1918 after declaration of independence. All ministry and offices just simply carry on, just under different management, because they are in some fashion needed. Give this one hundred years, three or four changes of regime (quite big changes in fact) and you inherited bustling chaos of contradicting laws and directions which they are mostly ignored for sake of mental health of normal people. Some laws were ditched or adjusted, but overall they are kind of in big picture same all the time. I bet you guys in USA have more or less same issue, and if not... you will have, given some time :D
@@nikolamarko9345 Well said. Times change but this wagon keeps rolling. My opinion is that US has a slightly simpler bureaucracy but they've managed to mangle their in very intreresting ways. :-D So it's easier until someone sues you.
@@nikolamarko9345 Bureaucracy sucks. Paper pushers.
@@nikolamarko9345 Not really. We are just too lazy a nation to change anything;)
I'm a US expat in Saudi and I'm on day 221 of my Czech Duolingo journey. Headed to Prague in less than 24 hours. My gf is from Czech and when she starts talking to her Czech/Slovak coworkers here, I can still barely pick out a few words that I know, let alone whole sentences. She's a great reference to have while doing my Duolingo lessons so I can have an explanation as to why something is the way it is. A lot of times though her answer is, "I don't know. That's just the way it is. It is very complicated and difficult, even for native speakers." Great.... haha
You learn to speak as a kid in very different way so native speaker who never had to learn Czech the way you do without any teaching knowledge would struggle to explain most of your questions regarding the language. That is why proper language teacher is a must.
Learn to like Czech cinema or music. Make your girlfriend get you some Czech books. Also, as in all languages, there are things not even natives can do perfectly. A highly educated person replied to my message recently and I noticed he doesn't know when to use I and Y in some problematic words. It's a common mistake that fortunately is not an issue when speaking Czech. Good luck and don't forget to make some local friends. Make them speak Czech to you:D
Has someone asked you why a particular English word is spelled this way and pronounced in a completely different way? for example "one"? an average czech person would read it as something like oh-n-eh. Or why you need articles when in czech language we do not need them? There are things that native speakers without a proper linguistic education dont know or they never even thought about. When you learn language as a child it is natural for you and you just pick the language without additional rules and explanation. I am sure there are things in your native language (I suppose it is English) that you are unable to explain as well.
There are rules for everything in the language, in all languages actually, but most people forget the specific rules a few yours after leaving elementary or high school as the rules are simply endless and writing Czech is a gorram nightmare. At least these days you can get a spellchecker to correct those crazy y/i and other nonsense someone long long decided to torture us all with. Guess do 5 years of elementary school Czech language education and you will learn those rules eventually. For talking a lot of the rules don't matter.
You can't learn Czech from robots or tapes. If someone says "ukradl mi tasky a vzal nohy na ramena" a robot will NEVER translate this correctly. Never. Czech is a language of a lot of slang when speaking non academically
I believe a native English speaker able to speak Czech on a decent level is some kind of a hero. As a Russian it was much easier for me but I still struggle in a live conversation because of my lack of speaking experience. Thank God I'm a digital nomad and don't need a regular job, though exposing yourself to spoken Czech while doing your job would have helped significantly. You won't be able to speak decent Czech just because you consume a lot of Czech content you have to actually speak Czech on a regular basis and that's the problem LOL.
Ehmm... No. I barely have any practice in Czech, but once I come to Prague and start speaking it comes out quite alright. I think most of foreigners in Prague should just drop the “virgin” act and get dirty with it ;)
jammmy30 really? Maybe saying some specific phrases you use every day like while visiting grocery store is "good enough" for you but you can't go off road without serious regular speaking practice doesn't matter how linguistically talented you are.
I think you can learn any language without need to have someone to speak to or use it in real world. I'd learn English mostly by myself just by exposing myself to English media- watching movies, reading books, etc. and from really thin book Learning English in 3 months.
One just need know basic grammar rules and to learn minimal vocabulary and then its up to you- you need to start play with the language and keep practicing it, like writing notes in it, listening to news and reading newspapers, speaking to yourself, even just in your head, even if its just describing what youre currently doing in this language, and most importantly you cant let mistakes or lack of vocabulary to get you and stop you from progressing cos all those mistakes helps as one actually learns from mistakes and not from doing things right at first try.
@@rehurekj What works one way mustn't work the opposite way. Languages ain't the communication tool only but the rised thinkig tool as well. If your mother tongue is highly shapeful with the grammar full of exceptions and of almost free word order, lots of sufixes and prefixes, you will be more easily able to sublime a language with the strict grammar shaped by the richer vocab than vice versa at the common talking level.
@@jammmy30 after a few beers, am i right? ;-)
For what it's worth, a few of my Czech friends who lived in France for a few years told me:
You think Czechia is bureaucratic? It's got nothing on France!
Nothing special Czechia.
I first came to Praha in 1976. It was not crowded with tourists, etc. I speak German and was able to make many Czech friends. I returned 4 more times (until the STB found out I worked in SoCal aerospace!). My Praha is gone. Enjoy yours! Miru zdar!
just come and see it's not just Prague we have a lot of other beautiful places and cities 🙂🙂🥰
"Míru zdar" - good point. You are one of us !
@pepapes uhm, are you really sure StB is gone? Gone to the PM seat, you mean?
jak se dnes nazývá Státní Tajná Bezpečnost(STB)? zda máme vůbec nějakou :"D federalizmus v akci
@@220volt-u7 Stačí mít google nebo mozek :) A Česká Republika má BISku.
I learned Czech from pubs and hanging out with friends, but I moved here and lived in a small town for the first 18 months, so I was kind of forced to learn. I used a teach yourself Czech book and just talked, talked and talked (and listened) and asked a lot of questions. Granted, this was right after the Velvet Revolution, so people were interested in talking to the "foreigner" and very few people knew enough English to fall back to. Today I earn my living translating, all without ever taking a single lesson in a class. Now that most Czechs speak at least some English, this probably would not be possible anymore, or it would be a lot harder. Anyhow, I love your videos. You manage to sum up the expat experience quite exquisitely.
Hey, do you mind if you are up to sharing that czech book with me?
@@yigitdemir4683 To be honest, I don't think I have it anymore, that was 30 years ago. It was a communist era textbook, so you learned how to say Comrade (Soudruh) in the very first lesson! :) Probably not very useful today, except to use ironically...
@@kentkasha3211 I like the story, thank you for replying Soudruh.
Loved this video, and everything you said is so true, especially about the offices. I most here in 2001, and as hard as it is dealing with the offices here, it has improved since I first came here. I’m one of those expats that struggle with the language, but I found that even trying to speak the little I know is a big help when I have to go to the offices and they are a lot more patient with me. I’m not in the offices a lot now because I have permanent residence and now this is home. But great, realistic video.👌
Jen…this is the most amazing segment that you have presented in all the months(past couple of years) you have been doing CZcams…I have watched you and 🤔….being American married to a Czech….having lived in the states for years with my 3 American/Czech kids….I have been coming to CZ since 1989…you have Finally grasped the struggles of us ‘expats’….this was real and the truth about living in Prague…my hats off to you! You got it right!!
❤️❤️❤️ Love all your videos, have been waiting for this one...
Thank you!
Extremely caring advice too, absolutely true that you should embrace the new country for what it offers.
Jenn, moving to Praha in 2 weeks. Thanks for your videos. They hopefully help a lot 😜🤝🙏🏻
This is exactly the info I was looking for thank you! Moved to North Carolina from Florida last year and socially they don't let you in here in Appalachia either & they also eat you alive on facebook. So, looks like that won't be a change. I own my own online consulting business & have book royalties so won't need a job but I can't leave my clients for 90 days so I'll look into whether I can keep working or not. Also, thanks for mentioning Duolingo, have been learning czech for 18mos on Duo & just went to Prague & couldn't understand anyone & it felt like all I'd learned was please & thank you lollll...I'll keep at it since it hasn't been 1100 hrs yet :))
Sounds like the veteran expats picked Czech habit of being that happy friendly person all day along 🙃
Hi wow this is great content indeed very informative and straight to the point much appreciated
Thanks for such informative videos
Nice video, as always.
Czech bureaucrats are good, you just need to remember they have fixed salary so they don't give a sh*t if they help you or not. Also us (Czechs) we are told since childhood (at least I was) "Neznalost neomlouvá!" whitch means something like "Not knowing doesn't make an exption for you." So if there is a law you need to obey than you need to know it and don't expect anyone else to tell you about it if you don't ask for it.
Haha, I must confess I actually picked up my first english from the Germany stationed american forces solders at the Hoffbräuhaus in Munich, a huge beer hall in Swabing, went in a way like a butter with almost everyone drunk every time I and a friend of mine visited!! 😕🤣
As well as we had a lot of fun, but ok, I was 19 at the time in 1970!!!
They also had American forces radio and possibly TV station, but it was the radio I listened a lot to just to enhance my knowledge ....
Hi, Jen, I have heard this in a couple of your videos, that finding job as English speaker is hard. I work in a corporate and there are lot of expats working in different teams with no or little knowledge of Czech. Sure, you can´t do lawyer with degree from U.S., but you can be competent in sales, finance, procurement etc. That kind of work fields I would recommend to English speaking expats.
It´s true, Czechs want to speak English. Sometimes it´s a battle of wills between me and a waiter or shop assistant, etc. They refuse to speak anything but English while I refuse to speak anythng but Czech - badly, but I need the practice.
To čtu vlastně ráda; umíte si představit tu pohodu, kdyby se všichni lidé ke svému jazyku naučili anglicky ? Myslím, že ku příkladu pro Čecha je angličtina velmi snadná, vyrostli jsme totiž na mnohem komplikovanějším jazyku (což zde pociťujete na vlastní kůži - čeština prostě JE těžká.A mnoho Čechů ji už skoro neumí, hlavně v psané formě. Je to horor.)
Super, že si takto poňala video a na plnú "hubu" si to povedala, že presťahovať sa nie je ľahké a ružové. Teším sa na nové video.
Slováky (až na jednoho ...) žijící v ČR vnímám jako našince - pro mě se republika nikdy nerozdělila. Pravdu povediac, ostala som vo federácii.
Your last point is the best. A Rome, fait comme les romains.
Good think is that when you are once Czech, you don't have to deal with any bureaucracy anymore. We visit some office maybe once in few years when we need new ID card or passport and that's pretty much all your contact with offices or government when you are Czech.
Oh well everything and every place have they pros and cons I hope 🤞 the best for everyone.
I study Czech every day but am still a rank beginner. I only mix with a few expats my Czech friends outnumber the rest. Maybe my age is a factor. But you're right about the inhibitions I'm sort of in an English speaking world. The hardest thing I've found is to not turn off the speech of the surrounding people to a sort of muted buzz, but to actually listen to what they're saying. I know lots of nouns but the verbs with all those conjugations and the gender thing - (which part of me thinks they should do away with) are so hard to remember and the Czech seems proud of this as though it's a good idea to make communication difficult. :)
Hi Jen, I like tour videos, almost 6 yesrs in Prague. I think I survived
Super video. Jakožto Moravák beru tyto rady na vědomí, snad se tu pražáčtinu nějak naučím.
Je to mnohem jednodušší než se naučit hantec, což je v mnohém zpackaná němčina...
Stačí důsledně přiřazovat příponu /ej místo /ý, slova začínající na o/ vyslovovat vo/, a přidat na akcentu poslední slabiky slova (zpěvněji) a lexikální rozdíly (nepříliš četné oproti spisovné češtině) už člověk odposlouchá. Pražský dialekt je, btw, v mnohém podobný lužické srbštině.
Žádná specifická pražáčtina neexistuje, naopak v Praze je mix z celých Čech a okolí, takže bohatě stačí obecná čeština (to je ten živý jazyk, který se trochu podobá umělému jazyku zvanému "spisovná čeština).
Nejste náhodou jeden z těch tlumočníků z blízkého východu?😁
@@breznik1197 Vaše snaha je srdnatá, ale tvrdit komukoli, že nic jako pražský dialekt neexistuje, by si zasloužilo pozdržení publikace až za trochu toho samovzdělávání alespoň z veřejně dostupných zdrojů na internetu. Jako člověk s jazykovedným vzděláním tomu neumím mlčky přihlížet, no offense.
Very helpful; Thanks! I've always thought Hungarian was difficult, like someone put all the vowels, consonants and syllables in a cup, shook it and spilled out the first word, then the next...
Hehe... Sounds like you´ve seen Lee Mack´s tantrum on Irish names... CZcams it. :) if not.
Hungarian language is probably the only language that looks too difficult even for Czechs :-))) And Finnish, of course - same group of languages.
@@tlamiczka Yes! Thanks...I forgot to mention Finnish. wow...You'd think someone would have said " This is too ridiculous, let's speak something easier, O.K.?"
@@namcat53 It seems Finnish and Hungarian people thought "Slavic languages are too easy, let's set the difficulty to nightmare mode" :-))
@@tlamiczkaThanks for the great reply! You sound like a very nice person. "Set it to Nightmare mode" ...VERY funny! Like someone back then invented a device with knobs to adjust the levels of certain things ...mellow ....weird...nightmare!!!. It's true...humans are capable of sublime beauty and "nightmare mode" stuff. I'm a big fan of sublime beauty as I think you are too. Cheers Nikola!
I had an English hairdresser in Brno, he moved here becuase of his then pregnant Czech wife, who wanted to be close to her family. He was great. After Covid I found out he is now working for IBM here in Brno. I think the pay and work-life balance is better for him now. Entry level IT jobs are probably great for English speakers.
There is probably no other channel where I would click the like button even before wathing :-)
Very good advice, very thorough. Clearly experienced. Definitely should be hired as a consultant by immigration law firms.
Thanks again Jen for the great and well compiled content. So true about the Expat FB group. The longer some live here the bigger the "Im a douche and will reply accordingly" hat becomes. However sometimes I have a laugh at the creative replies, but sometimes its just plain mean.
You did not scare me off, the Visa (Residency) process has been a long slog since February 2021 and it is finally coming to a successful end within the next days.
About bureaucracy - Jen, personally I have no idea what you doing, but me, as a Czech person, when I still lived in CZ, I was visiting council maybe 1x per year when I payed for rubbish collection :D
But yes, I get it, if you working as a self-employee or something like this, you get more paperwork and contact with all sorts of offices. Plus your status as ex-pat bring inherited need constantly proving all sorts of definitely "necessary" things to our bureaucrats, or else they wouldn´t have things to do, because they need justified their existence in first place. ;)
You confirmed what my American niece has said recently. I just saw this a year after it was published. My niece has been living in Prague and teaching biology at one of the Prague international schools for two years. Her description of her students is always full of praise and she initially praised the expat community as well. Something changed over time and she said recently that people who were so welcoming and kind initially have become rude over time. It has soured her experience. As she is the very soul of kindness, I cannot imagine that she is to blame.
That’s a shame, I hope she meets some of the nicer Praguers soon!
Czech is SO hard for my Texan ear and tongue. I understand a very small piece when I listen to my husband talk to our son and his parents talk to him.
well its like "Mississippi" English to my Czech ears... no English "bbc" lesson can prepare you for such experience. but once you handle you will be better prepared for all possible English accents all over the globe :) ....which is a satisfaction that the Czech can never provide you with :(
@@slavekfoltyn9678 😆 the Deep South English (Mississippi for an example) is hard on other American English speaking ears too. Cajun English in Louisiana. I
But you’re right! Lol
Well, I expected the video being way more negative than it was in the end. Bureaucracy is bad but it improves very much when you kind of settle in (unless there is some extra big stuff for foreigners). In other words, I usually need to communicate with "úřad" only to send them my tax declaration (and this can be done online as well).
Maybe if you are self-employed you have to communicate more? Never been but think that might increase it significantly
@@mikaela793 It depends how much money you are earning. Basically, if you pass over the 1M CZK limit, there is some monthly paperwork. I still did not pass the limit, so one tax declaration a year is enough :-). But it probably depends on the area of your self-employment since some of them are more regulated. Of course, they are sending you letters informing about your health insurance status etc. but these require no reply.
@@martindrab4298 I see. Thank you for the information.
yeah I think that's definitely true Mikaela!
Jen, you're right but I think these "issues" are not just about Prague/CZ. I was born in Prague and last three years living in Dublin, Ireland. And I had (have) same issue what you're talking about...
I'm also quite surprised it's that cumbersome to immigrate to Czechia. My personal worst experience with immigration dates back to when I was moving to the Netherlands. You need an officially translated, notary-verified, apostille-stamped (by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs themselves), local municipality-issued and signed copy of your birth certificate in order to be allowed to register there and get your social security number. The biggest trouble comes when you realize that the apostille must be obtained in person at the Ministry of Foreign affairs (I had to spend one entire day going from Eastern Czechia to Prague to get it). I know a Brazilian who moved to NL, found out his birth certificate was not apostilled and had to fly back to Brazil to get the stamp and back to the Netherlands. What an incredibly annoying and bureaucratic process. And they will be bluntly grinning at you if you find out you are in such trouble. I was told the Dutch loved bureaucracy. So I think the burden you face in Czechia is still not the heaviest.
your last point was great. I lasted 2 years in the USA because it wasnt home. Interesting experience.
Im moving to Prague in a couple months, where would you purchase furniture from? Ideally not ikea but also not crazy expensive? Thanks!!!
that's the million dollar question! We have mostly bought from ikea, you could also try www.biano.cz/produkty/nabytek?+SCHA-Nabytek_desktop+-+PS&gclid=CjwKCAiA6Y2QBhAtEiwAGHybPa0Qs_wv5a6oG9UVdH_KVaKEZ5RpEpy8ZYHK3_AXrJy0ZZzE8vFHcBoCshwQAvD_BwE or FAVI favi.cz/produkty/kategorie/nabytek but honestly those are similar to ikea. Search for Nábytek in google and see what comes up!
@@DreamPrague ahh thanks a lot! :D
I've met a number of Cubans who filled the labour shortage in the ČSSR in the 80's, who can still speak Czech after a 30 year pause!!!
I'd forgoten German after 5 years! (well, it came back in a time of need).
Hi, is it easy to find an apartment for rent in Prague? I am planning on renting an Airbnb for 3 weeks while I look for an apartment for long term. I'll be there for 10 months. I wonder if the 3 weeks is enough to find an apartment?
As a french, this language scares me so much I feel like it’s impossible to learn 💀
Ça ira. Just give it a try. :]
I really like your last point. When I go to a different country (as a tourist in my case), it does not make sense to me to search for the exact things that I would find home and go to eat in international fast food chains to play it safe. Especially with food, I want to try local meals, local beer, wine, lemonades... For me that's a big and exciting part about travelling and exploring other places.
even international fast foods have different things when you move to different country, there are differences even between very close countries, for example KFC in Austria has Coca-Cola instead of pepsi and it's not bottomless like we are used, more far you move, more differences they have, so not even fast foods are some safe playing for you.
@@Pidalin Well, I know, but that's a detail for me. Fries from KFC are still not traditional Maltese (for example, or any other) food.
My house is 60km west of Praha (40 minutes to Hradcanska). It is empty now. Interested in the country life?
4:30 Yes, teaching and working for the US State Department at the same time is even better. I had friends like that :-)
Do you have to pay Czech and American taxes while living there?
Regarding the job situation, if you are an english-speaking foreigner you actually have quite an advantage here in Prague (and likely in Brno as well). There are plenty of corporate jobs always available that require fluent english. Fortunately for the foreigners, Czech are not so keen on working in 100% english-speaking environment.
A native speaker of English does not have to work only as an English teacher, but it depends on her/his expectations of income and the profession field. For example, in the field of IT and development, anyone can works practically anywhere or from anywhere. I have a colleague from Greece who has returned to Greece after a few years here in Prague and he is still working for us. Then we have a colleague in Colombia. One colleague spent a year in New Zealand. There are professions where language practically doesn't matter. The main thing is experience, knowledge and then income.
I don't know what it's like today at all schools, but when I went to primary and secondary school, only local teachers were available, so you didn't have a chance to get more than A2.
Today I have a weaker B2. But I had to pay for private tutors always after work (5-year with breaks) today, I just need CZcams and channels like yours 💖
These are all great points, Mari! I'm probably also a bit biased because I mostly encounter the English teachers and not the native english-speaking programmers.
@@DreamPrague I do not know if my expresion is correct, the straight one seeks, the crow sits to the crow. When I worked in telecommunications, I was surrounded by the same people, when I worked in a bank, again all around me were people from banking and finance. Today I work in the field of development and so it is around me PM, develloper, programmer, analyst etc.
when I grow old, and I become nervous, and annoying everyone, they lock me in a retirement home among other old and grumpy people. 🤣😂
Our professional life always affects us more than we realize. Be glad you don't work in the office (na úřadě) that would change your videos as well 😱
Language doesn't matter in IT as long as it's English!
@@paulselinger6658 because there is not any another language.
@@DreamPrague There are many positions that don't require technical knowledge. Native English speakers can get employed as documentation writers, product owners (define direction of the product), team leaders, managers, marketing, sales (for international customers). Teaching English should only be the entry level job as it's probably easiest to get. The key is to work for international companies which pay competitive salaries.
Left Brno for Boston a few weeks ago so I had to get a COVID test. Using google translate, I make a reservation for the quick antigen test as my flight was the next morning. I go to the hospital and they give me the PCR test with results in 24-48 hrs. Halfway back to the train station, I realized the woman said something about "48..." I assumed they'd realize I don't speak the language and would check what the freak'n reservation to see which test to administer. Oops, I was PASSIVE there in my assumption. lesson learned. Should have stressed "antigen" more at check in. Miraculously, after much Czech deadpan condescension, I was actually able to get a refund! (and the correct test, hurá).
Good for you!!
Dobrý den. ;)
Sweden calling... I have been in love with Czechia for almost 15 years. I never went there, however, but there is the Internet. :)
Anyway, I find the language excruciatingly difficult, and I've been studying a ton of languages, and been able to pronounce them well. (Apart from Danish xD). But Czechs really seem to like to make things as hard as possible. I find pronouncing Russian a breeze in comparison.
Anyway. I have only studied the language the past year, on Duolingo, which you mention. While I think the people who helped making the content did a great job, the main setback is that there are no speaking exercises. And zero grammar talk. I'm going to try Mondly, in a near future. Which also offers studying from my mother tongue (Swedish, of course), rather than English.
Regarding you mentioning bureaucracy, I'm not sure what to think, since my country is just hopelessly bureaucratic. And for no reason or effect.
Besides this, I'm not really a working person, but early retired, for neurological reasons. So that's one thing I wonder about. In Sweden, you get money without being forced to work, if you have certain, documented, handicaps. Although, working in Sweden is not a good experience in general, regardless what you do. So, maybe I'll try to find something to do in Czechia, if and when I move there. Despite my handicaps.
I am not sure, if the bureaucracy is really that bad in Prague. For example, it is true that you need a ton of documents from all kind of institutions to apply for Czech citizenship (I believe there were like 10-12 different papers), but it took me only one day to manage it. Some documents I received on the spot, and for some I just filed a request and waited for it to arrive to my post office (at most took 2 weeks to get).
I am originally from Russia and believe me, the bureaucracy there is MUUUCH worse then here. 😂
"Ahoj" je nejlepší :)
Interesting, I have very similar impression of the US bureaucracy as a foreigner staying on visa. Numerous appointments that make my head spin, frequent mail with thick stack of paper written in legal / business English, … I guess it is part of the slow culture shock when adjusting to a new country. The notable difference is that fees in the US are much higher and also that Americans actually try to be helpful. :)
Jen, let's have some Matuška IPA together and your Czech will be better by every glass. ;) Nice topic you brought in this video and oh yes, bureaucracy is a pain in this country. Even in native language I feel myself like foreigner when visiting any type of authorities. Sad but true.
4:28 Tunisian Czech speaking guide... Studied in ČSSR before the communism fell, told us he learned the most with a professor in hospoda.
Actually bureaucracy has got a lot easier in recent years. There was a time when you would have to take a day off work to sit in the waiting room of a government office. You can now book appointments online, which helps a lot. And a few months ago I had to change my address at the trades licensing office. I thought I would also have to change it at the tax office, social security office and health insurance office too, but the woman there asked me "Do you want me to report this change of address to tax, social security and health insurance too?". So the offices are a bit more joined up these days.
Will there be Czech subtitles for this video?
Moving anywhere involves a ton of beaurocracy. Moving states in the U.S. was a nightmare--changing driver's licence, re-registering your new address, changing voter registration, switching healthcare providers, etc. Made Czech paperwork seem like a breeze. But I am from the UK, and my visa process in Czechia was much easier than it is for Americans (pre-Brexit).
If your are from UK you're the best red-tape trained nation at this planet - no paperwork can scare you 😀.
I believe these rules generally apply to most countries :) Good luck to everyone!
Jen, could you, please, tell us how you see a difference between an expat and an immigrant, specially a refugee? I think that the later one falls in the water and has to swim while the expat has the luxury of floating devices and will be always sitting on two chairs.
Sorry, I can see that I was not the first one being puzzled.
Wow, I'm amazed how you just brush through the "It can be lonely" almost like it's an honorary mention. Not being lonely, but the inability to socially integrate and form meaningful relationships is without a doubt the biggest drawback of being a foreigner in this country. Everything else you get used to.
Sure, I get it most foreigners coming here want 1-2 years work experience, enjoy the beer, chat up the nice girls and then hightail it back to their country. Also as younger people they would not even notice this, or by the time they did they would just conclude "Yeah Czechs are a bit cold, but heh, time to move on". Statements like this don't do justice to the real feel of this place, and I get it, if you really spoke the truth you would come off looking salty and alienate yourself, let's just say the real truth isn't PC, so I'll say it for you.
Firstly starting with the definition of friend. Your use of this word is really what I would consider a loose acquaintance. When you state you started teaching English and had access to "a bunch of friends". Now it's true, English teachers here tend to land feet first on the social scene, because they're providing a service people want, and so there's some incentive for the Czech to spend some time with the native English speaker. As for me, I'm not an English teacher, and the expats / immigrants I know here aren't either.
In the 15 years I've been living here, I haven't met one foreigner who arrived here as an adult post studies who I would call successfully socially integrated. Sure they must exist, but there's a very good reason why you never met them and that's because they're extremely rare. Typically foreigners like this end up living almost exclusively in an expat bubble or life extremely socially isolated lives. To put it another way, I don't know 1 foreigner here that actually has 1 quality friendship with a Czech that is on par with a friendship they would have in their own country.
Mostly this comes down to language, but there are also very compelling cultural reasons for this. So let's look at this. Czechs tend to value family above all else, and directly after this so called golden friends (these are well established friends). Czechs typically are not looking to make new friends or add to those who they consider true friends. On the contrary they tend to keep everyone else at an arms length, even if they're professional and polite or willing to talk to you or even come across as friendly. Czechs also tend to do stuff in groups. They don't invite others to their homes, and a great deal of their social life is either obsessively sport orientated or involves drinking copious amounts of alcohol regularly. These 2 activities provide a context, or your reason to be connected to a Czech, and here's the thing - Czechs don't typically fathom the western concept of developing friendships or seeing beyond that initial context. They are non opportunistic, or if they are opportunistic it's not typically with foreigners who can't speak Czech.
And so this brings me to my next point language. And I know you are studying towards a B1, so you'll relate to this. Regardless of all the hype, anything short of a B1 for purposes of true social integration is totally insufficient (looking at you A2). B1 means you can speak fluently, most Czechs even with fluent Czech wouldn't pass a B1 exam right now. I know this because 3 out of 3 Czechs I've asked to try out the listening section failed it (and miserably too). To bridge the gap between A2 and B1 is a task of unfathomably complexity. It would be possibly to write a book just on the complexity alone. I genuinely believe with a straight face studying to be a medical doctor is easier than bridging that gap. And your quotes are off, it's actually 1800 class room hours, so at least 10 times that, and that's just an estimate anyways. Do you know how many foreigners I've met in the last 15 years who bridged this gap, who came over as English speakers in adulthood? Not one. I'm not holding my breath to meet one anytime soon. Even with my absolute best effort, the more effort I put in, the more I'm convinced that it's about as big a challenge as maybe passing 3 higher education programs at master level. It's a rabbit hole, and I haven't found the bottom yet. Everytime you start a new lesson or think you've understood a principle, there's more to it you need to learn first.
So most foreigners just give up, or they learn to A1 or A2 levels and then give up. And I don't blame them. My point here is, if we are being realistic we must conclude that over 99.9% of adult English foreigners who move here won't ever bridge that gap, and unless you bridge that gap you can never socially integrate here fully, or actually have any kind of normal life. Therefore any other point you make, although is true, is much less pertinent, knowing that those who come here are just setting themselves up for a life of social isolation, unless they can by some miracle and more effort than they ever imagined and then exponentially more still multiplied by about 10 times more than that, and then some spare change, learn this language.
Dramatic, but true.
Not having to deal with people is a major plus for me. Not being able to communicate is the perfect excuse to not have to converse and listen to people’s crap.
I wonder why it's so cool to come to this country (I really like to know). Especially coming from a part of this planet like the US where the people are so great. I wouldn't hesitate a minute to go the other way (probably not to an extremely taxed state like California), unfortunately there is no decent way to make that happen unless you are a Caribbean refugee, a doctor or a world famous pop star.
How can one country have all these many difficulties?
Would you agree to learn any foreign language you need to submerse yourself into the society without using your native tongue? Try living in a small town away from Praha. What do you think?
i've been trying to watch your videos for help but i've realised that most of this doesn't apply to me since I'll be a czech citizen by the time i move to Czech (i've got direct family in czech). i don't have to work at all to get a citizenship, i feel bad that it took you 10 years 😂😅
Czechs live in an extremely bureaucratic system, which they frequently complain about but at the same time are always willing to defend, when foreigners notice this unflattering aspect of the Czech society and point to better arrangements elsewhere. It's a self-feeding system, suffice to say employees in various government sectors are almost always better paid than comparable jobs in the private sector, such jobs are thus in high demand (even among young graduates), something that is almost unheard of in less centralized societies. From the general public and on many discussion forums, one can thus hear over and over - "Stát by se měl postarat o to či ono, to je odpovědnost či povinnost státu, atp, etc." Round and round we go, stát, stát, stát, like a broken record. Nejspíš už od dob Marie Terezie :-)
I miss the Czech titulky. Thanks for your movies in Czech.
Sorry Carrie, I didn't pay for subtitles in that one because it really only seemed relevant to foreigners. All the other ones should have them though!
@@DreamPrague Thanks Jen, for your answer. I understand.
Yes hehe, small money or big money in L.A.... turist come to Japan, Norway... An American says normal price, a Czech says and we go to sleep in the woods because it's free, high prices everywhere :D
In the woods, that's a good one. Next time I go back to American, I'll be sleeping in the woods.
Oh wow, life is not easy! I am personally scared of these exhausting relations with the government. Ít seems so struck in heavy paperwork.
As for the language, it's probably easier for me to learn (being a native Ukrainian/Russian speaker).
But just out of interest, wouldn't Spanish be easier for you as a Californian? BTW, why Czech republic and not Mexico/Columbia/other Spanish speaking country?
I'm native Czech. I live in Prague, so did my parents and grandparents. My family has recorded history in Czechia since early 17th Century... and the bureaucracy isn't by any means easier for me. It is if I master some fraction but any new task is just pain in the ass as Jen says. The good thing is that you can always find ways and if you're constructive, the officials are helpful.
What do you think about how you have to learn the language in order to become a citizen?
But citizenship thats like just B1 level, right? And if I get it right for permanent residence permit it’s like A2 (?). Když ja to správně rozumím tak “A2 čeština” to je prakticky víc menej věci kterých stačí že by udělat nějaký nákupy v obchodě možné trošku víc. A žádný kontrolování na to jak mluvíš tak tam teho vůbec ne má (?). Ps. Jsem sčastny že jsem z Švédsku, když by chtěl nastěhovat v čechi tak nám teho vůbec ne potřebuje. Ale stejně to bych bylo víc zajímavé o těm víc poznat osobně když vona to povídá ...
Sorry to hear about your úřad issues. Have anyone ever told u a story of their immigration/visas application process to the US? lol
..interesting prospective. While Czech Republic have some wonderful places and people it is limited by the same. Praha is a geographical enclave, perhaps different from the rest of the Country. However, I found it more appealing in the countryside where people are more connected to the beauty of their nature. Well, nobody and no-place is perfect.
As a native "expat" returning every year for a short time (family and few friends) I found it appealing/exciting to a lesser extend each time. While there maybe some progress towards integration and globalization, old habits remain in tact. Perhaps the new generation will take steps to shake it up.
Tenhle díl není úplně dedikován nám domorodcům, ale přesto je skvělé to slyšet.
Zejména mě zaujal ten poslední bod - nejste doma, neztrácejte čas přestavou, že tady svůj život předěláte na americký. To je velmi zajímavá myšlenka.
Slyšel jsem, že velká část lidí od nás, případně ještě z Československa, kteří emigrovali do USA, Kanady, Austrálie, ale vpodstatě kamkoli dál, trpěli nedostatkem českého kváskového žitno-pšeničného chleba. Když se jich ptali, co jim nejvíc chybí. Tak český chleba. Mnoho z nich se ho tam naučilo péci. Co chybí nejvíc Vám Jen?
Not to be forgotten, the expats or who ever it was that moved to Czech in the beginnings and right after the communist regime fall, and even 10-15 years after, could make an enormous amounts of money by founding an appropriate business which wasn't hard at the time as the country was yelling after all possible products to import or even domestic services, its much harder nowadays when the market shares are all taken up....
I don't want to sound as if expressing some 'Schadenfreude' (= škodolibost), I'm just a bit sorry for the fact that expats in Prague have to struggle so much with bureaucracy with very little help. Brno has an excellent expat centre which offers help, advice and assistance in these matters while Ostrava and Prague and merely catching up only just.... Nonetheless, hopefully things will improve on this front in due course so it won't be such an uphill struggle for everyone.
I'm a human also. Not being an American and also not being a native English speaker is not my fault. Things are like x100 more difficult if you are not from US or Europe... Life is way too easier for you guys, I hope you can count on this and you are happy with your lives. Please enjoy it for those who can barely survive until their last day in this world. This is not an hateful comment, I just started to understand how things work and have zero hope about my life.
Jen se tam vkrádají nějaká česká slovíčka? No s uřadama, je to těžké.
You got it wrong.
The first question Americans always ask is "Is it safe?", which says a lot about America.
I know whereof I speak. I've been everywhere (nearly).
If you move to anther country, you learn the language and their ways....that is it
I would like to visit Marianke Lazne.
Bureaucracy is not specialy difficult in czech rep. In many European countries its bigger nightmare. I guess bureaucracy is just generally more complicated in Europe than i US.
Q : WHY would Somebody move from California to Prague???
Regarding Czech - I strongly Disagree. Czech is very sweet and relatively easy language. At least for a Swedish person. And since both Swedish and English are from same language family I don’t think it is that different to learn it from Swedish or English. I have been learning Czech for a few month here and there for less than half a year and occasional visit to Prague once in a couple of month. Yes, I don’t even live in Prague. And now I am about to take B1 test. Ofcourse I do not think that I will pass it, but trying is half the fun, right? (Ps. Hold your fingers crossed for me). But!!! What I will ABSOLUTELY agree with Jen on is that it is almost impossible to make Czechs speak Czech! It is Very difficult to find Czechs in Sweden, but if you do they will practically use any excuse Not to speak Czech with you. What’s up with that, Czechs???
We are used to that most people wouldnt understand anyway, so we switch to easier form of communication. Like this sentence.
I live in England, my wife is polish, we mostly speak ponglish at home, whenever I want to make her laugh I turn on some Czech.
While Swedish and English are in the same language family, they are very different in many regards. For example Swedish has declension by changing suffixes, which already makes it much closer to Czech.
@@danchmelar7111 ale ja myslím že by rozuměl :) možné ne tak že by každý slovo, ale v celku, to jde
English and Swedish used to be very similar...900 year ago. :-D I've recently spent some time reading through bilingual Edda (old Norse-English) and old English The Forme of Cury. Both was painful and masochistic fun but there are many similarities in language from an outside point of view.
I'm so used to other people not speaking Czech that it feels like basic manners to speak some language that is somewhat universal and nobody feels left out.
It used to be Latin then it was French (German for us Czechs). Now it's English and maybe we'll get to the point when it'll be Mandarin.
You know what, Jammy? If you want to speak Czech just ask. Most of us Czechs love our language as it's significantly more floral and flexible than English so there are many more hidden jokes in every sentence and it's better for being vulgar but we're just used to the fact that nobody wants to play along.
Škoda, že nejsou titulky😭
Největší důkaz úcty, kterou cizinec může hostující zemi předložit, je naučit se jazyk. Nic většího už není. A u češtiny to platí dvojnásob ! :-)))))
Nejdůležitější informace pro budoucí expaty.Není všechno zlato co se třpytí.
Why not czech substitles? Becose its not ok for czechs?
Honestly I didn't get the video done in time for subtitles. Also, it's only really relative to foreigners. You Czechs know very well why you shouldn't move to Prague 😜
The bureaucracy here is really horrible. I dealt with problems such obtaining an ID and residence permit and the like in Germany, US, Japan and now here in CR. Although I am a Czech citizen and Czech speaker, it has been by far the worst experience for me here compared to all of the other countries. It's just a total nightmare, made that much worse by the official Covid hysteria.
Hi, dear Jen , excuse me for my bad English, but you are preety and clever girl.
Thank you! 😃
@@DreamPrague You´re welcome!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry i already did
You may read Kafka in English. No need to know Czech like Milan Kundera or Záviš Kalandra.
hi i miss cz subtitles
The red tape is made with
hi , i need aguide women in prague for family,thank u
Proč tentokrát nejsou české titulky?? Bez nich se nechytám :(
Tak nevím, včera jsem Vám tady odpovídal, že jste o nic nepřišla, a ono se to nějak smazalo... asi vítr. A asi nevadilo to, že jsem tam psal, že to byla reklama na tu VPNku proložená radami cílové skupiny, která kolem ČR krouží z jistých zištných důvodů :)
Asi už máme vypadnout😁🤣
Jinak , zapněte si anglické titulky, klikněte vedle na nastavení, automatický překlad a vyberte češtinu
Hi, the average Prague salary is slightly over 46 000 CZK = appx 2300 USD brutto. (1900 EUR)
But to be fair that's much higer than Czech median. There are lots of people working for 1000 USD a month. I have a very decent position in small company based in Pardubice and I make 1600 USD. If I were to transfer to Prague I could get easily over 2000 but that woud bring another complications that I don't want right now.
My personal rule of a thumb for now and outside of Prague is menial worker 800-1300 USD (unless you are welder or crane operator).
Lower management or middle management in small company 1300-2000 USD.
Specialised workers or middle management 1500-2500.
Higher management starts at 2000 and just goes up.
It's a bit more complex in state run facilities like hospitals, burreau offices, fire departments etc. They usually start a bit low with very specific requirements to be hired and get very steadily more money with seniority.
@@mortisCZ You are a Minion!!! - this video was about Prague and Prague costs and earnings.
Not about small working class towns an hour from Prague - or evan about manual workers that nobody care about anywhere...
Prague basic costs of living (rent in suburb, utilities, phone, internet - ONLY)
are around 950 EUR /1100 USD (22-25 000 CZK)
than you have to add at least 50% - for food, cloathing, shoes, public transit, culture - cinemas, dinners out, cafés/pubs, etc...
So you can realise that the average Prague salary can hardly cover all your expenses...!
I have lived in Prague and I have defected from the daily rip off.
One point that's important here... you're contrasting your experience as a US citizen with your experience as a immigrant in a foreign country.... so of course you don't have experience with the yawning beast that is US immigration policy :) trust me, it's worse.
Oh, I'm 100% it's worse for immigrants in the US!