One of the most common questions I've been asked about teaching in the Czech Republic is, "Do you even speak Czech?" The answer is still (mostly) no. People wonder how it is possible to teach English if you can't explain concepts in their native tongue. This fear of learning a new language prevents many people from even considering the idea of living and working abroad. In this post, I want to explain how it is possible to teach English without speaking the students' native language. I hope this is helpful for people considering teaching ESL in the Czech Republic or other countries. In my next post, I will explain more about learning Czech, what I find interesting about it, and provide some useful phrases that will help if you plan to work here or are interested in the Czech language.
One of my favorite things about Prague (as I mentioned a couple of posts ago) is that it is a cultural hub. This means there is a high demand for English since it is becoming the preferred language for international communication. Therefore, most Czechs know enough basic English to be somewhat helpful in shops, restaurants, or even on the street. Most of their exposure to English comes from Hollywood, so many have some skewed perceptions on what American life is like. In Berlin for example, a Polish girl asked me, "If you are American, why are you staying in a cheap hostel? Don't you have enough money for a nice hotel?" So in addition to teaching basic language and grammar, you also act as a representative of your native country's culture. My point is that most people are familiar enough with English for native English speakers to get by just fine without speaking much Czech.
While you don't have to learn Czech, I definitely recommend picking up basic words and phrases. I have expressed interest in learning Czech to some locals, and they usually say something like, "Why? Nobody speaks it except in Czech Republic, and it is very difficult to learn." With only 10 million native speakers as of 2007 (I think it's closer to 12 million now), they may have a point. However, I think it is a sign of basic respect to learn the basics while you are living and working here. Simple words like hello, goodbye, please, and thank you will go a long way. Some people may laugh at your iffy pronunciation, but they will most likely appreciate that you are making an effort rather than speaking in loud, condescending English. So although it may seem as though they are discouraging you from learning it, they will be pleasantly surprised if you can politely ask for a meal to go.
As far as teaching in the classroom, you don't need to speak any Czech whatsoever. When teaching new vocabulary, it may be handy to have the Czech translation on hand, but only as a last resort. It is much more effective to provide real examples of objects or act out verbs. This has the added benefit of making class more engaging rather than simply translating everything. For example, when teaching the word decorations, I drew pictures of balloons and showed pictures of party decorations from a magazine. This helps students make immediate connections between words and their meaning. Similarly, to teach a verb like to fly, just flap your arms around like an idiot and zoom around the room. The students will understand what you mean and have a good laugh at your expense, so everybody wins. Furthermore, if the students know that you don't speak Czech, they are forced to use English to ask questions and explain what they mean. This eliminates the option of resorting to their native language.
While most language schools will give native English speakers the more advanced students, it is possible to teach beginning English without knowing Czech. This was demonstrated in my TEFL program at TLH when we had Czech lessons. None of us knew any Czech, but we learned how to introduce ourselves, order in a restaurant, name various food items, go grocery shopping, and say what we like in only 8 hours using no English to explain. Our Czech teacher only spoke in Czech the whole four weeks of the course. It wasn't until the last few minutes of the class that she started speaking in perfect English to discuss what we had learned about teaching a foreign language.
Teaching children is somewhat different. What if they are very upset and screaming in Czech and you have no idea how to help them? Never fear! Most elementary schools will always have a Czech teacher on hand to translate for you. I am happy to announce that I will pick up 4.5 hours of teaching kids ages 9-11 next week. I will only have a maximum of 8 students at a time, and a native Czech man will be there to translate my instructions and help with classroom management. I met the kids earlier this week, and I'm very excited to be working with children again. I've genuinely missed their energy. Adults are easy to manage, but it can get boring. Teaching ESL allows me to have a lot of variety. Now I'm working with young kids who know only basic nouns to advanced college students who want to pass standardized English exams (which most native English speakers would have a hard time passing).
Moving to a foreign country is something I wish everybody could experience. It challenges you in almost every way possible and teaches you a lot about yourself in the process. You learn to rely on yourself, to be ok with appearing strange to others, to try new foods, to appreciate your native country, to say yes to adventure, to be vulnerable, to be resourceful, to be open, to be patient, to be flexible, to rethink your beliefs, to meet new people, to focus on what we all have in common, to gain perspective on what's really important in life, and so much more. It's not easy. But, then again, nothing worth doing in life ever is.
-Anthony
Friday, March 28, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Chinese Buffet for One, Part IV
The tradition continues; no Chinese buffet is safe. I can now add Austria to the list of countries that knows and fears my gluttonous appetite for unlimited General Tso's.
I ended up in Austria because I'm still in the process of becoming a legal worker in the Czech Republic. As I've mentioned, immigrants must apply for a work visa at a Czech embassy in a nearby country. The closest options are Berlin (which I visited because friends were going for their visa appointment), Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna. We can choose the location of our appointment, but we can't choose the date or time. I got Tuesday at 9:00 AM. But at least I had over a week's notice. Some people had only a day's notice to book bus tickets and cancel lessons.
I didn't want to miss morelessons money than I had to, so I decided to make this Vienna trip "hit it and quit it" (insert various names for Kum & Go here). My itinerary went something like this:
Monday at 11:55 PM - Bus departs out of Prague. I tried to sleep, but we made several stops and the roads got bumpy.
Tuesday at 4:30 AM - Bus arrives in Vienna. I felt surprisingly awake. I had plenty of time to find the embassy, so I took my time finding a bathroom and getting a subway ticket to the part of Vienna where the embassy is located.
By 6:30 AM, I had located the embassy and gotten a good feel for what was located nearby. I also got to see the sunrise over Vienna, which was pretty spectacular. I decided to kill time by having a look into Schönbrunn Palace. This place is vast, and because it was so early, I felt like I had it all to myself (aside from some dedicated joggers). Pictures are on Facebook, but it was basically a huge palace with a garden and the world's oldest zoo.
By 8:30 AM, I was back at the embassy waiting for it to open. I met a fellow American there who was also getting his work visa (for a photography business, not teaching). He was quite nice, so we chatted while waiting for the embassy to help us. It was a lot like being at the DMV, so you can imagine how much fun that was. Plus, my lack of sleep was starting to catch up with me. The process itself was not too bad. They asked me some questions like "How long do you plan to stay in Prague?", "Why did you choose to stay in Prague?", "What is your housing like?", "How do you plan to find work?", etc. It must have been difficult for the interviewer because she had to ask me the questions in English, listen to what I was saying, then translate it into Czech to record on the form, then read it all back to me in English. We had a fun moment where she asked me what I know about "taxis" and I started rambling about how you should never use them in Prague. She was very confused because she meant to say "taxes" and I was going on about how I won't use them. Oops.
After my appointment, I went in search for food. It was only 10:00 AM by this point, so no cafes were open quite yet. I finally found a doner kebab place and ordered from a nice man who spoke no English. Having found nothing else of particular interest in this part of Vienna, I decided to head back to the Palace since the sun was in full force. There were many more people here by this time, but it still felt like I had the place to myself at times. I climbed to the top of the hill overlooking the Palace, and it was beautiful. Confession: I felt like Cersei Lannister overlooking King's Landing from up there.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I was getting rather exhausted by this point, so I found a secluded bench and took a nap. I had a light sunburn on the left side of my face the next day that made me look a bit like Two-Face, but it was one of the most peaceful moments I've ever experienced.
My bus back to Prague was due to leave at 3:45 PM, so I made my way back to the bus station. I still had time to kill, so I popped in a mall next to the bus station and found a Chinese/sushi buffet. I guess I just can't break some habits.
With a full belly (and a bit of a buzz from a large beer), I boarded my bus home. I slept some more and got back to Prague around 8:30 that night. It hadn't even been 24 hours since I'd left. Although I very much enjoyed my quick trip, it did make me think a lot about how alone I am now. Of course, I enjoy the solidarity and independence more than I can say, but it's sobering to remember how far away I am from friends and family. I've been abroad for over eleven weeks now, and it still feels like I'm living someone else's reality. I'm not sure that it will ever feel normal. Maybe it's not supposed to.
-Anthony
I ended up in Austria because I'm still in the process of becoming a legal worker in the Czech Republic. As I've mentioned, immigrants must apply for a work visa at a Czech embassy in a nearby country. The closest options are Berlin (which I visited because friends were going for their visa appointment), Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna. We can choose the location of our appointment, but we can't choose the date or time. I got Tuesday at 9:00 AM. But at least I had over a week's notice. Some people had only a day's notice to book bus tickets and cancel lessons.
I didn't want to miss more
Monday at 11:55 PM - Bus departs out of Prague. I tried to sleep, but we made several stops and the roads got bumpy.
Tuesday at 4:30 AM - Bus arrives in Vienna. I felt surprisingly awake. I had plenty of time to find the embassy, so I took my time finding a bathroom and getting a subway ticket to the part of Vienna where the embassy is located.
By 6:30 AM, I had located the embassy and gotten a good feel for what was located nearby. I also got to see the sunrise over Vienna, which was pretty spectacular. I decided to kill time by having a look into Schönbrunn Palace. This place is vast, and because it was so early, I felt like I had it all to myself (aside from some dedicated joggers). Pictures are on Facebook, but it was basically a huge palace with a garden and the world's oldest zoo.
 |
| But seriously huge. The courtyard by #1 could fit 3 football fields. |
By 8:30 AM, I was back at the embassy waiting for it to open. I met a fellow American there who was also getting his work visa (for a photography business, not teaching). He was quite nice, so we chatted while waiting for the embassy to help us. It was a lot like being at the DMV, so you can imagine how much fun that was. Plus, my lack of sleep was starting to catch up with me. The process itself was not too bad. They asked me some questions like "How long do you plan to stay in Prague?", "Why did you choose to stay in Prague?", "What is your housing like?", "How do you plan to find work?", etc. It must have been difficult for the interviewer because she had to ask me the questions in English, listen to what I was saying, then translate it into Czech to record on the form, then read it all back to me in English. We had a fun moment where she asked me what I know about "taxis" and I started rambling about how you should never use them in Prague. She was very confused because she meant to say "taxes" and I was going on about how I won't use them. Oops.
After my appointment, I went in search for food. It was only 10:00 AM by this point, so no cafes were open quite yet. I finally found a doner kebab place and ordered from a nice man who spoke no English. Having found nothing else of particular interest in this part of Vienna, I decided to head back to the Palace since the sun was in full force. There were many more people here by this time, but it still felt like I had the place to myself at times. I climbed to the top of the hill overlooking the Palace, and it was beautiful. Confession: I felt like Cersei Lannister overlooking King's Landing from up there.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I was getting rather exhausted by this point, so I found a secluded bench and took a nap. I had a light sunburn on the left side of my face the next day that made me look a bit like Two-Face, but it was one of the most peaceful moments I've ever experienced.
My bus back to Prague was due to leave at 3:45 PM, so I made my way back to the bus station. I still had time to kill, so I popped in a mall next to the bus station and found a Chinese/sushi buffet. I guess I just can't break some habits.
With a full belly (and a bit of a buzz from a large beer), I boarded my bus home. I slept some more and got back to Prague around 8:30 that night. It hadn't even been 24 hours since I'd left. Although I very much enjoyed my quick trip, it did make me think a lot about how alone I am now. Of course, I enjoy the solidarity and independence more than I can say, but it's sobering to remember how far away I am from friends and family. I've been abroad for over eleven weeks now, and it still feels like I'm living someone else's reality. I'm not sure that it will ever feel normal. Maybe it's not supposed to.
-Anthony
Monday, March 3, 2014
Czech List (12 Things I Love About Prague)
So maybe my last post was a bit of a downer. In my defense, this is the first time I can ever remember being homesick. However, I really do love it here, and because my generation loves nothing more than lists of things on the Internet, I decided I should follow up my previous post with a list of things I love about Prague.
1. Prague is a Cultural Hub
Because Prague is centrally located in Europe, people from all over the world pass through to see what Prague has to offer. I love that on my way to work, I will overhear conversations in not only Czech and English, but also Russian, German, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Hebrew, and many others. Oh, and let's not forget the wide range of English accents. While walking throughout the city, I eavesdrop as much as I can to try to figure out where people are from. It's deeply satisfying for my inner-linguist. But more importantly, the number of people from different places and cultural backgrounds means I have the wonderful opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting people. I've met people from Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Australia, Sweden, the UK, Israel, Ghana, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, and of course many Americans from all over the States. It feels like the whole world is open to me within this Czech city.
2. People Keep to Themselves in Public
While it's nice to meet new people, sometimes I just don't feel like being social. I know I mentioned in my last post that I miss making eye-contact with strangers and saying hello. However, I think I might prefer the Czech attitude of minding your own business. Czechs generally keep their eyes on where they're going rather than looking up to meet someone's gaze. If this accidentally occurs, they will quickly glance away without so much as a nod. This may seem unfriendly to most Americans, but I've found it quite refreshing. I'm rather introverted (most days) and prefer to be left alone when going about my business. As an introvert, I sometimes find it exhausting to be around crowds of people or doing things like going to the store where I have to have brief interactions with every stranger I come across. Here, I can simply go where I need to go and get done what I need to get done without frivolous small talk.
3. Very Simple and Efficient Transportation System
Don't get me wrong, I miss driving. However, I don't miss paying for gas, city parking, insurance, oil changes, etc. Public transportation in the US is usually poor or non-existent. The MetroLink in St. Louis was ok if you needed to get to and from popular locations, but I never felt like the whole city was available to me through public transportation. Prague has a series of busses, trams, and metro trains that keeps the whole city extremely accessible. It's also very easy to understand. There are three main metro lines that all connect near the center of the city and several trams that typically come every 5-10 minutes. Stations are scattered throughout Prague, and there are even night trams that run after hours (although you're likely to run into some interesting characters/smelly vomit on the night trams). I'm using this transportation at less than $28/month.
4. The Beautiful Architecture
Although I've been here for two months now, I still gawk at the buildings around me like a tourist. The city has this wonderful old town charm mixed with very modern structures. I've met a few students who are in Prague to study architecture, and I can see why they chose to be here. I never mind getting lost here because there's always interesting architecture to see.
5. The Vltava River
Not only does Prague have beautiful man-made features, it also has some spectacular natural scenery. The Vltava River runs right through the heart of Prague, giving it a serene atmosphere that I can only imagine is even more breathtaking in spring and summer. There are several bridges available to stroll across, many fancy boats to wine and dine aboard, and parks along the river's edge where you can feed swans if you're feeling bold enough to risk a few fingers.
6. Cheap Beer
Yes, the rumors are true. Beer is cheaper than water in restaurants here. And it's good. None of that Natty Lite crap. Tap water is rarely free in Czech restaurants, and if you do order water, you must specify that you want it non-carbonated. I always bring my own water bottle out with me, and I'm not above filling it up in the bathroom sink. So asking for water with a meal will likely cost you 40 czk ($2) whereas a pint of beer may be as low as 26 czk ($1.30)! In America, the same beer would be at least $4. $9 if you are at a sporting event. Going to grocery shops is even better. I got 22 oz. bottles of Budweiser (the Czech one, not Anhueser Busch) for 10 czk each (50 cents)! Chtěl bych pivo, prosím!
7. 80% of the Czech Republic is Non-Religious
Growing up as a gay boy in the Bible-Belt of America was largely an unpleasant experience. While I acknowledge that religion is often helpful and comforting for individual people, my experience has shown me how devastating and harmful religion can be when used to target minorities and sway public opinion as organized religion is so prone to do. That being said, I find it refreshing to be in a country with one of the least religious populations in the world. My impression of Czechs so far is that they are a very pragmatic, no-nonsense kind of people. This gives them a high aptitude for scientific pursuits, so I always look forward to having conversation topics about science in my English classes because they get excited about it. The Big Bang Theory television show is also very popular in the Czech Republic, so it's nice to know I have some like-minded geeks hiding behind the language barrier. I also find it comforting to know that I'm not going to be confronted with pamphlets about Jesus in the streets, the threat of impending hellfire from my "friends", the absurdities of creationism in schools, missionaries ringing my door at 8:00 AM on a Saturday, or condescending "I'll pray for you" remarks. I appreciate that the churches here are widely open for the public to appreciate their beauty and history, not to win converts and propagate political agendas.
8. Prague is Grossly Romantic
This is one of those things that I'm not sure if I hate to love or love to hate, but I'm going to put it on the list. I'll admit, I had two or three romantic walks through Old Town Square and into the heart of Prague, and it was charming as hell. A stroll across the Charles Bridge (over the previously mentioned Vltava River) will reveal hundreds of entwined couples with their hearts all aflutter over the beauty of the city. I've seen a few places near the river where couples will put a padlock on a gate and throw the key in the river as a symbol of their love. There are hundreds of restaurants and cafes that cater perfectly to a vacationing couple, not to mention small boats that drift lazily down the river while you whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears. Prague is the prefect city if you're looking to pop the question.
9. Endless Restaurants, Cafes, and Pubs
Another reason I never worry about getting lost in Prague is that I'm likely to stumble upon a unique place with delicious food and drinks. I love going out to eat, much to the dismay of my wallet. All of the food I have come across here has been delicious, and ordering from a menu written in a bastard language of Czech and English is always a fun gamble. Furthermore, open-air markets will crop up from time to time, and those are always worth a look. I nabbed a delicious slice of coconut blueberry cheesecake from one on Valentine's Day. Cheesecake > Love
10. Expat/TEFL Community
Being the cultural hub that it is, Prague has a large community of immigrants from all over the world. Many are students, several are fellow English teachers, and some are just here for the hell of it. We tend to bond over our ignorance of the Czech language and customs as well as the struggles of being so far from home. The Internet has helped us find each other. Expats.cz acts a directory for housing, jobs, cultural events, language exchanges, healthy living, etc. Facebook has a few groups dedicated to the outsiders of Prague such as "Prague Buy/Sell/Trade" and "Meet in Prague." The Language House also keeps a tight-knit group of alums, so I'm never far from people going through the same struggles as I am.
11. Dogs. Everywhere.
While walking through Prague, I'm likely to have the thought "I want a puppy!" pass through my mind at least a dozen times. People are always walking their dogs around the city. Many don't use leashes, but the pets are happy to trot alongside their masters. I've seen several just waiting outside shop doors for their owners to gather groceries. The poop problem is a bit of an issue. Prague clearly has no laws requiring people to pick up after their dogs, or at least if there is a law, it is not enforced. This is why it is customary to remove your shoes as soon as entering someone's house. However, I love seeing man's best friend all around the city. I'll get one someday, but there's no way I can care for another living thing right now. I don't think I could even take care of a houseplant right now.
12. Prague is Centrally Located for Easy Traveling Opportunities
This is one of the main reasons I chose to come to Prague. I have traveled quite a bit throughout the States, and I've been to Mexico twice on cruises, but I never got a study abroad experience like so many Truman students did. Being in Prague is kind of like being back in Missouri in that I can travel in any direction and end up somewhere interesting. It's as simple as taking a bus or a train. Even plane tickets aren't that expensive within Europe. I've already made a weekend trip to Berlin, and I'll be going to Vienna sometime this month for my visa paperwork. There's been some talk of an Amsterdam trip, and I definitely want to go to Spain. Italy isn't too far away, and Sweden sounds swell. Having Prague as homebase makes traveling throughout Europe feasible, and I feel very lucky to have these kinds of trips available to me.
So there you have it. 12 things I love about Prague. This city is great, and I love living here no matter how much I may miss home. Fellow Praguers, what else would you add? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.
-Anthony
12 Things I Love About Prague
1. Prague is a Cultural Hub
Because Prague is centrally located in Europe, people from all over the world pass through to see what Prague has to offer. I love that on my way to work, I will overhear conversations in not only Czech and English, but also Russian, German, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Hebrew, and many others. Oh, and let's not forget the wide range of English accents. While walking throughout the city, I eavesdrop as much as I can to try to figure out where people are from. It's deeply satisfying for my inner-linguist. But more importantly, the number of people from different places and cultural backgrounds means I have the wonderful opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting people. I've met people from Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Australia, Sweden, the UK, Israel, Ghana, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, and of course many Americans from all over the States. It feels like the whole world is open to me within this Czech city.
2. People Keep to Themselves in Public
While it's nice to meet new people, sometimes I just don't feel like being social. I know I mentioned in my last post that I miss making eye-contact with strangers and saying hello. However, I think I might prefer the Czech attitude of minding your own business. Czechs generally keep their eyes on where they're going rather than looking up to meet someone's gaze. If this accidentally occurs, they will quickly glance away without so much as a nod. This may seem unfriendly to most Americans, but I've found it quite refreshing. I'm rather introverted (most days) and prefer to be left alone when going about my business. As an introvert, I sometimes find it exhausting to be around crowds of people or doing things like going to the store where I have to have brief interactions with every stranger I come across. Here, I can simply go where I need to go and get done what I need to get done without frivolous small talk.
3. Very Simple and Efficient Transportation System
Don't get me wrong, I miss driving. However, I don't miss paying for gas, city parking, insurance, oil changes, etc. Public transportation in the US is usually poor or non-existent. The MetroLink in St. Louis was ok if you needed to get to and from popular locations, but I never felt like the whole city was available to me through public transportation. Prague has a series of busses, trams, and metro trains that keeps the whole city extremely accessible. It's also very easy to understand. There are three main metro lines that all connect near the center of the city and several trams that typically come every 5-10 minutes. Stations are scattered throughout Prague, and there are even night trams that run after hours (although you're likely to run into some interesting characters/smelly vomit on the night trams). I'm using this transportation at less than $28/month.
 |
| Red, Green, and Yellow are the 3 Metro Lines and the blue lines are the trams. Everything is pretty much a 5-10 minute walk away from a tram/Metro station. |
4. The Beautiful Architecture
Although I've been here for two months now, I still gawk at the buildings around me like a tourist. The city has this wonderful old town charm mixed with very modern structures. I've met a few students who are in Prague to study architecture, and I can see why they chose to be here. I never mind getting lost here because there's always interesting architecture to see.
 |
| Found this today. The Dancing House. |
5. The Vltava River
Not only does Prague have beautiful man-made features, it also has some spectacular natural scenery. The Vltava River runs right through the heart of Prague, giving it a serene atmosphere that I can only imagine is even more breathtaking in spring and summer. There are several bridges available to stroll across, many fancy boats to wine and dine aboard, and parks along the river's edge where you can feed swans if you're feeling bold enough to risk a few fingers.
 |
| Ok, I stole this one from the Internet. I'll take my own when the sun comes out to play. |
6. Cheap Beer
Yes, the rumors are true. Beer is cheaper than water in restaurants here. And it's good. None of that Natty Lite crap. Tap water is rarely free in Czech restaurants, and if you do order water, you must specify that you want it non-carbonated. I always bring my own water bottle out with me, and I'm not above filling it up in the bathroom sink. So asking for water with a meal will likely cost you 40 czk ($2) whereas a pint of beer may be as low as 26 czk ($1.30)! In America, the same beer would be at least $4. $9 if you are at a sporting event. Going to grocery shops is even better. I got 22 oz. bottles of Budweiser (the Czech one, not Anhueser Busch) for 10 czk each (50 cents)! Chtěl bych pivo, prosím!
7. 80% of the Czech Republic is Non-Religious
Growing up as a gay boy in the Bible-Belt of America was largely an unpleasant experience. While I acknowledge that religion is often helpful and comforting for individual people, my experience has shown me how devastating and harmful religion can be when used to target minorities and sway public opinion as organized religion is so prone to do. That being said, I find it refreshing to be in a country with one of the least religious populations in the world. My impression of Czechs so far is that they are a very pragmatic, no-nonsense kind of people. This gives them a high aptitude for scientific pursuits, so I always look forward to having conversation topics about science in my English classes because they get excited about it. The Big Bang Theory television show is also very popular in the Czech Republic, so it's nice to know I have some like-minded geeks hiding behind the language barrier. I also find it comforting to know that I'm not going to be confronted with pamphlets about Jesus in the streets, the threat of impending hellfire from my "friends", the absurdities of creationism in schools, missionaries ringing my door at 8:00 AM on a Saturday, or condescending "I'll pray for you" remarks. I appreciate that the churches here are widely open for the public to appreciate their beauty and history, not to win converts and propagate political agendas.
8. Prague is Grossly Romantic
This is one of those things that I'm not sure if I hate to love or love to hate, but I'm going to put it on the list. I'll admit, I had two or three romantic walks through Old Town Square and into the heart of Prague, and it was charming as hell. A stroll across the Charles Bridge (over the previously mentioned Vltava River) will reveal hundreds of entwined couples with their hearts all aflutter over the beauty of the city. I've seen a few places near the river where couples will put a padlock on a gate and throw the key in the river as a symbol of their love. There are hundreds of restaurants and cafes that cater perfectly to a vacationing couple, not to mention small boats that drift lazily down the river while you whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears. Prague is the prefect city if you're looking to pop the question.
9. Endless Restaurants, Cafes, and Pubs
Another reason I never worry about getting lost in Prague is that I'm likely to stumble upon a unique place with delicious food and drinks. I love going out to eat, much to the dismay of my wallet. All of the food I have come across here has been delicious, and ordering from a menu written in a bastard language of Czech and English is always a fun gamble. Furthermore, open-air markets will crop up from time to time, and those are always worth a look. I nabbed a delicious slice of coconut blueberry cheesecake from one on Valentine's Day. Cheesecake > Love
10. Expat/TEFL Community
Being the cultural hub that it is, Prague has a large community of immigrants from all over the world. Many are students, several are fellow English teachers, and some are just here for the hell of it. We tend to bond over our ignorance of the Czech language and customs as well as the struggles of being so far from home. The Internet has helped us find each other. Expats.cz acts a directory for housing, jobs, cultural events, language exchanges, healthy living, etc. Facebook has a few groups dedicated to the outsiders of Prague such as "Prague Buy/Sell/Trade" and "Meet in Prague." The Language House also keeps a tight-knit group of alums, so I'm never far from people going through the same struggles as I am.
11. Dogs. Everywhere.
While walking through Prague, I'm likely to have the thought "I want a puppy!" pass through my mind at least a dozen times. People are always walking their dogs around the city. Many don't use leashes, but the pets are happy to trot alongside their masters. I've seen several just waiting outside shop doors for their owners to gather groceries. The poop problem is a bit of an issue. Prague clearly has no laws requiring people to pick up after their dogs, or at least if there is a law, it is not enforced. This is why it is customary to remove your shoes as soon as entering someone's house. However, I love seeing man's best friend all around the city. I'll get one someday, but there's no way I can care for another living thing right now. I don't think I could even take care of a houseplant right now.
12. Prague is Centrally Located for Easy Traveling Opportunities
This is one of the main reasons I chose to come to Prague. I have traveled quite a bit throughout the States, and I've been to Mexico twice on cruises, but I never got a study abroad experience like so many Truman students did. Being in Prague is kind of like being back in Missouri in that I can travel in any direction and end up somewhere interesting. It's as simple as taking a bus or a train. Even plane tickets aren't that expensive within Europe. I've already made a weekend trip to Berlin, and I'll be going to Vienna sometime this month for my visa paperwork. There's been some talk of an Amsterdam trip, and I definitely want to go to Spain. Italy isn't too far away, and Sweden sounds swell. Having Prague as homebase makes traveling throughout Europe feasible, and I feel very lucky to have these kinds of trips available to me.
So there you have it. 12 things I love about Prague. This city is great, and I love living here no matter how much I may miss home. Fellow Praguers, what else would you add? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.
-Anthony
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