Post by BigRay on Apr 1, 2003 15:51:26 GMT -5
There are quite a large number of expats in Prague, and that has been both a positive and a negative so far in my brief stay here. For some background information, there are approximately 35,000 Americans living in Prague, not to mention all the Brits, Canadians, and others who all natively speak english.
A big positive is that since this city has so many english speakers, the local people and culture are used to this. Many services have information printed in english and many people speak at least enough english to have basic communication. Restaurants, too, often have an english menu for the asking. This has made communcating for basic necessities on a regular basis relatively easy.
Another positive is that there are many groups geared towards expats. Recently, I have been spending several hours a week instructing an older American woman how to use a computer. Not only has this given me some income (more than I will make on an hourly basis when I start teaching English in May), but it has enabled me to make contact with an expat who has been here for a while. She is quite involved with many expat groups, and last night she graciously invited me to a play reading.
It was a small group of about 15 people gathered at someone's home with wine and snacks. We sat in a circle and took turns reading Act I of the play Copenhagen. A great play, by the way, and if you have the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it. I had never done this before, but found it quite enjoyable. I love reading, and this was like "social" reading, if you get my drift. (Footnote: Oh the things we do to meet girls!) I was never aware of groups like this in San Francisco, but I am sure they existed outside my circle. But I am here to grow and experience new things, and I am glad I went and will probably continue with the twice a month sessions.
A big negative, though, is that it can be too easy to get stuck in the expat scene. In my month here, I have met many great people. All American. I am glad I have met them, and it has made the adjustment to being alone in a foreign country more manageable, but it has also somewhat hindered me in my quest to become fully assimilated into Czech society.
But there's really not much I can do at this point. I am studying Czech and trying to learn as much as possible, but there's only so much you can learn in a short time. I see this as a big stumbling block in truly getting to know Czechs and being able to build solid relationships with them.
Fortunately, I have plenty of time.
A big positive is that since this city has so many english speakers, the local people and culture are used to this. Many services have information printed in english and many people speak at least enough english to have basic communication. Restaurants, too, often have an english menu for the asking. This has made communcating for basic necessities on a regular basis relatively easy.
Another positive is that there are many groups geared towards expats. Recently, I have been spending several hours a week instructing an older American woman how to use a computer. Not only has this given me some income (more than I will make on an hourly basis when I start teaching English in May), but it has enabled me to make contact with an expat who has been here for a while. She is quite involved with many expat groups, and last night she graciously invited me to a play reading.
It was a small group of about 15 people gathered at someone's home with wine and snacks. We sat in a circle and took turns reading Act I of the play Copenhagen. A great play, by the way, and if you have the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it. I had never done this before, but found it quite enjoyable. I love reading, and this was like "social" reading, if you get my drift. (Footnote: Oh the things we do to meet girls!) I was never aware of groups like this in San Francisco, but I am sure they existed outside my circle. But I am here to grow and experience new things, and I am glad I went and will probably continue with the twice a month sessions.
A big negative, though, is that it can be too easy to get stuck in the expat scene. In my month here, I have met many great people. All American. I am glad I have met them, and it has made the adjustment to being alone in a foreign country more manageable, but it has also somewhat hindered me in my quest to become fully assimilated into Czech society.
But there's really not much I can do at this point. I am studying Czech and trying to learn as much as possible, but there's only so much you can learn in a short time. I see this as a big stumbling block in truly getting to know Czechs and being able to build solid relationships with them.
Fortunately, I have plenty of time.