Czech Mate

I have been here for about a week and yet I feel I have been here for so much longer. On Monday I began my teacher training, not knowing anything about teaching or lesson planning. On Friday I taught a 45 minute class to Czech students while being observed by my instructor. Talk about stress! Thankfully, I passed. Actually, he asked me in my one-to-one evaluations if I had ever taught before. :) The only way from this point on is UP!

The Czech people are quite interesting folk. I go around everyday walking to school or to the metro or to the local grocery smiling at everyone. I have a bounce in my step and grin at everyone. But no one grins back. I've found that Czech people are unusually reserved. Another expat who has lived here for a year described to me that since they lived under Communist rule for so many decades they tend to hide their true feelings for fear of having nothing to oneself. Since Communism basically took everything from them and made it everyones, at least they could keep their personalities and true character for themselves and their close relationships. It's all they could hold on to. Now I go around not quite smiling, but trying to discern who these people are, what do their lives look like, what makes them laugh out loud. Especially the older generations, I wonder what extremes they've seen pass through their city.

Prague is a hot spot for every traveller to Europe. It has incorporated many western chains including, Starbucks, (unfortunately) Hooters, TGIF, KFC, and of course, McDonalds. Actually, Prague has more chains than I ever saw in the whole country of Italy. Prague holds on to the old-world mystery, while trying to achieve status in modern trends and fads.

This afternoon I'm bound to the old town square where I'll interview for a tour guide position. And on Tuesday I interview for a position as a native-English teacher in a Czech Public School. That should be interesting....Keep praying!

love&laughs,

H