On arrival training

During their first month of EVS, every volonteer has an " On-arrival training"
I just come back from mind, and I think its important to explain more this... This training last 6 days during which you are no-stop with others EVS volunteers who lives everywhere in Czech Republic.

The first thing that I noticed is that it was in the middle of nowhere, so the travel was looooooonnng ( and apparently, it's often in places like that ). I was exactly in Horni Marsov:

I've travel during 5 hours. I've meet the first others volunteers at the bus stop, it was easy to recognise them: young, with a big bag, looking lost and tired.
We were 24 EVS volounteers in total from everywhere in Europe . That's one of the nicest part. In your On-arrival training, you meet very differents people with differents cultures but you will always had with them two communt points at least: they're foreigners in Czech Republic and they're doing an EVS. So, it's really to feel close to them and it's very reassuring to meet people that living almost the same situation.
During the week we've done workshops about differents subjects: team bulding, communication, youthpass etc.. They were brought by playful maniere. And we had a lot of free time to know each other a little bit more.  The trainners using ours ideas to make the planning, or to straighten it . If you have any doubts be sure than they will try to give you an answer.

At the end of the week, you will have new friends, new ideas, new desires and new places to go. I can't tell you more because I think that every "On-arrival training" is differents, it depends on your trainners and the other volunteer but I'm pratically sure that it's always a good experience !

Small concerns and thanking

                                       « First stages are the hardest ». This is what I was telling myself            before leaving France, «  That’s ok Lucie, at the begining you’ll feel lonely but you will survive ! ». Well, I was kind of wrong.

When you’re doing an EVS, you’re not on your own. For me, at least, as soon as I put a foot on the Czech ground they were people there to help me. This is a hudge adavantage. Of course, some times I feel sad, nostalgic because I miss my friends, my family but, for now, I’ve never feel lost. I don’t know if I’m Lucky or if it’s everywhere the same but I’m very well-accompagnied. People are generally very welcoming and ready to help.

However not speaking Czech language is a real handicap to me. Even if young people generally speaks English, or sometimes even French, the older one don’t, at all. So, for example, to take the bus it will be a challenge for making understand the driver where I want to go. For now, when people speak to me in Czech I smile, shake my head, and leave. I think sometimes people should think I’m simple-minded. Well, if I were them I would of thinking that.

By the way, my name is Lucie and I’m doing an EVS in Prostejov. I come from St Etienne, in France. I’ll try on this blog to explain what I’m living through my EVS, I’ll try to be the fairest possible. For now, I miss France a lot and that’s make me bellyache when I think about it, but I know deep down that this feeling will fade little by little. Even if I’m not at my best righ now, I don’t regret anythings!

What it feels like for a foreigner. Survival guidelines in Czech Republic

I think that everyone at least once in life has got into stressful situation, having survived some kind of cultural shock during trips abroad- foreign language, different national mentality, traditions and customs. But it seems nothing if to compare with moving to a foreign country for a long time. It takes lots of time and efforts to be integrated in the society You are moving in. I think that is one of the main tasks of EVS projects, which become a real school of life, serious challenge. You will never learn it even in the best European universities, You just have to survive it.

Going to Czech Republic for my EVS project seemed not a big deal for me - another Slavic country, similar, at the first sight language and I have already spent 3 years living and studying abroad. "It should be easy" - I thought. But frankly saying - I've been mistaken. Analyzing my life in Czech Republic I will start with the

CZECH LANGUAGE

It still unfortunately remains my biggest problem. Having studied Czech for 2 year I expected that it won't be so difficult to communicate at least in some basic level. But just straight after landing at Prague airport I realised that I know nothing... Directly I experienced called by me "complex of the dog" - I understood everything, but couldn't say any single word. Czech language just seems easy for Slavs, but it can be really embarrasing especially for Russian speaking people. The matter is in co-called "False friends" - the words in two languages that might  look or sound similar, but are significantly different or even opposite in meaning. I think that everyone knows that Czech word "pozor"(attention) in Russian means shame, "úžasný"(amazing) - in Russian means horrible, perfumes in Czech can "vonět" (to have a fine smell), at the same time in Russia, "vonět" is to stink. Ordering "kompot" in one of local restaurants, i had no idea that I will get some king of jam instead of expected drink (in Ukraine and Russia "kompot" is non-alcoholic juice cooked from fruits). So be carefull ordering food in Czech "hospodas", your dish could always turn out to be something else that You expect.

CZECH FOOD

As I have already mentioned difficulties regarding the names of Czech dishes, it is the right time to tell something actually about Czech traditional food. Tasty...what else can I say - much meat, cheese, cabbage and bread. The obvious minus of Czech cuisine are extra 5kg  which I gained during the first month of my stay-the dishes are fatty and always contain much bread- different knedliki, rohliky, housky - Czechs are fanciesrs of bread. But my two biggest personal discoveries became "smažený sýr" and "pomazanka", such kind of dishes I have never tried before and which will always remind me about Czech Republic. Speaking about cuisine I can't but mention

BEER

"The best beer in the world is Czech beer"- such ode to Czech beer I've heard from one of my friends. And this is quite true -  the variety of the beer simply fascinates. Yes, Czechs love beer and that's why every little town or even restaurant has its own special beer.

CURRENCY

Another difficulty that a foreigner may face is Czech koruna, national curency which really complicates life with high nominal value of the bank notes and can drive you crazy when it comes to exchange rates. Each time I go to the shop, my head feels like exploding while I am calculating that approximately 25 Korunas = 1Euro, 1Euro = 4 Polish Złotych, 4 Złotych = 10 Ukrainian Hryvnya... Yes, going to the shop is a very complicated task and I really hope that someday I will define the price without all those sums :)

ČESKE DRÁHY

Another thing that you might be surprised with are definitely Czech railways. Once, one of my colleagues told me that in Czech republic I will fond of buses. And the matter is not in conveniences of Czech buses but in trains that are being late nearly all the time. Being stucked in a small village for a couple of ours because of the train delay I had no other chance as follow the advice not to rely much on České dráhy.

OTHER USEFUL STUFF

Living in Czech republic for almost half of a year, I don't stop wondering - why having a good national football team, Czechs aren't football fans. Hockey confidently replaces fotball and other sports. Going home by bus i usually see little boys with hockey sticks in their hands, each average town has its own covered skating ring and hockey team. As well each city, town or even little village has a monument to father of Czech nationalism - Tomas Masaryk.

During those 6 months observing Czech Republic from the inside, a huge part of my previous beliefs about culture, traditions, mentality  have been destroyed. I have learnt much, I am sure that I will learn much more and I really hope that step by step i will completely succeed even in Czech language :)

by Oksana Kulakovska

Kusturica film or some random memories of summer

Yes!!! the dreams come true...but in my case, not so often, and the actual process of realizing this dream into life is quite long. This is how it was with my trip to Montenegro. Each summer looking through the pictures of Balkan  views me and my friends have been groadning and as a result always found ourselves in Italy or France. Everything has changed last summer. Getting bored of the "predictable"Western Europe we decided to try our "bucket list" destination - a land from the films of Kusturiсa.

Not without "a little help from my friends"experienced in travelling through that region and with a tiny help from the old good friend Google, so-and-so route has been worked out, hostels booked and the tickets bought. Montenegro had been waiting for us for so long!

Impressive... the first feeling about Montenegro - impressive. It had nothing in common with that backward land that we used to see in the television or even in the films of mentioned above Kusturica. The very first evidence has become Kotor.

Kotor, as a part of former Republic of Venice still keeps Middle Aged spirit inside its walls. Though Kotor is a touristic place, but the presense of the actual tourists is not appreciable at all. They are vanishing amongst old tiny streets or desparately trying to get to St. John castle on the top of the fortifications of Kotor. The climbing under the direct sun, in conditions when the air temperature almost reaches 40 degrees takes 2 long-long  hours. At a half way to the top i wanted to kill myself, but it was really worth it. Only from the top you can see the real magnificence of the Gulf of Kotor.This gorgeous view captivates your thoughts that you can't think about how you are tired and exausted no more. Kotor with all its essence makes your visit unforgettable.There is nothing better than warm evenings spent with friends and a bottle of wine on the shore of the gulf listening to folk balkan music spreading all over the shore from one of the local restaurants.It was extremely hard to leave this kind of fairy tale, but it was time to move on in looking for new impressions. A new one happened to be co-called Croatian Riviera. After 3 hours drive (2 of which had been spent on the border crossing),we have finally reached Dubrovnik.

All I have known about Dubrovnik before were just TV shows or news issues mentioning some celebrities hanging out on posh yachts at the shores of Dubrovnik. Anyway, Dubrovnik keeps up its reputation by prices for hotels and in restaurants. And be ready for the local croatian currency - Kuna. If you haven't been impressed by prices in Dubrovnik, you would probably be embarrased by exchanging rates. But the city by itself is...awesome...just awesome. Accidentally you find yourself in Italian Venice, azure of the sea contrasts with white tiny houses covered with flamy red tile, offshore breeze fills up the air with coolness - Croatian Riviera for sure isn't inferior to French posh resorts, such as Nice or Cannes.

On the way back to Montenegro we chanced to discover a ferry. The Gulf of Kotor is quite large, so instead of bridges montenegrians use ferryboats. This was quite amazing experience, as it was completely unexpected. 5 minutes it took toget from one shore of the gulf to another, you have just 5 minutes to enjoy the magnificence of the local nature entirely, as from the very middle of the gulf we were able to have a glance over all sides of the gulf. 30 minutes more and we found ourselves in Sveti Stefan, known for its island city, which in due time served as a resort for many illustrious persons, including Yuri Gagarin, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophie Loren, Princess Margareth, Carlo Ponti. Unfortubately the Island is closed for all "mortals" and the only way to get to the island is to book a hotel or to reserve a table in one of the local restaurants. In both cases it would be very expensive. Of course if you are a good swimmer, the Island is reachable from the side of the sea. But,  warning - this is kind of illegal as the island is private and the surrounding rocks are a bit insidious. At least nobody forbids you to admire the island outside. 

The rest of Sveti Stefan is quite small and after 5 days spent there you are getting bored. One of the most unforgetfull moments is the sunset - the sun sets straight behind the island, reflecting its shape on the surface of the water. It makes just incredible effect. 

Searching for a bigger city we went to known in touristic circles Budva. I still have no idea why Budva remains the most popular tousristic destination in Montenegro. Dirty streets, crammed beaches, Budva looked like some anthill with people instead of ants.  The Old Town is sufficiently cosy, but in comparisment to what we have seen previously, it didn't impress us much. I would rather have chosen Crimea instead of going to Budva again. At least it is much more cheaper, but the general sensation is the same. If you want to go to Budva just for curiosity, one day would be enough. 

Our trip came to its logical end in Tivat. A small town on the opposite to Kotor bank of the Gulf with a claim to become a "New Monte Carlo". A newly-built harbour astonishes by variety of gorgeous yachts and boats. For just a minute you can really figure yourself in actual capital of the posh life. But just for a minute... because there is nothing to see besides the harbour and the yachts which would be undoubtedly the main attraction. 

The plane with us on a board left Tivat, leaving behind 2 weeks of incredibly spent summer, but taking the most priceless thing - memories. Montenegro has become a huge discovery with its stunning nature, warm sea, historical sights and firendly people. And I can't compare it to any other place,just because it is unique,it still keeps the charm of different epoques, different ethnicities, different cultures. The place which has become that missing thing that made a trace in our hearts.

 by Oksana Kulakovska

photos by Oksana Kulakovska & Viola Denys