What I Love About Czech People
Have you just accepted a job offer in Prague and started relocating to the Czech Republic? Congratulations! A very special chapter of your life is about to begin.
If it isn’t your first relocation, you might have experienced an intercultural training before, where you learn how the culture of destination country differs from that of your home country and what to do about it. I can imagine that you’ve learned about most of the challenges, surprises, and problems you might encounter in a new country. However, I think the key to success when relocating is to learn about the positives that are awaiting you first. Talking about the positives or advantages, it’s important to remember that everyone is different.
“What I like is the Czech sense of humour. It involves a lot of irony and a strong dose of absurdity.”
For example, you probably know already that Czech Republic is a paradise for beer lovers, however it might not be your cup of tea. If you can find the things that are great for YOU in the destination country, it will make your life much more pleasant and could even help you avoid a culture shock, or at least minimise its effects. Here, I’ve created a subjective list of what I love about Czech people. I hope it will inspire you to create your own, after you’ve spent some time in the Czech Republic.
1. Czech people love animals
This is a top one for me. No matter if it’s spring, summer, fall, or winter, you’ll see dogs everywhere. Since they’re so loved and accepted in public places, you’ll meet them in pubs, restaurants, public transports, and of course in parks. Did I mention that you can even bring your dog to many offices and some Czech language schools? There’s even a song in Czech: “Mame radi zvirata”, which, as you might’ve guessed, means “We love animals”.
2. Czech people are very supportive
They’ll go out of their way to help you navigate your new country. If they can make your life easier, they’ll gladly do it, so just ask. When you arrive here, please ensure that you don’t confine your social life solely within the expats community. Go out and make friends with locals as well.
3. Czech people are tolerant
The rule “Live and let live” reigns. As long as they don’t disturb others, your lifestyle, your life choices, the way you dress, what you eat etc. are really up to you.
“To me it feels like trust needs to be established first. When trust is earned, the walls seem to deconstruct almost instantly, letting you know the real person inside.”
4. Czech people are appreciative
Czech people are more reserved than most other nationalities, especially those from the southern hemisphere, so don’t expect everyone to be always open, talking and smiling to you on the streets. It’s not Italy or South America. However, they’ll appreciate your small gestures, being polite to them and using at least a little bit of Czech (of course the more, the better). When I moved to Prague, I found out that expats seem to be really divided on how nice and open the Czechs are. I was quite intrigued and looking for an answer why that was. It turned out that all of the Mediterraneans really enjoy living here. Since they’re in general talkative and always smiling, Czechs would often mirror that. So that’s the secret, you need to smile first to the locals and they’ll smile back.
Those are my top four. I’ve also asked other foreigners what they like about Czech people, here are what they said:
“To me it feels like trust needs to be established first. When trust is earned, the walls seem to deconstruct almost instantly, letting you know the real person inside.”
“Czech people love sports. In my country, when you plan your weekend, you only include a sport if there’s time for it. Here, it’s a top priority, number one on your weekend’s list of things to do.”
“Work-life balance is really important here.”
“What I like is the Czech sense of humour. It involves a lot of irony and a strong dose of absurdity.”
Written by: Beata Dziedzic, Expats Career Coach
Beata Dziedzic is a career development coach who helps expats discover their niche skills, build a powerful online brand and find a career they will love. More about Beata here.
Title image: Pixabay.com.
