It’s been a while since I last entered the blogosphere. With everything that’s going on in the world now, it’s hard to believe that my last post was about things like teaching being hard and the lack of a Taco Bell in the Czech Republic. My, how things have changed in just a few short months!
I thought it was the right time for a stream of consciousness update, so apologies if this seems like I’m rambling on. I mainly wanted to update you all on how things have been going amid the Coronavirus pandemic. I’m fine. All of my family and friends are fine (knock on wood). But I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Countless people and families across the planet have been touched by this illness in ways they would have never thought possible. My thoughts go out to all those who are suffering, as well as the real heroes: the medical professionals around the world.
Here in the Czech Republic, most of the restrictions from the springtime have been dropped and things are generally normal. Cases have gone up a bit over the past few weeks, but I wouldn’t say it’s unsafe here. However, I’m putting in that extra effort to wear a mask, especially on public transport and indoors. I don’t wear the mask for myself. I wear it for the elderly lady who I give up my seat for on the tram. I wear it for the ticket inspector who approaches me on the #7 (not sure why it always seems to happen on that one, but whatever). I wear it for the grocery store cashier who is probably barely making enough money to make ends meet. Wearing a mask really is an act of kindness.
This goes back to the mask thing–but it’s so essential to care for other people and not just yourself. We all need all the help we can get during this crisis. Arguments, divisiveness, and pretty politics won’t solve anything. Check up on your neighbor. Talk to that friend you haven’t seen in a while.
When the pandemic first started, I felt anger and depression. But then I realized that this is a time where the world needs to come together as one. There’s no time to be angry. Even in places where the pandemic is very bad, you need to stay optimistic and do your part. As I said before, be adaptable. All the cool kids are doing it.
Another thing I’ve learned: If there’s something you want to do, do it, and do it now!–Before COVID, I had all these wonderful places which I was going to see. I did manage to get around to some of them before all hell broke loose, but not all of them. Believe me, I’m not happy about it. Even now, you never know when the next bad COVID day will happen or when the next round of restrictions will be put in place (or back into place). Here in the Czech Republic, the situation escalated so quickly to the point where things were normal (as normal as they could be) one day, but the next day, literally everything had been taken from us. Take advantage of the opportunity while you have it. Stop saying, “I’m too tired today” or “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Those are excuses.
Also, the sports world is weird. No March Madness. Hockey in August. The Masters in November. Possibly–if not likely, no college football season. Games being played with cardboard cutouts of fans and artificial crowd noise. It feels like a video game exploded and went right into our TV sets. I suppose it’s going to take some getting used to, but it’s better than no sports at all.
The bottom line: I don’t know that the world will ever return to what it was six months ago. There are some things that we just have to accept as the new normal. I’m okay with that. It’s going to a weird normal, but after a while, we’ll get used to it. What fun is life if you’re just doing the same thing over and over again for days on end?
How is COVID affecting my teaching? Well, classes have been significantly reduced, and most of the ones I do have are online. I do expect that things will pick up again in September, but it may not get back to pre-COVID levels. Teachers have to be adaptable as it is, but this pandemic is like nothing they ever teach you in school. However, having some extra time has given me the opportunity to think about what’s truly important in life.
The Coronavirus has taught me not only to be vigilant, but to be resilient as well. When the pandemic first started, I thought my Prague experience was over. But I kept on and made lemonade out of lemons, and here I am, still here. I celebrated my one-year Pragueversary on June 26 (yes, I know it’s now a month and half later and I’m just writing this, what a slacker I am). I kept going because I was so proud of my growth as a person, and I thought that going back to the US would erase that. I feared that returning to the states would result in me having to take on a dead-end job in which I would have no impact in the world.
So far, my decision is looking like a good one. I was offered and signed another contract with my school. I just learned today that I’ve been approved for long-term residence here. I found a new flat that I really enjoy. More really good people have come into my life, and I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for this city and the people in it.
Perhaps the biggest thing I did: I made massive changes to my dietary habits. You see, I’m getting up there in age, and in two weeks, I’ll have to add one to an already too high number. I have some not-so-great things in my family health history. I was starting to feel run down, and a doctor’s appointment I had a couple of weeks ago was a real wake-up call. It was time to put down the cheeseburgers, chips, and beer, and instead call on salads, rice cakes, and water. Ever since I did this about three weeks ago, I feel much better and much lighter. My stomach is getting flatter and my energy is up most days.
I really think the most important thing I’ve done is cutting out beer and alcohol. Yes, I no longer drink anything other than water, milk, and the occasional diet soda. I’ve never been a heavy drinker, but in this country, beer is everywhere, cheap, and everywhere cheap. But this was something I needed to do not only for me, but for the people on the other side of the Atlantic who care so much about me. I want to be there to watch my nieces and nephews grow up. I want to be there for my parents and siblings as they get older. If I kept going down the path I was going down, I truly believe that I would have been greeted by significant health problems–just another challenge that would be added to the list of those I’m already dealing with while living in a foreign country.
So for those of you who have been asking, there you go. I am not drinking any alcohol at the moment, and I won’t any time soon. Honestly, the temptation hasn’t even been there. I don’t care if it makes me lame or uncool. If you do believe it makes me one of those things, then I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not going to stop doing a good thing just because of what other people think. Sorry. It’s my life and it’s my journey. I learned a long time ago that life is so much more than just gaining the approval of others. Sometimes, it’s good to zig while others zag. Be your own person!
Okay, that was a lot of deep stuff. Overall, I’d say Year 2 is off to a pretty good start, and I hope and pray that things keep going well. Ultimately, I’d like to believe that I made the right decision to stay here. Only time will tell, but for now, I’ll just do my best to make lemonade out of lemons.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 