Bombs going off. Missiles flying into homes and schools. People taking shelter in metro stations. Nuclear plants being threatened.
Desperate refugees being forced to flee across borders and uproot their lives. Selfless men saying goodbyes to their families before going into battle with the possibility that they may never see them again.
Innocent people, including children, are dead. Cities destroyed in the blink of an eye. The whole world order has been turned on its side, never to be the same again.
This apocalyptic situation is not playing out in a movie. This is real life. It’s in Ukraine, a member of the same continent as Prague and only a few borders away. And it’s happened due to an evil, corrupt, and dangerous dictator who will hopefully pay dearly for his actions. Putin chose this war. His unacceptable, irresponsible, and calamitous attacks have killed many and will unfortunately kill more in the days and weeks ahead.
He’s a killer. Criminal. Thug. A bunch of other things I can’t say in this space. 99.9 percent (it should be 100) of the world has turned against him, and rightly so. I can’t wait until the day Putin is overthrown, arrested, and/or put in jail for the rest of his life.
Juxtaposed with the villain of Putin is the heroic figure of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president has shown what real leadership looks like and should be a role model for us all. He hasn’t given up and won’t give up. He’s motivated the Ukrainian side, despite paling in comparison to the evil empire they are up against, to keep fighting and never surrender. He’s standing up for his people and ensuring his side doesn’t give an inch or just let Putin have what he wants. He’s not afraid to speak his mind when he feels the West has not done enough. He could’ve left, gone into hiding, or just thrown in the towel, but he hasn’t allowed that to happen. Bravo, sir.
As someone living in Prague, how do I feel about all of this? First, like anyone, I believe that this should have never, ever happened and that Putin needs to go to a place that rhymes with “bell.” Actually, either “hell” and/or “jail cell” could work there. Take your pick. But aside from merely stating the obvious, I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t a little unnerved. After all, only one country–Poland–separates us from Ukraine. At the moment, I still feel perfectly safe and have no problem carrying out my normal routine or traveling to destinations, as long as they aren’t in the direction of Ukraine (sorry, Krakow and Bratislava, you guys will have to wait). On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest danger, I feel a 2 or 3 as opposed to the 1 I’d normally feel. If Putin goes after Poland or Slovakia, then I will have to strongly consider taking measures. But currently, it’s business as usual.
To calm my worried parents, whose anxiety is even higher than usual right now, Kyiv and Prague are approximately 710 miles apart. That’s about the same distance from Albany to Chicago. Most of the attacks are from Kyiv eastward. On the whole, I’m not concerned, and my family at home shouldn’t be, either. However, I am watching the story closely and have contingency plans at the ready.
Putin’s war will have ramifications for the entire planet for years to come. This conflict will likely wind up being among the most consequential of our time. Already here in the Czech Republic, we’ve seen an influx of refugees and will see more. Applying for my long-term residence permit later this year will likely be a longer and more arduous process than usual due to the Interior Ministry being tied up with all the extra applications from Ukrainians. As much as I’d like to have my situation sorted out, I’m more than happy to wait–give the visas to the people who truly need them.
Financially, we’re starting to see the Czech crown plunge in value against the dollar and euro. Prices are going to increase across the board. There’s been talk of turning off Russian gas here and in neighbouring countries, which isn’t a big deal since the weather is warming up.
As an American, I grew up watching the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which were terrible conflicts in which far too many lives were lost. With all due respect, however, those were on the other side of the globe, and I, thankfully, never had a loved one killed or injured in action. I apologize if this is a terrible thing to say, but those never really hit home for me.
This time is different.
This conflict is close and directly affecting my life. It will likely continue to do so for a very long time. I may have to make some difficult and life-changing decisions because of Putin’s recklessness. That’s not fair to me or the thousands of other expats in a similar situation. But so far, I’m not nearly as affected as millions of others, and I have to open my eyes and realize how fortunate I am for that.
This war also makes me feel truly helpless. Yes, I’ve donated money and will certainly donate some supplies as well. I’ve been so impressed at the solidarity that the Czech Republic and the whole world have shown with Ukraine. We had a protest of 80,000-strong in Wenceslas Square the other night. But to see the chilling images and media reports from the conflict zone rips my heart out and makes me wish there was something more substantial that I could do. The suffering these Ukrainians are going through is agonizing, traumatizing, and worst of all, completely and utterly unnecessary thanks to the madman running the show in Moscow.
I pray that world leaders will come together and continue to give Ukraine the help it so desperately needs. This isn’t a time for politics or bickering or hidden agendas. Too many innocent lives are depending on us. Putin needs to be stopped before he destroys all of Europe, as he very nearly did a few nights ago at the nuclear plant. It’s time for the most united front that the world has ever seen. There’s no excuse not to.
I also would be remiss if I didn’t comment about being a teacher during this difficult time. Most of my older students (6th-8th grade) know what is going on, and I even have a few students from Ukraine. I can easily see how stressed out and upset they are. All I can do is be there and listen. As for the younger students, I think they even have some grasp of the situation and they know that it is very bad and fairly close to us. On Friday, I asked my 4th- and 5th-grade English class if they wanted to forgo the planned lesson and make things for Ukraine instead, and their answer was a resounding yes. I actually took their work and placed it in the room of items that we had going to Ukraine itself (a colleague’s husband was brave enough to actually drive there). Hopefully, it will make the Ukrainians smile, if only for a moment.
And maybe one day, when Putin is put in his rightful place, the Ukrainians can look back on their resilience and resolve and smile.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 