mikebev25

Got Inspiration?

November 24, 2020March 6, 2021 by mikebev25

I recently came across an old picture on my phone. It was an exercise I did in which I tried to come up with one positive adjective for each letter of my name.

For MIKE, I had mindful, intelligent, kind, and energetic. For BEVEVINO, it was big-hearted, exceptional, venerable, extraordinary, vivacious, inspirational, nice, and outstanding.

Ultimately, these are all of the things I want to be. While I do think I am already a number of these things (a friend was nice enough to tell me that I’m all of them), there’s always room to be even better. There’s always an opportunity to improve your life and career. That’s an essentially important lesson that my experience of teaching abroad has taught me. I didn’t like my situation, so I took a risk, stepped outside my comfort zone, and improved it.

After coming across this picture, I came up with a great idea. What if I took one of the 12 adjectives each week and made it my goal to be that word for the week? For example, last week I focused on big-hearted. One of the things I did was take a walk around the city. Sure, walks are good exercise, but that wasn’t the purpose of this walk. I went out with some spare change in my pocket (nothing more than two or three U.S. dollars worth) and looked specifically for homeless people to give it to. In the end, I only was able to find two, but that’s still two days that I brightened (hopefully, they put it to good use). If you’re making someone else’s life better, that’s a good day.

So now that big-hearted is done, let’s check another one off the list this week. How about inspirational? And what better way to be inspirational than to share some of my favorite inspirational quotes and a little bit of commentary about how they apply to my experience? Maybe these will inspire you to get off the couch like I did. These are not in any particular order; just the order in which I thought of them.

1. “Great moments are born from great opportunity.” –Herb Brooks

Brooks, the head coach of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympics, gave one of the greatest speeches of all time before the Americans upset the Soviets. If you haven’t seen it, watch the movie “Miracle.” Great movie. Brooks could not be more right. I’ve had some pretty great moments since I’ve moved here. I could write a whole blog about them. I could probably write multiple blogs about them. But if I had never jumped on that plane, the opportunity of a lifetime–and the moments that have since come with it–would not have been possible.

2. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” –Milton Berle

In the U.S., opportunity wasn’t knocking for me the way it knocked for Brooks and the Lake Placid heroes. So I moved abroad. I built that door. Now, I have that opportunity, and hopefully, the fact I’m having this experience will lead to more opportunity in the future (it’s a great CV or resume enhancer).

3. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

On the court, Michael Jordan is and will always be a legend. Off the court as an owner…not so much. What was he thinking with that Gordon Hayward signing? Anyway, of these 10 quotes, this might be the single most important one for teachers. Lessons are going to go badly from time to time. You’re going to have technological problems. Some students just won’t get it the first, second, or even the third time. For those who work with younger age groups, your kids will misbehave. That’s okay. As long as you build that strong relationship with the students, they’ll still come back for the next lesson or for the next day of school. They’ll still trust you. Don’t let your failures keep you from taking that next shot because tomorrow is a new day. You can learn from your failures to make sure they don’t happen again.

4. “Your limitation–it’s only your imagination.” –Unknown

As part of my self-improvement routine, I recently started working out. It’s not particularly often, maybe two or three days a week, but it’s better than the zero I had been doing. When we work out together, my friend always tells me, “Do as many as you can plus two more.” Limits result in comfort zones. Comfort zones result in an ordinary life. An ordinary life results in you having no chance to change the world. Don’t limit yourself.

5. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale

Since I was little, I had wanted to see the world and was always fascinated with Europe in particular. The dream was stronger during certain periods of my life than it was in others, but the little voice was always there in the back of my head. When I first moved to Prague, I was 29 years old, older than most people who do this. I’ve also met teachers who embarked on the same journey as me, but they did it in their 50s. But age is only a number, and I still, God willing, have about two-thirds of my life in front of me. Getting to Prague also took a lot of time and a lot of effort. Months and months of it. A life decision like this isn’t one you can make on a whim.

6. “The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” –Walt Disney

For me, there’s no bigger pet peeve than someone who is all talk and no action. You can talk about a problem, but talking does nothing. Someone else still has to be the one to fix it. By making a careful step-by-step process, which is sometimes difficult in teaching, you set yourself up for success in the future.

7. “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” –Mark Twain

No one is perfect. Every day in my teaching, I look to be a little better than the day before. Although I do have my rough days from time to time, I think I’ve come a long way in the past year. I’ve improved by trying new things, throwing out things that didn’t work, adapting to change, and by getting lots of feedback from students, fellow teachers, and school staff. If you’re not trying to improve, then what are you trying to do?

8. Don’t count the days, make the days count.” –Muhammad Ali

I recently did my 500-day anniversary blog. That is a lot of days. But have I made the days count? I would say I have. I made the move, found an apartment, got a job, and have had countless teaching and life experiences. Prague has completely transformed me as a person. Also, I used to count down the days to events I was looking forward to, but I’ve found that I don’t really do that anymore since I moved here. I want to live in the moment so that I really can make every day count.

9. Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” –Will Rogers

Speaking of days, this quote is one I’ve always had trouble putting into practice. As someone who has anxiety, I scrutinize every conversation I have with someone. Should I have said this or not said that? Was I too nice? Was I not nice enough? But the reality is, when the conversation’s over, the other person is going to move on with their life and probably forget about it. But I will still think about that one thing that I said and hold it somewhere for days or longer. You can’t do that as a teacher. When you have a bad day, which you will, you need to move on and go to the clean slate that the next day promises. There are students counting on you; you can’t be rattled by yesterday and not give them your best as a result.

10. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

This is the best quote to describe teaching (and life) during the coronavirus. I would love to be doing face-to-face lessons with my students. I would love more classes and a more certain schedule. I want nothing more than for restaurants and shops to reopen so that I can experience life. But right now, those are just wishes of a Utopia that we are a long way off from. The coronavirus doesn’t care about wishes. So all we can do is play with the cards we’ve been dealt. While there are some things we don’t have, there are still some great things we do have, so let’s recognize those and count our blessings.

Count your blessings. That’s the moral of our story. This time of year, that should be at the very top of your list, especially in a year when so many people have lost so much. Before you go to bed tonight, think of the good things in your life and be grateful for them. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

Why Am I Still Here?

November 17, 2020March 6, 2021 by mikebev25

My 500-day anniversary blog got me thinking.

Why am I still here? Why have I decided to stay this long?

When I first came out here, I told my family, “I might be back in a month, or I might be back in a year.” I said nothing about a year and a half or 500 days or anything longer than that. But yet, here I am, still living in the Czech capital.

Let’s offer a quick reminder as to why I did this in the first place. The simple reason is that I’ve been underestimated my whole life. Unlike my fantasy football team most weeks, I’m an underdog.

Side note: I’m 10-0 in the TEFL fantasy football league; y’all need to step your game up because this is too easy. Then again, Dalvin Cook and Davante Adams make fantasy football easy. Okay, enough of that…

In all seriousness…doctors once thought I’d be completely nonverbal (which is funny, considering now I essentially talk for a living). I got around to things (getting my first job, driving, lady friends, traveling, etc.) a few years later than most of my peers. I bounced around from grocery store cashier to computer salesman to post office assistant…I mean, mail handler assistant (y’all know what it is, but my dad’s going to yell at me if I don’t get the title right) before I finally found my niche in education. I’ve done it all while fighting anxiety and depression and doing whatever I can to raise awareness for mental health.

I’ve never been afraid to admit any of these things to people. It’s not because I want them to feel sorry for me. I want them to know the backstory, and of course, I want to be open and honest about mental health. The backstory has actually given me a pretty sizable chip on my shoulder. As I said, I was (and in a lot of ways, still am) an underdog. When I made the decision to move abroad, I knew I had something to prove to people (and today, I still think that I have things to prove to people). The best way to do that was to step outside of my comfort zone.

I think about the journey every day. I most often think about it when I have that internal debate with myself about whether or not I just want to end this and head back to Clifton Park (that internal debate has occurred quite frequently during COVID). Knowing how hard I worked and what I had to go through to get here keeps me going.

But you know what else has given me the will to stay in Prague this whole time?

It’s the impact I make on people’s lives.

I know that I will never make a lot of money doing this. It’s unlikely I’ll ever become famous. Honestly, even in the melting pot that is Prague, I don’t have hundreds and hundreds of friends.

But you know what? That’s okay!

None of those things are worth more than seeing a student go “aha” when they finally master a concept they’ve been struggling with. They don’t matter nearly as much as having a student who loves to learn and buys more lessons with you out of their own pocket. It’s the thought of my summer campers coming up to me to inform them that I have changed their lives and that they will never forget me. The camper who texts you “I miss you so much” and says that they want to talk to you three months after camp has ended warms my heart.

Money can’t buy any of that.

English is the world’s language. It opens doors for people. The way I see it, I’m doing a service to others by helping people advance their personal and professional lives. With my help, they are able to communicate with others in ways they never used to. They can finally travel to America and see what we are all about. In 65 days, it won’t be about Donald Trump anymore! But who’s counting?

That’s not to say things are always easy. There are very long days when you have to go from one end of Prague to the other, sometimes multiple times, and you’re completely at the mercy of Prague’s public transport system (which is fantastic, but I’ve always preferred having control of those kinds of things). Students cancel lessons. Lessons don’t go as planned. They don’t understand it the first time. They don’t like your teaching style. They think a hot dog is a sandwich. I could go on and on.

COVID has only exacerbated the problems and unpredictability. The need for lessons to transition online has opened up a whole new can of worms. Just as recently as a few weeks ago, I had never used Microsoft Teams, and now, it’s become a daily part of my teaching routine. The adaptability and patience you have to show is quite something. Yes, they taught us about those things in schools, but they did not teach us about how to teach during a pandemic.

COVID has also resulted in lost income for lots of good people, through no fault of their own. This has happened all over the world. I’ve had students lose their jobs and companies have to cut lessons out of their budgets. I’ve had students who simply don’t prefer the world of online lessons and opt to put things on hold until the situation gets better. Honestly, even though I have no control over any of this, it makes me angry. And no, it’s not due to the financial hit. Although that is important, the real reason it upsets me is because my students are no longer able to get better at this valuable skill. I’m no longer able to do a service to them. They can study on their own, but losing the personal touch of a one-to-one lesson makes things much more difficult for them to build on the progress they had worked so hard to make.

There have been days when I’ve wanted to go home. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the case. I haven’t seen my family in-person in nearly 18 months. Having to miss my brother’s wedding (which took place at the heart of our second wave over here) and countless family events has been heart wrenching. As I’ve said in recent blogs, I’ve also had to deal with my anxiety forcing me to become extra nervous and trying to tell me things that aren’t true. It’s made me question everything I’ve said and done both in and out of the classroom.

The obstacles are a-plenty. But I’ve found the resolve to keep going. I easily could have given up multiple times by now. Honestly, it’s my students and my campers who keep me going. There are people counting on me. Like I said before, it’s not about the money, prestige, or number of friends you have, it’s about changing the world for the better. It’s about being a positive influence for others. Over time, I’ve recognized that I embarked on this journey as much for others as I did for myself.

I don’t know what the future holds or exactly how much longer I’ll be doing this, but especially in the time we live in, every day and every lesson is a blessing. I hope I’ve made my family proud. I hope I’ve stayed true to all the values that have shaped me into the person I am today.

Most importantly, I hope that my experience has inspired people to get up off that couch and take a big step outside their comfort zone (once it’s safe to do so, of course).

Because if I can do it, so can you.

Silver Linings and Hearts of Gold

November 10, 2020March 6, 2021 by mikebev25

I recently had a small disagreement with a friend.

Out of respect for my friend’s privacy, I will not reveal anything about the person’s identity or the cause of the argument. It wasn’t a huge deal, but I still regret it happened. Of course, as an anxiety sufferer, I went back and microanalyzed every single word I said over the course of the conversation. Over and over and over again. I blamed myself and only myself for it.

Although the disagreement was minor in the grand scheme of things, it was my fault that things went where they did. It all started because I said some things I probably shouldn’t have said.

You see, I like to be as non-confrontational as possible. I don’t argue with people. I don’t enjoy it. It’s not in my nature. I try to be the best version of myself each and every day, regardless of the situation. Unfortunately, I was not the best version of myself on that day. Something came over me, and I think I know exactly what the culprit was.

Thanks, anxiety.

If you were an object, I’d punch you in the face. I mean that. I know I just talked about how non-confrontational I am. But anxiety, you are the one thing in this world (aside, perhaps, from anyone with the last name Trump) that deserves a nice Mike Tyson-esque jab to the jaw. This is the umpteen millionth time in my life you’ve made me feel like crap. Seriously.

In the days following the quarrel, I became very depressed. I was sad. I was down. I felt defeated. Those feelings stuck for what felt like an eternity.

Everything stuck, that is, until I realized something.

I can learn from this.

As much as I would have wanted to, I couldn’t unsay the words I had said. No one has invented a working time machine (although that would be an amazing invention). What was done would be done and remain that way. The only thing to do now was turn my anger and self-doubt into something productive, or at least a line of thinking that is a bit more reasonable.

You can’t change the past.

This is a simple, but important message that not everyone understands. By living in the past, you can’t grow. If you’re not growing, you’re not living.

And let’s be honest, if you actually want to stay in 2020, you’re crazy.

Kobe Bryant. Chadwick Boseman. Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Regis Philbin. Sean Connery. Alex Trebek. Not to mention the millions of sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who have died from coronavirus.

Why couldn’t 2020 have taken out anxiety? It killed everything else.

Anyway, let’s brighten the message and look forward to 2021. It can’t be any worse than the goat rodeo that was 2020. Speaking of goat rodeos, the Trump presidency will be ending come January 20, so there’s that. Seventy more days, guys. We can do this. #lockhimup

Life is too short to live in the past. Life is also too short for petty disagreements. Just ask the folks listed above. They would give anything to come back to this planet and even have one more petty disagreement. Your life is sacred, and you only get one shot, so why waste it on backward-focused thinking?

For instance, America is one place that can now look forward. The tyranny of Donald Trump is over and Joe Biden is prepared to make the country functional again. Biden knows how to treat people with decency and respect. People will no longer look at America for all the wrong reasons.

That’s the type of future I want to look forward to.

So now, I need to file away that experience I had with my friend and ask two questions:

How do I make the situation better?
How can I learn a lesson from this so that I don’t make the same mistake again?

You know what? With question 2, just ignore the “so that I don’t make the same mistake again” part. That’s backward thinking. And that’s exactly the type of semantics that will force you to make that mistake again. When you do that, the mistake becomes engrained in your head, and that doesn’t do anyone any good.

Betterment and learning.

Now these two things do a lot of people a lot of good. They do my students a lot of good. I like those two things. And you should, too.

Any time you can take away something good from something that seems to be terrible, you’re doing okay and your mind is in the right place. Silver linings.

Take your silver linings and turn them into hearts of gold. Help others. Help the world become a better place for your children and grandchildren.

Personally, I wouldn’t say that I have a heart of gold. I do try to have a kind heart, and parts of it might be golden, but it’s not completely where I want it to be. My goal is to get my heart to look like the helmets of the Notre Dame football team (side note: if the Irish ever play another game without the golden domes atop their heads, I will scream). As you can see from the example above, my heart still has some spray painting that needs to be done. I do have my flaws. But I’m not living in the past with these flaws–I’m learning how to turn my past mistakes into future miracles.

Personal betterment. That’s what it’s all about, folks. That’s a message that everyone from Prague to Clifton Park to Mar-a-Lago can embrace…okay, maybe not quite that last place I mentioned, but you get the point. Too soon? Nah.

So just to make sure you’ve been paying attention (my students love it when I do this at the end of our lessons), here’s a clue:

Two things everyone should do each and every day.

(sound of contestant buzzer) What are betterment and learning?

Correct!

God bless you, Mr. Trebek.

How It Started vs. How It’s Going: 500 Days in Prague

November 6, 2020March 6, 2021 by mikebev25

Friday, November 6 marks 500 days since I first stepped on that airplane and left the US for the first time. Wait, it marks 500 days since I first stepped on any airplane. Anyway, time flies, and I’ve sure learned a lot. So much, in fact, that I wanted to share this piece with you. I was going to do 500 things, but that’s quite a lot, so let’s just go for as many as we can.

That being said, I decided to pick 85. Why 85? I recently did a Sporcle quiz (if you don’t know what Sporcle is, check it out) that was 40 facts about the Czech Republic. I scored 85 percent.

I mean, 500 things would have been nice, but 85 things took about 2500 words. My estimate is that 500 would have needed over 15,000 words. Unless they add a bunch of hours to the day (let’s be honest, it is 2020, so if that ever happened, this would be the year), I don’t have that kind of time. And you probably don’t have that kind of time to read it. I didn’t really put these in any particular order; they’re just in the order they came to mind.

So, without further adieu…

Flying isn’t actually that bad. For years, I had an irrational fear of it, but it honestly doesn’t even feel like you’re moving.
When you go through airport security, you have to take your belt off. Am I the only person who this makes uncomfortable? I can see the reasoning, and I know it should be the least of our worries now, but I’m not a fan.
Tram lines and the metro (the subway for you folks in the states) are not that difficult to navigate once you get the hang of it.
Prague truly has some of the best public transport in the world. Clean, efficient, and on time. All the time. I thought not driving a car would be very difficult for me over here, but that’s not the case at all. That’s not to say I don’t miss driving a car. I do.
Czechs don’t like talking to each other on public transport. It’s bizarre for us Americans, who are often more willing to strike up a conversation.
Masarykovo Nadrazi and Smichovske Nadrazi give me the jeepers. Keep your belongings close at hand.
Why do they give me the jeepers, you ask? Czech people really like to come up to you if they need money or cigarettes.
What’s easier to solve? A Rubik’s Cube or the Cerny Most metro station? I’m going with the Rubik’s Cube on that one.
Prague’s ticket inspectors give me anxiety. Well, most things do, but them in particular. And I’ve had a ticket. Every single time.
An easy mistake that could net the ticket inspectors several hundred crowns is failing to validate your ticket. Buy it and then stick it in the yellow machine. Don’t forget!
For those who don’t prefer dealing with this, the selection of car manufacturers is somewhat limited. There are not too many American cars over here. Chevrolets and Dodges will be hard to come by.
You need a public toilet? No problem? You need a public toilet but don’t have any cash on you? Big problem.
There is a tower with babies (not real babies, but close enough) attached to it. It’s called the Zizkov TV Tower, once voted the second ugliest building in the world.
Vaclav Havel (the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first one of the Czech Republic) will forever be a national hero.
Most people I know do not like Andrej Babis, the current prime minister.
On the other hand, Jaromir Jagr and Martina Navratilova are right up there with Havel. Icons.
Aside from the few spots listed above, it is very safe. The 7th safest country in the world, according to the 2019 Global Peace Index.
Most folks here actually do speak English. Enough English to at least order at McDonald’s. Watch out, though, if you go to a doctor’s office and try to speak English, they will get very annoyed.
The calling code for the Czech Republic is +420. Who did this country tick off to be stuck with that one?
During my first week here, I got lost in an area with no Wi-Fi and had to use data to pull up Google Maps. At the time, I still had my American phone number. Using data on an American phone number over here? Please do not do this (unless, of course, you don’t like having money). I learned the hard way.
Every female’s last name ends in “ova.” A few end in “ska,” but mostly “ova.” Over here, they even throw it on to Americans’ names. For example, the other day I read an article about Melania Trumpova. I’ve also seen Michelle Obamova and Angela Merkelova. The female form for Bevevino would be kind of weird, wouldn’t it? Bevevinova? Or Bevevinoova? They don’t sound right.
By far, the most common mistake I hear Czechs make when speaking English is the use of “some” as an article with singular, countable nouns. That is, if they even try to use an article at all.
The Czech word for “please” is exactly the same as the Czech word for “you’re welcome.” #prosim
The metro station “Chodov” is actually pronounced “Hodov” and it bothers me.
The Czech language has a formal and an informal form. Maybe that’s why it’s so tough to learn?
They love hockey over here. And badminton. No offense, guys, but I don’t see the appeal of the shuttlecock game.
You know what really grinds my gears? When people over here tell you the cost of something as, “_______ Czech crowns.” Really? I could’ve sworn we were using Swedish crowns.
The 20 crown coin is gold and the 10 crown coin is bronze. It took me a while to figure that one out.
The vast majority of exchange places on the streets are ripoffs. Use Transferwise. You’re welcome for the free publicity, guys.
Most of these exchange places do not accept coins of any kind. Take note.
This country is extremely atheist.
Czech food is AWFUL. Very meaty and heavy. It tastes weird. Not for me (except for roast duck, which is quite tasty). There’s also an obsession with pork.
The good news? There are McDonald’s all over. Burger King. Pizza Hut. KFC. But no Taco Bell. Sadly.
I also really miss random foods like Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Cheetos, Triscuits, and soda that actually tastes like soda. The lack of aspartame is a killer. Oh, and Tropicana Fruit Punch. Sorely missed. Although it doesn’t really matter as much because I gave up drinking anything other than water and milk. McDonald’s breakfast also is just not the same.
I also miss diners. There are none over here. Travesty.
Often times, you can walk into a restaurant/bar and take whichever table or place you would like. It’s not usually, “wait to be seated” like it is in America.
When ordering water, the first thing they will ask is, “still or sparkling?” Still. All day.
Beer is cheaper than water. Seriously. Facts.
There are also beer spas. Yes, it’s exactly what you thought. They’re not for me because I don’t drink, but I can understand their appeal.
Trdelnik is all the rage. If you don’t know what it is, look it up. Oh, and it’s not actually Czech.
Czechs have an unhealthy desire for mushrooms. I like mushrooms with something, but separately? Eeeeek.
Billa (a popular supermarket) over here makes you weigh your own fruits and vegetables. That’s too much work.
The Czechs in general have an apathetic attitude toward customer service. If the line is getting long, they don’t open another one. You wait. If an employee is mean to you, the manager doesn’t care. Karens need not apply.
Nearly every street corner in Prague has a potraviny, which I recently found out I’ve been pronouncing wrong the whole time. For you Americans, that’s a mini-market. And the people who run them always seem to be really unhappy with their lives.
The metric system takes some getting used to. Kilometers instead of meters? Celsius instead of Fahrenheit? Ugh.
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses are really hard. Like, really, really hard. Super demanding. If you ever thought about signing up for one, I encourage it, but it’s no cakewalk.
I’ve heard the word “elicit” more in the past year and a half than I did in the first 29 years of my life combined.
It’s okay to not follow every thing your TEFL program taught you to a tee. Be your own person.
I’ve met many people who decided to get TEFL-certified and then go back to the states. Others left teaching entirely.
Teaching English online, especially to children, is difficult. Props and TPR, rinse and repeat.
The whole “you must write a thank you note within 24 hours of a job interview” isn’t really a thing over here.
I’ve met people from 32 different US states, plus the District of Columbia. I counted. Yes, I need a life.
Besides Czechs and Americans, I’ve met people from places such as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Great Britain, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bosnia, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Spain, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan, South Korea, Ghana, Australia, and New Zealand. Totally random order, and I’m sure I left out a few. Apologies if I did.
I never want to hear the word “visa” again unless I’m getting a free credit card in the mail.
Speaking of the mail, the Ceska Posta. Don’t even get me started. You see, there are no mailboxes on streets over here, so even if you want to mail one simple letter, you have to go to a physical post office and deal with a clerk. The clerks speak about as much English as the chair I am sitting on. Not pleasant.
You can deposit money to your bank account at the post office. With Equa Bank, a popular expat bank over here, it was the only way to deposit cash up until recently.
As an American, it’s a [word that rhymes with ditch] to move flats (apartments for you Americans) over here. Not only is there the chore of moving, but you have to have the owner of the new building sign and notarize a paper and you then have to register with the Ministry of Interior. Yeah. Not fun. This is why some landlords only make their flats available to EU citizens.
Most English teachers over here work on what’s called a Zivno. Basically, you’re a freelancer.
Your employer automatically taking social taxes and health insurance out of your paycheck? Using a time clock? Ha! Here, people working on Zivnos have to do these things themselves. No help from the HR Department. You are the HR Department.
On-time cancellations are the bane of my existence. You see, if a client (student or company) cancels their lesson more than 24 hours in advance, you don’t get paid. And here, you’re paid by the lesson. You don’t teach, you don’t earn.
Real expenses and the 60/40 deduction are annoying come tax season. Made me want to jump into a river.
I actually could have chosen the Elbe River to jump into. It actually flows through part of this country. I always had thought it was only in Germany.
RegioJet and FlixBus have become my best friends. We’d be super tight if RegioJet’s complementary headphones actually worked.
Karlovy Vary is the underrated tourist jewel. A beautiful spa town.
Karlstejn Castle is quite a spectacle in person. That is, if you make all the way up there without dying.
Speaking of climbing, I once hiked to the top of an extinct volcano. I didn’t think it was possible to do that.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin looks even more stunning in person. When I saw it, I knew I had made it.
In Budapest, they have an open-air spa on top of a building. The best invention in the history of the world.
The Hungarian Forint and the Czech Crown are very similar in exchange rate. I learned that hard lesson when I accidentally ordered 4 McMuffins instead of 2 at the Budapest McDonald’s. I was using an American credit card…how would I know the difference?
Speaking of McDonalds, the Mickie D’s in Vienna serves waffle fries. They win at life.
Vienna also has baked mice donuts. It sounds gross, but I had one and lived to tell about it.
Back to my earlier point on customer service, they really don’t like it in Spain when you go the wrong way through an empty checkout lane to get in just a little bit quicker. You will be yelled at. It won’t be in your language. And it won’t be fun. At least Spain has Taco Bell, so they can be forgiven, I guess.
Thanksgiving is not celebrated over here. Not by Czechs, anyway.
October 28 and November 17 are really important days to Czech people.
Pumpkin carving is tougher than it looks. Especially for non-street smart people like me.
At Easter, it is tradition for women to be spanked with a whip in order to keep their health, beauty, and fertility.
Never go to a New Year’s Eve celebration in Wenceslas Square. Unless, of course, you want to be hearing impaired for the rest of your life.
New Year’s Eve is not an actual state holiday. You don’t automatically get it off (last year, all my students cancelled anyway, but still, it’s mind-boggling.).
Czech people have name days once a year. Fun fact: Mine is September 29.
For those who know me, I’m a sports fan. I know a good rivalry when I see it. Red Sox-Yankees in baseball, Duke-North Carolina in basketball, Liverpool-Manchester United in soccer, Optimists-Doom and Gloom Army on the Prague Expats Coronavirus message board on Facebook, etc.
I’m more of a germaphobe than I ever thought. Hand sanitizer? I’ve been buying it in bulk. Same with disinfectant spray. Never thought I’d buy these things as often as body wash.
The Coronavirus has made me miss traveling and I’m mad at myself for not doing as much traveling as I could have before everything closed. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
In the winter, the sun comes up at 8 a.m. and goes down at 4 p.m. I wish I had that short of a workday.
But my workday, all things considered, is still pretty good. I think I can say I made the right decision coming here. It’s been invaluable for my personal and professional growth.
I can make it on my own. Some days, it’s not easy and I wish I had family closer than 5,000 miles away, but I do it.

The first 500 days? The next 500? We’ll see what happens. If I’m still here come March 21, 2022, I’ll give you all a 1,000 days update. But for now, let’s live in the moment and take it one day at a time.

After all, I took this post one day at a time, and I still got it done quicker than Nevada does its vote counting!

Election 2020 and a Mental Health Checkup

November 3, 2020 by mikebev25

Happy Election Day!

That’s right, the moment we have all been waiting for the past four years is finally here. Either Donald Trump will get four more years in the Oval Office, or, more likely (and more hopefully), Joe Biden will become the 46th President of the United States.

Here in the Czech Republic, we have bigger fish to fry than the US election, but judging by the thoughts and reactions of my students, it’s a fairly big deal over here. The expat community is highly engaged, and most of them are going for Biden.

And guess what? I’m with them.

This blog is not in any way meant to be political, and the last thing I want to do is start a vicious debate, but it’s important to make our voices heard. Democracy is a gift. Please vote today. Even from abroad, I was able to vote. If I can do it (and if 102-year-old Beatrice Lumpkin can), so can you. With mail-in voting being easier than ever and early voting encouraged in most states, there are absolutely no excuses.

In the eyes of the law, I’m registered as a Republican, but I’m not strongly associated with the party. Honestly, when I return to the US, I may switch and become an independent. In recent years, I’ve become quite disillusioned with the GOP, mainly because Mitch McConnell is an idiot. Kentucky, please do the entire world a favor and vote him out (yes, I far well know that’s not going to happen, but a guy can dream). A man who cares more about his personal agenda than getting essential stimulus money to Americans has no business holding a political office of his caliber (for you Europeans, he’s the leader of the Republican party in the U.S. Senate). Just a quick side note–have you guys seen the recent pictures of him? I think he cares even less about his hand than he does about the stimulus package…if that’s possible.

But it’s more than just McConnell. Trump needs to go, too.

Like I said, I don’t strongly associate myself with the Republican party, but I have voted for the GOP (again, for the non-natives reading this, GOP is another term for Republican) in every election since I turned 18. John McCain, Mitt Romney, and, as embarrassed as I am to say it, Trump the first time he ran (although that was more about Clinton than it was about him).

In 2016, I actually was somewhat receptive of Trump and thought the time might be right to see what a political outsider could do in Washington.

Now, fast forwarding to 2020, we’ve seen what he can do.

We don’t need to see any more of it.

Listen, the Coronavirus crisis is unlike anything America–or the world–has ever dealt with. I do not envy any leader who has to make such high-stakes decisions with so many lives in the balance. It’s stressful. It’s difficult. I get it. Any president in any country would have been criticized by someone at some point.

But there’s no excuse for the way Trump has handled this. He needs to be held accountable. The best way to do that? Send him back to Mar-a-Lago (or, even better, jail) and let Mr. Biden have a shot at it.

Nearly a quarter of a million Americans dead. #thisisnotjustaflu

That’s all you need to know, folks.

Heck, he himself got the virus, yet he’s still holding these super spreader rallies with his red hat-clad supporters. And now, he’s threatening to fire Dr. Fauci? Come on.

It could not be more clear that America needs to go in a different direction. Is Joe Biden the perfect candidate? No. But Joe is a good and decent man. He and Kamala Harris will represent America with class and dignity. I’m tired of Trump embarrassing my country (just imagine having to explain some of his crap to Czech people). I am 110 percent sure that Biden will do a much better job than Trump at handling the coronavirus (is it even possible for him to do any worse?) and uniting America. Instead of befriending Putin, he will stand up to him. Instead of avoiding taxes, he will pay them, just like everybody else, because he knows it’s his duty as a citizen. After all, you’re a citizen first and a president second. Trump has never gotten this memo.

Vote. Do it for Breonna Taylor. Do it for George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Tamir Rice. Philando Castle. Trayvon Martin. Eric Garner. Freddie Gray. Alton Sterling. Countless others.

They can’t vote. But you can. It’s in your hands.

We have to let our leaders know that we’re fed up with the status quo. But if we don’t speak up, no one will know there’s a problem.

If Americans make the mistake of giving Trump four more years, I honestly don’t know if I will ever be able to return to America. Things will get really bad–and potentially violent. We’ll be ridiculed even further and look like morons in the eyes of the world (if we don’t already).

As an American, I’m very worried. Sure, based on the polls, Trump isn’t likely to win.

You know what? He wasn’t likely to win at this time in 2016, either.

I’m a worrier. An excessive worrier. Those of you who know me all know that. I won’t be calm until Biden gets that 270th electoral vote.

But still, I worry. A lot. I get it from my mom. When I used to live at home, she’d worry if I drove five minutes down the road to get gas. Imagine how she must have felt when I moved to a foreign country!

In all seriousness, I’m worried about many, many things at the moment. This election is just one of the things wreaking havoc on my mental health.

Let me just come out and say it: I’m not doing as well as I would like.

This is not meant to be a “woe is me” tale, and I apologize to anyone who sees it that way. It’s meant, rather, to be openness…a stream of consciousness, so to speak. I’m not looking to draw attention to myself. I’m looking to draw attention to mental health.

For those who are just joining us…the Coronavirus is a disaster here in Prague. While the numbers are starting to tick down a bit, we are still one of the most affected countries in the world, and restrictions make it hard to do anything. Not only is there the constant fear of coming down with the virus, but having to adapt and move all my lessons online presents a whole new set of issues. Technological problems, things you can do face to face but not on the Internet, clients who just don’t like technology and opt to pause their lessons until it is possible to have them in person again, etc.

It’s deflating to the psyche. And to the bank account. And it’s less of an opportunity to get the experience that I so deeply crave.

It’s not just a little deflating. It’s Tom Brady-level deflating (yes, he’s on my team now, but I can still make fun of him).

Those reasons alone would be enough to give anyone anxiety. But as I said, the Czech Republic is under a lockdown at the moment, and it’s hard to socialize or see people. Isolation sucks, and it’s even worse for the psyche than you’d imagine.

Which leads me to my next point.

Lately, I’ve had this terrible–and perhaps irrational–fear of losing friends. I just worry that people will completely forget about me if we aren’t able to get together for weeks or months.

Someone who doesn’t deal with mental health problems would slap me across the face and tell me that I’m being ridiculous. Of course my friends will still be there after we emerge from this, and if they do forget about me, I should just forget about them and get better friends. The Golden Rule, right?

Deep down, do I know that is probably the case? Yes. But try telling that to someone with anxiety. They will always be skeptical.

It’s my makeup. It’s in my DNA. It’s been diagnosed by a doctor. It’s the way I am. I can’t change it.

This is why you can’t just tell someone with anxiety to get over it.

The recent restrictions have also given me more time to think about every last thing I’ve said to someone. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I go back and scrutinize EVERYTHING.

Literally everything. Every word I said. Every decision I made. Every interaction. So on and so forth.

Could I have done this better? Could I have been nicer? Should I have said this or not said that? This person isn’t returning my text–are they upset with me?

With all due respect to those of you who don’t have anxiety, you guys just can’t comprehend the constant (and exhausting) battles going on in our heads each and every day.

The majority of these battles are silent. Someone sees you on the outside and sees a good person. At least that’s what I hope they see when they look at me. But on the inside, there is so much else going on.

This, friends, is exactly why mental health awareness is needed.

Sure, you can and should be self-aware by engaging in relaxing activities to take your mind off of things. I’ve been making it a point to do one good thing for myself each day. It could be exercise or a walk, meditation, or writing this blog.

Awareness. Awareness. Awareness.

It’s great to be self-aware, but what can you do to raise awareness to others?

Open up. Talk about it. Let your family and friends know when you’re not doing well. Make sure those close to you know the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. These things are critically important.

Tell someone. Don’t hold it in. It’s not a cry for attention. It’s a cry for help.

And no matter which way this election goes, I have a feeling that a divided America is going to be crying for help in the days and weeks ahead.

God bless you all. God bless America. Have a good day.

The Minimalist Approach

October 17, 2020 by mikebev25

This week, I looked at what seemed to be the perfect apartment.

The location was ideal. Everything in it was brand new. I would have a TV in my room for the first time in 16 months.

The best part? No roommates. I certainly don’t have anything personal against any of my roommates, but studio apartments are highly appealing to introverts like me. And did I mention how helpful they can be in the time of coronavirus? I have four roommates now. If, heaven forbid, one of them gets COVID, I have to quarantine for 10 days through absolutely no fault of my own. Let’s be honest, with four chances at it happening, my constant worrier personality feels even more uneasy than usual, if that’s even possible.

Getting back to the possible switcheroo…the viewing was done and I was ready to sign on the dotted line. The apartment, or “flat,” as they call it over here, was quite pricey (it would have been approximately 200 USD more than what I pay now), but at the time, I thought that it was worth it.

That was, however, until I did some reflection.

Why exactly do I need everything to be brand new? Can’t older or used things work just fine? So what if there’s a TV? I’ve survived without one for the first 16 months I’ve been here. I can continue to carry on.

What about the lack of roommates? Shouldn’t that alone have been enough to get me to pull the trigger? Don’t get me wrong, as amazing as it would have been to not have to worry about roommates anymore, the reality is that it’s not a necessity. Not even close. There’s a stark difference between needs and wants.

I firmly believe that money can’t buy happiness. It’s just fine to live the minimalist lifestyle. For example, when I go to teach, I use an old, white backpack, while a number of my colleagues use briefcases or more professional-looking bags. I know that my students don’t care about the kind of bag I carry around–they care about the quality of my teaching and getting better at the language that will open up countless doors for them. A 2012 Ford Focus and a brand-new Aston Martin are far different in terms of the features and amenities that they give you, but at the end of the day, they both carry out the same essential purpose–to get you from point A to point B.

Speaking of cars, I think about the story of NFL running back Alfred Morris. Here’s a guy making millions of dollars playing football. He could drive any car he wants. So what does he drive? A 1991 Mazda that he bought for $2. He’s perfectly okay with that. It still gets him where he needs to go.

Even outside of sports, there are minimalist personalities. Morris’ lifetime NFL earnings of $8 million pale in comparison to the rich sums that Apple founder Steve Jobs made during his lifetime. But Jobs lived in an empty house with no furniture, strongly preferring a life of simplicity over the posh lifestyles that most others in his tax bracket would have preferred.

I’m not saying that it’s wrong to splurge or treat yourself every once in a while, but I just didn’t feel right making this kind of investment. And oh, yeah…I have these things called student loans, and unfortunately, escaping the country doesn’t mean escaping those pesky creditors. They don’t care about the coronavirus. Actually, they don’t really care about people at all. I think an essential qualification for that job is to not have a soul. Honestly.

Long story short, I decided not to take the apartment. It broke my heart at first, but after a while, I came to be at peace with my decision.

I recognized that there are countless ways I can use the extra money that I did not spend on that apartment. I can use it to buy materials to enhance my lessons for my students. I can donate to charity and help those people who have been less fortunate. I can go on a trip and explore a new part of the world.

Would I have really been happy in that apartment? Maybe, maybe not. But if I had taken it, a part of me would have felt like I was doing an awfully self-centered thing. That would have wrecked my conscience. As much as we possibly can, we need to put others first, especially during this awful pandemic in which so many good people have seen their lives be turned upside down.

COVID has also taught me to enjoy the things I do have. You never know when someone or something you love can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. This is especially true here, where we have new restrictions being put into effect seemingly every day.

So after this humbling and eye-opening experience, I know that it’s okay to live the minimalist life. If you haven’t done it, try it out.

Dekuji, Babis

October 13, 2020 by mikebev25

I have anxiety.

I’ve had it my whole life. I’m not afraid to admit it. I think it’s essential for people to be as open as possible about their mental health and advocate for those who deal with mental health problems. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. It should never go unnoticed.

How does a person with anxiety cope during the time of coronavirus?

Good question. I wish I knew the answer.

In fact, for me it’s more questions than answers. These questions are not fun. For example, we’re not asking if a hot dog is a sandwich or if Die Hard is a Christmas movie. No offense to Joey Chestnut or Bruce Willis, but it’s time to be serious.

I basically like to divide my questions/concerns into three areas: personal short-term questions, personal long-term questions, and wide-ranging/societal concerns.

A topic with so many questions that it needs to be divvied up into three categories? Sheesh. Thanks, Trump….or, shall I say, dekuji, Babis?

First, the short-term personal questions: What if I get the coronavirus? What if someone in my circle (family, friends, roommates, students) gets it? What do I do? Well, quarantining for 10 days is no fun. Even though I can’t really do much anyway because of the restrictions here, I consider myself to be an independent person. I like structure. I like routines. I know what I want when I want it. And yeah, going out for walks is fun, too.

Here come more questions. I’m healthy now, and, God willing, it will remain that way. But what if, heaven forbid, the small grain of sand finds its way into my (or someone else’s) nose or mouth?

Who teaches my in-person classes? What if we have to cancel them and my schools and I are forced to take a financial hit, or, more importantly, a hit to our reputation? For online classes, what if I have to teach at less than 100 percent? Who buys my groceries and items from DM (no, not the kind of DM you slide into)?

Oh, yeah, there’s just one more teeny tiny, semi-important question:

Will I survive?

I’m 31 years old and relatively healthy, all things considered, so yes, I more than likely would.

But the coronavirus doesn’t care about how old you are. It’s not unprecedented for people my age to die or become very sick. It’s a terrifying thought. What if I wind up in the hospital, alone, in a foreign country, with Czech-speaking medical professionals giving me treatment that I can’t afford?

Yikes. Lots of questions. Questions leading to questions leading to more questions. NOW can you understand why this keeps me up at night?

I wish the questions ended there. But no, there’s a long way to go. Time now for the personal long-term questions. How will this affect my Prague experience going forward? Will I have to head back to the states earlier than I had hoped? Side note: I know some really good people who had to cut short their teaching abroad experiences due to COVID.

Will I have the financial resources to stick it out for months despite not having a full teaching schedule? Will I have the resiliency to keep going, even after rounds and rounds and rounds of restrictions? Seriously, it’s getting to the point where Babis, Prymula, and friends will ban breathing before long.

Would I be better off trying another country? Yes, it’s not an ideal time to uproot, but let’s face it, when it comes to Europe, literally everyone is doing better than the Czech Republic at the moment.

How long will it go on this way? Will my friendships be compromised if I have to go months without seeing people? What about my job? If employers continue to lose money in the months ahead, heads may start to roll. Will students and companies still be able to afford lessons if they lose business? When it comes to budgets, English lessons are a fairly easy thing to cut, unfortunately.

Businesses everywhere, even the ones I don’t deal with, are and will continue to be devastated. There are people out of jobs. Countless folks have it much worse than I do. At least I can still work, even if it’s not as much as I might like. All this talk about businesses leads me to our final category of interrogative statements: the wide-ranging/societal concerns.

What will the long-term ramifications be? Will things like masks and social distancing become the new normal? Is a third wave eventually going to come and cripple society again? When will the pandemic end? When will we have a vaccine? Will the numbers ever go down?

What if we go into another lockdown? Yes, I realize that the Czech Republic is essentially already in a lockdown, but it’s not a “full lockdown,” according to our leaders. Will the Czech government ever give a round of restrictions more than two days before throwing their hands up in the air, saying they didn’t work, and feeling the need to add more? Patience, guys. Patience.

How many businesses will have to close for good? How long will it be before Americans can visit Europe again? Will Prague ever have the same number of tourists it had before? Will this country lose so much money that it has to turn to a financial institution to be bailed out? Why did this country decide to be the Atlanta Falcons and get out to a big lead, celebrate too early, blow the lead, fall to last place, and fire the coach? Okay, so we haven’t fired our coach, just the health minister, but you get the point.

Speaking of coaches who need to be fired…in my home country, there’s a pretty important election going on in a few weeks. Will Trump be voted out because of his handling of the pandemic? I’m not going to get overly political, but yes, I believe he should be. What will a President Biden bring? How will he handle the pandemic and its long-term effects on America? Will he actually listen to Dr. Fauci?

What if Biden himself gets COVID? Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.

No more questions, your honor. Finally, I got through them all. Whew.

You know, I usually hate dealing in hypotheticals. I like living in the present and crossing bridges when you come to them. However, this pandemic forces us all to have a different view of the world.

There are just so many questions without answers. And it may be a while before we get a number of those answers.

So what is there to do?

Personally, I’m going to make every effort to hang on and ride this thing out here in Prague. At the moment, my anxiety is at a record-high level, as evidenced by all the questions above. However, deep down, I’m hopeful that things will get better. Yes, I realize that it’s not likely to be any time soon. But one day, the restrictions will go away and the life experiences will continue. New lands will be visited. New friends will be made. New experiences will be had. I worked too hard to make this experience a reality. I’m not going to let coronavirus define it. I’m not going to let coronavirus be the end of my story here in Prague.

So there’s only one thing to do…sorry, Major League fans, it’s not win the whole (expletive) thing.

It’s vigilance.

Be vigilant of the rules and follow them, whether you like them or not. Make the most of your time here while still staying safe and keeping the virus from spreading. And yes, WEAR A MASK! You know who the real covidiots are? The people who wear a mask that does not cover their nose. You people are part of the problem. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Stay safe, everyone. Prague friends, it will be a long road ahead, but we can get through it together. I’m only a call away if anyone ever needs anything. Seriously.

As for the folks in the states, I can tell you from experience: Don’t let your guard down.

Godspeed to all, and to all a good night!

(Photo: A picture I recently took during a trip to Cesky Krumlov. We sure could use a lot of divine intervention right now).

Making Lemonade From Lemons

October 9, 2020February 22, 2021 by mikebev25

Let’s rewind for a minute.

The date is June 30. Charles Bridge–one of Prague’s most historic landmarks–is full of partygoers, as a pot luck dinner on a 500-meter long table celebrates the end of Coronavirus restrictions and the country’s “triumph” over the illness. The Czech Republic crushed it. Thanks to the quick, but draconian, government measures, the country was seen as a model for the rest of the world. Coronavirus was gone.

Or so everyone thought…

Now, let’s hit the live button and go back to the present day. Coronavirus is not gone. Not even close. As far as Coronavirus numbers go, this country has gone from being one of the best in Europe to one of the worst. No, literally, the worst. The numbers and the new health minister say so. We went from the penthouse to the outhouse. We went from the 1997 Florida Marlins to the 1998 Florida Marlins. We’re seeing more infections on a single day than we were during entire months earlier in the pandemic. I remember, for example, when 300 cases was a bad day. Now, we’re throwing a whole zero on to that number. And it’s only getting worse.

I’m not going to get into how or why it’s happening because, frankly, I’m not sure I know. That’s for people who make more money than I do. Unfortunately, the restrictions are tightening (again). Significantly. Most schools have transitioned to distance learning. Bars and restaurants must be closed by 8 p.m. Gyms are closed entirely. Museums and cultural institutions are shut down for at least two weeks. Most sporting events have been cancelled, and the ones that do happen cannot allow spectators. The list goes on and on.

It’s not a lockdown, but it’s damn near close. Maybe the lockdown will come. If we keep going at the rate we are right now, it will. I’m hoping it doesn’t. However, one way or another, I–and most of the people who live in this great country–will have to stay at home more frequently than usual in the days and weeks ahead.

I could sit here and mope about it. I could make plans to go home to New York, which, after a very unfortunate start, has become a success story in the Coronavirus outbreak. I could openly blame this politician or that politician or whoever I feel like blaming.

But I’m not going to do that. My mom did not raise a quitter. Furthermore, blaming people isn’t going to solve anything (I really wish some prominent septuagenarians in the United States would recognize this right now). As hard as it might be some days, we need to be united (to whatever extent we can be given the anti-COVID measures) and optimistic. Whether we like it or not, we need to make it work with the hand we’ve been dealt.

So that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ve set a list of goals for the last quarter of 2020. It’s time to create a recipe to make lemonade out of lemons.

Goal #1: Get healthy. For years, I’ve been unhappy with my appearance. I took a big step when I stopped drinking alcohol this past summer. But I still need to do more. Before the current wave of restrictions hit, I was strongly considering joining a gym, and I would still like to once they open again (they are currently closed over here for a minimum of two weeks). However, since I can’t do that at the moment, I’m going to embark on a series of indoor-friendly workouts and outdoor exercises. I’m also going to eat right. No more McDonald’s. No more soda. If Taco Bell were here, I wouldn’t eat that, either. Unimaginable. But in all seriousness, committing to my health is something that needs to be done. Here in Prague, I’m fortunate to have supportive friends who are willing to take time out of their schedules to help me accomplish this goal. Let’s face it, at 31 years old, I’m not getting any younger. Let’s do this!

Goal #2: Learn some Czech. Picture it: You’re at the tram stop waiting for the 7 or the 18 or the 24 and someone comes up to you speaking a mile a minute. Great! The only problem? They’re not speaking English! It’s all Czech. All I can do–and I’ve literally done this before–is shrug my shoulders and say one of the few Czech words I do know–“ne.” That means “no.” Creative, right? I’ve been here too long to still not know any Czech. As Clark Griswold said during National Lampoon’s European Vacation, “if you speak the language, they’re gonna be very nice. Just try.”

So I’m going to try. I’ve signed up for Duolingo. Hopefully when the pandemic is over, I can take some Czech lessons. I’m also planning on buying a notebook to write down all Czech words and phrases I know. My own Czech-English dictionary of sorts. You’re never too old to start learning something new.

Goal #3: Create a journal. This pandemic has wrought havoc on those of us (like me) who suffer from anxiety and depression. On the mental health front, I’m not afraid to state that I recently have not been doing as well as I would like. The recent situation in this country and in the world has not made things any easier. It’s so easy to feel isolated. Sometimes, I feel like I have no one to talk to or that the people I do have just don’t understand everything going on in my constantly overthinking mind. I’ve always loved writing, and a journal allows me to get my thoughts on paper in a somewhat organized way. I’ve done it in the past, and it’s a real stress reliever, too.

Goal #4: Update this blog more often. Like I said, I do love writing, but a journal is mostly for those more private thoughts. A blog is for that fun writing–the memories, experiences, and feelings that I want everyone to share with me. Admittedly, I haven’t kept up with this blog as much as I might like, and I feel very badly about that. However, I’ve been very busy, and with everything going on in the world, sometimes the right words just don’t come. But now is a time when they need to come. After all, I’m not over here just to teach students. If I can teach you all a thing or two as well, I’m doing a good job.

Goal #5: Develop a following on Instagram. I recently started using Instagram, and I have to say, I love it. I started using it because I wanted to have another way to connect with people. It’s a great opportunity for those from afar to share in my Prague experience. There are already plenty of pictures of Prague on my Instagram. Those will certainly continue. But I also want to focus more on the little things in life, the simple details that sometimes get overlooked. For example, the other day I posted a picture of a hand sanitizing station at one of the metro steps. It’s small things like that which sometimes put out the most powerful messages.

Five very reasonable goals. When I achieve them, I’m not going to have a party at Charles Bridge or do anything crazy like that. However, I will feel a sense of accomplishment. By putting these goals out there in public for you all to see, it will make me want to complete them. It’s up to you all to hold me to it!

Now that I’ve put it out in the open, I can’t let you guys down. Most importantly, I can’t let myself down! Here’s to crushing these four goals and continuing to be the best version of myself each and every day!

Cheers, everyone. Stay safe out there. And wear a mask (ONE THAT COVERS YOUR NOSE AND YOUR MOUTH).

(The picture: I took this picture of a closed food court at the Prague Palladium on March 13. For at least the next two weeks, this is how it will look after 8 p.m., as Coronavirus restrictions have forced our restaurants and bars to close by that time.)

Anniversaries, Coronavirus, and No More Beer: A Smorgasbord of the Past Few Months

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 by mikebev25

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.

5 Things I Have Learned…

January 9, 2020 by mikebev25

What is learning?

Let’s ask Google.

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge of skills through experience, study, or by being taught.

Students learn. Duh.

But so do teachers. In fact, I would argue that teachers learn even more than students.

I learn every day. I learn good lessons. I learn bad lessons. And yet, I still come back for more. That’s why, after nearly 200 days, I am still here. Not every day is easy and not every lesson goes according to plan, but having the chance to learn leads us to growth, and if we went through life without growing, we’d be the same person for approximately 79.2 years (the average life expectancy in the Czech Republic), and that’s just no fun.

So, without further adieu, I give you the five most important things I have learned since I began this journey.

Teaching is hard. Okay, I had known this already, so you could say that I’m cheating, but this is something that just cannot be overstated. Preparing and executing one lesson is hard enough. Now multiply that by 24 (the average number of lessons I teach every week). The lessons have to be engaging and valuable to the student. Then, there is the issue of levels. Take Wednesdays for example. Every hump day, I go from intermediate to upper intermediate to pre-intermediate to advanced, all in a matter of six hours. It’s mentally draining. Sometimes, even when lessons appear to be perfectly thought out, they just don’t go well. It has happened to me many times. You have to be ready for anything.
Europe is beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice at all. Prague has everything, well…almost everything, as I’ll get into later. Castles, bridges, monuments, you name it, it has it. Berlin was amazing as well. I got to see the Brandenburg Gate, something I never thought I’d be able to do, and let me tell you, it is downright captivating in person. All the history throughout the city makes it what it is: special. Budapest has the greatest architecture I have ever seen, and the health spas make it a must-see on any traveler’s list. I could write a book about all the other European places I still would like to see, but Prague’s central location makes it so easy to immerse yourself into this wonderful continent. FlixBus and RegioJet are quite helpful as well (for the record, I prefer FlixBus, but who’s counting?).
The Czech culture is much different than that of America. You have to pay to use most public restrooms. In many houses and apartments, the bathroom and toilet are in separate rooms. There is no Dunkin’ Donuts. No Taco Bell (what an injustice!). No Wal-Mart or Target, either. Maybe this is why beer is cheaper than water…But seriously, people don’t walk up to you on the street or on the tram and just make conversation. They are a lot more silent, which isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s a far cry from the US of A. Bills are considered to be “invoices.” Contactless credit cards are much more popular. The same word (ahoj) can be used to say hello and goodbye. “Please” and “you’re welcome” can both be referenced by the term “prosim.” Czechs, don’t take this seriously, but your language is weird. And finally, don’t even get me started on the European keyboards. There is a special place in hell for whoever created those. Can a keyboard just be a keyboard wherever we are in the world?
I am mentally strong. Sure, I’ve had my share of awful days, whether it be because of a rough teaching day, a disrespectful “customer service” worker (Americans would be appalled if they saw how rudely I’ve been treated by some of them over here), or depression brought on by the 16 hours of daily darkness we have this time of year, I am still here. That’s saying something. I have been told no…wait, “it’s not possible,” as they love to say here, I have had doors slam in my face, and have had countless challenges with the language barrier (the latest of which saw me accidentally order four McDonalds’ mcmuffins for breakfast during my trip to Budapest), but I haven’t quit. Why? I wanted to step outside my comfort zone. I wanted to change the world, and if I could inspire two or three people along the way, that would be great. Going back to New York, as appealing as it has sounded on some days, would just be undoing the personal growth I have achieved since I started this.
Patience truly is a virtue. Yes, even with adults. You have to be able to hold up, even when you keep hearing “some” used as an article or someone has dropped “I don’t understand” on you for at least the third time this lesson. You can’t lose your cool. You have to be patient, calm, and encouraging.

Yeah, I like those adjectives. In 2020, everyone should learn to be patient, calm, and encouraging. I know I’m going to be.