My Czech Experience
I believe that randomness is the best way to experience something new, so why not choose The Czech Republic as your destination?
The arrival and the first day in Brno
It took forever to complete the interview process, a lot of paperwork and much more complicated than I though, even as an ex-OGX VP. But once I came to Brno everything has gone smooth.
My first day in Brno was probably one of my most frustrating days during my internship. I had travelled from 4 am in the morning from Norway, going on for 12 hours straight. I met some really nice AIESECers at the bus station and they showed me to the dorms where I was sleeping for the following weeks. I hadn’t eaten anything when I arrived, and I was really confused when I came there. Luckily I had some really nice people who showed me around the city centre.
The dorms would never be my first choice of living by far. It has probably not been renovated in 50 years, and it was in the middle of nowhere. My first goal was therefore to find a new place. That took me 1 month because it is not easy to get a place to stay as a foreigner. Now I live with 2 guys in an apartment in the city centre, 20m from the main square. Lovely!
First day at work and the job in general
I was looking forward to come into a routine and getting to know some people in the city of Brno, not only to get a network but also because not too many speak English in the city. I got my internship in the internet company called Pixmania which sells many different types of products, but mainly electronic devices. During the first day I was formally introduced to the Nordic teams that I would mainly be in contact with, and I had to sign a lot of papers, including the health insurance at work.
The first day was not fun, but during the first week I had started with my training as a customer support associate with some other beginners. At the end of the second week I was already done with my training, and could finally start working on my own. My main job is to answer calls and reply to emails from customers who have problems with their orders etc. The work is not complicated to learn, but every issue with a customer is different, and therefore the job is never boarding.
In my Norwegian team I work with other people, one very nice girl from Bergen called Veronica who has almost been there a year. When there is less work to do we always talk about Norway in general and make fun of the different dialects that people have on the phone. My other colleague is called Stepan and is Czech but speaks very good Norwegian since he has been staying in Norway for a couple of years. He is our serious person on the team and the go-to guy for info, but we always have a lot of fun at work as well.
What to do in Brno; Sightseeing
Brno is a very old city with a lot of different history. The city itself is not as big or magnificent as Prague, but definitely worth seeing. The prices are really low here. 100 NOK is about 300 CZK and the food and alcohol here is so cheap compared to Norwegian prices. However, if you compare the Norwegian salary level with a Czech level you will notice that we pay less for food in Norway in % than the Czech people do. The highlights in Brno are the castle called Speilberk and the cathedral. There is also a lake nearby worth seeing, but since I haven’t been there yet, I cannot give any recommendations.
Looking away from Brno you should definitely go to the capitals Prague, Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest. Within a couple of hours you are able to visit some super pretty cities which are also very cheap. Weekend trips are advised. Also, during the summer and autumn there are many local festivals in the area. Personally I went to the wine festival in Znojmo which is by the border to Austria. Just let me tell you, the beer and wine they have in this country is just speechless. You’ll just try it yourself to understand the greatness of the beverages they make here.
The Czech people and culture
The Czech Republic is a country right in the middle of the border of the Wold War, so the people here are a good mix of Central Europe in general. There is no typical Czech person. The only thing all of them have in common is that they really enjoy their local beer, with respect.. My favourite is from the microbrewery here in Brno called Pegas. As Homer Simpons says: “mmmmm….beeeer!”
Sign language is well-needed in the Czech Republic since English is not that widespread. If you go in the shops and ask for help they always wave theirs hand speaks something totally Greek and refer you to the one that “speaks” the best English in the store.
The service in the restaurants are not world wide famous. Especially if you are foreigner they do not like to help you out. Many of their menus are however in English so you do not have to bring a dictionary to understand the writing. It is not common to give tip to the waiters, so maybe that’s why they are so cranky. The food in the Czech Republic is mostly based on potatoes, cheese and meat. Fish does not exist, and if it’s served, it tastes like shit.
If you like small dogs, the Czech Republic is the place for you. There are dogs everywhere and the Czech bring them inside the shops, the pubs, even the shopping malls. I have almost killed some dogs during my 6 weeks so fare because I always tend to almost step on them.
So to sum up my internship so fare; it is definitely worth it. You get to meet so many nice people and see new so many new things. I have not been in contact with AIESC here too much mainly because I can in August and the semesters don’t start until the end of September. I really hope that there will be more AIESEC stuff coming. If not, I do know I already have a great network of friends.
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