Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Who you are, where you come from, when you moved to Prague, etc.

My name is Juliet and I'm 23 years old. I grew up in the South East of London and I moved to Prague a year and a half ago.

Why did you choose James Cook Languages? How many lessons do you teach? Do you have time to explore / enjoy life in Prague?

The amount of lessons I have taught since I arrived here has fluctuated quite a bit. There have been times where I have been teaching from 7:30am until 9pm with very few breaks, and there are other days with only a couple of classes. The great thing about working at James Cook is that you really can mould your timetable to what you personally prefer. I work and study simultaneously in Prague, so managing that work-study balance has been really hard, and I wouldn't have been able to do it had I not worked at JCL. Sometimes I have needed to take periods of time off for my exams, and there are other times where I cram as many lessons in my timetable as possible. More to the point, it is alright to fluctuate the hours you teach if it means finding the right balance for you. JCL has given me the freedom to do that.

Tell us about the ways your new life in Prague differs from that back home. Did you have trouble getting used to the new circumstances? What surprised you?

The most noticeable differences between Prague and London are that Prague is much cheaper, much smaller and much cleaner. I hear people saying that Prague is so busy and expensive and dirty, but in comparison to London it's pristine. All of those differences are really nice, and getting used to them was great! Now I'm surprised how filthy London is when I go back to visit my friends and family. However, obviously things are going to be different, and that does take getting used to. There isn't a Pret on every corner, people don't wait until the last second to leave their seats on the tube, and you say goodbye to random strangers when they get out the lift. I arrived here in the autumn as well, so be prepared for the cold! Before I moved here, I never expected to think of British winters as 'warm...ish'.

Do you think you were fully prepared for what awaited you in Prague? If you could, would you change some decisions/preparations you made?

Moving away from Britain was a big shock, because this was the first time I had ever lived abroad, and I left on my known without knowing anybody already here. That is really difficult, and there isn't really a way to prepare for it. You have to relearn everything you have ever learnt, from how to convert the currency into something you recognise, to the fact that the keyboards are different. The only thing to do is try to normalise that as quickly as possible, and know that as hard as it is at the start, it does get easier every time. If I could go back and change one thing, I would have learnt more of the language before I came. The language is a big shock because it is completely unrecognisable at first. It's not like French, German or Spanish where you probably have kind of half a sort of GCSE qualification in it, or were at least forced to swallow some basic phrases at school. Czech is a completely different ballgame. If you can pre-learn any basic phrases, that will help you a huge amount. Just learning how to say 'hello', 'goodbye', 'please', 'thank you', and the one I have found most useful, 'can I get a black tea with a dash of milk?', will go a long way Expat life comes with some hilarious anecdotes and funny experiences.

Care to share one with us?

I don't know how 'funny' this is, but it was one of the most amazing things that has happened to me here. I was invited to hear Edita Gruberova, a famous Czech opera singer, sing Bellini's Norma at the National Theatre by one of the producers at the Opera House, which is a famous romantic opera. It was a very fancy event and everyone was dressed up. We were sat in the director's box, which is probably the best seat in the house, and in the interval, we were invited to the President's rooms for a drinks reception. I felt a little bit out of place and was very nervous because I didn't know anyone and couldn't really understand what anyone was saying. Suddenly one of my friends from school came up to me and said, 'what on earth are you doing here?'. It was such a relief to see a friend, but we both found it hilarious because we are both from relatively working-class backgrounds, so it was nice to see someone else desperately trying to scrub up as much as possible.

Which three tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life in Prague?

1. Get good shoes. Prague is made of cobbles. I've had friends who come to visit who have only brought high heels with them. If you don't have decent shoes, whether it be running for the tram or stumbling home at 5am with a pizza, living in Prague immediately gets 100x harder. 2. Come in Summer. To quote Hamlet Act 1 Scene 4, "it is very cold". On the phone with my mum she will tell me that "it's a bit chilly in Heron Quays" of a Saturday morning, meaning that it's maybe about 5°C. Think again. So far this January we've had lows of -11°C, and it's rumoured to drop to -25°. Last year it got as low as -20°. It is cold. If you want to come to Prague and fully enjoy the city immediately come after March and before November. 3. Do everything, meet everyone, visit as many places as you can. The most incredible thing about Prague is that you are slap-bang in the heart of Europe, so you really can go anywhere. Every weekend go to a different Czech or even European city. I went to Budapest for a weekend on a bus for about the equivalent of £50 in total. It's so easy to get around because you don't have to catch a plane to get somewhere. Return trains to Vienna are about £30. There are so many interesting places and people, so do everything and enjoy yourself!

How is the expat community in Prague? Did you find like-minded people or fellow expats?

They really are great, and expat doesn't just mean British. I've met amazing people from all over the world. My flatmate is South African, but I have met incredible people from Australia, Barbados, Spain, Germany and America. It's such an interesting hub where people collect and share stories and experiences. You also bond much faster because you're all living in strange circumstances so not only is everyone great, you also depend on each other more, and make friends much faster.

Any tips on where to eat, go clubbing, favourite cafés?

Matylda's on the river is a beautiful boat restaurant, not too pricey with an amazing menu with a range of meals that also cater to vegetarians. Make sure you reserve a place there because if you don't it can be difficult to get a table. Further down the river in Podoli is another stunning place called Rest which, for a country with no coastline, does an amazing fish n' chips if you're feeling a little homesick. They also have an incredible menu and a really good wine list. Beef Bar in Prague 1 also does possibly the best steak I have ever eaten. It is slightly pricier, but the food is exquisite. I love a cafe so I try to find as many different cafes as possible. One of my favourites is SmetanaQ which again is on the river and has a really good view of the castle. They do one of the best hot chocolates I have ever had.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Who you are, where you come from, when you moved to Prague, etc.

My name is John and I'm originally from the West coast of Scotland. I came to Prague in 2007 after teaching for a short time in Tokyo.  I'm married with 2 kids and I live in Prague 10.

Why did you choose James Cook Languages? How many lessons do you teach? Do you have time to explore / enjoy life in Prague?

JCL was the best organised school I had an interview with in Prague and they offered the best personal development and variety of courses to teach.  I teach a full-time schedule and am working as a senior teacher here. I enjoy Prague life and enjoy watching football and ice hockey live and going to gigs and meeting friends socially in various areas of the city.

Tell us about the ways your new life in Prague differs from that back home. Did you have trouble getting used to the new circumstances? What surprised you?

Prague us a major capital city and I grew up in a coastal village so the lifestyle is quicker but more fun.  There are plenty of options what to do and what to buy. Prague has excellent public transport so it’s easy to get around and I have found my students kind and friendly.

Do you think you were fully prepared for what awaited you in Prague? If you could, would you change some decisions/preparations you made?

I was only partially prepared, but I have been learning as I go. The culture and history is rich here and I maybe should have spent more time preparing my geography, history and language knowledge beforehand. Also, for teaching, I could have gotten to know more about the major companies here. I'm happy I started my life here staying in the city centre and now I'm in the suburbs it's nice as it's greener.

Which three tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life in Prague?

My tips are, be open minded, be a good listener as people are mostly wise and have stories to tell. Try out new things and enjoy the variety. 

How is the expat community in Prague? Did you find like-minded people or fellow expats?

The expat community is strong with many nationalities, and we have good web links and groups. Expats are like minded and fun to be around, we all enjoy similar things and can share our stories and laugh about our grumbles.

Any tips on where to eat, go clubbing, favourite cafés?

There is plenty of fun places to see and things to do. Sports Arenas, gyms, walks, cafes, pubs, venues and restaurants. I like Vyserhad and Eden area and Lucerna and the good beer.