I'm really glad that everyone got to meet Kája. It's been fun seeing his reactions to some of the differences between Czechland and the USA.
I've had a bit of reverse culture shock as well but I suppose that's a normal thing that most long-term expats experience. I may have to put together a list later of some of the things that I noticed.
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Yesterday I got to meet the mayor. The mayor's office wanted to hear from people about how to better meet the needs of foreigners as the city continues to grow as a centre for technology and innovation.
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Kyndryl is the city's largest private employer with about 1700 foreigners working here in Brno. We were provided two tickets and I was lucky enough to be asked to go.
After work I showed up at the town tall for the event. This was my first time inside and I was floored.
Some of it has been recently renovated and I had no idea of just how beautiful it was.
JUDr. Markéta Vańková has been Brno's mayor since 2018. Before she was mayor, she was a representative for the South Moravian Region.
One of the chaps from the Brno Expat Centre knew me from my blog. That was a surprise but then later on I remembered that my blog had been mentioned back in 2017.
I was impressed with how the city is trying to bring in more highly-qualified expats, especially in the field of nanotechnology, and what the city can do to help people settle in.
There are foreigners from 149 countries registered in Brno. Slovaks don't have to register as foreigners in Czechland so their numbers aren't included. The largest number of foreigners in Brno are from Ukraine, followed by Vietnam, Russia, India, Romania, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Philippines, USA, Poland, UK, and Belarus.
I was gobsmacked to find out that there are 629 Americans living in Brno. I have no idea of where they are hiding because I don't know them. How are there more Americans here than Poles when Poland is next door? I honestly only know a few Americans here. I know way more people from Italy, France, Spain, and Germany here in Brno and these countries aren't even on the list.
There were maybe 50 or 75 people that were invited and I got the chance to meet up with a few friends from other companies that I haven't seen in a while.
It really was a great experience and I count myself very lucky to have had the chance to participate.
Now to figure out where are of these other Americans are.
Today is 13 years in Czechland. 13 years!?! A lot has happened since my ten year party three years ago. The last couple of years especially seems kind of blur, in no small part, due to Covid.
Coming to Czechland is still one of the best decisions that I ever made. Although, I am starting to have a bit of an identity issue. I was born and raised in California and, truth be told, deep down, I'll always be a bit of a California boy.
When I was 24, I went to Atlanta for a two-week vacation and ended up staying there for 13 years. When I lived in Atlanta and someone asked me where I'm from, the obvious answer was that I'm from California.
While I've been here when people have asked me where I'm from, then the answer has been that I'm from Atlanta. As of tomorrow I will have lived in Brno longer than I lived in Atlanta so am I really still from Atlanta? Perhaps the answer to where I'm from defaults back to California.
A friend of mine asked that "when I think of home" what pops in to my mind? When I think of back home, then California pops into my mine. But, honestly if I think of home, (and not of back home) then Brno is what pops into my mind which doesn't exactly help. I can't say that I'm from Brno. That would be weird. Plus, people would assume that I'm either making a joke or that I actually have Czech citizenship.
Another friend mentioned that his kids were Moravian because they were born in Brno. I've lived in Brno longer than his kids have been alive so does that make me more or less Moravian than the kids? I don't think so.
However, once I finally get Czech citizenship, the government will issue me a new Czech birth certificate and the place of birth will be the address where I submit my application. So whenever I finally do become Czech, my new birth certificate will state that I was born in Moravia. I guess when that day comes I will officially be a government-certified Brňák. But that seems a way off because I still need to sort out my paperwork so that I can finally apply for Czech citizenship.
Now that I've lived here for 13 years, I suppose that I'm now a Czech teenager. Well sort of, I guess. At the very least I can wish myself a Happy Czech-iversary!!
Today was Geetha's farewell lunch. I've more or less worked with Geetha the whole time that I've been here in Czechland. She worked in India with my team located in Brno. She's always been a rock star so several years ago I sorted out a transfer for her to Brno. Then a few years later, we worked together in a different team before I left to do something else.
But after more than five years in Brno she's ready to go back home. That's one of the things about expats. For the most part they come and then one day go back to their home country or head to the next adventure.
When I first moved here I thought that I'd be here for 2, maybe 3 years, and then either head back to the USA or perhaps end up in another country. Yet, even after almost 13 years, I don't have any plans to leave Brno.
Safe travels back to Bangalore Geetha! We'll miss you!!
So what's the difference between an expat and an immigrant? Both terms apply to people who live outside of their native country. An expatriate, or expat for short, is usually someone living and/or working in a foreign country, usually temporarily and for work reasons. Most of the time, expats either return to their native country, or move on to another, but not always. When I would hear "expat" I would immediately think of American authors James Baldwin or Ernest Hemingway living in France.
This blog is "Christopher's Expat Adventure" because I came to Brno for a two to three year gig with the intention of going back to the USA. Then after five years I got permanent residency which meant that I could stay in Czechland without having to continually apply for new visas every couple of years. In my head I was still an expat.
An immigrant, just like an expat, is a person who lives and/or works in a foreign country. Usually with the intent to remain for good and not return back to their home country. Now that I'm going to apply for Czech citizenship I suppose that I'm officially an immigrant. Or am I an expat until I get Czech citizenship?
Someone from the Philippines working as a maid in Hong Kong would not be considered an expat. She most likely wouldn't even be an immigrant but rather a migrant worker.
During the migrant crisis I remember talking to my friends and mentioning that I too was an economic migrant in Europe. They simply told me that I was the good kind of migrant. Hmmm... Yet I still remember that anti-imigrant flyer I received by Zeman supporters.
There are an estimated 6,32 million Americans and 4,7 million British expats living overseas. I don't know about the British but the majority of Americans living abroad are in Canada and Mexico.
Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, and Singapore are the top five countries with the highest percentage of foreign workers based on their total populations.
Back in 2018, foreigners in here in Czechland made up about 4,7% of the population. The top three groups coming from Ukraine, Slovakia, and Vietnam. Brno was home to more than 30.000 foreigners from 150 countries.
In Brno there are around 40.000 Slovaks but I don't think that Czechs really consider Slovaks as foreigners. For one thing, Slovaks do not have to register for residence like other EU citizens here on work contracts. So skipping the Slovaks, the biggest groups of foreigners in Brno come from Ukraine, Russia, Vietnam, Romania, India, and Turkey. All of the American expats are in Prague.
According to the "Brno Expat Survey" that was conducted in 2019 here are some details about the typical Brno expat.
I came to Czechland as an expat and ended up an immigrant. Hopefully I'll get Czech citizenship and become an American Czech in Brno. Or would that be a Czech American in Brno?
Coming here is still one of the best decisions that I ever made. Next year will be 13 years which means I will have lived in Brno just as long as I had lived in Atlanta. So when someone asks me where I'm from will I still say Atlanta? It would be weird to say that I'm from Brno. When I lived in Atlanta, the answer was that I was from California. Maybe that will be the correct answer. Who knows? Besides I've got a whole year to try to figure it out. For now, happy Czech-iversay to me.
There's now a new requirement in Czechland for foreigners who have been issued long-term residence permits, since 1 January 2021, to complete a four-hour integration course.
The course covers the rights and obligations that come with residency here as well as Czech culture and values. The class is conducted in Czech, with interpretation into English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mongolian, Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian or Vietnamese. There's no exam but participants receive a certificate when they complete the entire course. It costs 1500 Kč ($70) and is available at 18 centres across the country. You have up to one year from receiving your residency permit to complete the course. The fine for not completing it in time is up to 10.000 Kč ($467).
This is only for third-country nationals as EU citizens are exempt. It's not required if you are under 15 or over 61 years of age. Those here on study or investment visas are also exempt.
Aside from this, the education minister has submitted draft legislation that will increase the Czech language requirement for permanent residency from A1 to A2. When I received my permanent residency back in 2015 I only had to prove A1 level Czech. This isn't official yet but I think it's for sure coming as there's been talk of raising the level of Czech required for at least the past eight years. I don't know if they will raise it this year with COVID-19 but for sure by next year.
I was surprised to find out that Czechland and France are the only two EU countries that only require A1 for permanent residency. I would have thought that the level of language proficiency would have been more unified across Europe but each has its own requirements.
In Czechland, A2 will be required for permanent residency while B1 is required for citizenship.
Germany requires B1 level for either permanent residency or citizenship.
Austria requires B1 for permanent residency and B2 for citizenship. This means that for Austrian citizenship you need to speak better German than a German citizen. Albeit Austrian German.
France requires A1 for permanent residency and B1 for citizenship.
Poland requires B1 for both permanent residency and citizenship.
I don't know about permanent residency but Italy requires B1 for citizenship. The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain only require A2 for citizenship in Dutch, Portuguese, or Spanish respectively. Denmark requires B2 for citizenship.
For countries with multiple official langues the rules seem to vary more. For citizenship in Finland, B1 is required but it can be in either Finnish or Swedish since both are official languages.
Belgium has three official languages so for citizenship you only have to prove A2 in either French, Dutch, or German.
Luxembourg has three official languages - French, German, and Luxembourgish. But if you want citizenship than only Luxembourgish counts. You need A2 level speaking and B1 level listening.
Switzerland has four official languages - German, French, Italian, and Romansh. For permanent residency you need A1 writing and A2 speaking in any one of the four languages. For citizenship, A2 writing and B1 speaking are required.
I'm still waiting to find out when I get to take my B1 Czech exam.
Today is officially 11 years in Czechland. It was hard enough to believe that last year was a decade here. Now it's a decade plus one.
I grew up in California so deep down I'll always be a Cali boy. When people ask me where I'm from in the USA I say Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta for 13 years. So what happens in a couple of years when I've lived in Brno for as long as I lived in Atlanta?
The plan was to submit my application for Czech citizenship which meant that I would get it in 2021. Now that my exams have been postponed to December 2020 I probably won't get to become Czech until the end of 2021...if I'm lucky.
I go to my local Brněnka grocery store two or three times a week. It is a small shop but it is totally packed with supplies and it has a pretty decent deli. It's located next to my tram stop which is only a five minute walk from my flat. This was perfect pre-lockdown because I could pop in to the shop and quickly pick up whatever I needed on my way home from work.
A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to see that they now carry Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. For just 31 Kč ($1.42). I've been able to find them at The Candy Store but this is the first time that I've noticed them in a normal shop.
When I first moved here, more than a decade ago, I had a list of "things not available here" on the right hand side of the blog. There was even a Tripadvisor thread about it back in 2012. I've updated the list as things have become available here or if I could find something somewhere else in Euroland.
On the original list there was:
"Soft" Sandwich Bread. It's now off the list. I was able to find the equivalent but I can't remember the last time that I actually wanted it. I'd much rather have an open-faced celebíček style sandwich.
Angel Hair Pasta. I did find the equivalent of angel hair pasta but the noodles are short; maybe 4 or 5 cm (1.5 to 2 inches) long. If I want a proper long pasta noodle then I just use spaghetti noodles.
Big Marshmallows. Off the list thanks to the Candy Store.
Bisquick. I found it in the UK. I still keep this on hand because Czech flour is still confusing to me.
Black Beans. I finally found them. Not available everywhere or all of the time but I can find canned black beans. When I come across them I buy extra and horde them.
Caesar Salad Dressing. I found it in Germany. I also found it in the UK and Ireland.
Clam Chowder Soup. This still isn't a thing over here but remember that this is a landlocked country. I tried to make it using canned clams I received in a care package with some potato soup but it just didn't come out right.
Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer. I used to use either the liquid or powdered flavoured creamer all the time back in the USA. My tastes have changed since living here and I no longer miss this. I think that you can find some various flavourings here but I don't use them. I just use milk and brown sugar.
Cooking Spray. I still don't understand why this isn't a thing over here. I found it in Ireland.
Corn Dogs. They don't exist over here. It's a hot dog on a stick that is dipped in corn batter and deep fried. I did manage to find a corn dog last year but it was in Taiwan.
Dr. Pepper. This started showing up here in 2011. I can find it at the Candy Store and it's available in some grocery stores but I don't remember the last time that I bought it. It's very rare that I actually drink a soda now and when I do it's Kofola.
Egg Beaters/Liquid Egg Whites. This is basically an egg mixture in a carton that you pour directly in to a frying pan. I liked the egg white version because why take the time to separate the yolks from the whites when you can just use a carton of egg whites. I'm sure that my Eurocrew will just think that this is falls under the category of just being incredibly lazy. I removed this from the list because I no longer care about it.
Enchilada Sauce. I've never found it over here. Luckily I have plenty of spice packs so that I can make it when I need it.
French's Yellow Mustard. I found it in the UK and it's at the Candy Store.
Goya Sofrito. This is a base mix that you add to beans or rice in Latin cooking. It's basically a mix garlic, onion, peppers, and tomatoes that were cooked down in olive oil. I removed it from the list because it's been over a decade since I last had it and I'm sure that I could find a recipe online if I really needed it for something.
Graham Crackers. Proper graham crackers don't exist over here. I'm sure that there are similar products available in the kid's food section of a market. Fortunately I received a box of graham cracker crumbs that I can use when I need to bake a pie or make a cheesecake.
Hot Dog Buns. American-style hot dog buns aren't a think here. Unless you go to Ikea where you can buy a hot dog with a bun. I removed this from the list because I finally got used to just slicing open a rohlík. Not as soft as a regular hot dog bun but it works.
Jelly Beans. Jelly Belly jelly beans are at the Candy Store. I've started to see other brands of jelly beans show up in stores.
Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter. I found it in the UK. I can get it at the Candy Store but it is expensive. I can now find peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, in the local shop. Jif Crunchy is my favourite brand so I just have to splurge when I'm craving a PB&J.
Jiffy Cornbread Mix. I can't get this over here. I have to rely on care parcels. In a few weeks I was supposed to fly to California for my niece's high school graduation. Due to Covid-19 that's not going to happen. I planned to bring back several boxes so that I have them in time for Thanksgiving. Assuming that Thanksgiving will happen this year.
Listerine PocketPaks Breath Strips. I love these little strips that dissolve on your tongue. I've never seen them here. A colleague told me that that used to be here years ago but didn't last long. I found something similar before in Germany but just not the same thing.
Mac n' Cheese. The only Mac n' Cheese is Kraft Mac n' Cheese. I've come across some British versions but I haven't actually tried them. I normally use five boxes to make a big batch at Thanksgiving. Last year it was the most popular dish with the kids. I may have to do a double batch this year.
Macadamia Nuts. I've never seen them here. I can't even remember the last time I had one.
Mt. Dew. I found first several years ago in Poland. It's at the Candy Store and I do see it every so often at the grocery store. I don't remember the last time I had one.
Passion Fruit Juice. Once, back in 2010, I spotted passion fruit juice at Tesco. They had eight 1-litre boxes and I bought every single one of them. I've spotted it in the grocery store a few times in Vienna but I've never seen it here again in Czechland.
Pickle Relish. For the life of me I don't understand why pickle relish isn't a thing over here. Czechs love pickles and they are great at pickling veggies and canning fruit for the winter so I don't understand why pickle relish just isn't a thing here. For me, I don't care if it's regular or sweet relish, either way it is a total necessity for a hot dog. It is also a key ingredient for "deviled eggs" at Thanksgiving. I can get it sometimes at the Candy Store. I may actually have to breakdown and find a recipe on-line so that I can make it myself.
Ranch Dressing. Americans love ranch dressing. It's a salad dressing. We also use it as a sauce for Buffalo chicken wings. It can also be a dip for crisps or veggies. It's another item that you can find at the Candy Store. I have spice packs that I can use to make up a batch when I want. Czechs have a farmer's dressing but it is no where close to the same thing as ranch dressing.
Red Velvet Cake. You can find the cake mix in the UK and Ireland. It's also available at the Candy Store. It's not in the shops here but I have seen red velvet cupcakes for sale at many cafes so I think it's getting quite popular.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They're available now which is what inspired this blog post.
Rocky Road Ice Cream. This is chocolate ice cream with bits of almonds and marshmallows. The story goes that in 1929, a guy used his wife's scissors to cut up marshmallows and walnuts which he then mixed in to chocolate ice cream. When the stock market crashed later that year the flavour was renamed as "rocky road" so that people would have something that they could smile about. Zmrzlina is really good but I would slap someone's mama to get at some rocky road ice cream.
Root Beer. This is a non-alcoholic, caffeine-free, carbonated soft drink. Sometimes older people will refer to it as sarsaparilla. It's kind of the American version of Kofola but Kofola is way better. When we were kids it was always the biggest treat to get a root beer float. Just vanilla ice cream and root beer in a mug. The combination would create a foam on top.
Splenda. This is a sugar substitute that is popular in the USA. In the USA it is legally able to be labeled east "zero calories". Splenda could be used instead of sugar even for cooking and baking. Just replace the sugar with half the quantity of Splenda. I did find this in the UK. I still have some in my pantry but I haven't touched this in years. I still have some in my pantry but I haven't touch the stuff in years. I remove d it from the list because I don't care about it any more.
Two-in-One Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant. It's pretty simple. An antiperspirant helps control sweat and a deodorant protects against door. In the USA, it is pretty common to buy one product that does both of these things. In Euroland I can find either antiperspirant or deodorant. Both of which are more expensive than back in the USA but I don't even care about the cost. It's just a pain that I can't get a two-in-one.
Velveeta Cheese. Velvet is a processed cheese product that's popular in the USA. It tastes like American cheese. The good thing about Velveeta is that it doesn't separate into an oily mess when you melt it so it's good for making hot cheese dips or cheese for nachos. I've never seen it over here. I removed it from the list because I no longer miss it. I can't even imagine how many E's would be in this.
Anytime you move to a new country there are going to be things that you miss from home. That's not a bad thing. Just make sure that you give ample opportunity to try all of the new things available. I've been here long enough that I totally love Kofola but that doesn't mean that I don't ever want to go without have a Dr. Pepper again. However, if you can't survive without Velveeta cheese then Czechland might not be the place for you.
Update: Thanks to Jana who left a comment below I can remove macadamia nuts from the missing list. Thanks Jana!
Czechland has gotten bigger this year. The population is now 10,68 million people.
In the first nine months of the year the population increased by 31.400 people.
There have been 85.000 births and 83.700 deaths.
So far this year 49.000 people moved to Czech Republic from abroad while 19.300 have left the country. So of the 31.400 people that the population increased by, 29.900 was due to immigration.
For the first time, Ukrainians now outnumber Slovaks here. In total, the largest numbers of foreigners living in Czechia are from Ukraine, Slovakia, Vietnam, Russia, Poland, and Germany.
Some other stats from the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) show that:
Saturday was the party but today is the day. Officially ten years in the Czech Republic. Who would have thought that I would have lasted ten years?
The 10th most peaceful country, 7th least miserable economy, and with record-low unemployment...there are for sure worse places to be. And right in the middle of Europe is perfect for travelling. I for sure made a good choice. 
I definitely can't leave out how great the healthcare is. I never thought that I might end up in the hospital over here. I made it through the tonsillectomy fine and it's now been 2,5 years since I finished my radiation treatment. It was just good fortune that when I moved to my new flat that it just happened to be only 600 metres (0,4 mile) from one of the best oncology centres in Central Europe. So on top of everything, Czechland saved my life.
Brno is absolutely brilliant. With so many students here there is a youthful energy and there's always something going on here. Na Brno dobrý means "it's good for Brno." It's a self-deprecating jab here because Czechs outside of Brno love to tease the city.
This is the best place though. I used to tease that Brno was a nice village but people get passionate that it's a city and not a village. True but Atlanta is 5,4 million people which is ½ of the population here. Brno is big enough that everything I need is here. There's fantastic public transportation and if I don't want to wait for a tram, trolley, or bus then you can walk from one side of the city to the other in maybe 1,5 hours. The theatre scene here is amazing. It's incredibly safe and it has a low-cost of living.
I was eligible to apply for permanent residency after five years here which was July 2014. I wanted extra time to prep for the A1 language exam so I ended up losing five months. I need five years as a permanent resident in order to apply for Czech citizenship so even though I've been here for 10 years, the earliest that I can apply is February 2020. Provided that I pass the B1 language test.
The biggest challenge was finding a suitable venue for the number of people, reachable via public transportation, and somewhat kid friendly. It took a while to find the right place because most places are booked out for weddings. Fortunately, one of my mates recommended Žebětínský dvůr. 
It turned out to be the perfect place. Plus they have hotel rooms for the people who travelled. The hotel took care of the catering and there was so much great food. The room was adjacent to a patio so people got to hang outside and there was even a pool which the kids enjoyed given that it has been so hot lately.
I got both the English and Czech Happy Birthday songs. It was interesting to hear people sing out all three versions of my name - Christopher (my preferred name). CJ (my preferred short name), and Chris (the short name my family and closest friends use).
Now that I've been here a decade I'm officially "Czech Lite." I guess until I hopefully get Czech citizenship next year. I came to Brno with the intention of being here for only two, maybe three, years and then I was supposed to go back to Atlanta. Instead tomorrow will be my official ten years in Czech Republic and it's been seven years since I even visited the ATL. 
I told everyone "no gifts" but people don't listen. It looks like I'll be making some trips to Prague because I received tickets to a couple of different performances at the National Theatre. I have to say though I absolutely love the Czech hockey jersey with the captain's C on the chest and my name on the back. 
Now that I'm almost Czech, maybe even Moravian, it was decided that I need to be like all Czechs and have a bicycle. I was absolutely gobsmacked when it was rolled out. I'm completely humbled to have such good friends in my life.
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