Thanks to the on-arrival, we now feel adopted by Česká Republika! We can dance Polka, drink beer as much as Czechs can do (158 liters per year!), sing as Jaromir Nohavica, and from now on Czech language has no secrets for us (just kidding, of course).

Our on-arrival was really various, balanced and interactive. First we started with some ice-breakers and team building activities in order to get to know each-other and to reinforce the group. The on-arrival is indeed a way to meet other EVS volunteers in Czech Republic. It is an occasion to share our experience: what we enjoyed, what surprised us, what we missed... It is also an opportunity to travel in Czech Republic by visiting people who live in other cities, or even by travelling together all around the country.

During this training we learnt a lot about Czech culture, which is a must in order to understand the common codes and habits of the country. This included some Czech lessons of course (how to book a train ticket, how to hold a conversation in a bar…), workshops about history, leisure time… and some information about the Czech elections which are coming very soon. We also enjoyed singing Czech songs and watching a Czech movie, Kolja.

The on-arrival was also a way to take some distance from the effervescence of our first weeks in Czech Republic in order to think about what we experienced until now, and what are our wishes for the next few months. We had some very interesting workshops that helped us to understand our personal reaction towards cultural misunderstandings (something that we already experienced, and that we will surely experience again during this year), and we also discussed about what we wanted to develop during this EVS (passions, skills, things to do and to discover…).

The place played also an important part in this training. We spent the week in a Hotel situated on the bank of the Ostravice river. We had some very nice walks, and we could admire Moravian-Silesian forests, mountains and waters. Thanks to the owner of the hotel, we spent an amazing night around a campfire with drinks, food and guitars.

We would like to thank again our trainers, Petr, Bára and Lucie, for their involvement, their dynamism and their professionalism. And of course, how to forget Giorgi, Mareike, Leire, Katrin, Hannah, Lucy, Meško, Kathy, Anna, Esmeralda, Petya, Caroline (who kindly allowed us to use her pictures :) ), Luis, Povilas, Grita, Sofya, Robert, Dolores, Bastien, Imma, Didem and Angelique, for the great moments we spent together and for the ones to come!

S pozdravem,  
Cristiánek a Colinka