Being an exchange student in Czech Republic is one of my great experiences and it is like I opened the magic door to a new world then find lots of new things waiting for me.
Yes, it was my first time away from my family in Thailand. I remember how I was so excited when I first met my host family although we skyped and wrote email from time to time before I travelled. Host mum and dad hugged me in greeting while I did Thai greeting gesture which is called WAI to them. They came to pick me up at the orientation camp in Prague and drove me to Jindrichuv Hradec, an hour and a half from Prague, then I met all members of my host family: 2 younger brothers, one lovely youngest sister and Babicka.
New things ran really fast to me. At very first, I tried to learn and remember what my host family told me. I tried to notice and followed what or how my hosts did. Hosts introduced me to people in the town by taking me to a church . Then a week later, I went to school, Gymnasium Vítězslava Nováka. I got new friends who were so thoughtful. I remember the day I lost my classroom, thoughtful friends sent me a message and took me to the right classroom. Besides that they invited me to hang out with them on Friday afternoon and some invited me to join their sport team so every evening I spent time practicing sports. That helped me from being home sick. Some friends accompanied me to a store to buy some necessary stuff. That made me feel so impressed. Teachers were ones who encouraged me to learn things in class even at first 3-4 months I didn’t understand Czech. Some teachers tried to communicate with me in English. I appreciated it and that urged me to try to understand Czech as quickly as I could. Host family, friends and teachers at school and people in Jindrichuv Hradec, all of those people are the ones who have helped me adapt myself well to the new environment.
After you have read my article, you may think how beautiful my life is. A coin has 2 sides, but to stay positive even in a bad day is the best thing I have learned. Positive thinking can push you through a raining day. Then you will be stronger. I have only 10 months here and I am strongly willing to make it as one of my best years in my life.
5 months have passed and another 5 month half is going. I learn to live with positive attitude, to appreciate every moment and to remember my hosts as my second family and to keep Czech Republic as my second home. To seize the days!
