April 12, 2021  

Vasily has been one of our bravest students who has continued to study in an intensive online course the whole year of lockdown. 

"My Czech course has been one of the reasons why to set up my alarm clock and get out from bed, to have something to do during the day. At first, staying at home was fun. I was planning to do more activities, even to work out. But I became so lazy. I simply wasn´t one of those „jogging-and-banana-bread-baking“ types of people.

I come from Russia but I moved to the United Kingdom when I was 15 to study high school and then marketing at the university. After 9 years I got a job offer in Prague as a marketing director in a Spanish restaurant, and I moved here nearly 2 years ago. I met my girlfriend in the U.K., she followed me to the Czech Republic and now she studies at Prague College. 

Before the lockdown, we were often going to the bars, to Manifesto or the movies over the weekends. I miss going to the cinema, to see the blockbuster on the huge screen.

I joined the intensive Czech language course shortly before the lockdown and then everything moved online and I have continued with the course for over a year, for 4 hours a day. My Czech course has been one of the reasons why to set up my alarm clock and get out of bed, to have something to do during the day: to have the classes in the morning and homework in the afternoon. If I don't have the course in the morning, I tend to wake up at around 1 pm and my schedule and daily routine are mixed up totally.

Last March 2020 I had my 25th birthday and I was planning a big party. Right before that, the lockdown came, so we ended up having pizza and watching an online film. So that was the beginning of the whole quarantine for me. But obviously, that wasn´t the biggest issue.

Without knowing the quarantine was coming, we closed our restaurant, looking for a new space. We wanted to buy a new place and go bigger and start from scratch. Looking back, we were really lucky, because we are on a pause but we don´t need to pay staff or the rent. I see stories every day of companies going bankrupt because you need to pay the rent and people. So many good restaurants had to close for good. We closed 10 days before the lockdown, which is – in a way – a happy story. I am kind of lucky.

For me and my girlfriend, the worst thing about lockdown is the restrictions regarding travelling. We miss our families. My girlfriend had to cancel the trip to the U.K. to see her mum four times already, it has been emotionally hard. They speak on the phone every day. When I went to Russia to see my family, when it was finally possible, I had to take 4 PCR tests within 10 days.

At first, staying at home was fun. I was planning to do more activities, even to work out. But I became so lazy. I simply wasn´t one of those „jogging-and-banana-bread-baking“ types of people. Recently I started cooking, my biggest achievement so far was making nice sushi, this is something I would like to continue with even after the lockdown. 

Also, my girlfriend and I finally have more time to spend together, time for romantic evenings, which we didn't have before because both of us were studying and working. I hope this will not go away!"

Have YOU got a story to share? We'd love to hear from you!

Please contact us at marie@czechcourses.cz.