Friday 7 July 2017

change in Xpat community

I've been here in Czech since 2004, a lot has changed in that time. When i first arrived, Prague had a totally different X-pat community. Because Czech was not a part of the Schengen countries, yet a part of the EU, foreigners were able to travel outside Czech for one day and then come back for another 3 months. In 2007 the x-pat community changed (the year that Czech joined Schengen), unless the xpat had a business or a Czech partner, to stay was not so easy. Many moved further east or back to their home countries. Kind of sad in a way. Now the x-pat community from developed third countries is made up mostly of those working in high end corporate jobs, people with a Czech partner or people that teach English. The Czech republic offered no amnesty to people that had lived here a long time under the old laws. Some since the 1990's.

Recently Prague has really changed, as far as urban culture for younger people. A lot of alternative cafe's have started, that resemble those in Western Europe, UK, US, Australia and Canada. Prague has its own coffee culture. My thoughts are that this evolution might have happened sooner and have more integrity, if more of those foreigners had stayed. 

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