5 Challenges of Living in Slovakia | A Foreigner's Perspective

Today I wanted to talk about a few challenges I've experienced while living in Slovakia. It's a great country, though every country will have things that a non-native person will have to adjust to. Slovakia has its... growing pains for me, though it has still been an interesting and worthwhile stay.
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TIMESTAMPS
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0:00 Intro
0:33 1. Language
2:25 2. Weather/Winter
4:06 3. Economy/Wages
7:17 4. Paneláky
10:02 5. Errands & Taking Care of Business
LINKS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Want to learn Slovak, but don't know where to start? Here are great online learning resources from a Slovak government site:
www.mic.iom.sk/en/social-issu...
From this webpage, my recommended pick is e-slovak.sk
Online tutor/student platform:
www.doucma.sk/en/ (English version)
www.doucma.sk/ (Slovak version)
A great digital flash-card program:
apps.ankiweb.net/
Do you want me to be your English tutor?
Check the 'about' section of my channel page to email me,
or find me on Doucma:
www.doucma.sk/en/342127-tutoring
#slovakia #foreigner #bratislava

[@nicksterba]

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[@hounddogjonny]

I was an English teacher in Zilina from 92-95 And I went completely native….the language everything….and I still speak it now with my old friends. I LOVED my time in Slovakia, the best 3 years of my life….the people I met And knew And the experiences I had are something I will never forget. This year I will take my family to show them Slovakia And I am so looking forward to it. Hang in there!

[@nicksterba]

Thanks for sharing! Very cool to hear 😄

[@LucyLuu217]

rally? best 3 years of your life? I'm Slovak and I that's how I talk about my life in UK haha, I swore I'd never move back home to Slovakia (I moved back after 11y) - I guess we love what's new to us, adventurous and whatever else that makes it a good experience

[@azDanqs]

Glad a foreigner could enjoy the country not even natives appreciate

[@hounddogjonny]

Yes it was, I was young in my 20s, the Berlin Wall had fallen and the chance to visit places unexplored was great but most of all the friends I made there. Good souls are good souls no matter what the nationality and I was lucky. Maj sa krasne !

[@MNUrkuri]

As a third generation Slovak American, who took upon himself to learn Slovak and has visited stary kraj now 13 times, I love your videos and find your point of view interesting. Pekne d’akujem! Drž sa a maj sa dobre!

[@nicksterba]

Thank you and I'll keep sharing my insights and experience with you, prajem pekný deň! 😎

[@ayakosaito7323]

Another Slovak American here. I grew up listening to family members speak Slovak back in the 70s and 80s and could understand a little. After 30 years, I decided to start learning the language pretty seriously for around five years now. It really is a tough language. Haven't been to SK yet...trying to get citizenship first.

[@Marc-px3in]

@@ayakosaito7323 SK is beautiful, i went by train from bratislava to kosice, scenery was amazing.

[@ayakosaito7323]

@@Marc-px3in Yes, I've heard. It will be quite a moment for me being a middle aged Slovak American when I first step foot on SK soil. Hopefully I don't die first.

[@xian4380]

thats nice

[@martin-bastak]

In fact in "paneláky" there is always a neighbour rebuilding a kitchen or something else, and when they are done, another neighbours will start.

[@nicksterba]

EXACTLY WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN! Drives me crazy lmao

[@Akitlosz]

@@nicksterba Because they work with the same craftsman. :-) It is not easy to find a good and reliable craftsman.

[@dvegule920]

Jezisi!

[@moreamour2869]

Fun fact, the communists built us some fine buildings! Well, when it comes to the quality of materials, at least 😂 compared to today’s apartment buildings, they used good materials that last for decades. Nowdays people have trouble with their newly built apartments’ quality. Also the lunch time problem made me laugh 😂 we literally call that time of the day “lunch” so it makes sense that everybody goes out for lunch (or eats their homemade lunch) around noon. Btw yes most people won’t help you if you don’t understand slovak. Older generations learned german and russian, english started being taught much later, though even gen z sucks at english imo. But if you wanna live here, you should make the efford to speak our language properly. It’s polite and expected of foreigners! 😊

[@nicksterba]

The buildings certainly seem sturdy, I will give them that! heh I definitely try to speak Slovak when I interact with strangers. I think it'd be rude to just assume that I'll be understood if I speak English right off the bat, in someone else's country. My Slovak is far from perfect but I am slowly getting better at it 😎

[@runningwithlola]

I’m 3rd generation American of Slovak descent on my dad’s side. My husband loves to flatter me by saying that Slovakia produces some of the most beautiful women. He’s not wrong 😅❤

[@nicksterba]

Definitely not wrong, Slovakia and Czech Republic have the best woman in the world, imo 😉

[@janlampert5688]

​@@nicksterbaBad comparison. The two are very different. Slovak here.

[@nicksterba]

@@janlampert5688 This may be, but they are my two favorites ♥

[@robertmiko7856]

Your whole channel is very interresting for a Slovak national :) Keep the good work

[@losercatlover]

Thank you for your videos. I'm interested in learning about Slovakia, it's hard to find good information online. So thank you!

[@enzsite8968]

Good to know about Slovakia, thank you for sharing

[@user-qr4tb9du6x]

Thanks Bud. Much appreciated!

[@iamdiane01]

Thank you for your info sharing.Its really big help .

[@nicksterba]

Glad to share 😎

[@sa6ab]

Great video! Liked and subscribed :) There is not enough content about expat life in Bratislava! Please please do a video about the lifestyle in Bratislava. How do the locals like to spend their free time, recreation.. That would be so awesome. Good luck with the channel :)

[@nicksterba]

Thank you! I felt like there was a bit of a gap for expat life content here too. I've been reading through comments on my videos today and am taking notes for future videos!

[@Max_Snellink]

Nazdar 🤠 🧡 You Bratislava folks get the vineyards and weather in winter more favourable than the mountains of Slovakia that can be hit with minus 30 easily. British guy on a solo mission here.

[@nicksterba]

True, the difference in climate between the Slovak regions is fascinating, hoping to see snow in some other parts of the country as Bratislava seems very temperate for now.

[@Max_Snellink]

@@nicksterba My local train sation Strba i go snowboarding a couple of times per week in Jasna. Got loads of gear if you fancy some turns for an easy getaway.

[@BrightStar3862]

Greetings from SoCal. Yes, winter is challenging. I once moved from LA to Minnesota, winters were torturous but ultimately not a great problem - just be ready for them. Things are hugely expensive now in SoCal. All minimum wages start at $16.20 per hour in this area. However, the houses are now starting about $700,000, so you need a ton of cash just to get in the door. Keep up you excellent videos, they're well done, informative and articulate. Thanks, Ted.

[@nicksterba]

Yeah the winters were something to get used to here for me, but they aren't terrible, just something to get accustomed to. I'm not surprised about the minimum wage & housing prices, that sounds very California to me 😂 Thank you by the way, more videos coming throughout summer 👍

[@pb_8206]

the minimum wage is right but 700€ in eastern slovakia hits different when the cost of living is 40% cheaper and 700€ in BA is nothing.

[@nicksterba]

Very true, I didn't know that. It's interesting because I would almost think that wages would be adjusted for local economies by region, but I'm sure Eastern Slovaks aren't complaining about their Euros going farther.

[@mshimiak1]

@@nicksterba That's EU, european cost of living, Slovak wages. Welcome here in marasm.

[@jaroslavkrajnik602]

Čo sú?O štyridsať percent menšie ako v Bratislave?Nevieš o čom hovoríš,asi si nikdy na východe nebol,to asi máš od Matoviča a Sulíka keď to tvrdili pred troma rokmi,ale namali to ničím podložené🆘️🆘️🆘️🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰😂🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰🇸🇰😎😎😎😎😎🆘️🆘️🆘️🆘️🆘️🆘️🆘️🆘️

[@1REDGOBLIN]

40% asi nie, ale najom v Bratislave to je cista katastrofa, 700 za dvojizbak, co im jebe?

[@jingshenghong9939]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I have been considering moving to Slovakia for some time now. I am now living in Latvia. How about the medical service in Slovakia? Like, is it generally covered by the state? And can doctors speak English in general?

[@nicksterba]

I think it is generally covered by the state, but honestly I'm not the best person to go to for medical questions...I'm sure younger doctors will be able to speak English, and you may be able to request one!

[@jingshenghong9939]

@@nicksterba Thank you! You have been really helpful!

[@RondorOne]

​@@jingshenghong9939 I am local from Bratislava with many many medical problems, so I think I can judge after 500+ visits and procedures. Everything is covered by the government / state regulated insurance. Price is not the problem. But the doctors are just horrible. I can give you so many horror stories from all the people in my extended social circle and family, and of course my own. Level of English will be hit and miss, but the level of medical expertise and care will be outright horrible. If you are young and healthy, you will be fine (in case of emergency you can quickly get to Vienna for much better but also more expensive care, it is partially covered by the Slovak insurance, to the degree of how much it would have cost the government if you had same procedures in Slovakia). If you have serious health issues, don't come here. Other than this Bratislava is not a bad place to live in (everything mentioned in this video is true and most of it applies to locals as well, ... maybe except the minimum sallary, because that's for extreme cases like janitor (even they get more) or zero-skill factory worker. Most people get around $10 per hour for typical office work in Bratislava. If you have education / skills, you can get more. It is affordable to live here, but not as great as for example Prague or Vienna). Most guys come here to date a Slovak girl... which I fully recommend, unlike our healthcare system.

[@robbiekeif101]

I'd definitely love to chat about your experiences and how you manage things! I'm from Wisconsin and my wife is Slovak, we are living in the states. I been to Slovakia 3 or 4 times and want to move there but the wages and language holds me back. it helps she can speak it but that doesnt help me for work haha. I only have trucking an police as a background

[@nicksterba]

Very cool to have a Slovak wife! She must be lovely. Yeah the language barrier becomes very real when you move to a non-English speaking country. It can limit your job opportunities for sure if you don't have something planned in advance or if you just don't speak the local language. I work remotely with Americans so I kinda just side-step that issue hehe....I would like to do a livestream Q&A at some point to answer your questions! I will definitely make it known once that will occur 😎 thanks for watching!

[@garythomas9841]

Good info.Subbed from uk.

[@martinfudged]

I’ll keep an eye for the Panelaky video. You were really diplomatic when touching the topic of a bureaucracy and the sour government employees 😂

[@nicksterba]

Thanks heh 😅 it can be frustrating at places like the foreigner's police in Bratislava, however I can sympathize with the employees there to a degree because they constantly have to process many people. I'll bump up the Panelaky video on my list of video ideas 🤙

[@RE-ez9kv]

@@nicksterba I think its also important to remember that most European countries (Slavic especially) aren't "melting pots" etc as North America. They are nationalistic so from that perspective when people move there and don't speak the language it's more annoying than in North America where immigration and coexisting of many cultures is the norm. Also Slovaks are very straight forward and don't sugarcoat so what seems rude is just normal way of speaking. We are very straight forward and say it how it is and we're often perceived as aggressive etc because of this when the intent is not there. Just a no bullshit attitude.

[@charlesdarwin3124]

@@RE-ez9kv Wrong. Eastern Europe is generally more ethnically diverse than North America except for a few states/cities. For example 10% of Slovakias population are gypsies. Also aggressive is not "no sugarcoating" - there are just that many rude and shameless people who are trying to hurt each other with words.

[@RE-ez9kv]

@@charlesdarwin3124 Please tell me more about my own country lmfao I have lived in both so I know what I am talked about & won't be arguing with a troll

[@Marc-px3in]

Slovakia is a really nice country, i've been to Bratislava and Kosice. I don't know how someone can live in a country when they can't speak the language, i'd feel so vulnerable. I might live somewhere without knowing the language if i had strong support, like for example i was married to a Slovak Woman, or had extended family who could help me a lot.

[@nicksterba]

It is definitely easier when you can speak the basics, which I now can. I'm not too good for actual conversation in Slovak, but I know how to speak with polite phrases, and some other basic phrases to navigate around the country. I do have a great amount of help here however, with my mother living here (she speaks Slovak fluently) and my girlfriend who lives here, who is also Slovak. Knowing Slovaks who also speak English here 100% makes the experience of living here more doable.

[@stanleyyyyyyyyyyy]

most young people (< 40 years old) do speak at least a little bit of English and I think language barrier shouldn't be an issue here, especially in larger towns and in the capital. I agree , older people who grew up during communism didn't really have a chance to learn English (we had mandatory Russian classes at the school for obvious reasons...) but it is totally different with kids and teenagers. We have mandatory English classes now (kids usually study at least two foreign languages). So I wouldn't really be afraid to live here if I was a foreigner😀

[@jaroslavkrajnik602]

Nikto tu nevyrástal za komunizmu,vyrastali sme za socializmu ,mýliš si pojmy najprv si naštuduj aký je medzi nimi rozdiel.​@@stanleyyyyyyyyyyy

[@LucyLuu217]

awww I feel you, I moved to UK not speaking english haha. I totally agree with all 5 challenges, the winter cold oh my goodness that's a killer for me, and then the summers are extremely hot - for me especially bc I lived in UK for 11 year (very mild weather, I miss it, now living back in SVK). I'm sure I could come up with at least another two challenges 😆 ... but not here lol

[@xbrudnak]

Loving these videos. I'm working on getting my dual citizenship by decent with Slovakia

[@nicksterba]

Congrats! What a great feeling that'll be. By the way, if you're having to go to a foreigner's police department, I would recommend you go to one in a smaller city. The one in Bratislava isn't the best, based on my own experience and what some others have said online. Otherwise, best of luck!

[@xbrudnak]

Thanks for the tip!@@nicksterba Can't wait to see more videos you make :D

[@martinzavo]

Slovak here, nice video !

[@davidpalacka7236]

You nailed all the problems pretty accurately my friend! 😊 And government bureaucracy is something that even locals trying their best to avoid 😂😅

[@nicksterba]

Yeah I can imagine! Dealing with bureaucrats isn't fun for anyone 😅

[@davidpalacka7236]

@@nicksterbaI recommend trying post offices in Prague, Czech Republic, to get an authentic full service experience 😂🍻

[@nicksterba]

@@davidpalacka7236 LMAO 😂

[@ComputerVisionEngineer]

Hey great video, thank you! :) I am a freelancer and I am considering moving to Bratislava, any thoughts on what is like conducting a freelance business in Slovakia?

[@nicksterba]

That's a great question, but from what I understand it's easier to be a freelancer in Czech Republic than in Slovakia. I don't have much direct experience with working with/for Slovaks because the company that I work for is remote/international and all of my individual clients are U.S. based. I know that if one works for another company here as a foreigner, you can choose whether to be considered an 'employee' or a 'contractor' both with certain advantages and disadvantages....Other than that, I don't have too much experience conducting a business based in Slovakia serving Slovaks primarily. I wish I could better answer your question, but I hope you find the info you're looking for!

[@ComputerVisionEngineer]

@@nicksterba thank you for your reply! I work with US clients too, I don't have any Slovak client. So you didn't have to register yourself as a freelancer to conduct your freelance business from Slovakia?

[@thechosenone729]

Slovakians usually have 600-700€ but it really depends where you might get even less in Eastern parts like Košice. It's just stupid because today we have like Germany prices for food and we pay for everything almost we would need at least 1500€ monthly to get exactly everything we need. I mean i pay 350 € for flat and services and have like 250€ left that being said 100€ for food and rest for extra if something needs to be repaired or i want to go out and so on... or i just spend if for gas.

[@samuelkoval5250]

Like Bro what is your Job? I get paid like 1300 Euro per month after Tax(Sys Admin from home), your English is really good, you should probably reconsider your job position.

[@centosto3327]

Treba zmeniť prácu... Robím v obyčajnom sklade a viem si zarobiť 450 týždenne na živnosť... Žiaden stres ani zodpovednosť, primitívna práca

[@alexgere529]

Living here > 1 language is one of the most difficult in the world, I can speak, but correct grammar never😁I think even some Slovaks don't know this. 2 Winters are nice when there is snow, but winter are now too warm😒3 Wages are not on European level. 4 flats not for me, I lived always in houses. 5 Business is working fine, but I from the EU and speak Slovak

[@ares5111]

8:58 this got me xD ...we have sayin here ..like " Concrete is softer at the morning, especially during weekend. " :D

[@Yunbuchabayung]

Living here in LA. Planning to move to Slovakia next year. But because of weather, I’m really confused what to do. I’m really bad at cold winter, I hate to plough snow for months and months. Anyways, this video is helpful. Dakujem pekne 🙏

[@Hermann3635]

Don't worry, because of global warming, cold winters are no more.

[@dvegule920]

Well, this is how I felt with English after 1989, as we belonged to the different sphere of influence. I never learned English at school. Even today I am always very stressed when I have to speak English. Cold? Not quite. Sometimes there is no snow during the winter. The behaviour of the people changed a lot not always for the better. So "panelaky" can be a challenge this days. One is not even safe in a house. Now I wonder! People in Bratislava alway think that they are soooo much better than the rest of the Slovakia. Yet they do not speak English???? You seem to be a very nice but most of all brave guy 🙂. Slovakia is safe but challenging. Take care!

[@Max_Snellink]

For an hours wage in Slovakia you can get a packet of cigarettes and a beer in the local pub.. 🤔 That's like 20 quid an hour in UK.

[@nicksterba]

Beer here is very cheap!

[@beoquy1890]

Woah! I’ve known how beautiful Slovatkia . How i can get a visa?

[@miss_excl]

You are so cool person ❤love your videos! Thank you

[@nicksterba]

Aww that's very sweet, thank you! 😄

[@irenanagisetty8183]

Loved your video.

[@Karimking95]

Very Nice Man !

[@josephaddabbo6490]

Great video. My wife is from Kosice but we live in Australia. I love Slovakia and want to live there one day.

[@nicksterba]

I'm glad you enjoyed, you've got to visit the Tatra mountains when you go someday!

[@instablaster.]

Dude if you come to Slovakia from Australia it will be like you just turned down the life to easy mode 😂 almost no animal can kill you and we don't have a lot of poisonous plants 😂

[@Miramiku]

@@instablaster. 😆 You obviously have no idea about life in Australia 🤣 What about the killing bears in Slovakia?

[@Miramiku]

No you wouldn't. Not in Kosice, relocating from Australia

[@instablaster.]

@@Miramiku Bro what are you even trying to say my man? English is not your strong side or what?

[@OPIRIANS]

Is 1000usd net monthly salary in slovakia good? Or low?

[@nicksterba]

It's somewhere in the middle, but if you're coming here as a single person who doesn't spend money frivolously, that $1000 a month can go a long way. I'm coming out with a video on this topic very soon, stay tuned!

[@Spectans1]

We rarely see snow in Bratislava nowadays. Personally, I havent used the central heating for over 10 years now, not even in winter. Winters do get quite warm here now.

[@Cherubiiin]

As a Slovak...... This is normal :)

[@bunnybbyanimations4483]

im slovak my bf is american we wanna move to slovakia for a few years and i know that he may catch on a few words but i 100% to be speaking for the both of us 99% of the time as slovakia doesnt have many english speakers/ people who even want to or can speak english

[@nicksterba]

I think it would help if your boyfriend tried to start learning Slovak beforehand, in the description section of my videos I have some good resources to learn Slovak. I recommend e-slovak.sk, a free online class. If you two find yourself in Bratislava, you can more or less expect everyone age 30 or younger to be able to speak English, so your boyfriend would be able to navigate well enough! The older generation and smaller towns, definitely aren't as English friendly.

[@bunnybbyanimations4483]

@@nicksterba i 100% agree and thank you for that i think he would be quite eager to want to learn at least the basics, he tries his best when we spend time together haha thank you!

[@harczymarczy]

English speakers often have a hard time with learning Slavic languages like Slovak because of all the complex morphology. Older people are more likely to speak German instead of English, not counting any other minority languages. (Some also speak Russian which is indeed another Slavic language).

[@xbrudnak]

Can you make a video about taxes, insurance, drivers licenses, maybe stuff like property tax too in Slovakia. Would be cool to hear about.

[@martanemick9138]

Tax is very chip

[@martanemick9138]

Property tax

[@lallimircci]

Any a house/building in the US will have thinner walls (unless it’s custom built) than any house in Slovakia. Houses in the US are just Sheetrock and a little plywood

[@nicksterba]

I agree. Could be something to talk about. It always amazes me how expensive some U.S. homes are, especially in California, and the materials they are built out of would never last a lifetime. It's kind of insane to me. The overall build quality in Europe I think is better for the average home.

[@richardsingh5827]

Interesting video

[@axelpalfy7597]

hello, regarding the residential buildings from the time of the communists, currently referred to as communist, which is quite misleading or a misconception, I lived in a panel house that was originally Austrian, i.e. Western, built under license in communist Czechoslovakia, panel buildings were built quite commonly in Europe both in Western and Eastern Europe,

[@nicksterba]

Appreciate the clarification, though they have a look/feel that makes me think of the communist era. I suppose there is a connotation of these buildings and communism, because of the pictures and internet memes depicting a gloomy Russia/other ex-Soviet countries having tons of these buildings.

[@axelpalfy7597]

@@nicksterba yes, there are a lot of such buildings here, but similar ones were also built in western countries, just not in such a quantity, in some countries whole residential districts were built in a similar way. I grew up in a house of Austrian license, so was it communist or western? to label these buildings as communist is complete nonsense.I don't know what country you're from, but if you're from Europe, you have 100% panel houses there

[@axelpalfy7597]

oh it's you, what a surprise, but you don't have them in California

[@axelpalfy7597]

well, let's compare it to California or the USA, of course you built huge residential areas with family houses, but without sidewalks, shops, schools, hospitals, infrastructure, without cars, you're screwed there, unlike the communist construction where you had everything at hand, something many people don't realize

[@clipkut4979]

100% accurate. In the end, I personally ended up moving just after the Slovak border into Czechia, but I visit Slovakia regularly. Being in Czechia is best if you want to be an online worker/self-employed because you can leverage the new "flat tax" law from 2021. Which is much, MUCH cheaper than what you would pay in taxes and social contributions (and bureaucracy) if you were to do the same thing in Slovakia. Housing and food are also cheaper, partially because of the lack of the Euro. The government also seems to be better in Czechia, both in terms of political stability and being reasonable, but also how they dealt with lockdowns and Covid compared to Slovakia. I wish Slovakia would be able to fix some of those things, because it is really a beautiful country, just on a practical level it's harder to live there.

[@blueskyalldayeveryday]

--- The government also seems to be better in Czechia, both in terms of political stability and *being reasonable* --- this is 100% accurate!!!!

[@nicksterba]

Very interesting regarding taxes laws for freelancers/those that are self-employed. I will look into it 👍

[@MrTheMortanius]

"The government also seems to be better in Czechia, both in terms of political stability and being reasonable, but also how they dealt with lockdowns and Covid compared to Slovakia." lmao

[@bingzaniGercel]

Do you know that in south and east slovakia there are 500 thousand roma/gypsies?

[@nicksterba]

I haven't been to those parts of the country so much, so I'm not as aware, no. I'm aware of the gypsy area in eastern Slovakia Lunik 9, which is unfortunate. The only gypsy area I've seen first hand however is the Pentagon complex in Vrakuňa.

[@katarinask139]

​@@nicksterbanot only gypsies live there, it's full of narcomans and sometimes normal families, which is even worse for them

[@nasevikaadamko]

lol, this is a second video where a stranger talks about harsh slovak winters. Makes me laugh, I'm Slovak living in Canada now and slovak winters are very mild comparing to what we have here now. Even as a child I remember very mild winters, Xmas without snow was pretty common. Winter as a season is mostly 3 months long. It is nothing really 😀

[@janflorovic5880]

Still much better than living in shared house hold with stupid high rent prizes in the UK I’ll take the entire apartment for myself no problem

[@forreal8014]

At least you don’t have people yelling at you to speak Slovak language. As an immigrant’s from Asia to the US, I have to avoid speaking my own native language due to racist comment when I lived there.

[@frankmontez6853]

Once saw a southern Cali girl shiver 🥶 unbearably in San Antonio Tx . I think it got into the 30s 😂. San Antonio isn’t that cold normally but it happens sometimes. She just said it’s too cold here in SA 😂. Yah you don’t have any real winters there 😂🤣 . Temps there during winter range about the same in summer

[@nicksterba]

The worst winters in my part of Northern California have just been extremely wet from rain, but never freezing cold. Try looking up some videos on YT and type in "Sebastopol, CA floods" or "Guerneville, CA floods" or "Forestville, CA floods", that's what a bad winter with too much rain looks like in northern Cali!

[@lentak779]

with all the autotranslating apps in mobile phones you dont need to know other langs at all nowadays and with the AI its going to be even easier

[@nicksterba]

While this is true, using translators and ai will never be as fulfilling as actually learning and using another language natively!

[@adeoyedamilare9118]

Hi bro Please I will be coming to Slovakia soon as an international student Do you think i can get a job to pay my bills and also pay my 1,500 euro tuition yearly ?

[@nicksterba]

I think you will be able to do that, yes. You'll have to work often, but a room for rent in Slovakia can be affordable. If you have any other questions, you can find my email on the about section of my channel. Best of luck with your studies!

[@katarinask139]

Most of the people don't have classic fireplaces in Slovakia, we have coal and wood boilers in the basement Also to the drilling: Can you imagine an online class we had when teachers were at home and her neighbours were just...doing their stuff🤣

[@nicksterba]

That was literally me a couple of times, but as a student! I took an online Slovak course a while ago since I've been here, and that situation happened to me!! It wasn't good hah

[@iluzion2578]

As a Slovak from Bratislava, Yeah the problem with wages- against the hours and effort you have to make for get 1000 netto for month is bad, I worked in USA and even in Basic job you Can make money for monthly coverage car, electronics, clothes, vacations, socialize with friends, in Slovakia if you wanna coverage everything with Basic work you have to work on weekends no time for friends= less friends just working, not my case But i know many of them, then this people falling into depresion and they are stucked in same circle, paying debt for take a loan from bank= many years of work not having time vacation just focusing to Pay loan with smaller salary is just horrible sometimes. Many Slovaks falling into this.

[@nicksterba]

That sounds pretty tough, I can imagine people getting stuck in that cycle...it can happen in the U.S. as well if you live in an expensive area (e.g. California Bay Area) and don't earn much money. So yeah the wages in Bratislava may be rough to live off of for many here. I wish the best to those that are in that situation!

[@detskodospelacke]

with partner can be life easier

[@nicksterba]

A quick challenge one can achieve with ease, is by successfully smashing that subscribe button ✅

[@KristineB-ey4sb]

Very nice moustache:)

[@lubosganz2098]

Príď na východ, tu Ťa naučíme rozprávať po slovensky, počasie ? Máme super počasie, dva ročné obdobia, zimu a sk.rv.nú zimu, čo sa Ti nepáči ? Ekonomiku nechaj tam kde je. A Tvoja obľúbená California a celé USA ....

[@katarinab6728]

guess what - I would like to know, how many foreign languages do you (or maybe even your parents / grandparents) speak? Also, all the older people have learnt the Russian language, but they never had the option to learn English in school. You should compare comparable.

[@nicksterba]

I will do an extended video on this topic because the languages that my family members could speak is much more interesting than my own situation. English is my native language, though I can also speak Slovak at an A2 level. I also know some Czech, Spanish and Russian phrases, but nothing that would take me very far.

[@katarinab6728]

@@nicksterba well, thanx for answer. As you see, you are not much better in mastering foreign languages than the people you mentioned - the main difference is - you are young. You should show some respect for their situation - while they were young, they never had the chance to learn english. Btw, you mentioned you speak Slovak, here is a joke: Turista pride za bacom a pyta sa: Do you speak english? Baca iba mykne hlavou. Turista: Sprechen sie deutsch? Baca iba mykne hlavou. Turista: Parlez-vous français? Baca iba mykne hlavou. Keď sklamaný turista odkráčal, honelník vraví: bača, tuším by sme mali aj my naučiť dáky cudzí jazyk! Bača na to: a načože by nám bol? Tamten ich kolko vedel a bolo mu to naprd!

[@Someone-sg7bg]

I came from Slovakia

[@privacymatters4714]

Tip: You're going to lose all of your Vitamin D. Start taking it now.

[@rickmorgan1441]

lol

[@fluidice1656]

The minimum wage is meaningless. In much of the US it's zero (no minimum wage). Consider the median wage instead.

[@nicksterba]

In the U.S. there is a federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr, though it does vary state to state, county to county. Median wage could be better for the next video!

[@eduarddvorecky3731]

That bellow 4€/h is job only desperate person would take. Normal work goes from 6€/h

[@nicksterba]

This is true, though I've seen it happen. Maybe it's more likely for a student or a low-skilled worker to accept jobs with 4€/h. It's crazy to compare for me however, the low wage here, compared to the minimum wage of my home state, California; it being an astronomical $15.59/hr as of 2023.

[@eduarddvorecky3731]

@@nicksterba i mean we don't have minimum wage tied to cost of living, otherwise it would be much more. One of my collegue had interesting solution. Gourment workers such as ministers having their wage tied to minimum wage, like 3x minimum wage for example so they will realize how low it actually is, therefore they would always fight to rise it as everything gets more expencive/money gets less valuable.

[@martinfratric5304]

@@nicksterba yes, wages are different, but also the cost of living is a bit different in California...

[@itspronouncednikolaj333]

I'm sure below 4 is illegal

[@Epiqe]

Greetings from Nitra :)

[@nicksterba]

Zdravim!

[@healingnarcissism_]

TOO HIGH? only on weed not on wages... the wages are NOT TOO HIGH.

[@nicksterba]

In California the minimum wage is 100% too high, I stand by that. It's a contributing factor to making everything in California's economy so expensive, one of the reasons why I left.

[@Akitlosz]

90-97% of companies employing more than a thousand people are foreign-owned in Central and Eastern European countries. (English, German, Austrian, Japanese, Korean, French, American, Swedish, Swiss, ...) These companies settle in Central and Eastern Europe because of cheap, but skilled labor and low corporate taxes. If they have to pay their workers the same amount of money for the same amount of work as in their own countries, they would move to a countries with even cheaper wages. Governments do not want this, so they cooperate with investors to keep wages low. The countries of the second world have no chance of catching up with the countries of the first world, unless the countries of the first world voluntarily destroy their own economies.

[@adeeo]

"...unless the countries of the first world voluntarily destroy their own economies." What they are really perfectly doing right now... Hedonism, welfare and prosperity makes us forget about the hard time, just to make them come back even stronger...

[@iluzion2578]

You definitely mentioned main problems Why i just dont like the Bratislava sometimes, like this on offices they are definetely way more rude even you speak same language than in USA i have own experience not only one I got screwed and send them into shits hahah

[@nicksterba]

My mother has a lot of not-so-great experiences like this at state operated offices 😆 I've encountered some rude people before too, but that can be anywhere.

[@angelikasvernile1447]

Oh the economy is sh*t, even as Slovak you can't live JUST from a minimul wage. Unfortunately you have two have two jobs if you want to live here (minimum wage), it really sucks especially since the prizes went up 3x!!! Everything is 3 times more expensive than it used to be and the minimum wage does NOTHING:(

[@nicksterba]

I have definitely noticed the prices of everything going up here, and yes it doesn't look like the wages are adjusting with the overall price increase. I imagine it's very common for young people to either live with their parents for a while through college, or to live with a few roommates. I made a video on this topic more recently, you can check it out if you haven't already watched it!

[@trolldomaci7140]

Slovak here : Most of slovaks understand u very well but they are too afraid speak english. Me either. Its not about find right words its about pronunciation. Its like when Czech trying speak slovak its awkward :D We are trying avoid that 🤣

[@nicksterba]

Haha understandable...that's how I feel oftentimes, with the very little Slovak I can speak. I find myself being too shy too use it in many situations and keep falling into the typical English speaker role, expecting everyone around me to understand me 😅

[@TheMetoG]

Slovakia is waaay better than southern countries, here in macedonia 80% of our wages are 300-400€ a month and the cost of living is around 500€ a month for just rent, bills and food, without luxuries 🤣🥲

[@nicksterba]

Sounds rough, I feel for you.

[@xian4380]

Language - like in every country. 😂Yeeaah depend where you work and what kind of job it is. Salaries are small. Regarding of o documents yes they are fed up because they are not paid enough they better leave you wait for long hehe quiet protest. Unite states will soon start moving to Europe.

[@nicksterba]

Yeah like every country 😆 I highly recommend learning how to work online, either through a company or independently as a freelancer. That way, the local economy that you are in isn't such a limiting factor. I can imagine the quiet protest and American's moving over for a spell, I have!

[@dhand0178]

You say that there are some jobs that lean towards people who are a native English speaker can you please give some examples other than being a translator Because that's the obvious one lol

[@Marc-px3in]

I know some wealthy people in belgrade, serbia, and if you know how to get into the ex-pat community you can find all sorts of stuff.

[@dhand0178]

@@Marc-px3in cool

[@ricosadao828]

Translator? They haven't discovered Google translate yet?

[@israelmendoza7599]

After watching the Hostel movie, I'm a little hesitant to go😂

[@nicksterba]

😂

[@andyplus1352]

Slovakia like most EU countries have joined the European union. Slovakian people and government should encourage the teaching of English language. It is the language of modern day communication. Come to think of it how many people in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the world can speak Slovakian?

[@vladimirballa1447]

No nehovoria v Afrike po slovensky a vieš prečo lebo my Slováci sme ich na rozdiel od Angličanov neokupovali, a teraz sa skús zamyslieť ty!!!

[@Majkl.]

Paneláky are best buildings

[@vladimirholi5121]

Don`t believe him. Maybe 1st thing when you not speak Slovak language. Others are simply not truth.

[@frederikaz5085]

Just find some American company you can work for remotely.

[@nicksterba]

That's what I do!

[@frederika3013]

@@nicksterba I wish I could do that too but Im Slovak...so no American is gonna give me a job... Its awful with jobs here.

[@nicksterba]

@@frederika3013 If you speak English well enough, you can absolutely get a job, or a client from any English-speaking country. I freelance online and have only American clients. Freelancing can be a grind, but you can definitely make it happen if people from other countries can and do, when English isn't their native language. You just have to set your mind to it!

[@frederikaz5085]

@@nicksterba I speak English fluently but I dont know what kind of freelancing job you do that it worked out well for you. I have attempted to do that but it didn't work. It was not worth it at all, especially if you work for people who constantly are trying to use you. And if they know you are from Eastern Europe... they think you are a garbage and refuse to pay properly.

[@nicksterba]

@@frederikaz5085 It can be difficult to find the right clients or the right company to work with, but it's possible. Obviously I don't have experience working remotely with non-Americans, I only work with Americans for my primary freelancing work, so there is likely an in-group bias at play that helps make my clients feel more comfortable to work with me, for better or worse. I'd recommend trying to find gigs with Slovaks, you may have better luck. But regardless, it can be a grind, it can be challenging to find people that are worth working with, people that won't take advantage of you, but if you try hard enough, you will find something that can work for you. I did because I was very determined to, and I didn't want to constantly travel across Bratislava as an English tutor so I stopped working for a language agency here. I do tutor for a couple of English students privately however which works better for me. Basically, if it's a valuable enough endeavor for you, you can make it work. But freelancing with foreigners also isn't for everyone. Best of luck to you!

[@shahidshammi415]

I am coming please help u

[@misacraft3714]

As a foreigner without knowing local language, you must be lost here….Life here is difficult here even for Slovaks….

[@nicksterba]

My mom and girlfriend have helped me immensely since I've been here, they both speak Slovak natively. I try to practice Slovak just about everyday, step by step...

[@Marc-px3in]

@@nicksterba Hi Sterba, loved your video but you could have told us in the video about your mum and gf being native Slovak speakers.

[@iluzion2578]

And Yeah paneláky are soo bad idea, too many residents in smaller aparments with many time no place to parking in front of their living place. What a horrible planing from Komunist.

[@nicksterba]

Yeah I agree, it feels very cramped...some panelaky have paper thin walls it seems so any music or talking can be heard between apartments 😑

[@thienta8304]

Nhờ ơn Chúa Thánh Thần nên trong năm 2016 ở Việt Nam giống Xuất hành chương 7 câu 14 đến chương 10 câu 29: Số 1: Nước biến thành máu: Cả 4 tỉnh miền Trung và thế giới từ 2016 đến 2023: Nước biến thành máu Số 2:Ếch: Cả nước Số 3:Muỗi: Cả nước Số 4:Ruồi nhặng: Cả nước Số 5:Ôn dịch: Sốt xuất huyết, sốt rét Số 6:Ung nhọt: Bệnh Tay Chân Miệng Số 7:Mưa đá: ở Sapa và các vùng lân cận Số 8:Châu chấu: ở Lai Châu và thế giới từ 2016 đến 2023 Số 9:Cảnh tăm tối: Đó là 21,22,23 tháng 12 khi trái đất ở xa nhất mặt trời thì Bắc cực sẽ có ba ngày ba đêm không nhìn thấy nhau Rồi một đêm tôi nằm mơ thấy những nấm mồ mầu trắng ở đó có hình Thánh Giá mầu trắng chung quanh là tím than. Rồi có tiếng hét: Chết hết cả rồi ! Tôi giật mình thức giấc:12 giờ đêm ở Mỹ (1 giờ đêm). Ở Việt Nam là 15 giờ cùng ngày Rồi một đêm khác tôi nằm mơ thấy hai con chim nhạn bị bắn chết. Tôi nghe nó nói: Nó là anh em sinh đôi. Tôi liền nghĩ là…… và Tận thế Vậy…….. rồi tận thế lúc 12 giờ đêm ở Mỹ (1 giờ đêm). Ở Việt Nam là 15 giờ cùng ngày KZbin:” Những dòng sông nước chảy như máu từ thế giới 2016 đến 2023” và “Những đàn châu chấu từ thế giới 2016 đến 2023” Dịch bệnh, lủ lụt, các điềm lạ, động đất, hạn han….. Phản Kito là ĐGH Sắp tận thế lúc 15 giờ cùng ngày

[@tecomaman]

too many UMs

[@nicksterba]

I agree...I try to be conscious of my ability to communicate well. I appreciate the feedback!

[@samurai777gamer6]

Slovakia gay people

[@pavelsanda3149]

Just 15 minutes of whining.

[@663066x]

If you want chat or meet let me know