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

[@nicksterba]

If you'd like to support my channel you can support my Ko-Fi, or check out the affiliate links in the description of the video. ko-fi.com/sterba

[@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 !

[@paulco5089]

Prečo bývaš v paneláku, kúp si radšej dom

[@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! 😎

[@yishihara55527]

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]

@@yishihara55527 SK is beautiful, i went by train from bratislava to kosice, scenery was amazing.

[@yishihara55527]

@@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.

[@lolbit7888]

Pekne ďakujem, no space

[@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!

[@eternity.in.a.m0m3nt]

Panelaky aka "chrushchovka"

[@theopensource09]

😂😂😂I feel that .

[@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 ♥

[@DadgeCity]

Beautiful and demure.

[@AZeroSum]

@@janlampert5688physically different? Not really. Morally, mentally, values, for sure.

[@robertmiko7856]

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

[@ybytes4005]

We native English speakers say "keep up the good work"....😊 I can tell your English is very good though.

[@Netuším_nič]

It actually made me happy that people know about Slovakia🇸🇰, very good video and chanel👍

[@losercatlover]

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

[@Creme_Fraiche]

Your video is pretty spot on. Big props to you for coming here and actually putting in an effort learning the language. It is extremely difficult to learn for native english speakers. My wife (Canadian) seems to have forgotten more than she's learned in the 4 years we've lived in Bratislava. Since I am slovak she's had virtually no issues with paperwork or anything like that. Everyone in Bratislava below 40 speaks English at a basic level so it's almost unnecessary these days but we really appreciate when there's any effort at all :)

[@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 👍

[@robinfree107]

I am Slovak, but I have been living in the Czech Republic for 20 years and I only go home for visits. Your observations are completely accurate. 💖

[@totalentertainment4735]

Hello bro can you give your number because I need little information about Czech republic study process

[@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

[@stanislavbandur7355]

my friend from Australia runs Canadian lang school in Nitra and is calling it BureaucraZy

[@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.

[@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.

[@stanislavbandur7355]

@@nicksterba in fact most of panels used for apartment buildings are 15cm thick (half foot) reinforced concrete - they are not thin nor weak at all (some inner nonstructural walls are 9cm). Problem is that this material is very good sound conductor

[@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.

[@mickey2148]

@@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?

[@martinzavo]

Slovak here, nice video !

[@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!

[@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

[@philiptownsend4026]

I am English and living in Slovakia for more than six years now. I agree, the language situation is improving for me. I always look for young people if I need to speak to someone as they are now very likely to speak good English, the younger the better. It is officialdom that is the biggest problem, they do not want to or maybe are not permitted to speak or write anything in anything other than Slovak. Frankly, I find the Slovak language to be ridiculous with it's plethora of unnecessary grammatical rules and genderisation and mis-genderisation. The media are very disrespectful of foreign peoples' names by converting them to Slovak form. In my home country we go to great efforts to pronounce foreign proper nouns properly as they are spoken by the person being referenced. It takes time, effort and research sometimes to get that right, I feel that Slovaks can't be bothered to respect foreign people properly. Sometimes a native will wrongly guess that I am a German. I can speak much more German language than I can Slovak language so I go with the flow by speaking simple German language so as to not complicate a situation that is going ok (eg in shops). Finally, I can find no English language printed publication to read though signage is often in English. Without the internet, Google translate an now ChatGPT I would probably have ended by now. Finally finally, the Slovaks really shot themselves in the foot by speaking such a difficult and tiny minority language, the younger natives realise that this holds back communications with the rest of the world and progress is thwarted to by old heterogenous society suspicious of non natives. Things are improving rapidly but it will take another generation for Slovakia to integrate linguistically with the rest of the world.

[@Peter-p7e]

@@philiptownsend4026 prežili sme rimanov, prežili sme turkov, prežili sme maďarov, nemcov, a prežijeme aj namyslených anglosasov A nie, nebudeme nikdy asimilovaný.

[@stanislavbandur7355]

we were used to say "In apartment buildings is average of 20 people listening to a rock music - 19 of them unwillingly"

[@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?

[@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.

[@jarojaros]

It is compulsory to have health care insurance, which is automatically paid off from your salary. Then, generally speaking, the medical care is covered by the insurance. :)

[@paulco5089]

Doctors speak Latin and Russian

[@enzsite8968]

Good to know about Slovakia, thank you for sharing

[@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

[@Archesio_Palackante]

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 😅

[@Archesio_Palackante]

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

[@nicksterba]

@@Archesio_Palackante LMAO 😂

[@morplastikor]

You dropped varené víno in the middle of fluent english like a total bomb :D Cannot stop laughing :D

[@rx7561]

I was there back in September for a week. I stayed in Kosice and Banska Bystrica. I did the day trip to Bratislava from Vienna. Right on about the language barrier. Beautiful country.😅

[@hugotoscher4734]

Why did you move to slovakia?

[@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.

[@philiptownsend4026]

As I am committed to live in Slovakia I would quite like to move from rural central Slovakia to the capital city here. I am a born Londoner so rural location and high altitude here don't suit me and make the weather more extreme - long too cold winters and long too hot summers and not enough rain all the time.

[@heinrichwolfenstein7303]

Preto tam každý druhý vyzerá jak non-binary gender.

[@iamdiane01]

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

[@nicksterba]

Glad to share 😎

[@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?

[@BeeBee-tb2it]

Perfect describtion! Im from Ba living in Australia. Enjoy Sk

[@sutamkidruf7861]

As a slovak i dont agree with the winter. In bratislava is usually more than 0°C in winter. Which is sad :(

[@miss_excl]

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

[@nicksterba]

Aww that's very sweet, thank you! 😄

[@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

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

@@centosto3327 Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@heinrichwolfenstein7303]

Me, CNC mill programmer- 1500-2000 euro net. My friend also CNC programmer- 3000 euros net. My another friend electrician- 2500-3000 euro net. But yes, low IQ or lazy people earn less than 1000 euros.

[@doe7914]

@@heinrichwolfenstein7303 what a stupid comment, CNC your own food then if you are that smart, some jobs just pay shlt, but some still has to do tthem to keep the things going

[@ares5111]

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

[@jarojaros]

...especially on Saturday morning around 7:30 :D

[@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 😀

[@suzyfabry9911]

Same here

[@philiptownsend4026]

Yes we all know that Canada because of it's latitude has colder winters than Slovakia. I come from southern England, have lived in Slovakia for more than six years now and still hate the climate here, much too hot and dry in summer and much too cold and dry in winter. Spring and autumn are the best times but they are very short as for me the climate flips between extremes very rapidly.

[@stanislavbandur7355]

everybody knows that Canada is frozen wasteland - we are playing long dark (joke)

[@paulco5089]

Everyone speaks at least 2 languages only English people use one. Winter in Canada is much worse than in Slovakia. Wages are very low in comparison with US, true. Panelaky are the same quality as in Toronto but much cheaper. New Slovak government is much better then American sleeping Joe

[@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

[@AtlantaBill]

Your name is STERBA? Like the resort village, Štrba? My grandmother's maiden name was Strub, also spelled Straub or Stroup. I think we have a Slovak connection because the people of Śtrba look like my aunts and uncles. The name, as far as I can research it, has to do with silver, specifically silver mining. Slovakia is known for its silver, striebro (s = š), which is a loanword from a non-European language, possibly Akkadian. A lot of Germans went to Slovakia for the silver mining. My grandmother's German maiden name was Strub, also spelled Straub or Stroup (in most German dialects this S is pronounced like Š). I can read a lot of Slovak and Czech, and even some Polish, having made a hobby of Indoeuropean linguistics, including the Slavic languages. How do you learn your Slovak? Do you trade Slovak for English. This is Czech, but the high field reminds me of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2q3pX1nbq96has

[@TonyFalconX44]

Hello there! How are you? So, how did you end up in Slovakia? I would to visit Slovakia really soon... from SoCal :)

[@zenalibertana]

Can you tell me why should all Slovaks in Slovakia soeak English ?

[@nicksterba]

Where did I say that all Slovaks should speak English? Most Slovaks, let's say, mid 30's and younger, already speak English well, so most of the time interactions with people in that age bracket isn't a problem. It is commendable that Slovaks and other Europeans are so multi-lingual, I wish I could say the same for the U.S. But yeah, for Slovaks, and just about the rest of the world, y'all ought to learn English. It's the most popular and widely used language in the world, therefor the most applicable and useful generally speaking.

[@zenalibertana]

@@nicksterba Time 01min18 sec. You say that people older than certain age probably do not speak English. OK? So, I repeat> Why should all Slovaks in Slovakia speak English ? And the same, with your demand that all the world ought to learn English is crap. Because English is not a language. This “language” has rudimental grammar, pronunciation differs from the written and the result is quite poor understanding. English is not most popular language, it is used thanks to imperial geopolitics of Anglo-Saxons. But the world language should and will be based on different principles than colonialism. It is thge same like Chinese would require that you have to learn mandarin because this language is spoken by the largest numnber of people. So, please try not to consider English to be some duty or priority. Sorry, but English represents today degeneration of our culture.

[@nicksterba]

@zenalibertana At 1:18 I'm simply stating what I've noticed to be true most of the time, so that any English speakers who come through Slovakia are aware of what to expect. Just because you don't like English doesn't make it "not a language." You sound like a bitter old curmudgeon that seethes at the world around her, complaining about English and its undeniable wide use and popularity. Don't like it? Then learn German, French, Russian, Chinese. Doesn't matter to me. My point is that learning ANY foreign language is good, good for your mind and good for becoming a more cultured individual. And since English is the most popular and widely used, why not English? It's what most people are learning in your European schools anyway. That, German or Spanish.

[@Alixis_playing]

As a Slovak i agree with you

[@msmaria9585]

I am curious WHY you moved there in the first place. I'm in Woodland Hills, but curious

[@nicksterba]

I'll have to make a video on my reasons for coming and staying here as long as I have...been putting off sharing that for a while. Maybe I've also had some existential crisis' here and there behind the scenes, hah jk. I'll talk more about this when I get out of Bratislava and get back into traveling around this part of Europe again, so if you're interested enough to see those adventures and hear my reasons, feel free to subscribe and be on the lookout ✌ P.S. I've been to L.A. like, three times, interesting place, but wouldn't want to live there personally.

[@easterntechartists]

that is a damn nice looking november...where i'm from it is much much more depressing. non stop rain. imagine torrential rains non stop for 5 months!

[@ShivJha-x8i]

Hii sir as a foreigners how can i get job in Slovakia.

[@heinrichwolfenstein7303]

Hi, online.

[@mikeadams5305]

I lived in Bratislava in the 90s, and it sounds like not much has changed, especially the slowness of the bureaucracy. My colleague joked that the largest government department was the Department of Ensuring Nothing is Completed on Time.

[@NusretAlyazar]

I've noticed in peview cover word "panelki" and I was been surprised by this, because "панельками" we call an old, worn-outed high-rised building, that was built in the Soviet Union too.

[@DadgeCity]

Also called "panel" in Hungarian. I lived in one for my first year in Hungary. It was basic, but warm in the winter.

[@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

[@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.

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@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!

[@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

[@easterntechartists]

do they like it?

[@vulgarslvt]

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

[@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 😎

[@davidvalentine2904]

entering your country in a week, i do speak cz, do i need to learn sk instead?

[@jarojaros]

@@davidvalentine2904 Not at all. Many Slovaks are passively bilingual, so they can and will be able to fully understand you no matter what. :)

[@moreamour2869]

@@nicksterba good luck man!

[@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

[@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

[@meridian8553]

@@blueskyalldayeveryday hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa Slama U KRAVÍNA!

[@irenanagisetty8183]

Loved your video.

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@garythomas9841]

Good info.Subbed from uk.

[@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).

[@Starwatcher3001]

@harczymarczy So, Is it more common among older people to speak German rather than Russian? I´m Spanish and I would like to visit Slovakia and Czech Republic, maybe in one or two years... But I would like to be able to communicate with old people there, not only the young ones. And for many years I´ve been thinking about learning Russian, not only for traveling to Russia one day, but to be able to communicate with people of Eastern Eurpean countries, but I really don´t know if much people there still speak Russian...

[@doe7914]

@@Starwatcher3001 they are more likely to understand Russian

[@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

[@theopensource09]

Arr you still in Bratislava?

[@nicksterba]

Yes, just been dormant lately...

[@MartaMixa]

Wow,wow,wow, the "World is really small ". I have the same problem "English speaking ,American citizenship " living in the USA.Greetings from the USA !

[@Karimking95]

Very Nice Man !

[@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

[@doe7914]

@@nicksterba this is a reality for many people all over SLovakia, not just Bratislava, even if you earn average wage for the region, you are still likely to live paycheck to paycheck if alone

[@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!

[@lukasrafajpps]

The only good reason to move here from California I can find is to have an US remote job and have a comfy live here. You must like challenges :D

[@nicksterba]

That's exactly my current situation, I'll have to make a video on that sometime 🤙

[@beoquy1890]

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

[@theopensource09]

In paneláky, the saying was that the walls were thin so that your neighbors could report you to KGB.

[@nicksterba]

😂 that's hilarious

[@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!

[@MS-ii1sv]

In Canada an hour's wage gets you only a pack of smoke and that's a good wage. A minimum wage earner would be able to buy a beer in a pub and have not much left over.

[@Max_Snellink]

@@MS-ii1sv Gave up smoking so it's now 4 drinks an hour 😂 of course everything goes up except wages.

[@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!

[@doe7914]

I think its only logical to asume that when you want to live in a certain country you should learn the language spoken there, I dont know why native English speakers (generally speaking) seem to feel entitled that anywhere they go, people there should understand English😃

[@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!

[@MS-ii1sv]

That's a good thing. It will keep the country the way it's meant to be.

[@bunnybbyanimations4483]

@@MS-ii1sv wdym by that?

[@MS-ii1sv]

@@bunnybbyanimations4483 I mean that if everyone knew English then lots of people would move there and ruin it like alot of countries have been ruined already. Britain is a dump now. France too because Africans speak one or the other. Everyone else learns it in school. Nobody learns Slovak and that will keep a lot of the riff raff out and everyone else will go as a tourist and go home.

[@JCmk-v3w]

Thanks Bud. Much appreciated!

[@richardsingh5827]

Interesting video

[@Tibetandemocracy]

US Slovakia are dependent systems. In Slovakia 4$ a hour means they got 7$ or 8 $ a hour due to Social, health and take took it. Then get health and education for free..

[@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!

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@KristineB-ey4sb]

Very nice moustache:)

[@Pawel_Mrozek]

Language in Slovakia can be a problem especially outside the capital. I see this from my own experience. Everywhere I go on holiday from Poland I communicate in English except in Slovakia where usually due to the similarity of our languages it is easier to communicate speaking Polish than English. I have been here for the fourth time and almost nowhere in restaurants, shops or even museums have I met a person who understood English.

[@Dalmenco]

I can speak Croatian-Serbian but English is my 1st language. I understand Slovak..

[@zelva6792]

as a native english speaker, your choices are basically bratislava or kosice its unlikely you can get a job anywhere else, they dont english,(and to this day many despise english speakers) good luck friend

[@hugotoscher4734]

Think is wages are lower but the cost of living is not even close.

[@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!

[@echoskelet]

Jazyk treba mat pod kozi, ked vies sa navygovat tak mas dobre. 👍 Kup si thermo oblek to ti moze pomoct.Ano ale kazdy stat ma inu ekonomiu. You need to have the language under your skin, if you know how to navigate then you are good. Buy thermo clothing that might help you. Yes but every state (country) has different economic system. good winter meme

[@edwardmedica8580]

I love Souvlakia LOL!!!

[@Epiqe]

Greetings from Nitra :)

[@nicksterba]

Zdravim!

[@privacymatters4714]

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

[@rickmorgan1441]

lol

[@tenzinworld2610]

Sir iam from India living in Bratislava I have been following you and i m looking for new job please guide me.😢

[@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

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@kelvinnwaigwe4033]

I want to come to Slovakia

[@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

[@heinrichwolfenstein7303]

I live in Považská Bystrica- small industrial town in the north. Sounds bad, but we have a nice mountains, a lot of green and a lot of job oportunities. I pay 600 euros for 3+1 flat with 2x balcony, garage and 2 parking spaces. I earn 1500-2000 € as CNC mill programmer 5 years after school. With my GF, we have more than 1000 euros of spare cash to spend on weed, good food or gas to my V12.

[@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!

[@nicksterba]

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

[@ybytes4005]

Panelák is singular and paneláky is plural. Hey bud, when dealing with officials such as Drs or filing paperwork, it doesnt hurt to slip in a few bucks to grease the wheels as they say.. It'll put your paperwork at the top of the heap at the very least!

[@Wagner-rb4tm]

Hi, I always liked what you post here on KZbin but we are not friends yet, I Normally don't comment here on KZbin but your unique close resemblance with an old friend of mine made me text you.

[@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.

[@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 ....

[@XM_Josaux]

Problem with these old "low budget" city commieblocks is nowadays they can get actually even more expensive than some small old houses in rural areas. And their architecture and design looks disguisting and depressive. Compared to condos or apartments in North America.

[@nicksterba]

I think they are fine for renting, but yeah owning? It'd be tough to convince me to buy one personally. I agree the overall design isn't appealing and makes me think of old soviet footage or something. Condos in the U.S. can be nice, but oftentimes I feel like they all have the same "modern" style to them, which I'm not always crazy about.

[@SekundovaMaria]

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 😅

[@AZeroSum]

Accurate. Depending on age.

[@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...

[@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

[@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!