Flat-tired but happy

I had a bit of a culture shock when I first arrived in Prague. For one, I couldn’t imagine how most people here could live in flats, or apartments as what we call them back home. There are no backyards, no gardens; just rows and rows of buildings where a small space inside one of them is what you can call your home. The yard where you could sit to enjoy the vast sky above is replaced with balconies. Inside the flats are potted plants and flowers to make up for the lack of a garden.

Getting Czeched means accepting the fact that buying a house with a garden for me and A is a far-fetched idea. A small house in Prague or nearby means several millions of crowns, something we just cannot afford. This means having no choice but to "settle" for a flat, though that is an understatement. Flats are also expensive and looking for one requires energy, patience, lots of patience, before you can find the one you like and which is within your budget. The craziest thing is, they get sold-out even before they are built.

To give you an idea how expensive flats are in Prague:

studio-type, 40sqm = 1.8 to 2.1 million kč (x 2 or 3 in pesos)
1 bedroom, 50sqm including the balcony= 2.2 to 2.5million kč

Take note that when you buy a unit, you wont own a piece of land where the building stands.

A and I have been scouring the city for a two-room flat (it will probably take us a lifetime to pay the mortgage) for four months now. Last weekend we went to see some newly-built units in Prague 9. Similar ones will be built soon to be finished in Autumn of next year. We decided not to get one for the reason that we want to spend money for something that is more than just a blueprint. So we are back to square one.

On to the highlight of our weekend: We had dinner with other Filipinos for the first time last Sunday. It was organized by my friend Eva in barely three days. (Bilib talaga ako sa power. :) At first it felt strange talking in Bisaya (to Jeanette who is from Negros Oriental) and in Tagalog after more than a year of talking only in English and in my few broken Czech sentences. It turned out to be a lovely evening. A and I had a blast. We are looking forward for more gatherings to come. I wasn't able to take pictures that night but Eva has some in her blog.

Today we have another appointment with a real estate agent to see this flat in Troja. Yes, sometimes I get so flat-tired. Nonetheless I'm happy for these things in my life--- having new friends and hopefully finding a flat of our own at last.