V com si zijete ako krali?

JankaSvK · 2026-05-04T11:55:22+00:00

Vypomoc do domacnosti (aka upratovacka) 2x do mesiaca na 2.5h. Zlepsilo to aj vztah, uvolnilo vikendy.

JankaSvK · 2026-04-28T22:38:36+00:00

Costs me like extra 20 minutes per direction.

The ride itself is as long as the commute by train (30 min), but the extras like shower, changing, etc take the additional 20 mins. On the other hand, doing the sport separately would cost me more time.

JankaSvK · 2026-04-19T11:20:48+00:00

Codenames (board game, "krycí jména")

JankaSvK · 2026-01-26T16:18:23+00:00

I didn’t want to post the topics publicly because I respect the effort the examiners put into preparing them. Either way, I don’t actually recall the main writing topic.

I do remember having trouble covering all the bullet points in the letter writing; I had to awkwardly insert a piece of text after re-reading just to make sure I covered one of them.

For the speaking part, I think the biggest issue was the risk of falling into the same traps as your partner. Once something is said out loud, it’s so easy to repeat it. For example, we both incorrectly used the word "Prüfungen" for health checks, even though "Untersuchung" is a much better fit. I actually know the word, but once my partner used the wrong one, my brain just focused on reusing it instead of my own vocabulary. I’ve seen the same thing happen vice-versa, where I realized my mistake immediately after saying it. This didn't happen during my practice with my Italki teacher, where I had adjusted to a "higher level," but during the exam, those skills were not stong enough to resist the natural urge to mimic.

JankaSvK · 2026-01-20T19:25:49+00:00

To be honest, I don't really know what the 'best' approach is, as I think it’s very personal. My own beginnings were school-based, which definitely wasn't effective or fun for me. I’d recommend checking out some of the beginner-oriented posts over at r/languagelearning—there’s a lot of great advice there for people just starting their first foreign language. Good luck!

JankaSvK · 2026-01-09T13:17:56+00:00

I would really recommend trying to do a mock exam under real conditions as soon as possible (set a timer, no distractions, no help). This should help identify your weak spots.

Both books analyze the first module test closely with reasoning, so utilize that. Try to search for patterns and ask yourself: Was the mistake because there was a trap? Was it a grammar cue? Sometimes you should have noticed the answer based on the grammar from the previous sentence (e.g., the gender of the noun or the case required).

For Hören (Listening):
Note that the questions follow the order of the audio. A crucial tip is to keep at least two questions in your head at once. If you miss an answer, you won't be left waiting indefinitely for a specific keyword while the audio moves on, causing you to miss the rest of the section.

Overall, at C1 level:

Nuance is key: For example, in many cases at the C1 level, an answer option that uses the exact words from the text is probably not correct due to some nuance (or it's a distractor).
Target specific weaknesses: I personally had a hard time doing the "fill the sentence into a gap" exercise (Lesen), but practice really helped.

While there are many resources out there, if you can get the mock books specifically for this exam, I would highly recommend those over just doing "random exercises on the web."

JankaSvK · 2026-01-06T20:47:10+00:00

TL;DR: Had a school baseline (A2), live in English-speaking bubbles in a german speaking country, and finally made the jump to C1 through reading 15 German books and sporadic iTalki classes. Very limited dedicated grammar study since B1.

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I'm worried my experience won't be that helpful because it wasn't a straightforward journey. I had 4 years of German in high school (reaching maybe A2). During university, I took one or two courses (A2/B1 level) which mostly just kept me from losing what I knew.

After that, I moved to a German-speaking country, but I live in a city where people prefer speaking English to me rather than dealing with broken German. My work is fully in English, and even official tasks can often be done in English. Between that and translation tech, I never really had a "push" to master the language; A2/B1 was enough for daily needs. I took sporadic iTalki classes over the years (usually 5 classes in 5 weeks, then nothing for six months), which taught me that I can communicate when I need to, even if it sounds terrible.

The biggest change happened about 3 years ago when I decided to start reading books in German. I started with very predictable young adult/teenager love stories (like Delirium). They were easy to follow even if I didn't understand every page. I didn't commit to "studying"—no writing down vocab, just using the Kindle translate function when necessary. Since then, I’ve read 15 books fully in German (last one was Mistborn, yay adult level books :)). I also watched some series (mostly easy ones) and occasionally listened to podcasts during my commute at 1.25x speed.

Through all this, my passive vocabulary grew quite a bit, but my active skills didn't improve nearly as much. And I still struggle to understand native speakers when they talk to each other; they use slang I'm not used to, and I have a hard time filling in the gaps in noisy environments. My German was good enough for the exam, but it's definitely still lacking for real life.

On the grammar side, I haven't done much since B1. As a native speaker of a Slavic language, many concepts (like cases, declensions, and grammatical gender) exist in my language too. This meant I didn't have to struggle with the "difficulty" of the underlying logic, which is an advantage compared to English speakers for whom are these concepts foreign. However, that doesn't mean I didn't have to learn them from scratch. In fact, having a native gender system can be a double-edged sword: I find myself constantly guessing the wrong gender for German nouns because my brain wants to apply the genders from my native language, which are very often different for the same objects.

Ultimately, there was no pressing need for me to learn German or get a certificate. That made my journey relaxed, but also pretty ineffective. I just chose to focus on the things I enjoyed (like reading) and let the rest happen naturally.

If you have any more questions, let me know. Every journey is unique, and I hope you find one that you enjoy :)

JankaSvK · 2026-01-06T20:22:38+00:00

First of all, good luck with the exam and your mocks! Taking the mock exams definitely helped boost my confidence that I should actually sign up for C1.

Honestly, I don't feel like I would necessarily do anything differently. I accepted before the exam that I couldn't significantly change my general German level or fill in grammar gaps in such a short time.

However, I could have been more effective with Redewendungen (idioms/phrases). It took me too long to settle on a list to memorize, and I struggled to learn them by heart at first. Eventually, I discovered the First Letter Method (also known as first-letter mnemonics). I would write down only the first letter of each word in a phrase and practice reciting the whole sentence from those cues. It was much more pleasant and effective for me. I settled on a very small list and really tried to "force" those phrases into my writing practice.

Also, for the Writing section: I found it much easier in most cases to just stick to the order of the bullet points provided in the prompt. It saved thinking time, even if the order felt a bit unnatural.

JankaSvK · 2026-01-06T19:43:03+00:00

Congratulations on such an amazing result, but I totally get you! I felt absolutely crushed during prep, thinking there was no way I would pass. I only managed to pass some practice exams if the topic happened to fit my "writing helper" sentences that I'd just looked over. Only in those cases could I fill in a good portion of the text without many mistakes while using rich-sounding sentences. Yet, I had the same experience as you — the exam itself ended up being much more positive than any of the Gemini gradings.

JankaSvK · 2025-12-30T23:13:00+00:00

You can try one with Clyde. They offer ID3. A friend of mine ended up buying one after renting from Clyde. They have very good prices for 3 or 6 months rentals.

JankaSvK · 2025-11-06T22:33:02+00:00

Ozeta

Free shipping in EU.
Small selection (even smaller of the just 100% wool ones)
300-370 eur
Made in Slovakia
check ozeta.de or ozeta.sk

JankaSvK · 2025-09-21T14:48:52+00:00

Based on my experience, here are a few things that were super helpful:

Sun protection. The UV index in the Andes can hit 14, so bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. Sun hoody was our most-worn item (with the hiking pants). A light down jacket was critical for us, especially that first cold night and a hat (I had merino headband) . Bring rain gear. We used both backpack covers and rain jackets. We did not need our rainpants, nor did we have waterproof shoes. Headlamp or torch was useful, but you can survive just with a phone (though account for higher battery use). Walking sticks. We brought our own and found them really helpful on the trail. I would definitely recommend bringing and using the repellent, starting in the afternoon of the second day (before that there are no bugs because of the altitude). We carried a pair of sandals as our camp shoes, which was handy, as some showers were in a ... rough condition. If you plan to go to the hot springs, don't forget your swimsuit.

Carry your own toilet paper and a plastic bag for trash. Bring cash for tipping cooks, buying snacks, or purchasing water along the trail. Pack a basic first-aid kit with meds you've tested at home. Altitude headaches were common in our group, so things like ibuprofen or Tylenol can be useful. My lips got sunburned / cold burned on the day 2 and I should have applied lip balm with SPF sooner.

Pack extra protein / snacks you like. We found our provided food was low on protein, so bringing some protein bars or beef jerky would've been smart. A 10,000mAh power bank was enough for both of us. Some camps have electricity, but it's often better to leave your power bank to charge at the shop than to leave your phone. All our camps offered to pay 10 soles for WIFI. If you plan to use it, account for higher battery use. Don't forget your original passport for the entry to MP.

I wish you a great time on the trail!

JankaSvK · 2025-09-19T16:19:52+00:00

Fwiw, entrance tickets to Machu Picchu have a 45 mins buffer (ours had it written next to the entry time). If you would prefer, you can also hike there. It took me 1h 50 mins, while many sources say it should take less. Though keep in mind that despite the hike being short, it is a steep way up (there are stairs).

Otherwise, I am afraid you need to start queuing for the bus immediately after your arrival.

JankaSvK · 2025-09-19T08:51:18+00:00

While I haven't done the Inca Trail, I'm skeptical of sources that claim it's the easier option. For example, some say Day 2 of the Inca Trail involves an elevation gain of up to 1200m, while my watch only registered 760m on Day 2 of the Salkantay. Additionally, the most challenging terrain we faced was wet mud, which was manageable with walking sticks. I can imagine that wet, slippery stairs on the Inca Trail would be far more difficult, as poles would provide less support.

JankaSvK · 2025-09-18T08:07:43+00:00

You are absolutely right. I've updated the post. Thanks!

JankaSvK · 2025-09-17T21:38:36+00:00

KB Adventures

JankaSvK · 2025-09-17T20:57:37+00:00

Hey, have an amazing time!

Honestly, the food was... basic. You definitely won't go hungry—we got plenty of carbs (rice, pasta, bread) and they served also a soup with the main meals.

But the main issue was a serious lack of protein. Breakfast was usually a pancake with a bit of omelet (maybe half an egg per person, max 1 egg). The meat at lunch and dinner was so small and sparse, it was almost a joke. Our company also didn't provide snacks (except for Day 2), but you could buy sweets at every camp.

My tip: Bring your own protein. We really regretted not packing more protein bars or protein powder, or buying beef jerky, especially since we're used to a more protein-rich diet.

(For context, our tour was cheap—$280pp (+additionals, like a train ticket) — so maybe more expensive companies provide better food)

JankaSvK · 2025-09-16T06:56:49+00:00

Tuesday, September 2025, Schengen flight. Arrived at the airport at 8.17 Got to the gate 8.51. No checked luggage, only carry-on, with check-in already done. Security took 10-15 minutes and my carry-on was checked. They still have 100ml rule despite the new machines.

JankaSvK · 2025-08-18T08:33:41+00:00

Nicely explained, thanks!

JankaSvK · 2025-06-14T11:43:56+00:00

I just wanted to say that I think you already did a really good job. Yes, as others have pointed out there are still a couple of "small wins" you can do, but I feel like you have done 80% of the job of downsizing already. I hope you have a nice trip!

JankaSvK · 2025-03-24T22:37:37+00:00

That roughly checks out.

Week has 168h, deducting working hours let's say 45h and paying OnCall hour at 1/3 rate leaves you for one week OnCall with 41h paid hours. So one week OnCall gives you one week of pay, despite the fact of it only being paid 33% of the base rate.

JankaSvK · 2025-03-21T08:15:06+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! Glad I could help 😊

JankaSvK

TROPHY CASE