Jan & Tereza

Czech Republic
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Profile information

Travel information
We are currently
At home
Our next destination:
France - from Aug 2025 until Sep 2025
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Description
Hello, my name is Jan (28) and I will be volunteering together with my girlfriend Tereza (20). I have graduated in Sinology and now work as an MEP electrical designer, and Tereza is studying Tourism. I already have some voluteering experience - in 2023, I volunteered for 2,5 months in Taiwan, staying on organic farms, an eco-village and a buddhist temple (via WWOOF and Workaway), and 2,5 months in Japan, where I stayed on goat farms (via WWOOF). Now, I want Tereza to also discover the wonders of volunteering 😊!
Interests
DIY & crafts
Pets
Languages
Charity work
Events & social
Camping
Self development
Yoga / Wellness
Photography
Technology
Plant care
Music
Hiking
Farming
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Culture
Books
Cooking & food
Art & design
Animals
Languages
Languages spoken
Czech: Fluent
English: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
French: Intermediate
Polish: Intermediate
German: Beginner
Japanese: Beginner
More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.
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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Art Projects
Charity Work
Eco Projects
Life at a Farmstay
Some knowledge of:
Teaching
Gardening
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
General Maintenance
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Languages
More details about your skills
I've got masters' degree in Sinology/Chinese studies, so I'm quite well versed in Chinese culture and language. A huge part of our life is music, I'm an amateur composer and like playing piano, accordion and other various instruments. Tereza is a great piano player. When there is a chance, we like to go to classical music concerts. We are both avid language learners, I know several languages, especially Czech (my native language), English, Chinese and Russian, but I also have experience with Japanese and German. I am learning French now! Tereza can speak Czech, English and French.

I started getting to know more about permaculture and farming during the pandemic and already started some projects at home.When volunteering, I learned how to use various tools like a drill, tend to animals and other various skills. I also like cooking. Tereza is a great baker and she loves cleaning - definitely a plus!
Age
28 & 20
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  No

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3 Sep 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Volunteering experience in a ...)

I stayed in the monastery for 25 days. I believe, that most had been already said about the place in other comments, so I will just add some of my personal experiences.

It is not only full of monks, kind and compassionate people, who give up earthly pleasures in order to focus on their personal development, but it also serves as a magnet for… read more

(Excellent)

25 Jul 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help with building an eco ...)

I stayed more than 3 weeks in Changbin and it was a very unique and in some ways also a challenging experience. I came there absolutely physically unprepared, I was used to sedentary lifestyle, my hands were soft and I didn't expect the killer combination of sweltering and humid taiwanese summer and physical labor. However, in the end, the… read more experience made me stronger both physically and mentally.

The work was centered around construction and general maintenance. The eco village is in its early phases of construction and there is a lot of work left to do. I learned how to use various tools like drills, nail guns and electric saws, and also learned a lot about bamboo construction - how to choose the right bamboo, how to drill holes in it, how to bind it and much more. You better learn how tie knots before coming to Changbin, because it is one of the most essential skills over there.

Gradually, I became used to the climate and manual labor, I became less clumsy, didn't injure myself every day and became more and more confident. The host, Shengbo, was incredibly patient with me and I'm very thankful for this.

The host Shengbo is one of the biggest highlights of my first workaway experience in Changbin. He is not only a hardworking and skilled craftsman, but he is also an inspiring visionary and teacher with great spiritual insights. He is very eager to teach everyone about his healing techniques - slapping and stretching, which you can use to heal your body, and also about qigong and meditation.

In the end, I decided to leave Changbin one week earlier than what I originally planned. It is because you don't really have many opportunities to go explore Changbin and its surroundings, because there are no free days. You always follow Shengbo, whether it is to the restaurant, which is run by his wife Xuefen (who is an incredible cook by the way, thank you for all the amazing meals!), to the beach, to the river or to the hot springs, which is all really nice. The place in the mountains, where the eco village is being constructed, is quite secluded and after a while, I felt like repetition is creeping into my life, so in the end I decided to seek more new adventures.

All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to stay in Changbin, where you can witness and take part in the transformation of the ugly duckling of today to a beautiful swan of tomorrow. I wish Shengbo and Jiansong eco village all the best for the future and I will definitelly observe its advances. I now know, that if I come to Taiwan in the future, my first steps will lead to Changbin and Shengbo's amazing project. Thank you!

(Excellent)

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