As I said before, I really wanted to stay in Prague, but I needed to understand how it would be and the risks I would have if I start a company there. Depending on the situation, I would start even a popular market and register as a company, I just didn’t care. Hehe. Just kidding. I had already some business in my mind, but first I needed to go to the Brazilian embassy to check how things worked in Czech Republic. But before going I needed to change my flight tickets to Brazil. I just had three more days in Europe and it wouldn’t be enough to go to Poland and solve company and visa problems.
I called the flight company and had the “good” news that I would have to pay 130 Euros more because the day I was trying to change was more expensive. I didn’t have much choice, put it to March 21st, paid it and went to the embassy to try solving my life problems.
This time I knew where the embassy was, I wouldn’t get lost again. I got into the building, really charming by the way, passed through a red carpet, like in the Oscar’s event, and found a gate. I called to get in the room and they answered really quickly. An old Czech lady, around forty five years old, received me. She should’ve been Brazilian but you know how things are in our country. Certainly she was some wife of a friend or even recommended by some guy who worked there.
I was well treated, she asked me to wait a bit, offered drinks and everything, I felt important there. My visit was expected as the topic of the meeting with the consul. After ten minutes of waiting I was received by the consul. I wasn’t that well dressed for the meeting, just some jeans and a nice suit. I am not rich but I didn’t want to be treated as another Brazilian that wanted to stay there washing dishes. The consul welcomed me and asked me to sit to start the conversation.
- So Mr. Belino, you realize that starting a company here is not difficult as it may seem. You’ll just need money for that. – the consul said.
That’s when the money talk started. There weren’t lots of taxes to pay in Czech Rep. like in Brazil, but I would have to declare my earnings in my country as well for the first year, crazy stuff. The worst thing was that the dream became impossible when he said something about the beginning of the company. To start I would have to give twenty five thousand Reais (around U$15.000) to the Czech government to guarantee that the company wasn’t a fake and that it wouldn’t break immediately after starting it. They took this amount also to avoid immigrants to the country, and I’d never see this money back.
Twenty five thousand Reais was difficult to have. I stopped listening to the procedures and started thinking about the money. Even if I’d give this amount to the government how would I start the company? With five hundred Reais?! That was impossible. But I didn’t have other choice, it was that or nothing. I chose nothing and gave up. It was better to have a long vacation and that’s it. I would stop thinking about immigration, that was enough! I could think about it when back to Brazil getting back to my plans to go to Canada with my friends. If I put effort it would be possible by the end of the year.
I thanked the consul for the information and went out of the embassy a bit sad. But it wasn’t that bad. I still had some money in my pocket and could visit other countries. As I was close to the center I decided to go to the train station. It was time to buy my tickets to Poland.
I also had some football business to solve there. My visit to that country was arranged before, but before coming to Europe the meeting with the businessmen was cancelled due to the bad time and the money problems the club was facing. As I’d promised the girl I met on internet that I would go to meet her there was no reason to cancel the trip. She called before asking if I would like to spend the New Year Eve in Poland with her and her friends, but as I had everything planned with Chun Li I couldn’t, besides I needed to go to Vienna, and from Prague the trip was shorter.
I got in the train station and looked for information desk. They said I should go to an agency at the left corner of the station. Thank God they spoke English there, if not I would have some trouble. I bought tickets to Łódź in Poland at January 9th at night, this way I would have time to prepare myself. The trip would take nine hours and I would have a stop in a city called Katowice, also in Poland, to change trains. The tickets were valid for the whole month, so if I decided to stay there a bit longer, it wouldn’t be a problem. Cost: 79 Euros to go and come back to Prague.
I head home, called the girl I met on the internet and asked her to find some place for me to stay. Everything was arranged, I just need to departure. Now you should be asking: Who is this girl? So, it will be explained in the next post.
BR Na Europa!
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