I understand the term citizenship as my right not be scorned only on account of my being a foreigner. I have lived through a great many of unpleasant situations. For example, when we were looking for a place to live, we called in response to various ads and the first question was always: "Who are you? Foreigners? We don't rent places to foreigners!" It was pretty humiliating. Also, when we wanted to borrow a videotape in a video rental shop, they refused to give us membership cards, even if we paid an advance (In the past, you had to pay a deposit of CZK 500 if you wanted to borrow a videotape; the deposit was returned when you brought the videotape back). I asked them why they were rejecting us, what they were afraid of - we had a visa in the passport and we were properly registered under the law. I took my passport and showed it to the lady working in the rental shop. She threw it on the counter and said, "You are foreigners! We have had bad experiences with foreigners." We have lived through a great many situations in which we felt like we belonged to an inferior race. I have a friend who wanted to enrol her son in a school in Dablice. When she came to the headmaster's office and said that she was Ukrainian and wanted to enrol her child in school, the deputy told her, "Yes, I can see that." When in my life was citizenship important to me? I think it was when I got my first Ukrainian passport (16-17 years). I felt I was somebody. I could boast of having a Ukrainian passport :-) On the other hand, when I gave birth to my daughter, I wished that she might get Czech citizenship, that she might be spared all the mockery and humiliation... With Czech citizenship, life is easier - people look at you from a different perspective; you have a job; they talk to you in a different way; I could continue... I wonder why people behave like that. The first time we came to the Czech Republic, people here seemed nice, everybody was smiling. It looked as if they were "singing" instead of speaking (that was our first impression). As the time goes by, I can now see that people here are calculating and obnoxious and that they rejoice in ridiculing others. Back in Ukraine, people were happy when they saw visitors from a faraway place. They recommended the best hotels, and treated them nicely. If somebody came for a visit, tables were loaded with food (not to show that local people have money but to demonstrate how delicious Ukrainian cuisine is, to make the visitors enjoy their stay in Ukraine). Now, as the time goes by, everything changes - both people and the State. We don't want to return to Ukraine. There is nothing at present – there's no work, no money. People are angry and unhappy, prices are rising. How are people to pay the rent for their flat if the pension they get is lower than what they have to pay? However, the biggest mess is the healthcare system (and note that saying this is a euphemism). Nobody will treat you unless you pay for that. Being Ukrainian is now good for nothing. It's not that I don't like my country. Ukraine is a beautiful country, it has a beautiful countryside, but nobody takes care of it any more. It's just that life in Ukraine is pretty difficult now. If there were enough jobs and better living conditions, people wouldn't run away from home, leaving their children in the care of their grandparents. We don't know whether we will apply for Czech citizenship. It is associated with many complications. If we wanted to go to Ukraine to visit our relatives, we would have to apply for a Ukrainian visa. I wonder which of our grandmothers would go to the embassy to get our visas, queue there and pay for them? In the Czech Republic we already have permanent residence. So far we are satisfied. Time will tell what the future holds for us.