:(

I've decided that one of the worst feelings in the world is not being satisfied after a meal. You eat, but you remain hungry, and that is all you can think about.

Where does the time go?

So, as usual, I have finished all of my work for the day before 11:00am. That means I can update my blog!

The past couple of days have been filled with activity. On Tuesday I had my first Slovak lesson with one of the girls in AIESEC. She's really nice, and told me that I'm doing well on pronunciation. I think it's because I'm an auditory learner when it comes to languages, so I just repeat what she says the best I can. Some of that may have to do with how I learn music. When I hear the melody, I can repeat it. I learned some numbers, how to correctly say each letter of the alphabet, days of the week, and some simple phrases! It was a lot of fun, even though I was a bit nervous because that was my first real experience being "taught" since I left Cornell. It was helpful though, and I'm glad I'm finally starting to communiate with people without sounding ridiculous. (for some reason, whenever I read a Slovak word, I accidentally pronounce it with a french accent? what?!)

I also had one of the best meals at lunch that day. We went to a little cafe called Frederik's Place. The music was strange, and the lighting was kind of low, but I had grilled chicken with apples and curry with rice, and let me tell you, not one part of that plate had food on it after I was finished. The sauce was creamy and balanced the flavors of the chicken and apple, and the rice was perfectly cooked. I can't describe how happy I was. The service industry in Slovakia is much different than in the US, and usually, you're lucky if they deliver the right order, or any food at all, so the fact that I got a well made, hot dish, was almost a religious experience. I did feel badly for the others though, who ordered the lunch special, because it came out cold with too much sauce and no flavor. Oh well. I was willing to splurge the extra 50Sk for a good meal.

Wednesday was our Business Breakfast Seminar with Ernst & Young. Their offices are brand new, and very pretty. In the conference room, one side is all windows offering a great view of the main street all the way up to the houses on the hill a couple of kilometers away. The presentation was about how to attain investment funds from the state and the EU...so if you know a company that is looking to expanding into Slovakia, I can hook them up.

They layout was really professional. Every seat had a glass, a bottle of water, a pen, a legal pad, and a package that included a print-out of the powerpoint presentation and some materials that went into further detail. I took about 3 legal pads and 5 pens because I'm desperate for office supplies...and because I can't help myself...when things are free, I take advantage. The food was good too. It was a nice assortment of fruit, bread, cheese, pastries, yogurt, and cereal.

I'm still pretty shy about mingling with the people who come to these events, because I'm not sure who they are or how good their english is. However, it was fun seeing the faces of the people that I had corresponding with through email for 2 weeks. "Oh, so you're the person behind assistant@britcham.sk!" they said. "Yes, that's me". I was also told that good words have been spread around about me, that I'm a "lovely American girl working for the Chamber", so that's positive.

When I was talking to Livia and the two Global Incentives Advisors (both women) that spoke during the presentation, I had to laugh a bit. One of them thought that the new Executive Assistant at the Chamber (me) was a guy! "I thought you were going to be a man, because of the name!" she said. HAHAHAH. I guess I should changee my name to Elise Cordellova....that might help, since the "ova" denotes a female,

Livia then explained that when she heard an American would be filling the position, she thought I was going to be a fat, black girl from the city!!! Oh, expectations, how funny they can be. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted from her perception of the US, or laugh. I told her I was sorry to disappoint her, since I obviously don't fit any of those criteria. Come to think of it though, I think I have only seen 1 black person the entire time that I have been here. That's an interesting change.

After the seminar I met Mirka, my buddy, so that I could apply for my work permit. I thought it was going to take forever, but the whole process lasted about 15 minutes! So, I have to wait for that to come through (probably next week) and then I have to get a health check, and then finally go to the foreign police for my temporary residence permit. Being a US citizen is definitely not helping me out over here. Oh well. At least I have Mirka to translate for me!

After all that, I went back to the dorm to change clothes and relax until I had to go TEACH ENGLISH! I did get a little lost when I was trying to find it, because there are buses and trams, and I took the bus, but the place I needed to go was on the side with the tram, so I had go to the underground walkway and figure it out. There are only 3 students in the class right now, and only 2 were present that day, but I think overall it is going to be a really good experience for me. The hour long class went by really quickly and we talked about everything from the political past of Slovakia to my favorite dishes that my parents make for me back in Ohio. I also taught them a new word!!!!!!!!!! "Perception". I wanted to talk to them about Slovakia adopting the Euro, and asked what their perception was concerning how Slovakia is preparing to make the switch. It was really gratifying that I could explain something new to them and have them understand it.

After the class I had a long talk with Valeria, the teacher who set me up with the job. I really like her, she has a friendly spirit, and loves her job. She bolsters my enthusiasm for teaching. I was able to get myself home just fine, although when I was crossing the street some kid started talking to me, and I said "pardon?" because I had no idea what he was saying. He started saying it again, almost yelling, and I just said "I'm really sorry, I don't speak Slovak" He kept going, and finally just made the "I give up" gesture with his hands and kept walking. I was baffled. I wonder if that is how people who can't speak much English in the US feel. I have more empathy for them now than ever before.

A Tour!

I promised I would get some pictures up, and I intend to fulfill that promise. So, here they are!

This is the path I take to get to the bus stop. The guy on the bike is Sarp. Vaida and I were on our way to the city centre, and they joined us.

This is Vlcie hrdlo bus stop. I know. Very interesting. At least now you know where I face the Bratislava winter cold every morning. (I do wear gloves, no worries)

This is part of the city centre. There is a lot of interesting architecture here, and in Old Town.

This is the KEBAB!!!!!!!!!! There are tons of these places around the city. The kebabs are REALLY good (at least I think so, but Sarp maintains that in Turkey they are much better). They are open pretty late into the night on the weekends, so they make for a good in-between pub/club meal. Spicy and savory with fresh veggies. Yum.

Some more fun city-centre architecture. This is on the way to St. Micheals Gate, one of the hot-spots in Old Town

This is me hanging out with Napoleon, a statue in the square outside of my office. There are a couple other statues around the centre, including a guy coming out of a man-hole. It's fun watching tourists react to them.

This is how we dry our clothes, because there are no dryers. It's inconvenient for space in the room, but I guess it's better for your clothes in the long run.

This is my Danish Beauty, Inge. She has given me the nickname "Miss America". I love it.

These are my roommates! They will probably be mortified that I used this picture, but I thought it was funny. Justina is on the left and Vaida in the center. They're both quite pretty when not contorting their faces.

Badditude

So, I had my first run-in with a Slovak guy yesterday. First, let me set the scene. Sarp, Mattia and I had gone to the pool again. There is no real order to where people swim, so it looks something like the picture to the right. (Well, it's an exaggeration, but thats how I feel)

The pool is 50m long, and there are 4 roped off lanes where "lap" swimmers can do their thing. I put quotes around lap because I use the term loosely. The slow swim with the fast, the talented with the amateur, and the serious with the leisurley. As any seasoned swimmer knows, this can be frustrating. Surviving warm-up at a meet where your competitors are actively trying to maim you is enough, I don't need to get kicked by someone doing sloppy elementary backstroke when I am trying to better myself.


Through the intense training I received between the ages of 8 and 20, I learned that you ALWAYS swim into the wall and that you ALWAYS finish your set. No excuses. You pass with care so as not to drown anyone, and you STAY OUT of the middle of the lane wall to accomodate others. Apparently, the rules are not the same in Bratislava. I was minding my own business and warming up with a 500, alternating strokes. I was doing backstroke, took my 3 strokes into the flip turn, flipped over, and found that I had NO ROOM to complete my turn. I quickly tried to move my body so I didn't hurt anyone, and they moved out of the way, so I finished my turn and kept swimming. That's what you're supposed to do, you keep swimming. Later, after I had finished my set, I was talking to Mattia about doing some intervals when I felt a poke on my shoulder. I turned around, and a Slovak guy said something to me tersely in his own language. I obviously had no idea what he was saying, so I responded "I'm sorry?" as innocently as I could. "You speak English? You be more careful" he scolded condescendingly, as if my first language was the main reason for my misdeed, and that it made me stupid.

First, let me say, I REALLY hate being singled out on the basis of my background. Second, I despise when people challenge my intelligence. I am an American, not a stereotype, and I have a world class education. I am trying my best to acculturate myself into your society. However, I do not apologize for trying to get in a real workout. I realize that I didn't stop after I somehow managed to turn when you were obstructing my lane, but honestly, you seem as though you have some experience with a swim team, please act like it because:
(A) I have the right of way as a swimmer in motion
(B) I am actually abiding by the rules, and attempting to get a REAL workout in, not just socializing in the water with my friends in between 50's
(C) I was doing BACKSTROKE, therefore, I CANNOT SEE YOU
(D) Even in my state of being out of shape, I AM STILL FASTER THAN YOU. GET OUT OF THE WAY.

There were other swimmers in the pool that realized I was behind them, stopped at the wall, gave me a "pardon!" (which means "I'm sorry!" in Slovak), smiled, I smiled back, and we kept going. Why couldn't that guy do the same? Had I emasculated him when I nearly took him out with my legs? I don't know. I tried to shake it off, told him I was sorry, and switched lanes. Mattia, who watched the whole thing happen, agreed with my assessment of the situation.

All I know is that the majority of the young adults swimming in that pool could learn from this.

(there is a link there. click on it.)

Bratters Bagels!!!!

When I was in college, there was a place that we all knew as Collegetown Bagels. The cafe/hangout was pretty famous around the area, and they offered a delicious assortment of bagel sandwiches, pastries, and hot and cold beverages. This was the spot that people went to write their papers, socialize with friends, and escape the New York winter with a tall K-love (that was my favorite...hot chocolate with mint...thank you Melanie Tu for introducing me). CTB is a cornerstone in the Collegetown infrastructure and charm. When attending Homecoming or Reunion celebrations, I will always go there for a California Sunrise on a sun-dried tomato bagel.

When I moved to South Carolina, I admit I was worried about the potential lack of bagel cafes. I had become spoiled with the abundance of these fresh baked delicacies. However, after I started dating Matt, I began to spend a lot of time in North Myrtle Beach. One day I was incredibly hungry after taking Captain Jack, the Saint Bernard lap dog, on a walk on the beach. I had no idea where to eat around the area, so I went cruising. Suddenly, right next to the Bi-Lo, I saw a sign that said "Goldbergs Deli". That sounded promising, so I pulled up into the parking lot. When I exited my car I was bombarded with the smell of fresh baked breads and savory sandwiches being made on the range. I was psyched. I walked in, and I realized that the owner was someone who I had waited on at Buffalo Wild Wings, and he was from New York! Of course he understood my cravings! He talked me into an "Everything" bagel with an herb cream cheese and the soup of the day. As my meal was being made, I explored the deli. In the back there was a viewing area to watch them bake the bread products! To top it off, I was looking at the various police badges that decorated the wall, AND I FOUND CORNELL!!!!! I knew from then on that this was the place I was going to go for breakfast (and the bagel was superb).

Unfortunately, I moved AGAIN (see a pattern? nomad lifestyle) to Bratislava, Slovakia. I figured my fresh bagel eating days were probably over, I mean, they don't even have Triscuit crackers!!! (um, care package please?) So I'm sure you can imagine how delighted I was when Inge, my Danish beauty from the lunch crew, asked if anyone wanted to go get bagels for Friday lunch. OF COURSE I DID!!!! We went to Obchodna street (one of the main streets in the city centre) and found Bagel & Coffee Story! I was immediately enthralled. You could get a combo with a bagel sandwich and a drink for 83 Sk! (about $3.63) Thats a good deal cheaper than even the special Denne Menus they have at most restaurants! So I got the chicken bagel, and it was sooooooooo good. It had juicy chicken breast slices, lettuce, tomato, and....freshly grated parmesan cheese! I think I died a little. Plus, the decor is really fun, something out of a 70's tv set with bright colors and interesting furniture. I will be revisiting it.

Hopefully when I decide to fill out "change of address" papers again, I will continue my streak of luck and find another fantastic bagel place.

Clink Clink Bang Drink

So the board meeting went quite well. It has always been interesting for me to experience discussions revolving around business. There are so many important opinions in the room, and reconciling them can sometimes be a real challenge. The board of BritCham is a well suited group of individuals. There is a lawyer, a banker, a CEO, etc. A good mix of influential people that you want to have around in order to get things done. The chairman, John Barter, is my favorite. He is a key member of BAE Systems, and has a couple other entrepreneurial ventures around Slovakia (including a ski lodge!) One reason why I like him is because he is alway so interested in what I have to say. He is adamant about me getting involved and using my youthful creativity. I'm obviously enraptured by the idea of my opinion being important, so I will hopefully not disappoint. Everyone looked at the book I had brought from home that showcases Ashtabula Country in photographs. The book really is beautiful, and that way they can get a sense for where I am from and who I am (because we're not all from NYC, you know)

After the meeting had adjourned John suggested that we all go to a bar across the street for a drink. I'm not sure exactly what time it was, but it was probably somewhere around 7:00 or 7:30. I obviously agreed, and everyone

joined, except for Livia, who still had some work to do. So, it was me and 4 of Bratislava's most successful men. You can imagine how excited I was. Before it was time to order, the lawyer, Dalibor Kiscelica, and I talked about our beverage preferences. I told him that I had tried the darker style beer, and he loved that. He went into a long description of why it is one of the best beers he has ever had. I finally figured out what the name of it is: Šariš (pronounced "Sharish"). It is absolutely delicious. Devoid of chemical processing, you can taste every single ingredient, so the taste is clean and almost sweet. I definitely recommend it.

The night was filled with stories, pints, and laughter. I felt so welcome in their presence, and each of them were attentive and generous. The Chairman even told me I could use his lodge for a weekend. They taught me how to toast properly (hence the title of this entry), asked me about my experiences thus far in Slovakia, gave me recommendations on where to eat, shop, and hang out...it was brilliant. The experiences that these men have had are absolutely extraordinary, and the fact that they wanted to share them with me was priceless. This included tales from military service, trips around the world, hunting stories, and dirty jokes. I'm certainly more comfortable around them now. I feel as though knowing the personal side of the people you're working with can enhance your ability to suit their needs.

The lunch gang seems to be growing! Today I met Inge, from Denmark. She is a lovely person. Very positive and driven in her work. We went out for Chinese, and I had the sweet and sour chicken. Everything was made from scratch (there is an obvious difference between dine-in and take-out Asian food...) and at the end of the meal they give you a stick of Wrigley's Double-mint Gum. What a throw back to the States that is.

Tonight I have to meet with my AIESEC "Buddy" in order to get some things accomplished to get my temporary residence and working permits. I gave them the documents I had gotten in the US yesterday so they could be translated. Apparently I have to wait in line to do some other things. The whole waiting thing is definitely still a part of this culture. We wait to get on the bus, we wait to get food, we wait to get documents, we wait to get paid....the list goes on. I guess some things you just can't break yourself of.

Also, I get my business cards today! It makes me feel so official. This way I can give people my contact information when I go to seminars and whatnot. Anyhow, its a beautiful day in Bratislava! Blue skys with a chilly air, very invigorating. I actually have some real work to accomplish, so I'm going to get to it.

Love to you all.

Little Fish is BACK!

Hello Everyone! It's nice to know that so many people are enjoying reading the anecdotes of my life. The past couple of days have been filled with activity, so I will start with Monday.

After work I went back to the dorm for some reading and dinner. I finished the book "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain (it was amazing, I recommend it), and now I am reading Shantaram, something that was recommended to me when there was a possibility that I would end up in India. I was waiting for Vaida to get back so we could go SWIMMING!!!!! I miss being in the pool everyday, and have felt quite lazy in my inactivity. Mattia and Sarp go every week, and invited me to join them. Mattia and I were actually supposed to race :). I told him I would make him cry when he ate my bubbles. I was only kidding though, because I know my skills are NOT at their peak at the moment.

I can't even describe to you how good it felt to take that first stroke. It's like going home for me. I almost feel more comfortable submerged than I do on land. The pool was 50meters, so that was something I had to get used to. We used to train that way in the summer, but after being out of the pool so long, it takes a toll on you. After awhile I felt like a brick! "Help me! I'm drowning!" It's so embarrassing, because swimming was such a dominant part of my life for so long, but I just tried to focus as much as I could on my technique and not the feeling of sinking. We swam for about an hour, trying to weave in and out of the people who were slower. There is no real order to the pool, people just jump in where they want to, regardless of intent or ability. I'm used to this however, and just tried to use good passing etiquette.

Mattia and I did some intervals together (including some IM!! I was so proud of myself!), but didn't end up racing. He said it wouldn't have been fair because I am so out of shape, haha. He's right, I admit it. It's nice to find someone who shares the same passion for a sport though. I want to go every week, but it will depend on finances and such, since you have to pay 100SKK each time, but in the end I think it will be worth it. I have to do something to offset my intake of potatoes and cheese!!

After that we all went to dinner at their house. Pasta Carbonara!! I love cooking, so I offered to help. They let me sauté. It's so nice having people around that I can hang out with outside of the dorm, especially because I get to experience some cultural diversity. For example, I tried Turkish coffee for the first time. It is delicious, and I'm not really a coffee person. Then Sarp read our fortunes in the seeds.

The pictures here are the view outside of their apartment. It's beautiful what you can see from so high up...kind of like my apartment back in Ithaca (which I miss so much!!! Roof party anyone?)




Tuesday was filled with business. I was researching flights and hotels for Livia and her trip to London for a conference, taking messages from people who were stopping by to inquire about membership, talking on Skype with those of you who have found me (yay!), having a SPECTACULAR lunch with the crew (pizza...again...what did I tell you?) and registering people for the event we having coming up on the 30th. In the mean time I was catching up on email from people from Cornell. I miss them so much! My time at Cornell was such an influential period in my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The girls of Kappa Delta had their recruitment period, and did very well! I looked at pictures from Bid Night, and the new class looks fantastic. Maybe someday I'll be able to join the recruitment process as an alum.

I also got another job! I will be teaching English to a group of adults through a grammar school here in Bratislava. It's supplemental income, so I'm not complaining, and it will give me a chance to really interact with the natives here. It's held once a week for 60 minutes, and the focus is on conversation. I know my mom will be proud of me :).

After work I went to the AIESEC offices to help them with trainee interviews. They needed a native English speaker to evaluate the candidates use of the language from a grammatical and vocabulary standpoint. It was a lot of fun. I liked hearing their stories and trying to open up their stream of consciousness. When I got back to the dorm the girls were already home, so we hung out and talked. Paulina and I bonded over our love of opera music. Music is such a good way to connect to people, because it a universal expression of emotion. No matter what language its in, if someone plays music for me, I understand what they feel.

This morning (Wednesday) it was particularly cold. It even started to snow a little bit! I'm not complaining, because its still sunny out. Besides, I like bundling up in layers. The only issue is that it gets REALLY windy here, so this is what I usually look like:



Amusing isn't it? I certainly think so. Thank goodness for Grammy and Grampy, who got me that coat for Christmas! (and for Bunny, who sewed the buttons I picked out onto it)

As for today, just doing the usual grind, and then we have our first Board meeting of the year. I am being introduced, so its very important. After that, who knows! There are so many things that I still need to explore.

SKYPE!!!

So for those of you who have experienced it with me, or travel a lot and know the importance of staying in contact with those you love, please prepare to be amazed by the wonders of SKYPE.

I have used to Skype several times now to call or chat with people, and let me say, I couldn't be happier.

Skype has allowed me to actually TALK with people internationally for free, call people's cell phones for about 2 CENTS a minute, and video conference. The sound quality is fantastic. Lovely. The best part is that my computer is already equipped with a microphone and speakers, so I don't even need a headset! (unless I want privacy of course, but I'm usually by myself in the office anyway) So together, Skype and Apple are making my world a better place. Normally, it would be unthinkable for me to call my Dad for 30 minutes using a calling card or SIM card. The resulting fees would be awful! I am not paid nearly enough to support a cell phone habit. Thus, this technology is helping me keep my sanity and a positive balance in my bank account.

Therefore, for those of you who do not have Skype yet, I would please ask you to download it at http://www.skype.com/.

It is FREE and they provide instructions, so there is no real reason NOT to do it... unless of course you DON'T want to talk to me :(.

Not a whole lot of funny experiences to note as of late. I do however find it humorous that clubs all over Bratislava play American music. "That isn't funny, places everywhere do that!" Yes, I understand, Hollywood will plague my life forever, but the funny part is when dancing I tend to lip sync to the music (or sing out loud, depending on the volume the DJ decides to thrust upon us). Apparently since I am doing it, others would like to join in. Watching people whose first language is NOT English try to lip sync to English songs is a joy that I cannot even begin to explain. It is SO CUTE. Probably as cute as when I am trying to imitate the sounds of their language when they try to teach me useful (or just plain fun) phrases.

Also, I am enjoying being the "American Girl" of the group. It is a source of humor for my fellow AIESECers. My friend Sarp makes fun of me because I have such a big smile. I told him its a trained reaction to seeing cameras.

Everyone asks me to help them with their English, and when reading Cosmopolitan, Vaida will ask what certain words mean. I love it. It makes me feel a sense of belonging and importance. I feel very lucky to have come here at this time so that I could experience this group of people. I know that if I ever travel around Europe, I have couches to crash on wherever I am. That is a comforting notion.

Things that you see when you're quiet

I would like to take time to introduce everyone to what I have dubbed "The Crayola Coiff Phenomenon".



What is that?



It is the creative, but semi-insane idea of women choosing their favorite crayon, taking it with them to the salon, and having the hairdresser (coiffeur) recreate it in their tresses.



An example: (I'm thinking a mix of Purple Mountains Majesty and Magenta)






To be honest, I have seen this sort of thing before. I have experimented with colored highlights and lowlights (I stand by the fact that my "eggplant" streaks were awesome). Kids that I went to high school with often dyed their hair strange colors for effect. However, none of these adventurous endeavors were meant as PERMANENT statements!


Women all over Bratislava, old and young, have ridiculous colored hair. It is even worse than the trend of using Kool Aid powder. Pensioners with flaming "Razzle Dazzle Rose" heads sit next to me on the bus. Teenagers with "Mango Tango" manes stalk the sidewalks. (that was for you, Dad and Hannah) The difference between these unfortunate souls and the throngs of celebrities that seem to do the same thing (the singer Vitamin C, for example) is QUALITY. If you don't have the money or time to really do your hair in the morning, it may be best to stick to natural looking enhancements, something that accents your natural features, or at least BLENDS with PASSABLE hair colors. Otherwise, your hair resembles an old halloween wig that you haven't bothered to brush since 1987.


Ok. That's my transport observation for the day.

So, I just had to take the time to tell everyone how ridiculous my outfit is today. I am wearing a button down body-suit style shirt (white with black stripes), a black sweater, black cropped pants, grey tights, and silver chuck taylors.

why the sneakers, you ask?

I don't have any proper boots! All I was able to bring over were my Wellies! Plus, it's too cold to wear other shoes, and the streets are cobble-stone-esque, so heels are out the question (and because of all the walking i have to do). I could change my shoes before work, but they hurt because I have a blister from when I wore them on Tuesday and had to run a whole lot of errands!!! The girls and I are going shopping sometime this weekend I think, and I'll buy some then.

AIE!

Also, I am keeping a running tally of how many times the radio plays each song. I may write them a letter if each one gets to be over 4 or 5 during the course of my work day. Whether they will understand my strongly worded English, I don't know. Livia likes to hum to the Slovak songs :) it's really entertaining.

BACK TO WORK!

This is my desk at the office.  There's plenty of space for me to do whatever I have to do.  It's nothing like the private office I had when I was working for the Health Policy Institute, but I like it.  My only issue are the climate extremes that the office apparently goes through.  Right now, it's cold.  I wear a sweatshirt essentially everyday, and my right hand is perpetually cold because thats the one I use to navigate the mouse.  In the summer though, it is ridiculously hot and there is no air conditioning!!!  Socialism/Communism has quite the effect on this country.  The building however, has a lot of history, and it is beautiful.  We have sky lights in every room, which is nice for board meetings when I get bored.  JUST KIDDING!  We haven't had one of those yet, but I'm sure when we do I will be paying attention.  Especially because I edited the agenda for the one coming up, and I am one of the things on the list!  I have to introduce myself to everyone.  I already know the Chairman, John Barter, and one of the directors, Renata.

This is the national theater.  It hosts a lot of classical music, etc.  Beautiful building in the main square a couple of blocks from my office.  McDonalds is to the left :)  I haven't been there.

These are some of my friends from AIESEC!!!  More of them came later.  All together I think there were around 12 of us!  We went to Slovak Pub last night for dinner because they thought I needed to experience some authentic Slovak cuisine.  I agreed.  The restaurant was really crowded, and the waitress was hilariously bad at her job.  My friend Dominic was almost decapitated several times by her tray.  She was doing her best, but its easy to pass judgement when you've experienced the same situation multiple times.  We has SUCH a good time.  A very typical European dinner...it lasted around 2.5 hours.  We laughed, talked, ate, drank, it was wonderful.  The two girls on the far left are my roommates, Justina and Vaida.  They are fantastic!  Vaida came home today with 2 FULL BOXES of chocolate!  I'm talking varieties like you've never seen.  She and Juste (her nickname...pronounced yustah)  work for Kraft and get vouchers to buy chocolate once a month.  The best part is when there are "defect" packaging chocolates, because those are free, and OH so delicious.  Mommy, when you come, you are allowed to partake in the madness that is our sweet stash.  These things put Dove Bars to SHAME.

This is Bryndzové halušky.  That means potato dumplings and sheep cheese.  This one also included smoked bacon.  I ate it.  It was delicious.  I don't think I could ever say no to something this basic and flavorful.  It's almost like gnocchi.  I will be revisiting it.  The beer is good too!  Here it is called pivo, and there are a lot of different types brewed right here in Slovakia!  They are cheaper than mineral water :)  obviously I'm all about saving money!!

Thank you everyone for taking the time to post on my blog and send me emails and whatnot.  It really helps to make Slovakia feel more friendly.  I cannot wait until you all visit!  I'm experiencing new things every day, so I will be able to give you a proper "tour" when you arrive!

Love you all.

Picture Perfect...sort of

So I am sitting here in Barracuda, messing around on the internet, and I come to find that for some reason Skype does not work here? WHAT?!?!?!?! Are you kidding? One of the only cheap ways I have to communicate with loved ones and you are denying me? Do you value your life? Because I can take it from you. Quickly, but not painlessly! Anyhow. I finally have some pictures to post!!! Captions to follow!

This is me at the bus stop! I get on the 70 bus every morning at 7:58am so that I can get to work by 8:30am. The whole trip is only supposed to take 18 minutes, but traffic is ridiculous here in the morning. Think about the traffic to Cleveland on Route 90. Now, subtract 2 lanes, but keep the same amount of cars on the road. AIE! Where do the cars go, you ask? Well, they go further back on the road all the way outside the city, that's where! (for those of you who live below the Mason-Dickson Line...think 501 on a REALLY bad day...tourist season)

This next one is room in the dorm. It is supposed to fit 3 people. "But that is so small? Where does everything go?" Good question. We'll find out when my two roommates get back from their homelands of Poland and Romania. In general I guess the dorm is like any other dorm in the US, but crappier. Seriously. I've been in some pretty rank state school dormitories.

This is the business breakfast that I got thrown into on my first day of work. I had to take notes. It's difficult to follow speakers whose first language isn't English. It's cute though when they apologize for the gaps in their speaking abilities. :) The Mayor was especially funny. "My English...it not so good".

Here is the square that is in the part of the town centre where I work. This is actually just a few steps from my office door! The green/blue looking building is the French Embassy :)...I know that is relevant for some of you. Apparently during Christmas time the whole square was filled with lights and craftsman and little "houses" where people could sit down and have a drink and listen to live music. Eastern Europe likes its holidays. If you look at their calendar, you'll see what I mean.

These are the flights of stairs that I gladly climb a couple of times a day. For one, it's good exercise, and two, it gets me out of the office every once in awhile. It's nice. Plus, the tenants on the other floors are super nice and very generous. I was on my way to lunch the other day and the owner of Tempus Fugit (the restaurant where we had the business breakfast) invited me into his office to meet his wife! They told me to come down whenever I wanted, for tea, some company, whatever! They also gave me some vouchers so I can hang out

in their restaurant :)...Oh the perks of working for an international organization! Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Things have been going really well at work. I have enough time to finish all of my tasks (and then some...those of you who know me know how quickly I work) and then check my email when there is extra time before I have to leave. Ok. I know that's a lie. I check my email all the time during work. Human Resources is NOT going to tell Livia to fire me. She and I are the only two in the office!

She actually invited me to go to the ski weekend with her! I really want to go, but have to find ski clothes...and fast. The trip is in February, but you never know when things will be available, but hey skiing in Austria is the opportunity of a lifetime! Plus its being held in a beautiful hotel and breakfast and dinner are included! Livia said the cooking is fantastic...so obviously I am inclined to go!

Ok. I am going to post this much and then get to work on the rest. I am getting tired of having to reformat the post everything I add a new picture. I need to figure that out I guess. Silly internet.

Pink Toilet Paper?

Funny thing about Europe: pink colored toilet paper.

I find myself at a dull point in work. My boss is gone on a business lunch and some other errands, so I am left to my own devices, with no actual work to do because I am supercharged and finish things ridiculously quickly.

My productivity was at a high level yesterday. I proofread the latest issue and wrote an article for the quarterly newsletter, Bridges (can be found at http://www.britcham.sk/), wrote thank you letters to the speakers and sponsors of Monday's business breakfast, wrote a cover email for an invitation to a seminar sponsored by Ernst & Young, created an excel sheet to keep track of people who register for that seminar, bought a phone card, bought a travel pass (so I don't have to buy the stupid bus tickets anymore), went grocery shopping, and cleaned/organized my room a little bit. I felt good after that.

Another thing about Bratislava: the music, even when it is in English, is rather comical. There is a song that is all instrumental, but has some spoken phrases that proceed like this: "I've seen you around"...."I find you attractive"...."Will you go to bed with me?". Talk about forward. The melody is catchy though. I've also found that "Top Hits" radio stations play the same list of songs every 2 hours...problematic for people like me who work 8 hour days.

I've also been trying to study up on some Slovak before I have to go to lessons. I am at a severe disadvantage when learning because all of my language experience is based in the Romance category. My Lithuanian roommates however, were able to pick up easily on the proninciation of words because some of them are similar. For example. "C" is not pronounced with the usual "kuh" sound. Oh no. That would be too straightforward. It has two pronunciations: "tsz" and "chu", so think tsetse fly and chocolate. All in all, the language has 46 letters. It has our 26, plus letters with accents and other ridiculous additions to them. The letter "Dd" has 4 different representations alone. WHAT?!?!?

Regardless, I am determined to at least learn a little. I said "Dobrý deň" (Good day) to my boss today when I walked into the office, and she loved it. "Ah! Slovak today!" she said. Thus, I need to try harder. I've written down a couple of things that I can study for tonight after dinner (the girls want to take me to an authentic Slovak restaurant...I am SO excited. Their food stapes are potatoes and cheese. What's not to love???)

Some examples of things I am learning:

Dobrý deň (Good day/Good morning)

Jedno pivo, prosím (I would like a beer please)

Kde je WC? (Where is the washroom?)

Hovorim len trošku po slovensky (I lonly know a little bit of Slovak)

Nerozumiem veľmi dobre po slovensky (I don't understand Slovak very well)

Ľúbim ťa! (I love you!)

I know what you're thinking. "Jesus that is a LOT of consonants"! You would be right. I'm working on it. Sort of like where I live, Vlcie hrdlo...took me a while to figure that one out.

I'll upload pictures of ME and where I've been wandering when I get back to the dorm. PROMISE.

A Real Job?

So I know that my posts have not been as up to date as everyone would like. The truth is, internet is very hard to come by for long periods of time here, and I have so much to type. Right now I am in my office at the British Chamber of Commerce. Things seem to be going well so far. My title is Executive Assistant, so you can guess what duties go along with that. Livia, my boss, is a great woman. Very understanding and helpful. We'll see if she likes my writing style and thinks I am a quick learner.



I find myself constantly anxious about my situation. I never know what to expect next, and become very frustrated when things aren't going the way I expected them to. Not having a clue about the Slovak language makes things difficult enough, and then not really having a whole lot of sustained help causes that difficulty to multiply. I know that things will get better, and now that I have a routine for work that will calm me down a bit. I haven't cried or anything, but I feel lost on an almost daily basis. This is expected of course. I'm living in Eastern Europe for goodness sake!



As for work, I like it so far. I'm doing a lot of the things that I did when I was working in the non-profit sector in Ohio, so things are familiar. Livia listens to an American music station at work :)...it's cute. Apparently pop and R&B fit her tastes! It also gives me a little taste of home. Plus, the office is up 3 flights of stairs, so I should be able to stay in shape!

On my first day I met the Lord Mayor of Bratislava, Andrej Durkovsky. He is a very humble man, and made a presentation of the charm of the city and the projects that his governement is trying to initiate. I also shook hands with the British Ambassador to Slovakia, Michael Roberts. Two brushes with greatness in just 2 hours! I was asked to take notes during the course of the discussion, so I will be typing those up later. The whole experience was overwhelming. I obviously didn't know anyone so I had to kind of ad-lib my way around the room trying to figure out where I was supposed to be. Tempus Fugit, the restaurant, was really pretty, and the owner gave me his business card and told me that if I need anything to call him. It seems that everyone understands my situation and wants to help me the best they can. (apparently i look perpetually frightened, so they want to make sure i don't have a seizure or something)

There is a "lunch crew" that has initiated me. All of the trainees seem to be obsessed with pizza! I've been to lots of italian places over the past couple of days because of that. Of course I'm not complaining, but its entertaining.

There are a lot of interesting things that I've noticed about Bratislava so far. There is graffiti EVERYWHERE. literally. People who have their own mother tongue swear in English. It's hilarious. They even have young men attempting to be ghetto, who have have no business in that category! When we went dancing for my welcome party, there were guys trying to break dance (badly) and one even had on a Sponge Bob Squarepants t-shirt that depicted the cartoon with baggy pants and a grill. Ridiculous. Good luck trying to build street cred in the US after something like that. However, people party pretty hard here. I'm pretty used to going out with my boyfriend (i love you matt), having one or two drinks, and going home to go to sleep all before 2am. Here? The party really gets started around 2! I don't know if I have the endurance for that.

In general I've been sleeping well. Anyone who knows me knows that I sleep light, and have a hard time transitioning from on place to another. The bed leaves a bit to be desired, but I think that's because my mattress at home is a little slice of heaven. Right now my two roommates are in their own countries for exams and what not, so I get privacy when I need it. Who knows how things will go once they are back. I know that they are nice girls, but having 3 women in a small room is always a test of resourcefulness and resiliency.

The group wants to take a trip to Vienna this weekend. I want to go, but I have to make sure that all of my affairs are in order. Besides, the early weekends are the ones I want to spend getting acquainted with Bratislava. I still need to take pictures, but I feel weird being a tourist when all I really want to do is blend as much as possible. That is not to say that Slovakians dislike Americans, that's not the case at all. I've had very nice receptions actually. Everyone comments that my English is much easier to understand because I lack the British accent and are eager to know about the US if they haven't had the chance to travel there.

Today will hopefully be spent working out my phone and travel pass situation.

Don't forget to email me!!!

Also, if you are trying to call me:

You will need to dial 011 followed by the country code 421 and then my Slovakia cell phone number, omitting the first 0 (zero).

My Slovakia Phone Number is: 0910 363 094

At work:

British Chamber of Commerce SR
Sedlarska 5
811 01 Bratislava
Slovak Republic


I LOVE YOU ALL.

Whirlwinds and Welcome Parties

So i apologize to everyone for not being available since Thursday.  There isn't an available network connection in the dorm where I'm living, and I just found out that there was WiFi in a bar next door, so that is where I am now!

I can't even begin to explain to everyone all of the things I've experienced so far.  Bratislava is so different from any city I've visited, but it many ways it is also the same.  Heavy traffic, crowded buses, and a general feeling of organized chaos.

Moving in was pretty easy.  I didn't take much stuff over because I knew I would be cramped for space since I am living with two other girls in a dormitory (and because my father is an expert at telling me how many things I actually DIDN'T need that I had already laid out)  The girls were at work when I arrived so I had plenty of time just to get everything done.  It was funny later when they came home and saw that everything was already put away.  "Usually people just sleep when they get in!"  As all of you know, I can't sleep knowing that my life isn't organized :).  The dorm is interesting.  The beds double as storage units, the toilet and shower are in separate rooms with the sink being in the adjoining hallway, and there is no noise insulation.  I've actually been sleeping quite well though...probably from exhaustion.

I miss everyone so much!  I dream about all of you every night.  It's quite strange actually, but then again, so is the unconscious, and my brain in general, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.  Thank you for your posts, calls, emails, etc.  You have no idea how much they help me.  It is difficult not being able to communicate well with people, but luckily all of the AIESECers speak (broken) English.  I cannot wait until Slovak classes start so I can finally order something in a restaurant!

Well my computer is about to die, so I will have to post this now and then continue later.  I have SO MANY THINGS to tell everyone.  Tomorrow is my first day of work and I will be meeting the Mayor of Bratislava for a business breakfast.

i love you all. keep in touch.  i will get you my phone number and instructions soon.

GROSSES BISES (i know that's french, ill get the slovak phrase tomorrow)

Layovers and Languages

Embarking on this 17 hours excursion has given me a new understanding of airports and the way they function.  To me they seem to be compartmentalized institutions that hire a wide variety of people with equally diverse capabilities that can only offer information that is applicable to their specific responsibility.  In other words, you're basically on your own unless you can find someone among the masses who knows how to think outside of the box.

At least most of them have free WiFi, which has made this post possible and helped the time to pass quickly during my 3 hour layover in between flights.

More to come....