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.