Moment of Peace

So, as I mentioned in a previous entry, I did some proofreading for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce because they don't have the resources to get it done professionally. I didn't think much of it, but I was a little peeved that Livia was auctioning me off to her colleagues without telling me about it. I have met the Executive Director, Michaela, and I like her a lot, so it wasn't a big deal.

Well, there was a Chamber of Chambers meeting yesterday to disucess the Garden Party we hare hosting in June, and Michaela was the first to arrive. As soon as she walked in the door, she thanked me profusely for my help, and gave me a gift basket! It was completely unexpected, and very generous of her. It included some coffee products, teas, and sweets. Perfect for my dormitory...and I couldn't wait to sample! I don't drink coffee all that much, but my roommates do, and I know they'll appreciate having some extra java around. I even shared some of the hazelnut creme wafers with my English students! Deeeelish.

Bad Food - Good Food

So on Sunday it was Easter, and there wasn't a whole lot to do in Bratislava because everyone seems to go on holiday back to the countryside. We had a 4 day weekend...so I understand people wanting to take advantage of that.

I was feeling a little under the weather because of how cold it had been outside (I coughed up something gross...I know you wanted to know that), so I took it easy for the majority of the day. However, it was necessary to venture out into the dismal landscape of the barren city to get dinner with my friends, so I bundled up and headed into the night.

The original plan was to meet near the Carlton Hotel and then Rob was going to introduce us to a restaurant that he likes. That restaurant ended up being closed. We tried another one...walked in, were handed menus, and then were told that the kitchen was closed (ok then? so whats with the menus?), one of my favorite restaurants was full, and then it started to rain.

Great. I'm already sick...this is just perfect.

We finally found a restaurant by the Presidential Palace called al Dente. I had pretty good expectations for this place because it seemed to be upper-mid scale pricing with a good atmosphere. The place was nearly deserted, and when we entered I checked with one of the waiters to make sure the kitchen was still open before we sat down again. I think he understood me, nodded his head, and motioned us to sit wherever we liked. I chose the banquette of a corner table :) Things seemed to be going ok...I was able to order my drink in Slovak (ovocný čaj prosím!) and there looked to be some really good entrees on the menu (im talking variety! lamb, duck, different kinds of fish, paella...) So, we ordered, and began our ritual of talking about life.

20 minutes went by.

30 minutes went by.

40 minutes went by.


Where is my duck a l'orange with honey and grilled veggies?

After I explain to them the rudimentary intricacies of food prep, cook time, and expediting (the longest dish they had to cook from our group was a chicken breast), Raffael decided to inquire about where on earth our food could be. You can't blame the pace of the restaurant...there was NO ONE THERE. He came back, and they said it would be another 5 minutes. Yeah, ok. I had an idea what the food would look like...I gripped my knife in anxious frustration.

So, it finally came, and to my dismay, my duck was not only over cooked...it had obviously been sitting under the lights for awhile. To top it off, my "grilled vegetables" were actually steamed broccoli and cauliflower that seemed to have been dunked in the ocean and then seasoned with more salt (blech). WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE!?!?! ....and why do they deny me a decent meal? I asked the boys what they thought. Robs chicken was dry, the sauce was salty, and his vegetable medley was just as poor as mine. Raffael's pasta was warm, but the seafood had kind of a funky smell. The waiter NEVER came to check and see how the food was, didn't offer to refill anyones drink, and never cleared anything away. Fail.

The only redeeming quality to our meal was Rob's wine that claimed it was Montepulciano.

So, thoroughly distressed, and still hungry, we paid the bill (to the exact crown) and left.

And the rain was REALLY comin down. Eventually I was able to find a night bus in order to get back to the dormitory. Thankfully I didn't have to go to work the next day.

So, now the GOOD FOOD scenario.

The boys had been talking about another dinner, and in an effort to save money and prevent another culinary disaster I suggested that we cook in! I told them I would develop a menu and tell them what ingredients to buy. I devised doing a sort of chicken and veggie stir fry...since we have limited resources for cooking here in the dormitory we couldn't get too creative. (two stove-top burners....and a microwave. GOURMET!) So, I told the boys what to buy and when to show up.

When they got here, there seemed to be a problem with the lady at the door. They had bought 2 bottles of wine, and she was upset with the fact that they were brining alcohol onto the premises. I do not recall any stipulations stating that we cannot drink in the dormitory. Beside the fact that everyone does, we are all university age or above, which means that we are all legal. Not a big deal. They devised a way to get it upstairs by being sneaky and pretending that they were leaving it outside, but actually put it into Raffael's shoulder bag. Genius.

The meal went extremely well. We had fresh chicken breast that I sliced into strips and cooked in the wok, then added the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and finally tomatoes. The best part was that the boys found this amazing coconut curry sauce, which tied all the flavors in perfectly. We put that mixture on top of some basmati rice, and VOILA! I had assured the boys earlier that I could cook better than those idiots at al Dente. I'm glad I was able to prove it :)....lo and behold...there was nothing left in the wok.

Moment of Peace

Quote of the Day from Andi, reflecting on the chocolate delicacies of Kraft:

"When I decide that I no longer like a type of chocolate, they come up with a new one! These people are not my friends"

You're telling me "ß" makes an "S" sound?

On Saturday, I went to VIENNA!!!!!!!!!!!

General statements: Beautiful City. Beautiful people.

Begin the photo tour!!!!

The boys trying to figure out where we were. Vienna is MUCH larger than Bratislava, so navigating can be a slight challenge. Luckily, Raffael is a native speaker of German, so asking directions was a pretty easy task...or so we thought. Everytime we attempted to ask someone, they weren't from Austria! They spoke English! I thought that was comical.

Proof that racial equality and understanding is a global initiative.

On the steps of Parliament! With a backdrop of the "Simpsons Sky" as Raffael called it :).

The Austrians are very proud of their cultural heritage.

Oh look! A pretty church! (this happened a lot...sort of like when I went to Italy)
We saw these carriages everywhere as part of a city-wide tour. You have to watch out for horse pucky wherever you go. Vienna has the Spanish Equestrian School, which is one of the most prestigious in the world.

Self-explanatory in front of the Natural History Museum. There was actually a line to get a picture with this little guy!

Famous hotel in Vienna. They make one of the best chocolate cakes ever. I haven't sampled it yet...I'm waiting for my Mommy to come :) 1. because she loves chocolate 2. she'll foot the bill

One of the many sweet shops around the city. There are special Mozart Candies. I will bring lots of them back to the states. They are delicious. A chocolate ball with various fillings, that you are supposed to dunk in a special alcohol, light on fire, and eat. I skipped the alcohol and fire part.

WOAH! HOW DID HE GET HERE?!?!

The inside of that pretty church I told you about. It was a madhouse in there. Not very respectful from a religion point of view.

Calling God has never been easier! Try Trinity-Mobile!



Vienna is a charming city. There is plenty of action going on for entertainment, food, culture, and leisure. I also learned a bit of German in addition to my adventure on Friday! I'm going to need some work on my pronunciation and intonation though. We were even able to find a great cafe with a man playing piano music (Mommy!! He played "Tea for Two" and I thought of you!!!) and I ate this amazing cheese/apricot streudel. There are so many things to see and experience, and the best part is that it is only 1 hour away by train! I will definitely be visiting it again many times. Our trip was pretty short because we just wanted to get a feel for the city, and have a mini-getaway from Bratislava during the holiday. When we got back home, everything was so quiet in comparison. I feel so blessed to have all of these amazing cities so close to me. Next on the list? Prague!

Austrians speak German.

The Austrian country-side, which you can actually see from my friend Dominic's apartment. Dad, if you look closely you can see the wind generators in the background!

The only difference between this site and Myrtle Beach is the license plates. Oh, and the Romanian.
HOLY PRETZEL!!! They call them Bretzels. I didn't eat one, but I sort of wish I had. They had all different types!


So, Newsflash: the Austrian people are incredibly friendly and helpful. What a refresher.

On Friday, after commiserating with Rob about our hangovers, Andi and I wanted to go to Parndorf, Austria for some shopping. She needed a dress for a "prom" and graduation ceremony back in Romania, and I like helping people find clothes. We went to the Petrzalka train station, bought our tickets, talked for awhile, proceeded to help a tourist find the right bus-stop, walked outside, and watched our train pull away from the platform 2 minutes ahead of schedule. CRAP. Luckily, the next one was in 50 minutes...but what do you do for 50 minutes in an area that only has a train station and it is ridiculously cold and windy outside? You revert back to childhood and play ridiculous games inside.

For example: walking down an up escalator! Racing to the far platform! Dancing on the stairs! Singing nursery songs! All very entertaining, and passed the time surprisingly well. This time, we got to the platform 10 minutes in advance, got a seat, and waited for the train to leave the station. We learn from our mistakes. We are never helping tourists again. ;)

The train ride only took around 20 minutes, but we came to a sad realization when we got off. We were at the wrong station. The amazingly helpful station attendant told us that Parndorf has 2 stops, and we were supposed to get of at Parndorf Ort, not Parndorf. CRAP. FOILED AGAIN! He then told us which way we needed to go, how far it was, and offered to give us the cell number of a taxi service, bus assured us that walking would be more cost efficient. Well, thank you kindly!

So, we began our trek across Austria in search of Designer Outlets.

For the most part, it wasn't that difficult to get around, and the sights were quite charming. The neighborhoods reminded me a lot of the States, with well cared for landscaping and gardens, bright colors, and "Welcome", actually "Willkommen", signs on the front doors. Once we were out of the Parndorf suburb however, there was no longer a sidewalk, and the ground was a bit soggy. "We could hitchhike!" I said with a big smile, completely kidding. Andi however, decided this was a good idea, and immediately turned around and stuck her thumb out. I was nervous. However, an SUV with a guy in his 60's, a baby seat in the back, and a cross hanging from his rear-view promptly pulled over and asked us what we needed. Andi speaks a bit of German, so she asked him if he would mind dropping us off at the Outlet center. He smiled, nodded, and motioned for us to hop in.

Oh my goodness. I know my parents are having a heart attack right now.

We were successful! Not only did he drive us to the Outlet Center, but he dropped us off in front of the store! We said exchanged lots of "Danke schön!" and exited the vehicle.

It worked, but I will probably NEVER do that again. Tempting fate once is enough for me. It will make a good story for my kids one day.

The Outlet was a lot like the ones in the United States. It was pretty crowded, and the clothes were often strewn about the store hap-hazardly. The deals were pretty good, but I noticed that a lot of the prices reflected the States in the actual number, but not the currency sign. Therefore, something that cost $75, was also 75 Euros. Not really saving yourself money there. Needless to say, I didn't buy anything, but we found a great dress for Andi :).

When we got back to Bratislava, we went to Slovak Pub for some garlic soup in a breadbowl (for me) and halusky (for Andi). Deeeelish....and very warming after a very cold day.

I then did laundry. I was running out of important items. Luckily, no one was in the dormitory because of the Easter holiday, so both of the washing machines were free :). I'd been saving up my 10 crown coins for a day just like that.

Random Sightings

The boys were a couple of sheets past 3 to the wind...

This guy was an ok breakdancer. I mostly enjoyed his outfit.

WOAH. FIRE. PRETTY!

So, Thursday was a pretty typical work day. I was just trying to get some work done before the 4-day Easter holiday, which meant battling with Microsoft Outlook (now I really know what Mr. Stavar meant when he said that "Microsoft Works" is an oxymoron), editing promotional materials for the Swedish Chamber (wait, I thought I worked for the British Chamber?), doing mailings, and playing the thug role for people who haven't paid their membership fees for 2008. My goal was to be finished around 3pm, and by the grace of Office Space (aka: no boss to ask me if I can work late) I was out the door and ready to go the the Slovak National Museum to check out their latest exhibition called "Ako sme žili ? Slovensko v 20. storočí" or "How did we live? Slovakia in the 20th century".

I had just walked out the door when I saw a group of tourists taking pictures by Shokocafe, one of the popular places to get a coffee or a hot chocolate. I then registered that they were speaking English. Normally, this wouldn't phase me, and I would keep walking. As I changed my route to avoid walking through their picture, I turned to see more people walking out of the cafe. Suddenly, I recognized someone I knew. I immediately stopped and said "Brooke?" and she turned around. She looked just as surprised to see me as I was to see her in the Main Square. Oh my Goodness! I found a friend of mine from Cornell in Bratislava! So weird! Her family then swarmed around us and asked lots of questions like, "Brooke, you know this person?" "What are you doing in Slovakia?" "How did the two of you meet each other", all while snapping tons of photos around us. It was quite funny actually. Apparently her cousin is studying in Vienna, and her family (9 of them in total) was visiting, and decided to do a day trip to Bratislava. I then offered to take a photo of the whole group, since only having 8 of the 9 people in most of their photos was unacceptable to me. I remember the times when 13 members of my family trekked across the French countryside. You want to remember everyone, and not constantly be losing someone behind the camera lens. They wished me the best of luck, and I wished them a safe journey back to the States.

So, that encounter gave me a sustained vitality for the rest of the day. The world is smaller than we think, I guess.

The best part? I still made it to the museum on time! The exhibition was fantastic. It will actually still be going on when most of you visit me, because it is running until October 2008. It included everything from re-creations of typical living spaces, to war-time paraphernalia, old propaganda posters, historic videos, editorial cartoons, theater and cinema, and Olympic Medals!! (thats the closest I'll ever get to touching one, I think) The exhibition was set up beautifully, was interactive, and included a lot of English translations! It was interesting to see the history of this part of the world from their own perspective, especially with their alignment with Nazi Germany, and influence under Communism. Going there gave me a better understanding of the country that I'm living in, and strengthened the bond that I feel with the people.

After that, I went back to the dormitory to each and rest up. Since I didn't have to work on Friday, I decided it would be a GREAT idea to go out! The plan was to meet Robert and Andrej at Channels (excellent Mojitos) and then make our way to Subclub (excellent music). Channels was a good time, and a good warm-up for the night. We then decided to head to Subclub for what was supposed to be their "Ice Breaker" night with 3 different DJs. When we got there, it was pretty empty, which was strange since the last time I went there, I almost had to fight to get on the dancefloor. We decided to give it 30 minutes. We stayed for 45 (beer was involved) and decided that our time would be better spent at Dopler where a famous Dutch DJ Michel de Hay would be "mixing the jams" (I can't believe I just used that vernacular). As you can see from the pictures above, this was a SERIOUS show...complete with digital visual materials, pyrotechnics, and some ridiculously awesome music.

The funniest part was when I went to the bathroom. I was washing my hands, and found that the water was PAINFULLY hot. No adjustment would remedy this situation, so I moved on to the next sink. The girl next to me started talking to me in Slovak, some of which I understood, and she motioned to me that her sink was at least bearable. She then asked me where I was from, because I had answered her in Slenglish. I told her I was from the States, and the biggest smile spread across her face. She started gathering her friends around! They were so excited to meet me! It was beyond funny. When I crossed to dry my hands, they came up behind me and said "You are very cute American" and one of the girls actually kissed me on the cheek! It was really interesting, and a contrast to some of the exchanges I've had while here. They were actually happy that I was at their club, and wanted me to feel welcome.

Once I got back to the boys, we decided that it was time to hit the dancefloor, as the main show was about to start. We wound our way into the mass, and ended up dancing until around 3:45am...which was just enough time for me to catch the night bus home to Vlcie Hrdlo. I have no idea how the time went so quickly, but it was certainly a great experience. Lots of jokes, fun, and the boys even protected me from random people who tried to sketchily dance behind me. Definitely rivals the "Thirsty Thursday" nights back on the Hill.

Find me on a Map!...oh wait.

So in my English class today I was talking with my students about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, and the recent violent protests that occurred. I asked them what they thought about the occupation, and if it is the responsibility of people who are blessed with the guarantee of basic human rights to spread that mentality across the world.

Loaded question, but these people are upper-intermediate. They can handle a philosophical discussion.

Surprisingly (or maybe not...) they didn't know a whole lot about the Chinese takeover of Tibet, and the subsequent exile of the Dalai Lama, but they had heard a bit about the riots. They explained to me that politics is an afterthought in Slovakia. Their main focus at this point is economic stabiltiy and success, which they feel isn't really connected to the government, but an individual endeavor.

I explained to them the issues between the Chinese and Tibetan people, and how each side seeks to villify the other in an attempt to win global sympathy. What I thought was important was how as a citizen of the US, I am guaranteed basic rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, etc. In Slovakia, they have something similar. The people of Tibet certainly do not. The issues there have been progressively escalating until an explosion of violence occurs and people die. The disputed number is between 80 and 13. Regardless of the number, I am hardpressed not to realize that I take my human rights for granted. That is why I asked them if people like us should fight for the rights of people like the Tibetans. Right now, different countries are talking about doing a soft-boycott of the Olympics (aka: just the opening ceremony), but is that enough? One of the students said that it is impossible to say, because we are not a part of the circumstances there, and do not know the culture first hand, so it is difficult for us to make a judgement based on the facts that we know.

I then asked them if Slovakia had any protectorates, territories, or anything like that. Peter, the General Manager, said "No, we WERE a colony". I thought that was hilarious. It is so different from the American point of view, which is all about exploration and annexing territory. They just wanted to be their own country...which was a long an arduous historical process.

In that vein of conversation, I told them that when I was young and learning Geography, it was really confusing to keep up with this part of Europe. When I started, everything was "Russia", and then all of a sudden, there was this explosion of countries with names that were difficult to pronounce, like Turkmenistan and Yugoslavia. We had to keep updating the maps because they changed almost every year. They thought that was humorous. I used exaggerated hand gestures for effect.

Therefore, I blame Russia for the inadequacies of the American education concerning Geography. We just didn't have the resources to keep up with the disintegration of the Communist/Socialist Dream.

BEFORE

AFTER

Moment of Peace

Tequila?

on the streets of Budapest :)

Moment of Peace

Todays Moment of Peace is dedicated to a great drink I had today.

Mexická káva

It is made up of kava (a drink made from kava root), kahlua, and whipped cream, and is served warm. quite tasty...and very relaxing after a long day at work. If you're ever at a Slovak restaurant, here is what the ingredients look like: presso káva + 2cl Kahlua + šľahačka

Jana and I had gone to an opening of an exhibition at the Galeria mesta Bratislavy, which is the second largest gallery in Bratislava. It is actually very close to where I work, on Františkánske námestie, right off of the Main Square, Hlavne námestie. The artist they were showcasing was Jan Zrzavý, a very famous artist in Europe from the Czech Republic. The exhibition had been in Prague before it was in Bratislava, so all of the paintings had English translations. Phew. That particular show will be here until June, so if anyone wants to see it, I will take you there. It is actually quite cheap to visit the museums here.

This is a picture of the artist. He had many self-portrait photos in the exhibition. It was interesting because they ran together chronologically, so you saw him at every stage of his life.


This is one of his most famous works, "The Valley of Sorrow". It's a beautiful painting in person, and its almost spooky how the figure stands out from the rest of the background like a ghost.

Budapest!

So, this is long awaited, and I will try my best to include as much detail as possible. This will mostly be a picture tour though, because they speak for themselves. The name Budapest is actually a connection of Buda, and Pest, which are on opposite sides of the Danube River. Bet you didn't know that. (Ok, Dad, maybe you did, but humor me, ok?)

So this is the inside of the train station. The train ride was relatively painless, but I hadn't gotten to sleep until 3:30 the night before, so getting on a train at 8am was not really my idea of a good time. However, the people that I went to Budapest with were great. It was Jenny (Germany) Raffael (Germany) Nadja (Germany) Robert (Netherlands) and me (America!!!). It was a great group to travel with. Small enough to move quickly, but large enough to have a variety of personalities, interests, and senses of humor. Plus, it was lots of fun listening to "Germlish", a mixture of German and English conversations that my Deutsch friends were having.

This is the outside facade of the train station. I thought it was pretty. Definitely better than Hlavna Stanica in Bratislava. (it's kind of a dump)

I guess this is the Hungarian's idea of a muscle car. These were everywhere. They date back to before the Berlin Wall came down. I can't believe they still run!

This is the mascot of an Italian restaurant. It reminded me of the guitars in Cleveland, and the horses in South Carolina...just not as symbolic. haha.
I'm not sure what this statue is called, but note how far away it is. We were on the Pest side of the city. The statue is on the Buda side. Commit that to memory.
This is after we crossed one of the many bridges to get to the Buda side of the city. There was really intricate architecture built into the side of this hill. Fascinating. If you look to the top-left, you'll see an opening into the hill. Guess what is in there?!?

A CHURCH OF COURSE!!!! Have you ever seen a church in a cave? I don't think I have...so I was excited. Apparently they hold mass in there every day.

This is a normal church. Definitely not as cool as the church in the cave. Good color though. It says "God is everywhere, even in the pigmentation of our paint choice!"

Nadja and I like to take serious pictures first, and then silly ones. I like the silly one better, so that is the one that I posted. This was a part of our trek up to the high points of the Buda side.

Another restaurant mascot. It looked like Hooters...and I thought that was funny. That one is for you, Miss Sarah Canales.


Libraries always have the coolest architecture.

I took this photo because I think it is interesting to see old and new buildings juxtaposed. It shows the long history of the city, and how important it is to preserve culture.

Yet another restaurant mascot. I just thought the broken English was classic "Fast Food Taste Good". Really? Well, I'm glad you were here to tell me that. Also, it is spelled "dinner", so all in all, your marketing is not very convincing. I think I will dine elsewhere.

This is what I think about your "Fast Food Taste Good" mentality. Just because I am from America DOES NOT mean that I frequent the BK Lounge.

A scenic view of a cute German girl and the Fisherman's Bastion.

Remember how far away that statue was? NOT ANYMORE!!!!!!!

I can't lie to you. Climbing up that hill was awful. Lots of stairs and make-shift dirt pathways. I'm not sure how long it took, but we were REALLY high up. Therefore, we had to enjoy ourselves afterwards by taking off our coats so that we would stop sweating. I know. TMI.

No Nadja! I swear I didn't take your man!

"Fly me to the moon..." or if you prefer "Oh no! If the Olympic Torch goes out, they'll never forgive me!!!"

Fashion Street. Dangerous. I did not go down that road, for fear of a financial crisis.

We found this great restaurant back on the Pest side of the city. Look how they serve the Goulash! Amazing!! Keeps it warm, and is aesthetically pleasing! Multi-functional!

This is what I ate. Smoked Salmon with pumpkin creme sauce, spinach pancakes, and veggies. YUM. And the best part, I got a drink, starter, and main course, for under $15.

Raffael stole my camera when I went to the bathroom. I don't know what happened here, but it looks as though Robert and Nadja are deep in some sort of debate about dikes. The kind that keep the water out...just incase any of you needed clarification.

Time to go :(. We had a great time though. I will definitely go back, especially since I still have some Hungarian money, which is called Forint.

How many buses do we have to take?

So, on Saturday it was Vaida's birthday :) Juste, Andi and I thought that it would be fun to make her lunch, because, like me, the girl loves food. (who doesn't though? seriously.)

Juste suggested Spaghetti Bolognese, something that I was comfortable making, and I found a good recipe on www.epicurious.com, so we were rollin. We also bought some tulips, because its almost spring, so colors are necessary to brighten up our badly painted dormitory.

Cooking was so much fun, and she didn't suspect a thing. We split up the duties, and came out with a delicious product. I introduced the girls to whole wheat pasta as well...yum. We obviously had to have cake as well, so we bought 2 different types that were supposed to be typical of Slovakia. I had no issues indulging in that.

Later that day, Vaida and I went to the Yamato concert, which is a performance of Japanese percussionists. The show was PHENOMENAL. There were 10 people, and everything from the costumes to scene changes were well chosen, effortless and well sequenced (can you tell I used to be a performer?)

It is amazing what people can do with musical instruments that are so simple in their conception. I've seen documentaries on the construction of drums, and it is truly fascinating. What is even more fascinating is the depth of sound that they create when you use different types in the same composition. I was enthralled. There were 5 men and 5 women, and the women held their own with the men...chiseled deltoids and all. There were even elements of humor to the show, and audience participation opportunities. The sheer athleticism of the performers was enough to be entertained. All in all, time VERY well spent here in Slovakia.

After the concert, Vaida and I found our way to the other side of Bratislava (aka: the middle of nowhere) to Coyote Ugly where the rest of our Aiesec group was waiting for us to celebrate her birthday, and to engage in some "thank God it's finally the weekend" festivities. It took us about 1/2 mile of walking, one trolley, a bus, and some more walking to get there. It was the hardest bar to find as well, because it's tucked into a plaza that doesn't face the street, so you have to have a keen eye to make sure you can spot the sign that only faces one direction, and is the size of a mousepad.

The party was a good time. We gave Vaida her presents, and proceeded to get her slightly inebriated. We had this really delicious pear liquor. I'm not sure what kind of alcohol it was, but it was the kind that burned a little on the way down. That means it packs a punch. There was also a good spread of music being played, and we were some of the only people in the bar, so we ruled the dancefloor. My friend Dominic even got up onto the bar to dance with one of the waitresses. Very entertaining, I don't think she saw it coming.

I decided to head back to the dorm early (early for Europeans is 2:30am) because I was going to Budapest the next day...which happens to be the next installment of this blog! WOO!

I'll add some pictures to this entry soon, they're on my other camera card :)

Moment of Zen

So, I'm going to start including my own "Moment of Peace" series, modeled after the "Moment of Zen" portion of John Stewart's show. I think he is incredibly funny, and an equal opportunity critic.

Moment of Peace for today:

My new zebra sheets! I hang out with the daughter of the woman who helps run the dormitory, so I get to actually go downstairs and PICK OUT which sheets I want :). I thought animal print would bring some "life" to the room.

This is me enjoying them. I didn't have any dreams of safaris in Africa, but I slept in style :).

Quick, what's the # for 911?

So I apologize for falling off the face of the earth. Those of you who were able to get through to me: bravo. Life has been a whirlwind these past couple of days, and today is one of the first times I've gotten to relax and not have to worry about what I have to do in 20 minutes. I promise that the next entries will be more frequent and detailed. I just have to rework my time management again now that I actually have lots of stuff to do. A typical week looks something like this: I work 5 days a week, teach English 2 days a week, swim 1-2 days a week, have movie nights 1 day week, hang out with my friend Jana to help her out with her English, go grocery shopping, try to clean up after myself, and sleep when I can fit it in.

Phew. I got tired reading that.

So, for my latest entry I have to tell you about something that I saw on Saturday night when I was heading out to the Yamato concert (Japanese Drums...AMAZING...details to follow).

Vaida and I were switching buses and had just gotten off at Mlynske nivy. We were waiting for the 50 to take us to Petrzalka, when I heard someone scream. I turned around, not sure where the noise had come from, and I see a man falling down the stairs on the other side of the street. My life-guard instincts tell me to run over there and start the necessary protocol, but those rules don't really apply here. I don't speak the language, I don't know the emergency numbers, I didn't know the condition the guy was in (drunk, high, violent, etc). All I could do was pace around, commenting out loud to myself that someone should check on him. Someone...should have been ME.

We think about these scenarios in our heads all the time. If a certain situation were to happen, how would we react? We plan so as to be prepared, but when the scenario presents itself, we are often left shocked and without a way to proceed. That is exactly what happened to me. As he layed there all I could say was "Someone should help him", "Why does no one care?", "I hope he isn't hurt", "What happened?" I really felt helpless. I feel that if I were in the US when that happened, I would have a better idea of what to do. I could approach the person to ask if they were ok, contact the correct people to help them, and then have the peace of mind knowing that I didn't leave the person to their own disabled devices.

Luckily, someone finally did come to his aid, helped him to sit up, and called an ambulance. I was so distraught until I saw the sirens. Regardless of someone's situation, it's awful to be paralyzed with pain and for no one to take pity on you. I wish I could have played the samaritan role, but I didn't know how. Maybe this is a sign that when you move to a foreign country, they should give you a list of all the important civil service numbers, just in case.

Say Cheese!

So, I had a random thought today. I was wondering how many tourist photos I've made a cameo in.

There are tourists groups in the main square by my office everyday, and I somehow always end up in the background of what they are doing. I am walking by the Napoleon statue on my way to the post office...*click*...I am crossing the street to get to my favorite bagel place...*click*...I am talking with friends outside of Verne (a very good restaurant) which happens to be by the American Embassy...*click*...I am waiting by the McDonalds to meet people for lunch or an outing...*click*.

I think it would be interesting if you could do a global search for your face and see where it turns up. I think I would show up a lot in Asia, because the tourists from those countries are shutter-crazed.

This guy here is popular with the photo-journalist tourist group. His name is Paparazzi, and he is a centerpiece for the Paparazzi Restaurant on Laurinska. Posing with him is always a creative experience. You have to decide if you're the celebrity he is stealing a picture of, an innocent bystander, or a fellow cameraman. I haven't eaten at the restaurant yet. Maybe when I get paid. :) (Which should be today! woo!)

Testing my Patience

So, today started out pretty poorly. I was woken up before my alarm, my Tide-to-Go stick broke, the weather is a nasty grey, the bus driver was a maniac causing all of the passengers to bump into each other multiple times, I almost got run over by a car when I was walking in a pedestrian zone, the power was out in my building, my mango wasn't fully ripe but had started to rot on one side, my bread had gone bad, I cut myself on the boxes that I was unloading that were full of litres of bottled water, and I bumped my head on the angled ceiling.

I know. That's what I said.

However, as I was sitting stuffing issues of Bridges with inserts for a cleaning company (because that is the only thing you can do here when the power isn't working) I all of a sudden heard the awakening of the computer. Hallelujah.

Maybe the rest of the day will be better. I'm teaching tonight for my public group, so that should be good. Today, we're talking about "The unknown", so UFO's and stuff. I may print out some articles about Area 51 or something.

Yesterday was a much better day. Aside from having a quiet and productive day at work (Livia is in London until tomorrow for a Chamber conference), something AMAZING happened at the pool.

THEY DESIGNATED A SPECIAL LANE FOR FAST LAP SWIMMERS!!!!!

I was floored.

When I walked into the pool area I saw that there was a sign on the starting block of one of the lanes, and not wanting to cause any issues, I walked over to 2 guys who looked like lifeguards, or at least people who worked somewhere in the building, and asked them what the sign meant. "Uh, it mean...Fast Swim Only". A HUGE smile immediately appeared on my face and I said "Thank you so much! Thank you!" and proceeded to get one of the easiest workouts in since I came to Slovakia. There were people around me doing flip-turns! A revelation! I guess they finally got the idea after I had accidentally maimed so many people when I had to swim around and over them (usually by accident, of course). Woo! I had less energy than usual, but I still got in around 2000 meters. The pool is long-course, so it takes a bit more effort to do the same distance. Im really getting used to it though, and I feel stronger every time I go. I feel like my stroke is a bit ugly right now though, so I need some serious technique work. I'm going to try and go twice a week instead of just once, which will have more of an impact on how quickly I get in shape. When the weather improves, I'll start running as well, and then I'll be around 2/3 prepared for that triathalon I want to do someday :)

Other than that, I am SO excited to come back to the states in May for my cousin Jeff's wedding. My plane gets into DC on the 13th at around 2:40pm. It's going to be great, and please be patient with me, because I probably will have lost a lot of my social understanding. Right now the countdown is at 68 days. Go, baby, go!

Sweet? Totally.

Happy moment for this weekend:


TESCO has an organic section.


Thank you.