(Actual Date: August 24)
Today Maria took us to the Slovak doctor to get them to say that we are not carrying any communicable disease and we are healthy enough to live here…at least that’s what I think we went for. We were not supposed to eat or drink anything, so I was really glad we got there pretty early, because this girl loves her breakfast. The first stop was a very nice and bright and clean office, similar to a Public Health place where you might go to get vaccinations for tropical adventures or just updated shots. The plan was to see the doctor, pee in a cup, and give blood. The problem was I had not had anything to eat or drink, and was pretty dehydrated.
I saw the doctor first and she asked for my weight and height…She was a bit upset that I couldn’t convert it into kilograms and centimeters, but she just put down the pounds and inches instead. (Melissa was able to convert this for her using her handy Slovak phone.) It was a little weird to me that they didn’t want to weigh me or measure me themselves. (Note: if American doctors would do this, the overweight problem might disappear. “And how much do you want to weigh today?”)
I waited while the doctor saw Melissa, and then they wanted to take my blood. Apparently, I was out of free blood. I’ve never had to fast before giving blood before, so I’ve always had plenty. But not today. They tried the right arm first, and found a vein, but only drops were coming out. Then they tried the left and couldn’t get anything. I was sent out to drink as much water as possible. By this time I was pretty light-headed, and really wanted to eat, but tried to fill up on water instead. I think I probably drank about a gallon of water, then they made me try again. This time they went for the top of my hand, pushed the blood down my arm, and used a suction-type needle, like you would to inject your meat before barbequing, but not quite so big. They managed to get 5cc and called it good. I ate a banana and some dried fruit I had with me for breakfast to help with the light-headedness. I had finally had enough water that I could pee in the cup, and we were off to location number two.
We had to have chest x-rays done at the hospital. If you can imagine a creepy psycho ward, you would be pretty close to the hall we were in. It was the x-ray/ sonogram/ultrasound hallway, and I really hope the rest of the hospital wasn’t like that. The one major difference from America: no paper gowns. Just strip down and walk into the x-ray room. There was a changing room, and you were the only one in there with the x-ray tech, but it was still pretty weird. I think this part was worse than the blood part, just because it was awkward. It actually went very quickly though, and then we were finished. Melissa and I made it back to school about 11:30, after stopping to have something to eat at a restaurant near the school.
We spent the rest of the day doing school stuff and came home for the evening.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Random Monday Notes
(Actual Date: August 23)
I had to be at school an hour before Ashley, so I went on my own and made it with no problems. We had several meetings in the morning and an orientation in the afternoon. We were able to get tickets for lunch and had a special Slovak dish called Halusky. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was pretty good. I’m going to go to the little grocery store near our flat by myself this evening for the first time. My internet still is not working, so I can’t post these blogs yet, but I am going to try Plan C tomorrow – get someone to call the company for me.
The Head English teacher gave me a special gift today of a Slovak language textbook so that I can learn more Slovak. The best part is that she helped write it! Her name is on the front cover…isn’t that cool? Now I just have to find the time to use it…and since I don’t have internet, I guess I’ll start tonight! (update on this: I have completed lesson 1, but don't remember much of the vocabulary...probably need some flashcards!)
I had to be at school an hour before Ashley, so I went on my own and made it with no problems. We had several meetings in the morning and an orientation in the afternoon. We were able to get tickets for lunch and had a special Slovak dish called Halusky. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was pretty good. I’m going to go to the little grocery store near our flat by myself this evening for the first time. My internet still is not working, so I can’t post these blogs yet, but I am going to try Plan C tomorrow – get someone to call the company for me.
The Head English teacher gave me a special gift today of a Slovak language textbook so that I can learn more Slovak. The best part is that she helped write it! Her name is on the front cover…isn’t that cool? Now I just have to find the time to use it…and since I don’t have internet, I guess I’ll start tonight! (update on this: I have completed lesson 1, but don't remember much of the vocabulary...probably need some flashcards!)
First Church Service
(Actual Date: August 22)
I decided to go to church with Ashley today, and since it’s an evening service, I slept in again, but not so late. I got up about 10:15 or so and did a load of laundry. It literally takes two hours for the washing machine to cycle one time, and then we have to hang everything to dry. We have a rack on the balcony and we also hang things from the antlers in the common room, especially big things like sheets that don’t really fit on the rack. (I will eventually post pictures of this, just haven’t had a chance yet to take one.) Ashley made pancakes for brunch and I’ve been working on typing up these blog posts for a couple of hours now. I’m still not sleeping well, but someone told me that for every hour of time difference from where you left will be one day of adjusting. So I’m looking at 9 days, since I left from California. I’m taking it easy today and hoping that I’ll be able to fall asleep at a decent hour tonight so that I can get up and be ready for school training in the morning. We will not have students until September 2. (Sept 1 is a national holiday celebrating the Velvet Revolution.) But I have a lot to do to get ready for classes, and I’ll need every minute of this next week and a half.
I decided to go to church with Ashley today, and since it’s an evening service, I slept in again, but not so late. I got up about 10:15 or so and did a load of laundry. It literally takes two hours for the washing machine to cycle one time, and then we have to hang everything to dry. We have a rack on the balcony and we also hang things from the antlers in the common room, especially big things like sheets that don’t really fit on the rack. (I will eventually post pictures of this, just haven’t had a chance yet to take one.) Ashley made pancakes for brunch and I’ve been working on typing up these blog posts for a couple of hours now. I’m still not sleeping well, but someone told me that for every hour of time difference from where you left will be one day of adjusting. So I’m looking at 9 days, since I left from California. I’m taking it easy today and hoping that I’ll be able to fall asleep at a decent hour tonight so that I can get up and be ready for school training in the morning. We will not have students until September 2. (Sept 1 is a national holiday celebrating the Velvet Revolution.) But I have a lot to do to get ready for classes, and I’ll need every minute of this next week and a half.
A Lazy Day
(Actual Date: August 21)
Slept in really late – later than I think I have ever slept – I was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and then finally fell asleep about 7 am and thought I’d get up about 9 or 10, but rolled over and the clock said 12:52pm. At first I thought something was really wrong with my clock, so I got up and checked with Ashley…yep, was really 1pm.
I probably could have gone back to bed at that point, but figured I should probably be up for a little while. I got dressed and Ashley took me to a little Slovak/Czech/Hungarian restaurant near Old Town called Divny Janko’s – which means Weird John’s. It was a beautiful place and had really good food for a great price. Then we walked around Old Town for about an hour and made our way home.
I finally got to skype with my mom for the first time since I arrived and it was really good to catch up with her. I had talked to my dad several times, but sometimes a girl just needs her mamma. After hanging up, we made another trip to Tesco for a few more things. I think this will definitely be a weekly thing (at least) for a while until I’m all set up. We had some leftover spaghetti for dinner and I tried to get ready for bed, but I really wasn’t very tired. So I watched a movie and finally laid down about midnight.
Slept in really late – later than I think I have ever slept – I was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and then finally fell asleep about 7 am and thought I’d get up about 9 or 10, but rolled over and the clock said 12:52pm. At first I thought something was really wrong with my clock, so I got up and checked with Ashley…yep, was really 1pm.
I probably could have gone back to bed at that point, but figured I should probably be up for a little while. I got dressed and Ashley took me to a little Slovak/Czech/Hungarian restaurant near Old Town called Divny Janko’s – which means Weird John’s. It was a beautiful place and had really good food for a great price. Then we walked around Old Town for about an hour and made our way home.
I finally got to skype with my mom for the first time since I arrived and it was really good to catch up with her. I had talked to my dad several times, but sometimes a girl just needs her mamma. After hanging up, we made another trip to Tesco for a few more things. I think this will definitely be a weekly thing (at least) for a while until I’m all set up. We had some leftover spaghetti for dinner and I tried to get ready for bed, but I really wasn’t very tired. So I watched a movie and finally laid down about midnight.
Staff Team-Building and a trip to IKEA
(Actual Date: August 20)
Friday was a team-building day which basically meant that we were all going to do something fun together. Several people met at a trail in Petrazalka to bike or roller-blade to the park outside of Bratislava (someone said it might have been 12km, or about 5 miles). But since I did not have either of those options, I joined the cooking team. We met at the school and walked to a bus stop that would take us out to the park. We found the park and the top chef who drove a car full of supplies. We helped carry supplies in to the park and found a place to set up. Slovak BBQ is nothing like the states, but it was pretty good. They had chicken, bread, sausages, raw vegetables, grilled zucchini, grilled bacon, and some kind of cake for dessert.
It was very pretty and relaxing. I had a good time, but it was pretty hard to join in because most people spoke in Slovak the whole time. Reason #953 to learn Slovak quickly. All the teachers speak English (it’s required by the school in order to get hired), but most are not comfortable using it all the time. And honestly, if I had to speak in Spanish all the time, it would not be very easy for me either, so I don’t blame them.
When I got back, I met up with Ashley, Jenni, and Katie for a trip to IKEA. I got a rug there and a rubbish bin (trash can), some picture frames, and a few other items to help me set up my room a little better. I will need to make another trip, but I can only buy what I can carry, and that’s a new concept for me. It’s weird to not be able to just buy what you want since you don’t have a way to get it home. I really want a desk for my room, but I have to find someone with a car that would be willing to go to the store with me and bring it to my flat. So I’ll get one eventually, just not right away. (Thank you, Ozona, for getting me ready for that one!)
By the time we got home from IKEA, we were ready to put our stuff away and start thinking about bed. I seem to be able to go to sleep for a couple of hours, but then I wake up and can’t go back to sleep for a couple more hours, then I finally fall asleep again and wake up really late! (see next post)
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| at a park outside of Bratislava (similar to a State Park) |
It was very pretty and relaxing. I had a good time, but it was pretty hard to join in because most people spoke in Slovak the whole time. Reason #953 to learn Slovak quickly. All the teachers speak English (it’s required by the school in order to get hired), but most are not comfortable using it all the time. And honestly, if I had to speak in Spanish all the time, it would not be very easy for me either, so I don’t blame them.
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| getting the food ready for lunch |
When I got back, I met up with Ashley, Jenni, and Katie for a trip to IKEA. I got a rug there and a rubbish bin (trash can), some picture frames, and a few other items to help me set up my room a little better. I will need to make another trip, but I can only buy what I can carry, and that’s a new concept for me. It’s weird to not be able to just buy what you want since you don’t have a way to get it home. I really want a desk for my room, but I have to find someone with a car that would be willing to go to the store with me and bring it to my flat. So I’ll get one eventually, just not right away. (Thank you, Ozona, for getting me ready for that one!)
By the time we got home from IKEA, we were ready to put our stuff away and start thinking about bed. I seem to be able to go to sleep for a couple of hours, but then I wake up and can’t go back to sleep for a couple more hours, then I finally fall asleep again and wake up really late! (see next post)
First Day at School (no students)
(Actual Date: August 19)
This was a very short day. Ashley showed me how to get to school, and then we split up for our school meetings. We had one large meeting together about vision and goals (like the superintendent’s talk on the first day, but much shorter). Then we had a little bit of time to get a quick tour and find our office on the 3rd floor. (Who needs a Stairmaster?) We had a short English department meeting and then went to lunch. For the afternoon, we just kind of read over some course descriptions and tried to figure out the schedule. Then I got on the bus and came home all by myself! Hooray for not getting lost the first time…maybe later I’ll get lost, but I was successful the first time. I know I was home by about 3pm, but I don’t really remember what I did the rest of this day either. I’m writing this on Sunday, so it was only 4 days ago, but I still don’t remember. Probably went to Tesco, which is like Wal-Mart…we’ve been there lots lately, so it’s safe to say we went on this day as well.
This was a very short day. Ashley showed me how to get to school, and then we split up for our school meetings. We had one large meeting together about vision and goals (like the superintendent’s talk on the first day, but much shorter). Then we had a little bit of time to get a quick tour and find our office on the 3rd floor. (Who needs a Stairmaster?) We had a short English department meeting and then went to lunch. For the afternoon, we just kind of read over some course descriptions and tried to figure out the schedule. Then I got on the bus and came home all by myself! Hooray for not getting lost the first time…maybe later I’ll get lost, but I was successful the first time. I know I was home by about 3pm, but I don’t really remember what I did the rest of this day either. I’m writing this on Sunday, so it was only 4 days ago, but I still don’t remember. Probably went to Tesco, which is like Wal-Mart…we’ve been there lots lately, so it’s safe to say we went on this day as well.
First Day in Bratislava
(Actual Date: August 18)
Maria (the one helping us with visas) picked me up at 8:15 on Wednesday morning and we went to register at the foreign police and begin the visa process. The foreign police station is right in front of my flat, so it was a short walk to get there. It took about an hour and a half to get all the paperwork done and give all the stuff to the lady behind the counter. Lots of places here work like the DMV – you take a number when you walk in the door and wait in the lobby for your number to come up on the screen, then you can go in the door to the desk. We got lucky and Melissa and I were at desks next to each other so it was very easy for Maria to translate for both of us at the same time.
From there, we went to the school for a little bit so that we could check our email and request original birth certificates. I did not know we would need them, so I didn’t bring one. Maria also wrote letters for us to sign so that she would have the authority to work on the visas for us. We then had to take them to a notary/lawyer to get them signed.
After this, we found the cell phone store so we could get local phone numbers. Again, this is a take a number kind of place, so we waited until our number was called. I was able to use my US phone and just get a new SIM card with some credit on it. Most people have credit, which is like a Go phone in the US. When you get close to running out, you go buy more credit. It is significantly cheaper than phones in the US.
Melissa remembered a nice place she liked to have lunch so we went there for a late lunch. Then we went to get bus passes so that we did not have to buy tickets all the time. They would not take our passport photos we had brought because they were too big, so we had to find a photo lab that would take our picture for the passes. Then we went back to buy the bus passes. So I can now just hop on a bus and ride wherever I want (in Zone 1…which is mostly where I will be).
By now it was nearly 4 pm so Maria helped me get home, and I don’t remember what I did the rest of that day. Weird, I know, but really, I can’t remember the rest of that day. Probably went to bed early and slept.
Maria (the one helping us with visas) picked me up at 8:15 on Wednesday morning and we went to register at the foreign police and begin the visa process. The foreign police station is right in front of my flat, so it was a short walk to get there. It took about an hour and a half to get all the paperwork done and give all the stuff to the lady behind the counter. Lots of places here work like the DMV – you take a number when you walk in the door and wait in the lobby for your number to come up on the screen, then you can go in the door to the desk. We got lucky and Melissa and I were at desks next to each other so it was very easy for Maria to translate for both of us at the same time.
From there, we went to the school for a little bit so that we could check our email and request original birth certificates. I did not know we would need them, so I didn’t bring one. Maria also wrote letters for us to sign so that she would have the authority to work on the visas for us. We then had to take them to a notary/lawyer to get them signed.
After this, we found the cell phone store so we could get local phone numbers. Again, this is a take a number kind of place, so we waited until our number was called. I was able to use my US phone and just get a new SIM card with some credit on it. Most people have credit, which is like a Go phone in the US. When you get close to running out, you go buy more credit. It is significantly cheaper than phones in the US.
Melissa remembered a nice place she liked to have lunch so we went there for a late lunch. Then we went to get bus passes so that we did not have to buy tickets all the time. They would not take our passport photos we had brought because they were too big, so we had to find a photo lab that would take our picture for the passes. Then we went back to buy the bus passes. So I can now just hop on a bus and ride wherever I want (in Zone 1…which is mostly where I will be).
By now it was nearly 4 pm so Maria helped me get home, and I don’t remember what I did the rest of that day. Weird, I know, but really, I can’t remember the rest of that day. Probably went to bed early and slept.
Travelling
(Actual date: August 16-17)
I travelled with Melissa and Ryan, a couple that is also going to be living in Bratislava this year. Mel will teach with me at the high school and her husband will find a volunteer position somewhere in town. We began our day by meeting at the designated spot at 3:20 am on Monday morning. We got all our luggage loaded and were off to the airport. Because we were flying internationally, it took us a long time to check in. Then we had to wait in a really long line to get through security. (at this point, I was really missing DFW…my favorite airport for security checks) Finally, we were all through the security point and went to find our gate.
We did not have enough time to do anything except go to the restroom…so this is where I made my biggest mistake. I did not eat breakfast, and I know that I feel yucky if I don’t eat enough before I fly. We had a 3 hour flight to Chicago first. By the time we got there, my tummy was a little off kilter, but I figured if I ate a good lunch it would be better. We had a quick meal at McDonald’s (because it was right in front of us when walked off the first plane and directly next to the gate for our second flight.) We had about an hour to eat and I needed to rearrange some of my carry-on luggage and then we were off on the 7 hour international flight to Frankfurt.
I tried desperately to sleep on this flight, but I’ve never been much of a sleeper when travelling. (note to self: bring drugs next time.) I can’t get comfortable enough and I had an aisle seat, so I was subconsciously worried about getting whacked with the carts. I was pretty impressed that I only had to get up once, until I realized that my ankles were swelling to the size of grapefruits. Since this was my first international flight, I did not realize that you should get up every hour so that you don’t get cankles…so please learn from my experience and get up often. By the end of this flight I was feeling pretty queasy, but we had a 3 hour layover and I thought some solid ground would be nice.
We had entered the Schoengen (sp?) zone, where you have to have your stuff checked by customs. They were nice, but went through my entire carry-on suitcase. So then it wouldn’t zip too well (it was pretty tightly packed!) We found a place to set up camp for a couple of hours in Frankfurt. Then I realized that all I had with me were American Dollars…no good in Frankfurt. And we couldn’t find the currency exchange place, or it just wasn’t open that early (6:00am), so Mel got me a little croissant. I thought I was feeling pretty good. Then we found our next gate and scanned our own boarding passes and went down the stairs (carrying all our stuff) to the bus….yes, bus. We rode around on this very crowded bus for ten minutes or more all around the airport, between planes and all. I think we ended up all the way at the very edge of the airport before we saw our plane. Then we had to lug our stuff up the stairs to the plane doors. I found my seat and got all settled. I was in the window seat, the middle seat was empty, and a nice man was on the end. At this point I was extremely exhausted and really wanted to sleep. I got my pillow out and laid my head on the window. We took off, it was really turbulent, and I was up to go to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down again, I needed the barf bag, but I didn’t make it in the bag. There is nothing like having travelled for 24 hours, not slept, then throwing up all over yourself in a place you can’t escape, and no one speaks English. The flight attendants were very nice, but clearly not happy I had made a mess. I got to the bathroom (the man next to me moved to a new seat, poor guy) and cleaned up as best as possible in a plane bathroom. I felt pretty good for about 20 minutes, then we were getting to land, and I used the bag in the seat next to mine. This time I had better aim. I just waited til everyone else had left the plane before getting off and then had to change my pants in the airport before meeting Daniel who is the manager of the school where I will be teaching.
We were somewhat worried when we walked out to the parking lot and he only had a small sedan. But we managed to get everything in. I wish we had taken a picture of this because it was pretty funny. We had all 6 big suitcases and one little one in the trunk…it looked like a low rider at this point, before we even got in the car. There were two duffels and my carry-on suitcase in the back seat behind the driver. I had to ride in the front with a backpack under my feet and with my laptop in my lap. Mel and Ryan squeezed in to the rest of the back seat and had to hold the trunk cover (like for SUVs in the US, but everyone has one here) in front of them, so they couldn’t see at all. I made it to the Novy Most (New Bridge) and had to have Daniel pull over so I could barf again at a bus stop. We were only about 5 minutes from Mel & Ryan’s flat. What a way to impress your “big” boss.
Melissa and Ryan have a flat in Old Town, which is the really cute (and old) part of town. But there is no elevator and they are on the 3rd floor (which is actually the 4th, counting the American way). So we carried all of their things up and had a short meeting with another lady and met the girl who will be walking us through the visa process. Then they brought me to my flat in Petrazalka – the part of town where the communists had built a ton of apartment buildings all in concrete. However, there has been a lot of renovating lately, and they used bright colors to paint over the grey. Our building is yellow and white, but is a little older than others, so it’s kind of dingy, but clean and renovated on the inside. I live on the 10th floor and am very grateful for the elevators. I have my own bedroom, and will hopefully post a video tour within the next couple of weeks. It’s pretty plain right now, but I’m slowly collecting things (of color, the entire flat is white) and finding a place for them.
I tried very hard to not take a nap, but a little one was necessary. I felt much better after an hour nap and set to work unpacking my clothes. Jenni and Katie came over to take me to the grocery store and dinner. We went to a Slovak pizza place they really like. It was very good and I was incredibly grateful for their help and companionship that night. About 15 minutes after I got home, Ashley arrived as well. We chatted for about an hour and I went to bed.
And that was my last day in America and my first day in Slovakia.
I travelled with Melissa and Ryan, a couple that is also going to be living in Bratislava this year. Mel will teach with me at the high school and her husband will find a volunteer position somewhere in town. We began our day by meeting at the designated spot at 3:20 am on Monday morning. We got all our luggage loaded and were off to the airport. Because we were flying internationally, it took us a long time to check in. Then we had to wait in a really long line to get through security. (at this point, I was really missing DFW…my favorite airport for security checks) Finally, we were all through the security point and went to find our gate.
We did not have enough time to do anything except go to the restroom…so this is where I made my biggest mistake. I did not eat breakfast, and I know that I feel yucky if I don’t eat enough before I fly. We had a 3 hour flight to Chicago first. By the time we got there, my tummy was a little off kilter, but I figured if I ate a good lunch it would be better. We had a quick meal at McDonald’s (because it was right in front of us when walked off the first plane and directly next to the gate for our second flight.) We had about an hour to eat and I needed to rearrange some of my carry-on luggage and then we were off on the 7 hour international flight to Frankfurt.
I tried desperately to sleep on this flight, but I’ve never been much of a sleeper when travelling. (note to self: bring drugs next time.) I can’t get comfortable enough and I had an aisle seat, so I was subconsciously worried about getting whacked with the carts. I was pretty impressed that I only had to get up once, until I realized that my ankles were swelling to the size of grapefruits. Since this was my first international flight, I did not realize that you should get up every hour so that you don’t get cankles…so please learn from my experience and get up often. By the end of this flight I was feeling pretty queasy, but we had a 3 hour layover and I thought some solid ground would be nice.
We had entered the Schoengen (sp?) zone, where you have to have your stuff checked by customs. They were nice, but went through my entire carry-on suitcase. So then it wouldn’t zip too well (it was pretty tightly packed!) We found a place to set up camp for a couple of hours in Frankfurt. Then I realized that all I had with me were American Dollars…no good in Frankfurt. And we couldn’t find the currency exchange place, or it just wasn’t open that early (6:00am), so Mel got me a little croissant. I thought I was feeling pretty good. Then we found our next gate and scanned our own boarding passes and went down the stairs (carrying all our stuff) to the bus….yes, bus. We rode around on this very crowded bus for ten minutes or more all around the airport, between planes and all. I think we ended up all the way at the very edge of the airport before we saw our plane. Then we had to lug our stuff up the stairs to the plane doors. I found my seat and got all settled. I was in the window seat, the middle seat was empty, and a nice man was on the end. At this point I was extremely exhausted and really wanted to sleep. I got my pillow out and laid my head on the window. We took off, it was really turbulent, and I was up to go to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down again, I needed the barf bag, but I didn’t make it in the bag. There is nothing like having travelled for 24 hours, not slept, then throwing up all over yourself in a place you can’t escape, and no one speaks English. The flight attendants were very nice, but clearly not happy I had made a mess. I got to the bathroom (the man next to me moved to a new seat, poor guy) and cleaned up as best as possible in a plane bathroom. I felt pretty good for about 20 minutes, then we were getting to land, and I used the bag in the seat next to mine. This time I had better aim. I just waited til everyone else had left the plane before getting off and then had to change my pants in the airport before meeting Daniel who is the manager of the school where I will be teaching.
We were somewhat worried when we walked out to the parking lot and he only had a small sedan. But we managed to get everything in. I wish we had taken a picture of this because it was pretty funny. We had all 6 big suitcases and one little one in the trunk…it looked like a low rider at this point, before we even got in the car. There were two duffels and my carry-on suitcase in the back seat behind the driver. I had to ride in the front with a backpack under my feet and with my laptop in my lap. Mel and Ryan squeezed in to the rest of the back seat and had to hold the trunk cover (like for SUVs in the US, but everyone has one here) in front of them, so they couldn’t see at all. I made it to the Novy Most (New Bridge) and had to have Daniel pull over so I could barf again at a bus stop. We were only about 5 minutes from Mel & Ryan’s flat. What a way to impress your “big” boss.
Melissa and Ryan have a flat in Old Town, which is the really cute (and old) part of town. But there is no elevator and they are on the 3rd floor (which is actually the 4th, counting the American way). So we carried all of their things up and had a short meeting with another lady and met the girl who will be walking us through the visa process. Then they brought me to my flat in Petrazalka – the part of town where the communists had built a ton of apartment buildings all in concrete. However, there has been a lot of renovating lately, and they used bright colors to paint over the grey. Our building is yellow and white, but is a little older than others, so it’s kind of dingy, but clean and renovated on the inside. I live on the 10th floor and am very grateful for the elevators. I have my own bedroom, and will hopefully post a video tour within the next couple of weeks. It’s pretty plain right now, but I’m slowly collecting things (of color, the entire flat is white) and finding a place for them.
I tried very hard to not take a nap, but a little one was necessary. I felt much better after an hour nap and set to work unpacking my clothes. Jenni and Katie came over to take me to the grocery store and dinner. We went to a Slovak pizza place they really like. It was very good and I was incredibly grateful for their help and companionship that night. About 15 minutes after I got home, Ashley arrived as well. We chatted for about an hour and I went to bed.
And that was my last day in America and my first day in Slovakia.
Talent Show
The last night of training we had a talent show...some serious, some funny...pictures and video later.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Chicken & Waffles
On the last day in July, we had a pretty busy day, but were free from 5:30pm on. Sarah, Jamie, and I had planned to go back to Old Town to explore some more, but the busses stop running at 8 pm and we didn't feel that was enough time, so we decided to just walk to the next major street over (Lake Ave) and see what we could find.
We found Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles...apparently it's world famous (and in a Jackie Chan movie), but not in Texas, Florida, or Colorado. None of us had ever heard of it but several staff members said it was really good. So we decided to stay and see what all the hype was about.
We are now believers! Our chicken and waffles (with syrup) was a treat! It reminded me a lot of Chick-fil-A's chicken biscuit for breakfast. You have to get over the fact that we don't think of chicken as breakfast food first, but we decided it was a safe start to our year of adventurous eating anyway. I really did like it and we had a blast taking pictures. (the waitress probably thought we were a little crazy, but it was super fun.)
Then we walked back to campus and made the weekly stop at Rite-Aid on the way home. Rite-Aid is like a Wal-greens or CVS store...and it's the closest thing to us and so we just give them business sometimes so that we can get off campus and enjoy the beautiful weather out here.
We found Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles...apparently it's world famous (and in a Jackie Chan movie), but not in Texas, Florida, or Colorado. None of us had ever heard of it but several staff members said it was really good. So we decided to stay and see what all the hype was about.
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| literally: Waffle, Syrup, Chicken (must be fried for it to count!) |
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| Sarah, me, and Jamie - a nice security guard took this picture for us |
New Side Job: Tattoo Artist
Check out this new tattoo design I drew on Shelly’s arm today! It means “I love the world!” I think my skills need a little work, but I might be on to something for me to do when I come back to the States next summer. I will begin taking appointments now if you are interested.
Truthfully though, I have actually turned out to be quite the artist with a sharpie. I’ve been drawing simple pics of random vocabulary words on notecards to be used in our ESL lessons. I can draw weather, post office items, places (like Laundromat!), and money. And maybe other things, but that talent remains to be seen.
Truthfully though, I have actually turned out to be quite the artist with a sharpie. I’ve been drawing simple pics of random vocabulary words on notecards to be used in our ESL lessons. I can draw weather, post office items, places (like Laundromat!), and money. And maybe other things, but that talent remains to be seen.
Week 3 of Training
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| morning worship time |
We are also no longer required to go to the ESL classes if we are not teaching that night. Half of us are on campus tonight while the others are teaching. Then we will switch places tomorrow. It has been very nice to have 3 hours with no responsibility. I should be doing my last bit of homework, but I’d rather catch up on my blogging before I forget everything that has happened in the last week and a half.
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| Worship team getting ready Karissa, Sierra, Melissa, Eric, & Morgan |
The other nice thing about week three is that the schedule has loosened up a little bit. We are getting longer breaks…especially in the afternoon. This has allowed us to do a little bit more planning for our lessons and is alleviating stress. I am doing a load of laundry tonight as well as emailing, lesson planning, and just enjoying some alone time.
I found a quote this week from Mary Oliver. It is my challenge to you this week to think about this quote. You need not get an answer, but just the thinking will probably change your perspective on a few things anyway.
What do you plan to do with your one wild & precious life? ~Mary Oliver
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| Paul's make-shift Drum Set. It actually sounds really good! (note the "box-top cymbal" in the chair) |
Santa Monica Pier
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| Jess, Chelsea, and Laura try to figure out our route |
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| The pier from Ocean Drive. It was pretty crowded. |
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| looking back at Santa Monica beach from the pier |
The pier was nice, and it was officially my first time to see the Pacific Ocean. I did not stick my feet or any part of my body in because people said it was really cold…maybe next time. My teammate Ashley and I walked up and down the pier and then found a little place to get some dinner. Then we decided we should start heading back since it took so long to get there. We left the pier with three other girls around 6pm and caught the same bus (from the other side of the street) to begin the trek home. This was definitely the worst part. There were a ton of people on the bus and it stopped all the time. Then we caught the trains in reverse order. We were trying to get back in time to catch the bus that goes right by campus, but we were too late for it. So we tried for another bus that would get us close. It never came and we got tired of waiting so we called a taxi. It was 9pm by the time we got back, so it took us 3 hours to get home. We didn’t get much else done, but we learned that we should carry things to do on the bus and train. Even if it is just a book to read, the time would not be wasted.
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| LA skyline from Union Station while the sun was setting |
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| Me and Ashley, Jamie and Sarah at Union Station |
Week 2 of Training
This week was pretty predictable. It was the same schedule as the first week and we still taught or observed ESL classes every day. My teammate came in on Thursday, so we got to spend a little bit of time together. Her name is Ashley and she is from Mississippi. You can definitely tell when she talks. I didn’t think I had much of an accent but people say I do a little bit. So we have two southern girls going to Slovakia this year. A third teammate also came to training on Thursday. Her name is Melissa and she is from Phoenix. Her husband Ryan is going as well, but will not be teaching. Melissa and Ryan will be staying through the end of training and I will be flying to Vienna with them on the 16th. Ashley will leave next week to spend some time with her family before she meets us in Slovakia. I still have yet to meet the other three girls teaching in Bratislava this year. This will be Jenni’s fifth year and Kate and Katie’s third year there. They were not required to come to training since they were not getting new roommates. I am sure I will meet them in my first few days in Bratislava. I am getting very excited about meeting them and making new friends. Only 2 more weeks!
My First Bus Adventure
On Saturday, July 25th, we had a scavenger hunt in Old Town Pasadena. This is like their downtown area, but it’s really cute and artsy and really doesn’t look very old since they’ve fixed everything up, but they still call it Old Town.
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| Preview of European busses...everyone from ESI |
In order to get there, we rode public transportation since we did not have enough cars for all of us…and to make us ride the bus. Getting there was pretty easy. We had an alum from last year on our team who helped us find the bus stop and get on. It’s $1.50 to get on the bus, but you can go anywhere that bus goes. We got off in Old Town and started the hunt. It was very fun to explore and the only hard part was calling in the answers to our clues. We had to borrow someone else’s phone to call in our answer and get the next clue. We ended up getting 4th place out of 10 teams. Then we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and Sarah and I chose to stay in Old Town and wander around a little bit.
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| me pointing to the bus stop sign |
We each bought a little sweater since it had been cool in the mornings that week. (turned out to be a fabulous investment…I wear it nearly every day now) Then we walked about a mile down the road to Target to get some breakfast and school supplies. When we left Target it was just the two of us and neither of us had ever ridden the bus before that morning. We found a stop and waited and waited and waited. Finally this nice lady came to the stop so we asked her where this bus was going just to make sure we were at the right stop. And we were not. That bus was going to downtown LA. We wanted to come back to the campus. She said we were on the wrong side of the road! Did you know that busses run on both sides? We did not. We needed to be on the North-bound bus. While we were having this conversation with her, the North-bound bus came and left. So we had to walk across the street and wait some more. They only came every 45 minutes, so in total, we waited 1.5 hours for the bus to take us back to campus. But we made it! And now I know that to come home, you have to be on the other side of the street. :o)
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| Sarah and I on the bus |
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