Livin' on Less in Louisville

Leaving Louisville

2010-07-19T16:39:00.001+02:00

June 19, 2010 found us packed into a Budget 24' moving truck and on the road to Michigan. Goodbyes really stink. Goodbye to our dog, Shakespeare. He got a really great family, a fire hydrant in his new yard, the same neighborhood and a dog sister. Tears and goodbyes to struggling refugee families; the best job I've ever had; four Iraqi sisters living in America whose story still gives me chills.
Goodbye to friends whose company was easy, comfortable and fun.

Thanks to God for all the bittersweet goodbyes. Divine appointments of relationship and circumstance I will never forget and will treasure as God's care for His child.

Our family will be moving to Muscat, Oman on August 11. I'll start a new, yet unnamed, blog soon in hopes of sharing another part of the world with our friends and family.

Kentucky Derby Week

2009-04-27T03:26:00.004+02:00

Here it is: "Derby Week". Louisville is in full bloom - grass is green, dogwoods are stunning, azaleas are bright and full. Almost all the debris from the giant ice storm in February has been cleaned up. It was getting to be a dangerous obstacle course on the side streets. Now it can officially be put behind us! Thursday is a parade in downtown Louisville. I heard it has big balloons like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! That sounds like a blast for the kids if we can brave the heat and the crowds. Friday is "Oaks" day. A lesser race day for those who can't afford a spot at the Run for the Roses on Saturday. We have a tip on a few even cheaper options - Dawn at the Downs, a morning trip to Churchill Downs to see the horses take their first run of the day. We could do that and have the kids be just a tiny bit late to school! We have not been invited to any Derby parties(yet). It's probably just as well, because I don't have a proper Derby hat. They really do wear fancy hats to the Kentucky Derby and all the events surrounding it.

Wal-Mart with the Refugees

2009-04-24T18:49:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take some newly-arrived refugees from Darfur to get their first groceries. They had only arrived in Louisville the previous night! Three single men, one male translator, and I got our "basket" (they don't call them carts in Kentucky) and started out. I thought it was an amusing and interesting sight for anyone who took notice: three very dark African men and one lily white American with a shopping basket in Wal-Mart. It was suggested that I could help by explaining value to the guys. Example: loaves of bread: two 12" loaves of Pepperidge Farm french bread - $3.19. "Too expensive" - showed them American bread: nicely squared off loaf of sliced bread 98 cents. Next example: carrots - show them the word "organic" and tell them it is too expensive. You can buy regular carrots for much less.

After my overseas experiences I can imagine the culture shock of a store such as Wal-Mart. The variety is unbelievable, the size of the store is also overwhelming. In my perfect world, I would take an incoming refugee family to a local grocery store that is close to their country of origin. They could find their own comfort foods and feel a bit in control of their own destiny...........but the shopping needs to be done where there are funds available. In this case, Wal-Mart gift cards were given to help the refugees!

Renamed my blog - (we just aren't living very LARGE)

2009-03-25T16:12:00.003+01:00

Life this past six months has been a lot about learning to live on less. We had shrunk our spending while living overseas, BUT it is much more challenging here in the USA.

Haircuts: my first haircut here was $30. I was told that was a reasonable rate for this area. I decided I could get one haircut every six months. Last week A GREAT FIND - a local beauty school! Today I got my first $5 haircut. I had a lovely conversation with my stylist and even got a coupon for 1/2 price next time. Am I a risk taker or what?

Kids need socks: Anya has sworn off ruffled socks - Justin's socks have worn out. I got a $10 COUPON from BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY in the mail. They are having a Grand Reopening. Anya will have a new 5-pack in her Easter Basket. Justin will have a new 3-pack. Total cost $1.03.

Prescription: Needed a prescription--CVS was offering a $25 giftcard for any new or transferred Rx. I will spend part of that on Easter candy!

Thrift Store: Got a $5 off any purchase coupon in the Val-Pak envelope. Got one from my neighbor's mail, too! Got myself a new pair of black denim jeans (Lands End, size 12P). Bought something else to sell on ebay.

I Don't mind being "green" but.....

2008-11-20T03:31:00.007+01:00

I am glad to be separating our trash into two containers. The recyclables are plastic, bottles, cans, paper........the rest goes into the dumpster. We have two trash pick up days in Louisville. This is a good habit to begin. But maybe I'm watching too much news because I'm starting to feel guilty if I put an empty toilet paper roll in the real trash instead of the recycler. Like I don't have enough to feel guilty about. (Yelling at my kids, messy house, making a lousy meal, surfing ebay). I don't think the media is helping with this.
I think Global Warming is real, I understand many in in Africa use only 5 gallons of water per day, compared to an American using 150. I just could get overwhelmed with the enormity of the problem. So we are told all the things we can do to help. I think it's good to know how the rest of the world lives. But if those in Africa had the water available like we do, I think they would use just a bit more - maybe the difference wouldn't seem so obscene.

We also have giant washer and dryers in America. Europeans have tiny washers and no dryers. A dishwasher is for the rich. Currently, the house we are renting has no dishwasher. What a miserable quality of life I am living. Yes, there are dirty dishes in the sink and on the counters most of the time. This, I do not feel guilty about.

Returning back from our Michigan Christmas trip, we discovered our orange recycling bin has been stolen. Now, do I wait for the new one to be delivered and hold the separated trash, or do I take this opportunity to just dump it all together. Haven't decided.

Theatre Mom

2008-11-14T02:35:00.003+01:00

Wow - I'm a "theatre Mom". It's fun. Soon after we arrived Justin was able to audition for a Louisville Youth Theatre production of Willy Wonka, Jr. The production is a musical, so this would be a singing/dancing part for Justin. He began practicing and was cast as an Oompa Loompa and a Squirrel. We faithfully taxied Justin to his rehearsals twice a week and listened to our CD in the car on the way to and fro. The last two weeks were hectic, with intensive rehearsal, dress rehearsals, building up to performance time. The first two performances were to school groups. Then followed four more open to the public and finishing with a final school group performance. My main job was to help with the quick costume change for four Oompas. The Oompas had to quickly change into Squirrels, then another quick change back to Oompas! Talk about pressure......all worked out well, but it took at least three tries before we figured out the quickest way to get the boys changed! I also combed wigs, put on hairnets, kept the actors quiet in the "green room"..... It was so much fun. Also, as a newbie to the area, it gave me an opportunity to get to know some moms and their kids.

Sizes - food & socks

2008-11-10T02:46:00.000+01:00

I wish I could find a place to file my grievance to the makers of children's socks, but I just don't think they would care. I carefully chose a package of socks for Justin at Kohl's this year before school started. I decided to ditch the 6 or 8 pack Hanes from Meijer after seeing that the shape of the sock is nowhere near the shape of a foot. They just were not comfortable. I thought buying a 6-pack of Gold Toe would be a huge upgrade for Justin. I checked the size chart and could see that Justin was a "M". I didn't even have to make a judgement call of buy them too small or too big.....he was right in the middle of the "M" size. I may even have taken one out of the package. But I am still in denial that my baby boy is over 4' tall, so I thought it looked just right. As you can imagine, the socks are too small. After a wash, they were even smaller. He's still pulling them on. I really want to get some wear out of them. So much for an upgrade. The question is - why can't they make these sizes more accurate and uniform?

Next topic - smaller food containers. While I was out of the country for the better part of the past three years, container sizes shrunk. I know they made it subtle so we wouldn't notice, but it was obvious to me. Pudding cups are smaller. Canned goods are smaller. And ice cream cartons look like the machine malfunctioned during the packaging. Ice cream - you don't buy a 1/2 gallon anymore it's 1.75 quarts. Which brings me to another subject - why the US never converted to using Metric.

First Day of School

2008-09-29T20:45:00.000+02:00

We've been here a month and the kids are settling in to their new routine. Here are a few photos of their school and the kids on the steps on their first day. They are attending Bloom Elementary School, which is a part of the Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville. This is the system that Doug is teaching in also. Anya has begun Kindergarten and Justin is in Third grade.

Kentuckiana.....

2008-09-29T02:27:00.002+02:00

I've always found a blend of two words to make a new word really goofy. So we are now living in a blended region called "Kentuckiana". I have a friend who lives in "Michiana". The local media outlets must be the authors of the blends for the regions bordering two states. Not wishing to alienate anyone in their media market, a new word is created to include everyone. The funny thing is that it begins to sound normal when you hear it over and over on the radio, the TV and see it in print. So before it becomes normal for me, I need to voice my protest.

As for the accuracy of the word? We are right on the edge of Kentucky. The Ohio River separates Indiana and Kentucky. I could be in Indiana in about 15 minutes if I wanted to. We could have even lived in Indiana and worked in Kentucky. We could go to church in Indiana and live in Kentucky. I wonder if they considered "Indiucky". That definitely does not have a ring to it.

Anya's well-child visit

2008-09-23T13:18:00.003+02:00

I'm so glad Anya forgot how much she hated going to the doctor! We needed to have a Kindergarten check up for Anya now that we have landed in Louisville. One of our new neighbors gave us a list of doctors and contacts for all sorts of things we might need. What a huge help that was.

The pediatrician's office is close and we got an appointment right away! Anya was really great as we waited and as she got weighed (41 lbs.) and measured (43" tall). She was even brave through a finger poke for a blood test. She got to play a game to check her hearing (perfect). I knew we were in trouble when she needed to be updated on her immunizations. She needed five :o( shots. Dr. Katz was so kind - he kept checking in with us and when it was time for the immunizations, he told Anya it was okay to cry but she needed to hold real still, then he gave her a sticker. The nurse, another kind soul, did the deeds and then we were done. I held her tight after the first two, which she was so brave through. She didn't know they would hurt so much, so she was pretty surprised and then totally lost it. She kicked her little feet and cried "I want to go, I want to go". It was so sad. All you moms and some dads know the feeling of seeing your kids react to pain. I notice she needs no more shots until 2014 and I'm so glad.

I took Anya to school after the appointment, sat with her while she ate her lunch in the cafeteria at Bloom Elementary and said goodbye just as her class was lining up for recess. She was a happy girl by then.

Using the Good Dishes

2008-09-12T18:00:00.002+02:00

I made a decision this summer. When we were able to set up house again - it has been just about three years - I was going to use the good dishes. We celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary in Bratislava, Slovakia using dishes that came with the flat we were renting. So ten years after the wedding, we are using the lovely Lenox Poppies on Blue chinastone that I so carefully selected during our engagement. I think we are a little funny here in the US about saving the good dishes. I decided to try to inspire a few others by telling you about that. Oh, there is flatware that matches. It's really nice, heavy silverware. I'm enjoying it so far.

Losing my newscasters

2008-07-12T21:49:00.000+02:00

Having returned to the USA after being mostly media starved should have been another perk once back. Doug and I were admittedly news junkies for years. When we moved overseas we even found some of our favorite shows occasionally. But instead of picking up where we left off it's turned out to be very sad.

First we lost Tim Russert, age 58, NBC Moderator for Meet the Press and the Washington Bureau Chief for NBC. He died suddenly of a heart attack in Washington, DC. Doug and I loved and respected Tim Russert's work and what we knew of his person. He was a class act in everything we saw that he was involved in. Meet the Press fit in with our church schedule - but if it had not, this would have been a problem for us. We may have had to buy TIVO. Back in early 2000, we had tickets to go to the Republican Primary Presidential Debate at Calvin College. Tim Russert was the moderator. Doug and I had arrived early and were waiting outside the auditorium (probably near the bathroom as I was 8 months pregnant) when Tim walked through to get backstage. We both hollered at him, and told him he is our favorite newscaster. We got a big smile and wave as he walked past. I was more excited about meeting him than seeing all the presidential candidates once the debate began. We appreciated Tim's approach to his guests on "Meet the Press". He would ask questions - even the "tough" questions and actually let his guests respond. No interruptions, no shouting, it was definitely not a show about Tim promoting his own ideas or personality. Now having watched the coverage about Tim and his relationships with co-workers, Washington insiders, etc. we see that he was a man who cared about individuals and those he came in contact with on a daily basis.

Today (Sat. July 12) I heard that another of my favorite newscasters died of cancer at age 53 - Tony Snow. Tony Snow was another man who looked comfortable with himself. It has been several years since I've watched him, because he has been battling cancer and we've been overseas, but he was another class act. When he became the White House Press Secretary I cheered. I knew he would be great in front of the reporters and, sure enough, when he was having a press conference, his ability to articulate the Administration's actions and positions greatly helped my understanding. It seemed like such a friendlier place while Tony worked there. Tony Snow was another who didn't shout and talk over his guests, but let them talk.

So - here's to the good guys who reported our political news from Washington, DC. Gosh, I'll miss them.

Two months have passed since I posted

2008-07-11T21:37:00.000+02:00

I now realize that two months have passed since I've posted on my blog. The month of May in Bratislava was a whirlwind of activity. We traveled, wrapped up our work, said goodbye to our friends and were on a plane on June 3.

My first impressions of the US are always interesting (to me at least). I love the big freeways, wide open spaces and being able to read and understand signs and billboards. The familiar is so comforting. My first moments in a US grocery store are exhilarating as I look at the variety of grocery items. Then I inevitably feel like telling the cashier how nice she/he is to talk to. If we converse I thank them for bagging my grocery items and tell them about the stores in most of Europe and Slovakia. Some are even appreciative of my stories!

I've had the most fun laughing about variety in toothpaste and tortilla chips. If I could find a bag of chips in Slovakia, they were quite average in taste and high in cost. Just the corn tortilla chips - round and usually broken from the extra long trip that it took to get them there from Belgium. Chips and some mexican food was imported from Belguim. The other day at Meijer I noticed the following varieties of tortilla chips:

blue corn, yellow corn, white corn, baked, restaurant style, no salt, nacho cheese flavored, triangle shapes, mini rounds, scoops, w/lime. WOW - how can we ever make a decision with those choices, to say nothing of choosing a brand. I dare not even start on varieties of toothpaste.

So, America is by far the country with the most variety of any in the world that I've been to so far!

Another funny thing I've noticed. We are generally a sedentary culture, needing to take our vehicle(s) most everywhere to get our business done. But we still look for the closest parking place to the building. I do the same now that I've returned.

Large cars far outnumber small cars. Pretty much the opposite in Slovakia. They have been paying high fuel prices for much longer than we have.

Visit to Krakow, Poland

2008-05-10T22:22:00.000+02:00

Doug and I received a HUGE gift when our friends in Bratislava allowed us to take a road trip without KIDS! One family offered to babysit Justin and Anya for the weekend (that makes five kids with their three). The other family offered to drive their car and found a babysitter for their daughter as well! This put us in good shape for a weekend ROAD TRIP! I knew we were going to have a great time when our friends' first stop was the gas station C-store for snacks. Chips and Diet Coke and a little chocolate - not grapes and yogurt! Knowing we could eat junk food without guilt was a great start.

The drive was beautiful. We passed through the borders into Czech Republic and Poland with no passport checks due to the new treaty that went into effect in December. Our destination was Krakow - a historic city that would require an approximately 5 hour drive from Bratislava.

Krakow was great. The infrastructure is being rebuilt and updated all around the city, but the historic areas are preserved and restored. Krakow has the largest pedestrian square in all of Europe. It is huge! Sidewalk cafes, a flower market, horse and carriage rides and a huge "Cloth Hall" souvenir market is in the center. We happened to arrive in Krakow on May 3, which is Polish Independence Day. The streets were strung with banners and it was a festive atmosphere, complete with a parade.

We took a walking tour through the old Jewish area and were amazed at the number of synagogues in a small area. From there we walked to the factory of Oskar Schindler. Oskar Schindler saved many Jewish people during the Holocaust, the story of which is told in the film "Schindler's List".

Our trip back to Bratislava began with a McDonald's breakfast. A very American start to a day that I will never forget. We began our planned visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps. The rainy, gray sky with a chill in the air seemed appropriate weather for this day. There is not much to say about visiting these terrible places. The museums at Auschwitz are well done and chronicle the Nazi extermination of Jews from all over Europe and other ethnic groups and people. Auschwitz and Birkenau are close in proximity but there is a bus to take to get to Birkenau. Birkenau has been left as it was found after the war ended with the exception of a few restorations of things that had deteriorated with age. While Auschwitz was in a relatively small area, Birkenau stretches farther than I would have imagined. I was unprepared for the sight of a railway that ends at the death camp. There were hundreds of messages written on small wooden posts tucked on the tracks as memorials from visitors.

I will post a few photos of what I have mentioned here.

A fine spring morning

2008-04-24T12:00:00.005+02:00

This fine spring morning got me out of the house earlier than usual with Anya in one hand and a box to mail in the other. Perfect weather, beautiful sunshine, lilacs in bloom and smelling sweet and no rush. That's the way I would like to have all my days begin!

I dropped Anya off in her classroom and made the two block walk to the "Posta". Many people are out this time of day, but I noticed a few in particular. One young woman had an ice cream cone in her hand at 8:15 a.m. The ice cream cone is a favorite treat once spring comes. The stands are on every street corner, both out here in the 'burbs and in the old town area. In Slovak, the word for ice cream is "Zmrzlina" (that's six consonants and two vowels). I don't think we can top that in the English language. I was briefly tempted to get my own cone, but opted for fresh baked rolls at Tesco. Next I watched a group of men opening beer bottles - again, 8:15 a.m. A bit further along on my walk I passed another group of men with vodka and other drinks getting started on their day. From my observations, alcohol abuse must be one of the significant social problems here in Slovakia. Even with a zero tolerance for drinking and driving, there are many who smell of alcohol on the bus and are drinking and are drunk on the streets. We have never been bothered by any of the drunks. They keep to themselves.

My visits to the post office here have been mostly successful. Last week I brought a box to mail and was told "velky". That means big. "Papier", she said next and spread some paper on top of my box. Ahhhhh.....the light bulb went off and I realized that if the box is a certain size it needs to be covered with paper. I left and thought about this requirement that the box be covered in paper. What's the point of that? How does covering it with paper make it smaller or weigh less? Not being in a position linguistically to ask why or make sure I understood the instruction, I took the box back home and dutifully covered it with some plain brown gift wrap and then lots of tape. I figured I'd give the "Posta" one more try before I opened the box and repackaged it in two smaller boxes. My second try proved successful. WOW - am I getting good at this or what?

Birds waking us up in the morning, the smell of fresh mown (or weed whacked) grass is in the air. Life is good........

A few more facts

2008-04-22T12:18:00.001+02:00

Some things that I think are interesting here:

You can buy lottery tickets at the Post office.

Traffic lights are sequenced differently than anywhere I've been:
RED
YELLOW
GREEN
this looks the same, but the order is different. You get your yellow AFTER the red. It's like on your mark (red), get set (yellow), GO (green).

Pedestrians do not have the right of way - WATCH OUT - even in the crosswalks you must take care. Some folks will stop, others will not, some even seem to accelerate.

Slovakia is slated to change their currency to the Euro(€) in 2009. Until then the national currency is the Korun(crown).

Over one-half million cars were produced in Slovakia in 2007. There are three major manufacturing plants for automobiles: Citroen, Volkswagen, and Kia. We see many railcars carrying new autos.

Our garbage/trash dumpsters are in a locked cage. I understand this from the perspective of non-residents looking for a place to unload their trash, BUT you can actually get locked in. That's enough for a good nightmare for me: I walk to the cage, unlock the door, I drop in my trash and, oops, I drop my keys in also by accident. The cage door closes and locks behind me and I'm stuck inside with FIVE dumpsters. No way out except to retrieve my keys by getting inside the dumpster or go mad while I wait for help. Here's a photo of "the Cage".......

Bratislava International Church

2008-04-20T13:55:00.000+02:00

Here's a link to our wonderful Bratislava International Church..... We love this little church and the congregation. If ever you find yourself touring Europe and are in Bratislava on a Sunday, this is the place for you! If you click on photos at the home page, you'll even see our kids.

http://www.bratislavainternationalchurch.org/

Baby steps, baby steps.

2008-04-19T13:10:00.000+02:00

A favorite movie of mine, "What About Bob", makes me think of making progress by taking baby steps.....

In my struggle for making connection with some of the local people I see often (neighbors, store clerks) I think some progress has been made! I'm getting smiles from a few of the Tesco clerks! Several recognize me, because they don't tell me my grocery total anymore, they just point to the little screen. This is big. My unique identity is being affirmed!

A few people in the building are becoming friendly. There is a sweet lady with a little dog who we like. She smiles and is so sweet to the kids. We pet her dog and smile back. She talks to us, but I haven't any idea of what she is saying. I try to use my Slovak words, but I don't have too many descriptive phrases under my belt yet.

Lots of moms have seen me out on the playgrond, so I'm trying to make eye contact and greet them. One mother of twin baby boys made eye contact, so I was able to say "dobre den" (hello) as I passed her on the way to the bus and she responded.

These small things I have always taken for granted with people, BUT, to even make these simple connections with anyone here is progress. This is a very reserved culture. I know we can't converse, but my goal is to have some pleasant contact. If I can't help this process along, this is a most lonely culture to live in.

Estonian Girls' Choir

2008-04-16T08:03:00.003+02:00

A free concert is always welcome to our family, but a world-class free concert? Better yet. A world-class free concert in a historic stone church? Perfect. Such as it was here in Bratislava last night. We made the trek to the old town Bratislava to hear a choir traveling from Estonia. The tour will take them through Slovakia, Austria and Switzerland for the next two weeks.The occasion is the 90th Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. They girls' were amazing. It was a feast for the ears to hear the beautiful voices of young women--no accompaniment--with the awesome acoustics of a domed cathedral.

The girls were dressed in ecru full-length gowns with ecru shawls draped across their shoulders. An appropriate dress for the mostly golden-haired fair-skinned young women. I couldn't help but think of angels once they began to sing. The first song was my favorite. The girls stood spaced throughout the cathedral and then sang the most beautiful song. "Awake, My Heart" is an Estonian folk hymn with a special arrangement for the Girls' Choir. It could not have been more heavenly. To have voices all around - TRUE stereo/surround sound - another "pinch me" moment.

Our little family lasted through the first half, it was a school night and the concert didn't start until 7:00 (19:00), but we were able to bring home with us a CD recording.

I have no photos - my camera is broken and I'm awaiting a borrowed camera's arrival. Hopefully my descriptions have given you a mental picture this time.

My littlest Slovak friends

2008-04-08T09:50:00.004+02:00

This year I have been working at Galileo School with the kindergarten-preschool children in various capacities. During this time, I have gotten to know about 50 of these 3-7 year-olds and it has been great fun.

There are four who are fluent in English. From there it is a huge range of English language comprehension and speech. Some of the youngest kids haven't figured out that I still can't understand them when they speak Slovak to me. I'll listen to a whole paragraph of a story and tell them "nie Slovensky" - but they don't seem to mind a bit. All can speak the phrase "can I go to the toilet?" in English.

Each week I am with a group of little ones alone for a couple of hours - we manage to get by without speaking the same language. We play and color and I talk to them in English because many have receptive English even though they are not speaking yet.

The older children I've been working with are taught in English, so they are gaining more English language skills. I read books to them, ask them questions and try to get them use their English while they are with me. We have had fun recently acting out story books like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "The Three Little Pigs".

I take my hat off to all my teacher friends for their profession of choice. Working with kids takes a great deal of patience and insight. I can see how it can be rewarding at the same time. When I walk into a classroom to take out the kids two at a time, I am greeted with "HALLO, MRS. CAROLEEEEN". And then "PLEEEEEZE, PLEEZE, take me"....... All my years working in an office never generated that kind of enthusiasm!

I've put up a slide show of some of the kids - you can see their sweet little faces bigger if you click on it and go to the Picasa web site.

Easter Monday Tradition - the origin

2008-03-31T09:58:00.004+02:00

Pictured at the left is a bucket of "korbac" for sale at the Easter market in Bratislava. The origin of the Easter Monday "whipping" is explained below, as cut & pasted from Wikipedia:

Central Europe
In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, a tradition of spanking or whipping is carried out on Easter Monday. In the morning, men spank women with a special handmade whip called pomlázka (in Czech) or korbáč (in Slovak), the women can retaliate by throwing cold water on the men. The pomlázka/korbáč consists of eight, twelve or even twenty-four withies (willow rods), is usually from half a metre to two metres long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. It must be mentioned that spanking normally is not painful or intended to cause suffering. A legend says that women should be spanked in order to keep their health and beauty during whole next year.[21]

An additional purpose can be for men to exhibit their attraction to women; unvisited women can even feel offended. Traditionally, the spanked woman gives a coloured egg and sometimes a small amount of money to the man as a sign of her thanks. In some regions the women can get revenge in the afternoon or the following day when they can pour a bucket of cold water on any man. The habit slightly varies across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A similar tradition existed in Poland (where it is called Dyngus Day), but it is now little more than an all-day water fight.
In Hungary (where it is called Ducking Monday), perfume or perfumed water is often sprinkled in exchange for an Easter egg.

Advertising

2008-03-25T17:58:00.001+01:00

How funny to see the giant face of Bill Gates on a billboard in Bratislava. It looks like he is featured in a magazine publication. Perhaps that magazine is about business? Just a guess that "Profit" means the same in Slovak.

Easter Market

2008-03-22T11:45:00.003+01:00

Old Town Bratislava has an Easter market. Much smaller than the Christmas market, it has handcrafts native to Slovakia for sale. By far the most popular are the hand-decorated eggs. They are real eggs - emptied - and decorated using various techniques. Have a look at the slide show and variety and you can see how I've had a tough time deciding how to fill my Easter basket! If you prefer to see the photos larger, you can click on the photos link just below and it will take you to our Picasa stored photos.

On Easter Monday there is a strange tradition that most Slovak women I've talked with say is totally barbaric. They hate it, but say it remains a tradition in the country. The boys in the village go from door to door with a whip (made of twigs) and whip the girls and pour cold water on them. The girls, in turn, give the boys eggs, candy, or, as is becoming the new tradition, cash! This is a tradition we will not try out in our house, needless to say. I did buy a whip at the market. It looks like woven grapevine or branches and has a few colorful ribbons tied to the end - I think that's the whipping part.

Wind Farms in Austria

2008-03-21T12:34:00.000+01:00

We are living very close to the border of Austria. We decided to take a day trip to see a city in Hungary that has Medieval ruins. To get there from Bratislava we drove into Austria and then just over the border into Hungary. Our drive was in Austria for about 90% of the trip. Austrian countryside is pretty with vineyards all over and small villages in between. We passed a large grouping of huge windmills. They are used for energy, as the wind through the plain surrounding the Danube seems to be reliable. They are giant - perhaps you can gain a sense of scale from one of my photos........

Since we have been living in Slovakia new laws have gone into place at the border crossings in many bordering countries. There are numerous former Communist countries that are in the process of joining the European Union (EU). Part of the process was the Schengen Treaty. This allows porous borders between many countries. We traveled through three countries without showing our passports at all. There are no border guards at the Austrian border, the Hungarian border or the Slovakian border. This is truly amazing. It makes for nice travel - no delays, no traffic jams. It is more like traveling from state to state in the USA.

School Program for Anya

2008-03-19T11:51:00.000+01:00

Anya has been practicing for her school program and the class performed just before Easter break. The two kindergarten classes practiced together and we were treated to their performances of The Farmer in the Dell, Old MacDonald, and Bingo. They also showed their proficiency at having learned their shapes. At the end all the kids got a little paper Easter basket with a chocolate egg w/prize inside!

Here's the little gal performing with all her little Slovak friends.

The Dog in Slovakia

2008-03-17T18:13:00.004+01:00

Early on we could see that the canine rules in Bratislava. Dogs are everywhere. They are clearly the pet of choice. Dogs are allowed on the buses, with muzzle only. Dogs are kept in purses (really). Dogs have to wait outside the grocery store, but are seen inside the mall and coffee shops. I spotted this little dog having a walk with his special sweater on. It just struck me as really funny seeing him/her/it, unleashed and walking right along with his "friends".

One pizza spot that we enjoy walking to as a family takes us through a neighborhood of single family homes. As is typical here, each home is fenced all around, and the driveway has a gate with security locks. It is also typical that each homeowner has at least one dog. When we walk by, the entire neighborhood is a cacophony of barking dogs. We found it particularly annoying and decided the only reasonable response was to bark back. We all practiced our barking until we were all having a good laugh. The dogs were going nuts all around and that made it even more enjoyable. Doug swears most of the dogs are really nice and they just want to be petted (okaaaaay, Doug).

Palm Sunday and a solo

2008-03-16T14:39:00.010+01:00

Justin was asked to sing a solo at Bratislava International Church on Palm Sunday. Our church had a special children's program in the service. He wore his "handsome" clothes and did a fabulous job singing in front of the congregation. Here's a photo and a video clip. Hope you enjoy it. We are very proud of his willingness to learn the song and his courage to perform it as well.

We have grown attached to this little congregation of English speakers from around the world. Most are from the USA or the UK, but many are English speaking refugees who are in Slovakia to relocate due to trouble in their homeland. The small, historic chapel is also used on Sunday mornings by German and Hungarian congregations - one service before ours and another after. There is a larger building of the Slovak Lutheran church which is next door.

The words are hard to hear on this little video, but I'll copy them here:

Stories of Jesus

Tell me the Stories of Jesus

I love to hear;

Things I would ask Him to tell me

If He were here:

Scenes by the wayside,

Tales of the sea,

Stories of Jesus,

Tell them to me.

Signs of spring

2008-03-14T18:02:00.000+01:00

The forsythia are in full bloom! They are a sure sign of spring. The trees are full of buds and some are showing their green. A Bratislava winter has been cold and drab so it's a welcome change . I've seen many people carrying twigs of Pussywillow and some with cut daffodils. Spring is my favorite season with color showing up almost everywhere. The temps are creeping up steadily with chilly mornings and pleasant afternoons. We look forward to spending lots of time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.

We have an 8-year-old

2008-03-10T19:39:00.003+01:00

Today, March 10, 2008 is Justin's 8th birthday. We have had a good day celebrating with him. The school allows parents to bring in a party during the afternoon, so we took full advantage of that! Justin was happy to bring our American traditions to the Slovak children (and one Korean). The Betty Crocker cake mix turned out good enough and the Ready-to-spread frosting made my job easier by far. Five bags of microwave popcorn and some Coca-cola made for enough snacks - and we brought treat bags - something that is not a party tradition here. Those were a hit. We also played musical chairs and a ring toss game.

Here's a little clip of Justin's classmates singing Happy Birthday - I wasn't able to get the entire song 'cuz they started before I was ready!

Six months and some reflection

2008-03-05T11:12:00.003+01:00

We passed our 6-month mark of living in Slovakia during a visit from my parents. The past six months have been many things: interesting, frustrating, exhausting and at times, pretty fun.

My own adjustment has been difficult in many ways that I was not expecting. From the outset, I didn't expect the Slovaks to be like the Palestinians. I knew the people kept to themselves and are a reserved population. I also knew that folks would be just like every other person around the world once you get to know them. But knowing all that just couldn't bring me through the daily void of eye contact, smiles, waves, greetings, that are a part of American culture and an even greater part of Palestinian culture. What's so bad about that?

My question exactly. I know I'm not tough. I don't want to be tough, but I have a need to be acknowledged as a person. Earlier in this blog I talked about being conspicuous or ignored, what would you prefer? I was speaking about standing out racially in Ramallah and what that felt like. From this new perspective, I hate being ignored. I know there are some historical issues about that, so I'll sign up for some good therapy when I get back to the US if I'm not cured through this experience. But for now, I feel that most of the contact I have with the local folks is, at best, with indifference and, at worst, getting bawled out. Just today I was returning from the Posta (post office) and a lady was walking her dog. I have no idea what I did wrong, but she stopped me, and I don't think she was giving me a compliment about my hat as she talked and waved her arms. Something about her dog and me? I've been bawled out for leaving a garbage bag in the hallway by a neighbor. We regularly get the pipes clanged on when our kids' stocking feet make noise on the floor. Anya got a good scolding from someone after she, in frustration, threw a sport bottle of juice on the ground. A bus driver hollered at Doug for bringing the stroller in the wrong door of the bus. While Justin was reading aloud on a train a lady yelled "SHUT-up". That word we understand - all the rest of our scolding/getting bawled out is in Slovak. We don't understand a word. Really, not one word! But an attitude and tone can be communicated clearly without language.

So, dear friends, this has all taken a toll on my feeling of well-being and a little bit of my dignity. I always felt good in Ramallah when I could share a smile with someone. Even though I spoke just a tiny little bit of Arabic, much can be communicated with a smile. Touch was common in Palestine - where language failed, you could touch a small child, give a double kiss to an old woman.

I have some new friends here who are helping me understand this new challenge. In particular, having come from the Palestinian culture to the Slovak culture. These may be the two most difficult cultures to have back to back and adjust to. They are helping me by telling me I'm not crazy needy (who wants to be that??) and that it isn't me, it's the culture. And these are people who have lived with or worked with Palestinians! Isn't that amazing that we are here in Bratislava together?

I'll post some photos of my parents' visit shortly. We had a good time together, getting caught up, seeing some of the region. I finally got to Vienna, Austria to look around and got more experience on the train and metro systems w/o the guys. I'm getting more adventurous each day.

Ryanair - discount air carrier

2008-02-12T16:28:00.000+01:00

Several weeks ago Anya and I flew to Barcelona, Spain. Our mission was to visit a friend from Ramallah who brought the video and audio equipment that was used in the Romeo & Juliet student film production. Our friend was generous to bring the equipment out of Tel Aviv, as it can be a difficult process of questioning by the security at the airport. Thankfully the equipment was not inspected and it arrived in Spain with our friend as we had hoped.

Anya and I flew on Ryanair, one of Europe's discount air carriers. Our flight left Bratislava, so we were able to take the public transport to the airport! We also flew into a smaller airport north of Barcelona, so we needed to pay transport to get to the Barcelona bus station. Our Ryanair tickets totaled €78 (about $110). Here are a few differences that I noticed flying with the discount carrier:

no air sick bag
no seat pocket
seats didn't recline
advertising banners for their airline on overhead bins
safety instructions laminated onto the seat in front of you - eye level (I didn't enjoy looking at it the entire flight)
no reserved seating
flight magazines passed out and collected at the end (I kept mine to sell on ebay)
no complimentary beverages/snacks
pre-recorded advertising messages for Ryanair during flight
flight attendants sold scratch off tickets for prizes - proceeds went to charity

We did have a pilot, co-pilot and an adequate flight crew. That must be regulated. Bright yellow and royal blue was the color scheme. It was a bit loud for my taste, but fun at the same time. The plane was nice and clean and seemed new. Luggage is an additional fee (we paid for one checked bag) and the weight limit is 15kg. Carry-on bags are carefully checked for size. Overall, a great experience! I would fly with them again provided I did not have much luggage.

What the Slovaks do well....

2008-02-12T09:53:00.000+01:00

Other parts of the world could learn a few things from the Slovak culture....... some of the my observations include:
Mass-transit: run frequently, on-time, all over the city. You can get almost anywhere you need by bus, trolley-bus or tram line. The fare system is easy - buy one ticket for the length of your trip, validate it on the bus, trolley bus or tram. It's good for your ride on all three modes of transport! The best part is that you can figure out the times and your transfers by looking on their website. After you know a few of the destination stops around the city, you can request a time and a route will pop up for you. Print it out and you're on your way. The website is http://www.imhd.sk/ and for English you press the British flag at the top. (Just in case anyone wants to pretend to be me).

Recycling: in my "how to look like a local" file, I noticed most folks had a reusable grocery bag that they were carrying around. I know most homes in the US have a place that is overflowing with plastic bags from every store and every purchase made in the last year. Many stores here charge you for bags, so if you bring your own, you can save some cash. Plus, the heavier plastic bags are more comfortable to carry if you have to walk further than just your car. Now I carry my own reusable bag so not only do I look like a local, I'm being green........

I will hold on posting my opinions of bothersome Slovak cultural norms. My cultural bias is unavoidable and it doesn't seem fair to report on societal ills (exceptions may occur). Someday I'll enjoy having a cup of coffee with those who are interested and I can report on some of the cultural oddities through my eyes.

The Posta

2008-02-09T12:57:00.000+01:00

I've now had lots of experience with "The Posta", the Slovakian mail service. The Posta is much more than the mail service, however. You can pay bills here, using a voucher that contains the account number of the receiving party - we pay Justin's choir bill this way. Every other month he gets a slip with the amount and the Boys' Choir account info. I have successfully paid his bill twice now - you give them your cash and get a paid receipt.

Some of our friends and family have sent care packages and all have come through well EXCEPT the kids Christmas presents from Grandma & Grandpa........ Wouldn't you know it? Their box even got returned to sender from Bratislava. So, after the gifts made three trips across the ocean, our kids got to have Christmas in February!

I just had to share this photo of Justin.........a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Weekend in Prague

2008-02-05T08:12:00.000+01:00

A school holiday in February for the whole of Slovakia represents "Report Day". Children bring home their reports from school and there is a day off on Friday.

For us, we decided to take the train to Prague, Czech Republic. From Bratislava this is about a 4-hour train ride. The trains are comfortable, reliable and inexpensive. We took the express train, which stops at only a few cities along the way.

Finding our bearings once we arrive in a new city is the biggest challenge. We generally have reserved a hotel on-line before we venture and then figure the rest out upon arrival! I have noticed that our experience with mass-transit in Bratislava has helped tremendously in other cities here. We found Prague to be fascinating. With extensive walking areas and beautiful old, old buildings and towers, our time passed quickly. There are museums of all kinds, souvenir shops galore and marionette shows and blacklight shows to take in. There is much more for us to do in Prague, so we will need another trip in the future. We found ourselves, however, being drawn to TGI Fridays for a meal rather than any traditional Czech cuisine.

I've randomly chosen photos for a slide show, but perhaps you can gain a feel for this Central European city through them. This has been described by many I asked as their favorite city in Europe.

Cub Scouts

2008-02-01T08:22:00.000+01:00

Justin has joined the Transatlantic Cub Scout Wolf Pack #200 here in Bratislava. He

recently got to participate in the Pinewood Derby, his first! His race car was not in the top, so we had some disappointment to work through. All the boys had a great time cheering on their cars and it was fun to watch them. The pack and den are small, compared to many, but it is a great group of people to gather with while our boys are learning to be Scouts.

In Fair Palestine.......

2008-01-31T09:59:00.000+01:00

January 19 was the premier of a student film in Ramallah. This film is especially close to the heart of Doug. The film was written, produced and acted in by students in Doug's classes at the Ramallah Friends School. In the Fall of 2005 Doug decided to scrap the textbook studies that the students were falling asleep to in his classes and use his own passion for Shakespeare to attempt to engage the young people. He chose a book - No Fear Shakespeare - Romeo & Juliet and, after the obligatory assignments and grades, there was a remnant of students who were inspired and empassioned to make a film. The theme would be Romeo & Juliet in the setting of Palestine!

The R&J Team, as they were named, began to write a script and meet weekly with Doug. As most of you know, our time in Ramallah ended prematurely after we began to have trouble renewing our visa to stay. But the students continued on, and in June 2007, Doug was able to return to Ramallah to catch the filming in person. The home video Doug brought home of them filming took my breath away!

More months passed as the R&J Team edited their film and began to get the final production ready. January 19 was a day that Doug should have been in Ramallah. I wish we could have all been there for the premier at the Cultural Palace of the student production of: In Fair Palestine A Story of Romeo & Juliet. Tickets were sold for the premier and the Cultural Palace was packed with over 1,000 in attendance. Here are a few comments that were passed on to Doug via email.

Dear Doug,
I thought I would write to you about the wonderful premiere
of Romeo and Juliet tonight. More than one thousand people packed the
Cultural Palace, all eager to see what a bunch of teens had produced. You got
sustained rounds of applause upon the mention of your name as the catalyst
of the film and its promoter throughout. It was an awsome (to use Faris's term)
evening.

You were missed and appreciated tonight.
Thank you.

Hey! Man you should have been there. More than a 1000 people were there. People were sitting on the stairs and others were standing.Thhey all loved it. It was unbelievable. Cheers

Hi Doug,
Thank you for developing the idea for the movie, it was amazing. The auditorium was packed and the students did a wonderful job.
Wish you and your family could of been her. Rave reviews in the newspapers and a local radio station.

Missing you and family,
Rave reviews in two local newspapers and one in Jordan, in addition to a five-minute report on al-Arabiyya satellite TV channel during the prime-time news broadcast, viewed by millions in the Arab world!!
Here's a link to the Youtube trailer for In Fair Palestine.....A Story of Romeo & Juliet. Take a look at what some 10th-12th Palestinian teenagers accomplished. http://www.youtube.com/v/zHNndYQ79nQ&rel=1

Weather related news

2008-01-17T08:10:00.000+01:00

I found it funny when I returned to Michigan after our first overseas adventure how much people talked about the weather. At least the weather changed and there was variety. I guess that made it a topic of conversation, or at least worthy of commenting on.

Here in Bratislava, the winter is dismal, at best. Overcast, gray skies blend in with the streets, leafless trees, gray communist bloc apartment buildings and brownish grass. Living on the 7th floor gives us a view of the horizon, so some mornings I am fortunate enough to see a sunrise! It may quickly be swallowed up by the clouds, but it is a welcome sight. Last week we watched a most stunning sunrise!

The Kindness of Slovaks

2008-01-16T07:45:00.000+01:00

After having blasted the culture for the cold exterior, I have had some wonderful experiences with the local folks.
A few months ago, while taking a trip into Central Slovakia, I realized I had lost my little money pouch. It included my credit card, so it was a true crisis! I was almost sure I had lost it at a Tesco store, where we stopped to get snacks and drinks, so we had to drive back the 1/2 hour we had just traveled when I realized I was missing something important. Doug and I asked the security guard if anyone spoke English. She pointed to a young lady at a T-Mobile store near the entrance. We told her our situation and she said she would be happy to help us. She closed her store and took us over to the information counter. The information counter was less than helpful, but this young lady persisted and asked them to call the register where we had checked out. They had my pouch! Oh that was a happy time. I even cried with joy. We thanked this young lady profusely, who closed her store to help us. She replied "I like to help people". And we were off.

Next crisis for me was going to the post office to mail packages..... I handed over the packages - there were 3 - and she gave me the total. I had spent most of my cash, so didn't have enough to pay for them. Now what? She told me, with the help of the gentleman at the next window, that I could leave them here and come back. Very nice gesture, but I was downtown and the thought of going all the way back home to get more cash was daunting and time consuming. So I left the packages with her and began to walk and think. This is progress for me, because I didn't just start crying (what a wimp). I walked back to the last store I had patronized and asked them if I could return this item because I shorted myself on cash and needed to get my stuff on its way to the US. The lovely, slender and red-haired young lady said SURE! She would even keep my item behind the counter for me until I could return. What lovely Slovak people! So, I walked back to the Posta, paid for my packages and walked to fetch Justin from choir practice.

In all our journeys on the bus I see people giving their seats to pensioners (senior citizens), and helping women with their cumbersome baby carriages on and off the bus. If anyone has read all this to the end, I would encourage trying to notice the little kindnesses that come your way each day through others.

Our Elevator or 122 stairs

2008-01-14T15:13:00.000+01:00

Our elevator or up and down 122 stairs. Two options that we face each day, at least twice a day. If we lose one of those options, (the elevator), it leaves the 122 steps. Since we moved in last August, we have climbed the stairs at least 7 or 8 times because the elevator was out of order. It is grueling to walk up all those stairs, made even more difficult if I have a load of groceries. Doug has been stuck in it once, but kept pushing buttons and got it to go down one floor so he could get out. It was humorous because that was when his dad was visiting and there was another little lady stuck with them. She started banging on the door as loudly as she could. When I looked out our door to find out what was going on, all I could see was their heads.......

So, I could complain a lot - not to the management or anyone who can help because of the language barrier, but I decided I am happy we have one at all. Many buildings don't even have a "lift", as it is called in Europe. As to the condition and size of the lift? Well, it's tiny--really tiny. Our family of four can fit in it, but if we have our stroller it is really tight. I think it was made in Poland during Communism. And it doesn't even have automatic doors. There is one tremendously heavy door that you pull open like any regular door. You step on the elevator. Once the heavy door closes behind you (not automatically), you push the button and begin the ride. There is no other door, but you can watch the other marked doors go by, as each little window appears in the door for the next level. It's hard to explain, so I'll attach a photo.

Last week we were coming home after dark and the elevator ride upstairs was completely in the dark, as the light had burned out inside. That was exciting! Speaking of lights, there are light switches on each floor to help light the hallway. But their timers are so badly set, that I can never get the key in both of the two locks without having to stop and give myself another dose of light. (Talk about pressure)! If we are walking up, we put Justin in charge of lights, so none of us trip when the light decides to turn off. He's great help in this area.

I am happy for the elevator, truly. But when I look at it I am surprised I will use it at all. I guess that is how badly we as humans want to avoid work and exercise. Here's the little beast....

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2007-12-23T20:02:00.001+01:00

We have been attending the Bratislava International Church in the downtown area. This church is partly supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and is English speaking. People who are part of the church are from all over the world, including refugees from several other countries.

Today our kids were up front for the lighting of the 4th candle of Advent - the photo is a little blurry, but it is really sweet just the same!

Christmas Traditions - Carp & Potato Salad

2007-12-23T15:10:00.000+01:00

On Christmas day in Slovakia a traditional meal will include carp and potato salad. Just last week we noticed portable fish ponds showing up outside the grocery stores. Inside were live carp. Next to that were a couple of guys with fishing nets, some bags and a scale. So that is how you get your fish for Christmas meal. We noticed the fish were being scooped up by the net, put into the bag alive, weighed and paid for. I don't care what happened after that. I always thought carp were bottom feeders, the kind that no one ever kept if they were caught. I have little doubt that the spices used to cook this fish must make it tasty. We probably will not have a chance to try it. I guess it could go with potato salad, right?

Here are the kids watching the carp swim around before they become a traditional Slovak Christmas dinner.

Slovak Christmas Traditions - St. Mikulas (St. Nicholas)

2007-12-23T14:46:00.000+01:00

Being in another culture for their celebration of Christmas is, indeed, a unique experience. While we miss our own traditions with our families in Michigan, we will enjoy some new traditions while in Slovakia.

On the night of December 5 all the children clean their winter boots. After they are cleaned, they put them in the windowsill. Now, if they have been good and/or their boots are clean enough, they will wake up in the morning with a bag of candy, fruit and nuts inside their boots! If they aren't, there are many other things for the naughty kids with dirty boots (coal, rocks, little nasty devil shaped chocolates).

The stores were loaded up with chocolate Santas, chocolate Saints that I didn't recognize and chocolate devils. Tons and tons of chocolates and candy!! The night of Dec. 5, on my daily Tesco run, I thought for sure it must be Christmas eve early- the crowds were heavy. I have never seen such giant bags of peanuts in bulk and crates of oranges and tangerines. But it was St. Mikulas eve - a huge holiday tradition here that brings warm memories for most.

The night of December 5 we made sure J & A washed their boots and put them in the windowsill. Sure enough, the next morning they had their bag of treats! School on December 6 had some special treats for the kids and appearance by St. Mikulas (St. Nick).

Anya's boots.....

Choirboy Justin

2007-12-19T08:14:00.001+01:00

There he is, Choirboy Justin. The boy on the end. I didn't get a photo of the entire choir unfortunately, but they number about 90. This was the annual Christmas, or Vianocne, concert for the "Bratislavsky Chlapcensky Zbor" (Bratislava Boys' Choir). A guest boys' choir from Poland also sang. They numbered only about 25, but were awfully cute and it was fascinating to see them. The two choirs sang together at the end.

Justin sang for a portion of the concert - he is with the smaller children who don't have the endurance or performance skills of the older, more experienced choir members. He sang several traditional Slovak Christmas carols as well as Silent Night, or Ticha Noc, Svata Noc in Slovak. One song was in Latin. I had heard all the songs around the house, of course, but nothing could prepare me for the beautiful sound once inside the church with all the boys singing together.

I had been hoping the concert would be in an old cathedral, but it was in a modern Catholic church - perhaps built in the last 20 years. The acoustics were great, which is the most important thing. The church was really cold, so all the boys kept their coats on until performance time. The oddest thing was this church had a bronze crucifix mounted on a cross painted yellow. I kept looking at it and wondered just what they were thinking.......

The choir just released a Christmas DVD that is wonderful. Justin was not a member yet, so he is not on the recording, but it has many scenes from Bratislava and Slovakia. If you are interested, I can mail a copy to you. I would guess with postage, $22 would cover the cost. Let me know if anyone wants to buy one, even though the Christmas season is coming to a close.

I will attempt to place two video clips from our digital camera below - it can give you a little idea of their sound. The first clip is of their warm-up exercises. The second is the concert. Justin is the boy on your left on the end. The conductor, Magdalena Rovnakova, has great stage presence but we know she must be stern at times to keep the choir in line and performing as well as they do!

Christmas Market

2007-12-15T10:02:00.000+01:00

The Annual Christmas Market is a highlight for the City of Bratislava. We have been wandering around the market and it is festive and delightful. The market is in the historic old downtown and is made up of wooden booths set up in the main pedestrian squares. All booths are required to have a Christmas theme and be native to Slovakia.

Lots of crafts and food dominate the market. A stage features many school groups singing and other people performing. Hot wine is also a draw - red, white, or the Christmas punch. The market is picturesque and really quaint. It has the look of Christmas without being gaudy. Here are just a few photos so you get an idea of this most extraordinary celebration.

No tights and a tic

2007-12-14T17:31:00.000+01:00

Oh what a day! I finally got my introduction to the inside of a Slovak Health Clinic. Justin has had a terribly painful earache for three days. My call on Thursday morning to request an appointment resulted in an appointment for Friday morning. The doctors were completely booked for Thursday. I thought we could wait 24 hours if we needed to. The 24 hours was tough - We finished the only bottle of Wal-Mart brand Motrin on hand and alternated with the Wal-Mart brand of Tylenol. I began feeling horrible for the situation we were in, but tried to focus on getting through the next day.

Preparing for the morning, I got out my map and located the clinic in the downtown area. Not a bad location, as it was just one bus ride for Justin and I and a short walk. Not ideal, but we are adjusting to this new lifestyle where we don't hop in the car and drive to find a nice parking lot outside a lovely building wherein is located our very friendly, available and able pediatrician with whom I am able to communicate.

My poor son somehow made the short walk from the bus stop to the building and we went to the receptionist. I began to have a bad feeling about this when we went to the reception area. The woman who had scheduled my appointment gave me a doctor who sees adults, not a pediatrician. I was sure I had said my son was sick on the phone...... I tried to get transferred by phone to pediatrics, but they didn't answer. I was now downtown with my sick son and NO appointment.

The tension of having a sick child overseas and the feeling of helplessness began to overwhelm me. We walked into the pediatric clinic and I began my efforts to explain my situation. Now, I don't want to slam the Slovaks, BUT there is a cold, icy exterior that many hold (until you get to know them). So the receptionist is an icy, cold Slovak. Although she spoke English, she doesn't seem to get the explanation of my situation, but sighs and tells me both doctors are completely full and I must have an appointment. My frustration and discouragement peaked and the floodgates opened and I began to cry. "My son has been in pain for three days and needs to see a doctor.....is there any other place I can go?" (no) "Is there an emergency room?" (no, we don't have emergency rooms). Next question from her: do you have insurance? "Yes, I have insurance." I hand over the card. I continue to shed tears and use the extra soft Puffs that my mom sent me. Next time you must have an appointment. (Yes, I tried to get one) The icy receptionist tells me to wait a minute. She disappears into a room and we sit down. I continue to dab my tears, which just won't stop. Something (or someone) must have touched the receptionist's heart because I don't even think I tried to pray. She reappears and rather quickly we are ushered into an examining room and meet a friendly woman, I guess she's a doctor. I wiped the remaining tears off my cheeks and sat down. She got a quick history and then checked Justin's throat, chest and ears. One ear is fine, the other is not, he has a red throat and a bit of congestion in his chest. He will need an antibiotic. (alrighty, let's get a prescription and get out of here).

Next, to my surprise, I was asked if I ever noticed the tic in Justin's face. No, I didn't. "The mothers never do. I noticed it right away". (Okaaaaaaay. How about that ear infection?) Next she pulled up the leg of Justin's pants and laughed when she saw his white socks. Normal white socks, right? He should be wearing tights. All children need tights under their pants to keep warm. We had a brief discussion about the fact that I was from Michigan, a very cold state in America, and, yes, it is colder than Bratislava. Much colder. I'm sure I got the bad mother award for the day. No wonder he is sick and in need of a doctor- these foreigners! I imagine her thoughts and the conversation when I leave.

Now I felt totally humiliated and completely pathetic. It's bad enough to be a foreigner and not understand their language, but I felt so judged for not embracing their cultural rules. I was told that I should really get help for Justin's tic while he is still small, before he grows and it is much more difficult. (Note: I regularly check the American Academy of Pediatrics website and they instruct just the opposite - ignore most of these "tics"......) But to explain anything like that is just out of the question, first due to the language difficulty and, 2nd I'm just there to get help for my kid's earache, for heaven's sake! We also dress our children much lighter than this culture. The school, in particular, is very warm. I cannot imagine having a layer of warm tights under the pants. I also know what it's like to travel on an overheated bus with layers of clothing! I would have a sweaty and carsick child. I would have appreciated a little understanding in my time of need.

Back to the earache. I am given instructions for an antibiotic and eardrops. Then I am given a cough syrup and two other over-the-counter medicines to get. It seemed J was getting a head to toe makeover for this and that. Finally we will get J on the road to recovery. All the instructions have made my head spin, but we make the trek to the Lekaren (pharmacy) to get the boatload of medicine before heading back to the bus stop. Somehow I still feel like crying, so I soak another Puffs while waiting for the pharmacist to get our stuff ready.

On our way back home, J is certain he cannot walk to the bus stop. More tears from me. He continues to plod along. We actually ran the last bit for the bus, as we didn't want to wait another 10 minutes. Once off the bus, we have a two-block walk to get to our building. I carried my little boy the last bit to get him home. He's 7 years old, but you other moms know just what you will do when the need is there.

Antibiotics, ear drops, ibuprofen. I'm skipping the cough syrup. I'm also skipping the other stuff that the pharmacist didn't put in the bag. Those were OTC anyway and I don't remember just what they were supposed to do. After checking the AAP website and the new warnings about children's cold medicine, I think we can leave that out of the equation for now. J is beginning to feel better. He had the best night's sleep out of the last four. That means I did too.

Today is his Bratislava Boys' Choir Christmas concert. We desperately want him to sing. But I have resigned myself to just watching if my boy doesn't feel up to singing. I am tired of crying anyway and the sight of him in the choir will cause me to weep again. (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

Funny, funny little girl

2007-12-02T17:12:00.000+01:00

Anya, age 4 1/2. Lots of questions, lots of energy, lots of opinions. Her interests include styling her hair, painting her nails and looking at herself in the mirror. Every day she chooses her own fashion look before getting dressed for school. Her classmates speak Slovak, she is even picking some words up along the way. Her favorite activities include ballet dancing, swinging and playing at the playground. She is an avid painter of all types, watercolor and tempera paint and occasionally she dabbles in finger paint as well. We think her rainbow, shown below shows much promise!

First snowfall

2007-11-30T10:34:00.000+01:00

I'm behind in my posting of the weather-related news, but we had our first snowfall on a Sunday a few weeks ago. I didn't have my camera on hand when it was snowing in the beautiful downtown area, so you will have to settle for these photos taken from our flat. There will be more snow in Bratislava, but it doesn't accumulate like those of us living in Michigan are usedto seeing.

Bratislava is flat, but a short drive soon becomes hilly and a longer drive will take you into mountains. Snow is plentiful in other areas, so winter sports abound in Slovakia. Sleds, skates and hockey sticks are for sale in all the stores.

Soon I will be able to visit the annual Christmas Market. I look forward to getting some Christmas pictures at this festive event in the old town of Bratislava.

Carolyn

Stared at or ignored? Which would you choose...

2007-11-28T10:14:00.000+01:00

Not that I've had a choice, but I've been thinking about whether I prefer to be conspicuous or invisible in the culture I'm living in.

Being a white Anglo with white Anglo children in Ramallah, Palestine resulted in being stared at. All the time, every day, anywhere. While it got tiring at times, I became used to it and considered it an opportunity to be friendly by sharing a smile and a greeting in Arabic.

Now I am faced with the opposite. I live in a culture where strangers do not make eye contact or greet each other. I blend in with the Slovaks at least until I open my mouth to talk. In Ramallah no one expected any Arabic, so when I spoke in their language, it was unexpected and usually well received. I am spoken to in Slovak, asked questions in Slovak, and just end up smiling and saying "nie Slovensky". Perhaps it's time for some serious language lessons.

So what would you choose: to be stared at and conspicuous or to blend in and be ignored or invisible?

Carolyn

Beer & soft drinks

2007-11-27T17:12:00.000+01:00

Beer in Europe is very popular. I have noted that beer is cheaper than soft drinks. A tiny glass bottle of Coca-cola Light (diet coke) is the same price as a jumbo glass of beer.

That said, the law in Slovakia has zero tolerance for drinking and driving. That means if you are driving you may not have even ONE drink. No alcohol whatsoever is allowed.

A popular alternative beverage for the designated driver and lots of others is called Kofola. This is made in Slovakia and is a dark, caramel-colored carbonated soft drink that is even offered on draft. My opinion of Kofola? Way too much sugar and caffeine. Not bad tasting, a cross between cola and root beer, but the caffeine and sugar take it out of the running for me.

I see very few sugar free soft drinks here. In fact, most people drink carbonated water and fruit juices and, of course, beer. We have begun to order tap water. Mineral water is also more expensive than beer......... Tap water, so far, has been free. But don't expect any ice in any beverage anywhere, anytime.

Bedwetting Alarm

2007-11-15T19:55:00.000+01:00

Family details.......Justin is 7 and has been fortunate to live in the age of Goodnites: nighttime underpants. Not too long ago any child with an inability to hold their pee-pee all through the night would wake up soaked, causing mountains of laundry.........

Now we are living in Europe and my supply of Goodnites was getting low. I checked every supermarket I entered for the first several weeks - no Goodnites, maybe some Pull-ups, but even those were rare (and too small). In my final act of frustration, I looked up the Kimberly-Clark Worldwide website, got the phone number in the Czech Republic and called them from my computer via Skype. I was happy to get an English speaking representative on the line and was told the Goodnites would be availabe at Tesco or any pharmacy. I took one more trip to a pharmacy and even found an English speaker! She told me she would call her distributor and have some brought in. Nice try, and I certainly appreciated her effort on our behalf, but all they could find was an XL size diaper - "those will surely work for the young man". Need I say more to any of you who have been through this?

The story brightens considerably for this mom, as I was anticipating Trouble, with a capital T for my future particularly with my tiny washer and no dryer.

A fellow ex-pat offered to show me around the grocery store before we had lunch one day. We looked through dairy products, meat, then laundry soap-- one more check for Goodnites and I asked in despair: what will I do without these for my son? My new friend then told me that their son JUST went through the same issue. They even had some extra Goodnites that were not needed anymore. A provision straight from Heaven! Next we talked about their success with using an attachable nighttime alarm to wake the child (usually a deep sleeper). A sensor attaches to the underpants and an alarm is attached with a cord (like a phone cord) to the alarm unit that pins to the pajama top. One drop of wetness will trigger the alarm. There are instructions for parental support and a chart to monitor progress. The process takes varying amounts of time, but we are amazed and happy with the results we are seeing, even after only two weeks.

I'll put a link in this posting for anyone who wants to check this out. I am fascinated that the brain and body can be trained in this way. So that's my product endorsement for this edition of our blog!http://www.bedwettingstore.com/Bedwetting_Alarms/malem_ultimate_bedwetting_alarm.htm

Another day, another castle

2007-11-05T11:42:00.000+01:00

Slovakia has an unbelievable number of castles! Many are in ruins, some are restored, many contain museums, but they are seen all over on distant hilltops when you travel throughout the country.

While Doug's parents were visiting we decided to venture to the village of Cachtice in the small Carpathian mountains. The imposing castle ruins of Cachticky Hrad have a gruesome and bloody history. A countess by the name of Elizabeth Bathory is known as perhaps the worst serial killer in history. I will spare you the details, but her nickname as Bloody Elizabeth was well-deserved.

My mother-in-law was my hero for that day, as she made the long walk on foot to the top of that hill on rocky, uneven paths to be able to view the castle ruins. We all marveled at the view from the castle of the village below and beautiful landscape all around.

All Saints' Day

2007-11-03T11:00:00.000+01:00

We had a school and National holiday last week from October 31 through November 2 for All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a time to remember the deceased and to visit the graves. Most will decorate the graves with flowers and place candles that will illuminate the grave at night. A few weeks ago colorful flowers began to appear in abundance at outdoor markets. Candles were for sale in the supermarkets in red and gold glass jars.

Most cemeteries are surrounded by low cement walls, but occasionally we were able to get a glimpse of one in full All Saints' Day dress. I have seen cemeteries in America around Memorial Day and have to say there is no comparison! The cemetery pictured above was in a village about 1 1/2 hours from Bratislava. Many people were visiting even as the holiday weekend was drawing to a close.

I think American Halloween is somehow linked to All Saints' Day. That said, Halloween is an export from America. It is not an event here, except for a few schools (like Galileo) who had grand parties for the kids on the 30th, the last day of school before the holiday. Feel free to comment if you have some knowledge on this topic!

Knock Three Times.......

2007-10-21T20:15:00.000+02:00

Adjustments, adjustments. Guess that's the word of the year for us. Even during our stay in the Holy Land (Ramallah), we did not have close neighbors. Our flat above the library at the Friends School was quiet at night, except for a few musicians who were in the flat next door occasionally. Once we moved to the upstairs of the Swift House the following year, we were alone on the property, as there were offices downstairs. My point being we did not need to be quiet just because we had neighbors.

Now that we are living on the 7th floor of a large apartment building we do, indeed, share walls and floors with others. I have been surprised how quiet the building is, and rarely hear voices or TVs, dogs barking, etc, through the walls and floors. I guess maybe that's because we are usually the ones making the noise. We have a neighbor below, an older woman, who must be getting tired of us (already)....... Yes, I'll admit the kids are noisy, can be loud and running and jumping happen inside our flat from time to time. Justin has outbursts of loud singing that go over the top for me as well.

Our flat is heated by radiators that are connected by exposed pipes (they are painted white to match). Now I know that the pipes also are connected throughout the building! Our neighbor is clanging on the pipes when she is annoyed with our noise. I don't know how long she has been doing this, but I just made the connection yesterday. It happened again tonight and now we are certain that this is a request for us to be quiet. I'm trying to be courteous and explain the shared wall and floor idea to our kids, but I can't help but begin humming the oldie sung by Tony Orlando & Dawn - Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me, twice on the pipe if the answer is no......... So it ends up making me smile. Maybe we can get her to smile someday when she gets to know us better.

Head Lice - 'Tis the Season?

2007-10-21T18:26:00.000+02:00

Anyone who has been through an episode of head lice infestation can certainly relate to my dismay at discovering a louse in our house (or Justin's hair).

The day the school sent out a parent newsletter with a paragraph titled "head lice occurrence" was when we made our creepy discovery. To make matters worse, Justin was scheduled for a class field trip the next morning. We tried to let Justin know that he wouldn't be able to go on the class trip (tears) and decided to make a trip to the pharmacy for a treatment potion the following morning.

The school director told Doug that we could certainly get Justin on the bus at 9:00 if we just got some special shampoo right away. Justin and I hurried to the Lekaren (pharmacy) about two blocks away. I asked the nice lady if she spoke English - nie was her reply. I would never call my communication at a time like this sign language. That is so much more sophisticated. This is more like charades and just as silly except for the urgency of the situation. I point to my head, pretend I'm shampooing and then point to Justin's head. She smiles, nods her head, and returns with a box labeled Parasidose anti-poux Shampooing that has a picture of a couple of little crawly things in a target circle. I paid my 137.40 SKK (about $5), smiled and said Da kjueme and we hurried home. My next task, get the hair shampooed, use the blow dryer and walk Justin to the bus for his trip to the Bratislava Zoo. I had two choices of language for the instructions: Slovak and French. I know neither. I looked real closely at the French instructions, after finding my reading glasses, and saw Mode' D'Emploi--appliquer 3 minutes, rincer, and that phrase was repeated. Looks like, wet hair, shampoo, wait three minutes, rinse, do it again...... How hard was that? The deed was done, we made it to school by 9:00 a.m.

Later I was talking with the school administration and heard that head lice is a huge problem in all of Central Europe. She also said the shampoo doesn't work, as the lice have developed resistance to the chemical. So much for having the deed done. I continued to wash sheets, towels, clothes and bedding (remember my tiny washer and no dryer), all the while wondering if we were going to be rid of them.

NO! They were still present the next day. Start the process again....... This time I called upon my very linguistically gifted Slovak friend to help me at the Lekaren. By mobile (cell) phone, she talked to the pharmacy clerk and explained the situation and was there any other product that would kill the lice. I watched her walk away and return with a box in her hand -there were some really happy children on the box with all their heads touching. Looked good to me. It was called Paranit and came with a lice comb (isn't that special). The price?-- 639.50 SKK ($30). Five times more than the last loser cheapo shampoo. My friend continued to review the instructions on the new product with the clerk while I forked over the cash. The language choices on the instructions were not too much better than the last product: Slovak or Czech.

I guess I am now an expert because I think (hope?) I've beaten these things. I've used shampoo on wet hair, this licorice-smelling stuff on dry hair and the special comb on Justin's head while he watches a movie and I painstakingly comb his scalp to remove anything that thinks it will come to life in a few days. We will repeat the process in about 5 days. I'm open to any stories or suggestions from my blog friends......

Grocery shopping as I know it.....

2007-10-17T18:02:00.000+02:00

The new TESCO supermarket superstore opened up on October 13. Our family made the one-block trek to check it out 20-minutes after the scheduled opening. Wow! Such a big, beautiful store and so close to home. It was truly a new day for me in the grocery arena of my life in Bratislava. The kids got balloons and I got a keychain with two (2) tokens for the grocery cart locks - see what I mean?

Among our purchases was a hair dryer for me. I should have bought one long ago while we lived in Ramallah, but never got around to it. Now, being in a colder climate, it seemed like the right time. We bought fresh pastries and yogurt and cold milk from the dairy case instead of the long-life box.

I also picked up the Tesco flyer which highlights the specials for the next week. Sitting at the kitchen table with my English-Slovensko dictionary and the flyer, I began to empower myself by translating the words. Ahhhh, what a feeling! I translated sour cream, orange juice and gave myself notes on a few items to remember next time.

My exhilaration didn't last too long the next week, for I still had to carry everything home. I realized I had bought way too much heavy stuff. I have to learn to space out the bottled water, Diet Coke, cooking oil and milk. But really, it is great to have a much wider selection close by. I even found some yellow cheddar cheese, labeled "English Cheddar". All the cheeses are white and have names I don't recognize.

Slovakia & The Holy Land

2007-10-09T12:04:00.000+02:00

Four days until the new, GIANT Tesco supermarket opens. This will be a huge convenience for our family and very welcome BUT I wonder if the tiny supermarket that now butts up to the Tesco rear parking lot will be able to make it. From what I can tell, it is a family-owned franchise and it is small, with a limited selection. Reminds me of Wal-Mart in America putting the little guys out of business....... This morning I walked to the another supermarket, the Rema 1000, so I could get some Tide (more laundry to do......) and welcomed the thought of a closer place to stock up.

What does this have to do with The Holy Land? Our first trip to Rema 1000 was the day we arrived, and we took a walk to check out the supermarket and nearby pizza restaurant. We walked past rows of "Communist bloc" apartment buildings, none of which are any more remarkable than the next. The landscaping is haphazard, occasionally someone has made a little garden, but the trees are overgrown and the grass and weeds grow next to each other. I noticed the familiar shaped leaves and color of an olive tree. Who planted an olive tree in Bratislava? I don't believe this is a usual place - Central Europe - let alone in a city, next to a formerly public housing project. Even more surprising, I saw olives growing on the branches. The tree is obviously in need of pruning and I doubt will be harvested, with the fruit taken to the local olive press to be made into oil for the use of any residents here.

One thought leads to another and I have found myself missing friends, acquaintances, landscape and the climate and history of Ramallah, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Doug and even Justin mention longing for the best parts of belonging to that part of the world. I also long for the best parts but still cringe at the worst. Since arriving in Sovakia, our passports have been inspected only a few times: to open a bank account, purchase a mobile phone, drop Anya off to the Ikea play area. Some trips to Jerusalem from Ramallah were especially tedious, with our passports being inspected 3, even four times.

Just about one year ago we were harvesting olives with a family in Bethlehem. After learning the rich symbolism the olive tree has and the significance to family history and the land, I can never forget it. I think God has reminded me through this seemingly "random" olive tree in a most unlikely place to pray for peace and justice in The Holy Land. I hope some of you, my dear friends and family, can take a moment and pray for the same.

Carolyn
http://hartofeurope.blogspot.com

A Few Facts

2007-09-28T10:02:00.000+02:00

Dogs are the pet of choice. Lots of Yorkies and small to medium dogs - most people live in flats in these 7-10 story cement buildings. Pet owners are seen walking their little pooches in the morning and evening. I've seen dogs on the bus, but they always wear a muzzle and are leashed. It always makes me smile to see a dog outside a store with its leash hanging free but obediently waiting for his master to return. Not all pick up after their dogs, even though the city provides special bags just for this purpose. Here's a scan of the special doggie bag. It even has a piece of cardboard inside the bag which can be folded into a scoop......

Gasoline - Gas stations are just like we see in the US, with drinks and snacks available for purchase. Gas is sold by the litre and calculates to about $6.00 per gallon. Cars are smaller, for obvious reasons! Large SUVs are for the very rich or those with large families. Many "petro" stations have car washes attached.

Our neighborhood is typical of the middle-class in Bratislava. To many of our friends in the States, it would look like the inner city of Anywhere, USA, but our flat would sell for about $200,000. You could get a 0% mortgage to buy one, however. We have met nice children on the playground outside, mommies are strolling their babies on the sidewalks that are all around. The apartment buildings are typically surrounded by lots of "green space" - trees, large boulevards and frequent playgrounds for the kids. If only all the dog owners would pick up after their dogs!

Bus/trolley/tram transportation is also for the middle class. The buses come frequently and are rarely empty. We are paying about 75 cents for a one-way trip to downtown Bratislava which takes about 20-30 minutes. Justin rides for 1/2 price and Anya is free. They are comfortable most of the time, except when they are overcrowded. I hear the winter can be difficult riding on the bus because they are terribly overheated.

We are continuing to settle in. Many things no longer seem strange and our daily activities are becoming routine. I have successfully lit the oven, purchased bus tickets from the ticket window while speaking no Slovak, and taken a leisure trip to the Mall and Ikea with Anya. I feel comfortable walking around the neighborhood and the surrounding area. We took a trip to the mountains last weekend and visited a high mountain peak and another castle. I'll send a link to more photos in the next day or so.

For now - Ciao from Slovakia!
love,
Carolyn, Doug & kids

Post-birthday funk

2007-09-24T10:06:00.000+02:00

I've just had a birthday and have been in a post-birthday funk. Yesterday, after waking up and realizing that I nap while my 4-year-old plays on the bed next to me, I had a terrific brainstorm. Maybe being 47 doesn't mean my brain has ceased coming up with a creative idea. I have been tutoring the kids at school and am bored by the curriculum that I've been given. Our own books arrived last week and I found two great books that I thought I'd read to the little ones. One thought led to another and I decided I would be a book distributor for this British company. I could sell to school parents and hold book fairs at the English speaking schools in Bratislava. I LOVE books, and particularly these. The English book selection at the book stores is slim and this would have a sure market. Maybe we could even make some decent money. Currently, I am collecting Slovak beer coasters in hopes of making a few dollars by selling them on ebay.

I found the website for the publisher, shot off an email to the UK with a request and waited. A few hours later I checked my email-- their response was waiting for me: "sorry, we don't ship to Bratislava". Just like that. My idea was a non-starter. No explanation, just an apology. I wish she had understood how important this was to me. I doubt if I made a plea to the Slovakian government officials that I could change this. Now isn't that just unfair?

I have scheduled this Thursday as a non-working, no kids day for me. This means I will take the bus to the Avion Shopping Park and Ikea. I imagine a latte at the mall and soup and salad at Ikea for lunch, a leisurely walk through Ikea, stopping to see what is on a super sale and buying a few items for the house - no more than I can comfortably carry home on the bus, of course.

Reality Hits

2007-09-15T12:00:00.000+02:00

Almost three weeks have passed since we left the world of Rockford, Michigan and flew across the ocean and halfway across Europe to Slovakia! Seems like a lot longer, should the truth be told. There is no gradual transition, nothing gentle about it!

Suddenly I have a tiny washing machine, no dryer and laundry for four people. I need to do laundry daily because of the time it takes both in the washer and to dry on the rack. I am still trying to figure out where to dry the sheets. I have a vacuum cleaner - I think that is a luxury. It's a good thing, because I haven't seen a Swiffer in the store (yet) and these tile and hardwood floors show everything. I am even wearing the slippers we bought for guests because I can't stand all those little particles on the bottoms of my feet. No one wears shoes in the house and it is courteous to have some extra slippers by the door.

I have no car, no automobile independence to go any place I want. No quick trip to K Mart or Meijer to get the best price on Kraft Macaroni 'n Cheese. We don't even have ANY boxed macaroni and cheese. Although the kids haven't missed it, I have. What a convenient way to fill them up--cook the pasta, throw in some milk, butter and the "cheese" powder and you're done. Only slightly less convenient than going to the Wendy's drive-thru.

Our house in Rockford had three bathrooms which included four sinks! Here we all share our miniature bathroom/laundry room. We can't all fit in it at once. The toilet is a separate "room", although it is more like a closet. We have a shower hose and sprayer in the tub, but the sprayer it isn't hooked to the wall. Just attached to the bathtub spout. No real showers in this flat.

Dishes - we have fewer, but it is a good thing because we have no dishwasher. I still don't enjoy doing dishes. We don't have a double sink, just a small one that serves as both washer and rinser. Sometimes a big pot works to wash in and I still have room to rinse.

Cooking - the oven scares me. I tried to light it (with a match) yesterday, but after I got it lit it quickly went out. I shut the gas off right away. I can't stand the thought of blowing up the house trying to cook a frozen pizza........ I will use the stove for now. I have the burners figured out. We have a microwave and the first bag of popcorn popped even better than Orville Redenbachers.

Grocery shopping - I feel like a first grader trying to read the labels. I can't read Slovak and there are few imported goods with English. It takes me lots of time to figure out what I'm buying and if there is no picture I'm lost. I had help from my friend to buy the right kind of flour, sugar and salt. She wrote down the Slovak words, so I took the paper to the store as my cheat sheet. You bring your own bags and bag your groceries yourself. I'll never complain again about how my groceries are packed in the bags at Meijer. I do a pretty lousy job. The next challenge is carrying everything home, up the stairs and into the elevator. When the Tesco opens up a block away, shopping and hauling will be much, much more convenient. It is supposed to open in a couple of weeks.

Weather - this wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to worry about a sudden rainstorm. The temperatures are comfortable but it seems like there is always the threat of rain. So we haul the umbrellas and raincoats along on the bus or to school.

Friends & family - goes without saying that I miss everyone.....

Love from Bratislava,
Carolyn

Little annoyances

2007-09-13T14:58:00.000+02:00

Before I become accustomed to these (assuming I become accustomed....), here are some things that are really strange about this part of the world.

Spoons: they appear to come in two sizes: teeny, tiny or HUGE, GIANT. What's wrong with medium? A medium spoon would be like "one size fits most". Teeny, tiny are too small for cereal, the huge or giant are too big for a coffee cup. To say nothing about small children struggling with soup at school.......

The 24-hour clock, or military time: How am I supposed to tell my brain what 17:13 is without doing a complicated math equation? How are my children going to learn how to tell time? A 2nd grader is learning math and I need to tell him that 21:00 is bedtime? Okay, 21 minus 12 = bedtime. And that would be the easy way because it's on the hour. Even the alarm clock is on this 24-hour thing. The bus schedule is the same. Annoying!

Calendars start with Monday: I need my week to start on Sunday. I can't just change now to make Sunday the last day of the week. I'll be importing my calendars from the US.

Colored toilet paper is sold in the stores. Didn't Slovakia get the worldwide news report that colored toilet paper is bad for the septic systems and water treatment plants? There are some items that don't need to match your decor--white goes with everything, right?

No one puts your change from a purchase in your hand. It goes in a tray and you pick it up from the tray. I don't know why- germs, maybe? Whatever - I just feel so silly holding out my hand again and again (slow learner).

B.O. (body odor) I hate to mention it, but it is so common with the population. It's bad enough being on a bus for someone who gets motion sickness......the unpleasant odor is really annoying.

Pedestrians do not have the right of way at a marked crosswalk. Laws changed after people were not being considerate of the cars. (Just what does that mean?) I have to admit if I am pushing a stroller it is more likely that a car/bus/van will stop at a crosswalk

No ice in beverages (except at McDonalds) I like my Diet Coke cold! Here's the nice display of flags in downtown Bratislava at our American institution.

Pinch me!

2007-09-13T14:54:00.000+02:00

I have to say pinch me to believe this is happening! It's better than a dream, especially my dreams lately. Justin is having his first choir practice for the Bratislava Boys Choir. Besides a moving Broadway play or Opera, a Boys Choir has the power to make me weep during a performance. And now my own son, just seven years old, will be a part of just such a choir.

Last Friday, Doug called the number for the Bratislava Boys Choir to inquire about their audition/enrollment process. To our surprise, they asked to have him come to audition the very next Monday. I knew he could pass the audition, if given the chance. These are just things a mother knows. He was given a private audition with the conductor and an associate and was accepted into the choir at that time! This afternoon after school Justin and I took the bus downtown right after school and headed to the beautiful Slovakia Symphony Hall where he will have rehearsals twice a week. I decided to have a Latte at the McDonalds across the plaza and wait out the rehearsal. He will be on a one month probation - Doug and I think this is to assure his cooperation and that he won't be a behavior problem. It gives the leaders an out if they need one.......

Justin bravely stepped into the rehearsal room, where about 8 boys were waiting and were obviously familiar with each other. They probably speak little English and his teacher and I had a hard time communicating about the few details I needed (like where to pick him up, etc). I walked away marveling at how a child of mine could be so brave. He must have gotten that from his father.

I drank my Latte and wondered what Justin's reaction would be after his rehearsal......... At 4:30 he came bouncing out of the room and told me they sang "Little David, Play on your Harp", a song he is well familiar with. I thanked God for that. Justin also made a friend, a boy who speaks English. J and I had a celebratory Happy Meal at Mcdonalds and then walked to the bus stop, where we boarded the #202 and journeyed home to the Dudvazska stop to share the news with Dad and Anya.

We have reminded ourselves and our children about how God gives good gifts to His children and we are so grateful!

If you would like to check out the Bratislava Boys Choir website, here's the link. If you click on "cd" you can hear a sample!
http://www.bchz.sk/index_eng.php

First week of school

2007-09-10T14:53:00.000+02:00

Monday, September 3 was our first day of school at the Galileo School in Bratislava, Slovakia. Doug began as a teacher for the upper grades, Justin in 2nd grade and Anya in the lower Kindergarten. I came with the understanding that I would tutor one on one, as they especially like to have native English speakers read to and interact with their children who are learning English as their 2nd language. First change in plans, as one kindergarten teacher was sick, and I was asked to help in that classroom. I panicked thinking that I was going to be in charge of a classroom, but realized that couldn't be the plan!! I showed up Monday morning to help with a class of 14 - 5-year-olds.

The first day of school was controlled chaos. Kids were crying, parents were dabbing their eyes, just like all around the world when this day arrives for many. Slovak teachers are greeted by many students with a rose! We had a brief welcoming ceremony outside the front door of the school and then went inside to figure out what to do next. My kids didn't cry, even though it was Anya's official first day of school in her life! One fascinating aspect of the Galileo School is the snack/lunch/snack schedule. I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean dining room with two long tables and tiny chairs for the littlest and the rest of the room set with tables of four. Children come to have their snack served to them or line up - cafeteria style - to get it themselves. The morning snack was a slice of bread with fresh garlic butter and a sliver of green pepper. Milk or juice was the drink available. To my surprise, I picked up a glass of milk for myself and found it was WARM. Oh, this tells me we are living in a culture that does not serve any cold drinks to children as it would be bad for their health. Lunch was soup - in fact, soup is served first and daily! The main meal was pancakes with some kind of cheesy sweet topping. It was delicious. This will be where I get a chance to try many traditional Slovak foods. After the children are finished, they take their dishes to the dishwashing station, head back to the classroom where they brush their teeth. Then I am done with my day, at around noon, and pick up Anya from her classroom. We go to her locker where she takes off her slippers and puts her street shoes back on. Our walk home is a short 3 minutes - we love that!

The class of 5 year olds that I have been with for one week now is great. I can tell they are finding a place in my heart already! We have a Sara "Sarinko", Leonard "Leonko", Sam "Samko", Simone "Simonka", Lucy "Lucka", Martin "Martinko", Emma "Emka"---all their names have a diminutive (?) for their given name. I have been able to spend one on one time with each, showing them some English books and reading to them. They have varying levels of ability with the English language so far.

Doug's classes are also going well. He has NINE preps, which is a huge workload, but the student count is much lower than the 120 he had at the Friends School. I think he has around 35-40 different students.

We are all happy to be working and going to school in the same building. I think we're going to like it here. I am still trying to navigate my way around the grocery store and markets to put a meal together. Seems to me like chicken, pasta and rice will get boring quickly. I found many American products in Ramallah and here I have found none but cereal. I will continue to work at it and have a patient husband and kids, so that makes my job easier.

As for the weather? It has turned Fall-like after our first week. Not only that, we have having our 2nd day of continuous rain. This is not ideal for a family with no car. I left the two umbrellas out of the suitcases at the end of my packing and now wish I had brought those. We can find those here, of course, but I didn't know they would be an immediate need! I see some leaves turning color and dropping, but they are not the brilliant shades of a Michigan fall.

I am expecting Doug and Justin home at 3:05. Anya and I have been napping after we come home from school - it is wonderful to get some rest after my busy morning with the kids and Anya needs the rest also.

Successes

2007-09-05T19:09:00.001+02:00

We have successfully opened a bank account with the Tetra Banka, set up a cell phone account with the local Orange service and navigated our way home from downtown Bratislava twice on the bus. That means we recognized our landmarks and were able to determine which stop to get off. I realized we had never written down our address, so it's a good thing we did not get lost! Our success is due to the help from Kevin and Annette, who are giving us their time and their knowledge to help us acclimate to our new home and surroundings. Without their help, we would be sitting in this flat thinking we are stuck for the next 9 months in our communist block!

The city of Bratislava is sprawling - we live on one edge in the Vracuna area. We are close to a active railroad track and can see fields of crops from one side of the building. We are also close to the Slofvnaft oil refinery. There are the lower Carpathian mountains in the distance. We can see the schoolyard from our window, our daily routine will be easy, so we are grateful for this location.

The language - Slovak is the spoken language and it is a Slavic language. I am so happy to see the alphabet we use instead of Hebrew or Arabic characters! Many words can be figured out if they are similar to the English spelling--pronounciation is a different thing. I am working on a basic greeting - "Dobre Denye" is good day. When you are familiar with a person, you can use the more casual "a-hoy". I thought that was pretty funny. Some words are very close to Russian, so I've heard a little of them before. Lots to learn, but our every day interaction with people at the school will be in English, as all subjects are taught in English.

I'm having some computer trouble so the pictures will be coming later. Or maybe I can post them on facebook or some place like that. I am anxious to show you where we are.

I'll post more later today, but must get ready for school......

Arrival in Vienna, then on to Bratislava

2007-09-01T18:31:00.000+02:00

Well, I have much to talk about but one of the things I find most amusing is that our kids will be taking their street shoes off and wearing "slippers" for school. Justin may be able to wear his black Superman clogs, but we'll have to wash them up and he will keep them at school for use during the school day when not outdoors.

We arrived on time and, after our extremely nice Austrian Airlines flight, were happy to see all nine bags of luggage next to each other on the luggage carousel. So they can be organized with the luggage.........I don't think I've ever seen our bags come off an airplane in such an orderly fashion.

Our drive in the Galileo School's minibus took about one hour. We traveled through the Austrian countryside and even waited at a traffic light for our turn to drive through the one lane castle gate where we could continue on the road to Bratislava. The border crossing was simple - our passports were not even looked at except for the front covers. Anya was not feeling well from the long flight. We were, after all, up in the middle of the night Michigan time. She needed to make a few stops and we tried to have her drink some water. OOPS---forgot to ask for STILL water. She was not happy about the bubbles in the bottle that our gracious host, Peter, bought for her.

We made it into Bratislava and then onto the drop off to our new home. Can't say I was impressed at all when I looked at the pre-fab cement slab building standing before us. I had seen many similar buildings when we made our adoption trip for Anya in Northern Russia. These are the remnants of Communist rule and socialism---. The cement is not painted and has the refugee camp-look from Palestine. These buildings go on for blocks and blocks. Some are being renovated on the outside, but for now we definitely in the "communist block". I hoped for the best as we made our way up the teeny, tiny elevator to our 7th floor penthouse apartment. To my delight, the apartment was beautiful. Everything had been freshly updated and remodeled recently. We are outfitted for almost everything (no coffee pot)! What we thought was a four bedroom flat is a four room flat. We can still have visitors, as the rooms are a nice size and we can double up the kids..... The kitchen is bright, with a view of the courtyard and playground (soviet era again) below. The walls are peach in the living room and a lighter peach in the kitchen. The kids have nice roomy airy rooms as well. Doug and I have a small veranda where I'll be able to dry the laundry. Nice washer wedged into the tiny bathroom, but no dryer. The toilet is in one room and the tub/sink/washer is next to that room.

We've been to three different grocery stores now. Stocking up is not so easy when you need to carry everything home. The stores are not far, but we look forward to a new store opening in one month---Tesco---that is British and it is even closer than all the others! That will be very exciting.

We have met one family who spent time in Jerusalem. What a blast to be able to talk about Israel, the West Bank and Palestine during our first days here. The man is American from California and met his Slovak wife in Jerusalem, where they were married. They have a five year old who has become fast friends with Justin and Anya. She speaks both English and Slovak. They also have a newborn! These friends have shown us the downtown area, the bus system, a local church, and some other sites. We look forward to more time with them.

I should go for now. We are six hours ahead of Michigan. We'll be in touch now that we are internet connected.