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
15 November 2007
05 November 2007
Another day, another castle
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.
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.
03 November 2007
All Saints' Day
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!
21 October 2007
Knock Three Times.......
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.
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?
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......
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......
17 October 2007
Grocery shopping as I know it.....
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.
09 October 2007
Slovakia & The Holy Land
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
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
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