quick update

i am writing this blog with shame. i know it's been weeks since i've written. trust me, i've been busy! so rather than writing a very detailed blog about the current events in my life, i will give you simply a brief update to catch you all up to speed.

in the past few weeks, i've:

1. been hiking near kosice. it snowed, so everything is SO beautiful. we hiked in snow, ate at a "chata," or a lodge, and had a wonderful winter afternoon.

2. been to ANOTHER stuzkova. this one for my students of 4A. it was wonderful and entertaining; however, because i had heat issues in my flat, i couldn't stay all night. i had to sleep with my landlord and his family, so i had to be back early. now, fortunately, my heat issues are resolved.

3. seen my parents! they came to budapest and i met them there. we stayed at a luxurious hotel, that has had guests such as Iggy Pop, Carla Bruni, George Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Jamiroquai... be jealous. there were beautiful breakfasts, beautiful hot wine, beautiful rooms, beautiful service... it was absolutely wonderful. the city of budapest was OK too :) after budapest, we came to kosice. my parents came to school for a day with me, we saw the city, and we even went hiking in vysoke tatry (high tatras). i was sad to see them leave, but was glad that they left kosice loving the city and country as much as me.

these next few weeks will also be busy. it's hard to believe that christmas is quickly approaching. i wish there was another week before christmas so that i could rest a little bit... december 23 i will go to istanbul, and then on the 29th eva will be visiting me until the 5th. and then i have another small trip planned to another place in slovakia, and then school starts again. whew. i am tired thinking of it all. but as always, i feel so happy that i have this opportunity... and that i am busy doing fun and interesting things, rather than writing papers and reading for school...

i'm sending all of my best wishes and love to you during this holiday season.

anna

busy. tired.

Friends, family, fans...

I am feeling sorry that it has been awhile since my last blog post.

Fortunately, it’s because I’ve been so busy! So last time I wrote, I had just returned from the High Tatras with my friends Thomas and Patrick. The week after was relatively uneventful. However, on Friday night I went to Kasarne Kulturpark to see a band from Switzerland. Kasarne is an old military building which is now being used to host cultural events, mostly in preparation for 2013, when Kosice will be the Cultural Capital of Europe for the year. The performace we saw was called Compagnie Drift-Black Peter, and they were so, so interesting. Rather than attempting (and likely failing) to describe them, here is a youtube video of their performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KM7okqErt8

Then on Saturday, I went to Liptovsky Mikulas to meet my dear Fulbright friends, Katrina and Stephanie. Katrina lives in LM, so we saw her flat and a small portion of her life there. It was a good night, but I was so tired from the night before that I had to go home early. On Sunday, Katrina’s boyfriend, Palko, drove the three of us to Krakow, Poland for a ETA Teacher Training conference for Fulbright. The drive was absolutely beautiful. We drove through mountains, small villages… it was gorgeous. And fortunately, Palko was able to drive us. Otherwise, it would have been a nearly 11 hour journey because the train system to Krakow is so complicated.

The conference in Poland was OK. We met other ETA’s from Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. It was great to meet some new people, and we had a lot of fun together. The actual conference was only mediocre, so on Tuesday I skipped the sessions and went to Auschwitz. No one else wanted to come with me, so I went on my own. I was a bit nervous to go… whenever I think of the horrible, evil things that happened at these concentration camps, I almost feel sick that humans could behave in such a way to fellow humans. The whole trip there (about 1.5 hours), I was emotionally preparing myself for what I might see. However, when I got there, I was surprised how much of a “tourist attraction” it seemed to be. There were people getting their photos taken in front of the crematorium, groups of students making jokes… it seemed odd. However, when I found myself in a room alone, I started feeling really anxious. Also, there were some rooms where large groups of people were locked for weeks, left to starve to death. Those rooms, even with people around, were too difficult to really look at. There is something about seeing the physical reality of a place that is simply too overwhelming.

On Wednesday afternoon, as we were waiting for our driver, Palko, Katrina and I decided to get a piercing. We found a place, and they told us that their piercer would be there in ten minutes. So we waited, and suddenly a man came into the room… he was dressed in a black triangular skirt, a black button-up shirt, and big black shoes. His face was pierced everywhere. His eyebrows were shaved and femininely re-drawn. His ears had gauges that were likely 2 inches in diameter. His hair was bleach-blond and slicked pack. He had small, horn-ish implants in his forehead. And most scary of all, he was wearing contacts that made his whole eyes black, except for the irises, which were silver. He was as pale as a ghost, and his fingers were long and skinny… and his nails were also overgrown. I was scared. However, as soon as he started talking, I realized that he was incredibly nice, warm and friendly. Certainly, he was one of the strangest-looking people I’ve ever seen, but his charming personality somehow made his look seem normal… or at least appropriate. So, we trusted him and 30 minutes later, Katrina and I had new piercings. We stayed around and chatted for a little while, and they (his friends at the parlor), told us that he is a really famous piercer, and that we should feel lucky we had our piercings done by him. No big deal :-)

I returned to Kosice on Wednesday evening absolutely EXHAUSTED. I drug my body to school, and a few teachers even told me “you look so tired!” Always a nice thing to hear. But, I made it through the day, and through the week for that matter. Friday evening, I returned to Kasarne with some friends and we saw some Slovak bands perform, Plastic Swans and Swan Bride. They were interesting, at least. And certainly not horrible.

Saturday I met one of my students for a lesson, and then in the evening I met my dear friend Vesna. I am so happy to have met her. Spending time with her is so comfortable and natural that whenever I’m with her I almost feel like I’m home.

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and stay warm back in MN!

Love from SR,

anna

already november?

dear friends and family,

life is crazy here in slovakia. i'm not sure where to even begin. i must say that i'm on a bit of a sugar high, so this entry might be a little scattered...

so after i returned from prague, i taught for a few days. on thursday evening, i went to one of my classes (5FB's) stuzkova. stuzkova is a big ceremony that classes have for their graduation. a lot of my students called it prom, which i suppose it is somewhat similar to. the students invited all of their teachers as well as their parents. it started with all of the students very ceremoniously walking in, wearing their beautiful dresses, suits, etc. everyone looked gorgeous. a few words were said, then the students were pinned with their green ribbons (traditional for stuzkova), then the students had a dance with the teachers, then with their parents, and then we had a very formal meal. after the meal there was a bit of a program, and then a lot of dancing. around midnight the students all drank wine from the same jar, and at the end the class teacher broke the jar... leaving pieces for the students to take home as souvenirs. and then there was more dancing, and more dancing, and more dancing. and of course, like every slovak event, more drinking, and more drinking, and more drinking. it was a great night. the next morning, after the students had been out partying all night, they came to school and brought bottles of wine and cake for the teachers to enjoy in the teacher's lounge. they were even drinking in their classroom... which i don't think is allowed, but they were doing it anyway (and no one told them not to). in short, it was a crazy night... followed by a crazy day.

then on friday, i left for the high tatras with patrick, a french teacher from the bilingual section. we drove in his car to poprad to meet a friend of his (a french lecturer at a university), thomas. on the way, we were pulled over by the police. it was a bit of a fiasco... there had been an accident and apparently we didn't respect the road signs to stop. the cop wanted us to pay him 60 euro. instead of paying, we waited about 20 minutes and told him we didn't have the money, and eventually he let us go. it is a shame, really, that cops can do that in slovakia. he simply wanted cash. he wouldn't give us a ticket, he only took patrick's license and threatened to keep it until we payed him 60 euro. once he discovered we didn't have it, he had no choice but to let us go... such a strange system.

finally we arrived in poprad and met thomas. we had a relatively quiet night, and woke up early on saturday to go hiking in the high tatras. we had to drive about twenty minutes to get to the mountains. when we were there, we met two of thomas' students. they were really nice and joined us for about the first hour of our hike. after this hour, we ate a quick lunch and then parted ways. thomas, patrick and i then took about a four hour hike. the first hour was straight uphill. it was a bit of a challenge, but i managed quite well. i was surprised. i was so nervous for this hike because i'd heard the high tatras were difficult, and i haven't really worked out for a few months. but, fortunately, i was wearing hiking boots. i felt like the boots were magic! they made the hike so much easier. after we'd reached the top, we headed down for about three hours. the high tatras were so nice because there are some beautiful, amazingly clear lakes. the hike was difficult, but rewarding. at the end, we had to take a bus back to where we'd begun, and then we were able to drive home. although it was only 5:00 p.m., it was already dark! then after some hot showers, we went out for a few quiet beers. the perfect end to a perfect day.

on sunday we drove to a national park called "Slovak Paradise." although it's a funny name, the hike was so much fun. on the way up we encountered a lot of waterfalls, caves, rivers... we had to climb up ladders, go across makeshift bridges... i felt like i was in some sort of outdoor-adventure park for adults. it was great. the walk down was less adventurous, but a good walk nonetheless. even though i'd managed to maintain my balance along slippery ladders, logs and rocks on the way up, somehow i tripped on the flattest ground on our way down. i've got a pretty good cut on my hand to prove it.

i'm sorry i can't really recount the hikes in full detail. but i suppose the important things to note are 1. they were BEAUTIFUL. 2. i didn't die. 3. it was one of the best weekends i've spent in slovakia thus far.

it's amazing that it is already the 9th of november. where is time going? i wish things would slow down a little bit... these next few weeks are crazy, and i'm nervous that this year is going by too quickly.

missing all of you,

anna

praha

the last few days have been nothing short of a whirlwind. finally, i have a few moments today to sit down, breathe and write a few words. fortunately, too, because tomorrow everything will pick up once again. so i'm going to try to take my time and tell you about my most recent adventure: PRAGUE.

last thursday, i left kosice to meet my friend from fulbright, stephanie, in banska bystrica. there, stephanie, two of her colleagues from america (tia and rachel), and i boarded the night train to prague. we left the station around 8:00p.m., and arrived in prague around 7:00 a.m. the next morning. amazingly, we all actually slept. there was only one mishap. earlier i'd purchased "juice." once on the train, i was so thirsty that i eagerly opened it and took a big swig of it. i knew instantly that it wasn't juice... rather fruit syrup that you mix with water in order to create juice. it was absolutely nauseating. my judgement was impaired by the extreme taste i'd just experienced, so i merely set the bottle down on a small counter in our little cabin. hours later, in the middle of the night, i awoke to a strong, sweet and fruity smell... the "juice" was knocked over from the jostling of the train. and yes, all of it spilled on the floor. nothing of ours was damaged, but i can't say the same about the train cabin. it was a sticky sweet mess.

we arrived in prague at 7:00 a.m. thanks to the navigating skills of stephanie and rachel, we found our hostel. we dropped off our bags and headed into the Old Town to discover the city. from the minute we got of the train, i could tell that prague lived up to the reputation it was given. nearly every building was absolutely stunning. and the closer and closer we were to Old Town, the more and more impressive and beautiful the buildings were. in the early morning light and with the early morning (lack of) crowds, prague was simply stunning. i don't think i've ever been so taken by a city. i felt like all of the buildings were shimmering with gold. there was even a very slight mist through which the sun shone, which gave the city a mysterious beauty. as we walked through the town square, past the famous prague clock, and finally across the gorgeous charles bridge, i felt so happy to be surrounded by such beauty. it was the kind of happiness that forces you to smile, laugh and embrace everything in view. once we were across the bridge, we went up to the prague castle and into the prague cathedral. having been in england for a semester, i've been to a fair amount of cathedrals. we all know that european cathedrals are beautiful, and prague's is certainly one of the most beautiful i've seen. but what seemed so magnificent about prague's cathedral was the way the morning light was shining in through the stained glass, the way the light lit the cathedral ceiling, and the way that it seemed equally as fairy-tale-esque as the rest of the city.

the rest of friday was a good day... we experienced traditional czech cuisine such as svarene vino (hot, mulled wine), goulash and dumplings, street doughnuts--- delicious. we wandered through the beautiful streets, climbed to stunning views, and enjoyed each other's company. we had an early night in because we were so exhausted. at the hostel we relaxed, drank tea, and i told fortunes.

saturday we were up and off to an early start. stephanie had been to a small "willage" a few years back called Cesky Krumlov, and we decided to take a day trip there. we left at about 7:30 a.m. and arrived in Cesky Krumlov around 11:00 (via an extremely hot bus). the little town is situated along a river, but the river sort of oxbows around the city. there are some really lovely buildings (a baroque theater and a castle), but the whole of the town is amazingly picturesque. it was a small, quaint and peaceful little town (i highly recommend looking this town up on a google images search). we had some more street doughnuts and svarene vino, and we also ate alongside the river at a nice restaurant. it was so cold, but worth the novelty of eating near the river. we had decided to take a bus back at 3:00. so around then, we wandered back to the bus station. we finally saw the bus arrive, and as we went to get on, they told us that the bus was completely full. this seemed odd... we didn't realize that these tickets should have been purchased in advance (since this is rarely the case in slovakia. we normally purchase our tickets once we get on the bus). rather than panic, we found a hotel where we could look online to book tickets on the next bus, which was coming at 4:00. we saw that the rest of the buses for saturday and sunday were booked. we weren't quite sure what to do, so we found a nice bridge, asked for some blankets, and slept underneath the bridge for the night...

just kidding. we found a train that was going from cesky krumlov back to prague, but it looked a bit complicated. we decided to go for it. so, we called a taxi and were driven to the train station. we bought our tickets, and then stephanie and i realized that she'd forgotten her notebook back at the hotel (with her return ticket inside), so stephanie and i called a taxi again and went back to the hotel, and then back to the train station. we were a bit low on czech crowns, so we tried to flirt our way in slovak to a free ride... we weren't entirely unsuccessful. we barely paid anything, left with a new czech friend and arrived at the train station just in time. we got on a train for about 45 minutes, and then we got on another train for about 40 minutes, and then we got on a bus for about 20 minutes, and then we got on another train for another 45 minutes. finally, we were back in prague. and we were exhausted.

after such an exhausting day, we had ceased to feel tired and merely felt silly. even though some things went wrong, it was still quite a bit of fun. when we got back to our room, there were about 8 people drinking and making a bunch of noise. we were in an eight person room, but there were four of us... there shouldn't have been more than four others, but lucky for us, there was. they were students studying in the netherlands, and they were from all over... canada, scotland, sweden, australia. and their stuff was all over. they were rude. and horrible. and they left a big mess. and they came in at 4:00 in the morning, and i'm sure you can about imagine how quiet they were(n't). someone managed to drop some sort of bag on my legs, even though i was on the top bunk. ugh.

sunday was a pretty relaxing day. it was halloween and we went to the jewish quarters, had a few cups of coffee at the franz kafka cafe, and looked at the old jewish cemetery. we also explored new town a bit, went to wenseslas square and the dancing house. we ate at an extremely delicious restaurant, but had terrible service, and then came back to the hostel for another relatively quiet evening.

monday was our final day there, and it was spent soaking in the beauty of prague. stephanie and i had a little date in the morning and went to a place called "bakeshop," which felt like an upscale coffee shop. the pastries were unbeatable, and so was the coffee. we saw the clock strike noon. we went across charles bridge again. we saw the graffiti wall. we bought souvenirs. a slow day, but such a good one.

on tuesday, we left. there isn't really much to tell you about my eight hour train ride back to kosice, other than that there were gypsies in the next cabin singing at the top of their lungs... they even had percussion, which included them banging on our wall. for the majority of the trip, i shared the car with an old woman who was really kind toward me, but she smelled really horrible. really horrible. i was so thankful to get off of the train. and when i was walking back to my flat from the train station, i felt so happy. prague was amazing, but it felt good to be back to the comforts of my new home. i was happy to be back, and i was happy at the realization that this place feels more and more like my home.

coming back to school today was nice. i enjoyed talking with my students about their relaxing holidays. i was even invited to another stuzkova! and tomorrow, i'll be going to my first stuzkova. i'm excited because i've heard so much about them. and then on friday, i will go to the high tatras for a weekend away. since i've been so busy, i feel like i barely have time to think. such busyness has become strangely foreign to me, that when i have a moment to sit it takes about an hour for my mind to simply wind down and think clearly. it's already about 5:00 here, and although i've been home since 1:30, i am finally feeling relaxed. despite this, i am constantly under the awareness that this experience is incredible. maybe it sounds a bit cheesy or overly-sentimental, but i truly feel that my year here is a gift for me. though i experience challenges, they serve to emphasize all of the blessings i've experienced so far here.

of course, i often think of all of you at home. if you think of me, please write and tell me about the news in your life. ok?

...and by the way, i've added photos for your viewing pleasure :-)

lovingly,

anna

matriculation

it's sunday morning here in kosice, and i've just finished a fresh fruit salad and a croissant. now i'm sitting enjoying my coffee, listening to some iron and wine. fresh food, quality coffee, quite mornings, good music... some things in life never get old.

this weekend has been good in so many ways. friday evening, our gymnazium had a program for all of the new students and new teachers at the school. they call the event something equivalent to "matriculation." the students in the year before their graduation (like our juniors) prepare the program. for the first two hours, we enjoyed a traditional folk dance, skits, singing, dances, lip-syncing. perhaps my favorite part was during a dance that once of my classes prepared. all of the girls from the class had choreographed a dance to a lot of different songs. suddenly, at the end of their dance, "bad romance" by lady gaga began to play. then, one of my male students, walked out as lady gaga! it was so perfect. he is a big fan of lady gaga, and he looked exactly like her. it was brilliant. generally, i was so impressed with the students. it seemed like they were fearless in whatever they did... for instance, the folk dancers had to wear traditional slovak clothes, dance a traditional dance to traditional music. i could imagine old people in the U.S. enthusiastically doing such a thing-- but NEVER teenaged boys and girls. they would be embarrassed and grumpy about it. however, the students who performed the folk dance had so much energy and enthusiasm. they looked so happy, and all of the other students also really enjoyed their dance. there wasn't any ridicule, laughing or awkwardness. the same attitude continued throughout the evening. after the program, there was a two hour dance for the students. it was great to watch the students completely relaxed, having fun, and enjoying each other's company. it didn't seem like any of the students felt awkward, afraid or embarrassed... SUCH a contrast to my memory of high school dances. even students who i perceive as a bit awkward were entirely comfortable, dancing their heart out and simply having fun. and what was most surprising, for me, was that the teachers were also dancing with the students! a lot of teachers were there to chaperone the event, but it didn't feel like a duty for them. they had wine for the teachers to drink, and rather than standing at the side watching the students, the teachers went down and danced with the students. and not just young teachers, but old teachers, middle-aged teachers, awkward teachers... everyone. and the students didn't feel like the teachers were intruding on their fun... they were welcomed as if they were one of their peers. it really was such a unique experience for me. i enjoyed it so much.

(this is quite stalkerish, but i found some photos from the event of facebook. wow, if my students are reading this, i'm sure they think i'm totally lame for stealing photos from someone's facebook. but i hope that you, dear MN readers, will enjoy the photos... even if i had be shameless, undignified, and prideless to get them. you can see the photos above.)

after the program, i went out with two of my colleagues. they are both french and teach in the french bilingual section in our school. we went to a bar and met some spanish teachers from the spanish-bilingual school in kosice. it was a really fun night. everyone was friendly and kind... we even saw some of our students out! one of the best parts about going out in kosice is how inexpensive everything is. a glass of wine is maybe a euro and a half, and beers are only one euro. food is equally as inexpensive.

saturday was also a really nice day. in the morning i met a woman, eva, for coffee and cake. i met this woman at our school, and she speaks really wonderful english, and she is so kind. the morning was delightful. then in the afternoon, i met my lady-gaga-fan student, also for coffee. and then, in the evening, i met my french and spanish friends for dinner at Med Medina, a really nice restaurant in kosice. (to give you an example of how inexpensive everything is, i had a main course dish and a glass of wine for only 6 euro). by the end of the day i felt quite pleased because i realized that i'm starting to create a life here. it is so nice to be building relationships, even if the process is going slowly.

today i don't have very much planned, except that i get to meet my friend, vesna, this evening. this week i will get to go to another hockey game, and then this weekend there is a holiday so i will be going to prague. the weekend after that, i will be going hiking in the high tatras with my new friends, and then the weekend after that i will be going to krakow. whew! it will be a busy few weeks... hopefully a good, busy few weeks.

acting nosy and stalkerish again, and i found this video of my students. just to give you an idea of the program, these are my male students from Septima, performing a dance to justin bieber. enjoy :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUHCBQgEsgo

that's all for now. please send me an email, message, phone call, etc. and let me know how you are doing. i miss the daily life of MN.

lovingly,

anna

hills, hockey and home (sick)

it seems like the past few days have been full of adventure. they have been fun and good, but they've also put me in a mood of loneliness.

on saturday, i went hiking with my colleague and her boyfriend. i met them around 11:00 and we took a bus to an area near to kosice. she had told me to plan for a 4-5 hour hike, so i had envisioned simply a day of walking in the forest. i knew i was mistaken as soon as she and her boyfriend pulled out their hiking poles. the beginning of the hike was slanted slightly uphill, but not at all strenuous. but suddenly, the incline became quite a bit steeper and i could feel the burn! and then when i thought i had already made a panting fool out of myself, i saw the final leg of the climb and wanted to say "really!? REALLY?!" it was so steep that we had to zig zag up it. i was panting and sweating like a kid a fat camp. i was so embarrassed because my colleague and her boyfriend hiked up as if there was hardly any strain. i wanted to say "i had mono! i've been lazy for the past 5 months! but really i'm usually quite healthy! and i'm not usually this fat!" but, of course, i was too tired to breathe... let alone speak. but once we finally made it to the top, i knew it was worth every gasp for air. it was a really beautiful scene. the air was crisp from the fall weather, and we could see a spread of fall colors on the trees below. situated between two hills was a small village which looked like everything a small slovakian "willage" should look like, i believe the name was Kojsov. it is home to a famous slovak director, juraj jakubisko. we sat, overlooking the mountains and breathing the crisp air. we had a small picnic and then headed on another trail that would lead us back to the beginning. this trail was quite easy... barely even a slope downward. we had a nice conversation about family, they told me stories about WWII, and we enjoyed starbursts sent to me by the lovely jean wilson. after we'd been walking for about five hours, we got lost. the trail was very poorly marked. we got to a meadow and suddenly had no idea where to go. there were about five different options, and it took us about 45 minutes to sort it out. thankfully, they had a map and a very good guidebook... and they are experienced hikers. i wasn't worried at all, but it certainly made things interesting. once we got back to where the bus had left us, we realized that the next bus didn't come for another hour. so we went into a small hotel nearby and had a few drinks, relaxed, and waited until the bus came. they told me that the bus didn't go back to kosice, but it went to another town. at this town, we would have to catch a train back to kosice. the catch was that we only had 7 minutes to buy our train tickets and to get on the train! we left the hotel and waited in the dark for the bus... which arrived about 6 minutes late. we took the bus for about 15 minutes, and when it arrived at the train station, we ran to the ticket booth, and we ran to the train. luckily, we made it! it was so much fun. when we finally arrived back in kosice, i realized how tired and sore i was. it was such a fun, adventurous, and pleasant day. certainly one of the best days i've had here.

on sunday, my friend vesna invited me over to her flat for lunch. her mother, ivana, is the director at our school... and also an amazing cook!! she made roast beef for lunch, and it tasted just like home. her whole family was so kind and warm toward me, i felt so welcome. her mother packed me some borscht, some apple bars, and even gave me some chocolate. it was such a wonderful afternoon. however, it made me feel entirely homesick. it was so familiar to be with a family, and it was so nice to feel included in something. when i came back to my flat i realized how cold and empty it felt, and all i wanted to do was cry. but i know that this is simply a temporary period in my life... i can deal.

monday was mostly average. but tuesday was interesting. after i was finished teaching, i went to talk with nelli for a little while. when i was in there, an older man came in a few times to ask her questions, take care of some business, etc. the final time he came in, he asked nelli if i would want to go to a hockey game on tuesday night. of course i said, sure! after i agreed to going, he told me that his cousin would be there... his cousin who was single and attractive. ughhhh. i'm so sick of people trying to set me up with slovak men! anyway, i'd already agreed to go, so i decided to be optimistic. i met them at the U.S. Steel Arena (the main arena in Kosice), and the first period was mostly horrible. but then we got to go into the box with some very important people... the General Manager of the team, as well as the vice president of U.S. Steel. It's like going to Target Field and watching the Twins in a box with the CEO of Target. there were other "VIP" people there, but i'm not sure exactly what all of their titles were. we were served wine, raspberry alcohol, strawberry alcohol, plum alcohol, hot dogs... it was overwhelming. but most interesting to me, however, was that i met a woman, eva, there who runs a private language school in kosice. she was so lovely to talk to. we had a nice time watching the game, talking about slovakia, talking about the hockey players... she was wonderful. afterward we went out to "Sport Cafe" for some wine, and then finally i came home. watching the game was a lot of fun for me because it reminded me so much of hockey games in minnesota but, of course, it also made me quite homesick.

i'm not sure what has gotten into me recently... but i just feel lonely and sad. of course i'm fine and generally happy, but i have moments where all i want is a hug or a comfortable conversation. it's a lot of work having conversations with people from other cultures. or maybe i'm simply making it more work than what it has to be... i'm not sure yet. in any case, i'm craving comfort... of which there is little while living abroad.

lovingly,

anna

another week down.

It has been, fortunately, yet another good week. Every time Saturday rolls around I look back at the week and it all seems like a blur. It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been here for a month and a half. Sometimes I really love my life here in Slovakia. It is slow, relaxed and relatively peaceful. I’ve met some truly wonderful people, I live in a beautiful flat (in a gorgeous city), and I teach eager and disciplined students. There really isn’t anything that I can complain about. I feel so fortunate to have this experience, and I’m sure I’ll spend the rest of my life re-living memories from this time.

This week, Nelli had to come to one of my lessons to evaluate my teaching. She said they do it with all teachers, but I was still nervous. I haven’t had any formal training in teaching, I’m not entirely certain how Slovak teachers teach and I simply didn’t know what she was expecting from me. So I went to my lesson a bit nervous, but tried to do everything as natural as possible. After school, I met Nelli to discuss my lesson. To my relief, she was overflowing with compliments. She told me my lessons were ideal, and that she was so surprised how experienced I seemed… even though it is only my first year teaching. Success! Hearing her affirmation gave me so much more confidence in my teaching, and gave me energy and motivation to do my job even better.

On Thursday night, I met some of my oldest students (students of 5FB, the French-Bilingual section) at an art event called Moon Ride. These students are about 19-20, and they seem so mature. I was so happy that they invited me to go out with them. The event included a dance-performance by a Polish group, and 4 concerts with bands from Poland, Czech, Hungary… and somewhere else. It was a lot of fun, and I really appreciated the time I was able to spend with these great students.

I hope that these next few weeks will also go by quickly. I have trips to Prague, Krakow and Vienna to look forward to… as well as Christmas in Turkey! Although I have these exciting trips planned and although I generally love my life in Slovakia, sometimes I simply feel blue. It is hard to think of my friends and family at home. I wish I could be there to simply spend time with the people that I miss the most, and I’m always afraid that I’m harming or stressing relationships that I care so deeply about. I wish that everyone I love were here with me. But I suppose the distance adds a sort of depth and richness to the experience… what would living in a foreign country be without a little bit of homesickness?

If you’ve got an extra couple-thousand dollars lying around, come visit me! I know all of you are itching to spend some serious cash. You can come to Kosice, I will provide everything you could possibly want or need, and you will provide me with a little friendly company. Deal?

Have a lovely weekend, and I hope to hear from you soon.

XO

anna

som cudzinec

hello!

life here in kosice seems to be settling into a normal pace. last week i had a week full of lessons, coffee dates, tesco runs and (thanks to a couple of sunny days) a few nice walks around the city. i love the way this city feels when the sun is out. as seen through the shades of my Romantic imagination, it feels like people on the street are dancing, little children are giggling, soft music is playing and birds are singing. the sun is a warm spot light on all of the action. it feels like the scene in Enchanted when everyone is dancing through Central Park. it is simply lovely and heart-warming... in every cheesy and nauseating way.

there weren't many events in my week worth speaking of. i started an "english club" with some of my students, i went shopping with some colleagues, and i finally started my slovak lessons. all good things, but nothing extraordinary.

on friday, i spent the afternoon with my friend vesna. it was fun to spend time with her because she is quite busy with university and i don't get to see her very often. afterwards, i met my friends stephanie and katrina at the bus station and train station (respectively). stephanie and katrina are two of my fulbright friends who are living in different parts of slovakia. they came to kosice for the weekend and it was SO MUCH FUN. on friday evening we went out for traditional slovak food, which was delicious. we also drank some burciak (sp?), which is a really early wine. it was amazing. then we came back to my flat and just spent time catching up. it was so relaxing to talk to people in a similar position as myself.

on saturday we had a really full day. we all woke up, oddly enough, at 6:00 a.m. i made coffee and we had a light breakfast over good conversation, and then we met one of my students, tinka (my colleagues daughter- she is SO sweet), who took us to the mall. we did a little shopping, came back for a rest, and then went out to a chocolate cafe and had amazing hot chocolate. if any of you come and visit you will be lucky enough to experience this treat. they serve delicious hot chocolate. and it is literally hot chocolate, none of this "cocoa" powder crap. i had a hot chocolate with walnut bits, and it was unbelievable. after successfully drinking our day's worth of calories, we went on a walk, did some more shopping in the center, and then came back to my flat to get ready for the evening. while at my flat, nelli called and said that tina was having a concert with ritmus, a famous rapper. fortunately, we were able to go! even more fortunately, we were put on the guest list. so we went out for a few drinks at jazz club and then nelli came to pick us up. it was such a fun evening. although the music wasn't what i'm typically accustomed to listening to, it was so fun and interesting to experience... and i really enjoyed the music. ritmus is a slovak rapper, and i certainly couldn't understand even one little bit of what he was saying. nelli's daughter tina is so beautiful and has such a wonderful voice, so she was easy and quite enjoyable to listen to. after the concert we were able to talk with her for a little bit, i felt so special :) the night was so good for me because i got to spend time with two great girls from fulbright who i simply love spending time with, and i also got to go to tina's concert with nelli-- which felt special.

also this weekend, i had two horrible horrible horrible experiences at tesco. ok, that was dramatic. but i still feel embarrassed thinking about them. first: on saturday evening (with stephanie and katrina) we went to tesco to get some food for breakfast. the tesco in kosice is four floors, and when going from one floor to the next you have to walk through security monitors (the things that beep if you walk out with something). well, i walked in just fine. however, each time i walked through after that the security things kept beeping! i think i had to walk through three before i finally left the store. it was mortifying. then, on sunday, i went to tesco to do some weekly shopping. i had just showered and left without any makeup, wearing house clothes. i thought it would be a short, discrete trip. before i got into tesco, i stopped at an ATM. i put the money in my pocket, but for whatever reason i put my wallet underneath my arm (as if i thought that was a safe place). i went through tesco, did my shopping, and went to the check out. once everything was being rung up, i started to search for my wallet. it was gone. fortunately, i knew i only had about 10 euro in my wallet and the rest of my money was in my pocket. i was a little panicked, and the cashier knew instantly... she tried to ask me something. i couldn't understand. then the people in line were looking at me and trying to re-explain what the cashier was saying-- in slovak. i said "i don't speak slovak," but they kept trying. i took out cash so she could see that i would pay, and she rung everything up. i paid, and then she made a phone call. i stood there feeling lost and helpless. all i wanted to do was walk back through the store and look for my wallet... i was sure i had simply dropped it somewhere. but when she hung up the phone, she said something to me and pointed upstairs. i took the hint and went upstairs, luckily there was a roma-looking person behind me who had taken an interest in my situation. he said "wallet" and pointed up, and he came up with me to what looked like a customer service desk. i stood there and an angry looking woman said something to me that i didn't understand. i looked at my new roma friend, and he tried to explain again in slovak. i was clueless, red, hot and entirely embarrassed. all i wanted to do was leave. then i saw an older woman with (what looked like) her daughter come up to the counter, and the woman said "po anglisky" (or something) to her daughter and pointed at me. she came up to me and said "do you need help?" and i said "YES!" and then the angry woman and the roma friend explained everything to her. she asked me "what happened?" i told her i lost my wallet. she asked, "what did it look like?" i said it was small and red. she said, "what was in it?" i said only about 10 euro. instantly the angry woman revealed my wallet. she had it at her counter but didn't want to give it to me unless i could prove that it was mine. it was all such a headache... and i feel like i made this huge stir at tesco when all i wanted to do was buy some toilet cleaner and chocolate. never again will i expect that i can go to tesco discretely... or really anywhere for that matter. ahhhh, the joys of being a foreigner.

and today was slow and sweet. nothing special. i had some lessons, met my "english club" and talked about childhood memories, came home and received a wonderful package from home, and then spent the evening deep cleaning my flat.

wishing you well,

anna

a week in the life

good morning!

this week has been, on the whole, rather uneventful but certainly not boring. on wednesday after my lessons, nelli and i went to the police station to turn in all of my documents so that i could get a long term visa. amassing all of these documents was a chore. before leaving, i had to have a physical to prove i was healthy. i was tested for hepatitis, aids and syphilis. the fulbright commission sent letters confirming that i was here, in fact, to teach. they also had to send official stamps (which were quite expensive). the embassy had to write a letter. the school i work at had to write a letter. my landlords had to write a letter. i had to fill out a four page application. the slovak government did a background check on me. and, worst of all, i had to have an FBI background check. this took AGES to receive... and was completely anti-climatic when it finally arrived. it was a simple sheet of paper which said "no criminal arrest record." the least they could have done was find some dirt in my past... once we had all of these documents, there was one last thing we needed: photos of me. both nelli and i forgot about it, but nelli had a brilliant idea to go to the mall's photo booth to take photos of myself. so we went to the mall and i awkwardly sat in a photo booth to get the photos... but at last we had everything. so we walked to the police, waited, and when we finally came in nelli began to explain that we had all of the documents, etc. etc. the policeman looked over them and then got to the FBI report. he started talking to nelli and nelli looked exasperated. when he was finally done talking, nelli explained to me that the FBI background check wasn't "official" enough. i had NO idea what she meant. i don't know how such a document could be more "official." it was mailed from the FBI, of course it is official... right? wrong. they need a stamp called an "apostil" on it. i still don't really understand what this is. nonetheless, we left the police unsuccessful. we have to mail the FBI report to the fulbright commission and they will take care of it (thank god!). i've had so many head aches with this one report! hopefully the process will go quickly, because if i don't have it in 60 days i will be seeing you back in the states.

wednesday evening, after the chaos of the afternoon, was really enjoyable. it was one of my friend's, vesna's, friend's namesday. namesday is sort of like a birthday... before the revolution, there was a register of names that parents could choose from. each name was associated with a day, so everyone born has a day associated with their name. does that make sense? we don't really have anything like it. anyway, vesna and i went over to her friend's flat to celebrate. there were five of us girls there, and it was so much fun. all of the girls are studying english in some variation, so they spoke english (very well) for me. it was so much fun to have a "girls night." the girls were all really nice, really fun and intelligent. we had pizza, wine and (of course) chocolate.

thursday was a horribly busy day for me. i came home, graded some papers, and went straight to bed. on friday i had a much easier day. two of my lessons with 5FB (the oldest class in the french-bilingual section) were cancelled because they were inviting teachers to their graduation. this sounds average, but trust me... it's not! first of all, they have their graduation party in november, months before they complete school. teachers who teach their lessons are invited, as well as the headmistress, deputies, etc. everyone told me "5FB will be inviting you on friday" and i had absolutely no idea what they meant. when it was time for me to go up to the lesson, i was met by two students from the class who were dressed very well. they were carrying champagne glasses and when we arrived to the room, there was a man video-taping everything and the whole class was singing, playing guitars, blowing kazoos... it was so much fun!! they gave me a very nice invitation, interviewed me on camera... i was completely overwhelmed.

saturday i went over to my colleague's flat for food, cake and coffee. i walked there with another teacher from my school, and it was such a nice afternoon. the food she'd prepared was absolutely delicious, and i got to meet her son, jakub. he was adorable. i was so sad, though, that i couldn't really communicate with him. but i suppose silly faces and tickling are universal :) generally it was just a nice afternoon, and i was so happy to be invited over.

today is the day of the Kosice Peace Marathon. http://www.kosicemarathon.com/en/index.php. i woke up this morning to catch the start of the race. it was a beautiful morning and i loved the energy of the crowd. i must admit, however, that it made me sorely miss having friends and family near. i felt so lonely because i had no one to share the experience with. plus, i wanted to sit at a cafe and watch the runners go by throughout the course of the marathon... but i had no one to sit with so i simply walked back to my flat. i just feel a bit sad that there are some things that i'd really like to enjoy, but can't enjoy alone. c'est la vie, it's just another part of this experience.

so i think that about covers the extent of my life up until today :) i hope you are all well. miss you, and love you.

anna

bratislava

dearest friends and family,

i've been told by several people that i am not doing my duty in keeping up this blog. i know, i know... and i apologize. however, i do feel as though recently i have a legitimate excuse. on tuesday i went to bratislava for a fulbright orientation and i have only recently returned. not only is this a good reason for not staying updated with my blog (and other correspondences), but it also gives me many interesting stories.

there is so much for me to say, and i'm not exactly sure how to say it all. please bear with me.

the slovakia fulbright commission hosted an orientation for all fulbright grantees stationed in slovakia. the orientation was held at hotel avance, an extremely nice hotel situated conveniently in bratislava's center. it was great to sleep in an actual bed, to take a high-pressured shower, and to have full meals served to me for breakfast, lunch and dinner. fulbright certainly took good care of us... it was almost like i went to stay with my rich grandparents or something. i didn't have to worry about accommodations, about how much food would cost, etc.

the orientation program itself was very helpful. in the mornings we had lectures from members of the embassy, professors in slovakia, experts on the Roma population, etc. we learned about the history, economy, society and education system of slovakia. it was all informational, and entirely interesting. slovakia, as a country, really is quite interesting... from the revolution of 1989, it's split with the czech republic, and it's joining of the EU, slovakia has undergone a lot of change and development. and to think of the economic state of slovakia in 1989 to what it is today, it is really amazing how much they have grown. however, they obviously have a ways to go. unemployment is still an issue, even moreso in the Roma population where the unemployment rate is at 99%. yes, 99%. the Roma population, if you are unfamiliar with it, is a marginalized people group who inhabit many countries in europe, but especially slovakia. according to the lecture that we heard, it is difficult for slovakia to know how many Roma live there... simply because Roma who are integrated into society oftentimes don't own their ethnicity in the census, and because much of the Roma population don't even fill out a census. the issue of Roma people is really complex and very controversial here. the stereotype of Roma is that they are dirty, uneducated, lying, dishonest people. they are extremely problematic because on one hand they need humanitarian aid, but on the other hand many will abuse such aid. a lot of these problems are ones that we, as americans, can in some ways identify with... but in many ways will never be able to fully understand. the issue with Roma isn't simply socio-economical, it has to do with a long history of national identity here in slovakia. one man illustrated this really nicely to me. he said in america, identity is defined politically. whereas in slovakia (and other central european nations), identity is defined ethnically. on a census, one must fill out not only their nationality, but also their ethnicity. a Roma person may be a 3rd generation, wealthy and successful slovakia businessman. however, a slovak wouldn't consider them slovakian, they would still be Roma. in the opinion of the man i talked to, these are lingering prejudices from the days of hitler.

whew... that was a lot more than what i wanted to say about the content of the orientation. and i'm sure if any of my fellow fulbright-ers read that they will be able to point out all of the things i missed and all of the generalizations i made. but, in any case, i wanted to give you a bit of an idea of the things we learned and discussed in orientation. speaking of my fellow fulbright-ers, i must say that i had a wonderful time meeting all of them. they are all brilliant, confident, strong, adventurous and fun women. there are about eight of us, and we are all in various parts of slovakia. i'm grateful that we all get along, because i think we have an exciting year ahead of us and it is nice that we can share our experiences together. moreover, it will be nice to visit each of them in their respective and unique cities.

one of my favorite parts of the orientation was wednesday night. on wednesday night, fulbright hosted a reception in honor of us with the U.S. embassy. the reception was beautifully catered and full of very interesting and important people to mingle with. the whole time i was there i was thinking about what i learned in career services about the importance of networking... it really was a good opportunity to meet people worth connecting with. we met people from slovakia who had been to the U.S. on fulbright and who are now teaching at universities in slovakia or the czech republic, we met people who are running american/english programs in slovakia with the support of the embassy, as well as the ambassador himself. he is a new ambassador, and he and his wife were so warm and welcoming to us... offering to be our surrogate parents while we are here. also, i met a man from minnesota. i asked him where he was from, and he assured me that i wouldn't know the city because it was in southwest minnesota. of course, after hearing southwest minnesota, i freaked out. i asked where exactly in southwest minnesota, and he said tyler. i couldn't believe it! he's been in slovakia for 16 years working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and he is from the same, small, hickish part of the U.S. as me. ironic.

another good part of the orientation was that we had formal slovak lessons with a woman who teaches english to members of the embassy and who taught english to those in the peace corp (when the peace corp was still in slovakia). she was great. the lessons were intense, but i think i learned a little slovak. i should have learned much more (we were presented with so much information), but i'm really having a difficult time with this language. the grammar of it doesn't confuse me, but it's simply being able to hear and recognize and pronounce and remember the words. i haven't quite gotten into the swing of it yet. thankfully, however, i will start language lessons with a fellow teacher next week. i can't wait.

and finally, a high light of bratislava, was going out with the other girls after our long days of orientation. we met people from all over... from scotland, austria, iceland, italy, spain, belgium, england... and simply had really fun nights. mostly, though, it was good to go out with the other girls and have a good time. we are all alone in the cities that we live in, so to have good interaction with other americans (especially americans having the same experience as us) was priceless.

well. i think that covers the biggest points. i'm now back in kosice, trying to catch up with everything. i didn't realize how busy i would be while gone, and how much work it would be getting back on pace here. but i'm thankful to be busy. it makes me feel like i'm getting into a routine, and it makes me feel like i'm making this place my home. i'm excited to get back into teaching after being given a lot of good ideas from fellow teachers. and, after experiencing orientation, i am finally excited and eager and motivated for the adventures and challenges that this next year will bring. i think i am finally feeling confident that this is an experience that not only can i survive, but that i can really enjoy and grow through.

as always, i am missing minnesota and the beauty of the crisp and colorful autumn. more importantly, i'm missing hearing about your daily lives. please write.

with love,

anna

already behind...

ugh. i am such a horrible blogger. i simply can't keep it up!

i feel like so much has happened since the last post. rather than trying to fill you in on every detail, let me quickly take you through the high lights.

1. I HAVE A FRIEND! i am so thrilled. she is nice, beautiful, friendly and fluent in english. she is the daughter of the headmaster at the school and I am so thankful for her. i've been spending a lot of time with her and her boyfriend (whose name i still can't manage to pronounce) which has been a lot of fun. we've gone down to the center to do some shopping, hung out at her boyfriend's cabin... it's been nice to have friends. i met her at a picnic with some teachers from school. it was out in the forest and they made goolash... which i don't think is the correct spelling, but it is essentially a soup with beef, potatoes, carrots and many spices. it is delicious. the picnic was a lot of fun because all of the teachers were drinking and singing and dancing-- truly enjoying each other's company. the gym teacher was dancing around the fire, the music teacher was playing guitar, and the headmaster's husband kept offering me more wine.

2. a fellow english teacher at the school took me to a library in the center on friday. in this library they have a british and american section... full of english books, videos and magazines. also, every tuesday night they have a reading group (book club?) where they meet and discuss a book. i'm excited to try it out. after the library, she and i went out to a cafe full of everything chocolate... it was delicious. then we went to marks & spencer. it felt familiar and wonderful. i really had a nice afternoon with her. we had such good, stimulating conversation. talking to her reminded me of things that i love but have neglected for the past year or so.

3. my lessons are still going well. i think i have a good rapport with most of the students, and i love going to teach everyday. i hope my novelty as a new, young teacher will last throughout the entire year... it certainly makes my job easier.

4. on tuesday i'm going to bratislava for an orientation. i'm excited to meet the other fulbright ETA's, as i'm sure we will all have a lot in common.

5. HAPPY TURKEY DAY!! i heard the weather was cold and rainy, but i hope you all enjoyed the 10K race, the turkey race (did paycheck win?), and also the magnificent puppets made by the men of journey. it's the second turkey day i've missed in a row, and i'm not sure i can make it another year without experiencing the thrill of worthington's finest celebration.

that's all for now. thank you for enduring another post.

anna

one week in.

dear faithful readers,

i arrived in kosice one week ago today. it seems strange... i'm not sure if it feels like i've been here longer or shorter. i know it sounds odd, but truly it feels more like i traveled to a different planet where they keep time in a completely different way. i felt the same way in england... it was as if everything that happened in england was in a fourth dimension, entirely removed from life as i once knew it. maybe some of you understand what i'm trying to say, but most of you probably just think i'm crazy. which i probably am...

i think i am finally starting to get into the "swing of things" at school. i really love teaching. it's easy because the students i'm teaching are SO eager to learn. they all pay attention, they all participate, they all care... it's a dream. for instance, i gave each of my lessons a homework assignment. i asked them to write a short essay about the importance of family. when i gave the assignment, i thought that maybe only half of the students would actually remember to do it. imagine my surprise when EVERY student completed the assignment. every student! i can't remember a time in all of my years at school or college when everyone in the class completed the assignment. i was shocked and so pleased. as much as i love teaching, i'm constantly nervous that my students are learning anything from me, or that i'm not teaching them the right way or the right things. in some classes i'm worried that my lessons aren't challenging enough, but in others i'm concerned that they are too difficult. and i'm not entirely sure how to adjust accordingly... english is so native to me that i can't even begin to sort out what would distinguish a pre-intermediate and an intermediate speaker. oh well... i'm sure it will become clearer in a few months.

besides school, my life is entirely boring and average. i haven't made any friends my age yet (sigh....) so i've been pretty lonely. on sunday evening i went to a ballet with one of my 50-something friends, vera, and her friends. i really love ballet so it was so much fun to go. it was called "Four Stars of European Ballet." there were four ballet troupes, one from slovakia, poland, hungary, and czech republic. i really liked two of the troupes, but the other two were entirely mediocre. in any case, it was a really fun evening. it was a bit awkward, though. imagine me, a 20-something american, with six 50-something slovaks attending a ballet together. it was strange... but fun.

i'm hoping to start learning slovak soon. one of my fellow english teachers has volunteered to teach me in exchange for conversation lessons with her daughter. i am really happy with this arrangement, as i am eager to learn slovak and also to spend time with people outside of school. it is so frustrating not being able to understand anything or communicate with anyone. for instance, this morning when i was walking to school a little gypsy girl started to run after me. she was yelling something at me and when she caught up to me she started talking... i think she was asking me something. i had no idea what she was saying, and i tried to tell her that i didn't understand, but she wouldn't stop! finally i just ignored her and she went away. it was frustrating. also, i'm tired of meeting people and not being able to have the common courtesy to say "nice to meet you." in moldova it was so much easier for me to learn russian because i lived with three people who continually taught me, my students learned through teaching me phrases, and i was friends with even more people who were entertained by my attempts to learn. here i simply feel out of the loop and am having difficulties getting in. so hopefully taking formal lessons will help... but we'll see.

finally, the hypochondriac in me wouldn't be satisfied if i didn't give a health update. :) my joint pain is gone! i feel so much better than i had felt ALL summer, and looking back i can't believe i could endure feeling the way that i did. so now i think i might actually be able to run again-- for the first time after getting mono.

well, i think that is all for now. i'm sorry i don't have any interesting stories or exciting adventures to talk about... i'm saving those for later :)

missing minnesota,

anna

a short update

hello!

this week has been crazy. after arriving late on tuesday night to kosice, i started teaching first thing on wednesday. i have no idea how to describe the lessons that i'm teaching or the school that i am teaching at because the slovakian schooling system is so different than the american one, and it is entirely confusing to me. i CAN say that i am teaching a total of 16 lessons each week, and my lessons are mainly focused on twenty five different conversation topics. the students will be tested on these twenty five topics in june with their final examination called "Maturita." this exam is administered by the state, and is really important for their completion of school as well as their entrance into university. the students are, generally, very nice and well-behaved. i'm nervous that some of them will not/do not take me very seriously because i am so young... plus, i don't speak slovak and i don't know anything about their school or about how their lessons normally work. some of the other english teachers who i share an office with told me that i must be very strict with the students so that they respect me, but i'm not sure how to be strict! generally i feel frustrated because i want to do a good job and i want the students to learn a lot, but i feel lost. i don't understand how anything works, i don't understand what anyone is saying, and i feel like i'm trying to put together a puzzle while i'm missing half of the pieces. but i know that this is normal... and i hope that in a week or two everything will begin to come together.

on thursday night i went out to the city center with nellie and her friend, vera. there was a concert there and the headlining band was "No Name." the lead singer of "No Name" is my landlord, and it was so strange because i didn't realize how famous this band was. when i moved into my apartment nellie told me that i can't tell anyone who my landlord is or where i am living because he is really famous, but i didn't realize how serious she was. before the concert, nellie, vera and i went to a jazz club for tea and wine. then we went to the concert, and then we went out again for more wine. it really was a fun night... and we made plans again to go to a ballet on sunday evening. i think its funny that my best two friends in slovakia are over 50... but i like them a lot. i hope to become better friends with my landlord and his wife because they are so nice and a lot of fun... his wife is so beautiful and so kind, and their kids are entirely adorable.

today has been a really lazy day for me. i woke up late and then i met nellie to go shopping for some things for my apartment. then i came home, took a nap and now i'm watching "Singin' In The Rain." i think i'm getting sick... and it'd be no surprise because my apartment doesn't have any heat yet. i am always freezing. plus, i haven't been able to eat very well... partly because i have lost my appetite, partly because i am still really unfamiliar with food here.

in general, everything is going well. i have a beautiful apartment in a fantastic location. i've already met two slovakian celebrities. nellie has been so kind and helpful. my students are all well-behaved and i am getting settled into school. but it's hard to not focus on all of the uncertainty, confusion and loneliness that comes with being in a foreign place. i hope that soon i will begin learning more slovak, making friends, and understanding how everything works.

i hope all is well in minnesota.

anna

i'm here!

it's early morning here in kosice, and i am surprised i'm not able to sleep considering the LONG trip it took me to get here.

on monday morning, i woke up at 6:00 a.m and hurried to pack up and leave for the minneapolis airport. along the way, i had a really nice breakfast with eva... as well as yet another really hard goodbye. once we made it to the airport, it hit me that i was actually leaving (good timing, right?). so after checking in, my parents left with the wilson-family-classic "band-aid" goodbye. in other words, they said a very quick goodbye and dashed out of the airport. i stood in security balling like a fool. my first flight was to chicago. there, i had to re-check in with LOT Airlines, a Polish airline. i was so entertained standing in line. there was a group of polish exchange students who had just been in texas, and had the hats and boots to prove it. also, there was a beautiful white dog whose owners were constantly cleaning his face. not to mention, of course, suddenly being thrown into a group of central europeans... i knew my adventure had begun.

my flight left chicago at 5:30. the flight was about ten hours, and thanks to a few sleeping pills i was able to sleep a little... but not enough to satisfy the effects of the pills. when we landed in warsaw, i was sore, stiff and TIRED. but i knew i couldn't sleep yet, because i had to catch another flight to bratislava. when i arrived in bratislava (at a surprisingly small airport), i was picked up by a famous slovakian singer! she is the daughter of the woman who i work with, and she was able to pick me up and drive me to the train station. she helped me get a ticket, carry my ridiculously heavy bags, and rush onto the train which was departing in ten minutes. she was really helpful and really nice.

once i made it onto the train, i had to sit for yet ANOTHER six hours. i got on the train at 2:00 slovakian time, which translates to 7:00 a.m. tuesday morning... marking a full 24 hours of travel. the train ride, however, was gorgeous. there were mountains and rivers and cute villages and lakes... simply beautiful. by the time i arrived in kosice, i'd been traveling for 30 hours. nela, the woman who i work with, picked me up and took me to my apartment which is in the historical center of kosice. i was met by my landlords and their two kids, and was greeted by food and wine... which all tasted wonderful after such a long day. then we went up to my apartment to drop off my bags. i am SO pleased with this apartment. it is recently renovated, it has everything i need, and it has an amazing view. i love it. after seeing the apartment, nela and i went down to have tea at a tea shop in my building, and we discussed the details of my placement. i'm actually really confused about what i'm going to be doing, but i'm sure it will sort itself out in the next few weeks.

whew, i think that's it. i'm having a difficult time writing, which i think is an indication my brain hasn't had enough rest. i apologize if that was all incoherent in any way.

i will write more later... but i hope this suffices as a quick update for now.

anna

the final countdown

i'm leaving! soon!

right now i am home in worthington, cozy in my bed, thinking about how quickly the summer has gone by. too quickly... i'm not ready to leave! summertime was great. i nanny-ed for two wonderful kids, explored new parts of the cities, watched the twins for the first time in my life, bet on horses at canterbury, and enjoyed the company of many friends and, of course, my family. everything about it has been so good. it is hard to believe that in a week i will be leaving the state and home i love so much, my dear minnesota.

last week was my last week in the cities. i said goodbye to jack and kate, my hair, and people who i love. needless to say, it was rough. i'm dehydrated from so much crying and achey from all of the painful goodbyes. for some reason this new adventure carries a heavier weight than my previous ones. rather than being excited for the new places i'll see and the new people i'll meet, i'm feeling apprehensive and nervous.

if you're reading this and don't know what i'm doing, or if you're simply hazy on the details, i'll explain all that i know (which isn't much). i received a fulbright scholarship as an english teaching assistant to slovakia. while there, i also intend to continue research that i did with dr. marion larson at bethel on interreligious/interfaith dialogues. specifically, i will be in kosice, slovakia (eastern slovakia) and i will be teaching three lessons a day with 16, 17 and 18 year old students, helping them with conversational english and helping them to prepare for state administered english exams. at this point i'm not entirely certain where i'll be living, but i know that i will be living somewhere in a one bedroomed apartment. and, since it is a scholarship, i will be getting paid... but only enough to cover living and traveling expenses. i leave on september 6, and i arrive on september 7. the official end date of my grant is june 31, though i'm not sure of my return date at this point.

this week leading to D-day, i'm in worthington packing, relaxing, eating and helping my friend erica prepare for her wedding on saturday. i am really excited to help her prepare, primarily because i am so completely happy for her and her husband-to-be, tim. every bone in my body is simply thrilled. and i love the excuse to forget about monday.

although this new adventure is more nerve-wrecking and heavier than previous trips, i feel so blessed by the support that so many of my friends and family have shown me. moreover, i would be blind not to admit that this is a phenomenal opportunity and will likely be an unforgettable experience. i am excited for new challenges, and for the chance to stretch and grow in ways that i couldn't staying here.

until next week,

anna

on the move

yesterday, eva officially moved out of our house. andrea moved out about a week ago. i'm still here, and will be until wednesday, along with empty rooms, boxes, and leftover furniture. it's depressing. however, after wednesday i will be living in an apartment with my friend, kristie, which is much closer to the house where i nanny. instead of driving 35 miles every morning, i will only be driving 8.5. this is quite exciting. but i am bummed that i won't be living with eva, and that i'll be far from the area which i've called home for the last four years.

and that's all the (non)excitement in my life. stay tuned...

a

summer blues

to the infinite void,

i'm restarting my blog. mostly in preparation for my upcoming venture to slovakia, but also (admittedly) because i'm bored. as much as i love the goodness that summer brings, i'm embarrassed to admit that i don't know how to fill all of this free time. why not blog? there are many reasons, all of which i'm currently deciding to ignore.

so, welcome to my summer blog.

i may not have anything interesting to write now, but i'm hoping to hook readers before i leave for an eternity to slovakia (details to come!). my summer will consist of watching two of the best behaved kids that i know in a beautiful home on lake minnetonka. they have a friendly dog named duke, whom i already am falling in love with. all of this, and they're paying me. in a couple of short weeks eva, andrea and i will be moving out of our home for the past two years to an apartment near theodore wirth park. since it's only a two bedroom and i'm leaving come september, i'm left with a mattress on the floor. c'est la vie. i'll enjoy it in effort to savor my time in our beloved minnesota.

with my love,

a