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
