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| Orava Castle Weekend Excursion |
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| Croatia |
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| Poland Pottery Excursion |
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| Slovenksy Raj |
16 May 2009
18 January 2009
Winter and Gas Crisis
Winter
So, it is winter, which means freezing temperatures, cold, snow and ice. Fall was relatively nice and warm, and people were beginning to wonder if winter would ever show up. Christmas lists all included, "Snow, White Christmas and Snowmen." Then, it snowed the weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving (one weekend before the real Thanksgiving). Everyone was very excited and out came all the winter garb. Big fluffy coats, mittens, scarves and hats. But, it warmed up, the snow melted and that was the end of that. Back to mildly cold and no snow. Christmas came and went with no snow. Rain, yes, but no snow. We went to Turkey for our vacation, where it snowed (or rained), and was miserably cold, for our whole trip. Coming back to Slovakia was wonderful because it actually was warmer. But a few days later, came the snow, cold and ice. It started to snow and hasn't let up. We have had snow on the ground for more than two weeks. Just when I think it is beginning to melt, I wake up to a fresh blanket of snow. The canal by our flat is completely frozen over in spots and is being used for ice hockey and ice skating by all the locals. This morning, snow is dusting everything. Not big snowflakes, but tiny little ones, just enough to make everything white. And it is cold. Everyday is in the low 30's or high 20's. Going out means putting on leggings under your pants, 2 or 3 shirts, a jacket, a scarf, a winter coat, mittens, a hat two pairs of socks and winter boots. And even then, I am still cold. Walking to school it is dark, snowy and cold, and my jeans are always wet on the bottom. Coming home, it is dark, snowy and cold, and I can't wait to get out of my cold, wet clothes and change into sweatpants and a sweatshirt. But I am learning to like the snow to. It makes everything glisten, shine and look so beautiful. And when the snow is shining, it is glorious.
Gas Crisis
So, about a week and a half ago, I noticed a news story on my iGoogle homepage with Slovakia in the headline. I opened it up to read about a major crisis facing most of Central Europe. If you haven't heard, we (Central Europe) depend on Russia for most if not all of our natural gas supply. This gas provides heat and even electricity. The pipelines for this gas go through Ukraine and the Russians decided that the Ukraines were cyphoning off their gas, and so turned off the supply. Now, as I said above, it is cold. The coldest winter since I have been here. Bulgaria and Slovakia both rely 100% on Russia for natural gas. Maybe not the best idea, but fact. So, now many countries are in serious crisis. Slovakia's president has declared a state of emergency. Some factories have given workers mandatory time off without pay. However, we still have electricity and heat. We have gotten enough gas from neighboring countries to last through the end of January. So, while I am cold, we are not freezing. We keep talking (actually, hoping, for a gas crisis holiday), but so far no luck. Some countries have turned off gas to businesses and schools, so that gas can go to homes and hospitals.
This is a serious problem. The Russians don't really seem to want to budge and the Ukraines are sticking with their story. Central European presidents and secretaries of states have been meeting almost daily to try sort out the mess and get the gas flowing again. The EU is also invovled and it has seemed many times like they brokered deals, but they have fallen through each time. Please pray that an agreement will be made soon. While Slovakia has been able to pull through with little or no discomfort, that is not true of all countries. Some are hurting very badly, especially as temperatures stay so low.
So, it is winter, which means freezing temperatures, cold, snow and ice. Fall was relatively nice and warm, and people were beginning to wonder if winter would ever show up. Christmas lists all included, "Snow, White Christmas and Snowmen." Then, it snowed the weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving (one weekend before the real Thanksgiving). Everyone was very excited and out came all the winter garb. Big fluffy coats, mittens, scarves and hats. But, it warmed up, the snow melted and that was the end of that. Back to mildly cold and no snow. Christmas came and went with no snow. Rain, yes, but no snow. We went to Turkey for our vacation, where it snowed (or rained), and was miserably cold, for our whole trip. Coming back to Slovakia was wonderful because it actually was warmer. But a few days later, came the snow, cold and ice. It started to snow and hasn't let up. We have had snow on the ground for more than two weeks. Just when I think it is beginning to melt, I wake up to a fresh blanket of snow. The canal by our flat is completely frozen over in spots and is being used for ice hockey and ice skating by all the locals. This morning, snow is dusting everything. Not big snowflakes, but tiny little ones, just enough to make everything white. And it is cold. Everyday is in the low 30's or high 20's. Going out means putting on leggings under your pants, 2 or 3 shirts, a jacket, a scarf, a winter coat, mittens, a hat two pairs of socks and winter boots. And even then, I am still cold. Walking to school it is dark, snowy and cold, and my jeans are always wet on the bottom. Coming home, it is dark, snowy and cold, and I can't wait to get out of my cold, wet clothes and change into sweatpants and a sweatshirt. But I am learning to like the snow to. It makes everything glisten, shine and look so beautiful. And when the snow is shining, it is glorious.
 |
| Snow and Ice |
Gas Crisis
So, about a week and a half ago, I noticed a news story on my iGoogle homepage with Slovakia in the headline. I opened it up to read about a major crisis facing most of Central Europe. If you haven't heard, we (Central Europe) depend on Russia for most if not all of our natural gas supply. This gas provides heat and even electricity. The pipelines for this gas go through Ukraine and the Russians decided that the Ukraines were cyphoning off their gas, and so turned off the supply. Now, as I said above, it is cold. The coldest winter since I have been here. Bulgaria and Slovakia both rely 100% on Russia for natural gas. Maybe not the best idea, but fact. So, now many countries are in serious crisis. Slovakia's president has declared a state of emergency. Some factories have given workers mandatory time off without pay. However, we still have electricity and heat. We have gotten enough gas from neighboring countries to last through the end of January. So, while I am cold, we are not freezing. We keep talking (actually, hoping, for a gas crisis holiday), but so far no luck. Some countries have turned off gas to businesses and schools, so that gas can go to homes and hospitals.
This is a serious problem. The Russians don't really seem to want to budge and the Ukraines are sticking with their story. Central European presidents and secretaries of states have been meeting almost daily to try sort out the mess and get the gas flowing again. The EU is also invovled and it has seemed many times like they brokered deals, but they have fallen through each time. Please pray that an agreement will be made soon. While Slovakia has been able to pull through with little or no discomfort, that is not true of all countries. Some are hurting very badly, especially as temperatures stay so low.
04 January 2009
Christmas at Home
So, a Christmas post. For those of you in the US, I was incredibly homesick this year. If someone had offered me a plane ticket home, I would have jumped at it and not even asked if it was round trip. I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit and just wanted to be home in the States for Christmas. Becky was able to go home again for Christmas and I think that just made my homesickness even worse.
Thankfully, all of that changed thanks to wonderful friends and "family" here. For starters, Karin and I were able to attend a performance of the Nutcracker, thanks to one of my students, Mišo, who sang for one of the dances. We had a hard time finding the performance at first, but it was worth all the wandering around in the cold and dark.
The next day was Christmas Eve and I had no time to be homesick. I had to be at the bus station to pick up our first guests, Laura and Sarah (teachers in Czech), at 9am. We went into town and I showed them around before heading to the train station at 1pm to pick up our next guests, Steph, Jason and Jon. We all headed back to our flat then, where Karin was making her famous Texas chili. She and I had been shopped all day the day before to make sure we had enough food (and miraculously, we did!). At 5pm Kate, Katie, her parents, her brother Evan and his girlfriend Lindsey arrived. Finally at 5:30 the D'Ettorres (Vic, Darla, Dominic and Ana) arrived, bringing our grand total to 17 people. We feasted on backed potatoes with all the trimmings, Texas chili, hot wine, cornbread and an array of baked goods and candy. We pulled out Apples to Apples and had a large, rousing game, using up all of the cards. The families left around 10 and we found beds for everyone else.
Christmas morning, Laura and Sarah left early to catch a train to Prague and Steph, the boys, Karin and I had a late breakfast of eggs, bacon and cranberry scones. I went to my Slovak family's house to hang out and play games. They gave me a handpainted flower pot and wire jewlery they had made themselves. I was so impressed with the wire jewlery that they pulled out all the materials and taught me how to make it myself. We played Settlers of Catan, drank tea and ate Christmas goodies for the rest of the afternoon. When I came back home, we opened the few gifts we had (Karin and I haven't yet gotten our packages from our families). We both got beautiful earings from Steph. I was able to talk to my family and found out the wonderful news that I am going to be an aunt! Yeah! So, at the end of the day, I was still a little homesick, but very happy to be here in Slovakia.
Thankfully, all of that changed thanks to wonderful friends and "family" here. For starters, Karin and I were able to attend a performance of the Nutcracker, thanks to one of my students, Mišo, who sang for one of the dances. We had a hard time finding the performance at first, but it was worth all the wandering around in the cold and dark.
The next day was Christmas Eve and I had no time to be homesick. I had to be at the bus station to pick up our first guests, Laura and Sarah (teachers in Czech), at 9am. We went into town and I showed them around before heading to the train station at 1pm to pick up our next guests, Steph, Jason and Jon. We all headed back to our flat then, where Karin was making her famous Texas chili. She and I had been shopped all day the day before to make sure we had enough food (and miraculously, we did!). At 5pm Kate, Katie, her parents, her brother Evan and his girlfriend Lindsey arrived. Finally at 5:30 the D'Ettorres (Vic, Darla, Dominic and Ana) arrived, bringing our grand total to 17 people. We feasted on backed potatoes with all the trimmings, Texas chili, hot wine, cornbread and an array of baked goods and candy. We pulled out Apples to Apples and had a large, rousing game, using up all of the cards. The families left around 10 and we found beds for everyone else.
Christmas morning, Laura and Sarah left early to catch a train to Prague and Steph, the boys, Karin and I had a late breakfast of eggs, bacon and cranberry scones. I went to my Slovak family's house to hang out and play games. They gave me a handpainted flower pot and wire jewlery they had made themselves. I was so impressed with the wire jewlery that they pulled out all the materials and taught me how to make it myself. We played Settlers of Catan, drank tea and ate Christmas goodies for the rest of the afternoon. When I came back home, we opened the few gifts we had (Karin and I haven't yet gotten our packages from our families). We both got beautiful earings from Steph. I was able to talk to my family and found out the wonderful news that I am going to be an aunt! Yeah! So, at the end of the day, I was still a little homesick, but very happy to be here in Slovakia.
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| Christmas at home |
03 January 2009
Camels, Mosques and Kebabs
Bratislava to Goreme
The day after Christmas, we woke up and packed our bags, ready to head off to Turkey. Our friend Steph, who traveled to Spain with us last year and teaches in Czech came with us, along with her brother Jason and his college buddy Jon. We had a noon flight and everything went smoothly. We landed at 3 and easily found our city bus which would take us to the main bus station. We were a little concerned about how we would know where to get off as the stops didn't seem to be marked, it was raining and getting dark. Not to worry, though. When we arrived, the bus driver loudly proclaimed our stop, put on the brake and stepped out of his cubicle to make sure we had all gotten off. Our first taste of Turkish hospitality. We then marched off to the bus station, which was actually just a collection of offices for all the different bus companies. Each company had one or two reps out front loudly hollering where they would take you. Coming from Central Europe where you have to ask to get help, it was quite overwhelming. We finally found the bus company we were looking for and booked tickets on the 9:30pm bus to Goreme. We had a few hours to kill so decided to look for dinner. We asked the man who sold us the bus tickets and he escorted not just to a restaurant, but to our table, where he shook the waiters hand and we figured there was some kind of deal going on. We feasted on Turkish food, wandered back to the bus station, where we had Turkish tea and finally got on our bus. Females can not sit by themselves on a bus, as then there is the possibility that a stranger could sit next to them, so Karin and Steph sat together, Jason and I sat together and Jon had his own two seats. It was not very comfortable. Jason and I talked for quite a while and tried to sleep, but it was not easy. The bus stopped every couple of hours for a bathroom/food break and everytime it started up again, we would get this lemon oil/hand sanitizer. At one point, the man sitting behind Steph and Karin took Steph's purse out from under her seat and started to go through her wallet, but thankfully she noticed and got it back intact. It was a good reminder that we needed to be careful. At 8am our bus arrived in Aksarary, where the bus driver told us we must get off. At this point we were all so tired and weren't sure what to do. Thankfully, he walked us into the bus station and got us tickets to Goreme. We had to wait for an hour, which was painful because we were so tired. Finally our bus came and we made it to Nevsehir. At this point, we were left at a travel agency that promised us a free shuttle bus to our hostel. They also wanted to sell us tour packages and book a direct bus for us back to Istanbul. We decided to go with a one day tour, a half day private tour and the bus tickets. Soon we were on our way to Goreme. We made it to our hostel, Elif Star Caves. Hooray!
Goreme
After checking in, we were again escorted to a table in a local restaurant. This time it paid off though, as we got a discount. We spent the afternoon wandering and then the boys, Steph and Karin went 4 wheeling while I had apple tea with the owner of the 4 wheeler shop. We went to bed early to try to catch up on our sleep.
The next day we had our half day private tour of the underground city. It was 8 stories deep and miles and miles long. In fact, at one point in time, it connected to the neighboring town several miles away. We stayed in for over and hour and our guide was wonderfully patient, letting us explore, take pictures and act crazy for as long as we wanted. Afterwards, we went to a goverment sponsered carpet store where we saw the process of Turkish carpets being made, starting with the silkworm cocoons all the way through to the sales pitch. Karin and I ended up with a nice salesman who lives in the DC area who could tell we weren't going to buy and so showed us the most expensive carpets - pure silk - for $77,000USD. It took 2 and 1/2 years to make. We came back to town, did some shopping and explored the town of Goreme, climbing up in the cave dwellings. The owner of the 4 wheeler shop, Atilla, had invited us for dinner at his shop, so we hiked down the road for a real Turkish barbeque. The man working at our hostel, Rami, also came, with baked potatoes. Atilla had marinated his own chicken and vegetables for us and along with the potatoes and the good Turkish bread, we had a feast.
The next day we took the tour of the open air museum, which was crazy because there was so much snow on the ground and we were climbing up these steep stone steps, slick with snow and ice. We started taking bets on who would be the first to fall. On our walk back to the bus, we were all tripping, slipping and sliding. We also went to a pottery shop, a Turkish cafeteria for lunch and an onix factory. It was cold and snowy the whole day. We returned to our hostel to pick up our luggage and then went back to Nevsiher to wait for our night bus to Istanbul. We found a brand new Italian restaraunt next door and had pizza and pasta for dinner. The place was so new that they were still hanging pictures on the wall and the waiter had to read the menu to tell us about the food. But it was good!
Istanbul
The next night bus was better than the first. The seats were more comfy and this bus had televison. It seemed to be playing the Turkish version of Grey's Anatomy. All of us were able to sleep a little better on this bus. It was also nice because it dropped us off in Istanbul. We were then coached to get on a free bus to the center of town. We weren't sure about this, but we decided to try it and it dropped us off a half a block away from our hostel. So, by 9am, we were in Istanbul. We had breakfast at our hostel and then wandered around trying to get our bearings. We had lunch at a cute little Turkish place and then Steph and the boys took a nap while Karin and I explored more. Everyone we talked to seemed so helpful. Shopkeepers constantly called to you to come and visit their stores, which was a little unsettling at first, but finally I realized that I could just say, "No thank you," as everyone in Turkey spoke very good (American) English.
Our second day in Istanbul, we went to the Hagia Sofia, constructed as a basilica, looted by the Crusaders, turned into a mosque and is now a museum. It was so different from all the cathedrals and basilicas and churches that I have been in. You could see how it was built as a basilica - the right shape and the domes - and also there were mosaics and crosses on the walls, but it also had the Muslim influence. The stained glass windows had Turkish writing. There were more geometric patterns and very vibrant colors. It just had a different feel.
It was raining when we were finished but we didn't let that deter us from our plans of going to the Spice Bazaar. So, with Jon leading the way and a sketchy map, we set out. We tramped up and down, in and out, back and forth, with Jon saying, "According to the map it is right here," and pointing to the closest building. He was successful however and got us there. I was so excited. Since I love cooking this was a treat for me. And what a treat. Store upon store of spices, barrels upon barrels, and oh the smells. Rich, vibrant, yummy. Each vender would call to you to come and see his wares. They would hold huge scoops of spices or teas up for you to smell. I was taken. I ended up buying more tea than spices, but was so happy with all of my purchases. Karin was able to find pine nuts, which was a real treat.
Afterwards we went out to find a place for lunch and ended up in a Turkish cafe, where we were served a huge platter of meat and a huge plate of bread. Yum... When we left, we passed a house of tombs, so Karin and I took off our shoes, covered our heads and looked at the above ground caskets of some Sultans and their children.
We then went to the Grand Bazaar where we spent a few hours shopping for Pasminas, jewlery and so many other cool things. We went back to our hotel to drop off all are purchases and rest a little for the long New Year's Eve before us. We had tried to find out about New Year's Eve in Istanbul before coming, but hadn't been very successful. The guy at our hostel said that the city did a fireworks show by the water, so we decided that we should be near the water.
As is becoming our tradition, we headed out to find some Chinese food. Last year in Barcelona, we couldn't find any reasonably priced food (under 100 Euros a person), so we ended up at Chinese. This year, we just decided to start with the Chinese. We had been scouting them since we had arrived and had seen 3 Chinese/Korean restaraunts within walking distance. And all of them were closed. We couldn't believe that last year it was our last resort and this year, we were searching for one. After almost giving up and heading to McDonald's, a nice Turkish man pointed back towards our hostel and a very good Chinese restaraunt. We were the only customers. It was definately a memory.
After dinner, we thought it would be best to go to our hostel to watch fireworks since it has a nice rooftop balcony and it would be warmer than going down by the water. So, we sat on the balcony and played cards until midnight, toasted with Raki (the Turkish drink) and stood on the balcony watching fireworks. The ones the city set off were very few and far between, but thankfully the citizens knew this and bought enough to light up the sky. The people on the street below us were shooting off the fireworks, so it was very loud and they were right above our heads. Very cool. After a few more rounds of cards it was off to bed for us.
The next day was our last in full day in Istanbul so we decided to cram as much in as possible. No, actually, we were all really ready to go home, so we had a very relaxed, low key day. We wandered down by the water, took in the view, walked in the park, visited the Blue Mosque, ate at a Southwest Grill restaurant, went to the Spice Bazaar again and even went to Starbucks (oh, how I miss my Tazo Chai Tea Lattes). We ordered in pizza and again played cards.
Turkish School and Home Again
On our last day, we decided to walk down to the water again, since our bus didn't leave for the airport until 1. On our way there, Karin pointed out an elementary school. I really wanted to go in an look around and so we both gathered up our courage and marched inside. Once inside, we were greeted by 3 students, wearing name badges and looking very official, who I think were the hall monitors. We tried to speak with them but they didn't speak much English. Finally, we got them to understand that we wanted to talk to the director (principal) of the school. We were shown into his office and told him that we were teachers from Slovakia who would like to look around his school. His English wasn't very good, but he understood us and asked one of the hall monitors to show us around. The girl appeared to be in about 7th or 8th grade and her only word in English was "Welcome," so everything was welcome. Welcome to this room, welcome to leave this room. She happily took us into one of the 1st grade classrooms, where the teacher proudly had the students show us how to write their names on the board. Then we went to a pre-K classroom. The music teacher gathered all the students around and had them sing a cute song about a fish. Then we went to see the computer lab and the library. At that point the bell rang and we were mobbed by middle school students who all wanted to shake hands, try out their English and have their picture taken. At this point, we realized that we were bringing chaos to the school, so we decided to leave. Thankfully recess ended and so went to say goodbye to the director. He invited us in, gave us chocolates, pens and pencils. We asked for the school's address so we could send them pictures. Being able to see a school was really a highlight for me.
We walked down to the water one last time, had one last kebab and then it was off to the airport for us. Since our airport was on the Asian part of Turkey, we were able to drive over the bridge that connects Europe and Asia. Very cool. We arrived back in Bratislava safe and sound. Jon and I went to the store to pick up food for dinner and then Karin and I taught Jason and Jon how to make Bryndzové Halušky. While Turkish food was great, it was good to have a home cooked meal.
The day after Christmas, we woke up and packed our bags, ready to head off to Turkey. Our friend Steph, who traveled to Spain with us last year and teaches in Czech came with us, along with her brother Jason and his college buddy Jon. We had a noon flight and everything went smoothly. We landed at 3 and easily found our city bus which would take us to the main bus station. We were a little concerned about how we would know where to get off as the stops didn't seem to be marked, it was raining and getting dark. Not to worry, though. When we arrived, the bus driver loudly proclaimed our stop, put on the brake and stepped out of his cubicle to make sure we had all gotten off. Our first taste of Turkish hospitality. We then marched off to the bus station, which was actually just a collection of offices for all the different bus companies. Each company had one or two reps out front loudly hollering where they would take you. Coming from Central Europe where you have to ask to get help, it was quite overwhelming. We finally found the bus company we were looking for and booked tickets on the 9:30pm bus to Goreme. We had a few hours to kill so decided to look for dinner. We asked the man who sold us the bus tickets and he escorted not just to a restaurant, but to our table, where he shook the waiters hand and we figured there was some kind of deal going on. We feasted on Turkish food, wandered back to the bus station, where we had Turkish tea and finally got on our bus. Females can not sit by themselves on a bus, as then there is the possibility that a stranger could sit next to them, so Karin and Steph sat together, Jason and I sat together and Jon had his own two seats. It was not very comfortable. Jason and I talked for quite a while and tried to sleep, but it was not easy. The bus stopped every couple of hours for a bathroom/food break and everytime it started up again, we would get this lemon oil/hand sanitizer. At one point, the man sitting behind Steph and Karin took Steph's purse out from under her seat and started to go through her wallet, but thankfully she noticed and got it back intact. It was a good reminder that we needed to be careful. At 8am our bus arrived in Aksarary, where the bus driver told us we must get off. At this point we were all so tired and weren't sure what to do. Thankfully, he walked us into the bus station and got us tickets to Goreme. We had to wait for an hour, which was painful because we were so tired. Finally our bus came and we made it to Nevsehir. At this point, we were left at a travel agency that promised us a free shuttle bus to our hostel. They also wanted to sell us tour packages and book a direct bus for us back to Istanbul. We decided to go with a one day tour, a half day private tour and the bus tickets. Soon we were on our way to Goreme. We made it to our hostel, Elif Star Caves. Hooray!
 |
| Travel From Bratislava to Goreme |
Goreme
After checking in, we were again escorted to a table in a local restaurant. This time it paid off though, as we got a discount. We spent the afternoon wandering and then the boys, Steph and Karin went 4 wheeling while I had apple tea with the owner of the 4 wheeler shop. We went to bed early to try to catch up on our sleep.
The next day we had our half day private tour of the underground city. It was 8 stories deep and miles and miles long. In fact, at one point in time, it connected to the neighboring town several miles away. We stayed in for over and hour and our guide was wonderfully patient, letting us explore, take pictures and act crazy for as long as we wanted. Afterwards, we went to a goverment sponsered carpet store where we saw the process of Turkish carpets being made, starting with the silkworm cocoons all the way through to the sales pitch. Karin and I ended up with a nice salesman who lives in the DC area who could tell we weren't going to buy and so showed us the most expensive carpets - pure silk - for $77,000USD. It took 2 and 1/2 years to make. We came back to town, did some shopping and explored the town of Goreme, climbing up in the cave dwellings. The owner of the 4 wheeler shop, Atilla, had invited us for dinner at his shop, so we hiked down the road for a real Turkish barbeque. The man working at our hostel, Rami, also came, with baked potatoes. Atilla had marinated his own chicken and vegetables for us and along with the potatoes and the good Turkish bread, we had a feast.
The next day we took the tour of the open air museum, which was crazy because there was so much snow on the ground and we were climbing up these steep stone steps, slick with snow and ice. We started taking bets on who would be the first to fall. On our walk back to the bus, we were all tripping, slipping and sliding. We also went to a pottery shop, a Turkish cafeteria for lunch and an onix factory. It was cold and snowy the whole day. We returned to our hostel to pick up our luggage and then went back to Nevsiher to wait for our night bus to Istanbul. We found a brand new Italian restaraunt next door and had pizza and pasta for dinner. The place was so new that they were still hanging pictures on the wall and the waiter had to read the menu to tell us about the food. But it was good!
 |
| Goreme |
Istanbul
The next night bus was better than the first. The seats were more comfy and this bus had televison. It seemed to be playing the Turkish version of Grey's Anatomy. All of us were able to sleep a little better on this bus. It was also nice because it dropped us off in Istanbul. We were then coached to get on a free bus to the center of town. We weren't sure about this, but we decided to try it and it dropped us off a half a block away from our hostel. So, by 9am, we were in Istanbul. We had breakfast at our hostel and then wandered around trying to get our bearings. We had lunch at a cute little Turkish place and then Steph and the boys took a nap while Karin and I explored more. Everyone we talked to seemed so helpful. Shopkeepers constantly called to you to come and visit their stores, which was a little unsettling at first, but finally I realized that I could just say, "No thank you," as everyone in Turkey spoke very good (American) English.
Our second day in Istanbul, we went to the Hagia Sofia, constructed as a basilica, looted by the Crusaders, turned into a mosque and is now a museum. It was so different from all the cathedrals and basilicas and churches that I have been in. You could see how it was built as a basilica - the right shape and the domes - and also there were mosaics and crosses on the walls, but it also had the Muslim influence. The stained glass windows had Turkish writing. There were more geometric patterns and very vibrant colors. It just had a different feel.
 |
| Mosques in Istanbul |
It was raining when we were finished but we didn't let that deter us from our plans of going to the Spice Bazaar. So, with Jon leading the way and a sketchy map, we set out. We tramped up and down, in and out, back and forth, with Jon saying, "According to the map it is right here," and pointing to the closest building. He was successful however and got us there. I was so excited. Since I love cooking this was a treat for me. And what a treat. Store upon store of spices, barrels upon barrels, and oh the smells. Rich, vibrant, yummy. Each vender would call to you to come and see his wares. They would hold huge scoops of spices or teas up for you to smell. I was taken. I ended up buying more tea than spices, but was so happy with all of my purchases. Karin was able to find pine nuts, which was a real treat.
Afterwards we went out to find a place for lunch and ended up in a Turkish cafe, where we were served a huge platter of meat and a huge plate of bread. Yum... When we left, we passed a house of tombs, so Karin and I took off our shoes, covered our heads and looked at the above ground caskets of some Sultans and their children.
We then went to the Grand Bazaar where we spent a few hours shopping for Pasminas, jewlery and so many other cool things. We went back to our hotel to drop off all are purchases and rest a little for the long New Year's Eve before us. We had tried to find out about New Year's Eve in Istanbul before coming, but hadn't been very successful. The guy at our hostel said that the city did a fireworks show by the water, so we decided that we should be near the water.
As is becoming our tradition, we headed out to find some Chinese food. Last year in Barcelona, we couldn't find any reasonably priced food (under 100 Euros a person), so we ended up at Chinese. This year, we just decided to start with the Chinese. We had been scouting them since we had arrived and had seen 3 Chinese/Korean restaraunts within walking distance. And all of them were closed. We couldn't believe that last year it was our last resort and this year, we were searching for one. After almost giving up and heading to McDonald's, a nice Turkish man pointed back towards our hostel and a very good Chinese restaraunt. We were the only customers. It was definately a memory.
After dinner, we thought it would be best to go to our hostel to watch fireworks since it has a nice rooftop balcony and it would be warmer than going down by the water. So, we sat on the balcony and played cards until midnight, toasted with Raki (the Turkish drink) and stood on the balcony watching fireworks. The ones the city set off were very few and far between, but thankfully the citizens knew this and bought enough to light up the sky. The people on the street below us were shooting off the fireworks, so it was very loud and they were right above our heads. Very cool. After a few more rounds of cards it was off to bed for us.
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| The Sights and Streets of Istanbul |
The next day was our last in full day in Istanbul so we decided to cram as much in as possible. No, actually, we were all really ready to go home, so we had a very relaxed, low key day. We wandered down by the water, took in the view, walked in the park, visited the Blue Mosque, ate at a Southwest Grill restaurant, went to the Spice Bazaar again and even went to Starbucks (oh, how I miss my Tazo Chai Tea Lattes). We ordered in pizza and again played cards.
Turkish School and Home Again
On our last day, we decided to walk down to the water again, since our bus didn't leave for the airport until 1. On our way there, Karin pointed out an elementary school. I really wanted to go in an look around and so we both gathered up our courage and marched inside. Once inside, we were greeted by 3 students, wearing name badges and looking very official, who I think were the hall monitors. We tried to speak with them but they didn't speak much English. Finally, we got them to understand that we wanted to talk to the director (principal) of the school. We were shown into his office and told him that we were teachers from Slovakia who would like to look around his school. His English wasn't very good, but he understood us and asked one of the hall monitors to show us around. The girl appeared to be in about 7th or 8th grade and her only word in English was "Welcome," so everything was welcome. Welcome to this room, welcome to leave this room. She happily took us into one of the 1st grade classrooms, where the teacher proudly had the students show us how to write their names on the board. Then we went to a pre-K classroom. The music teacher gathered all the students around and had them sing a cute song about a fish. Then we went to see the computer lab and the library. At that point the bell rang and we were mobbed by middle school students who all wanted to shake hands, try out their English and have their picture taken. At this point, we realized that we were bringing chaos to the school, so we decided to leave. Thankfully recess ended and so went to say goodbye to the director. He invited us in, gave us chocolates, pens and pencils. We asked for the school's address so we could send them pictures. Being able to see a school was really a highlight for me.
We walked down to the water one last time, had one last kebab and then it was off to the airport for us. Since our airport was on the Asian part of Turkey, we were able to drive over the bridge that connects Europe and Asia. Very cool. We arrived back in Bratislava safe and sound. Jon and I went to the store to pick up food for dinner and then Karin and I taught Jason and Jon how to make Bryndzové Halušky. While Turkish food was great, it was good to have a home cooked meal.
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| Turkish School and Home Again |
14 November 2008
Year 3hree
So, year three. This year has brought many new changes for me. This year I returned to the same flat we were in last year and then moved the last weekend in September to our new flat. I posted pictures of our new flat. We decided to call it the Penthouse, in honor of the new Batman movie (where he moves into the Penthouse), but have now decided that we should keep Wayne Manor or go back to the BatCave. Such serious things to decide.
I started two new roles at work. First, I am now the head of the Languages Department (English, Spanish, German) at my school. Basically, I am now an administrator. I must hire and fire teachers when needed, hold staff meetings, attend millions of administration meetings, answer questions, deal with unhappy parents, defend teachers, observe teachers, deal with grade problems, and any other things that comes up. Basically, put out fires all day long.
This year was especially hard as we started the year short one teacher. We put out ads, asked friends and colleagues and came up with no one. So, we started the year with everyone subbing more and having the special ed teacher working part time for us. We finally got a few applicants and I excitedly started interviewing. Only to be amazed when the first had to ask our principal to translate for her and the second could only speak in the present tense. So, we kept searching until another canidate appeared. She seemed perfect. Her English was good and she really wanted the job. So after doing the interview, watching her practice teach a lesson, we hired her. Well, long story short, things did not work out. So, in December we told her that we would be letting her go at the end of January. So, we started the hiring process again. Thankfully, last week, we hired someone. She will start this week. I am praying that everything will go smoothly this time and I will be done hiring for a long time.
The second big change is that I am now a class teacher. This is kind of like being a homeroom teacher. Which means that I have opening (15 minutes) with them each day, and deal with any problems that come up with them. For the first week of school, before we had regular classes, I had them all day. And again at Christmas time and I will at the end of the year too. Thankfully, I have a Slovak teacher who helps me with this job. I also have to fill out the classbook. This book is where every teacher must write down every lesson they teach. Kind of like a plan book for the grade. So every day my students take it to every class. The teacher must fill in their lesson plan (ie - Past Continuous), mark down who is absent and sign it. If the teacher forgets, which happens more than it should, I have to track them down and get them to sign. And you cannot mess up. If you do, it may mean you have to get a new one and start all over. So, not a fun part of being a class teacher.
Year 3hree has been rough, but I see how God is working in it. I am continuing with my Slovak lessons and just this week I had a wonderful blessing. I have two Slovak tutors who come to school every Monday for 2 hours to work with me. We only speak in Slovak and they prepare lessons based on what mistakes I made the last week. I brought a children's book in Slovak to my lessons in September, so we have slowly and painfully been reading through it. The language in it is very difficult and I only understand the very basics of the storyline. In December, my principal brought an "Our Daily Bread" devotional book for 2009 to a meeting and gave one to each administrator, so I got one for the Languages department. So, I decided to bring it to my tutoring lesson. When I showed it to the girls, they got really excited about it. So, I read the devotional for that day. And amazingly, I could actually understand most of it. I really do not know what kind of relationship these girls have with Christ, so it was a great open door. I will bring it again this week, with the hopes that it will be a way to promote some good dialouge.
I started two new roles at work. First, I am now the head of the Languages Department (English, Spanish, German) at my school. Basically, I am now an administrator. I must hire and fire teachers when needed, hold staff meetings, attend millions of administration meetings, answer questions, deal with unhappy parents, defend teachers, observe teachers, deal with grade problems, and any other things that comes up. Basically, put out fires all day long.
This year was especially hard as we started the year short one teacher. We put out ads, asked friends and colleagues and came up with no one. So, we started the year with everyone subbing more and having the special ed teacher working part time for us. We finally got a few applicants and I excitedly started interviewing. Only to be amazed when the first had to ask our principal to translate for her and the second could only speak in the present tense. So, we kept searching until another canidate appeared. She seemed perfect. Her English was good and she really wanted the job. So after doing the interview, watching her practice teach a lesson, we hired her. Well, long story short, things did not work out. So, in December we told her that we would be letting her go at the end of January. So, we started the hiring process again. Thankfully, last week, we hired someone. She will start this week. I am praying that everything will go smoothly this time and I will be done hiring for a long time.
The second big change is that I am now a class teacher. This is kind of like being a homeroom teacher. Which means that I have opening (15 minutes) with them each day, and deal with any problems that come up with them. For the first week of school, before we had regular classes, I had them all day. And again at Christmas time and I will at the end of the year too. Thankfully, I have a Slovak teacher who helps me with this job. I also have to fill out the classbook. This book is where every teacher must write down every lesson they teach. Kind of like a plan book for the grade. So every day my students take it to every class. The teacher must fill in their lesson plan (ie - Past Continuous), mark down who is absent and sign it. If the teacher forgets, which happens more than it should, I have to track them down and get them to sign. And you cannot mess up. If you do, it may mean you have to get a new one and start all over. So, not a fun part of being a class teacher.
Year 3hree has been rough, but I see how God is working in it. I am continuing with my Slovak lessons and just this week I had a wonderful blessing. I have two Slovak tutors who come to school every Monday for 2 hours to work with me. We only speak in Slovak and they prepare lessons based on what mistakes I made the last week. I brought a children's book in Slovak to my lessons in September, so we have slowly and painfully been reading through it. The language in it is very difficult and I only understand the very basics of the storyline. In December, my principal brought an "Our Daily Bread" devotional book for 2009 to a meeting and gave one to each administrator, so I got one for the Languages department. So, I decided to bring it to my tutoring lesson. When I showed it to the girls, they got really excited about it. So, I read the devotional for that day. And amazingly, I could actually understand most of it. I really do not know what kind of relationship these girls have with Christ, so it was a great open door. I will bring it again this week, with the hopes that it will be a way to promote some good dialouge.
28 October 2008
Welcome to the Penthouse!
I am long overdue on this and although I started it weeks ago, it never got very far. So, click on the link before to see our new flat, lovingly named the Penthouse. (If you have seen Dark Knight and have kept up with the names of our other flats, hopefully you will understand this one.) Click on the link below for a pictorial tour of our wonderful new home.
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| The Penthouse |
01 June 2008
Camp Again... x2
Day 1 – Slovakia Day
Highlight: The hour that my team spent together making a company. Each team had to make a company, decide what its product was, design a poster for it, and decide where it was located. My team had the distinct disadvantage of having to speak in English. For half of my team, it is not a problem since one is American, two have an American parent and one has grown up in a bilingual family. For me, it was fun to watch them come up with ideas and share them all in English. Our team was dubbed, “Super Star Air Kids,” and our company is an airline whose airplanes double as submarines and takes kids on deep-sea adventures.
Lowlight: The five-hour bus ride to get here. I had heard it was only three but that was not the case. We hit traffic getting out of the city, had to make two bathroom breaks, and stop once to pick up supplies. And trying to keep 43 wiggling, hyperactive kids sitting and quiet is no easy thing. But, we did survive and the adventure begins….
Day 2 – China Day
Highlight: This was my day to lead and the theme was Beijing, China and the Summer Olympics. We spent the morning preparing for the Olympics and then in the afternoon we had six different Olympic Games (variations of real events, such as the javelin throw with chopsticks). So, there were really two highlights for me. The first was the awards ceremony. One of the preparations for the Olympics was making medals. The kids had sparkly paper, pens and ribbons and they made some great medals. In the afternoon, we sat outside in a big circle and each teacher called their group up and awarded a medal to each child, some for best in an event, others for good attitudes, encouraging teammates or being a good sport. It was fun to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. The second was in the evening, when we lit the Olympic torch. The kids lined up from the front of our hotel all the way to the campfire. Then Andreka lit the torch and a great cheer went up. The kids then passed the torch all the way down the line to me, the last person. I held it up and they again cheered. I then used it to light our campfire. And we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores, which was a first for many of these kids’ as they don’t have marshmallows here. It was amazing to watch their faces as they enjoyed this new, sticky treat. (Thanks mom and dad and Patrick for the marshmallows and graham crackers. You made many kids day!)
Lowlight: The thought of making it through so many more days. This day was actually one of those days without any clear lowlights. I was busy (since it was my day to lead) and I had lots of fun.
Day 3 – Hollywood Day
Highlight: We spent the morning creating movies based on children’s movies (Shrek, Aladdin, The Incredibles). My team had Shrek and we made a movie about the dragon and Donkey’s children. Mama dragon and the children went on a picnic and the children got lost in the woods. A year later, when their wings finally worked, they were reunited with their mom. It was complete with a narrator, costumes, props and sets. The highlight however, was winning the Oscar for Most Original film. According to my kids, this was the best award you could win. We had Oscars made of chocolate bars, wrapped in tin foil to look like an Oscar. The kids and teachers all brought fancy clothes, wore make-up and did their hair fancy. The upstairs room was decorated beautifully and was complete with a red carpet.
Lowlight: For me, it was the same thing, the Oscar night. I was sitting with my team, all dressed up and my team was the last one to get their Oscar. So, when the teacher announcing started talking, she was looking at my team and I knew she was talking about my team. However, I couldn’t really understand her. Then when my kids got called up, she asked them if they had anything to say. One of my kids gave a speech and again, I couldn’t understand. I just felt so frustrated because I wanted so desperately to understand. I was so proud of them, but I felt so much like an outsider. This is when I am so frustrated with being the foreigner.
Day 4 – Paris Day
Highlight: This day was supposed to be our Canada day, but we had to change it because it rained on and off all day. Instead we learned about the Versailles Gardens and created our own of scrap materials and things from outside. The highlight for me was during this time. After we collected all of our things from outside, I had to get something from my room, so I sent the kids upstairs to get started. We had done some work, but they were not really getting into it and I felt like I was pushing, pushing, pushing. It took me a few minutes to get what I needed and I was a little worried at what I might find when I came upstairs. But, they were working happily and had created a really fantastic garden complete with planter boxes around the trees and little tiny flowerpots. It was fun to see them working together so well.
Lowlight: This was a hard day for my team. Three of my boys share a room as well as being on the same team and it is a lot of together time, and they got in their third fight of the day. And at dinner time, they were using bad language and saying mean things to and about each other. So, after being formally rebuked by the director of the camp, two of the girls were in tears and everyone was very sad. Not a good way to end the day, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Day 5 – Canada Day
Highlight: Today we went on a trip to the forest. We rode on two different open-air trains, which felt very much like we had gone back in time. We walked for an hour or so through the woods, stopping to look at different things in nature as we went (my favorite was the four foot high ant hill. We stopped in a meadow and played soccer and other games for about an hour or so before heading back. The highlight for me was getting ready for bed at the end of the day – not me getting ready, but 4 of my boys. I was assigned to look after one of the rooms with four of my second grade boys in it. This involved me sitting in their room for an hour or so, making sure they showered (with soap) and washed their hair, brushed their teeth, got pajamas on and got into bed with the covers on properly. This was quite a challenge and very funny to watch. I had to say everything multiple times and very slowly. Meanwhile, my boys (who have no shame) were running around their room (before and after their showers) with no clothes on. And after their showers, they didn’t dry off, just put on their pajamas. So, I tried my best to towel them off, especially their hair, as our school nurse says that if you go to bed with wet hair, you will get sick. It was fun to bond with my boys in this special (although silly way) and feel like I was just one of the teachers, instead of the foreign teacher.
Lowlight: At the end of the day, all the teachers were sitting in our little room getting things ready for the next day. I was helping and listening to the banter around me. They were laughing and telling stories and having fun and I realized how much I missed being a part of a group like that.
Day 6 – Vienna Day
Highlight: This was a really fun day. We set up a carnival for the kids outside while they learned about Mozart inside. We had six different games/booths: a hit the prize game, a scary forest walk, a tattoo parlor, a strong man/arm wrestling, a tumbling and a Frisbee game. Each kid got 20 Euros and could buy tickets for 2 Euros each. The kids had a blast running from booth to booth, playing games, winning prizes and just having fun. I ran the tattoo parlor, which was a huge success. However, the highlight for me was connecting with two of the teachers, Katka and Vierka, that have very limited English. First, when we were getting ready for the carnival, they asked me to do their makeup, which I did very garishly – bright pink circles on their cheeks and bold purple, blue and green eye shadow. They were so happy to have me do it. Yeah! Later, Vierka noticed I was pink (okay, red) from being in the sun and offered me after sun lotion. So, I went to her room and put some on her back and then she put some on mine. And then, when they found out that I could french braid, they wanted me to braid their hair. So, in the afternoon, while the kids were playing outside, I sat with both of them and braided their hair. We talked in Slovish – my new favorite language, a combination of Slovak and English. These two teachers had not really talked with me before because of the language barrier but now have each talked to me several times. Praise the Lord!
Lowlight: Today was really a great day. The only lowlight was realizing that I am not even half way done with camp as tomorrow we get a fresh group of children and start all over again.
Day 7 – Slovakia Day
Highlight: Today was the last day for our kids. We finished the week by watching a slide show of pictures of the week. Then we gathered outside and the kids took turns praising each other until each of the children had been praised. Even though I couldn’t understand all of it, it was very precious to see the kids telling about who had helped them during the week, who had played well and who had made their week better. But the highlight for me was when the bus pulled up and my fourth graders and Magda got off the bus. I was so happy to see all of them.
Lowlight: So, while today was the last day for my first group, it was the first day for my second group. When the bus pulled up and the kids piled off with all of their bags and we helped them carry their bags up to their rooms, I had the strangest sense of déjà vu. Only, it was real. It was only a week ago I had done the exact same thing, but with my first group of kids. Then, when the bus left with the first group and we started the program with the second group, I just wanted to scream, “But we’ve already done this!” There are six of us teachers who are staying for the full two weeks (with two new and rested teachers). We all were a little crazy tonight as we are pretty exhausted and know exactly what we are facing for the next week. I hope we can all survive….
Day 8 – China Day
Highlight: This one is easy. Marshmallows. The day was pretty much the same as the week before with all the same events and such. The kids seemed to really enjoy everything. Again, we lit the Olympic torch and passed it down the line of children to light the campfire. I explained again about how to make s’mores and we got started. This time however, I had each 4th grader pair up with a 2nd grader and cook their marshmallows together, since we had two pronged sticks to cook on. This worked very well and we made our way through 3 bags of marshmallows, 9 bars of chocolate and 2 boxes of graham crackers. Each time I emptied a bag of marshmallows, one of my 4th graders would come running up and ask if they could have the empty bags. They are very impressed with those American marshmallows.
Lowlight: My team this time around is much more difficult. They are not team players and I have too many leaders. In addition, they don’t want to use their English and so are reluctant to do things. I feel like I am constantly the bad guy. Hopefully things will get better as I had a small chance to talk to them about their behavior today.
Day 9 – Hollywood Day
Highlight: There were several. First, in the afternoon, we had free time and several of my 4th grade girls invited me to play games with them. We ended up playing 3 different games, and they spoke in English the whole time. Second, I got to play hairdresser. Tonight was our Oscar night (because we had made movies in the morning) and it was announced at lunch that I was the best hairdresser. So starting at about four in the afternoon, I did girls hair straight until about seven (with a small break for dinner). I did crown braids, French braids, side braids, farmers braids, fish braids, ponytails, up-does and whatever else I could think of. It was lots of fun and good bonding time with my students, and even one of the teachers. Third, after our Oscar night (my group again won the award for The Most Original film) one of my 4th grade boys started crying in the corner. I went over to him and put my arm around him and started to talk to him. (He had been struggling the previous day with homesickness.) I asked him what was wrong and he said his stomach was hurting all through the Oscar night. I asked him if he wanted to go to his room or to see the nurse. He told me he wanted to go see the nurse. I offered to go with him or to have one of his friends go with him. He said he wanted me to go with him. This meant a lot to me as so often it seems that my kids would rather have one of their friends or a teacher who speaks Slovak than me. It was nice to be chosen.
Lowlight: I am tired. And I know that I won’t get any less, even if I get a good night’s sleep, as it is just so tiring. And I know that me being so tired is effecting how I am relating to my group, to the rest of the kids and to the other teachers. I really am enjoying camp, but I am ready to go home. Jayne (my boss) sent me a text message yesterday that I need to dwell on, lean on, and have faith in: Matt. 11.28, Jesus said come to me all who are weary…, and I will give you rest. Just the words I need to hear as I am so very weary.
Day 10 – Canada Day
Highlight: Today was one of those days when I just marveled at this beautiful country that I live in. Slovakia is so amazingly beautiful. I don’t know if the photos we took will do it justice, so if you want to know how amazing it is, you will have to come and see for yourself. Today we again went by an open-air train to a national park. It was one of those perfect days. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t too hot. We had an ongoing game which lead to one of the highlights of my day. The game is called “spnka,” which means paperclip in Slovak. Each teacher had 30 paperclips and the kids each had one. If you were asked a question, you had to answer with more than one word or you had to give the person who asked you the question a spnka. I had forgotten my spinkas at the hotel, but the kids kept trying to collect them from me anyways. My group was last along with the principal. I told my group they had to speak in English as our principal is going to Wheaton College for 6 weeks this summer and needs to practice his English. So, two of my boys kept up a steady stream of conversation with us for over an hour. Much of it was aimed at getting spinkas but I didn’t mind as it was nice to have someone spending time talking with me. I ended up losing more than 45 paperclips, even though I didn’t have that many. The second highlight was when we stopped to play soccer. Not all the kids wanted to play, so one other teacher and I decided to play Frisbee. Two of our second graders soon joined us and kids kept coming and going. We had twelve kids playing at one time or another. It was fun to see them trying to throw and catch the Frisbee and get excited when they succeeded.
Lowlight: There wasn’t a really clear lowlight today. Maybe just that fact that I haven’t slept well for the last three nights and two nights in a row have woken up in the middle of the night with very painful leg cramps. I have also been waking up at 4, 5, 6 and 7. I think my body is trying to tell me that it has been pushed too hard. Only two and a half more days to go!
Day 11 – Paris Day
Highlight: I have begun to realize how much these two weeks have been about building relationships with the other teachers at my school. When you are cut off from all the normal people that you depend on, talk to and laugh with, you have to find someone else. And it is not always easy when you have language and culture barriers to overcome. But God is good and has allowed me to build many, many relationships during these two weeks. Case in point, today’s highlight. After the kids went to bed, the teacher’s gathered as usual to talk about tomorrow. When we were finished, we all gathered some sweets and headed up to the upstairs room where we have the projector set up and watched a movie on the big screen. We watched an American film in English with Czech subtitles. It was fun to hear my colleagues talking throughout the film and to be able to understand that they didn’t like the boss’ nephew and that they thought the star was cute and that one of my colleagues, Magda, looked like a girl in the film. It was nice to be one of the gang and not have language be a problem.
Lowlight: I found out today that when I get back to school I have parent’s night. We will get back Sunday night around 6 and then Tuesday and Wednesday I have parent-teacher conferences from 3-7pm. I feel so exhausted already I almost cried. The good thing was, I also found out that I don’t have to work on Monday, only a half-day on Wednesday and then Friday is a big game day (Day of Children), so I can choose if I want to come in or not. Next weekend, I also have a retreat with TeachOverseas, so no break then either, which is why my boss here is giving me as much time off as she can this week. I am going to need it!
Day 12 – Vienna Day
Highlight: Carnival! We had another carnival today and it was so much fun again. I did make-up all around again and then Katka did mine. I was the tattoo artist again and did as many as I could. Then, in the afternoon it started to rain, so we stayed inside and had clubs. Mine was a hair salon, which I supplemented with art supplies. I did French braids for an hour and a half while the girls waiting or finished drew pictures. Later, the teachers got in on the fun too and I braided Andreka, Katka, Magda, Vierka and Mirka’s hair. My hands are tired, but my heart is happy. The whole day was so good that I can’t pick a highlight.
Lowlight: Maybe the lunch (although I ate most of it). It was pizza with ham and cheese, but the sauce was just ketchup. I know I am becoming more and more Slovak as I finished most of mine and found it really wasn’t that bad. One more thing, is that I have found that not wearing shoes, inside or outside, is a no-no. I was barefoot outside during the carnival and several teachers mentioned it. Then, at dinner, I was walking around inside barefoot and several more teachers shared their concerns. I just told them that I am a crazy American and they laughed. One more day. Less than 24 hours to home!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 13: Slovakia and FINISHED!!!
Highlight: This day ended differently than I had hoped, but better than I had imagined. After watching a slide-show of our week together, saying thank you's and talking about what we liked best, we climbed on the bus for our trip home. It only took 4 hours and it seemed to pass fairly quickly. When we pulled into school however, there was not a big crowd of parents like I had imagined, just one of the teacher's boyfriends. No parents at all!!! Now, after two straight weeks of camp, it was very disappointing, but we just did what had to be done - unpacked the bus. Slowly parents came trickling in and we cheered whenever one arrived and tried to guess who would be the next one. After about 30 minutes of this, it started to rain. Big drops. So we took cover under a overhang and it stopped in a few minutes. Only to start up again in a few minutes, but this time it poured. And poured, and hailed, and poured. It continued like this for the next 20 minutes until everything was soaked and all of the children were finally gone. I had to carry my bags home in the rain. Yuck! However, saying goodbye to all the teachers was the best as we laughed and hugged and talked about getting together again soon. I think that I have made some good friends this week. It is so wonderful to see God working through every event in my life.
Lowlight: Nope! Not on this day. Maybe just the huge pile of laundry currently sitting on my floor.....
Highlight: The hour that my team spent together making a company. Each team had to make a company, decide what its product was, design a poster for it, and decide where it was located. My team had the distinct disadvantage of having to speak in English. For half of my team, it is not a problem since one is American, two have an American parent and one has grown up in a bilingual family. For me, it was fun to watch them come up with ideas and share them all in English. Our team was dubbed, “Super Star Air Kids,” and our company is an airline whose airplanes double as submarines and takes kids on deep-sea adventures.
Lowlight: The five-hour bus ride to get here. I had heard it was only three but that was not the case. We hit traffic getting out of the city, had to make two bathroom breaks, and stop once to pick up supplies. And trying to keep 43 wiggling, hyperactive kids sitting and quiet is no easy thing. But, we did survive and the adventure begins….
Day 2 – China Day
Highlight: This was my day to lead and the theme was Beijing, China and the Summer Olympics. We spent the morning preparing for the Olympics and then in the afternoon we had six different Olympic Games (variations of real events, such as the javelin throw with chopsticks). So, there were really two highlights for me. The first was the awards ceremony. One of the preparations for the Olympics was making medals. The kids had sparkly paper, pens and ribbons and they made some great medals. In the afternoon, we sat outside in a big circle and each teacher called their group up and awarded a medal to each child, some for best in an event, others for good attitudes, encouraging teammates or being a good sport. It was fun to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. The second was in the evening, when we lit the Olympic torch. The kids lined up from the front of our hotel all the way to the campfire. Then Andreka lit the torch and a great cheer went up. The kids then passed the torch all the way down the line to me, the last person. I held it up and they again cheered. I then used it to light our campfire. And we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores, which was a first for many of these kids’ as they don’t have marshmallows here. It was amazing to watch their faces as they enjoyed this new, sticky treat. (Thanks mom and dad and Patrick for the marshmallows and graham crackers. You made many kids day!)
Lowlight: The thought of making it through so many more days. This day was actually one of those days without any clear lowlights. I was busy (since it was my day to lead) and I had lots of fun.
Day 3 – Hollywood Day
Highlight: We spent the morning creating movies based on children’s movies (Shrek, Aladdin, The Incredibles). My team had Shrek and we made a movie about the dragon and Donkey’s children. Mama dragon and the children went on a picnic and the children got lost in the woods. A year later, when their wings finally worked, they were reunited with their mom. It was complete with a narrator, costumes, props and sets. The highlight however, was winning the Oscar for Most Original film. According to my kids, this was the best award you could win. We had Oscars made of chocolate bars, wrapped in tin foil to look like an Oscar. The kids and teachers all brought fancy clothes, wore make-up and did their hair fancy. The upstairs room was decorated beautifully and was complete with a red carpet.
Lowlight: For me, it was the same thing, the Oscar night. I was sitting with my team, all dressed up and my team was the last one to get their Oscar. So, when the teacher announcing started talking, she was looking at my team and I knew she was talking about my team. However, I couldn’t really understand her. Then when my kids got called up, she asked them if they had anything to say. One of my kids gave a speech and again, I couldn’t understand. I just felt so frustrated because I wanted so desperately to understand. I was so proud of them, but I felt so much like an outsider. This is when I am so frustrated with being the foreigner.
Day 4 – Paris Day
Highlight: This day was supposed to be our Canada day, but we had to change it because it rained on and off all day. Instead we learned about the Versailles Gardens and created our own of scrap materials and things from outside. The highlight for me was during this time. After we collected all of our things from outside, I had to get something from my room, so I sent the kids upstairs to get started. We had done some work, but they were not really getting into it and I felt like I was pushing, pushing, pushing. It took me a few minutes to get what I needed and I was a little worried at what I might find when I came upstairs. But, they were working happily and had created a really fantastic garden complete with planter boxes around the trees and little tiny flowerpots. It was fun to see them working together so well.
Lowlight: This was a hard day for my team. Three of my boys share a room as well as being on the same team and it is a lot of together time, and they got in their third fight of the day. And at dinner time, they were using bad language and saying mean things to and about each other. So, after being formally rebuked by the director of the camp, two of the girls were in tears and everyone was very sad. Not a good way to end the day, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Day 5 – Canada Day
Highlight: Today we went on a trip to the forest. We rode on two different open-air trains, which felt very much like we had gone back in time. We walked for an hour or so through the woods, stopping to look at different things in nature as we went (my favorite was the four foot high ant hill. We stopped in a meadow and played soccer and other games for about an hour or so before heading back. The highlight for me was getting ready for bed at the end of the day – not me getting ready, but 4 of my boys. I was assigned to look after one of the rooms with four of my second grade boys in it. This involved me sitting in their room for an hour or so, making sure they showered (with soap) and washed their hair, brushed their teeth, got pajamas on and got into bed with the covers on properly. This was quite a challenge and very funny to watch. I had to say everything multiple times and very slowly. Meanwhile, my boys (who have no shame) were running around their room (before and after their showers) with no clothes on. And after their showers, they didn’t dry off, just put on their pajamas. So, I tried my best to towel them off, especially their hair, as our school nurse says that if you go to bed with wet hair, you will get sick. It was fun to bond with my boys in this special (although silly way) and feel like I was just one of the teachers, instead of the foreign teacher.
Lowlight: At the end of the day, all the teachers were sitting in our little room getting things ready for the next day. I was helping and listening to the banter around me. They were laughing and telling stories and having fun and I realized how much I missed being a part of a group like that.
Day 6 – Vienna Day
Highlight: This was a really fun day. We set up a carnival for the kids outside while they learned about Mozart inside. We had six different games/booths: a hit the prize game, a scary forest walk, a tattoo parlor, a strong man/arm wrestling, a tumbling and a Frisbee game. Each kid got 20 Euros and could buy tickets for 2 Euros each. The kids had a blast running from booth to booth, playing games, winning prizes and just having fun. I ran the tattoo parlor, which was a huge success. However, the highlight for me was connecting with two of the teachers, Katka and Vierka, that have very limited English. First, when we were getting ready for the carnival, they asked me to do their makeup, which I did very garishly – bright pink circles on their cheeks and bold purple, blue and green eye shadow. They were so happy to have me do it. Yeah! Later, Vierka noticed I was pink (okay, red) from being in the sun and offered me after sun lotion. So, I went to her room and put some on her back and then she put some on mine. And then, when they found out that I could french braid, they wanted me to braid their hair. So, in the afternoon, while the kids were playing outside, I sat with both of them and braided their hair. We talked in Slovish – my new favorite language, a combination of Slovak and English. These two teachers had not really talked with me before because of the language barrier but now have each talked to me several times. Praise the Lord!
Lowlight: Today was really a great day. The only lowlight was realizing that I am not even half way done with camp as tomorrow we get a fresh group of children and start all over again.
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| SvP 2 & 3 |
Day 7 – Slovakia Day
Highlight: Today was the last day for our kids. We finished the week by watching a slide show of pictures of the week. Then we gathered outside and the kids took turns praising each other until each of the children had been praised. Even though I couldn’t understand all of it, it was very precious to see the kids telling about who had helped them during the week, who had played well and who had made their week better. But the highlight for me was when the bus pulled up and my fourth graders and Magda got off the bus. I was so happy to see all of them.
Lowlight: So, while today was the last day for my first group, it was the first day for my second group. When the bus pulled up and the kids piled off with all of their bags and we helped them carry their bags up to their rooms, I had the strangest sense of déjà vu. Only, it was real. It was only a week ago I had done the exact same thing, but with my first group of kids. Then, when the bus left with the first group and we started the program with the second group, I just wanted to scream, “But we’ve already done this!” There are six of us teachers who are staying for the full two weeks (with two new and rested teachers). We all were a little crazy tonight as we are pretty exhausted and know exactly what we are facing for the next week. I hope we can all survive….
Day 8 – China Day
Highlight: This one is easy. Marshmallows. The day was pretty much the same as the week before with all the same events and such. The kids seemed to really enjoy everything. Again, we lit the Olympic torch and passed it down the line of children to light the campfire. I explained again about how to make s’mores and we got started. This time however, I had each 4th grader pair up with a 2nd grader and cook their marshmallows together, since we had two pronged sticks to cook on. This worked very well and we made our way through 3 bags of marshmallows, 9 bars of chocolate and 2 boxes of graham crackers. Each time I emptied a bag of marshmallows, one of my 4th graders would come running up and ask if they could have the empty bags. They are very impressed with those American marshmallows.
Lowlight: My team this time around is much more difficult. They are not team players and I have too many leaders. In addition, they don’t want to use their English and so are reluctant to do things. I feel like I am constantly the bad guy. Hopefully things will get better as I had a small chance to talk to them about their behavior today.
Day 9 – Hollywood Day
Highlight: There were several. First, in the afternoon, we had free time and several of my 4th grade girls invited me to play games with them. We ended up playing 3 different games, and they spoke in English the whole time. Second, I got to play hairdresser. Tonight was our Oscar night (because we had made movies in the morning) and it was announced at lunch that I was the best hairdresser. So starting at about four in the afternoon, I did girls hair straight until about seven (with a small break for dinner). I did crown braids, French braids, side braids, farmers braids, fish braids, ponytails, up-does and whatever else I could think of. It was lots of fun and good bonding time with my students, and even one of the teachers. Third, after our Oscar night (my group again won the award for The Most Original film) one of my 4th grade boys started crying in the corner. I went over to him and put my arm around him and started to talk to him. (He had been struggling the previous day with homesickness.) I asked him what was wrong and he said his stomach was hurting all through the Oscar night. I asked him if he wanted to go to his room or to see the nurse. He told me he wanted to go see the nurse. I offered to go with him or to have one of his friends go with him. He said he wanted me to go with him. This meant a lot to me as so often it seems that my kids would rather have one of their friends or a teacher who speaks Slovak than me. It was nice to be chosen.
Lowlight: I am tired. And I know that I won’t get any less, even if I get a good night’s sleep, as it is just so tiring. And I know that me being so tired is effecting how I am relating to my group, to the rest of the kids and to the other teachers. I really am enjoying camp, but I am ready to go home. Jayne (my boss) sent me a text message yesterday that I need to dwell on, lean on, and have faith in: Matt. 11.28, Jesus said come to me all who are weary…, and I will give you rest. Just the words I need to hear as I am so very weary.
Day 10 – Canada Day
Highlight: Today was one of those days when I just marveled at this beautiful country that I live in. Slovakia is so amazingly beautiful. I don’t know if the photos we took will do it justice, so if you want to know how amazing it is, you will have to come and see for yourself. Today we again went by an open-air train to a national park. It was one of those perfect days. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t too hot. We had an ongoing game which lead to one of the highlights of my day. The game is called “spnka,” which means paperclip in Slovak. Each teacher had 30 paperclips and the kids each had one. If you were asked a question, you had to answer with more than one word or you had to give the person who asked you the question a spnka. I had forgotten my spinkas at the hotel, but the kids kept trying to collect them from me anyways. My group was last along with the principal. I told my group they had to speak in English as our principal is going to Wheaton College for 6 weeks this summer and needs to practice his English. So, two of my boys kept up a steady stream of conversation with us for over an hour. Much of it was aimed at getting spinkas but I didn’t mind as it was nice to have someone spending time talking with me. I ended up losing more than 45 paperclips, even though I didn’t have that many. The second highlight was when we stopped to play soccer. Not all the kids wanted to play, so one other teacher and I decided to play Frisbee. Two of our second graders soon joined us and kids kept coming and going. We had twelve kids playing at one time or another. It was fun to see them trying to throw and catch the Frisbee and get excited when they succeeded.
Lowlight: There wasn’t a really clear lowlight today. Maybe just that fact that I haven’t slept well for the last three nights and two nights in a row have woken up in the middle of the night with very painful leg cramps. I have also been waking up at 4, 5, 6 and 7. I think my body is trying to tell me that it has been pushed too hard. Only two and a half more days to go!
Day 11 – Paris Day
Highlight: I have begun to realize how much these two weeks have been about building relationships with the other teachers at my school. When you are cut off from all the normal people that you depend on, talk to and laugh with, you have to find someone else. And it is not always easy when you have language and culture barriers to overcome. But God is good and has allowed me to build many, many relationships during these two weeks. Case in point, today’s highlight. After the kids went to bed, the teacher’s gathered as usual to talk about tomorrow. When we were finished, we all gathered some sweets and headed up to the upstairs room where we have the projector set up and watched a movie on the big screen. We watched an American film in English with Czech subtitles. It was fun to hear my colleagues talking throughout the film and to be able to understand that they didn’t like the boss’ nephew and that they thought the star was cute and that one of my colleagues, Magda, looked like a girl in the film. It was nice to be one of the gang and not have language be a problem.
Lowlight: I found out today that when I get back to school I have parent’s night. We will get back Sunday night around 6 and then Tuesday and Wednesday I have parent-teacher conferences from 3-7pm. I feel so exhausted already I almost cried. The good thing was, I also found out that I don’t have to work on Monday, only a half-day on Wednesday and then Friday is a big game day (Day of Children), so I can choose if I want to come in or not. Next weekend, I also have a retreat with TeachOverseas, so no break then either, which is why my boss here is giving me as much time off as she can this week. I am going to need it!
Day 12 – Vienna Day
Highlight: Carnival! We had another carnival today and it was so much fun again. I did make-up all around again and then Katka did mine. I was the tattoo artist again and did as many as I could. Then, in the afternoon it started to rain, so we stayed inside and had clubs. Mine was a hair salon, which I supplemented with art supplies. I did French braids for an hour and a half while the girls waiting or finished drew pictures. Later, the teachers got in on the fun too and I braided Andreka, Katka, Magda, Vierka and Mirka’s hair. My hands are tired, but my heart is happy. The whole day was so good that I can’t pick a highlight.
Lowlight: Maybe the lunch (although I ate most of it). It was pizza with ham and cheese, but the sauce was just ketchup. I know I am becoming more and more Slovak as I finished most of mine and found it really wasn’t that bad. One more thing, is that I have found that not wearing shoes, inside or outside, is a no-no. I was barefoot outside during the carnival and several teachers mentioned it. Then, at dinner, I was walking around inside barefoot and several more teachers shared their concerns. I just told them that I am a crazy American and they laughed. One more day. Less than 24 hours to home!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| SvP 2 & 4 |
Day 13: Slovakia and FINISHED!!!
Highlight: This day ended differently than I had hoped, but better than I had imagined. After watching a slide-show of our week together, saying thank you's and talking about what we liked best, we climbed on the bus for our trip home. It only took 4 hours and it seemed to pass fairly quickly. When we pulled into school however, there was not a big crowd of parents like I had imagined, just one of the teacher's boyfriends. No parents at all!!! Now, after two straight weeks of camp, it was very disappointing, but we just did what had to be done - unpacked the bus. Slowly parents came trickling in and we cheered whenever one arrived and tried to guess who would be the next one. After about 30 minutes of this, it started to rain. Big drops. So we took cover under a overhang and it stopped in a few minutes. Only to start up again in a few minutes, but this time it poured. And poured, and hailed, and poured. It continued like this for the next 20 minutes until everything was soaked and all of the children were finally gone. I had to carry my bags home in the rain. Yuck! However, saying goodbye to all the teachers was the best as we laughed and hugged and talked about getting together again soon. I think that I have made some good friends this week. It is so wonderful to see God working through every event in my life.
Lowlight: Nope! Not on this day. Maybe just the huge pile of laundry currently sitting on my floor.....
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