Bratislava first snow

This pic is the view from my classroom.

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Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia

Margerete Hurn's book, A Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia, is one of the current books that I'm reading. The link I'm including is to her website which also has a great blog posting good up to date information about the area. I've added her blog to my Slovak links on the right. This might be the best site for information on the area yet.

Tommy's Advice

I am loving this website. So much great information. Tommy's Advice

Bratislava Coronation

This weekend is a coronation ceremony for a Hungarian king. This reenactment is from the 16th-18th centuries when the Ottoman empire was in Hungary, so the Kingdom of Hungaria moved to Bratislava. Lots of traditional costumes, crafts, music and other old town market stuff. I'll take some pics this weekend.

Visit this link for more info:
http://visit.bratislava.sk/en/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700014&id=1624&p1=6804

additional link with lots of photos, scroll to the bottom (its in slovak): http://www.bratislava.sk/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700000&id=11025478

Here are some more pics

They pay me well but its all in US dollars. I guess this is what they mean by tax free? Looks like I'll be flying back every couple of months to the U.S. to make deposits. I've always wanted to travel with a briefcase of cash.

This was about $20,000 in $100 bills. The school accepts cash for tuition. I went with the business guy to deposit the cash. Pretty cool.

These slugs were in Lugano too! They make the transition nice. How did evolution allow for such a vulnerable species. Every morning they crawl out to the most heavily trafficked areas and get stepped on. What a life.

Cinska (chinese) restaurant, called Jasmine, on my walk home from the tram. delicious and only 3 euros for this plate and soup.

This dog is politely waiting for someone to activate the automatic doors so that he can wreck havoc on the grocery store. I played my role and opened the door for him. Is that bad?

Disgusting, yet strangely delicious, Chicken burger from McD's. Yes, that is red sweet and sour sour (and slightly spicy) sauce on it. This comes with it. It is on the Euro menu (like our dollar menu).

I finally did some of those dishes. I think I've washed over 50 pieces now. There are still 8 cabinets of untouched items. I don't know that I'll ever get to all of them.

I learned a new word when I made this soup: žalúdka polievka

The soup is good, very savory. I bought a variety at the store just wanting to try various local soups. After I ate half of it I decided to look it up. It is tripe soup. Yea! Guess what those little bits are poking out, yep, stomach! Yummy!

Classroom and first day

This was me pretending to teach. No really, I mean, I know I always pretend to teach, but this time there were no kids. Maybe that is obvious by the picture. But don't you feel like you're learning?

I rock the tie thanks to TASIS.

Sigg bottle making a cameo.

that's not a chalkboard behind my desk, its an undecorated bulletin board. I promise I've decorated it since this photo. I'll post a new photo if you don't believe me.

This is the view from my window. It was rainy that day.

Official Bratislava City Website

I've added another link under the Slovak links section. It is the official City of Bratislava website. They have all kinds of information. When you click on the link on the right it takes you first to the Slovak version of the website. Once you are there you can select English on the top right of their webpage. I thought it was funny how the page immediately switches from a city news and government page to a tourist page once in English. However, the best part is they have a virtual tour. These pictures are interactive and of great detail. It makes my walk to old town pics seem primitive.

Virtual Tour of Bratislava

Android says, "What's up now iPhone!"

Android phones with front facing cameras get gesture controls – Cell Phones & Mobile Device Technology News & Updates | Geek.com

Alright, so this post has almost nothing to do with Bratislava. Nonetheless, I am shopping for a super cool phone. Yes, all my family and friends that have iPhones have been mocking me passively with the nonchalant question, "oh, do you want me to check where a good restaurant is and how to get there?" Then in the process of them sooo conveniently looking up a good restaurant on Urban Spoon, by speaking into the phone no less, "Mexican restaurant: San Antonio, TX", they claim, "did you know [insert convenient information here such as weather, funny facebook post, etc.]?" I was just disgusted by their way too friendly and patronizing helpfulness (I'm referring to the person and the phone at this point). Put your talking weather device away! Yet, as I work hard to embrace my new city surroundings I'm left with one main residue of thought about all of this...Man, that was cool. And now with no friends (nearby, that is) to bum an i(can do everything and make it look cool)Phone, I've commenced a search for my own Gmaps, sms, facebook, gtalk, docs editing, super cool phone. Perhaps it is a bit of vengeance as well. You could say I'm searching to find the iPhone killa. Its an effort of blockbuster movie proportions, part thriller combining the adventures of Indiana Jones with the potentialities of Inception (some say Leonardo looks like me or was it the other way around? anyway) and the excitement of the "uncool" guy in the Mac vs. Windows commercials, John Hodgman, love that guy. I then continued to peruse YouTube for a while (wish I could do that on my phone, guess that's my whole point). I've included two of the videos I enjoyed. You should watch if you've got time to waste, which you must if you're reading my blog (thanks for the support family).

So back to my point for this post. The iPhone killa is the new HTC Evo, except that it doesn't work in Europe (not GSM). Instead it has to be the HTC Desire as soon as they add the front-facing camera (no longer Desirable). Since that doesn't exist, its more of a virtual killa. I guess that's about as scary and effective as Big Foot. At any rate, once it does have the front-facing camera you can do cool stuff seen in this video, which can also be seen by going to the link at the top.

Then while using video chat I can give hand signals to give a rating of the cafe I'm sitting at in Old Town. Can you just imagine me sipping an espresso talking too loudly because I have headphones on, and I'm gesturing constantly as if there is a fly. I'll definitely look like a local.

Slovakia Home | Slovakia

Slovakia Home | Slovakia

Here is a website about the country. It seems to be average or a little above. I've also posted some other good websites on the right column. Please send any others on to me if you find them. Thanks!

Historic Vitamins

Zlatý bažant - Slovenské pivo - nový TV spot

Walk to Old town from my apartment.

This is the front door of the building.

Walking out of my building.

My building. The crane is next door.

my front gate

My building looks nice in this picture. It has been very quiet too. I think several elderly people live here. I don't know that they are retired but definitely older.

My street, Dankovského

I came from the direction of the Hrad Castle. Actually, Hrad means castle. So I just wrote Castle Castle. I am on a hill near the castle. I walk downhill toward old town and turn right to go to the Historicke Centrum (this means Ancient Vitamins, it is what came before Centrum Silver. The Slovaks invented the original vitamins called Pivo or sometimes better known as Zlatý Bažant).

I originally was taking these pictures on my first walk to old town. I was seriously afraid of getting lost. I first took a picture of my street name just in case I needed to show it to a taxi driver. Then I continued like leaving bread crumbs. No worries now, I've got my route figured out.

See the sign at the top of the steps. Its the same obviously.

These people are overdressed for Old Town. They might have been heading to the pub.

Here's the pub they to which they probably went.

Editing got a little messed up.

After the pub, you go through this tunnel and arrive at the Hlavné námestie

And then I opened the cabinets...wtf?

I'm not sure how old these spices are. I'm not even sure what this last one is (on it is written, "muka" with an accent over the 'u'). And there are several of the glass containers that look like Kool-aid pitchers cut in half. No lid, just stored in the open air. Looks fresh doesn't it?

That's alright because I think I have the appliances that were purchased when these spices were. They should work well together.

This toaster has an anaconda for a cord. Looks brand new to me.

This is not a blurry picture that is a clean glass. The film is now permanent. Kind of like smog damage for your highball glass.

At this point I'm starting to feel encroached upon by griminess and clutter. Not just any kind of clutter but the kind of extra clutter that's definitely not yours. It's kind of like going to your friend's grandmother's house when you were 12. This was the kind of grandmother that collected everything and threw nothing away. Glasses were cleaned but then never used...for the past 15 years. Yes, this is the type of grime and clutter I'm referring.

It might have been the lack of sleep and jet lag, but the amount of extra stuff in these cabinets was getting to me. I mean, it is thoughtful and convenient to have some plates and glasses. It is useful to have some appliances. Yet, the things in these cabinets makes me want to have a garage sale, 10 years ago. Here are some more random cabinet findings.

more stuff

I do dig the coffee pot at the top but I don't think I'll ever use it.

Sea shells...b/c everyone knows that Bratislava is on the sea shore.

Trash from outside stored in a vase. Because I didn't want to be thought of as insensitive, I watered it just to be sure.

Look closely at this next picture. What do you think that is in the bottom left of the cabinet?

Look closely...

WTF?

Can I get some commenting going on here? Somebody tell me why there is a pottery bat in the cabinet. And JW, you better not be lame and say, "Why not?"

This posting has inspired me to bring you a random apartment find of the day/week/or however often I find time to send one out.