the next chapter

suggestions?

2007-03-01T21:04:00.000-06:00

So I've found myself with a little time on my hands lately To fill this time, I've joined two things. The more productive of the two being the gym. I hope to be there about three times a week and actually get myself into shape. So far I'm really enjoying it and have been a faithful attender. I haven't been good with using previous gym memberships in the past but I hope to be more disciplined this time around. I have great intentions of six-pack abs, so we'll just have to see when that will come about.

The less productive, though more entertaining, of the two is Netflix. How great are movies delivered right to your house!!?? I am already a big fan, and I think my trail period is just ending. But there have been so many movies recommended to me over the years that I can't even keep track of them all. I'm beginning to take mental notes of movie suggestions, but would love to hear from you. So, does anyone have any movie recommendations? Anything... new movies, all-time favorites? Anything I may have missed that is inexcusable (most likely lots of those)? Bring on the suggestions - I'm looking forward to this.

Skinny... Really?

2007-01-20T15:33:00.000-06:00

I went to the mall I (not-so) affectionately call Ghetto-Dale today. I don't like going there, but it's the "Dale" closest to my house. I went because I have a gift certificate to use at one of the few good stores left there, The Limited.

I went there thinking I could find a cute new top to wear for a girls night tonight. I tried on several clearance tops, but they were all XS (the joys of shopping clearance) and just didn't fit properly enough to be worn in public. But when I came across the bargain of "skinny" jeans for $9.99, I had to try on a pair. This is one of my favorite stores, so I know exactly what size pants I wear there. This is also the reason I wasn't surprised that the XS tops didn't fit. But it was worth a try! So I grabbed my size and headed for the dressing room. I was able to wiggle into the pants, but just because a girl can get INTO a pair of pants, it definitely does NOT mean they fit and she should buy them. So I had to go up a size. For "skinny" jeans. Hmm.

Stuff like sizes doesn't bother me because it's just a number sewn into the inside of a garment, but it seems to me like there's something wrong with implying the feeling of skinny-ness when you're only gonna make a girl go up a size.

happy belated blog-day to me

2006-12-26T16:27:00.000-06:00

In all the craziness of getting ready for the holidays and just life in general, I failed to notice that the day has come and gone (December 8) to celebrate my one year of blog-day.

I haven't been very good lately with new posts. I haven't forgotten, I've just been quite distracted lately. Thanks to those friends who have called and left voicemails for me lately. You're nice. I appreciate you, and I like you.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T18:18:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to those both far and near. I hope that this holiday season finds you with joy and peace in your hearts as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

2006-11-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be a bigger deal. I've had student loans looming over my head for 12 years. Not the giant kind that require payments of $500+ a month (thanks mom and dad), but those pesky Stafford loans. I've been out of school for 10 years, which means I've been sending money each one of those 120 months. Well, no more. I had a balance of a mere $300 left and I just made an online bank transfer to pay off my loans. But where is the hype? There are no sounds of noisemakers and no streamers flying through the air. My house is completely silent right now. I guess I'll have to settle for the loud motorcycle engine being revved repeatedly by some distant neighbor. The funny thing is that I know that this is actually BAD for my credit. With no car payments, this is my only installment loan. Hmmm... maybe I should have kept the loan? Anyway, now that my two years of school are paid off, all I need now is to get myself a degree!

good day, sunshine

2006-11-17T18:14:00.000-06:00

So let's skip the part of me sitting at home on a Friday night and checking the weather online and get to the good part.

I did just check the 10 day forecast and liked what I saw. Despite the falling temperatures, I am happy. I am happy because there is at least a little sun in the forecast for every one of the next 10 days. Often it will be partially obstructed by some clouds but we're gonna see the sun. And I am happy about the prospect of some sunshine in the days ahead.

and i thought it was obvious

2006-10-28T14:37:00.000-05:00

After walking home from the bus stop yesterday, I stepped through the front door of my house to see my husband completely dressed in his Halloween costume for the party we were going to. And what a sight to behold, the Muffin Man! He had taken the song we all know about the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane and turned the character from a baker of sorts to a super hero! Black tights, a black wrestler's unitard thingy, a muffin man logo on his chest, a muffin tin as protection on his forearm, red gloves and boots and black goggle-like glasses; it was absolutely hilarious! And then the theme music started from the tape player fastened to his waist. I got a good, long laugh.

With no time to waste, I quickly changed into my costume. Pink shiny dress with a tattered bottom, a purple wig, obnoxious silver lashes, lots of white eye shadow, shimmery body creme, sparkly wand and big wings fastened to by back. I was a fairy!

As we gathered the many items we needed to bring to the party, I realized that we still needed to buy bread to go with the artichoke dip I'd made. So, in costume, we stopped at the SuperValu on the way. We grabbed a few things we needed and walked up the register together, each of us with items in hand, getting funny looks and smiles from everyone. So then the cashier took the items from Matt and gave him his total, paying absolutely no attention to me (in a purple wig, shiny pink dress and wings, mind you) standing right behind him. So even though we were the only ones in the store with costumes on and we were standing together, I had to tell the cashier that, um..... We're together! Maybe some things aren't as obvious to other people as you might think.

could this be the end?

2006-10-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

While I can't say it's been for all of my life, it's been for a very significant part of it. It's something that's plagued me for a long time. It's nylons. Pantyhose. Whatever you want to call them, we all know them and we all hate them. They are, however, a necessary evil. At least in the business world. It was such a joy to be able to count on one hand the number of times I had to wear them during my year in Slovakia. But now that I'm back in a professional work environment, the nylons are back too. But it's not necessarily nylons as a whole that are entirely bad. Specifically, it's the fact that even though I purchase the appropriate size, I put them on and can pull them all the way up to my armpits. Now who needs that? Not me, I say. So I always have to fold them down and hope that they don't decide to unroll themselves at any inopportune moments. But they sometimes do, so I have found myself sitting in meetings having to pretend that the silly little things aren't acting as though they have a mind of their own.

I often avoid the armpit-high curse by only wearing the knee-high style (which almost always go up past my knees, but that's another story...). But today I wore a skirt to work (yup, a skirt. It actually happens sometimes.) so I pulled out a brand new pair of the normal kind. I had just bought them a few days ago, noticing that they were labeled as having no waistband. Even with this label, my hopes were low and I fully expected to have to fold them over and hope for no unrolling. Then it happened. As I was pulling them on this morning, it happened. I couldn't believe it when they actually stopped - and just under my belly button at that! Now it was still a bit higher than what I would consider optimal, we have made definite progress here. There was actually no folding today!! And that, is an accomplishment.

An accomplishment that kept my spirits high throughout the work day. But then the sense of accomplishment was abruptly brought to a halt as I tried to start my van at the park and ride today. Battery = good. Van = broken. Don't know what or how, but broken. Maybe that's what I get for feeling accomplishment for nylons I didn't design?

the job

2006-10-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing the "So how's the new job going?" question a lot lately, so I thought I'd check in now that I've been there for two weeks. In a nutshell, it's going really well.

I am an Executive Assistant in the tax department of a Big 4 company in Downtown Minneapolis. I do park and ride and take an express bus since I'm right in the heart of the downtown area. I work in a cube on the 5th floor of our building, but I have an office with a window directly in my line of vision. The view from this office isn't an incredible one, but enough to allow me to watch the white stuff flying around last week.

Having worked in extremely small companies, I am finding this place quite different. My previous company was fewer than 20 people vs. the current company with about 135,000 global employees. I am still learning my way around my floor and the building. The place is like a maze and I'm discovering new things each day. OK, so sense of direction isn't one of my strengths, but I'm used to knowing where everything is on the first day of a job. I didn't even see my desk until day 2! And then there are the social things we get paid for... like the American Idol inspired karaoke time we had the other day. At 3 in the afternoon, about 50 people went to a multi-purpose room and had appetizers, beverages (sodas, beer, margaritas, etc.) and put on wigs and sang some awful karaoke songs. I was forced onto the stage when the EAs from my department all got up to sing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Turns out that nobody really knows the words to most of that song. The two women who are my new supervisors dressed (wigs, mustache and all) up like Sonny and Cher and did I Got You Babe. Huh.

So I support 4 men and 2 women, ranging from Tax Managers to a Tax Partner. Everyone there so far has been incredibly nice. In an office this size (somewhere around 850 people) there are bound to be some bad apples personality wise, but have yet to encounter them. Even though my fist week found them in the crazy time of deadlines, everyone was still remarkably friendly and helpful. I'm learning a lot and am told that I'm doing well. The woman training me in sometimes seems surprised at my competency, but I would think that a firm like this would expect nothing less, so I'm doing the best I can to learn the programs and the lingo. This place is a big fan of acronyms... it's like nobody wants to use full words in their sentences!

Yup, surrounded by accountants all day. And they're accountants in all they do. Every day there's a fun little thing called a pop flip. A small group of people, ranging from staff people to Senior Managers, in my area get together and flip a quarter. The majority (of the heads and tails) is in, and the rest keep flipping until there's only one person left as the loser. The loser then is required to buy everyone a soda (thus the name of pop flip). I found out the other day that they actually keep track of people's winnings and losings through the years and have kept track of their performances with an Excel spreadsheet and line graphs. Only accountants!

ABD...

2006-10-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

My omputer keyboard had randomly deided to have one letter not work. Although my smart husband has put a keyboard viewer (that lets you lik any keyboard button onsreen with a mouse) I am opting not to use it to show the slight frustration this provides. Espeially sine this letter is in my name. Without this all-so-important little button, my name quikly beomes Diane Patrik. Now mind you that it is a habit when typing to still hit this button in eah of its instanes, though I have full knowledge that it won't have any reation to being pressed.

It is a little amusing, though, to see what words missing this partiular letter (I'd tell you whih one it is, but I an't type it for you...) get the red underline to show a misspelling and whih ones don't. For instane, the word "bak" did not ome up as a misspelling. However, this word is not in my personal mental ditionary. I looked it up on ditionary.om and it didn't provide anything helpful, though there are several aronyms that were provided. Whih leads me to the worst part. Typing in web addresses. Though websites an be found at a .org or .net for instane, there is absolutely nothing found at a .om!

iCollect

2006-10-03T16:56:00.000-05:00

I collect. I am a collector! Ok, so there's my shout out to both What About Bob and Apple all in one unrelated thought.

I have never been one to collect things. When one collects things, it seems all too possible to wind up with a million knick-knacks that you don't really need and nowhere to put them. When I think of collections, I think of dust attractions. If I remember correctly, when I was little I tried collecting both stamps and coins from other countries. Unfortunately, there's nothing fun about stamps. With a family that didn't travel, I didn't get very far with my exotic coin collection. It mostly consisted of some Canadian nickels, pennies and the occasional dime. Again, not too exciting. Needless to say, those didn't last long. And I've never been into figurines of any kind. Especially Precious Moments. Enough said.

However, as of today, I am changing my ways. When the UPS man knocked at the door, I became a collector. He was dropping off my new wine rack, which is now assembled and ready to go in a quiet, dark corner of the basement: the beginning of a humble wine cellar. For the time being, it isn't working very hard as it's only holding 2 bottles. 166 bottles left to go to fill it up. Affordable wine today becomes amazing wine several years down the road. I have some research and learning to do of which wines are worth cellaring, but here's a collection with a purpose. Much more exciting that Lladro or crystal dolphins!

he does. she does.

2006-10-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

A huge congratulations to my good friends Daniel and Emily, who got married in a beautiful ceremony yesterday.

Emily walking down the aisle with her dad, seeing Daniel for the first time.

The vows.

Matt performed the ceremony and did a fabulous job.

Here's to a great new beginning.

officially employed!

2006-09-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

I thought it would take a couple weeks. Instead, it took a couple of months. So the process was a little longer, more drawn out and at times a little bit uglier than I had expected, but I have officially accepted an offer for work. The offer letter is signed and in the mail (OK, so it's still sitting in my mailbox waiting to be picked up and taken away, but let's not worry about the details...).

The company is called Deloitte and I'm excited to say that it's located right in the heart of downtown at S. 6th Street and Marquette. I worked downtown for a few years and I absolutely loved it. I'll be a block from Nicollet Mall with the Farmers' Market on Thursdays. With that, the outdoor seating and the people wandering the sidewalks, it reminds me of our time in Europe. Anyway, the new job is an executive assistant for the tax department. It seems like a great company with a lot of flexibility and lots of friendly people. And I mean lots - 800 people in this office alone! It's my first time at a large company and I'm eager to see the differences from the extremely small companies in my recent history. My start day is October 9th, so I have about a week and a half left before I start to get any last minute house projects done before I start.

fall is here.

2006-09-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

Well, at least for the last few days, autumn has arrived. The weather suddenly turned cool here in MN on Friday... just in time for a wine tasting party that we hosted. There's something about cooler temperatures that requires certain things to come out of hibernation: red wine, candles and knitting. There's no rule book saying that these things can't be employed during the summer months, but they're just so much better at other times.

So I've busted out the knitting needles lately. New scarves are in the process of being made (as if I need more of these). They're just so quick and fun. But my big accomplishment of the day is completing the sweater I began in January. It was a bit forgotten during the warmer months and now it has come to completion. It's the first sweater I've made, so it's not exactly a work of art, but it's an actual sweater that came about as a result of my own work. And there's something satisfying about that.

Over the next few days we'll get what will probably be our last tastes of summer weather. Though I am definitely a warm weather kind of girl, I welcome wine, candles and knitting as I mourn the end of summer.

jobs. well, a lack thereof.

2006-09-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

Well, it happened. The job I was most excited about (at the architectural/interior design firm) called yesterday. They had offered the job to someone else. Too bad this someone else didn't know they were taking MY job! Well, crap. I was pretty bummed out after receiving that news.

Now what? Well, I go into high gear on finding work, I guess. Between yesterday and today, I have applied online for no fewer than TEN jobs! Plus, I need to drop off one envelope at the post office today. In addition to my searching, there are a couple possibilities with the placement agency I'm working with.

So, the race is on... who will find a job for me first? Me, the one who receives the paycheck or my placement agency who receives a big fat check for making a placement? Any bets on a winner anyone?

one month later

2006-08-31T18:37:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe we've been home for a month already, yet it's just as hard to believe that we've only been home for a month. There are so many things I thought I would have done by now that it seems like it's been a shorter time. But I guess I'm just an adaptable person, so I've been able to settle in quite well in just a month's time. So what have I been up to?

When we came home, we were given such a warm welcome from family and friends. There were so many people with giant smiles on their faces, and it was all because we were home! So I have been playing catch-up with a lot of friends. Seeing people as much as I can, trying to pick up where we left off as well as fill in the gap of time spent separately. It's working so well! It's wonderful to have so many people in our lives that don't forget about us even though we were gone for so long. Our friends are still our friends. So even though we have a year's worth of different experiences, the friendships don't have to change and we're thankful for that.

Of the things I thought I would certainly have done by now is finding gainful employment. I have been pounding the pavement looking for jobs and interviewing, but the right job hasn't been offered to me yet. There have been prospects and even one offer (which I turned down for several reasons that I won't get into now). The one I'm most excited about is at a architectural/interior design firm in Downtown Minneapolis. I've had a phone interview as well as a regular interview now. I'm anxiously waiting to find out if I've made it to the next (and hopefully) final round of interviews. I've tossed around the idea of getting into design, so this would be a great opportunity for me to be in a field I'm interested in while still doing something I know a lot about... administration. This position would be assisting 4 executives of the company. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

With the time off, I've gotten into taking care of the house and the yard. The fine folks who rented our house kept everything in respectable order. But one thing that was definitely neglected was the yard. So I've spent countless hours outside. I've put sprinklers out in the mornings, trying to coax the grass into greening up and growing into the sad brown spots that became so abundant with the summer drought. I've weeded the area where flowers should grow and the areas where the rocks aren't supposed to have green things growing between them. I've dug up the old tulip bulbs that have stopped growing in the spring and planted some new things there. I planted an herb garden and put it in my kitchen window. It's strange... I really like this gardening thing when I have time to spend on it. I have grand ideas for a vegetable garden in the spring. We'll see if it happens.

Movies. We've been watching movies! While I was in Chicago for a couple days, Matt decided it was time to surprise me. Turns out thought it was time to turn the tables and get me like I have gotten him! I came home to a completely installed home theater system in our living room: a ceiling mounted projector shining onto a giant retractable screen and a new surround sound system. My husband is a bargain-finder when it comes to all things electronic, so he was able to surprise me quite affordably. Needless to say, we've been watching a lot of movies. And turning up the sound pretty loud. It's great fun. Thanks, Honey!!

I have found myself becoming extremely domestic while being home and not spending all day at work. I'm cleaning a lot more and Matt has laughed at me because I"m cooking so much. A few days ago, I made waffles for breakfast. I made lunch. Before it was even time to start thinking about dinner, I was in the kitchen making guacamole. Then I made dinner. If I stay out of work for much longer, we're gonna be really poor and really fat.

I've been pretty awful at keeping this updated and at least as bad keeping up with returning e-mails I receive. I hope to get better at both of those things as I continue to get more settled and into a more normal routine here on the homefront.

Chicago, here I come...

2006-08-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Now that we're back, I'm leaving.

I got a call from our friend Al. the former youth pastor at our church, last night. It seems that one of the female youth leaders backed out for a trip and they were looking for someone who was available to go. Unemployed as I am, they thought of me and I received the call. Short story shorter, I'm Chicago bound. I need to be at the church at 7:30 tomorrow morning. After a leaders' meeting, we'll load up the coach bus and be on or way. It seems like the trip will consist of the following:
Sunday - load and leave. We'll be on the bus for most of the day and arrive at a church where we'll sleep late in the evening.
Monday - We'll be at Six Flags for the majority of the day. I've never been, so it should be a fun experience.
Tuesday - Navy Pier. I was there in '99 while visiting my friend Suzi (I wish the trip was longer so I'd have a chance to see her!). It's been a long time and I'm sure it will be good to be back. I wonder how much will be familiar. I have a hard time picturing it, but I'm sure it'll be familiar once I'm there. Then we'll load up and drive back in time to be in Mpls in the late evening again.

So it will be a short but hopefully sweet trip. It's been a really long time since I've done anything with the youth group. The last time was in the late 90's. But on that trip so long ago we met Jason and Annie Close, who now are some of our closest friends. There is obviously a whole new group of Sr. Highers and hopefully we'll hit it off. If nothing else, my friend Leah is one of the other leaders on this trip. I haven't seen her since we've come back from Slovakia. In the least, it will be great to spend some time with Leah.

carrying it forward

2006-07-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't driven for a year. I sold my car before we left, so I've returned home to no car. My drivers license expired on my birthday while we were gone. Needless to say, I haven't been driving since our return. It's strange to be back in America without a car. Everything is far away. Even if something happens to be close, Americans drive there anyway.

Today, I needed to pick up a couple things from Target. Prior to living abroad, I would have waited for Matt to get home and we'd go by car. Now used to walking a lot, I decided that I would do just that. I knew it was only a few minutes by car, so I figured that it shouldn't be too bad by foot. I started off on a trail a block from our house that I've never walked the full length of, but it worked great today (turns out it goes directly to a bus stop and should I end up working downtown, I will get quite familiar with this little path through the baseball fields). It ended up being a pleasant 20 minute walk each way, and a total of about 2.6 miles.

Even after I find a car, I hope there will still be times that I'll choose to leave it in the garage and opt to go somewhere by foot. Score one for me making a good decision today.

Settling in.

2006-07-27T01:08:00.000-05:00

We've been in the States now for 3 days - 1 overnight stuck in Washington DC and two nights at home. We have been surrounded by friends and family that are happy to see us and we've been sleeping at night. We've been waking up around 5-6 am, but that's really not bad considering that it's 12-1 in the afternoon in Bratislava. We're quickly getting over the jet lag and settling back in to our house, digging our way through the several suitcases of our belongings. It doesn't seem as strange to be back here as I expected it to. The familiarity of being home has been less surreal than we thought it would be.

We miss our friends in Bratislava and we miss hearing Slovak being spoken. We're looking forward to October when Jana KlagovÃ¡ is due to arrive for an extended visit. We plan to meet up with her fairly often and Slovak lessons will be included in those meetings. We're definitely headed back to Slovakia for many more visits, so we want to keep (and learn) as much as we can of the crazy language.

There is nothing yet on the jobfront, but I expect it to be easier to find a job now that we're back and I'm available by phone and for interviews now. I'm watching several online job sites for the next position I'm interested in. Until then, I'm thinking about going and registering at a temp agency maybe next week just to have some sort of income coming in. It's nice to be back in our house and we'd like to keep it!

So thanks everyone for the calls and the e-mails. We appreciate it, and it's good to be home.

home

2006-07-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

We made it safely home. More to follow, but sleep for now.

2 days

2006-07-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Right now, the floor in our living room is covered with suitcases and things that need to go into them. It's Saturday morning, the eve-eve of our return to the states. Our flat has virtually been gutted as we've packed our bags, but somehow it doesn't seem real.

We're thankful for the opportunity we had for some Minnesota visitors to Slovakia carry back some bags filled with our stuff home. But because of this, filling a few more suitcases again isn't making it hit home that this time, we're really leaving. It's just not sinking in.

We're looking forward to seeing friends and family upon our return, but we sure are gonna miss living in Bratislava!! SK friends - we'll miss you. MN friends - see you soon.

Baseball Camp

2006-07-10T07:56:00.000-05:00

Matt and I returned home yesterday from 8 days at a baseball camp in Bojnice. This was the 10th annual camp put on by Good Sports in Bojnice, so it was great to get to be a part of it. There were about 100 campers, most of whom we had never met. There were also over 40 Slovak and American coaches, most of whom we got to know a lot better during this camp. For the first part of the week, Matt and I were on a team of 4 and were in charge of the crafts, which were prepared ahead of time for us and were actually really cool. The last couple days of the camp is when the big tournament was organized, teams were switched up and Matt and I donned different uniforms and helped coach the kids for the big competition. The team I was on (called The White Pajamas due to our white uniforms) lacked the power hitters and bigger guys that most teams had, but we surprised everyone by winning every game including the final one. I obviously can't take any credit for the coaching or ability of our players, but I was proud to be a part of the most cohesive of the 6 teams.

The week went by quickly and we soon found ourselves on the last day. There were the normal goodbyes to the campers, but we found it especially difficult to say goodbye to the coaches (who are both new friends and old), knowing that we wouldn't be seeing most of them for a very long time. There are many people here in Slovakia that we have really come to appreciate, and we would love to take many of them home with us. So it looks like we're going to need a bigger house... I think about 20 bedrooms will do! But we absolutely know that it would be impossible to leave this place and never come back, so we'll be here again just as soon and as often as we can.

Monika and me

A group of our coaches and friends

I struck out...

3/4 of the lovely Podpišil family (Jirko, Janka and Tina), during the goodbyes

and so it begins.

2006-06-21T06:48:00.000-05:00

The alarm clock rang at 4am. Usually when one gets up before the sun does, it's for something exciting and good. Today was an exciting and good day,I'm sure, for some other people across the pond, but it was sad for us. We were getting up at this ungodly hour to bring our dear friend Shantra to the airport for her trip back to the States.

We met Shantra just a few days before the school year started, both of us recently arriving to the unknown world of teaching in Bratislava. Matt and I both found an immediate connection with her and knew that we would become friends throughout the year. But we didn't realize then how much we would come to appreciate her. Shantra is easily the closest American friend we've made during our time here. A few of our friends back home got a taste of her shiny personality during the birthday party for Matt last weekend. Shantra, you are an amazing person, a great friend, and we miss you already . We are really looking forward to the time when we'll be visiting together again somewhere, sometime, in the States! So no goodbyes, but we'll see you later!!!

My Friend Kim

2006-06-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

My friend Kim came to visit me. I met Kim at my last job at the mortgage company. She was a ton of fun to work with (and for, as she was technically my supervisor) and I have missed her while I've been away from home. So I was quite happy when I received the e-mail letting me know that she would be able to make it here for a few days during her trip to England to pick up her nephew.

Kim arrived on Thursday morning to the Bratislava airport. She had flown into London just the day before, so she was suffering from jet lag and the joys of traveling. It was just so much fun to see her. I kept saying how weird it is to see her in Bratislava, and she kept responding that it's weird that she was seeing Matt and me here! It's such a strange feeling when two worlds collide, and that's definitely what was happening here. After getting her situated in our flat, we headed out to see the Old Town of Bratislava and met up with Matt a little bit later that evening.

On Friday, Matt taught and covered rest time, so Kim and I headed to Vienna after a restful morning. I don't have a very good sense of direction and Vienna is a giant city, but I have to say that we did pretty well and made our way around the city on our own and saw lots of stuff that makes almost everyone fall in love with Vienna. Everywhere you look, there are breathtaking buildings and there is beauty around every corner. It was a hot day so we played in the fountain just infront of Karlskirche before heading in to see the beautiful frescos up close via the lift inside.

After seeing several of the Vienna sites, we knew two things. One, we had only a short time left and two, it would be a very long time before Kim is in Vienna again. With this in mind as we passed the horse-drawn carriages for hire, Kim decided that would be a perfect way to end the evening and see more than we would otherwise be able to. So a fabulous 40 minutes, we clip-clopped around the cobblestone streets and saw the city lit up and showcasing the intricate details of the beautiful old architecture.

On Saturday, Matt and I took Kim to the Devin Castle ruins before heading back home to prepare for Matt's birthday party (more on the party to follow) where I was happy that she got to meet a lot of the fabulous folks we've been hanging out with during our time in Bratislava. The time to go to the airport came all too soon. Kim, thanks for your visit; it was great to have you here!

Marcelka and Milan

2006-06-11T13:38:00.000-05:00

Two years ago Matt and I were with our team walking the quaint streets of a small city called Levoča in Eastern Slovakia and took this picture. Just as we passed a building, we happened to look up and see what looked like a backdrop for a movie set. In the distance, on top of a green hill sat a beautiful old church. The great thing about the moment is that it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. For some reason, this scene has been etched into our memories.

And now, two years later, the story continues. Yesterday, we traveled to Levoča to attend the wedding of Marcelka, who teaches 3rd grade at the Narnia school. As we neared, Matt and I gave each other a knowing yet astonished look as we realized that our first Slovak wedding would take place at the beautiful church on top of the hill!

Though the cold and rainy day was even colder up in the mountainous region of the High Tatras, the wedding went off without a hitch. We did our best to try and understand the Slovak service and try to stand, sit, and kneel at the appropriate times, but we understood very little and didn't get the standing/sitting/kneeling quite right every time. Think it's easy? I'd like to see you do better at a Catholic wedding done in Slovak!

Soon after the wedding, we headed to the restaurant where the reception was held. This is where the traditions of this different part of the world would really begin to make themselves apparent. All the guests crowded in the entry way and awaited the arrival of the bride and groom. Upon their entry, they quickly smashed a plate on the ground. The tradition here is that the bride must clean up the shards as a symbol of her housekeeping abilities. But the groom quickly grabbed a broom as the bride took the dust pan and cleaned up the pieces together, symbolizing partnership in their new marriage. The traditions continued through the whole night, but I need to share just a couple of the interesting ones. During the reception the bride and groom were seated in chairs in the middle of the dance floor. One of the groom's friends grabbed a small knife and asked the bride if she would remove her veil or if she would rather have her head cut off. She quietly chose the latter. Grabbing a bigger knife, the groom's friend repeated the question with a little more intensity. Again, the bride chose the second option. Now the groom's friend picked up an axe while a friend of the bride held a large bucket under the bride's face, obviously preparing to catch... well, you know. For a third time, the groom's friend asked the same question, but this time the bride reluctantly agreed to have the veil removed from her head. Yup, this is a tradition at Slovak weddings. We were told that the axe and bucket sometimes have ketchup smeared over them. Romantic, huh? Shortly after this, the bride and groom were lifted up in their chairs over the heads of all the friends of the groom (reminding me of the chair scene in So I Married An Axe Murder) but nobody seemed to know the symbolism behind this one.

Probably the most surprising thing of the wedding reception was the continuous flow of food and drink. After the dinner was over, more and more beverages of all kinds kept appearing on each of the long tables. Not only that, but the food kept coming too. Before the end of the night, not one, but three complete meals would be served! People would go and dance, come back and have a drink and another meal. Matt had to leave early (8:30pm) to come back and prepare for The Well. I, along with Jayne, stayed at the reception until sometime after 2am, about 2 hours before the party finally ended.

It was a great experience, not only to see a friend get married, but also to have the chance to experience another aspect of this culture. It could have been an incredibly awkward time due to the fact that we knew so few people there, but it wasn't at all. Marcelka (the bride) and Eva (her friend and our Slovak teacher for 5 months) made sure that we were put next to a group of friendly, English-speaking people who welcomed us and made us feel right at home. I am so glad to have been able to be a part of this great night. Congratulations Marcelka and Milan!

pinkie

2006-06-09T03:21:00.000-05:00

Before coming to Slovakia, I had to keep my hair fairly tame because of the environments I've worked in. Being here, I finally have the opportunity to have any hair color I want, so I decided to have pink hair (with black on the bottom) before it's too late and the window of opportunity closes. So at long last, the time has arrived:

BEFORE (left)
FIRST WE HAD TO BLEACH (right)

ON GOES THE BLACK, WITH SHANTRA (left)
AFTER, WITH LORI (right)

Obviously it was a day of a lot of laughs with my friends Shantra and Lori. Thier hands and my hair bear testimony of a fun day together.

crash

2006-06-05T00:33:00.000-05:00

The other day as I was waiting for a trolley bus, two cars were pulled over to the side of the road and the drivers were talking to a police officer parked nearby. Yup, they'd had a little fender-bender shortly before my arrival. Of the two cars involved, neither was damaged badly, but I (in my probably made-up little world) am assuming that the impact of the two drivers' moods was quite different. You see, one of the cars was a sparkling clean late model Mercedes. This car had minor damage to its left headlight area. But I know that if I owned a car like that, even minor damage would be a big ordeal. The other car was a bit less prestigious, looking like it was in good shape, but also like it had been around since the rule of communism. This car had absolutely no damage as far as I could tell. I think if I were this driver I'd be a little bit proud of the car, as is it had stood up to the bully and survived the encounter in even better shape than the bully did.

Strangely enough this little accident really impacted me that day, reminding me that there are two dueling parts of me. One that wants to have a really nice shiny car (though I'd probably chose a BMW or an Infiniti over a Mercedes) that looks nice and cost way too much money. But there is a growing part of me that wants the communism car. Tough and reliable, inexpensive, and it wouldn't be a big deal if it gets a little scratch on it.

This, of course, is not about what car I feel like I should drive. This is a symptom of a bigger battle within me for the way I want to do life. So the battle is on; may the best me win.

Moving Forward

2006-05-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

Over the last several days and weeks, we've been looking for something to make it obvious that we should extend our stay here in Bratislava. So far, we haven't had anything fall into place to give us that message. There is always the possibility that a "something" could happen and we're open to that option, but right now it looks as though our year in Bratislava will be just that and it is coming to a close. When we came here, we had one-year return trip tickets and the last day we're able to use them is July 24th. So we will be arriving to Minneapolis that evening. I have created a link to an online countdown calendar, and you can view it by clicking on the link on the left, under the links to other blogs ("when will matt and diane be
home?").

Whether it's a few weeks or several months after we arrive in Minneapolis, we will for sure be coming back to Slovakia as often as we're able. We have built friendships here that won't be ending simply because we're leaving. We look forward to seeing our friends and family whom we've been away from for so long and also to the possibility of many of our new friends coming to visit us in the states!!

How do you say...?

2006-05-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

Just for fun...

Your Linguistic Profile::

65% General American English

20% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

0% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

School in Nature Camp

2006-05-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, Matt and I were a part of a team from Open Door that prepared for months to come to Slovakia and provide activities for 7-9th grade students at a School in Nature Camp in the High Tatra mountains in Eastern Slovakia.

This last week, we had the opportunity to be a part of the School in Nature Camp for the 2nd grade gymnasium (high school) students. Although this team only was able to meet a few times very shortly before leaving, we have just returned from a great camp. A week ago, I barely knew any of these students. Now I've spent a week with them doing activities that pushed us mentally and physically, as well as participating in a lot of fun games and great discussions. There were about 40 students and I'm happy to have had the chance to get to know a lot of them a bit better.

Again, we went to the High Tatras, which are still capped with snow. Having grown up in Minnesota, to wake up in the morning and see snow covered mountains is an amazing and beautiful thing. One day of the camp we took a short bus ride to Slovenský Raj, which translates into Slovak Paradise. Unsure if I would be able to make it through a four hour hike, I set out with good intentions, eager to see some amazing scenery along the way. We stepped over a small creek at the beginning of the trails and saw the creek grow wider and deeper as we went further down the trails. We stepped across what looked like horizontal wooden ladders (most without railings!) and then came to some vertical metal ladders, where we climbed up alongside a beautiful waterfall. The trip ended up taking us well over 6 hours to complete and there were times midway though that I was sure my exhausted legs would buckle with the next step, but I was able to make it all the way through. It was well worth it.

leavin'...

2006-05-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

I obviously haven't had a lot of extra time to write. I keep thinking of how I need to do a new post, but just can't seem to make it happen.

This morning, a group of us are leaving to go to the High Tatra mountain region in eastern Slovakia for a school in nature camp with the high school kids. Two years ago, we came to Slovakia for the first time with the same intent, only it then was a camp for junior-highers. There is a stark contrast between the attitudes and preparation between that first time and this one. Then, we were excited and extremely well prepared. This time, we are excited to see what happens there, but we are tired and ill-prepared. But the good news is that things always seem to have a way of working themselves out, and I know this will be a great camp in spite of the difficulties we're sure to face in the last-minute planning.

With hopefully a quick pit-stop at Tesco for bug spray, bug-bite ointment and some snacks (yup, the essentials for a nature camp) we'll be on our way, not to return until Friday.

Have a good week!

days flying by

2006-05-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

We have been busy for the last several days showing Matt's parents all around Bratislava, Prague, and a little city in Hungary called Gyor. Vienna is slated for tomorrow and Saturday before their plane leaves on Monday morning. It's been fun showing them around our new stomping grounds. See Matt's blog (click on the link to the left) to see what we've been up to.

it's time.

2006-05-01T02:48:00.000-05:00

So I've decided that it's time to finally begin seriously thinking about finding myself a job for when we return. We're 3 months out and I've begun to write a resume. I had to start from scratch as we switched to a new computer just before leaving for Bratislava. I've begun to look at different positions online and it appears that I qualify for several positions available in my previous field. I wonder a little bit about the effects of a year out of the industry will do, but I still know how to get a job done well, so I"m not too worried about it. I haven't been able to apply for anything yet because I'm looking for a way to get the dates from my previous positions gathered together, but hopefully that will be remedied soon.

It's a weird position to be in, embarking on a job search from 7 time zones away. But I know there's something out there for me and it's just a matter of timing before making the connection.

Interestingly, as I opened the internet to write this post, here's what popped up on MSN's home page. I like irony.

On another note, today is a holiday in Slovakia, the equivalent of our Labor Day. So we have the day off from school and are using it to prepare for the arrival of Matt's parents tomorrow. This is their first time outside of the States (except for neighboring Canada) so we hope to help make it a memorable experience for them. They're gonna love Europe!

another new look?

2006-04-28T07:19:00.000-05:00

Last week Adam, one of the 8th grade students, came in to school with a new look. Jokingly, I asked if he thought I could pull off the same punky, mohawk-like hairstyle and he whole-heartedly agreed and asked when we could implement the new look. Not sure about his level of seriousness, I agreed to let him do my hair sometime. A few days later, he came to school armed with several kinds of gels and other random hair products. We sat in my office and in the 15 minute break he had, he managed to give me a whole new look. Using almost an entire container of gel, he managed to get my hair into little spikes in the front and little flower-like rolls in the back.

Unfortunately, the new look was short-lived, as I had to wash it out (with only ice-cold water and dish soap) before we had rest time with the kids. Adam seemed quite disappointed when he saw his work undone, but hopefully he'll be able to forgive me.

a nice surprise

2006-04-25T03:48:00.000-05:00

I headed out yesterday morning at around 8:30 to catch the bus to school. It was already a gorgeous day, with warm air and the bright shiny sun. I needed to finish preparing for my classes, the first of which started at 10:15. Just before jumping on the bus, I got a text message on my phone to tell me the 1-4th grades were taking a little field trip to a theater and they would be gone for both my class periods! So instead of finishing my lesson plans and teaching classes today, I was one of 8 teachers with about 90 kids, all headed to the theater.

The theater is quite close to the school, so we all walked there. I don't know about how things like this work in the States, but I don't remember walking to any field trip destinations, no matter how close they were! But we all arived without incident and were treated to a show that included dancing, puppets, marionettes, and interaction from the kids. They really seemed to enjoy it, and it was a beautiful day to get outside the school walls.

And now I get to use yesterday's lesson for my classes tomorrow. What a nice change of pace this was.

here ya are...

2006-04-24T00:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick pic of us from the dance on Saturday night (see Saturday's blog below).

going where?!?

2006-04-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

When I was in junior high, I used to sleep over at my friend Melissa's house every time there was a school dance. That's because I wasn't allowed to go to school dances as a kid. The church denomination I grew up in didn't approve of social dancing, and I think that's the main reason why I wasn't allowed to go. But I went anyway, without my parents knowing (at the time - I've since confessed to them my evil-doings). The thing is, I don't dance. It's really better that way. I just thought it was a fun time to hang out with my friends and listen to music. More of a social hour for me than a dance. After my proms, I never thought I'd have any reason to say I'm going to a school dance. Well, I'm going to a school dance. The high school section of our school is having a ballroom dancing dance (that's the proper term, right?). Matt was asked to play a couple swing songs, so we're going. We found out late yesterday that it's a formal dress event. When we considered our what-we-need-to-bring-to-be-missionaries-in-Slovakia-for-a-year wardrobe, we didn't factor in any formal events, so we found ourselves in a debacle. So I'm borrowing a dress from a friend here, and pairing it with a pair of shoes I haven't needed to wear yet (especially after spraining my ankle in January!). I went to Obchodna, an area of town with trendy yet cheap stores and bought Matt a jacket he can use to dress up some jeans. We'll have to play the dressed-up yet hip look for him, I think. Well, that's if the jacket fits... If not, at least running to some shops was a good excuse to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather today. I wore flip-flops!!!!

in for it again

2006-04-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

I recently made a mention to the book Blue Like Jazz that I've been reading. I haven't finished it yet, but it's been a book that has stirred my soul. It's made me realize that there bave been fewer actions as a result of my faith than maybe there should be. It's making me want to live my life in a different way.

I received a package in the mail today from my friend Emily (Thanks Emily!!!!!). One of the things she included is a book called The Rabbi's Heartbeat by Brennan Manning. I read the first of the short, devotional-type chapters. In this first chapter, Manning quotes Simon Tugwell:
"We either flee our own reality or manufacture a false self which is mostly admirable, mildly prepossessing, and superficially happy. We hide what we know or feel ourselves to be (which we assume to be unacceptable and unlovable) behind some kind of appearance which we hope will be more pleasing. We hide behind pretty faces, which we put on for the benefit of our public. And in time we may even forget that we are hiding, and think that our assumed pretty face is what we really look like."

I think I'm in for it again.

.

a dilemma

2006-04-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

We came to give ourselves to Slovakia for a year. It's been absolutely incredible so far. We've seen so many things. Not only with our natural eyes, but also a lot of amazing things on a spiritual level. We've loved days and hated days. We've developed many personal relationships that won't end just from us leaving; they already run much too deep for that, and I believe we have made some lifelong friends. We've been stretched on so many different levels I wouldn't even know where to begin counting. We're the same Matt and Diane yet, in a way, we're completely different as a result of our time here so far.

The end of our one-year commitment is in sight, and that brings many mixed emotions. On one hand, we're incredibly excited to get back home to MN and see our friends and family. We will have 8 new babies to meet when we get home, one of which is our nephew! It's crazy to think about what life could look like when we return, as neither of us have jobs waiting for us to offer any security (at least in the logical sense of the word) for the transition back. On the other hand, it's going to be heartbreaking to leave what we've come to know as home, even though it's on the other side of the world. There are so many things that we've been involved in that we would like to continue to stay involved in for a little while longer. There are things that we would like to help start here that we - if we go home as scheduled - don't have the time to offer as we'd like or help with at all. There are many things on both sides of the world pulling our hands in different directions and we're trying to figure out which one is the right thing to do, the right place to be.

Matt and I have both felt like our one-year commitment may fall a little short of how much time it will take to wrap things up here the way we'd like to. We didn't come here to simply leave a hole when we left. We came here to offer our time and talents to help build something. A part of us feels like leaving this summer would create a hole that would need be filled before we return home. However, an entire year felt like too long, as there are so many things to come home to. Then we remembered that there is nothing binding us to stay for a year at a time, and we discussed staying for just a handful of months more. The more we talked and thought about that, the better that decision felt. So we e-mailed the good folks renting our house for a year to see if they would be interested/able to stay there for another short while. They are in the process of homebuying and are too excited to get a place of their own to want to stay for the summer.

So there we sit. We're wondering if this is a sign that we're supposed to come home or if this is just something we need to overcome. Either way, we'll be home this summer. It's just a matter of if it's for a couple of weeks' visit or if it's for good. We are open to input from our friends and families and we are waiting on God.

To be continued, I guess!

bratislava busses

2006-04-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

So, I have to share just a little bit about my morning commute today. For those of you looking for something intelligent and philosophical, this is not the post for you. But for those looking for a moment in the life, please read on. The day started like any other day. Well, I guess the day turned out like any other day as well, but please keep with me.

I was standing at the bus stop not far from my flat waiting for the first of two busses I take to school. This is a fairly small stop, never more than about 15 or so people. Close to the beginning of the line, the driver is relatively patient with everyone getting on the bus. We're all piling onto the bus when the sound tells us the doors will be closing soon. At this stop, it's really a formality. The bus driver can see just fine when everyone's boarded or not. But the woman behind me took it quite seriously, deciding to place both of her hands on my back and give me a solid push. My face was nearly planted in the rear end of the woman in front of me.

This morning was cold, and I wasn't dressed properly. Just a short-sleeved shirt and a light jacket didn't help much to keep out the blowing cold. So when I got to the main station, I was relieved to see that my next bus would be leaving in just 6 minutes. Six minutes came and went and there was no sign of my bus. I held out hope for the next 2-3 minutes but then gave up hope. So I waited a full 18 minutes for my bus, watching my every breath blow away in the cold wind.

After the next bus came, I found an empty seat and sat down. It didn't take long before the scent of stale cigarettes filled my nostrils, and I was in wonder at the strength of the smell belonging to the man sitting beside me. Several moments later, I was overtaken by another smell, emanating from the very same man. It was the odor of beer, which isn't particularly pleasant to start. But this wasn't just like a single beer on his breath. This was the smell of a man that has been at the pub for a week straight, with no shower or other fluids entering his body. The remnants of many beers were oozing out of his pores and into my poor nose. It was gross.

Welcome to public transport in Bratislava. Anyone want to visit?Actually, please do visit. Look. It's quite a lovely city that we would love to show to our friends and family. Come one, Come all. We love it here. Seriously!

cheers to technology

2006-04-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

So I can't say that the day started off great. When I need to be at school by 7am and take 2 busses to get there, the alarm goes off awfully early. And I don't mean awful that in an "awfully pretty" kind of way, as it's pretty much all around awful to have the alarm go off any time before 6am. But it did and I was soon walking out the door to catch the 6:22 bus. I arrived at school and shortly thereafter received something that brightened my listless morning.

Let's take a couple steps back, shall we? A few days ago, Matt received an e-mail from a friend (thanks Joel!). Turns out there's this website that enables anyone with a web cam to create and send a free 30 second video. Even more amazing is that it doesn't matter if you're a mac or pc user, and they can talk to each other! And so the ball started rolling. The newest direction of said rolling ball was a video message I received this morning from my good friend Annie. It put a smile of my face to see hers for the first time since she and Jason dropped us off at the airport about 8.5 months ago.

I am really thankful for technology. Being so far away from home for this long is made so much easier from friends (and now videos!!!) from friends and family. Annie, it was good to see you today.

now that's a compliment

2006-04-05T09:20:00.000-05:00

I was working with a student today who sometimes has a hard time with teachers, mostly because they ask her to be quiet in their class rooms. A normal thing, but it seems she responds quite personally to getting singled out for bad behavior. I was working with her and one other student in my office for one of our tutoring sessions and she was complaining about other teachers. It was nothing out of the ordinary, and the ones she was complaining about are gifted teachers. I don't teach her in a classroom setting, so I wasn't surprised that she put me in a more favorable light than her "normal" teachers. I was only half-listening and trying to get back to the task at hand until she said something caught my attention - that the others are OK, but I am like Jesus.

With the language barrier between me and these children, I don't have the opportunity to talk to these kids about Jesus. It's good to know that I'm still able to teach them about Him. Often times it's better without words.

That's more like it.

2006-04-03T02:44:00.000-05:00

Winter was long here in Bratislava. Longest in 30 years, I read somewhere. When there are normally flowers blooming, we were watching the snow fall. When we were longing for sunshine on our faces, we were catching snowflakes in our eyelashes instead. The grey skies and gloomy days were affecting everyone's moods. And not for the better. We were all cooped up indoors, feeling like caged animals.

Spring has arrived and it's not going anywhere until it gives way to summer. It's like someone opened the door to our cage and we've escaped, running for our lives. I had a perfect spring weekend. The weather was gorgeous and I got to play!

On Friday night I went out with the girls. We started late. We got home early (in the morning). It was fabulous. Just the kind of thing I needed, and I think the others agreed. We're all looking forward to having girls' nights more often.

On Saturday I had a restful morning before Matt and I hopped on the bus and headed into Old Town for a few hours. We had our first sighting of people eating ice cream cones as they stolled down the sun-drenched sidewalks. And then, there it was. The thing we've been waiting months on end to see. Yearning, really. Behold, outdoor seating! We nabbed the only available table and enjoyed a leisurly lunch. It didn't matter that the food was just mediorce, as we were more interested in drinking in all the sunshine that was warming us. Beautiful.

I then met up with a three girls (Marica, Nora and Katka)that we'd met at the school in nature camp when we were here a year and a half ago. They don't have a good English program at their new high school (it's like what our 3rd graders receive here at Narnia, but these girls have been learning English for nearly 10 years longer). So we met together to enjoy each other's company and to give them an opportunity to use their English in a normal, conversational setting. It was a fun time and I hope to have the chance to do this with them on a regular basis.

Matt and I enjoyed an evening with Igor that evening. We planned to see a movie, but there were no evening showtimes for the one we had in mind. That didn't matter, any time with Igor (and Monika, but she was absent this evening) is fun and well spent.

Sunday provided a time to go to another family's house for lunch. In this case, it was one of the elders of Cirkev Bratska, whose daughter is the afternoon receptionist (and our new friend) at our school. It was good to get to know them better and we wish we didn't have to leave so early. We had to go and prepare for The Well. A great service where I believe people truly met with God.

Now that's what a weekend should be like! My spirit is refreshed.

things that kick my butt

2006-03-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

After a long time about hearing about Blue Like Jazz, I'm finally reading it. Before starting it, I wasn't sure if I'd like it. For some reason, I thought it would be like a mad at the world (yet Christian) author. I had barely cracked the cover before discovering that this is just not the case. The author, Donald Miller, is coming from a refreshingly honest place. A place with more questions than answers, but still a tremendous faith that pushes him further. I'm a little over half-way through. I normally don't finish books I start reading. I"ll finish this one.

And a song my iPod has been selecting for me lately:
The space in my mind is too small for you
The space in my heart is too small for you too
And all of the things of the earth that I know
Are too small for all of the greatness you’ve shown
But in all this I’m still facing my needs
And I’m scared of how big they feel to me

I know you are big enough to hold me
I know you are big enough to hold me
I know you Lord yeah you
Will carry me through
--Big Enough to Hold Me by Waterdeep--

What is it about iPods that they seem to have an intuition about which songs to play sometimes? If you have one, you know what I mean.

better so far.

2006-03-24T02:35:00.000-06:00

It seems to be working so far. After the second-graders' "enlightenment" on Monday, Wednesdays classes went much better. There was actually a moment of complete silence as they were writing in their books! Just a moment, mind you, but it was definitely there. The first group came into the classroom and sat quietly before I said anything... it's how a class is supposed to go! The second group didn't go as well as the first, but they were still remarkable improved. We were able to get things done without major interruptions every couple of minutes, so I am extremely relieved and hopeful that it will last. The difference in my mood at the end of the classes was immense, I know the students noticed that class can be more fun this way. The rest of the year will be much better with this new feeling instead of the one I've been experiencing over the last several months. I hope it sticks...

here's to hoping

2006-03-21T06:15:00.000-06:00

I teach English Conversation to second graders. That's a funny thing though, really. With the second graders' lack of English skills and my lack of Slovak skills, there is very little conversation that's able to happen. But I'm here to help them work towards that goal and, as with everything, ya gotta start somewhere, right?
But now, nearly 7 months into the school year, I found myself quite near the end of my teaching-role rope. Many of these children have the idea that it isn't necessary to respect teachers. Nearing the end of their second year in school, I decided it was time to uh... enlighten them a bit. So yesterday, I brought the big guns (the head of the English department and the head of the 1-4 grades) to the classroom and, together, we laid down the law and a new discipline plan. Yep, their behavior was that bad. Faced with this new information (and the presence of three teachers in the room), they were amazingly well behaved. Maybe the handfull of kids that have been trying to learn all along will actually have a better chance to do that. I hope it sticks. I hope it sticks. I hope it sticks...

And the winner is...

2006-03-15T12:51:00.000-06:00

So this was the winning picture of inspiration as Shantra and I bravely entered a Slovak hair salon to get our new looks on Saturday. The stylists speak a bit of English, but you never know what they really understand and what gets lost in translation. I was disappointed when it seemed like they didn't have a pink color available, so I had to settle for red (also fun, but I was hoping to get a color I haven't had before).

So here are the photos from before.

And here are the photos from after.

And there you have it. The new me. At least for now. I'm still hoping to find some pink before returning home.

all about hair

2006-03-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

First, a little catch-up to the present. Here's what I did in November.

For those who know me at all, you know that November to March is a REALLY long time for me to go without a drastic change to my hair. Well, wait no more, for the time is drawing near. At the invitation of my friend Shantra to go to in, I decided no time is better than now to have the next change. But I'm having difficulty deciding on which style is the best one for this time around. I have already asked several folks here, but I'm looking for some American opinions, too.

So here are the three forerunners, in no particular order:

Some more remote possibilities:

But wait, that's not all. Don't forget to picture each of the cut candidates with a funky, bright color like pink or orange intertwined (either streaks or at the ends) with a deep, dark brown.

I've always wanted to do something really fun with my hair, but I've never had a job that would allow it. Now, I figure if the 60+ year old women can sport pink and purple hair (yep, seriously...) then so can I.

Happy Friday.

2006-03-03T06:52:00.000-06:00

Here begins a busy weekend. The school week is over and I'll be going home soon to make chocolate chip cookie bars (bars... how Minnesotan of me is that??). We have an teambuilding event with the other teachers from school. Most teachers are walking (for 3 hours!!) to a monestery on the outskirts of Bratislava. Matt and I have opted for the more logical and time-saving car ride. This weekend will be the first official service of The Well, the new English-speaking church service that we're helping to start. There are lots of things that need to be done, but we're all (us and the Johnsons) very excited to see what this ends up looking like. Many hours of planning and a lot of energy has gone into getting this off the ground, so we're excited as it's now beginning to take shape. Our first service will be at 6pm on Sunday. So if you happen to be in the Bratislava area at that time, please swing in!

Something for fun. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be older than I was. Maybe because I was small and people thought I was younger than I was? I don't know. But then it happened. I don't know when or why, but it happened. I wanted to stop getting older. Somehow, I missed the time in the middle when I was happy with my age. Who knows why. But according to this, I'm doing OK. So you're only as old as you feel, right? At least this still says I act younger than I am. Even if it's just a year.

You Are 27 Years Old

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

What Age Do You Act?

It's fun. Try it.

new memories

2006-02-28T02:06:00.000-06:00

In addition to the pictures Matt posted on his blog, here are some more shots from our Spring Break trip to Italy. Click on the photos to see them enlarged.

Here we are in front of the beautiful Trevi Fountain. I was surprised at how big it is, and it was truly beautiful.

The fountain in the courtyard at the Vatican.

A resident of the building that houses this statue wasn't pleased with tourists snapping photos, but this was a shot I just couldn't resist...

Here's the Trevi Fountain without us in the way. The fountain is sculpted by Italy's beloved architect, Bernini.

In the St. Peter in Chains church, these are supposed to be the actual chains that imprisoned Peter.

The Leaning Tower in Pisa. It was smaller than I expected, as it is just a bell tower designed to go with the beatiful cathedral it was built next to. The tower started to lean when they were building the 3rd level, but they kept building anyway.

The Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient building in Rome. It was surreal to see this as we walked down the street. And can you believe it's free to go inside?

The Colloseum during the day.

And the Colloseum at night.

A church this beautiful, and it isn't even shown on a tourist map. There's something interesting to me about the clean whiteness mixed with the gothic design.

Palentine, an ancient area behind the Colloseum.

In the Roman Forum, next to Palentine and the Colloseum.

Ahhh, Italia...

2006-02-27T02:10:00.000-06:00

We're back! We got back into Bratislava last (Sunday) night. We have tons of photos of our trip. I had to get up at 5:30 this morning, so I haven't had a chance to go through them yet to post any. You can find information and photos at Matt's blog (click the link on the left) to see parts of our trip. I will also post some pictures and more info when I get a chance. Watch for this tomorrow (Tuesday).

We had a great time walking through soggy, rainy Italy. We saw so many amazing thigs that it's still sinking in. We spent 2 nights in Bergamo, 6 nights in Rome and 1 night in Florence after traveling to Pisa as well that day. We also flew in and out of Milan, but didn't spend any time there.

Matt and I had a great time together. More to follow soon.

Woo Hoo!

2006-02-17T08:42:00.000-06:00

I am so excited! In 3 hours, we'll be boarding a plane bound for Italy. It's officially Spring Break at the School of Narnia, at Matt and I are off to explore ancient buildings and world-famous art.

We arrive in Bergamo (just east of Milan) this evening. We plan to spend two nights there and explore this city a bit as well as spend a day in Milan. Then we plan to take a train (well, hope, as we don't know details on this yet) to Rome, where we'll spend the majority of our trip. We've reserved a hostel right in the center of Rome and I'm completely pumped! I studied several aspects of Roman art in school, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to see some of it in person.

We've been rather busy lately so we haven't had the time to put into planning as I would like to. But we printed some stuff off the internet and Tom and Debbie Johnson were nice enough to lend us their guide book. We could have spent weeks and weeks planning, but I have a feeling that we're going to be able to see plenty of stuff and will have quite and enjoyable time. We were able to get plane tickets through a discount carrier for 1.5 crowns (only $.004!) plus fees. What a deal!

We hope for at least sporadic internet access, so watch our blogs (Matt's more likely than mine) for photos as we go. Complete update to follow after we get back home on the 26th!

2006-01-22T14:43:00.000-06:00

Who knew I was such a sucker for sunsets? Tonight, I think I understand why painters become painters. When we arrived home this evening, we opened the door to see the beginning of a gorgeous sunset absolutely drenching our apartment with a beautifully warm, ambient light. The bright orange sinking ball gave way to cooler hues of pinks, purples, blues and grays. Moments later, oranges, yellows, and even greens were added to the already amazing sight. In the foreground of your mental picture, please add thousands of twinkling lights shining from hundereds of buildings we see from our balcony window. We live on top of a hill, overlooking a college town, so these amber lights twinkle well into the night. This is mirrored by 19 tiny candle flames in our red and orange living room in my periforal vision. It's the kind of view that a photo just can't capture. So I'm trying to etch a painting in my mind to make this last.

I am noticing that I take great delight in every-day little pleasures such as this sunset. This is a new realization for me, but Matt told me tonight that he loves this about me. He's probably known this about me for years.

Odpočinok

2006-01-21T12:50:00.000-06:00

Odpočinok is the Slovak word for rest. And am I ever feeling it; it's been a great start to the weekend. Our friend Igor and his wife Monika invited us over to their place for Friday evening. During the lunch period yesterday, I told their first-grade daughter Sarah that we were coming over. She started jumping up and down yelling "yippee!" She quickly proceeded to tell her friends around the lunch table, and they all came up to me to make sure it was true. After several questions were answered (all in Slovak, thank you very much!) they were finally satisfied that Sarah knew what she was talking about. After arriving, we enjoyed mean Indian dish that Igor had prepared. Then we settled in for a night of Slovak Superstar. Igor and Monika are light-hearted people who like to laugh, so our time with them is always sweet and fun. We discussed the show, we discussed English and Slovak. We all got tired of trying to learn such a difficult language: Matt and I were tired of learning Slovak and they were tired of trying to learn English. But I think we're all quite determined to push forward and increase our abilities. Thankfully, their English is much better than our Slovak. Otherwise, our conversations would be cut quite short due to our lack of functional vocabulary! During our time there, Sarah drew us a picture. It's actually a chart. We're supposed to keep track of which days are sad days (notice the giant tears!), our tired days (with the very round yawning mouth), our so-so days and our happy days. I wonder if we're actually supposed to complete it and turn it in to her....?

After making pancakes for breakfast, Matt and I relaxed for much of the morning. We picked up around the house, and just did miscellaneous stuff. We met with Tom and Debbie for a little while this afternoon to discuss the rapidly approaching beginning of this English-speaking church service, which will be called The Well. We should be having our first actual service in about 3-4 weeks. It's hard to believe that it's finally starting!

Matt and I made our first attempt at making halušky, a Slovak dish consisting of potato gnocchi and sheep's cheese with small pieces of bacon mixed in. There was some trial and error before getting the dough for the gnocchi just right, but Matt was persistent and finally found the right combination of ingredients. It was really good! Click to the left to see his blog for a recipe if you'd like to try it.

I have begun my first ever sweater project. After a million scarves and a few other miscellaneous projects, I decided it was time to finally embark on a real garment. I found some yarn that would work for this particular project and began working yesterday. Tonight, I completed the first section of a sweater! Sure, thousands of people have made them, but I'm really excited to be making my first one. It seems to be coming along pretty well so far. Just one more side like this one, a couple of sleeves, and I'll be sewing up the seams on this puppy.

Not Much

2006-01-20T01:52:00.000-06:00

I don't really have much going on lately, but I wanted to say that my ankle has been healing quite nicely. I was on crutches for only 2 days and have been walking better each day. It's still a little sore, but I am very thankful that it wasn't something more serious! I gave the crutches back to Debbie Johnson, who had surgery on Monday to have a screw and some loose cartilage taken out of her ankle.

As for my own ankle, I hope it continues to heal quickly, as we're headed on a ski trip with some friends the first weekend in February. I hope to be able to ski. But skiing or not, I will get some knitting done! My friend Laura and I talked last night about embarking on sweaters. It's a huge leap for both of us, and it will be fun to see how it turns out. EEE, if you're reading this, have you started one yet?

That's pretty much it for now. It's Friday and I'm looking forward to a weekend.

Teacher Knows Best?

2006-01-09T12:33:00.000-06:00

How many times while we were all growing up did we hear "No running in the hallways"? I have found myself saying that over and over again in the last several months since school began. Except I am usually saying it in Slovak (that didn't happen growing up...). I find it a bit ironic though, as I am used to the occasional sprint down the workplace hallways. Facing rapidly approaching deadlines when seconds actually do count, I would kick off the heels and book it down the hall to or from the copier or fax machine. Now I am much more aware of it, being in a school setting.

I found out today that it really is a good piece of advice. You guessed it, I found out the hard way.

We had just finished our rest time activity and were preparing to head out to the old town with our friend Jeremy for his last night in Bratislava. I was goofing off with one of the first graders and we ended up going down the hallway, side by side, at a pace that was unwise. We somehow both lost our footing and I found myself quickly headed for the floor. I didn't want to squish the 6 year-old under me when I collided with the floor, so I did my best to avoid that. The glasses fell off both of our faces upon impact, but she thankfully remained unhurt. I wasn't so lucky. I remained seated on the floor for several minutes and continued the conversation I had just been having as I waited for the pain to decrease. I was able to walk up the stairs to my office without a severe limp, and my hopes stayed high that the pain would be short-lived. I grabbed my coat and purse and headed with an increased limp to Matt's office, just 2 doors down. I sat with my foot up as the conversation there ended before we headed out. As I set my feet on the ground, I was completely unable to put weight on my ankle without considerable pain. After assessing my ankle, Matt went to pull the car up as close to the building as he could. Returning, he gave me a piggy-back ride all the way out to the car. I'm not sure what the Slovak teachers and parents thought of this, as they had no clue that there was a reason for it. They smiled as Matt just said "Dovidenia" (goodbye) and continued on our way, Jeremy close behind.

We dropped Jeremy off, letting him know that Matt would meet up with him in 45 minutes. We drove home, Matt helped me in and then went out again to meet Jeremy. It's his last night here, and it would be dumb of me to make someone be here with me just because of a sore ankle. So I iced it as I flipped through the channels. With hopping my only way to move about the apartment, I am borrowing Debbie Johnson's crutches. It helps somewhat to lower the frustration of immobility.

I am thankful that I have a light load at school tomorrow. I don't teach, but will need to go in to plan Wednesday's lessons and to meet parents at the conferences being held. So don't worry, Mom, I'll be taking care of myself. Resting and icing and taking ibuprofin for pain and swelling.

Small Pleasures

2006-01-08T10:18:00.000-06:00

With Matt gone with our friend Jeremy in Vienna today, I had a restful morning and lounged for most of it. I took some of the yarn I had purchased in Györ, coupled it with a ball of yarn I've had since before we moved here and knitted up a fun scarf. Having accomplished that, I decided it was finally time to shower and then head outside. Upon arriving at the bus stop, I had a thought I haven't had in several weeks, "I wish I'd grabbed my sunglasses!" The sun has not made an appearance for quite some time, and I didn't realize how much it had begun to wear on me until the other day when I was using my blue umbrella and smiled as I realized it was a little bit like having a blue sky above me. I guess when there are so many days without an actual blue sky, my brain was willing to accept something that mimics the reality I was wishing for.

Returning home, I walked into a living room with small rainbows all over the walls and ceiling. Our apartment came furnished with a gaudy crystal chandelier. We removed as many of the hangy-down crystals as we could, but it's still pretty awful. But in this instance, with the sun drenching the room and shining through the crystals, I was happy to have it there.

There was a beautiful sunset I was able to enjoy from our balcony windows as well today. I took the camera out, but the chill got to my hands, disabling me to take a steady shot. But there's one that turned out to be rather interesting not so much in spite of, but as a result of my shivers.

Györ, Hungary

2006-01-07T15:26:00.000-06:00

We had planned for Matt to take Jeremy (our friend visiting from America) to Vienna. As an opera singer, Jeremy was eager to take in the sights and scenes of such a musically rich city. However, we found out just in time that the day was a holiday, meaning that all the museums would be closed. Vienna is beautiful enough to spend an entire day there and be thoroughly entertained without setting foot in any museums, but we decided to hold off on Vienna for a day until they are able to get the full experience they're looking for.

As a plan B, we all decided to go check out Györ, a sizable-looking city in bordering Hungary that is just a short drive away. We climbed into the car and soon arrived. We parked just outside of the main center and walked around to see what there was to see. It turned out to be a lovely city, rich in historical buildings and with sculptures dotting the streets. If the weather had cooperated more, I'm sure we could have spent several more hours wandering the quaint old streets. But instead, the day was dreary and cold, with drizzle falling from the gray sky. No matter the weather, we enjoyed the good company and making one another laugh. Jeremy got a Hungary customs stamp in his passport, Matt won for the best lunch order of the three of us, and I found a store with a modest selection of yarn available. And we all learned a lesson at the ATM... take more time when trying to figure out the exchange rate before making the withdrawal. We only needed about one-tenth of the $250 we accidentally took out for a half-day trip!

Here are a few photos I took during our little trip:

Bojnice

2006-01-02T05:50:00.000-06:00

We went to take an overnight trip to the town of Bojnice, a small spa town about an hour and a half from Bratislava. Shortly after we arrived, it began to snow. It snowed until we wondered if it would ever stop. After about a foot and a half, it finally did, but that much snow in a town this size is tough to handle. In fact, it was tough for a lot of people to handle. All public transport was shut down because of it. So we were forced to stay an extra day, but we didn't mind at all. You'll note from my previous posts that I'm not much of a winter and snow person. But there was something so picturesque about this little town covered in snow that made it feel like we were inside of a snow globe. It was gorgeous and perfect looking. It felt a little less perfect as we had to push cars out of their stuck positions several times, but even this seemed worth it to have this kind of beauty surrounding us.

We were shown the most amazing hospitality from a family there, who took our large group in for several hours of each day we were there. They will no doubt be friends of ours for years to come, and I look forward to the next time we're able to see them.

Our first day there we were treated to a visit to the zoo and a tour of the beautiful castle. After a tour of a crystal cutting company, we spent much our extra day there relaxing in the spa. I had a short relaxing massage and many of us sat in the salt cave. This is supposed to help with breathing, but I didn't notice any effects. But it was a beautiful experience and we had a great time. The price for both services came to a total of only $6! We mostly sat in a window-surrounded room watching the snow pile on the trees as the sun slowly went down.

Thanks Erin

2006-01-02T05:02:00.000-06:00

We went to the post office this morning to pick up what we thought was a box from my mom with a few items we had requested. There are some things that we just can't find here that we requested from America. So I was surprised when the box didn't have my mom's writing on it. Instead, it was my sister's writing and name on the box. Upon returning home, I opened the box to find some fun little items inside.
My sister doesn't get along well with computers. Surprising for someone in her 20s, I know. But it's true. She avoids computers at all costs. (Luckily she works with people's teeth instead of some job more reliant on these newfangled computer devices... note the toothbrushes included in the package!). But as a result, I haven't been able to keep in touch with her at all. This is the first I've heard from my little sister in the 5 months we've been here. Along with some fun gifts was a letter with updates about her family and some artwork from my nephew (whose 4th birthday is today - Happy Birthday Chase!)and my one-year-old niece, Avery.What a nice surprise for a dreary day. I was excited about the contact lens solution from my mom, but that wouldn't have put a smile on my face like this box did.

deleted

2006-01-02T03:30:00.000-06:00

Last night, I was just about done writing a post about the Christmas tree we had this year. I had one sentence to go and a picture to post before it would have been completed. Long story short, everything was lost before I posted. I had spent a considerable amount of time writing and I won't go back and re-do everything again. You'll just have to trust me. There was humor. There was reminiscing. It was good. Really good.

But here's the closest I've come to having a real Christmas tree. I've always had an artificial tree for the holidays, and this year we have a few branches of a real tree... sitting in a measuring container. With fake flowers stuck into it. The stuff I wrote last night was a lot better, but here's to hoping your Christmas was blessed and you were able to find the true meaning of Christmas amidst the hustle and bustle of the season.

Christmas Weather Update

2005-12-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

After leaving you in suspense long enough about the presence of snow on Christmas day, I will allow you to breathe a sigh of relief and let you in on what actually happened in my quest for a snow-less Christmas. But that makes it sound like I actually had some sort of impact on the outcome. Obviously not true. If I could simply conjure up weather, Christmas would be a bright and sunny day with temperatures in the mid-80s with the strange appearance of a white sandy beach wherever I happened to be. The fact that my Christmases have been spent in Minnesota weather attests to the fact that I have no power over this. I know, I know. You're surprised.

Anyway, the temperature here was right around the 40 degree mark, which was rather pleasant. The skies were gray, but the ground was...... BROWN!!! It finally happened! I had a brown Christmas! 28 years into this thing called life and I had my first Christmas without snow. Woo Hoo!!

My joy was rather short-lived as it snowed the day after Christmas and now the ground has a thin covering of white. Nonetheless, I had my brown Christmas. And for that, I am thankful.

Disaster Averted

2005-12-22T10:35:00.000-06:00

Today was the last day of school before the Christmas break. The day was filled with festivities. There were teachers vs. students basketball, volleyball and ping pong games. I participated in the volleyball game and quite enjoyed the time. And we even managed to beat the students in at least two of three games. I say at least because I couldn't quite figure out their method of scoring. They play to 25 instead of 21, you don't have to be the serving team to win a point, and they have a different regard for boundaries and such. I managed to get most of my serves over the net and was involved in a few point-scoring plays. It's been a long time since I've played and I'm happy I had the chance to do so today.

There was also a teachers party in the afternoon at the school. In preparation, I baked chocolate chip cookies to bring and share. Not too long ago, we received a package in the mail from a friend back in Minnesota who is famous (at least in my book) for her delicious chocolate chip cookies. She sent me some cookies, but they didn't make the journey across the ocean in time to preserve their freshness and tastiness. However, she was smart enough to include everything I need to bake some for myself. Just add eggs and butter. Easy enough, right? Well, I went to the corner store by our flat and picked up some eggs, as I had purchased the butter for the cookies already. I got home, set everything out on the counter and opened the package of butter to begin. As I opened it, something didn't seem right about it. As I re-read the package, I realized that it wasn't butter at all. Instead, I had almost begun making cookies with pure pork lard! Call me crazy, but I think those cookies wouldn't have tasted nearly as good as I remember. Deciding against a perhaps more Slovak version of the American tradition, I bundled up and again headed to the corner store to carefully look for butter.They didn't have any, but I managed to find some margarine. The lady at the cash register smiled as she looked up and saw me in her line for the second time in 10 minutes.

Margarine in hand, I returned home and proceeded to begin making the cookies, carefully following the recipe of the famous cookie maker. I quickly realized why someone invented an electric mixer. The best tool I have for mixing is a soup spoon, which didn't really do the job. So I rolled up my sleeves and washed my hands (again, just for extra cleanliness) and dug in. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. It wasn't long after this before the smell of freshly baked cookies was wafting from my little oven. Ahhh, yummmm.

I brought two dozen cookies to the school party and by the time we headed out there were only a few remaining. All the American teachers commented on them, and I was sure to give the credit for the great cookies to my cookie-making friend. Thanks Erin Bennett!

Advent

2005-12-19T00:20:00.000-06:00

Having lit the 4th Advent candle last night, Christmas is well on its way. As I mentioned in other posts, I've avoided much of the craziness and stress that the holiday season usually brings. So in a way, it doesn't really feel like Christmas yet for me. We had our little church planning group last night at our flat, and it was good to hear the story of how Christmas came about from the New Testament. A familiar story, but it's always so good to be reminded of it. Maybe it's become a little too familiar in our heads that our hearts tend to somehow forget a little. It was a welcome reminder of the meaning of Christmas. Thanks, Tom.

It's Really Working...

2005-12-16T04:19:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm learning this language fairly well, but am usually just reminded of how much I don't know when I try to speak. My Slovak vocabulary is growing on probably a daily basis, but one thing I haven't learned much of is verbs. Don't get me wrong, I know a handful of them, but not in all the conjugated forms. So when I want to make a somewhat intelligent sounding Slovak sentence, I am usually out of luck.

But there have been a couple reminders this last week that I'm not only learning how to understand the language, but also that I am making a difference with the English abilities of these little Slovak kids.

Each afternoon, the 1-4 graders sign up for one of several club activities. Our club for yesterday was a continuation of the project from the day before. Saška, a first grader who had started the project came up to me and quickly said several sentences in Slovak. I didn't understand, but I was able to pick up several of the words. I asked her to repeat what she had said, only very slowly. She did, and I understood everything! She was telling me that she wanted to come and finish her project with us but couldn't because she was involved in another activity that was scheduled for that day. There is no way that I would have been able to formulate those sentences on my own in Slovak, but it was a small victory to be able to understand what she was trying to tell me.

On the flip side, I was having a conversation with one of my third grade buddies (in English) during the time between classes and getting picked up by his mom. His phone rang. Normally, the children will answer with "áno?" (yes?) or "prosím?" (please?). Instead, he flipped his phone open and answered in English! It was pretty amazing to see that his brain was actually functioning in English instead of Slovak because of our converstion. Pretty impressive for a 3rd grader.

We are taking a break from Slovak classes until after the holidays. I hope to have the discipline to take some of the extra time and study the things that I have written down but haven't been able to commit to memory. And try to learn some more verbs.

Snow for Christmas?

2005-12-15T09:34:00.000-06:00

I looked at the weather forecast for both here in Bratislava and back at home in Minnesota. I was happy to see that it has been about 20 degrees warmer here. I've lived in Minnesota for my whole life up until now. Each winter as the mercury inevitably dropped to below comfortable, I wondered why I stayed there. I am a person who wears sweaters for 10 months of the year. As a kid, I would go swimming at my friend Jenny's house. We're talking about a pool heated to 80 degrees F. My toes and lips would turn blue on several occasions. Let's face it... I'm not much of a cold weather girl. So an additional 20 degrees in the middle of winter is a big deal for me. Granted, I would happily accept another 20, but that is probably asking for too much. My point is this. Every Christmas I've ever known has been white, so I am hoping for the experience of a snow-free holiday here in Bratislava.

Weather.com gives a 10-day forcast that brings us through Christmas Eve. The last three days proceeding Christmas show temperatures barely above freezing with snow showers on each of those days. Judging from this forecast, it looks like another white Christmas in the works. Hmmm...

I do have to say that this holiday season has been the least stressful one I've had in all my adult life. Living abroad forced us to have our presents purchased and shipped off by the end of November. In our normal life, we don't purchase our last gifts until the 11th hour. It feels good to be done early. Matt is really busy with all the requests for his musical assistance for the school production (called Christmas House) that takes place on the 21st. But as a self-proclaimed non-musician, I have very few demands upon me for being this close to Christmas. It's quite nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the season. It makes me wonder how I can incorporate this feeling into normal life after our return from Slovakia.

Vienna

2005-12-11T07:32:00.000-06:00

One of the amazing things about our experience living in this area of the world is the amazingly close proximity to other nations, languages and cultures. An opportunity popped up to take a day trip into Vienna yesterday with my friend Shantra. Vienna is just on the other side of the Slovakia/Austria border. 45 minutes East and you're in another country that speaks an entirely different language. We met at the station at 10:30 to buy tickets and hop on the train shortly thereafter. We purchased our tickets, looked at the departures board for our platform, but didn't see our train listed. At the information desk, we were told in broken English that the information from the internet wasn't correct. Our train, in fact, didn't leave for another 2 hours. We were a little disappointed at a set-back this early in our trip, but didn't let it get us down. We jumped on a bus then walked the rest of the way to a quaint little used English language bookstore near the old town. This was fun for me as I had been wanting to check this place out for a couple months. We took this opportunity to order a mulled wine to enjoy as we looked at our Vienna maps and guidebooks. All those who know me even a little bit know that I am completely and hopelessly directionally challenged. The fun part about this excursion is that Shantra is the same way. We were embarking on a trip to another country with only half a sense of direction between the two of us. This was going to be fun. We went back to the train station, boarded the single-car train and quickly found seats. Next to us were a American guy and his (half-American, half German but living in Italy) girlfriend. She seemed quite normal and pleasant. But he was the guy that helps give us Americans a bad reputation here. Young, obnoxious, and a know-it all (or so he thought). Shantra and I kind of took turns politely listening and tuning him out for the entire ride. Long story short, we arrived in Vienna, took the tram into the city, then walked up a street until we reached Shantra's dream (for the day) destination... Starbucks. After sandwiches and lattes, we were ready to hit the shopping street that was right around the corner. We stopped into a few of them as we walked. I made a much needed stop at a MAC counter. Hooray! I was like a kid in a candy store, but I behaved very well and only bought the two items I had been needing for months. We stopped at one of several shacks in a small Christmas market to buy a hot "lionspunsch." We'd heard amazing things about this, and anything warm in our hands sounded great at that point. So we walked with our new beverages, quite happy until our first sips. It tasted like spiced liquid bubble gum. We both deposited our cups in nearby garbage cans. Oh well, we kept walking, looking for the huge Christmas markets Vienna is famous for this time of year. After asking several people for directions (the maps were of little help to us when we really didn't know which direction we were walking in), several photo stops, and several laughs on the way, we finally made it to the Rathaus area where we were greeted by an amazing set-up of booths and kiosks selling all kinds of wares and goodies. It was so huge that we didn't know where to begin, so we just started wandering up and down the isles, oohing and aahing over the pretty stuff behind their counters. We walked around until our toes and fingers were ready to fall off from the cold, then made our way to the tram to bring us back to the train station. We knew where the stop was and which line we needed, but didn't know which direction we needed to go. The D tram was pulling up, so we got on. We found a young-looking person (as they are far more likely to speak English) and asked if we were going the right way. As it turned out, she's from Michigan and was in Vienna for her studies, and therefore speaks English quite well. She assured us we were headed in the right direction, and the three of us began to chat. The tram started moving, and we were on our way. But then we looked out the window and realized that we were pulling up to the stop we had left several minutes before, and the tram just sat there. And sat there. Our new friend from Michigan was kind enough to offer to take us all the way to the train station, as it was really difficult to explain. We headed on our way, hoping to get there on time for our train. We turned corner after corner, walked through several tunnels, and turned more corners. There was no way Shantra and I would have found the way on our own! It was a 20 minute maze that she brought us through, right up to the train station, where we boarded the train just a few minutes before it left. Whew! Thanks, Sara from Michigan! It was such a fun trip and I can't wait to go there again. I hope this will be the first of many adventures with my friend Shantra. Vienna is a very picturesque city and I have so much left of it to explore. Here are a few more photos of Vienna.

The sign welcoming us to the Christmas Market

Peterskirche

Parliament Building

Stephansdom

Christmas Market with a view of Neues Rathaus

newbie

2005-12-08T14:13:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit of a Johnny-come-lately to this whole idea of a blog. I've been a reader for a while now, but haven't fancied myself as a writer. I don't know that I have much to say, but this just may well be what I need to find out. Who knows - maybe some good stuff will come out of this.

So it's kind of a challenge to myself to spend more time in reflection instead of allowing life to pass by so quickly. I am in the middle of an experience of a lifetime and I want to hold on tightly to the memories being created during this chapter of the book of my life.

And I get to post comments on other fine folks' blogs. Yippee.