Just wanted to wish everyone a Very MERRY CHRIMSTAS!!! and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! :-) Hope everyone is well and enjoying the Holiday Time!
Today is the 24th and it is now officially CHRISTMAS in Slovakia!! Today I will be at the center with Zuza, the residents and some nurses celebrating with a special Christmas service and dinner. I will write more about it later! Take care everyone, and God Bless!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
"Dreaming Upside Down"
Check out this poem, "Dreaming Upside-Down" by Tom Peterson. I first heard this at our program orientation in August and it stuck in my mind, so I emailed our presenter and had him send it to me. Read it and share your reaction, if you'd like. It's hard-hitting and puts things into perspective.
***
Dreaming Upside-Down
by Tom Peterson
"I dreamed the other night that all the maps in the world had been turned upside down. Library atlases, roadmaps of Cincinnati, wall-sized maps in the war rooms of the great nations, even antique maps with such inscriptions as "Here be Dragons" were flipped over. What had been north was now south, east was west. Like a glob of melting vanilla ice cream, Antarctica now capped schoolroom globes.
In my dream, a cloud of anxieties closed around me. The United States was now at the bottom. Would we have to stand upside-down, causing the blood to rush to our heads? Would we need suction-cup shoes to stay on the planet, and would autumn leaves fall up? No, I remembered, an apple once bopped Newton on the head - no need to worry about these things.
Other things troubled me more. Now that we're at the bottom, would our resources and labor be exploited by the new top? Would African, Asian, and Latin American nations structure world trade to their advantage?
Would my neighbors and I have two-dollars-a-day seasonal jobs on peach and strawberry plantations? Would the women and children work from dusk to dawn to scratch survival from the earth of California and Virginia? Would the fruit we picked be shipped from New Orleans and New York for children in Thailand and Ethiopia to hurriedly eat with their cereal so they wouldn't miss the school bus? Would our children, then, spend the morning, not in school, but fetching water two miles away and the afternoon gathering wood for heating and cooking? Would a small ruling class in this country send their daughters and sons to universities in Cairo and Buenos Aires?
Would our economy be dependant upon the goodwill and whims of, say, Brazil? Would Brazil send war planes and guns to Washington, D.C. to assure our willingness to pick apples and tobacco for export while our children went hungry? Would Brazil and Vietnam fight their wars with our sons in our country? Would we consider revolution?
If we did revolt, would the Philippino government plot to put their favorite U.S. general in power, and then uphold him with military aid?
Would we work in sweatshops manufacturing radios for the Chinese? Would our oil be shipped in tankers to Southeast Asia to run their cars, air-conditioning and microwave ovens while most of our towns didnąt even have electricity?
Would top of the world religious leaders call us stubborn pagans upon whom God's judgement had fallen, causing our misery? Would they proclaim from opulent pulpits that if we simply turned to God, our needs would be met?
In my dream, I saw child crying in Calcutta. Her parents wouldn't buy her any more video games until her birthday. I saw her mother drive to the supermarket and load her cart with frozen and junk food, vegetables, cheese, meat, and women's magazines.
I also saw a mother in Houston baking bread in an earthen oven. She had been crying because there were no more beans for her family. One of her children listlessly watched her. He was a blond boy, about six years old. He slowly turned his empty, haunting gaze toward me.
At that point I awoke with a gasp. I saw I was in my own bed, in my own house. It was just a bad dream. I drifted back to sleep, thinking, "It's all right, I'm still on top.
Thank God!"
***
Dreaming Upside-Down
by Tom Peterson
"I dreamed the other night that all the maps in the world had been turned upside down. Library atlases, roadmaps of Cincinnati, wall-sized maps in the war rooms of the great nations, even antique maps with such inscriptions as "Here be Dragons" were flipped over. What had been north was now south, east was west. Like a glob of melting vanilla ice cream, Antarctica now capped schoolroom globes.
In my dream, a cloud of anxieties closed around me. The United States was now at the bottom. Would we have to stand upside-down, causing the blood to rush to our heads? Would we need suction-cup shoes to stay on the planet, and would autumn leaves fall up? No, I remembered, an apple once bopped Newton on the head - no need to worry about these things.
Other things troubled me more. Now that we're at the bottom, would our resources and labor be exploited by the new top? Would African, Asian, and Latin American nations structure world trade to their advantage?
Would my neighbors and I have two-dollars-a-day seasonal jobs on peach and strawberry plantations? Would the women and children work from dusk to dawn to scratch survival from the earth of California and Virginia? Would the fruit we picked be shipped from New Orleans and New York for children in Thailand and Ethiopia to hurriedly eat with their cereal so they wouldn't miss the school bus? Would our children, then, spend the morning, not in school, but fetching water two miles away and the afternoon gathering wood for heating and cooking? Would a small ruling class in this country send their daughters and sons to universities in Cairo and Buenos Aires?
Would our economy be dependant upon the goodwill and whims of, say, Brazil? Would Brazil send war planes and guns to Washington, D.C. to assure our willingness to pick apples and tobacco for export while our children went hungry? Would Brazil and Vietnam fight their wars with our sons in our country? Would we consider revolution?
If we did revolt, would the Philippino government plot to put their favorite U.S. general in power, and then uphold him with military aid?
Would we work in sweatshops manufacturing radios for the Chinese? Would our oil be shipped in tankers to Southeast Asia to run their cars, air-conditioning and microwave ovens while most of our towns didnąt even have electricity?
Would top of the world religious leaders call us stubborn pagans upon whom God's judgement had fallen, causing our misery? Would they proclaim from opulent pulpits that if we simply turned to God, our needs would be met?
In my dream, I saw child crying in Calcutta. Her parents wouldn't buy her any more video games until her birthday. I saw her mother drive to the supermarket and load her cart with frozen and junk food, vegetables, cheese, meat, and women's magazines.
I also saw a mother in Houston baking bread in an earthen oven. She had been crying because there were no more beans for her family. One of her children listlessly watched her. He was a blond boy, about six years old. He slowly turned his empty, haunting gaze toward me.
At that point I awoke with a gasp. I saw I was in my own bed, in my own house. It was just a bad dream. I drifted back to sleep, thinking, "It's all right, I'm still on top.
Thank God!"
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
My ABC's of Slovakia
So I threw this together the other day...I thought it was fun to come up with as random a mix of experiences as I could! Here you go! Enjoy :-)
Angry Tesco cashiers yelling at me because I’m trying to pay for things in the WRONG aisle
*I tried to buy a hair dryer at a Tesco store in the wrong department, and she yelled at me but I couldn’t understand her.
Big giant cemeteries….where are you Beethoven?
*Me and the other volunteers spent almost 2 hours in the Central Cemetery in Vienna, trying to find Beethoven’s and other dead composers’ gravesites, but weren’t successful. We didn’t realize that there were MILLIONS of gravestones in there.
Chicaga! Americanka! Dobrovolnicka!
*The resident Jan Danko at our center calls me “Chicago” or “American” or “Volunteer”. He can’t remember my name, so he usually calls me one of these, or a combination of these. I’ve also tried, as well as the nurses, to explain where I’m from, but nobody knows what Minnesota is. And Chicago is the closest thing he recognizes.
Daj si!
*I hear this phrase a hundred times every day. It’s “help yourself”. If I’m sitting somewhere without food or a drink in my hand, they insist that I eat/drink whatever is around. They aren’t satisfied unless I have food.
Elan!
*They are a really popular music group from Slovakia, and apparently friends of Zuza’s. Sometimes we have tomato soup with alphabet letter noodles for dinner at the center, and Zuza spends a good ten minutes looking through the noodles, trying to find the letters to write out “Elan is the best” in Slovak. She gets really excited and is so proud of herself when she shows me.
Frank and Frank and Frank
*There is a construction project next door to the center, and Frantisek and his son Franktisek (Frank is the American version of the Slovak name) come every week to help. During weeknights, me and Zuza and Frank and Frank get together in her room and try to have conversations. Also, Frankie Sinatra (Zuza’s bird) entertains us every night.
Garbage Incinerator, but no Hundertwausserhaus?
*When I was in Vienna with the other volunteers, we decided we wanted to visit the Hundertwausserhaus. The German artist Hundertwausser helped design this funky house. It has uneven layers, crazy paint jobs and designs, and trees growing from the inside out. We never found the house, but there was a giant garbage incinerator in the area that was painted like the actual house.
Halusky
*This is the traditional Slovak dish. It’s pasta noodles with a special kind of goat’s cheese. It’s pretty good!
Inka speaking to me like a dog, “Krausave, Pani Krausave!”
*One of the nurses, Inka, speaks to me like I’m a dog. I don’t think she has any experience talking to foreigners. Note to all: speaking louder and closer to my face WON”T help me understand better. :-)
Janka, Lubo and El Dorado
*Janka is the first friend (well, friend my age anyway) I met in Koseca. She’s a student at village like 30 km from Koseca, but she comes to Diakonia sometimes to help clean and visit. When she comes into town on the weekends, she always comes to pick me up and we go out for a drink at the pub El Dorado (which is pretty much the only place to go in Koseca, so it’s pretty popular!). We usually meet up with her cousin Lubo too, and I attempt to have conversations with him in Slovak (usually about motorcycles, because he loves them) because he doesn’t speak any English.
Knedla, four pieces instead of two
*Knedla is a type of bread, potato bread, that is another popular and traditional food in Slovakia. It’s usually served with a sauce, cabbage, and chunks of beef or pork. When the cook insists dishing up my food for me, and asks me “how many pieces do you want,” I always say two, but I get four pieces. I’ve learned to adjust to this excessive offering of food.
Listy on the pocitac in THE office
*My internet access at the center is Lubo’s (the main pastor) desk in the main office. When I need to use the computer, Lubo sometimes wanders around and waits for me to finish. “Listy” is letters and “pocitac” is computer. Lubo speaks no English, so when I go to the office, I just say “Pocitac, prosim,” which is “computer please”, or “Mozem robit pocitac,” which is “may I do on the computer”. Translation is a little rough, but he understands.
Milieko alebo chi?
*Milieko alebo chi means “milk or tea?” When I help the nurses with the meal cart and help bring meals to the residents, I hear them say this every meal, and sometimes I ask too. They basically only drink milk or tea. I’ve never seen them drink juice, and they think it’s really strange that I want to just drink water sometimes during/after a meal. They think it’s REALLY crazy when I drink water from the tap.
Nescafe coffee or Turkish coffee
*I drink coffee almost every day, either in the nurse’s room or in the teacher’s lounge at the high school. The two options are both instant. Nescafe is just heaps of Nestle imitation coffee grounds and hot water added. Turkish coffee is interesting…the coffee grounds stay in a big heap at the bottom of the cup, and once you hit a certain point, you get a mouthful of grounds and your teeth turn black.
Old apples for conversations
Whenever I visit the residents or help deliver meals and talk to them, they almost always offer me apples. For some reason, they all have a basket or bag of apples handy all the time, and they’re usually old (and often times not edible…). I told one of the nurses the other day (in Slovak), “The more conversations I have, the more apples I get.” Recently I’ve also been receiving mandarins and kiwi.
Ponosky! Kde tvoj ponosky?
*All of the nurses and most of the residents always wonder why I don’t wear socks indoors. They are always cold, but I’m usually overly warm (because it’s warm, they heat it more than normal because it’s a nursing home), so I like to wear my sandals without socks. They think I’m crazy. I tell them that Minnesota is cold, and I’m used to cold weather. They also laugh at how CRAZY I am when I walk around the center in ONLY socks. They think it's ridiculous that I don't wear slippers sometimes, and that I will get sick.
Questions for Zuza about Slovak grammar, in Slovak
*So words in Slovak have a LOT of different endings, depending on tense or gender. I’m learning more and more words all the time, but I never really understand Slovak grammar. I started trying to ask Zuza, and we have some funny misunderstandings because of it. I usually end up saying something like “No, no, not conversation, is grammar ok??” We always have interesting conversations.
Robert Simko or Dominika, who will win?!?
*My FAVORITE television show (one of the only ones I understand) is Slovensko hlada Superstar (Slovak version of American Idol). Me and Zuza watch it together every week, and we have predicted which two we think will be left at the end: Robert or Dominika. There are five left right now, so we’ll see if we’re right about the last remaining two!
Stvrtok, stvrt, skyrt, where are all the vowels?
*So, the crazy language of Slovak has a bunch of words with NO VOWELS in them! How do you pronounce words with no vowels? Well, let me tell you that it’s definitely not easy. I think I’m getting better though, and people have complimented me on my pronunciation! That’s exciting :-)
Teeter totter time!
*During our first volunteer retreat we took a day trip to Vienna, Austria. Of all the amazing and wonderful things to see and do in Vienna, we spent quite awhile playing on a random teeter totter we found in the middle of an abandoned park. We had a great time, lots of laughs, and we even recorded some video! I think we all needed to relax and retreat to being carefree and playful, because sometimes the realities of our situations is pretty intense.
Ulica a cesta, NIE chodec priatelsky!
*This translates to “Street and road, NOT pedestrian friendly!” This one goes out to the insanity that is European driving. The school I teach at is in the next village, which takes about 2 mintues to get to by car. Yet I wait for the bus every day (probably for about as long of a time as it would take to just walk there). Why do I wait? Because Slovak drivers are CRAZY! CRAZY! They drive fast, they pass each other and weave back into traffic with a second to spare before smashing into other cars, and they’re just nuts. And so I choose to wait 20 minutes to ride the bus safely for two minutes.
Vianoce Stromcek, decorating in Zuza’s room
*One of the first questions Zuza asked me on my first day in Koseca was “Are you going to be here for Christmas?” She has never been a big fan of the Christmas holiday because she’s never really had a family to celebrate with. For the first few months, she kept saying, “Ashley, we’ll cry together on Christmas” and I just kept sharply replying,
“NO! We’re not going to cry on Christmas!”
“We’re not?”
“NO! Christmas is going to be fun!”
With the help of my mom’s Christmas package, I drug my little mini Christmas tree and decorations into Zuza’s room one night (in late November) and insisted that we decorate and start celebrating. She loved it, and the next night she decorated in her room too! Now when she sees me, she is the one telling me, “NO! We’re not going to cry on Christmas!”
Wasabi peas on the train, not paying attention to our stops
*Again, when I was with the other volunteers on our retreat, we spent a whole day in Vienna. It was SO wonderful to see them, and they have become really great friends, even though I’ve only known them for a short time. It felt amazing to be able to share my experiences and frustrations with people who could relate. We took the train to a different part of Vienna, and we were SO engrossed in conversation, laughing, and eating a can of Wasabi nuts that we missed our stop and went almost a half hour past it. How did we find this out? The ticket checker came up to us and told us it was the end of the line and we HAD to get off the train. We didn’t even realize that the train had stopped permanently and that we were the only ones left on it.
X-mas Markets in Vienna and Bratislava
*I haven’t experienced actual Christmas day here in Slovakia just yet, but I have had a great time preparing for it already! Christmas Markets are a really popular thing in Europe, especially this part of Europe. There are dozens of stands with food, drinks, hot wine (traditional Christmas Market seller), Christmas decorations, and other knick-knacks to shop for. The atmosphere is wonderful. Hundreds of people, music playing, lights and trees everywhere. I especially appreciate these markets because they start at the end of November, starting the celebration of Christmas early! Unlike Americans, who seemingly prefer to start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving time, Slovaks embrace it earlier! It’s a fun experience. Also, instead of celebrating Christmas on the 24th and 25th of December, they celebrate on the 6th and 24th. December 6th is the celebration of Mikolas (Slovak version of Santa Claus), because he comes and fills children’s shoes with chocolates and candies. This is also great for getting into the Christmas spirit earlier!
Y and I and J are the same! CRAZY language!
*Again, with the crazy language. The letters “Y”, “I”, and “J” all have the same pronunciation. I think if I ever wanted to write a letter in Slovak, I’d be in serious trouble. I can recognize a lot of words and speak them in return because I have learned through listening and conversation, but I bet that I couldn’t spell ANYTHING correctly in Slovak if my life depended on it.
Zuza, crazy Zuza!
*She is crazy and wonderful! She is the best friend I’ve made since I’ve gotten to Slovakia. She has her fair share of health and family problems, and is living here at the young age of 38. She was in need of a friend, and I was in need of a friend, and I knew within a few hours of arriving in Koseca that God had paired us up for this year.
Angry Tesco cashiers yelling at me because I’m trying to pay for things in the WRONG aisle
*I tried to buy a hair dryer at a Tesco store in the wrong department, and she yelled at me but I couldn’t understand her.
Big giant cemeteries….where are you Beethoven?
*Me and the other volunteers spent almost 2 hours in the Central Cemetery in Vienna, trying to find Beethoven’s and other dead composers’ gravesites, but weren’t successful. We didn’t realize that there were MILLIONS of gravestones in there.
Chicaga! Americanka! Dobrovolnicka!
*The resident Jan Danko at our center calls me “Chicago” or “American” or “Volunteer”. He can’t remember my name, so he usually calls me one of these, or a combination of these. I’ve also tried, as well as the nurses, to explain where I’m from, but nobody knows what Minnesota is. And Chicago is the closest thing he recognizes.
Daj si!
*I hear this phrase a hundred times every day. It’s “help yourself”. If I’m sitting somewhere without food or a drink in my hand, they insist that I eat/drink whatever is around. They aren’t satisfied unless I have food.
Elan!
*They are a really popular music group from Slovakia, and apparently friends of Zuza’s. Sometimes we have tomato soup with alphabet letter noodles for dinner at the center, and Zuza spends a good ten minutes looking through the noodles, trying to find the letters to write out “Elan is the best” in Slovak. She gets really excited and is so proud of herself when she shows me.
Frank and Frank and Frank
*There is a construction project next door to the center, and Frantisek and his son Franktisek (Frank is the American version of the Slovak name) come every week to help. During weeknights, me and Zuza and Frank and Frank get together in her room and try to have conversations. Also, Frankie Sinatra (Zuza’s bird) entertains us every night.
Garbage Incinerator, but no Hundertwausserhaus?
*When I was in Vienna with the other volunteers, we decided we wanted to visit the Hundertwausserhaus. The German artist Hundertwausser helped design this funky house. It has uneven layers, crazy paint jobs and designs, and trees growing from the inside out. We never found the house, but there was a giant garbage incinerator in the area that was painted like the actual house.
Halusky
*This is the traditional Slovak dish. It’s pasta noodles with a special kind of goat’s cheese. It’s pretty good!
Inka speaking to me like a dog, “Krausave, Pani Krausave!”
*One of the nurses, Inka, speaks to me like I’m a dog. I don’t think she has any experience talking to foreigners. Note to all: speaking louder and closer to my face WON”T help me understand better. :-)
Janka, Lubo and El Dorado
*Janka is the first friend (well, friend my age anyway) I met in Koseca. She’s a student at village like 30 km from Koseca, but she comes to Diakonia sometimes to help clean and visit. When she comes into town on the weekends, she always comes to pick me up and we go out for a drink at the pub El Dorado (which is pretty much the only place to go in Koseca, so it’s pretty popular!). We usually meet up with her cousin Lubo too, and I attempt to have conversations with him in Slovak (usually about motorcycles, because he loves them) because he doesn’t speak any English.
Knedla, four pieces instead of two
*Knedla is a type of bread, potato bread, that is another popular and traditional food in Slovakia. It’s usually served with a sauce, cabbage, and chunks of beef or pork. When the cook insists dishing up my food for me, and asks me “how many pieces do you want,” I always say two, but I get four pieces. I’ve learned to adjust to this excessive offering of food.
Listy on the pocitac in THE office
*My internet access at the center is Lubo’s (the main pastor) desk in the main office. When I need to use the computer, Lubo sometimes wanders around and waits for me to finish. “Listy” is letters and “pocitac” is computer. Lubo speaks no English, so when I go to the office, I just say “Pocitac, prosim,” which is “computer please”, or “Mozem robit pocitac,” which is “may I do on the computer”. Translation is a little rough, but he understands.
Milieko alebo chi?
*Milieko alebo chi means “milk or tea?” When I help the nurses with the meal cart and help bring meals to the residents, I hear them say this every meal, and sometimes I ask too. They basically only drink milk or tea. I’ve never seen them drink juice, and they think it’s really strange that I want to just drink water sometimes during/after a meal. They think it’s REALLY crazy when I drink water from the tap.
Nescafe coffee or Turkish coffee
*I drink coffee almost every day, either in the nurse’s room or in the teacher’s lounge at the high school. The two options are both instant. Nescafe is just heaps of Nestle imitation coffee grounds and hot water added. Turkish coffee is interesting…the coffee grounds stay in a big heap at the bottom of the cup, and once you hit a certain point, you get a mouthful of grounds and your teeth turn black.
Old apples for conversations
Whenever I visit the residents or help deliver meals and talk to them, they almost always offer me apples. For some reason, they all have a basket or bag of apples handy all the time, and they’re usually old (and often times not edible…). I told one of the nurses the other day (in Slovak), “The more conversations I have, the more apples I get.” Recently I’ve also been receiving mandarins and kiwi.
Ponosky! Kde tvoj ponosky?
*All of the nurses and most of the residents always wonder why I don’t wear socks indoors. They are always cold, but I’m usually overly warm (because it’s warm, they heat it more than normal because it’s a nursing home), so I like to wear my sandals without socks. They think I’m crazy. I tell them that Minnesota is cold, and I’m used to cold weather. They also laugh at how CRAZY I am when I walk around the center in ONLY socks. They think it's ridiculous that I don't wear slippers sometimes, and that I will get sick.
Questions for Zuza about Slovak grammar, in Slovak
*So words in Slovak have a LOT of different endings, depending on tense or gender. I’m learning more and more words all the time, but I never really understand Slovak grammar. I started trying to ask Zuza, and we have some funny misunderstandings because of it. I usually end up saying something like “No, no, not conversation, is grammar ok??” We always have interesting conversations.
Robert Simko or Dominika, who will win?!?
*My FAVORITE television show (one of the only ones I understand) is Slovensko hlada Superstar (Slovak version of American Idol). Me and Zuza watch it together every week, and we have predicted which two we think will be left at the end: Robert or Dominika. There are five left right now, so we’ll see if we’re right about the last remaining two!
Stvrtok, stvrt, skyrt, where are all the vowels?
*So, the crazy language of Slovak has a bunch of words with NO VOWELS in them! How do you pronounce words with no vowels? Well, let me tell you that it’s definitely not easy. I think I’m getting better though, and people have complimented me on my pronunciation! That’s exciting :-)
Teeter totter time!
*During our first volunteer retreat we took a day trip to Vienna, Austria. Of all the amazing and wonderful things to see and do in Vienna, we spent quite awhile playing on a random teeter totter we found in the middle of an abandoned park. We had a great time, lots of laughs, and we even recorded some video! I think we all needed to relax and retreat to being carefree and playful, because sometimes the realities of our situations is pretty intense.
Ulica a cesta, NIE chodec priatelsky!
*This translates to “Street and road, NOT pedestrian friendly!” This one goes out to the insanity that is European driving. The school I teach at is in the next village, which takes about 2 mintues to get to by car. Yet I wait for the bus every day (probably for about as long of a time as it would take to just walk there). Why do I wait? Because Slovak drivers are CRAZY! CRAZY! They drive fast, they pass each other and weave back into traffic with a second to spare before smashing into other cars, and they’re just nuts. And so I choose to wait 20 minutes to ride the bus safely for two minutes.
Vianoce Stromcek, decorating in Zuza’s room
*One of the first questions Zuza asked me on my first day in Koseca was “Are you going to be here for Christmas?” She has never been a big fan of the Christmas holiday because she’s never really had a family to celebrate with. For the first few months, she kept saying, “Ashley, we’ll cry together on Christmas” and I just kept sharply replying,
“NO! We’re not going to cry on Christmas!”
“We’re not?”
“NO! Christmas is going to be fun!”
With the help of my mom’s Christmas package, I drug my little mini Christmas tree and decorations into Zuza’s room one night (in late November) and insisted that we decorate and start celebrating. She loved it, and the next night she decorated in her room too! Now when she sees me, she is the one telling me, “NO! We’re not going to cry on Christmas!”
Wasabi peas on the train, not paying attention to our stops
*Again, when I was with the other volunteers on our retreat, we spent a whole day in Vienna. It was SO wonderful to see them, and they have become really great friends, even though I’ve only known them for a short time. It felt amazing to be able to share my experiences and frustrations with people who could relate. We took the train to a different part of Vienna, and we were SO engrossed in conversation, laughing, and eating a can of Wasabi nuts that we missed our stop and went almost a half hour past it. How did we find this out? The ticket checker came up to us and told us it was the end of the line and we HAD to get off the train. We didn’t even realize that the train had stopped permanently and that we were the only ones left on it.
X-mas Markets in Vienna and Bratislava
*I haven’t experienced actual Christmas day here in Slovakia just yet, but I have had a great time preparing for it already! Christmas Markets are a really popular thing in Europe, especially this part of Europe. There are dozens of stands with food, drinks, hot wine (traditional Christmas Market seller), Christmas decorations, and other knick-knacks to shop for. The atmosphere is wonderful. Hundreds of people, music playing, lights and trees everywhere. I especially appreciate these markets because they start at the end of November, starting the celebration of Christmas early! Unlike Americans, who seemingly prefer to start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving time, Slovaks embrace it earlier! It’s a fun experience. Also, instead of celebrating Christmas on the 24th and 25th of December, they celebrate on the 6th and 24th. December 6th is the celebration of Mikolas (Slovak version of Santa Claus), because he comes and fills children’s shoes with chocolates and candies. This is also great for getting into the Christmas spirit earlier!
Y and I and J are the same! CRAZY language!
*Again, with the crazy language. The letters “Y”, “I”, and “J” all have the same pronunciation. I think if I ever wanted to write a letter in Slovak, I’d be in serious trouble. I can recognize a lot of words and speak them in return because I have learned through listening and conversation, but I bet that I couldn’t spell ANYTHING correctly in Slovak if my life depended on it.
Zuza, crazy Zuza!
*She is crazy and wonderful! She is the best friend I’ve made since I’ve gotten to Slovakia. She has her fair share of health and family problems, and is living here at the young age of 38. She was in need of a friend, and I was in need of a friend, and I knew within a few hours of arriving in Koseca that God had paired us up for this year.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Don't talk to us until we're done with our burgers!!
So one of my first days at school, I was flipping through one of the English language textbooks here (made and published in the United Kingdom) and found this pretty amusing, so I thought I would share it with you. It makes me laugh, just to be here and see that this is the kind of random information they are learning about us, and they take it really seriously! They are just a few of the ideas from an article in one of the books.
*What time should you expect your foreign business colleagues to arrive? If they’re American, they’ll probably be 15 minutes early.
*American executives sometimes signal their feelings of ease and importance in their offices by putting their feet on the desk whilst on the telephone.
*The Americans sometimes find it difficult to accept the more formal Japanese manners. They prefer to be casual and more informal, as illustrated by the universal “Have a nice day!” American waiters have a one-word imperative “Enjoy!”
*In America, the main topic between strangers is the search to find a geographical link. “Oh, really? You live in Ohio? I had an uncle who once worked there.”
(my favorite)
*In America you should eat your hamburger with both hands and as quickly as possible. You shouldn’t try to have a conversation until it is eaten.
-from The New Headway English Course-Intermediate Student’s Book
I’m busy clearing up all kinds of misconceptions about the U.S. here every day. I’m trying to explain that American high schools are NOT the way they are portrayed in the movies (usually), that we DON’T eat McDonalds and fast food every single day, and that the U.S. isn’t the “easy glamorous life” that they imagine it to be sometimes. I’m keeping a list of opinions my students have of the U.S., more coming soon…
*What time should you expect your foreign business colleagues to arrive? If they’re American, they’ll probably be 15 minutes early.
*American executives sometimes signal their feelings of ease and importance in their offices by putting their feet on the desk whilst on the telephone.
*The Americans sometimes find it difficult to accept the more formal Japanese manners. They prefer to be casual and more informal, as illustrated by the universal “Have a nice day!” American waiters have a one-word imperative “Enjoy!”
*In America, the main topic between strangers is the search to find a geographical link. “Oh, really? You live in Ohio? I had an uncle who once worked there.”
(my favorite)
*In America you should eat your hamburger with both hands and as quickly as possible. You shouldn’t try to have a conversation until it is eaten.
-from The New Headway English Course-Intermediate Student’s Book
I’m busy clearing up all kinds of misconceptions about the U.S. here every day. I’m trying to explain that American high schools are NOT the way they are portrayed in the movies (usually), that we DON’T eat McDonalds and fast food every single day, and that the U.S. isn’t the “easy glamorous life” that they imagine it to be sometimes. I’m keeping a list of opinions my students have of the U.S., more coming soon…
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Band geek for life
I really miss playing in band. I listen to some of our concert pieces and think about how much I miss it sometimes, and realize that I’ll never be in a situation where I can play on a regular basis again. This is the first year I haven’t played in band since I was 10 years old. I also miss the people in the music department, as well as the English department.
I’ve been keeping in touch with some friends who have been filling me in on life back at the good ole’ U of Wisconsin-RF, but it feels really strange to not be there. I really miss my writing workshop classes and the people in them! I wish I had more time and ambition to write (poetry and stories) here in Slovakia, but so far it just hasn’t happened. But I have no doubt that the wonderful experiences I’m having will contribute GREATLY to future writing projects, so I’m collecting memories to use later!
I’ve been keeping in touch with some friends who have been filling me in on life back at the good ole’ U of Wisconsin-RF, but it feels really strange to not be there. I really miss my writing workshop classes and the people in them! I wish I had more time and ambition to write (poetry and stories) here in Slovakia, but so far it just hasn’t happened. But I have no doubt that the wonderful experiences I’m having will contribute GREATLY to future writing projects, so I’m collecting memories to use later!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Some of my Favorites!
So I wanted to talk about a few of my favorite residents thus far:
Edita: She’s 83 and she’s pretty spunky. She likes to talk about how there’s too much sex on T.V. today (someone helped me translate) and she’s a total packrat. She has piles and piles of stuff everywhere, on her tables and shelf. One of the first days I met and attempted to talk with her, she really wanted to know how to spell my name. She had me write it out for her on a piece of paper, and now every time I come into her room to bring her meals or visit, she says “ahoj Ashley!” She is one of the few residents (although the number is increasing in the past few weeks) that knows my name! And if I’m with another nurse in her room, she pulls out the piece of paper with my name on it and shows it to them. Also, when I come to her room sometimes to collect dishes, she sometimes has an entire bowl of soup leftover. When I ask her if she’s finished, she says yes and tells me how disgusting the soup was, and the she didn’t like it. And she makes great faces as she goes on and on. She cracks me up.
Jozef and Kveta: These two, husband and wife, feel like this amazingly sweet couple of grandparents I’ve gained for this year. One time they invited me into their joint room and showed me pictures of their daughter and grandkids. Jozef is a great artist, he used to do wood carvings and there are many little statues and knick knacks that he carved in their little kitchen and living room area. The detail on these is really amazing. He reminds me of my own Grandpa Rhubee in a few ways, especially with the woodcarving. Jozef is at least partially blind and is continuing to lose eyesight, so he has a difficult time getting around at times, but he’s always linked arm in arm with Kveta. He always takes time to try and teach me new words in Slovak and pats me on the shoulder, saying “After one year you’ll speak good Slovak. I’d learn English, but I’m too old.” Kveta always makes sure to greet me and say goodbye when she sees me, and most of the time says “goodnight” in English, instead of Slovak. She’s always rubs my face and sometimes kisses my cheek and tells me I’m pretty. I love these two!
Bozena: I wrote about Bozena before, in my first newsletter. She is the woman I help feed many times every week. I feel bad for her, because I feel like nobody really pays much attention to her. I’ve never seen anybody come visit her, the nurses don’t really take a lot of time to talk to her because she isn’t very responsive, but she CAN talk. I think the nurses think I’m strange for wanting to feed her and spend time with her, but I don’t care. She doesn’t say a lot, but she’s talking more and more with me! And before when I knew hardly any Slovak, I would just say greetings or words here and there to her and she’d smile. Now I can speak a little more and use phrases, and she understands and responds! Also, I discovered she had a little radio at the back of her table the whole time, so I always turn that on when she eats, just for a little more entertainment. Almost ALL of the songs on the radio here are American songs, and I’m an avid radio listener, so I can sing along to pretty much any song on the radio in Slovakia. (One of the first days I came into one of the residents’ rooms, “Umbrella” by Rihanna was playing on their radio! From the bars and clubs of Minneapolis to a Slovak nursing home…) Anyways, I usually sing along while I’m feeding her and she smiles! It’s cute. I also found a photo album on her end table with pictures of her! It was really interesting to look at pictures of her when she was younger (I’m not sure how much younger), laughing and talking. I wonder what she thinks about this strange foreign girl who feeds her, doesn’t speak much Slovak, and looks through her pictures.
Judita and Magda: I just love these two because they smile a lot and enjoy seeing me as much as I enjoy seeing them! They also know my name, and I like just sitting with them and trying to have conversations. They used to be roommates and recently have been separated. I think they miss each other! Magda is now with one of the crazier residents here (she has severe Alzheimers) and Judita lives in their old room by herself. Judita became very sick awhile back and had to have her leg amputated (from above the knee and down) but every time I see her she is happy and content, and usually smiling. These two are pretty cute little ladies!
Vincent: One day I was trying to understand one of the residents in Slovak (in my first couple of weeks) and it wasn’t going very well, and all of the sudden Vincent chimed in…in English! I didn’t expect any of the residents to speak English here. The recent generations here (like in other countries also) are becoming more and more bilingual, and traveling more and more. Up until about fifteen years ago, nobody in Slovakia could leave their own country and travel, due to communism, and the only language they were allowed to learn was Russian, because of the U.S.S.R’s control. So imagine my surprise when this old man in a nursing home just starts speaking in English! I asked my supervisor about him, and he said that Vincent used to be a teacher. I’d like to know where, and when, and I will ask more as my Slovak improve. He doesn’t speak very much English, but he surprises me once in awhile with a new phrase: “How are you doing? Very well, thank you.” Or “Goodnight, and good luck.” Or “For what reason will you be traveling today?” He’s fun to try and speak to. A few times I’ve walked down the hall with him and just trying to say things in Slovak, and having him help me. It’s pretty amazing what the brain can remember as you get older, and when other parts of your body fail you. Vincent reminds me of my Grandma Verna, because while her mind and other parts of her body were failing her in old age, she never forgot how to play those same songs on the piano.
Edita: She’s 83 and she’s pretty spunky. She likes to talk about how there’s too much sex on T.V. today (someone helped me translate) and she’s a total packrat. She has piles and piles of stuff everywhere, on her tables and shelf. One of the first days I met and attempted to talk with her, she really wanted to know how to spell my name. She had me write it out for her on a piece of paper, and now every time I come into her room to bring her meals or visit, she says “ahoj Ashley!” She is one of the few residents (although the number is increasing in the past few weeks) that knows my name! And if I’m with another nurse in her room, she pulls out the piece of paper with my name on it and shows it to them. Also, when I come to her room sometimes to collect dishes, she sometimes has an entire bowl of soup leftover. When I ask her if she’s finished, she says yes and tells me how disgusting the soup was, and the she didn’t like it. And she makes great faces as she goes on and on. She cracks me up.
Jozef and Kveta: These two, husband and wife, feel like this amazingly sweet couple of grandparents I’ve gained for this year. One time they invited me into their joint room and showed me pictures of their daughter and grandkids. Jozef is a great artist, he used to do wood carvings and there are many little statues and knick knacks that he carved in their little kitchen and living room area. The detail on these is really amazing. He reminds me of my own Grandpa Rhubee in a few ways, especially with the woodcarving. Jozef is at least partially blind and is continuing to lose eyesight, so he has a difficult time getting around at times, but he’s always linked arm in arm with Kveta. He always takes time to try and teach me new words in Slovak and pats me on the shoulder, saying “After one year you’ll speak good Slovak. I’d learn English, but I’m too old.” Kveta always makes sure to greet me and say goodbye when she sees me, and most of the time says “goodnight” in English, instead of Slovak. She’s always rubs my face and sometimes kisses my cheek and tells me I’m pretty. I love these two!
Bozena: I wrote about Bozena before, in my first newsletter. She is the woman I help feed many times every week. I feel bad for her, because I feel like nobody really pays much attention to her. I’ve never seen anybody come visit her, the nurses don’t really take a lot of time to talk to her because she isn’t very responsive, but she CAN talk. I think the nurses think I’m strange for wanting to feed her and spend time with her, but I don’t care. She doesn’t say a lot, but she’s talking more and more with me! And before when I knew hardly any Slovak, I would just say greetings or words here and there to her and she’d smile. Now I can speak a little more and use phrases, and she understands and responds! Also, I discovered she had a little radio at the back of her table the whole time, so I always turn that on when she eats, just for a little more entertainment. Almost ALL of the songs on the radio here are American songs, and I’m an avid radio listener, so I can sing along to pretty much any song on the radio in Slovakia. (One of the first days I came into one of the residents’ rooms, “Umbrella” by Rihanna was playing on their radio! From the bars and clubs of Minneapolis to a Slovak nursing home…) Anyways, I usually sing along while I’m feeding her and she smiles! It’s cute. I also found a photo album on her end table with pictures of her! It was really interesting to look at pictures of her when she was younger (I’m not sure how much younger), laughing and talking. I wonder what she thinks about this strange foreign girl who feeds her, doesn’t speak much Slovak, and looks through her pictures.
Judita and Magda: I just love these two because they smile a lot and enjoy seeing me as much as I enjoy seeing them! They also know my name, and I like just sitting with them and trying to have conversations. They used to be roommates and recently have been separated. I think they miss each other! Magda is now with one of the crazier residents here (she has severe Alzheimers) and Judita lives in their old room by herself. Judita became very sick awhile back and had to have her leg amputated (from above the knee and down) but every time I see her she is happy and content, and usually smiling. These two are pretty cute little ladies!
Vincent: One day I was trying to understand one of the residents in Slovak (in my first couple of weeks) and it wasn’t going very well, and all of the sudden Vincent chimed in…in English! I didn’t expect any of the residents to speak English here. The recent generations here (like in other countries also) are becoming more and more bilingual, and traveling more and more. Up until about fifteen years ago, nobody in Slovakia could leave their own country and travel, due to communism, and the only language they were allowed to learn was Russian, because of the U.S.S.R’s control. So imagine my surprise when this old man in a nursing home just starts speaking in English! I asked my supervisor about him, and he said that Vincent used to be a teacher. I’d like to know where, and when, and I will ask more as my Slovak improve. He doesn’t speak very much English, but he surprises me once in awhile with a new phrase: “How are you doing? Very well, thank you.” Or “Goodnight, and good luck.” Or “For what reason will you be traveling today?” He’s fun to try and speak to. A few times I’ve walked down the hall with him and just trying to say things in Slovak, and having him help me. It’s pretty amazing what the brain can remember as you get older, and when other parts of your body fail you. Vincent reminds me of my Grandma Verna, because while her mind and other parts of her body were failing her in old age, she never forgot how to play those same songs on the piano.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
SNOW!
It’s snowing!! For the first time since I’ve come to Slovakia! It’s pretty exciting. It’s finally getting colder outside. From what I’ve heard here so far, I think the weather is very comparable to Minnesota weather, as far as cold temperatures and amounts of snow and ice. We got quite a bit of snow today, enough to put a nice white covering on everything, but I’m REALLY excited for the first real snowstorm! I guess last year was a really mild winter with no snow, so everybody is thinking this winter will be really crazy! Is it snowing where you are???
October Newsletter
Life in Koseca
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
For this newsletter, we were told to unpack the term “missionary” in our own context and calling. In the past, I’ve thought of the word “missionary” as a heavy and loaded term. My idea of the classic missionary was a person who ventured to a land radically different than their own, living in the worst imaginable living conditions in poverty-stricken villages. My stereotypical image of a missionary was one who selflessly brought only the clothes on their back and optimism, loudly proclaiming the gospel and their love for God.
While Slovakia definitely has distinct differences from the U.S., it’s not radically different. I live in a nice, well-kept building and have my own room. I have both internet access and phone access. I can still easily go to a shop and buy Fructis Shampoo, Aquafresh toothpaste, a Snickers candy bar, or a bottle of Sprite. I can even catch Grey’s Anatomy on t.v. here (except my favorite television characters are speaking Slovak instead of English). Believe me when I say that I brought WAY more than the clothes on my back, and many days I struggle with being very optimistic because I’m surrounded by disadvantage, poor health and suffering. And as far as proclaiming the gospel, well, they wouldn’t even be able to understand me because of the language barrier. I’m lucky if I accomplish a small conversation about the weather. So do I feel like a missionary? Sometimes yes, but most times no. Do I still have a strong sense of what the term “missionary” means, or what connotation it carries? I’m not sure. I know it will be something to consider throughout my year of service, and for years to come.
One thing I have learned is that serving God by helping others is usually not a grand gesture. It’s about the small things, as well the bigger. Helping in the kitchen sometimes so the cooks can go home faster, or helping the teachers correct tests so they can spend more time with their families at night, or just attempting to have conversations with those special people that I’ve found here that are lonely and looking for a friend. And often times, I feel like the people I’m meeting here are missionaries also. I feel like they’ve helped me and offered me more help than I’ve been able to offer them in return. I’ve met some truly amazing people.
I learned in my week of orientation that doing mission work is all about accompaniment. I finding more truth in that than I ever imagined I would. Doing mission work isn’t about fixing things, or making situations better, but it’s about being with the people. It’s about experiencing the realities of life with them and learning their ways of life. “I’m here to share my life with you, and please share yours with me too.” And whenever I feel down and frustrated about the language barrier, I think about how much I’ve been able to share with these people, and the friendships I’ve been able to form without ACTUALLY being able to talk to them. It’s truly God’s presence in Koseca.
Peace,
Ashley
Thank you so much for all of your support!! To read more about my experiences, check out my blog online at:
www.ashleyrenslovak.blogspot.com
Address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Email: ashseve@hotmail.com
Phone: 011.421.918.310.062
*To learn about the volunteer options through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, visit: www.elca.org/globalmission
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
For this newsletter, we were told to unpack the term “missionary” in our own context and calling. In the past, I’ve thought of the word “missionary” as a heavy and loaded term. My idea of the classic missionary was a person who ventured to a land radically different than their own, living in the worst imaginable living conditions in poverty-stricken villages. My stereotypical image of a missionary was one who selflessly brought only the clothes on their back and optimism, loudly proclaiming the gospel and their love for God.
While Slovakia definitely has distinct differences from the U.S., it’s not radically different. I live in a nice, well-kept building and have my own room. I have both internet access and phone access. I can still easily go to a shop and buy Fructis Shampoo, Aquafresh toothpaste, a Snickers candy bar, or a bottle of Sprite. I can even catch Grey’s Anatomy on t.v. here (except my favorite television characters are speaking Slovak instead of English). Believe me when I say that I brought WAY more than the clothes on my back, and many days I struggle with being very optimistic because I’m surrounded by disadvantage, poor health and suffering. And as far as proclaiming the gospel, well, they wouldn’t even be able to understand me because of the language barrier. I’m lucky if I accomplish a small conversation about the weather. So do I feel like a missionary? Sometimes yes, but most times no. Do I still have a strong sense of what the term “missionary” means, or what connotation it carries? I’m not sure. I know it will be something to consider throughout my year of service, and for years to come.
One thing I have learned is that serving God by helping others is usually not a grand gesture. It’s about the small things, as well the bigger. Helping in the kitchen sometimes so the cooks can go home faster, or helping the teachers correct tests so they can spend more time with their families at night, or just attempting to have conversations with those special people that I’ve found here that are lonely and looking for a friend. And often times, I feel like the people I’m meeting here are missionaries also. I feel like they’ve helped me and offered me more help than I’ve been able to offer them in return. I’ve met some truly amazing people.
I learned in my week of orientation that doing mission work is all about accompaniment. I finding more truth in that than I ever imagined I would. Doing mission work isn’t about fixing things, or making situations better, but it’s about being with the people. It’s about experiencing the realities of life with them and learning their ways of life. “I’m here to share my life with you, and please share yours with me too.” And whenever I feel down and frustrated about the language barrier, I think about how much I’ve been able to share with these people, and the friendships I’ve been able to form without ACTUALLY being able to talk to them. It’s truly God’s presence in Koseca.
Peace,
Ashley
Thank you so much for all of your support!! To read more about my experiences, check out my blog online at:
www.ashleyrenslovak.blogspot.com
Address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Email: ashseve@hotmail.com
Phone: 011.421.918.310.062
*To learn about the volunteer options through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, visit: www.elca.org/globalmission
Friday, November 2, 2007
Food
So the food experiences I’ve had here have been interesting! I would say, for the most part, that the food isn’t so different from ours. There are definitely differences of course, but it has been a pretty easy transition overall.
*Some foods/drinks that I don’t especially love: Cabbage (in soggy form), Fried bread (with egg, dripping in grease…yikes), hot tea (although I’m getting used to the fruit tea!
But some are tough to swallow), Carbonated water (a.k.a. “gas water”) and Sweet Lunch (dumplings filled with jelly paste, covered with chocolate syrup). The sweet lunch is good, but after two bites it’s too sweet. Oh, and on my third day here I didn’t feel that great after eating the fried bread, so what did they give me to help? Beer. Yes, beer, at 9:30 in the morning, because it’s supposed to make you burp a lot, which will apparently solve the problem. The nurses gave it to me out of their station room (they keep it in the cabinet with other medicines). Ha! Interesting, and a bit ridiculous, I thought. Also not a fan of the warm milk that they serve.
*Some foods that I do love: Halusky (traditional Slovak meal, very popular…noodles with chunks of meat, served with goat cheese), SOUP (all kinds, all the time, all good), potato bread and meat (usually pork, which I like the most), Veggie rice balls (ok, this isn’t actually what they’re called, but I don’t know the name yet…), and pretty much all of their hotdishes and potato creations (there are quite a few).
More than the food itself, I'm not used to the way they eat it. For example, they eat their entire meal first before drinking anything (like big pieces of meat and potatoes, but nothing to drink....how do the old ladies not choke while eating?? No idea). Ok, more to come again soon!
*Some foods/drinks that I don’t especially love: Cabbage (in soggy form), Fried bread (with egg, dripping in grease…yikes), hot tea (although I’m getting used to the fruit tea!
But some are tough to swallow), Carbonated water (a.k.a. “gas water”) and Sweet Lunch (dumplings filled with jelly paste, covered with chocolate syrup). The sweet lunch is good, but after two bites it’s too sweet. Oh, and on my third day here I didn’t feel that great after eating the fried bread, so what did they give me to help? Beer. Yes, beer, at 9:30 in the morning, because it’s supposed to make you burp a lot, which will apparently solve the problem. The nurses gave it to me out of their station room (they keep it in the cabinet with other medicines). Ha! Interesting, and a bit ridiculous, I thought. Also not a fan of the warm milk that they serve.
*Some foods that I do love: Halusky (traditional Slovak meal, very popular…noodles with chunks of meat, served with goat cheese), SOUP (all kinds, all the time, all good), potato bread and meat (usually pork, which I like the most), Veggie rice balls (ok, this isn’t actually what they’re called, but I don’t know the name yet…), and pretty much all of their hotdishes and potato creations (there are quite a few).
More than the food itself, I'm not used to the way they eat it. For example, they eat their entire meal first before drinking anything (like big pieces of meat and potatoes, but nothing to drink....how do the old ladies not choke while eating?? No idea). Ok, more to come again soon!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
My Worries
Here are some of the concerns I had going into my actual placement (as important or stupid as they might be).
*At orientation some of the past Slovakia volunteers told me of the locals’ expectations of them to find their place in the kitchen preparing food. They also told me stories about how some of their favorite memories were of cooking American food for their host families, or learning how to make traditional Slovak dishes. Well, those who know me best can imagine my reaction to this. I absolutely hate to cook/prepare food. I wish it were only this, because if it were just my dislike for cooking that was the problem, I could suck it up and deal with it. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to cook anything either (probably because I’ve been too stubborn and had no interest in learning), so this may be a problem. We’ll see what happens!
*Some of the volunteers told me about local trips they were invited on at their placement, specifically hiking/skiing trips. Again, those who know me best could imagine my reaction to this too…I’m terribly clumsy and uncoordinated, and am scared to try skiing again. I tried it once, and I think it’s better for my own safety (and more importantly, everyone surrounding me) if I don’t attempt it again. Again, we’ll have to see what happens with this.
*Ok, more important concerns. I’m afraid I will be so wrapped up in attempting to learn the language, that Slovak will become my main concern instead of the people I’m with. And the language itself is intimidating. I’m afraid of those days where I’ll be homesick, and wonder if I made the right decision by doing this program (and even more afraid that on those tough days, I won’t be able to remember that it wasn’t my decision and that I’m in the right place because God put me here).
Alright, enough of that. The things I’m excited about outweigh the things I’m afraid of by a LOT. I just wanted to share those, and it always feels good to write things like that down to journal them. Ok, more soon.
*At orientation some of the past Slovakia volunteers told me of the locals’ expectations of them to find their place in the kitchen preparing food. They also told me stories about how some of their favorite memories were of cooking American food for their host families, or learning how to make traditional Slovak dishes. Well, those who know me best can imagine my reaction to this. I absolutely hate to cook/prepare food. I wish it were only this, because if it were just my dislike for cooking that was the problem, I could suck it up and deal with it. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to cook anything either (probably because I’ve been too stubborn and had no interest in learning), so this may be a problem. We’ll see what happens!
*Some of the volunteers told me about local trips they were invited on at their placement, specifically hiking/skiing trips. Again, those who know me best could imagine my reaction to this too…I’m terribly clumsy and uncoordinated, and am scared to try skiing again. I tried it once, and I think it’s better for my own safety (and more importantly, everyone surrounding me) if I don’t attempt it again. Again, we’ll have to see what happens with this.
*Ok, more important concerns. I’m afraid I will be so wrapped up in attempting to learn the language, that Slovak will become my main concern instead of the people I’m with. And the language itself is intimidating. I’m afraid of those days where I’ll be homesick, and wonder if I made the right decision by doing this program (and even more afraid that on those tough days, I won’t be able to remember that it wasn’t my decision and that I’m in the right place because God put me here).
Alright, enough of that. The things I’m excited about outweigh the things I’m afraid of by a LOT. I just wanted to share those, and it always feels good to write things like that down to journal them. Ok, more soon.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
September Newsletter
LIFE IN KOSECA
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
September Newsletter
After almost a month of language training in Velky Slavkov, and “orienteering” in Chicago and Bratislava, I finally arrived in Koseca, Slovakia on September 15th! The village of Koseca is small and quaint (about 2,000 people), and beautiful during the season’s change! Many people ask me “Isn’t it strange for you to go from the United States to Koseca? It’s so small.” They’re all surprised to hear that my hometown of Westbrook, Minnesota is actually even smaller than Koseca, so the size feels like home in many ways. I live and work in “the center” (more formally known as Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie). It is essentially a nursing home, housing almost 50 residents.
It has been quite an interesting adventure, both living and working here!
I spend a lot of my time here helping the nurses: Anka, Vlasta, Eveta, Martin, Milan, Innes, Janka, Viera, Anitka, and Zuza. I’ve been helping with feeding some of the residents, bathing the residents, changing/getting them out of bed, and helping serving meals in the dining room. Almost every day at least once, I get to feed Bozena Krausova, which so far is my favorite part of the day. So far, the only things I know about her are that she used to be a professor in Russia, she doesn’t really like to eat meat, and she smiles when I talk to her! When I’m able to speak more Slovak, I’m going to ask the nurses more about her. I’m very curious to know more about her!
The other part of my volunteer work is teaching English at a high school in the neighboring village of Ilava. I have met many fun people through the school, and have had some interesting times with the students! I was given my own class to teach on Tuesdays and Fridays (10 girls who don’t speak very much English), and I also spend the remainder of those days helping the two head English teachers at Obchodna Akademia: Mirka and Beata. I go to their classes with them and speak about random topics for the students, have conversations with them, or read out of their textbooks for them so they can get listening practice. Mirka and Beata also give their students free time to ask me questions, which has been interesting. Anything from, “Why are you in Slovakia? Do you like Slovak boys?” to “What does America think of Slovakia? What do you think of 9/11, the war on terrorism, and President Bush?” All in all it has been a really great experience! More to come later on classroom adventures!
A main difference I have discovered between our culture and the Slovak culture is the food, and the way in which they eat it. It has been a new adventure every day trying new foods and drinks, eating more soup and cabbage then ever before, and less junk/fattening food. The Slovak people have been extremely friendly and hospitable, and they LOVE to offer food! Another main difference is obviously the language. The language barrier has been quite difficult, but often times exciting! I think I’ve made a lot of progress since being here in Koseca, more than I made in actual language training! I love attempting conversations with the residents, even if my part of the conversation usually only consists of “Dobry den” (Good afternoon), “Ako sa mas?” (How are you) and “Dovidenia” (Goodbye). They sweetly pat me on the head and pinch my cheeks as I listen and attempt to understand. I’m excited for the coming days when I’ll be able to have fuller conversations with them!
I spent the last four years in college trying to discover myself, what I’m capable of doing, and what God’s purpose was for putting me on this Earth. As I chose a major and finished my years of studying, I could say with confidence that:
A) I was not meant to be an educator.
B) I was not meant to work in health care.
Upon arrival in Koseca, I was informed that I would be:
A) Teaching English at a local high school
B) Working with the nurses at the center, caring for the patients
So far on this adventure, He has taught me to open my mind (not only with the jobs I’m doing) in so many aspects and opened new doors for my life that I never imagined would be opened. He’s reminded me that even when I think I know what’s best for my life, it’s actually Him who knows. I look forward to growing in this community of people and seeing how He uses me this year!
Thank you so much for all of your support!! To read more about my experiences, check out my blog online at:
www.ashleyrenslovak.blogspot.com
Address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Email: ashseve@hotmail.com
Phone: 011.421.918.310.062
*To learn about the volunteer options through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, visit: www.elca.org/globalmission
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
September Newsletter
After almost a month of language training in Velky Slavkov, and “orienteering” in Chicago and Bratislava, I finally arrived in Koseca, Slovakia on September 15th! The village of Koseca is small and quaint (about 2,000 people), and beautiful during the season’s change! Many people ask me “Isn’t it strange for you to go from the United States to Koseca? It’s so small.” They’re all surprised to hear that my hometown of Westbrook, Minnesota is actually even smaller than Koseca, so the size feels like home in many ways. I live and work in “the center” (more formally known as Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie). It is essentially a nursing home, housing almost 50 residents.
It has been quite an interesting adventure, both living and working here!
I spend a lot of my time here helping the nurses: Anka, Vlasta, Eveta, Martin, Milan, Innes, Janka, Viera, Anitka, and Zuza. I’ve been helping with feeding some of the residents, bathing the residents, changing/getting them out of bed, and helping serving meals in the dining room. Almost every day at least once, I get to feed Bozena Krausova, which so far is my favorite part of the day. So far, the only things I know about her are that she used to be a professor in Russia, she doesn’t really like to eat meat, and she smiles when I talk to her! When I’m able to speak more Slovak, I’m going to ask the nurses more about her. I’m very curious to know more about her!
The other part of my volunteer work is teaching English at a high school in the neighboring village of Ilava. I have met many fun people through the school, and have had some interesting times with the students! I was given my own class to teach on Tuesdays and Fridays (10 girls who don’t speak very much English), and I also spend the remainder of those days helping the two head English teachers at Obchodna Akademia: Mirka and Beata. I go to their classes with them and speak about random topics for the students, have conversations with them, or read out of their textbooks for them so they can get listening practice. Mirka and Beata also give their students free time to ask me questions, which has been interesting. Anything from, “Why are you in Slovakia? Do you like Slovak boys?” to “What does America think of Slovakia? What do you think of 9/11, the war on terrorism, and President Bush?” All in all it has been a really great experience! More to come later on classroom adventures!
A main difference I have discovered between our culture and the Slovak culture is the food, and the way in which they eat it. It has been a new adventure every day trying new foods and drinks, eating more soup and cabbage then ever before, and less junk/fattening food. The Slovak people have been extremely friendly and hospitable, and they LOVE to offer food! Another main difference is obviously the language. The language barrier has been quite difficult, but often times exciting! I think I’ve made a lot of progress since being here in Koseca, more than I made in actual language training! I love attempting conversations with the residents, even if my part of the conversation usually only consists of “Dobry den” (Good afternoon), “Ako sa mas?” (How are you) and “Dovidenia” (Goodbye). They sweetly pat me on the head and pinch my cheeks as I listen and attempt to understand. I’m excited for the coming days when I’ll be able to have fuller conversations with them!
I spent the last four years in college trying to discover myself, what I’m capable of doing, and what God’s purpose was for putting me on this Earth. As I chose a major and finished my years of studying, I could say with confidence that:
A) I was not meant to be an educator.
B) I was not meant to work in health care.
Upon arrival in Koseca, I was informed that I would be:
A) Teaching English at a local high school
B) Working with the nurses at the center, caring for the patients
So far on this adventure, He has taught me to open my mind (not only with the jobs I’m doing) in so many aspects and opened new doors for my life that I never imagined would be opened. He’s reminded me that even when I think I know what’s best for my life, it’s actually Him who knows. I look forward to growing in this community of people and seeing how He uses me this year!
Thank you so much for all of your support!! To read more about my experiences, check out my blog online at:
www.ashleyrenslovak.blogspot.com
Address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Email: ashseve@hotmail.com
Phone: 011.421.918.310.062
*To learn about the volunteer options through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, visit: www.elca.org/globalmission
Saturday, October 13, 2007
I'm finally at my placement!!
**I've actually been here for one month now...due to limited internet access, I'm a bit behind on my blog, but working on catching up!**
After about a month, I’m finally on my own at my placement. September 15th was the day that all of us volunteers separated and went off in our own directions. I will miss everybody! Some of us are pretty close to each other, but others are on the other side of the country and I know I won’t see them again until our retreat in November. We are getting together in the capital (Bratislava) at the end of November to meet and celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to it!
Anyways, the director of the facility I’m working at (Marcel) picked me up at the train station in Puchov after a 3 hour train ride from Velky Slavkov. I rode the train with Mark and Daniela, which was nice, so the ride went quickly. Marcel had to pick me up in Puchov because my village doesn’t have a train station in it. Puchov is a pretty big city (60,000 people) that is about fifteen miles from Koseca.
The center is very nice!! It was remodeled only a few years ago, so it’s pretty modern. There are two floors with an elevator built in, a nurse’s office and dining room/kitchen. There is a nice patio area with a little picnic shelter attached to the main building, and there is another building currently being built next door. This will be used for more staff and residents rooms, a fitness room, another laundry facility and bathrooms, and more. My room is very nice, it’s cute and decorated with curtains, some artwork, plastic vines, and candles/other knick knacks.
A few minutes after getting there I was introduced to a woman named Zuzana (Zuza for short) who has a room right down the hallway from mine. She was very nice and welcoming!! Within hours I felt SO much better about being here and being alone, and I didn’t feel so alone anymore. She was a little guardian angel right from the start. She made sure I had a spot to sit at dinner, showed me where things were, and took the time to patiently page through the dictionary and look up words so she could communicate with me. She has been SO patient, trying to explain words and things to me (as best as she can with my limited Slovak knowledge). Right away the first night when I got here, I could feel God showing me my new friend. She is 38 years old and has quite a few health problems and physical disabilities. She was thrown out of her house by her brother less than a year ago, so she is living here at the facility. She’s not really a resident, and not really working here, and she is just sort of lost in life right now. It was great because I need her, and she needs me. After weeks of frustration and adjustment, I felt like I was in the right place and I found God through her. She’s wonderful and crazy!
After about a month, I’m finally on my own at my placement. September 15th was the day that all of us volunteers separated and went off in our own directions. I will miss everybody! Some of us are pretty close to each other, but others are on the other side of the country and I know I won’t see them again until our retreat in November. We are getting together in the capital (Bratislava) at the end of November to meet and celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to it!
Anyways, the director of the facility I’m working at (Marcel) picked me up at the train station in Puchov after a 3 hour train ride from Velky Slavkov. I rode the train with Mark and Daniela, which was nice, so the ride went quickly. Marcel had to pick me up in Puchov because my village doesn’t have a train station in it. Puchov is a pretty big city (60,000 people) that is about fifteen miles from Koseca.
The center is very nice!! It was remodeled only a few years ago, so it’s pretty modern. There are two floors with an elevator built in, a nurse’s office and dining room/kitchen. There is a nice patio area with a little picnic shelter attached to the main building, and there is another building currently being built next door. This will be used for more staff and residents rooms, a fitness room, another laundry facility and bathrooms, and more. My room is very nice, it’s cute and decorated with curtains, some artwork, plastic vines, and candles/other knick knacks.
A few minutes after getting there I was introduced to a woman named Zuzana (Zuza for short) who has a room right down the hallway from mine. She was very nice and welcoming!! Within hours I felt SO much better about being here and being alone, and I didn’t feel so alone anymore. She was a little guardian angel right from the start. She made sure I had a spot to sit at dinner, showed me where things were, and took the time to patiently page through the dictionary and look up words so she could communicate with me. She has been SO patient, trying to explain words and things to me (as best as she can with my limited Slovak knowledge). Right away the first night when I got here, I could feel God showing me my new friend. She is 38 years old and has quite a few health problems and physical disabilities. She was thrown out of her house by her brother less than a year ago, so she is living here at the facility. She’s not really a resident, and not really working here, and she is just sort of lost in life right now. It was great because I need her, and she needs me. After weeks of frustration and adjustment, I felt like I was in the right place and I found God through her. She’s wonderful and crazy!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Struggles in Language Training
Hi again! So about a week ago I finished my Slovak language traning. We’ve been in Velky Slavkov for the past two weeks taking a crash language course in Slovak. Honestly, this language is INSANELY difficult, and it was a very frustrating few weeks…but I made it! People keep telling me that it’s one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn…(I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it seems like it could be). Nouns, pronouns, verbs AND adjectives change gender in Slovak!! There are four cases and seven declinations. After two weeks, I still can’t even tell you what a declination is. Whenever our teacher attempted to teach us about them, she just started laughing, along with the German girls, and was like “This is impossible. You don’t even know what this is, they don’t have declinations in English”. Pretty encouraging, haha! The training was helpful of course, but at the end of the two weeks I could only understand a few words of our “listening paragraphs”.
The training was pretty intense. We did four hours every morning after breakfast, and then usually did an hour or so in the afternoons or in early evenings. During our breaks we usually did some studying, and at night we worked on our homework assignments for the following day. Since we were in a small village, there wasn’t a lot to do during the days. We usually went for walks just to get exercise, and once in awhile we would take the train over to the neighboring city of Poprod to go to an internet café. Basically, it was a LOT of Slovak in a short time, and hopefully my brain absorbed more information than I think it did. I guess I will have to see, once I get to the point where I can speak in sentences and worry about tenses and things. Our teacher was a student who is living and studying at a University in Kosice, Slovakia (second biggest city in Slovakia, Eastern part). Zuska’s English is pretty good! She plans to become an interpreter in England after she graduates in a year. She was helpful with the language, and just general questions about the country. She introduced us to Slovak Superstar, which is Slovakia’s version of “American Idol” and it’s hilarious. We spent a few nights watching that, and a few other television shows, attempting to pick out words in Slovak. I will keep you updated also on how the language is going! More coming soon!
The training was pretty intense. We did four hours every morning after breakfast, and then usually did an hour or so in the afternoons or in early evenings. During our breaks we usually did some studying, and at night we worked on our homework assignments for the following day. Since we were in a small village, there wasn’t a lot to do during the days. We usually went for walks just to get exercise, and once in awhile we would take the train over to the neighboring city of Poprod to go to an internet café. Basically, it was a LOT of Slovak in a short time, and hopefully my brain absorbed more information than I think it did. I guess I will have to see, once I get to the point where I can speak in sentences and worry about tenses and things. Our teacher was a student who is living and studying at a University in Kosice, Slovakia (second biggest city in Slovakia, Eastern part). Zuska’s English is pretty good! She plans to become an interpreter in England after she graduates in a year. She was helpful with the language, and just general questions about the country. She introduced us to Slovak Superstar, which is Slovakia’s version of “American Idol” and it’s hilarious. We spent a few nights watching that, and a few other television shows, attempting to pick out words in Slovak. I will keep you updated also on how the language is going! More coming soon!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
My address:
Hello again! Here is my contact information:
Mailing address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Phone #:
011-421-918-310-062
Ok, more to come soon!! :-)
Mailing address:
Ashley Severson
Stredisko Evanjelickej diakonie
Koseca 898
018 64
Slovakia
Phone #:
011-421-918-310-062
Ok, more to come soon!! :-)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Technical Difficulties
Hi! So, I’m having technical difficulties with setting up pictures and video. I will keep trying, and hopefully they will be coming soon! The blog pages are in Slovak, and the internet connection here at the facility is dial-up, so that’s the recipe for no success yet! I think I’ve figured out which buttons to press to choose and picture and upload it, but they take a LONG time to upload. Anyway, know that I’m working on it. Ok, more soon!
Arrival in Velky Slavkov
So our little group of nine (the four German girls, myself, Kristen, Mark, and Jessica) arrived in the little village of Velky Slavkov on September 2nd. The train station isn’t really a station, but a little garage sized shack out in the middle of nowhere, pretty much. We were greeted by the Tatras mountains…very beautiful scenary! Much different than being in the city, in Bratislava. We were immediately greeted by two young boys (I would guess about ages 8 or 9). They immediately asked “where is Kya?” Kya apparently was the volunteer from our program that had served there the previous year, and she made quite an impression on this village! Many kids and adults asked us where she was in the first few days, and a reality hit me with this. Volunteers can make quite an impact on people, especially in smaller villages (and my placement is in a smaller village) and are paid attention to very closely! It made me a bit nervous to live up to expectations they might have of previous volunteers, but also excited that I’ve been given the gift of time here. I’ve been given a whole year to build friendships, make connections, and become a part of daily life here in Slovakia, and for that I’m very grateful.
Once Daniela told the boys that we were a new group of volunteers, it didn’t take them long to warm up to us and get excited. They crowded around Mark (everyone we’ve talked to so far is quite thrilled that a male volunteer is in Slovakia!) and gave him a pen so he could write his name on their arms! It was pretty entertaining. They did the same to Kristen eventually. I took pictures, and the boys ran over to me in excitement to see them on my camera screen.
When it came time for everyone to head up the little hill leading into the village, the boys INSISTED on carrying our luggage for us! This is pretty crazy, considering these boys are pretty scrawny, and probably about the same size as the bags we were carrying (and probably about half of the weight…these bags are carrying a year’s worth of stuff!). Anyways, they dragged a rolling suitcase each up the little hill into town, stopping only a few times for breaks. About halfway up the hill, they decided that they were pretty macho and that they could each take TWO suitcases up the hill, one in each hand. So they did. When we finally arrived at the center, the two boys collapsed in the front yard! HAHA! I’m pretty impressed. After carrying just one I probably would’ve been laying there next to them. Hard little workers!
The facility we stayed at was a Christian Retreat Center, newly built within the last few years. It was very nice! All eight of us girls stayed in a big room together, which was REALLY nice. There were actually three separate rooms (one in the little attic, and two downstairs) and a bathroom set. Poor Mark (being the only guy) was again by himself in his own room, but I don’t think he minds too much. The rooms were named after different books of the Bible. The girls stayed in Esther, and Mark stayed in Nehemiah.
After our first meal at the facility (spaghetti with beans and chunks of hot dog in it), we were invited to the church next door for a music concert. Our language teacher, Zuska, said she didn’t know how good it would be, but we went anyway because we wanted to check it out. It was hilarious. The first few rows were filled with people, and then us and a bunch of teenage guys were in the back. The concert began with a blat noise from the balcony above us, coming from a trombone player. This trombone player played for probably fifteen minutes for the first song, but he didn’t actually play a lot…he just sort of held LONG, drone-like, out of tune notes. He held an out of tune note while he traveled from the balcony down to the main flower and held it as he made is way down the aisle up to the front. Once he got to the front, he finally switched to a different note, and then he started spinning in a circle! He was spinning for at least five minutes, still playing this one note, still out of tune. We tried REALLY hard not to laugh, and it was going okay, until Zuska (the only native Slovakian) started laughing out loud when the trombone player ripped the mute out of his instrument and threw it at the ground (it made a loud cracking noise), and after that we lost it. We weren’t the first ones to laugh, or to leave. I felt bad! Most of the people in the church were snickering, and at least fifteen people from the back rows, where we were sitting, filed out of the church before the trombone player finished his first song. We stayed for a few more songs after that, one more number by the spinning trombone player, and then a woman sang a folk song with her guitar (also a bit drone-like and out of tune). It was a pretty funny experience, and I was surprised at how the locals behaved. Especially for a volunteer performance at a church! Pretty crazy.
Once Daniela told the boys that we were a new group of volunteers, it didn’t take them long to warm up to us and get excited. They crowded around Mark (everyone we’ve talked to so far is quite thrilled that a male volunteer is in Slovakia!) and gave him a pen so he could write his name on their arms! It was pretty entertaining. They did the same to Kristen eventually. I took pictures, and the boys ran over to me in excitement to see them on my camera screen.
When it came time for everyone to head up the little hill leading into the village, the boys INSISTED on carrying our luggage for us! This is pretty crazy, considering these boys are pretty scrawny, and probably about the same size as the bags we were carrying (and probably about half of the weight…these bags are carrying a year’s worth of stuff!). Anyways, they dragged a rolling suitcase each up the little hill into town, stopping only a few times for breaks. About halfway up the hill, they decided that they were pretty macho and that they could each take TWO suitcases up the hill, one in each hand. So they did. When we finally arrived at the center, the two boys collapsed in the front yard! HAHA! I’m pretty impressed. After carrying just one I probably would’ve been laying there next to them. Hard little workers!
The facility we stayed at was a Christian Retreat Center, newly built within the last few years. It was very nice! All eight of us girls stayed in a big room together, which was REALLY nice. There were actually three separate rooms (one in the little attic, and two downstairs) and a bathroom set. Poor Mark (being the only guy) was again by himself in his own room, but I don’t think he minds too much. The rooms were named after different books of the Bible. The girls stayed in Esther, and Mark stayed in Nehemiah.
After our first meal at the facility (spaghetti with beans and chunks of hot dog in it), we were invited to the church next door for a music concert. Our language teacher, Zuska, said she didn’t know how good it would be, but we went anyway because we wanted to check it out. It was hilarious. The first few rows were filled with people, and then us and a bunch of teenage guys were in the back. The concert began with a blat noise from the balcony above us, coming from a trombone player. This trombone player played for probably fifteen minutes for the first song, but he didn’t actually play a lot…he just sort of held LONG, drone-like, out of tune notes. He held an out of tune note while he traveled from the balcony down to the main flower and held it as he made is way down the aisle up to the front. Once he got to the front, he finally switched to a different note, and then he started spinning in a circle! He was spinning for at least five minutes, still playing this one note, still out of tune. We tried REALLY hard not to laugh, and it was going okay, until Zuska (the only native Slovakian) started laughing out loud when the trombone player ripped the mute out of his instrument and threw it at the ground (it made a loud cracking noise), and after that we lost it. We weren’t the first ones to laugh, or to leave. I felt bad! Most of the people in the church were snickering, and at least fifteen people from the back rows, where we were sitting, filed out of the church before the trombone player finished his first song. We stayed for a few more songs after that, one more number by the spinning trombone player, and then a woman sang a folk song with her guitar (also a bit drone-like and out of tune). It was a pretty funny experience, and I was surprised at how the locals behaved. Especially for a volunteer performance at a church! Pretty crazy.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Visit to Parliment
Hi again! So on one of our free days in Bratislava, we went with our country coordinator, Daniela, to see the Bratislava castle. On the way there, we stopped to look at the Slovak Republic Parliament building. We soon found out that it was a free observation day there, and decided to tour the building! I guess at this time of year every year there are a lot of celebrations going on because it’s the anniversary of the signing of the Slovak Republic constitution in early September. It was amazing how relaxed security was, and how freely we could wander around the building. It made me remember going through Parliament in London when I was here a few years ago. The process of even getting into London’s Parliament doors took over an hour, with multiple metal detectors and bag/body pat searches, not to mention the tight security and limited access to what we could see after we actually got through the building. We went through one detector in this building, had a quick purse/bag check, and that was it. Also, we were able to go through pretty much the entire building. We got to go into the main offices of the five chairmen, as well as other rooms with video clips honoring the country’s history and displays of original flags and gavels and things. We got to go in the main council room where meetings are held. We got to go up into the balcony and see the view from the press boxes, as well as go down on the main floor. They even let people sit in the high-rise seats in the front, where the president of Slovakia and other government officials would sit. One thing that was really exciting too, (and I never thought I’d hear myself say this) was that we got to see and KEEP a copy of their constitution! They were giving out nice book copies in Slovak, English, and German! It was exciting to be able to read it.
I think the greatest part about our trip to the Parliament building was the entertainment going out in front of the building. While we were still in the building, we saw kids and teenagers running around in groups, dressed in costumes (which we assumed were traditional country costumes). Daniela told us that each city/town in the country has their own unique pattern or style of uniform that represents that area. There was a stage set up outside where each group was performing a traditional song or dance wearing their area’s costume. It was great!! We watched for almost an hour and got to see quite a few different types of performances. The girls’ costumes were usually long dresses with an overlapping apron of some kind, and the colors and designs were all unique. The guys’ costumes were usually a shirt with some type of vest, a hat, and pants. The girls sang a lot of folk songs, usually in a nasal-pitched tone, and they yipped/screamed short little screams while they’re dancing. It’s strange, and at first I thought the screams were coming from the small kids at the front of the stage. I’m going to post video clips I took of the dancing, and if you listen you can hear the screechy yips they make! There were a few all male groups that went up that told folk stories, and did more acting and dancing, but not much singing. Anyways, check out the clips and pictures from the dancing. Sorry if they aren’t up right away, but eventually they will be. Hope all is well, talk again soon!
I think the greatest part about our trip to the Parliament building was the entertainment going out in front of the building. While we were still in the building, we saw kids and teenagers running around in groups, dressed in costumes (which we assumed were traditional country costumes). Daniela told us that each city/town in the country has their own unique pattern or style of uniform that represents that area. There was a stage set up outside where each group was performing a traditional song or dance wearing their area’s costume. It was great!! We watched for almost an hour and got to see quite a few different types of performances. The girls’ costumes were usually long dresses with an overlapping apron of some kind, and the colors and designs were all unique. The guys’ costumes were usually a shirt with some type of vest, a hat, and pants. The girls sang a lot of folk songs, usually in a nasal-pitched tone, and they yipped/screamed short little screams while they’re dancing. It’s strange, and at first I thought the screams were coming from the small kids at the front of the stage. I’m going to post video clips I took of the dancing, and if you listen you can hear the screechy yips they make! There were a few all male groups that went up that told folk stories, and did more acting and dancing, but not much singing. Anyways, check out the clips and pictures from the dancing. Sorry if they aren’t up right away, but eventually they will be. Hope all is well, talk again soon!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Bratislava Adventures!
Hello again!
So after saying goodbye to everyone on Monday morning (August 27th) we all parted ways and headed off in our seperate country groups. There are five of us from the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Program that are in Slovakia for the year: Me, Mary (from Oklahoma), Kristin (from Pennsylvania), Jessica (from Pennsylvania) and Mark (from Virginia). Mary headed back home after orientation week and she'll meet up with us on Sept. 5th, but the four of us got on board our flight to Munich! The flight wasn't bad. I took Benadryll to help with sinus pressure, and it put me to sleep almost right away! As soon as we got into the Munich airport and went through security again, I instantly noticed how loud we are, as Americans. The time I was abroad, someone had to bring it to my attention before I noticed, but now I can see it right away. I paid attention to the looks and/or glares we got when conversed...and so it begins. I think this will be an eye opening year in so many ways, and one being the stereotypes people have of me because I carry an American passport. We were even advised at orientation to buy a passport cover, to draw less attention to ourselves.
After a five hour wait in the Munich airport, we boarded our small plane to Bratislava for a 50 minute flight. As we were boarding we met two American men that had been in Bratislava many times to work in the past 10 years or so. One of the men was a gypsy, and worked with a Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's interesting because there are many gypsies in Slovakia (Roma Gypsies), and I'm still not exactly what it means to be a gypsy. He works with a program similar to the one we are on with Young Adults in Global Mission, and he was really excited to meet us! He told us we were his heroes and said he was praying for us. He answered a lot of our questions about the country and was very encouraging. "Oh, they're just going to love you over there! They're such friendly people!" He taught us a few words, and he said that my pronunciation was very impressive! YEAH! Good sign, I hope...I guess we'll find out at language training. Anyways, he was very helpful, and made sure we made it into the right place for immigration and baggage claim and then waved goodbye.
We found our country coordinator right away, Daniela, and she is amazing!! Very sweet and welcoming, and brought us to our hostel. Later in the day we met the four German volunteers we will be having orientation with, and will be meeting up with throughout the year: Ann, Emilye, Maike, and Linda. It has been really interesting, and a great experience getting to know them! I almost feel like I'm preparing to serve in Germany, because I've learned a lot abou their culture through conversations with these four. They all just graduated from high school (ages 18, 19, and 20) and are from different parts of Germany, also serving for a year in Slovakia.
Ok, time to sleep! Goodnight all!
So after saying goodbye to everyone on Monday morning (August 27th) we all parted ways and headed off in our seperate country groups. There are five of us from the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Program that are in Slovakia for the year: Me, Mary (from Oklahoma), Kristin (from Pennsylvania), Jessica (from Pennsylvania) and Mark (from Virginia). Mary headed back home after orientation week and she'll meet up with us on Sept. 5th, but the four of us got on board our flight to Munich! The flight wasn't bad. I took Benadryll to help with sinus pressure, and it put me to sleep almost right away! As soon as we got into the Munich airport and went through security again, I instantly noticed how loud we are, as Americans. The time I was abroad, someone had to bring it to my attention before I noticed, but now I can see it right away. I paid attention to the looks and/or glares we got when conversed...and so it begins. I think this will be an eye opening year in so many ways, and one being the stereotypes people have of me because I carry an American passport. We were even advised at orientation to buy a passport cover, to draw less attention to ourselves.
After a five hour wait in the Munich airport, we boarded our small plane to Bratislava for a 50 minute flight. As we were boarding we met two American men that had been in Bratislava many times to work in the past 10 years or so. One of the men was a gypsy, and worked with a Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's interesting because there are many gypsies in Slovakia (Roma Gypsies), and I'm still not exactly what it means to be a gypsy. He works with a program similar to the one we are on with Young Adults in Global Mission, and he was really excited to meet us! He told us we were his heroes and said he was praying for us. He answered a lot of our questions about the country and was very encouraging. "Oh, they're just going to love you over there! They're such friendly people!" He taught us a few words, and he said that my pronunciation was very impressive! YEAH! Good sign, I hope...I guess we'll find out at language training. Anyways, he was very helpful, and made sure we made it into the right place for immigration and baggage claim and then waved goodbye.
We found our country coordinator right away, Daniela, and she is amazing!! Very sweet and welcoming, and brought us to our hostel. Later in the day we met the four German volunteers we will be having orientation with, and will be meeting up with throughout the year: Ann, Emilye, Maike, and Linda. It has been really interesting, and a great experience getting to know them! I almost feel like I'm preparing to serve in Germany, because I've learned a lot abou their culture through conversations with these four. They all just graduated from high school (ages 18, 19, and 20) and are from different parts of Germany, also serving for a year in Slovakia.
Ok, time to sleep! Goodnight all!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Orientation week
Hello everybody! Sorry it took so long to post again, but I'm back! I'm actually currently in Slovakia, day 3! Although, I'm going to back track to last week before I dive into more recent adventures. So I left on August 19th to fly to Chicago for Orientation. Orientation was held at McCormick Seminary at the University of Chicago, pretty much in downtown. It was really nice to be in the U.S. for a while longer, to pick up any extra things we needed if we forgot them at home. We got there a few hours later than scheduled. Everyone had a long day because of the bad weather causing delays and things, but we all eventually got there fine. We had orientation with 2 other volunteers from the Reformed Chruch in America, and with 20-some volunteers from the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). There were about 63 of us all together, so a pretty big group! The countries the ELCA Young Adults will be volunteering are: Argentina, Mexico, Slovakia, Scotland, England, Germany, Kenya, India, and the Philippines. The other two churches will be sending volunteers to some of the same countries, as well as Ghana, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Northern Ireland.
I was pleasantly surprised with orientation. It was loaded with speakers who lectured about religion, globalization, and racism. We had daily bible studies with Pastor Al Starr, who is a pastor at a Lutheran church in Los Angeles, CA. He was very inspiring and covered a lot of different ideas and pieces of scripture in only a week. He offered out his congregation to be a prayer partner (or support group) for anyone who was interested, so I put my name on the list. I’m thankful to have all of your support and prayers, and now I also have a congregation in Los Angeles praying for me too! Amazing.
I was inspired not only by the speakers that week, but also by all of the other volunteers. I was in amazing company all week long. I met so many interesting people my age that had great faiths and shared a lot of the same interests. I feel slightly frustrated with myself at times because I feel like I’m setting myself up for this never-ending process of meeting people, then saying goodbye, then meeting people, then saying goodbye, then meeting people, etc. It was hard to get close to everyone, and then have to say goodbye AGAIN, after we all had to say goodbye to our own families and friends for a year. After a week at orientation, I feel very comforted by the support system I have in my fellow volunteers. It’s amazing to think that there are 60 other people, all scattered around the world, that are going through similar experiences at the same time.
Ok, will try to write again soon! Hope everyone is well, take care!
I was pleasantly surprised with orientation. It was loaded with speakers who lectured about religion, globalization, and racism. We had daily bible studies with Pastor Al Starr, who is a pastor at a Lutheran church in Los Angeles, CA. He was very inspiring and covered a lot of different ideas and pieces of scripture in only a week. He offered out his congregation to be a prayer partner (or support group) for anyone who was interested, so I put my name on the list. I’m thankful to have all of your support and prayers, and now I also have a congregation in Los Angeles praying for me too! Amazing.
I was inspired not only by the speakers that week, but also by all of the other volunteers. I was in amazing company all week long. I met so many interesting people my age that had great faiths and shared a lot of the same interests. I feel slightly frustrated with myself at times because I feel like I’m setting myself up for this never-ending process of meeting people, then saying goodbye, then meeting people, then saying goodbye, then meeting people, etc. It was hard to get close to everyone, and then have to say goodbye AGAIN, after we all had to say goodbye to our own families and friends for a year. After a week at orientation, I feel very comforted by the support system I have in my fellow volunteers. It’s amazing to think that there are 60 other people, all scattered around the world, that are going through similar experiences at the same time.
Ok, will try to write again soon! Hope everyone is well, take care!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My facility
This is the facility I was placed at!
www.diakoniakoseca.sk/home.htm
None of the website is in english, but you can still check out pictures of it. I'm pretty anxious to see what it's like. This is what my country coordinator has told me about it so far...
"The center of Evangelical Lutheran Diakonia is situated in Trencin county. And was established in September 1996, with capacity of 17 clients and 9 employees. In 2005 the capacity was enlarged at the upper parts of the centre and finished at the same year, so first clients could move in in December. At the present time capacity of the center is 40 clients, for them the center provides a social welfare for pensioners. Most of them are stays 24/7 at the center, where they're having board and lodging, medical care, rehabilitation /if needed/, pedicure, hairdresser, massage, counseling, pastoral care, and other free time activities… Pastoral care is done by Mr. Lubomir Marcina, every Sunday at 11.00 a.m. , Marcel Brece is a director of the center, As I mentioned before, capacity is 40 beds, there are 19 employees at the center and 6 volunteers, opening hours for visitors are from 1 – 5 p.m."
www.diakoniakoseca.sk/home.htm
None of the website is in english, but you can still check out pictures of it. I'm pretty anxious to see what it's like. This is what my country coordinator has told me about it so far...
"The center of Evangelical Lutheran Diakonia is situated in Trencin county. And was established in September 1996, with capacity of 17 clients and 9 employees. In 2005 the capacity was enlarged at the upper parts of the centre and finished at the same year, so first clients could move in in December. At the present time capacity of the center is 40 clients, for them the center provides a social welfare for pensioners. Most of them are stays 24/7 at the center, where they're having board and lodging, medical care, rehabilitation /if needed/, pedicure, hairdresser, massage, counseling, pastoral care, and other free time activities… Pastoral care is done by Mr. Lubomir Marcina, every Sunday at 11.00 a.m. , Marcel Brece is a director of the center, As I mentioned before, capacity is 40 beds, there are 19 employees at the center and 6 volunteers, opening hours for visitors are from 1 – 5 p.m."
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Hi everybody!
Hi all! I just wanted to get my blog started and let everybody know that I'll be leaving for Chicago in FIVE days!!! Wow. I'll be there for about a week for group orientation, and then off to Bratislava on the 27th of August.
I wanted to say thank you to everybody too!! I can't even put into words how thankful I am to all of you, whether you donated money to help me get here, or if you're praying or thinking of me...and thank you if you're here reading this! Thank you for any forms of support you've offered!! I will be in touch as often as possible, so be sure to come back here and check. Also, if you want to contact me by email, you can reach me at ashseve@hotmail.com. I'll be sending out monthly newsletters, or posting them on here (or both, not sure yet).
Take care! I'll be in touch soon. :-)
I wanted to say thank you to everybody too!! I can't even put into words how thankful I am to all of you, whether you donated money to help me get here, or if you're praying or thinking of me...and thank you if you're here reading this! Thank you for any forms of support you've offered!! I will be in touch as often as possible, so be sure to come back here and check. Also, if you want to contact me by email, you can reach me at ashseve@hotmail.com. I'll be sending out monthly newsletters, or posting them on here (or both, not sure yet).
Take care! I'll be in touch soon. :-)
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