Ok, so I'm in my new placement now, but I'd like to jump back to Koseca days and write a few more blogs for you (since things were hectic with holidays, travel, and placement switching for the last month).
My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because it's kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had the tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.
So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got two Advent calenders with chocolate pieces in them, so I was set for chocolate for the next two months at least. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.
I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I got a stocking, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant door hanging of Santa Claus on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)
I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak)holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!
(part 2 coming soon....)
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