Sunday, December 24, 2006

Life in Britain at Christmas


It's just as well I arrived back in the UK on the 16th. Travelling has been total mayhem, thanks to a week of heavy fog. British Airways cancelled all domestic flights for three days leaving a massive backlog of people who had to camp in the airport overnight.

Still, it's nice to be back in Britain to see friends and to pull some Xmas crackers like the one above. More later

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Stroppy Christmas and a grumpy new year





















I'm back in Britain for three weeks, so I would like to wish you all a merry xmas. Don't forget that it's meant to be the season to be jolly!!!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

More travel classes



This is the last week I have to run intensive travel classes for Slovaks. The group I have this week is relatively small in comparison to the other classes. They are also have a much lower level of English in comparison to the other groups, which makes things difficult when you have prepared for higher levels. Most of our original material was aimed at intermediate to upper-intermdiate levels.
As a result, I have had to go back to basics with the group and take things slowly with them.
That said, this small group are a lovely bunch of people who are motivated, fun-loving and enthusiastic. Having a smaller class in compared with the other groups also makes things easier.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Stroppy restaurant services

Bratislava has many restaurants that offer cheap and substantial food. For about 2GBP, one can get a half-decent pizza with at least 2 toppings. In the old town, prices are slightly more expensive. However, the service in many places is still very Soviet Union as they rarely smile or say thank you never mind the Slovak phrase 'Dobrou Chut' meaning 'Have a good meal.' Instead, a grumpy but sexy looking woman will throw a menu at you and will assume that you know what you want straight away. She will then say 'Ano?' (meaning yes). It doesn't matter whether you speak Slovak or not. The waiters in some places will treat you equally - like s***. Some don't appreciate the fact you are a foreigner trying to speak their language - they'll still be grumpy with you.
After ordering, the waiter/waitress will come round again and slam a beer on your
table and just walk away. 10 minutes later, she will give you your main course and slam the plate on your table. If you're lucky, the waiter might mumble 'enjoy.'
Because of the sloppy, stroppy service, I rarely leave a tip. I sometimes pay with lots of loose change, which annoys them even more.
That said, there are some places where you can get service with a smile. Slang bar in the old town is one place where you get even more than a smile, especially from the gay waiter. Even the people working for a pittance in McDonald's can be more polite than some places.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Helpful Slovaks and the cheapest haircut ever. ??

Despite some cultural annoyances, many, especially young Slovaks are very helpful. They are aware of how some Slovak businesses and companies like to find ways of ripping off expats. When doing business in Slovakia, it is worth asking a Slovak. I asked my beautiful friend Barborka where the best place was to get a hair cut in Pezinok. She kindly took me to a place that cut my hair for 50p. It turned out to be a hairdressing school which was cheap and cheerful. They were so happy to give an Englishman a haircut. Getting a haircut when you don't know the language can be difficult, so it is handy when you have a lovely lady like Barborka to translate everything from short back and sides and an inch off the top into Slovak.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Cultural Annoyances

Every place has cultural annoyances that frustrate outsiders. Annoyances in different countries range from inefficient services to stupid, pointless rules.

Bratislava has more then its fair share of cultural annoyances. Like most cities, it has some excellent, stylish bars. However, getting a drink in your favourite bar on a Friday night can be sometimes difficult. You walk into your favourite bar such as Nu Spirit and see five empty tables that yo cannot sit in as they are reserved for other people. The sign says 'Reserve od. (from) 20.00'. Althoughthe time is 22.00 and no one has arrived, you still cannot sit there. This can be such a pain especially as you and your friends are confined to a tight corner in the bar or restaurant.

Another annoyance is extra baggage at Bratislava airport. Bratislava Airport charges way above the standard 5 Euro per extra kg fee in most European airports. The staff at Bratislava tried to charge 9 Euros per extra kg. Be warned.

My final annoyance is Bratislava's overpriced and inefficient internet cafes. In some internet cafes, one cannot surf the net without being gassed by foul cigarette smoke and being frustrated with noisy kids playing Warcraft and Counterstrike. The staff in many cafes don't want to help you - the just want to take your money and get pissed. What's most annoying, the computers are often old beige boxes that still run on Windows 98 that run at snail's pace.
Next week: Restaurant Service.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Next Apache Second-hand bookshop: Jewel in the town


















One of most vibrant cafe/bookstores in Bratislava is the Next Apache bookstore on Panenska Street. It was set up by a Canadian in 2004 who came here and fell in love with the city. Located in a 400 year-old building, the bookstore is a haven for foreigners and locals alike who want to chill out in nice surroundings.
One can sit here for hours, play chess, read English books and magazines and drink real tea on the cafe's comfy sofas. Alongside old Stephen King paperbacks, there are many old books of Bratislava's glory days before capitalism reshaped the city with graffiti and billboards with women wearing next to nothing to advertise perfume. What's more, Next Apache has live music and exhibitions at weekends.
Link



  • Next Apache Bookstore

  • Monday, November 27, 2006

    Intensive travel Courses

    The next three weeks are going to be hectic as I have some intensive travel courses to teach. A group of seven students from all over Slovakia have signed up to come all the way from Eastern Slovakia for me to throw roleplays and give them some voabulary about hotels and travelling.
    The first half of my lesson was fine. Just loads of comparing expensive hotels and some vocabulary on facilities in hotels. The aim of the second half of my first lesson was about complain and how to deal with complaints in hotels. I decided to entertain them with a bit of Fawlty Towers where Basil has to deal with hotel inspectors. Although they found it funny, I think it would've been more beneficial to leave this one out as it wasted a good 5 minutes of precious time.

    The students as usual are fit and friendly. There is only one guy on the course, which is nice. However, these students seem more interested in finding out about me rather than knowing about posh hotel facilities and how to order rail tickets in England. As I tried to teach about different types of holidays, the students asked questions about me and my personal life. One girl called Beata indirectly asked me personal questions about my age, love life, my drinking habits and so on. I don't mind as long as they're also prepared to tell me about their's.

    Sunday, November 26, 2006

    Disturbing Reports on Stags....Again!!!















    Bratislava was livelier than usual last Friday as it was the opening night of the Christmas maket in the old town. The market was heaving with locals and tourists drinking hot wine, eating traditional Slovakian food and browsing the craft stalls. On the whole, the atmosphere was happy, relaxed and family-like.
    However, away from the market there were the usual English stag-weekenders from the home counties who had come for the cheap booze, fags and women. According to a report in the Slovak Spectator, British stagdoers at the weekend are responisible for 20 per cent of all crime in the city at the weekends. While I have personally managed to avoid the lager swilling pigs, I have heard stories from Slovaks and expats alike about their boisterous behaviour. According to the Slovak Spectator, expats got so hammered they damaged a sculpture in town. This appraently cost the Slovak taxpayer 100,000sk (about 20,000GBP). Disgrace!!! Understandably, many expats try very hard to distance themselves from such pigs by avoiding places such as The Irish Bar and the Senate Sports Bar.

    Thursday, November 16, 2006

    Revolution Rock













    Tomorrow is Velvet Revolution day, the 17th anniversary of the collapse of commyunism. It is also yet another excuse for a bank holiday. Aparently, Slovakia has 12 bank holidays - two of which are independence days
    I make my way to an amazing club in Bratislava called Sub Club, a subterranean club full of long tunnels and pissed up slovaks.
    Velvet Revolution day is relatively quiet with little to report about.

    Saturday, November 11, 2006

    Bratislava's Nightlife: Where to go and what to avoid
















    Like most major cities, there are plenty of pubs, clubs, go-go bars, whorehouses and restaurants to choose from. Some are reasonably priced, while others are incredibly expensive. Some have no atmosphere whatsoever and some bars even have staff who occasionally raise a smile!!
    The main street for nightlife is Obchodna street, just 5 minutes walk away from the old town square. Obchodna street has lots of good cafes and bars to choose from that won't break the bank.
    For a good chill out , check out Radost on Obchodna Steet. A cellar bar with DJs every night.
    AVOID Slovak Pub further up the road. It is big and has no atmosphere.
    The vegetarian restaurant (Cajovna) is a Krishna place that will serve you soft poppadums and a mixture of curry and lentils. No alcohol, but all you can eat for 115 sk. (About 2.30
    GBP). Plus free water with lemon.
    The KGB cellar bar (pictured above) on Ochodna street has a nice nostalgic feel with pictures of Stalin and a great rock jukebox. However, seats are often reserved (although no one is sitting there), so arrive early.

    Charlie Nightclub on Spitalska Street is another one to avoid. It costs 50 sk to get in plus 100sk for beer. It's OK if you are here on the piss of a weekend, but not OK if you are living here. The music is also very cheesy.
    Sub Club is a pretty amazing subterranean club and often has live music and well-known djs.

    Bar 39 by the university is a bit of a student dive, but is a good place to meet young, hammered foreign students.
    The Irish Bar is definitely a place to avoid as it is overpriced and has no atmosphere. Like many 'Irish Bars', it is entitled to call itself by this name because it sells Guinness. That's about it though. It's also a good place to see English stagdoers make fools of themselves.

    Verbal Reasoning

    I had to go into an important governmental building to to teach how to do the verbal reasoning exam to 15 Slovaks connected to the European Union. This test is cruel, nasty and doesn't really test one's knowledge of English. This test is enough to catch out some of the smartest people out. I had to go through a Powerpoint presentation and show students how they can fail this horrid test that most Slovaks seem to fail. I tried to do some of this test myself, and found myself losing concentration very quickly.
    So then, why should someone like me show them how to do it? Marta, my lovely colleague insisted that I would be good for the job as I am a native speaker and an English teacher. Although I am sure others could do it better, it makes a break from the bog standard English teaching I usually do.

    Here is one of the questions

    FIRST, READ THE TEXT AND DEDUCE THE ANSWER THAT FITS BEST WITH THE TEXT

    120 million people worldwide suffer from depression. A European Union-funhded research project was carried out recently to uncover the genetic factors linked to depression. with a view to developing new drug treatmen, named, NEWMOOD, has received several million euro in funding and aims to identify genes triggering depression. This will help researchers to develop new drugs over the next five years to treat and improve understanding of its causes. The drugs are set to revolutionise antidepressant drugs, which haven't changed much oer 30 years. Researchers will develop a microchip carrying 800 genes to ones are active in healthy and depressed animals and humans

    Q: Which of the following suggestions about current anti depressants is correct?
    a: for 30 years they have been acting on the symptoms of depression and not tackling its causes
    b: they still fail to take specific account of the genes responisible for causing depression
    c: they have evolved considerably since tresearch started, specifically over the past 30 years.
    d: they act on genetically induced depression and not on other types of depression

    send your answers in the comments part

    Tuesday, November 07, 2006

    A change in the weather



    Summer in Bratislava finally finished last Friday when gale-force winds and heavy rain battered most of Bratislava. Overnight, the temperatures dropped and slushy rain and snow fell in Bratislava. As the temperature drops, people's stern faces drop even more as the old town's wonderful pub patios are packed away. The week before, people were still eating ice cream and dressed in nothing but t-shirts on the streets. However, last week, I had four layers of clothes on and was still cold.

    Sunday, November 05, 2006

    The Expat Community



























    Bratislava has a small number of expats from Britain, America and Canada. However, I haven't met many of them. Yet I do know a small handful of those who are here for different reasons. Not everyone here is teaching English for a Slovak 'living wage'.
    Gary, a scouser is here living with his Slovak girlfriend working for a computer company. He says he hates the place and cannot wait to get out.
    Rory is a 22 year-old American from New Mexico teaching English on a freelance basis. His ambition is to make it as a professional footballer in Slovakia. There is also Bode, 40, who has been living here for 1 year and was sent out by his company to sort out some of Slovakia's problems.
    With exception to the British Council Cafe and a second-hand bookshop cafe bookshop on Panenska street, there is no particular expat hangout. They are scattered all over the place. There is the overpriced 'Irish Pub' which attracts business people in the daytime and English muppets from Dagenham in the evenings and weekends.

    Friday, November 03, 2006

    Advanced Coursebooks

    My advanced students use a quicky book called Clockwise. This coursebook consists of lots of listenings that are supposed to have natural English. More than anything else, they are confusing for the students and myself. After playing back a listening three times, students still don't seem to understand it. One listening was on crime and punishment. This particular listening consisted of five different young offenders speaking piss-poor English about the crimes they have committed and what they are going to do when they get out of jail. I had to reassure my students that most English people will not know what the hell they are on about.
    Today, I got rid of the book and downloaded an exercise from the useful onestopenglish.com. I think they learnt more English than they did with 12 lessons of this Clockwise.

    Wait for the blackout

    The office in Svaty Jur is out of bounds today as there is no electricity whatsoever in Svaty Jur. I have asked why, but the only answer I got was that they were doing some essential work.

    Wednesday, November 01, 2006

    All Saintzzzzz Day

    Today is November 1st, an important day in the Catholic's diary. Today is the day where Catholics all over the world remember the dead by placing loads of candles and flowers on their graves. For me, it means a day off from teaching and a day killing time in the shopping mall's extensive bookshop cafe.
    More later

    Sunday, October 29, 2006

    Conversation Classes

    Pretty Slovak students from GSK

    Teaching here is totally different in comparison to what I did in Lithuania and Poland. For a start, there is no proper teacher's room with loads of native speakers. What's more, class observations are almost non-existent here. There is no senior teacher picking little holes in your lesson and noting down every single word you say and every move you make. The only way you know if students are dissatisfied is if they call and complain. Most appreciate the fact that I'm here, earning less money than what I would at home.

    Old Town Squares














    There are many pretty old town squares in the Czech and Slovak Republics that consist of baroque churches, nice cafes and little museums. Yet, some are dirtier and grubbier than others, and once you've seen one, you've seen them all.
    Trnava is one place 50km north of Bratislava. It is said that it is Slovakia's oldest town. Like many Slovak towns, the outskirts are pretty grey and graffiti-riddled. However, the old town is pleasant enough. Here, you can see some churches, drink coffee, walk around till your heart's discontent. Despite the fact that it has a population of 79,000, there is no decent shopping centre. Unlike Britain's shopping centres, Saturday afternoons in Slovak towns are totally dead. By 4pm, Trnava's shopping centre is a proper ghost town. The shops here shut at 12 and everyone disappears to somewhere else. The police here appear to be rather bored and have got little better to do than text their friends, wives and girlfriends and munch away on fast food.

    Monday, October 23, 2006

    A Tale of Two Cities: Bratislava to Vienna












    Karlsplatz cathedral, Mozart's Closet and nightscene


    There is nowhere in the world where two capitals are so close to each other. There is a distance of 40 miles between Bratislava and Vienna, and takes approximately 90 minutes by bus and 50 minutes by train. It actually turns out that it is cheaper and quicker to travel by train. 100sk cheaper. It is 400sk return by bus and only 300sk by train.
    Vienna has a population twice of Bratislava. Unlike it's poorer counterpart, Vienna is modern, confident and bustling. What's more, Vienna is cleaner and has less graffiti-riddled towerblocks than Bratislava. It is also around 3 times as expensive as Bratislava. The avareage museum costs around 9 Euros. When one is used to Slovakian wages, it can be difficult as you are limited to walking around the parks and old town. A packed lunch is recommended. Even the Schnitzels and beer is more expensive!!!
    However, a daytrip is to this great city is doable with limited funds. One of the best things about the city is that it is one of the most bike friendly cities in Europe. Visitors to the city can get around by a city bike wich costs next to nothing to hire. About 1 Euro an hour. Just add your credit card details and take it away.

    Friday, October 20, 2006

    Slovak Wine cellars


    AINova, the academy in Svaty Jur celebrated its 10th anniversary last night with many guests and EU diplomats - some as far as Brussels. After listening to the achievements of the academy, we had a buffet in one of Slovakia's many underground cellars, which are usually only reserved for important functions.
    This also gave us an opportunity to taste some of Slovakia's magnificent wines with some experts from the local area. They tell me that this year will be an exceptional year for wine, thanks to Slovakia's extensive summer. Although I know nothing about wine, Michal, my student invited me to taste some of the fantastic wine from the region in the Carpathian mountains.
    It is the end of October and the temperature is still above 18C.

    Wednesday, October 11, 2006

    More classes




    I have a new class today. It is for a cartography organisation who need EU law. Sounds interesting, but the book I have to use has n o pretty pictures, but loads of text and more text. In the first unit, students have to figure out loads of mind-boggling acronyms that mean nothing to the rest of us. The three students just simply cannot be bothered to go through definition after definition and acronym after acronym.

    Tuesday, October 10, 2006

    The sun's still shining






















    Although the nights are getting colder, the day is still pretty warm, despite the fact we are almost in the middle of October. For the time being, I'm certainly not missing the british weather. The time is right for a hike in Western Slovakia's wine country and a beer on the patio in the old town. Modra, about 20km away from Bratislava, is particularly worth seeing. Although the place is relatively small, it has a distinctive chcaracter with its wince cellars and vineyard surroundings.

    Wednesday, October 04, 2006

    Slovakian Company classes and Students









    At the moment, I have around 6 companies. The biggest client is Glaxo Smithkline. The office is very plush and the atmosphere is very formal. Its students, however, are the most relaxed as they are happy with conversation classes where they can relax, talk about everything and anything. These classes consist of no more than two students and are relatively informal.
    My most interesting, but challenging group is ECB (Energy Centre Bratislava), a non-profit environmental organistation that deals with energzissues in ťhe country. The class consists of ten upper-intermediate students and takes place in the company's kitchen.
    Some classes can be a knackering experience, especially when the lessons take place at around 7.30 in the morning and the students are half-asleep and thinking about something else.
    Getting from one end to the city to the other can be challenging as you have to sit on buses where everyone is packed like sardines. Even if one allows plenty of travelling time, the chances of being late for classes is high. When buses show up, they are already taking more people beyond their capacity. When the bus is full, one often has to wait another 20 minutes for another one.
    However, there are a few perks. Most comapnies give you plenty of tea and quality coffee and often give you plenty of time to settle in. What's more, if you have a director on a 1-1 basis, chances are that he or she will often cancel the lesson when they have more important things to do.
    for more on comapny classes see the following link
    http://www.englishdroid.com/company.html

    Sunday, October 01, 2006

    Slovakia's great outdoors



    It's the last day of september and the weather is still blazing hot, while its cold and wet in England. I decide to make the most of it and head off to one of Slovakia's newest national parks, Mala Fatra, 30km east of a grey industrial town called Zilina. Established in 1988, it is Slovakias newest national park. Unlike the lower and higher Tatra mountain parks, Mala Fatra is small and most of it is accessible by foot. Its highest peak is around 1910 m.

    Thursday, September 28, 2006

    Devin Castle and The Memorial











    Devin Castle Ruins is situated about 12km away from the main city centre on the banks of the Danube..
    Nearby the castle lies a moving memorial to those who lost their lives from 1945 to 1989 thanks to the Communist Regime. Many people lost their lives trying to cross this spot on the Danube river to get to Austria. This memorial shows how many victims died under the communist regime in different circumstances. According to the memorial, 2,200,000 people were deported from Slovakia from 1945 to 1989. 20,000 Slovaks were also sent to gulags from this period.

    Tuesday, September 26, 2006

    Bratislava from Novy Most at Night




    The most romantic time to visit Novy Most, the restaurant monstrosity on the bridge is at night when the city lights bring life to the place. The Grey Soviet tower blocks thaty can be seen when looking south from the tower most certainly look better. 100skk

    Lost in Translation

    After a hard day's graft teaching and sitting in the office, I decide to go and have a pint and enjoy the lovely sunshine we've been having. I watch the world go by and have a game of Sudoku to stop my mind from wandering.
    A man asks me in Slovak if he can sit under the same umbrella away from the sun. I say yes. I try and get back to my game of Sudoku when he insists on speaking to me. I keep trying to say 'Nierozumiem Slovensky' which means I don't understand your language. I don't understand Slovak and he doesn't speak or understand EnglishHowever, he is determined to communicate with me. I accept. Our 'conversation' is somewhwat limited to comparing the weather and drawing pictures. I find the phrase in my slovak phrasebook downloaded from the internet 'I'm in a hurry.'

    Saturday, September 23, 2006

    Stags and Hens


    Bratislava as a weekend destination is gaining popularity, particularly among English lads who come here on a stag weekend. Since Prague has become more expensive and oversaturated with tourists, many are looking further afield for their kicks. Many stag are well organised with groups of lads having T shirts made for Some see this as a benefit to the city as they spend their money on beer, food and strip joints. However, many locals simply find such people a nuisance more than anything else. Some locals complain that people on English stag weekends are rowdy and obnoxious.
    There have been many attempts to calm down British stag=doers. Companies now hire young ladies in their 20s to show stag parties around the city. This seems to work as lads always tend to behave themselves more when there are women present.
    Please do not think that i am stereotyping all British stag weekenders. I have spoken to many andmost seem like regular guys who want to have fun.

    Friday, September 22, 2006

    Austria Round the Corner















    The path to Austria

    The Austrian border os approximately 3-4km from Novy Most, the distinctive grey bridge with a restaurant over the Danube. Although most sensibly cycle to the border, it is possible to walk to the border. It takes 20 minutes by bike and 60 minutes by foot. Many Slovaks frequently pass through this border to visit Vienna 40 km away.
    I managed to walk over the border to a place called Hainburg, which is approximately 12km away. Hainburg is a beautiful town that is often overlooked by many who drive straight to Vienna. Dating from the 12th Century, Hainburg boasts a castle around 400 metres above sea level and a historic centre. It is a part of the Donau Auen National Park that stretches all the way to Vienna.

    Tuesday, September 19, 2006

    Settling in


    Svaty Jur (Saint George) zzzzzzz

    I arrived safely to Europe’s second newest capital, Bratislava.Well, almost. I am actually 14km outside Bratislava, in the region’s wine country, Svaty Jur. Compared with Bratislava, it is a sleepy little town that only has 3 restaurants, 1 hotel and a couple of shops that sell almost next to nothing. It has many things to do there. There is a hill I can walk up to get some exercise. I can try asking for things using my ever abysmal Slovak. Or, I can sit on one of the patios drinking beer and eating pizza.

    My landlady is a woman called Mariana who speaks very little English. We get by thanks to help from an old slovensky slovnik (Slovak Dictionary) where she can look up difficult words. She is very hospitable as she insists on making me dinner and sorting me out breakfast. Mariana also insists on doing my washing, but I think this is taking things too far.
    She is afraid that I don't know enough Slovak to read the labels, so she marks every food item in English.

    My office is a stone’s throw away, which is very handy. However, most of the teaching takes place elsewhere in companies around Bratislava.

    More pictures soon. In the meantime, enjoy the link to small town Slovakia

    http://www.svatyjur.sk/english.php