Bratislava Life

Changes

2007-07-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

I arrived back in Britain on an uncomforatble Ryanair plane on a very cloudy Friday morning. It seems strange to be back after 6 months of being away.
As I returned to see how my home town of Camberley has changed, I found that it had changed very little. The same shops still remain empty and disused as they were two years ago. The Litten Tree pub, which want bust after about 2 years still remains shut with the same half full wine glasses left on the tables.

There have been many essential changes. We have a new prime minister, Gordon Brown. Smoking is now officially banned in all public places. No Smoking signs are now in place in every single shop.
The first two weeks back in the UK have been really depressing with endless amuounts of rain, mass flooding and an increase in the threat of terror. Settling back into my native land will be a challenge in itself.

Final Reflections

2007-06-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

It's my last week in Bratislava, so it is time to finish up and reflect on the place. Like all cities and countries there are many good and bad things about the place. On the whole, Slovakia has been very kind to me. I never thought I would survive here for more than three months, as it was an exhausting and draining experience. However, I survived here comfortably here for more than 10 months.

Ten Best things about Bratislava and Slovakia

1. The Beer (except for Stein which is probably the worst I've ever tasted)
2. The hospitality of the people: Slovaks tend to be quite generous and welcoming once you break the ice with them. I also found them very trustworthy.
3. The surrounding countryside and hills.
4. The Tatra Mountains and Slovak Paradise
5. Slivovice (a very strong drink)
6. Castle Ruins on rocky hills.
7. Old Traditions such as folklore dancing and arts.
8. Fine Caves (apart from the expensive photography pass. 300sk in dobsinska and 200sk in jaskyna driny)
9. Wildlife and Nature. Slovakia's sparsely populated country enables certain species to flourish.
10. The women. Slavic women are generally beautiful, tall and slim. (although most of the decent ones get married by the time they are 25!! Bugger!!)

Ten worst things about Slovakia

1. Rip-off taxis, banks, go-go bars and cave prices and other things.
2. Brezhnev-era architecture. Soviet Style panelled tower blocks still dominate the landscape of larger towns and cities.
3. Low Wages: The average monthly wage here is still 25,000sk (about 100 GBP a week)
4. The corrupt police force. The police will try and get black money whenever they can. A friend of mine got fined 2000sk for having a tatty passport
5. Greasy food: Slovak food is nice but usually meaty and fatty. It is a problem for veggies as some dishes are advertised as meat free, but have bits of cut meat at the bottom.
6. Robert Fico (the prime minister and dear leader who everyone loves!!)
7. Stroppy Restaurant Services where waiters have manners of goats.
8. Badly scrawled Graffiti
9. English pigs causing havoc and harassing women.
10. Local Drunks drinking Stein in Hostinec bars.

I would like to pay a special thanks to those who have supported me and looked after me in this little big country. God bless.

The Most Hideous Buildings II

2007-06-16T13:38:00.001-07:00

Hotel Spirit

The Hotel Spirit is a new age hotel in Bratislava sticks out like a sore thumb. However some people tend to love this ghastly mess. While this place might look OK in Barcelona, this is a horrible eyesore in Bratislava.

Petrinka bus station and Underpass.

This bus station is situated in a place called Lamac. Of course, it was built at a time when aesthetics were not an issue. Although this bus station is falling apart, it is very unlikely that thisbuilding will be modernised in the next ten years. There is also a very tasteful hostinec that sells Stein nearby at 22sk for a 0,5l.

Some more castles!! nech sapache!!

2007-06-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Tematin Castle

Tematin is situated about 20km from the spa town of Piestany. The hike to this castle takes about 2.5 - 3 hours from a small town called Luba. To get to the castle, follow a red sandwich path. The nature on the way is pretty impressive. It is apparently about 600 metres above sea level and the views are impressive

Pajstun Castle

Not much to say about this one apart from the fact that it is situated near a place called Borinka - about 30 minute bus ride from Bratislava and that it is a haven for rockclimbers.

Wilsonic Festival

2007-06-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Pink Freud live at Wilsonic

As I wrote my last blog in an empty bookstore/cafe, I decided that no one was around and the weather was too good to be wasted in a cafe, so I made my way to the Wilsonic Festival close to the Danube, Aupark and the Messalina Go-Go Bar. At 500sk (10GBP), the tickets were a bargain. It was also a small but very international event with bands from the UK, Poland, Estonia and Austria.
One of the bands I checked out a Polish band called Pink Freud, whose music consisted of a hectic mixture of jazz fusion, Ozric Tentacles and Spiritualized. However, after 40 minutes of chaotic saxophones and thudding basslines, the novelty wore off.

The second to last band was a British band called Pssap. Musically, they were very creative and visual. Their music was comparable with the band Moloko. Nonetheless, they failed to impress me with their stupid ideas of throwing toy cats and ducks into the crowd. Their jokes were also pretty hideous and childish. A fellow Slovak asked me if this was a good example of good English dry humour. I said this is a very bad example. Their jokes are pathetic. Something you would expect from a sixth-form girl's band.

For me, the highlight of the evening was an Austrian band called Mimu. They were a nice artistic and chilled out act and also very tasteful, despite the projected war images.

Although I enjoyed the festival in the city, the atmosphere is uncomparable with the UK festivals. There were few people smoking marijuana and too many people taking the event too seriously.

Summer's in the City

2007-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Slovak Summer is well away. Festivals are happening around the city. Last week saw a booze-fuelled free festival in Slovakia's student area. Young Slavs from all over Bratislava crammed the number 31 and 39 buses to drink loads of beer and dance to three Czech and Slovak bands.
The first band was HEX, which sounded like Slovakia's answer to the Cure. The second band was a typical central European ska-reggae band, which was nothing special. My spirits were only lifted when they played the Jimmy Cliff classic You Can Get it if You Really Want. The headlining act were dinosaur Czech legends, Buty, who have strummed their way from the Glory Days of the dear Communist Leaders to the present. They were a comical Prog Rock band - a cross between Zappa and Jethro Tull.
This weekend, there is a festival called WILSONiC on the other side of the danube, near Petrzalka. It will run all night and has DJs from all over the world. I'm off to check out a band called Pink Freud - a Polish band that is apparently not a Pink Floyd tribute band.

A walk in the woods.

2007-06-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

I love the nature. I can't get enough of it. When I am in the nature, I am like a little kid who insists on seeing every tree, every gorge, every waterfall and every peak. So, after my trip to the ice cave, i decided to take a 'brisk' walk in the woods to check out Slovensky Raj's outstanding gorges and waterfalls. The ladder-filled gorges I visited were pretty impressive, but mentally and physically challenging.

However, public transport in this area is almost nonexistent, so I ended up having to try and thumb my way out of the park back to Spisska Nova Ves, the closest large settlement to Slovak Paradise. Although I have had no problems with hitching safely around Slovakia, this was easier said than done. Cars were very infrequent, so I ended up having to take a follow a 6km red sandwich path to a small settlement near Spisske Nova Ves.

Cool it Down

2007-05-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

The weather in Bratislava has been unbearably hot. Last week, temperatures got as high as +33C.The sweltering heat is far too much for me. I find it difficult to sleep and concentrate. I decided that I needed to cool down. One of the best places to cool down in Slovakia is Dobsinska Jaskyna (Dobsinska Ice Cave), which is situated in Slovensky Raj national park. All year round, Dobsinska Ice Cave enjoys cool temperatures of at least -1C. It has an impressive display of permanent ice and limestone, which makes it one of Slovakia's finest natural wonders. It looks like something from a setting of a science fiction film.

When in the cave, one can feel the cold, so it is advisable to wrap up warm. I felt my hands go totally numb for about 20 minutes, which made it difficult to operate my camera.

However, it is not that cheap. It costs 180sk for a 30 minute guided tour in Slovak and costs an additional 300sk (8GBP) to take a few pictures. Camera tripods in the cave are strictly forbidden, so don't expect to take any postcard-quality pictures. While I am used to paying extra in museums and caves to take pictures, 300sk seems a little pricey to take a few mediocre pictures on a digital camera. It is better value for money to enter the cave and buy a souvenir book with professionally taken pictures at 100sk.

Lost in Translation

2007-05-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was recently in a Chinese restaurant when I kept on trying to say a very complicated word in Slovak. I kept on repeating the first part of it, trying to get it right. My slovak companion could not keep a straight face when I was tryiing to pronounce the name of a Chinese dish. The first part of the dish was called Vyhonky. I can't remember what I ordered, but it was some chicken dish with black bean sauce.
I kept on repeating 'Vyhon,' trying to get the pronunciation right. I was apparently saying something extremely rude, which would normally be heard in a Go Go Bar, not a Chinese restaurant. I checked out the meaning of the word, and I apparently asked the waitress for a 'w***'
The woman in the Chinese restaurant made no comments about my mispronunciation of this word. Instead, she patiently looked at me and asked me to point at what I wanted/

Eastern Paradise: The HighTatras and Slovensky Raj

2007-04-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took a hike into the snow-capped High-Tatra mountains. Although the temperature in this region is over +15, there is still at least 3ft of snow in some areas. Before the snow completely disappears, locals are making the most of the ski season before it finally ends at the beginning of May. Walking in the Tatras is still pretty hazardous as you have to watch out for weak snow and hidden holes. I had to dig myself out of snow when I fell 3ft into some hole.

Slovensky Raj is another national park 20km south-east of Poprad. It is probably one of the most beautiful places in the country and has some impressive gorge walks and waterfalls. The gorge walks are treacherous as it consists of narrow ladders that can get slippery. To get through the gorge, one has to tread on narrow, slippery wet plates about 20ft above the bottom of the gorge. Dalibor, my companion managed to do this single-handedly with a 1-year-old baby strapped to him in an old bedsheet.

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

2007-04-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

The most marginalised ethnic minority in Slovakia is the Roma. Roma people are frowned upon by even some of the most liberal of Slovaks. Many complain that Roma people are lazy, do not want to work and are thieves. Some also complain that no matter what people do to help them, they won't help themselves and will continue to steal and live in squalor. A large number of Slovaks also believe that the authorities have tried to do everything to help the Roma people to get into education and work.

Farmers have even tried to give the Roma vegetables so that they don't steal from their land. Yet, the attempt to stop them stealing potatoes from farmland has failed. Many Roma still continue to steal from lands, despite such handouts.

The Roma have a poor literacy rate, as many are excluded from state schools. According to statistics, only around 400 Roma out of a population of around 253,000 have made it into university.
Eastern Slovakia has the highest concentration of Roma settlements in the country.
The settlement in the first picture is in a village called Letanovce, close to Slovensky Raj National Park. The settlement consists of shack-like houses and is surrounded by heaps of rubbish. We managed to walk through the settlement without getting any hassle. A group of 5 kids just came and hassled us for sweets and one tried to go for my pockets. When I yelled 'bugger off' they seemed to understand.
This settlement is due to be demolished by local authorities who want to protect the nearby national park and want to move the Roma to better housing. However, many locals object to the Roma being resettled into new housing as the locals feel that Roma always get something for nothing at the expense of the taxpayer.

That said, there are a few succes stories of the Roma. My accompaniment told me how he know of the first ever Roma doctor who had to get past many levels of prejudice and discrimination. Furthermore, more Roma people are setting up legitimate businesses around the country, despite the obstacles they have to deal with from their peers and society.

http://www.slovakia.org/society-roma.htm

Goodbye ECB and The Driest April Ever??

2007-04-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

It is a very sad day today. I am losing my favourite class: ECB (Energy Centre Bratislava) For now, the class has run out of budget for English classes for the rest of the year.
I will miss them dearly. If any ECB students are reading this, I would like to say that you are the best looking, most individualistic, the most demanding and most intelligent students I have ever taught. I will particularly miss my 'teacher's pet' who always made me tea, always turned up regularly and stayed after the lesson to talk to me. Sadly, that person is married.

The temperature has topped 25C, which must be a record for this region. It has put Spain and Britain in the shade. This is also worrying as it is the driest April I can remember. All month, we have had no more than 2 inches of rain. That said, the weather must be good for Slovakia's already fast growing economy. People are filling the beer patios, eating cheap ice cream and swilling gallons of Zlaty Bazant, Slovakia's finest beer.

St. George's Weekend

2007-04-24T02:05:00.000-07:00

As most Britons know, or should know, yesterday (April 23rd) was St. George's Day. However, in England many still don't know who St.George was or when St.George's day is. In Slovakia, April 23rd is the name day of Jur (pron. yoor) , which is the equivalent of George. On name days, people of such names are given presents and cards by family and friends.
In Svaty Jur (Saint George) a festival was on the weekend to celebrate this day. For one weekend, this sleepy village was turned into a lively town with craft stalls and cheesy 'karaoke' singers doing renditions of songs such as Barbra Streisand's 'Woman in Love' and Allanah Miles' 'Black Velvet' to a few hundred individuals.

I like Birds

2007-04-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of my favourite bird shots from Central Europe. The first three are pictures of the Stork - a common bird in Central Europe. Storks can be seen at the top of telegraph poles in rural areas. According to Polish folklore, the stork is meant to bring one good luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork

Weekend break in Budapest

2007-04-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Vintage Hungarian Posters

Lenka enjoying a good value for money espresso

I have just got back from a weekend break Budapest. Although I have been here before, I thought that it would make a nice change of scene from Bratislava and would give me a chance to show my friends the beauty of the city.

On a previous post, I complained about the service in restaurants in Slovakia. However, in comparison to Hungarian service, they seem quite polite. Since I my arrival, I have many rude people who think they only owe themselves and don't seem to appreciate tourists in their city. To add to things, I've also had to deal with a hysterical Slovak companion who cannot be named for legal reasons.
She hates everything about Hungary and Hungarian people. She believes that they are rude, drably dressed and arrogant. What's more she feels that they are still hungover from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

While I have complained about the service in Slovak restaurants, I have found that the service in many Budapest restaurants ten times as worse. We walked into one place and the woman threw the menu at us. She went mad when my friend politely asked what the price was for a small beer. The stroppy waitress just simply opened the menu and agressively pointed at the drinks. She went even more bizzerk when one of my friends politely asked after 30 minutes where our food was. She simply shouted 'Why???'

Our funniest moment has to be in an empty Chinese bistro. As we patiently waited to get served, the waiter continued to talk on his mobile phone for 15 minutes. After that time, we were in stitches, as it seemed that he was totally oblivious to the fact that we were there and wanted some food.

However, it was doom and gloom. Budapest is probably one of the most outstanding cities in Europe. The architecture is incredibly beautiful and there is so much to do here. Like elsewhere, there are good and bad people. Despite the extremely appalling service in some places, some Hungarians were actually hospitable and helpful. Members of the public are often willing to help out tourists who are lost and will sometimes translate.

I was so relieved to get back to Bratislava on Monday. The first thing I did was order a pizza from my local pizzeria. The waitress greeted me with a 'Dobry Vecor' (good eveveing) and a 'nech sapachi.' (for you.) She was so hospitable, welcoming and polite. It's good to be back.

raging universe and notes from Leah

2007-04-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

I occasionally have time to search other people's blogs. Here are a couple of my favourite.

For a rival blog on Bratislava and other places, check out
http://notesfromleah.blogspot.com/

For a nice mish-mash of other stuff, check out
raging universe

Easter time

2007-04-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't spent Easter in the UK for over 3 years. For most Britons, Easter time is just an excuse to clog up the roads and airports or to stay at home and do some DIY.
Easter time in Slovakia, on the other hand, is taken very seriously. The majority of Slovaks are devout Catholics who believe that Easter is more important than Christmas. For some, fasting up to Easter Sunday is part of the ritual. This is also the time where most churches are full.
It is also a time when Slovak women get cold water poured on them and get beaten with twigs. This is a pagan ritual which is meant to bring people good luck.

Springtime in the air

2007-04-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is here at last!! After a few parky evenings earlier last week, the weather has finally got warmer and the tables are out again. The evenings are lighter and people are out in the hoardes to enjoy cold beer in the old town's patios. Yesterday, I decided to pay a visit to Devin Sands to enjoy the sunshine and the natural sandbergs in the cliffs. Sandberg is about 4km away from Devin Castle and can be reached from Devinska Nova Ves station

Spiš Castle

2007-04-01T02:55:00.000-07:00

I am not normally a fan of castles. Castles are often overpriced and have very dull displays of old coins, heraldry and grumpy people running them. Many castles are also very similar to one another, especially in the Czech and Slovak Republics.
The ruins of Spiš Castle (pron. Spish) in eastern Slovakia, however, is one of the few exceptions. It is one of Slovakia's most well-known landmarks and has tremendous views of the town of Spisske Podhradie from the top.
The castle is situated in the town of Spisske Podhradie, and is a UNESCO landmark. Getting there is easy as it is on the road from Spisske Nova Ves to Poprad.

In 'loving' memory of a fascist

2007-03-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

March 14th marked the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Nazi puppet state of Slovakia. 2007 also sees the 60th anniversary of the execution of it's Catholic priest leader, Jozef Tiso. Tiso founded the independent state of Slovakia in 1941. Slovakia's first wave of independence lasted until 1945 when it became reunited with the Czech Republic. Tiso was finally executed by Czechoslovak authorities on 18th April 1947.

He was a supporter of Hitler and ordered the deportation of 700,000 Slovak Jews to Germany in March 1942. To mark the anniversary, 150 young neo-Nazis and older-generation Slovaks gathered to his grave. According to a recent survey, 16% of Slovaks believed that he did a lot for Slovakia. Yet over 40% of Slovaks condemned Tiso's support for Hitler and the fact that he declared war on Britain and America.

Kosice: Full of Eastern Promise

2007-03-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Kosice (pron. Ko-Shit-Se) is Slovakia's second largest city and is situated around 450km away from Bratislava. It has a population of no more than 250,000 and has a small-town feel about the place. Unlike Bratislava, it is pretty laid-back, relatively quiet and friendly.

One of the nicest things about Kosice is that it is so compact that you don't need to take any buses or trams anywhere. Just hop off the train and the old town is 5 minutes away. What's more, it's old town is a lot better kept than Bratislava. There is less graffiti than in Bratislava and its buildings in the old town are well-preserved.

It also has its fair share of quality pubs such as the Kelt pub on the main street. The Kelt pub is a medieval theme pub that looks like something out of Lord of the Rings and sells traditional Slovak cuisine and fine white beer.

For a cheap, nostalgic pint, check out the Communist pub, close to the centre. Only 10sk for 0,3l and 15sk for a 0,5l pint. It's a bit smoky, but is a fave with older-generation proletariat.

Despite Kosice's beauty, some may find it too compact as everything is centred around one long street. There is not much to see outside the city apart from the natural geyser in a place called Her'lany. Her'lany is supposed to be Europe's only natural geyser that sprouts water up to 30metres in the air every 32 hours. I never made it to Her'lany because buses are infrequent and it takes 45 minutes to see a sprout of water.
By train, it takes about 6 hours to get there. I travelled on the painfully uncomfortable, dirty and slow night train from Bratislava, which cost me about 600sk.

Rip-off merchant bankers

2007-03-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have seen many newspaper reports about how British banks have been overcharging its customers with hefty overdraft fees. Banks have been charging customers £30 a time every time they go over their overdraft limits. According to consumer watchdogs, British banks have been acting illegally. As a result, people have been claiming back such charges.

However, there is one thing to be said about British banks: They don't charge people for having money in the bank, providing they are in credit. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, however, the banks sting you for every penny, whether you are in credit or in debt. They charge 100sk for opening an accuont. You get charged extortionate amounts for withdrawing money from their machines. If you withdraw money from a cashpoint machine that isn't from the bank you belong, you get charged even more.

The Tatra Bank in particular are ruthless and crafty with their customers, despite their excellent reputation as an award winning bank. I recently learned about how the bank often adds extra money to people's accounts. This 'extra' money into people's accounts isn't actually theirs. It is a loan that the bank puts into people's accounts, even when they don't ask for it. This is so that they can sting the customers for interest on such loans. This recently happened to me when I found I had 7,000sk more than I actually should.

Despite such charges, most Slovaks seem to grin and bear it and say this is the way it is. When I mentioned to my boss about how such charges may be illegal, she said that the top banks would never act illegally.

Do's and Don'ts.

DO NOT take out small amounts of money at a time. Instead, take out large sums in one go. This is because they will charge you every time they use the machines.
DO NOT go for the internet banking option unless you really have to. The fee is very pricey
DO NOT choose weekly or monthly bank statements. Go for quarterly statements, as they sting you for statements.

Slovakia's Healthcare

2007-03-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

My migraine is still killing me, despite having taken strong migraine tablets, the doctor prescribed to me.
I decided to pay a second visit to the village doctor, as my migraine was not getting any better. My boss quickly wrote out a Slovak translation of my problem as the doctor could not speak any English whatsoever. He gave me a quick assessment and summoned me to Bratislava's top neurology department in a 1930s hospital in Americke Namesti, close to the centre .
The hospital waiting room was drab, grey and needed a lick of paint. The stretchers and wheelchairs seemed to date from the 1930s. As the place needed modernising, I wondered what the system was going to be like.

I was fortunate that I only had to wait 30 minutes for an English speaking neurologist to see me. She took my blood pressure and gave me a headscan. Fortunately, the headscan was negative as they could find no blood clot or tumour. She also gave me an x ray on my spine and injected some strong painkiller into my arm. On the whole, I was very impressed with how quickly they dealt with the problem and their good use of English. The neurologist also told me how people in the UK would have to wait for around 6 weeks to see a neurologist as the waiting list his huge.

The next day, I received a phone call from a woman in the village. She told me how concerned she was about my illness. I asked how she knew about this. She said that the village doctor told her everything. Doctors are not supposed to reveal anything, but this doctor couldn't resist bragging about how he dealt with an English patient. Although Slovaks tend to be reserved to foreigners, they apparently like to gossip and find out about other peoples' business.

Being ill in bratislava

2007-02-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

I've had a hectic week this week. I've had a really nasty migraine for the last week or so. Went to the doctor's for the first time in Svaty Jur. Although I have healthcare insurance, I have to fork out 200sk if I want to make an appointment. Otherwise I just have to sit with a load of other people and wait to be called.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long. The doctor did a very quick diagnosis of my migraine and ordered me some new pills called IBALGIN that would supposedly sort my migraine out straight away. He wrote out the prescrition and I went off to the Lekaren (Chemist) to get it. I tried 3 different chemists and they said they had never heard of this pill. I eventually found one chemist and they told me they would get it for me the next day.
Unfortunately, this wonder drug did very little for me as my migraines continue to wake me up in the middle of the night and interrupt my daily life.

Brno by train

2007-02-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Brno is Czech Republic's second largest city. It takes about 90 minutes by train from Bratislava and is well worth a visit. Brno is a lot quieter and more laid-back than Prague, but still has enough stuff to do and see in the daytime and a good variety of bars for the evening. Furthermore, it's cleaner than Bratislava as there is less graffiti and fewer winos on the streets. This city is also pretty vibrant and has many Herna bars and seedy joints. Just ask a taxi driver.

You should be warned about buying a return ticket to Brno. I thought that I could get on any train back to Bratislava. This was not the case. I planned on returning to Bratislava on the 18.21 train. Naturally, I got sidetracked in Brno's streets and missed it by 1 minute. I ended up taking a supertrain, which was ten times more modern an comfortable than the usual graffiti-daubed, squeaking train. Yet I didn't expect to be stung for a further 200sk. This train was a special train for reservations only.

Wherever you are, you are with the BBC. Or so I thought

2007-02-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

When I arrived home after a hard day's teaching on 23rd January, I tried to tune into the BBC world Service only to find that hid had been taken off the air. I tried so hard to find it, thinking that the frequency may have moved. It was nowhere to be heard.
ON 93.8FM, the BBC's station had been replaced by Lumen, a Slovak talk station. I later found out that the reason that the reliable BBC world Service was taken off the air was because the govwernment decided that all radio stations need to be understood by the entire Slovak population. This legislation means that stations can only broadcast in Czech or Slovak. It's a shame when the socialist government wants to encourage more people to learn other languages. It is also a shame for those who tuned in especially for the station's Learning English programme.
Although programmes on this station are often dull, it provides a service and also enbales me to sleep at night. Since it was taken off the air, my insomnia has gradually got worse.

The BBC World Service is still available on TV, and of course online. I am now dependent on 5-minute podcasts of the latest news.

Goodbye to The Kyjev (1973-2007): The end of an Era (or error)

2007-02-07T03:20:00.000-08:00

The Kyjev: So beautiful they had to cover it up with advertising

I heard some very sad news last night. The Hotel Kyjev, one of Bratislava's finest landmarks is to be demolished in April to make way for yet another glass building shopping and hotel complex. Fans of Bratislava's modernist architecture are said to be devastated to see such an important landmark go. In its prime, this was a five-star hotel where many VIPs stayed. However, due to lack of funds and interest in the place, the hotel has not been modernised since the 1980s.
When I walked into the lobby bar to use the wi fi facility, a prostitute sat next to me and gave me a light for a cigarette. I thought nothing of it, until she tried to kiss me. I instantly backed off. The woman then had the cheek to order a coke and get me to pay for it. When the bar man insisted that I should pay 40sk, I refused. She then asked if I wanted a solo. I declined and told her that I was married. She then asked me if I spoke German and started swearing at me, calling me AN ARSCHLOCH.

Enjoy it while you can. Enjoy the sleazy lobby bar with scraggy-looking prostitutes lurking around the reception, waiting to pray on desperate westerners who don't know any better.
Enjoy the super-high prices for very basic rooms with poor-quality bathrooms and radios that don't work. If you are interested in staying, they are accepting reservations until March.
The Tesco store is also likely to topple with the Kyjev, which is a blessing.

Life in a Soviet Tower block

2007-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

I've moved out of Svaty Jur... I'm now living in a region called Kramare - about 8 minutes by bus to the old town. The area itself is relatively quiet and is close to Bratislava's highest point, Koliba.
I'm living on the 4th floor of a small panelled tower block. The place itself is very Soviet Union on the inside and outside. This includes most of the appliances inside. More pics later.

Bratislava's urban decay

2007-02-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

Many people have seen postcard images of Bratislava's beautiful, baroque old town. However, the old town is just a small part of the city. The majority of Bratislava's skyline is dominated by tower blocks. There are many buildings that are in decay such as this almost disused train station, Predmestie. Although Predmestie Station is still used, it is almost in a state of disrepair. The ticket office is shut, the ticket machines are broken and the cafe hasn't been used since the collapse of communism in 1989. Thanks to lack of sufficient funds, Slovakia's rail network is falling apart. Many trains are old, noisy, slow. and are often daubed in graffiti like the one above. They also have brakes that squeak so loudly, you can hear them from half a mile away. The interiors of such trains are grubby and have toilets which are almost holes in the train.

It seems that Predmestie station hasn't been renovated since the 1970s. Sadly, the place has become a magnet for junkies, winos and graffiti artists. Avoid this place at all costs!!

More pubs and stuff

2007-01-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

One of the best hangouts in town is Nu Spirit on Medena Street, not far from Tesco. Jazzy music and a nice vibrant atmosphere. The Free WiFi service makes up for the expensive beer @ 35sk for 0,3 litres.

Cachtice: The home of Elizabeth Bathory

2007-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Cachtice is a small town in the lesser Carpathian mountains. As a town, it is a typical Slovak town with baroque architecture. It has an old church, a churchyard and a restaurant. However, its beautiful castle ruins are world-famous for being the home of being the former home of Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614) who became known as the female dracula or the bloody countess. According to legend, Bathory drained the blood of her victims and bathed in it.
To get there from the village, you have to take a 30-minute hike up the hill. The place is free of charge, and the views are tremendous. On the downside, there is no information in English, so you will have to rely on kind Slovaks to translate for you. Alternatively, check out the link.
http://www.spectacularslovakia.sk/ss2002/cachtice_ascii.html

It takes approximately 90 minutes to get to Nove Mesto Vahom from Bratislava and takes a further 5 minutes by another train. Be warned!! Getting back can be a problem on Sundays, especially as trains are infrequent
More later plus pics

House hunting, Bratislava style.

2007-01-17T03:44:00.000-08:00

'Sick of trees, take me to the city. Train coming round the bend.' Lou Reed

When I arrived back in town, my landlady gave me a badly written piece of paper on how she has found a buyer for her new place.
This means that I have to find somewhere new to live by the end of the month. It also gives me an opportunity to move closer to the city.
The first place I visited was about 11,000 sk a month - way too expensive for someone on Slovak wages. However, the location was in an area called Bajkalska, a convenient junction in the city. When I visited the place, I couldn't believe that the woman told me that she would be taking the TV, washing machine and sofa with her.
The second place, close to the city centre in a region called Kramare seemed promising with nice housemates, but there was no bed.
I finally looked at a place near my favourite restaurant in Ursynyho, close to Racianske Myto. At 6,600sk par month, this was place seemed promising, but the person who I would have to share with gave me the creeps. I would also have to see this person every single day. This place is definitely out of the question.

One of the most popular sites for renting is a site called reality.sk. Unfortunately, most of these places seem far too expensive for my budget. A one-bedroom flat in Petrzalka costs around 9,000 sk. Yet there are many hidden costs. There is not only a deposit of 9,000sk, but there is a one-off payment of 9,000sk that you will never see again. These letting agents will also try and charge more for foreigners.
Anyway, will keep you all posted on my whereabouts soon.

HRH Prince of Wales award for fine modern architecture

2007-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Bratislava has some amazing architectural gems from the 'glory' years of the Brezhnev era. On a recent visit, HRH Prince of Wales, a big fan of Brezhnevian architecture, picked some of his favourite pieces of 'classic' design from the 1970s. The odd triangular building is home to a Bratislava radio station. The other is my favourite tower block with a distinctive cylinder design
More pics soon.

The warmest January.....ever???

2007-01-09T04:53:00.000-08:00

It is the beginning of January, and there is no snow in sight. Infact, the weather is so mild that it feels like Spring. The birds are already singing and flowers are beginning to bloom. Some people are even wearing T shirts. The midday temperature is currently +13C - the warmest January in Slovakia for over 100 years.
Many Slovaks are unhappy about the warm winter as skiing is one of the most popular passtimes for them. There is no snow anywhere, even on the highest peaks of the Tatras!!!

'The Terrorist.'

2007-01-08T04:20:00.000-08:00

After all the speculation of the 'muslim terrorist' on EZY flight 5443, there was no terrorist. The person who threatened the hostess turned out to be a drunken Hungarian who probably had a few mental health issues.

Nightmare on flight 5443

2007-01-06T12:54:00.002-08:00

This morning I flew to Budapest from Gatwick on EZY flight 5443. It was a flight that I'll never forget.

The plane was delayed for an hour, thanks to an essential change of a front tyre. This was chaotic enough as there were so many restless people determined to get home after the Christmas holidays.

The actual flight itself was uneventful. I did the usual stuff people do on planes - talk to the person next to me, read and sleep.

We arrived in Budapest 30 minutes late, which was expected due to the delay. However, the plane never made it to the terminal as it stood to a complete standstill in the middle of the runway. We all sat there wondering when we were going to disembark. 30 minutes later, the person next to me asked the air hostess in orange, 'can you please tell me what's going on?' The hostess said 'I'm sorry, but I can't.' Two minutes later, the captain announced there is a Muslim terrorist on board. It was believed that the 'terrorist' said to a stewardess as she was serving tepid tea and overpriced Pringles, 'Watch out. I'm a Muslim Terrorist.'

The captain asked us to remain seated with our seatbelts fastened. I looked outside to find the plane was surrounded by the Hungarian army and armed police. About 20 armed policemen came on the plane and dragged some light-skinned, wired eyed looking person off the plane. As you would expect, there was a massive round of applause.
10 minutes later, we were all allowed off the plane. We then had to wait another hour for our baggage, as they had to sniff out any bombs.

I am still in one piece after my brush with terror, despite the fact I'm a little shocked.

Yet everything is is still a total mystery. Who was the guy? Was he a real terrorist or just some nut job acting out alone? Was he just a Schizophrenic? I tried to find out stuff on BBC, but found nothing. I was interviewed by RTL Hungary TV and told them my piece. However, I may never know about this mystery situation.

Life in Britain at Christmas

2006-12-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

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

Stroppy Christmas and a grumpy new year

2006-12-17T02:53:00.000-08:00

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!!!

More travel classes

2006-12-14T01:26:00.000-08:00

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.

Stroppy restaurant services

2006-12-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

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.

Helpful Slovaks and the cheapest haircut ever. ??

2006-12-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

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.

Cultural Annoyances

2006-12-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

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.

Next Apache Second-hand bookshop: Jewel in the town

2006-11-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

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

Intensive travel Courses

2006-11-27T08:23:00.001-08:00

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.

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

2006-11-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

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.

Revolution Rock

2006-11-16T04:42:00.001-08:00

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.

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

2006-11-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

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

A change in the weather

2006-11-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

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.

The Expat Community

2006-11-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

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.

Advanced Coursebooks

2006-11-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

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.

All Saintzzzzz Day

2006-11-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

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

Conversation Classes

2006-10-29T04:48:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-29T04:35:00.000-08:00

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.

A Tale of Two Cities: Bratislava to Vienna

2006-10-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Slovak Wine cellars

2006-10-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

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.

More classes

2006-10-11T03:12:00.000-07:00

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.

The sun's still shining

2006-10-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

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.

Slovakian Company classes and Students

2006-10-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

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

Slovakia's great outdoors

2006-10-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

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.

Devin Castle and The Memorial

2006-09-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Bratislava from Novy Most at Night

2006-09-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

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.'

Stags and Hens

2006-09-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Austria Round the Corner

2006-09-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Settling in

2006-09-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

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