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

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.