8 Kilometers in their Shoes

Each Wednesday afternoon since I've lived in Bratislava, I've made the 8 kilometer roundtrip pilgrimage to the Foreigners' Police Office. The office's location in the Communist-style concrete jungle of the Petrzalka neighborhood might lead one to infer that the Foreigners' Police would prefer that no foreigners ever actually find the office. But, with the assistance of a crude map and some helpful Bratislavans, I found the tiny, hidden office four weeks ago and have been a regular visitor ever since.

The reason for my treks to this very off-the-beaten-path locale? I'm working on securing a pesky little document called a Temporary Residence Permit. As a US citizen, I'm only allowed to stay here for up to 90 days permit-free. The trouble is, the documentation required to obtain this permit is excessive.(involving x-rays and FBI clearance)

Additionally, it all needs to be officially translated into Slovak, notarized, and paid for with some sort of magical Slovak currency stamps.
After my first trip to the not-overly-welcoming-to-foreigners Foreigners' Police, I walked away a little discouraged and frustrated. How would I ever get all of this paperwork together? Why couldn't the people at the office be more helpful?
But since then, I've readjusted my attitude. Part of my rationale for coming to a completely foreign country in the first place was to put myself in the shoes of my students and their families, immigrants to the US. While our reasons for "immigrating" are obviously quite different ( mine for curiosity, enrichment, and diversion; theirs mainly out of economic necessity), my experience with trying to secure this permit definitely has given me a small glimpse into what navigating within a giant, bureaucratic system when not able to speak the language and not necessarily feeling overly welcomed is like for immigrants (and visitors) to the US. Additionally, I realize that in my "worst-case scenario," I am forced to leave Slovakia for a few months, travel to some other exotic, fascinating countries, and then reenter, while those desperate to come to the US to make better lives for their families have a legitimate right to be overwhelmed and frustrated by the tedious immigration process.
I have 60 days left to prove that I have no criminal record in Slovakia, find a notary, convince my landlord that I won't lose his property letter (whatever that is), translate my bank statements, resend my fingerprints to the FBI, and take a blood test.
Or maybe I'll start packing for Montenegro.

Stay tuned: Squash

Eating Animals?

Against my better judgment, I am currently reading Jonathan Safran Foer's new book Eating Animals. For me, it had a couple of strikes against it before I even clicked open the first page on my Kindle. First of all, it's nonfiction, a genre that usually puts me to sleep within minutes. And secondly, and more importantly, within the pages are found strong, convincing arguments for vegetarianism. It's not that I don't respect vegetarians or understand why they would make this choice. It's just that I know my own lack of discipline (especially when it comes to food), and wasn't sure that I needed some book making me feel guilty about participating in a factory farm system that abuses animals and is destroying the environment.
But I adore Jonathan Safran Foer, so I felt like I owed it to him to read his newest work. After all the joy and pleasure (and tears) he brought me with Extremely Loud and Everything is Illuminated, maybe a little culpability over meat eating was payback. So I began reading and feeling guilty, so much so that the jamon serrano I purchased two weeks ago remains unopened in the fridge.
Jump to Vienna last weekend. Like any respectable tourist in Wien, I decided to order wiener schnitzel for lunch.

Without regret, I chowed down on the delicious breaded veal, effortlessly putting Foer's arguments right out of my mind. Having reaffirmed the carnivore in me, I confidently strode into St. Stephan's plaza, ready to do some more sightseeing. But what did I hear as I stepped into the plaza? Horrible pig squeals if pain. Yup, PETA in all their glory had set up shop right in the middle if the square and were showing lovely images of inhumane porcine slaughter. Help! I think I might be going veggie.

Stay tuned: Why I've Always Wanted a Garden Gnome

A Bit Slick

Dear Slovakia,
A sprinkle of salt would help to melt ice on sidewalks and bridges.

Love, Karen (the girl on the ground)

Amen!

Finally, something the Catholic church and I can agree upon: Clooney

Happy Birthday, Monica!

Vsetko najlepsie k narodeninam! Yup, it really takes that many letters to wish you happiness, but you're worth every letter!
We may not yet have proven that all is cheese, but you can count on the fact that I'll eat some in your honor today!
Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home or Moj Byt

Hovorim po trosku slovensky

My only comfort was the knowledge that I was not alone. Huddled in the hallways and making the most of our pathetic French, my fellow students and I engaged in the sort of coversation commonly heard in refugee camps.
"Sometimes me cry alone at night."
"That be common for I, also, but be more strong, you. Much work and someday you talk pretty. People start love you soon. Maybe tomorrow, okay."
-David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day

I started Slovak language classes this week, and, to my great surprise, I can already form a complete sentence. If you want to know if the book is near or not near the window, if Jozef is or is not Slovak, or if I do or do not have a sister, I am definitely the one to ask. Unfortunately, these aren't generally the types of things that come up while in public. Not that I would know what types of things come up in public, because everything still pretty much sounds like throaty babble to me. But I'll keep studying, and, hey, maybe tomorrow I'll be able to tell you whether or not Viera likes castles.

Stay tuned: Going veggie?

Dibs

Some things apparently are universal in wintery lands...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-08-jan08,0,6293839.column

You're Going Where? A Slovakia Primer

This week I arrived in a country that, I'll be honest, up until about a year ago, I couldn't find on the map. Slovakia is by no means a popular tourist destination, but it is the country from which my ancestors immigrated to the US several generations ago. Primarily for this reason, I chose to travel to Slovakia for the second half of my sabbatical year. As I wrote in my sabbatical application, "As a fourth-generation Slovak-American with little knowledge of Slovak culture, traditions and language, I feel it is important for me to be knowledgeable about my own cultural heritage in order to encourage my students to be interested in and proud of their biculturalism." But all mumbo jumbo aside, isn't it important to know where you're from and where those traditions that you don't even recognize as traditions may have originated? It seems important to me, so here I arrived, a little discombobulated, but excited to soak it all in and learn.
To give you a bit of context for my adventures, here's some basic Slovakia info:
Where is Slovakia? Is it the same as Czechoslovakia?
Slovakia is a small country in central Europe. Its neighbors are the Czech Republic (to the northwest), Austria(to the west), Hungary (to the south), Ukraine (to the east), and Poland (to the north). Its capital is Bratislava (pop. 420,000), where I'm living. Trivia buffs take note: Bratislava is a mere 40 miles from Vienna, making them the two closest capital cities in the world.
From 1945 to 1993, Czechoslovakia existed as a singular nation. In 1993, the peaceful "Velvet Divorce" took place, in which it divided in two: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
What language do they speak there?
Slovak. It is most closely related to Czech and Polish, and I am told that Slovak and Czech are mutually intelligible, although intelligible isn't necessarily the adjective I would choose to describe any of the language I've heard since my arrival. Luckily (for me), English is pretty widely spoken in downtown Bratislava, but it will be a different story once outside of the city.
What's there to do and see in Slovakia?
Castles and natural beauty, mainly. Bratislava has its own castle, and Spis castle in the east is supposed to be quite stunning. The High and Low Tatras are mountain ranges that cover a good portion of north-central Slovakia, and I can't wait for Spring in order to do some hiking!

Stay tuned: Christiane Amanpour (ha, ha, ha)

There's No Place Like Home or 2 Weeks Fly When You're Having Fun

Reunions, introductions, a little chocolate, and a lot of wrestling