Lunch in the Capital

Fall is in full effect. The leaves are changing color and the air is crisp but the sun is out. It was so nice today Yemi and I decided to go to lunch in Bratislava. Driving around in that city is still a challenge but we get better every time we go. Parking really is crazy, I tried to get some pictures of quintessential Slovakian parking but next time for sure. I did get some good ones of the scenery though so I thought I'd upload em ASAP.

Still on the top of our list of things to do is have those sheep cheese dumplings called 'bryndzove halusky' and go to the Bratislava Castle.

What's the deal with no comments? I want to hear what you think of these Europe posts. Let me know if you have questions about Slovakia or Czech Republic I'll try to answer them or find someone who can. I miss everyone and hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!

Study of Slovakian Sociology

I'm going to really miss Halloween. They celebrate it here, but on a much smaller scale. It seems no one does the holidays like America. Call it gross commercialization, but it makes for a build up of excitement and a great time!

Learning more and more about Slovakia and Slovakians. Most of what follows is my opinion and own observations mixed with what other Slovakian 20 something year olds have said.

In Slovakia it is very common for a child to live with their parents into their late twenties or thirties, getting married does not mean moving out here. A lot of times households are multi-generational with people living with their parents in their parents house with their spouse and children. Life is expensive and the average Slovakian only makes around 700-800 Euros a month. When I ask about the option of renting or buying your own home I was told that renting is much more expensive than buying, they don't have apartment complexes, they don't have 'managed' property like HOAs or leasing offices. People can get a traditional 30 year mortgage if they qualify but the general attitude towards this isn't acceptive. They also told me banks openly discriminate on singles applying for home loans. They plainly say if your not married don't even try. People my age out here cannot fathom taking out a 30 year loan on anything.I don't know why, maybe it has something to do with this countries roots in communism which did not change until the early 90s. Creating a 'nest egg' with a home purchase is a very American free market concept. Americans are very comfortable with acquiring 'good debt' like student loans and mortgages. Thats not the traditional thing to do in Slovakia and I believe the same is true in many parts of Europe.

Maybe thats why there is a different attitude towards something like sex in this part of the world. Sex and sexuality especially on TV and in advertisements is not as taboo as it is in States. I don't think you can attribute it to the amount of religion in the culture because Slovakia is largely catholic and there are signs of catholicism all throughout all of the towns I have visited. I think it has something more to do with the lack of privacy in Slovakian households force people to deal with sex realistically. Its just part of life here, not a big deal. I could be way off base and there are a lot of generalizations in what I just said.

In other news I'm really loving the dental office I got into out here. I am already learning a ton including some Slovak:)

Prague is Amazing

Yemi had two days off (first time since we've been here) so on Thursday night after Yemi's last practice we took the opportunity to drive to Prague. We followed his coach there because he was born and raised in the city and wanted to show us around a little. He really made our trip way more interesting and smooth. He made our hotel reservations at a place he new was close to the tram and met with us each day to help point us in the right direction. What a nice guy!

The ride is about 3 solid hrs from Pezinok so we got in at 11pm and went to sleep pretty early. I forgot how tiring a 8-5 can be! Then we met the coach in the lobby the following day at 930. He drove us to the Wenceslas Square and we had coffee at Starbucks together as he explained the routes for us to go site seeing. It surprised me that in Prague the best place to chill and have a cup of coffee to a native was Starbucks. I found that a lot of people around central Europe go to that city to experience some American things not offered everywhere like Starbucks and McDonalds. We saw a lot of people taking pictures of themselves with their Starbucks cup like it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. After our coffee we parted ways and explored the city all day. We went on a guided tour for part of the day which was totally worth it, I would recommend it to anyone going to the city. We met a lot of other tourists and had some great conversations.

Being in Prague, for me, was like being in a history book. There are well preserved buildings and monuments from as far back as the 10th century. Very little of the city was damaged during WWI or WWII unlike a lot of its European counterparts. We took a ton of pictures and video, you can check out the photos here. It's my favorite city on this continent so far more exciting, welcoming, and affordable than Paris, Venice, Amersterdam or Brussels. I can't wait to go back!

Exciting News!

Piestany, Slovakia

I recently sent emails to offices listed by the US Embassy with recommended dentists who speak english soliciting their help in finding more information about possible job opportunities for American trained dentists. I received back a few emails, not as many as I sent out, and arranged a meeting with Dr. Igor Cech at Dental Studio in Piestany. Piestany is a town located about 40 minutes or 50km East of Pezinok. Renowned for their thermal spas and treatment especially of arthritis, they have a lot of resorts and hotels. The Dental Studio is located on Spa Island which is the picture up top.

The office is extremely modern even more so than the dental school I attended and it was a brand new school. Everything is digital and they have a very large implant aspect to their practice doing over 800 implants a year. It is a general dentistry comprehensive office meaning they do most procedures, from fillings and cleanings to root canals and cosmetic. There are 3 other dentists working in the office. I was so impressed with his office, all of the staff, dentists, and hygienist speak fluent English. I will learn so much from them. I hate to admit my own bias but we all know the stereotypes surrounding European teeth;) My preconceptions, however, were all wrong, it is one of the most advanced offices I have ever stepped foot in. After touring the office and spending time speaking with Dr. Cech they offered me a part time position, most likely three days a week. All this week I will be observing the office, learning their systems, the nuts and bolts of how the practice operates and how I can fit in best.

In Slovakia there are two types of offices. Those that work for the public system which provides universal dental care to all Slovakian citizens and private offices that for the most part do not accept any form of insurance. The Dental Studio is one of the private offices. As I understand it a strong private insurance industry like we have in the states does not exist here you either pay out of pocket for private or nothing for public. I know very little at this point about the dental profession here but I am soon to learn a lot more and fast. So more information to come but I am extremely excited for the opportunity and grateful to the dentist for being so inviting and friendly.

Top Euro Idiosyncrasies

A parking spot is anything you can fit your car into....no rules, ever, no joke.

You cannot find anything without a serious GPS navigation system like Garmin. Why, you may ask, because even if you google map it before hand only about every 4th street has an actual sign with the name on it.

I may have seen about 5 actual lights at intersections, everything is a round about or a stop sign.

With that said, traffic lights go green, yellow, then red.

Every radio in every car plays the traffic at the same time. If you are listening to a CD it will shut off and still play the traffic at least in Germany and Slovakia.

Grocery stores have a recycling area at the beginning and give a voucher for that store for the worth of whatever you were recycling. ~Pretty smart;) Very green and progressive!

If fans don't like the calls of the referees they spit on them after the game, seriously, they don't miss. I feel bad for them sometimes:(

There are no bands at games, the fans bring they're own drums.

Every residence has a separate room for the toilet, it's own little uncomfortable 5x5 room.

Fresh bread (baguette style) is mandatory in the grocery store, its super cheap also, about .03 per loaf. It's difficult to find sliced sandwich bread.

Sheep cheese and dumplings is one of the most popular Slovakian foods.

There is no such thing as a free refill, free water, or free sauce at any restaurant or fast food joint.

Woohoo Internet at the House, it's a Miracle

We're back:) The internet was hooked up today. So its all legit, no more stealing our poor neighbors unsecured wifi.

This first picture is of the soccer stadium in Banska Bystrica, a city about 200 kilometers East of Pezinok. It is adjacent to the basketball stadium. As we were driving into the city there were so many police. There was a big soccer game the same day as the basketball game which explains the police in their riot gear in the

following picture. Yemi and I joked they look like they were suited in the GI Joe gear from the movies. That kind of security isn't really needed for the basketball games in this league but I definitely see why they need it for the soccer hooligans.

I got to ride on the bus with the team, surely a first. The scenery was nice. Country side everywhere looks pretty similar, but in Europe the juxtaposition of new factories and farm equipment with the old homes and streets is always shocking to me, in America it seems we just don't preserve things as they do here. If its old we tear it down and build something new over it, but from most of what I see Europe is not like that.

We sat close to his coach and he spoke to us a little about his experience growing up in Czechoslovakia. Up until 1989 it was impossible to get American TV or literature in this country. Almost no one was allowed to leave the border. He explained that to get any

American music or even a pair or Levi jeans was a huge deal. The government allowed him to travel to America for basketball summer league and he went to the Ohio State basketball arena in Columbus and he said it was so exciting for him to go where basketball was born. Now when he tries to explain to his 23 and 18 year old children how it used to be and they barely believe him! People in our generation will never know what it was really like to live in 'eastern europe' before the Berlin Wall fell. I feel very lucky to be experiencing Europe like this with Yemi. Through his basketball

club and the people affiliated with it I get to hear some personal stories about the history of this place first hand. Before I leave I want to create some intelligent questions to ask him if I have the opportunity. I see a lot of things here that I don't really understand yet but as I get to know more people I am sure I will figure it out.

The next picture is a picture of the original 'town fortification' or wall built in the 17th century, the picture is of a really well preserved section but there are some other parts that look fresh off a movie scene from Robin Hood, the one with Kevin Costner, yea...you know what I'm talking about;)

This last picture is the entrance of the mall here in Pezinok. Pretty modest but it has a bunch of clothing stores and eateries, not really restaurants but you can get a sandwich or have coffee. Surprising I'm finding in most places in Slovakia you cannot smoke inside. It's pretty nice, the mall; however, is not one of the places.

On another note Yemi is playing really well and the team is tied for first place with a 4-1 record. Through the US Embassy I was able to get the contact info for dentists here that speak english. I have a meeting with one in Piestany, a town about 40 minutes East of here on Friday and then one of the dentists I contacted in the capital requested my CV. I cannot wait to get into a dental office out here! I am so curious how the profession operates here in Slovakia. We have gone to Bratislava a number of times and made our first trip to Vienna yesterday. I will have more info and pics on that next time:)

Cribs, Euro Edition