The Foreigner's Guide to Slovakia - Home

Slovak TV - What to Watch When You Don't Understand a Thing

2010-03-09T20:11:00Z

My father-in-law is staying with us for a few months longer. He understands little to no English and so watching American TV holds little interest. Thankfully, my husband is very computer-savvy and has hooked up the internet to our TV. There he connects to the Slovak TV station Markíza and my father-in-law can watch all the Slovak TV he wants with just a click of a mouse.

But let me back up a little and explain about Slovak TV in general. In addition to the cable subscription that of course allows access to more than a hundred stations in several different languages, there are three broadcast television stations available through terrestrial broadcasting:

In my opinion, Markíza seems to be the most popular channel. Many people watch the evening news at 7pm on Markíza and watched Superstar – The equivalent to American Idol, when it was on.

I watch the Slovak evening news almost every day and understand so little (sometimes nothing). It got me thinking as to what shows I think are good when you don’t understand much but want to be either entertained, and/or practice your Slovak skills. Here’s my list (in no particular order):

Modré z neba (Markíza) A person writes in to Markiza, asking them to make a wish come true for a deserving person they know. Make sure to have a handkerchief handy, this show likes to make people cry, guests and viewers.

Bez servítky (Markíza) Five people who, over the course of five days, each host the other four for dinner. Each meal is rated and whoever has the highest score at the end wins a cash prize.

Česko Slovenská SuperStar (Markíza) The equivalent of American Idol, this season’s reality singing-contest show finished in January. Due to the overwhelming popularity, however, it will certainly be back. This last season was different in that Czech Superstar and Slovak Superstar shows combined to create Česko Slovenská SuperStar with castings in Prague, Brno, Bratislava and Košice. Moderators and judges were both Czechs and Slovaks. I really liked seeing this collaboration. Not only did it widen the talent pool, it was a great opportunity for cross-cultural exchanges between Czechs and Slovaks.

Pošta pre teba (STV) A person wishes to publicly express something to another person and who has just found the courage to do so. The show brings people together, such as a sibling who haven’t seen the other in decades, a person renewing an old friendship, or someone simply thanking another for profoundly changing their life.

Ordinácia v ružovej záhrade (Markíza) A very popular soap opera centered around a maternity ward in a hospital.

There are plenty of game shows on TV but I haven’t found one that I’d particularly recommend. There are also plenty of American TV shows that are dubbed into Slovak. If you are familiar with the shows, it might be interesting to watch them in another language.

Kde je... #9

2010-02-16T14:56:00Z

Now here is a gorgeous picture. I didn’t take this one but found it through Wikipedia.

Where is it?

Conversion Equivalents and Using Numbers in Slovakia

2010-02-01T22:31:00Z

Those of you who have traveled and shopped in other parts of the world where the systems of measurements and units are different know that you sometimes have a double challenge: asking for what you want in the local language and knowing how much to ask for. Converting the different kinds of measurements can take some getting used to, but obviously this gets easier with time and practice. Slovakia utilizes the metric system, the same as other European countries.

Here are a couple of things I learned about using numbers in Slovakia that are different from what I was previously used to at home in the US:

The system for writing the date is day, month, and year. In Slovak, a date can be written as 26. máj 2010 or 26. 5. 2010; and occasionally you might see a date written with a Roman numeral for the month: 26. V. 2010.

Large numbers require a space between the thousands, for example 14 326 664; or a period rather than a comma to separate the thousands, for example, 14.326.664. The comma is used instead of the period to mark a decimal, for example, 19,50%.

Slovakia utilizes Daylight Savings Time along with the rest of Europe. The “summer-time period” of Daylight Savings Time in the EU begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. Slovakia is located in the CET (Central European Time) 1 time zone. It is one hour ahead (+1) of London, +6 of New York, +9 of Los Angeles, –2 of Moscow, and –10 of Sydney. The twenty-four hour clock or “military-time” is used quite often, both in spoken communication as well as written.

The standard electric current is 230 volts/ 50 Hz. If you are planning to bring a laptop computer that functions on a lower voltage, it shouldn’t be a problem to use in Slovakia. Most modern laptops can automatically sense a change in voltage and adapt. You only need a plug adapter that attaches to the prongs to plug into the socket particular to Continental Europe. Check your laptop AC adapter for the information on input. If it reads input: 100-240V, then you’re fine. Check your nearest retail department store or the Internet for a set of plug adapters. For any other electrical appliances or devices that need an adapter to work outside of your country, the best advice is not to bring them at all. It’s simply too much bother to deal with power converters and to find additional plug adapters.

Depending on your knowledge and experience, the measurements you may or may not have to practice converting are the following:

Temperature: Fahrenheit to Celsius
Linear measurements: inches, feet, and miles to centimeters, meters, and kilometers
Weight: pounds to kilograms

Because I’m somebody who always likes to be prepared (and because I’m something of a nut when it comes to printing out small pieces of paper with information on it), I’ve created tables and charts for converting basic measurements like temperature, weights and measurements and stuck it in one nifty little 4-page PDF. I can’t tell you how often I’ve referred to these tables over the years. Even today I have the temperature conversions table up on my refrigerator. This is mostly because of my in-laws who are always asking us what the temperature is and comparing it to where they are.

I hope you find these as useful as I have.

Culture Shock and the Expat in Slovakia

2010-01-17T21:38:00Z

So here’s a scenario I hear about often (and have experienced myself):

You are moving to Slovakia or some other country that is new for you. You are so excited about the move and are distracted about all the details of settling in, such as finding a place to live and getting all your stuff packed and moved, finding a decent job that’s going to pay the bills with some left over to travel a bit, getting acquainted with some of the locals and getting exposure to the culture and cuisine, becoming familiar with your new neighborhood, traffic and comfortable with the public transportation system, experimenting with foods and becoming familiar with products in your local grocery store, and adjusting to a new currency.

And then all of a sudden it hits—A feeling of depression, or self doubt that you’ve done the right thing in making the big change. Or possibly a sadness because you miss your family, your home, or “your people” back in your home country. You get home-sick, sometimes bad enough that it makes you consider cutting and running.

What do you do? Try to ignore it? Wait for these feelings to go away? What is culture shock, anyway? Can anything be done to help minimize the negative feelings associated with it?

Everyone experiences culture shock at some level. I received an email from a woman who was originally from Slovakia but had lived in the US for more than 10 years and had just recently moved back to Slovakia with her American husband. She wrote to me asking if I knew of any groups where she and her husband could meet other expats. She said her mindset had changed over the last several years away from typical Slovak life and that a lot of thing were driving her crazy back in Slovakia. For her and her husband, finding other Americans would help in their transition to Slovak life.

Expat groups can help you get in touch with others from your own country, or those who are English speakers anyway. In Bratislava there is a group called Bratislava Expats. This group started up right after I moved back to California so I never got to go to any of their events so I don’t have personal experience with them. I am familiar with their forum, however. They usually meet at the cafe Next Apache located somewhere not so far from the Presidential Palace. Contact them and see if anything is going on in the near future.

Another good website for Americans is for the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia. They have events that are really great. Of course they have really nice parties or picnics for major US holidays like the 4th of July (in the past they’ve hosted a great outdoor event at Bratislava Castle) but they also host very interesting talks about the growth of the City of Bratislava or how Slovakia is adjusting to the euro, etc. Most of the time these events are open to the public.

And there is an American football league in Bratislava. I wrote a blog post about it. There’s also a great American football league in Vienna.

There are also good websites that provide forums for expats or other specific country information such as a list of popular blogs by expats in various countries. Expat Women for example, has links for over 1,000 expat women blogs on their site. Expat Women is a website that helps women living overseas. They’ve got readers’ stories, country resource pages, their own inspirational blog, and loads of motivational articles.

Expat-blog is dedicated to expatriates who want to share their living-abroad experience and to those who want to live, study or work in a foreign country, or just discover how life is on the other side of the planet. They’ve got forums, living abroad guides, and an “expat network” to help you make new contacts in your destination country. Sometimes surfing through pages on Slovakia provides more information than you ever realized existed.

But what else can you do proactively to deal with culture shock?

For me it was important to understand that culture shock in itself shouldn’t be considered as an entirely negative experience. Feeling symptoms of culture shock means that you are sensitive to differences from your own culture and have the capacity to gain deeper self knowledge as well as to be enriched by another culture. This sensitivity provides an important opportunity for learning; it’s something like growing pains.

Additionally, after living abroad for 5 years, I came up with a list of tips that help me deal with it. Here they are:

1) Keep active. This is particularly good advice if you are feeling symptoms of culture shock such as depression, extreme homesickness, or wanting to withdraw from people (culture) that are different from you. Join a fitness club, go sightseeing, or take a language class.

2) When you need a break from culture overload, take some time out for yourself: make yourself your favorite foods from home, watch a favorite movie or T.V. show.

3) Try to make friends with locals. It’s to your advantage to go out of your way to break through that barrier and work on making friends. For some, this is often easier said that done, but friendships are important in helping you get over culture shock and to learn about Slovak life. In addition to that, friends lead you to meeting new friends, which is a good thing.

4) Keep an open mind and try not to fixate on how things are done back home in comparison to your adopted home. As I have heard it so eloquently stated, “You’re not in Kansas so don’t act like it!” Not only does complaining not solve anything, it makes you a bitter and unpleasant person to be around and makes locals defensive and antagonistic.

5) Remember that part of your education is to learn to decipher foreign customs and try not to let the differences annoy you. Some people can adapt easier to new surroundings than others but everyone can get frustrated or feel out of place from time to time, particularly when upsetting things happen. When you aren’t familiar with the customs it’s easy to get frustrated at another’s seeming lack of respect. For example, I’ve had this reaction before: “I don’t understand it. I refused an offer for a drink and still he keeps asking me to have one. Didn’t they hear me the first time? These people are so pushy!” Later I learned that if you are at someone’s home, it’s customary for a host to offer you a drink of an alcohol, and your host will not feel like he or she has done their job until you accept at least one drink.

Finally, travel and living abroad are extraordinary opportunities for growth, self knowledge, and life-long experience. Some people think that you need to be adventurous or willing to take risks to travel or live abroad. This was never my philosophy; you just need to have a little determination, do some planning, and be flexible. In return, the value gained from traveling and living abroad is impossible to measure. Not only do you gain insight and appreciation for other cultures, but time away from your own country often makes you aware of who you are and the significance of where you come from.

Slovak Christmas Cookies

2009-12-12T22:01:00Z

It’s a little less than 2 weeks before Christmas and time to start planning for the Christmas baking. You might think it’s too early to start, but in my family of Slovak in-laws, since there are so many different kinds of cookies to make and they tend to have a long shelf life, a week before Christmas is just fine to begin. The most common cookies in our family are:

medovniky – honey cookies
vanilkové rožky – vanilla-roll cookies
linecké kolieska – Linzer cookies

Armed with my grandma-in-law’s recipes and having the experience of helping with these in the past, here’s how to bake them.

Medovniky – Honey cookies

I’ve blogged about these cookies before, about how they can be used as Christmas tree ornaments, and also what beautiful pieces of art they can be when decorated with white icing as they traditionally are. Of course you don’t have to decorate them at all and simply let the dark color be its decoration. I don’t know about you, but to me their color means they’re packed with flavor, or at least should be. Simply adding a piece of walnut to the top, as pictured, can also be a nice touch.

Ingredients

4 ¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 ¼ sticks of unsalted butter
3 ½ tablespoons of honey
a little less than ½ cup of water
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon
½ tablespoon ginger
½ tablespoon cloves
1 teaspoon cardamom (optional)

Directions
Heat the sugar, water and honey until the sugar dissolves. Add the butter and spices. Once the butter has melted, let it cool. In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Pour the sugar-spice mixture over it and mix with a wooden spoon. Knead lightly to form a smooth dough. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour (preferably overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out a small amount of dough at a time on a floured board. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Optionally, garnish with quarters or halves of walnuts.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or greased to keep them from sticking. Bake 5-8 minutes.

I like my cookies darker. To me it gives them a richer flavor, but keep a watchful eye. These cookies can burn easily if you let them go too long. Decorate them with icing when they are cool, or leave them as they are.

Icing

1 egg white
½ cup powdered sugar

You don’t need a fancy tool to work with icing. Simply spoon your icing into a sandwich bag, twist the bag tightly until the icing wedges into one corner, and then poke or cut a tiny hole into the corner.

Vanilkové rožky – Vanilla-roll cookies

These cookies are my all-time favorite Slovak cookie. Why? Probably because the flavor of the nuts mixes so well with vanilla. And also, the nuts give the cookie a delicate consistency when you bite into it.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or one packet of vanilla sugar)
1 level tablespoon baking powder

Directions
In a medium bowl mix the flour and baking powder. In a larger bowl, mix the egg with the melted butter. Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Blend in the flour mixture. Add the nuts lastly. Let the dough cool in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Roll out pieces of dough, approx 2.5 inches long and about the width of a smaller finger. Form the roll into a “U” shape.

Bake at 350 F until a light golden color, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.

When they are still warm, take a small bowl of powdered sugar and toss the cookies gently until they are coated. Shake off the excess.

Linecké kolieska – Linzer cookies

The origins of this recipe come from Austria, inspired from the Linzertorte, one of Austria’s most famous desserts. Traditionally, Linzer cookies are made with roasted nuts as one of the ingredients, such as almonds, hazelnuts, or even pecans. In Slovakia I have only had these cookies without nuts. This recipe reflects that and has no nuts. Still, the one thing that all Linzer cookies have in common is the “window” on top of the cookie where sandwiched jam peeks out.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
Powdered sugar for dusting
Raspberry or black currant jam

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix the yolks and softened butter. Add the sugar. Add the flour, beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough into two pieces and refrigerate until firm, at least a half hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the first piece of dough. Using a cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.), make cut outs. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet.

Reroll any scraps and cut out more cookies. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll and cut out the rest of the cookies. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Place on a wire rack to cool.

To assemble the cookies, place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the powdered sugar. On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smudge the powdered sugar.

Interview with a Slovak Genealogist

2009-11-08T18:17:00Z

For many of us, genealogy is fascinating. It allows us to get in touch with our own personal histories and to pass it along to others. For some, visiting the land where their ancestors lived becomes part of the genealogy experience. Walking the land where ancestors lived and visiting cemeteries may bring one closer to family than a piece of paper ever could. And if there is still living family to meet and visit, the experience can be extremely exciting and emotional.

Of course, when looking for information about family in a far-away country, it is often necessary to have professional help.

Michal Razus is a Slovak genealogist from Prešov specializing in the area of eastern Slovakia and the Rusyn part of Slovakia. He studied Slovak history and literature at University of Prešov and has been doing archive research and family searches for 7 years. He became interested in helping people of Slovak origin connect with their roots after his first successful case in 2002.

I had the chance to ask him a few questions about his work and the different types of activities he does to help people find the information they need.

Q: How did you become interested in helping people of Slovak ancestry connect with their roots?
I was very motivated after my first case to which I got by coincidence. I guided a couple from California and we were able to find their second cousins near to Bardejov. From this meeting a wonderful friendship developed. Both sides of the family were very excited and moved. Even though the family was divided for some 60 years, they came in touch again and now they visit each other every two to three years. This experience encouraged me a lot and showed me that this work has purpose.

Q: Have you ever had the experience where you cannot find any information on a person or family, or is there always something that you can find?
If the input information is correct and there are sufficient resources, then the chance of finding someone is very high. It can be more difficult to find the descendants of family where there were only females who had changed their surnames after getting married. Paradoxically, sometimes it is more demanding to get more recent information because it is protected by the law protecting personal data and I cannot study the databases directly, I can only ask for the information.

Q: Are you ever surprised by information you find?
I am always surprised by the unbelievable stories that I uncover. Each of them is very strong and filled with hope, and overcome sometimes incredible obstacles along the way. Although every single man or woman that left had a double portion of courage, not all of them also had so much luck. Therefore, these stories are very often marked by tragedies that happened before, or at the departure, or after coming to their new home. Luckily in spite of hard times, many people didn’t give up and survived the suffering. Therefore, descendants of the immigrants that come today to Slovakia know that their relatives didn’t win their luck in a lottery, so to speak, but their family had to work hard to reach their successes.

Q: Do people sometimes have unrealistic expectations about finding their roots?
Actually, not really. People usually don’t know what to expect and I don’t know either. Each case is individual and first it is necessary to gather as much information as possible. Then I can say whether their expectation is realistic or not.

From time to time my clients say that their family was the part nobility – according to family heritage or a surname. This can be true, but in the past the property was inherited by the oldest son and any subsequent children had to do something else. That is why my clients do not find their cousins living in castles, but usually smiling and friendly people.

Q: Do you enjoy what you do?
Absolutely! This work is very interesting and rewarding for me, especially when I can see the result of my work and the people, not only organizing a family tree via the Internet but also coming to Slovakia and meeting relatives or seeing the country. It is not only work for me but also a hobby. It is a passion for me to uncover the individual stories in the background of the “big world history”.

Check out Michael’s website for more information about the kinds of services he offers. And thanks, Michael, for explaining a little about what you do.

Slovak Impressions of America

2009-10-30T11:14:00Z

Currently, I have in-laws visiting us from Slovakia. They’ll be here until January or so. Since this is their first trip out to California and the US, it’s been interesting to note their observations as to what stands out as different from what they are accustomed to at home. Here are a few notes:

Let’s see how that garbage disposal works
The very first day my in-laws arrived, they stood in front of the kitchen sink and asked my husband to demonstrate how the garbage disposal works. Here’s a snippet of our conversation while looking at the bottom of the sink:

Father-in-law: So what do you put down there?
My husband: Old food that needs to be thrown out.
Father-in-law: Like what?
My husband: Old kapustnica, for example. (To me) What can we toss down there?
Me: Forget it. We’re not throwing food down the sink just for show.
Aunt-in-law: So then what foods do you flush down the toilet?
Me: Nothing! No food gets flushed down the toilet. Absolutely no food in the bathroom!

I clearly remember the first time I learned that Europeans flush food down the toilet. While I lived in Vienna, I watched in total bafflement as my roommate walked to the bathroom with a large bowl of potato salad, left over from a party we had earlier that week. What could she possibly be doing, I thought. What a shock when she flushed it.

Where are the cemeteries?
My husband and I have taken his family hundreds of miles up and down the California coast and inland, seeing plenty of nature, and lots of towns and big cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Yeah, that’s a lot to see, but we haven’t passed one single cemetery along the way.

I wrote a blog post about the significance of November 1st All Saints Day and how it is celebrated in Slovakia. Cemeteries are important – and busy – places in Slovakia. Their question reminded me of my first trip to Slovakia in 1989. I remember being surprised by the number of cemeteries we passed on a bus ride from Bratislava to Kežmarok. My thinking at the time was something like, “There’s a lot more dead people in Slovakia than in California. That’s why they have more cemeteries” I probably meant that central Europe has been densely inhabited a lot longer than California has been and therefore, there are a lot more cemeteries per square mile in Slovakia than in California. Still, that doesn’t explain the lack of visible cemeteries. I think Americans have a different view of death. We don’t want to be reminded or to think about death at all. And with medical advances allowing people to live longer, healthier lives, we’ve been able to more successfully avoid thinking about losing our family members and friends. And so we don’t put our cemeteries in prominent places where they can be seen easily. My husband and I have lived in the same area for four years and we have no idea where the nearest cemetery is located. We’ll have to do an Internet search this year because on November 1st we will be going to one.

Courteous drivers seem to be the norm
My aunt-in-law was very impressed with drivers who stop and wait while we cross the street. Overall, she has been impressed with how courteous drivers seem to be with other drivers and with pedestrians. It’s a bit different in Slovakia. If you’re crossing a street you do have to be careful. You can’t step out onto the street thinking that cars will stop to let you pass – even if you are in a crosswalk – because most often they wont. Also, what has been my experience, Slovak drivers tend to be much more aggressive.

Houses with a lawn out front
For my father-in-law, gardening is a favorite hobby of his. On his visit to us he has liked seeing homes with nice lawns and trimmed hedges, and overall how people take care of their property. Most homes in California and in the US don’t have gates and fences around the front as is commonly found in Slovakia, as pictured. He likes the sense of “openness” that many homes have here.

Lastly
Overall, they have been enjoying their stay. The weather has been great – warm and sunny, adding to California’s allure. We’ve been cooking and eating mostly at home, so there isn’t too much that is different food wise. We did take them out for Thai food and that was a success. Mexican is also always a winner. I’ll be looking forward to making a huge turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

My aunt-in-law says Slovaks have wrong information about America, and that they all imagine something but most Slovaks really don’t have any idea. She says she tells everyone who asks her about her visit that America is a normal country with normal people. For all the years that I’ve lived in Slovakia, explaining to my in-laws how things are in America, I’m glad that they finally have the opportunity to see for themselves.

Teaching English in Slovakia (part 4)

2009-10-20T05:14:00Z

Over the moths I’ve received some additional questions about living and teaching in Slovakia. I’m posting some of these questions and my answers below them:

Did you have any experience with the language before arriving in Slovakia? From my understanding, apart from Bratislava, English is not a well-known language, so of course it is probably very difficult to get around without knowing at least the basics. Did you take any classes to learn Slovak or did you have any difficulties getting around without knowing much of the language?

I didn’t have any experience with the Slovak language when I moved there, other than a handful of words I learned on my own ahead of time. If you eventually find a teaching job in Bratislava, then yes, it is possible to take Slovak language classes and I totally recommend them. I took some myself and they were very helpful. They are mostly offered by the university for foreign students who come from different parts of the world. If you end up in a smaller town where you won’t be able to take a class, then your other option is to self study or get your own personal tutor :) There are pros and cons to being in Bratislava versus being in a small country town. You’ll have to decide what you would like to do.

Do you know if there are many jobs available outside of the usual hiring season (like for instance, through the middle of the school year)? I am considering leaving in March 2010 but am unsure whether I want to wait until August/September to start a job (this is based on the presumption that I will have to apply for jobs within Slovakia).

I would say that there are two different kinds of schools: those that function on a school-year schedule, such as a high school or university; and then language schools that run the same schedule year-round, something like a Berlitz-type of school. High schools, universities and private language schools that are closed during the summer do their hiring in the spring. For other language schools that hire year-round, it doesn’t make a difference when you go to Slovakia. If I had to make a recommendation as to when to go to Slovakia to look for a teaching job, I’d say go in the spring.

I noticed you said that it can take a few months to wait for a working visa to be approved and thus, for the job to start. Does that mean some go months without working?

No, but it can mean that you have signed a contract to work and you begin teaching, but you won’t get paid until your paperwork is all official. I have had this experience.

Is a long-stay visa completely separate from a working visa?

Yes, the long-stay visa and the working visa are two separate things that are interdependent on one another. You can’t get a long-term stay visa unless you have a reason to be in Slovakia (such as a job), and you can’t get a work permit unless you have a long-term stay visa or are in the process of getting one. Also, the work permit is good only for one employer at a time. You can’t get a work permit for working at one school and then just decide that you want to teach somewhere else.

If I intend to reside in Slovakia for any length of time, is the long-stay visa something I have to apply for well in advance of leaving my home country?

You have 90 days to live in Slovakia without paperwork with a ‘tourist’ visa. The count of those 90 days begin when your passport is stamped upon entrance to the EU. Should you apply for a long-term stay visa before you come to Slovakia? You can only apply for one if you have a reason for applying. In otherwords, simply wanting to work in Slovakia is not a reason you can apply for a long-term stay visa, you need to actually have a job in hand. Therefore unless you’ve already been made an offer, I don’t think you can apply in advance.

Since I am working full time, I need to find an on-line program that would be acceptable to the Slovak work force. There are numerous online programs and I want to pick one that would be useful in Slovakia. CELTA seems to be the most popular. But they do not have an online program. I was wondering if I took the class in Prague in July if that would give me the time I needed to apply for work the following school year? Or would an online program be acceptable?

Getting certified to be a teacher of English as a foreign language is pretty important. Yes, schools are looking to see that you have some kind of certificate, but really the education is for you. You will need to know how to explain complex grammar questions and sooner or later you will get a student who asks you a question such as “Why is the future perfect case used in this sentence rather than the simple future?” and you want to be able to know what they are referring to and how to explain. Your education is important and that’s why I wouldn’t recommend an online course to someone who doesn’t have experience teaching English. However, if you really have no other choice but to look for something online, then look for something that is really going to teach you something and is not simply a two-week course aimed at taking your money in exchange for a bogus certificate. That’s the only advice I can give about that. I really don’t have any experience with which is the best site to go with.

Certainly if you are willing to commit to going to Prague for a summer course, that would fill your requirements. Many Americans go this route. I’m not sure about the timing, though. If you complete the course in July that might not give you a lot of time to find a teaching job in Slovakia. I do know that people who finish the course in Prague can usually find teaching opportunities in Prague right away.

Kde je... #8

2009-10-15T04:40:00Z

Here I go again, posting another picture with a statue. This one has quite a story.

If you can figure out who the statue depicts, you probably can figure out were it’s located.

Conquering the Nut Roll Koláč

2009-10-11T04:19:00Z

Nut-roll koláč is probably the most commonly-known Slovak dessert. For me it had become a mountain to climb and conquer. Why? Making good koláč is not easy, at least it’s not easy for me. To get the dough just right you have to know what you are doing and that takes experience. Additionally, any time you are dealing with yeast things get exponentially more complicated. For me the risk that my entire attempt may be sabotaged by uncooperative yeast always looms.

Since my Slovak in-laws are visiting, I asked my aunt-in-law to show me how to make koláč, working in my kitchen, using American ingredients. This has probably been the best learning experience with Slovak baking thus far.

But let’s start with the name. Though “koláč” (or the anglicized “kolach” or “kolachy”) is a general word that could be used to describe many kinds of dessert cakes or pastries, the more precise Slovak word referring to a rolled pastry would be závin. Among my Slovak-American acquaintances I’ve never heard of “nut-roll zavin” but in Slovakia orechový závin is definitely what we are referring to as nut-roll koláč.

Regarding the recipe and baking it just right, let me tell you this has been one heck of a learning experience. First, I had issues with translating Slovak recipe ingredients:

How much is a half kilo of flour if I don’t have a weight scale at home?
What if I’m using dry yeast instead of cake yeast? How do I compensate?
What kind of oil do I use?

Then I had to translate Slovak bakers’ interpretations such as the following:

For the filling, add as much sugar as you want
Bake it on medium heat until it’s done

Hmm. Ok.

I was also surprised to see that the recipe I ended up using doesn’t use eggs. How can that be? Almost every Slovak recipe, or Slovak-American recipe, I’ve ever read for nut-roll koláč calls for an egg or two. My aunt says eggs make dough more dense. If you want the dough to bake light and puffy with a good height then don’t include egg.

Another important step I learned is how to work the dough. What my aunt showed me is how dough is supposed to look once you mix the yeast with the flour, and then what it’s supposed to look like once the dough has been worked.

Here’s another secret: never slice the koláč until it has completely cooled. If it is cut while still hot, it will flatten. Instead, once you take them out of the oven, leave them in the baking sheet and cover them with a clean kitchen towel.

So here it is, folks; the recipe for nut-roll kolač:

Ingredients for two rolls

Dough

1 envelope of dry yeast
1/2 cup of milk, slightly warmed
1/2 teaspoon of sugar mixed in the milk

4 cups of all-purpose flour
12 teaspoons of sugar (slightly rounded)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk slightly warmed
1/2 cup of oil (canola oil is best)

Filling

2 1/2 cups crushed walnuts
chopped apple (optional)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
added milk until walnuts and sugar are moistened but not runny, about 1/4 cup

Directions
-In a mug, warm the milk to just above room temperature and stir in the sugar. Add the yeast, briefly mix it, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

-In a medium-sized bowl, measure out the flour, add the sugar and salt, and then mix it with a wooden spoon. Add the yeast mixture and then the oil and mix, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with your spoon.

-Here’s an important part: once all the dough ingredients have been incorporated you’re going to have to work the dough by hand (this is when using a bread maker machine would come in handy if you have one). The most comfortable place is to sit in a chair and work the dough for 5 to 7 minutes by using your fingers to pinch and pull the dough together. Work the dough around the bowl until it becomes smooth and begins to pull cleanly away from the sides. The dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to your palm.

-Lightly dust the dough with flour in the bowl and leave it in a warm dry place for an hour, covered with a cloth.

-After the dough has risen, dust your working area with flour and cut the dough into two pieces. Roll your first piece out into a rectangular shape approximately 1/2 inch thick.

-Spread half of your filling over the dough making sure to leave about an inch of dough visible from all four sides.

-From one of the longer sides, roll the dough without leaving pockets of space.

-Lightly pinch the ends and tuck them under.

-Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or greased to keep the roll from sticking.

-Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Note: Since we’re not using eggs for this recipe there are no egg whites to coat the top of the roll before baking. Brush on a bit of milk, or when the rolls are done baking and you have just removed them hot from the oven, lightly brush them with oil.

Note: If you have apple added to the filling, bake at 375 and for a longer time, probably 30 minutes or so.

I hope all my notes and lengthy descriptions aren’t discouraging or off-putting as seemingly too much work. I’ve written in such detail because they were points that stood out in my mind.

I hope you have success with this. If you have feedback, let me know.

Good luck!

Jan Kocur: A Slovak Immigrant's Story

2009-10-09T00:01:00Z

Jan Kocur – A Story of Slovak Pride, American Patriotism, & the Golden Age of the Slovak League of America
by Richard Kocur, Jr
Available from Amazon.com

One hundred years ago in 1909, a 22-year old Slovak left his village and traveled to America, beginning a new life in Pennsylvania. The story of Jan Kocur, written by his grandson Richard Kocur, chronicles Jan’s life through a fascinating time in European and American history, the early part of the 20th century.

Richard Kocur describes in depth the complicated landscape of Europe that Jan Kocur left behind; countries entering treaties, agreements, and alliances to isolate rivals while dealing with their many national identities. The multi-ethnic Austria-Hungary, which included the area that would be Slovakia, was ready to be torn apart when WWI started a few years later.

The author also illustrates life in America for a new immigrant, arriving through Ellis Island and living in Arnold Pennsylvania. He would return to Slovakia a few years later to marry a Slovak woman but interestingly enough, they would live their first 10 years of married life apart as he returned to the US and then went off to war, and she remained in Slovakia to take care of her parents.

Jan Kocur filled many roles such as a soldier, a diligent worker, and a husband and then father of a growing family, but one of his most important roles was as Secretary of the Slovak League of America for 26 years. Through the league he acted as the driving force of Slovak-American causes during the first half of the 20th century, and strove to achieve the idea of Slovak independence as well as bring his fellow countrymen the same benefits he enjoyed as a free and independent Slovak-American.

The story of Jan Kocur is important because his life goes beyond the simple story of a Slovak immigrant achieving the “American dream”. His life was one driven by a handful of principles; fair and equal treatment for his fellow Slovaks in the US, dedication and devotion to the ideals that made America great, and freedom and self-determination for his Slovak homeland.

For those of us interested in immigrants’ stories from Slovakia, particularly the story of a person who never lost touch of his heritage, this is a story worth knowing.

World War II and the Jews of Slovakia

2009-09-01T07:00:00Z

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II, a fight against Nazism and totalitarianism that cost the lives of more than 50 million and destroyed the lives of many millions more. A ceremony took place earlier in the day in Poland to mark the date and remember. For most people, remembering WWII also means remembering the ethnic Jewish population in Europe that was all but decimated within those five and a half years.

I’m not Jewish. As a matter of fact, before I moved to Europe I had little reason to ever think about Jewish life or the Jewish people. But over the few years I lived in Central Europe I couldn’t help to become interested in the story of the Jews. Why? Because at times it’s possible to actually feel the void of an ethnic group who once inhabited Europe, and who are overwhelmingly gone.

The signs of former Jewish life in Slovakia are there if you look for them. For example, a monument in Bratislava Old Town with a large etching on marble of what used to be the main synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, almost all of which was torn down to make way for the new Nový Most (pictured right); In Zlaté Moravce, a small town I’ve spent a lot of time in, the building of the former town synagogue is now a rock climbing gym; and Jewish cemeteries can be found across the country. But still, almost no one talks about the Jewish people or of what Slovaks saw or heard before and during World War II.

People forget. I believe that honestly happens, especially to the older generations as they age. But also, often people want to forget. I remember one adult student of mine told me that the Second World War ripped a gaping hole in the hearts and minds of people and that some families still have not recovered to this day. He told me that he personally lost uncles and for some it is still too painful to talk about, and he wasn’t even referring to the Jews. Often I’ve had to make myself remember his words because sometimes I’m frustrated about people’s reluctance to talk about what Slovak life was like during World War II and what was happening in their towns and villages. I have to remember that there is still a rawness. Unfortunately it’s difficult to balance sensitivity with the need to record information coming from credible sources before there is no more opportunity to do so.

My grandfather-in-law has an amazing memory. He loves to tell stories about his youth and about his service in the Slovak Army at the close of World War II. My husband and I like to hear his stories, mostly because he so enjoys recounting them. One afternoon he was telling us about being “on the front” and of his military days. Just because I was curious, I wanted to ask him about the Jews in the Zlaté Moravce area and in his village of Žitavany. Of course, because he has an excellent memory, he was able to tell us specifically that there were three Jewish families taken from his village and that after the war only a single man returned. The man didn’t stay but instead immigrated to Israel. He also said many of the shops in Zlaté Moravce were owned and operated by Jewish people. What he didn’t have to say was that everything was confiscated and given over to Slovaks and that the Jews were taken away to concentration camps.

What was interesting to me was that he recounted all of this simply as historical fact, no judgments, no comments. It made me think, why don’t young people ask more questions? My grandfather-in-law didn’t have difficulty in the telling. Maybe it simply was a matter of someone asking a straightforward question to get a straightforward answer. Ask and you shall receive? Possibly.

In The Foreigner’s Guide to Living in Slovakia, I wrote a short section about Germans in Slovakia (called Carpathian Germans), and also about Jews in Slovakia. In that section I included the following powerful statistics:

According to the Czechoslovak census of 1930, 136,737 Jews lived in Slovakia and 102,542 in Subcarpathian Rus, which was more than 4% of the population in Slovakia and more than 14% of the population in Subcarpathian Rus.
Today there are approximately 2,300 Jews living in Slovakia.

There are many painful stories that have not yet been told, but there are also good stories of non-Jews helping Jews and other targeted groups during World War II that have not yet been told. I think I’m open minded to hear both, not to judge, but simply because we – citizens of the world – need to know more, and move beyond the feeling that people are holding back important information and want to forget about the past.

Note: The photo is taken by Griffindor who added the following description in Wikipedia Commons:

Image of the Holocaust monument in Bratislava. The Reform Synagogue used to stand there and survived the Nazis but not the Communists after World War II. The synagogue was torn to make way for a highway. Only after the fall of Communism was a black granite plaque (visible in the back) and a monument constructed for the murdered Jewish population of Bratislava. However no sign in English explains the meaning of the monument to anyone.

My Wish List from Slovakia

2009-08-07T06:05:00Z

Relatives are coming from Slovakia next month to visit us here in California and have asked us what would we like them to bring. Of course this is something I’ve had to think about for a while. Though I have something of a wish list, I haven’t decided what I’m going to request in the end. Here’s my list so far:

Jacobs Kronung instant coffee
I wasn’t a coffee drinker until I moved to Europe. Still, most Europeans (and probably Americans too) would cringe at the idea of drinking instant, but in Slovakia that’s what most people have at home. And I love it. There’s nothing like a cup along with a piece of my grandmother-in law’s kolač. Of all the brands I’ve tried while in Slovakia, I like Jacubs Kronung the best (and actually the manufacturer is German).

To get ready for having this special coffee in my pantry at home, I’ve been working on perfecting my grandmother-in-law’s recipe of nut-roll kolač. Believe me, when yeast is involved and I have to do steps such as convert how much a half kilo of flour is into cups, this takes more than a few attempts. I’m super close to getting it just right. One more attempt and I’ll nail it. Then I’ll post the converted recipe here.

Siesta na cesty tatranky
I’ve mentioned these before as a recommendation of what to bring back from Slovakia as a souvenir. Tatranky are wafer cookies. There’s a huge selection of these and I think I’ve tried all of them. My favorite is Siesta na cesty. Why? Because the chocolate used in and on the wafer has the highest percentage of real cocoa in comparison to other tatranky, giving them a richer taste. How do I know this? While in Slovakia I taught English at Kraft Foods, the manufacturer of the Siesta tatranky brand, and this fact was a point of pride.

Horčica – Mustard
I don’t know what it is about this particular mustard with the Slovak trade mark of St. Nicolaus, but it doesn’t taste like anything that I can find in the states. Mustard is a key ingredient in Slovak potato salad for Christmas and Easter so having this on hand will be good. It’s also great with párky – hotdogs; with a slice or two of dark bread.

Kypriaci prášok do perníka
This is a packet that contains a mix of spices used in making things like medovníky or the Slovak cake perník. Perník is something like a gingerbread cake. I’ve had it several times over the years while in Slovakia but back in California I haven’t been able to reproduce it. I have a recipe but the taste isn’t as good as I remember. I need to keep hunting for another. If any Slovaks out there have a good recipe for perník, please send it my way. Thanks.

Oštiepok
Yes, it is legal to bring cheese from Slovakia to the United States, provided that it is a hard cheese such as oštiepok or parenica. Both of these cheeses are excellent but smoked oštiepok is a favorite. This is something else that goes well with dark bread and Slovak mustard. I wrote a whole post just on Slovak cheeses. Check it out for descriptions of each.

Becherovka
This is an herbal-based liqueur, made in Czechia, that to me is slightly bitter but still has a pleasant taste. I like having Becherovka on hand to treat an upset stomach. It’s actually great as an aperitif before a large or heavy meal to prevent stomach upset. I can’t explain it and usually I don’t put much faith in herbal remedies, but having experienced it myself, I’m a believer. Of course Becherovka can be found probably at any place in the US that has a decent stock of imported liqueurs, but it may be a bit pricey.

Ružový porcelán – Pink porcelain
My mom started a collection of pink porcelain when she came to Slovakia for the first time. Ružový porcelán is made in many factories but the best comes from the Karlovy Vary area in Bohemia-Czechia. It’s also sold all over Slovakia. Honestly, I can’t decide if I really like this kind of porcelain or not. The rose-color isn’t all that attractive to me; however, the pieces I’ve seen done with silver are quite beautiful. For my mom I will ask for a bowl in the pattern she collects.

Paradontax toothpaste
I don’t care for sweet-flavored toothpastes. This brand of toothpaste – made in the UK – is made with herbs. I got used to it while in Slovakia and now if I can get a hold of it, I prefer it over other brands. Another ingredient of this toothpaste is probably baking soda because my teeth feel squeaky clean afterward. Good stuff.

I’ve got a couple more weeks to add anything else to my list. I’ll probably add some Figaro chocolate tablets or more tatranky!

Sts Cyril and Methodius Day

2009-07-01T01:59:00Z

July 5 is a public holiday in Slovakia (and Czechia). It is Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda, the day to commemorate Saints Cyril and Methodius. These two saints are significant in Slavic lands and indeed are called the “Apostles to the Slavs”. As far as I know, in Slovakia it’s not celebrated any specific way aside from the church that honors them. Still, they are vastly important.

Why are they so special to the Slavic people and what specific connection does Slovakia play?

In 863 A.D., Constantine (later called Cyril) and Methodius were dispatched from the Byzantine Empire to Great Moravia (an area that included western Slovakia in the ninth century and of which Nitra was an important principality). They were sent for by Rastislav, king of Great Moravia, who wanted to limit Frankish influence (the Franks were a Germanic people), and desired that his people be evangelized in their own Slavic language. Constantine and Methodius created the Glagolitic alphabet, which later became the basis for the Cyrillic alphabet, and translated several religious works, including the Bible into the ancient Slavonic language. Also importantly, the creation and use of the Glagolitic alphabet marked the beginning of when the Slavic people began to lay the foundations for their own culture.

Though it is uncertain whether Cyril and Methodius actually came and began their work from Nitra, many assume this was the case. To this day, a relic of St Cyril, the bone of his index finger, is kept in a small silver box in the old part of St. Emeram church where the Nitra Castle is located. I’ve seen it—the box, not the finger—and I have to say the fact that it’s there is pretty awesome. Saints Cyril and Methodius have got to be some of the most significant figures, if not the most significant figures in the history of the Slavic people. To me they are beyond just legendary; these two have super-star status. A relic from one of them, along with the location’s history, makes Nitra and Slovakia special.

Just recently before Slovakia switched from the crown currency to the euro, Saints Cyril and Methodius were featured on the 50 crown note. Now with the euro, one of the designs chosen for the Slovak contribution is the double-bar cross.

According to some stories, Saints Cyril and Methodius brought the symbol of the double-bar cross to Slovakia. The double-bar cross, which is featured prominently on the Slovak coat of arms and in the national flag, was once a symbol used by the Byzantine Empire. Today some people interpret the double-bar cross on Slovak emblems as a representation of Slovaks as guardians of the Christian tradition.

Kde je... ? #7

2009-06-26T11:47:00Z

In which town can you find this famous square?

If you are thinking that the obelisk that is the Soviet war memorial is unique to this town and could therefore narrow down the possibilities, it probably wouldn’t help. Soviet war memorials can be found in many towns across Slovakia.