TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

1:51 AM
Posted by jodi rose

mmmmm caramalised bananas with walnuts, peach yoghurt.. and ok I admit it, cream-in-a-can. had a late night craving inspired by the green mango cookering school in chiang mai - monday menu.

today was fun. met andrea for a trip to the sewing shop, where I picked out the thread she wanted me to choose for the serviette holders she is crocheting. gorgeous range of ribbons with traditional embroidered flowers caught my eye and I bought them in a few colours. after she pointed me in the right direction, I visited the dry cleaner, but was unable to convey the date and condition of the silk I need cleaned in sign language or mime, so will try the 'vanish' she has given me.

Nelly's physics class came to the studio this afternoon, had a very entertaining discussion - she had given them an excercise to write about how they felt when listening to the bridge cd's - some people thought it was fireworks or storms, and quite a few thought of war and gunfire. one girl spoke about her dream to be a rock star, even though she said her voice is not good - don't let that stop you, I said, there are plenty of people with strange voices who make it, you just have to recognise how unique you are.

then ducked into the green pub for a quick afternoon beverage - it being friday and all, and having had a very quiet week. tommi and terry were at the bar, told me news about world events and people killing each other, the reward for the murder of this cartoonist - horrible. I don't know all the intricacies or what the original cartoon was exactly - but it seems people are killing each other all the time, for the flimsiest of reasons.

Terry also had some inspiring news, about walking up god's hill (that's what it means in Slovak, up where the factory is) and seeing the Irish flag flying - after a dutch company was merged with an irish one - the only place in slovakia other than the irish embassy to fly the flag. he explained to me the symbolism, about the colours representing catholic and protestant, and the white in between them for peace.

ah peace. that elusuive state - for nations, and individuals.
am experiencing a certain degree of peace in myself tonight, with this place and the people and my time here - sad it comes to an end so quickly, but have promised to come back - and I don't say this lightly.

came home for dinner and a nap, then back out to the bar to meet tommi and some of his friends from budapest. telling me about the 'house of terror' museum which I hope to visit, also the statue park.
the subject of communism came up a few times tonight - the pioneer camps all the kids went on, to learn how to build a good communist society, hoe the fields and sing the songs. The oscar winning hungarian film director who has just been named as a communist agent - but I was a good one, he says - that's what they all say. Czechoslovakia published a list of all the agents in 1989, but Hungary didn't - it wasn't such a clean break, many people remained in positions of power and influence - and it is still an issue now, I'm told. Hundreds of people could be sent to their death by one person naming them as an enemy of the state. very immediate sense of history, that still has such emotional and political resonance.

ran into kristina on my walk to esztergom yesterday, where she has finally started work as a doctor after waiting months for the paperwork to clear - she told me about the latest quentin tarantino film which portrays Slovakia in a less than positive light. very poor country, all the women are bitches, the tv only has two buttons - then again, he seems to be like that in all his films - and has since apologised.

I felt quite upset on behalf of my temporary home, it is so much more.
Met some lovely gay boys in the pub tonight, very worldly and fun, who taught me useful slovak words for 'I love you' and 'Kiss me'.
tried them out on one of my ocassional drinking buddies to hilarious effect. well, he and his friends had been hassling me all night about crocodiles and various other australiana, mostly in hungarian.

now, for sleep and tomorrow the elementary school ball, maybe some sewing and who knows what else comes.