What happened yesterday on the train, was that two gipsy boys got on and started praying for the pretty girl next to me, and she gave them some money. They came next to me and I effectively held up my hand and he left. After a while, they relocated to the front of our car section, loudly singing, clapping, and shouting in their native tongue. Something you would have paid to hear in a Hungarian restaurant, but not so nice in this situation.

When the train arrived two stops later in Kosiće, I de-trained with my heavy packs, and spotted Bibiana there to meet me. She was with her assistant Zuzana (Zuska). They helped me carry my bag, and we loaded up into the Audi with driver. They said (which I was glad to hear) they’d take me to a hotel so I could rest—and pick me up at noon tomorrow.

A Terrible First Night

It was the only hotel available (a bit out of town center) due to Slovak National Holiday, this week is a Spring Break. The country is now divided into Western, Central, Eastern, so that they each take a different week break; Eastern being first. That way the ski ⛷ slopes aren’t overcrowded. So this week all hotels were booked due to the break.

Bibiana and Zuzana registered me and walked me to my room. Which wasn’t a real room, rather a solitary confinement quarter—with a shared unlocked bathroom door; a no-door shower; locked into an adjoining room. In which a stranger, probably a man—since I saw only men walking around and all men in the bar and restaurant—would inhabit. No thanks. I thought it would be okay, as Bibiana had said, “Of course,” the bathroom door would lock. It was awful to think of being trapped in such a situation. I was thinking I couldn’t even relieve myself until tomorrow at the school, and couldn’t take a shower.

So when you were in the middle, you were locked in. (I drew a diagram.) Awful. Especially with a strange man (drunk or not) next door. I never saw anyone in Unit B, as I went outside ASAP. Because as soon as Bibiana and Zuzana left, there began a continual banging, drilling, and hammering- right seemingly next to and below me, on all sides. The walls were vibrating and it was awful too!

I took a walk outside and watched kids sledding, deciding what I could do. Meanwhile, I got hit up again- by unlikely gipsy sledding kids-for money. They just moved on to the next couple.

 

 

Using My Clout

When I went back to the room 207A, it was still loud and awful. I asked the silly, useless receptionist’s about the noise, and they had no idea what I was talking about. “Noise, loud, machinery… Men at work.” I said.

“No machine. We wash for you.” She said.

Yeah, right. She also said there was no other toilet or so, no room with toilet. I found a WC 🚾 (water closet or toilet) incidentally in the hall.

Since Bibiana and Zuzana had given me their home and cell numbers, I called Zuzana at school and used my clout. After a series of phone calls to the front desk and Bibiana, with me waiting in hidden tears in the lobby, they moved me to the “apartment” or penthouse suite on the 5th floor, where I was the only one on that floor (the construction area) and had my own complete area—A and B shower and toilet together. Complete with tv, fridge, phone, three leather sofas, crystal cabinet… I was still somewhat uptight, stressed, sad, lonely, and very uneasy. Especially at around 19:30-21:00 when the workers resumed for what sounded loudly like drinks, laugh, and fun real close and echoing in the hall.

Finally Sleeping

I soothed my mind and quieted the chatterbox with Mozart on my headset, EuroSport in British English on tv, and cuddled up in the down comforter on the sofa in front of the tv, and managed to sleep.

Later in the morning, around 7:00 I moved to the hard bed and actually faced the new day with once again hope, resolution, and a tiny teeny bit of enthusiasm. I had told myself as I fell asleep, that I could go back to Vienna Wednesday if I didn’t like my apartment or the school.

OK so I made it here and had a tough first night. Now I’m feeling a bit sad and lonesome, trying to figure out again why I’m here. More so looking forward to these three months to fly by fast motion so I can go somewhere else. First I’ll have to figure out where and what I’ll do, and how I’ll make money.

But everything will be okay.

 

This is an excerpt from my Košice Journal, documenting my exodus from a (relatively happy) bustling life in beautiful San Diego, to (voluntarily) take a post teaching English in the newly independent eastern capital of Slovakia 🇸🇰 during a very cold winter 1999.