The driver was to pick me up at 8:30 so I went down to pay my bill for meals, (a sunny day today!!) as was agreed upon. The desk clerk said, “No, you don’t need to pay. Peter Kamarosh said it was covered!” So nice. I wasn’t expecting it at all, but class all the way.

Once we bid Bankov farewell, we went to school (Berlitz). Bibiana and I walked to the real bank where I cashed travelers checks for the apartment. Then we moseyed about until 10:00 when we met landlord at rental agency. They took so long yesterday afternoon. He had to type everything in by hand, without a format on the word processor. Bibiana had translated whole contract for me. We agreed, signed.

The lady who is renting it is currently in Bratislava. She agreed I could go ahead and move in already before March 1st. We still have to be notarized and get one more approval from the landlord’s agency too. She was not able to meet me until 18:30 to move in.

So I spent the whole day getting familiar with the main drag and the prices of things at the main stores TESCO and DARGO. TESCO is British and used to be K-Mart. That’s the best place to buy lots of different things at once. I found it’s also the best for groceries. They really do have everything! (Well not Mexican stuff, only spicy taco beans from the UK 🇬🇧.

The stores are always filled with people (and merchandise!)! TESCO more (much more) merch. It’s a good feeling to be in the stores where I feel more acclimated and in my own environment. I bought TP 🧻, cleaning 🧹 stuff, basic bread 🍞, cheese, water, soup, and coffee.

Count all the corners of the ceiling

Back at school I waited around until one of the nice assistants and her husband came to take the taxi with me, help me carry my bags, and take me to my new temporary home. It was kind of a weird lonely feeling. The landlord was real nice- Hungarian with English skills. She sorted out what belongs to the other tenant and what would stay in the flat. She also cleaned a bit. But all in all, it’s quite spotless.

As she left, she told me about an old tradition, “To count all the corners of the ceiling -on your first night in a new home-and make a wish before you go to bed, then it will come true!” So I did.

 

Luise had also told me, “The dream you have the first night in a new bed will also come true.”

After the landlady left, I went back upstairs (9th floor), and busied myself with cleaning and necessary disinfecting tasks. I had also the sponges and cleaning rags Luise had given me.

I scoured, scrubbed, cleaned, bubbled, rinsed, and washed until I felt sufficiently tired and until it was sufficiently late enough to bed down for the night.

I had Abend Brot, bread and cheese and water, made my little bed with the sheet, the blanket from Renee I had bought, and used my fleece top as a pillow. The apartment is very cozy and warm (heaters in living room and kitchen) and there is no shortage of hot water.

 

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.