Things were better, but still not ganz (completely) normal or organized in my mind, on my first full day in Košice. My tiny bit of enthusiasm got me up, showered, frühstucked (breakfast). Luckily I had snacks from Luise and Michael, and Cliff Bars I brought from home left. Then I wrote a letter back home, no holds barred. And I went down to meet Zuzana at noon. She had me get the bags, checked me out, and paid under company Jefferson Institute, Inc. and the driver took my bags.

We drove to the school, which is very nice, neat, clean and bright. It’s weirdly modern in a post-communist cardboard box building town. All Berlitz schools must look alike and be painted a certain way. I got the school tour from Bibiana, then she briefed me, and took me to lunch at Hotel Centrum. Which is where I ended up staying tonight.

The restaurant was very nice. Open, light, wood, pretty embroidered Slovak linens, ceramics, and waiters in white embroidered fancy Slovak outfits. Very nice atmosphere and shockingly cheap menu. I had broccoli and potatoes fried with potatoes, and some veggies. First thing I ate here was Bean Soup for mom (and grandma) with pork knee. Picked out the beans, left the pork. Bibiana ordered the national Slovak dish of dumplings and sheep 🐑 cheese, which she confessed is better when made by someone at home than in a restaurant. She told me she lived in London for a year or so as a nanny. She loved it and met her boyfriend there. Who turned out to be Damien, the instructor trainer at Berlitz.

We walked back to the school and at 15:00 Zuzana and driver and one other assistant took me to look at Flat #1. (There’s a potential Flat #2 from Jason’s girlfriend.) It was much nicer than I’d come to expect after yesterday. Rather large parquet wood living/bedroom floor, kitchen large with stove, fridge, telephone, and there will be a tv and wash machine.

Next they took me to Hotel Centrum, as it was the only room available-and cost more than last night ($36) which I agreed to pay. Private bath, nice atmosphere, very clean starched sheets. I just called mom and dad- good to talk to them- got bottled water and settled in for the evening. It was snowy, windy, and cold outside.

There has been for the last two hours a constant loud truck rumbling outside that I can’t even see. It’s giving me a headache and it sounds so useless, like it’s going around in circles. Earlier I saw a dump truck hauling snow. As the assistant had stated, they are not equipped to deal with removing the snow here, since it only seems to come in a 10-year cycle. But it’s great for the kids, as they don’t have to go to school. The tram is also running by my hotel window.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. I won’t start the countdown yet. It will be alright!

 

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.