Today was nice to be able to sleep in (I still wake up at 8:30) and really for once in my adult life enjoy Saturdays for a change. I relished a long, leisurely coffee ☕️, good fresh bread 🍞, Nutella, and yogurt, while I read my Wine Spectator (magazine). This week by the way, I’m on my second novel and second National Geographic. It’s quite relaxing.

Mrs. Langelova (my landlady) called to tell me they were coming over. It was nice to have them. She came with her brother, who fixed the wash machine, and his wife, who read us the directions for the wash machine. They worked on the tv channels; and demonstrated the use of the “Hoover” vacuum cleaner. Quite a relic from the 1950’s.

Local Mass at St. Elizabeth’s

It was quite nice. They all hung up their coats and brought house-shoes to wear. On tv 📺 (the Slovak TV channel) we saw a mass here at St. Elizabeth’s with an Arch-Bishop Cardinal from Rome who is Slovak. He was born somewhere near here, a “poor lad” who worked his way up. It was very impressive to see this mass at the great cathedral, and to know it was happening right down the way. That explains the STV (Slovak TV) trucks I saw outside of St. Elizabeth’s yesterday.

Hungarians in the Bathroom

Then it was quite fun and amusing. I had three people crowded in my bathroom 🚽 speaking Hungarian, trying to connect the wash machine-we had to borrow an extension cord from the neighbor-and to figure out, then translate and explain how it works. It (the wash machine) actually belonged to Zuzanna’s sister, (and Zuzanna was giving her a hard time that she had it for 20 years and didn’t even know how it worked). The sister-in-law was blowing air to show me that “steam” came out of the second hose. I was amused, enjoying their antics. So we figured out how to wash whites and colors, and to dry (spin). Also she marked on the wall which ways to turn the faucets off. Very good. Dobry.

Next the two women hung curtains for me in the kitchen. It was so cute and nice. Mrs. L also brought a little table for the phone 📞 and a nice doily made by her grandmother to cover the table. They are very nice. I offered them a drink, but they declined.

Gypsy at the Door

I meanwhile stayed behind after they left and sipped on the red wine 🍷– that’s the beauty of being a leisure gal, and did some writing ✍️ then prepared lunch. I took a walk to Tesco at about 15:00 and got some detergent, water, food, etc.

When I came back I was having a coffee about 16:30 when the buzzer buzzed again. In case it was a neighbor or the same person, I went to the door, yelled out, “Hello! Who is it?”

And I opened the door leaving the chain lock on. Well lo and behold, it dampened my whole day and a bit of the image of my safe haven flat…It was a fuckin’ Gypsy at the door, muttering something unintelligible as usual and pushing a wrinkled paper in the door at me.

First of all, it was dark in the outer hall, and they (I couldn’t tell if it was a he or she) had left the lights out. Second, it was wearing a scarf covering its face; and third, I was completely thrown off guard. It’s just the reason why I never would open the door anyway and I was proven right. Aha!

So I was really pissed off. I pushed the paper back as soon as I realized the sit (situation) and said, “Pardon” under my breath, as if I didn’t mean to have opened the door-and rapidly pushed it shut.

Now I was hesitant to go out in my own hallway. Who knows what lurks there? I’ll tell you one thing. I hope to hell they were just making the rounds and not that they’ve tracked me down specifically. I need to ask around on this one.

Calenetica

Anyway, I was really bummed. When I finally braved to go out again, I went to the Dub Internet Cafe, and was very sad not to find any mail from boyfriend. It’s been nearly a whole week and I’ve mailed him every day. So I was about ready to cry.

Instead of crying, I used my time to go to the Metropol and take the 18:00 Calenetica (Calenetics) class. Feeling bad, I was hoping that it would boost my mood. Well, the music was melancholy, but the class, room, colors, atmosphere, smell, instructor, pace, music, participants and feeling were much better than the previous Calenetics.

Glad I went and hope to get this room and same instructor more often. The melancholy music made me relaxed and close to tears.

Gypsy Corner

I walked home. On the way to town earlier I noticed some Slovak boys who had been harassing the naughty Gypsy boys, who in turn were chasing after the Slovaks. There’s a corner at St. Albety Street that I call Gypsy Corner.

When I got home I watched a movie “It Could Happen to You” and a Steve Martin flick. I talked to Arya. We were going to go to the Andy Warhol Museum on Sunday, but may go next weekend instead. They invited me to meet them for a movie, “Waterboy” tomorrow.

Feeling sad, and missing boyfriend. I hope he’s okay and wonder what’s wrong- why he hasn’t checked his email. Tomorrow I’ll write him a nice long love letter 💌.

 

Saturday 12 March, 1999