Today is Election Day in Slovakia. I think (hope and pray) that the conductor has given up on me. He’s walked by a couple of times, but I try not to look. I play like the Japanese. We’ll see what happens when/if they change conductors. Hopefully, maybe he goes all the way to Bratislava. That would really be my lucky day.
Didn’t Get Sick 🍀
I have actually been lucky all along. The week I arrived in Germany, there was a huge sickness virus going around and everyone had it. Dagi, Hari and Fabi got it the day after I left them. Only to arrive at Michael’s and he was very sick – something with a high heart rate. Luise’s aunt told us her niece had the same thing; and that some people had died; and said to be careful. “Yeah, right I’ll be careful.”
Well also my horoscope Starscroll told me I would make a visit to the hospital on the 15 or 16 of February; my first days in Košice. So I was careful, slept a lot, took my vitamins, held my breath around people coughing or sneezing, and left the book at Michael’s! I also cut down on coffee.
Berlitz Hired Me 🍀
So I didn’t get sick. That was lucky. And I was lucky to be able to arrive- and to travel uneventfully – through the biggest snow storm they have had in 15 years or more.
I was lucky (I found out later) that they (Berlitz) hired me, as I was the last hire, and I came right before the problems started… both financially and otherwise.
And I was lucky they found a flat for me – the only one available! And nice! Lucky too, very lucky, that it was in such a super central location. I realized this later too when I found out where other people lived, and that I was lucky to be able to walk (to school and town) and have a big, clean flat with phone, TV, dishes, and wash machine to myself! Even I got cable TV, CNN band BBC after a month.
Having Good Friends
Also I got paid for the (Berlitz teacher training) albeit not much. And I was (super) lucky that they (Berlitz) paid for my hotels and put me up in Hotel Bankov, even paying for my (fabulous) meals for two nights! Great.
We were lucky the week Michael came to see me, that the weather was so perfect!! It was cloudy, grey, and rainy the weeks before and after that trip.
I was lucky that Dagi and Hari came to Vienna on short notice; and we were able to spend Easter together nine years later!
I was fortunate not to get bombed by NATO, or raped and plundered by Russian troops passing through.
Very lucky was I to receive a 20,000 SK salary, since Peter cut salaries by 2,000 SK as of May 1st. It was lucky that they paid me, and lucky Zuska negotiated my fees down.
Bummed was I to pay so much to send my boxes home at the last minute, although lucky was I too.
Meeting Ivanna and befriending her was lucky, and I was very lucky to have randomly met the family. That night at Beethoven’s Ninth, we were lucky to all get tickets. The next time we were lucky too, being able to sit together without someone claiming the seat (between us). Also we had good luck at the Spiritual to sit three together.
Lucky Me
Still, I need to simplify my life. But I am lucky and I have too much stuff! At least I like to write, and I am a good writer.
I’m lucky mom and dad decided to go for it, to come out now instead of October. I just threw it out there in an email one day in February, and dad took the bait home!! All the way to Munich. Really can’t believe it yet. Everything is just too much at this moment. This week was wild.
Didn’t mention, I have blisters on my feet bottoms (from my shoes – I got blisters yesterday already).
Very fortunate was I that Luise and Fritz invited me to China with them, and to Thailand- killer!!! I’ve wanted to go there for a long time.
Also I’m so lucky to be here and to be cute, young looking, and going to Paris. And lucky to be healthy and have a healthy family, a close good looking young family.
Lucky Me
So lucky me. Where were we? I guess all that luck balances out all the shit I have to haul across the Bratislava Stanica (train station). No one spoke English or German this morning. Not the lady who called the taxi, not the driver, not the three people that I asked about the train, not the conductors. I was lucky he didn’t make me move (yet) and luckily I communicated well enough in Slovakia over the past three months.
We’re very lucky we will get to see the (Czech) cousins! By the way, sitting alone here is way better than (sitting) in the cramped four person across seats on second class. I think (hope) my (Euro Rail) pass is also first class. Killer difference without riff-raff.
15 May 1999
