It was a week of celebration for sure!

The ,week before Zuska’s Birthday Celebration Damon, Chris and Bibiana had me over for dinner. They have a cool darkish 60’s – 70’s style flat. Modish entry walls trees and trees on living room wall. They made a chicken and rice 🍚 dish, as I’m a vegetarian. We drank wine and awful Slovak champagne I brought. Good ice cream torte for dessert.

When we finished dinner, we played scrabble on the same board boyfriend has! Plastic letters though, from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (Damon and Chris are British). As I left, Chris walked me out to point me in the right direction. We stayed and talked a while next to the memorial to the Russian soldiers with names engraved and tulips planted in front of it. I did notice there so close to Hotel Slovan, and walking home three groups of Americans. Well three Americans actually. It’s the most (Americans I’ve seen) since I’ve been here.

Birthday Celebrations

Last week on Friday I offered to take Chris out for a birthday drink. Damon also came along and I ended up buying them both “chipsys” and Chris and myself wine and pivo (beer). We went to the corner beer 🍻 garden next to the school (Berlitz).

This week was also great! Started out calling Todd on Tuesday a.m. for birthday greetings. We had a nice talk. Then I got picked up by Jan (the driver) to go teach Belasova outside of town. She always has the baby Martina there and it’s a challenge to teach in between coffee, etc. I held the baby as she read the text.

Then Wednesday or still Thursday was Zuska’s birthday celebration too! On the 20th. So Jae had planned a nice outing and made reservations “ahead of time” at —— one of the nice restaurants and hotels in town.

Zuska’s Birthday Celebration

We all walked together over there. I had bought flowers 💐 the night before. Jae did all the gifts and more flowers 💐 too. It was in an atrium, very nice! The sun shone inside and we all ordered excellent soups and a main course. I had cream of asparagus soup and pirogy. Excellent! We shared many bottles of white wine and Zuska shared kisses as she made her way through the “Sacre Torte”.

I was supposed to teach an hour after we got there. However we were just getting going and it was only one unit with a little boy. Zuska had the great idea 💡 to put in a CD ROM just as I was having Jae call Jason on his cell phone at school to bribe him to take the lesson. Saved the day! Then Gerald called another student on his phone to get him to meet us at the restaurant at 14:00 for his lesson. He showed up! He is a friend of Mr. Mantusek and will help run U.S. Steel soon too. Mr. Mantusek has already been appointed to V.P. of U.S. Steel.

 

We drank the white wine and then Gerald’s Hennessy (and we all were bought a round by the students!). I was pretty buzzed, had a strong capp (cappuccino) and after four hours we all made it back to school (Berlitz).

I emailed, bought the birthday cake, and then had to “teach” a group at night! Luckily only two guys came, who Gerald usually takes to the pub for their last unit. I just had them do role play.

 

Tuesday 13 April, 1999