Okay, I had my first run-in with the police in Slovakia...it was crazy.
Being an American teacher and living with other American teacher's who have been here for 1-2 years already means that I have been inducted into a family. So, I went to this small village with a bunch of teachers to visit a friend of a friend's. We had an amazing dinner and then walked down to the Danube to watch the sun set.
Well, we were having an awesome time hanging out and were also having a really hard time leaving. Our host - zuska - really wanted us to stay, so we decided to miss our bus and hang out some more cause there were two drivers who offered to take us home.
I drove with a guy named Yon who is from Slovakia. Also riding with us were teachers Dan and Jon. The four of us were having a discussion about the health care system in Slovakia when we were flagged over to the side of the road by a cop. It was the type of thing you would see in the US if there were a sobriety testing station set up and everyone was stopped, but in Slovakia there were no stations set up and no real rhyme or reason to who was being pulled over.
But we got pulled over. The police and our driver are conversing back in forth in Slovak and nobody else knows what is happening. All of a sudden, Yon asked if anyone had some money. We scrambled for the desired amount, and the cop left. We rolled up the windows and were like, "dude - what just happened??" Yon told us that the minimum ticket in Slovakia is 2,000 crowns. But Yon had to pay 500 crowns for not having the "right papers." It was totally a bribe pay off! A very different system than what we have in the states!
To top everything off, Yon tried to start his car. Then, he tried again. And again, and again, and again, and again. Stop. Wait. Try again, and again, ang again. Stop. Wait. Try to get the police to help jump it; they drove off. We had many grand plans of how to start the car, and trying to get it moving was one of them. It was totally a "Little Miss Sunshine" moment when Jon, Dan, and I got out to start pushing the car! I was laughing so hard! The biggest difference between the movie experience and our experience was that our car didn't start. So we pushed it to a side street and parked it, and then walked...and walked....a long way home. Crazy.
Other than that grand adventure, this week has been filled with standing in line at government buildings (there is no system of scheduling an appointment here - you simply show up early, take a number - if there are any left - and wait.), planning for the school year, and being sick. I love the messages that you are sending me and the comments you are making. Thanks for reading!
:0) Maika
Being an American teacher and living with other American teacher's who have been here for 1-2 years already means that I have been inducted into a family. So, I went to this small village with a bunch of teachers to visit a friend of a friend's. We had an amazing dinner and then walked down to the Danube to watch the sun set.
Well, we were having an awesome time hanging out and were also having a really hard time leaving. Our host - zuska - really wanted us to stay, so we decided to miss our bus and hang out some more cause there were two drivers who offered to take us home.
I drove with a guy named Yon who is from Slovakia. Also riding with us were teachers Dan and Jon. The four of us were having a discussion about the health care system in Slovakia when we were flagged over to the side of the road by a cop. It was the type of thing you would see in the US if there were a sobriety testing station set up and everyone was stopped, but in Slovakia there were no stations set up and no real rhyme or reason to who was being pulled over.
But we got pulled over. The police and our driver are conversing back in forth in Slovak and nobody else knows what is happening. All of a sudden, Yon asked if anyone had some money. We scrambled for the desired amount, and the cop left. We rolled up the windows and were like, "dude - what just happened??" Yon told us that the minimum ticket in Slovakia is 2,000 crowns. But Yon had to pay 500 crowns for not having the "right papers." It was totally a bribe pay off! A very different system than what we have in the states!
To top everything off, Yon tried to start his car. Then, he tried again. And again, and again, and again, and again. Stop. Wait. Try again, and again, ang again. Stop. Wait. Try to get the police to help jump it; they drove off. We had many grand plans of how to start the car, and trying to get it moving was one of them. It was totally a "Little Miss Sunshine" moment when Jon, Dan, and I got out to start pushing the car! I was laughing so hard! The biggest difference between the movie experience and our experience was that our car didn't start. So we pushed it to a side street and parked it, and then walked...and walked....a long way home. Crazy.
Other than that grand adventure, this week has been filled with standing in line at government buildings (there is no system of scheduling an appointment here - you simply show up early, take a number - if there are any left - and wait.), planning for the school year, and being sick. I love the messages that you are sending me and the comments you are making. Thanks for reading!
:0) Maika
The Danube
I love sunsets!
These are some of the people I am getting to know.
Check out Foxer's shoes! 
3 comments:
Pop quiz, if you paid the police 500 crowns, how much would that be in american money, roughly? Even though I am a chem major I will not require you to draw up graphs or anything, but just this once.
Maika-
I love reading about all of the adventures that you are having. Are the cops scary or just bossy and corrupt? I too am curious about how much 500 crowns is.
Maika!
I love reading your updates! I can almost hear your voice inside my head recounting the tales as I read the words! So funny!
Glad you are having a good time and I look forward to the continuing stories! :)
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