On the flight home yesterday, I read a book, watched two movies, and ate a couple of meals. Here is the rundown. Keep in mind, all reviews come with the caveat that I was on an airplane and there were no other options than what I had in front of me.
BOOK: "THE BIG SHORT"
The new book from Michael Lewis focuses on several different people during the crash of the financial system in 2008, who saw what was coming in advance and profited greatly by betting that the market would fail. He does a really good job of explaining in terms everyone can understand what led to the meltdown and the reasons why certain decisions were made along the way. It was a great book and I really enjoyed how he personalized the story with his approach of focusing on the people who through sound reason and logic saw that we were in a bubble that was about to burst big time. It was kind of an extended version of "The Giant Pool of Money", which was an episode of the NPR show This American Life from a few years ago that focused on the economy. If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend it. You can listen to it or download the transcript here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/355/the-giant-pool-of-money. The Big Short is a quick read and a really informative one. Whether you are sitting on an airplane all day or not, it is worth your time.
MOVIES:
"THE BOUNTY HUNTER"
This movie was bad even if you are stuck on a plane and there aren't a lot of other options. Gerard Butler, trying desperately (and unsuccessfully) to pull of an American accent, was recently kicked off of the police force and is now a down on his luck bounty hunter. Are there really up on their luck bounty hunters out there? His next job perks him up as the target is his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, a reporter, who missed her appearance in court for a traffic violation to chase down a story, since she is always putting her job first. There is not much appealing about this film. The story is weak, as you know from the opening scenes of the movie where it's headed. I know it was reported that the two leads were dating at the time of the movie, but it would surprise me since their chemistry was awful. There is no point in the movie that it is at all believable that these two loved or do love each other. There is also no point in the movie that as a viewer, I cared at all about either character. I didn't laugh once the entire movie. I think I laughed more during Schindler's List than this piece of garbage. If you want to see a movie about a bounty hunter, go rent Midnight Run.
"ALICE IN WONDERLAND"
I'll give Tim Burton credit for being creative, innovative, and unique. He always makes an attempt to put out something different than anyone else is doing in the movie business. Having said that, I just couldn't get into this movie. It's very strange and seems like a 2 hour long acid trip, or what I imagine one to be like since I wouldn't actually know. The film follows Alice returning to Wonderland 13 years after her first visit. The story is relatively the same as the original story that most people are familiar with and incorporates all the same characters. The visuals are pretty cool, even on the small screen on the seat in front of me. I'm sure it would have been a neat movie to see in 3D in the theater. It wasn't bad overall, but not anything you need to rush to see either. Anything would have been enjoyable after The Bounty Hunter.
FOOD:
CHEESE TORTELLINI WITH TOMATO SAUCE
Surprisingly decent for airplane food. I've found in my recent travels that you are usually pretty safe going with the pasta option.
MUSHROOM AND CHEESE PIZZA
The pizza itself was slightly below the quality you can get in the freezer section at the grocery store, but when there is no other option, it was satisfying enough for dinner. One quarter of the pizza was cold and the middle was pretty mushy. I ate some of it and didn't get sick, so I guess that's a win. There was a side of grapes that were pretty gross. They just had a really weird taste, kind of like soap.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Destination: USA
I am sitting in the Vienna airport tuning out the cacophony of sounds around me, including a small Asian boy hysterically screaming, German flight announcements, and random American travelers complaining impatiently because they of all people have to wait to board their flights.
This is the 4th week in a row that I will spend in a different city. I arrived in Bratislava on June 28th and spent the week there. I then was in Bracknell, back in Bratislava, Limerick, and soon will be in Austin, Texas. It wears on a person, or at least this person. I haven’t slept soundly through the night in a month and I have various aches and pains throughout my body. I’m not saying this so much as a complaint as this is what I signed up for when I agreed to move to Bratislava, but it’s more to say maybe I’m not built for this type of lifestyle or at least not at the advanced age of 31 years old.
As I left the apartment, I did notice the result of all the construction that has been going on next door to our building for the past month. See the picture below.
The positive side is that I’ve gotten my routine down pretty well for traveling from Vienna. It was an amazingly cool and breezy morning, so rather than take the bus, I walked to the central bus station to take the one hour bus to the Vienna airport. It’s easy (and roughly 10 times more expensive) to take a taxi, but there is something relaxing about sitting on the bus. The scenery is nice and it’s pure quiet for an hour. It’s a nice opportunity to enjoy the silence and leave me to my thoughts, which in this case primarily are around who I should designate as my keepers in my fantasy football league. I also re-started The Big Short by Michael Lewis. I had begun reading it a while ago, but stopped when I remembered I had a book to read for the rotational program I’m in at work.
The Vienna airport always seems to be crowded, but it seems as long as one avoids Austrian Airlines, it’s not too much of a hassle. I did notice today that there is an erotica shop in the airport, which is located directly next to the passport verification area. It seems like a perfectly nice and respectable establishment, but it is hard to understand the thought process that led them to opening in the airport. Who is buying erotica before boarding a plane? Here is what I came up with: people who are not happy with the on flight entertainment options and want to watch their own movies, people who arrived at the airport and realized they forgot to pack their sex toys, tourists who think it is hilarious that there is a sex shop in the airport and buy a “souvenir”, and lastly, it seems people in Europe are a lot more relaxed than Americans when it comes to sex and it may be as common as stopping at the airport bookstore to get a magazine or a bottle of water before boarding.
The Asian kid is screaming again.
It’s time to board. I’m excited to get to Austin and see Jenn, who I have not seen in a month. I also look forward to eating some Tex-Mex.
This is the 4th week in a row that I will spend in a different city. I arrived in Bratislava on June 28th and spent the week there. I then was in Bracknell, back in Bratislava, Limerick, and soon will be in Austin, Texas. It wears on a person, or at least this person. I haven’t slept soundly through the night in a month and I have various aches and pains throughout my body. I’m not saying this so much as a complaint as this is what I signed up for when I agreed to move to Bratislava, but it’s more to say maybe I’m not built for this type of lifestyle or at least not at the advanced age of 31 years old.
As I left the apartment, I did notice the result of all the construction that has been going on next door to our building for the past month. See the picture below.
The positive side is that I’ve gotten my routine down pretty well for traveling from Vienna. It was an amazingly cool and breezy morning, so rather than take the bus, I walked to the central bus station to take the one hour bus to the Vienna airport. It’s easy (and roughly 10 times more expensive) to take a taxi, but there is something relaxing about sitting on the bus. The scenery is nice and it’s pure quiet for an hour. It’s a nice opportunity to enjoy the silence and leave me to my thoughts, which in this case primarily are around who I should designate as my keepers in my fantasy football league. I also re-started The Big Short by Michael Lewis. I had begun reading it a while ago, but stopped when I remembered I had a book to read for the rotational program I’m in at work.
The Vienna airport always seems to be crowded, but it seems as long as one avoids Austrian Airlines, it’s not too much of a hassle. I did notice today that there is an erotica shop in the airport, which is located directly next to the passport verification area. It seems like a perfectly nice and respectable establishment, but it is hard to understand the thought process that led them to opening in the airport. Who is buying erotica before boarding a plane? Here is what I came up with: people who are not happy with the on flight entertainment options and want to watch their own movies, people who arrived at the airport and realized they forgot to pack their sex toys, tourists who think it is hilarious that there is a sex shop in the airport and buy a “souvenir”, and lastly, it seems people in Europe are a lot more relaxed than Americans when it comes to sex and it may be as common as stopping at the airport bookstore to get a magazine or a bottle of water before boarding.
The Asian kid is screaming again.
It’s time to board. I’m excited to get to Austin and see Jenn, who I have not seen in a month. I also look forward to eating some Tex-Mex.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Open
At the end of last week, I was asked if I could join some of my team in Limerick, Ireland for the next week for work. Once I found this out and realized that I’d be heading in that direction, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a stop in Edinburgh on the way over and attend the British Open at St Andrews. Because of the limited available flights, I arrived early Saturday evening, which allowed me to take in the final day today.
Before I start, please be warned that this is a long entry. There were no cameras allowed inside the grounds, so instead of pictures, I get very detailed with my re-telling of the day.
This was actually my second visit to the Old Course at St Andrews. Jenn and I visited here in 2006 when we traveled after my semester abroad at ESADE during my second year of business school. That day was very different than today. The course was closed when we visited and there were no more than 20 to 30 other people there as we walked from hole to hole. Today was a different story. If I make it back for a third visit, I am going to actually play a round.
It was very clear from the moment I started the day by boarding the train towards Leuchars that the Old Course knew how to host an Open. It couldn’t have been easier or more efficient taking the train and then transferring to the bus to get to the course. Once entering, the whole event was extremely well organized and incredibly well run.
I arrived around 9am and picked up my ticket at the box office that I ordered at the end of the week. It was surprising to me that tickets were still available and so easy to get, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. I entered through the tented village, which is so named, funny enough, for the numerous tents. This was the central spot for refreshments, advertising, and merchandise. There were also two huge screens showing the golf telecast from BBC. For breakfast, I had an egg salad sandwich because they were out of eggs at the grill and I didn’t want just a bacon sandwich, sans the egg, which is what they offered me.
The weather was cool and windy, but not bad at all. I had prepared for the worst, but it turned out to be an absolutely perfect day with beautiful blue skies. I ended up taking off my rain jacket and wrapping it around my waste, otherwise, I was just fine in a button down with a pullover. It got a little warm in the early afternoon, but not too bad.
I followed John Daly and his American flag pants around in the morning. I wasn’t the only one. He’s built up quite a following, many who were wearing versions of his Loudmouth pants. The two interesting parts about watching him were number one, that any point he was not actually taking a shot, he had a cigarette in his mouth, and two, his girlfriend, former Hooters waitress, Anna Cladakis. She was of course in matching American flag pants, and was following him the entire day. She’s just an interesting character to watch, as is he. I was somewhat horrified to see someone approach her for her autograph. I thought about it and couldn’t come up with one logical reason why a person would want her signature.
Some other things I observed while walking back to the first tee were plenty of people in knickers, one guy in a kilt, and two guys dressed like pirates. It’s interesting seeing how people dress at a golf tournament as the majority actually dress as if they are going to be playing golf (including golf shoes) and not watching. It makes sense, I guess. Some people looked a little too put together for watching golf. I also really enjoy seeing Miguel Jimenez taking shots out of the bunker in the practice area with a cigar in his mouth. I had a tuna salad sandwich for lunch and a Snickers bar. I hadn’t had a Snickers in quite a long time. It’s no Take 5, but it’s a pretty good candy bar. On that note, I saw a commercial recently for M&M’s with pretzels on the inside. I’m going to need to get my hands on those.
I followed Phil Mickelson for a while. He had more supporters than Daly. People love Phil. They cheer for him through thick and thin. He had a smile on his face the entire time and really seemed to be enjoying himself out there. It probably is because he had no chance of winning today and there wasn’t much stress, but regardless, it was good to see. His choice of a purple golf shirt today was highly questionable. I wonder who actually dresses the golfers. Do the sponsors just send them clothes and they have to mix and match? Do their wives plan out their outfits and tell the sponsors what to send? This is something I need to find out.
After Phil got to the turn, I walked around a bit. I watched Sergio a little and ended up sitting on the 9th hole for an hour or so. I watched Tiger from 15 to the finish. He also seemed to be having fun today and was yucking it up a good bit with his playing partner, Lucas Glover. Again though, I’m guessing he takes on a different attitude when he knows there is no chance of winning. By the way, it doesn’t seem like all the stuff about his personal life has affected the support he gets on the golf course. He is still the number one attraction. At this point, it was a little after 4pm and already I could get no closer to the 18th hole than in front of the 17th green. I realized then that there was no way I was staying until the end. It was way too crowded.
I decided instead to walk back to watch the leaders. I reached them just as Oosthuizen birdied 12 and Paul Casey gift-wrapped the Claret Jug for his playing partner with a triple bogey. I watched them putt out number 13 and decided with an insurmountable 8 stroke lead, I was confident Louis could close it out, and I headed back to Edinburgh.
What really hit me today is how much I miss playing golf. I hardly played at all in the past year due to my work schedule, aches and pains, and other various excuses. I won't be doing much golfing this year while in Bratislava, but when I get back, it's something I will make more of an effort to do. Even though I'm not very good, I love playing. I need to make more time for it.
I’m glad I made the effort to go to the Open while I had the opportunity. I had only been to one golf tournament previously, the Byron Nelson in Dallas, and I remembered why I hadn’t been to another since. Golf simply plays better on TV. On television, you can see every shot from every golfer and you always know where everyone stands. At the course, it’s difficult to see the ball, and frankly, difficult to see at all unless you are sitting in the grandstand, which is fine if you are okay watching one hole rather than following specific players. What doesn't come across on TV is how difficult the greens are. It's also really impressive to watch the players in person. They are so good. Overall, I’m glad I went and saw a British Open at St. Andrews.
In 2010, I have attended the NCAA national championship game, the NFC championship game, the Super Bowl, and now the British Open. I am extremely fortunate and know it. Not everyone has the ways and/or means to do these things and I recognize that. I am lucky that it’s worked out for me to experience these incredible events this year. It helps that I have amazing friends and family, some of whom offered me the opportunity to attend some of the above events. I’m also lucky to have a supportive wife who not only encourages me, but insists that I jump at opportunities like this because you never know when or if they will ever come around again. I’ve tried to be better about looking at life in this way as much as I can and Jenn has been an incredible influence in doing so. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as we’ve had some friends and family that have passed away or become ill. I certainly don’t want to approach life as if every day could be my last, but it is important to remember that it isn’t going to last forever and we only get one shot at this, so I might as well make the most of it and as much as I can, and do what makes me happy.
Before I start, please be warned that this is a long entry. There were no cameras allowed inside the grounds, so instead of pictures, I get very detailed with my re-telling of the day.
This was actually my second visit to the Old Course at St Andrews. Jenn and I visited here in 2006 when we traveled after my semester abroad at ESADE during my second year of business school. That day was very different than today. The course was closed when we visited and there were no more than 20 to 30 other people there as we walked from hole to hole. Today was a different story. If I make it back for a third visit, I am going to actually play a round.
It was very clear from the moment I started the day by boarding the train towards Leuchars that the Old Course knew how to host an Open. It couldn’t have been easier or more efficient taking the train and then transferring to the bus to get to the course. Once entering, the whole event was extremely well organized and incredibly well run.
I arrived around 9am and picked up my ticket at the box office that I ordered at the end of the week. It was surprising to me that tickets were still available and so easy to get, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. I entered through the tented village, which is so named, funny enough, for the numerous tents. This was the central spot for refreshments, advertising, and merchandise. There were also two huge screens showing the golf telecast from BBC. For breakfast, I had an egg salad sandwich because they were out of eggs at the grill and I didn’t want just a bacon sandwich, sans the egg, which is what they offered me.
The weather was cool and windy, but not bad at all. I had prepared for the worst, but it turned out to be an absolutely perfect day with beautiful blue skies. I ended up taking off my rain jacket and wrapping it around my waste, otherwise, I was just fine in a button down with a pullover. It got a little warm in the early afternoon, but not too bad.
I followed John Daly and his American flag pants around in the morning. I wasn’t the only one. He’s built up quite a following, many who were wearing versions of his Loudmouth pants. The two interesting parts about watching him were number one, that any point he was not actually taking a shot, he had a cigarette in his mouth, and two, his girlfriend, former Hooters waitress, Anna Cladakis. She was of course in matching American flag pants, and was following him the entire day. She’s just an interesting character to watch, as is he. I was somewhat horrified to see someone approach her for her autograph. I thought about it and couldn’t come up with one logical reason why a person would want her signature.
Some other things I observed while walking back to the first tee were plenty of people in knickers, one guy in a kilt, and two guys dressed like pirates. It’s interesting seeing how people dress at a golf tournament as the majority actually dress as if they are going to be playing golf (including golf shoes) and not watching. It makes sense, I guess. Some people looked a little too put together for watching golf. I also really enjoy seeing Miguel Jimenez taking shots out of the bunker in the practice area with a cigar in his mouth. I had a tuna salad sandwich for lunch and a Snickers bar. I hadn’t had a Snickers in quite a long time. It’s no Take 5, but it’s a pretty good candy bar. On that note, I saw a commercial recently for M&M’s with pretzels on the inside. I’m going to need to get my hands on those.
I followed Phil Mickelson for a while. He had more supporters than Daly. People love Phil. They cheer for him through thick and thin. He had a smile on his face the entire time and really seemed to be enjoying himself out there. It probably is because he had no chance of winning today and there wasn’t much stress, but regardless, it was good to see. His choice of a purple golf shirt today was highly questionable. I wonder who actually dresses the golfers. Do the sponsors just send them clothes and they have to mix and match? Do their wives plan out their outfits and tell the sponsors what to send? This is something I need to find out.
After Phil got to the turn, I walked around a bit. I watched Sergio a little and ended up sitting on the 9th hole for an hour or so. I watched Tiger from 15 to the finish. He also seemed to be having fun today and was yucking it up a good bit with his playing partner, Lucas Glover. Again though, I’m guessing he takes on a different attitude when he knows there is no chance of winning. By the way, it doesn’t seem like all the stuff about his personal life has affected the support he gets on the golf course. He is still the number one attraction. At this point, it was a little after 4pm and already I could get no closer to the 18th hole than in front of the 17th green. I realized then that there was no way I was staying until the end. It was way too crowded.
I decided instead to walk back to watch the leaders. I reached them just as Oosthuizen birdied 12 and Paul Casey gift-wrapped the Claret Jug for his playing partner with a triple bogey. I watched them putt out number 13 and decided with an insurmountable 8 stroke lead, I was confident Louis could close it out, and I headed back to Edinburgh.
What really hit me today is how much I miss playing golf. I hardly played at all in the past year due to my work schedule, aches and pains, and other various excuses. I won't be doing much golfing this year while in Bratislava, but when I get back, it's something I will make more of an effort to do. Even though I'm not very good, I love playing. I need to make more time for it.
I’m glad I made the effort to go to the Open while I had the opportunity. I had only been to one golf tournament previously, the Byron Nelson in Dallas, and I remembered why I hadn’t been to another since. Golf simply plays better on TV. On television, you can see every shot from every golfer and you always know where everyone stands. At the course, it’s difficult to see the ball, and frankly, difficult to see at all unless you are sitting in the grandstand, which is fine if you are okay watching one hole rather than following specific players. What doesn't come across on TV is how difficult the greens are. It's also really impressive to watch the players in person. They are so good. Overall, I’m glad I went and saw a British Open at St. Andrews.
In 2010, I have attended the NCAA national championship game, the NFC championship game, the Super Bowl, and now the British Open. I am extremely fortunate and know it. Not everyone has the ways and/or means to do these things and I recognize that. I am lucky that it’s worked out for me to experience these incredible events this year. It helps that I have amazing friends and family, some of whom offered me the opportunity to attend some of the above events. I’m also lucky to have a supportive wife who not only encourages me, but insists that I jump at opportunities like this because you never know when or if they will ever come around again. I’ve tried to be better about looking at life in this way as much as I can and Jenn has been an incredible influence in doing so. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as we’ve had some friends and family that have passed away or become ill. I certainly don’t want to approach life as if every day could be my last, but it is important to remember that it isn’t going to last forever and we only get one shot at this, so I might as well make the most of it and as much as I can, and do what makes me happy.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bratislava By Night
It was late when I got back to the apartment this evening after working late and then going to dinner with a colleague. We went to a pizza place that was good called La Mamma. There are so many Italian places here. I bet there are more Italian restaurants in this town than ones serving Slovak food. I get the feeling that no one really likes Slovak food that much, but yet they feel obligated to serve it because, you know, we are in Slovakia. I had eaten pizza for lunch at work, so I went with tortellini bolognese.
It must be mentioned that the pizza at the office is all the rage. Everyone talks about how good it is. Several people have remarked that it’s the “best pizza in Bratislava.” People in the Round Rock office come back from a visit to Bratislava and all they can talk about it is the pizza in the canteen. I will say it’s pretty nice that they hand make pizzas to order. The pizzas are huge; way too much for one person, and pretty cheap at around 4 euro. I had the caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and it was good, but I haven‘t eaten nearly enough pizza here to crown it the best in all of Bratislava.
I still needed to do some laundry when I arrived back the apartment. After tossing in the darks, I took a little evening stroll through the old town, and brought along the camera. The summer nights are nice here. There are always a lot of people out and almost all the restaurants set up tables for al fresco dining. It’s really not a bad little town.
It must be mentioned that the pizza at the office is all the rage. Everyone talks about how good it is. Several people have remarked that it’s the “best pizza in Bratislava.” People in the Round Rock office come back from a visit to Bratislava and all they can talk about it is the pizza in the canteen. I will say it’s pretty nice that they hand make pizzas to order. The pizzas are huge; way too much for one person, and pretty cheap at around 4 euro. I had the caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and it was good, but I haven‘t eaten nearly enough pizza here to crown it the best in all of Bratislava.
I still needed to do some laundry when I arrived back the apartment. After tossing in the darks, I took a little evening stroll through the old town, and brought along the camera. The summer nights are nice here. There are always a lot of people out and almost all the restaurants set up tables for al fresco dining. It’s really not a bad little town.
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Saturday, July 10, 2010
Back in Brat
I arrived back in Bratislava this morning after a productive week of work in Bracknell, which is about an hour West of London. The highlight of the week, besides the opportunity to work and spend time with the rest of the team in Europe, was that the Bracknell office arranged for the local ice cream truck to make a stop by our building every afternoon. I certainly didn’t need to be eating ice cream every day (and I didn’t), but it was definitely a nice treat. I went with the “99”, which is soft serve vanilla in a cone with a chocolate wafer in it.
Since I didn’t get a chance to blog during the week, here are some random thoughts worth mentioning…
Since I didn’t get a chance to blog during the week, here are some random thoughts worth mentioning…
- After intense negotiations, our landlords agreed to provide some plug-in fans since they didn‘t follow through with the installation of air conditioning as they said they would. This will make sitting, and more importantly, sleeping, a lot more comfortable. I have the fan going now and it makes a world of a difference.
- My nephews would have loved the life-size Star Wars characters made of Lego’s that were on display in the Aupark shopping mall today. They had Darth Vader, Yoda, R2D2, and a Starship Trooper. I need to start carrying a camera.
- Speaking of the mall, at the place where I ate lunch, they had bacon donuts on the menu, with a side of fries. I didn’t order them. I did, however, order a chicken sandwich and fries, which I knew I would regret eating even before ordering. It was 3pm and I hadn’t eaten all day, so sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
- To all of you who worry about germs and try to protect yourselves and your children with hand sanitizer, wet wipes, anti-bacterial soaps, and whatever else, you are fighting a losing battle. Take it from someone who travels a good bit. From airports to airplanes to public restrooms to public transportation to most bars and restaurants and to the people around you coughing, sneezing, and probably not washing their hands, there are germs everywhere, and there is nothing you can do about it. All you can do is come to terms with it and accept it.
- The weather was beautiful in Bracknell by the way. With the exception of one day, the skies were blue and filled with sunshine. It was not at all what I was expecting.
- The Pelican Brief was on TV at the hotel this week. I hadn’t seen it in a while. It’s a pretty good movie. Conspiracy Theory also came on (must have been Julia Roberts week), which I also hadn’t seen in a while. It is an awful movie and I’m not really clear why it was ever made.
- I’m rooting for Spain in the World Cup on Sunday.
- I just finished watching the Lebron James fiasco of a show on ESPN from the other night (recorded through Slingbox) and I have several thoughts on his decision. I have no issue with him wanting to play with Bosh and D-Wade. He is giving himself what he believes is the best opportunity to win a championship and have fun playing basketball. If you made more money than you knew what to do with and so did two of your good friends, wouldn’t you take a little less to be able to work with them every day and live in the same city? Fans and media care about things like legacy, league history, and the integrity of the NBA. Obviously, he, and I believe many other players, do not. What I don’t agree with is rubbing it in the face of the fans in Cleveland by airing his decision as an hour long special on ESPN. This was basically Lebron leaving a flaming bag of dog feces on the doorstep of the city of Cleveland, but airing it on national TV for everyone to witness. This is what The King has become. The media and the fans have turned him into this. How do you stay grounded when the ground you walk on has been worshipped by all around you since you were 14 years old? He’s been in the spotlight since he was an adolescent, so there is nothing unnatural to him about making this decision in front of the camera. I do take issue with the writers and TV media that are bashing him. These are the same people that cover every minute detail of the guy’s life and report on it as “news”. They can certainly be critical of his decision, but it is hypocritical to criticize the way he did it when they made him into what he is.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Stranger in a Strange Land
It is a quiet Saturday in Bratislava. There are not many people in the streets. World Cup fever has died down as Slovakia lost to the Netherlands in the World Cup Round of 16 on Monday. And for obvious reasons, there isn’t much anticipation for US Independence Day tomorrow. July 5th is a national holiday in honor of St. Cyril and St. Metodius, so I imagine many people are taking advantage of the long weekend and maybe have left town.
I am taking it easy today. As much as I travel, my body doesn’t handle jetlag well and I don’t feel too great. I haven’t slept much all week and I’m hungry and thirsty all the time. The thirst part is exacerbated by the heat. I’ve been drinking water like all the rivers in the world are about to dry up. In fact, the first Slovak word I’ve learned (besides pivo which means beer) is neperliva which in regards to water means flat or without gas. Anyway, a relaxing day with not much to do provides me the opportunity to take care of things around the apartment as I continue to work towards making it a home by the time Jenn arrives at the end of the month.
It’s amazing how much a so-called “furnished” apartment does not include. I’ve made two trips to Ikea this week, all with public transportation, of which I am very proud. I’ve been to the Tesco, the grocery/department store in the center of town that has everything, every day. The biggest surprise to me is that the apartment does not have air conditioning. In our initial tour of the place, which was unfinished at the time, it was explained by the landlord that they would be installing it. When I arrived, the landlord told me they decided not to install it. Now, most places in Bratislava do no have air conditioning, so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s just a matter of comfort and what we, as Americans, are used to. And for anyone who has ever been to our apartment in Austin, you know that Jenn prefers to keep the temperature roughly at the level of a meat locker. We’ll live, but it’s an annoyance for sure. It doesn’t help the fact that it’s over 90 degrees here every day.
One more note on the apartment. When I showed up on Tuesday to meet with the landlord, the entire pavement on our side of the street was torn up and under construction and there is a temporary walkway from the street to the building front door. I have been told it’ll only be under construction for a month, but for now, I get to wake each morning to the harmonious sounds of a jackhammer.
The apartment otherwise is great. We have a TV with about 60 channels, 95% of which we cannot watch because they are in Slovak. All the appliances are new and the real luxury is a dryer, which is not common here. I had to try out all of the appliances per the landlord’s request so I successfully cooked dinner last night and made an omelet and toast for breakfast this morning.
It’s been a good first week. There are the usual challenges of moving and adjusting to a foreign country which cause one to feel awkward, uncomfortable, and like a complete idiot, but there have been some high points. I had a nice run Thursday morning along the Danube, have sampled the offerings of both ice cream shops within a few hundred yards of our place, and at dinner the other night enjoyed the national Slovakian dish called bryndzove halusky, which is dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon.
There is much more to come, but for now, I’ll leave with you a couple of pictures from the 8th floor coffee shop at the Dell office. It’s so nice having windows at work by the way. In Round Rock, I am surrounded by cube walls and am nowhere close to a view of the outside, so I wouldn’t even know if an alien spaceship landed in front of the building.
I’m heading to London for the week for work. Happy birthday, America!
I am taking it easy today. As much as I travel, my body doesn’t handle jetlag well and I don’t feel too great. I haven’t slept much all week and I’m hungry and thirsty all the time. The thirst part is exacerbated by the heat. I’ve been drinking water like all the rivers in the world are about to dry up. In fact, the first Slovak word I’ve learned (besides pivo which means beer) is neperliva which in regards to water means flat or without gas. Anyway, a relaxing day with not much to do provides me the opportunity to take care of things around the apartment as I continue to work towards making it a home by the time Jenn arrives at the end of the month.
It’s amazing how much a so-called “furnished” apartment does not include. I’ve made two trips to Ikea this week, all with public transportation, of which I am very proud. I’ve been to the Tesco, the grocery/department store in the center of town that has everything, every day. The biggest surprise to me is that the apartment does not have air conditioning. In our initial tour of the place, which was unfinished at the time, it was explained by the landlord that they would be installing it. When I arrived, the landlord told me they decided not to install it. Now, most places in Bratislava do no have air conditioning, so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s just a matter of comfort and what we, as Americans, are used to. And for anyone who has ever been to our apartment in Austin, you know that Jenn prefers to keep the temperature roughly at the level of a meat locker. We’ll live, but it’s an annoyance for sure. It doesn’t help the fact that it’s over 90 degrees here every day.
One more note on the apartment. When I showed up on Tuesday to meet with the landlord, the entire pavement on our side of the street was torn up and under construction and there is a temporary walkway from the street to the building front door. I have been told it’ll only be under construction for a month, but for now, I get to wake each morning to the harmonious sounds of a jackhammer.
The apartment otherwise is great. We have a TV with about 60 channels, 95% of which we cannot watch because they are in Slovak. All the appliances are new and the real luxury is a dryer, which is not common here. I had to try out all of the appliances per the landlord’s request so I successfully cooked dinner last night and made an omelet and toast for breakfast this morning.
It’s been a good first week. There are the usual challenges of moving and adjusting to a foreign country which cause one to feel awkward, uncomfortable, and like a complete idiot, but there have been some high points. I had a nice run Thursday morning along the Danube, have sampled the offerings of both ice cream shops within a few hundred yards of our place, and at dinner the other night enjoyed the national Slovakian dish called bryndzove halusky, which is dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon.
There is much more to come, but for now, I’ll leave with you a couple of pictures from the 8th floor coffee shop at the Dell office. It’s so nice having windows at work by the way. In Round Rock, I am surrounded by cube walls and am nowhere close to a view of the outside, so I wouldn’t even know if an alien spaceship landed in front of the building.
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I’m heading to London for the week for work. Happy birthday, America!
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