Another note sorry these took so long to come out.
This blog is going to consist of bits and pieces that I couldn’t write a whole blog on.
Food
Some differences in food is the fact that Slovaks keep basically whatever they can, they try to avoid food waste which comes to some disgusting things. They have something called acidko milk, which isn’t nice, doesn’t taste good, they also have something that I don’t know the name of but what it is, is when you make butter you get some bubble thing on top and they take that and bottle it up, also not the nicest thing in the world. Slovak alcohol is amazing. Now before I say anymore on this, this was all with my host family’s at their house, I was allowed to drink. So Slovaks, many Slovaks make their own alcohol and the main alcohol they seem to make is called Slivovica, and what it is, is a fruit made alcohol that is 52% and it can be made by any fruit but the name changes according to the fruit. Slivovica is plum as Slivka is plum so Slivovica is plum alcohol. I learnt all this with Peter. Peter gave me Slivovica as we were celebrating Kelly’s birthday and from there whenever I went out with him he got me Slivovica and now his friends also offer, I have like 1 drink whenever im out with him of it and their shot size is double of Australia’s so I only ever have one, and it doesn’t get me drunk or even tipsy which is good. Then they have something called black dream with Rasťo Veľky, my old host dad, who took me to a distillery so he could get his Slivovica and the main guy there offered me and Rasťo let me. I can’t explain it but it was the nicest alcohol i’ve ever tasted (sorry Blaine). Also bryndza (sheep cheese) is okay and is used in Halušky, a traditional Slovak dish. Also it is a pain to find anything that makes food that isn’t used in European culture which means there is NO SPRINKLES which means no fairy bread and basically no Australian foods can be made except brekkie and Anzac biscuits. Side note, I made an “Aussie Brekkie”, missing components and some foods are different but did the best with what I had.
Hockey
So far I have been to 2 ice hockey games and played 1 floorball game. The first ice hockey game I went to was with Peter and his mates, it was Košice vs Poprad. The game was led by Poprad 1-0 for the first 2 periods with Poprad taking half as many shots as Košice but they were playing smarter and taking their shots when the goal was open. Košice ended up winning
1-2 however it was the best game to go to. The ice hockey stadium was planned out so well with it being no matter where you sat you could see the game clearly and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was also into the games and scarfs are swung around and the cheering was going on like crazy. Any shot or sin bin everyone reacted. It was amazing. I spent this whole game not only watching the game but studying some of the game as well. The next ice hockey game I went to was Slovakia vs Russia. This game was sloppy, neither team had a plan of attack and neither team were playing as a team, it was more everyone go for the puck and take whatever shot you get even if you have no shot. Good fun to go to a game with my host dad and host brother, Rasťo Veľky and Rasťo Malý, Vlado and Joshua. Before the game started Vlado Josh and I participated in a small game where we wore a shirt for 3 people that had 4 sleeves and we had 5 seconds to pick up as many bags of chips off the floor. We got all 15 so we had snacks prepared. These chips were just plain. I also learnt that at ice hockey games you can’t go back to your seat while the game is running for others benefit. You wait at the entry of the seats until the game stops for any reason then you go back to your seat. Great time spent with everyone. So far I have attended 1 floorball event as it was called off after the week I went because of schools being shut due to corona. The day was fun. The one I attended was just in a school gym that was in the street my old host family lived at. It had about 15 people total, all of them younger than me by at least 2 years except Joshua and my old host brother Rasťo. I went with Josh and Rasťo and we went just to play for fun. Because these guys don’t get many people, the guy who runs it (I forget his name) just decided that in the 2 hours they had, just to do round robin style as it keeps everyone coming back. It was a lot of fun practising and messing about and not much was called because no one was doing anything dumb, the dude who runs it lets most go unless its terrible and we all play for the spirit. For example if the ball went under the seats on the side you just backed off and let them get it out. It was so much fun playing with these kids as I’m learning to look out for the simple things and the complex things as this bunch is a mix from really experienced to less experienced. Plus these guys are just great guys, it was also awesome when I got to style on them close to the start about 20 mins in. The other team scored so I asked if I could have a go at the face off, from the face off didn’t play as this kid always throws it back, he threw it back i ran and got it went right and dodged the forward and keeper (we were playing 4 on 4 so the keeper was a player and the forward was set back between the centre and the keeper on the right side), I took a shot at the small goal and just missed so i ran around the back collected went up the side line and back handed it in through two players and just top corner of the small goal so quick that everyone just stopped, none of them sure what just happened. Another amaying moment was my full basketball court shot in and then later me and the really good kid who wore blue so let’s call him that, got poe same team as we were switching team every 30 mins or so and him and I just played like we had known each other and played with each other our whole lives. It was amazing, can not wait to go back. Also, for those thinking it, I didn’t spend the whole 2 hours running around the kids, I had fun, gave the ball off to my team most of the time and didn’t hog it. I only every now and then had a full run with the ball. I also gave as much opportunity to one of the more non experienced players to do the face off.
Cold
When I get back to Australia I am going to die. I adjusted really quickly and well to the cold not even feeling it being cold unless there is a breeze. I have been out on the balcony at -2°C in shorts and a T-shirt and it feels like a normal night back in Australia but as soon as that wind comes you freeze your ass off, even if it’s 20°C out you freeze. Now down to why I’m going to die back in Australia. Even in shorts and a t-shirt at 20°C I start sweating not a lot but sweating.
Viben
Out here in another country viben with friends and other exchange students. Viben to music, viben talking and viben hanging out with people.
Heat
Now that it is summer its starting to heat up and here, the sun isn’t like Australia. Here when its 30 degrees Celsius, its just hot. I cant explain it well, but its kinda like humid hot and you just go straight to no shirt. Not sure how Slovaks react to people walking around the town in no shirt so haven’t done it yet but I cant wait for the water at Dedinky (A place with a massive lake at nearly 800m elevation, give it a search) to heat up so I can go swimming there, and I cant wait til the pool here opens as that is close and I wanna go swimming.
What I Miss So Far
I don’t miss much but I do miss some little things. One thing I miss that my parents are probably going to love me for when I return home is I miss cleaning dishes. At my old host family every time I’ve gone to do it I’m always stopped by my host mum. If there is only my dish then I clean it but as soon as a few dishes are in the sink I’m not allowed to clean them. So I miss cleaning dishes, which is weird but nevadí (never mind in Slovak). Probably won’t miss it by the time I’m home. I also miss, as my parents know, the chin up bar we had in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. I miss motorbike riding and the final thing I miss is the BBQ, I miss everything about the BBQ, the steaks on there, the cooking on it with my dad,etc. I now miss longer showers, I’m back to my first host family the Leskovjanksy’s and here, showers are short, in and out, about 30sec. However it isn’t that bad having short showers.
End side note, this was written a few months ago, so some things would have changed.
Mila Bar, kinda like a chocolate Wafer.
