Clean Criminal Records in 2 Countries!

It was decided that today would be the day to travel to Ruzomberok to the authorities there who would conduct our Slovak criminal background check.  We met Pat'ka and Carol at school at 7:00 a.m., and Pat'ka drove us there in her cute little red Kia Rio.  It's about 30 kilometers away, so we arrived nice and early to go through the security check then fill out paperwork with Pat'ka's assistance.  (Tim often comments that for all the Slovak papers we've signed which we can't read or understand, he hopes we aren't signing loans for cars or anything!!)  And then we waited.  Meanwhile quite a few others came up, filled out the papers, handed them in, waited a little while, then were handed back their papers and they left.  Not us.  We continued waiting!!  Of course we used the time well and had fun conversation, but it was a long time!  And finally the door opened, and a lovely young lady smiled and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Olson, please", so in we went, signed another paper, and voila, we were cleared and could leave, official papers in hand!!  :-)  Evidently our request also had to be faxed to Prague, so both the Czech and Slovak governments could verify that we didn't have a criminal past in their countries.  So along with our FBI background check from back home, I guess we're good to go - so we can finally actually apply for a work visa later this week.  That will require a trip by train to yet another city, in order to hand in all this other paperwork we've accumulated, I'm sure fill out more papers, and hope they approve us with no further delay.  :-)   We won't get paid until we get official work visas, and in some cases, the Global Mission workers have had to wait until November.  

Tim with Carol and Pat'ka in front of the
Lutheran Church in Ruzomberok

After leaving the government building, we found a little cafe and relaxed with tea and coffee.  Then we had a short walking tour of Ruzomberok - it is a charming city with a beautiful center (like in the other towns - a pedestrian area where the streets are closed to vehicles) with many shops, restaurants, and coffee shops.  It's in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, which is of course typical of this region of Slovakia.  On the drive back to Liptovsky Mikulas, we stopped at the opposite end of Liptovska Mara (the lake near L. Mikulas), where the dam is.  More beautiful scenery on the drive and at the lake.  

Art school - I loved the building when we walked by it!

City Hall in Ruzomberok

Walking down to the city center

Tim, Pat'ka and Carol on the center

The stairs back up to where we parked

The Catholic church in Ruzomberok

At the lake - the bell tower in the background was moved
to the edge of the lake before the dam flooded the town
it was in -- in 1974!  

When we got back to school, it was lunchtime, so we had our first experience in the canteen.  Tim had purchased our lunch tickets (about 60 cents each - the employer is required to help subsidize lunches), so we used the first two today.  Sauerkraut soup with potatoes and red beans, 4 slices of a sweet bread with chocolate swirls, and a nectarine, plus cold milk.  It was all good!!  Zuzana, one of the English teachers, joined us, then we walked back to school.  The canteen is in the basic school (elementary) several blocks from the gymnasium (secondary school.)  This first week, the students don't have periods 7 or 8, and the teachers are done at 2:00 again, so we left shortly after lunch.  

Our first school lunch at the canteen (cafeteria)

Pat'ka asked me to help with her after-school drama
activity - this is our recruiting sign!  :-)

It is such a warm, nice day, we decided to go running, since neither of us has had a chance to run since even before we left for Slovakia.  It really felt good to get out and go.  :-)  We crossed the railroad tracks and went into the countryside on a narrow little winding road, and went for about 5K total.  We took it slowly since it had been so long, but it was really fun.  It was another of those "are we really here in Europe doing this???" moments!!  LOL!!  
Tonight we plan another picnic lunch on the square, eating on a park bench and people watching.  And maybe a .40 Euro ice cream each afterwards!   ;-)