The new Normal!

Yes, the past 3 days have been very "normal" for us here in Slovakia, though having "normal" and "Slovakia" in the same sentence might seem like an oxymoron after living 50-plus years in the U.S. - LOL!!  But anyway, there is nothing terribly exciting to report.  

Sunday we went to church as usual, and had fun greeting some of our new tour-buddies after the service.  We stopped at the big Billa store, a little farther out of our way going home, but with a better selection.  We picked up something delicious for lunch - kind of like soft kaiser rolls topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce, a thick slice of ham, and some cheese - baked so the cheese was melted, kind of pizza-ish.  One was a great plenty, and they were .49 each - a yummy and inexpensive lunch with apple slices on the side.  :-)   

In the afternoon we read the paper online, then helped Carol move from her flat (rented through the end of the month) to a friend's house for her last few days here.  In the evening we had fun skyping with those back home.  

Monday and Tuesday were regular teaching days, and we think we may actually put in our very first full week at school finally!  LOL!!  Unless we get a call from Žilina to come back for fingerprints, we should be teaching all five days for once.  It's a good feeling to be establishing some routines.  

Tonight was a going-away party for Carol at a pub, so yesterday after school, Tim and I walked the 20-minutes or so to scout out the location in advance.  I took the bike, then rode it back to our flat to time the trip, because tonight I had to be back here at 6:00 for my English students.  Then I rode back to meet Tim for the last portion of his loop back home.  It was really warm yesterday, so a great afternoon to be out enjoying the fresh air and mountain scenery.  

So, tonight, we walked over to the pub together with Pat'ka, but I had to leave after about 45 minutes to get back for my students.  Unfortunately it was raining on my trip back to the flat by bike, so I got pretty wet, but no big deal.  Tim is still there, and there are people there with cars to give everyone rides home, thank goodness!  I have some soup on the stove for us.  My students are two adult women, and it was fun having them together tonight.  

With Carol and Pat'ka at the pub

Janka and Tim at the pub - it was really a quaint place!

Miro, Dasha, and her son Alex  -  more colleagues came later,
but I had to leave, so didn't get pictures of everyone.

Tim is going to start tomorrow afternoon giving lessons to the son of one of my students, and he is a 15-year-old hockey player who went to a hockey camp in the US last summer.  Pat'ka and her daughter, Rivi, will be coming over on Thursdays at 4:00 starting this week - Pat'ka working on guitar with me, and Rivi working on English with Tim.  But that is going to be it for our lessons -- we don't want to over extend and get burned out with teaching during the school day and after school too.  Pat'ka also mentioned tonight that one of us will be needed to teach a conversation class over at the basic school (where we go to eat lunch every day) one afternoon a week during the school day, so I volunteered for that.  It will be fun to teach some younger kids as well!!  I'm hoping it can be on Thursdays since that is my lightest teaching day at school.  

Well, that's it from central Europe for tonight.  I know most of our correspondence is through emails or Skype, but just in case anyone wants our real addresses, for Tim's birthday or perhaps Christmas cards later, I'll include them here while I'm thinking about it.  

For letters only - the former American teachers say delivery to the flat is quite reliable:
     Tim and Michelle Olson
     Hurbanová 24
     Liptovsky Mikuláš   031 01
     Slovakia
For packages - delivery to the school definitely the best, since we are always there during mail delivery times:
     Tim and Michelle Olson
     Evanjelická spojená škola
     Komenského  10
     Liptovsky Mikuláš   031 01
     Slovakia