|
The
closer I get to leaving the Czech Republic the faster the time seems
to go! I have had a busy week working with AIESEC here and sorting
some things for my return to Birmingham.
Turkish
night
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| Turkish
night (Jess in pink) |
Chigdem
provided us with another opportunity to learn about another culture
by putting on a Turkish evening.
Chigdem
cooked us kofta (beef and spices made into meatballs) with bread.
We also tried a Turkish drink (made from yoghurt, water and salt),
Turkish coffee, nougat and pistachio sweets. We had a go at Turkish
dancing too. It was an excellent night!
We
also went out to play skittles one evening this week. It was much
harder than it looked and most of us ended up throwing the ball
down the gutter instead of the alley...
Weekend
in Bratislava
This
weekend I went to Bratislava the capital city of Slovakia. I went
to stay with some friends who are working there and to see some
people I met a few weeks ago in Krakow.
I arrived
in Bratislava on Friday afternoon after a long hot train journey.
That evening, Mike had organised a salsa party for us - salsa, dancing
games and international trainees. It was really good fun and an
easy way to get talking to the trainees living in Bratislava.
We
went from the party to the old town for the rest of the night. I
was staying with Karola and Kieron in the centre of the old town,
the main tourist area of the city and where I spent the majority
of my time. The rest of the city is more functional, both in architecture
and usage. These areas are developing fast though and there is plenty
of evidence of new investment in business, building and infrastructure
in the area.
Tourist
attractions
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| View
from the castle |
I went
to see some of the main tourist sights: Bratislava Castle, St Martin's
Cathedral and the Presidential Palace and garden.
The
castle is one of the best places to see a view of the city. From
here, it is easy to see the difference between the old and new areas
of the city and there is an excellent view of the Danube River too
(see photo at the top of the page).
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| Presidential
palace |
St
Martin's Cathedral dates from the 14th century and was where Hungarian
kings were crowned rulers of central Europe. It has a replica of
the Hungarian Crown at the top of the spire.
 |
| Sculpture
in the presidential garden |
The
presidential palace, formerly the home of President Meciar is now
the home of the new government. The Presidential Garden behind the
Palace is a quiet park housing modern art by Slovakian artists.
Indian
celebrations
It
was Indian Independence day on Saturday and so when I got back to
Ostrava on Sunday we celebrated with Sangharsh (see photo below).
This
day marks India's independence from Britain in 1947. We watched
a cultural presentation about India and tried some more Indian specialities.
It's
so interesting to experience and learn about other cultures from
the trainees staying here as well as working and living the Czech
lifestyle.
It's
now my final week in the Czech Republic. I am going to spend next
weekend in Prague before flying home but in the meantime, I have
my farewell party to attend, work to finish off and goodbyes to
say.
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Written
by Jess Rudkin
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| Indian
night |
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