Around Slovakia

PROTEST calls for politicians to 'legalise nature'. photo:TASR

THE FIRST ever march in favour of legalising marijuana attracted hundreds of mainly young people to the streets of the country's capital city on May 3.
The march was part of a global event called Million Marijuana March 2003.
Organisers of the event said they wanted to protest against the criminalisation of what they said was a soft drug. They also wanted to point out that the weed could be useful in medicine, the beauty industry, and other sectors.
Coordinated by the US-based Cures Not Wars organisation, the march took place in about 200 towns and cities around the world.

Bratislava
Waiters run with drinks in annual race

BRATISLAVA's streets were full of running waiters on May 1 when they met for an annual race.
Fifteen pairs of professional waiters took part in the competition, during which they had to run around the old town starting and finishing at the Hviezdoslavovo square.
Ľuboš Tvrdoň, the main organiser of the event, said that similar competitions were held in neighbouring Vienna, and London.
Waiters from Bratislava's Steam and Coffee restaurant came first in the race.

COULD Adriana Sklenaříková and Christian Karembeu produce a long-legged soccer superstar? photo:TASR

ZLATICA Sklena€íková, the mother of supermodel Adriana Sklena€íková, said it was about time she became a grandmother.
Adriana Sklena€íková, 32, became world-famous in the mid 1990s because of her extremely long legs and later attracted the lust of millions of men when she became a Wonderbra girl. As her exclusive deal with Wonderbra nears an end, Adriana's mother hopes her daughter will decide to have babies at last.
"After all, it is high time for Adriana to become a mother," Zlatica Sklena€íková told the daily Nový čas. In addition to being the beauty's mom, Zlatica is a physician in central Slovakia's Banská Bystrica.
Adriana Sklena€íková is married to French football ace Christian Karembeu. It is not known whether the couple plans to have children soon, but it is clear that if it was down to Sklena€íková's mother, they would not wait any longer.
"I cannot wait for a baby. May it come as soon as possible," the hopeful grandmother said.

Veľké Ripňany
Priest blesses cars for safe journey

A PRIEST has blessed more than 50 cars in an annual ceremony that is believed to protect the vehicles from accidents all year round.
Following Sunday mass on May 4, priest Marián Prachár went out to the parking lot near his church in the western Slovak village Veľké Ripňany and blessed the vehicles by making a symbolic cross over the cars and saying, "May God protect these cars."
Later Prachár distributed stickers depicting Saint Christopher, the patron saint of drivers, to the cars' owners.
The priest started blessing cars six years ago after noticing that the number of cars had risen considerably since the fall of the communist regime.
"It is quite common that people abroad have their cars blessed, and the tradition caught on well here too," Prachár told the daily SME.
Tibor Meres, a driver who had his car blessed for the second time, said the ceremony worked well for him.
"The blessing of a car is a symbolic wish for safety on the road. I drive 40,000 kilometres per year, at home and abroad. But I have only had one small accident, when I was reversing my car into the garage," Meres said.

Prešov
Tornado sweeps town

INHABITANTS of the eastern city of Prešov were terrified when they saw an approaching tornado that tore roofs down, broke windows, and trees as it proceeded through parts of the town.
The tornado appeared on the afternoon of May 3, and although it took only about two minutes to calm down, locals were appalled by the wind's strength.
"So far I have only seen something like this in US movies," said one Prešov resident.
No one was hurt in the unexpected tornado, but several roofs, cars, electricity poles, and even interiors of some flats and houses have been destroyed.

'OBSCENE' joke sign could lead to a large fine. photo: TASR

A RACY version of the massive Hollywood billboard in Los Angeles was erected on a hill just outside the northern Slovak town of Žilina. According to police it had to be removed due to the obscenity it spelled out.
Some locals were shocked, others amused at seeing Holý úd (naked penis) spelled out in large letters above the city on the morning of April 30. At first glance the inscription looked almost identical to the big letters on the Hollywood hill.
One Czech tourist told the daily Nový čas: "They should have left it there. It's a great way of attracting tourists."
According to Radovan Kyselica, a regional police spokesman, the 5-metre-high letters were made out of cardboard and were tied to small bushes.
Police suspect that some university students were responsible for the act because student dormitories are nearby. If found, the culprits could face a fine of up to Sk5,000 (€125).

Trenčín
Birthday man survives jump from balcony

WHILE CELEBRATING his 59th birthday, a man from the western Slovak town of Trenčín jumped from his balcony on the seventh floor of a block of flats.
The man's fall was stopped suddenly when he managed to grab on to the railing of a sixth-floor balcony, where he hung until the police and firemen saved him.
It remains unclear why Peter D. attempted this stunt during his birthday celebration. The police believe he wanted to commit suicide, although the reasons remain unknown.