Since 1992, more than 200 Slovak professionals have participated in a short-term, three to five week training programme named TRANSIT (Technical Training for Societies in Transition). Founded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by World Learning/KNO, the training programme has targeted middle and senior management in the banking, capital market and municipal finance sectors. From 1996, the training focus has broadened, and this year 10 professionals received training in the public sector field. On October 7, those participants were awarded Certificates of Achievement by US Ambassador Ralph Johnson and Paula Goddard , the USAID Representative to Slovakia.
Hash-Run
Saturday October 24 may be your last chance to spend a day doing sports before the winter's long dark afternoons descend. A group of English-speakiners will assemble at the Devín Castle ruin at 1:30 and exchange 50 SK for beer, conversation and a spot of running. The meeting is known as "Run & walk", and was organised by Jim Gladston, an American businessman living in Slovakia. Jim is also known as the "Hash Master", as he is head of the Hash House Harriers organization in Slovakia. Hash House is a global organization that gets people together to run trails at their own pace and then wrap up the day with a beer and conversation.
If you're going to Devín by car, start from the new bridge in Bratislava and follow the Danube River west toward Karlova Ves, then take a left just past Botanická záhrada where the road bends sharply to the right. Another seven kilometres will bring you to Devínsky Hrad. The total trip takes about 15 minutes from downtown. If you are going by bus, take the local 29 bus from Nový most next to the Hotel Danube, and get off at the second last stop, about 25 minutes ride away. For more information call 07-531-16-17, http://www.target.hu.
French Movie Week in Trenčín October 23-30
After a successful run of French movies in Bratislava last year, the French Institute decided to organize a Festival of French Movies at the Cinema Metro in the centre of Trenčín, a town of 60,000 in western Slovakia. This year's festival will present 17 legendary movies from the 1960's to the present, featuring stars such as Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu. Of the directors involved, René Clément and Jacques Tati are names that stand out. The Festival will be back in Bratislava in the spring of 1999. Films are shown in the original version with Slovak subtitles. For further information call The French Institute, Tel.: 07-534-7777.
Vivienne Westwood in Bratislava
After Bucharest and Belgrade, Bratislava was next in line for a presentation of the Red Label and Gold Label collections by the famous British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. Alice Teeuwen, the manager of the central and eastern European fashion show, which was held on October 11 at Reduta Concert Hall, described the VW line as having "tradition and future." The line accentuates the body and face of its wearers, and brings out the sexual appeal of the female form. The closest shop you can buy the VW mark is Vienna.
