Foreigners in Slovakia, page 34
News and features on living in Slovakia
From an island to the heart of Europe
Pope John Paul II met the leaders of many international Catholic religious congregations in the early 1990s in Rome and encouraged the leaders of these organisations to consider sending sisters to countries in Eastern Europe following the fall of communism. The Presentation Sisters were one of the congregations represented at that meeting. Their leader at the time, Elizabeth Starken, encouraged the Presentation Sisters in Ireland to hear this call and so gradually members began coming to Slovakia in 1992. She herself spent some time on the mission. Since then, more than 15 Irish sisters have come to work in Slovakia for either a short time or a longer stretch of time. Currently there are six Irish sisters living in Slovakia, three in Bratislava and three in Spišské Podhradie.
Embracing Irish dance
IN ADDITION to their oft-cited shared Celtic roots, Ireland and Slovakia also have much in common in terms of religion, culture and traditions. These similarities are celebrated throughout the whole year, especially on St Patrick’s Day, on March 17.
Ireland: General facts
Political system: parliamentary democracyCapital: DublinTotal area: 70,273 square kilometresPopulation: 4.8 millionOfficial languages: Irish and EnglishCurrency: euro
A mutual love of music and dance
QUESTIONS often arise around St Patrick’s Day (on March 17) about the similarities and differences between Slovak and Irish culture, which, despite the two countries’ geographical distance, manage to seem connected.
Riding the green wave
THE SLOVAK population in Ireland, estimated at 20,000 Slovak citizens, has integrated into Irish life and “is very well respected for its strong work ethic”, says Anne-Marie Callan, Ireland’s Ambassador to Slovakia. The Irish-Slovak connection will become even more visible on St Patrick’s Day, when for the first time ever a building in Slovakia will go green as a symbol of friendship with Ireland. The Slovak Spectator spoke to Callan about Ireland’s recent EU-IMF programme exit, business links between the two countries and the contribution Irish nuns are making to the Roma community in Slovakia.
A more civilized and stable country (video included)
"The last time I was in Syria was in 2010. And then the unlucky war began...," said 69-year-old businessman Nabil Trabelssie, a Syrian native. Though he has lived in Slovakia for nearly 40 years, he is still troubled by the conflict in his homeland. For Trabelssie, life in the industrial city of Považská Bystrica was the right choice.
Koreans and Slovaks both know tough times (video included)
“It is similar, Korean history and Slovak history,” says Seo Il Won, 43- year-old pastor of the Korean congregation within the Evangelical Free Church in Žilina. Seo has been working in Slovakia since 2011, and together with his religious community overcomes the difficulties of living in a foreign culture. During the walk in his favourite place in Žilina, he talks on the friendship between the two nations.
Village life in Slovakia a joy (video included)
“There are just so many people with real friendships, who care about real things,” said marketing and media advisor Alan Craig, an American living in village Sekule, in the Záhorie Region. He adds with smile that village life in Slovakia is pure joy and with a slight nostalgia recalls traditions from Pennsylvania in comparison to Slovakia.
Slovakia and the US are not so different (video included)
You have surpassed the United States in building malls, says Michael Dove, an American from Boston. An English teacher at the University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica, he considers language and natural beauty to be the biggest assets of Slovakia. The best parts of life in the Hron valley are hiking and cultural events. Dove wishes that attitudes toward foreigners with darker skin colour were more accepting.
For a Brazilian, Winter in Slovakia a treat (video included)
Lourenço Maciel grew up in one of the world’s largest cities, Sao Paulo. However, he decided to start his university studies in tiny Bratislava, because he fell in love with Slovakia. Maciel thinks that generally Slovaks do not have such a good view of their country. He likes living here, loves Slovak people and even our winter.
English love for Slovakia (video included)
“Besides the beauty of the countryside, it’s just like stepping back in time,” says Ted Norris, an English language teacher from London, on his first impression of Slovakia. In addition to reasons for which Norris considers Slovakia to be his home, he talks about how the Slovak character differs from the English one.
See more than Bratislava (video included)
“I really missed brindzové halušky in California, so I tried to make it myself, but it was a disaster,” said English teacher Mark Christensen. He is popular among Slovaks for his songs in their mother tongue. He so much enjoyed life in Slovakia that he has decided to stay. Christensen urges all foreigners see more than just Bratislava, to visit castles and particularly try to interact with Slovaks. “It is really the only way how to see Slovakia through the eyes of the people that live here," he says.
Becoming a naturalized Slovak (video included)
Though they both formerly lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, ethnic Slovaks living in Serbia now have a different life, says Ivan Hansman, a 50-years-old director from Vojvodina, Serbia. Hansman left his country after the civil war in Yugoslavia started in 1991 saying “We had to fire on our friends or those friends had to fire on us. It was absurd.” Slovakia is his new home.
Slovak discovery in India
FOOTPRINTS left by the Jurassic ancestors of today’s birds are rare, but a Slovak scientist, Ján Schlögl from the Department of Geology and Palaeontology at the Comenius University, has found one near the village of Thaiat, Rajasthan. The expedition discovered an imprint of the foot of a small Jurassic theropod, which scientists believe to be the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern birds, the Sme daily reported on January 20.
Indian institution in Slovakia
Embassy of IndiaAmbassador: Rajiva Misrawww.indianembassy.sk
Exploring a profitable IT marriage
RAJIVA Misra suggests that there is anecdotal evidence that Slovakia has made it onto the radar of a growing number of Indian tourists: “take a walk in the Old Town [in Bratislava] on the weekend in summer and you will see Indian tourists around”. However, the Indian ambassador to Slovakia adds that Slovakia’s challenge is to figure out how to keep the tourists here longer. With the growing fitness culture in India, Ambassador Misra sees a niche for Slovak entrepreneurs active in the sports-related business to explore opportunities in his homeland, where there is an emerging need for shared experience in the management of sports academies and coaching centres.
Slovaks explore Indian cuisine
ONE might not expect to find good or authentic Indian cuisine in Slovakia, yet there are several Indian restaurants around the country, most of which are (predictably) located in the biggest cities, as well as a specialised food store that sells Indian products.
Organisations related to India in Slovakia
-India Club (India klub), Bratislava indiaklub@zoznam.sk-Association of the Indian-Slovak Friendship (Spoločnosť Indicko-slovenského priateľstva), Trenčín www.slovindia.greenheart.sk
Potential remains underutilised
THE TRADE exchange between Slovakia and India is rather slim, despite being more significant in the past, when Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia. Now, hopes are being pinned on the ongoing negotiations between the European Union and India over the Free Trade Agreement.
Slovak theatre in India
AFTER a recent successful presentation in New York within the V4 PACE – Performing Arts in Central Europe programme, Slovak theatre will be introduced to the Indian audience. Invited by the International Theatre Festival of Kerala, the Slovak Debris Company theatrical ensemble, in cooperation with the Slovakia’s Theatre Institute, will perform its latest piece, Epic, from January 27 to February 3, the institute informed in its press release.
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