October 9, 2014
Hosted by Rotary Club Bratislava Danube
Sponsored by the Delmar Rotary Club
Current host family: Eva Budzáková and Lubomir Budzák
I’ve been living in Nová Dedinka (a small village about 45 minutes away from
Bratislava) for over a month now, and I could not be having a better
time. My host parents, Eva and Lubo, are both extremely kind and caring,
and I feel like I am a part of the family! My host parents have already
taken me to Vienna, Hummene, Michalovce, and the Vysoké Tatry (the
highest mountains in Slovakia), and I have visited more old castles than
I ever thought I would see.
I’ve been attending school regularly since the second of September. Usually I get out of school around 1:45 PM or 2:45 PM,
and then I either go into the city center with my friends, or I take
the tram, then the trolley to the bus station, where I take a bus back
to Nová Dedinka. My schoolmates are all very nice, they are mostly loud
and outgoing and unafraid to speak their minds to the teachers. I’ve
been told that my class is disliked by many teachers for being loud and
disruptive, but I’ve found that this very fact has helped me, as they
are less than shy about talking to me, and they are all very friendly. I
have not been told about any activities in school outside of class, but
my host mom and I are searching for an orchestra that I might be able
to play violin with.
My host Rotary club is located in the Staré Mesto, or Old Town, of Bratislava, and they have meetings every Monday at 6:30 PM.
Attendance is mandatory for exchange students. The last time I went was
two weeks ago, as I was traveling back from the mountains last Monday,
and that was also the last time that I saw my counselor, Martin Paulik,
he is a very nice man. There was also a district orientation meeting two
weekends ago, that was held in Otrokovice, Czech Rep, and all
seventy-seven exchange students were there. It was great to meet people
from all over the world, although the majority were from Mexico, Brazil,
or the USA. I have not gone on any trips with Rotary yet, except for a
small outing with my host club at which we went to a small village in
Austria to drink burčiak (young wine) for an evening. My host Rotary
club is also giving me an allowance of 65 Euros per month, which is very
generous. I think I have a wonderful host club, and a great support
system set up through my counselor Martin, and the head of the Youth
Exchange in the club, Pavol. I know that I will always get help when I
need it.
My host parents have taken me all across Slovakia now, and I really enjoy
every trip we take together. I have seen modern things, such as the Andy
Warhol museum in Medzilaborce (did you know his parents were born in
the east of Slovakia?), and I have seen things that are hundreds of
years old. Castles with old kitchens and tombs and torture chambers and
medieval refrigerators that are eight meters deep. People may not know
much about Slovakia, but the country is a place rich in history,
potatoes, beautiful nature, and a culture all its own. I am mostly
surprised at how most villages and cities in Slovakia all seem to be
very small, aside from Bratislava and Košice. The demographics are very
different here than what I’m used to.
I have no questions or concerns at the moment. Overall, I am having an amazing time here in Slovakia, and I am so grateful that my host club back in New York decided to give me this opportunity.
[The picture is of Gustavo, a Brazilian exchange student, me, and my host parents, Eva and Lubo, on the top of Ostrva in the Vysoké Tatry.]
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