Here you find the "thumbnails" of all the pictures from Slovakia and around. Use your mouse to move the cursor over any of the images to see the caption, or click on the picture to see it bigger. Enjoy! (I love this country; the people here are so dear to me, and my blood is running "part-Slovak" :-)
JeansCow_s.JPG PicnicGrp1_s SmilingFour_s WallAnnClarke DanielaDad GradGrp MarnieSunnyPalacinky  «  »
WalAndrej WalJoz JanoMap SestraSerenade SandwichView DrinkView_s IceCreamView
VladWal KremnicePlagueMnmt WalAndKrem AnemGrp2 MonikaWal 1yrCandles BarbOnPhone
Table4Three StepAnnStellMe AnneKissVinea AbstractCow LakeGrp NeckDeep BlkYellCow
FlwrCow FlwrCow2 MainSqBull MeAndVicLWal PinkFlwrCow PinkHiduCow2 PinkHinduCow
DapperMatyo Bottles from around the world...well, mostly from Europe. In seven of the 10 countries I visited over the last two years, I brought home an interesting bottle or one that held the drink that was found only in that particular country. It was an inexpensive way to have a visible reminder of my travels. The bottles made me smile when I remembered the places they came from or the memories I made there. Of course, because I lived and loved life in Slovakia, I have two bottles from this country - one of a my favorite sparkling grape drink (Vinea) and another one of sparkling Slovak mineral water...with Elvis on the label! Any self-respecting Southerner (wink, smile) from the eastern states will also recognize the looks of my all-time favorite soda...diet Sundrop! My dear bfriend and neighbor, Mariellyn, actually ordered a 6-pack online and had them sent to her friend in Ohio - who brought them to Bratislava in her suitcase. Talk about being a happy woman; I was thrilled. It´s amazing how a taste of home can warm your heart when you´re living overseas. Dream Come True...I so believe the arts can bring people together. This picture is from the “Vecer Umenia” (Evening of Arts) I coordinated in May 2006. There were group of dancers, dramatists, musicians, and even an opera singer. It was night when international artists (from Slovakia, America, Austria, Germany, Russia, Latvia, etc.) shared their talents for an interdominational audience. It was such a beautiful thing to know that six or more different demoninations were represented in a country where - in some parts - being anything but Catholic means to be considered in a cult. In the program were the names of Catholics and Protestants alike. What a joy to behold an ecumenical celebration of the arts! Wedding Officiant...I actually was gifted with a trip to America´s West Coast in June 06, where I was took a vow to uphold California´s state constitution as it pertained to marriage. As a “deputy commissioner of marriage” (which made it legal for me to officiate one particular wedding on one particular day) - I had the privilege of marrying two friends in San Jose. It was ans experience I´ll always remember. The bride and groom in America ...Dorothy Lin and I attended UNC-CH together. She was a resident on the hall where I was an Resident Assistant (R.A.). Her husband, Jimmy Wong, was such a happy groom. He so loves his new wife. However, I´ll never forget the fact that in the first wedding I´ve ever officiated, I almost forgot to pronounce them husband and wife! I remembered at the last minute...right before I said the words Jimmy had been waiting for...“you may kiss the bride.” Sparkling Water Snob ...O.k., I admit it, I used to laugh at the idea of drinking Perrier. In my mind, it was a drink only the uppity folks drank. When I first moved to Slovakia, I wrinkled my nose at all the salty-flavored carbonated mineral water. It seemed all anyone ever drank. It was also cheaper than most other drinks at the store or in the restaurants. As the months passed, my opinion changed, and now it´s my favorite way to drink H2O. When I was in California, the only sparkling water I could find without added flavor was - you guessed it - Perrier. So, I guess a small-town girl can be converted to a bubbly water babe (giggle). A Slovak bride and groom ... My friends, Marek and Andrea, got married in June. It was my first and only experience attending a Slovak wedding. The church ceremony began at 1 p.m....and people were still dancing at 1 a.m. Wow! I loved Andrea´s (orange) wedding bouquet. It was different than the ones I´ve seen at weddings in the U.S.A. Underneath the flowers are strands of decorative colored grass...used often in all kinds of flower arrangementsseen in Slovakia.
A wedding tradition in Slovakia....These two Franciscan monks, friends of the newlyweds, are presenting them couple with a fresh flower arrangement. After the formal church ceremony, but prior to the long family meal at a nearby restaurant, and before friends reappear at the celebration to toast the couple, lift them high in the air on chairs and dance the night away.....almost every person or family goes through a receiving line and presents the bride and groom with a blooming flower arrangement. My friend admitted they received more flowers than there was room in their apartment to hold. Goodbye SonShine House...For the two years I lived in Bratislava, a bright yellow multi-storied house was home to a school and to the residents of 4 small apartments. Right before my last “SonShine Sestra” (Slovak for sister) moved back home, we had a farewell gathering. Here are four of my dearest Slovak kamaraty (friends). We were laughing at the fact that a huge dumpster was right outside the entryway to our apartments on the night when were were having this party. Pictured are: Vlado, Barbora, me, Don Zeman and Marek. Don Zeman is one of the priests from my neighborhood´s Catholic churches. He gave the great privilege of speaking at his 75th birthday mass in April 2005. Barbora translated into Slovak my birthday greetings as we spoke to a church packed with local congregants and well-wishers. Russian Sweets - I visited a country in the former USSR while I was living in Europe. It was fun to try the different kinds of chocolate and to see “Hubba Bubba” bubble gum written with an alphabet different than the one I was taught at school in the States. A taste of N.C. in Central Asia - Note the Pepsi bottle midst the others? It seems all the world loves soft drinks. It was fun for me to see a drink that began in the Tar Heel State (Pepsi was invented in New Bern, NC) in a country far, far away.. Halleluja, Coca Cola, Amen...When I first moved to Slovakia, one of my friend´s cousins´ said these were the three universal words - known the world over. As I traveled to many countries and sang non-English hymns in many churches - I realized he was right. Even when a song is sung in a different language, you will often still hear: “halleluja” and “amen”. And as you can see from this picture taken of the entrance to a roadside market in Central Asia - Coca Cola can be seen right in front of the Turkish looking building with a Russian name. A Rare Sight...I´m standing in front of a Bible Institute in a country where Christianity is not warmly welcomed. I met a man within these gates whose 17-year-old son was killed because of his father´s beliefs. This father was an inspiration for me to live my “faith to the fullest”. He still lives in the same village where his son was killed, and his love and respect of his neighbors has made a definitive difference through the years. Village residents have seen how even the murder of his precious child would not cause this man to respond to others with hate. A beautiful testimony to the faithful conviction and changed perspective of a man who lived much of his younger life as an alcoholic atheist.. Market Women...I´ve always enjoyed a market atmosphere; it started when my dad took me to flea markets as a little girl. It´s a great place to “people watch”. I just loved the looks of these two women. Can´t you just imagine the stories found in their faces? Believe it or not, the lady in the fur vest has an expression that reminds me of my paternal grandmother when she was thinking about something that made her smile. People are different...and the same...wherever you go.


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