curiosities of my everyday life in slovakia
in here i'll talk about the slovak habits that caught my attention. i do not intend to ridicularize or to, by any means, hurt any feelings. please understand that as a very latin portuguese living in bratislava i find some things very different and some things rather funny and curious.
i want to organize it as some sort of "facts book" so it's easier to read.
21) slovaks get amazed when they see our names, with two or more family names! normaly their full name consists in only two names.
20) sending letters and postcards is quite expensive, i think the slovak post service is the most expensive i've ever used, and i've used quite a few!
another negative note is that some snail mail i've received comes already opened, and some mail I sent got to it's destin opened as well.
19) i still dind't manage to have a normal conversation with slovaks about hungarians or with hungarians about slovaks.
18) in bratislava the bus are sometimes early, which is as annoying as late. and the bus drivers love doing the curves!
17) slovaks eat a lot of sweets and snacks.
16) girls always wear tights even when wearing sandals! or jeans!
15) in slovakia the trains are often delayed.
14) in slovakia they celebrate the "name day". don't get scared when you see that the calendar is full of different names everyday (at first i though that was how they said "monday, tuesday...but everyday was different!). each day is associated to a name, and when the day of your name comes, it's like a second birthday!
13) buses in bratislava stop at every stop so you don't have to push the button. this doesn't apply for the night buses.
12) slovaks don't have the cultural habit to complain. strikes are rare and they are always very polite when explaining that something isn't as they expected.
11) the socially accepted delay is of five minutes, and slovaks are ponctual.
10) slovaks don't talk when they eat! (and they eat fast).
9) slovaks don't kiss when you meet them, it's better if you give them a firm handshake. i still don't know the "kissing protocol" but i assume the kissing on the cheeks isn't abolished from the social relationships, it's just something one has to "achieve"! (actually i'm quite confused about this one, need more time).
8) when entering a house or even some social venues - some cafes or tea houses - you should remove your shoes (so be carefull when choosing your socks for a visit to slovakia!) and put on slippers that are normally available.
7) slovaks have had a very turbulent and complicated history. after so many years of "sharing" with hungary and with the czecs, you'll find it a funny exercise to discover what is a slovak traditional cuisine, a traditional dance, a traditional drink. some people will say it's czec, others will say it's slovak. no matter where it's from, you should always try, of course!
6) slovak food is very intense and heavy. salads are a bit rare and you pay extra for them. however, if you're a vegetarian you shouldn't have problems in finding either restaurants or adequated menus (in bratislava).
5) a lot of dishes have pork meat in some delicious sauces! i love the food and the soups, just bare in mind that they're normally big and strong!
4) slovak drivers don't slow down on the crosswalks, so be always carefull when crossing a street. don't expect bus drivers to behave differently either.
3) young people speak a lot of languages. always english, french and/or german and sometimes spanish. the older people speak slovak and often russian.
2) the slovak education system allows one to go to college without having to pay anything. you'll pay for your second degree, if you decide to take one.
1) the "night" usally ends at 23h00 during weekdays, but they last a lot longer on fridays and saturdays! - the services open quite early, between 7h00 and 8h00.