ja jem pstruh!

Happy New Year's, everyone! Insha'Allah all of you have had a safe and pleasant holiday. I'm sitting here in a cafe, my thoughts slightly intruded upon by the sounds of coffee grinding and bass-heavy Arabic music videos. I just reached the bottom of my cup of Turkish coffee, managing to stop right before reaching the grounds in the bottom. This takes a bit of practice (and a few mouthfuls of grainy coffee). After a week of frothy, smooth cappuccini in Italy, Turkish coffee has quite a kick to it.

As a side note, at least the next couple entries will be about winter travels; there is too much to put into a single entry.

The day after returning from Syria, I boarded a Royal Jordanian plane bound for Austria, where my friend "Z" and her uncle met me. We drove back to Pezinok, Slovakia, where I was greeted by Z's mother and grandmother. I should mention that Slovakia is *significantly* colder than Jordan. As in, there were snow flurries when the plane landed in Austria. As in, I spent most of the trip wearing both winter jackets and SmartWool socks. Anyway, after getting settled, drinking hot tea, and eating absolutely delicious Christmas sweets baked by Z's grandmother, Z and I went out to explore Pezinok. Bundling up and going out walking formed a major part of my visit to Slovakia. Walking around Pezinok, walking around Bratislava. On Sunday, we took public transit into Bratislava and attended an English language church service, which was very nice, especially since I hadn't been to church since about the end of July. After the service, we talked to some of Z's friends for a bit and then wandered around the main Christmas market. After looking at crafts and sampling some delectable Slovak foods, we walked to the National Gallery to see a photo exhibit called "Lost Time: 1969-1989." The series of photographs aimed to portray various aspects of Slovak life under Communist 'normalization' (the period following the Soviet invasion characterized by many as a time of economic, political, and social stagnation). It featured scenes from a fading, idealized rural life, to the famous May Day parades, to health & mental institutions. One of the things that really struck me was the idea that certain, government-controlled commodities (as well as, often, employment and shelter) were available in relatively secure abundance, traded for the "relatively Faustian price of soul and freedom." Having learned about Communist-era Europe only briefly in high school (and from an American perspective), visiting Slovakia, talking to Z, and looking at the photographs was absolutely fascinating. Z and I also watched two Czech films, one of which, Pupendo (2003), took place in Communist-era Prague and followed the lives of two families dealing with Communism. One family tries to survive inside the system, the other outside. Not only is it well-made in general, but the film shows the subtle ways in which Communism impacted virtually every aspect of life. Excellent indeed. The other film, Horem Padem (2004), takes place in modern-day Prague. Although it doesn't have nearly as much to do with Communism, the cinematography and engaging, multi-faceted plot line still make the film fantastic- I would definitely recommend both movies.

The title of this entry means "I eat trout!". At my request, Z attempted to teach me a bit of Slovak. "Pstruh" has, for some reason, become my favorite word in Slovak. I think it's because of the long consonantal cluster at the beginning- English very rarely has four consonants in a row.

All for now, more later. Pictures too. Ciao!