Prešov - Vel'ký Šariš

Though most of our group really hated it, I thoroughly enjoyed our three hour lecture this morning on the history of Yugoslavia. I was still really young when the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina broke out and it's always difficult to really know what happened in any sort of conflict until after its over. I had no idea it was so complex!

The thing that I found the most interesting is that the Balkans is essentially where three major religions converge: Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Islam are all represented there, even though they are essentially descendants of the same group of people.

Even though the fighting is over, I think its going to be really eye-opening to go to a country that has been affected by so much war in the very recent past. I have to say, however, that the bit about the hundreds of active land mines that are still in the area is mildly troubling. We have instituted a "no grass policy" just to be safe!

We've had some brief chats with Mark and Ashnola about their Roma experiences the past few days, and they seem so much different than ours! Most of us were paired with Roma families in Svinia, and apart from Ashley and I, no one really went back to voluntarily spend more time with their host families. Mark, Ashnola, Brian and Savannah were paired with families from another settlement, this one outside of a town called Vel'ký Šariš. They have gone back every day we've been here and have had nothing but amazing things to say about their experience. They invited us to join them today after the lecture and it was honestly one of the best decisions I think we've made thus far.

The settlement is much further outside of the town than the osada in Svinia was. They've also built a Roma school so that they can pass on what is left of their language and culture.

We walked down this beautiful country road across from bright yellow canola fields and came upon a relatively new motel-like structure where the Roma lived. Savannah had gone to Vel'ký Šariš earlier in the day and gone grocery shopping with her family and when we arrived they'd set up this picnic table outside of the building with a nice table cloth and plates and plates of food.

All the Roma were so excited to see Mark, Ashnola and Brian when we arrived, and excitedly welcomed us into the fold, promptly pouring us all a shot of vodka which we downed after yelling "nazdravie!" (I'm assuming this is "cheers" in Slovak).

During our conversations with Mark and Ashnola this week, they'd mentioned that their families had given them "gypsy names" but it was still a little strange to hear them answering to Giuseppe and Isabella. Savannah was also responding to her name, Manuella, and I don't think that Brian will ever answer to anything but Francesco ever again.

I'm beginning to understand how difficult it is to write about what happens at a party when there are more that two people involved in the events. So much happens, and it's so disjointed that whatever you recount just starts to sound like a list of random events. This is what our day in Vel'ký Šariš was like. Random, and weird, and probably best illustrated via a list:

1. We drank copious amounts of Vodka.

2. This might be why Mark was offered a Gypsy Bride.

3. It's 100% why Brian held a tiny puppy aloft like The Lion King and
said "you're the best fuckin' dog in the whole fuckin' world!"

4. After Mark commented on Savannah's host father's Bruce Lee t-shirt,

the man adopted the moniker permanently and now will only answer to "Brucelee". 

All one word.

5. Mark and Monika had a very serious staring contest.

6. We tried to explain the rules of "Duck, Duck, Goose" but the language barrier

just meant that everyone ended up running drunken laps around the picnic table. 

7. The best fuckin' dog in the whole fuckin' world shat all over Jen's pants. 

We had to leave at 7:30pm so we could walk back into town and catch the last bus back to Prešov. The charter bus leaves tomorrow for the Balkans so this was the last time Mark, Ashnola, Brian and Savannah would see their host families...probably ever.  Charlotta and Savannah just hugged and cried, Mark chased the kids around the picnic table a few last times, Ashnola asked me to take a picture of her and her family (pictured below, it's one of my favourites of all time), and Brian just laughed, and held the best puppy in the world while he hugged everyone.

 It was incredibly strange to see the emotional goodbyes this group of Roma gave to their four students, and when I compare it to our experience in Svinia, it makes me wonder if I put in enough effort into getting to know my host family.  I don't feel like I made any friendships while I was there, and after seeing the relationships these four had with their families, I feel like I failed in some way. I mean, there's no denying that Mark and Ashnola have the sort of personalities that put people at ease and they seem to fit into any social situation (I'm sure they would deny all of this). I don't necessarily feel like I have these skills.

Or rather, I have them, they're just extremely underdeveloped and more often than not lead me into a soul crushing situation of extreme embarrassment for everyone involved.

In any case, I'm extremely grateful that we were able to see both settlements; we saw the challenges that both groups face, and also how differently they have met these challenges. I feel like each settlement represented the opposite ends of a spectrum and for me it really highlighted how a few advantages or disadvantages can change the entire dynamic of a group of people, how they live, and how they interact with the outside world.

So far, our time in Prešov has been the best, and the worst time on the trip. Granted we're just getting started, but I find it hard to believe that we will have a more enriching experience that what we had in Vel'ký Šariš. I look forward to finding out what more we will see and learn on our next adventure!