A wonderful combindation of soft-boiled eggs, berry yoghert and pears were enjoyed (complete with the excessively large cereal spoons I was first introduced to in Fishbach, Germay). Then, off to the seminar we went.
The meetings this week are being held at the office of New Hope Slovakia. The comforting space with an entry, meeting room and two private offices was soon brimming with people. Friday there were quite a few, but today there were even more. We even had people calling Olga late Friday night requesting to be added to the seminar. Not very reluctantly, however, Olga would reply with a firm no! We had too many people already.
Seemingly eager to receive the message we were bringing, the attendants came prepared with notebooks, laptops and cameras, and with the help of a brilliant and wonderful translator, the hours passed quickly.
It was an interesting experience to say the least. Throughout the day, I became more and more aware of the situation in which these poeple were living. Confused theology and limited resources seemed to be the most apparent frustrations brought forth by the participants. Needless to say, the topic of pre-marital counseling training was frequently left in an effort to fill some of the holes that were pre-existing in their prerequisite understanding.
Yet the overarching feeling of the day was one of welcome, it's a familiar experience, yet one that never ceases to suprise me and provide enjoyment. Throughout my previous travels and year of college spent in Europe, I came to the belief that God is so strongly projected onto this earth and into our personalities that no matter where you go, you can find something of the familiar. A belief that is exaggerated when applied to people in the church, the same type of people we have been surrounded with since we arrived.
Needless to say...extreely inspiring.
Th 9AM-6PM time slot soon expired, however, and Thomas (Olga's husband) promised to take us to a special Slovak resturant. So together with Olga, Thomas and their two sons Simon and David, we drove through most of the city in pursuit of traditional Slovak food.
And I have to say it was well worth the drive. The classic Slovak environment was well preserved with authentic clothing, decor and of course...food. While feasting on chicken and mushrooms, I listened as Thomas explained that potatoes came from America, hamurgers from Russia and spicy peppers from Hungary; which can be purchased on a Sunday afternoon in the market of course.
Although unique, I couldn't help but experience a certain culinary deja vu. Biting into the cold, semi-bitter cabbage, I was transfered immediately into sweet memories of the months I enjoyed Germany cusine.
But one meal on the table was truly novel... an interestingly little dish called 'Beef Steak'. It's seemingly neutral in its name, but don't be fooled. Although described as 'fresh' once the plate arrived, I soon understood that the adjective 'fresh' sould have been exchanged for raw.
Centered on a rather large plate was simply a pile of raw beef, garnished with a raw egg. Apprehensive as I was, I have to say that it wasn't that bad, especially if you took a rather large bite of toast along with it. A combination that was mandated by Olga when she apparently saw hesitancy expressed on my face.
Being that this was the first time I had ever ingested raw beef, I was suprised that it was rather flavorful; in fact far more so that is cooked counterpart. And although this may come as a shock to some of you, if it weren't for the pesky risks of things such as ecoli, I have to admit that I would be in favor of eating the 'beef steak' version more often.
The evening was then finished by a short explanation of historical Slovak life, a conversation in which David and I discovered that TNT does in fact mean dynamite in English as well as in Sovak, and a discussion about the 'hungry' American cars some unsuccessful petrol company tried to sell in Bratislava a few years ago.
As unsuprisingly as this may sound, I'll say for clarity sake that these people have been a genuine delight, the type of people I know I'll miss...
Well, time to hit the sack...if the beef steak comes back with a vegence, I'll let you know ;)
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