Street Fighting Man

Beware the cops of Brava. A friend related to me last week that one of her friends had been picked up by the police, roughed up by them, and then left by the Danube. Apparently, he had been thrown out of a bar earlier (been there myself), maybe for being foreign, and in anger kicked the glass window of the bar. The bouncers smacked him around, and called the cops. And the cops then took him for a little ride...

The story seemed a little far-fetched to me until this weekend. This time I was with a friend who was a little out of control. In anger or drunk or both, he tried to kick a taxi we had called to take him home. So the taxi guy called the police, and we restrained the friend. I had him in a bear hug when the cops arrived, but the police, about four of them, started to hit my friend anyway, no questions asked. We were able to drag him to safety eventually. Long story short i guess, don't lose your cool, and beware the cops of Brava ...

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Straight Outta Bratislava, Slovaks With an Atttitude

Despite problems with racism in Slovakia, and black friends of mine not made to feel welcome sometimes here in Brat, Slovaks seem to have odd fascination with what I guess you could call African-American black street culture. In Bratislava you will find more than one 'hip-hop' shop with asorted bling. Baggy jeans, chains, gangsta sweatshirts. Not that I have seen any Slovaks wearing any bling. Though I once swore I saw a Slovak guy wearing a sweatshirt that said Nigga. I went back to make sure I saw it right but he was gone by then. Even more strange, afro wigs are a popular item at festivals and concerts here. You'll see Slovaks walking around these events with faux 'fros and dreadlocks as a kind of joke. But I don't get it at all...

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noisey Brat

The loudest city in Europe, go bratislava...Can say we do have a noise problem at work with tons of jack hammer work outside (nearby they are doing street and building repair.) But perhaps it will die down soon with the onset of winter rain, snow and cold. All this week too. Guess winter does have its upside if it gets quieter. http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Noise+pollution+besieges+Europe+cities/2154357/story.html

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All Saints, Dead Souls

All Saints day here, appropriately grey, gloomy day. Even the castle, possibly the world's least interesting castle, high up on the hill is shrouded in mist. As part of honoring the dead, people place candles on graves throughout the day. By evening cemetarys are small islands of light, and smell of wax and fire. Many of the candles are in small glass jars and at times the heat breaks the glass with a pop, It's really quite something.

Halloween is also making small inroads here too. Many stores have some decorations, usually pumpkins. Cafes and bars also offer Halloween themed events or drinks. But walking around on a chilly evening last night, you wouldn't have known it was Halloween at all, except for the full autumn moon in a dark blue sky.

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Goodbye Summer

Yesterday was a beautiful Indian summer day, with warm temperatures and big sunshine.
Being Sunday, tried to find a nice spot to sit outdoors cafe-side and enjoy the weather. However, like the trees that have now lost their leaves and are going dormant, the cafes have lost their tables outside. A sign of the grim winter months ahead perhaps. Still, able to find a few places with outdoors tables, and best of all, went to the castle. There the sun was full, and good to sit on the grass with views of the onion dome towers of the old city, the space ship bridge, the Danube and socialist housing sprawl across the river. Hoped to take a bike ride too , but with sudden time change, moving back one hour, the sun sank fast and early. But good to enjoy it while it lasted.

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Poznan

Poznan gets its name, I'm told, from the Polish word poznac, meaning to get to know. Think I have gotten to know Poznan pretty well over the years, and nice to see it evolving so nicely on my a quick trip last weekend. I still associate the city with cold winter weekends, and escaping my small town of Walcz on Fridays for a place with life after dark, and even lights on after dark. And heat, since the three or four hour bus ride from Walcz usually came without heat, or intense heat at the floor level that melted your shoes but you left you an icicle up top.

Poznan has changed much since I first visited in the 1990s. As the friend I visited (then and now) pointed out last weekend, back then Poznan still didn't have sliced bread or email. Now, Poznan has cyber cafes, coffee chain stores, multiplex cinemas and American style malls. The old main square remains vibrant as well, with pleny of beer gardens and cafes. The old buildings almost seem new, with fresh color and paint, but actually layers of smoke and grime have just been power washed off them in the last decade. Overall, the city feels elegant and comfortable with itself.

Walcz, I'm told, is doing less well, with unemployment in and around the town roughly 50 percent. Not sure, but wouldn't be surprised since unemployment was about 30 percent or more when I lived there. But life seems good in Poznan, though I am still disappointed the battling goats on top of the town hall (every day at noon) aren't real like I originally thought.

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Some Days You Are the Dog

Some days you are the dog, some days you are the fire hydrant. Not sure which Bratislava is right now. The gray, rainy weather would argue for hydrant. But then there is the Dog Expo in town. It calls itself the "World's Biggest Dog Event" for what that's worth. There are dogs all over town. There a short ones, tall ones, well-groomed greyhounds, odd poodles, packs of pugs. Also dog memorabilia around too, such as dog photos at the McDonald's. Since I live next to a hotel I can also hear dogs barking outside my place from dogs being walked and others waiting in vans, loud barks, short yips, all sorts. Fair to say for once that life is a bitch in Bratislava.

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