The moment to share my first impressions of my stay and internship in Bratislava, Slovakia, has come. I think 2 weeks are enough time to create the primary opinion about the life and work here. It's just a basis for my next observations and explorations :P Wow, the last sentence sounded scientific :))) Now my moto is - "How big is your Bratislava? Explore it's dimensions!" Hehehe ;P :))
I like very much the Slovak capital! This must be clear from the very beggining :) Here it's not too crowded and the traffic is not as huge as in the bigger capitals. There aren't so many green parks within the city but this is compensated by the very nice Old town, its compact size and the small distances between the important places. There is wide pedestrian zone with bars, pubs, pizzerias and of course shops. The main street is called "Obchodna" wich translated in Bulgarian can mean "Pazarska" ili "Magazinna". On it is situated probably the most impoartant and famous among the young people place - the "Slovak Pub". I even have the strong impression that some of the Tarantino's movie "Hostel" scenes were shot there. It's cosy, very big and with reasonable price list of food and drinks ("jedla a napoje" - I'm getting better and better in Slovak language as well, hehee). There was my welcome drinking party. A lot of people came from the both LCs - Bratislava and Comenius (mine). The Slovak AIESECars are very nice people, warm and curious about the interns. I felt their hospitality and interest. It was nice and I stayed there till almost midnight. I tried the Slovak nationwide famous traditional non-alcoholic drink - Kofola. It looks like Coke Cola, but the taste's different and more freshy :)) I liked it very much which surprised almost everyone :)))
The first full weekend spent in Bratislava was during the Easter. Here there were 4 days off and I had the chance to do a photographic day on Saturday, to visit a very cool and relaxing Thea house where everyone can smoke nargile and play chess or cards. In the city center and especially in the Old town there is a plenty of interesting details to discover - an improvised telephone composed by 2 wooden boxes at a distance of 50 m one from the other; 9 metal blocks in a square shape that play sounds when you step on them so you can perform a music; monuments and metal statues (of paparak, voyeur etc.) and many many more. All the time there is something specific as event. On my first day in Bratislava I saw a "freezing" exercise in one of the shopping malls - Polus Center, when everybody freezed and didn't move for 3 minutes (between 2 whisles). It symbolized that we need time just to think and reflect at ourselves. Creative, isn't it! ;) Also few AIESECars participated.
I was invited to a hockey matches but the prices are a bit high for the good seats and the standing area gets sold out very quickly but I think I'll go to watch a game of Slovan Bratislava playing in the final or during the championship year. The footbal is less popular than hockey but I met also very fanatic and kean fans. In Slovakia the strongest team in almost every kind of sport is Slovan. Most of the times they win without problems :))
The last Friday night was my first hang out with the colleagues from my company. We visited one restaurant for warm-up and then a disco club called Charlie. It wasn't good - very crowded, smoky and hot without good ventilation. This was supposed to be one of the high quality discos in Bratislava so imagine about the others ;)) Prior we went to a Latino disco pub but it was soooo overcrowded that I had the feeling I'm in the bus to the Student town in Sofia - 280 for example :D
The bus drivers here are crazy, guys! Most of the time I feel like I'm on a roller-coaster. Once, the bus even did a short jump and I noticed how the wheels are loosing the touch with the asfalt!!! "Wow, that was something", said my friend from Poland with whom we travelled back home from the biggest Mall in the city - Aupark. In Aupark you can find everything so I won't get in more details about it now.
In Bratislava, I live in a huge flat along with 4 more interns - all of us in the same company - Jacob Fleming Group (the Slovak leader in the Business Intelligence field). So, we are 5 people and 4 from the Balkans - from Turkey, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria ;))) The fifth one is from.... Guess where! LODZ, Poland!!!! That was an amazing coincidence when I realize it. He was an active AIESECar for 3 years but during my internship he was abroad so we didn't meet there ;) The world is small - how many time I have to realize that!? :D :))) It's also very funny to see how a Turkish boy and Greek girl live in one flat for the first time in their lifes. They became great friends and that's really cool :))
Yesterday, all of us did our first sightseeing together. We climbed the hill to the TV Tower, paid 100 Sk to get up and enjoy the view towards the entire city. It was pretty cool I have to say :)
Last week, I started the real job - after Easter and the 3 days of intensive trainings and practice. I have to do phone calls selling in order to execute with my team a campaign for a conference related to Talend management and Leadership development. I like very much the topic but this will be my real practice to improve and get confident about the comapny's next products. The seeling campaign I'm working on now will end in 2 weeks and then I will form with 3 more guys a team for a new project. The goals and standards that everyone has to achieve in order to be paid very well and receive alot of money from comissions are very high. I work hard and I think soon the results will appear :))) The atmosphere in the company is nice as the average age is 26. On each Wednesday the boys gather to play football. Every month there is s company party as well.
AIESEC in Comenius University is ok. I like very much all the people I met and I enjoy every moment we are together. I received great welcome package full of useful materials about the city and some hard stuff like the traditional vodka - Borovicka. Some the members are very active and all the times we hang out together. That's nice. There are some other interns as well and reguratly I meet them. There is a team called "Partyslava" so it's another opportunity to have fun here ;)))
On the upcoming Saturday I plan to do the Bulgarian night. I brought with me sushenica, lukanka, servilat, liutenica, shipkov marmalad, kaisieva rakia and alot of music, presentations and movies about Bulgaria. I found also the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava which can be useful as well. I have some gifts to the AIESECars and the company as well and they will be presented soon :)))
I will end up this story with my Slovak mobile number - +421908614975. You can contact me on it all the time. I will call you from the company's office which I can use 24/7. Out of working time I can call everyone for free and talk as much as I want. So, let the phone calls be the way for stay in touch, and then the e-mails ;)) Chats I don't have here so often so we'll keep in touch that ways mostly ;))
That's all from me for the moment. Expect soon pictures as well ;)))
See ya in the next post,
Victor Tomov
The first full weekend spent in Bratislava was during the Easter. Here there were 4 days off and I had the chance to do a photographic day on Saturday, to visit a very cool and relaxing Thea house where everyone can smoke nargile and play chess or cards. In the city center and especially in the Old town there is a plenty of interesting details to discover - an improvised telephone composed by 2 wooden boxes at a distance of 50 m one from the other; 9 metal blocks in a square shape that play sounds when you step on them so you can perform a music; monuments and metal statues (of paparak, voyeur etc.) and many many more. All the time there is something specific as event. On my first day in Bratislava I saw a "freezing" exercise in one of the shopping malls - Polus Center, when everybody freezed and didn't move for 3 minutes (between 2 whisles). It symbolized that we need time just to think and reflect at ourselves. Creative, isn't it! ;) Also few AIESECars participated.
I was invited to a hockey matches but the prices are a bit high for the good seats and the standing area gets sold out very quickly but I think I'll go to watch a game of Slovan Bratislava playing in the final or during the championship year. The footbal is less popular than hockey but I met also very fanatic and kean fans. In Slovakia the strongest team in almost every kind of sport is Slovan. Most of the times they win without problems :))
The last Friday night was my first hang out with the colleagues from my company. We visited one restaurant for warm-up and then a disco club called Charlie. It wasn't good - very crowded, smoky and hot without good ventilation. This was supposed to be one of the high quality discos in Bratislava so imagine about the others ;)) Prior we went to a Latino disco pub but it was soooo overcrowded that I had the feeling I'm in the bus to the Student town in Sofia - 280 for example :D
The bus drivers here are crazy, guys! Most of the time I feel like I'm on a roller-coaster. Once, the bus even did a short jump and I noticed how the wheels are loosing the touch with the asfalt!!! "Wow, that was something", said my friend from Poland with whom we travelled back home from the biggest Mall in the city - Aupark. In Aupark you can find everything so I won't get in more details about it now.
In Bratislava, I live in a huge flat along with 4 more interns - all of us in the same company - Jacob Fleming Group (the Slovak leader in the Business Intelligence field). So, we are 5 people and 4 from the Balkans - from Turkey, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria ;))) The fifth one is from.... Guess where! LODZ, Poland!!!! That was an amazing coincidence when I realize it. He was an active AIESECar for 3 years but during my internship he was abroad so we didn't meet there ;) The world is small - how many time I have to realize that!? :D :))) It's also very funny to see how a Turkish boy and Greek girl live in one flat for the first time in their lifes. They became great friends and that's really cool :))
Yesterday, all of us did our first sightseeing together. We climbed the hill to the TV Tower, paid 100 Sk to get up and enjoy the view towards the entire city. It was pretty cool I have to say :)
Last week, I started the real job - after Easter and the 3 days of intensive trainings and practice. I have to do phone calls selling in order to execute with my team a campaign for a conference related to Talend management and Leadership development. I like very much the topic but this will be my real practice to improve and get confident about the comapny's next products. The seeling campaign I'm working on now will end in 2 weeks and then I will form with 3 more guys a team for a new project. The goals and standards that everyone has to achieve in order to be paid very well and receive alot of money from comissions are very high. I work hard and I think soon the results will appear :))) The atmosphere in the company is nice as the average age is 26. On each Wednesday the boys gather to play football. Every month there is s company party as well.
AIESEC in Comenius University is ok. I like very much all the people I met and I enjoy every moment we are together. I received great welcome package full of useful materials about the city and some hard stuff like the traditional vodka - Borovicka. Some the members are very active and all the times we hang out together. That's nice. There are some other interns as well and reguratly I meet them. There is a team called "Partyslava" so it's another opportunity to have fun here ;)))
On the upcoming Saturday I plan to do the Bulgarian night. I brought with me sushenica, lukanka, servilat, liutenica, shipkov marmalad, kaisieva rakia and alot of music, presentations and movies about Bulgaria. I found also the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava which can be useful as well. I have some gifts to the AIESECars and the company as well and they will be presented soon :)))
I will end up this story with my Slovak mobile number - +421908614975. You can contact me on it all the time. I will call you from the company's office which I can use 24/7. Out of working time I can call everyone for free and talk as much as I want. So, let the phone calls be the way for stay in touch, and then the e-mails ;)) Chats I don't have here so often so we'll keep in touch that ways mostly ;))
That's all from me for the moment. Expect soon pictures as well ;)))
See ya in the next post,
Victor Tomov
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