How a Japanese met Slovakia, part 4

(Original notes of Nat)

I was wondering what kind of people these freaky people might be before I met them. Again, I was in Slovakia. I mean, who would think anyone there would be interested in Japan? They look like normal Slovaks because they drink beer and Kofola. They don´t wear any costumes like stereotypical Japan freaks I see on TV when I was in Japan or when I am in Australia. Some of them are interested in cosplay but they don´t cosplay all the time. Some wear t-shirts with some Japanese words, of J-pop bands, or of Japanese animation. That´s as far as they go in daily life. They don´t look so freaky. Rather they´re so friendly and interesting. All of them speak English well, at least, better than my Slovak which is none but I´m working on it. 
As I got to know these friends of hers, my impression of Slovak people changed. I now think, once they get to know you, they make me think as if I´ve known them for months, if not years. At least, that´s how I felt while I was there. They tell you many things about Slovakia like how proud they are of being eastern Slovaks much like we tell people how proud we are of being Osakans or Kansai-jin. Or how they hate Bratislava like we don´t care for Tokyo. They like to joke around with or without drinks. They have many jokes on drinking of their own or someone else, and neighboring nations like how much the Hungarians are uninformed about Slovakia. Slovakia isn´t part of Hungary today. Slovakia exists not because of Hungary. Not only do they tell you good things but also things that they wish become better, like why many parts of Slovakia except Bratislava aren´t getting attention as much as they wish. Or how their government plays a poor role in many political aspects in EU much like our government play a pathetic role in Asia. Sounds like normal people, doesn´t it? I mean, what kind of local people would talk about these things with a strange traveler from the other side of the planet? They´re open-minded, amazing guys. Again I was wrong about the Slovaks. Many people are willing to talk to strangers in English.
They´re normal. They just happen to like different things from their cohorts. Though many of them wouldn´t openly talk about their interests with their local buddies, they´re proud of whatever they´re interested in. They´re determined to like it no matter what others might say about it.
It was funny though, when I asked some of them if they talk about manga or anime with their friends at work or school who hardly know about these things. They all said, "Hell, no!" See again, they are normal!
The important thing is that they have their own great circles of friends with whom they can enjoy sharing their passions and support each other no matter what those passions are. And what´s good about these guys is that they include you no matter if you have a similar passion or not and show you who they are. They aren´t as shy or standoffish as I initially thought, are they?
I was so glad that some of them showed much interest in me as a guy from Japan although I´m not much of a devoted Japanese. They treated me like their friends.
Me being not much of a devoted Japanese brings up that subject that I was also a freak of a different kind. I fell in love with Slovakia, the country for now. Particularly the city of Košice.
When I told her and other guys that it was very weird to meet so many people who like Japan in this small big country, she said to me, as if the whole world knew it, like, "You know, you´re in Slovakia and you like Košice. Don´t you think it´s weirder that a Japanese guy who likes a Canadian hockey team came to this small big country called Slovakia all the way from the opposite side of this planet, Australia and had his first camping experience here? If that´s not weird, what´d be weird?" Thatfs when I realized something embarrassing. She made me speechless. Why did I end up there and come to like that city in that country? Obviously I wasn´t thinking much. Yeah, I must be a freak, too. Not that anything wrong with that! I´m proud of myself like those Slovak guys are proud of themselves. So I guess, I met my counterparts.
Despite of the economic downturn or general ideas that people have about Slovakia, I found people in Slovakia looked so bright. I´m serious. People were out there enjoying every single day. Maybe the weather helped me form this impression because we didn´t have any nasty rainy days. I wouldn´t have had this impression unless I had visited there. Some people I talked after my vacation still don´t have any positive impression like mine. And no matter how hard I try convincing others what a great country Slovakia is and how nice people in Slovakia are and how bossy Slovak women are, they wouldn´t easily understand what I talk about here. And I wouldn´t blame them. It´s not just because I had one of a kind trip with her but it´s because words cannot fully express these things. You got to go there and sense it all with all your senses including the sixth one. Unfortunately any internet sites wouldn´t justify these things, either. People aren´t just well-informed. Their impressions of Slovakia are largely based on hearsays, or they form their impressions based on however they think Slovakia should be, not based on facts and actual experiences.

How a Japanese met Slovakia, part 3

(Original notes of Nat)

People in Slovakia
So, because of my initial encounters with those Slovak people on the bus, I thought that the general public of Slovakia seemed shy or standoffish, and that English wouldn´t be a means of communication in this day and age in Slovakia. I lived in Canada and now I live in Australia. People in these places aren´t as shy as the Slovak, as far as I know. Many of them are so casual. They don´t care who might speak English. They just come and talk to you. I´m from Japan and I look Japanese, but I was seen as a local on many occasions in these places. They asked me directions, local bus schedules, and so on when I myself wanted to ask and when other people who look more like the locals were in the scene.
I don´t know, maybe it was due to little direct exposure to the world far away from Slovak people. This is what I thought then. Like many Japanese people, the less exposed to the world outside of theirs, the less they know what to do with people from other parts of the world. I didn´t know how much exposed the Slovaks were to the rest of the world outside Europe. But I´d learn that my initial thought wasn´t entirely true later on.
Because my mind was sane again after arriving at Bardejov and meeting her, when I was on streets alone in Bardejov, I saw people´s faces as they passed by me. It looked like they couldn´t believe what they were seeing. They were like, "Am I seeing an Asian man? I mean, in Bardejov? This cannot be happening, can it?" They literally gazed at me. It wasn´t a look.  They might have been thinking, "What the hell is he doing in Slovakia, not to mention in Berdejov." They were probably like those people on the bus thinking like, "What in god´s name is he going to go to Bardejov for? We want to know ourselves what´s so interesting in Bardejov that this guy is going for because I don´t recall anything like that!"
Well, as much as I´d like to communicate with local people, I enjoy these experiences. I like to put myself in circumstances where locals couldn´t believe what they see when they see me, and I like to observe people. I was a psyc major at college. I´ve been to many countries and some remote areas but never been in a situation where people gazed at me like people in Bardejov and other places in Slovakia such as Nalepkovo, Spišská Nová Ves, Smižany, Kežmarok, Kremnica, and even in the suburb of Prešov and Bratislava. I like to observe people. Particularly, kids are fun to watch because they´re pure and they keep looking at whatever and whoever they might find out of ordinary. A couple of kids at a supermarket in Bratislava were looking at me and smiling at me as if they were watching some novelties. And they kept looking at me till they couldn´t see me.
Now, that is my impression of the general public in Slovakia. I came to know some people more closely than these passersby. And these people are the ones who helped me form a different impression of some people in Slovakia.
Before I came to Slovakia, I´d only known one (special) person in Slovakia. That´s her. During my trip with her, I met about 40 people. I haven´t been able to memorize most of their names, of course. These encounters were the most important events while I was in Slovakia (and Prague) except spending my one on one time with her, of course.
What the heck kind of travelers to Slovakia would expect to meet 40 people for only three weeks? They weren´t just passersby like I said. Those were all her families, relatives, friends and friends´ friends. I wasn´t sure if I should have even been with her when she was with some of them, but she was so open and had no problem letting me be there with her. So I felt privileged, and included or part of them on every occasion. I couldn´t unfortunately communicate with some of them but every occasion meant something to me.
Now, what comes to my mind about these people I met or people in Slovakia in general for that matter is that they drink. No, by that I don´t mean coffee, tea or Kofola, on which she made me hooked by the time I left Slovakia, by the way. It´s like one can´t talk about Slovakia without talking about drinking beer. They drink beer no matter where they are, what time of the day it is, or on what occasion it was. Maybe they would even create an excuse or a reason to drink only if there were none. Well, that´s impossible from what I know. Everything and anything is a reason for them to drink. The ultimate got to be those Slovak name days. What with those? With those, every single day is some occasion. Every single day is someone´s special day; your family´s, your friend´s, your friend´s friend´s, your co-worker´s, your friend´s co-worker´s, your co-worker´s friend´s, your neighbor´s, your friend´s neighbor´s, your neighbor´s neighbor´s and on and on and on. You wouldn´t run out of excuses.
One of the first guys I met told me an important fact about Slovak people. Itfs about what they do. They drink, complain and sleep. It seems like you could use another word for the last one, though. Anyway, life revolves with these three things in Slovakia. Well, you cannot go five seconds without spotting someone drinking in Slovakia. Even if you donft drink, youfre with someone who drinks or whofs already been drinking. They complain about politics (lack of governmental supports for national and local growths in many areas), social issues (gypsies), and personal things and so on. And they sleep. You got to sleep after you drink and complain. They drink and complain till they fall asleep, if not till they pass out.
Maybe this is how one Slovak day would go to me.
In the morning, they wake up and complain about why they have to wake up. And they keep complaining about things around them as they work till lunch time. That´s when they might go for a glass or two.
In the afternoon, with the help of that glass or two, they start to complain more and probably they get more work done that way.
And when they finish work, thatfs when the true hidden face of the Slovak life surfaces. They can drink and complain at the same time! ´Till they pass out!
Some people literally drink ´till they pass out. I saw a couple of those people first hand. I saw a guy sleeping right behind the main entrance door of my hotel in Bardejov with his semi-digested food all over himself. And another guy was lying against a church early in the morning. Maybe he was too late for help but too early for confession.
Well, maybe it´s not all like them but it doesn´t sound too far from it, either, according to how I interpreted the fact.
There was one occasion which I thought was intended by these guys and which made me start to wonder about some Slovak plot. We were going to go to the salt mine museum in Prešov. One guy was late for whatever reason it was. We waited and waited. And we decided to go to a pub across the street. Maybe there was no point for us to wait under the strong sun light. I agreed on that. But you know what they did? Yes, they ordered beer! How convenient for them! And right on, this guy being late! Later, I started to wonder if he was late on purpose, or if it was part of Slovak tradition when people meet and whey they are late. Like "if you´re late, be very late. Give us some time to get some beer, at least, while we´re waiting for you, damn it! It´d also give us stuff to complain about!"
This is the kind of thing which only someone of non-Slovak culture would find out, isn´t it? If youfre deeply in it, or if it´s running in your blood, or if you´re programmed like this, you wouldn´t discover these matters. And just so you know, it wasn´t the only time when I had to wait for someone in Slovakia. Not that I had problems waiting, though.
Maybe, when the Slovaks have time to kill, they´d say, "Let´s go have a drink" when we´d say, "Let´s go have a cup of tea or coffee" or "Let´s go find somewhere to sit." And when they have something to complain about, they´d say, "Let´s go have a drink" when we´d say, "Let´s talk about it" or "Let´s go somewhere we can talk." And when someone tells them to go to bed, they´d say, "Have we drunken yet?" or "Have we drunken and complained yet?" when we´d say, "Good night" or "See you tomorrow morning."
Many of the people I met in person are... how should I put it... freaks. I mean it in a good way, if there is any. They like Japan, which is where I was born and raised, and the Japanese culture such as tradition, manga and animation, games, music, sub-cultures and so on. I wonder how many Japanese know that so many people in that small big country which is far in central Europe and is hardly recognized by them are crazy about our country. I only met 10-15 of these people but I´m sure that it´s just a tip of iceberg. The crazy thing was that they know more about what they are interested in than I do or the general public in Japan might do and more than I could have ever imagined. This is how my thought was wrong about some Slovak people. Some people are in touch with the world outside of theirs and knowledgeable. 
Well, it wasn´t so long before I realized that I was one of the freaks, too! She made me realize so...

How a Japanese met Slovakia, part 2

(Original notes of Nat)

Next day, I didn´t know what to do ´till my bus leaves but I checked out my hotel and headed to Náměstí Republiky. From there I wondered around and around and I reached the national museum when I realized. I wasn´t going to see it so I started to head back to Náměstí Republiky. When I got to the bus depot, it was still 2 pm. How was I going to kill another 6 hours in the city in which I had no interest in then?! So I decided to find a bench to park my caboose ´till my bus comes. For six hours I was watching people coming and going; families, friends, couples, people with dogs. Watching people like this helped me kill some time. After a couple hours, hours began to go by so quickly. It also shows how bored I was, doesn´t it? And when I realized, I had to get ready for my bus in one hour. I had to use the bathroom and get something to eat before getting on the bus. So I went to the bathroom. I learned yesterday when I picked up my ticket and also from watching people there that I have to pay for the use of the bathroom at the depot. I didn´t know how much but I had some change so I was confident that I wouldn´t have any trouble using it and coming back out. I was bit nervous but the machine accepted my change and there I passed the gate and came back out successfully. Oh, I felt like I accomplished something there. What a big deal, right? Just using a public bathroom, man!
I made sure of the waiting point earlier so I was confident that I was at the right place but I asked a young guy at the same place who might understand English just to double check it. I said to him, "Is this bus for Bardejov?" So he replied, "Yes." Instantly I thought to myself, "Oh, he speaks some English so he would help me if I need any help on my way." However, a second later he started saying something to me in Slovak or Czech or who knows what it was. What I knew was that I didn´t understand a word that he was saying to me. It looked like he was trying to tell me something, so I followed him to the other side of the bus. There I found that I was supposed to store my bag in the bus from that side. I thanked him and we got back to where we were and started to get on the bus.
I saw people paying to the bus driver as I was waiting to get on. I was wondering about it. I paid the fare already so I wondered what they were paying for. So my turn came and went up to the driver. He said something but of course, I didn´t understand what he said. So I showed him all the change I had on me, and he took some change as he said a few more words but you know - I had no idea.
Then I was looking for my seat. When I got my ticket yesterday, the guy behind the glass asked me if I wanted a window seat or an aisle seat. So I bought a window seat. But when I found my seat, some guy was fake-sleeping like a dead man already. So I didn´t bother to ask him to move and I sat down next to him. Plus, it was night; I couldn´t see anything through the window anyway. And I thought I would fall asleep soon. I tried to talk to this guy but he didn´t understand what I said in English and I couldn´t say anything in Slovak or Czech. So that was it with him.
20 to 30 minutes into the bus trip, a movie began. It was a Hollywood movie, but I don´t remember what it was, but it was played in a language I didn´t understand without any subtitle. So there was one more reason for me to fall asleep. Because I was tired from waiting at the bus depot, it was a matter of time when I fall asleep. I don´t know when but I fell asleep. And when I woke up, we were already in Slovakia. My cell phone also notified me of it.
After the bus entered Slovakia, I couldn´t sleep. I tried but I failed while most passengers were peacefully asleep. Not being able to sleep wasn´t a problem because it wouldn´t hurt me if I skip a sleep. And I knew I wasn´t only one who´s been up all night. She was up working on a night shift, so it didn´t bother me at all. However, this is when I first said to myself, "Where the xxxk am I?", "what the hell am I doing here with a bunch of strangers with whom unfortunately I can´t communicate at all around me on the bus to a small town in the then still strange country for 11 freaking long hours?!", "Am I doing the right thing?", "Was it worth while coming here?" Thoughts like these came to me several times after that, to be honest, until the dawn started to break and I figured out my location on my cell phone which told me I was very close to my ultimate destination. And when I received a wake up text message from her, though I wasn´t asleep, I forgot all those words repeated in my mind in the last few hours. And I began to get extremely excited about the fact that I was going to meet her soon. And the bus finally arrived at the back of the Bardejov station.
Well, this is how my travel began. Everything I did, whether it was major or minor, was an interesting challenge to me. Maybe many things wouldn´t have been any trouble if I had known some Slovak. I didn´t know the language. I knew close to nothing about the country. I was pathetic and helpless. Who wouldn´t wish time would fly faster than it should in these circumstances? And more importantly, who would imagine this trip would turn out to be worth lifetime?

How a Japanese met Slovakia, part 1

(Original notes of Nat)

I´m not going to write anything emotional and too personal here. Such things will go into my personal essay apart from this story. And I´m not going to go into details on each person I met because I won´t finish this in time but I´ll also write about them in my personal essay. The purpose of this is to purely tell what I thought about "Slovakia" after I spent three weeks there. And the hypothetical audience is neither you nor me. So here goes.

What the fxxx?! Where the fxxx is that?! If not "what" the fxxx is that?! What in god´s name did you go there for?! What on earth were you doing there?! Or you mean Czechoslovakia, right? These are some of the things that people would say to me if I tell them that I visited Slovakia and had a heck of a good time. And I would neither be surprised by these words nor blame people for saying these things because I wasn´ft too far away from these words in one point, to be honest. And I would have said something similar if someone had told me that they visited Slovakia. The reason is simple. People don´t know what a great time Slovakia can offer to them. I´m sure I was one of them but I´ve discovered what a hidden beauty Slovakia was and still is, thanks to my special someone with whom I travelled throughout the country where I gained experiences that no one else can ever think of gaining like I did with her.
To be honest, I was not thinking much about Slovakia before I visited there. My only reason was to meet her. The rest was extra. But I´d had no idea that this extra would turn out to be extraordinary by the end.
After travelling more than 20 hours by airplanes from Sydney, Australia, I finally arrived at Prague, the gateway to my ultimate destination of my vacation. There I met her friend who was nice enough to agree with her and come and pick up a total strange Japanese man from Australia. This friend helped me change currencies and buy a ticket to Prague city center. I had no idea at this point that this was just a tip of huge iceberg of what will happen in the next three weeks.
The first thing I realized was that it was summer there. OMG, it was scorching hot! I almost fainted. I flew via Abu Dhabi and felt freaking hot there, too, but Abu Dhabi is always hot. And I forgot to think about the season in Prague. Sydney was still in the winter. I couldn´t think of a hot summer of Prague or Slovakia because I had a strong impression of a cold climate in these countries. I didn´t think these countries have such a hot summer. This must show how ignorant I was about these counties, huh?
We arrived at a subway station and caught a subway next. I´m not sure if it was this station or the station we got off, but I surely remember that some escalators in the Prague subway are massively long and terrifyingly steep. It looked to me like they stand at almost 90 degrees. I don´t recall any subway systems of Tokyo, Osaka, NY, Paris, and Australia (train) that long.
This friend also helped find my hotel and buy a ticket to Bardejov.  In order to buy a ticket to Bardejov, she brought me to a bus depot not a train station which I was expecting. I was only thinking of catching a train from Prague to Bardejov so I was quite confused but didn´t question her because she knew better. After all, she was a local. But I was wondering, though, if she thought I wanted to go by bus, not by train. Anyway we went up to one of the booths. Well, what I was wondering was right. She was asking a bus ticket for me. So then I asked her if there weren´t any trains. And she asked the guy behind the glass, but he said there weren´t. So I asked how long it takes to get to Bardejov and what time it leaves, she told me it´d take 11 hours and it´d leave 8:20. I said, "11 hours!" I thought I was day dreaming but she repeated that it´d take about 11 hours to Bardejov. In Japan it takes as short as like 3 hours to travel for a similar distance. While still in shock, I thought it wouldn´t be too bad because I thought I´d arrive in Bardejov and meet her on the same day if the bus leaves Prague in the morning. But she meant 8:20 PM! That didn´t sound good at all. So I asked if I could leave that day but the guy behind the glass told her that night´s bus was book solid. Yes, BOOKED SOLID! So only choice was going by bus tomorrow evening and arriving the day after tomorrow. I was like "what am I going to do for the next 27 hours in Prague by myself?" I didn´t plan anything to do in Prague because I wasn´t supposed to spend 27 hours in Prague alone.

Ako Japonec po Slovensku chodil, 5. časť

Bardejov a iné miesta, ktoré som navštívil.

Zistil som, že mestá ako Bardejov sú viac rozvinuté a väčšie, než som si nedbalo myslel. Než som do Bardejova dorazil, povedala mi o tom, aké malé je jej mesto a že nemajú finančnú štvrť a podobné štvrte, aké by veľké mestá mali mať. Takže som si nemohol pomôcť a predstavil som si veľmi malú, vidiecku komunitu, kde sa ľudia schádzajú iba na námestí. Keď sa z neho vzdialite, neuvidíte nič a nikoho. Vlastne to bolo v skutočnosti dosť podobné, no v Bardejove toho „bolo“ a „je“ viac, než sa dá vidieť.

Videl som viac ľudí a áut, než som si myslel, že uvidím. Bolo to ako hociktoré predmestie Sydney. Možno tomu tak bolo kvôli jarmoku. Mnoho ulíc sa zaplnilo ľuďmi. Tak ako veľa miest na Slovensku, Bardejov sa vyvíjal smerom von z námestia, takže obchody a reštaurácie a bary bolo vidieť ešte ďalších pár blokov mimo neho. A základ mesta nie je vôbec starý alebo opustený, ale pekný a „cool.“

Bolo tam Tesco, ktoré by sa okamžite stalo mojou rutinnou rannou zastávkou, keby som mal zostať dlhšie. Jedno ráno som tam bez nej po prvý raz zašiel s nádejou, že všetko bude v poriadku. Hovoril som si: „Čo by sa mohlo pokaziť? Nákup niekoľkých vecí v supermarkete. Niečo si vyberieš a zaplatíš, čo ti ukáže pokladňa, nie?“ Takže som si vybral niekoľko vecí, v skutočnosti netušiac, čo je vo vnútri. Nedokázal som nič prečítať, spoľahol som sa len na obrázky na obaloch. Nuž, povedal som vám, že pre mňa všetko bolo výzvou.

A šiel som k pokladni. Kým som rozmýšľal, do ktorého radu sa postaviť, objavil som samoobslužné pokladne. V Sydney väčšinou používam tieto, tak som si myslel, že to bude malina a, vďakabohu, Tecso malo aj anglický displej. Žiadny problém. Avšak, keď som chcel odísť a prešiel cez bezpečnostnú bránu, ozval sa alarm. Samozrejme, pristúpil ku mne muž z ochranky a niečo povedal – kto už len vie, čo to bolo. Ale ukázal som mu práve zbalený nákup a vyprázdnil vrecká. Prešiel som znova. Pípalo to. Vyzeral podozrievavo, ale nechal ma ísť. Nuž, bolo to trochu zahanbujúce.

Ďalšie ráno som tam šiel znova, pretože to bolo jediné miesto, kde som mohol nakupovať bez potreby hovoriť po slovensky. Nebolo mi však úplne príjemne vzhľadom na včerajší alarm. Keď som vošiel, bol tam ochrankár zo včerajška. Cítil som sa najprv čudne, ale netrvalo to dlho, pretože sa usmial a pozdravil ma, keď sme sa míňali. Tiež sa mi podarilo usmiať, ale nevydralo sa zo mňa nič, pretože som nevedel, ako sa ráno pozdraviť, nehovoriac ani o „áno“ a „nie“ po slovensky. Ale vtedy som ho videl naposledy. Na druhý deň tam nebol a ja som tam už potom znova nešiel, pretože sme opustili Bardejov a začali našu cestu.

V meste bolo celkom dosť obchodov a reštaurácií a mesto bolo živé, no keď jarmok skončil, javilo sa inak. Povedala mi, že takto zvyčajne vyzerá. Tak či onak, mám tam rád niektoré reštaurácie a kaviarne a rád by som tie miesta znova navštívil.

Hoci, ako som jej povedal, cítil som tam dojem komunity, ktorý môže byť vo veľkých mestách zabudnutý alebo stratený. Cítil som sa tak pohodlne, akoby som bol doma. Ľudia sa každý rok zišli, aby vytvorili mestský jarmok a užívali si. Veľa vecí, ktoré sú prístupné vo veľkých mestách, nemali k dispozícii, ale ľudia sa bez mnohých vecí zaobídu. Závidím tým šťastlivcom, ktorí sú schopní volať to domovom.

Po tom, čo sme opustili Bardejov, vzala ma na také miesta ako Prešov, Košice, Dedinky, Spišské Podhradie, Smižany, Spišská Nová Ves, Kežmarok, Vysoké Tatry (Lomnické Sedlo), Orava, Banská Bystrica, Kremnica a Bratislava. Okrem Bratislavy každé mesto, tak ako Bardejov, akoby malo svoju vlastnú farbu a atmosféru. Je pekné mať vlastnú atmosféru, odlišnú od ostatných. V niektorých mestách sme nerobili takmer nič, ale to, čo som cítil, bolo jedinečné pre každé mesto a páčilo sa mi každé jedno z nich.

Tu je pár dojmov z ďalších miest.

Prešov

Hlavná ulica bola živá. Pozdĺž nej stálo veľa milých obchodov a reštaurácií. Vyzeralo to, akoby tam bolo všetko, čo potrebovali. Nakupovanie, stravovanie a pitie – mohli tu robiť všetko. Autobusy jazdili po hlavnej ulici celkom výhodne a vlaková stanica na nej bola tiež. (Tu došlo k omylu – vlaková a autobusová stanica sú v Prešove od centra vzdialené asi 1-1,5 km, no keďže sa k nim ide cez všetky križovatky rovno, Nat si myslel, že ide o súčasť Hlavnej ulice ^.^ ) Pretože som stretol veľa ľudí, ktorí tam kedysi či ešte stále chodili do školy, myslím na Prešov ako na akési akademické mesto. Ona a jej priatelia ma vzali na Šarišský hrad. Bola to moja prvá návšteva slovenského hradu. Aj keď to vlastne boli len ruiny. Pretože bol hrad „nevhodne“ postavený na vrchole kopca, nebolo ľahké sa k nemu dostať. Museli sme si to vyšliapať. Chodenie mi nevadí. Problémom bolo v ten deň silné slnko. Hrad bol úžasný a nechal nás oddýchnuť si, kým nejakí chlapíci pracovali na jeho rekonštrukcii alebo čo to bolo. Užil som si čas tam, pretože som bol tým slnkom celkom vyčerpaný. Bolo vážne silné. Opálilo ma, i keď by sa dalo povedať „spálilo.“ V čase príchodu do Bratislavy sa mi začala lúpať koža. A moji kolegovia v Sydney stále opakovali: „Spálil si sa!“ Zišli sme nadol a vrátili sa do mesta, kým ma doslova spálilo. Šli sme do pizzérie na hlavnej ulici, kde mali pizzu s názvom „Kurva.“ Samozrejme, že som si jednu objednal. A bola dobrá. Zaujímalo by ma, či je slovo „pizza“ v slovenčine ženského rodu...

Nuž, v pizzérii som sa s kopou jej priateľov zabavil. Možno bolo tej zábavy priveľa, aby sa myslelo na posledný spoj domov. Šli sme odprevadiť jedného chalana na stanicu. V tom čase sme už minuli posledné autobusy. Nuž, bolo to skrátka skvelé, nie? Japonský chlapík zmeškal posledný spoj v malom meste na Slovensku s kopou miestnych, ktorých to zjavne netrápilo. Niekto spomenul nočné autobusy alebo niečo podobné, ale zdalo sa, že nemá zmysel na nejaký čakať. No, jeden chlapík trval na taxíku – takmer som s ním súhlasil. Ale myslím, že väčšina prevládla. Aké je teraz Slovensko demokratické! Takže sme kráčali z... kdekoľvek v pekle sme to boli do... kamkoľvek v pekle sme sa museli vrátiť. Aká slovenská noc to bola! Piješ a zmeškáš autobus. A tiež som mal niečo, na čo som sa mohol sťažovať. Chcel som robiť to, čo robievajú miestni, ale nemuselo to byť vzaté tak doslovne.

(preložila Hacret)  

Ako Japonec po Slovensku chodil, 4. časť

Než som ich stretol, premýšľal som, aký ľudia títo „cvoci“ môžu byť. Znova, bol som na Slovensku. Chápete, kto by si bol pomyslel, že tam nájdem nadšencov Japonska? Vyzerajú ako normálni Slováci, lebo pijú pivo a Kofolu. Nenosia žiadne kostýmy ako stereotypný Japonskí cvoci, ktorých som vídal v telke, keď som bol v Japonsku alebo keď sa dívam v Austrálii. Niektorých cosplay (prezliekanie sa za obľúbenú postavičku z hry/anime/skupiny pre zábavu alebo súťažne) zaujíma, ale nerobia ho po celý čas. Niektorí nosia tričká s japonskými slovami, tričká japonských J-pop skupín alebo s japonskou animáciou – to je limit, kam v bežnom živote dôjdu. Nevyzerajú tak bláznivo, sú skôr priateľskí a zaujímaví. Všetci hovoria dobre po anglicky, prinajmenšom lepšie ako ja po Slovensky, čo znamená vôbec, ale pracujem na tom.

Ako som sa s týmito jej priateľmi zoznamoval, môj dojem zo Slovákov sa zmenil. Teraz si myslím, že keď vás spoznajú, budete mať pocit, akoby ste ich poznali celé mesiace, ak nie roky. Aspoň ja som sa tak cítil, keď som tam bol. Hovoria vám o Slovensku veľa vecí – akí sú hrdí, že sú Východniari presne ako my hovoríme ľuďom, akí sme hrdí na to, že sme Osačania alebo Kansaičania. Alebo ako neznášajú Bratislavu presne tak, ako nás nezaujíma Tokio. Radi žartujú s pitím či bez neho. Majú plno vtipov o pití svojom či niekoho iného a o susedných štátoch ako napríklad ako málo sú Maďari informovaní o Slovensku. Slovensko dnes nie je časťou Maďarska. Slovensko neexistuje vďaka Maďarsku. Nepovedia vám len tie dobré veci, ale tiež veci, u ktorých by si priali zlepšenie, ako napríklad že mnoho regiónov mimo Bratislavy nemá toľko pozornosti, koľko by si želalo. Alebo že ich vláda hrá rolu úbožiakov v politických aspektoch EÚ presne tak, ako naša vláda hrá patetickú rolu v Ázii. Znejú ako celkom normálni ľudia, však? Teda, koľko miestnych ľudí by o týchto veciach hovorilo s úplným cudzincom z druhej strany planéty? Sú otvorenej mysle, úžasní ľudia. Znova, o Slovákoch som sa mýlil – mnoho ľudí sa chce s cudzincom porozprávať po anglicky.

Sú normálni. Len majú jednoducho radi iné veci ako ich rovesníci. Aj keď mnohí z nich by otvorene nehovorili o svojich záľubách s miestnymi kamarátmi, sú hrdí na čokoľvek, čo ich zaujíma. Sú rozhodnutí mať to radi bez ohľadu na to, čo by o tom ostatní mohli hovoriť.

Bolo ale vtipné, keď som sa niekoľkých z nich opýtal, či o anime či mange hovoria s tými priateľmi v práci alebo v škole, ktorí o tom veľa nevedia. Všetci hovorili : „Dopekla, nie!“ Vidíte? Sú normálni!

Dôležité je, že majú svoje vlastné skvelé okruhy priateľov, s ktorými si môžu užiť zdieľanie svojej vášne a podporovať sa navzájom bez ohľadu na to, o akú vášeň ide. A to, čo je na týchto deckách dobré, je, že vás medzi seba zahrnú nehľadiac na to, či máte podobnú záľubu alebo nie a ukážu vám, kto sú. Nie sú takí hanbliví a odťažití ako som si pôvodne myslel, však?

Bol som tak rád, že sa o mňa ako o chlapíka z Japonska niektorí zaujímali, aj keď nie som veľmi oddaný Japonec. Správali sa ku mne ako k priateľovi.

To, že nie som veľmi nadšený Japonec, len poukázalo na to, že som tiež „cvok“ istého druhu. Zamiloval som sa do Slovenska, nateraz do krajiny. Hlavne do Košíc.

Keď som jej a ostatným deckám povedal, že je veľmi čudné stretnúť v tejto malej veľkej krajine toľko ľudí, ktorí majú radi Japonsko, povedala mi, akoby to bol vedel celý svet, niečo ako: „Vieš, si na Slovensku a máš rád Košice. Nemyslíš, že je zvláštnejšie, že Japonský chlapík, ktorý fandí kanadskému hokejovému tímu, prišiel do tejto malej veľkej krajiny menom Slovensko celou cestou až z druhého konca sveta z Austrálie a zažil tu svoju prvú stanovačku? Ak toto nie je čudné, tak potom čo je?“ Vtedy som si uvedomil niečo zahanbujúce. Vzala mi reč. Prečo som skončil tu a zamiloval si to mesto v tejto krajine? Očividne som veľmi nepremýšľal. Áno, musím byť „cvok.“ Niežeby na tom bolo niečo zlé! Som na seba rovnako pyšný ako sú tí Slováci na seba. Takže si myslím, že som našiel svoju krvnú skupinu.

Napriek ekonomickému poklesu alebo všeobecným predstavám ľudí o Slovensku pôsobia Slováci tak živo! Myslím to vážne. Ľudia boli vonku a užívali si každučký deň. Možno počasie tomuto dojmu napomohlo, pretože sme nemali žiaden škaredý upršaný deň. Nemal by som tento dojem, keby som to tam nenavštívil. Niektorí ľudia, s ktorými som po mojej dovolenke hovoril, stále nemajú žiadnu pozitívnu mienku ako sú moje. A nehľadiac na to, ako veľmi som sa snažil ostatných presvedčiť, aká skvelá krajina Slovensko je a akí sú tam milí ľudia a aké panovačné sú Slovenky, nepochopili by ľahko, o čom to hovorím. A nevinil by som ich za to. Nie je to len preto, že ja som s ňou mal jedinečný výlet, ale preto, lebo slová tieto veci nedokážu naplno vyjadriť. Musíte tam ísť a vnímať to všetkými vašimi zmyslami vrátane toho šiesteho. Bohužiaľ, ani žiadna internetová stránka tieto veci nenahradí. Ľudia len nie sú dobre informovaní. Ich dojmy o Slovensku sú založené prevažne na tom, čo počuli, alebo formujú svoje dojmy podľa čohokoľvek, o čom si myslia, že by Slovensko mohlo byť, nie na základe faktov a skutočných skúseností.

Ako Japonec po Slovensku chodil, 3. časť

Ľudia na Slovensku

Takže som si po prvotných stretnutiach so Slovákmi v autobuse myslel, že slovenská verejnosť sa zdá byť trochu hanblivá či odťažitá a že angličtina nebude v tejto dobe a tomto čase najlepší komunikačný prostriedok. Žil som v Kanade a teraz žijem v Austrálii. Ľudia tam nie sú takí plachí ako sú Slováci, aspoň pokiaľ viem. Mnoho z nich je obyčajných, nestarajú sa, kto by mohol vedieť po anglicky. Skrátka prídu a hovoria s vami. Som z Japonska a vyzerám ako Japonec, ale pri mnohých príležitostiach sa na mňa na týchto miestach dívali ako na domáceho. Pýtali sa ma na cestu, rozpis miestnych autobusov a tak podobne, keď ja sám som sa chcel na to opýtať a keď nablízku stáli ľudia, ktorí vyzerali byť tam doma viac ako ja.

Neviem, možno to bolo malou mierou vystavenia sa svetu ďaleko mimo Slovákov. Aspoň tak som si to vtedy myslel. Tak ako mnoho Japoncov, čím menej boli vystavení svetu mimo ich vlastného, tým menej vedeli, ako naložiť s ľuďmi z iných častí sveta. Nevedel som, nakoľko sú Slováci vystavení zvyšku sveta mimo Európy. Ale neskôr som sa mal naučiť, že moje prvotné závery neboli celkom pravdivé.

Keďže som bol po príchode do Bardejova a stretnutí sa s ňou znova pri zmysloch, videl som tváre ľudí, ktorí ma obchádzali, keď som bol v bardejovských uliciach sám. Vyzeralo to, ako keby nemohli uveriť vlastným očiam. Bolo to ako: „Vidím aziata? Ako, v Bardejove? To nemôže byť pravda, však?“ Doslova na mňa civeli, to nebol len pohľad. Mohli si myslieť niečo ako: „Čo, dočerta, robí na Slovensku, nehovoriac o Bardejove?“ Pravdepodobne boli ako tí ľudia v autobuse, mysliaci si: „Kvôli čomu, preboha, ide do Bardejova? Aj my chceme vedieť, čo je v Bardejove také zaujímavé, že tam ten chlap ide, lebo my o ničom takom nevieme!“

Nuž, akokoľvek som si prial komunikovať s miestnymi, užíval som si tieto zážitky. Rád sa staviam do súvislostí, kedy miestni ľudia nemôžu veriť tomu, čo vidia, keď vidia mňa a rád ľudí pozorujem. Študoval som psychológiu na vysokej, bol som v niekoľkých krajinách a odľahlých oblastiach, ale nikdy som sa neocitol v situácii, kde by na mňa ľudia civeli tak ako ľudia v Bardejove a ďalších miestach ako Nálepkovo, Spišská Nová Ves, Smižany, Kežmarok, Kremnica a dokonca i v okolí Prešova a Bratislavy. Rád sledujem ľudí. Najmä pri deťoch je to zábavné, pretože sú čisté a neprestávajú sa dívať na čokľvek a kohokoľvek, o čom/kom si myslia, že sa vymyká bežnému. Pár detí v bratislavskom supermarkete sa na mňa dívalo a usmievalo akoby sa dívali na tovarovú novinku. A neprestávali sa dívať, kým som im nezišiel z dohľadu.

Takže toto je môj dojem zo širokej verejnosti Slovenska. S nejakými ľuďmi som sa zoznámil bližšie než s týmito okoloidúcimi. A títo ľudia sú tí, ktorí mi pomohli vytvoriť si odlišnú predstavu o niektorých Slovákoch.

Než som na Slovensko prišiel, poznal som len jednu (špeciálnu) osobu zo Slovenska. Ju. Počas môjho výletu s ňou som stretol asi 40 ľudí. Samozrejme, nebol som schopný zapamätať si väčšinu mien. Tieto stretnutia boli najdôležitejšie chvíle, kým som bol na Slovensku (a v Prahe), samozrejme, mimo času, ktorý som s ňou strávil osamote.

Čo za bláznivého cestovateľa by predpokladalo, že stretne 40 ľudí za tri týždne? Ako som povedal, neboli to len okoloidúci. Tí všetci boli jej rodina, príbuzní, priatelia a priatelia priateľov. Nebol som si istý, či by som s ňou mal byť, keď s niektorými z nich bola, ale bola taká otvorená a nemala nič proti tomu, aby som tam s ňou bol. Takže som sa cítil privilegovane a „začlenene“ alebo ako ich súčasť pri každej príležitosti. S niektorými som, nanešťastie, nemohol komunikovať, ale každá príležitosť pre mňa niečo znamenala.

Čo mi teraz príde na rozum o ľuďoch, ktorých som stretol, alebo v tomto smere o Slovákoch všeobecne je, že pijú. Nie, tým nemyslím kávu. Čaj alebo Kofolu, ktorej som, mimochodom, vďaka nej v čase odletu už úplne prepadol. Je to ako keby jeden nemohol hovoriť o Slovensku bez toho, aby nehovoril o pití piva. Pijú pivo nehľadiac na miesto, kde sú, na dennú či nočnú hodinu či pri akej príležitosti to je. Možno by si dokonca vymysleli ospravedlnenie alebo dôvod piť, KEBY žiaden nemali. No to je nemožné, pokiaľ viem. Všetko a hocičo je pre nich dôvod na pitie. Najlepším z nich budú slovenské meniny. Prečo? Lebo s nimi je každý jeden deň nejakou príležitosťou. Každý jeden deň je niečí špeciálny deň – niekoho z rodiny, kamaráta, kamaráta toho kamaráta, kolegu, kamarátovho kolegu, kolegovho kamaráta, suseda, kamarátovho suseda, susedovho suseda a tak ďalej, a tak ďalej. Výhovorky sa vám neminú.

Jeden z prvých chalanov, čo som stretol, mi povedal dôležitý fakt o Slovákoch. Je to o tom, čo robia. Slováci pijú, sťažujú sa a spia. Aj keď sa zdá, že namiesto toho posledného môžete použiť iné slovo. Tak či tak, život na Slovensku sa točí okolo týchto troch vecí. Nuž, nemôžete ísť 5 sekúnd bez toho, aby ste na Slovensku nevideli niekoho piť. Aj keď vy nepijete, ste s niekým, kto pije alebo už piť začal. Sťažujú sa na politiku (nedostatok vládnej podpory pre národný a miestny rast v mnohých oblastiach), sociálne otázky (cigáni/Rómovia), na osobné problémy a podobne. A spia. Musíte spať po tom, čo ste pili a sťažovali sa. Pijú a sťažujú sa, kým nezaspia, ak nie dovtedy, kým neodpadnú.

Možno takto nejako by jeden slovenský deň podľa mňa vyzeral:

Ráno sa zobudia a posťažujú sa na to, prečo musia ráno vstávať. A pokračujú v ponosách kvôli veciam okolo nich, kým sa prepracujú k poludniu. Vtedy si dajú pohárik či dva.

Poobede, s pomocou pohárika či dvoch, sa začnú sťažovať viac a tak pravdepodobne spravia viac.

A keď v práci skončia, nastáva čas, aby na povrch vyplávala skutočná tvár slovenského života. Dokážu piť a ponosovať sa naraz! Kým neodpadnú!

Niektorí ľudia doslova pijú, kým neodpadnú. Videl som pár z nich na vlastné oči. Videl som chlapíka spiaceho hneď vedľa hlavných dverí môjho hotela v Bardejove s jeho polo-stráveným jedlom po celom tele. A ďalší chlap ležal skoro ráno pri kostole. Možno preňho bolo príliš neskoro na pomoc, no priskoro na spoveď.

Nuž, možno to neplatí pre nich všetkých, no nie je to ani ďaleko od pravdy, podľa toho, ako som to interpretoval.

Je tu jedna príležitosť, o ktorej som si myslel, že bola novými známymi naplánovaná, a ktorá sa prinútila zamyslieť sa nad jedným spiknutím. Chystali sme sa ísť do soľného múzea v Prešove. Jeden chlapík kvôli niečomu meškal, nech už to bolo čokoľvek. Čakali sme a čakali. A rozhodli sme sa ísť do krčmy krížom cez ulicu. Možno nemalo zmysel čakať pod priamym slnkom, s tým by som súhlasil. Ale viete, čo urobili? Áno, objednali si pivo! Aké pohodlné pre nich! A vtom ten meškajúci muž! Neskôr som sa začal čudovať, či meškal zámerne, alebo či to bol nejaký druh slovenskej tradície, keď sa ľudia stretnú a keď meškajú. V zmysle: „Ak už meškáš, meškaj poriadne. Daj nám aspoň čas na nejaké to pivo, kým na teba čakáme, doparoma! Aspoň sa budeme mať na čo sťažovať!“

Toto je ten druh veci, ktorú objaví iba niekto mimo slovenskej kultúry, však? Ak ste v tom až po uši, keď to máte v krvi alebo ste tak naprogramovaní, tieto záležitosti neobjavíte. A iba aby ste vedeli, toto nebol jediný prípad, keď som na Slovensku na niekoho musel čakať. Niežeby som s tým mal problém.

Možno je to tak, že keď chcú Slováci zabiť čas, povedia „poďme na drink,“ kým my hovoríme „dajme si čaj či kávu“ alebo „poďme si nájsť miesto na sedenie.“ A keď majú niečo na srdci, na čo by sa posťažovali, povedia „poďme si vypiť,“ kým my hovoríme „porozprávajme sa o tom“ alebo „poďme niekam, kde sa môžeme porozprávať.“ A keď im niekto povie, aby šli do postele, povedia „už sme pili?“ alebo „už sme pili a posťažovali sa?“ kým my hovoríme „dobrú noc“ či „uvidíme sa ráno.“

Mnohí ľudia, ktorých som stretol, sú... ako by som to povedal... cvoci/čudáci. Myslím to v tom dobrom zmysle, ak taký vôbec existuje. Majú radi Japonsko, čo je miesto, kde som sa narodil a vyrástol, a japonskú kultúru v zmysle tradícií, maga a animácie, hier, hudby, subkultúr a podobne. Rozmýšľam, koľko Japoncov vie, že tak veľa ľudí v tej malej veľkej krajine, ktorá je ďaleko v Strednej Európe a o ktorej sotva vedia, bláznivo miluje ich krajinu. Stretol som len 10-15 z nich, ale som si istý, že je to len vrchol ľadovca. Šialené na tom je, že o veciach, ktoré ich zaujímali, vedeli viac než ja či bežná verejnosť v Japonsku a viac, než by som si kedy vedel predstaviť. To je to, prečo bol môj názor na niektorých Slovákov nesprávny – niektorí ľudia sú v kontakte s vonkajším svetom a tiež informovaní.

Nuž, nebolo to zasa tak skoro pred tým, než som si uvedomil, že som jeden z tých „cvokov.“ Uvedomil som si to vďaka nej...