Slovak National Meal

BRYNDZOVE HALUSKY
(Dumpligs with sheep cheese)


Ingredients:

2-3 Potatoes
Flour 4-5 tbsp
Salt
1 egg
Instructions:

Peel potatoes and finely shred them.
Add egg and flour. Make a dough that is not too tough but not to watery. You may use more or less flour or add a little bit of water if it is too tough.
Add 1 tsp of salt.
Boil water w 2 tbsp of salt. use teaspoon to drop a little bit of the dough into the boiling water. Be sure the water is always boiling.
When halusky are done they will float on top of the water, Pick them out with a strainer.
Because I didn't find bryndza here in the US, (it is cheese from sheep), I used 1 package of Feta Cheese and 3/4 of a pack of cream cheese, and 3-4 tbsp of milk.
Heat everything together. Mix all the time. When it starts to boil, remove from the heat.
Cut up little pieces of bacon and fry them. Serve halusky with the cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with the bacon pieces.

Slovakian Money

Slovakia uses what we call Slovak Crowns. One dollar equals 20 Slovakian Crowns.

History Lesson

Officially, The Slovak Republic came into existence on January 1, 1993. Except for a brief period during World War II, during which Slovakia was a protectorate state of Nazi Germany, the Slovak people have been subjected to domination by stronger political entities, such as the Czechs of the Czechoslovak federation, the Magyars of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the sovereigns of the Habsburg Empire.

Although the history of the Slovak people as expressed in the nation state is less than a decade old, Slovaks have existed as a unique entity for over 1500 years.

The people of Slovakia are descended from the Slavic peoples who settled the Danube river basin in the 6th and 7th centuries B.C.E. Traditionally, the Slovak people were relegated to the peasant class and even after emancipation they have had strong links to tilling the soil. Under communism some industrialization was undertaken and today Slovak society includes both elements of folk traditions and modern society. The political transformations of 1989 brought new freedoms that have considerably widened the societal outlook of the populace, yet many of the cultural movements are still in their infancy and consequently a large part of the elderly population is still rural and dependant on agriculture.


The development of Slovak culture reflects the country's rich folk tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends. The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign governments is also evident in much of Slovakia's art, literature, and music.
Folk arts and crafts, which include wood carving, fabric weaving, and glass painting, have a long and popular tradition in Slovakia, especially in rural areas.

Towns in Slovakia

Komarno

Komarno


We will be spending most of our time in the town of Kosice and Komarno. Kosice is the center of East Slovakia. This city, the second largest in Slovakia, has a long and rich history. Komarno is half of a cross-border community, together with its Hungarian counterpart Komarom on the other side of the Danube River. Its distinction is the fact that it is Slovakia’s largest town (population 37,000) in which Hungarian language and nationality is in the majority. It also has a lovely town centre with excellent restaurants, and historical fortifications, mainly from Napoleonic times.
We will be helping with distributing Books of Hope, sharing our testimonies during street evangelism, visiting an orphanage and several schools. In Kosice, we will be part of the local church's Gypsy ministry and a youth ministry.
Here are some pictures to help you see some of the places we will visit.

Kosice

Things to bring

Hello friends!
You have now less than a month left before you leave on your trip to Slovakia. Here is a short update on what to bring with you.
The temperature will be between 60-90 degrees most of the time. Pack for rain, because it will and can be cool in the evenings. Shorts and casual attire are fine for most activities. Bring a set of work clothes for painting or clean up type of work. For church services please bring khakis for guys and a collared shirt and nice pants or skirts for the women. NO SHORTS TO CHURCH. Pack a pair of comfortable shoes that you can walk in all day. We will be moving on foot quite a bit.
You may want to bring a towel. The ones there are tiny. Also, make sure you bring some flip-flops that you can shower in. There will be no laundry service. You will need an electric converter for plug in devices i.e. hair dryers, curling irons, cameras, etc. However, it might be easier just to buy one over there and not deal with the power differences. All cameras should be OK, since they have built in converters.
Maybe some of you want to bring spending money. We don't recommend bringing more than $300 since all your food and lodging is paid for. If you want to buy some souvenirs or candy, $100 should be enough. We won't have a lot of time for shopping. Keep your money in a safe place. You have many choices: the wallets that hang around your neck, other wallets wrap around your waist... It is up to you! Just make sure you don't loose it.
Bring a small back pack with you that you can carry around for all the things you might need during the day. If you need any medication, make sure you bring it with. Some people might struggle with hey fever so you might want to bring something for that.
If you have any more questions, make sure you contact us! We are looking forward to our cross-cultural experience with you on board!!!