TEACHING AT COMENIUS UNIVERSITY

Nov 5th and 6th Friday and Saturday

The last two days of our stay in Bratislava have been magical.  I was able to finally teach my class and meet some of the students and professors.

On Friday we met for breakfast with the two professors we have come to know, Bill Bagatelis and Dave Reichart at the Druzba Bufet, the dinning room at the dorm.  We had a wonderful conversation about teaching and Slovakia.  They both have been here for over ten years.  We also had some nice discussions about the church.  Dave is a very active catholic and Bill is searching for something.  He has talked to the missionaries and is going to church with us on Sunday.

We went to my class in the afternoon.  Carol and I prepared an idiom game, that was successful.  The students enjoyed learning some idioms.   I taught about american civil procedure and criminal procedure and then made assignments for our activies (the trial of William Penn) and the trial of John Wheat.  All 36 students came to that class, it was surprising to see eveyone there.  At the prior class I assigned essays, so I had recieved essays from many of my students on the Advantages and Disadvantages of the American Jury System.  The essays are excellent and well written in english, very impressive.   I am blessed with a wonderful class.

After class in the evening Carol and I had dinner at the Rivera Restaurant which is down the street from the Hotel.  It was our third time at the Restaurant and the waiters now recognize us, so they were very nice to us.  The food is very good.  I had Halusky for the third time (Carol calls it Slovakian Macaroni and cheese, but it small dumpings and sheep chesse), I like it.

PICTURE OF ME AND PROFESSOR PATAKYOVA

AT THE MARROL HOTEL ON THURSDAY NIGHT

PICTURE OF MICHAL LUJENCVISKY AND
TOMAS MASZAROS ON THURSDAY NIGHT

Today, Saturday, we started class at 9 AM.  Carol and I were alittle early.  Mentally, I had prepared myself for something to go wrong.  I had a feeling that something would be wrong with the room.  Sure enough, there was another class in the room we were assigned and that class would go until noon.  Fortunately, my students were able to talk to the building manager and get us another room assigned.  Ironically, we went back to our original room.  We had a drama, the trial of William Penn.  The students had been assigned their parts and they did very well.  The narrator was Mira Kober, Sonia Ondracikova was the judge and Tomas Gasparovic was William Penn, they were wonderful.  It is a play about the trial of William Penn in England when he was 21 before he came to America. 

We then had mock trial, I was the Judge and we made assignments the night before.  It was very well done and we had a great time.  It was about the theft of bread by John Wheat to feed his family.  The jury found him not guilty even though he clearly stole the bread.  The Prosecutor, Katarine Hodalove, was not too happy with the verdict.  We then had a great discussion about the American jury system.  

I then gave some advice about life (Fatherly Advice) especially about families and priorities.  I was surprised because the students then gave me a book which they all signed.  They wrote, "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Parry,  Thank you so much! We greatly appreciate all the efforts you have put into this course.  This was the best course we have ever had!"  It was so nice they all liked Carol very much and really appreciated that she had come.  I gave them an Old Irish Blessing which was actually emotional.  I was able to shake everyone's hand and wish them well in life and say good bye.  I was so pleased that I learned everyone's name, it really established a bond and a sense of trust and respect.

After class some of the students stayed and helped fix the room because we had rearranged everything for the trial.  So I invited them to lunch.  We then went to lunch at the Bratislava Restaurant which interestingly enough is the same restaurant that we went to with the missionaries.

Carol and I then went back to the room for a little while.  We did some laundry and gave the bottle of wine we had received from the college to the building attendant that had been so nice to us.  I thought that she was going to cry she was so thankful for the gift.

THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE FABULOUS FIVE

(Backrow- Kamila, Zuzana, Natalia and Kristina

 front- Katarina H)

Off to lunch- Kamila, Katarine J, Tomas, Kristina,

Carol, Miro and Frank)

Lunch at the Bratislava Restaurant- Filip and

Miraslava joined us and Katarina Hodalova and

her Greek boyfriend, Demetri came later.

On Saturday night we went to the ballet at the new performing acts theater.  The ballet was Giselle which is about a peasant girl that falls in love with an aristocrat who disguises himself as a commoner.  He is engaged to be married so when Giselle finds out she takes her life and becomes a Willi, maidens who have suffered unrequited love.  However, she acts unselfish regarding her former lover who is extemely sad about what has happend, so you can say it has a happy ending.  The ballet was excellent and the new  performing acts theater is wonderful.  There was a live orchestra.  We then spent some time at the new Eurovia Gallery Mall.  It is a great mall, very attractive and modern.

Carol said that she was sad to have to leave Bratislava.  She could stay longer.  We have had a wonderful experience, and some unforgettable memories.