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"Zem úsmevov" v Bratislave. "Land of smiles" at Bratislava [ Author Michael Daniel Watson ] [ From category THE Articles ] [ Subcategory OperaRail 2015 ] [ Translator Cristian Butnaru ] [ Article date: 2015-12-11 ] [ From city Bratislava ] [ Country Slovacia ]   Ďakujeme! It’s read something like ”gian-cu-iem”. Meaning “Thank you! ” I think it’s the first word that I learn when entering a country. I noticed that the local folks from all around enjoy it when using this word. I have been to 30 countries, but, although I learned in every one how to pronounce it, i only know about 16-17 versions of “thank you! ”... Wonder why? Bratislava is the 29th European capital that I visited. For about 5 years I’ve been experiencing a paradox: went to Slovakia, country which I pass through with the coach when heading to Denmark from Romania, but I never set foot, soo it’s like i never went to Slovakia. For about a year the paradox has double with the other country that because of the name, I tend to confuse the two of them, Slovenia, which i passed through on train... for three times and never set foot! I arrived in the main railway station, Bratislava Hlavna Stanica (read stanitza) and from there, of course, on foot towards the center :-) with the baggage :-) there where electric buses and buses – for who is interested, i took notes: 93, 201, x13 :-) ) ) - with the parenthesis that 93 goes to the Northern Railway Station in Bucharest :-) - but the best way to explore a city is by walking. Dobri den! Good afternoon! First impression, the zone is deplorable. The railway station is small, crowded and ugly, the surrounding building are shriveled or unrenovated in the best case. The aspect is of eastern communism. Surprisingly, because only one hour away by train is Vienna, and at 2 hours towards East! Is Budapest, cities that look... different, meaning very good! But I come across a park and find the... heavens design: a three statue ensemble of naked women. :-) ) ) I asked them if they want to take a picture together, not a word from them- maybe because i was talking in Romanian :-) - silence is an interpretable answer. So I took a few pictures – not a word from them, so they don’t mind :-) - and move on. Towards the center the landscape starts to change from communism to medieval. The trams are old models from the ’80s from Bucharest! - Tatra, produced in... Czechoslovakia by then, are driven slowly on streets without sidewalks. In the right, on the hill, it can be seen the famous Bratislava Castle, in the left, pedestrian medieval area begins, so I leave the tram railway without regrets :-) The “Old center” of Bratislava is nice, but not impressive. Two street statues made of bronze, caught my attention, one with a soldier from the napolenian era with his elbow propped on the bank watching what you read when sitting on the bank :-) the other one is a worker exiting a sewer. Because I had the fishing rod with me- the one from the Vienna Opera :-) - I tried to get him out from the sewer :-) as I failed, I took a picture with him and walked away. :-) One street further was the Opera, a nice building, with an old style. Happy that it’s not too far from the railway station-only had one hour until the train arrived- want to enter, but it wasn’t otvorené (opened). I found out the spectacle is being held in the new building, so on my way there, walking alongside the Danube. And I’m walking and walking and walking and waaaalking... Finally I get there. Dobri vecer! Good evening! The new Opera is a modern building, huge, white, situated in an urban ensemble designed from the start in that actual form, meaning no improvisations added in time. In front of her a large space and a tall column with a lion on top watching the city and in the left and right of this space there are two big modern buildings, a mall and a casino plus cinema..., so still a mall. The whole ensemble is spacious, grandiose and looks good for a European capital. Much more than this it isn’t mixed with the old part and the architectural soup “sky-scrappers near the tanner’s pub from the XVII century” isn’t present there. Zem úsmevov. Country of smiles Although the Opera is immense on the outside, the auditorium has about 1700 seats disposed on the ground and first floor and no lodges. It isn’t that big as I expected because there were two other smaller auditoriums under the same roof, but also because the inner spaces that surrounds the auditorium are very large and comforting. Here and there near some walls or windows there were, thing that amused me a lot, huge pillows, on which some spectators, especially young ones, where lying on. Or headlong, like the lady in mini skirt that I saw. :-) By mistake I saw her, she wasn’t in my in my plans, but I don’t mind :-) , on the majority it was written something in Slovak (on the majority of the pillows, not ladies :-) ) different messages, on one I think “Swan Lake” and on another “Don Giovanni” pillow which I photographed myself with holding it in my arms, towards the feast of other people in the area. :-) If I didn’t know how Franz Lehar signs himself, I saw now. On the curtain, written with light, being dark, his signature appeared letter by letter. The music starts and resembles with the one from "Veselá vdova" – excuse me! "Happy widow" :-) – operetta written by the same Mr. Lehar. I still ask myself in what language will the spectacle be, although my hunch, speaking of operetta, it will be in Slovak. Anyway it doesn’t matter to me, the other alternative, according to the author nationality, being German, a language almost the same as “attractive”. I hope that the translation will be in Romanian, sorry, in English. :-) The conductor appears salutes, the pulls out a gun, fires a shot towards the ceiling and puff the music starts! It’s a ball, dames in white dresses and officers in uniforms, predominantly black, are walking on the scene. The decorations are pompous, large and brightly colored; in the back a shadow is projected of something that looks like London Eye. I like the beginning, the signature on the curtain plus the gunshot, especially since there are good minutes of instrumental and I still don’t know in what language they will sing. :-) Sometime later I found out and observe... I’m in luck: they are singing in Slovak and the translation is in German! :-) ) ) I recognized by hearing the newly learned word ”Dakujeme” - “Thank you”, “Prossim” - “Cheers! ” (spelled when drinking beer) which I know... from Czech :-) , “Dobri vecer! ” - “Good evening! ” but also “Danke, meine Herre! ” - “Thank you, mister! ”, ”Wie schon! ” - “How beautifull! ”. "Krankl" - "ill", "Frau" - "miss" and other in German. :-) It’s not much, but I know the subject. I’m interested in set-up, music and her sonority in Slovak, another crantz language, so it’s enough. The experience of Slovak operetta plus the translation into German brought me a new and novel context. I never thought I would end up in a situation where I would shave to search for words that I know in German to better understand what is going on, on the scene! :-) It proven useful the written articles that I wrote with German “infiltration”, but what it’s important to notice is that my “German” friends, that knows I don’t sympathize the German language can feel fully satisfied and avenged. :-) "Danke, meine Herren! " :-) ) ) Lisa, the European princess, falls in love with prince Su-Chong and marries him despite all the warnings received. “Was is Neues in China? ” I understood without a dictionary. :-) Next are the break, foyer, pillows, ladies on pillows :-) then the lights go out for the second part, which takes place in China. On the curtain a shred of light appears it writes, writes, writes... writes in Chinese! YES! That’s what I’ve been missing! Chinese! :-) ) ) Slovak, German, Chinese plus me rumunsky (Romanian), a better seasoned salad I don’t think I could find, even if I was trying harder! :-) ) ) The curtain is lifted; the scene is filled full with Chinese. :-) The effect is amplified by their traditional conned helmets. Red is predominant and and the music has Chinese influences. On the side there are groups of four big statues of Buddha, from the ceiling round bright lampions are coming down. The chorus has fans, in the center a dance with sticks; the dancers are coming through the spectators, wearing traditional dragon heads. All is wonderful executed and manages to create a Chinese atmosphere. Arrived from China, Lisa, dressed in yellow, contrasting the red Chinese sea, is treated as a”eine Konkubine”. “Hier bin ich! ” - “Here I am! ” “And me! ” I’m thinking, but not for long because the hour of my departure is getting close, I stand up, heading towards the vychod (exit) and leave “Das Land des Lächelns” –“Land of smiles”promising myself that I would return to Bratislava to see a “big” spectacle. Meaning an opera (by Verdi or Puccini), ballet, “My fair Lady” - no, not ”Carovna flauta” :-) the opera being in on the schedule for the next days - but one that I understand in every moment, what is going on without having to know Slovak or German. Or Chinese. :-) Dovidenia! Good bye! PS, answer: Because some countries use the same word! “Thank you! ” in England, Scotland, Wales, “Tak! ” (written “Tack! ”, read the same) in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, “Hvala! ” in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, “Grazie! ” in Italy, Vatican, San Marino, “Danke! ” in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, “Merci! ” in France, Belgium, Monte Carlo and of course “Multumesc! ” in Romania and Eastern Romania aka Republic Moldova! I never thought it would come in handy to know this more than the respective countries borders, but two years ago I organized the 25 years meeting with my ex teachers and classmates from school! On the can that I conceived and created for my dear teachers I wrote, in these languages, “Thank you! ” :-) And “Thank you! ” in a local language means “to smile! ” :-)

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