Week 5

20/11 Monday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-a council worker recognised me and waved, my first wave!



21/11 Tuesday
All is well, bridge still standing.



22/11 Wednesday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-visit to Nove Zamky, facing bureaucarcy Slovak style, came home without results.



23/11 Thursday
All is well, bridge still standing.



24/11 Friday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-left for Bratislava 135 km (100 miles)away, the capitalof Slovakia. Believe it or not but this tiny village is directly linked by train to international cities like Berlin.



25/11 Saturday
No observation, but walked across the Novy Most (new bridge) in Bratislava .
-visited Danubiana, a contemporary art gallery set on the banks of the Danube outside Bratislava.



26/11 Sunday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-Bratislava getting ready for Christmas, only 29 days to go.

Week 4

13/11 Monday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-learned a new Hungarian word out of desperation: csonkovacks (bone-smith) the best translation for chiropractor. Doubt it if I will ever forget that one. A permanent bridge has been built in my brain as it is linked to a physical experience. Yes I am a kinesthetic learner.



14/11 Tueday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-when my camera moves, I see differently



15/11 Wednesday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-filmed a few kids from the orphanage across the road roller skating. Had no common language to communicate, but the camera got the message through.



16/11 Thursday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-same kids from yesterday saw me in the street and said "jo napod" (hello).
Hello!!! The foundation of a small bridge.



17/11 Friday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-An American tourist walked passed just as I left the residence. We chatted and he gave me his business card. "Let me know when you get famous", he said. Hehe, if only he knew...



18/11 Saturday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-Mala from New Zealand came to stay for the weekend. The New Zealand population of Sturovo doubled just like that.



19/11 Sunday
-walked across the bridge and strolled through historic Estergom, a wonderful place to stroll.
-teenagers performed a puppet show in a cafe and had a ball doing so, a joy to see.
-new pavement in the square (it is actually more a triangle) almost finished.

Week 3

6/11 Monday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-was thrown off the last train for Sturovo, bike was not allowed, the conductor grinned, spend the night in Bratislava.



7/11 Tuesday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-4:30: Hungarians did not play their nationalistic tune across the river today!



8/11 Wednesday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-tune back 'on air', bridge of attachment restored.



9/11 Thursday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-feast today, found avocado's, yummm.



10/11 Friday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-back is so sore, made a date with the 'bone smith' as they are called here.
-met new people at a concert, a much healthier 'bridge' to cross than the pub.



11/11 Saturday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-will use art as a 'bridge' bypassing language. Made first (non-verbal) contact with local orphans across the road through my camera, would like to build a bridge with them, for them, getting a sense the are outsiders just like me, living on the edge of town, the edge of the Danube, the edge of Slovakia, the flood plane of the Danube, virtually no-mans land.




12/11 Sunday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-would like to cross the bridge freely to the bright lights on the other side, just like the locals, without having to sacrifice a passport page for four stamps each time. Get a bit of an idea what it must have been like behind the iron curtain, seeing the greener grass, but not being able to step on it.

Week 2

30/10/06 Monday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-first snow today.


31/10/06 Tuesday, Haloween
All is well, bridge still standing.
-locals bring flowers to the graveyard and light candles.


1/11/06 Wednesday, All Saints Day
All is well, bridge still standing
-Graveyard looks magic


2/11/06 Thursday
All is well, bridge still standing
-wonder if anything will happen while I am observing the bridge? Two filmmakers followed a fire crew for months and nothing ever happened..., till 9/11 that was, they caught the first plane hitting on film, the rest is history.


3/11/06 Friday
All is well, bridge still standing
-need to get out there and find a 'bridge' that will connect me with the locals.


4/11/06 Saturday
All is well, bridge still standing
-do as the Romans do, so went to the Green Pub, a very smokey joint.


5/11/06 Sunday
All is well, bridge still standing
-still coughing from last night,hmmm..., pub was not so green, will need to find a healthier 'bridge'.

Week 1

23/10 Monday
All is well, bridge is still standing.
-arrived late afternoon at the Bridge Guard residence.

24/10 Tuesday

All is well, bridge still standing.
-Danube has beaches complete with shells (just like New Zealand).

25/10 Wednesday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-crossed bridge and back by bike, 4 stamps in passport.

Guards stop
Stamping twice
Once
Cannot be trusted

Guards stop
Checking photos
Of
Commuter faces

Guards stop
Holding on
Till
Bridge is understood

26/10 Thursday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-indian summer still on 20-25c.

27/10 Friday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-where was I again, Slovakia or New Zealand?

28/10 Saturday
No observation, out of town.
-danced the csardas with locals in Budapest, that 'bridge' always works.

29/10 Sunday
All is well, bridge still standing.
-suspicious boat hiding on the bank in the bushes.