Spare Winter Hours

Yes we did

2008-11-05T20:05:00.001Z

We are not in Slovenia.

2008-06-27T00:11:00.003+01:00

That's right. I know, it may seem unceremonious to just get up and leave and not write my grand, final post to commemorate our time in Slovenia. Yet, how can we? How can someone just write a few meager words that could capture our experience living in such a country?

Really, I can't. I would cheapen the experience by rambling on and on about Slovenia being one of the most beautiful countries in the world, populated by a warm and gracious people. I admit I was homesick near the end of my stay, though now I'm comfortably nestled back in Canada I find myself missing the old brick buildings and distant mountains - Vancouver has mountains but the architecture is sadly mediocre - as I walk around my neighbourhood.

So, a great big thank you to our Slovenian friends for guiding us through their culture and making our time there memorable and enriching. We'll be back!

I (Lisa) would just like to add that we'll be posting a few more things here once we're settled in to our new place in Vancouver. We have pictures and trip reports we'd like to post, and I've been asked for updates on what we're doing now. Soon!

Another postcard from Slovenia.

2008-06-01T17:04:00.001+01:00

We have been busy, and we like busy.

First, in light of Liberation Day, which occurred not too long ago, we made a day trip to visit Baza 20 (Base 20). Once a major nerve center for the partisan forces during the Second World War, it stands now as a museum. Baza 20 is one of the (or is the) last remaining partisan bases in Europe. The buildings are crumbling from time and the elements, surrounded by a dense, leafy forest that is eerily quiet. I did discover that the partisans operated under their own economy and issued their own money. They also established facilities to repair vehicles and electronics, built shops for cobblers, gunsmiths and other trades, and even had a hospital. And all of this was done out in the sticks, during a brutal war. I was amazed at the tenacity and endurance of our species, despite the overwhelming odds.

We had the privilege of attending Vinska Vigred in Metlika, an annual wine festival celebrating the local vineyards. We stayed with a friend who hails from this lovely town, and we were treated to Slovenian hospitality. Our hosts were very sweet and friendly, and made our brief visit a pleasant one. To properly visualize Vinska Vigred, imagine three stages blaring music at the same time, copius amounts of local wine and crowded streets.

We sampled the muskat, a very sweet variety. None of them lacked the complexity often associated with tart wines. Each glass contained a depth of fruit that I would not forget anytime soon.

In other news, the amount of schoolwork I have to complete has decreased significantly. We took advantage of the time afforded to us so we rented a car and had a three-day road trip. Hopefully, we can get the photos up before we leave.

The Tito-Canada Connection

2008-05-25T17:08:00.005+01:00

Today is Dan Mladih, or Day of Youth, in the former Yugoslavia. Dan Mladih marks Josip Broz Tito's "birthday". Actually he was born on May 7th, but the 25th is the anniversary of an attempt on his life, and was enshrined as his official birthday. Every year a "relay of youth" across Yugoslavia would culminate at a Belgrade stadium with a hand-off of a baton and symbolic message from the youth of the country to Tito.

Just in time for the big day, I thought I'd post some pictures I found on Titoville a few weeks ago. It would seem that a certain young man had a forged Canadian passport in the name of Spiridon Mekas, as a British subject of Yugoslav origin. When he wasn't masquerading as the Canadian Spiridon, the young man was better known by his other name, Josip Broz.

Liberation Day.

2008-05-10T12:25:00.003+01:00

On Friday, Ljubljana locals commemorated the liberation of their city during the Second World War by partisan fighters. Every year people walk the 35 kilometer trail that circumvents the city, exactly where a massive fence was erected to contain the populace.

I did the walk last year (I'll find the post about it later) but I can't this year, unfortunately. Dr. Filomena is liveblogging the event even as I write this post. You can follow along here. Pengovsky's post on the subject is here.

This might of interest to my Slovenian friends.

2008-05-08T08:31:00.004+01:00

Today I'm meeting my professor for a consultation. He's teaching three of the three classes I'm taking this term, so I suppose I'll be meeting frequently with him for the duration of my stay.

For one of my classes, Social Ideologies and Modern Literature, I decided to focus on Slovenia. Most international students write about their home or the European Union. That's acceptable, but I want to try my hand at writing about my temporary home.

My paper will compare poetry written by women in Communist and post-Communist Slovenia. Some of the poets I'm focusing on are Maja Vidmar, Barbara Korun, Taja Kramberger and Svetlana Makarovič. I'm still looking for women who wrote during World War Two and prior to the Tito-Stalin split around 1948. I have two books in my possession that have some excellent examples from that era.

So it goes. I'll update more if anything interesting happens. Today the sky is bright blue and the sun is fat and proud. I'd like to venture out there and soak it up.

For some reason the cat is afraid of brooms.

2008-05-07T17:14:00.008+01:00

"I hate you people."

Nobody likes old people.

2008-05-07T16:54:00.002+01:00

Tonight there's a free concert in Tivoli. Every year this happens. Students pour into the streets and drink in the parks before they stagger into the makeshift outdoor venue, singing and swaying.

I'm too old and tired and sick to show my face. Besides, I have some writing to get done.

I went to the hospital.

2008-05-07T15:50:00.003+01:00

That's right, I did. A Slovenian hospital!

This was about two weeks ago. I was having severe stomach pains and acid reflux that burned my throat. Lisa dragged me out of bed, where I was curled up in the fetal position and crying, and got me inside a cab.

The hospital here is organized like the university. Rather than just one central building, several wards are scattered around the main complex. I stepped out of the cab and saw streets lined with leafy trees fluttering in the sunlight. After entering the wide lobby the entire hospital becomes a labyrinth of slender halls. You can tell the hospital was built in the 70's: the walls are painted in solid mid-tones and corners and edges are rounded. The interior smelled clean, like a hotel room. After asking several people where the emergency room was, an exuberant middle-aged man in a smooth green smock lead us to the reception desk, but not after chatting with everyone he passed on the way.

When we told him we were from Canada, he immediately mimed sweeping the floor. He likes curling.

We sat in a narrow hallway. Elderly patients laid on gurneys down the length of the hall, murmuring to themselves or staring stoically at the ceiling. Someone called my name. I walked into one of the many small rooms adjoined to the hallway and hopped up onto the examination table. A young woman entered the room and pulled a pink curtain behind her. An intern was assigned to me; I got lucky. I'll digress a moment and explain something. In my short thirty-odd years, I've seen the inside of a hospital more times than most honest people. In my experience, having an intern examine you before the senior doctor swaggers in and coughs out his final diagnosis is like nibbling on a garden salad before tucking into foie gras.

I won't extend that metaphor anymore than I have to.

We waited in the crowded hall, shifting our legs to avoid the incoming gurneys carrying groaning patients. After an hour I was called back in and the doctor, in his staggered English, told me I was indeed suffering from acid reflux. He didn't know why. He wrote me a prescription and ordered me to see a specialist. Not just any specialist, but the kind that gleefully slides a fiber-optic camera down my esophagus and probes around my stomach. Everything else was fine. My bloodwork came back normal and the examination found nothing egregious.

I think, objectively, the moment was fascinating. I've never received medical treatment in a foreign country though I knew in advance that Slovenia has excellent healthcare. I found myself taking mental notes on how the hospital functioned; unfortunately, the pain and anxiety distracted me from my amateur observations. If I sit under a tree, with an open book draped over my thigh, my thoughts will have a chance to mingle.

Rog appears in the news.

2008-05-01T19:20:00.003+01:00

I wrote about the gargatuan squat known as Rog last year for my journalism class. The squat is making the rounds again:

The future of the former Tovarna Rog (Horn) bicycle factory on Trubarjeva cesta iscausing controversy. On one hand, it is an ugly abandoned building that the citywants to put to reasonable use. On the other hand, it is a lively, autonomous centre for freedom and creativity, which the occupants want to preserve.

Slovenian film nominated for Oscar.

2008-05-01T11:20:00.002+01:00

From the Slovenian Times:

Luzar's film "Vucko" (Wolfie) about a lonely retired man looking for ways to meet new people has been nominated among films from Germany, Spain, Israel and the Czech Republic.

The five finalists were selected among 45 works from 29 countries, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on its website.

A postcard from Ljubljana, and others.

2008-04-27T11:54:00.013+01:00

As I've mentioned in my previous post, now that I've made the transition from tourist to (temporary) resident I personally find it difficult to write about anything extraordinary as it applies to me. I think my mind is elsewhere, most likely the future, and that does affect the content in a diary-like medium like a blog.

Spring in Ljubljana is a gorgeous time of year. Tumultuous, yes, with it's moody weather swinging from grey and stormy to pleasant and warm within a matter of hours. We've been going on short walks in the city, hunting for medieval houses we read about in our guidebook and sipping coffee at the banks of the Ljubljanica River.

We are fast approaching our departure date. There are few trips I want to take before we leave, though we will always regret not seeing this or visiting that - the common complaint of tourists worldwide - without appreciating what we have seen during our stay. Am I going to miss Ljubljana? Yes. But I also miss my life in Vancouver, which was much longer than my life here. Will I come back? Perhaps, but not for a long time.

In other news, I submitted three poems to a small outfit that wants to publish chapbooks. I'm still waiting for their reply. I also have a project waiting for me back in Canada, but I can't tell anyone a word of it until, well, I don't know really know when. I have to complete three essays and undergo one exam before I leave.

Lisa was kind enough to inform our esteemed readers that we were traveling a few weeks ago. So, here are some of my impressions of our recent Balkan trip. These are written as thumbnail sketches, based on memory and notes, so they may appear too impressionistic and fleeting (or poorly written). During the trip, I was writing poems for publication while riding on trains and in solemn hotel rooms.

Bulgaria

We've been to this lovely country before though we stayed longer this time around. This was our first stop and for some reason I was completely exhausted when I stepped off the train. We got a private room in a hostel and stayed for the Easter weekend to gain momentum for the next leg of our trip. Sophia is huge, busy and exciting. We checked out dilapidated Communist monuments and wandered the streets at night looking for booze and food. One thing I'll say about traveling in the Balkans: eat dinner early. Nothing is open at night, expect greasy fast food joints. I can imagine kitchen brigades slipping away at night to tuck into spinach burek and a lager, forgoing the customary meal at home. However, we ate at one of the best Moroccan restaurants I've ever visited, though an odd plastic smell permeated the dining room and it made eating there a tad unpleasant. Oh, well.

Macedonia

To be honest, I don't have much to say about Macedonia and Skopje at the moment. Skopje, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1963, is mostly replaced with plain concrete. The train and bus station is a marvel, though. Very blocky and utilitarian, with much unused space, but the interior is airy. Huge, too.

The Turkish Quarter is lovely. We bought baklava and walked the hilly, cobbled streets. The neighbourhood cafes were inviting and crowded affairs.

Ohrid: Seated at the bank of Europe's supposedly oldest lake, surrounded by craggy mountains, I really enjoyed this town. We visited a tiny monastery situated on a rocky outcrop. We then stumbled upon a massive archeological dig around a cathedral. The workers pointed out the trail as we navigated around the wheelbarrows and pickaxes. We saw the standard ruins left behind by the Romans. Ohrid is worth visiting.

Kosovo

We were there for about 24 hours. I was surprised, after hearing about this newly independent nation in the news for so many years, that it would be so bustling. People were everywhere. The street outside our hotel was a long trench, as were most of the streets in the surrounding area. Turbo-folk was blasted from every angle.

On the highway to Pristina: Olive-coloured military transports rumbling past our packed bus. Checkpoints manned by bored soldiers puffing on American cigarettes. Half-built houses, three times the size of the average family home in Vancouver, were the dominant landmarks. Building supply stores were seen every twenty kilometers. The highway severed a vast grassy plain, and gray mountains cradled the landscape; storm clouds crept towards us from behind them.

For some odd reason, no one was smoking on the sidewalks of Pristina, yet men were selling cigarettes from card tables on the curb. We ate at a Chinese restaurant near the UN headquarters; it was very good, very filling. Children sold lighters and flashlights on the street, shining their wares at customers seated in restaurants and cafes. Route 66, an American restaurant selling burgers, tempted us from afar. I craved onion rings and beer.

Albania

We had to walk across the border early one morning to reach Albania from Ohrid. The sign welcoming visitors was dotted with bullet holes, shot from the Albanian side. After one taxi ride we took a long minibus ride through the mountains, driving on winding roads. The driver fed me cigarettes and blared techno from a new radio. He bought a live fish in a plastic bag from a roadside market and threw it into the trunk; we could hear the poor thing flapping listlessly for a portion of the trip.

Albania is one of the most mountainous countries I've ever visited. From my perspective, there is no flat land in that nation, just one mountain rising and falling into another one; villages clung to the sides of those green giants.

Tirana: Cigarettes and passports sold on cardboard boxes. Cars, scooters and trucks racing on roundabouts. Mosques pepper the skyline. Excellent coffee, terrible ice cream.

From Durres we took a ferry, a massive ship with several dining areas and private cabins. We slept in the "common room." Passengers made makeshift beds out of their clothes, though some had blankets. Others slept in the halls. I stepped out to the deck and saw the infinite darkness of the Adriatic Sea at night.

Oh, and Durres is interesting. We checked out the mall (I haven't been in one for two years) and ate decent pasta. To get to the dock we had to walk through a shanty town filled with vendors and kids asking for money. Two guards watched over the gate that lead to customs. For me, that was an odd experience.

Italy

I'm of two minds regarding Italy. First, it is beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you different. Rome, for example, has a dream-like quality to its streets and squares. I think a combination of very long streets filled with enticing shops, and the epic fountains majestically rising from the pavement like ornate bouquets, make Rome appear "unreal" to new visitors. I got major food poisoning, which seems to be a common reaction North Americans have when they visit Italy.

Lastly, when I return to Canada I'm going to relocate my online presence. First, I'm withdrawing myself from Blogger. My blogs will remain online but there will be no new posts and the comments will be closed. I'm looking into building my own website that's going to have a dual function: blog and business.

Friday, we're off to Maribor for the day.

Not so many spare winter hours after all

2008-04-22T13:29:00.003+01:00

Between our work, travels at the end of March and our post-travel malaise (Italy was glorious but we happened to run afoul of some suspect pizza in Rome), we haven't been posting much. We're trying to get our work and school obligations done, while enjoying our last six weeks in Slovenia. The time has flown by and I'm living in denial about how short our remaining days are here. I can't speak for Jay, but I've got some posts in the works.

Gogol Bordello tickets

2008-04-10T23:15:00.004+01:00

Does anyone happen to have an extra ticket or two that they are selling for Friday's show at Mediapark? I was waiting until I had a little pocket money to buy the tickets, not expecting GB to be so wildly popular here as to sell out. Looks like I was wrong.

You know it's Spring in Ljubljana...

2008-04-02T13:39:00.002+01:00

...when thunderstorms and hail roll in around 1pm.

We're back in our snug apartment after two weeks on the road. The train from Venice seemed to take ages to get here and the policist shining his light in my eyes during a "random" 1am document check (no more borders in Schengen my eye!) didn't speed things along much, but we made it at about 2am this morning. The church on Roznik glowing like an orange beacon in the dark from the window of the sleeping train was a welcome sight.

It's a long trip from Rome (we left at 14:50), but one can hardly complain about traveling through the Italian countryside on a fast train! The Eurostar stopped in Firenze and Bologna but those beautiful cities will have to be explored another time, as we were ready for a bit of time at home.

The train to Ljubljana didn't leave until 21:30, so we had time for a couple of "sprizze" in our favourite little hole in the wall in Venice. It's only a short walk from Santa Lucia, but as there are no "sights" on that particular street, it's only frequented by locals. "Due sprizze, per favore" earns a smile from the waiter, and we are always sure of a comfortable seat beside the canal, sipping the amber or ruby drinks that are a Venetian specialty. After a walk up the nearby tourist thoroughfare, where sour-faced waiters in white jackets tout expensive menus in six languages and sunburned couples eat 20 euro salads and bicker in German and English, it's refreshing to sip the mixture of Campari (ruby and bitter) or Aperol (amber and slightly sweet), Proseco and soda, and listen to the sound of waves and the conversations of Venetians as they end their work day or begin a night on the town.

Today's rain is a bit of a relief, as everything from the Macedonia/Albania border onwards was sunny and hot (poor us!). It also gives us a reason to spend the day at home, resting and preparing pasta with sundried tomatoes from the market at the Campo dei Fiori. Contentment!

Update

2008-03-26T13:21:00.003Z

We are on the road right now, traveling around the Balkans and haven't much been in the vicinity of computers. We're hoping a bus for Ohrid, Macedonia in an hour and a half, so I must run to grab some burek and see something of Skopje's Turkish quarter. More soon!

Redd Cross of Slovenia

2008-03-16T20:01:00.001Z

Good time of day.

The diary of a lost international student.

2008-03-09T10:46:00.011Z

I should warn you, gentle readers: this will be a rather long post.

When I first arrived in Slovenia, I felt like a tourist. Each building needed to be photographed and poured over as though I was the first person to discover them. I watched people exchange pleasantries like a dispassionate anthropologist. I counted cobblestones. I savoured each bite of food and every sip of wine, trying to identify a particular nuance in flavour that differed from my indigenous staples.

I've been living and studying here for about a year and with some difficulty, like wedging a square peg into a slightly smaller square hole, I managed to ease myself into the rhythms of Slovenian life. What does that entail exactly?

Going to school, shopping at the outdoor market, wandering the city and meeting with friends. I have settled into a quiet life and I'm fond of being a little reclusive.

I've been writing essays for school. In fact, that eats up most of my time. I have few lectures, so I invest my energies into reading, research and writing. At the moment I have to four essays for FDV and two essays for UBC. At the end of the semester, around the end of April, I have to write six exams. Luckily, three of them are oral exams. Lately I've taken to working at the FDV library, a small sleek space with an arboretum attached to its exterior. The library is held aloft, above the faculty. The symbolism is not entirely succinct, but welcome nonetheless.

"Wait, only a few lectures?" you ask.

In Slovenia, post-secondary students have the constitutional right to be taught in their native language. Naturally, this is understandable. When I take classes in Canada, I expect the lectures to be in English. However, professors in my host faculty don't receive any compensation for holding extra lectures in English. This means Slovenian and international students are lumped together, which is wonderful. Unfortunately, some Slovenian students have trouble understanding lectures in English and request (some would say demand) to be taught in Slovene. The professor must abide. I have no problem with this, really.

Consequently, I was asked, along with the other international students, to leave the classroom on two occasions this semester. Not because we were unwelcome but because the lecture would be in Slovene and hence, useless to non-native speakers. Despite the professor's stalwart reassurances that all is well, I quickly vacated the classroom to conceal my embarrassment.

I have heard another anecdote to illustrate the tension between local and international students; however, since it's unsubstantiated I'll refrain from mentioning the incident. I assure you the atmosphere is laden with misgivings, as though a fog had seeped into the faculty and clung to the walls and desks.

The students are not to blame, nor the professors. The university's administration, which advertises classes in English without including a clause, needs to be held accountable for causing such a bureaucratic debacle.

The professor for those two classes I mentioned, including a third that is two semesters long, agreed to hold personal consultations and lectures for international students at his own expense. A respected poet and theorist (not to mention any names), I'm fortunate enough to have him as a mentor of sorts for one semester. I owe him thirty-five pages before I return to Canada.

Lisa and I want to ride bikes through the city. Although we never got around to seeing more of Slovenia in February, due to illness and school, we will be taking advantage of the upcoming warm weather to explore this lovely alpine nation.

More to come, I'm sure.

Kolo

2008-03-02T21:17:00.002Z

Now that the weather is getting nicer, being in proximity to all these great bike trails without a bike is killing me. Jay and I are in the market for a bike to use this spring. Anybody out there have a bike they'd like to sell or rent out for a few months? We'll be checking the flea market and the stores, but I thought I'd beat the internet bushes first.

My neighbours are teh cute

2008-02-27T21:11:00.002Z

They periodically have parties where their friends come over and sing along to pop hits together. They are doing an adorably off-key rendition of Soft Cell's Tainted Love right now.

2008-02-23T10:42:00.006Z

Janez Drnovšek, former president of the Republic of Slovenia, died last night. Pengovsky has a post on his achievements and political life. Before coming to Slovenia, I remember reading about the country's vegan, New Age president. RIP.

I just came back from the market and the library, and when I looked at the first page of one of the books I borrowed, I came across this beautiful passage from Kahlil Gibran:

'For what is to die,
But to stand in the sun and melt into the wind?
And when Earth has claimed our limbs,
Then we shall truly dance.'
-The Prophet

The joy of living in a small country, reason #108

2008-02-20T13:04:00.004Z

You have conversations like this, with everyone you know:

"Hey, kako si?"
"Meh, I'm kinda sick."
"Yeah? Me too!"
"I've got a low-grade fever and the right side of my throat is sore as hell."
"I'm exactly the same! Only the right side of my throat hurts and I have just enough fever to feel crappy."
"Joj, sucks to be us."

Multiply that conversation by 2 million residents, who are all sick, at the exact same time and with the exact same weirdo symptoms. Did we all go out with wet hair or something? photo source

The world's newest country

2008-02-17T15:53:00.005Z

Well, it's gone ahead as planned. Kosovar Albanians are partying in the streets of Pristina, meanwhile, both Tadic and Koštunica have declared independence an illegal move that Serbia regards as "null and void". Elsewhere, ultranationalists have protested in front of the Slovenian embassy in Belgrade, and top business people in Ljubljana (including the CEO of Gorenje, on behalf of 1,100 managers in the country) have submitted a letter urging perpetual Foreign Affairs Minister Dimitrij Rupel to delay recognizing Kosovo in order to avoid harming economic ties with Serbia and Russia.

We'll know soon enough if violence will spark off from Mitrovica, where soldiers have been busy putting concrete and barbed wire barriers between Albanian and Serb sides of the bridge over the Ibar, or in another corner of the country.Hopefully there will be peace, but the rhetoric from the Serbian political establishment (however expected and predictable) is ominous. Provoking violence would be a spectacularly bad (and ultimately pointless) move, but it wouldn't be the first time that Serbia pointed the gun at its own foot and pulled the trigger until the cartridge was empty.

If you're looking for news or analysis on the Kosovo issue, B92 has up-to-date news from Belgrade. A Fistful of Euros has excellent pieces on Kosovar independence. Camille also posted some good info sources, and drew a handy map to show people back home how far we are from the drama.

Top photo of boy in Mitrovica from the Sidney Morning Herald, french soldier working on reinforcements courtesy B92.

Mercator 'bombing'

2008-02-10T17:13:00.000Z

I spent Friday on the train to Ljubljana, so I only just caught the news of the bomb threat and attack on two Mercator shops in Belgrade (Novi beograd and Čačak centres). No injuries, except to Merc's window, and the bomb threat turned out to be a hoax. B92 has more here. Apparently the leaked memo and Slovenia's likely endorsement of Kosovar independence have been stirring controversy in Belgrade. Photo source: B92.

News from Serbia

2008-02-03T23:03:00.000Z

Boris Tadić just won the presidential election, over Radikalna Stranka (nationalist) party leader Tomislav Nikolić. Tadić is known for a pro-EU stance. Can he negotiate his country toward a compromise on the issue of Kosovar independence? It promises to be an interesting few weeks in this corner of the world, hopefully, everything will stay peaceful. A date for independence has been set, so it could be any time in the coming days.

ETA: Then again, PM Kostunica doesn't back Tadić's pro-European stance, and since they are in coalition together, there apparently could be a new election the minute Kosovo declares. Support for Nikolić is at 47% according to votes cast, so it's not like Tadić enjoys an overwhelming majority of support.

Human rights

2008-01-24T11:59:00.000Z

I'm just finishing my big project up, so regular posting (and travel!) should resume shortly. In the meantime, you (or any foreign journalists covering the EU Presidency that you know) might be interested in this resource: the Mirovni Institut (Peace Institute) has set up a Human Rights Press Point, both online and at the City Hotel on Dalmatinova.

For now, I'm off in search of coffee. After what seems like months of grey skies and thick fog, this is the second day in a row of clear, cold blue sky. Enjoy the sunshine! I'll be on a cafe terrace with a bela kava and a trashy mystery novel, soaking up some vitamin D if anybody needs me.

Looking for a Slovenian woman

2008-01-17T22:06:00.000Z

Get your mind out of the gutter! I need someone who has a Slovenian accent to do a quick voiceover in English. The clip that needs a voiceover (it's in Slovene) is quite short, so it shouldn't take too long to record. Maybe ten minutes at the absolute most?

Update: I found someone to help me and the voiceovers sound fantastic! Thanks, A!

Just checking in.

2008-01-16T21:33:00.000Z

- Apparently, Union does not transform my face into a bloated swollen mess. Yay!
- After months of trudging back and forth to the passport office, I finally received my student visa. Another yay!
- That means I can travel outside the country.
- Of course, I get my visa around the same time I have four essays due, which means no traveling for me for awhile. I HATE YOU IRONY
- My essay for Information Cultures and Subcultures class is coming along nicely. I'm drawing a lot from cultural and social theory and it's really fun.
- I have no exams this semester. One class is two semesters long so the final is in April, one class does not have an exam scheduled and I'm exempt from another because I'm an outstanding (and handsome) student.
- The cat is doing well. I think he's lost more weight, though. Which reminds me, we have to find a good vet for him. Any suggestions, Slovenian pet owners?
- I'll be submitting a short story for publication and the deadline is Febuary 15th. Should I submit an old unpublished story or try to finish the one I have on the go?
- We saw the source of the Ljubljanica with the venerable Pengovsky. Good times were had! We went to Vrhnika where water seeps out of the ground and rocks and collects into a frothing river.
- I've been going to Metelkova now and then.

That was longer than I anticipated. Okay, off to bed.

2008-01-15T19:27:00.001Z

I've been playing around with Audacity, an audio recording and editing program. I love it: it's easy to use and great for editing sound. Best part? It's free! The people who made it have a fantastic philosophy about sharing their product.

Sailing Through Winter: Impressions and a Personal Update.

2008-01-06T12:52:00.000Z

Ljubljana is slowly emerging from its holiday slumber. More people are walking the city streets, although they do so cautiously like drowsy bumblebees. The snow is fading into thin ice. I haven't seen a stray cat in days. The Christmas decorations are coming down today, I think. Faint scents of baked bread, grilled meat and car exhaust linger in the air around our neighbourhood. The sky is the colour of ash and I sit at my desk, dreaming.

Here's what I've been up to:

- Listening to psychedelic Finnish music, particularly Sateenkaarisuudelma. I was also introduced to experimentalists Vapaa and Keijo.
- I'm writing a paper for my Information Culture and Subcultures class. The course centers on how subcultures use digital technology to produce and distribute themselves and their material culture. For this essay I'm writing about the relationship between slash fan fiction and the internet. That's all I have at the moment.
- Or maybe I'll do something on open source digital graffiti projects.
- Avoiding beer and sticking to wine for the time being. I miss beer.
- As always, keeping up with Slovenian bloggers.

Pa ti?

Two good things for the new year

2008-01-03T19:52:00.001Z

Apparently Uzbekistan has just abolished the death penalty, as of January 1st by decree of Islam Karimov (who makes few good moves in his dictator-like approach to rule of his country). Now if we can get everyone else (ahem, neighbours to the South of Canada) to follow suit!

On a Central Asia-related note, I just joined a group called Kiva that allows members to make loans to small entrepreneurs and business owners in developing countries. Instead of charity, which decides how money will be applied to problems by outsiders, this is micro-credit, which puts money directly into the hands of people who decide how best they will use the funds. Loans are made to people who would not traditionally be granted loans by banks (or who would be prey to usurious money lenders, charging as much, as in the case of Tajikistan, as 86% interest on loans). Over a specified term, they make payments (to a local organization that administers the funds) and over time the loan is repayed. I can then choose to reinvest my money in other businesses or withdraw it. As these are loans, there is a small chance that there will be a default. In places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where the infrastructure has been totally destroyed, borrowers may not be able to pay money back even if they want to. However, Kiva's default rate is tiny compared to traditional loan default rates, and the most you can lose to default is $25.

The business I chose to fund is a dairy in Tajikistan. The owner, Mr. Boboev, will use the combined funds to buy a bull and another dairy cow, and to expand his line of products.

If you have any Christmas money kicking about and feel tired of shopping for yet another trinket, consider funding a loan! It's neat to see what people are up to in different parts of the world, and to sort through the different loan requests (each borrower has a page, and some put up journals throughout the loan term). As someone who has been part of a small family business for six years now, I can really understand the impact of such a loan.

Srečno novo leto!

2008-01-01T16:13:00.000Z

Happy New Years 2008!

Allergic to . . . Laško? Oh no!

2007-12-30T10:16:00.001Z

The other night we went for drinks with friends, and ended up in a bar to keep out of the cold. I ordered a Laško and sat back in my chair to enjoy my drink. Minutes later, my face became red and swollen, which was immediately noticed by everyone. I had to reassure them I wasn't going to fall unconscious or anything.

Great, I thought, my bloody English-Scottish genes are really kicking in. I'm a red-faced drunk. Wonderful.

Anyway, we later walked home and my face returned to normal. I also drank Union that night, and I racked my brain trying to figure out if it was Union or Laško that caused my reaction. When I got home I cracked open another Laško to experiment. I got halfway through the can and my face became puffy and red once again.

This is kind of unsettling. Am I allergic to Laško, or Union, or both? Or maybe I'm developing an allergy to beer? Or alcohol? That could pretty much end my life right there. I mean, I'm still cutting out cigarettes, but now I can't drink? Can't a man have any vices?

Of course, it could have been an off night for me, and by New Year's Eve I'll be back in shape.

Remnants of future past.

2007-12-30T09:54:00.000Z

Jan Kempenaers has an exhibit on ex-Yugoslavian public monuments, some of which are absolutely spectacular (pic on the right is unrelated). These massive structures are both eerie and magnificent: eerie because of their sheer size and isolation, and magnificent because they really embody the "forward-thinking," post-modern Communist aesthetic that dominated architecture and design for years. The forms these structures take are almost alien, both symmetrical and unbalanced like a curious musical piece.

Searching for these monuments would make an interesting field trip.

After the fact.

2007-12-26T21:49:00.000Z

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and to get back into my routine I discovered some interesting cultural differences between Slovenian and Canadian Christmas traditions. Of course, this little blurb is more for our (few) Canadian readers, but our Slovenian readers might find this interesting as well.

Okay, I focused more on mythological figures rather than actual cultural practices, but I did notice one thing: I found that Slovenians tend to celebrate more on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some felt it was "too late" to wish us Merry Christmas on the actual day.

St. Nicholas, or Miklavž, is accompanied by Krampus, a devilish character brandishing a length of chain. Krampus is disciplinary in nature, punishing children who misbehave during the year. He is Miklavž's foil - one rewards, and the other . . . well, not so much. In North America, kids get coal in their stocking rather than receive a lashing from a demonic apparition. Personally, I'm partial to Krampus. Mixing terror and treats is more interesting than saccharine sentimentalism.

Dedek Mraz, otherwise known as Grandpa Frost, is another figure who appears during the holidays. Dedek Mraz has some significant differences from St. Nicholas: he's thinner, wears a grey coat and dormouse cap, and delivers presents on New Year's Eve.

There you have it.

Vesel božič!

2007-12-25T20:01:00.000Z

Merry Christmas to all!

And to all a good night.

If you are in the neighbourhood . . .

2007-12-25T10:39:00.000Z

Dear blog and 'real world' friends,

If you are in our general vicinity, please feel free to drop by for a visit and festive drink today or tomorrow. Our lovely Dolenski landlords just dropped by and brought us a tray of pršut and cheese, so we (vegetarians) need your help! We also have more Christmas cookies, chocolate and wine then we know what to do with. The door is open!

Sneži!

2007-12-24T13:10:00.000Z

Christmas Eve and it's snowing in our neighbourhood. We've been a bit out of commission the last couple of weeks, me with a cold from hell, Jay with school work and projects. As Pengovsky points out, I'm not the only one to have caught the bug: half of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the mayor and several members of the Slovenian blogging community were down for the count. Thanks to a certain Medicine Fairy who loaded me up with Paracetamol and Vitamin C, I managed to stop wandering around in a fevered daze. Mostly I feel better, though I'm still only sleeping an hour or two each night because of the coughing. I'm sure Jay and the neighbours appreciate that. For now, we're decorating and cleaning up Casa Canadiens in preparation for the Big Day. I'll post some more after the decorations are up.

Christmas in Ljubljana.

2007-12-16T11:24:00.000Z

I was chatting with a friend on MSN and she jokingly suggested I write a short story entitled "A Child's Christmas in Ljubljana," a series of vignettes about a man recollecting his childhood memories of spending the holidays in Slovenia. Of course, the narrative would be an utter lie but I suspect I'll make millions before the public catches on. Watch for it in your local bookstore!

But, the holiday is encroaching on us and as usual everyone we know, and ourselves included, are incredibly busy preparing for the Big Day. That doesn't just mean buying decorations and presents and other sundry items. No, like all responsible adults we are desperately finishing projects so we have little to do while we nurse our holiday hangovers. Lisa and I made it to the Lighting Ceremony awhile back and we've been taking in the local ambiance as much as possible (read: mulled wine and roasted chestnuts). First, some gratuitous cat-blogging:

As you can see, our cat adores Slovenia. We discovered he's fond of Italian cuisine.

The giant Christmas tree in Prešernov trg.

This year's theme is Macrocosms and Microcosms, hence the massive floating DNA and galaxy.

Vendors line the sidewalks along the Ljubljanica River.

Lighting up Kongresni trg.

We had some snowfall last night and we're expecting a little more in the coming week. I think that's all I got at the moment. More later, I'm sure. All photos by Lisa!

2007-12-15T16:35:00.000Z

Can anyone recommend an electronics store in Ljubljana that would sell decent (and hopefully decently priced) headphones?

I am looking for a job.

2007-12-11T10:24:00.000Z

This afternoon I'm going to a talk on how to find work in the EU, hosted at my faculty. I'll file a report on my impressions when I get back.

UPDATE: I went to my faculty and looked for the event but couldn't find anything even remotely looking like a seminar or workshop or whatever. The person working behind the information desk had no idea what I was talking about when I asked about it. Oh, well. I'm still looking.

30 Years of Slovenian Punk Rock.

2007-12-02T10:39:00.000Z

Last night was the sold out reunion show for the first major punk band in Yugoslavia, Pankrti ("The Bastards"). Before fans of Paraf jump all over me, I should acknowledge that there is some debate as to who came first. Pankrti had the first album out though, and it was their 30th birthday as a band, so I think it's fair to accord them the title for now.

The crowd was a mix of old and young (some so much so that they probably weren't born before Pankrti stopped performing together), and everyone went nuts when the band came on. Peter Lovšin may look like a middle aged guy, but he rocked out nonstop like a teenager during the set and two encores, at one point doing a backwards summersault while keeping time with a tambourine.

Contrary to rumours, Niet didn't play last night, due to some dispute or demand that couldn't be met. On the other hand, as Iva pointed out, Ivan Kral (guitarist for Patti Smith and Iggy Pop) played with the band as a special guest.

For those of you who didn't make it, I've dug up some old Yugoslav punk clips. Enjoy!

Bandiera Rossa, the song that had all of Hala tivoli pogoing like mad.

Album version of Bandiera, with still shots of Communist parades and demonstrations from around the world. Bandiera rossa la trionferà! Prešeren square makes a quick cameo.

Niet, the no-shows, playing Lep dan za smrt.

Niet, Ritem človeštva.

Vintage concert footage of Pankrti and others from Kongresni trg. This is how young Slovenians rolled in 1988.

A clip from the film Outsider. Bosnian band Zabranjeno pušenje does a great version of Anarhija, called "Anarhija all over Baščaršija" but I can't seem to find it online.

Just so Rijekans wouldn't feel left out, some footage of Paraf (also rumoured to play with Pankrti, possibly on a reunion tour through ex-Yu countries) set to one of their songs.

2007-12-01T14:47:00.000Z

If you're looking for something to do in Ljubljana tonight, there is a World Aids Day concert in Kongresni trg.

A little translation help?

2007-11-27T10:29:00.000Z

Hey y'all,

Yes I am indeed here and I'll be back to posting soon. The jetlag kicked my ass for a good week and I've been running between offices with forms and photocopies, so I've been feeling a little uninspired in the blog department. But on to practical things:

How do you say "Sorry, wrong number?" in Slovenian? I've got the "sorry" and the "number" part of the equation, but I'm having a little bit of trouble putting it together.

Some old dude keeps calling, wondering if this is Spar. He's got the general geographic coordinates right, but I can't quite seem to transfer his call to the grocery department.

Would you care for a Dickmann?

2007-11-26T15:58:00.001Z

No? Then perhaps a Super Dickmann?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, man. That never gets old.

It's that time of year again.

2007-11-24T12:27:00.001Z

No, not Christmas, although that is fast approaching as well. I'm referring to the slew of term papers I have to write. Five in total, rather than the six I originally thought. They are all manageable and I will make time to enjoy Ljubljana while it's shrouded in winter. However, my posting will be irregular once again.

One interesting observation, though. Just as soon as the dishes are washed and the leftover turkey is entombed in cellophane after Thanksgiving dinner, businesses begin to bombard the public with Christmas ads. The Canadian Thanksgiving is in October, people. OCTOBER! That means for two months the Canadian public is forced to listen to Bing Crosby rattling in their ears and corny commercials guilting them into buying gifts for their loved ones.

This is why I don't watch that much television.

Anyway, we're well into November and I have yet to see a massive ad campaign for Christmas crap in Ljubljana. I don't watch television here so I'm not sure if there's holiday commercials playing in rotation. The local supermarket has some decorations but I had to double-check to make sure. It's quite . . . peaceful. I like it. The quiet reminds me of when I came home from work and savouring the silence after being swamped with invasive ear-piercing noises all day.

Thank you, Ljubljana.

Well, look who's here.

2007-11-20T20:11:00.000Z

I , for one, couldn't believe it, but our cat Salvador actually made it across the Atlantic Ocean with the minimum of fuss. He is the bravest cat I know. Lisa did an incredible job bringing him here, but she tells the story far better than me. Once the jet lag wears off I'm sure she'll enlighten us. Salvador, on the other hand, doesn't seem affected by the whole ordeal. He's already found his favourite perch, which is pictured on the right, and he comfortably wanders around the flat like he already owns the place.

Oh, and today he had burek for the first time - he liked it. No surprise there.

Gandalf in Slovenian politics.

2007-11-20T14:48:00.000Z

BoingBoing has blogged about Janez Drnovesk's profile in the London Times:

"Slovenia’s President is a recluse. Told he had cancer, Janez Drnovsek moved alone to the woods and embraced his inner spirituality. His Government despises him but he is a hero to his people."

Canadian punk rock in Slovenia.

2007-11-15T14:23:00.000Z

Nomeansno, one of my favourite punk bands from Victoria (they now reside in Vancouver) played in Ljubljana on Tuesday. I'm saving money at the moment and I've already seen them play dozens of times, so I didn't completely miss out. Did anyone go? Do you have pictures or anecdotes to share?

More wine! More wine! More wine!

2007-11-15T13:01:00.000Z

That's right, you heard me.
From November 22nd to the 24th over 500 wines from 150 winemakers will be presenting their latest harvest at Hotel Slon. Event information is here. Tickets are a whopping 20€, but participants get to drink more wine than old Bacchus himself can handle. Maybe I'll see you there?

Slovenia is known for its wine, producing more than enough to satisfy the locals but not quite enough to justify a massive export venture. To be fair, I'm not a wine expert but I'm slowly learning as much as I can before my next cocktail party. I can't always talk about Foucault at those things*. That would be redundant.

Anyway, I found some excellent online resources for Slovenian wine. This is a comprehensive article on Slovenian wine in general. Here is a complete webpage dedicated to Slovenia's wine culture. For the history buff, check out this short article on Slovenian viniculture through the ages.

Time to hit the books - I'll catch you guys later.

* Maybe I should mention Proust?

Festival Break 2.4

2007-11-14T18:25:00.000Z

If you have some time I recommend attending Festival Break: 9th International Festival of Independent Artists. I missed most of the events but I'll try to make it for the rest. With school and the imminent and highly anticipated arrival of two very important visitors I'm currently swamped with errands.

PS: Travel insurance sucks.

Intellectual freedom at FDV.

2007-11-14T12:41:00.000Z

As I was walking on campus yesterday, two petitioners intercepted me and began talking to me in Slovene. After I explained that I only spoke English I received the full story: Apparently, a political science professor at FDV is being either harassed or something worse for conducting research on the church. The complaint comes directly from the church, accusing the researcher for "snooping."

Unfortunately, that's all I know at the moment. Anyone with more information is welcome to contribute their insights.

Happy St. Martin's Day!

2007-11-11T13:19:00.001Z

Today is St. Martin's Day, celebrated in both Slovenia and Croatia. November 11th is when mošt, which is prefermented wine, finally turns into true wine. Last night Iva and I checked out a small celebration held at Vinakoper, one of the large wine producers in Slovenia. It was pretty low-key. Live Slovenian music was playing under tents while roasted goose, the traditional fare served on St. Martin's Day, was being served to the patrons. We sampled a few glasses and left shortly after. The muscat was extraordinary, very light and fruity with a clean finish that's reminiscent of tart strawberries and melon.

Usually the celebration is much larger in towns that actually have vineyards, like in Koper or Maribor, but just being around in Ljubljana was fine enough.

My shameless plug.

2007-11-09T08:16:00.000Z

I have a new blog. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird is my online notebook for social and literary theory. My goal is to spare readers of my other blogs the drudgery of having to endure my theoretical ramblings.

The difference between Slovenian and Canadian universities.

2007-11-09T05:33:00.000Z

Yesterday I had a one-on-one consultation with the professor for my Information Culture and Subcultures class. The course focuses on how subcultures use technology for aesthetic or political purposes. Unfortunately, this class conflicts with another class, Sociology of the Arts, which I'm obligated to take, since it's kind of my "speciality" and I traveled 9,000 kilometers just so I can register for it.

In Canada, students only visit their professors' office if they have a question or a grading problem. If students cannot take a class because of a scheduling conflict, well, then that's too bad: you just don't register for that class. However, my faculty (and presumably the other faculties) in Ljubljana allows students to meet with the professor if just such an occasion arises.

So what does this all entail? I arranged a time and date with the prof, and then I met him in his office. We basically sat and talked about photography, lomography, Barthes, Benjamin, various subcultures (skinheads, post-Glasnost Russian art, Japanese sex clubs), the distributive power of the Internet and the low-tech movement.

This was such a unique opportunity, I have to say. Or write, in this case. I was treated like an equal rather than a subordinate. The prof assumed I had something interesting to say and I actually possessed knowledge in my subject. We discussed my final paper and some possible topics for it. In conclusion, this is what graduate students in Canada experience, not undergraduates. Now why do you think that is?

Wine makes everything better.

2007-11-08T21:39:00.000Z

In light of my recent visa troubles, what better way to remedy this grievous situation then by sampling some local wine and listening to accordion music? This Friday and Saturday, Wine Celebration Day will be held at Cesta dveh cesarjev 170 in Vič! Here is the schedule:

FRIDAY:

18.00 - exhibition of tuned cars
19.00 - acordion players meeting
20.00 - concert (Roxie and Platana)

SATURDAY:

19.00 - concert (Kalamari and Slavko Ivančić, Roxie)

I might be attending if I can get enough schoolwork done. If anyone is interested and would like to join me (or to meet me there) just let me know! I'm in the mood to be immersed in Slovenian culture again, since I've just been clubbing lately. Besides, I'm curious to see what the 2007 wine season has to offer.

My student visa continues to elude me.

2007-11-07T15:19:00.000Z

I just got back from the Foreigner's Office. Apparently, the documents I submitted to prove I possess sufficient funds were not accepted. This sucks. I'm a student so they require documents that will show what "scholarships" I have earned or whatever. I'm living off a student loan, which is clearly not a scholarship. I just hope they'll accept those, or else or I'm royally screwed.

Looks like another mad scramble to hunt down more paper so I can keep the big bureaucratic monster fed. I have to admit, this whole process is confusing and frustrating. I had no problems last semester, so what's the deal?

Addendum: My previous student visa has expired, what's going to happen if I can't renew it before my tourist permit also expires? Yes, now this situation has doubled in suckage.

Oh, Fredi Miler.

2007-11-04T18:29:00.000Z

This is wonderful. Made in, what, 2005? And somehow, he made a career out of being a laughing stock for shooting this video. Yes, he is indeed singing in Maribor.

Belated Halloween report.

2007-11-02T15:15:00.000Z

Candles were placed on every grave, and this cemetery was huge.

The cemetery's front entrance, designed by Jože Plečnik.

The fabled Lamp Horse, a rare Slovenian breed.

Photos courtesy of the lovely and talented Iva, who posted a summary of our Halloween outing.

Autumn in Ljubljana: A Short Photo Essay.

2007-10-31T16:00:00.000Z

On the way to Tivoli Park.

Having a post-walk coffee. Note the specks of mud on my boots.

After finishing my school projects I decided to award myself with a lengthy stroll in Tivoli Park. The colours were outstanding, and when I walked under the trees with their swaying orange leaves, the sunlight pouring through the canopy shone with a warm golden radiance. This, my dear friends, is the reason why we were put on this Earth: to enjoy its beauty.

Tonight I'm visiting a cemetery for Day of the Dead (not the movie) then off to the clubs for some dancing. Halloween is not really celebrated in Slovenia, although it's slowly getting recognized by the younger folks. People here do celebrate Day of the Dead (as I just mentioned) which involves having a huge meal with the family then heading out to a cemetery to light candles and leave flowers for the departed, much like how it's celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Happy Halloween!

Autumn in Ljubljana.

2007-10-26T12:16:00.001+01:00

The problem with "assignment week" (or just how I manage my time during this sordid period) is that I hardly go out and isolate myself from everyone and everything. Which is irritating, because the leaves are starting to turn orange and yellow and red, and I really want to take a long walk in Tivoli Park and maybe play some football.

Did I mention that autumn is my favourite season? And all through summer I hide in my house, silently praying for fall to sweep in and save me from the sun's lashing rays?

What? An ELECTION?

2007-10-22T01:45:00.000+01:00

As I sit firmly adhered to my desk trying to finish an essay there is a Presidential election raging on in my adopted (and unfortunately temporary) home. Of course, I'm unable to vote and I'm woefully uninformed about the issues and candidates, but still, it doesn't mean Ljubljana won't be any less exciting for the next little while.

I'm still hunting for a Slovenian news service in English . . .

On commuter mugs and how to quit smoking.

2007-10-20T13:21:00.000+01:00

One small yet significant cultural difference between Slovenia and Canada is the presence of the commuter mug, often referred to as the travel mug. I prefer the term "commuter mug" because it contains more syllables and when I use words like that they make me appear intelligent and worldly (which I am).

Anyway, in Canada, if you were to take public transit, peek into cars stuck in traffic (I do it all the time) or note what your co-workers carry with them you will notice that a large segment has a commuter mug. Either clutched in a hand or buried in a backpack's exterior pocket, these vacuum-sealed wonders are common sights among workers and students. Furthermore, there are many cafes that offer the "to-go" option, giving customers a disposable cardboard mug or, if you bring your own commuter mug, the folks behind the counter will fill it up for you.

Now, in Slovenia, I hardly see anyone with one. There's the occasional sighting, but they're rare. Also, to my knowledge, I only know of two places that offer "take-away" coffee. There may be more, and I encourage folks to let me know, but so far that's two compared to Vancouver's bajillion. I heard a Starbucks did open in Ljubljana, but was shut down after a month. And why not? Why buy overpriced novelty coffees when you can get a tastier and affordable coffee already?

I should probably state at this point that I'm not complaining about the absence of commuter mugs or Starbucks. In fact, it's incredibly refreshing.

So what does this all entail? I can't speak for Slovenia, but I can say that Canada, particularly in large urban areas, tend to favour a commuter-friendly environment. That, and carrying around a massive coffee in portable form does have a performative function. I mean, one could say the commuter mug says to others: "I don't have time to drink my coffee / tea / hot chocolate / human blood at home since I have to go somewhere very important."

In other news, I've decided to quit smoking. The reasons are kind of obvious, so I won't bother you with them. Starting today I'm not smoking, but holy cats am I ever paying for my decision. I have this chill that seems to have nestled deep in my chest, and despite my efforts to smother it with warmth it continues to desperately cling to my bones. At the moment I have two heaters cranked up and I'm wearing a couple of layers and that seems to keep the little ice demon at bay.

Memo from management.

2007-10-17T15:54:00.000+01:00

Posting will be infrequent for the next week or so until I finish my essays and sort out my troubles with the foreigners' office.

Vancouver Night

2007-10-14T14:24:00.000+01:00

Last night was strange. We got to Metelkova at around ten, and we wandered around nursing our beer. In one bar we checked out, they were blaring Nomeansno (a punk band from Vancouver) from the speakers. We finally found the venue where the City of Women show was being held, and lo and behold the act coming on the stage was none other than StinkMitt, who are from Vancouver!

Saturday night is offically Vancouver Night in Ljubjlana. Mark your calenders.

I did buy their latest CD and chatted with them a bit - charming ladies, they are.

My wonderful landlord gave me two bottles of wine.

2007-10-13T11:32:00.000+01:00

In the left hand corner is a sirov burek, which went remarkably well with the white.

I'm doing homework this afternoon, and this evening I'll be visiting Metelkova to attend the closing event for the City of Women festival.

And by the way . . .

2007-10-11T08:43:00.000+01:00

I should mention I had some friends over Tuesday night! I rarely have guests, so I took the opportunity to play host. I picked up some food, and we ate and drank until we decided to check out KMS, a student bar situated in the old tobacco factory in Vič. That's right, the same factory complex that houses the immigration office. I liked KMS. There was a line-up, which sometimes bothers me, but the club was packed. They played some vintage Slovenian pop then reverted to a house set.

By the way, we drank mošt at my place, which is wine before it turns into wine, basically. It can be terrible, but this stuff was outstanding. While still retaining a fruitful flavour, mošt does pack a whallop when it hits your head.

Clues.

2007-10-11T08:27:00.000+01:00

I went to the graduate seminar yesterday. As I was waiting for the prof to arrive, I noticed everyone was speaking Slovene. That was my first clue. My second clue was the class readings some people had in front of them: it did not have the title Theoretical Sociology on the cover. My third, and final, clue came through the door. Instead of the male professor who was supposed to teach the class, a female professor entered the classroom.

I left shortly after that.

So, um, what the hell is going on here FDV? In less than two weeks I've been shortchanged three times. I'm a pretty tolerant guy, almost to the point of passivity, but I'm reaching the threshold of my patience. My home university, which has a larger student population, has not made a clerical error in the two years I've been there. That's two years!

I have to go in today (I really don't want to - I'd much rather stay at home and read) and I'm going to have to mention the mixed-up seminar. I still haven't completely figured out my conflicting course schedule either.

Water.

2007-10-06T08:35:00.000+01:00

The rain started coming down last night, accompanied by Ljubljana's trademark lightning storms. It's still raining.

So far, Ljubljana has had one flood warning and two towns in Slovenia were overwhelmed by the rising waters. Last night my internet connection mysteriously died, then returned after I rebooted everything. Man, that would be a nightmare: trapped in a flooded city without internet.

I turned up the heaters, a pot of coffee is brewing and I have enough work to do at home. So c'mon you bloody rain clouds, show me your worst.

Now if only the contractors would quit with the boom boom pound slam rattle rattle boom boom whirl all damn day and I'll be fine.

What to do here.

2007-10-05T12:43:00.000+01:00

I could some advice.

The international office at my host university sent out an email this morning. Three graduate courses are being offered this semester, and one of them is entitled Theoretical Sociology. The class is being taught by a professor I had last semester, and we got along well.

My concern is that I'm already taking six classes, three of which are distance education courses. I'm already behind on them, unfortunately. Should I bite the bullet and take this graduate class?

Double trouble.

2007-10-05T00:36:00.000+01:00

I just received some wonderful news! As some of you might know, I'm currently a sociology major. However, my goal is to be a double major, adding English Literature as my second degree. Today I got an email from the Majors Committee welcoming me into the English department! I am now offically an English and sociology major!

I am very happy. Time for a drink.

A big thanks to Lisa for sending out my application! You're the best.

The first day of school, and other tales.

2007-10-02T12:45:00.000+01:00

Well, the first day of school was interesting. I was told by the international office that I didn't need to attend the orientation session on Monday, since I already have one semester firmly tucked under my belt. I was to expect a schedule of the courses in the post by the end of next week. Of course, no such schedule appeared in my mailbox. So, on the first day of school, I dashed to the international office, asked what was going on with my classes, and I was directed back to the orientation session. Which was almost over by the time I got to school.

Luckily, I caught the tail-end of it and got my schedule. I'm good now. Two of my classes conflict with one another, but that's just a matter of making an arrangement with the profs.

On Sunday I climbed abroad one of the boats that take tourists up and down the Ljubjlanica River. I actually enjoyed the trip - you get to view the old part of town from a different perspective. However, the boat was a little grimy. I could overlook that, though, because passing under the bridges at night as bats flutter overhead is genuinely cool.

On Saturday night, Iva and I checked out a couple of DJs from Bosnia playing at Metelkova. Imagine traditional Bosnian folk music mixed with minimalist beats, and you get the idea. They played an excellent set and the dance floor slowly became crowded as the evening wore on. I really do enjoy spending time at Metelkova. Although some folks find it strange or they feel they are not "cool enough" to hang out there, I find the atmosphere to be quite friendly and open, and the crowd is always an eclectic mix. Besides, the beer is cheap.

My first classes are tomorrow morning. I'm meeting some former classmates to celebrate a birthday (not mine) this afternoon. Wish me luck.

As some of you might know, I'm deleting my Facebook account. I want to divert my energies into something more productive, like this blog. If I friended you there, send me your contact info so we can keep in touch.

Saturday photo and video dump.

2007-09-29T10:29:00.000+01:00

Street art.

More street art.

Fountain on Mestni trg.

The greatest street food ever: burek.

Some traditional Slovenian dancing:

Another quick rundown.

2007-09-28T21:25:00.000+01:00

I strongly urge anyone and everyone in Ljubjlana to go to the International Center of Graphic Arts for their installment for the 27th Biennial of Graphic Arts. I thought it was a terrific show.

On a sad note, I didn't make it to the films tonight for Terminal00's Week of Balkan Art. I was just too tired today. Hopefully someone else was able to attend and give me their impressions? I will be going to the two shows tomorrow night, though.

And I'm almost over this cold.

A quick rundown.

2007-09-25T15:31:00.000+01:00

This incorrigible cold is still clinging to me.

Today I checked out a couple of venues for the 27th Biennial of Graphic Arts and I cruised through the City Museum of Ljubljana.

Although all of the works displayed in the Biennial were superb, the one that stood out for me was a short film and prints from Rafael Trelles entitled In concrete: Urban Graphics at the Island of Vieques. Trelles is a Puerto Rican artist who uses a pressure washer to etch anti-war images into the grime and soot that blankets the urban landscape.

At the City Museum (which I recommend) I learned an interesting historical tidbit. Did you know that the first Slovene commune was established in 1970? The commune was opened in Cedilnik house in Tacen. After two years it dissolved and the members settled in Brod.

There's more to come.

This week in Ljubljana.

2007-09-24T07:13:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I drew up a tentative schedule for this week. I plan on attending some local events before I start school on October 1st. Here's a preview of this week's adventures:

Joze Plecnik is featured in the Days of European Cultural Heritage, but I'll only be seeing an exhibit at the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana.
Terminal00: Week of Balkan Art
The 27th Biennial of Graphic Arts

That should keep me occupied. That, and the mountain of homework on my desk.

Addendum: I'll also be watching the France Marolt Academic Folklore Group perform traditional dances by the Ljubljanica River. This is happening on Wednesday at 6:30 PM, at Dvorni trg. I'll be checking out the City Icons exhibit at the City Musuem of Ljubljana.

The storm.

2007-09-20T16:37:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday night, we experienced a violent storm - torrential rain and roaring thunder beseiged Ljubljana all evening. I've seen my share of storms so I didn't think anything of it, until Pengovsky wrote an update today on the storm's aftermath: seven victims, two flooded towns and the Franja Partisan Hospital washed away forever.

My thoughts go out to the vicitims' families, and I'm saddened by the lost of such an important historical site. I had a chance to visit in May.

They are coming through the roof.

2007-09-18T15:39:00.001+01:00

There are contractors on my roof. They've been renovating all summer. They are still here. All day I hear a constant pounding and slamming, like someone is tossing huge sacks of shoes and quarters and flour onto the roof from the neighbouring building. I work from home.

And now I'm certifiably insane.

Adventures in applying for a student visa.

2007-09-17T15:54:00.001+01:00

Since I'm classified as a student, my allotted time in Slovenia exceeds the three month limit most visitors are allowed. That's why I had to renew my student visa today.

The office that distributes visas are located in a former tobacco factory, so imagine a complex made up of massive brick warehouses and that's where this office sits. I asked the clerk at the International Student Office for directions, and he told me he wrote an exam there while his faculty was being built. That's actually pretty cool. I had no problem finding it - I just looked for the crowd of people clutching their passports and looking distraught.

After asking two people I was directed to the right office. The building's interior is very sleek, painted in pale colours and the offices were separated by glass walls. A very modern facility, by the looks of it. I took a number from a touchscreen computer and waited for my number to come up on a HD television attached to the wall. I waited ten minutes and I had to walk through another set of doors, which were under the television, when I was called. Although I was able to pay for my visa, I required more documents, including a copy of my health insurance in Slovenian. I kept asking myself: How the hell am I supposed to get that? Luckily, the lovely staff at my faculty's international office offered to call the passport office and translate my health plan for me.

So, a warning to potential long-term visitors: make sure you have all your documentation before applying for a visa. Although I was merely inconvenienced, unprepared applicants are in for a surprise.

Immigration and multiculturalism in Slovenia and Canada.

2007-09-16T13:29:00.000+01:00

This week in the Wall Street Journal a small article appeared regarding the new immigration policies the EU parliament is voting on at the moment:

[They] recommend that illegal aliens be held no more than 18 months before deportation, [. . .] prohibiting the expulsion or detention of unaccompanied children and granting those suffering from a serious illness a residence permit giving them access to medical care.

Although these laws are already in place in most individual nations, a comprehensive set of immigration laws that apply to the EU as a whole is still being crafted among parliamentarians.

Also this week a front page article in the Globe and Mail featured a group of Quebec government office workers issuing a complaint about political correctness allegedly blocking meaningful discussions on whether or not religion has a place in the public sphere. In Quebec (and the rest of Canada), public offices are deemed secular. This has caused some tensions among the workers. For example, Christian employees cannot openly display Christmas decorations, but a Muslim employee washes her feet in a sink used by the rest of the staff prior to her daily prayers. The same old argument is trotted out: if immigrants are to live in Canada, then they must abide by Canadian cultural norms. If Canadian citizens visit another county, they must observe the local customs, right?

I can tell you from experience that this is not the case. I'm a Canadian living abroad, yet I openly speak English, eat food that approximates "Canadian cuisine" and I don't always practice the local customs. However, I learned to take my shoes off and slip on a pair of copati when I visit another home and I try to start most conversations in Slovene. Living abroad is a balancing act. Immigrants cannot simply toss aside their ethnicity - that would be impossible - but newcomers (and visitors like me) have to somehow relate to their new home. In order to adapt to their host country, a degree of compromise is required.

In Canada, there are three dominant culture groups: Anglophone Canadians, Francophone Canadians and First Nations. These groups are large simply because they've been residing in Canada the longest. Other ethnic groups either came along shortly after the French and English arrived or only began immigrating to Canada recently. Canadian society is based on a multicultural "mosaic," a patchwork of different ethnic groups residing together yet retaining their cultural identities.

Given that the EU is now seriously discussing immigration, and that tensions arise between ethnic groups in Canada, what does that mean for Slovenia? Although there are some ethnic minorities here, such as Croats, Bosnians, Italians and Roma, how would an otherwise homogeneous society manage a possible influx of immigrants? Does Slovenia have trouble with illegal immigration? Am I wrong in assuming Slovenia is a homogeneous society?

Making Čokolešnik.

2007-09-16T09:56:00.000+01:00

I was told by a friend that Čokolešnik makes a delicious breakfast, so I gave it a shot this morning. I should have realized the instructions were in Slovene - here's my first attempt at making a local favourite:

Bring the milk to a boil.

Pour the milk into a bowl.

Get yer Čokolešnik!

Add two tablespoons to the milk.

Overall, it came out well. Čokolešnik tastes like Cream of Wheat but not as thick and with a healthy dose of chocolate and hazelnuts thrown inside the mix. So, yes, I liked it. However, I have a feeling I may have erred. Maybe it was too runny? Did I boil too much milk?

Sick.

2007-09-15T07:02:00.000+01:00

My cold reached its peak last night, so I'm holing myself up for the weekend. I have plenty of books (and homework) to keep me busy.

Hello!

2007-09-14T07:23:00.000+01:00

I finally arrived. My flight was rather unremarkable except for a brief episode in the Frankfurt airport. I must have met the most enthusiastic and friendly security guard in the history of . . . well . . . airport security guards. I had to go walk through another luggage check before I boarded my flight to Ljubljana from Frankfurt. I gave the security official my backpack so he can place it the tray that is sent through the x-ray. He held it and bounced it in his hand.
"Oh! Do you have a laptop in your bag?"
"I do."
"Could you take it out please?"
I opened my backpack, revealing seven or eight paperbacks crammed together inside.
"Your bag is full of surprises! HAHAHAHAHA!"
I laughed along with him, just in case he decided a cavity search would uncover more surprises.

On the flight from Vancouver I met a musician and filmmaker who was on his way to India. We sat next to each other and I discovered we both had many interests in common: we are both vegetarian and we're into meditation. We made fun of the films (Mr. Bean's Holiday and Arthur and the Invisibles - both were lukewarm) and chatted to pass the time. I told him I was a nervous flier and during some heavy turbulence over Greenland he asked me if I was alright. Such a nice guy.

A dense fog covered the city early this morning and now the sun is cutting a swath through the murk. I found out that our landlords and I have to register with the immigration office and the student international office won't issue me a student card because I'm not an Erasmus student (Canada is not a participate in the program) but, despite all that, I was able to procure a bus pass. European bureaucracy never ceases to amaze me.

Although I'm getting a cold I was able to drag myself outside and start my day with a burek and a coffee. It's nice to be back.

(Pictures from my walk this morning)

Notes from the departure lounge

2007-09-13T06:05:00.000+01:00

After some running around and last minute errands, I managed to get Jay on a plane this afternoon. We even got to the airport early (a first, I think) and had time for beer and nachos before he had to go through security. Slovenians: keep an eye out for a bleary Canadian with a blue backpack tomorrow afternoon. And take good care of him for me, wouldya? I'll see you all in November. :)

I hear crickets.

2007-08-31T21:54:00.000+01:00

It's been awfully quiet around here. I'm currently visiting friends and family and counting down the days until my flight back to Slovenia. I am very excited.

I have some Slovenia-related stories wanting to come out and say hello. Maybe over the weekend? Let's hope.

Slovenia and comics.

2007-08-03T03:31:00.000+01:00

Now that my comic book love is made public (well, that's not really big news - I tend to write about comics in my "home blog") I should take the opportunity to mention that I'm very interested in Balkan comics (Slavic comics?) as well. I'm aware of Stripburger and I just bumped into Tonci Zonjic's blog, so obviously there's much more out there.

My first foray into European comics, much like many other North Americans, was TinTin and Asterix. I wouldn't really count the Smurfs: I found them irritating and I didn't even know they were based on a European comic: Belgian, I believe. I was heavily invested in Heavy Metal, which introduced me to French, Spanish and Italian artists.

Anyway, about a couple of years ago I finally got around to reading more bande dessinée and presently I'm hunting for more. The techniques used in European comics are markedly different from their North American counterparts, such as pacing, line work (I find European artists aim for cleaner lines, I could be proven wrong if someone showed me an example) and overall format.

I'm still on the lookout for anything relevant - feel free to post suggestions or recommendations!

Death sentence lifted!

2007-07-17T23:56:00.000+01:00

The Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor in Libya have had their death sentence commuted to life in prison. They were accused of intentionally giving children HIV, despite the lack of scientific proof of the supposed crime. The hospital they worked at had a long history of atrocious sanitation, but Libyan authorities pinned the blame on these foreign workers and extracted confessions through torture and rape.

This week, blood money has been paid to the parents of the children and now negotiations are under way to transfer them to Bulgaria. When we were in Sofia, everywhere we went there were ribbons in support of the nurses, on taxis, in windows, on government buildings and on most people's lapels.

7 more things.

2007-07-16T18:56:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to join in here, so I'll add my seven random facts to Jay's:

1. Jay and I met in a Sikh temple. We've been together almost 9 years (this August) from that day.

2. You may have guessed it already since I've alluded to it: I'm French Canadian and learnt both French and English as a wee child. I don't have an accent when I speak English though, so I can pass incognito in anglophone groups. This had led to hearing English Canadians speak about my people as "scum" and wishing that we'd "just fucking separate from Canada already". Good times.

3. I've had the fortune to share a stage with three Nobel Peace Price winners: the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi.

4. I'm a language nerd. I decided to learn Japanese at the age of eight, after meeting a Japanese girl at camp one summer. Her dad was a diplomat in town for a few months, and Akiko and I became friends despite not sharing a common language. I wanted to write to her in Japanese, so I started taking courses. Since then I've also studied Russian (1 year) and a West Coast Aboriginal language (2 years). I don't speak these languages that well (though I understand a fair amount and can write/read Japanese and Russian scripts), but I really loved studying them. I'm hoping to gain some conversational fluency in Slovene this year (right now my language level is that of a small child).

5. I also used to be a punk (part of how Jay and I met). I had a mohawk and then a shaved head for many years.

6. When I'm not in Slovenia, I work as an organic farmer in a small town an hour from Vancouver. I've been doing that for 5 years. I also teach, and am trying to make a go of my freelance writing work.

7. I'm good with money. I have to be considering #6: none of my jobs are known for being well (or even adequately) paid.

Well, that's it. Now you know me a little bit better, eh? Sorry it took me a while to get to this, P.

Both Jay and I are really busy working, going to school and getting ready to go back to Slovenia, so we won't be posting more than once a week, most likely. Check back Mondays, that's when we will have new postings up, if any.

Seven Random Things About Jay

2007-07-11T09:14:00.000+01:00

Awhile back Pengovsky tagged us for a meme. Allow me to elaborate:

1. I like 80's New Wave. If you knew me, you would find that hilarious.

2. I'm a comic book geek. Seriously, I've been reading them since I was six years old. I haven't been able to purchase funny books for five and a half months, and now I face another eleven months of withdrawal symptoms.

3. I'm trying to learn French and I suck at learning French.

4. I was a punk. Mohawk, leather jacket with spikes and studs, bad hygiene - I was a walking cliche.

5. I'm bad with money.

6. I eat condiments straight from the jar. It's awesome.

7. I still get scared when I get a writing gig.

2007-06-30T03:43:00.000+01:00

Seven days, a train strike, a carload of cranky Barcelonans, a hellish security lineup at CDG airport, and some turbulence later, we are back in Vancouver. And just in time for Canada Day. How does one celebrate Canada's 140 years of being a country? Glad you asked. Put on an outfit like this:And then drink until you can't stand, eh? I'm not one for festive headgear (maple leaf tuque? so not fierce), so I spent my Canada Day on a ferry headed for Vancouver Island to see Jay's family in Victoria. The day was pretty quiet, with the occasional "happy Canada Day, eh?" bellowed across the street. Our national celebration ended as it usually does: with the police hammering on our door at 2:30 in the morning. Seems someone else in the building had a little too much Canada Day cheer and they wanted a key to the apartment to "check whether the guy is dead or something". Turns out he wasn't dead, he had just gotten drunk, cranked his music and then left the apartment in the middle of the night, to the eternal gratitude of his neighbours.

I'll let you in on a little secret that no one outside of Canada knows. We have a reputation globally as a nation of boy scouts and cuddly do-gooders. The Ned Flanders of the international community, if you will. We've got that charming accent, we tend to look pretty peaceful compared to our neighbours to the south, our national animal is the beaver, and an elderly lady with a predilection for Corgies is our figurehead. And generally, we are a pretty peaceful, easy-going bunch. Until we've had a two-four of Kokanee (or our hockey team loses the play-offs), that is. Our most frequently occuring crime is common assault, and Canada Day is a pretty good illustration of the Jekyll and Hyde aspect of Canadian temperament. Put a drink in us and we turn into brawlers. In Victoria, a quiet place that has been called the city of the "newlywed and nearly dead", thirty three transit buses pulled in to police road checkpoints for help with drunken, fighting Canadians on board. And yet, only 30 people were arrested in BC's capital on Sunday. Maybe our reputation lives on because we manage to escape arrest most of the time? In any case, all is back to normal, and everyone is mild-mannered, relaxed and tending to their igloos again. In some ways it is indeed good to be home again.

Just a quick update.

2007-06-24T21:52:00.000+01:00

We made it to Venice in time to catch our train, and we're now in Paris, staying with friends in Plessy-Robinson (the last stop on the RER line). We'll put a proper post up tomorrow, but for now I wanted to wish my fellow Québecois a "bonne Saint-Jean"! For non-Québecois readers: "la fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste" is the national holiday of Canada's francophone province, originally celebrated in honour of Quebec's patron saint.

The big reveal.

2007-06-21T13:17:00.000+01:00

It's not that big of a reveal, but I wanted to tell my family before I told the rest of the world.

We are indeed coming back for another year. I'll be returning to Slovenia in September.

Who's the patron saint of Italian strikes?

2007-06-20T07:18:00.000+01:00

The universe has a spectacular sense of humour. Remember those train tickets that I lost, tore the house apart over and then found? *chokes* They are for a train that looks like it won't be running due to an Italy wide TRAIN STRIKE that starts at 9pm on Thursday and runs at least 24hours. I still have to double check with the Slovenian rail company, but it looks unlikely that we'll be taking a train to Venice. Anyone have alternate suggestions? Renting a car with some school mates is probably what will end up happening.

On the up side, the really important train from San Lucia to Paris Bercy seems to be guaranteed to run even during a strike. After spending half an hour freaking out, I managed to find a page that lists trains that are running. I don't imagine that many of you have plans to take an Italian train on Friday, but I thought I'd throw out a link to any wild-eyed tourists who are searching for a way to get around and happen to stumble on the blog.

It's funny (and I'm probably jinxing myself as I say this), but I was concerned about French rail strikes (especially if Sarkozy won the election) and didn't much think about the Italian situation. I'm just lucky that an Erasmus student send a notice to the listserv, otherwise I'd probably not found out until the strike started. The week of train ticket blogging will soon come to an end, I promise.

2007-06-19T14:37:00.000+01:00

Okay, all those Sundays throughout my childhood paid off! Score one for Saint A. I searched through everything, unfolding every piece of paper I own, searching the bottom of purses, looking under the bed. Nothing! I looked up the non-discount price for one way train tickets, and to my dismay they are 25 euros per person, making my loss of the tickets a sweet 75 euro mistake. Then my friend called and I went into the bedroom to answer the phone. As I was talking to him, my eyes went to the window and what should I see on the windowsill but a Slovenske železnice envelope. Gremo z vlakom indeed!

2007-06-19T13:42:00.000+01:00

All is in line for our departure Friday. School paperwork is done, packing is under way, recycling has gone out, train tickets are on my desk. Train tickets from Venice to Paris. And train tickets from Ljubljana to Venice are here somewhere. Somewhere...

Or are they? They're not in the piles of paperwork, not in the packed items, not on the desk. I'm just going to invoke Saint Anthony now, because I think I may have overzealously recycled. I really don't want to believe that our tickets are now in the back of the recycling truck that just came by.

There's a nice breeze blowing through the window but I've got a bit of a cold sweat going. Yeah, they're just 25 euros worth of tickets, which is not much on the face of things. Then again, it's not exactly the point in the semester when you feel like treating your recycling crew to tickets to La Serenissima. Nor is it the time to be throwing away reserved tickets on a train to Italy during peak tourist season.

Okay, *deep breaths*. I'm going to rummage around one last time, and then I'm breaking out the candles for some supplications to our Paduan patron saint of (stupidly) lost items. So much for lapsed Catholicism...

Can North Americans please remove their heads from their asses?

2007-06-18T21:47:00.000+01:00

Have you seen the trailer for Michael Moore's latest film, Sicko? In one scene, he informs the audience that the United States "slipped to 37th in health care around the world, just slightly ahead of Slovenia."

What the hell, Mike?

I don't understand why North Americans view Slovenia as some backwater third world country where the locals resort to cannibalism or never heard of a toilet or ride goats to work or whatever. Slovenia is a first world country. Even then, actual third world countries (or, if you prefer, low income countries) don't deserve the image bestowed to them by North Americans. These countries have issues, but they are not the frontiers of civilization - they are a civilization. I've been seriously asked if the drinking water in this country is safe. My fury is rising.

Besides this tidbit of searing hot rage, I have nothing to add to this discussion. Other Slovenian bloggers have taken up the issue with patented fervour. Let me know what you think. I'm going into the bathroom so I can scream in peace.

The beginning of the end of the . . .

2007-06-18T18:46:00.000+01:00

Time is not our ally. Already we are fast approaching our departure date. Although it is truly a tired cliche to say so, we feel as though we had only arrived yesterday, struggling to understand the public transit system, figuring out how to order coffee and navigating the bureaucracy of a European university. Soon we will be heading to Venice for a train to Paris, then after five days in the City of Lights we will be on a plane home.

The story, however, is far from over. We have good news, but you will have to wait for the big reveal. That will be coming soon.

Consider this my last post until I reach Canada. From there I'll posting on topics relevant to Slovenia or any memories that bubble to the surface. Lisa will be doing the same, I reckon.

Nasvidenje!

A big hvala to our friends, who have helped us with the usual struggles foreigners experience and giving us history lessons, booze and sushi. You all made our time here wonderful and memorable.

Quick trip update, with pics.

2007-06-13T12:23:00.000+01:00

How is everyone? I'm feeling much better. After taking it easy for a couple of days, my stomach finally settled down.

As some of you might know, we returned from a trip across Bulgaria and Romania. Now, I'm no stranger to long rides, and in this case we clocked in over 3000 kilometres in this one trip, but I'm thankful we have over a week before we go on another epic trek.

Rather than boring you with all the details, I'd much rather write my impressions.

Bulgaria was fantastic. We stayed in Sofia and explored the city. Very busy at times, with people and cars clogging the streets and always moving, and sometimes not paying attention to each other. But, really, it's a quiet city at night. As I've said, the city has some strong Western influences. Fast-food restaurants, chic shopping malls and cineplexes abound. But mix that with Orthodox churches and communist-era architecture and the result is surreal as it is fascinating.

The Rila Monastary, nestled in the Rila mountains.

We did stay in Bucharest but we spent most of our time in northern and central Romania. Whereas Sofia was subdued, Bucharest was the polar opposite. A huge city (compared to Ljubljana) that was bustling and crowded, the air filled with diesel fumes. Like Sofia, stray dogs roamed freely in packs. We stayed in the Maramures region (as told by Lisa), which practices one of the last peasant cultures in Europe. We also visited Cluj-Napoca, a college town, which was surprisingly vibrant with expensive cafés and boutiques. After spending some time in such a rural community, being in a metropolis like Cluj was a jolt to the system.

Oh, and I did fulfill my dream and visited Sighisoara, Transylvania - the birthplace of Dracula! We did indeed see the house he was born (now a touristy restaurant) but avoid the supposed Torture Museum, which was just a room no larger than our bathroom with photocopied pages from a history book tacked on the wall. However, the town is genuinely lovely, with the old town enclosed in a citadel on a hill, connected by cobbled streets and old houses painted in bright colours.

The National Library in Bucharest.

The birthplace of Vlad Tepes.

Sick day.

2007-06-10T15:32:00.000+01:00

I was going to write a post on our recent trip, but I suddenly came down with terrible stomach pain while we were enjoying ourselves on the patio of our favourite café. Man, I just came home.

I suppose I need some rest. No posting for awhile, I guess.

Apologies to Pengovsky for cutting our meeting short. I'm a little embarrassed.