Hello!

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.