Louisiana blues

No faulty mood this time. I just like the sound. :)

Paul gardner band performing live

THUD!

"Well, he's a fellow officer, isn't he? Won't he help us?" said Sally.
"We are naked, lance-constable!"
"Only technically. This mud really sticks."
"I mean underneath the mud!" said Angua.
"Yes, but if we had clothes on we'd be naked underneath them too!" Sally pointed out.
"This is not the time for logic!" This is the time for not seeing Nobby grinning at me!"
"But he's seen you when you're a wolf-shaped hasn't he?" said Sally.
"So?" snapped Angua.
"Well technically you're naked then, aren't you?"
"Never tell him that!"


Just a snap from Terry Pratchett's deadly funny Discworld novel THUD!
It's actually much funnier when you're familiar with the whole context. Angua is a were-wolferin, Sally is a she-vampire. They're both serving in Ankh-Morpork City Watch. And so is corporal Nobby Nobbs- the acne-faced, cabbage smelling, former member of guild of thieves (I'm not sure of that- he's a kleptomaniac anyway). He's also better known as the guy who's been turned down by women so many times (because of many reasons including SMELL), he's got the courage to ask even most beautiful women on a date.
OK, to make a long story short- both female officers just came out of dwarf mine narrowly escaping mud flooding. They're both naked- Angua because she was wolf part of the time (and lost bag with clothes), and Sally because she apparently used her alter form as 100+ bats who can't remember to take her clothes when she changes shape. And just as they managed to (almost) reach the exit Angua picked up a smell of fellow officer Nobby Nobbs (which aparently has a very distinct smell).
Anyway- it's a deadly novel, as most of Discworld novels. Terry Pratchett is a master of mixing great fantasy with issues relevant in modern times. The story is evolving around the anniversary of Koom Valley battle- where dwarfs ambushed trolls, or trolls ambushed dwarfs (nobody is really sure). Since it's an anniversary the tensions are high, and Ankh-Morpork City Watch (which employs among others dwarfs, trolls, couple of golems, one Igor and Nobby Nobbs :) commandeered by Sam Vimes is the only force which can stop a bloodshed of forgotten battle. Pratchett manages to incorporate modern issues- like racial tension, and social differences in a way the whole story is incredibly funny I read 450+ page paperback (in English language) in 3 days after work. I really recommend it. And I'm even not being paid for that. :-)

What a difference a day makes

Crazy weather... Actually a sunday picture should be more unusual conserning it's still March- but things are screwed up alltogether...

Bela krajina, Sunday, 18th March, 21 C

Ljubljana, Monday, 19th March, -2 C

Another picture of snow- it's been just so rare this year

And the aftermath

Survived my "birthday" week as Robi wisely put it. Was hard. In fact it was so hard I wasn't in the mood for a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's day. For the first time in loads of years I think. But I guess that's what old age of almost 30 brings to a guy. ;-) haha
No, seriously, my birthday party(s) were quite OK, if I can say I even enjoyed them. Well most of them. And what's best I've got a year before a next one. Cheers people...

Picture from a "recovery" walk this sunday - Kolpa

The turning points of life

I'm under something like a 30-phobia/anxiey at the moment. I'll turn 29 tomorrow. Young for people being over that, and desperatively old for the teenagers. I don't particulary like to celebrate birthdays. It's more like this one party you absolutely have to do every year, and yet everbody puts so much meaning into it. It's like New Year. You're supposed to set goals for next year, and hope that it should be a turning point where things would go only up. Well f*** that. ;-)
I'll be 29, and I didn't start saving for old years, or for buying apartment. I drive crappy old car and though I have certain plans for the future I don't take them to seriously. As someone commented lately, I probably never grew up out of the student life.
Is my 30th year of life on this planet goint to be different? I doubt that. I guess I hope as every "normal" man (normal by standards of society) does, that things might go up for me. It wasn't complete crap so far, but it definitively could be better. It would be nice if those more or less important things in life would get better- including health, and job and perhaps- just perhaps finding some soul to make "us" out of me and her.
Anyway... Knowing me I'll probably be hangover-ish over next couple days. And who knows. One of those days of my 30th year of life I might actually decide to grow up. Or if not-
f*** that. The life's to short to spend it worrying why you haven't become rich by 30th birthday. Or to save every penny you make to repay mortgages, credits without being able to enjoy life at its best.

Primvs as South park character

p.s. But if someone sets me up for a date with Andrea Corr, I would REALLY apreciate it. No further presents needed. ;-)
p.s.s. OK, I might be satisfied with princess Victoria of Sweden, but I want to point out she's a second choice. Try Andrea first. ;-)

Ryanair to fly from Maribor

It finally happened. Today, Ryanair announced new route, connecting Maribor to London three times a week, starting on 5th June. What can I say? This sure adds another option for people to travel abroad, but in a way, I am at least dissapointed- there were rumours Maribor might be connected to Dublin, Stockholm or Barcelona. Well, there's still hope those flights might commence later. It's a start anyway.
Anyway- I'm not crazy on Ryanair as one might think from previous paragraph. Although I've had good experience, there's loads of people who would disagree. I mean- yes, they try to squeeze every euro out of your hand, there might be even time when you feel like you're in a cattle wagon. But nevertheless it's still gets you from place A to place B for margin of money that most conventional airlines would take you. For short flights all that matters is that it's reliable, and not to expensive. And that's just what Ryanair's offering. At least for the moment however, I won't be needing their service. Easyjet connects Ljubljana to London too, the airport is much nearer and it flies every day. Yes, it is a bit more expensive (thought at times this isn't true), but half hour drive compared to hour and half (one way) does make a difference. But I do hope that new routes should follow. Dublin would be nice. ;-)

Gap of Dunloe, county Kerry, Ireland

Sunday, sunday

Just a quick post. Weekend's over. Did some hiking, playing tamburica, had a beer or two. Nothing special. Survived lunar eclipse (actually slept over it- on saturday I'm afraid). Just getting ready for new week. Hope it's gonna be a good one....
For all romantic souls out there- Oči čornie (Dark eyes), Russian song. Hope that fact it's performed by Red Army orchestra doesn't make it any less romantic... :-)

Feeling blues

It might be the weather. It might be the fact that I worked for 9 hours, followed by 4 hours of lectures and I'm just to tired. Or it might be just this decade...
Since I can't and won't publish something illegal, here's just a little blues session of some uknown guitar player practising in his kitchen. It's not me BTW. Beside the fact that I don't play guitar, he looks way to happy for being me (haha- you see, great minds show irony even in the moments of dispair).
Anyway. Tomorrow is a new day.

THE watering holes...

The weekend is on its last breath, and since I still feel some of its consequences, I think the only right thing to write of, is the reason why I feel like I do.
OK, as some of you know- I was never shy of having a drink or two (or more -haha). But there's something about bars back home that make them the easiest place to let go of any breaks. I mean- pubs of Ireland, are great. Outdoor caffes (that's right- alcohol can be served in caffes in here) on the banks of Ljubljanica river in summer just as good if not better. But small and simple watering holes of home are simply without any competition. There's something in the air, that makes you relax. The way people speak that makes you welcome. I guess I could apply Cheers theme song to my little drinkin' theory ("Sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your name,..."). But the fact is that even complete strangers get the feeling of being in some familiar place, and they tend to come back. I guess the best reason would be, that those bars are essentially village public houses. Virtually everybody knows anybody. They know your name, they know your parents, where you come from, what you do... And nobody is shy of getting ridicously pissed, since he/she saw most of everybody else being pissed as well. And you're usually surrounded with at least some people getting into same state anyway. Nobody is afraid of engaging complete stranger in a dialogue, as long as they find a language to communicate in, and the person shows interest in conversation.
Anyway. Feel like healing my liver, the next weekend's in only 5 days... ;-)

Sometimes it's enough to go for ONE glass of beer, and you find yourself in same bar6 hours later ;-)

Travel need...

I'm currently under heavy travel depletion. It's been so long since I was out of the country, that I need to think when it was. That's not normal. I used to travel abroad every few months, and in last year I've been away twice!!! And as winter- as nonexisting as it was- is on it's final days the feeling just gets stronger. So... Where to go?
Here's my current list of wishes (isn't ordered by importance):

• somewhere to Eastern Europe (Poland perhaps?)
• Wales or Scottland
• Honduras (hey- I've got a thing about Honduras)
• crossing Canada on Trans Canada highway- East to West
• trekking Canada's North (OK, perhaps I'm not ready for this one yet)
• lazying on tropic beaches of Vietnam
• visiting island nation of Tuvalu before islands disappear bellow Pacific ocean due to global warming
• places around Europe where I've already been to, but absolutely loved- like Ireland, Slovakia, Germany,...
  

OK, since at the moment I'm not really full of money somewhere in Europe would make a good start. Even just a city break. Any suggestions? ;-)

Picture from happier days- Boeing 737, flight from Klagenfurt to Stansted on one of my trips to Ireland

Hidden jewels

More than a century ago one of the greatest Slovenian writers Ivan Cankar wrote a short novel called Kurent. Kurent is a creature from Slavic mythology, sometimes refered as the god of growth and hedonism. There are many fairy tells about Kurent in many Slavic countries. Most of them involve the story of Kurent obtaining magical objects from devil in exchange for his soul. With help of this toys Kurent manages to (temporarily) catch death and eventually makes even tricking devil himself. The traces of mythological Kurent can be seen today, when Kurent (represented by man doll) is a scape goat at Mardi Gras- being punished for his sins by death, the funeral being the high point of Mardi Gras. In NE Slovenia korant(i) are Mardi Gras characters dressed in sheep skin, with bells around their waists. The celebration of Mardi Gras there is called kurentovanje.
In Cankar's novel Kurent is transformed into travelling artist, musician and the representer of good things of the nation. As he travels around the country he notices the good and the bad things going on in Slovenia at the time of Cankar's writting. It is a deep novel, which has strong autobigraphical, national and social connotations. The starting chapter of the novel, called "Heavens bellow Triglav" is one of most beautiful praise to the homeland. I can't and won't translate the whole chapter, since it's big and my English is not up to task. But basically the narrator says how at the time of Genesis God was travelling the Earth with sack full of natural wonders- beautifull mountains, lush valleys, islands and other natural monuments. By the time he reached lands bellow Triglav the sack was all but empty of big things. So he emptied all that was left in the sack- loads of wonders that weren't big, but often even more beautiful. And since there were many in the sack, Slovenia was full of them....
It is to often that we search something far away, although we have it under our nose. One of these things is Iški vintgar- the canyon of Iška river, only 20 km from Ljubljana. Can you believe such beauty can be found only a short drive from gray concrete?

Iški vintgar

Dreamt of heron

Felt suspended by rays of stars, gliding on waves of wind, with gray heron guiding me over dead calm canyons, over falls of splashing, untamed rivers and dark forests. The darkness penetrated only by pale moonshine and dance of fireflies. Felt a cold hand sqeezing at my throat, as the unvisible grip of IT made me feel... And fear... And hope...

Without you

A friend of mine, Jernej Mihelič recently started a blog in Slovene language. Among other things he posted the video of Gašper Mihelič (his brother) singing Without you acompanied by our tamburica group (Viniski tamburasi). The video was recorded with mobile phone, so the picture and sound is far from perfect and song is a bit corny, but here's just an example how tamburicas sound with contemporary music (Jernej did a great job arranging song for tamburicas BTW)...

I think we all agree, that Gašper has a great voice, and hopefully a bright future in singing- he sure has a talent.
For anyone who isn't sure what tamburica is- tamburica is a musical instrument with strings, similar to mandolin or balalaika, that is mostly played in western Balkans. You can read more about tamburica at the home page of one of the best (semi)professional tamburica groups of Slovenia- Šukar . They play mostly Roma music, and already published 5 CDs.
In one of my next posts I hope I'll find time to write something more about tamburica group I play in- Viniški tamburaši....

Good things come to those who wait

Might be an advertising slogan of Guinness, but also to some things I do. Anyways. I'm sort of a man who considers himself a hedonist. Which also includes love for good food and drinks. And since I enjoy a friendship of quite many such people,we gather now and than at ones apartment and try to cook little something. We tried Chinese, Mexican, and when it was my turn we cooked some mediteranean dishes. Here are some results:

Davor was very passionate about his Tomatoes with mozzarella

Nobody touches my bolognese sauce (at least not till it's done!)

And while some of us cooked some pretended to be conversing...

Vanja chopping red paprika for paella

Paella, which turned out to be sort of risotto (hey- still mediteranean, right? ;-)

And why the title? Well the dinner was cooked on 25th November. ;-) Ah, well...

The 4 seasons

After I already bitched about the weather, it's time to see some consequences, right? ;-) Anyway, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, there's a really awsome walking path in the Kolpa river canyon, few miles from where I live. I already had some pictures of river and it's surroundings in spring and summer, and with pictures in that blog entry I also had another season covered (autumn if anyone was wondering). So, what's left is - winter. And this is where trouble start of course. ;-) No snow yet, and although there are some vague mentioning we might get some next week, I think I might rather stay on pesimist side on this issue.
So, armed with my camera I boldly headed to the wilderness this saturday, the 20th of January. With warnings like: "Make sure you don't get lost" (It's a RIVER canyon for God's sake) and "Aren't you afraid of bears" (It IS a bear country. And they probably don't have much sleep in this heat. But I really doubt any bear would be prepare to face me.). To take pictures of how Kolpa looks in winter (not). Actually I just really wanted to have a long walk away from civilization. With that I was succesfull. They extended the path all the way to Vinica. Or it'd be better said, they made a new path from Damelj to Vinica, and they named it "Mlinarska pot" (Mill path- named after all those watermills that used to run on this river).
What can I say- it's nice. It's good. I might still prefer the Radenci-Damelj path (because it's completely in wilderness). After Damelj canyon soon widens, and there's place for small villages and fields. But altogether it's really great. I had a great walk, after 4 hours it took me to come to Vinica I even climbed Zezelj (hill above Vinica) on the way back. I didn't however take many pictures. And that's just because I still hope to get some with snow. And barren trees as surroundings is rather a bit depressing. But anyway, here are some...

Watermill and damp ruins (Kobiljača)

The water pours from hundreds of small brooks in canyon

A view from up the canyon on Krivec watermill

Sunset view from Zezelj of Vinica with Kolpa

The world order

If you follow the news- one of the last communist leaders (some would say dictators)- Fidel Castro of Cuba seems to be fighting his last fight these days. And as many Cuban emmigrants already started celebrating, my thoughts lead me to the days of my youth...
Yugoslavia was always something completely different (as Monty Python people might say). Except for few years after WW2, it was never as hard lined as Soviet Union. Sure, it was communist state, it had what most people nowadays would say a dictator, but yet people of Yugoslavia were free to travel to western Europe. Loads of them did emmigrate eventually for better life in Germany, Austria and other countries. Most people were allowed to have their own properties, and noone was forced to work on collective land.
My childhood was spent in the last days of Yugoslavia. If I look back I have to say I had a good childhood. Never had to suffer opression (at least I didn't feel it), the only bad thing that comes to my mind was inflation. But that's the story for some other time.
Anyway, what I want to say is- in my opinion communism is not bad world order by itself. It was the people who were leading that corrupted the idea which is basically good. If people would be ready to see its benefits and work for them some time in the future it might even work out. I mean- if you've seen Star trek- the civilization at that stage is nothing but high-tech-socialist-super-state. ;-) It's a shame, that at present we are just to corrupt and selfish, and we tend to start doing less and less as soon there's someone behind us. So the rule at the moment would be democratic (capitalist) countries with good social services. Ave democracy. ;-)

Soviet Union WW2 memorial in Vienna

Feels like October

The weather's having serious issues. After winter fairy tale back home on 2nd January, the global warming and El Nino took it over. 14 C and drizzle during day isn't really winter, is it? Feels like Ireland a bit. Only grayer.

Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Ireland

If for anything- this kind of weather is good to catch up on one's correspondence, maby for posting a blog entry (haha), and just lazying around. I'm goot at that. ;-)
Take care, and use public transport!!! ;-)

(T)Euro

I'm rather pissed. Slovenia got new currency on 1st January - first of new member states that was ready to adopt Euro. We all thought the good things would prevail- Euro should be great currency for all of us who like to travel, not to mention economy would have one less mean of loosing money.
Of course, we were warned from various sources that prices might raise. But we're no Germany- you know- there's only this much ordinary people might be able to cope with. And besides- even if some shops / services would round their prices up to 10 cents- that shouldn't mean that everybody would do it (or raise prices even more). Even our financial minister said he didn't expect prices to go up. They put law in place that no price could go up between 31st december and 1st january. Just in case- Consumer protection agency was ready. And did we keep our prices?
NO!!! Why not? Because we live in f***** capitalist age, when shop and service owners use every chance to squeeze some more money out of customers. Prices really didn't change over night on 1st January. In most places, they raised them before that!!! And so just that irony is bigger, some even lowered those same prices a bit just before New Years and than advertised them!!! Of course, Consumer protection agency compiled a black list of shops and services who were most bad. But as things are lately, they might just as well start compiling a list of shops/services which didn't raise their prices- it might be shorter.
You know- in most cases we, consumers do have a choice where we take our bussiness to. But lately it looks just as if they all started cartels- they ALL raise their prices. In some cases it's subtile- going up just a few percent. But in some cases it's like they think we (consumer) (I'm sorry I have to express myself like this) shit money.
Just an example. Yesterday we ordered pizza. The brochure with prices we had was from the start of december. At that time pizza we ordered was priced at 6,89 €. So, imagine my surprise when the bill came at 7,60 €!!! That's almost 1 € difference - 10% rise!!! I don't know where they're doing their shopping, but f*** me, if cheese is 10% more expensive from the start of December!!! And what's worse- we already stopped order pizza from 2 pizza deliveries because they raised their prices, so it seems we just might be out of deliveries soon. Solution? Well- I hope all right minded citizens of Slovenia will realize this is leading nowhere, and we have to do something about it. If it's come this far- let's boycott pizzas altogether (anyone who knows me know how huge sacrifice this is for me). Let's show those bustards where their thirst for our wallets is leading them. I just hope that majority of citizens are not sheep who would just suffer in silence! Every revolution starts with small steps!!! OK- I know not everything is that bad. Most shops (those which are bigger and are watched more closely) didn't raise their prices, or at least only marginally. It's food deliveries / restaurants / public services / pubs that were most eager to drain our wallets....
Just the closing thought-

Let's support honest bussiness which didn't & won't raise prices, and we'll all win!!!

Sometimes things do work out

Best wishes for New Year 2007 to everyone!!! Hope it will be better than the last one. One shouldn't judge the book by it's covers, but if it goes in any way like first few days went for me, at least I shouldn't complain. Had a great New Years Eve party, met some interesting people, the work and € transition went smoothly (knock knock), and the broadband internet back home finally works. Even old Murhpy seemed to be away on bussiness (at least for most of the time). And can you believe- it even snowed this morning (doesn't make up for shitty start of winter so far, but it looks good anyway).



Srečno Novo leto 2007!!!

Death to monopoly!!!

Just returned from extended holidays back home. (Merry christmas BTW). But anyway- I'm pissed. Why? Because of broadband internet. Or the lack of it to be more precise.
OK to make long story short- only few weeks ago the national telecommunications provider (and still de facto monopolist BTW) Telekom Slovenije managed to extend optic fibre network (neccesarry for broadband internet) all the way to my home village. "Great" - you'd say. "Great"- that was what we all said- finally we'll be rid of those squeaky painstakingly slow analog modems. But as always with this situations the milk went sour. Almost to fast. The only internet provider, that started signing in users was SIOL (owned by Telekom BTW). "Great!" - my parents said- they always wanted to have more channels on their TV without the need of expensive satellite dishes - SIOL offers 120 channel digital TV together with their broadband internet. Now, troubles started as soon as I made inquiry. "Sir - SIOL TV only comes together with 1 Mbs broadband internet and IP phone number- only in a package called Paket trio". "But... I only need SIOL TV, and 256 kbps broadband internet. No new phone number.". "Sorry sir, it's either all or nothing". "What about if I take smaller package- can I than upgrade just for TV?". "I'm sorry".
OK, I said, so I'll pay little something more, so my parents can enjoy 120 channel TV, together with all the joys of the broadband internet. When they called me that early wednesday morning, on the 21st December to tell me one of their workers would come to plug us in, I was rid of my doubts- at least they do it fast!!!
So, imagine my surprise when I came home last saturday, and I connected TV to the ADSL modem and there was no picture? "OK." I said. "At least they have 24h support desk". I called, and I managed to talk to someone after just 15 minutes being on queue. "Yes sir. I'll have one of our technicians look into it. No problem.". And some technician obviously did. Because after few hours not only that TV wasn't working- neither was internet. So I called again. No such luck as getting the operator. So- next day- christmas eve I finally managed to get someone. Who told me that it must be problem with infrastracture, and he'd let know someone on Telekom. Needless to say- 4 days later no sign of any technician, and no sign of internet. Serve me right. Next time I won't rush into things. And neither will I pay any bills before someone finally moves their butts. I mean- I know it's holiday season. I know things are bound to go wrong at the start. But I do think, that even f***** monopolists should show some basic friendliness together with a true will to help. Or am I just simply to naive?