Dober Dan!
Well I'm back from an epic trip to Serbia. Boy oh boy was it interesting. I can definitely say I enjoy Ljubljana more than Belgrade. It was pretty interesting to look at but you could tell it was much more industrial and communism still lingered in the air. The buildings were very grey and lacked character but it was still a pretty lively city with a lot of flavor.
After a lovely busride from midnight to 8 am (sleeping of course) we got into the city, checked into our hotel, and went for a tour of the city. My favorite part was the park overlooking the converging rivers, Sava and Danube. There were also a bunch of nice shopping stands where I got some cheap jewelry and homemade honey. Then we had some more exploring and sightseeing, had some mushroom burek (yum!) and got ready for the evening. The trip's itinerary had us going to the fanciest club in Serbia....big mistake! We were not aware of this until we got there and realized all the girls were half naked and the guys were looking way too flashy. Thankfully I had a friend who was there without the student trip to tell us where the better club was. We went there and enjoyed cheap beer and good music. After a cab ride back a group of us started on our second burek of the day and proceeded to go to bed.
The next day we went on a bus tour of "New Belgrade" and saw a lot of fancy embassies and Tito's grave. Embarassingly enough I had no idea who Tito was until this trip, so it was good to get educated! We then were bussed out to an interesting "gypsy market" where we could buy a lot of cheap stuff. I got some sunglasses and fancy things for just a few euros! It was interesting to see because just a few kilometers away was the shanties the gypsies lived in. It was really horrible conditions with trash lining the ghetto area and fences surrounding the area. It reminded me a lot of slumdog millionaire! Its always interesting to see the real side of the city instead of just popular tourist attractions. After a nap, we all got ready to go to a nice dinner on the river. They had these nice boat houses and we could see all the nice lights from the river from the big windows. We had a traditional Serbian dinner (meat meat and more meat) and a lot of alcohol. The Slavic countries really have a passion for Rakije, a very disgusting tasting schnapps. Every time we would take our shot the waiters would come to fill it up again. Ugh after about 5 of those we left the dinner club and tried to get into another one that was scheduled on our itinerary. Unfortunately the bouncer told us we were too drunk and kicked us all out :( I can probably understand why because our tour guide and facilitators were drunker than most of the students, fancy that! Anyway Heli, Dan, Adrian and I decided to find our own party and break away from the huge group of drunk students to improve our chances of getting in some place. We had to take a mad dash away from the group to a cab so they wouldn't follow us! We went to club Plastica and danced and drank till about 7 in the morning. Oh goodness, my hearing is still not all here. The music was all electro techno and booming everywhere.
After we got back from the club we went straight to breakfast and then to bed. I woke up a few hours later and got on the bus. Ugh the bus ride from hell began and didn't end until late that night. fun fun fun :/ It was a great trip overall but I am so glad I'm back and rested up. I'm giving my liver a break for a while.
Last night there was a huge party in my dorm. The whole dorm complex was invited and so it was pretty packed. I went to bed around 1 am so I was able to get some decent sleep but when I woke up at 9 people were still partying. I don't know how this is possible but I give them cheers for their effort! I really enjoy living here though. Everyone is really nice and I'm improving my slovene by listening to everyone speak it :) Tomorrow I'm going to teach them how to play beer pong. What a great way to exchange culture through alcohol. It is strange to look back at my posts and see that they are mostly about drinking but I'm not going to lie about it. The culture is what it is and if I'm here I may as well enjoy it. so there you have it. Getting ready to head off to class right now and then dinner with a few friends before coming back to my dorm and hanging with the corridor mates.
cheers!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
New Life in the Dorms!
Hi all!
Its been a while since I've been able to write. Last week was super busy moving all my stuff from the apartment to the dorms! I had to take two taxi trips and a bunch of trips on the bus to get everything over here. I also had to take a few trips to the supermarket and the $1 Euro shop to buy plates and silverware, toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Whew! After a whole week of moving I took a break this weekend and relaxed by watching movies and hanging in the dorm.
I am located in Rozna Dolina, the large cluster of dorms close to Tivoli Park and about a 15 minute walk to the center. It's about a 30 minute walk to my faculty but I've been taking the bus so it's pretty easy to get around. I have a really nice roommate named Petra from Ptuj. Tonight she is taking me to a dorm party hooray! I also was able to meet some others who live on the same floor. A lot of people just hang out in the hallways so if I ever get lonely I can just go out there. I am really happy with my living situation. I'm close to the gym, a cafeteria, and in a really nice part of town. I'm still quite sad I have to leave my friends I was living with but I'm definitely going to be visiting them and still hanging out of course.
Petra studying in our dorm room! My bed is on the right :)
This upcoming weekend I'm going to Serbia! The international student office has arranged a trip for us to visit the capitol city of Belgrade and I'm quite excited about it. We have an all night bus trip there, starting at midnight to 8 am. Woo! I hope the group will be eager to rest up for the next few days like I will but I have a gut feeling that they will just be loud and partying the whole way there. Oh lordy!
Other than that I've just been continuing with my studies and going for long walks and getting food with friends. I need to get back in the habit of running but it seems like I've been to busy to even think about that. Well thats all for now, I'll have a better post when something interesting happens :)
Millie
Its been a while since I've been able to write. Last week was super busy moving all my stuff from the apartment to the dorms! I had to take two taxi trips and a bunch of trips on the bus to get everything over here. I also had to take a few trips to the supermarket and the $1 Euro shop to buy plates and silverware, toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Whew! After a whole week of moving I took a break this weekend and relaxed by watching movies and hanging in the dorm.
I am located in Rozna Dolina, the large cluster of dorms close to Tivoli Park and about a 15 minute walk to the center. It's about a 30 minute walk to my faculty but I've been taking the bus so it's pretty easy to get around. I have a really nice roommate named Petra from Ptuj. Tonight she is taking me to a dorm party hooray! I also was able to meet some others who live on the same floor. A lot of people just hang out in the hallways so if I ever get lonely I can just go out there. I am really happy with my living situation. I'm close to the gym, a cafeteria, and in a really nice part of town. I'm still quite sad I have to leave my friends I was living with but I'm definitely going to be visiting them and still hanging out of course.
This upcoming weekend I'm going to Serbia! The international student office has arranged a trip for us to visit the capitol city of Belgrade and I'm quite excited about it. We have an all night bus trip there, starting at midnight to 8 am. Woo! I hope the group will be eager to rest up for the next few days like I will but I have a gut feeling that they will just be loud and partying the whole way there. Oh lordy!
Other than that I've just been continuing with my studies and going for long walks and getting food with friends. I need to get back in the habit of running but it seems like I've been to busy to even think about that. Well thats all for now, I'll have a better post when something interesting happens :)
Millie
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
address
Dom 3
Cesta 27, Aprila 31,
Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
this is my new address, I'm finally in the dorms! feel free to send me something cool and I'll return the favor :)
Cesta 27, Aprila 31,
Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
this is my new address, I'm finally in the dorms! feel free to send me something cool and I'll return the favor :)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Back from Croatia
Hello!
I am writing to you on a rainy Monday morning before I head out to school. Another week is about to begin but this week will be extra hectic because I am going to attempt to start moving into my permanent temporary accomodation! This will include checking into the dorm office, providing all my paperwork and money, getting assigned a room, finding that building/room, moving all my stuff there, unpacking and setting up an internet connection, and meeting my new roommate! Oi! But I knew all this was bound to happen, better late than never I suppose.
As you can see, I got my permit! Yippie Hooray I was more than ecstatic when this picture was taken because I have been waiting for this for a few months! I was astounded how easy it was to get it. I just walked right in and it was there, why oh why couldn't this whole process been this smooth? Oh well thats done.
I traveled to Zagreb, Croatia with my friend Tom. I was convinced that we had to be there super early so we took the 6:20 am train and arrived right before 9 when the Embassy opened. It took less than 5 minutes but I was glad to get that out of the way. The rest of the trip was a nice vacation. After finding and checking into a hostel we got to explore. We took a lot of walks around the city and did the whole tourist/taking pictures thing. The open air market was especially nice, a lot bigger than in Ljubljana. Enjoyed a lot of fresh fruit there, yummm. We then decided to sit on the big lawn near the train station and soak up some sun/wine. It was a really nice day, I really liked the park because a lot of other young people were sitting around too enjoying the day. The city seemed pretty relaxed in that aspect. I need to find a place back home where I can sit and chill, a new favorite pasttime of mine. But yes that was really nice. After a nap we went to dinner and then went to the happenin' scene in Zagreb. There is one really nice street up from the main square that has a lot of bars and nightclubs. We went to an English pub and then went to "Funk club" which played alot of good alternative music. Also, a sidenote about Croatian beer--sadly not the best :( I had one and it just couldnt compare to Union or Lasko in Slovenia. Then after an exhausting day starting before 6 am it was time for sleep!
The next day was pretty relaxed as well. We did some more touring, eating, shopping, and sitting in the park. We went to this really interesting museum called "Museum of Broken Relationships" all about stuff people left behind from bad break ups and the meaning behind it. Quite depressing haha. But something worth mentioning is that while we were on our way to the museum we saw the government district of Zagreb heavily guarded by police officers! There were about 20 of them and they had the plastic shields for riot control with them. This was very interesting and we then found out that Zagreb had been having some public protests against the government recently. Thankfully they were only peaceful protests but it was still a little tense. I'm not sure on the whole story but I know that Croatia is in a transition to become eligible for membership into the EU. This may be a part of the reason for protest or maybe not, who knows.
It was cool to go to Croatia at this time though. I'm glad I got to see it before it joins the EU. It was interesting dealing with their currency the Kuna! Paying 60 Kuna for a meal is normal as it translates to something like under 10 Euro. Very confusing but something normal to Croatians. Zagreb was really beautiful, and had a totally different feel to it. Its hard to compare to Ljubljana, definitely bigger but filled with the same spirit that I came here to enjoy. I got some new stamps in my passport and a lot of great memories :)
Adijo!
Millie
I am writing to you on a rainy Monday morning before I head out to school. Another week is about to begin but this week will be extra hectic because I am going to attempt to start moving into my permanent temporary accomodation! This will include checking into the dorm office, providing all my paperwork and money, getting assigned a room, finding that building/room, moving all my stuff there, unpacking and setting up an internet connection, and meeting my new roommate! Oi! But I knew all this was bound to happen, better late than never I suppose.
I traveled to Zagreb, Croatia with my friend Tom. I was convinced that we had to be there super early so we took the 6:20 am train and arrived right before 9 when the Embassy opened. It took less than 5 minutes but I was glad to get that out of the way. The rest of the trip was a nice vacation. After finding and checking into a hostel we got to explore. We took a lot of walks around the city and did the whole tourist/taking pictures thing. The open air market was especially nice, a lot bigger than in Ljubljana. Enjoyed a lot of fresh fruit there, yummm. We then decided to sit on the big lawn near the train station and soak up some sun/wine. It was a really nice day, I really liked the park because a lot of other young people were sitting around too enjoying the day. The city seemed pretty relaxed in that aspect. I need to find a place back home where I can sit and chill, a new favorite pasttime of mine. But yes that was really nice. After a nap we went to dinner and then went to the happenin' scene in Zagreb. There is one really nice street up from the main square that has a lot of bars and nightclubs. We went to an English pub and then went to "Funk club" which played alot of good alternative music. Also, a sidenote about Croatian beer--sadly not the best :( I had one and it just couldnt compare to Union or Lasko in Slovenia. Then after an exhausting day starting before 6 am it was time for sleep!
The next day was pretty relaxed as well. We did some more touring, eating, shopping, and sitting in the park. We went to this really interesting museum called "Museum of Broken Relationships" all about stuff people left behind from bad break ups and the meaning behind it. Quite depressing haha. But something worth mentioning is that while we were on our way to the museum we saw the government district of Zagreb heavily guarded by police officers! There were about 20 of them and they had the plastic shields for riot control with them. This was very interesting and we then found out that Zagreb had been having some public protests against the government recently. Thankfully they were only peaceful protests but it was still a little tense. I'm not sure on the whole story but I know that Croatia is in a transition to become eligible for membership into the EU. This may be a part of the reason for protest or maybe not, who knows.
It was cool to go to Croatia at this time though. I'm glad I got to see it before it joins the EU. It was interesting dealing with their currency the Kuna! Paying 60 Kuna for a meal is normal as it translates to something like under 10 Euro. Very confusing but something normal to Croatians. Zagreb was really beautiful, and had a totally different feel to it. Its hard to compare to Ljubljana, definitely bigger but filled with the same spirit that I came here to enjoy. I got some new stamps in my passport and a lot of great memories :)
Adijo!
Millie
Monday, March 7, 2011
good news!
To begin first let me say MY PERMIT IS FINALLY READY TO BE PICKED UP!
oh my goodness I am so so happy about this. Finally, I can settle into a dorm and have a space of my own :) I only learned of this by going to the International Office at the University and asking them to directly contact the Slovenian Embassy. For the past few weeks I've been trying to email or contact those in charge of my case and either I get no response online or the server kicks back my emails! Ugh. I went in today and apparently my permit had been in Zagreb for quite a while, but no one thought of contacting me!? Whatever. At least now I know it's there and I'm planning on going to Croatia next week to snatch it up! My friend Tom from the UK is also going so hopefully we can be travelmates once again. I can't wait to see Zagreb, both for business and pleasure.
My day has been quite good since I got that news! It's also really nice and sunny today, I'm hoping that this means Spring is coming soon. I need to plan a ski trip before it gets too hot and the snow melts.
I am still recovering from the crazy weekend trip to Kranskja Gora. It was just how I expected. Lots of drinking but it was also really fun and interesting. There were about two busloads of people, we got bussed out Friday evening, only about an hour away. Anyway the place we were staying at was simply beautiful. I've never seen mountains so close up and they surrounded the town on all sides. Our hostel was right next to a small river and you could hear the water going across the rocks the whole time. Coincidentally this weekend was also the World Cup of snow slalom racing. The town was quite full and you could even see the skiers on the mountains from far away! This is one of the most beautiful places I've seen so far in Slovenia. Anywho, we started off the weekend with a bunch of workshops, traditional stuff like a slovenian hat dance and learning the national anthem, they also gave us shots of schnapps and then had us dance the polka, hahaha quite entertaining. After the workshops we all had a party in the hostel. Lots of techno and crazy dancing. I went to bed at about 2, when I woke up at 9 there were people still drinking! It was pretty funny being greeted the next day by those who never stopped partying, and continued to party throughout the day!
That day turned out to be nice too. I played volleyball with some people and then I took a nice walk with 2 girls from Poland and one girl from Hungary to the small lake in the mountains. We took a lot of pictures and had some good conversation. After our walk we had some lunch and everyone got off into groups and we began a long scavenger hunt around Kranjska Gora. We had to do silly things like get an autograph from skis and find some hot water to make a cup of instant soup. The locals thought we were crazy but oh well.
After a quick nap it was yet again time to party, costumes this time! We were all up till about 6 a.m. and a few people did indeed have to get carried up the stairs but it was a good time overall. After we all had a nap, we woke up early and headed off to Lake Bled. This is another gorgeous place in the country. Too bad everyone was feeling like death to properly enjoy it and all its beauty. The majority of us got off the bus, took a few pictures and walked to a pizzaria to get greasy hangover food. I will have to go back soon when I can take a decent hike and actually have a good time there. :P
Overall it was a great trip. I was really having a good time wandering around and talking/meeting other people. I've been realizing that I don't enjoy staying with one group of people for an extended period of time. I think I took full advantage of the "get to know each other" aspect of the trip by doing my best to meet new people and not just hang with those I already knew. I think it really paid off, I've made a bunch of new friends, always good to have. This is a quality I hope to continue to have in life, going with the flow and meeting people along the way seems like it is the best way to be less stressful and more rewarding. Woohoo!
Well another week has started, I don't have class tomorrow till 6 so I think I'll be going out to Roxly Club to do a bit of mingling with my peers. Classes are still going good, work is still minimal. The hardest thing about my classes is that they are all politically based as opposed to sociology! I have already been trained to see things from a sociological perspective on a smaller and detailed scale compared to a broader global view. This is quite a challenge for me but it's all part of the learning experience. Hopefully I can integrate it into my thought process instead of confusing myself hehe.
Oh and one last thing. If anyone has any opinions/experience on Ibiza I would love to hear them. Erasmus has planned a huge trip to this party island and I'm debating whether or not to go. Here's a link to let you see a bit. Ibiza It looks gorgeous but all my roommates have advised me that its trashy and tacky. But who could resist a dancefloor that turns into a swimming pool!? haha
oh my goodness I am so so happy about this. Finally, I can settle into a dorm and have a space of my own :) I only learned of this by going to the International Office at the University and asking them to directly contact the Slovenian Embassy. For the past few weeks I've been trying to email or contact those in charge of my case and either I get no response online or the server kicks back my emails! Ugh. I went in today and apparently my permit had been in Zagreb for quite a while, but no one thought of contacting me!? Whatever. At least now I know it's there and I'm planning on going to Croatia next week to snatch it up! My friend Tom from the UK is also going so hopefully we can be travelmates once again. I can't wait to see Zagreb, both for business and pleasure.
My day has been quite good since I got that news! It's also really nice and sunny today, I'm hoping that this means Spring is coming soon. I need to plan a ski trip before it gets too hot and the snow melts.
I am still recovering from the crazy weekend trip to Kranskja Gora. It was just how I expected. Lots of drinking but it was also really fun and interesting. There were about two busloads of people, we got bussed out Friday evening, only about an hour away. Anyway the place we were staying at was simply beautiful. I've never seen mountains so close up and they surrounded the town on all sides. Our hostel was right next to a small river and you could hear the water going across the rocks the whole time. Coincidentally this weekend was also the World Cup of snow slalom racing. The town was quite full and you could even see the skiers on the mountains from far away! This is one of the most beautiful places I've seen so far in Slovenia. Anywho, we started off the weekend with a bunch of workshops, traditional stuff like a slovenian hat dance and learning the national anthem, they also gave us shots of schnapps and then had us dance the polka, hahaha quite entertaining. After the workshops we all had a party in the hostel. Lots of techno and crazy dancing. I went to bed at about 2, when I woke up at 9 there were people still drinking! It was pretty funny being greeted the next day by those who never stopped partying, and continued to party throughout the day!
After a quick nap it was yet again time to party, costumes this time! We were all up till about 6 a.m. and a few people did indeed have to get carried up the stairs but it was a good time overall. After we all had a nap, we woke up early and headed off to Lake Bled. This is another gorgeous place in the country. Too bad everyone was feeling like death to properly enjoy it and all its beauty. The majority of us got off the bus, took a few pictures and walked to a pizzaria to get greasy hangover food. I will have to go back soon when I can take a decent hike and actually have a good time there. :P
Overall it was a great trip. I was really having a good time wandering around and talking/meeting other people. I've been realizing that I don't enjoy staying with one group of people for an extended period of time. I think I took full advantage of the "get to know each other" aspect of the trip by doing my best to meet new people and not just hang with those I already knew. I think it really paid off, I've made a bunch of new friends, always good to have. This is a quality I hope to continue to have in life, going with the flow and meeting people along the way seems like it is the best way to be less stressful and more rewarding. Woohoo!
Well another week has started, I don't have class tomorrow till 6 so I think I'll be going out to Roxly Club to do a bit of mingling with my peers. Classes are still going good, work is still minimal. The hardest thing about my classes is that they are all politically based as opposed to sociology! I have already been trained to see things from a sociological perspective on a smaller and detailed scale compared to a broader global view. This is quite a challenge for me but it's all part of the learning experience. Hopefully I can integrate it into my thought process instead of confusing myself hehe.
Oh and one last thing. If anyone has any opinions/experience on Ibiza I would love to hear them. Erasmus has planned a huge trip to this party island and I'm debating whether or not to go. Here's a link to let you see a bit. Ibiza It looks gorgeous but all my roommates have advised me that its trashy and tacky. But who could resist a dancefloor that turns into a swimming pool!? haha
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
another entry!
As you can see I am running out of good names for this blog. So here is yet another update. My first week of school went well. Most of my classes are pretty interesting. I really enjoy Communication Management. My professor is so intelligent and well connected. He was actually a former advisor to the President of Slovenia. The classes are pretty full and there are even some Slovenian students in there. Its kind of annoying though, everyone just sits around and talks during the lectures. Its rude and disruptive...I think I will have to resort to being a nerd and sitting in the very front. The classes are also pretty laid back. I've only received a few syllabi and have yet to do any hardcore reading/writing. There is a lot of groupwork involved though. I'm usually not a fan of working in groups but we will see what this experience has to offer. Its so nice because I have plenty of friends in all my classes so we can all study together and hang out after class.
The weekend was good too. Ptuj was great! It's about a 2 hour trainride from Ljubljana. Its a really small town on the river. We got off the train and walked just a few blocks before we ran into the massive parade. All these cow looking things running through the street followed by a collection of other interesting characters. There was also a group of these "whipping men" who were pretty amusing. They were decked out in traditional attire and literally cracked the whip! It makes a really loud sound and they just keep cracking it as they parade down the street. Apparently its tradition to do this to wish for a fertile growing season etc. They were pretty cool until about 5 hours later when you could still hear the loud cracking sound throughout the town. The parade ended at 1ish and everyone busted out the alcohol. This added to the spectacle as you could see the cows and whips start to stagger and stumble more and more. We were eating dinner and there was a drunk fight outside involving people in costume as well as whips and sticks. No one got seriously hurt and it was pretty funny actually. We also visited the town's castle while we were there. There was a cool museum displaying all kind of old artifacts and portraits from various places in Europe. The only downfall to this trip is that we were unable to couchsurf at this guys place :( His phone had died on his way home from Budapest, ironically he was getting off the train we were boarding to get back to Ljubljana. Its crappy what a little miscommunication can do but I'm going to try to couchsurf again!
Anyway here's a link so you can see for yourself how cool this festival is. It shows both the cows and the whipping men! It was so neat to see how well preserved this tradition is. I could tell that the townspeople really had a lot of pride and the carnival brought everyone together for a good celebration.
Ptuj
Other news: I have a few more trips planned out! As many of you know I will be turning the epic 21 over here. Too bad I will not be able to experience this right of passage at home. In order to compensate I've booked a trip to Amsterdam, you could say its the mecca for partying. I'm going with a fellow American, Sam, from Hawaii, and Tom from the UK. We are hoping to couchsurf there and hopefully find a host to take us to all the good spots. There are also a bunch of historic places to see, I would also like to get some culture while I'm there, not just partying ;)! I hear it can be a bit risky there because the tourists attract pick pockets etc. so I will have to do some proper preparations before I go. I can finally use the under clothes moneybelt my aunt gave me :)
I also met a girl from Zagreb, Croatia studying at the school and she says I can come home with her one weekend! Yay, I'm really looking forward to staying with her family and discovering my roots! We were talking and she has family in Lukovdol, the same place I do!
Another fun thing coming up is the Manu Chao concert. Vanessa and Annika introduced me to this great Spanish artist and coincidentally he is coming to Slovenia in April! I can't wait to go to this concert and dance the night away! Here's one of his song's, hope you enjoy!
Bongo
Well thats all my updates, overall things couldn't be better. The initial awe of being here is beginning to wear off and I am getting used to having a routine and knowing where I am and what I need to do. I've been to all the exciting places in Ljubljana and theres not much more to discover here, ah the next phase of life here begins. My main objectives now are to do well in school and strengthen the friendships I've made. Everyday is great!
Well off to bed because I've got class tomorrow!
Night!
The weekend was good too. Ptuj was great! It's about a 2 hour trainride from Ljubljana. Its a really small town on the river. We got off the train and walked just a few blocks before we ran into the massive parade. All these cow looking things running through the street followed by a collection of other interesting characters. There was also a group of these "whipping men" who were pretty amusing. They were decked out in traditional attire and literally cracked the whip! It makes a really loud sound and they just keep cracking it as they parade down the street. Apparently its tradition to do this to wish for a fertile growing season etc. They were pretty cool until about 5 hours later when you could still hear the loud cracking sound throughout the town. The parade ended at 1ish and everyone busted out the alcohol. This added to the spectacle as you could see the cows and whips start to stagger and stumble more and more. We were eating dinner and there was a drunk fight outside involving people in costume as well as whips and sticks. No one got seriously hurt and it was pretty funny actually. We also visited the town's castle while we were there. There was a cool museum displaying all kind of old artifacts and portraits from various places in Europe. The only downfall to this trip is that we were unable to couchsurf at this guys place :( His phone had died on his way home from Budapest, ironically he was getting off the train we were boarding to get back to Ljubljana. Its crappy what a little miscommunication can do but I'm going to try to couchsurf again!
Anyway here's a link so you can see for yourself how cool this festival is. It shows both the cows and the whipping men! It was so neat to see how well preserved this tradition is. I could tell that the townspeople really had a lot of pride and the carnival brought everyone together for a good celebration.
Ptuj
Other news: I have a few more trips planned out! As many of you know I will be turning the epic 21 over here. Too bad I will not be able to experience this right of passage at home. In order to compensate I've booked a trip to Amsterdam, you could say its the mecca for partying. I'm going with a fellow American, Sam, from Hawaii, and Tom from the UK. We are hoping to couchsurf there and hopefully find a host to take us to all the good spots. There are also a bunch of historic places to see, I would also like to get some culture while I'm there, not just partying ;)! I hear it can be a bit risky there because the tourists attract pick pockets etc. so I will have to do some proper preparations before I go. I can finally use the under clothes moneybelt my aunt gave me :)
I also met a girl from Zagreb, Croatia studying at the school and she says I can come home with her one weekend! Yay, I'm really looking forward to staying with her family and discovering my roots! We were talking and she has family in Lukovdol, the same place I do!
Another fun thing coming up is the Manu Chao concert. Vanessa and Annika introduced me to this great Spanish artist and coincidentally he is coming to Slovenia in April! I can't wait to go to this concert and dance the night away! Here's one of his song's, hope you enjoy!
Bongo
Well thats all my updates, overall things couldn't be better. The initial awe of being here is beginning to wear off and I am getting used to having a routine and knowing where I am and what I need to do. I've been to all the exciting places in Ljubljana and theres not much more to discover here, ah the next phase of life here begins. My main objectives now are to do well in school and strengthen the friendships I've made. Everyday is great!
Well off to bed because I've got class tomorrow!
Night!
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