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Gospod Duarte and Luis the Sangria Master
Here was a nice with cevapcici, some nice sun, and an excellent batch of the secret Spanish elixir, Sangria. A word about my friends here in Slovenia I think is in order. I think that I have scarcely mentioned them since my arrival, but they have been an integral part of my cultural exposure and adaptation since I arrived here in Ljubljana. It really is amazing when I sit back and think about it now. This is because the international community here in Ljubljana numbers around 180 foreign students, which is not an incredible number; however, it is very well organized and tight knit. There are activities for us nearly every day of the week. A normal week might go like this: Monday, meeting at Parlament (a pub) at 21.00 where the schedule for the week is distributed and we have the opportunity to socialize with the other international students; Tuesday, some activity like a student organized run up to the castle in LJ then a concert or art/photo exhibition in the evening; Wednesday, usually a big party, outdoor concert, going away party, something like this; Thursday, usually a big activity, festival, or concert in city of LJ somewhere; Friday, movie night with the international students; Saturday, maybe a retreat to a spa around Slovenia, a climbing trip, and intermittently
a trip to a surrounding city or country (Bled, Lasko Brewery, Bosnia, etc.). So, as you can see, there is no lack of activities going on. On top of that, everyone is from different countries; I currently have friends now from Portugal, Spain, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Israel, Croatia, France, Russia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Australia, Canada, etc. That makes for a very diverse and interesting group of people interacting from very different cultural backgrounds. Fortunately, we all communicate in English and nearly everyone speaks excellently. (Whew, lucky for language inept N. Americans!)
I spend most of my time with Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Austrian friends; they make up an interesting a fun group who seems to have boundless energy to go out and enjoy life. I’ve become closest to a guy named Joao who comes from Evora, Portugal. He is an extremely affable person who values the people that he surrounds himself with; he has been here since September so he knows the city, and he has a Slovene girlfriend. He has been known to Polka with older ladies at outdoor concerts and can normally be seen skating around on rollerblades in LJ.
After Joao, I spend a lot
Miss Sylvia
Caught in the act of noshing on a fresh strawberry. of time with another Portuguese guy named Duarte. He has a Patrick-like, morphable beard, and is in no way ever under any type of stress. I generally see him arriving wherever he is going approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour late on an old bike that he likes to cruise on with his hand clasped behind his head in a seemingly reclined riding position.
(A note on the Portuguese concept of time: They are NEVER on time. As Joao says about being on time or waking early in the morning, “It is not possible, my friend. My culture does not allow it)
Then there’s Luis. He is a Spaniard from Valencia who is always ready for a party, is constantly smiling, and always has something to say. If there is music playing, he is dancing, and he is known for his excellent skills in making Sangria. Oklahomans, I recommend that you look up Luis next Spring because he will be studying at OSU next year. The sangria alone is worth it!
I also see a lot of a girl from Paris named Sylvia. She has what you might call a ridiculous French accent, but her English is
The Bike Brigade
The main mode of transportation around LJ. It's like a lame Slovenian version of the Hell's Angels. Intimidating, I know. still very good, which is funny because she is a French person who does not like to admit that she is from France and normally does not like to associate with the other French that are here. In that sense, she is very independent and less talkative than others.
There’s so many more people I could describe, but it would take ages. We all spend a lot of time together enjoying each other’s company and talking about our respective cultures. It makes every activity exponentially more interesting, and we have all discovered that we’re not all so different. It’s fun to mix the cultures too. For instance, last weekend we had a barbecue in Joao’s garden where we cooked cevapcici (Bosnian & Turkish specialty made from ground lamb), drank sangria, ate Austrian pasta salad, and enjoyed Slovene made Toblerone muffins. It was a great day followed by a concert in the park in the center of the city—good food, good friends, and great spring weather—very nice.
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João Amaral
non-member comment
LJ his LJ!!!!
my dear friend, the words that you wrothe in this text make me laugh and at the same time put me so sad. the moments we live, the moments we spent and the situations we passed make me think " that life his a short vacations that dead give to us". for me it was a enourmus pleasure to spend one of the best years of my life in your company and of course, all of our friends.... wich you all the best!!!!!!!!!! best regards , joao amaral( the portuguese) :)