European Voluntary Service

Hello from Belgium :)))

2011-11-14T11:14:00.010+01:00

It's time for an update :))

Last time I forgot to mention that I also volunteer for another organization here in Belgium called VFG (Vereniging van personen met een handicap or organization for people with a handicap). I went with a group from VFG on a sea trip around Belgium and Netherlands. It was quite a ride for me because I got pretty seasick.

Nevertheless, I survived :)). We also had some live music (one of the workers from VFG played on an instrument). It is a great experience and I will definitely do it again.

OK, back to my EVS work. From the 31st of October until 4th of November YFU offered free culture games to different organizations. Me, a Belgian student (Kira) and a co-worker went to these organizations. I went with, to mainly see how students, who usually carry out these games, do it. It was quite interesting and I learned a lot from Kira. After a couple of games, it was time for me to try it! I was nervous at first (especially since it was in Dutch), but with some help of my co-worker it went pretty great :)). Next games are for winter holidays, but I won't be in Belgium because I'm going home for a visit.

This was on a trip to Antwerp :)))

After my visit at home, I have Dutch exams! I like Dutch so far and I'm trying to talk as much Dutch as I can.

Around the end of January we have a mid-training for EVS. It will be nice to see ALL the EVS volunteers again.

Oh, last week I also met a famous Belgian chef! His name is Roger van Damme. He signed his book for me :))

Until next time :))

Petra

EVS in Maribor

2011-11-07T15:58:00.002+01:00

Hello everybody, this is the first time I write on this blog. So I may introduce myself first. I’m Katrin from Germany and I’m EVS volunteer in Pekarna. I’m often asked, why I’ve decided on going here… why Maribor… why Slovenia? There is a simple answer: Why not? Slovenia is so diverse in terms of culture and landscape. Maribor is transforming from an industrial city into a city of culture and will be the European Capital of Culture in 2012. Almost every day you have the chance to visit concerts, performances, film-screenings and exhibitions. In short: Maribor is small, but a city with lots of charm.

Two months ago I arrived in Maribor and spent three weeks in the new hostel of Pekarna before moving to a shared accommodation which is situated in the north of the city. But thanks to Maribjke  I can reach the city centre and Pekarna in just a couple of minutes, where I, among other things, work on the programme Guest Room Maribor: Artists from all over the world and from every imaginable artistic field have the opportunity to stay in Maribor for one month, to use the workspaces of the city and to present their works to the public. We are hosting the artists, bring them in contact with other artists, show them around the city and support them in preparing their presentations.

Pekarna is also a member of TEH – Trans Europe Halles, a network of independent cultural centres. Thanks to that I could go to Bordeaux last week, where the second annual meeting of the network took place. It was really great meeting all these creative people from all over Europe. Merci beaucoup TEH and TNT!!

More news next time,
Katrin

My first month in Belgium

2011-10-09T16:08:00.005+02:00

Hello all!!!

This is my first entry, so there is a lot to write. I currently live in Mechelen, Belgium. I arrived here a bit earlier because I wanted to go on holidays first (I went to Tenerife :p). Mechelen is a beautiful city, full of friendly people and things to see. I've been coming back to Mechelen for the last 5 years and I always find something new and interesting to see. Lets move on to EVS now....
I started my EVS project on the 12th of September, due to some other volunteering I did here in Belgium. My first 2 days at YFU (Youth for Understanding) were packed with YFU database training. It basically means that they are trying to put all the data from papers and excel files into a joint database. So I did that for 2 days and after that I put some of the data in it. After that I collected data of some organizations we work with and put it in the database.
For the past week I've been working on cultural games for YFU. We offer 7 or more games to different youth organizations or schools all over Belgium. They usually take place in the morning (10-12) and afternoon (14-16). This week I've sent emails to this organizations with our offer for fall holidays. I'm waiting for their replay now! :)
I work with 4 other people in the organization: National director, inbound and outbound coordinators and an intern that works with schools. We all get along very well and joke around which makes it that much more fun. On the 15th this month we're going to Antwerp to present our organization to kids and students, who want to go abroad. It will be fun to see other people (EVS representatives are there too :)).

I've also been on the EVS arrival training from the 23rd-27th of September. It was quite the experience. I've met other EVS volunteers (there were 33 of us there). We played some intercultural games, got some of our EVS questions answered and just talked with each other. We are all meeting again pretty soon :D
I've also been taking Dutch lessons which is going good. It's not that big of a problem if you know German and English (I've taken lessons in Slovenia too).
For now everything is going smoothly. My host family is great and I'm enjoying my time here.

Till next time :))

PS: You can read more info about the organization and their work on: www.yfu.be

Petra xoxo

Hello from Maribor!!! (so good to say it)

2011-09-26T13:00:00.004+02:00

My name is Nebojša, I'm one of the 2 new EVS volunteers at Pekarna in Maribor.

I come from Serbia from little town called Kikinda, I will not bother you where is it - if you are interested, it is easy for you to find out. But will I try to tell you about my first actions living in Maribor and Slovenia for 25 days already.

View from bridge in Maribor, I made a pic, then saw that they have it on postcards :)

It is all mixed up for me now - I have spent really fulfilled 25 days, and kind of don't have exact words to say how I feel here. For that time, I have traveled to on-arrival training to Bohinj Lake, explored Maribor and I still haven't managed to see all what I want, tried to help in organizations of events in GUSTAF hall - and sometimes even I helped, not just watched what others do.

Smiley faces of great EVS company from on arrival training at Bohinj lake

I will tell you few of my official assignements (order is not by priorities),
- promotion of EVS in schools in Maribor,
- technical support in Gustaf Hall (my favorite),
- technical support for PC-s in organization (as much as I know, and learn...),
- bring some music bands from Serbia and maybe region,
- will have MY OWN RADIO SHOW (my second favorite)
- and when I can, repair some bicycles if needed - from the bicycles which are ment for renting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01xasUtlvw
:)))

The fact why I can't say much about my impressions is that I had only good times here for now, and I will spend 12 month - so I know that I'm not here on vacation. I wait for some bigger problem to show up and then find out how quickly it will be solved!
I don't want to tell you fairytale, because for me it is all so good - and it would look like one.

So I hope I will have more inspiration to write next time, and say more about my impressions - I will give my best to update blog soon.

Lep Pozdrav
Nebojša

EVS na Nizozemskem

2011-09-26T10:30:00.010+02:00

Uff sedaj pa strniti moje leto oz. če smo natančni 11 mesecev v ne post na EVS blogu. Ja ja lahko bi pisala sproti in vam že skozi leto zaupala, kakšne zanimive dogodke in pripetljaje in res sem hotela, vendar potem nekako nisem našla časa, volje, trenutek ni bil pravi in vsi ti standardni izgovori.

No pa začnimo na začetku. J Na Nizozemsko, natančneje v Amstelveen (to je predmestje Amsterdama) sem prišla na začetku septembra 2010. Polna zagona, motivacije in novih idej. Prvi vtisi so bili mešani. Novo okolje, novi sodelavci, oprema je bila super. No mogoče bi morala malo več povedati o moje projektu. Moj EVS je potekal v PoppodiumuP60, to je nekakšen mladinski klub v Amstelveenu. Moje delo je bilo sestavljeno iz tehnične pomoči, torej sem bila del tehnične ekipe (luči, video, reklame,…), prav tako pa sem morala občasno delati tudi v garderobi ali kako drugače pomagati pri samem večernem dogodku.

Slika: Outside

Vsekakor je bilo zanimivo pretvarjati se, da vem kaj delam, ko sem se igrala z lučmi, in eden najbolj stresnih dogodkov tega leta je bil, ko te posedejo za 'light desk' in ti rečejo, tako sedaj pa si sama in moraš speljati cel večer.

Slika: Priprave na večer

Vendar pa se moje življenje ni odvijalo samo v klubu, kjer sem delala, veliko prostega časa smo preživeli doma (naš dom je bila stara šola) ali pa v Amsterdamu. V šoli smo si uredili eno izmed učilnic v takšen mali studio, kjer smo lahko preizkušali naše zvočne, video in še kakšne sposobnosti. Tam smo dobivali ideje za nore stvari, ki bi jih lahko preizkusili ob večerih.

Slika: Party / Priprave na Farewell party v šoli, z vso tehniko, ki jo je naš klub omogočal /

Sedaj po vrnitvi domov, dobim veliko vprašanj: »Kako pa je Amsterdam?« ali pa »Amsterdam pa je tako ali tako super«, vendar če povem po pravici, NI. Predvsem mi Amsterdam ni bil všeč, ker je poln turistov, turistov, ki so prišli tja z enim samim namenom. Po nekaj mesecih sem se počutila kot pravi Amsterdamčan, to pa pomeni, da se na veliko izogibaš mestnemu jedru, če pa že moreš tja, potem pa se na veliko jeziš nad turisti, kako se ne znajo voziti s kolesi, ne vedo kje naj hodijo,… Vendar pa seveda ni vse tako grozno, Amsterdam ima veliko prijetnih kotičkov, ki samo čakajo, da jih odkriješ. Izmed nešteto kavarnic, majhnih klubov, bo vsak našel nekaj zase, vendar pa je res, da se moreš potruditi in odkrivati drugačne predele mesta. Ena izmed mojih najljubših aktivnostih je bila obiskovanje Squat-ov, kjer si vedno našel koga za dober pogovor, včasih se je vrtel kakšen film, spet drugič si si privoščil odlično vegansko večerjo za samo 3€.

Slika: Dam / Največji trg v Amsterdamu /

Problem Amsterdama je seveda tudi to, da je grozno drag in z EVS budžetom je veliko stvari, ki bi jih rad obiskal, pa jih ne moreš, vendar če se znaš malo znajti je bil EVS denar zadosti za hrano in tudi za zabavo. Nizozemska je taka zabavna dežela, saj se velikokrat zelo začudiš, za kaj vse hočejo denar od tebe, npr. plačaš vstopnino v klub, seveda plačuješ pijače, nato pa moreš vsakokrat, ko hočeš na WC, plačati še dodatnih 50 centov. Ne vedno, vendar se zgodi. Med EVS-ovci je obstajala šala, da na Nizozemskem še zrak ni zastonj (ja, tudi tega moraš plačati na določenih bencinskih). Vendar se tega načina razmišljanja kmalu navadiš in tudi sam začneš iskati poti naokoli in si pozoren na vsako malenkost, kjer bi lahko privarčeval kakšen cent. Tako na primer v večjih nakupovalnih centrih lahko v samopostrežnih trgovinah dobiš zastonj kavo :-)

Slika: Kava

Veliko prostih dni sem se le brezciljno potepala po Amsterdamu. Velikokrat sem se med takim potepanjem tudi izgubila, vendar nič za to, poplačana sem bila z neverjetno ljubkimi majhnimi kavarnicami, trgovinami z norimi oblačili ali čevlji J, ali pa sem včasih samo zašla v prijetno in ljubko ulico. Največji problem teh potepanj pa je bil, da v večini primerov nisem več našla istih uličic in trgovin, tako da je bilo moje igranje turističnega vodiča, ob prihodu prijateljev ali sorodnikov kar malo oteženo.

Okoli Amsterdama se prav tako ponuja ogromno zanimivih stvari, nekaj se pa vsekakor morate zavedati, da gurmanskega turizma na Nizozemskem ni. Hrana Nizozemcem ne pomeni veliko in takšna je tudi njihova kuhinja, veliko ocvrtega, veliko predpripravljene hrane. Ena izmed njihovih tradicionalnih jedi je Haring, surova riba, ki so jo 2 tedna preparirali v soli s čebulo. Pravzaprav niti ni slabo :-)

Slika: Haring

Po nekaj mesecih življenja v Amsterdamu, ko sem spoznala mesto in njegove skrite čare, mi je priraslo k srcu in vem, da me čaka še ogromno neodkritih kotičkov. Amsterdam je eno izmed tistih mest, ki se jih nikoli ne naveličaš, saj te neprenehoma presenečajo.

Slika: Adam Snow

Volunteering Actually

2011-04-07T00:31:00.004+02:00

Springtime in Maribor started for real as it was predicted by the natives when we were hanging around in Ptuj, in a group of 4 one cold day in the beginning of March. Predicted or rather requested by the thousands of pandas, princesses and pirates, but mostly by the Kurants. The amazing creatures of Ptuj’s carnival! According to the tradition, young unmarried men were dressing this costume, drinking wine and chasing girls. Nowadays, as it was explained by our friend, Kuranty dress this really heavy costume, drink wine, chase girls and they don’t have to be neither young, nor unmarried. There is however one important rule that Kuranty must apply to – they must fight, jump, sing and yell for the springtime! And so they did. And so it came.

I guess that it first came to Maribor on this particular day when “Days for Changes” started. When we first heard of the idea maybe we weren’t so much excited. We were just supposed to accompany with a camera the voluntary service actions organized in the city by the different social organizations. All of us received timetables, maps of locations and so off we went – to fill our EVS duty! The whole event took three days and maybe because of this beginning of springtime, or maybe just because, it turned out to become really cheerful and optimistic days. For those who don’t believe me – we’ve got everything on the tape and we have already started our editing work! Maybe it’s not so impressive when you start to talk about it – it’s just spending time with the seniors, playing pikado and chess with them in Dom Danice Vogrinec Maribor, preparing healthy snacks with the bunch of kids in Youth Home, hanging around in the local park. But once you were there, you could feel the sense of the voluntary service in simple being with the others and for the others.

Best regards,

Olga

Looking forward to Stoptrik

2011-02-15T11:28:00.001+01:00

Zdravo!

As far as now only Zoltan has posted his messages on the EVS blog of Pekarna, but it’s a high time that you all should recognized me, the other volunteer.

I’m Polish. I’m 23 years old. And all my projects are connected to the cinema.

Let’s begin with the Stoptrik International Film Festival, which is the most important project for me. It all started in the very beginning of my stay in Maribor. It turned out that Pekarna has been willing to organize film event devoted to stop motion animation for last few years, but this year there is a real big chance to have settled the project. Maribor is going to be European Culture Capital in 2012 and one can senses the great creative spirit in the city. Everyone is trying to establish new projects as a part of the Maribor 2012 programme. And so do we! It’s a real challenge to attend the meetings with the members of council, present them our idea and – don’t be scared to use this word – lobby for this as much as it’s possible.

I come from the city with rich and long tradition of animated film festivals. For several years I’ve been working with the organizers of Krakow Film Festival and I have noticed how hard is this work. But right now in Pekarna I discover how pleasant and exciting it is as well. As a Festival Director I contact artists and producers, keep an eye on our team, create budget and last but not least introduce idea of Stoptrik to everyone who is willing to support this project. Although, my major worries concern the sponsorship. Without involvement of the companies we won’t be able to organize a professional event.

And this is the thing about Slovenia – it’s worth to have such festival here. People are willing to attend screenings of animated films. I saw it in December in Ljubljana during the Animateka. And even next week there’s going to be held an evening of Polish animated films in Škofja Loka. But Slovenia it’s only about Ljubljana and I believe that Stoptrik is the chance for Maribor to have their own highly professional film festival.

Wish me luck!

Olga

Just to let you know

2011-01-14T12:25:00.003+01:00

It was a long time ago when I posted here last time. The reason is not, that nothing happened. On the contrary, maybe too much. And yes, I haven’t writing inspiration. Sometimes it’s hard to write my feelings in English. But right now, I try to summarize, what was in the last almost three months. But not for sure, in timeline.

In the beginning of November I moved my new flat… to my own Kingdom. It’s a small flat, but I really like it.

And till the end of the year, here were many event in Gustaf. I worked sometimes, and of course sometimes I just went to have fun…. or both. One day for example I was the light master during the concert, and other day I was barmen during Yoga Rave. But I was ticket seller too. It is always funny, cause usually the visitors didn’t know, that I can’t speak Slovenian, and they were surprised when I said: “in English please”.
Somebody actually was hurt in the first time, cause he was from abroad, but told me something in Slovenian, but I didn’t understand. And we had a conversation like this:

Guest: - I tried to speak with you in your language.
Me: - Why do you think, it was in my language?
Guest: - Why, are you not Slovenian?
Me: - No, I’m not, I’m from Hungary …

So.. yes, this two month was really diverse with really much experience.

But the EVS life is not only about Pekarna. I travelled a little too. The on-arrival training was in Goriška Brda, I celebrated the new year’s eve in Ljubljana, and last weekend I was in Slovenske Konjice. And yes, it was perfect. I could see other places, and met new people too.

Well, that was, and in January we started to clean Gustaf, and make some new order inside the concert hall.
The programs will be continued from 21st of January … so I think, I won’t be bored.

I will write here later … peace

Z

first evs avangard movie

2010-12-23T16:59:00.003+01:00

Once upon an afternoon we, the three bored
EVS volunteers - Miha, Zoli and Ieva,
sat down to create some art.

Here's one of our masterpieces.
A documentary/commercial for our beloved
boss's band "Nina Bulatovix".

much love
happy božič

EVSers

Time traveller

2010-10-27T21:46:00.008+02:00

After almost one month I still feel I’m young again. And it’s great! Sometimes I am as a little kid … I learn to speak, I explore the city and I look everything as a child looks at first time. Other times, I live the same life when I was around 20. Here is a party on every 2nd day, much time with friends and without my family … as a long term college :)
Right now, I’m 14 years old. I got my ID and my credit card … cool.

ieva moves again

2010-10-14T16:16:00.001+02:00

...not only to another flat
but also to another new blog,
that I found easier to work with.

uncensored,
simple as that
here it is
[of course, I won't stop bugging you also through this space]

http://potatoesandcottagecheese.blogspot.com/

lep dan, moje drage slovenske prijatelji!

Ieva*

First impressions

2010-10-12T15:00:00.004+02:00

Hey, I'm Zoltán (or Šaca, or Zoli) the one of new EVS volunteers in Pekarna.

My train arrived to Maribor on a wonderful Friday around at 9.30 pm, and almost immediately I have been started to integrate to the local community. I met many people, and I saw many places in the city.
The first was Gustaf (concert hall of Pekarna), where I could know some members of Pekarna, among them Ieva too who showed me the city. We were in "the cheapest and most visited" pub near Gustaf, in Satchmo, in Pekmez Gallery and finally we were in MARŠ nuclear submarine too :)
It is a dangerous place where the safety is really important. You must wear immunizing cap and gloves there, but after you have these, you can see every secret things on the board of nuclear submarine.... if Klemen (the most crazy pirate) shows you :) So, it was a great night.
In the next days I started to explore the city, and to see how works the things in Pekarna. And already now I can say, I like this city and people around me.

Of course, I have to get into the habit of several things. For example: the green light by the crosswalk is usually too short and without flashing, here is no non-stop shop, the ketchup and the mustard or the flour and the sugar and the salt aren't next to each other in the shop, the "kaki" is a fruit, not a shit, and the local beer if often more expensive (and not so good) than the imported.

Well, I think it will be great time for me in Maribor. You are hearing from me! Adijo!

balkanske sadje

2010-09-25T13:50:00.021+02:00

Hello my dear EVS blog reader.
Today I'm going to tell you about the project, that I tried to make only 2 weeks ago.
Well, not tried.
Made it more or less better.
So...

[ all the stories are only my personal memories of what happened ]

Band – ska melodic punk emo frizura band „Mango”.

On board - me ( kind of the mom and neverending panic ex/double bass player), Krists (walking nonsense driver of the van trombone player), Janis ( person who knows everything about everything, at least as far as he thinks so, the drummer), Oskars (his brother, my substitute for the tour, the co driver of the van, the oldest and supposaly wisest person on the board), Janis a.k.a. Kuhar (the noob and the soft heart sax player), Reinis ( somehow undescribable pussy magnet,
neverending smile guitar player) and Kostja (always quiet but very tricky person on the board, the vocal and guitar player).
Equipment – 9 seat Volks filled with dirty socks, wet towels extra shoes, full backline and intruments covered with the banner of the band ( so nobody is suspicious and in a want to steal the gear (logic, there’s none)), and a torpedo on the roof for extra stuff, which most of the time was acoustic guitar, half eaten food and all the socks and towels and sleeping bags that didn’t have place in the rest of the van, and, as far as I heard – 6cd’s – some pop punk compilation, cd of „Rise Against”, Frank Turner, Offspring’s „Americana” , newest Alexisonfire „Old Crows Young Cardinals” and some weird compilation of salsa and funk music.
The plan – a week around Balkans – Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and back in Slovenia.
A very fast insight - http://www.souvizija.si/video/fix_latvijska_sadna_solata_z_vodko/?show=f5257d4aa2c8d9b56a4e3efa831bd27e&search=mango&search_type=s

******************************************************************

08.09.

Dear friend,

Me and a friend were cooking for the band, when I received a message, they are already here. And, as fun as it is, not in the theritory of „Pekarna”, Maribor, but downstairs to my block house, after somehow managing to enter the ramp of the yard that lets in only the people who live there and have the key to it.

A big chaos already striked in.

6 guys in my flat chaoticly taking a shower, beating each other with towels, eating like animals, sleeping in my bed, fooling around with my ukulele and speaking all at the same time.

Concert.

Afterparty.

Guitarist is lost, vocal and trombone player playing guitar and singing out loud, sax player again expressed his monkey abilities by climbing up the roof of Gustaf, while team of brothers - drummer and the bass player were somewhere in Kurd all the time skating and falling off the skates. Later on band showed a bit of the skills, when vocal who never had skated managed to make a kick flip on the board.

I lost my keys and stayed a night in the container.

09.09.

Dear diary,

I found the keys but wasn’t able to wake up guys, so I went home.

When I came back I met bunch of zombies eager to get some icecream and pile of coffee.

After nearly and hour long zombie parade/walk to a radio „Marš” to make acoustic performance, we did it with a success with even 23 people listening online and one calling to the studio. We didn’t reply in an angst of a person being scared away by our trombone player who was all day strangely aroused and eager to know from everyone „how they like cottage cheese”.

I couldn’t keep them together, after the show they again invaded all the Pekarna’s theritory singing songs, riding in shopping carts and exploring the distance of talking on walkie talkies they found there.

As Janis was 100% sure that „Satchmo” is a jazz FESTIVAL, where he can find lots of fine local ladies, I took them there.

I am pretty sure we are banned there, though the drummer found fine local habitants - so small, but therefore a success.

During this night we also had a jam session, followed by improvised and filmed play called „Last day of Marry Poppins”:

Konstantin – Mary Poppins
Me – the killer
Kuhar – the voice
Krists – podvorskij huligan ( backyard hooligan).

The story is very short – Mary Popins walks around with his (her...?) umbrella, thinking about the children of the world, gets killed by bike driver and after that beaten up by podvorskij huligan who, as all of them, are always keen on picking on the weakest. End.

10.09.

Dearest notebook,

Driving off to Novi Sad, „CK13”

Guys forgot to purchase „zelena karta”, we also didn’t have Ata Karnet, so it was kind of lottery game wheter they will or not let us in.

They did. On both Croatian and Serbian borders.

We got fascinated by the fact that on each border weird people are following us – they were all wearing suits, and they just got off on every border out of their fancy cars, shaked each others hands, got back into their cars and drove off.

Needless to say, we tried to do the same.

Dear friend,

I have to go a bit back in time to explain this, but I will try my best.

...when I first got the cabel TV, I was so fascinated by foreign TV channels – most of them were in German. I was most impressed by, as I kept him in my mind, an all time German hero called „Viele Mehr”. His name appeared everywhere and I was so eager to finally see, who’s that mistery man, taking part in everything – including music, sports, movies etc.

After some time somebody, of course, explained to me the meaning of this combination of words, therefore my dreams went down.

Today, in Serbia we sightseeded the local „Viele Mehr”.

We went into the first petrol station after the border to purchase cigarettes and coffee, when a cd/dvd stand attracted our attention. Mostly because this DVD with big colourful letters saying „ŽURKA” caught out attention ( in Latvian Žurka means – „a rat”).

But, after we took a closer look to this cd and some other compilations of music around it, we sightseed this interesting view.

A bald guy with a same picture being on allmost all of the cd’s.

What’s next?

This?

Or this?

And who is the designer of these cd’s anyways?

Are they for real?

Same day around 20:00

Even though we did our best to promote the gig – the mormon approach – meet people, give them stickers and say that they just won’t be able to live normally without visiting the gig, the place was not as full as expected.

Anyways, we created a good party and even better afterparty.

Total score of the night:

Created a big acoustic gig in the centre of Novi Sad (vocal lost his voice) and attracted some local photographer to follow us allthrough the night and take with every minute even more and more embaracing photos
During all night lost 3 members of the band
Me, Kuhar and Kostja invaded bushes of the local municipality. Too bad we saw too late that they are rose bushes. Me and Kostja did the straight dive in, Kuhar had always to be different and did it in the back flip therefore causing a bigger damage for himself.
Brothers Janis and Oskars had a fight and Oskars ended up throwing his shoes and the band money and his passport all over the street, fighting with a building and later sleeping in a fountain (it’s called Latvians vs rakija vol 1)
Me and Kuhar developed a new friend (first we thought he wants to kick our asses), but later we all sat down ate some icecream played guitar and went back to the club to sleep. Serbians are tricky. Their friendliness can be most of the time mistaken for agressivity, at least, when it comes to us, „the cold blooded northern habbitants”.

11.09.

Dear pieces of sheet written on my pc,

4 of us, who didn’t get lost woke up in the two person bed.

Others still missing.

After around hour they show up with big hamburgers and saying „You can buy it this big only for 100 shits”. Yesterday for them – covered in the past.

Oskar’s arm after previous day’s fight with still unrecognized building had became two times bigger.

I come back on board as the second bass player.

Same day around 2 pm

Road. Guys insisted we have to stop by the road to buy some fruit from the farmers.

I was against, knowing that in the best case 3 grapes and 1 apple will be eaten and after that it will be only another collection of a weird smell and a seperate microlifes living in our van.

But we did that. Just for the experiment.

And also because while they were purchasing fruit, me and Kostja sneaked to purchase home brewed rakija.

The most exhausting road ever. Only 50 km, but on the curving national road.

We entertained ourselves reading some article on vintage croatian porn magazine about the most sensitive parts in the woman and man’s body.

Why is the eye in the place nr 5 in the scale from 1-10 (the least sensitive to most sensitive parts)?

CONTEST OF THE SILLY FACES.
....guess who's leading....

Playing on the streets. Gaining some money for the gas.

Four fighter planes passing over Belgrade very low, followed by helicopters.

All of us allmost peed our pants and were quite ready to cancel the show and spend a night in a fright for our lives in some bomb shelter or something.

But it turned out it’s normal there.

After that we got 5 2 litre bottles of beer and 7 different bureks for the concert.

Good wellcoming.

Same day around 23:00

After that all of the band went to some party on the boat.

Me and Oskars stayed in the club to finally get some rest.

A rest is a rest. Nevermind it’s in on the floor of the club surrounded by smoke of cigarettes.

Kostja came to sleep to the club the last.

He thold me that only some minutes ago a homeless guy with a stick

was chasing him while screaming out something in Serbian.

12.09.

Hello there again, my little friend,

Woke up at 9.

Packed all the backline back into the buss.

Everyone had faces blown up twice their size, eyes like vulva of the mouse.

Also all as one had gained cold, some special ones – even a fever.

Me, Konstantin and Kuhar developed a club „Scorpion”.

A little jamaica on the buss full of stressfull band members.

In our illeagal backseat bar, only with a help of hiding under the seats you could taste some marvellous serbian beers, homebrewed rakija and sniffing tobacco.

Same day around 4 pm

Passed the Macedonian border. First border we were asked for both – zelena karta and ata karnet.

Paid last 40 eur for karta, that is valid only in Macedonia (stupid birocracy) and declared all the backline and instruments on a piece of paper, in addition bribing them with our cd.

Skopje

There were 5 nicely strange things about this country:

they serve hamburgers with french fries already stuck in them
the albanian part of skopje looks like a big kitchen covered with huge rock tiles
none of us ever heard the calling to the mosque, so we got kind of scared while having a lunch and then this undescribable something in the speakers around the town.
they have strayed cats who look too domestic to be strayed. Also too friendly.
they drink hot rakija with sugar and honey.

By this time we are also all ill to the tops - while others are sharing the beers and other drinks, we are sharing the pills and the drops for the nose.

Konstantin ,who, as I wrote before, started to lose his voice, gives up whispering and torturing his voice and goes full retard – walking around with a piece of paper and a pen.

And after the show – finally a decent sleep (more or less).

After the shower we devided beds, and our club, Scorpion,gained even a seperate room, in which the rest of domestic rakija was emptied along with eating some black bread on it and followed by various nonsense performances.

I kept my nerves about naked guys dancing around me.

I lost them only when Kuhar trapped himself in a sleeping bag and was hitting on every piece of the furniture in the room following his performance with only one sentence in a girly straight enlish pronounciation:”Oh, I’m so clumsy”. ( it’s called Latvians vs rakija vol 2).

13.09.

Dear keyboard,

We took a walk around Kumanovo. We called it little Cuba.

Guys bought a postcards for their girlfriends.

I’m still amazed that they are pretty sure, that if they talk with people in russian, they actually understand them, because languages are „so similar”.

Oskars and Janis found a guy who was making cars. Their favourite one was a car who was going forward with a help of a huge mower.

On the way back, on the Macedonian border, at the moment the guards saw our bus approaching, they already started to sing our songs. Fun way to get a new fanbase.

Serbians were different.

They asked for all the exact papers we don’t have, and took our passports.

We had to pay 110 eur or go back.

We took a map and with a help of an eye, of course, not the gps, counted the way around Serbia, decided it to be the best option – to go through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary instead of paying this fee.

We took off.

We stopped only somewhere a bit out of Sofia, Bulgaria, to finally have some meal throughout all the day–middle of the night, dark as hell, as far as I understood, somewhere next to Donav, accompanied by some strayed dogs and a local dumpster.. All of us like wild animals fighting over bread and beans with ketchup. Some of the guys just eating raw meat. Cover it all with beer to handle the psychological trauma about this meal, and also, just as a medicine to fall asleep in the van.

14.09.

Dear diary,

It’s 3 am and guys just allmost drove into Donav. GPS showed there’s a bridge, while actually there was a ferry, that wasn’t even there at the moment. They stopped at the very end of a ramp just because the pavement looked oddly blue.

At 8 am friendly guard of Romanian ferry woke us up.

In a way of tourist attraction Romania has definately something to do with a person who is working in the same field in Croatia –

Croatians welcome you with long lines on the borders, therefore making you curious as hell, what is there, that is kept under such a big lines, and Romanians do it more easier – to get to it, you have to pay 40 eur for ferry.

Romania surprised us with two bloody carcrashes on the road, two half an hour long traffic jams, guys driving in front of us on their sick animals called horses, and pile of strayed dogs.

We also lost additional 60 eur for speeding.

We surprised Hungary with killing 3 hedgehogs and one fox on the highway.

We also came 4 hours late to our gig, but we still somehow made it.

And I think I’m somehow already allergic to this album of Alexisonfire, because it was rolling all night through in our van.

Suggestion for the travellers –you cannot always trust GPS, but you also can’t trust your eye while considering if the road is short enough to make it on time.

15.09.

Dear reader,

It’s oficially the last day of my duty as the second bass player.

Oskar’s hand has healed (allmost) and Ljubljana, Metelkova is my last place to be with my boys on this tour.

We woke up in the squat of „Medika”, the club in Zagreb, surrounded by also some never seen people.

I hadn’t had a shower in 2 days and all of my parts felt odd. The clothes? I would just like to take them off and burn them. It would be the easiest way around.

I tried to persuade guys to stop in some petrol station on the road, to take a shower.

After an hour long fight we finally did it.

15 min long shower costs 3 eur. So, me and Kuhar, as being the most femine people in the band got the longest time to shower – 7 min each.

Other guys bought another 3 eur 15 minute shower time and shared it 2 guys at the same.

System was easy – all of them got naked in a parking lot, 2 are in the shower – while one is under the water, another one is soaping himself up, and then they just change for the next 7 min, while other duo approaches. Janis was the official pioneer of the shower, who stayed there for two times in a row, just exchanging the co-shower-people.

After that I guess, it was first day in allmost a week, that we could just chill-out. We took out cards and a bottle of water (as the day was finally neetly warm in Slovenia), and chilled out.

The only thing bugging us was the „lighter problem”. We all had one lighter at the start of the tour. In the end only two of us had them, and, therefore these two people got bugged every 3 minutes.

As soon as we got to Ljubljana, and ended up setting up the stage, we went on a tour/search for a place for guys to again play on the street, to gain another extra money, that we lost in the marvellous surroundings of Romania.

Too bad it got invested in other „first aid things”.

The concert was officially the best one we had during the tour.

( I’m not saying others were bad, we just voted this one to be somehow over the tops. Also, as I mentioned before, probably because finally there was no stress before it.)

The sound, the audience, the vibe, and of course, the afterparty, who was the craziest, even though it took only one place – surroundings of Metelkova.

**************************************************************************

In total:

Around 500 eur minus

The van slightly stinks, as Kuhar quoted – of a piece of paper that used to be wet but then again got dry and is mixed inbetween dirty socks.

More or less feverish feeling.

Lots and lots of a new friends, that we all have to thank for just being.

(And we DO thank them).

The most drilled phrases through the tour:

„Do you like cottage cheese?”

„I’m so clumsy”

„Nice VAAAAA” (this you have to pronounce in a slight animalish voice. „vaaaaa” stands for...the red animal collecting the nuts)

„Dobra dan” (exact pronounciation of the guys)

„Balkan, Balkan!!!” ( this is actually performed most of the time after the shower in the underpants jumping around and clapping hands, basically, a dance of a minimal, but very important happiness)

„Can I have number 10” (refering to the vintage porn magazine article)

„Don’t forget the bejner! (baner of the band)”

„I forgot my maks (wallet in Latvian) at home....”

The most drilled songs through the tour:

Frank Turner – The Ballad of Me And My Friends (usually sang as an acoustic song, friends hugging and kissing and „definately going to hell”)

Rise Against – Hero of War (usually sang along to one of the most listened cd’s and performed along with a movement explaining the happenings in the lyrics)

Misfits – Last Caress (this song usually just sneaks out of nowhere and is sang karaoke with all the parts of the instruments done a-capella)

Another obviosity

2010-09-05T17:40:00.005+02:00

“Working restrains us to the lathe, carves us into the shackles of compressed pants and reduces the size of penis with every work hour per week.”

Well, so does the real life, that’s why I have so many problems with it.

And, as the summer time here is almost over, I have to move to another apartment due to some problems with the flat keeper, and I have some problems with my neediness towards people around me, I am putting my travel bag on a stick and going on the road for the next two weeks.

Good, that it at least somehow goes hand in hand with more or less work – being co-boss of the tour of my band, otherwise I would feel a bit worse about myself.

The road will somehow go down into Balkans.

By the way - here's the lovely poster. Once you've seen it, you have to come, otherwise bad luck and lack of warm slippers will follow you allthrough the winter time.

By now I can’t quite define if I’m excited or anxious about that – it always somehow mixes in my head, due to my bad temper, that needs the world to go two times faster and more righteous my way, than it does.

Anyways, my only hope is that the bus won’t break down, that the border guards will be nice enough and that we won’t end up in the middle of nowhere without gas and food sucking on strayed grasshoppers.

I hope my mind will stay straight enough to make some pictures and remember some funny stories that need no censorship, and if it happens – they will be posted here.

Also as soon as I will get back, Pekino restarts – for now there are already 3 movies on my mind to show to wider audiences. I can only say – as fun as they are, they also might be a bit distracting, but, God damn it, you have to somehow fight with “Udarnik’s” programme, that even included the artiest softporn of year 2009 – “Antichrist”.

p.s. just sent an email to the insurance company about the procedure how to get myself a glasses.

If everything goes right, autumn in Slovenia also should strike on me with a perfect sight and classic 70's wide frame glasses (I sooo hope for that).

Be prepared.

People go hibernating, and I go full retard.

Ah, and the song. To keep it all balanced.

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg036E-UKL4

i am bad at formating. anyways - trip home. /of course, the only EVS now - Ieva/

2010-07-23T17:58:00.020+02:00

The day we left Maribor was so not looking like it –

we kept on sitting in the kitchen and drinking coffee and just chillin till mid-day.

At around 1, not quite willingly me and the other girl, that came to visit me, left the flat with those big tourist bags and a tent, that also was not quite willing to stick to my bag as good as it should.

Total equipment:

Bag full of unneeded shit (basically-clothes and clean underwear)
Toothpaste, toothbrush and a deo
Specially unshaved legs for kinky truck drivers
Ukulele
Food (two cans of beans, pack of bread and a pack of cheese)
Tent
Bed sheet ( I’m not suicidal – sleeping in sleeping bag is a murder this time of the year)

Yes, by the way. NO MAP OF EUROPE.

At the start it went very slow and unpleasant, because the first car, that picked us, was autobahn police, that took us to middle of nowhere a bit outside Maribor and tried to get some money from us, because of overt-stepping the law.

I said :

„Look, if I had money, do you really think I would be here with my thumb up?” and they just went away. Bad day for them, I guess.

So, further, with a help of 3 cars we got stuck in Vienna. There are two places that you, as a hitchhiker never want to go – Vienna and Poland. Vienna is big and complicated,

Poland is just big (way too much).

At around 7, when the sun started to slowly go down, and we already started to make plans, where to put a tent ( actually I didn’t , I was running around with – „I have a plan – each day – 3 countries, I’m not satisficed, we’re not staying here!!!”), a car picked us up. Some really tired lawier, who took us outside Vienna. But again – on autobahn. There I felt like Braveheart just pushing other girl forward with the same saying – „I’m not satisficed, we’re not going to stay here, keep marching even if it will be 20 km or more!!!”. And we didn’t have to do it long, cause the car stopped and nice guy from middle east took us again outside of Vienna, but this time to supposingly middle of nowhere.

As it was dark, the plan about the tent again striked. BUT NO.

There was one bus, I JUST HAD TO walk up to it and ask if they have free space for two nice latvian girls, and...haha. They were going exactly to Brno, Czech Republic, and later, they not even took us to Brno, but also gave us a room to sleep, and a breakfast next morning.

I was surprised why people are so kind and nice.

It turned out that they were some christian organisation.

Oh well, at least a pleasant one, and I even didn’t have to keep biting my tongue not to refer about anything in the Bible, because they even didn’t bother us with preaching, unlike most of people involved in this, that I’ve met.

Realy nice and realy pleasant.

Next morning I just couldn’t resist taking a photo of it.

I asked the owner of the organisation if realy ever nobody wanted to add „LED” to this mark. He remained silent. I think he didn’t get the joke, but who gets my jokes anyways.

The next day we went out of Czech with a speed of light, but then...we got stuck in Poland. I mean – nothing can get worse than that. Even if you drive through it with no stop, it feels like you’re stuck in it, but we were just stuck and that ...you know what is that.

Our moms started to send us hysterical sms. That they worried where we are (common, we’re in the middle of nowhere!!!) and that we’re two girls on the road ( no kiddin, I forgot about it, while I was all the road keeping the knife safely hidden but close to me).

We went to a gas station to find some car, and also to buy some local pre-payed card to call our mrs’s moms. Thank GOD, my grandmother taught me something some long time ago in polish. With a big gestures and pretty poor polish after only half an hour i purchased it. Success.

And soon after that we hitch-hiked one car. And it turns out that polish drivers have the same nice system as russians – they have radio in their cars and they just message each other about police on the road, or anything else...so, therefore they kept on messaging each other about two latvian girls going to Warszaw and needing a ride. After this car – hitch- hiking wasn’t even neccesary. We just sat from one to another car.

I again started to hold my hidden knive when it got dark and we took road around Warszaw together with one truck driver. I’m paranoyed of them. And he was too silent. And during the night there was nothing else around then just flat woods, romanian hookers and old drunks fighting IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE. That’s how interesting polish roads are.

But things changed when I somehow managed to gather all my poor polish knowledge and played on the truck driver’s feelings. I remembered one song from a polish movie „4 Tank Drivers And A Dog”, and kept on singing it, till he sang along, so the....night was saved from aqward silence. Here’s the movie, anyways - http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?4139-Four-tankers-and-dog

And a song that saved us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrQYLUShV0s

We got dropped off 200 km from Polish-Lithuanian border. Again a gas station in the middle of nowhere. No hope. Packed out our dinner/lunch and were prepared to sleep a night at some gas station, on the table next to it, surrounded by strayed dogs and sleeping truck drivers.

We left stuck some letters and the trucks that had Latvian number, and whose drivers were taking their nice night sleep.

And then, one car started to move. Latvian number.

Turns out it was some driver from Latvia, who just took a nap before long road back home. He picked us up. A nice man, who works for some gardening company in Latvia and is on is way to deliver some freshly bought plants. Not only he drove us from this middle of nowhere at around 1 am, when we completely lost all our hopes – even me, the braveheart, to Latvia, but also gave us the best latvian beer, food, stories about the times he was still a truck driver and later didn’t even bother about us not keeping the company, but just sleeping next to him in the front seats.

We reached Latvia, and the seaside at around 9 am.

Totally exhausted, stinking and with a one hour sleep.

Ok, maybe two.

Of course, the way home was spectacular.

I mean – walking the same roads towards home.

And there it is – more beautiful then I remember it.

Hidden between green trees this grey-blue building.

And as in a fairy tale – my mom and grandmother sticking out of the window and waving.

My grandma’s cooked food was never better.

The coffee was the best.

My room was the best.

My cat's Mizzy and Vaseline were the best.

Kisses of mom never felt better.

I didn’t take any additional sleep, just, after I had a talk with parents went out and

met most of the friends.

The next day I took a bus back to the seaside to meet other part of the family.

So typical for me – to spend a day at the seaside and not even bother myself to go to the beach.

I spent whole afternoon playing with a kid of neighbours, with a dog, a family and then a bus home, an

d straight away bus to the festival side.

I spent a night before festival at my friend’s country house. It again felt like a dream come true – all the tractors, cows, the dogs, the bugs, even the snakes, THE WILDERNESS. I felt like a little kid and even didn’t bother much about the bug bites.

In the morning just before dedicating ourselves to festival atmosphere we went picking the flowers of lime.

Later the festival side.

What can I say about that...

The first band I saw, and their song stuck to my head as the ultimate festival hymn was this – lithuanian band „Happyendless”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G411NArkmc

I got totally disappointed in „Happy Mondays” which were my main aim when I went to the festival. Shawn was the only one from the band, and totally in the back, because of the back vocal, who took all the attention. Eh. When will those bands learn – if you die, then do it nicely. Don’t put it as a public agony. But they played „24 Hour party people” and „Kinky Afro” and I faked a big excited smile.

Unkle – uuuunkle. Although they played most of "War Stories", also a slight disappointment. If you can’t do it live, don’t. The only thing that saved the day was the massive light show. I kept my sunglasses on for whole show and thank God for a few times, that I’m not epileptic or something.

Here’s some insight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wANfVRg1GXs

Afterwards some party around. Things that caught my attention:

Sleeping nets next to the seaside, right in the woods. Cool idea. Really nice relaxed place.
The bar – buy two beers, get a string panties. One my friend got really hooked up on this offer collecting panties for each day of the week. Lucky her.

Next day came very nice. I took massive swim sessions in the wild river. Nice – fishes, river snakes somewhere, the seaplants and me. And as I’m pisces by my horoscope, you can imagine – I didn’t come out of the water till I felt slight sea-sickness.

At the festival theritory next day was about like in Tim Burton’s „Nightmare Before Christmas” – what’s this, what’s this – I never seen before.

My friends took and icecream licking contest, we all took silly pictures by some main mobile phone commercial, and, of course, again the bands.

Scissor sisters – they melt latvian hearts by some speech, that included „Our guitarist’s grandfather was born here 130 years ago. This gig is special to us. You, Latvians had gone through lots of shit, so this song goes out specially for you” (now comes long screaming and crying in the public) and then they continue with „thanks” in Latvian – „paldies” and all the crowd goes mad. So less needed for happiness. I just LOVED the outfits. And the dancemoves. And as old and annoying the song „I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” is, I just couldn’t resist dancing and singing along to it.
Leisure Society – I was sooo into not watching them, but in the end these „Arcade Fire” wannabies were ultimate thing to hear and enjoy while drinking ice cold cider in this heat.
Kira Kira – Iceland is crazy. And this was way too much for me. I spent whole 10 minutes waiting for something, waiting for some reincarnation of Bjork, but just got tired and went away. There are some things you just don’t have to bother your brain with...
Ten bears – I was soooo looking forward to hear them, but eventually saw only their last song – cover to a song, I think, from 90’s – „Pump The Jam”.
Bla bla bla, latvian bands, who cares anyway.
Muse – haaah. I loved it. As all the crowd. I think at the time they were playing, there were no people around other stages or dj tents. Or even the bars. Even though they made absolutely no connection with the crowd, I was laughing myself out while they played intro to song „Knights Of Cydonia”. Here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0hlDqjWr8U . And, as much as I went through their twitter, it looked they enjoyed their stay in Latvia, even though it didn’t look like on the stage.
Benji B – I wanted to stay whole night listening to him after all the shows ended and only dj’s were left. Too bad none of my friends thought the same, so, 15 min of him, and nice dubstep and we were off to some cheap dancing tent.

I went home afterwards with a taxi. 130 km for 5 eur. Luck, oh my luck. From where do you come from? How did I deserve you?

Then some other days spent with parents and friends, even one rehearsal with my band, and non-stop calls reminding, that I’m actually needed, my ego just ate and ate, and went higher and higher, and then, during my last night at home, I made this. It’s supposed to be cornflowers. Just to remind me who and from where I am,

even if I continue this fucked up lifestyle with wandering around...

Plain. For the first time I actually cried while stepping on a plain. Well, ok, I didn’t. I swalloved tears with my red eyes. I never cry. But still.

In the end, being again in my new home, I can only say I feel very weird.

I could compare it with hedgehogs.

It has it’s smell that he is recognized for within his other hedgehog friends and relatives. And then you take it in your hands, and he looses it, and he’s never the same to the others. Left out, basically.

With this – old and new home it works the same ways. Only every time you go there or here.

final (report) from dušan

2010-07-01T03:20:00.004+02:00

This is a part of my final report that I was supposed to write, because my (and Paul's) voluntary service in Pekarna is just finished. It's a list of my activities.

"
It is hard to review briefly what I have been doing 9 months of my EVS because it was many little roles and tasks and the bigger picture is quite complex. But I can say I functioned as photographer, assistent-technician and versatile creative element and local networker. More concretely, I was

-photographer of PMM events (mainly concerts)
-organizer and co-founder of cycle of weekly photo sessions called Group Photo Therapy skupinskafototerapija.blogspot.com/
-co-organizer of creative Zeko-trip workshops
-organizer and lecturer of Viral Marketing workshot
-junior technician and light designer for the concerts organized in PMM's concert hall Gustaf
-co-organizer and participant of stage light design workshop in cooperation with my sending organisation
-co-organizer of Dali Dali exhibition in Gustaf
-technical support of Vegan dinners and international conference „New Times New Models“
-member of volunteer team around Project Maribajk (driver and technical support)
-occasional asistent of several workshops organized by MISC Infopeka
-supporter in the promotion of PMM's and INFOPEKA's programmes and events
-together with my boss, speaker and dramaturgist of our radio show Radio Radio in Radio MARŠ
-with my fellow evs Paul, I’ve worked on interventions in the public space: Neighbourhood Lunches (http://evs-pekarna.blogspot.com/2010/02/exit.html) and Fu*cking Co*king Show (http://vimeo.com/8520231,http://vimeo.com/10537041);
-about my activities, I was reporting at Pekarna website throught EVS blog
(http://evs-pekarna.blogspot.com/);
-initiator and founder of „art-group“ called Creactive Bastards of Maribor, connecting active people with similar interests and ideas trying to execute them
-co-designer and co-producer of Solar Pulse Music indie label (badges, t-shirts, cd covers, bags)
-technical support of La Vitrine, artists in residency
-lecturer of photo lessons in social program PUM
-occasional concert video maker
-initiator of countless unexecuted ideas and projects
"

I will write more personal point of view on whole 9 months of my life in Maribor, later - from my home-country/-town/-organization/-whateva.

(for now, I will miss lot of people from here. But I will be coming back anyway. From time to time.)

By the way, our goodbye party is tomorrow evening in Pekmez gallery (Koroška 18). Our train is leaving Friday morning.

alles klar, her komissar?

2010-06-26T17:56:00.022+02:00

So finally I also took a challenge to hitch-hike somewhere abroad, even though it wasn' t that brave and great adventure as my comrads had succeeded before.

To start - I never did it quite often due to the fact that I'm the only child in a family and idea of me hitch-hiking made my mom as dodgy on the heart, as me, when she puts record of Andrea Bocelli shuffling on the hi-fi for whole Christmas time.
Of course, I did hitch-hiking not telling her and just going somewhere with my friends, but usually within borders of one country.

So.
It all started in a desperate and quite commonly lonely night in Maribor, when I clicked refresh for the 50th time on my email browser, while slowly falling asleep, when my friends called me.
" Hey, we are 3 latvians in Vienna, we are planning to celebrate summer solstice here, so come on! Come, join us! It' s only 200 km drive!"
As I was half asleep and not quite in arguing with overexcited and slightly drunk people, I just said " Yes" and put the phone down. It's such a common thing to quit conversation like this.
Only durring the sleep I finally realised , that challenge had been taken and if I say "No" the next day, I have only proven my fright of becoming sad and old housewife (catwife to be more specific) at damned age of 22!

I was sooooo hoping the morning will brind rain, so I can keep on rotting around Maribor and having an actual and respectable excuse for that, but NO. Sun, circa 30 celsius, so screw that.

I took my jacket and phone, as I was still in a doubt about actually hitting the road, and just went on a highway.

Thumb up. (Now my face expresses a lot of "why" and "wtf" in it, but oh well. When in Rome...
Car. Šentilj. Border. Few steps, thumb up again.
Car 2. Sir talk-a-lot. But a nice guy. Drove me to Graz.
Highway again. Thumb.
Polizei.
"Enšuldigung, ih hette kaine anung". They drove me to petrol station, so I can make my next arrangements about the route to Vienna there. All the way to the petrol station I was thinking about their uniforms - had seen them a lot before. But where. Was it "Komisar Rex" or "Alarm fur Cobra 11"???
Car 3. A silent guy. But drove me to Wiener Neustadt, where I picked my last car - a journalist, which didn't seem that excited about driving me to Vienna, but you know...my puppy eyes.
And withing next minutes also her attitude disappeared and all the rest of the way we spent nicely chit-chatting, and in the end she even drove me to center of Vienna. Great!

Center.Pizza.Mezzo Mix. Wait for a friend.
Tour around the town, took quite a lot of pics specially for my mom.
Still thinking about "Komisar Rex" and "Cobra". Which one, damn it?
p.s. here' s some what I made for me mama.

...the last two pictures my friend took over posing. And those are finally good ones. I keep a high honour of Tony Montana and an elephant.

Shop. Duff beer. Never know this beer actually exist. 2.50 eur, but totally worth it.
Be ready to get Homerized!!!

Soulstice.
Heh. Here are the traditions and how we performed during this sacred pagan celebration.
1. Drink beer - 24 pack + Duff
2. Eat cheese - one small pack. We're EVS and we're poor. And not that into cheese after 3 pizzas.
3. Jump over fire - jumped over few horse poops and lamp in an apartment. Small fun, but still a fun.
4. Search for neverblooming flower of fern with an opposite sex, suposaly a soul-mate -
yes, it was "Komisar Rex" after all, so we kept on searching for him and those famous sausage breads.
5. Wait till the sunrise - nice sunrise by Donav.

Morning. Headache. 5 hourse of sleep. On a train back to my beloved Wiener Neustadt.
Highway. Stepped on a dead hedgehog. Puke. Need a cigarette. No lighter. About to cry vol 1.
Thumb up.
Truck stops.
Haha. Finally I also experienced some nice truck driver. Story is long, but let us say, at the point when he stopped the car in the parking lot with no cars in it saying "pussy", I kinda ran off. Back on autobahn and in a childish hope that NOW some car will stop and take me away. Otherwise I'm royally doomed.
And guess what.
Fast sports car stops, I jump in and we basically FLEW off the damned parking lot.
When the shock and shaking stopped I took a look with whom I'm driving.
You know.
I don't believe in fairy tales, but, I think I kind of met my prince in ... a fast sport's car.
Tan, muscules, snowboard instructor and quite into ska punk music - the same that I play!!!
Yes. Screw the white horse, when you jump onto something like this.

Graz. Thumb up. Nothing. Only another weird guy stopped, but this time I was wise enough to not get into the car. Needless to say this car was later cruising slowly around me for some time.
About to cry vol 2. About to call coordinator of my organisation to fetch me in Graz, because some whacko is onto me, I'm alone, I'm scared, nobody stops, and I just want to be home.

But, as my mom used to say :"Eat the porridge, that you've made".
Putting myself together.
A car with a plate of MB passing by. Screw being normal. Ran in front of it like a desperate person on a desert island surrounded my crazy people, and just stopped it.
Before the last man that drove me from Graz to Maribor let me out in front of my house, he said:
"Girl, you've GOT to be smarter. Listen to your mom. Hitch-hiking alone is not the best decision." He.

Home, coffee, shower, cat.
And finally again it feels so good to be in my same old place, surrounded by same old people in same old town.
Eh.

Printemps

2010-04-23T09:30:00.001+02:00

Hitchhiking takes me 150km from Milano.

Northern Italy. Blue shirts, black ties: no rides.

Slept in the toilets of some highway station.

Morning. Dutchman takes me to Milano.

Train to Ventimiglia, french border.

Icelandic volcano + railway strikes: Ventimiglia - Nice overcrowded.

Nice, no trains to Toulouse. Strike: undetermined duration.

Internet, car sharing website, call, get a lift.

Nice - home, the same night, for 15 euros.

Total distance: 1550 km

Total duration: 42h

Total cost: 60€, food included.

Springtime on the hills of the Low Pyrenees.

Beautiful road. Family gathering, breakfasts in the sun, flowers around.

Food.

Ate too much. Sick.

Way back to Toulouse.

Unavoidable "Watcha gonna do with your life, my son" talk with parents.

Sick.

radio aizvaigs

2010-04-22T01:06:00.002+02:00

i don't know if it's very
important news, though starting
today i decided to put line-up
for each show of "Radio Aizvaigs" on my blog -
http://klab.lv/users/sqaaa/

links included, so feel free to enjoy
if you missed something, or if you didn't
listen, or you're just curious what did
this girl did again.

today's line up -
"5 latvian bands that spoilt my musical taste".

lahko noč.
ieva

Gnile pomaranče iz Jaffe

2010-04-19T12:47:00.005+02:00

Vsak pozna mesto Jaffa - tam rastejo najboljše pomaranče, od tam prihajajo sladki Jaffa piškoti. Jaffa je del metropole Tel Aviv, vendar se od drugih predelov mesta razlikuje po tem, da gre za mešano mesto v katerem živijo tako judje kot tudi arabci. Turistom v Izraelu radi postrežejo s podobo idile, kjer oba naroda živita drug ob drugem in z roko v roki skupaj nabirata pomaranče za izvoz, ter si nato pravično razdelita dobiček.Toda pomarančnih nasadov v Jaffi že dolgo ni več, nadomestili so jih neskončni bloki in prestižne vile z judovskimi prebivalci, za piškote Jaffa pa sploh še niso slišali (dejansko gre za Kraševo domislico).

Nekaj deklet, ki sodelujejo v organizaciji Windows, je v novi številki dvojezične mladinske revije, ki jo organizacija izdaja, pisalo o tem, da se v Jaffi, kjer živijo, dejansko ne počutijo doma. Da bi njihovo zgodbo bolje prikazali v reviji, smo se odločili, da gremo z dekleti na malce drugačen ogled Jaffe - dekleta so nam pokazala, kaj točno jih v mestu moti, skupaj pa smo te tujke pofotografirali in fotografije nato objavili v reviji.

Najprej naj vam predstavim naše vodičke:

Janet, Layan, Jarra in Maria

Najprej smo prišli do mošeje Hassan Bek, ki stoji sredi glavne promenade Tel Aviva. Zakaj je tukaj mošeja, če pa so zgradili Tel Aviv na pesku in puščavi? Pred prihodom judov je tukaj stala "vas" Manshiye s 28 000 prebivalci. Kaj je tam danes? Parkirišče, moderni hoteli in promenada po kateri se sprehajajo nevedni turisti. Kje je 28 000 Palestincev? V begunskih taboriščih.

Osamljena mošeja

Izlet na morje – arabci, ki živijo v Izraelu ne vidijo morja vsak dan.

Pot, ki smo jo prehodili – kjer je nekoč stalo živahno arabsko naselje, se danes z umetelnim napuhom uspeha bohoti izraelski turistični ponos.

Na plaži Tel Aviva stoji muzej Ecel. Muzej je zgrajen na stari arabski hiši, ki je tukaj ostala še iz časov arabske "vasice". Izraelci so ji dodali modern, stekleni videz in popolnoma nov pomen - gre za muzej osvoboditeljev Jaffe. Muzej je posvečen izraelskim vojakom, ki so padli pri osvobajanju Jaffe, da gre pri tem za sioniste, ki so pobili ogromno Palestincev, ni važno.

Izraelska zastava vihra nad nekdaj arabsko hišo.

Vstop dovoljen samo povabljenim, 15-letna dekleta očitno predstavljajo varnostni rizik.

Nato smo se podali v središče Jaffe – njena največja znamenitost je velik stolp z uro. Toda komu v ponos stoji ta stolp in kdo ga je postavil? Na tabli piše, da je stolp zgradil sultan v času otomanskega cesarstva v znak slave cvetočega mesta Jaffa, napis na stolpu samem pa pripoveduje popolnoma drugo zgodbo: stolp je posvečen vojakom izraelske vojske, ki so osvobodili Jaffo. Ubogi sultan, verjetno ga že vse boli od obračanja v grobu.

Dekleta pozirajo pred stolpom z uro, ki je ponos Jaffe.

Začudeni in zmedeni obrazi deklet, ko vidijo dve različni zgodbi.

Nadaljevali smo s pohajkovanjem skozi staro mestno jedro Jaffe, ki je popolnoma obnovljeno in pravi turistični raj: povsod prodajajo umetnine, spominke in nakit, ulice so poimenovane po znakih horoskopa in na koncu turist pride do mostu želja, kjer svoj pogled usmeri v morje, se dotakne svojega znaka ter si zaželi nekaj silno pomembnega. Žal želje o miru in sobivanju niso zaželjene, zato nikar ne poskušajte, da vas slučajno ne zadane strela. Dekleta so nam povedala, da arabcem ni dovoljeno živeti tukaj, prav tako ne ob obali. Izraelci so mestno jedro obnovili in arabce izgnali v eno sosesko Jaffe, kjer jim je dovoljeno živeti. Soseska se imenuje Ajami o njej pa so posneli tudi film, ki je letos celo kandidiral za tujejezičnega oskarja.

Sobivanje je tukaj zgolj fikcija

Judje so tik ob obali zgradili ogromne vile, eden najznamenitejših primerov, ki so nam ga dekleta pokazala je kompleks Andromeda. Sklop ogromnih prestižnih zgradb, ki so namenjene izključno judom, arabcem pa je prepovedan celo vstop v ulice, ki te zgradbe povezujejo. Poleg neposredno rasističnih zgradb kot je ta, pa judje Palestince iz Jaffe potiskaju tudi na bolj posreden, ekonomski način. Z grajenjem prestižnih nepremičnin in infrastrukture umetno dvigujejo cene nepremičnin in življenjskih stroškov v Jaffi ter s tem izganjajo arabce, ki si ne morejo več privoščiti življenja v svojem rojstnem mestu. Za ta malce bolj prikrit način okupiranja mest se je uveljavil izraz ponovna zasedba oziroma re-occupation.

Neveden turist, ki se sprehaja po plaži v Jaffi, bi verjetno pohvalil lepe vile, ki jih tukaj gradijo, ne vedoč, da gre za skrajno rasističen kompleks, ki je namenjen postopni ponovni zasedbi Jaffe (re-occupation)

Tipična hiša v soseski Ajami – kontrast z vilami v Andromedi je očiten

Ob koncu te ture po Jaffi, po večih urah hoje po vročem soncu smo bili utrujeni, pretreseni, žalostni in predvsem žejni. Ponujala se je najbolj očitna rešitev - gremo na pomarančni sok. Toda ... vsi smo se odločili, da bomo raje pili vodo iz pipe, kljub temu da v Jaffi resnično ni okusna, kot pa da bi kupili še eno Jaffa pomarančo.

Bojkot podjetij, ki neposredno sodelujejo v okupaciji, je ključnega pomena in eden izmed najboljših načinov, kako lahko posamezniki vplivajo na izboljšanje situacije v Palestini. Naslednjič ko boste v Intersparu ali Merkatorju kupovali pomaranče, grejpfruit ali pomelo, poglejte ali prihaja iz Jaffe in še enkrat pomislite, ali res želite podpirati okupacijo in biti soodgovorni za pobijanje Palestincev. Je res vredno kupiti tisto malo bolj sladko pomarančo, če veste da gre denar neposredno v roke vojnim zločincem?

Spletna stran z več informacijami o podjetjih, ki sodelujejo v okupaciji in njihovih izdelkih, ki jih je priporočeno bojkotirati: http://www.whoprofits.org

So krvave pomaranče res tako okusne?

human race

2010-04-10T14:49:00.003+02:00

let the poetry talk what i think.
it's translated from latvian, so, probably it's a bit messed up, but still.
the idea.

get a grip.
huh.

"grey lead above the city.
air pollution pushes people to the walls.
somebody tries to stay awake in the mall, someone is neeled to bus wheel, someone wakes up, and someone closes his eyes.
in this city somebody has died, someone has just born to raise himself up like a new avatar of fright.

the times i forget i feel happiness near.
somebody was raised to obey, somebody is forced to rule.
somebody didn't have a chance to say goodbye, somebody comes back from falling in love. it's not far from midnight but there's still so many people awake.
somebody prays god in a church, and someone else does it at home in a wrong way.
somebody listens to vinyl of John Lenon, but someone else in a house across the street cuts out patterns.

someone imitates and someone invents. someone adores and someone denies. someone hates race of Saviour, but somebody doesn't see colours.
someobody gets isolated, but someone enslaves.
somebody breathes.
people get wasted from carbon dioxide.
life aches, there's too much life.
people get wasted from carbon dioxide.
people search for belief, search for belonging, search for the way to get rid of the pain.
search for the way to forget.
somebody 's through with fighting, somebody hangs himself.
someone goes to Himalayas, somebody gets married, someone continues to suffer, someone feels happy and someone doesn't feel anything at all.

someone silently falls asleep.
someone passes away silently.
to nonexistance to others.
colours.
moments.
looks.
words.
touches.
thoughts.
smiles.
people."

[thanks to "in.stora" for this - ]

pek

2010-03-29T17:08:00.003+02:00

so yes.
big success for me on this
spectacular monday -
just created first poster,
that i actually like how it looks.

in other words -
you are all kindly invited to join Pekino this sunday, at the evening
of Easter.

yes, we start later, and from now on Pekino will start@20:30.

BUT.
as it is Easter, the day of all the eggs and bunnies in the whole wide world,
all of the people interested are invited to join us before Pekino
(at something around 19:00 ) to share
and do some of "traditional Easter crap" with eggs and bunnies.

we'll roll, we'll bash, we'll colour, we'll eat and we'll compare them.

come come, wherever you are!

cheers and all the love in the world.
me again.
Ieva.

huh

2010-03-27T20:09:00.003+01:00

one big week had finished.
lots of new experiences, lots
of new knowledge and stuff and stuff,
and of course, excitment about my first done
part of "Solar Pulse" gig which will happen
on 2nd of April...
if only for the people...

ehh, people (in general), you amaze me with everyday
even more.
huh.

anyways, i'm still alive, still writing
my "deeper insight of ievas issues" blog (http://klab.lv/users/sqaaa/),
and very waiting for easter present package
back from Latvia to come here.

if it comes on time, you are all invited to join us
on easter sunday, on next "Pekino" to enjoy
next package of "this is what we eat in Latvia".

Another good but hard day

2010-03-25T01:42:00.000+01:00

25. marec 2010, 1.24 in the night

I am tired. But it was a great day. Full.

In the morning, we went to Tehniška šola to repair bikes within Maribajk project. Paul, Ieva, Kaja and me. And Indijanez truck. It was cool mini-trip. I couldn't start the car because the battery was fucked. But finally, it was working. We made nice interaction with some of students of that school during repairing bikes. Then, we wanted to go back but the car didn't start again. So, we had to push it a bit. Eventually, one of the students managed to make the truck running and roaring. Euphoria. He was the hero of the day. I hope he felt the same. It was funny. We were laughing in the sun.

Then, there was a workshop/conference in Gustaf within Den spremembe. I was hanging around, eating bananas, helping, documentating the event and zillion other little things.

And then then, the preparation of concert of Sopot (dub band) started. I did the lights. We had quite much time for preparation. I tried my best. In the beginning of the concert, I was not truly satisfied with my light operating but it was getting better gradually. In the end, I was really enjoying the music, lights, dub.

Now, I am very tired. It was a long day.

And I still listen to the same music. Long time, I haven't heard something that would really struck me. I have wAgAwAgA (some dubstep) but it's not as good as I expected.

Yo and today I was thinking about overdosing by coffee. That could be interesting.

..sometimes, I like to wash the dishes just to make somebody feel bad. Such a bastard I am. So what. It's fun. And I am usefull at least. Washing the dishes is relax, as well. Ah, and I wrote this text. It's an invitation for/exploration of interest in the cycles of photo workshots we are going to start soon. If you are interested (and interesting), write me to dusan@pekarna.org

So here is the text:

Hello, this is Dusan from Pekarna // Zdravo, Dušan iz Pekarne tukaj

I am writing not only to you to ask something // Ne pišem samo tebi, da ti hočem nekaj vprašat

Do you know someone who would be or are you - interested (and interesting:) in photographing? Doing it, talking about it and sharing our experience. Together // Skupaj. Fotkat.

"Yes" is the greatest answer. Because we (dusan & daniela) are preparing the cycle of photo workshots. One session every week. It will be done in our special (lame) way which means lot of improvisation, lot of fun (hhahaha) and hopefully improvement of our photo skills and abilities. // "Da" je najboljšji odgovor. Ker midva (dušan & daniela) pripravljava ciklus foto workshotev. Ena session vsak teden. To bomo delali v našem specialnem (grdem) načinu - tako veliko improvizacije, veliko zabave (hehehhe) in upamo da napredek v naših slikarskih skilleh (sposobnostih).

We haven't decided about the date of the beginning and which day and hour of a week we will meet, yet. That's also why we communicate with potential participants in advance. When would it suit to other people. We are flexible. And if you have any idea about the name of this "thing", bring it on. We want to have a cool name. Nothing stupid like "hočemo fotkat boljšje". // Nismo se še zmenili o datumu začetka in kateri dan in uro tedna se bomo srečali. Ampak to je tudi razlog za kaj komuniciramo s potencialnimi udeleženci. Smo flexibilni, hočemo vedet kdaj je to okej za druge.. Tudi - če mate idejo za boljše ime te stvari, napišite nam. Želimo imeti nekakšno kul ime. Ne sranje ko "hočemo fotkat boljše".

keywords: experiment, "no limit", "everything is possible", "no budget", "nared si sam/a", fotkič, luč, sharing

Hvala za obisk // Thanks for your time and spread the word

dušan & daniela

Monolog with friend

2010-03-15T21:30:00.005+01:00

me: You there?
Sent at 20:45 on Monday

me: I have very often weird feeling about almost all the things we are doing in Pekarna (we - "young generation") that it is not really so good because almost none of us is formally educated in what we are doing. And that we are just amateurs who have opportunity to do something. We have equpment, space, possibliities
And that maybe it is stopping me and I guess I have low self-esteem in this "professional" level.
I am very critical, I became very critical here.
Because I feel that I can't do, I can't afford or I would never dare to do such things in Stanica. Because Stanica is just too good. And I am not in her qualitative "league" (yet, if ever).
That's maybe the issue I like here.
Sent at 20:49 on Monday

me: But if I think little bit more about this too big respect/fear to do something, maybe I should also bear in mynd that many great things started like this - in amateur way, in amateur conditions, with weak planning, some good things grew just from big enthusiasm.
And their founders didn't know much in the beginning but by doing it, they grow and they learnt so much until they get to the point like maybe Stanica now - that other people in the field started to respect them/us. But it takes years
And I am not secure.
I have fears about myself, my abilities and potentials.
This is what bugs my mind.
Sent at 20:52 on Monday

me: I am impressed by Tadej's will to do some exhibitions and so on. But on the other hand, I am thinking secretly in my head that it is not good enough what he is doing. But his fucking energy... is there. And by the years, he will learn and maybe move to totally different level.
I hope it works like this.
I hope we will not stuck in beginner's enthusiasm
Sent at 20:54 on Monday

me: This is maybe the most accurate description of what I am thinking in my mind about my work ever. So far.
And if I compare my work to professionals, I feel really small.

I need to educate myself. So much more

yeast invasion! jar emergency!

2010-03-05T11:32:00.003+01:00

Hey people!
The other day, at Zeko trip, we mixed some flour and water to make some glu for the mask. But we didn't use it, and I recycled it into yeast (you know, the thing that makes bread rise). As I had already attempted this a few times, without success, I didn't expect much from this one. But it turned out to be more than fine: it's damn powerful! The most rubbery, bubbly, active yeast I ever made. I could make bread for the whole town now. I have 6 half-full jars already, and if it works well, quantities will double everyday.

- Wait, what's that noise...
(bubbling sound in the back)

- What? I didn't hear anything?.
(silence)

Well, mmmh. Anyway I could just throw lots of it but it would be a waste. So I'm looking for jars, big jars, many big jars so I can store the ever growing yeast!

(louder bubbling sound)

- Hey, what the f....!
- Oh my god! It's alive!
- Aaaaaaargh it's got my leg. Run, Sandy! Go get some help!
- But what about you, John?!!!
- It's too late for me, Sandy, but you are still young! Run while you can!
- I will never forget you John
- I love you Sandy...
- Oh! John...

(sunset on the beach)

John dies. The Monster Yeast slowly eats him, starting from the left foot. Sandy runs slow-motion on the beach, with her tits showing off through her wet white shirt and her blonde hair dancing in the wind.
Will she managed to reach the camp and warn everyone about the Monster Yeast?

But my point is, I need jars. So if you have any, please bring them to Pekarna. Thanks.
P.

just clean it

2010-03-02T14:30:00.009+01:00

whole morning spent thinking about trash, and also diving in glorious piles of dirt left by youngsters, that visit "Pekarna".

never thought that someone should clean it.
and that this special someone one day would be me.

and it's such a pitty, because they think the same.

.

2010-02-22T06:57:00.003+01:00

just woke up.
no, i don't have to go to work so early or something.
just woke up, made myself breakfast and stayed as
long as possible attached to window to see sunrise, which,
as lame for me, i couldn't see from it. only changes of colours during
the time sun goes more and more up.

very strange - hadn't got recent sleep for last weeks due to
on - arrivaltrainings and traveling with other EVS's to "Mono" gig in
Ljubljana, but still energy rises from somewhere!

nevermind.
just wanted to say, that due to lots and lots
of thoughts and some complete bullshit that is
going on through my head and needs to be shared,
i moved to other blog, so i can disturb people interested even more.

http://klab.lv/users/sqaaa/

feel free to enjoy if you like :)

p.s. I'm also not depressed.

Ieva

Exit

2010-02-19T13:48:00.005+01:00

Kosilo

The first neighbourhood lunch happened on January 23rd and it was a success.
A young Slovene-Sri Lankan couple came, and a lady and her daughter joined us a while later.
We were sitting in the block hall, and lots of people passed by, all smiling and promising to join "drugič".
It was the first milestone, the ground for future evolution and development. We commited to make it for often, at least when springtime would come. The grassy area in front of the building could welcome picnics and various performances - theater, screenings...

Olisok

You noticed my style is pretty monotonous today.
I'm going through some kind of "flat" phase.
Although Dušan, Urška, Gregor or the bands would compliment me on the job I did for the benefit concert last night, I myself know, for having lived it minute by minute during the evening, that I was not present, physically nor mentally, every time I should have. A thousand little things I fucked up, which I usually handle quite well. With light and sound management, relating to the people, organizing the evening...
This is a symptoma of my overall tireness. Or maybe the tireness makes me see everything black-ish.
I also have the feeling that, halfway into my EVS, I haven't accomplished anything nor even properly integrated in the team. Yeah, sure, I give a hand. But what do I bring new, how do I modestly but concretely try to improve Pekarna's programme and its realization? How am I Dušan Dobiaš, somehow? Still wondering...

Rad bi šel na praznike, but as yesterday gave me hope for warmer days, today rain came back, too.

So... where's the fuckin' exit?

Paul

PS: I'm not depressed

Days in Gustaf

2010-02-14T04:30:00.004+01:00

Long time, no blogpost (from dušan).

Ogromno stvari se dagaja. Začinemo znova Pekino. Daniela, Ieva - programiraja (dvojina..hm hm, dvojina dela še vedno problem), jaz delam plakati in flyere. Tako, vsako drugo nedeljo bomo gledet film in potem diskutirat. Ja! Prvič 21ega februara. Ob 19tej, 0 €. Vabilo, pridite.

Nasjledna stvar - bo drugi Zeko trip. Jaz bom lektor, tema bo imela več fokus na virusni marketing (viral marketing). Hočemo naredit napredek v propagaciji Solar Pulse koncertev in program Pekarni na sploh. Tako bomo iskušali naredit plan viralne kampane s Zeko. Naredit plan pa potem ga zrealizirat! :) Drugi Zeko trip bo 25. februara ob 18.00 v Gustafu.

In ja - Gustaf je dobil slunko, končno. Zelo lepo to zdi. Sem srečen. Poglejte, pridite. Se vidimo.

conceptual paths

2010-01-26T22:32:00.001+01:00

So, it’s been a week, since Pekarna has a new volunteer – me, Ieva.

Last thing I remember from Latvia, was a crazy morning – my friends were playing a song, specially written for me, and the the main verse said – „ Tonight we're drinking heavily cuz we're loosing what we've got... even though we know that you’ll come back and we will never be betrayed, the sence of uncomfortable silence in the air - we want your flight to be delayed. Forever.”

For that moment I thought quite exactly the same.

And you probably know how can power of thoughts work.

So I was almost too late for the plain.

Before I stepped into the plain, I received a last call –„ don’ t go „ , and then the battery of my phone went off, and was never recharged again.

But you know, there’s another power working in the path of life –

every time you make up your mind on one cause, there comes another things to change it other way around.

And that’s what happened throughout whole last week.

I love the people, I love the place, I’m full of energy and willing to do something to help and improve how everything’s working here, and I’m here for good.

At least for this year.

Thanks to all who made me feel like home here!

Our first cooking show!

2010-01-03T23:23:00.001+01:00

Yeaaah, here it comes!
We will maybe not teach whole Maribor how to cook but we had loooads of fun.
First cooking show by your local E-V-S! With a guest!

Spread it, embedd it, link it, watch it.
Have fun, bon appetite, dober tek

paul, dusan, lucija

Psycho health

2010-01-01T18:12:00.003+01:00

In this society, only stupid people can stay sane.
Because it's designed for them.
For people without brain.

All others are doomed to psychological disfunctions, complexes.
I think there's even a research proving that more intelligent you are, more probable you will have some sort of psychological diagnosis, in your (adult) life.

Does it make sense?
Of course. Just think about it.

Or no. Don't. Rather stay normal and healthy.
Live your own thruth.

lino, vino, ivo, dušan

2009-12-30T02:25:00.002+01:00

Marre y bore?

2009-12-25T15:27:00.004+01:00

Tout est blanc.
La neige tombe en silence.
Les gens ont disparu, les voitures sont sans vie.
La vile a retrouvé la torpeur de l'hiver, enfin.
Calme mais résolue, la neige, telle une mere bienveillante, l'a arrachée d'un sourire tendre a ses précipitations quotidiennes, pour lui tendre une tasse de chocolat chaud.

...

Looks like what I'll learn this year is not what I expected.
Looks like what I'll get instead is way more valuable.
Isn't it what EVS is about?

...

Another thing:
"By far, the most important advice I have given this summer (and the “secret” of how I can actually learn languages) is to not speak English. Please don’t take this lightly. Depending on how serious you are about reaching the best level you can, this decision can make all of the difference. It is extremely hard because it can be very lonely and frustrating not being able to communicate all that you want when there may be so many other expats around ready to chat with you in your native-tongue, but I have to warn you that frankly I’ve met hundreds of aspiring learners who have failed in making much progress because of using English as the language that they socialise in. Lots of people learn languages very well while also speaking English in their spare time, but in my experience they do it much slower than those who are 100% dedicated.

This is why I can learn languages so quickly, and has nothing to do with magical or genetic talents. Not speaking English is a decision you have to make as soon as possible if you want to learn as quickly as possible. Don’t wait until you are “ready”, because you may never consider yourself ready. Just speak!"

I work in Pekarna

2009-12-19T14:43:00.006+01:00

Ok.
Things happen.
It never stops.

Don't look back.
Or do.
Go.
On your own.

blabla bullshit
Cut the crap, dusan.

Tuesday (22 dec.) at 15.00, in Gustaf
Content: Zeko
Form: over-sized fluffy head, badge, patch, wikipedia entry, stencil, sticker, toy, fairy-tale, myth... and whatever else coming to our minds

A workshot dedicated to our fucked-up hero Zeko. Express your love and care for our depressed rabbit friend. Come home to Gustaf, be creactive, join Zeko Trip.

Finally, we use Gustaf. We - who are we? New blood pumping through veins of what some people call Pekarna.
I want to see Gustaf filled with energy, ideas, creactivity, people, laughter.

Solar Pulse Concerts in Gustaf are beautiful.
Philosophical discussions in Gustaf are fine. Even when I understand 1/3.
Press meetings (tiskovke) in Gustaf where almost nobody comes are sad and boring.
Total Fusion in Gustaf... I wanted to write that it is bullshit but I will give it one more chance.

We will see. What Zeko Trip will feel like in Gustaf.
And a question for you to think: can you imagine bunch of little kids doing some creative stuff in Gustaf?

What I am trying to express long time. Since I came here.
My point is - I want to work again in the culture center where a day of event feels almost like a holiday.
I want to feel I need, want, have to be there. And the rest of the team, as well. Because we do events that we like. We do concerts that we like. We do parties that we like. With/For people we love (or at least like).

I don't want to be in need of a bouncer. Safe-guard. Who kicks out people who behave violently. It makes me sick.
But I know. Reality is different. People are shit sometimes. But we can work on it. Slowly, day by day.

And one more thing.
I want to feel proud about the place where I work. And
I want to feel proud about all the people I work with.
I don't want to feel ashamed when somebody asks me - what do you do.
I want to feel great, replying

I work in Pekarna.

What is happening?

2009-12-04T21:32:00.003+01:00

Lot of things are happening. Every day. Good and bad.

Na primer - moja slovenčšina gre gor. Začal sem sodelati s ljudima iz PUMa - to je program za aktiviziranjo in integracijo mladih oseb kateri neskončili sredno šolo ali so dlogo brez dela. V PUMu delajo na rekonštrukcijo prostorov za mladinski klub. In jaz pomagam s dokumentacijo - sodelam s Lucijov in Samom. Fotografirame kaj drugi delajo. Jaz ih učim nekaj o fotografiranji in oni mene učijo govorit slovensko. Ful dobro, ne? Delam veliki napredek vsaki krat kdaj grem do Pumsterdama.

What is happening?

Na primer - začeli smo skupinsko foto-terapijo. Skupina ljudji kateri skupaj hoču delat nekaj kreativno. Ni samo foto. Vsaki ponedeljek se srečemo, govorimo in delijo z našima idejama. Upam da to je začetek mnogih zanimivih akciji, situaciji, del, diskusijo...
Ejna z stvar katere smo začeli je every-week foto/draw/music/write/whatever-battle. On every group foto-terapy session, we set a topic and we have one week (until next session) to create some piece about the topic. This week's theme is MILK. You can make a photo, you can draw, sing, write or whatever else you like to do - concerning milk. When we meet again, each of us show what we've done. We can share our viewpoints, we can talk about our inspirations, affect and interact each other's work.
Besides other stuff, these creations will be content of the zines we are starting to publish and spread in our personal environment. Anyone can join us. Physically or virtually throught our online-group (http://groups.google.com/group/creactive-bastards-of-maribor) - but physicall contact is the main point, don't forget.
This is just a little from what we have in our heads. I am not capable to put it all out in one blogpost. And I do not want. I have to give it to you piece by piece. So you don't experience heart-attack.

Because we are your fucking future! :)

--
Život EVS dobrovolníka je niekedy náročný, ale preto je to taká dobrá skúsenosť. Som šťastný, že som s týmito ľuďmi, v tomto čase a priestore.

pekarna?

2009-11-28T21:51:00.002+01:00

Novemberski Beograd

2009-11-27T12:10:00.001+01:00

Hej, tu je link od fotk za november :)

Sorry za blog, samo mam ful dela trenutno pa ne utegnem :)
V montaži delam, tam pa ni neta.

Pozdrav,
Sašo

What do I do?

2009-11-15T12:40:00.005+01:00

People ask me this question and I don't know what to say. Because it is hard to answer in one sentence. I have been here for six weeks, already.

Now, I will try to answer myself.

I am Pekarna photographer.
I am creative element.

Me and Lucija, we are finishing video report about Skulpture začasnosti for Artyčok.tv.
We started to make badges. For Solar Pulse Music. Others will follow. Our badges are really nice. Each is different, original, specific.

I am meeting more and more people. Who are interested and enthusiastic in many ways.
Photography, for example. I was thinking about making foto workshot but I changed my mind. We will start some kind of regular once-a-week foto group. Open for anyone with analog, digital or no fotoaparat at all. Open mind will be the only requirement.

I am gathering people whose passion is painting. I hope we will touch space we live in, soon. In personal, very subjective but not selfish way.

Community, presso machine, Daria, pancakes, fuck plast, video battle, canvas, calendar, diy, trash, urban adventure, družba, radio, bird perspective, guerilla, low-budget, low-fidelity, people-found-on-street, crowd manipulation, jam, sharing, t-shirts, glass, interactive, light, design, videoclip, fake, dark room, Pečjak, Pekarma, Stanica, family, Budapešť, self, therapy.

You can ask me about any of these words. We can talk. And act. They are merely blips of what I have in (maybe not only ) my mind.
You can even steal my ideas. It doesn't matter to me because I am full of them. It will maybe even make me happy if you will execute some of ideas born in my head. Do it. My ego will shine smiling.

Besides many other things,
I am new open door to Pekarna for those people who don't really like or know this space. Because I am a newbie, an outsider, not tainted by any background, context, local history or interpersonal (sometimes fucked up) relations.

Maybe the question is not What do I do.
But Who am I?

Who are you? Why?

Maybe you are Zeko.

Report from Civil Media 2009

2009-11-13T16:19:00.012+01:00

Civilmedia 09, Social & Technological Innovation in Open-Access Media
November 5 - 7, 2009, Salzburg, Austria

report by dusand

Open, alternative, community, free, media, diy - these and many other key words could describe this conference.

Little diy (Do It Yourself) published zines exhibition was the first thing that grabbed my attention. Lot of interesting stuff made by people in US, Germany and so on. I've never thought about doing such things.. but why not?
Inspiring link: http://microcosmpublishing.com

The Emerging Power of Social Media and the Post-Election Violence in Iran (Irfan Raja)
Presentation about how mobile phones play important role in informing and spreading word about what's happening in Iran and other countries with censored (and not so free) medias. Irfan Raja showed us several examples of videos took by mobile phones who spread around the world mainstream media channels in very short time from the act happened.
He was also speaking how Twitter is becoming more and more important in fast communication about some hot news and issues.

/// For those who don't know Twitter - it is simple and fast internet tool for sharing short messages within its users. You can write a message and all your twitter "followers" will get it immediately. And mutualy - you will get messages from all the members who you follow. Stanica started to use it several weeks ago. It's another social media tool. It can be connected with Facebook. In the future, it looks like quite powerful tool also for doing PR in informal, direct way. If you are interested, come to me and I can show you how it works in 1 minute.

Community Funded Journalism (David Röthler)
This was very interesting for me. David Röthler from Salzburg based Radiofabrik showed us few internet ideas for funding the community (not only) journalism.

http://www.spot.us/
Community portal where citizens of Los Angeles / so-called Bay Area (=San Francisco, probably) can donate 20 or more dollars to help funding particular story. You as a user and member of the community can choose which article you would like to support. You can see how much more money is needed to write an article. After the amount of dollars is collected, they hire professional journalist for writing the story. By this, citizens of community express their interest in particular topic touching space they live in and they can help with small financial support, as well. So they pay someone who write about their community. For them.
The question is if it could work in European envirnoment and with European way of thinking. Maybe yes, maybe not. It's interesting idea, isn't it?

http://www.sellaband.com/
Check this if you have a band and (of course) no money to produce album.
In that case, this portal is dedicated for you. Bands who wants to be produced can register there, show their idea and people can donate support them. Directly, in small (or big) portions. In return, you can get the money (or some other stuff) back if the project you supported became successful.
So far, more than 2,5 milion dollars were already invested for lots of bands who joined this thing - which is quite impressive.

http://kachingle.com
"Kachingle is a way for readers to choose and equitably share
their $5 monthly contribution with the web sites they appreciate the most."
If you have a website with quality content that people like, you can try to get supported by your fans or let's say community. You register to kachingle.com, attach little thingie on your website. Users of this site can click on it and support you in very little amounts of money (like 10 cents for each visit of your website, or 5 dollars each month - it's possible to set it how you want). If many people will support you with little something, you can get interesting amount of support. Oh and 20% of each donation goes to the services (the provider of the website).

This thing can be boxed into crowdfunding or micropayments category if you like boxes and categories. It's opened for anybody.

http://www.kiva.org/
This is something similar - you can lend money to people who try to start their own little business in poor countries. You always see particular person, his profil, what is he going to do and so on... Very sympatic thing. Something like adopting children from Africa - sending money to some exact child. Yeah, it's similar principle.

This guy, this David Röthler, made an interesting note about Bertold Brecht's Radio Theory. He compared it to Web 2.0 which was inspiring for me. I know very little about Brecht's Radio Theory but this made me want to know more. I will find some info about it. Or if you know something about it, tell me.

History Commons (Daniel Erlacher/Elevate)
They say it was a workshop but nowadays, people call workshops any kind of stuff. For me, it was more an interactive informal presentation. But whatever. It was not bad at all.
http://www.historycommons.org is run by american non-profit organization. "The website is a tool for open-content participatory journalism."
The thing is that there are editors who write, make compilations of facts from books, news, media, basically all kinds of information channels with aim to make a bigger picture of what's going on in our world. This thing should be seen as a new way for writing history. They are just facts, no opinions.
You have entities (persons, organizations,...), timelines of some historical (presence is history as well) events.
It's edited by a bunch of editors (mainly US), so it's not like Wikipedia where basically anybody can edit the content.

///One little personal advise from me - don't consider Wikipedia to be some kind of serious source of information. It can be abused, misused for someone's purposes or intentions. Wikipedia is nice idea but a bit utopic. In this world. Because if you want to have relevant source of information, it has to have an author. Wikipedia has no author, you can't refer to anybody.

So, History commons wants to put the news into perspective. You can see lots of facts from different sources which should provide as objective (if we can say that) overview as possible.

A problem can be editors - who choose them? Who decide who will add and edit content on this website? Daniel Erlacher doesn't have deep insight about how it works in the team of people editing the portal. But as far as he knew, his impression was that those people do it for objectivity itself, for having a bigger picture of what's going on, without any secondary intentions. But human element is always the thing, as we all know.

And of course - this idea is ran under Creative Commons. (http://creativecommons.org/)

Social Innovations in DIY Publishing: Print-On-Demand Technology and the rise of Indie Community Authorship (Deborah Withers)
I missed a presentation that initiated my interested in this conference in the very beginning. Anyway, it was about Print-On-Demand. If you want to publish something and you don't have much money, it's one of the possibilities for you. Print on demand means that you print that many books how many buyers you have. You don't have to print 500 or 1000 books because the big printing house can do it cheap (anyway, you don't have money for so many prints and you are not sure if you will sell it). You just print how many orders you have. So each printed book has its concrete customer. So you will sell all the stuff you have printed. I think it's usually digital print, so it's not so badly expensive. I have to study this a bit more to get more exact information.

In Other Worl(d)s: An Exercise in Collaborative Writing (Tea Hvala)
Tea Hvala is a cool person involved and active in many things in Ljubljana, especially Metelkova mesto. With other people, she organizes international queer/feminist festival Rdeče zore (Red Dawns / Die Rote Zora) every march.
She led a workshop of (collaborative) team writing, with focus on science-fiction genre. Imagine 6 people who set up characters and general topic or setting of the story and each of them starts writing. After 10 minutes, each of them pass his paper to the neighbour and continue writing in someone else's story. You interact with other people's writings, characters, storyline. The process is finished when every people comes to every participant. The results can be very colorful, amusing, innovative and open-minded texts. We were thinking about mixing the languages of writing but we left it for next time maybe. You can check the stories we wrote here.

inspirating links:
http://www.rdecezore.blogspot.com/
http://prepih.blogspot.com/

fotos:

dusand
&
tea hvala
Addicted2Random (Markus Brandt, Republik der Sehnsucht)
Markus Brandt, guy from Radiofabrik presented us his music making machines. He programmes this software which randomly creates/generates music. He is going to put it online to the http://www.radiofabrik.at site in a week or so, so you will be able to listen to 24/7 (nonstop!) randomly computer-created live music. Each of his "music machines" play different kind of music. In the future, he is going to connect several machines into.. let's say orchestra of software musicians. Because each machine represents one musician. We can say it like that. Yes.
Or it will be even possible to make it interactive with human musicians. I consider this as quite good project with lots of potential.
The music itself actually sounded good.

Participatory culture and technology in on- and offline networksThe last thing I attended to was a presentation of three people:

Tea Hvala presented festival Rdeče Zore and how they work inside the organizational team and how they network with our activists within feminist and queer scene in Slovenia, Balkan, Europe.
http://www.rdecezore.blogspot.com/

Sonja Prlic (Austria) presented 3d online game called Frontiers which should in an informal way advertise and open the topic of crossing borders, migration and refugees. Very interesting, very innovative approach and quite attractive form for young people.
http://www.frontiers-game.com/

Rosa Reitsamer (Austria, Wien) was talking about online database and portal of gender and ethnicity orientated music and their open space with the similar focus of activities in Wien - aRtmosphere.
http://www.digmeout.org

Fotografr's two messages of the day

2009-11-03T09:53:00.004+01:00

FAK FLASH!
Don't flash if you don't really have to. Or at least, think twice before using it. I know... "bad light" blablabla. But if you REALLY need to use the flash to make a picture, use it in appropriate, emphatic extent. If you are foto-dokumenting some public event, a big external flash doesn't make you a good fotografr. You shouldn't be seen. You have to try to be silent, stealth. As less obvious and visible as possible. Even clicking of the shutter pisses me off.

So keep on your mind that everytime you flash into someone's eyes, you are making (culture, social, whatever) experience less comfortable for him. You are fucking him in quite a direct way. Yeah, fuck you - fotografrs with (big) flash. I say - rather naturally and intimately experienced moment for audience than decently-exposed photos of the event. People are living now, not in the pictures. That's my philosophy as a fotografr. I can discuss it with you further anytime.

Another thing:
FAK "CAMERA"!
English language is wrong with this. Because it says 'camera' but it wants to say 'fotoaparat'. Camera, kamera is for making videos, films. Slavic people, we all understand this. So I suggest you to stop using word 'camera' if you are talking about appareil de photographie. Jaz delam slike s fotoaparatom in filmi s kamerou.
Anyway, I am wrong with this as well, because camera is latin word. But who cares. It's a dead language.
And they are just words, anyway.

THIS IS A CALL OUT // BUT I AM NOT A CALL BOY

2009-10-26T16:51:00.004+01:00

Sunday

2009-10-25T21:41:00.004+01:00

Bambi Molesters, Demolition Group. I was lucky to experience concerts of these two legends (which I didn't know before, of course). They were very good. I recommend.

But after lot of loud music, it is always nice to wake up on Sunday and look out of the window. To see this..

Tisti stvari vidim z okna.

Vselitvena!

2009-10-23T12:07:00.009+02:00

12. oktober 2009:

Pozdrav!

Javljam se vam ! :)

Žal še nisem imel časa, da bi kaj napisal na blog oz. uploadal slike, samo bom probal to urediti ta teden.

Trenutno delamo na festivalu Slobodna Zona, kmalu bo tudi DisPatch.
Redno tudi obiskujem tečaj srbščine.

Je kr dosti dela, samo je fajn.

Hvala vsem, res se imam super in uživam v tem, kar delam.

Upam, da se kmalu vidimo!
Kdaj pridete na obisk?

Lep pozdrav,
Sašo

Sašo na ulici:

Pišem srpsko:

Kos pizze za 50 centov:

Blok:

Hypocrite's blabla

2009-10-23T10:44:00.002+02:00

Be independant.
Think and act.
Rely on nobody.

Do what you want.
Do what you know.
Do what you want to know.

Feed your soul and body.
Listen to others.
Don't follow them.

Criticize everything.
Yourself in the first place.

Take radical changes of your mood as chances to see same things in different light.
Learn and teach.

Play.
Break rules.
Use words only as tools.
Avoid fools.
Do not be cool.

Act and reflect your actions.

Mavrični Tel Aviv

2009-10-21T15:41:00.011+02:00

Tel Aviv se rad predstavlja kot pisano mavrično mesto, kjer skupaj v harmoniji živijo ljudje različnih ras (Judje iz Evrope, Bližnjega Vzhoda, severne Afrike, celo etiopski Judje), različnih verstev (Judje in Arabci) in spolnih usmerjenosti. Sploh so tukaj vsi tako odprti in tako tolerantni, vsi se imajo radi, se držijo za roke in ob petkih zvečer opazujejo, kako mavrični prašički letijo proti sončnemu zahodu.

Dejstvo je, da v Tel Avivu res živijo vsi ti ljudje, tukaj je res zelo pisano, ni pa vse ravno tako lepo kot bi to želeli prikazati Izraelci. Vendar nimam namena govoriti o vseh vrstah diskiminacije med Judi samimi ali diskriminaciji do Arabcev in homoseksualcev (pred nekaj meseci je neznanec vstopil v dnevni center za homoseksualno mladino in streljal, umrla je 16-letna punca in fant, star manj kot 30). Ta teden sem na poti domov videla prizor, ki je krasno orisal situacijo v tem pisanem Tel Avivu. Žal nisem mogla takoj fotografirati, pa naj opišem, kako je zgledalo:

Pločniki v Tel Avivu so relativno široki, brez težav lahko po njih hodi tudi več ljudi vzporedno (ne tako kot pri nas). Ko sem tako hodila domov, mi pridejo nasproti trije možje (kako pravljično). Na levi strani je hodil zblazneli brezdomec, oblečen v umazano in strgano bundo (pri 35°C), v eni roki je imel kebab, ki ga je bog ve kje izprosil, v drugi pa pločevinko kokakole. Na ves glas je kričal stvari v ruščini, ukrajinščini ali kakšnem podobnem jeziku in pri tem tako krilil z rokami, da je kokakola špricala povsod okrog. Ob njem (v sredini) je hodil ortodoksni Jud – tisti tapravi, oblečen v črnino, z velikim črnim klobukom pa dolgo belo brado in kodri. V roki je imel žepno verzijo Biblije, v katero je nepremično bolščal in pri tem zelo na glas molil ter kimal z glavo. Prepričana sem, da mu je bilo neprijetno in je želel čimprej vstran, pa ne zaradi zmešanega brezdomca, temveč zaradi možakarja (?) na desni strani. Tam je namreč hodil/a transvestit, ampak tak taprav, kot jih v Sloveniji podnevi ponavadi ne vidimo. Mišičast moški z dolgimi lasmi, make-upom in šminko, sončnimi očali, v oprijetem topu in mini krilu z visokimi petkami. V rokah je imel vsaj pet vrečk z oblačili, ki jih je nosil kot da bi hodil po Peti aveniji v New Yorku, pri tem pa se je preko bluetooth slušalke zelo glasno pogovarjal z nekom o včerajšnji zabavi (Izraelci so zmerom precej glasni).

Trije moški torej, ki ne bi mogli biti bolj drugačni drug od drugega, z ramo ob rami hodijo skupaj po ulici v Tel Avivu. Res je, živijo v istem mestu, hodijo po istem pločniku, včasih celo istočasno, ampak drug drugega prezirajo in če se le da, ignorirajo. Vsi govorijo drug mimo drugega, nihče ne posluša in ne poskuša razumeti. Skupnega imajo samo nekaj: vsi so na svoj način zmešani.

Druga plat mavričnega Tel Aviva se kaže v četrti, kjer živim, najbolje kar v osnovni šoli, ki stoji nasproti mojega stanovanja. V to šolo namreč še ni stopila judovska noga. No prav, učitelji so judje, ampak verjetno tisti, ki jim na pedagoški ni šlo najbolje. Ker živim v gastarbeiterski četrti (južni del mesta), hodijo v to šolo gastarbeiterski otroci. Veliko temnopoltih, ki so prišli s trebuhom za kruhom iz Slonokoščene obale, Malija, Nigerije, veliko beguncev iz Sudana, po drugi strani pa veliko Azijcev, predvsem Filipincev, ki jih v Izraelu izkoriščajo kot negovalce starejših občanov. Precej je tudi ljudi iz Južne Amerike, tu pa tam pa se najde tudi kaka zelo revna ruska družina (v Izraelu je več kot milijon Rusov, vendar imajo državljanstvo in ponavadi stanujejo v boljših četrtih). V tej šoli pridejo skupaj otroci vseh teh pisanih narodnosti, vseh teh različnih navad in verstev. In na koncu se morajo nekako učiti pa tudi sporazumevati in družiti. Prav res zabavno je gledati dva Afričana pa Mehičana in tri fantke iz Filipinov kako se med igro košarke v hebrejščini prepirajo o tem ali so to bili koraki ali ne.

Ne vem, kdo je zmagal, prav gotovo pa vem, da so se imeli fino. In prav tukaj, v tem umazanem in zanemarjenem predelu Tel Aviva, se skriva tista prava pisanost, ti otroci, pritepenčki iz vseh koncev in krajev, se v jeziku, ki jim je vsem tuj, najboljše razumejo. Ja, pisanost Tel Aviva se pač kaže v vseh barvah revščine.

Špela

"Šal dole!"

2009-10-20T11:24:00.002+02:00

Yeah, yesterday was a strange day. Some people shouted at me because of my white-green scarf I was wearing: "Šal dole" - (Put the scarf away). They thought I am Ljubljana footbal team fan. And Maribor "football fans" are not friends with Ljubljana "footbal fans".

But I was wearing it because the weather was cold. I got this scarf as a goodbye gift from my friends in Žilina - a night before I came to Maribor. The colors are just accidental.

If I would have more guts, dignity and kilos, I would keep wearing it. But I am not a conflict type. I am not good at physical opinion exchange and I hate violence.

Dumb people like these are everywhere.
Funny and sad.

A Death came to me today

2009-10-19T19:45:00.003+02:00

Cadillac Face. Creative and complex persona. I would like to call him a friend but I don't know him that much. Or better say I didn't. He is gone now. He made his choice. I hope he feels better now. Nobody can imagine someone else's inner world. So be it. Anything.

I felt close to him even I didn't know him deeply. But I could feel much out of him. I liked his music.

Cadillac Face died,
Committed suicide,
Hope he's better now.

Fak Fotošop

2009-10-14T14:15:00.006+02:00

However we use it so much (and most of us illegaly, hehe), there are some moments when we can show the finger to this program.

For example, yesterday was the case. The task was - to design dvd case cover for Pekarna promo dvd. As cheap as possible (motto: zero is the best budget) and as fast as possible.

Step 1: We reviewed what we have or what we don't have. We have no plastic cd cases.

Step 2: Okay. We took a look around us. Pekarna and any other environment where (creative) people live and work is crowded with various kinds of trash or useless things that just wait to be used or thrown away as piece of junk. And of course, every-day tools and things that we use in our work.

Step 3: Idea - karton. There is always some carton-box that you can rebuild into something... higher. For example - super sexy cd cases.

So the plan is: karton, black stage tape, pen and nice hand-writing. And Pekarna stamp, naturally.

Blablabla. Long story short.

In the beginning, we were thinking of designing some nice cd cover case in photoshop that we would later print and put into plastic thing. But this low-budget, good-looking, enviroment-friendly idea caught, so we could and we happily did skip aaaall the computer(shit)work. Because we suck at Photoshop.

So what? For sure, it would be another small lesson for us. But we like to answer the challenge of doing good old-fashioned manual work - if there is occasion and situation. And IDEA. Yeah, let's go analog.

If we would do it photoshop, I am sure the final result would not look so good and we wouldn't be so satisfied with our job.

Message of today ego-blog: do not be afraid of things you are bad at, use them for your growth. Take them as creative challenge to improve yourself. Let it mean anything.

Use the trash inside and around yourself.

We work in mysterious ways.

(dusan, lucija)

Ventilacija

2009-10-13T10:32:00.003+02:00

Why is it good to write just for yourself? What's the meaning of taking photos without using them anywhere? Is it useless to draw something and never show it to anyone?

Sometimes I got this feeling of emptiness, low effectivity, senselessness. I feel I should do just things that have exact, particular meaning, sense or purpose. But this is wrong.

It's not bad to create something with no aim. If it makes me feel alive and happy and capable to actually do something then it is great. To do such thing. If nothing more, than I take it as an exercise. Training. A lesson in which I improve my creative skills. And experience I gained during this "senseless" activity can (and will be) used in a real-life situation that I might never think of happening.

Moreover. There are cases when some good idea emerges from totally senseless activity. Yeah.

And I don't know why I am writing about this. Because for lot of people, this is clear and they don't need to think about it more. But I guess I need to re-assure myself again. So, today message for Dušan is: Do whatever you want if it makes you feel better (and others not worse).

Punk country

2009-10-10T19:07:00.003+02:00

Don't take this post too seriously.
But I think that Slovenia people have quite punk soul.

Of course - I am generalising.
But who cares?

There is a railway crossing under (re)construction Ob železnici, near Pekarna. Workers work there. Heavy metal hardcore machines included. And people cross it no matter how big holes they tackle or how they step into workers job. But the workers are okay with it. They don't look nervous. It seems interactions like these are very usual, on daily basis.

And I want to say - I like it. It looks grotesque. It makes me smile. In Slovakia, the workers would swear to people - "why the fuck are you going through this spot when I am working right here?!" (maybe it's too exaggerated and of course there are exceptions).

But I can see a difference. And I like this punk way of doing things. And behaving.

+386 (0)30 334 966

2009-10-09T14:38:00.002+02:00

This is my new phone number. I am opened to various kinds of contact and communication. (Ignoration is also one way how to communicate. hehe)

Yesterday, I spent whole morning by cleaning the kitchen. On a first sight, it didn't look so bad but on the second look - it was filthy as hell. And I was surprised by myself. Usually, I don't care much about cleaning the place so much. Maybe I am getting.. older?

Or like Lester Burnham said "It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

Oh - and if you will call me, probably the first thing you will hear from me will be something like "moja slovenščina je slaba, govorte pomalu". But maybe there will be another surprise.

duš.

Ime mi je Špela in včeraj me je opeklo sonce

2009-10-07T15:03:00.003+02:00

Ime mi je Špela in včeraj me je opeklo sonce. Letos je jesen res lepa in relativno topla, ampak da bi me opeklo sonce ob kostanjih in moštu? Mogoče na trgatvi? Bolj malo verjetno. Opeklo me je včeraj na plaži v Tel Avivu. Tukaj sem že skoraj teden dni, prostovoljno delam pri organizaciji Windows for Peace. Moje prostovoljno delo poteka v sklopu projekta Evropska prostovoljna služba, sem pa me je poslala Pekarna-magdalesnke mreže, zato tudi pravkar berete moj blog na tej strani. Potrudila se bom, čimbolj redno pisati, kaj počnem in kaj se mi dogaja. Zaenkrat nekaj osnovnih podatkov.

V Izraelu bom ostala do poletja, v tem času bi rada pomagala organizaciji Windows ter drugim, ki se trudijo, da bi v Palestini končno zavladal mir. Organizacija Windows se zavzema za izraelsko-palestinsko sodelovanje, v okviru njihovega programa se enkrat na mesec dobivajo otroci in najstniki iz treh skupin izraelske družbe: izraelski Judje, Palestinci, ki živijo v Izraelu, in Palestinci iz Zahodnega brega. Skupaj imajo delavnice, okrogle mize, kjer se pogovarjajo o družbenih in političnih temah, in izmenjujejo izkušnje. Med tem se tudi spoprijateljijo, kar je v bistvu cilj projekta - najstniki se med seboj spoznajo in ugotovijo, da tisti "drugi", ''sovražnik'', kot ga kličejo po televiziji in v časopisih, v bistvu ni nič drugačen, da je samo zmeden najstnik, z enakimi težavami, enakimi vprašanji in z enakimi željami po življenju v miru. Najstniki na delavnicah o svojih pogovorih pišejo članke ali pisma svojim prijateljem iz druge etnične skupine. Ti članki in pisma so na koncu objavljeni v obeh jezikih, arabščini in hebrejščini, reviji Windows, ki jo delijo v osnovnih in srednjih šolah. Na ta način tudi drugi otroci in najstniki, ne le tisti neposredno udeleženi v delavnicah, spoznajo drugo stran zgodbe in vidijo da je prijateljstvo z "drugo" stranjo možno.

Drugi projekt organizacije Windows je skrb za skupnost v kateri živijo udeleženci njihovih delavnic. Želijo, da se skupnosti v Tel Avivu, Jaffi, Betlehemu, Tul Karemu in Jeninu povežejo, da postanejo bolj enotne, zato prirejajo predavanja in predvajajo filme. Na te dogodke pridejo starejši člani skupnosti, starši, tete in strici otrok, ki sodelujejo pri delavnicah. Kasneje se tudi oni sestanejo z drugimi skupinami in tako skupaj gradijo most razumevanja. Windows v svojem centru v Tel Avivu prav tako zbira humanitarno pomoč, ki jo nato razdeli med pomoči potrebne v begunskih centrih na Zahodnem bregu.

Moje delo tukaj je zelo zanimivo, zaenkrat pomagam v centru v Tel Avivu, kjer pripravljamo delavnice, organiziramo humanitarno pomoč in gostimo srečanja judovske skupine mladih novinarjev. Konec tedna odhajam na skupno izraelsko-palestinsko delovno akcijo, kjer bomo urejali nov center za aktivnosti lokalne skupnosti, naslednji teden pa se bo začel z dostavo humanitarne pomoči v begunsko taborišče v Betlehemu.

Špela Gašparič

19034890

2009-10-05T11:34:00.003+02:00

We need a bill written for Pekarna for every single thing we buy as volunteers from part of our money that we get from Europe. I call this beaurocracy. I didn't know this part of Slovenia.
And our organization can't just hand us the money in cash - from hand to hand. We need bank accounts.Interesting. And bit bothering. But.. whatever.

And on Sunday, we went to Maribor (flea) market. I have never seen so much junk on one place. Lot of food, textile, some interesting crap and some totally useless junk. I guess people are able to sell (and buy?) everything.
But we have seen some really interesting nazi stuff. Paul was interested in Hitler vinyl. But when he heard the price, he ceased to be interested. He is not keen fan of nazi collections.
But he bought some mushrooms. They were good.
I didn't buy anything.
I was just staring at things.

We are here

2009-10-03T15:34:00.004+02:00

Dušan in Paul. Mi sme tukaj... is that correct?

Paul arrived on Monday, Dušan on Thursday. We have entered our new living space and started to settle in. We accept any kind of (friendly) visits on Ljubljanska 19A, second floor, flat number 9. In case you have some old stereo system (speakers, amplificator, gramophone) that you don't need, we would use one.

We are looking around Pekarna and Maribor, talking about our ideas what we can do here, how we can interact with people, environment and so on. So we hope we will be usefull here for you, people in this space. It will be nine months of mutual learning and teaching, so see you around.

Paul & Dušan

Self-experiment

2009-09-23T11:36:00.002+02:00

My departure and my arrival. Approaching fast. In last few days, I got a feeling like I am leaving the best people, best places, best situations and conditions of my life. I am leaving safe world of my family, Stanica, friends, activities I am doing. I am stepping into different space. New people, new language, place and habits. Of course, I don't leave for good but anyway... it's a strange feeling.

In last few weeks/months, I talk about my departure much - always full of enthusiasm, with a sparkle in my eyes. Not realizing how big impact it will be.
Full of imaginations, expectations, naivity. And now, I got a bit scared because it is actually going to HAPPEN. No more talking and thinking. Acting.

It's like when you talk about something you want to do since so long and then the moment comes where you actually have to do it.
This is it. Moment of truth.

I talk/think too much and act too little. Je suis plein de merde. One of my friend told me last week: "Dusan, you should think 2/3 less and act 4/5 more." He is right. I know. I've been thinking much about it. Hehe.

Maybe it's just another experiment of mine.
Self-experiment.
We will see the results.

Barbara Škander goes EVS

2009-09-23T10:11:00.006+02:00

Barbara Škander je kot prostovoljka Evropske prostovoljne službe 15. 9. 2009 odpotovala na enoletno gostovanje v Leipzig (Nemčija) v organizacijo GeyserHaus. Pozanimali smo se, kako se je ugnezdila, pa nam sporoča:

"...Hvala lepa za lepe zelje in voscila. … Danes se pripravljamo na romski vecer, kjer bo obilo glasbe, plesa, kasneje pa se nemski otroci pripravljajo nekaj za glasbeno obarvani vecer. Mislim, da mi bo tukaj vsec, oz. mi je ze sedaj. Z Oliverjem pa sva prav danes govorila, kako bom zacela zbirati ideje, da jih bom realizirala s skupino otrok in pritegnila njihovo pozornost. Povedal mi je tudi, da bi bilo dobro ce bi se povezala s kaksno kulturno organizacijo v Sloveniji, ki se zanima za tovrstne projekte, delavnice, kot so v Geyserhausu. Sama sem mu povedala, da na ta racun lahko pisem kaksni organizaciji kot so … Poleg teatra pa so se likovne aktivnosti in … Ne vem sicer kaj naj jim napisem, nedvomno pa bi bilo dobro omeniti kaj pocnem in na kaj moram paziti, da bo vse skupaj dobro izpadlo in bodo otroci motivirani za aktivnost, ki se bo odvijala…. Dobro - to je moje delo. Obljubila sm mu, da se bom lotila tovrstnih projektov. Imam veliko idej - vse je le potrebno se organizirati in spraviti skupaj.
Lepe pozdrave v Maribor.. in smo na liniji."

Barbara

Head full of head full of head full of...

2009-09-07T23:04:00.009+02:00

So many ideas and so little I-don't-know-what. This is my problem. Lot of things running throught my head mostly without any material response.

An idea, a thought.
Okay - sounds good.
But... never mind.

Another idea, another thought.
Nice, I could do this.
But... hmm. No.

Another one. And another one. And so on.

This is how it feels often in my brain. Pixies were right asking "Where is my mind?".
It is depressive to discover that I have so many things on my mind but I am not able or capable to execute at least part of them. But all I can do is to carry on. Never give up. This will probably bother me until I die. But I can fight it and perhaps "the meaning of life" is involved in this topic somehow.

I need help. Something or better someone who would push me forward. One kick in the ass, one step forward. Wise saying from Romania. Motivation, activation, impulse.
Sometimes, just a very small thing can turn me on to start to DO the thing. But it is usually tough fight against myself. I don't know. Maybe they are all just excuses. A need of some external force to activate me? No. It is just in my head. Nobody can see it.

Cut the crap, Dusan.

I am thinking about what I will do in Pekarna. I don't know exactly. I have some ideas. I have some expectations and imaginations. When I come in October, everything will be different. Reality will be much more different from what I imagine in my head. Anyway, I look forward. Give it to me. Everything. And I give all I can back to you.

Striking workshop - French people teach Slovak/Sloven people how to demonstrate. How to fight for your right! How to set cars on fire. Sous les pavés la plage. Paul? (I don't know the evs-guy yet but he has to have striking in his blood. He is French, for Christ sake!)

Interdisciplinary-workshop // fake events - photo?video?dance?acting?scenography?light?design?music?film_workshop for photographers, cameramen, dancers, actors, set designers, light designers, graphic designers, musicians, directors who will work/teach/learn hard to make an event look like it happened. But it did not. Or it did in a way.

External output: photo/video/audio/text reports.
About great fucking concert that you (for sure and unfortunately) missed. Because you didn't know about it happening.
About vernissage of an exhibition of awesome painter who didn't even know he had been there.
Anything. Fake.
Internal output: experience, knowledge, gained skill for people who did it.
Screwing and messing with the past, reality, truth, events, memories, future.

You don't understand?! So what? Me neither. It won't happen anyway.

Or?

Mind-reportage

2009-07-14T00:06:00.011+02:00

Home again. At Stanica. A place so similar to Pekarna in a way. But so different at the same time. We do not squat this place, we rent it. And we want to change the world surrounding us. Symbolically. And literally as well. We have built an illegal theatre under the bridge of round-about and everybody likes it. Even the mayor does. We are trying to get on well with our neighbours. We have a community around us but we have to deal with homeless, drunkens, nazi people as well. We have just got into this place somehow. Trying to live in mutual respect and peace.

Pekarna is squat. Place where many different groups with various different intentions live nearby. Squat is a beautiful idea. But a squat can be source of many problems. Conflicts of interest, decision-making, common ideology, i/llegality. It's hard to live in this position if you want to change the world. In the eyes of many people, you have status of outlaw, villain, black sheep. Cityhall doesn't consider you to be a partner. It takes lot of struggling to gain other people's respect to you. But it is possible. By hard work. And heart work.

I have been taught to bake a bread. Not directly in Pekarna. But everything is connected to everything else. Before my trip, I thought I wanted to go to hitchhiking trip to Slovenia, maybe Croatia and back through Hungary. I was wrong because I was lying to myself. I didn't want to travel so much. I just wanted to get to the place, stay with the people. Listen, talk, share, feel others' minds and get affected by them. I guess I did it. I have learnt much. About myself, about other points of view. About what's inside a bread.

Talking about the food. Once, a teacher asked us what creativity meant to us. I replied (or maybe I was just thinking about replying) that the creativity is life itself, for me. I "do it" in all possible situations. I mean - you can be creative in all aspect of life - from cutting the tomatoes, through toying with words up to painting (on yourself). I want to use this ability of mine for some higher... thing. That is also one of the reasons I do what I do in my life. And what I am going to do at least for one more year abroad with new people in new environment.

I was feeling lot of emotions at the same time during my days in Slovenia. Some of them, I couldn't even verbalize. Maybe I was looking tired often. And I guess I was. It was that kind of tiredness when you get too much impulses to process in your mind and you have nothing to lean on because you are placed in new environment with new people. And you are just absorbing it all. This can really make wind blowing in your head fast.

And it's so funny when you talk with someone about certain thing you didn't use to notice before. But after this conversation, you start to notice it everywhere. I wonder how this psychological phenomenon is called. It must have some special name, for sure. And I like how these little things create connections between two people. Internal topics that just you and the other person remember. For example that's why now I would say things in this car resembles water waves to me.

We are spending our lifetime thinking, thinking about thinking, thinking about not thinking and then we die - in the worst case. Or better - in some point, we stop thinking and we actually start to do something. Something we believe in and we love. And then, someone tells us "Get a job. Get a proper job." But we adore what we do. So we don't need "a proper job". And we don't need to be "adult" neither. It's okay.

Yes, it's okay. We have ideas and we put them into reality. We are fine and it is so easy to give advices to someone else about how to look at the world without being depressed. But then we realize we should be the ones to follow our own advices. But we do not. We keep doing the same mistakes. We keep looking at the world always in the same way. Anyway, sometimes there are blips of extreme consciousness when the hope appears to us. So we carry on believing it's possible to live in such a mess (without Jesus!).

I got into really deep philosophical writing, ne? It's quite tricky to go to back on earth and finish it properly, with taste, charm and point.
I've spent just a few days in different reality. Now, I am in transition period coming back to my old one. But I try to drag back to that half-dreamy half-real universe where I felt so full. This diary is one of the ways how to do it.
And work works well, as well.

What's next?

2009-07-07T15:06:00.006+02:00

In Pekarna again. Still not as an official EVS but I hope it is just a formality that will go through with no problems.
Anyway, more and more, I see deeper into the organism of it all. Human relations, ideas, discussions about the future, communication with lot of partners and "partners", never-ending fight for survival, fight for better life conditions and mainly fight for the ideas.

Maribor and Pekarna was destination number one for me. I am on hitchhiking trip. Basically it should be holiday for me. Actually it is more tiring than holidays usualy are. I've been thinking much for past few days. About my home-organization Stanica where I work as webmaster/photographer, about Pekarna where I will be a volunteer. And about the way of life I have and share with people I work with. People in the field of independant culture are strange, complicated characters. I would say most of us are still looking for ourselves. We keep trying, searching, experimenting. We are struggling to find what we are meant to do. Nobody tells us. We want to have freedom, we want to express ourselves. And most of all, we want to change the world. But just a few people around us understand why we do what we do. Maybe that's why it is so hard. Because there are just a few of us. And we need to gather, to cooperate, to network. But many conflicts and misunderstandings raise based on diversity of our ideas, personal philosophies and believes. So we split up and get weaker again.

This is what I see, apart from other things. I am thinking about myself in here, as well. What do I do? What am I good at? And what can I learn to do? Sometimes, I feel lot of energy and confidence in myself. That I am able and capable to do anything I want. But other times, I am full of fear, lack of self-confidence and deprivation that I am just unable. This inner fight never stops.

But as my friend would say to me - we should be happy for this creative mess inside of us. We are digging out our hidden powers. Better than being just content and passive about the state of things.

Kako Dusan see Pekarna I

2009-05-15T22:17:00.011+02:00

Pekarna is a hole in the wall that you can help to fulfill.

Or make it worse.

I think I choose the first possibility. Generating ideas, attempting to make them alive, exploring and interacting. To live with people. I believe that everyone can use his own creativity, enthusiasm and inner spirit to transform Pekarna into an environment ideal for selfrealization of people of any age, gender, religion, opinion or race. And to do it on himself, as well.

I do change the world around me everyday. We all do.

dusan_the_third_eye

Debate on volunteer work

2009-04-30T18:08:00.000+02:00

On the 24th, there was a debate in the Medical/Cosmetic school. Urska asked me to join them to talk a little bit about EVS and volunteer work in general.

I was the closing act you could say lol. I talked a little about what I am doing here at Pekarna and explained that I have a lot of freedom to choose my own projects, but that not everyone gets this opportunity. I let them ask me some questions and I was really happy with what they asked. I'm really used to these superficial questions or even once a comment like:,,What there aren't enough jobs in Belgium so you come take ours?'' (btw my answer to that once there ar enough jobs in Belgium and better payed too...i was annoyed). This time I got questions like: did you do other volunteer work before your evs?, what are the cultural differences between Slovenia and Belgium?, where else in the world have you been?...

I think there are some pictures, but I have to ask where they are and then maybe I'll upload one :p

Volunteer work

2009-04-30T16:52:00.001+02:00

On Monday, 20th April 2008, it was the Global Youth Service Day. Pekarna and other organisations gathered in the city to inform people about voluntary work. Some workshops were organised, like making a wallet out of empty milk,juice,... cartons, painting on a bag, ....

There were also some EVS people present: Sarah from Brezice, Sveto and Ludivine from Lasko, Aurelie from Ptuj and of course I was there too. Our aim was to inform people that showed an interest in EVS. Sveto and Ludevine also made a movie about the day for the National television, but I don't have that video yet unfortunately.

It was a nice day, with lots of fun during the day. The closing event at Kibla didn't attract many people, but since it was a weekday, it was understandable.

Afterwards Sarah and I went to grab a bite to eat at Ancora and watched a movie. I didn't finish it, I was getting too tired...

Belgium presentation 3

2009-04-23T14:53:00.003+02:00

After presentations in Brežice and in Črna na Koroškem, it was time for the tird one in the elementary school Martin Konšak.

I went there on Saturday, 18 April at 8.45. As an all out Belgian raised girl I am not used to working on Saturdays and it's programmed in me to have the whole weekend off. Getting up early, that means somewhere before 10 during the weekends, is just a nono. But hey I'm a good girl and I'll do what I have to do.

After listening to a presentation about healthy food, half of the audience was gone and the other half was given to me. I told them a little bit about Belgium and showed them a lot of pictures. When the presentation was done they could all take a waffle. I had made the waffles the day before and luckily I made enough, because on friday night around 11 I found out that I would have 30 kids instead of 15-20.

Afterwards the group fell apart in even smaller groups and I went with the group that was gonna make posters about Belgium (nature, people, 'de smurfen' aka Smrkci aka the smurfs ) and the EU in Brussel. While the kids were working on their posters I was making waffles and writing an interview down. They were very interested in the waffles and almost all of them wrote the recipe down.

After all of the group gathered in the dining hall to present the work they did that morning. A lot of them used the healthy food theme and others used something about Belgium. One group (one of the younger ones) made little smrkci, another one drawings of the houses in Gent and the group I was with did a version of the Belgian dance.

It was a nice morning and we didn't get everything done that we wanted to do, because we just didn't have enough time left.

Waar komen jullie toch vandaan?
Waar de smurfenhuisjes staan
Hebben jullie ook een eigen taal?
Ja, die spreken wij allemaal
Doen jullie iets wat wij niet durven?
Ja, want wij zijn echte smurfen
Dit is een lied met een leuk refrein
Jullie zijn groot en wij zijn klein

LA la lalalalalalalala
La la lalalalalalalala
La la lalalalalalalalalala

Belgium presentation 2

2009-04-16T17:45:00.001+02:00

From the 14th till the 15th of April I was in Črna na Koroškem to give a presentation about Belgium in Center za Usposbljanje, Delo in Varstvo (center for training, work and care), which is a home for people with a disability.

The home has about 250 guests and has diffenent locations. I went to visit a few of them. There was the main house, the house for the kids, the houses for the adults who are living together on their own and the mountain hut. They really took me on a tour to show me all of the work they are doing.

It would have been interesting for one of my school assignments last year. It really showed how the organisation was working and that it has results. It basically goes like this: new arrivals spend their time in the main house where they get lessons and trainings in all kind of fields. They have music, singing, music, cooking classes and much more. All to prepare them to move them to one of the other locations where they have to take care of their own meals and house together with the people they are living with.

The center has a mountain hut with a view of the Topla valley. It's an amazing location, when you are there it's really like you are alone on the world. Every year a group goes there for a week, they take walks, cook for themselves, and in general just have a great time.

This picture is one of the views from the mountain hut. I only had my mobile phone on me, so there is a bit too much light, but I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

They also took me to a lake full of frogs, some fish and I even saw 2 turtles. It's a very commercial lake, where people go swimming in the summer. I just hope that dispite that the reptiles and fishes and every other life out there won't disappear over time.

One of the things I really wanted to see in Slovenia was a horse from Lipica. Guess what? Yes yes I got the chance to do this. During my tour, it was mentioned that CUDV got 2 horses from the Lipica farm and that we were very close to them. I told them that we should go and they agreed if we had enough time left. And we sure did. The horses are old, about 20 years, they still needed to be brushed and cleaned, but I didn't care at all. I didn't go as far as touching them, my reason is that they are too holy just yet :p.

After the tour and the drive there it was already evening. One of the guests gave up his room for me, so I had a room and a bed waiting for me to kick back, relax and sleep. At 6 in the morning I woke up because there was already a lot of activity in the hall way. It was a little bit too early for my taste, so I tried to stay in bed as long as I could, but I didn't sleep any more. At 8 it was time for my presentation. After the presentation we went to the kitchen and made some waffles. Around 12.30 I returend back to Maribor.

It was very nice to visit another beautiful region in Slovenia and I'm sure it will be a visit I won't forget any time soon.

Family visiting

2009-04-13T16:48:00.002+02:00

On the 4th of April my parents, aunt and uncle came to Maribor for a little vacation. While we were waiting for them, Petra and I made them a pie with cherries, put everything they had asked for in a box and waited for their call.

After a +/- 13 hour drive they arrived at their apartment. They arrived here quite hungry so I took them to Ancora. They all got a big pizza, but they couldn't finish it. It was just too much.

I was at work almost every day, but I went to them during the evenings to hang out or go for walks. On friday we went to postojnska-jama. If you want to know more about the caves, visit this website: www.postojna-cave.com. I was really happy they decided to go with my idea and go there, because it was one of the things I really wanted to do while being here. It didn't hurt of course that my uncle is a big fan of things like that and that they really wanted to go too.

On saturday, around 1 they left. This time it only took them about 12 hrs to get back to Belgium. They took all of the pics back home with them, because I forgot to plug the memory card in my computer, or rather I forgot to take my computer to them to get it done.

It was a very nice visit with lots of benefits for me and I enjoyed their visit. In June my parents will come back for a 14 days vacation in Terme Čatež (http://www.terme-catez.si/en/)and afterwards they'll drive me home.

The day I'll have to leave Slovenia is almost here and I'm not looking forward to it at all. :(

Exhibition opening

2009-04-03T15:48:00.003+02:00

On the 3rd of April at 20.00hrs it was the opening of the exhibition Ujeti by G. Pachla. The week days before I was quite busy with putting the pictures in the frames. And I had to do it again later, because when we moved them to hladilnica they all moved a bit down or up. It was a mess, but a fixable one.

On the day of the opening I went shopping for things I needed at the opening, like toastbread, bread spreads, drinks, chips and salty stickies. About an hour and a half before the opening we started to toast the bread. In Belgium we have these little pretoasted squares for receptions etc, but I couldn't find them here. We made triangles instead of squares and thanks to the grill-toaster Polonca gave me to use, it didn't take long at all.

In the beginning I was thinking that it won't be a success at all, but at the end of the evening I was very happy with the outcome. About 20 people showed up to look at the pictures, to talk, to drink and to eat.

For this exhibition and because I can right now I also want to thank everyone who helped me setting it up and making it possible. Thank you all!

The day Julien left

2009-03-20T14:54:00.004+01:00

Today at 7.40 Julien went back to France.

Yesterday during the vegan dinner I gave him a little goodbye present, a bowl and a cup. It's because every morning he uses both to eat his breakfast and drink some coffee, so from now on he can remember his time in Slovenia every morning.

I also made some vegan pancakes. It were going to be waffles, but the recipe I found for it didn't work. Every time I tried to make a waffle in the machine, the dough didn't stick together, so in the end I decided to make pancakes out of the dough. It had some banana, rice drink, brown sugar, whole wheat flour, vegetable oil and a pinch of salt in it. I served it with some powdered sugar or abricot jam. I should've made more though, because after a while the plate was empty. However that might have been because a lot of people showed up.

Today I woke up at 7.30 to say one last goodbye to Julien and to wish him a safe trip home and good luck on his exam. Afterwards I decided to lay in bed for a while longer and then I went to the boarding school to put up the posters for the new movie and discussion session on monday and now I'm at pekarna updating my blogs, before I'll go home for the weekend.

I hope you will all have a great weekend!

xxx

Lunch

2009-03-18T11:26:00.005+01:00

Time for another update.

Last week I had the discussion group on Monday. Three people showed up to watch the movie, which of course isn't lots, but highschoolers have lots of other things to do, so I'm really happy that some of them are interested in the group. The discussion was not so easy. I had to ask a lot of questions, they still have to learn to speak their minds and because of the fact that the discussion is not in their native language it was even harder. I don't mind though this is the reason I'm having those discussions with them. So they learn how to express themselves in English.

The rest of the week was spend on preparing the new session and the exhibition of course. On thursday morning I had a little health problem. For some unknown reason I fainted in our little bathroom and I hit my head on two diferent places. I still wanted to come to my Slovenian class, but my teacher decided it was not good for me. I was being very slow she said. To make up for it I filled out the form she gave me about adjectives. I also finished the invites yesterday and they will be printed next.

Yesterday we and our colleagues had lunch in the Spanish restaurant Olé. I had some grilled salmon with rice and vegetables, a salad on the side and some Slovenian dessert (whipped cream with pieces of fruit in it). I really enjoyed my food this time. The restaurant had a good atmosphere imo. I didn't take any pics, but I know some people did so I will ask for them to send me some so you all can see it too. The lunch was a goodbye lunch for Julien and Iris (infodesk), both of them are leaving this week.

I still have to prepare the new poster for the discussion group, so I'll spend the next hours doing that.

First week of March

2009-03-06T10:24:00.003+01:00

The week started with some bad news. Julien will be leaving soon, because he has some things to take care of in France. Maybe he will write an entry about his experiences so far. I'll do my best to ask him.

This means that the flat will have a free room. Anyone who is willing to live on their own and wants to pay some rent (sorry I don't know how much it is), can contact us. But beware, I won't just take anyone :p.

As for the projects I'm doing. I will have a movie and discussion evening at a boarding school on monday. The movie we are going to watch and discuss is American History X. So we will talk about racism mostly.

The exhibition will be from the 3rd of April until the 17th of April. We still have to go buy some frames and I'm working on the invitation and poster to promote it. It's all gonna be black and white. I already showed the previous preview of invitation to some people and they liked it. I'll put it on here too so that you can add your opinion. It's very simple, but that's how I want it though. I'm just a beginner and thus really not good at this. Well..take a look: (note: it's just the front)

And I've modified this blog a little bit, so that it hopefully looks nicer.

Until next time

Youth In Action promotion

2009-03-03T10:21:00.002+01:00

Some promotion in case you want to know more about EVS.

First post - new start

2009-02-27T12:09:00.004+01:00

Zdravo,

For those of you who are going to read this here is some background information.

In October 2007 Julien (France) and me (Belgium) started our EVS-projects at Pekarna. This month they asked us to start a blog, so that people can see that we are actually alive and kicking or at least something like that. What happened in the past, happened in the past, so unless you ask us about it we will not go back in time to tell you what we have been doing. However, because we recently had something official going on, I will go back one week in time to tell you about our midtermtraining.

Last week Julien and I had our midtermtraining in Korte, Izola. Yup you got that right, thanks to Nina (she organises the trainings) we had the opportunity to see the seaside of Slovenia. We stayed in a youth hostel (http://www.hostel-starasola.si/eng). We took a trip to Piran, had a walk around town with a guide. Well, to be honest I didn't pay much attention to the guide. I took in the sights and everything else, but I tuned him out. After our stroll through the city we went for a coffee and afterwards we ate lunch in a fish restaurant. The food looked and tasted great imo.

Of course midtermtrainings are not just a vacation for the EVS volunteers, we are there to actually learn something. We talked about our experiences so far, what we wanted out of our EVS, about the youthpass ( good tool to make ur future employers know what ur competences are). And maybe one of the most important things we have learned is that you have to take the time to say to urself: ,,Well done!". Of course u actually have to accomplish something, reach ur own goal, before u can actually congratuate urself.

In this picure u can see all the EVS people who were on the midtermtraining and Jasna, one of the trainers. Nina is taking the pic.

This week we (mentors and evsers) planned our work for the coming months and I will be the curator of an exhibition that Pekarna will host in their exhibition room, Hladilnica (damn I hoped I spelled that right). I am looking forward to that, because around the same time of the exhibition my parents will be here to see what I have been up to and of course to discover Slovenia. But to keep the suspense I will write more about it next time :p.

One last thing before I sign out. I will try to write something here every week and hopefully I can entertain you with it. If you have any questions about EVS, feel free to contact me or write to evs@pekarna.org.

Lepo se imej

Gwenny