Lipica

This past weekend at a Concours de Dressage Internationale (CDI) competition in Lipica, in the southern corner of Slovenia.  What a beautiful spot for such an event.  The stud farm at Lipica was founded in 1580, and is the birth place for the renown Lipizzaner horses, known for their spectacular movements.

Now the farm has over 400 Lipizzaners, most of them kept at the farm, some for a riding school, some for carriage competitions, few for sales.

It's not a bad life for these horses, with over 1000 acres of fields.  The foals are kept in an open barn (not stalled) and expansive fields with their mothers, until weaned. Then they are separated by sex and turn out until they are four years old.  In the pasture, they can practice all the moves they are famous for, and later they will learn how to do them on command.

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Here is the Romanesque arena where the competition takes place.  The final day concludes with the Dressage to Music, a spectacular event to watch.  You can see all the flags of the competitors:  Switzerland took first place, followed by Estonia, and then Russia.  Excellent riding all around.






Here I am at the entrance ~ what an afternoon....I couldn't get my video clips of the competition to load, but here's a taste, for those of you who have never watched such a performance ~

June and School's Almost Out for Summer

It's hard to believe June is here, chestnut buds have turn to small fruit, and I enter my final Fulbright month.  Classes finish up, final papers are due.  All my students have worked so hard; I'm proud of the way they have embraced me and my interactive teaching approach - so different from listen and cram for exams.  They started the semester looking at their shoes or desks a lot - now they smile and join in class discussion easily.  They started by asking me a lot of questions about requirements.  They ended by asking me if they could improvise an assignment. 

My Creative Writing class has been particularly rewarding. We are a small seminar group, and the level of honest and thoughtful critique has been extraordinary.  They have also produced some stellar words and some are even ready to try and publish a piece of two.  We also have a spot for a group reading at the Young Rhymes poetry festival here in Ljubljana during the last week of June; an ideal closure for our class.

Here we are have a meeting at Cafe Barabuk - even after class is over, they enjoy writing together and sharing our words:)

My Media and Literature class has also really impressed me.  We read - A LOT - a  text on Seeing and Writing (McQude and McQuade), as well as Ruth Ozeki's novel, My Year of Meats, and Inverna Lockpez, Cuba:  My Revolution, a graphic novel.  Students kept thoughtful reading journals, did exemplary group projects on Media making, and are now handing in some super last work.

I couldn't be happier with their work, and our rapport ~

Pot ob Vici: Celebration of Liberation

Each year on May 9th, is the Pot ob Vici, the annual walk around the city, enclosed by barbed wire and guard houses from 1941 - 1944.  Here's an abbreviated history, from a translated pamphlet:
The Germans invaded the former Yugoslavia on Palm Sunday, 1941, and the Italians took Ljubljana on Good Friday, later that week.
Various groups in Ljubljana, including the Communist Party, the Christian Socialists, and the Liberation Front,  organized to work together for the first time, against the occupying army.   This threatened the Italian Fascists enough to enclose the city with a barbed wire barrier, to prevent anyone from the countryside from entering, and vice-verso.

By the end of 1942, the fence was almost 30 kms long, with watch-towers and bunkers along the way - 206 fortifications of various sizes.  The citizens were unable to leave the city to walk in the countryside, as is their tradition and part of typical weekend activity.

The Liberation Army came on May 9, 1945, and opened the city.  The citizens celebrated their freedom by going to the countryside for walks and picnics en masse.  Now this tradition of "walking the wire" is done every year, on May 9.

My Fulbright buddy, Rachel Aumiller, Bella, and I picked up the path here, joining hundred of walkers at this point.  We walked through Golovec forest, towards Rudnic, and back to Ljbuljana,  just over 18 km.  That was enough for us!  We were three tired walkers!

But what a wonderful tradition for families and friends to celebrate the day...Feeling the love in Slovenia~

April 27, Day of Uprising Against the Occupation - May Day

This week is a holiday from classes, starting with Monday, April 27th, which is Day of Uprising Against the Occupation.  Formerly Liberation Front Day (dan Osvobodilne fronte), marks the establishment in 1941 of the Anti-Imperialist Front to fight the German, Italian, Hungarian, and Croatian partition and annexation of Slovenia.

There is an excellent exhibit about this time in Ljubljana during WW2, now at a Gallery at the end of our street.   Local writer and curator, Blaz Vurnik, and artist, Zoran Smiljanic, collaborated on Memories and Dreams of Kristina B, a graphic novel of a girl and her family living behind the barbed wire that surrounded Ljubljana from 1941 - 1945

 http://www.mgml.si/en/vzigalica-gallery/news-and-events-445/events-1295/memories-and-dreams-of-kristina-b
Here is an image from the novel.



 
May 1st is also an important day in much of the world, to celebrate the workers. Slovenia takes this seriously, and everything is closed except for a few cafes (how could we live without our cafes....?)

We took a short trip to Budapest, between these two holidays.  Just an eight hour train ride, for 49 Euros, it was a beautiful way to see the Slovenian and Hungarian countryside.  Bella was an excellent traveler, and made many friends on all leg of the trip.  On this train line, dogs are welcome for the fare of a child's ticket.

Aside from Bella's diplomatic skills, we enjoyed all the renown sites of Budapest:  the Parliament, the castle compound over the Buda Hills, Saint Mathias Church....all magnificent. 

I'll have to admit though, after all the hustle and bustle of a busy urban center, with sirens and taxis and trolleys and buses, traffic and congestion, returning to Ljubljana is a dream.  So quiet to walk home at night at 10:00 p.m., along the river.  The chestnuts are all leafed out and the air is spring fragrant.  It sounds like a cliche, but it doesn't get much better than Ljubljana.....

Happy May Day ~

Here are photos of my street and neighborhood now that Spring has settled in and all the trees have leafed out - And Bella has had her inaugural dip in the Ljubljanca River.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Pox and Spring in Ljubljana

Spring in Ljublana - the willows along the river are vibrant green, the chestnuts are budding, and apple trees blooming.  I thought Ljubljana was pretty in the winter, but now she's really even more lovely.

I had an unexpected encounter with the medical facilities here, due to a spreading rash that I hoped was allergies.  It wasn't.  I escaped Chicken Pox as a child, only to get it as an adult.  The first clinic I went to was a lesson in waiting...almost three hours to be seen by a doctor who told me I had Small Pox.  "Don't worry," she told me, "it's very common here."

I must have looked very worried, so she went on to assure me.  "Most children get this, but we can get you medicine."

Then I realized she must have meant "Chicken Pox."  From this clinic I was sent to the Klinika Za Infekcijske Bolezni, where I was put in isolation for a few more hours, until another doctor confirmed my diagnosis.  One week of anti-viral medication and two weeks of antihistamines later, I think it's gone.  Because it's highly contagious, I had to stay away from my students and any enclosed spaces where I could spread it, but now back to class and life as usual.

Just in time to enjoy Spring and get back into the swing of classes and mid-semester.

One lesson (of many) of living abroad:  Expect the Unexpected:)

Cafe Culture

One of the joys of living in Ljubljana is the cafe culture, that's so embedded in the lifestyle here.  We live along the river, which is literally lined with outdoor seating, but this is true all over the city.  I admire the tenacity of those outdoor cafe patrons, who sit out in all kinds of weather, but the set up invites it:  sheepskin on the chairs, blankets for laps, heat lamps above.  It's not too hard to take.

The city is very dog friendly as well, so where ever I go with Bella, she's sure to get a bowl of water, and sometimes a treat - a felafel, a slice of ham, or, at Le Petit Cafe, a bowl of whipped cream.

Prices are reasonable at just over one euro, so why not stop for a cappuccino every afternoon, or even twice?  No Starbucks prices or ridiculous sizes...just straightforward, good coffee in white cups, with frothed milk and a few packets of sugar if you wish.

Here are a few photos taken early in the morning, out with Bella for her morning walk.  Tables and chairs just being set up for the day.  Later they will be filling up with Ljubljanans, and we'll be among them.....

 Here we can see the attention played to a spring palette for chairs and blankets.  Below, Bella looks for some leftovers somewhere.

Heat lamps ready here...but soon we won't need them.  Spring is feeling stronger each day.

Hostel Celica

Hotel Celica (www.hostelcelica.com) is a former military prison that was deserted after Slovenian independence in 1991, and ultimately taken over by artists and activists in Ljubljana.  The result is stunning.  Where once men (and some women) were incarcerated for their beliefs and ideologies, locked up in barred cells or even thrown into a dungeon for solitary confinement, now is a sun lit building redesigned for travelers to sleep, share meals, listen to music, and rejuvenate.

As an educator who works in the Maine State Prison, this place interests me on many levels. First, it shows the power of the human spirit to reclaim a space and restore its energy.  It also shows how political ideologies can, and do, shift, and good can prevail.  Finally, it shows the important work of artists and activists.

Below is the brightly painted exterior of the building.  You can still see the bars on windows.  These cells have been made into sleeping quarters (more photos of this below).

 The metal bars have been incorporated into the renovation - here a visually inviting doorway.

 Here is a room for sharing coffee with friends, reading, or just enjoying the peace.  More than 80 artists contributed to this project, which involved architects, painters, and poets.

 This cell is the closest to the original furniture, except for clean linens, extra windows, and removed bars.  On the left side of this room, a square has been preserved where we can see prisoners' writing on the wall, doodles, hatch marks (perhaps for counting), and initials.

Here color is banded around the former cell, chairs placed next to the window, with a table for writing.

This cell is an example of how materials from the area were recycled.  The bricks that form this platform were found outside the building, and the artist reconstructing this room used them to elevate this bed, set under an oval window.

The photo below shows the stairs that led to solitary confinement.  This is controversial practice in the U.S, though still widely used (likely not in dungeons such as this).

We shone a flashlight down the stairs to take a picture down here.  There is very little light, except coming from chinks in the walls.

Walking in the total darkness, feeling the cold damp stone, hearing very little sound, really illuminated for me the importance of the transformation of Celica Prison to Hostel Celica.

This is a model, not only for architects and painters, but for life.  Dark places can be reformed and revised.  As we see here, they can become vibrant areas to restore body and spirit.

Recyling in Ljublana

Ljubljana has got this just right - True, coming from Maine where I have to drive 12 miles to a transfer station that's only open four days a week, my comparison is weak.  Here, there are recycling stations every few blocks:   one receptacle for household trash, one for Biologic (natural materials), one for packaging (that's the bulk), one for paper, and one for glass.  Notice Bella helping:)

Poetry Reading at Metelkova

 Thanks to various contacts in the poetry world, set up before departure (thanks to Gary Lawless of Gulf of Maine Bookstore, in Brunswick, and Ray Miller), I was invited to participate in a monthly poetry reading in Metelkova, an autonomous communal cultural space here in Ljubljana. (See link below for more background on this area).

This poetry space, now in its tenth year, welcomes voices of all kinds, from beginning to established poets, and each guest is given equal time: about ten minutes.  With seven poets reading, this makes for a lovely mix of voices.

With my modest Slovenian, I had the cool experience of just listening to the sounds of the language, the voices of the poets, their cadences, pitch, emotion, and body language.  A bit like listening to Indie music, and I was completely taken into the words.

Veronika Dintinyana, who organizes the readings with poet Dejan Koban, translated some of my poems, so when it was my turn to read, she followed my English with a Slovenian translation. This made for some dynamic verbal music, and I'll look forward to working more with Veronika in the future.

One humorous piece of the night:  Metelkova, like much of Ljubljana, is dog friendly, so of course I brought Bella with me.  She spent most of the evening visiting all the  guests' tables or chairs, getting lots of attention, and a taste of beer (not to her liking).  But what she really wanted was to sit in the poet's chair on stage:  a red overstuffed armchair, with a microphone near to project the seated poet's voice.  Bella tried to nose next to a few reading poets, but her triumph came after the last poet read, the chair was empty, and she claimed it.  A memorable moment for all watching.

 Take a look at this link for a history of the fascinating space known as 
Metelkova

Piran/Pirano

We went to Piran/Pirano on Friday, February 13th, for a day trip.  Only about 90 minutes away, we entered an entirely different ecosystem - palm trees, lavender, and rosemary blooming.  And the smell of the sea, important for me, being the coastal Maine girl I am.

Piran/Pirano is ancient. Romans overturned the Celts (who likely usurped some other tribe) in the first century, but it is the later 500 span of Venetian rule that has left its mark.  Winding narrow streets, Gothic architecture, plazas, and a well-protected harbor, make this is lovely town to get lost in, even off season, as we did.

The Slovene here sounds like Italian, and most signs are in both Slovenian and Italian. True to the eclectic cuisine here in Slovenia, we had a great lunch at a Bosnian tavern, and super cappuccino at a tiny corner cafe.  Bella, who is multilingual, had a dip into the Adriatic sea, and posed for me after.

Ljubljana: Settling In

Now here ten days, we have found the outdoor market, the supermarket, great pizza, super yoga, and kind people everywhere we go.  Thanks to Ray Miller, professor of Slavic Studies from Bowdoin College, I have already a wonderful network of professional colleagues. 

On Monday, Don Reindl, in the Translation Department, was gracious enough to spend time with me at Le Petite Cafe, and give me some insights based on his long career here in Ljublana.
Tuesday was a jackpot with a long chat with Tatyana Jamik, poet and translator, and Iztok Osojnik, also a poet and active member of the arts community here.  Thanks to them, I will have a reading of my work in a few weeks, at the progressive Metalkova.
Thursday I was back at Le Petite Cafe to chat with economic historian, Zarco Lazarevic, and left with a reading list.
A Slovenian lunch is planned with my super colleague, Mojca Krevel, and her family.
My proverbial dance card is pretty full already.

Still in store for me, Slovene lessons, a pool schedule (at Tivoli Park), and some time for my own reading and writing.  Classes start in one more week, and I'm super excited to meet my students.

Time to dash off to Preseren Trg, for a meeting with Mateja,  my Slovene penpal.

I will post some photos later ~
Lep Pozdrav!

Arrival in Ljubljana

We have arrived in beautiful Ljubljana, whose name (according to my Lonely Planet Guidebook), almost means "beloved," (Ljubljena in Slovene).  Even though today was overcast and drizzly, the city already feels beloved.  An emerald green river surrounds the central castle, and buildings along the river are earthy pastels, with worn facades and friendly Baroque flourishes.  We wandered around the narrow side streets, explored the snowy plazas, and peeked into church courtyards.

Most of the architecture you can read about in any guidebook or find online.  Here are a few things one may not know until visiting:

Dogs are very welcome!  It may be because it is winter and not too many people strolling about, but we saw several dogs trotting along with their caretakers, without leashes and some without collars.  Bella was all too happy to be released to roll in the snow, chase some pigeons, and sniff snowbanks. 

Ljubljanians (I'll learn the proper word), stroll about even on a raw winter Sunday, some with dogs, or baby strollers, or walking sticks, or arm in arm with partners. The cafes along the river have heat lamps set out, and chairs with lambs' wool and blankets for patrons to sit outside and sip cafe or tea or whatever, regardless of the weather.

A simple "dober dan" (good day) and a smile can unleash a chatty response in Slovene, which this visitor cannot yet understand fully, but can appreciate.

I'll sign off this those remarks ~ Lep Pozdrav ~ (a farewell remark) ~
Ellen

Please note, this site, ETFulbright.blogspot.com, is not an official Fulbright Program site.  Although I am using the Fulbright reference, the views here are entirely of the author, Ellen M. Taylor, and do not represent the views of the Fulbright program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.

I Feel Slovenia video clip by Tourist Office

 This three minute video clip will make you want to book a plane ticket ~ an inviting visual overview of the little country.

Video clip of Slovenia

Where is Slovenia?

People have asked me, "Um...and where is Slovenia?"  So here you are, a map showing this lovely little country, just east of Italy, south of Austria, West of Croatia.    You can see the capital here, Ljubljana, in near the center of the country.

Part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia became independent in 1991, and is now part of the European Union. 

Fulbright Background

"The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship."

—Senator J. William Fulbright

  In 1945, Senator J. William Fulbright proposed a bill to use the proceeds from selling surplus U.S. war property to fund international exchange between the U.S. and other countries.

With the aftermath of the Second War and with the establishment of the United Nations, the Program was an attempt to promote peace and understanding through educational exchange.

The bill devised a plan to forgo the debts foreign countries amassed during the war and in return for funding an international educational program.

This program would be an essential vehicle to promote peace and mutual understanding  between individuals, institutions, and future leaders.

On August 1, 1946, President Truman signed the bill into law, and Congress created the Fulbright Program, the largest education exchange program in history.

   "If we do not want to die together in war, we must learn to live together in peace."
—    President Harry S. Truman

 

Short Video on Ljubljana, Slovenia

Rick Steves on Ljubljana
Here is a short video that gives an overview of the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana (pronounced Lube Lee Anna), where we will be living.  Take a look ~

Follow My Fulbright Adventure

The Fulbright Journey has been a long one, although the actual travel and teaching has not yet begun ~ I've been busy planning my courses, learning some Slovenian, reading guide books, and lining up housing.  Soon we will be in Ljubljana, and the adventure begins.

I invite you all to travel with me vicariously - as Dan, Bella, and I embark on our journey on January 29th, 2015.  ~ I'll post weekly, and look forward to sharing the experience with you ~


*  disclaimer:  all posts on this blog are my own intentions to share my experience, and are not reflections of the United States State Department or the Fulbright Office.