SLOVENIA

Slovenia? Where and what is Slovenia? My collected variations on all the things this unique country has meant to me, rendered in journals, observations, ethnological curiosities, sincerity, glib humor, twisted fiction, and rude jokes. I was blogging before blogging was cool (even before it was called blogging), so dive in and pluck something for yourself.

LFL5 Letter from Ljubljana, issue 5: December '97 - May '98. My new, improved neighborhood; sharing a burger at the A3 bar; a festive New Year's Eve in Ljubljana; an interesting job interview; and a ride in a hot-air balloon.

LFL6 Letter from Ljubljana, issue 6: June - October '98. Midsummer night's bonfire; bicycle daydreams; Return to Rakova Jelsa; Scottish lesbian drummers on the march; and what's on TV.

LFL7 Letter from Ljubljana, issue 7: October - December '99. Slovenia's Day of the Dead; what I did for the millennium thing, if you must know.

LFL8 Letter from Ljubljana (and the USA), issue 8: Summer into fall 2001. A view onto the WTC; making the scene at the Johnstown, PA FolkFest; ruminations on the future of Slovenia as Little America vs. Slavic Ireland.

Srebrniceva My first nine months in Slovenia (domestically speaking). It was an adjustment.

Kosovo A tragedy as seen from the balcony on the Balkans.

20 Favorite Things About Slovenia To prove I'm not a total cynic.

Phrasebook An alternative Slovene-English phrasebook. (Rated PG-13; not for younger viewers or those born without a sense of humor)

Slovene Proverbs What does "Don't throw the rifle in the cornfield" mean, anyway?

USA vs. Slovenia Comparisons, things one place has that the other could use...that sort of thing.

You know... "...you're a foreigner who's been in Slovenia too long when..." Print it out, run off some copies and distribute it at the next Expat Nite. (I probably won't be there.)

Mesecnica A (considerably shorter) variation on the above story, written in the Slovene tongue. Not a direct translation, but fascinating in its own way for those in the know (and a good reason to learn the language for those who aren't).

So you're thinking about moving to Slovenia yourself? Read this first.