Undiscovered Countries (a miscellany)

Where to go? Festival Lent

undiscoveredcountries — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:16:01 +0000

It’s coming soon–Festival Lent begins on 27 June and runs through 12 July. Where? Maribor, curled up against the banks of the Drava.

If nothing else, head on over for July 4, 5, and 6 performances of, respectively, Magnifico, Vlado Kreslin, and Vlado again with his Mali bogovi and Beltinška banda. World class–okay, Vlado’s a bit classier.

A little goodness from the two, first Vlado (Z Goričkega v Piran):

And Magnifico (Hir aj kam, hir aj go):

Ahh…wish I could attend this year!

Bush kicks off “Eat it, Suckas!” tour in Slovenia

undiscoveredcountries — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:30:19 +0000

The Washington Post brings us reportage with the usual bits about Slovenia: small (gratuitous New Jersey ref), alpine, “bastion of stability in the otherwise troubled Balkans”, etc.

One can sense, almost, the impatience in Samuel Zbogar’s quote,

“We are not only the success story of the former Yugoslavia, but also of all of Central Europe,” said Samuel Zbogar, the Slovenian ambassador in Washington, who returned here for Bush’s visit. “It’s gone very smoothly for us.”

Sam’s all: Get with it, tool, google us much?

The article bravely continues with a bit of the requisite hackery about the luck of the homogenous.

And then Dan Eggen blasts Slovenia for the Krško Incident:

“The country’s can-do image was undermined last week, however, with its handling of a coolant spill at the country’s only nuclear plant, in Krško.”

It’s always something, isn’t it? Great place, Sunny Side of the Alps, but they’re a little hoohaa on the nuclear. Wink, wink. Sigh.

And by the way. Was it really tens of thousands waiting for Big Daddy in the rain? I was there but went home when it started spitting down.

Maribor to be co-Capital of Culture in 2012

undiscoveredcountries — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:09:12 +0000

Again, very happy to see this. Maribor is an amazing place. Let’s not get too excited, though, the world ends that very year.

Pay heed, real estate speculators and pensioners from far and wide.

Apparently Guimarães, Portugal will share honors as European Capital of Culture that year.

Maribor to host 26th Winter Universiade in 2013 despite widely reported catastrophe in 2012

undiscoveredcountries — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:35:48 +0000

So Maribor has won its bid to host the 2013 Winter Universiade. Maribor elbowed its way to this success through a savage competition with…oh, there were no other candidates: Maribor was the only candidate.

Best quote:

“Maribor has not won because it was the only candidate, but because it was well prepared. Even if there were ten candidates here today, Maribor would still have won,” said George Killian, president of the University Sports Federation.

The Universiade—or World University Games—is apparently the olympics for university athletes. This is a cool thing, and a great event to showcase a stellar city. Nice job, Maribor!

A shame, though, since the world will end in 2012, well before the world has a chance to see the fabulosity of Maribor and drive real estate prices up.

Slovakia’s Srebotnik wins!

undiscoveredcountries — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:07:00 +0000

Srebotnik beat Serena yesterday. Navratilova, commenting on the match, seemed sure–up to the penultimate point–that Serena could tighten up and presumably take the match. *sigh*

And The Guardian lobs another Slovakia/Slovenia grenade–and where is Carniola to raise the alarm?

Meditations on Slovenia

undiscoveredcountries — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:58:38 +0000

Ah, Slovenia. Green, hilly, wine-drenched, beautiful Slovenia. The only side of the Alps for me. Always mistaken for some other (thankfully). It’s like you’ve got some sort of Romulan cloaking device perpetually up. From Piran’s sweet elbow-to-elbow streets, through Ljubljana’s officious, headstrong (I’m the capital!) heart, to Maribor’s sunny face (It’s always sunnier in Maribor, isn’t it?). What a place to wake up in, to travel from, to inhabit. I feel like an expatriate in my own country–a guest worker–disconnected from my true home, always dreaming of returning.