Hey friends ,
It has once again been a while, and once again this while has been rather eventful. I’m thousands and thousands of feet above the Atlantic Ocean at the moment, watching “Valentine’s Day” on a Lufthansa aircraft, with an iPod set on shuffle, a laptop in my lap, a mind set on the future, and a bittersweet taste in my mouth caused by much more than plane food.
I want to say that I’m heading home, but I’m not certain about where home is anymore. Your place of birth, the town you where brought up in, the place where you feel you actually grew up. The place where everyone knows both you and your family, where the waitors know how you like your coffee, the barmen know which beer you prefer, and the local store clerks know at what age you were potty trained because your parents stopped buying diapers. Or is it the place where the people around you who were not long ago strangers know all or at least most of this information because they cared enough about getting to know you to remember when you told them about it? Right now, it can be one of those, neither, or both as far as I’m concerned.
When I think of how much I have learned, all the friendships I have made, and how many people have gone in and out of my life, it has been a very long year. But looking at the state of things in Croatia, in my “home”town, and the relationships with friends and family, the year couldn’t have been shorter. Both have perks and shortcomings to them.
Still, short or long, this has been the best year so far. Judging from prior experience, a part of what I’ve learned will fade, and a lot of the people that are in my life right now will not be here after a while, for one reason or the other. Some people say that that’s how you know what and who actually matters.
Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to the future, and potentially finding out the answers to the questions buzzing around my mind right now.
Someone once said that we should be joyful in hope. I like that one. Actually, I might just make it the title of this post... :)
A presto, amici!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Special people change, lives are living strange
Dear all,
It’s been a while since I had time to post something, and so many things have happened since February!!
Here’s a quick photo summary:
I got to go to the Duke - UNC game, which we won! Great night!
The senior players talked some...
Velcro team rejoicing! :)
For spring break, I went to New York with the Duke Alternative Spring Break group. This is my group after our first day of volunteering at a soup kitchen in Manhattan.
Arun, Maja, Natalie and Jing before our last volunteering day, a grand NY tour and super yummy Italian dinner!
Marina came up to NY to visit!!! Best week ever. Well, right after the week after, which we spent in Duke together.
Our Brooklyn Bridge walk
Early mornings at the conference were tough...
...the evenings/nights being very tiring (Istanbul 2009 throwback)
Workshops!
Those crazy Croatians :)
Duke wins the National Championship!! And I thought The Duke - UNC game was the pinnacle...Silly Maja.
Then we burnt some benches...
...cruised the Main Quad and watched them burn.
I went on a Zoo trip with friends from Reality! Obviously, Devonte was my man for the day. Lunch time is our favorite time.
Marcy, Arwin and Martha chilling after a super-long and fun day!
I started interning at the Reality Center! Alex and I at the last teen TNL for the year...About to boogie.
Moved out of Erwin 1905 (sigh) and into the amazing Moneta home!
And then came the big graduation weekend!! Mohammad Yunus gave a speech at the commencement - I think it was a great choice. Working on his latest book "Building Social Business" right now.
Larry, Judy, Maja and their guest Peggy attended a Durham Bulls - Pawtuckets game. Authentic American family social event - check. Great afternoon!
Check picasaweb.com/maja.loves.life for more information.
If someone asked me to give them a recap of the year using one single word, I would use the adjective 'illuminating'. I have learned a lot through this experience, both about other people, and myself. While taking courses outside of my area of study, I got a clearer image of what I want to do later in life. Being away from loved ones, I learned to appreciate them more. Spending time in a diverse community, I found that a lot of the stereotypes I had were nothing more than stereotypes, while some were confirmed. This experience has brought many people into my life who I have learned from, but more importantly, people who I built strong relationships with which will never weaken. Even when they are gone.
Dear Duke, it's been a crazy ride. I will see you again.
As for North Carolina, catch you in the morning :)
It’s been a while since I had time to post something, and so many things have happened since February!!
Here’s a quick photo summary:
I got to go to the Duke - UNC game, which we won! Great night!
The senior players talked some...
Velcro team rejoicing! :)
For spring break, I went to New York with the Duke Alternative Spring Break group. This is my group after our first day of volunteering at a soup kitchen in Manhattan.
Arun, Maja, Natalie and Jing before our last volunteering day, a grand NY tour and super yummy Italian dinner!
Marina came up to NY to visit!!! Best week ever. Well, right after the week after, which we spent in Duke together.
Our Brooklyn Bridge walk
Early mornings at the conference were tough...
...the evenings/nights being very tiring (Istanbul 2009 throwback)
Workshops!
Those crazy Croatians :)
Duke wins the National Championship!! And I thought The Duke - UNC game was the pinnacle...Silly Maja.
Then we burnt some benches...
...cruised the Main Quad and watched them burn.
I went on a Zoo trip with friends from Reality! Obviously, Devonte was my man for the day. Lunch time is our favorite time.
Marcy, Arwin and Martha chilling after a super-long and fun day!
I started interning at the Reality Center! Alex and I at the last teen TNL for the year...About to boogie.
Moved out of Erwin 1905 (sigh) and into the amazing Moneta home!
And then came the big graduation weekend!! Mohammad Yunus gave a speech at the commencement - I think it was a great choice. Working on his latest book "Building Social Business" right now.
Larry, Judy, Maja and their guest Peggy attended a Durham Bulls - Pawtuckets game. Authentic American family social event - check. Great afternoon!
Check picasaweb.com/maja.loves.life for more information.
If someone asked me to give them a recap of the year using one single word, I would use the adjective 'illuminating'. I have learned a lot through this experience, both about other people, and myself. While taking courses outside of my area of study, I got a clearer image of what I want to do later in life. Being away from loved ones, I learned to appreciate them more. Spending time in a diverse community, I found that a lot of the stereotypes I had were nothing more than stereotypes, while some were confirmed. This experience has brought many people into my life who I have learned from, but more importantly, people who I built strong relationships with which will never weaken. Even when they are gone.
Dear Duke, it's been a crazy ride. I will see you again.
As for North Carolina, catch you in the morning :)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Strawberry Swing
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
It’s been a berrilicious week! But first and foremost, a Super Bowl report – after a fervid confrontation with the Indianapolis Colts, a bunch of great commercials, and great quantities of food and liquids, the New Orleans Saints went back home carrying the Vince Lombardi Trophy! Zoe, Loujaine, Bettina, Steven, Max, Annie and I watched this fabulous sports event at the Armadillo Grill – very American.
I personally think that the fact that for once, we internationals were outnumbered by the Americans, contributed to the American spirit of the evening. Here are some questions that came up during the game:
Why do they call it Super BOWL?
Why isn't it Super Football? Or Super Ball?
When do they sing?
Can we go next year?
Who are we cheering for?
Do they wear underwear?
Why are the others watching wrestling/basketball now?
Why don't you eat with little yellow forks here in America like they eat with chopsticks in China?
How many points do you get for a touchdown?
How can people be doing their homework here when the Super Bowl is on TV?
(courtesy of yours truly)
None of these were answered, or taken seriously for that matter :/
Furthermore, it seems that midterm crisis has struck. Currently, the scoreboard says Maja 3 - Duke 1. Since we all had a pretty tough and long week, Steven, Zoe and I spent Friday evening watching Mulan at my place, with Zoe-made hot chocolate and Bailey’s. As peaceful as it may sound from my prior description, the evening somehow ended with a Zoe vs. Steven fight! Those two spice my life up.
Also, on Saturday Duke played Maryland at Cameron! Obviously, we won. Brian Zoubek did exceptionally well this time, so I googled him. And what do I find out? He has Slavic (Czech, to be precise) origins! Seriously, I feel that the world would stop spinning without us. So, I didn’t get lost this time, and watched the game from the students’ bleachers with the Cameron Crazies. What a fine bunch they are! Not only did we win, but it was also Coach K’s 63rd birthday, his 1000th game, and 30th year in Duke – a lot of reason to celebrate! All in all, it has been a great weekend!
OK, I gotta run now (literally)!
Type ya soon! :)
It’s been a berrilicious week! But first and foremost, a Super Bowl report – after a fervid confrontation with the Indianapolis Colts, a bunch of great commercials, and great quantities of food and liquids, the New Orleans Saints went back home carrying the Vince Lombardi Trophy! Zoe, Loujaine, Bettina, Steven, Max, Annie and I watched this fabulous sports event at the Armadillo Grill – very American.
I personally think that the fact that for once, we internationals were outnumbered by the Americans, contributed to the American spirit of the evening. Here are some questions that came up during the game:
Why do they call it Super BOWL?
Why isn't it Super Football? Or Super Ball?
When do they sing?
Can we go next year?
Who are we cheering for?
Do they wear underwear?
Why are the others watching wrestling/basketball now?
Why don't you eat with little yellow forks here in America like they eat with chopsticks in China?
How many points do you get for a touchdown?
How can people be doing their homework here when the Super Bowl is on TV?
(courtesy of yours truly)
None of these were answered, or taken seriously for that matter :/
Furthermore, it seems that midterm crisis has struck. Currently, the scoreboard says Maja 3 - Duke 1. Since we all had a pretty tough and long week, Steven, Zoe and I spent Friday evening watching Mulan at my place, with Zoe-made hot chocolate and Bailey’s. As peaceful as it may sound from my prior description, the evening somehow ended with a Zoe vs. Steven fight! Those two spice my life up.
Also, on Saturday Duke played Maryland at Cameron! Obviously, we won. Brian Zoubek did exceptionally well this time, so I googled him. And what do I find out? He has Slavic (Czech, to be precise) origins! Seriously, I feel that the world would stop spinning without us. So, I didn’t get lost this time, and watched the game from the students’ bleachers with the Cameron Crazies. What a fine bunch they are! Not only did we win, but it was also Coach K’s 63rd birthday, his 1000th game, and 30th year in Duke – a lot of reason to celebrate! All in all, it has been a great weekend!
OK, I gotta run now (literally)!
Type ya soon! :)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
There's something about this rush...
Saluti dalla biblioteca Bostock!
It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Which means that today, at 6 p.m. at a yet undetermined location in Durham, I will witness the pinnacle of the American football season. This year, this grand event will feature the New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts, both fighting to win the Vince Lombardy Trophy and the title of the champion of the National Football League. Even though I’ve already had the opportunity to meet fervent football fans and see a football game live, I still can’t say I know exactly what to expect from today’s football confrontation. But I will definitely let you know how it went, and try to upload some decent photos!
However, this week I witnessed another great sports event! This Thursday, Steven, Bettina, Jeremy and I paid a visit to the Blue Devils at Cameron. After standing in line for a couple of hours (actually, I just joined in about 1,5 hour before the game started, but only because I had class), we set our feet in the stadium. WHAT A FEELING THAT WAS! Students with blue and white paint all over their faces, or even bodies, the players warming up, a whole entourage of coaches and assistant coaches coming in, cheerleaders hopping around half naked, fans from the ages of 0 – 80 eagerly waiting for the game to start (there was a woman breastfeeding her baby and cheering in the seat in front of me, that’s where the 0’s from), all of this with a “Killers – All these things I’ve done” soundtrack! What a RUSH.
Sadly enough, I managed to lose Steven and Bettina at the entrance and was unsuccessful in finding them till the end of the game. Since Steven had my camera on him, I didn’t take any pictures, but I had my iPod, so I made a couple of videos which I will hopefully upload soon. However, my third big FAIL of the day was my poor choice of attire. That morning I decided to wear one of my Duke t-shirts, which would go great with the Duke school spirit that has been successfully rubbing off on me since August. The thought of checking Georgia Tech’s colors didn’t even cross my mind that morning. Boy, finding me on a photo of the right side of the Cameron bleachers that night would sure be an easy game of “Where’s Waldo”.
Despite these little mishaps (I DID learn from them), the game was a complete success – Blue Devils 86, Yellow Jackets 67. This game definitely gets a spot on my 10 most exciting events of my life list, with the crowd cheering “Let’s go Duke”, Coach K yelling at the referees, Paul Hewitt screaming at his players… GREAT times. And this is exactly why I am SUPER EXCITED about next weekend’s game against Maryland.
OK, back to studying, I wouldn’t want to watch my first Super Bowl with a feeling of guilt about not having tackled some work first.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Which means that today, at 6 p.m. at a yet undetermined location in Durham, I will witness the pinnacle of the American football season. This year, this grand event will feature the New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts, both fighting to win the Vince Lombardy Trophy and the title of the champion of the National Football League. Even though I’ve already had the opportunity to meet fervent football fans and see a football game live, I still can’t say I know exactly what to expect from today’s football confrontation. But I will definitely let you know how it went, and try to upload some decent photos!
However, this week I witnessed another great sports event! This Thursday, Steven, Bettina, Jeremy and I paid a visit to the Blue Devils at Cameron. After standing in line for a couple of hours (actually, I just joined in about 1,5 hour before the game started, but only because I had class), we set our feet in the stadium. WHAT A FEELING THAT WAS! Students with blue and white paint all over their faces, or even bodies, the players warming up, a whole entourage of coaches and assistant coaches coming in, cheerleaders hopping around half naked, fans from the ages of 0 – 80 eagerly waiting for the game to start (there was a woman breastfeeding her baby and cheering in the seat in front of me, that’s where the 0’s from), all of this with a “Killers – All these things I’ve done” soundtrack! What a RUSH.
Sadly enough, I managed to lose Steven and Bettina at the entrance and was unsuccessful in finding them till the end of the game. Since Steven had my camera on him, I didn’t take any pictures, but I had my iPod, so I made a couple of videos which I will hopefully upload soon. However, my third big FAIL of the day was my poor choice of attire. That morning I decided to wear one of my Duke t-shirts, which would go great with the Duke school spirit that has been successfully rubbing off on me since August. The thought of checking Georgia Tech’s colors didn’t even cross my mind that morning. Boy, finding me on a photo of the right side of the Cameron bleachers that night would sure be an easy game of “Where’s Waldo”.
Despite these little mishaps (I DID learn from them), the game was a complete success – Blue Devils 86, Yellow Jackets 67. This game definitely gets a spot on my 10 most exciting events of my life list, with the crowd cheering “Let’s go Duke”, Coach K yelling at the referees, Paul Hewitt screaming at his players… GREAT times. And this is exactly why I am SUPER EXCITED about next weekend’s game against Maryland.
OK, back to studying, I wouldn’t want to watch my first Super Bowl with a feeling of guilt about not having tackled some work first.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Salut, mes amis!
IT’S SNOWING IN DURHAM!! It started last night, and it’s been the best surprise ever! Well, not really, but it’s on the top 5 list, which is still a big deal.
After a rather enjoyable walk in the snow, I went home to prepare for Max and Zoe’s arrival. Yes, their arrival does require special preparation, like childproofing the apartment. While our original plan was to go out to Parizade’s for a Whiteout, we decided to stay in and play games that involved red cups, ping pong balls and some other utensils. Fun times.
Anyhoo, today I woke up around noon, opened the blinds and saw Central COVERED in white powder. Mind you, this is the first time it’s snowed in Durham this winter. I went to Uncle Harry’s, the local grocery store, to get some food only to find it’s FULL of people stocking up with food as if they’re preparing for a month-long lock-down. I have to admit, the atmosphere at the store was such that even I was affected, so my bread-and-milk drop-by turned into something a little bit more than what it originally was supposed to be. On my way back to Erwin, I noticed that the roads are nowhere near cleared. Apparently snow is such a rare occurrence in Durham that the town’s winter equipment infrastructure is extremely scarce – there are no more than 5 ploughs here! Crazy southerners!
So later in the day Ferdinand, Stanislas and I decided that we want to take advantage of the pretty white snow and go out sledging at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. We layered up and hit the road. What a fine choice that was! Mucho divertido.
The Duke Gardens are beautiful even during winter, but the not so convenient part about them is that there is a lot of water all over the place which comes in the form of ponds and little creeks. There was about 3 feet between the end of our little sledging track and a pond. After a really fun dive in the snow which ended with me lying on my tummy, staring straight into the water and cleaning snow off of my camera, I decided I’d call it a day for sledging.
Before we left, Stan invited us to his place for some Gluehwein in the evening. Zoe came over around 6 because we wanted to order dinner. But guess what – when it snows out here, restaurants either close down, or don’t deliver. Basically, snow is considered a natural disaster in Durham. So we went back to Uncle Harry’s, got some eggs and bacon and made our own dinner. Zoe played housewife and did most of the work, and when I told her that she smells like fried bacon, her response was “And it’s the most beautiful smell in the whole world.” God bless America.
To sum up, the moral of this post is that people of NC need to learn how to deal with snow.
Peace out.
After a rather enjoyable walk in the snow, I went home to prepare for Max and Zoe’s arrival. Yes, their arrival does require special preparation, like childproofing the apartment. While our original plan was to go out to Parizade’s for a Whiteout, we decided to stay in and play games that involved red cups, ping pong balls and some other utensils. Fun times.
Anyhoo, today I woke up around noon, opened the blinds and saw Central COVERED in white powder. Mind you, this is the first time it’s snowed in Durham this winter. I went to Uncle Harry’s, the local grocery store, to get some food only to find it’s FULL of people stocking up with food as if they’re preparing for a month-long lock-down. I have to admit, the atmosphere at the store was such that even I was affected, so my bread-and-milk drop-by turned into something a little bit more than what it originally was supposed to be. On my way back to Erwin, I noticed that the roads are nowhere near cleared. Apparently snow is such a rare occurrence in Durham that the town’s winter equipment infrastructure is extremely scarce – there are no more than 5 ploughs here! Crazy southerners!
So later in the day Ferdinand, Stanislas and I decided that we want to take advantage of the pretty white snow and go out sledging at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. We layered up and hit the road. What a fine choice that was! Mucho divertido.
The Duke Gardens are beautiful even during winter, but the not so convenient part about them is that there is a lot of water all over the place which comes in the form of ponds and little creeks. There was about 3 feet between the end of our little sledging track and a pond. After a really fun dive in the snow which ended with me lying on my tummy, staring straight into the water and cleaning snow off of my camera, I decided I’d call it a day for sledging.
Before we left, Stan invited us to his place for some Gluehwein in the evening. Zoe came over around 6 because we wanted to order dinner. But guess what – when it snows out here, restaurants either close down, or don’t deliver. Basically, snow is considered a natural disaster in Durham. So we went back to Uncle Harry’s, got some eggs and bacon and made our own dinner. Zoe played housewife and did most of the work, and when I told her that she smells like fried bacon, her response was “And it’s the most beautiful smell in the whole world.” God bless America.
To sum up, the moral of this post is that people of NC need to learn how to deal with snow.
Peace out.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
You only live twice!
Hello world!
I've been thinking about starting a journal of some kind for a while now, and decided today that a blog might be the way to go! So many things have been going on that I try to remember to share with people, be it while skyping with friends from back home, family members, friends who are all over the US right now, or simply things I think I might find fun to read in a couple of months/years time. For fear that I’ll forget to share something important with you guys, and that photos might lack a verbal explanation, I figured that I should start writing things down! :p
So since I've been back from winter break, a lot of things changed:
1) friends left back to Europe (Xavier, Ruggero)
2) some of us have stepped away from our slightly nerdy routine and have been going out more (check picasa for proof)
3) I picked some pretty sweet courses for this semester – French, Policy Analysis, Tai Chi and Chinese Culture and Sociolinguistica italiana
4) I have started fundraising for a volunteering trip to Ecuador
5) the Reality Center has become more fun than ever and it is great to hang out with our friends again after a long break!
6) I might apply for Erasmus in Italy this year! (?)
I’m probably missing a bunch of things on that list, but this is what came to my mind first.
While talking to friends from home for the past couple of days ( LOVE Ena, Marina, Nusa, Sven :), I just realized that May is just around the corner and that my time in the US is almost over!! AHH! I am sooo excited about seeing everyone back home after such a long time, but I’m sure going to miss this place. It’s grown on me.
Heading off to bed now, long day tomorrow!
Bonne nuit! :)
I've been thinking about starting a journal of some kind for a while now, and decided today that a blog might be the way to go! So many things have been going on that I try to remember to share with people, be it while skyping with friends from back home, family members, friends who are all over the US right now, or simply things I think I might find fun to read in a couple of months/years time. For fear that I’ll forget to share something important with you guys, and that photos might lack a verbal explanation, I figured that I should start writing things down! :p
So since I've been back from winter break, a lot of things changed:
1) friends left back to Europe (Xavier, Ruggero)
2) some of us have stepped away from our slightly nerdy routine and have been going out more (check picasa for proof)
3) I picked some pretty sweet courses for this semester – French, Policy Analysis, Tai Chi and Chinese Culture and Sociolinguistica italiana
4) I have started fundraising for a volunteering trip to Ecuador
5) the Reality Center has become more fun than ever and it is great to hang out with our friends again after a long break!
6) I might apply for Erasmus in Italy this year! (?)
I’m probably missing a bunch of things on that list, but this is what came to my mind first.
While talking to friends from home for the past couple of days ( LOVE Ena, Marina, Nusa, Sven :), I just realized that May is just around the corner and that my time in the US is almost over!! AHH! I am sooo excited about seeing everyone back home after such a long time, but I’m sure going to miss this place. It’s grown on me.
Heading off to bed now, long day tomorrow!
Bonne nuit! :)
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