In Solidarity

members of Afro Plus in Moscow

When I went home the first Christmas after moving to Slovenia, a family member came up to me at a holiday party and beckoned for me to "say something in Russian", when I told him I didn't live in Russia, he just laughed. Throughout the night, many people came up to me to "ask me about Russia", and I still come across people (old friends who find me on Facebook, long lost family members) who seem to think I live in Russia or thereabouts. In many people's estimations any country ending in "ia"=Slavic=Balkan=Eastern European= somehow Russian. While I won't deny that there certainly must exist some vague Slavic similarities between Russians and Slovenians, this ain't the same place and it's nowhere near it.

And after reading this article, I couldn't be happier.

(BBC) Africans Under Siege in Moscow: Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia's capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.

While Obama is busy making buddy with Medvyedev, scores of black folks on Moscow streets are looking over their shoulder every two seconds in fear. It's horribly ironic.

All this is not to say that Slovenia is perfect on this front, it certainly isn't but I feel more than safe walking down the streets, and pray that one day soon black people in Russia will be able to say the same.

Of All The Bad Ideas...

Yesterday night, I was walking through the center of Ljubljana when I came across UNICEF's latest campaign, "Help Get Rwandan Kids off the street". The first image I saw was a big sticker over a bus shelter which featured the slogan up top and then a "Rwandan person" laying down writhing in pain at the bottom. I thought "Hey, this is dumb" and then walked off.

When I walked a little further I came upon this little fella.


A cardboard cutout of a Rwandan boy supposedly called "Eric".

The street ahead was filled with these young'uns. It was beyond bizarre.



I even saw a stack of back up "kids" laying in a side alley in case the originals got vandalized or someone decided to go Madonna with one.

They weren't joking when they said "get them off the street". The direct implication being, "You, nice white person, give us some money and we'll get these black kids out of your way."

I am annoyed by this on two fronts, first the idea that the black presence on Slovenian streets is posited in this way -- some sad, dirty, unfortunate character who needs handouts from white Europeans. Secondly, considering there are almost no black people in this country and many Slovenians can't help but stare and isolate the black people they do see, I can't imagine this ploy working. As a matter of fact, I think it far more likely that the cardboard kids will get tired of being gawked at and having their hair touched and just up and walk away...

mountain retreat

oasis at Jezersko

composed

window box - Jezersko

Madonna

well-composed Madonna in Podčetertek

Caffeinated

The Captain got an espresso and then another espresso. From our weekend at the spa in Podčetertek.

Klein aber mein

There was a nice little interview with Slovenian film director, lecturer (at the very cool new private art academy here called AVA) , and blogger Andrej Košak in D magazine of Sunday's Delo newspaper (their decent attempt at producing a Slovenian version of the NY Times magazine).

Košak was the director of popular Slovenian film Outsider, and he splits his time between Berlin and Ljubljana. He comes off as a really cool guy in this interview (tell him to call me for a coffee some time!), and I think he has some very illuminating thoughts on president-day Slovenia .

Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the interview (wonky translations by yours truly)


a screenshot from Outsider (which I guess I should now watch)

Berlin in three Slovenian words?
Velik, odrpt, multikulturen (Big, open, multicultural)

Ljubljana in three German words?
Klein, aber mein (Small, but mine)

Do we Slovenians know how to enjoy ourselves?
Slovenians are not wild partiers, but then we always go away with the feeling that we haven't gotten our money's worth. I adore the French, whose lives revolve around good food, sex, and art.

How do you enjoy yourself?
In work. When I am working, I feel like I am living one-hundred percent. Otherwise, I consider the French prescription: good food, sex, and art.

What sort of prime time program does Slovenia need?
A program that would cultivate Slovenians, let them know what is happening in art around the world.

Politics is....
interesting to talk about, but best to stay out of. I am a big adherent to the idea that the the amount of politics on television should be reduced to a reasonable limit. In Slovenia from 6pm to 11pm, television is dominated just by politics. This doesn't happen anywhere else in the world, even during socialism it was much less.

Three things that were better during former-Yugoslavia?
Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Belgrade in the eighties. Great people and seriously big artists (goes on to name a massive list of artists and events)

Three things that are not worthy of Yugo-nostalgia?
The Yugoslav army, rizi-bizi, and Zvečevo cognac.

Haiku du jour, s'il vous plait....
Life is a bitch, a way too short.
(note: this part was already in English. I think it should say "but way too short", but I can't be sure)

Why I Never Have Anything to Post About

75% of the conversations I have these days

Slovenian Person (usually a woman, men don't talk to me as often): How long have you been here?
Me: Almost two years.
SP: You speak the language very well.
Me: Thanks.
SP: Slovenian is a very tough language.
Me. Yes. Yes it is.

I feel like I should just make up some cards with this on it and give them to people. I think the flipside of the card should say,"In the rare event that you'd like to continue this conversation, I'll be just over there, smashing my head against the wall."

August 31st - International Day of the Disappeared

photo info

(via B92 blog) SARAJEVO -- The International Committee of the Red Cross data shows that 15,655 people are still listed as missing from the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), based in Bosnia, said on the occasion of International Day of Disappeared marked this Sunday, that 40,000 people are estimated to have disappeared in the wars in former Yugoslavia, 30,000 of those in Bosnia.

This organization also said that its data showed there are between 8,000 and 10,000 unsolved cases there, and 12,000-14,000 in the region.

"On International Day of Disappeared it is important to stress that the problem of the missing, and the human suffering accompanying, it is a universal problem of human rights," said ICMP chief Catherine Bomberger.

All Quiet on the Whelville Front

Mariachi setting in Ljubljana

Sorry I haven't been posting much. There really just hasn't been a heck of a lot going on. Or maybe I haven't been thinking much about the things that have been going on.

I've been working a little and putting more time into driving since I STILL am shaky on the whole enterprise. These days, I am actually eager for my lessons (The Captain has now taken the helm as my instructor), and I can see my goals coming slowly but surely into view. This time, I am gonna stick with it until I get there.

I recently had a new (but good) friend come to visit me from Berlin and it got me thinking about a lot of things. We had a lot of good and interesting (and sometimes hilarious!) chats and we really just connected. One day, we were in a cafe and a couple in hilariously awful outfits strolled up, and she and I just looked at each other and started cracking up laughing. It was wonderful. I don't have that connection with any of my friends here. That's the good stuff, the stuff that I hope will come in time....

Since my friend and I are both Americans who are living the expat life at the moment, talks and thoughts did tend to focus on that. While some expats are here in Europe with a definite expiration date, a clear feeling that they want to live in America, yearly trips back home. I don't have that feeling, I don't have that urge. I even mentioned to my friend that I think that when I have kids, I'd like to send them to Ghana on a regular basis so they can learn the language and be familiar with family and culture. She asked how it would work being "tricultural" and I told her that I think I'd just cut the American part out a bit; meaning I probably just wouldn't be taking them or sending them to America much. I was trying to think about why. Am I denying some part of myself? Am I harboring some sort of chauvinistic animosity towards the US? I don't think it is any of that. I think I am fairhanded toward the country, it has definite plusses and minuses as any other. It's definitely a neat place, it's the country with places that I know best. It's the country where , when I speak, I am best understood. I will always be plenty American and pass that along to any kids I might have, since that is what I am and the only thing I can honestly bring to the table culture-wise. I guess there is some idea that I could equip any children I might have with things that would help them combat that Non-Belonging feeling that I've grappled with so much. Maybe Non-Belonging is sometimes just part of the human condition?

I haven't formed any one real coherent thought to express what I am thinking, what might be the reason, but here are a couple thoughts:

One idea surrounds around the fact that, as a black person, I kinda feel more or less uncomfortable everywhere.

I miss my family and friends, but they are not necessarily centrally-located in one American city or anything.

I do miss shopping and cultural events and bookstores and certain foods, but I am unsure whether that all is worth building a life around.

There is also the fact, that I don't think I was very successful at America. I am not sitting on top of the world here in Slovenia, but I think I am doing considerably better.

So, I don't know what the truth of the matter is -- probably a little from column A and a little from column B. Do you have similar or divergent thoughts about your expat experience? Hey Mom!! You are an expat, any thoughts? Do share!