The New Job

Hi All.

First off - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY ATA !!!! I love you and love that you're my Ata.

Ata, Dobrina, thank you for both constantly posting entries to our blog and giving me a hard time for not doing so myself. I'm so bad about these things, somehow I missed the Ata/Dobrina shared gene of distant communication ... you're both so gifted in 'keeping in toch' ;).

Well, hmm what's new with me here in DC? Dobrina pretty much covered her trip out here, we had a fabulous time and of course Virginia just loved Dobrina and Ian. I think she's now met everyone except for our Texans ... Tina, Mason and Mike, I'm done calling you all Long Lost, I need to see you and we need to hang out, I miss you all too much. How about I come down sometime this fall to hang out for a long weekend? Let me know what your schedule is.

Ok, so about the job. Yeah I have a new job Woo Hoo. I'm totally excited; I'm done with CIBT, have done a bit of shopping so have some new clothes; pants, shoes and a couple new ties (even though they tell me I don't need them) I think I want to bump up the outfits from Jeans to one level above jeans ;) Ha Ha , I don't change much do I? Anyhow, the job is working for Al Jazeera International which should be a great opportunity for my career as well as to get involved with some inernational media stuff, hopefully we can make a bit of difference, if nothing else in the way Americans view their roll in the world in general, in this area I am very interested in being a part of giving people something else to consider facts and news so hopefully we the regular people can join in and limit our ignorance about everything else out there. I don't really think Al Jazeera International will be too much different than general international news agnecies especially since most of our staff are former BBC and CNN Worl News People but the more information coming into America about the rest of the world has to help. So yeah, I'll be doing some basic level computer work and they have definitely let me know they are interested in giving me multiple opportunities to learn and grow so that's cool. More about the job later, I haven't started yet so we'll see what I have to say in a week ok. Here are some links to check out what the company is all about if you are interested.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/07/AR2005100702191.html

http://www.freepress.net/news/12528

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/22/aljazeera/index_np.html

http://www.time.com/time/nation/printout/0,8816,1110008,00.html

Ok, Pop Quiz, what do the words Al Jazeera mean? Read the articles to answer.

Hmm and what else. Ata, I'm totally stoked about your travels for you and totally stoked about you writing about them for us. You're very good at this, perhaps you missed your calling, go back in time and become a world traveling writer , it would have suited you perfectly but we would have missed you if you were gone so much ;) I love the bit of history you've given us, I had no idea that all the buildings of religion were destroyed, that seems pretty harsh, wow what a fact huh? And I'm interested to hear how people continually 'consider' themselves something different than what I would have thought. I mean really, am I American, Oregonian, Slovenian, Italian or should we just call ourselves Old Romans living in the New World? Because isn't that what we really are anyway? Slovenian, Sicilian, sounds like old Rome to me, wonder what it was before Rome came into being? Cavemen? Anyhow, Ata, fill me in on our actual liniage history and such can you, I would read about it but gosh where would I even get those facts from and how could I trust their source?

Ok, well thats what's up with me. Myrtle is still sitting, need to get those spark plug wires to stay put and we'll be OK. Much more work to do on her but she runs and drives well so I'll have to work on all the small stuff bit by bit.

Much love from DC's #1 huge bachelor pad ;) Pete

East coast VaCa

Hello! ian and I just returned from the east coast where we vacationed with family and friends (you know who you are) -- had a great time! First we arrived into NYC just in time to make it to the Broadway production of "The Producers". Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have already moved on from those starring roles into their new show, "The Odd Couple" (tickets sold out), but the actors who are in the current "Producers" were absolutely fantastic. It was such a hilarious production. I've heard that the movie is not good, so don't waste your time. The live show was full of energy and we had great seats on the orchestra level. After the show we went to a little french bistro recommended by friends; we had a huge bowl of mussels smothered in white wine-butter sauce --- yummy!! Sunday we spent walking around Manhattan, visiting the WTC site, doing a little shopping, visiting a friend from residency; then we got same-day half-price tickets to another broadway show, Avenue Q. It was also very funny and irreverent; it involved muppets! crazy, those broadway people... Ian was in the market for a sportscoat for his upcoming conference so we walked through Saks and Bloomingdales -- hello, do people actually shop there? So expensive!! We ended up back at Macy's; much more reasonable.
Monday we flew down to Raleigh and stayed with Beth and Nathan (and Max and Nina). Anna and her twins, Kate and Jocelyn, joined us the next day. We stayed until Thursday morning and had a great time. We spent our time eating, drinking, and being merry; also playing games with the kids, taking them to the parks, etc. Very relaxing - and the weather was so cooperative! Not hot or humid in the least!
Thursday we Amtrak'd up to DC; Jaki and Sophia picked us up and took us to Peter's new apartment -- tres cool! And huge --
what a bachelor pad! We got to meet Virginia and Debra on this trip; both very lovely women. Friday Jaki and I went to Sophie's school to witness her anchorwomaning for the school morning news -- she's a natural. She's such a natural born leader -- she's practically running the school herself between hallway patrol, field-day supervision, news-woman, soccer star... Friday night we watched world cup soccer and the funniest South Park episode I've ever seen. Saturday we went to soccer practice, then Peter and Virginia took us all on a really fun tour of DC in one of those amphibious WWII trucks that they call Duck (hence, DCDuck tour). That night we all went to an outdoor Tom Petty concert; great weather, atmosphere. Peter's friends were there (they got us the tickets) and the music was great.
Now we're back, tending the garden (our neighbor, in a wonderful attempt to be helpful, accidentally turned off our watering system after using the hose to water some of the pots -- oops! now the hanging fuschias are in dire straits -- oh the problems of living in suburbia...) We're excited about all of the family coming this summer, starting with Beth and Nathan in just a few weeks! Then Ata arrives on June 28th -- don't worry, Mom, we're still on for Sisters!!

From Ljubljana (cont.)

I didn't mention the origin of the name Črna Gora (Montenegro in Italian, or in English: Black Mountain). As I mentioned previously, the country is very mountainous (someplace almost as high as Triglav), and although on the sea side the slopes are mostly barren, in the interior, especially at higher elevations, there are forests of black pine, hence Black Mountain. Another interesting fact is that their official monetary system is the European EVRO. Though they are not a member country, they have adopted their money through special arrangements with the German banks. Since Slovenia is due to change over to the EVRO from the Slovenian Tolar in Jan. 1997, and we are already now getting used to pricing items in both currencies, I found it helpful while there, to use exclusively Evros (my keyboard doesn't have the Symbol for it).

Albania, where I spent Thursday, June 1. on the tour, is or was one of the strongholds of Communism, in company with North Korea and Cuba. It was THEE most orthodox of the communist led countries, and condemned the rest of the eastern block as heretical to true Communism, and consequentialy isolated itself from the rest by even closing all its borders. We entered the country by bus that traveled on virtual country lanes (someplaces still almost impassable for a big bus). On the Albanian side there were bunkers and pill boxes stationed at regular intervals for some miles, allegedly for defense from invasion - by other neighboring communist countries? (extreme paranoia). At the newly established provisional border crossing, our travel guide was also replaced by their own guide and translator, probably for both, a chance to give jobs to their own people as well as for promotion of their propaganda.

The country is mostly rural and in the city Schkoder, on the large lake with the same name on the border of Yugoslavia, was more like Europe one hundred years ago - poor, dirty, crowded and backward. The streets were in places just now getting new modern sidewalks in the downtown area only. A new Mosque as well as a Catholic church have recently been built there. During the communist regime, all church buildings and properties were confiscated and destroyed (Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, ALL - throughout the entire country). The exception was in the capital city of Tirana where, because of its historical and architectural value, a church was spared (but closed for services), and one mosque, in an area by the coast that is regularly under water because of either the river floods or high tides - the building was left in its swamp since it was no longer in use. The people are (or rather were) a mix of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Muslims - but by now mostly atheists (the reeducation in the schools has in these past generations done its work well).

Here too, an attempt is being made to develop tourism (the country is beautiful) and much construction is taking place, but more emphasis should be placed in an effort to curtail their pollution (garbage, air and water). The downtown area needs some rebuilding too - the banks the rioting people burned in a mistaken idea that they could thus get their money back, are still burned out hulks.

Along the lake shore not far from the city, new resorts are being built and we dined in a lush restaurant, not unlike ones on the shores of some lakes in Swicerland. On the whole, because of the country's natural beauty, it has great tourist potential. Another advantage is that their writing is not Cyrillic (like Russian, Serbian, etc. and thus difficult to read) but Latin, like the rest of Europe. The people also do not considered themselves as part of the Slavic Race, but are proud to refer to themselves as Indo-European.

A peculiarity I noticed was that I saw there more Mercedes cars than of any other type. Due to the almost extreme poverty evident everywhere, I found it perplexing they should be driving such expensive cars, including newer models. Upon inquiry, I was told that on their "rough" roads, these cars are more durable - but on further investigation (I never shy from asking more questions), it was hinted to me that most of these cars found their way here illegally - in other words, if you have your Mercedes stolen in Germany, France, Austria, etc., it most likely quickly found itself out of reach in Albania.

Prior to returning to Montenegro we visited a museum and the remains of an imposing ancient walled community (actually for its time, a large city) on the top of a steep hill, dating from 4,000 BC. It was impenetrable till (I think the Romans?) conquered it through a siege lasting many months. Only after the tunnel, leading down to the river through solid rock, was discovered and destroyed were the residents forced to give up after they ran out of water.

That's it this time. Sorry, but I took no pictures (I have no camera). Dobrina, you will have to advise me what to buy in Seattle, as also on how to operate it, OK?

Love from ata.

From Ljubljana

No new postings? Doesn't anybody have anything interesting to update?

Well, I promised to tell you about my latest trip, so here is a short account of it.

I joined a bus tour to Črna Gora (Montenegro), a former state of Yugoslavia. It took about 15 hours to get there. We left in the evening and arrived the next day about 2PM. The coach was comfortable and only half full, watched a movie and then tried to sleep. In the morning I enjoyed viewing the beautiful Adriatic coast - truly awesome! I didn't realize how mountainous the country is. If it wasn't for the populated areas (Split, Makarska, Dubrovnik, etc.), the agricultural strips at the foot of the barren rocky mountains devoid of forests, and the resorts catering to tourists, it could have been as wild as the coast of northern Calif. if it had no trees. Actually it reminded me more of the barren Italian rocky countryside, rocks everywhere, hard ones, not "soft" rocks (Dobrina and Ian know what they are).

I think that tourism is now the primary source of income all down the Adriatic coast, though there are also groves of olive trees and vineyards, along with the fishing industry that contribute to the local economy. In prior times, these people were the notorious pirates that plied the Adriatic sea from Venice to Greece.

We stayed for a full week at the seaside resort town of Budva in Črna Gora (south, past Croatia and Bosnia). The very large and spread out community is named "Slovenska plaža" (Slovene beach). It adjoins the actual town of Budva, and it got its name from the tourists from Slovakia (not Slovenia) that used to favor it many years ago. The beautiful new resort town with its park like character was however built and designed by Slovenians, and many now spend their vacations there. It surprised me that the resort is also popular with Russians as well as Germans. When the tour guides gave their talks it was never in English but either in Serbian, Russian or German, in rare instances also in Italian.

Though I had my swimming trunks with me, and the water was warm, I mostly went on hikes, lounged around, caught up on my reading, pigged out all day on excellent food and drink, watched TV in the evening and in general, enjoyed the leisure (regretfully by myself). The "old town" of Budva is a typical ancient walled city (A Dubrovnik in miniature), surrounded on three sides with water and seemingly impenetrable. On the hillsides above it and ever spreading out are new communities - I was amazed at how much construction is going on everywhere. In my walking around I came across a peculiarity (perhaps not just localized) - on various corners of their streets are set up bulletin boards with death notices of the recently departed. At first it came to my mind that they are from the fighting in Yugoslavia when it was braking up, but on closer inspection the dates were recent and mostly of elderly individuals.

During my visit the people had a referendum to break away from the parent country of Yugoslavia (this was the last remnant, other than Kosovo, that maintained unity with Serbia to still be called Yugoslavia - which is now no more). Črna Gora and Serbia are now separate and independent countries. The referendum for independence passed in spite of there being more posters evident urging its defeat (the natives comprise less than half of the population) - it was a close call but sufficient for the international community to give it recognition.

Nex time about the short visit to Albania prior to returning to Ljubljana.

Love from ata.