Friday, July 01, 2005
Finally
Been spending way too much time here. Specifically, this picture has been burning itself permanently on my screen. Reason? Before the collective curses and spells of my Croatian relatives combine into a horrific stew of troubles for yours truly, the family's finally getting a chnace to see the land where their paternal grandparents and this humble blogger were born.
Visiting a new country is always exciting.
Visiting a Slavic country is always full to the brim with experiences and sights that are versions of the old Catskill comedy joke:
Ira: How's the food?
Ada: Not too good.
Ira: Yeah and such small portions.
Visiting a Slavic country where you have lots of relatives guarantees you countless cheek pinchings, coulda-would-shoulda's, and hourly self-revaluations.
Not to worry! My vacation budget includes money set aside for the obligatory counselling sessions upon our return.
I am visioning:
1) Driving on the Magistrala.
2) Diving off the falls of the River Krke.
3) Burning to a crisp on the Dubrovnik walls.
4) Eating ice cream in Crikvenica.
5) Never sleeping.
6) Countless meals of cevapcici, salami, bread, tomato & pepper salad, & Plavac wine.
7) Laughing until I or the chair I'm sitting on collapse when my relatives start their unintended comedy routines.
8) Watching my family's eyes widen ever more as they see the circus that is Croatia.
Been spending way too much time here. Specifically, this picture has been burning itself permanently on my screen. Reason? Before the collective curses and spells of my Croatian relatives combine into a horrific stew of troubles for yours truly, the family's finally getting a chnace to see the land where their paternal grandparents and this humble blogger were born.
Visiting a new country is always exciting.
Visiting a Slavic country is always full to the brim with experiences and sights that are versions of the old Catskill comedy joke:
Ira: How's the food?
Ada: Not too good.
Ira: Yeah and such small portions.
Visiting a Slavic country where you have lots of relatives guarantees you countless cheek pinchings, coulda-would-shoulda's, and hourly self-revaluations.
Not to worry! My vacation budget includes money set aside for the obligatory counselling sessions upon our return.
I am visioning:
1) Driving on the Magistrala.
2) Diving off the falls of the River Krke.
3) Burning to a crisp on the Dubrovnik walls.
4) Eating ice cream in Crikvenica.
5) Never sleeping.
6) Countless meals of cevapcici, salami, bread, tomato & pepper salad, & Plavac wine.
7) Laughing until I or the chair I'm sitting on collapse when my relatives start their unintended comedy routines.
8) Watching my family's eyes widen ever more as they see the circus that is Croatia.
Comments:
<< Home Verging on Pertinence Just some more disposable thoughts clogging up the hinterlands
Seems like an eternity ago, but the parents of one of my close friends would vacation every year on the Dalmatian coast in what, then, was Yugoslavia. when they came home they'd insist on bringing friends to their home so they could view the slides of the holiday while listening to vacation tales spoken in awe and obvious affection. Every. Year.
Enjoy your vacation... do you still speak the old tongue? I wonder how much of it will suddenly flash back to you?
Enjoy your vacation... do you still speak the old tongue? I wonder how much of it will suddenly flash back to you?
FCB I've already promised all those within earshot that no pictures or tales (invented, elongated, or straight-out lies) will be dumped on them. My pleasures will stay private, unless I were to be asked to divulge the skinny.
The old tongue? It's there, not as well practiced as I'd want, though. Croatian is one of those languages with declentions from hell. THere's a formal and and informal way of speaking. And then, there's the cursing. I know every nationality puffs its chest out in pride at the bawdiness of its mother tongue. I'd stack up Croatian against any one of them. What other language can have a sentence swimming in references of goats, sheep, male body parts, your mother's body parts (and some Catholic words for good measure), and have it qualify as a manner of introducing one's best friend. Weaving a tapestry of curses is a national pastime. One, unfortunately, that I have not exercised in the Land of the PC, so I am rusty. But, as you pointed out, I am hoping for it to flash back suddenly, most probably prodded by an elixir of slivovitz and a bottle of Plavac.
The old tongue? It's there, not as well practiced as I'd want, though. Croatian is one of those languages with declentions from hell. THere's a formal and and informal way of speaking. And then, there's the cursing. I know every nationality puffs its chest out in pride at the bawdiness of its mother tongue. I'd stack up Croatian against any one of them. What other language can have a sentence swimming in references of goats, sheep, male body parts, your mother's body parts (and some Catholic words for good measure), and have it qualify as a manner of introducing one's best friend. Weaving a tapestry of curses is a national pastime. One, unfortunately, that I have not exercised in the Land of the PC, so I am rusty. But, as you pointed out, I am hoping for it to flash back suddenly, most probably prodded by an elixir of slivovitz and a bottle of Plavac.
I am always looking for interesting places to visit. Never been to Croatia (never considered it, shame on me) Please divulge "the skinny" upon your return.
# opined by 
: 9:35 AM, July 05, 2005
: 9:35 AM, July 05, 2005
FCB & Stephenesque: Between today and when I depart in some weeks, I'm hoping Croatia can advance from the 17th century to the 21st. Take a read at this anf you'll have a glimpse at the country that time forgot.
http://draxblog.typepad.com/draxblog_3/2005/07/fashion_and_pas.html
http://draxblog.typepad.com/draxblog_3/2005/07/fashion_and_pas.html
Gorgeous place! I never knew. All I associate Croatia with is the civil war and the fall of the evil Empire.
My grandson, now age 6, has next door neighbors who are new citizens of the US from Croatia. Connor picked up quickly on the language, and my daughter said he can speak fairly well with his little playmate. She was shocked to see how easily he does it!
My grandson, now age 6, has next door neighbors who are new citizens of the US from Croatia. Connor picked up quickly on the language, and my daughter said he can speak fairly well with his little playmate. She was shocked to see how easily he does it!
Without being too puffy about it, Croatia is, in some places, painstakingly beautiful. Or, at least that's the way I remember it the last time I was there over 20 years ago. We shall see.
As far as your grandson Connor is concerned...he must truly be gifted with the talent of tongues. Croatian is extremely difficult to speak, partially due to words without vowels. If Connor is speaking it well, I hope hie parents are considering him for the Diplomatic Corps.
As far as your grandson Connor is concerned...he must truly be gifted with the talent of tongues. Croatian is extremely difficult to speak, partially due to words without vowels. If Connor is speaking it well, I hope hie parents are considering him for the Diplomatic Corps.
It may mean very little to say this, as we brits do not, as a rule, take well to the learning of languages (unless they are dead, like Latin), but despite that serbo-croat is widely-known to be particularly "foreign" and difficult. Precocious indeed.
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<< Home Verging on Pertinence Just some more disposable thoughts clogging up the hinterlands
