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February 02 SANDWICHESFirst of all, let me apologise for my absence of late. I have recently taken on a second job, one that is rather more enjoyable than my primary job of trying to teach English to the people of Slovenia. Juggling 2 jobs takes a lot of my time, hence I won't be as regular on here as I once was.
The point that I want to raise today is 'Why is it not possible to find a good, affordable sandwich place in Ljubljana?' When I say affordable, what I mean is someone that isn't Subway. It's annoying. Let me give you the situation; You've just been working for 5 hours non-stop, and now finally the lunch-break has made it's more-than-welcome appearance. You've got 45 minutes to energise yourself before being thrown back into the mundaneness of the job. What could be better than a huge, filled, massive, giant, humongus (How do you spell that????), ginormous (does that word actually exist? I don't know. But i teach it to my students anyway) baguette? Answer; Nothing legal. Where can I get one? Italy or Austria. Ljubljana? You've got 2 hopes! Why is the situation so bad? Why doesn't someone open up a little shop that sells huge, filled, massive, giant, humongus (How do you spell that????), ginormous (does that word actually exist? I don't know. But i teach it to my students anyway) baguettes? Lightbulb above head moment. I will open up that little shop. I've even thought of a name for it; The little shop that sells huge, filled, massive, giant, humongus (How do you spell that????), ginormous (does that word actually exist? I don't know. But i teach it to my students anyway) baguettes! Would I get any customers? Would I make a profit? Would Business Weekly do an expose on me? Would Subway attempt buy me out? Would Subway be so annoyed at my refusal to sell that they burn down my place? What's that you say? I need money to start up a business? Back to the drawing board. I'm off to pay a fortune now for a footlong from Subway, all this talk of sandwiches and business has made me hungry.
January 26 AustriaI just got back yesterday evening from 3 days working in Klagenfurt, Austria. I learned many things from this experience. The first thing wasn't something new to me, rather something emphasised. Customer service in Slovenia does not exist! My train was due to leave Ljubljana for Villach at 8.05 Monday morning. People who know me all said the same thing, "Kris, make sure you wake up early, get to the station early, buy your ticket early, and you will have no problem."
So, that's what I did. At 7.55 I took my seat on the train, in a compartment all to myself, pulled a book out of my bag and started reading. Outside the window was the board telling me that this was the train for Villach due to leave at 8.05.
Come 8.10 and I'm still sitting in Ljubljana station, wondering what the delay is. Then I checked the board outside the window and it was now blank. What the hell? I go to find out what's going on, and realise that the long train that I had originally got on is now a lot shorter than before. Why? Because half of the original train is now on it's way to Austria! I see the train guard who has walked past my window at least four times why he didn't think to tell me that I was in the wrong part of the train. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles. Why am I not ammused.
I need my money back then. If I'm not going to be able to make it there in time for work, then what good is the ticket to me?
At the ticket desk: "Money back, now."
"No can do."
"Why not? I don't need this ticket because your system has just shagged me up the arse and left me here to pick up the pieces."
"You can use the ticket any time over the next 6 days. The next train leaves at 10.10."
"But I'll take the bus. Give me my money."
"No."
"Pizda mater! bye bye." Exit from stage angry English man.
My work here calls the place of work there, tells them I'll be late, fine, no problem, I take the 10.10 train.
Get to Klagenfurt, realise that 2 out of 3 men have moustaches. I thought that was just a comedy stereotype, I was wrong! Not just moustaches, also mullets are in full swing. Wahey, let the good times roll. Why is that? Do they not have mirrors in this country? You look ridiculous!!!!!! Whatever.
Ask the taxi driver to take me to Bahnhofstrasse. He points to a street and says "yea right. The street is there, you don't need a cab."
Cool. 45 minutes later and I reach the end of the street where my work is situated. Don't need a cab? My arse.
Work all day. Go to the hotel that they have booked for me.
"I'd like to check in please. It's reserved under the name Berlitz."
"I'm sorry sir, we don't have any reservation."
"Great! Call this number please." Kris gives number of Berlitz to receptionist.
An agreement is reached which leaves me taking the last free room in the building, a suite. I'm definitely not complaining. I call girlfriend in Slovenia, put the bill on to Berlitz, then decide I need to go drinking to see the town.
1.30am, should go back to hotel now, gotta wake up early in morning. Where is the hotel???
2.30am... still looking for hotel.
3.00am... still looking.
3.15am, can't open the door to the hotel, my card isn't working properly.
3.25am, manage to get the door open.
8.30am eating brakfast. Good!
8.45am stil eating.
8.55am waiting for receptionist to finish social phone call so that I can check out.
8.59am running to work, start at 9!
It went on pretty much like this for the rest of the time there, until finally I returned to Slovenian soil. I have to say, I actually miss the mullets and moustaches. They were always good for a laugh! I can't wait to go back to Austria!
   Some good-looking Austrian boys. January 22 Will return...The powers that be are sending me across the border into Austria to work for the next 2 days. So, I will be back to update the page from Wednesday.
January 19 Quite possibly the funniest thing on the net!I spent this christmas at home in England having my telly programmes interrupted every 2 minutes by a computer generated frog saying 'bing bing' in an excruciatingly annoying tone. Do I want him on my mobile phone? You know what, I think I'll pass.
Now these things are starting to take over the classrooms in which I work, as young students compare the different (excuse my French) shit that they have filled their phones with.
Then I saw this and I have to say that I haven't laughed so much in a long long long time.
I feel confident in saying that not many children read my site, but just in case, please show a little discretion as the language isn't the kind the queen uses, well at least not in public.
Enjoy!
Lep vikend!
January 18 Farewell, my friend. 2006 is the farewell year for the Slovenian Tolar, the currency that has been in use since not too long after the declaration of independence.
I, for one, will be very sad to see the back of it and perhaps even sadder to see the Euro introduced. Why? Because when you give up your national currency to Brussels, you also give up another part of your identity. The Slovenian struggle lasted for well over 1000 years before they were able to have such usually-taken-for-granted things as their own currency, their own sovereignty, their own government, own armed forces, and everything else that comes with being a recognised, independent, country.
Then just 16 years later that currency is put to bed, and in comes the all-conquering Euro.
We've seen from the experiences from countries that have already taken this step that it means higher prices and lower wages. But, the real truth is that I'm not too interested in the practical side of things, I'm purely a traditionalist or an old sentimentalist, or whatever else you want to call it, and I hate to see this symbol of the country of Slovenia being taken away.
Another reason that I love the Tolar so much is because as a result of having to deal on a daily basis with sums of money that are in the thousands, and even the hundreds of thousands for not too expensive things like rent and the like, my mental arithmetic has become second-to-none! I am now a mathematical genius when it comes to simple equations, as is everybody else living in Slovenia. Tolar, I thank you for this.
At least for the time being, I don't have to worry about England going over into this horrible currency, but how much longer will this pleasure last?
A bit more reading;
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