Bjelovar

On a sunny Monday morning, I took a bus from Zagreb to the rural town of Bjelovar.  I was told there was no train to this destination so I wondered just how rural it might me.  Once we got out of the urban-ness of Zagreb the landscape quickly turned into the charming but typical Croatian country side complete with colorful houses clumped together in quaint little villages.  One particular village with rolling hills was exceptionally interesting and I wondered briefly if I could get the driver to stop for me so I could take pictures.  Croatia might be one of the friendliest places on Earth but I was pretty sure that scenario wasn't going to happen.

Steps to Gloria

When the bus arrived at the station I suddenly got very nervous that once again I was about to meet a complete stranger who I would live with for 3 days.   Would we get along? Would I feel like a burden the whole time?  What I would not yet know is my host, Slavica, and I were so much alike we were destined to become great friends. She found me right off and whisked me away in her car to her private language school, Gloria Foreign Language Center.  Of course, we immediately sat down for coffee and we talked about the history of her school and Bjelovar.  I got the grand tour of her language center where not only is English taught, but German, Italian, and Spanish as well.  The students are from ages of about 5 all the way to adult. Beginning at 5 o'clock that same afternoon I will get to visit all of the classes.  Slavica was concerned that many of the students were so scared to talk to me (a native speaker) that they might not show.  I could not imagine anyone being afraid to talk to me.

http://www.gloria-bj.com/

We then made our way over to her home, a 3 level house in a quiet neighborhood.  She explained the office was in the basement, her mother lived on the middle floor and she and her husband lived on the top floor.  I was supposed to stay with her mother (who was not there at the moment) but she and her
husband had decided instead to give me their bedroom and they would sleep on the couch in the living room.  Can you imagine how mortified I was?  I insisted that I would sleep on the couch but in typical Croatian hospitality it fell on deaf ears.  It was already settled.



Bjelovar's Park in the center of town, lovely.



Slavica had planned for us to have lunch at a vineyard in the village of Jabuceta, just outside of town called Vinarija Coner.  The owner of the vineyard and restaurant also owns a pharmacy and wellness center in town.  I would get to visit the wellness center later. We got a tour of the vineyards that are back-dropped by the most picturesque hillsides you have ever seen.  Many people have thought these photos were of Tuscany.  I said "no, better..."  Igor, our  host and tour guide for the day gave us the  tutorial of the vineyard, the grapes and the processing.  I would like to say I understood it all but I was in such awe of the beauty that I struggled to keep up. Afterwards we went back to the restaurant for lunch.  The new building was state-of-the-art and the restrooms were the most modern I had ever seen in Europe.  Igor guided us through the menu and the specialties of the house and recommended which wine would complement our meals.  I typically don't drink alcohol but immediately it appeared I might insult our host (we were at a vineyard after all) so I shut my mouth and accepted it graciously. The food was amazing, but entirely too much, especially after drinking wine.  I was afraid I might make a total idiot of myself on the first day at the language school.  So what was the solution?  Drink more coffee!

Did you know that Croatia looked like this??

Always prepared for some hill climbing...

Slavica and Igor

Grapes in their infancy

The restaurant's patio. http://www.vinarija-coner.hr/

My new friends.

Wine Vats

With full tummies we dragged ourselves back to the Language Center and I began with the 5 year olds for my first class.  They were new learners of the language and were proud to show off their skills.   Each introduced themselves in English with soft little Croatian accents.  Their teacher, Anita, had them sing a few songs for me.  I'm not sure if it was exhaustion but I got choked up and had to disguise the lump in my throat.

After that it was a series of head spinning as I ran from one class to another, taking video and photos and  conducting interviews.  One of my first interviews was with the head of trauma from the local hospital, Dr. Steven.  He was very interesting and he wanted to talk politics, medicine, and the differences in our two countries' healthcare system.   He had a lot to say, and sometimes I felt a little in over my head, but it was fascinating to get his view points.





My interview with Dr. Steven 



When classes were over about 9:30 I was thoroughly wiped out.  We got back to Slavica's home (her mother was still not there) and I finally got to meet her husband, Cino.  He was watching TV and what do you think was on?  His favorite...you are never going to believe this...the NBA.  And according to Slavica, it's always on!  I'm pretty sure the NBA doesn't play any European teams so I didn't really understand the appeal.  But I'm not a basketball fan so it's all lost on me anyway.  I asked him if he knew who Mark Cuban was and he said, "Of course!! Mark Cuban!"  Well, there you go. Mr. Cuban's notoriety precedes him everywhere.  Still feeling incredibly guilty that I've kicked Slavica and Cino out of their bed I hit the hay.  The guilt didn't last long because I was asleep in seconds.

The next day I got to take a tour of the operations side of a local bank.  I have a background in banking so I found it pretty similar to banking in the US.  Probably the biggest difference is there is a lot of processing of business between countries at this bank.  The employees were excited to show off their workplace even if they were a little anxious about speaking with a native speaker.  We visited, over coffee of course, and it dawned on me yet again how similar our countries are.  When it was time to leave they gave me a bag of presents including an awesome oversized beach towel with their bank's name, and other goodies.  A part of me wanted to mention that American banks no longer give away gifts such as these to customers because they can be considered income and are taxable but I decided that was "too much information".  But I am glad it's not a problem in Croatia because that was one of my favorite souvenirs of the trip.

Before and after (and sometimes during) our little outings we stopped for coffee and sometimes a treat.  It's always the same.  Everything comes to a stop and we enjoy our coffee break.  Sometimes in an outdoor café, sometimes at home and sometimes at work. When I first got to Croatia I was so antsy during these little breaks.  I just wanted to keep moving.  But after a while I really started to enjoy them and became much more relaxed.  Croatia is agreeing with me.

 

I spent another evening in classes with mostly high schoolers this time.  Boy do they have some strong opinions!  The teenagers are very curious how academics between the two countries compare.  What I learned is Croatian students have 16 required subjects each year.  How is this possible, I wondered.  There is only so much time in the day.  It's structured similar to college courses.  Not every class meets every day.  Some classes might only meet once or twice a week.  But when you think about being responsible for material for 16 different subjects, well, it's pretty impressive.  These kids are very disciplined students and a high percentage of them want to pursue a career in medicine.  I think they will succeed.

I had several interviews with adults that evening, mostly they were students' parents.  When asked, each one of them said they would never want to leave their home country.  However, they did hope their children would study abroad and possibly find jobs abroad as well.  This hope for a better future for their children in not unique to Croatians, only the circumstances.

 

On Wednesday my excursion for the day was to a local cattle farm owned by the parents of one two of Slavica's students, Matej and Mia.  You might be thinking, aren't there cows in Texas?  Yes and Croatian cows don't seem to be any different than their Texas counterparts.  But it was still fascinating to see it.  Matej explained to us that they will begin production of  bio fuels on a portion of their land in the near future.  Successful and leading edge...very impressive.  We ended the tour with lunch at a seafood restaurant in town.  I got calamari (and more coffee).  It was fresh and wonderful, as always.

Matej and Slavica

After lunch Slavica treated me to a massage and new hair do at the Coner Wellness Center.  I have

been in Croatia for 10 days I have not been able to pay for a single thing.  This is Croatian hospitality.  I have threatened to hide money in their plants if they don't allow me to pay for
something.  My threats are ignored.  My massage was amazing and if you haven't seen the Facebook pictures so was my new "do". 

Wednesday night was my last night in Bjelovar.  There seemed to be an electric charge in the air at the language school.  I heard Slavica say it's Texas at Gloria and I thought she meant because I was there.  No, the "Texas" reference is to when the atmosphere is a little crazy and wild they call it Texas.  So, it was Texas at Gloria Language Center that evening.  One class put on a special presentation for me, sharing with the class all of the fun facts of Texas.  Everyone was surprised to hear that Texas is only 10% desert.  Most of them thought it was entirely the desert.  Another class brought me an ornament of the town's crest and all of the students  signed it on the back.  My last class of the day was a group of high energy elementary school age kids who seemed very excited to have me.  Towards the end of the class one of the little girls started chanting "Chris is the best!" I should have asked for that in writing!!



Miss Martina's Class

Miss Anita's Class

So, all the interviews and classes in Bjelovar are done.  I spent my last night at Slavica's home.  As we drove up I notice her mother's portion of the home is still dark.  Ok, I've been here 3 days and I've never seen her mother.  Before I can stop myself the words "I don't' think your mother exists" popped out of my mouth.  Slavica starts cracking up and as we pulled up to the house her mother shows up out of nowhere with her aunt.  They all had a good laugh about what I said and I'm glad it's dark because I've turned all shades of red.

The next morning we get up early and Slavica drove me back to Zagreb.  It was with a heavy heart I said goodbye to Bjelovar.  It was as beautiful and charming on the outside as its people were on the inside. A huge thanks to everyone for their hospitality.  I already miss you.

AROUND TOWN IN BJELOVAR

 



Such neat and manicured properties.

 

There must be a law that everyone have beautiful flowers on their property!

 

 

The outdoor market

 

 Croatians find it hard to believe that Americans pay money to make the exteriors of their

 houses look like this. But they do!



 Small Catholic chapels are a common site around town. Just enough room inside for a few people.

If these Church doors could talk...

 

 

 

Plitvice

To all of my friends in Bjelovar:  There is entirely too much to write about your awesome town before I leave to go back to the States.   So I have decided to use what time I have left talking about my experience in Plitvice yesterday and spend proper time on your story when I get home.  Sorry it will be out of order.

Throughout my interviews I have asked the same question, "What is the most beautiful place in Croatia?"  Over and over I am told Split, Dubrovnik or some other Adriatic coastal town.  Of course these places are amazing and I think most Americans would be very surprised to learn of their existence.

Dubrovnik

Split, Croatia

Beach in Dubrovnik

 But one young beautiful Bjelovar woman said, "Plitvice".  I said, "Where??"  Slavica, her English teacher jumped out of her chair and whole heartedly agreed.  This is a gem of Croatia she explained.  Well, maybe someone has mentioned this to me before but my head has been swimming with so much information that I don't remember it.

To say it is a gem is accurate in more ways than one.    This protected national park contains an amazing collection of waterfalls, caves, and 16 lakes surrounded by a thick green forest. The park is known for its lakes the color of sapphires or emeralds depending on the sunlight and the minerals in the water. But what grabs your attention immediately are the breathtaking waterfalls. 

On my last day in Croatia I had no more interviews or classes so I decided to squeeze in a trip to Plitvice.  Admittedly, this was just a sightseeing excursion without much consideration for cultural exploration as is the purpose of this project.  But I didn't much care. Because of the amazing stories told to me about this park I would have considered myself cheated if I had not made time to go.

Of course the weather didn't cooperate and we faced a cold and rainy day.  As we drove up into the mountains it got colder and wetter.  I tried to pack light for my trip to Croatia so I really had nothing appropriate to wear.  The weather has varied from very cold to warm since I've been here so I'm not sure I could have prepared properly anyway.  Thank goodness I had my running shoes and a waterproof windbreaker and a little miniature umbrella that folds up to about 4 inches in length.  I looked ridiculous.  But I must say not as ridiculous as some of the tourists I saw that day. Ballet slippers are not proper hiking shoes!! When we pulled up to the main entrance there were bus loads of children on field trips and groups of tourists, mostly German.   I decided it was a good idea to use the WC (bathroom) before we began a 4-6 hour hike but the load of children beat me to it and the line was crazy long.  So I went to the souvenir shop to wait it out and found a very nice and thick sweatshirt with Plitvice Lakes embossed on the front.  I didn't care how much it cost, that money was the single best purchase of the trip. For the next several hours I would greatly appreciate that sweatshirt.

We chose which route we would take (based on time) and we began our hike.  We walked mostly under a canopy of trees so I didn't feel it necessary to use my umbrella.  That would soon change.  After entering the park for only about a minute you are presented with your first set of majestic waterfalls that made me stop in my tracks like I hit a brick wall.  I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.  The rest of the tourists and myself are jockeying for position to get to the best vantage point to snap away.  I didn't yet realize how complicated taking photos and manipulating the pathways is going to be.  I will.

We walk the dirt paths around and around, up the mountain, around the lakes.  Then the paths become wooden and more difficult to walk on.  The slats of branches they are made from are not uniform and if you are not paying attention your foot can go in sideways.  This is made more difficult because the rain is making it slippery.  Also, as the paths descend you can't always see where the step goes down because it all looks like the same color.  So, snapping photos and walking becomes hazardous.  No one but me seems to have any trouble with it though.  (just like in America)

With each turn we see more and more breath taking beauty.  Then we come to probably the most amazing (and dangerous) part.  The pathway, made of slippery wooden branches, is at the top of a gorge winding around the side of the mountain with tourists going both ways.  Water is shooting from the mountain over the pathway and down into the gorge.  There is a rail to hold on while you snap photos.  So imagine...digging your camera out of your bag (you have to keep it protected because it's raining) trying to get the lens cap off with one hand and hold the umbrella with the other while tourists are bottlenecking behind you and all you can see is hundreds of feet down.  Beautiful and heart pounding at the same time.  When I got everything put away I'm staring at the back of a tourist with a stroller!!!  And a baby is in this stroller.  She's trying to maneuver it through the above described circumstance.  It was absurd.

I am holding on for dear life with one hand and snapping with the other.

The rain is really coming down now and I guess it's about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  It's becoming more and more difficult to take pictures.  For one thing, my fingers have stopped functioning.  For another, I have the whole open camera bag, remove lens cap, set aperture, hold umbrella and put it all back again before ruining my camera in the rain, all while creating a traffic jam in the line of tourists issue to deal with.

At one point in the hike you take a ferry across the lake.  I am very happy to sit down and take a rest for a bit and admire God's piece of artwork before me.  I'm not even bothered by the fact that I have to share the ferry with 50 loud middle schoolers and sit on a wet cold seat.  But I am glad I'm wearing my quick dry travel pants, though.

When we get to the other side of the lake we decide the route we want to take is whatever is the quickest way back to the car.  Knowing now that I will not have any more opportunities to take pictures after this I put forth my best effort to thaw the fingers and take my last series of photos.  As I am standing there trying to get my camera ready a woman hikes by in open toed high heeled wedges.  I have to laugh out loud at the complete ridiculousness of it.  So much rain is causing the pathways to practically wash away and most are underwater.  The rapids in some areas are either equal or higher than some of the walkways.  And this woman is in high heels.  And she is not the only one I have seen.   I often hear how Europeans think that Americans don't wear proper shoes for specific situations.   However, in this situation, the American wins.

We got back to the car and tried to peel off our wet clothes and crank up the heat as high as it would go.  There is no hope for my running shoes.  Right before I got in the car I stepped in a 6 inch puddle full of muddy leaves and water.  These shoes have now been downgraded from running shoes to Guadalupe River shoes. 

No matter the weather conditions on that day it was an amazing sight seeing tour and I feel very fortunate to have been there.  My Croatian experience is complete.  A big thanks to Sven for driving us and being my tour guide.  (Even if I did have to close my eyes for most of his driving, lol)

I love Croatia,
Chris

Koprivnica

Last Wednesday I arrived by rain to the charming town of Koprivnica.  Close to the Hungarian border, this Croatian village has only about 34,000 people and you gather they would like to keep it that way.  I was picked up by my host, Helena Hecimovic, who could not have been a better tour guide.  Not only does she run a private language school that teaches English to local children, she is advisor to the mayor and is quite involved in local government.  She has spent her entire life there and is quite the champion of Koprivnica.

After a quick tour of the city center, we had coffee in an outdoor café, where else?  The weather was just beautiful.  We talked some of Croatian politics and the future of Koprivnica.  This country joins the European Union in 2 months and there is a bit of apprehension among the locals, she explained.

We made our way back to Helena's home where she has lived since she was a child.  I had a room to myself upstairs where the door to the balcony is kept open to let fresh air in.  The décor appears to be original from when it was her mother's house with lots of old family photos and beautiful antique furniture.  Her basement is finished out into a very professional and functional classroom and office.  A very large additional classroom was added outside on the main floor.  I was told her surgeon husband did much of the construction.  As I discovered in the next couple of days Helena and her husband are incredibly industrious.  I truly do not know how they do it all.

We spent the afternoon talking about and preparing for classes.  Most of her students have been studying with her for more than 10 years.  They come to her in kindergarten and stay all the way through high school.  Except for the youngest ones their English is very proficient and I will have little trouble communicating with them.

I set up my video camera and my audio equipment and braced myself to face my first round of Croatian students.  They were only 5 years old so it wasn't too scary.  Helena sang children's songs with them in English, most of which I had never heard of.  They were cute as buttons and smiled at me a lot but didn't speak much.

 

With each class, the proficiency level increased.  I asked my list of interview questions I had prepared and depending on the age I got a wide variety of answers.  What did not vary, though, was the common sense of pride.  Each group talked about how much they love Croatia, especially Koprivnica, and the high quality of life they enjoy.  Even those who want to go abroad to study or find jobs said they would be sad to leave.  When I asked what they would miss most they all said the Croatian lifestyle (besides their families of course).

 

The students were very interested in life in America and had lots of questions for me.  I think it is very difficult for some of them to wrap their heads around just how big the United States is.  When I told them there are as many people in Croatia as are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex their jaws dropped.  Of course, they had many misconceptions.  Some believe we all carry guns and ride horses. Some believe we are all fat and lazy and others think we work 2-3 jobs and exercise too much.  Croatians have access to most American TV shows so most misrepresentation of American lifestyle is our own doing.  I was very surprised to hear that a few of the kids taught themselves to speak English from watching The Wizards of Waverly Place, Victorious, ICarly and Jessie.  For you old timers, those are shows on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

 

We had classes non stop until 9:30 and every camera, recorder and device I had was dead (and so was I!)  Unfortunately, I left my European adapter in Zagreb so I decided we could run to the store in the morning and pick one up.  Ha!  Koprivnica doesn't get many American tourists, hence no adapters.  But I was able to pull a McGyver and I figured out how to connect Helena's printer cables to my devices.  Voila.

The next day Helena and I went to do some shopping Croatian style.  For each item needed we went to a specific market or vendor.  The butcher for the meat, the vegetable stand for fresh local veggies, the outdoor market for fresh cream and cheese from a village dairy farmer, etc.  Can you imagine how wonderful it was?  Everything tasted the way food is supposed to taste. 

We spent that evening with another full series of classes but this time I am not assisting Helena but I have the students all to myself.  I am the honorary teacher for the day.  The kids are all so sweet and I am constantly impressed at their English language abilities.

On Friday we went to "Sunny Village" in the nearby beautiful town of Jagnkedovec.  This camp was created by Helena and her husband to bring together school age children from Croatia and many foreign countries for an English language experience.  Campers and counselors participate in typical camp activities all the while working on their language skills.  Some of the buildings on the property house tools and household items from Croatia's' past, a museum of sorts.

 

We prepared lunch for the dozens and dozens of 6-7 year olds that came from another town for a field trip.  We cooked soup, breaded chicken cutlets, rice with peas, red cabbage and Kolaches for dessert, all from scratch.  The kids got a tour of the property but spent a lot of time playing out in the field the way kids do.

 

I was completely exhausted but no rest for the weary because I had adult classes in the afternoon.  These were the most interesting lessons for me because they asked the most profound questions.  Each one worked at the local factory, Podrovka, which is a major employer for Koprivnica.  They were very interested in America's health care system, insurance, availability of jobs, etc.  When asked if they would ever want to leave their country the answer was a resounding "no".  They would miss their small town quality of life and they loved it too much.

 

 

When classes were over I had to hurry up and get to the train station to head back to Zagreb.  It was pouring down rain and of course my rain coat and umbrella were keeping my adapter company at Mark's house in Zagreb.  As it turns out, there was no need to hurry because the train was about an hour late.  (I hear this is normal) It was coming from Budapest so we decided to blame the Hungarians. LOL.

I can't believe I was only there for 3 days.  We were so busy it felt like at least a week!  But I finally had to say goodbye to this beautiful town.

~Chris