A LUSH LJUBLJANA

Whenever I am visiting Slovenia, I have to, of course, do some shopping. Usually, I pick up the shops/stuff I cannot get in Finland; however, in case of Lush I realized  I also have to buy their products in Ljubljana - or in Tallinn. I was actually quite surprised when I had find out that cosmetics of Lush is actually cheaper in Ljubljana (and in Tallinn) than in Helsinki. Whereas the prices in Ljubljana and Tallinn were the same, the difference between Helsinki is much cheaper - from 2€ for soaps up to 7€ for Dream Cream and even 10€ in case of some more expensive creams (which I don't buy, I have just noticed the difference).

The thing is that Lush is a big worldwide chain, and according to my experience with other big chains I would expect similar prices everywhere; at least H&M does not do any difference, and prices are the same either in Ljubljana or in Helsinki. The Body Shop is similar everywhere in Europe as well; also in Tallinn. The Lush example is interesting; however, I did not shop in any other Lush store to do a more exact comparison, just in Helsinki, Ljubljana and Tallinn.

Anyway, I have bought a few of my favorite products and spent quite a lot at once - well, I hope I have also managed to save some money as I have chosen a cheaper Lush-franchise. ;)

P.S.: For all of you that come to this page while searching for any info about Lush store in Ljubljana- you can find the shop in the old town, right next to the famous Robba fountain, the address is Ciril-Metodov trg 21. However, more info is here.

AUTUMN APPROACHES SWEETLY

Smells like cinnamon...

There should be no secrets about how much I love ice-cream. In Finland, I cannot find as tasty frozen delights as in my country of origin. Finnish ice-cream is also tasty, of course, but so far I have missed the softness, the so important smooth creaminess; that so silky touch. Finnish jätski, on the other hand, is usually more firm, like some kind of a snow; or if it is the so called softie, pehmis, it comes in just a few and not that exciting variations. Well, it's good that I know some visit-worth ice-cream places in Slovenia - and I'm always happy to hear about any new interesting spots. Also in Finland. ;)

However, yesterday it was the first day of the autumn, the Autumnal equinox, and by some chance the 23rd of September also represents the day I have started my blog... now three years ago. Still in the blogosphere, despite the fact Kaneli is not as active as she used to be. But nevertheless, blogging rules! Anyway, just two years ago she was posting some amazing pictures of Finnish ruska to celebrate the beginning of autumn; now it's perhaps a good moment to show some snaps of Kaneli's recent much prolonged summer holidays.

My autumn has started with ice-cream. And, the most important - the white one on this picture is cinnamon ice-cream. Pure pleasure. Sweet autumn I wish! :)

SUDDEN SPRING

I know such differences are totally normal and I should not wonder so much. Yet this fact amuses me a lot. The thing is I am visiting Slovenia for an Easter visit; well, this visit will be slightly longer than usual Easter holidays. When I left Finland in the beginning of April, we still had some snow there. On the ground, falling from clouds. When I have come to Slovenia, I have immediately started to wear summer T-shirts. Hell, I am not overdoing, it does feel hot here to me!

Maybe long Finnish winters are something which I cannot accept as easily as many other cultural and natural features. Sure, snow in winter feels fine, and also that classical white Christmas. One learns how to overcome long nights with many additional lights; candles, for instance. In March, days are already long, but still... the snow stays there. Now in April days are even longer, already much longer than in Central Europe, but still... the snow in Mid-Finland is melting slowly; too slow, perhaps.

I like spring, and I don't see it as romantic period of love and all that kitchy stuff. I like how the nature wakes up in spring; I like fresh leaves, flowers and first mild storms. Proper spring is what I have really been missing in Finland and I have been glad when I have seen first cracks on the ice.

However, now during my visit in Slovenia, during this warm and green spring, I have already started to miss Finland and really long days; regardless the snow. Oh, I guess I constantly suffer with melancholy and gentle longing...

NUJNOST SAMOSTOJNEGA VSAKDANA

Kadar se znajdem v kakšnem gostinskem lokalu, ponavadi nimam namena prisluškovati pogovorom pri sosednjih mizah. Tokrat pa so bile mize postavljene tako blizu, da sosednjih besed pač ni bilo mogoče preslišati...

Deklica mlajše generacije je razlagala svoji starejši družabnici, po vsej verjetnosti mami, da se, ko bo dosegla določeno starost, ne misli odseliti od doma. Zakaj le, ko pa imam doma vse preskrbljeno, perilo je oprano in hrana skuhana. Takšen bi bil povzetek argumenta, v katerem je deklica opisala ugodje, ki ji ga ponujajo mamina gospodinjska opravila. Seveda, ko se nekdo preseli, gospodinjska opravila postanejo neizogibna nujnost samostojnega vsakdana.

Sama sem si kar nekaj let želela, da bi se odselila od doma. Ker sem študirala v domačem mestu, se selitev v študijske namene ni zgodila, dokler se nisem odločila za magisterij. Na Severu Evrope, izkušnje imam predvsem z Islandijo in Finsko, pa je tako ali tako nekaj popolnoma običajnega, da se otroci odselijo od doma že zelo zgodaj. Družbene razmere so tam res drugačne, standard višji in situacija mnogo ugodnejša za tiste, ki začenjajo samostojno pot; ni primerjave, pa vendar...

Če so razmere naklonjene odraščajočim mladim, ali ne - želja in hrepenenje po samostojnosti lahko ostaneta prisotna. Špekuliram in razmišljam, da si bodo mulci prizadevali ravno nasprotno- čeprav se jim bo ponudila možnost, bodo vztrajali in raje bivakirali v udobnem Mamahotelu.

Kakorkoli že, ugodje zna biti tudi to, da se nekdo ob življenju na svojem nauči dobro opravljati osnovna gospodinjska opravila, od kuhanja in nakupovanja živil do pranja in spoznavanja primernih pralnih sredstev; enostavnosti, ki lahko prinesejo samozavest in občutek neodvisnosti ter tako osvežijo življenje.

DO YOU NEED A BAG?

Tarvitsetko pussia? Such question would be stated whenever I would turn into a shopper in Finland. In most cases I reply en, kiitos, no thanks, and I use my own bag I have brought with me. As I like bags in general, I also like to have canvas shopping bags, which are not only very useful, but they can also offer the owner a nice design or a pleasant memory; from metal festivals and bands to domestic Finnish designers.

According to my experience, in Finland one would be at first asked, and then the plastic bag would be given - or not. However, I have noticed that in Slovenia, a plastic bag would be placed automatically, without a question; not in all shops, I guess, and also when buying grocery the plastic bag has to be purchased, so the user has time to think about it. Yet here were certainly some not-a-grocery-shops I where have missed the ''crucial'' question. When there is no interest from the other side, however, I tend to stop the act of giving away a plastic bag myself. Despite the fact I am so used of being asked about the bag that I sometimes even forget how generous Slovenian shops can be when it comes to their plastic additions...

Anyway, I don't feel like writing a long essay about the waste and all other ecological facts considering the (over)use of plastic bags; I just feel canvas shopping bags are useful and good. In many ways.

THE AFFAIR

Finnish opinion, as found sticked to the doors of one public toilet...

Written in red: Neutral Finland supports countries in war with arms trade.

CREATURES IN THE GREEN

Recently, I was watching the show Nick Baker's Weird Creatures on Animal Planet. Biologist Nick travels all around the world, and tries to find rare animals. This time, I was surprised as I spotted more than familiar images within opening shots - it was my hometown Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Nick’s quest this week takes him to the fairy-tale world of Slovenia, a country steeped in folklore that centres around the existence of dragons. On the quest for such a creature, Nick descends deep into the mountains to find the proteus (Proteus anguinus) or olm –a blind, albino salamander with remarkable qualities, that resides deep in the 20km-long Postojna Caves. Also called the ‘human fish’, because its skin resembles human flesh, the olm has adapted to life in total darkness with atrophied eyes and a heightened sense of hearing and smell. According to local myth, this bizarre amphibian is a baby dragon –but truth turns out to be even stranger than fiction.

Postojna, or Postonja as Nick was saying, is of course world-famous for its cave and the ''human fish'' inside. However, apart from good scenes within the cave and ''human fish'', there was something that caught more of my attention. Before entering the cave, Nick was driving on a sandy trail in the midst of Slovene countryside. The trail lad him through very green and very blooming meadow in all its summer glory. Butterflies and other insects, tall grass, the smell, the sounds... the guy seemed totally astonished and impressed by the nature. He said most of the butterflies flying by had already extinct in Great Britain, he was amazed as he could listen to the crickets. He was breathing clean air, and finally he lay down into the tall grass to enjoy the buzzing life.

A plain, more or less regular Slovene meadow that was. However, when Nick was admiring Slovene natural scenery, he probably did not spot some of those things, among which the following two examples could be categorized. The first one...

The picture was taken on Slovene seaside in one of very popular towns - I guess these thingies should not float in the sea, neither finish on the beach. Well, at least those apples will eventually rot.

And then here...
Even worse. The system of salt evaporation ponds in Sečovlje is now a natural park, featuring unique and protected habitat for many animals and plants. Since the visitors are several times asked to protect the environment of the park, things like this should not occur... but they do anyway.

As Nick noticed clean air in Slovenia, I have had some similar experiences - yet reversed. Whenever I come from Finland to Slovenia, I feel the air there is not as clean as in Finland, and ecological awareness is not that high as up North; in many ways. Such show featured on international Animal Planet could be a good touristical advertisement; nevertheless it points out jewels of Slovene nature very well. In a way, it was good the show was done from fascinating perspective of a short-term visitor, hiding away all those unpleasant details we locals can notice. Thus once again I keep thinking how Slovenia offers its own beauty, and I feel slightly proud - yet this beauty should be preserved and cared for even more...

ON RECYCLING

Several examples of Finnish recyclable bottles.
Thanks to my Tuska companion for the picture.

Nature in Slovenia is not as clean as in Finland. That's a fact. Slovenian ecological awareness is not as high as Finnish one. That is also a fact. Despite it, the awareness, is getting better, it still seems somewhat behind. There are still washing machines in the forests, and there are plastic bottles. Especially these ones, plastic bottles.

When it comes to Finnish ecological awareness, they have figured out a very useful process considering recycling of plastic bottles. Their solution is not all about special wastebins into which people are kindly asked to throw empty plastic bottles; of course, in some cases, they don't do so, but they rather throw their empty plastic bottle on the ground, thus letting it to rot joyfully in the midst of Slovenian green fields, under whispering lime trees. It was just a worthless plastic bottle anyway. May it be. For some years, or so.

In Finland, on the other hand, the situation is different. Clever Northern nation has invented nice and, of course, partly digitalized machine that usually operates in grocery shops. This machine has only one mission to fulfill. Collecting plastic bottles. Oh, and cans, too. The plastic bottles, at least, are used again, the cycle goes properly around - and, most important, the one who has decided to recycle them gets back 20 cents for small bottles and 40 cents for big ones. The machine counts the bottles, for it is very smart and it knows exactly what it ate, and then, when the recycler has finnished feeding the machine, it prints out lovely paper telling the amount of money. So, if one is keen and her or his ecological awareness is high, such plastic bottle income can be nice. Finns drink a lot, and many pleasant boozes come in plastic. But, well, Slovenians drink a lot, too.

Collecting plastic bottles in Finland seems to be a way of business. While we were waiting to get through the gates of Tuska festival, there were several people hunting for the empty plastic bottles and cans those festive metalheads would generously throw away. Yes, in this case, bottles would meet Finnish soil as they would also be picked up very soon. So, people from the edge of society with low income would get some money. Here, by the way, it is quite sad to see elderly ones, not tramps or drunks, but decent old people collecting this trash to improve their pension. But all in all - recycling machines can offer some comfort. For both, people and nature.

Why is not such recycling system dealing with plastic bottles and cans in Slovenia as well? Please may it be.

METALCAMP IN FINLAND

Yesterday I went to one metal gig. Apart for the music the local band Soulfallen was playing, I also got an old issue of Finnish raskaan rockin erikoislehti Inferno. Thus meaning pretty fancy magazine, entirely deducated to hard rock and metal. Have I ever expressed my brief observation that metal in Finland seems to be main-stream culture?

However, the magazine Inferno looked nice and I was happy to read some stuff. I came upon a whole section on summer festivals, Raskas festarikesä 2007 (Heavy Festivalsummer 2007). A series of reports from Finnish festivals. Provinssirock, Nummirock, Tuska Open Air, Ruisrock, Ilosaarirock, Ankkarock, Metalcamp. What the f***?! Metalcamp. Yes indeed. Among all those major Finnish festivals, there was a report on one and only Slovenian Metalcamp. No Wacken, no Ballingen - just Finnish festarit, and that Slovenian Headbanger's Hollidays.

The article itself is basically a report about the festival. The two female writers mention great scenery of the festival; mountains and turquoise river. They also say the selection of the bands was this year absolutely excellent. There are words about reasonable prices, especially for the coctails; yep, 3,5€ for a coctail seems to be a reasonable price considering the costs for alco in Finland. And there are words about good toilets, hehe. The rest is more or less about the bands and their performance.

Thus far, I have been slightly surprised when some people I have met here replied they knew Slovenia (and that they were pretty much sure it was not Slovakia) - or that they had even been in Ljubljana. However, it seems metal festivals (as well as reasonable prices of drinks and nice toliets) can also promote our little country... Metal on!

KANELI ON THE MOVE

Hei, dear all. Lots of things has been going on lately... so there was no time to write proper posts. Actually, I do not have much time at the very moment either. My room is a mess, things allover, bags, books and boxes. Also, I have not found proper words, how to write this down, it is quite a big thing for me. It took me some time to decide. I am emotionally aroused. Thus, this post will be a bit abstract, without some more concrete facts... Well, I am excited. So it has been for the last weeks. I am moving.

The fact is that I am going to start my MA studies. In another city. And yes, a month ago I have received a notice saying that I will be given a scholarship. I have been preparing quite long for this event... yet the emotional part is the toughest to overcome. Saying goodbye to my dear people, saying goodbye to regular trainings of Nanbudo in my club. It is not easy for sure. But on the other hand, I am looking forward to the new experiences. Just keep it simple. I really cannot find proper words at the moment.

When am I moving? Already this Monday, 27 August. I am moving to a student apartment where I am supposed to have the Internet. However, I do not know when I will manage to establish normal connection, so I will be offline for some time.

Alright. Above you can observe a photo of a rainbow I have taken some time ago. I send you all this bright colours. For now, my friends and fellow bloggers, I wish you all the best.

SLEEPINESS AND MANIA

During Metal Mania 2007

Today, I have felt extremely sleepy. I cannot even say why. However, I have not been writing for a couple of days, yet some things have been going on. Short post it will be, I reckon, as this odd sleepiness still bugs me, making my eyelids feel like steel, transforming my head into a heavy stone. At the very moment I cannot even distinct reality from the bits of drowsy dreams evading me constantly...

Let's try to write something nevertheless. Last weekend, I attended Metal Mania Open Air. The name sounded promising, despite this was a very small metal festival in Slovenian Littoral Region. I aimed at some good bands - and especially at a good company of my friends. Metal Mania is actually not a proper, serious festival. We found out it had been more about drinking. Merely a crazy drinking feast for metal fans, live metal music playing in the background instead some folk-music-kind-of bands that would attend a similar village feast. So, some of us did not approve such overdone drinking... as the behaviour of some drunk people was too overdone. Spilling sticky drink from the plastic bottle all over innocent people that just happened to be around, pushing the same innocent people on the floor, some of them even happened to fall into the muddy puddles... I mean, hello, get a life, that was just too much.

Thus, Metal Mania did not posses that overall festival feeling for sure... and that was too bad. Anyway, at least the bands were good. I can point out Norwegian black metal 1349, Serbian The Stone and Slovenian Dekadent. I am really happy I have finally seen Dekadent live - they could be headliners by all means. The fact that it was raining for both festival days seemed almost irrelevant. The greenish rainy landscape was great, as we would be camping somewhere in Ireland. It was just that overdone drunk behaviour that threw shit allover the place.

HELL OVER PARADISE

Metalcamp did happen! Lots of stuff to tell. Thus, I think it is the best to plunge straight into what has been going on during the last week. To make the long story short: IT WAS VERY HOT AND IT WAS VERY GREAT!

Now, lets make the short story a bit longer. Metalcamp is the biggest Slovenian metal festival. This year, it was planned as a kind of metal-holidays. The place of it, Tolmin, is beautiful. Great nature, clear and cool river. Two stages: one for big and one for more unknown bands. A week of camping in nice surroundings, five days of gigs. Hell over paradise indeed.

My kind camp-neighbours and me arrived on the venue last Monday. The camping site is big: people can camp wherever they want. Alright, there could be more showers and more water-facilities . Anyway, the first task was to build the tents in the shadow. So it was done. Then, something odd happened. Some freaks came. And they dragged a carousel with them. Despite the camp was opened since morning and quite some people were already camping on that particular site. Goddamned old and rusty creature was supposed to stand just a few steps away from our tents. What the fuck, a carousel in the middle of the camp!? No go, just no go! Smelly and noisy thing; the only noise we wanted to hear was metal. The hardcore part of mine went a bit... nuts. Luckily, metalheads were not interested in having such fun, and the freaks were gone with the thing on Thursday. Another bad and sad story were those empty beer-cans people were throwing into the river... how could they be so cruel and careless, eh? Perhaps, it would be much wiser some of the bands would point out the care for the nature rather than inviting people to moshpit...

Better stuff. I will tackle the socializing part first. It was nice to see my friends. I really met quite some people. Also, it would be nice to see some more... but this is another story. Oh yes, there was also lots of cute guys with long hair to observe... However, I was surprised as there was so many foreigners. From very distant lands, like Australia. Lots of Swedes; I guess much cheaper Slovenian beer was attractive for all attending Scandinavians. Well, I also managed to chat in Finnish a bit. Yes, there were some Finns. Among those, I met one young band from Joensuu; they were called Exarch. Their gig was okay, I wish them all the best in the future.

The gigs. During the day it was just too hot to enjoy the music properly. The beach was more tempting. Thus, I did not attended as many gigs as I had planned at first. But before I tell you about the good thingies, I have to write on Metalcamp gig-disaster. This disaster is called Cradle of Filth. Oh my. Despite I have never been their fan, they had produced some tracks I have quite liked to hear. But their gig was... just a disaster. It sucked by all means: Danny was not in the mood at all. One could only flee to the small stage. As I did.

My main Metalcamp highlights: Korpiklaani, Satyricon, Pain, Vreid, Ensiferum, Immortal, Blind Guardian, Eluveitie, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Exarch, Ragespect, Zvier. And some others, too. It was so nice to see Korpiklaani again. Dancing and sing-a-long! Satyricon were great, sexy and very now diabolical. Pain was beyond words, Vreid were as cool as fresh Norwegian breeze in the hot afternoon, reunioned Immortal were quite spectacular midnight ghosts... while Ensiferum and Blind Guardian filled me with nostalgia. On the small stage, Ragespect proved to be emerging Slovenian hardcore.

Lots of things, as you can see. May the photos tell some more. If this post seems excited or even overdone it is because I have been really lacking good gigs lately. I have been lacking having fun and meeting people. Lots of the gigs I have skipped during the year because of my trainings. On the Metalcamp 2007 I managed to see at least some of those missed bands. All in all, music and the life there have helped me to gain back a bit of the good mood. Metal on!

The ''ringlspil'' - thanks Banshee for the photo

A part of the camp

The beach - the source of this photo is Paranoid

The main stage and the afternoon gig

The small stage and the afternoon gig

Kaneli :)

METALCAMPING

Dear friends and fellow bloggers, I plan to be away. For a week, I guess. As I have already written, I am attending Metalcamp. Metal on! So, from 16. July to 22. July you can find me in Tolmin, on the festival's campsite. Meanwhile, I wish you good and pleasant time. Be well, wherever you are!

DEKADENT - DISSIDENT DREAM

DEKADENT

Slovenian metal scene is something I have not been writing about yet. Well, I am slightly ashamed to admit that I know and listen to more foreign metal and alter bands than those from my native country. Why is it so? I am not an expert at all but I would dare to say Slovenian metal scene is not that developed. But I guess it is... rising. And I hope it will rise high one day. All the way to Wacken!

However, there is one Slovenian band that has made me quite crazy these days. Perhaps it is slight patriotism I feel, too, but still. Better late then never. I am excited.

DEKADENT is the name. The main tag for them would be BLACK METAL; yet such tags can be far too limited. For me, their music goes beyond. Atmospheric black metal, symphonic, progressive, if you still like to get some tags. Every now and then, Dekadent reminds me on Austrian band Summoning. Yet this music really feels unique. Beyond the tags. Lyrics are both English and Slovenian; hei, yes, Slovenian sounds great.

Okay. I won't write more as the band's homepage provides information as well as good reviews. So I recommend with all my metal-patriotistic enthusiasm to listen their debut MANIFESTATION OF SEASONAL BLEEDING. Their second album will be released in autumn 2007. And yes, as you can see, there is some music above.

The song Dissident Dream is in English, but it is among my favorites. Beware those crescendos... The video you can observe has also been taken to this year's Venice Biennial. Just take your time - I guess it is worth to pay attention.

BLOGRES 2007

Yesterday, there was BLOGRES 2007 going on in Ljubljana. First International congress of bloggers in Slovenia. Yep, bloggers. There were lots of them, around 200, and Kaneli was among the crowd, too. On this not-the-best (but the only) photo I have taken, is a hall the congress took place in.

First of all, we were given green bags and, if we were lady-bloggers, similar green T-shirts. Then, the congress started. It was on from 9:30 until 19:00. Several shorter lectures followed by discussions. Lecturers from Norway, France, Serbia and our native land. Lectures were general enough to be suitable for a wide range of audience. We were given some useful law-advices, too. There were also workshops, but I agreed to go to sauna with my friend later in the evening - so I skipped the workshops. However, since I am artsy-theory kind of boring girl, I would be delighted to hear deeper analyses of the phenomena. You know, serious theories, underlined with postmodernistic philosophy. And for my alternative/punky taste, the congress seemed just slightly too... commercial. Of course we bloggers are consumers of computer market; thus, we are a good marketing target for all sorts of corporations. Blogging in general is a part of popular culture...

Nevertheless, I am glad blogging phenomena is being observed in such way. The participation was free for active bloggers - this was very good. And we bloggers were indeed given some useful practical information. I have heard some stuff that I would like to hear more about it in the future. Also, I have my own theory on blogging: but I won't reveal it. At least not yet. So, I will rather share just a bit of things I have written down during the lectures. I have chosen three of them as it might help to improve our blogosphere.

Eirik Solheim - Blogging and social media

Communication strategy for bloggers: OPEN, HONEST, DIRECT, PERSONAL, LISTEN, CONVERSATION

Well, this is something Kaneli agrees with.

Nicolas Fermont - Blog as a business opportunity

Simple and focused, demonstrate passion, show authority, be consistent, don't be insular- be linky, know your audience, produce the content that people love, add comments, get smarter by listening what people tell you.

And some business - sell merchandise with the blog's brand.

Sure I like to get smarter with the things my readers tell me. Yet merchandise is something I am not going to do... and I do not tend to become very populistic author either. I am narcissistic and egotistic blogger - as the following note confirms.

Katja Vukčevič - Profile of Slovene bloggers

In this lecture, I really liked the term that blogging is cultivated narcissism. And that blogging is a creation of a public person who is me in in my private life as well. Very private becomes very public. Very private is very public. Yep, there seems to be a bit of exibicionist dwelling in each blogger - and yes, there seems to be a bit of a voyeur in each of our readers.

Blog on, people! ;)

INDUSTRIAL

Most of the world knows Slovenian band Laibach. However, perhaps not all the Laibach fans do know where exactly the band is from; it is good enough if they know the band is from Slovenia. But I am not sure they know about Laibach homeplace. For the last two days, I was working in this very significant town.

When one travels to Trbovlje by train and when the train reaches the particular region, it first feels as being swallowed by some huge creature. This so narrow valley. Steep hills, with trees hanging oddly over the water; the river Sava. Gloomy and dim light, as there would not be enough place for the sun to shine down. And the hills, they are full of coal.

Coalmine has been the beating heart of Trbovlje. For ages. I was told that in the past, the mine had been owned by Austrians, Germans and French. Now, this famous coalmine is about to close until 2013. When one reaches Trbovlje today, this one can encounter significant architecture. Those old houses where the miners dwelt. Small, lots of them in one row. Colonies. A bit bigger houses for those more important, like engineers. Everything seems so... brown. Grey, too. And so it is; these two are the leading colors. Pure socio-realism.

Trbovlje are the town most symbolising Slovene heavy industry. There is still such overall feeling of industrial in Trbovlje, though at least one in the past blooming factory is now gone. It seems that Trbovlje today as it would be clinging between the lost socialistic past, and some kind of future. Decaying remnants of one lost time are facing Lidl, Hoefer and Spar; they have them all. However, there is also this French company, which produces cement; one meets the factory lurking right above the railway station. And that feeling... I always feel so odd in such industrial places. Like being soaked in machine oil. That so significant atmosphere. The spirit floating above the town. Yep, there is no other place for Laibach to emerge. The town as it would burn into one's soul strongly. Also our great dancer and choreographer Iztok Kovač is from here. His company is named En-Knap (One Miner) and no wonder some of his works have been so marked with the experience of growing up in heavy-industrial Trbovlje. Well, I would suggest the artists of all kinds to spend some days here. It could be very inspiring. But it could be a bit suicidal, too.

On last Monday evening, we had this ecological discussion with Tea and Robi in Ortobar. Visiting Trbovlje has reminded me on what we had discussed the day before. The people I talked with in Trbovlje pointed out the appalling problems of pollution in that region. Even some twenty years ago, people were actually dying on behalf of the diseases caused by polluted air. There is this power plant, producing electricity from the coal. There is this cement factory. At least about the power plant I read they use the purifying system, but these emissions still feel scary. Well, take a look at the pictures I have taken...

One of the typical houses in the moring sun.

The place I was working in: cultural house called ''Home of Freedom''. Renewed. Inside, there is a hall with a stage. Once upon a time, a portrait of Tito used to be painted above the stage, I was told.

Laibach do not play punk. But Trbovlje, actually all that region, seems to be a good place for punk to emerge. And so it is. Here, you can see the name of one local band. Hungry Dicks (Nälkäiset Kyrpät) that means in translations. Listen to the crushcore they play - here.

Now, the ecological part begins. Just look at the small local river. I wonder how these things got in.

The production of cement.

Romantic view of Trbovlje coal power plant chimney. With it's 360 m, it is told to be the tallest in Europe.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

When it comes to learning Finnish, one suddenly starts to feel a big urge. A lust for good dictionary. I have been lucky I have traveled to Finland soon after I have started to deal with the land's language. In Finland, actually in Turku, I was given a chance (and my friend's kind assistance) to buy very good Suomi-Englanti-Suomi, Finnish-English-Finnish dictionary. For very reasonable price of 25 €. Just imagine: similar one and only avaliable dictionary here in Ljubljana was something more than 100 €.

In my case, there is always English between Finnish and Slovenian. So one actually has to travel from Finnish first to English and then, finally, to Slovenian. And vice versa. Feels almost like changing airports when traveling to or from Finland. Okay, the textbooks and other material I use for learning are completely in Finnish. But every now and then I write stuff in English first, translating it to Finnish later. Well, in most cases I really try to think and write directly from that amount of Finnish I have gained so far. Despite those clumsy mistakes I make; they are just part of every learning. Or sometimes a resoult of lazyness. Errr...another story.

However, here comes the great news. So far, there was no Finnish-Slovenian-Finnish dictionary. Now it seems entering European Union has brought some beneffits to our linguistic field this autumn. The very first Finsko-Slovenski as well as Sloveeni-Suomi dictionary, sanakirja, slovar! Written by one young Finnish lady living in Slovenia. The dictionary itself is small, actually tiny. 12,10 €, 100 pages for Finnish-Slovenian and 100 for Slovenian-Finnish. Also there are words only; no examples of usage, no examples of the cases that the verbs require, no phrases and so on. Yet here it is, the very first one. Well, it would be even better if it would be possible to study Finnish within Slovenian universities too, right?

PLAYING THE TOURIST

Today, I was supposed to go for a trip. A whole day trip to Bled and Bohinj. Two lakes, mountains and that stuff. If there will be a place in the van. Finally, there was no place in the van left for me, and so I stayed here. Perkele! The weather today is really fine. I have also felt a bit depressed in the past days; I would really need to free my mind with something totally different. The trip would be all about future job-possibility, though. Would one ever get a decent job as a dramaturg? Heh?

It seems I have been given an option to use my Finnish language skills. This big Slovenian travel agency has been looking for Finnish speaking people being interested to work as tourist guides for the Finns. And there is not like lots of us, Finnish speaking Slovenians. Thanks to Finnish teacher Matti, I received an e-mail. So I answered to this mail, got a phone call, and went to the meeting.

First, I have to follow some tourist guides doing their job. Too see how things go. If there is a place in the van for me, of course. Nevertheless I have already managed to participate in one trip - the Ljubljana sightseeing.

An experience indeed. There was a group of approximately thirty older English-speaking tourists. A young Slovenian lady as their guide. It was very good for me to see how a guide actually works - but it was even more interesting to hear all that touristic stuff about my country. And my city, the capital. Well, those tourists happened to utter ''oooh'' and ''aaah'' quite often.

Oh, did you know Slovenia is the only country in the world that has a word love within its name? How sweet! Well, Finland as Suomi has suo, the swamp...

I really like to travel - with Lonely Planet in my bag. I like to see the cities, I like to get some stories about the cities, even more I am fascinated with the nature. I also notice something when I happen to live abroad for a longer period. I always want to feel the spirit of the city. I start to feel it, then I sort of melt with it. Playing the local. In Finland, for instance, this being-a-local went very well... even unintentionally.

Back to Ljubljana sightseeing. Living all my life in Ljubljana... I have spotted some touristic stuff I have never heard neither thought about. I have seen my city in a different light. I have heard some facts I have had no idea before. For some moments I have felt as I have also been a foreigner. I have started to observe Ljubljana with the ''eyes'' I usually use when travelling abroad.

Oh, did you know we have our main square named after our greatest poet? Not some soldier or a politician - a poet. We seem to be so poetic, arts loving nation. How sweet! (Weepers we are indeed - and drunks too.)

Now I will see how my ''career'' as a tourist guide will continue. Can't say more on this yet. If I want to get an official license, I will have to attend a pretty hard exam. History, geography, ethnology. But I would really like to make my Finnish skills more useful. And get some additional income.

Few days after the trip I went to take some photos of Ljubljana. Playing the tourist. But still... I have never been really attached to my city. Neither to my country. Your home is where you feel good, I once was told. And I feel good in some other places as well.