Thursday 22 April 2010

Highlights of the Week

  • We cleaned Slovenia in one day - Saturday 17th - at least that was the title of the whole action. The organizers expected about 200 000 people to take part, 250 000 turned up. Cleaned a lot of mess. I felt proud of all of us doing such a great job and ashamed at the same time: what's the matter with us? Tyres, shoes, beer cans (the winners!), plastic bags, gloves, yoghurt carton - I mean how on earth does somebody decide to just throw these things away by the road? And into the ditch? And in the bushes? Where everything could (and should) be nice and clear!

  • My head doesn't give me a break. I've had a headache for about a week - not all the time, but it sure comes by every single day and stays for hours. When I complained about it (I was seen taking an Aspirin), my colleagues said I was getting old. We laughed about it, but they weren't joking really.

  • I almost got a 900€ fine because of bad tyres. Our car is only six months old! I actually have to pay 150€ for something else (thanks, officer!). I'll buy new tyres tomorrow. I wanted to on Tuesday, but it is written in the car's papers that it need tyres that can take 240 kmph! Geez! We only own a Chevrolet Aveo (yes, just like this one, only usually it's dirtier and it has beige interior) and we live in Slovenia! I'm not allowed to drive over 130 kmph anywhere! And if I were, I couldn't! Because this is me and because our car doesn't go that fast

  • My son asked me to teach him some more English, saying: "Will we study English together, mum? I really don't think I'm learning much at this school of ours." It warmed my heart. This is not that child of mine you know, who studies English and Slovene at the university, but the other one who barely passed many of his English tests in primary school! And failed some of them. I wanted to help him, but he always started preparing for the next test one day before (wouldn't listen to his nagging mum who knew nothing about it anyway) and it was often too late. He doesn't have any problems with it now at age 18 (his grade is usually 4 or 5 out of 5), and he has actually realized it would be good to know more of it. I'm making a plan for him...

  • It's Earth Day. Two of my colleagues studied geography at the university (one of them majored in history and teaches history now) and today is actually their birthday! How cool is that? At our school you alway get a flower for your birthday (in a pot) and the B-day people usually bring something good to eat. Same today.

  • I have finally learned to hit the target from 55 metres. The target, I say, not the yellow part of it, although that happens sometimes, too. And the bowstring only hurts my forearm once or twice in two hours. And because of different anchoring (due to the distance), even my nose is safe. Yay!

  • Due to the national holdays next week (27th April and 1st May) we are having a week off - Spring break, so to say. So this is the afternoon before the last working day for some time. Yay again!
Let that be all for now. It's been a sleepy lazy week - I have no idea why, but I'm trying to improve :) I'm planning to put some things in order next week. Till then!

9 comments:

  1. Good job on the clean up. Nice to see you back.

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  2. You can get a ticket for bad tires? There are a lot of bald and / or underinflated tires here. I don't think we have enough police to hand out all the tickets.

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  3. Yeah, but a 900€ fee is more than just a ticket... isn't it?

    Bad tyres, lacking equipment, phoning while driving, not using the seat belt, there's so much of everything! Not to mention speeding - through populated places the speed limit is 50kmph - try not to speed there!

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  4. Happy earth day! Your auto laws are pretty strict - hopefully they save some lives.

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  5. Your son sounds like he speaks remarkable English. Maybe he could teach me?

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  6. Well,Mo, he said that in Sovene, of couse! But he can speak, just not to well. He understands a lot, however. And I don't just mean conversation, but programmes on Discovery and so.

    Thanks, Mary Ellen! I hope so, but the money you have to pay - it's just too much!

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  7. Wow Minka, that's a lot in a week!

    Way to go with the amount of people that showed up for the clean-up!

    I hope you manage to get rid of that headache of yours soon. They're never fun to have to deal with!

    900 pound for bad tires? Yikes, my tires only cost me $800 installed and balanced! I need to get a new set for summer driving, using winter tires on gravel is not such a good idea all year! In one of your comments you mention try not to speed at 50 kmph. Well that is actually quite easy, here that's the limit in towns with the limit out on the highways being 100 kmph. No such thing as being allowed faster than that. Sucks big time if you ask me...lol.

    Good for your son with wanting to upgrade his English! I wish I had learned a second language when I was younger.

    Happy birthday (even though it's belated) to your colleagues! I hope they had a good day!

    Woohooo on the archery! Now to work on hitting the bullseye!

    Enjoy the time off, I hope you don't have to suffer through too much paperwork while you don't have any classes to teach :)

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  8. Thanks for all your good wishes :)

    900 Euros (not pounds) is 1,197.73 USD. Fines can be much
    higher also...

    I'll trxy to improve - and hit the bull's eye. I'll think of you and tell you.

    No headache today - has it forgotten - or gone elsewhewhere? I wonder...

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