One month, thirteen days, and a few hours (Jorge's thoughts)

One month, thirteen days, and a few hours… it is more than enough time to notice about a lot of things. 

Zagreb it is a good place to live, it is rather quiet but at the same time there are people all around. Locals are very polite people and they are always willing to help you if you need them. It is amazing the fact that almost everybody it is able to speak a good English (of course better than mine) I really like how polite people are and they never say “no” if you ask them something.

Living abroad with people from other different countries it is not always easy but I am definitely dealing with this pretty well. It is not so easy to spend the most of the time with the same people around (We live together, eat together, stay in the office together and go to Croatian lessons together) but are not trying to kill each other (not yet at least).

The hardest challenge until now it is the language, I am not so good in foreign languages as my flat mates ok but Croatian seems to be specially hard for me, of course I am trying my best but still is not enough at all. Sometimes I think that would be much better for improve my Croatian if anybody here could speak in English… but it is ok, I am not claiming about this…

No homesick at this point, just missing sometimes my real good friends and family, but there is no drama here, until now it is something I can control it. I am missing some Andalucian food, because it was almost a holly habit to have a toast with jam in the morning… but I will survive (Even more now that I know some good food is coming from my city!)

We are about to visit Graz and it will be the first time I leave Croatia in all this time. I really want to travel so this is going to be the beginning of all my trips.

The goal is still the same, try to learn as much as possible, stay fine, try to have some fun and meet a lot of different people.

One month, thirteen days, a few hours and a few minutes… I still have time to reach my goal.

Vidimo se!

Five emotions of September

Being blissfully happy.

Croatian food, or better to say food in Croatia evokes a storm of emotions in such a gastromaniac as me: classic burek s mesom and burek sa sirom, grilled(!) corn, ‘street food festival’ 40-sm beef hot-dog I could hardly hold with both hands, amazing cream cheese brownie a-la mode served with ice-cream in ‘The cookie factory’ and all kinds of sladoled from local slastičarnica with chocolate chili ice-cream on top of the chart.

I can’t imagine going abroad without trying something special, and consider every trip to be a good trip as long as it meets 2 criteria: 1. trying good food; 2. feeling happy for at least a few seconds. And there are moments that combine both: for example, accidentally meeting 3 Kazach people in Zagreb tram and having dinner with them in one of the best restaurants in Zagreb – ‘Mano’ with amazing seafood, perfect Croatian white wine (previously I was sure it doesn’t exist in nature) and long talks in Russian. Indeed, I need very little to feel happy.

Being curious.

When people hear I can’t ride a bike, the first thing I hear in response is ‘How come?’ Yep, shit happens. But I ride a horse, and wouldn’t mind getting one to go to the office)) Anyway, before coming to Croatia I decided this year to be the year of new skills, and one of them – riding a bike. Why not? It’s not learning a new language (although also planned), or getting my second Master’s degree, but small things also count, right?

I needed one hour with Andris as a coach to learn how to saddle a bike, ride straight, try to turn, almost hit 2 people, 1 sign, a police car and kill myself)) Today empty Dolac market in the evening is my favorite cycling pitch which seems to be safe both for me and people.

Feeling WTH?

No one likes police: policemen, who stop you on the road, fine you for drinking alcohol in public places or tell you the rules you’ve never heard about. While staying on the territory of Croatia for 3 weeks I managed to commit a felony – for non-registration in the police station within 48 hours upon my arrival.

If only Croatian embassy in Ukraine published relevant info on official website or border control informed me about this bonus-option… no one would be obliged to pay 65 euros. But of course, we decided to go Ukrainian way meaning to prepare a pile of documents, write an appeal and hope for the best. In the next 6 months (yes, thanks goodness, bureaucracy in Croatia works with the same speed as everywhere) we’ll probably get an answer. To be continued…

Inspired? No, superinspired.

When preparing our first Syncloud event ‘Get Inspired’, me and Cosmina were interviewing different interesting people to learn their inspirational stories and share them with others: a girl who made an Atlantic circle being 23, a member of Yugoslavian expedition who 35 years ago conquered Everest by climbing a new route, Vida – amazing mother and woman who shared her secret how to combine both. All of them told us that they are getting inspired by other people and their life stories. This is also true about me. One of the endless source of inspiration for me – 2 Ukrainian girls who crossed 40,000 km and 14 countries hitchhiking, with almost no money in their pockets but passionate wish to achieve their goal.

Of course, I’m far from being Morozova (80 level), but my first European hitchhiking trip just happened last weekends. Imagine a Bosnian guy coming to a Ukrainian girl in Croatia to make a trip to Slovenia and visit our common friend.

And then a few more episodes: us in the middle of nowhere waiting for a car to return to Croatia but seeing only tractors with corn passing by, going to Kidričevo-middle-of-nowhere to couchsurf, crossing border on foot, sitting in one car with a priest and his wife who spoke perfect German and were eager to share their life story, and a major componenet – getting stuck somewhere where I expected to be eaten by mosquitoes and starve to death. But actually I enjoyed it. Try to go for a weekend abroad for 20 euros (including 3-course meal in a restaurant). Not bad, not bad, right?

  And a little bit of nostalgia, of course.

Everything is perfect: the job of my dream I enjoy every moment, short weekend trips to countries I have never been before, lots of new and new people both locals and foreigners who use our couchsurfing hospitality; new things, new food, enough time for concerts, sport, dancing whatever.

But then this strange feeling of nostalgia inevitably comes. And it’s not about missing Ukraine or family (I’m used to seeing my family once in 3 months at least), but best friends. Those 2 people I used to spend much time with, and sometimes not even people but thinking alike, understanding each other from the first 2 words, doing the same things and sharing a lot.

But life is about finding and losing. And I hope I’ll meet, or even better – find my 2 dear people soon in Europe: Croatia, or Slovenia, or Hungary, the place doesn’t matter. And there will be a huge-huge reunion.

Kisses and hugs, Juliya.

Vida Ungar shares her experience of how to be a good mother and not to lose yourself

- Having come to Zagreb only 1 month ago, we didn’t know many people here, and when asking for people whose stories can inspire others, we heard your name: amazing woman and amazing mother who knows how to keep balance between the two.

- I don’t know how to bring up children but I know what I do with mine. One of the first things I did when I got pregnant was reading books about motherhood and I really didn’t like advice I read there: a child should sleep here, you should breastfeed like this, everything was like…you have to organize and reorganize your life for them, but it doesn’t sound right.

And then I read a book and there was a great idea: once you have kids, it’s a good idea to involve children into your life, not to disconnect them from your life. I don’t have to stop having my life once I become a mom, I should bring kids into my life and basically, that’s the only thing I do all the time. Of course, my life changed and kids bring many new things in my life, like I see everything new way through the eyes of my kids, but I don’t feel disconnected.

- Tell us the story of taking your 2-months daughter for kayaking.

Me and my man like sea, and once we decided that we need a vessel: some ship, a boat or something. This is how we came up with an idea to buy kayak. And when Inka was born (and she was born in June), the summer started and it was absolutely perfect. We put her in front of my legs, she had a perfect cradle there, I put the blanket over her, because of the sun and the sea and she would sleep there immediately. We traveled that summer a lot.

- What have you learnt from your kids?

My daughter is like a role model for me. She is totally free, she has a free spirit and is not spoilt with the world around her. She doesn’t feel restrictions in the way she thinks or the way she acts.

This summer we went to Kornati for about 10 days in a house; we were looking for Robinson kind of tourism. It had really beautiful nature. She was like Mowgli, like this character from the cartoons. You can see it her body that she is so free, and so open-minded to everything, so curious.  I told my friend that I would like to be like her because she really enjoys life in the best way possible, and she really has no restrictions.

For example, when you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she says: ‘Oh, I want to be everything!’ And I think it’s great, the best thing ever.

    - Being so open-minded and discovering the world every minute, does your daughter still believe in Santa Claus?

She totally believes in Santa Claus, and she has a very sophisticated theory. She also believes in Peter Pan.  She doesn’t only believe in him, but she is in love with him and she will get married with him. Once, playing with her brother she said: ‘I will marry Peter Pan’ and her brother told her: ‘No, you can not marry him, he doesn’t exist.’ She was very frustrated and she was fighting with him that this is not true. At last, she said: ‘No, he exists, and he exists in the fantasy world!’

- What do you do now?

I’m happily unemployed, but of course, if I’m unemployed officially, it doesn’t mean I don’t work. I teach Portuguese, I translate books from Portuguese, and I develop and do some outdoor projects, and I’m also writing texts for a new website Nature park Medvednica that we have round here in Zagreb.  It’s very difficult for me to have a normal job because I like some many things and I like so many people. And then I would have to restrict myself to only one thing and I don’t see me like this. I try to be everything)

- What inspires you?

Apart from my kids, people inspire me a lot. People and life stories, especially the ones who don’t follow dogmatic laws and social rules. Now I’m questioning this dogmatic morality very much, and when raising children it’d be very easy to give them ready formulas: you have to behave like this, your goals should be…but it doesn’t feel right somehow. And people who inspire me…those who live with ‘the moral law inside them’ and not by some rules that were given by society, school, family or anything else.

- What is the main principle of your life?

To do things I like with people I like.

Dado about Everest, Outward Bound and inspiration

We heard a lot about you as a member of Everest expedition, director of ‘Outward Bound’ and enterpreneur. Still, what do you consider your biggest achievement in life?

Actually, Everest is the biggest achievement. Let me say that it happened in a very limited time – two and a half years, and it was very intensive. Really intensive. After all that I said to myself: now I can do anything in my life, I am full of energy and inspiration. It was incredible and fantastic experience.

What was special about it?

You have to know that there are different kinds of climbing, and this expedition took place 35 years ago. What happened is that this climb was called ‘the first ascent’ which means it is not an ordinary route to the top of the world which the majority of people use. Thousands of people go to Everest every year, but this time it was a new route: we were alone and nobody knew how to do it.

Sure, we were preparing for 2 and a half years, but the ascent was from the beginning completely new, which meant 25 climbers were working together to achive this goal. Of course, it was rather complicated and dangerous. One of the members actually died. But that is in brief.

How old were you when the expedition started?

I was 29 years old, but we started two year before, so I was 27. There was a call for all mountaineering clubs and organisations, and everybody was invited to participate, but the rules and requirements were strict, and you needed the minimum score to enter it. Exactly like in Olympic Games: if someone wants to run or jump, he must have a certain level of experience and skills.

So, we were invited and started to train every day. Like in Olympics. After the final selection only 25 people left. The goal was to climb a completely new route on the map of the world, and we did it. The expedition lasted 108 days. The climbing was 45 days, compare with Olympics that last 14 days. The attempt and personal strenght were enormous. We used 13 km of rope and pulled up 6 tones of equipment for 25 people. I just want to point out that it was really a big effort.

During your expedition to Everest, were there any moments when you told yourself it was time to quit?

Never. When you have a good goal, motivation, team – the best in the world at that time, personal strength and spirit, you can do it. We were well-prepared for it. Actually, what happened during this long journey is that I got sick, many expedition members had breathing problems, and it was cold. I wasn’t physically prepared to go to the summit. But in this kind of expeditions it’s important that just one member reaches the summit, and then the goal of the team is reached. I want to compare it with football: when one player scores the final goal, it’s done. From 25 members, 4 people from our country reached the summit.

And afterwards you ran your own travel agency. How did you start your own business?

Ten years ago I started to run a travel agency. It was really a difficult task. Starting a business without money is stupid. And difficult, nervous, full of doubs. I didn’t have any financial education, I am an IT engineer. It was also some kind of Everest in a completely different enviroment and conditions, but I succeded to survive.

And how did you come up with the idea of Outward Bound?

I read about Outward Bound system in UK but didn’t think about it. Once, a friend of mine who moved to the USA many years ago, called me and asked: Would you like to join Outward Bound? I agreed immediately.

 At the beginning of its existence OB offered a special course for military purposes and police, and more often, like in US, war veterans came in OB to recover and become socialised after hard experience.

In Croatia we mostly work with young people who come here to learn leadership, gain personal strenght and get experience to cope with life difficulties.  

You have such a great experience behind your shoulders and serve as a source of inspiration for young people, but do you have someone or something to inspire you?

Yes, of course. I have a lot of ideas, maybe too many sometimes) I started to test facebook, LinkedIn and other networks to see how people will react to my ideas, and it was really great. They said: ‘Wow! That’s a good idea, call me again.’ And it opened new opportunities and added motivation to what I’m doing and plan to do.

James Bender and ‘The Great Watermelon Voyage’

James Bender came to Croatia with the idea of taking enterprising students from the foster home in Kastel Lukšić, a small town outside Split, and giving them a chance to participate in a real cargo-carrying voyage through the islands and back to their home.

The Voyage takes them to the agricultural center in the Neretva Valley where they load the vessel with ripped watermelons, and afterwards sell them to raise money for charity. It’s not only about having fun together, but to combine maritime heritage with adventure and get the feeling of accomplishment while developing both leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

James, what are your passions, and how did you decide to launch ‘The Great Watermelon Voyage’ project?

I've always been passionate about everything I do, even when I was a teenager. I used to have much passion, and get into trouble, and mess around as I do even now with my projects, expedition planning and endeavors. One thing that really helped me to direct my passions was a course organized by Outward Bound. It was the time when I discovered that I am able to direct my passions and my enthusiasm to push limits and boundaries through mountaineering, expeditions, and now – sailing and other things.

What was the crucial episode in your life that changed it absolutely?

One thing that definitely changed my life is the birth of my daughter. She's now three years old, her name is Petra, and I think that she, more than anything else, has changed my outlook on life. Being a father is something that is always with me, and every decision I make means thinking of her as well.

However, before that I can again think about being a teenager, and the mistakes I made as a teenager brought me to where I am today. It often happens in life that mistakes lead us into the right direction. If I had been an excellent student and not a high-school dropout, if I had been a normal kid without wanting to push the limits, I would have never had the opportunity to do the things that I do and enjoy doing today. Not that I would everyone recommend dropping out as a recipe for success, but don’t get discouraged by mistakes or setback and be aware where they take you.

How does one day in your life with this ‘The Great Watermelon Voyage’ look like?

There is no typical day in the life of the Watermelon Voyage because there's no day that is the same. I can tell you what the idealized day would be, but we don't really know what is going to happen tomorrow.

The requirements of the voyage are that you are ready for any changes at any given time, while dealing with things out of your personal control is a great metaphor for life.  Diligence and preparation on a ship are a part of that. Each day we make an itinerary, get ready for the sea and use it as a rough outline. But we know it might bring changes. Working with changes like this gives students a real opportunity to utilize all the skills that they've developed and accumulate experience.

What people inspire you?

When people ask me what kind of music I like, I usually say: live. Through my life I have been inspired by many different people, and usually these are people I meet in person who inspire me most. Direct contact with individuals who do amazing things, who I can meet and talk to, have had the most impact on my life. I truly get inspired when people are inspiring. It energizes me in such a way that I'm able to combine several things and incorporate their ideas into the ideas I've had. And this is how Watermelon Voyage project was born.

Read more about The Great Watermelon Voyage here: http://adriatic-maritime.org/

Interview with Goran Kovacevic the founder of Humans of Zagreb facebook page

What are your passions, and how did you come up with this idea of Humans of Zagreb facebook page ?

I like to take photos of everything I see, like digital diary, but the most of the people I meet. I started photography just for fun and still doing it as long as I’m not feeling it is a job. Wherever I was while travelling, and I saw a person and felt some kind of connection, if they were in a good mood and smiled, I would just start a conversation. I wanted to capture the face of the person I was talking to. It always started like that: in Africa, India, UAE, USA or Europe – wherever I was. I have a lot of photos with people from around the world, and every day I post one of the travel photos on my KovaZg photography facebook page.

After I travelled almost all of the Europe countries with the similiar culture as mine I found more inspiration in the cultures I don’t understand, that’s why I started travelling to other continents. Now I like to see much more different buildings, cultures, people or animals from such countries as Africa or India. I want to explore everything I haven’t seen, buildings are not enough, I want to be amazed by everything, different cultures have their own spirituality and feeling of energy but differently presented, so at the end everywhere is the same and their message is always positive in so many different ways. That's what keeps me going.

I was travelling around the world just to take new photos for my memory. When I returned to Zagreb I decided to start the page People of Zagreb,  posting only photos with people without taking interviews, only asking for permission to take a photo of the people which you can see every day around the main square. After I saw Humans of New York, I started with page Humans of Zagreb and while photographin also started asking people about their stories. When someone asks me for money, I wonder what’s wrong, and they start telling  me their own story. I like to hear stories from the old ladies selling fruits and vegetables  their whole life on the market, they know the city and people more than I do. For me it isn’t a job, but passion, and I put all my energy into this. Humans of Zagreb is a big project. I  have also facebook pages:  Pets gone wild, KovaZg photography and Bebe Mi Fotkamo. Whenever I have new photo now I have page too as a place where to post it.

What inspires you ?

Stories of people inspire me. One old lady told me that she wanted to travel around the world as she was working very hard for 50 years, from 20 to 70 years old for a good company. When I asked her why they didn’t travel, she said they wanted more and more money before they retire and start travelling. And when at last they went to Malaysia to see gorillas, her husband died during the trip from flu.

Her advice was: you have to listen to your body and your mind at the given moment.

Interview with Dora Perharić. Atlantic circle with the boat.

-          Which country do you call home?

-          Croatia. Even I was traveling a lot, and I was living last year in Barcelona, Spain, but home, sweet home – Zagreb in Croatia, for sure, because I grew up here, I have friends and family here – a lot of reasons to come back. Definitely Croatia, so far.

-          Do you consider yourself to be a long-term traveler or part-time?

-          Part-time because I always come back here in Zagreb: to fill with energy, earn some money and then – go again.

-          One year I was traveling on a boat with my friends, and it was for pleasure, getting some experience and joy.

-          How old were you?

-          23.

-          Tell us about this trip on a boat: you were 23, a girl, but still decided to accept the challenge, go and make Atlantic circle.

-          Yes, that was 2 years ago. My best friend Pavel bought a boat in England, but we were sailing all our lives with my dad, so we were long-term sailing partners. And then he decided to make that trip, he asked me: ‘Dora, do you want to be my crew?’ and I agreed. And then his friend from England went with us, so there were 3 of us: 2 boys and me. We went from England to Barcelona, fixed a boat there, stayed there 1 month ad the started our journey that lasted for 11 months, altogether more than 1 year with repairing the boat, preparing the whole trip etc.

-          What was the most amazing moment and most amazing country you visited during the trip?

-          Country – Cuba, moment: definitely when a huge huge whale jumped 20 meters in front of our boat: scary moment, but fascinating moment, as a picture for ‘National Geographic’ magazine in front of me.

-          Weren’t you afraid of going?

-          No, no. All the time I was talking to my father because he is a sailor and he said that I could do that, and I really wanted to do that. And the second thing is that Pavel is my best friend, we grew up together and I believed him 100% and I knew that he had skills, and knowledge, and necessary skills and I believed in him.

-          Have you ever thought of quitting?

-          No, I never said to myself: ‘I quit’ but there were moments when I said to myself: ‘Oh my gosh, what am I doing? I want my bed, I want my mom, but never thought seriously about it: I’m going to buy my airplane ticket and go home, I don’t need this in my life.

-          Were there any difficult situations?

-          Usually it was connected with some countries like Trinidad, where we didn’t feel safe and we had some situations we would prefer not to be in. The most difficult thing on a boat is social life, like you are 20 days with yourself only and 2 people, and you’re saying ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ to the same people, and you have to be honest. If you don’t feel good – say it, if you feel good – spread this positive energy and bring something to the other people. Even if there is wind and the sea and it was raining, but if we support each other, everything else is easier.

-          What was the hottest and the coldest place you visited?

-          I think that the hottest was when we were crossing the Atlantic ocean, gong from Capo Verde islands to Barbados on the  Caribbean side, we didn’t have much wind and it lasted for 19 days, if you are outside from 12 till 3, you’re burning. The coldest – definitely when we were coming back from the Carribean side to Europe, first from Bahamas to Bermudas because we didn’t prepare ourselves, clothes wet all the time, strong cold wind, and you start dancing to warm yourself. In 3 hours you couldn’t warm yourself, putting wet clothes.

-           What rules did you have on a boat?

-          A lot of rules :)  connected with safety on a boat, we made them ourselves, 3 of us. Other rules: we are changing on the kitchen, every day is cooking someone else, cleaning. When I came.

  -     If you were not travelling what would you like to do instead?

  -     My focus on my career. The travel was for my pleasure, I was studied in Barcelona for culture manager, I am working in a producer company, producing movies. Is my dream to put my self in a higher position and have a lot of movies. Thats why I want to stay in Croatia, earn some money, and new ideas for travelling.

-      What inspires you ? and who ?

-      Generally, in my life inspires me all the people around me. In each person I am trying to find something positive, something brilliant for me. I will say first of all, my parents and grandparents, they gave me energy, some of my friends with inspired story. During this boat trip I meet a lot of interesting people, sometimes you hear little stories from some person that inspire me. 
I meat one girl she was from England and we were standing couple of weeks with her and I didn't know her story at all. She was very open mind, always smiling, with energy. Then she told me she had problems with drugs, with parents and then she realised that she has to change something to help herself and know she is travelling and enjoying life. We are visiting each other. I learned to not judge people because of their background.