Maček, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Maček (Cat). Top location. Hugely popular. This photo of Maček sign was Google-Flickr-borrowed* from Romana - she moved to Mexico, loves life and is writing about things that make your heart beat faster.
*Google Images Search pointed to Romana's Maček picture on Flickr (owned by Yahoo). Ah.


(Urška) Urska Godec a.k.a. Yuki a.k.a. snow. Got her nickname in primary school from The Snow Queen. Born in Koper, Korean mother (though she thinks of herself to be Japanese as her family lived near Kobe), General Ha descendants. There is another Urška Godec in Slovenia, born on the same day in 1976 (?!). This needs to be explored, they need to meet - does anybody know the other one? This one is a dentist, regularly drives her Kawasaki ER6, sometimes also on Novi Marof race track, does fencing, reads Me Talk Pretty One Day, is letting Debeli teach her skydiving at Paranoia and above all likes to ramble around third world. One day she will build a race track in Slovenia. Given the number of biking nuts, we deserve and need one.


A quick lesson on colors of garbage containers in Ljubljana: brown = bio garbage. This lesson was either too difficult for someone or he was reading too much about bio-computers and took it literally. WTF.

Library under the tree, Tivoli, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Knjižnica pod krošnjami (Library under the tree) is a green initiative of the other kind. Temporary book shelves are set up in Park Tivoli in the middle of Ljubljana. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sit down, relax and read some. It does you good.


Joe Steel. He didn't say much, so I will not write much about him. Mustache is his green initiative.


I wonder if Joe Steel could ride a wooden bike. Parked in front of Slovenian Museum of Natural History. Waiting to make history.

Cesarsko Mesto, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Cesarsko Mesto (China Town), a decent and quite popular Chinese place. Expanding. Summer terrace about to be open. More eating slots, less parking slots. Recommendation.


Davorin Mikos (Mikoš) a.k.a. Dado, head of high-school-graduate-trip program at CMT travel agency. Grew up in Trbovlje where he also briefly worked for Livarna Trbovlje before joining Mondial Travel. Absolutely passionate about electronic music parties and events - among them most cherished Sensation produced by ID&T. The founders of ID&T (Irfan van Ewijk, Duncan Stutterheim, and Theo Lelie - from whence came I D&T) and Steve Jobs are the only people he would work for if invited - without second thought. Was temporarily addicted to Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Basketball, has no idea why he actually digs WWE shows and is a movie marathoner. One day he will try Stand up comedy to the likes of George Carlin and Pablo Francisco. Not many Dado's on this planet :)


Smart Roadster, successor to the Dado-mobil, which was a Suzuki Swift Cabrio.

Running sushi&wok, Supernova, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Running sushi&wok, located in Supernova shopping center in Ljubljana, is first running sushi place in Slovenia. For that part it is a very welcome addition to calories&taste dissipating set of businesses. Once people actually get accustomed to running tray and sushi, things like French fries will start disappearing from the tray and sushi selection and quality might go up. So far the 9,90 EUR all-you-can-eat will get you a new, but mediocre experience.


Jernej Bozic (Božič), while finishing his study at FE, Used to do a lot of ballroom dancing and is now finding salsa not to be so easy. Was practicing Muay Thai, but never actually stepped into the fighting ring. Reading Zorro and will one day have a big and rich wine cellar - maybe at their home Bozic estate in Krško - and thus really get to know wines. Once his wine cellar is ready, I will go and See The Bottles there.


Supernova - developed by m2 Gruppe from Graz, Austria - is yet another of the ever bigger and numerous shopping centers sprouting all around the country. Inflation, you are invited, open heartedly.

Argentino, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Argentino - a big steak house with amazing vast interior, located in BTC in Ljubljana. Good service, simple self explanatory menus. Giant Certified Argentinian steaks, to regain energy after exhausting shopping in the neighborhood. Recommendation.


Tadej Dragas (Dragaš), project manager at Smart Com, also responsible for Russian market. Originally from Novo Mesto, moved to Ljubljana to study at FRI and later as an exchange student moved to Jyvaskyla, Finland to graduate at JAMK. Worked for Buildercom and Iskratel, where he met his Russian wife and is in the middle of Cotrugli CBA MBA study. His previous car was full of powerful audio equipment such as Digital Design, belongs to dBastards team and is nowadays still involved in pimping up his new Honda - as much as his one year old son allows him. Reading MBA stuff and recommends Business at the Speed of Thought. With extra time and money he would pimp up old car models with high tech, as they do on Discovery Channel, while his wife would probably still spend a lot of time on Odnoklassniki.ru, the Russian version of Facebook.


Digital Design Z series - the most advanced Digital Design Subwoofer.
"Digital Designs has acquired the rights to use Ned magnetics in non-military acoustic weaponry and the peaceful development of humanistic cohesion through harmonizing wave generation."


IBM Z series - the most advanced IBM mainframe computer.

Verdi, Maribor, Slovenia

LET L-13 Blanik, a multipurpose workhorse. From helping rookies to get first flying hours, to showing off in acrobatic formations.

Pizzeria Verdi - great (very valuable) location, good pizzas and service, no website. Pizzas served with side relish assortment. Pizza forks are prone to bending. Nice anyway. Recommendation.


Martin Cundric (Cundrič), running web design agency LiveDesign, which is among others also responsible for designing NajdiAvto.si. Born, raised, living, working and enjoying it in Maribor, Slovenian Lower Styria capital. Worked in tourism for CMT and Sonchek, before starting his own business. Same age as Roger Federer, he actively played tennis till he was 16 and at 12 he was number one - in penalty points :) Currently hyped up on glider planes and as a rookie at LCM is flying LET L-13 Blanik. One day he will steer his entrepreneurial drive from a big boat, while slowly cruising around the globe. My cousin.


Lent river bank, the best part of Maribor, shining during Lent festival. River Drava on this spot is not for swimming. But some do anyway. Especially during festival. Less drinking, automatically means less weight.

Fliegender Hollander, Vienna, Austria

Fliegender Hollander - a smoky back alley pub with regular clients. Not much to do with Wagner's opera. Beers and sausages. Good for a quick after job drink or two or three or five ... :) You can buy Flying Dutchman also on Amazon. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 edition.


Thomas Koch, sales manager for "system z software" (software on IBM mainframe platform) at IBM in Vienna, covering CEMAAS region. Born and raised in Linz, later moved to Vienna. WU graduate, worked for Raiffeisen before joining IBM. Musician with Fender Stratocaster signed by Eric Clapton. Impressed by his latest 3 week travel/trekking combo in Hawaii - according to colleagues he made some amazing pictures. Reading The Agony and The Ecstasy and some day he might go and help orphans in Kauai, while also enjoy Lomilomi. I guess it is not so difficult to fall for Hawaii.


Natalie Waninger, sales operations lady for Tivoli software at IBM in Vienna, covering CEMAAS region. Grew up in Bernstein in Burgenland, graduated at ITM Semmering, worked for Vöslauer, Steyr-Daimler-Puch and last several years for IBM. Founding member of female karting club Poco Loco, loves skiing, in-line skating and absolutely mad about kitchen and cooking. Reading P.S., I Love You and one day she will move to Cornwall and get involved with surfing and horses. Healthy move - and by that time she will surely stop counting in ATS.


Football euphoria is reigning all over Austria weeks before Euro 2008 ...


... even on the streets. The boy in the center of the picture is pretending to be a goalkeeper in order to grab attention of drivers passing by. Promotional stunt by Bank Austria.

Allegria, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Allegria, a very nice Italian style restaurant in center of Ljubljana. This place used to be a pretty wild party bar Tramontana - now they moved to a place above the city. Allegria is a recommendation as far as lunch environment an food is concerned. Thumbs up.


Aaron Uazeua, graduate philosophy student at FF, tourist guide at Mondial Travel and part time student worker at IBM Slovenia sales department. Namibian origin (father), born and raised in Koper, often baby sited by "aunt" Mateja, googled for his Namibian half-sister and, yes, he did find her recently - preparing for a visit to Windhoek. He helped run Soča Riversplash smoothly, worked at McDonalds, played football for Koper and Ankaran and he knows how to twirl his burning poi. Reads a lot, recent and recommended: A Short History of Nearly Everything, Discipline&Punish and Life of Pi. Political philosophy, diplomacy and owning his own Football Club is how his ideal life is supposed to evolve into. A very interesting and fun person to know and work with.


Vinegar in spray. Last time I've seen one of those was in Cote Soleil in France. Nice.