April Happenings

Today is an "exciting" day for the small country of Croatia, especially for the capital city of Zagreb. None other then our dear American President, Mr. George W. Bush will be visiting the city. He has successfully managed to immobilize most of the city, arriving with about 25 planes and God only knows how many security guards and assorted members of the C.I.A. Trams and bus are not running on regular schedules. Since I live on the main street which enters the center of the city, my host father was forced to bike around the entire city in order to get to work...

Walking home today, I was distracted by the unholy amount of police men stationed on all street corners, (every 10 meters) attempting to look as though they were doing something productive...most schools were either canceled or shortened today...due to the fact that Mr. Bush would, at some point during the day, be driving by. Homes which are located on streets which Mr. Bush will drive by have been ordered to shut their shades and stay inside...rather unbelievable. I am a bit embarrassed that our President is making such a ruckus by coming to this tiny country. I am not planning on doing any flag waving or anything of that sort. Protests have been organized, although the police are already trying to put a stop to them.

On a different note-
Today, I will be on Croatian National T.V., for the second time this year. It seems to me that Croatian reporters don't have too much to report, since they keep contacting all of us exchange students, asking to do interviews. (Shows you how few foreigners there are living in this country.) The last interview I did was in English, comparing the school systems in American to those in Croatia. I was allowed to answer in English. The latest interview, about why I was in Croatia, had I found love, (everyone asks that question) etc. was conducted entirely in Croatian. More then a little nerve-wracking...I honestly have no idea what I said...so at 1:20 today, we shall see how incredibly unprepared I appear...lovely.

Other news-
I was finally able to meet up with my friend Mirta, who was on exchange from Bjelovar, Croatia in Hopkinton, New Hampshire this past year. We met at my Rotary Orientation, she was my first Croatian friend, and was wonderful about me grilling her with questions. She taught me my very first Croatian words...Although Bjelovar isn't far from Zagreb (about 1 and half hours) we have missed each other for various reasons. But last Thursday Mirta was in Zagreb, so we were able to get coffee and spend some time together. Hopefully we will see each other again sometime before the 13th of June.

Hope everyone is enjoying the snow in New Hampshire...I got myself the beginning of a tan on Monday afternoon, it being more then 75 degrees in the sun.