NEWSLETTERNOVEMBER 23, 2012, VOLUME 8, NUMBER 44

Slovenian MovieNight in San Franciscopage 3 >

NY Times:36 Hoursin Ljubljanapage 5 & 6 >

Sunita WilliamsReturns fromISSpage 6 >

Embassy of Slovenia2410 California Street, NWWashington, D.C. 20008, USAT: +1 202 386 66 01E: vwa@gov.siwashington.embassy.si

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has it right: “[These poems] evoke the lost world of a resilient people in a language that resonates in its plain-spokenness with the losses that all thoughtful people in a globalized economy confront. Don’t let the ostensibly un-ironic, even folksy language fool you – his poems slyly combine simplicity of means with complexity of effect, a

combination only an artist of great sophistication can pull off.” Kreslin’s previous book of poetry, titled Pojezije, was presented in Washington in 2009. In addition to the live poetry reading and music performance at the Embassy of Slovenia, Vlado Kreslin also held a concert on Wednesday,

At the premises of the Slovenian embassy in Washington, D.C., Vlado Kreslin performed on Tuesday, November 20. The event featured presentation of his new book “Instead of Whom Does the fl oewer Bloom.”

Vlado Kreslin performed at the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. An evening of poetry reading combined with Kreslin’s distinctive music that features folk, blues, and rock highlighted Kreslin’s new book of poetry, titled Instead of Whom does the Flower bloom (Namesto koga roža cveti) and translated into English by Urška Charney and published by Guernica Editions.Instead of Whom Does the Flower bloom is Kreslin’s fi rst book translated into English. The great poet Alan Shapiro, whose compliments grace the back cover of the book,

Vlado

Kreslin in

Washington

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 2

November 21, at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage, attended by more than 400 people. Tonight, he is going to present his new book in New York City at the Café Marlene, and he will also perform in Pittsburgh, PA, and Cleveland, OH. Vlado Kreslin, born in Beltinci in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia, is one of the best known and highly esteemed

Slovenian musicians. His poetry and music have inspired fi lms and novels. His annual concerts at the Cankarjev Dom Concert Hall in Ljubljana have become a traditional event in the city’s yearly cultural calendar. He started his career as the lead singer of the group Martin Krpan, but made an even greater name for himself as a solo artist. He has performed worldwide, from Adelaide to Barcelona, and has

shared stage with many folk and rock bands, such as R.E.M and Bob Dylan. He has reawakened an interest in older traditional ballads and songs, as his genre is a type of blues and rock mixed with Slovene folk music. His great ability to combine different music genres is complemented by his exquisite selections of guest performers to join him for his concerts.

Ambassador Roman Kirn welcomed nearly 100 people attending the event as he presented Mr. Kreslin and his work.

The event at the Kennedy Center was screened live online. Millenium stage.

Instead of Whom Does the Flower Bloom.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 3

On November 14, the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA, organized the International Night, an inner event for foreign fellows of one of the advanced courses held at the Academy. Presented at the fair were approximately 20 countries, including Slovenia, since the international fellowship program is attended also by Mr. Damjan Potparič, a member of the Slovenian Police. The Slovenian Embassy in Washington was invited to participate, and Mr. Potparič

presented Slovenia with exquisite Slovenian wines from Štajerska region featuring bottles of Yellow Muscat produced by Viticulture Gaube and M–Vina winery. A brilliant light yellow wine with intense, fruity muscatel aroma went well with traditional Slovenian pastry wall-nut roll-cake called “potica”.Moreover, Slovenian brochures and a video presentation I Feel Slovenia were featured at one of the most attended booths at the fair, which also served Slovenian blueberry liquor, “borovničke”.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

FBI International Night

Slovenian community in California gathered at the Slovenian Hall in San Francisco for the third Slovenian fi lm night to see a Slovenian movie Piran -- Pirano, directed by Goran Vojnović. Piran – Pirano tells a story about three individuals, whose destinies are unusually intertwined. An Italian, Antonio, a Bosnian, Veljko, and a Slovenian girl, Anica, face the terror of war as children, and each of them becomes a victim of war in their own way. Half a century later, their paths cross again and, in the last days of war, fear, despair, love and inexplicable emotions come alive again – this time because Antonio returns to Piran to see his birth place once again before he dies.

The screening, hosted by the Honorary Consul of Slovenia, Mr. Tom Brandi and which also featured a special short fi lm by Miha Mazzini, titled: The Visit. took place on November 16, 2012.

The reception that followed was made possible by the co-sponsorship of Educational and Dramatic Club Slovenia, Vera Mijojlic of the SEE Film Festival, and kind help of Mrs. Carol Squires.

CULTURE

Slovenian Movie Night in San Francisco

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 4

Poljanska valley is a 26-miles long valley in the basin of the Poljanska Sora river, in the southeast of the Gorenjska region. The valley, once part of the Loka dominion, comprises several picturesque locations that are linked by common history and are today brought together in the municipalities of Gorenja vas-Poljane and Žiri. Many artists have drawn their inspiration from here and conveyed the beauty of the valley to the world – the writer Ivan Tavčar with a pen, or the Šubic family and Anton Ažbe with a palette full of vibrant colors. Today, the area is mainly known for its pure nature and the numerous local delicacies offered by the surrounding hills. One of the most recognizable buildings in the area is the Visoko manor near Poljane, fi rst mentioned in the 14th century, which was originally a hunting manor of the lords of

TOURISM

Poljanska Valley (Poljanska dolina)

overlords of the entire valley. In the small village of Dolenčice stands the Anton Ažbe’s house (Ažbetova domačija), a farmhouse built in the 17th century. A memorial room in it is dedicated to the local painter Ažbe, whose monument stands in front of the house. The Žiri Museum, established in 1970 by the Škofja Loka Museum Society, contains three major permanent collections which are specifi c to Žiri: the bobbin-lace and shoemaker’s collections (both 1973), the National Liberation War collection (1978) and the paintings collection (1980). It also houses monuments dedicated to painter Maksim Sedej (1909–1974) and composer Anton Jobst (1894–1981), and a memorial plaque dedicated to writer Leopold Suhadolčan (1928–1980). There are many marked and organized walking and

Loka, but in 1650, passed into the hands of the Kalan family. In 1893, the estate was bought by the writer and politician Ivan Tavčar. In his best known work, The Visoko Chronicles, Tavčar describes events taking place on this estate in the 17th century when the Kalan families were

Vinharje village with Blegoš plateau in the distance.

Panoramic view of Poljanska dolina.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 5

TOURISM

In its latest Sunday issue, The New York Times took a 36-hour stop in Ljubljana, introducing to its readers the charms of this unique European capital. “Ljubljana has its fair share of charming Old World plazas, baroque churches and dramatic castles. But this walkable capital (population 280,000) also has a rich cultural scene that would be impressive in a city twice its size”, says the journalist Rachel B. Doyle. The article highlights several openings of new museums, bicycle rental BicikeLJ, a renovated opera house and an eclectic cuisine infl uenced by those of the country’s neighbors. Doyle started her trip in Metelkova street, where she visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, which specializes in cutting-edge multimedia art of Eastern Europe. She had a late lunch in Güjžina, which serves dishes from Prekmurje, with its

specialties bograč, bujta repa and gibanica. Later on, she visited the renovated Slovenian National Theater, Opera and Ballet house, and concluded the evening with wine tasting and recommending several

36 Hours in Ljubljana

Slovenian wines. Her Saturday began with a morning coffee at Kavarna Union, “an atmospheric fi n-de-siecle coffeehouse with crystal chandeliers and portraits of haughty aristocrats”, as she

Clockwise from top left: Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, Gujzina, Ljublja-na Castle, a designer at Akultura, a city market and Vinoteka Movia. (Photo NYT)

biking paths in the Poljanska valley. Among the most visited ones are those to the highest peak of the Škofja Loka hills – Blegoš (1562 m; 5125 ft.) – with several marked trails leading to it. Additionally, Slajka, Ermanovec and Žirovski vrh also offer idyllic, panoramic views. On the nearby slopes, there are a number of “open-doors farms”, where housewives offer warm bread, freshly baked in a farmhouse oven, homemade cakes, cheese or dried fruit products, while landowners tempt you to taste a homemade

brandy and honey products. Bikers can choose among many marked biking tracks – from the lowland route that takes one along the Poljanska Sora to more diffi cult ones that climb to higher lying villages or even to the top of Blegoš. The ski resort Stari vrh boasts excellent ski slopes and exceptionally well prepared ski trails. In addition to day and night skiing, there are also the delights of sledding, and, for the youngest, there is a skating rink alongside the ski trail. For the bolder ones, there is a new

breathtaking sled track that runs along the entire ski slope. In a walk along Poljanska dolina, there is, beside natural and cultural attractions, a mystical world of the Rupnik Line fortifi cations. Visiting the underground fortifi cations and enjoying the intact nature makes for a memorable experience, which can also be combined with a cycling trip. The thematic journey, the Rupnik Line trail, is well marked so everybody can take it, although to enter the fort one must be guided by a professional guide.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 6

describes it. Then she decided to look at the Slovenian fashion scene by going into Koda 386, which holds works of many Slovenian fashion designers. After a walk through the market, Doyle had lunch at Valentin, a seafood restaurant on the main market square. A stroll around the Tivoli Park led her to the National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, where she learned about the fi nal moments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,

the effects of both World Wars, Slovenia’s time in former Yugoslavia, and its declaration of independence. Afterwards, she took the glass-walled elevator up a wooded hill to visit the Ljubljana Castle and the bistro Gostilna Na Gradu, run by three of the city’s top chefs. On Sunday, she stopped at Kavarna Rog to have some pancakes, and at the lively Sunday fl ea market to browse through military medals, jeweled brooches, antique clocks and

interesting portraits. She fi nished her trip by cycling on a rented bike along the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship, a circular, 20-mile-long recreational path surrounding the city core. To read the whole article, visit: http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/travel/36-hours-in-ljubljana-slovenia.h t m l ? p a g e w a n t e d = a l l & _r=3&_&

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Record-setting Sunita Williams who has Slovenian roots on her mother’s side, along with two fellow astronauts, safely returned to Earth on November 18, 2012, from the International Space Station, touching down on the steppes of central Kazakhstan, after spending four months in orbit. Aboard the Soyuz TMA-05M capsule, were U.S.–Slovenian astronaut Sunita Williams, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko. The return of the trio has wrapped up their 127-day space journey, begun with the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 15 of this year, including 125 days spent aboard the ISS. “Fresh air - very good!” Williams said in Russian. Williams, 47, now has spent a total of 322 days in space during her two long-duration missions. She previously served aboard the ISS as an Expedition 14/15 fl ight engineer from December 9, 2006, to June 22, 2007.

Williams now also holds the record for spacewalking time for female astronauts. Williams has a total of 50 hours and 40 minutes of spacewalking time over seven spacewalks, including the three she conducted during Expeditions 32 and 33. The Expedition 33 crew had spent 125 days aboard the International Space Station, a $100 billion research complex involving 15 countries and orbiting 250 miles (410 km)

Sunita Williams Returnes to Earth from ISS

above Earth. The crew conducted a number of experiments, including tests on radiation levels at the space station and research into the effects of melting glaciers and seasonal changes on Earth’s ecosystems, NASA said in a statement. They also managed several visits to the space station by international and commercial spacecraft and conducted several space walks to maintain the station.

Sunita Williams by photographer Janez Vlachy, who has portrayed her several times.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 7

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

Centre of Excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CENN Nanocenter) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is designed to address the challenge imposed by extremely rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the world by joining together the efforts of all the leading research groups and industry leaders in the fi eld into a consortium of four leading research establishments and 15 companies, whose common goal is to set up a technological infrastructure platform for the competitive development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in Slovenia in the next decade. One of its main goals is to bridge the gap between what academia can offer and what industry can absorb in order to achieve a higher level of technological development in industry and increase the added value of its products. Nanotechnology and nanoscience in Slovenia have experienced a remarkable boom in both industry and academic spheres in the last few years. CENN Nanocenter focuses on the installation of new technologies

for the synthesis, nanofacturing and characterization of the substance, in order to be comparable to similar centers around the world and to enable international competitiveness in the implementation of cutting-edge R&D projects. Key benefi ts of the program and the consortium are (i) pole position of Slovenian science and technology in the fi eld of nanoscience and nanotechnology among developed countries; (ii) the inclusion of all the leading research groups and industries with already demonstrated exceptional qualifi cations

CENN Nanocenter

internationally; and (iii) program of transparent and high-tech research facilities, which will provide qualitative leap in competitiveness and a large multiplier effect of the invested money. CENN Nanocenter is based on previous detailed analysis of some of the leading similar centers in the world. It is divided into four segments, which are complementary and together cover the entire area of nanoscience and nanotechnology: synthesis of a variety of new nanomaterials, which is particularly important for the fi nal industrial use; nanofacture, known as process engineering for nanotechnology; characterization and modeling, which is used for prediction and calculation of electronic, mechanical, optical and magnetic properties of various materials and devices. More information: http://www.nanocenter.si/en/.

Nanotechnology.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 8

Since 1995, the »The World of Art« magazine has been encouraging young people to create and participate in international competitions, where they can compare their work to the work of children of the same age from other countries and continents. Many children from different countries of the world have been awarded prizes for their masterpieces, which has encouraged them for further art creativity. More than 125,000 young artists from 102 countries of the world on all continents have participated in the competition. As a result, the magazine also owns the world’s largest collection of young people’s art works on the theme “The Horse”, which consists of 45,000 art works from 55 countries; its collection of art works on the theme “Still life” includes almost 30,000 paintings from 50 countries; and the collection on the theme “Castles -- our cultural heritage” consists of more than 10,000 paintings from 35 countries; there are also 20,000 artworks on the theme “Who am I?” from 60 countries; and 20,000 works on the theme “Ethnological dresses and folklore dances of my people”. The art works that have been awarded prizes in competitions at 180 exhibitions (65 of them were abroad in 30 countries) have been admired worldwide. Also, for 2013, the Institution for Creative Development of Young People, The World of Art magazine, and partners The simply Art art

school from Hong Kong, China; Mizyal Sanat Evi from Gaziantep, Turkey; and Artino art studio from Belgrade, Serbia, announce the 18th international competition of children’s art works. The 2013 competition’s theme is ETHNOLOGICAL DRESSES AND FOLKLORE DANCES OF MY PEOPLE, intending to deal with topics such as Who are my people and what kind of cultural legacy have I inherited? What do we want to preserve for our future generations? The identity of my people.

Guidelines:

Select the best, select something that has represented your people for centuries -- ethnological dresses and folklore dances of your nation. On the reverse side, write down the name of the dress, dance, era in which it was important for your people and, maybe, also write down at

18th International Competition of Children’s Art Works

what occasions the dress was used, dances were preformed, and send it to us. Fifty best art works from each age group will be awarded unique prizes: the best three authors from each age group will be awarded also special gifts. Mentors who will have one young author awarded fi rst prize, or two or more with unique prizes will also be awarded a unique prize. Please, put the entries of different age groups in separate envelopes: 1st group: up to 10 years; 2nd group: from 11 to15 years,; 3rd group: from 16 to 20 years. All techniques on paper are allowed. Art works should not exceed 30x42 cm (11.8x16.5 in.). On the reverse side of the artwork, the following details should be provided in capital letters and in Latin alphabet:- author’s name and surname , and birth date;- the date when the art work

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Indira Mambetova, age 13, Khazakhstan.

NOVEMBER 23, 2012, PAGE 9

The weekly Embassy Newsletter, produced by the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington, is available on: www.washington.embassy.si.Send us your comments or request for a subscription on: vwa@gov.si,

Editor: Nuška Zakrajšek

The weekly Embassy Newsletter, produced by the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington, is available on: www.washington.embassy.si.

SlovenSki Program for 2013 Schedule:February: 1-3, 2013, SlovenSki weekend Windham, NYFebruary 15-23, 2013, SlovenSki trip to 3 Vallees, FranceMarch 18-24, 2013, Nastar Nationals Aspen/Snowmass (qualifi ed racers)April 1-7, 2013, SlovenSki week in Sun Valley, ID More information and application form: John F Kamin, 61-32 75th Place, Middle Village, NY 11379, phone: (718) 424-2711, email: Jfkamin@verizon.net

Beyond by Michael BensonA spectacular photography exhibition of images from space.When: Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMWhere: Embassy of Slovenia, 2410 California Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008More information about the work of Michael Benson on: http://www.kinetikonpictures.com/

Be nd b Mich l Be

Vlado Kreslin in the U.S.Vlado Kreslin is one of the most infl uential Slovenian musicians, whose distinctive style combines elements of folk, pop and rock music. He began as a singer in rock groups (Martin Krpan), gradually breaking through to the foreground also as the author of numerous unforgettable songs. He shared stage with R.E.M., Bob Dylan and many more.

When & Where: Friday, November 23, 2012, at Cafe Marlene, 41-11 49th Street, Sunnyside, NY. Presentation of the book Instead of Whom does the Flower Bloom and concert

When & Where: Tuesday, November 27 at the SNPJ, Pittsburgh, PA

When & Where: Wednesday, November 28 at 7:00 p.m., St. Mary’s, Cleveland, OH

More information: www.kreslin.com

TO DO LIST

was created;- name and surname of the mentor; full address of the school, or author, if sent individually;- e-mail address of the school, or author, if sent individually;Please submit art works without cardboard framing.

The art works will be accepted until March 1, 2013 at the following address:»ZURM« MIHAILO LIŠANINLava 7 ( Grafi ka Gracer )3000 CELJE, SI SLOVENIA

The results of the competition and all other information, date, location of the opening ceremony of the awarded art works will be available exclusively on our internet page, beginning on April 1, 2013,at: www.celje.si/en/theworld-ofart/; and in World of Art magazine, April 2013 issue.Please, follow the guidelines of the competition, as the jury will not judge works not respecting them. The received entries will not be returned to the authors, but will become part of the archive of The World of Art

magazine. Thereafter, it will be possible to borrow the art works from the archive for school exhibitions. You are also asked to include some table-fl ags of your towns and states, some bank notes or coins of small face value and some used stamps of your country in the shipment of your art pieces. Thus you will contribute to the collection of souvenirs from countries participating in the competitions. More information: http://www.cel je .s i /en/thewor ld-ofart/66-razstave2006/731-18-mednarodni-razpis.