grasswire

In less than 24 hours, our national currency Slovene Tolar will be replaced by Euro. In half of my short lifetime, we will thus change three national currencies, not to mention the ever changing nominations and bills during Yugoslavia’s hyperinflation years. So you could say that we are kind of used to it, but it was still strange this morning withdrawing the Tolars from the ATM for the last time. I wonder how much cash will not be returned but kept as souvenirs.  Some of the flea market sharks are already prepared - some already price the 100 SIT coin at 2 EUR (480 SIT). But it’s not just changing the large, colorful bills for Euro coins (must buy a new wallet) or the disorientation due to changed price ranges (1 EUR=240 SIT), it’s also about the phrases and nicknames of the notes. Ever since I can remember, there was a banknote called “Jurja” – it started off as 100 DIN, then moved to another banknote and yet to another and when we changed Yugoslav Dinars to Slovene Tolars, it passed on to 1000 SIT bill. Wonder if the phrase will pass on to Euro as it will lack a concrete material referent (there is no 1000 EUR bill)?The first bill that got the nickname “jurja” depicted a horseman that apparently reminded people of St. George (Jurij=George). As banknotes changed, it became a synonym of the 1000 DIN/SIT bill.

At the end of last week, four kangaroos escaped from their “cage” in Ljubljana’s Zoo. While three of them were caught on a free tour of the wider Zoo premises, one of their mates managed to get over the fence and spend much of the morning in the nearby meadows where it was spotted by surprised dog walkers.

Speaking of unusual scenes/sights, this gothic chandelier shadow is one of my latest “visual finds” to which the Black eye cafe section of this blog is dedicated to. It does not come from a haunted castle but from a furniture showroom in Ljubljana.

Check out our new holiday decoration plus a tutorial on how to make it. It was created by Dragana and me specially for Whiplash challenge.

I love poking around flea markets, guessing the use of strange objects, listening to the bargaining and conversations and wandering among the scattered memories. While my eyes scan the visual flamboyance, I am not hoping to find something worth much but simply a lovely or useful object or a suitable gift. Since a lazy rainy Sunday morning spoiled my plans to visit Ljubjana’s flea market today, it made a good occasion to review the “findings” from the last couple of months.

Here are some of the treats. A wooden box with two drawers that needs a bit of restoration before finding its way to the writing desk. As the weather got colder, the price went down from 3.500 to 1.400 SIT.

A retro porcelain teapot (Made in DGR) for 4,2 €. As we change to Euro in January, the prices will go up on the flea market as well and this type of 1.000 SIT merchandise will be at least 5€.

Old photographs with beautiful ornaments on the back. The large one was given to the lady’s lover in 1912.

You can also see some impressions from my visits on my Flickr page.

I just turned 32 today and in little over two weeks my life is supposed to change for good. At least that is what people keep saying to me. No birthday resolutions this year, not even the silent ones. Apart from starting this blog through which I want to share the little everyday moments that I wouldn’t like to forget. A sort of aesthetisation of my everyday life. Thirty-two. Hmmm. I still remember when this meant old, very old, to me. It signified being grown up and all of that. And in a way, I was right. Like it or not, I am about to become a role model for a little creature that knows no better. Or worse :)) But back to today, to the predictable part of it anyway. I will take a 6:50 train to work where I will scribble these lines, have a Monday morning chat with one of my co-workers on the way to Faculty, stop at a local store to buy a snack and a DVD that came out with country’s largest daily newspaper. Than I’ll drink a cup of Genmaicha tea in a hurry and lecture for two hours. Between 10 and 12, I’ll be busy preparing a presentation that starts at noon and due to which I will have to skip another Monday ritual – lunch with my colleagues from the department. Perhaps Dragana will come to listen to my lecture today. If not, she will pick me up around two and I have no idea what she has planned for the rest of the day. But I know it’s going to be fun…