30 Days and Counting

On Aug 30, 2007, having been granted a leave of absence from the BC Cancer Agency, I will be travelling to Slovenia to live and teach for a couple of months. As this is my first journal entry, I thought I would tell you a little about the country.
Slovenia is a small country of approximately 2 million people and sits in the heart of Europe. To the north is Austria; Hungary is to the east; Croatia to the south and Italy to the west. Small, beautiful and picturesque Slovenia became an independent country on June 25, 1991. On May 1, 2004 it joined the European Union, and on January 1, of this year, the currency became the Euro. For anyone interested, at the time of posting today, 1.00 EUR = 1.44383 CAD.


The capital city of Slovenia is Ljubljana, and this is where I will live and work. Ljubljana is a delightful city of culture and rich historical legacy. Ljubljana’s geographical position has governed its colourful past, since it is situated on a natural passage leading from Central Europe to the Mediterranean and toward the East called the “Ljubljana Gate.” Both Central Europe and the Mediterranean influence Ljubljana's lifestyle and culture. The people are very friendly and anxious to speak english. It is a city of much to see and do, and where a person can walk almost anywhere.

As most of you are aware, this will be my second visit to Slovenia. My first visit was in 2005, when I assisted my mentor with putting on a series of workshops in Cytology. I'm delighted to be returning to the country. I will post again a couple of times before the end of August, and then will post on a regular basis to keep you all up to date on happenings and adventures. The next post I hope to address some of the questions I have received about Slovenia and my upcoming return.