1 s ^Australian Slovenian Review t Winter 1996 Volume 3 Issue 2 ™ The Port Arthur this issue... Slovenia at the Olympic Games Slovenian Gays History Part 11 Slovene or Slovenian Slovenian Political Delegation Tragedy This is an extract from an article written by Lindsay Simpson and published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, 4 May 1996, and has been reprinted with their kind permission. It was shortly before mid-day when Nanette Mikac, packed her two children, Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, into the four-wheel drive parked outside her house in the small township of Nubeena on the Tasman Peninsula. Most tourists drive straight down the Arthur Highway to the historic penal settlement past the turnoff to Nubeena, and miss some of the best countryside on Nanette, a vivacious redhead, and Walter, a shy man whose family was from Slovenia, had been married for 10 years. They met at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne 12 years ago while she was a nurse and he was training to become a chemist. Nanette enjoyed being with people. One of her favourite places was the Port Arthur Historic Site, where she worked as a guide. She would call in even on her days off. That Sunday was no exception, but she was going to stop at the Koonya market, where locals bought and sold livestock and the peninsula. Nubeena is a sprawling, rather unattractive town, but its setting is beautiful. Many of the houses are shacks with views of Wedge Bay. The locals are fisherman, farmers or office workers. That Sunday morning, Nanette had decided to go to the local market at Koonya, about 12 kilometres from her home. Her husband, Walter, was getting ready for a rare game of golf. He would turn 34 on Tuesday. Nanette, a vivacious redhead, and home produce Walter; a shy man whose family was from Slovenia, had been married for 10 years" As Nanette placed Maddy inside her car seat and secured her seat belt, many other people were preparing to travel to the Port Arthur Historic Site that day: solicitors on holiday, seasoned coach drivers, recent retirees -and a young man called Martin Bryant, who has been charged with the murder of one of those people, and is expected to be charged in connection with 34 more deaths. Nanette had bought the girls some peanuts, and (Continued on page 3) "U' Editorial / Writing f Irene Stariha Dorothy Kobai Robert Pecovnik 11, Renata Susan/ Mirtam Stariha PaulLukezic -'il»^ RudiČrnčec i V^*''' /1 John Kern Jani Di salvo Marketing/Public Relations Robert Suber Jude Bavcar-Skubla Iflitilll JërinyiStarihaÙteesin^ j Vanessa Fabjandfâ Production CirilKosorok Henry Stariha JohnKobal EditorialConsultants 1 OlgaLah Soma Kolar Administration . 'Renata Susanj Sylvia Kuznik TheAustralian Slovenian Review is a non- profit venture, whichaims to publish quarterly. Production and distributionicosts areilunded by sponsorship and advertising. The. ASR is not a platform for any particular interest group and does not: represent any group or organisation within the Slovenian community. The ASR team believe that there should be,a forum available to inform and discuss issues thatare of interestto first and second generation Australians with a Slovenian heritage. Articles for publications are most welcome. They may be presented hand written, typed or preferrably on a MS-DOS format floppy disk. Articles can be sent to: ASR, P.O. Box KL806 Kings Langiey 2147 or faxed to: (02) 674 4583 Sponsorship or advertising enquiries should be directed to: Robert Suber on (02) 829 1303 I AS Between the IW^ „nCr19* Iffl^' Holiness Pope ¿§1 ^T John Paul II visited Iik^cS? Slovenia. The visit had three ^ major stops; in Ljubljana, he ^PP^Pr '' lead a mass to celebrate the SLQyE&ijA r' 1250th anniversary of the ■ —reception of the Slovenians to ® JSWWTP Christian nations in Europe; in Postonja he meet a delegation of young people; and in Maribor he lead a mass in P which he proclaimed the beatification of Maribor's first Bishop Anton Martin Slom§ek. The visit co-incided with his 76th birthday. Crime Statistics in Slovenia Crime statistics released by Slovenian Police for the years 1993 and 1994 show a consistant increases in car theft, break and enter,assult and drug offences. There was however a substantial decrease in the number of burglaries. Interestingly, business fraud skyrocketed from 682 cases in 1993 to 2,197 in 1994. ïovenians at the Olympic Games Article reprinted from Slovenija Quarterly Magazine (Spring 1996 No. 1 Volume X) Although Slovenia is a young state, the Olympic spirit already has deep roots here. Enthusiasm for the Olympic ideal of the French thinker Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who began his endeavours to revive the ancient Olympic Games in the last century, found fertile soil in Slovenian territory. At first only individuals responded to this new sporting event, but as soon as conditions were ripe (with the establishment of the State of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians following World War 1), all the necessary organisational steps were taken for Slovenia to join the international sports movement as part of the first Yugoslavia The climax of this development, of course, was the appearance of the newly-independent Slovenia. Soon after the Slovenian Olympic Charter establishing the ___Olympic Committee of Slovenia was signed in Ljubljana on 1S October 1991, the International Olympic Committee recognised the OCS -just in time for Slovenia's Olympic team to march under its own flag into the arena in Albertville in France for the opening of the 16th Winter Olympic Games on 8 February 1992. While Slovenia did not win any medals at these Games, in the same year our "Bronze Age" in sport began at the 25th Olympic Games in Barcelona: two crews of oarsmen from Bled (a coxless two and a coxless four) won third places and bronze medals. At the 17th Winter Olympic Games in Norway two years later, our skiers were even more successful in collecting medals. The Slovenian team returned from Lillehammer in 1994 with three bronze medals won by Alenlka Dovian in the alpine combination and Jure Kosir and Katja Koren in slalom. The climax of this development, of course, was the appearance of the newly-independent Slovenia. Soon after the Slovenian Olympic Charter establishing the Olympic Committee of Slovenia was signed in Ljubljana on 15 October 1991. It All Began in 1912 The first Slovenian Olympian was Rudolf Cvetko, whose specialty was fencing. Born in Senožeče in 1880, he became acquainted with this sport as a cadet in Trieste, and later as an officer he devoted himself to it so thoroughly that he became a fencing master. When the 5th Olympic Games were held in Stockholm in 1912, he was placed on the Austrian fencing team, and against strong competition he came second, winning the silver medal. This was the first medal won in the Olympic arena by a Slovenian. Incidentally, Cvetko remained faithful to his discipline and sports in general, well into his old age. In the period between the two World Wars as well as after World War II (he died in 1977), Cvetko was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of Slovenian sport and remained linked with sport and youth right up to the end, regularly attending competitions and active as well in the library of the Central Slovenian Pedagogical and Scientific Institute for Sport in Ljubljana The Yugoslav Olympic Board was founded in Zagreb on 14 December 1919. In 1927 it was renamed the Yugoslav Olympic Committee and its headquarters were moved to Belgrade. A number of Slovenian Olympic athletes who distinguished this period of the first Yugoslavia lived to a great age, primarily the gymnasts headed by the still living Leon Štukelj, our first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. Born in Novo Mesto in 1898, Štukelj became an Olympic winner in gymnastics in 1924 when Slovenia was represented in the Olympic arena for the first time by several competitors. At the first Olympic Games in which Yugoslavia could participate, in Antwerp in 1920, the only representative from Slovenia was Stanko Tavčar, a player with the Ilirija Soccer Club. In 1924, eleven Slovenians in all travelled to Paris, while a few months earlier two Slovenians had taken part in the first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix in France. Even more Slovenians appeared in the Olympics of 1928: six in St Moritz in the winter and nine in Amsterdam in the summer. The percentage of Slovenian competitors on Yugoslav Olympic teams considerably exceeded the percentage of the Slovenian population (8.5%) in Yugoslavia Prior to World War II, 37% of all Yugoslav Olympians were Slovenians, and all of Yugoslavia's medals were won thanks to them (three gold, two silver, and three bronze). Along with the Slovenian gymnasts, many skiers from this period also lived to an old age. The most successful were the alpine skier Ciril PraCek from Jesenice; his fellow townsman France Smolej who won tenth place in the fifty kilometre cross-country race in Garmisch- Partenkirchen in 1936, our best Winter Olympic achievement thus far; and Franci Čop from Maribor (who was also born in Jesenice), an especially outstanding slalom skier. Starting Afresh in 1948 These names that were still in the forefront in the period following World War II simultaneously represent the transition to a new Olympic era for the Slovenians within the framework of the new, second Yugoslavia Among sports figures, many were conspicuous who had contributed decisively to the development of sport in Slovenia in the first Yugoslavia Special mention is due Stanko Bloudek (1890-1959), an engineer who did not receive the nickname "Father of Slovenian Sports" by accident. Both before and after the war, he initiated numerous advances in Slovenian sport: the giant Planica ski jump, sports facilities all over Slovenia, and several new sport disciplines and organisations. He also became president of the Yugoslav Olympic Committee (1947-1951) and in 1948 was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee, the first Slovenian to achieve this honour. While our athletes were also becoming increasingly successful in water sports, in the winter arena the breakthrough year was 1984 when Sarajevo was the stage for the 14th Winter Olympic Games. After an Olympic medal in the giant slalom had escaped Slovenian skiing idol Bojan Križaj by only two hundredths of a second at Lake Placid four years earlier, Jure Franko won one in Sarajevo in the same discipline. Four years later, our skiers won three Olympic medals in Calgary: two were won by ski jumpers (our team won the silver medal and among the individual competitors Matjaž Debelak won a bronze) while the silver medal in slalom, our first in women's competition, went to Mateja Svet, our most successful winter athlete so far. This was only the beginning of Slovenia's most recent Olympic era that we described in detail in the introduction. If we work out a balance sheet of our Olympic history, we encounter some quite remarkable numbers, even if we do not include those Slovenians who appeared in the Olympic arena on foreign teams, especially on Italian and Austrian teams. So far we have had altogether 418 Olympians (353 men and 65 women) who have appeared 552 times (476 and 76 respectively), since some participated in several Olympic competitions. Slovenian athletes have so far won twenty-one medals: fourteen at the Summer Games (five gold, two silver and seven bronze) and seven at the Winter Games (three silver and four bronze). As a discipline, gymnastics is in first place with eleven medals before rowing with three, and in winter five medals have been won in alpine skiing and two in jumping. There are thirty-six individual medal holders (some have won several), including six women. In this count are included all the Slovenians who competed for the former Yugoslavia regardless of which club they were members as well as those athletes from elsewhere in Yugoslavia who were members of Slovenian clubs at the time of Olympic successes. Of course, medal holders in individual sports have been counted along with those in team competitions. Thus, disciplines with Olympic medals also include fencing, basketball, handball and soccer.*!* Atlanta is a New Challenge With such a rich Olympic tradition behind us, it is naturally understandable that this year Olympic fever is sweeping the Slovenian public in anticipation of the one hundredth anniversarytof theiOlympic Games, a great challenge for our sports community. For the first time, Slovenianathletes will be participating as an independent Olympic team on another continent, and the United States has a special place in sport Although the Games have frequently been held in the United States (Summer and Winter Games each three times), Slovenians have appeared there only twice: at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and four years later at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. While Atlanta demands extensive professional, and organisational preparations, it is also a great opportunity as much for the successful representation of Slovenia as a country -the Slovenian House with its exhibition of Slovenian* Olympic achievements has already opened in the Olympic Village-as for the successful appearance of our athletes, among whom there are many (in rowing, kayaking, athletics, swimming, shooting, archery, etc.) who can aim very high. Iztok Čop from Bled, for example, is a world champion in rowing (single scull), our women athletes Britta Bilač and Brigita Bukovec 5* ■ have performed brilliantly at major competitions, long jumper Grega Cankar ranks among the greatest talents in the world, marksman RajmondDebevec has been collecting medals at major shooting competitions for years, Alenka KejZar is the winner of a winter World Cup in swimming, and we could mention even more. However, the athletes themselves will have to prove their true Olympic worth: the risk will be theirs and later the fame, as it has always been... A* THE SLOVENIAN LANGUAGE A GRAND PAST BUT HAS IT A FUTURE? Slovenian was introduced into the Saturday School of Community Languages (SSCL) in 1978, giving the opportunity to hundreds of students to acquire mastery of the Slovenian language and culture at high school level. by Marie Williams It had a modest beginning with only one teacher - Mariza Lican - appointed to teach a composite class. Since that time many exciting developments and achievements occurred in relation to the teaching of the language. To name a tew from an endless list: ♦ many students entered a tertiary course with the help of their Slovenian HSC mark ♦ the teaching of Slovenian at Macquarie University was made viable because SSCL provided the source for these further studies ♦ enrolment numbers increased dramatically; for a number of years Slovenian was taught in four classes ♦ students without any Slovenian background were attracted to the school and completed their studies successfully in Slovenian ♦ graduation balls and Parent Committee functions became grand celebrations through which community co-operation and participation was exemplary even to other language groups ♦ a host of notable persons frequented these functions and visited SSCL to provide their support to the goals of the school this resulting in end of year awards etc ♦ The Slovenian School's Council, established in 1976, addressed the educational needs of the community by providing a forum for discussion and able persons to pursue the stated goals. If you were to make a visit to the SSCL today, you may well be excused for saying "where once stood a glorious castle there is rubble". Dignified, conscientious and proud as it may be, the Slovenian class of 1996 contains a handful of students made up from different year-groups. In consequence of such developments, it is understandable if people ask questions like "What factors have lead to this decline? Can anything be done to reverse such developments?" Unfortunately the answers to such questions are not clear cut. While enrolments for Serbian doubled in the past three years - no doubt due to increased immigration but just as importantly effective liaison with community and teacher development being responsible - most community languages are experiencing problems with enrolments. Some of the reasons for this being effective integration with mainstream culture; fewer migrants arriving from the country of origin; in the home environment of second and third generations English is more commonly used at the expense of the community language; the community life has become less vibrant over the years; the failure to introduce effective student and teacher exchange programs; failure to ease the burden on overworked teachers by helping with such things as liaising with community and resource development; ineffective cooperation between SSCL teachers and teachers/administrators of community feeder schools; fluctuating enrolments discouraged good teachers from returning to the SSCL once they were forced to relinquish their positions and subsequently examination and syllabus committee work was also alfected by such developments. New teachers often faced the problem of having to re-invent the wheel in having to teach complex composite classes; having been forced to implement a national Syllabus the teachers are finding that the Department of School Education and the Board of Studies provide them with tar too little support; and the list goes on. We must keep in mind, had a few more students enrolled this year for Slovenian an additional teacher could have been employed. Interestingly enough, the decline in enrolments goes directly against the elforts of the NSW Government and Department of School Education to promote the study of a modem language. From 1996 onwards all students enrolled into year 7, must have completed 100 hours (one year) of study in a language other than English by the time they have completed their School Certificate, This requirement will be increased to 200 hours in the year 2000. (Continued on page 7) (Continued from page 6) Yes, we have entered the communication age and communities in which individuals have bilingual skills, will have the edge over others that are lacking in such skills. The parents of ethnic communities have the choice of encouraging their children to either receive rudimentaiy tuition in a new language (at their week-day school) or to be taught their community language (at the SSCL) in which they can advance in leaps and bounds to a level of proficiency which could provide them with real benefits in their adult life. The above information, while limited in scope, provides some insight into the directions of the Slovenian classes. Hopefully this will also acquaint individuals with the goals and needs of the school. (This article was written after an extended interview with Anthony Scovdas; Language Consultant for Small Candidature Subjects). ❖ Did you know... In Slovenia, there are some 5,000 registered caves of which eleven (11) are tourist caves. Apart from the world famous Postojna Caves, the other well known caves are the Skocjan Caves near Divaca. The French spelaeologist Casteret, wrote in 1955 the following about the Skocjan Caves: "A spelaeologist can see in the Postojna Caves all that he can desire, but the Skocjan Caves have no comparison in the whole world!" Source: The Postojna Caves by Dr France Habe 1986 p.68-70 ■■■HHHMHHHBIHIHHIHaHIHni Slovenian Association ■ - • C t*" • * Sydney SECRETARY MANAGER A vacancy exists for a full-time Secretary Manager for the Slovenian Association, Sydney. The successful applicant should have proven skills in all facets of ciub management, including outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. Effective organisational and administrative skills are essential as are the qualities of self motivation and integrity. Fluency in Slovenian is desirable but not essential. The person we seek would be responsible for all club operations including the effective functioning of the bar and restaurant. Duties would include the maintenance of all accounting and the preparation of financial reports for the committee and government authorities. Working hours are flexible but must cover some weekday evenings and weekends. Remuneration will be subject to negotiation and will reflect experience. Applications in writing, should be marked "Confidential" and addressed to: The President, Slovenian Association Sydney 2-10 Elizabeth Street Wetherill Park NSW 2164 Applications close: 16th August 1996 Euro International Pty Ltd {A.C.N. 050 989 618) Euro Furniture Wide range of colonial furniture from Slovenia. Dining settings, Rocking chairs, Bcntwood chairs and Modem bedrooms. Available at all leading furniture retailers Euro Trading Trading with Slovenia in chemical commodities, pharmaceutical & food products, metals, machinery, sporting equipment and a variety of other products. Sydney Branch 2A Bessemer Street Blacktown NSW 2148 Ph: 02 671 5999 Fax: 02 621 3213 Showroom Address 3 Dalmore Drive Scoresby VIC 3152 Ph: 03 9764 1900 Fax: 03 9764 1461 Slovenia's Gay Community This article may offend some of our readers and as such some of the ASR team had reservations about it being published. However, as it is simply reporting facts which inform us of the changes in independent Slovenia, we felt it was appropriate for inclusion. This year the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney generated enough interest to draw a crowd well in excess of half a million people Although Australians have become widely accepting of gay culture, the process in Slovenia is still in its early stages. Is it just a matter of time then, until we witness parallel scenes of homosexual liberty in the streets of Ljubljana? Will it ever happen? Many Slovenian immigrants from the sixties and before might answer this question with a definite no. Which, all things considered, is quite an understandable sentiment: Homosexuality was illegal in Slovenia until 1994, a good thirty years after the baby boomer generation was born. Also post war European culture wasn't exactly conducive to encouraging tolerance on the matter. But things have changed dramatically on the homosexual front in Slovenia during the last decade or so, as indeed they have right throughout Europe and the world. The first gay men's organisation arrived in 1984, and a lesbian group in 1988. Last August these hosted Slovenia's first international conference on homosexuality. This conference was attended by several prominent politicians and was well received in the local press. Later this year, at another gay conference, there may be enough openly gay Slovenians for a small parade or demonstration. There are now a few gay nightclubs scattered throughout Slovenia. It appears that older homosexuals are reluctant to attend these clubs, and the patrons have an average age somewhere in the early twenties. A characteristic feature of these young Slovenian homosexuals is their casual attitude towards their homosexuality, and their indifference to radical gay politics on the one hand and to heterosexual disapproval on the other. This appears to be the general attitude of emerging homosexual communities throughout the world and especially in Slovenia with the Government taking a genuine interest in the issue. The students cultural centre of the University of Ljubljana (SKUC) has formed a gay section called MAGNUS. Founded in 1984 as a cultural organisation for the socialisation of homosexuality, the group's most important function is organising the MAGNUS festival. MAGNUS was also involved in organising a week long festival of gay films where many important international gay films were screened. Since 1993 MAGNUS has focussed its attentions on encouraging homosexual students to build a lobby in Slovenia. The group also aims to establish a network of activities in collaboration with the University of Maribor. MAGNUS publishes a gay newspaper for young homosexuals in Slovenia and neighbouring countries. The paper is called KEKEC and is available on the Internet along with the MAGNUS home page. The organisation has its own club running out of an old Yugoslav army barracks in Ljubljana called Klub MAGNUS. So while still a long way from emulating the influential gay groups of the wider western world, Slovenian gays have unashamedly made themselves known in their country. ❖ What's popular in Slovenia 1995 Top Twenty Songs Based on readers' voles published in the weekly TV £ music magazine 'STOP'. 1. Bryan Adams, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman 2. Mariah Carey, Fantasy 3. Annie Lennox, A Whiter Shade of Pale 4. Madonna, Take a Bow 5. Take That, Never Forget 6. Annie Lennox, No More I Love You's 7. Take That, Back For Good A Nirvana, About a Girl 9. Aerosmith, Walk On Water 10. Nirvana, Lake Of Fire 11. Michael Jackson, You Are Not Alone 12. Janet Jackson, Runaway 13. Sheryl Crow, Strong Enough 14. East 17, Stay Another Day 15. Madonna, Bedtime Story 16. Wet Wet Wet, Julia Says 17. Sheryl Crow, Keep on Growing IS. Celine Dion, Think Twice 19. Madonna, Human Nature 20. Celine Dion, Pour que tu m 'aimes encore Top 9 Movies 1995 1. The Mask (47289 visitors) 2. Casper (45400) 3. Dumb & Dumber (45256) 4. Legends of the Fall (40394) 5. The Specialist (33787) 6. Waterworld (33775) 7. Gold Finger (007) (33265) 8. While You Were Sleeping (31909) 9. Die Hard 3 (31331) Most Popular Car Polio Volkswagon - Car of the Year 1995 Movies playing in Slovenian Cinemas May 1996 Scarlet Letter Dead Man Walking Jumanji Sabrina 12 Monkeys Copy Cat Father of the Bride II Docter Jeckal and Mrs Hyde Now and Then Toy Storey Casper Grumpier Old Men The Gorenjska region is carved in two by the swift flowing Sava River. Unusually this river has two sources. One comes from Bohinj called Sava Bohinjka and the other begins in the valley near Kranjska Gora called Sava Dolinka. The confluence is near Radovljica which is just outside Bled. The Julian Alps on one side and the Karavanke Alps on the other side seem to soar to the same heights as the Swiss Alps due to the low valley floors from which we gaze upwards. Ljubljana is in the Gorenjska region and as it is centrally located in Slovenia, it is a great place to begin the exploration of this scenically spectacular region. Ljubljana in itself is a beautiful little city with its quaint cloisters, town squares that dot it's heart, the castle encircled by the Ljubijanica river and the mountains that cast long afternoon shadows towards it. Going north along the Celovec Road (Klageufurt Road) which is one of the busies! in the country, one soon finds the urge to detour, unless you are in a hurry. There are many roads along the way which lead to well known local destinations. Overlooking Ljubljana is Smarna Gora. In typical Stoneman fashion, if you can build a church on top of a mountain, people will go there - build it there! This peak offers an eagle eye view of Ljubljana and the surrounding district. The hike up is an easy 60 minute hike, though it can be done considerably quicker in hill climbing events held in summer. Another detour takes you to Skofja Loka, with its baroque monastery dominating the sky line and tranquil streets at the foot hills of the Julian Alps, it was once the local seat of some powerful bishops. All along the fields in Gorenjska one will find a building curious and unique to the Slovenian Alpine foot hills known as the "Kozolci". These structures are used to dry hay in the meadows. Just past Smarna Gora is the township of Kamnik which is at the base of the Krvavec ski resort. This place is extremely popular as it is only a half hour drive from Ljubljana. The Gorenjska region is dotted by international standard ski resorts, like the ones at Vogel, Kranjska Gora, Kobla and Velika Planina. There are other areas to ski in winter which are extremely small and intimate. Travelling north along the Celovec Road one will undoubtedly arrive in Kranj, which for us is famous for one of Slovenia's culinary specialities - the Kransky Sausage. These are usually served wifh the humble potato and the pan fried sauerkraut. One should not visit Slovenia without seeing Bled with its island in the middle of the lake and the castle on top of the bluff, from which it can be observed. Not far from here is the Bohinj lake, not as famous as Bled, but nevertheless just as picturesque with the mountains hugging its shoreline on three sides. This is also the most common departure point for the two-day hike to the top of Mount Triglav. The view is breathtaking on a clear day. This mountain dominates both the Slovenian psyche and the jagged mountain peaks amongst which it rests. There are other approaches to the mountain, the most spectacular is from the Vrata Valley. From the base of the valley one can see a 2,000m wall of stone in front of them. Other attractions near Bled include the church at Brezje, which is the most famous in Slovenia; the Elan ski works at Begunje; Slovenia's first golf course outside Bled - forget the score card just look at the surrounding mountains. Continuing up to the source of the Sava Dolinka one will enter the steel town of Jesenice, which is the border stop if travelling by train to Austria. Why wouldn't you, if you haven't seen Kranjska Gora. It annually holds World Cup slalom and giant slalom ski events. Along with ski jumping, where the world records are continually being broken by the flying men, at Kranjska Gora there is only one of four perfectly contoured slopes in the world to allow these record breaking attempts to be made. ❖ Unisex Hair Salon for Elegance and Style Andreja Konestabo Shop 3/163 Rowe Street Eastwood 2122 Tel: 804 6343 EMERGENCY-EX! : THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! Mothers Day The kids from Slom ikova Sola at Menylands perform for a Mothers Day function after mass at St Rafael's. Supp.rmum guys who came along like to look good too!). We also spent in excess of S2.700 in a lingerie outlet! One stop which really "blew" many of us away was a Reebok outlet. Here I bought myself a pair of Rockport shoes and would you believe they were made in Slovenia!!! The day can be hailed as a great success. Again thank you all for supporting the ASR, Special thanks goes to the two guys who joined us. It must have been quite an experience for them - spending a whole day shopping ivitb the girls!! I must mention however, between the two of them, they spent close to S2,000. In fact one of them. John Kern, was the shopper of the day spending in excess of SI,300. Thanks again guys! Hope to sec you ail next time! ❖ Jude Bavcar-Skubla Well, what can I say? The most appropriate way to start would be to say a BIG "thank you" to all who came along to the Bargain Shopping Tour on Saturday, 1 June 1996. A total of 39 people (37 ladies and 2 guys) joined in to find those bargains - and we must have found many bargains judging from the amount we spent - a staggering SI6,153.45 (as someone mentioned on the day, enough to purchase a new ear!!!) It was a long day - 7:45 am start and concluding at 7:00pm. As the photos illustrate, we had a good time. It was worth all the effort as the end result was positive. Not only did we find bargains for ourselves, but at the same time we raised SI.185.35 for the ASR. What an achievement!!!! We spent over S3,000 in one men's wear outlet alone - obviously we love our other halves (and the two Car Rally This ¡s a St Rafaels Fund Raiser dt social event &ut SC About Tjhe Q&ocid Qgcene in Q&pdnep date PLACE day, June 15 Triglav EVENT Hosted by last year's winners: Danica & Barbara Petric, Veronica, Anthony & OlgaLah Date: Sunday, 11th August 1996 Time: First vehicle leaves at 10:45am Cost: $10 per car Venue: St Rafael's Church Merrylands Drivers and navigators need to be registered before the day. You can register in the church hall after Sunday Mass on and from 14 July. You will receive further information on registration. For further information please call Barbara and Danica Petric on 688 1019 or Veronica, Anthony or Olga Lah on 726 2161. Saturday, June 22 SDS Saturday. June 29 Tnglav Sunday, June 30 i St Rafael's ------ Sunday, Juîy 7 SDS Friday, July 19 Triglav Saturday, July 20 SDS Sunday, July 27 Saturday, August 3 Triglav Triglav Sunday, August 11 St Rafael's Saturday, August 17 Triglav Annual Youth Concet 5 th October 1996 The 22nd Annual Youth Concert will be held at the church hall of SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovene Church Kew, Victoria All musicians, dancers and performers are welcome. Please register your act by calling or faxing your details Ph: (03) 9853 8118 Fax: (03) 9853 6176 Sunday, August l S SDS Sunday, August 25 SDS h- Saturday, August 31 SDS Gala Night - dinner dance Slovenian Independence Dance DETAILS 7.30pm Music by Block Baron Monthly Dinner Falklone Dance Exhibition Presented by the Slovenian Dance Group from Canberra Howlers' Picnic Monthly Dinner Annual Ball Concert Tnglav Men's Choir "Koline" - Pork Sausage Sizzle Car Rally Monthly Dinner Picnic Dance Annual General Meeting Father's Day Dance 8 00pm Music by Black Baron 7.30pm After M.1SS 11 OOajii 2.00pm Music by Lipa 7.30pm 8.00pm Music by Veseli Gorenjci 730pm 7.30pm After Ma« 10.30am 7.30pm 2,00pm Music by The Masters TBA Check clul) notice board 8.00pm Music by The Masters Sunday, October 27 2.00pm Music by Psycho Zydeco For more details on the events listed above contact the organisers dircct:- SDS (Slovenian Association Sydney) 2-10 Elizabeth St Wetherill Park (02) 756 1658 St Rafaels Slovenian Catholic Church 313 Merrylands Rd Merrylands (02)637 7147 I Triglav Club Ltd-80-84 Brisbane Rd St Johns Paik (02) 610 1627 Slovene Association The S.A.S Tennis courts are open on Saturdays from 2pm & Sunday from 12pm Bring a friend & racket. & enjoy the quality facilities —— Sydney ♦ POKER MACHINES*POOL TABLES* BISTRO ♦ LIBRARY with Slovenian Books AC N 000 904 754 2- 10 Elizabeth Street Wetherill Park NSW 2164 S.A.S- "Supporting the Advancement of Slovenians" Phone: (02) 756 1658 Fas: (02) 756 1447 Social Club available for Weddings, Parties, Functions & Hall hire An evening with friends and V Andrej Sifrer The insights into his family also included a song about the fact that his parents were too poor to have children, so their neighbour made him as he wasn't as poor! When Andrej's son Martin was born, he was so intrigued with the size of his Willie that he composed a song about it, "Martinov Lulcek (Willie)". Apparently many Slovenian women had a problem with this song going on the radio, however he persevered and soon all of Slovenia was told that Martin's Willie was 3cm long, like a butterfly in grass, however when he would grow it would be as big as Triglav. (Wouldn't you like to meet Martin now that he is almost 17!!!) Throughout the evening he shared a few jokes and ended on a song about there not being any good pubs left. He was extremely entertaining and although my Slovenian is no longer perfect I had no difficulty understanding his lyrics or jokes. 1 hope he does make it back for a tour in October and I will certainly be queuing up for tickets. 1 suggest you keep him in mind for a concert with a difference. <• By Irene Stariha "Won't you Slay" by Jackson Brown) at one of the youth concerts. Wednesday the 15th of May saw Andrej in Sydney sharing his talents with all those who were interested. Andrej was here on a stop-over between Tokyo and Los Angeles (where he will be doing some recording) and he used this opportunity promote a possible tour later in 1996. I must admit I expected to be a little bored with yet another Slovenian entertainer but felt I needed to do my bit to report for ASR, Well much to my surprise, Andrej made me laugh, tap my toes and even feel the urge to join him on stage for a duet of "Won't You Stay"! (Fortunately I fought this urge or Andrej may have been rather shocked!!) He began the informal performance with his first hit - a humorous piece about being in love with his Dentist (and having all his teeth pulled to keep seeing her). From there he explained in song that his father didn't like his singing and felt that no-one would be interested in music without a squeeze box. Many years ago, when the Sydney based choir ZARJA was in existence, I remember listening to the music of the popular Slovenian musician Andrej Sifrer to find new modern material. The choir performed his piece 'Ostani ZNami' (Slovenian version of TRIGLAV Club Limited *FuIl Membership invited * Function Facilities available * Bowls, Snooker, Bingo * Restaurant Ph: 610 1627 Fax: 823 2522 Club Events in 1996 • Očetovski Dan • Wine Tasting • Miklavževanje • New Years Eve Please contact the club for specific dates September BBQ -12 noon November BBQ - 12 noon December BBQ - 12 noon Dance - 2 till 6pm Dance - 2 till 6pm Dance - 2 till 6pm December Dance - 8pm till late into the New Year! Triglav Club Limited (ACN 001 297 927) 80 - 84 Brisbane Road, St Johns Park NSW 2176 I t must have been a truly harrowing experience for the people in Slovenia when all diplomacy had broken down, and the Yugoslav army invaded their homeland. The invasion which fortunately lasted only ten days would have had an impact on the psyche of all Slovenians, and must be considered as one of the most memorable moments in Slovenia's modern history. Those who fought against the invaders, the ever dwindling elder group reminded of war days long gone, the huddled masses in the bomb shelters of the major cities waiting for the air strikes to begin, would have to consider the moment significant. Then there was the stoic and somewhat stubborn Slovenians who waited in their home expecting the dreaded knock at the door, as they watched the war on television, ever ready to propel the invader. Then of course there were those separated by distance from their homeland who watched events rapidly unfold with anxiety, all over the world. Regardless of one's position all would remember those ten days in July and August of 1991 with a mixture of pride and dread. Yugoslavia had turned in on itself by the last decade of the twentieth century. Unity was gone, and independence was the expectation of every state, except for the centralist and domineering Serbia, who still in 1996 desperately assert their authority. There are fair minded Serbians who must resent the negative attention the on-going dispute of land, and which ethnic group should control it, has generated. The problem is a complex one indeed. Serbia however as the aggressor must shoulder a good deal of the responsibility for the catastrophe which is Bosnia today. As in Slovenia, it was an unwelcome presence in a country trying to follow a peaceful road to reconciliation, recovery and democracy. It has long been the assertion of Kazimir Raposa that the writers of Slovenia had not only a cultural contribution, but a political one as well. It was institutions like the Writers Association or the United Youth Organisation with its weekly Mladina and Nova Revija which accelerated the political and national consciousness of the Slovenians (1). In the summer of 1988 three journalists and a warrant officer were tried in a military court for passing on military information which subsequently proved to be harmless in the long run. One of these journalists Janez Jansa would have a good deal to do with the new Slovenia This one incident can be considered to be the short term catalysts of the invasion in 1991. During 1989 the Slovenian Assembly adopted an amendment to the republican constitution whereby Slovenia acquired the foundations of a sovereign state. Serbia announced economic boycott of Slovenia (2). The fermenting pot of Slovenian independence was just about to boil over, and the clammy hands of Communism were beginning to lose their grip on Slovenian political power. The last act of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia took place on 20 January 1990 at its 14th Extraordinary Congress. The Slovenians present at this meeting left without justice they sought. The first post war democratic elections in April saw the end of the totalitarian power of the League of Communists. Demos, a coalition of reformist parties won 126 of the 240 seats in parliament Milan KuCan, a candidate of the Party of Democratic Renewal was elected President of the Republic, and Lojze Peterle a member of the Christian Democratic Party became President of the Government (3). 1989 to 1991 ^ertotr by Robert Pecovnik Serbian backed government of Yugoslavia was that they were just about to lose their most prosperous and westernised republics. Mr Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia's president, at this stage asked for another referendum. This request would be too little, too late. The article concluded, quite astutely, that Slovenia could secede because it contained few non Slovenians (sic). Croatia's population of 4.5 million including 600,000 Serbians would be a different prospect The benefit of hindsight allows us to see that this would prove fatally true. On 25 June 1991 Slovenia and Croatia declared independence. There were many happy people in the crowd on the night of 26 June at the Declaration of Independence of Slovenia rally in Ljubljana The celebration was to be short lived however, as the Yugoslav tanks began to roll out of their barracks. The following day, Slovenia was occupied by the Serbian led Yugoslav army on the pretence that foreign forces had attacked the country, and that they had to protect the borders. The Slovenians resisted en masse, organising the immediate blockade of barracks, and counter attacks by the effective Slovenian army. On 23 December, a plebiscite was carried out 99% (some sources indicate only 88%, regardless it was a sizeable majority) of the Slovenian population voted for independence of Slovenia and a new constitution. The name Socialist had been removed and Slovenians undertook their own economic self protection. All laws were now based on a Slovenian constitution. Serbian belligerence meant co-federation was impossible in a rapidly disintegrating but still united Yugoslavia, and Slovenia cast itself adrift from the burning wreck of Yugoslavia In March 1991 Slovenians adopted a moratorium on sending conscripts to the Yugoslav army. On Saturday, 13 April, the Sydney Morning Herald via Reuters reported a meeting between all Yugoslav states. The headline ran: "Slovenia, Croatia to secede". In this article President Ku£an announced the intentions of Slovenia To try to solve a crisis that threatened the country with a civil war, by the end of June of that year, Slovenia would leave Yugoslavia This summit held at Brdo Kod Kranja, a Slovenian resort was to escalate the march towards armed insurrection. The Croatian President Mr Franjo Tudjman told a new conference later: "If Slovenia makes such a decision, then we in Croatia have also decided we do not want to remain in Yugoslavia" (5). The problem then for the On 29 June the Herald headline of "Yugoslavia Bombs Republic" brought home the consequences of Slovenia's actions. The Slovenian Interior Minister, Mr Igor Bavčar during a radio broadcast implored people to restrict their movements as army planes were bombing civilian cars at border crossings. Bombing was reported in Trebnje, south of Ljubljana, Brnik Airport, Maribor Airport and had invaded Austrian air space while bombing Šentilj. Janez JanSa declared "Slovenia is at war". Seven deaths as a result of these bombings were reported on this day. On the ground a Maribor policeman was gunned down in a savage attack which left his police car riddled with bullets. This ruthless show of strength was meant as a warning. Two Slovenian defence unit militiamen died on the Austrian border defending a nation officially only 120 hours old. The story of how Slovenians came to defend their homeland will be completed in the next edition of ASR As all Slovenians seemed perilously close to being forced back into an unwanted alliance, the resolve to be free inspired noble feats of self defence. The result of the Yugoslav invasion of Slovenia was we will see was not a miracle victory, but a testimony to the tenacity of the Slovenians. The time to turn the other cheek had passed. (1) Raposa K (editor) - Discover Slovenia Ljubljana 1992 p28 (2) ibid p29 (3) ibid p30 (although a small book this has proved an invaluable wealth of information) (4) Gelt D - Slovenian National Council A3 information sheet published 1991 Distinction printing PO Box 197 Kew Victoria 3101 (5) Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 13 April 1991 •> Slovenian Political delegation visits Australia The month of May was a very important month in political allegiances between Slovenia and Australia. A high powered delegation from the Slovenian Parliament was invited to Australia by our Federal Government to forge links with Australian counterparts and gain some insight into our Westminster system of parliament. by Irene Stariha This delegation included Mr Jozef Skolc who is the speaker of the Parliament in Slovenia. His position is second only to the President of Slovenia and is quite an achievement for a man of his years. Mr Skolc is only 35. How many of us have climbed to such heights even though our ages are not to dissimilar? The speaker of the Slovenian Parliament, Jozef Skolc at SDS Sydney. Mr Skolc represents the Liberal party of Slovenia and with him came his colleagues from the Democrats - Mr France Bucar (who incidentally was the previous Speaker of the House) and the Christian Democrats- Mr Ciril Pucko. These Ministers were also accompanied by Ms Milojka Nemanic as secretary and security people as well as an interpreter. The Australian Government invited this delegation and thus also paid their expenses. Whilst they were here they met with The President of the Australian Parliament, President of the Senate, the Governor General, the Prime Minister, Ministers for Trade and Foreign Affairs etc. Although the nitty gritty of their visit was not discussed, it was evident that these talks enhanced communication and future trade between our two countries. Even though their schedule was very tight, the delegation met with any interested members of the Melbourne and Sydney communities to answer any questions these people may have about Slovenia. I attended the Sydney meeting and although my Slovenian was not good enough to pick up everything that was discussed, I was able to see that many questions about the political structure in Slovenia concerned some within our community. For example questions were raised as to why there needs to be more than 30 parties in Slovenia, 9 of which are represented in the Slovenian parliament and does the tax payer pay for this expense? The answer was fair: these people are only represented if they received votes, thus if they do they have every right to he there. However, parties need to carry a certain number of votes before they receive funding. A question was also raised about the voting rights of Australian Slovenians. Should we not be included as absentee votes? Yes we should, but this is extremely costly and time consuming. As during the last election Slovenia had no Embassy in Australia this was too difficult to organise. ASR asked about the number of women represented in the Slovenian Parliament, Apparently this is still quite low (14 women) however they do hold some vital portfolios and hopefully will inspire other women to become involved in politics. They had put forward a motion to have 50% of Ministers being women but this was rejected. Mr Skolc (and all the other delegates) commented on how friendly the people in Australia were (not only the Slovenians) and that they were more than welcoming. They felt they had learnt some things from our Parliament that they could take back and some things they would rather not! The Slovenian system is unique and members can cross the floor at any time without putting shame on their party, Of course the technology in Australia is far more advanced as is the grandeur of our Parliament house. The Slovenians felt that they had very heated debates (arguments) in their Parliament but were nowhere near as developed as ours in Australia! Hie delegates said that they were astounded at how we have treasured our culture and kept it safe in such an expansive country. How we have conquered new lands without aggression and educated others of the qualities Slovenians posses and how positive it was to see children of the 3rd generation dancing traditional dances and attempting to speak the language. We have much to be proud of and it is encouraging to see Australia and Slovenia coming closer and closer together. ❖ There is a remarkable Lajovic "dynasty" in Australia, After having lost their property in Slovenia to ruthless Soviet-trained communists, penniless brothers Dusan and Milivoj Emil "Misha" Lajovic started in the early 1950s, their new careers, working at the most menial jobs in Australia. The Lajovic Dynasty By the mid-1970s, Misha was elected the first immigrant and the first non-Anglo-Saxon federal senator of Australia. His brother Dusan gradually developed an industrial empire, starting as the founder and governing director of Lajovic Holdings, and subsequently acquiring a controlling interest in Impact International Pty Ltd, an Australian aluminium giant, with branches in Malaysia and Venezuela, as we were delighted to report in Slovenian Heritage, 1981. According to Glas Slovenije - The Voice of Slovenia, November 22, 1995 (edited by Stanka Gregoric), Impact International has just purchased Crane Packaging Victoria, an aluminium tube plant in Melbourne, which will henceforth be known as Impact Containers Pty Ltd. In addition to the plants already mentioned, it also owns manufacturing Mr Dusan Lajovic (right) with Mr Ciril Pucko; the leader of the Slovenian Christian democrats. concerns in New Zealand and Indonesia and has become involved in European industrial firms. Along with a number of other Slovenian patriots, Dusan Lajovic also played a very significant role in the struggle for Slovenian independence and international recognition. Past member of the Australian Trade Mission to South America, the prominent industrialist and civic leader has also capably served the Republic of Slovenia as its honorary consul for New Zealand. To round up the magnificent accomplishments of the Lajovic family, let us add that Dusan's son Dlmitri gained international recognition as builder and team leader of the solar car "Alarus". According to Dr Chester R Kyles Racing with the Sun, published in USA by the Society of Automotive Engineers Inc (1990), this ingenious sun-powered car defeated seventeen other cars costing from about the same ($15,000) to thirty times as much. ❖ Reprinted from: Newsletter - Porocila Slovenian Research Centre of America, Inc Ohio, USA December 1995 SUPPLIED BY: VALENTIN BRECEL 12 BENT STREET, MACEDON VIC 3440❖ Weeks later this amassed into a lunch-time event which far exceeded all expectations. Second generation Slovenians came along enthusiastically with their offspring and enjoyed an afternoon re-acquainting themselves with old friends. The kitchen staff worked tirelessly as food kept running tow with high demand whilst Rudi Cmcec, from Sydney, entertained the crowds with his wonderful wit and musical talent. Top; Three generations of Slovenians: Susie Hillhouse with her mother Rajki Urbas and her children Mark and Jam. Bottom Left; Three generations again: Vilma Alley, her daughter Lauren, Grandmother Frida Celin, Ruby and Jam Di Salvo. Bottom Right; Ruby Di Salvo learning how to bowl. Throughout the day the bowls ground saw a constant relay of competitive players and the children were occupied locating enough Minties to win the "Treasure Hunt". 4EB, our ethnic radio station, came along in their van and broadcasted, on site, the Slovenian hour with interviews and traditional music. The day proved an enormous success due to Vilma's inspiring idea and the help and hard work of our first generation Slovenians. •> An idea sparked off by Vihna Celin - Alley three months ago culminated in a successful and profitable social event for the Planika Club of Brisbane on 21 April W6. A Brist ane Reunion of the Second Generation Keen to reunite second generation Slovenians, Vilma spoke to committee members regarding a social function to ignite enthusiasm back into the club from children of the first generation. By Jam Di Salvo Ivan's Kitchens Penrith For craftsman quality kitchens vanities and cabinets Ivan Brcar 047 21 2010 (AH) 047 365525 - Drainage - Gasfitting - Maintenance & Repairs For all your plumbing needs phone Frank Skubla (02) 674 7993 Mobile (018) 256 516 Gold Lie Ko. 11621 C.A. No. A.3587 __• ¿3* Electrics FS&GS PLUMBING ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR GOLD LICENCE NO: EC38345 For all your Electrical work call Henry Stariha Phone: (02) 624-6132 Mobile: 018 972 425 Slovene or Slovenian? Both "Slovene" and "Slovenian" have long been used in respectable books and the media, yet there is still considerable disagreement as to which of the two terms is correct or at least preferable. As Dr Frank J Kem pointed out in Zarja -The Dawn (November 1949), the use of the term "Slovene" had been copied from the French. It was particularly popularised at the end of the First World War, when a new kingdom, known in French, then the primaiy diplomatic language, as "Royaume des Serbes, Croates et Slovenes," was established. The British incorrectly adopted and in the first two instances only slightly modified the French terms, introducing the English use of the words Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. With the exception of an accent and pronunciation, the English name "Slovenes" is, in its written form, identical with the French term. Yet, while the use in French, is quite appropriate, the use of an identical term in English is not. As a general rule, whenever the English names of countries end in "-ia," the names of their respective peoples end in "-ian." Thus, we have Austria - Austrian, Australia -Australian, Russia - Russian, Lithuania -Lithuanian, Estonia - Estonian, Romania -Romanian, Bosnia - Bosnian, Cambodia -Cambodian, California - Californian, etc. Obviously, it is only logical that we should also use Slovenia - Slovenian. This rule is so well established that it is almost impossible to imagine such terms as Austrenes, Australenes, Italenes, Russenes, Estonenes, etc. Who in the world would be willing to accept such distortions of the English language and its established logic? Yet, somehow, this is what has happened to the people of Slovenia (and let us emphasise that contrary to a recently published statement of a SIM translator, the name Slovenia, while discouraged by the Germans for purposes of easier Germanisation, has been known for centuries. Dr Kern openly and honestly regretted the "bad influence of his own English-Slovene Dictionary and the English-Slovene Reader". To comply with the British version he, too, at first used the incorrect "Slovene", but later, for many decades, tried to correct his 1919 mistake and advocated the universal use of the term "Slovenian", both as a noun and an adjective. The defenders of the term Slovenian range from Dr Kern and Dr Vojmir Bratina, an internationally prominent Slovenian Canadian (not Canadene!) metallurgist, who is also a capable linguist and is exceptionally well versed in Slovenian literary history, archaeology and the arts, to Dr Charles Gribble, an American professor of Slavic languages and literatures and As a general rule, whenever the English names of countries end in ia," the names of their respective peoples end in "-ian." director of the Slavica Publishers, who, for instance, wrote us how glad he was that the Slovenian Research Centre of America Inc, used the correct term "Slovenian" rather than the incorrect "Slovene" (advocated by a Slovenian-bom professor in New York). It was, however, only in November 1995, that we heard another very interesting and witty observation on this topic, as related by Mrs Genevieve "Gene" Drobnic. Her late father Frank Jaksic, like herself a noted Slovenian-American civic leader, put it this way: "When residents of Virginia will no longer be called Virginians but Virgins, then, and only then, I would be willing to call our people Slovenes rather than Slovenians". While we hope that this logic will inevitably and increasingly prevail throughout the English-speaking world, it is nevertheless comforting to know that quite regardless of whether we use Slovenian or Slovene, love is in every Slovenian. Is there any other country in the entire would which contains love in its very name? Newsletter - Porocila Slovenian Research Centre of America, Inc Ohio, USA December 1995 SUPPLIED BY: VALENTIN BRECEL 12 BENT STREET, MACEDON VIC 3440 ❖ Crossword Answers Across: 6 Brave 8 RomanCatholic 11 Luck 15Bohinj 16 Riviera 17 Norway 21 Amanda 22 Hut 23 Cauldron 25 Prison 26 Spew 27 Anvil 29 Smirk 30 Ireland 33 Dope 34 Loot 35 Prickle 36 Desire Down: 1 June 2 Sap 3 Kranj 4 White 5 Fitter 6 Back 7 End 9 Maribor 10 AntonioBanderas 12 Melodrama 13 Panache 14 Pollute 18 Rectify 19 Patsy 20 Planica 24 Anchor 26 Smooth 28 Riddle 31 Ladle 32 Lap ❖ BjBRnannannBBi^nBBn[s | ^ ^ Robar Bros ptyLtd ACN 066 032111 BSC Lie. No. 62780C • Excavation • Concreting Specialist • Bogie Tipper Hire • Drott & Backhoe Hire • Dogtrailer Hire I* Stencil & Stamped concrete specialist • Commercial & Domestic work • Hourley & Contract price available • All Work Guaranteed • Over 30 years experience Mobile: 018 067 553 AH: 02 6231612 Fax: 02 623 3625 Eddy Robar 63 Kent Road Orchard Hills NSW k A Letters Dear ASR team We recently had the opportunity to hear Rudi Cmcec play the harmonica as he kindly offered to entertain at the Second Generation Slovenians Reunion in Brisbane. We all had a fabulous day and the music made for a truly Slovenian atmosphere of fun and happiness. We are very proud to have achievers such as Rudi and Julie Brcar in the Slovenian community. Well done ASR, I look forward to your next issue. Vilma Alley (Celin) Brisbane, QLD Sounds like Brisbane is the place to be if you are looking at rekindling old friendships. The ASR team is endeavouring to follow suit and have a get together with all our Australian Slovenians here in NSW. I hope ours will be as well organised and attended as yours and that the entertainment will be just as good. Some of the ASR team are working as downs (just like they do at our meetings!) We do have some talented people amongst us and I'm sure they will continue to do our community proud. Ed Dear ASR team I pick up the ASR from the Adelaide Slovenian Club and note your invitation for people to write in. I am interested in writing an article about Slovenian Folk Music and am keen to know - as a student - how much you pay for a quantity of information, t have just completed a First Class Honours degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of Adelaide and feel I have plenty to contribute to the community. Kathryn Hardwick-Franco Mile End S.A. Thank you for offering your services to the Australian Slovenian community and more specifically ASR. It sounds as though you could supply our readers with much of interest and we could even learn alittle along the way. HOWEVER... ASR is a purely voluntary newsprint. Even those of us who have contributed countless hours for over 3 years, have received only good wishes and feelings of achievement. Perhaps one day we will have enough financial strength to pay our "journalists", but for now we need to be content when we cover the cosf of printing and post. I hope you will consider sharing some of your knowledge with our readers and share in that feeling of satisfaction. Ed. Dear ASR team With aSi due respect I would like to let you know, that I love your newsletter, the ASR and really enjoy reading it. t especially like your neutrality and open-minded approach when dealing with our recent history and also when covering events that are currently taking place in Slovenia. I really feel, that you are The ASR welcomes suggestions and comments. Send correspondence to: ASR PO Box KL806 Kings Langley NSW 2147 Australia honest and unbiased in your reporting. I am so happy that you gave Metka Cuk the opportunity to tell her side of the story. Thank you also for the stories written by Olga Konda and Danica Petric. Every one of us has a story of our own to tell and each and every story is interesting and important. Please publish more work of this nature! i wish you all the very best in the New Year and hope that you will always remain as "independent" as you are today. Attached is a cheque, thank you for your hard work! Marija Grosman Newcastle Thank you for your encouragement! We do strive to be independent and for us it is much easier to be so as we are alittle removed from many events being sometimes more Australian than Slovenian. I agree with you that the stories by people who pioneered our community and those who have joined it many years latter are of particular interest. These stories are often difficult to get as many Slovenians guard the secrets of their past or choose to forget. The more we can share these with each other however, the richer all our lives are as we can learn and empathise with each other. These stories a/so formalise some of the history of our community so that when our founders pass away something will be left to recall the plight of Australian Slovenians. Your cheque has been already Deep spent on the production of our last issue, but I must apologise that your letter was not yet translated in time and needed to be held over to this issue. Thank you Marija also for your kind words of encouragement and the pleasant company at our recent meeting at the introduction of our Slovenian Political visitors at SDS recently. Ed •> COOKING SLOVENIAN STYLE Flancati - Angel's Biscuits It is nearly impossible to find a word in the English language, that would correctly describe the delicious Slovenian treat called flancati. They are a medium size biscuit of a light and fluffy texture and when served sprinkled with icing sugar, and accompanied by a strong cup of freshly brewed coffee with cream, they bring you just about as close as you can get to the feeling of heaven. They are relatively easy to make and if you follow this simple recipe, you might just be able to surprise your friends and relatives at your next afternoon tea party. S ^ Ingredients Method 1kg of plain flour 60g of sour cream 8 egg yolks 100g of castor sugar 2 tbl spoons of lemon juice 2 tbl spoons of rum 6 tbl spoons of wine (white or red) vegetable oil icing sugar Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into a fine and fluffy dough, dough is ready when it is completely smooth. The The dough should be then left to rest in a warm place for approximately half an hour. In the mean time prepare the frying oil in a large shallow saucepan, there should be enough oil for the flancati to "swim" in without touching the bottom of the pot. Then, using a rolling pin, roi! the dough onto a non-stick surface (if you are a beginner you can do smaller bits of dough at a time). When rolled out it should be no thicker than a few millimetres. Cut the dough into rectangles, about half the size of a five dollar bill. For a special, friily effect use a circular jagged edged cutter, or a cerated edged knife will also do. Cut the middle of the rectangles lengthwise 3-4 times, as this will allow the pastry to curl, when placed into the hot oil. After all is prepared, submerge the rectangles into hot oil for a few minutes until golden brown. Drain and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving. Bon Apetit MAPLE-An outstanding new design series Extensive range of 3.4 or 5 bedroom plans. Can be modified to suit your needs Phone for FREE colour leaflets or call and inspect the style and quality of our Display Homes. Telephone: 02-629 4394 or 02-671 3155 ears 40 y en ce exPeSL huWtr3 ROSEWOOD A ^ HOMES Exceptional Value, Top Quality and Stylish appearance. Variety of areas in West, North West and South Western suburbs. Some reader to occupy now. Rullderc Lie Nn i-iSOft , r. , ... ACM 002 f»6 • Where Quality and Service (ire built m • Display Homes • Homeworkl 11. Hampton Crescent, Prospect • Parklea Home Market, Sorrento Drive. Glenwood Park. New Homes Built on your land House & Land Packages • Perfect for first home buyers. • Ideal for investors WTNKEK 1995-96 Crossword ACROSS 6 Having or showing courage 8 The most common religion in Slovenia 11 Success attained as a result of chance 15 A glacial valley in Slovenia 16 Coastal district with warm climate 17 The largest producer of Aluminium in Europe 21 A fleet of armed ships 22 An ugly squalid dwelling 23 A large kettle often filled with flogs tails 25 A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention 26 To gush forth 27 The quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end 29 Smug smile 30 The wurner of the 1096 Eurovision song contest 33 To make impure or inferior by deceptively adding foreign substances 34 Goods or property seized unlawfully especially by a victor in war-time 35 A sharp pointed object 36 A strong wish for what promises enjoyment or pleasure DOWN 1 The month Slovenia celebrates independence 2 To lessen or deplete the nerve energy or strength of 3 The capital city of the Gorenjska region 4 colour of the tope back of the Slovenian flag 5 The captain of the NSW State of Origin side 6 Located at the rear 7 A concluding or terminating 9 The second largest Slovenian city 10 The Spanish actor in the movie Assassins 12 Over dramatic behaviour 13 Spirited self-confidence 14 To make morally impure 18 To fix 19 The international beauty guru in Ab Fab 20 An Alpine Valley near Kranjska üora 24 To make secure 26 The act or an instance of kissing 28 Anything that arouses curiosity or perplexes because it is unexplained, inexplicable or secret 31 To take a substance as liquid from a container by plunging the hand or a utensil into it 32 To flow against or along ❖ Answers on Page 17 Did you want a copy of the Australian Slovenian Review, need to change your address or cancel your free copy? Fill in the details below and send to: Australian Slovenian Review C/- P.O. Box KL 806 Kings Langley NSW 2147 □ I would like a copy □ Please change my details □ Please cancel my copy Name Address Postcode If you know someone else who would be interested in receiving a copy of the ASR, please pass this form to them. Back issues are also available at $5 each. Please send your orders to the above address.