Happy 4th- Croatian Style and MAMURLUK

Happy 4th o July ya'll! For the obvious reasons, people dont celebrate "Independence day here in Croatsland. But that didnt stop my American friend Rebecca and I from having our own little celebration. Fried chicken, deviled eggs, watermelon, and some good old fashioned American spirit helped us remember what it means to be an American! We set up our little shin dig in Rebecca's husband's bar- Libertina- and we had some help from the locals in enjoying our little feast. Waving American flags and listening to Ray Charles's version of American the Beautiful - I truly did invoke a sense of American pride as I devoured my drumstick, and sipped on an Ojusko Pivo.
Then yesterday I just HAD to go the "cinema"( ppl dont call it the movies here) and see MAMURLUK! A.K.A The Hangover. Every one of my friends from the states had raved about it, so when I saw it advertised I was like - WHAT! Its already here? It was hysterical, and that Bradley Cooper- even when hung over and covered in crap- is SO HOT! I laughed my a** off the whole time. Next out is Bruno - cant wait for that one.

Step Into My Officina

I am Orebic, a small village on the Plejacs Peninsula, on the Damatian Coast of Croatia. This town is older than the whole continental United States, and so are its values, opinions, and attitudes towards "outsiders"(tourists like me). Although this place is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, I dont always feel welcome here. Anyway I came here to switch it up a bit, since I had been in Dubrovnik for a few weeks, and was feeling like a little sunshine, biking, hiking, quiet and calmness was needed , since Dubrovnik can be really crowded with tourists.
Well here, in Orebic, life is slooooooow like molasses. It is quiet, there is harldy any one here, and every one knows everyone. I have been here for three days and have yet to hear anyone speaking English( unless I ask them to kindly "Govrim Engleski? Ja ne govorim Hrvatski, aprosti."- Meaning Do you speak English, Im sorry I dont speak Croatian!)
So on top of all that it has been storming and raining non stop since I arrived here, so Ive been pretty much stuck inside for three days. I havent gone out or seen any one- not even for a coffee. Im stir crazy, bored and edging towards depressed.
So, I decided to create a little officina for myself. A space where I can sit and stare out at the sea, write, create, think...cause what else do I have to do?! So i moved a bit of furniture around, and made the desk face the french window doors, which face the sea. So now I have a cute little area with a fantastic view of the rain and the sea and Korrcula Island in the distance. I set up my printer scanner, put up some inspirational pics, quotes and magazine clippings. I picked some hydrangea from the garden and put them in a little vase. And VOILA!!
So wont you step into my office?!
I need more projects to do with my hands. Wish I had brought some jewlery making kit or something!

Outdoor Produce Markets

The produce markets here in Dubrovnik are amazing. Packed with local fresh produce from the region and bustling with tourists and locals alike. I usually make my way to there every morning to buy a little fruit, veggies or local cheese. Cherries, peaches and nectarines are in season right now, as are melons, like cantalope. I can usually find melon through out the summer, but these excellent cherries have a limited window, so I must enjoy them while they last!
There are other vendors too selling everything from local honey and jams, to traditional Croatian crocheted fabrics and dolls dressed in Croatian garb and colors.
Here's a few pics I snapped this morn while I was there.

It's Always Sunny in Dubrovnik

Buza: The Best Beach Bar in Dubrovnik

This is an aerial view of Buza, just so you can get the gist of this place. It's spectacular.A hidden jem. You just dive right off the sides of the rocks into the water. They play really great music there too, like Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder and the occasional Euro lounge type mix. It took me 3 months to finally figure out how to get to this place due to the fact that every time someone told me hoew to get there, they would would vague directions. LIke, just go to the church and then make a right, and then go up some stairs and loof for a doorway that isnt marked..... WTF?! Yeah, there really arent any street names here either, because its all labrynth like, once street will turn into another.Pretty crazy.

Dubrovnik is Awesome

I have arrived! Ahhhhh, the sunshine, the stone streets, the palm trees, and lush blooming Jasmine and begonias, the tourists, and that beautiful Adriatic Sea! Its funny cause I almost feel as if I never left. I walk down the streets with a sense of familiarity, I see many of the same people working in the cafes and shops. I have seen many friends that I made last year, and they are all very welcoming and happy to see me.I went to my favorite little beach spot, Buza ( Croatian translation : "hole in the wall") and lounged in sun, swam in the sea, and I saw a couple of peeps from last year. I am noticing more and more English speaking people here this year. Americans and Aussies and British tourists. I just love AUstralian accents, and New Zealand accents too. I sould listen to them speak all day! Its so cute the way that they say everything!
I went out for the first time last night. I met up with one of the restaurant barkers. In case you dont know what this is, i ll tell you. A restaruant barker is a person who stands in the streets and tries to entice tourists to go to thier restaraunt. the Old City of Dubrovnik, or "Stari Grad", is like a living labrynth. It s maze people! You think that one street ends, but it doesnt, there are all these little nooks and crannies to find, and so many times tourist do not realize that there are streets upon streets full of places to chill and eat. So these barkers will stay out on the one main street called " Stradun"- pernounced Straaa-dune, and try to get peeps to go spend thier cash at thier establishment. Anyway- I see this one guy all the time when I walk the dogs and we ll chat about this or that. SO last night I went out with him and his bro for some drinks. His name is Darko- yup, like Donny Darko. His bro was a pretty interesting cat, cause he had this crazy ass hair style. Check this.... his head is completley Bic shaved, exept for ...wait for it.... a sweet ass little pony tail of hair in the back , that goes down to his shoulders. Nutso. But whatevs, he was pretty entertaining. He told me all about his life as a sailor on cargo ships sailing around the world. Then I went out to a little bar by myself and I met Bruno- the Croatian version of my first boyfriend, Chris Grogan. He's in one of those pics i posted up. A cute guy- but a very cocky guy. A professional water Polo player at 25 years old.I couldnt believe he was Croatian because I had never seen a croatian who looked like him! Turns out we have the same heritage- his friends were telling us that we were cut from the same cloth- like twins, they said. Because we both blond, tan ect...Anyway, I thought maybe this guy could be my summer boyfriend- but he s too young and didnt seem like good boyfriend material, he just seemed like he was a player. Then I had a great conversation with an Aussie guy named Johnny about Summer Heights HIgh and how amazing Chris Lilly is. It was great to just hear his Aussie twang, and his impersonations of Jonah were really good.

My favorite hang out FRESH, is closed this year and I m sad. I loved that little bar and I made tons of friends there. So i guess i need to find a new place to go... there are many many bars and cafes here so i ll just have to try em out!
I hope that we stay here in Dubrovnik more this year because I like it better than Orebic. There is more to see here, and the Summer Festival in July is awesome, with so many shows, live music, theater, and art.
The little dog in the pics I posted is NOT one of my dogs I take care of. Its Mocha, the woman who owns the apartment Im staying in owns him. He just roams around and comes up to see me sometimes. He's cool.
Well thats all for now... Peace out

Getting Geared Up for Croatia

In case you haven't heard I am going to Croatia this summer. I am super excited about it. Croatia is in Europe people OK?! http://www.croatia.hr/English/Home/Naslovna.aspxIt's a gorgeous country that has over 1,200 islands dotting it coastline. It is paradise. So before I leave in June I have made a vow to myself to lose 15 lbs! I did it last year, and I will do it again. Of course, no pain, no gain. It might be tough, but I've just been doing positive affirmations every morning when I wake up. Guiding my body, telling it to let go of any extra weight that it doesn't need, and appreciating it. I've found that this really works! It's like the whole theory about talking to plants. If you talk to a plant, give it love, and support, it will grow!

I went to Agape Spiritual Center last night( www.agapelive.com). Agape is the spiritual community that has allowed me heart to grow. It is my church, my temple, my synagogue, my sanctuary. It's hard being a 20 something in the 21st century, and I often feel totally overwhelmed. But this place has grounded me, calmed me and saved my life many times. God is good, ever present and blessing my life constantly. Dr.Wayne Dyer (www.drwaynedyer.com ) explains it like this "We are not human beings have a spiritual experience -we are spiritual beings having a human experience." I love that.