Month: March 2012

Family Picnic to Kosmaj

billkralovec
The monument to the Yugoslav Partizan Division in World War II.

Yesterday we had a family picnic to the “little sister” of Avala, Kosmaj. The mountain is located just a bit further south in Šumadija, and is also a designated park. There were a lot of people picnicing, a favorite Serbian activity, but it is such a big place, that we felt very relaxed. We walked up to the monument above, and then walked even further up to the military post. From there, we walked through the Beech forest, back to the picnic area, but no on trails. The kids absolutely loved climbing the hills and rocks, and playing with sticks. I loved the huge number of spring wildflowers.

The mountain may be named after the Slavic protector of woods and animals, Kozmaj. The kids felt her/his spirit and were in their element. The place is a nice day trip from Belgrade, with playgrounds, hiking trails, sporting fields, and a monastery (Tresinje) to visit as well.

Oliver climbs down the hill in the Beech Forests of Kosmaj.

Čedomir Jovanović – Political Campaign

billkralovec

 

Istina – Preokret, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Thanks to the political campaign billboard above, I learned the word, “istina” means truth in Serbian. The good-looking fellow in the photo is Čedomir Jovanović, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). They are running for parliament in this spring’s elections.

In reading a bit of background on Jovanović, the LDP is a minor party, and he finished in fifth place in the 2008 Serbian Presidential elections. Jovanović came to fame in the university student protests in the 1990’s, and served in the government of the late Prime Minister, Zoran Đinđić. He fell out of favor in the party, ultimately leaving current Serbian President, Boris Tadić’s party to form his own.

In the little reading I did on him, he seems to make provocative statements in the press to seek attention. He especially went after the Serbian tycoons and the organized crime surrounding the Milosević regime. He favors the independence of Kosovo, integration with Europe and severing ties with the Republika Srpska.

My advice for him would be to establish a career in a chosen field (university professor), and gain some experience outside politics before coming back and trying again. As with US politicians, his model-like looks help, but he is struggling to even get into parliament. .

New Monument in Belgrade

billkralovec

 

Wreaths, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

This morning I stopped by and saw the new monument that opened today in Belgrade. It is remembering the people who died during the Yugoslavian Civil Wars of the 1990’s. It honors not only civilian victims, but the Serbian soldiers as well.

It is located on a new Sava Square that is located very close to the train station in downtown Belgrade. Today marks the 13th anniversary of the start of the NATO bombings in 1999. The monument is controversial in that the victims names are not listed and some people feel that the Serbian government needs to recognize more, the crimes committed during the wars.

There were lots of people taking photos and laying wreaths. A very sad monument. It is sad that people died and their surviving loved ones still miss them today, and as well the horror of war.

It is a small and difficult-to-read inscription on the metal wall. I liked the white stones for the base and the little pool, mimicking the Washington Monument in D.C.

The anniversary was subdued today. There was no moment of silence or sounding of the air raid sirens, as in previous years I’ve been in Belgrade on this date.

 

Good Bye Baltic Sea

billkralovec

 


I took my annual photo on the shores of the Baltic Sea. For the past two years I’ve happened to be in one of the Baltic nations (Estonia, Latvia) in the month of March and this year was no exception. I’ll continue my streak with next year’s basketball tourney in Lithuania.

I’ve never been here during the summer where it must be much nicer. The Baltic reminds me of Lake Superior, with its majestic pine trees, cold winds, and icy waters. The Baltic is brackish (lower salt level than ocean) and one of the largest inland seas in the world. I really enjoyed running on the icy beach in my stay in Jurmala.

The coaches stayed in the resort town of Jurmala, which means “seaside” in Latvian. The town was a favorite of the Soviet leaders when the country was Latvia S.S.R. Today it still has a lot of Russian tourists. The school hosting the tourney this year, the International School of Latvia is about halfway between Jurmala on the coast and the capital city of Riga.

Another highlight of my stay was the extensive spa located at the hotel. After a tough day of coaching, it was nice to relax. The spa featured three different temperatures of saunas, a Turkish-menthol steam bath, a salt sauna, swimming pools and cooling pools. I learned that I break out in red tiger stripes when I spend anytime in the 110C sauna, even when I take crushed ice in and put it on my head and back. It is also cool that my home in the village of Caspian, Michigan is located on Baltic Avenue. Now I just need to see the Caspian Sea to complete my journey. I hope to come back to Latvia again sometime!

Ice Fishermen on the Lielupe (Large) River in Jurmala, Latvia

Latvian Professional Basketball

billkralovec

Last night we took the students to watch a professional basketball game in the first division of Latvian basketball. Turiba College defeated Latvijas University 88-74. Both teams are from Riga and are in the middle of the table. I was really impressed with the level of play. Both teams played with much effort and it was fundamentally sound basketball from start to finish. It was very good for our players to watch. I learned about a new way of stretching (moving instead of sitting on the floor) and a new “circle defense” employed by Turiba and founded by a Russian coach. I need to explore this a bit more. Turiba had much more energy and better outside shooting to defeat LU’s star player, Zanis Pieners. The game was held in an old Soviet gym, with the fans on top in the balcony and the players and benches only on the floor. There were several hundred people at the game, including a couple of drunks, one who ran onto the floor during a time out with his shirt off. He was escorted back to his seat and watched the rest of the game with his shirt on.

Latvia like Lithuania, has a good basketball program. Arturs, the Athletic Director of the International School of Latvia was explaining the youth programs in the country. Every town and village have their leagues with a range of ages. The country only has just over 2 million people, so they need to be organized to produce top talent. The two teams last night, are universities that give scholarships to players so they can study, but still play professional basketball.

I would like to thank Arturs for arranging the game! Go Turibas!

Latvian Beauty

billkralovec

 

Bay of Riga – Baltic Sea – Jurmala, Latvia, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

This was the scene on my run on the beach yesterday afternoon. I am in Jurmala, Latvia with the High School Boys’ Basketball Team for their annual CEESA (Central and Eastern European Schools Association) Championships. This is the second time in a row they hosted, and I am enjoying Latvia. It was a busy day and it was nice to relax with a “fresh” run along the snow and ice and the Baltic Sea views. Jurmala is 25 kilometers from the capital city of Riga. On this visit I am seeing the Scandinavian influences in the architecture and the people. Their economy is coming back a bit. After the run, we had the coaches’ dinner at Sue’s Asia Restaurant. As I am getting older, I am enjoying spicy food more. I think it must be my taste buds, like my eyes, are getting worse with age. We then watched the last period of Dynamo Riga’s game against the “Torpedoes” in the Russian Hockey League. They won 3-1 to force a game 7 playoff, and they are the number 7 seed playing against the #2 seed.

It was another great day of basketball, (see my Principal’s Blog for more) and tonight we are taking the student-athletes to the Latvian Basketball League.

Seeking Solace

billkralovec

 


This is my final blog post about our time recently in my village of Michigan. The photo above shows Oliver riding my carry-on through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. All of our children naturally jumped on the carry-ons for years, and I’ve never seen anyone else do this. People always get a big smile on seeing this. Oliver is probably getting one of his last rides as the guy is getting a bit too big for this.The vitality and “circle of life” aspect of being a father and husband has given me much solace during this sad time. I found comfort in knowing that every generation moves over for the next one to take over. I hope I pass on to my children the wisdom my father did to me.

I also found a lot of renewal in getting out in the white, cold, beauty of the northwoods. I grew up in the upper Great Lakes region, and I love getting out in the winter and cross-country skiing. The fresh air, crisp snow, and silence really lift my spirits. Owen and I did the big loop at the George Young Resort near my village. It is also nice to come in from the cold and warm up. A perfect winter day for me is a morning of skiing and a late afternoon of the sauna and swimming.

Warming By the Wood Stove - Sylvania Wilderness

I always enjoy going home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My brother and I decided to keep our family home and it is comforting to know that my memories are preserved and we always have a place to come to.

Green Bay Packers: A Money-Making Machine

billkralovec

I apologize to my readers about not blogging much lately. With the passing of my father and jet lag, I really didn’t feel much like writing. I do want to do two a couple of blog posts on my time in the USA, and then I’ll start again this week with my blogging about Serbia.

The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin is the largest regional airport near my home village of Caspian, Michigan. It is also the closest American Airlines gets to Caspian. Before we flew back to Belgrade, we spent the day in Green Bay and due to my son’s interest in American Football, we took the tour of the Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The stadium is like the Wembely of American Football. The Packers were one of the original teams in the NFL and have more championships (13) than any other franchise. The Packers won seven of those titles in the 1930’s and 40’s, but they did win the first two Super Bowls, in 1967-68, and they won two more in 1996 and 2010. The field has seen many historic games, and being located so far north, it is nicknamed the “frozen tundra.”

They are also a unique major professional sports franchise in that they are publicly-owned team. The league started in small towns in the midwest, and they are the last remaining. It is amazing that such a small city as Green Bay, which has a metropolitan population of just over 200,000 can support one of the best teams in one of the richest leagues in the world. The city and surrounding area are fanatical (borderline obsessed) about the team, and support it both financially and emotionally.

For example, we took the official stadium tour on a Wednesday afternoon in February. Our group had about 20 people and it was one of the six tours going that day. It was a very interesting tour and we got to see the atrium, luxury suites, go down on the field, and even run out of the players’ tunnel, just like the team does on Sundays. I couldn’t get over how much money the team generates! We went into a 25-person suite that charges $102,000 to rent for the season. The stadium seats  over 80,000 people and they have a waiting list of season tickets of 96,000 people. Last summer, they wanted to raise funds for a $143 million stadium expansion, and so they printed “stock” certificates and charged $250 each. They sold out immediately, even though the stock is worthless. In the stadium there are restaurants, bars, conference rooms, etc. They even offer to get married in the stadium! The gift shop is two floors and is the size of a Wal Mart.

Owen and Ollie loved the tour and they both bought jerseys. Owen especially loves the game, as Ollie is a bit young. We’ll have to try to make it back for their summer camp one of these years. Unfortunately, I am not a Packers fan. People in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are mixed between supporting the Packers, Detroit Lions (my team), Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. I say unfortunately, because the Lions have not won any Super Bowls and only 4 championships, despite starting in 1930 and the last championship was in 1957.

There is a small football following here in Belgrade, and there is even a league, the Central European Football League, with the Belgrade Vukovi, the defending champions. We will check out some of the games down at Ada Ciganlija. The season begins in two weeks and runs through June. A

In thinking about the impact of the Packers on the city, they do take a lot of money that would go to other businesses. However, I think that they bring in as much as they take. Without the team, Green Bay would be a non-descript mid-sized town near the Great Lakes. Instead, it is known throughout the nation. The Packers are one of the “national” teams and due to the influence of television and the internet, also have a national following.

I recommend