Summer at Lehigh University

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For my blog readers, I just want to announce that I will be in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania starting work on my Doctorate in Educational Leadership. It is a program geared towards international school leaders and it allows me to continue working full time while studying in the summer and on line during the school year.

I am really enjoying the program so far and feel I made the right decision to start further study. As you can see in the picture above, the campus is really beautiful and inspiring, not only the buildings, but also the setting. The university is set on a hillside overlooking the city of Bethlehem. There are approximately 75,000 people in the city and it is your typical quaint, Mid-Atlantic region small town. The two universities gives it a cultural boost. What sets the city apart from others is the huge complex of steel stacks in the middle of the town, a memory of the once powerful, Bethlehem Steel Company. It used to be the second largest steel company in the world after US Steel, but it folded in the 1990’s. The city has redeveloped the former factory grounds and turned it into a very cool community center.

I will be blogging about my experiences in the area (including New York City) which is a 1-hour drive away. I snapped the photo above last week of the Office of Admissions.

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Baseball

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I am spending the summer at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I am working on my EdD. in Educational Leadership. Last night I had a lot of reading to do so I went to the baseball game to get it done. Baseball (and cricket) are the perfect sports for reading while at the park.

The “Iron Pigs” are a minor league baseball team. The minor leagues are the developmental teams for Major League Baseball (MLB). Every MLB team has several levels, leading up to their big league team. The Iron Pigs are the top level (AAA) affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies. They were playing last night against the Tampa Rays top affiliate in the “International” League. I don’t know why they call it the international league because all of the teams are located in the eastern and central part of the US. All of the players are just one step from MLB and so the level is quite high, but most of them will not make it to the top team. There are about 800-1000 players in the MLB and about 5,000 minor league players. I would estimate about a third of the players at AAA get at least a game or two with the MLB club.

I was very impressed with the stadium and the large crowd (approx 10,000) people on a beautiful summer evening at the ball park. Americans do know how to make money from professional sports and I wish Red Star and Partizan could come and see what a stadium experience should be like. They were super organized with parking attendants, ushers, and security guards who were friendly and efficient. The experience is designed for families and for extracting money from the patrons. There are restaurants, fast food, really nice beer gardens, BBQ areas, and even a bouncy castle park for kids. In the outfield they have a grassy hill for picnicking. The souvenir shop was also first class and making a brisk business. In between innings they kept the fans entertained by giving away free t-shirts, a bunch of audience participation games, even a mascot running race.

Unfortunately, the home team lost 3-1, but more importantly for me, I got three chapters read of my homework and I enjoyed working in the relaxing environment of the baseball park. I am interested in the finances of the team. I wonder if it is a profitable business?

Kralovecs Perform

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Yesterday was a big day for performances. Nadia (above) made her debut in the International Belgrade Singers concert. The choir is made of expats and is organized by the Canadian Embassy. The theme last night was “Music of the Immigrant” and took place at the Children’s Cultural Center in downtown Belgrade. All proceeds went to Materinski Dom, a charity that helps children.

It was a thrill to see Nadia perform and I thought she was the best singer, although I may be biased.

Oliver also made his public debut as the drummer for “The Shooting Stars” a group of his friends. Ollie played the drums and had a magnificent performance. I would like to thank Adam for coaching the band. I would like to keep Oliver going with the drums. The video is below.

 

Visit to the Central Trades School in Rakovica

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It was an uplifting experience yesterday to visit the Central Trades School (Srednja Zanatska Škola) in the Belgrade suburb of Rakovica. The school is a government initiative that focuses on social rehabilitation and job training for vulnerable students in the Belgrade metropolitan area. Single mothers, refugees, victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, Roma children, etc. are the target population. Most of the students are from ages 17-20 and include about 30% Roma.

The school was hosting a school year culminating fair, called, “We Can Overcome the Boundaries Together.”  There were food stands, music and dance performances, judo exhibitions, craft bazaar, etc. I toured the school and met with the teachers and students. I was invited as the representative of the International School of Belgrade. This year our students through the Community Action and Service Program at our school have been regularly working with the severe special needs students in the garden and green house program of the school. The idea stemmed from one of our students, whose parents through their work in the diplomatic community, became aware of the school.

My daughter Ocean poses in the school’s greenhouse

The school’s goal is to train and find job for their students. To that end, they have working auto mechanic garages, welding workshops, beauty salons, and even a small restaurant. Students also do internships with local businesses to help them make the transition into employment. An article in the Studio B web site stated that 40% of their students find jobs.

It is nice that the Serbian government supports these kinds of schools. A society can be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable members. I was also impressed with the positive spirit of the students and teachers and especially, the dedication of the faculty. Everyone I met was very dedicated to students and felt good about making a difference

ISB Students At the Bazaar of the Central Trades School

Bill and Nadia’s Diet

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In April Nadia and I visited Dr. Ana Gifing’s “Anti-Aging” Diagnostic Center here in downtown Belgrade. We both were carrying some extra weight from a long winter and based on a recommendation from a friend, we decided to try Dr. Gifing’s program.

We brought in blood test results, underwent a “Body Composition Analysis” which is basically a device that measures muscle and fat content, and a food allergen test. The staff then put us on a 28-day “chrono-nutrition” diet plan. This was the first time I ever went on a diet and I must say, it really worked for both of us.

The diet consists of eating vegetables and meat, avoiding sweets and carbohydrates. It also gave me some good habits of always eating breakfast and eliminating snacking between meals, especially the late night binges I used to do. My friends compared the diet to the Atkins or South Beach, or Paleo Diets in the US. High protein and low carbs to burn off fat. My results speak for themselves.

April 17, 2013

  • Weight – 76.9 kilograms (169.5 lbs.)
  • Body Fat Mass 18.0 (normal range 8 – 16)
  • Body Mass Index BMI – 25.5 (normal range 18.5 – 25.0)
  • Percent Body Fat – 23.4% (normal 10 – 20)
  • Lean Balance – Over in arms, trunk, and legs)

May 17, 2013

  • Weight 73.9 kilograms (162.9 lbs)
  • Body Fat Mass 14.7
  • Body Mass Index 24.5
  • Percent Body Fat – 20 %
  • Lean Balance – all normal except slightly over in trunk

My 32 waist pants now fit me! Over the Christmas holidays I had to buy 34 inch waist pants. I feel so much better with the fat taken off me. I highly recommend the clinic. It really made me think about what I eat and when I eat it. I will follow the concepts given in the diet. After the first 28 days, the diet is much more relaxed. The chrono nutrition is concerned a lot of certain combinations of foods, when high sugar foods are consumed, and continuing with eating of breakfast, a decent lunch, and small dinner. These are good habits to maintain a healthy weight.

Srećan Rođendan!

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Ocean, Ollie, and Dad, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. I share the same birthday as former Yugoslav leader, Josip Broz Tito so we usually do something in honor of that connection. Yesterday we stopped at the 25 of May Museum and took some photos of Ollie and Ocean in the Yugoslav Pioneer outfits. They even said the pledge to be “loyal and faithful friends.”

I spent my day exactly how I wanted to! The kids and I rode down to Ada and Owen and Ollie played in a baseball tournament. We then watched a bit of the Vukovi football game, and I finished off the day with Nadia cooking my favorite meal, pizza rolls.

Bike Riding To School

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One of my greatest pleasures is riding with my sons to school every morning. I love to watch the excitement of freedom bikes bring to Owen and Oliver as they glide through the “leafy suburbs” of Dedinje and Senjak on the way to school. I can’t wait until Ocean is confident enough to ride her bike to school. The route is exactly 1 mile long and is mostly on traffic-free streets, although there are two crossings of more busy streets.

Not only is it a great way to exercise and spend time with my children, it is also teaching them to appreciate the joys of “silent sports.” I have a passion for biking, running, and cross-country skiing through nature, or for on the way to school, through the city. I hope to instill a love of bicycling to my children.

Above is a video showing our route to school. We plan on moving apartments next month, so these are the last of the rides. We will be even closer to the school so will most likely be walking to school in the mornings.

 

Tašmajdan Park

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Azerbijan President Statue, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Last Saturday morning we enjoyed a picture perfect spring day at Tašmajdan Park. The park is located in the center of Belgrade. The city has loads of parks and Tašmajdan is one of the largest and most popular. I saw this statue above and wondered why there was an Azerbijan flag, flying next to the Serbian flag. It turned out that the Ayerbijan government donated funds to improve the grounds of the park. In appreciation, Belgrade put up a statue of the former president of Azerbijan, Heydar Aliyev. The park also honors Serbian poet and author, Milorad Pavić. His most famous work is “Dictionary of the Khazars” that I want to read.

The park is full of trees, playgrounds, and a public swimming pool. It is near the Metropol Hotel, Madera Restaurant, and St. Mark’s Cathedral. I recommend an evening or daytime stroll. There are always friendly Belgraders to meet.

Latest Reading: “War” by Sebastian Junger

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Junger is a New York Times reporter and author who was embedded with US troops in a remote valley in Afghanistan in 2007-2008. This book and a documentary film, “Restrepo” were the result of his experience. I was engrossed in the book and couldn’t put it down, while between swims in the ocean and pool with the kids while on holiday last week.

The book gives some detailed descriptions of battle in this dangerous valley near the Pakistan border. I enjoyed following these, but more importantly for me, I really understood the mentality of troops on the front line. I forgot how young these guys are and so many of them come from rough backgrounds, where the army is a better way of life than they would have in civilian life. I can’t imagine being 19 and in a situation like these guys are put through. I was so immature at that time in my life. The two biggest take-aways were the thrill of combat and the strong bonds formed between soldiers. It is the only friendship a person will have whose life depends on the relationship. When going through experiences like that, I can see why they never have relationships like that again in their civilian lives.

I also got a sense of what it is like to be on the opposing side. They must be in fear of the US military strength, with the Apache helicopters, drones, and invisible bomb strikes. It sure is an expensive war the US is fighting over there. It is also interesting that this is the front line on the “war on terror” and how few people are really involved. The vast majority of Americans are not in the military and those that are, most do not see combat.

It also concerns me for returning veterans and the medical treatment they will receive, both physical and psychological. It will be difficult for many to readjust to everyday life in the US, post-military.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but will have to check it out. I highly recommend this book.

The Blue Danube

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Ocean, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We had a lovely stay at the Hotel Danubia in the Silver Lake Resort. The resort is just outside of Veliko Gradište, The town is located about an hour east of Belgrade on the banks of the Danube, Dunav in Serbian. It is a new hotel and reasonably priced. We took our bikes and there are many great biking trails, perfect for kids. We rode to main plaza in Veliko Gradište twice. The town is quite poor and nothing spectacular, but the bike trail is safe, and there is a really nice park for kids. The Danube itself is quite wide and really fresh. It made me remember the summers on the lakes of Upper Michigan. We also did some swimming, frog catching, and eating some fresh perch. Today on the way home we stopped at the Ram Fortress and climbed around it a bit. Typical Serbia, no signs, no interpretive materials, just an old abandoned fort the kids could climb around. Awesome!!!!

I highly recommend a visit for a weekend get-a-way from Belgrade.