Tag: day

Slow Art Day 2011

billkralovec

 

Sanja, Nadia, Sara, and Lisa, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Nadia and I attended the “Slow Art Day” event organized by our friend Lisa on Wednesday. Some of the girls are shown above on Kneza Mihailova, the famous walking street in Belgrade. It was a gorgeous sping evening and Nadia enjoyed contemplating the art and we both enjoyed the camardarie and atmosphere of the event.

Slow Art was started by Phil Terry, an internet entrepanuer who wanted to change the “8-second rule” of art museums and galleries. This is the “widely reported statistic that most people spend on average 8 seconds in front a piece of art when visiting a museum.” The idea is to look at a piece for up to 10 minutes and then discuss your interpretations with friends.

Lisa organized several pieces to look at in 5 galleries downtown. Two of the exhibitions were by the same Yugoslavian artist (find name). My favorite was by a Serb-Spaniard, Vecev Vecel. He left Serbia during the war and settled in Mallorca. His exhibition was named 3,727, which refers to the number of days he was outside of Serbia. This was the first time he was back in the country since his family fled. The words in his works are in both Serbian and Spanish.

I didn’t realize how many galleries there are in Belgrade. The city is so full of cultural opportunities. Thanks to Lisa for putting it together!

Holocaust Memorial Day

billkralovec

 

Last week we invited the Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, Arthur Koll to come speak to our students for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mr. Koll gave a great speech that had all of our students silent for over 3o minutes. Quite an accomplishment!

Both of Mr. Koll’s parents are Holocaust survivors and he talked of his childhood after he immigrated to Israel from Romania. I took alot out of the speech, but especially when he asked the question, why have a special day for the Holocaust, when there were other genocides throughout history. His answer made me think. He pointed out the science of the Nazis that determined the “inferior” race of the Jews, among others, and the systematic obsession to eliminate them, all of them. Mr. Koll told of towards the war’s end, when the Nazis knew they were losing, they still continued to divert precious resources, like trains, to deliver Jews to the death camps instead of using them to transport troops along the Russian front. He also mentioned a concentration camp in Poland, that is mostly forgotten to history, because it wasn’t a work and death camp, but only an elimination camp. No one ever sent to the camp, lived to tell about it.

6 million Jews were murdered by the Nazi Empire. The Ustase Quisling regime here in Serbia had some concentration camps that I would like to know more about. I am shown above thanking Mr. Koll for coming to speak.

 

2009-2010 School Year Begins

billkralovec

We stopped for a family photo earlier this week on our front steps. This week we began school. Owen is a first-grader and will turn 7 years old this year. I can’t believe it! Oliver is in Pre-Kinder Age 4. Ocean turns two next month and is still at home with the nanny, but she had her back pack too. Nadia is teaching kindergarten again, and I return for my second year as the Secondary Principal.

We look forward to a year of teaching and learning.

Fathers’ Day – June 15, 2008

billkralovec

Fathers & Sons, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

It was a wonderful Fathers’ Day holiday yesterday for us. The bright sunshine, cool breeze, and spending lots of time together made it wonderful. We started the day off with the traditional St. Cecilia’s Church Father & Son Breakfast. It was held in the basement of our family’s Catholic Church in Caspian. My parents are devout Catholics and I spent a lot of time there growing up. It was nice that all of my father’s sons and grandsons could be in attendance.

We then took the kids up to the Caspian Community Center playground. That is another place where I spent much of my youth. The center was built in the 1921 during the mining boom days and it is still open today. New playground equipment was donated by the De Paoli family for the children of Caspian. There are also tennis and basketball courts. Inside during the winter, it is open after school for kids. We used to play board games, play hoops in the gym downstairs, play pool, etc.

In the late afternoon Jim and I took Owen and Tony on a hike to Minnie Lake. We wanted to give a chance for Oliver and Beau to sleep. We parked the car just off of 424 and walked to the lake and around. I love the beautiful northwoods and the boys had a great time too. We then stopped in at Katy’s Bar to have a drink with my Dad before supper.

In the evening we all went to Nelson Field. Nadia ran several kilometers and the kids played and ran around. They were tired by the time we came home.

Family Weekend Journal May 10-11, 2008

billkralovec

Nadia & Ocean, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Friday evening and Saturday were devoted to softball. See previous post. Sunday, Mothers’ Day, we spent at home. In the morning we took Nadia to Mangos for breakfast. The breakfast was not that great, and Owen spilled his watermelon juice, and Oliver was insoportable. But we were together and that is what counts. Afterwards we went for a drive around the city and just north of it. All three kids fell asleep and we could relax for awhile. Quite nice and that was my Mothers Day gift. Nadia and Ale took the kids to a movie in the afternoon while I spent the day with Ocean. She is so adorable! I made her peaches and rice and fed her and took her out for a walk. In the evening, I pushed the boys on the swings while Nadia ran and then she took the kids in and I ran. Very nice to have the camp to ourselves.

Nadia is pictured with our daughter Ocean. They are behind our house on the campus of Escuela Anaco. Ocean has a mana in her hair.

Happy Mothers Day Nadia!

Mothers Day At Escuela Anaco

billkralovec

Owen and Mom at the Breakfast, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Owen made a card for Nadia. It was a portrait that Nadia thought was very funny as well as the line in the sentences to the right, “My mom used to do long jump.” Owen also appeared in a video and had a cute message for Mom. Oliver’s day care made flowers with his picture on.

After the presentation, Owen and Mom had a nice breakfast of Mango’s pastelitos and yogurt. Mom thought it was a nice morning.

Ale & Sebey

School Photo Day

billkralovec

Oliver Kralovec – Day Care Student, originally uploaded by bill kralovec

Owen

Yesterday we took photographs of all of the students and teachers at Escuela Anaco. Oliver’s Day Care Center photo is above and Owen’s Kindergarten photo is below. They are growing up so fast. All of our family photos from the day are in my flickr. com set.