found.

yeah, we've been home for over a month now but i still think about metelkova a lot. i actually read a zine called Back Up: Political Criminal Girls and it had a pretty long article on metelkova in it. please click the link to read it & feel free to print/distro as desired!

Point/Counterpoint

Simply because Jadin's last posting was terrible, I am here with an update.

 I made it home. No need to worry any longer.

In addition, the launch was a party of lavish extravagance. And by that I mean, the 16 of us sat around and drank all of the wine. The website looks ballin' though. 

My heart belongs to Slovenia. In an alley where they sell horse burgers.

Day before the launch

So today , we went to Bled and did some touristy things for the day, to decompress a bit. It was a great day, and now we're back in the hostel working again. Hopefully everything is ready for tomorrow. 

Radicaltown? Really?

As we’ve become more used to the day-to-day workings of Metelkova, in turn, Metelkova has gotten more used to us.  It’s easier to walk up to someone and strike up conversation, easier to float from concert to concert, our interviews are more vibrant and the dialogue is more provocative, and I feel more comfortable taking pictures, more like an observer and less like an intruder.  I by no means have “figured this place out”—to do that would take much more time – but I know what to expect when I sit in on an interview.  Largely, the people here see Metelkova as an outlet for creative expression, an active body of those who don’t fit into the mold of mainstream society.   They recognize the changes occurring, like the generational gap and the relationship with the government, but still remain hopeful and proud of their accomplishments these past 15 years.  And after being around these people consistently for the past three weeks, their reasoning doesn’t seem so radical.  Once I get past the “radical” nature of their appearance, the natty dreadlocks and unkempt beards, I find that their alternative, radical way of life isn’t the shocking, chaotic whirlwind I pictured.  They drink coffee in the mornings, do their work during the day, hang out with their friends and organize cool events.  To me, the stigma of Metelkova as “Crazytown” probably makes up a lot of the problematic relationships with the outside world.  

today II.

haiku:

american girl:
a ticket to the u.s.
or simply awesome?

i've been really remorseful of the fact that i've only really met one or two girls here of my own accord. the rest have primarily been dudes who talk to me about a) music and/or b) being american. it has really made me wonder if american females are somewhat fetishized in eastern european cultures or not. at home i get talked to fairly often but not like here. there have been several of us on the trip who have been hit on inappropriately or proposed marriage. i don't know if these creepy dudes know we're americans before they talk to us or what. i've had a few guys keep trying to communicate with me even though i only speak english and they barely speak it at all. i commend the effort, in a way. i never thought that i would be able to have a conversation with a non-english speakers for such long periods of time before. its really shown me simultaneously that knowing english is a definite privilege, language is a huge factor in life and that we're not so different when we can understand one another.

today.

coffee. the breeze. dinosaurs. wooden earrings. antiques. thai sandwich. walking. sandals. work. laundry. dirty. family news. anniversary. biggest jerk in the world. yarp.

Haiku 2: My Clothes Smell.

Oh Metelkova.

The culture of beer and smokes.

Miha. Miha. Me.

-Emily and Chelsea