28 December 2011

New year of possibilities


I often look to nature for signs of hope, and I found it in the Istrian sunset.   Frosty air.  Darkness descending; a sky bursting with ethereal colour.   Entrancing.  Gorgeous.  Uplifting.  And inspirational.  

Happy New Year to everyone.  May 2012 be filled with an abundance of good things for us all.








22 December 2011

Merry Christmas 2011
























I cannot believe that it is already Christmas!  Honestly, this year has flown by.  I'm wishing everyone a very very happy holiday season, and all the best for the new year.  May 2012 be wonderful for us all.

06 December 2011

Thoughts on the language

I get lots of questions from people asking what the Croatian language is like to learn as a new language.  I tell them that it is a lot like the Energizer Bunny (from the TV commercial for Energizer batteries), the language just keeps going and going and going and going.  IMHO learning to speak Croatian proficiently cannot be measured in number of hours or months or semesters.  Learning to be proficient in Croatian is more like growing an expansive garden.  Some plants will be fruitful almost immediately, some will require coddling, and some plants will take years to mature and bear fruit.  Once the entire garden is well established, then the full bounty can truly be enjoyed.

My language is slowly but surely growing.  No longer tender saplings.  And not yet a fruit-laden orchard.  But something in between.  Filled with energy and great promise.   Always reaching towards the sky.