Monday, July 8, 2013

July 5th, Beach and Barbeque



7/5       Friday
 
            We spend a relaxing day at the beach, with our pre-paid chairs and umbrella, then come home for our barbeque dinner with our hosts. Our host, his sister Sonya, his girlfriend Lea and his mom made a great meal for us. We had grilled zucchini, veggie kebobs, a salad of tomato, peppers and cucumber, and a mixed grilled platter of chicken, pork and sausage, all fresh from the local markets. His uncle stopped to eat with us, and provided his homemade wine. The local tradition is to add water to your wine, from the field workers who would dilute their wine so they could drink during the day without getting all drunk.
We had a fine time talking together, learning more about their lives and about Croatia. Lea is working on her PhD in Mathematics, Sonya on her Masters in Information Science. Both are having a difficult time finding work, because insider connections are essential, and who you know is a key to getting a job in Croatia. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this story.
Lea made a delicious tiramisu for dessert, and some Turkish coffee, the regional addiction. Both are really great. She tells us the joke at her University “A mathematician is a device to turn coffee into algorithms.”  They also give us a tip on the best beach, just down the hill, so we’ll try it tomorrow. At ten o’clock, we’re full and sleepy, so we say good-night to everyone.
            






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