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| Mexico AGUIRRE NOT SCARED BY CROATIA 15/02/02 Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre was surprisingly upbeat about his team’s chances in their World Cup opener against Croatia, despite El Tricolores recent 2-1 loss to Yugoslavia in a friendly in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday. The man responsible for Mexico’s turnaround over the last six months had previously stated he was ‘losing sleep’ over the Croatia encounter, but something about the loss has made him more optimistic. "I've seen Croatia and now they don't scare me at all," Aguirre was quoted as saying on Reuters upon arrival in Mexico City. "They are very orderly but they have a hard time scoring." In winning Group 6 of UEFA qualifying, Croatia scored 15 goals in 8 matches, but 12 of those goals came in three matches against the two teams – Latvia and San Marino - at the bottom of the table. The challenge for Mexico will be scoring goals. Despite controlling a large amount of possession and creating opportunities – especially after Dejan Stankovic was sent off with 11 minutes remaining, El Tri could not find the back of the net. The overall performance and motivation of the players was frustrating to Aguirre. "I'm dissatisfied with the result and the passivity and apathy that we showed after the (first) goal we received," Aguirre went on to say. "My teams can have good, poor or average performances, but they must have a good attitude." Mexico, will face Croatia, Italy and Ecuador in group G of the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan. Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| Kostelic returns home to huge party in Croatia ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- Drums, screams and applause erupted on the main square of Croatia's capital Monday as Janica Kostelic, who captured four medals -- including three golds -- at the Salt Lake City Olympics, arrived for a hero's welcome. People stayed away from their jobs and schools canceled classes as Croats rushed to embrace their 20-year-old ski sensation, now dubbed the "Snow Queen." Wrapped up in the Croatian flag, Kostelic screamed from the stage to the ecstatic crowd of about 100,000 at the Ban Jelacic square: "I will never see something so great again! Thank you!" Asked whether the Olympic days were the best of her life, she said: "Certainly, but this is even better!" Kostelic's older brother Ivica, who failed to win a medal, took a guitar and played and sang Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" with a rock band, changing its refrain to "Go, Janica, go!" "Not even Mick Jagger plays before such a big crowd!" Ivica shouted. Kostelic, her father and coach Ante were seen dancing on and off the stage. The turnout resembled the crowd gathering in 1991 when Croats celebrated their country's independence from the former Yugoslavia. After touchdown at Zagreb's airport, Kostelic was greeted by thousands. She smiled and waved -- from the cockpit -- and then came out laughing to the screams of joy of those gathered near the runaway. Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan and U.S. ambassador to Croatia, Lawrence Rossin, were on hand to greet her. Kostelic was Croatia's favorite medal contender at the Games, but few expected her to make such an impact. She became the first Alpine skier to win four medals at a single Winter Olympics. Croatia had never won a medal in the Winter Games before, and Kostelic's medals were all the country of 4.5 million managed to win. She won gold in the slalom, the combined and even giant slalom -- a discipline that has never been her specialty. She also took silver in the Super-G. Immediately, she became the admired national star, even by those who never watched skiing before. Croatia -- with only two small ski resorts -- has had no notable skiing history. She was driven in an open convertible to Zagreb's downtown square for a big celebration. On the square, an 18-story building was adorned with a giant poster of Kostelic and her brother Ivica. Zvonimir Boban, a Croatian international soccer star who played with AC Milan, was also on hand. He called Kostelic "a queen, our pride and joy." Kostelic won international attention after she scored her first victory in the World Cup as a 17-year-old. But she captured the hearts of many Croats after they learned of the huge sacrifices her family made to reach the top, largely ignored by potential sponsors, including the state bodies. The cash-strapped Kostelics had to travel around Europe to compete in junior races -- often sleeping in tents or in the car, living on salami-and-pickle sandwiches to save money for chair lifts. Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| I 1. i 2. svj. rat bili su imperijalisticki ratovi, ratovi koje su vodili veliki imperiji: Velika Britanija, Francuska, Njemacka, Austro-Ugarska, Rusija, SAD (predsjednicki kandidat Pat Buchanan kaze kako je i SAD iperijalisticka drzava, ali tek nakon sto je okupirao Filipine, 1900.), dok je Srbija bila na putu da postane mini-imperij. Nacionalizam je nesto drugo, grobar imperijalnih sila, patriotizam. Mnogi autori tvrde, da je nacionalizam pretpostavka i preduvjet za demokraciju. rudolf arapovic Sunic's interview. http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/02/25/26639.html 2002-02-25 "DUE TO ITS VIOLENT TRANSPARENCY, POOR ECONOMIC RESULTS, AND NEGATIVE SOCIAL-BIOLOGICAL SELECTION, ALONG WITH THE NAMELESS TOPOGRAPHY OF TERROR, COMMUNISM LOST ITS INTELLECTUAL APPEAL. BY CONTRAST, MODERN CAPITALISM, WHICH OPERATES TODAY UNDER THE TERM OF "GLOBALISM," IS MORE SUCCESSFUL IN PROMOTING THE SAME TOTALITARIAN GOALS, ALBEIT WITH DIFFERENT RHETORIC. IT IS UTOPIA ACHIEVED. MANY FAILED COMMUNIST PRACTICES ARE NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL, ALBEIT UNDER DIFFERENT LABELS IN THE EU AND USA." Greetings from Russia Mr. Sunic! We at PRAVDA.Ru are very pleased that you have agreed to become one of our columnists. As a Croatian diplomat, you are able to share with our readers valuable commentary on today's Croatia. We feel that by conducting this interview, our readers will come away with a better understanding of who you are and your basic political stances. Please tell our readers a little about yourself. What experiences have you had that have shaped your outlook on politics and life in general? When did you first become interested in politics? Also, please tell us something about your diplomatic career. Politics was part of family life. My father, a Catholic attorney and a former political prisoner, was constantly at loggerheads with the Yugoslav communist authorities. Back in communist Yugoslavia, I expressed my resentments against the mendacity of the system by dropping out and becoming a hippy and even hiking down to India. Being reared on books in several languages helped me to complete my university degrees and put myself into a wider perspective. I like to speculate as to how my interlocutor or enemy perceives me. This requires a great deal of intellectual effort and emotional detachment. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, I was called by Tudjman's government to do some diplomatic l obbying for Croatia. What is your position on the Croat-Serb war? At one point, it was reported that Serbia and Croatia had actually reached a compromise that would have stopped the war, but Croatia was pressured by the West to form an alliance with the Bosnian Muslims and to fight against the Serbs. Is there any truth to this? In your opinion, did outside powers benefit from the civil war? I must have heard a myriad of rumors and conspiracy theories regarding the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. I do not blame so much the Serbs as I do the decade-long EU and USA upholding of the frail legality of the multiethnic brew called Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was the product of Versailles architects in 1919 with a refill of the allied blessing in 1945 in Potsdam. Slobodan Milosevic strictly knew that; notably while trying to salvage Yugoslavia by force, which actually sped up its forceful demise. Hence, the real reason he is paying a hefty price now in the Hague. It is known that many Croatian communists became nationalists after Croatia's succession from Yugoslavia. Were these conversions genuine, or were these politicians merely opportunists? The latter is true. However, almost all former Croatian communists are now ultra-liberal free marketers. This is a trademark not just of Croatia but of all post-communist countries, including Russia. What is worrisome, however, is not so much the make-believe volume of civic and democratic parlance of the new political class; rather, it is the shiftiness and phenomenal feel-good lightness by which it betrayed its former Marxist mythology. If some other political myth holds sway tomorrow, the same people will flock to new secular deities with no feelings of guilt. While Serbia has traditionally had close ties with Russia, Croats seem to identify more with Western European nations, such as Germany. In fact, it has been reported that many volunteers from Western nations came to Croatia to participate in the civil war. It was also reported that many Russians and other Slavs participated on the side of Serbia. Do you have any knowledge of this being the case? If so, to what extent did foreign volunteers participate in the civil war? Over 2000 foreign volunteers from Chile to Canada, from the USA to Australia, and served at some point in early Croatian rag-tag units during the so-called Homeland War. This was partly due to cultural affinities and partly to the strong anticommunist feelings of many. The Serb-dominated Yugoslav army displayed the communist red star insignia until 1995, which invariably boosted the early Croatian separatist cause among European and US conservatives. The unfortunate religious cleavage between the Orthodox East and Catholic West violently erupted to the fore. Many Western volunteers and many Croat expatriates came to fight. I cannot be more specific at this stage. What is your opinion of Ante Pavelic, the Croatian leader during WW2? It has been claimed that the Ustashe government committed many atrocities against Serbs, Jews, and other non-Croats. How much of this is propaganda and how much is true? The English historian Edward Carr wrote that, before one studies history, one must study a historian. Failure to look at different, i.e., revisionist historical accounts, leads to misperceptions, paranoia, and, eventually, armed conflicts. The former Yugoslav propaganda had committed a mistake by hyper-inflating Croatian fascist crimes of WWII. Tudjman in 1990, dared to demolish this antifascist victimology. His public speeches, given the widespread foreign media prone "historical linkages," soon earned him a bad reputation among liberal pressure groups, both in the USA and Europe. Moreover, his speeches were a big enough reason to alter the mindset of the local, largely rural, Serbs in Croatia, who were already whipped into a frenzy by Milosevic's communist propaganda. The spiral of fear and misperception, backed by mythical and histrionic narratives on both sides, resulted in war in 1991. As for Ante Pavelic, the leader of WWII Croatia, his role must be put into his epoch, i.e., along with the Romanian, Corneliu Codreanu, the Fleming, Staf De Clercq, the Englishman, Oswald Mosley, the Russian-American, Anastase Vonsiatsky, the Spaniard, Franco, etc., and other real or would-be fascist leaders. During my visit to Croatia, I came away with the impression that many Croats cheered when NATO launched its military campaign against Serbia. In your opinion, do ordinary Croats still hold such hostile feelings towards Serbia? Unfortunately, this is largely true. Many Croats, even in academic circles, use this type of "negative legitimization." Serbs are often used as scapegoats for Croatia's own failures, be it in the field of diplomacy or economy. However, centralistic-minded Serbs have traditionally nourished a cult of a "chosen people" destined to play a leading role in policing the Balkans. Hence, the reason that they alienated other non-Serb peoples. The end result was war. >From the Berlin Congress in 1878 until 1991, Serbs were the darlings of the anti-German Western powers. I think that, eventually, these two similar peoples will be on speaking terms. Croats must realize that Serbs will remain their first neighbors. However, from a wider anthropological perspective, it is worth alerting the political class in the EU and USA that multicultural, let alone multiracial states, never last long. Such ideas are uncontrolled and irresponsible Third-world immigration, the American government, and the EU are paving the way for their own balkanization. The case of multiethnic ex-Yugoslavia speaks volumes. The current Croatian government has indicated that it would like to join both the EU and NATO. If Croatia is accepted into either of these organizations, what changes do you think might take place in Croatia? In your view, would these changes be positive or negative? There are no "yes's," "no's," or "ifs." Joining the EU and NATO is the only option for Croatia, short of becoming a pariah state. The only problems are the Croatian methods. The Croatian political class does not know the linkages, the possible setbacks, the terms of juridical engagements, etc. Croatia does not have civil society, as it was destroyed after WWII by the Yugoslav leader Tito and his communist followers, who were very largely made up of the semi-rural, bewildered populace. The Croatian public does not fully know the underpinnings of the EU or NATO. It envisions entry into these two supra-national bodies as entry into a self-serving rich men's country club. What Croatia needs first is total de-communization. Without this, Croatia will constantly be plagued by a traumatic lack of decision-making. At this stage, Croatia, similar to the Russian political class, is engaged in broken English mimicry of all things Western. You are known as a very outspoken anticommunist. Please explain the reasons for your opposition to communism? In addition, you have said that Croatia's current, main threats are the "Western" ideals of capitalism and consumerism. If you consider yourself to be an anticommunist as well as an anticapitalist, what political system would you like to see take shape in Croatia, a sort of third-position? There are different forms of anticommunism. However, being an anticommunist does not presuppose that one must, therefore, embrace its only present counterpart, i.e., global capitalism. Both systems have inherent principles of egalitarianism, economism, and universalism, i.e., the belief in the abstract ideology of "human rights" and the dogma of perpetual economic growth. Due to its violent transparency, poor economic results, and negative social-biological selection, along with the nameless topography of terror, communism lost its intellectual appeal. By contrast, modern capitalism, which operates today under the term of "globalism," is more successful in promoting the same totalitarian goals, albeit with different rhetoric. It is utopia achieved. Many failed communist practices are now fully operational, albeit under different labels in the EU and USA. Former paleo-communist political romanticism, such as multiculturalism, multiracialism, academic self-censorship, intellectual opportunism, which is known as political correctness, and the loss of the sense of the tragic, is in full swing in the West. Moreover, unlike communism, modern liberalism, i.e., global capitalism, does not leave visible traces of blood and cohorts of martyrs in its wake. Its destructive longevity is guaranteed. You have also spoken out against blind nationalism, which, in your opinion, was used to manipulate the peoples of the former Yugoslavia. However, you have also indicated that you consider yourself to be pro-European. What are your reasons for your opposition to nationalism? Do you consider yourself to hold pan-European ideas? In hindsight, inter-European nationalism has done irreparable harm to all peoples of European extraction, starting with civil war in America in 1861 and then during the Great Civil War, WWI and WWII. Petty provincial nationalism at the expense of next door similar looking European neighbors is self- defeating. It serves the purpose of non-Europeans and other alien phenotypes. Even in terms of territorial imperative, petty nationalism is today outdated. The only solution lies in supra-statal pockets of cultural resistance by the Europeans in the USA, Chile, South Africa, Europe, all the way to Russia, i.e., in places where remnants of the European peoples still live. Failure to clearly define the enemy today may lead in the very near future to the definite demise of European heritage. Only in this extraterritorial way one must define oneself today as a European and no longer in a narrow autistic, chauvinistic, nation-state framework. You have spent a portion of your life in the United States. From my personal experience as an American living in Europe, I know that many Europeans have a false sense of reality when it comes to life in the USA. You, as a European who lived many years in the United States, have seen firsthand the difference between what is presented the movies and media that Europeans watch and the reality of the everyday American. Please share for our readers your thoughts on the subject. Also, please tell us something about Croatian-Americans. Are many of these immigrants politically active? The problem with all Eastern Europeans, including Croats, is an identity crisis and a deep inferiority complex. The lack of self- assertiveness, which is due to perpetual historical tremors in this region, often results in surreal and self-complacent political romanticism. Most Croats have inherited strong residues of the homo sovieticus mendacity combined with the Melrose Place soap opera dream world. Croat expatriates did play a significant role in financing Tudjman's campaign. However, they also live in their own dream worlds, romanticizing Croatia in folkoristique lime lights. There is also a fundamental psychological gap between Croats in Croatia and Croat expatriates. It is this vicarious misperception of two virtual worlds, respectively, that leads to the breakdown in communication. As far as the new post-Tudjman, left-leaning government in Croatia is concerned, it has shoved aside the Croatian expatriates. I would like for you to give our readers an assessment of the current Croatian government. Can you make a prediction regarding the next elections? If the presidential election were held today, in your opinion, who would win? The cumulative votes of opposition right-wing parties today could easily dislodge the current left-leaning government in a would-be election. Due to their constant bickering and clannish approach to body politics, this is hardly going to be the case. Although a small nation of 4 million citizens, Croatia has phenomenal regional differences between north and south and the Mediterranean Croats, who often make their electoral choices on the basis of their regional in-group decisions. Almost the same replica exists among expatriate Croats, unlike the Flemish, Irish, or Palestinian nationalists, who all have a solid supra-regional political platform. This endless infighting does not make Croatia a serious partner in the eyes of Western observers. It was only during Tudjman's leadership, a man with deep insight into Croatian diversity, that Croatia managed to become an independent state. The actual coalition government, which is made up of five left-leaning parties, has brought the country to administrative standstill. Croatia functions today by EU How is late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman remembered in Croatia? Many in the West consider him to be a war criminal that should have been tried in the Hague. However, during the war, Tudjman received the West's backing and seemed to know how to "play ball" with the Western powers. Is he remembered as the father of independent Croatia or has his reputation suffered as a result of criticism from the West? Tudjman's Croatia did not receive any backing from the West, not until 1995. The emergence of Croatia was primarily the result of nameless volunteers, committed individuals with strong will to power. Prior to 1995, Croatia was subject to an arms embargo, just like the heavily armed rump Yugoslavia, i.e., Serbia. It had to build its administration and army from scratch. It was a moment that briefly united all Croats of different political persuasions. The EU never liked Tudjman. He was a former communist turned a staunch revisionist and anticommunist, a large enough reason for the Western opinion makers to isolate Croatia. The so-called international community is now firmly behind the more docile left-leaning government in Croatia. Speaking of the Hague, how is the issue of the extradition of Croatian war veterans treated by the Croatian press? How does the common Croat feel about the issue? On one hand, it seems that Croatia and Serbia are in the same boat. Both nations are being asked to send people some feel are war heroes to be judged by a foreign court in a foreign land. Even heroes do not last long. Again, Croat soldiers, due to the pressure of various international bodies, are often portrayed as a bunch of criminals. The Hague judiciary looks for "legal equidistance" between the Yugoslav aggressor and the Croat victims. Average Croats are bedazzled and bewildered. Whose gods should they trust today? Yet, I do not blame the Hague or the international community for their half-baked legal practices. Being a disciple of sociologist Vilfredo Pareto and the jurist Carl Schmitt, I blame the lack of leadership in Croatia, the lack of the new elites, and the lack of a meritocracy able to outsmart the often ignorant New World Order architects. Playing meek and hollering "mea culpa" won't help. Pareto wrote,"Whoever becomes a sheep will find a wolf to eat him." This is the case with the Croatian administration staffed by former communists with no initiative, many of whom have a murky past. In your opinion, should the Croatian government do anything to help the Bosnian Croats? It seems that they are in a rather difficult position, as their most popular politicians and political parties have been banned. It is quite clear that they feel as if they are not properly represented in the Bosnian government and that they would like to form an independent Croat state. Is there any chance that, in the future, the Bosnian Croatians could be annexed by Croatia? Playing dumb in politics is often a virtue, but living under the cover of delusions may be dangerous. Bosnia and Hercegovina form a small and belated replica of the failed multiethnic Yugoslavia. It can be upheld on the map, as it currently is, only by foreign, including US, troops and half-ignorant EU commissars. We must remember how former multiethnic Yugoslavia ended its voyage into the darkness. I have spoken with some foreign leaders and members of the media. They are aware of this make-believe country, but they must rhetorically abide by the new "multicultural role models." Croats and Serbs in Bosnia do not have the problem of deciding who to join in the putative future. By contrast, if Bosnian Muslims do not make their own executive decision about their identity, somebody else soon will in their stead. Mr. Sunic, please tell us about your latest book, Against Democracy and Equality. What are the basic ideas of this book? What was your motivation for writing it? This book is a survey of some prominent figures of the so-called conservative revolution of the first part of the XX century, such as the sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, the political scientist Carl Schmitt, the historian Oswald Spengler, and many others. The book also covers their new intellectual followers in today's European New Right. I am appalled by the dogmatic spirit and bias in the American and EU higher education, which has for decades been subject to leftist brainwashing and to fraudulent Freudo-Marxian scholasticism. I am also shocked by the false meritocracy in the American establishment and by the ridiculous affirmative action system, which definitely reminds me of the quota system in hiring that was in place in the ex-communist multiethnic Yugoslavia. The best and the brightest are, as a rule, shoved aside. The modern liberal theology of the big buck, the dictatorship of well-being, coupled with the false misnomer of "multiculturalism," destroys all values and all cultures, including our own. I do not blame non-Europeans, and I reject conspiracy theories. I primarily hold responsible lazy and corrupted academics, the modern media, and politicians who are mortgaging the Euro-American future. However, most likely, we need more chaos in our polity, because only out of chaos new elites and a new value system can emerge. Dr. Sunic, thank you very much for the interview! It was very informative and we at PRAVDA.Ru look forward to our further cooperation. QUESTIONS COMPILED BY JUSTIN COWGILL The author is a writer and former political science professor in the USA. He is also a Croatian diplomat. Mr. Sunic writes from Europe. His website can be found at http://www.watermark.hu/doctorsunic/ Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| We also have NBC sports contributor Mike Celizic who can be reached at elsombrero@hotmail.com Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| This past Sunday the choral singers from St. Stephen's Church were one of the features presented on National Public Radio's "The Next Best Thing." I beleive our own Nenad Bach acted as translator. John Kraljic Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| Cruising World magazine February 4, 2002 Through the Croatian Looking Glass By Jon Eisberg The magical commingling of opposites at the heart of this Balkan state highlights the advantages of a crewed charter in the Dalmatian archipelago **************** "Meester Jon-would you like some try my cake of cheese?" I was sipping an afternoon coffee when Antonela's delightful, lilting voice sang out from the galley. I'd been gazing across the water at Carmelengo Tower and the Romanesque town walls of the medieval island city of Trogir. Antonela completed the picture by setting down her delicious offering, still steaming from the oven, on the cockpit table. I was reeling from an early summer flu further enhanced by the long overnight flight from the States. Clearly, Antonela was a woman on a mission to nurse me back to health, if not to fatten me up a bit. "It surprises me no you are sick," she lectured. "Forgive me, but you are too skinny much." Though her English syntax was charmingly convoluted, her understanding of how to win the affection of one forever wishing to shed 10 pounds couldn't have been clearer. I'd found my way to this enchanting setting courtesy of an invitation from Stardust Platinum Yacht Charters. I was asked to join an international crew for a week aboard one of the Lagoon 47 catamarans that operate from Stardust Platinum's base near Split, in the center of Croatia's Dalmatian coast. Most Americans wouldn't associate this stretch of the Adriatic with a luxury crewed-charter destination, but it's a place that'll quickly shatter preconceived notions and readily charm the wariest traveler. With the exception of the damage done by shelling to the coastal city of Dubrovnik 10 years ago, no physical evidence whatsoever remains that the hostilities with Bosnia and Herzegovina ever visited Dalmatia's coast or islands. The Accidental Tourist I was an unlikely candidate to be charmed by the pampering offered by Stardust. I'll never be an airport-limousine kind of guy-I'll forever stubbornly schlepp my own bags from long-term parking, thank you-so the notion of a crewed-charter vacation has never held much appeal. I suppose I'd assumed it would be an if-it's-Tuesday-this-must-be-Belgium kind of experience. That misconception was dispelled by our captain, Leo Lesvic, immediately after clearing customs in Split. Before I could protest, Leo hoisted my huge duffel from my shoulder as if it were filled with down. Using a phrase I was to hear repeatedly over the next week, he said, "Nema problema-we are from steel." With a wolfish grin splitting his handsome, sharply featured face, it was impossible not to like Leo-immediately and immensely. It was obvious that we were in extremely capable hands on this trip. Sailing among the hundreds of islands in the Dalmatian archipelago appears deceptively straightforward-the sort of place where anyone could bareboat with confidence. With predominantly steep-to shorelines and few off-lying hazards, a tidal range between six inches and a foot, a wealth of potential anchorages, and a network of modern, state-sponsored marinas, you could quickly discount the value of local knowledge. That notion will be quickly dispelled, however, when you learn that Croatia is a place where the winds have been given mysterious names with few apparent references to the points of the compass. Watching Leo furrow his brow as the forecast spoke of an expected jugo, bura, tremontana, or siroko, we began to get the hint that these winds would possess characteristics above and beyond the mere direction of their source. Despite being a devout believer in the sort of self-reliance fostered by the long-term-parking option, I was beginning to feel relieved that Leo would be our "limo driver." Wind Like Waterfalls The winds with which I'm most familiar blow horizontally. The fearsome bura, however, possesses a significant vertical component that poses real challenges for anyone cruising Croatia's waters. This is a cold, katabatic wind that cascades like a waterfall from the high karst valleys of the Dinaric Alps, spilling out along the coastline and Dalmatia's rugged islands. A local bura can often blow with storm-force ferocity and, like its williwaw cousin in the Chilean channels, can instantly turn a seemingly protected anchorage into a death trap. One is ill-advised to seek shelter overnight where trees lean toward the south, and I pity the bareboat skipper who ventures into these waters unarmed with this sort of information. However, the most daunting challenge for the first-time, unassisted cruiser is effecting the dreaded Mediterranean moor in Croatia's tightly packed harbors. Lying stern to the quay in the center of town presents even the most competent skipper with the fabulous opportunity to be humbled in a spectacularly public fashion. And, of course, it also affords the local populace its afternoon amusement. Amid the confusion about whether to lower the anchor or pick up mooring lines beneath the surface-when commands and advice from shore are being shouted in three or four different languages-most sailors quickly find contentment in the knowledge that the charter is crewed and the boss can give as good as he gets in Croatian, German, Italian, English, and even French, should the need arise. For me, however, the most startling crewed-chartering revelation was the extent to which a dedicated crew can make things happen. Without Leo's presence and direction, we wouldn't have experienced a fraction of what we were able to that week. When not moonlighting as a skipper for Stardust Platinum, he commands the largest vessel in Croatia's maritime-police force. He's a greatly revered figure along the Dalmatian coast and islands, and wherever we went, everyone knew Leo, and he knew everyone as well. Within minutes of our arrival in a harbor, a vehicle would materialize, and we'd be off on a tour of the countryside. Restaurants graciously extended their hours to accommodate our schedule, and everyone we encountered was infected by Leo's vitality. The force of his personality, coupled with Antonela's delicate charm, guaranteed serendipity. Last Unspoiled Grounds In Trogir, I met David Gregory, a British ex-pat cruiser who'd spent the last 30 years skippering large yachts based in southern Europe. He reckoned that Croatia is the last unspoiled cruising ground-with far and away the most beautiful water-in the Mediterranean. And he was impressed with this young nation's determination to keep it that way. There seems to be an awareness that the days of mass tourism are numbered, that travelers are searching for more intimate experiences. Croatia appears determined not to repeat "the Spanish Mistake," for example, where unfettered high-rise development overwhelms local infrastructures, tour buses clog the roads, and so many of their sun-kissed costas have been cast into shadow. There's something special about seeking refuge in a harbor that's been used for similar purposes since 385 B.C. That's when the town of Starigrad was founded by Greek colonists and first given the name of Pharos. Well protected at the head of a four-mile-long bay on the north shore of the island of Hvar, Starigrad has remained an important center of the Adriatic as one civilization has succeeded another. Leo thought it would be the best spot for riding out an anticipated jugo two days into our cruise. The jugo is a warm, humid wind from the south that usually portends wet and stormy weather for a couple of days. After a beautiful first day reaching to the outermost island of Vis-courtesy of a temperate maestral, or sea breeze-we retreated north towards Starigrad. The jugo is typically slow to build, but by the time we tacked into the bay of Starigrad, we were experiencing gusts near 40 knots and boatspeeds nudging the teens. While the Croats have names for their winds from every quarter, "reefing" apparently doesn't exist in their vocabulary. Leo is a sailor par excellence, and he gave us one hell of a ride, but had our skipper been born in the American West, he'd have been a rodeo cowboy, for sure. Hvar is perhaps the best known of all the islands of Dalmatia. Condé Nast Traveller named it one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world, but in truth, it's no more splendid than any of a dozen or so of its neighbors. The magical port of Hvar represents the best of the Mediterranean blend of antiquity and the modern sophistication that pervades Croatia's more fashionable destinations. Strolling along the quay at this time of year, one is reminded of Saint-Tropez, minus the hordes of poseurs. Since antiquity, the Adriatic Sea has been the crossroads of much of Western history, and being there imparts a sense of perspective too often missing from a week in the tropics. When viewed in the harbor in St. Barts or Antigua, a Perini Navi superyacht can dominate the scene to an extent that distorts one's sense of the place. Moor that same vessel adjacent to the centuries-old fortress in Trogir, however, and it begins to seem less significant. The enduring, hand-chiseled labor of Dalmatian stonemasons speaks a universal language in praise of permanence and communal achievement, while the flashy megayacht seems more like a testament to the transience of fashion and to the obscene disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Cruising throughout Croatia is also remarkably free of the plantation society that caters to charter guests in so many popular tropical-chartering grounds. We were but a tiny piece of the touristic puzzle being assembled there in the aftermath of the war with Bosnia in the last decade, and no hint of subservience or pretense was in the warmth we were shown wherever we went. The intense pride Croatians feel for their country is obvious and unmistakable, and the benevolent treatment we received from total strangers was almost overwhelming in its generosity and good faith. A favorite saying along the Dalmatian coast is, "You don't have to live, but you have to eat." Thus, inevitably, any display of hospitality involved massive quantities of the delicious local fare. St. Anton's Feast One afternoon, we anchored in a small bay on one of the islands off the southern coast of Vis. While preparing for lunch and a swim in water that appeared to be freshly imported from the Exumas, some local fishermen came alongside in their skiff-Leo knew them, of course, as he seems to know every single human residing along the Dalmatian coast-and we were immediately invited to join them for a feast called St. Anton's Day. I never did get the straight scoop on exactly who St. Anton was, but he certainly provided sufficient excuse to party. The gathering of these fishermen and their families was under a small grove of trees next to an abandoned stone building. An entire lamb was skewered on a long spit, and the men took turns slowly rotating the glazed carcass over the fire. The air was filled with smoke, two or three spoken (and occasionally understood) languages, animated and wonderfully descriptive hand gestures, and incessant laughter. Our banquet was laid out on a crude table, the settings were a mélange of paper, plastic, and Styrofoam, and the deliciously potent local wine was dispensed from an old plastic kerosene-storage container. I wasn't aware of any flammable aftertaste, and the food and the company couldn't have been finer. Perhaps this was a departure from the typical afternoon aboard a luxury charter in some more Disneyesque destination, but much of the privilege of this cruise involved the rare and unhindered opportunity to interact with and befriend the populace. Eight hours later, we found ourselves in a place as trendy and fashionable as our afternoon had been rustic. Along the Hvar waterfront, the bar, Carpe Diem, is clearly the place to see-and to be seen. The creation of a couple of entrepreneurs from Munich, this place has an atmosphere second to none, matching anything New York, Miami, or Paris might have to offer. We lounged amid the decor imported from Bali, soaking it all up while we could. Two months hence, in high season, we'd be lucky to get past the velvet rope at the entrance, and our table would likely be occupied by a rock star or supermodel. Such is the curious blend that is modern Croatia. In Eastern-Bloc Times I'd traveled along this coast almost two decades earlier, shortly after the death of Marshall Tito, the leader of Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1980. Then, one couldn't help but be struck by the dourness of the people, the lack of goods, and the overall resignation. It was clearly a population frightfully aware of the risks inherent in stepping out of line. Along the major roads, gas stations were always placed in pairs, on opposite sides of the road. Often I'd see a long line of vehicles waiting on one side, while the opposite station remained devoid of cars. While not technically illegal to do so, the notion of making a U-turn to pull into the empty station seemed beyond anyone's capability to imagine. In present-day Croatia, however, all that has changed. One of the great pleasures of visiting the country today is witnessing the myriad ways in which its people make the best of the modest resources they possess. Croatia, as a nation with newfound independence, is very much a work in progress. As confusing as things often appear to be, somehow everything seems to work out in the end, and people often wear many different hats-or uniforms-to ensure this outcome. The morning of our departure from the harbor of Komiza on Vis, we dawdled too long for Leo's liking, jeopardizing a visit to the Blue Cave on the nearby islet of Bisevo. This undersea cave is best visited before noon to allow the morning sun to flood it with reflected light from below. When it became apparent we wouldn't arrive in time, Leo convinced a few of his fellow policemen to run us out in one of their patrol boats. A handful of seasonal inhabitants operate the low-freeboard launches required for passage through the cave's entrance, but none were found so early in the season. Nema problema. One of the officers went below, changed from his uniform into his civilian togs-from law enforcer to tour guide. He jumped into the launch, fired up the one-lung engine with an alacrity indicating he'd done it before, and we were off to see the grotto. Time and again during our charter we witnessed such cheerful creativity in dealing with minor obstacles, without a trace of "Hey, it's not my job" or without any hesitation to act because of liability or propriety. Never once did I witness any currency change hands during one of these occurrences, yet it was obvious that bartering was at work here, a tradition of favors and loyalties passed down through the generations that allowed our transit through this new territory to pass without a hitch. With the passage of every day, the list of marvelous encounters grew longer-happenings we'd never have had on a bareboat charter. The Quality of the Light As a photographer, my perception of a place is largely dependent on the quality of the light that exists there. With the rugged Dinaric Alps rising so precipitously from the Adriatic, the Dalmatian seaboard is one of the most beautiful coastlines in all of Europe. This spectacular geography seems to create its own weather, and the region is cast in a luminescence that's a protean blend of continental and maritime, alpine and oceanic. This commingling of opposites is at the heart of Croatia's nature. The Balkans have forever been at the crossroads of East and West, antiquity and modernity, Christianity and Islam, tyranny and freedom. This blend of cultures and ethnicities pervades every aspect of a traveler's experience and provides unexpected delight and surprise at almost every turn. If anything, time spent along the coast and among the islands of Croatia compels one to reassess his definition of a sailing vacation. Spend some time in this wondrous place that is Croatia, and you'll learn many lessons about the struggle to achieve harmony. My favorite spot during our charter was the harbor town of Komiza on Vis, the most far-flung of the islands of the Dalmatian archipelago. Vis was Tito's stronghold during World War II, and it remained closed to foreigners until 1968. A 17th-century Benedictine monastery, set amid vineyards and lavender fields, overlooks the town and its harbor. As I drifted off to sleep that night in Komiza, an instrumental quartet played traditional Croatian music in a casual, elegant fashion, careful not to overpower any conversation. The happy, animated medley of Croatian, German, Italian, French, English, and who knows what else rose into the fragrant air, mixing like the smoke from so many hand-rolled cigarettes. Then this admixture of sound was picked up by the nighttime land breeze-the burin-and blended a bit more before wafting through the hatch above my berth. The music was as mellifluous and exotic as any I've ever heard, and it remains an enchanting memory of this place and all its intricacy. *************** A photographer specializing in shooting auto racing, Jon Eisberg lives near Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, where he's sailed since childhood. A delivery captain for a quarter of a century, he sails his own boat, Chancy, a Chance 30-30, at every opportunity. http://www.cruisingworld.com/cw_article.php?articleID=632 Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| CROATIA AT THE OLYMPICS By Adam S. Eterovich Great honor has come to Croatia in Utah. The Battleship USS Utah was sunk at the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Chief Petty Officer Peter Tomich, Croatian American, gave his life saving his fellow sailors and was awarded America’s highest honor and awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery beyond the call of duty. No next of kin could not be found and this Medal of Honor lays unclaimed; it is on display in Salt Lake City, Utah as he has been adopted by the State of Utah. Now, a young Croatian girl, Janica Kostelic, is being honored with a Medals of Gold at the Olympic Games in Utah. Croatian Olympic Champions Credited to Italy, Austria and England Croatians participated in all Olympic Games since the start of the modern games in the 1890’s. Credit was always given those that ruled her. Milan Neralic was awarded a Bronze medal in Fencing for Austria in 1900. He was a Croatian. Croatia was a part of Austria. Petar Ivanov, Ante, Frano, Simun Katalinic, Viktor Ljubic and Bruno Soric were awarded Bronze medals in Rowing for Italy in 1924. They were from Zadar; Zadar was then part of Italy. Paolo Radmilovich from Dubrovnik was awarded a Gold medal in swimming for England in 1908, and a Gold medal for waterpolo in 1908, 1912, 1924 and 1928. Many Croatians won Olympic medals while controlled by Yugoslavia. Croatia and Croatians should not allow Austria, Italy or Yugoslavia to any longer take credit for something that is not theirs. These are spoils of war and national heritage theft. From the beginning of the Olympic Games to the 1980’s, Croatia won approximately 170 Olympic medals including 51 Gold medals. Croatian Olympic Gold winners included: Name Year Sport COSIC, KRESIMIR 1980 BASKETBALL JERKOV, ZELJKO 1980 BASKETBALL KNEGO, ANDRO 1980 BASKETBALL KRSTULOVIC, DUJE 1980 BASKETBALL NAKIC, MIHOVIL 1980 BASKETBALL SKROCE, BRANKO 1980 BASKETBALL PARLOV, MATE 1972 BOXING BASIC, MIRKO 1984 HANDBALL HORVAT, HRVOJE 1972 HANDBALL JURINA, PAVAO 1984 HANDBALL MILJAK, ZDRAVKO 1972 HANDBALL OGNJENOVIC, MIRJAN 1984 HANDBALL PRIBANIC, MIROSLAV 1972 HANDBALL PTUJEC, JASNA 1984 HANDBALL VIDOVIC, ALBIN 1972 HANDBALL VISNJIC, BISERKA 1984 HANDBALL ZORKO, ZDENKO 1972 HANDBALL ZOVKO, ZDRAVKO 1984 HANDBALL LJUBEK, MATIJA 1976 KAYAK LJUBEK, MATIJA 1984 KAYAK BONACIC, DUJE 1952 ROWING SEGOVIC, PETAR 1952 ROWING TROJANOVIC, MATE 1952 ROWING VALENTA, VELIMIR 1952 ROWING ANKOVICH, ANTE 1960 SOCCER BEGO, ZVONKO 1960 SOCCER MATUS, ZELJKO 1960 SOCCER PERUSIC, ZALJKO 1960 SOCCER ZANETIC, ANTE 1960 SOCCER BJEDOV, DURDICA 1968 SWIMMING BEBIC, MILIVOJ 1984 WATERPOLO BEZMALINOVIC, MISLA 1988 WATERPOLO BONACICH, OZREN 1964 WATERPOLO BUKIC, PERICA 1984 WATERPOLO DUHO, VESELIN 1988 WATERPOLO HEBEL, ZDRAVKO 1968 WATERPOLO LOPATNY, RONALD 1968 WATERPOLO LUSIC, DENI 1984 WATERPOLO LUSIC, DENI 1988 WATERPOLO PASKVALIN, TOMISLAV 1984 WATERPOLO PASKVALIN, TOMISLAV 1988 WATERPOLO POLJAK, MIROSLAV 1968 WATERPOLO POSINKOVIC, RENCO 1988 WATERPOLO ROJE, ZORAN 1984 WATERPOLO SIMENC, DUBRAVKO 1988 WATERPOLO STIPANIC, KARLO 1968 WATERPOLO SUKNO, GORAN 1984 WATERPOLO TRUMBIC, IVO 1968 WATERPOLO VULETIC, BOZO 1984 WATERPOLO LISJAK, VLADO 1984 WRESTLING American Croatian Olympic Contributions Former National Amateur Athletic Union and World's Diving Champion, Helen Crlenkovich is about to make a perfect entry into the water after a dive from the highboard. Known popularly as "Clenkie", Crlenkovich was National Outdoor Springboard Champion in 1939, 1941, and 1945; National Platform Champion in 1941 and 1945, and the National Indoor Three Meter titleholder from 1939 to 1942. She won the Olympic Gold Medal in Diving in 1932. The former University of California student and native of San Francisco, California died of cancer in 1955 only one week after learning that she had been named to the Helms Foundation Diving Hall of Fame. Helen Crlenkovich is a Croatian American. Sacramento’s George Stanich was John Wooden’s first All-American at University of California at Los Angeles. Stanich played guard for the Bruins and earned his honors in 1950. An all-around athlete, he captured a Bronze Medal in the high jump at the 14th Olympic Games in London and later pitched for Oakland of the Pacific Coast Baseball League. Stanich coached basketball at El Camino College in Los Angeles for 15 years and in 1971 coached Yugoplastika of Split to the national basketball championship. He was Professor of Physical Education at El Camino College in Los Angeles. George Stanich is a Croatian American. The "Miracle on Ice" still ranks among the nation's greatest sporting moments and, in many ways, Mark Pavelich was symbolic of the American team. The conversation quickly moves to that night in Lake Placid, N.Y., against the Soviet Union, more than 20 years ago, when he collected the puck along the boards and slid it in front of the net. That puck ended up on the stick of teammate Mike Eruzione, who scored to give the U.S. squad an upset over the USSR on the way to a Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Pavelich was small for the game, never growing taller than 5 feet 8, but all those childhood days on outdoor rinks molded him into a clever skater and stickhandler. "A throwback player who could control the puck like he had it on a string," says Baker, who grew up nearby in Grand Rapids. He was born in nearby Eveleth, in rugged country known as the Iron Range, where boys learn to hunt and fish from an early age. The town claims to have the world's largest hockey stick at 107 feet long, so they also learn to play. In the late 1970s, those skills made Pavelich one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Minnesota Duluth. They subsequently earned him a spot on the Olympic team. He earned respect with his work ethic and a knack for passing the puck. Former goaltender Jim Craig recalls him as "an honest man, just a wonderful guy to be around." Little was expected of the Americans that winter, their coach reportedly telling them before the Olympics it would take some luck to win a bronze. But after an opening tie against Sweden, they rolled to four consecutive victories against the likes of Norway and Romania to reach the medal round against the powerhouse Soviets. Pavelich played an essential, supporting role that night, assisting on two of the four goals. Two days later, the U.S. defeated Finland to win the gold medal, and Pavelich wound up with six assists in the seven Lake Placid games. The players became overnight heroes, appearing on television, visiting the White House, attending promotional events across the nation. Robert Minerich was asked by the United States Olympic Committee, to become Director of Olympic Village and Public Facilities for the VIII Winter Olympics to be held at Squaw Valley, California in 1960. Bob, Minerich was in charge of designing and directing the housing and feeding arrangements for the athletes, National and International Olympic Committee Members and heads of the many corporations involved in the Olympics. After the Olympics, as a management consultant, he helped plan, organize and staff a new ski facility, Alpine Meadows in the Squaw Valley, California area. In 1979-80, when the United States Olympic Committee again called upon his expertise. He took a three month leave of absence to become the liaison of the USA Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee to help solve the problems confronting the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Bob Minerich received a football scholarship from Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois. Bob Minerich is a Croatian American. Sandra Bezic, a 1972 Olympian and former Canadian pairs champion, joined NBC Sports in 1990 as an analyst for its figure skating coverage. Sandra skated competitively with her brother, Val, from 1967 through the mid-1970s. She and her brother won the Canadian pairs novice title in 1967 and the Canadian senior competition four straight times from 1970-1973. Sandra has served as the analyst on numerous NBC Sports' figure skating events, including four World Figure Skating Championships 1991-1993 and 1995 and the World Professional Figure Skating Championships from 1990-1995. She has designed programs for many top skaters, including Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kurt Browning. Sandra Bezic has choreographed and/or produced more than 25 television specials in Canada and the United States, including the Emmy Award-wining "Carmen on Ice." She won Gemini awards for producing Browning's "You Must Remember This" and Brian Orser's "Night Moves." Bezic also produced the North American Tour of "Stars on Ice" and is the author of "Passion to Skate: An Intimate View of Figure Skating." Sandra and her brother Val are Canadian Croatians. Croatian Contributions Goran Ivanisevic was born on September 13, 1971 in Split, Croatia. He played tennis for the Croatian National Davis Cup teams; he was awarded an Olympic Bronze Medal in 1992, individually and in pair with G. Prpic. He is Wimbledon Champion in 2001 and was Wimbledon finalist 1992); Wimbledon semi-finalist (1990); best placing on ATP list: second place, 1992. He was awarded Best Sportsman of Croatia in 1992. Drazen Petrovic led the Croatian team to the Olympic Final against the American Dream Team and won the Silver Medal in Barcelona. In 1988 Drazen joined “Real”, a club from Madrid and after three years of successful playing he accomplished the dream of the dreams of all basketball players, when he scored his first goal for the colors of the best World League-the American NBA. At first he played for Portland Trail Blazers and from 1991 to his death he was wearing the colors of New Jersey Nets. During the nine years of his brilliant carrier he was the number one player on all basketball levels, in Spain, even in the USA where he was scorer number one of the NETS and the scorer number eleven of the NBA League. Toni Kukoc is a professional basketball player. Born September 18, 1969 in Split, Dalmatia, Croatia. married with one child. Olympic Silver Medal 1988, Olympic Silver Medal 1992. Played professional basketball in Chicago for the Chicago Bulls, in Philadelphia for 76sers and now in Atlanta for the Hawks. Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| Just thought I'd point out that there was another great Croatian participating at the 2002 Olympics; that's Joe Sakic playing for Team Canada in the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament. What a year Joe has had, personally winning the 2001 Hart, Lady Byng and Lester Patrick trophies, and topping it off with the Stanley Cup with his Colorado Avalanche team, and now an Olympic gold medal and a tournament MVP honour. He also scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game! He is the all-time franchise leader for the Colorado Avalanche in goals, assists and points; and has been an NHL All-Star 9 times! Not to mention that he is one of the nicest professional athletes anywhere, and one that he is both aware and proud of his Croatian origin. Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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| http://www.klik.hr/naslovnica/sport/200202250002019.html Distributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! |
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