Ambassador Lynda Blanchard visited the Center for Education and Rehabilitation of Physically Handicapped Children and Adolescents (CIRIUS) in Kamnik, where she met with administrators, teachers, and students, and was inspired by the happy children and the incredible facilities and therapies available. Upon arrival, she was touched by the beautiful decorations prepared in honor of the visit and enjoyed touring the state of the art facilities. The Ambassador was pleased to answer questions about her work and her first impressions of Slovenia (she loves the fabulous nature, the wonderful people and the delicious food!). But most importantly, she enjoyed speaking with the children and learning about their lives, and their hopes and dreams. The Ambassador encouraged the students to follow their heart and never set limits on their dreams. Joining the Ambassador was the United States Air Force band, Winds Aloft, that is currently touring Slovenia. The band shared their musical talents with the students, and in return, the students honored them with a musical program they had prepared! It was an incredibly special day for everyone involved, full of emotion, excellent music and smiling faces. You can watch the video from Cirius here.
Chicago has many nicknames, with some of the most famous being the ‘Windy City’ and the ‘City of the Big Shoulders’. Deputy Chief of Mission Susan Falatko explained the origin of the nicknames to students at the School of Economics in Ljubljana. She also told the students about the history of Chicago–from the Great Chicago Fire, to gangster Al Capone and the American prohibition era, to today’s great Chicago sports clubs rivalries. Students reciprocated by offering suggestions of where to visit and what to eat in Slovenia.
Susan Baker from the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana visited the middle school in Dobrepolje and its branch school in Struge to introduce American Halloween to two different groups of students. She told the students about the origin and history of the Halloween celebration and Halloween activities that include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties (the most popular costume is a witch!), carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.
