Wednesday: Leaving Dear Friends in Slovenia

Now that was hard.  We all packed and met at the Kojak park to board buses at 8:00 am so the Slovenian families could get to work only a little late.  Homestay families and our singers formed small groups in the park near the buses, talking and saying good-bye.  It was quiet, there were no games, no laughing. Smiling, talking about the events of the last few days, thanks for hospitality, confirmations of friendship. As departure time approached, the hugs and tears started. Homestay parents held hands with our kids, there was much talk about the October visit to see each other again, and the voices grew softer. They leaned against each other. The tears felt genuine, the affection real.

I suspect what we call love is at least somewhat the result of shared emotional experiences. And these two choirs shared plenty of emotional experiences: months of practice and work on the same music, being thrust together to show the results of their efforts, competing and joining, sharing praise and upset from each of the musical directors, playing endless games, living together in a hilltop medieval town, and then sharing the Slovenian homes, being disappointed when they did not do well in rehearsal, enjoying major highs at the thundering successes. There was a palpable mix of excitement about connecting deeply with new friends and upset about leaving them. They held each other, then we sang good-bye in the form of Homeward Bound.  The sang an English love song "Good-bye Sweetheart” in return.

As we were counting heads in preparation for the exit, Bob realized he left his computer at Karmina's house. She ran to her car for the 10 minute trip to the house. Ensemble soon realized we were not leaving, poured out of the bus found their friends and started one last rousing game of Front-Back-Side Pony. They really got into it, loud, fast and up close. It felt as though they were releasing the sadness and expressing their connection by playing together again.  The computer arrived and we asked everyone to board. This time the hugs were more boisterous, the tone more joyful, but the tears were not diminished.

As we left Maribor, there was not much talking or singing for the first hour. Many choir members slept, some wrote, and many just watched the countryside go by.

We ate packed lunches on the bus, drove through the remainder of Slovenia, through Croatia and entered Serbia, on our way to Belgrade, arriving late afternoon. As we drove toward the city center, all eyes were on several bombed-out buildings that sat in reminder of the recent upheavals these people faced.

We checked into the Hotel Slavija, a 1950's Soviet style tourist hotel. It was a new experience for many of our young people. We discussed plumbing, how to lightly jump to start the elevator, and security measures. It is a fine line between safety and scaring. Bob and Sue did their best to strike the balance. We checked the phones, plumbing and doors for each room, moved a few people to have all needed services and went to dinner in the hotel. The food is solid: soup, salad, meat and potatoes, plus dessert.

After dinner we all took a walk to see the area including some new buildings and returned to the hotel. Chaperones checked rooms to make sure everyone was in bed and that all doors were locked.

Although the hotel has no AC, the night cooled down and most people got a good night's sleep. The good news is that a modern hotel across the street, under the same management, has lobby WiFi high speed internet 24 x 7. That is why the pictures started flowing again.

Breakfast included our first eggs since we left SFO, and in a few nanoseconds, they were gone, refilled and gone again, and again.

The festival starts tomorrow afternoon with the Belgrade University Music Alumni choir. Ensemble is Thursday.