Prost, father!

Today celebrates my father who has never said “You write strange poems, daughter,” as the father in the song that follows. Instead, you gift me books with my own poetry, take me places, cook, eat, win, hike and enjoy life, as you should.

First, one song in three fully diverse versions, just because its title is My father, even though he is nothing like you. In the song, his son is devastated on the inside because this father cannot understand that the world moves forward, whereas you not only don’t complain over what I do but are a fan. For my second birthday in a row, which comes just after the National Poetry Writing Month, you gathered all my 30+1 poems written in April in a neat book, for which I’m eternally grateful. Now the internet may die. (Well… almost.)

The song was written in 1979 by Slovenian singer/songwriter Andrej Šifrer and was included on one of the first cassettes that I listened to non-stop and knew inside out. Here is a live version.

The next version is by punk band Racija. Beware. 😀

And finally, in a twist of coincidence, now, 40 years after the original, the song got covered by Musical Youth, a band that scored a big hit with Pass the Dutchie back in the days. Something tells me you’ll like this version the most.

And now have a look what we have been up to together since your last birthday in twenty photos, two of them by you:

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  You took me to the festival of garlic and wine in Nova vas nad Dragonjo. The rucksack was for four kilos of garlic that you bought.

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  They had a food tasting, shrimps fried in their own shell crumbs. Never before. Good!

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  Then you took me to Trieste where you had a short interview with James Joyce.

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  We had some gelato on the pier (of San Carlo?).

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  With The Girls from Trieste, as this monument is called. Many went to sew overseas. (Right?)

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  We found the Ginger tea house and it saved your life, you said. It was a really hot day. And they had glorious cakes, not just tea.

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  At Pirat restaurant in Piran and all sorts of yum sea food.

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  You bought this succulents because mom loves them. ❤

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  This is your magic happy-making garden in Piran.

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  Your photo. Guests are happy here too. Photo: BM

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  Then you hopped over to your other garden in Ljubljana to win our annual card tournament.

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  One day we spent on the tour of western Slovenia. Photo: BM.

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  A hayrack, typical Slovenian structure, in Škofja Loka open-air museum.

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  First joint hike, after a while. We used to do it regularly. Javorca chapel above Tolmin.

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  The Julian Alps are pretty majestic.

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  Keep an eye on her so that she doesn’t fly away. 😀

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  Our pre-Christmas party, with my sister and your brother with his Jelka. Hard to take a photo and make a toast, with limoncello.

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  Good to see that you like what you make. Asparagus with prosciutto and eggs and a mysterious crunchy.

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  The restaurant at the Kodeljevo Castle accepts dogs but I don’t think quite in this way.

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  A test shot with the borrowed pro Nikon.

Und zum Schluss, so eine ungramatische Sache dass du hat nicht expectiert (ich kann mich nicht das korrekte Verb errinern… “vorschaut?”). Warum sollst nur du Englisch sprechen und lesen, weil du hat es nie im Schule gelernt? So probiere ich mal mit mein Deutsch (ohne Google translate). Du hast geleben und geartbeitet in Wien fuer vielen Jahre und ich hat dich dort besuchen viel und gern. Aber auch frueher hab ich Radio Ö3 nachgehoert und ich errinere mich (mir?) um diese Schlager aus die andere Steiermark.

Prost, Papi, babbo, dad and oči Branko!

And for the very end, a collection of all the birthday posts on my three previous blogs, just in case, to have another look before the internet dies. 😉

• 2014: Your poem plus its double translation.
• 2015: A big round celebration with photos and two short stories.
• 2016: Five more stories from the book of drabbles that I wrote for you.
• 2017: Many happy photos from your visits to Tuscany.
• 2018: Many happy photos from my visit to Slovenia.