Day 9

This was a pretty strange morning. We had to start working only at 12 o'clock. So we were still sleeping around 9.30. And then, suddenly, the bell at the door. And it' s not a very quiet bell. It' s one of those which could wake dead people. So, I jump out of my bed, and run to the door, still in my pyjamas, because the bell does not stop ringing. And there she is - an old Croatian lady, saying: Ja mama! and starting to me in very quick Croatian. Probably from my expression she understands, that something is not like it should be, so she' s asking if I understand (in Croatian, of course). Ne razumiju, I'm saying. Then she' s asking me if I'm working at the evening or at the mornings (as if I worked it mornings I would stand there in my pyjamas). I say- mornings, and then she says, ok, then go back to bed. What I did.


Today we went to the old city to 'hunt' some more people for our research. And we were really doing well! It' s interesting, that here the old city is not in the center of the town. We had to walk some 15 minutes to reach it. And it' s really nice place - you can feel the spirit of history there. And as there are many schools and lots of youth hangs around, it' s a good place for our researches.

We had an interesting discussion with Damjan about sexual education in Croatia. As I'm a member and peer educator in Latvian Association of Family planning and sexual health 'Papardes zieds' it was really interesting for me. Situation in Latvia is following: there used to be lectures in elementary schools in Latvia about sexual education, but now it' s kind of integrated in social education block. So that means there are no such lectures. There are NGO' s like 'Papardes zieds', which can provide lectures in schools about themes like sexuality, relations, puberty, contraception, safe sex and STS, which are leaded by youngsters - peer educators. But it' s far to ideal situation. In Croatia situation is more difficult because many things are influenced by church. That means that politicians are not interested in establishing lectures in schools about sexual health. And there are not many persons who could lead that kind of lectures. Although the abortion is legal, the number of underaged pregnancies and abortions is not available. Or - is not adequate to situation. Sad.