Croatia – country with thousand islands and thousand centenarians

You have probably heard that Croatia is small country with thousand islands, but did you know that Croatians are one of the five longest-lived nations in Europe, as well?

Recently National Geographic has published the book about how to live to hundred. "The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest" is not some bizarre how to book. The author, National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner wrote it as the result of his five years research. The research has been done with the teams of scientists around the world where people live the longest.

Those zones in the world where people live healthiest and longest, Dan Buettner and his team called Blue Zones. They determined four such regions in the world known of its centenarians. It is Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Loma Linda in California and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

Even Croatia with its about 1500 centenarians, and being one of the five longest-lived nations in Europe doesn't make one of Buettner's Blue Zones, it seams that Croatian centenarians has been practicing the same strategies for longevity that Dan Buettner and his team had found observing the lifestyle of the people living in the four Blue Zones.

In his book with lessons for living longer he discloses the recipe with eight main ingredients of longevity lifestyle: move naturally; cut calories by 20%; eat less meat and more plants; drink red wine; take time to stop, think and see – determine your life purpose; slow down and take time to relieve stress; belong – find your spiritual source; put the loved one first and surround yourself with right and positive people – make your family a priority.

By reading yesterday Diana Barabarić's article published in Slobodna Dalmacija about 24 Croatian centenarians only in Split region, it seams that Croatian elders through their optimistic view on life, and without any knowledge about scientific research that was going on about recently, for past century, already have been using the ingredients of the Blue Zone longevity recipe.

Without blending it with scientific research and findings they disclosed its longevity lifestyle formula describing it with open, friendly, helpful and cheerful simplicity, and by putting it into the following words: love, friendship, cheerfulness, forgiveness, optimism, thinking about and surrounding with nice things…

Singing, dancing, reading, walking, having fun, joking and laughing are just few ways of their living longer lessons.

Slovenian threats to Croatia

In Slovenia - possible referendum about Croatian joining European Union. Does Slovenia really threats Croatia with it or it's just its political acrobatics? Having heard the statement of Slovenian prime Minster Janez Janša given to RTV Slovenia, the question almost pops up by itself.

While US president George Bush welcomes Croatia into Nato, seams like Slovenia still playing around figuring how to prevent Croatia entering the European Union. Janša said that Slovenian interest is Croatian membership in the EU. But, in the same, he declares if the issue regarding boundary-line between Croatia and Slovenia wouldn't be solved or at least on the proper way to achieving that settlement, everything is possible in Slovenia. As the agreement on entering European Union should be ratify by every country member of EU, he stated, there is a possibility that Slovenia would issue a referendum on which Slovenians would decide about Croatian entering EU or not.

Why Janša put on the table one of his, so called, political threatening aces against Croatia, and is it a political ace at all? At the moment when Slovenia preside over EU, and in the same time when because of its political behavior some rumors goes around to forbid it chairman position forever, is Janša so sure that Slovenians would gamble together with him up to the end, its own position in EU by this political poker game of his?

What's the story laying behind this one? What's really bothers Slovenian prime minister?

Croatia recently succeeds to create a very concrete plan for solving the boundary-line issue between Croatia and Monte Negro. In not so distant past Monte Negro was the country that under Milošević's and Serbian command attacked Croatian territory (Dubrovnik etc.), and against which country Croatia was in the war defending its own territories. In spite all of that these two countries, yesterday enemies, today in peace succeeded to define mutual interest way for solving this boundary issue, while in the same time Slovenia who was all the way through in peaceful relations with Croatia is still running in the same circle of its one-way interests.

In other words it seams that negotiation success between Croatia and Monte Negro slap in the face Janša's policy, now openly showing his through years continual political inability of constructive approach in solving the same issue with Croatia.

Is Janša a good political poker player by threatening with Slovenian referendum about Croatia's entering EU, and is it a real threat to Croatia at all, time will show sooner than latter.

(In Croatian language:)

Vijesti.net - Janša: U Sloveniji moguć referendum o pristupanju Hrvatske EU

Bye-bye Bush, hello normal rhythm of life

Several weeks before President Bush arrival to Zagreb, capital of Croatia, we were witnessing many preparations for his two days visit. It was almost everyday topic. Security measures were on highest level. People living nearest to the hotel of his stay, as well as those living in the streets of his possible trafficking routes during the stay, received special instructions.

Croatians were aware of importance of US President arrival, and because of that mostly satisfied. But, such caution and secure measurements for some was kind of uncomfortable change of their regular every day habits or even obligations. I assume that the most inconvenient part of this story, for those citizens was that they nonnegotiable had to accept those changes caused by highly increased secure measures.

Today, the day after President Bush departure, when the streets are not covered with lot of police forces any more, it seams that Zagreb is catching back its normal rhythm of life.