Ljubljana Life

Getting to Know Ljubljana…

Some Personal Views of Veteran Expatriates.

by william wagner, march 2004

“The quality of life is excellent. Free time and relaxation is pure continental Europe. Organization and keeping things clean and working is pure Germanic. There is food and appreciation for style that has an Italian feel. And finally, there is this Balkan (emerging market) feel that adds an element of energy that is not to be found in the rest of the EU.” - American expat with a high-tech firm, 5 years in Slovenia.

With the possible exception of ambassadors, all foreigners who need to spend longer periods of time in a foreign country have little choice but to adapt their lifestyle to the local environment. Foreigners from the EU and other Western countries have a wide range of expectations when it comes to services and hospitality. Some are very demanding, while others are more flexible and more willing to adapt to local customs and standards. From my own contacts with foreigners living in Ljubljana, the ones who tend to adapt the most successfully and enjoy life here the best are also the ones who enjoy their work the most. So with this in mind, one can expect to see a completely different impression of life here from an enthusiastic artist or musician than from an overworked accountant or sales manager.

Culture and Language

Without exception, the one group of individuals who seem to enjoy Slovenia’s capital the most, regardless of where they originate, is the student visitor. You could say that the center of Ljubljana is in fact one huge college party on many nights, especially in the summer. The vast majority of the city’s bars, pubs, and café’s are overrun with local university students, often during daytime as well as evening hours. This fact can actually diminish the charm that the city has for many older visitors as it can often be difficult to find a tranquil spot for a quiet coffee in the center of town.

Due to the relatively small size of Slovenia’s capital, there are far fewer foreign executives based here than in most other capital cities. As a consequence, Ljubljana unfortunately (or fortunately as some would say) offers very few events and activities that are tailored specifically for expats. If we consider the difficulty that most foreigners have with learning the Slovene language, and add to this the limited range of general entertainment options compared to larger cities, then you can see how some visitors who arrive here with eager expectations may find the experience of adapting to the local lifestyle a bit challenging. The one factor that often makes the most difference in how well a visitor enjoys his or her stay here is the personal contacts that are established with locals. A bit of guidance and a few tips from a local business partner or work colleague can make a big difference in helping to shape a visitor’s impressions about the friendliness, hospitality, and cultural richness of the local community. Ljubljana may not compare with much larger cities in terms of variety and entertainment, but it can compete in other ways that are just as important for determining happiness and quality of life, namely the human dimension.

Returning to the topic of language, many business visitors tend to see the Slovene language as not being very practical, or even “economical” as one expat put it — in terms of the likelihood that they will ever find a use for it after they leave Slovenia. This is why many foreign business people fail to even try seriously when it comes to learning to speak the language. Even those that do try hard are in for a very steep learning curve. Luckily, however, most Slovenes are very good with foreign languages and are more than willing to have some “real life” practice in communicating with foreigners, but they still appreciate every attempt made to speak their language.

Breaking the Ice

Considering how important it is for good communication to take place for foreigners to feel welcome here, and taking into account how skillful most Slovenes are with foreign languages, it is indeed a surprise that many expats complain that they have a difficult time developing close friendships with Slovenes. Perhaps we can attribute this to cultural differences when it comes to socializing, but there is little doubt that many Slovenes and expatriates alike could try a little harder when it comes to getting to know their work contacts or neighbors a bit better. There really is no good reason why we can’t have many more happy tales of international friendship here than there already are.

One complaint I’ve heard from a number of foreigners is “we never get invited to dinner”, although to be fair, I’m sure that there are indeed a significant number of Slovenes who are more than happy to invite foreigner guests over for dinner, and in fact do. Perhaps the reason why it doesn’t happen more often is that many Slovenes may feel that they lack the proper atmosphere or other arrangements at home for entertaining “special guests”. In reality, however, I think it’s fair to say that just about all visitors would prefer to experience the local culture of a country from within the intimate kitchen or dining room of a friendly native host, no matter how modest the setting, rather than spend yet another evening in a “fancy” restaurant or at home watching TV.

The quality of one’s social life in a foreign country is always subjective matter that depends on many factors, such as attitude and openness, so it is no surprise that people have vastly different opinions about a city. But if there is one hot-button issue among all foreigners living in Slovenia, the business of bureaucracy never fails to wind them up. There seems to be general confusion and few definitive rules regarding visas, work permits, and car registrations. And all expats want to know why they are required to display green number plates on their cars, clearly labeling them as “outsiders”. Some actually believe this is so the police can flag them down at every opportunity! To be fair, every country has problems with bureaucracy of some sort, but all foreigners living here are surprised at how rigid things can be in such a small, friendly, and otherwise efficient country like Slovenia. Hopefully the situation will improve somewhat with Slovenia’s accession to the EU.

Continue reading Reflections on Life and Work in Slovenia from Local Expatriates.

William Wagner is the editor of Ljubljana Life Magazine. You can contact him by email at william@wagner-media.com.