I was born in France from a French Mum and a Croatian father from a Bosnian town. My father was a journalist and a poet under Tito. He got tricked to get there (from France where he had gotten a passport) to visit his Mum short after I was born. He spent 6 years in a Gulag where once visited him when I was 5. I remember afraid guards, the smell of chlorinated floors, dim yellowish neon light and sitting on a skeleton’s lap after 3 surrealistic days of train travel. My school teacher was really caring with me when I got back. That’s also why I never learnt Croatian: too old to when he got back and noone really eager to make me practice, weighting 80 pounds/40kg.
Whenever I meet someone arguing to me about how cool Socialism is, I tell him I am a victim of it, as well as my whole family, and I left France because they were not in a hurry to have one of their citizens, father of 6, taken out of that rat trap.
Switzerland had a Max Göldi put in jail by Gaddafi after the latter’s son was taken by the Swiss police in Geneva for beating his servants in a luxury hotel. Max Göldi and another guy were the only 2 Swiss citizens currently contracting in Lybia. The Swiss government actually negociated them out and kept the public informed during all this time. I love these people: friendly, industrious and in love with all that make their country: people, customs, know-how, and of course: the Alps.🇨🇭🎉🤗
Wow what a story . I have a sad one too . Us patriots are United by so much pain and victory! I’ve heard that the Swiss people are friendly and kind! I hope your dad lived a long life where you were able to heal together over a such a horror . Have you been to the US ?
My father lived 40 more years, at first he had been an active founder of the Croatian Parliament when it was still abroad, but then, he distanciated himself when it was taken over by revengeful idiots whomwe owe some responsabiity regarding the 1990-ish Yugoslavian civil war. He spent the rest of his life quietly carving wood and writing what now amounts to around 2 thousands books, essays, plays…
I was 3-4 times in the USA to visit my sister who since moved back to France (having no job, she still had to pay the Obamacare which she couldn’t afford anymore after her divorce). So I visited Dallas when she was in Texas, and San Francisco the other times. Last time I went to San Francisco, some part of it (Castro?) felt unsecure and filthy… but I liked interacting with most people: friendly and professional.
The Swiss people always let me know I wasn’t quite one of them, though I was welcome to work with them and never really bullied except with a few autist-hating individuals… but the day I showed my Red passport to my colleagues, I had a « Beautiful Mind » moment in our office openspace where every colleague left what he was doing to just come, shake hands with me and warmly congratulate me. I mean it when I say I would grab a rifle and shoot at French soldiers, should they try to invade Switzerland.
Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful interesting person . Good for you for having all his wisdom downloaded to you. I’m glad to hear about your loyalty towards Switzerland
!
Try to go to the Piz Gloria, or watch James Bond’s « on Her Majesty’s Special Service » (they built Blofeld lair which now is a panoramic restaurant on this mountain)… The Swiss love their land.
This is a story that should be written to share with generations. You have a gift of words and a story that is incredible. I'm left wanting to know more and more. Please consider writing your story : )
Thanks. My father got the most important bits published, pity, few people know what he did in modern Croatia. I obviously cannot link to his Wikipedia page lest I would doxx myself.
I was born in France from a French Mum and a Croatian father from a Bosnian town. My father was a journalist and a poet under Tito. He got tricked to get there (from France where he had gotten a passport) to visit his Mum short after I was born. He spent 6 years in a Gulag where once visited him when I was 5. I remember afraid guards, the smell of chlorinated floors, dim yellowish neon light and sitting on a skeleton’s lap after 3 surrealistic days of train travel. My school teacher was really caring with me when I got back. That’s also why I never learnt Croatian: too old to when he got back and noone really eager to make me practice, weighting 80 pounds/40kg.
Whenever I meet someone arguing to me about how cool Socialism is, I tell him I am a victim of it, as well as my whole family, and I left France because they were not in a hurry to have one of their citizens, father of 6, taken out of that rat trap.
Switzerland had a Max Göldi put in jail by Gaddafi after the latter’s son was taken by the Swiss police in Geneva for beating his servants in a luxury hotel. Max Göldi and another guy were the only 2 Swiss citizens currently contracting in Lybia. The Swiss government actually negociated them out and kept the public informed during all this time. I love these people: friendly, industrious and in love with all that make their country: people, customs, know-how, and of course: the Alps.🇨🇭🎉🤗
Wow what a story . I have a sad one too . Us patriots are United by so much pain and victory! I’ve heard that the Swiss people are friendly and kind! I hope your dad lived a long life where you were able to heal together over a such a horror . Have you been to the US ?
My father lived 40 more years, at first he had been an active founder of the Croatian Parliament when it was still abroad, but then, he distanciated himself when it was taken over by revengeful idiots whomwe owe some responsabiity regarding the 1990-ish Yugoslavian civil war. He spent the rest of his life quietly carving wood and writing what now amounts to around 2 thousands books, essays, plays…
I was 3-4 times in the USA to visit my sister who since moved back to France (having no job, she still had to pay the Obamacare which she couldn’t afford anymore after her divorce). So I visited Dallas when she was in Texas, and San Francisco the other times. Last time I went to San Francisco, some part of it (Castro?) felt unsecure and filthy… but I liked interacting with most people: friendly and professional.
The Swiss people always let me know I wasn’t quite one of them, though I was welcome to work with them and never really bullied except with a few autist-hating individuals… but the day I showed my Red passport to my colleagues, I had a « Beautiful Mind » moment in our office openspace where every colleague left what he was doing to just come, shake hands with me and warmly congratulate me. I mean it when I say I would grab a rifle and shoot at French soldiers, should they try to invade Switzerland.
Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful interesting person . Good for you for having all his wisdom downloaded to you. I’m glad to hear about your loyalty towards Switzerland !
Try to go to the Piz Gloria, or watch James Bond’s « on Her Majesty’s Special Service » (they built Blofeld lair which now is a panoramic restaurant on this mountain)… The Swiss love their land.
This is a story that should be written to share with generations. You have a gift of words and a story that is incredible. I'm left wanting to know more and more. Please consider writing your story : )
Thanks. My father got the most important bits published, pity, few people know what he did in modern Croatia. I obviously cannot link to his Wikipedia page lest I would doxx myself.