Toni Šimunović. I do what makes me happy.

A very busy man lives here in Dubrovnik - he is doing a lot of voluntary work and says that it makes him happy, it makes him occupied, he feels complete. It is Toni Šimunović, the president of ESN Dubrovnik organisation, which is taking care of Erasmus students and makes sure they get as much as possible from their Erasmus adventure. This is how he describes his occupation and passion at the same time.

Why did you decide to join ESN?

I came to ESN because I wanted some adventures, meet new people: Erasmus and ESN people also. I like to do many things in a one day, not just one like going to college and study - for me that would be a boring life. I have to do a lot of things besides studying and that makes me happy but it also makes me a better student. When I don’t have too much free time I am more efficient, because when I only have one or two free hours per day when I have to study, there is no way that I can leave something for tomorrow.

It sounds very busy - how do you get rid of your work, how do you relax?

Well I am a person that is not under pressure a lot. I can say that I do not know what stress is. I like this kind of life and that is why I am doing it. If I would not like it, if it would mean  problems for me I just would not do it. I do what I like.

Why did you want to be a president of ESN Dubrovnik?

Well we had elections and I know my qualities so I applied for the place of a president of ESN Dubrovnik. All my colleagues obviously recognized me as someone who can do that job and I was happy to be elected. I was elected at the beginning of November and I‘m still a president. I love this job, I like organizing events. It makes me happy.

Is it about organizing and meeting people or is it also about feeling important when being in this position?

To be honest, I am not a person that likes to say: “That is my job, I did that," you will never hear that from me. For instance we do many interviews for UNIDU radio and other radios in this area and we always send a different representative to answer. We don’t want to make it a “one man show” - it is a team show because this job can not be done by a one person only. Maybe some of the people are more visible sometimes because of a certain situation, but it does not mean that someone is more important than someone else. From the day I started my position as a president I had help from all my colleagues and that is the only way why we can do what we do.

What is the most difficult for you at ESN?

I must admit that I really enjoy working in ESN so far and I do not have any problems. Maybe at the beginning when I became a president I had some "problems", but I successfully solved it with the help of my colleagues and now we are just happy. No problems.

How long are you planning on staying on this position?

It really depends. ESN is very dynamic organization, so I cannot predict anything. I can just say that I want to be here for one more year and then - who knows. You never know, maybe I will go somewhere on Erasmus or I will go abroad to study more. It is very difficult to make predictions in ESN.

Do you have your goal in this organization?

When I am talking about local level, ESN Dubrovnik, we have one goal and if we achieve that, I will be very happy and I will be able to say: “I did everything on this level”. It is to organise annual general meeting of ESN (AGM) where all other representatives from all other sections in Europe and all national delegates, representatives come together. That is around 800 people, meaning that organization of an event like that is a very big challenge and there is so much work to do, but we are all excited about it. We are already preparing because we want to organize it in 2017.

So you don’t set long term goals for your life, you are only planning your near future, right?

Well, of course I have goals for my life. That is to be happy, to have a nice family and to be successful. But what does it mean to be successful? Does it mean to be a Prime minister or somebody else? You never know, especially because ESNer’s life is very dynamic and you never know where life will take you. So I have those three things: to be happy, healthy and have a nice family. Then I will be successful. If I will be a Prime Minister it will be just something extra, it is not the most important. 

Senad Hajdari, the story of an ice cream store

Ice lolly, scoops, soft serve. Ice creams! We love them in any form, because nothing cools in a hot day as good as a serving of delicious ice cream. A family ice cream parlor “Dubrovnik” is a real paradise for ice cream lovers. In addition, the order can be made in almost every european language here. Meet Senad Hajdari, another “Humans of Dubrovnik” hero. Since 10 years he has served delicious ice cream for thousands of tourists. 

The first ice cream store in the city

The Hadjari family has been dealing with ice cream for over half a century. Feim, Senad's grandfather, emigrated from Macedonia to Dubrovnik and opened the first ice cream store in the city in 1964. At the beginning, he was serving ice cream in only four flavors: vanilla, chocolate, lemon and strawberry and it cost 2 kunas. After years the father's business had been inherited by a son, Besim, and later - by Besim's sons. Now a third generation of Hajdarii family works in “Dubrovnik”: Senad, his brothers Cani and Kujtim, cousins: Ljoki, Gasi and Mirjana, Marjana and Ira. The staff was extended, and the range of flavors too... from 4 to 32! The recipe remained mostly unchanged. Apart from traditional flavors you can buy ice cream of mysterious names, such as “american dream” or “eight o'clock”. However, the most popular is “Kinder”, a flavour created because of Senad's

love for chocolate cream.

For many years the shop was in Cavtat. In 2005 it moved to
a new location in the Stari Grad centre - on the Stradun. Homemade ice cream quickly became appreciated among Dubrovnik residents and tourists. Shortly after the shop's opening, the Hajdari family had been selling even 8 thousand ice cream servings per day. Today, in high season, about 4 thousand people visit the shop every day. Lower number of sold portions is the result of a strong competition. In the Old Town there are several points which sell ice cream. Senad knows that the high quality of products is not everything - the approach to the client and marketing activities are also important. 

                                                     Third generation of ice cream sellers. Senad with brothers: Kujtim and Cani

Good ice cream, good staff

In “Dubrovnik” ice cream parlor you can make an order in almost every European language. Senad speaks in 10 languages: Macedonian, Albanian, Croatian, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. His brothers and cousins speak 5 to 6 on average. “People are really surprised when we are talking to them in their languages. They always ask - wow how do you know that?- especially Skandynavians”. At school, Senad learned only basics of French,but the remaining languages he learned thanks to the everyday contact with clients from the whole world: Canada, Australia, Poland and so on.

The sellers do not allow customers to get bored in the queue. They entertain them by showing tricks and tossing ice cream in the air or creating ice cream compositions. Hajdaris are open for wishes and whims of clients - “If a client wants some special flavor, we can create it”.

 Funny situations also happen from time to time: “One customer couldn't decide which flavor he wanted to buy. At the end he said: -I take all of them! 16 scoops.-  Then I answered: -OK, and I'll throw in 3 more for free-”. This is how the new record of “Dubrovnik” has been set – 19 scoops in one cone.

                                                                      Dubrovnik’s record - 19 scoops in one cone

Everybody loves ice cream

The shop is visited by ice cream lovers from all around the world. In “Dubrovnik” ice creams have been served for customers from Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and many famous people, sportsmen, movie or music stars. Senad still remembers the visit of his first well-known customer, it was Roman Abramovich, a Russian businessman and politician, owner of the Chelsea F.C. „He bought only one scoop in yoghurt and fruits flavour, because  he said he loves yoghurts. He really enjoyed our ice cream.” Later ice creams were bought by locally known sportsmen like Luka Modrić (football), Ivano Balić (handball), Goran Ivanišević (tennis) or a singer, Severina. “Dubrovnik” ice cream were liked also by the cast of the popular “Game of Thrones” series. „I met one member of movie crew and he said -it’s very hot and I love ice cream. Please bring some ice cream to us-. They enjoyed them, sometimes I sent to them 50 or 60 ice creams”. Sometimes after recording and tiring day on movie set, actors and members of the crew visited ice cream parlor. At the end, everyone loves ice cream.   

The shop is open 10 months a year, 7 days a week, from morning until late hours. Senad doesn't feel tired though, because: “I love working at the ice cream store. It makes me happy. It is my hobby and family business at the same time and I feel proud I can do what I do”. 

Pero Barkidžija - The story behind the Fountain

Fontana – that is the name of a place which is like a second home not only to locals but to foreigners as well, especially students who are living in Dubrovnik at the moment. Affordable prices, great atmosphere and friendly bartenders - that is the first impression of this bar which is situated in the heart of the old town. However behind every picture there is a story and now you have a chance to hear it from a person who knows it the best – Pero Barkidžija – a son of Vlaho Barkidžija the owner of Fontana.

The very beginning

He opened the bar with his friend 12 years ago. Before opening Fontana Vlaho had a dream to start a restaurant on the island called Lokrum, however not everything went according to the plan. After not succeeding there another opportunity showed up. Many years ago the bar (now known as an Irish pub Karaka) covered the whole first floor of the today’s Fontana location. 12 years ago due to unknown reasons the place was divided into two – one side left to Karaka and the other one was empty. Vlaho Barkidžija took the opportunity and settled a bar for locals.

The story of Pero

Despite the fact that one of the owners is now retired, Fontana successfully operates with Vlaho Barkidžija in charge and his two sons next to him. Pero and Mario help their father with business by standing behind the bar and pouring drinks, talking to customers and listening to their stories. Mario works only at weekends while Pero comes there every single day. “The only days that I don’t work are Christmas, Easter and my girlfriend’s birthday.” Pero started working in Fontana 6 years ago when he was 17 but it was only during the summer at that time. “I wanted to help my father because he was working there all day long and I was just sitting at home, doing nothing.” Pero is 23 years old now and he studies at Maritime College, nevertheless Fontana is a very big part of his life. But it is not only fun - working there he often has to sacrifice his free time: “I’m working every night. When you are going out I’m working. When my friends want to go out I say that I can join them after a few hours because I have to clean the bar up”. Nevertheless: one of the reasons Pero is not whining about the lack of free time is the desire to help his father: “I can`t complain about it because my father spends so many hours working just to earn food for me and my brothers and to make our lives full of everything”. However, he is dreaming of one day working for himself and not having a boss in the future. The explanation why Pero has this ambition is that he does not want to get everything from his father. He wants to achieve something by himself.

Good vibes

Fontana is a great opportunity for him to get a lot of practice, face different situations and meet many interesting people. Young guy has shared many stories about his work and interesting customers. For instance, an old lady is also working there and she knows all the loyal customers. Once he was working with her and an old man came into Fontana and sat to one of the tables. The lady who was working there immediately started to make coffee and after a few minutes she put the cup in front an old man and told him: "Here you go, sir, as you like, coffee without milk and with 2 spoons of sugar." That`s why in Fontana there is a great atmosphere, everyone knows each other and act like friends or even family members. Interesting fact is also that there is no fighting inside the bar, everyone is always positive and friendly.

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Sandro Spicijarić - World traveler stays in Dubrovnik

 Maybe you have noticed him. An ordinary man with a guitar. Standing near the Pile Gate. Singing and playing songs for all people who are passing by. Everyone recognizes him, but nobody knows his real story. Human of Dubrovnik. Sandro Spicijarić is a street musician you can meet almost everyday when you enter the Old city of Dubrovnik.

Name: Sandro Spicijarić

Age: Unknown

Hometown: Rijeka

Profession: Boat engineer

Musical instrument: guitar

Length of playing: 25 years, 17 years on the street

Playing spot: Pile gate

Unusual interest: boxing

From necessity to affection

Sandro Spicirajić is not an ordinary musician who is just playing a guitar. He had been playing on the streets of Zagreb for five years. “I did a bit of music there and I also did sport. Then I came to Dubrovnik. I like it a lot because it is warm here. I am not doing boxing here anymore but there are a lot of palm trees! I love them.” Sandro has two loves of his life: „Sport - boxing and music. These two things are my biggest loves. I had to earn money somehow in Zagreb, that was the reason why I started playing the guitar. I stayed there for five years.” Obviously, five years were enough and he got tired of playing there. Sandro took his things and came to Dubrovnik. “I did not go to any music school. I learnt it on my own, like gypsies. But gypsies have somebody to teach them, in their community. I did not have anybody. My dad only loved music, he did not know it. But I am happy that I got the love for the music from him. ”

“I had to earn money somehow in Zagreb, that was the reason why I started playing the guitar.“

Music vs. box

The interesting thing is that he chose music over boxing. “Music is the love of my life. My father also loved music and songs so I grew up with music. It has been a part of my life since I was born.” But boxing has also been part of his life - he started to practice with his dad when he was seven. “I wanted to find the meaning of  my life, to make sense of it and I found it in music and sports.”

When he left home, his first choice was Zagreb. “I wanted to do boxing there. It is also a really beautiful place. I have always listened to what life is telling me. But in Dubrovnik there is a very nice place to play, sing and live with music. Right now, I would not go back to Zagreb.” He remembers his first day in Dubrovnik like this: “It was summer, first of July. I wanted to sleep on the beach, but the police came and kicked me out of the beach. I slowly found an apartment, where I live and practice now.”

“I always take my guitar with me and I play everywhere.”

Pile gate musician

First time playing in Dubrovnik was not a big problem because he had practiced for five years in Zagreb. “Here there are more tourists then in Zagreb. Eventually I have learned how to play, work and how to feel good when I am doing it. At the beginning it was quiet hard but now I feel great. Beginning is hard because you need repertoire of songs. You need to be confident but when you learn it, it is kind of art.” He prefers playing outside and he is  always staying near the Pile gate. Sometimes you can meet him in a restaurant too but only if somebody calls him and offers him a good deal.

Playing in the streets is an adventure

Everything has advantages and disadvantages. In the streets you can meet all kinds of people. Some of them were making fun of Sandro, threw bottles at him, especially at night. “I am not scared because I am a boxer. Actually I have never really needed my boxing skills. I have never wanted to have problems on the spot where I am playing. Things like this are happening in restaurants too. All the other things about playing on the streets are very positive. Talking to new people, meeting them. I do what I love and that is enough for me.”

At some places you can play and at the others you can’t. Sandro has also had some problems in Dubrovnik at the beginning. Fortunately the tourist office now allows him to play there. He says that Croatia is the best country to play in. It is not very complicated to get permission.

“I love beautiful beaches. I know a lot of small secret beaches here and I love them. If you do not know them, you can’t find them.”

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