Dave's challenge: Let's learn Slovene

MIŠI V HIŠI – MICE IN THE HOUSE. IN THE BEDROOM – V SPALNICI. Dave bought a MOUSE TRAP – PAST ZA MIŠI or MIŠOLOVKA. He thought about putting TESTENINE – PASTA in the traps, but then decided to use SIR – CHEESE. He started banging on POTS – LONCI to scare them away and armed his wife Fani with a METLA – a BROOM.

So while Dave waits for his LOVORIKA or PRIZE, and watches his KRIMINALKA or CRIME DRAMA, let's see what new words he's learned this time. LOVOR is a BAY LEAF. It's good for REDUCING STRESS - ZMANJŠEVANJE STRESA. BRSKATI PO INTERNETU is TO BROWSE THE INTERNET, WRIGGLY is MIGASTI and ZELIŠČA are HERBS. They can also help your IMMUNE SYSTEM - IMUNSKI SISTEM. But the best thing for you is a GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP - DOBER SPANEC!

»Konec dober, vse dobro” or a happy end for our couple in the hospital. While stuck in the ELEVATOR – DVIGALO, Dave managed to learn some Slovene words… like STAY CALM – OSTANITE MIRNI, CALL FOR HELP – POKLIČITE POMOČ, BLOCKED SENSOR – ZABLOKIRAN SENZOR. Above all you need a lot of PATIENCE – POTRPLJENJE. The same also goes while waiting for a DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT – PREGLED PRI ZDRAVNIKU.

So, it’s time for Dave to start dressing himself more seriously like a real BUISINESS MAN – POSLOVNEŽ. Today he went to the TAILOR – KROJAČ and he ordered TWO PAIRS OF PANTS – DVOJE HLAČ, FOUR SHIRTS – ŠTIRI SRAJCE and TWO JACKETS or BLAZERS – DVA SUKNJIČA. The tailor took his MEASURES – MERE and he needs to come back for a TRY ON – PROBA in a week. Now all he needs is TWO TIES – DVE KRAVATI and some SHOES – ČEVLJE.

Dave’s attempt to read his son a FAIRYTALE – PRAVLJICA for GOOD NIGHT – LAHKO NOČ did not go so well. He didn’t choose to read HANSEL AND GRETEL – JANKO IN METKA, GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS – ZLATOLASKA IN TRIJE MEDVEDI, nor THE THREE LITTLE PIGS – TRIJE PRAŠIČKI. He chose to read his son LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD – RDEČA KAPICA. Dave thought Max would like it, because of the WOLF WITH BIG TEETH – VOLK Z VELIKIMI ZOBMI, and the HUNTER – LOVEC, who later kills the wolf and cuts open his STOMACH – TREBUH. Unfortunately for Dave, this was not the case…

MOTHERHOOD - MATERINSTVO can be exhausting. So, being the good BROTHER IN LAW – SVAK, Dave decided to ask Špela to babysit again. This time he wanted to take Fani for some fun activities, like bowling and GOING TO THE MOVIES – ITI VI KINO to see a ROMANTIC MOVIE – LJUBEZENSKI FILM. But sometimes people, like Fani, are so EXHAUSTED – UTRUJENI, that they just fall asleep…

Dave has really great friends. And there is never a shortage of new words: POGAJANJE means NEGOTIATION, PREVITI means TO SWADLLE, OTROŠKI VOZIČEK is STROLLER, ODGOVOREN – RESPONSIBLE, ZIBATI DOJENČKA means TO ROCK THE BABY, and POMIRITI – TO SOOTHE. Yes, Dave is becoming the best daddy ever.

Well, NA ZDRAVJE – CHEERS lovers. Today Dave got some really GOOD NEWS – DOBRA NOVICA. He got a JOB – SLUŽBA at a LAW OFFICE – PRAVNA PISARNA. Fani is PROUD OF HIM – PONOSNA NA NJEGA. HE WILL GRADUATE – BO DIPLOMIRAL next week and HE WILL START – BO ZAČEL with a new job. That really is a REASON TO CELEBRATE – RAZLOG ZA PRAZNOVANJE.

So, while Fani takes their BUNDLE OF JOY - ŽAKELJ SREČE, Max Conor, FOR A WALK - NA SPREHOD, Dave and the HISTORIAN - ZGODOVINAR, are exchanging ideas about local history. Dave learned how to give directions in Slovenian from his new wife, Fani. STRAIGHT AHEAD is NARAVNOST, ACROSS THE BRIDGE is ČEZ MOST, a ROAD SIGN is a PROMETNI ZNAK or “TABLA” and a ROUNDABOUT is a KROŽIŠČE. And cars in Slovenia do have INDICATORS – SMERNIKI or ŽMIGAVCI. How CONVENIENT - PRIKUPNO!

Poor Dave. He’s still no match for the sellers at the FLEA MARKET – BOLŠJI SEJEM. Dave tried to bring down the price by NEGOTIATING – POGAJATI SE or HAGGLING – BARANTANJE. His friend even told him to be CALM – UMIRJEN, SELF-CONFIDENT – SAMOZAVSTEN, SMILE – NASMEJATI SE, and BE IN CHARGE – BITI GLAVNI. But Dave failed miserably, and so instead of buying a BICYCLE – KOLO, or some COMIC BOOKS – STRIPI, CAR PARTS – AVTO DELI, a SHOVEL – LOPATA or nice EMBROIDERY – VEZENINE, Dave will have to settle for some ICE CREAM – SLADOLED.

Poor Dave… I don't think he understands the serious business of collecting STICKERS – SLIČICE in Slovenia yet. You get a PACKET – PAKET of stickers at the shop. You can STICK – NALEPITI the stickers in an ALBUM or ALBUM. You only need to go to the CHECKOUT – BLAGAJNA once… and you don't have to go BANKRUPT Dave - BANKROT. One BAG – VREČKA of groceries should be enough. NI VAŽNO – IT DOESN’T MATTER because I'm sure that Mia has plenty of stickers to EXCHANGE or SWAP – IZMENJATI – with her friends. And that's all that matters!

Dave got his voice back JUST IN TIME – PRAVI ČAS for his INTERVIEW – POGOVOR. He also learned a few things about Slovenian HOME REMEDIES - DOMAČA ZDRAVILA. KARAMELNO MLEKO is CARAMEL MILK, ŽAJBELJ is SAGE, GRGRATI is TO GARGLE, and SLANA VODA is SALTY WATER. Let's hope Dave gets that new job so that he can QUIT – ZAPUSTITI the old one. DRŽIMO PESTI – FINGERS CROSSED and BEST OF LUCK - VSO SREČO Dave.

So, if you’re TIRED – UTRUJEN, if something HURTS – BOLI, or if you COMPLAIN ALL THE TIME – PRITOŽEVATI SE VES ČAS, you can always blame it on the EMŠO – which is a word used as a reference to your age, but is also your Slovenian personal identification number - an abbreviation for Enotna Matična Številka Občana.

So, everything ended well. Connor Max is with Fani and he doesn’t need a BABYSITTER - VARUŠKA. Dave can go to the pub now and help with the WRONG DELIVERY - NAPAČNA DOSTAVA. And he’ll take Max for A WALK – SPREHOD some other day to see AUTUMN LEAVES – JESENSKO LISTJE. Or neighbour Jože will take him, while AUTUMN – JESEN is his favourite SEASON – LETNI ČAS.

Let's hope that Dave's tooth isn't too bad. At least he learned some interesting new words today. STAVKA is A STRIKE, NOČ ČAROVNIC is HALLOWEEN, NETOPIRJI are BATS, and SVEČKE are CANDLES. TO CARVE something is REZLJATI, a PUMPKIN is BUČA and a TURNIP is REPA. Dave will have to save the GLOW-IN-THE-DARK-BALLOONS – BALONI KI SE SVETIJO V TEMI - for next year. For now, he just has A RAG – KRPA, A RING - PRSTAN and a trip to the dentist with a shiny new COIN - KOVANEC.