ŠPELA KALČIĆ (Shpela Cal-chich) – Špelus, Špeljak, Špelc, Špelita …

BORN: 15.7. 1974 in Ljubljana (ex-Yugoslavia).
FORMAL EDUCATION: B.A. diploma in Sociology of Culture and Russian language with literature; Ph.D. in Social Anthropology.
LICENSES: Slovenian tourist guide license (somebody told me, that I should be ashamed of it).
INFORMAL EDUCATION: Yes, always in progress.
LANGUAGES: Fluent in Slovenian (native language), Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (second three native languages – it is possible), English and Russian. Her French, especially African version, is not bad, speaks some German and Italian. Commands deaf-and-dumb language. Manages some Albanian, Arab, Hassania and Tamachek phrases.
PROFESSION: Anthropologist. Worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute for Ethnic Studies in Ljubljana conducting a one-year field research among migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from former Yugoslav countries as well as a three-year field research among Slovenian Muslims.
She is author of scientific articles on Gender issues, Refugees, Islam and Muslims in the Balkans and Europe. Her monograph“I am not a Barby”: dress practices, Islam and identity processes among Bosniaks in Slovenia is just in press. Few years ago she co-founded the House of the Worlds in Ljubljana, a centre for promotion of intercultural communication and learning whithin Slovenian NGO Humanitas.
OTHER PROFESSIONS: Translator, journalist, tourist guide, author of radio essays, organizer of cultural events, photographer, editor, animator, menthor, teacher, coordinator of the Intercultural centre in the House of the Worlds, babysitter, singer (a big talent), actress (not very talented).
TRAVELS: Turkey, Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Monte Negro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Czech republic, Germany, Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Russia, Georgia, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali and Niger.
HIGHLIGHTS: 55 km on foot through dunes in Mauritania (with car spare parts on one shoulder and 4 liters of water on the another), 5 days in the heart of Western Sahara with guerrilla Didi, train journey from Moscow to Vladikavkaz and a bus journey on to Tbilisi (it took us 9 hours to drive 200 km through street craters), Turkish experiance with a sufi teacher.
HOBBIES: She likes to discover parallel worlds, even if only behind the corner of her home.
DREAM PROJECT: This one. Eventualy also singing in a music group with nice people.

ANDREJ MOROVIĆ (More-of-each) – Moro

BORN: 23.8. 1960 in Ljubljana (ex-Yugoslavia).
FORMAL EDUCATION: Not much.
INFORMAL EDUCATION: Never enough.
Left his homeland in 1979 and spent 15 years abroad (Italy, Australia, France, West Berlin, New York, Great Britain, Spain). Returned to his new homeland (Slovenia) in 1993, where he tries to spend as little time as possible ever since.
LANGUAGES: Fluent in English, German, Italian, Serbo-croatian and Slovene, quite fluent in French, speaks some Spanish, Arabic, Albanian, Hassania and Tamachek.
PROFESSION: Writer (novels and short stories). Published 10 books in Slovenia and not too many abroad.
OTHER PROFESSIONS: Filmmaker, journalist, theatre author, tourist guide, interior designer, barman, translator, organiser of cultural events, boat-builder, photographer, skipper, actor, copy-writer, public relations guy, manager of a theatre-bar and cultural centre Metelkova mesto (some kind of Slovenian Christiania)…
TRAVELS: Many, above all to NW Africa: Morocco (10), Algeria (6), Western Sahara (6), Niger (3), Mauritania (3), Mali (2).
HIGHLIGHTS: 80 km on foot in Nort Australia (just for fun), 11 days on foot in Tassili N’ajjer (SE Algeria), 3-4 hours through mine fields in NW Mauritania (not on purpose), peace and love in Iraq (just before the US invasion), crossing the Sahara in 2 days (Oran – Gao), Solar eclipse in the Tenere desert (NE Niger), 55 km on foot through the desert in Mauritania (with some water and spare parts for the car).
HOBBIES: Sailing other people’s boats, searching for healthy & delicious food.
DREAM PROJECT: Travelling cinema for the nomads in the central Sahara and elsewhere.

PACO NOUAKCHOTT MAURI JACKAL – Paco, Paquito, Wav-wav

BORN: 1. 4. 2008, Nouakchott (Mauritania)
FORMAL EDUCATION: None.
INFORMAL EDUCATION: Not much.
LANGUAGES: He understands some simple commands in Slovenian, Arabic, French and sign languages if he wants to.
PROFESSION: Guarding pet dog.
TRAVELS: Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Potugal, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia.
HIGHLIGHTS: Hitchiking from Mauritanian border to Dakhla with Sahraui smugglers without driving licence, insurance and with to many people on the front seat.
HOBBIES: Chewing other people’s shoes.
DREAM PROJECT: Cleanning up the Mauritanian coast of all the stranded fish.