Wines of Macedonia Come to Sunny Florida! Chateau Kamnik, Popov Winery, Tikves and others in Naples

I was delighted to learn that Chateau Kamnik and other Macedonian wineries would be visiting Florida as a part of the Wines of Macedonia tour. 

Stops were planned for Miami (a 5-hour drive each way from our home) and Naples ( about a 3-hour drive each way from our home). Not terribly convenient on a school night - but - how could I miss out on the opportunity to welcome Macedonians to Florida - and to enjoy a taste of Macedonian Vranec and Tamjanika?!

(For more about Vranec, Tamjanika, and other local grape varieties see http://winesofmacedonia.mk/grape-varieties/)

with Natalija from Chateau Kamnik and Josef, an importer

I hope that through events such as these, Macedonian wines will be more readily available in the US market -- specifically, Tampa Bay, Florida! 

Followers of this blog will remember that within days of arriving in Skopje, I attended a Dobredojde Macedonian Welcome Center event that was a Vranec tasting.  A fitting introduction to Macedonia, and its impressive wineries.
  http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/01/dobredojde-macedonian-welcome-center.html

We also enjoyed our visits to Chateau Kamnik
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.com/2017/04/chateau-kamnik-winery

 and Popova Kula Winery (on the day we visited the Roman ruins in Stobi we stopped at the winery for lunch)

http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/demir-kapija-popova-kula-winery.html
and -- for more about the Roman ruins in Sobi:
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/stobi-municipium-stobensium.html

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to welcome Macedonian wine representatives to Florida, if only briefly. 

I had a lovely visit with Natalija, of Chateau Kamnik, Miro, the owner of the Popov Winery, and with importers of Macedonian wines at the Aqua restaurant in Naples.

And now - I know of more wineries to visit when we return.

with Miro, the owner of the Popov Winery

For more about Wines of Macedonia

Wines of Macedonia facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/WinesofMacedonia/
and website:  http://winesofmacedonia.mk/

For more about Chateau Kamnik see  http://chateaukamnik.com/


For more about Popov Winery http://popovwinery.com.mk/en
 and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/popovwinery/

For more about Tikves  http://tikves.com.mk/
and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TikvesWinery
I will always have fond memories of Tikves from the QSI 20th Anniversary -- here you can see the lovely event set up, with barrels as tables, and, of course, the wine: http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/skopje-qsi-20th-anniversary-celebration.html

For more about Stobi Winery:  http://www.stobiwinery.mk/home.nspx

and facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/StobiWinery

Chateau Kamnik

 

Natalija from Chateau Kamnik

Stobi Winery

Dalvina Winery

 

Popov Winery

The event took place at the Aqua restaurant in Naples. See http://www.aquafifth.com/

Fulbright Welcome Reception at USF Tampa

It was a pleasure to attend the Annual Fulbright Welcome Reception, sponsored by the Fulbright Association (Mid-Florida Chapter) and USF World. At the reception, Fulbrighters from around the world (and placed at universities in central Florida) are welcomed, as are returning Fulbrighters (who are coming back home to Florida).

The reception also includes a poster presentation, and I was invited to present about my award in Macedonia: "Rule of Law and Civil Society."

I enjoyed looking through my photos and reminiscing about the wonderful experience my daughter and I had in Macedonia while putting together this poster -- and having the opportunity to share those experiences at the reception.

One couple who came over to talk to me used to be at Arizona State University in Tempe -- which has been a sister city with Skopje for decades (since Yugoslav times).  They had traveled to Skopje as a part of the Sister Cities program.  Here is more info
http://www.tempesistercities.org/meet-our-sister-cites/skopje-macedonia/

Another who came over to express interest in my work in Macedonia turned out to be a colleague from USF Sarasota who is from Croatia.

I appreciated how much interest there was in the Balkans in general and in Macedonia in particular.

And it is always a pleasure to meet the Fulbrighters who are coming her from all over the world. Last night I had the chance to personally welcome scholars from Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Colombia, Ghana, Togo, Pakistan...

The Fulbright Program has had such a tremendous impact, promoting mutual understanding and cooperation.  Needed now more than ever.

I was delighted to share my experiences in Macedonia with the Honorable Betty Castor -- former President of USF and former Chair of the Fulbright Board

with the Dean of my college (the College of Arts & Sciences at USFSP) Dean Frank Biafora (Fulbrighter to Vietnam) with Fulbrighter Quyet from Vietnam, whom Dean Biafora is hosting.

Professor Darlene DeMarie of USF, President of the Fulbright Association (Mid-Florida Chapter) and the USF Fulbright Faculty Advisor, opening the program

USF leads the nation as the "Top Producer" of Fulbright Scholars.  I am also proud that USF ranks #3 in the number of graduates who become Peace Corps Volunteers. (Still on my Bucket List!) 

More pics are on the USF World facaebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pg/usfworld/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154992989321404 

European Conference on Politics and Gender - UNIL - Lausanne

In June we traveled to Switzerland so that I could participate in the European Conference on Politics and Gender at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in Lausanne. 

Lausanne is Switzerland's 4th largest city, on the shores of Lake Geneva with beautiful views of the Alps. UNIL is a leading research university home to more than 17,000 students and researchers.

The European Conference on Politics and Gender (ECPG) conference consisted of three days of panels, lectures, plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, professional development workshops, and receptions.

My paper was entitled "The 'Notorious RBG' and the Development of Gender Discrimination Jurisprudence in the US."  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has captured the popular imagination as a feminist icon in the US. Indeed, Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer who made tremendous contribution to the advancement of equal rights for women in the USA by developing the ACLU’s litigation strategy before the Supreme Court of the US. Her legal strategy was to bring a series of cases before the Court, gradually culminating in a heightened scrutiny for gender discrimination under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. As the Equal Rights Amendment was never ratified, the Court’s framework for interpreting the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment - and the determination of which “test” to apply in cases involving gender discrimination – is critical to understanding the scope of women’s rights in the US.
 

Data collection for this project began when I was working for the US Senate Judiciary Committee on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s confirmation hearings in 1993. One of my tasks was to read and synthesize everything she had written on gender discrimination. More recently, I have undertaken a content analysis of her opinions in all cases involving gender discrimination written during her 24 terms on the Bench. In my presentation I compared the arguments made by Attorney Ginsburg with those of Justice Ginsburg, and I discussed the impact of attorney and later judge and Justice Ginsburg on the development of gender discrimination jurisprudence in the US through an analysis of her scholarship, advocacy, and jurisprudence.

presenting my paper about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's contribution to 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause Jurisprudence

 

 

One of my fellow panelists is also a Rutgers PhD!  Grace Howard presented her research about "Prosecutorial Innovatoin and the Criminalization of Pregnancy." In fact, there was a large contingent from Rutgers here -- from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)

In addition to the opportunity to present one's own research and to solicit valuable feedback, conferences also provide the opportunity to network with scholars in one's field. As I was perusing the program, I was delighted when I came across this paper: "The Gender Dimension of EU Enlargement: A Case Study of Macedonia as a Candidate Country," to be presented by a colleague from UKIM.  I was on the lookout for Prof. Karolina Ristova-Aasterud and was delighted to meet her at the welcome reception.

Wonderful to meet a law professor from UKIM - Professor Karolina Ristova-Aasterud. The conference provided several opportunities for us to meet and to brainstorm opportunities for future cooperation

Of course, it was delightful to continue to discuss our plans for future collaboration over the cheese fondue!

Hard to get enough cheese fondue (or chocolates!) when in Switzerland!

Most of the sessions that I attended took place in this classroom building - Anthropole - which was just off the metro stop

on the walk from the opening sessions to the welcome reception

UNIL is a lovely campus, that spans 3 metro stops.  Just a quick moment to enjoy the sounds of this babbling brook, as I was running from one classroom building to another.
And -- sheep!  I also took this video of the sheep so you could hear their bells

I took my daughter on a tour of the campus as well .... not every day you can walk around campus and see/hear sheep

Our hotel was actually on the metro stop. It could not have been any more convenient.  Many stayed in the lovely old town of Lausanne, nearer the Lake, but we loved staying at this hotel on the metro, just a few stops from the UNIL campus.

approaching Geopolis, where the fondue reception was being held

I believe this building also housed the Geology Department - and there was this display of rocks outside, lining the pathway

On the third day of the conference I was able to hear presentations by a few of the Rutgers scholars in attendance at the conference -- e.g., at this panel on Women Parliamentarians, featuring this presentation about "The Significance of Women in Congress from Women Members' Perspectives" by Kelly Ditmar.

presentation by Hila Amit, who won the PhD Prize in Gender and Politics for her dissertation "A Queer Way Out: Israeli Emigration and Unheroic Resistance to Zionism"

We flew from Skopje to Geneva -- when your mom takes you to a conference on Politics and Gender, these might be your coloring book pages of choice (Thanks, again, Shalom!)

And then we took the train from Geneva to Lausanne. (Perusing one of the books we got at the shop at the UN Office in Geneva)

Perhaps I will post separately about Geneva and Lausanne. We added a day before and a day after the conference so that we could explore Geneva and Lausanne, if only briefly.  We had a lovely time in Switzerland.

US Senator Marco Rubio - Thank You for your Support of the Fulbright Program

I was delighted to receive this letter from US Senator Marco Rubio, expressing congratulations and emphasizing his support for the Fulbright Program.

"By participating in the Fulbright Program you are building a relationship between our great nation and another country. Additionally, you are being an example to your peers by displaying leadership and making a significant contribution ... I am confident you will use everything you learned abroad to continue making the world a better place."

Senator Rubio refers to Fulbright as an "impactful program."  Indeed, it is.And I am looking forward to many years of fruitful collaboration with my colleagues in Macedonia.

Congressman Charlie Crist -- Thank you for your support of the Fulbright Program

I was delighted to receive this correspondence from Congressman Charlie Crist, emphasizing his support for the Fulbright and congratulating me on my work in Macedonia:

"Only the best and brightest have even a shot at becoming a Fulbright Scholar. You have clearly set yourself apart through hard work, determination and academic brilliance. Best of luck on your research in Macedonia. May the knowledge and thought leadership you gain play a role in improving democratic institutions around the world, and here at home."

Thank you, Congressman Crist!

US Senator Bill Nelson -- Thanks for your support of Fulbright Program

I was delighted to hear from US Senator Bill Nelson congratulating me on my Fulbright Award.  Thank you so much for your support for the Fulbright Program!

For more about Fulbright, see

http://www.cies.org/

https://us.fulbrightonline.org/