By Glenn Heitsmith
Klara Lendic, Rotary exchange student from Croatia, described what her native country is like to members of the Ludlow Rotary Club.
The Ludlow Rotary Club was treated to a lively overview of Croatia’s history, language, culture and geography by a Rotary Youth Exchange Student Klara Lendic at their recent meeting.
Lendic spoke of how her country has been strongly influenced by neighboring countries as Croatia is a small country that was at one time part of the Hapsburg Empire, the central European monarchy that ruled over a collection of lands from the 13th century to 1918.
The historically difficult yet close connection to its neighboring countries continues even though Croatia has been an independent, democratic country since 1991 and a part of the European Union since 2013. Long and difficult negotiations have been a tradition as political and cultural differences overlap the boundaries of so many small countries in such close proximity.
Croatia has strong cultural and culinary traditions, which Lendic described in terms of extended family groups, traditional foods, and elaborate celebrations of holidays and weddings.
Lendic is being hosted this year by the Manchester Rotary Club. She also participated in the Youth Exchange Ski weekend at Okemo Mountain March 1-3. Vail’s Epic Promise grant to the Ludlow Rotary Club makes this weekend event possible for 13 international students who are on a year’s exchange in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
