What follows is a question and answer interview with Ivana.

Q: Are both parents living at home?
A: Yes.

Q: How many members are working to support your family?
A: 2

Q: What issues are you affected by? What are some major issues affecting your country right now? How and in what ways are you most affected?
A: Right now, Croatia is in the middle of post-war crisis, facing problems of transition, privatization and reparations. We were called "economic miracle", because we were doing extraordinary well for a country involved in a such long and exhausting war. We thought everything will improve after war finished, but everything collapsed. So, right now all we have are strikes, people are not getting paid for their work and if they do, salaries are extremely low. Only hope was tourism, and now because of Kosovo that's gone too. Our government was proved successful during the war, but in the times of peace we need different people. Our system is pretty much like communism, few things changed. Democracy is really fragile in this area. And of course, we have to repair the damage. Whole cities were destroyed, and we're doing it all alone. There is some help from big countries, but that's almost nothing. The biggest problem are people who used to live in those towns. They have new lives in other parts of Croatia and in foreign countries, and it's very hard to start over again. And what makes situation really tragic is the fact we fail in our attempts to make it better. Young people are going away to work in developed countries, old ones stay here and do nothing or do something in a wrong way. Vital points of every country are economy, judicial system and government. In Croatia, all three are corrupted. We have resources, beautiful nature, sea-side, interesting history and rich culture. We just need to put that in use in a proper way. Croatia's been neglected since 1102, when we accepted foreign kings. It's time for prosperity, but frankly I don't see it coming so soon.

Q: What is your opinion on the issues and status of your nation?
A: My opinion is that big countries are being really unfair towards little nations. Let me ask you if you've ever heard of NIkola Tesa and his inventions? If you are able to say yes, you are one of the few foreigners who know about him. But everyone's heard about Edison who was American, right? He invented a light bulb. What use of a light bulb if you don't have electricity invented by Tesla? That's just a trivial example of discrimination of little, non-important nations. When I was in school I had to learn American, French, German, Spanish, English, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian, Argentinean, Australian, Canadian and Japanese geography, history, economy and culture. Do you think that 15-year-old Brazilian even knows where Croatia is, let alone about it's annual wood export? But there are positive things. The world cup in soccer did so much for my country. Of course no one expected us to get to the semi-finals, but we had faith and our foot ballers played with heart. I'm trying to get people interested in Croatia because I find it so interesting. I believe that there's something beautiful in each place on this planet and I like to discover that beauty by traveling and meeting people from different countries who feel the same way. So, I'm trying to tell them about Croatia and the Croatian people, how nice they are and how prejudice is wrong.

Q:How is your family directly being affected by the problems/and or good things from relations with other countries?
A: It's hard to tell. It affects the financial situation of course, but also private life in a way. It shows in a form of stereotypes and media has to do a lot with it. My family doesn't like Serbians because they're enemies and like Germans because they're friends. They would except my German friend to our hose, Serbian would give them heart-attack if he/she would show up.

Q:What is your opinion on the USA, and their involvement with NATO in Kosovo?
A: I think that something needed to be done earlier, and Kosovo wouldn't have happened in a first place. But USA didn't do anything, and all those noble causes they're talking about right now are just fairy-tales It has to do nothing with people and their suffer, it's politics. And USA is doing it because they have interest in this area. People should be aware of that. No one cares about people and that's sad. But I'm glad that they'll stop that evil man from doing more terrible things.

Q:How is your family doing financially?
A: We're well off.

Q:What do you think could change for the better in your government?
A: Almost everything could change for the better, but I don't see the solution. Foreign investments and sensible distribution of money, good strategy and system of priorities maybe could change something...I'm not an expert.

Q:What are some traditions/rituals of your culture that your family abides to?
A: We have bonfires on Midsummer Eve, we celebrate birthdays two times a year-first one is the day of birth, and the other is a day of a saint you were named after. We have Easter breakfast after coming from early morning mass. And we get together for weddings, anniversaries, baptisms, first communions and confirmations. Those are occasions when whole family gets together, and are connected with church. Each autumn there is a feast of picking grapes, we all help each other and have a great time (I love it !!!). People sing old songs and make jokes about everything, it's so much fun. And on Christmas Eve we go to Midnight mass.

Q:What is the predominant religion in your area?
A: Roman-catholic.

Q:Is your family happy?
A: Yes, very much.