away at see

A blog about my nine months in Serbia. This is not an official blog of the Boren Awards staff, NSEP or IIE and all thoughts, opinions, and other shenanigans expressed here are mine, all mine.

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After the Flood

By now most of the world has probably heard about the mass flooding that hit Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia last weekend, which were some of the worst in the region in over 120 years (probably even more since before that they weren’t keeping a record).  At once, television and social media were bombarded with images of underwater cities and shelters filled with evacuated flood victims.  I watched for a bit, but after a while all the depressing music and footage starts to take a toll on you psychologically.  Just last night I had a stressful dream that my house was flooded and filled with lurking, wild animals including tigers, crabs, and giant eels.  As far as I know, the floods didn’t carry in any zoo creatures, but I did hear that there had been spottings of a stray pig wandering around New Belgrade.

Devastating as it is, the flood crisis has also drawn to the surface an unforeseen (by me anyway) amount of positive, forward-moving, collaborative energy from the population, especially from the younger generation.  The government cancelled all university classes and exams the week after the floods by request of the students so that they could volunteer in helping out with gathering supplies and raising money for evacuated flood victims, filling and building barriers composed of bags of sand on river banks, and generally starting to clean up the damage left behind by Tamara, the name given to the Balkan storm of the century. 

These young musicians played for several days on the main square to raise money for flood victims.

Instead of selfies, social media platforms have been flooded (sorry, bad pun) with #helpies, or images of the various ways people are chipping in to volunteer.

One of the simplest tactics people have been using to raise money is by sending a text message to “1003,” which automatically donates 100 dinars (a little over a dollar) to flood relief efforts.

It’s become so widely advertised that in most places, it doesn’t even require an explanation anymore.

A whole list of cafes and restaurants have also been using the text message donation campaign to contribute to the recovery by offering coffee for the price of a “1003” text message.  This past weekend I visited a friend in Petrovac na Mlavi, a small town in Eastern Serbia, where they organized similar actions.

For one SMS, you get House coffee + lemonade + pastry. Not a bad deal!

Parts of Petrovac got hit pretty hard by the floods since the Mlava River, which runs through the town, overflowed when the storm struck.  

The famous Mlava at its normal levels..

Some sand bags left over from the storm..

The line on my friend's apartment building marks the level of the water during the flooding.

Although the water level had gone down and much of the major damage cleaned up by the time I arrived, the town was still dealing with many of the consequences of the storm. Broken windows and abandoned shops remained in some areas, while tap water was still undrinkable. In general though, everyone seemed to be in good spirits and were actively working to restore the town back to its normal conditions.

While it's been a rough time for the region and the exact consequences are of the floods are still unknown, it's been reassuring and inspiring to see how ordinary people have been coming together to help one another. 

If you'd like to contribute to relief efforts as well, you can make a donation to the Serbian government's official PayPal account for flood donations at  [email protected], the Red Cross of Serbia here, the Red Cross of Bosnia here, or the Red Cross of Croatia here.

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January Adventures: Escape to the West

After returning from a whirlwind trip to Niš and Kosovo, I had about two days to catch my breath, say ćao to my host family, and fit in a load of laundry before slipping out of the country again, this time a bit further west.  My family has been steadily hosting exchange students since my junior year in high school - sometimes one at time, usually two, and on rare occasions (like this year) four. Thus, over the years, I’ve managed to gain a fairly sizable number of brothers and sisters scattered around different countries throughout the world.  Since I was already in the neighborhood, I decided to visit a few of my European brothers and sisters from different mothers and misters in Munich and London.  When I was making the bookings online, however, I discovered the magical world of RyanAir flights and their 14 euro flights. Clicking around their website, I came upon a flight to Dublin, Ireland that was too cheap to pass up and before I knew it, I had booked a pit stop in Leprechaun Land.

Because I’m super behind on my blogging, here’s a brief overview of some of the cool things I learned from each destination.

Munich, Germany

1. Classical music wards off drug addicts and criminals in the subway.

Apparently, there's a whole line of research on this and Munich is just one of a number of cities, who have started piping in classical music at their metro stations to reduce crime.

2. Germans can control nature.

Or at least they've mastered the wave.  Experienced surfers come to ride the manmade Eisbach river's standing wave in the English Gardens.  Even in January.

3. Stepping foot in the BMW museum feels like stepping into the future.

And I don't even like cars.

4. Munich's Olympic Park is stunningly bizarre.

And nowadays open air concerts are held in the stadium!

5. Not only does the English Gardens have its own wave, it also has its own pagoda.

And pricey beer.

6. Leberkäse is a way of life.

This Bavarian snack translates to "liver-cheese," even though it contains neither. Adding fancy mustard is key.

7. I take that back... Bavarian food is a way of life.

Aww, look at that Knödel.

8. You can't call yourself a true beer lover until you have your own "stein" locker.

And the Hofbräuhaus offers just this service.

9.  Dirndls and calf warmers are for everyone.

Why should Germans have all the fun? :-)

10. Night life is always hopping at the dumpling factory.

My former exchange student took me out with some of his friends to a place that used to be the location of a dumpling factory.  Sadly, no sign of dumplings at the club.. now that's an idea...

11. Visiting a concentration camp on a clear, sunny day does not make it any less eerie.

I took a day excursion out to Dachau, the first of Nazi concentration camps opened in Germany.  Definitely worth the trip.

12. Some people really love Michael Jackson.

Especially someone named Ingrid.

13. Germans can order custom-made muesli online (and I'm jealous).

  According to the website, they only ship to the UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  

Dublin, Ireland

As a graduated Fighting Irish(wo)man, this trip needed to happen.

1. It's amazing what a little color can do.

There's just something inexplicably charming about a long string of multicolored doors.

2. Churches are everywhere, but entry will cost you.

Not all of them, of course, but still...

3. Poetry pops up in the most unexpected places.

As I was ambling around the streets of Dublin, I started noticing these plaques on the walls. After some Googling, I found out that they are the results of an art project devoted to the social history of the area.  Each plaque contained a quote from a resident of the area. 

4. Trinity College has a library fit for Hermione Granger.

... and it houses the famous Book of Kelis, a ninth-century gospel manuscript.

5. The Dublin Castle's got a pretty nice library as well.

Just to the left of this picture is the Chester Beatty Library, which offered a few interesting and free exhibitions - one permanent one of Beatty's collections from his international travels and one temporary on French fashion from the early twentieth century.

6. Kermit said it's not easy being green... but Ireland makes it look pretty easy.

St. Stephen's Green

St. Patrick's Cathedral

7. It's a small world after all.

Even though my stop in Ireland was fairly last minute, I was still lucky enough to catch up with my friend, Dervila, from English teaching in Ukraine for a few hours :)

8. Irish Gaelic looks nothing like any language I've seen before.

And I love it.

9. Irish Guinness > Guinness anywhere else

And the way it’s poured is apparently an art form.

10. I want a food elevator in my dream house.

I went out for Vietnamese food with some new friends in my hostel and I couldn't get over this.

London, England

1. Not only do they have double-decker buses in London, but triple-decker bunk beds.

And I was on the top bunk.

2. My hostel was near the train to Hogwart’s.

King’s Cross is apparently the location of Platform 9 ¾.

3. Nothing saves the day like reuniting with old friends and Thai food.

I had a rather stressful morning upon my arrival as my credit card wasn't working and no one in London was able to exchange my Serbian dinars for pounds.  But seeing my former exchange siblings for the first time in several years made it all better.

4. Portobello market goes a lot further than I expected it too.

Every time I thought I’d reached the end, another string of stands would pop up from antique sewing machines to farmer’s market goodies to hipster shops to whatever else you can imagine.

This was only a problem on my way back, when I couldn’t remember which section had the item with the lowest price that I had seen on the way up.

5. I could have spent the entire day wandering around Camden Town.

From pop-up store displays...

To a Jetsons/Zenon Girl of the 21st Ct. style shop...

To creative dining atmospheres...

To fish pedicures (?!)... it was one of the most unique shopping experiences that I’ve had ever.

6. London is gigantic... especially when you look at it from above.

Igor and Livia took me to a Sky Bar for a drink and a beautiful view of the city.

7. Canals are cool.

We checked out the Camden Lock on Regent’s Canal as we were walking around the markets.

8. Double-decker buses still haven’t lost their charm for me though.

Between the three-story beds, the city view from above, and this, I guess I just like looking down on people?

Armed with this new knowledge and a rejuvenated soul from reunion-ing with old friends, I headed back to Belgrade - this time to be a host instead of a guest. Stay tuned for my final January adventure with Mother Cordes...

[awayatsee]

Subota in Subotica

A couple weeks ago, a friend and I decided to take a weekend trip to Serbia’s northernmost city, Subotica in the province of Vojvodina.  Stepping out of the bus, we felt like we’d accidentally crossed into a different country.

The first thing we noticed was the noise – there was none! Life in Belgrade is accompanied by a constantly running soundtrack of public transport, accordion-playing Roma, the Nokia ringtone, and the dull roar of its 1.6 million inhabitants.  In Subotica, however, the loudest thing I could hear was the sound of birds chirping.  It would have been eerie if it weren’t so…

… darn colorful! Many of the buildings were built by Hungarian architects (which makes sense since Subotica WAS Hungary for over 600 years until the 1940s) and you can really see the influence.  Pink, green, blue, red, decorative patterns – the buildings looked like the Easter eggs I received last week.  Or perhaps a Southeastern European Disneyland.

And so many trees!

Subotica is also much more diverse ethnically than other cities I’ve visited in Serbia.  There are actually more ethnic Hungarians than there are Serbs in the city, so all of the signs are multi-lingual.

Religion, likewise, is more varied as it has a majority Roman Catholic population and the third largest Jewish population in Serbia. 

Catholic Church of St. Theresa of Avila

The first synagogue I’ve seen in Serbia. 

I was floored by this guy.

Even the McDonalds managed to be elegantly ornate. 

Subotica's take on the Berlin Wall

After exploring the city for a few hours, we took a 20-minute bus ride over to the beautiful Lake Palić, where we had booked our accommodation for the evening. 

We enjoyed some coffee on at a café on the water and then proceeded to check out the zoo park in the forest.

Animals ranked by speed (note the representative for the human race).

Then we headed over to check in at Jelen Salaš for the night. 

A “salaš” is a special type of Serbian vacation complex that is something like a mini ethno-village somewhere in the countryside and Vojvodina is known to have a bunch of them.  Each one is unique and has its own specialty - some have their own vineyards, others are on lakes where you can go fishing, and on others you can ride horses. Salaši are also renowned for their cozy, authentic atmosphere and delicious, homemade food. 

We arrived at our salaš in a small village a little ways away from the lake at the beginning of the evening.  As we entered the complex, kids were playing basketball in the playground to our right and the reception/restaurant ahead was blaring with traditional kafana music.  As we checked in, the restaurant guests had abandoned their seats to dance the kolo while singing along to the folk songs being played by the live band.

For a bit of exercise before dinner, we took a walk around the premises...

.... played on the swing set and see saw...

... and did a little exploring around the surrounding selo (village).  On the way, I spied... 

... a cat that thought it was a bird...

... something yellow...

... a tennis ball abacus...

.... and a gorgeous, though crumbling, stone gate.

For dinner, we went back to the reception/salaš restaurant, where I enjoyed some hearty lamb “ispod sača,” a traditional way of cooking meat under a pan of hot coal and ashes, and wine.

A lot of people in Serbia visit salašes just for a good meal without sleeping over. And there was some sort of delegation at our salaš that appeared to be doing just that. While we savored our meals, we were entertained by the live band, who played songs like this throughout the evening.

I went to sleep with a satisfied stomach and spirit.

The sun greeted us for an all-inclusive breakfast outside the next morning. 

And two cups of Turkish coffee later, it was time for us to bid farewell to peaceful and reunite with the "buka" of Belgrade that had grown so dear to us. 

As nice as it was to escape and relax in some place quiet for a little bit, I was somehow reassured by the rush of Belgradians and the crunchy approach of the tramvaj when we got back to the city.  Our “subota” (Saturday) in the sleepy Subotica was just the refresher I needed to gear up for another week in the city that never sleeps.

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Easter in Serbia

Easter is a big deal in Serbia.  With most of the population (about 85%) belonging to the Eastern Orthodox Church, Easter in Serbia means a 4-day long weekend of egg-coloring, quality family time, fasting, and feasting.

1. Veliki Petak

During Lent for Orthodox Christians, you are supposed to fast, meaning no meat, eggs, dairy, or oily foods. Thus, for Veliki Petak (Good Friday), I joined my host family for a feast of fish and veggies.

Afterwards, I joined my friend for the main event of Serbian Easter - egg coloring.  While lots of people celebrate Easter in the U.S. by coloring eggs, the process does not compare to the ceremony and detail that it gets in Serbia.

Usually, eggs are colored on Veliki Petak and the first egg you color, I learned, is always colored red to symbolize Christ's blood.  That egg is then stored away somewhere in the house for the rest of the year (my first question was whether it would start to smell after a while, but I was assured that it does not) as the "protector" (čuvarkuća) of the household from evil.  

Something else new for me was the lengthy preparation for the coloring of the eggs. Due to the fact that eggs here are brown, I'm guessing, the egg coloring dye has to be heated up first on the stove.  I guess just dropping them into plastic dye cups like we usually do isn't as effective when you're dealing with brown eggs. 

Beyond that basic step, decorating the eggs is a creative art form here on the level that pumpkin carving can be for some people in the States.  You can see what I mean here.

We decorated ours with Serbian politicians. (Take note of the shininess - that's the power of cooking oil! Who knew?)

I got to keep the most powerful Serbian Easter Egg politician of them all - Uša Zecević.

2. Velika Subota

On Saturday, I visited a Roman Catholic church for the Easter Vigil to see how their celebration differed from ours back home.  Besides the fact that everything was in Serbian (or maybe even Croatian based on what I think I heard), the service turned out to be pretty similar.  I was surprised that I had to buy my own candle for the beginning of the vigil, where the congregation "receives the Light of Christ" from a bonfire outside.  Not that it was expensive, but I'm used to them being passed out for free at the entrance by the usher.  

The mass was very nice though and the brick Church of St. Anthony (Svetog Ante) was gorgeous.  

3. Uskrs

On Easter (Uskrs) Sunday, I was greeted by my host family with a hearty "Hristos Vaskrese!" (Christ is risen!) to which the response is "Vaistina Vaskrese!" (He is risen, indeed!).  After exchanging a few of our skillfully decorated eggs, we visited the nearby Orthodox church of St. Jovan Vladimir.  

We had missed the morning Easter service, but the church was still bustling with people coming in and out to light candles and pray in front of the icons.  The atmosphere was very jovial with cheerful music blaring through speakers at the entrance of the church and balloons and cotton candy being sold out front.

After stopping at the church, we went for Easter lunch with my host mother's side of the family, who live in the same neighborhood.  Once again we exchanged eggs and selected our weapon for the traditional Easter egg crushing battles.

My family usually does this on Easter morning as well, but in Serbia, "tucanje jaja" is serious business. Earlier in the week, I met someone from the town of Mokrin, who told me about the Egg Striking World Championship, "Tucanijada" which is held every year in her village on Easter.

Apparently, they also host the world championship of goose fighting, Gusanijada.

After the egg striking and a celebratory shot of rakija, we sat down to a traditional Easter feast of lamb, soup, bread, and an assortment of delicious salads.

While I can't say I didn't miss the Easter bunny, jelly beans, and egg hunts that go along with "American Easter," I had a great time learning about and taking part in Easter celebrations in Serbia. I'll definitely be fashioning myself an egg housekeeper next Easter when I'm back in the States!

[awayatsee]

As promised, here is my interview in Serbian, which was on the Serbian-language morning news in Kosovo on RTK2. For those that don’t understand Serbian (or don’t understand my Serbian), I basically just talked about why I was studying Serbian, what kinds of impressions I had from my trip to Kosovo, what I’d learned about Serbian culture so far, and the benefits of language learning (in very simple language). Except for the state of my hair, I think it went pretty well and it made for a very memorable experience. Many thanks to Igor Zlatojev for setting it up!

[awayatsee]

January Adventures: Kosovo

Mitrovica

After a few fun-filled evenings in Niš, we set off further south to the intriguing land of Kosovo, an emancipated country according to the US (and 56% of the UN), while the heart of Serbia according to Serbia (and the other 44%).  Regardless of politics though, I was excited to set foot in this mysterious place that has had such a profound effect on the region’s history.

From the bus window.

Our first stop was the divided city of Mitrovica, which is separated into the dominantly Serbian North and the dominantly Albanian South by the Ibar River.  My friend and I arrived on the North side in the evening after a long bus ride through the mountains and tiny, isolated villages. 

Immediately upon exiting the bus, I began to notice traces of the articles I’d read in the news and political analyses, which have been the only narrow window that I’d had into the city until that time. Political campaign posters urging citizens to vote in the local elections, others urging them to boycott them, Serbian flags waving all around, graffiti criticizing the police and international presence, and so on.

After a quick macchiato and checking into our accommodations, our Canadian friend who had previously lived in Mitrovica, took us on a quick walking tour through the streets and up to the beautiful Orthodox church of St. Demetrius on the top of a hill overlooking the city. Apparently, it was only just constructed in 2005 after the Church of Saint Sava in the southern part of the city was set on fire in 2004 along with about 35 other Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo.

Later we crossed over to the bridge to the Albanian southern side of Mitrovica for dinner.  It was a surreal experience walking across the bridge past the huge mound of gravel and rocks blocking the road entrance and the groups of intimidating guards meandering around.   Crossing the bridge literally felt like walking into a new country without being stopped at the border checkpoint. Immediately, you are surrounded by Albanian language, flags, and giant posters of Kosovar Albanian war heroes.  

Architecturally, the south looked totally different as well with well-lit pedestrian streets and somewhat less cluttered feel to it than the north side. For dinner, we indulged ourselves in some fresh chicken caesar salads.  As delicious as all the roštilj, pljeskavica, and burek we’d been surviving on was, sometimes all you want is a leafy green salad.

  We topped off the evening by meeting up with some of our friend’s former students and friends for some live music at a local bar on the north side called Soho. 

I made my own monument for the occasion.

The next day was Orthodox Christmas eve and the streets in the Serbian north side were filled with people selling badnjak, oak branches that are traditionally burned on Serbian Christmas Eve. 

We left for Priština before the burnings took place, but we did catch a glimpse of everyone getting ready for them at the Orthodox church on the hill.

For breakfast, we feasted on some spinach burek morsels (until then I’d never seen it in bite-sized form)... 

...and then headed back up the hill to visit an unusual monument built in the 1970s for the miners from Mitrovica who lost their lives in WWII. 

The view of the city wasn’t so bad either.

Pristina

From the south side of Mitrovica, my Latvian friend and I took a mini-bus to Priština, the capital and largest city of Kosovo.  Upon arrival, we met up with an alumnus of the A-SMYLE international exchange program (which is facilitated by the same organization that is in charge of my exchange program in Belgrade), who kindly offered to be our host and tour guide during our time in Priština. 

As in Mitrovica, I was struck by the large amount of quality artistic and political graffiti on the streets.

As we grabbed some ice cream, however, I realized that I still only had Serbian dinars, which were virtually useless in Priština and most of Kosovo, where they use the Euro (and don’t exchange Serbian dinars).  This turned out to be a good excuse to go to Gračanica, a Serb enclave near Priština, which is centered around the Gračanica monastery. 

The trip was quick, but very productive. We managed to exchange my money at the cash register of a small, random convenience store, visit the monastery, meet up with a former friend of my Latvian travel buddy, and snap a few photos with Serbian politician Aleksandar Vulin, who is in charge of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Back in Priština, our friend took us around to some of Priština’s more notable sites such as the Newborn monument (which at the time of this post has been repainted in camouflage). 

....the Bill Clinton statue (which I guess they decided needed no description or explanation) on Bill Clinton Blvd....

... the monument to Mother Theresa, who spent her childhood in Kosovo...

... and the bizarre National Library. Even though this was probably my favorite thing in Priština, I somehow didn't manage to get a picture of it. So here's the one from Wikipedia.

Prizren

The next morning my host in Priština shipped me off on a bus to meet up with his friend in Prizren, who (once again) kindly gave up her day to show me around her city.  Of all the cities I saw on my trip to Kosovo, I think Prizren was my favorite.  Peaceful, yet vibrantly alive, and very multi-cultural, Prizren had a refreshingly unique atmosphere.

  Winter was nowhere in sight while I was there and we fueled up on kebab and Turkish coffee outside before heading up to the fortress.

The fortress was breathtaking (both the journey up and the view once we got there).

Afterwards we stopped at a local café for coffee and met up with some of my host’s friends.  While I’d gotten used to hearing all Serbian in North Mitrovica and then all Albanian in Priština, I found that Prizren had more of a mixture.  I was impressed and humbled by the number of young people I met that could speak Albanian, Serbian, English, and Turkish.

Before heading back to Priština, my host and her friends took me to see a few of the venues for the annual documentary film festival, Dokufest, which is held every summer in Prizren.  We had a drink at a creative café next to one of the venues, which had menu with fake, overly expensive prices (although in some places in Europe, they would have been fairly typical). 

After a fantastic day exploring Prizren, I convinced my host to come back with me to Priština for some good times and my Priština host’s world-famous potato salad. 

To my surprise when we got back, my friend told me that he had arranged for me to have an interview with the Serbian-language morning news show on RTK2 in Kosovo the next morning to talk about why in the world I was studying Serbian and what I was doing in Kosovo.  Before the interview, I was a little apprehensive about speaking in Serbian on live television, but I actually felt surprisingly relaxed when I started talking.  I’m a bit ashamed of the state of my hair (the limitations on showering times kind of messed with my beauty regimen that morning), but otherwise, I think the interview turned out pretty alright. I’ll post the link to the interview after this one for all those who want to see me speaking broken Serbian.

All in all, my trip to Kosovo was fascinating and full of surprises.  Most of all though, I was struck by the kindness and generosity of the people I met along the way.  I hope one day I’ll get a chance to return the favor!

[awayatsee]

Here's a taste of the merriment that went on at the Slava...

[awayatsee]

January Adventures: Niš

My first month of 2014 was pretty intense.  The rest of you eleven have a lot to live up to.

Since I didn't have any exams to take (or so I had assumed, but we'll get to that later) after my first semester, I had all of January free to fill in whichever way I wanted.  So I made a nomad of myself and ended up stopping in about ten different cities. My vacation can be divided into three main adventures and the first one began in ...

Niš, Serbia

After a memorable Christmas (marked by seeing my first Serbian ballet and eating my first pig’s brain) as well as an exceptional New Year spent reuniting with my family’s former Serbian exchange student and his friends, I headed south to attend my first Slava in Niš, the largest city in southern Serbia, and to visit Kosovo afterwards.

 Christmas pig's head 

On Jan. 3, we went to celebrate the Slava of Sveti Ignjatje (although, technically, we were attending only the "little Slava" held for friends the day after the big, important one for the family on the 2nd).  We arrived in the evening by bus just in time to check in to our hostel and head over to our friend's place for the start of the festivities.  As is custom, each of us first accepted a spoonful of žito and a sip of wine upon arrival. 

We spent the rest of the evening filling our bellies with delicious Serbian goodies, attempting to learn to dance a "kolo" (a Serbian folk dance that moves in a circle), and generally enjoying the company of a fantastic group of merry Nišlije.

The next day we were thankfully blessed with gorgeous weather and our friends took us for a walking tour around their home city. As we were taking our stroll, however, I started to realize what an impact living in Belgrade had started to make on me.  Everything I saw in Niš I perceived as relative to something in Belgrade. The pedestrian street was Niš's Knez Mikhailova, the fortress was Niš's Kalemegdan; and so on.

Stumbled upon some talented young buskers

Nišava River

Apparently, the river banks are hoppin' with youngin's in the summertime.

Crveni Krst (Red Cross) concentration camp

We went on a quick tour around a preserved Nazi concentration camp. Sobering, though it was hard to be gloomy with the sun grinning down on us.

Found by archaeologists in the 80s

From above the fortress

While from above the fortress offered a breathtaking panorama of the city, down below you could take refuge in one of its hip cafes or bars. Fortresses rule.

The last and probably most unique attraction we visited was Ćele Kula - the Skull Tower. Unfortunately, my camera (aka my iPhone) ran out of battery to get visual evidence, but it was literally a tower made of human skulls taken from Serbian revolutionaries during the First Serbian Uprising. There aren't as many skulls as there were when it was built, but it was still pretty awesome in a semi-creepy way.

We topped off our day with a huge feast of roštilj (an assortment of barbecued meats) at a kafana and some live 90's throwbacks at one of the bars in the fortress before heading back to our hostel to rest up before embarking for Kosovo the next morning. But more on that in the next post...

[awayatsee]

Signs of the holiday season in Belgrade

While in the States, the holiday season has been going strong since Thanksgiving (and for some, just after Halloween), it's only recently started to "look a lot like Christmas" here in Belgrade. Here are some of the signs…

1. Christmas/New Year's Decorations

They've actually had holiday lights set up for a while throughout the city, but most of them remained off until this week on the Slava of Sveti Nikola.  Slavas are kind of like extended Serbian-style Thanksgivings, but each family has their own and they occur at different times throughout the year. The Slava of Sveti Nikola, however, is supposed to be the most popular one.  So in a way, Serbians put up their Christmas lights the same time that my family does… they just have their family feasts a little bit later! (By the way, the photo in the top right isn't actually from Belgrade, but Novi Sad, a city about an hour and half north of Belgrade.)

2. Cookie smells in the kitchen

During the holidays, my house always smells like cookies because of all of the holiday magic happening in the oven.  Missing that smell, I went head to head with my mini-electric oven for the first time by attempting some chocolate chip cookies. They don't sell chocolate chips here (as far as I know), so I chopped them up my own. Which I found is not as easy as it seems. I took a stone toolmaking class in college and, for the first time in a while, I found myself using the skills that I gained while I was learning the art of flintknapping. It's all about the angle.

It wasn't the most successful baking venture I've had (somehow I managed to burn the underside, while simultaneously undercooking the topside on some of them), but generally, they still tasted and, more importantly, SMELLED like chocolate chip cookies. And I still shared them with my class, teachers, friends, and host family - blackened undersides and all.

3. First Snow

We actually had our first snow in Belgrade in November and it's melted away since.  I'm okay with that though. Snow is pretty when it falls, but then it gets wet and mushy.

4. Christmas/New Year's Fair

Today I went with a group for foreign students to a New Year's/Christmas Fair at the Beogradski Sajam.  It was probably a little more geared towards young children with lots of little carnival rides, Deda Mraz's, balloons, giant cotton candy cones, and toy shops, but it was fun way to spend a couple of hours.  Plus, I snagged some reindeer antlers (they're already a little broken, but I should be able to fix them).

It's always a little sad to be away from home over the holidays, but at least things are starting to get a little more festive around here. My host mother just brought me some decorations for my own apartment along with my weekly groceries, so I guess it's time for me to get my apartment in the spirit as well!

[awayatsee]

A Cultural Excursion to the Kafana

“You are far away! You are far away!”

“No… I’m right here..”

But really, I was just confused. As it turned out, my new friend was just politely translating the lyrics of the Serbian pop song, “Daleko si,” which, like most of the songs I heard this past Friday, everyone seemed to know by heart.

I somehow managed to go three months in Belgrade without visiting one of what I strongly believe is one of the most distinct venues of Serbian culture – the kafana.  In truth, I’d visited the famous “?” ("Znak Pitanja" - a 200 year old kafana) on a daytime excursion with my Serbian class, but had yet to have the "full experience."  This past weekend I got my chance.

I should maybe explain that a kafana is not really a bar or a club or a cafe, but something of it’s own category. I don't even think that there's a good way to translate it into English (a pretty good indicator that it’s something we don’t have in our culture). Once I saw it translated as an “inn,” because apparently, back in the day, they used to be places where travelers could take a load off and drink Turkish coffee after a day on the road.  GoogleTranslate says it’s a tavern, which is maybe the closest, but I still don’t think a really adequate direct translation exists. 

Kafanas have risen and fallen in terms of popularity over the centuries going from a central social locations for elites to hold business meetings and make marriage arrangements to watering holes frequently primarily by the lower class in the 1980's. As a result of their fallen image as something archaic and low-class in Belgrade, more and more establishments started marketing themselves as restaurants or clubs or "kafići" (usually something like a cafe-bar) in the 80s and 90s. In recent years, however, the kafana has made a major comeback with the younger generations and you almost always need to make a reservation before going. 

While Skadarlija, Belgrade’s “Bohemian quarter,” is probably most famous for the traditional kafana scene, my friend invited me to join a group, which had gathered at one further from the center, just 2 bus stops from my apartment. Based on appearance, it was more like a restaurant than a bar with fancily dressed waiters, booths and tables, and warm, dimmed lighting, but I didn’t notice anyone eating anything.  The band and singers danced in between tables towards the front of the kafana and sang Serbian folk hits non-stop throughout the evening.  At first, I mistakenly thought the entertainment was just made up of really talented karaoke-ers (but I was corrected).

The best part of the kafana experience is the atmosphere created by the guests themselves.  Men swayed back and forth, one arm slung around the shoulders of their friend and the other raised high in the air pulsing to the rhythm of the music. Some stood up and danced on their chairs, while others sat and clinked glasses with everyone at their table for the umpteenth time that night.  And if you aren't familiar with any Serbian folk music before going, you will by the time you leave (I haven't been able to get that "Daleko si" song out of my head all week).  

To be honest, I can't really say that the music that the band played was that great in and of itself, but the energy and excitement of the kafana-ers when it plays somehow fools you into believing it's the BEST stuff you've ever heard. Kind of like when a mainstream pop song from the early 2000's comes on at a club and everyone goes nuts. But crazier. And more clapping.

In short, if you're in Serbia and you're looking for a window into the culture, definitely go ahead and hit up the museums or the theatre, but don't overlook a visit to a local kafana.  It's truly something to be experienced.

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We went to an opera-themed restaurant called Little Bay this weekend to make up for my lack of a Thanksgiving feast and were treated to some live entertainment (and free mulled wine!).  While the musicians were amusing in and of themselves, I got an even bigger kick out of the waitresses jamming in the background.  

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This weekend I went for a stroll through Zemun, a unique part of Belgrade that was actually separate from the city until 1934.  It's got a special charm to it with its cobblestone streets and location along the Danube.  I wandered over to visit the Sibinjanin Janko Tower on Gardoš Hill and ran into some classmates, who had the same idea. Nice way to spend one of the last nice-ish days of the season!

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Kusturicaland

Last weekend a friend and I took a trip to Mokra Gora (or Zlatibor or Mećavnik or Drvengrad or Kustendorf, depending on how specific you want to get) in Western Serbia near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some things didn't go quite as we had planned, but it all turned out for the best and the trip turned out even better than I had expected.

Once we finally caught a bus to Užice (after missing our first one by about a minute), we took a taxi to Drvengrad, the "ethno-village" originally constructed by Serbian film director Emir Kusturica for his film "Život je čudo" ("Life is a Miracle" - watch it!). 

The whole village is made out of wood, which makes it smell fantastic. We had a good time just walking around, taking note of the streets named after famous figures deemed worthy by Kusturica...

Novak Đoković St.

... the quirky head sculptures...

... and paintings of famous people decorating walls (you can get some pretty good insight on Kusturica's personal preferences/political leanings from them).

We decided to stay in the village for one night, which I thought was pretty cheap (around 30 euros each), considering it included our room...

... buffet breakfast AND dinner...

... and access to the indoor pool and sauna (which we ended up having to ourselves for a couple hours since there were so few guests!).

The next morning we took advantage of the sunny weather by going on a stroll to catch some nice views of the landscape...

... guided by some friendly locals.

We took the time to get in a little morning exercise on the way...

Before checking out, we stopped at the local poslastičarnica (confectionary!) for some Turkish coffee and baklava...

... and said our final goodbyes to the fairytale village.

Our original plan was to then walk over to ride the steam-engine train on the Šarganska Osmica.

When we arrived, however, we found out that the train only runs in the summer and had closed for the winter in September. Nevertheless, we made the most of it by exploring the old train wagons and the surrounding area.

With our remaining time, we took a quick ride over to the nearby Andrićgrad, a newly built town on the Drina River dedicated to author Ivo Andrić and also designed by Emir Kusturica.

(In case you're interested, Kusturica himself is the second guy from the left tugging the rope)

The town is the main setting for Andrić's Nobel prize-winning book Bridge on the Drina, or the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, which was truly breathtaking to see in real life.

We quickly devoured some ćevapi in the town center...

... and then finally headed back to Užice to catch our bus back to Belgrade.  When I got home and showed my family my pictures, they told me that I needed to go back to see the REAL Zlatibor (not just Kusturica's Serbian Disneylands), which is apparently chock-full of natural wonders.  Based on everything I saw during this trip, I'd go back in heartbeat!

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Romania: Castles, Furry Boots, and a Whole Lot More!

Last weekend I escaped Serbia for a few days to go to Brasov and Bran in Transylvania, Romania with a group of international students in Belgrade. In no particular order, here is a list of some of my impressions and observations from the trip:

1. Language

Romanian language is bizarre because it's a romance language with slavic influences. That said,  having studiedRussian and Serbian wasn't really all that helpful with communication in Romania.

2. Castles

The main goal for going to Transylvania around Halloween (and, for most tourists, to go to Transylvania, in general) was to visit Dracula's castle. We actually ended up visiting two castles.  The first one was the Peles Castle in Sinaia at the edge of the Carpathian Mountains.  I remained convinced throughout the entire tour that it was Dracula's castle and wondered why the tour guide wasn't mentioning anything about it.  I only realized that it wasn't once we started heading back to the bus and found out we were setting off for the Bran Castle. Nevertheless, the Peles Castle was amazing and wildly extravagant, as a castle should be, with more than 150 rooms, one of the earliest systems of electric power, and a removable glass roof (the tour guide wouldn't open it for us, but she said it still worked).

Technically, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but I snagged this one below from the arms room.

On the pathways leading to the castles, there were a bunch of people selling (and demonstrating) these boomerang-like toys. I think they're really just 2 giant popsicle sticks rubber-banded together, but I ended up caving and buying one anyway for about 1 USD.

Next, we went to Bran to see the castle that Dracula supposedly lived in (even though, technically, the author probably didn't even know about it).

The Bran Castle was perhaps less impressive than the Peles Castle, but the tour guide was more entertaining and I had fun wandering all around the maze-like interior.  

3. Landscape

I just saw an article that said that Romania contains some 65% of the remaining "virgin forests" in Europe. 

After spending hours and hours traveling by bus past seemingly untouched fields of green with few or no signs of human life, I believe it.

On the other hand, some places have embraced the "look" of more commercial cities with their very own "Hollywood"-like signs. You can go up by cable car to visit the one in Brasov and get some nice views of the city.

This one we just spotted from our bus windows.

4. Romanian grub

Similar to Serbian, but maybe just a little bit cheaper.

Loved the market in the central square in Brasov - tons of free samples and it stays open late!

Pancake souffle!

Homemade green tea and gorgonzola mushroom pizza.

Kuvano vino (aka mulled wine)

Romanian bubliki? I regret having not tried one of these...

Langos = cheap, greasy deliciousness. I found out from some new friends that this is typical Hungarian street food made from deep-fried dough and usually topped with melted cheese and sour cream.  They got so excited when they found some in Brasov that I had to try it. And I was not disappointed!

5. Halloweentown?

Our tour guide at the Bran Castle told us that the growth of tourism is actually a pretty recent thing and that 20-30 years ago, most locals didn't even know who Dracula was. It was clear from our entrance into the village surrounding the castle though that things have changed as the streets were lined with vendors selling cheap Halloween knick-knacks, wigs, and costumes.  

Outside of Bran, however, Halloween still seems to be considered mainly an American holiday in Transylvania.  We were told that we'd be going to a Halloween party on one night at a club in Brasov, but upon our arrival, we discovered that, in fact, we were the Halloween party, as we were the only ones in costumes. All the same, we had a great time and I was glad that I got a chance to celebrate in spite of being abroad.  

6. Charming streets

Brasov, in my opinion, can be aptly described by the word, "quaint." It was small, but very charming and pleasant for those who like to stroll.

It helped that we had perfect weather when we visited.

"Rope" Street - one of the narrowest streets in Europe.

But even the most old-fashioned cities can't escape the ubiquity of McDonalds.

7. Boots with the fur

I am by no means a fashion expert, but I couldn't help but notice all of the women decked out in furry boots. With tights, over jeans, paired with a dress - everywhere. No matter that it was warm enough for tank tops...

8. Lei!

You can't really tell from the picture, but Romanian money feels like magazine paper.

All in all, it was a weekend well-spent even if we didn't get to meet the legendary Count (although the young receptionist at our hotel looked suspiciously similar...).

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Learn the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet!

Warning: To make up for the weeks that I haven't been able to blog due to the death of my computer (and the delayed arrival of my new one), this is going to be a pretty long post. So I'm at least going to make it somewhat educational.

The following is a guide to the Serbian cyrillic alphabet using the happenings and my impressions of the past couple weeks in Belgrade.

А. Авала (Avala)

Last weekend I climbed the mountain, Avala, with a friend from class. 

After checking out the Monument to the Unknown Hero, we caught some nice views of Belgrade and Vojvodina over coffee from the top of the TV tower.

We took the walking path on the way up, but then on the way down, we accidentally took the road for cars, which we discovered is quite a bit longer. Luckily, we made it down eventually before resorting to hitchhiking. Definitely got my exercise in that day.

Б. Бели лав (beli lav/white lion) 

I visited the Belgrade zoo about two weeks ago in search of cuteness after my mom told me that a baby white lion had been born.  Unfortunately, once I got there, I wasn’t able to find him.  I figured I’d just go back some other time to find him, but then just this past week I found out from my tutor that he DIED. Heartbroken.

В. Виза (viza/visa)

Started the process of applying for a temporary living permit in Serbia yesterday and, boy, is it a process.  We had to prepare and submit a huge pile of documents and then we’ll have to go back in to the office two more times before actually getting our permits in mid-November. And by that time, if I understand correctly, I’ll have to start applying again for my living permit for the second semester! Joj.

Г. Градски превоз (gradski prevoz/public transportation) 

Since I live about 30 minutes away from the center by bus, I’ve gotten to be a pro at public transportation. Luckily, I have my BusPlus student monthly pass though, so it's really cheap. While public transportation system here can be pretty slow and crowded, I'd say it's fairly reliable, at least from my impression of the three main buses that I take. That said, Belgrade would totally benefit from having a metro (supposedly there is one with like one or two stops, but they've been saying that they're going to build a full-size one for years).

Д. Душан Радовић (Dušan Radović)

I went to a huge bookstore called Vulkan a week or two ago and bought this guy's book for some extra Serbian practice. As it turns out, it's a collection of transcriptions of morning radio broadcasts from the seventies in Belgrade. Really charming stuff so far. Good purchase!

Ђ. Ђоковић (Đoković) 

As in Novak. Basically the man in Serbia. Any time he’s got a match, it’s guaranteed to be on at my host family’s house. Every time his name comes up in the news or anywhere, everyone's eyes light up. No sooner had I see a billboard for Djokovic's new book in the city, then I saw a copy on my family's coffee table. But then, what's not to love?

Е. Експонати (Eksponati/Exhibitions)

I've been getting my culture on by hitting up some of the many exhibitions in Belgrade. Most recently, I was invited to a sculpture exhibition by a woman I met at my host organization.

The exhibition was held at Italian design school alongside some kind of a fashion show of sorts. Fun night!

Ж. Жлица, не,чекај, кашика (Zhlitsa, no wait, kashika)

One of my favorite words that I learned from my BCS course this summer was the word for "spoon," "žlica," so I was pretty bummed to find out that in Serbian, they use the word, "kašika," which isn't nearly as fun. But besides that, I haven't really had too many problems with making the switch.

З. Зоо врт (zoo vrt) 

Besides the lion cub situation, the Belgrade zoo was fantastic! it still had regular lions...

... AND tigers...

... AND bears...

... oh my!

И. Игралиштa (igralishta/playgrounds)

This caught my eyes while I was walking to the Belgrade zoo and I later saw on a TV program that it was only just built as one of Belgrade's new "creative" playgrounds! It’s made to be "inspiring" and super safe (the first playground where kids can "fall on their head"). Well done, Belgrade.

Ј. Jaoooo.. (Yooooow..)

A versatile exclamation in Serbian, which I have gathered to be a good replacement for “yikes”, “wow”, or “oh man.”

К. Комшиница (Komshinitsa)

Literally, this means female neighbor (komšija for the guys), but sometimes I've heard it used in the way that our cashiers would say “ma’am” or “sir” at the grocery store or places like that. But being called "neighbor" is a lot cuter!

Л. Лоша организација транспорта пошилјке (losha organizatsiya transport poshilke/poor organization of the transportation of mail)

In class the other day while we were practicing how to talk about things we were satisfied or unsatisfied with, my teacher asked me what I was unsatisfied with in Serbia. I tried to say that I was dissatisfied with the customs process, thinking specifically about my computer debacle, but apparently it sounded weird in Serbian.  The above is evidently what I should say instead...

Љ. Љубители кокице (lyubiteli kokitse/popcorn lovers) 

Popcorn is a really big thing in the world of street food in Belgrade. You can get it at stands all over the main pedestrian street (which happens to be right next to my faculty) in a wide variety of wacky flavors. And people definitely do. I just read an article that said that a single stand probably sold at least 140 bags a day!

М. Момо Капор (Momo Kapor) 

We’ve been reading short essays from this guy in my Serbian classes and they're fantastic! The ones we have been reading have all been witty attempts to illustrate the "soul" of Belgrade or Serbian people, in general. I think I need to make another trip to the bookstore...

Н. Нови Београд (Novi Beograd) 

Across the river from Old Belgrade, Novi Beograd is the home of my internship, some big malls, a Chinese market, and Zemun.

Since it's a little far away from me (close to an hour or so by public transport), I haven't explored it as much as I would like to yet, but it's on my list! 

Њ. Њима двема (Nyima dvema)

We've been working on collective numerals in my grammar class (so learning how to say things like "those two" or "us three" or "you five").  In Serbian, the words are different depending on whether the group is mixed (nas dvoje), all female (nas dve), or all male (nas dvojica), and some of them change again depending on it's function in the sentence! I guess over time, the Serbs decided that it was too much as well because some numbers that should technically decline have stopped doing so in every day speech.  So you don't really hear stuff like "njima dvema" (a form of "njih dve") anymore. But it wouldn't be incorrect to do so. Confused? Yeah, me too.

О. Октобарски Салон (Oktobarski Salon)

I attended the premiere of this modern art exhibit and I have to say - it was pretty darn modern.  There was a special performance of this American artist, who did a reading on feminism.  Her dress had this long tail filled with white balloons that some people were holding behind her. At the end of her reading, she slipped offer her dress and released the balloons, so that her dress floated up to the top of the building.  

I had fun trying to describe that in Serbian last Thursday. Other interesting exhibits included an igloo made out of speakers (after I took this picture, I heard the voice of the little boy who crawled inside coming out of the speakers!)...

... piles and piles of paper plates along with chairs and tables also made out of paper...

... and a bunch of works promoting girl power!

П. Плазма шејк (Plazma shake)

Plazma is brand of cookie that is pretty much a staple in any Serbian household.  My host mother said they are healthy for you, which I'm not so sure about, but they are pretty tasty. The thing that I've been amazed about lately though is the plazma shake, a milkshake with a bunch of crushed-up plazma cookies. I’m pretty sure you can find them at almost any cafe in this city. My tutor let me try his the other day (after ordering one without even looking at the menu) and I started to understand why. Even the McDonalds here (more commonly referred to as simply "Mek") have their own Plazma shake!

Р. Ротаракт клуб (Rotaract club)

My tutor has been graciously taking me along to weekly meetings of the Rotaract club, a Rotary Club service club in Belgrade especially for young people. I'm always impressed by how organized the meetings are and it's interesting to hear about the different projects and events they are pursuing in the community. It's good Serbian practice for me as well to try to follow all of the discussions. I even get a chance to force my poor Serbian speaking skills on everyone during "čekin" (check-in), where each person gets a chance to stand up and talk about what they've done over the past week. Oh, and there's a bell!

С. Спортске кладионице (Sportske kladionitse/sports betting)

Like pekaras, menjaćnicas, and pizza joints, sportske kladionice (sports betting) and slot clubs are everywhere here. How convenient...?

Т. Трчанје (trchanye/running) 

I’ve been continuing to run in the morning around my neighborhood and I even did a little pho-jog-raphy (sorry, had to) the other day. 

First, I usually do a little loop around the street in front of mine. The above graffiti appeared there one morning this month...

Then I go up behind my street to run around the central graveyard.

.. past the pekara, pizza joint, and pet shop....

... carefully down the steep hill past the mall...

... and down past the kindergarden back to the house!

Ћ. Ћао! (Ciao!)

Both hello and goodbye. But not "чао." Even though both sound exactly the same to me...

У. Ученје српског (Uchenje srpskog/Studying Serbian)

The reason I'm here. Since I last posted, I've started taking classes at the university for a couple hours three times a week.  I'm in the advanced group (even though I think I'm probably somewhere in between that and the intermediate), so it's challenging, but my teachers are great and I'm learning a lot!

Ф. Филолошки факултет (Filoloski fakultet/Faculty of Philology)

Where the učenje happens.

Х. Хајдемо! (Hajdemo!)

Variations of this crucial Serbian exclamation include Ajmo, Ajde, and Ajd.

Ц. Циганлија (Tsiganlija)

As in Ada Ciganlija. The second time I went to Ada with my host mother and host brother, they rented bikes and stuck their dog Kiki in the little basket on the front. I almost died of cuteness.

Ч. Чачкалица (chachkalitsa/toothpick)

Toothpicks don't really have much of anything to do with my last couple of weeks in Belgrade, but for some reason, it's the only word that I can think of right now that starts with "č." Sure is fun to say though!

Џ. Џезва (Jezva)

A necessity for the creation of a proper Turkish coffee, but also convenient anytime you want to boil a small amount of liquid. Just be careful if you're making coffee using a milk base - it makes the džezva super difficult to clean.

Ш. Шетнја подршке у борби против рака дојке (Shetnye podrshke u borbi protiv raka doyke/Breast Cancer Аwareness Walk)

Last week I attended the first Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Belgrade along with the A-SMYLE alumni group (who are all fantastic!) from American Councils. The event turned out to be more of a carnival than a walk (which was kind of a grand finale to the event on Knez Mikhailova) with jugglers on stilts, salsa dancers, and spoon-dancing grandmothers.

All in all, it was neat to see and I had a blast meeting everyone in involved!

And there you have it... the Serbian cyrillic alphabet. Pop quiz next week.

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Two weeks down! Now that I've mastered the bus system, purchased a Serbian phone/SIM card, gotten over jet lag, etc., I've been able to do a little more exploring around Belgrade.  Here's a quick look at where I've been (click pictures for captions).

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LGBT activists in Belgrade organized a march last night in spite of the Serbian government's last minute decision to cancel the Pride Parade (for the third year in a row), which had been scheduled for today. Bummer that the parade was cancelled, but at least no one was hurt by the alleged jars of bees and wasps that anti-Pride groups were threatening to release on the marchers!