tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86649837652631583102024-03-12T23:26:06.229-04:00xina's exciting exploitsTravel adventures, general Musings, stuff about my cat, and the deep and shallow thoughts of a mid 30's single academic. (WARNING...some exploits detailed here may not be as exciting as promised in blog's title! Xina not responible for reader's actual excitement.)Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-8376569375951264412009-10-18T18:39:00.003-04:002009-10-18T18:41:22.588-04:00My last few months in BelgradeOh…so sad! It is my last two months now in Serbia. Actually two months from today! I have been so happy here – I have really come to love it! And I am really sad to have to say goodbye to my life here and especially to my friends.<br /><br />In my remaining time here I will be teaching two classes, one in Women’s Studies and one in American Studies (on the Civil Rights Movement). I will also be completing two book chapters for publication and continuing my volunteer work. I need to make a trip to Sarajevo still, and hope to get back to Crvenka at least once (preferably twice).<br /><br />Since I’ve been back (mid-August) I’ve done some traveling, have spent some time with good friends, and have generally been trying to enjoy everything about Belgrade – savoring it bite by bite!<br /><br />The Serbo-summer was long and lovely, but sometime last week it went from 70 - 80 degrees everyday to barely 40 degrees! I am hoping Fall comes back here next week! It just slipped by in the night!<br /><br />I’ve been working, of course, but have really also been trying to find time to appreciate my wonderful friends and the last few moments of this amazing experience.<br /><br />So much has changed! I mean when I got here I was so confused and things were so difficult – my daily life I mean. Now all those little things are so easy! I mean there are still days that suck, and times that things are hard, but my language skills have improved, I have a perfect number of friends that I like very much, I have a routine, and places I like to go…I am settled! I even joined a really beautiful gym recently. I had been walking for exercise on the path near the river, and I had passed this gorgeous gym every day. I finally decided to join and while it was not cheap, it is really cool! The work-out space overlooks the Danube and Sava rivers so you watch the world go by while you do your cardio! GREAT!<br /><br />It’s funny to me that as the new American Fulbright grantees arrive, their frustrations are so similar to mine when I first arrived, and yet those things seem so far away for me now! I’ve adjusted to and come to love the loose conception of time, the multiple daily coffee breaks, and the culture in general.<br /><br />Of course I am not blind to all of the things that need to change politically, and I am not blind to the poverty and daily problems people face here. I will continue to write about and work on these issues of course. It’s just that, all those things aside, I have become really happy with my daily life here.<br /><br />A small example of this – last night me and some friends went to see local pop-star Severina in concert. We met up at my place first, had drinks and snacks and watched hilarious videos of horrible local turbo-folk pop stars. We then went to the show. Severina is like a Balkan Madonna, and her show was a sold-out arena spectacular! I had seen Severina before when I was in Dubrovnik, Croatia, but that was a much smaller venue – maybe 1,000 people at most. This was sooo different!<br /><br />Sadly our seats were pretty bad. We had bought tickets in the standing section so we could dance, but there was no way to see the stage, and that was a shame b/c she had dancers and glitter cannons and disco balls and video footage behind her and props and special guest stars and all kinds of things! If only she had like 2 video screens mounted on the sides so that those of us in the “cheap seats” could see her, it would have been perfect!<br /><br />Still, we danced and sang and really had a great time. Most of the audience knew every single song, and there was a group of high school girls in front of us who sang and danced and cried and hugged and really were enthused by every single song. I know a lot of her songs, having purchased her “greatest hits” CD about 7 years ago after seeing her shopping in a music shop in Zagreb. I then used her music to help with language study, and as such I do know a few of her songs by heart. I even translated a few of them for language study, so I actually understand the words! But for most of them, I know many of the words, but don’t fully understand the songs – I guess like when most non-native English speakers learn American pop-songs when they’re young!<br /><br />Still the concert was fantastic! She played for nearly 3 hours with no intermission, and changed costume like 5 times! It was great!!<br /><br />The way that people enjoy life here – the way they cherish their relationships more than money – this is something I am really going to miss. Not to idealize it. But just to stress that I have come to a point where I really love it here – the culture, the people and my life here.<br /><br /> I’ll try to write more again when I can. Thanks for reading.Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-60825939446513443152009-10-18T17:14:00.008-04:002009-10-18T18:39:42.715-04:00Istanbul - Super Cool!<div>So, when I knew I was coming to Serbia for the year I vowed that I would try to see a few countries that I had never been to. Having a Turkish friend, “M” who I had known from my time in Holland I had planned to take a trip to Istanbul for a visit. As usual, although I had thought I would go in spring, I had become quite busy, and the plan was pushed back. But, finally, in September, I was able to make that trip to Istanbul along with my friend “A” (my Serbian friend who lives now in Holland) who was very good friends with “M” during their university study.<br /><br />I am not sure what I expected Istanbul to be like really. I think my impressions were shaped in part by American Islamophobia, in part by my experiences in Holland (where many of the sketchy drug dealers are Turkish men and many of the Turkish women you see are very traditional), and in large part by the stereotypes of Turks that are so prevalent in the Balkans. With all of this I had imagined a somewhat wild frontier, with no road rules, covered women, dark mustachioed men, “Turkish toilets,” and goodness knows what else. This impression was only exaggerated by the fact that the day before we arrived in Istanbul there was a torrential rain that led to a huge flood that killed numerous people.<br /><br />Well, I must say that am a little ashamed that I had such a negative idea of what Istanbul would be like – and idea formed by stereotypes I did not even know I held. And I am so happy that I went to Istanbul and am so glad to change my opinions because Istanbul was nothing like anything I had pictured in my head!<br /><br />First of all, it is so so so cosmopolitan! When I first arrived, “A” was already there, and she and “M” came to meet me at the airport. We took the exceptionally clean, safe and well-maintained metro to the neighborhood where our friend lives. He runs a bakery and sweets shop, and his apartment is just above the shop. We first dropped off our things in his apartment, said hello to his two adorable Dalmatians and his equally awesome cat, and headed off to the local grocery store to get some supplies. As soon as we walked into the store I was pleasantly overwhelmed with color and selection! So many beautiful fruits and veggies, isles and isles of choices of everything! “M” laughed at me because he said I acted like I had never been in a grocery store before, but having been in Serbia for so long, and having had an idea that Turkey was like some far-flung outpost, I was both thrilled and impressed!<br /><br />So, our friend “M” is a great cook and a great host and we went back to his place for dinner. We spent the first night catching up, playing with his pets and hanging out. The next morning, after breakfast, we headed out for our first day of exploring.<br /><br />We took the metro to the main shopping area and again I was pleasantly overwhelmed by all the choices! Every store that you could imagine from all over Europe and the USA was there – plus about 100 Starbucks! Further, it was soon quickly clear that Turkish people come in every color and are of many different ethnic groups and, contrary to my ill-informed assumption, despite being Ramadan, there were very few covered women. On top of that, there were so many tourists from all over the world, and it seemed totally normal to smile in the street, and to speak English (unlike in Belgrade where I feel a bit stupid doing either!)<br /><br />We wandered the streets and “M” showed us all the sites in this modern part of Istanbul. But, like Athens or Rome, Istanbul has thousands of years of history and there are many parts of the city from all different eras! We walked from the modern shopping street to the river where you are standing at the edge of Europe, looking over into Asia! COOL!</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sL_oZTOlfUCr6YJ0LLcz0zCe0XSR7S4hngpELD_JzQ1lPOsUNjm4c9FXE2AWohhE2PjVj1Pz50UMP-ZHBS1Yo2eMwYu43rUYDNvv-_YQIGw9y0tX3hPvQpPFkLOy40nS50dJjHoCCyIy/s1600-h/istanbul+shopping+street.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394063124934239506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sL_oZTOlfUCr6YJ0LLcz0zCe0XSR7S4hngpELD_JzQ1lPOsUNjm4c9FXE2AWohhE2PjVj1Pz50UMP-ZHBS1Yo2eMwYu43rUYDNvv-_YQIGw9y0tX3hPvQpPFkLOy40nS50dJjHoCCyIy/s400/istanbul+shopping+street.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Modern Istanbul shopping street</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1BgySFdk25Z79Y6EKUi3uvNR76418O6dj2EDosWpwULQ1-FcBGQ_sKgqbo-4Y-kwOBeKR-JD-j8gD-G72kCILMw-nTvZk_bZe5H9kL4AFaoZv0Ej0ZuEyxkKbQyx9P4GFf3_5j429XUF/s1600-h/istanbul+edge+of+europe3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394070403647821010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1BgySFdk25Z79Y6EKUi3uvNR76418O6dj2EDosWpwULQ1-FcBGQ_sKgqbo-4Y-kwOBeKR-JD-j8gD-G72kCILMw-nTvZk_bZe5H9kL4AFaoZv0Ej0ZuEyxkKbQyx9P4GFf3_5j429XUF/s400/istanbul+edge+of+europe3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>A view of Asia from the edge of Europe!</em></strong></span><br /><br /><div>We then proceeded to what is known as the Spice Market. Unlike the Grande Bazaar – which is so widely known – the Spice Market is still actually frequented by locals. It was so amazing! So beautiful! And we were really lucky to be with a local because I think we got the most authentic experience. We spent ages walking around, looking at everything, tasting local cheeses and sweets, and looking at local crafts, textiles, etc.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNalHb1rjRUXWZHxTVrGvUf9HLWEFd0fS4oVlik5mhLz4fpLDFg38l5Gten2ZJDqpIftGk1cfquj5eygHvBxsVMWsKiE2hJ6_qiYIAPVyZd7ifscn3gXfhgwwRYbYiRiGhcvuftk1cGYT/s1600-h/istanbul+spice+bizarre1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394066556842570530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNalHb1rjRUXWZHxTVrGvUf9HLWEFd0fS4oVlik5mhLz4fpLDFg38l5Gten2ZJDqpIftGk1cfquj5eygHvBxsVMWsKiE2hJ6_qiYIAPVyZd7ifscn3gXfhgwwRYbYiRiGhcvuftk1cGYT/s400/istanbul+spice+bizarre1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em> Spice Bazzar</em></strong></span><br /></div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49KFGYracU5C5pmuCZg6jpIw6mDkVuf1tJ_Li0mtu75tYu1Noj7XOKptJC6GmUR1xOpBMm4N4udSK9LatawvI5d7pyaC1WO6GHwolaApBtT6Tt4jT9C2sIf9ZE8zcqZEcSMyhe-dfHKqj/s1600-h/istanbul+spice+bizzare5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394066550337455042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49KFGYracU5C5pmuCZg6jpIw6mDkVuf1tJ_Li0mtu75tYu1Noj7XOKptJC6GmUR1xOpBMm4N4udSK9LatawvI5d7pyaC1WO6GHwolaApBtT6Tt4jT9C2sIf9ZE8zcqZEcSMyhe-dfHKqj/s400/istanbul+spice+bizzare5.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Spice Baazar </span></span></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPQbRyb_a7Z1m0cz_E3RRSV3KiG-sI2EJon-OrJA_0CWO64GuxuRMhCcpTljMatjtefbeOvG35PdIEpK0viRF966dwgApRLA1vWMogJVwdxnvz0TJJHVNstF9Zn16by4KHkz9_E6db-Pj/s1600-h/istanbul+spice+bizzare7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394066540633159618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPQbRyb_a7Z1m0cz_E3RRSV3KiG-sI2EJon-OrJA_0CWO64GuxuRMhCcpTljMatjtefbeOvG35PdIEpK0viRF966dwgApRLA1vWMogJVwdxnvz0TJJHVNstF9Zn16by4KHkz9_E6db-Pj/s400/istanbul+spice+bizzare7.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em> Spice Baazar</em></strong></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dCq1DNRsxuNgVVQ36AxjEArhWb-5AywYyb1jlXvcSoKC1sNcpfQNO4_3xrhi4R_00yhc5HP48CbVGQaJ5nitb_smQgxxy848LPhBEG9am4Q6mPMM_wjO0Oho7nUdpTHAvWP4LvQbXXG0/s1600-h/istanbul+spice+bizzare3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394066534457930466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dCq1DNRsxuNgVVQ36AxjEArhWb-5AywYyb1jlXvcSoKC1sNcpfQNO4_3xrhi4R_00yhc5HP48CbVGQaJ5nitb_smQgxxy848LPhBEG9am4Q6mPMM_wjO0Oho7nUdpTHAvWP4LvQbXXG0/s400/istanbul+spice+bizzare3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Spice Bazaar</em></strong></span> </div><div><br />In the late afternoon that day, the local government put out a warning of another potential flood and so we went home early, made dinner together, and “A” helped “M” make his cookie order for the next day while I read to them from various websites.</div></div></div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijf_GfC968EcRJJorcuZxdnX6JsMAiCahbhCVFXQLwBn49IwqvIad6-KUqpkKJ5WnfJfrOKUlOH1np-ca5yLTfSC2nD0cp1rhyHmxx8P66n5N1Zp3vCHxVnCOUvvQtesfuIa0iTfj2buDY/s1600-h/Murats+pastry+shop2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394063119029874146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijf_GfC968EcRJJorcuZxdnX6JsMAiCahbhCVFXQLwBn49IwqvIad6-KUqpkKJ5WnfJfrOKUlOH1np-ca5yLTfSC2nD0cp1rhyHmxx8P66n5N1Zp3vCHxVnCOUvvQtesfuIa0iTfj2buDY/s400/Murats+pastry+shop2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> <strong><em>Some of the cookies from our host's bakery shop<br /></em></strong></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AztWWAlguKSEaQr9m6XPGUUT6YGpG2BAYJMip6ie2jnittgj-npSrU1HrYxlptAXoZM7NLFPSFOWCoNW5tzxfWIom3j-gYg4vgRzJQYUhBWuZhQfe-KhdCB6Set_xdTMyZm8lhCEK6UT/s1600-h/Murats+pastry+shop4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394063108441229938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AztWWAlguKSEaQr9m6XPGUUT6YGpG2BAYJMip6ie2jnittgj-npSrU1HrYxlptAXoZM7NLFPSFOWCoNW5tzxfWIom3j-gYg4vgRzJQYUhBWuZhQfe-KhdCB6Set_xdTMyZm8lhCEK6UT/s400/Murats+pastry+shop4.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Our Host's bakery and sweets shop<br /></span></em></strong><br />The next day I wanted to see the famed Grande Bazaar. We spent a few hours there, wandering, haggling, watching in awe! It is really interesting and HUGE! It spans maybe 12 city blocks or more! </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fJFO2AF-p5aKtS2j6XJMvAMQ8wQYUUkEwBXCK0RlsQr2jX9nMdDmN_McP34as6_MXjhVjgJptCj-11RzdUnFAGfRnaBdp2iVvpHJjBZ1g7egkPWKr3-QNR0daTTY3I32K7VnoA7xAeHr/s1600-h/istanbul+grand+bizzare13.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394070416527236082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fJFO2AF-p5aKtS2j6XJMvAMQ8wQYUUkEwBXCK0RlsQr2jX9nMdDmN_McP34as6_MXjhVjgJptCj-11RzdUnFAGfRnaBdp2iVvpHJjBZ1g7egkPWKr3-QNR0daTTY3I32K7VnoA7xAeHr/s400/istanbul+grand+bizzare13.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Grand Baazar</span><br /></em></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C-IA5psYGU05XFfi06Pym4W3Cltuj-xchn56mJxne2TKLgyhsZaJ7MG8UWJDLy-aRedgCfSiYQHnYCYDTOLz9bofxNwNnDjGR68zrcjajNmmUm-gyl56FaMT1M_jqTVK6zuwqn8NPFAX/s1600-h/istanbul+grand+bizzare5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394070411039728434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C-IA5psYGU05XFfi06Pym4W3Cltuj-xchn56mJxne2TKLgyhsZaJ7MG8UWJDLy-aRedgCfSiYQHnYCYDTOLz9bofxNwNnDjGR68zrcjajNmmUm-gyl56FaMT1M_jqTVK6zuwqn8NPFAX/s400/istanbul+grand+bizzare5.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Grande Baazar</em></strong></span></div><div> </div><div>We then went on to see the famous Aya Sofia (an old Christian church that then became a mosque and is now a museum) and finished the day at the Blue Mosque (the largest mosque outside of Mecca). We spent hours inside of Aya Sofia and “M” was an amazing guide as he had led tour groups there before, so it was like a private tour! As we worked our way over to the Blue Mosque, “A” and I put on our head-scarves which were required in the mosque out of respect. We then spent about 20 minutes taking pictures of ourselves in the scarves, whereby we actually missed the last entry time to the Blue Mosque! (yes, we felt like idiots!). We made our way home, had dinner together and crashed.<br /><div><div><div><div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfS-BWtq8f_da4k_LU2kZBq-9-9CyJGqtHMiSheoiHlrlusLO60RtEUBtK3QAC_SJdC7nTHdl5gGx2uK7k-vaghc4isLYDIKwAGhqP36k8BTixkdfmRp-1IvoHthqzyNsyh0ITr7KEpvi/s1600-h/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside8.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394055101364446882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfS-BWtq8f_da4k_LU2kZBq-9-9CyJGqtHMiSheoiHlrlusLO60RtEUBtK3QAC_SJdC7nTHdl5gGx2uK7k-vaghc4isLYDIKwAGhqP36k8BTixkdfmRp-1IvoHthqzyNsyh0ITr7KEpvi/s400/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside8.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Inside Aya Sofia<br /></span></em></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4-PVhQOyahW_eCQT2dWiyAi5wVyZh_OZGTsdwQ5ma-Jmr7n5MMtoOg08ucRnZk16DL3TIS_sp6EUYCBv4RA0tZpjd2f_upAIm3ntSelDAhJ41m7A11g4Dq4Ujn0FfmivXu-GiLbc2Mqz/s1600-h/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside20.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394055095608208994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4-PVhQOyahW_eCQT2dWiyAi5wVyZh_OZGTsdwQ5ma-Jmr7n5MMtoOg08ucRnZk16DL3TIS_sp6EUYCBv4RA0tZpjd2f_upAIm3ntSelDAhJ41m7A11g4Dq4Ujn0FfmivXu-GiLbc2Mqz/s400/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside20.jpg" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Inside Aya Sofia - where they are excavating the Christian Icons from under the Islamic Art</span><br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGBsR-eCgUYoUlI3HnZrDeA5G10vzSiWWQ1Y6P779ffGoXdYEmxiQf0MKjvhvJdfZH49ik3F39EwC-eK8Hy_x7zljO5Y0LB136TM46a8Jclx7MzxMWgXPz263KUlErBHG4rfoQeGD0y3C/s1600-h/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside26.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394055087392505378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGBsR-eCgUYoUlI3HnZrDeA5G10vzSiWWQ1Y6P779ffGoXdYEmxiQf0MKjvhvJdfZH49ik3F39EwC-eK8Hy_x7zljO5Y0LB136TM46a8Jclx7MzxMWgXPz263KUlErBHG4rfoQeGD0y3C/s400/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside26.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Inside Aya Sofia - the alter space</em></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRvQsRv7o-GjOzi2uXYyxpA7JOiQClksdFCElGbwEYrENxRsYYCOmUbAxe_XQcAYrkypP6CHKe5KJ3pnZ9sMxo7O0Wq3OD2igvA7nPNYyRUjtyvEMQuNMo6tOzbHNyhvPJZZIzJa6ZuaS/s1600-h/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394055071175723618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRvQsRv7o-GjOzi2uXYyxpA7JOiQClksdFCElGbwEYrENxRsYYCOmUbAxe_XQcAYrkypP6CHKe5KJ3pnZ9sMxo7O0Wq3OD2igvA7nPNYyRUjtyvEMQuNMo6tOzbHNyhvPJZZIzJa6ZuaS/s400/istanbul+aya+sofia+inside2.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Inside Aya Sofia</span> </em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRI8lgdNc9-ro9IGJ4Loo7hhJf2Zwo6MOYNZ1Kq_la9NN2hpjzPnshQZ92o5iq23WwFvPNh5BesWzEhjmeTYyKbZSPXQ8PEphCIlhSZxJjj-w8f5UXkRuoUXq1t1pJjppZCxmDy89Y-qw/s1600-h/istanbul+aya+sofia24.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394055064559333202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRI8lgdNc9-ro9IGJ4Loo7hhJf2Zwo6MOYNZ1Kq_la9NN2hpjzPnshQZ92o5iq23WwFvPNh5BesWzEhjmeTYyKbZSPXQ8PEphCIlhSZxJjj-w8f5UXkRuoUXq1t1pJjppZCxmDy89Y-qw/s400/istanbul+aya+sofia24.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Aya Sofia from the outside</span></span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Gwjc83EFQTFAwUKjYDEuHcpUv_BTeIZsq3YBVmVvITEYOV31OXdk5edaHOtd2v-68CI8ksXbxcbR7uIa6y0nRVc920uuUwwL9qJfgQH5ZXeh5kwn5oyd7Qr86gzDz5S7ALFsrIL3t6Y/s1600-h/istanbul+blue+mosque33.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394058368404843170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Gwjc83EFQTFAwUKjYDEuHcpUv_BTeIZsq3YBVmVvITEYOV31OXdk5edaHOtd2v-68CI8ksXbxcbR7uIa6y0nRVc920uuUwwL9qJfgQH5ZXeh5kwn5oyd7Qr86gzDz5S7ALFsrIL3t6Y/s400/istanbul+blue+mosque33.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Blue Mosque</span> </span></em></strong><br /></div></div></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobH97EWpW8qqxkCn5UNc2wYc2pB_JYdDR4jW_Vm1UnveooghLEIYNkCi3NqQiV3AN5nX7kzu4yLUOET5aUtNOnVyp7u0XYGGJvPhlwtrY2_OqcpUTyiHoEB37h0wHVnh2mq-fSH-P8axl/s1600-h/istanbul+blue+mosque25.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394058359772463746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobH97EWpW8qqxkCn5UNc2wYc2pB_JYdDR4jW_Vm1UnveooghLEIYNkCi3NqQiV3AN5nX7kzu4yLUOET5aUtNOnVyp7u0XYGGJvPhlwtrY2_OqcpUTyiHoEB37h0wHVnh2mq-fSH-P8axl/s400/istanbul+blue+mosque25.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Courtyard of Blue Mosque</span><br /></span></em></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3ZXAVQUu0X3mA4T4UYfsuH1M4PpCANXGYWIEjmHnRQFQwONi7Ao7PGAyNPqflSO8xNzHf27tfS_RnXi9gm8N0ztp9awuGGelo94usf-v1tIGrkT95PLnSVhmVx5sISl5X_b3FHJodNLo/s1600-h/istanbul+blue+mosque10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394058354261663826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3ZXAVQUu0X3mA4T4UYfsuH1M4PpCANXGYWIEjmHnRQFQwONi7Ao7PGAyNPqflSO8xNzHf27tfS_RnXi9gm8N0ztp9awuGGelo94usf-v1tIGrkT95PLnSVhmVx5sISl5X_b3FHJodNLo/s400/istanbul+blue+mosque10.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> Blue Mosque as seen from Aya Sofia</span></em></strong> </span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ogUwJ5tZCIBkuWH5uM-_zaIhK-XesmPyNF15SPe3XYQiZ-k6BvlsucAljEv8OgP7xFl1IObftVJZrEFMZ6WLrnUUUgqc4yCdcSiWGijooXXCzh7WesoFWImivW9xUnJskWwW6NyLDFP/s1600-h/istanbul+blue+mosque7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394058341436629010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ogUwJ5tZCIBkuWH5uM-_zaIhK-XesmPyNF15SPe3XYQiZ-k6BvlsucAljEv8OgP7xFl1IObftVJZrEFMZ6WLrnUUUgqc4yCdcSiWGijooXXCzh7WesoFWImivW9xUnJskWwW6NyLDFP/s400/istanbul+blue+mosque7.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> <strong><em>Blue Mosque</em></strong><br /></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />The next day we were to go to Asia! We took the boat to the Asian continent and explored the city on that side for a while. We then met up with a friend of “M” and walked around a bit, enjoying the natural beauty of the place. Afterward we went back to “M”’s house for our meal and played with the pets again. It was so great to be around these pets! They all loved me and all wanted to touch me constantly and it made me miss having a pet around sooo much! </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyIe6Z7rtzuagozg93TMO9znnOUpyKz0-z9I_6eXZYZjCApYfeWgMfCwkkaU2rdSFIUGCqTEHS9d7j7PHp3CYwF_AEU2JeysuX763eGIHBbp5K9wVquZVwHTCXMJQTePOiA8FMmMzumZf/s1600-h/istanbul+leaving+asia16.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394070422353438034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyIe6Z7rtzuagozg93TMO9znnOUpyKz0-z9I_6eXZYZjCApYfeWgMfCwkkaU2rdSFIUGCqTEHS9d7j7PHp3CYwF_AEU2JeysuX763eGIHBbp5K9wVquZVwHTCXMJQTePOiA8FMmMzumZf/s400/istanbul+leaving+asia16.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Coming back from Asia</em></strong><br /></span><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMfqEIz7kbcDCtZvqOfzm3kAAMmotReRUELdCbEbQIQYR8Ni1-Jffix-c1WXc_Pt2oJ_wQkBvrnEzRl9cFFlmB4bTTx7tSBLz8svFyWZ4Iv-p3SfKvagGuOoOUJnZWiwoCMAsMl_fK5tq/s1600-h/pets7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394063103277575074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMfqEIz7kbcDCtZvqOfzm3kAAMmotReRUELdCbEbQIQYR8Ni1-Jffix-c1WXc_Pt2oJ_wQkBvrnEzRl9cFFlmB4bTTx7tSBLz8svFyWZ4Iv-p3SfKvagGuOoOUJnZWiwoCMAsMl_fK5tq/s400/pets7.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em> One of our host's Dalmations and the cat</em></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmVzyu7SFXR2QE7kxO2o_OaR6aBMpPoWErtE5Flxocx1WO778finaiIOQ9QSsuHT4caaIlSEqweiTEkNbW0d147cTJATdGThhkCQpdRpMicsmbD05sn6XmDzqOwPQnjRU3wxws-DDxaeL/s1600-h/pets2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394063097406917058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmVzyu7SFXR2QE7kxO2o_OaR6aBMpPoWErtE5Flxocx1WO778finaiIOQ9QSsuHT4caaIlSEqweiTEkNbW0d147cTJATdGThhkCQpdRpMicsmbD05sn6XmDzqOwPQnjRU3wxws-DDxaeL/s400/pets2.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The other Dalmatian</span><br /></span></em></strong><br />On my last day I went to try to see the Blue Mosque again, and was closed out for a funeral. I met “M” at one of the city’s huge mega-malls, and in the evening I caught my flight back to Belgrade.<br /><br />I am thrilled to have had the chance to go to Istanbul and really had a great time. “M” was an amazing host and guide, and the three of us thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. I can’t wait to go back to Istanbul. I could easily live there and will certainly go back for a visit. It is an amazing place and I feel like I have a fuller worldview because of my time there!</div><div> </div><div>I wish I could say so much more in so much more detail, but I'm afraid that is all I can manage for now. Just wanted to share a few things and some pics.</div><div> </div><div>As Always...thanks for reading!</div></div></div></div></div><div><div> </div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-5330162296806922542009-10-18T16:20:00.005-04:002009-10-18T17:10:50.915-04:00My Serbo-Family in CrvenkaIn the last few months I have been travelling to Crvenka (in Vojvodina – north Serbia) to visit my landlord’s family every few weeks. I love it so much and have adopted them as my Serbian family! I feel I have really gotten an authentic perspective on Serbian culture from my time there. Although the Vojvodina region is unique in Serbia due to its largely multi-ethnic make-up (somewhere around 50% of Vojvodina is not of Serb ethnicity with many ethnic-Hungarians, ethnic-Germans, ethnic-Romanians, etc.) there are still important aspects of the every-day culture there that are fantastically representative of the best aspects of traditional Serbian culture. Foremost among these things is the hospitality!<br /><br />In Belgrade, being a big city, I had not really been able to see this part of Serbian culture, though I had heard and read much about it. In fact, I had begun to think of it as a myth! But with my Serbian family in Crvenka I have felt so welcome and so at home that every time I visit it is hard to leave!<br /><br />So let me back up and explain a little bit… The parents, Aci & Caca, are in their 40s. Aci is an ethnically German Serb, descended from a group of protestant Germans that settled in Vojvodina in the 17th and 18th century. After the Second World War, many of these ethnic Germans were imprisoned and/or driven out of the region (regardless of whether they were aligned with the Nazis or not – and most of them were not), and those that remained were stripped of their land and possessions under communism. Their land and possessions were re-distributed, mostly to settlers from Montenegro. There are all kinds of mythic stories in the area about the ways the Montenegrin settlers reacted to the technological advancements they found in the ethnically-German homes in which they were resettled, including utter confusion about indoor plumbing, tiled floors and stone fireplaces, but it’s hard to tell what is stereotype and what is true. The stories claim that the Montenegrins that came to Vojvodina were mainly peasants who had lived in earthen homes with dirt floors and without plumbing, but again I cannot attest to that with certainty.<br /><br />Anyhow, Aci, my Serbo-family patriarch, comes from the ethnic-Germans, and identifies somewhat as such, but really seems to have a much larger allegiance to Yugoslavia. Aci moved to Belgrade with his family (his mother a professor and his father a veterinarian) when he was beginning high-school, and his mentality is quite cosmopolitan. He then went to university here in Belgrade and then worked on movie sets through the 1980s as many international films were shot here during that time. He and I spend hours talking about current events, history, local and global politics…quiet certainly we have solved all the world’s problems over a bottle of whiskey about 30 times over ;-)<br /><br />The matriarch, Caca, is from a Serbian-Montenegrin family. She also studied in Belgrade and went to university for Travel and Tourism. She now runs a lovely resort/hotel in the town that neighbors Crvenka – Kula. She and I have become very close friends. We talk on the phone several times a week and I feel so much more comfortable here in Serbia knowing that she is there for me. Like for example, I know if I got sick, she would come to the doctor with me. Or if I needed to talk, or when I have questions about language or culture or whatever…she is there for me. We both feel we can talk to each other about anything! This is a great feeling here as a foreigner!<br /><br />The couple met in Belgrade, and fell in love. Had it not been for the war, they would have likely stayed here, but with a new baby and the streets growing increasingly dangerous and the city increasingly expensive, the couple and their baby boy returned in Crvenka in the 1990s.<br /><br />Their son, now 19, is named Julius and he is definitely one of the coolest kids I’ve met here in Serbia. When I met him he was in high-school, had hair down to his waist and was the guitar player for a locally popular punk-band. At the same time, he’s smart, funny and really globally aware. He has just started university here in Belgrade a couple weeks ago, and now lives across the street from me so he and I get together for coffee a couple times a week.<br /><br />OK, so that is a quick orientation of who they are. So, how I know them…<br /><br />When I arrived last January, they were here waiting for me (as they are my landlords). We instantly liked each other and they were a huge help for me in getting settled. Each month when they would come to collect the rent, we would sit for a couple of hours, drink coffee and chat. Sometimes the whole family would come, sometimes just two of them. Their stories were so interesting and we came to find that we shared a similar worldview and held the same opinions and sympathies in a lot of areas. Soon they invited me to come and spent a weekend at their place in the village – Crvenka.<br /><br />Well, as you might imagine, I saw myself as far too busy to take the time to go there and I was worried that I would feel uncomfortable in someone else’s house, etc. I had intended to go in spring, but things got really busy for me here in Belgrade, so before I left for my vacation in the USA, we made a plan for me to come for a visit the weekend immediately after my return to Belgrade…and so I did.<br /><br />I had intended to stay for 2 nights and enjoyed myself so much that I stayed for 5 days! They are so laid back and so cool and we just sit for hours and talk and laugh! Meanwhile, all of their friends from the village come and go throughout the day and there are some really interesting characters!<br /><br />Anyhow, after my first stay in Crvenka, I was surprised by how much I missed this family, and they missed me! I decided that I would go back for my birthday weekend. I had promised to make them an American meal. As the son had asked specifically for Sloppy Joes I made that with guacamole…and I was thrilled that it was such a hit! Since then I have been back every few weeks! Also, at Julius’s request I had a package sent to him from the USA with all sorts of American junkfood (cheese whiz, mac n cheese, pop tarts, Doritos, etc.). I also included in the package, since he and his friends love to play board games, a few good games – Uno, Phase 10, Othello and Settlers of Cattan.<br /><br />So, when I am there in the village I really enjoy myself! One time we spent the weekend making rakia – the local home made brandy. The family has several types of pear trees in their yard and so twice a year they make rakia from the pears. It was sooo cool! One of the villagers brings over a huge distillery and the cooking of the pears begins about 7am. All the day the men work on making the rakia (and finishing off the last batch) as well as tending to the grill while the women make coffee and other such things. The air smelled so wonderful with the scent of these cooking pears! The next day the local expert comes over and tests the batch to be sure it is of the correct balance, and then it is ready for drinking! The funny thing about rakia in Serbia is that most families make some kind of rakia, every rakia maker thinks his is the very best, and everyone in the country thinks rakia is the cure for everything! A sore throat, a broken bone, you name it! Many older people have one shot of rakia in the morning and another before lunch! It can be made of all different kinds of fruit, but the ones from pears are my favorite. That is not to say that the flavor does not take some getting used to! The first taste is like gasoline! But you get used to it. And again, while people drink this stuff and all hours of the day, you rarely see anyone drunk!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZc0GW5vFKxNeEMb_7KYNli8tfyc0N8yeZD4kHBmiTojKfTxfsv2y53gub0gGnwgx_oXxa-IolbIuFUqg1ZZjcyHkubZ4SLoOHfpIwBICBK0a7kfeKVTAq0SKS-eS-KuzE_RlAHCTRwlG/s1600-h/crvenka+004.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394044390018853890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZc0GW5vFKxNeEMb_7KYNli8tfyc0N8yeZD4kHBmiTojKfTxfsv2y53gub0gGnwgx_oXxa-IolbIuFUqg1ZZjcyHkubZ4SLoOHfpIwBICBK0a7kfeKVTAq0SKS-eS-KuzE_RlAHCTRwlG/s400/crvenka+004.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Making Rakia</span></em></strong><br /><br />Another amazing thing about my visiting my adopted Serbo-family is the grandmother’s house. She has this amazing home, behind which is a huge vegetable garden. Behind that lies what is called a “summer kitchen,” which is like a second kitchen for cooking in hot weather so your home does not get too hot. Behind the summer kitchen is a sprawling and beautiful backyard. In this beautifully maintained yard is a series of small enclosures, each containing dozens of works of art as the family hosts a sort of artists’ retreat there several times of year. It is amazing! I immediately thought it would be an amazing place for a party, and last time I visited, as it was Caca’s birthday, we were able to do just that! A wonderful, fun party with friends and neighbors and a man with a guitar and another with some sort of Serbian banjo thingy, and amazing homemade food and beautiful cakes…such a warm and wonderful place!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Nm3p8GhK1Zh2n1-QE8vZSawgNMjS4b1LZz6rB6I_T_UkhgFskGNtp2WiHoHhHMaFeFwMQ80QucZNQ9BBAWlTN7hYDkDmli-MLljVBurYsqfWOTCEYaaUnZ8oWhjderfTAgP0XiTamA5/s1600-h/crvenka+021.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394044421299895858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Nm3p8GhK1Zh2n1-QE8vZSawgNMjS4b1LZz6rB6I_T_UkhgFskGNtp2WiHoHhHMaFeFwMQ80QucZNQ9BBAWlTN7hYDkDmli-MLljVBurYsqfWOTCEYaaUnZ8oWhjderfTAgP0XiTamA5/s400/crvenka+021.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> <strong><em>Fountain in Backyard of Grandma's house</em></strong></span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAimcV4LUD7ChfZ6-2X6fZnOArqxzoARjfL4ecdHZ1_G53wprsxGLF3bdhaq1qPQz7cQnc63jOgvbD7xV_lEqSfeHmH5N45mtWKh-PYs8lsJyAzaT4KcGw_EvxffxE6vAXwY45LPgTrqR/s1600-h/crvenka+015.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394044413936146082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAimcV4LUD7ChfZ6-2X6fZnOArqxzoARjfL4ecdHZ1_G53wprsxGLF3bdhaq1qPQz7cQnc63jOgvbD7xV_lEqSfeHmH5N45mtWKh-PYs8lsJyAzaT4KcGw_EvxffxE6vAXwY45LPgTrqR/s400/crvenka+015.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Sculpture in back garden of Grandma's house<br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4x4GqgLe3Tmx0NvyEDTFk7tx0qLjM2hv6U2j4yFS0AJ0mX5y1eZfdrLTF6Qu8eJOMDDZODGlPQkRSqP9iL7WiAR0nNa7LOqfPu-OAII66LUTkZxdVnXkGi3_O0Z7rnwG0G-3PeipTHUo/s1600-h/crvenka+013.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394044405186414354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4x4GqgLe3Tmx0NvyEDTFk7tx0qLjM2hv6U2j4yFS0AJ0mX5y1eZfdrLTF6Qu8eJOMDDZODGlPQkRSqP9iL7WiAR0nNa7LOqfPu-OAII66LUTkZxdVnXkGi3_O0Z7rnwG0G-3PeipTHUo/s400/crvenka+013.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">View from back garden of Grandma's house</span> </span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtw-ObJFufAssaVhXXUPEHfdkGQxgOKWWnHCwYcf21d9U2HmmeOQG7vu3RTTE_508ER3arofqbeLa17VFWH1a_GWQxq3spfbBe_zPrmprHWt3yxeNkEGIO0SwjyjI8eRzz9uiVv1LGH1Mp/s1600-h/crvenka+007.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394044399665324370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtw-ObJFufAssaVhXXUPEHfdkGQxgOKWWnHCwYcf21d9U2HmmeOQG7vu3RTTE_508ER3arofqbeLa17VFWH1a_GWQxq3spfbBe_zPrmprHWt3yxeNkEGIO0SwjyjI8eRzz9uiVv1LGH1Mp/s400/crvenka+007.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Path from Grandma's house to the "summer kitchen"</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZuJpiYMuQKPUJg4_EsIIsEuxN6tKbWI44O-Ul0KWdH14BNhDjbWqkx5MfDbnipSeYQARKySm47Qwzej_Xp3bBH9LzxoFnUvclwFoV3-4ijEiOHTWPQqZXlB8Dxiqz9g6Y-d1UXrTlpX/s1600-h/crvenka+2049.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394048265782127570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZuJpiYMuQKPUJg4_EsIIsEuxN6tKbWI44O-Ul0KWdH14BNhDjbWqkx5MfDbnipSeYQARKySm47Qwzej_Xp3bBH9LzxoFnUvclwFoV3-4ijEiOHTWPQqZXlB8Dxiqz9g6Y-d1UXrTlpX/s400/crvenka+2049.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Family party in backyard of Grandma's house</span></em></strong><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcGZ5rCy-dOngiZQooJiwDEuRC23Qq2akgiOL0fpRWzvkw5reeBbInYfZUmY6SFikRob-GqrJWTGW1YhDxrOebVC5k7cz3ajqdkP9oE2_B5mQbplkK_U6hQkXwFpIIpNvXxq6MbKwfZA0/s1600-h/crvenka+2036.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394048254899025218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcGZ5rCy-dOngiZQooJiwDEuRC23Qq2akgiOL0fpRWzvkw5reeBbInYfZUmY6SFikRob-GqrJWTGW1YhDxrOebVC5k7cz3ajqdkP9oE2_B5mQbplkK_U6hQkXwFpIIpNvXxq6MbKwfZA0/s400/crvenka+2036.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Cakes from birthday party in backyard<br /></em></strong></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVyNaeCX5eYhCCqM1aQMbcBzDXCGBGMLR1wSgJT-KYhwC5Tw-QWM6Q9uAMQNDWOtk87XkXoSmAQMZcZtrojLQXGoHME6zumQjnQVMDU3j6H9WwbOKWJ8fwQLEWam5DPIP1KBmDAlgbRhC/s1600-h/crvenka+2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394048250276458050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVyNaeCX5eYhCCqM1aQMbcBzDXCGBGMLR1wSgJT-KYhwC5Tw-QWM6Q9uAMQNDWOtk87XkXoSmAQMZcZtrojLQXGoHME6zumQjnQVMDU3j6H9WwbOKWJ8fwQLEWam5DPIP1KBmDAlgbRhC/s400/crvenka+2010.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em> Man with guitar and Serbian banjo at party<br /></em></strong></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />It’s hard to describe why I love going to spend time there so much. Part of it is that I love this family so much and we really get along wonderfully. Part of it is that I love the chance to see some of the traditions in this place. Part of it is the consistently wholesome, organic homemade meals! But I think a lot of why I love it so much is that I really love the values and community that underlie this family and their friends. It is so clear that relationships are so much more important than money, and people live simply. They care about their neighbors and friends and take time to enjoy life. This, more than anything else I have experienced here in Serbia, makes it very hard to leave.<br /><br />Of all the things I love about Serbia and all the things I will miss, it is this family I will miss the most! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-82142072930752184732009-09-19T07:14:00.003-04:002009-09-19T07:26:21.840-04:00The terrorists have won: A Sad commentary on the state of freedom and human rights in Serbia...Even more troubling than my own inner conflict on whether to attend tomorrow's PRIDE event in Belgrade, as of today the event was cancelled b/c of the extreme threat of violence and the fact that not even the police could guarantee the saftey of the participants.<br /><br />It is a sad fucked-up thing that the Serbian government and general population would rather allow a few right wing extremists dictate the direction of the entire nation.<br /><br />Everyone...every individual is responsible for creating the community and world they want to live in.<br /><br />Yes...I was scared to participate, but I thought it was such an important moment. A moment so much larger than a commentary on gay rights. A moment where Serbian people had a chance to stand up and say that they wanted to live in a world with more possibilities...a world with a broader future. A world where civil discourse and debate creates civil society, not half-wit football hooligans and criminals with baseball bats and alcohol infused group-mentality machismo. Instead it seems that he who hath the bigger gun has won.<br /><br /> Here are a few articles about the opposition to the PRIDE.<br /><br /><a href="http://sofiaecho.com/2009/09/17/786427_belgrade-pride-parade-is-sodom-and-gomorrah-says-serbian-orthodox-church">http://sofiaecho.com/2009/09/17/786427_belgrade-pride-parade-is-sodom-and-gomorrah-says-serbian-orthodox-church</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/09/18/belgrades-pride-in-its-superheroes-here-they-come-to-save-the-gay/">http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/09/18/belgrades-pride-in-its-superheroes-here-they-come-to-save-the-gay/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=09&dd=19&nav_id=61848">http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=09&dd=19&nav_id=61848</a>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-44414585832813525072009-09-18T17:44:00.003-04:002009-09-18T17:53:02.275-04:00PRIDE vs. "Nerf Life"... "Sittin' on your biscuit, never havin' to risk it": My quest to do the right thing...Ugh! I have a consuming dilemma. So consuming that I have had a constant nagging headache for 3 days and I can’t sleep and every moment I am still I am ruminating. I am not sure I have ever felt so morally conflicted!<br /><br />So Sunday is the Pride parade here in Belgrade. Now I have been an active gay rights activist in the USA for nearly 20 years, so on the surface it is a “no brainer” right? But here’s where it gets complicated…<br /><br />The last time they tried to hold a Pride event in Belgrade it became horribly violent with the right-wing nut-jobs beating the demonstrators with bats, etc. Many ended up in the hospital and one nearly died. Fast forward to now…one would think from our own lifetime of experience that cultures progress, but that does not seem to be the reality of things in the world today.<br /><br />Even in Budapest, where on several occasions in the last 10 years I have attended and enjoyed fun and festive Pride parades, this year’s event was marred by violence and several people I know personally were beaten bad enough to be put in the hospital.<br /><br />But that is there…as far from me in Belgrade as Chicago is from New York.<br /><br />OK, but much if not all of Europe (and maybe the world) seems to have an increasingly loud and violent far-right neo-Nazi-esque movement. And honestly, Serbia is the rule rather than the exception…I would even argue the “trend setters” in this capacity.<br /><br />Here you have a country dripping with machismo, which a largely snickers at if not glorifies organized crime, where residual post-war travel restrictions in conjunction with post-war poverty have made it nearly impossible for Serbs to travel. Add to that a strange mytho-historical dominant discourse that is propagated unchallenged from kindergarten through adulthood and reinforced in media an pop-culture and as a result you have younger generations who seem increasingly myopic and small-minded.<br /><br />People are getting ever more religious, girls are getting pregnant younger, young people are not finishing school, etc. All of these factors make for a certain population of angry, despondent, hopeless, uneducated youth who, while not truly ideological, are happy to unleash their anger on whatever they are pointed toward.<br /><br /><br />Now within this mish-mash you have a loud and prevalent national attitude toward homosexuality that at best views gay-ness as an illness and at worst a sub-human perversity against nature which should be wiped off the planet. All of this makes for a pretty scary and aggressive right-wing movement – to say the least. One that makes O’Reilly and Glen Beck look like banal toothless kittens, Ann Coulter & Sarah Palin look like Mrs. Brady and Mrs. Clever, and Dick Cheney look like a doddering old fool!<br /><br />So….like I said, I have actively worked for gay rights in the USA since I was like 17 or 18. Naturally it would make sense that I would support the Pride activities here in Belgrade. After all most people I know who are progressively minded are participating, and the cause is something I totally believe in. And quite honestly, most people here, even if they believe homosexuality to be a sin or an illness, they still do not want to kill gay people. But the problem is that loud, vocal and violent minority – which is not actually a small number!<br /><br />As the Pride events draw closer, these groups have organized an equally public campaign for a counter-protest and have openly promised to be violent and aggressive toward both the Pride demonstrators and the police. I have heard promises of baseball bats, oranges stuffed with razor blades, gang rape, tear gas and other unspeakable horrors. They are advertising in the newspapers, on the internet and through graffiti in the streets.<br /><br />Now, the president here has promised thousands of police and most politicians, even if not in open support of the GLBT community, have voiced support of their right to demonstrate. Further, a large community of artists, journalists, actors and other public personalities have been very public and open about their support.<br /><br />Still, this violent opposition seems very well organized, and who knows what the police will actually do when it comes down to it.<br /><br />Will they protect the GLBT supportive demonstrators? Will they use live ammunition if necessary? (In that case I can only think of Kent State in the 60s – who knows who will get hit). Will they step aside and let the right wingers attack?<br /><br />At the same time, how can I even question my participation? I mean it is easy to sit home in the USA and state that I support (or don’t support) something when the worst I can expect is some harshly wounding words. But when it really counts, when it really matters, when there is a real risk, shouldn’t it be more important to stand up for my beliefs? Shouldn’t it be more important to turn-out when there is a real threat to the values I hold dear – people’s right to live free from the physical fear of violent death? It is reminiscent of the US Civil Rights Movement when people really took their lives into their hands to advocate for justice and equality. And if it wasn’t for those people, just imagine what our country would look like now.<br /><br />Still there is the argument that this is not actually my country. And then there is the fact that I actually need my full brain for my living. And honestly I am really scared…maybe more scared than I have ever been. I can’t sleep. My head aches for 3 days now…like a mouse is in my skull eating away at my brain. My conscience tells me that to demonstrate is the right thing. It is a human rights issue. It is dear to my heart. And quite honestly, with no kids and no husband, I am actually exactly the person who should be out there. But the fear is like nothing I have ever felt.<br /><br />I also believe that each individual is responsible for creating the society that s/he wants to live in…that we are all responsible for what our communities and by extension our world looks like. You can pick up your feet and go with the current, but then you are really just a cog in the machine. A leaf on the wind. If not you, then who? If not now, then when?<br /><br />ARGH! I am so conflicted! I keep going back and forth between deciding that I am going no matter what and hoping I come down with a horrible fever. This may seriously be the most conflicted I have ever felt. I know what the right thing to do is, but I am selfishly afraid to do it. Afraid to risk my one stupid precious self for the greater good. A braver person would not be in conflict! A braver person would be able to commit to the fact that no individual is greater than the collective good.<br /><br />You know, I talk to my students about this a lot. Each of us imagines that we would have been the one to have saved our Jewish neighbor during the Holocaust. Or that we would be the one to have stood up against Apartheid in South Africa. In fact, if you are American and you are old enough, you may have even taken part in anti-Apartheid actions in the USA. Oh how easy and black-and-white things seem from far away. From far away the RIGHT and WRONG choices are so easy to see, and we all imagine that we would have been able to see it, and would easily have been strong enough to do the right thing.<br /><br />Well…sorry to burst your bubble, but the truth is, 99% of us would not have stood up and risked ourselves to save the Jewish neighbor. Genocide is not made possible by the tiny percentage of people who actually engage in violence - it is made possible by the majority of people who look the other way...the bystanders who are too afraid or too selfish to or too stupid to think for themselves!<br /><br />And while for most of us, the betrayal of our Jewish neighbor would have been simply self preservation, many would even have bought into Nazi ideology to rationalize their ugly choice! (We would have bought into the argument that Sadaam had Weapons of Mass Destruction for example, and that our government always has our best interest in mind).<br /><br />I mean think of the Stanley Milgram experiments people! (If you don't know about it...look it up!) I think like only one person refused…and he was a Dutch guy that learned certain lessons from WWII.<br /><br />Seriously…our self-preservation mechanism is sooo strong! Ever tried to wax your own bikini area or pluck out your nose hairs? Some people can do it no problem. Most…well after the first few strips their arms will no longer obey their brain…they just cannot inflict any more pain on themselves.<br /><br />So at this point my thinking is that I am going to go to the demonstration…but I am going to wear running shoes! I wish I had a helmet and pepper spray, but I don’t. I want to bring a sock full of rocks to swing just in case or a mini-hair-spray with a lighter to fashion a blow-torch, but since I am going as part of an anti-militarist peace organization, I am not sure that would go over very well.<br /><br />But here’s the naked truth…it is Friday night and I cannot guarantee that I won’t change my mind by Sunday morning. I also cannot guarantee that I won’t pee my pants and run away in fear once I get there.<br /><br />On the other hand…they cannot possibly beat all of us down, and how can I pursue the things I care about and write about if I am not willing to live it – to live what I believe. How can I live a “nerf life” just “sittin’ on your biscuit, never having to risk it” and still advocate for larger global social justice if I am not willing to put myself out there for something I believe in?<br /><br />Why should I be safe and fat and happy and live in my little McDonalds/Walmart bubble while others are suffering just b/c I had the fortune of being born in a certain place? Why should my life and safety (or any one person’s life or safety) matter more than anyone else’s? “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one”… right? “No one is free until all are free”…right? It may not be my country, but we are all human and I am living here…I am alive here…and I owe a debt to my principles if not to my host nation, right?<br /><br />So that is the dilemma – risk my biscuit for what I believe in and perhaps get hurt…or stay safe at home and hate myself for being weak…for basically being the person who turned my Jewish neighbor over to the Nazis.<br /><br />What would you do?Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-86676858458113679602009-08-31T19:59:00.002-04:002009-08-31T19:59:37.923-04:00Back in Serbia...So…this is it! I have arrived back in Serbia and am here until late December. While here I will teach a graduate course in American Studies (on the Civil Rights Movement), will teach in the Women’s Studies Center and will continue my work with WiB. I will also work on the book.<br /><br />Then, I go back to the US for Spring semester. Teach at my university there in NJ for the term. And plan to then return to Serbia for the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre – so I hope to be here from mid-May through mid-July. Then I will feel like I have really completed what I started here.<br /><br />After that – I will come back to USA, teach in NJ for another year and then take stock again. Will I stay at this job? Will I apply for another academic job in a place I’d rather live? Or will I try to get a job with the UN or some other international organization? It all remains to be seen!<br /><br />But for the short-term – well, I finally went to the north of Serbia, in the province of Vojvodina to visit the family of my landlords in a small town called Crvenka (pop. 10,000). I had been invited since I first got here in January, but had been putting it off b/c I thought I had too much to do here in Belgrade. Well, the truth is that this trip was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time!<br /><br />They are a perfectly wonderful family first of all! After the first day I felt completely at home! The husband and wife are in their late 40s and their son in a teenager – about to start university in fall. Mostly we hung out at their place, out on their porch, and all the day long friends would stop by for a coffee and a chat. It was so cozy and warm and wonderful! It was great to have healthy home cooked meals. It was great to hang out and debate politics and ideas. It was a great chance to practice my language as many of their friends do not speak English. And I felt so welcomed that when I left I actually felt sad and missed them!<br /><br />Their home is modest, but full of warmth. In their backyard are tons of fruit trees so there is always fresh peaches, pears and plums on the table (and he uses the rest to make rakia – the local liquor). Then, as neighbors stop by, they all bring other things from their gardens! Wonderful!<br /><br />When I first arrived I planned to stay only 3 days, but I ended up staying 5 days, partly b/c they were having a BBQ for me on day 4. It was so awesome! Such fresh meat and veggies and so many wonderful people.<br /><br />The whole experience reminded me that I really love living in a place with community. I prefer smaller towns to big cities and I love being able to walk everywhere and to know so many people in your community.<br /><br />They are coming here at the end of this week, and I am having them over to dinner for my b-day. I might then go back to Crvenka with them for a few days…we’ll see.<br /><br />Then, next weekend, I am going to Istanbul! I have never been before. I am excited! Going with my old friend “A” and we are staying with another friend of hers from university. Woo-Hoo!<br />OK…that is all I can manage to write today. I have made many posts today…all in the interest of catching up and I can hardly think now. Hope to keep up blog better now that I am back again in Serbia.<br /><br />Thanks for reading…<br /><br />XinaXinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-33822805408143345072009-08-31T19:40:00.000-04:002009-08-31T19:41:12.034-04:00taking stock as my next birthday approaches...So living a somewhat multi-national life has made me feel like I am in the show “Quantum Leap.” I jump from one existence to the next at a moment’s notice and feel disoriented and imbalanced for the first little bit! But all of this has given me some time to think about some things…<br /><br />So I am turning 36 next week. YUCK! It is hard to even write it down! What does it mean? How do I measure up? What do I still want to do? Just generally taking stock.<br /><br />I have realized that there are a lot of things about my life that I am very happy about. I have really great friends all over the world! I have a career that I love and that I am truly passionate about. I am an independent thinker who may be financially solvent for the first time ever! I have travelled to many places in the US and abroad. Basically, when I look back over my life I have to say that I have largely done what I have wanted when I have wanted.<br /><br />Now this does not mean I have been able to do everything I want – often I have been faced with choices and taking one path means abandoning the other. But it does mean that largely I have made this life my own – sometimes inside and sometimes outside the boundaries of societal expectations. And while this has also meant that I have made many mistakes in my life, I think that I am not one of those “old soul” people who are inherently wise and make well-considered choices. I am impulsive and have often had to learn things the hard way! This also means I am tenacious, and rarely hear the word “NO” as a definitive roadblock. I embrace challenges and look for solutions. I speak my mind and am not afraid to argue a point. I stick up for people who may be “weak” when I see they are in unfair situations. I am generally adventurous and adaptable.<br /><br />All things I am happy with.<br /><br />Now…as I take stock of my 36 years, there are also things that I am not so happy with. I find it hard to say “no” to people, or to hurt people’s feelings so I often practice avoidance. I am easily influenced to indulge my proclivities (drinking, smoking, eating crap, skipping exercise). I am overly critical of myself and sometimes of others. I often think emotionally rather than rationally. I let other people’s opinions sway my decisions too much. I am not always as sensitive to others as I should be, and am a bit self-centered.<br /><br />And as I look at my turning 36 I realize that there are some things I still want out of life and some things I want to work to change in the coming year…<br /><br />1st – I think it would be great to be able to buy a house or a condo! (I think this will happen either in a year or so if I decide to stay at my current job or will happen whenever/wherever I take my next job)<br /><br />2nd – I would really like to get a dog – and I think I want a foxy little Pomeranian! (will happen when I get a house)<br /><br />3rd – I vow to get back in shape! This is not such a far fetched task. It was only 3 years ago that I was actually quite fit and healthy. So really I just need to get back in control of my exercise and eating habits. (already starting now! Began vegan detox diet and daily exercise. This is Phase 1. Really trying to stick with it. I hate feeling unhealthy and flabby! But they say “muscle never forgets” so I am hoping that some healthy eating and exercise now and then some concentrated gym time when I get back to USA should get me where I need to be by next summer!)<br /><br />4th – I want to live somewhere that I really WANT to live! I have put this off over and over again. If I stay at my current job, I think I need to move to Phillie – I need human contact and community! Otherwise, if I seek a different job, I WILL live somewhere I really want to live – either somewhere warm, somewhere in Europe OR at least somewhere with a sense of community.<br /><br />5th – When I get back to the US, I want to make all the numerous doctor appointments I have been putting off – allergist, dermatologist, and therapist! Especially therapist. I think a few months of therapy could be a good thing for any adult.<br /><br />SO I guess this is all rambling, but I feel like if I write it down I am somewhat committed to it. Self improvement! Being a better ME.<br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br /><br />Until next time…<br /><br />XinaXinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-61305531224660584252009-08-31T19:16:00.003-04:002009-08-31T20:51:31.957-04:00My summer holiday at the Jersey Shore...After the trip to Eastern Serbia I had two days to pack and clean my house. I was scheduled to leave for a month holiday in the USA right away. The last 6 weeks here in Serbia had been an intense whirlwind, but I loved every minute of it and had gotten so involved in my work here that I almost didn’t want to go home! Still, the thought of being at the beach for a month did sound enticing!<br /><br />When in the US I live on an island near Atlantic City, so in the summer it is something of a genuine pleasure! I ride my bike around the island, jog on the beach and swim in the ocean. Now you may have heard a lot of things about the Jersey Shore, and some may be exaggerations, some may be truth. Not being from the region originally myself I feel like I get an outsiders view of things here!<br /><br />So, I have no idea what the North Jersey Shore towns are like. Basically the island I live on is sort of like the first point on the South Jersey Shore. Each of the shore towns has its own personality. The place where I live is more like a nature beach and is family oriented. No boardwalk. Only a couple bars (though 2 of them are open 24 hrs!) Just a few restaurants. A golf course. A huge marshland that is a protected bird sanctuary. And while there are a lot of families and summer folks, during the year the island is mostly populated by fisherman, casino workers and families that have lived on the island for generations. In winter the place is a ghost town – which has its benefits and drawbacks!<br /><br />Then you have Atlantic City, which is lots of fun when you have guests but is not really like a cultural center or anything. The beach there is kind of trashy. You see a lot of sad people – drug addicts, gambling addicts, and the like. But, all that said, AC is not as trashy as people think. The boardwalk is pretty cool. Rides, games, shops, bars, restaurants and “massage parlors.” You also have a beautiful elitist mega-mall, and really a lot of shows and attractions in general. Like I said – it is a great place when you have guests. Very entertaining! But not such a fun city on your own. It’s not as if they have a 1st Friday gallery hop or anything!<br /><br />After AC you have Margate & Ventor. From what I can tell, these are the spots where very wealthy people live. Amazing houses. Clean beaches. Some good restaurants. But it also seems that Ventnor has a somewhat significant year-round population. Margate is famous for this huge plaster elephant that is like 100 years old or something called “Lucy the Elephant.”<br /><br />Now after this I get a little confused about the order, and I may leave a few out here, but I think next you have Somer’s Point. I have not spent a lot of time here, but I get the impression that it is a place that is fun for people in their 30s and 40s – like Yuppies perhaps? I could be wrong.<br /><br />Then Ocean City. This is the kid-oriented beach town. Huge boardwalk with put-put, games, junk food, rides, etc. This is a dry town and there are no bars. Instead, there is a lot of activities throughout the community planned for kids each day and it seems to be quite safe.<br /><br />Then you have Avalon and Stone Harbor which seem to be for those people who are too old for the wild “spring break” kind of party, but still like to have fun – maybe late 20s and 30s maybe even into 40s.<br /><br />Next is Wildwood. Now this place is the PARTY Spring Break style type of place. It caters to the barely legal. The boardwalk here, aside from games, rides and junkfood, seems to be a cruising place for picking up people of the opposite sex. From what I can tell, this place would have been awesome to be when I was between 18 – 25, but now I think it is kind of gross. It’s OK during the day, and in North Wildwood there are some good places to eat and drink.<br /><br />Finally, there is the crowning jewel of the south Jersey Shore – Cape May! This is known for its beautiful old Victorian homes, its sophisticated beauty and its old money residents. It is also known to be a favorite spot of sophisticated gay couples and has further become THE place for straight couples from throughout the region to hold their weddings.<br /><br />OK…so there is your shore orientation. From the perspective of an outsider.<br /><br />Now, when I moved there it was to be close to my NJ job, and I am close. In the summer it is a great place to live, but in the winter there is, if you will pardon my language, exactly fuck-all to do there! BUT – since I pay rent for the place and had a month off of work here in Serbia, I was anxious to get some summer use out of the place.<br /><br />So, what was my trip like?<br /><br />Week 1 was spent largely at the beach. I had lent my car to PC, so I was biking and walking everywhere and was generally re-orienting myself. One really fun thing for this vacation was that PC had recently inherited a 1980s red convertible corvette – complete with HUGE orange and white flames all over the hood! This was a fun car to have at the shore. PC came down basically every time he had days off and we would pick a shore destination and drive. The car is fun. Little kids look and point and think it is “bad ass” while I am pretty sure that adults look at us in that car and think “What an asshole!” But whatever! I’ve always wanted a convertible and what better place to have one than at the beach for the summer!<br /><br />Other than lots of fun days driving, eating and drinking with PC, I had several other visitors including my good friend “A.” We had a wonderful time! Riding bikes, walking on the beach, sitting in the sun on my back deck and playing games. It was a really special time in fact b/c “A” and I are celebrating our 10 yr. friendship anniversary! And while we regularly see each other while both in the country, it had been a while since we had some one-on-one time – so AWESOME!<br /><br />My cousin “AB” also came for a visit. She had come last year as well and we had such a great time that we decided to try to make it an annual thing. She and I were best of friends when we were growing up, but since we are adults – she with a family and me with a travel intensive job – we do not get as much time together as we would like these days so it is super fun to hang out! We spent some time in AC, did some light gambling (in fact, she won like $300 on penny slots from a mere $10!). We went to see a rip-off of Cirque de Soleil (which was still pretty cool), and one afternoon we rented a boat with PC and went crabbing in the bay.<br /><br />Now a boat on the bay and a day crabbing sounds awesome in theory, but in practice…well for me it was a somewhat difficult day. Oh, don’t get me wrong…I loved the boat and the crabbing. The problem was the greenhead flies! These huge nasty biting flies breed most aggressively in the salty marshland of my island. They feed on the blood of humans and warm blooded animals. Their bites are painful, like a cigarette burn, because they have a crude slicing implement similar to tiny scissors. I am allergic to their bites and one will swell to the size of a quarter, itch like mad, and last for 2 weeks. Well, for some reason, on that boat on that day, these stupid flies made a meal out of me! By the time we got home I had easily 40+ bites and was intensely uncomfortable for the next few days! YUCK!<br /><br />But overall I had a really fantastic time with my cousin’s visit and I am excited for her visit next year! As I drove her to the airport on that last day, we stopped in Phillie for lunch as I had been craving tex-mex and guacamole for like 6 months! This was the perfect ending to a wonderful time together.<br /><br />Also while home in NJ I went to visit my family in Cleveland for a long weekend. The time was action packed! We went to a comedy show, had a BBQ party, did some shopping and visiting and then it was pretty much time for me to go home. It was great to see everyone and we had a lot of fun. I do regret I could not spend more time there and especially that I was too busy with family to actually see any friends. Maybe over xmas!<br /><br />After getting back from the CLE I went and spent 4 days in Phillie – hanging out with “A” and “Em” and helping “Em” move – again! This time a permanent move to North Carolina. Sad for me, but great for her!<br /><br />The last few days of my visit I spent at the beach and with PC.<br /><br />In all it just flew by! And now I am back in Belgrade and I am glad to be back. I am trying to make the most of it b/c I know it will be over before I know it!<br /><br />Well anyhow…thanks for reading…<br /><br />Until next time…<br /><br />XinaXinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-50718731109620002802009-08-31T15:13:00.011-04:002009-08-31T18:28:05.383-04:00My wonderful trip to Eastern SerbiaOK, well, after the intense experience of the Srebrenica commemoration week the leader of WiB felt that we needed a little break and since there were still a handful of international visitors left in Belgrade she organized a trip to Eastern Serbia for us foreigners.<br /><br />We had a small bus and somewhere around 18 passengers from Serbia, Croatia, USA, Italy, Spain, Israel, Iran (and maybe others). We headed out with a loosely planned 2 day itinerary. All-and-all the trip was awesome! The weather was great. It was a really fantastic group. I felt like, after the activities of the Srebrenica week and this trip my Serbian language had improved immensely. And we saw so much of the Serbian countryside and so many little towns. I really loved it.<br /><br />Throughout the nearly 10 years I have been coming to this region I have seen much of Croatia, and Bosnia and have even travelled a bit in Macedonia. Yet in Serbia, other than the trip to Leskovac, I had not seen much. So this trip was something special for me…<br /><br /><strong>DAY 1</strong><br /><strong><em>Pozarevac –</em></strong> Our first stop was a museum in the town of Pozarevac, which is also incidentally the town where Slobodan Milosevic was born and is now buried. The museum we visited is essentially a quick orientation guide to all of the treasures from Roman times and before that have been unearthed in Serbia. To my surprise there is an amazing amount of Roman ruins in Serbia! I am not sure why they do not capitalize on it more, as I think it would attract many tourists. But for whatever reason, even many Serbian people I talk to do not realize the treasures that are here!<br /><br />So, after the museum, in true Serbian style, we walked to a nearby café for strong Turkish coffees and a cigarette break. We were then off to our next destination, though we would return to Pozarevac for lunch as a local taverna had offered to make a traditional meal for us.<br /><br /><strong><em>Viminacium –</em></strong> From Pozarevac we drove about 45 minutes to the site of an old Roman town known as Viminacium. Incidentally, this is also the spot where, just a few months ago, archaeologists excavated the largest and best preserved mastodon (or possibly mammoth, I don’t remember) known in the world (according to the JAT airlines in flight magazine). We had a super cheerful guide who took us to three different excavation sites, two of which were really impressive! In the first we could see many tombs that had been unearthed, several still with bones, as well as works of art and architecture.<br /><br />I actually cannot remember the second site, but the third was really great. Here you had a bath house that had been excavated and was really well preserved. We spent a good 2 ½ hrs in total at Viminacium and I think we were the only tourists there during that time. Can you believe it? After being in Rome just a few months ago among throngs of people at every ancient site it was amazing to have this to ourselves!<br /><br />After the bath house we prepared to get back in the bus, but not before I had some time for playing with the most beautiful St. Bernard dogs I have ever seen (one with blue eyes even) who belonged to the owners.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7j78Y19100qDN1XKHOJ5g_02ycqGoUTTqJYXfKgxKAVq0DKBo6P7gy-KfttKXvFnOBwkUV2Y1WUtFZBlXwm6eGtvn68EliR8rw26pHJS1Di11rw-qXPzsBjw2FCRoO1a44owTONARkvp/s1600-h/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruinsd.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376234126394182130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7j78Y19100qDN1XKHOJ5g_02ycqGoUTTqJYXfKgxKAVq0DKBo6P7gy-KfttKXvFnOBwkUV2Y1WUtFZBlXwm6eGtvn68EliR8rw26pHJS1Di11rw-qXPzsBjw2FCRoO1a44owTONARkvp/s400/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruinsd.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Preserveed skeleton found in tombs at Viminacium</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpK357Ul2u7qmmtLUrFJc5m_c8AUnNr66baBY389pofTV6XOU-EI2VA5Zvv2ZasPj3lSKduAwCRlLPgTl8gpH1utiYqx5tOJXb_N8-SwJ5MT4iCfFHmzTZWU7M84e_YE8IoZHzViXalxl/s1600-h/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruins.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376234121813337842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpK357Ul2u7qmmtLUrFJc5m_c8AUnNr66baBY389pofTV6XOU-EI2VA5Zvv2ZasPj3lSKduAwCRlLPgTl8gpH1utiYqx5tOJXb_N8-SwJ5MT4iCfFHmzTZWU7M84e_YE8IoZHzViXalxl/s400/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruins.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Part of excavated ruins of Roman town at Viminacium<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn08zKJIw0r3dHNaM-Gv4TR2W_cME70wb7CVOmxwvvUD7bqj46oyJCfAy5icmiDSNhv_vznbkA2dpDRe1rm0P3r2PTNwy4uZxFiqpU7eN6b3zaKBD0iE9wrQf9CnIV9BiIk3AIxvrX9EFu/s1600-h/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruinsg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376234116111845730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn08zKJIw0r3dHNaM-Gv4TR2W_cME70wb7CVOmxwvvUD7bqj46oyJCfAy5icmiDSNhv_vznbkA2dpDRe1rm0P3r2PTNwy4uZxFiqpU7eN6b3zaKBD0iE9wrQf9CnIV9BiIk3AIxvrX9EFu/s400/Day+1+viminacium+-+ruinsg.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Bath house excavated at Viminacium<br /></em></strong></div></div><br /><br /><strong><em>Lunch in Pozarevac –</em></strong> So we returned to Pozarevac for lunch and I was really happy that all of the foreign visitors got to have such a delicious and well prepared Serbian lunch. (You see, even though I am also a foreigner, because I live here I felt like the others were our guests and I really wanted to show them the best of Serbia.)<br /><br />Now, I know I have mentioned this, but the staple of the Serbian diet is MEAT!! So the traditional lunch (usually around 2 or 3pm) is really more like dinner, and everything is served family style. They first bring some assorted appetizers – roasted peppers with garlic, assorted salads, white beans, sautéed mushrooms, other things I can’t recall, and always served with delicious, still hot home made bread!!<br /><br />Then for the main course they bring out several huge platters overflowing with grilled meats of every imaginable variety! Roasted pork, lamb sausages, huge thick bacon, chicken, beef…I mean you name it. Some is even some kind of meat with some other meat in the middle wrapped in yet another kind of meat!<br /><br />And with all of this meat it is most delicious to have a very cold domestic draft beer!<br /><br />You finish it all off with a strong Turkish coffee and assorted sweets that resemble various Greek baklavas.<br /><br />As you might imagine, after all of that one needs a nap! And that is just what I did. While the passing countryside was beautiful as we went on to our next stop, I leaned against the window and fell fast asleep for a good hour or more!<br /><br /><strong><em>Petrovac Cemetery –</em></strong> Our next stop was a couple hours down the road. We stopped in a small town known as Petrovac, but we didn’t really stop in the town so much as in the town’s cemetery. You see, apparently this town has long been known for a rather interesting tradition. Now all over Serbia, and especially in Eastern Bosnia, at Serb-Orthodox graves there is a tradition of leaving the favorite things of the dead person at the gravesite. So like if the person liked Jack Daniels, you might leave a glass of Jack. If s/he liked twinkies, you would leave twinkies. Same with cigarettes, apples, etc. They also light these yellow waxy candles at the graves when they visit.<br /><br />So, this much I knew was a sort of standard thing. But what makes this cemetery special is the enactment of their belief that the dead and the living actually live among one another. Because of this, at many of the grave sites there are tiny houses, or sheds, or porches built. The most opulent of these has curtains, a TV, a sofa, a dining room, etc. (Clearly the more wealthy one is the better their grave site house.) Loved ones visit the graves, have a meal, and often sleep there. In fact we were told that there is at least one person sleeping there every night!<br /><br />We spent an hour or so hiking around the cemetery, which all and all was pretty cool. We then loaded back up for our sort of sunset destination – Zagubica.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZv9GdwX1m_BiNjLlyMZdAR6sEgU4TO04tlxW3YJ91woXbFxH340ySH5TAAOtBrvnlWka6Y5M16gyZjj87zGToDc8PZJZVhd-_TIZqho37i2ZA-e47_MKHwPgmzsKbSV79RLggDUQPMLS/s1600-h/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary15.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376239043622210898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZv9GdwX1m_BiNjLlyMZdAR6sEgU4TO04tlxW3YJ91woXbFxH340ySH5TAAOtBrvnlWka6Y5M16gyZjj87zGToDc8PZJZVhd-_TIZqho37i2ZA-e47_MKHwPgmzsKbSV79RLggDUQPMLS/s400/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary15.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Grave stone inside porch-like structure - Petrovac Cemetery</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV10g4CtZFqtjwt2tnjgZGoNi6zsmRQ9bzYB59sd9g1CYbDUk3Efw4W2iUcHktQP9Z-SbSZlFHGtlsDDzPWkVDWigZ6hpnXcb3eCuuFtjRazCZUxPsxqM6poR6s9wTm59pPPyDpxDdRoZ/s1600-h/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary13.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376239034979422786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV10g4CtZFqtjwt2tnjgZGoNi6zsmRQ9bzYB59sd9g1CYbDUk3Efw4W2iUcHktQP9Z-SbSZlFHGtlsDDzPWkVDWigZ6hpnXcb3eCuuFtjRazCZUxPsxqM6poR6s9wTm59pPPyDpxDdRoZ/s400/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary13.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Peeking inside the chiffon curtains of one of the more opulent cemetery houses. You can see a set table and even a TV in this one.</em></strong></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-dF7eZm-5SJm_Wkhe2thkTPuhTEd7OEtGhjZTIkgieBsQFCnuWtaubTZQEZNcdRJ56RyakAuIZcNjxyYlNHibT4s9-1VmwQq1JxHf_BoRj1oHFaOQLL6SqR6En-p4gsz-W-RvNocKFSs/s1600-h/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376239029146283602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-dF7eZm-5SJm_Wkhe2thkTPuhTEd7OEtGhjZTIkgieBsQFCnuWtaubTZQEZNcdRJ56RyakAuIZcNjxyYlNHibT4s9-1VmwQq1JxHf_BoRj1oHFaOQLL6SqR6En-p4gsz-W-RvNocKFSs/s400/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary3.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Another one that is more like a porch - Petrovac Cemetary</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XtPZud3yNhDQ_b1jLMYhexrwtt0x1lzl2CCtog_hi7Ji-nZM3aDLVtQE8e7ppMmUaGCEnmmlbihh7cgDt7YIS0nTRk29nc28hGpbrvy6lvM9LDwhviNCXinQwYfp3Hp8WsDMmW5WjyY8/s1600-h/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376239020829393762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XtPZud3yNhDQ_b1jLMYhexrwtt0x1lzl2CCtog_hi7Ji-nZM3aDLVtQE8e7ppMmUaGCEnmmlbihh7cgDt7YIS0nTRk29nc28hGpbrvy6lvM9LDwhviNCXinQwYfp3Hp8WsDMmW5WjyY8/s400/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary2.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>This one was like a huge living room with a picture window. Behind the grave stones here there was a table and chairs as well.</em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTlmMeeKSBkEYT4u4Cxxf-zxQFf72t3eRIeu-Fd6xM1nU-5LnRM72cO1-1BIlBKUyWaarHmS1D6OKfIiVUi5GGIonDJIkcB5v88HKshVHnAZ58p46gCeQgGtvRCTiwsUmp6L1k_hCY42c/s1600-h/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376239012114781250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTlmMeeKSBkEYT4u4Cxxf-zxQFf72t3eRIeu-Fd6xM1nU-5LnRM72cO1-1BIlBKUyWaarHmS1D6OKfIiVUi5GGIonDJIkcB5v88HKshVHnAZ58p46gCeQgGtvRCTiwsUmp6L1k_hCY42c/s400/Day+1+petrovac+na+mlavi+-+cemetary1.jpg" /></a><strong><em>In this one you can see a more wide angle of the cemetery - Petrovac</em></strong><br /><br /><strong><em>Zagubica –</em></strong> We wound our way through beautiful countryside, mountains and valleys for a couple hours or so finally stopping at an exceptionally charming, rustic little site. The first thing I noticed was that there was again a looming grave yard on a hill that again had something distinctive about it…most of the graves had very colorful images depicting the things that the person loved most in life, and/or what they did for a profession and sometimes even how they died. Again this was super-cool!<br /><br />I hiked around this spot for a bit, taking some photos, when I suddenly realized that most of the group had departed, except my roommate “J.” So “J” and I made our way down the hill toward the road to find the path where everyone else went. As we got to the road I suddenly see a group of big brown cows walking in nearly single file down the road. When they saw us they sped up and I got a little nervous – like they were chasing me! I soon noticed the herder following behind them, laughing at my reaction!<br /><br />As we started to catch up with the rest of the group we took pause. I started to take notice of the stunning natural beauty of the place we were. A river about 15 ft. wide ran lazily cascading down rocks and under 2 wooden bridges. A weeping willow that would rival any described in Mark Twain’s tales poured its generous branches toward the river. To the right, the sky had begun to turn pink and two goats meandered on the bank across. To the left three dogs stood at the very edge of the stream – intermittently playing and lapping the cool water. And then, smack in the middle, two of the stream of cows stood, letting the water reach nearly to their huge bellies as they drank. I was so tickled! It all seemed so perfect!<br /><br />We caught our group as we walked along the path near the river. In no hurry. Really loving the sounds and smells. We all sat at a café near the water for another round of strong Turkish coffee and cigarettes. (seriously – I have no idea how anyone sleeps here! They must drink 10+ coffees a day! Even at 10pm! Little wonder I am a crazy insomniac here! Well, I am insomniac everywhere, I always have been, but here I have many nights of just 1 hour of sleep!)<br /><br />We then made our way back to the bus at a leisurely pace, pausing to admire the changes in the sky. The setting sun continued to put on a dazzling show as we made our winding way through the mountains, up up up – 15,000 feet – then winding down down down and around the valley and back up again.<br /><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4aPyTjLWU9jyiTzFE94Wye5i36IQtFOCpK5VfN4bbP4x-A2s5GGEfny1p1ac5Kw8sGqlJtNjfMINU0hxlvutSGRqfHtFvENgipKEzmADZEY1HgA8mdl4ATkwEJ7_UC2R9Gak9QIn0da4/s1600-h/Day+1+zagubica3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376234107996036450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4aPyTjLWU9jyiTzFE94Wye5i36IQtFOCpK5VfN4bbP4x-A2s5GGEfny1p1ac5Kw8sGqlJtNjfMINU0hxlvutSGRqfHtFvENgipKEzmADZEY1HgA8mdl4ATkwEJ7_UC2R9Gak9QIn0da4/s400/Day+1+zagubica3.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Gravesite in Zagubica - note the red sports car - both what he loved and how he died</em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzD_ZgPKMpFBL3QkzQJWsVbxw6hvHiZFU0VraTMRCcDK4ZIE2OCYy-So-IGyGNQk4jS4JCi8WOJFw0zGnYAcUnH4hgAZ2aT__uTjXA6Db_BH9sxrp4SsTp7QzirQdr0dpovVyUA6trKCi/s1600-h/Day+1+zagubica4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376234099119701522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzD_ZgPKMpFBL3QkzQJWsVbxw6hvHiZFU0VraTMRCcDK4ZIE2OCYy-So-IGyGNQk4jS4JCi8WOJFw0zGnYAcUnH4hgAZ2aT__uTjXA6Db_BH9sxrp4SsTp7QzirQdr0dpovVyUA6trKCi/s400/Day+1+zagubica4.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Gravesite in Zagubica - Man on motorcycle - again what he loved and how he died.</em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF6QcMhF58Vplz55g5m9NbkoJVolisBRA3p_1U5ObOv_TQafKHWmyulJ58QpfkunexoA8JCT3JSKJRXeAtiSzTQEeCkuje_zK0Seyux3FvmGjoQMnGCaYCjzJtpb_hVMKjZTFoDvv_np1/s1600-h/Day+1+zagubica1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376229421182199186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF6QcMhF58Vplz55g5m9NbkoJVolisBRA3p_1U5ObOv_TQafKHWmyulJ58QpfkunexoA8JCT3JSKJRXeAtiSzTQEeCkuje_zK0Seyux3FvmGjoQMnGCaYCjzJtpb_hVMKjZTFoDvv_np1/s400/Day+1+zagubica1.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Natural beauty of Zagubica - river with Weeping Willow</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuKuzDZrSgWPVzKzMhqmuNtaVs2Q2zPC7LhgxarmbVeX1SAAOph0m6ivBZ_zuJ5SEjLjMVhknU4ULghpq-DOk6ug7fj3z8760CNos8str29Fif_Mg9vcsj47FqI7psOH9IKO7xe5i_4rj/s1600-h/Day+1+zagubica11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376229412829562242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuKuzDZrSgWPVzKzMhqmuNtaVs2Q2zPC7LhgxarmbVeX1SAAOph0m6ivBZ_zuJ5SEjLjMVhknU4ULghpq-DOk6ug7fj3z8760CNos8str29Fif_Mg9vcsj47FqI7psOH9IKO7xe5i_4rj/s400/Day+1+zagubica11.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Cows bathing in river in Zagubica - perhaps tired from chasing me!</em></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiur63WbxoJWj_cl7tGrpMlOG9aIx4g7D0cIi7u9j7mvW7huiWcYa6qdpiTIdze5djnFx1DAbl_l4cU-WXbfDjgsEaRwAr62ROXI6Zo2NOEXznUfF4KVorm8CQdhi1kwgAJVF9uodQ0CTbe/s1600-h/Day+1+zagubica5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376229409140458706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiur63WbxoJWj_cl7tGrpMlOG9aIx4g7D0cIi7u9j7mvW7huiWcYa6qdpiTIdze5djnFx1DAbl_l4cU-WXbfDjgsEaRwAr62ROXI6Zo2NOEXznUfF4KVorm8CQdhi1kwgAJVF9uodQ0CTbe/s400/Day+1+zagubica5.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>More natural beauty of Zagubica</em></strong><br /><br /><strong><em>Bor –</em></strong> We stopped at the edge of the town of Bor, and it was already dark. Apparently we had expected to get there earlier because when I asked “What is here in Bor?” I was told “Serbia’s most shameful ecological disaster.” But clearly it was too late to see it.<br /><br />Now in the moments before we reached Bor I had made it known that I really really had to pee. I am not one of those “squirrel bladder” types who goes every 15 minutes, and can usually hold it patiently for hours, but after so much coffee, beer and water that day, I was desperate. When I could not take it anymore I told the driver and navigator that I really had to go. Only, I couldn’t think of the polite way to say it in Serbian so instead I announced something akin to<br /><br />“Pardon me, I must take a piss. I must piss very much. I need to take a piss now.”<br /><br />All Serbian speaker in the bus laughed, a lot, but no one seemed to take my request seriously and we drove on. A few minutes of wiggling later I pleaded with the driver,<br /><br />“Please – I badly need to take a piss. I take a piss in the grass or flowers near road. I don’t care.”<br /><br />Again – laughter, but no indication of slowing down. When we finally stopped on the outskirts of Bor I jumped out of the bus without even saying a word and ran for the lights of an open café about 400 meters away. I did not greet anyone inside, I did not ask anyone’s permission, I just made a bee-line for the bathroom and was so so happy!<br /><br />When I returned to the bus our guide for Bor had arrived and we proceeded to the city center. As in most European countries, all towns and cities in Serbian have a sort of designated pedestrian zone. In the Balkans it seems that every night that weather permits people of all ages can be seen looking their loveliest and walking up and down these pedestrian streets, stopping for a chat now and then or an ice cream, or a coffee or a beer. It is lively and pleasurable and I wish we had more towns like this in the US.<br /><br />Well, in this tradition, Bor did seem to have a pedestrian zone. Yet as we parked and walked toward this area it looked more like a scene from a zombie movie or Michael Jackson’s Thriller video than a lively town gathering place. Under the orange glow of streetlights a smattering of shabbily dressed people walked ever so slowly toward us. Intermingled with these zombie townsfolk a mass of decrepit stray dogs weaved in and out, their ribs protruding like a xylophone.<br /><br />Not wanting to be rude, but certainly freaked out by the freak show I whispered to “J” and the other American girl “D” about the zombies and they admitted they were thinking the same thing. Giggling sporadically as we made our way through the zombies, our guide took us to several important historical sites there in Bor – important because the mine in Bor made the town very wealthy for something like 100 years – particularly during the Communist period and during the Milosevic years when Bor was the only town making money and all its profits fed the war effort. Now the mine barely works and Bor is desperately poor. Young people who can leave Bor do so, and those who stick around are often victims of drug addiction and poverty.<br /><br />Obviously we could not see the mine that night, but we walked to its edge – followed by so many starving dogs – and while the town itself was one of the most depressing places I’ve seen in a long time, one thing that was particularly striking was the stars. Because of the lack of light pollution the night sky looked like someone had smeared glitter all over the sky.<br /><br />We would return to Bor the next day for a look at the mine. Like the guide said, it truly was an ecological disaster. Across from where we viewed the mine was what appeared to be a factory. We were told that this factory had twice served as a concentration camp – once in WWII and again in the 1990s.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9lishyphenhyphenWIUhuM1pgn9PLTopPVRumce78VM-2VLKmANRkuDntd1tgacFlimx8JKEFfKF3u5moSeBUaDnwZSHfw1xruVpelGiVgRrq8mj63LZ-JiRLzlxKBIYHCXzAK23b3c4lmjKwpoCUj/s1600-h/Day+2++Bor+mine3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222582588498210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9lishyphenhyphenWIUhuM1pgn9PLTopPVRumce78VM-2VLKmANRkuDntd1tgacFlimx8JKEFfKF3u5moSeBUaDnwZSHfw1xruVpelGiVgRrq8mj63LZ-JiRLzlxKBIYHCXzAK23b3c4lmjKwpoCUj/s400/Day+2++Bor+mine3.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Bor mine with view of factory building twice used as concentration camp</em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V-QCmaM6pm4-uV9WHdPdlM8HoIWxoMIEgO_CWdxbSvu3LA4Mfue-BZxT6r1073YNul1kg6NdfADdRCKb4iv_eKXt_aFhub0EYUg_TJCx6whjn50jLyfyr-fEJFOIylvCxSwCPTM7IQ8u/s1600-h/Day+2++Bor+mine2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222576938406338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V-QCmaM6pm4-uV9WHdPdlM8HoIWxoMIEgO_CWdxbSvu3LA4Mfue-BZxT6r1073YNul1kg6NdfADdRCKb4iv_eKXt_aFhub0EYUg_TJCx6whjn50jLyfyr-fEJFOIylvCxSwCPTM7IQ8u/s400/Day+2++Bor+mine2.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Another view of the ecological disaster known as the Bor mine.<br /></em></strong><br /><strong><em>Our Spa Hotel –</em></strong> As we left Bor that first night, exhausted and a little sad, we proceeded about ½ hour to the place we were to spend the night. We had been told we were staying at a spa, which in the American mind conjures images of opulent luxury – massages, pedicures, facials, etc. Well, this is not quite what a spa means in this region of the world. Many of the mountain towns in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia have hot springs and various mineral pools. Around these things have sprung hotels and resorts, but not in the American sense – more in a rustic, in-tune with nature sense.<br /><br />So, while this “spa” was not exactly what my mind had conjured, it was still an amazing and impressive thing. Set in the woods with various cabins, places to walk, a stream, wild life, and a pretty decent breakfast – it is a place to relax and recharge for sure!<br /><br />Upon arrival we went straight to sleep! But when I woke the next morning, I had my breakfast and then decided to take a walk around the grounds to see what I could see. The first thing I came upon was an adorable set of puppies. Being an idiot and an animal lover I immediately went over to pet and cuddle these playful balls of fur. MISTAKE! Just when I got close enough to touch a puppy an angry snarling mother came at me with teeth that looked as vicious as a shark and a growling bark that was not playing around! I may have let out a little scream, I can’t remember, time was suddenly in slow motion as I pictured being mauled by this dog and I quickly backed away avoiding eye contact. Thank god the dog retreated – LESSON LEARNED!<br /><br />The rest of my walk was lovely though. The woods were so nice and there were various mineral springs at various points in the path. I felt amazing (once I settled down from the near death by dog experience) and really charged with the energy of the natural surroundings. I could’ve stayed for days…or at least a few hours more…but after about an hour’s walk I could see the others rounding up to get into the bus, so I went back. Saying goodbye to this beautiful place we were bound for day 2!<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKsPhRzKn9W2ShRfiR2TFD2D8jXV2DeDmhXwG_riqMpclEoNdORfmP6hLNEmbicwInrDTQ3EtnZe7ny_SSM61WMg_5UFXLvgUFZ2AchomasDGPQ_tuHdtFMw5IYuyU1i6zDnAVtZtVoZl/s1600-h/Day+2+our+spa+outside+of+Bor4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376229401027903826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKsPhRzKn9W2ShRfiR2TFD2D8jXV2DeDmhXwG_riqMpclEoNdORfmP6hLNEmbicwInrDTQ3EtnZe7ny_SSM61WMg_5UFXLvgUFZ2AchomasDGPQ_tuHdtFMw5IYuyU1i6zDnAVtZtVoZl/s400/Day+2+our+spa+outside+of+Bor4.jpg" /></a><strong><em>View of the breakfast area at our spa hotel</em></strong> </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEtnh7BJZpl0a6N28mWsQn2SJ3QZTH47rkCiTUPpD4OA6XT2cUESEnrdUTCn_brGi07bDgeu5Nv2PzzRUD9vSpD68MY4CtCMgpUxUtGr8bS6ZalyopTErgcA8fQcCqMsc6s1jelpQm5pZ/s1600-h/Day+2+our+spa+outside+of+Bor2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376229395127934130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEtnh7BJZpl0a6N28mWsQn2SJ3QZTH47rkCiTUPpD4OA6XT2cUESEnrdUTCn_brGi07bDgeu5Nv2PzzRUD9vSpD68MY4CtCMgpUxUtGr8bS6ZalyopTErgcA8fQcCqMsc6s1jelpQm5pZ/s400/Day+2+our+spa+outside+of+Bor2.jpg" /></a><strong><em>A nice wooded spot at our spa hotel</em></strong><br /><div><br /><div><strong>Day 2</strong><br /><strong><em>Romuliana –</em></strong> Now, as I mentioned earlier, day 2 began with a trip to the Bor mine. After that we were off to the 2nd of our amazing Roman ruins sites – an old Roman army encampment called Romuliana.<br /><br />This place was again super cool! I mean it was such a huge site with so many excavated areas, and again hardly any people! There were a few others besides our group, but still not more than 10 others! And you were free to wander all around the site at will! Seeing columns and perfectly preserved mosaic and marble walk ways! This place was truly a wonder!<br /><br />At the beginning of the tour we saw a diorama of what they presume the town looked like in Roman times, but after that part of the tour I sort of tuned out b/c he was speaking Serbian and Spanish, then the Spanish people were translating into Italian and French and I couldn’t concentrate on all of that Babylonian mish-mash. Besides, I had to pee again and since I did not want to get into the same situation as the day before, I decided to seek out the toilet immediately.<br /><br />It was difficult to find. “To the left and then straight” people kept saying. But even when I went as far as the back building, which seemed ½ kilometer from the ticket office where I had asked to begin with, still I could not find it. Again someone at the back building said “To the left and straight.” I kept going, around the back building, searching for a door.<br /><br />I asked one last time, and somehow this time I understood a bit better. I needed to go down one more path. I assumed I couldn’t see the building with the bathrooms because of the trees that were blocking it. So imagine my shock and horror when I saw a tiny outhouse hidden in the trees – looking like it was ready to fall at any moment.<br /><br />I held my breath and went in, only to be further horrified…this was not just an outhouse (which I can handle – due to many an outhouse situation in my youth - but hate as I have always imagined something coming up from the hole to bite me) but was instead an amalgamation of my two most hated toilet scenarios! Not only an outhouse, but what we call a “Turkish toilet” to boot!<br /><br />If you don’t know what this is, a Turkish toilet is a small hole in the floor, usually surrounded by some kind of porcelain, and if you are lucky, a handrail of some sort to balance yourself. If you are a man, this type of toilet should pose no problem. If you are a female in a skirt, you can make it work for yourself. But I have to say that when I have encountered these while wearing pants I have peed on myself more than once, so that now I just take off my pants to avoid this situation all together.<br /><br />Peeing into this tiny hole without getting wet is a challenge in and of itself. I have no doubt that people who use these regularly are totally accustomed to them, and they claim “it is the more natural way” and “it is better for you.” But if I can be totally candid here… I once stayed in a town in rural Bosnia that had only Turkish toilets and I did not defecate for a week! Mostly b/c I could not figure out how! And you can imagine that with 10+ coffees a day this was no easy feat!<br /><br />Anyhow, finding the combo outhouse/Turkish toilet was a little overwhelming, but I managed. When I returned to the group and we were wandering and exploring the ruins on our own, several other women asked me where was the toilet. I explained it to them, and warned them about what they might expect. Not another woman used this toilet while we were there. They all said they could wait for our next stop. And I got a bit of teasing for using this toilet, but the joke was on them in the end because our next stop did not come for at least 3hrs!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiPNk9vEK6AX5o6VSqrNLtfukv6wRkp6tpFQiapzoL-VkXa5hhPw_RWmnxXx_TJikwQTXxZ3fht74g3UZOdTkvepvk-9miH-rw9NlpRAitAq_saCU2Uwv1eFqZh-tPFtKkjOOgAne8HFN/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222568391719170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiPNk9vEK6AX5o6VSqrNLtfukv6wRkp6tpFQiapzoL-VkXa5hhPw_RWmnxXx_TJikwQTXxZ3fht74g3UZOdTkvepvk-9miH-rw9NlpRAitAq_saCU2Uwv1eFqZh-tPFtKkjOOgAne8HFN/s400/Day+2+Romuliana5.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Restored gates of ancient Roman site - Romuliana<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyJXKERwA39sN-mYVOQ_yFGEgqR0NieK2l2rH0zOUi4MjDKV9sPCIfvvoyYClt_YfPDftMlpenmhPlld2YLvZuBPOETN99pjGIOeTF8E9XIt5GiciTWAWOiWNepwOSzRF_1OSDIzM3l71/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222567527827490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyJXKERwA39sN-mYVOQ_yFGEgqR0NieK2l2rH0zOUi4MjDKV9sPCIfvvoyYClt_YfPDftMlpenmhPlld2YLvZuBPOETN99pjGIOeTF8E9XIt5GiciTWAWOiWNepwOSzRF_1OSDIzM3l71/s400/Day+2+Romuliana7.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Part of ruins at Romuliana</em></strong><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0_E40I6-lUJF9Ne7h9_WMIRkeRAikUIBC791IsJQ3sYVOqkW2t9JA4EcYeG4YXMtBNt5ZpOR7zcc3NV7rKktGGSqjhrmJpFcBgwjAI0c5Gu5UVq8c57ZeSE6M4FIYNB63e9qw9xi02kd/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana8.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222557758126002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0_E40I6-lUJF9Ne7h9_WMIRkeRAikUIBC791IsJQ3sYVOqkW2t9JA4EcYeG4YXMtBNt5ZpOR7zcc3NV7rKktGGSqjhrmJpFcBgwjAI0c5Gu5UVq8c57ZeSE6M4FIYNB63e9qw9xi02kd/s400/Day+2+Romuliana8.jpg" /></a><strong><em> A restoration using excavated materials and ancient city plans</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG1JyCP2qDO_EMvFqzZCnCq_PW7lLXcB5AqArztcb1dKDcRWro-NuYWdsoJpsGwHSCS6-l4xliGW6l3nsu7qlxdcpL5Z4yeWaTzioMawIwEjQIv4xkqHcTZ9n-D8cyBssIQH0cy7LMGCE/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana17.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218498931617778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG1JyCP2qDO_EMvFqzZCnCq_PW7lLXcB5AqArztcb1dKDcRWro-NuYWdsoJpsGwHSCS6-l4xliGW6l3nsu7qlxdcpL5Z4yeWaTzioMawIwEjQIv4xkqHcTZ9n-D8cyBssIQH0cy7LMGCE/s400/Day+2+Romuliana17.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>More Roman ruins at Romuliana</em></strong> </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pGkCBPqNqFvjVJr3DWbxmC9np2w2kVe1-dV4te3jhTl7dQtWK8uoc8Uj2NUlFGSuE-6GrkHWdy6cWC3pwYASvGMI_Icj4UkJZ5px6EY0U2zV8OOGsd8Bk5LRkBL9hZfL03sdK5w2gCB0/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana28.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218495196834098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pGkCBPqNqFvjVJr3DWbxmC9np2w2kVe1-dV4te3jhTl7dQtWK8uoc8Uj2NUlFGSuE-6GrkHWdy6cWC3pwYASvGMI_Icj4UkJZ5px6EY0U2zV8OOGsd8Bk5LRkBL9hZfL03sdK5w2gCB0/s400/Day+2+Romuliana28.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Partially restored section using excavated materials and ancient plans</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSxKFDqw0dsRchyphenhyphent-r1w7B_bflFQPehH6JKnKySkQoXdNHoEf9jPC78yEi3FAcQEO9cDS93uFthgIxwNI134eiYjSH-gs5R9asZ4Ym3pwtlNM6r19AVaHakP6Z_I8Jnc6FO4YI2KLC8K0/s1600-h/Day+2+Romuliana34.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218484743382114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSxKFDqw0dsRchyphenhyphent-r1w7B_bflFQPehH6JKnKySkQoXdNHoEf9jPC78yEi3FAcQEO9cDS93uFthgIxwNI134eiYjSH-gs5R9asZ4Ym3pwtlNM6r19AVaHakP6Z_I8Jnc6FO4YI2KLC8K0/s400/Day+2+Romuliana34.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Restored city gates leaving ancient city of Romuliana</em></strong><br /></div><br /><div><strong><em>Cuprija –</em></strong> Our next major stop was in the town of Cuprija where there is an amazingly old monastery (really more like a convent b/c nuns live there, not priests). The fortress surrounding the church is as old as 12th century and the church itself, though largely restored, must not be any older than 16th century (judging by the damage to the internal frescoes that could still be seen in spots still being restored. It is typical in Christian areas that were dominated by Ottoman Turks to find religious icons with their eyes or sometimes entire faces gouged out. I was told that this has to do with the Muslim belief that God should never be depicted.)<br /><br />Now, I have seen my share of Catholic churches all over Europe, and a few mosques in Bosnia. I have even been in plenty of Orthodox churches in Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. But this place was particularly special. While I was not allowed to take picture inside, the ornate designs all the way up to the details in the ceiling rivaled many of the best I’d seen. Most amazing, on the fortress outside at one point you could still see the original frescoes that had not been restored yet!<br /><br />But these are not the only things that make this monastery special…oh no! If you think back to the story of the 1389 battle of Kosovo – a foundational myth for Serbian identity throughout history and again in the present moment – that I detailed in a previous post on the brief history of the region, you will remember that one of the stories two heroes was a Serbian prince (or Knez) named Knez Lazar. Well, in this monastery lies the desiccated remains of Knez Lazar – like so many Catholic church relics in Italy. But this one is particularly special…<br /><br />Every Sunday the church opens the casket to believers who need some kind of miracle. They pray and touch the hands of Knez Lazar and God answers their prayers. Or…to put it more cynically, they ask the magical rotting corpse of Knez Lazar to grant them a wish – kind of like a genie. (And you can buy postcards depicting his rotten hands in the lobby as a souvenir. God I wish I’d bought some!) Now I am not trying to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, but it does seem a little crazy from the outside, you have to admit.<br /><br />Anyhow – all and all this was an awesome place to visit. Really lovely.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMwwZWKY2-WZQTCDptUnrOuTYNdAFVwtnCmeLOSNGQl58IKrTtne4dacRvCfKvVxbdEm1C_nHowjuKX7x-vb5Ln6lD5M7f0TQbhb4PmDuY3LsxTz6H9d3HFICSVTveQVUkWJLnQob1e60/s1600-h/Day+2+Cuprija+-+Knez+Lazar+monastary+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218482072794290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMwwZWKY2-WZQTCDptUnrOuTYNdAFVwtnCmeLOSNGQl58IKrTtne4dacRvCfKvVxbdEm1C_nHowjuKX7x-vb5Ln6lD5M7f0TQbhb4PmDuY3LsxTz6H9d3HFICSVTveQVUkWJLnQob1e60/s400/Day+2+Cuprija+-+Knez+Lazar+monastary+4.jpg" /></a><strong><em>View of Cuprija monastary housing the bones of Knez Lazar - the stone part is the more ancient fortress </em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzmnDhrsVBm0FzMyD3mbVwnI3S3gKUhZ391Mokhtv7NINJWgt0HMAhQg58sRInzccgaGVWJmSAx-PmO5JKn-43D0Il6ldzFjYEBGFba38di6oL0v4B3hjUrYQpi5Pd5zNCuJ1u0Xctozy/s1600-h/Day+2+Cuprija+-+Knez+Lazar+monastary+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218473189750610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzmnDhrsVBm0FzMyD3mbVwnI3S3gKUhZ391Mokhtv7NINJWgt0HMAhQg58sRInzccgaGVWJmSAx-PmO5JKn-43D0Il6ldzFjYEBGFba38di6oL0v4B3hjUrYQpi5Pd5zNCuJ1u0Xctozy/s400/Day+2+Cuprija+-+Knez+Lazar+monastary+3.jpg" /></a><strong><em> A better view of the monastary and fortress walls from head-on</em></strong><br /><br /><strong><em>Lunch Day 2 –</em></strong> So Day 2 we had lunch at a roadside Taverna. It was good. Pretty similar in variety to what we had the day before but not quite as high in quality. The price was right though! I think for 20 people to eat themselves stuffed and each have 2 beers we still got out for less than $80 US.<br /><br /><strong><em>Vodapada –</em></strong> At this point we were actually supposed to go to see one more monastery and hike some caves, but we had actually run out of time and would run out of daylight before we got there so we instead decided to find this cool little spot with waterfalls that the Serbs on the bus had remembered.<br /><br />After some amount of driving around in confusion, we finally reached the spot. Again – fantastic! Cute café where we sat for coffee and cigarettes, a lovely river running by, etc.<br /><br />When some people had finished their coffee they decided to make the hike to the waterfall. I had intended to join them, but was engaged in a conversation, so I said I’d catch-up.<br /><br />Well, I didn’t quite catch up to them, and I did fear several times that I was lost and was going to have to live there forever, but I did have quite an adventure finding it. On the way I saw so many sheep, goats, the hugest pig ever, horses, wonderfully quaint houses and lovely nature. When I finally found the waterfall and the group, they were already done enjoying the nature and were headed back down, but I wanted to explore some more, and I’m glad I did. I found the most adorable restaurant tucked back into the woods, only accessible if you knew what path to take. I wished we had not eaten and had held out for this place!<br /><br />So, while there was still a third part of the larger group who had not come to the waterfall yet, I hiked around a bit and jumped in with them to go back down the mountain when that third group was ready.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L6kpvkMVWeTkuLP_M2zafhPIUY7LQxs6hoCslkEZTDW7n0vm8fw9vLjdnO6-aQAkT8EkC0TchCA4ApO7mxxUcl1kCZ4Y1g7bK45pQvPcPjRc5TwqFoCno2VphyphenhyphenE0qcgeNIG5BcZfNfe1/s1600-h/Day+2+vodapada+1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376213442964542338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L6kpvkMVWeTkuLP_M2zafhPIUY7LQxs6hoCslkEZTDW7n0vm8fw9vLjdnO6-aQAkT8EkC0TchCA4ApO7mxxUcl1kCZ4Y1g7bK45pQvPcPjRc5TwqFoCno2VphyphenhyphenE0qcgeNIG5BcZfNfe1/s400/Day+2+vodapada+1.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Cafe on bridge where we had coffee before finding the waterfall<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HV1UXBmw8vfnk5ZSKt1o3J5Yc0BajsUqr74z1Vx7c_l-T7UYz7drnkRVNwuTf0uG4v7xxr8bRiKpEGuWlzaH6LxX6HizDtGxY65V7sLlWqAvOz0hTWz-EE_VrxJDD6_KgqXWFVQOme4y/s1600-h/Day+2+vodapada+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376213435133682226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HV1UXBmw8vfnk5ZSKt1o3J5Yc0BajsUqr74z1Vx7c_l-T7UYz7drnkRVNwuTf0uG4v7xxr8bRiKpEGuWlzaH6LxX6HizDtGxY65V7sLlWqAvOz0hTWz-EE_VrxJDD6_KgqXWFVQOme4y/s400/Day+2+vodapada+3.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Definately the biggest, pinkest pig I've ever seen - on way to waterfall</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvUxsJnuc2oVHgINgdTQqlypi0kRDEZf3_v5rsS53_xAdE6MmltKDNkSboWvUYk2df9dVv5hN0wWIvRINDJrds3V3S1uuu6ds1-cCOPSRZaZ4GpMOnk8oE5n4qrNrRAYGpbsBMiltVAmV/s1600-h/Day+2+vodapada+7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376213431518665218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvUxsJnuc2oVHgINgdTQqlypi0kRDEZf3_v5rsS53_xAdE6MmltKDNkSboWvUYk2df9dVv5hN0wWIvRINDJrds3V3S1uuu6ds1-cCOPSRZaZ4GpMOnk8oE5n4qrNrRAYGpbsBMiltVAmV/s400/Day+2+vodapada+7.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Finally! The waterfall - It's no Niagra Falls, but it sure was pretty!<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SwijibgWg_pMu8d4OsqjlYJo_TQYSPioYjIeuorUTjeO3w6m2BxEMxBdsGfbOp2oWhfGoDmh1Xl93GZyVBikaB6-c2aEYIgddnrwKuAJXNtIWm8Se1hy3N0p0OUiFHhK7CjnGz5LXDNn/s1600-h/Day+2+vodapada+10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376213422532651602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SwijibgWg_pMu8d4OsqjlYJo_TQYSPioYjIeuorUTjeO3w6m2BxEMxBdsGfbOp2oWhfGoDmh1Xl93GZyVBikaB6-c2aEYIgddnrwKuAJXNtIWm8Se1hy3N0p0OUiFHhK7CjnGz5LXDNn/s400/Day+2+vodapada+10.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Charming restaurant I found in the woods near the waterfall.<br /></em></strong><br /><div><strong>The end<br /></strong>In all – a truly fantastic trip! We got home near midnight and were all exhausted, but we had seen so many things and really had a great time. I could not have asked for a better experience.<br /><br />Thanks for reading…<br /><br />Until next time…<br /><br />Xina </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-80529671984542267952009-08-31T11:55:00.006-04:002009-08-31T14:10:14.873-04:00Srebrenica Memorial week...WOW! It has been a very long time since I have updated the blog. I’m gonna go ahead and make several posts today to catch-up on all of my adventures since the end of June…which was the last time I wrote it appears.<br /><br />Part of the reason that it has taken me so long to write again is b/c the events of the first weeks of July were so intense that I did not know how to even begin talking about them. But now I think I have enough distance to be able to give the abbreviated version and hopefully do it some justice…<br /><br />So…In a previous post I think I may have talked a little about the history and controversy surrounding the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica. In a nutshell, a series of agreements between the UN and the Serbian forces during the Bosnian war had led to a series of “safe areas” for Bosniaks that would be protected from Serb aggressions by UN forces.<br /><br />Now, prior to 1995 a series of ethnic-cleansing atrocities had been committed by both Serb and Bosniak forces in the region surrounding Srebrenica, and there were both Serbian and Bosniak civilian casualties resulting. But, by 1995, Srebrenica had been declared a “safe area” for Bosniaks and Dutch UN soldiers had been charged to protect it. The town’s population swelled to 10 times its pre-war population. In July 1995 the “safe area” Srebrenica was seized by Bosnian-Serb forces. The Dutch UN forces helped maintain calm among the Bosniaks, helped separate the Bosniak men from the women and children and then provided gasoline to transport the women to Bosniak territory. Meanwhile, 8,000 – 10,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed. Those who tried to escape through the woods were hunted for several weeks.<br /><br />Obviously the story has a lot more detail and nuance to it, but in a nutshell, the events in Srebrenica in 1995 has been classified as Genocide by the United Nations and the role of the Dutch forces has also been heavily critiqued.<br /><br />OK…so why am I telling you this?<br /><br />Well, a main focal point of residual war controversy in Serbia revolves around denial of Serbia’s role in these events. Meanwhile, every July 11th at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery – in Eastern Bosnia, right outside Srebrenica – there is a ceremony held in which the dead are commemorated and the remains of those who have been found and identified in the past year are buried.<br /><br />Now, in my work with WiB we hold a commemorative demonstration in memory of Srebrenica’s victims on the 11th of every month. From noon – 1pm on the 11th of each month the WiB stand in silence, wearing black and holding signs the beg attention to Srebrenica’s victims. While there was certainly a time when these demonstrations were controversial and even dangerous (featuring Serbian nationalist thugs in opposition to WiB) at this point there is a police presence each month which protects WiB and while there is the occasional insult hurled at the demonstrators, the events are largely quite safe. <br /><br />Well, as July 11th is the official anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the date garners much international attention. From the beginning of the week international visitors from Italy, Spain, Israel, India, USA, Iran, U.K., and many other places had come to Belgrade to stand in solidarity with WiB for this commemoration. We were also joined by several survivors – women who had lost their sons, brothers, fathers, husbands. Women who before the war were simple village women, home makers, sometimes even illiterate, who were now staunch activists with more strength that I could even imagine!<br /><br />Throughout the week we hosted discussion groups, films, and even a conference on women and peace, and day-by-day our numbers grew. Finally, on July 10th we held the year’s most important WiB demonstration. The afternoon demonstration was pretty much a lot like other months, but with more police presence. But it was the afternoon demonstration that was really something different!<br /><br />Before the demonstration was due to begin at 7pm, the square was already filled with young angry representatives of some of Serbia’s most vicious, violent nationalist organizations. As the time to begin approached and WiB numbers swelled along with counter-demonstrating nationalists a brigade of riot police soon showed-up to stand between the two groups. The WiB stood in silence, each holding a white rose. The nationalists held signs with the face of Ratko Mladic (the Serbian commander who led the siege of Srebrenica), shouting threats of abuse, rape and murder at the WiB as well as chanting such things as “witches, bitches, whores, liars” and “wait till we get you when the police are not around” and other such things.<br /><br />As I stood there my knees were shaking. There was so much hate in their faces and they stared right into our eyes. I wanted to shout back, but meeting their threats with dignified silence and solidarity was actually a much stronger message. I was afraid, terrified at first. But the thought that these women, the WiB, had been standing up for the victims for over 15 years, even when there was no police to protect them, even when they were beaten by nationalist thugs, made me proud of them and gave me strength.<br /><br />At 8pm each woman one-by-one moved forward and placed her rose in a circle to create a beautiful visual display. When we were finished the police surrounded the counter-protestors and led the WiB back to our headquarters. We left in small groups after several hours and the police continued to sit outside the offices.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiExELo92F_mw4Ii0e3ZocLgGu_xv9VGEdE70EkZ5KrtvZLQse-Mx81-gB-DjO3K-IViTXrV1dNXmxbss7NvIsaHuC8bT2KE2LD16cBKF1Yufkq2L4fPaMZlEaWf5F0aCfdcWMHO41Eys/s1600-h/B7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376160951544713058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiExELo92F_mw4Ii0e3ZocLgGu_xv9VGEdE70EkZ5KrtvZLQse-Mx81-gB-DjO3K-IViTXrV1dNXmxbss7NvIsaHuC8bT2KE2LD16cBKF1Yufkq2L4fPaMZlEaWf5F0aCfdcWMHO41Eys/s400/B7.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Police keep the line between nationalist counter-protestors and WiB activists</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC20dITCwDBmLmm1eqmdsV67dvoAnGjQWCjB2lHz0TIVjaxkzF-lAULhlHPqYgxELEKzTxIkVAVMnI2fcYhjv-t7dLSY2lbblQ4Eja6BZT0prSB0BGendkjbCIsOw4UfkpcNENYJoWQFui/s1600-h/B5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376160941663580930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC20dITCwDBmLmm1eqmdsV67dvoAnGjQWCjB2lHz0TIVjaxkzF-lAULhlHPqYgxELEKzTxIkVAVMnI2fcYhjv-t7dLSY2lbblQ4Eja6BZT0prSB0BGendkjbCIsOw4UfkpcNENYJoWQFui/s400/B5.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Here you can see some of the counter-protestors - one wearing the flag with the symbol of the famed Serbian nationalist group "Obraz" and others holding posters with images of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic</em></strong> </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376160925510045474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiLAj5Z4FQte0zk3xuQBfToJ5p3qNUDcVmc-YxZGbvLdVNVRVjJQgbjsrZNXkHGSZMjUhgP2eUQMyMNDI58WwAHRUr0ZAgZ3FEa0kfqkrkAJH1dEG8k9Q7Rb-r6cMjck7IJ-lZCsQmUUL/s400/B2.jpg" /><strong><em>Here you can see the WiB line during the demonstration with the sign reading "Do not forget Srebrenica." There were hundreds of us in a semi-circle.</em></strong></p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rjEdC2xim6pdhCGcc6gRUeNOLhmXNLRlJhzw_o6Eic0KXTBEH6ZAxH89TH9FJtedC4SPpe7d9fZXWTrWyAQYTNSfzmcdPja1YWlBC1XJPVPnRVdh1A72haSqQijNrUzZNgh04psNLb5N/s1600-h/B3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376160932471229618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rjEdC2xim6pdhCGcc6gRUeNOLhmXNLRlJhzw_o6Eic0KXTBEH6ZAxH89TH9FJtedC4SPpe7d9fZXWTrWyAQYTNSfzmcdPja1YWlBC1XJPVPnRVdh1A72haSqQijNrUzZNgh04psNLb5N/s400/B3.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Here you can see the circle of roses that were placed at the end of the ceremony.</em></strong></p><p>The next morning, at 6am, we were to gather at a designated spot to meet the chartered bus that was to take us to Bosnia to attend the official Srebrenica commemoration at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery. Although the trip is about 4 hours and the ceremony was not due to start until noon, we were detained at the border and harassed somewhat by Serbian officials. When we finally neared Potocari traffic was backed-up for miles and it was 11:45am. We began to panic, thinking that we would not make it in time. And this is where the story begins to turn…<br /><br />With only 5 minutes until the ceremony and no movement in traffic a police escort approaches our bus. They cleared on-coming traffic, and led our bus strait to the cemetery. As we rushed off the bus the ceremony was already underway. The Bosnian police parted the crowd, over 50,000 people in attendance, and ushered us in to the center of the memorial space. As we unfurled the banners we had brought expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, mothers of the victims pushed through the crowds to join us. Some were crying and thanking us and saying things like “we were so worried you wouldn’t come this year.”<br /><br />That was the moment I realize how much the work of WiB means to the victims’ families. All the hate and anger that was projected toward us the previous day in Belgrade, all the fear I felt standing there in front of the nationalist thugs, all the times in the past months I had wondered whether WiB was still a relevant organization – all of that was pushed aside when I saw that what we did mattered to the people who were most affected by the events.<br /><br />Driving this point home, after about an hour I heard someone calling my name and people began to pull me through the crowd. At first I thought that one of our international visitors needed translation or help. Getting through the crowd was like squeezing through a wall of people. When I got to the other side I was greeted by the American ambassador to Bosnia and a delegation from the US congress. I was so nervous! They wanted to meet me and told me how proud they were that an American was working with WiB and that the work of WiB means so much to the Bosnian people.<br /><br />To describe the ceremony itself – it begins with a very sad song about a mother looking for her children. Then there is a series of speeches from world leaders. Then there is the Muslim call to prayer and the men go to the front. There is a series of prayers, and then the names of those who will be buried that year are announced. This year over 500 victims’ bodies had been identified for burial. The caskets – thin because they are only bones now and green as it is the symbolic color of Islam – are then carried by the surviving men of the victims’ families to their burial sites where the women wait. The families then bury their dead by hand.<br /> </p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia72ejp8gWVnAuUr3fxsalAm9ikfcUK4KsqTWZNHrX5wh-uezdkOuILE-hAm-zI-ZqarDUrJ3YHR67CLC4y1z14YHHw3C-Bmh-b2u54z6yJDQoS2wa75PdB6YAA-FAlUT5wVXyLMfx32Xm/s1600-h/C9w.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376181926386809618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia72ejp8gWVnAuUr3fxsalAm9ikfcUK4KsqTWZNHrX5wh-uezdkOuILE-hAm-zI-ZqarDUrJ3YHR67CLC4y1z14YHHw3C-Bmh-b2u54z6yJDQoS2wa75PdB6YAA-FAlUT5wVXyLMfx32Xm/s400/C9w.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Here you can see the memorial stone near the enterance of Potocari Memorial Cemetery with several wreaths from different groups that had been placed there - the WiB wreath is the one most prominent in this photo.</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEYaaDJZ-xWktl2rePOT5wTG9jwjYTQ14OSarJrdwsdej_VINbeseewQO1_KYq3j6ePnYHHdsHa8BUI7fBmLi1NUhwEhyphenhyphenexW3fbHKFu5XjYbPwUcpgZwiZvElgdINyUQKy6FCLpC1jU9J/s1600-h/C9k.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376181916432254050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEYaaDJZ-xWktl2rePOT5wTG9jwjYTQ14OSarJrdwsdej_VINbeseewQO1_KYq3j6ePnYHHdsHa8BUI7fBmLi1NUhwEhyphenhyphenexW3fbHKFu5XjYbPwUcpgZwiZvElgdINyUQKy6FCLpC1jU9J/s400/C9k.jpg" /></a><strong><em>A rose placed at one of the graves of a victim buried in a previous year.</em></strong> </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIhhLZx-J_a88zCgq0bx7NYaMjC5VOl3_NKf1rwlsFjFsBl6gfFTsxBfB281Z2g4ZvMT9RxKfabQkwQfLtYv1OGh-fGTZfThgHrsXZEXRl71ayEGw1PZRSv-4hTxt7vaFu3E4SLBV0uby/s1600-h/C9j.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376181911620552690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIhhLZx-J_a88zCgq0bx7NYaMjC5VOl3_NKf1rwlsFjFsBl6gfFTsxBfB281Z2g4ZvMT9RxKfabQkwQfLtYv1OGh-fGTZfThgHrsXZEXRl71ayEGw1PZRSv-4hTxt7vaFu3E4SLBV0uby/s400/C9j.jpg" /></a><strong><em> Here you can see the line of caskets in the background as well as some tombstones. The piles of dirt are places where a casket will be buried that day.</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4BHLB7L_gbLThlNa4YWSPICwl7xywoExWURABllVzct8kqxr_9RyHpBGyIHyzRzAx2LMNguIEazIkobe6f30zYWECeOK_SCqrMQ7JwqQ7CWaT5rW8-mMsaE195QsArgMpnBxhN3K1Au6/s1600-h/C9f.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376178095970779186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4BHLB7L_gbLThlNa4YWSPICwl7xywoExWURABllVzct8kqxr_9RyHpBGyIHyzRzAx2LMNguIEazIkobe6f30zYWECeOK_SCqrMQ7JwqQ7CWaT5rW8-mMsaE195QsArgMpnBxhN3K1Au6/s400/C9f.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Men carrying the casket of a victim - likely their relative.</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67F1JrJrOjCywSpX7jmsUsz1s-RjogBLhKXTGv2iVS_ODy6xtnkOZV_HJd5AQMdGOdHUoXxYr8piSJbjy3eajzMRcK-6DvOllLeAnaeVVLAxKZ0x_SqGYyvHzOXY-IOK1pGAh2E1EHYqt/s1600-h/C9a.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376178085752386610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67F1JrJrOjCywSpX7jmsUsz1s-RjogBLhKXTGv2iVS_ODy6xtnkOZV_HJd5AQMdGOdHUoXxYr8piSJbjy3eajzMRcK-6DvOllLeAnaeVVLAxKZ0x_SqGYyvHzOXY-IOK1pGAh2E1EHYqt/s400/C9a.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Another image of the caskets being carried.</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggzn_Y_J5sF_ifvj4-ps9_ws1mCxiju2tUf0tueF-xE3SWlX2E3hqKu9eE3ee5gW8HTK8PRQcTvAsaykW28kWUKbAWeZp3YIDL1dCrOD-8UYB3YzwPvPbGNz9qy_ejsmWu0lGW3EYR8Gz/s1600-h/C4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376178078193430850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggzn_Y_J5sF_ifvj4-ps9_ws1mCxiju2tUf0tueF-xE3SWlX2E3hqKu9eE3ee5gW8HTK8PRQcTvAsaykW28kWUKbAWeZp3YIDL1dCrOD-8UYB3YzwPvPbGNz9qy_ejsmWu0lGW3EYR8Gz/s400/C4.jpg" /></a><strong><em> In this image you can see the crowd. The circle of women in gold dresses sang during the ceremony.</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOECzXjbvii9oGfnmn4OyMzOXaV9_rCj2sYlOAFYH9f-kHPNdP0IL1La_-Xg_4tEOJ4IfSdx9YlqCt7d5gjqmizekZjQMvL_hDsrCsHMjRCpc3vims-VBJWOJHq9tK1f3DURCAdNY6Kz_R/s1600-h/C3a.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 399px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376178075487355634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOECzXjbvii9oGfnmn4OyMzOXaV9_rCj2sYlOAFYH9f-kHPNdP0IL1La_-Xg_4tEOJ4IfSdx9YlqCt7d5gjqmizekZjQMvL_hDsrCsHMjRCpc3vims-VBJWOJHq9tK1f3DURCAdNY6Kz_R/s400/C3a.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Here you see several women walking among the open graves where bodies will be buried that day.<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOJEd0Uudq0q_wdjdHru4YM728tguAyxjGxMX833EMr2eCuEofrJZgrlMqNdsw-CuIjvjPktSYowc1iqmBdTCIXmr2V4HrqG6uENAXt2ZH9YUepKWYVazjb4YfATdLdS7cpSGSPTSHIcF/s1600-h/C1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376178071486183202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOJEd0Uudq0q_wdjdHru4YM728tguAyxjGxMX833EMr2eCuEofrJZgrlMqNdsw-CuIjvjPktSYowc1iqmBdTCIXmr2V4HrqG6uENAXt2ZH9YUepKWYVazjb4YfATdLdS7cpSGSPTSHIcF/s400/C1.jpg" /></a><strong><em>Here you can see a small part of one of the WiB banners reading "we will not forget" in the background and the memorial stone reading "Srebrenica July 1995" in the foreground.<br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIp3HAORmfrPc8XGOd6JCmhHAwYCgkg_7snl_jP0J-hOEmewTRFeJ6ah9cyD1Df65oR7s3fY94i0VIrONDr357iEI5fk5HpMHnBaeGFYb7yjmCPnzdgGovNk8i5nU6ixsu-umKkGFoxAz/s1600-h/C9p.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376160959536634290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIp3HAORmfrPc8XGOd6JCmhHAwYCgkg_7snl_jP0J-hOEmewTRFeJ6ah9cyD1Df65oR7s3fY94i0VIrONDr357iEI5fk5HpMHnBaeGFYb7yjmCPnzdgGovNk8i5nU6ixsu-umKkGFoxAz/s400/C9p.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>Another image of the stone.</em></strong></div><strong><em></em></strong></div><div> </div><div><div>In all, it was an amazing day. A day that was humbling and sad and beautiful all at once. A day that made me realize truly why I am here, and made me charged to stay work hard to bring justice to these people.<br /><br />In closing, I am sure that the things I have said here do not even begin to explain what I saw…what I felt…what the events were like. This is why I have not written in so long. I have not known how to talk about these events, but did not feel I could talk about anything else until I did. Again I am sure I have not done them justice, but I had to start somewhere.<br /><br />As always…thanks for reading…<br /><br /> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-29715925680362776832009-06-30T11:14:00.001-04:002009-06-30T11:14:47.674-04:00A fun week in Belgrade...Week of fun in Belgrade…<br /><br />So in my last post I elaborated on the fantastic fun I had at the WiB octogenarian birthday party. Well, it turned out to be quite a fun week all around!<br /><br />So Thursday I went for a “last supper” with my friends “E” & “M” who, with their three boys, are about to return to the US after a year in Belgrade. They were my first friends here in Belgrade, and I tried to eat with them about once a week. They have been great friends to me while I have been here and I will miss them. I never would’ve made it through the winter without them! They helped me find my apartment, helped to locate my office, have been fantastic company, and always had a bottle of American whiskey waiting for me! It will not be the same without them! <br /><br />Thursday night my roomie returned refreshed from her trip to Prague. We stayed up late catching up and I am so glad she is back! <br /><br />Friday morning I had to make my journey to the “Ministry for Strangers” to renew my residency visa. As I have mentioned previously, going to take care of business at this place is always an adventure and takes many attempts to complete any task…regardless of how prepared one might be! So as this was my third trip for this task, I had hoped it would be successful. Well, after a small moment of panic when I was notified that under the new rules I had to provide proof of health insurance (as if I or anyone would be here in an effort to defraud the Serbian health system) I called the embassy to get my proof. Whereupon the representative told me I did not have insurance…which I do have! So after some discussion and wrangling they agreed to write me a letter, which was good – but I would have to return again to the ministry…which was frustrating.<br /><br />Well, I decided to alleviate my frustration with some good ole American retail therapy. I had heard there was a mega-store not too far from where I live so I hopped a taxi to “Tempo”…and oh what a gloriously western place this is!!! Costco meets Wal-Mart! A warehouse sized shop that I thought was non-existent in these parts! <br /><br />Need a pillow? They’ve got it! Need a slutty swimsuit? They’ve got it! Need a crate of apples? They’ve got it! Need a lawnmower? They’ve got it! Need a sleeve of plastic cups? They’ve got it! Need a stapler? They’ve got it! Need frozen pizza? They’ve got it! Need a 5 liter bottle of vodka? They’ve got it!<br /><br />I called my roomie to see if we needed anything…but we really did not need much, so I spent my budget on supplies and decorations for the party we had planned for Saturday – a party we decided to throw for no real reason other than we like parties and had not been invited to many that did not include a majority of senior citizens.<br /><br />Feeling electrified by my consumerist binge at Tempo, I returned to the Ministry for Strangers, got my visa, and went home to put away my new purchases and decorate the place for the next night’s party.<br /><br />As I was rearranging furniture and making the place look festive, a friend from WiB who lives in the neighborhood (“Jo”) stopped by. Given that the previous night, in the course of our last supper, E & M had given me all of their left over liquor, I had a bottle of gin, a bottle of American whiskey, a bottle of irish whiskey, a bottle of rum, a bottle of absinthe, 2 bottles of wine, a bottle of pear rakia (Viljmovka), a bottle of blackberry rakia, and some beer. So Jo and I decided we should test out some of these supplies to ensure they were up to the standards of tomorrow’s party. I am happy to report that everything passed the test!<br /><br />Saturday during the day was dedicated to work I had to do, and then party prep. I spent about 2 hours beforehand getting the food ready, and the place looked good. We were fully stocked with food and drink, music and décor. We had expected about 20 guests from the RSVPs that we got. Our first guests to arrive were friends of my roomie. 3 Americans and one Serbian guy (who was the husband of one of the American girls). They brought a bottle of vodka and a shaker and proceeded to make a delicious version of the cosmo that we dubbed “Belgrade Cosmos.” Then came our Swedish friend “K,” followed by two more Serbian girl-friends of ours. We were having a laugh, drinking and dancing when another guest phoned and asked if he could bring a few friends…SURE, we said!<br /><br />Within an hour we had another 15 or so guests, all Serbian folks, most of whom we had not known previously, but all of whom were super cool. The dancing, eating and drinking went on until about 4am. It was a good party! And while not all of the originally invited guests came, we had a good turn-out and a lot of fun! Sadly, as the party heated up, the camera died, so most of the best moments were not documented…but no matter! <br /><br />Sunday was dedicated to cleaning and eating.<br /><br />Monday it was back to work. There was a woman visiting who is a Srebrenica survivor and a very active leader in the victims’ rights group Mothers of Srebrenica. She was amazing. I had time to talk with her and was captivated by her. Prior to the war she was an illiterate home-maker from a small village. Now, after the war, she has found a strength and a voice that is remarkable. She acts in no way like a “victim,” instead being an outspoken and assertive advocate for reparation and recognition for Bosnian war victims. Her stories were incredible.<br /><br />In the evening I went out for a final drink with E & M before their departure to the US.<br /><br />Today I went to get my hair cut. I am not sure if I mentioned this, but I have the very best hairdresser in the world here! His name is Dragan. He is like the Serbian celebrity hairdresser and I was lucky enough to get an appointment with him a few years back. He gave me the best haircut of my life back then, and I have been trying to replicate it in the US ever since…with no luck! Back in May, when A was in town, we went and had our hair done by him again…and he again gave me the best haircut ever! And fantastic color! LOVE IT! It is such a nice cut that people stop me several times a week to comment on it! So today I went to have my color and cut touched up so it looks good for my trip back to the US. Sadly, after the beautiful blow-out he gave me afterward, I was caught in a rainstorm on the way home and now it is flat, but the color and cut are still hot! Seriously, he is amazing! <br /><br />In all, a great week in Belgrade! Now there are two more weeks before I leave for the US for a month. Pretty much every one of the next days will be filled with work, but all will be super interesting. I hope to have a lot to report soon.Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-16814884431940347742009-06-25T07:42:00.001-04:002009-06-25T07:44:03.789-04:00A kick-ass octogenarian b-day bash...Serbo-style!<strong>Last Night I Went to a Surprisingly Kick-Ass Party…</strong><br /><br />So yesterday I had a list of things to get done and was feeling a bit blue in the aftermath of the congenial and mutual but none-the-less difficult break-up of my three year romantic relationship with “P.” But it had been a week, and watching silly rom-coms with a bowl of popcorn was no longer acceptable in light of the fact that there are still many things to be done before I leave for my holiday to the US in a few weeks. <br /><br />So, in light of all of this, I first gave the apartment a massive amount of cleaning attention in anticipation of the return of my roommate from Prague on Thursday. Then I got down to the business of returning a few important and dangling correspondence issues. I then spent some time making my hair and make-up look lovely. In the afternoon I was off to my faculty to retrieve a stack of books that I wanted to have here at my apartment now that the semester is over, and to obtain the letter I need to finish the business of renewing my residency visa (which I’m sure will be another adventure to report!). <br /><br />The tram ride from my apartment to the faculty is about 45minutes. I may have mentioned before that my faculty is the furthest from the center of any of the University of Belgrade faculties. I have been told that this is because, during the Tito days, the Political Science Faculty was considered subversive and so it was placed a good distance from the actual center of political action. At any rate, I got to the faculty, got my letter, and loaded my bag with books. Now my bag was ridiculously heavy, and I had a decision to make.<br /><br /> I was due at the WiB offices to help prepare for a party that evening that was being held in honor of the 80th birthdays of two of the activists. So, given that the tram does not really go near the WiB offices, I could either take the tram all the way back to my house, drop off the books and then head to WiB, or I could get off the tram about ½ way and walk about 40 minutes to WiB. Given that I was asked to pick up beer and wine for the party and had a couple of stops to make, I did not want to be late and so decided to get off the tram and make the trek. <br /><br />Oh how heavy those books became!!! Oh how long that walk seemed! But it was too late to change my mind and so I trekked on. About 10 minutes from the WiB offices, I stopped at the liquor store and bought two bottles of wine, and the equivalent to a case of beer. As I was about to leave the liquor store I decided that I might want a glass of whiskey at some point in the evening, and so I bought a fifth of Four Roses Bourbon, with the idea that I would offer it to the people at the party, but assuming that really no one would be interested…another miscalculation!<br /><br />As I left the liquor store, now loaded down like a pack-horse, it began to pour rain. The hair I’d wasted 45 minutes on was now ruined, and my clothes were soaked (which for Serbian people…wet hair + wet clothes = instant pneumonia – regardless of the warm weather!). I was a little disappointed, but was so happy to get to WiB and set down my bags that it took a minute to realize that I now looked like I’d been pushed into a pool! I felt doubly ashamed of my appearance as others began to arrive in pretty party clothes, but at least I was there and ready to help prepare for the party, right?<br /><br />Anyhow, for the few hours before the party, myself, the group leader and the two American girls who are interning with us for the summer decorated for the party. At about the time we were to begin, I announced that I had brought beer, wine and whiskey…and there was a sudden and palatable delight from several people there! <br /><br />As people arrived, I greeted them, and offered them drinks, and to my surprise, the whiskey was a hot commodity…so much so that within an hour of the party’s beginning, the entire bottle had been demolished! At an 80 year old’s birthday party!! With a total of about 35 people in attendance! Even with no ice on hand! You’d have thought there must’ve been a hole in the bottle! I was thrilled that so many people were happy to share the whiskey, and had I known it would be such a hit I’d have bought a better whiskey! (and would’ve brought whiskey to these ladies much sooner!)<br /><br />There was a great mix of interesting people, mostly activists from the organization. There was an amazing spread of food – including a special treat of guacamole prepared by one of the American girls. There were fantastic cakes, happy birthday was sung in Serbian and in English, and many great photos were taken. In all, to my surprise, it was a really kick-ass party! In fact, the two octogenarian birthday girls and many other people over 60 years old far outlasted me. When I finally departed around 11pm on a Wednesday – tired and a little drunk -, they were still going strong!<br /><br />It’s funny because I was not sure what they would think about the whiskey, but it seemed to be a welcome treat, much to my surprise and delight. So much so that when I left, one of the women said to me “Next time you should bring two bottles of whiskey!” Hilarious!! <br /><br />Oh, and one of my favorite parts of the evening…one of the women sat next to me while we were eating. She asked me how old I thought she was, to which I responded “57.” <br /><br />“No” she said “I’m 72!”<br /><br />“You’re kidding!” I said<br /><br />“No!” she said “And do you know how I keep so young?”<br /><br />“How? Please tell me!”<br /><br />“I drink beer everyday! It gives you a little belly and radiant skin!” she exclaimed. I then got up and got her another beer…and poured one for myself – I can use all the help I can get!<br /><br />On the way home I had to carry all of those books again, and when I woke up this morning, I had bruises on my collarbone and lower back. Still, it was a great night, one that I will certainly remember and one that I think I will be remembered for as well :-). There are some really wonderful photos from the evening, taken by awesome “B”, and I will update this post with a few when I get them. <br /><br />In all, I can say that tonight proved to me again that Serbs know how to have a good time! Just as much as I was impressed by the dancing that went on at the Leskovac party, I was impressed by how much fun everyone had celebrating the birthdays of these two amazing women. And many of the other guests would have counted individually as the most interesting person many people could ever meet, so it was really a kind of honor to have them all in the same room and to have a chance to spend time with them. I feel really lucky to be a part of this group! <br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br /><br />XinaXinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-51033715365172798682009-06-21T01:13:00.002-04:002009-06-21T07:21:27.442-04:00Working with WiB<strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Women’s Network Anti-Militarism Seminar in Leskovac/Kukovica</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><br /></strong></span>My time with Women in Black (WiB) here has become much more active. I have been able to participate in several of their activist street actions. I have been a part of several of their monthly vigils for the recognition of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. I have also taken part in their anti-fascism demonstration as well as several of their anti-militarism demonstrations. These have been great experiences for me, and also very good for my research!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><em>Images from WiB Srebrenica vigil on May 11th<br /></em></strong></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t6kMfTxxFW02KHYsl8IEAZtgp1repmQCrQHOm9ZIcmQHnPu34Aq0lldsbuW_ptLemGoupmm21JQR206NAdGovXsEjV9gCh-rKfXNN3ov5C7HPQfOMzZDdg09hdPFK99wUliHhDBJzP9f/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+043.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349715288851926674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t6kMfTxxFW02KHYsl8IEAZtgp1repmQCrQHOm9ZIcmQHnPu34Aq0lldsbuW_ptLemGoupmm21JQR206NAdGovXsEjV9gCh-rKfXNN3ov5C7HPQfOMzZDdg09hdPFK99wUliHhDBJzP9f/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+043.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349715286192950866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsGOzJRQvd95TnXRUIndt7lDX9-GLQeVMY8vDUQLtwJPdwQHOdLjoY3V27ofYIp00krUiLjMDK_3E6AOWdOjhKOlw3emz7yCa6i0hXM8LvUhwiJY5HZkSi6aYbPbAq7S62iMiwphJ5BqZ/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+028.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><div>Further, right before the public film screening at the CZKD that I mentioned in the previous post, I organized an evening for a group of visiting American students to come to the WiB offices, learn a bit about the organization and their role as peace activists during the war and today, and an opportunity for them to see the above mentioned film and Q&A with the film maker. It went pretty well!<br /><br />Also in May, I gave a lecture on the Militarization of Media for WiB here in Belgrade. I was so nervous because I really wanted to impress the leader, (who can be very hard to please for various reasons I can go into another time), but everything went really well. She was pleased with my talk. And so, after seeing me speak, and after all the work I put into the film night, she has started to respect and trust me a lot more, and has organized for me to give talks to other groups in the network from throughout the region!<br /><br />So, in line this, a couple of weeks ago I went with WiB for a weekend seminar in the south of Serbia. It was a seminar for women in the network from throughout the region. After a 4 hour mini-bus ride - which included a stop at a rest-area with a tiny little restaurant called “Tito” – complete with a mini-museum of Tito artifacts collected by the owners - we kicked off the weekend with a pretty elaborate anti-militarism demonstration in the city of Leskovac. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><strong><em></em></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouySnIJgyf1Q5m44xqCfV6_i8cEXSB0A1G4R_tCJaJbKMsDKdcfDX_h54LiFg_yfJ4SsXOA32-531ZispVeiIjkaSY4vdR-7pB_W7eobguc4VY4LiltZGzs8pF9fr5WH7nPXkEs3HDgzI/s1600-h/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349715310329225730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouySnIJgyf1Q5m44xqCfV6_i8cEXSB0A1G4R_tCJaJbKMsDKdcfDX_h54LiFg_yfJ4SsXOA32-531ZispVeiIjkaSY4vdR-7pB_W7eobguc4VY4LiltZGzs8pF9fr5WH7nPXkEs3HDgzI/s400/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+7.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Rest-stop on the way to Leskovac with Tito tribute museum</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRwSKMNUfgPZrHhYERxJ0bqYHrT_ouD1Ho4Qg467OSlhjNrA5s5qKXDsT4KMBRF8b41z2N0S3S6JMtJR2QCSzFCaZP4dmz3RMvKEW5IboUxOGD32onlMFBEWvb7ZqUEsIvq483ha6-nf-/s1600-h/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349715305258077442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRwSKMNUfgPZrHhYERxJ0bqYHrT_ouD1Ho4Qg467OSlhjNrA5s5qKXDsT4KMBRF8b41z2N0S3S6JMtJR2QCSzFCaZP4dmz3RMvKEW5IboUxOGD32onlMFBEWvb7ZqUEsIvq483ha6-nf-/s400/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+5.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">The atifacts inside are from the owners private memorabilia</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-p1EuHKAsKLWNdedmD0zBas6u4DYXPUF_9j_nWU99cEsjnR7fTMFsiBGLeqMfY2-ZicyR_EWLmDWjmxmjWNdxmdGR6qvhvuGvGWgTnBwUjnaNyu-h5NaqrSAnfXa8aKaY5QHp5di5yFT/s1600-h/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349715297377976162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-p1EuHKAsKLWNdedmD0zBas6u4DYXPUF_9j_nWU99cEsjnR7fTMFsiBGLeqMfY2-ZicyR_EWLmDWjmxmjWNdxmdGR6qvhvuGvGWgTnBwUjnaNyu-h5NaqrSAnfXa8aKaY5QHp5di5yFT/s400/leskovac+day+1+-+a+rest+stop+on+the+way+called+Tito+-+4.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Another view of the museum atifacts</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />We began the demonstration in Leskovac by gathering in the center. After about ½ hour, when all the participants arrived, a pyramid made of shoeboxes, each with the name of a current global conflict written on it, was stacked in the middle of us. First we chanted some anti-militarist slogans and then as the leader called out the name of each conflict, and activist would take that box away and smash it until eventually the pyramid crumbled. This was meant to symbolize the ways in which the global culture of militarism is interdependent, but that each of us working in small ways against this can help dismantle militarism.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrejPYmQCIlN4dzoG4Ma0-0-z6Iwk4kgKpqc57MGUd_5-mNxaxxe_M4wRahNVgFheoVXeU5CqLPYLKcTLtsavPYbdn38Js-dljiwiU7rHux0AnhasFTaARXzJQSqn01BrM8pTSgNmpEaj/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+12.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349726732705367122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrejPYmQCIlN4dzoG4Ma0-0-z6Iwk4kgKpqc57MGUd_5-mNxaxxe_M4wRahNVgFheoVXeU5CqLPYLKcTLtsavPYbdn38Js-dljiwiU7rHux0AnhasFTaARXzJQSqn01BrM8pTSgNmpEaj/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+12.JPG" /></a><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Images of some of the signs from the first performance</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemDLIU6sFQFsqkvVOsCbh49qC8pZtWuESwsiuwPXl2bmD5uGAtYZt1q7xqJXpd_5ZzU8_3sH5MvQag7_Hw_JCMmzu3c3Ki-L5y642uFAjYQFiZTHJkpgUNDdXJYK2c5O6zK8SRuX68T-C/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+16.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349726723862701394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemDLIU6sFQFsqkvVOsCbh49qC8pZtWuESwsiuwPXl2bmD5uGAtYZt1q7xqJXpd_5ZzU8_3sH5MvQag7_Hw_JCMmzu3c3Ki-L5y642uFAjYQFiZTHJkpgUNDdXJYK2c5O6zK8SRuX68T-C/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+16.JPG" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Image of some the the activists and the box pyramid during the first performance</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U8RICrRetzvAcl9dsPiHdkRqLJqkLkSULDpt-HPOaZCJjmf18El9P-SRbOp3csqg2yhPy3uGz4Eedt5za6wRKgxN5M7PhILIuOiYcilSRSDkLkssS2gwaJo4C_AwyQp6YW2af1vX-CE1/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+13.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349726713828171586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U8RICrRetzvAcl9dsPiHdkRqLJqkLkSULDpt-HPOaZCJjmf18El9P-SRbOp3csqg2yhPy3uGz4Eedt5za6wRKgxN5M7PhILIuOiYcilSRSDkLkssS2gwaJo4C_AwyQp6YW2af1vX-CE1/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+13.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><em>Another image of activists and the pyramid during 1st performance</em></strong><br /></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-f2_Zg8KeM2WtWSJ1oCln1XABNWYaTSlV_UEX4t0Mi75G8h0ttyxLNBdS509AjeJnw4Os0BEYLtKlT7vDCHL2m6D2gzAHZXWNnAMgkYOQuo6YK91eLYyDXVd0sLT9LSDoeLWyV4wKYC5/s1600-h/leskovac+-+day+1+-+protest+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349726712118573442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-f2_Zg8KeM2WtWSJ1oCln1XABNWYaTSlV_UEX4t0Mi75G8h0ttyxLNBdS509AjeJnw4Os0BEYLtKlT7vDCHL2m6D2gzAHZXWNnAMgkYOQuo6YK91eLYyDXVd0sLT9LSDoeLWyV4wKYC5/s400/leskovac+-+day+1+-+protest+2.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"> Some activists during 1st performance<br /></span></em></strong><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><br />After that, we paraded through the city for about 90 minutes with signs, chanting slogans, etc. Reactions to this were mixed from curiosity, to support, to anger and spite. But for me the best moment came when, at one point, we were spontaneously joined by a group of Roma (Gypsy) children. In accordance with another initiative that WiB is participating in at the moment for greater Roma rights and Roma inclusion (Roma are essentially invisible beings with no rights, no citizenship, etc.) the group started chanting “Roma are Serbian” and “Better education for Roma Children” and stuff like that. The Roma kids loved it! They were dancing along side of us and cheering. It was really amazing.<br /><br />You see…before I lived here, my experiences with Roma were limited to begging in the streets of Greece, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, etc. I knew that they had few rights and bad living conditions, but I was not really aware of what all that meant. Since I have been here I have learned a lot more about the issues and I see it as a multi-level problem that needs solutions on the legal and social level in Serbian society as well as a concentrated outreach and education initiative in the Roma community. Anyhow, there is much more to say on this topic, and maybe I will write more about it later. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349726740739826210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzpyNufnx1V_QLCsXFOt1HaVzK4NYQvmWQcSTvVnqs0qyv0Yo1shRKDjdZFBLwjdBjGHQxfMKfWd80DnwnnrcPNHqFEZr_3mki0-E3RopP_0LzxsS9Ia09EQEeQNAM4gF8nmltVuPveXq/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+parade+3.JPG" /><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">An image of activists during the parade part of the demonstration</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong><br /><br /><div>After the parade/march came the second street performance. For this one we stood in a semi-circle in front of Leskovac city hall and placed a series of military helmets in front of us. Then several activists filled the helmets with bread, eggs, potatoes, etc. and mounted signs that read “Did you know that for the same cost as one helmet you could buy a kilo of potatoes, a dozen eggs, 2 loaves of bread…” and stuff like that. Then a group of activists wore a caterpillar (reminiscent of a Chinese new year dragon) with various anti-militarism symbols on it and marched around while others filled the helmets with flowers.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74svtUWQ0CCAjcqCfZOi7fBokhskoi-hUwz5LYmokPODjE8VpQjernNDOV-XItk3COkic5NDFF3l_Zo-rvH5uHhISxajf3F4mCj_OiiVVIELbuk5Ymzf_pKviMy5bwQ6vr6QH5zX3PicX/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%232+-+12.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349733876577986114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74svtUWQ0CCAjcqCfZOi7fBokhskoi-hUwz5LYmokPODjE8VpQjernNDOV-XItk3COkic5NDFF3l_Zo-rvH5uHhISxajf3F4mCj_OiiVVIELbuk5Ymzf_pKviMy5bwQ6vr6QH5zX3PicX/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%232+-+12.JPG" /></a><em><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Flowers in helmets during 2nd performance</strong><br /></span></em></div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgeuG5wDl7uuUdns5H0L6Yf1OtBBgJb1TzYYYPJ3w_N_nMDhngAiIkqw8vb7_iQDYsyeB86xh1SqI3D8-csksioql2Ipz0TYPU2Y7OOrCWIK2b1W2uP4onOUem25qBOZO4R4HSyLGDSfL/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%232+-+8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349733870514297106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgeuG5wDl7uuUdns5H0L6Yf1OtBBgJb1TzYYYPJ3w_N_nMDhngAiIkqw8vb7_iQDYsyeB86xh1SqI3D8-csksioql2Ipz0TYPU2Y7OOrCWIK2b1W2uP4onOUem25qBOZO4R4HSyLGDSfL/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%232+-+8.JPG" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">A part of the catterpillar behind one of the flower helmets</span></em></strong> </div><div> </div><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>There was then a third brief performance at another location nearby with a parachute which was decorated with anti-militarism symbols and symbols from the various groups in the network. People from the different groups each took hold of parts of the parachute, waving it around and eventually we all got under it and let it fall around us. This was meant to symbolize the fact that all of us who are committed to an anti-militaristic society are connected, and together we can enact change.<br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJYNBpj8CKODewb4AZKFR7-GIPYh2Kv5dUrkKE2GzV4ID22CpviLnwMNSYDt9WW4nuAxWQO_ilUYa0192h2fNJN4WfLB0WLkeYW9YmKf4bvv2duccSDN6PqSsPCgdZMT0t-0ciMobs7Tq/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%233+-+1.JPG"></div></div></div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349733885659881778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJYNBpj8CKODewb4AZKFR7-GIPYh2Kv5dUrkKE2GzV4ID22CpviLnwMNSYDt9WW4nuAxWQO_ilUYa0192h2fNJN4WfLB0WLkeYW9YmKf4bvv2duccSDN6PqSsPCgdZMT0t-0ciMobs7Tq/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+action+%233+-+1.JPG" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Some activists with the parachute during 3rd performance</span></em></strong></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>By mid-afternoon we were headed to the small mountain village of Kukavica, about 40 minutes from Leskovac up the mountain. Here we spent the rest of the weekend with all of the network women from throughout the region at a mountain hotel where we had a series of lectures, activities and meetings. In association with this, I gave 3 talks – 2 short and one long lecture.<br /><br />I am happy to report that for the first time, I actually gave a talk entirely in Serbian! Although it was only a small talk and only one of the three, this is a HUGE step for me as, even though I am a confident public speaker, I become the most ridiculously self-conscious freak when I have to speak publically in Serbian. Up to this point, I have lasted less than five minutes before switching to English, so this was a HUGE thing for me!<br /><br />Now I am not saying it was awesome, but I did it!!! My long lecture was in English and for this I gave an expanded version of my earlier talk at Belgrade WiB on media and militarism. It was well received as well. But now my goal is to be able to give my longer talks in Serbian by the fall. I am enrolling in formal classes so I can better learn the Cyrillic alphabet as I have studied this language in Croatia, which uses the Latin alphabet, so even though I have some low-intermediate speaking skills, I am functionally illiterate here in Serbia.<br /><br />The location of the seminar was really beautiful. I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but the former Yugoslavia at large has what I think is the most plentiful, various, and astounding natural beauty in the whole of Europe. I have been throughout Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia, but oddly enough, even though I’ve been here quite a while, I have not seen as much of Serbia. I had been to the North part, called Vojvodina, and it is lovely in an Austro-Hungarian way. But this was my first trip to the south.<br /><br />It is a poor part of the country economically, but the nature is beautiful! Green mountains, clear streams, clean air…all of that. I had been so tired of being in the city where there is constant noise all the time from the 5am garbage man to the jack-hammers of street work to the constant hooting of car and bus horns to the general loudness of busses to the loudness of Serbs themselves (who, quite comfortingly, are somewhat like Americans in their vocal volume) I had been craving quiet. Here it was!<br /><br />Now, most of the weekend was packed with seminar stuff, but on one afternoon we “internationals” (5 Americans, 1 Swede, 1 Brit, and a few Serbs who did not have official business at the meeting at that moment) had some time off. I went for a 3 ½ hour hike with the Serbian woman who is the WiB photographer. It was awesome! We walked up the mountain (not steep), stopped occasionally near the river, and – the BEST part – ate the wild strawberries that grow in the forest!!! So tiny cute and juicy! When I first saw her eating them I said “What are you doing? Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to eat berries you see in the woods? They can be poison!” To which she laughed and said – “C’mon! They are wild strawberries!” And in fact they were…and they were delicious!<br /><br />That same night, after the dinner – around 10pm – there was a party. It was actually such a good time! Many of the women in the network are older (many in their 60s and beyond even), but I am telling you, these women danced their asses off! And all night long! I finally went to bed at 3:30am and there was still perhaps 15 – 20 people still rockin’!<br /><br />Overall, I loved getting away for the weekend. I loved being a part of this seminar. I enjoyed the lectures and activities as well as the social parts. And I came away from it all feeling much more connected to the group and having gotten closer to a really great group of friends.<br /><br />In the coming weeks we have a globalization seminar coming up as well as the big annual trip to Srebrenica for the July 11th Commemoration. I will also be spending more time with some of the other NGOs I am researching for my work here. I am so happy to be here right now! This is exactly what I came here for! I am learning so much and I will have so much to bring back to my students in the US when I return (not to mention a very cool and somewhat substantial contribution in regional post-conflict books that I am going to be donating to our Holocaust Resource Center library for our graduate [and undergrads too] in Genocide Studies at my US university).<br /><br />In all, my time here lately has been so amazing and really productive. I am so excited to be staying until the end of December! I am supposed to go back to the US for a few weeks this summer, and I am looking forward to seeing family and friends, but I have decided to cut the trip home a bit short so I can get back here.<br /><br />OK, well thanks for reading! I will write another update soon…<br /><br />Xina</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-53076046162099935422009-06-21T01:02:00.005-04:002009-06-21T08:11:33.964-04:00Professional developments...<strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Professional Developments</span></strong>
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<br /></span></span>While my day-to-day life has become more fulfilling here and I am having a satisfying social life, my professional life is still what primarily consumes me…here and always everywhere as I have a great passion for my work and being here is really allowing me to pursue some great things and learn so so much! Of course I am foremost here to be a professor and to write. But in line with my research, I also do quite a bit of work with some local groups, in particular Belgrade’s Women in Black (WiB) and since school has been out (mid-June) my work in this capacity has been able to be more dedicated. I have been able to take part in more of their demonstrations and activities (which I will detail more in another post).
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<br />In addition to my work at the university here, and my direct work with WiB, I have been active in other ways relevant to my research and fueling my passions. In fact, being here has really help me actualize the missing link I have felt so long between scholarship and action. In graduate school I had gone through a phase of feeling so "ivory tower" useless. I study all these global conflicts and atrocities, but from afar while I constantly feel like I should be on the ground doing something tangible. My advisors always said that your scholarship can be a form of activism - can work for social change. But that sounded like a somewhat comfortable cop-out to me. Now, being here I am engaged not only in my scholarship and work with WiB, but am actively seeking ways to put into practice the "rhetorically proactive" strategies I have spent so much time thinking about.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieC4pQm0qTHc6aWbnPBL4w1-G-TjyxFQBxr1R-4WWcZdlYpxrNHv3RBV3cP1TCGtYu4FUbMeYHm0ohJ_9LGv0IFkJoEyENiszXIgZ8vHL0aPxoKyb9htwkuyKWbHAJ_0CdZEbDBW07Qre/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+2.JPG">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieC4pQm0qTHc6aWbnPBL4w1-G-TjyxFQBxr1R-4WWcZdlYpxrNHv3RBV3cP1TCGtYu4FUbMeYHm0ohJ_9LGv0IFkJoEyENiszXIgZ8vHL0aPxoKyb9htwkuyKWbHAJ_0CdZEbDBW07Qre/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+2.JPG"><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349746462156957090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieC4pQm0qTHc6aWbnPBL4w1-G-TjyxFQBxr1R-4WWcZdlYpxrNHv3RBV3cP1TCGtYu4FUbMeYHm0ohJ_9LGv0IFkJoEyENiszXIgZ8vHL0aPxoKyb9htwkuyKWbHAJ_0CdZEbDBW07Qre/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+2.JPG" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Some images from a Roma rights demonstration earlier this year</span></em></strong></p><p><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong> </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0SPpvwuYPpb3xtIS7xt3ZekyVQuSO282lp4Cpre-QZIq0OlYUYhwTK38DWUL47NtqXRTkDkCIE6eazcA2e7r8xxlwqmDYZAdcKMKMk060CrjIpqKdYCGnYI9U_gU5sQrTaDYZtcorqG2/s1600-h/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349746455310629218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0SPpvwuYPpb3xtIS7xt3ZekyVQuSO282lp4Cpre-QZIq0OlYUYhwTK38DWUL47NtqXRTkDkCIE6eazcA2e7r8xxlwqmDYZAdcKMKMk060CrjIpqKdYCGnYI9U_gU5sQrTaDYZtcorqG2/s400/Leskovac+day+1+-+anti-militarism+protest+1.JPG" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">This was a demonstration protesting the government's destruction of a Roma refugee settlement</span></em></strong></p><p><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong> </p> In May I organized a film screening for a friend of mine from Bosnia who is a professor and an activist. He lives in Norway, but he runs an organization in Bosnia called The Center for Democracy & Human Rights through which he holds an annual week-long conference/seminar each summer in Konjic, Bosnia.
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<br />Although he is not a professional film-maker, a few years ago he made a film – a sort of documentary – which features the stories of three people who, during the war, committed “heroic acts of good” by helping people from different ethnic groups at great risk to themselves. Though the film is not artistically perfect – a good example of “naïve” art – the message is very moving and important. From the first time I saw the film, a few summers ago while attending the annual seminar, I have been dedicated to helping him gain attention for the film. So, when he told me he would be in Belgrade for a conference in May, I helped to organize (with help from WiB) the film’s Belgrade premier at the Center for Cultural Decontamination (CZKD).
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<br />I was the host of the evening, which consisted of my introduction of the film and the film-maker, then the screening of the film, and finally a panel discussion with the film-maker and several local well-known intellectuals. The evening was fantastic! The event was very well attended, with a truly international audience including several ambassadors (from Norway, Austria and Denmark) as well as attendees from the US, Sweden, and other places. And this was in addition to the many local people who attended. Through this evening I met several people who have since granted me some wonderful professional opportunities!
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<br />For one thing, I was interviewed for television about this event by both Serbian and Bosnian TV stations! The previous week, while participating in an anti-fascism demonstration, I had been interviewed by a local crew making a film about the treatment of minorities here in Serbia! And now in the last week I have been interviewed for two more films – one being filmed by local students who are making a film about the influence of Disney and other children’s programming on children’s gender identity, and one (just yesterday) being filmed by American film students about the ways that roles, opportunities and expectations for women have changed here from the Communist period through this post-war transition period.
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<br />[<em>Interestingly, in this post-war period it seems that gender equality here has regressed seriously! In the Yugo-Tito-Communist period there was more money here, a greater emphasis on education, an unparalleled freedom to travel internationally (thanks to Yugoslavia’s policy of non-alignment during the Cold War), and an acceptance of gender equality that, while perhaps not quite as progressive as somewhere like Sweden, was certainly more egalitarian than in the US at that time. Now, sadly, with no money, HUGE restrictions on travel that make it impossible for Serbs to get visas, and the residual effects of the ethno-national chauvinism of the Milosevic years, things have changed. Young people are increasingly less educated, women get married and have children younger and Feminism as a lived practice is much more a part of the lives of those people over the age of 45 than in is for those under 30</em>.]
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<br />So, even though I am not a TV glam-glam screen personality type, and I hate seeing photos of myself, it has been exciting to be sought out for these things!
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<br />Also through the film screening I met a woman who is one of the Vice-Deans at the university where I teach here. She is a historian and she helps to lead the American Studies program here. She had me as a guest lecturer in her class a few times in May and June, and now, in Fall semester, I am going to be teaching a graduate seminar for the American Studies program here on the American Civil Rights Movement! I am really excited about that! I have also recently given lectures for the Center for Women’s Studies at my university here, and in Fall semester I will be co-teaching a course for them.
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<br />I have also been able to attend some other activities organized by other local activist/NGO groups… There was a fantastic night of short films by students of famous Yugoslav film-maker Zelimir Zelnik at the CZKD. (I really enjoyed this!) There was the performance from local activist theatre group DAH Theatre that for which they performed the testimonies of women from all three sides of the war. (So moving! I really want to be able to bring this performance to my home university in the US!). And last weekend I went to an alternative theatre festival in Pancevo (neighboring town) that was really incredible.
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<br />One of the performances was conducted outdoors in Pancevo's central park. It featured four women and was centered on raising awareness of domestic violence here in Serbia. In essence, the performance specifically highlighted the fact that the average woman who is abused by her relational partner will go back 7 times before leaving for good. It was really well done and intense. It was also perfect for the space and the intended audience they hoped to reach.
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<br />The performance itself is around 30 minutes. For the ½ hour before they begin, as the performers are setting up, they play popular music very loudly on huge speakers, which draws an audience of many people who happen to be in ear-shot. This strategy allows them to gather a much different audience than just those who chose to come to watch this performance. And in this way they are able to share thei message to many different kinds of people, not just typical "theatre goers" but also a broader general audience. People hear the music and see a group of women dancing around and they come over to see what is going on there - out of curiosity. They come for the music, but stay for the performance – which is just the right length not to lose anyone’s interest!
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<br />OK…so the performance itself is incredibly powerful, but what made it even more unintentionally impactful on this occasion was the 5 young boys (between ages 3 yrs. – 7 yrs.) who had gathered in the front during the performance. At first they watched with curiosity. About 10 minutes into the performance, then ran away only to come back holding terrifyingly real looking toy guns! [Made even more scary b/c in the US, toy guns no longer look real, so I was not used to seeing such a thing.]
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<br />The boys then proceeded to stand in a line, shoulder-to-shoulder, about 10 feet from the performing women, and began to “shoot” at them. Holding the guns in an eerily accurate way (specifically the little one with the rifle who had it resting on his shoulder with is head cocked slightly over the butt of the gun as he took aim), the boys continued to “fire” upon the women for the rest of the performance and even as they took their bow at the end. After the applause the boys ran away.
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<br />Now, the performers did not notice the boys during the performance, but everyone in the audience did, and the photographer (who happens to be an friend of mine from WiB) got some excellent photos of this. In the photos, one cannot even tell that the guns are not real! And so, for me, the message about violence against women that is offered by the performance is made that much more poignant by the boys “playing” at committing violence against these women! UGH! Crazy! (See the photos I've added below)
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglktyjmmjMP0ZFxdv3vt4-tf9Fa9ss_wJ9F2q78sfAtDtX7TIPwr4G5zBb0jSs7ZsolIg1LdPCIX6JUljMhjeQtbBP7JOx_XQWP0ANfHZmKsOqxSQGOW6hGLu5pJjl60DdE9q6Nd5IxOVo/s1600-h/IMG_2760.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349746452293746258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglktyjmmjMP0ZFxdv3vt4-tf9Fa9ss_wJ9F2q78sfAtDtX7TIPwr4G5zBb0jSs7ZsolIg1LdPCIX6JUljMhjeQtbBP7JOx_XQWP0ANfHZmKsOqxSQGOW6hGLu5pJjl60DdE9q6Nd5IxOVo/s400/IMG_2760.JPG" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Young boys take aim and "fire" upon a group of women during a street performance to raise awareness about domestic violence</span></em></strong>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6pzdr8lKT3b5sg-l7bKblB_zhFtoOSOnxNXg4tzDo9m_HlHKS9sSqQGfeYmWeJU3J-U3q4ke39oA6N4HPhzCHBe0TGNfPOBarZhBoNEQiw0FpctFw_GY8W2yLQ133SBah4jXCJrXiIGF/s1600-h/IMG_2748.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349746445830058866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6pzdr8lKT3b5sg-l7bKblB_zhFtoOSOnxNXg4tzDo9m_HlHKS9sSqQGfeYmWeJU3J-U3q4ke39oA6N4HPhzCHBe0TGNfPOBarZhBoNEQiw0FpctFw_GY8W2yLQ133SBah4jXCJrXiIGF/s400/IMG_2748.JPG" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Here you can really see the little one with the rifle holding it like a real gun! While the one in the red-shirt seems to be scoping the scene to take aim at his next target.
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDOezixLME6qnoRPCeACqQ2nliStG4wyFrJpyeFmVWreQ0FcPlzIsz2nWqm9GkW_SJxHiphkT02ii3DH4aRs1DdMALcj5FosruOeuXqg4GCNe9gRzpBmi595yNae5p2Bg1kfXd0MR9hWU/s1600-h/IMG_2747.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349746440634419874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDOezixLME6qnoRPCeACqQ2nliStG4wyFrJpyeFmVWreQ0FcPlzIsz2nWqm9GkW_SJxHiphkT02ii3DH4aRs1DdMALcj5FosruOeuXqg4GCNe9gRzpBmi595yNae5p2Bg1kfXd0MR9hWU/s400/IMG_2747.JPG" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Again in this one the rifle-boy is in full action and now red-shirt has found his mark. See how he holds it with two hands like a professional?</span></em></strong>
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<br />One last thing I want to tell you about from my work with WiB is the weekend seminar I went to with them in Southern Serbia. But I will talk about that in another entry.
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<br />OK, well thanks for reading and I will post more about specific WiB seminar experiences in the next post.
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<br />Xina</div></div></div></div>
<br />Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-65491635256164708832009-06-21T00:59:00.004-04:002009-06-21T05:24:40.694-04:00Lovin' Serbo-Summer...<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">My Belgrade Summer…</span></strong>
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<br />Well, I guess it has been a while since I have talked about my life here in Belgrade. I should start by saying that since the weather has been nice (beginning at the end of March and intensifying each week) both the city and the people have become so much nicer! I am certainly much happier here than I was my first few months and much busier as well as I have gotten to know a lot of people – socially and professionally – so that I have had many more professional engagements and invited speeches, etc. than I did in the first months. I am so glad I decided to stay on through the Autumn semester b/c there is so much to do, and I am really enjoying every bit of my work!
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<br />One small down-shot: My fight to remain upright and uninjured in Serbian public space continues to be a negotiation of give and take! While on the tram on the way home from the university a few weeks ago, the tram driver slammed on the breaks and everyone went flying. I got my foot wedged under the metal wall near the door and broke a toe. OOOHHH the pain! I wanted to scream, but I stayed quiet for fear of unwanted attention.
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<br />Ironically, just as I was alighting from the tram at my stop, an insanely intense thunderstorm had begun and as I hobbled home in the driving rain, each raindrop to hit my toe sent waves of pain up my leg. My linen pants were quickly thoroughly soaked and I was freezing. A sense of relief washed over me as I arrived at my apartment building, but was short lived when upon entering I realized that the power was out (and hence so was the elevator) and I had to walk up 7 flights of stairs – wet, freezing and in pain! When I opened the door to my apartment the ceiling had begun leaking like Niagra Falls into my living room. Seriously…the biggest series of bad luck events over a 30 minute time span that I can remember in a long time!
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<br />But other than that…things have largely been great!
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<br />First of all, I have recently taken a roommate! My American friend from WiB, “J.,” has moved in with me and I couldn’t be happier about it! We really like each other, and we get along great. We have a sort of honest and sisterly relationship where we can tell each other if we want to be quiet, or if something is bothering one of us. We share food and expenses fairly. I totally trust her. We work together at WiB, that is how we met, though she is full-time at WiB through a 3 year U.S. fellowship program (and is really the “right hand man” there), while I am only there part-time. We like the same music and movies, we chat and laugh a lot, and – yes I am a dork – I was thrilled to see that she brought with her one of my most cherished card games, Phase 10! (Like a rummy type game from the makers of Uno). Also great is the fact that we have some common friends and some separate friends so we aren’t together every minute. I just can’t say enough about how much her living here has improved my daily quality of life. It is awesome!
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<br />So, with “J.” living here and with the fact that I have now been here about six months, I actually have a group of friends now (mostly from WiB) that I hang out with and talk to almost daily. I get invited to things now, and I have friends I can call if I want to hang out or get a coffee or even just chat. Fortunately this also means that my social interactions with Serbian people are no longer limited to any person who asks and speaks English! I had met one person here who I had hung out with a few times, and it was like spending time with Eyore [from Winnie the Pooh] – just so negative and such a downer! Just about the time I also found out that this [astoundingly highly educated!] person is also rabidly homo-phobic [to the point of thinking it is degenerate and disgusting to associate with gay people] I made another group of friends who are very cool, and much more like me! Hooray for social choices!
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<br />And, as an aside, I am really still shocked when I meet people, here or in any country including the US, who are still rabidly homo-phobic! Especially educated people. I suppose when it comes to things like people who oppose legalizing gay marriage in the USA, while some of those opposed may be mis-informed and/or home-phobic, there is at least room with many who oppose gay marriage to have an ideological debate, and not all opponents are necessarily rabid homo-phobs. But with people who have a dogmatic hatred, there is no debate. [Just to make my position clear, I am in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in US law. People can do what they want in their church – allow it, don’t allow it…whatever, but equality under the law is the only logical position for our country. I am totally against discrimination of any kind – race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. and I have a hard time suffering close-minded people. I usually will try to take and “enlightenment” approach and try to help the person understand how they might think differently about the group they “hate,” but I won’t tolerate hateful language or attitudes in the people around me.]
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<br />OK…so…I love Serbo-summer! People had told me how fantastic spring and summer were here, but it was hard to believe in the dead of winter when everything looks so grey and people rarely smile. But spring and summer here are fantastic! I love it that you hear music all the time on the streets, and that big name concerts come here (AC/DC, Madonna, David Byrne, and others). I love it that the people who seemed so unapproachable and sour in the winter are friendly and smiling now. I love it that the cafes all have installed huge outdoor patios and everyone is outside all the time!
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<br />Even though it was been 80 – 90 Fahrenheit degrees for like 6 weeks now, I still love it. I love having a coffee with someone before or after work. I love going to the zoo and going to the Kallemegdan Park to take walks or even to bring a beer with a friend and sit and chat. I’ve gotten comfortable going to the huge open-air market (which used to intimidate me). I’m even getting more confident with my language skills and am starting formal classes to get better at the Serbian dialect and Cyrillic alphabet. I feel so lucky to be here. I am very happy to be able to stay for those extra months until end of December. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the city, though there is still so much I don’t know!
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<br />So, I am having a great time in Serbia. I am learning like crazy, enjoying myself socially and am generally happy. And now that the semester is finally finished (mid-June) I am more involved with the daily goings-on at the organization I have been working for, WiB. This is where I will stop this entry. In my next entry I will talk a lot more about my work here and all of the exciting professional things that are happening for me here.
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<br />Thanks for reading. And check out some of the Belgrade summer pics below...
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<br />Xina
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2MYvEGxui8rYKKtJdNdC890avXX5QK__M61J2UM0W840X32NUbaGr_ZujbNu8vT90idtjxLVDHeWsS1VTYbeWx667poBGl5578JGOdBGq5dPdFN8UVPIeGiQmw7bntzOl152o1PAqI8l/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+010.jpg">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2MYvEGxui8rYKKtJdNdC890avXX5QK__M61J2UM0W840X32NUbaGr_ZujbNu8vT90idtjxLVDHeWsS1VTYbeWx667poBGl5578JGOdBGq5dPdFN8UVPIeGiQmw7bntzOl152o1PAqI8l/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349705288586917538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2MYvEGxui8rYKKtJdNdC890avXX5QK__M61J2UM0W840X32NUbaGr_ZujbNu8vT90idtjxLVDHeWsS1VTYbeWx667poBGl5578JGOdBGq5dPdFN8UVPIeGiQmw7bntzOl152o1PAqI8l/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+010.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Sunset at Kallemegdan Park</span></em></strong>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7-O0lwg_RyyiBQ78DzR-6uV8Ztb9UtgEmOTQFZogRl04kyyq_ry0d2J44QpdxuAFm3VGyHUyMwvruWN6dOLQvDNQtCf6ESap2wpcazRxYYOainjnxoeJ5GGIAHE8HXrVI4uMreAjF3LT/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+007.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349705283855539490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7-O0lwg_RyyiBQ78DzR-6uV8Ztb9UtgEmOTQFZogRl04kyyq_ry0d2J44QpdxuAFm3VGyHUyMwvruWN6dOLQvDNQtCf6ESap2wpcazRxYYOainjnxoeJ5GGIAHE8HXrVI4uMreAjF3LT/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+007.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Sunset at Kallemegdan Park</span></em></strong>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-wW75fIYC9z_W9mX4Qpgg4cBll_tB5ROm0y7HpTukzuuluMQxDaIUcVOGoxqTkvxspBZXGmAzNglYVlWiVXq_uBzQ_nhemXmCKvKPB7OIVv_2JnvI4ofm-4nHfs7T61WBq7_mH-sYyfE/s1600-h/belgrade+spring+-+bear+and+smokey.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349705279768380914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-wW75fIYC9z_W9mX4Qpgg4cBll_tB5ROm0y7HpTukzuuluMQxDaIUcVOGoxqTkvxspBZXGmAzNglYVlWiVXq_uBzQ_nhemXmCKvKPB7OIVv_2JnvI4ofm-4nHfs7T61WBq7_mH-sYyfE/s400/belgrade+spring+-+bear+and+smokey.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"> At the Belgrade Zoo - feeding the Polar Bear - he's a great catch and I swear that zoo is the best entertainment $3 can buy!</span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong>
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<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyG0XcEBfO-cNDFqBn6dEJydks9rLq2eztfQ-1uymxTA3Cdb75cC2VUd3lzu5icoMbZE4bHpjhxDMVzDG2KZ4njioBJkgP8SVv8Lup8zrbmahFK6PgriGWykJG8cMrQVShWuFDOKFFUeR2/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+zoo+antelope.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349705275322220770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyG0XcEBfO-cNDFqBn6dEJydks9rLq2eztfQ-1uymxTA3Cdb75cC2VUd3lzu5icoMbZE4bHpjhxDMVzDG2KZ4njioBJkgP8SVv8Lup8zrbmahFK6PgriGWykJG8cMrQVShWuFDOKFFUeR2/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+zoo+antelope.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Belgrade Zoo - Antelope (perhaps the only word that rhymes with cantelope!)</span></em></strong>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxklFny1Tnmumi0ujS1xaghe3_F3s8svHSESy3Mq00dm9Ruv_Iyc_17J-HwmYqdV0RntQRiDu_m56m-vf8rGyAhXxWhyphenhyphenpBZPpTOyqN7n_NerA-f4IQ0OJ9jFFtcMyaIWMNhyphenhyphenIfqBScPmai/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+004.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349705270902534034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxklFny1Tnmumi0ujS1xaghe3_F3s8svHSESy3Mq00dm9Ruv_Iyc_17J-HwmYqdV0RntQRiDu_m56m-vf8rGyAhXxWhyphenhyphenpBZPpTOyqN7n_NerA-f4IQ0OJ9jFFtcMyaIWMNhyphenhyphenIfqBScPmai/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+004.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Belgrade Zoo - a huge and somewhat vulgar kangaroo
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<br />Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-2722355037672411652009-06-20T20:00:00.023-04:002009-06-21T04:12:47.691-04:00Viva Italia...my May Holiday in Italy...<span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Italy<br /></strong></span>So it has been a long time since I have written. Mostly because I have been busy actually doing things, and working and I haven’t had the urge to sit and write about it. But in the interest of preserving the memories for myself for later, I wanted to take a bit of time this weekend to catch up on the blog as one forgets the details of things as time goes on, and I want to remember those things that have been important to me while I’ve been here. Sooo…let me start this catch-up with the trip to Italy…<br /><br />As I had mentioned in previous posts, this was “P”’s first trip abroad, so I took charge of the trip planning. Now “P” enjoys seeing cool historical sites, and I made sure to plan for that, but what he is really an expert on is fine food and wine, so being his first time in Italy, and especially being that we are both of Italian heritage and he is such an acute fine food and wine enthusiast, I wanted to be sure that we found some really special restaurants at a variety of price levels in each city. Besides, although I have been to Italy many times, this is my first trip as a professional adult (ie., not a backpacking, penny pinching student/grad student) so I was excited to experience some of the finer things.<br /><br />Still…we are not rich people, so I wanted to be sure we got to try some fine restaurants and tour stuff, but also some highly recommended less expensive stuff. So, to be sure that we had the most from our experience I had done a lot of research beforehand with friends (thanks to everyone who made such awesome suggestions for things to do and places to eat), on the internet and especially with “Slow Food Italy,” and I must say it really paid off! Just about everything we did and everywhere we ate was fantastic! But let me begin at the beginning…<br /><br />So…the day I left Belgrade for Rome I had to leave my apartment at 4:45am. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time and waited in line, as there are no self check-in kiosks at the Belgrade airport. After waiting almost an hour (behind a huge Greek soccer team…very attractive young men I might add), when it was finally my turn it turned-out that the airline had no record of my ticket being purchased…even though I had the receipt in hand! It was a code-share flight, JAT & Alitalia. I was checking in at JAT, but had bought my ticket from Alitalia…which was not open! So I had no way to talk to Alitalia about the issue. In different circumstances I may have waited to talk to someone and caught a later flight, but this was the only one going from Belgrade to Rome that day, and I was worried that “P” would arrive and I would not be there to meet him and he might panic…especially since I had not given him the hotel information! So I had to buy a whole new ticket, a process through which I nearly missed the flight anyhow, and ended up running to the gate as the plane was boarding.<br /><br />But not matter…I was a bit frustrated with the extra cost, but I was not going to let it ruin my vacation, and after the first day, I largely forgot about this minor frustration.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><em>ROME<br /></em></strong></span><br />I arrived in Rome about an hour before “P” and was there to meet him. We took the train into the city center and easily found our way to the hotel. Given that we had planned to see several cities in just 10 days, I booked hotels that were relatively close to the train stations, so while it was really hot outside (easily in the 80s and 90s), and we were both pretty tired (and “P” jetlagged) we got there in no time at all. Now, I had heard that there was a possibility that the neighborhood near the station would be questionable, but it was fine. Not the prettiest, but really close to everything, and located in what appeared to be Rome’s Chinatown. And while our hotel, Hotel Moscatello, was simple, it was quaint, friendly, clean and affordable – really all we required, (and for me, anything nicer than a hostel is livin’ it up at this point!).<br /><br />I convinced “P” that it was important to try to stay awake until that evening, so after a brief rest and shower we headed out to the Ancient Roman Coliseum. I had been here several times before, but this time we decided to take the guided tour, which also included tours of other ancient sights. It was spectacular! Our guide was hilarious, and really knowledgeable. After the Coliseum part of the tour was finished we considered taking the second part the next day, but “P” was going strong so we continued. Again, really fantastic! We learned so much, saw so much, and got some great views and photos.<br /><br />After the tours we walked through the city so I could show him Trivi Fountain, “Mussolini’s wedding cake,” and a few other sites in that area with a goal of having our first night’s dinner at a tapas type mozzarella bar, recommended by “A” & “J,” called Obika Roma. Nice food. Fancy Italians having after work cocktails and appetizers. All around a good first night’s dining after which we wandered the streets stopping occasionally at random bars for drinks and taking photos of Rome by night.<br /><br />Now…our hotel locks its doors at 1am, and if you will be out later than that, you need to pay a key deposit to get a front door key. Well, given that “P” was jet-lagged we did not imagine at noon when we ventured out that we would need that key. However, we found ourselves rushing through the streets of Rome, giggling like idiots, hoping to make it back in time…which we did…by a hair!<br /><br />Here’s a few pics from Rome Day 1…<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZqrsTSQNMmt5eOBE3srS8EmnUYuKIfpVZvj3JWbA6Txy98aSqYPS9G1Gjgwp9TB2X9IK56UXcMnKJ6LEwhgGwXZJTzs0bvhmiwX_8h4flbKRnZb8bSVLuaEOGLvK-cJ0b0Ec7-r8efkv/s1600-h/day+1+-+collesium+10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349566384155849810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZqrsTSQNMmt5eOBE3srS8EmnUYuKIfpVZvj3JWbA6Txy98aSqYPS9G1Gjgwp9TB2X9IK56UXcMnKJ6LEwhgGwXZJTzs0bvhmiwX_8h4flbKRnZb8bSVLuaEOGLvK-cJ0b0Ec7-r8efkv/s400/day+1+-+collesium+10.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><em>Rome - Colesium<br /></em></strong><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH2TPoc83KG2H8AjRRiEhjcpZ35dlZawai0B9QTg1VBtRYRzmcTlGarvb_EqjNQpX9jADjDvSmhuKnaUyKqZhYDu1l_ZUli48JcZDOB1auLgDME5NumUvGCiOYeY9cinbIXRwxxqTfCIF/s1600-h/day+1+-+collesium+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349575608477723666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH2TPoc83KG2H8AjRRiEhjcpZ35dlZawai0B9QTg1VBtRYRzmcTlGarvb_EqjNQpX9jADjDvSmhuKnaUyKqZhYDu1l_ZUli48JcZDOB1auLgDME5NumUvGCiOYeY9cinbIXRwxxqTfCIF/s400/day+1+-+collesium+4.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"> <strong><em>Rome - Ancient Roman Coliseum</em></strong></span><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNrrFB7l0951OouYRtLeGy1TFlTK27xDji9b1wTu3ao-bnVxCjpqYyDBrNppj7N5ID0O6lK0zhlOQZxOgyOMw1wDtNiZBI7t3DQ4kfTVwsaUqbQqQwCFhtW6hrIqCnljS4Nbg_zIlcc22/s1600-h/day+1+%E2%80%93+roman+ruins+F.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349566374897790162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNrrFB7l0951OouYRtLeGy1TFlTK27xDji9b1wTu3ao-bnVxCjpqYyDBrNppj7N5ID0O6lK0zhlOQZxOgyOMw1wDtNiZBI7t3DQ4kfTVwsaUqbQqQwCFhtW6hrIqCnljS4Nbg_zIlcc22/s400/day+1+%E2%80%93+roman+ruins+F.jpg" /></a> <strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Rome - Ancient Roman Ruins</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349566371401619074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r6tYyfeWrSZ3ygwAjDuUezmx6QU_Iwx_KdaeOKsvBGppjhbqiVj06BJzrTPl2b654_COwegcxZsYHxS8x-_Ndryo-r9srAdyx8-zyytR21KI3J7jy5eN5Y5p6ZGcwvuVz0IS5UcDV_Eb/s400/day+1+%E2%80%93+after+dinner+K2.jpg" /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Rome - Colesium by Night</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349569640554192306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcVKrScO2xZMmdH5FUpJbYVnXXtNNt2vbNM-K3cwNE0Scf44MmG-ZZPgcAI-LFwd8z-IRNSUyFlRov_WLbN9QFmfrzW-G7HBzzrqDeHtcPF8Udad0IWaXcIHY8wQeKfRqYeLYJWri22oe/s400/day+1+%E2%80%93rome+9.jpg" /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;">Rome's many histories - Colesium & medival tower in background</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><br /><br />Day two in Rome was reserved for the Vatican. We had made reservations for the Vatican’s special Scavi Tour, which is a small (10 persons max) tour of the underground catacombs of Vatican City. I had not done this tour before and had thought it would be pretty cool, but I could not have expected just how fantastic it would be! (I highly recommend this tour! You have to make reservations at least a month in advance, but it is totally worth it!) We saw a thousand years of historical/archeological stuff and had a great guide who was really super smart and charming! The tour was about 2 ½ hours, after which we stopped by Pope Jon Paul II grave site and then walked around St. Peter’s basilica on the inside – never fails to impress!<br /><br /><br />We then climbed all the way to the top for the best views in Rome. I got a bit dizzy from the super narrow winding stairs as you get into the very tippy-top of the dome, (and there is like 400 stairs, but with hoards of elderly people also climbing it seemed embarrassing to complain about it) but once you get there, it is so worth it! Truly amazing views!! After that we spent about 1 ½ hours in the Vatican shop run by nuns so we could buy rosaries and gifts for our families that had been blessed by the pope.<br /><br />After our Vatican exploration, we wandered around the area a bit, walked through Parco Adriano and saw the Castel St. Angelo and made our way to our chosen dinner spot. When we arrived, we realized it did not start serving for another hour or so, but I am so glad we made the choice to wait! We went to the neighboring square for drinks before dinner, (where our senses were assaulted by embarrassing American tourists who said things like “this is not how we get it at home in America!” And “Can you take this back and put some cheese and tomatoes on it!”).<br /><br />We then returned to our chosen restaurant - <em>Hostaria Costanza</em> - for one of the best meals, best atmosphere and best service I have ever had!! Tucked down an alley, not super easy to find, with many Italians dining there and a few tourists was our little Roman delight. Now, as you may know, the Italian dinner is served in several courses with an appetizer, then a first course [primati]which is pasta, and a second course [secondi] which is the meat and veggies. Unlike at home where you eat a huge plate of pasta alone and call it dinner, you eat three smaller courses. So we decided that in order to taste stuff and not to be stuffed, we would share our meals – family style, as is typical at most southern European restaurants, but not as typical in the US. When we told the waiter we were open to his suggestions and wanted him to recommend what was best, he took care of us like we were in his home! We shared a truffle risotto for appetizer, then he brought us the white-bean soup (best I ever had!). Our pasta dish was traditionally Roman, and then our meat – which was lamb, and which was roasted and spiced just perfectly! He had brought us a perfect bottle of wine for the meal!<br /><br />The best part was that as we sat there, there were two business men (an Italian, Marko, and a Greek, Vasilis) dining beside us. As we were finishing our meal they began to chat with us, and invited us to their table to after-dinner drinks and dessert. We sat chatting and drinking with them until the place closed! It was spectacular!<br /><br />Below is a few pics from Rome day 2…<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWmtN7uZfWJ1w7rgIceJy81jLN7AwJ-Tsw68E1yLk7fdj62AMNusBwRijoVREUgQRkZhoMJ61RQY5xQcq7WxiobHC1Gz3osk95f8bO5D8x8FBinH3ginimdCGs5cMYg1TZXIAOnA_DK5P/s1600-h/day+2+%E2%80%93+Vatican+AK.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349569643873769714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWmtN7uZfWJ1w7rgIceJy81jLN7AwJ-Tsw68E1yLk7fdj62AMNusBwRijoVREUgQRkZhoMJ61RQY5xQcq7WxiobHC1Gz3osk95f8bO5D8x8FBinH3ginimdCGs5cMYg1TZXIAOnA_DK5P/s400/day+2+%E2%80%93+Vatican+AK.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">View into Vatican city gardens from top of St. Peter's Bacsillica</span><br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrTfq2n88N-ywdFmbAeQ4Qm1YPHl5MVGoDxY2HPXY0s-ohFFDgPx_Aj4wIbx-skwgDc3s3kgJgEKtcvr6grp3spAl3IIS3b54agfS3Cm48b1tuF1q9i4zQanDWQglBg4Mm3DQiMjbW2qi/s1600-h/day+2+%E2%80%93+Vatican+A.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349566393446775618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrTfq2n88N-ywdFmbAeQ4Qm1YPHl5MVGoDxY2HPXY0s-ohFFDgPx_Aj4wIbx-skwgDc3s3kgJgEKtcvr6grp3spAl3IIS3b54agfS3Cm48b1tuF1q9i4zQanDWQglBg4Mm3DQiMjbW2qi/s400/day+2+%E2%80%93+Vatican+A.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> <strong><em>View of Rome from top of St. Peter's</em></strong><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIgHqXUqO0QmiIX_hjQbs0uAx5z-CVpZ1q9FK2vi1s6dNh_Khj0D_wTv0YLha0vjWPb2PbUNHKuBqBvUbo9v-yvMeGkPUiDsEnQh_CyjLCs3YEua4on9ehCVjJj48Og0mr1fvziAfCIQL/s1600-h/day+2+-+after+vatican+on+way+to+dinner+C.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349566389305419922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIgHqXUqO0QmiIX_hjQbs0uAx5z-CVpZ1q9FK2vi1s6dNh_Khj0D_wTv0YLha0vjWPb2PbUNHKuBqBvUbo9v-yvMeGkPUiDsEnQh_CyjLCs3YEua4on9ehCVjJj48Og0mr1fvziAfCIQL/s400/day+2+-+after+vatican+on+way+to+dinner+C.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> <strong><em>View of bridge and Castel St. Angelo - Rome</em></strong><br /></span><br /><div><div></div><div>The next day we were to leave for Venice, with a one-day stop in Bologna in search of genuine “spaghetti Bolognese.” In the morning we made time for a few last sights in Rome, including my favorite of Rome’s small oddities, the Capuchin Cemetery. This is a church (interestingly called Immaculate Conception – just like my elementary school) within which there is an elaborate display of ornately arranged bones from the late 1600s-1700s. It takes less than an hour to see it all, even if you really linger over it, but the detailed mosaics and scenes that they have made with these bones really fascinates me and I need to see it every time I am in Rome. “P” also enjoyed it! You are not allowed to take photos, but they have a series of postcards for purchase with all of the scenes from the various rooms on them, so it is really worth it to buy them.<br /><br />So after the Monk’s bones, we picked up our bags at the hotel and headed for the train station. Unfortunately I had misread the tickets and we missed our train. It was momentarily stressful, but we were allowed to catch the next train (for a small fee) and were on our way to Bologna.</div><div></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><em>BOLOGNA</em></strong></span></div><div></div><div><br />Now I had been before to each of the major cities that we had planned to visit on this trip (Rome, Venice & Florence) but had not been to Bologna. Our hotel was amazing! It was very modern and glamorous, and stylish and still amazingly affordable. 4 Masini Design Hotel was definitely the finest hotel we stayed at the entire trip and it was the least expensive. It is very close to the train station, which means it is not as close to the city center, but Bologna is not that big, so really you can walk anywhere in 25 minutes or so.<br /><br />Given that our main purpose for going to Bologna was to have the original “Bolognese” (which they actually call “pasta Ragu” in Italy) I had carefully researched our dinner place for that night. After a short rest and showers we set out to walk the city and check it all out before dinner. It is a lovely smallish university centered city – not Italy’s most beautiful, but certainly nothing to sneeze at. The restaurant we had chosen was located in a 16th century wine cellar, Osteria de poeti. Again great atmosphere and service! Fantastic good and wine. And I must say that our pasta course, “Ragu,” was amazing! In the US I typically do not prefer spaghetti Bolognese because to me it tastes too much like hamburger, but here it was a different story! The pasta itself was homemade (which makes a huge difference) and the meat is of a much higher quality (more like ground sirloin than hamburger meat). Great stuff!<br /><br />Below are a few pics from Bologna…</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYi3_ekg7Y9lprCzFVrm022uIRibVdQeHz73epxCUDLtUm9CziWoXc-gEa4-DhfPPlNn4EvzSf1kpGRy5hGD_LPBjEhDdMJ4k9zNURPRPYHIG-xys2AjHgcvqnBv-EjiZzIHDygC1cqO1/s1600-h/Day+4+-+Bologna+B.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349575606702958898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYi3_ekg7Y9lprCzFVrm022uIRibVdQeHz73epxCUDLtUm9CziWoXc-gEa4-DhfPPlNn4EvzSf1kpGRy5hGD_LPBjEhDdMJ4k9zNURPRPYHIG-xys2AjHgcvqnBv-EjiZzIHDygC1cqO1/s400/Day+4+-+Bologna+B.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Bologna - street scene<br /></span></em></strong></div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeRgitCR56T4U7hWJJaFkHGCzf5PhiHeAgKCDdi8ap-UKMl9ElwNU_3YBVMPqGuWDbqNmr5PjegkFTpRDucPhaJo8A2k4aT2VWkeSWKG0PZolnl5J9Uh571_ThTDTCXw9Sf2G2Hqi9wH-/s1600-h/Day+3+-+Bologna.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349569661950775666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeRgitCR56T4U7hWJJaFkHGCzf5PhiHeAgKCDdi8ap-UKMl9ElwNU_3YBVMPqGuWDbqNmr5PjegkFTpRDucPhaJo8A2k4aT2VWkeSWKG0PZolnl5J9Uh571_ThTDTCXw9Sf2G2Hqi9wH-/s400/Day+3+-+Bologna.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Bologna - Statue at entry of central city park</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></em></strong><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmhZfBgzeWJ00OmTQCRjMTal6vpomiaBRIEUw1fN7MruUP_GLzg6ldZxGsPGyA8SJt2NTKT9GSM8ZbfEARE95_n6071Q02LSQipRxAfWsvmJGPO-7OYyHZrTyIcpdzttcau9TgMoNwjnR/s1600-h/Day+3+-+Bologna+-+leaning+towers.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349569650136692642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmhZfBgzeWJ00OmTQCRjMTal6vpomiaBRIEUw1fN7MruUP_GLzg6ldZxGsPGyA8SJt2NTKT9GSM8ZbfEARE95_n6071Q02LSQipRxAfWsvmJGPO-7OYyHZrTyIcpdzttcau9TgMoNwjnR/s400/Day+3+-+Bologna+-+leaning+towers.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Bologna's 2 medival leaning towers</span><br /></em></strong><br /><br />The next day we were to proceed to Venice, and this time I checked the train ticket times obsessively! We spent that morning walking around Bologna, and had “Ragu” and salad for lunch before boarding the train. Upon arriving in the first Venice train station, “P” said “we’re here” and we got off the train. As the train pulled away and we walked outside the train station I was totally disoriented and did not recognize anything, even though I’ve been to Venice several times. It took me a minute before I realized we had gotten off too early…silly me! But it was no real problem. We caught the next train to Venice, and took the vapporetto (like a water bus) to Ca D’Oro stop where our hotel was, Hotel Bernardi Semenzato. Of course, like everything in Venice, it was a little challenging to find, but we made it.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><em>VENICE</em></strong></span></div><div><br />So, in general, my feelings on Venice are as follows… It is a really unique and amazing place and if you have never been there, it is something not to be missed. However, it is expensive, the food is nothing special, and you will be tired of fat tourists, cruise-ship day crowds, and African immigrants selling hand-bags by the end of the trip. Italy has so many fantastic places to see and things to do! I like Venice, I like the sights and the uniqueness of it, and after my first time I couldn’t wait to go back. But every ensuing time I have been back to Venice it has struck me as more of a tourist heavy Disney world-esque place. At least we were there in mid-May, just the beginning of the tourist season, so it was not quite as bad.<br /><br />The best parts of Venice for me are the Guggenheim Museum, San Marco, and the experience of wandering in the endless maze of streets. I find this to be best at night when you have to fight fewer people, but it also means occasionally running into raccoon sized rats at the edges of the canals!<br /><br />Anyhow, we did get to see a lot in Venice and took a 2 hour boat tour (not gondola) of the grand canal and some of the smaller canals. We had mediocre overpriced food the first night, but we had fun getting lost and wandering for hours through the streets that night, and I had the agenda of showing the St. Mark’s cathedral to “P” by night when there are less tourists. To me this is such an interesting and special cathedral because of the blend of Italian, Byzantine, and other influences in its architecture – given all the trading from so many other cultures that had happened in Venice at that time. During the day it is a zoo, even though it is so beautiful, and it is hard to quietly appreciate it. While you have to see it during the day to appreciate the use of color, seeing it all lit up in the quiet of night allows you to appreciate the structure without fighting the tourists, sellers and rip-off artists.<br /><br />The second day we walked around a bit, but the cruise ship crowds were there in full effect and getting through the narrow streets was challenging. When we got to San Marco and the line was hours long to get inside, we decided to opt instead for a boat tour of the canals. It was really lovely to see it all from that perspective, and I am really glad we did it. Still, of all the tours we did while we were there, this guide was the least strong and entertaining and I largely ignored her in favor of the views and my own daydreams.<br /><br />The second night we made reservations at a Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie – reputedly the oldest restaurant in Venice and possibly in Italy as a whole (according to local legend anyhow). We had prosecco before dinner, an appetizer of various local fish specialties, a pasta course of con vongole verace and a monk fish for our secondi. It was all very good, and the place was truly beautiful. If we hadn’t had such amazing meals in Rome and Florence, I may have thought it to be fantastic. The location was great, the place was beautiful. But again, everywhere in Venice I just feel like everyone treats you like a tourist. </div><div> </div><div>And while yes, we are tourists, there is a difference between cruise-ship one day in-and-out and people who really want to get a taste of the culture. It’s not their fault really, the tourist industry workers in Venice are disenchanted with the whole thing I am sure. It just makes me feel very self conscious of the fact that I am a visitor as opposed to the way the best places we went while we were in Italy made us feel like we were in their home, as if they were happy to share their specialties with us as long as we were open to appreciating them.<br /><br />But there was one place in Venice where we actually felt at home and welcome…and interestingly enough, it was a bar that looked a bit cheesy from the first impression, but the guy running the place was so cool and fun and open and welcoming and interesting that we went back a second time. It’s called Bacaro Jazz, and as far as I could tell, it was a totally tourist cheesy joint, and was run by folks who are not Italian. I wouldn’t normally recommend this kind of place, but they were super cool and kind, and made the best cocktails I have had in Europe (in recollection).<br /><br />So…After our dinner at Poste Vecie, we stopped back at that Bacaro Jazz, where we had made friends with the manager the day before, a guy from Bangladesh named Islam. And He made us some of his mean bad-ass cocktails! As we sat and chatted with him again that night we also met an American couple from California who we had drinks with for the evening. It was great fun! But after a bit I started to feel unwell and we started back to the hotel…<br /><br />By the time we got back to the hotel, I was not feeling very well! You see, I have an allergy to octopus. I did not eat any octopus, but there had been octopus with the appetizer and it had clearly gotten on the bread that I had used to soak up the other appetizer fish. Needless to say I spent that entire night very ill…YUCK! The next morning as we prepared to leave to Florence I was dreading going into the heat and getting on the boat to take us to the train. But we had a train to catch, so green and dehydrated as I was, we made our way to the vaporetto and the train station (where, thank god, “P” was infinitely helpful and kind!)<br /><br />Below are a few pics from Venice…<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzTCDIun7NRfE5ROB1c77snE85QLwyVwsYcbCWqcMTur6CsBpI_s1sU6XiW20K-YqvEG0dajzTHONrHxOa3W026WcjWrcXnA6PA-raG7DzADBIlJ1e3Y5WO2jb_n0B4L2nk2d-623qBlN/s1600-h/Day+5+-+Venice+B.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349575628150436018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzTCDIun7NRfE5ROB1c77snE85QLwyVwsYcbCWqcMTur6CsBpI_s1sU6XiW20K-YqvEG0dajzTHONrHxOa3W026WcjWrcXnA6PA-raG7DzADBIlJ1e3Y5WO2jb_n0B4L2nk2d-623qBlN/s400/Day+5+-+Venice+B.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Venice - Grand Canal w/Gondolas</span></span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1reavwiHVOmsncfferQk2GpbQZpFLYLtow2QUaFISdhfQEJVBUL87vl_RmfnEDHF-AYwt35jSgWSbAAONgfQXNGIphXMdQoMkDUHs9R6LXq8N0zrOwDxR72n06nPWxiVZQ1I8C3DGx5Be/s1600-h/Day+5+-+Venice+E.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349575622619042962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1reavwiHVOmsncfferQk2GpbQZpFLYLtow2QUaFISdhfQEJVBUL87vl_RmfnEDHF-AYwt35jSgWSbAAONgfQXNGIphXMdQoMkDUHs9R6LXq8N0zrOwDxR72n06nPWxiVZQ1I8C3DGx5Be/s400/Day+5+-+Venice+E.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><em> Venice - view of smaller canal with bridge</em></strong><br /></span></div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS9YBCxFdJddsrfwWQNzaa3LW3cNSA7b_qR3kQeyrqSd0BPLpUwNTR2h7h13JrKlgoeB38G3YO40ZHwdl0FS5_q2ZntknaU_ZB_5WJgl2XozzzNzPVENI6VBKKHNU6kLaf9z8RbhxwK0O/s1600-h/Day+5+-+Venice+-+Ponte+Veccio+B.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349575614056597154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS9YBCxFdJddsrfwWQNzaa3LW3cNSA7b_qR3kQeyrqSd0BPLpUwNTR2h7h13JrKlgoeB38G3YO40ZHwdl0FS5_q2ZntknaU_ZB_5WJgl2XozzzNzPVENI6VBKKHNU6kLaf9z8RbhxwK0O/s400/Day+5+-+Venice+-+Ponte+Veccio+B.jpg" /></a><em><strong><span style="font-size:78%;">Venice - View of famous Rialto Bridge</span></strong></em></div><div><strong><em></em></strong></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><em>FLORENCE</em></strong></span></div><div></div><div><br />I slept for most of the train ride to Florence, and when we arrived I stayed awake long enough to get us to the hotel and then went back to sleep again while “P” did a little touristing himself.<br /><br />Now Florence is my favorite Italian city, and I had been most excited to get there, so I was disappointe4d that I was feeling unwell. But, by the early evening I was feeling somewhat better, so we walked a bit around Florence, by Duomo, by Sante Croce, down the river, through the main shopping area, near the Uffizi, etc. Then I went to bed early while watching some hilarious Italian TV.<br /><br />First of all, everything on Italian TV that is not originally in Italian is dubbed (instead of subtitled) so there is no chance of really watching unless you speak well enough to understand Italian. This means that the best choices are either MTV or soccer matches (which I love!). That night I snuggled in for a soccer match which appeared to be Italy vs. France. But as we watched, each time a goal was scored, the player who scored would have to sing a karaoke pop song with some hot Italian singer. At first it was confusing and really funny! We eventually figured out what was going on…it was a game between Italy & France – touted as a sort of World Cup 2006 finalists exhibition - but it was a sort of charity event and old retired players from each team were playing alongside the current team members. Anyhow…interesting.<br /><br />Our hotel in Florence, Hotel Berna, was again close to the train station and while it was a loud neighborhood, the room was fine, and the staff was fantastic! They even brought us breakfast in bed each day when they did not see us come down for the served breakfast. I would highly recommend this place if you were in Florence and wanted to be near the train station. It was also just blocks from the leather market and less than 10 minute walk from Duomo – all good things. The staff was really kind, helpful and really made you feel like they were happy to have you there, which was fantastic. However, if you were going to be in Florence for more than a week, I would suggest going with something father afield, even more in the residential part, even though it would be harder to get to the main sights, because of the chaos and loudness of the neighborhood (and it seems of much of the main tourist part of the city at large).<br /><br />Our second day in Florence we decided to rent bicycles to get around more of the city more easily. Of course we saw all the sites, climbed the Duomo, toured Santa Croce, and rode around the city. For dinner that night we went to a pizza place that was recommended by a colleague to be the “best pizza in Florence,” and I must say it did not disappoint! Semolina it’s called – really fantastic pizza and good service and also very hip and artistic décor!<br /><br />So, in general Florence has always been my favorite Italian city and this time was no different! It did not disappoint! It is such a charming place, so much beauty, so much to see and really amazing food! The only thing is I would like to spend a more extended time there, and maybe even to stay in a place that is a little more in the countryside. Next time…<br /><br />The next day we decided to rent a Vespa so we could tour the Tuscan hills in the surrounding area. I was a bit nervous at first, but this proved to be the best possible choice we could’ve made. While the initial working our way through the city was terrifying, once we got out of the urban center it was so worth it! We spent the day riding all around, seeing vineyards and generally beautiful countryside. We stopped for lunch and a glass of wine at one of the smaller wineries. It was just a really great time…possibly my favorite day…it’s a toss-up really between that and the first two days in Rome.<br /><br />Our last great meal was our last night in Florence and it was by far the best meal of a whole vacation full of great meals! We went to a place I had researched called L’Osteria di Giovanni. The place had a very contemporary look to it, with the owner’s (Giovanni) private art collection on the walls. While we were there, they treated us like we were royalty, like we were restaurant critics or something! Impeccable service! The owner himself came and chatted with us for a while as we were eating! While we had the usual appetizer and primate courses, the highlight this time was the secondi – Florentine dry-aged steak! It was amazing! And they brought us just the right wine! We were so full we could barely have our after-dinner drink, but given that the owner brought us his special liquor and biscotti, we could not say no.<br /><br />Below are a few pics from Florence…</div><div><em><strong></strong><br /></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bzvj1vBvCHA8B0CopAbvagl8esMd_BuRS5cqSMyIoZBcjNN5hlcG8mxKhEQsLj99NOtVne0pUPUoMXvWJSv3LhLhkHFbE98KbYlO-IlAJA3VSIceLk3CO-SY9R2Q_WZERsmX3TCQfjXF/s1600-h/Day+6+%E2%80%93+Florence+C.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349578829997234418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bzvj1vBvCHA8B0CopAbvagl8esMd_BuRS5cqSMyIoZBcjNN5hlcG8mxKhEQsLj99NOtVne0pUPUoMXvWJSv3LhLhkHFbE98KbYlO-IlAJA3VSIceLk3CO-SY9R2Q_WZERsmX3TCQfjXF/s400/Day+6+%E2%80%93+Florence+C.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Florence - Giotto's tower and the Duomo</span><br /></em></strong><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349578827348650178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzTSSkFLAq4flwHNWSkVM1kL1kdBauWW4JO92vZb6KW25aGwMhCd_BNL4t3wuHpKlJr8IgVxTHq91XshGujmEbAq8EGvls05Y6CLvCQyvzEEYiOzrlAZEJgLC9ZMT7H9sv3EsDlVhI_Fr/s400/Day+6+%E2%80%93+Florence+D.jpg" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Florence - Duomo<br /></span></em></strong></div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcd-ivk9X5ENnGqK6X_jiLnI61IZ6_uOPnXwOX_yrl5_i1NshGLaOswmJqlHJHHULUpnDvi3PdwEj53i3Tj5VVKQpjnfCN8KGUQ8sVn-GxAVUmMEcxfZtEoMJF_r7n1nQ1hiss5T7iPDy/s1600-h/Day+6+%E2%80%93+Florence+B.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349578818419233682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcd-ivk9X5ENnGqK6X_jiLnI61IZ6_uOPnXwOX_yrl5_i1NshGLaOswmJqlHJHHULUpnDvi3PdwEj53i3Tj5VVKQpjnfCN8KGUQ8sVn-GxAVUmMEcxfZtEoMJF_r7n1nQ1hiss5T7iPDy/s400/Day+6+%E2%80%93+Florence+B.jpg" /></a></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Duomo & Baptistery - Florence</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0_0k5XxOYM6RmXRpxz7D9OtT_ZKsm2TtmGuEI0gn966NhakLhH-_DBc8KqeIQfI3YJqKK2Lstw71ryFRTLUbM1AF8ISLMyYP84MGu2sJvKdCjtpZGPV4qAzDJQz0kUuRUCJKABIFAW4I/s1600-h/Day+7+%E2%80%93+Florence+G.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349584623575291810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0_0k5XxOYM6RmXRpxz7D9OtT_ZKsm2TtmGuEI0gn966NhakLhH-_DBc8KqeIQfI3YJqKK2Lstw71ryFRTLUbM1AF8ISLMyYP84MGu2sJvKdCjtpZGPV4qAzDJQz0kUuRUCJKABIFAW4I/s400/Day+7+%E2%80%93+Florence+G.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">A view of Giotto's towe</span></em></strong><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">r from on top of the Duomo, Florence</span> </span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></em></strong><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvPdMh4v1PdAmJ5sIYnacLjlo7iw2yQC9vbOYCt4n9ZJZN1oWGMZ81DMvryoTtBsqN0r83PAVjNDKoQON_239eKl4RbjfsPIhJaz8k0vAYHRj-HW9kmQHkN2Vsxp79YedtTPZQq0BI2Ej/s1600-h/Day+8+-+Florence+R.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349584628399755378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvPdMh4v1PdAmJ5sIYnacLjlo7iw2yQC9vbOYCt4n9ZJZN1oWGMZ81DMvryoTtBsqN0r83PAVjNDKoQON_239eKl4RbjfsPIhJaz8k0vAYHRj-HW9kmQHkN2Vsxp79YedtTPZQq0BI2Ej/s400/Day+8+-+Florence+R.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> <strong><em>Florence from surrounding hills - featuring Ponte Vecchio Bridge</em></strong></span></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em></em></strong><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvPQhcTxSHpOizOGl0MREtBu2Rq63D4FdP0mtSDQvcauEXzkyoQsXJHVv2wdvv1zOXm8f2AY0g9iBinhl1mHEmki8JYaVScvHqvMgDjV2PyLWwwMp71ud2f2ClGF7x1sFqLAeq-cGG1sF/s1600-h/Day+8+-+Florence+S.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349584621133005186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvPQhcTxSHpOizOGl0MREtBu2Rq63D4FdP0mtSDQvcauEXzkyoQsXJHVv2wdvv1zOXm8f2AY0g9iBinhl1mHEmki8JYaVScvHqvMgDjV2PyLWwwMp71ud2f2ClGF7x1sFqLAeq-cGG1sF/s400/Day+8+-+Florence+S.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong><em>Florence from the hills - featuring the Duomo</em></strong><br /></span></div><div><br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349578838803212178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyHD7EK8AS87YEJ9zFOS1-NQk1s1u3KSfA2eno5eraSjKcjXVVa8WEay5fNMBOIIjEAUYTT31l5dCWiuqfg-Qt7TxNBsDV2TRujw5OtjLaJw_zSq6glgfTZ5ue5HA5wbpW2fGKejAt4ai/s400/Day+8+-+Florence+-+riding+through+wine+country+A.jpg" /><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">A view from the Tuscan Hills surrounding Florence</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /></em></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidUB0aJGNcXeoQnlmtn5dtd4SCse_lPH_91Yv_epyHXIUF30jKGNBLMudS2KQVu7Pq9eaf07TLkUIVQYaa7TsTuWxoYKHADXGVjgL7moqLO501FAsQPIdMDQTilJ3TFG85wTns0b4oz-n/s1600-h/Day+8+-+Florence+-+riding+through+wine+country+G.jpg"><strong><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349584643485811394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidUB0aJGNcXeoQnlmtn5dtd4SCse_lPH_91Yv_epyHXIUF30jKGNBLMudS2KQVu7Pq9eaf07TLkUIVQYaa7TsTuWxoYKHADXGVjgL7moqLO501FAsQPIdMDQTilJ3TFG85wTns0b4oz-n/s400/Day+8+-+Florence+-+riding+through+wine+country+G.jpg" /></em></strong></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;">A view in the Tuscan Hills on the outskirts of Florence</span></em></strong> <div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWu2VEp8I3DLckV8KIh_e9doSlQMN_yQvbADmX9hD0t2zV0oJAoBBS6RFujGajbTmUW144Q0HimVgXEJo4eFzTh_dBkkqcfDZdEnvsyyBY3qATcK3hr4bdhEeu8a8v7Cgs32qHl5xNNjw/s1600-h/Day+8+-+Florence+-+riding+through+wine+country+M.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349584638566609026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWu2VEp8I3DLckV8KIh_e9doSlQMN_yQvbADmX9hD0t2zV0oJAoBBS6RFujGajbTmUW144Q0HimVgXEJo4eFzTh_dBkkqcfDZdEnvsyyBY3qATcK3hr4bdhEeu8a8v7Cgs32qHl5xNNjw/s400/Day+8+-+Florence+-+riding+through+wine+country+M.jpg" /></a><strong><em><span style="font-size:78%;"> A view in the Tuscan Hills on the outskirts of Florence</span></em></strong></div><div></div><strong><em></em></strong></div><strong><em></em></strong></div><strong><em></em></strong></div><strong><em></em></strong></div><div><div></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>THE END OF THE TRIP</strong></span> </div><div></div><div><br />On our final day we travelled back to Rome, and took a hotel at the sea side near the airport. We were exhausted, but in all it was really an excellent trip! In fact, “P” wasn’t back in the US for a day before he was already dreaming of his next Italian adventure and plotting the time when he can retire to Tuscany! I think he caught the travel bug! As for me, I still love Florence (and Tuscany at large) and Rome as well, but would be happy to skip Venice next time in favor of either spending more time in one place, or of seeing more of the south. So much still to see…<br /><br />So, in closing, If anyone is going to any of these cities in the near future and you want some recommendations for sites or restaurants or hotels, please get in touch. I’d be happy to suggest some! Sadly, because I took so long to write about all of this, I can’t recall the name of the place in Rome offhand, but can find it if you’re interested (all the more support for my argument that you should keep a daily journal while travelling! Even for ten days! When everyday is packed with so many experiences, all those things you swear you’ll never forget about day 1 fade in memory by day 10!)<br /><br />Thanks for reading and enjoy the photos.<br /><br />Xina </div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-55748715733860349612009-06-09T01:48:00.001-04:002009-06-09T01:48:46.191-04:00Obama LlamaAn Obama version of the Llama song...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqXX6kuk_XQ&NR=1">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqXX6kuk_XQ&NR=1</a>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-1516606630815817312009-06-04T17:52:00.003-04:002009-06-04T17:54:23.359-04:00Llama Llama Duck!I know I haven't written in a while... I have been stunningly busy since I have been back from Italy, end of the semester here and all. I am leaving in the morning for Leskovac (in South Serbia) to help lead an anti-militiarism seminar for the weekend. I am hoping things may slow up a bit when I get back, and I'll write a fuller entry then. For now, I wanted to share a hilarious clip that I saw on Serbian TV about an hour ago. I was thrilled to find it on YouTube.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbPDKHXWlLQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbPDKHXWlLQ</a>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-8431593937870196922009-05-12T05:06:00.008-04:002009-05-12T05:41:01.558-04:00Great week!<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>Not much time to write b/c I am rushing to get everything together, get packed and get the house cleaned before my Italy trip tomorrow. But I have had such an amazing and action packed week that I felt I had to write a quick update.<br /><br />So…classes going great. Jobs going great. Busy busy busy…<br /><br />The last week of April my BFF “A” came to town. She grew up here and had to spend a lot of time seeing family, but we got to hang out nearly every day for at least a coffee, and we got new gorgeous, euro-sexy haircuts!! (Which I am super excited about!!). And spent a day at the zoo – which is kind of my new favorite afternoon get-a-way. The most fun you can have for $3!!!<br /><br />That weekend Aussie “L” came back through town. I am so glad he came back to Belgrade b/c when he was here before it was winter and I must say that spring in Belgrade is an entirely different animal. AWESOME!! Sunny! Friendly! And lots of fun. Suddenly everyone is smiling, everyone is happy, all the cafes have opened outdoor patios, just really fantastic! While he was here we spent one evening out drinking with a group of folks at one of the friendliest places I’ve been so far. The next day we had a leisurely breakfast of “palacinke” (local crepe-type things) on the main square, and then met up with English “J” at the zoo where we spent the afternoon feeding the animals. Of course you are not supposed to do this, but everyone does. You see, in Belgrade there seems to be an unspoken agreement that the rules don’t really apply in most situations. Hence, most zoo patrons bring a bag of these local snacks called “Smoki” (shape and consistency of cheese puffs, but with peanut butter flavor) and feed the animals. The polar bears were especially entertaining as the big one delighted in catching the Smoki in his mouth.<br /><br />After the zoo, we went to the top of the fortress in the Kallemagdan Park to have a beer and then walked around the park for a while. It is so lovely in the spring! The sun was starting to go down and it was really crowded. After the park we went for a traditional meal of meat meat and meat. “L” left early the next morning and my real mega-work week began!<br /><br />So in the last week I have given 5 lectures, participated in 2 demonstrations, have been interviewed for television twice, and have hosted a Bosnian film maker with whom I organized a screening of his film. On Saturday I participated in an anti-fascism rally for WWII Victory day here in Belgrade. The streets were packed!<br /><br />On Sunday we screened the film for a private group of US students that were here. This was really fun as we hosted them in the WiB offices where we were able to talk to them about the work the organization does. Then the Film maker “Dz” gave a talk, and the students seemed really interested. We showed them the film, fed them snacks, and had a discussion. All-in-all, a great day!<br /><br />Then, yesterday we had a public screening – the Belgrade premier – at the local activist center “Center for Cultural Decontamination.” The turn-out was fantastic!! We had about 100 people, and among them were 3 ambassadors from Norway, Denmark and Austria!!! I was so nervous! I gave a short talk in the beginning, which I began in Serbian, but was too nervous so I finished in English. The audience was great! Really big, really interactive, and for the first time here I felt really relevant.<br /><br />There is so much more to say and to explain, but I need to get packing. Just wanted to share a few pics and a few adventures before I am off to Italy.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwd0odna9mApopp_3Yz7ebygnQykJ9KjhIH-Ku0TPrHf2jbbWkfdJYkzCqTSTgBY-b5N9wkAC8TwNwoM7Lv4CqFkEHHDCTNbMnFtcq6dlU2_QitFqF9LYcKwI2rrStZAyHvGim_ArjrYv/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334863833829164306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwd0odna9mApopp_3Yz7ebygnQykJ9KjhIH-Ku0TPrHf2jbbWkfdJYkzCqTSTgBY-b5N9wkAC8TwNwoM7Lv4CqFkEHHDCTNbMnFtcq6dlU2_QitFqF9LYcKwI2rrStZAyHvGim_ArjrYv/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-family:georgia;">View of Danube & Sava Rivers from top of Kallemagdan fortress</span></em><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZtJwWcya-Rov1DZHm2s7puIJGM4J4dJz_m7K9ojsiy4Jn7j6pms75Q0KN5Gveorbfrm-HcR58YPcFgAhZy9oaUZw4SdXc8kthI6dWRDpQPnfmR-kKEDt1mdjKsviwxyxzoyr3RFkYeBz/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334869234584993954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZtJwWcya-Rov1DZHm2s7puIJGM4J4dJz_m7K9ojsiy4Jn7j6pms75Q0KN5Gveorbfrm-HcR58YPcFgAhZy9oaUZw4SdXc8kthI6dWRDpQPnfmR-kKEDt1mdjKsviwxyxzoyr3RFkYeBz/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Part of lower city around fortress</em> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcXY79TjfvxXRG64uFkAhvKIzdFg5Hivcwx3KnB35xIZ9kH-x0XD6kNHovrWF6ui2np9dumVWSa0Yr_F-kWYf4xLxLsig1UgHUnOQHIc7xs40qqPOj8TPhGrvzlVurfHb4n5lXj148l53/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334869230083638674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcXY79TjfvxXRG64uFkAhvKIzdFg5Hivcwx3KnB35xIZ9kH-x0XD6kNHovrWF6ui2np9dumVWSa0Yr_F-kWYf4xLxLsig1UgHUnOQHIc7xs40qqPOj8TPhGrvzlVurfHb4n5lXj148l53/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+025.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Display of historical weapons inside gate of fortress</em></div><div><em></em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwuSXcNXwQeLYg9FFkfXFALGy7dEtJ-0LtPBG3sa-QecDp1mMGE5SESrOm3o69nlWur1rg3AUdLKiXlLLzdOY1Ap32iW1ff_qbD8NdBxOoxfLPCsNBqJl-BQtFpYJvPZVUG7rG1wMiQlE/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334869223245395506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwuSXcNXwQeLYg9FFkfXFALGy7dEtJ-0LtPBG3sa-QecDp1mMGE5SESrOm3o69nlWur1rg3AUdLKiXlLLzdOY1Ap32iW1ff_qbD8NdBxOoxfLPCsNBqJl-BQtFpYJvPZVUG7rG1wMiQlE/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+017.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Part of fortress wall</em><br /></div></div><div><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTt6KqYq-O1oDIRtkTapm303kZo49n-2FRuWZ8dhliPsLMyieTf0ob3cY-4GwSpLhcsazCBslBjkQbJwyI0BUBVIFyAj1RN5H0lGxs7JlYW6RrOa7BnKpn3k_dkuf64fJ4qsXq2G4O0LVW/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334863827629471426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTt6KqYq-O1oDIRtkTapm303kZo49n-2FRuWZ8dhliPsLMyieTf0ob3cY-4GwSpLhcsazCBslBjkQbJwyI0BUBVIFyAj1RN5H0lGxs7JlYW6RrOa7BnKpn3k_dkuf64fJ4qsXq2G4O0LVW/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+007.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Looking down onto river and old lower city from fortress</em><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxxQeyijH_Bx9qTSlJDtD3Qv9MPjuv91SPBWYolgQDqLAyjD1u2FR5H6pD-VPP4UdpzhWz7SXjSNsBVB3hyphenhyphenR6iklgz8XOhdUkuY1m_uJTfJamVRwnYrLoVXSSy3nIkt71eexET5Q4XrOm/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334863820273783794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxxQeyijH_Bx9qTSlJDtD3Qv9MPjuv91SPBWYolgQDqLAyjD1u2FR5H6pD-VPP4UdpzhWz7SXjSNsBVB3hyphenhyphenR6iklgz8XOhdUkuY1m_uJTfJamVRwnYrLoVXSSy3nIkt71eexET5Q4XrOm/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Sunset </em>from top of fortress<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwaLV0FxSIhNmhxNMletdANsDD4R-OUBR5yeR7RTAOvr9KEj5fCuqIGYKCxaZdW8bifbwOt0XM7g5tlZxtqkLakFA4331gx5LZVJ3d5CJPtKKU4mJVWhnjSlm0AgjHUM4m4G5M545HG11/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334863818345180098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwaLV0FxSIhNmhxNMletdANsDD4R-OUBR5yeR7RTAOvr9KEj5fCuqIGYKCxaZdW8bifbwOt0XM7g5tlZxtqkLakFA4331gx5LZVJ3d5CJPtKKU4mJVWhnjSlm0AgjHUM4m4G5M545HG11/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Seriously the biggest, freakiest kangaroo I have ever seen!! (Not to be vulgar, but you should have seen his male bits when he was lying down! EEEWWWW!)</em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334866560115509442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrYik7FQtgLdDfbos7GZOKi7Kj2E5wgGFTYJabUpyrb8UCly_fI2V5WwpSsLeeYjTQ_qlPZxTOuZOXkWIJwAwq5YsgVwIiWpTnJ2zO8E1UwyC2PdSOkGWUhGRdc3l5xBReZci_hY_1KJV/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+zoo+antelope.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><em>Belgrade zoo Antelope</em></div><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykrOsww7DvPNyfb27zlUbg3qnrThK5oNpvXDPrk1TEcezTfzgmJiWM2pjMK0lYnRwlUjHkLQmFt-G7o_ABIZ4uxjL9PdaYZBpbIp3p0gyvs_U4sV_QhZl4vuoIEfCgCz9t4B_taz09rYf/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334866568278015106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykrOsww7DvPNyfb27zlUbg3qnrThK5oNpvXDPrk1TEcezTfzgmJiWM2pjMK0lYnRwlUjHkLQmFt-G7o_ABIZ4uxjL9PdaYZBpbIp3p0gyvs_U4sV_QhZl4vuoIEfCgCz9t4B_taz09rYf/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+041.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Srebrenica commemoration demonstration with WiB</em><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZuSJwllq5u6imiHZiDAhA7vCA3sAUJ3qRnZficl9wiUx0chyphenhyphenY4RHDIMBNUR7QvlTmFT1MrklG2T4qynJHrnfXPdMPadCZjzVJK7LnCbRVTd0NbQPAfpuhiJDl7ERn6RcUoOPYeksQY8H/s1600-h/Belgrade+-+spring+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334866553387096242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZuSJwllq5u6imiHZiDAhA7vCA3sAUJ3qRnZficl9wiUx0chyphenhyphenY4RHDIMBNUR7QvlTmFT1MrklG2T4qynJHrnfXPdMPadCZjzVJK7LnCbRVTd0NbQPAfpuhiJDl7ERn6RcUoOPYeksQY8H/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+034.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Srebrenica demonstration with WiB</em><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334866561889646034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAh-5rC9_kSPqXU1nkJx1YJCeTZkJsGAXJB0E5vMUemZAKh5lQDmPXWheFuXOJc8F6ICyPgMcRmQCjZ9RPO5PuRPEcm4hpZljJiGt0_0kzzeb1ABaTrm0UTOyhqspMwpB41B7DPoQ7bmnv/s400/Belgrade+-+spring+053.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em>Some seriously F'd up nationalist graffiti! This is an image of Bosnian-Serb nationalist wartime leader Radovan Karadzic with the date 1389 - which is the mytho-historic date of most importance to Serb nationalists (see my earlier history post for more info)</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-68356025234995664672009-05-11T09:47:00.003-04:002009-05-11T09:54:03.878-04:00Woo-Hoo...Italy w/PC!!!I couldn't be more excited! One day away from a 10 day vaca in Italy w/PC!!! And I will be doing it totally unplugged and off the grid!! That's right...I am not bringing my computer, not turning on my mobile, not checking facebook...just totally unreachable!!!<br /><br />It couldn't come at a better time. Things are great here, but I am exhausted and stretched to the limit, and I miss PC so much...almost as much as Monkey...so this is going to be awesome!!!<br /><br />We are going to Rome, Venice and Florence.<br /><br />Much going on here in Belgrade to talk about, but no time at the moment. Hope to write a few posts when I get back.<br /><br />More later...Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-18757973638487181012009-04-24T14:41:00.003-04:002009-04-24T14:49:03.886-04:00Belgrade in Spring!I know I haven’t written in a while and it is not for lack of things to say so much as lack of time to say them. It took me the first few months to gain local trust and acceptance and now that I have (to a certain extent) I am on non-stop go over here!<br /><br />OK, well I guess the first thing I should share is the big news…I have been awarded a grant to stay here in Belgrade until December! I will go home for a few weeks to see Gram and fam, but then I am back here to teach and research. I had been waiting to hear for quite a while, and the day I found out I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going home, and started to get excited about tuna sandwiches, my bike, my cat and my beach… but I am really happy that I am able to stay. The fact that it took so long to get on the inside track – both in the organizations I am researching and at the university – means that I really do need extra time to get things accomplished.<br /><br />Other news…springtime in Belgrade is fantastic! People had promised it would be so, but the harsh nature of the winter (both in terms of the weather and the people) made me doubt it. However, the weather has been gorgeous for about 3 weeks now and as soon as the sun came out, the city seemed to triple in population, all the cafes set up outside seating, and suddenly people became more friendly! I am so happy about this turn of events!! And the people are lovely! The women are so thin and fabulously (although scantily) dressed, and I actually saw a man today who looked like he stepped off a billboard...so good looking that I instantly felt much much uglier! The women are wearing crazy high heels, and another trend here seems to be capri pants or shorts with tights and high-heel boots or stilettos. Not sure I could pull it off, but fun to see! Oh...and one girl yesterday was wearing a loosely crochted red sweater and a white thong...nothing else but stiletto boots!<br /><br />The upshot of all of this beauty of spring is that even the commute to my jobs each day is more fun as everyone is happy and much much kinder. Also, everything is green, and even my neighborhood which, if you think back to the early pics, was ugly and depressing in the winter is alive, green and beautiful! The downside is that with all of these ridiculously lovely and skeletally thin people around, I am so self-conscious of my body and my looks that I wish I could be invisible!<br /><br />With regard to my work/life balance – I am still doing much more work than socializing, but my work has been really exciting and I finally feel like I am starting to know some people in Belgrade, so all of that is fantastic. On the plus side – I am teaching my own course and giving lectures in a few other profs courses and this has been getting better and better each week! My work with the activist orgs in the region is going well too. They are starting to trust me more and give me more responsibility. On the less positive side – my stupid computer caught a virus (well more like stupid me b/c it happened when I tried to get a free download of LOST) and even after lots of time working it out with my dad, things still are not back to super perfect order.<br /><br />Another down-side of my Beogradski Zivot lately is the things I have been missing… It is not the same things consistently, for the most part, but it is different things in varying intensities each week. Tuna sandwiches, my cat, Golden Grams, my bike, my cat, my family, the gym, my cat, my beach, my friends, Phillie restaurants, and my cat. I have also been missing actual physical human contact. I am so touch deprived that I am totally tempted to adopt a cat or dog while I am here and to bring it home at the end, but I am desperately trying to resist this urge. There are so many homeless pets here, and I want to pet them all, but I am afraid that they have parasites and other nasty things that feral, trash eating animals pick-up, so I am resisting this urge as well.<br /><br />Which reminds me… I went to the zoo again yesterday afternoon. So many zoo babies it is adorable! Baby zebra, baby bear, baby wolves, baby lions…etc. I just wanted to hug them all! But I didn’t and I wouldn’t because as cute as they are, wild animals do not want to be kissed and hugged… Which brings me to my next point…<br /><br />One really strange thing about the Belgrade zoo is that it is totally a “personal responsibility” zone. In most of the enclosures there is no space between the fence or cage and the sidewalk so you can easily stick your fingers in the cage. There are signs on each that say (in Serbian and English) THESE ARE DANGEROUS ANIMALS! DO NOT TOUCH!! But people ignore these signs to a certain extent. When it concerns the wolves and smaller deer-like creatures it is no matter as they seem relatively tame. But there is a cheetah exhibit that is death-defying in this capacity! Yesterday, as the small children squealed excitedly outside its enclosure, one of the cheetahs paced back and forth in anticipation of a child-sized snack. I wonder how many fingers are lost each year! Clearly this is a no law-suit nation totally relying on personal responsibility. If you are dumb enough to put your hand in a cheetah’s cage and that cheetah happens to make your hand a snack, you are responsible for the choice you made. A good system in theory, but astounding for us Americans.<br /><br />Another great development for me is that I am finally starting to crack the code of the Cyrillic alphabet. The good thing is that I am finally able to decipher store windows, street signs and local graffiti, which because I am a visual learner is helping my language skills along. The bad part is that, more often than not, the graffiti and posters that I am now able to read are actually saying things that I was better off not understanding! Advocating nationalist creeps for president, begging for death to Nato/America/EU, and a whole barrage of nationalist slogans can be seen in poster and graffiti form! However, along with this, I have also noticed another hilarious phenomenon…<br /><br />Now I have seen this before in other non-English speaking countries, but had forgotten about it…it is the phenomenon of non-sensical English writing. From t-shirts advocating US professional sports teams that don’t exist (New York Wolves) to unwittingly worn dirty slogans (Easy Lay, or Brazilian Wax Bikini Team), to erred knock-offs (like Mike instead of Nike), to my favorite – amusing mistakes that change the whole intended meaning. My recent favorite of these is the girl I saw on the tram a few weeks ago on my way home from work. Here stood this stick-thin hottie (as are most of the women here…so thin that from behind their legs look like if you picked up a piece of cooked spaghetti in the center) in a t-shirt depicting a cartoon stylish girl with her hands full of shopping bags. The text underneath said “Why not go to the suburbs for a day of shooting friends and fun!” Hilarious! Clearly “shooting” is supposed to be “shopping,” but to me, it is even more impactful as an ironic critique of the suburbs.<br /><br />I have also seen a few “idioms” that just do not seem to translate into English in a way that I can make sense of. One local billboard says “It is difficult to force a frog into water!” Hmmm… I am not quite sure what this means, and the fact that it is an ad for mobile phones is even more confounding. I am guessing that it is suggesting that because a frog is already naturally inclined toward water that should he claim he was forced, it is a specious claim on the frog’s part. Like the misguided idea that a girl dressed provocatively who claims sexual harassment is not credible b/c her look “asks” to be sexually harassed? Or the even more uncomfortable phrase “you can’t rape the willing”??? I don’t know really. I have been thinking about it for a week though and I can’t decide what it means!<br /><br />Another one I heard this weekend is supposed to be a Danish idiom – “In the dark all cats are grey.” At first I thought this was a sort of socialist statement that everyone is equal – like “we all put our pants on one leg at a time.” So imagine my surprise to learn the meaning as having to do with “hooking-up.” Like it doesn’t really matter what your “hook-up” looks like, as long as you are getting laid, because “in the dark, all cats are grey.” Hmmm…<br /><br />Beyond the fact that my daily comings-and-goings have thankfully become routine in that I rarely get lost and have regained enough language to complete most simple transactions, I have a few exciting things coming up in the next few weeks…<br /><br />- One of my besties, “A,” who grew up here, but now lives in Holland, is coming to visit her family and me for a week starting Monday!! WOO-HOO! I am so excited!! And while she is here I am getting my hair cut and colored – and it is far past due for this!<br /><br />- Australian “L” is coming back through town on his way to Greece, which should be fun.<br /><br />- A Bosnian activist/filmmaker/professor friend is coming through in a couple weeks, and I have organized a screening of his film while he is here! This is great b/c I am working in conjunction with several of the organizations here to make it possible. I am excited to get exposure for the film and to work more closely with the groups.<br /><br />- AND…I am seeing “P” for 8 days in May! We are going to Italy!! His first time to Europe, so it should be fun. Will surely write about this and post pics!!<br /><br />OK, well I have to cut this entry here b/c I have work to do. Will try to write more soon as the days go by. Thanks for reading and happy spring!Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-77398081057543072502009-04-07T15:19:00.003-04:002009-04-07T15:23:41.173-04:00Down the Shore...Here it is...what you've been waiting for...<br /><br />I saw this link on a friend's facebook and I had to add it here.<br /><br />It's for everyone whose asked me what it is like to live in South Jersey...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.philebrity.com/2009/04/06/breaking-rain-clears-sun-comes-out-phileb-staff-hops-in-the-car-to-go-to-guido-beach/">http://www.philebrity.com/2009/04/06/breaking-rain-clears-sun-comes-out-phileb-staff-hops-in-the-car-to-go-to-guido-beach/</a><br /><br />And one for Emma...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY4SF8xWKFo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY4SF8xWKFo</a>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-9401350619161116412009-04-06T07:44:00.009-04:002009-04-06T08:19:14.179-04:00Belgrade zoo...amazing animals...Went to Belgrade zoo yesterday. Lovely day...spring is here and all is lovely. I had a visitor over the weekend (a guest from Holland) and on Sunday morn we went to the Belgrade zoo. I will write about the whole visit later, but just had to share a few pics from the zoo.<br /><div><div><div><br /><div><em>Check out this amazing peacock that is in the Belgrade zoo... I've never seen anything like it!<br /></em><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Go4EoJGJqp0zyE9LRun1RimwPvuUJXOgX7FsP813yE7I3pSIYc0URxYvsOJeIemNEhukCf_PhFMphMKI9KlYb3qdP7DNglAeQi03GvHjrWRGFGXb00vQyJ4methjuGDWNKmFBqyx9lS/s1600-h/skopje+159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321545348685075026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Go4EoJGJqp0zyE9LRun1RimwPvuUJXOgX7FsP813yE7I3pSIYc0URxYvsOJeIemNEhukCf_PhFMphMKI9KlYb3qdP7DNglAeQi03GvHjrWRGFGXb00vQyJ4methjuGDWNKmFBqyx9lS/s400/skopje+159.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>So beautiful! Puts a regular peacock to shame! </em><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe7qzpnNUc1DUzhnO-MwGuZnNJs6zI5lJpIBP_8-ccR5OSY_pkrFLO3TaGExi4UhI7_3GuBrF0VzGtB-W22FgH-fgz3LgsfOV06eYpu33maGJsJJn2luym76otJFhd-JSryBgdsdDRQ-b/s1600-h/skopje+157.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321545341739214530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe7qzpnNUc1DUzhnO-MwGuZnNJs6zI5lJpIBP_8-ccR5OSY_pkrFLO3TaGExi4UhI7_3GuBrF0VzGtB-W22FgH-fgz3LgsfOV06eYpu33maGJsJJn2luym76otJFhd-JSryBgdsdDRQ-b/s400/skopje+157.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><div><em>When it is closed, it looks like a wedding dress...</em></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE9lfpSA7zHvMHCaxQJjAiMOIjoD09SOrBEKcphPWg_ws2_eTEwalkk4r34UtgO9HgyBgDnNHY-dKx-7OeQVlK4XJzSbXvIcD8_27jaAncBT2Hkn9OUxmsrcH87UlyoudH9PU9cM3SBZa/s1600-h/skopje+163.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321545357005897458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE9lfpSA7zHvMHCaxQJjAiMOIjoD09SOrBEKcphPWg_ws2_eTEwalkk4r34UtgO9HgyBgDnNHY-dKx-7OeQVlK4XJzSbXvIcD8_27jaAncBT2Hkn9OUxmsrcH87UlyoudH9PU9cM3SBZa/s400/skopje+163.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div><em>Hard to believe that something so elegant and lovely is a male!<br /></em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSgg9CDCoiESzeVBOB6qdnTWjJcSLUetHjiYhDEv8sUZisELlR0cbWkMv2tXwsCV1ZT4cq7R0Qk-x0ujIvh9ugxL8HwDSaQ9LUXM9uIHRsPMKZGgWH8CsmjfJVODdONYO_3EALnUb2EV9/s1600-h/skopje+161.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321545351849433666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSgg9CDCoiESzeVBOB6qdnTWjJcSLUetHjiYhDEv8sUZisELlR0cbWkMv2tXwsCV1ZT4cq7R0Qk-x0ujIvh9ugxL8HwDSaQ9LUXM9uIHRsPMKZGgWH8CsmjfJVODdONYO_3EALnUb2EV9/s400/skopje+161.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em>This one appears to be a mixed breed....or perhaps the elusive "skunk peacock"</em></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W2BhaWVJWPbLh0oCSMWZAM_pIM9tKwLSgMjsyCz4x6e1qBdYjC-GdxhEwsz7wDCUKxccNmd_4kEiVjq9AJEI56KyuyY7okbQgykmTZO4EQkUDFReNPfeekRnKNZh-IumSeTM6zJFwpz6/s1600-h/skopje+153.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321548127625838882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W2BhaWVJWPbLh0oCSMWZAM_pIM9tKwLSgMjsyCz4x6e1qBdYjC-GdxhEwsz7wDCUKxccNmd_4kEiVjq9AJEI56KyuyY7okbQgykmTZO4EQkUDFReNPfeekRnKNZh-IumSeTM6zJFwpz6/s400/skopje+153.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7-ObKSg51CCBNkyM_dZ6MefcY-NS-dNeDXPFLLGfPFjOhVZZZY3czFjqvcmn3HO1eWNeyDuayTZOxEMjFzuAVH83VBrNJezaKP6f8s-0qHPuWuBiuxgbG3Q1JYGHL6ZlpkddxXNR7YLN/s1600-h/skopje+152.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321548119389686098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7-ObKSg51CCBNkyM_dZ6MefcY-NS-dNeDXPFLLGfPFjOhVZZZY3czFjqvcmn3HO1eWNeyDuayTZOxEMjFzuAVH83VBrNJezaKP6f8s-0qHPuWuBiuxgbG3Q1JYGHL6ZlpkddxXNR7YLN/s400/skopje+152.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div></div></div></div><div><em>I had never seen this bird before either...the zoo had so many cool birds. But this one reminded me that...like the strip club Deja Vu in Michigan...this zoo has hundreds of beautiful birds and one ugly one.</em></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofXJ8CwPBsIHCQK5Bfl94cqA-67v_wU_IG1MmpNirnHZsijM8k-onSekgRpv8WHLGzCM-bdsQaesaMvI998HLaaf4fTS-aCyAAHtY0Z_HvRmoaLbwbyEpFS9YRAxcnJbfmSoexv-4hLr9/s1600-h/skopje+145.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321548131378091970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofXJ8CwPBsIHCQK5Bfl94cqA-67v_wU_IG1MmpNirnHZsijM8k-onSekgRpv8WHLGzCM-bdsQaesaMvI998HLaaf4fTS-aCyAAHtY0Z_HvRmoaLbwbyEpFS9YRAxcnJbfmSoexv-4hLr9/s400/skopje+145.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCpk3sr9bceBxXQDGek9HoR4kg8_zszNHB4VkDwRVjZheQ054eQ1QHmaZIWcwXKkFyLp3dg11TdDUpAW3qpXVuPYbbptyGa3zCM2UFuBhfvOhf78P6mXKxVwpl5zV39WwcYNHhNYNoz4b/s1600-h/skopje+146.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321548129249895266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCpk3sr9bceBxXQDGek9HoR4kg8_zszNHB4VkDwRVjZheQ054eQ1QHmaZIWcwXKkFyLp3dg11TdDUpAW3qpXVuPYbbptyGa3zCM2UFuBhfvOhf78P6mXKxVwpl5zV39WwcYNHhNYNoz4b/s400/skopje+146.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-85556770629547159772009-04-05T21:29:00.005-04:002009-04-05T22:23:31.451-04:00Porno-Skopje!<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><strong>PORNO-SKOPJE<br /></strong>Hi all! So I’ve had so many exciting adventures since the last time I wrote I am not even sure if I can get to writing about all of them tonight! But I will begin with my trip to Skopje, Macedonia - where I went for an academic conference. </div><div> </div><div>I should first start by saying Skopje is awesome! What a super fun, really beautiful place! Great wine, friendly, attractive people, tons of good restaurants, beautiful scenery, and really affordable!!<br /><br />After a harried few days teaching, packing and getting sorted out, I took the late flight into Skopje after teaching on Tuesday night. Arriving around 11pm, the hotel had sent a driver to pick me up. When I got into his very comfortable car, he immediately turned on the video screen in the passenger seat and proceeded to play a mix of pop and hip-hop videos for me…his favorites mostly, but he did take a few requests. After the ½ hour drive to my hotel, the driver, Goce, then let me check in, and drove me to get something to eat. He would then be my driver for most of the time there…which worked out excellently!<br /><br />Goce dropped me off at the pizza place. I ordered a pizza for take away, and walked back to the hotel (about 10 minutes walk). On the way I passed a total of about 15 people, and much to my delighted surprise, each one looked up, smiled and said “Dobar vece” or the more informal “Zdravo!” Quite a change from Belgrade!<br /><br />I got back to my room – which I must add, far exceeded my expectations! Clean, friendly, comfy, free wireless, etc. I highly recommend Hotel 7 to anyone going to Skopje. I turned on the TV while I ate my dinner. I was thrilled to find I had nearly 100 channels in English, Greek, German, Hungarian, Serbian, Macedonian, and maybe a few others. I watched an episode of CSI and then turned on CNN (for the 1st time in months!). When that got boring I began to flip around…and that’s then the unexpected happened…<br /><br />…At one moment the TV was talking at a reasonable sound level about president Obama, but with an innocent flip of the channel it was suddenly blaringly loud, graphic pornography with a woman yelling “smack my ass! Smack my ass!” It’s late, the walls are thin, I flip it quickly, but the next channel is a Spanish telenovella. I go up one more, and NO JOKE…more graphic porn! To spare you 98 channels of this, I will summarize by saying that about every 3rd channel was a different manifestation and degree of pornography. There was a drag queen with a boy, a series of slides with skin pics, girl-on-girl, 2 girls and a boy...you name it!<br /><br />It began to strike me as hilarious. First because I felt like “Don’t they know that they can charge for this stuff in hotel rooms?” And second because in Serbia I my TV gets 9 channels that are pretty much constantly playing one of four genres of TV show A) Political discussion, B) Slutty girls singing and dancing, C) Spanish telenovellas, and/or D) Gameshows. I come to Skopje and am not only spoiled for programming choice, but I seem to have dropped into a zone where “anything goes.” This atmosphere of friendliness in conjunction with what seems like a relatively open culture strikes me more like Budapest than like Belgrade.<br /><br />OK, the next morning Goce picked me up to go to the conference. As Macedonia is like all mountains (which I did not realize) it was snowing pretty badly. The first day of the conference was held at a private university called FON. Here all the university students wear uniforms. They are all really attractive, and the facilities are finer than any university I have been to in the US. The talks were mostly very interesting. The people were a good mix of Macedonians, and other internationals, and there was a mix of youngish, mid-ish, and older than Moses. Every several hours we had a coffee break and were taken to the campus lounge – which looked like a swanky martini bar!<br /><br />After the conference, Goce picked me up and drove me back to the hotel. That night I met up with a Macedonian friend who I know from a conference in Bosnia a few years back, “I.” We went out to dinner at a traditional kavana, drank rakia, ate delicious local specialties and giggled a lot. After dinner “I” gave me a tour of the city. We took photos at Mother Teresa’s house, and she showed me the train station which is one of the only remaining buildings from the terrible earthquake that shook Skopje in the 1960s. In fact, nearly every Macedonian I spoke to mentioned the earthquake, and someone said that as many as 1 in 5 people in Skopje died (or were injured…I can’t recall) in the earthquake.<br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRnavxd-WFY92tTJOkK3KuTjF_ZFk62QNh41zSNcyRTX4OWh9e-K90ZAv8oWL5Bv6QWSGlWoOUzaElBtDCOHOzAAFCfch21YI8toEVvD_CYo5gb3h0Oam7sNCzXCt7CzVK0zlp1vVPeqn/s1600-h/skopje+116.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321392220353643698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRnavxd-WFY92tTJOkK3KuTjF_ZFk62QNh41zSNcyRTX4OWh9e-K90ZAv8oWL5Bv6QWSGlWoOUzaElBtDCOHOzAAFCfch21YI8toEVvD_CYo5gb3h0Oam7sNCzXCt7CzVK0zlp1vVPeqn/s400/skopje+116.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Train station - stopped in time of earthquake</em> </div><br /><div><br />Interestingly, there is an old bridge in Skopje that looks like many other old bridges in the region…and most like the WWI bridge in Sarajevo. The bridge also withstood the earthquake. A few years ago, when they were restoring the bridge, they found a ton of dynamite in the bridge that had been left there when the Nazis pulled out in WWII. Amazingly, it did not detonate for the Nazis, and even more amazingly, it did not detonate during the earthquake!<br /><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBmh9z6rc3K9G5NYHno68UZNUJoxSZJt-TMde_Jje8bvY2pLNYGV2i09tBP6pnYuh1SU2JyiSrAtUCyN8MIHZx7UV_OHUZsD0WwMQyED5n3f-_HJWL53KzHr4BOdsidlmkeaUINnStM7y/s1600-h/skopje+094.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321386892317756546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBmh9z6rc3K9G5NYHno68UZNUJoxSZJt-TMde_Jje8bvY2pLNYGV2i09tBP6pnYuh1SU2JyiSrAtUCyN8MIHZx7UV_OHUZsD0WwMQyED5n3f-_HJWL53KzHr4BOdsidlmkeaUINnStM7y/s400/skopje+094.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>At the Old Bridge</em></div><em></em></div><br /><div><div><br />The next morning, Goce picked me up again and drove me to the pick-up point where all the remaining conference people met at like 7am to drive to Lake Ohrid. By now the sun had come out and I could see for the first time how really mountainous and lovely Skopje was! As we drove to Ohrid, we stopped on the outskirts of a town called Tetovo to hear a couple lectures at the South East European University. Lovely town, but a rather strange looking campus – modular.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dan0iZ8ez9StKgKqYh5ENyjAAOcBr_vrAwzsgDYA9mzADNWIxFYFsdhKjURUpz9N4q0NOVTUg2eWJTPX_5jp29m7Tdxdv0VrH01IoQRzF-nYgZqbDG1_ac9TrguBicpneQ9hJiq0LPOm/s1600-h/skopje+-+at+SEEU+in+Tetovo+-+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321394576401855970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dan0iZ8ez9StKgKqYh5ENyjAAOcBr_vrAwzsgDYA9mzADNWIxFYFsdhKjURUpz9N4q0NOVTUg2eWJTPX_5jp29m7Tdxdv0VrH01IoQRzF-nYgZqbDG1_ac9TrguBicpneQ9hJiq0LPOm/s400/skopje+-+at+SEEU+in+Tetovo+-+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>At the South East European University - Tetovo</em> </div><br /><div><br />We then went on the Ohrid…and it was so very lovely! Reminded me of a combination of Lake Louise (near Banff where my sister got married) and Dubrovnik. A big, clean, mountain stream fed lake surrounded by a village reminiscent of Dubrovnik – with an ancient fortress, centuries old churches, an ancient Roman excavation site, and all surrounded again by huge mountains. After spending the day walking around, touring the sites, we went to the local Culinary/Hospitality Vocational High School and had wine, rakia and food. After a few rakias, and a few laughs with the director, most of the group left to go shopping a 3 of us stayed for another rakia and a chat with the director.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixBaOfIO-tBOrZj7Lm4tJpsOj_1QO5PEzZEW4R7lbXN1lOfuzurCfCPukdN0HKOqFfkWf8l8IlW2MHuQGTdTrNjOpgtGCQwXR2X0cNpYCV_sfXsrUExBbuHmevX7AidigyfAVRPDUjcdF/s1600-h/skopje+060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321386884343916674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixBaOfIO-tBOrZj7Lm4tJpsOj_1QO5PEzZEW4R7lbXN1lOfuzurCfCPukdN0HKOqFfkWf8l8IlW2MHuQGTdTrNjOpgtGCQwXR2X0cNpYCV_sfXsrUExBbuHmevX7AidigyfAVRPDUjcdF/s400/skopje+060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>Church at Lake Ohrid</em></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321396599369640242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWi85f3JtcqOcKjvwCWJYpQbDc6yWZajRPifw98xAQ1FY3Lii7JVdAjDGqMrnfqalNzlNzv7S8H2NCcuBrKxVHmcMwopRmXVs5cRNNFLDv2C4XiodoSS3pLEARNTxi2e7KyB5eBZ4MnS7/s400/skopje+-+Ohrid+-+lake.jpg" border="0" /><em>Beautiful scenery of Ohrid</em><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFIypIpUDPvSBDqjn41eowg_a3bgshAzzU9VyohIXYnnedp4WpuJt3cVnir8fXb2nk-BGYb2fYltZs1JKTQCOCeqiq7xcbk0axvkF0ED6EXAbacrlnq2-IMiASNzE2tYIUprUveJS4UQ/s1600-h/skopje+075.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321394566360369458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFIypIpUDPvSBDqjn41eowg_a3bgshAzzU9VyohIXYnnedp4WpuJt3cVnir8fXb2nk-BGYb2fYltZs1JKTQCOCeqiq7xcbk0axvkF0ED6EXAbacrlnq2-IMiASNzE2tYIUprUveJS4UQ/s400/skopje+075.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Lake Ohrid</em><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0K5ZXnMmI9oA1YTU4oVTVIXe6-0w5fdSezOPZnaR5g-Rla_6AEZ8Gc_dA7xIOnHoImyIIpUheTOr3uEWa2FMAhpCGyIr_OuCucg9LFgPyRQOtOXeLuMS_Rmterch7ESHtOeVez6w1dQ-I/s1600-h/skopje+076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321394566396329266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0K5ZXnMmI9oA1YTU4oVTVIXe6-0w5fdSezOPZnaR5g-Rla_6AEZ8Gc_dA7xIOnHoImyIIpUheTOr3uEWa2FMAhpCGyIr_OuCucg9LFgPyRQOtOXeLuMS_Rmterch7ESHtOeVez6w1dQ-I/s400/skopje+076.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Me at Lake Ohrid</em><br /></div></div><br /><div>The trip home was long, of course, and we had some added drama when the bus unwittingly left one man’s wife at the rest-stop on the top of the mountain (one lane road) and we had to figure out how to get her back. When we got back to Skopje, I went for a bite to eat with one of the new conference buddies I had been hanging out with, “D”. </div><div><br /> </div><div>The perfect ending to a perfect day…we went to a MEXICAN restaurant (MY FAVE!) and had burritos and mojitos. “D’s” girlfriend – a stunningly beautiful, friendly and fun woman – met up with us, and had a few drinks and then all walked home together laughing and being silly. As we walked I told them about the porno-channel experience, and not a minute after I finished telling them about it, we came around the corner to face a huge billboard. Depicted on this immense advertisement for some mobile phone company is a (sexy) nun with puffy lips like Angela Jolie injected with Novocain. I said “Whoa! What’s with the Porno-nun?” To which “D” said “That is why the pope is always happy!” And in that moment it seemed like the place was a “pornoSkopje!”<br /><br />The last day of the conference Goce had another job, and I decided to walk outside and just flag any taxi. Now, up to this point I had Goce driving me, had been with people from the city, and had gotten by with speaking Serbian and English. I hadn’t picked up a map (like an idiot) and figured it would be no problem to get where I was going. I flagged the first cab I saw…BIG MISTAKE! I think a good rule of thumb is that if the car looks like it was likely already a rust-bucket death-trap 10 years ago, you should probably not get in. I would also say that if you absent-mindedly do flag this type of cab, but the driver has less than 5 teeth, go ahead and let that one go by. But no…I got in, and to my surprise, this driver did not speak Serbian or English…nor did he have any idea where I wanted to go. When he dropped me off at some high school and I had no map and no idea where I was…I began to panic a little! It wasn’t a bad neighborhood, I just felt really stupid and conspicuous and lost.<br /><br />After a bit of wandering, I flagged another cab…a nice one…and was brought to my destination. The last day our lectures were at a 3rd university – the Electrical Engineering Faculty. Here we saw all kinds of electrical stuff, concept cars (so Jersey baby!) and a exhibition of their commercial video program. We then disbanded as a conference and a group of us went to lunch. It was a beautiful day! We had a long lunch with amazing regional wine and then walked the city together…seeing the old bridge, the fortress and other sites.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T4sAsuCDjiMUYhIPsphVNAd2LwTszu3YC3WHV3fJdkRQLHMPkZI3ATYJDLy8XxMK5aZ2LdMEIAHBPLYLUqysxIN7Wm3tQOPx7oOjHVr88SQCvKyLtxSn9Xuz3PxLosuUbyFCDbC1Hx-Y/s1600-h/skopje+085.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321386887663833570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T4sAsuCDjiMUYhIPsphVNAd2LwTszu3YC3WHV3fJdkRQLHMPkZI3ATYJDLy8XxMK5aZ2LdMEIAHBPLYLUqysxIN7Wm3tQOPx7oOjHVr88SQCvKyLtxSn9Xuz3PxLosuUbyFCDbC1Hx-Y/s400/skopje+085.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Concept car w/Jersey style</em><br /><br />As we were making our way to the birthplace of Mother Teresa (a Catholic Albanian born in Skopje) I hear someone calling my name. Who would I know here I wonder? I turn around to see the Australian, “L” who I had hung out with in Belgrade the previous week! He joined our clan and we proceeded to visit the Mother Teresa house and then proceeded to the old market – the Turkish part of the city. Coffee, sweets, and then we toured an old Hamam (Turkish bath house) that was now an art museum…lovely! </div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeO2EWFTldBG0USDxAbntx9MoD2jBSFQC2-29uNuVA5NdzeZQ7v4Pne0lyS5cwZoINKeh1G41GhQLU22Bp-zU-dM4688PhCchmpVoZUpOU8Qu70rzCfWeP6KhnRylzxvmL-1a7JibYAva/s1600-h/skopje+097.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321386903614040098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeO2EWFTldBG0USDxAbntx9MoD2jBSFQC2-29uNuVA5NdzeZQ7v4Pne0lyS5cwZoINKeh1G41GhQLU22Bp-zU-dM4688PhCchmpVoZUpOU8Qu70rzCfWeP6KhnRylzxvmL-1a7JibYAva/s400/skopje+097.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Mother Teresa's House</em><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DhXSdOWgFyrFoTpPT7zLm4ZXsrN7t5oAxNk324UEYFRoDWO-Eph-ZCqheJKmsYPQWUXCOqvCzO-x3HiHaIIqFG3HJCZXuxDUUgjM5NVR1jL6DvJol2l8z-dxB6hdfydByQ9wCNgdKDm1/s1600-h/skopje+104.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321394563175439954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DhXSdOWgFyrFoTpPT7zLm4ZXsrN7t5oAxNk324UEYFRoDWO-Eph-ZCqheJKmsYPQWUXCOqvCzO-x3HiHaIIqFG3HJCZXuxDUUgjM5NVR1jL6DvJol2l8z-dxB6hdfydByQ9wCNgdKDm1/s400/skopje+104.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Hamam (Turkish Bath House) in Old Market</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYObfffCSai6uGa9Cl_7gWuzBbhlMTlZKqVdhDPQgg0L_5zOLu087o0UytF9HyFzc-HPg6VopZL8tgWGtC2cZ4hjFYtSxztQfUZ6qH5OEfiQtSKk0eMcITrCG8aWbfTnZIKqzcLSTflRmn/s1600-h/skopje+110.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321394574819593442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYObfffCSai6uGa9Cl_7gWuzBbhlMTlZKqVdhDPQgg0L_5zOLu087o0UytF9HyFzc-HPg6VopZL8tgWGtC2cZ4hjFYtSxztQfUZ6qH5OEfiQtSKk0eMcITrCG8aWbfTnZIKqzcLSTflRmn/s400/skopje+110.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Museum inside Hamam</em><br /><br /><br /><div>That night, my last in Skopje, I first went out with “I” and her friends to a great little bar that is attached to a huge art space. We had such a great time! And Aussie “L” met us as well. Afterward, “L” and I went to a party hosted by “D.” What a lovely flat! We snacked, drank rakia, listened to music…all of that. The evening was decisively ended when “D,” who had sat in front of the computer to change the music, suddenly began to snore very loudly…asleep at the wheel!<br /><br />The next day Goce picked me up to take me to the airport. Hung-over and exhausted, I made my way to the tiny Skopje airport to fly to Cologne, to take a train to Amsterdam for a few days…and that is where I will stop for now. I will write all about A’dam later this week. Again - I had a blast in Skopje! Can't wait to go back!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p> </p><p> </p>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8664983765263158310.post-12982580579410305412009-03-21T14:17:00.000-04:002009-03-21T14:18:48.737-04:00Love this!I love baby animals. If you love baby animals, check this out...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.zooborns.com/">http://www.zooborns.com/</a>Xinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868004771211699816noreply@blogger.com0