Reflection...

Coming soon!

The End and the Beginning...

August 4--- We met with a woman from parliament and she gave us a tour. We talked a lot about windows... I don't really remember why... but supposedly they've changed a lot due the conflicts and status of parliament. We also had a meeting with a Serbian entrepreneur/apprentice NGO. They take Serbian rural children and teach them business skills in order to improve their lives and opportunities. They've been around for about a century so they've seen a lot of changes in Croatia and the Former Yugoslavia, especially in regards to them being able to help Serbs. 

August 5—This was our last day. We gave  presentations on articles we read about the E.U. Mine was about international aid and its failings/struggles in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today was also a national holiday, it was the day Croats kicked Serbs out of knin. That made it a very awkward day as a foreigner, but it was quiet and peaceful. Families were out with their children and I visited a café that smelled like horses, here I read and drank cappucinno.

August 6--- We're leaving! How bittersweet. This dialogue was amazing, but I'm excited to continue my travels with Ben and Isabelle to Dubrovnik (Croatia), Budva (Montenegro), Tirana (Albania), and finally to Athens and the Greek isles to meet my boyfriend.

We arrived safely in Dubrovnik and have the most adorable apartment (thanks Ben!). It's run by the sweetest most hospitable family. We have a kitchen, a terrace, internet, and laundry!!! After five weeks... that is a blessing. It's cozy, beautiful, and hey, also historically and culturally relevant! There are bullet holes in the facade from when the Serbs gunned down this side of the river. It is also protected by the state and city because the architect who built the city walls around Dubrovnik was born in this house. How cool is that? Did I mention its meters away from the water, has fresh fruit growing everywhere (limes, lemons, grapes, pomegranates, plums, etc.) and laundry?! I am so happy.

August 3

Today our meeting was with the foreign policy advisor of the Croatian president. We went to the president’s palace,  which interestingly was a former tito building. He was really interesting and insightful to Croatia's path on becoming a part of the E.U. He was also more straightforward and honest with us than other politicians we've met. Best part of my day though was getting dark chocolate and hazelnut gelato from Vincek. I've been a lot of places, but no place was this good. Highly recommended if you ever find yourself in Zagreb. 

August 2

So far, today has been a favorite day of mine. Our group left the hotel early for a hiking trip through the Plitvice Lakes. These lakes are part of a Croatian National Park. Neeeeeedless to say, they are gorgeous. It was kind of strange too though. Throughout the day, it wasn't always hiking, but following a huge group of tourists on a tiny river plank or bridge to the next big scenery. Luckily, we started filing and finding our way past the big groups to the more isolated parts of the park. We went through the entire park and saw small and big waterfalls, lakes, forests, creeks, and mountains. On our way to the BIG waterfall is where I got separated. It was such a huge place, you had to take trains and ferries to different parts of the park and I got a little nervous when I lost my friends. I also took it as time to self-reflect and meditate while hiking. I found my way back to the bus... slightly late... but in one piece. It was a really divine day. 

August 1

I'm staying in a hotel near the lakes and we're hiking them tomorrow. I'm excited. Today, on our way here, we stopped at a really funny truck stop. It had a strange diner/mini mart with vending type games and attractions as well as a dining hall with huge taxidermic animals arranged in games of poker, singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Outside there was a petting zoo that included peacocks, a baby boar, a bunch of reindeers and goats, and 2 huge brown bears. It was awesome.  We also had a short break for food at Knin. This was a historical significant city because it was a military stronghold for the Serbian population in Croatia during the 1990's. Croats took control and most of the Serbs fled or were kicked out.

July 31

Today we arrived in Split, Croatia. For some reason, I have really good wireless in my room so I spent the day skyping with friends and my boyfriend. During the evening I took a walk down to the water alone. I got some dinner and picnicked along the waterfront, just people watching and doing my thing. It was very relaxing, and exactly what I needed after a lot of traveling and group trips. We leave tomorrow, so I don't think I'll get to see much more, but Split is very beautiful and I'll remember it fondly.

July 30

Today was a day off in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I spent the day at the beach, went into the old city for lunch, and overall just relaxed. It was wonderful and greatly appreciated. I feel as though between bussing it, writing papers, and meeting with cultural, political, and social leaders, we really haven’t had a day to breathe. It was an absolutely beautiful day. 

July 29

Today was my Dad’s birthday. I miss him and my family a lot. I haven't mentioned how homesick I am until now because it's not something you really want ot focus on while you're having an awesome adventure filled with learning and excitement...but on a day like today, yeah, I miss my Dad, and my Mom, and my sisters, and friends, and boyfriend, and people who just love me unconditionally. Today we are traveling to Dubrovnik, and on the way we visited the holy site Medugorje. It was beautiful, but what I remember was the rain... and the ultimate salvation: the Italian influence. The food was so good. The espresso and hot chocolate was even better. How can I possibly know? Because I had all of it. Then we arrived in Dubrovnik,  and there was no rain, only sunshine. Here's a view from my hotel room! 


Tonight we went out for Liz’s birthday. I had risotto and a crepe. It was really good, and Sam and I danced to some live music. I didn't have the energy to stay out, so back at the hotel room my roommates and I found out that this hotel had the best TV ever. We stayed up all night watching Friends, Gilmore Girls, and some random cop shows. Cop shows are huge here. I know that's not what you're supposed to do when you go abroad... but sometimes those homesick blues can only be cured by stupid, mindless, all-American TV.

July 28

Most of today I stayed in and wrote my paper on the 1980-1990 Yugoslavia political scene. It’s chaotic, depressing, and an overall ugly paper. I’ve learned a lot but not proud of my work. I’m stuck obsessing over the writing and form, as well as lost on citations because most of my information I’ve gotten from documentaries and meetings throughout the trip.

Although I spent most of the day in I did take a couple short breaks to walk around Mostar. This city is absolutely beautiful, and you can almost feel the history coursing through it. At four we had a meeting with the Croat Democratic Youth Party. It was pretty interesting. I took this dialogue to open my mind up to not only the Balkans, but politics as well. I really hate politics though. It just doesn’t make much sense to me, or it does, but it makes me really sad. I understand the differences between people and parties, but sometimes I can’t believe that no one gets along. Especially here, where it’s so complicated and based on ethnic and religious differences. These guys were also extremely racist towards others and defensive towards their kind. Given, the Croatian minorities in Mostar are overlooked and usually not accounted for even in democratic elections. But, they were also ragging on the Chinese and Middle Eastern immigrants here. It was awkward.

Later that day some friends and I went to get dinner. We awkwardly went to five different restaurants looking for food, but a lot of places either serve drinks only or only serve food at ceratin times. Finally, after finding a place with food and a decent menu we settled on a place overlookgin the river and old bridge. I got a delicious mushroom and French fries platter. It doesn’t sound all the great, but it was. There was a side of really creamy delicious cheese that complimented the mushrooms fantastically. And French fries also go really well with mushrooms… who knew? Anyways, I was happy and fulfilled and that’s hard to come by with me + food in Balkans. The main dish here is Cevapi, which is a pita, sausages and onions. I can’t believe how thin the people are here.

That night we went to Ali Baba. It was a club in a cave. I don’t really like clubs, but it was an experience and almost the whole group was there which made it fun. Nothing really to say about it except that the walls where rock, and like everywhere in Europe house music was playing. 

July 25

Today's agenda involved the international judges for war crimes in BiH and the former commander of militia in the former BiH conflicts. Both were very inspiring but very different. The international judges were American and had ties to Northeastern. I found the female judge more interesting, only because she seemed more honest and straightforward in the matters concerning ethnic conflicts in BiH, former war criminals, and present day issues in the Balkans. I felt she said a lot of things people were afraid to say. My favorite line from her (note: out of context) was a "bigot is always a bigot"---- this was in regards to a lot of political positions were made by measures of ethnicities and balanced "quotas." These policies can easily manipulate the political and social scene. Later, I enjoyed a vegetarian dinner with Aly and Keith as well as a delicious dessert. The best part of my day was when Keith and I played soccer with some local kids while we waited for Aly. So much fun. We ended the night with some beers at local bar, that was really funky, down to earth, and fun. There we met some Swiss guys that were really cool and friendly. One of them was formerly from BiH. We continued to bar hop with friends and the night life of Sarajevo was definitely more my style than any other city beforehand. In addition to the Swiss guys, we met people from around the world and learned that many former Bosnian refugees, people who left in the early 90’s, come to vacation here in the summer. Many of the refugee's children who join them, young people our age, don’t see it as their home anymore, but love it all the same.

Srebrenica.

Today we visited the Bosniak massacre grounds of Srebrenica. In the 90's over 8,000 Muslim Bosnians were killed by Serbian forces. Boys and men between the ages of 14-70 were killed and women and children were pushed out. I saw the names and ages of those massacred and found men that would be my father's age if they had lived. A museum style memorial was put up that we saw as well. There was the historical account of the genocide and personal stories and belongings of those who died. The belongings were found after they're bodies were exhumed and counted. The Netherlands paid for most of this, because their U.N troops allowed Serbian military in when they were sent to protect and supply the people with goods. Later we saw a cemetary of Serbian lives lost by the hands of Muslim militia and raids. 

Sarajevo

Here I am having lunch with Lily. That's yogurt, you drink it here. It was actually delicious and really refreshing.

Here's me at the main square near our hotel. Hi Mom and Dad!

Pigeons everywhere in the main square. Kinda gross, kinda fun. Gypsy men sell corn and seeds so people can feed them. They don't fear humans. 

This is where the Archduk Franz Ferdinand was shot. This corner was where the 20th century's fate was decided. 

Sooooo.... Today we got denied entry back into Serbia because of our Kosovo passport stamps. A lot of time is spent arguing and calling certain US offices for assistance. The ultimate decision and plan, because of the political obstinance and the symbology behind these stamps, is that we cannot enter through Serbia but through Montenegro then through Serbia (this is because Montenegro identifies Kosovo as an independent nation and Serbia does not). So off we go... luckily the scenery is beautiful and we decide to have a nice meal and spend the night instead of trying to make the long and winding (literally... the roads go through some seriously windy, curvy, crazy, mountainous roads) journey in one night. Before we get to the hotel, we are welcomed with some other wonderful news: the main road is blocked due to rock slides. That now sets our hotel arrival back an hour. We manage to make the most out of a bus ride after a gas station stop. Also, thankfully, the hotel is 5-stars and is gorgeous. It helps us manage to live. Our professors TA, tour guide, and bus driver were also pretty cool through the whole things. So in conclusion, one word: Balkans.

Arrival in Kosovo

We arrived in Kosovo yesterday and settled into a hotel located in the capital, Prishtina. Upon arrival, the entire vibe of the country was strange. Everything,  I mean everything was new. Unlike the rest of our sightseeing, nothing was shell-bombed, medieval in architecture, or even socialist in interior design. Everything, from the roads to the bed frames, to the local hardware store, looked no older than 5-years old. Our hotel was comfortable, but looked straight out of an IKEA catalog. In the city center, there was a bronze statue of Bill Clinton. The NGO we met the next day followed in sentiment. Before coming to Kosovo, I was a believer in their independence and sovereignty but the NGO leader said himself, "without NATO we would not exist." Questions followed like, "What would happen when NATO left?" Answer: "That will never happen, and can never happen." Ruh roh. Okay. Politics. Do you seriously depend on making a country based solely on international aid? Sure, you can start that way but do you plan on sustaining yourself on it? During our stay, we also saw the Serbian area of Kosovo that was distinctly separated by a physical and symbolic bridge. I'm sorry I have no pictures. Imagine a bridge with army men and hummers surrounding it, covered in racist graffiti, as well as one side being brand-spanking new, and the other dirty, impoverished, and grey. What an experience. I have never seen political stagnance or social distrust so resounding. Shortly after we left, Serbia attacked Kosovo borders.

July 19

Today we took a break from our bus ride to Kosovo to stop at an adorable little woodland restaurant. I had a cauldron full of beans with tomato, cucumber, and fresh bread. It was a much appreciated break, and the mini-hike there was a good stretch. I think the group and I are slowly beginning to seriously detest that bus. I forgot to mention that before Nis/our trip to Constantine's house, our bus broke down which made it an extra long day, adding a weariness towards traveling we weren't prepared for. The bus makes me switch from tiredness to delirium to hyper really quickly. Its tiring, but you get a lot of sleep. It's strange. No worries though because I got a cute little cauldron full of beans. Forgot the name, sorry.

July 18

Today we saw the archeological ruins of Constantine’s home. I was really confused by the information… someone said he was born there.. but late they showed us a sort of map where his council took place and where he was greeted by visitors. I’m sure back then, home offices were as normal as they are today, so I guess it was both a governmental building and where he and his children were raised. Unfortuantely, a lot of the awesome stuff they had found digging wasn’t there. IT had been moved to a museum and would be on display after digging was over and funding had been received, all of which is hoped to be achieved by 2013. We saw a general layout of the place and you really had to use your imagination but I got the picture. Serbs loved that they bore a Roman emperor. One of the best, no less. 

We also saw the tower of skulls. That’s a messed up piece of history. I was also confused about this story because I can never hear or understand what people are saying. I’ve always sort of had poor hearing and this trip really capitalizes on that. The story is something like the Turks killed thousands of Serbs during a war and then made the survivors build a tower of the dead’s skulls, then politicized that tower as a sick and inhuman construct that the Serbs willingly made. I’m missing major details, but that’s what I got after a long bus ride in the heat, a small room with skulls looking at you, and thirty people in front of me. 

July 17

Today I went back to Lake Ada. On the way there my friend Megan and I found really good palacinka and pizza. It was just a little booth in the wall near the bus station, but it was incredible! I usually don’t like EuroKrem especially compared to Nutella, but Meg’s palacinka (which is just like a crepe) was so warm, fresh, and delicious I was completely won over. At the lake, some of my friends went bungee jumping. I watched form across the lake and they seemed really happy afterwards, which made me happy.

 

That night we ate and strolled around the Bohemian district. The Bohemnian district is an older part of town that has recently been known for its artistic and youthful culture. Imagine a Serbian Greenwich Village--- slightly more medieval with a European edge. At dinner, I got a strange cheese platter; that was really just one type of cheese and a lot of it. It was underwhelming but whatever. The best part of the night was the flea market. The entire street was lined with people selling things, and not just anything, but really gorgeous old jewelry, silverware, medals, knives, and a bunch of other vintage treasures. Unfortunately, on my budget nothing came home with me. I’ll go back one day. 

July 16- Supermarket & Cocktails

This was a great night. I found a place that felt like home… more than the Irish bar. It was a trendy place in the Bohemian district with GOOD (inventive) COCKTAILS! Yummy. A simple night out, but it was amazing. Our new friend, Kris, who we met in a coffee shop brought us. He’s originally from Macedonian, lives in Michigan, but interns here for the WHO. He’s a really great guy who knows how to have fun. Supermarket is a great place for food and cocktails but also has a shopping area similar to Anthropology. They had an entire warehouse style area next to the restaurant and incorporated into the bar with beautiful clothes, furniture, home goods, etc. Even though the inside was cool (even the bathrooms were interesting) we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful night. Just a great place overall. 

July 15- Tito’ Museum

This morning we went to Tito’s museum/mausoleum. It was strange but historically and culturally significant. Josip Broz Tito, aka Tito, was the critically claimed authoritarian/ positively proclaimed president ruler of the former Yugoslavia. Generally, he is known for keep nationalistic uprisings suppressed and ultimately keeping the southern Slavic republics and provinces united. His museum was interesting. A lot of it focused on fashion… I don’t know why. Back then everyone dressed well. I did see some of his beautiful ties; some from Yves Laurent, others 

hand-made in Italy and France. That was weird… considering he was a communist leader. Let’s be real though… everyone wants to look good. Those ties were gorgeous. His wife was better at looking understated; mostly white, or toned down colors, simply tailored dresses and suits. The rest of the museum involved a long building with cultural objects and treasure Tito had been given or collected through his life from leaders, countries, diplomats, and ambassadors. Many countries and regions were represented with their traditional instruments, garb, embroidery, weaponry, toys, etc.  

July 14- Dinner Cruise

Today we went on a dinner cruise on Northeastern’s bill. It was a beautiful outing with the group. We saw where the Sava met the Danube under twilight. I had an absolutely terrible beer… the worst. I don’t know what the hell was wrong with it. It was self-brewed… and I mean we were on a boat, so I guess that explains a lot. It was just terrible. I don’t know much about beer, but I know it has to do with color, clarity and taste. This draft had none of the above. We met some Australians, French, and half Serbians… they agreed. Some things speak just universally. Now I know beer is one of them. These guys we met were nice. You could tell they weren’t from Serbia because they dressed really well. I don’t mean to sound mean, but the men in Serbia mostly dress in t-shirts and denim Capri pants. I personally, do not find that attractive. I don’t want to focus on the negative, because the ride was really nice. It was a beautiful night out with the group. We listened to some “turbo-folk.” Turbo-folk is a European phenomenon. It’s sort of a cross between… well, geez I don’t know. A friend described it as house, or video game jams, combined with sing-a-long lyrics. That’s a great way to put it because the music is fast in tempo and everyone sings along. On this boat, we had an older gentleman, quite possibly the captain, just singing/mumbling lyrics in a karaoke microphone while a strobe light of green celestial dots danced across the entire boat. They played Frank Sinatra’s “On Broadway” at the beginning and end of the trip. The second time it was dedicated to us. It was absurd but charming night.

It got better. After that a group of us went to Freestyler, the main barge club in Beograd. It was like any other club, loud, expensive, flashy, but overall a really good time. It was a must-do in Beograd.

July 13- Soccer Game

Tonight I went to a Partizan v. Skendija football match. This was a game against Serbs and Albanians. I should start with saying that being a girl; I was heavily warned before going. A local friend of ours didn’t go saying that many people going to these matches are comparable to Neo-Nazis. My friend from India was warned as well, seeing that his skin was darker. He has already experienced different treatment here, not by all and nothing heinous, but still noticeable and obvious acts of racism. Before even getting into the stadium I understand the warnings. Of the thousands of people I saw, I could count the number of women on my hand. Large, white, rambunctious men swarmed the street, some in street clothes others heavily adorned in their teams colors. No one wore the Albanian colors of Black and Red. We arrived slightly late to the match, but I was glad because we saw the place in full swing. Players were already on the field, and the crowd was alive with chanting, flags, and a forceful energy. The game was exciting, in the end the Serbs won scoring four points in the second half and the Albanians not managing anything. More exciting than the game was the crowd; huge flags swarmed above us, and the stadium was literally vibrating from the yelling and jumping. This was all fun, but it was also extremely scary and certainly a learning experience on ethnic relations in Serbia. Chants included but were not limited to “Fuck Kosovo,” “Kill the Albanians,” “Milosevic! Milosevic! Milosevic!” etc. It was… intense. I survived though, and it was an experience.

Tuesday, July 12th

So, remember when I said I thought I had a bad sunburn, mixed with dehydration making my skin (mostly on my stomach) a sort of scaly mess? Trying to be responsible, I bought some aloe Vera and continued to drink a lot a lot of water. The water wasn’t helping so yesterday I put on the aloe Vera before class and got an insane burning reaction almost immediately. My chest and arms were fine, but my stomach felt as though someone was splattering hot oil all over my skin. It was pretty much unbearable so at the start of class I asked my professor to be excused and went the hotel, took a cool shower, and spent the rest of the day with cold compresses on my neck and stomach to cool down. The heat wave was still in full force; Belgrade has been the hottest city in Europe for the past couple of days. It also has India and Cairo beat. Needless to say I don’t think my skin was suffering a bad sunburn if aloe made it even more unbearable. I believe I have a heat rash. Heat rash is an inflammation of the skin, making part of your epidermis irritated and swollen thus trapping in sweat. It basically disallows your body to cool down, and instead creates and itchy and burning feeling when you heat up.

And it gets better… Exhausted and starving from the excitement of the day (I only ate a banana and orange earlier in the day and by this time it was around 8pm) I tentatively left my room with cold compresses  (wet bandanas) around my wrist in search of food, preferably vegetarian. After being outside for about 5 minutes, I feel my stomach starting to burn. More than pain, it creates anxiety in anticipation of the unbearable “hot oil” sensation. I begin crying and shaking in the street. I make it back to the hotel and bump into one of my two angelic roommates, and seeing my in a hysterical panic she asks me what I need. I demand food of any kind and throw 500 dinar at her, while apologizing, crying and just being a hot mess (literally). After she leaves on her crusade (she’s seriously an angel), the pain and anxiety level up to a full-blown attack. I begin hyperventilating, shaking, and can’t stand. After being on WebMD all day trying to treat heat rash, I fear the worse such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Damn WebMD. Barely breathing, I call my other roommate and ask her to call one of our professors. Then, I somehow crawl into the shower and turn on the cool water. Have I mentioned our bathroom doesn’t have a shower curtain? This is totally normal at the luxurious Hotel Slavija and gave my whole situation that lovable Serbian edge. Now there’s knocking at the door and its either my roommate or professor, so I manage to put on a bathing suit for whatever dignity I have left, open and the door and it’s both! One carrying a grocery bag full of McDonald’s and the other looking at me like a hysterical female. After an awkward inspection of my belly, that is now a bumpy, red, but manageable, my TA arrives with my other roommate. We spend the rest of the night in the park drinking bottles of water, eating massive amounts of McDonald’s and telling Chernobyl jokes (which I didn’t know existed). The end. 

Monday July 11--- Office of War Crimes/Organized Crimes Prosecutor, Republic of Serbia

This was an awesome visit. The spokesperson was impressive, knowledgeable, and promising to Serbia’s future. A major part of Serbia joining the E.U is giving up its war criminals. This is hard because its become extremely politicized. Some of these criminals are perceived as national heroes, some committed crimes in other countries so jurisdiction is debatable, and others simply have powerful friends. Zoran Djindjic, the former prime minister put this special court in place after the war in order to catch reform to release pressure from local authorities that simply could not keep up with the crimes committed during the conflict. War crimes in the 1990s were the core aspect of achieving goals, they were legitimized and politicized through ethnic disparity and they were used to cleanse any area of fear or violence (ironically) against the “other.” The prevalence was so high, no police force could adapt during or after the war. An interesting point during the dialogue was the importance of media re-sensitizing people to these atrocities. Absolutely no one was left untouched or unaffected, so instead of hyper-sensationalize media desensitizing the population, it actually helped people realize that these crimes were not normal and many of the main perpetrators deserved to be in jail.

Sunday, July 9th--- Day of Rest

This Sunday, I decided to sleep in, catch up on work, learn some Serbian phrases, and relax. Belgrade is very quiet on Sundays, most shops are closed and if not they close early. The more rested I am the more I can appreciate being here, and the more I can learn. I’ve realized this past week, my health and well-being is a sensitive balance of water, sleep, and diet. Bread and meat dominate the menus here, so I’ve begun shopping for fruits and veggies at the market. With every passing day I drink more water as well, and same with rest. I’m starting to pick and choose what I do during the days and nights here instead of trying to experience it all so not exhaust myself, crash, or worse… get cranky. I’ve been spending more time on my computer due to assignments and keeping in touch with family/friends. I hope that doesn’t increase or become normative. I also hope it cools down just a little bit... walking outside in this heat is almost scary. My skin is in bad shape due to sunburn and dehydration. It’s getting slightly better and I’ll be buying aloe in the near future. We also got hilariously tawdry fans for our room…but ours doesn’t work. Womp. 

Friday, July 8

Friday was our day off from classes and lectures. Some friends and I went to the “lake”--- which is actually a man made water hole a bus ride away from our hotel. It was lined with bars and restaurants but also had a wide variety of activities like paddle boats, bungee jumping, rollerblading, etc. It was so many things mixed into one--- beach, amusement park, and dining. 

The beach was a huge relief. Belgrade the past couple days has been teetering 100 degrees F, and the sun is relentlessly strong. The heat is pretty exhausting, coupled with long walks sightseeing/getting around the city, spotty night's sleep (again due to heat, street noise, early sunny mornings), etc. Here's a picture's view from my room. Nothing special, but it's an idea of where I am and what I've been seeing. 

Day 6

Our guest lecture on Thursday was more informative and inspiring when we met with the Zoran Djindjic Foundation. The foundation was founded in 2003 to commemorate the life and career of Zoran Djindjic, the former prime minister of Serbia. Djindjic was assassinated but his legacy lives on through the work of the foundation in where they privide interniships around Europe for exceptional Serbian students. This embodies the life and career of Djindjic because of his modern ideologies, work with youth, Western education, and overall inspriring charisma as many of the people that knew him would describe him. Djinidjic is a Serbian “epitome of democracy” for these reasons, plus he's very popular because many consider him the mastermind behind the arrest of Milosevic the former president and accused war criminal of Serbia. Djinidjic was in office for less than three years, but is fondly remembered as a source of political hope for Belgrade and Serbia.

(Here's the fund's website for more information: http://www.fond-djindjic.org/)

Thursday was also nice because we went out to  “family dinner” in Zemen, near the water. The entire group, even teachers, went out for a beautiful abundant meal with live music. The meal was bountiful and absolutely delicious. It started with bread naturally, then went to an assortment of salads, a large antipasta, fried olives, and mushrooms. Those were only the appetizers. Platters of fish with potatoes and spinach followed, then a large plate of assorted meats. The meal ended with a choice of dessert--- your choice of apple pie, chocolate cake, ice cream, or cheesecake. I forgot to say, but in Serbia, when feed a table one plate is brought out with food and the entire table shares it. It’s interesting because it’s like a full meal version of tapas.

 

Many of the things in Serbia remind me of many cultures, mixed with a certain characteristic all its own. I shared this idea with a friend I made later that evening. After dinner, the crew and I searched for the very popular clubs and bars that line the river. These clubs are usually on barges or large boats and have always seemed like a lot of fun. Interestingly, we stumbled onto one that looked extra glamorous and a little out of our league. It turned out to be the reception for Ms. Serbia, the newly crowned queen. No one seemed to mind we were there, and there was an open bar so naturally we stayed. We did get some strange looks but the queen was friendly enough to take pictures and like I said I made a few friends on the ship. I'm going to call him Rocky, because I didn't learn how to spell his name and that's what he allowed me to call him. He works in Rome but is originally from Serbia. We had a lovely conversation about the charms of Belgrade, and Serbia as a whole. We both agreed that although it shares similarities with other major European cities, there's an untouchable inexpressible characteristic that truly sets it apart. The charisma and heart of Serbia can truly be felt by anyone who comes here, and I assume that's why so many people have stayed and survived the clamorous history.

On the ship, I had my second experience with rakija. Rakija is an alcohol, very much like vodka but fermented with different types of fruit. My first experience with rakija was at a hookah bar with friends here, the first day. With all due respect, it was kind of disgusting. It was extremely strong with barely noticeable notes of apricot. It really put some hair on your chest, the smell itself burned your stomach. But! Happily, the rakija on for Miss Serbia was exceptional. It was smooth with a  plum aftertaste, and I loved it. Other drinks here are delicious as well. The most popular Serbian beers are Lav and Jelen. I like both of the a lot. Earlier in the night, two friends and I shared some Serbian wine. It was a Cabernet Sauvignon and accompanied the meal wonderfully.

Day 3

 In the afternoon, we had a meeting with BE92, a Serbian radio/tv station that has basically been involved with every major current event in former Yugoslavia’s modern history. The news channel was built from scratch and originally was only a radio station. They are heavily involved with Serbia’s major controversial affairs. Unfortunately, not much was discussed in the lecture by the station’s director. He mostly gave us the business end of things, but with out questions at the end we were able to learn a few things about the past political situation in former Yugoslavia. The director also informed us a bit about New Belgrade, where the station is located. It's considered the up and coming part of Belgrade, and much development has taken place there within the past decade. Unfortunately, since the recent economic collapse it's suffering. It has some of the best apartment complexes and housing, and they are all emptying out. He has faith in the economic turnaround though.

Today we had our first day of class, discussing a Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” and the many disputes around it. Our classes are held on the 16th floor of the "Belgrade Lady", a large skyscraper close to our hotel. I have no idea why they call it that but our classroom is provided to us by an independent Serbian University. It's quite amazing that the school is independent from the government. BE92 is actually one of its sponsors. 

Interestingly, after knowing of BE92 and its huge influence in the history of the Balkans we told one of our new local friends, Lazar, a waiter at one of our favorite restaurants, about our trip and he said BE92 is now heavily Americanized and not as respected as it once was. As government funding is cut and fundraising is difficult, that makes sense that BE92 has taken up some of Western ideals or whatever may be "popular" such as MTV, cartoons, political perspectives etc. Lazar is a really interesting guy. He's one of the few people here who talk openly and comfortably with us. His English is not so good, so we struggle at times but he's persistent and curious about America as well. He's very open about not being a fan of Croats, the issues in Kosovo, Albanians, but what he does like is blue eyes. As I'm a waitress back home, we talk about the different wages and living expenses expected of us. I make in two days what he makes in a month. Next time I see him, I want to ask him about rent, healthcare, and other major expenses in Serbia and how they relate to America. 

Day 2

So! I've been doing a lot here in Belgrade, between sight seeing, classes, guest lecturers, soaking up the city, nightlife, readings, and trying to get enough sleep I can't believe it's been only six days since leaving the USA. Each day is filled with so much I'll try to blog my experiences as coherently and forwardly as possible. Our first full day here was a favorite of mine. My day started with breakfast at the hotel where they offer bread, coffee, cereal, cheese, juice, water, and meat. My gooooodness, so much meat. That really goes for every Serbian meal I've experienced here... "vegetarian" isn't much of an option and meat usually consists of 3/4 of the meal. As a vegetarian I get by though and have no complaints. After breakfast we all met up to see the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava and the National Library. The original National Library was bombed during WWII and a new was opened in 1947. The church was built in 1935, and the interior is still being built. The outside is beautiful and impressive, it being the largest Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Europe. 

St. Sava is Serbia’s patron saint and its influence is seen largely around the city. Four hundred years after his death St. Sava’s bones were burnt on the site in where the church now sits. Originally a huge spiritual, violent, and cultural offense it is now seen somewhat positively as his ashes are now spread and throughout Belgrade.

 Continuing our tour through Belgrade, we saw Serbia’s ministries of defense. Half the buildings are modern and the other half are from around World War II. In 1999, one the ministry of Defense was bombed by the US and has yet to be torn down or rebuilt. The original stair-like architectural design of the building was inspired by the Bosnian mountains where guerilla warfare against Nazis, traitors, etc. took place. The ruins have yet to be torn down or remodeled because of political disagreements and financial reasons. 

Making the way through the city and seeing many things, the largest and most beautiful sightseeing was at the Belgrade Fortress known as Kalemegdan, meaning the Great Duel. This fortress was built by the Celts (3^rd c.b.c) then later the Illyrians, Romans, Serbs, Hungarians, Byzantines, Austrians and Turks. It passed through so many hands because it was extremely strategically important as it lays on the convergence of two rivers, the Sava and Danube. The island created by the Sava and Danube is known as the Great War Island due to its strategic importance and the many wars and battles its has seen. From the fortress you can see one of the four the Hungarian towers that mark the borders of the Hungarian Empire. 

I really enjoyed the rivers, not only because I love the water and the bucolic scenery that accompanies it, but these particular rivers remind me of one of my favorite paintings by Thomas Cole "View from Mount Holyoke Northampton Massachusetts, After a Thunderstorm, the Oxbow". In both scenes, the rivers bend and snake through the landscape charging the composition with serene energy. This is just one of the ways I've brought together my studies in America to my studies in the Balkans. Through this dialogue, I want to try to connect these worlds and remind myself the they are both unique but not altogether different.

After the fortress we found a nearby place to have lunch. There I had my first experience paying for a bathroom. It was really confusing and I had to ask my TA if it was normal or if this little old lady in front of the bathroom is trying to rip me off. It only cost 10 dinar, which equals about ten cents. I was tempted to ask if it costs more to go number two, but I have no idea how to say that in Serbian. 

After lunch and an afternoon coffee in the philosopher’s pavilion  we met with the Catholic bishop. Our purpose on meeting with him was to better understand the tumultuous history of the warring religions in the Balkans: Catholicism and Serbian Orthodox. Between the two religions, both parties have expierenced a lot of violence and tension and the archbishop now, is trying to start a dialogue and culture of understanding to ease the pain of a very complex history. The entire cathedral is 

decorated to convey this message. For instance, the doors are decorated with two "lungs"--- one representing the Catholic faith and saying "Pax" in the Latin alphabet, and the other representing Serbian Orthodoxy and it saying "Peace" in Cyrillic. The message being that the nation needs both lungs to breathe and provide its people with faith, peace, love and understanding. Another mural in the church represented the sisters Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary with their sons St. John the Baptist and Jesus Christ respectively, reaching out to each other to speak. This step towards touch and conversation, as the bishop said, represented the first step we must all be brave enough to take in order to open up the pathways of conversation. With his lectures and answers to our questions, it seems that, although a slow process the dialogue is possible and even successful in some ways between the two religions.