The propaganda machine is in full-blast mode here. There are posters, graffiti, and rumors everywhere. Everyday there are new posters pasted on buildings, walls, columns, and buses. Usually they are just posted right on top of the previous day’s posters. Sometimes somebody takes the time to rip off the posters underneath. It seems like it is a mini-competition between Tadić and Nikolić (the two candidates who are in the second round of the presidential elections) supporters to see who can keep their signs on top. When I walk by a building in the morning, I see Tadić posters, but when I return buy there are Nikolić posters.
Presidential candidate posters aren’t the only posters making the rounds. As I mentioned a few months ago, there are huge signs in the pedestrian underpasses posted about Kosovo. (They say, “It was, It is, and It always will be”). Originally these posters were only posted in English and Serbian, but now new languages have been added. I have seen them in Japanese, French, and German. These posters don’t get ripped down or covered up because they are in glass cases so they are one of the constants in a stream of ever-changing posters. In addition to these posters, a recent appearance has been made by more Kosovo posters (in English, Serbian, and German). The English translation left me confused; it says, “Ahead for Kosmet!” From far way, I was thoroughly confused as to whether this message was supposed to be pro-independence or anti-independence. Was it a “Kosovo will continue to forge ahead for independence” message or a “We will continue to forge ahead in our campaign against Kosovo independence”? I tried to look up the words from the Serbian poster in my dictionary. Well, this proved unhelpful since the first word listed was ‘head.’ Looking further is had the word ‘ahead’ listed as well. This clarified nothing for me. So, last night I was walking around the city with a few of my friends. J (who is Serbian), was kind enough to provide a translation for J (the American one – she is also from Indiana) and I. Her translation was that they were actually saying “A head for Kosovo!” As in, “Give your head up for Kosovo.” We also looked closer at the posters and found that there was a web address and a nationalist symbol on the poster. So, the nationalist propaganda continues.
Then there is the graffiti. Graffiti in Belgrade is a political act. Most of the graffiti here is not the meaningless tagging that appears in the U.S. (Tagging = graffiti that is the “artist’s” name or symbol). There is some of that here (particularly of the type proclaiming that Jane loves John forever), but I would say at least two-thirds of the graffiti here has some political or social message. Which makes it very interesting. Since my arrival, I have been seeing “We won’t give up Kosovo!” everywhere. I have also seen a lot of the “Kosovo is Serbia!” variety. These are usually accompanied by a web address for a ultra-nationalist group.
The recent addition to the graffiti of Belgrade is the message saying “EU? No thank you.” J (the Hoosier) and I found this really funny that they would remain so polite about it (because EU, No thank you does not rhyme in Serbian so they weren’t going for poetry there). [The political context for this graffiti (in a nutshell) is the following: There is currently a lot of debate amongst Serbians as to whether or not they should join the EU (or more realistically, move towards joining the EU). One of the huge differences between the presidential candidates is that Tadić is pro-EU and Nikolić is against Serbia joining the EU.
The last venue of the propaganda (or the last I am going to discuss) lies in the rumors that have been generated regarding Hollywood actors and Kosovo. On Friday, during my mid-class break several of my fellow students were talking politics. The Kosovo question came up and the three of the students in my class made comments about their feelings on the subject. All three supported Serbia’s claim to Kosovo. I was not surprised that the Russian felt this way, but I was a little surprised the Australian and the student from Cyprus wholeheartedly supported Serbia. However, they are all three married to Serbians. One of the students then informed us that a lot of Hollywood actors are supporting Serbia and are against Kosovo independence. The actors specifically mentioned were George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie.
Last night when I went out for coffee with J and J (the Hoosier and the Serbian) we discussed this rumor. J, the Serbian, had heard that George Clooney and Sharon Stone were against Kosovo independence and were willing to lead a protest. We discussed our surprise that U.S. movie stars would take such an interest in the issue and have such strong positions (particularly ones that are against the mainstream U.S. opinion or at least the U.S. policy). We decided this was something we needed to google when we returned to their apartment. As soon as we returned from the cafe, I googled it. I found a lot about George Clooney and Sharon Stone in connection to the Kosovo issue. Apparently, George Clooney’s publicist has made a statement saying that George Clooney never made a statement against Kosovo independence. I found two separate articles trying to trace the statement back to the original source. One claimed it was first published in a German newspaper, while another article claimed it first appeared in a Serbian television news clip. Whatever the case, it is viewed as fact there that George Clooney is supporting Serbia’s claims to Kosovo. I did find this reported on several major Serbian news sites (a few of which have sense run retractions with the statement from Clooney’s publicist).
I did not find anything on google about Brad Pitt or Angeline Jolie making statements about Kosovo. I did find some Serbian nationalist websites that were claiming that Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, and Sean Connery were all supporting Serbia on this issue (along with George Clooney and Sharon Stone). However, when I tried to verify these statements nothing came up. I could only find these sorts of claims on Serbian nationalist websites and message boards. I sincerely doubt that any of these celebrities came out and supported Serbia and made statements against an independent Kosovo. Perhaps, the y did, but I doubt it. The point is that it is viewed as fact here by many people that they are supporting Serbia. The propaganda machine is hard at work and they are not only using international historical figures (such as President Lincoln, JFK, President Washington, Churchill, etc.), but they are also creating modern edge to their campaign by using international movie stars and celebrities. So far no billboards have been posted with a quote (used out of context as the quotes of JFK, Lincoln, Churchill, and Washington are being used) by George Clooney (which of course would be accompanied by a picture).
P.S. Don't miss the other new post entitled New Year's Eve.
Monday, January 28, 2008
New Year's Eve
As I have previously mentioned, I have several blog entries that I have started and not finished from the past month (since Christmas until now). My new strategy is to add the finishing touches to one each time I post a new entry. So, for the next few entries expect something new and something old (but new to you).
This was my first New Year's Eve in a big city. I keep trying to decide if that is what made it feel so different from my normal New Year's Eve experience. Or was it the fact that it was in a different country? Or that it was celebrated in a different language? Or that I wasn't with old friends and family? I still haven't decided, but here is some highlights from the evening.
My supervisor felt that it was very important that I was not alone for New Year’s Eve. While I appreciated her thought, I think by this point I would have loved some alone time after weeks of business, stress, and exhaustion. Of course, I ended up listening to my supervisor’s proposal and coming to the office to celebrate as she suggested. For New Year’s Eve I came to the office and had a delicious dinner with Vi and S, two of the WiB activists. We had pork chops, bread, vegetables, and baked potatoes. I had baked some chocolate chip cookies earlier for my landlords and brought a few that were leftover for dessert. We then sat around and chatted, watched TV, and dallied around on the Internet until it was deemed late enough to go out. Vi decided she wanted to stay at the office to chat online with some of her friends rather than go out with S and I. I think she has some sort of online boyfriend. So, at 10:30 pm S and I made our way out into the cold, windy streets of Belgrade in search of a celebration. And here is what we found:
We made our way to one of the square in front of the parliament building. There was a pop musician singing on stage. It was very crowded. There were lots of people and we spent a lot of time pushing our way through trying to find someplace where we could see the show. Each time we found a spot were could see (as long as we looked through the “window” of the heads in front of us) S would decide we needed to move to a better spot. Several times it was because she thought we could find an even better view. Once the reasoning was that the people standing next to us were very drunk (and only getting more so) and she was afraid they would turn into a rowdy bunch. Twice she decided we needed to move because the spot in front of us had become a “path” for others to push their way through (meaning we were getting a lot of elbows and there was a near constant stream of people moving around us). In the end, we ended up in a spot where I was able to catch rare glimpses of the stage and the performer through the heads swimming above me. However, she had finally decided that we were probably not going to find a better spot and should just stay in one place (which was along my line of thinking after the first move – when we could both see fine, weren’t surrounded by drunkards, and weren’t being constantly pushed by the crowd). So I rang in the New Year smashed between some guy’s smelly armpit and S, relishing in the fact that I could join the crowd in counting backwards from ten to one (which I would have been unable to do had New Year’s Eve come one month earlier), shivering with cold, and wishing I were sitting in my apartment with a nice cup of cocoa and a book. As soon as we shouted one, we saw fireworks in the sky. People did not break out into Auld Lang Syne, but did give each other the traditional hug, kiss, and well wishes. S and I wished each other a Happy New Year. Along with the traditional methods of celebration (hugs, kisses, cheering, and well wishes), there was an additional celebratory method that was new to me: firecrackers.
We stayed at the square for another fifteen or twenty minutes watching the fireworks and listening to the music. We then started to walk towards Republika Square to catch some of the performance there (a popular band had been playing there). The short walk to Republika Square was anything but peaceful because of the previously mentioned firecrackers. Several times our route spontaneously changed in an effort to avoid the firecrackers. Once or twice I made a quick jump to the left or the right so the firecracker would go off near me, but not on me.
People were setting them off everywhere. It sounded like gunfire or explosions. Not something you want to hear in the midst of a huge crowd. People would be walking and throwing them as they walked. The police officers just stood watching people light them up and throw them. I’m not sure if this was because this was all considered perfectly legal and normal, or because they decided not to bother since there were so many people with firecrackers.
I just know that all the firecrackers, loud noises, smoke, and sudden exploding noises made me really nervous. So, S and I stayed for about 20-30 minutes at the Republika Square concert and then we headed back to the office. That was enough excitement for me. I was ready to head back to the warmth of the office. S and I walked back to the office and then we spent time browsing the internet, chatting, and eventually sleeping. Overall, it was an enjoyable New Year’s Eve (minus the firecrackers). I think in the end I am glad my supervisor insisted on a New Year's Eve with others; it ended up being fun and it was definitely something to remember.
I did not really celebrate Serbian New Year’s since New Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday night (January 13th) and I had class the following morning. Also, I didn’t really know anyone who was actively celebrating it. My understanding is that it is more of a quiet family celebration. I spent the evening in my apartment reading, washing dishes, and cleaning. At midnight, I was able to look out my window and see lots of fireworks and lots of teenage boys running around screaming and setting off firecrackers. I closed the curtains and went to sleep.
This was my first New Year's Eve in a big city. I keep trying to decide if that is what made it feel so different from my normal New Year's Eve experience. Or was it the fact that it was in a different country? Or that it was celebrated in a different language? Or that I wasn't with old friends and family? I still haven't decided, but here is some highlights from the evening.
My supervisor felt that it was very important that I was not alone for New Year’s Eve. While I appreciated her thought, I think by this point I would have loved some alone time after weeks of business, stress, and exhaustion. Of course, I ended up listening to my supervisor’s proposal and coming to the office to celebrate as she suggested. For New Year’s Eve I came to the office and had a delicious dinner with Vi and S, two of the WiB activists. We had pork chops, bread, vegetables, and baked potatoes. I had baked some chocolate chip cookies earlier for my landlords and brought a few that were leftover for dessert. We then sat around and chatted, watched TV, and dallied around on the Internet until it was deemed late enough to go out. Vi decided she wanted to stay at the office to chat online with some of her friends rather than go out with S and I. I think she has some sort of online boyfriend. So, at 10:30 pm S and I made our way out into the cold, windy streets of Belgrade in search of a celebration. And here is what we found:
We made our way to one of the square in front of the parliament building. There was a pop musician singing on stage. It was very crowded. There were lots of people and we spent a lot of time pushing our way through trying to find someplace where we could see the show. Each time we found a spot were could see (as long as we looked through the “window” of the heads in front of us) S would decide we needed to move to a better spot. Several times it was because she thought we could find an even better view. Once the reasoning was that the people standing next to us were very drunk (and only getting more so) and she was afraid they would turn into a rowdy bunch. Twice she decided we needed to move because the spot in front of us had become a “path” for others to push their way through (meaning we were getting a lot of elbows and there was a near constant stream of people moving around us). In the end, we ended up in a spot where I was able to catch rare glimpses of the stage and the performer through the heads swimming above me. However, she had finally decided that we were probably not going to find a better spot and should just stay in one place (which was along my line of thinking after the first move – when we could both see fine, weren’t surrounded by drunkards, and weren’t being constantly pushed by the crowd). So I rang in the New Year smashed between some guy’s smelly armpit and S, relishing in the fact that I could join the crowd in counting backwards from ten to one (which I would have been unable to do had New Year’s Eve come one month earlier), shivering with cold, and wishing I were sitting in my apartment with a nice cup of cocoa and a book. As soon as we shouted one, we saw fireworks in the sky. People did not break out into Auld Lang Syne, but did give each other the traditional hug, kiss, and well wishes. S and I wished each other a Happy New Year. Along with the traditional methods of celebration (hugs, kisses, cheering, and well wishes), there was an additional celebratory method that was new to me: firecrackers.
We stayed at the square for another fifteen or twenty minutes watching the fireworks and listening to the music. We then started to walk towards Republika Square to catch some of the performance there (a popular band had been playing there). The short walk to Republika Square was anything but peaceful because of the previously mentioned firecrackers. Several times our route spontaneously changed in an effort to avoid the firecrackers. Once or twice I made a quick jump to the left or the right so the firecracker would go off near me, but not on me.
People were setting them off everywhere. It sounded like gunfire or explosions. Not something you want to hear in the midst of a huge crowd. People would be walking and throwing them as they walked. The police officers just stood watching people light them up and throw them. I’m not sure if this was because this was all considered perfectly legal and normal, or because they decided not to bother since there were so many people with firecrackers.
I just know that all the firecrackers, loud noises, smoke, and sudden exploding noises made me really nervous. So, S and I stayed for about 20-30 minutes at the Republika Square concert and then we headed back to the office. That was enough excitement for me. I was ready to head back to the warmth of the office. S and I walked back to the office and then we spent time browsing the internet, chatting, and eventually sleeping. Overall, it was an enjoyable New Year’s Eve (minus the firecrackers). I think in the end I am glad my supervisor insisted on a New Year's Eve with others; it ended up being fun and it was definitely something to remember.
I did not really celebrate Serbian New Year’s since New Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday night (January 13th) and I had class the following morning. Also, I didn’t really know anyone who was actively celebrating it. My understanding is that it is more of a quiet family celebration. I spent the evening in my apartment reading, washing dishes, and cleaning. At midnight, I was able to look out my window and see lots of fireworks and lots of teenage boys running around screaming and setting off firecrackers. I closed the curtains and went to sleep.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
How much is that doggie in the window?
Today on my way to work I saw a dog in a window. I was looking out the window of my bus and noticed a dog sitting in the display window of an abandoned building. I'm not sure what it was doing there. I know it wasn't for sale. It didn't seem to be just another stray dog on the streets; it was well-groomed and had a collar. I have no explanation for this. Just wanted to share the bizarre happenings of Belgrade with everyone.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Election Day
Today is the presidential elections. Last night I went for a coffee with my friend J. We then went back to her apartment to hang out, do my laundry, and watch some TV on DVD. I ended up staying the night and we ended up talking until (and through) the wee hours of the morning. We talked about our experiences as Americans living in Serbia, J's tale of her first Serbian police encounter (which were not reassuring), and the today's presidential elections.
J had watched a segment on the international yesterday talking about the importance of these elections in regards to Serbia's future. I had read articles saying the same thing. Basically, the outcome from today's election is to show whether or not Serbia is ready to move forward and join the European community. Although there are several different candidates running for president, there are two main candidates (two candidates who are considered to have an actual chance of winning). The two main candidates, Boris Tadic (the current president) and Tomislav Nikolic have diverging opinions on what Serbia's relationship with the European Union should look like. Tadic campaign platform is a "Strong and Stable Serbia" advocating for Serbia to move towards membership in the European Union. Nikolic is seen to be very anti-Western and advocates for stronger ties to Russia. Both are against Kosovo independence, but Nikolic's rhetoric is much stronger in regards to actions Serbia would take if Kosovo became independent (and was recognized by the U.S. and European countries).
The most recent information I have been able to find on the internet shows Nikolic leading the polls with less than 20% of the votes counted. The official results will be announced by Thursday. According to the polls, Nikolic is supposed to "win" this round of the elections. Of course, the other thing to be mentioned is that a second election (a run-off between the top two candidates) will be held on February 3rd since Serbian law requires the winner to have at least 50% of the vote to be declared president. I can only hope that the less nationalist candidate, Tadic, will win the second round by pulling a greater majority of the voters who voted for other candidates in the first round.
J and I talked about what it would mean for the future of Serbia if the more nationalist candidate (both of leading candiates easily fall into the category of nationalist), Nikolic, were to win. We selfishly wondered if it would have any effects on our lives as Americans living here. Would anti-Western sentiment increase? But, I think we both knew that the more important questions lied in how it would effect the future of Serbia and Serbians. Although, Tadic is not advocating a true break with the past or a real confrontation of the past, I guess it seems more likely that these things are more likely to occur under someone who is less hostile towards them. Confronting the past and transitional justice (they go hand in hand) are two of the biggest components of WiB's work. It would be nice if some sort of shift occurred here creating a better reception to these concepts (and WiB's work) among citizens here. I don't think it would magically occur by Tadic being elected since he is the current president. His re-election would be more of a continuation of the status quo, but at least this status quo seems to be more open to these ideas than the alternative candidate. Unfortunately, the candidate who seems to be the most likely to bring this systemic shift in values is not a frontrunner and will not win (he is also the candiate who best matches my, and WiB's, values and ideals).
J and I also discussed why the nationalist candidates are popular. Most of J's Serbian friends are very liberal and do not acurately reflect the whole of Serbian society. The same is very true of most of my friends (which are mainly through WiB). She talked about how it seemed to her that people are age (in their 20s) want to join the EU and Western society; she then admitted to making these comments on the basis of her interactions with her friends. We discussed we both lived insular lives in some ways in regards to the "true Serbia": we both interact with Serbians who are do not have the same political ideologies and values as the majority of Serbians. I shared with her the conversation I had with with my landlady, D, following the street action on December 10th. I found it very insightful.
When I was talking to D about the huge turnout of fascist/neonazis to demonstrate against our street action, I mentioned that even though Rachel had forewarned me I was still a bit surprised at how young they were. Somehow it took actually seeing them to get out of my mind the image of a middle aged man as the typical fascist, neo-nazi. However, the majority of the men who showed up were around my age (in their 20s). I mentioned that to me it didn't make sense since I had always thought that after a war the next generation is very set on rebuilding the nation, and breaking with the past. D said that to her it makes perfect sense that they are younger. She said that most of them had never been outside of Serbia and knew nothing but Serbia. She is in her late 30s/early 40s. Therefore, she mentioned how she had gotten the benefit of traveling since she grew up under Tito when Yugoslavia was a buffer between the East and the West and citizens got the benefit of traveling to wherever. She talked about how when this generation was growing up not only were they subjected to the massive propaganda and nationalist media campaigns, but they also weren't able to travel outside of the country due to the sanctions imposed upon Serbians. There were alot of problems getting visas, and most people could not even entertain the idea of being able to afford to travel due to the economic recession. She talked about how as a result this created a very insulated society/generation. Resulting in a bunch of young men belonging to nationalist, neo-nazi groups and coming to demonstrate against our street action.
I've attached some links to various articles about the candidates, the elections, and the results if you want to look them up. I noticed that there doesn't seem to be much coverage on the elections in the US media (or at least the media I've encountered via the internet).
http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7452/ -- This one talks about preliminary results and the high turnout at the polls.
http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7450/ -- This one gives a runddown of the various candidates and some basic information on them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7198481.stm -- This one also talks about preliminary results of today's election. It talks a bit more about the duties of the Serbian president and the importance of Kosovo in today's election.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7196896.stm -- This offers really good basic information on the different election issues and the election process.
Those are my ramblings of the night.
J had watched a segment on the international yesterday talking about the importance of these elections in regards to Serbia's future. I had read articles saying the same thing. Basically, the outcome from today's election is to show whether or not Serbia is ready to move forward and join the European community. Although there are several different candidates running for president, there are two main candidates (two candidates who are considered to have an actual chance of winning). The two main candidates, Boris Tadic (the current president) and Tomislav Nikolic have diverging opinions on what Serbia's relationship with the European Union should look like. Tadic campaign platform is a "Strong and Stable Serbia" advocating for Serbia to move towards membership in the European Union. Nikolic is seen to be very anti-Western and advocates for stronger ties to Russia. Both are against Kosovo independence, but Nikolic's rhetoric is much stronger in regards to actions Serbia would take if Kosovo became independent (and was recognized by the U.S. and European countries).
The most recent information I have been able to find on the internet shows Nikolic leading the polls with less than 20% of the votes counted. The official results will be announced by Thursday. According to the polls, Nikolic is supposed to "win" this round of the elections. Of course, the other thing to be mentioned is that a second election (a run-off between the top two candidates) will be held on February 3rd since Serbian law requires the winner to have at least 50% of the vote to be declared president. I can only hope that the less nationalist candidate, Tadic, will win the second round by pulling a greater majority of the voters who voted for other candidates in the first round.
J and I talked about what it would mean for the future of Serbia if the more nationalist candidate (both of leading candiates easily fall into the category of nationalist), Nikolic, were to win. We selfishly wondered if it would have any effects on our lives as Americans living here. Would anti-Western sentiment increase? But, I think we both knew that the more important questions lied in how it would effect the future of Serbia and Serbians. Although, Tadic is not advocating a true break with the past or a real confrontation of the past, I guess it seems more likely that these things are more likely to occur under someone who is less hostile towards them. Confronting the past and transitional justice (they go hand in hand) are two of the biggest components of WiB's work. It would be nice if some sort of shift occurred here creating a better reception to these concepts (and WiB's work) among citizens here. I don't think it would magically occur by Tadic being elected since he is the current president. His re-election would be more of a continuation of the status quo, but at least this status quo seems to be more open to these ideas than the alternative candidate. Unfortunately, the candidate who seems to be the most likely to bring this systemic shift in values is not a frontrunner and will not win (he is also the candiate who best matches my, and WiB's, values and ideals).
J and I also discussed why the nationalist candidates are popular. Most of J's Serbian friends are very liberal and do not acurately reflect the whole of Serbian society. The same is very true of most of my friends (which are mainly through WiB). She talked about how it seemed to her that people are age (in their 20s) want to join the EU and Western society; she then admitted to making these comments on the basis of her interactions with her friends. We discussed we both lived insular lives in some ways in regards to the "true Serbia": we both interact with Serbians who are do not have the same political ideologies and values as the majority of Serbians. I shared with her the conversation I had with with my landlady, D, following the street action on December 10th. I found it very insightful.
When I was talking to D about the huge turnout of fascist/neonazis to demonstrate against our street action, I mentioned that even though Rachel had forewarned me I was still a bit surprised at how young they were. Somehow it took actually seeing them to get out of my mind the image of a middle aged man as the typical fascist, neo-nazi. However, the majority of the men who showed up were around my age (in their 20s). I mentioned that to me it didn't make sense since I had always thought that after a war the next generation is very set on rebuilding the nation, and breaking with the past. D said that to her it makes perfect sense that they are younger. She said that most of them had never been outside of Serbia and knew nothing but Serbia. She is in her late 30s/early 40s. Therefore, she mentioned how she had gotten the benefit of traveling since she grew up under Tito when Yugoslavia was a buffer between the East and the West and citizens got the benefit of traveling to wherever. She talked about how when this generation was growing up not only were they subjected to the massive propaganda and nationalist media campaigns, but they also weren't able to travel outside of the country due to the sanctions imposed upon Serbians. There were alot of problems getting visas, and most people could not even entertain the idea of being able to afford to travel due to the economic recession. She talked about how as a result this created a very insulated society/generation. Resulting in a bunch of young men belonging to nationalist, neo-nazi groups and coming to demonstrate against our street action.
I've attached some links to various articles about the candidates, the elections, and the results if you want to look them up. I noticed that there doesn't seem to be much coverage on the elections in the US media (or at least the media I've encountered via the internet).
http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7452/ -- This one talks about preliminary results and the high turnout at the polls.
http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7450/ -- This one gives a runddown of the various candidates and some basic information on them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7198481.stm -- This one also talks about preliminary results of today's election. It talks a bit more about the duties of the Serbian president and the importance of Kosovo in today's election.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7196896.stm -- This offers really good basic information on the different election issues and the election process.
Those are my ramblings of the night.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Something to tide you over...
I wrote this to be put in the BVS newsletter and thought I would share it all with you since I haven't gotten around yet to posting my other entries that I have been working on. So, here is something to tide you over until I get those posted.
I walked away from work yesterday with two big questions running through my mind: How does one stand up and defend a faith that has been all too malicious and destructive in the past? Even more importantly, now does one talk about your personal faith when your own understanding of faith is in constant flux? Yesterday, I spent the afternoon interviewing M, a colleague of mine. Another NGO had sent us a survey to fill out on fundamentalism, and I wanted her assistance in answering the questions. I spent almost two hours asking her questions about the current relationship between religion and the Serbian government. Serbia suffers from a lack of religious diversity. The main church is the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC); this church is closely associated with the nationalist government. It also had a very controversial role in the Balkan wars; many soldiers were blessed by the SPC before being sent out to commit genocide. It’s not exactly the model of Christian love. Therefore, most of the activists in the Women in Black office have a very negative view of religion. Most of the activists are adamant atheists.
Towards the end of the survey the questions asked what we thought would be the perfect relationship between a state and the religious communities. M’s answer was that she couldn’t accurately answer that question because she was a radical Marxist and wishes religion didn’t exist. She believes that the belief in a higher power denies one the ability to have true ethical morals. In her mind, there can’t be true freedom while you believe in a higher power; a belief in a higher power means that all of one’s actions are motivated by a notion of that higher power’s ethical morals, and by feelings guilt. M talked about in how in her experience she had encountered two types of Christians. The first type used their religion as a motivator for oppression and violence. The second type found their hope in the knowledge that a better world is coming (the afterlife), but this hope allowed them to sit idly by as injustice, poverty, and suffering occurred. These Christians may be pacifists and believe in justice, but they are not activists.
I talked to her about the third type of Christians that I know, the ones who maintain a belief in God and are also activists. She conceded that there were many Christians in the United States who lived lives of activism, but it was a type of activism she couldn’t support. Activists who would deny her friends rights based upon their sexual orientation or their reproductive choices. They were activists fighting against the very values of Women in Black – human rights and women’s rights. I responded that among the third type of Christians that I know there are those who actively work for peace and justice here and now. She said that Rachel, the previous BVSer, was the first Christian she had met (or even heard of) that was an activist of this type. She pointed out that Rachel’s church is very small. At this point, I couldn’t really argue with her; the number of Christians in the United States subscribing to a life of peace and justice activism does seem small. I didn’t know how to defend Christians for being so apathetic and so myopic. As I sat there thinking about how I could respond to her comments, I realized that I don’t know. I don’t have an adequate response. As much as I wish it were different, I doubt the next two years will bring the answers to those questions, or the many other doubts and questions I have regarding Christianity. The one thing I am sure of is that my understanding of faith will continue to be challenged and changed. And for now, I’m okay with that.
I walked away from work yesterday with two big questions running through my mind: How does one stand up and defend a faith that has been all too malicious and destructive in the past? Even more importantly, now does one talk about your personal faith when your own understanding of faith is in constant flux? Yesterday, I spent the afternoon interviewing M, a colleague of mine. Another NGO had sent us a survey to fill out on fundamentalism, and I wanted her assistance in answering the questions. I spent almost two hours asking her questions about the current relationship between religion and the Serbian government. Serbia suffers from a lack of religious diversity. The main church is the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC); this church is closely associated with the nationalist government. It also had a very controversial role in the Balkan wars; many soldiers were blessed by the SPC before being sent out to commit genocide. It’s not exactly the model of Christian love. Therefore, most of the activists in the Women in Black office have a very negative view of religion. Most of the activists are adamant atheists.
Towards the end of the survey the questions asked what we thought would be the perfect relationship between a state and the religious communities. M’s answer was that she couldn’t accurately answer that question because she was a radical Marxist and wishes religion didn’t exist. She believes that the belief in a higher power denies one the ability to have true ethical morals. In her mind, there can’t be true freedom while you believe in a higher power; a belief in a higher power means that all of one’s actions are motivated by a notion of that higher power’s ethical morals, and by feelings guilt. M talked about in how in her experience she had encountered two types of Christians. The first type used their religion as a motivator for oppression and violence. The second type found their hope in the knowledge that a better world is coming (the afterlife), but this hope allowed them to sit idly by as injustice, poverty, and suffering occurred. These Christians may be pacifists and believe in justice, but they are not activists.
I talked to her about the third type of Christians that I know, the ones who maintain a belief in God and are also activists. She conceded that there were many Christians in the United States who lived lives of activism, but it was a type of activism she couldn’t support. Activists who would deny her friends rights based upon their sexual orientation or their reproductive choices. They were activists fighting against the very values of Women in Black – human rights and women’s rights. I responded that among the third type of Christians that I know there are those who actively work for peace and justice here and now. She said that Rachel, the previous BVSer, was the first Christian she had met (or even heard of) that was an activist of this type. She pointed out that Rachel’s church is very small. At this point, I couldn’t really argue with her; the number of Christians in the United States subscribing to a life of peace and justice activism does seem small. I didn’t know how to defend Christians for being so apathetic and so myopic. As I sat there thinking about how I could respond to her comments, I realized that I don’t know. I don’t have an adequate response. As much as I wish it were different, I doubt the next two years will bring the answers to those questions, or the many other doubts and questions I have regarding Christianity. The one thing I am sure of is that my understanding of faith will continue to be challenged and changed. And for now, I’m okay with that.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
My Many Christmases in Belgrade
Katie and Tory (the other two BVS volunteers in the Balkans) and I spent the month before Christmas emailing back and forth about where we could go for Christmas; we looked into various possibilities and places we could go. In the end we decided, what better place could we spend Christmas than Belgrade? So, Katie and Tory came to stay with me in Belgrade for the week. They arrived on Sunday night and planned to stay for the entire week. We had grand plans of hot chocolate, movies, museums, and fun. Of course, since this is Serbia not all when as planned.
December 24th – Christmas Eve
My Christmas Eve in Belgrade was lovely. On Monday (Christmas Eve), the WiB office planned a Christmas party for me. They made a turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and other delicious items. They had decorated the office with Christmas lights (a string of plastic Santa lights) and had even borrowed a miniature Christmas tree from another NGO. They also had some small gifts for me. I got lots of small items to hang up in my apartment, a teapot with built in tea strainer, a hat, and other small items. It was very sweet of them. Since I had a sneaking suspicion gifts would be making an appearance at the Christmas Eve dinner I had made lots of chocolate chip cookies. I had spent all day making them, wrapping up the cookies in saran wrap, and tying them up with green Christmas garland; this was especially an adventure since I am still trying to get the hang of the my oven and converting recipes for the different measurements (grams) and temperature (I’m sure another reason it took so long might be that instead of quadrupling the recipe I made four different batches individually). However, I was really glad I spent all day slaving in the kitchen just because it made me more comfortable about accepting their gifts (knowing some of them are not steadily employed and with that whole volunteer, privileged middle class guilt thing going on). Tory and Katie came along with me of course and my boss seemed very excited for them to be there (especially Tory, she kept forgetting Katie's name even though it should have been easy to remember). My boss proposed (meaning proposed in a manner that says, “You will do this”) to Tory and Katie that they stay until Sunday instead of Saturday so they could join us (WiB) in the yearly trip to Panćevo to mark the anniversary of the death of a WiB activist; Katie and Tory said they were glad to join so the pressure wasn't a bad pressure per say. She also insisted that we go out one night to a club with N* (a young WiB activist) and some other younger activists (saying she would go but she is not young and too old to go out with us); she said she would arrange it all for us and was very 'persuasive' in the need for this to happen. I told Katie and Tory that if they weren't keen on this idea we could talk to N about cancelling it or talk to N about making it a more low-key evening (coffee time or something). I think the three of us agreed the coffee idea would be the best. (However, this – or the originally proposed clubbing -- actually never materialized because my supervisor forgot to pass along her proposal/idea to N). All in all Christmas Eve was a wonderful evening. It was a bit surreal and didn’t quite feel like Christmas since neither of the things I associate most with Christmas Eve were a part of the evening (family and the annual Christmas Eve service). Also, I had been fighting off an ear infection (which turned into a double ear infection sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning) so I felt a bit light-headed and drowsy the entire evening. Aside from the fact I was sick, for my first Christmas away from home things didn’t seem too bad.
In fact, I think it could be argued that the drowsiness brought on by the ear infections might have added to the whole dreamy, love-makes-the-world-go-round, Christmas effect. The entire night I had difficulty hearing what people were actually saying so I just kept smiling, nodding my head, and assuming everyone was speaking words of Christmas joy, good tidings, and love. Most likely, this was untrue; I’m sure people were saying much more reasonable things.
December 25th – Christmas Day
Everything was open on Christmas Day here since people here celebrate the Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. Therefore, I decided I would go to the doctor on Christmas Day. The pain in my ears was getting worse and was starting to get annoying. I had actually had an ear infection a few weeks earlier but had been able to get rid of it by taking some herbs (What are the chances of two ear infections so soon after arrival after years of my ears being the epitome of healthy living?). I had been waiting for a while (before giving in and going to the doctor) in hopes that the herbs would take care would take care of it again but it got worse and the other ear started to hurt again as well. So, on Christmas I decided to go to the doctor because it was getting really painful. I spent all of Christmas trying to get this task accomplished.
After sleeping in and watching a few episodes of Arrested Development with Katie and Tory, I left the apartment to go to the doctor. When I left the apartment (around 1pm, I believe) I told Katie and Tory I would be back in a few hours and we could have a nice Christmas dinner and watch a movie or something. Well, I got back after midnight (I believe it was around 12:30). First, my cell phone wasn't working properly so I couldn't call the doctor to make an appointment (Al gave me the number to the doctor she used when she had an ear infection a few weeks ago.). My cell phone would let me call some people and numbers but not others saying I had active diverts. So I went into the menu and cancelled all diverts and it still was saying this. So I went to a cell phone service center, they were very kind and checked my phone and said they thought it was a problem with my SIM card rather than the actual phone and I needed to go to Telenor, my provider. They didn't charge me and helped to guide me in the correct direction to find Telenor, so I walked to Telenor and then waited in line for 30-45 minutes to get some assistance. So that guy then proceeded to tell me all I had to do was put in this code and then it would work; he then called his phone with my phone as an example of how it was fixed. I told him I thought he was wrong and it still wasn't fixed since it could always call some numbers but not others. He had me try a different number which wasn't working and I just picked the most recent one I had tried to call which happened to be Katie's cell phone at which point he then told me it was because I was putting in her number wrong (because it requires a different country code since she lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina) and showed me how to correctly do it (which was completely unnecessary) and then moved on to the next customer. I then went outside tried the doctor and got the exact same message of the active call diverts. I then stood in line again for 30-40 minutes at which point a woman opened up a new register and called me over to get assistance there. When I explained my problem, she then said that I was actually not with Telenor but with Telecom Serbija and needed to go there for assistance.
At this point it was 3:45 in the afternoon and I was starting to feel worse and more tired. So I decided to give up on the phone thing (which still has not been fixed) and work towards getting to the doctor. So I went to Al's and used their phone to call the doctor to make an appointment. As it works, they ask you what kind of doctor you need to see and then hang up and call around to find a free doctor of that type and then call you back with a time. They usually call within 5-15 minutes later. Well, forty minutes later they had still not called so I called them back again and explained how I had called, etc. They said they would be sure to call back within ten minutes. Well, it just so happened that in 5 minutes Al needed to leave to meet a friend to exercise and then go to work from there and I had given them Al's cell phone number. So, I went with Al to her friend's apartment thinking they would call by the time we walked there. They didn't. Almost an hour later and still no call. I then called them at which point they said (not very nicely) they had tried to call me ten or fifteen times to no answer at which I said no you didn't because I was sitting here with the phone in my hand. Turned out they had the wrong number (after I had repeated it 3 times when giving it to them). So, they apologized, called again and then said the earliest time they could find someone would be at 9pm. I said this was too late and could I get in at 6pm (which was 30 minutes away). They called back and said no the earliest was 9pm. So as tempted as I was to say no thank you and make an appointment for the next day, I went with 9pm out of a fear of what would go wrong the following day to create a disaster. So, I was exhausted and feeling worse and worse and had to wait until 9pm for my appointment. Al gave me her keys and I went back to her apartment for a nap until it was time to go to the doctor.
At 8:45, I grabbed a taxi to go to the doctor. I met with the doctor; he prescribed 2 different types of medicine. He told me to come back on Friday to make sure it was working because it was a double ear infection (and apparently a bad one). So we made an appointment for me to come back on Friday at 6pm.
Next job: finding a 24 hour pharmacy. I asked the doctor's assistant/registrar person, and he gave me directions that seemed easy enough. Well, apparently not. So I ended up walking around asking for assistance in finding the pharmacy. Finally, one lady and I were able communicate through my horrible Serbian and lots of hand gestures. She told me (and motioned) to follow her onto a bus, and then when we got to the pharmacy she got off with me and pointed me in the direction. I waited in line there for at least 20 minutes.
Next job: getting back to the apartment. I was near the bus station (sort of) and knew that I could walk back to the office and then walk to Trg Republica and get a bus from there to the apartment. But I also knew it was a long walk to the office in the cold when one is sick and needs to go to bed. So I started walking and then saw a bus that was headed to the green market, jumped on it and then got to the office much quicker to head to the apartment. So that was my Christmas. I'm very glad Katie and Tory were there (even though I didn't see them all day) since it meant when I got home there was a warm meal and somebody to share my adventures.
December 26th – Christmas II (My Fake Christmas – the do-over)
Since Christmas Day was such a bust Katie, Tory, and I decided that we would pretend December 26th was Christmas. We slept in and then watched the most Christmas oriented movie we had available (Love Actually). We had a nice brunch. Then I got called and asked to come to the office to work on proofreading a document. Katie, Tory, and I decided that I would go to the office and work for a couple of hours until I finished the document and then I could meet them at a museum after they had visited Kalemegdan. I ended up being at the office for several hours longer than I originally intended. The emergency proofreading document ended up being very long. I worked for several hours on it until I realized that it was not quite the rush job it was made out to be. When I finished it, nobody even knew the address that I was supposed to email it to. Although I had completely missed out on joining the visit to Kalemegdan or to the museum (which ended up getting substituted with a visit to an Orthodox church since the chosen museum was closed), I was able to go with Katie and Tory to eat at an authentic Serbian restaurant. It was nice to relax, and our food was delicious. We shared our dishes so that we each got the opportunity to try three different dishes. Overall, the do-over Christmas was much better than the original Christmas. It was a bit frustrating to be called into work, but the morning movie and the evening were lovely.
January 6th – Christmas Eve II (The Orthodox Christmas Eve)
On Sunday, I went to a WiB activist’s house for a Christmas Eve dinner with M and S, two other WiB activists who live in the WiB office. It was fun. It was just the three of us, L (the WiB activist who invited us over), her husband, and their son. Their son had spent a year studying abroad in Minnesota during high school; it was nice to have someone there to explain things. We had the traditional Serbian Christmas Eve meal – fish (and side dishes to accompany it). I was able to ask L’s son why I had seen so many people selling branches of brown leaves on the streets recently. I knew it was related to the Orthodox Christmas but was unsure of the significance. He said each family buys some leaves and then places them out with some fruit as a decoration. Later they symbolically burn them (the branches, not the fruit). L was really drunk (apparently she had been drinking a lot before we even got there since there was not any alcohol or wine offered to us) and it was hilarious. Her English vocabulary is very limited – maybe 15 words, but she was trying very hard in her drunken state to communicate with me in English. It came out in an odd mixture of Serbian, English, Russian, Italian, and Spanish. It left everyone at the table very confused and thoroughly amused. After we finished the main course, we all sat down and watched 102 Dalmatians on the television as we ate the traditional Serbian Christmas Eve dessert. Unfortunately for you, I do not know what it is called. When I asked, I was told there wasn’t an equivalent word for it English, I don’t remember the name for it in Serbian, and I have no idea what was in it. I know it was good.
January 7th – Christmas III (The Orthodox Christmas)
I did not have to work on the Orthodox Christmas. Most shops and cafes were closed. The whole city seemed to be closed down. Only a few brave restaurants and cafes were open (and those had limited hours). Luckily, I had been warned and had made sure I was not running low on any of the necessities (milk, toilet paper, etc.). I slept in, proofread some documents for work (in my apartment), and then met up with my friend Al and Zach, her friend who was visiting from the US. They were doing some sightseeing so I met up with them at Kalemegdan and then we headed to one of the open cafes. We were actually able to get a table at Greenet, one of the busiest cafes; it is always packed. I had a delicious hot chocolate. We chatted about the upcoming presidential elections in the US and the various potential candidates for the two parties. It was a nice break to be able to have an intellectual conversation without worrying about using phrasal verbs, or other complicated English grammar concepts. Also, it was nice to be able to talk about something that I felt mildly knowledgeable about (or at least on fairly equal footing as my companions) in comparison to talking about Serbian politics and history with Serbian citizens (who have had a lifetime to study their country’s politics and history, whereas I am just beginning). We practiced the Balkan art of conversing over a cup of coffee (or in my case, hot chocolate) – in other words, talking for hours and hours while slowly sipping one cup of coffee. Eventually we got hungry. We went to the best palačinke place in town. (Palačinke are sort of like crepes or thin pancakes. You can get regular palačinke with meat, cheese, etc. or dessert palačinke.) It was also surprisingly empty; we were able to walk right up and place our order without waiting in line. More importantly, it was delicious. I then parted ways with Al and Zach and headed back to my apartment. I worked some more on proofreading documents, spent some time practicing/studying my Serbian, and watched a movie. It was a great vacation day, but not really Christmas.
*After much thought, I have decided to start using initials (of first letter of first name, first two letters of first name, or some sort of combination of letters) to refer to people to help maintain their anonymity. The last thing I want is some sort of libel suit for writing about people without permission. I will try to maintain some sort of continuity and create some sort of system in regards to the use of the initials for those of you who are trying to keep track of the reoccurring characters within my life here. Of course, those persons who I have already referred to by their first name will continued to be referred to in that manner.
I have in the works several more blog entries (meaning I have started writing various parts of several different entries and they now exist in different stages of completion) including an entry about my New Year’s celebrations, Lost in Belgrade, My Orange Coat, and other various entries. Look for them to be added soon.
December 24th – Christmas Eve
My Christmas Eve in Belgrade was lovely. On Monday (Christmas Eve), the WiB office planned a Christmas party for me. They made a turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and other delicious items. They had decorated the office with Christmas lights (a string of plastic Santa lights) and had even borrowed a miniature Christmas tree from another NGO. They also had some small gifts for me. I got lots of small items to hang up in my apartment, a teapot with built in tea strainer, a hat, and other small items. It was very sweet of them. Since I had a sneaking suspicion gifts would be making an appearance at the Christmas Eve dinner I had made lots of chocolate chip cookies. I had spent all day making them, wrapping up the cookies in saran wrap, and tying them up with green Christmas garland; this was especially an adventure since I am still trying to get the hang of the my oven and converting recipes for the different measurements (grams) and temperature (I’m sure another reason it took so long might be that instead of quadrupling the recipe I made four different batches individually). However, I was really glad I spent all day slaving in the kitchen just because it made me more comfortable about accepting their gifts (knowing some of them are not steadily employed and with that whole volunteer, privileged middle class guilt thing going on). Tory and Katie came along with me of course and my boss seemed very excited for them to be there (especially Tory, she kept forgetting Katie's name even though it should have been easy to remember). My boss proposed (meaning proposed in a manner that says, “You will do this”) to Tory and Katie that they stay until Sunday instead of Saturday so they could join us (WiB) in the yearly trip to Panćevo to mark the anniversary of the death of a WiB activist; Katie and Tory said they were glad to join so the pressure wasn't a bad pressure per say. She also insisted that we go out one night to a club with N* (a young WiB activist) and some other younger activists (saying she would go but she is not young and too old to go out with us); she said she would arrange it all for us and was very 'persuasive' in the need for this to happen. I told Katie and Tory that if they weren't keen on this idea we could talk to N about cancelling it or talk to N about making it a more low-key evening (coffee time or something). I think the three of us agreed the coffee idea would be the best. (However, this – or the originally proposed clubbing -- actually never materialized because my supervisor forgot to pass along her proposal/idea to N). All in all Christmas Eve was a wonderful evening. It was a bit surreal and didn’t quite feel like Christmas since neither of the things I associate most with Christmas Eve were a part of the evening (family and the annual Christmas Eve service). Also, I had been fighting off an ear infection (which turned into a double ear infection sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning) so I felt a bit light-headed and drowsy the entire evening. Aside from the fact I was sick, for my first Christmas away from home things didn’t seem too bad.
In fact, I think it could be argued that the drowsiness brought on by the ear infections might have added to the whole dreamy, love-makes-the-world-go-round, Christmas effect. The entire night I had difficulty hearing what people were actually saying so I just kept smiling, nodding my head, and assuming everyone was speaking words of Christmas joy, good tidings, and love. Most likely, this was untrue; I’m sure people were saying much more reasonable things.
December 25th – Christmas Day
Everything was open on Christmas Day here since people here celebrate the Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. Therefore, I decided I would go to the doctor on Christmas Day. The pain in my ears was getting worse and was starting to get annoying. I had actually had an ear infection a few weeks earlier but had been able to get rid of it by taking some herbs (What are the chances of two ear infections so soon after arrival after years of my ears being the epitome of healthy living?). I had been waiting for a while (before giving in and going to the doctor) in hopes that the herbs would take care would take care of it again but it got worse and the other ear started to hurt again as well. So, on Christmas I decided to go to the doctor because it was getting really painful. I spent all of Christmas trying to get this task accomplished.
After sleeping in and watching a few episodes of Arrested Development with Katie and Tory, I left the apartment to go to the doctor. When I left the apartment (around 1pm, I believe) I told Katie and Tory I would be back in a few hours and we could have a nice Christmas dinner and watch a movie or something. Well, I got back after midnight (I believe it was around 12:30). First, my cell phone wasn't working properly so I couldn't call the doctor to make an appointment (Al gave me the number to the doctor she used when she had an ear infection a few weeks ago.). My cell phone would let me call some people and numbers but not others saying I had active diverts. So I went into the menu and cancelled all diverts and it still was saying this. So I went to a cell phone service center, they were very kind and checked my phone and said they thought it was a problem with my SIM card rather than the actual phone and I needed to go to Telenor, my provider. They didn't charge me and helped to guide me in the correct direction to find Telenor, so I walked to Telenor and then waited in line for 30-45 minutes to get some assistance. So that guy then proceeded to tell me all I had to do was put in this code and then it would work; he then called his phone with my phone as an example of how it was fixed. I told him I thought he was wrong and it still wasn't fixed since it could always call some numbers but not others. He had me try a different number which wasn't working and I just picked the most recent one I had tried to call which happened to be Katie's cell phone at which point he then told me it was because I was putting in her number wrong (because it requires a different country code since she lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina) and showed me how to correctly do it (which was completely unnecessary) and then moved on to the next customer. I then went outside tried the doctor and got the exact same message of the active call diverts. I then stood in line again for 30-40 minutes at which point a woman opened up a new register and called me over to get assistance there. When I explained my problem, she then said that I was actually not with Telenor but with Telecom Serbija and needed to go there for assistance.
At this point it was 3:45 in the afternoon and I was starting to feel worse and more tired. So I decided to give up on the phone thing (which still has not been fixed) and work towards getting to the doctor. So I went to Al's and used their phone to call the doctor to make an appointment. As it works, they ask you what kind of doctor you need to see and then hang up and call around to find a free doctor of that type and then call you back with a time. They usually call within 5-15 minutes later. Well, forty minutes later they had still not called so I called them back again and explained how I had called, etc. They said they would be sure to call back within ten minutes. Well, it just so happened that in 5 minutes Al needed to leave to meet a friend to exercise and then go to work from there and I had given them Al's cell phone number. So, I went with Al to her friend's apartment thinking they would call by the time we walked there. They didn't. Almost an hour later and still no call. I then called them at which point they said (not very nicely) they had tried to call me ten or fifteen times to no answer at which I said no you didn't because I was sitting here with the phone in my hand. Turned out they had the wrong number (after I had repeated it 3 times when giving it to them). So, they apologized, called again and then said the earliest time they could find someone would be at 9pm. I said this was too late and could I get in at 6pm (which was 30 minutes away). They called back and said no the earliest was 9pm. So as tempted as I was to say no thank you and make an appointment for the next day, I went with 9pm out of a fear of what would go wrong the following day to create a disaster. So, I was exhausted and feeling worse and worse and had to wait until 9pm for my appointment. Al gave me her keys and I went back to her apartment for a nap until it was time to go to the doctor.
At 8:45, I grabbed a taxi to go to the doctor. I met with the doctor; he prescribed 2 different types of medicine. He told me to come back on Friday to make sure it was working because it was a double ear infection (and apparently a bad one). So we made an appointment for me to come back on Friday at 6pm.
Next job: finding a 24 hour pharmacy. I asked the doctor's assistant/registrar person, and he gave me directions that seemed easy enough. Well, apparently not. So I ended up walking around asking for assistance in finding the pharmacy. Finally, one lady and I were able communicate through my horrible Serbian and lots of hand gestures. She told me (and motioned) to follow her onto a bus, and then when we got to the pharmacy she got off with me and pointed me in the direction. I waited in line there for at least 20 minutes.
Next job: getting back to the apartment. I was near the bus station (sort of) and knew that I could walk back to the office and then walk to Trg Republica and get a bus from there to the apartment. But I also knew it was a long walk to the office in the cold when one is sick and needs to go to bed. So I started walking and then saw a bus that was headed to the green market, jumped on it and then got to the office much quicker to head to the apartment. So that was my Christmas. I'm very glad Katie and Tory were there (even though I didn't see them all day) since it meant when I got home there was a warm meal and somebody to share my adventures.
December 26th – Christmas II (My Fake Christmas – the do-over)
Since Christmas Day was such a bust Katie, Tory, and I decided that we would pretend December 26th was Christmas. We slept in and then watched the most Christmas oriented movie we had available (Love Actually). We had a nice brunch. Then I got called and asked to come to the office to work on proofreading a document. Katie, Tory, and I decided that I would go to the office and work for a couple of hours until I finished the document and then I could meet them at a museum after they had visited Kalemegdan. I ended up being at the office for several hours longer than I originally intended. The emergency proofreading document ended up being very long. I worked for several hours on it until I realized that it was not quite the rush job it was made out to be. When I finished it, nobody even knew the address that I was supposed to email it to. Although I had completely missed out on joining the visit to Kalemegdan or to the museum (which ended up getting substituted with a visit to an Orthodox church since the chosen museum was closed), I was able to go with Katie and Tory to eat at an authentic Serbian restaurant. It was nice to relax, and our food was delicious. We shared our dishes so that we each got the opportunity to try three different dishes. Overall, the do-over Christmas was much better than the original Christmas. It was a bit frustrating to be called into work, but the morning movie and the evening were lovely.
January 6th – Christmas Eve II (The Orthodox Christmas Eve)
On Sunday, I went to a WiB activist’s house for a Christmas Eve dinner with M and S, two other WiB activists who live in the WiB office. It was fun. It was just the three of us, L (the WiB activist who invited us over), her husband, and their son. Their son had spent a year studying abroad in Minnesota during high school; it was nice to have someone there to explain things. We had the traditional Serbian Christmas Eve meal – fish (and side dishes to accompany it). I was able to ask L’s son why I had seen so many people selling branches of brown leaves on the streets recently. I knew it was related to the Orthodox Christmas but was unsure of the significance. He said each family buys some leaves and then places them out with some fruit as a decoration. Later they symbolically burn them (the branches, not the fruit). L was really drunk (apparently she had been drinking a lot before we even got there since there was not any alcohol or wine offered to us) and it was hilarious. Her English vocabulary is very limited – maybe 15 words, but she was trying very hard in her drunken state to communicate with me in English. It came out in an odd mixture of Serbian, English, Russian, Italian, and Spanish. It left everyone at the table very confused and thoroughly amused. After we finished the main course, we all sat down and watched 102 Dalmatians on the television as we ate the traditional Serbian Christmas Eve dessert. Unfortunately for you, I do not know what it is called. When I asked, I was told there wasn’t an equivalent word for it English, I don’t remember the name for it in Serbian, and I have no idea what was in it. I know it was good.
January 7th – Christmas III (The Orthodox Christmas)
I did not have to work on the Orthodox Christmas. Most shops and cafes were closed. The whole city seemed to be closed down. Only a few brave restaurants and cafes were open (and those had limited hours). Luckily, I had been warned and had made sure I was not running low on any of the necessities (milk, toilet paper, etc.). I slept in, proofread some documents for work (in my apartment), and then met up with my friend Al and Zach, her friend who was visiting from the US. They were doing some sightseeing so I met up with them at Kalemegdan and then we headed to one of the open cafes. We were actually able to get a table at Greenet, one of the busiest cafes; it is always packed. I had a delicious hot chocolate. We chatted about the upcoming presidential elections in the US and the various potential candidates for the two parties. It was a nice break to be able to have an intellectual conversation without worrying about using phrasal verbs, or other complicated English grammar concepts. Also, it was nice to be able to talk about something that I felt mildly knowledgeable about (or at least on fairly equal footing as my companions) in comparison to talking about Serbian politics and history with Serbian citizens (who have had a lifetime to study their country’s politics and history, whereas I am just beginning). We practiced the Balkan art of conversing over a cup of coffee (or in my case, hot chocolate) – in other words, talking for hours and hours while slowly sipping one cup of coffee. Eventually we got hungry. We went to the best palačinke place in town. (Palačinke are sort of like crepes or thin pancakes. You can get regular palačinke with meat, cheese, etc. or dessert palačinke.) It was also surprisingly empty; we were able to walk right up and place our order without waiting in line. More importantly, it was delicious. I then parted ways with Al and Zach and headed back to my apartment. I worked some more on proofreading documents, spent some time practicing/studying my Serbian, and watched a movie. It was a great vacation day, but not really Christmas.
*After much thought, I have decided to start using initials (of first letter of first name, first two letters of first name, or some sort of combination of letters) to refer to people to help maintain their anonymity. The last thing I want is some sort of libel suit for writing about people without permission. I will try to maintain some sort of continuity and create some sort of system in regards to the use of the initials for those of you who are trying to keep track of the reoccurring characters within my life here. Of course, those persons who I have already referred to by their first name will continued to be referred to in that manner.
I have in the works several more blog entries (meaning I have started writing various parts of several different entries and they now exist in different stages of completion) including an entry about my New Year’s celebrations, Lost in Belgrade, My Orange Coat, and other various entries. Look for them to be added soon.
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