Just your average update

I am still working on some blog entries about my trip to Sarajevo and some other recent events, but I thought I would just write a quick random update. I know that Belgrade has been making it in the news recently in the U.S. which is a far cry from when I first arrived and most people in the U.S. weren't exactly sure where Serbia is located.

Things are in a state of limbo right now here. The government coalition dissolved. The new elections on May 11th will determine which way Serbia will head -- towards European integration or isolation. Tomorrow another protest will be held for Kosovo. I'm not sure how big the turnout will be. Two of the three McDonald's in the city are still shut down (they closed after they were broken into, burnt, and vandalized after Kosovo's declaration of independence). I'm not sure when they will open again (not that I have visited any of them since my arrival or plan on visiting them anytime soon). I guess they are waiting for things to calm down and blow over.

During the big Kosovo protest in Belgrade (on Thursday, February 21), I camped out at my friends' apartment. They live in the center of the city and have a television. I don't have a television or radio in my apartment so my access to the news is limited. It seemed like a better idea to be with them so I could sit with them and watch the news. We ended up keeping the news muted on the television in the background while we watched a movie on the laptop. We would take short breaks from the movie to see updates on the news. They broadcasted the entire protest on several of the Serbian television channels. The broadcasted the speeches given at the protest by politicians, famous artists, and others. We watched people streaming down the streets as they went from the protest in front of the Parliament building to the religious service at the church. We stuck our heads out the windows and watched as people walked down the streets with their flags and banners. We saw a bank window get smashed in, but some young men as they walked. Of course, I'm sure many of you watched the news unfold about the attacks on the embassies and stores in the U.S. while we watched it on our television in Belgrade. It was a reminder of the existence of anti-American sentiment within Serbia amongst some people. I was sure the next few days to keep my English to a minimum in public.

Yesterday Women in Black had a street performance and women's peace march. It was actually the street performance and peace march we had planned to do last Saturday. Last Saturday was March 8th, International Women's Day. Women in Black's planned street performance and women's peace march were banned by the government citing safety concerns. It was a sad reflection of the state of things here that we were banned from having a celebration of International Women's Day (On a side note, International Women's Day is a very different holiday here than in the U.S. Men give their wives and mothers gifts, flowers, and chocolates. It's sort of like a mix between Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.) Women all throughout the world gathered to have celebrations, but we were forbidden. So, we rescheduled the events for this Saturday and were determined to do them with or without government permission/police protection (We had police protection and were able to do the peace march).

In less serious news, I spent several hours yesterday doing some laundry in the bathtub. It made me grateful to be born in an era of washers. It is definitely not something I want to make a habit of doing. Of course, I then had to try to find spots throughout my apartment for everything to hang to dry. Some of my clothes are hanging outside on my small balcony and I am just praying that the pigeons don't find them a nice place to nest or use the bathroom. I've hung clothes up to dry outside in the U.S., but I don't remember ever having this fear of them being soiled by birds before I even get to wear them. Maybe it is all the time I put into handwashing them that makes me so concerned, or perhaps it is the fact that several mornings I wake up to hear a pigeon right outside my window.


I also managed to get lost once last week on my way to class. I thought I was done getting lost, but apparently not.


On Friday night, I was buying something from a kiosk and the worker told me my Serbian was excellent. I think he was trying to flirt with me or charm his way into me buying something more than my original request. At this point he asked me another question, but some child walked by screaming so I couldn't hear what he said. So, then before I could stop myself, I said mande? (a word in Spanish that is the equivalent of pardon, or can you repeat that). That quickly my so-so Serbian returns to that crazy Englospanbian (my unique hybrid of English, Spanish, and Serbian). One step forward, two steps back?