Foto Monday?

Yes, indeed it is. Actually today was "time spent kidnapped by Randi", but thats for another day. Here is some Belgradian crazy-ness for your joy and amusement.

This was in a kid's park. I'm not sure what animal this is...or why he's two toned either. He does have beautiful eyelashes though.

This was taken at a gas station in South Serbia. I don't think I was cool enough to go to this bathroom, I know Connor wasn't. Fake it till you make it, right?

This is for Ophelia, only she can truly appreciate.

Every time I see this sign I think of Beverly and her vampire obsession. She would totally eat this candy bar just because of the advert.

Graffiti man spotted on the walking street, he's thoughtful and footless...wish I could roll with style like that. Denim on denim, shout out to the 90's.

This is a strange fountain outside of the fortress.

Look at the intensity of his face and the funny shape his head is in...I'm just not sure how I feel about it or the snake.

End.

Team Retreating

Retreating as in, "bonding time". Not as in, "we're giving up the battle". 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending several days with Team Serbia on a beautiful mountain. We traveled a long hard road to get there, but we made it. After almost five hours of being somewhat lost in rural southern Serbia, we were all a little woozy and cranky...especially Wilson. I think Team Belgrade managed quite a bit of bonding before we even made it to Kopaonik. I'll never forget getting directions from an old man on a tractor and then the look on his face when we managed to get lost again and had him catch back up to us. That's neither here nor there. What matters is that we all got to spend time together, planning and encouraging each other and eating twice our weight at every meal. Here are some photos from the time on the mountainside.

Hotel Junior

Looking down towards the entire line of ski resorts that sat along this road.

I had to add this photo because this seating area at the forefront of the picture became our hangout. There was always somebody from our team sitting here. We ate ice cream bars here, played board games, were beaten by Josh in all the games, watched Mike get sad that he was losing and leave, we peopled watched the middle schoolers dressed up for the disco club, and I spent the last night watching a Meg Ryan love story and listening to the Serbian men giggle through out it.

Some of the children/some of the Belgrade childrens.

The dining room where we ate breakfast and dinner. It was freezing and they only turned the heat on when Wilson came in, because everybody is soooo worried about the baby.

The downstairs Disco Club. You haven't lived till you've seen middle schoolers in short, tight, sparkly clothes attempting to navigate a stair case in stiletto heels a few sizes too big. It was distressing.

We did have a few quirks, like the Serbian Sinatra that sang the first two nights till 2 or 3 am. It snowed too, but it didn't stick. The kids were so disappointed. I was cold enough, since they turned the heat off in the middle of the night, so I wasn't too upset. We'll get snow soon enough...at least I keep getting told that.

So it was a few days of great fellowship with teammates and other Company people who came to spend quality time with us. We even managed to Skype Kyle in because it just isn't Serbia without him. We're getting back together for Thanksgiving, so be prepared for more photos of the entire crew...I'll be better about the picture thing then. 

Middle of the week musings

Ohmuhjeez. It has been almost a week and a half since I last posted! I can't believe it and I'm sure you're struggling as well. The last week has been a bit of an emotional valley for me and I'm coming out the other side, slowly but surely. Have no fear, the blogging is back. Bring on the Serbian ridiculousness!

1. Do they like Americans?

        Sorta. Here in Belgrade being American doesn't instantly make you popular (unlike in some unnamed British territories). Every other foreigner is cooler than the Americans. Most don't really appreciate America as a whole, but are more than okay with being friends with individual Americans. Now before I get all sorts of hate comments, let me stress that this isn't necessarily true for all Serbs and I have never had a bad experience stemming from my nationality. While there is some history between Serbia and the US, pretty much every Serb I've met has disregarded my nationality and judged me solely on my inability to communicate and function in day to day life.    

2. Do they watch Friends?
    We're all familiar with it, the show that featured that lovable group of friends and their crazy mid 90's high jinks. It is now showing reruns all over the world and it is one of the few truly American shows I can get on my Serbian cable package. I usually get just random episodes of other things, but Friends is a staple in the line up. In fact, many people claim to have learned their American accents and colloquialisms from watching the show all the time. How's that for education?

3. How's the weather?
    Currently its a bit warmer than it is in Mississippi. Serbia is strange because they have hot summers (just like home but without the humidity) and really cold snowy winters. We're just starting to head into the winter season. It even snowed while I was on the mountain in South Serbia this past weekend, but didn't stick. I'm in a love/hate relationship with the weather. On the one hand its nice to be able to bundle up...which is necessary if you don't want to get a death stare from everyone in their snow jackets...even when only a light jacket is necessary. On the other its a bit distressing to have your city heating shut off because they don't think its cold enough for it to be needed. I do have heating, mostly, so I shouldn't complain. (That's what my mother said at least.) I'll be sure to keep you updated on the weather and let you know when the snow starts to fall. I'll be sure to make everyone back home jealous...until I start whining about the snow. Which we all know is a highly probable eventuality.

The Israels go places

This past Thursday we had some new company friends in town hanging out and spending some time with us. I managed to tag along on a trip to the Fortress and the Walking Street and got fed in the process. So food, friends, and a fortress...the makings of an excellent day. Some of you may remember my Fortress trip with the Israels a few weeks back, the Fortress is one of the main tourist attractions so it isn't unusual to take a trip whenever anyone cool comes to town. I also have to thank my Bestie Connor for posing in "fortress like" poses in order to emphasize the importance of our location.

This is Connor in front of the "cool gate" or the one that looks most fortressy.

The best part of this photo is Connor's face, although the church steeple is equally nice.       

This is an icon from the outside of the church. Inside the chandeliers are made of spent bullet shells and various weapons. You aren't allowed to take photos inside, otherwise you suffer the wrath of the angry lady that guards the door. I know this because our new friend was almost a victim.

This is the view from one of the taller towers. It was hazy that day but you can see in the distance where the Sava and Dunav rivers converge, which is why the fortress and Belgrade itself were/are such a strategic location.

The fortress even has Roman ruins on site and within its walls.

It also has this bizarre rock cutting of a man with a supersized ear.

It wouldn't be Serbia if there weren't some risk of death.

This, according to Connor, is a replica of the old fortress dedicated to something something for someone and something. His Cyrillic was a bit useless in this instance.

After the fortress and lunch on the walking street, we saw those crazy costumed characters and then we went to the Steven's house for a wonderful lasagna lovingly created by Jen. Who is a super cook that likes to experiment with new recipes on her guests. I can't imagine any of them would complain.

Today in Belgrade

There we were, wandering down the Walking Street, when we saw this craziness. I just never expected to see these characters strolling past the Gap.

Doesn't he look upside down?

 This might be one of the major reasons I love living here.

Wednesday Wonderings Pt. 2

1. Do they have Walmart?

           No. They don't have Walmart, but they do have something that is eerily similar. Idea (sort of like e-day-a) is chock full of all sorts of wonderful things. Jen and I just went this afternoon and I was once again coerced into buying a lot of deliciousness that my life clearly doesn't need. They have the grocery section, but they aren't limited to goodies for your belly. You can get all sorts of household items as well: pots and pans, sheets, curtains, TVs, stereos, DVD players, hair dryers, etc. They also have a ton of school supplies. The best part by far is that they periodically run promotions that reward you for spending money. You get tiny little stickers that you collect on a reward card, once you get enough you can cash them in for different things like a percentage off your bill or lower prices on cookware. Putting the stickers on the card is almost more satisfying that filling your refrigerator.

This is a photo of some Idea, somewhere. As you can see its just as overwhelming as Walmart. Just in a different color scheme.

     2. Do people drive or do they have public transportation?

That really depends. Most students don't have vehicles. A lot of people rely on Belgrade's public transport system which, despite its problems, is fairly extensive and somewhat reliable. You can usually catch a bus, tram or trolley to anywhere you need to go. I just recently read an article that estimates almost 50% of those riding are doing so without paying...which is illegal. They have monitors that will show up out of the blue to check whether you actually have a ticket, but the whole process is a bit ridiculous and has many loopholes. Suffice to say most get around at least part of the time on public transport. For those who do drive, they have a crazy time trying to find places to park usually and the streets are very narrow in City Center leading to some harrowing face offs. I, personally, have a bus pass and therefore ride a lot of public transportation...unless I'm mooching off the Stevens or Israels, both of whom drive pretty sweet mini vans. 

This is a photo of the older trams. I've been stuck on these before because you have to push a button to open the doors, obviously nobody tells you that the first time you ride.

   

    3. Are there Vampires in Serbia?

 No. Mostly just Serbs in Serbia, with a few other random nationalities mixed in. I think Romania is a better bet for Vampire seeking. They actually have Vampire tours, especially in Transylvania.

The only other relevant information to this question is the fact that our company actually had me vaccinated against rabies, because of the possibility of infection by wild animal bites or saliva, including that of bats. 

Vampire Abode?

Foto Friday: The Sunday Edition

This sign makes me laugh every time. I would like you to know that I've never seen a Serb with a briefcase, much less one that runs across the street to safety. I can also never figure out why they have to depict both a man and a woman, is that so you know that it applies to both genders? Also, is she carrying a briefcase or a purse? Maybe its a girl-sized briefcase...better to run with. 

I saw this on the way to American Corner and it made me reflect on all those old cowboy movies. Did we get it wrong? Were those movies really about the commercialization of the Old West? Glamorizing a shady time for our own entertainment? I don't know graffiti, I just don't know.

I added this photo, taken during dinner with Mike and Pam, in order to commemorate the time we (Mike and Pam not included in this "we") were almost banned from Vapianos. I love this place, the food is delicious and the concept is strange and exciting. I also love that its "impossible for them to make a mistake". I know 13 Americans and a Serb that might disagree with that statement, but none of us would ever say an unkind word about that food.

This one is for my Momma. I saw this man on my way to meet Kyle at McDonald's one day. I would like to point out that he is walking his very large German Shepard on a leash while his cute little teacup Chihuahua brings up the rear. No leash on the tiny one, just a cute collar. The guy would just turn around every few minutes to make sure he was following. They were all so cute. 

So this Foto Friday was a bit on the low end, but I'll make it up to you next Friday...on the actual day.