Where's Waldo?

I hadn't started this blog when it was theme day for wall art/graffiti, but I like this photo, so I'll post it now rather than wait until the same theme comes around again. It reminds me of those "Where's Waldo?" books, which are sold in Serbia as "Gde je Gile?" (Guh-DAY yeh GEE-lay)

Treasures...

I love to go to the local green markets here, especially the larger ones that often have a "flea market" section where you can find all kinds of treasures. This is a sample of what was recently available at Kalenić (KAh-len-eetch) market in downtown Belgrade. And no, I resisted temptation and left only with this photo.

Smile...you're on Candid Camera!

I have been practicing photographing people with what I call "belly shots." I hang my camera around my neck, and when I see someone I'd like to capture, I act nonchalant, look the other way, more or less aim, then press the shutter furtively with my thumb, hoping that the angle from my midriff will be a good one. That's what I did with these three ladies, but I think they suspected something. Oh, well. Practice makes perfect.

Happy Easter again!

Happy Serbian Orthodox Easter! I only color eggs for one Easter and this is it. Last night my son and I painted some "family eggs," one for each member of our family or boyfriend/girlfriend, and one for a friend who is coming to dinner. See if you can find me. (Hint: I have a hairline crack on my chin, or rather my egg does!) The blue egg in the front with a leaf pattern is made by putting a leaf on the egg, wrapping it tightly in cheesecloth, and dropping it in the dye. The brownish one with tiny leaf patterns is made in the same way, and boiled with a lot of onion skins to obtain the pretty color. Serbs polish their eggs with a bit of cooking oil to make them shine, and have a fun custom of tapping eggs. If you're interested, drop me a note on the comments and I'll tell you what they do.

Pots and pans

The company Metalac (May-TAHL-ahts), located about 120 kilometers from Belgrade in Gornji Milanovac (GOR-nyee Me-LAHN-oh-vahts), is one of the most successful producers of enameled, teflonized, and Inox kitchenware in Europe. The 46 year-old company exports 70% of its production to France, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, Russia, USA, and Australia. Recently this year Metalac participated in the Housewares Show in Chicago. My guess is that this lady on one of Belgrade's large green markets is reselling some mismatched pieces of enameled pots and pans she may have purchased at the factory. She's even offering some carrots and parsley to cook in them!

Close encounters of the canine kind

This photo is not quite in focus, but I'm sure you'll understand why. Here in Belgrade there is a leash law, as well as a law that larger dogs must wear a muzzle (logical or not; little ones bite, too). I must admit I regularly violate the former, but I really have a problem with when it comes to potentially aggressive dogs that run unsupervised and out of the owner's control. The owner of this male pit bull didn't seem to be too concerned when it came over to check out Bibi (female) that I had picked up. I can't help wonder what would have happened if our visitor had taken a dislike to her. (At least I'd have had a photo of the aggressor....)

Kitty on Cobblestones

In Belgrade you can still find lots of streets paved with cobblestones. Unfortunately, most of them are are also lined with cars, which often park half-way or more on the sidewalk as in this photo. This kitty posed perfectly for me under a sign advertising a doctor's office. On the wall on the left someone has spray-painted a hammer and sickle. Although Yugoslavia (and the names that followed!) was never under the rule of the Soviet Union, socialists/communists were in power for a long time until the fall of Milosevic. Perhaps this person would like a return? Some think he may get his wish in the upcoming parliamentary elections....

"This is dedicated to the one I love...."

So goes the hit song made famous by The Shirelles in 1961 and later by The Mamas and the Papas. This is not a photo of me with my husband, but I posted it for all lovers out there, because today marks my 31st wedding anniversary...and as many years in Belgrade. In 1977 Belgrade was in the Socialist Federal Republic of Jugoslavia (SFRJ), then the country became the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia (SFR), then Serbia and Montenegro, and now it's just Serbia. Names come and go, but I don't, so I am dedicating this photo to my husband, who has weathered storm after storm with his/our country and with me! (The photo was taken in January at Grinet, one of Belgrade's coffeeshops that is like Starbucks.)

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, and recycling plays a large part in taking care of poor Mother Earth. Here in Belgrade you won't see hardly any recycle bins for glass, paper, or plastic, and convenient recycling isn't made easy for those who want to. Many less fortunate people earn some extra dinars by recycling paper, as this fellow is doing, by either rummaging through dumpsters or picking up discarded boxes beside them.

Reluctantly into spring...

Yesterday morning my husband and I were driving along the main street in Zemun (see March 16, 17, and 22 posts), and I took this photo out the car window. Serbs are really careful not to catch cold. It was early, but already reasonably warm. This girl wasn't taking any chances in her boots, tights, and jacket....but her skirt was ready for spring, and I wonder what kind of ice cream she bought.

Easter bells and willow branches

Since Serbian Orthodox Easter falls on April 27th this year, today is Palm Sunday or Vrbice, the last Sunday before Easter when willow branches (vrbica=Vur-BEET-sa) are carried or worn as wreaths by little children, who hang little bells with Serbian tricolor ribbons—red, blue, and white—around their necks and parade three times around the church.

Ouch!!!

It started out as a gray day here today, so to brighten things up, I couldn't help but post this amusing (at least for the viewer) billboard advertising an alum spray for cuts. Poor guy. Looks like he needs to change his razor--his wife probably has been using it, or at least that's what my husband says if his razor is dull.

"Belgrade is the world!"

From April 16th to the 19th Belgrade is holding its annual celebration "Days of Belgrade." This year, the theme is "Belgrade is the World," and so the city has been divided into four compass points, each celebrating in a different way on one of the four days. For example, the western part of the city (New Belgrade) has been deemed "California/Hollywood," and the Faculty of Drama there organized a day-long film program. There was a best Hollywood star look-alike competition, and the winner won win a trip to Hollywood for two. Not sure yet who it was!

This big globe floats over Slavija Circle downtown. The Circle is home to the first McDonald's ever built in Eastern Europe, which was behind me in this photo. You've seen one anyway, right?

Shocking colors and shocking news!

It's still very chilly here and so this lady is all bundled up. But she's probably warmed by the sizzling news inside her scandal newspaper (click on the photo...) She's selling shoelaces in shocking colors, too, plus hairclips, barrettes, and insoles. Above you can see packages of those foam hair curlers, too.

Hand-painted ties!

Not like me to post such unusual shoes yesterday and not do a posting for the guys! This little hand-painted silk tie store downtown has been around for years, so the ties must sell! I have no idea what the TA on the cow one means, but the one on the right says in Cyrillic "Christ is risen" (It's an Easter tie!), and the brown one shows a little Belgrade sparrow, the city's symbol.

Bunny shoes

I'm not sure any fashionable young girl would wear these bunny shoes, but aren't they just too cute? Since Serbian Orthodox Easter isn't until April 27th, I'm going to ask the Bunny for a pair...but, whoops, there is no Easter Bunny here. Oh, well. Back to my Birkenstocks.

Dine at Pectopah Byk!

Some of you may have a hankering for some of that yummy food I posted yesterday, so if in Belgrade, choose perhaps the "Pectopah Byk." No, wait, that's "Restoran Vuk"! (RES-toe-rahn vook). Just another little Cyrillic trap for foreigners, many of whom believe that there's a chain of restaurants called "pectopah"! "P" in Cyrillic is "R" in the Latin alphabet, "E" is "E," "C" is "S", "T" and "O" are just what they look like, then the P=R again, a simple "A,", then finally the "H" is an "N"! Simple as one, two, 2/987 to the n-th power. Oh, yes: "B" is "V," "Y" is "U," and "K" is just that. And finally, the person for whom the restaurant is named is Vuk Karadžić, 1787 -1864, who standardized the old Cyrillic alphabet to make one letter stand for only one sound, therefore the alphabet is phonetic. So if you do learn the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, you'll be able to pronounce anything...then you have to learn what it means.

Who said "cholesterol"?

Serbia is a meat-eater's paradise. On Saturday my husband and I went on a road trip with a friend, and this was her lunch. It's a grilled hamburger stuffed with ham and cheese, and topped with two generous dollops of kajmak (rhymes with 'hijack'), which is made from skimming layers of cream off milk. Kajmak is used like butter to spread on bread or to cook with, and of course, to add an extra dose of cholesterol to your red meat! (Notice the spring onion. Serbs love to crunch 'em.)

Branches like hands or hands like branches?

Is this statue in the garden around the Yugoslav Drama Theater imitating the tree's branches, or is the tree mimicking the statue? You decide!

Waiting for the games to begin

This tiny sparrow has shown up early for the "Universiade," an international sport competition organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) under the sponsorship of the International Olympic Committee. This competition brings together student sportsmen and sportswomen. In 2009, this international sports festival will be held in Belgrade from July 1st to the 12th. Since the sparrow is already the symbol of Belgrade, our little friend will be the Universiade's mascot! Why such a little bird? Simply because the sparrow is capable of flying higher and further than much bigger birds, and like the sparrow, little Serbia hopes to fly higher and farther than its competitors!

On paper or online?

Most people in Belgrade read their news the traditional way---through a newspaper, like the fellow in the background. Though there are lots of laptops around, most folks use them for business, and it's still pretty unusual to see someone just sitting and reading the news on the Net. (I peeked; that's what he was doing!) Notice he's placed some newspaper (Has he read it...?) between him and his seat. Serbs are REALLY careful not to catch cold....

No job too big!

Need some dental work? Not sure if I'd be tempted to try this Center for Implantology and Laser Application in Oral Medicine, though this sign sure is an eye-catcher.

The Roma Recycle

Yesterday, April 8th, was International Roma Day. "Roma" isn't the city, but rather the name for the ethnic group most of us call gypsies. It was a day dedicated to call attention to respect for the human rights of the Roma. Roma are the largest minority in Europe, where they often face violence, police brutality and systematic discrimination in education, employment, and housing, particularly in post-communist countries. Persecution of Roma is a continuing problem and monitoring through intergovernmental organizations can improve the human rights of Roma minorities across Europe. In this picture, several Roma are carting back treasures they've found either for their own use or to resell.

Checkmate!

Probably after having read their selection of newspapers similar to those I posted yesterday, these taxi drivers are enjoying a game of chess! I see them quite often in the same location, so they must be serious rivals. When a customer comes, they take their board into a nearby cafe for safe-keeping. Notice that one of them drives a Mercedes taxi, not uncommon here, no kidding, since originally one could important an expensive car much more cheaply if it was intended for "official" business.

All the news that's fit to print!

Here are the newspapers I buy on a daily basis. Politika, on the lower right, is printed in Cyrillic, while quick-glimpse Blic (Flash) and Danas (Today) are in the Latin alphabet...oh, yes, and every Monday Politika prints a selection of articles from the New York Times in English, along with a handy dictionary of terms on part of one page. This helps those Serbs who are reasonably fluent in English to further enhance their knowledge. And I like to read it, too!

Waiting by the side of the highway

This dog has been by the side of the major highway near my home every day since early last fall. He's usually lying down right next to the road's edge, sleeping, waiting... Yesterday I took some food to him, but when I approached he skitted off and watched at me warily. I'm sure he's one of Belgrade's many abandoned dogs that must have been tossed out at this place, and is waiting....for his owner's return. Very, very sad.

Truncated trees!

Belgrade has several boulevards and streets lined with plane trees (platanus), which are very similar to those known in the US as sycamores. They grow to great heights, and in cities their extensive branches often interfere with phone, power, or trolley lines. Hence the reason why Belgrade amputates its trees every spring...believe it or not, these trees will be quite full by summer's end, and a lovely autumn photo will be waiting! (I don't see any such lines near the trees on the right---maybe the goal is symmetry on this heavily traveled boulevard.)

His feet, her feet

Couldn't resist posting this photo today, for the forecast announces rain, and this girl's stockings and shoes are so bright.... Just about everyone who passed her was transfixed by her jazzy combination.

Can you read some of these signs?

Cutting through Belgrade's pedestrian street, Knez Mihailova (yesterday's photo), are several passages that lead to other streets. Inside them, you'll find more stores. These signs hang outside one such passage. Serbia officially uses the Cyrillic alphabet as seen in the sign above with the red raven, but children learn the Latin one as well. More alphabet lessons to come!

Prince Michael's Street

Prince Michael's Street, or Knez Mihailova ulica (KUH-NYEZ Me-HIGH-Low-va OO-leet-sa) is Belgrade's main walking street. I took a picture yesterday, but goofed and posted this summer one instead! No matter; it's pretty active at any season and hour, full of cafes and restaurants, boutiques, and near a number of old-world hotels. In high tourist season, there are many street sellers too, often selling without a permit and making a mad dash for it with their wares when insepectors pass by, only to reappear a few minutes later.

Seltzer bottles!

It's theme day and the theme is "water"! These are seltzer bottles, empty at the moment, but which can be filled with carbonated water, also known as sparkling water, plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved. Nowadays hardly anyone uses these classic bottles, but there are still a few stores around town where you can take yours (if you still have one...) to be filled to add to white wine to make wine spritzers. Otherwise, most people opt to use already the Serbian bottled naturally sparkling water, Knjaz Miloš (Kuh-NYAZ MEE-lush), named for a Serbian prince, which comes from mountains near Arandjelovac (Ah-ron-JEL-o-vats). Quite a mouthful of words to pronounce today!