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!