WEEKEND REFLECTION--"Kap Kejks"

These brightly-colored cupcakes have appeared in a local bakery chain's windows for a couple of weeks now. You can see the sign written in the Cyrillic alphabet that advertises them as "kap kejks", which is the phonetic transcription of 'cupcakes.'

The Serbian dinar is now worth, as of the writing, around 80 dinars to one American dollar. Still a better price than some upscale cupcakes in the US that go for around $5.00.

Which one would you pick?

See more reflections at James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

SKYWATCH--"rooftops"

Fog, pale sky, rooftops, chimneys, lots of antennas (antennae!), but no satellite dishes visible. Everybody's on cable, I guess.

See other skies at SKYWATCH.

Run from the Devil?

I accompanied a friend to a doctor's visit the other week and saw this sign while we were waiting. It was pretty easy to figure out that the top running figure was running away from fire, but the lower one, what was he trying to escape from? The Devil? A bull? Run like the devil from a bull?

Since there's little chance of running into a bull in a hospital corridor (I'll not mention the Devil), I asked a passing nurse.

"That's a bomb," she replied. "The bomb shelter is to the right."

Oh.

ABC Wednesday--"A" is for "(Bon) Appétit"

Every now and then there are shots you want to take that make your adrenalin (another A!) rush to press the shutter. When I saw this workman across a busy street enjoying his pljeskavica (Serbian hamburger), I muttered an oath under my breath that I didn't have my usual zoom lens on my camera. I snapped away anyway with my 50mm and cropped.

Just look at those hands, which speak for him. Bon Appétit to him.

See other A's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Walking their cat.

While enjoying a glass of very good wine with a friend the other night, I caught this couple across the street while they were walking their cat....on a leash. Kitty seemed very used to this. Not a bad idea. I always feel sorry for city apartment cats, who rarely, if ever, go out.

The Rapunzel building....

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair," cried the prince in the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale.
Rapunzel did let down her long golden braid and up climbed the prince.

Had she been in this building and not a tower, he could have surprised her by climbing up this vine. Or maybe he'd have just taken the elevator inside.

Sunday Bridges: The Overtoun Dog Suicide Bridge

I thought I had heard it all, but here's something I discovered in my again-desperate search for a bridge to post on Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

I found this at this site.

"Located near the village of Milton in the burgh of Dumbarton, Scotland, exists a bridge that for some reason or another, has been attracting suicidal dogs since the early 60s. At a rate of around one a month, dogs have been regularly leaping from the bridge; an estimated 600 have been reported jumping.

Even more strange are the circumstances behind these incidents of kamikaze canines. Not only have they been plummeting to their deaths from the bridge, but many have witnessed the dogs actually climbing the parapet wall before making the jump. Even stranger are the reports of dogs surviving their brush with death, only to return to the bridge for a second attempt..."

The two happy canines in my photo are gallivanting along a wall in Kalemegdan Park, far from Milton, Scotland, and not about to leap anywhere.

Weekend Reflection: Sit a while...

It may be a cold sit on this park bench, but sometimes it's good to listen to the Buddhist advice: "Don't just do something; sit there."

Today is Serbian New Year. Perhaps the time to make a resolution to slow down and just sit?

See other reflections at James' Weekend Reflection.

Skywatch Friday: Against the sun

Mid-morning view of a path alongside Kalemegdan Park.

See other skies at SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

Radoje Domanović --a short life, but long-remembered

Radoje Domanović (RAH-do-yeh Do-MAHN-o-veetch) (1873 - 1908) was a Serbian writer and teacher, most famous for his satirical short stories. He died of tuberculosis. This illness, along with the affection he inspired in all who knew him, surrounded his work with a romantic, sentimental aura.

During his short literary career he developed the great powers of the satirical novel, although some of his stories are distorted by pessimism. Below are two examples:

The Suffering, an allegory in which he castigated the ruthlessness of the authority and submissiveness of its subjects.

The Leader, a story about incompetent leadership: people who chose a person they'd never seen before to lead them to a better place. After suffering through a long trip, they realize that their leader is blind.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"Z" is for "(almost)Zeppole"

These yummy long, puffy, sprinkled-with-sugar-if-you-like, doughnuts that this kerchiefed seller is about to pick up may be cousins of the Italian Zeppole, which are round and filled.

This Serbian version is called mekike (MEH-kee-keh) and if you click right here, you'll find a recipe for them, in Serbian only; couldn't find one in English.

The other lady is about to serve some tulumbe (too-LOOM-beh), which are very sweet/ You can find an English recipe for them by clicking here.


See other Z's at ABC WEDNESDAY.