Not yet fluent, but one day!

It seems somewhat ridiculous to me that after only a few months away from the US, American accents startle me in public.

Bucharest, Romania

While I have picked up some important Serbian phrases I am by no means fluent which is why I was incredibly surprised when "hvala", Serbian for "thank you" slipped out of my mouth so easily while I was in Romania (where the correct word would have been "multumesc" anyway). I was visiting the country with an American friend who had joined me in Europe for her spring break and it seemed everywhere we went, my brain decided to try my Serbian phrases before my native language.


At the time, I attributed this to having simply gotten into the routine of asking questions and giving greetings in Serbian- I had been in Serbia for about three whole months. In retrospect, I think the feeling of being abroad also played a role, given that while in Romania I was intensely aware that I was a foreigner.

London, United Kingdom

Shortly after that trip, which was full of many a Serbian-slip, much to my dismay and my friend's enjoyment, I headed to London to visit a friend who was on co-op there.

Now, London is quite similar to New York in many ways, so I didn't feel quite so out of place here. However, I had been in Serbia longer by this point so despite the fact that I speak ONLY english and was in an english-speaking country, my Serbian-slips continued. "Thank you" became "hvala", many of my questions began with "kako" instead of how, and while on the tube my brain reached for "izvinite" before "excuse me." I felt ridiculous. And then I realized that this simply meant I had become comfortable navigating a foreign language so much so that it became my natural reaction- I dream of the day I become fluent in another language, and while I'm nowhere near close, it's nice  to know that I can get there.

Favorite Belgrade Photos

Over my time in Belgrade I've worked to cultivate a collection of photos that describe the city without words. These are some of my favorites.

The National Assembly of Serbia may be my favorite building in the city- no matter what time of day it always looks pristine. Fun fact: I attended a lecture inside the building while here on a Dialogue of Civilizations last year 

This is the view from Start Savski Most, the bridge I cross on my way to and from work each day. On the weekends I like to sit by the water and watch the light change at sunset over the city. 

Kalemegdan Park, located within the Belgrade Fortress, is full of surprises. This view can be found by walking through three sets of walls within the structure and looks directly over the roof a church that is decorated entirely with mosaic tiles on the inside. 

I took this shot on a walk to my bus stop. It shows only a fraction of Trg Slavia, or Slavia Square, known amongst the co-op students as the "roundabout of death" because of its size. 

Believe it or not, this photo was taken on February 5th, just weeks after I arrived to a frozen tundra of a city. 

This is one of the first photos I took when I returned to Belgrade, showing the communist architecture that is prominent in Novi Beograd. 

Sunrise over Sarajevo

Last July I traveled around the Balkans on a Dialogue of Civilizations program entitled "The Balkan Wars, State Collapse, and Strengthening the European Union" which focused on the breakup of Yugoslavia and the impact of regional issues on the EU and continental Europe. This program has without a doubt shaped my plan for the rest of my time at Northeastern as it introduced me to a history I had not yet studied and allowed me to become acquainted with a part of the world I would likely never visit otherwise.

Sebilij Brunnen in Baščaršija, Sarajevo's  "old town"

When offered a co-op position in Belgrade, I jumped at the change to return to the region, knowing how much I could still learn from it. And, after living here for several months I can say with certainty that I have achieved significant personal growth while on this co-op.

The place that truly stole my heart last summer, though, was Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Sarajevo is a masterpiece of a city that has such a rich, heartbreaking history that even the most cynical of people couldn't help but be inspired by it. Bosnians have an untouchable spirit, full of resilience and warmth, welcoming any and all strangers into their culture.

I took advantage of the May Day holiday this past weekend to spend a few days wandering Sarajevo, with no obligations and endless time to soak it all in.

Streets in Baščaršija are lined with shops filled
with handmade goods, mainly the Bosnian coffee sets

It was strange to experience it for the second time, especially having lived in Belgrade: everything seemed so much less foreign. Plus, the difference between Bosnian and Serbian is akin to the difference between American English and British English so though my Serbian isn't great, I was able to get by with my usual phrases.

After two days filled with many Bosnian coffees, good conversation, and an ever growing love for Sarajevo, I realized that this time, when I leave, I had absolutely no idea when I may have the chance to return. 

So, on Monday morning I rose before dawn and made the hike to the Žuta Tabija (Yellow Fortress) to watch the light change over the city at sunrise- a tradition I picked up in high school where graduating seniors watch the sunrise together on the morning of their graduation. I've kept this ritual close to my heart, dragging myself out of bed to say goodbye to places I've called home for some time or another, and while I haven't lived in Sarajevo the city certainly claims a place in my heart.

Learning to slow down...

New York, New York. July 2016.

 Last week I stumbled upon an article, recommended to me by Facebook, that rendered me speechless for a few moments as I processed the startlingly simple first line which stated bluntly something that I’ve been struggling to communicate for several months: “No city makes you feel more like a New Yorker than Belgrade.”

While this stunning introduction has little to do with the rest of the piece, a travel guide of sorts, it is my single favorite thing I have read about the city if only because it lends words to what I’ve been feeling since I moved here.

To say the least, the Belgrade lifestyle has been an enormous adjustment. As the aforementioned article states, “in Belgrade, people don’t walk, they amble; lunch spans the course of 3 or 4 hours; and drinks are sipped, never knocked back,” a sharp pivot from the undercurrent of urgency that runs beneath nearly everything one does in New York City.

Street Art in Belgrade, Serbia. March 2017.

Northeastern prepares students well for culture shocks and ensures that students do their research before moving to a foreign country. I was ready for being surrounded by the Cyrillic alphabet and not being able to speak the language and while most would think those the most difficult adjustments, what I've found most significant is the difference in lifestyle. 

I grew up just outside manhattan and was raised in a very competitive, fast-paced environment. Once I began interning in NYC while home over breaks this effect was only heightened. 

Everything in New York is done with a sense of urgency whereas in Belgrade, even urgent matters rarely receive that kind of attention. 

Even walking is different: unless I’m paying attention I walk everywhere as though I’m schlepping across town late for a meeting, though I never noticed this difference in Boston (admittedly this might have something to do with my barrage of tall, long legged friends who manage to keep up with me effortlessly). In Belgrade, though, the average height seems to be at least 6’0 and yet I’m constantly stopping short to avoid running into backs on the sidewalk. Serbs like to amble, savoring everything around them- a trait that echoes through everything they do.

A stroll through Vračar March 2017.

Over the past few months here I've come to enjoy ambling through the cities on my days off; Belgrade is by no means a conventional form of beautiful, but has its charms nonetheless and a sense of character that I will miss dearly.

The Belgrade waterfront by night. April 2017. 

Serbian Cuisine

Given my love of cooking, one of my favorite parts of living in a new culture is learning about the local cuisine. In Serbia, it mostly boils down to meat and cheese, though it's not quite that simple.

Kaymack, a cornerstone of most Serbian meals, is a cream cheese-esque spread that melts like butter and adds the perfect flavor to just about everything. From meats, to bread, or even crepes, everything tastes better with kaymack.

My roommates and I have been on something of a culinary tour while here since eating out is genuinely affordable. Some of our favorites have included Zavičaj, which is home to my favorite plijescavica and breakfast bowl, and Sesir Moj (This Hat of Mine) which we discovered today.

Sesir Moj  is located in Skadarlija, one of Belgrade's oldest neighborhoods. With its cobblestone streets, charmingly-odd street signs, and abundance of flowers, it is also one of the most charming.

Note: vertical sign reads "moon"

The food was unbelievable- while the menu gave away little regarding what we were actually ordering, we were not disappointed (though to be fair we rarely are here). 

I ordered a roast pork knuckle that came with "domestic cream cheese" which is how kaymack is often translated. The dish was relatively simple, a pork knuckle roasted atop potatoes seasoned with paprika and topped with kaymack, but in this case, simple was exactly what it needed to be- it is the single most flavorful pork dish I have ever eaten. 

My two roommates ordered a dish that they were warned would be spicy, though we've come to learn that Serbs find bell peppers spicy so we take that warning with a grain of salt nowadays. Surprise, surprise, their dish featured sautéed bell peppers and onions, mixed with roast pork and a light sauce, topped with- you guessed it- kaymack. 

We also split a Serbian salad- tomatoes (paradajz, pronounced "paradise" in Serbian), cucumbers, sweet onions, and usually topped with cheese. Admittedly this is fairly ambiguous to the region, but it brings me a certain sense of comfort as it reminds me of all the various "tomato and ______" salads I ate growing up in an Italian family. 

For dessert we did our usual, choosing an item at random to see what we ended up with as english translations of desserts are rarely accurate- the Serbian names are no more helpful: in Serbian crepes are called palachinke, or pancakes, because they chose the wrong word to translate (fun fact this was one of the first pieces of food advice I received in Belgrade). 

We ended up with an "apple pie" which was more akin to baklava, but delicious nonetheless. 

Exploring Serbian food has been one of my favorite weekend pastimes these past few months, but I've also enjoyed experiencing food from other cultures- Spain, Italy, and so on- in Belgrade. The mostly-joking rule of thumb in this city is that everything is about 85% what you expect it to be- the rain is mostly on time, though may be an hour late one day, or you order an iced coffee and get served three scoops of ice cream in a latte. I was recommended a "diner" by a coworker and as a New Yorker am desperate to try it and see what Serbia thinks a diner should be like. Updates to come!