So how did We Get here Anyway?

For those of you just joining our Balkan programming, perhaps you are wondering how Masa and I ended up here anyway. I thought maybe we ought to provide some historical context to our current situation.....

Our adventure began almost four years ago when we first started dating, and has brought us on countless escapades across North America and Europe. A good many of those have taken place all over South Eastern Europe, particularly the republics of the former Yugoslavia. I offer you these glimpes of our previous travels......

The Florida Diaries (2004):

Florida: (FLoh - ree - dah) - noun. Engine by Yugo, body by almost-Tonka. Car of the people...apparently was very well made before...but sometime in the last ten years the quality has slipped somewhat. We christened her, "the Mighty Plastic One". Our trusty steed will be taking us through Serbia and the mountains of Montenegro - elevation, 2500 meters. Arriving in Belgrade we anticipated meeting our driver, with our Florida, to take us into town and get us on our way. Apparently he never got the message. But while we were making some calls to sort things out with a few choice Yugo-sayings, "Fuck your mother", we were able to witness the locals in their finest form. Man leaves airport and crosses road - gets clipped by taxi leaving terminal...taxi stops momentarily to exchange a couple of pleasantries, and the police man standing there gestures for his ticket pad, but thinks better of the extra work and tells them both to fuck off. Welcome to Serbia. A few rules for your stay.... 1) Sidewalks....are really misnamed, these are generally reserved for driving or parking, not walking.2) Politics...are taken very seriously and are still divided in Serbia over everything. The larger than life poster of Slobodan Milosevic in the downtown district (on his political parties hq), was somewhat unexpected. 3) Coffee...is taken with every daily activity. The last seven days have been a whirlwind tour through Serbia and Montenegro. Belgrade is a fascinating city, reverberating with life. The downtown core is marked with some new developments and some buildings still damaged from the NATO bombing. The mood in the city is very mixed over the politics of the bombing and its impact on the people. We will try to get some pictures of everything online in the next few days for you to see. The people here are beyond generous and the customs surrounding hospitality for foreigners are strictly adhered to. To have a guest is to make your home their home, and everyone we have met has been extremely kind to us. IN the mountains of Montenegro we visited to village in which Masa's father was born, and the surrounding countryside where many of their relatives still reside. It is breathtaking scenery, much like the rocky mountains in western canada. Travelling in this area requires a strong stomach for the roads, and a few extra $$ to get yourself through the administrative stops along the way. "yes sir we stopped you as we saw you make an illegal pass on the highway.""what? (play dumb...) I am not from here....""I see, well this is a serious offense (that does not really exist), we would normally have to take you to the station and suspend you for three months.""I see....""but for 600 dinars, we'll get you on your way..." (approx 15 CAD). ...to be continued.....

The S4 Diaires (2004):

Our intrepid adventurers found themselves in Pljevlja (Puh-lyev-lee-ah) - a small mountain village in Montenegro. The Mighty Plastic One was wounded, and our heroes seemed doomed to spend an eternity drinking gasoline-based alcoholic beverages (more on that), unless some magical solution could be found to fix the Florida. The Gods were fortunate this day, or perhaps it was the sacrifice of my liver the night before that bade them to take pity on us. We joined Masa's cousin for a few cocktails in an amazingly happening little bar in Pljevlja (say it three times fast...but have seven beers first). Some rules about drinking in Montenegro: 1) You must always start with Rakja (RAK- ee-Ya) - one of three liquors made from grapes, plums, or pears. Pears = Kruska; Grapes = loza, and Plums = Slijva (Schliva). You might as well just crack open the Esso Extra, only this stuff does taste better. 2) Montenegrins make astonishingly great beer, truly. Niksicko (Nik-SHICH-Ko) - at least that's how it looked to me after a number of them, would do great in Canada. 3) Standard quantities for one adult male = grenade = 2 Litres. Per sitting. Best to go to bathroom often. 4) An outing will usually last four to five hours, and if you don't understand the language, like me, you'll not have much to say...leaving you more time to drink. This may help you comprehend the numerous slang/swear words. 5) Finish off with a Slijva, take two and you won't feel a thing in the morning. Masa's cousin's best friend came to join us. 30 seconds into the conversation we realized he and Masa were also distant cousins, maybe 3 or 4 times removed. The relations between the families are apparently somewhat strained....something about a shooting on the town's main street? Having reviewed the scene myself, and discussed the incident with other relatives, it was clearly self defense.....maybe I need another beer? Although the morning was blurry, it was not certain if this was a result of the hangover, or the coal smelter plant. Either way, it left a tough taste in the mouth. The Florida did not look likely to make it very far.... Our departure delayed by distant cousins coming to say goodbye - a mechanic across the street came to say hello.....turns out he knew Masa's grandfather - they used to go fishing. A legend the man was, apparently - and the Mighty Plastic One was road-ready again..... "Yes sir I think you were going a little fast there for this mountain road, and what is this driver's licence? You need a Montenegrin driver's licence here." "I am a tourist, I have rented this car" "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to come to our station." "Perhaps you and your partner could take this ten Euros and go for a beer?" "Thank you and have a nice day." ...and onwards we went for Belgrade and then on to Sarajevo and through to the Croatian coast..... ...back in Belgrade we returned the Florida to the dealer, and picked up some bus tickets for Sarajevo. That evening Masa's uncle called to say that he would be driving in to town to pick us up and give us a lift. Back to the station to return the tickets, we relaxed in the smooth stylings of his Audi S4, and decided to spend our last night in Belgrade in the bohemian town centre. As two in the morning rolled around, we were singing Bosnian folk songs with the string band, and enjoying delicious Vranac - a Montenegrin wine. The next morning we made record time to Sarajevo, where we would spend one evening before continuing on to the Croatian coast via the ancient town of Mostar, and a stop for the classic Hercegovinian delicacy - frogs. Them's good. The S4, cruised through the mountain tunnels of Hercegovina, emerging into the Mediterranean climate of the Adriatic - and suddenly we were surrounded by wineries and olive trees. The sweet smell of the ocean was in the air, and new adventures await....

The Unbearable Whiteness of Being (2004):

Dubrovnik and Hvar - the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Paradise on Earth. Really really hot. Especially when you are the Unbearable Whiteness of Being. Masa is so tanned we have started to sing Ebony & Ivory to each other. Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so rich with history and heritage. 800 year old stone walls surrounding the old city, protecting it from centuries of invaders. Sadly not protecting it from invading tourists, but despite an influx of thousands of people every week in the summer, the city is beyond beautiful. Travelling adventures have continued full force on the coast of Croatia. Some of the funniest things have been the Serbo-Croatian to English translations that are done (in complete literal fashion) for tourists like me. For example: 1) For the beaches around Hvar - "Come and visit natural nature and our virginal beaches"2) On the ferries between Hvar and the Croatian mainland - safety rules:a) In the case of emergency, bring life jacket and DON'T FORGET - take drugs if you use them.b) If you have trouble DOING life jacket, ask staff for assistance. Our ferry from Split, on the Dalmatian Coast, to Chioggia, the industrial wasteland outside of Venice, was a 14 hour time warp back to a 70's cruise ship from the north African coast. Complete with plush, crushed velvet seating in the bar area, silver mirrored dance floor, and all ABBA all the time. We cannot recommend Hvar highly enough as a destination. It was truly magical. Unfortunately our time in Venice was less than spectacular, as it was a bit of a shock to see the city in a state of such disrepair. So much garbage and graffiti everywhere, but amazing food. After a quick detour through Slovenia, having reconnected with the S4 "Balkan F1 experience", we have arrived back in Sarajevo for the remainder of our stay. Hoping this finds everyone well, and looking forward to connecting back home.

And now we are here as I am pursuing a joint program at the University of Sarajevo and the University of Bologna, the European Regional Master's (ERMA) in Human Rights and Democratization in South Eastern Europe. Masa has taken the opportunity to return to the city of her birth and reconnect with her roots, her family, and her friends.

After a little over a week, we could not be more excited to be here, and looking forward to the coming year....and then, who knows....