My Tiny Little Hometown in East-Central Illinois

My hometown is a tiny little blip on the map. If you blink you will miss it. If you are familiar with country western music, this is your typical small town that is mentioned in there. We have one bank, one stop light,  one grocery store, one car dealership, and the more churches than restaurants. The biggest disagreements and fights started over  Miller Light vs Bud Light, Cardinals vs Cubs, or Ford vs Chevrolet.  A big truck with a loud exhaust was a status symbol for most young men.

Greenup, Illinois USA or “Village of the Porches”  is located in East-Central Illinois in the country of Cumberland and has a population of around 1600 people. It is far from a wealthy town.  The median income for a household in the village was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $36,902 according to the last census.

Illinois has a total of 102 counties and has the most forms of administrative government in the United States of America with over 8,000. The Illinois Constitution of 1970 , created for the first time in Illinois, a type of “home rule” that allows localities to govern themselves to a certain extent. Each county is broken down into townships with  an elected board that makes local decisions.

Greenup received its name from National Road surveyor William C. Greenup, who platted the town in 1834. He was one of the supervisors hired to oversee construction of the National Road in Illinois.

The little town has one dark bit of history. It used to have something called a “Sundown Law” that required all African Americans to be out of town before the sun went down.

This sad part of my town’s history was mentioned in the book ” Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension Of American Racism” by James W. Loewe.

The times have changed and Greenup has turned into a great place to raise a little family or spend your retirement in a safe little place where everyone knows everyone. Growing up in a tiny little community has made me a kinder and more friendly person. It wasn’t uncommon for me to wave at every single car that drove past me or to say  “hi” to the majority of people that you bump into at the grocery store.

I went to school at Cumberland High School which is  located a few miles outside of Greenup, IL. Some of the best times of my life happened in the halls of this little high school. We were known as the “Pirates” and had some really good basketball and baseball teams during my tenure. I was a very loud and obnoxious hooligan at basketball games. A total of five schools banned me from their gymnasiums for being loud and disrespectful. One school, Kansas High School, even sent a letter to my parents telling them that I was banned for life from all sporting events in Kansas. Dad decided to bring out the belt after receiving that letter. 😛

The community has also been crucial in the two large donations of sporting equipment that we pulled together for Serbia. I was interviewed in our most popular newspaper about my time in Serbia and had many schools, people and businesses contact me to help. We pulled together all of this American football gear that was delivered last winter. The local teams really appreciated it and had a dinner in my honor in Zrenjanin. We also shipped over a big donation of baseball equipment the year before. The people in Greenup love to help those that might need a bit of help. We have another big donation that Ervin Equipment and Arcola Youth Football pulled together a few months ago. It will be brought over soon!

If you ever find yourself in East-Central Illinois, swing by “The Village of the Porches”. I took many of these beautiful pictures of my hometown from Jim Grey’s blog. He was kind enough to allow me permission to use them. Jenny Stewart from Greenup, Illinois was also kind enough to allow me to use the picture of her nephew.

Shot of downtown Greenup. There are tons of antique stores and very little else. You can see why they call it “Village of the Porches”

 

another close up of the porches.

 

This used to be the old bank. It was common for old banks to have the entrance on the corner.

This is the “American Legion” that is one of the few drinking establishments in town. This town used to be “dry” on Sunday. That means no alcohol could be purchased. That changed about 10 years ago.

 

This is the old train depot that has been relocated into the downtown strip.

 

Museum located beside the old depot.

They claim our town is historic. 🙂 I know that Abe Lincoln supposedly helped dig a well in Greenup. He was raised about 20 miles from Greenup at the historic site of ” Lincoln Log Cabin”

This is our pride and joy. These covered bridges were very common in Illinois, Indiana and other places in the Midwest.

 

Beautiful shot of the entrance of the bridge.

The Cumberland County Fair is held every August and features lots of horse racing and a Saturday night demolition derby.

We should all be proud of our roots. I am no exception to that rule!

 

 

 

Another One Cashing in on Kosovo

What gives??? A few days ago I was reading up on Madeline Albright and her huge investments in the telecom company in Kosovo. That really bummed me out. How could I have been so blind? A few moments after posting my blog article on it, a friend messaged me this little tidbit of info.

General Wesley Kanne was born in Chicago , Il in 1944. His father died four years later and the family moved to Arkansas because  his mother didn’t share the Jewish faith of the Kanne family. She remarried a gentleman by the  name of Viktor Clark. She had her son’s name officially changed on the birth certificate to Wesley Clark. She failed to tell Wesley of his Jewish roots to protect him from the Ku Klux Klan that had a strong following in Arkansas.

 

Wesley Clark excelled in high school and eventually attended West Point. He served in Vietnam and was awarded many medals for his bravery. He ended up as a 4 star general and was chosen to head “Operation Allied Forces”. He had previous been military advisor in the Bosnian conflict and had a few close calls like this:

“While the team was driving along a mountain road during the first week, the road gave way, and one of the vehicles fell over a cliff carrying passengers including Holbrooke’s deputy, Robert Frasure, a deputy assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Kruzel, and Air Force Colonel Nelson Drew. Clark and Holbrooke attempted to crawl down the mountain, but were driven back by sniper fire. Once the fire ceased, Clark scaled down the mountain to collect the bodies of two dead Americans left by Bosnian forces that had taken the remaining wounded to a nearby hospital.”

General Clark on the left with General Mladic’s hat on…. General Mladic on the right with General Clark’s hat.

He was also thrashed in the western media outlets for his meeting with Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic. General Clark and General Mladic were shown exchanging hats which led to outrage from both the Liberal and Conservative pundits. Some Clinton administration members privately said the incident was “like cavorting with Hermann Goring.”

General Clark led “Operation Allied Force” , the military intervention into Serbian lands. President Clinton came on tv explaining to the American people how Democracy was threatened and we must help those that are seeking freedom from oppression. -_- That is what we were told anyway!! Was it true???

June 6th, 2012…… The company that former General Wesley Clark heads, Envidity, has received the green light from the Kosovo Government to begin work on oil generation from lignite in Kosovo!  They are offering hundreds of millions of Euros in investments!!! Shouldn’t this be considered a conflict of interest??? We can start a war on some small country that has lots of resources and then privately invest in them to make millions of dollars! INSANE!!!!! You can never trust your government!! http://www.eciks.org/english/lajme.php?action=total_news&main_id=1250

IT IS TIME THAT WE ALL REVOLT!!! OUR LEADERS CARE NOTHING ABOUT US! THEY LOVE TO BLOW SMOKE UP OUR ASSES AND ACT LIKE WE MATTER, BUT WE DON’T!!! REVOLUTION!!!! They would sell us for a $5 bill!

I have friends in the majority of countries around the world. They are all dealing with the same corruption that is dripping from the top down. Check out my video from my  friends all over the planet that are sick and tired of the status quo! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOBBBo71ClA

 

Greatest Serbian Leader and Hero

I have traveled to almost every corner of this great country. It amazes me to find such differing views in such a small place! Serbians are very open to me about their politics and their personal beliefs. I never judge anyone and usually just sit and listen. I am interested to get an idea of where my friends and followers stand.

Please vote on these two polls. I will study and read up on the winners and provide an interesting blog post about them. The “Serbian Hero” question was left with an option to add your own!

Thank you in advance!!! Please join our new Serbian website…… SAY SERBIA….. http://sayserbia.com/. We are trying to create a place to bring together Serbians, foreigners that are interested in Serbia, and create a place to find out about EVERYTHING Serbian! Feel free to click on a category and add your input, pictures, opinions, videos, etc.

 

Sports Equipment Donations to Arrive in October

The day has finally arrived. The 800 lbs of baseball, softball, and soccer equipment that we gathered in Greenup, IL is officially gone! It is currently being loaded onto a semi trailer that is bound for a Maryland shipping yard. It will then be placed onto a barge where it will sail to Montenegro and then be trucked to Belgrade in middle October. This result couldn’t have taken place without the kindness and generosity of regular citizens. I listed EVERYONE that played a part in this remarkable feat at the bottom of the page. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  Watch the video I made about all the equipment…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCyeu6c-4tQ

This idea popped into my head after watching my buddies from Gradnulica Beckerek play a baseball game. I was stunned when they had to go over and ask the opposing team to borrow a baseball bat!! Also… only a couple of the kids had baseball cleats!!! I thought of all the baseball gear that I had owned as a child. Most of it I used once or twice and disregarded. The average American household is not filled with endless streams of money like many people around the world like to think. We struggle with house payments, car payments, property taxes, high food prices, etc……. BUT, One thing I have noticed after living in Mexico and Serbia is we do have more LUXURY items than most other countries. I can remember having around 6 pairs of baseball cleats, 5 or 6 baseball gloves, ENDLESS amounts of baseballs, every new video game console that came out onto the market , etc. Many of these items I used a few times and stuffed them into the closet. This is not the case in many countries around the world. I found it interesting that in Serbia it is not considered rude to talk about your income. I was invited to many of my friends homes and got to meet their parents. They would tell me their monthly income and I would try to keep my jaw from dropping in dismay. How ANYONE could support a family with shelter, food, clothing, etc on $400 a month is beyond me!!! I heard this same story from numerous people throughout Serbia. That old saying about “not appreciating what you have” is so true! After seeing the kids ask the other team for a baseball bat… i wanted to ask ” Why the hell don’t you buy your own!” Then you think back to the $400 a month family income!!! A baseball bat is the LAST THING this family needs to be purchasing. The idea hit me!! I would contact my local newspapers in Toledo, Greenup and Charleston, IL.

My TINY hometown that a HUGE heart!!

September of 2011 the Toledo Democrat, Greenup Press and Charleston Times Courier published my story about Serbia and my desire to help bring unused sports equipment to the kids. The second it hit the papers my Facebook and email were flooded with requests from people who wanted to assist in gathering it, storing it, moving it, etc. I was blown away! Businesses, family members, friends, community members and total strangers were offering their help. My mom emailed me and said ” Where the hell are we going to put all this stuff! ” hahahaha… I should have informed them first. They are in the midst of building a new home and fighting some medical issues. They didn’t need the added stress of dealing with this big project. It is really hard to start something like this in your hometown community while you are on the other side of the ocean in Serbia! hahaaha..It stressed me out to no end. I would get updates from my mother on how many things were there. I would look up shipping prices on the internet and would shudder when I saw the prices!!! I thought to myself…. “THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY WE CAN GET THIS OVER THERE!” I was depressed and thinking what I would tell the kids, the community that gathered it , etc.. 😦 A couple great people donated some funds to help store it, move it, and help pay for the shipping BUT we were looking at THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! The US embassy in Belgrade contacted me offering assistance with shipment if I could get it to the Ohio military base. They just needed weights, dimensions, etc. The problem was so much of it had not been delivered so i had no idea how many packages or what the weights were. I finally decided to go back the USA on May 29th of this year. I wanted to see how my mother was doing and help with the construction of their new home. I made manyyyyyyy phone calls, sent many emails, etc while at home to try to make something happen. I posted the email addresses for the guys at the US and Serbian embassies on my Facebook page with a message to all my friends to email them and ask for assistance. It wasn’t long before both embassies had contacted me asking me to please have the emails stop!! ahahahah… The gentleman at the Serbian Consulate was the BEST!!! He said that he found a Serbian/American businessman that loved my devotion to the kids of Serbia and said he would pay for all of the shipping! I just needed to get it to Chicago!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! This was exactly what I wanted to hear!!!! I packaged it all up and contacted my Chicago Serb buddy, Danijel Vukosavljevic.

My buddy, Danijel Vukosavljevic showing his Serbian flag after picking up all the donations. HVALA BRATE!!! Volim te!!!

He owns a trucking company in Chicago called P&D transport.inc  He was more than happy to drive the 3.5 hours down to my parents and pick up the equipment and drop it off at the storage facility! WHEW!!!! My blood pressure dropped a few points! 🙂 The best part about this….. the Serbian/American businessman is willing to continue paying the shipping for any donated items to his home country. I want to do more!!! This doesn’t have to end. I had some Serbian kids contact me about tennis equipment and rowing equipment too. OH!!!!! We will have one more shipment late this year or next year. My WONDERFUL cousin and her husband wrote me asking if I would be in need of 60 sets of American football pads and 50-60 football helmets! I told them that we would love to have them. The Serbian consulate asked me to assist them in locating more of it because they do not have the funds for this type of equipment and many teams are in need! I posted something about this equipment on my Facebook page and had 7 teams contact me asking for the equipment! THERE IS A LOT OF NEED!

I am very interested in starting a non-profit organization that would solicit used sports equipment for Serbia. Baseball, soccer, basketball, rowing, tennis, water polo, etc… maybe even help build sports facilities in some of the smaller towns. If anyone has any information about starting a non-profit in the state of Illinois let me know! This would let larger businesses and more people donate because they could write it off their taxes. 🙂 DON’T TELL ME I CAN’T DO SOMETHING!!!! 🙂

This goes to show that regardless of our governments past and current strife….the regular citizens can unite for a good cause!!!

Thanks to all of the following individuals that helped make this a success. Aqua Air deserves special mention!!! Milos was my contact and was so helpful and friendly.  The owner, Mr Jovan Babic has a special place in his heart for his country. He is paying the thousands in transport charges! Milos Bajic is a very proud Chicago Serb. He donated 4 boxes of soccer gear for the Zrenjanin soccer team!!! Love you man!!  I hate making a list because there is always someone I forget. A GREAT BIG THANKS TO JORDAN MOSER!! He is a very kind young man that wanted to donate his VERY nice equipment bag and equipment!! YOU ROCK!!  Here are the rest that helped make it happen:

The Serbian Consulate in Chicago,Tasha Shaffer, Jordan Moser, Shay Shaffer,Gary Hasgen, Gerry and Dordina Mixon, Amy Polic, Karen Blade,  Danijel Vukosavljevic, Amanda Black, Dan and Julie Ponce Brandon Miller, Adam Fifield, June Hayden, Jenny Morgan, Pilson Auto Center, P&D transport.inc, JK Mitchell, Toledo Democrat, Greenup Press, Charleston Times Courier, Vlasina Travel, Cumberland High School, Champaign schools, Salt Fork High School, Charleston High School,   Lake Land College, First Neighbor Bank, Casey State Bank, Danyel Reeve and to all of those listed below….

• nik rhoades
• Dragana Djordjic-Vidovic
• Andjelko Jovanovic
• Dario Debeljak
• Milos Vukotic
• Dušan Knežević
• Andrija Dudic
• Ivan Jelisavcic
• Tiha Puaca
• Angela Skocic
• Marijana Stojadinovic
• Mario Maric
• Marko Nikolic

 

Sports Equipment Donations to Arrive in October

The day has finally arrived. The 800 lbs of baseball, softball, and soccer equipment that we gathered in Greenup, IL is officially gone! It is currently being loaded onto a semi trailer that is bound for a Maryland shipping yard. It will then be placed onto a barge where it will sail to Montenegro and then be trucked to Belgrade in middle October. This result couldn’t have taken place without the kindness and generosity of regular citizens. I listed EVERYONE that played a part in this remarkable feat at the bottom of the page. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  Watch the video I made about all the equipment…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCyeu6c-4tQ

This idea popped into my head after watching my buddies from Gradnulica Beckerek play a baseball game. I was stunned when they had to go over and ask the opposing team to borrow a baseball bat!! Also… only a couple of the kids had baseball cleats!!! I thought of all the baseball gear that I had owned as a child. Most of it I used once or twice and disregarded. The average American household is not filled with endless streams of money like many people around the world like to think. We struggle with house payments, car payments, property taxes, high food prices, etc……. BUT, One thing I have noticed after living in Mexico and Serbia is we do have more LUXURY items than most other countries. I can remember having around 6 pairs of baseball cleats, 5 or 6 baseball gloves, ENDLESS amounts of baseballs, every new video game console that came out onto the market , etc. Many of these items I used a few times and stuffed them into the closet. This is not the case in many countries around the world. I found it interesting that in Serbia it is not considered rude to talk about your income. I was invited to many of my friends homes and got to meet their parents. They would tell me their monthly income and I would try to keep my jaw from dropping in dismay. How ANYONE could support a family with shelter, food, clothing, etc on $400 a month is beyond me!!! I heard this same story from numerous people throughout Serbia. That old saying about “not appreciating what you have” is so true! After seeing the kids ask the other team for a baseball bat… i wanted to ask ” Why the hell don’t you buy your own!” Then you think back to the $400 a month family income!!! A baseball bat is the LAST THING this family needs to be purchasing. The idea hit me!! I would contact my local newspapers in Toledo, Greenup and Charleston, IL.

My TINY hometown that a HUGE heart!!

September of 2011 the Toledo Democrat, Greenup Press and Charleston Times Courier published my story about Serbia and my desire to help bring unused sports equipment to the kids. The second it hit the papers my Facebook and email were flooded with requests from people who wanted to assist in gathering it, storing it, moving it, etc. I was blown away! Businesses, family members, friends, community members and total strangers were offering their help. My mom emailed me and said ” Where the hell are we going to put all this stuff! ” hahahaha… I should have informed them first. They are in the midst of building a new home and fighting some medical issues. They didn’t need the added stress of dealing with this big project. It is really hard to start something like this in your hometown community while you are on the other side of the ocean in Serbia! hahaaha..It stressed me out to no end. I would get updates from my mother on how many things were there. I would look up shipping prices on the internet and would shudder when I saw the prices!!! I thought to myself…. “THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY WE CAN GET THIS OVER THERE!” I was depressed and thinking what I would tell the kids, the community that gathered it , etc.. 😦 A couple great people donated some funds to help store it, move it, and help pay for the shipping BUT we were looking at THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! The US embassy in Belgrade contacted me offering assistance with shipment if I could get it to the Ohio military base. They just needed weights, dimensions, etc. The problem was so much of it had not been delivered so i had no idea how many packages or what the weights were. I finally decided to go back the USA on May 29th of this year. I wanted to see how my mother was doing and help with the construction of their new home. I made manyyyyyyy phone calls, sent many emails, etc while at home to try to make something happen. I posted the email addresses for the guys at the US and Serbian embassies on my Facebook page with a message to all my friends to email them and ask for assistance. It wasn’t long before both embassies had contacted me asking me to please have the emails stop!! ahahahah… The gentleman at the Serbian Consulate was the BEST!!! He said that he found a Serbian/American businessman that loved my devotion to the kids of Serbia and said he would pay for all of the shipping! Thank you, Mr. Babic and Aqua Air Enterprises!!!! I just needed to get it to Chicago!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! This was exactly what I wanted to hear!!!! I packaged it all up and contacted my Chicago Serb buddy, Danijel Vukosavljevic.

My buddy, Danijel Vukosavljevic showing his Serbian flag after picking up all the donations. HVALA BRATE!!! Volim te!!!

He owns a trucking company in Chicago called P&D transport.inc  He was more than happy to drive the 3.5 hours down to my parents and pick up the equipment and drop it off at the storage facility! WHEW!!!! My blood pressure dropped a few points! 🙂

This doesn’t have to end. I had some Serbian kids contact me about tennis equipment and rowing equipment too. OH!!!!! We will have one more shipment late this year or next year. My WONDERFUL cousin and her husband wrote me asking if I would be in need of 60 sets of American football pads and 50-60 football helmets! I told them that we would love to have them. The Serbian consulate asked me to assist them in locating more of it because they do not have the funds for this type of equipment and many teams are in need! I posted something about this equipment on my Facebook page and had 7 teams contact me asking for the equipment! THERE IS A LOT OF NEED!

I am very interested in starting a non-profit organization that would solicit used sports equipment for Serbia. Baseball, soccer, basketball, rowing, tennis, water polo, etc… maybe even help build sports facilities in some of the smaller towns. If anyone has any information about starting a non-profit in the state of Illinois let me know! This would let larger businesses and more people donate because they could write it off their taxes. 🙂 DON’T TELL ME I CAN’T DO SOMETHING!!!! 🙂

This goes to show that regardless of our governments past and current strife….the regular citizens can unite for a good cause!!!

Thanks to all of the following individuals that helped make this a success. Aqua Air Enterprises deserves special mention!!! Milos was my contact and was so helpful and friendly.  The owner, Mr Jovan Babic has a special place in his heart for his country. He is paying the thousands in transport charges! Milos Bajic is a very proud Chicago Serb. He donated 4 boxes of soccer gear for the Zrenjanin soccer team!!! Love you man!!  I hate making a list because there is always someone I forget. A GREAT BIG THANKS TO JORDAN MOSER!! He is a very kind young man that wanted to donate his VERY nice equipment bag and equipment!! YOU ROCK!!  Here are the rest that helped make it happen:

The Serbian Consulate in Chicago,Tasha Shaffer, Jordan Moser, Shay Shaffer,Gary Hasgen, Gerry and Dordina Mixon, Amy Polic, Karen Blade,  Danijel Vukosavljevic, Amanda Black, Dan and Julie Ponce Brandon Miller, Adam Fifield, June Hayden, Jenny Morgan, Pilson Auto Center, P&D transport.inc, JK Mitchell, Toledo Democrat, Greenup Press, Charleston Times Courier, Vlasina Travel, Cumberland High School, Champaign schools, Salt Fork High School, Charleston High School,   Lake Land College, First Neighbor Bank, Casey State Bank, Danyel Reeve and to all of those listed below….

• nik rhoades
• Dragana Djordjic-Vidovic
• Andjelko Jovanovic
• Dario Debeljak
• Milos Vukotic
• Dušan Knežević
• Andrija Dudic
• Ivan Jelisavcic
• Tiha Puaca
• Angela Skocic
• Marijana Stojadinovic
• Mario Maric
• Marko Nikolic

 

Leaving Serbia….Taking the LONGGG Way Home!!

Traveling around the world and living in “strange” and exciting places is a lot of fun but it can start to wear on you! I decided I was going to try to head back to the USA for a few weeks. I knew I would really miss all my new buddies down in Nis. They were more than friends … they had turned into family!!! Don’t worry… I am not leaving for good!! You couldn’t get that lucky!!!

My parents are building a new home, a friend is getting married and prices skyrocket after June 1st!!!! I wanted to keep it a little bit of surprise. I mentioned it on Facebook one day and my dear friend Suzanne messaged me! She asked me if I could wait till May 24th because she had “standby” tickets she could get me at a very discounted rate. I said “SURE!”. I love cheap things and don’t care if I have to fly around the world twice to get home for a few dollars less! 🙂 I have always purchased my tickets online. Expedia.com or Orbitz.com was always my route. It was quick, easy and I could do it in my underwear. I have always selected the first flight that pops up. It is always the cheapest but usually has HUGE layovers and rarely direct flights. I end up bitching and moaning for a month afterwards because it was such a pain.

She told me she had reserved a flight from Belgrade to Frankfurt, Germany for me at the local JAT AIR facility in Nis, Serbia. JAT is the largest airline in Serbia. It stands for Yugoslavian Airlines. Yugoslavia starts with a J in their language. :p It had been raining for a week and I ran down that night to pick up my ticket. I get to the place and its locked! I head home and get soaked to the core. The city streets in Nis have very poor drainage and the sidewalks are situated too close to the street. Cars and buses rush by and spray you. 😦 I decided I would get up early the next morning to pick up my ticket. My alarm goes off at 7AM and I quickly dress and run back down in the rain to the office. The gentleman at the desk was very friendly and asked me “why are you in Serbi?” hahahaha.. He told me the reservation price of E157 was expired because I didn’t pick it up the night before. I agreed on the price of E189. It left the next day, Wednseday .. May 24th at 11AM. I go home, pack up and lay down.

BUS FROM NIS TO BELGRADE….

I get up at 5:30 and rush around. Coffee was a must have. It would be the last Turkish coffee I would have till I returned. I shower, double-check my bags, ticket etc. Drink my coffee and see the time is really ticking! It is still raining and I have to be at the bus station at 6:30AM. I decide to walk because after 11 months, I still hate taking a cab! I just hate the hassle, language barrier and still have that fear of a “CROOKED” taxi you see in many foreign countries. I get there just in time to catch the bus. You can’t mess around in Serbia. The buses are always on time and depart exactly when they are supposed to. There were a lot of young kids on the bus and I had no clue there was a seating assignment on these things. I sit down and some old man comes over and starts speaking to me. I assume it has something to do with the seat. The ticket is written in cyrillic so I have zero clue where the seat number is located. I ask a young man if we have an assigned seat. He says “yeah but no one cares except this guy.” He tells me where my seat is and someone is in it. I sit down in the next row and this old man starts pointing again. UGHHHHHH!!! It is for his grandson. I hate to make a spectacle of the guy sitting in my seat so I sit in the next open seat. Thank GOD no one comes and complains about this one.

View of South Serbia landscape

The ride from Nis to Belgrade only has one other stop in a little town called Aleksinac. It is about 30 min North of Nis. The total trip is 3.5 hours. The view from the bus is gorgeous. You are on this toll road or an autoput so the road is nice and smooth and you can cruise at a higher rate of speed. You pass lots of hills, forests, fields and one cool things it the amount of shepherds that still tend to their sheep and goats. The other unique thing is most fields are worked by HAND instead of tractors. My dad would fall over if he had to get out in his corn and soybeans with a hoe.. hahahaha..We arrive at 10:30AM and the rain has tailed off. My friend, Ana, was going to meet me there for a coffee and help me find a bus to the  airport. I check the clock and decide its best if I just catch a cab!  I get asked by about 5 guys if I needed a cab. I decline. I find this older guy that looks like an honest guy and ask “how much for a cab to the airport?” He tells me its 2000 dinars and that the bus is cheaper but it wont be there for a few minutes. I accept a ride and he grabs my bags. He is very cheerful and speaks English very well. I compliment him on his ability to communicate in English. He starts in on his life’s story. He loved Tito and told me “Life was PERFECT in the 60s, 70s, and 80’s!” He doesn’t trust ANY of the current political leaders and didn’t even care who won the election. He quizzes me as to why I have been in Serbia. I tell him about my volunteer work and about my desire to assist with baseball equipment. He said ” I HEARD ABOUT YOU IN THE PAPER!” hahahaha.. Thank God we arrived at the airport. He jumps out and gets my bags. I notice the counter says 1600 dinars but I go ahead and give him 2000. It is a decent tip in Serbia. That would equal about $5.

Nikola Tesla International Airport in Belgrade, Serbia

Nikola Tesla International Airport…..

I enter through the main entrance at Nikola Tesla International Airport. It is my 4th time there and I feel like I know the place inside and out. It is a very small, clean and compact airport. Things are labeled in English and Serbian and I quickly find my way to the check in counter. Suzana was going to meet me at 2PM in front of our gate. I had no idea what she looked like and I was there 1.5 hours early. The lady at the counter was very kind. She took my ticket  and passport and told me ” I hope you had an enjoyable stay in Serbia.” She then explains how to get to my departure gate. She tells me ” the upstairs is a mess because of reconstruction” I head up there and get in line for customs. I don’t know why I always get a bad feeling when I am in this line. It’s my turn and I approach a smiling younger man. He takes my passport and doesn’t ask me anything. He takes my police registration and stamps my passport. SO EASY!!!!!! I wish other countries would adopt this approach!!! I head to the little bar and drink my last Lav pivo. I had forgotten to go to the currency exchange downstairs and hoped there was another upstairs because I know you are unable to exchange Serbian Dinars in any other country. There is a little machine that you can exchange Euro, or Dollars in but nothing for Dinars!!! I can’t believe it! I have 5000 Dinars in my pocket and was going to use it in Germany for some food. If you ever go to the Tesla airport make sure you change your Dinars to Euro downstairs. You can’t go back through the gates!

The flight was to leave at 3PM. The waiting area at Tesla is very small and very few chairs. I sit down to see if internet is available. There is free wifi and I log on to try to find Suzana’s number. I find it and call her. She is going through customs and will be up in a minute. She arrives and is a very cheerful lady. We sit down and discuss the trip, life , etc! She has lived in New York since 1993 but her heart is still in Serbia. She was born in Republic of Srpska but grew up in Zrenjanin and Belgrade. The time comes to board the plane. I end up getting an aisle seat next to this friendly German salesman. He is very talkative and had some funny Serbian experiences to tell me about. He mentioned that Serbs were very friendly and generous. He also told me a story about some dumb American girl in Las Vegas. He was there for a business meeting and she asked him where he was from because his accent was strange. He told her that he was from Germany and she said “Cool. Did you drive here?” hahahahah.. He told me he wasn’t picking on Americans because there were many stupid Germans too. His friend supposedly booked a hotel for him in Belgrade Serbia. When he asked his buddy where he was staying he told him that he was staying at the Hampton Inn. The guy told him that he had been to Belgrade many times and there was NO Hampton INN in Belgrade. The friend looked at the reservation and said ” OH SHIT! I booked it in Belgrade, Ohio!!!” hahahahahah…

JAT isn’t a flashy airline but they have a friendly staff and even on this short 2 hour flight they provided sandwiches and a drink! That beats many other airlines. My ears always have the hardest time adjusting to pressure. I have tried gum, chewing on plastic, swallowing etc and nothing seems to work. We start our decent into Frankfurt International Airport and my ears go silent. Ughhh.. I really hate that. The plane stops and the flight crew tells everyone to sit and move because the medical staff must enter the plane. Three healthcare providers enter the plane and pass us quickly getting to the last row. There is a guy that is yellow and very unresponsive. I am glad I wasn’t sitting by him! 🙂 I don’t know what happened to him or if he is ok. We will just hope for the best.

Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt, Germany.. One of the best airports I have ever been to. Great staff!! Helpful, friendly, clean, easy to navigate..

Frankfurt International Airport…..

We depart the plane and get into Frankfurt International. It is a very large and busy hub for European transit. We have only one hour before our flight departs and we hurry to the customs line. They force everyone to go through customs even those in transit must wait in a long line. There are two lines: one for European Union passport holders and one for everyone else. Once again the gentleman at customs was remarkably friendly. He looked me over and flipped through my passport. He asked me where I had come from and I told him. He said “Serbia!!! Odd place for an American. Why were you there?”  I tell him and lets me pass. We hurry to the security check. I take all of the metal from my pockets and put them in the trays. I walk through and start beeping. They take me to a little booth and start frisking me. The buttons on my shorts are causing the machine to go off but then he gets to my sandals. They are a pair of rip off FILA shoes I bought from a Chinese store in Nis. They cost me 300 dinars or $3.50. He asks me to take them off. I hand them to him and he runs his wand over them. They beep again.

Locked Up Abroad on Nat Geo.. My favorite show.. I was picturing this situation in my head as my sandals beeped in the security checkpoint!

He looks at me and my heart sinks. I am a lover of the show “LOCKED UP ABROAD” and have seen many occasions of people getting thrown in a foreign prison for attempting to smuggle drugs through security. My mom has always said “one of these days we are going to get a call saying you are locked up in some far off prison and we are going to leave you there!” ahhahahaha… He runs the wand over them twice and picks at the bottoms. He then hands them to me and shrugs. WHEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! My bomb was safe!!! hahahahah.. I put them on and we rush down this long hallway. Frankfurt Airport is veryyyyyyyy customer friendly. There are people standing everywhere to answer your questions. We run to our departure gate only to find it has been delayed for one hour. We sit and eat some yummmmy goodies her mother made for her trip home.

I was in the middle seat.. At least you have your own tv with on demand movies, music, video games etc…

We board the flight United plane and I find that my seat is between two larger men. They are friendly enough but sitting in the middle for me is a nightmare. I hate the arm rests because I hate to be a pig and use them but I hate not having them! I also suffer from ADHD and have to move a lot. hahahaha.. United is one of my favorite carriers to use on international flights. This was a newer plane and we each had our own tv with many on demand, new movies , tv shows, music stations, video games to play during the flight! This is ESSENTIAL on a long flight. The flight is scheduled to take 8.5 hours and we should arrive in Dulles Airport in Washington D.C at 9PM Eastern Standard Time. We take off and I quickly turn on the first of 4 movies!! 😉

The flight went quicker than I had imagined. I only got up one time to use the restroom. We had three meals and they were actually very filling. You always hear comedians making fun of how horrible airline food is. I have never thought it was that bad! You are on an airplane not a cruise ship! We had chicken, veggies, cookies, cake, beef stew, sandwich, chips, any soda, beer or juice you wanted and coffee. The flight crew was fine and always had a smile on their face. I bet they get sick of that!! 😉 We start the decent into Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. 🙂

I love other countries but very happy that I was born an American. We can travel almost anywhere with ZERO questions asked!

USA, USA, USA……

This is the first time in 11 months that I had been standing on US soil. I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s hard to sit in one spot for 8 hours! I didn’t sleep once! We get off the plane and cruise through customs. I had to pick up my bags and had a feeling they had found my homemade rakija. I opened the bag and THERE IT WAS!! It was made by the owner of a hostel I stayed in and was put in an old whiskey bottle with no seal. They asked if I had anything to declare and I told them no. 😉 They are suppose to have such great security but they didn’t find this bottle.. hahahaha

My number one favorite airport in the USA!!! AWESOME, FRIENDLY STAFF and easy to navigate. It you are stuck here for 36 hours, be glad it’s here and not Midway!

36 Hours in Dulles Airport……..

Dulles is a very large airport. I heard that after 9-11 there are no international flights that fly directly into New York. I don’t know if this is true but D.C is a big hub. My first impression was good. The first person we spoke to was very helpful and friendly. We arrive at 9:45PM and my flight to Chicago Ohare was leaving at 10PM. There was zero chance of getting on that one. Suzane had a flight to New York at 6AM and the next available flight for me was 2PM the next day. We sit down by the United ticket counter and I pull out my laptop to email my mom and friends about my arrival. Suzane nodded off for a few hours! I was drained but couldn’t sleep! The airport died down about 1AM but was bumping again at 3AM. We sat and discussed some different subjects. She is very enjoyable to talk to. We talked about a joint Youtube idea that we think could pay off! We part ways at 5AM.

I have 9 hours to kill and decide to go clean up in the bathroom. One thing that sucks is you have to take your bags with you or they will be confiscated by security. I drag the damn thing to this bathroom. There is this creepy old guy hanging around by the urinal. I am always leery of airport restrooms.

BEWARE OF AIRPORT PERVERTS!

They say lots of perverts hang out in there for a quickie.. ahahhaha.. One Republican senator did the same and was caught. I head to the furthest one and do my business. He is still there and I mutter ” FUCKING FREAK” under my breath. He heard me and heads to one of the  stalls and closes the door. I have never understood a freaks obsession with bathrooms. The LAST place I want to be for longer than 5 minutes is a public bathroom. I have a very weak stomach and hate touching ANYTHING in them. This one was very clean and tidy but it’s still a BATHROOM! I hope he had his fun.. I go to the furthest sink and wash my grimy face, hair, hands, and feet. It is insane how dirty you can get sitting on a bus and plane for hours. hahahahaha…

The time is really dragging. I am dead tired, stinky, and getting bored with watching Youtube videos. I start watching all of the people rushing here and there.. You can tell that you are no longer in Serbia. I never want to insult my countrymen but in Serbia it is veryyyyy rare to see an extremely obese person! The short time I was in Dulles I noticed hundreds. The other thing that you notice in the USA is the extreme diversity. You see white, black, Asian, Arab, Jew, gay, lesbian, Hispanic, etc… I could count the amount of black people who I saw in Serbia on one hand. It also seemed that the laid back, slow, no stress Serbian way of being was LONG GONE!!! You noticed people rushing around, not giving two glances at each other.

I am starving and need a boost of caffeine. There is a little coffee stand a few meters away. I didn’t want to take my big bag so I glanced around and make a dash for the coffee booth. I buy one large coffee and a cinnamon roll. It was $7.50!!!! DAMN!!! I also made a fool of myself. I told her “HVALA” or thanks in Serbian. 🙂 It is very difficult to adjust to English again. I am not saying I speak Serbian because I DON’T but I am used to not understanding anything and using basic Serb words!

You’re supposed to arrive at the departure gate an hour before a domestic flight so I head down there at 12PM. I cannot say it enough…. DULLES AIRPORT STAFF ARE AMAZING!!! They actually have employees standing all over the place to answer your questions. I walk up to a guy and out of habit say “IZVINI” .. or SORRY in English.. ahhahaha.. He looks at me and I ask him how to get to my gate. He tells me and HVALA comes out!!! DAMN!!!!  Will this ever end??? I get to the gate and with this being Memorial Day weekend there are many people waiting at the gate. I am on standby again thanks to Suzane and her dear sister. I go up to checkin and the lady tells me that I am #20 on the standby list. Standby is a great money-saving method of travel. Employees of the airline are allowed to get on any flight for very cheap as long as there is an extra seat. She said there is no way I will be on this flight. I ask her when the next one departs. She tells me that there is one at 5:30PM and the last one is at 10:30. I go to the information desk and stand in line for 20 minutes. The guy tells me that the next two flights to Chicago are overbooked and I won’t be able to get on either of them. OMG!!!!!!! I arrived in Washington D.C on one of the busiest travel days of the year. I am tired, dirty, have  bad breath, hungry, scared and frustrated. I don’t know what to do! They said another flight was leaving at 8AM but it looked full for a standby too. He jokingly said ” it looks like your best bet for a seat will be on Tuesday!” hahahaha… I was checked into other ticket prices from D.C to St Louis, Indianapolis, Midway etc and they were all going to cost an arm and a leg. One open seat on a the St Louis flight the next day was $500!!!! :(… I grab a bite to eat and about collapse. I open Facebook and start ranting and raving about this HORRID trip. One of my buddies, an airline pilot that lives in Moscow, sent me a message. He said that he could purchase me a ticket with his Skymiles if I used Delta!!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! What great friends I have! He found an open seat on the 7AM flight. It was to fly from D.C to Minneapolis to Chicago Midway. I quickly accept and he books it. I walk over to the Delta gates at 10PM and have the whole place to myself. It is almost totally deserted. I find this older African-American gentleman walking toward me with a Delta jacket on. I stop him to ask him about picking up my ticket . I wanted to make sure I had ZERO problems because I wanted the HELL OUT OF THERE!! He was so kind. He was going home but said he would open up again to get my ticket for me. He walked me back down the long terminal and printed my ticket. He also told me I would need a blanket and pillow. He opened about 40 doors to find them. I felt horrible and told him not to worry about it. He told me to be quiet. hahahahah.. He found them and I thanked him for his kindness. It’s great to run into people who do their job with a smile on their face.  I find a plug-in for my laptop and sit and talk with my Iraqi buddy for a few hours. I am looking like a zombie and can barely keep my eyes open. It is 2 AM and I decide to lay down. I am alone in this big terminal . I lay down and am out instantly. At 3:30AM.. there is a this HUGE machine that is cleaning the floors. It wakes me up and  I decide to get up and go to the gate. I felt refreshed but still stinky and dirty. I go to the bathroom to freshen up. I take my  socks off and throw them in the trash. These sandals hurt my feet without socks  but they were rotten. 🙂 There are two guys waiting on our flight. They ask me where I am going because the gate says something different. One of them speaks ZERO English and the other guy was just trying to help him find the right gate. A few hours later it is boarding time. I notice the non-English speaker looking nervous. I walk up to him and motion for him to show me his ticket. It took some wild hand signals but I have become an expert at that. :). He got out his passport and I noticed he tried to cover it. It had Arabic writing and I can just image what some jerks would do if they saw it. I smiled and looked at his seat and boarding letter. It was B. I took his arm and brought him toward the gate and told the guy that he didn’t speak English and it was his turn to board. The guy was very thankful and smiled. It made my day to help someone. I can’t imagine coming to the USA if you didn’t speak English because most of us speak only one language. It is easy for me to travel the world because everyone else speaks English.  I board the plane and sit back and fall into a deep sleep!!

I sit down in my seat and notice the guy next to me is dressed very nicely. I immediately feel uncomfortable because I am in my 3 day old t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. I know I smell and try to move as little as possible. I glance over and see him holding a blanket over his nose and mouth. I am extremely embarrassed. The people next to me are looking at him and the flight attendant walks past and glances at him too. I feel about 2 inches tall. I finally lose it. I turn to him and say ” Do I really smell that bad??” He said “NOOOOO!!! It’s this little fucking kid behind you! Her mother will not cover her mouth and she is coughing all over my seat!” OMG!!! What a jerk!! He continues this ridiculous scene for the entire flight. There were a few times when I thought he was going to have a heart attack. She coughed loudly one time and he jumped up and said “JESUS CHRIST!” ahhahahaha.. I was so happy to get away from that asshole! The sad thing was the flight crew didn’t know why he was holding his nose. I know they were thinking it was because of me! 😛

Minnesota International Aiport in Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota Airport……

We arrive into Minnesota at 8AM because of the time difference.. That stuff really gets to you!!!  Serbia is 7 hours ahead of Chicago and every time you stop somewhere the time is different.. 🙂 I get out and head for the Delta gate for Chicago Midway. Minnesota has always been my favorite state. I have been a diehard Minnesota Twins fan for years. I have three Minnesota Twins tattoos on my arms. It was good to see all the Twin t-shirts and such in the airport. I didn’t have a lot of time so I ran to the gate. There was a group of mentally disabled guys that would be riding with us. I felt very sad for the guy that was in charge of them. You could tell everyone was staring and talking about these poor guys. One of them would keep sitting in a different chair and would stop if someone was in it and stare at them. 🙂 Kinda creepy….

Chicago.. One of the most beautiful cities in the world!!!

Chicago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had  the row of seats to myself in the back of the plane. The pilot told us we would be preparing for landing and I could see the beautiful city of Chicago. I really missed it!!! You don’t realize how much you miss something till you are away for long periods of time. Looking into the city of Chicago was so different from Serbia. When you fly into Belgrade the first thing you notice is the ugly orange roofs. Chicago is filled with color and large buildings. I lived for a few years at 64th and Trip. It is 2 blocks from Midway!!! Midway is the smaller of the two international airports in Chicago and I have always been amazed at how rude people are! 🙂 It is nothing like the others! I know the layout so I no longer need to ask for help, THANK GOD! It is a long walk to the Orange line railway system. That is the color coded Chicago train transit system.  My bags were put on the United flight so I had to get to O’Hare and try to locate my bags before 4PM when my train departed for Mattoon, IL. I arrive at O’Hare and surprisingly my suitcase is very close to the entrance. The lady is kind and very helpful. I still have 4 hours to kill before my train but decide to go to back to the train station and wait because I have to carry my big bag. There is a family from New York trying to figure out how to get to Midway. I overhear them and tell them I am going that way and will guide them. I love to help out a stranger. I wish more people would do it. They didn’t know about the train passes and I help them buy 4 of them. The train is packed and they are not able to stand close to me. We get close and I wave my arms to instruct them to get out. We stop and get out and they thank me for taking the time to assist them. Hopefully it gave them a good first impression of Illinois.

Amtrak trains are great modes of transportation in Illinois. You can get a 1st class ticket from Chicago to Mattoon for $30.

Train to Mattoon…

I sit in Union Station McDonald’s for an hour watching people. The double 1/4 pounder was just as good as the one I ate a year ago! They don’t sell them at the Serbian McDonald’s. The train station is swarming with weirdos, dirt bags, criminals and freaks. It’s funny to just sit and watch some of these clowns. They might be saying the same thing about me. hahahaha.. I always buy a first class ticket on Amtrak. It is the largest passenger train company  in the USA. There is only a $15 difference in price and you have a large seat and can be seated first. It’s the ONLY way to travel! The train ride to Mattoon, IL takes 3 hours. I fall asleep and arrive in Mattoon about 30 minutes late. I am soooo excited when I see the Mattoon station. Mattoon is about 30 minutes from my parents hometown of Greenup, IL. I look out the window and see my mother and father standing there waiting. It was a great feeling to see them again!!! Mom had lost a lot of weight and my father had lost 30 lbs!!!!! THANK GOD I AM HOME!!!!! I spent a total of 50 hours in transit from Nis to Mattoon!!!!! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading my long trip home!! Never make the mistakes I do!!! Planning a trip in advance is so much wiser!! 🙂 The biggest tip I can give you is DO NOT TRAVEL STANDBY ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!!!

 

USA vs Serbia….. Comparing holidays….

I have been to many places and experienced very unique and unforgettable moments. Holidays and traditions are two things that I always find interesting.  I thought it would be worthwhile  to list the majority of holidays that are celebrated in the USA and Serbia.

The United States of America is a country that is broken into 50 states and each has their own laws and implementation of holidays. We don’t have national holidays in which every employee receives mandatory days off. It is only mandatory for federal employees. Each state sets their own holiday schedule based on local customs. They have their own state holidays.

Federal holidays…….

1. New Year’s Day– Jan 1st…..celebrates start  Gregorian calendar new year
2. Martin Luther King Jr Day…..3rd Sunday in Jan- Birth of civil rights leader
3. President’s Day– 3rd Monday in Feb….. combination of Washington and Lincolns birthdays
4. Memorial Day– Last Monday in May…..honors those killed in our many wars
5. Independence Day– July 4th….. celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence
6. Labor Day– First Monday in September…..celebrates the workers and labor movement
7. Columbus Day– 2nd Monday in Oct….. discoverer of USA… some states celebrate Indians instead
8. Veterans Day– Nov 11….. honors all veterans and the end of WW1
9. Thanksgiving– 4th Thur in Nov…..traditionally celebrates thanks for autumn harvest .. turkey dinner
10. Christmas – December 25th…..celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ

Other informal, traditional or religious holidays celebrated in the USA…..

1. Epiphany– Jan 6th…..celebrates baptism of Jesus , manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles..etc
2. Mardi Gras– Feb or March varies……. french for FAT TUESDAY or last chance to eat fat before Lent
3. Groundhog’s Day– Feb 2nd…..groundhog is released to predict more winter or start of spring
4. Valentine’s Day– Feb 14th…..celebration of love and romance.
5. St Patrick’s Day– Mar 17th…..celebration of Irish culture… wearing green and drinking green beer
6. April Fools’ Day– Apr 1…..day of playing tricks and pranks
7. Palm Sunday– Sunday before Easter….. celebrates Jesus entry into Jerusalem.
8. Good Friday– Fri before Easter…… commemorate crucifixion and death of Jesus
9. Easter– Sunday after Good Friday…..commemorates the resurrection of Jesus
10. Earth Day– Apr 22nd…..celebration and recognition of our environment … pick up litter etc
11. Arbor Day– Last Sun in April….. celebration of our trees.. most people plant trees on this day
12. May Day– May 1st…..in US , celebration of Spring and organized labor
13. Cinco de Mayo– May 5th….. in USA celebration of Mexican culture..  don’t confuse it with Mexican Independence Day, that is on Sept 16th
14. Mother’s Day– 2nd Sunday in May….. Celebration and appreciation of your mother
15. Flag Day– June 14th…..commemorates the adoption of the USA flag, in 1777
16. Father’s Day– 3rd Sun in June…… celebration and appreciation of our father
17. Women’s Equality Day– Aug 26th….. celebrates adoption of 19th amendment and marks the day of protest in 1970, when women protested nationwide for equality
18. Patriot Day– Sept 11th…..commemorates the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 01
19. Constitution Day– Sept 17th….. celebrates the adoption of our constitution
20. Rosh Hashanah– Sept or Oct varies…… Jewish celebration for beginning of High Holidays and Hebrew calendar new year.
21. Yom Kippur– Sept or Oct varies…..Jewish celebration … known as “Sabbath of rest”
22. Halloween– Oct 31….. originally celebrated the end of Celtic year but also eve of All Saint’s Day.. kids dress in costumes and go door to door for candy and snacks .. if they do not receive any.. they do tricks on the homeowner… like take a bar of soap and smear on windows and throw toilet paper in the trees
23. Election Day– 1st Tuesday in Nov….. observed by federal and state in applicable years… voting
24. Black Friday– Friday after Thanksgiving…… start of shopping season… the busiest shopping day of the year
25. Hanukkah– Dec varies….. Jewish holiday commemorates rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BC
26. Pearl Harbor Day– Dec 7th……day to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese  Dec 7th, 1941
27. Immaculate Conception Day– Dec 8th….. commemorates Virgin Mary being kept free from sin…
28. Christmas Eve– Dec 24th….. night before Christmas… almost every business is closed
29. Kwanzaa– Dec 26th- Jan 1st…..African American holiday celebration
30. New Year’s Eve– Dec 31st….. Last day of Gregorian calendar year….

Misc info……

Many states have their own holidays. Here are some interesting observances……

• California and Ohio celebrate Rosa Parks day… she is the African-American who refused to sit in the back of the bus and led to major civil rights activity and reform
• Three states celebrate Susan B Anthony Day… she was a prominent figure in the women’s rights movement in the USA.
• California celebrates Cesar Chavez Day and two others mark it optional… he was a Latino farm hand that was essential in the creation of the National Farm Workers Association and Latino rights activist
• Only 12 states recognize Good Friday as a state holiday…..
• Nine states celebrate Confederate Memorial Day…..celebrates the lives of those killed fighting for the confederacy in the Civil War
• A few southern states celebrate Jefferson Davis Day…. it celebrates the birth of the Confederate States of Americas leader Jefferson Davis
• In my state of Illinois … we celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day…. he was a heroic, US military, cavalry officer that was born in Poland and helped defeat the British in the Revolutionary War. We celebrate it because of our large Polish community in Chicago
• Malcom X Day…. celebrated in California

Serbian holidays…….

I have only been in Serbia for 9 months but I have noticed one thing…. SERBS LOVE HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS!!!! During the winter months, there’s non stop celebrations… I work at many different schools and most of the time I would only have one or two kids show up for class because they would all be attending some kind of holiday celebration……Serbs don’t make a lot of money but you would never guess by looking at the menu!!! They throw everything at you but the kitchen sink!!! My favorite thing about attending many of the feasts was being able to take home some leftovers!!!! 😉 My buddies mom always sends me home with lots of goodies because I growl around and complain because I can’t cook!!! 🙂 hahaha…

Serbian public holidays……

1. Božić– Jan 7th…..  pronounced (bozhich) this is Serbian Orthodox Christmas… it is celebrated on the 7th of Jan because of the use of the Julian calendar.
2. Nova Godina– Jan 14th….. this is Orthodox New Year…
3. Dan državnosti Srbije– Feb 15th or 16th…… anniversary of the first Serbian uprising in 1804 and the first Serbian constitution in 1835
4. Veliki petak– varies….. Orthodox Good Friday… commemorates crucifixion of Jesus
5. Vaskrs– Sunday after Good Friday….. Orthodox Easter celebration of resurrection of Jesus
6. Vaskrsni ponedeljak– Monday after Easter…… Continuation of Easter celebration
7. Praznik rada–May 1st….. International Workers Day… celebration of labor
8. Dan primirja– Nov 11th… Armistice Day…celebrates the end of WW1

Additional holidays.……

Serbia is predominately Orthodox Christian but they have a large minority of Catholic and other Western Christian sects, a smaller Jewish and Muslim minority also…. Here are a list of holidays and observances given to them…..

1. New Years Day– Jan 1st…. celebration of the beginning of the Julian new year
2. Good Friday-varies…. commemorates crucifixion of Jesus
3. Easter– varies…… resurrection of Jesus
4. Easter Monday-day after Easter- continuation of Easter celebration
5. Eid ul-Fitr…. Muslim celebration of end of Ramadan
6. Eid al-Adha… Muslim celebration of “festival of sacrifice”
7. Yom Kipper…..Jewish holiday.. “sabbath of rest”

Additional working holidays in Serbia……

1. Sveti Sava– Jan 27th…..St Sava Day… he is known as the Patron Saint of Serbian schools.. all schools are closed on this day.
2. Don Secanje Na Zrtve Holokausta– Apr 22…..remembrance of those who died in the holocaust, WWII, and through genocide
3. Dan Pobede/ Dan Evropa– May 9th…. Victory Day or Europe Day..celebrates the defeat of the Germans in 1945 or the signing of the Schuman Declaration  of 1950… which called for an organization of European states.. similar to the E.U
4. Vidovdan– June 28th…… Saint Vitus Day…..remembrance of the Battle of Kosovo….
5. Dan Secanje Na Srpske Zrtve– Oct 21…. National WW2 Victims Remembrance Day… day to remember all the thousands of Serbs killed during German occupation

Last but not least…….

That didn’t seem like a lot of holidays did it??? I saved the best for last…. Serbia also celebrates hundreds of Slavas. That is the celebration of the families patron saint. It is called Krsna Slava in Serbian.I have tried to find the total number of saints but have never gotten a concrete answer. Slava is a very important celebration for Serbian Orthodox families. It has many wonderful, unique and traditional foods, songs, methods and decor… Here is a link to a Slava forum that can provide many answers and the ability to converse with those that have the knowledge on the subject!!! http://www.slavorum.com/index.php?topic=1001.0My experience was written about in a previous blog entry!!! My memories were of lots and lots of awesome food, traditional music, and the  bringing together of family and friends!! It is a must for all of you traveling to Serbia!! There are Slavas all year round but the best are in the Winter time!!!!

Both countries have great holidays and traditions!!!!! We all have more in common than our governments want us to think!!!! I wish I could bring all the Serbian kids to the USA and all the American kids to Serbia!! We would develop a life long love and respect for each others rich and beautiful traditions!!!!

I am not a religious fanatic and have very little knowledge in the details of many of these holidays. Please understand that before you leave me a bad comment because I didn’t fully discuss something! This is a blog not a book and I don’t want to bore people with the tiny details.