Mexican Girl Falls for Serbia…..

I had a wonderful young lady contact me over Facebook. She was from the middle of Mexico , the exact state (Michoacan)  that I lived in for 1.5 years . She was nice enough to answer a few of my questions about her experience. I copied and pasted the responses so forgive any spelling or grammatical errors. If you would like to send her a nice little message, here is her Facebook profile.

Q) Tell me a little bit about yourself and your hometown

About me, well, theres not much to say Im a student, soon I will get Mayor in Psychology, next May actually, im 22 years old already, and I still live with my mom and my older sister, I have another younger brother, and he lives with my father and his wife. I loooove food, dance and sleep very well right now, im training crossfit, I really love it, its very complex and beautiful sport . My hometown… Morelia is a very historic place, it could take a looooooong while for me to tell smth about it, but, what can I say… Morelia is the city with most populated city in Michoacán (its state), and is the most extense, with an area of 78 km² and 597,511 habitants. It used to be a very strategic place for wars (when it was founded) and right now, the most important activities are culture and economy, you know, it’s a touristic place, for example, we have one touristic event called “Mariposa monarca”, and is a reserve of nature, where you watch all butterflies migrate to Canada (I think), and of course its an opportunity to sell food and services, tratidional food, like enchiladas, corundas, uchepos, tamales, elotes, atole de grano, atole of different flavors, churipo, carnitas, buñuelos, tequila, charanda, mezcal and other funny drinks , by the way, mescal burns almost like rakija, and taste is very similar, and of course don’t forget the effect jajajaj

Q) How did you first hear about Serbia?

Serbia was a country I never heard before in my life before, I even thought it was some sort of Asian country xD (sorry people, but we only learned about Yugoslavia) I first heard about it on the internet, I won’t say more , but when i heard about it I started to investigate it. I looked up its location on the map, the music, culture, food, and started to like it.

Q) What gave you the idea to visit Serbia? 

With time, I wanted to travel, thanks to a special b-day present from my mom so I started to look for different scholarship or volunteer programs that would allow me to travel and have some experiences. I found a program called “Vive Mexico” it is an organization here in Mexico that allows kids to travel, experience new cultures and volunteer. I applied for many countries including Serbia. I was accepted into the Serbian program called ” Drustvo Istrazivaca- Vladamir Mandic- Manda.”

Q) What did you like the most about Serbia?

this is a hard question for me, cuz, basically, I can say im in love with this country. I cant say I like everything, but…when I got there I really felt like I was at home. Serbia is very similar to Mexico starting with the people. They were very generous and kind. The food, OMG, the food was so interesting because it’s not the same food we have in Mexico but had some things that were similar like style, flavors and ways of cooking. They had spicy foods, cheeses, homemade dishes, yogurt, milk, meats and bread and so on. My favorite of them all was  sarma and burek. I could eat them both forever and never get tired of them. and even if it’s not a dish or anything special, yogurt (moja kravica) and cookies was great. Landscaping is amazing in Serbia too. Mexico has some green places, but I never knew green until I came to Serbia, PERIOD. Another thing was the water. In my country you cant take water from the tap or public places and drink it. But in Serbia you can drink it which is so practical. I loved the music, dance and drinks too! Rakija is similar to our drink, tequila. but when i tried it the first time it made me think of “Metzcal” because it burns and tastes so delicious. I almost forgot, the old buildings, they are beautiful!!  The Serbian guys are also very good looking so girls GO TO SERBIA. 😉

Q) What were your favorite cities that you visited and why?

I cant tell you like my favorite, i mean i enjoyed staying at all those cities, but, instead i rather say like an order, and the number one would be Jagodina, its a small one, and because of that I think the most calm one, and i loved that, whole city is amazingand beautiful, very nice and great people, and one of my favorite parts besides downtown, is Potok park, that place is so simple and so misterious at same time, I couldnt be at the top of it, but where i was, I could see a place where you can just close your eyes and feel how the whole city embrace you, I cant explain the exact feeling, but is a great place to be chill . Number two, is Kragujevac, and again, city is great!, bigger, but still not crowded, I also loved the park, Veliki park, and I actually got lost there, it was very funny , anyway, that place is beautiful!!, green is all over the place, and there is a place where you can sit and watch people passing by, and still is quiet and relaxing, that place brings me lots of special memories, there, I felt some strong energy of love, peace, and fullfillness, its a magic place , third Valjevo, its a great city, great ice creams at plaza, but what I really loved from that place is Gradac, I actually stayed there, and we went to rock climbing, we were inside a cave, and the craziest and most amazing experience there was at this mountains, is near a border of town, but I cant remember the name of those mountains, we went there with Russian cars, and it was very fun!! Again, greeeen all over the place, there were like 3 mountains in a roe, all together, the smallest, middle and biggest, I wish i can remember the names, but, that was amazing. And last but not least, Belgrade, that city reminded me of Mexico city, crowded and big, people all around, transports, plazas, huge malls, even I rather more peaceful places, I still find Belgrade interesting, is because its huge, and full of history, buildings, that makes it so interesting, it still isnt that crowded as Mexico city, and gosh thats great, but, that city wellcome me and said goodbye to me of an amazing experience

Q) What was the strangest thing you encountered?

I cant say strange, but I wasn’t familiar with the carpets, you know, you get in a place, and take off your shoes. We don’t do that in Mexico. The toilets were also very strange. They are a different style and I didn’t know how to work it. One time in a restaurant I had to go out and ask a waiter to show me how to flush it. 🙂 The door handles are also a different style and the electrical outlets are so different from the rectangle ones we use in Mexico.

Q) What was the biggest problem that you ran into? 

Not problem actually, the only thing I can complain is that I couldn’t stay longer xD 😛

Q) Did you learn any Serbian ? 

I did learn Serbian, actually, im still learning, with my friends I made there, they help me a lot, plus, I search for pages where I can check grammar and all basic stuffs, but now is harder cuz im not constantly hearing it, when I was there, I realized I could actually learn it 100%, but of course I had to stay there way longer, I love Serbian, and the hardest part for me, probably to remember how to change last part of words, depending on tense and depending on gender, so, its funny for me sometimes to write it xD jajajaja

Q) What advice would you give to someone that is interested in visiting Serbia?

To not be afraid of what news, media or anybody that say things, especially negative things about Serbia, just don’t listen to that and go to Serbia, live your own experience. I can say that it is very safe, of course it isn’t perfectly safe, just like any country there is some crime, but it doesn’t mean there is a terrorist on every street corner, that is ridiculous. I can assure you that it is a place where you can find peace, so i am sure you are going to love the place. Go everywhere you can while you are there, try everything you can, meet all the people that you can meet , there are many things to enjoy. You will find a very close “family” there! 🙂

 

 

Searching for a Meal in Zemun

I had the craving for some home-cooked food today. The workers at the three little fast food stands think that I’m nuts because I am there every single night 🙂 I decided to hit up one of the boat restaurants along the quay here in Zemun.

Today was a cruddy day here in Serbia. The city of Zemun was quiet with very few folks walking around besides a few old men fishing from the docks. This whole summer has been rainy and chilly. There are some major flooding issues down around Negotin. 😦 The people have had such a terrible year dealing with water over here. I walked down along the endless amount of boat restaurants and saw that no one was in “Sidro”.

That was the selling feature for me. 🙂 I had been there a few times before for some beers and a quick bite to eat. Nothing freaks me out more than going into a packed place and ordering food. People tend to stare at you the minute you start in attempting to speak Serbian  . 🙂

Nothing is better than  some alone time with my music blaring in my IPod,  some good food, and a cold beer. The song that started playing the minute that I sat down in a little corner table on the edge of the boat was “Thunder Rolls” . How ironic on a dreary, cloudy day.

The waiter slowly sauntered over after seeing me sit there for 5 minutes. I avoided speaking English and told him that I wanted a big beer and a menu.

There were so many  items on the menu that I had never seen before.  I didn’t know if they were some kind of fish or monkey brains. 🙂 I recognized my favorite salad, Sopska.

Sopska salads  have some of the freshest veggies and this AMAZING cheese on top of them. What was I going to eat for the main course? I hated to ask questions to this waiter with an unsmiling face. Ummmmmmm.. I just selected the middle priced one “Bečka šnicla” in this one section because I recognized the word “snicla” but had no clue what “Bečka” meant. It reminded me of how the Serbians call the city of Vienna, Austria. It is called “Beč” over here. My selection had been made , but the waiter was no where in sight. I made some huffing noises, dropped the menu loudly, coughed a few times, and finally he sauntered over to see if I was ready to order. I ordered in Serbian and even asked him if the snicla was chicken or pork. He told  me that it was pork. That makes no difference to me as I’m a huge pork lover (sorry to my Muslim pals) 😛

This waiter is on the typical “Serbian speed” which can be so frustrating for me. I guess it has caused me to be more of a laid back and patient guy than I ever was before. Serbia has even eliminated my need for ADHD medications that I used to take prior to living here. 🙂 The slowness and tardiness can still be very annoying for me. I’ve always been a guy that was on time or 10 minutes early for everything. That is useless over here in Serbia. The vast majority of my friends will tell me to be somewhere at 2PM so I get there at 1:50PM and they saunter in around 2:30PM without even a simple excuse or apology. 🙂 Time just doesn’t seem to have the same meaning as it does to us in the West. Well….. There is a time when Serbs seem to be extremely impatient. Behind the wheel of an automobile. I have never seen people that use their horn as much as they do over here in Serbia. It is a constant blaring of horns. Thank God that Serbia isn’t a “conceal and carry” country or there would be lots of shooting. My friend , Ivan, is a good example. He seems to always have his hand on the horn and uses it in the most ridiculous situations. You will get a ticket in the USA for “disturbing the peace” or “unlawful use of your horn” . I like that law because the sound of a car horn instantly pisses me off. 🙂

My food finally arrived! It looked AMAZING! The veggies were glistening and the aroma of the snicla was overpowering my nostrils. I immediately recognized the  snicla . It is something like a breaded tenderloin in the USA, but this is high quality pork and 300 grams of it. 🙂 It came with some tarter sauce, a some fries and a few veggies that decorate the meal.

It took me a good 15 minutes to shove every last bite of the salad and snicla down my throat. I even dabbed up every last drop of juice with my bread. You can’t eat a meal in Serbia without a big piece of bread. Serbs are always seeing me eat something and they say ” How can you eat it without bread?” Bread has slowly turned into a must have for me too!

I piled all my plates together and straightened up my table. A new waiter came over to collect the dishes and he remembered me from my previous visit. He was very friendly and spoke  pretty good English for a 42 year old man. He greeted me and told me that he is going to stop speaking to me in English and force me to speak Serbian. -_-  I had no time to object before he started spewing out something about how he had learned English by being forced to speak with English speaking customers in a Thai restaurant in Belgrade. 🙂 I understood a good 50% of the conversation. It is good to run into people that will force me to speak their language.  Polako, polako, polako……………………….

“Sidro” gets a big thumbs up for me. My total bill was 800 dinars which is very close to what you would spend at KFC or some other fast food joint, but here you get everything fresh!  Another day and another interesting and tasty meal here in the heart of Serbia:)

 

Serbian Company Built Countries National Landmark

 

One of my first pen pals was a guy from Kuwait. He sent me a few pictures of his country and I was always in awe of the “Kuwait Towers”! I swore I would see them one day.

The Kuwait Tower, as its known, is actually three towers. They are one of the most well-known structures in the world. The main tower has two separate spheres and stands 187 meters high. The smaller, top sphere is used as a cafe, lounge and restaurant. It can hold up to 90 people and rotates every 30 minutes. The lower, larger sphere is a water tank of 4,500 cubic meters. The second tower is a water tower and stands 147 meters high.The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. The towers hold 9,000 cubic metres of water altogether.

The Kuwait Towers were designed by Danish architect, Malene Bjorn as part of a water distribution project that was being done by Swedish engineering company, VBB. VBB hired Belgrade company, Energoprojekt and Ivan Milutinovic ,to do the actual construction of the towers . Other Yugoslavian companies were hired to build many of the government buildings, air bases, and ports around Kuwait City.http://www.slideshare.net/dottuta/kuwait-towers-presentation2edited

The Serbian company  started construction in the early 1970’s and finished around 1976. The large tower was first opened to the public in 1979.

The towers are built with three levels of concrete, making sure that they will be able to withstand natural disasters and catastrophes like floods. This is also to ensure that the towers can endure wear and tear through the years. They were slightly damaged during the war with Iraq, but have been repaired. The spheres were constructed of 41,000 enamelled steel discs that come in eight shades of blue, green and gray. They could be described as  Arabic architecture, carefully mixed with a touch of contemporary elegance. This modern style was relatively unheard of at the time these towers  were being erected.

Serbia’s relationship with Kuwait is still going strong today! They are one of many Arab nations that do not recognize an independent Kosovo. Kuwait’s Foreign Minister was in Belgrade in April. He said his country is willing to invest in Serbia’s energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. http://www.tanjug.rs/news/83980/kuwait-willing-to-invest-in-serbia.htm

Serbian lands have had a long history of raising great scientific and creative minds. This is one great example of Serbian influence on the world. Please join our new Serbia website to find more interesting bits of info on this great nation and its people. http://www.sayserbia.com/

 

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

 

Biggest Embarrassment to Serbia and its People

I know , I knowwwwwww… People are always telling me to STAY away from Serbian politics. I am just curious to find out where the majority of my friends sit on issues.  I stay farrrrrrrrrr away from your politics, just like to see your views.

I asked a poll question the other day looking for the best leader of Serbian lands since 1900 and for the biggest Serbian hero. The poll is still going strong. I was asked by a few people to add a poll for them to vote on the worst of the worst in recent Serbian history. I apologize for not adding all the names or neglecting some. Please be respectful in your comments to others. This is a big world with many different view points. Your people have gotten a bad wrap over the last 20 plus years. I started a neat little series on Youtube to break some stereotypes against Serbs. If you haven’t watched it, please do!! 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzePnUSVI0U

Thank for all the messages of support after the airing of my Prva Exploziv episode. It is great to have so many Serbs show their love for me. Volim vas. If you haven’t joined Say Serbia yet, please do!!! http://sayserbia.com/  We are going to be in Blic soon!!!

 

Travel Tips for Americans Visiting Serbia

Traveling to a new part of the planet is always a very exciting thing for me. I always start getting this little BUZZ feeling way down in my gut a few weeks before I leave. I try to be as prepared as possible, but there are always things I neglect to think of.

Electrical ……

One thing in Serbia that is very different for American tourists is the electrical connection. The United States uses 110 volts while Serbia uses 220 volts. Electrical wall outlets in the USA are made for three posts to enter. You have a positive, negative and a ground. Check the pictures below….

American outlet

While Serbian outlets are round and made for two circular plugs to enter. See the picture below..

Serbian outlet

..It is very easy to find the electrical converter here in Serbia. The majority of electrical stores offer them. I bought this one

110v to 220v adapter

for 200 Dinars or about $2.50 in Kragujevac.

Another big difference I noticed was that the light switch was on the OUTSIDE of the bathroom!!!!

typical Serbian bathroom outlet that is on the OUTSIDE of the bathroom

I still find myself walking into the bathroom and looking for the switch! I can imagine the fun I would have had if this was a normal thing in the USA. You could shut the light off on your brother while he is in the shower. I think they do it for safety reasons. It is still annoying for me after all this time in Serbia.

Water Heaters…..

small waterheater that is in a bathroom and kitchen.

You might also notice that many of the older homes still have a little water heater in the corner of the bathroom and in the kitchen. You might have to turn on the water heater 20 or 30 minutes prior to getting into the shower, BUT be careful. The water gets so hot it will burn you! Most US homes have a large water heater that heats the water for the whole house and is always running on either gas or electric. It is usually hidden in a separate room. The Serbian way is much more cost-effective and I don’t know why it isn’t used as much in the USA.

Laundry……

The worst thing for me is the lack of dryers in Serbian homes. It is very rare to walk into an American home and not see a washer and a dryer. Serbian homes almost NEVER have a dryer. The vast majority of homes have a clothes line hanging outside and dry their clothes on it to preserve energy. This is a pain for a guy like me. I am the guy that likes to decide what to wear at the last-minute and if it is dirty…. wash it and throw in the dryer to dry and take the wrinkles out. That won’t be happening here. It is also difficult to find a laundromat. They do have a few in the larger towns but the smaller towns don’t.

Passport and Visa…..

Americans DO NOT need to do anything prior to flying to Serbia. Once you arrive at the Belgrade Tesla Airport you will receive a stamp on your passport that is good for 90 days. It is free of charge  and most of the time the custom officials will ask you nothing. A few times I have been pulled to the side and asked where I was going, who I was staying with, etc. I just said that I was a tourist and didn’t have all that info. They are friendlier than American custom police. 🙂 It is always advisable to head to the American Embassy to register your stay. You don’t need to do it, but they will take your email, phone, etc and keep you up to date on any activities that might jeopardise you safety. Their address , phone number, etc can be found on their website http://serbia.usembassy.gov/hours-of-operation.html

Serbia also requires that you go to the local police station within 24 hours of your stay. If you are staying at a hotel, they do it for you. If you are staying with a friend or get an apartment, you must take the owner of the home with you. They will issue you a white registration card. You must keep it with you at all times. Serbian police can stop anyone on the street and ask for your identification. If you don’t have it you can be in trouble. They will ask for the white card if you leave the Serbian borders. Many times they haven’t even looked at mine, but better safe than sorry.

Junk Food….

Serbia doesn’t have the large selection of chips, candy bars, soda and snack food that we have. They have lots of different chocolate products, but they lack in the other fields. Maybe  that is why you don’t see lots of fat people lumbering down the streets. LOL! I really miss Doritos!!!!

Doritos… American chips

They have their own brand that rules the market in Serbia. It is called Chipsy..

Serbian chips

You will also have a hard time finding Dr Pepper, Cherry Coke, Cherry 7-UP, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I am an addict so I have looked everywhere for them. 🙂
If you must have them, bring them from home! 🙂

Serbian Women…..

Gorgeous Serbian gals

Before visiting Serbia it would be wise to exercise your neck. You will find yourself turning in awe at the gorgeous ladies that line the streets of Serbia. The majority are tall, very well dressed, beautiful jaw lines, long legs, very confident and sweet personalities. You will very rarely find a Serbian women that will walk out of the house without first going through an hour-long make up and primping session. hahaahah…

Think ahead!!! 🙂 You will enjoy Serbia all the same. Just a few tips to help you cope !! Serbia is the jewel of the Balkans. Long live Serbia!!!!! 

 

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.

 

An American’s View on The Balkan Wars and Serbia

I just received a wonderful message from a fellow American. He sent me a message last week offering to assist me with the production side of my web series…… “Yankee Doodle Went to Serbia”!  He has assisted  Boris Malagurski and a few other high profile people in the film industry. I am honored to have been given this opportunity to work with such an experienced person!

My countrymen are very divided on their support of foreign intervention. Ron Paul, a Republican, was the most outspoken opponent of Operation Merciful Angel in 1999. He drummed up a lot support from both Republicans and Democrats in the last election cycle. I am not a supporter, but totally agree with his views on our foreign policy!  I can’t say that I am always against military intervention, but I think we should rely on the United Nations for that. Just my opinion…

This gentleman wrote me this response to my question “WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING SERBIA?” Hope you enjoy his thoughts on your country, people, and our involvement in your affairs :

“Hey Charles, it’s good to hear from you, man.

It’s kind of hard to explain how I feel about Serbia, or exactly why…but I’ll try. First, like most Americans, I really didn’t know much at all about Serbia before the wars in the 1990s, only what  I was told by the media – which was 99% bullshit propaganda, as all we know now. But that got me interested in what the hell was going on and why we were even involved at all, and why NATO was attacking these people in their own nation, who had not threatened any NATO member nation (which is against all international laws, and even the NATO charter, etc.). Just prior to the war in Bosnia, I worked in aerospace electronics for about 10 years, so I knew quite a bit about our military and weapons systems that we worked on – especially the Air Force, of which I also knew many people directly, from pilots to many other tech jobs.

So, with the first Gulf War in Iraq, I sort of understood the thing, and terrible as it was for the innocent people, Saddam was an aggressor and it felt like we were doing the right thing, more or less. With Yugoslavia and Serbia, in particular, I had a very bad feeling and I just KNEW what we were doing was wrong, very wrong. So, I started doing a lot of research and the more I looked past the blind one-sided mass media b.s., the more I found that showed me my suspicions were correct. Without rehashing the entire thing, which is very complicated, the US and pretty much all western so-called democracies lied about everything and made Serbia out not only to be the “bad guys”, but the ONLY bad guys – and nothing could be further from the truth. The were war crimes and evil deeds on all sides, and as I said last time, including NATO, which are actually among the worst war crimes of the entire nightmare…and innocent Serbian people were given zero understanding or sympathy from the media, even NOW – which tells me all the more that this whole thing was a tremendous lie and crime against humanity.

Anyway, I did a lot of research (for years, actually) back then and began writing a book (not published yet, but maybe I will one day), and nearly everything I found basically validated the Serbian point of view in most cases – or at least it was clear that they were not alone in doing evil deeds (which were almost always exaggerated if not completely fabricated by the media, NATO, US and other govts, etc – sad but true). The Bosnian and Albanian muslims and Croatian forces, with American supplied weapons committed most of the worst atrocities in the entire war, like “Operation Storm” in Krajina by Croatian and NATO forces (the biggest ethnic cleansing event in the entire war, more than 200,000 innocent Serbian people were either murdered or forced from their homelands where they had lived for centuries – the media didn’t said barely a word about it, since the victims were Serbians). I’m sure you also know about the KLA, which was on the US State dept list as a terrorist organization along with Osama bin Laden until they suddenly became “friends”) actually became the leaders of the official Kosovo govt after the war – and they continue to murder and violate the human rights of Serbian people in their own lands even to this day, without even a word of protest from anyone in the UN or any US President (of either party).

It’s really the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, and it’s one that really makes me ashamed to be American…although it’s not like I had anything to do with it, personally, but I’m sure you know what I mean. I mean we know there is a lot of injustice in this world, but something on this scale and to have our own govt and many others, and the entire international mass media just be completely biased against Serbia, and still not say even one word about the many crimes against innocent Serbian people in Kosovo – wow, that really tells you something is very wrong with this whole picture. Like the old expression, “The silence is deafening”.

In any case, it’s fair to say that I’ve learned a lot about Serbian and Balkan history, probably more than most people, and definitely more than 99% of American people. So, in the years after the wars, I’ve met and known several people from Serbia and like you, I was just really blwn away by what kind and good people they are. I don’t know if they ALL are, but every single one that I’ve met is very cool and SUPER intelligent. I’m a little on the brainy side myself, for an American that is, and I am always amazed by how smart these people are! Their education system must be awesome – but I think there also has to be something genetic there as well, because…well, these people are VERY intelligent, and also just humble and very cool in my experience. And I’m sure you know better than I do that there is no doubt that Serbian women are probably the most beautiful in the entire world…at least in my opinion.   🙂

Such a wonderful culture, too, and I don’t know man…you probably know this feeling too, but just everything – the food, music, culture, their sense of humor, pretty much everything about them and the amazing beauty of the place impresses me. I can’t totally explain it other than to say that to me there is something very special about Serbia and its people that “strikes a chord” with me, to put it in musical terms.  😉  It’s just something that I feel and know inside and it’s very interesting and cool to see another person like you experiencing similar things – and even moreso because you’ve been actually living there. Of course, we know that deep down all people are just people no matter where we are or come from…but there is definitely something very unique and cool about Serbia.

So, I hope that gives you some idea of where I’m coming from, and I think it’s great what you’re doing to help with sports equipment there and all that stuff. Very cool, indeed, and I hope that continues to be successful and grow so that you will be able to help more and more people that, unfortunately, not many people in this world are willing to do much of anything to help. They are good and caring people, more than most I’ve met in this world, and they deserve to have other good, caring people help them however we can – not because they are weak or stupid, but on the contrary they are generally stronger and much smarter than us!! It’s just the right thing to do, regardless of the stupidity and corruption in both our govts – if we can help regular decent people have better lives and make some good friendships along the way – everybody wins!

Anyway, take care and I’ll talk to you soon.   ;)”

Srbija kroz oči Amerikanca

Američko viđenje Srbije i ratova na Balkanu

Prošlog meseca primio sam fantastično pismo od jednog mog zemljaka Amerikanca.
Poslao mi je poruku u kojoj se ponudio da učestvuje u produkciji moje web
serije „Yenkee Doodle went to Serbia!“.
Bio je asistent Borisu Malagurskom i nekolicini velikih profesiolaca filmske industrije.
Izuzetno sam počastvovan što mi je pružena prilika da sarađujem sa tako iskusnim
profesionalcem!

Moji zemljaci vrlo su podeljeni kada je u pitanju podrška vojnih intervencija u stranim
zemljama.
Ron Pol (Ron Paul), republikanac, bio je najveći protivnik operacije „Milosrdni Anđeo“
1999 godine. Osvojio je veliku podršku kako republikanaca, tako i demokrata, u
poslednjem izbornom krugu.
Ja lično nisam njegov pristalica ali se u potpunosti slažem sa njegovim stavom po pitanju
naše spoljne politike. Ne mogu da kažem da sam uvek protiv vojne intervencije ali
smatram da u bi u takvim situacijama tebalo da se oslonimo na Ujedinjene nacije.
To je ipak samo moje mišljenje..

Ovaj isti gospodin, odgovorio je na pitanje koje sam mu postvio: „ZAŠTO TAKO
STRASTVENO ŽELITE DA POMOGNETE SRBIJI?“ – Nadam se da ćete uživati u
njegovom stavu o vašoj zemlji, narodu i našoj umešanosti u vašu politiku:

„Hej Čarls, dobro je što te čujem čoveče.
Teško je objasniti kako se osećam po pitanju Srbije, kao i zašto se tako osećam.. ali
pokušaću. Prvo, kao i većina Amerikanaca, pre ratova ’90, ni ja nisam znao mnogo toga
o Srbiji, osim onoga što sam imao priliku da saznam iz medija – a 99%su bile laži i
izmišljotine, kao što svi znamo.
Upravo to me je nateralo da se zainteresujem šta se dođavola tamo dešava, zašto smo mi
uopšte upleteni u to i zašto NATO napada ove ljude, u njihovoj zemlji, zemlji koja nije
članica NATO-a i ne predstvlja nikakvu pretnju ni za jednu od zemalja članica NATO-a
(a što je protivno svim međunarodnim zakonima, NATO povelji itd.)?
Neposredno pre rata u Bosni radio sam u avio-elektronici oko 10 godina tako da
sam bio prilično upućen u naš vojni oružani sistem koji smo razvijali – posebno u
vazduhoplovstvu, gde sam lično poznavao mnogo ljudi počev od pilota do onih koji su
radili na izvršnim mestima.

Kod prvog Zalivskog rata u Iraku ukapirao sam da, bez obzira koliko je to bilo strašno
za nevine ljude, Sadam je bio agresor a mi smo, čini se, radili pravu stvar. Manje ili
više. Kod Jugoslavije, posebno kod Srbije, imao sam veoma loš osećaj i jednostavno sam
ZNAO da je ono što radimo loše, veoma loše.

Počeo sam dosta da istražujem i što sam više istraživao i gledao spram jednostranog,
izmišjenog, mišljenja masovnih medija, sve više sam pronalazio dokaza da su moje
sumnje osnovane.
Bez ponovnog razmatranja cele stvari, koja je sama po sebi komplikovana, SAD i sve
ostale zapadne, takozvane demokratske zemlje, lagale su o svemu i napravile Srbiju ne
samo „negativcem“ nego JEDINIM „negativcem“ – a ništa ne može biti dalje od istine od
te tvrdnje.
Ratnih zločina i zločinačkih dela bilo je na svim stranama, kao što sam prošlog puta
rekao uključujući i NATO, koji je možda počinio i najgore zločine u celom tom
košmaru… Nevini srpski narod nije dobio nimalo razumevanja i medijske pažnje, čak NI
SADA je ne dobija – što mi još jasnije govori da je cela ova stvar bila velika laž i zločin
protiv čovečnosti.
U svakom slučaju, mnogo sam istraživao tada (dugo godina, tačnije) i počeo sam da
pišem knjigu (još uvek neobjavljenu, ali verujem da ću je jednoga dana objaviti) i gotovo
sve što sam otkrio u svojim istraživanjima potvrđuje srpsku stranu gledišta – ili bar u
krajnjem slučaju jasno potvrđuje da oni nisu sami učestvovali u zločinima koji im se
pripisuju (a koji su gotovo uvek preterano prikazani ili u potpunosti izmišljeni od strane
medija, NATO, SAD, i drugih zvaničnika – tužno ali istinito).
Bosanski i albanski muslimani i hrvatske snage, snabdeveni američkim oružjem počinili
su većinu najgorih zločina u čitavom ratu, kao što su operacija „Oluja“ u Krajini
počinjena od strane hrvatskih i NATO snaga (najveće etničko čišćenje tokom čitavog
rata, gotovo 200.000 Srba je ubijeno ili proterano sa viševekovnih ognjišta – mediji nisu
progovorili ništa o tom stradanju s’ obzirom da su žrtve bili Srbi.).
Siguran sam da znaš za OVK (UČK), koji je bio na listi američkog State Deprtment-
a kao teroristička organizacija zajedno sa Osama Bin Ladenom sve dok naprasno
nisu postali „prijatelji“, tj. lideri zvanične Kosovske vlade nakon rata – a koji i danas
nastavljaju sa ubijanjem i kršenjem ljudskih prava srpskog naroda unutar njegove
sopstvene zemlje bez reči protesta bilo kog zvaničnika UN ili predsednika SAD ili bilo
koje političke partije u SAD.
To je zvanično najodvratinja stvar koju sam video u svom životu i stvar koja me
definitivno čini da se osećam posremljeno što sam Amerikanac.. iako nemam nikakve
veze sa tim lično, ali znaš na šta mislim. Mislim.. znamo da ima mnogo nepravde na
ovom svetu, ali zamisli vagu u kojoj su naša vlada i mnoge druge, kao i kompletni
internacionalni masovni medjiji potpuno okrenuti protiv Srbije, a istovremeno sa druge
strane nema nijedne jedine reči o mnogim počinjenim zločinima protiv nevinog srpskog
naroda na Kosovu, reći ćeš – Wow.. nešto ozbiljno nije u redu sa ovom slikom.
Prosto zvuči kao stara izreka: „Tišina je zaglušujuća“.
U svakom slučaju, tačno je da sam naučio mnogo o istoriji Srbije i Balkana, verovatno
više nego većina ljudi, i definitivno više nego 99% Amerikanaca. U godinama nakon
ratova, upoznao sam nekolicinu ljudi iz Srbije, i isto kao i ti, bio potpuno raznesen
saznanjem koliko su dragi i dobri ljudi. Ne znam da li su oni SVI takvi ali svaki koga sam
ja upoznao veoma je cool i SUPER inteligentan. Ja inače više naginjem toj intelektualnoj
strani, za jednog Amerikanca, i svaki put sam iznenađen koliko su ovi ljudi pametni!
Predpostavljam da je njihov obrazovni sistem zaista zadivljujuć – ali takođe verujem da
je i nešto genetski jer.. pa.. ovi ljudi su VEOMA inteligentni, a ipak veoma skromni i
veoma cool, prema mom iskustvu. I… verujem da to bolje znaš od mene, nema sumnje

da su srpske žene verovatno najlepše žene sveta … bar prema mom mišljenju. J
Takođe, tako divna kultura, i ne znam čoveče.. ali verovatno i ti imaš isti osećaj, prosto
sve – hrana, muzika, kultura, njihov smisao za humor, skoro sve u vezi sa njima i
njihovim neverovatnim prirodnim lepotama me fascinira.
Ne umem u potpunosti da objasnim, osim jednostavno da kažem da postoji nešto
veoma specijalno u vezi Srbije i njenih ljudi, što me prosto „udari u žicu“, da se izrazim
muzičkim žargonom. J
To je nešto što znam i osećam u sebi i veoma je interesantno i cool videti drugu osobu,
osobu kao što si ti, da doživljava slične stvari – ako ne i više jer ti zaista i živiš tamo.
Naravno, svi mi duboko u sebi znamo da su ljudi samo ljudi bez obzira ko su i odakle su
došli … ali definitivno postoji nešto jedinstveno i cool u vezi sa Srbijom.

Tako da, nadam se, sada imas neku ideju o tome odakle sam. Zaista mislim da je
fantastično sve što činiš kako bi pomogao u nabavci sportske opreme kao i sve ostale
stvari koje tamo činiš. Veoma cool zaista, i nadam se da će se to nastaviti i uspešno rasti
kako bi bio u mogućnosti da pomogneš što većem broju ljudi, koje, na žalost, svet ne želi
da pomogne.
Oni su dobri i brižni ljudi, više nego mnogi koje sam upoznao na ovom svetu i zaslužuju
da im dobri i brižni ljudi pomognu, koliko mogu – ne zato što su slabi ili glupi, nego baš
zato što su generalno bolji i pametniji od nas!
To je jednostavno najispravnija stvar koju možeš da uradiš, bezobzira na glupost i
korupciju naše vlade – ako možemo da pomognemo običnim, poštenim ljudima da imaju
pristojne živote i usput stvorimo brojna prijateljstva – svi dobijaju!

U svakom slučaju, čuvaj se i čujemo se uskoro.“

 

Outrage in Presevo, Serbia?

It is great to be in contact with so many Serbians. I get the inside scoop on most things that are going on over there. They haven’t mentioned this situation in my local newspapers or the television newscasts in my part of the country so I really appreciate the info. I also read The Balkan Daily a lot. 🙂 It is a Serbian news site that is written in English. 🙂

I usually avoid topics like this. It isn’t that I don’t care about sensitive subjects … I just feel it isn’t appropriate or necessary for me to throw in my two cents. This situation is one that I felt I couldn’t ignore.

What happened???

Serbian authorities on Sunday removed a memorial placed at the town’s center without a permit – and to honor members of the so-called Liberation Army of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa.

This incident in Presevo blows me away. I can’t believe it took this long to destroy this monument. YOU CAN’T ERECT A MONUMENT OF A TERRORIST/INSURGENT ORGANIZATION THAT IS TRYING TO UNDERMINE AND DESTROY THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR COUNTRY!!   This didn’t happen within the disputed province of  Kosovo, It happened in South Serbia!!!  What nation would allow something like this to happen? NONE! If  Taliban supporters wanted to erect a monument in support of that organization within the USA… PEOPLE WOULD SNAP!!!! I applaud Serbian leadership for this move.

Some are saying that the Serbs are being disrespectful and ridiculous for ripping down this monument in THEIR own country???? GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Look at the reaction from those that disagree with this move! They are destroying Serbian gravestones, damaging monuments that were put in place to honor INNOCENT men, women and children that perished during the Kosovo War…. not to mention the numerous ANCIENT Serbian Orthodox Churches  that were defiled or destroyed all over Kosovo  the past few years. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE STOPPED!! Why doesn’t the world come down hard on the guilty party?? I will never understand the double standards that exist!  Check out my video for more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToWOquURII

l hope that a peaceful solution can be had!

.Uvreda u Preševu, Srbiji?

Sjajno je biti u kontaktu sa toliko Srba. Tim putem imam mogućnost da malo dublje
zavirim većinu unutrašnjih dešavanja tamo. Ovu konkretnu situaciju nisu pominjali
u vestima lokalnih novina i televizija u mom u mojoj državi, tako da zaista cenim
svaku informaciju. Takođe, redovno čitam Balkan Daily. To je srpski informativni sajt,
napisan na engleskom. J

Obično izbegavam ovakve teme.. Nije da me oseljive teme ne interesuju.. smatram samo
da nije potrebno na to trošiti vreme. Ova situacija je ipak nešto što osećam da ne mogu da
ignorišem.

Šta se desilo?????

U nedelju, srpske vlasti su uklonile memorijalni spomenik, postavljen u centru grada, bez
dozvole, a kao izraz poštovanja i zahvalnosti članovima takozvane Oslobodilačke vojske
Medveđe, Bujanovca i Preševa.

Ovaj incident u Preševu me je raspametio. Ne mogu da verujem da je bilo potrebno
toliko dugo da se uništi taj spomenik. NE MOŽEŠ DA PODIŽEŠ SPOMENIK
TERORISTISTIČKOJ/POBUNJENIČKOJ ORGANIZACIJI KOJA PODRIVA I
UNIŠTAVA RUKOVODSTVO TVOJE ZEMLJE!!! Ovo se nije dogodilo u okviru
sporne pokrajine Kosovo, dogodilo se u Južnoj Srbiji!!! Koja nacija/država bi dozvolila
da se tako nešto njoj desi? NIJEDNA! Kada bi talibanske pristalice žele da podignu
spomenik u znak podrške te organizacije, na teritoriji SAD… LJUDI BI POLUDELI!!!
Čestitam srpskom rukovodstvu na ovom potezu.

Neki kažu da su Srbi pokazali nepoštovanje, ispali neučtivi i smešni zbog rušenja ovog
spomenika, u NJIHOVOJ rođenoj zemlji??? DAJTE BRE!!! Pogledajte samo reakcije
onih koji se ne slažu sa ovim potezom! Ti isti uništavaju srpske GROBNE spomenike,
spomnike koji su postavljani kao izraz poštovanja NEVINIH ljudi, žena i dece, koji su
nestali tokom rata na Kosovu… da ne pominjem DREVNE srpske pravoslavne crkve koje
su o skrnavljene ili uništene po celom Kosovu u poslednjih par godina samo.

OVO SE MORA ZAUSTAVITI!!! Zašto se u ovom slučaju svet nemilosrdno ne obruši
na krivce??? Nikada neću razumeti ove dvostruke standarde! Za više informacija,
pogledajte moj video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToWOquURII

Nadam se da se mirno rešenje ipak može postići!

 

USA vs Serbia… Presidential Elections

I have had a few political posts in here. It is a taboo but it is a very important year for both countries. It is the season to re-elect or elect a new president in the USA and Serbia.

The USA is based on a two party system. It is made of two main parties.. the Republicans and Democrats. There are other parties but they are usually not contenders in our presidential elections. A few examples are Libertarian party, Green party, Socialist party, and back in the 90’s, the Reform pary was really making a run with Ross Perot taking on Bill Clinton and George H.W Bush.

The two party system is far from perfect! You are given the choice between two parties that are made up of extremist elements. You have to try to appease large masses of people. Let’s look at me, for example… I am a liberal Democrat that supports social programs, unions, religion out of politics, minority rights, universal healthcare, a woman’s right to chose, etc… I don’t like the anti-death penalty, extreme animal rights activism, extreme anti-gun policies of my party. This forces voters into supporting a candidate and a party that has opposing views and causes major polarization! It’s like the old saying ” i am voting for the worst of two evils!”

The United States is a very divided country. We have extreme right wing nuts, the Tea Party…. and we have extreme lefty nuts, me! hhahaha… If you take a look at the last three presidential elections you can see just how divided we are! They were very close to 50% of the electorate supporting one candidate and 50% supporting the other one. The USA uses the electoral college to select our president. That is a strange method that causes it to trump popular vote. Al Gore won the popular vote for president in 2000 but lost the presidential election because of the electoral college. The electoral college is the system the USA uses to elect its president. It is based on the population figures of each state. With that info, the states are given a number. That figure then allots that amount to the winner of the popular vote of that state. Here is an updated chart showing the total votes for each state…..We are currently the only country to use this outdated system.I feel it is time to eliminate the electoral college and allow the PEOPLE to decide!

It is really sad how campaigning has evolved. They have states labeled as red for solid Republican, blue for solid Democrat, purple for swing state or a state that can “swing” either way. This causes politicians to avoid some states all together and battle for only a few states! It also causes lots of voter apathy. People on the West Coast can see how the elections results are going and they might call the election before the polls close in every state! Its STUPID!!! I think the press should be banned from reporting results until a few days later after ALL votes are counted! This would create more excitement and make you feel like your vote actually counted. I have many friends in Illinois that don’t vote. They say “what makes the difference? they are already saying so and so will win!” ughhhh

This 2012 election has been narrowed down to two candidates. Democrat incumbent Barak Obama vs Republican Mitt Romney. Obama has my vote, hands down! Romney is an out of touch millionaire from Massachusetts. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, dodged the military by joining a Mormon mission in France, oh yeah… he is a Mormon! I am not religious and don’t care if he is a Hindu but the Mormons scare me! They believe that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri, that God lives on a planet next to the sun, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, that blacks are dark skinned because God is punishing them… ENOUGH SAID!!! He scares me!!! 🙂 Obama isn’t perfect but look at the pile of shit that was on his plate when he took over this country in 2008!!!! We had the “bailout” that the Bush administration put into place but Obama gets “credit” for! Yes, he did support it but stop blaming him for  dreaming it up! He took over a country that was bleeding jobs , housing market tanking, auto industry one step from bankruptcy, two wars, etc… It was far from heaven! Obama took the reigns and made “some” lemonade with those lemons. He was the first president in decades that was able to see the passage of universal healthcare, ended the war in Iraq, saved the US auto industry from bankruptcy.. now GM is boasting record profits, gave the order to kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, signed equal pay for women act, ended the crazy “dont ask dont tell” policy, ended the Bush policy of “WE DONT TALK TO OUR ENEMIES”, etc… He has disappointed me in a few areas. He has continued to fund and up the troops in Afghanistan, he has not closed Guantanemo Bay prison, etc. I know I will hear a lot of B.S from this but that is my view and my opinions.. We all have opinions and that is what makes the USA a great place! We can disagree in a friendly, respectful way. This is where I feel Serbia has a problem!

Serbia is a country that uses the multi-party system of government. This form of government has many parties that must form coalitions to win and create policy! One single party cannot achieve victory alone! I like this in the sense that it creates unity and keeps the RADICAL elements of any group at bay! It brings most issues to the CENTER where they belong! Back home, Congress and the Senate are voting for most bills along party lines. This form keeps that from happening and allows many things to get through in a timely manner!

Serbia just held its elections last Sunday. Boris Tadic, the current president of Serbia, resigned in March to force a consolidation of all elections in May. They had 13 people on the ballot for president. Tadic came out on top with 26.2% of the vote. The next closest challenger was Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Progressive Party with 25% of the vote. The only other candidate to get double digits was Dacic of the Socialist Party. Serbia requires a run off election if the candidates don’t receive a certain %. They will face each other on May 20th! Tadic has been in power since 2004 and has faced Nikolic three separate times.

The biggest difference I have noticed between the USA and Serbia is the ability to discuss politics politely. I am not talking about the entire Serbian population. I have MANY friends that are support their candidate and are open minded but in general there is a lot of STRONG opinions here. My Facebook page page is a good example. I have around 4000 Serbian buddies from around the world! They are very, very diverse in their beliefs. I have many people who side with the Chetniks , many that align themselves with the Partizans, many who think Boris Tadic is a Godsend, many who think he is the worst thing that has ever happened to Serbia, many who think Seselj and the Radicals are patriots, many who think he should be in Hague for life, many who support Vojvodina independence from Serbia, many that think its HORRIBLE, many who despise the thought of Kosovo independence , many who say its time to recognize it…. WHEW!!!!! I have posted a few pictures of Tadic, Tito, etc and the comments went BRUTAL!!! I have had many friends drop me for posting a picture and many friends drop me because they were insulted by the rude comments of other Serbs and told me that I have too many radicals on my page.

The other insane thing about Serbian election season is  the amount of stickers that they post on walls, windows, posts, everywhere they will stick!! They don’t stick up just one! They have a whole wall full!! One day you might walk past a wall in the center of the city and its covered with pro-Tadic stickers. The next day you walk past and its covered over with Radical party stickers. It wouldnt be so bad if they were a two party system but they had 12 candidates on their presidential ballot!!! hahahaha.. You can tell how many of these stickers are around town. I was watching this crew of workers scraping layer upon layer off of a window in downtown Nis. What a waste of time and money!!!! We don’t see this in the USA. There are signs that are stuck in peoples yards, some billboards but most of ours are tv, newspaper, radio etc! If the politicians would spend this money on the citizens or Serbia or programs to better society they could do a lot of good instead of throwing millions into these stickers that will have no effect on voter outcome! SAD! 😦