Serbian City/Town/Village Names Translated into English

 

Serbia has a lot of unique city/town/village names. A friend of mine from Republika Srpska, Hristof Romanic, decided to throw together some translations for some of them.

Can you guess the names without cheating?

Subotica
Srbobran
Srpska Crnja
Bačka Palanka
Novi Sad
Deliblato
Crna bara
Beograd
Kurjače
Zlokuće
Valjevo
Sisavci
Velike Pčelice
Bor
Krivi Vir
Mokra Gora
Kraljevo
Zasad
Sokobanja
Ribarska Banja
Novi Pazar
Niš
Prijepolje
Žitorađa
Peć
Gornje Žabsko
Baba boks
Begunci

 

Irish Gal tells about her Summer in Serbia

This wonderful young lady met her Serbian boyfriend on the social media site, Say Serbia, that my Chicago Serb friend and I helped bring about.  Hope they name their first child after me. 😉 She contacted me on Facebook to ask for a few tips and bits of advice prior to coming here this past summer.

We had plans of meeting up while she was here, but we never seemed to be in the same place at once. One day I was with some friends in Novi Sad and bumped right into her and her Serbian boyfriend. They told me about a ton of experiences that she had encountered. She told me about her plan to create a video diary of her Serbian vacation when she returned to Ireland. Guess what I received in my mailbox today? This beautiful 28 minute video that documents her entire trip. I wanted to grill her with a few questions before posting it and she was kind enough to respond.

1. What did you hear about Serbia before visiting?

“I had never really heard much about Serbia. The only word I would have used to describe it previously would have been Sports! I was aware of a few of their athlete e.g. Vidic, Ivanovic, Seles, Djokovic etc”

2. Did you have any fears about visiting Serbia?

“As a kid, one of the stereotypes I heard a lot was Eastern Europe is dangerous, especially if you are black, as a result I never questioned that statement and deemed it to be a no go area for me.  As I got older and began to interact and befriend more people from different nationalities I realised most stereotypes I’ve heard are extremely false and through stereotypes prejudice and discrimination are formed. I wanted to overcome that.  I became more interested in travelling and learning about different cultures .My mum visited Poland a few years ago and loved it. It really encouraged me to want to travel more and experience places for myself. That’s where my curiosity to visit the eastern part of Europe began. Naturally I researched alot about different places to visit but after randomly talking to someone from the Balkans (he didn’t want to tell me he was from Serbia at first) and seeing how friendly and pleasantly easy to talk to he was, I wanted to learn a bit more about Serbia. Which is how started reading about other people’s travel experience and also how I came across YouTube videos of this American guy who was excited and passionate about Serbia.

Initially I wasn’t scared about visiting but when I started informing people about my upcoming trip, I was really taken back by the prejudice comments I was hearing from others, who I’m certain couldn’t even point out the country on a map if asked. This did lead me to start to worry about my visit just from allowing others comments to scare me. Two weeks before I was to leave, I messaged a black girl from London who had just returned from the EXIT festival held in Novi Sad. She shared with me her observations during her time there, how she loved every minute she spent in Serbia, how friendly and courteous people were and not to allow opinions of others to dictate my decisions and said that I should go there and see for myself before passing any judgement. Today I’m glad to say I’m delighted I went.”

3.  I have heard a lot of propaganda about Serbs being racist. What are your thoughts after being here ?

“I did get alot of stares especially in Zrenjanin; people didn’t even try to hide it. I was asked to take many pictures in Guča but you realise that people are just curious about you. People were interested in my background, my hair, the type of music I like etc. I didn’t experience any hostility during my visits to different towns and cities. 

Serbia is country that is often misunderstood by the world and seems to be painted in a negative way. All i can say is that it’s a place full of rich heritage, culture diversity and truly exceptionally warm and hospitable people. It’s the people who are the true treasure of this country. I’ve been to different countries but Serbia by far is the only place where i’ve truly felt welcomed and well looked after. It is impressive how they are willing to show you their home places and share their personal stories with you. I cried days before my flight, i just didn’t want to leave. Not many places or people can make you feel that way.”

4. What are four words that you would use to describe Serbia after spending your vacation here?

 

Divini ljudi

Odlicna hrana

Hospitality

Rakija

5. What is one thing that really shocked you about Serbia?

“I wouldn’t say shocked but more touched. People don’t earn alot and yet you wouldn’t realise that from their behaviour. A friend of ours had been working almost 24hours one day and yet whenever we went out he always made sure to come and spend time with us while I was around. Everyone would always offer to pay for me, they wouldn’t accept no for an answer. What I’m trying to say is that regardless of whatever situation they are in, people were still generous, caring and humble, making sure I was well looked after and even offering me gifts before I left. . My boyfriend’s baba gave me a gift she had owned for over 30 years. I loved the fact that every meal we ate together at the dinner table or that the Sunday lunch was always at the grandparents’ house, and everyone would insist that I should eat more because baba thought I was too skinny. Ne hvala, Sita sam was a phrase I used far too often. These kinds of gestures no matter how big or small really touch my heart.”



6. Name one thing that annoyed you or something you disliked about Serbia.

“smoking indoors”

7. Favorite food and drink?

“Oh my goodness, there are too many to choose from. The food was so delicious with so many different flavours and very healthy. Most of the ingredients used were from my bf’s fruit and vegetable garden.”

Food

Gomboca

Gibanica

Cevapi

Sataraš

Domaćinski

Homemade plasma favoured ice cream

Drink

Medovača Rakija (had one too many

8. What would you tell any other women of color or women in general that were considering a trip to Serbia?

“I’d say go for it and experience Serbia for yourself. Immerse yourself in the culture, people and food of course. I highly recommend.”

Serbia has left another great impression on a first-time visitor! She will be back soon.

 

Serbia Leads the World in……?

You might remember my other post about Serbia leading the world in highest self esteem ….https://serbiathroughamericaneyes.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/serbs-1-in-the-world-in-highest-self-esteem/….. I just found out something else that Serbia leads the planet in…….

Thank God I never started smoking. My insides would be a total loss!! 😉 Alcohol is enough for me!!  I have a lot of friends that tell me that they only smoke when they drink. Is this possible? How do you get the urge to smoke only when you drink?  I have a lot of friends that smoke and I’m not going to sit here and lecture them about their habit! I believe in the slogan ” live and let live”, but just keep your smoke away from me! I like beer and am not ashamed to say that. I don’t go around pouring beer down the throats of those that don’t drink so why should I have to breathe your cigarette smoke?

Thanks to “http://www.mydoorsign.com” for the use of their image

The state of Illinois adopted the Smoke-Free Illinois Act on January 1st, 2008. The Smoke-free Illinois Act prohibits smoking in virtually all public places and workplaces, including offices, theaters, museums, libraries, educational institutions, schools, commercial establishments, enclosed shopping centers and retail stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs and gaming facilities. It also prohibits smoking within 15 feet of all public entrances, doorways, windows, etc. A person who smokes in an area where smoking is prohibited can fined between $100 and $250. A person who owns, operates or otherwise controls a public place or place of employment who violates the act can be fined not less than $250 for the first violation, not less than $500 for the second violation within one year after the first violation and not less than $2,500 for each additional violation within one year after the first violation. The only exceptions to this rule are:

• Retail tobacco stores that derive more than 80 percent of its gross revenue from the sale of tobacco products and do not have a liquor, food or restaurant license.
• Private and semi-private rooms in nursing homes or long-term care facilities occupied by one or more persons, all of whom smoke and have requested to be placed in a room where smoking is permitted. The nursing home or long-term care facility must ensure designated smoking rooms comply with other laws and fire protection and life safety codes.
• Up to 25 percent of hotel or motel sleeping rooms may be designated as smoking rooms, provided they are on the same floor, contiguous and smoke from these rooms does not infiltrate into 

I love Europe…….. specifically … the Balkans. One of the first things I noticed when arriving in Serbia in 2010 was the outrageous amount of smokers!! I would have to guess that more than 75% of my close friends in Serbia smoke!! No offence to this wonderful country that I have chosen to reside in, but it is hard to get away from cigarette smoke! I have heard that there are some laws about smoking in restaurants, bars, and public buildings, but I have yet to see any enforcement. Kafanas are my favorite hang out, but the amount of smoke in the air is enough to kill a bear! 🙂 Smoking in the US isn’t as common as it used to be. I am sure that cost has played a major factor in this drop. According to a study by the Wall Street Journal…. the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in the USA is $6.36 and rising. Serbia has an average cost of $2.03! One other thing that I notice is the amount of young kids that are smoking over here! You can see high school kids standing out in front of their schools smoking cigarettes during their breaks. You would be kicked out of school for doing the same thing in Illinois!

Russia has led the planet in cigarettes consumed per capita for many years. That streak ended in 2012 when Serbia surpassed them!! Russians smoke around 2,786 cigarettes per person per year! Serbia hit 2,861 cigarettes per person per year!!!! 😮 😮 The United States is sitting around 1.028. Russia has been pushing through some tougher laws to combat their smoking epidemic. I think it is time for Serbia to do the same!!!! Here is the entire article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443624204578058201182906048.html?mod=e2tw#articleTabs%3Dinteractive

I will probably get some death threats for posting this. 🙂 You know one sick and twisted bit of information that I learned from my time in Nis?? N.A.T.O bombed the Yugoslavian owned cigarette company during our “peace” mission in 1999. Guess who owns it now????  Phillip Morris…. -_- I guess they were aware of the smoking epidemic!!! DISGUSTING!!

Keep smoking those cigarettes if you like. I am not a saint either! 🙂 Volim vas!

Join our new Serbia website and share your passion for this great country and people….. http://www.sayserbia.com/ and for those that are interested in helping Mr. Cather with his Serbia documentary with a few dollars, go to https://www.wepay.com/donations/serbia-through-american-eyes  I need you!!! We have completed the first episode and will be showing the premier to the Ruma community the first week of August and discussing it on “ZIKINA SARENICA” on August 3rd!!! I need you!!!! Hvala puno!!!!!!!

 

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/

 

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.

 

American Soldier P.O.W Thanks Serbs

I have never served in the military, but I have respect for anyone that does that thankless job. The troops are taking orders and doing a job that they have taken an oath to do. That is the same with every nation. There are some bad apples in every bunch, but that can be said for any group of people.

We all know what happened in 1999……Serbia was bombed by N.A.T.O for 3 months. They destroyed the majority of bridges in the country, destroyed  powerplants, oil refineries, and killed hundreds people. 😦 I will never understand why we intervened in this dispute! Serbia was defending its own territory!!! They were not invading some innocent neighbor  or trying to create a “Greater Serbia” they were just trying to hang on to their dwindling land mass!!! You all know that I am a big Liberal Democrat, but check out what Republican Ron Paul had to say about our involvement in this conflict  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Ha1B37v00 I AM NOT GOING TO GO DEEPER IN THIS! I just think we were totally wrong! It seems that we have spit on an old ally. The Serbians were responsible for saving over 500 American troops from the Germans in WWII. Check out what the veterens had to say about Serbians http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5CXope9ncI and this is how we repay them?

Three American soldiers were captured by Serbian troops on April 1, 1999, a few miles from Skopje, Macedonia. One of the soldiers being a 25-year-old from Michigan named Chris Stone. Chris was married and had a young daughter at home. I am sure the world was thinking ” OH MY GOD!!! SERBIANS ARE GOING TO TORTURE AND MURDER THESE HOSTAGES!” Vice President of Serbia , Vuk Draskovic, stated ” Nothing will happen to them, we respect the enemy. However, they will face Serbian justice.”

What happened to them?  Did the Serbian guards beat, torture and harvest their organs??? Lets find out………………………………………….

Mr Stone and the other two hostages were released on May 4th, 1999 after Rev. Jesse Jackson flew to Belgrade to meet with Serbian leadership. Here is a note that Mr Stone sent to the Serbian guards that were responsible for guarding him after he returned to the United States:

It looks like the “BARBARIC” Serbians treated their enemy with the utmost respect! It isn’t everyday that you find a P.O.W sending his guards a nice “thank you”. Lets ask John McCain if he sent the Viet Cong a message like this after he sat in a cell and was tortured for years. Why does the media continue to defile the name the of the Serbian people??? Governments have NO FRIENDS…. THEY ONLY HAVE INTERESTS!!! 😦

Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, Rev. Jesse Jackson and former Illinois Gov, Rod Blagojevic in Belgrade

Please join our new Serbia website! Learn all about Serbian history, culture, food, music, sports, language, and meet Serbians from all over the world! Find out why I fell in love with this little country in the middle of the The Balkans. http://www.sayserbia.com/

 

Words to Describe Serbia…..

We all know the impact that media outlets can have on your internal mental image you have of a place and people. The media does what their corporate sponsors want them to do. They cannot be trusted! The days of fair and balanced news are HISTORY!! We, the people of the world, need to unite and bring back sanity to this insane world!

I talk to a lot of foreigners that come to Serbia. Everyone of them has the same preconceived view of Serbia and Serbian people. I decided to ask many of them what words they would have used to describe this country and its people before their visit and after their visit. Here are some of the top answers:

BEFORE VISITING SERBIA

• war zone
• genocide
• criminals
• Serbia? Where is that?
• dirty
• evil
• bearded men
• rude people
• dangerous
• lawless country
• communist buildings
• lack of electricity and internet
• corruption

AFTER VISITING SERBIA

• hospitality
• generosity
• sexy girls
• friendly people
• tall people
• proud nation
• delicious and healthy food
• no fat people
• small cars
• unique culture
• “I felt safer in Serbia that in my own country!”
• laid back way of life
• “Exit Fest is the best! I will be back”
• too much smoking in public
• very intelligent population
• “They all speak English!”
• “We will be back for another visit!”

🙂 Isn’t amazing how much you learn when you step outside of your comfort zone and explore with your own eyes??? Serbia is worth a visit!! The most expensive part is your ticket…… after that you can live like a king for around $600 a month! BOOK NOW!!!! 🙂

A few friends and I have started a new website that is dedicated to EVERYTHING SERBIAN!!!! I would love to invite each and every one of you to join us! It is called SAY SERBIA http://sayserbia.com/ . There is a security question on the entrance page. The answer is “baba”.

We decided to do this to show the world what all Serbia has to offer. It will be a place where Serbs and the MASSIVE diaspora can get together and chat, provide information on your history, music, culture, art, food, and people. We also have an excellent section with foreigner reviews of your great nation! Please help us make this site a success!! It was made from the hearts of a few guys that are very passionate about your country and your people. Please feel free to create your own discussions, add photos and info on your city, add videos, etc… BUT please avoid the negative things. This is a positive site for those that are interested in visiting. We have BIG plans for the future. It is currently in the beta testing mode. Check us out and if you have any suggestions, comments, complaints, just message me!!

Prva Exploziv was here in Sremska Mitrovica for 8 hours with me on Tuesday.They are doing an episode on me that will air next week. The site will be mentioned in there and will also be in 24 SATA in a week or so!!! HELP US SHOW THE TRUE SERBIA!!!! Hvala puno!!!!

VOLIM VAS!!!

 

 

Jagodina, Serbia to Small Town Illinois

The only way to save this evil planet is to start with the youth! They are our only hope for a better tomorrow. The old folks have already formed their opinions , but the youth still have a chance at seeking understanding and respect between those that are different from us.

The exchange programs like A-SMYLE are amazing. They are helping students from all over The Balkans see the beauty, culture, and life in the United States of America. It is very rare to find any negative feedback from the kids that have been on these programs.

Many of the students on the A-SMYLE program contact me! They are always thankful for my blog and videos about their country. They say that it makes it easier to explain Serbia to their friends. 🙂 I know so many former and current students. It really puts a smile on my face when I get a message from one of these bright kids. If you are interested in A-SMYLE check out their website http://www.ac-see.org/programs/hs-citiesdates.htm

I was contacted by this young man named Vuk Vasic. He was accepted into the A-AMYLE program after beating out many others in this area. He is from the beautiful town of Jagodina that is located in the heart of Serbia. He was placed into a host family from Edwardsville, Illinois USA. That isn’t far from my hometown of Greenup, IL!! Lets see what he has to say about his time in “The Land of Lincoln”

Dear Charles,
I’m a Serbian exchange student from a town called Jagodina in central Serbia. I went to America through A-Smyle, an exchange program completely financed and supported by the US Department of State. You asked me to share my American experience and I will but first, I must tell you something about my history.
Ever since I was a kid I wanted to go to America, it was mostly because I was influenced by American culture through TV, Internet and video games. All of this pushed me to start learning English at a young age, even before they started teaching it in school. By the time I was in 5th grade (when Serbian students used to start learning English) I already had a basic knowledge. My English teacher helped me perfect it, plus I practiced a lot with my friends outside of school.
I had a group of friends who by 8th grade all shared my dream of going to America and experiencing the culture first hand. The wonderful exchange opportunity came in my Sophomore year of high school and me and my friends jumped at the opportunity. Sadly, out of 4 of us that had the same dream, only I had the opportunity to actually experience it. When the acceptance call came, my whole family was overjoyed but what followed was nerve wracking and terrifying. It took the organization about 4 months to get me a host family, way, way longer than anyone else’s. My waiting was fruitful though, and I got placed with the most wonderful host family any exchange student can ever wish for, The McCrackens. They live in a small town of Edwardsville, near St. Louis in southern Illinois. This is where the rest of my year was spent.

Vuk and his American brother riding snowmobiles

I have done so many things here, it’s hard to recall everything but some of the highlights were:

Vuk meeting with 100 year old WWII vet

– Meeting an American WW2 veteran who’s turning 100 this year, he was my host family’s neighbor, so naturally, I had to meet him. As luck’ll have it, he spent some time in Yugoslavia(Country which Serbia was a part of in the 1900’s) in 1960’s and had only positive things to say about the hospitality of it’s people.
– Going to my school’s football games. That was the first time in my life that I have seen American Football being played, and being a soccer fan, it was hard for me to grasp the concept of it at first but later I started enjoying it immensely.

Vuk at the St Louis Blues hockey game.

– Watching professional hockey games. My host family are huge fans of hockey and the St. Louis Blues, so they took me to a couple of games. I absolutely loved it, it was like watching soccer on ice. Me and my host brother were so into it sometimes, yelling and cheering, that we got weird looks from people

Vuk as a cowboy in Nevada

– My trip to Nevada. My host grandma and my host aunt live in Reno, NV and during the Christmas break, my host mom took me and my host bro’s to their house. Being a huge fan of westerns, I was stoked to go to the actual Wild West and experience it. I wasn’t disappointed. Between going to fancy restaurants, enjoying Casino atmospheres, snowmobiling and just generally strolling around in my Ten Gallon hat and cowboy boots ,(How could I come to America and not get some western wear?) there was no time to rest.

Vuk at 4-H function

– Going to different seminars and workshops with other exchange students from all over the world (Albania, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt, Jordan and many others). We all had opportunities to share our experiences and troubles which proved to be fairly important to the entire exchange year.

Vuk dressed as a hillbilly for Halloween

There were many other experiences but those were the ones that stood out to me. Other than that, American people are wonderful and friendly, people are approachable and easy to talk to and some girls are very pretty  Americans are actually quite fit in general and not fat as other nations stereotype them as. Sometimes I actually think that they overwork themselves. I should wrap it up since I’ve already been typing for an hour. I definitely recommend this program for any high school students because it isn’t just fun, it’s also life changing.
Best wishes,
Vuk”

Thanks a million for this excellent story!! I am very happy that you are enjoying my home state as much as I am enjoying Serbia! Average Americans and average Serbs will always be friends…

 

Serbs Uncivilized? Think Again!

If you turn on many Hollywood movies or listen to lots of media outlets, you would think that Serbia was a barbaric, lawless country that was somehow left behind during all the advancements of modern society!! This is how governments start to demonize nations and people to get control. Once you reduce people to being less than human you can get the public on your side. This is what Adolf Hitler did to the Jews. The same has been done to the Serbians. Big powers that have a stake in Serbia intentionally do this to keep the masses from objecting to their dirty tricks.

I just heard about this tidbit of information. It is great to know Serbs from all over the world. I get lots of interesting info! Maybe I should go back to college and major in Serbian Culture. 😉

Present day Serbia was the heart of civilized culture 5500-6000 years before Jesus Christ!!!!! WOW!! Who would have thought!!???

 

Serbia was the heart of Vinca culture!

It is currently known as Vinca culture, also known as Turdas culture or Turdas-Vinca culture. It is a Neolithic archaeological site centered in Southeastern Europe. It was discovered in 1908 by Serbian archaeologist, Miloje Vasic. He found a society that was developing advancements in farming, formed settlement patterns, and had ritualistic behaviors.  This led to some of the largest settlements in prehistoric Europe. This culture is also known for the first example of copper metallurgy on Earth!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin%C4%8Da_culture

strange ritualistic items found in this region of Serbia. It is 5000 years old!!!!

Here is a list of present day cities that were major sites of Vinca culture:

Drenovac Gomolava Gornja Tuzla Pločnik Rudna Glava Selevac Tărtăria Turdaş Vršac

Shut off the tv and open your mind!!!!! The world has lots to offer, and your government doesn’t want you to know about it! OH…. Check out this very kind Serbian runner. He is showing his respect to the victims of the Boston terror attack! Serbs have no compassion? I don’t think so! Don’t get me wrong…. They are like any nation on Earth with good and bad…. There are a few people over here I would like to punch in the mouth, but the large majority are wonderful human beings that have been stepped on for years. 🙂

Serbian runner in Belgrade.