Sticky & Sweet Madonna in Belgrade!

OK so it happened. I’m pretty much puzzled what to think about this concert. You don’t have to be Madonna’s fan to know this is something you shouldn’t miss. Beside I liked her in my youth very much actually. I remember her concerts at the beginning of 1990-es  (“Blond Ambition World Tour” and “The Girlie Show World Tour”) and thinking if I’ll ever see something like this … oh well I didn’t.

I was hoping to go on her concert last year when she was in Montenegro because no one believed she’ll come back in the region. Well she did but it seems that vast majority of people from Serbia who were at the concert in Montenegro decided to stay home last night. Namely there were only 40000 people which is of course far less than what was expected. On the other hand, reviews from that last year’s concert weren’t bright whatsoever. Anyway I didn’t manage to be in Montenegro and when I heard she’s coming in Belgrade I knew it’s now or never (luckily my brother thought the same and gave me this for birthday). As I said that’s something you just don’t miss no mater if you’re not her fan. There are only few artists who are living legends who fits in this category (sadly Michael Jackson is not anymore one of them so I’ll definitively not see him live). I’ve already seen “Rolling Stones” and now after Madonna I really don’t know who could be added in this group? Who is such an institution on the global scale?

Concert itself was true spectacle. Light, laser, computer, dancers, 8 huge mobile LED screens … all effects were absolutely perfect. Of course she is inhumanly fit considering her age. She danced like 10-20 years ago… But then, she wasn’t the same Madonna as she was 10-20 years ago. Her music has evolved and I’m not sure if I like direction she took. She is (and will probably remain) the biggest pop icon ever but the music she’s making now is hardly pop; or if it is it has so many techno spices that it makes special subgenre.

Concert (after exactly an hour delay. That was very surprising. I’m not even sure if she was aware that she’s late) started with “Candy Shop” and really, as much as you were pissed cause you’re standing an hour like an idiot in that moment every negative emotion just vanishes. I mean, the moment when you’re ACTUALLY looking at Madonna only few (tens of) meters from you really shocks you. It does have an impact: at first you are paralyzed like and then you just go wild.

Concert was divided in four parts: First part “Pimp” was homage to art-deco of 1920-ies. After introducing animation she appears sitting on the “M”-shaped throne. The peak of this part is “Vogue” in new design mixed with tones from “4 minutes”.

Second part “Old School” reminding us on her beginnings 1980-ies. I LOVED her “Get Into the Groove” with fantastic paints of Keith Haring (whom I like as well and whose reproduction I even have on my wall). I think this was my favourite part. You know here she was real Madonna, true pop queen.

Third “Gypsy” part was filled with Latino rhythm. There was a Ukrainian Gypsy band who played “La Isla Bonita” mixed with some traditional gypsy songs. It was interesting but I’m afraid that the change of one of her greatest hits ever was so drastic that it became different song. I’m not sure did I like that too much. Later, Gypsies had their solo performance which I’m sure was absolutely stunning in Western Europe, North America or Australia but she came in the part of the world where world’s best gypsy music is producing and I really doubt that anyone was fascinated with that part. I mean common gypsy band in some tavern in Serbian (or Romanian or Bulgarian) province would put more fire and heart in their songs. So the folks here really are used to really go wild with gypsy music so I’m afraid Ukrainians didn’t even produce a sparkle in the audience but hey we are tolerant so we waited Madonna to take microphone. But then when she took she sung “You Must Love Me” from “Evita” which was really slow and didn’t stimulate the mass.

Final part “Rave” was a mix of Far East choreography and visual effects and electronic music and it was OK. It ended with “Give It To Me” which was absolutely fascinating and the very peak of the concert. her commuication with audience was phenomenal during that song, she was giving microphone to the peoples in first raw and whole mass was dancing like crazy. Too bad that climax meant also the end.

There were few very special moments such is tribute to Michael Jackson (this video is not from last night’s show but from London but it was exactly the same so I’m putting it). Indeed, “Long live The King!”

There were no too many shocking things (after all elections in US are over) but since she’s known for her political and ecological activism there were one segment dedicated to this. Namely during video break and song “Get Stupid” which has had the theme global warming, ecological disasters, craziness of consumer society, political dictatorships… there were scenes with Hitler, Robert Mugabe, Kim Jong-il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iranian religious leaders, scenes from political rallies after presidential elections in Iran few months ago including the death of  ‘Neda’ video.
Then there was images of destruction and comes one very curious part. Namely on the big screen along with scenes of destruction and bombing appears US flag. Now, without any euphemisms we are not very fond of American foreign politics in last 15 years (we’ve been bombed, US opinion about Kosovo is completely opposite of ours, those are two issues among many other bead ones) so I was curious to see reaction of the audience but (surprisingly!) there was no any. And then image of Barack Obama appeared and the audience reacted with ovations! I so didn’t expect that and I must say I was thrilled with it. I don’t know if he’ll bring some big changes that will have some positive influence on our lives but I’m so glad to see that change has happened in our minds and that we do have faith in American peoples’ choice.

All in all this was good concert but I did have highest expectations. There were not enough big hits (there were beside the ones I mentioned) “Like a Prayer”, “Music”, “Frozen”, “Holiday”, “4 Minutes”. So the set list wasn’t the happiest one; it was more warm/cold when the crowd sunk into delirium after some hit goes something that calms atmosphere down and so on. Too many average songs spiced with cruel, cold professionalism. Communication with the audience was solid but for our standards not nearly enough (just for the record Mick Jagger talked with us IN SERBIAN!).

Now when I’ve mentioned again concert Rolling Stones had I knew they’ve made standard that (I honestly believe) no one will be able to achieve but I didn’t expect that difference between that one and last night’s, Madonna’s, the grates pop icon EVER will be so enormous!

It was a good concert indeed, it was amazing spectacle and I would regret horribly if I have missed it. But that wasn’t nearly the concerts I watched 15 years ago fantasizing to be there.

 

Leningrad Cowboys in Belgrade

9th May is Day of Victory over fascism and also Day of Europe and as such is celebrated including in Serbia. When I say celebrated I mean that all European embassies participate in some projects mostly cultural. So in the main pedestrian zone here in Belgrade each of European embassies has had its stand where citizens might get known closer culture of certain country. Cynical as Serbs became toward Europe in last few years the comments were more like “I rather see and feel personally your culture than to look brochures” and I agree. Truth I traveled most than vast majority of my compatriots but still I’m finding all this embassy-activities kind of hypocritical.

Anyway mostly everything we were hearing, getting and associating with Europe and “European values” (as if we here live according to some Martian values) have some bitter taste of insincerity that’s why I wasn’t interested whatsoever to go and see what’s happening in pedestrian zone in last Saturday. But I was preparing to go on something different the same day in the evening. It’s European and is very welcomed!

Like many, I’ve heard about Leningrad Cowboys for the first time thanks to amazing Aki Kaurismäki and his movies “Leningrad Cowboys Go America”, “Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses” and the “Total Balalaika Show”. That only because I’m huge Kaurismäki fan. And then on my last year’s trip to the north (Finland) we were watching “Total Balalaika Show” in the bus. They were fantastic. It’s one of those concerts that if I would have to pick one to see most probably I’d pick that one. They were performing along with Russian Alexander ensemble (160 members) in Helsinki with 70000 spectators. It was absolute craziness!

They are Finnish band whose members look … well I have no idea what word to use here. Just observe the photo. Their hairstyle, costumes, stage… and their repertoire is from Russian folk songs (which I adore!) to rock and roll performing immortal hits of The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin … etc. It’s such an original approach and condemned to produce fantastic experience!

Needles to say that I was utterly thrilled when I heard they are coming in Belgrade! And LOL on the entrance I saw almost entire crew from the trip. People who I haven’t see, nor hear for months! “We couldn’t miss this!” everyone said.

Sadly, sadly, sadly the promoting campaign before concert wasn’t nearly as it should’ve been! “Leningrad Cowboys” are completely unknown for Serbian audience. My friends who were at the concert with me would never go unless I didn’t talk about it. Therefore there were not as many people as I was hoping to see. And the hall organizers picked was such a bad choice: It’s huge and with seats!!! Why on earth seats??? So of course the very first sentence Tipe Johnson said was: “Get your butts off those seats! No one is sitting where we are coming from!” and we were obedient! and then they started: “Back In the USSR”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Whiskey In a Jar”, “Perfect Day”, “Easy Livin”, “Smoke On the Water”…

Communication with the audience was fantastic (which is very important for us. I don’t know if that’s the case everywhere but we generally have some impression that something was lacking if the concert was phenomenal but communication with audience poor). Anyway Johnson spent good part of the concert among us in the audience, was calling one kid on the stage to play special tractor-like guitar, was giving microphone to see our vocal abilities…

For the end as an icing on the cake was Tom Johns’ “Delilah” and then “Those Were the Days”. Then they left the stage but we refused to go so they came back with “Eloise” and David Bowie’s “Starman”.

Tipe Jonson said: ”I don’t know do you know but we know that we are for the first time here in Belgrade! And we are very glad to be here and you will be glad as well for being here tonight because you’ll say one day to your grandchildren that you saw “Leningrad Cowboys” when they played in Serbia for the first time!”

Not sure about grandchildren but I surely do have what to talk about!

 

TT#28 ~ 9 years after: Air Raid waking alarm

I modified my last post from 24th March into TT post cause I think it should be exposed to wider blogging audience. So here it is:
1. Last night I went in bed with huge smile on my face. It was amazing watching how Serbs Ana Ivanović and Novak Djoković have took titles in Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells! Serbian fans on the stadium wore “NOLE, ANA, JELENA” t-shirts, this time no one has been punished but the banner “Kosovo is Serbia” has been confiscated, on the grounds that the banner was a political statement (I guess “Texas is USA” would be taken in the same way). Novak made a taped speech last month for a rally in Belgrade in which he spoke against Kosovo’s independence.

 

2. “The people who know my past and they understand what I’m saying — my father and my aunt, my uncle all grew up there. They were born in Kosovo and my family used to live there for 30 years. I was there many times. So it kind of touched me in that moment that this was my quest to give support by my country.” said Djoković.

3. Last week, the swimmer Milorad Čavić, who was born in California to Serbian parents, was barred from the European championships after wearing a T-shirt that said “Kosovo is Serbia,” in Cyrillic letters, at the medal ceremony after winning the 50-meter butterfly. “I’m really sad to hear about this. It’s hard because we are athletes and trying to do the best we can on the court and promote our country in the best possible way,” Ivanović said about the Čavić’s case (I wrote about that HERE).

4. And it was fantastic to see those youngsters who have managed to conquer hearts of so many people all around the world.

5. And then this morning I’m turning on my radio expecting to hear news from tennis court I was frozen by the sound of air raid emergency siren! It was horrible flash back and it took me few moments to realize that today is 9^th anniversary of the NATO War of aggression against Serbia.

6. I remember that day I didn’t want to leave my flat in Belgrade naively believed that international law is supreme value and that no one will attack sovereign European country without permission of the Security Council UNO (the only institution which has mandate to bring that decision). Moreover I didn’t believe it’s possible that NATO will broke its own statute which said that alliance will go in military action only if the country, member of the alliance is jeopardized by some third (non member) country. But then I simply didn’t think that international law doesn’t exist if USA wants that.

7. So I decided to leave Belgrade to calm my parents and I remember my shock when I arrived on the main bus station which has been completely covered with people sleeping with their luggage on the floor. It was impossible to reach the counters. My god I never saw anything like this before.

8. Anyhow that evening I was visiting my friend, drinking coffee and chatting about something trivial and in one moment we stopped talking. “Was that detonation?” and soon after that we heard air raid sirens. It was unbelievable.

9. 78 days of bombing killed about 3000 civilians; destroyed infrastructure of the country; helped Milosević’s regime to achieve what he couldn’t for so long: kill free press, put in jail everyone who was publicly expressing different political opinion; put citizens in total misery.

10. Official cause for bombing was massacre in the village of Racak. After bombing UN commission of forensics and pathologists confirmed that there was no massacre. Those bodies were in unnaturally positions in the cloths that don’t match the wounds on the body. It was confirmed what Serbs officials were claim that those are terrorists dressed post mortem in the civilian clothes. Naturally that was irrelevant. Of course now we see the true purpose of NATO aggression: making Kosovo independent.

11.

12. One might think 9 years would be enough for wounds to heal but I don’t think that will ever happen. When I heard sirens this morning I couldn’t pick up myself entire morning. 9 years and yet, as if it was yesterday. No I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t afraid during the bombing neither. I never went in shelter or something like that. I was in despair and filled with anger and in the same time incapable to do anything. And that state of mind is worse than anything you can imagine. This morning I realized that state of mind is somewhere inside me, waiting to be awaken.

13. If you were me, would you be able to forgive? (is this question makes me a bad person, or at least a bad Christian? If so, I’m wondering where is the limit of human ability to forgive?)

 

Happy Anniversary (to the ones who remained)!

Four years ago, on March 17^th 2004 the biggest attack on Serbs since arrival of international UN peacekeeper troops has happened. Attacks on Serbian enclaves and mass destruction of their properties were apparently surprised international forces and their reaction was too late and too weak. During this ethnic cleansing 4000 Serbs have been banned from Kosovo, 19 people lost their lives; 6 towns and 9 villages were completely ethnically cleaned. 800 houses has been destroyed and 35 churches/monasteries and 18 cultural monuments.

“Cause” for this attack was campaign of Albanian media against Serbs who have been accused for death of three Albanian boys who have drowned in the Ibar river. Investigation performed by UNMIK showed that those accusations were false.

March 2004 part 1

March 2004 part 2

Four years later investigation is not over; organizers of the ethnic cleansing are still free. Reconstruction of damaged houses is minor.

And today, on the anniversary KFOR has manifested its power against Serbian clerks in the court of Kosovska Mitrovica. Few days ago Serbian clerks have taken court building demanding to reestablish rule of law; they wanted to go back and start work again. They protested in a front of the court since 21^st Feb and since the officials were deaf they managed to enter in the building last Friday. Of course now is clear why they didn’t have any difficulties then. What have happened today was planned from a start. Of course it was completely unnecessary.

This morning at 5.30 am soldiers were broke windows were the clerks slept, they tied them refusing any talk, took their cell phones and arrested them. I should tell you that those clerks are middle aged people who worked in juridical bureaucracy which means that any force was unnecessary. But of course since they were watching ethnic cleansing four years ago and done nothing KFOR decided to use an extra force today.

Naturally when Serbs in the town found out what is going on in the Court building they surrounded it demanding to let go arrested people.

More than 100 people are injured mostly of shock bombs, tear gas and explosions.

What a proper anniversary! UN forces are forcing democracy indeed; who needs law in the presence of peacekeepers anyway!

 

Fighting against windmills while waiting for Godot

I just came back in town after about two weeks of isolation from news. Now I’m supposed to pick up pieces of normality in my life and try to live, right? Oh but that will not be that easy. Namely political situation is just as if it was in the early nineties: economy is in mess, stock market too; inflation is jumping every day; radicalism is awake; people are so furious and angry and (the latest in the line) government fell. What a perfect place to be normal! And all that in only two weeks!

Oh, Europe is constantly saying how Serbia is its friend and how Serbia has its place in European Union. They are willing to help us on every step, of course if we chose Europe. Now after this, I’m afraid we will not chose Europe. Not that I want that, on the contrary but Europe has done everything to provoke rising of blood pressure to every common citizen in Serbia whenever they hear word “Europe”! Oh but the point is that Europe is our friend who wants to help us, right?

Well I’ll try to make the picture about European offer clearer:
Imagine a man who has found a homeless frozen girl on the street and he offers her help. He could put her in one SAFE House (Violence Shelter) where is warm and where she’ll get bed and food and where she’ll be able to stay as long as necessary. And girl of course accepts his offer willingly BUT there’s a catch: since SAFE House is only for victims of violence he must beat her and rape her and after that there’ll be no problem for her to be under protection.

Nice isn’t it? Would you accept that offer? Well that is exactly what Europe is doing to Serbia: constantly is speaking about historical friendship with Serbia and their will to help but … there’s a catch!

And how live normal life? How going to work, study, how not thinking what if phone ring in 3 am and the pissed voice said “let’s throw some bombs there! We’ll find excuse later in the morning”? That wouldn’t be the first time anyway.

I surely try to stop fighting against windmills by reading and commenting posts about Kosovo and history of this region on other blogs. The latest experience with that was Mr. Cheeseburger 9000, guy who is pro Kosovo independence (which is quite legitimate of course) and whose blog I left after I saw his comment about organized atrocities against Serbs and their homes and cultural heritage in March 2004 where he was justifying it. I did “protest” about it and he said that he didn’t mean that but even though that was just too much. Until two weeks ago when I posted my comment about some other issue in which I explained why I think his arguments are unbelievable (among other things he said that since the violation of the law has been committed we shouldn’t mentioning anymore! It’s done so there’s no point insisting on that) and replied about his insults. I’m quite aware my positions and I’m trying to stand with both feet on the ground but I just had to react when I see injustice. Of course I lost and people like Mr. Cheeseburger 9000 have won and I said that in my comment so they can celebrate and be happy toward my despair (I said that as well). I’m not ashamed cause I’m in grief.
But then I guess my comment was just too much for him (I was polite so I’m not sure what was the reason). I guess Mr. Cheeseburger 9000 saw his own reflection in my comment and what he saw wasn’t pretty and so he decided not to publish my comment! Really I couldn’t believe it. It was so immature. And then what’s the point to allow comments at all? To be honest I was surprise cause I didn’t expect that but hey, he has all right to do that. After all it’s his blog.

So as you can see there’s no point fight against windmills. They will understand the message (otherwise he would publish my comment) but even though they will continue to go in the same direction. This kind of people is something I don’t wanna have anything with.

So, normality? It will be very hard. Maybe it would be the easiest to spread the legs, close eyes and try to enjoy thinking about all warmth and food that are waiting in the SAFE House. If you can’t avoid to be raped then at least try to enjoy in sex, right? But then how to look yourself tomorrow? How to bear to see your image in the mirror? That would not be something you can censored from publishing on your blog and keep on living like nothing happened.

 

Sovereign, Sovereigner, Sovereignest, USA

 

I’ve loaned this title from Svetlana of Byzantine Sacred Art Blog because precisely the same gradation was on my mind after reading headlines of the world news agencies about yesterday’s riot in Belgrade against Kosovo independence.

Linking USA policy with hypocrisy is nothing new but statement of the US ambassador in UN Mr. Khalilzad how he is “outraged by the mob attack against US embassy in Belgrade as a sovereign US territory. The government of Serbia has a responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic facilities, particularly embassies.” as a shamelessly clear expression of the politics of double standards really makes you wonder is there any boundary? Your embassy is sovereign US territory and its protection is guaranteed by international law but 15% of territory of the sovereign country, its cultural, historical, spiritual heart is somehow not enough sovereign so that the same international law and its guaranties can be applied to?

Precisely that kind of US politic towards Serbian nation in last almost 15 years has led to this explosion of anger. Indeed few hundreds of Serbian rioters have yesterday night attacked and torched US embassy in Belgrade. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy because of that and to be honest I’m not happy because it’s my town (not because it’s US territory). But again don’t get me wrong, I absolutely understand why they have attacked it. We have reminders on that just across the street for almost a decade. In the same street where is US embassy are few enormous buildings in ruins, destroyed by US and their NATO allies during aggression against Serbia.

And if we were thought that all those sufferings were over after the aggression we were so wrong. US government continued to reassures us every day, and we continued to pay the price. We are the only country who extradited its (ex) president (I’m not talking about his moral qualifications now) to express our dedication to democracy and justice and international law but that wasn’t enough. We lost our prime minister who has been assassinated precisely because his dedication toward those same values but again that wasn’t enough. You are taking Kosovo and Metohija from us expecting that we’ll accept that calmly like all those previous payments; that we’ll be silent like a lamb before slaughtering?

Mr. Khalilzad said he will “ask the 15-member Security Council to issue a unanimous statement expressing its outrage, condemning the attack and also reminding Serb government of its responsibility.” And Security Council has precisely done that. The SAME Council that US has avoid to start NATO aggression against Serbia supporting terrorist organization the KLA, turning lives of dozen million into a nightmare, destroying infrastructure, killing so many people! The SAME Council that has been avoided just yesterday in the process of recognizing Kosovo independence, while precisely the Council is the only legitimate institution who has right to do that!

Mr. Khalilzad is mentioning protection of the international law. Which one Mr. Khalilzad? Because apparently there are few international laws depending who’s a judge and who’s sitting in the dock.
“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”, right Mr. Khalilzad?

 

Sadly we, the other 500.000 (according to BBC reporters) people on the demonstrations and later on the moleban (Christian liturgy for Kosovo salvation) were not enough interesting news. You can’t expect from us to shut and bear all insults and injustice for years. There is a limit and you have reached it. But then as someone said yesterday:
“We Serbs know how to forgive, if we have whom to forgive”

 

TT#27 ~ Breast-feeding a snake

1. Today I received an e-mail from a friend as his reaction about my previous blog post about Kosovo secession from Serbia. This isn’t nearly easy thing to write and I don’t have clear concept so forgive me if this TT is a little bit chaotic.

2. Few months ago I stopped to post comments on blogs about Kosovo independence after I received more/less same comments. Namely while debating with the authors, on their question what argument Serbia has I was answering “International Law and Charter of the United Nations” and usually reply was “Well yes, but that is only thing you have. What is else?” Oh, I didn’t realize that’s not enough. Of course it wasn’t enough. And why? Because International Law can be changed, depends of the issue because of something I’ll be accused, charged, executed you could be awarded! The only catch is what’s in judges’ interest, right?

3. My friend in his e-mail mentioned democratic values, he even said how his country “tries to promote democracy worldwide”; my comment on that is that he doesn’t realize enormously fortunate fact that he’s not familiar with the methods of achieving this noble goal his country has and how he’s blessed cause he doesn’t know how many faces that “democracy” has, again depends of the issue and the interest.

4. Not only he, everyone is talking about democracy and law and how these two will be the fundament of this newborn country. But somehow everyone is neglecting the fact that this newborn has been conceived precisely by flagrant violation of those fundamental values. As if they said “I was nasty but don’t punish me. Close your eyes just this time and I promise I’ll be good in future” and big players closed their eyes. Or they even turned their back completely. They avoided Security Council UNO, they neglected their own laws, the same scenario they used with NATO aggression on Yugoslavia. Of course this is still the same film so why would methods be different?

5. It’s so disgusting to read statements from international community how “Serbia is a friend, ally in both World War who has scarified so much” (indeed Serbia is a country who suffered the most of all countries in WWI. 33% of entire population or 60% male population of Serbia lost their lives).

There are statements that says that “Serbs are our Christian brothers”; well why don’t you look what you have done to your Christian brothers:

6.

Dozens of churches, monasteries and shrines have been destroyed or damaged since the UN military forces came 1999 in Kosovo, the cradle of Orthodox Christianity in Serbia. The Serbian Orthodox Church lists nearly 150 attacks on holy places, which often involve desecration of altars, vandalism of icons and the ripping of crosses from Church rooftops. 800 houses and 29 Serb Orthodox churches and monasteries – some of them dating to the 14th century — were torched in only few days (these are data from March 2004).

7. 15^th century Devic Monastery:

You can click on these images to see Serbian religious and historical heritage on Kosovo:

8. All this happened despite the presence of UN peacekeeping forces.
And you awarded them with a country. It seems some instances of ethnic cleansing are more acceptable than others.

9. Yes, other friend of mine posted a comment on my previous blog post and she said that “Changes are scary”. Oh indeed but I’m not sure that we think about the same thing. She probably meant on changes here (on local level) but in reality the worst change and the scariest one is on global level: law has been dismissed! Everything is possible now when Pandora’s Box is open. Declaration of independence of Kosovo is a means towards legitimizing the dissolution and breaking up of sovereign states on a global scale. Gosh well known politician and “expert” for Balkan Carl Bildt said “we must preserve at
least a semblance of international law” about recognize this independence. (here I don’t have a comment)

10. Of course many other regions want to declare independence as well but big player said “Kosovo is a unique case”. Oh? Why’s that? Maybe because the biggest US military camp Bondsteel is there and not in Abkhazia or South Ossetia or Nagorno-Karabakh or Taiwan or Palestine or Basque province or Catalonia? You’re not familiar with that camp? Oh just wait, soon you’ll watch braking news from there because 11. the Kosovo declaration of independence was a declaration of dependency and surrender to colonial forces. And I’m not sure if they (Kosovars) realizing that. You should know that Kosovo prime minister was a commander of KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), drug-smuggling, arms-trafficking terrorist organization which is still active. The KLA was among the first international terrorist groups linked to al Qaeda in the late 1990s. Western intelligence agencies observed its members training at al Qaeda terror camps a decade ago and more. It was listed as a terrorist organization by CIA but in spite that it has been supported by US government.

12. Without any doubts Kosovo would have had greater independence as an autonomous province in an agreement of autonomy with Serbia but the talks between Serbia and Kosovo were never meant to succeed because the US was determined to establish another protectorate in the former Yugoslavia. During last session of negotiations they were stressing that if negotiation failed the only solution will be independence and that they are willing to accept it. Under those circumstances what motivation Kosovo team had for further negotiation? Kosovo leaders just waited deadline to do what they’ve done.

13. And they have transformed their land into a colonial outpost of Anglo-American interest. Under the so-called independence roadmap, NATO and E.U. troops and police officers will formally administer Kosovo. And if you think the KLA will accept that, you don’t have a clue how wrong you are, you’re breast-feeding a snake (we know, we’ve been there, fight against terrorism didn’t wait 9/11).
In God you trust? Well if you’re doing all this in the name of your God then he is not God I believe in but do pray your God that you have enough milk.

P.S.
If you’d like to leave your comment please scroll up!

 

Ћирилица…

За месец дана се навршава пет година од убиства Зорана Ђинђића. Након пет година судски процес је (ваљда) окончан али оно у шта не треба сумњати је да се они који су били иза кулиса Зорановог убиства сада налазе испред кулиса. Са Велике Сцене Српског Политичког Театра они нас плаше Европом док ми гласамо и вапимо за променом репертоара. Ми бисмо нешто друго ако може!

И тако пре неко вече добих неколико СМС-ова на свом мобилном телефону а сви кажу “Гледај ХРТ1!”. Било ми је чудно јер ја баш и не гледам ТВ а и кад гледам ретко гледам програме на свом матерњем и блиских му језика. Међутим да сам био код куће ово бих сигурно одгледао. Наиме ХРТ1 (Хрватска Радио Телевизија) и њена “Латиница” су имали тему “Зашто је убијeн Зоран Ђинђић?”, нешто о чему РТС (Радио Телевизија Србије) не говори већ пет година (а и кад нешто каже боље да ћути). И зато се ја захваљујем Anselin80 који је емисију поставио на YouTube. Ја ћу поставити делове емисије овде јер мислим да свако ко није видео (а разуме језик) то треба да учини.

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TT #25 ~ Serbian winter “fast food”

1. I spoke recently with one of my Spanish professors and she said that one of the strangest thing she saw on the streets of Belgrade is popcorn! Whole world is eating popcorns on the street. 2. When I asked her what’s so strange there, aren’t popcorns common in Spain as well? She said yes people are eating popcorns but not on the streets but in their homes.

3. This evening while I was going back from my class I was observing what people are eating/can buy for eat in the main pedestrian zone in Belgrade and indeed number one are popcorns. On every 100 m there you can buy popcorns!

4. Since it’s winter and quite cold number 2 is roasted chestnuts. Unlike popcorns I LOVE chestnuts. People are roasting it on the street and when you buy it they are so hot but that is the charm: peeling hot, hot chestnuts and then let them melting in your mouth. Beautiful indeed and so winterish. 5. You know couples are often buy two big cartridges of roasted chestnuts and then sit on the bench on the old fort above two big rivers Danube and Sava and feed one another. (6. you can add full moon and stuff like that if you like).

7. Then there is roasted corn. I love that one as well but it leaves traits after eationg so it’s quite handy to care dental floss with yourself. You think that’s crazy (OK I’m crazy but I have dental floss always with me).
8. Ok there is also boiled corn but now it’s not its season.

9. Then there is ђеврек or đevrek it’s round dough with sesame and … I’m not sure but is beautiful! I love it whan it crisp in my mouth.

10. Of course pizza. Is tehre any place where you can’t buy pizza? But difference with us here is (Italians are horrified with that) wa are putting ketchup on pizza! And there are so many variations. During the cold evenings I prefer one with chili peppers.

11. You can’t skip burek. Something we took from Turks and modified it so now there are burkes with meat, cheese, mushrooms, etc. I love it! Or traditionally Serbian Gibanica (Serbian phyllo pastry dish, usually made with Serbian white cheese, less common with other cheeses)

12. And since it’s time of Lent there are fast food adequate for the people who are respecting it. I ate this evening, small breads stuffed with leek for instance. It’s healthy and delicious.

13. So this is the food you can buy on the street and food you will normally eat while walking and chatting with friends or while taking your dog in walk (and share few bites).

P.S.
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NAJJ Srbije!

The word naj in Serbian is in combination with some adjective use to amplify that adjective (good or bad) but when it stands alone it always means the best! These days (well the whole last year) it was the best association with Serbian tennis players (the best Serbian brand for sure)!

Yesterday Belgrade Arena was full (20000 spectators) and occasion was Humanitarian spectacle “NAJJ Srbije” (the best of Serbia).

N is for Novak Djoković (world #3)
A is for Ana Ivanović (world #4)
J is for Jelena Janković (world #3)
J is for Janko Tipsarević (world #52)

These four were I think for the first time together played in a front of their own people and our hearts were full while we were watching them. Arena was sold out and all money has been divided in four parts, every player has donated her/his part to some charity: mainly for children of Kosovo and Hospitals; UNICEF; etc.

We saw our stars in little different light. Of course the result was irrelevant so I’m not going to mention it but their singing skills were equally good!
Their sense for humor is great and they’ve made that evening unforgettable.

Indeed this was tennis event so we saw our best juniors as well but also famous singers and actors have their part as well. (Maria Sharapova and Robert de Niro should be there as well but I’m not sure about that. They were both cheering Novak at the final of US Open this year and have confirmed their arrival).

Once again thank you!

 

 

TT #24 ~ Devil is afraid of Serbia!

1. I’ve noticed that I quite rarely write about Serbian literature (so far I think I have only one post) which is quite strange. Truth is that I usually read foreign contemporary literature and in private correspondence with my foreign friends I’m recommending my favourites Serbian writers; what a paradox.

2. Recently I had “conversation” with one Finnish friend about Serbian folklore, namely about devil/vampire in it and have recommend her “Fear and its Servant”, novel written by Mirjana Novaković (as far as I know book is translated only in French: La peur et Son Valet). That was the novel who missed the most prestigious Serbian literary award, NIN Award by one vote. But (big BUT) I wasn’t talking about the novel but about magical theatre play based on this novel. Play was settled under the open sky, during the night on the Belgrade fort Kalemegdan (where the novel is set as well). I have the novel on my to-be-read pile and after that conversation I took it and lightly start to read. I made first pause after reading 100 pages!
This is probably my novel of the year!

Fear and its Servant (Страх и његов слуга)
by Mirjana Novaković (Мирјана Новаковић)

3. Fiction with vampires is usually not my cup of tea (I’m afraid my only positive experience was „Historian“ by Elisabeth Kostova); however I’m very interested in ethnology and folklore and being Serbian I surely can’t skip vampires (I’ll explain the reason later; you’ll be surprised), therefore folklore, myths etc. in nonfiction work is something I like very much indeed.
The novel is set in XVIII century in Belgrade under Austrian administration and the topic is one historical event: Investigation of vampires.

4. XVIII century is full of scientific achievements and historical events and Serbs gave their (quite odd but still) contribution as well: Vampires!

Namely for the first time in the western world Serbian (!) word “vampire” has been documented! In the year of 1725 in the Serbian village Kiseljevo peasant Petar Blagojević (or HERE) died and soon after him few peasants more. All of them in their dying moments were talking that late Petar is coming to them during the night and drank their blood. Then commission along with the priest exhumed Petar, stabbed his heart with hawthorn stake and burned the body. Peter has been proclaimed as “archvampire”, the report has been sent to Belgrade and from there to Vienna and after publication in The Wiennerisches Diarium it was the main theme in Vienna’s public circles.

5. So, theme for this novel is historical fact from 1725, arrival of the commission from Vienna that supposed to investigate article in Wiennerisches Diarium about vampires in Serbia. But that would be just too simple right? Therefore the main role plays Devil himself! (in strange way similar with “Sympathy for the Devil” by Rolling Stones). 6. So I guess by default this novel suppose to be horror and in some way it is: we have vampires, placed in the system of manipulations, money, politics … yes it is actually kind of political horror novel. Therefore there’s no problem to put in this sub-genre at the same place vampires, devil, princes, Maria Magdalene, Christ … Politics is the biggest horror because it is true horror. In politics, nothing is fiction!

7. As I said devil plays the main role and is one (of two, second is Princess Maria Augusta Turn and Taxis) narrators of the story. He is disguised in false count Otto von Hausburg (one of many historical allusions) and is coming with his servant Novak, Serb (amazing character, Christian who is willingly work for devil as a way of self punishment) to check if the rumors about vampires are true. He has his own reasons.

8. In one moment devil says “I don’t have enemies among people. Everyone loves me!” and in some way you can believe in that (remember Rolling Stones from above) because we are meeting men that are much worse than the devil. Here devil is anthropomorphous being, almost common man who doesn’t have any supernatural powers but has flaws common to majority of human beings. And that is the irony: Devil meets people much worse than he is and he’s afraid and wants to avoid them. It seems that devil is afraid of Serbia (and Serbs)!

9. So this is mixture of horror and fantasy with postmodernistic elements. This is the story where the history is turned upside down! Vision of Christianity through the eyes of the devil, from the night in the Gethsemane Garden through the centuries is so intelligent and with amazing humour! We see devil as a common man who drinks, smokes hashish, sleep, is running away from love and is afraid of vampires! And why’s that? Well, think! If dead people are arising Judgment Day is near, meaning farewell to the devil!

10. Images of Belgrade from the early XVIII century are magical! The city has been divided in two parts: “Austrian” (which means: European, Christian, white (Belgrade means Beli-White Grad-City)) part and the second “obscure other” part that is on the other side of the Wall, behind the Prince Eugene Line, where through the night and fog roam vampires, ghosts, road bandits and other Serbian and Turkish natives. I said that the history has been turned upside down but there are many historical facts, especially about the history of my Belgrade (episodes I didn’t know).

11. Through entire novel many pseudo-biblical stories are interweaving and are initiated with the constant devil’s self-reexamination, his desperate need to treat Christ with irony and author with many beautiful marginal allusions is canceling linearity of time. We are sailing from the New Testament to Ludwig Wittgenstein, from Dante to Rolling Stones and through the huge part of Serbian literature.

12. In the same time, Novaković is telling one apocryphal story about one Belgrade that is nothing but apocryphal place for any nowadays Belgradian because there is almost nothing left from those past times. That was de-oriental-ed place, with three circle of strong walls, full of cathedrals build by Austrians, and destroyed by the same Austrians when the Austrian regent sold Belgrade back to Turks. 13. And if there is a place where that town still exists, it must be in that other world where, even today many undead souls of the always obscure, dark Balkans are roaming; about which Mirjana Novaković is writing with cheerful, ironical tenderness, precisely in the way one should write about something that is dear as much as is crazy, about something where even devil himself in one moment is putting cross around his neck!

P.S.
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TT #23 ~ Slava

1. I was absent for so long but OK I’m back now with another Serbian story for cold Thursday (actually Wednesday) evening. This time I’ll write about one exclusively Serbian custom: Slava.
2. Slava is a religious custom and it represents the day of the home/family’s Patron Saint. It’s unique in Christian world and represents one of the greatest characteristic of the religious life of the Serbs.
3. Slava is actually celebration of spiritual birthday of Serbian people. Namely our ancestors have had accepted Orthodox Christianity collectively by families and in commemoration of their baptisms, each family began to celebrate in a special way to honor the saint on whose day they received the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
4. St. Paul said that each Christian family is church by itself and just as churches are dedicated to one saint (who is protector of the church), Serbian families place themselves under the protection of the saint on whose holiday they became Christians. 5. To that protector of their homes, they pay special homage from generation to generation, from father to son, each and every year.

6. The celebration of Slava requires the Icon of the family Patron Saint (mine is St Archangel Michael, you can see the icon) and several items that symbolize Christ and the believer’s faith in his death and resurrection: a lighted candle, žito, bread, and red wine.
7. Candle reminds us that Christ is the Light of world. Without Him we would live in darkness.
8. Žito represents the death and resurrection of Christ . Žito is prepared as an offering to God and also is to honor the Patron Saint and to commemorate our ancestors.
9. Bread represents Christ as the Bread of Life and 10. the red wine, of course, represents Christ’s blood.
11. As I said Patron Saint of my family is St Archangel Michael and we are celebrating his day every 21^st November (so that was last Wednesday) and it is occasion to whole family and friends gathered.
12. I could say I’m a religious person I guess but I don’t like to express my religion publicly and also there are many things I’m not familiar with. for example I had to check symbolism of certain custom (that’s probably normal since those are become common part of my life). 13. However, in Serbia there are many atheists but they are also respecting institution of Slava as a beautiful part of Serbian tradition. There is such a strong bond between Slava and being Serbian so that people often forgets it’s actually religious celebration.

 

Meeting Javier Sierra

Last Friday (16th) I met great Spanish novelist Javier Sierra here in Belgrade. He was promoting his new novel “The Lady in Blue” (La Dama Azul) which has been just published in Serbian. I was so excited, well as I usually am when I’m suppose to meet someone with whom I already shared so many hours without knowing him/her in personal. That’s always tricky, especially if you have some image based on the novel(s) and then I’m always finding myself little surprised after discovering that writers are actually human beings. LOL

I really enjoyed in Sierra’s bestselling novel “The Secret Supper” (it was very popular among Serbian readers. I think it was 4^th on the year list of bestselling novels behind Pamuk, Coelho and Braun), novel full of riddles, mystery, codes, history and the Great Leonardo! What I found fascinating in that novel is huge research which standing behind the book; you can think that writing a book is a huge adventure (probably that’s not the case. I usually think that writing a book is much closer to giving a birth!). That’s why I’m so looking forward to read The Lady in Blue, he wrote in dedication note “the secret is now mine for ever” I just have to read it!

We had nice conversation in Spanish (he was so surprised when I started talking in his mother tongue and he gave me lots of compliments for my pronunciation, as if I’m not stranger! That was really great to hear!)

About the book …soon.

 

TT #22 ~ Greetings from Rocky(Balboa)ville!!!

(Gosh, I never thought I’ll write about the things that are coming)
1. I realized that I didn’t mention anything about the place I grew up – Žitište, lovely tinny village in the northern Serbian province, Vojvodina. It is situated in huge plain and lie on the banks of the river Begej about 36 miles north of Belgrade. 2. I love to go there as if I’m going in some shelter from the all speediness which bears life in metropolis. Everything there is like in slow-motion in perfect harmony with the nature, with the slow river flow; dialect people are using is also so slow (ok I do speak without any dialect; it’s very close to literary standard). People from my region have difficulties to understand people from the south of Serbia since they speak very fast. 3. Anyhow, you might think there’s nothing to write about life in sanatorium under huge dose of tranquilizers (that’s how I feel there) but actually there is. And the thing I’ll write here is the freshest but also craziest!

4. Everything started 6 months ago. I was at supermarket when I received text message from a friend: “Oh so that’s why you are wearing ONLY Italian clothes. (“Blic” page 22)” I was little confused so I went to department with magazines, took “Blic” and when I’ve read what was on page 22 I thought I’d collapse. It was small text about initiative of the local officials from Žitište to erect monument of Rocky Balboa (!).
5. I immediately phoned my mom (who lives there) to ask her what is that and she said they have heard something and when people asked officials they replied it’s a joke “It’s good while people are talking” (by the way I do hate that kind of philosophy). But when the national TV stations (and then international as well) started to talk about that initiative officials (all in mid twenties) started to think about idea more seriously.

6. To be honest I was horrified with it. Indeed everyone knows about Nero but the price was in my opinion way too high. I mean human stupidity have no boundaries. I replied to my friend “Just don’t tell anyone where I’m from”.

7. All of a sudden the story was on all major networks: BBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, etc were talking about the Rocky from Serbia … and naturally my inbox was slowly filled with the e-mails about it. People who know me from all around the globe were writing me and asking is it true.

8. Žitište has repeatedly suffered heavy flooding, gaining a disaster-prone reputation. Fed up, the local officials started contemplating how to change that image and revive the village, and decided to erect statue of Rocky Balboa, similar to one in Philadelphia, PA, USA, where a monument to the actor Sylvester Stallone’s film character already exists. This was the official explanation.

9. And now it was too late to stop. Further more people from other villages in the region started to think to do similar. The most serious were villagers of Medja (village in municipality of Zitiste) who wanted to erect statue of Johnny Weissmuller, the most famous Tarzan but also man who have won 5 gold and 1 bronze Olympic medals, won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven world records. Silly you think? Well it’s not silly at all because the famous Johnny is born in Medja! I bet you didn’t know that.

10. But to go back on Rocky. Eventually local industry decided to include in this whole event. I guess they saw good promoting opportunity (hotel was full of journalists, domestic and from abroad), Canadian crew is making documentary about all this … and it has been decided to organize Chicken Fest (because the main sponsor is one giant in chicken meat industry) whose culmination will be revealing the monument on August 18th. And the fest was pretty interesting; there were ethno-village, business promoting, and few stages with all kind of music. 11. Many music stars and actors have participated … all in all I was so pleasantly surprised. And I’m so glad I was wrong about all this. OK being cynic my reaction is not strange at all (I still don’t like the statue, which is huge (!)). But it seems that Chicken fest will become traditional event (someone said there were more than 200000 visitors and for village with population 4000 this is enormous!) because everyone was so satisfied and have had fabulous time … including me (even me!).

12. “ I felt as if Rocky has come from our village, he had to fight to win his place in society” said Bojan Marčeta whose idea this was (and my neighbor, we played together when we were kids!) and I must agree with him!

13. And the only collateral damage is my new nick name among my friends here in Belgrade … it’s not hard to guess …

P.S.
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TT #21 ~ Serbian magic at work!

1. What is your first association about Serbia? From my experience while I was traveling through Europe or attending in some international summer schools abroad majority (especially non Europeans, especially North Americans) don’t have a clue where Serbia is, moreover lots of them miss even the continent! Other minority who knows about Serbia knows about civilian war, collapse of Yugoslavia, war criminals etc. And only few knows Serbia thanks to some good things, mainly thanks to sport.

2. I just reminded myself when I was in Madrid two years ago, I asked police officer in Palacio Real to take picture of his hat (they have hilarious hats) but it wasn’t possible. He asked me where I’m from and when I replied Serbia he instantly asked me “Are you fan of Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) or Partizan?” I was in shock literally! (those are two sport clubs with great rivalry between them). I said Red Star and then he asked me “Who are your favourites basketball players?” When I replied he said “Oh? But many of them played in Partizan!” Yes but all of them played for Serbia. Point is that policeman knew much better Serbian basketball scene than me (as he said he “adores Serbian basketball”) which impressed me. And this will be this week’s TT topic. Serbian Sport!

3. It might be huge topic and that’s why I’d like to write only about Serbian Tennis Miracle!

Namely, last weekend was a Serbian Weekend in Tennis: Novak Djokovic won Roger’s Cup, Canada Open (wining #3, #2, and #1 (Rodick, Nadal & Federer) respectively, first time after Boris Becker 1994 in Stockholm; And first player who defeated both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the same tournament). Ana Ivanovic knew that Novak Djokovic had already beaten Roger Federer before she took the court for the final at the East West Bank Classic, Los Angeles:
“I was motivated to do the same thing,” she said and she did exactly that.

4. Start of this Serbian tennis boom was at last French Open – Rolland Garros where Serbia has four players in semis: Djokovic was in man single semis, Jelena Jankovic in woman single semis and in other semis and later in the final we had Ana Ivanovic; in man doubles and in mixed semis and later in final we had Nenad Zimonjic. 5. Later on Wimbledon Novak and Ana played in semis and Jelena won title in mixed doubles.

6. For such a small country like Serbia with quite modest tennis history this is enormous success. Moreover now we have two women in top 4, man on third place and one in fifth place in doubles in the world!
But it wasn’t that easy to achieve all this.

7. Ana Ivanovic started in swimming pool, but no, not as a swimmer. “It’s a club where they had Olympic swimming pool, and then it was very expensive to keep it warm during the winter, and there was not many people using it. So they emptied the swimming pool, and they put carpet inside, and they placed — (laughing) it’s true. They placed two tennis courts and that’s where I grew up practicing.” said Ivanovic.

8. And then there was 1999, year thanks to which many in the world actually have heard about Serbia: NATO aggression:
It was really tough. I thought it would be impossible to continue, because we didn’t know how long it was going to go on. We were practicing in between air raid sirens, often in the early mornings to avoid the worst of the bombing.

And also, after that, we had troubles to travel, because we had problems to get visa to another country. And we didn’t have flights from Serbia. We had to go from Hungary, so we’d take a bus for six, seven hours just to catch a flight. So it was very tough, and I thought it would be really impossible to succeed.

 

9. God knows how many heavy bombs, depleted uranium and cluster bombs were dropped on our lovely little country back then. We usually joke that we became radioactive in 1999 and now have become immune to that but the Europeans haven’t, therefore they fear us and don’t want us around. LOL

10. Jelena said that precisely those heavy years have strength them and made them more focused. “We didn’t have the best stuff, but we got to see the best, we appreciated it,” Jankovic said of the hardships they faced. “We learned to work the hard way. Nothing is going to fall from the sky. You have to earn it.”

11. On the press conference someone asked Jelena: There seemed to be some kind of Serbian magic at work. Jelena giggled her way through the reply:

A Serbian power or something, that wherever you go you see just Serbians (laughing). Wherever you go, it’s just Serbians all over the place, winning all these matches. It’s just incredible. I’m just proud of that…

12. So it’s definitively time for new picture about Serbia and indeed sportsmen are our greatest ambassadors. So watch out on these great folks; they … I wanted to say “are coming” but obviously they are already here!

(13. The last photos are from welcoming these three in Belgrade after French Open. They’ve made us so proud and happy)

P.S. #1
Yes I know both Novak and Ana have just lost their matches in single in Cincinnati and Toronto but you can’t win all the time. (yet?)

P.S. #2
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