Oh! La dolce Italia!
Ci vediamo pronto!

Sei giorni…
Ah!

The most popular band from the Balkan region in our volunteers’ community is definitely S.A.R.S. Their famous song Buđav Lebac has quickly become the song of the EVS for many of us and the video has been posted on many profiles since I’ve started living here. There’s no party where you couldn’t hear people humming
njam, njam, njam, njam.

S.A.R.S. is a Serbian group blending many music genres like rock, reggae, ska, blues, jazz, alternative, hip-hop and folk. The group was formed in 2006 and the name is abbreviation of Sveže Amputirana Ruka Satrijanija (Свеже Ампутирана Рука Сатрианија) which could be translated as “Freshly Amuptated Hand of Satriani”.

The band is not mainstream but they gained popularity in Serbia and other ex-Yugoslav republics where they play a lot during spring and summer both in clubs and open-air festivals. Their second record called Perspectiva (premiere at midnight on 31st December 2010) was released for free and could be downloaded from
a local MTV website.

Have a look at some S.A.R.S.’s videos and
enjoy their music!

Buđav Lebac

Mir I Ljubav

Rakija

MTV Express
To Rade, Mir I Ljubav & Ustaj Brate

I got my first camera when I was two. A beautiful Zenit. A birthday present that I’ve never used but the one that was used to portray the first few years of my life. When I was grown up and ready to learn how to use it the oldschool Zenit was gone. When my parents got divorced some things just disappeared along with my greedy father…

I owned two other cameras when I was
a teenager but the one I got for my 18th birthday was truly mine. My mum decided to make one of my dreams come true. Back in those days I was one of the very few kids who had their own digital camera. A small silver block. It was a great friend during my first travels in Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

Two years ago I bought the Nikon SRL camera I’ve been dreaming of for a very long time. I’ve never had enough money to buy it but once
I came back from the Netherlands where I worked hard the whole summer it was just a matter of time. And this is how it’s started…

Photography has turned out to be something more than taking some snaps to share with others. It’s become fun, challenge, art. I am far away from being called a photographer let alone an artist. But I love it. I love the feeling when you pick up the camera, make a shot and feel thrilled about the result. It’s something only the ones who love it can understand. All of this has driven me to organise an exhibition with my photos from the Dutch province of Zealand and (unexpectedly) to win a photo contest called Ciemna Strona Wrocławia last winter.

I was planning to prepare a special Christmas gift in December but it shifted in time a bit. I didn’t want it to be incomplete and I’ve been working on it until now. Today I’m proud to present you my black & white photo gallery. It’s a collection of photos from the Balkans I’ve been taking since November. Currently there are few dozens of snaps from Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina but there are much more about to come! I hope you like it!

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Baby Caminho

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After drinking some beer with Red Star supporters at night and enjoying the views behind the window once new day was born I found myself in the old part of Skopje, close to the fortress. Strolling around on this beautiful day was almost metaphysical… such peace, calmness, sun, cloudless sky, mountains around… Could any New Year’s Party beat that? I doubt it.

Around 11 o’clock I went down the hill to see if the Turkish café was opened. My timing was perfect as the owner arrived at the very same moment as me. Although, technically, the place was closed he invited me in for a coffee. We started talking and from one word to another the new friendship was born. Two cups of coffee, one glass of water, višnja and portokal, a cake and playing local kind of rummikub dozen of times. The time was passing very quickly. We talked for hours about everything and nothing. And we laughed a lot!

- So, do you know any Turkish?
– Not really. Just few words.
– Which?
– Jok. Evet. Kilo amak (eng. ‘to gain weight’).
– Kilo amak?!
– Da.
– Hahaha! But how do you know THIS?
– Saw it in a dictionary once, hahaha.

Four hours later I decided it was about to move on. Naser offered to give me a ride to the volunteers’ house where I was headed. In fact he knew a few volunteers from Skopje including Jadzia and Awa with whom I was in Sarajevo during the on-arrival training.

It was a wonderful day!
Could the New Year start better?
Thank you, Caminho.
You always know where to lead me.
You always know…

Maybe Belgrade is so interesting because it’s full of contrasts. You can find a new story on every corner. There are still hundreds of riddles to
be solved.

Two days wasn’t enough to get to know this misterious city but was definitely enough to arouse my curiosity. The first day I had a great guide and I saw most of Belgrade’s landmarks.
I learned a bit about the its history and its architecture. My level of Serbian increased rapidly during my stay and I felt really confident talking to people the next day while I was strolling alone through the busy streets discovering my own way to experience the city.

Beograd, Beograd.
We’ll meet again soon.
I promise.

Click to view slideshow.

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Burek originates from Turkey (börek) but is widely known in all Balkan countries. It is a pastry made of thin dough (a kind of puff pastry) and deep-fried. The filling can consist of cheese, meat, spinach and even fruit. The shape of burek also differs a little bit depending on a country – in Macedonia or Serbia it would be round, while in Bosnia it’s rolled and looks like a snail’s shell. There are a lot bakeries where you can buy it or tiny bars where only this dish is served. It’s usual to eat it in the morning or in the evening and drink yoghurt along.

Hitchhiking out of Ljubljana was a true misfortune. It took me three different spots and almost ninety minutes to get a first ride. With a fellow hitchhiker by the way. My trip moved at a snail’s pace but once I hopped on a truck that was going to Tuzla (Bosna) I had a direct ride to the Zagreb’s outskirts. Covering a distance of 140 kilometres took me… four hours. Hmmm, what can I say? Better late than never! A very nice lady with whom I had a friendly chat gave me a lift to the part of the city where my host lived. At first she thought
I was Czech but when I told her I was from Poland she went into ecstasies about Cracow. When
I fervently thanked her, she grinned and said she was very glad she took me with her.

Brane and his American flatmate Marlon turned out to be free spirits and that’s probably why I felt so comfortable with them. The next two days were all about relaxing and having good time in the Croatia’s capital. I joined the happy crowd who cheered while one DJ, a beatboxer and Marlon playing the sax were jamming on the street in the centre in the freezing cold. I loved riding a bike around Zagreb – a perfect city for cycling with its big, wide spaces and a lot of bike paths (there’s no better way of getting to know the metropole than this, even if the temperature varies from
1 to -1 degrees)! I took my time for little night strolls and taking pictures in the places I haven’t been to fours years back. I played (or actually – tried my luck) drums in Brane’s wicked garage.
I got lost in the narrow streets of the Old Town and find my way home just counting on my intuition. I drank in the views and the atmosphere. I took a bite of a bar of milk chocolate
with biscuits.
Small things that make you happy.

I was leaving Zagreb in light rain… as if the city was sad to let me go. Was it? I’m sure we’ll meet again. Third time. Lucky again.

Except for mountain hiking Blaž suggested that we did a small sentimental trip and went to Celje
- a city where he studied before entering the university in Ljubljana and the third biggest metropole in Slovenia. New places mean new adventures so I was really keen on heading north. And the name… Celje, Celje… I was racking my brians why did I recall it… Hari! Of course! He had told me he was going there when I hitchhiked with him! As a happy owner of his mobile number
I sent him a text one day earlier writing that me and Blaž are going to Celje and asking him if he wanted to join us for coffee. Few minutes later the meeting was arranged.

It was the second day of Christmas and the city was very quiet and almost comepletly empty. Blaž led the way to show me his school of the time before we started our stoll. The centre didn’t seem big but it was definitely cosy. We crossed the river and climbed a small hill from which we had quite a nice view of the city and a castle in the distance. Few photos after that we were on
our way to meet Hari.

He came with his car and invited us in.
Zdravo! Zdravo! Zdravo!
The vehicle was suddenly filled with happiness
and three cheerful voices.
I was so glad to see him again!
Kaj si be! Kaj si ti!

We went to the centre to drink hot chocolate. Blaž and Hari imediately got on well and had an impassioned discussion. I would just sit and observe them as I didn’t understand much of it. But I didn’t mind. It was great to be in their company and enjoy the afternoon. Sometimes Blaž would translate the pieces of the conversation to me and I would ask him to translate something back.

After the chocolate Hari decided to take us to the city’s castle. I was entranced! Driving up the mountain with him was a pure pleasure – one could tell he’s an experienced driver. We followed the hairpin road smoothly until we got to the peak. The castle turned out to be a great spot for taking pictures. The common session started, only the photographers would change from time to time. The panorama of Celje was fantastic. If the day wasn’t a bit foggy I think we would enjoy it even more. While the guys discussed the topography of the city I took my time to capture great views and to catch them in the act.

Our lovely afternoon finished at Celjska Koča where a lot of families were having fun sledging. After warming ourselves up with cups of hot tea it was time to get back to the centre and
to say goodbye.

I flung my arms around Hari. Hvala! Hvala lepo!
No words could really describe my gratitude…
For that day. For the ride to Slovenia. No one could have been able to undersand the great saudade my heart was filled with at that moment.
So much happiness for being there altogether,
so much sadness to go our seprate ways…

The dream finally became reality. My last Christmas was all about mountains. Snowy peaks, chilly wind, dazzling sun and icicles on every corner. With the Alps on the horizon and all those breathtaking views it felt like a different world…

All-embracing peace and serenity.
Amazing.
Blissful.

Click to view slideshow.

I was hitchhiking from Italy to Slovenia one day before Christmas eve. The route seemed easy but somehow it was difficult for me to get a further lift. I landed on a so-so spot just before the highway in Perdenone. Every driver who pulled over was going only a few kilometers and I was desperate to catch a ride at least to Portogruaro. In fact one of those who stopped was going there but I let it go away by a mistake (cazzo!). When I saw a Slovenian truck my eyes started shining but unfortunately, it passed me. No big deal, no big deal – I heard a voice inside my head.
I knew that sooner or later someone would stop and that it’d be a great ride. Caminho would send me some kind soul. I just had to wait few
minutes more.

A second Slovenian truck was going my direction. I raised my hands in an imploring gesture. The driver wound down the window.
- Zdravo!
- (surprised) Zdravo!
- Za Slovenija?
- Hajde!

I jumped cheerfully into the cabin and our trip started. Hari was going to pass Ljubjana on his way to Celje but first he had to load up his truck in a transport port in Koper. I decided to go with him all the way as I didn’t want any short rides anymore and he seemed a really cool person, too.

We spoke a strange mixture of Slovenian and Bosnian (he) and Serbian and Macedonian (me). Sometimes it was difficult to understand each other but we always ended up laughing. There was Bosnian music, there were cookies and after crossing the Italian-Slovenian border also the blackcurrant juice especially for me.

Thanks to Hari I saw a real transport port for the first time in my life. It was enormous! There were hundreds of containers, halls, heaps of scrap. We went inside with a truck which was filled with tons of soya with a special hoist. Hari also took me to the offices where he had to deliver documents.
- Jas čekam tuka.
– Hajde, hajde!

If there was more time, we’d go for a walk in the centre of Koper but the sun was slowly setting and I wanted to be in Ljubljana before nine. We continued the travel stopping for a coffee at one gas station. Latte macchiato, mmmm…
I was in heaven.

Just before reaching the Slovenian capital Hari called my friend Blaž in order to set our meeting point. He dropped me off at the ring close to students’ dormitories where we were about to stay for a night with Blaž. Hari left me his mobile number (a sort of unwritten ritual between
a hitchhiker and a driver), we hugged and I left wishing him a good trip further and
a merry Christmas.

By the time I had no idea our paths
would cross again…