September 2008 – Page 2

Family Journal: September 13, 2008

September 14, 2008September 14, 2008billkralovec

Ocean, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Ocean is standing next to the lion statue on our doorstep. We have the lion theme with our front entrance. There are two lion statues
and then a brass lion door knocker. I guess being a Detroit Lion fan it is appropriate. The statues are a bit battered as you can see and that is appropriate also considering the Lions NFL history. After last week’s opening week loss to the Falcons, it looks like it will be another long year.

Ocean’s birthday is coming up in two weeks. She is developing quickly and comes up with a new mannerism or habit every day. She stands quite a bit but does not walk yet. Both the boys didn’t walk until after their first birthday. We shall see. She is so smart and figuring out how the world works. She is also quite demanding and knows what she wants.

It was a super hard week at school for me. I had four night events Monday – Thursday. On Monday I helped Liz with the senior college application process talk, Tuesday we had the middle school open house, Wednesday was the high school open house, and on Thursday the PTA had a wine and cheese evening. I didn’t get to bed at my usual 9:00 PM and it showed. I learned that the next time that happens, to take a nap in the afternoon. I will be able to function better and make less mistakes.

Oliver is doing better at school. He is getting along well with his classmates. Owen is a superstar and liked by everyone. His reading level was tested at 2nd grade. We have him in kindergarten this year and it is good because his social and maturity level is at kindergarten. We would prefer him to be one of the top students at his level rather than in the middle of the pack in a grade level ahead.

Nadia is feeling more comfortable in her classroom. She was a bit intimidated with the IBO program, but has found out that it gives her structure and pushes her, but she is still able to do things that have been successful in the past.

We finally got our house deed notorized. It was tough to find the time to go downtown to the embassy, especially with such a busy week. The papers went off DHL on Friday so hopefully they will arrive in Iron Mountain and we can close. It will be sad to lose the “house of our dreams” but glad not to have the burden of mortgage payments and upkeep. I’ll post more on the house later.

Well, it was a cold, rainy weekend. Temperatures were in the 50’s and there was a steady rain. Friday night we walked down for ice cream and we passed out at 8:30 PM exhausted. Saturday morning I cut the grass before the rains came. We then went to the embassy commissary but it was closed. We then went to Delta City and walked around the mall. Nadia cooked a good meal for us at night and we went to bed. Sunday morning it is raining again. I did some paperwork and cleaning around the house. I cooked breakfast for the kids and we had a nice morning together!

Family Journal: September 8, 2008

September 9, 2008September 9, 2008billkralovec

Above is Sophie and Ocean Sunday at Ada Ciganlija. Sophie and her sister Eve are daughters of my friend and colleague Tim. They both love watching and playing with Ocean and it has been really nice to spend time with them because of this. Ocean loves the attention and it gives Nadia and I a break!

It was very hot this weekend and to beat the heat we headed to my favorite place in Belgrade. I call it “Sport Island” because it really has every sport imaginable there. It is like a northern Michigan lake, but with lots of cool stuff next to it. There is a strip restaurants, coffee places, etc. next to the water. Behind this there is a bike trail that goes around the entire island. On the island there is a golf course, baseball diamond, rugby field, clay and hard court tennis, multiple soccer fields (mini soccer, artificial turf, etc.) paint ball arena, beach and regular volleyball courts, etc. Sunday we weren’t allowed in the water at first because they were holding the student rowing championships. The kids loved to see all the different countries flags and uniforms.

This week is tough due to two Open Houses (middle school and high school), a senior university night, plus a PTA wine and cheese. I have to attend all of them. We had the first day of girls’ soccer practice and it went well. I am the girls’ middle school coach. Owen came along and was the ball boy/manager and loved it.

That is it for now, very tired…

Family Journal: September 6, 2008

September 7, 2008September 7, 2008billkralovec

My mother complained I don’t put up enough photos of my daughter Ocean so here she is Mom! Ocean is now officially weaned, off of breast milk and formula. She drinks regular milk and eats just about everything. She has my appetite and refuses very little food. She is standing up often and is on the verge of walking. She should be on her own in the next few weeks. She is such a girl and I love the differences between her and the boys.

It was my Dad’s birthday Saturday, Happy Birthday Dad! He turned 76 years old and is still very sharp and active.

We had a relaxing Saturday, our first real break in about a month. I took all three children down to the US Embassy Commissary. The US staff of ISB has access to the store. It is full of US products without the 18% sales tax of Serbia. You can get a lot of stuff, for example I bought Cool Whip, Cheerios, Maple Syrup, etc. It is much cheaper to shop there so we’ll continue to take advantage of this service. They also have food items you can order and we’ll order a Thanksgiving turkey! Nadia went market shopping with some colleagues from school. Saturday night we ate outside and went to bed early. It was a good family day and we spent heaps of time together.

The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War

September 6, 2008September 21, 2008billkralovec

I just finished reading this book by Misha Glenny. It is the second book I read by him and it was an excellent read. Glenny worked for the BBC as a journalist covering the conflict with the break up of Yugoslavia. He is considered by many Serbs to be biased. In this book he points out war crimes against civilians from all sides.

It was a chaotic and horrible time in the history of Serbia. With the fall of the Soviet Union Eastern Europe faced a time of uncertainity. The end of Yugoslavia was probably the most violent repercussion of the end of communism in Europe.

It would have been great if all of this could have been done peacefully. I think somewhat the force of history and more poor leadership caused this violence. For the good of all, I think all the republics that made up Yugoslavia should have stayed together but it was not to be. The Yugoslavia experiment ended up being a group of tiny, ethnically homogeneous, nations. I was surprised to learn that 12 “parastates” were declared during this time. The secession from the federation of Yugoslavia would have been easy and violence free if all the nations were ethnically pure. The two closest ethnically pure republics, Slovenia and Serbia, ended up with not much violence occuring. The bulk of the war occured in the Serbian parts of Croatia and Bosnia-Hercogovinia where many groups lived together. It was a confusing war as there were many factions. Some of the major sides were the Bosnian Serbs, the JNA (Yugoslavian Army) consisting of mostly Serbs but also other ethnic groups, the Croats, and the Bosnian Muslims. Each side had their different factions and paramilitary groups which added to the mix.

Glenny was a witness to much of the war and his descriptions are tragic and horrifying. World War II was devastating for Yugoslavia and so many families experienced death and violence during that time. The effects of WWII played big factor with this war as massacres were remembered from that time. Being an American I have trouble understanding violent hatred between ethnic groups and people staying in one place generation after generation. For example some of the Serb villages in Croatia have been Serb dominated for hundreds of years. The biggest shock for me writing the book is the violence suffered by civilians. Entire cities were made to evacuate on a moment’s notice before the oncoming invading army. Families were traveling by car, tractor, and eventually foot to escape. Many didn’t make it.

In Glenny’s previous book that I read, The Balkans, he describes how larger nations meddle in the affairs of the smaller Balkan states. It is no different with this war. Germany, the US, Russia, the EU all played a part, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

The book ends with the Dayton Accords. Bosnia was divided into two parts, a Serbian controlled Bosnia called the Sparska Republic and a Croat-Muslim federation on the other.

It is too bad that the Serbs were depicted in the media as the only villains in this war. It was interesting to read about the rise of Slobodon Milosevic. He won less than 50% of the Serbian vote and thousands of Belgraders protested against him and the war. Since I live in Belgrade, I was curious about what the people here did. Most people in Belgrade didn’t participate in the war, but suffered from the years of international blockades and the NATO bombings, that happened after the book was written. When the JNA called for a draft, 90% of the young men eligible hid from the service. I will be talking with my friends about their war experiences and hopefully documenting a bit about what they went through. Very sad the whole thing.

The first nanny we interviewed upon arrival to Belgrade, said she came to Belgrade from Croatia, leaving because of the war. She said that her life in Croatia for her family was much better than here, and it was tough for her father to start over. It is sad that the countries of the former Yugoslavia couldn’t maintain a big ethnic diversity. I believe this enriches nations and makes life better for all, generally.

I’ll be reading more about the history of this fascinating country of Serbia and blogging more here.

According to data collected by the Sarajevo-based Research and Documentation Centre, RDC, 98,000 people were killed in the Bosnian war – 57,000 soldiers and 40,000 civilians. Bosniaks accounted for 64,036 of the dead, Serbs for 24,905 and Croats for 7,788.

The RDC also provided a detailed picture of what happened in Brcko.

RDC’s Snjezana Filipovic said their research showed that between 1991 and 1995, 1,432 people were killed in Brcko, with 226 people still missing. Most atrocities were committed in 1992, when 944 people were killed, including 505 civilians – 409 men and 96 women.”

Excerpt from “Voices of Victims Heard at Belgrade Conference” Institute for War and Peace Reporting web site that is covering the International Court of Tribunals for the ex-Yugoslavia trials. September 12, 2008.

The Daily Struggle

September 4, 2008September 4, 2008billkralovec

Getting a 3 year old and a 5 year old to walk to school in the morning has been a challenge for Nadia and I. We are used to living on campus and so the idea of having to leave by 7:15 AM and walking the 15 minute walk to school is new to the boys. They have no sense of point A to point B and stop to look at every little thing. The natural curiosity about the world around them is great, but not when we have to get to school.

Our nanny is great and she assists us with packing their lunches, etc., but with Nadia and I getting ready ourselves, it has been the biggest challenge for us in adjusting to life here.

It is a very nice walk however. The weather has been great so far. I can’t imagine what this will be like in the winter. The route is mostly park (see above) or streets meandering through the leafy suburb of Senjak. There are huge mansions, some look like the Addams Family house. It would be fun to have a lot of money to buy one and renovate them.

The boys have learned how to avoid cars and we are very vigilant to get them on the sidewalk. Serbs drive fast, not as fast as the Venezuelans, but very similar so that is a concern for us.

Things are starting to settle down at school and I am finding a bit more time to visit with the boys during the day. Yesterday I saw Owen playing with his friend Tudor, who is from Romania. His parents work for Kraft Serbia. Very nice family and Romanian is similar to Spanish.