Month: May 2011

Mladic Finally Caught

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This is a photo of the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo, Bosnia. In April of 1992, snipers from the top floors of the Holiday Inn started shooting upon marchers in a peace rally. This marked the escalation of violence and the start of the three year siege of Sarajevo. The siege and much of the war in Bosnia was led by the Bosnian Serb General, Ratko Mladic. He was caught this week by police after a long spell as a fugitive from the United Nations sponsored, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia I took the photo of Holiday Inn while visiting the city in October of 2009.
He had a sort of Bin Laden status here in Serbia. I’ve seen his Most Wanted poster in the airport and other government buildings often. The Tribunal indicted him back in 1995 for his role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the conflict from 1992 – 1995. Authorities captured him on a raid on his cousin’s home in the village of Lazarevo, a small farming community close to Belgrade. The arrest was huge news in Serbia, and made headlines around the world.
He is most infamous for his role in the massacre at Srebenica.  Around 8,000 civilians were executed in this Bosnian border city, when his troops entered the UN “safe haven.” The PBS/BBC documentary that I linked to above, is an excellent introduction to the event. He was eventually asked to step down from his post, as the war moved into a stalemate. The Bosnian Serbs had overwhelming military force and took up to 70% of Bosnia, but it was reduced to 49% with the Dayton Accords of 1995. Shortly thereafter, the UN Tribunal indicted him, but he lived freely under military protection until Milosevic was ousted in1999. The 16-year time span that he was a “fugitive” is actually only 11, because he went into hiding not until 2000.
I am glad that he will have to go through the trial and the facts of the case will be documented by the court. I would prefer it to occur in Serbia or Bosnia instead of the Hague. It would be better for the Yugoslavians to deal with it, rather than foreigners. I feel it would help in the acknowledgment and speed the reconciliation process.
Why did it take authorities 11 years to finally capture him? I am not sure and I would like to hear from some expert readers. I think one of the big reasons was his failing health and he wanted the free health care that the Hague would provide. At age 69, he looks much different than he did 11 years ago when he went into “retirement.” Reports indicate he may have suffered a stroke and lost mobility in one of his arms. I wish I could read Serbian to get more of the details because it is of course receiving full coverage in the papers.
The reaction here in Belgrade is muted. Most of the Serbs I talk to are either happy that justice will be served and they do not feel sorry for him, or they are tired of hearing about for the past 11 years and are glad that the country can move on. Of course, most of the Belgraders I am acquainted with cosmopolitan and well educated. Mladic’s support comes from the military and poor, rural Serbia where he has been hiding. There was a small group of soccer hooligans downtown this week protesting the arrest. They were chanting “knives, barbed wire, Srebenica” which is a soccer slogan. I need to get some more information on this and I’ll ask around. The mood in Belgrade is much different than when former Bosnian Serb President, Radovan Karadzic was caught in July of 2008. I also think he wanted to spend some time with his family before he dies. He has not been in contact with his wife and son and grandchildren since he went into hiding. They have suffered much. Mladic’s daughter committed suicide in 1994, and it is speculated she could not come to grips with his acts as the “Butcher of Bosnia,” one of his nicknames.
I’ll try to follow some of the trial, but it is so drawn out that it probably won’t start for another year or so. I predict he’ll die before a verdict is reached due to failing health. I am not sure what the implications will be of his capture. Serbia has lots of reform to do before it gets into the European Union. The arrest will help, but they need to clean up the economy, justice system, infrastructure, etc. And with the current state of the EU and it’s currency and immigration issues, I don’t see them expanding in the near future. I feel strongly that Serbia should first try to join “Yugoslavia” before going towards the EU. The Balkans make a natural economic and cultural block that would help the lives of its citizens even more than entry into the EU.

Tennis Warriors

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Oliver and Owen played some great games of tennis last weekend. We brought the USTA “Quick Start” Tennis net and balls over to their elementary school. They played several great games. We are watching the highlights of the French Open and I’m getting them excited about tennis.

“The Yugo” An Icon of Yugoslavia

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Yugo, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Above is a photo I snapped last weekend while waiting in traffic. The main bridge between New Belgrade and the old city is under repair and has been causing traffic back ups. The “Yugo” or Zastava Koral 55 is an icon of the Former Yugoslavia. They are the source of many jokes both in the US, where they were sold in the 1980’s and here in Serbia.

I love them and hate them. I love them because they are so derided in the media and by people, that it almost makes it cool to drive one. I would love to buy one just to tool around the city in. I would even paint it in our school colors and have it as a “mascot” of the school.

They are an annoyance on the highway however. I wish I had a laser beam in the front of my car that would lift a Yugo in the air so I could ride underneath and then safely place it back down. I think their max speed must be around 60-80 km per hour and I’ve spent many an hour behind them, looking for an opportunity to pass.

The Yugo has a personal connection to me. In my home state of Michigan, the following tragedy occurred:

In 1989, 31-year-old Leslie Ann Pluhar, driving a 1987 Yugo over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, died when her Yugo was blown over the bridge’s 36-inch (910 mm) railing by a 50 mph (80 km/h) gust of wind. The incident was widely publicized, with the make of car prominently identified. While Mackinac Bridge Authority’s chief engineer initially thought the car was exceeding the 45 mph (72 km/h) speed limit enforced on the bridge, it was later discovered that Pluhar had panicked when the high winds made driving too difficult and stopped the Yugo on the bridge. The act of stopping the car denied it the downforce generated by forward motion, and along with the car’s light weight, blew the Yugo off the bridge.

I want to read a recent book about the Yugo in America, so expect to see more posts about these cool old cars around Serbia. I asked the guy if he was having car problems or out of gas and he said no. As we got closer to the intersection, he hopped back in and started the car right away. He might have been trying to conserve gasoline, which yesterday was $7.12 per gallon! (ouch!)

Morning Ride to School

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Oliver has joined Owen and I on our bicycle ride to school. I asked our nanny to take the photo of us heading out of our apartment yesterday. He was so cute on his first day with us last week! The pride and sense of accomplishment was written all over his face. Ollie still needs a bit more refining, as well does Owen. Most of the ride is through quiet streets or parks, but there are two intersections that are a bit tricky. They are learning how to manage risk, however and develop riding skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. Biking for me is the best form of transport. Belgrade is pretty good for bike riding with many specific biking trails, but they could make more. People drive too fast however, and that is an annoyance and danger for cyclists.

The 1-mile ride to school is one of the best parts of my day. I hope to get Ocean and Nadia also riding to school someday.

Hike in Fruska Gora National Park

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Last Sunday the ISB Hiking club went on our first hike of the spring season. We left from the village of Bukovac in the Fruska Gora National Park. This is an area of small hills outside of Novi Sad. Owen is pictured with his friend Ognjen at a cross at Vilina Voda (Nymph’s Spring) where we stopped to fill our water bottles. We were walking through the rolling hill woodlands of the park. They are not huge mountains or anything super impressive, but just really pleasant on a beautiful spring day.You can see my Serbian nature blog for some of the wild flowers and animals we photographed.

I was surprised on how much the boys remember from our previous hikes and camping experiences. The fresh air, tall trees, and green life really refreshes my soul. It reinforced my goal of developing an appreciation and longing for wilderness in my children. Below the I showed the boys “wigglers” or larval mosquitos. There were thousands of them in a small pool on the base of a tree. It led to a discussion of DDT and poisons in the environment. They are catching my enthusiasm for identifying plants and animals.

Family Journal: Backyard BBQ

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Our landlord put in a new BBQ oven in our back yard. We’ve been spending more time outside since the weather has improved and we’re loving the “mini-šuma” (forest in Serbian) the extra space has given us.

The black worm-shaped objects on the ground are the flowers of the Walnut Tree (Juglans regia). It is a very common tree in Belgrade. In Serbian it is known as the orah and besides collection of the nuts, the Serbs make a nice rakija (distilled spirit) with them. It is one of my favorites, along with the honey spirit.

We hope to use the BBQ although I am not that big of a “griller.” I still consider it cooking, even though in popular culture men brag about their BBQ skills. I think women encourage it because they like to see the men cook! I do have pyromaniac tendencies however, and do enjoy the fire aspect of it. I’ll try to get better this spring just because I like being outside more than in the house.

I’ve finished quite a few books lately but have not had time to blog about them. My most recent was “Blood River: A Journey to the Broken Heart of Africa” by Tim Butcher. He is an English journalist who tries to retrace the steps of the famous British explorer, Henry Stanley of “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” fame, and his mapping of the Congo River. It was an interesting book as he mixed Congo history and culture with his travels through the country. Butcher does not give a nice picture of the country. Since the Belgians left in the 1950’s, it has deteriorated to the point of going back to the stone age. Where there were roads, industry, and hotel resorts, there are no foot paths, thatch huts, and misery. It made me sad and angry that in these modern times, there are societies that live like this. Butcher gave the impression, especially in the rural areas, of being the most dangerous and backwards country in the world.

I’ve been extremely busy at work with the end of the school year rush. There is so much going on and with a construction project on our campus, it just complicates things even more. I hope to maintain my balance of family and work and health during the run up to June 21rst.

Great Night Out!

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We had a rare evening out this past Monday in Belgrade. We had tickets to the Shakira concert at the Belgrade Arena, so we decided to go out to dinner first after work.

I finally got to enjoy one of the “splavs” in Zemun. These are the floating restaurants, bars, and cafes that are moored along the banks of the Danube in the suburb of Zemun. It was quite peaceful and elegant to be having a dinner and drinks with the Danube slowly flowing by. We ate at Žabar’s, which is a nickname for Italians here in Serbia as well as žaba which means frog. My buddy Claudiu and I had the fish while Nadia and Vesna had the turkey. Excellent meal and cool atmosphere – I highly recommend it. We are pictured out front of the restaurant and you can see the river in the background. You can go to my flickr.com account for more photos. I definitely be back to the splavs again, as there are many in Belgrade.

Shakira Performs at the Belgrade Arena

The concert was pretty good. I am surprised at the appeal to a wide range of ages Shakira has. Her costumes and dancing were quite racy. I have a special bond with Shakira because I lived in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia when I first started teaching overseas. She didn’t play any of her old stuff, but she did sing the words, “Barranquilla” during one of her songs, but I don’t think many in the audience caught it. I was pumped to here the World Cup song, “Waka waka hey hey – This time it is for Africa” and I’ll post the video a bit later. I wouldn’t go see her again. I think she was lip-synching some of the songs and I got bored of watching her belly dance. Maybe I’m getting old…

My Neighborhood: The Presidential Residence in Dedinje

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Presidential Motorcade, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Our little street in Dedinje serves as one of the entry/exits for the President of Serbia. The official residence is just down the block from our apartment and has several entrance routes. One of them is also our street and as you can see from above, secret service guys in black Mercedes occasionally come through with the President.
The residence is not like the White House in the US, where it is also an office and tourist attraction. The President works downtown near Parliament. The home is set back from the street quite away and with the high walls and trees it is difficult to see from the road. It is not the same Presidential residence that was used in the 90’s by Milosevic, which I blogged about earlier.
It is not like having Barak Obama living down the street. Serbia is a much smaller country than the US and people are generally not awed by the celebrity of the office. It is a bit annoying because of my children use the street for riding their bikes and skateboards. The motorcade sometimes comes out of there quite quickly, like they are on an emergency escape.

Billy Kralovec – circa 1972?

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Memories, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We went to the US Commissary in the Embassy last weekend and bought some US processed cereals for the kids. We usually have pancakes, eggs, or porridge and not cold cereal. Growing up in the 1970’s, my brothers and I ate a lot of processed cereals. My favorite was Cocoa Puffs, and I also fondly remember eating Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, Count Chocula, Booberry, Cheerios, etc. People seem to have more of a health conscious today and are eating less processed foods, but in the 70’s, it was acceptable.

When Oliver asked for his second bowl and started reading the box while slurping his Cheerios, I had to laugh. It looked just like me over 30 years ago.

Belgrade’s Cultural Opportunities

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Belgrade Philharmonic Performs “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

It is one of the things I most appreciate about life in Belgrade are the boundless opportunities to enjoy the fine arts and cultural and intellectual stimulation. Belgrade is a city with high percentage of “cultural elite.” There are loads of book stores, lectures, art exhibitions, music concerts, theater, etc. that one can experience.

Last weekend we attended a performance of the Belgrade Philharmonic. Nadia and I are season ticket holders and I’ve blogged on them before. The video above is a snippet of the Russian composer, Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” It was originally a piano piece, but Ravel expanded it to an orchestral work. While listening, I couldn’t remember where I heard it before. Nadia reminded me of the “Baby Einstein” video series. Yes! Mussorgsky wrote it shortly after the death of a good artistic friend. He went to an exhibition of his works and was inspired to write this piece1874.

Last night I convinced Nadia to go see a film in the International Documentary Film Festival, “Bel Docs 2011.” The documentary film festival features international and Serbian films showing in various locations in the city for the next week. I would love to see many of them as I love documentary films, more so than regular movies. However, with three young children and a busy job, I have to pick and choose my spots. We got a babysitter last night and headed down to the Dom Omladine, one of the venues of the festival. The Dom Omladine, which means “youth center” in Serbian, is a government-owned building in downtown Belgrade that is a “center hat promotes programs for youth in the sphere of contemporary art and culture.” The building has been refurbished and we were impressed with the theater and lobby. I’ve made a link to the website on the blog because they hold many events.

We watched “An African Election” a film by Jarreth Merz. It is about the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana. We have family living there so it was interested to see the life there in Accra. I loved the character of Jerry Rawlings, who was the long-time dictator and president of Ghana. He ruled 12 years as a military dictator (’81-’92) and  another 8 years (’93-’01) as the elected president. His party lost power peacefully in ’01 and it was nice to hear of a change in power in Africa without violence. I won’t spoil the film’s ending, but his party ran again in 2008 and he played a big part in the campaign again.

I’ve always been interested in the lives of dictators. In the countries I’ve lived in or visited, there always seems to be a historical figure who ruled the country for a long time. It would make a great book – comparing the lives of various strongmen in different countries. I would have a section for how many people they killed, jailed, exiled, along with subjective biographies looking at things that are not usually covered in standard histories.