Happy Easter – Srećan Uskrs

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Egg Tapping, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We enjoyed the traditional Serbian Easter traditions last week during the long weekend. The Orthodox Easter is celebrated a week after the Catholic Easter. Above, is a video of the “egg-tapping” competition. This tradition started in Eastern Europe in the 1300’s and has now spread across the world. The egg is the pagan symbol of the renewal of spring and life. I never saw egg-tapping in Michigan. The champion in the video for this year was Ocean! Her egg didn’t crack. Late in the competition, Aca’s mother Mira gave Ocean a wooden egg, which is against the rules.

We had a second round of egg-tapping with our Romanian friends later in the day. Claudiu was explaining that while breaking the egg, they have the tradition phrase, “Christ Has Risen” which is answered by “Indeed, He has.”

We also liked coloring the eggs in the traditional Serbian method. We dyed the eggs in onion skins and it give it a deep red color. We bought some eggs with writing and Easter designs on them from the market, and when dyed, as you can see, they markings appear lighter. I don’t know what the acronym, XBBB means? It is in the Cyrillic script, and in Latin it would be HVVV. I know the “H” means Hristos (christ), but I don’t know what the three Vs mean. Any help from my Serbian readers? I also used some Easter Egg decorations from the company, http://www.jaje.rs. They have some great designs from based on ornaments from Serbian Medieval churches and monasteries. Very cool!

At “The Farm Nikolići”

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Nikolić – Kralovec Families, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We had a great long weekend at my friend’s country home in Obrva, Serbia. Obrva, which means “eye brow” in Serbian, is a small village near the city of Kraljevo, which is about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive south of Belgrade. Aca and his family were gracious hosts, and my family and I had a wonderful time. We ate well, were very comfortable, and had many laughs!

The kids were calling it “the farm” which was very cute. Aca’s father is from Obrva and after retiring from working in Belgrade, is now spending more time at the country home he grew up on. The weather held out and the kids enjoyed playing in the yard and seeing all of the animals. His father grows corn and soya for feed and he raises cattle and sheep.

Ocean loves the animals.

Aca and his girlfriend Milica took us on a tour of the sights. We walked around downtown Kraljevo and saw the airport Ladjevci, which was an air force base and it is being converted into a regular airport. We also stopped at an historic church which I’ll blog about later.

We were really shown some Serbian hospitality and on behalf of my family I would like to say thank you. “The Farm” is really a 5-star country bed and breakfast. We will have some fond memories of Aca and his family and hope to return to Obrva.

Serbian Radical Party Campaigning in Senjak

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Saturday morning we were at the Green Market in Senjak and we heard the patriotic music and saw the banners and tables of the Serbian Radical Party. The Serbian Radicals are led by the man pictured in the banner, Vojislav Šešelj. Šešelj is currently at the Hague under trial for war crimes since 2003. He is one of the founders of the party, which started just before the break-up of Yugoslavia.

The Radicals are a very successful, far right party in Serbia. In the last elections in 2008, they won almost 30% of the seats in the National Assembly, and their candidate in 2008, Tomislav Nikolić, barely lost to Boris Tadić, winning 48% of the vote.

I think for this election, Šešelj’s wife is running in his stead, as Nikolić formed his own party. They also have a candidate in the mayor race, a young man named Nemenja Šarović. They were handing out literature and in the song I heard, was praising Šešelj for his patriotism.

The Radicals run on a platform of avoiding integration to the EU and instead, seeking closer ties with Russia. They are also against globalization and are looking for the Serbian populations in neighboring countries to join Serbia proper. In perusing the literature, they were selling professor Šešelj’s books (he is a former professor at the University of Michigan) and showing evidence of how EU membership has not been beneficial to the small, Eastern European countries who already joined.

I am not sure how they will do in the election next month. As a neutral observer, I am not sure the name “radical” is the best name to have for a political party. Sure they are radical, or revolutionary in not wanting to join the EU, but in English, the word also means “extreme” and I am not sure if that is the best way to get independent or “swing” voters. I also don’t know what effect having their leader at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for the past 9 years has on the party. I don’t think there is an equivalent in US politics, as the Tea Party doesn’t have such different views from the mainstream Republican party. It will be interesting to see how the Radicals do in this election.

Although I cannot vote because I am not Serbian, I am curious to see how my views match up with various parties in the election. Maybe my Serbian readers can help me match which party most resonates with my opinions.

Bill’s Serbian Political Platform

1) Of course as an educator, I believe education of young people should be the number one priority of a nation. I would set the goal for the best-trained teachers and best facilities of any schools in the Balkans. This would go from nursery schools to universities.

2) Erase the labyrinth of laws that inhibit starting and ending businesses in Serbia.

3) Integration Question – This is a hot topic here. I propose re-forming Yugoslavia first, before trying to get into the EU. Seek first strong economic ties and then eventually a reforming of the country of Yugoslavia. The similarities between the countries is a natural fit and 22 million makes it a strong country in Europe that would have some clout on the world stage.

4) Kosovo – Cut Serbia’s losses and go for as much of the north as possible, even going as far as a population exchange. The southern half of Kosovo would go to Albania (which would join my re-created Yugoslavia eventually). Kosovo is too small and too disorganized to be an independent country. Of course this would be predicated on protection of Serbian monasteries and Field of the BlackBirds as heritage sites.

5) Other economic issues – The pensions are a big burden on the Serb government, but a committment that needs to be completed. Try to cut corruption and tax the super rich. Income disparities and too much power in the hands of a few are bad for the nation. This is also a problem in the US. I am not sure how to lower the unemployment rate and give hope for young people graduating universities. This is a tough problem. I would lower the sales tax (VAT) and raise income and property taxes.

That is about all I can think of for now. I don’t mean to offend anyone and am writing this post in the spirit of the exchange of ideas. I don’t have enough time to really feel strongly about politics, but I find it an interesting way to understand Serbia, my adopted home for now.

Spring in Dedinje

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017, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

On my run yesterday afternoon, I stopped and took this photo. There are many of these huge, old “villas” The term villa originally meant Roman upper class country homes, but the term has evolved to mean a variety of styles, but usually large residences.

This particular villa is named “Milica” a common Serbian woman’s name. The setting sun, flowering apple trees, and the fresh green leaves, make this particular scene nice.

Below I snapped a photo of a couple of Roma guys driving through the neighborhood. They drive around the city in these makeshift vehicles collecting recyclable materials from the garbage bins.

Let The Campaigns Begin

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Sit, One, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Serbian President Boris Tadić last week called for early presidential elections for May 6th. The campaign posters have been coming out in force and from time to time, I’ll be blogging about the campaign and elections.

I saw this poster while running, it was stuck to a construction barrier wall in Senjak. It reads, “Sit, One.” I wondered what it meant, and a friend explained that in school, the lowest grade a student can get is a one. And when someone answers a question wrong, it is traditional (old school) to tell that person to sit down and they got a grade of a one. Tadić’s “report card” is to the right, and the classes are “citizen standard of living,” “the economy,” “corruption,” and the “Kosovo question.” The opposing parties gave him a grade of 1. In Serbian schools, the grade scale goes from a low of one to a high of five. They also didn’t choose a flattering photo of Tadić. I guess this is the Serbian version of the Super Pacs. (which I absolutely abhor in US politics)

Below is another for candidate #5, our old friend Tomislav Nikolić. The former radical, hunger striker, is now trying for presidency for a fifth time. Maybe it is a sign that he is candidate #5. His slogan is “Honest and Successful Serbia” (Yes You Can?) – I need a bit of help with the translating. I see that Nikolić wants to portray himself as a job creator and not corrupt.

Museum of Aviation Visit

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Owen and Ollie, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

I can’t recommend enough for young children on a cold day, a trip to the Museum of Aviation in the mushroom-shaped building at the Nikola Tesla Airport. Oliver was so happy to see the jet fighters. Both Owen and Oliver were running around the complex, inside and out, shooting at each other and playing military games. They also learned a bit about the history of aviation in Yugoslavia and military planes in general. They are shown above in front of my favorite plane in the museum, the SOKO F-22 fighter. The jet fighter was made by the SOKO (Falcon) company in Mostar for the Yugoslavian Air Force and is still in use today.

The kids were also especially interested in the American and NATO planes that were shot down during the bombing campaign of 1999.

I also wanted to show everyone the boys’ new haircuts. I finally got sick of looking at the two hippy-children and we took them downtown Senjak for a good haircut. They look so much better and so much younger. I love the little guys so much!!!!

April U Beogradu (Belgrade In April)

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I just can’t help myself with this post. (I’ll work on the code to embed the video.)The song above is from the “John Travolta” of the Yugoslavian/Serbian world, Zdravko Čolić, and the song is about the beautiful weather in the month of April in Belgrade and renewal of one’s soul and a bit of lost love thrown in for good measure. I can see why he wrote this song – the spring month of April in Belgrade is absolutely the best weather in the world. It is not too hot, sunny skies, and blossoms everywhere. I felt guilty today telling students to go back to class near the end of the lunch recess. I just wanted to be outside all day today. I also love it because growing up in Michigan, April was always a killer month. We would have a week of sunny skies and warm temps, and then there would be some final few snow storms. Not like that in Belgrade, and after several months of relatively cold weather, it really is rejuvenating to have the warm (but not hot) temperatures come back. I am not lamenting old loves or rendezvous under the Sava Bridge like Zdravko, but I am humming the tune as a bike to work with the fragrant Apple blossoms waif through the air…

Blue Skies and Apple Blossoms in Dedinje
My daughter Ocean's favorite flower, the Magnolia. A common tree in Belgrade.

Parent-Teacher Conferences for Oliver

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Last month Nadia and I attended Oliver’s conferences. The highlight was definitely the rock-climbing wall in the physical education department. Oliver is an active little boy, and the physical challenges provided by the PE department are a perfect outlet. He was proud to show us his skills on the wall. He had to climb through hoops, avoid certain holds, and take rings off the wall and toss onto pylons. Oliver is quite strong and agile for his age. I would like to thank his PE teacher, Ms. Marija for her work with him.

Oliver with his teacher, Ms. Marija Dimitrov

Family Picnic to Kosmaj

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The monument to the Yugoslav Partizan Division in World War II.

Yesterday we had a family picnic to the “little sister” of Avala, Kosmaj. The mountain is located just a bit further south in Šumadija, and is also a designated park. There were a lot of people picnicing, a favorite Serbian activity, but it is such a big place, that we felt very relaxed. We walked up to the monument above, and then walked even further up to the military post. From there, we walked through the Beech forest, back to the picnic area, but no on trails. The kids absolutely loved climbing the hills and rocks, and playing with sticks. I loved the huge number of spring wildflowers.

The mountain may be named after the Slavic protector of woods and animals, Kozmaj. The kids felt her/his spirit and were in their element. The place is a nice day trip from Belgrade, with playgrounds, hiking trails, sporting fields, and a monastery (Tresinje) to visit as well.

Oliver climbs down the hill in the Beech Forests of Kosmaj.

Čedomir Jovanović – Political Campaign

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Istina – Preokret, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Thanks to the political campaign billboard above, I learned the word, “istina” means truth in Serbian. The good-looking fellow in the photo is Čedomir Jovanović, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). They are running for parliament in this spring’s elections.

In reading a bit of background on Jovanović, the LDP is a minor party, and he finished in fifth place in the 2008 Serbian Presidential elections. Jovanović came to fame in the university student protests in the 1990’s, and served in the government of the late Prime Minister, Zoran Đinđić. He fell out of favor in the party, ultimately leaving current Serbian President, Boris Tadić’s party to form his own.

In the little reading I did on him, he seems to make provocative statements in the press to seek attention. He especially went after the Serbian tycoons and the organized crime surrounding the Milosević regime. He favors the independence of Kosovo, integration with Europe and severing ties with the Republika Srpska.

My advice for him would be to establish a career in a chosen field (university professor), and gain some experience outside politics before coming back and trying again. As with US politicians, his model-like looks help, but he is struggling to even get into parliament. .