Bye, Bye Belgrade… Part 1
I have to admit, I tried to have no expectations about Belgrade when I first arrived. I did get the obligatory DK Eyewitness tour book for Serbia and looked up the Top 10 things to see on Trip Advisor. It did not overwhelm. My base line was simple: post Tito, post-Soviet, non-EU, issues with Kosovo and Bosnia. Serbia sits precariously on the Balkan Peninsula with Belgrade perched at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. It’s as if it is the goodbye point to the west and a hand shake over to the East. They have been invaded, occupied and are now in yet another cycle of recovery. What I discovered is a remarkable gem on the ascent of change with an eye on their future, challenged by geopolitical change and steeped in artful expression. I’m bullish on Belgrade, it’s stolen my heart.
Belgrade has taught me…
1- Resiliency – – this city has been destroyed over 40 times and it gets up every time. Did you know Belgrade was bombed by NATO in the 1990’s? I do not believe I have met any contemporaries that lived in wartime. Bombs falling from the sky interrupting their play, only to continue after the raid ended. My country has never been bombed by a foreign power (Pearl Harbor exception and that was a military installation in 1940) and I have never lived in a war zone. My country hasn’t been invaded, dictated or lived through regime changes (although current events might question our feeling). We have always been free.
2- To enjoy my journey – You do not have to be in a hurry to be productive. I have not driven a car in a month. When you walk, taxi, bike everywhere there is no need to own a car, have a garage, car insurance, buy gas. You are also limited to where your foot power can take you. I’ve walked an average of 6 miles a day. This isn’t treadmill or gym induced, it’s free range – -fresh air
3- I really, really have to want/need something to buy it. There are two threads here. When you know you only get 22 Kg baggage limit, you stick to it (and worthy of an overall post.. learning to live in a 22-kg limit). Next because there is no driving, this means if you buy something you have to carry it. Carry it from the store to your apartment. You really think about what you buy when you must hold it for a half mile and climb over 125 combined stairs to arrive at your destination
4- Wear sensible shoes! I thought I would never say this.. wearing sensible shoes to me is the kiss of death.. once you go sensible, you’ll never teeter on stilettos again. This might be true, but I’m all about the safety and balance sensible shoes provide. The Belgrade cityscape terrain is uneven, the streets are wonky and there are random utility pipes sticking out of the pavement. You must be aware of where you walk. It appears that people take responsibility for their walking too. There must not be a series of litigious lawyers preying and praying for pedestrian mishaps and ensuring law suits.
5- I enjoy my walking commute. There’s a very pleasant zen aspect to it. It gives me time to connect with the day, weather and fellow workers and helps me decompress from a work day. It’s an excellent transition and I have not seen one person with sidewalk rage.. Breathe in.. gently exhale.. repeat
6- I want more café life. There are numerous outdoor platforms pepper along the streets inviting people in for coffee or cocktails. People visit, they talk, they enjoy each other. I like this. It gets you out, about and laughing. The only downside is smoking.. we (Americans) don’t do it, we don’t enjoy it and second-hand smoke is everywhere. Stinky ☹
7- I do not need TV in my life. I believe the noise level of US events is making us all overly anxious, intolerant and unhappy. I like to blame it on the newsmakers, 24/7 news coverage and the ensuing commentary surrounding it. It’s a poisonous ecosystem. Not only from a news vantage but from a consumer aspect. I am not bombarded with messages designed to make me feel bad, unattractive or undesirable because I do not buy a product or watch a certain show. There is a certain calm that happens when the screaming stops. Now, I have not actively embraced local politics (and there are numerous issues big and small). I have gone apolitical; it’s a conscious temporary decision. And when you see a US ad dubbed in Serbian, it becomes very clear how ridiculous advertising is. I believe I needed a little venting.
8- We all need to take a social media break! We have upped the corporate marketing messaging construct from buy-this-product to making ourselves affected by sometimes self-inflected negativity. Be authentic and don’t compare. Be present in the world, connect with real people and use social media for good… 😊
9- Google has flattened the world. Travel has become much easier due to Maps, Translate and Search. Thank you, Google. You can ‘drop a pin’ anywhere and find people, places and taxis. My phone does speak better Serbian than I ever will while calculating currency conversions and Celsius temperatures simultaneously. It delights me. I had been wary of this part of the world mainly due to the Cyrillic alphabet (daunting). I have not encountered any situation that I could not navigate with my mobile device. And when in doubt, speak in emoji.
10- My phone is no longer a phone.. it has officially transformed to a full mobile device. It started out in the 90’s as a phone, evolved to allowing me to text.. it used to take 3 clicks to get to an “S” so you had to be really committed to text “a**hole”.. then lastly it morphed into an app station. With the adoption of the app culture, my device is now for data followed by text and yes, I can make a phone call on it. It’s a complete reverse. I’m travelling almost effortlessly with my mobile device securing a SIM card in each location at a minimal cost. I wonder if I’ll continue this when I go back.
There are a few more areas that almost demand mention, but it will have to wait. Oh, Belgrade’s taught me to be patient too. Back to work. When was the last time, you paused to reflect on your workday and really enjoyed it too?
I know… that’s the beauty of this experience.
There’s more to tell about Belgrade… the murals, music and lifestyle. I found a killer Pilates studio that took my practice to a higher level while helping me navigate living here. And I love that I can get an excellent dinner with wine for about $12 (a lot of wine) Sad to say, I only have 6 more days then we pack up and move the show to Lisbon for July. Yes, it really is as much fun as it seems. Best summer ever!
