From the Belgrade Metropolitan - an English language weekly culture and entertainment guide
(www.Bizinfo.co.yu) - and other sources interviewing
foreigners about Serbia:
A Serbian habit you have difficulty understanding?
- "Generally too much salt in the food."
- "Truba (trumpet) music"
- "The idea of having a majster (handyman) come to your house to fix whatever and you’re supposed to offer him rakija, coffee, and have a chat. It probably has something to do with that Serbia is the most social country in Europe in terms of personal connections."
- "Going out on weekdays until 2 a.m. – very nice, but I wonder where Serbs get all that energy from?"
- "I struggle with the problem, not the act itself, but the logistics of it: Does a situation require a hug and/or kiss? Should I kiss twice or three times? Which cheek should I start with? During Slavas this can be a somewhat overwhelming problem."
- "People do not smile in the street, they are all serious."
- "Hate that pops up in an instant even with peaceful people."
Most loved Serbian dishes/products:
- Kajmak (soft white cheese), vegetables & fruits (especially strawberries & raspberries),
- pljeskavica, cevapi, meat in general
- the Sumadija tea (hot rakija),
- red pepper salad, veal soup, confectionary products,
- ajvar, sarma (stuffed cabbage), proja (corn bread), soup with homemade rezanci (noodles), gibanica,& pihtije.
(also see here)
Serbia’s trademark?
Talented athletes, beautiful women, basketball & water polo teams, inat (pigheaded stubbornness - even greater than sljivovica), Sirogojno ethno park, naive paintings, wool hand-made sweaters, Red Star & Partizan, Imlek yogurts (a brand), Knjaz Milos mineral water, Fresh&Co raspberry juice, Yugo car, Pelinkovac (liquor from herbs), Smoki, and kajmak, rakija, ajvar, and fruits (particularly raspberries).
Favorite expressions?
- Gde si tebra? (What’s up man?)
- Polako, polako (slowly, slowly)
- Svaki pocetak je tezak (all beginnings are difficult)
- Sta se mora, mora se (a man’s got to do what man’s got to do)
- Cuti bre! (shut up, man!)
- Dobro dosli (welcome)
- Ziveli (cheers)
- Ma taman posla! (out of question - in a positive way)
- Prosto ko pasulj (simple like beans or piece of cake)
Also see here
Worst about Belgrade?
Pollution, smog, dirt and garbage on the sidewalks, heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, bombed buildings, too many smokers, parking, long and cold winters.
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Upd. on
14. maj 2006