Entrepreneurial Spirit Powers Young Serbs
Serbia has a lot to work through in the coming year, with a national election looming and the fallout from whatever decision is made over its relationship with the European Union. That does not even acknowledge the impact of the global economic climate on trade or the effects of the on-going emotive issue of Kosovo.
In the long run up to the election, we have already seen politicians of all colours posturing to grab the attention of voters, while some of the less salubrious business heads manoeuvre their way to seize even greater influence over the country’s future. Nothing is new there then.
Aside from the self aggrandisement of politicians and the bluster and bravado that momentous times attract, most people are just getting on with life, trying to make the best of their lot.
Some Traditions Are Worth Maintaining
Serbia’s slava festivities are quite exceptional. I have to admit that, before I visited the region, I had never even heard of slava but over years of visits, I have become quite accustomed to such events. However, it was not always that way.
My first experience of joining a family to celebrate their slava was in Banja Luka. I was still getting my head around some of the cultural idiosyncrasies and so I didn’t quite know what to expect when my friend and I were invited to the slava at a family home in the rural outskirts of a town in Republika Srpska. Portrayed as something between a religious blessing and a booze and buffet get-together, complete with the earlier slaughter of the family’s own pig, we were a little perplexed by the whole thing really. All we felt was that it must be quite an honour to be invited to join the family at this special time.
Midweek Madness in Belgrade
Time has become one of our most valuable commodities. As our busy lives get ever more packed and always-on gadgets take over, we often find ourselves time-strapped. It is not only dashing around London that this modern strain tells on me. When in Belgrade I notice that my time is also in quite short supply. Whether my stay is for a few days or up to a fortnight, it is never enough.
During my time in Belgrade, my schedule is chock-a-block with business meetings and catch-ups with friends. Even though I visit the city quite often, there is always more for me to do and too little time in which to do it. From the moment I leave my hotel for a breakfast meeting to the time I stagger back to my room in the early hours, my days are crammed with appointments. Every time slot is filled from morning to night, with mealtimes used as additional opportunities to meet.
Serbian Documentary Tells Story of Reconciliation and Understanding
A heartening documentary about the emotional meeting and shared memories of a US warplane pilot and the Yugoslav missile colonel who shot him down in 1999 is receiving extensive support even before filming has been finished. The touching reconciliation between the two protagonists forms the moving human story of The Second Meeting, from Serbian director Željko Mirković.
In March 1999, news spread around the world that an American F-117A stealth plane had been shot down over the Serb village of Budjanovci. Piloted by US air forceman Dale Zelko, the ‘invisible’ aircraft had been spotted on radar and then brought down at the command of Serbian colonel Zoltan Dani. Photographs of locals dancing on the wreckage of the destroyed airplane were shown worldwide, as the search for the pilot continued.
