Speaking In Tongues: A Little Effort Goes A Long Way In Serbia
Learning a new language gets more difficult as the years go by. I am living proof of that belief. It is widely accepted that the mind is more attuned to study during youth and, dare I confess, I hung up my school bag a few years back.
Do not get me wrong, I am far from being in my dotage, but I can testify that it is harder now than in my teens to learn lists of vocabulary or pick up the idiosyncrasies of grammar. To illustrate this, let me outline my well-intentioned attempts to learn Serbian, with its grammatical minefield. It is not a pretty story and, as yet, it does not have a particularly happy ending. But I am working on that.
Wannabe Magazine Interviews Wild Rooster
Wannabe Magazine approached W!LD RooSTeR for an in-depth interview to discuss personal impressions of time spent in Serbia and opinions on what the future could hold for young people in the country. Here is a small sample with links to the full interview in English or Serbian.
Odakle potiče Vaše zanimanje za ove države?
WR: Moje zanimanje za Srbiju i zapadni Balkan je počelo pre pet godina, dok sam radio u Kini. Upoznao sam dvojicu momaka, jednog iz Banja Luke, a drugog iz Skoplja. Pričali su mi o svojim životima i iskustvima, a moja želja da saznam više samo je rasla. Skoro dvadeset puta sam posetio region, boraveći u Bosni, Hrvatskoj, Crnoj Gori, Makedoniji i, naravno, Srbiji. Uživam u bogatstvu kulture i zahvalan sam što imam divne prijatelje. Oni su mi pružili toplu dobrodošlicu i naučili me mnogo čemu o istoriji i ljudima iz regiona.
Serbia: The Land With A Perfect Smile
Who would have thought it: You can tell a Serb by their smile. While a smiling Serb isn’t necessarily the World’s most familiar image of the region, maybe it’s time to rewrite the book of cultural clichés.
One thing was staring me in the face when I recently visited Belgrade – the jaw-dropping increase in facial furniture being worn by Belgrade’s beautiful young things. It seemed like every third person was proudly sporting a dental brace. Honestly, I have never seen so much mouth metal outside of Los Angeles.
Indeed, Serbia reminded me more of the image-conscious USA, thanks to the embarrassing wealth of good dental work filling faces in Belgrade’s bars and restaurants. Clearly, this is something of a trend.
The Brightest Stars Burn For The Shortest Time: Remembering Amy
Much has been said about the turbulent life of Amy Winehouse, who died at home on Saturday, 23 July, and a great deal of rumour about her tragic death is sure to surface in coming months. What should not be forgotten amid all this speculation is the incredible musical inheritance that has been bequeathed to us by a supremely talented and exceptional artist.
It is fair to say that Amy Winehouse generated a strong reaction in people. Her army of fans were dedicated to supporting Amy through all her turbulence and misadventure as much as for her music. She appeared to be attracted to a whirl of heartache and exploration like a moth is drawn to a flame. In the end, that addiction to misadventure is likely to have killed her.
