Can Change Be As Good As A Rest?
Change can be as good as a rest, it is often said. That is all well and good, of course, and it is true that breaking the routine can definitely help you out of a rut. Springtime is notorious for prompting us to clean out cupboards, both physical and metaphorical. Something about seeing the first green shoots of spring wakes us from the stupor of winter and encourages us to take a new broom to our lives. What we seem to forget about this same time last year is, while the results should be worth the effort, change can be quite tiring and far from restful.
There are many changes afoot in our home. After about twelve years in the same place, We have embarked on our first major home improvement project: To make our living space more appealing we are remodeling our average three-bed semi into a comfortable four-bed home with larger rooms and more natural light.
That all sounds very nice, of course, but nothing is as simple as it sounds and I am already fed up with the rigmarole of it all. A simple idea has translated into us knocking down the back of our house and extending into, over and off the back of our detached garage.
The planning process itself has been a lengthy process. Unlike many building projects I have seen in the Balkans, British planning authorities tend to be quite particular about what can be built and how. But, after months of navigating the hurdles with our architect, designs have been approved, permission has been granted, builders have been instructed and it just remains for the four-month construction to be scheduled.
Not being ones to make life easy for ourselves, we have also opted to totally redesign our rear garden at the same time. Our garden designer and tree surgeon have started the major ground works by cutting down trees, clearing overgrown shrubbery and using nearly forty reclaimed railway sleepers and thirteen tons of soil to build raised beds. We have been done our bit by visiting garden centres to buy a whole new garden, leaving the heavy work to our labourers.
When designing our garden, a curious thought occurred to me: could I build a still to make my own rakija? So strong is my love of this fine tipple, I toyed with the idea of making my own at home. After all, we will be planting plum, pear, apple and cherry trees. I have had thoughts of installing a still in a shed or utility room and waiting for the day when I could share a few glasses of my homemade liquor. I had it all mapped out in my mind. I even thought I should start to save suitable bottles to contain my liquor (glass, rather than the more commonly re-used plastic water bottles). Everything was going great guns. However, my dreams were brought to an abrupt halt when I was informed that home distillation is a criminal offence in the UK (and most of the EU, I believe). Like most good things in life, it comes under various laws and constraints and can attract hefty fines and prosecution. I am unsure how likely it would be that anyone would find out but, for me, it is best left alone.
So I will have to save those experiences for my rakija-fuelled trips to the Balkans. Over years of visits, I am proud to have downed the juice of many Balkan plums, much of it homemade and served courtesy of its maker’s own hand. I have worked my way through the liquor of plenty of Balkan fruits and enjoyed every last drop. Even if some of it has been an acquired taste, I have always given it the benefit of the doubt and allowed it time to work its magic on me. At parties, I saw it as an obligation as a good guest to share a few homemade shots with my welcoming host and I have become happily accustomed to the pleasant ritual of pouring a few small glasses when I call on friends at home, no matter what the time of the day. In more rural villages, I usually seek out homemade rakija, while on visits to Belgrade I have enjoyed many nights sampling the many and various kinds on sale in dedicated rakija bars. I blame my friend Marko Janketić for getting me into that particular habit of rakija bar-hopping.
So while I do not relish the coming months when my home, garden and life will be turned upside down, I am comforted in the knowledge that I still have six different types of homemade rakija stashed in cupboards to help time pass more pleasantly. Let us hope for a long hot summer with evenings to enjoy a drink with good friends. Živeli!
Marcus Agar has been commissioned by Wannabe Magazine to write a series of observations. Click to read in Serbian (translated by Ranko Trifković) or for an interview in English or Serbian.
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