06/26/2012 1607

I don’t quite know exactly what just happened, but I went downstairs to pay my bill and wound up getting all teary-eyed with the ladies that work here.  I mean, really, with.  As in, they got a little teary-eyed too!  It started out innocently enough… all business, discussing my bill, I paid for the spa, restaurant, and bar things with cash and the rest of the stay with my credit card.  We discussed bills and vacations.  The two absolutely wonderful ladies I was talking to told me about their upcoming vacations.  One of them doesn’t speak English, she was the one I mentioned before that always gives me the deer in the headlights look.  But the other translated quite well for both of us.  So one is going on vacation in September, the other one just a little bit sooner.  Soon it turned into my desire to come back to this hotel.  I seriously can’t say enough good things about the kindness of the staff, the accommodations, the smiles, the way they made me actually feel like a treasured guest!  They were completely kind and respectful and professional the whole way through.  I wanted to make sure they billed me for all of the drinks I had, to include the waters with dinner.  Well there were a couple of glasses of wine that didn’t make it onto their bill but they decided those were on the house.  So were the glasses of champagne while using the pool & Jacuzzi.  Ya mean people can really treat other people this way?  And it’s acceptable???  Well.  I started to tell them how it was going to be rough to have to say goodbye to them all.  I swear, this has been by far the kindest hotel staff I have ever encountered.  So the lady who I was paying said that it always makes them happy to see guests leave with a smile.  I told her I’d be all smiles and she then told me that they all love my kindness and my smiles.  She said that they all talk about the guests (heh, truth moment, huh?) and that I’ve rated very high with all of them.  Awwwww!!!!  She said that my personality has made them all so very happy.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I have never heard such sweet comments coming out of someone who was so recently a total stranger.  From there, we have determined that when I come back, if it is winter we will go skiing together.  If it’s not winter, they are still going to be very happy to see me.  They’re going to be happy?  Huh.  And, S, my dear honey, they also wished you would have stayed longer.  Just for future reference… 

I also had another couple of interesting moments today.  One that just made me wonder where we Americans have gone so wrong.  I went to buy a few souvenirs at a local place  on the main strip.  I got some magnets, some shot glasses, and a little pencil holder of the Bridge of Love.  Look it up.  It’s cool.  Anyway, the insanely adorable gal that worked there, once again swore she spoke very little English but was a lot better than she gave herself credit for.  We chatted for a bit, she helped me find what I was looking for, I paid, then she ran over to find something that she wanted to give me, just from her.  Once again I will quote myself: “Awwwww!!!!!”   People here are so utterly kind! 

Oh, also, S, thank you so much for teaching me the importance of three cheek kisses.  I just scored major points with that darling lady downstairs because of that.  She said I was the first American she’s seen who knows that.  Seriously, you have prepared me well for this.  Thank you!  May I buy you lunch tomorrow to pay my gratitude?  ;-) 

So the other funny moment today.  I went to go buy a palačinke (and Mom, that’s what I was referring to yesterday) for my last lunch here and though they spoke some English, I was still trying to find the word I was looking for in Serbian.  So a lady also ordering lunch asked how she could help, in perfect English.  And she spoke in perfect Serbian.  No detectable accent on either side.  She’s from Chicago.  Born in Serbia but left at an early age.  Husband is also Serbian.  They are with  a pretty sizeable group of kids who are here doing some performances.  They belong to a cultural group with San Simeon church in south Chicago and they’re here as a group doing said performances.  I guess they had one last night at the hotel just across the way from me, and they have another tonight, but I had to decline the invite because I’m going to bed so early.  4am will come quickly & I need my beauty sleep.  So we had a great chat.  I told her I was wondering why so many English speakers were wandering around.  She said there was a pretty good chance they were all with their group.  She told me a little about the group and about herself and it was so refreshing to talk to someone so unexpectedly.  She was really a doll.  I stopped on my way out to thank her for the help and the chat and told her I will definitely be looking her up if I find myself in Chicago.  And as I walked away I had to laugh because my being here is truly proof of the simple fact that one never ever knows what will happen and when or why.  Who would have thought that my going to Afghanistan would land me in Serbia for vacations?  Life is really funny that way.  We might think we got it all figured out but we’re usually wrong.  Maybe we have more to learn.  Maybe we have things to unlearn.  Either way, it’s been so refreshing for me these past two weeks to see how my perspective gets to change all the time.  I have surely learned a different outlook in child rearing.  I’ve learned a different outlook on my smile.  I’ve learned that my American way isn’t always best.  I’ve learned that what is normal and comfortable to me might just be a major kick in the pants for someone who was not raised like me.  I’ve learned a lot, and for that, I am so grateful.  I love these opportunities I’ve been given, even when they are not completely comfortable.  Sometimes being in a country where you don’t speak the language well is intimidating.  But the overwhelming Serbian kindness and generosity has shown me that no matter what, I’ll be in good hands. 

06/25/2012 1052

Sorry this took a while.  For some reason, Blogger wouldn't let me upload directly so I had to put it on youtube first and that took a while, even with a great internet connection.  But here is a little piece of the awesome storm from the other day.  You can tell around 30 seconds in exactly how close it was.  And no matter what I tried, I couldn't even begin to capture the intensity of the actual sound of the thunder.  It was amazing!  

06/24/2012 1250

I am starving right now and have completely wasted, no, read my entire morning away, changed my mind about working out (it’s a weekend—the gym will be completely crowded), and am about to head out into town to find a ginormous platter of grilled meat.  But I just wanted to take a quick second to check in and update on yesterday.  I went and got a Serbian hair cut yesterday.  Not that it looks any different from any other hair cut, but it was done in Serbia and that is way cool to me.  For approximately $10, I had my hair washed, cut, and blow dried in a way that was infinitely better than my last cut in the states.  Seriously, that woman messed up my hair, but it’s all fixed now and I feel just as cute as can be.  I also went and bought some nail polish yesterday and a new sun block.  Krema za sunce.  My other one was too good.  That purchase was a fun experience all on its own.  I left the salon then decided to check out the nail polish then changed my mind (again) then rechanged it for the last time.  I went in just to look around and accidentally answered the woman in English when she asked if she could help.  I’ve really been trying not to, as much as possible.  She answered back in English.  She was under the impression that she doesn’t speak it well but she understands everything I’m saying.  I was under the impression that she speaks it better than most of the people I’ve encountered thus far.  I asked her how to say a few things in Serbian that I’d be wondering about.  We had a discussion about numbers.  She helped me find the nail polish I was hoping to find.  She pointed out that we say “Nivea” funny.  I think that would be the American accent…  After all was said & done, and she fought with the calculator along with the help of another woman who worked there, I was on my way and left pondering a few things.  Namely, what is it like to be a tourist in America?  I mean a total tourist.  Like one who speaks so little English that they can hardly manage most interactions or transactions?  Would they be ridiculed for not speaking the language, or would there be so many people willing to help them out with whatever they needed as there have been with me?  Would the guests in the hotel avoid eye-contact, or would they be all smiles, even while knowing that we didn’t speak the same language?  I seriously want to live like a true foreigner in Cali the next time I go back.  I want to walk in to a restaurant and tell them that I don’t speak much English and see what they do.  As it stands now, most of the time when I go somewhere, they speak some English, and if they don’t, they will quickly try to find someone that does.  A few times I’ve encountered people who only speak Serbian and will continue to talk to me in Serbian until I’m satisfied with the answer.  That cracks me up.  Partly because I do end up understanding them, and partly because they look at me like they don’t give a rip what language I speak—they’re just going to be friendly and talk to me.  I love that!  Nobody makes me feel awkward, regardless of what they speak.  This whole time here has been amusing with the staff in the hotel.  I’ll greet them with a “dobro jutro” and they respond back with “good morning.”  If I forget to speak Serbian and greet them in an English fashion, they’ll often respond back with Serbian.  It’s almost rare that we all have the same little formalities in the same language!  But it’s very cute.  They are trying really hard.  Even the one lady who doesn’t speak any English, and looks like a deer in headlights when she sees me approaching, has been trying to speak English with me as much as I’m trying to speak Serbian with her.  It’s fun.  Really fun, actually.  As I was leaving after my nail polish purchase yesterday (and, for the record, the colors are way cool!), the lady told me that her English will be better the next time I come back.  I assured her that my Serbian will be better as well.  I know I’ve learned a lot here.  Constant exposure can do that.  I’m starting to grasp some of the past tenses for verbs.  Those have been a little tricky for me, mainly because I haven’t covered them in my lessons yet.  The reactions of people when they hear I’m learning the language have been awesome.  Some look at me like I’m crazy, some sympathize and tell me how tough it is (these people speak English… isn’t that as bad and unregulated as it gets?), and some just look completely thrilled that I am making the effort.  I wanted to have an entire day where I speak no English at all, but I don’t know if I have that in me yet.  Though I am able to survive, for sure, I still don’t have enough of a grasp on it to have a normal conversation.  But the good news is I have nowhere to go from here but better.  Bolje.  I know enough random Serbian words to have totally Serblish conversation.  That much I know for sure. 

Okay, that’s enough cultural ponderings for right now.  I am really hungry and some grilled meso is calling me!  

06/22/2012 1516

I have not seen a storm, the likes of which I am in right now, since I was last in Arkansas, and I have seen quite a handful of storms since then.  I had huge plans for today.  I was going to eat breakfast, let that settle a bit then head to the gym for my first run in almost two weeks.  Not easy for me to go without but I guess that’s what happens when you’re sick.  And on vacation.  Mostly sick.   

Wait, I have readjusted my POV of this storm.  This is the most impressive one I have seen in my life.  Not even Arkansas can get it this good, tornados excluded.  There are no winds to be had here, really.  But I just heard thunder that is the stuff that can make a grown-up cry, not to mention the kids I heard wailing just after that.  Oh my goodness I am so thankful for this!!!!!  Car alarms are going off too.  At least two different ones that I can hear. 

Anyway, so after the run, I was planning on trying to find somewhere that sells wine, then heading out to the lawn to work on my cross stitch outside while enjoying this comfortable, humid, warm weather.  Not something that I get very much of in my dry and dusty home.  Just as I was about to head into the little mini mart, I noticed a lot of clouds.  I hadn’t seen any since the first day here and it rained that night but was clear again by the next morning.  I got my wine and headed back to the hotel.  One of the gentlemen that works here shook his head and said he didn’t know about this weather.  I asked if he thought it was going to rain and he nodded.  Fine by me.  So I’d adjust my afternoon’s plans.  I like rain anyway.  I thought I’d still maybe sit  outside, just under one of the umbrellas.  I started to wash my clothes when I noticed the thunder was getting closer.  And closer.  And then I heard the lightning.  Really heard it.  Like, loudly heard it.  That’s a mighty big sound, for the record.  I opened the blinds, hoping no bugs would be out in this, and proceeded to get a few videos of the weather.  I wanted to remember the sound.  I don’t even know if the camera can even begin to capture the bigness of these sounds, but I’ll post ‘em later if I find out that it did.  So right now I have half-washed gym clothes sitting in the sink but I can’t pull myself away from the window to finish them.  Hey, it’s not very often I get to experience something like this! 

So my darling G left yesterday.  I was bummed to see her go, but I know she was happy to get back to her honey.  Can’t say I blame her. I’m looking forward to seeing mine again!  Boy was our ride back to Belgrade a pain.  We left pretty early, with enough time to have a few things go wrong and to deal with traffic.  Nothing went wrong until we had to deal with traffic.  Thankfully she was of the mindset that if she missed the flight, she’d just get another one.  Even more thankfully, she didn’t miss her flight.  But we were on the bus just under five hours.  Five long hours, thank you.  And of course the first cab driver that snagged us was parked furthest away from the bus station.  But that’s okay.  We made it and that’s what really matters.  I had such a great time with her here.  As much as I’ve always loved hanging out with her in familiar territory, hanging out with her in a different country was even better.  We had a few picture outings, ate a LOT of good food, met some interesting people, and found ourselves amused at the people who surprisingly speak English and the ones we thought would but don’t.  So much for predictability. 

On the bus yesterday a young lady and a younger boy got on the bus at one stop.  She spoke English, the kiddo spoke enough Serbian to communicate but it didn’t seem like he was quite fluent.  We figured they were either siblings or cousins, though G didn’t think that one would speak Serbian with the other not understanding anything if they were brother & sister… but ya never know.  So after they got on the bus, G said that the girl gave off that vibe that she might have been an English speaker.  I laughed and said “what, like us, lost & confused?”  I guess to our credit we haven’t been too confused at all and we never did manage to get lost, but there were a few iffy moments that we got through. 

Alright, this awesome display of Mother Nature is coming to a close so I’ll head back to my gym clothes that are so in need of care.  Anybody know what makes thunder claps sound so different?  There’s the deep, rumbly ones, the type that sounds like sheet metal being shaken to death, the kind that makes you want to jump out of your skin… What is that all about?  And how do we even differentiate between different claps of thunder if one starts when the other one is going?  These are definitely questions I’ve never had to ponder before.  Any ideas?

(About three minutes after the rain mostly stops there are people back on the streets laughing and having a grand ol’ time.  Truly, I love this place.) 

06/17/2012 2332

I’m exhausted and my brain is taxed, but this was another fun day.  G & I took the tour today at 1400.  The tour guide didn't speak English, but he was a very clear speaker so I was able to catch quite a few words when I was listening hard.  The views were spectacular (So. Much. GREEN!) so I was easily distracted a lot.  We went to two monasteries and a restaurant.  

First monastery 

Awesome pano of the second monastery

G & I were the only ones out of the group that paid for lunch so the guide joined us.  He spoke very little English but between us and our understanding of each other’s languages, we were able to have a very nice conversation.  G kept prompting me with things to ask him, which is good because I was just totally hung up on the GREEN across the way. Can you tell I miss grass & trees?  With her prompting here were some of the questions (formed in quite the variety of ways to work with my limited language skills): “Where are you from, what is your name, how long have you been doing this job, where are the best places in town for meals and dessert, do you have kids, what’s next after lunch” and a few others that aren't coming to mind right now.  It was pretty funny, actually.  She’d suggest a question and I’d have to pause and either remember how to ask or try to figure out a way that I could ask.  It was great though.  I was pretty darn proud of myself and am really happy that I've been studying as much as I have been.  And by the next time I’m here, it’ll be even better! 

Yum.  With a reflection of G and her yum.  Mine was better. 

After our tour, we went to the dessert place Zoran suggested and had, well, this is worthy of only a picture.  Yes, it was as good as it looks.  Maybe even better, actually.  Yes I will go back for at least one more before I leave here. 

More green

G tried rakija today.  I warned her that it’s a bit on the powerful side.  It really is.  I love it, personally.  It’s all warming & cozy.  Of course the weather is warm and cozy as well so I’m not sure that it’s a desired effect right now, but it still is a really delicious beverage. 

And now, it’s bed time.  More to come soon. 

D

Rakija with a little tree in the background

06/17/2012 1102

I am currently sitting in a hotel, drinking a delicious glass of wine, and waiting to go on a tour of a nearby mountain.  Mountain Goč, to be specific.  We tried to go to the 0930 tour but it didn't happen.  We'll be going to a restaurant there, two churches, walking around a bit, and otherwise experiencing two things that are so rare to me in Avganistan—fresh, clean air and pretty nature!  There will be pictures, for sure. 

So let me catch you up to this point.  Last I wrote, I was still in KAF.  My, my how things did go all over the board.  I wound up getting sick there.  Woke up the day we were heading to Dubai with a bit of a sore throat and just generally wasn’t feeling great.  We left the “hotel” around 4 in the morning (we did manage to get out of South Park!).  I’m guessing that a lot of missing sleep contributed to this illness, but traveling like we do, it’s tough to avoid that.  We got all of our last out-processing stuff done then went to the terminal to wait.  Honestly, the waiting wasn’t too bad.  Had some tea and a muffin, relaxed a while, it was good.  The flight was finally uneventful.  It's usually quite an experience, with those near death moments and such.  This one was good.  Got to Dubai, checked into the hotel, found out S was charged for his room even though he never got a confirmation, had a lot of drama to go with that, ate a couple of good meals, then headed on our way to Serbia again.  And that was pretty dang harried as well.  Our flight to Istanbul left over 40 minutes late.  We only had 90 minutes if all went well for our layover.  That was going to give us a lot of hurrying.  Take 40 minutes from that and things did not look promising.  Weeeeeelllll, we got to customs and the line was awful.  Hundreds of people.  No exaggeration.  We cut.  The whole thing.  S & I and one other guy whose flight was the same time as ours.  Then we ended up running through the airport to get to our gate.  I was not in any condition to run.  My health was deteriorating by the minute up to that point.  I would have given a limb for an inhaler by the time we arrived at the gate, just in time.  I'm so glad we made it.  I'm so glad that our luggage made it!  Once we arrived, things really mellowed out.  We got the rental car then headed on our next journey to Vrnjačka Banja.  The ride was really nice.  I got a few pictures here & there of green things.  

Green.  And the Avala tower in the background. Went there in Jan. 

Many green things.  Like, GREEN!  Grass, trees, things that are completely foreign to me now.  Stopped for a light lunch, then stopped at a grocery store, then made it to the hotel. 

It's so nice here!  Our first major order of business was to get me into some better health.  I'm glad that I got sick at the beginning of this as opposed to later on.  At least S was able to take me where I needed to go and translate for me.  I was seen, treated, given meds, and sent on my way for just a few dollars.  It's amazing how efficient health care is here!  After that, we did a little bit of sightseeing and getting me acquainted with the area, then we went to sleep.  The plan was to take a nap.  14 hours later… “nap” was a thing of the past.  Sleep happened. And it was nice.  Breakfast at the hotel is great.  Very delicious.  We had a long drive again and a few things to do in Belgrade so we headed out pretty early. 

Once we arrived, he showed me where the bus station is, how and where to get the tickets, where to board, where we'll disembark, etc.  He wanted to make sure I wouldn't be lost at all, which was awesome.  I really appreciated all the care and help.  We got lunch at the same place we ate in January then headed to the airport.  Grace arrived right on time and the three of us had about an hour to chat before S took off.  They had beer.  I had tea.  Curse this cold!!!!  This is my vacation!  You don't go 6 months without beer, drinking tea every day, only to go on vacation and still drink tea while not drinking beer!  At least that wasn't the intent.  Oh well.  It is what it is. 

Much to my sadness, S finally had to get his flight, so G & I headed out on our journey.  The taxi ride, bus ride, then two more taxi rides were good.  We made it to the hotel without incident then had to rush down for dinner before it closed.  Since then, we've been having a wonderful time.  We have gotten massages, had some wonderful meals, chilled in a mineral bath and sauna, have taken a lot of pictures, done a lot of walking, and totally enjoyed our time here so far.  I am a fan of this country, for sure. 

G in front of VB Birdie

Me in front of VB Birdie

06/11/2012 0835

I was supposed to arrive at KAF today.  Well, not during the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th changes to the plans, but according to plan 1 and apparently plan 5 (or is it 15?) I was supposed to arrive today.  But instead I have been here for, goodness, around 26 hours or so.  First, I thought I was heading out just like every other trip so far.  I fly out of Dwyer the day before I leave for R&R.  Stay one night in KAF, on to Dubai early the next morning. Then they were starting to send people two days ahead because of weather.  Then I had to get my physical.  S did too.  Then I got mine at Dwyer but he didn’t.  Then the firefighters were going to get theirs in Dubai on the way back in from R&R.  Then back to KAF.  Then I was still going to go two days early.  Then not, because my roomie got sent home for medical reasons so we had a dispatcher shortage.  Then then then then then.  So I thought I was going to be leaving the day after my honey and the other two guys going out for training.  I was a little bummed, but it’s not the end of the world.  Then a measly 10 hours before “they” were going to meet in the morning to leave, “they” became “we” and “I” still needed to pack.  And finish the rest of my shift.  And eat dinner.  And go for coffee.  I thank God with every fiber of my being that I am such a list maker and a strangely organized person.  Not only was I able to pack and not forget anything, I also got about 4 whole hours of sleep! 

We were on our way early.  Brutally early.  S ran over to Green Beans and got coffee for all of us.  I thank God with every fiber of my being for him too.  Not just because of the coffee, but that was a nice perk.  No pun intended. 

The Huey ride was fun.  We fire guys were separated from everyone else.  Methinks it’s because we don’t always play nice with others.  Or around others for that matter.  At any rate, it was really cool.  I got to take a lot of pics but my battery was running low so I tried to limit it.  That was probably the nicest flight crew I’ve ever had.  One of them was writing things to point out to us—Helmand River, Red desert, poppy trucks, etc.  It was nice of him. 

Half sunny, half shady me. 

The river

For the first time on my R&R journeys, I am staying in the dreaded South Park.  Apparently it is vastly different from what it used to be, but it’s still a far cry from paradise.  40 bunk beds in a tent.  I think I was lucky to get a sleeping bag-- they don’t always have them.  I’m going to pitch a fit if someone tries to offer me chicken one more time.  I’ve resorted to only using the port-o-potty because the normal bathroom’s door is messed up and the metal grinding is just too much.  But it is a lot better than the stories I’ve heard.  And even still, I would rather plunk down $200 just for privacy, quiet, a non-shared shower, and temperature settings that I can control.  Plus no 0200 wakeup call.  That’s going to suck.  And that’s about as eloquent as I plan to get for now, so I’m going to head to the DFAC to wait for my honey and the good news that his health is just fine.  Positivity is best :)