Oh little town of Leskovac

It's been very warm here in Leskovac... consistently in the 90s. Activity-wise it has been fairly mellow. Thursday (6/28), Else and I went to the local market in the morning to buy some fresh produce, and we enjoyed the fruits of our labor yesterday :)

Hustle and bustle in the marketplace

 

A quick video of the market (sorry for the low quality...my iphone tries its best:)

So many choices...

Else and her son, David, have kindly opened up their home to me during my stay in Leskovac. The house has a lot of history to it, and has been built up tremendously over the years. David is here for a few weeks to visit and help out Else, then he will return to Portland where he and his brother, Robert, live. They all attend Rolling Hills Community Church when in the States.

The lovely Else Stankovic preparing a scrumptious chicken dish

The Stankovic home

The front yard

Leskovac has a very quaint feel to it...very village-esque with terrific views overlooking the town, giving a grand picture of the cozy little town (I'll get a photo of said view later:)  

Belgrade to Nis to Leskovac

Saturday 6/23

Saturday, the last day at the hostel, was fairly uneventful as the previous night we accompanied Marko and his friends to a nightclub. The time was spent talking and meeting some kind folks, and the walk through the Belgrade nightlife to and from the club was vibrant as always…my favorite part. Anyhow, Saturday was mellow, and that evening Bata and Sladja (staff members from the Leskovac Evangelical Church) picked us up at the hostel, where they took us to their home in Nis, roughly 240km south of Belgrade.  

Sunday 6/24

After a night spent at their home, we got up on Sunday to head further south to Leskovac for a morning church gathering...floods of memories from 5 years ago. The gathering was meaningful for me, especially since Bata let me play the hand drum in the worship band. I had no idea what the songs were, but I just improvised and played along with the other musicians. No tomatoes were thrown, so I must have done something right ;) Really though, it was an honor to worship with the passionate believers here, and I was sure to tell them that when I was asked to speak a word of introduction. Some familiar faces made the event even warmer. 

Leskovac Evangelical Church

Gathering room upstairs

 After the gathering, we attended a Serbian wedding...a friend of David Stanković (family friend)...which is why I was able to attend in the first place. Any friend of David's is a friend of the groom's (he and David grew up together). 

Ahhh...the wedding. I've never seen anything like it. It began at the house of the bride-to-be, where a small live band played very exuberant Serbian music, while the family greeted guests, served refreshments, and danced...a lot. Later, the groom arrived at the front gate to whisk away his fiance, where he was serenaded by a freaking marching band...no joke. Why can't I get that when I wake up and head downstairs for breakfast? ;) Truly, it was epic. The groom arrived, where he headed up to the the second floor to partake in the Serbian tradition of paying the brother of the bride a negotiated amount in order to take his sister away to be married. Apparently they agreed on the transaction, because the couple descended the stairs back out to the front gate, where the wedding party linked arms and danced the kolo, a traditional Serbian dance. The brother also fired a off a few rounds from a pistol (right by my ear if anyone cares ;). Following this ordeal, everyone drove to Nis to view a  ceremony in a Serbian Orthodox church, which was chosen to be included in the wedding to honor cultural custom.

After the documents were signed to make the marriage official, the celebration migrated to a local restaurant called Bolji Život ("Better Life" in Serbian), where the real party began. Seriously, Serbian weddings make American ones look like tea time with two English housewives. I have never seen such nonstop music and dancing.

These great photos are courtesy of Kelly Bartz:

Proud mother of the bride with the brother to her right. This is at the bride's home.

ummm....yeah. That's how you announce the groom.

The lovely bride

Serbian Orthodox Church in Nis

Ceremony inside the church

Zoran, Stana, David, and I at Bolji Život

The newlyweds dancing...this continued on...and on...and on...and on...."please don't stop the music, please don't stop the music, please don't stop the please don't stop the please don't stop the muuuusic!"

Živeli! ("Cheers" in Serbian)

 I didn't get back to Else's home in Leskovac until...well I don't remember...probably 4AM. I felt like someone duct-taped that wind-up cymbal-crashing monkey to my head for 6 hours. :) Truly, though, it was a wonderful celebration...full of life, and I am very grateful to have experienced it.

Monday and Tuesday were not as eventful, just a lot of walking around Leskovac in the evening with friends, enjoying good food and good company. Four of us did go the the public swimming pool here in town on Tuesday, which was very refreshing considering the hot summer weather.

More to come friends.... stay tuned.

Peace and take care. 

Belgrade: part 2 of 2

Thursday, June 21 began with an enjoyable walking tour around Northern Belgrade, led by a lovely young Serb named Ana who was, of course, a walking textbook chalk full of historical and cultural tidbits. The tour was a leisurely, informative jaunt that was much appreciated, since we weren't exactly sure what sights were worth trekking to in the summer heat.

Here are a few snapshots of sights I found rather poignant: 

This bronze statue of Prince Mihailo, erected in 1882, is a monument of great importance as it was created in honor of the prince's greatest political achievement: complete expulsion of the Turks from Serbia and liberating the remaining 7 cities still under Turkish rule (1867). 

The meeting place for the tour: a monument of Prince Mihailo located in Republic Square.

Belgrade fortress, located in Kalemegdan Park, is situated on a 126m high ridge that overlooks where the Sava and Danube rivers join. It was first constructed by the Romans, then built upon by the Hun army led by Attila. In the 6^th century, Slavic tribes began pouring into the Balkans via the Danube and Sava rivers. When they saw the grand fortress, they would shout “White City” in their native tongue, which is what Belgrade actually means (Beograd in Serbian).

Belgrade fortress with The Statue of the Victor in the background

The Statue of the Victor, or Pobednik in Serbian, is a monument within the Belgrade fortress. Erected in 1928, it was created to commemorate the Kingdom of Serbia’s victories over the Ottoman Empire in the First Balkan War, and over Austria-Hungary in WWI. It stands 14m tall.

Pobednik

Much of our time here in Belgrade has been spent roaming the streets with a trusty map, locating various places and restaurant suggestions. Might I take another moment (and you should probably get used to this) to say just how incredible the food...namely the MEAT...is ;)

Pljeskavica...Serbian hamburger. I could eat these all day (protein-style, of course ;)

Grilled chicken with potatoes

View of modernized New Belgrade from Brankov most, or "Branko's Bridge"

Along the Sava river with Old Belgrade in the background

This time in Belgrade has served as an excellent introduction to Serbia, and I am very much looking forward to heading south to visit old friends, make new ones, and be a part of the ministry that is growing in Leskovac.

It is nice to know I have friends here in Belgrade, and Marko says customers returning to stay at his hostel get a 10% discount ;)   

Belgrade: part 1 of 2

6/19/12
The journey from Pdx to Belgrade was smooth sailing; I have both God and cashew clusters to thank for that ;). Since it could not be arranged for anyone to pick us up at the airport in Belgrade, we enjoyed a leisurely bus ride to the 12 Monkeys Hostel located near Slavija Square, a local hub.

outside the hostel...12 Monkeys hostel :)

Balcony view from hostel

hostel living room 

Once checked in by the owner, a friendly and accommodating Serbian named Marko, we got some suggestions for local restaurants since it was dinner time, then we took to the streets, where crosswalks abound and traffic has its own agenda :)

Marko Zindović, the hostel owner

We found one of the dinner recommendations (in the dark :)...a local joint called Fabrika. I got the "Serbian BBQ", which was as refreshing as a pint of Haagen-Dazs after a few days in the Sahara.

Serbian BBQ: meat sausages, cheese, red peppers, and deliciousness

Front entrance to Fabrika

   After dinner, we headed straight back to the hostel to get a much needed night of sleep! Today was more eventful, which I will write about later. Stay tuned!

I like diving boards...

I actually do like diving boards. I feel like I've been standing in line for one the past few months.

Now, however, I'm up next! Tomorrow is departure day, and I couldn't be more ready to get a move on. Tonight will hold a delicious meal with my parents before I go to a place that will give dear mother's cooking a run for its money :)

"Tyler, are you scared...or nervous?"

Only if I end up being surrounded by screaming infants on the flight to Zurich. *twitch*

Eager is the word I'd choose. Very eager. I love adventure in all its wild forms, and after I experience one it's a quick turnaround until I'm ready for another one. One thing I've learned concerning adventures that are relatively out of the ordinary, is that they are greatest when a conscious decision is made to invite God into it. I want and need Him to be the architect. I want to walk on a tightrope where faith is the only substance requiring dependency.

After all, I'm an American...I don't need faith ;)

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation." 

-Hebrews 11:1-2-

If it was good enough for people who followed God thousands of years ago in a lurid, barbaric period and were commended by God for it, it's good enough for me. 

Pray for this, friends. A gift of faith for not only myself, but the people I am going to. Faith in God--the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator, Provider, Refuge and Strength, Shield, Healer, and

Father, Abba...Daddy

Thank you, everyone, for your support. I am eager to report all that I see and hear. Stay tuned.

Oh...and...

Bring it.