Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Derby
On my first Saturday in Serbia my friends took me to see "The Derby". It is the rivalry between the top two soccer teams in Serbia (both of who are from Belgrade). It is Partisan aka gravediggers and red star aka heros. The teams were both formed after the second world war and have always carried a vague political connection. The fans have always been devoted. Since the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the many wars throughout the Balkans the fans have become more violent. The hooligans are mostly in their late teens and early twenties. A group of people who's parents lived well and who are now prisoners in their own country unable to make enough money to do the things they want to do. The soccer games have provided an outlet for this frustration over the last 15 years, however a very dangerous and often deadly outlet. In recent years there have been a few deaths. There are often fights of 50 people vs 50 people before games (all can be seen on youtube), people have been shot, and recently a hooligan got 10 years in jail for stuffing a burning flair down a police officer's throat.
One of my friends, Ivan, was at a game a few years earlier. He apparently was not cheering loud enough so a group of people started punching him and chasing him through the stands. I was told this story on our way down to the game and, to say the least, it did not put me at ease. Four of us went to the game Edin, Ivan, Vladi, and me. Vladi and Ivan bought seats on the sides where the neutral fans go to watch the game in peace. Edin however wanted me to really experience The Derby how it should be experienced and he took me into the heart of the Gravediggers (his team). We were in the southern end zone bleachers with about 10,000 wild and crazy fans. We pushed our way through to be in the absolute middle.
I would not go so far as to say I was scared but a little nervous yes, cautious yes. I was in the middle of a group of 10,000 angry young people. People who were angry for not having the opportunities that they deserve. People who have seen their politicians pull them into war after war. People who are furious at the west for recognizing Kosovo's recent independence (Kosovo is historically the heartland of Serbia. Most of the Serbian history, masques, etc is in Kosovo) and who burned the United States Embassy in Belgrade in February (). Well, with all of this in mind I planned on making sure I cheered the loudest and jumped the highest.
No alcohol is allowed within 1 mile of the stadium. Starting from about a mile away from the stadium there were cops in riot gear stationed in pairs every 20 feet (head to toe armor with batons, guns, shields, helmets, and masks). As we got closer to the the field the cops were stationed every three feet. There were over 2500 cops in riot gear in total. The games have recently turned more violent and the country was determined to not allow this game to turn deadly.
As soon as the game began the fans erupted. A banner showing their allegiance to their team was passed over our heads. The banner was like nothing I have ever seen before. It was 75 yards wide and 50 yards long. It stretched over all of our heads and almost the whole end zone. On the sides people lit colored flares and everyone chanted the Gravedigger songs. After about ten minutes the banner was taken down and we watched the game. The whole time all the fans were on their feet cheering loudly. The cheers were directed not towards their team but towards the fans of Red Star. Calling them every insult that one could think of. I chanted right along with them all. Following along in Serbian yelling loud but not loud enough that people could tell I had no idea what I was saying. I was hoping for a Gravedigger victory, not so much because I was a fan but because I did not want to be amongst this crowd if they lost.
The Gravediggers did indeed win, 2-0. After the second goal was scored the fans went crazy. They lit flares on fire and threw them at the cops that were surrounding the field. In between the stands and the field were bushes where fans had put flags. These flags and bushes caught fire from the flares. The cops rushed forward to put out the fires and the fans in return pulled the seats out of the ground and threw them on top of the police.
When the game ended everyone filed out of the stadium. The riot police were everywhere making sure the fans of the two opposing sides could not go near each other. We made our way to the car and headed back home. The game was a fun time and I felt I learned a great deal.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Hiking in Bulgaria
In people's lives there are great decades, great years, and great months. These however are all made up of great days. Today was a great day. I had one of the best days of my life today hiking through the mountains at 7500 feet among pristine lakes and patches of snow on Pirin mountain in south west Bulgaria.
The weather was a perfect fall day: crisp air, clear sky, and plenty of sunshine. Pirin mountain is a group of sharp peaks, granite rocks, green valleys, and many beautiful lakes. I was with my Bulgarian friend Miro and a friend of his. I arrived in Bulgaria a few days ago and was staying at Miro's house in a college town in the mountains. Today he was going to show me his backyard: Pirin mountain. I feel most at home and most at peace when I am walking the mountains with no one talking to me except for the rivers whispering their song in the distance and the wind blowing through the trees. The mountains are my church.
We followed the trail for an hour or so and saw some beautiful lakes nestled in among the peaks. The path was getting steeper but I still wanted more physical exhaustion. I could see the peak we were headed to in the distance and I left the trail to hike straight up the face of the mountain hand over foot leaping among the granite rocks. I reached the peak 2 hours later and could see the Bulgarian mountain chain stretch on in all directions. The valleys below were scattered with lakes of a color I had never seen before. It must have been a combination of my physical exhaustion and the beauty of the mountains but I felt a peace come over me that I have rarely felt. It made me feel totally at ease and happy with my life. Standing on that peak I began to think about all the everyday things that people worry about and how we spend so much time worrying about the things we cannot control.
As I stood on that peak the economy of my country and many other countries was collapsing. People's lives savings are disappearing, students are losing their student loans (something that has caused me some consternation). Standing on that peak it made me realize that things are going to happen the way things are going to happen. Things will either get worse or they will get better but all the worrying in the world cannot change things. It is like the mountains I was looking at: they were there before and they will be there long to come. It does us no good worrying about the things we cannot control. Life is short and we need to make the most out of every minute we have on this planet. Today I had a great day. When I am on my deathbed I want to be able to say that I lived a great life. In order for me to do that I know I need to pack in as many great days as possible.
****************************
Miro and Boris joined me shortly after on the peak and we all looked at each other with the knowledge that we were experiencing something amazing. On the opposite side of the peak from where we came from there were two small lakes surrounded by soft green fields. We decided to hike down to them and eat our lunch. At this point I had been in Bulgaria about 4 days and all the food I had eaten was grown within a 10 mile radius of my friends house. Our lunch was one of the best meals I have ever had. After 3.5 hours of hiking anything would have been great but this lunch was amazing indeed. We had fresh feta cheese, homemade bread, delicious tomatoes and cucumbers, Bulgarian sausage, and letanica (best described as Bulgarian bruceta). We washed it all down with spring water from a nearby stream. After we ate I lied down on the grass and dozed off under the afternoon sun.
When I awoke it was time to head down the mountain. On the walk down I had more time to take in the views surrounding me. Today was a day I will not soon forget
The weather was a perfect fall day: crisp air, clear sky, and plenty of sunshine. Pirin mountain is a group of sharp peaks, granite rocks, green valleys, and many beautiful lakes. I was with my Bulgarian friend Miro and a friend of his. I arrived in Bulgaria a few days ago and was staying at Miro's house in a college town in the mountains. Today he was going to show me his backyard: Pirin mountain. I feel most at home and most at peace when I am walking the mountains with no one talking to me except for the rivers whispering their song in the distance and the wind blowing through the trees. The mountains are my church.
We followed the trail for an hour or so and saw some beautiful lakes nestled in among the peaks. The path was getting steeper but I still wanted more physical exhaustion. I could see the peak we were headed to in the distance and I left the trail to hike straight up the face of the mountain hand over foot leaping among the granite rocks. I reached the peak 2 hours later and could see the Bulgarian mountain chain stretch on in all directions. The valleys below were scattered with lakes of a color I had never seen before. It must have been a combination of my physical exhaustion and the beauty of the mountains but I felt a peace come over me that I have rarely felt. It made me feel totally at ease and happy with my life. Standing on that peak I began to think about all the everyday things that people worry about and how we spend so much time worrying about the things we cannot control.
As I stood on that peak the economy of my country and many other countries was collapsing. People's lives savings are disappearing, students are losing their student loans (something that has caused me some consternation). Standing on that peak it made me realize that things are going to happen the way things are going to happen. Things will either get worse or they will get better but all the worrying in the world cannot change things. It is like the mountains I was looking at: they were there before and they will be there long to come. It does us no good worrying about the things we cannot control. Life is short and we need to make the most out of every minute we have on this planet. Today I had a great day. When I am on my deathbed I want to be able to say that I lived a great life. In order for me to do that I know I need to pack in as many great days as possible.
****************************
Miro and Boris joined me shortly after on the peak and we all looked at each other with the knowledge that we were experiencing something amazing. On the opposite side of the peak from where we came from there were two small lakes surrounded by soft green fields. We decided to hike down to them and eat our lunch. At this point I had been in Bulgaria about 4 days and all the food I had eaten was grown within a 10 mile radius of my friends house. Our lunch was one of the best meals I have ever had. After 3.5 hours of hiking anything would have been great but this lunch was amazing indeed. We had fresh feta cheese, homemade bread, delicious tomatoes and cucumbers, Bulgarian sausage, and letanica (best described as Bulgarian bruceta). We washed it all down with spring water from a nearby stream. After we ate I lied down on the grass and dozed off under the afternoon sun.
When I awoke it was time to head down the mountain. On the walk down I had more time to take in the views surrounding me. Today was a day I will not soon forget
Off the the Balkans
So I have embarked on my last exploration before I head back to school to get my MBA in international business at Thunderbird ( www.thunderbird.edu). I've decided to go to Eastern Europe. It is a part of the world I have never seen before and a place I can learn a lot. Traveling is my biggest passion and I love to travel for many reasons. I have always been fascinated by history (my college major) and by traveling you can get a feel for history first hand. I think it is very important to learn about different cultures. The more we learn about the world and the people living in it the better understanding we can have with each other. This understanding is vital for the world to avoid war upon war that accomplishes nothing except to create more hatred and animosity.
From my summers working in Nantucket I have made close friends scattered throughout the Balkans. I arrived in Serbia in the end of September and my friends Edin, Vladi, and Ivan picked me up in Belgrade. We drove to their hometown of Novi Sad, the 2nd largest city in Serbia, about 2 hours north. In Serbia, much like many places throughout the world, people live with their parents until they get married. In many catholic countries people do this out of custom. Here in Serbia people do it because they have no other option. The average salary is 400 USD per month. To rent an apartment it would cost more than half of that. You add in food and other necessities and it becomes impossible.
My friends found an apartment for me to rent in downtown Novi Sad. It is on the main Boulevard on the 17th floor and overlooks the whole city. Behind the city the mighty Danube roars by. All of the bridges over the river are less than 7 years old. They were built to replace the older bridges that were bombed by the US military in 1999.
Serbia has gone through a rough time in the last 20 years since the break up of the former Yugoslavia. They have had wars in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo. They have had despotic rulers, Foreign super powers bombing them, and their country has been fragmented. Their economy has collapsed and shows no signs of improvement.
In spite of all of this the people are resilient. My friends grew up playing basketball while bombs were dropping all around them. Now everyone seems to just want to forget the past, forget the fighting, and move forward. Everywhere I go everyone is friendly to me. People go out of their way to show me around and to answer my many questions about their country and their history. Serbia is indeed a gorgeous country.
My goal of this trip is to learn as much about this region as I possibly can... and of course to have some fun while I'm doing it.
From my summers working in Nantucket I have made close friends scattered throughout the Balkans. I arrived in Serbia in the end of September and my friends Edin, Vladi, and Ivan picked me up in Belgrade. We drove to their hometown of Novi Sad, the 2nd largest city in Serbia, about 2 hours north. In Serbia, much like many places throughout the world, people live with their parents until they get married. In many catholic countries people do this out of custom. Here in Serbia people do it because they have no other option. The average salary is 400 USD per month. To rent an apartment it would cost more than half of that. You add in food and other necessities and it becomes impossible.
My friends found an apartment for me to rent in downtown Novi Sad. It is on the main Boulevard on the 17th floor and overlooks the whole city. Behind the city the mighty Danube roars by. All of the bridges over the river are less than 7 years old. They were built to replace the older bridges that were bombed by the US military in 1999.
Serbia has gone through a rough time in the last 20 years since the break up of the former Yugoslavia. They have had wars in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo. They have had despotic rulers, Foreign super powers bombing them, and their country has been fragmented. Their economy has collapsed and shows no signs of improvement.
In spite of all of this the people are resilient. My friends grew up playing basketball while bombs were dropping all around them. Now everyone seems to just want to forget the past, forget the fighting, and move forward. Everywhere I go everyone is friendly to me. People go out of their way to show me around and to answer my many questions about their country and their history. Serbia is indeed a gorgeous country.
My goal of this trip is to learn as much about this region as I possibly can... and of course to have some fun while I'm doing it.
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