Just when I thought we were entering Fall, the weather gods laughed and it is warm again. Totally unfair that our friends in Virginia are enjoying a magnificent Fall and we are still in T-shirts. Although, I do find it funny how Novi Sad residents have already donned winter jackets and it is 19c during the day. Is this some kind of collective memory, of how things used to be, and you can’t bear to acknowledge the warm weather? Foreshadowing anyone?
How to describe our beloved friend Brenda? Adventurous, Joyful, Open-Minded and Heart of Gold is a good start. Who is this dynamo? The story begins in 1989 when Eunjae met Brenda while working as benefit analysts at the National Sheet Metal Works Pension Fund in Alexandria, Virginia; while both were attending graduate school at night. The two formed a fast friendship and remain loyal friends to this day.
Prior to arriving in Novi Sad, Brenda attended a wedding in Ghana, Africa; imagine the whiplash of Africa to the Balkans. Brenda hit the ground running, and we immediately wined and dined her at our favorite restaurants. Having never tasted Balkan cuisine, everything was fresh and new. She enjoyed the bread, Kajmak, meats, wines and was initially unsure about Rakija, but it would later grow on her. We walked all over Novi Sad, and she really enjoyed the city centre, the Fortress, the City Museum and the Strand. Most striking to her was how tall, fit and friendly everyone was, how we walk instead of drive and how we consistently “ran into” our friends while enjoying the city.
Serbia Fashion Week
Our first adventure was Serbia Fashion Week. A fun-filled event we shared with Brenda, Svetlana and her sister. Interesting clothes and designers on the runway, and a great way to show the diversity and vitality of Serbian, Balkan and African fashion. Speaking of Winter Jackets, this year the organizers held the show outside. A bold move considering the temperature dropped to 14C ~ 15C, so poor Svetlana and her sister were freezing. Notice that Brenda, Eunjae and I are all without overcoats. No fashion evening would be complete without proper cocktails, so we adjourned to Nomad, a cocktail bar we recently discovered, to enjoy innovative drinks in the city centre.
Limanska Pijaca
One of the funniest experiences was taking Brenda to Limanska pijaca to experience a real market. For those of you who have not been to Limanska Pijaca, imagine a warehouse filled with every kind of food vendor imaginable. Juicy fruits and vegetables, farm fresh meat and fish and homemade honey, Rakija and cheeses. We go weekly for all of our groceries, and have started to develop relationships with the vendors who now help us pick the best produce. The biggest problem with the market is that if you buy on Monday you have to eat it by Thursday, or it spoils. A big change from the factory farms we have in the US, where the food looks good, lasts forever and tastes like nothing.
The funniest part of the visit was taking Brenda to the cured meats area. She saw a crowd of people near the butcher’s case, her curiosity sparked, and she just had to try some. Of course, the butcher was so accommodating and immediately hacked-off a slice of sausage, and you can see by her ear-to-ear smile that she throughly enjoyed the experience and flavors. Eunjae and I observed many of the other patrons taking delight in Brenda’s enjoyment of the delicious local charcuterie.
Budapest
Next stop on Brenda’s Magical Mystery Tour was Budapest, Hungary. We have said it before and it bears saying again, “We love how close other European Cities Are to Serbia.” This is our fourth visit to Budapest, and each time it delivers great dining, and wows with its architecture and history. Walking and taxi-ing all around, visiting all of the normal tourist spots, dining at interesting restaurants and enjoying lovely cocktails at our favorite bar. We enjoyed Indian food and some of the most creative and delicious dishes at recommended restaurants. We even went on a dinner cruise on Danube river, and it was just as magical the second time.
Final Thoughts
Brenda’s visit was terrific, we really enjoyed her cheerful and warm company. Viewing our home, in a small community of Novi Sad, through her eyes reinforced the “rightness” of our decision to move here. Bumping into and introducing our friends to Brenda demonstrated how we are building a community that we honestly didn’t have in America.
Brenda is at a crossroads and will retire next year. I think we helped her to see there are options for how to live (that are different from America), and that making big life change might appear challenging, but can be so rewarding. Before Brenda left, she made a heartfelt video thanking us for a wonderful trip; multiple shots of Rakija might have also helped. Turn up the volume and enjoy!