I'm the old one

On Monday, a group of American college students from the School for International Training (the program I went to Nicaragua with) came to the office. They are based in Zagreb & came through Belgrade to talk to some Women in Black & other civil society activists.

At the end of the talk, the director, an American who has lived in the Balkans for the past 20 years, gave me her card & invited me out with them last night.

We went to Tri Sheshtra (three hats), a traditional Serbian restaurant on my favorite Belgrade street (cobblestone, pedestrian-only). There was a band - accordian, clarinet, violin, upright bass, guitar - playing traditional music. Most of the diners sang along. As the menu was mostly meat & there were a number of vegetarians in the group, we shared appetizers - super salty cheese, Serbian salad (cucumbers, hot peppers, tomatoes, and onions), the Serbian version of the chile relleno, baked beans, cornbread, & rolls.

The study abroad group was only 6 (mine was 16) & they had been together for a month. They were close & I spent much of the conversation being filled in by the student next to me about what everyone was alluding to. But it was nice. It was comfortable. Everyone spoke fluent English. I did feel very old, though - I did study abroad five years ago.

I did secure myself a place to stay when I go to Zagreb - with the academic director, which is excellent. Currently, when anyone goes to Zagreb, they have to stay with my boss's crazy husband who likes to talk about the best way to remove someone's fingernails.