crowded weekend: episode 2

Saturday at noon was the big Milosevic memorial in Belgrade. Really scary. I skirted the assembled masses on my way to and from the grocery store. After I came home, I opened a window and listened to the roar of the masses. So many people - I heard estimates of 80,000, many sporting buttons in support of Seselj. My lack of Serbian language comprehension (or I can blame the bad amplification) was probably beneficial. I could pick out words, "Kosovo, Albanians, Serbia." It's probably for the best that I couldn't string them together.

My Serbian existence is such a bubble. The only people I ever talk politics with are my super progressive coworkers. I sometimes forget that they are not representative, that there are people who still like Milosevic, who would come out to stand in a crowd to support him.

I suppose it's good for me to remember how special and extraordinary my world is here. Next time I am in need of such a reminder, I would prefer it not to involve 80,000 nationalists.