The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
Belgrade Through the Eyes of Jaromír Linda
| 29 June 2009 |
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade
Nationality: Czech
In Belgrade Since: 2002
The best thing about Belgrade is:
People, people and once again, people. They are fantastic, unique and peerless. You can discover hidden Belgrade with them, and by that I don’t mean its nightlife. You can discover forgotten Belgrade, and by that I don’t mean its monuments. You can hear unbelievable stories, because, here you can find “that something” which has vanished from the rest of the Europe. Oral history.
The most annoying thing about Belgrade is:
Most annoying? The omnipresent question ‘How do you like Belgrade? Officials who run events with kids in T-shirts hanging down to their knees. The silent war between drivers and pedestrians. I am still surprised when a driver stops at a pedestrian-crossing to let me pass.
If I was mayor for one day:
Thanks, but I don’t want to be mayor - not even for one day. Is it possible to build a bridge or an underground in one day? But if I was, what about arranging low-cost flights to Belgrade?
I feel at home because:
I’ll try to explain, although it’s not easy... Every time I travel to Belgrade, I say I am going home.
When friends visit I always take them to:
No hard feelings, with a few exceptions, I take them to the places we foreigners, don’t hang out in.
