Zvezde Granda - Belgrade, Serbia

 Zvezde Granda - You go Find that Rising Star!

It's not exactly American Idol, but perhaps you could say it's sort of like "Serbia's Village Idol." The show is your typical singing show where contestants perform some variation of pop or pop-folk song, the judges do their judging thing, and then viewer text-votes ultimately determine the destiny of each performer. 

Zvevde Granda literally means "Grand Star" and "Grand Production" is the Serbian record label and production company co-owned by non other than Serbia's own Lepa Brena! 

(Seeing her in concert is on my Serbian "bucket list.")

Another fun-fact-to-know-and-tell is that Sasa Popovic, The Ryan Seacrest character on Zvezde Granda, used to be the accordion player in Lepa Brena's first 80's band. He looks super nerdy, but apparently ol-boy is quite the savvy business man. You go Sasa!

Okay, so why in the world am I giving you an overview of Zvezda Granda? 

Because I was in the crowd last weekend cheering on Subotica's own Daniela Petrik! How is that for a random, blog worthy experience?! It was a blast!

This is Daniela, greeting her fans before the show, and posing for a few pictures. Naturally! 

When Chris and I first moved to Serbia, we were shocked by how stunning ALL of the girls were. They all have long, super blonde or super dark hair, and the stores only sell once size, small and skinny, because they all have to be on the same diet. Did I mention that all of the girls seem incredibly tall?! Legs, legs, legs everywhere you look! Daniela has 6-inch heals on that definitely give her a little extra height, but even if she is not naturally the tallest of the bunch, she is no exception to the Serbian-beauty-queen-stereotype. She has the look that Zvezde Granda is scouting for. Her dress also reminded me of the white swan in the recent Natalie Portman flick, Black Swan. 

The rest of the contestants. 

Daniela flair.

More flair. GO DANIELA!

Darko - thanks for the invite! Ohhhh, and thanks for being Daniela's cousin! 

OMG - LEPA BRENA!

So, I knew that Lepa Brena was co-producer of Zvezde Granda, but I really didn't expect her to show up! I think I screamed the loudest when she walked up to the judging table. Our seats were directly behind her, and the whole time I contemplated greeting her in English . . . after all, she had lived in Florida for 8 years. I didn't do it though, and I am kicking myself for it now. The only people brave enough to ask the Serbian pop idol for her picture where the 10-year-old girls. 

One thing off my Serbian "bucket list."

Daniela's performance. 

Had to take a picture because her outfit was horrendous. I don't care who you are, that is bad!

This is the last picture I took because I thought it was so fitting. In this picture you can see a lot of excited fans cheering for that dark haired beauty, and in the middle, a distinguished elderly couple. They just smiled the whole time. No clapping, no screaming or waving of t-shirts or posters. They just smiled. They reminded me of my grandparents who were honest, gentle, simple, hard working farmers in Canada. 

It looks like the entire village came out to support their little rising star, and baba and deda put on their Sunday best for the occasion. Just thought it was cute.

In the end, Daniela did not pass. Sad. To be quite honest, I did not recognize or even understand any of the songs, so I thought she did as well as any of the other girls. Of course I am a little biased, but it seemed that the judges were slightly biased as well. For instance, that horrendous butterfly outfit received almost the same score from the "stylist judge" that Daniela received for her styling. Does that make any sense to you? Me either.  

Seeing Zvezde Granda live was totally an experience, and although she did not pass, I wish Daniela the best in her future career. Keep singing girl! 

Famous Lepa Brena

". . . . the most popular singer of the former Yugoslavia." - Wikipedia 

Found on Novinite.com - probably a picture from around 2004. 

A month after arriving in Serbia, I remember seeing massive billboards announcing a concert by some short-spiky-haired-blond named Lepa Brena. Then a little later, in October, I heard that this Lepa Brena sold out the Belgrade arena on not one night, but two nights in a row! That means that for two nights, 40,000-ish people were screaming her name and just dying to get their posters signed after the show.  Didn't "lepa" mean "pretty" in Serbian? 

So who was this "Pretty Brena" woman anyway? 

Found on Wikipedia - picture from her 2011 Belgrage show. 

I got really interested in this former Yugoslavian pop-star-sensation, so of course, I went straight to Wikipedia. 
Where else?

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Fahreta Jahić Živojinović (her given name), was born in 1960 and by the time she was 22, she released her first album called, Cacak, named after her home city. Her second album title translates to "Mile Likes Disko," and when my friends were trying to explain this pop sensation to me, "Mile Voli Disko" was the first song they had me listen to. Click on the link if you want to hear it for yourself. 

By 1991, she had released 13 albums, become an undisputed sex symbol, traveled through the Balkans performing to sold out audiences, acted in a few movies, and even managed to become a symbol of a united Yugoslavia. She married a Serbian tennis player named Slobodan Živojinović in 1991, and they moved to the States.  In 2000, she released a 14th album that was not very well received; so as a result, she retired for 8 years. Apparently she has a few homes in Florida, an apartment in Monte Carlo, and of course a home in Belgrade, Serbia, so it seemed that her and her family lived a good life in "retirement." Of course there is a lot more to her story, but those are just a few highlights. 

She returned to the music scene in 2008 and has since released two hit albums. She celebrated her 51st birthday by performing two sold out shows in the Belgrade Arena. Those where the shows that got me interested in this 51-year-old-pop-star-sensation.

She has loads of songs that can be found on YouTube, but this song just cracks me up. The translation is most likely skewed, but regardless, the theme of the song is pretty hilarious. 

Lyrics to Uske Pantalone (Tight Pants):

I love her as tight pants
these carry only the prima donna,
I love her as tight pants
these carry only prima donna ...
From alley to alley in the ...
all the sighs of the guys in the ...
What is sweeter than sugar candies,
tight pants, tight pants
what it adorns my white grandmother,
tight pants, tight pants
Guys say I'm fine material
I am girl which is rarely found,
I tell guys that's fine material
that girl as I rarely find ...
From alley to alley in the u. ..
all the sighs of the guys in the ...

Found in a Google search - Has to be from the 80's!

Thanks Balkanmedia.com for letting me use your pic. This is sort of what she looks like now. 

I decided that while I am not a fan of her music style (not to mention I cannot understand a word of it without Google Translate), I wanted to see Lepa Brena in concert before I left Serbia. 

Stay tuned for the next blog! 

Serbian Sugar Please

I mentioned to my parents that they really would love Serbia. 

"You should really get over here and experience Serbia. It is great, and the people are some of the most friendly people on this earth. Plus your daughter and son-in-law live here; as if you need another reason?!" 

My father's first question to me . . . 

"So, does Serbia have those tasty little breakfast pastries? You know the sweet ones that just crumble and melt in your mouth? Hmmmm . . . . I could really get in trouble with those!"

"Ohhh yeah, there is a Pekera (Serbian for bakery) right outside my door. You can find pastries on every corner, dad! Hurry, get here before they all sell out!"

Dad assured me he would visit as soon as his schedule allowed, but he rapidly put mom on a plane to taste-test those Serbian delights. 

We picked mom up Monday morning, and I announced that the following morning, we would take the 6:15 a.m. bus to Belgrade. No rest for the weary - or for the jet-lagged. Get your walking shoes ready!

Me and Mom at Hleb i Kifle - Belgrade, Serbia.

Mom's a trooper, and her energy and youthfulness often get her confused for my sister rather than my mother. I used to hate that innocent misunderstanding, but now all I can say is, "you go mom! I am sure glad that I have your genes! Now stop smiling, and get ready to walk and sightsee for the next 10 hours!"

6:15 a.m. came quickly, but as planned, we boarded the bus with Darko (a good friend from Subotica) and enjoyed the three hour trip to Belgrade. Our first stop was to check out Hleb i Kifle (actually spelled in cyrillic). I had to prove to mom that the pastries really were as good as I had bragged. Hleb i Kifle did not disappoint, but it left me wondering why in the world Subotica did not have this particular chain?

Business idea perhaps??

At the "Happy Housewives Cafe" in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Then in true Serbian style, we started the day off right. With coffee, of course! How fabulous is this cafe?! "Vesele Domacice" literally means "Happy Housewives." Fitting, eh? We were so early, that the city had not come out for their morning coffees yet; nonetheless, we drank our coffee and planned our day. Mom said she could get used to the strong, aromatic espresso that's common place in Serbia. I am certain that the three coffees we had throughout the day helped her forget about the nine hour time difference she was fighting.

Mom and Darko and fall colors in Belgrade, Serbia.

Mama's Biscuit House Belgrade, Serbia.

There was no time to stop and have dessert, but I just wanted to tempt my father with all the sweeties at Mama's Biscuit House. 

San Marina Chocolate & Pralines Belgrade, Serbia.

We did do more than just eat while we were in Belgrade, although it may not seem like it from this post. We saw a lot of famous sites and monuments, but those will be saved for another time. This post is all about the sweeties that we tried in Belgrade, and I think I had my fill for the next month. Our last stop on the trail-of-sweets was to San Marina Chocolate & Pralines. 

Darko talked the place up, and although the handmade chocolates are pricey, they're more than worth a trip and a few delicious bites. Talk about a sweetie that melts in your mouth! You can choose any sort of combination; dark chocolate with coconut (my personal favorite), doughy-delights dipped in milk-chocolate and rolled in cinnamon, chocolate with hazelnut, and even dark chocolate with chili. Seriously. We did not try the chili-infused chocolate, but it is on my "to-do-list" when Chris and I return to Belgrade. 

Here are just a few pictures to make your hungry!

Mom, Darko and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Belgrade, and I am sure that I will soon be taking dad on the same route! 

We are accepting visitors to Serbia, so feel free to drop in any time! I promise to meet you at the airport with pastries in hand. 

Safety First!

To my Serbian readers - I am sorry - but I just had to snap a picture when I saw this handyman getting to work on a busy Belgrade sidewalk. I know that this is a scene you see every day, and it would never cause you to look twice. 

I looked twice. 

My mouth gaped. 

My eyes bulged.

I instinctively avoided the flying sparks, 

and walked to the other side of the street. . . 

(. . but then I doubled back and got as close as I dared to snap this picture)

I watched sparks hit the rear of the white car seen in this picture. 

What about the people at the cafe not two meters away from his "construction project?"

Would the sparks catch someones hair on fire?

Everything inside of me wanted to scream: 

"STOP IMMEDIATELY YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN YOU'LL BE SUED!"  

Where were his ear plugs, eye protection, gloves, and steel-toed-boots?!? 

I wanted to throw a bag of safety items at him. 

If only I had 'said' safety bag with me. 

Now, before you think that I am totally off my rocker. . . 

. . . there is a reason for my exaggerated reaction. 

I promise.

Before Chris and I moved to Serbia, I worked for a municipal insurance company in the States. If it explains anything, I worked mostly in the Loss Control Department. In fact, I had a large amount of grant money each year that was specifically used to purchase safety items. For about six months of every year, I worked, ate, played and dreamt "safety." If a city needed reflective clothing for its workers, specific boots for winter, or Tasers for police, I was their girl. I loved my job and I thoroughly enjoyed our safety program. After all, I helped keep people safe, and the trade out was that my company paid out less in insurance claims. 

The negative side was that due to my job responsibilities, I started noticing safety "issues" everywhere. Chris could not stand on a chair to fix a light bulb without a nagging, "get down, you'll fall and break your neck. Slips, trips, and falls are our worst claims!" If I noticed a teen driver texting in the car next to me, I glared until I got his/her attention and I furiously pointed at the "no texting while driving" sticker on my windshield. 

Yup, I became that girl. 

I guess moving to Serbia has not erased my ingrained sense of safety. 

At least I only thought about harassing this man on the busy Belgrade street. 

I did not act on my urge. 

Can you imagine me as a mother?! I sure can't.

I might be a paranoid (but safe) mess of a mother. 

Stunning St. Sava

The Orthodox Temple of St. Sava is a must see for anyone visiting the city of Belgrade, Serbia. Although, it is hard to miss as it covers 3,500 square meters (37,674 square feet - including the gold cross atop the dome), and towers 82 meters (269 feet) over the city of Belgrade. Dedicated to the founder of the Serbian church, St. Sava, the church is built on the location where the Saint is believed to have been burned in 1595.

St. Sava's story is a one of vision and inspiration stalled by numerous wars and political change. As I gazed up at this stunning building, I could not help but think that the story of St. Sava in many ways mirrors the story of this region. There is so much potential and beauty in Serbia, both in the people and in the land, but so much is worn out and unfinished due to poor leadership and lack of money. 

Here is a (very) brief timeline of the Orthodox Temple of St. Sava:

- 1595 - St. Sava is believed to have been burned on the site by the Turkish Sinan Pasha

- 1895 (300 years later) - A Society is formed and the idea for the Temple is born. A small temple was placed on the site and later removed when construction actually started on St. Sava. 

- 1905 - The Society asks for original designs for the proposed Temple. Only 5 applications were received, and all were rejected. 

- 1912 - The First Balkan War that was shortly followed by the Second Balkan War = no more work on St Sava. 

- 1926 - The Society asks for another round of original Temple designs, and this time 22 aplications were received. The winning architect chosen for the building was Aleksandar Deroko.

- May 1935 - Construction finally begins; 40 years after the initial dream. Talk about perseverance. 

- 1941 - Bombings of Belgrade = no more work on St. Sava, and the Germans used the unfinished church as a place to park their vehicles. 

- 1984 - After a lot of requests to continue construction, a new architect was chosen, Branko Pesic, and building started up again in 1985. 

- 1989 - After 40 days of intense labor, the 4000 ton dome was added to complete the exterior of St. Sava. 

- Today - The exterior of the Temple is magnificent and complete, but once you enter, you're met with a blank canvas. Apparently the money is all in place, but the plan is to cover the interior walls and dome with detailed frescos. Such a task will take time and a whole lot of man-power. This is a beautiful and historical building, and a very important piece of Serbia's history. 

The massive and unfinished interior of St. Sava in Begrade, Serbia

The columns are completed in a beautiful, dark, green marble. I assume they're covered up to protect from dust and construction hazards.

The only completed frescos in St. Sava. 

The symbolic lighting of candles. 

Naturally - I had to get this shot. Now I have to get one with Chris!

Beautifully lit St. Sava at night. 

Fierce Fashion in Belgrade.

I'm not one to get sucked into any particular TV series, and I'd never be bothered to wait around the house for a reality show to air.   

Well, maybe there's one. Just one. 

America's Next Top Model. It's my guilty pleasure. When we lived in the US, I would ask Chris to TiVo an entire season, and then as time allowed, I "forced" him to sit with me and watch the aspiring models strut their stuff on the runway. 

Tyra Banks - ohhh how I love her in that show! Tyra - always trying to see the model in each woman -  encouraging them to rise above their insecurities - begging them to bring out their FIERCE side - helping them perfect their signature walk/pose - and always telling them to "Smise!" (Smile with your eyes.) Every episode found me imitating their poses and of course, "smise-ing."

"Look at me! What do you think honey? Could I get on this show. I am getting good at this "smise" thing!!"

"Ohh for sure baby, you were made for the runway. . . too bad you're about two feet too short."

Crushed dreams! Tyra would be so disappointed. 

In any case, I loved the show, and Chris had a way of picking the winner at the beginning of each season. I never agreed with his predictions, but in the end he was always right. Deep down, I think he enjoyed the show, but he insisted that he only watched America's Next Top Model with me so that I would reciprocate and sit through a little pro football with him on Sunday. 

Come on now - shockingly beautiful women vs. sweaty, 300 pound linemen jiggling their stuff all over the field? 

Take your pick. 

That was a terribly long introduction to my Fierce Fashion - Belgrade Blog.

The Pozoriste na Terazijama Theater - found on Google. 

When David invited me and the Real Housewife of Belgrade to come to the Herbafast Fashion Selection Show at Pozoriste na Terazijama Theater, of course we accepted! Tyra would have been so proud, and after all, I had been without America's Next Top Model for far too long. It was time to see what Belgrade had to offer the fashion world. It was also my first invite to a real fashion show. 

Thank you for inviting us, David!

David's company, The Hungarikum Centar, was one of the event sponsors. If I may say so myself, they were the only sponsor anyone paid attention to because they handed out champagne at intermission. Forget flyers and yogurt samples; everyone made their way to The Hungarikum Centar booth for a little mid-show bubbly. It was fabulous champagne as well!

Monica Belucci inspired design. 

The first five designers were showing pieces that exemplified the style of famous Italian stars. From Monica Belucci to Isabella Rossellini, the pieces were all stunning.

My favorite dress. 

From the back - and of course she is smoking. 

Drinking one of the sponsor drinks. Great marketing!

Lighting up and drinking on stage. Why not?!

Make a statement!

Spotted this guy at intermission. Seemed that he really wanted to be part of the show, so I took a picture just to give him a little bit of the "limelight." He is also wearing a golden-deer-ornament-thing around his waist. Maybe it was his belt buckle? Interesting. . . 

 The second segment of the show was a winter collection complete with a winter set and falling snow. Visually it was amazing! In my opinion, it was more interesting than watching models walk an empty runway. I included a few pictures below. Enjoy!

Where can we find these shoes? Aren't they fabulous?! 

Go get your green leggings for winter. 

 

The venue was lovely and it was full of important people, but since it was my first time in Belgrade, I had no idea who anyone was. Apparently the blond woman on the right is famous. Does anyone know who she is? David mentioned her name, but I forgot! Maybe I should start carrying a notepad with me. 

My first fashion show was stunning, and hopefully there will be more to come!

Cao for now!

First Time in Belgrade

. . but definitely not my last. 

After 11 weeks in Serbia, I figured it was time for a visit to the bustling metropolis of Belgrade. Chris headed out to work, and my backpack and I made our way towards the Subotica bus station. Luckily the woman at the counter spoke a little English, but just in case I had memorized enough Serbian to purchase a direct ticket to Belgrade. Savvy traveler Note - there is a bus that stops at a lot of little towns on the way to Belgrade, and one that is direct. Three hours later on the direct bus, I watched Belgrade slowly come into view. The dark clouds and spitting rain gave the city an ominous and dreary appearance, but I was still excited to explore another part of my new home. 

The Real Housewife of Belgrade met me at the bus station and while navigating complicated traffic patterns, she pointed out a few interesting sites.  I dropped my backpack off at her place and we hit the streets with her cute little puppy and our umbrellas. As soon as we started walking around, the rain stopped and although it was still a little chilly, at least we were dry. 

The National Museum of Serbia  - currently closed for renovations. 

We made our way through Republic Square, and surprisingly it was not all that crowded. I attribute the lack of hustle and bustle to the drastic change in weather. Whatever it was, it was great to so easily navigate a city of nearly 2 million people. My tour guide commented that Republic Square is a common meeting place, although it may not seem that way on such a blustery day. In the picture above, I am standing in front of the stature of Prince Michael and the National Museum of Serbia in the background. The museum is the largest and oldest in Serbia, but unfortunately it is closed for renovations that will cost an estimated 26 million euros. That's a lot of money!

We walked through the pedestrian only shopping area of Knez Mihailova Street, and I had to take a picture of these four characters. What were they marketing?? A donut, coffee cup, banana, and . . . a radish?? We could not figure it out, but they seemed to enjoy all of the attention they were getting.

 There were little stands all over Knez Mihailova Street that were selling chestnuts! I had never had a chestnut, and The Real Housewife of Belgrade mentioned that you could no longer get them in the states. After singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . . " we bought our own and snacked on them as we made our way towards Belgrade Fortress. 

I took way too many pictures of Belgrade Fortress, but I will post a later blog specifically about the fortress. There is just too much to write about and I don't want to bore you! This monument is called "The Victor" - the protector of Belgrade. 

This is the Supermarket Concept Store, and I want to live here! Part clothing and home decorating store, part cafe/bar; it is unbelievable. 

As we walked through restaurant lined Skadarlija Street, the Real Housewife of Belgrade suddenly bent down to pick up a cell phone that had lost its owner. She explained that she had once lost a cell phone in Belgrade, but whoever found it, never took the time to track down the rightful owner. She went through the contacts and placed a call to "dear husband," he would most definitely know the owner. "Dear husband" was totally confused and the language barrier did not make communication any easier. As she was on the phone, a waiter from a nearby restaurant frantically ran up to us. "I know who that cell phone belongs to," he hurriedly exclaimed. "Please come with me." 

 We ducked into a well known restaurant and were greeted by an excited woman in her 40's. She grabbed each of our faces and kissed us over and over again. "Thank you thank you thank you," was all that she could say as she clutched her prodigal cell phone. She insisted that we take a seat and enjoy a drink on the house. We politely tried to duck back out, but they would not let us leave. It does not take too much to get a glass of red wine in my hands, so we finally agreed to the kind offer. A platter of desserts came out with our wine, and about 15 minutes later, a pitcher of wine also made its way to our table. They were so happy, and I was touched by their outward display of gratefulness. Would this ever happen in the US of A. . . over a cell phone??

We said many thanks as we shook hands, kissed again and again, and parted ways. 

Beautiful St. Sava at night. 

 We had a few more adventures in Belgrade, but I will save them for the next couple blog posts. I will wrap this up with a couple more pictures. 

 A sunny afternoon in the park. 

Where's the SAFETY?!

I used to work in the safety and loss control department of an insurance company, so this scene made me look twice. Where are his goggles and gloves and protective foot wear?! Thought my former co-workers would get a kick out of this picture. 

 If you ever get to Belgrade, visit Mama's Biscuit House for dessert (not biscuits). 

Just to make you hungry, that piece of gooey chocolate cake was mine, and I ate every last bite of it. 

To die for!