Our House Hunter's International Episode (Serbia -> Belgium)

Hello blog readers (and family and friends)!

Chris and I hope that you are doing well and thoroughly enjoying 2014! We have been quiet (on our little blog/journal) for a while because life has gotten quite busy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about that at all! In fact, I find that I feel incredible when I am really busy (I'm not speaking for Chris here - just for myself). Maybe I like being busy because I feel ultra productive? Maybe I get more done when I have a strict schedule to follow? Or maybe I am just wired to thrive under a little bit of pressure. In any case, a lot of people have asked if we would ever post our House Hunters International episode online, and after much ado, we finally got around to posting it! 

For those of you who are new here, Chris and I were filmed in April and May of 2013 for House Hunters International. HGTV wanted to document our move from Subotica, Serbia to Belgium, and even though we had already been living in Belgium for a good seven months before filming even started, they wanted to 're-create' our house hunting experience. We agreed to be filmed, and they asked if we could add a _touch_ of drama to our episode. In reality, our house hunting experience was not complicated at all, but for TV, we gave them some of the drama and conflict that they wanted. While Chris and I really loved filming part of our story abroad, this experience made us realize that most things on TV are slightly slanted and embellished. 

So if you are interested, here's our HHI episode! It is fun to have a 20-minute video of a piece of our journey together. One day we can show our children this episode when they want to see where we used to live around the world! 

Feel free to post your thoughts after you watch this, but be nice please! This is a positive space, and I won't post rude or degrading comments. (Why do people even post mean things about people they have never met? Unfortunately it happens a lot)

House Hunter's International - Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I finally made our way back to Serbia! After a year abroad, Subotica, Serbia had become our first European "home," and the sleepy city had found a way into the repertoire of our story. Our time in Serbia changed us so much that it is hard to put the lessons into meaningful words and sentences. I know that we will always remember our time in Serbia with fondness and deep gratitude. Over one too many cups of coffee, our group of friends said goodbye to us by focusing on the memories we had created in Subotica. The year had been full of picnics on Lake Palic, themed dinner parties, football and Frisbee games, sunny bike rides, family Slavas, and cultural home-cooked dinners. When Chris and I moved to Belgium in September of 2012, we promised our Serbian family that we would come back to visit as often as work and money allowed.

The truth is, the first six months in Belgium passed quickly. Transitioning into life in Belgium took longer than I had initially expected, and Chris' job proved very busy. I still feel like I am in a state of transition here, but I'm slowly finding my place and purpose in this new world. Getting back to Serbia was like a breath of fresh air - it felt like I was going home and waiting anxiously at familiar coffee shops for friendly arms to wrap me in a warm embrace. I remembered first stepping foot on the Korzo (main walking street) in Subotica, every face was the face of a stranger and every coffee shop was unfamiliar and new. What a difference one year in a new world can make, and how easily we can adapt if we allow ourselves to live openly and transparently. 

Farewell Subotica, Serbia

After a year, we are packing up our life in Subotica, Serbia. 

This packing disaster looks strangely familiar to me. Exactly one year ago, we were unpacking those very same boxes and beginning to arrange our new life in Subotica, Serbia. Luckily, our Serbian apartment was fully furnished; so only 30 boxes of personal items made the trip across the ocean with us. As Chris worked, I initially filled my days with unpacking and Serbian language studies. I self-taught myself by writing common Serbian phrases on post-it-notes and carrying those little, yellow helpers all over town.

Shortly after we moved, we met Marko, Lela, Sanela, Darko, Zoran, Sladjana, Danijela, and Nikola. They were warm, inviting and interested in our story; because of their acceptance, we started to feel more like friends than foreigners. Eventually, I started teaching private English lessons, and that provided me with some structure as well as flexibility in my schedule. With my first paycheck, I bought a juicer, and that juicer started every day with me. When Chris was able to take time off of work, we traveled! It's our dream to see as much of the world as possible, and we tried to make the most of our first year in Europe.

After a year, we had friends, we could communicate and we were generally comfortable in Subotica, and then - just like that, we were back to square one. Chris' company decided to transfer him to Belgium, so with that decision, our dusty packing boxes found their way out from under our bed. For a month, we sorted and packed and cleaned and said tearful goodbyes over many cups of coffee. As I reflect on our year in Serbia, I have to say that I'm glad it was hard for us to say goodbye; those emotions prove that we deeply invested in Subotica. We were more than two strangers passing through; for a year, we were immersed in the Serbian culture and we fell in love with Her people. This is the adventure that we signed up for, so while we're excited to call another country "home,"we will always have a special place in our heart for our first European home - Subotica, Serbia.

Just a few pictures of our last couple days in Subotica:

My Serbian bike is making the trek to Belgium - numbered and ready to go!

Last dinner with our awesome friends in Subotica (we are missing Danijela).

In front of the Subotica library. 

My last palacinke (crepe) at Boss Caffe. This was my favorite dessert. 

A sweet goodbye gift from our friends.

Wearing our American flare for the final farewell. 

We will miss you so much!! You are all invited to Belgium!

Last glimpse of Subotica's City Hall. 

When we moved to Serbia, we had no idea what to expect. A lot of people grimaced when we mentioned where we were moving, and even more people asked us to point Serbia out on a map. Chris and I moved without any judgements or expectations and we decided to make the most of our time in Serbia. I found a quote by Aldous Huxley that touches a cord in my heart, "To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." 

Next stop on our little adventure: BELGIUM!!

Thanks for reading!!

Our Life in Serbia

During our past year(ish) in Serbia, Chris and I went from being a couple foreign strangers to feeling like we belonged. We've made loads of friends, participated in a cultural parade, been invited to traditional Serbian meals, had a car accident, saw a local celebrity in concert, and learned so much about Subotica, Serbia. We know most of the servers at local cafes and restaurants and the initial anxiety we felt over not knowing the language has faded. While we are nowhere near fluent (or even conversational) in Serbian, we can understand most everything, and we've become pantomime pros! We have learned to just laugh through the language barrier blunders - because what else can you do?!

Our Serbian expat experience is unique in so many ways. It is a combination of the company that sent us, the friends that have embraced us, the places we frequent, the establishments we steer clear of, and our personal travel style. No one will ever walk the same path that Chris and I have, but there are a few things that we have learned that may be helpful to anyone planning a move to Serbia. 

Driving in Serbia - At least from our experience, just about anything can happen while you're behind the wheel. You have to be alert and aware every single minute! You will encounter slow Yugos, farm animals, oblivious bikers, broken down vehicles and people running across the road in unmarked areas. I was so anxious the first time I drove the car alone, but my racing heart has calmed down a bit. It is also a law that you must always drive with your lights on and you cannot hold a cell phone to your ear while driving. 

Ebay/Amazon/Pay Pal . . . They just don't really work here. There are some Amazon vendors in Europe who will mail packages to Serbia, but it's still a bit tricky. You cannot use Pay Pall, but there are some things that you can order and have sent to Serbia. The package will arrive, but then you have to deal with customs and the Post Office. . . 

The Post Office in Serbia - Once a package arrives for you (from Amazon or from Mom), the Post Office will send you a notice to come collect your mail. Serbia will charge you about half of the value that is listed on your package before you can take your treasures home. I believe you get away without paying a customs tax if the value of your mail is under $20ish. But, if your mom sends you $100 worth of Kraft Mac and Cheese (can't get that in Subotica), you'll have to pay $50 at the Post Office before you can taste that cheesy goodness. I believe companies have a way around these crazy fees, but if you're in Serbia on your own, expect customs to take some of your hard earned money. It is also tricky to get your belongings into the country if you are making a move by yourself and not through a company. 

The way you pay a bill in Serbia. Bills are paid to either the post man (when he comes to your door), or at the bank. There is no stable online bill pay system. We often go to the bank and fill out a pink piece of paper with our bank routing number and the number of the account we are giving money to. I asked Chris what happens if you write one number wrong, and he just said, "well, then the wrong person gets your money and it takes a long time to sort out the problem." We have never had that happen, but it is such a curious system coming from a world where everything is paid online. 

Biking is for the young and old alike. I bought a bike in Serbia, and while it may not be the safest mode of transportation, it is effective and I get lots of exercise. 

The Serbian Slava. When you're invited once, you're expected to show up every year. I still have to write a blog post about the Slava that I went to. A Slava is "The Saints Day." Every Orthodox family has a specific family Saint, and on that Saint's day, the family throws a big party and invites everyone! Once you come once, you are invited to come every year there after.

I know there are more things that I can write here, but I'll have to keep thinking! 

Have a wonderful July! I will be traveling for the entire month, so the blog will be a little sleepy! Please feel free to ask questions and comment! I started moderating comments because I am not really interested in some of the negative, political comments I have had posted. I will only post constructive comments to our blog. :)

Thanks for reading!

Graffiti Be Gone?

Just a little note to our readers: We try to stray away from political topics on our blog because:

1) This is our story - not a local politicians campaign blog.

2) We know that the Balkan history is sorted and painful resulting in a lot of political unrest. 

3) Everyone has their own opinion(s) when it comes to politics.

4) We really are not interested in offending anyone or even starting a discussion on the matter.

5) Ohhh yeah, and we can't understand Serbian well enough to follow what's going on in politics. 

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

All of that, and now I am going to briefly talk about something that may be considered "political." Last week, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in Belgrade, Serbia, and once he left, the image of Subotica started improving just a bit. Coincidence? Perhaps. But maybe, just maybe, one former politician had the words and suggestions to bring about positive change for another country. Serbians may not believe that he has any right to speak to them about improvement for their country, but he does have a proven track record in America. That's just my opinion.

As most know, Giuliani stands out as one of America's most memorable (former) Mayor's for his response and dedication to console and cleanup after the September 911 attacks. He also cleaned up the image of New York prior to those attacks by attempting to eradicate graffiti in the sprawling metropolis. He saw graffiti as a symptom of urban decay and he put actions behind his words. 

Now days, Giuliani has his own consulting company (along with several other personal businesses) and while he says he visited Belgrade on "personal business" and was not paid by any political party, some in Serbia have their own suspicions and ideas. It is campaign season in Serbia. 

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in Belgrade, Serbia.

These are the posts in the center of Subotica, Serbia - covered in layers of Graffiti. 

When we first moved to Subotica, I was shocked by the graffiti that covers almost every building. Walls and windows are vandalized with gang tags, political bashing, hateful phrases, and a whole lot of words that I (luckily) cannot understand. From the outside, even our apartment building looked like a ghetto, but once inside the cozy, remodeled flat, you forget how derelict the exterior appears. I secretly wanted to take a bucket of paint and a brush and freshen things up a bit. . . 

New paint!!

. . . . But as soon as former Mayor Giuliani left Serbia, this guy (above) showed up and gave our building a fresh coat of paint. It's amazing how much better the center of the city looks now. I have no idea if Mayor Giuliani's presence in Serbia and his stories of New York improvement had any impact on Subotica painting over some of Her graffiti. Maybe there is no connection, but regardless, any improvement is good improvement. 

Serbian Birthday Traditions

"One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them." ~ Virginia Woolf

Celebrating with Aleksandra (Sept.  2011) - my first Serbian birthday experience. 

For children growing up in America, birthdays never seem complete without a visit to the McDonald’s play place or a frilly, princess themed birthday party. For a lot of American teenagers, parents flip the bill for large dance parties or weekend getaways to celebrate another year of adolescent survival. As a young, working adult, usually one can expect a few hundred Facebook birthday messages, a decorated work cubical and perhaps a dinner out with a few close friends. Your few close friends pay for their own meals and perhaps you treat everyone to an after dinner drink or dessert just to celebrate surviving another year. The big birthday celebrations seem to disappear once you finish college (except for milestone birthdays – those are still a big deal in America).

There is something very special and unique about the way that birthdays are celebrated in Serbia. These are our observations and experiences in Serbia, but I am sure there are other birthday traditions that we have not yet encountered. 

Dad celebrated his birthday in Serbia. Check out that wrapping job!

My Dad's birthday just happened to fall on the weekend he visited us in Serbia. I planned a dinner and invited our friends and just casually mentioned that it was Dad's birthday. I had contemplated not telling our friends because I didn't want them to go overboard and buy a bunch of gifts. Of course they went overboard, but it was glad I mentioned his birthday because it was such a blessing to my father and we all had a great time celebrating. 

We bought a bunch of little cakes at Ravel Bakery in Subotica. 

If it is your birthday in Serbia, you (the birthday boy or girl) pay for everything. You don’t ask your friends to bring food if you’re throwing a house party, and you don’t expect them to pay for their own meals if you are celebrating at a restaurant. If it’s your big day, you treat. For every birthday we have celebrated in Serbia, this has been the case. In fact, it is offensive if a guest offers to pay for part of the birthday celebration. Believe me on this one - we have tried and been reprimanded. Chris and I had to quickly learn to just go with the flow when a birthday celebration was in question.

Another unique thing about Serbian birthdays is the way that gifts are given. In America, each guest gives the birthday boy/girl a gift, bottle of wine or gift card, and it typically costs around $25(ish). In Serbia, everyone pools their money and gives one big gift rather than several small ones. This way the gift is more expensive and often something that the birthday boy/girl really needs or wants. There is something special about this tradition because the whole community is involved in planning, purchasing and paying for a nice and truly meaningful gift.

I am not sure if these are Serbian customs or just the way that our friends throw a birthday celebration. If you’re a Serbian reading this post - and you happen to celebrate differently, please leave a comment and share how you throw a birthday party.  

Here are a few of the birthdays we have celebrated in Serbia. And lets hope there's a whole lot more to come!

Sladjana's birthday - and her fancy green heals  

We missed Zoran's celebration, so here he planned a second evening so we could attend

We went bowling for Marko's birthday and chipped in to get him a new computer chair

Did you know there's a great bowling alley in Subotica, Serbia?!

Serbian Orthodox Easter 2012

This is a late post, but I figured it's April, so an Easter post is still appropriate. Easter in Serbia fell on April 15th, and just like Christmas, Chris and I enjoyed celebrating the holiday twice in the same year. On April 8th (Catholic Easter - celebrated in America), we attended an Italian mass at St. Mark's in Venice, Italy and the following Sunday, Darko's mother invited us into their home to celebrate with a traditional Orthodox Easter breakfast.

Easter is a special holiday in Serbia because the country found a way to hold onto the Easter traditions and celebrations even through the era of communism. While communism changed a lot of Christmas symbolism, it could not erase the Easter egg. The egg is a symbol of new life and a reminder of Christ's Resurrection from the grave. While in America, superstores are inundated with chocolate or plastic eggs, fluffy bunnies and millions of pink and yellow peeps, in Serbia, the Easter egg is still (for the most part) a real-good-ol-chicken egg. 

Darko and the Easter eggs!

Like in America, Easter eggs are colored in Serbia, but they're usually dyed naturally (so they can be eaten) and the most common color is red because it symbolized joy, happiness, rebirth and the blood of Christ. Families exchange eggs and say, Hristos Voskrese (Christ is risen). The response is Voistinu Voskrese (Indeed He is Risen). This is the same Easter greeting I grew up reciting in my Russian/Ukrainian family, so I was prepared to wow Darko's family with my vast Serbian vocabulary! I got a kick out of ‘tucanje," or the Easter-egg-fight-game where everyone takes an egg and hits everyone else's to see who has the strongest egg in the bunch.

Traditionally the exchange of red eggs and the Easter greeting must happen before the meal can begin. 

This is traditional breakfast/starter Easter food. This meal eventually leads into a spread of meats and heavier food, but we enjoyed the lighter Easter fare. Darko's lovely mother served a spread of pork prepared in various ways, sausage, cheeses, radish, tomatoes, eggs, horseradish, bread and red wine. I was a little homesick for my family, so it was wonderful to celebrate Easter with Darko's family. 

On our way out the door, Darko handed us a red hardboiled egg, "Lana and Chris, this is your housekeeper." Huh?! Last time I checked, I was the McCoy's housekeeper. "What - do you mean to tell me that this egg is going to clean the house for me?" Darko smiled and shared one last Easter tradition with us, "Hahah - no that egg will never clean your home, but it must stay IN your home for the entire year. In Serbia, the first dyed egg is kept until next Easter, guaranteeing family security and health."


My little red egg has a proud place on top of our fridge - she is housed inside a tupperware container - just in case the "housekeeper" accidentally falls to her death and breaks. That would stink! Literally!

International Women's Day

"Happy 8th of March!"

Did you know that in certain countries, there's another day in between Valentine's Day and Mother's Day when women expect to be lavished with gifts and affection and multiple kisses?! The new "holiday" completely took me by surprise, but I am not going to lie, it was a welcomed surprise. International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th (yesterday), and I feel like I have been cheated of 27 years worth of mouth watering chocolates and bright bouquets of flowers! 

Maybe my Dad just kept the day a secret from me to protect his pocket book. 

Anyway, 

I got curious and started asking questions. 

So what's the deal with this International Women's Day? Do little girls get flowers too or do you have to have a boyfriend or husband in the picture? Do all school children bring their teachers gifts? Do women get the day off from work . . . or is this a working holiday? Do women give other women flowers and chocolate? What are the origins and why does America not recognize March 8th?

I got some mixed answers so I did a little research on my own. 

Initially March 8th was called International Working Women's Day, and it started as a Socialist political event to celebrate women's economic, political and social achievements. The day was primarily recognized by Eastern European countries, Russia and the former Soviet bloc - hence why I had never heard of the holiday in America. In West Europe, International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1977 when the UN declared March 8th the day for women's rights and world peace. Today, a lot of countries have dropped the political flair, and simply turned it into another day where women are appreciated and fattened up with chocolates and fancy dinners. 

The UN theme for March, 8th 2012 was "Empower Women - End Hunger and Poverty."

That is a cause I can get behind! 

My first International Women's Day was a smashing success, and I think I am going to demand it always be celebrated regardless of where Chris and I live. 

So here are a few pictures of International Women's Day 2012 in Subotica, Serbia:

Chris went all the way to Belgium to spoil me on March 8th with handmade chocolates!

My guy friends gave me chocolates and three kisses on my cheeks - that's the tradition. 

School boys bringing flowers to girlfriends or teachers. 

Almost every man was on a mission with flowers in tow. 

I think that women give other women flowers on March 8th too. 

Flower stands on every corner. 

I guess some people give dried "decorative" flowers as an alternative. 

Ready to sell and deliver!

Someone really loves her.

I found that in Subotica, some businesses give their employees a half day on March 8th, but it is still considered a working holiday. Ohhh, and all women, young and old, are given gifts, and it does not matter if they have a lover in their life. 

Subotica's City Hall Tower

My favorite picture of Subotica, Serbia. Not sure who the credit goes to. 

This picture was my first introduction to Subotica, Serbia. In May of 2011, Chris called me during his business trip to Serbia, and things unfolded sort of like this, "Lana, so my company is really sending us to Serbia, and the move is going to happen soon. I have to find an apartment for us to live in, but first I have to decide where to look for a home! You'll go stir-crazy if we live in the tiny village where my office is located, but I hear that Subotica's nice. It would be an hour drive to and from work for me every day, but I think we will both be happier if we live in Subotica. Start stalking Subotica on Google and get to know your new home away from home."

Like I said, that picture above was the first thing I saw of my new Serbian home. 

Thanks to Google, of course!

 Subotica, Serbia. 

I found that Subotica, Serbia is really more of a big town with a rather impossing City Hall standing guard over her 150,000(ish) inhabitants. The town sits on the border of two countries and its mixed nationalities and cultures attest to the 150 years of conflict, redrawn borders, and unrest. In short, over the past 150 years, the area of Subotica was part of the following nations: the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Hungary, The Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, The Kingdom of Yugoslavia, then back to Hungary in 1941 and then part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, then 'smaller' Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and finally modern day Serbia. What a whirlwind! The food, language, music and attire all speak of the blending of culture and tradition that define Subotica. Hungarian and Serbian are both widely spoken here, and service professionals are expected to be comfortable in both of those languages plus English. 

There are several historical buildings and monuments in Subotica, but the one that stands out the most (to me) is City Hall. Maybe that is because anywhere you stand in town, you can see the 76 meter (or 249 foot) spire. Two smaller City Hall buildings once occupied the center of town, but in 1910 the current City Hall was completed by two Hungarian architects from Budapest. It took two years to complete the imposing Art Nouveau structure. 

Despite the tumultuous history of this region, City Hall has remained relatively unchanged. The only thing that varied was the symbol on top of the main tower. When the building was completed in 1910, a cross adorned the tower, but in 1949 during the socialist period, a five-point star replaced the cross. In 1994, the original cross was returned to its rightful spot overlooking the city of Subotica. 

There is an observation deck that can only be accessed if you know someone. I happen to have a friend in City Hall who arranged a tour for me and my mother. Mom visited at the end of October, so this blog is a little overdue! 

Enjoy my pictures from the observation deck of City Hall. 

Steep and narrow stairs leading to the observation deck. 

The observation deck.

Looking down the Korzo (main walking street) in Subotica, Serbia.

Our house is in there somewhere. 

It was chilly, but the view was worth the discomfort.

St. Theresa's Catholic Church can be seen in the upper right corner. 

A view of The Blue Fountain. 

Items that were part of the first two City Hall buildings in Subotica, Serbia. 

The five-point star that adorned City Hall during Socialism. 

I am so glad that Chris "took one for the team" and decided to drive two hours a day so that we could live in the town of Subotica, Serbia. There is still so much for me to learn and discover here. My amazing husband made a great choice. 

And You Said You Hated Walmart. . .

Every Walmart looks exactly the same. 

Let me preface this blog by saying that I am not AT ALL fond of Walmart. I really don't care for their cookie-cutter stores, harsh neon lights, cheaply produced items, business practices, or their complete lack of ethics for that matter. I could go on and on, but it's enough to just say that when we lived in the States, I avoided Walmart like the plague. 

peopleofwalmart.com

I hope this is his Halloween costume. Peopleofwalmart.com

And maybe there was a small part of me that was terrified I might run into these characters without my trusty camera. Is this what Serbians think of when they envision America and her people? I sure hope not! To my Serbian readers, please be assured, that you cannot judge a county by the patrons of its Walmart stores! In my opinion, Walmart is a strange place, but not everyone in America shops there! And contrary to the two pictures I posted above, some very normal people can be found inside your neighborhood Walmart.

When Chris and I arrived in Serbia, no one believed that we were indeed from America. When we asked for a reason as to why our nationality was in question, every person said, "because you're not fat, and all Americans are fat!" What?! Again, do a lot of Serbians believe this about Americans? Or maybe my question should be, does the rest of the world believe that all Americans are fat? My reply was always something to the extent of, "You listen to American music and you watch American shows, and most of the singers and actors are not fat. How can you say that everyone is fat in America? That is a generalization." My claim was always brushed off with a similar reply, "Oh well, sure, all those Hollywood stars are the exception. They have people to cook for them and make them work out." The only thing I could leave the conversation with was, "Well, if you find me on Facebook, you will see that my friends and family are all happy and healthy."

I blamed the misconception on McDonald's and Walmart. 

But after living in Serbia for 7 months, I have come to miss what I refer to as "the Walmart one-stop-shop mentality."

In Serbia, a simple craft project will require you to run all over town for basic supplies. I found a cute project on Pinterest using recycled wine bottles. Great in theory, but totally a different animal when put into action. I asked my friend Darko where I could find a few crafty items. His reply, "There is a store by the post office where you can buy yarn and lace, but then you will need to go somewhere else, it's not that far away, to find a glue gun. Usually that store doesn't have glue gun refills, that is the only problem. For those refills you will have to go to the other side of town, but while you're over in that direction, you can pick up spray paint. You know that little store that only sells paint, yeah, that is the only place to find spray paint. Paint brushes, hmmm . . . I think you can find those at Plato Books but I am not sure where else you can find them. You said that you need rubber bands as well. . .  I don't know where you can find those."

After four hours of running from one corner of Subotica to the other, I finally plopped down and started creating. As I spray painted lace covered wine bottles, I found that I missed the ease of running into my local Walmart and knowing that anything and everything was contained within those four walls. Even if I had to deal with a few crazy looking folks.

Maybe you learn to appreciate things more when it takes time and energy to get your hands on them. 

Let the Rationing Begin

"Really, Lana, you've never had your electricity rationed? Hasn't the American government ever just . . . you know. . . shut off your power without warning?" All eyes were on me as I awkwardly replied, "Well, sure my power has gone out before . . . but only because a tree fell on a power line, or a drunk driver ran into a nearby utility pole. The utility companies always scramble to get the electricity working because they lose money every second that the power is out." 

I quickly learned that there is no such thing as a private utility company here. 

In Serbia, the government owns the "utility company."

Because of the overwhelming snow fall, the Serbian government worried that the power grid would fail, so their tried-and-true-age-old solution: power rations. 

 I guess it's normal and expected here. 

A few nights ago - around dinner time - Chris and I were finishing cleaning up the kitchen when the lights suddenly turned off. No warning, no flickering, just complete darkness. I peeked outside and realized that we were not the only ones without power; complete darkness enveloped the entire city. 

 In the eerie light of Chris' computer I stumbled around for a lighter and candles. Thanks to Pinterest, my love of red wine, and a whole lot of free time on my hands, I had decorative "candle-holder-wine-bottles" just in case. 

They make for great decorations as well.  

Chris and I looked at each other and started laughed, "so this must be the power rationing that Subotica had been threatening." We had no idea how long we would be living by candle light, so we snuggled up and watched a movie on the laptop. I made a mental note that we should always keep the laptop fully charged just in case the rationing continued through the dwindling winter months. 

I realized in that moment, that there would be no utility company scrambling to restore light to the city of Subotica. No private company was losing money in this blackout. In Serbia, when the lights go out, the government lets out a sigh of relief; they are saving money. 

Luckily our first "power rationing experience" only lasted an hour, but everyone around town keeps whispering that it will get worse before it gets better. 

Ohhhh well, at least I have a whole lot of candles and a best friend by my side. 

After all, it is a little romantic. 

Positive thinking, positive thinking!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are staying warm and that your home is well lit!

Cao from Serbia!