I will admit I came to Croatia with only an elementary understanding of the depth and scope of the war. I wasn't prepared for the everyday impact it has on many Eastern European families-the Tuškan family being one of them.
My host father Tomislav grew up in Vukovar, one of the towns which was under siege for the longest amount of time. Vukovar lies to the far east of Croatia, along the Danube River. The entire town was destroyed by the occupying Serbs. Tomislav's father, Drago, left Vukovar (leaving his wife and other son Dražen) He was unable to get back inside the city, and has lived with Janet and Tomislav ever since. As for Tomislav's mother and brother, (Drago's wife and son,) they are presumed dead, although their bodies were never found.
A man who knew the story of their deaths agreed to meet with Tomislav and his father, but before they were able to meet, he died of cancer. Allegedly, both Dražen and his mother were shot on the side of a road; their bodies thrown somewhere into the unknown.
Years ago Janet and Tomislav went back to Vukovar to see the house Tomislav grew up in. They showed me pictures, and what was once a neigborhood was reduced to a pile of rubble and all sorts of debris. Janet told me the Serbian soldiers took everything of value from each house before torching it. When the visited, they realized eventually that they were standing on top of their former car. The only item they found intact was one of Janet's slippers.
I "read" the newspaper here every morning, and a few weeks ago, I found Tomislav's brother, Dražen Tuskan's name on the front page of the paper. It was a list of the dead from Vukovar. Three of the men responsible for the deaths of countless numbers of people in Vukovar were recently tried for their crimes. One of the generals was given 20 years, another was given 5, and the last was let go.
My host grandfather (Drago) was one of the many of outraged citizens who attended demonstrations against these sentences. The Prime Minister of Croatia traveled to Vukovar in order to try and quell the demonstrations.
Even now, bodies are still being recovered from the area inside and around Vukovar. Many are unidentifiable, but funerals are held for those who were lost years ago. Although being American is both a blessing and curse, we can certainly take a moment to appreciate our safety, something not everyone can give thanks for.
nedjelja, 30. rujna 2007.
petak, 14. rujna 2007.
Grub
Hello All-
Sorry for the delay, but I am developing a sort of schedule now, along with some semblance of a social life, so sadly I can't spend all my time furiously typing...
The subject of this post is food. I know everyone has been dying to know what I eat here, and how I eat it, and when I eat it and all of that, and I would absolutely hate to keep anyone in suspense.
The typical Croatian family will eat a light breakfast, i.e., toast, coffee, or cereal. The big meal of the day comes around 2. Most people come home from work to eat a hot lunch. Dinner is generally quick and small.
But I was lucky enough to have ended up with the family who is not at all the traditional Croatian family. We eat a smallish lunch, and everyone eats a big dinner together.
Both Janet and Tomislav are fantastic cooks. Tomislav bakes fresh bread about every two days, which is delicious, he seems to throw it together out of nothing. They are very acccomodating when it comes to making dishes for me that aren't red meat. Last week they had wild boar (!) but I had pasta salad.
I eat more fruits and vegetables here then I did at home, since everything is so fresh, you can practically taste the dirt. (Sometimes you really can.) Last night we had giant mushrooms, fresh from the forest. You never know what will appear on the table.
Stuffed Peppers are Croatia's well-known dish. The peppers are hollowed out and filled with a sticky combo of rice and some type of meat. The peppers are then served in a tomatoe based broth. (Yum.) Many people snack on "Burek," which is a crumbly pastry filled with anything from meat to cheese. Apparently they are best when hot. (They sort of freak me out) Zagreb is also famous for its pizza. Croatians claim it is much better then Italy's pizza.
I am addicted to Croatian's chocolate, which is called Bayadere; a little rectangle of chocolate with a hazelnutty penutbuttery filling. The only food related product I miss from home are Wheat Thins. (Hint Hint)
So there it is, the fabulously exciting description of Croatian food.
On Saturday I will be visiting the Plitvice Lakes, (by the way, the c in Croatian is pronunced like tse, so try Plitvice out) and on Sunday, I am going to the countryside for some castle viewing.
Love to everyone in the United States of America, in Croatian the U.S.A translates to SAD, pronunced esade.
Kelsey
Sorry for the delay, but I am developing a sort of schedule now, along with some semblance of a social life, so sadly I can't spend all my time furiously typing...
The subject of this post is food. I know everyone has been dying to know what I eat here, and how I eat it, and when I eat it and all of that, and I would absolutely hate to keep anyone in suspense.
The typical Croatian family will eat a light breakfast, i.e., toast, coffee, or cereal. The big meal of the day comes around 2. Most people come home from work to eat a hot lunch. Dinner is generally quick and small.
But I was lucky enough to have ended up with the family who is not at all the traditional Croatian family. We eat a smallish lunch, and everyone eats a big dinner together.
Both Janet and Tomislav are fantastic cooks. Tomislav bakes fresh bread about every two days, which is delicious, he seems to throw it together out of nothing. They are very acccomodating when it comes to making dishes for me that aren't red meat. Last week they had wild boar (!) but I had pasta salad.
I eat more fruits and vegetables here then I did at home, since everything is so fresh, you can practically taste the dirt. (Sometimes you really can.) Last night we had giant mushrooms, fresh from the forest. You never know what will appear on the table.
Stuffed Peppers are Croatia's well-known dish. The peppers are hollowed out and filled with a sticky combo of rice and some type of meat. The peppers are then served in a tomatoe based broth. (Yum.) Many people snack on "Burek," which is a crumbly pastry filled with anything from meat to cheese. Apparently they are best when hot. (They sort of freak me out) Zagreb is also famous for its pizza. Croatians claim it is much better then Italy's pizza.
I am addicted to Croatian's chocolate, which is called Bayadere; a little rectangle of chocolate with a hazelnutty penutbuttery filling. The only food related product I miss from home are Wheat Thins. (Hint Hint)
So there it is, the fabulously exciting description of Croatian food.
On Saturday I will be visiting the Plitvice Lakes, (by the way, the c in Croatian is pronunced like tse, so try Plitvice out) and on Sunday, I am going to the countryside for some castle viewing.
Love to everyone in the United States of America, in Croatian the U.S.A translates to SAD, pronunced esade.
Kelsey
Only In Hrvatska...
Happy Friday to Everyone!
Here is a brief update on the past week, and upcoming events:
Yesterday was a sunny and beautiful (ljepa) day in Zagreb, around 75, with a bit of a breeze. I had the genius idea to walk to school, but I got tired sort of quickly, and ended up hopping on the bus instead. (Got to love public transportation.)
After school Chandra and I went to get coffee before Croatian class, and both ordered what we wanted without the waitress switching to English the minute we opened our mouths. Quite the victory.
I feeel I should insert something here about how delicious the coffee (kava) is here. For some reason, it is exactly the right temperature; thick, black, and yummy. Perhaps this is why the majority of Croatian spend their time sitting at cafes, chain smoking, and sipping coffee, seemingly for hours on end.
After Croatian class, (we found out there are reflexive verbs in Croatian, along with seven different cases!) Chandra and I went to Tango class again. This time I danced with the teacher, and found I loved it. It is a relatively simple dance, but the music is wonderful, and there is something sensual about it, though not at all sexual.
I then managed, (through a series of long and comlicated events,) to get myself locked out of the house. Luckily, having been raised to climb trees, I managed to make my oh-so-glamorous entrance through the downstairs bathroom window.
Only in Croatia does your gym teacher ask you, in all seriousness, what type of alcohol you like to drink. My gym teacher doesn't speak English, so this was all being translated, but she kept yelling the words PUNCH??? She seemed to think Americans like spiked punch. Hm.
Here is a brief update on the past week, and upcoming events:
Yesterday was a sunny and beautiful (ljepa) day in Zagreb, around 75, with a bit of a breeze. I had the genius idea to walk to school, but I got tired sort of quickly, and ended up hopping on the bus instead. (Got to love public transportation.)
After school Chandra and I went to get coffee before Croatian class, and both ordered what we wanted without the waitress switching to English the minute we opened our mouths. Quite the victory.
I feeel I should insert something here about how delicious the coffee (kava) is here. For some reason, it is exactly the right temperature; thick, black, and yummy. Perhaps this is why the majority of Croatian spend their time sitting at cafes, chain smoking, and sipping coffee, seemingly for hours on end.
After Croatian class, (we found out there are reflexive verbs in Croatian, along with seven different cases!) Chandra and I went to Tango class again. This time I danced with the teacher, and found I loved it. It is a relatively simple dance, but the music is wonderful, and there is something sensual about it, though not at all sexual.
I then managed, (through a series of long and comlicated events,) to get myself locked out of the house. Luckily, having been raised to climb trees, I managed to make my oh-so-glamorous entrance through the downstairs bathroom window.
Only in Croatia does your gym teacher ask you, in all seriousness, what type of alcohol you like to drink. My gym teacher doesn't speak English, so this was all being translated, but she kept yelling the words PUNCH??? She seemed to think Americans like spiked punch. Hm.
utorak, 11. rujna 2007.
Politics
It is strange to know that today is 9/11, and be removed from it.
Yesterday my English teacher, who likes to grill me with questions about America, asked if I would even think about today being the anniversary of 9/11. Of course I said I would be thinking about it, even if I am across an ocean.
So far, this English teacher is the only person from whom I get the impression that she doesn't like Americans.
She has asked me in a slightly agressive manner, if most of the U.S. agrees with the war. I said that by this point, most of the country is against it. She then asked if this meant people openly disagreed with our President, and I said absolutely.
She then said she thought it was unpatroiotic to talk badly about one's President, and that we should stop talking about it. I was slightly taken aback, as the beauty of America is the freedom of speech, and the ability to express our own opinions. But I am lucky, as she is the only person I have encountered thus far who seems to have anything against Americans.
On a lighter note, the furance has been fixed, so I am going to indulge in a hot shower before school!
Love,
Kelsey
Yesterday my English teacher, who likes to grill me with questions about America, asked if I would even think about today being the anniversary of 9/11. Of course I said I would be thinking about it, even if I am across an ocean.
So far, this English teacher is the only person from whom I get the impression that she doesn't like Americans.
She has asked me in a slightly agressive manner, if most of the U.S. agrees with the war. I said that by this point, most of the country is against it. She then asked if this meant people openly disagreed with our President, and I said absolutely.
She then said she thought it was unpatroiotic to talk badly about one's President, and that we should stop talking about it. I was slightly taken aback, as the beauty of America is the freedom of speech, and the ability to express our own opinions. But I am lucky, as she is the only person I have encountered thus far who seems to have anything against Americans.
On a lighter note, the furance has been fixed, so I am going to indulge in a hot shower before school!
Love,
Kelsey
petak, 7. rujna 2007.
9. Rujan. 2007.
Good evening (Dobra Večer) friends and family.
Today my host sister Sara told me she thought I was going to be fatter and more bossy then apparently I am. What a relief!
Tonight I visited the town of Samobor, which is sort of a touristy destination for the inhabitants of Zagreb. Janet and I walked around through the park, and then went to a cafe and had Kremšnita, which is a delicious custardy like cake. Samobor is an old town, with no modern buildings. Very cool, very Croatian.
Went to my first ballet class this morning. Great teacher, and a nice studio. Unfortunately this class is only on Sundays (Nedljelja.) so I would like to find a few more classes a week.
Yesterday afternoon I went into the city center and had coffee with all of the other rotary girls. There was a big football (soccer) game between Croatia and Estonia, so there were tons of fans running around drunk, dressed in Croatian jerseys, which resemble picnic tables. But Adam tells me the jerseys are suppose to resemble chess boards.
School this week is in the afternoons, meaning I have class from 2 until 8, something that will take some getting used to.
Ciao.
Kelsey
Today my host sister Sara told me she thought I was going to be fatter and more bossy then apparently I am. What a relief!
Tonight I visited the town of Samobor, which is sort of a touristy destination for the inhabitants of Zagreb. Janet and I walked around through the park, and then went to a cafe and had Kremšnita, which is a delicious custardy like cake. Samobor is an old town, with no modern buildings. Very cool, very Croatian.
Went to my first ballet class this morning. Great teacher, and a nice studio. Unfortunately this class is only on Sundays (Nedljelja.) so I would like to find a few more classes a week.
Yesterday afternoon I went into the city center and had coffee with all of the other rotary girls. There was a big football (soccer) game between Croatia and Estonia, so there were tons of fans running around drunk, dressed in Croatian jerseys, which resemble picnic tables. But Adam tells me the jerseys are suppose to resemble chess boards.
School this week is in the afternoons, meaning I have class from 2 until 8, something that will take some getting used to.
Ciao.
Kelsey
četvrtak, 6. rujna 2007.
ZAGREB. WEEK 1 AND 2
Greetings Friends and Family,
I have decided to create a blog, since it is entirely too difficult to email everyone, all the time.
S0 I figured this would be a good way for everyone to check up on my life status, at their leisure. For those of you I haven't talked to yet...here is a brief summary...
So, here I am in Zagreb, I have been here for a little more then a week. I think at this point everyone has already had the pleasure of hearing about my harrowing journey here, it took about three days, and involved me spending the night at JFK Airport, losing my bags, and having my laptop stolen. BUT OH WELL.
My first view of Croatia was out the plane window, upon first sight it appears very green and hilly, with lots of farmland. Zagreb is a beautiful city, clean, with great architecture. (I will attempt to post pictures sometime this life.)
My host family is wonderful, they have made me feel so at home. I spend a lot of time with Beka and Sara, 8, and 12, who are always up for doing something. Yesterday, they gave me a makeover...My host grandfather Aya doesn't speak English, but we communicate nonetheless. My host father Tomislav is very helpful, we usually have breakfast together, and he helps me read the newspaper.
I have been running everyday, yesterday I went running in a rainstorm, with all the leaves blowing around, it was quite magical, to say in the least.
Chandra, the other student here, (from Colorado,) and I have been spending lots of time together, especially in school, since we are the weird exchange students. Just kidding, everyone is nice and friendly, and genuinely interested in speaking with us.
My other friend Klara down the street has been busy studying lately, since she has entrance exams for University on Monday.
It seems I am developing a strange British affect, since all my host siblings, and host mom speak with British accents. Wonder what sort of accent I will end up with by June...
Anyways, Croatian classes start tonight, which I am looking forward to immensely. And hopefully I will find a ballet class soon.
Lots of love to everyone.
Kelsey
I have decided to create a blog, since it is entirely too difficult to email everyone, all the time.
S0 I figured this would be a good way for everyone to check up on my life status, at their leisure. For those of you I haven't talked to yet...here is a brief summary...
So, here I am in Zagreb, I have been here for a little more then a week. I think at this point everyone has already had the pleasure of hearing about my harrowing journey here, it took about three days, and involved me spending the night at JFK Airport, losing my bags, and having my laptop stolen. BUT OH WELL.
My first view of Croatia was out the plane window, upon first sight it appears very green and hilly, with lots of farmland. Zagreb is a beautiful city, clean, with great architecture. (I will attempt to post pictures sometime this life.)
My host family is wonderful, they have made me feel so at home. I spend a lot of time with Beka and Sara, 8, and 12, who are always up for doing something. Yesterday, they gave me a makeover...My host grandfather Aya doesn't speak English, but we communicate nonetheless. My host father Tomislav is very helpful, we usually have breakfast together, and he helps me read the newspaper.
I have been running everyday, yesterday I went running in a rainstorm, with all the leaves blowing around, it was quite magical, to say in the least.
Chandra, the other student here, (from Colorado,) and I have been spending lots of time together, especially in school, since we are the weird exchange students. Just kidding, everyone is nice and friendly, and genuinely interested in speaking with us.
My other friend Klara down the street has been busy studying lately, since she has entrance exams for University on Monday.
It seems I am developing a strange British affect, since all my host siblings, and host mom speak with British accents. Wonder what sort of accent I will end up with by June...
Anyways, Croatian classes start tonight, which I am looking forward to immensely. And hopefully I will find a ballet class soon.
Lots of love to everyone.
Kelsey
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