To je to…sort of
I used to joke that a person only needed three phrases to get by in Serbia:
Moze, or ok/sure, could be used anywhere from farmer’s markets to restaurants. “Is this table ok?” “Moze.” “Do you want this watermelon?” “Moze.” “More wine?” “Moze.”
-To be totally honest, that response was usually, “Naravno!” (of course).
The next one was slazem se, or “I agree.” I inevitably attracted people, mostly older women, who wanted to speak Serbian with me. Even though they realized I didn’t speak much, they liked to talk about their aches and pains, other people’s illnesses, or the košava winds. I would smile, catching every third word and nodding gravely when it seemed appropriate. Lord knows what I agreed to with these women, but it seemed to make them happy.
I also was fond of “to je to” (that’s all/that’s that). This could sum up most things: a restaurant order, business transactions, or a general story. When my puppy would flop on the sidewalk in protest of a long walk, I would say “to je to” to passerby and it would always get a laugh. I’m sure I didn’t use it properly, but my meaning always got across.
“To je to” seems to be a fitting way to end this blog. The relocation, job hunt and house hunt took up so much of my time that I fell off the blog wagon. (Blagon?) And it was a little sad to keep writing about a place I loved, only to remind myself that I didn’t live there anymore.
But….
I miss writing about travel. And I miss interacting with readers all over the world. So I’m back, sort of. I’ll be writing about travel twice a week. Maybe more, depending on my schedule. I’m starting this week, while I’m in Paris and….Belgrade! Hope you’ll join me in this new, old adventure.
-RHOB
So glad! It will be amazing to hear about Paris and Belgrade! Have a wonderful trip!
September 2, 2012 at 10:23 pm
So fun to see another post and excited there will be more as you travel. I’ve missed reading your blog, it was always my favorite study break! How about you come to Seattle and write about that trip? soon i hope! 🙂
September 2, 2012 at 11:05 pm
Hey, great to see you back! Andy
September 3, 2012 at 11:38 am
Paris, je t’aime!! You back to BG??? Cool. We missed you here!
September 3, 2012 at 11:58 am
Thanks! I still want to get a copy of that book of yours, preferably in BG!
September 6, 2012 at 6:15 pm
You’ll be back …
November 4, 2012 at 5:24 am
Sooner than you’d think!
November 5, 2012 at 1:35 am