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It never fails to amaze me the number of people that compare Serbia to another country, and Belgrade to another city. Last month, Lisa Toboz, a traveler of Bloomfield (Pittsburgh) who spent a few days in Belgrade said that "there were times I felt as if I were in New York." Then, Joe Harrison a 25 year old kiwi, who spent three days in Serbia (Belgrade and Novi Sad), went on to say that "the capital of Serbia is an ugly communist style city but yet its cafes and bars are pumping 24/7 giving it a good vibe making you feel as if you might be in Berlin or Copenhagen." Just a few weeks ago, Liz Kuebler, an American studying in Serbia, pointed out that "living on one of the most beautiful streets in Belgrade, I feel at home. Skadarlija reminds me of quiet tree-lined streets in Washington" The latest example is a recent blog post by Jim Bliss, who pointed out that Serbia is hard to define as a Mediterranean country. He said that Serbia reminds him of Greece in the early 1980s… Here's a short excerpt, but it's worth reading the whole thing:
"I’ve lived or worked on every continent bar Australia and Antarctica. But I’m not sure I’ve ever been anywhere that’s as filled with contradictions as Serbia. Mostly it reminds me of Greece in the early 1980s… despite not having a coast on the sea, the culture is primarily Mediterranean. The weather, the food, the pace of life, many of the more obvious mannerisms and attitudes. All very Med. But on top of that are layers of difference. Contradictory as well as complementary. Certainly here in the north of the country, there’s a very definite central / northern European influence."
Well, I'm not sure that we can compare Serbia with any other country in the world, and Belgrade to another city in the world. Belgrade is just not like New York, Berlin, Washington, or Copenhagen. Belgrade has buildings bombed by NATO, and the most beautiful women on planet. Serbia has a troubled and rich history, a vibrant culture, and fiendly people. You see the difference?