Zagreb, Croatian Folk Music, and Cute Babies!

Hey Everyone!

I had such an awesome weekend here in Croatia! My last two classes on Friday went really well. I taught my oldest class about New York and then I had them write mini compositions about their favorite city. I thought they would all do Zagreb or a coastal city, but the majority of them actually chose Pleternica, their hometown which has around 4000 people. I thought it was pretty cute how much they love their home. They gave reasons like You cant get lost, and I was born here. After that we did an excercie where they had to fill in the blanks to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. I taught them the names of different music generas. Then they showed me some Croatian folk music. We were all laughing and chatting by the end of class. It was a really fun class and definitely restored my faith in myself as a teacher a bit.

Also, I am pretty sure my family slaughtered a sheep on Friday because I heard what may have been sheep screams and then a huge bowlful of meat appeared in the kitchen. Oh and when I went to go play with the kittens in the yard this morning I saw their dog Juro playing with what looked like a long intestine. Oh yeah.

Friday night my host brothers were staying in so I headed over to the elemetary school where all the teenagers aged 16 to 25 hang out every single night. There are usually like 15 people there or so. The majority of them dont speak English, but Ive gotten pretty creative to communicate with them and I have made a few solid friends. Its pretty funny, whenever I get across something about myself to one person, everyone knows the next day. For example I told one girl who speaks some English that I spoke Spanish. The next day everyone was saying Hola! to me when I came. One of the boys rode a moped there and offered to give me a ride home (it wasnt very far considering Im three houses away from the school). I jumped on and it was quite a thrill. Croatians are very funny people, everyone is constantly teasing each other and laughing uproariously. Its a very jokey sort of culture. I had a pretty good time hanging out on Friday, even though I understood about 5 percent of what was going on.

On Saturday, I decided to take a day trip to Zagreb by myself. I woke up at around 7, and my host brother Pasco walked me to the local train station. Basically you turn down this dirt path, walk for a half a mile through endless fields of wheat, and smack dab in the middle of this farmalnd there is a tiny little house where an old couple lives and 2 train tracks. This is the train station. The level of public transportation is just unreal here compared to the USA. Sulkovci is a village of 700 people and it has its own train station. Yes, its in the middle of a feild, but its there! You can get basically anywhere in Europe with pluck and a working knowledge of bahn.com (this German website is a lifesaver for figuring out train schedules). You truly do not need a car here to get around. It really is a deep flaw of America that our transportation system is so undeveloped.

So I hoped on the train, which took me to Nova Kapela where I connected to my next train to Zagreb. All in all it took me about 2 and a half hours. I arrived in Zagreb, immediatly got lost for 30 minutes, and then made my way to the Archelogical Museum. I was feeling pretty tired (I havent been sleeping very well here) so I popped into the first cafe I saw. It was the restaurant of a very expensive hotel. It was a very expensive cappuccino and crosiante by Croatian terms, but for about a half an hour I felt like I was in the USA (sort of) which was worth it in a way.

The musuem was totally sweet. They had an awesome exhibit on Greek vases that totally blew my mind. They were so stunning yet playful. They also had all this cool Eygptian art and even a mummy. I started to think about my class on the History of Rome next semester and got a nerdtastic rush of excitement. I love nerdy stuff like that so I was in heaven wandering around. I started to feel kind of tired and out of it though, so I headed out.

I headed over to the main square, where I picked up some beautful handcrafted earrings and an almond pastry at a craft fair. It was starting to rain and I was very glad my host mom gave me an umbrella. I walked down further looking for the pizza place one of the musuem emplyees recommeded to me (I always eat pizza whenever I can here it makes me feel sort of at home hahah). As I walked I started to feel more achey, tired, and cloudy. I ate and decided to take an earlier train back, I just really didnt feel good. I walked back and shopped a bit, although I sort of made my purchases in a haze.

I got on the train back and a Croatian lady let me use her cell phone so I could tell my host brother to come pick me up. I slept on the train and felt a bit better. My host mother came and picked me up and some random guy got in the car with us. After a few minutes I figured out he was a friend of Pascos she had run into. There is definitily a certain friendliness and willingness to trust here that you dont see very often in the US.

I went right to bed when I got home, slept until 930 and then with great effort rallied to go out with Pasco and Marko. A few of their friends showed up and we piled into their friends car. The guy who was driving has a utterly unprnoucable Croatian name starting with an M. He also speaks zero English. I started calling him Mike which everyone thinks is hilarious. They all shout Mike Tyson when he shows up.

We headed to their favorite bar and ordered some beers. It was me and about 9 Crotain boys so I just kind of observed while they chattered away in Croatian. Its cutomary in Croatia for girls to never pay for drinks and literally the whole entire night all of their friends were falling over themselves to buy me drinks. It was really sweet of them, but I had three full drinks sitting in front of me at one point. Ive made a point to drink very sparingly whole Ive been in Europe. I have a policy of not drinking heavily in an sort of unfamiliar location. Its just too dangerous. Its worked out pretty well so far.

After about an hour and half, we headed to a different bar that was sort of more like a club. Its kind of hilarious that Pleternitza, which only has 3000 to 4000 people has like 5 times as many bars and clubs than New City. I ran into my Candian friend Tomaslav there, which was a relief. Everyone was having a great time and Marko was even talking to me! (ive been trying terribly ahrd to be his friend for the last week with sort of mixed results hes a very shy guy). Around 1 am, the music switched to traditional Croatian folk and rock music. As the night went on it got more and more traditional. Also, everyone is related to each other here. Every girl I asked about was a cousin or the sister of someones aut who I was with.

I think Pasco could tell I was slightly intimadated by the amount of Coatian dudes staring at me (when everyone knows each other the one American chick really sticks out). He turned to me and said Emma do not worry. I know everyone in bar. I protect you. Noone touch you. It was really nice to see how protective my two host brothers were of me the entire night, and true to their word they didnt leave my side.

At one point, Pascos brothers brother in law (i know thats quite a mouthful), pulled me into some sort of Croatian folk dance. You sort of went over then under other couples while holding hands with your partner. It was ridiculous and great.

Around 2 am, the music switched to hardcore Croatian songs. Tomaslav told me they were all about the war and how beautiful the land is. Everyone had their arms around each other and was swaying to the music, singing every word of the Croatian songs. It was a sort of surreal moment with 5 Croatian dudes hugging each other and me drunkenly singing about Croatia.

Also, I talked with Pasco a bit about the war yesterday. This area was very near to the fighting, just 15 kilometers away. Many many people died in the war and it is hard to believe it was only 15 years ago. Both sides committed acts of extreme violence that many call genocide. Pasco described it as neighbor against neighbor, as Serbs and Croatians have a nearly identical language and a very similar culture. Dijana, my country cordiantor, told me about how she had to leave her village in Bosnia at 16 to escape the fighting and continue her education. In many ways, it seems Croatia and Bosnia are still healing from this violence.

We headed home around 3 and I ate my left over cold pizza from the fridge with Pasco and we talked like old friends. It was a great night. I think they might take me to the Croatian Coast this wekend which would be so fun.

The next morning I woke up at 10 to go to church with my host mom. Somewhere around 95 percent of Croatia is Catholic and religions a pretty big part of life here. Many house have these sort of personal shrines to Jesus on their front law, little huts made of pretty stones and a glass door with a huge statue and a place to kneel inside. Its kind of intense. I am Catholic, and have always been religious so I thought it would be a good way for me and Mrs. Anka (my host mom) to bond. Also, I miss going to church regularly. I go almost every week in Georgetown and my faith is a very important part of my life.

So, we arrive at church and Mrs. Anka tells me she sings in the choir and heads off the the other side of the church leaving me. I wasnt really sure where to sit exactly. Most young people were standing in the back. Anyways I took a seat and isntantly started to zone out. It was hard to pay attention when everything is in Croatian. I attempted to match up the prayers and responces to the English version, but was hopelessly confused. The homely was sort of angry sounding. Also, two babes were baptized which is always very nice to see. I saw one of my favorite students at church, Martina. Shes a really sweet girl. She is also one of the most strikingly beautiful 12 year olds I have every seen in my life.

I was really confused when they finally got to the Eucharist. First of all, they only kneeled for a very short time and not everyone kneeled. This may have been because it really hurt to kneel there were no cushions just stright up wood. I expected poeple to line up to recieve, but then I saw about one fourth of people shuffle to the center aisle to recieve. It was almost all elderly people so I thought maybe the old people go first and then everyone else?? I was extra confused when they then started to put away the bread after. I have no idea why only about 1 out of 4 people recieved. Maybe they are really earnest about not recieving Eucharist if you dont go to confession? I was extremly confused about the whole Eucharist part, but it was really great to be in a church and pray.

After the service, my host mom announced we were going to visit her two week old granddaughter. She is a beautiful baby and I was filled with the wonder and happiness as I touched her tiny little fingers one by one. Mrs. Anka is a sort of tough lady but she totally melted with the new baby, cooing to her in Croatian. She later told me I was Annas "special guest" because she kept looking at me.

After lunch I sort of mooched around all day in PJs. It was a rainy lazy day. At night, Pasco and Marko set up this elaborate screen so we could watch a bootleg version of Robin Hood.

I had another dissappointing day of teaching today. Noone showed up to my first class. I knew at least 4 of my regular 7 were goign to the sea for the week, but still I was shocked and depressed when after sitting in the classroom alone for 20 minutes I finally locked up and walked home. Pasco told me that it wasnt my fault they are all on vacation and I am trying to not take it personally. I just dont feel as needed by my kids here, and I am questioning how much I am accomplishing here. I know its not my fault and I do have 10 very good kids in my other classes, but its hard to not feel disappointed that teaching here is not as fulfilling as Oradea. I know every village placement is different and has different needs, but I am struggling to feel fulfilled by my work here. If I can make a difference in the lives of my 10 other students, then I know its worth it, but Im just frustrated.

I am also feeling pretty homesick. I miss my mom and my bed and sushi. I miss Evan. Sometimes its just a bit lonely to be the foreigner, especially in a village this small. I know my time here is meaningful, but its going to be nice to be home.

Oh a quick obseration on village life, everyone here says hello (bog!) to each other. Its lovely. I really do feel lucky that I am getting to experience village life. There isnt anything quite like a village in the US, and there is something so innocent and comforting about knowing everything about your neighbor it seems to me.

I miss you all more than words can say. I love you.

Emma