Greetings from Niš!
Unfortunately I don't have any photos to share just yet. Nis is a bit more of a traditional city than Podgorica. We got here by van driven by an amazing crazy driver who had to move his scythe out of the trunk to make room for our bags. The drive was really amazing and went through some incredible canyons. The driver was rather... Balkan - so we were either going to arrive very early or not at all...
We arrived in Nis alive and met the homestay families. I'm living with a Roma family in the neighborhood of Mala Beograd (or something like that). There are two grandparents, a mother, and a 16 yearold named Saija. There is also a neighbor named Salin who has been a very helpful translator. He also happens to be Saban Bajramovic's nephew. Today we are all going to Niska Banja together.They have been really nice to me, and I think are even maybe a little too eager to make sure I'm comfertable as most host families seem to be in a homestay situation. They've been feeding me A LOT and my host mother says that she wants me to go home fat. . . She also polished my boots while I was out of the house to the point where they are more polished than when I got them. I gave them a book which is now on display on top of the TV. More later on the family...
The quality of the lectures here has been excellent and we have talked a lot about Europian Integration and ."dealing with the past" here. I also think I maybe decided to write my research paper on music's role in constructing new national identites in the post-Yugo republics.
We goto Prishtina on friday where I should have more regular internet avalabilty.
Photo gallery of Niska Banja (Spa of Nis)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smestajristic.com/galerija/gallery.html