I had another favorite day today! The power of the word "favorite" is probably going to wane by the end of these nine months because I can picture a lot of Serbian things being my favorite. My favorite things today were the American Corner and our lecture at a cafe.
If you ass-sume I like the American Corner because it reminds me of home....you're partially correct! While I fancy its presence in Novi Sad due to its nostalgic qualities, there is an entirely different reason why it is so appealing. Firstly, allow me to explain what it is in case it's not as obvious as I think it is. The American Corner is both a building and an organization dedicated to exposing Serbians to American pop culture, literature, history, art, etc. There are workshops held there twice a week where volunteers lead discussions in English for language practice purposes, as well as certain days dedicated to celebrating holidays the American way. We will be able to volunteer there at least once a week, which brings me to the bigger picture -why this place is going to be one of my favorites. I get to share my culture with the Serbians as they share theirs with me. Militica mentioned how some people come to AC simply to share their anti-American sentiments. Call me crazy, but I actually look forward to hearing and empathizing with them. Also, it also doesn't hurt that the American Corner has board games!
I imagine that the American Corner will serve as a place to meet Serbians of all ages who I could potentially befriend; this social aspect makes it all the more appealing. Speaking of social, I finally learned the "in's" and "out's" of youth culture in Serbia thanks to our little chit chat with Aleksandra at Frida cafe. She told us about bars and clubs and their protocols for socializing there. I won't bore you with the details but it sure does sound like they have fun. She definitely made it clear that bars/clubs play a huge role in youth culture and I suppose I look forward to it...if I must engage in all sorts of debauchery...keedingggg! But I am really stoked to meet Serbian people my age and make friends and actually establish a social life here. This was definitely one of the better days because it made me hopeful for what's to come outside of my service placement. I will be living here for nine months after all, so I should make the best of it, no?
If you ass-sume I like the American Corner because it reminds me of home....you're partially correct! While I fancy its presence in Novi Sad due to its nostalgic qualities, there is an entirely different reason why it is so appealing. Firstly, allow me to explain what it is in case it's not as obvious as I think it is. The American Corner is both a building and an organization dedicated to exposing Serbians to American pop culture, literature, history, art, etc. There are workshops held there twice a week where volunteers lead discussions in English for language practice purposes, as well as certain days dedicated to celebrating holidays the American way. We will be able to volunteer there at least once a week, which brings me to the bigger picture -why this place is going to be one of my favorites. I get to share my culture with the Serbians as they share theirs with me. Militica mentioned how some people come to AC simply to share their anti-American sentiments. Call me crazy, but I actually look forward to hearing and empathizing with them. Also, it also doesn't hurt that the American Corner has board games!
I imagine that the American Corner will serve as a place to meet Serbians of all ages who I could potentially befriend; this social aspect makes it all the more appealing. Speaking of social, I finally learned the "in's" and "out's" of youth culture in Serbia thanks to our little chit chat with Aleksandra at Frida cafe. She told us about bars and clubs and their protocols for socializing there. I won't bore you with the details but it sure does sound like they have fun. She definitely made it clear that bars/clubs play a huge role in youth culture and I suppose I look forward to it...if I must engage in all sorts of debauchery...keedingggg! But I am really stoked to meet Serbian people my age and make friends and actually establish a social life here. This was definitely one of the better days because it made me hopeful for what's to come outside of my service placement. I will be living here for nine months after all, so I should make the best of it, no?
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