Feeling Like a Tourist - Osjećam se kao turist
Returning to the UK on visits, creates some strange feelings for me.
Hello and welcome to this edition of our Blog, from Čardačani, in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina, written by an immigrant (me), as I am neither a tourist or a citizen here.
I've just come back from the UK. I was there for four days. I have to go back every now and again to do admin that I can't do here, so I jump on a bus from the local town of Laktaši and I go to Zagreb by bus and then fly to Heathrow, and then onto near Reading to stay with my eldest daughter that lives in South Oxfordshire.
I've been here 20 years. I feel now that when I go back to the UK that I'm a tourist in the country where I was born.
If you are somebody that has moved from their country of birth to somewhere else, I would really appreciate finding out what you think about it.
Leave a comment maybe?
Glamping comes to Serbia
I have never been one for camping, mainly because for over 25 years I was a professional soldier. Somehow the magic of sleeping under the stars wore off during those years.
However, I have been contemplating experiencing the concept of Glamping.
While researching any glamping locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I came across this Glamping location in Sremski Karlovci in Serbia.
Looks simply amazing.
To find out about this location just click on the image above.
Note: This post is NOT sponsored in any way.
Anyone for Basketball - Košarka?
Last year Tamara and I watched a match at our local basketball club. Igokea.
It was totally amazing.
Basketball first came to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1929.
Basketball is, in my opinion, and I could be massively wrong here, is supported as much as football in this region. Up there with Waterpolo and Ice Hockey. As I said I might have this wrong, but I am sure Balkan readers will put me right?
Anyway, we have decided to follow as many “home” games as we can.
Our local team, although based in a small town, really punches above its weight, playing in the Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Champions Basketball League, and the wider Adriatic League.
As well as regional players in the team, there are also players from North America and abroad.
I am really pivoting to supporting my adopted local community, whether that be sport, businesses, events etc. My only exception is Politics 👿.
World Tie Day 👔 - Croatian and World Heritage
October 18th is a special day in neighbouring in Croatia.
It’s World Tie Day.
The interesting history and origin of this fashion accessory is an intricate part of Croatian heritage.
Here's why.
The tie, or its current version, has been around for centuries, but according to many sources, Croats, as part of their traditional uniform, tied interesting scarves around their necks in their own unique style.
Seeing theses scarves on Croatian soldiers, the Parisians adopted a new fashion item during the reign of Louis XIV, which was worn "à la Croate" (in the Croatian style).
This expression soon became the root of the new French word "cravate".
That's how the tie, as a sign of culture and elegance, entered the bourgeois fashion of the time and conquered the whole of Europe, and of course the whole world.
“Tie Connoisseurs” claim that it is necessary for a tie to be made of the highest quality silk, in order to hold the knot firmly.
The World's Largest Tie.
In 2003, the world's largest tie was created in Pula, a Croatian Adriatic town.
During a performance called "Tie around the Arena", by Marijan Bušić, an impressive red tie weighing 800 kilograms was wrapped around the outer walls of the Pula Arena.
Fancy Experiencing Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Out of Season”?
A Grabatologist – Tie Collector.
A person who owns a collection of ties is called a grabatologist.
For many years, Irene Sparks from New Zealand has been considered the greatest collector of ties, and world record holder, which, in her archive, counts more than 23,000 ties.
Tie Fun Facts.
Close to 110 silkworm cocoons are needed to make a quality silk tie.
The Chinese city of Shengzhou is one of the largest producers of ties in the world, with close to 200 million ties produced annually.
There are as many as 177,147 different ways to tie a tie.
And Finally
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Until our next post.
THANKS SO MUCH ❤️
Yes, this is probably a common thing for those who spend large portions of their time outside their home country--and the feelings are probably mixed depending on what those countries are and who the people are and where they have been living. I'm an American senior and left the States in my early 20's--not returning to live in the States until three years ago, when my family had some health problems to face and needed my help. I thought it would be permanent and burned my bridges to a degree. I have found it hard to adjust--I miss the feeling of community, an easy relaxed feeling in family centered cultures, special smiles with simple village people, outdoor markets where vendors and customers know each other, real life fragrance and smells, and am appalled by a current clear sense of divisiveness in the States as well as entitlement. There are lovely people everywhere and hate to sound negative, but my family is better now and I'm moving on--preparing to live in Bosnia this time. I have never been in this part of the world and am excited about all the other countries that are a hop, skip and a jump away. Very different from Africa, from India and the Far East where I have spent most of my life--though perhaps a bit similar to Russia and Kyrgyzstan where I spent a few years. Let's see.