#ItWasWorthIt
#ItWasWorthIt

What am I thinking?

by | Jul 3, 2021 | 2021, Beograd, Destinations, Eastern Europe, Europe, Hype, Niš, Novi Sad, Serbia

First stop in Europe is…

Serbia

I haven’t exactly been keeping this on the down low…I am too excited to be venturing to the Balkans FINALLY!

I have been coveting a journey to this region of the world for a really really really long time. Some people are drawn to the Western countries of Europe. But me, well I am drawn to the East. I am WAY more of an off the beaten path kind of girl. Maybe I like to chose places that raise an eyebrow, or places that people say “Where is that even?”.

NOPE, the reason is simple. The countries that are not on a lot of radars, the underrated ones are always the ones that have the most authenticities. What’s the point in experiencing what every one else experiences. So give me the unknown, the mysterious, the grit, the soul, the real life. I want that!!! I want all of that and nothing of anything else.

So, here are a few little tidbits for those who know nothing about Serbia, my first stop on the European leg of my experimental journey.

  • one of the largest exporters of raspberries in the world
  • clock-making industry is even older than the world-famous Swiss one they had their own clock hundreds of years before the Swiss did
  • it’s a brewing grounds for Roman emperors with 18 having been born here
  • world’s most expensive cheese comes from here
  • it has one of the oldest cities, 7000+ years old, on the continent
  • there are pyramids here (what a twist!!)
  • the nation provided the most decorated female in the history of modern warfare
  • coffee is a BIG deal here
  • it is landlocked by 8 countries! WOWZER
  • it is smaller than the state of South Carolina and almost the same size as the province of New Brunswick
  • it has two official flags
  • it has two alphabets
  • vampires originated here

What am I thinking?

I will need to know some basics in the local language

I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I am an English speaker, living in a Spanish speaking country, learning Albanian and going to a country that speaks Serbian. LOL Oh My Effing Lord Almighty. I think this deserves a gold star for effort!

First stop is Serbia and I am spending one month there so I better also figure out how to force my brain to retain the Spanish I have learned, the Albanian I am learning and now some basics in Serbian so I can at least moderately get by without being a linguistic moron in Serbia. LOL

The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (српска ћирилица) is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script for Serbo-Croatian. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin, the other being Latin.

Cyrillic is more traditional and has the official status. In general, the Latin alphabet dominates commercial and internet, the  Cyrillic dominates handwriting and educational.

The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet has 24 letters from the Cyrillic script. A few letters (such as щ, ъ or я) were removed when Serbian Cyrillic was created and one Latin letter (j) was added.

There were also five new letters: the ligatures Љ and Њ, together with Џ, Ђ, and Ћ were developed especially for the Serbian alphabet:

Serbian

Cyrillic Alphabet

A a
Ana
Б б
Baby
B b
van
Г г
guitar
Д д
doctor
Ђ ђ
giant
Е е
eh!
Ж ж
gjya
З з
zebra
И и
eat
J j
ya
К к
kite
Л л
lamp
Љ љ
you
М м
mouse
Н н
nose
Њ њ
knew
О о
opal
П п
past
Р р
perro
С с
sun
Т т
tiger
Ћ ћ
chin
У у
boot
Ф ф
fan
Х х
heat
Ц ц
tsar
Ч ч
chuckle
Џ џ
draw
Ш ш
shawl
 
 
 
 
 
 

Latin Alphabet

A a
Ana

 B b
Baby		 V v
van		 G g
guitar		 D d
doctor		 Đ đ
giant		 E e
eh!		 Ž ž
gjya		 Z z
zebra
I i
eat		 J j
ya		 K k
kite		 L l
lamp		 Lj lj
you		 M m
mouse		 N n
nose		 Nj nj
knew		 O o
opal
P p
past		 R r
perro		 S s
sun		 T t
tiger		 Ć ć
chin		 U u
boot		 F f
fan		 H h
heat		 C c
tsar
Č č
chuckle		 Dž dž
draw		 Š š
shawl		            

The Basics

  • Good morning – Добро jутро. Dobro jutro. (DOH-broh YOO-troh)
  • Good evening – Добро вече. Dobro veče. (DOH-broh VEH-cheh)
  • Good night – Добро вече. Dobro veče. (DOH-broh VEH-cheh)
  • Hello – Здраво. Zdravo. (ZDRAH-voh)
  • Bye – Дoвиђeњa. Doviđenja. (doh vee-JEH-nyah)
  • Thank you – Xвала. Hvala. (HVAH-lah)
  • You’re welcome – Mолим. Molim. (MOH-leem)
  • Please – Mолим. Molim. (MOH-leem)
  • Yes – Да. Da. (DAH)
  • No – Не. Ne. (NEH)
  • Nice to meet you – Дpaгo ми je. Drago mi je. (DRAH-goh mee yeh)
  • Sorry – Жao ми je. Žao mi je. (ZHOW mee yeh) (when it isn’t your fault, like hearing bad news)
  • Sorry – Извините. Izvinite. (eez-VEE-nee-teh) (when it is your fault, like bumping into someone)
  • Excuse me – Извинитe. Izvinite. (eez-VEE-nee-teh) (For getting attention)
  • Excuse me – Извинитe. Izvinite. (eez-VEE-nee-teh) (Begging pardon)
  • How are you? – Kaкo стe? Kako ste? (KAH-koh steh?)
  • Good thank you – Добро, хвала. Dobro, hvala. (DOH-broh, HVAH-lah)
  • Where can I find the toilets? – Где је тоалет? Gde je toalet? (gee-deh yeh TWAH-leht?)
  • What’s your name? – Kaкo ce зoвeтe? Kako se zovete? (KAH-koh seh zoh-VEH-teh)
  • My name is _________ – Зoвeм ce_____. Zovem se_____. (ZOH-vehm seh_____.)
  • I don’t understand – Не разумем. Ne razumem. (neh rah-ZOO-mehm)
  • Do you speak English? – Говорите ли енглески? Govorite li engleski? (GOH-voh-ree-teh lee ENH-glehs-kee?)
  • I need your help – Треба ми помоћ. Treba mi pomoć. (TREH-bah mee POH-mohtch)
  • and much much more….

Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion.  There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.