tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635524138652022652024-03-13T20:53:55.340-07:00Campbell's ScoopSteve, Laura, Ruth and Esther's great Montenegrin Adventure.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-29180476311205145952016-05-22T05:05:00.001-07:002016-05-22T05:05:22.634-07:00A Decade of Re-established Independence, 1000 Years a Nation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
May 21st, 2016, Montenegro celebrated ten years since it's "declaration of independence" from Serbia, and previous to that, Yugoslavia. Incidentally, 2016 also apparently marks 1000 years since the nation that is now Montenegro was initially formed. </div>
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Gearing up for this momentous occasion, flags were hung from seemingly every streetlight pole on every major road (and many minor ones) available, in Podgorica.<br />
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They even needed to weld the flag holders onto the poles first. <br />
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And there were billboards everywhere saying "A Decade of Re-established Independence, 1000 Years a Nation, Eternal Montenegro."<br />
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Since the 21st is on a Saturday this year, the holiday will extend to Monday. Happy Birthday Montenegro!Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-70997424318693543162016-01-23T06:58:00.002-08:002016-01-23T06:58:37.368-08:00Ancient History versus Cats/PuddlesWe travelled as a family to the coastal town of Bar for a few days, earlier this month. Unfortunately, most of our time there was VERY rainy. But on our last full day, we decided to take advantage of a rare sunny day and explore the historic areas of Bar. The first, and oldest, is the Old Olive Tree.<br />
This tree is over 2000 years old, 10 meters in diameter and still fruitful!<br />
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But what the girls found the most interesting about the tree, was a small cat who was roaming around the location.</div>
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There were also some big puddles to jump in because of the rain.</div>
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Then we went to "Old Bar" which dates to the early Middle Ages and has in the past 1,000 years belonged to the Byzantine Empire, the medieval Serbian state/empire, the Republic of Venice, the Balšić family of Zeta, Louis I of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire before being reclaimed (via siege) by Montenegro in 1878. <br />
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There are many steep climbs, both to get to the city (you pass many souvenir shops on the way up-unfortunately they are closed in winter) and once inside the walls. The previous four photos were a random sampling, in no particular order.</div>
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The girls enjoyed exploring the ruins, but their favorite find was a giant puddle at the top of the old fortress.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, our children appreciate history, just not as much as they like cats, or puddles.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-6275417783163145742015-10-21T03:59:00.000-07:002015-10-21T03:59:32.961-07:00Bus-tedI know that it's been a (long) while since my last blog post. Sorry. Much has happened since then. Both girls are now in pre-school, so you'd think I should have more time to post. <br />
Today's topic is once again on our bus system. We depend on it a lot when our car is not working, or just one of us needs to get somewhere, and the girls would like it if we took the bus all the time everywhere.<br />
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Here are a few more discoveries I've made recently about how "things work" here versus my experience with public transportation elsewhere:</div>
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Bus times are not consistent. Some drivers leave the Starting station (the only one with an official departure time) a minute or two early, others a minute or two late.</div>
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Bus routes are not consistent. For awhile is seemed an additional loop was added on to the end of the rout, but not every driver took it, some just followed the original route. </div>
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Drivers make personal stops. I may have mentioned before that we've had drivers stop at sports gambling shops, I can only guess to place a quick bet. I've also had a driver stop to purchase cigarettes from a person who stands on the sidewalk and keeps her stock in her backyard.</div>
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Routes are subject to change without notice. For a few weeks, a two block section of one main street was closed. The first time I rode the bus after this closure (which I was unaware of), I was surprised to have my bus veer off it's normal course and take me farther away from where I had planned on debussing. Since it wasn't the regular route, people would signal that they wanted to get off where ever, and the driver would comply. There was no informing signage either at the bus stop or on the bus about this change. Perhaps online or in the paper, but not everyone checks those. It seemed that towards the end of the detouring period (I believe the street is reopened), the route was constantly changing-improving I guess, but it kept you on your toes. Where is the closest place this bus stops to my intended destination? Where can I wait to ensure I can catch a bus back home?</div>
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Bus rules are not consistent. On two separate mornings (of two different weeks) when I was taking the girls to school, a bus driver (different one each time) told me that it was a free ride to take children to pre-school. The morning after the second time, Steve took the girls, and even though it was the same driver as the day before, he had to pay. The following day, same driver, so did I. And we haven't heard it since. Perhaps it was a limited time offer, or the bus company felt like they were losing too much money. Just seemed pretty random to us.</div>
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I know all of these sound like grumbling, but overall, I am well pleased with the bus which gives us some freedom to get our children to school or us to other destinations even when we can't (or don't want to) take the car.</div>
Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-45581798329871670022015-07-30T06:56:00.000-07:002015-07-30T06:56:18.440-07:00In The Swim of ThingsA nearby hotel just built a beautiful swimming pool with three different depths, including a kiddie pool only half a meter deep (about 18 inches). <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lcdep0di3LM/Vboq6WSm-8I/AAAAAAAAH_E/FW8MocIuGdo/s1600/20150724_103040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lcdep0di3LM/Vboq6WSm-8I/AAAAAAAAH_E/FW8MocIuGdo/s320/20150724_103040.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
The kiddie pool also has some great waterslides which the girls really enjoyed.<br />
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They offer a family package where the whole family can swim from 10am to 8pm for 14€. They have a café/restaurant in the pool area (and a bar IN the deep pool that you can swim up to, order and drink!), and nifty waterproof wristbands that you swipe and at the end of your time, you give it to the entrance/exit personnel and they charge you for your purchases. Great not to have to worry about keeping your wallet dry! And there were lots of places to sit, lounge chairs, bean bags, and hammocks. They even provide towels!<br />
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We went for about 3 1/2 hours, ate lunch there and really enjoyed our time. </div>
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-1296966580554438782015-07-23T07:20:00.003-07:002015-07-23T07:20:35.875-07:00Low Budget Kids' StuffIn the past week we have taken two opportunities to fight the cabin fever of cowering in the one air conditioned room in our house to escape from the 102° heat. There is an exhibit of dinosaur fossils from Patagonia, Argentina, on display in Budva. The best part is that it is inexpensive (€5 per person, children under 5 are free), and very geared toward children. There is a place for digging up "fossils."<br />
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There are places to color, do "rubbings" of a dinosaur etching, play games on computer, put a giant puzzle together, even little egg-shaped chairs that close so your child can pretend to be a baby dino about to hatch.</div>
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Two of the girls' favorite things were the dinosaur they could "ride"</div>
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and the "insert your face here" picture.</div>
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We were also invited to a birthday party at a "mini zoo" which had some ponies, a pig, goats and rabbits that you could pet</div>
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ducks, geese, a turkey and a peacock.</div>
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There was also a giant trampoline, slide, swings, seesaws and concession stand. And no entrance fee! You did pay €1 for 15 minutes on the trampoline, and I presume if you ride the ponies it costs something too, but a nice and inexpensive experience for sure.</div>
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-22867913396189987352015-05-20T07:03:00.001-07:002015-05-20T07:03:09.404-07:00Rich and Poor Languages"War doesn't determine who's right, but who's left." This is a truism in English that plays on the fact that both "right" and "left" have two different meanings. So I thought I'd present a few of the words in Serbian/Montenegrin which have multiple meanings.<br />
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For example <em>vreme</em> means both time and weather, <em>sat </em>is both hour and watch/clock. The only way you can have a simile is with <em>kao</em> since it is like and as. They use the same verb <em>igrati</em> for to dance and to play (a game or with a toy). The verb <em>slušati</em> is to listen and also to obey. <em>Nositi </em>means to carry and also to wear. <em>Brinuti se</em> is to both worry about and to take care of. <em>Računar </em>is a computer and a calculator. The word for world is <em>svet</em> but that is also the word for holy and saint. <em>Milost</em> is both grace and mercy. <br />
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But they also have some words we don't. They have two words for garden: <em>bašta </em>grows edible produce while <em>vrt</em> is floral. There are three different words for aunt (and uncle) depending on how you are related. <em>Tetka</em> is your mother or father's sister (her husband is <em>tetak</em>). Your mother's brother is <em>ujak</em> and his wife is <em>ujna. </em>Your father's brother is <em>stric</em> and his wife is <em>strina.</em> Another word they have that I know of no English equivalent is <em>krmelj</em> -those little crusty things that build around your eyes when you're sleeping.<br />
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And just for fun, I'll include a cute picture of Ruth and Esther in a "tent" they built in our living room. <br />
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-4047703453713872532015-04-08T07:35:00.001-07:002015-04-08T07:35:09.408-07:00Montenegro MedicalI know it's been over month since my last post. One major reason has been dealing with health issues. While always a bummer, it has given us a first-hand look at some of the differences (both good and bad) between health care here versus in the USA. <br />
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Good news, healthcare is much cheaper here. In the course of two weeks there was a visit to a hemotologist, neurologist (with eeg), pulmonary specialist, and chest x-ray and the total cost for all of this was about what one regular check-up would be stateside. And this was the "private" sector. Public healthcare here is free to those with national insurance (read citizens), though not all forms of care are available, and usually the wait is significant.</div>
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On the darker side, at least to Western minds, the health provider community seems to be in the mindset of 20-30 years ago by American standards. Many seem to think that sickness is caused by exposure to draft as much if not more than by germs. The IV medication (and even most OTCs) still come in glass bottles, a mother who has a spinal before a c-section is required to lay flat on her back for the next 24 hours (we learned that from a friend). Some doctors prescribe tea as a medication. One aquaintance broke one finger and they casted his whole hand rather than just splinting it and taping it to a neighboring finger. I think as the "old guard" retire and younger doctors take their places there will be a modernization here. Of course many lay-people also believe some of the "old-wives tales".</div>
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Ruth did enjoy getting to use her doctor's kit on Daddy.</div>
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-36303077716238410622015-02-22T07:36:00.000-08:002015-02-22T07:36:17.755-08:00How Does Your Garden Grow?Ruth started preschool in November. She is the only native English speaker there. <br />
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Most days she is excited to go to school. She learns letters and numbers in both Serbian and English. She has also learned some other words like "majka" (pronounced like the English name Micah, it means "mother")and "tata" (daddy). She now addresses us this way :)</div>
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And sometimes she asks us what a word she heard in school means.</div>
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Here is a picture of the building her school, called a vrti<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ć (little garden), is in. There is a small playground outside for when warm weather comes.</span></span></div>
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This past week she came home, very happy with her nails polished. She said the teacher had painted them. I thought this was cute, but wondered what might be the repercussions in America if a preschool teacher painted students' nails without parental consent.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-17448885088006447782015-02-08T05:36:00.000-08:002015-02-08T05:36:18.467-08:00All Through The TownWe feel fortunate to have a bus stop near our house. The route goes right by Ruth's pre-school and has a stop a few meters away from it. It also has a stop near one of the main shopping centers we frequent. So if our car's not working well, or we don't feel like driving, or we need to meet up somewhere, the bus is a viable option. The cost is 70 euro cents per adult, children ride free. The girls love to ride the bus, much more than a taxi, sometimes more than our car.<br />
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Esther is sitting by herself, but later moves to my lap.<br />
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Some of the bus tickets we get.<br />
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There are some differences between city buses here and those we've experienced elsewhere. Most of the buses we've ridden in are "hand-me-downs" from a German speaking country. They still have the instructional signs in German. The bus stops only have the schedule for when a bus starts from it's original station, not when it will reach that stop. If no one is waiting at a stop and no one is standing on the bus (to indicate they want to get off), the bus doesn't stop. It seems to ensure that the driver knows you want to get off, you should stand as soon as the bus leaves/passes the preceding stop. Sometimes the bus leaves the starting point early (the stop near our house is the starting point and once I was on a bus that left 10 minutes earlier than the stated time). Sometimes the driver will stop the bus for a personal errand (We have both experienced drivers stopping at a sports betting store to presumable place a wager on a sporting event). <br />
Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-35760290542310355462015-01-31T02:01:00.001-08:002015-01-31T02:01:09.940-08:00Knock It OffThere are very few copyright or trademark infringement laws here, leading to many knock-offs of well known brands (we found house slippers branded "File" instead of "Fila"). But I was rather amused the other day when I found these dolls for the girls.<br />
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It's very obvious that they are to resemble Elsa and Anna from Disney's Frozen. But instead of being made of the sturdy rubber and plastic like the "real" ones, these are made from very thin, hollow, plastic. They sing, but instead of singing a song from the movie, they sing a high-speed, Chipmunk-style blurb from the late nineties song "I'm a Barbie Girl."<br />
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The packaging seems to have been a photocopy of the original Disney with words changed.</div>
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Please note that "Beautiful" is in the traditional Disney font, and Fashion is in the Frozen font. What cracks me up the most are the comments written under that. "I have a lovely doll, His name is 'small cute'. She has a pair of big eyes, Round face, A cherry small mouth, long legs, Clever" (Verbatim, capitalization and punctuation). <br />
The girls don't know the difference and have had lots of fun playing with them. The only problems arise when limbs fall off (they just pop back on) and when the clothing needs mending (I needed to reattach something to both dresses on the first day!). The Elsa doll did have her signature braid, but Ruth likes to comb her dolls' hair, so that came out.<br />
For the most part, actual Disney authorized Frozen toys are not available here. At Christmas we did find licensed plush of some of the characters, and a few figurines. It doesn't really bother us though. The girls are by no means hurting for playthings. :) And if the stores don't have it, we can't be pestered into buying it :)<br />
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-87575281791088936772015-01-21T01:36:00.001-08:002015-01-21T01:36:51.653-08:00Comparing CulturesMost of the time, living in Montenegro is very much the same as living in America. Or the difference is minimal. But occasionally the contrasts stick are more noticeable. For instance, here yogurt is a drink and hot chocolate is thick enough you need to eat it with a spoon.<br />
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Or the French make car (Renault), you purchased in a Serbian speaking nation comes with instruction manuals in Italian.<br />
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But we recently attended a wedding here, and the differences to what we've experienced in America were quite interesting. First, religious leaders do not have the legal authority to marry people. Neither Orthodox or Catholic priests, Protestant pastors or Muslim Imams can formally join two people in the bonds of matrimony. A couple wishing to wed must go to the special government office created for that purpose.</div>
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The bride and groom get one attendant/witness each, called the kuma and kum respectively (this is also the title "godmother" and "godfather"). The official reads out the Montenegrin "laws of marriage" which include that the husband and wife are equal, and they must agree on where to live but are independent in choosing where they work. They promise to abide by these rules, "take" one another as spouse, exchange rings, kiss, and sign the marriage register. </div>
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If the couple chooses, they may then have a religious ceremony at the church or mosque of their faith. Our friends did, and the religious ceremony included the more familiar vows involving "in sickness and health", and" 'til death do us part." Then there was a reception with an amazing variety of wonderful food, singing, dancing (Balkan style line dances, not ballroom style), and blessings for the couple. With the two ceremonies and the reception, the wedding lasted about 6 hours. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-45187448914409241862014-10-31T05:58:00.001-07:002014-10-31T05:58:43.688-07:00History Mystery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Very near our new house are the ruins of an ancient monastery built in the fifth and ninth centurys.<br />
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There are intrically carved stones and remnants of pillars.<br />
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But there is also a random metal structure over part of the ruins that we couldn't figure out. It is obviously recently added. As the place adjoins an area still in use by those monastically inclined, we don't know if it is an Orthodox or nonorthodox use :-)<br />
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<br />Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-41814582954995990512014-10-13T05:24:00.001-07:002014-10-13T05:24:35.445-07:00There And Back AgainAdmittedly it has been many months since I updated this blog. All apologies. But during that time, we were in America for two months, and upon our return we were without consistent internet for about a month. <br />
The trip to the States was interesting. The first hitch was that the Montenegrin Airlines made us check the girls car seats all the way to Dulles (we had hoped to gate check them and then use them on the big flight). After our plane from Podgorica arrived in Frankfurt, we discovered that the flight from there to Dulles was cancelled. We also found out that while the girls and I were booked on the cancelled flight, Steve wasn't. And the airport wifi wasn't available for us to prove that indeed he was booked on our flight.<br />
The airline is required by EU rules to provide meals and lodging during the layover period. So first we went by bus to a hotel for our supper. Then, because the hotels in Frankfurt were booked due to a conference, we went by another bus to Heidelberg (1 1/2 hours away) to spend the night. Our family was bumped in front of others because of our small children. Some people had to travel yet another 20 minutes to a third hotel. <br />
Fortunately, at the hotel Steve was able to access wifi and pull up the needed proof that he had indeed booked and paid for a seat on the plane. Rather than taking the offered shuttle bus to the airport (which left at 5:30am when our make-up flight didn't leave until 5:00pm) we took a taxi to the train station and then two trains, the second of which goes right to the airport.<br />
At the airport Steve convinced them that he was a ticketed passenger. We also received meal vouchers which could be used at the restaurants in the airport. For the flight, Steve and Ruth were near the back while Esther and I were at the front of economy class. The best thing was that both girls slept for most of the flight (and then also slept the whole night).<br />
When we arrived at Dulles we discovered that the girls car seats were still in Frankfurt. So then we had to go through the hassle of getting the loaner seats from the airlines. <br />
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On the return flights there was a bit less drama. No cancelled flights. We did find that unbeknownst to us the flight was going as Austrian Air, even though it was United when we booked. So we had to move all our things from one check in counter to another. Also, we weren't allowed to use Ruth's car seat on the transatlantic flight, or either seat on the flight from Vienna to Podgorica. And Steve was not booked in the same aisle as the girls and I on either flight! <br />
There was a long layover in Vienna, and I was so exhausted from the previous flight that I napped while Steve watched the girls play with all the toys in their Trunkis<br />
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-5390279061792566652014-05-24T07:15:00.001-07:002014-05-24T07:16:47.244-07:00Independence Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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May 21st and 22nd are Montenegro's Independence Days. I'm not sure why it lasts two days. The 21st is generally a day when people get together with their friends and have a Barbeque.<br />
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We got together with a large group of friends, and friends of friends. We even brought some friends from America who were visiting us. Our language teacher and her son were there.<br />
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Here is our group just before we eat. The food was awesome, by the way.<br />
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Ruth is playing in a gravel pile with some other children.<br />
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Esther taking a walk with one of our very good friends.<br />
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On the 22nd we took a walk through the city with our visitors. We saw posters for the upcoming National Election.<br />
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And various groups of cars driving by waving the Montenegrin flag (and sometimes a politician's flag as well). You knew they were coming because they had horns blaring.<br />
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Montenegro has been independant from Serbia for 8 years now. I'm guessing the celebration in 2 years will really be something.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-59833574500951264142014-05-08T07:16:00.001-07:002014-05-08T07:16:55.818-07:00Pat-A-Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The girls love playing with kitchen utensils. One day they even ate their lunch from mixing bowls with large slotted and wooden spoons. <br />
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They also love to help in the kitchen. They put on aprons and help make cookies or color eggs.On Sunday Ruth helped me make pizza crust and after it rose, put the toppings on (I made a second, bigger pizza for Steve and me). She said it was a smiley face.</div>
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Yesterday was Steve's birthday, so after I had measured all the ingredients in to separate little bowls, the girls came in and helped me pour them into the big mixing bowl and stir up the batter. I think it turned out pretty good. Tastes good, too.<br />
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-91664041705730519662014-04-25T07:04:00.000-07:002014-04-25T07:04:05.638-07:00Views On A FuneralWe were honored to be able to attend a funeral here yesterday. The deceased was the mother of a friend of ours. The family is Orthodox from Kosovo, and so the traditions were somewhat different from a Serbian or Montenegrin Orthodox funeral. <br />
Prior to burial, there was a condolence time where the guests expressed their sympathies to the family of the decedent. This took place at a small chapel located within the cemetery. The female relatives (by blood or marriage) stand in a receiving line inside the chapel along the wall, the casket is in the center of the room, but elevated, so this is not a "viewing," you do not see inside. The male blood relatives stand in a line outside the chapel door. If there are no male relations by blood, in-laws stand there.<br />
We entered with a group of friends, men going first, and shook hands with each family member, offering condolences to each, even if we didn't know them. After the visitors have filed out of the chapel, a priest comes and chants something-I didn't understand what he said. Then someone delivered a eulogy of sorts. I was able to pick up the titles the woman held in life, such as aunt, mother, grandmother, etc. and the names of her parents, siblings, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grands...<br />
The casket is brought out and put on a cart and wheeled to the grave site. Women bring the memorial flowers. Family plots are large concrete or marble tombs that hold several caskets, and are closed by concrete or marble slabs.<br />
At the grave site, the coffin was opened, the priest poured some wine into the casket by the head, and at the feet over a burial cloth. He also poured some into the open tomb (our Serbian friends said this is something unique to Kosovan Orthodox tradition). He then delivered a sermon. Then each of the daughters of the deceased woman kissed her and said goodbye. The burial cloth was draped over the whole body, and the coffin lid was put back on and locked. Then the coffin was lowered into the tomb. Some family members took handfuls of dirt and sprinkled them over the casket. The concrete slabs were put back in place, and all the flowers were arranged on top.<br />
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Since this was not an appropriate place for a camera, I have no pictures to attach.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-81105181014816466232014-01-15T10:30:00.001-08:002014-01-15T10:30:50.453-08:00Doing Things DifferentlyObviously things are done differently in different countries because of preference, culture, tradition, etc. In the past month or so, we have experienced some of the differences for the first time, or been reminded of them. There was an minor earthquake here in mid December. In the states, I believe it is common during drills or actual quakes to get under doorways, or desks or similar. Here everybody tries to get outside and out from under balconies because the ceilings are concrete and you really don't want that coming down on you.<div>
In this region a decorated evergreen is really more for New Year's, just like Santa, and the tree involved in Orthodox Christmas celebration is a branch cut from an oak tree, retaining it's withered brown leaves. We saw several people selling these on Christmas Eve (January 6th). People display these (undecorated) outside the entrance to their homes, some even fasten small ones to the grill or mirror of their car. Then late that night the tradition is to take them to the church where they are burned in a bonfire. I believe it has something to do with protection from evil throughout the year. We did notice that some people just toss theirs in the trash though.</div>
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Fireworks and crackers are set of starting in the beginning of December and are especially prevelent at midnight or December 31st, January 6th and January 13th(the 14th is Orthodox New Year). Hopefully they are all done now for awhile. On the plus side they taught Esther a new word' "bang!"</div>
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They don't really do "toddler beds" here either. You graduate from a crib to a twin bed with no rails. I believe they stay in the crib for awhile. We choose to use crib mattresses on the floor so that if the girls do roll out, the don't have far to go. We surround the wall with foam puzzle pieces to keep them from bumping their heads on it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-15196891084456502642014-01-07T07:13:00.000-08:002014-01-07T07:13:05.743-08:00Getting To Know MontenegroFirst, apologies that it's been so long since I made a post.<br />
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Now here is are some random "did you know?"s about Montenegro</div>
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Montenegro is the Latin name for the country, but the people here call it Crna Gora (which also means black mountain).</div>
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Montenegro was an independent kingdom early last century, though some parts of it's modern territory were ruled by the Ottoman and Austrian empires</div>
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Around the first world war Serbia incorporated MNE into it's domain. The royal family was exiled to France where they still live.</div>
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After the second world war it was part of Yugoslavia</div>
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When Yugoslavia was dismantled, it remained with Serbia until 2006, when it became an independent nation again.</div>
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The official language is Montenegrin, which is closely related to Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian (just think of the differences between the English spoken in US, Great Britain and Australia for example).</div>
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According to Wikipedia, only about 45% of the population is actually Montenegrin and about 29% is Serbian. Just under 9% is from Bosnia.</div>
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The population is just under 630,000 as of the 2011 census. </div>
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The size of the country is 5019 square miles (just a bit smaller that Connecticut, whose population is over 3 1/2 million).</div>
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Here is an approximate breakdown of the religious affiliations of the people here: 60% Orthodox Christian, 30% Muslim, 8% Catholic Christian. The remainder includes Mormons, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh Day Adventists, and "other." Evangelical Protestant Christian makes up less than one tenth of one percent-about 200 total.</div>
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Since the majority of population is Orthodox, that is the calendar that is followed, so today, January 7th is actually Christmas.</div>
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And as a fun fact, Santa (here called Deda Mraz-Grandfather Frost) is associated with New Year's rather than Christmas-this is common in some former communist countries.</div>
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2Unknown location.29.840643899834411 -64.687514.492403899834411 -85.341797 45.188883899834408 -44.033203tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-56009159697371711562013-10-11T06:24:00.000-07:002013-10-11T06:24:44.819-07:00Shopping In TonguesIt can be quite a multi-lingual experience shopping here. Some things, such as this jar of parsley flakes is labelled in Serbian, as you would expect.<br />
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I want to appologize because many of the pictures in this post will be sideways. Since Serbian/Montenegrin is the language we're learning, it is good when things are in the local tongue. It is also good that we know enough of the language to be able to figure out what something is when it isn't obvious by container or store location. For example this tube of baby toothpaste which looks alot like a tube of diaper cream:<br />
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or the peanut butter which is located in the refridgerated dairy section of the store.</div>
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Isn't too hard to tell what audience peanut butter is marketed to, is it? Some other items, like our mouthwash, are products of Italy:</div>
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And there are some things where the label is in Greek, Turkish, German or Macedonian. I like it best when an item has several different languages on it:</div>
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I don't know if we would have figured out that this was nutmeg otherwise. And of course the point of all this shopping is so that we can eat and our girls can feed themselves, or each other:</div>
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Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-49367129931310843102013-09-16T05:32:00.002-07:002013-09-16T05:32:35.720-07:00Cultural Differences-Restaurant EditionWe went out to eat last week and Steve ordered a cheeseburger and fries while I ordered a pizza. The waitress brought ketchup to our table and put it in front of me :-) . <br />
When you order a drink, it hardly ever comes from the tap, usually you get a small bottle or can and a glass, which only rarely comes with ice. They collect the bottles and cans for recycling.<br />
We have been to only one restaurant, and one hotel dinning room that had a highchair available, and then only one or two. We have yet to see a children's menu.<br />
Almost every restaurant has cloth tablecloths and napkins.<br />
In some places you pay an extra fee for silverware.<br />
Almost everything, including utensils, comes on its own napkin covered plate.<br />
There are ashtrays on each table.<br />
You often receive a separate bill for drinks and food, and each time you add something to your order you get another one.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this little cultural tour of Montenegro's restaurants. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the girls in this.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-85239164929325061612013-09-06T07:22:00.000-07:002013-09-06T11:36:35.144-07:00Crazy Spicy PeopleI am a person who enjoys puns. In English there are words like "right", "old", and "lost" that have multiple meanings and opposites. In Serbian/Montenegrin there are some of those but during my learning, I am having more fun with the words that sound the same (at least to me). One example is ludi, ljuti, ljudi- to a foreign ear the difference is almost imperceptible, but the difference in meaning is significant-ludi means crazy or angry, ljuti means spicy and ljudi means people. Boli means sick, bolji means better. Izvor is source or spring (like spring water), izbor means choice. Odbichno means usually, odlichno means excellent. Ja sam means I am, samo means only or alone so if a person <i>named</i> Sam wanted to introduce himself he could say "ja sam samo Sam" and I suppose a Serbian copy of Green Eggs and Ham (no doubt entitled "Zelene Jaje I Shunka") would have the line "Ja sam Sam, Sam ja sam!"<br />
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Please note that there are letters in the Serbian language which my computer won't make, so I typed it more or less phonetically.</div>
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And since a blog post isn't really complete without a few shots of the girls, I threw in one of Ruth and Steve playing a game on the tablet, and Esther gazing out the window.</div>
Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-68243069527115145322013-07-22T05:54:00.000-07:002013-07-22T05:54:19.978-07:00Crossing the Border<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We went to Albania to celebrate Ruth's third birthday with some friends. They had a lovely cake made for her. We visited a castle overlooking the city of Lezhe, where Esther found a window just hear size. There were also ants which drew Ruth's attention "look at them go!" And we were amused by the goats eating leaves from the pomegranate trees.</div>
<br />Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-12848661930564671472013-07-15T05:36:00.001-07:002013-07-15T05:36:37.072-07:00Playing Dress-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What's more fun, sunglasses, or hats made of doll dresses? The girls can't decide.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-80124262241334185962013-07-06T05:59:00.001-07:002013-07-06T06:01:27.262-07:00More Vacation Information<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our room had a kitchenette and a balcony with furniture so<br />
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The hotel also had a restaurant, where we dined twice. Here is a salad we ordered the first day.</div>
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There was a semi-private pebble beach which the girls really enjoyed</div>
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A view of the beach</div>
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Ruth likes her water wings</div>
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Esther loves these new shoes</div>
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At a cafe in Ulcinj</div>
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<br />Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863552413865202265.post-84282779879690841692013-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:002013-07-06T05:33:40.332-07:00In Our Hotel By the Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We took a short vacation in June, between Bar and Ulcinj. We stayed in the Apartment Hotel de Lara-we admit that the name was a selling point :). The Adriatic is beautiful, well worth the 10 euro extra per night for the sea view room! This is a view from our balcony window.Steve, Laura, Ruth and Estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543451047393209656noreply@blogger.com3