Return to the Dream_Week 1 in Srbija 2010_Babinska Koliba

Having been inspired to start a blog on the 1st anniversary of Branka Rodic and Nenad Stefanovic wedding day, I continue to relive the dream of a 5+week vacation 2010 by Milena and Nedja. 
After the wedding euphoria settled down, my wonderful brat (I won't use the word cousin because it does not sound right to me; we use the words "brat" or brother and "sestra" or sister instead of cousin this-n-that; it may be why we feel closer to our 2nd and 3rd and further cousins than might otherwise be the case, they are all brothers and sisters)... anyway back to my wonderful brat Milorad, the powerful banker, and his awesome wife Ljilja, another banker, and their daughter Milica took Milena and I to my favorite place from 10 years ago where Milorad took Miroslav, me, Milena, Marko, his family including son Vlado, as well as my brat Djuro, snaja Milica, and their sons Miki and Nenad.  Just to be in the same place with all of those relatives was overwhelming for me 11 years ago and it makes me emotional even now.  There is a burning desire to go to that incredible "experience" restaurant and Milorad knows it. It's the tastiest food ever tasted, it's to me the prettiest setting because it's simple, it's the rollling hills, the villages, the natural real food served in a way that makes you feel like you are coming to see family not going to a restaurant.  Milorad to me is another dream come true because I met him in my 40s when he came to visit us in America; otherwise I just knew of him but never met him.  Subsequently, his son Vlado has spent time with us in America and we took him to California and Las Vegas.  Getting together with dream relatives, driving thru dream villages (many weddings I see over the weekend because the svadben venac (flower arch on the gate) is still up, coming to the place that left such an impression on Miroslav and I, all have me holding my heart and pinching myself, not believing that I am again getting a chance to live it.

Milena and Milica with the background of the gently rolling hills and Srbija villages.  Lush and green and smells fresh and touches me to the soul because it's Srbija which feels like a part of me.

The restaurant sign and my awesome banker relatives heading down to the restaurant.  You walk down a path and when we came 10 years earlier a little later in June we got fall just getting down because there were delicious little plums we were picking and eating as we went along.

Seeing the owner Milan who supposedly remembers me (yeah, right)... a bit dramatic reunion I guess with me saying just how much the visit to his place stayed in our memories.  Miroslav and I always talked about Babinska Koliba and Milan and the whole experience there.

View from the back deck of restaurant.  He has vegetables, fruits, smokehouses and everything right on the spot.  This is real, natural food in a very real setting.  The rain, the crispness just a reminder of the village smells of freshness, not the village smells of cows and pigs etc... just pure beauty.

Oh, oh... did not know how to turn, looked like it it was OK, but anyway just want to show a few of the appetizers, home made corn bread, smoked meats, roasted peper spread, cheese strudel, salad, home-made cheese, etc.... believe me this is just start... I remember 10 years earlier we were soooooo full and then the guy said OK, now the real meal and he proceeded to bring out so much more... throughtout all the eating (and drinking home-made sljivovica of course), Milan dazzles with humorous conversation.  The room is sooo cozy with a million little details of antique little pieces and a hanging picture of the koliba (shack) where he grew up that is represented by the name. 
This restaurant seems like a private-party type restaurant but if you ever want to experience what I did let me know and I am sure my brat Milorad and his family will be more than happy to help a friend of Nedja's.  A friend of Nedja and Miroslav is a friend of theirs.  That's what I feel when I am in Srbija.  I just feel the warmth and love.  Any wonder that the whole thing is like the sweetest dream.  I grew up missing my relatives and grew up away from them so just being together is fabulous and to be together in a setting such as Babinska Koliba is undescribable.  I am reliving dreams that are more dazzling than anything I could have imagined.  I pinch myself that I was there.  I appreciate everyone at my job, my husband, my mother-in-law and all who helped me live a dream again.

Branka and Nenad Wedding

May 30, 2010 Branka i Nenad
When Branka told me about the wedding (some time in early February I think), started dreaming of the possibilities.  Pretty soon Joja posted a picture of a sunrise from their balcony and the dream got more vivid.  I have to find a way.  Start dreaming big and then adjust as you must.  Big dream for whole family to go. Too big. Miroslav can't get time off, Marko too busy with his business, Pero maybe, Milena likely, me maybe. Shifts and changes including change in date.  In meantime, Iskrica Gabric (my cousin's daughter) announced wedding on July 3 so the dream keeping shrinking and expanding.  True dream to attend both wedding of Branka and Iskrica, 2 people we love soooo much. My sister Nena's dream has always been to attend Iskrica wedding.  When Nena got cancer, Iskrica wedding (at some undetermined time in the future) kept her focused on a goal to attend Iskrica wedding. In the end Milena and I were the chosen 2 to represent the family, reconnect with our Rodic family (one of few Miroslav relatives), maybe meet some new relatives, see the homeland, take in what we can and be a part of 2 incredible weddings. I will try to post a few pictures that represent the feeling, the rest you can imagine if you're Serbian, if you can't imagine let me know and I'll tell you more off-line or show video and pictures gallore.  The whole preparation is tingling feeling, having Milena there to work with her sestre and friend Bojana, running errands, putting together meza, picking up torta and "svadben venac" and other flowers; my working with my Seja and talking about the wonder of being with each other and many times Seja comming back to reflect on the fact that Miroslav is her closest living relative now and little more than 10 years ago she did not even know he existed. 10 years ago we met Miroslav's sister, brother, sister-in-law and brother-in-law but unfortunately in the meantime sister-in-law died (shortly after we met her) and brother died too at young age. Likely enhanced by the agony of war (they were refugees, brother taken and beaten, living in all kinds of conditions, depression leading to alcohol and smoking more than ever, not eating regularly).  Seja would say "zamisli da je meni Miroslav sada najblizi na Svjetu" as we re-bonded and talked about how we found them.  I will post picture of sunrise on the day of wedding which is incredible view for me after 5:00 a.m. having listened, rather read play-by-play of Blackhawks beating Philadelphia Flyers 6:5 in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs, supplemented by connection to facebook friends who gave me embelished version, in the meantime hearing live music all night long from a street kafic.  Heaven!  Also posting house euphoria to the songs of "Svadba, Svadba" (the song just lifts for non-Serbian it's maybe hard to imagine but let me tell you for those who live it, it just makes you fly) and followed by "Sestra mi je Porucila da se Udaje" (Sister sent me message that she is getting married). Well, the first song had me crying of happiness, the second of sadness that at least one of our sons is not there to lend extra meaning to the song.  What follows is partying and singing non-stop in the little yard and down the street to the church for a beautiful service, followed by restaurant partying and singing non-stop from 3:00 p.m. to about 1:00 with the culmination of Nenad's buddies bringing back the soccer championshipo trophy.  They danced and sang and ate all day then went to play a finals match and came back with the trophy.

lead-in and day of Branka's wedding

Friday, May 28, 2010
Can't believe I'm really here!  Beograd-Zemun, Srbija!
Plane late thru Frankfurt, suitcases did not make it, I am the last person thru customes, but I am here and my patien relatives are still there for me with big hugs.. Branka, Joja, Mican, Dusanka, Radojka, Dusa.  A lot calmer today than 10 years ago almost to the day of Miroslav, Milena, Marko and I walking thru customs and being hugged from all sides by a big entourage (for Milena and Marko who-knows-who); less than a year post bombing; post-decade of not much touch with relatives who were displaced (and some killed) during the war; first time meeting sister (an incredible moment for up-to-that-point only child Miroslav).  The coming to Beograd and stepping onto Srbija soil brings all of those memories and than some back instantly.  I go off with Branka and Joja (nieces).  Joja driving.  Branka is director! (haha).. stories and excitement ensue.. we talk mostly about Milena, Marko and Pero.  In the household happiness to see Seja and Zetina (Miroslav's endearment term for his brother-in-law... Zet is brother in law but Zetina makes it sound like tough guy brother in law but really he is sooo mild).  Happiness sparkles in the house, all of us talking about the joy of knowing each other... to think that we almost did not and Seja saying "now Miroslav is her closest surviving relative" ("nemam nikoga blizeg"); we may have all lived on not even knowing each other and it's hard to imagine.
Saturday Milena arrives on train from Italy (visiting Fabbio family) via Rijeka (visiting Ujak..uncle..Boro) and stopping for a midnight dinner with tetka..aunt.. Ljilja in Zagreb.  Branka and Joja pick her up.  I wake up to their giggling with Seja and Zetina. Milena bonding with her sestre preparing for the wedding, running errands, making meza, etc.   Seja and I are working together in the kitchen and loving being together and many times coming back to the thought as Seja says "zamisli da je meni Miroslav sada najblizi na Svjetu" (imagine, Miroslav is the closest living relative on Earth to me now... unspoken, "to think we almost did not know each other existed")  
Pre-wedding night I am watching Blackhawks hockey..not watching but more reading play-by-play hockey Stanley Cup Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia flyers in 1st game after Chicago swept San Jose Sharks (top record team in the West).  5:00 in morning the birds are chirping, music has been playing all night at a close-by kafic (cafe), the sunrise is beautiful, I walk outside on balcony and look at the scene and just cannot believe where I am because it is overwhelming feeling to be in Srbija, to be by family, to be there for a wedding, to be by family you did not even know 10 years ago but yet it's Miroslav's closest family other than his mom.  Beyond that Hawks win 6:5.  Everything is surreal (even Hawks being in Stanley Cup; me watching highlights and especially the short-handed goal by Bolland)
I will try to post a picture of the sunrise that represents to much awesomeness to me... the whole surreal effect.. don't know whether it will work as I am totally new at this and don't take time to read instructions.

Return to a Dream

I have no idea what I'm doing but everyone has to start somewhere and sometimes it is better to just jump in and learn how to swim as you go...use floatation devices.. otherwise life will pass me by before I can learn and be perfect.  I have soooooo much excitement in my soul and I need a quick venue for putting it on paper.  Blog seems to be the venue of choice.  Thank you Kristiana for inspiring me with your existing blog on the trip to Homeland, thank you PromajaJack whose writings I have enjoyed reading, and thank you to my (my husband's) niece Branka Rodic who got married a year ago today to Nenad Stefanovic so I was motivated to start writing today because it was a most incredible feeling to be a part of her wedding day.  I will finish off for now just to test out how it works and then come back to walk the memory lane from a year ago starting with Branka and Nenad's wedding day.  It was start of a 5+ week trip thru Srbija, Crna Gora, Bosna, Croatia and started with Dream Wedding 1 and ended with Dream Wedding 2.  Milena accompanied me on the journey but she started a week earlier in Italy.  My title reads "return to a dream" because the first dream was in 2000 when we met Miroslav's sister and family for the first time in our lives and Miroslav got to meet his half-brother and half-sister for the first time at the age of 50.  When you are dealing with brothers and sisters there is no "half"; there is only "brat" (brother) and "sestra" (enderment "seja") (sister).  We were not sure how it would be; how we would be received at that time because it was less than a year since they discovered they have a brother Miroslav but the bond was INSTANT and OVERWHELMING, not just for Miroslav but for myself, daughter Milena and son Marko who were part of it.  Our son Petar has not experienced that joy yet as life gets complicated and just have not managed it yet.  Returning to Seja's place in Zemun brought back the memories of trying to find them and the "pinch me" feeling of relief that we did find them and now we are part of their lives and they are such a big part of ours. The return to Zemun, the reuniting of part of the family, representing the rest of my family is like a dream.