The best way to meet the locals has been to simply explore
The first thing to do, when you’re trying to meet local people in Belgrade, is to weed out the Americans. Generally they’re pretty easy to spot due to two reasons: one, they’ll be speaking English, very loud and clear (guilty), and two, they’re generally dressed far less chic. Though I wouldn’t compare the style of the Balkans to that of, say, Paris, there are still some general rules that are widely followed here that aren’t by Americans: there’s a difference between sandals and flip-flops; one is acceptable to wear in public, and the other isn’t; and gym clothes are not for wearing outside. If I see a guy wearing athletic shorts out and about in the city, I immediately discount him as a local.
In my experience, the best way to meet the locals has been to simply explore. It’s easy to stick to the main pedestrian walkways here (not to mention tempting, seeing as not having cellular data means no GPS to save you if you get lost), but the places and people you find by straying off of those streets are far more interesting. In Sarajevo, we met plenty of local students through the AUBiH (some of whom I’m still in contact with); they took us around to their favorite places and introduced us to their friends, giving us some great opportunities to talk to locals. We haven’t had that luxury here, and so it’s been far more on us to strike up conversations. This is always a bit dicey, again considering the language barrier, but in general people are receptive to our efforts to talk to them and are curious as to why we as Americans are here in Belgrade visiting their part of the world.
While that’s all well and good, I have felt the need to watch how outgoing we are, as not everyone in this region takes kindly to Americans (considering how recently the U.S.-led NATO bombing here was, I really can’t blame them). I’ve never felt anywhere near unsafe, but just knowing the history and having been taught (warned?) about the sentiment here, I do find myself being wary of what I say and how I act, though part of that is just my usual not wanting to come off as the “typical” obnoxious American tourist. All that being said, we’ve had the most luck meeting people when we’re out at night in restaurants, cafés, or clubs — places populated general with people our own age.
Adjusting to the currency difference here was something of a thrill. I’m still in disbelief at times over how cheap things are here; I’d been told that I wouldn’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on meals, I just didn’t realize the extent to which that was true. For example: on our first night in Belgrade, a group of six of us went out to dinner together. We got two appetizers, dinner, and dessert each, at a beautiful restaurant with live music for which we felt very underdressed. The total bill? A whopping $10 per person. Sticking within a budget here hasn’t been too hard — the real shock is going to be returning to the U.S., where my burrito will cost $9 instead of $3 (yes, we got burritos here — and they’re actually quite good!).
The one thing I’ve bought that I can’t wait to take home and use is a small Turkish coffeepot. I’ve begun drinking coffee more — a lot more — since arriving in Sarajevo, and Turkish coffee is unlike anything I’ve had in the U.S. It’s intensely strong, and the boiling water is poured into the pot directly on the grounds. I’m not entirely confident that I’ll be able to make a decent replication of it once I’m back home, but I’m hoping that I’ve had enough here that I’ll be able to adjust it to taste when I try to make it and get it as close to the real thing as possible!
