This weekend, just like a few days before, I spent time at my sisterās boyfriend's place (did I say it correct? š) in Belgrade. I arrived on Wednesday, and right away we jumped into āsister modeā: we met in the city center, picked up some medicine at the Clinical Center for me, and then enjoyed with lunch, coffee, and a little stroll down the Boulevard. Nothing fancy, just quality time together. ā¤ļø The next couple of days were in a similar rhythm, except the weather turned rainy, so we mostly stayed indoors.
Her boyfriend was stuck studying for his exam, but he didnāt escape completely, we pulled him in for some SpongeBob episodes every now and then. Yes, SpongeBob. For the millionth time. And yes, we still laugh like itās brand new. Childish? Definitely. But thatās me. Some people listen to political debates, others read history booksā¦ I watch a sponge flipping Krabby Patties. And as if that wasnāt enough, I also tuned into The Simpsons on Star Channel, even catching the morning reruns. If there were an award for āForever Child at Heart,ā Iād probably win it, no competition.
By Friday (the real start of the weekend, letās be honest š), her boyfriend closed the books and joined us. The day was gloriously sunny, and we headed to Kalemegdan Fortress. Now, if youāve ever been there, you know itās not just old stones and walls, itās a whole experience. Birds were chirping from the treetops, as if they were competing in their own little concert. Their cheerful soundtrack mixed perfectly with the sight of the two great rivers, the Sava and the Danube, flowing together at the heart of the city. Standing there, with the fortress behind you and those mighty, endless waters stretching out in front, you canāt help but feel like Belgrade is hugging you with both arms. š¤ Honestly, I had a moment where I just stopped and thought: āThis city really knows how to show off.ā
We walked, laughed, and of course stopped for coffee-to-go (because adventures are better caffeinated). We even climbed up to the Clock Tower and snapped some photos. Funny thing: I used to live in Belgrade for 6 years and visited Kalemegdan countless times, but I never knew you could actually get up that close. Either itās something new, or I was too busy pretending to be deep and artsy on the fortress walls back in the day. Knowing me, itās probably the second thing, hihi.
My original plan was to wear that day a long denim skirt, a short green top, and braids. In my head: cute. In their heads: comedy show. They teased me that I only needed a folk costume and a squeaky wooden stage to start dancing kolo. In the end, I surrendered, changed the top, let my hair down to dance freely in the wind, and put on my brand-new pink sunglasses (freshly bought the day before). But honestly? Even if I had gone full ākolo girl,ā I wouldnāt have minded. I love our traditions!
Later in the evening, we ended up in a betting shop to watch the Greece vs. Turkey basketball match. We ordered foodāchicken tortilla with fries for me, chicken wings for my sister, and burgers for her boyfriend. Drinks in hand, match on the screen, and naturally I was cheering for the opposite team. Itās not even on purpose at this point; itās like my DNA is programmed to go against the crowd. This time, I rooted for Turkey. Why? Because Iāve always loved their language, food, their music, their movies, their TV seriesā¦ basically the whole Turkiye package.
They won, and I was thrilled. But honestly, I wouldāve been happy for Greece too. Greeks are often called our ābrotherly nation,ā and since Serbia was already out, the majority here was on their side. Except me. Always the contrarian, always the odd one out. But hey, somebody has to keep things interesting, right? xD
Love for both, Greece and Turkey! ā¤ļøā¤ļø
So that was my weekend's Friday: birds singing, rivers sparkling, fortresses shining, me making questionable fashion decisions, and then turning into the ācheer-for-the-wrong-teamā girl during a basketball match. All in all, it was beautiful, light, and full of little moments that made me laugh at myself (which, letās face it, is one of my favorite hobbies).
As for the rest of the weekend, thatās a story for another post. Stay tuned and have a nice Monday!