2006-10-06

He's baaack

Why no posts for a week, you may or may not ask? Your humble correspondent was globetrotting to glamorous destinations. Beograd, Niš ....

The trip to Belgrade was for a conference (sponsored by the Association for the Study of Nationalities and the Forum za etničke odnose) organized by distinguished Ethnian (and according to Slobodna Evropa, "britanski ekspert") Florian Bieber. Simply fantastic stuff, and many perfectly charming people. In the meantime, there were the interesting elections in BH on which TK has been leading debate here (imagine! politics in an election!), and Serbia got a constitution written overnight and approved by a Parliament whose members had not had the time to read it, to be followed at the end of this month by a referendum which could easily go either way. In response, the courageous leaders of G17 resigned their positions but did not leave them.

It is always a pleasure to go to Niš, to which the buses get more luxurious each time I go. This was a short visit, but I think our project (about which more when there is concrete news) is really moving forward. It is surprising that more people do not go to Niš. I am not saying that everybody needs to visit, just everybody who loves peppers.

So now I am back, and between home and work I will be resuming my normal syncopated rhythm of posting. Thanks for your patience. It looks like the United States was a complete disaster while I was gone. Lunatics shooting schoolchildren? Congressmen schtupping teenage boys? What on earth?
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3 comments:

Bg anon said...

Yeah I accidently found out about the conference and saw your name on the rather distinguished line up.

A German friend of mine who is researching the Ustasa in Belgrade attended.

I think he found it a little dry and 'top heavy' (please dont take offence, thats not my intention). He said there werent many people there either - which perhaps is unsurprising since I hadnt even heard about the event.

Well you know I suppose since FB lectures in Britain he could consider himself British if he felt like it! Somehow I dont think Slobodna Evropa bothered to ask right?

6/10/06 17:59
Eric Gordy said...

I was in the "less distinguished" part, though, the panels that were not put on for the enjoyment of media. One of the reasons there may not have been too much public might be that they held the thing in Sava centar. It is one of my least favorite buildings (even though I have heard some fantastic concerts there), with no ventilation at all. Although I did find out, on making the mistake of walking to the meeting from Vracar, that in between the river and SC is a little neighborhood with gardens and vegetable plots, you would never you know you were in the city. Totally fascinating.

6/10/06 18:33
Bg anon said...

I utterly disagree with you Eric - on the Sava Centar.
Its one of my favourite buildings in Belgrade.

I love all the 'nooks and crannys', the wide open spaces, the retro look and the fact that I remember when it was being built. Its a kind of nostaliga thing as well I suppose. But that place has a life of its own.

A good friend of mine worked there for a year or so (media centre) though and said it was hellish. I can imagine it would be if you have to stay inside all day, in the same section.

I dont like going to concerts there though - in the hall. Not the right place for it. But the middle section, the outside courtyard bit - seen some great gigs there!

8/10/06 13:42

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