these are a few of my favorite things...

so that everyone who usually likes to check on me to make sure that i don't starve can be reassured :) from the day i arrived in Southeast Europe, i have been quite well-fed, whether by my MCC supervisors, or by the kindergarten's beloved cook, or by my own fortunate finds at the mini-markets near my apartment, or the big outdoor pijaca with all the fresh produce stands, or various kafići ili pekare (cafes or bakeries) or other places. and i have found a lot of things to love... okay, get ready, you should really do some Google image searching to get an idea of what these things are like:

burek. pita zeljanica. pita krompiruša. pita sirnica.

čevapi/čevapčići.

kobasica. and other types of grilled mešano meso, mixed meats, on the roštilj.

ajvar. pavlaka. kajmak. any combination of these with bread ... mmm

pljeskavica. wow. American hamburgers never held too much appeal for me, but now i have another real reason to avoid them: this Serbian version is SO GOOD!!!

kukuruz pečeni. kesten pečeni.

pasulj prebranac. (my language teacher insisted that i take some of her homemade bean stew home with me one day, and it was incredible! such good flavor, and such a great comfort food as the temperatures drop and leaves turn colors :)

paradajz. krastavac. paprike.

kruška. jabuka. šljiva. breskva. kajsija. grožđe. mandarina. banana. (i have now made 3 successful - i think??? - loaves of banana bread :)

palačinke. (pogotovo sa eurokremom ili nutelom...especially with eurokrem or nutella... ojojoj)

pita sa jabukama. pita sa višnjama. pita od bundeva.

TURSKA KAFA. this really deserves its own whole post. or at least a new paragraph:

the kindergarten teachers were telling me that i have now become a 'Srpkinja domaćica', something like a Serbian homemaker, since i have learned to make turska kafa...so now, if you come visit me, i will put water on to boil in the džezva, and then stir in some heaping spoonfuls of the fine grounds, heat it again until the foam rises up, a thick, rich layer which i will skim off a bit for the bottom of each of our mugs, and let the grounds settle down before pouring it out for each of us, and we will sit and sip this divinely dark drink. oh turska kafa...my daily bread. ;)

or if you go out somewhere with me and we order turska kafa, it might look like this, served with a cute little cube of ratluk/rahatlokum/turkish delight:

mmm...

it's so easy being green...

especially with my newfound freedom of having a monthly transportation pass instead of having to find a kiosk and buy tickets every time i need to hop on a bus! feels so good...thanks to one of the kindergarten teachers who graciously took care of the process for me today and brought back my official Beograd transit system ID beautifully laminated with a space to put in the monthly ticket. yay!

so, now it is definitely easier to 'be green', in the sense of not wasting the paper of those tickets i would otherwise continue to buy, and the fact that i am traveling by public transportation vs. adding another individual gas-guzzling vehicle to the traffic jams, which i felt so guilty about doing every time i went into Philadelphia last year with our community van; however, that is not why i chose the title (which, if you're wondering, does refer to Kermit the Frog's lament that "it's not easy being green"). Zelena is actually the first color-name i learned, and still the easiest one for me to call to mind, for reasons that will become clear in the rest of my story. :)

i used my amazing pass for the first time this afternoon on the tram from the kindergarten to my language teacher's apartment, and during our session it turned out that i started having many amazing "aha!" moments of things clicking in the language center of my brain, sticking in my memory, and actually making sense when they came out of my mouth. i could also sense a significant decline in the number of times i felt compelled to fill in blanks with Spanish, although she still had to correct me to say ili instead of o for 'or'. there was much laughing involved, and some surprised/delighted looks on my teacher's face when i started making up my own sentences beyond what was in the book or what she initially asked, and even making some intentionally funny statements, as well as her patience and cooperation when i was trying to convey some slightly complicated ideas in a very roundabout way with my limited vocabulary. bravo! super! odlično! she tells me.

so maybe this will sound lame, but i know this was exactly how i needed to spend this friday evening: i felt like walking, so i decided to retrace all the steps we took last time i was escorted to church, to make sure i know my way there and back and have a sense of direction even if i decide to go a little off track. first i came from my language teacher's house to Zeleni Venac, a GREEN-domed plaza that serves as a hub for many buses, including the ones that take me to and from Zemun. from there the self-test was on. onto a popular pedestrian avenue, with numerous cafes and street artists and sladoled/icecream vendors. stopped to watch a guy create a glossy poster with spray paint techniques that eventually looked like some kind of graphic design with planets and pyramids and stars. kept going, past one fountain, past another fountain, then saw a brightly graffiti-covered wall that looked familiar, turned there, gained confidence a few blocks later when i passed a certain shop i recognized that sells fantastic fish sandwiches, i hear. :) somehow my mind's eye and body memory took me through every turn, just like we had done when i was half-blindly following my fast-walking friends the other day. past a park, around a couple of quick corners, down a residential street where i had to watch my feet for dog droppings, and finally i caught sight of a little blue placard with the street name on the corner of one building: Ulica...yesss, it's the right one!! SLAVA, HALELUJA!!! i wanted to jump up and down and punch the air in triumph and pride in myself, for now i really had a feel of exactly how far around that route was, and also had a very clear map in my head of how to return to the green dome by a much quicker way, permaneciendo (making permanent?) my personal landmarks in my conscious visual-verbal memory rather than just my subconscious bodily-kinetic memory. as i passed the church and read the sign, i gave it just a brief extra gaze and wink of gratitude, and continued on up the street, past a theatre and a monument, back to the pedestrian boulevard, and successfully through a little maze of turns and stairs at the point i had marked in my brain as a shortcut back to Zeleni Venac. now i was really on the verge of having my head float away like a helium balloon and my chest explode like a volcano with all the smiley feelings building up in there...

of course i kept a straight face...i feel like i'm constantly struggling to do that here...u Americi, my default setting when i pass someone on the street is to look at them and smile and possibly say hello, if they acknowledge me, too. not here...everyone seems so serious and professional, or if they're showing more emotion then it's solely focused on their friend or lover. i respect that, it could be a healthy thing, to not spread your emotional energy thin with trying to acknowledge every stranger on the street just for the sake of friendliness. although i think that can bring a certain joy and energy with it, as the effort to extend friendliness starting with a facial expression of goodwill can potentially cultivate a healthy outlook on life. ali, nema problema, mogu da učim, i can learn to contain myself, hopefully.

i think the moment of today i am most grateful for, however, was right when i was at the height of my pride-swell, halfway down the stairs that go under Zeleni Venac towards my bus stop, i glanced to the side and saw a little girl, probably 2 or 3 years old, with skin several shades darker than most of those swooshing past me, lying asleep in the arms of her mother who is sitting crouched against the side wall of the stairs, also more tanned than the norm, with uncombed dark hair...must be Roma. Gypsy. the wind in my sails quickly died down into a pang of silent guilt/misery/sympathy. as i understand their position (someone correct me please if i'm wrong or overstating this), their reputation and the often harsh conditions laid for their survival in society, they seem to be the European equivalent of the Indian 'untouchables' caste, the Dalits. for this little girl and her mother, life is not easy. the green dome and passageways under Zeleni Venac may provide a bit of shelter from harsh weather, but they don't get an EZPass out of the harshness of poverty and possibly homelessness. of course there are Roma who have 'made it' into a comfortable life and even fame as folk singers or politicians or scholars. but this lady sure looks like she hasn't made it, and God only knows if her daughter will get any better options.

meanwhile i get to my bus stop and board the bus with a heavy heart, yet also with hope. i am grateful to be working for an institution that puts a high priority on accepting special-needs and at-risk children, including Roma children, into its unique peace-cultivating education program. it is good to be reminded of how against-the-grain that is here; since it is all i have seen so far, it is hard for me to imagine the state-run kindergartens and schools where apparently there is much less care shown for kids who are 'different', and where a 'words not weapons' approach to conflicts is not necessarily modeled or expected to develop in the children. i am grateful that i get to be part of showing a different option, the peace-making option. the blessed option, that malo po malo, little by little can bring into being a bit of the dream of the blessed, beloved community, right here in Beograd. every morning when i enter this special kindergarten, i can sense that it already has.

and as the bus crossed the bridge, i was treated to a view of a sky ripening with various shades of pink and purple and peach, like a loving artist was just watercolor-painting them there as we rolled along, each passenger contained in their own private world, no way to tell who was noticing the beauty and who was just enduring their everyday routine ride home. i kept my secret awe held inside, all the way home, anchored by that green dome, the deep dark Dunav, i moj Gospod.

on a walk with one of my friends in Zemun

zdravo.beo...zemun...grad?

so, i have arrived. so, there's a little bit of confusion about 'where' i have arrived? well, i'll get there...let's first catch up on 'how' i arrived...

after a week of feeling like i fell into a little piece of heaven there in Akron, PA for the orientation together with 107 other young people coming from all around the world and going to all parts of the globe to serve with MCC for this year; a week of singing and praying and learning together in many languages and styles; a week of reflecting on MCC's peacemaking, relief, and development vision and how our particular assignments fit into those goals; a week of exchanging cultural insights with those coming from and going to Europe and the Middle East, particularly a new friend from Serbia, who will be working in PA this year; and a final night of dancing and laughing and hugging and packing and goodbye-ing, finally i was flying.

after a day of flying Philadelphia - Washington DC - Munich - Sarajevo, along with a fellow SALTer who is serving-and-learning in Sarajevo this year; after arriving in the airport and being picked up by the MCC-Southeast Europe program manager, finally i was touching the ground, seeing the sights, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds of this new land.

after a few days of orienting to the region, staying in an apartment with a stunning view of the surrounding hills and colorful houses and treasure chest of night lights of the city of Sarajevo; days of walking the shockingly scarred streets, with bullet-hole-studded buildings and mini-bomb-cratered sidewalks; days of wandering the old city markets with their mix of Turkish flavor and handicrafts reminding me of my journeys in Asia and Middle East as well as the modern, sophisticated cafe scene that fits my image of upscale Europe; days of listening to a soundtrack of church bells ringing and imams chanting their haunting calls to prayer; days of repeatedly telling my Sarajevo SALTer friend "you're so lucky you get to LIVE here!!!" and being told, "Anna, just wait until you see Belgrade, your city, you'll find things to love there, too", and agreeing, but still being slightly jealous; and a final day of learning about the programs and procedures of MCC-SEE and being welcomed into the home of the cutest bilingual little boy and his parents who are my MCC regional representatives, finally i was heading to my own assignment placement.

after a day of riding and roasting in a rattling bus for 8 hours through the hills of Bosna i Hercegovina, down onto the plains and across the border into Srbija; a day of starting to try to decipher signs written in the Cyrillic alphabet; after starting to see billboards and highway flyovers and traffic jams, finally i realized i was in Beograd, moj grad, my city.

after being met by my main supervisor here, and driving through the city with her for a while, and arriving at the apartment that i now call 'home', and being introduced to the area a little bit, i realized that it's not...exactly...in Beograd! umm....what??!

View Larger Map

so from what i've learned, ZEMUN, moj grad, developed as its own town until urban sprawl jumped the Danube and swallowed it into one continuous city area. however, Zemun still retains much of its own character and its residents have a certain pride about being from Zemun, not Beograd. but, luckily for me, it is well-connected with the Beograd public transit lines i will take to work, and it is a lovely place to walk and wander around, and i am looking forward to exploring more on both sides of the river.

so, i have arrived. so, there is a whole new world of learning to do: about the language; about the history and deeper elements of culture and values; about how to care for the children at the kindergarten and how to help the counseling center in its goals and development; and about myself of course.

and a bonus for those of you (you're not alone, i know at least a few ;-) who may still be wondering how far Serbia is from Siberia...

View Larger Map

zdravo.sarajevo.

i.miss.you.Camden.

things I will miss about Camden (in no particular order, and absolutely incomplete):

- walking the four blocks between my house and St. Anthony's every day, several times each way

- guys who lean out their pickup truck windows as they pass me on the street and shout out "God bless you, sweetheart!"

- ladies who sit on their front porch steps and greet me as i walk by with a "hey sweetie, how you doin?"

- little kids from my music classes and Peace Art program who yell and wave at me from their yards, "hi Miss Anna!"

- fresh garden vegetables from our backyard and from our plot in Brother Jerry's Garden across from the church and from the Mt. Ephraim produce stand

- Mexican rice and beans...Puerto Rican rice and beans...Dominican rice and beans...

- Marta's tamales, hot chocolate, and other refreshing drinks...

- anything baked or brewed or fondued by Father John

- living 5 minutes from Rita's Water Ice

- living 7 minutes from the Pennsauken Library

- yes, the view of the Philadelphia skyline is quite nice, but i wouldn't say it's the best thing about Camden as some have sarcastically stated. i'll just say it's nice.

- and so is the bridge between Camden and Philadelphia, which i will miss trekking across every so often

- living two blocks from a mural that i helped in the process of creation and celebration, which is literally a concrete testimony to how a community can live out peace and restore its streets to safety and beauty by taking care of ourselves, each other, and the earth, and a call to this community to step up and do that

- being able to sit with one of my ESL students after class and hear her story of seeing her mother and brother shot in front of her eyes in El Salvador, and of living in fear and wanting a better life for her children, and coming here to Camden and having her house broken into and herself held up at gunpoint for what little cash she had on hand, and then a few months ago breaking her foot and just the other day finding out that there's some bones out of place in it that the doctor can't fix (not sure if it's an impossibility issue or a money issue), but either way she might just always walk with a major limp...pray for 'Maria', por favor

- collaborating with CCOP and our local organizing committee to make a difference in the neighborhood with the numerous abandoned houses and the hazardous activities in the park

- weekly prayer and fun and everyday life with my housemates...always eye-opening experiences and conversations

- having the keys and knowing the tricks to open every door at the church, the friary, Francis House, Clare House..

- semi-weekly trips to the Treehouse coffee shop

- deejaying Eddie's concerts in the Francis House chapel, listening and watching his passionate, love-filled performances of Michael Jackson, Barry White, the Temptations, Earth Wind & Fire, Teddy Pendergrass, and more...telling his story of how he's survived growing up in Camden and living over three decades with HIV/AIDS, and watching the audiences' eyes widen at what a miracle this 'man in the mirror' is...

- planning and leading creative, interactive prayer services at Francis House and seeing the motto "Love Heals" lived out in our midst

- every prayer circle before every meal at Francis House, joining hands taking deep breaths, shouting out prayer requests, bowing our heads as a family and proclaiming together, "God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. God's will, not ours, be done. Amen amen!"

- Tuesday evening prayer with the friars, reading from the daily Office, especially the Franciscan prayer for vocations, "God, help us to be people of prayer after the example of Francis and Clare. May our lives of prayer be our source of strength in serving the people of God."

- Tuesday evening dinner with the friars, cooked by Sue!

- the beautiful holistic multicultural prayer that is mass at St. Anthony's

- the First Baptist Church of Moorestown with their welcoming embrace to me as a new member

- lunches and spiritual food with Rene

- going on trips to Georgia and Washington DC to advocate for peace and justice with Father Jud

- going on trips to Lancaster and NYC and Long Beach Island to refresh our bodies and spirits with Father John

- coming home to Camden. knowing that I have a home there.

goodbye for now, Camden. i love you.

peace art: endings and beginnings

goodbyes and all sorts of little finish lines are starting to rain down from that dark cloud called 'the end of Anna's year in Camden'. the final session of the Camden Peace Art Project was held on Monday. St. Anthony of Padua school ended Tuesday, so no more Friday morning music classes with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. only a few weeks left until Francis House and ESL finish up.

and yet little seeds of new beginnings have sprouted from the same ground that tears up sometimes to think of leaving. the Peace Art mural unveiling and community rally was the first public action that i have had a hand (and a good chunk of my mind and heart invested, too) in actually organizing and emceeing!! rather than just participating or attending. possibly the beginning of a beautiful friendship, me and my buddy community organizing...i loved it! numbers in attendance were a little disappointing, because it was a weekday afternoon when a lot of people were still at work, and only a half day of school at St. Anthony's so we lost a lot of parents and kids who might have been there otherwise. but the message came through strong and clear, and apparently a few people thought it was worth listening to. !!!

the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an article on the front page of their South Jersey/B section;

the Catholic Star Herald gave us a pretty good review, too;

the Courier Post posted a series of photos here;

more photos can be found on the St. Anthony's Flickr photostream;

and there's a fantastic video on facebook that my boss, Katie Sullivan, program director of FVM, put together..don't think i can link to it, though..

so, Monday's celebration marked the culmination of our work, but only the beginning of the LOC's work to take back our park. we have to follow up with the city police who have put forth their intention of cooperation...we have to cuss out (politely) the county police and county parks management who assured us of their attendance and then called our organizer 20 minutes before the event and cancelled..because they're getting millions of dollars to put into renovating two waterfront parks...why would they care to come to an event that's trying to restore a little place in Cramer Hill? a little place with a big purpose, big needs, and big heart, which they obviously don't understand.

it's evident from the mural itself that this place is ready for new beginnings: the garden being tended, a kid being coached in baseball, a family posing in front of a sunrise, butterflies floating in the clouds, people holding hands around a beautiful tree...and these are not just pretty pictures, but these are the things that were 'won' from this process so far:

- Camden City Police Chief Thomson and representatives from the Mayor Redd office came together to publicly commit to keeping Von Nieda Park safe and clean.

- Camden City Police created bilingual flyers for the first time explaining illegal activities and fines in the park.

- Camden City Police will begin enforcing parking, littering, and public drinking ordinances in Von Nieda Park the weekend of July 10th, after a community relations campaign.

- Camden City Police impounded over 15 ATVs since the action County Parks Dept put up 10 new “No Parking/No Drinking/No Littering” signs around the park.

-Camden City Council passed an ordinance making parking illegal on the west side of 29th Street, where it has often been a hazardously congested area.

it's exciting that we have these commitments and possibilities, but i do confess my sadness that i won't be around for the next year to see it unfold...because, as some of you readers probably already know through different channels, i will be living in Belgrade, Serbia starting in mid-August! i'm excited to see what kind of mixture of darkness and light will be shed on my life there..and what kind of light and shadows i will be called to share...

dear friends, may we all take up our paintbrushes or pens or cameras or baseballs or soccer balls or whatever instruments of creativity and influence we are blessed to be able to use, and follow through on the call within us to care for the people around us.

peace art: insanity today. please pray. with a smile :)

Camden Peace Art Project has been working since the beginning of May with a local artist and our kids as well as kids from the Cramer Hill Little League to design and paint a community mural on the baseball building in our neighborhood park. This park has a reputation as a place where numerous drug deals happen daily, public drinking gets out of hand every weekend, hazardous parking and illegal vending and littering is rampant, and reckless ATV drivers endanger the people who come to enjoy the playground and sports fields.

So, we have taken this opportunity to collaborate with our church and local organizing committee and nearby residents to get a commitment from the city and county police that they will be more proactive in patrolling and enforcing the rules of the park so that we can preserve this community treasure as a safe, clean, and fun place for families to come. I have spent many hours this past week painting alongside the artist and kids of all ages, because TODAY, June 21, at 3:30 pm is the mural unveiling celebration and public rally.

It is already getting some attention, because a number of city officials and police representatives have agreed to come out and make a public commitment to taking action on these problems. Prayers are much needed for the success of this event and for continued cooperation of everyone to care for the park and to restore our streets.

This is the prayer on our hearts as organizers, from Isaiah 58:11-12,

"The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

La paz y el arte, amigos :)