After an exciting meeting yesterday with a new friend, I learned a lot about land grabbing, something that (sadly) seems to exist everywhere in the world. It was useful, as the novel I’m working on here in Belgrade is about a kind of land grabbing used in the north of Sweden. I got another perspective on the problem, so thanks Milenko!
On the way home I passed a ghost in a rather desolate block in Savamala that made me think of Edgar Allen Poe and suddenly I had a new novel idea.
Belgrade is simply magnetic energy.
The magic streets of Belgrade
Belgrade’s streets are magical. Of course, because of the people that move in them, the buildings and the atmosphere but also because of a reason more difficult to explain.
The streets are moving. They are rarely where they were last, and yet in some strange way, they still take you where you were going.
Like for an example when I walked with Vladimir Arsenijevic and Ursula Burger and a friend who was visiting and lived next door to Hotel Moscow. We were going headed to Savamala. As the wandering nomad I am, I always looking for guidance in the surrounding area to find a way back. We walked one block, I pointed to a path that strove up and asked where I got if I chosed it.
The Hotel Moscow was the answer.
I asked again a few blocks later.
To Hotel Moscow.
The third time I did not bother to ask. I pointed and said:
Let me guess, this road goes to Hotel Moscow?
They nodded.
So now I have learned. All roads lead to The hotel Moscow, or what goal you happens to have. In Belgrade you will always reach your goals.
The picture down below is Vladimir and my friend walking the roads of Ada Ciganlija that by the way lays still.
Spots of hope
Walking through Belgrade in different directions, consider shades of gray when it occasionally pops up colorful exclamation that inspires a kind of hope.
Something like that is the situation of my people in Sweden today. Once more is our land colonized, this time by mining companies. But then pops the colorful Sami resistance up, with the support of people across the world who understand that we need to establish a long term, sustainable and peaceful relationship with nature.
Right now in Gállok, Sápmi,the police is remowing protester using violence.
The picture below is from Palilula, Belgrade.
Thors hammer in your head
I ducked under the thunder, the rain was pouring down and it slammed and flashed. I learnt early in lifte that thunderstorms means it’s time for soul searching and you have to be honest and humble. Thors hammer is in fact the clearest sign that it’s time to pull your self together. Therefore I’ll twist and turn most things in life and try to get on track again, otherwise he will beat the shit out of me the next time.
Sava vs Gahkagaejsie
If you put your feet in the river of Sava while sitting at a boathouse that move smooth by the water then it’s like standing at the mountain Gahkagaejsies peak. It runs a kind of clarity through the body that makes you continue striving.
A sami in Belgrade
Hello, my name is Annica Wennström and I have got the great opportunity to work and live in Belgrade for a month. I come from Sweden but also from a country without borders, Sápmi, the place where the indigenous people of the North lives. I have already found the light of creativity here (= hard work) but as the nomad I am, you will find me walking around and let life happen. Warm greetings Annica
Volim te, Niš !
Obviously, there is a Wall of Love in Niš !
two big krokodiles (at least) on stage
Antique performances of Aristophane’s Birds or Eschyle’s Persians must have been something looking like this, mustn’t they? Okay, in Athens they probably used to start earlier in the evening, there was probably no artificial light, probably no microphones, and obviously no crocodiles on stage. But so many people gathering to listen to litterature every evening: Krokodil festival was just amazing.
Beautiful moment to hear the bosnian writer Adullah Sidran reading his poems. Sometimes you don’t even need to understand the words: you just listen to the voice of the old guy; you just watch his face and his short arms moving around his small body ; you just feel the emotion all around you among people listenning to him ; and you understand something big is happening.
Also glad to have been introduced to Zelimir Zilnik’s movies, through several excerpts which were shown subtitled in english. Despite he won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 1969 for “Rani Radovi” and is obviously famous, i didn’t know him. I’m now eager to watch all his movies. Does anyone know where to find an english subtitled copy of “Vruce Plate”, a film Zelinik directed in 1987? The only excerpt of it i find on internet is here: http://zilnikzelimir.net/sr/vruce-plate. Enjoy!
