La Vie En Rose for 2006 August 4

Today I am off on my grand adventure to montenegro and other parts. The theory of class this morning imploded (everyone is too tired from the last night celebration I think) so I am on the internet, but I didn't go to class anyway, or get to sleep in, because I was dragged out of bed by my host family who demanded I pack at once so they could clean the room. It wasn't a huge deal because I had mostly packed yesterday anyway but I am sosososo tired and I wanted to sleep. They really don't sleep here in Serbia. Even the mother, who is probably in her 60s, goes to bed at 2, and they wake up at 5! yow. Anyway I guess they are rather sick of us and I am glad we are leaving today, not tomorrow as was the original plan, because otherwise I would probably be sleeping in Jean Louis' van.

I don't really think I have learned very much Serbian here. Of course I have exponentially increased my knowledge of the Serbian language since I've been here, but that is really not saying much. I don't think the classes were that well organised, and also my brain became quite fried by the end of the second week, as I haven't had a proper thinking vacation in a while, so I haven't been able to take as full advantage of the intensitivity as maybe otherwise... but still I think I will be able to pick up a good book in Belgrade and continue my studies on my own much more sucessfully than had I not come, and anyway that was never my only reason.

I have certainly learned a lot about the culture, etc. Thing sare so so different here and it seems like the surface, most obvious, is only the smallest beginning.

I have met so many cool people from different parts and that is a real asset for aspiring vagabonds such as myself. I am actually really looking forward to picking up French again when school starts, because I would like to be fluent in *some* foreign language and anyway I am closer in French than in Serbia. Vera, my roommate, said that the first foreign language you learn is the most difficult, and after that it gets easier because you know how to do it. I hope that she's right. But I really have to say that at times these past three weeks I was tempted to say, maybe I won't get a Phd in History, so I don't have to learn Serbian. But I am sure some prospective and things won't seem so bad. And everyonce in a while I get stuck by pangs. For instance I was at the host family of one of my friends, and I told the mother I am studying the first world war, and she went off about how her grandfather had fought in the army, retreating across Albania, to Corfu, than Macedonian, and back to Austrian again. How I wished I was fluent in Serbian so I could have asked here in greater detail about her grandfather's experiences! The best I can do is promise myself I will come back.

In the meantime I would like to paraphrase some letter of Dr Inglis, and say that, "someday we'll have loads to tell you", and I am off.