Me and Not Only Me

Art Nouveau Painting: Béla Husserl.

2011-10-13T16:39:00.008+02:00

My husband, Dimitri, felt compelled to write an article on my blog.

Whilst his personal blog Sorcery of Scent is related solely to his passion for perfumes, we feel this is the ideal platform to introduce you to an 'unknown' artist - one with an interesting story at that -: Béla Husserl.

In September we spent the Northern summer in Europe. Nothing pleases us more than to reconnect with family and friends, and enjoy the comforts and wonders of the continent. This year, whilst travelling through Vienna, Austria, we chanced upon a small antiques market right outside the Viennese Opera House in the 1st betzerk. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and we spent the best part of an hour hovering over tables and peering through vitrines that held treasures both rich and rare.

Perhaps the most charming piece - in my eyes at least - was a lovely framed Art Nouveau pen and watercolour illustration which swiftly took my eye. I loitered by the seller's stall for many minutes, admiring the artwork... its decidedly Art Nouveau organic lines and enchanting subject matter. Despite the paper being slightly foxed with age, it was perhaps the faraway stare in the eyes of the woman in the turbin that sold me. Was she in Venice, or perhaps just dreaming of Venice? Was she fictitious, or was she someone the artist loved?

I had to have it. It was returning to Perth with me.

The lovely woman from whom I bought the painting told me she had cherished this piece for approximately 40 years. She had hung it in her bedroom where it could be admired daily. I assured her that in turning this piece over to me, it would be treasured with an equal measure of devotion. The sale was made, and we left for home.

Several weeks later... today in fact, I decided to look into the artist. I like to explore the provenance of our artwork... to dig through the past as one might examine a trunk in an attic. A signature in the bottom left corner proved difficult to read, but with some helpful advice (and the keen eyes of a number of Austrian/Germanic friends), the artist's name was revealed: Husserl, Béla. 1921. I was assured the name was Hungarian in origin, despite the frame-maker's mark on the back of the artwork confirming it was framed in Vienna.

So off to google I went. Béla Husserl. One hit. Just one.

I clicked on the link which brought up a page in German (unfortunately not one of my spoken languages). "A Letter to the Stars" it read.

I opened the page in my browser, and activated the auto-translate field.

My heart sank.

"A Letter to the Stars" is an Austrian website memorialising holocaust victims and survivors.

The title read "VICTIMS" in obnoxious red, and beneath just a few lines:

Béla Husserl

Birthdate: 26.01.1898

Deported: Ybbs / Hartheim on 20.08.1940.

I sat for a few minutes and allowed the information to wash over me. Could this Béla Husserl be the very same Béla Husserl? The gifted artist who succeeded in capturing this marvellous image from the impending Art Deco age? The same man who rendered this lovely scene of a woman in a turbin with a captivating gaze. Could this be the same Béla Husserl whose life was taken at one of WWII's most horrific Nazi Euthenasia killing compounds: Schloss Hartheim? A wretched blight on the earth that housed the souls of 18,000 physically and mentally handicapped people before they were murdered?

The reality of the Haulocaust was chilling.

I may never know if this man was indeed the same man... but what I do know is that whoever he is, his art should be celebrated. I look at this illustration beneath hand-blown glass and I see an insight into his happiness. A window into his life, his dreams, his fantasy.

Was he perhaps at one time in Venice, or perhaps just dreaming of Venice?

Was the woman fictitious, or was she someone the artist loved?

If you, dear reader, recognise the name, or the art, or the signature, I ask you come forward. Béla Husserl - whoever he was - deserves an ongoing legacy.

Nostalgija sedamdesetih Yuga, Nostalgic seventies Yugoslavia

2011-06-12T06:57:00.006+02:00

I heard the song today that made me go back in time when I was a child in the seventies. The time was very different than now, there was no friendship on Facebook, we had real friends, played real games and didn't have to have a protective helmet riding a bike... there was no growing up wrapped in cotton wool.

The song that triggered all of this is Floyd from a film made in 1978 called National Class . The story is about a young man from Belgrade, Floyd, a car racer in the national class, and known also as a true lover. To be moved to the upper class, has to win the important race, and for that he has to defer his military service... If you want to know more you have to see it.

When this move was made I was still living in France with my parents, and Yugoslavia was a good place to live, so my mum and dad returned in 1980 back to Yugosavia, and I had great memories growing up at that time. So here I am now in Australia and I can only enjoy my memories....

Danas me je pesma podsetila vremena kad sam bila dete davnih sedamdesetih godina. Vremena su bila mnogo drugacija. Nismo imali prijatelje na facebook vec smo imali prave prijatelje, igrali smo prave igre i nismo morali da nosimo zastitne kacige dok smo vozili biciklu... mi nismo rasli pod staklenim zvonom.

Pesma koja me je vratila u vreme je Floyd iz filma Nacionalna Klasa iz 1978. Prica je tipu iz Beograda Floyd, trkac automobila u nacionalnoj klasi, koji vazi i za velikog smekera. Da bi presao u vecu klasu treba da pobedi vaznu trku. Evo deo filma gde je cas voznje 30sec. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUuyTWWYwE&feature=youtu.be

Kad je ovaj film snimljen ja sam jos uvek zivela u francuskoj sa roditeljima i bratom i sestrom. Tada je Yugoslaija bila lepa zemlja i maji su se odlucili da se vrate 1980. Meni su u secanju jako lepe upomene bezbriznog detinjstava u to vreme. I evo me sad u Australiji gde uzivam u nostalgiji davnih vremena....

Srecna Slava Svetog Ilije

2010-08-02T13:36:00.007+02:00

Srecna Slava Svetog Ilije mojoj porodici u Srbiji i svima koji slave danas

Bogovidac i čudotvorac, rodom iz plemena Aronova iz grada Tesvita, zbog čega se još zove i Tesvićanin. Kada se Ilija rodio njegov otac Savah, video je oko njega anđele koji ga povijaju ognjem i hrane plamenom, što je bilo znamenje njegovog plamenog karaktera i sile ognjene. Mladost je proveo u dubokom razmišljanju i molitvi, često sam u pustinji.

U to vreme jevrejsko carstvo bilo je podeljeno na dva dela: jedno sa prestonicom u Jerusalimu, a drugo u Samariji. Sveti prorok Ilija tu se sukobio sa izrailjskim carem Ahavom i njegovom opakom ženom Jezaveljom. Oni su se klanjali idolima i odvraćali narod od prave vere. Velikim čudesima Ilija je dokazao silu i vlast Božju. Zatvorio je nebo i kiša nije padala tri i po godine, a ognjem sa neba zapalio je žrtvu Bogu svome. Molitvom je potom poslao kišu na zemlju, čudesno umnožio brašno i ulje u kući udovice u Sarepti, i vaskrsao joj umrlog sina. Caru Ahavu i njegovoj ženi Jezavelji prorekao je ružnu smrt, što im se i desilo. Na Horivu razgovarao je prorok Ilija sa Bogom i čuo mu glas. Pred smrt je uzeo za naslednika u proročkom zvanju Jelisija i, najzad, otišao na nebo u ognjenim kolima, sa ognjenim konjima.

I wish my family in Serbia Happy Saint Elijah.

The Holy Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest of the prophets and the first dedicated to virginity in the Old Testament. He was born in Tishba of Gilead into the Levite tribe 900 years before the Incarnation of the Word of God.
Orthodox Christians of all times, and in all places, have venerated the Prophet Elijah for centuries. The first church in Russia, built at Kiev under Prince Igor, was named for the Prophet Elijah. After her Baptism St Olga (July 14) built a temple of the holy Prophet Elijah in his native region, at the village of Vibuta. In iconography the Prophet Elijah is depicted ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot, surrounded with flames, and harnessed to four winged horses. We pray to him for deliverance from drought, and to ask for seasonable weather.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS, Kolaci od borovnice

2010-02-13T17:23:00.009+01:00

1/2 c. Butter (or 113g), 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup of sour cream
2 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 cups of blueberries, 3/4 cups of chopped nuts

1/8 tsp. more nutmeg & 2 tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and gradually add the cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the sour cream. Combine the dry ingredients and gradually blend into creamed mixture. Fold in blueberries and nuts. Fill 2 1/2 inch paper-lined muffin cups half full. Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, sprinkle over the batter in the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Kolaci od borovnice

113g maslaca na sobnoj temperaturi, 1 solja secera, 2 jaja, 1 kasicica vanile, 1 solja k. pavlake,

2 solje brasna, kasicica praska za pecivo, pola kasicice sode bikarbone, pola kasicice orasceta,

2 solje borovnica (ja koristim zamrznute) i 3/4 solje iseckanih oraha, badema ili lesnika.

2 kasike secera i na vrh kasicice orasceta (pomesano)

Ugrejati relnu na 200C. Penasto umutiti maslac i postepeno dodati secer da se dobije penasta masa. Dodati jaja i vanila i jos mutiti pa na kreju rucno pomesati dodatu kis. pavlaku. Sjediniti sve suve sastojke (plavi tekst) i postepeno dodati prethodnoj smesi, pa dodati borovnice i npr.orahe. Sipati u poseban pleh za Muffins koje su podmazane, ali ja koristim masni papir isecen prema meri za pleh. Pre pecenja posuti sa secerom i orascetom, peci oko 20-25min. Prijatno

"Crossroads" Zivotna raskrsnica"

2010-02-05T16:39:00.009+01:00

I just wanted to share with you how I feel at the start of 2010. Have you ever ask your self "what would happen if I did this, insted of that?" "Who knows where I would have gone if I did this?" etc.. ?
I know we are not supposed to think like that however its quite intriging. You can almost sit down and write so many different autobiografies based on "if I was ...."
Is this the year of big changes in your life? Are you afraid to take a wrong turn? Is there a wrong turn? Or are we where we are, so we can learn something new or improve our inner self? Only time will tell!

Art by "Crossroads" (1999), by István Oroz. The work depicts crossing bridges that could not exist in the three-dimensional world. For example, there are reflections where there are no bridges to be reflected.

Htela sam sa vama da podelim misli koje me obuhvataju na pocetku ove godine. Jeste li se ikad upitali "Sta bi bilo da sam udadio ovo umesto ono?" "Ko zna gde bih stigao da sam se odlucila za to?" itd....

Znam da ne treba da razmisljamo u proslosti, ali je jako intrigantno. Tacno mozes da napises toliko razlicitih autobiografija na osnovu "Da sam tada..."
Da li je ovo godina velikih promena u vasem zivotu? Da li se bojite da napravite pogresan korak? Da li uopste i postoji pogresan korak? Jesmo li mi gde jesmo, da bismo naucili nesto novo ili zbog samopouzdanja. Vreme ce reci!

Srecna Slava Svetog Jovana

2010-01-20T15:06:00.005+01:00

Свети Јован прославља се неколико пута у години, но највише свечара има овога дана. Међу личностима јеванђелским, које окружавају Спаситеља, личност Јована Крститеља заузима сасвим засебно место, како по начину свога доласка у свет, тако и по начину живота у свету, и по улози крштавања људи за покајање и крштења Месије, и тако најзад по своме трагичном изласку из овог живота. Он је био такве моралне чистоте да се, ваистину, пре могао назвати ангелом, како га Свето Писмо и назива, него ли смртним човеком. Од свих осталих пророка свети Јован се разликује нарочито тиме што је он имао ту срећу да је могао и руком показати свету Онога кога је пророковао. За руку светог Јована прича се да ју је сваке године на дан светитељев архијереј износио пред народ. Понекад се та рука јављала раширена, а понекад и згрчена. У првом случају означавала је родну и обилну годину, а у другом неродну и гладну.

Ikona je sa http://www.byzantika.com/ moja interpertacija Svetog Jovana.

By an Old Calendar today is John the Baptist in (Hebrew: יוחנן המטביל, Arabic: يحيى‎ Yahyá AND يوحنا Yūhannā al-mamadan in arabic, Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ Yokhanan) was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figurewho led a movement of Baptism at the Jordan River in expectation of a divine apocalypse that would restore occupied Israel. John was an historical figure who lived until the year 36 and followed the example of previous Hebrew prophets, living austerely, challenging sinful rulers, calling for repentance and promising God's justice. John is regarded as a prophet inChristianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith and Mandaeism.

Photo is Icon from www.Byzantika.com my work.

Мир Божији Христос се Роди! Happy Christmas

2010-01-06T22:45:00.005+01:00

Мир Божији Христос се Роди!
Srecno Badnje vece i Bozic svom pravoslavnom narodu sirom s veta.. MIR BOZIJI , HRISTOS SE RODI

Happy Christmas Eve. Orthodox Christians in Serbia continue to observe the old Julian calendar dates, so tonight we celabrate Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is when the traditional oak log - badnjak - is brought to the family hearth.The house is decorated with oak branches with their leaves, representing the wish of the family for a long and healthy life "with health strong as oak, and with a life long as that of the oak."

Ikona Arhandjela Gavrila, Ikon Arch. Gabriel

2009-11-12T21:33:00.012+01:00

Odmor je bio pa prosao i ja sam se vratila ikonopisanju. Evo i fotografije moje poslednje ikone koju sam zavrsila proslog petka (lak se jos nije osusio). Ikona je naslikana
na starom drvenom podu iz kuce koje je iz perioda 1600, slikano je na tradicionalni nacin i oko vrata je slikano tecnim zlatom. Ikona je velicine 45-50cm i na prodaju je u galeriji za sumu od €560, takodje se moze kupiti direktno od mene, posalji email
za dodatna pitanja.

As soon as I had rested from my holiday, I started painting icons again. Here is my latest one that I finished last Friday (the varnish is still wet on it in the final photo). It has been painted on the old wooden floor boards from a house build in 1600... its painted in the traditional method, and the detail around the neck with liquid gold. This icon is about 45-50cm and its for sale in the gallery for €560. It can be also purchased by contacting me directly - please email me for more information.

Relaxing, Odmor

2009-10-04T21:56:00.004+02:00

To all my dear friends and readers of my blog, I have been on holiday for the last 3 weeks and will be back home in 2 weeks. Untill then here is the photo I took today in Vienna-Schonbrunn Palace with my mobile Samsung U700, hope you like it.

Moji dragi prijatelji i citaoci mog bloga, ja sam na odmoru vec 3 nedelje i vracam se tek za 2. Do tada evo fotografija koju sam fotografisala danas (u vrtu Beckog dvorca Schonbrunn) mojim mobilnim Samsung U700, nadam se da vam se svidja.

Protect humans FIRST and then animals!!

2009-08-18T00:53:00.007+02:00

How many times in one night can I see a tv comercial for protecting animals?? Well almost one every hour! How many times can I see a tv comercial for protecting and fighting against human trafficking?? NONE!! And I have more than 50 channels!! WHY ?? WHY is an animal more important?! WHY IS A HUMAN LIFE OF SUCH A SMALL IMPORTANCE TO GOVERNMENTS AND TV COMPANES?? WHEN DID THE WORLD BECOME SUCH AN UGLY PLACE? THINK ABOUT IT!!

"As many as 200,000 people are trafficked in Europe every year, the majority are women and girls who are forced into prostitution. In Europe, girls and young women are particularly at risk from criminals who promise good jobs or study and then force the victims to be prostitutes. The criminals profit while the girls and women suffer rape and other physical and mental violence. Human trafficking is so common now that it’s the third most profitable criminal activity in the world after illegal drugs and arms trafficking. Victims do not agree to be trafficked – they are tricked - lured by false promises - or forced.
The trafficker takes away the basic human rights of the victim: the freedom to move, to choose, to control her body and mind, and to control her future. Do not confuse trafficking with smuggling. A smuggler will facilitate illegal entry into a country for a fee, but on arrival at their destination, the smuggled person is free; the trafficking victim is enslaved."(QUOTE FROM MTV)

Koliko puta u toku jedne veceri pustaju reklamu na tv za zastitu zivotinja? Svaki sat po jednu!!! Koliko puta u toku jedne veceri pustaju reklamu na tv za zastitu i borbu protiv TRGOVINE LJUDIMA ??? NIJEDNU!!!! A JA IMAM PREKO 50 KANALA!! ZASTO?? ZASTO SU ZIVOTINJE VISE VAZNE??? ZASTO JE LJUDSKI ZIVOT OD TAKO MALE VAZNOSTI VLASTIMA I TV KOMPANIJAMA?? ODAKAD JE SVET POSTAO TAKO RUZAN?? RAZMISLI O TOME!!!

"Svake godine u Evropi biva prodano gotovo 200 hiljada pojedinaca, a većinu ih čine žene i devojke koje su primorane na prostituciju.
U Evropi devojkama i mladim ženama preti posebna opasnost od kriminalaca koji im obećavaju dobre poslove ili studiranje, a koji ih zatim prisiljavaju da budu prostitutke. Kriminalci profitiraju dok se devojke i žene siluju ili dok trpe druge oblike fizičkog i psihičkog nasilja. Trgovina ljudima je danas toliko uobičajena da predstavlja treću najprofitabilniju kriminalnu aktivnost u svetu, posle trgovine drogom i oružjem. Žrtve ne pristaju da budu prodane – one su prevarene – namamljene uz lažna obećanja – ili prisiljene. Trgovac ljudima žrtvi oduzima osnovna ljudska prava: slobodu kretanja, izbora, kontrole sopstvenog tela i duha, i kontrolu sopstvene budućnosti.
Nemojte da brkate trgovinu ljudima i krijumčarenje. Krijumčar će omogućiti nezakonit ulaz u zemlju uz novčanu naknadu, ali je po dolasku na odredište krijumčarena osoba slobodna; žrtva trgovine ljudima je pretvorena u roba." (CITAT SA MTV)

Srecna Slava, Happy Saint Elijah

2009-08-01T21:39:00.008+02:00

SRECNA SLAVA

Danas je moja porodicna slava Sveti Prorok Ilija a levo na slici je ikona koju je moj suprug uradio za nasu porodicu u Srbiji. Mi nazalost nismo ovog puta u Srbiji, ali zato cemo da proslavljamo u septembru kad se svi zajedno skupimo.
Sveti prorok Ilija je rodom iz Aronoba iz grada Tesvita. Po predanju, kada se Ilija rodio, njegov otac Sabah je video oko njega anđele koji ga povijaju ognjem i hrane plamenom, što je bilo znamenje njegovog plamenog karaktera i sile ognjene. Mladost je proveo u dubokom razmišljanju i molitvi, često sam u pustinji.

Today is my slava Sveti Prorok Ilija (on the left is Icon my husband painted for our family in Serbia). Unfortunately this year we can't be in Serbia with the rest of our family, but we will celebrate next month when we get there.
The slava (слава), also called krsna slava (крсна слава) is the Serbian Orthodox tradition of the ritual celebration, veneration and observance of a family’s own patron saint. The family celebrates the slava annually on the patron saint's feast day. The slava is regarded a Serbian tradition.

Saint Elijah was born in Aronoba from the city Tesvita. By legend, when he was born, his father Sabah saw angels around him that wrapped and fed him with flames and fire, which was a sign of his power and force of fire. He spend youth in deep thought and prayer, and often alone in the desert.
As Elijah was described as ascending into heaven in a fiery chariot. In many Slavic countries Elijah is known as Elijah the Thunderer (Ilija Gromovnik), who drives the heavens in a chariot and administers rain, storms, thunder and lightning bolts.

Opening of the gallery - Otvaranje Galerije

2009-07-22T13:48:00.021+02:00

Here are few photos from this weekend. It was the opening of the gallery Lind&James. There I have few of my Art works on display and for sale. I was glad that I had an opportunity to show something that most of galleries here don't have.
Evo i fotografija sa izlozbe koja je bila proteklog vikenda u galeriji Lind&James. Tu imam nekoliko svojih radova na izlaganju i na prodaju. Jako mi je bilo drago sto sam imala priliku da im prikazem nesto sto vecina Danskih galerija nema.

White Angel, Beli andjeo

2009-07-09T11:34:00.018+02:00

My Icon is inspired by the most famous frescoes in Serbian culture (its also the only one in the world). It depicts an angel sitting in front of the tomb of Christ.

White Angel (Serbian: Бели анђео) is a fresco from the Mileseva monastery, circa 1222-1228 AD in Serbia, Myrrhbearers on Christ's Grave (Mironosnice na Hristovom grobu).

Icon is showing the angel, dressed in white, who greeted the Myrrh-bearing women when they came to Christ's tomb. Sitting calmly, the angel of the Resurrection points out the empty tomb to the holy women, who withdrew in terror on beholding the sight. He then commanded them to tell the disciples that the Lord is risen from the dead. This famous icon is from a wall painting called in that monastery "The Holy Women at the Tomb." This monastery has frescoes by the most skillful artists of that time and belongs to a Latin period in Byzantine art. On the link below is the original frescoes from Mileseva monastery.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beli_andjeo3.jpg

Evo i deo deo ikone koju sam zavrsila sinoc, naravno ne treba puno govoriti nasim ljudima o ikoni koja je ne samo deo nase kulture nego i deo nas. Ja sam jako ponosna sto sam ovu ikonu spremila za izlozbu jer predstavlja moje poreklo i prikazuje dancima deo nase istorije.
Za vise informacija o ikoni na linku: http://sr.wikipedia.org/sr-el/%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8_%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%92%D0%B5%D0%BE

Work in progress/ Rad je u toku

2009-07-06T23:59:00.005+02:00

Just wanted to give you a small window into my life of painting a new piece for my exhibition.... only 11 days to go (when this painting is done I will post a photo here).

Samo sam htela na brzaka da vam se javim i pokazem sta se desava i moj rad u procesu. Ovu ikonu svi prepoznajete i radim je za izlozbu... jos samo 11 dana to tada (cim zavrsim ikonu stavicu sliku ovde)

My new Icon, najnovija ikona

2009-06-27T18:01:00.012+02:00

Here it is as I promised. I just finished it today and it will be on the exhibition on 18th July here in Denmark, Fyn. Size of the Icon is 193x70cm and its made with egg tempera, traditional way.

Kao sto sam obecala, evo i slika. Samo sto sam je zavrsila i sad 18 jula ce biti na izlozbi ovde u Danskoj. Inace ikona je 193cm x 70cm i uradjena je tradicionalnom jajcanom temperom.

I'm back, evo me opet.

2009-06-12T23:20:00.006+02:00

I know my last post was 12 days ago but here you can see what is the reason. I am painting, as I said before, Archangel Raphael for a friend, but also I will have an exhibition on the 18th of July. So as soon as I am finished with this one, I will have to start another one. It has become a full time job, and it has been my dream to be an artist... so I hope this will make me or break me. We will see.

Znam da nisam pisala vec 12 dana ali evo i razloga zasto. Slikam kao sto sam napomenula ranije, ikonu Arhandjela Rafaela, za prijateljicu ali i za izlozbu koje je 18-tog Jula. Tako da cim zavrsim ovu moram da pocnem sledecu. Pretvorilo se sve to u pravi posao, ja sam uvek zelela da budem umetnik, nadam se da ce me ovo iskustvo otkriti kojim pravcem da krenem, videcemo.

Awards-Nargrade!

2009-06-01T19:47:00.006+02:00

Today I got a award for creativity from Sajkaca of http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/. Thank you, I am so glad you like my Blog. Sajkaca is an architect living and working in Zürich and has also another very inspiring blog that I regularly read.

Last week I also got the same Award from Vera creator of following Blogs and have great photos and recipes. Thank you Vera :)
http://vojvodjanskakuhinja.blogspot.com/
http://vera-mmmmdelicios.blogspot.com/

Now I would like to pass on the awards to this 2 Blogs:

1. http://sorceryofscent.blogspot.com/
2. http://emoserpica.blogspot.com/

If you don't already know this blogs, I advise you to give a look. 1) is a very creative a fine fragrance aficionado's blog of all things smelly. 2) is Emo-serpica is an engineer from Belgrade and has also another very inspiring blog and 3) Curly Jo is Glass Artist & Jewellery Designer.

Thanks!

WHY DO PEOPLE MIGRATE? ZASTO SE LJUDI SELE I IMIGRIRAJU?

2009-05-28T00:32:00.010+02:00

While I've been painting (see icon in the post below) my mind wanders from time to time and today this was on my mind. I have been longing for a home and sense of belonging in one place for a while but that is just got more predominant living in Denmark due to the very low percentage of immigrants.

WHY DO PEOPLE MIGRATE?

People migrate for many different reasons. These reasons can be classified as either Economic, Social, Political or Environmental. Here are main ones: Better employment opportunities, Higher salaries and additional wealth, Better Educational opportunities, Safety, lower crime, Political stability.

But after all is it worth it? Is that step supposed to make us stronger or more like a coward? I lived in Australia for 7 years and never felt uncomfortable about where I come from. I was asked at an interview in Denmark "Is it hard being Serbian in Denmark?" I sad " Yes,.... in Australia I would have had better chances of getting a job 'cos everyone knows we are hard workers".

I found this quote form the www.migrationsociety.com/ and here is what they are saying for Australia: Australia offers new immigrants a welcome sense of belonging. The coming together of like-minded immigrants who share in the creation of a community, and of a country. Unity, Acceptance, Comfort and Respect for the past, living in the present, anticipating the future. Australia is a wonderful country that balances health, education and wealth in equal measure. Where you can enjoy exceptional amenities and an unparalleled "Quality of Life"

I have to say it's all true. I now realize how good it was, and how nice people can be. So, yes I believe I made a mistake coming to live here, and I am debating wheather was I brave or a coward to do this. Would I ever find a home of my own or place of belonging? To all of you living abroad, you know how I feel.

Dok ovih dana slikam (pogledaj zadnji clanak) misli mi odleprsaju sa vremena na vreme. Vec duze vreme ceznem za svojim domom i mesto gde bih se osecala kao kod kuce, ali ovo me je spopalo otkad sam u Danskoj zbog malog broja imigranata.

ZASTO SE LJUDI SELE I MIGRIRAJU?

Ljudi se sele zbog vise razloga a najcesci su: bolja mogucnosti zaposljavanja, vece plate i bonusi, bolje obrazovanje, bezbednost i niski kriminal, politicka stabilnost.

Ali posle svega da li se to isplati, da li nas ovaj korak napravi snaznijim ili vise kao kukavice? Zivela sam u Australiji 7 godina i nikad se nisam osetila neprijatno zbog mog porekla. Na razgovoru za posao ovde u Danskoj pitali su me: "Da li tesko biti Srbin u Danskoj?" moj odgovor: " Da jer u Australijij ja sam imala vecu sansu dobiti posao jer tamo znaju da smo mi jako dobri radnici"!

Ovo je clanak koji sam na nasla o Australiji na www.migrationsociety.com/ Australija nudi novim imigrantima dobrodosli osecaj pripadnosti. Dolazak istomisljenika imigranata koji zive u slozi i zajednici. Ujedinjenost, prihvatljivost, udobnost i postovanje za proslost, zivot u sadasnjosti, i ocekujuci buducnost. Australiaj je predivna zemlja koja ima balansa u zdrastvu, obrazovanju, i mere podjednakog bogatsva. Gde mozete uzivati izuzetne sadrzaje i neusporediv "Kvalitet zivota".

Ja vam iz iskustva mogu rece da je to tacno! Ja znam da sam napravila gresku dolaskom u Dansku, ali sam debitujem da li sam ja to bila hrabra ili sam bila kukavica? Da li cu ikad naci mesto i dom? Za sve vas koji zivite van domovine, znate kako se osecam.

Arhandjel Rafael, Archangel Rafael.

2009-05-14T23:34:00.005+02:00

Posto sam pocela da crtam ogromnu ikonu Rafaela pa je ovaj clanak u ime Arhandjela Rafaela.

Verovatno je najomiljeniji od svih arhanđela i najčešće prikazivan u umetnosti. Slikali su ga veliki majstori kao Botticelli, Tizian i Rembrandt. Njegovo ime znači: «Bog isceljuje». Zadužen je za isceljivanje Zemlje i svih njenih stanovnika. Biblija kaže da je anđeo Rafael iscelio Tobijino slepilo, kao i da je nakon potopa dao Noiu «medicinsku knjigu» sa uputstvima za lečenje. Na slikama ga prikazuju sa znakom Vodenjaka na grudima i često s mačem u ruci, no to je mač odbrane, a ne napada.

Rafael je zadužen za čisćenje negativnih misli i brisanje krivih verovanja koji u našemu telu izazivaju bolest. Ovaj arhanđeo nam daje zdravlje, veru i mentalnu snagu. Simbol je vazduha, Istoka .

Kada molimo za zdravlje kao naše prirodno stanje, okrenuti se ka Istoku pozivamo Rafaela da nas svojom ljubavlju i verom vodi kroz proces isceljivanja. Možemo ga moliti i za zdravlje svojih bližnjih. Link sa vise informacija: http://www.dodirnime.com/blog/view/id_26318/title_bozije-carstvo-i-njegovi-an-eli/

I made a start today on the Icon of Rafael so this post is for Archangel Rafael.
The name Raphael means “God heals.” Along with Gabriel and Michael he is one of the three archangels who are mentioned by name in the bible. While Gabriel is the Messenger and Michael the Defender, Raphael is said to be the one who “healed the earth” after it was defiled by the fallen angels.
The root of the name Raphael also appears in the modern Hebrew word Rophe meaning Doctor of medicine, thus echoing the healing function traditionally attributed to this angel. The archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast on 29 September and in Eastern November the 8th.
More on: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?id=273

Sea Art, umetnost prirode

2009-05-11T21:57:00.010+02:00

Last weekend we spent at the beautiful summer house of our friends, Stina and Kevin. Here is a photo of a heart in the water on the beach, taken just outside of the house. How beautiful.

Proslog vikenda smo bili u vikendici od nasih prijatelja Stina i Kevin. Evo je fotografija srca u vodi je sa plaze tacno ispred kuce, prelepo zar ne?

Свети великомученик Георгије, St George's Day

2009-05-06T17:34:00.019+02:00

Свети великомученик Георгије.

Овај славни и победоносни светитељ беше рођен у Кападокији као син богатих и благочестивих родитеља. Отац му пострада за Христа, и мајка му се пресели у Палестину. Када порасте, Георгије оде у војску, где доспе у двадесетој својој години до чина трибуна, и као такав беше на служби при цару Диоклецијану. Када овај цар отпоче страшно гоњење на хришћане, ступи Георгије пред њега и одважно исповеди, да је и он хришћанин. Цар га баци у тамницу, а нареди да му се ноге ставе у кладе а на прси тежак камен. Потом нареди, те га везаше на точак, под којим беху даске са великим ексерима, и да га тако окрећу, док му цело тело не поста као једна крвава рана. По том га закопа у ров, тако да му само глава беше ван земље, и остави га у рову три дана и три ноћи. Потом преко некога мађионичара даде му смртоносни отров. Но при свим овим мукама Георгије се непрестано мољаше Богу, и Бог га исцељиваше тренутно, и спасаваше од смрти на велико удивљење народа. Кад и мртваца једног молитвом васкрсе, тада многи примише веру Христову. Међу овима беше и жена царева Александра, и главни жрец Атанасије, и земљоделац Гликерије, и Балерије, Донат и Терина. Најзад осуди цар Георгија и своју жену Александру на посечење мачем. Блажена Александра издахну на губилишту пре посечења, а свети Георгије би посечен 303. године. Чудесима, која се десише на гробу светог Георгија, нема броја. Нема броја ни његовим јављањима у сну и на јави многима, који га споменуше и његову помоћ поискаше од онда до дана данашњега. Разгоревши се љубављу према Христу Господу, светом Ђорђу не беше тешко све оставити ради те љубави: и чин, и богатство, и царску почаст, и пријатеље, и сав свет. За ту љубав Господ га награди венцем неувеле славе на небу и на земљи и животом вечним у царству Свом. Још му дарова Господ силу и власт да помаже у бедама и невољама свима онима који га славе и његово име призивају (в. 3. новембар).
Prica je sa linka trsic:
http://www.trsic.org/

St George's Day
St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint, including England, Germany, the old kingdoms and counties of the Crown of Aragon in Spain — Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia; Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria and many others.

Serbia: Đurđevdan
In Serbian St. George's Day is called Đurđevdan (Cyrillic: Ђурђевдан) and is celebrated on 6th May every year, as the Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian, Old Style Calendar. St. George's Day is one of the most common Slavas (family patron day) among the Serbs, celebrated not only in Serbia, but also in Republika Srpska and other Serbian lands. Đurđevdan is also celebrated by both Orthodox and Muslim Roma and Muslim Gorani. Đurđevdan is celebrated, especially, in the areas of Raška in Serbia. Apart from being the Slava of many families, St. George's Day is marked by morning picnics, music, and folk dances.

From Wikipedia

Hleb bez mesenja, Making No-Knead Bread

2009-04-26T16:25:00.009+02:00

Moj omiljeni nacin pravljenja hleba. Secam se kako je moja baka pravila hleb u velikoj pecnici i ona bi pravila oko 6-10 hleba sve zajedno je peceno u furuni :) Tak sam nasla ovaj recept i probala jako me je podsetio na moje detinjstvo, a hleb je savrsen unutra je mek i socan a spolja krckav. Ja pecem hleb u serpi i caka je u tome sto se serpa zagreje u vrucoj relni pa se onda testo stavi i poklopi prvih 40min. i jos 40 min. bez poklopca. Ja sam recept prilagodila svojim uslovima i manje soli stavljam. Ovde na slici je hleb koji sam ja napravila.

Posto je video na engleskom ja sam vam isto nasla link sa receptom na nasem:
http://www3.serbiancafe.com/kuvar/9/3167/Seljacki-hleb-koji-se-ne-mesi
Orginalni recept na youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

This is my favourite way of making bread. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my grandmother would bake them in the outside oven (pizza oven) and always 6-10 at the time. The bread is soft and moist inside but crusty on the outside. You can see on the video what they use, but I just adjusted the recipe to my conditions and I just baked it in a normal pot with a lid. Here on the photo you can see my bread.

Orginal recipe on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

Hope you will like it.

§ ХРИСТОС ВАСКРСЕ § Χριστός ανέστη § CHRIST IS RISEN

2009-04-19T13:14:00.014+02:00

§ ХРИСТОС ВАСКРСЕ §

Dragi moji citaoci i od srca vam zelim da ga provedete uz svoje voljene.

Slika naseg doma za uskrs, ove godine smo sami ovde u Danskoj ali se nadamo da cemo se sledece godine provesti u Srbiji sa nasom voljenom porodicom u Mladenovcu.

Few photos to give you the atmosphere in our home at Easter, this year we are alone here in Denmark but we are hoping that next year we will be with our family in Serbia, Mladenovac.

Farbanje Jaja-Colouring Easter eggs

2009-04-18T23:32:00.017+02:00

U ovom postu mislim da slike sve govore.
In this post I think the image is saying all.

Uskrsnje boje, Easter Colours

2009-04-12T21:15:00.015+02:00

Posto nam se prijelo nesto slatko pa smo napravili Australijsku mancmelo salta. Jedna od najednostavnijih salta koje spremam a deca je obozavaju. Ne znam koliko je lako naci u Srbiji mancmelo pa sam vam dole na kraju posta stavila slike kako bi trebalo da izgleda. Inace Marshmallow-su spuzvasti slatkisi, jako meki koji se cesto pecu na otvorenoj vatri a i koriste se za kolace, sladolede i ubace u vrelo cokoladno mleko. Ja sam ovom prilikom nasla uskrsnje koje su u roze, bele i zelene boje i u obliku zeka i pacica. Potrebno vam je 200-350gr mancmelow koje se iseckaju na pola cm komade (moj muz ih je sa uzitkom iskidao) haha... Konzerva iseckanog ananasa (oko 350gr), konzerva mandarina i 350-450ml kisela pavlake. Ananas se iscedi i stavi u ciniju, dodaju se mandarine (kriske), parcici mancmelo i kisela pavlaka, pa se sve ujednaci i ostavi u frizideru nekoliko sati. Posluziti ohladjeno, prijatno.

We wanted something sweet yesterday so we made Australian marshmallow salad, very simple and kids love it. Ingredients! a can of pineapple chunks, a can of mandarin wedges, 350-450ml of sour cream, a bag of miniature marshmallows. Drain pineapple and mandarin, place in the bowl, add marshmallows and sour cream, mix it well and place in the fridge for a few hours.Serve cold and enjoy.

Labudovo jezero./ Swan lake

2009-04-07T00:31:00.010+02:00

Svake prve nedelje u mesecu po pravilu sve prodavnice bi trebalo da su otvorene, ali nisu u Odensu. Mi smo vec odustali da nadjemo razlog zasto. Ali ove nedelje smo videli evo novu zrtvu (lazne reklame) koje se obradovala i nadala se da ce prodavnica biti otvorena. Da to je nas gospodin Labud, uputio se prema nekadasnjoj apoteci koja se iselila sa te lokacije. Pa posle duzeg vremena umoran od cekanja i sokiran od cene mesecne kirije koja je napisana na plakatu (545,000 din) odlucio je da se vrati svojoj ustajaloj reci.

Every first Sunday in the month, there is a general rule that stipulates that all the shops should be open... but no! Opening times are arbitrary and no rules seem to apply!! We have already given up on finding a reason why this is not always the case. This past Sunday, we stumbled upon a new victim of this "false advertising"... they obviously got excited and hoped to shop as well. That was Mister Swan (pictured here). Looks like he waited outside the old pharmacy, not realising that they had relocated! After a long tiresome wait, and his initial shock over the monthly rent charges (54,500 kroner), he decided to up and go back to his pond. Poor fellow. Like us, he was all dressed up with nowhere to go!

Most u Svendborgu, Svendborg bridge

2009-04-02T21:52:00.009+02:00

Pre dva dana sam sa muzem otisla do obliznjeg grada koji se zove Svendborg. Inace grad je jako lep i na obali mora ...... Posto nam danski jezik i nije bas najbolji desila nam se tako reci jako neprijatna stvar. Isli smo autobusom jer je udaljeno od nas samo 28km. Ja sam na redu voznje procitala da autobus isto staje na glavnoj stanici, tako da sam odlucaila da ne moramo da izadjemo na pocetku grada nego u centru. I tako se nadjosmo na ogromnom mostu sa kojeg je pogled bio prelep. Kad ce moj muz "pa mi ovo idemo prema ostrvu a Svendborg ostaje iza nas?" Panika, ja odem do vozaca i on to potvrdi i mi izadjemo (a ostalo je neobjasnjivo).
Tako smo se mi nasli na pocetku mosta, pa smo krenuli pesaka da ga predjemo uz jak vetar, ogradu koja nam je tek povise struka i malo rdjava i pesacimo ne trotoarom nego stazom za bicikle i motore. Most je duzine 1,220m i visine 33m (vidite sliku) a ja se jako bojim visine tako da sam na pocetku pocela i da placem. Sve u svemu uz podrsku mog muza mi smo presli taj most za 15 min. ili manje!! UH

Two days ago I went with my husband to a nearby town called Svendborg. My Danish language is not so good, so we had pretty unpleasant experience. Svendborg is situated only 28km far from us, so we took a bus. I "read in danish" on the timetable that the bus will stop in the center of the town, so there was no reason to get off before that. As we came close to the town, our bus began traveling over a large bridge, from which the view was phenomenal. Then My husband said "I think we are on the way to the island, and Svendborg is behind us!?" PANIC!! I went to the driver and he confirmed that we just left the town behind us, so we got off.
As we started to walk back over the bridge, I started to panic and cry. There was a gusty wind, and we walking on the bikepath as there was no footpath. The bridge is 1,220m long and 33m high (see picture). There was a lot of trafic rushing past us, and the wind was tugging at our clothes. The two of us, being terrified by heights were absolutely petrified. All in all, with the encouragement of my husband, we managed to cross the bridge on foot in under 15 minutes. RECORD!... but NEVER again!

Porodica Sova, Family Nightowls

2009-03-27T09:39:00.006+01:00

Sinoc sam zavrsila sliku "Porodica Sova" za koju sam dobila inspiraciju od slike koje sam uradila prosle godine "Maslacak mace" vidi u mom postu od ranije. Slika nije narucena kao sto je bio slucaj sa macama ali se nadam da ce se prodavac naci i mozda ima sansu da bude koriscen za ilustraciju knjige ili razglednice.

Last night I finished my painting of "Family Nightowls" which was inspired by "Dandy Cats" that I painted last year. You can see in my post below. This painting is not commissioned as the cat one was, but I am hopping that a buyer will come, and maybe it could be used for a book illustration or a postcard.

On March 24, 1999, NATO attacked the Republic of Serbia

2009-03-24T14:44:00.011+01:00

I am finding it very hard to talk about' this attack on Serbia... I had a feeling like I left my family in trouble. At the time, I had just moved to Australia, and was living there 22 days before this begin. In the middle of the night, while we ware sleeping, the phone rang and it was my family telling me that Serbia is being bombed. In the background I could hear the sirens and bombs.

It is something that I will never forget, and here are some of NATO excuses:

"NATO deeply regrets" the death of five people when missiles fell 600m short of their target and hit residences in the mining town of Aleksinac on April 5.

"NATO deeply regrets" the death of at least ten people when NATO jets hit a Yugoslav passenger train travelling from Belgrade to Salonika on a bridge near Leskovac on April 12.

"NATO deeply regrets" the deaths of 80 people which occurred when NATO attacked two refugee columns in Western Kosovo on April 14.

On March 24, 1999, NATO attacked the Republic of Serbia with bombers and cruise missiles. The "war" (really more of a bombing campaign) marked the first time in over fifty years that European powers (as part of the U.S.-dominated NATO) attacked another European country. The bombing and missile attacks initially occured nightly, then day-and-night, and went on for 11 weeks, causing major damage to Yugoslav society. NATO deliberately bombed water and power supplies, hospitals and prisons, knowing full well that without electricity and water the people of Yugoslavia would suffer great hardship and some (such as people in hospitals with no power) would die. This war was illegal under international law from the beginning. Deliberate infliction of suffering upon civilians is a war crime, and the U.S. generals who planned and carried out this war (in particular, Gen. Wesley Clark) are war criminals.
More on: http://www.serendipity.li/nato.htm

Belgrade under a Nato attack.

Belgrade now.

Dobro nam doslo prolece!! Welcome to the spring :)

2009-03-18T20:42:00.008+01:00

Prosla nedelja je bila jako teska. Muz i ja smo bili jako bolesni od neke prehlade ali vise kao neki virus. Zaboravila sam koliko se oslanjamo na zdravlje, dok ga ne izgubimo. Danas kao simbol suncanog dana, proleca na pragu i naseg ozdravljenja, otisla sam u bastu i ubrala ovo cvece na slici.
Pa dragi moji prijatelji i citaoci, hvala vam na strpljenju. I za dolazak proleca 2009, zelim da vam se ostvare sve zelje i puno zdravlja.

It has been a hard week as I was sick and so was my husband. I forgot how much we rely on our well-being, until you lose it. Today, as a symbol of a nice sunny day; spring coming, and us feeling almost perfectly healthy again, I went to the garden and picked these flowers.
So my dear friends and readers thank you for waiting and here is to Spring 2009. May it bring you all you wish for.

"The Biggest Secret" by David Icke

2009-03-11T10:24:00.013+01:00

In every day life most of us are like well oiled machines. We grow up, get married, have children, work, purchase a house and car and live and work for a holiday or two.
So under those circumstances, how many of us would even think about what is going on in the world, or about how it all happened... or what is conspiring.

So I wanted to write about the world that David Icke described in his book "The Biggest Secret". If you didn't read, it I highly recommend that you do. You will find it quite shocking to start off, but then you start putting the puzzle together and you ask yourself is it possible!" No"!?

I found this link where you can read it in chapters: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biggestsecret/biggestsecretbook/biggestsecret.htm

I will only give you part of chapter of his book and I hope I tricked your curiosity.

The New Testament

OK, a little quiz. Who am I talking about?

He was born to a virgin by immaculate conception through the intervention of a holy spirit. This fulfilled an ancient prophecy. When he was born the ruling tyrant wanted to kill him. His parents had to flee to safety. All male children under the age of two were slain by the ruler as he sought to kill the child. Angels and shepherds were at his birth and he was given gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. He was worshipped as the saviour of men and led a moral and humble life. He performed miracles which included healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, casting out devils and raising the dead. He was put to death on the cross between two thieves. He descended to hell and rose from the dead to ascend back to heaven.21

Sounds exactly like Jesus doesn’t it? But it’s not. That is how they described the Eastern saviour god known as Virishna 1,200 years before Jesus is claimed to have been born. If you want a saviour god who died so our sins could be forgiven, take your pick from the ancient world because there are a stream of them, all originating with the Aryan and reptile-Aryan race that came out of the Near East and the Caucasus Mountains.

Here are just some of the ‘Son of God’ heroes who play the lead role in stories which mirror those attributed to Jesus and almost all were worshipped long before Jesus was even heard of:

Khrishna of Hindostan, Buddha Sakia of India, Salivahana of Bermuda, Osiris and Horus of Egypt, Odin of Scandinavia, Crite of Chaldea, Zoroaster of Persia, Baal and Taut of Phoenicia, Indra of Tibet, Bali of Afghanistan,Jao of Nepal, Wittoba of Bilingonese, Tammuz of Syria and Babylon, Attis of Phrygia, Xamolxis of Thrace, Zoar of the Bonzes, Adad of Assyria, Deva Tat and Sammonocadam of Siam, Alcides of Thebes....................

My Birthday

2009-03-08T11:15:00.007+01:00

When I was younger I could never understand why older people didn't get excited about their own birthdays, but now I know. Its strange how that transition happened to me and I can not say when I stopped being happy about getting older. As kids we always made sure to increase our age by any possible month we could, but now I would like not to mention numbers.

Living in Australia for 7 years helped me discover many different cultures, and their cuisine. I love good food and I love to cook. I dont think there is any such a thing as "I dont know"... you just take a recipe and start cooking. I always like to be creative when it comes to cooking, so here you will find lots of my cooking and I am hoping you will enjoy it.

For my birthday (7th of March) I made Tiramisu. It was the first time ever for me so I just followed the recipe I found from a woman in New Zealand named Megan, on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TEJXgjId8w

So here are photos of the one I made... it was not very hard making it, but trying to find all the ingredients here in Denmark proved almost imposible, and so expensive! Almost 40€! And here I was, wondering why I never made it before!

My lovely husband made a special Greek stew (made with veal) called Stifado: one of my favorite dishes. So I had to post these photos as well, of his cooking process. I hope you like it!

Proud to be Serbian

2009-03-04T21:21:00.011+01:00

I found this link on youtube and had to post it on my Blog. Thanks to djavolak, here is also his text related to the video... very well written.

Serbia is a country that has long been misunderstood in the world mainly because of the political and social trouble the recent wars have created. People have forgotten what Serbia truly is, a beautiful land with a rich culture and history, consisting of very proud people.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Songs:
Eurosong 2007 Marija Serifovic Molitva
Beovizija 2008 Jelena Tomasevic Oro
Eurosong 2004 Zeljko Joksimovic Lane

The more I live in other countries, the more I am proud to be Serbian.

More Cats, Maslacak mace

2009-03-01T20:32:00.008+01:00

Today I started a new painting and I am hoping it will be as good as my "Dandy Cats" (see pic). I did this painting few months ago and its inspiration for my new one "Family Nightowls", I better go now and paint!!

Danas sam pocela novu sliku da slikam i nadam ce da ce biti uspesna kao sika "Maslacak mace" na slici. Ovu sam sliku naslikala pre nekoliko meseci i od njih sam dobila inspiraciju da naslikam "Porodica sova", pa bolje da idem i bacim se na posao.

Cat in captivity!!

2009-02-28T12:24:00.009+01:00

I took this photo of a cat inside of a closed shop on the weekend!! He was so friendly!! When we placed our hand on the glass window he would rub him self against it!! I so wanted to take him home with me.
So, his captivity on the weekend reminded me of this great story that I wanted to share with you. I hope you like it.

CAT DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.

For now...

Dimitri's Birthday

2009-02-16T10:55:00.012+01:00

Today it's my husbands birthday, and you will see on this photo that there are no birthday candles (so we improvised), and if you are wondering why there is no cream on top of the cake, it's because it tastes great without it. I made him his fave cake that originates from Serbia, and a big part of it is Plazma keks (biscuits made in Serbia)! In the nineties Plazma received awards from Europe and other parts of the world. In the winter of 2005 Plazma was awarded with the most important acknowledgment – the best Serbian product chosen by the consumers.

Here is an ad for it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnsUx12M3no

I would advise you to try if you didn't try it yet :)

Medusa

2009-02-12T15:25:00.011+01:00

Today it was a cold but sunny day so I cleaned windows while my husband was designing (Art Director of Nightshade Design). After I finished cleaning, he asked me to check my email and the new Digital Art Photo he did of me! I was so surprised and thrilled with photo and I wanted to share with you. I hope you like it and the other one is of him (he did day before) you have to admit nice looking couple.

Sarma

2009-02-06T15:52:00.010+01:00

There is a joke about how do you know if you are Serbian? Well one answer is: A week after Slava, Bozic, and Easter you are still eating sarma. But it’s a true; it’s a meal that is always better the next day. I made Sarma today and maybe we will be eating it for the week, but I usually freeze some. It takes a bit of the time preparing it, but every child grows up watching their mum... paying attention to how she rolls and stuffs the pickled cabbage leafs.

‘Sarma’ are sour cabbage leaf rolls containing minced meat (usually beef, pork, veal, or a combination), rice, onions, and various spices, including salt, pepper and various local herbs. It is mixed together and then wrapped inside large sour cabbage leaves and then cooked over bacon bones for many hours. ‘Sarma’ means "wrapping" or "rolling" in Turkish, and is similar to its Greek cousin ‘dolmades’.

PRIJATNO

I found a link from Florida advertising the Serbian Festival last year... feel free to have a look at it, as they highlighted some of our best traditional food. http://www.serb-fest.com/food.html

In Memory of Jonny

2009-02-05T18:15:00.006+01:00

About 6 years ago my parents got this cute mixed breed dog, and for some reason called him Jonny!

He was a very cute little dog with a charming underbite... In the photo I am putting here he looks perfect as that is what he deserve in his last photo! Yes poor thing went to visit a dog next door he knew well (Rottweiler), however there was one more dog there who didn’t like Jonny being there!! You can imagine what happened- in all the fighting Jonny was mauled and killed by 2 Rottweilers !

I am very upset about it and thinking what I am going to do!! I have to say that the same 2 Rottweilers came to my parent’s yard and attacked and killed a small pig in his pig pen. I was heart broken that that poor pig had such a horrible death. I am enraged and will take action.

In Memory of Jonny

The Pomeranian is a lively little dog

2009-02-05T16:47:00.008+01:00

Yes, I could say my husband and I are very borded living in Denmark! But not long ago on to the way to city we always see this little Pomeranian that goes APESHIT every time we pass its window! But now it has become a source of entertainment for Dimitri and I as we stop and greet and provoke him! But here is more why they are like that: Because of this breeds tiny size and it's adorable Ewok looking face, there are a very high percentage of Pomeranian who fall victim to Small Dog Syndrome! They can become reserved with strangers, barking at them excessively, and sometimes growling, snapping and biting. Because most humans treat this tiny canine in such a manner that the dog does not see them as pack leader, they are not recommended for children. Well now we know why :)

Taste buds...

2009-02-04T20:07:00.006+01:00

Morning. Outside the air is filled with haze and fog... there is not a sound of birds - only traffic. On this kind of day, would you ever think that your taste buds can make you go out in the cold (while its snowing) and light the BBQ ?

Well yes it can! I had that urge today; my taste buds woke up and wanted fire roasted red peppers! After the peppers have been roasted on the grill (their skin totally blackened), place them in a dish with a lid and leave it to sweat and cool a bit before peeling the skin off. After the skin has been removed, I crush a clove or two of garlic and mix it in the bowl with vinegar, salt and oil; coat all the peppers - and the rest of the mix I pour over them and serve, or leave in the fridge for a while. YUM!!

It's a very common side dish in Serbia, you would usually roast peppers on the big old stove tops and use them on the same day, or freeze them or make a pepper chutney or relish called Ajvar. I will always remember the air filled with the sweet smell of the peppers being roasted, mixed with the smoke of all the wood fire stoves.

I had to think for a moment - was it just my taste buds, or me wanting part of home?

I was born in Serbia

2009-02-03T16:13:00.033+01:00

I was born in Belgrade. Serbia is a country that has long been misunderstood in the world mainly because of the political and social trouble the recent wars have created. People have forgotten what Serbia truly is, a beautiful land with a rich culture and history, consisting of very proud people. Counter Western propaganda and bring Serbia back to what it once used to be.

So my first story is Medieval Serb kingdoms and the Serbian Empire (info sourced from wikipedia).

Golubac fortress overlooking the Danube river

Medieval Serb kingdoms and the Serbian Empire

According to legend, the Serbs were ruled by the descendants of the Unknown Archont who led them to the Balkans from White Serbia; its three related medieval dynasties follow a continuous bloodline all the way to the 1400s A.D. The earliest rudimentary Serb state arose in the mid ninth century, although it was mostly a vassal principality to the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires alternatively. Official adoption of Christianity soon followed (under Prince Mutimir Vlastimirović). The First dynasty died out in 960 A.D. with the death of Prince Časlav, who managed to unify all the Serb populated lands, centred between contemporary South Serbia and Montenegro, almost all of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the coastal south of Croatia. Following this, Serb lands were soon incorporated under direct Byzantine rule after their defeat of the First Bulgarian Empire in 1018 AD. Around 1040 AD an uprising in the coastal Serb lands, in the medieval state of Duklja, overthrew Byzantine rule. Duklja then assumed domination over the Serbian lands between 11-12th centuries under the dynasty of Vojislavljević (who, according to legend, they were descendants of the 1st dynasty).

In 1077 A.D. Duklja became the first Serb Kingdom (under Michael I- ruler of Tribals and Serbs), following the establishment of the catholic Bisphoric of Bar. From late 12th century onwards, a new state called Raska, centred in present-day southern Serbia, rose to become the paramount Serb state. Over the 13th and 14th century, it ruled over the other Serb lands (the Hum, Travunia and Duklja/Zeta, whereas Bosnia was detached from Serbia proper by its incorporation into Hungary). During this time, Serbia began to expand eastward (toward Nis), southward into Kosovo and northern Macedonia and northward toward Srem and Macva for the first time. This shift away from the Adriatic coast brought Serbia increasingly under the influence of the Eastern Orthodox, although a substantial proportion of Catholics were found in the coastal regions. Although Europe had already experience the East-West Schism by this time, such a split was far less concrete than it is today, and Catholic Slavs in Bosnia and the Dalmatian coast practised Christianity in a similar way to Orthodox Slavs - priests married, wore beards and gave liturgy in Slavic rather than Latin. By the beginning of the 14th century Serbs lived in four distinctly independent kingdoms- Dioclea, Rascia, Bosnia and Syrmia.

The House of Nemanjić, descendants of the kings of Duklja, moved from Duklja to Raška, signalling a shift towards continental Serbia in the late 12th century. A direct result of this was the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1217, which rivalled the Catholic Bishopric of Bar. Under the Nemanyaden, Medieval Serbia reached its economic, legal, military and religious apogee. The Serbian Kingdom of Raška was proclaimed in 1219, joined later by the Kingdom of Syrmia and the Banovina of Mačva. Finally, the Serbian Empire under Stefan Dušan was formed in 1346. Under Dušan's rule, Serbia reached its territorial peak, becoming one of the larger states in Europe, portraying itself as the heir of the run-down Byzantine Empire, and indeed was the most powerful Balkan state of
the period. The renowned Dušan's Code, a universal system of laws, was enforced. The Serbian identity has been profoundly shaped by the rule of this dynasty and its accomplishments, with Serbian Orthodox Church assuming the role of the national spiritual guardian.

Medieval Serbia at its greatest extent under Emperor Stefan Dušan, one of Europe´s mightiest rulers at the time.

Coronation of Emperor Dušan

Karađorđe Petrović, leader of the First Serbian uprising in 1804

As a result of internal struggle between rival noble families, and heavy losses inflicted by the Ottomans in the epic Battle of Kosovo, the Serbian Empire had dissolved into many states by the beginning of the 15th century. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, constant struggles took place between various Serbian kingdoms on the one hand, and the Ottoman Empire on the other. The turning point was the fall of Constantinople and its last emperor (of Serbo-Greek ethnicity) Constantine Dragaš- Paleologus, to the Turks. The Serbian Despotate fell in 1459 following the siege of the "temporary" capital Smederevo, followed by Bosnia a few years later, and Herzegovina in 1482. Montenegro was overrun by 1499. Belgrade was the last major Balkan city to endure Ottoman onslaughts, when it joined the Catholic Kingdom of Hungary. Serbs, Hungarians and European crusaders heavily defeated the Turkish in the Siege of Belgrade of 1456. Several Serbian despots ruled in parts of Vojvodina as vassals of the Hungarian kings with the title of Hungarian barons. After repelling Ottoman attacks for over 70 years, Belgrade finally fell in 1521, along with the greater part of the Kingdom of Hungary. Forceful conversion to Islam became imminent, especially in the southwest (Raška, Kosovo and Bosnia). Republic of Venice grew stronger in importance, gradually taking over the coastal areas.

Ottoman and Austrian rule
The Early modern period saw the loss of Serbia's independence to the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, interrupted briefly by the revolutionary state of the Emperor Jovan Nenad in the 16th century. Modern times witnessed the rise of the Habsburg Monarchy (known as the Austrian Empire, later Austria-Hungary), which fought many wars against the Ottoman Turks for supremacy over Serbia. Three Austrian invasions and numerous rebellions (such as the Banat Uprising) constantly challenged Ottoman rule. Vojvodina endured a century long Ottoman occupation before being ceded to the Habsburg Empire in the 17th-18th centuries under the terms of the Treaty of Karlowitz (Sremski Karlovci). As the Great Serb Migrations depopulated most of Kosovo and Serbia proper, the Serbs sought refuge in more prosperous (and Christian) North and West were granted imperial rights by the Austrian crown (under measures such as the Statuta Wallachorum in 1630). The Ottoman persecutions ofChristians culminated in the abolition and plunder of the Patriarchate of Peć in 1766. As Ottoman rule in the South grew ever more brutal, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I formally granted the Serbs the right to their autonomous crown land, speeding up their migrations into Austria.

Karađorđe Petrović, leader of the First Serbian uprising in 1804

Right Miloš Obrenović I, leader of the Second Serbian uprising in 1815

The Serbian Revolution and independence (Principality of Serbia)
For the first time in Ottoman history an entire Christian population had risen up against the Sultan. The entrenchment of French troops in the western Balkans, the incessant political crises in the Ottoman Empire, the growing intensity of the Austro-Russian rivalry in the Balkans, the intermittent warfare which consumed the energies of French and Russian Empires and the outbreak of protracted hostilities between the Porte and Russia are but a few of the major international developments which directly or indirectly influenced the course of the Serbian revolt. During the First Serbian Uprising (first phase of the revolt) led by Karađorđe Petrović, Serbia was independent for almost a decade before the Ottoman army was able to reoccupy the country. Shortly after this, the Second Serbian Uprising began. Led by Miloš Obrenović, it ended in 1815 with a compromise between the Serbian revolutionary army and the Ottoman authorities. The famous German historian Leopold von Ranke published his book "The Serbian revolution" (1829). They were the easternmost bourgeois revolutions in the 19th-century world. Likewise, Principality of Serbia abolished feudalism- second in Europe after France.
The Convention of Ackerman (1826), the Treaty of Adrianople (1829) and finally, the Hatt-i Sharif of 1830, recognized the suzerainty of Serbia with Miloš Obrenović I as its hereditary Prince. The struggle for liberty, a more modern society and a nation-state in Serbia won a victory under first constitution in the Balkans on 15 February 1835. It was replaced by a more conservative Constitution in 1838.
In the two following decades (temporarily ruled by the Karadjordjevic dynasty) the Principality actively supported the neighboring Habsburg Serbs, especially during the 1848 revolutions. Interior minister Ilija Garašanin published The Draft (for South Slavic unification), which became the standpoint of Serbian foreign policy from the mid-19th century onwards. The government thus developed close ties with the Illyrian movement in Croatia-Slavonia (Austria-Hungary). Following the clashes between the Ottoman army and civilians in Belgrade in 1862, and under pressure from the Great Powers, by 1867 the last Turkish soldiers left the Principality. By enacting a new constitution without consulting the Porte, Serbian diplomats confirmed the de facto independence of the country. In 1876, Montenegro and Serbia declared war on the Ottoman Empire, proclaiming their unification with Bosnia. The formal independence of the country was internationally recognized at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, which formally ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78; this treaty, however, prohibited Serbia from uniting with Principality of Montenegro, and placed Bosnia and Raška region under Austro-Hungarian occupation to prevent unification.

Kingdom of Serbia
From 1815 to 1903, Kingdom of Serbia was ruled by the House of Obrenović (except from 1842 to 1858, when it was led by Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević). In 1882, Serbia, ruled by King Milan, was proclaimed a Kingdom. In 1903, the House of Karađorđević, (descendants of the revolutionary leader Đorđe Petrović) assumed power. Serbia was the only country in the region that was allowed by the Great Powers to be ruled its own domestic dynasty. During the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), the Kingdom of Serbia tripled its territory by acquiring part of Macedonia, Kosovo, and parts of Serbia proper. As for Vojvodina, during the 1848 revolution in Austria, Serbs of Vojvodina established an autonomous region known as Serbian Vojvodina. As of 1849, the region was transformed into a new Austrian crown land known as the Serbian Voivodship and Tamiš Banat. Although abolished in 1860, Habsburg emperors claimed the title Großwoiwode der Woiwodschaft Serbien until the end of the monarchy and the creation of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918.

About Me

2009-02-03T14:25:00.001+01:00

Some things you may not know...

I enjoy creating Art and now it is starting to be my profession as well. Until recently I was not sure what would be the medium I would use, as I have experimented in a lot of directions. Now I know it will be oil paints only.

I have a huge passion and love for interior decorating and architecture. I admire the work that has been done done on the buildings and when I see neglected houses I feel like giving them their life back with renovation.

I love travel and cooking. Love to learn about history, cultures and cooking in all the different places and would still love to visit a lot of them, like Italy, Spain, Morocco, Egypt etc. I don't believe in war and religion used as tool to divide the people, but it is a history as well as it is a reality.
Photography is also something that I like from time to time, but need to be inspired by my surroundings.

Beside all of the above I love Greece and the sea, gardening and all the flowers, music, moves, old books, old hats and gloves, antiques, walking, and Brown Brothers Cienna wine.

But most of all I love my husband and my family, without them I wouldn't be who I am today.

Thanks for reading,
Mira