It never fails to surprise me how different working and living is each month. The acts are the same: work is work and living is life. Yet, like most things in the life, the difference is in the details. While living and working in Belgrade last month, I realized everything is just a little different than what I’ve known previously.
I could not have asked for a better location for a first time visitor living in Belgrade. I had a great location in the heart of the city. I lived across the street from Republic Square, which meant that in a matter of minutes I could find myself deep in the daily action of shopping, cafes, grocery stores, even an Ikea. I had everything at my fingertips. The city dweller in me loved the location beyond the simple fact of convenience.
Similar to my apartment in Marrakech, I lived in a building with a previous life. The Babylon apartment complex in Marrakech used to be a brothel. Sweet House Belgrade used to be a hostel. Coincidentally the lobby of Sweet House gave off horror movie vibes, but instead of evoking the Eli Roth trilogy, think Kubrick's The Shining. However, like most buildings in Belgrade, you can’t judge it by its faded exterior or it’s dated common area, you have to get inside the space to get a true read.
My actual apartment was nicer than expected given the red rum entry vibes. We had a large common area and 1.5 bathrooms for four girls. The bathroom to roommate ratio never posed a problem and everyone had their own bedroom. My first time living with more than one roommate was a success.
There have been several cities without air conditioning, so I am slowly being conditioned to do without. The longer I go without it, the more I realize how infrequently you actually need it. In the US it has become so commonplace that we tend to over-use it. Our common area had AC and you turned it off when you left because it was not built to run all day.
I didn’t have AC in my bedroom and I didn’t miss it even in the 90+ degree heat. My trusty fan served me well. And if there is one thing I can say about Belgrade it’s that I had my best sleep here. If my family is reading this I’m sure they’re laughing at that previous comment. If you know me well, you know that I am a champion sleeper. I fall asleep fast and I go down hard. Sirens, heavy winds, storms: I sleep right through em. I could fall asleep with the lights on.
Admittedly, I sleep well most days. Yet there was an x factor going on in Belgrade. Maybe it was the gentle breeze my fan provided, or maybe it was that our apartment was particularly quiet with little to no outside noise. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I can say that I woke every morning feeling more rested than usual regardless of how many hours I clocked. Most nights the sleep was un-interrupted, deep, and restful. It was a beautiful thing.
Okay so I know I was just saying how I’ve been conditioned to do without AC, but the one place I miss it is at the gym. None of the gyms I have joined on the road have had AC, not one. Star Aerobic Fitness Club was no different than the gyms in Cape Town or Valencia, but it was the most noticeable. Like most places in Belgrade, Star was quirky. It is a women’s only gym in a basement behind a car wash with signage that screams “Hot Sundae.” But just like the Polideportivo in Valencia, Star got the job done.
That sliver of familiarity when you’re far from home comes from unexpected places. At Star I could count on the comfort of working out with re-reruns of How I Met Your Mother and Castle playing on the TVs. I’ve seen every episode of Castle and maybe two of HIMYM but it made no difference to me. If you just read TVs and thought to yourself, “this place can’t be that bad,” let me elaborate. These were not TVs in the console of the equipment like you’re used to in the US. These were four TVs with the bubble back (talking pre-flat screen) placed on a ledge.
But it was my interaction with the locals that I enjoyed most about Star. One of the guys that worked there would always insist on starting the elliptical machine for me. I would get on and he would start pressing buttons as I got my legs moving. He would then deadpan, “You have to move faster than that.” No such thing as a warm up in Belgrade.
Turns out his brand of motivation worked. One day an older woman with carrot colored hair came up to me and started speaking to me in Serbian. I sheepishly told her I only speak English. She switches to English and tells me “You were working hard the whole time.” I said thank you in Serbian. In my head I was thinking, you should have him start the elliptical for you next time.
I spent a good amount of time sweating it out at Star, but I spent most of my day at the co-working space, Marsh Creative Production. It was a cool space in the funkiest little cul-de-sac on Cetinjska. The space was surrounded by an array of unique bars. My first day approaching the workspace I remember thinking “I can’t wait to try every one of these!” Unfortunately only a couple of them offered food, so more often than not I found myself venturing outside for my nightly dinner run. And sad to say happy hour never happened at a single one. It was combination of my working hours from 3 p.m.-11 p.m. and their closing hours before midnight due to a noise ordinance.
The party may have stopped early in the cul de sac, but not in Republic Square. One of the things that I loved about living in Belgrade is that the city was always buzzing with activity. I would see something going on in the square every night I walked home from the workspace. My favorite was the weekly salsa dancing. I had no idea salsa dancing was popular in Serbia. I love nothing more than to watch people dance, and these people were good! I was happy to grab a drink at one of the many outdoor cafes, sit, and watch strangers dance the night away. It would be past midnight on a weeknight and people were not only out, they were outside, dancing!
Belgrade owns its identity and even better, it’s not trying to be anything other than itself. It could fix up and look sharp, but it doesn’t. It’s not trying to attract tourists. Hell, I couldn’t even find a postcard to send my nieces. It’s a take it or leave it kind of city: and I’ll take it, cigarettes and all. It’s hard not to think of Serbia without thinking of smoking, it’s everywhere. Our city team even informed us that Serbia has the highest population of smokers in Europe.
I found a lot to like about Belgrade. It gets mixed reviews from the group, but I really enjoyed my time and I would definitely go back. You have to work to get to know her, but she’s worth knowing. She doesn’t have an ounce of pretension and her people don’t mince words. Belgrade, I like your style.
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