Welcome to Serbia

So much has been going on and I have so much I need to write! I apologize for the lack of posts since we’ve arrived in Serbia, every day seems to be full of a new adventure and it takes awhile to do even the everyday things when in a new culture and foreign language.

Arrival

We arrived to an amazing welcoming crew and much to our surprise, zero customs- we just got our luggage and walked right out of the airport! Our team leaders took us to eat and show us around our block the first night.

Our neighborhood

 We live in New Belgrade. Everything we need is within walking distance and we have a mall just a few blocks away. Stephen's work is in the apartment complex right next to ours.

Our home (I attempted to plug a video tour of our new home here but couldn't get it to work) you can check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/mandy.alexander.18

The City

                                         The Sava River
                                         (1-2 miles from our house)  

                                                               

                                          Walking Street (tourist area)

Orthodox Church in New Belgrade

(right by our house)

Happenings

                                                                       Playgrounds

                                                 Bus Rides (usually they are jammed packed)

                                                                      Flea Market

                                                               Eating European Style

                                                                    Chasing Pigeons

We have been doing lots of furniture shopping trying to set up our new home, exploring the markets and our neighborhood, and learning culture. Things take a lot longer to get something done here when you have to walk where you want to go or use the bus system, when you can’t speak the language and can’t read signs or food labels, when you have to google translate messages in order to communicate, and when you don’t have a dryer and have 3 messy kids J  We are enjoying our time though and love learning.

Fun Story to End With (I could tell so many already!)

We had been in the country right at 1 week. We had learned that this culture is very laid back and an appointment doesn’t always mean anyone will show up (3 out of 4 scheduled appointments were no shows that week already) and this is a night culture so you never know what time someone might come by.  It was 8:45 that night, the kids were asleep and Stephen and I were in the living room. A plumber was supposed to have come by that day but did not show. All of a sudden we hear keys rattling in our door.  3 people proceed to enter our house, 2 men and a woman. I met them at the door and it shocked them. None spoke English very well. I assumed maybe it was the plumber and an apartment manager who was letting him in, not knowing the customs for this culture. I did wonder why he didn’t have his tools and why all three of them? But I proceeded to direct them to the bathroom and explain in hand motions what was wrong with our plumbing. They were nodding there heads and saying “Da Da” (Yes, Yes). After that, they pointed to the kids’ rooms and wanted to enter. I told them (in hand motions) my kids were sleeping. So they then started going into our kitchen. By this point I realize they are not here to fix our plumbing issues. One man who spoke very broken English managed to say they wanted to buy the place. I was thinking maybe like in America, sometimes people can rent a place while the owner is still trying to sell the house. I asked if he knew our landlord, the owner of the apartment and then explained/ motioned that we had just signed a 2 year contract. When they understood, everyone started laughing and they were on their way. Stephen the entire time was thinking, “Who all has keys to my apartment?!” It turns out, our owner forgot to tell one of her realtors that the place had been rented. Oh the adventures!