Being 5'3 and Fireworks

As I mentioned earlier, last night was the Orthodox New Year celebration in Novi Sad. Yes, it was so amazing, it gets it's own blog!! 

We'd spent the evening chatting- kind of!- and hanging out. At one point, it got brought up that I'm old enough to drink here. So David said I needed to try Slivovitz. It's a brandy distilled from plums. As David informed me, it is made from a water vapor and cooling process. Therefore it is very healthy and much less effected. That being said, it's also about 45% and I've heard Kelly Bay has stories about this. If you don't know who Kelly is... Picture one of the toughest men you can and that's about it. So I took a sip and said yeah, nope! Glad I tasted it but also glad I didn't drink it. 

After that, David thought it crucial I try Čvarak. It is the fat off of bacon cooled into bite size pieces with some seasoning on it. I was not aware that's what it was until post taking a bite. How do I say this... Glad I got the experience? 

Around 10PM, the four of us loaded up into the car to go to the show. David found a perfect parking spot by some stroke of luck. We walked about two blocks and suddenly there was the celebration. We had been hearing the music, but now we could feel it! We had to go through a police entrance and get checked. I didn't have any bags so that was easy. All the guys got a pat down. I just got looked at and waved through. Not sure what that means... 

It looked like a mini Times Square on New Year's Eve. A brightly colorful lit stage in front of a open town square about 700 ft by 700 ft with, by the end of the night, about 30,000 people in that space and thousands more on the side streets. People were currently watching two men performing. Alex told me that they were really important singers because they rapped about political problems in Serbia. I had no idea what they were saying but it was catchy and people seemed to like them. 

As the people continued to pour into the square, the two men singing finished their set. Afterwards, five men with brass instruments came out. The main man was the trumpet player. David leaned forward and told Florian and I that this was traditional music of Serbia. I'll tell you this; it worked. The crowd loved it. It was very cool to hear and even cooler to see people love their traditions like that. I drank my first legal beer and watched people dance in the street to their music. 

Finally, the main person arrived. I apologize I don't know her name. I'll try to get it for you later. Anyway, she apparently is one of the most famous singers from Yugoslavia. Judging by the fact about 30,000 people around me knew every word to her songs, I'd say that's true. Adorned in a fur coat and using her powerful voice, this lady brought us into the New Year. 

By this time it was so full, I literally could only see the backs of people. Mostly because I'm 5'3. This inhibits seeing through a crowd quite a bit. But anyway... Truly back to back people. As the countdown ended, fireworks lit the sky. The backdrop of historical beautiful buildings perfectly framed the excitment and colorfully lit sky. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. As I have been in Alaska every summer since I was 6, it has been a long time since I've seen a full fledged fireworks show. They shot them over the people. Then truly the sky was lit beautifully. 

As I listened to the Serbian music reverberate through the town, I thought how lucky I am to be seeing such an event. An event three days ago, I didn't know existed. Yet it is a huge deal for these people. Just another great reminder of how big this world is. How many people and their ways of life we often forget. What a beautiful way to see them! 

We listened to another half hour or so of music. Finally, we decided time to head out. We weaved/shoved precautistously through the wall of people. Emerging the other side victoriously, we headed home celebrating the New Year. Then this 5'3 girl immediately passed out dreaming of fireworks.