What I Miss About the US
There are many things to love about living in Serbia but some things you miss from the US. This is a list of things that I miss the most. If I had written this list 17 years ago when I first came to Serbia, it would be much different than today. Over the past 5 to 10 years, Serbia has become more Western every day.
Healthcare — This is first on the list. While everyone has basically free healthcare in Serbia, it is confusing and lacks a sense of coordination. I lived in Boston before moving here and had insurance through my work, so I was fortunate that I paid very little out of pocket and had the best doctors in the world, all with access to my medical records from all my visits and test results. Here you have to develop a system to maintain your medical record from the reports they give you with each visit or the lab results they email you. Every doctor wants to switch your medications; I can’t even count the number of times my blood pressure meds have changed. It is hard to move through the system, knowing who to go to and get referrals. There is a private system with much better facilities, but you still have to find your way to which one has what you need. I could go on and on, but I will end with this, especially the younger Doctors who are very jealous of Physicians in the US do not even want to hear about your treatment and recommendations from there.
Civilized Country — What civilized country does not sell Mr Goodbars or Paydays? I do miss them.
Bars — I love a good bar. Either around the corner, near the house, or at the hotel in some city you are working in at the time. It needs to have at least one TV with sports turned on. I love striking up a conversation with someone I just met or an old friend that we had solved all the world’s problems many times, over a couple of beers. I have only found a few places close to my ideal bar, but usually, the TV is on the sidewall, and you have to turn even to get a glimpse or is not really a bar, just tables with a couple of TVs mounted on the wall.
Amazon Prime — I miss this terribly. We had a habit of ordering so many things online and having them delivered in a few days. In Serbia, delivery services are in their infancy, with Groceries and Restaurants making up most of the deliveries. There are a couple of apps where you can get fast deliveries on some items, and individual stores are starting delivery services, but it is on a limited basis so far.
Language — This has been much harder than I imagined. It seemed easy when I first came, a few phrases here and there, and you did great. Of course, I only went to restaurants, hotels, and a few shops. There most people spoke at least a little English. Tito made it a requirement to teach English in school, so everyone 60 and under has had some exposure to the language. But when you live here, almost every conversation is in Serbian. So you spend a lot of time having no clue what is the topic of discussion. Surprisingly the waiters speak better English than the Doctors. I usually have to have my wife translate most of what I say. I keep trying to learn more, but every noun, verb, adjective, and adverb has seven different endings with all the cases and genders.
French Bistro — there is no good French restaurant that we have found in Serbia. There are all kinds of other foods you find in the US (more about that when I post the things I love living here), but we lack an excellent Bistro
Rules — In the US, while these rules are challenged now by the vast differences in political parties, there were always consistent rules and laws. I will give you a couple of examples. Since moving here full time, we have been working on my residency, which requires a yearly visit. Each time there is some new requirement that is not listed on the instruction page, or the new person says, you do not need this; that was required the last time. They seem to be making it up as they go along. Or if there is a vacant spot, you will find a car parked there sometime. Double and triple parking is common. Finding the driver to move their vehicle can be a challenge. We have waited twenty minutes more than once. In general, for most Serbs, rules are just suggestions.
Finishing the work — They like to start things in Serbia, but often it takes weeks or months to complete them. There are still details in our apartment building that have are not complete. There are lots of other examples. In front of our apartment, they dug a small trench for some TV or electrical work on the sidewalk. A month later, the trench that runs all the way to the corner is still an open trench.
Toilets — With a bowl full of water. Toilets in Serbia and most of Europe have only a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl. When you defecate, usually you have to bush the excess of the side of the bowl because there is not enough water. So every bathroom has a brush for that. I saw an American toilet once, and when we bought the bathroom fixtures, I asked about that. The salesman said yes, we had those, but no one wanted them. What? I was never so confused.
Customer Service — this is very irritating and happens all the time. Only one person is working in the store, and they are helping you when another person comes in and starts asking questions, often not even about what they sell. The salesperson spends all their time talking with the new customer instead of saying I will be with you shortly I am with someone now and finish helping you.
Next couple of post about restaurants here in Belgrade one you should try and one your should avoid.