danielle hayes
I believe that storytellers rule the world. (The Hopi Tribe & Walter Benjamin can back me up on this) I am interested in community, collective memory, public spaces, presentation of self, and the confusion of movement with progress. I study photography and anthropology, but I resent the distance that a camera imposes and the false facts of the empirical and many an ethnography. This is my indirect path in between disciplines. I live in a lovely Co Op when in St. Louis. I also enjoy yoga, rock climbing, live music, letter writing, moviemaking and riding a bright yellow bicycle. I rely heavily on the kindness of strangers. I will be writing to you from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia throughout a semester's worth of excursions, studies and homestays. Thank you for joining me.
Hometown: CLEVELAND, ohio
School: Washington University
Abroad Program: School for International Training (SIT)
Where I've Lived Abroad: Zagreb , Croatia - Belgrade, Serbia - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
in the belly of a whale
I don't want to be nice.
29 Nov 2009
A Friday Night in a City Somewhere A slightly intoxicated local student (he) upon hearing that my American friend (she) ... read more
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Insider Tips
Croatia
Dolac has it all: figs, flowers, honey, and octopuses
Located directly behind Zagreb's main square (Trg Bana Jelacica), this market is great for foodies and the budget weary alike. The first floor entrance looks like a modest storefront ... read more
04 Oct 2009
Croatia
Zagreb's flea market: build-a-car and more
Its worth waking up early on Sunday or Wednesday morning for the Hrelic Flea Market (which is only open these days). If you are not in need of underwear, hardware ... read more
04 Oct 2009
Serbia
Serbian monasteries: Cover up & watch out for construction
Scantily-clad tourists are warned not to enter places of worship in most parts of the world. Eastern Orthodox monks in Serbia have a few additional requests: beard, babushka, and neutral ... read more
11 Oct 2009
Serbia
LADIES: Future Offspring or Bare Feet? Your Call.
There are a number of commonly held beliefs in both Croatia and Serbia about things perilous to your lady parts. When my Serbian host mother catches me barefoot inside she ... read more
25 Oct 2009
Serbia
The guy on the bus isn't offering you free money
If you are approached on a night bus in Belgrade by a man holding a wad of cash and looking expectantly at you, do not be alarmed. He is the ... read more
25 Oct 2009
Croatia
Rakia: Drink of choice
"It's a stomach opener," my Croatian friend said as a means of encouragement when an old man at a hiker's lodge offered me my first shot of rakia ... read more
06 Nov 2009
Croatia
The ocean is an organist
The sea song is particularly melodic in the old city center of Zadar. This is due to the sea organ, a seamlessly integrated art installation that makes itself known only ... read more
06 Nov 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cevapi is cevaplicious
Cevapi is delicious. Let's just make that clear. It may give you a stomach ache in that greasy McDonald's breakfast meat sort of way, but it is so ... read more
06 Nov 2009
Croatia
Climb into bed with a stranger
One afternoon in Zadar, while wandering by my lonesome, I met a fellow traveler. We struck up a conversation, watched the sunset over the water and half an hour later ... read more
06 Nov 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Learn three languages at once
Language, like many things in the former Yugoslavia, is a matter of politics. What was once Serbo-Croatian is now arguably three new languages--Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian. But the division is mostly ... read more
06 Nov 2009
Serbia
You're probably going to get lost in Belgrade
When trying to navigate the avenues of a new city, it usually helps to have a map. In Belgrade, not so much. In addition to roads twisting and turning, maps ... read more
03 Dec 2009
Serbia
Ajvar: Your new favorite food
Ajvar is like the Balkan version of salsa. But better. (Especially since actual attempts at salsa here usually include ketchup.) A hearty mix of bell peppers, garlic, eggplant and chili ... read more
03 Dec 2009
Serbia
Eastern Europe does Crepes, and quite well
Palacenka is an inexpensive treat advertised on the windows of restaurants and sandwich shops throughout the Balkans. This delightful dish is comparable to crepes, if not virtually the same, and ... read more
03 Dec 2009
Serbia
TXT 2 PRK
So you're cruising around Belgrade and you see an open parking spot in the city center. First of all, congratulations, they're hard to come by. Second, don't ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Short stories as an introduction
Sarajevo Marlboro by Miljenko Jergovic is a fantastic/al collection of short stories about life under siege in Bosnia's capital city. Jergovic's characters--Muslims, Serbs and Croats alike--are eccentric ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina
A film worth watching
"Grbavica: Land of My Dreams" is a beautiful, difficult film. Written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic with a slow and steady hand, Grbavica shows the myriad ways that war affects ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Serbia
Road tripping? B.Y.O.T.P.
I have taken a few road trips in the region, and I've seen my fair share of rest stops. Some are sleek and shiny convenience store/cafe combinations, like ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Serbia
Balkan hospitality: Drinks come in rounds
Balkan hospitality is the real deal. Expect to be well fed, and with a drink in hand, whenever in the company of locals. When it comes to paying, your hosts ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Serbia
Get a hot chocolate high
Hot chocolate in many cafes in the Balkans is like hot chocolate pudding. In other words, it's kind of like crack, sans the drug culture and possibility of arrest ... read more
04 Dec 2009
Serbia
REX: An alternative to museums and movie theaters
REX is a self-defined "cultural laboratory" working to promote "a culture of curiosity." Obviously, it's worth checking out. In my few weeks in Belgrade I have attended a poetry ... read more
