"Adio" to Dubrovnik A tale of two refugees Full Monty Parlor Games Share My Fire Car - the relationship-saving device Going Straight West A year to expirience, a lifetime to understand Meeting Vuk Cultural insensitivity Sex in Serbia Buvljak experience What's news in Yugoslavia? part II What's news in Yugoslavia? Trust issues: Yugoslav Banks Hosting, Serbian style Flat-hunting Staying legally in Yugoslavia Welcome to Belgrade Border crossings The Paper Chase: Single - entry visas

I remember when I first visited Hungary in 1991 my host family took weekend shopping trips to Serbia to buy things not yet available in Hungary such as mountain bikes and eat real pizza. Now the tables have turned, although the best pizzerias in Hungary are generally owned by Vojvodinans. For those of us accustomed to participating in the black economy on a day to day basis, shopping in Hungary is a relatively weird experience. You actually get receipts for purchases for things like a cup of coffee. Prices include a hefty chunk of value-added tax, shopkeepers put your purchases in a plastic bag and 99.9% of the population has grown accustomed to changing their money in banks, not on street corners. It really says something about the natural inclination of the soul that even though I'm almost in the West now, I'm still seeking out the illegitimate channels. I want somebody to bargain with, to bribe and change money but the weird thing is, I CAN'T FIND THEM when I need them, for instance at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon when the bank has just closed and I've just woken up.

The lure of NATO and EU membership seems to be bleaching Hungarian society to a lighter shade of gray. Sure, every one is going to be feeling more secure from the threat of war but if I imagine the same opportunity offered to the Serbs, I think most of them would rather sleep in on the weekends.

by Jennifer C. Brown    

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