Passionate People

I am starting to forget my prejudices forged by recent history and international news broadcasts. I like Serbian people a lot. They have been the most open of all the nationalities I have met - volunteering greetings, responding to my waves and on several occasions stopping me when I have been on the wrong track.Children shout hello and old men cheer me on. Probably they have always welcomed visitors to their country but they certainly seem to want to correct the recent international perception.

My superficial delving into their history suggests that they are a people of firm beliefs with which you may take issue but they pursue causes because they believe in them not because they are necessarily winnable, and they have come up against some formidable foes during their long history.

They have a passion like the Spanish which reveals itself, sometimes as insufferable, but intense and committed, certainly not bland. But then how would I know? I've only been here two days. It's been a fun start

Addendum: I asked the guy working in the Belgrade hostel what's great about being Serbian. He said 'Independent Spirit': If you want to drink in the street, you can; smoke in a bar, you can. No one can stop you. It fits with my view on the Serbian psyche: insufferably passionate. The Spanish of the East. I blame those Muslim invaders.