A proper serial, with cast, music and episodes the one Jeff Koz, from the webspace of his uni, plays. His summer internship in Belgrade is so turned into Destination Belgrade, a very humorous and smart diary and point of view on the city.

By means of his words, you will see a young city, still energetic, still able to amaze the young travellers with its beauty and cultural life.

What is really nice on the episodes of Jeff is his “light” and ironic way of describing what he is seeing, during his daily life, “wondering aloud” his embarassing and ironic doubts about the differences on European and American ways of being.

Here’s some of the lines I liked more:

«”Dobar dan iz Beogradu” means “good day from Belgrade.” The language here is not as simple (read: very similar to Spanish) as Italian, but I’ve learned to say “I would like 200 grams of burek, please” and “I am American but please do not hurt me for bombing your city 6 years ago.“»

About the Bjelo Dougme gig in Belgrade:

«I am surprised at how standard many of these soungs are. The 1970s songs and 1980s songs sound like they should, and I am almost able to place them by year. It’s like a Yes reunion tour, except that people actually still like Bijelo Dugme now».

About choosing Belgrade for his internship:

«Many people have asked me why I chose Belgrade. Well, I chose it because it’s fascinating. It’s not as beautiful as Bologna, but it’s young, it’s cheap, and it’s changing. This city’s been through a lot in the last fifteen years and it’s going good places. In the next few years, more investment will move in, and then this place will clean up so quickly. Ten years from now, when Belgrade’s the new Budapest/Prague, filled with American tourists, I’ll be happy to say that I saw it before it became the next hot thing».

About is 4th of July at the ambassador’s house:

«In the afternoon, Dusan, Armine, Zoran, and I decide to celebrate America’s birthday in style by dropping in on the exclusive, classy soiree at the U.S. Ambassador’s house. And by exclusive, classy soiree, I mean huge, family-style barbecue complete with games, a pool, and a DJ playing American favorites. I had left my passport at home, but the lax security (“oh, he looks harmless”) takes pity on me and for 500 Dinara we have the Ultimate 4th July Party at our fingertips. The Ambassador and friends are kind enough to offer two different classes of American food: franks and beans on one side and McDonalds on the other.

We wonder aloud: is McDonald’s the ultimate representation of American food and culture? While that question is easily answered, the question of whether McDonald’s is the image that an American ambassador abroad wants to present remains open. Ronald McDonald himself is on hand to field inquiries into his glorious ‘food’ empire (“no, I swear, we don’t fry the fries in beef fat anymore, really”) but is too busy indoctrinating Serbian children in their own language to bother with four disillusioned twentysomethings».

Everything is well presented, with nice shots and clear design.

For the rest of his tales, then, don’t miss to continue on Jeff’s site.