Triumph of Return - Entry 20

D29.M5.Y19.

House of Oskar

Novi Sad

Writing Challenge - entry 20

By now, I have failed at this challenge spectacularly, but it doesn't matter really because I am home. You see, I've finally returned to my birthplace after years of absence and have been entirely too preoccupied with nostalgia and tides of emotions that come with that. On the way, I have stopped in another country I haven't visited since I was an infant. It was a phenomenal opportunity to celebrate a wedding, make new friends, dissolve old fears and, most importantly, prepare for what was ahead. The little glimpse of cuisine, culture, language and sheer natural beauty has been a short but excellent prequel to everything that I am experiencing now.  

Here, every corner, nook and cranny, has a deep rooted memory, taste, smell or emotion associated with it. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have only just arrived and haven't quite yet had any time to be a tourist, let alone get integrated into the way of life that was once the only way of life I knew. There has been enough time to get out a bit and visit some of the old bars and streets that I used to walk, but I am only just beginning to get in touch with long lost childhood friends and explore the city as it evolved in my absence. 

There is a slight but undying fear that this swallow has been away from it's flock far too long to be accepted back, but there is also an overwhelming and heartwarming feeling of home, of being at home. Yes, locals no longer drink the same beer that they drank years ago, but they still fill the bars and patios on weekdays to complain about being poor, yet somehow there is enough money that bars and patios are packed. The traffic lights now have those ticking timers to let pedestrians know how much time they have left until the light turns red, but those same pedestrians still rarely jay-walk without much hurry in the world to get anywhere quickly. Some new buildings have filled in some of the open spaces, but the town is still full of parks and trees and the same old charming architecture that speaks of centuries of culture. 

Then there is the food... I have not yet had the opportunity to check out some of my local favorites. This is mostly because the relatives have been fighting over feeding me that there simply isn't enough room left in my belly for that. For example, today I had two delicious three course meal lunches back to back. I could hardly finish the first one, but it is frightful bad manners to refuse the cook and offend your host that I ate them both. My meals have been carefully planned for the next few days as well. It really is soul food here. No wonder that all of us who come from here are foodists and gastrofanatics constantly hunting for and appreciating great cuisine. 

The most important observation that is only just beginning to sink in is also the simplest one. I've always known it, I've lived it too(!), but over the years it has been slowly and systematically dissolved by my surroundings, environment and companions. It is this: 

Here, people live; in the West (where i spend most of my time now days) people work.