-Where were you born?

I was born in Murmansk, Russia.

-In which country and city are you living now?

I have lived in Novi Sad city in Serbia since 2006.

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my Serbian girl Milica.

-How long have you been living in Serbia?

Three years.

-What is your age?

I'm 37.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Serbia?

I had been in a relationship with Milica for about 5 years, and  we were thinking about living together.  I was searching for a job in Serbia one year and finally I found it.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

To get a visa is not a problem, but to get a job is so difficult not only for foreigners, but for Serbian people too. I was very lucky, because I was working in tourism in Saint Petersburg and I found job in Serbia as a tourist guide for Russians because of my knowledge of Russian. It is really difficult to find a job here.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

No, to get a medical insurance is not a problem.

-How do you make your living in Serbia? Do you have any type of income generated?

There aren't job agencies in Serbia. I used websites but you should know that Serbian job sites are not in English, only in Serbian. It was nota  problem for me because the Russian and Serbian languages are similar and I have a Serbian girl who helped me to understand advertisements well.

-Do you speak Serbian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

Now, after 3 years I'm speaking Serbian, but it is not so important because a lot of people, especially young and educated people, speak English very well.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

Sometimes, but thanks to my job I usually go to Russia ( 3-4 times per year).  There are a lot of friendly people in Serbia and I have a lot of friends here.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

Thanks to my job I do a lot of travel. I have gone around Serbia and since this summer I will also travel to Montenegro. Our agency has started to organize a big Balkan Travel Tour: Serbia - Montenegro - Bosnia and Herzegovina.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We rent a flat in the downtown area of Novi Sad. A two-room flat costs 220 euros. Same new flat costs no less then 50.000 euro. If you want to buy here, you should be careful. Do not pay in advance because investors usually go bankrupt and you can lose your money.

-What is the cost of living in Serbia?

Somebody who rents a flat and live alones, need 700 euro for life. If you earn less you will live very poorly. Middle salary in Serbia is 350 euros, but it is not the same across all cities.

-What do you think about the Serbs?

I have never had a problem.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Serbia?

 Positive: Serbian people, weather (unlike Rusia, here it's always warm )

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Serbia?

If you travel to Serbia, you should forget about taking the train. Trains are very slow here, they are usually late 2, 3 hours and you never can be sure if the train will go.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Serbia?

I work in the travel industry and I need Serbian travel sites for my job. My favourite site about Serbia is Serbia Travel Guide.

-Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Texas, USA.

-In which country and city are you living now?

I have a house with my wife near Novi Sad, Serbia. Very near to the Fruska Gora National Forest. It's GREAT!

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my wife, a Serbian national, 3 dogs, 2 cats and 6 Ninja Chickens!

-How long have you been living in Serbia?

I have lived in Serbia for 2,5 years now but started coming down here in 2004 when I was the Security Manager for a German Company.

-What is your age?

I will be 49 this year.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Serbia?

I decided to move here after trying to start my own business in Germany where the taxes almost made me bankrupt before I got going. Now the business is starting well and in its 3rd year.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

No, not at all. Even the Serbian Officals helped me fill out the paperwork for my first visa. Now my wife does it.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

No, you can get private medical insurance at almost any insurance company here.

-How do you make your living in Serbia? Do you have any type of income generated? 

I started my own Security Risk and Crisis Management Consulting company. I have not found it difficult at all in finding work. But it would help a lot if I could speak more Serbian. But every Serbian I meet wants to speak English to me.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language? Please add your thoughts on local customs and whether it's important for expats to respect/observe local customs.

I am learning the language. It is not an easy language to learn. I know the common courtesies that go a long way, espeically when you say them with a smile. It is very important for every expat to at least be able to say "hello", "goodbye" and "thank you" in the country they are living in. I try to respect the local customs and do my best to understand them. It helps when they realize that I am Orthodox also. But I have never met with harsh words for any culture here. Most are very open and just want to get on with their lives.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes? 

I do miss my family but I like to say "the only difference between Serbia and Texas is the language".

-Do you have other plans for the future? 

I am currently looking at opening another office in Nis (southern Serbia).

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it? 

We bought a house with a loan as a couple. The house with about 80 sq. meters and ground about 1500 sq. meters cost 48,000 Euro and that right on the edge of a national forest. It doesn't get much better!!!

-What is the cost of living in Serbia?

Depends on how you look at it. When you look at it from the local view it is expensive. The average monthly pay here is about 400 Euro a month. So it is like any other place, to make ends meet both have to work.

-What do you think about the Serbs?

The Serbs are great. I have never had a problem. NOT a SINGLE one. Even after the incident when Kosovo declared Independence. Never once. I have always been treated with high regards and everyone has been very friendly. Even though I speak only SERBLISH.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Serbia?

Life is a lot easier here than in Germany for example. Things are more relaxed. I can't really find anything negative other than the infrastructure is in need of a work over.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Serbia?

Learn the language, at least the basics. Dont be afraid to go out and meet people. One very important tip for coffee drinkers: Don't tip the cup of domestic coffee all the way up - it's turkish coffee so there is about 1/4 inch of fine grounds in the bottom.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Serbia?

The B92 news site is pretty good. 

-Where were you born?
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Novi Sad, Serbia

-Are you living alone or with your family?
Living with my fiancé

-How long have you been living in Serbia?
8 months

-What is your age?
50

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Serbia?
Then friend (not yet fiancé) was unable to get a Visa to visit the US, so I decided to visit him and fell in love with him and Novi Sad. We had met in 2004 at an event in America and kept in touch via email and telephone.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
I’m not working so permit is n/a, but getting a visa to stay not a problem, other than expense ($100 USD).

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I still have medical insurance in the US, this will end early in 2008. When we marry, I will be covered by state medical care.

-How do you make your living in Serbia? Do you have any type of income generated?
I help my fiancé in his business endeavors, but I am not working. I have been told that I could charge people to hold conversations with them so that they can practice their English, but I have not done so yet.

-Do you speak Serbian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I am trying to learn the language. I understand much more Serbian than I can speak at this point. I pick up words and phrases from listening to people talk and from the television. I think it is important to try to speak the language. People I meet seem happy to hear my efforts and have been helpful to me in this regard. My fiancé is trying to improve his English, so when we are together, we speak English most of the time. I find Serbian difficult and confusing. For example, when thanking someone or saying goodbye to someone there are different words to use depending on the sex of the person who is speaking, the age of the person you are speaking to and how well you know that person!

It is definitely important to observe and respect the customs of the people here. The big thing is knowing what they are. My fiancé is very helpful in this regard.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Yes, I miss my family and my country very much. Telephone calls to the US are quite expensive. I am grateful for mail and email. I also miss the food of my home. I have slowly been trying to prepare some of my favorite dishes for my friends here and this helps somewhat.

I like to go fishing with my fiancé on the Danube. I love to go walking when the weather is nice because Novi Sad is such a lovely city and people are friendly. There is so much to see…the Petrovaradin Fortress, the town centre, Fruška Gora Mountain, etc. We love visiting his family at their weekend homes on the Danube and traveling to small villages in Vojvodina for various festivals.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
After we marry (early 2008) we plan to go to America for several years to work and save money for our retirement back in Novi Sad.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We live in a small attic space converted into an apartment that my fiancé owns. Maintenance and cleaning is very easy, so I like it. Apartments in this area of Novi Sad consisting of a small kitchen, a living/sleeping space and a bathroom run about $300 Euros ($410 USD).

-What is the cost of living in Serbia?
Most people here make about $400-450 USD a month. It takes two incomes to pay for apartment rent, food, clothing, etc. Life is not easy for most people. When I see the price of something, in order to understand the REAL COST, I find that multiplying the price by 3 works. For example, a loaf of bread costs 25 dinars (50 cents American) but to put it in perspective to the cost here, it is more like a $1.50 USD. Even though Novi Sad/Vojvodina is the breadbasket of Serbia, the cost of food is high.

For an American with a job with an American firm here, I imagine things would be cheap. People who come here for the EXIT festival in July think things are very cheap.

-What do you think about the Serbs?
The locals I have met are the nicest, warmest friendliest people. They treat me wonderfully. They love to ask of my impressions of Novi Sad and have lots of questions about America. I have only had one or two experiences with people who aren’t keen on Americans, but they have been total strangers.

Novi Sad is a multi-cultural place and they are proud of their acceptance of all people. I find this to be very true. In the town centre I often hear German, English, etc. being spoken. Most of the young people here speak English - they learn it in school. Many older people speak some English as they have many English/American TV shows and they are very bright people, so they pick some of it up.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Serbia?
Positive: The friendly, funny people (they love jokes), the beautiful surroundings (hills, river, fresh air) the wonderful food – fresh veggies and fruit especially, the terrific rakija (brandy) made from fruit.

Negatives: The ineffectiveness of the government, the hard life that many people lead, the litter in the cities.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Serbia?
Definitely try to learn some of the language before you go. There are many places on the internet that offer free online learning (Serbian School - http://www.serbianschool.com/index.htm ). And bring all of the money that you can! Also, summers are hot and winters are cold! Fall and spring are absolutely beautiful.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Serbia?
Of course, my own blog about life and love here: http://newplanting-novisadnewbie.blogspot.com

and this website to learn some Serbian: http://www.serbianschool.com/index.htm

A great blog from a young American woman who lives and works in Belgrade: http://pustolovina.blogspot.com

The EXIT website, the biggest music festival in this part of the world (400 artists performed in 2007), held in July every year. If you love music, you owe it to yourself to try to go to this one: http://eng.exitfest.org