Learning the language, seeing the sights, experiencing the culture -- these are some of the things that American woman Shirley is doing since she moved to Novi Sad, Serbia, several months ago. Here, she tells us what she likes about living in Serbia, shares her method for calculating the real cost of goods, and gives some tips on moving and adapting to life in Serbia.	Shirley

-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 office website of the city of Novi Sad, including tourist information: http://www.gradnovisad.org.yu/cnt/index.php?id_node=2

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