In spring, ten Network Meetings (NWMs) will be hosted in ten cities scattered all around Europe. The local who will kick off this cycle is AEGEE-Niš that is expecting 20 AEGEEans from the 17th until the 20th of March. We spoke with their president Bratislav Bojić to get to know more about this event and the future plans of the local. 

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us more about your local?

Bratislav: Well, the most important thing to say about AEGEE-Niš is that… we are sooo cool [he laughs, ed.]. AEGEEans in Niš are always ready for new friendships and adventures, and this is why we’re the best student organisation in the city.  Obviously, we are very modest too. The local in Niš was founded 17 years ago, and all these years we’ve been spreading AEGEE spirit and showing all the great possibilities AEGEE has to offer. I think we’ve been doing pretty good job, but of course, there are so many things that we still need to do.

Why did you decide to apply for the NWM?

One of the things AEGEE-Niš has never done before is NWM. So this is officially the first NWM that AEGEE-Niš will be organising in its 17 years long history! And this AEGEE generation has the honour of organising this kind of AEGEE event. This is the exact reason we’ve decided to apply – the honour of organising it and making history by doing that!

How is the cooperation with your Netcommie?

Oh, our Netcommie Jovana is a real sweetheart! She has become our great friend and advisor, we couldn’t possibly have gotten a better mentor. We love you, Jovana!

How many participants do you expect to have? Only from your area or from other parts of the network too?

We expect around 20 participants. Most of them will probably be from the countries nearby, but we hope that some non-Balkans will visit us as well!

What is the name of your NWM? Can you explain it?

Our NWM is called “Seize the days”. We thought this would be the perfect name because we know that all the participants will have their days in Niš seized in the best way possible! Carpe diem is something that professor Keating (Robin Williams) from “Dead Poets Society” would want all of us to do – learn, love, inspire – and this is exactly what the NWM is all about.

What are your plans for the social programme?

Since Niš has a very rich history, there will be a city tour for sure. And, of course, a party every night since the city offers a very rich night life. There will also be a “kafana” night, which is a big part of Serbian tradition.

What are the upcoming projects of AEGEE-Niš?

We are planning to do several new projects, and to continue some of the AEGEE-Niš traditional projects, like Habla with moi (project about language and culture), Be Smart and Start (project about entrepreneurship), and of course Summer University. This year’s SU is named “Vampires and Gods”, and we are organising it with our friends from AEGEE-Thessaloniki. The main topic is history and Serbian and Greek mythology. This will definitely be an exciting year for AEGEE-Niš!

You can find more information on the event on Facebook. You can apply here and here.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

It is said that usually you don’t know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Now that the summer is over I can confirm this quote.

“Play Hard, Meet the Green(s)”, the summer university organized by AEGEE-Niš and AEGEE-Novi Sad focused on eco-friendly lifestyle, has made my summer one of the most unforgettable ones. In the following lines I’ll try to put my memories to words – at least the ones I still remember in spite of the rakia.

This story begins on a Friday night. After a journey of more than fifteen hours, some other Spanish and me finally got to Novi Sad – a Serbian city famous, among other reasons, for being the place where Exit festival takes place. Although the festival has ended, there was still live music in the city. The rest of the participants have been singing in a karaoke bar for hours. Luckily their voices were not completely destroyed, because they would need them the next morning during the city rally. The fortress, the catacombs and the Liberty Square were just some of the places visited in Novi Sad. That was, -let’s say- the first contact with Serbian ground. For some, literally because the catacomb visit was full of accidental falls.

Of course, Novi Sad had even more to offer. We were able take a dive into the Danube river with its artificial beach, we learned some Cyrillic,  we tasted some local wines in Karlovci- a small city 5 km away from Novi Sad, we learned a little about ecology in Serbia and the terrible floods that took place some months ago, we danced traditional Serbian dances and we even survived an orinetation activity in the middle of the mountain the morning after a hard night of drinking.

Because yes, Novi Sad was also all about nightlife. The first night during a pub crawl we discovered the countless kinds of rakia. After that night, we learned more about others participant’s (drinking) traditions and cooking in the European night. And finally, the last night in the sex change party we discovered that some participants (names are removed to keep their privacy) seemed more comfortable disguised in clothes that belong to the other sex.

The morning after, with the mascara still on some participants’ eyelashes, we headed to Belgrade. Fortunately the train was comfortable enough to take a little nap – that situation was taken advantage of by others to make a wonderful sleeping beauties album. The visit to the city was short but sweet and did not consist of only sightseeing. The capital of Serbia is well-known not only for its centuries of culture but also for its nightlife. So to fully get to know the city, we spent the night on an incredible party boat situated at the river bank.

Next morning we changed the boat for a bus, and hit the road to Rtanj, a small village 200 km away from Belgrade which gets its name from the nearby mountain. This mountain has an unusual appearance which resembles a pyramid and is a topic for many local legends. Among others, it is thought to house a ‘pyramidal’ structure left behind by alien visitors. That was precisely one of the reasons of our visit. We were supposed to climb the mountain at midnight and meet our green friends on the top. But unfortunately we did not leave a great first impression and they sent us some rainy clouds. Therefore, the plan had to be rescheduled to the morning after (which proved to be a blessing for our physical integrity).

Apart from the unexpected weather, our time in Rtanj was great and relaxing. We had time for workshops, games, tell scary stories at the camp fire and even become actors and cinema directors for a couple of hours (we hope our independent films win a lot of awards at the next Sundance Film Festival).

And slowly but surely we approach the end of this story. Our last destination was Niš, one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and the third-largest city in Serbia.  Many moments come to my mind when I think about our stay there. The city rally, the day at the swimming pool, the pub crawling, the delicious dinner at the “kafana”, the relaxing day at the spa or the always bustling student dorm. The same student dorm that filled itself with “goodbyes” and “hope to see you soon” and an emotional roller-coaster of happiness and sadness.

Now that a little more time has passed since this adventure ended, I have been gathering all my memories for writing this article. And I am feeling lucky for the decision I made at the end of April choosing this summer university.

I guess that like me, most of the participants didn’t know so much about Serbia or had a wrong impression about the country. However, Serbia proved itself a beautiful, hospitable and open-minded country with a lot to offer. Needless to say that the experience wouldn’t have been the same without the 27 participants and organizers who were part of this adventure.

So I just can say, Hvala (or koala) to all those who made it possible.

Written by Irene Arregui, AEGEE-Zaragoza

Catch the Balkan rhythm. Nothing more than a few words that may not mean a lot to someone who is not introduced to their background meaning, but to the ones who actually could experience them personally, they can bring up a lot of memories, emotions and some of the unforgettable experiences. Although this is a name of only one Traveling Summer University, one of many, the question remains; what makes it stand out from the crowd?

A wedding.

It seems to be said quite often in AEGEE that one of the missions is to break down prejudices which young people can have. Taking place in the Balkan states, a quite unique and specific part of Europe, the event itself was already giving a lot of the material. It is not a secret that there are many prejudices connected to this territory, to its politics and people, but also, there is a big wish for understanding and discovering this attractive part of Europe.

As many people would say, a wedding is considered to be one of the biggest events in life, not just because of the obvious – getting two people married – it is because there, in that moment, you have a chance to experience just how strong connections of people with their cultural background can be. You will see many friendly faces, present to witness new union of their beloved ones, families brought together, smiling fathers and crying mothers, friends with a couple of  (or more) drinks, loud, happy musicians and, if it is a Balkan wedding, you may be confronted with a couple of (or more) incidents. As there are two great countries connected with this event, Serbia and Bulgaria, organisers from AEGEE-Novi Sad, AEGEE-Niš and AEGEE-Sofia came up with the idea of making a lot of roles for the participants  to play. With every role there was an assignment for the participant that would help them get more involved into the whole event, which included some part of the traditional wedding.

Starting the Traveling Summer University (TSU) in Serbia, wedding guests gathered in Novi Sad. Walking through streets of this sentimental city, standing at the Petrovaradin’s Fortress with breathtaking view over the city and blue Danube, one could say that the romance really hit it off, since there was one quite imaginative proposal involved at the National park of Fruška gora. Even though at a Balkan wedding everyone is dancing, no matter if they know how to or whether they are newbies, these wedding guests took lessons of traditional Serbian dances, trying some traditional Serbian clothes and getting more familiar with Balkan rhythm. After managing to survive this one-of-a-kind rhythm (especially after European night’s rhythm), the group of wedding guests headed to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Then, with great expectations of the final ceremony, the wedding ceremony, the bus was on its way to Niš.

Passing the streets of Niš, one could feel the difference in air, architecture and atmosphere from the northern cities of Serbia, both unique in their own way, characterised by the events they felt. The hopes were centered on one event – the wedding ceremony. This was the moment when tradition walked onto the stage, when guests learned how to salute, what the bride does at the wedding, what the groom does, their big families, when the dancing starts, and: does it even end? One could say, a perfect ceremony got to its end. Well, with a few incidents that would make even Shakespeare jealous, such as interruptions by the groom’s ex girlfriend(s), as well as the bride’s ex boyfriend – which caused two married couples in the end instead of one. But, who is counting?

No need to say that the whole family joined the couples on their honeymoon trip. When in Bulgaria, the wedding guests were introduced to its culture and language and to the streets of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, to its great Dragalevtsi monastery and amazing nature. After these experiences, it was time for some beach fun. The bus headed to Varna, honeymoon destination for married couple(s), a perfect place for romance, where many of the wedding guests waited for the sunrise, just to put great closure to the event.

When an event like this one ends, there is always this question of our own expectations – did we meet them? For some, main reason of choosing this event, A Chase for Balkan Rhythm, was to make new friends. For some it was to see all the differences that a new cultures brings, and for the others, to break down their own prejudices. Well, did they make it?

The end with honeymoon in Bulgaria

“Before this SU, I used to think about the Balkans like a group of countries whose people and whose places were very different from Spain. Now I’m in Spain, I think over the Balkans and I only can think of wonderful persons who have shaped my life in a really great way and who I will never forget and about welcoming cities with a lot of history in their roots, prepared to be explained to the whole world.” (Silvia Sierra Marin, AEGEE-Zaragoza)

“Most of all I can say that this trip served as a learning experience, making me more aware of the hardships that the Serbs have gone through. And my favourite experience in the whole trip to the Balkans was the wedding night at the Kafana – this was truly much better than I thought it would be. The people at the place were friendly and I was so happy to be able to sing there with that great band. The food was also amazing and there was lots of it and a good variety of things to taste. It was also great that we were able to dance in the middle of the restaurant.” (Denise Azzopardi, AEGEE-Valletta)

 “I fell in love with the Balkans… Without questions, and I want to go back. That’s my short message.” (Janka Hoffmann, AEGEE-Budapest)

If they can look back to experiences and previous thoughts, compare them with the ones gained during an event like this, and feel like the richest person, we can say that they managed to catch the rhythm they have been searching for. And it is always nice to feel that you caught the rhythm, isn’t it?

Written by Katarina Kovčin, AEGEE-Novi Sad