Forms and Figures: Women, Men, Couples, and Dogs

Women

A friend mentioned to me many times before I came here about how beautiful the women are in Sarajevo...Well, I have yet to enter Bosnia but I can tell you one thing for certain - Serbian women in Beograd are (as a rule) quite stunning. Terms such as 'ok' or 'pretty' or 'nice' couldn't really exist when referring to Serbian women under 40 because it just would not make sense. Visually, terms range more from 'beautiful' to 'drop-dead gorgeous'...that's it. [And, the sizes of women under 40 range from 'twig' to 'toned'.] After 40 years you might see a women who is a little less than beautiful but they are few and far between...and in very late life women do seem to get a bit more plump. Nevertheless, the beauties are everywhere with all variety and style of dress. It is really a site to see. I never get tired of them.

Men

The men, on the other hand, are a different story. The main time a man catches my eye is when I am trying to regain my balance after he almost barrels me over when walking brusquely past. And they really aren't much to look at compared with the women. Typically they range from 'ick' to 'eh'...with a couple 'so-sos' in the mix. There have been two 'wows' so far. Maybe my standards have gotten too high after watching so many gorgeous women. I do have to say, though, that I really enjoy watching the men with their children here. They walk down the street hand-in-hand or sit in cafe's and talk like intimate buddies. It’s very cute. From what I can tell, men tend to be very gentle with their children here; leaving children very free to dance and play and just be kids while still keeping a respectful eye on them.

Couples

Young couples are interesting to watch as well. Walking hand in hand is the norm, as is sitting on park benches and making-out. (These men really have it made.) I see a lot of kissing here...which, naturally, makes me miss Ryan. :-( Oh, and not only is there kissing everywhere, there are also terribly sappy love songs from the 80's and 90's...if you hit a cafe at a certain time they are awfully sad while at other times they are terribly funny. It is such a funny irony listening to music in Serbia that you used to rock-out to as a kid.

Dogs

Last, but not least, I must mention the dogs here in Beograd. It may seem strange, but the view of dogs is something that seems quite distinct in each country I have experienced. They are free as can be here, but they are not starving (like most of the dogs were in Istanbul seemed to be). Actually the dogs seem quite well fed and the general public does not seem to not only pet them but also play with them...these are street dogs, I'm talking about, which can be pretty mangy looking. They roam around freely...sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs, and occasionally romping in a group of three or four. I think I have only seen two or three dogs on leashes in all my time here. Not once have I seen a dog without thinking of my dear dog Shelby...I do miss her very much.