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Four people sitting in a row behind four laptops, each wearing a microphone headset

Working in IT? What do you call yourself? An IT-ian, a Hitechist…?

Working in IT? πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Would you call yourself an IT-ian, Hitechist or Startupist? These are literal translations of actual terms used to describe people working in IT. In Bosnian πŸ‡§πŸ‡¦, Croatian πŸ‡­πŸ‡·, Montenegrin πŸ‡²πŸ‡ͺ and Serbian πŸ‡·πŸ‡Έ, people working in IT are known as “IT-jevac” (m), “IT-jevka” (f) and “IT-jevci” (p). Of course “IT” is […]

NaΕ‘ jezik at Munich Airport

I’m about to fly off to Australia transiting through Munich Airport πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ … so I’m preparing myself to be ready to speak in “naΕ‘ jezik” (“our language”). πŸ‘‰ So what is this “naΕ‘ jezik” (“our language”)?πŸ‘‰ And why is it spoken at Munich Airport? “NaΕ‘ jezik” is the euphemism used by people from ex-Yugoslavia in […]

Green and red banner with "Chestit Ramazan" on it, with balloons above it, and above that a neon sign on the side of a house with "Ramadan" written

Ramadan or Ramazan?

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts today β˜ͺ️ For the past few years there has been debate in some countries over what to actually call the month. In Bulgaria, where over 10% of the population is Muslim, online forums have been going off about whether to call it ‘Ramazan’, the traditional Balkan way (originally […]

International Women’s Day (IWD). A day of campaigning ♀ … or a day to buy flowers πŸ’

πŸͺƒ In Australia, IWD is a day of campaigning and awareness, elements that are much closer to the day’s original purpose of bringing mainstream attention to issues affecting women. However IWD as a day of significance in Australia is a relatively new phenomenon. Today was so invisible in Australia in the 1980s that the first […]

Hugging and cheek-kissing in southeast Europe. The does and don’ts

Do you know what to do with hugging and cheek-kissing in southeast Europe? Do you know which countries kiss twice and others three times? One time in the mid-1990s I had to walk the last kilometre to the Bulgaria-Macedonian border uphill with heavy luggage. This was pre-mobile phone days, so I had no idea if […]

Out today! Elixir, In the Valley at the End of Time

The latest book that I played a part in its fruition (no, I’m not in it this time), by my dear friend, the award-winning writer Kapka Kassabova, is now available for purchase. It’s an extraordinary journey through the history, people and nature of the region from where my maternal grandfather came from, and where many […]