Stephan,

Basically we can research all. You just need to refresh my mind on what you want. I dont always have access to my own PC

We dont necesarry need to do research in the mil. archives I think. Plus the fact that there is a law that states that after a number of year they will open it for public like the Kennedy files or Rosswell
Let me know.

Hello again,

Sergej ... I sent you an email with the necessary information for your interpretation ... just checking to see whether you got this?

Regards

Stephan

Hhmmm I dont think I got it. But wait with sending. The webhamster will soon put a online form with all info.

We posted a letter template that you can use to inquire yourself. You can download it here: http://www.rodoslovlje.com/modules.php?name=Downloads

Please try to do one ancestor at a time.

Hello Sergej,

Through your help and advice and others I am now in contact with children of my fathers brother Stefan (my cousins) in Brzohode, Poljana and Pozarevac. The eldest son Velizar (mid 60's) still occupies the same family house in Brzohode and I have a number of photographs of family and village - family resemblances are striking particularly on the female side. The youngest relatives Dejan (14)and Ivana (12) are learing English at school so I can even talk to them albeit slowly.

Its funny when you start searching and talking - even upside down and over here in New Zealand (!!) how you bump into more Serbs. I have recently met a Serb - Dusan now living close by who has been here for 9 years - a most generous person who has translated and helped me speak to family on the phone - lovely wife Tatiana who made some mouth watering Gibenica and who entertained my family in the most enjoyable way. I spoke to them about what I remembered about my father and showed them photographs of him taken at the end of the war in 1945 - the customs he had and the things he said and the general way he behaved socially. They all laughed and said yes he was a Serb!

Now when Radivoj sent some of his information and translations from Brzohode from my family he talked about my relatives (cousins) in terms of my brothers and sisters. I asked Dusan about this and he said that this was often the custom in Serbia - close family are often called brother and sister even though they would be classified as cousins in the English system (1st, 2nd, 3rd etc). It is up to the individual (me) to know the direct relation between me and my relatives - and therefore it is common to refer to relatives as brother(s) and sister(s). Of course this fascinaes me - so thought I would ask you and any others whether this interpretation is correct??

I still read all the postings - it is great to see others finding or trying to find their roots - and have also read your information about the archives - also posted on this site. I guess the military archives are still not accessible??

All the best

Kind regards

Stephan

PS - work load at the University is heavy at the moment - but when I get the chance - I would like to try and learn Serbian - I will work with Dusan if he is willing - also your recommendation for the best software available??

Hello Stephan,

I will get back to you this week. I am little bit sick at the moment.
In the mean time, ask your Serbian friends for these meals:
* Burek,
* Cevapi
* Filled peppers with rice

Best regards,

Stephan,

Yes, we call our cousins and nephews brothers and sisters. Your desciption is perfect.

We will next month finish work on a new SGS magazine and with some news about the archives and our office that we are trying to open in Belgrade. We will send out a newsletter then. We might access military archives soon.

As for software; try http://www.speakserbian.com
Otherwise go to www.rts.co.yu and watch Serbian TV and Radio to get a sense of the pronaunciation.
Great to see you are making progress.

Pozdrav,

Hello Sergej,

Thank you for the information and advice and verifying what I had been told. I am off to have a coffee with Dusan today his office is only 100metres from mine - start talking recipes and plan a fishing trip (both of us are keen trout fisherman!).

Apparently there are about 12 or so Serb families in and about Otago/Southland who keep in regular touch - so I will try to catch up with some more of these - every one seems to know about putting a pig on a spit - that at least is the one great thing my father taught me how to do!!

Hope you are well or are at least getting better.

All the best

Kind regards

Stephan

Stephan,

We added another link to the links page for learning Serbian

Hello Sergej,

Have been a bit bogged down in the beaurocracy of academia - and haven't had time to look at the forum update until now. Very nice! Radivoj managed to get in contact somehow with someone from the military archives who apparently checked for any records of my father. Apparently as he wasn't an officer (my mother tells me he was the equivalent of a sergeant major) they will have no records.

Ce la vie! However I have found out so much information and found family as well so I cannot complain.

Our daughter is about to be married in December (to a Norwegian! - a bit of genetic diversity) so I will talk to Dusan in Dunedin and see if there is some traditional token or gift we can give her. Is there a traditional Serbian wedding dance? I always remember seeing my father dance with a group of men at a barbeque/social fuction/spit roast after my younger brothers christening at a Serbian Orthodox Church in Perth in Western Australia. He was a man of few words and never told us much - but I remember being gobsmacked (I was only 6) at seeing my father up dancing and so confidently. We never saw him do it again.

Thank you for the information about the web link to learning Serbian - I have tried it briefly - looks very good. Once I wade through more of my paperwork and our students move on I am going to find as much time as I can to access this. Will also talk to Dusan about learning the language.

Regards

Stephan

Hello Stephan,

That dance would be a "kolo", and there are many different types of it. Congratulations with your daughters engagement. I will see if I can get you some info on how to do some good dances since its hard to explain them over a forum

Danica, one of our board members, is back online again. It takes ages to get an internet connection in Serbia. She will be starting researching again soon, but we'll post a message on that on the forum.

On one way I am glad to have finished school, but always want to study more. I guess I need more funds for that but o well we will see what the future will bring.

Site is all done, more content will follow soon. If you have sattelite try getting Serbian TV, by listening you will learn faster.

Regards,