Bank. The one that works with small businesses. Which, I suppose, now includes me thanks to a few career twists and outdated laws.
It’s approximately a hundred degrees in this bank. But I still decide to keep my jacket on because what if this doesn’t take long, and I go through the whole ritual of taking off my massive backpack and peeling off my jacket, only to put it all back a few minutes later?
I’m sitting across from a lovely banker named Marija who, despite being in a Teams meeting, still decided to take me in as a client. She throws a few apologetic glances my way and pantomimes that her meeting is painfully boring, and that I should just wait a bit. I mime back a “no worries,” while internally debating whether I should take off my jacket. While I wait, I decide to make the most of this unexpected pocket of free time. I’m back from Prizren - Zagreb Una is back - the efficient one, the fast and furious creature on a bike, zipping through the city, tackling her tenth obligation of the day. So naturally, it makes perfect sense to use this downtime to start writing a blog post on my phone, secretly, under Marija’s desk.
As I let myself drift into analyzing the bank's soundscape composed of mouse clicks, keyboard tapping, soft murmurs between clients and bankers, and Alen Vitasović’s song “Ja ne gren” (“I’m not going”) playing gently in the background, I realize I’d trade this moment for just one more walk through Prizren. I picture myself taking a few more photos with the camera I got there, where this new hobby first began. Yes, Prizren-Una has hobbies. And no bike, so no fast and furious mode. She moves slower, more observant, more thoughtful. As the bank temperature becomes unbearable for keeping my jacket on, the song continues:
Ja ne gren, ja ne gren, ja ne gren, ja ne gren (I’m not going 4x)
Ja ne gren, ja nikamo ne gren (I’m not going, I’m not going anywhere)
It’s definitely time to take off my jacket, just as I catch one more apologetic nod from Marija. How do I tell her I’m actually enjoying this?
I start wondering if it gets this hot in Prizren during the summer. Everyone told us, “You have to come back for Dokufest but it’ll be really hot and crowded. The city transforms during the festival.”
I can almost imagine the difference, but for now, I just want to hold on to the Prizren memories I already have. So I’ll share them here, for myself and for the people with whom I shared this slow residency. A kind of journal, a kind of a thank you.
Katastrof katastrof ajde ajde
Is this a duck or a pinguin
But really
Ambitious nature walk is postponed because of the rain
I live like an animal
We need some deadlines
It is still raining
The new band is in town
This was not in the forecast
To my knowledge
HODAAAAJ nema više čekanja na zaplet
Can I borrow your washing machine
Waiting for the re_con_stru_ction
If you see some bricks let me know
We will go to Skopje and Mitrovica
One night stand
No, we should stay in Prizren
Oh Loni Loni
Prognoza is a nice word
Majosh
No movie night tonight
No pasulj on Sunday
Do you wanna have live music on your event?
We need agenda
We speak a secret language
We should make a barbecue
Come to Dokufest
Come to Tirana
See you at Somer’s
Barbecue is postponed, it’s snowing
Let’s make it a collective dinner day
I have enough bricks
It's rendering
We have to prepare our playlists
Ja ne gren ja ne gren ja ne gren
Zagreb ist kein Prizren
“Please, fill out these two papers.”
Marija wrapped up her online meeting and gently pulled me back into the reality of the bank. Just two papers, basic info about me and my ‘small business.’
Then she asked a question to tick either YES or NO column. The question was:
“Are you a politically exposed person?”
As my mind rushed back to the first sentence of this blog, I immediately answered:
“Yes, aren’t we all?”
She smiled supportively and, with a hint of curiosity, asked:
“Aren’t you too young to be politically exposed?”
I replied:
“I’m not that young. I only look young, but it’s probably because I’m a dancer.” (haha)
Her face lit up at that and she said:
“So beautiful, I love dancing. What kind of dance?”
I answered:
“I dance with the bricks in Kino Lumbardhi.”
………
I’m not entirely sure what this blog is about, but I promised myself in that bank that I’ll keep going with my new hobby even while I’m ‘Zagreb-Una’. Prizren, see you soon even if it’s hot and crowded.