Quirky observations: Some comments and observations on life in Montenegro.

My most often consumed meal: Pizza, cheese with a thin crust (only slightly thicker than a tortilla). The pizza has a thin layer of tomato sauce but ketchup is served as a condiment. Sometimes it is literally ketchup, other times it may be plain tomato sauce or sauce with oregano or basil. On a four-cheese pizza, each quadrant of the pie features a different type of cheese.

Best meal: Fresh trout at Restaurant Maraza, a locally owned restaurant that also raises the trout on a farm next door.

Biggest dread: Getting splashed by a passing car as I’m walking to or from the university on one of the frequent rainy days—or even several days after a rain. Drainage isn’t the best. I generally walk facing traffic so that I can anticipate potential splash points.

Pet Peeve: People park their cars on the sidewalks and don’t even try to do so in a common sense way to maximize parking and minimize inconvenience to pedestrians.

Favorite spot in Podgorica: Millennium bridge, opened in Summer 2005. The bridge crosses the Moraca River; it’s a nice view. The wonderful architecture of the bridge is visible throughout the city. It’s my landmark—I always know where I am, or at least how to get back to the university. *See photo above.

Favorite beverages: Schweppes Bitter Lemon and Plantaze Vranac.

Missed food: Chicken, cooked almost any possible way. Chicken isn’t widely available and has virtually disappeared since bird flu began appearing in the news.

Missed beverage: American-style roasted coffee. I like black coffee—no sugar. But the beans here, even when prepared as filter coffee, carry a darker taste that I can’t quite get used too. I did bring four pounds of coffee with me. The supply is holding out quite nicely. I drink Turkish coffee most of the time when I am out and about.

Best habit acquired: Greater patience. Things move at a slower pace. Life poses challenges that are small in the U.S. but much greater here.

Habit I can’t break: Television as companion. Even though BBC World has programming repetition, I still turn on the set. I sometimes watch local television—news or entertainment—just to look at the visuals and attempt to determine the story. Radio is dominated by so-so pop stations. I like “Swiss Jazz”, a local FM radio station that plays familiar American jazz tunes.

Best food bargain: A hamburger. The patty is huge…more than half-a-pound. Freshly cooked, while you wait, served on a bun the restaurant baked, and topped with your choice of 16 or so items. I usually have mustard, chopped onion, pickles, and a scoop of marinated vegetable salad. Cost: 1.5Euros. Add 1 Euro for a Coke or .80 for a bottle of water. If eaten around 2 or 3 PM, it is easy to live on two meals a day.

Favorite tourist site: I haven’t been to enough sites yet to have one. The rugged beauty of the country is impressive.

Favorite phrases often uttered by local residents, “I’m very busy” or “Super.”

Favorite surprise: I needed a haircut last week. I had spotted a couple of places that looked pretty good. I went into a place called, “Unisex Salon.” A young man cut my hair with only scissors—both regular and thinning shears. It was a great cut. I’m a guy how views a haircut as necessary maintenance but this was nice. He gave great attention to detail. There was also something especially rhythmic about the opening-closing of his scissors. He charged me 5Euros. I’m not sure whether that was normal or what seemed reasonable to charge a foreigner. It was sure worth it. When he finished, I immediately said, “Super.”

Think metric: When I was in 7th and 8th grade, we were told everything was going to become metric in the U.S. I’ve had to think in the metric system for several years now, as I’ve traveled, and generally do well. I still struggle with temperature conversions but distance (kilometers), length (meters or centimeters) and weight (kilograms and grams) are easy.

Favorite snack: At my apartment: roasted peanuts and Diet Coke. It’s a familiar combination from my childhood—though back then we only had regular Coke. Now, I need to trim at least a few calories. Favorite snack when out walking: gelato or ice cream.

Things I eat in restaurants but do not buy and take home: Smoked meats. Montenegrin proschutto is very good but when I have seen the smoked meats in stores, I have declined to purchase them.

People I miss: Stephanie, Garrett and Katherine: their smiles, laughter and sparkle in their eyes.

Not so surprising university fact: Faculty take a “we can’t do that approach” or “we’ve never done that before (so therefore we can’t do it now)” point of view. I’ve heard this expressed in the U.S. and with the same conviction in Montenegro.

Style of dress: People dress very neatly—this is true of faculty, students and people I see on the streets. Clothing is pressed. Men are likely to wear a necktie. Fashions for men and women appear to be influenced by Italy. Men wear pull-over sweaters with a 12-14 cm length zipper to make it easier to put on the sweater. Almost no one wears loose-fitting clothing, except me.

Directions: I have been stopped on the street by people needing directions at least a half-dozen times. I’m happy about this because my clothing doesn’t give me away as a foreigner. The last two times, the people spoke English and I actually could give them the travel directions they sought.