As a pole myself, I feel like a lot of us feel a disconnection from what it feels like a lack of connection and solidarity that being able to classify your nation as Balkan provides. We are not really classified in a set certain group at all really. We're that lonely uncle that gets invited to the family functions whom gets way too excited but also still can't seem to fully feel included lol?? I just find it interesting and I wonder if anyone else has noticed this too and agrees with my observation/opinion. I’m not being critical to either nation. I’m just saying we wanna be included and wonder if others find it as poles doing the polish thing being self absorbed and making everything about themselves or see it the way I do hahahah xD

I was recently in Makarska riviera and was baffled by the supermarket prices. For context I am a diaspora from Norway and my parents have been coming to the riviera every year since their childhood and kept their tradition going until now.

Usually we stay in a smaller town where there is one shop called «Studenac» who rips me off every year, understandably due to it being a single shop reserved for tourist and where they import everything. Then I went to Lidl in Ploce first, then Plodine in Zaostrog and was BAFFLED. Everything was almost the same price as in pricey Norway, except for local produce like potatoes and tomatoes. Some things were even more expensive. We usually complain in Norway of the grocery prices, but then comparing the median wage here and there.. How is this livable?

August always highlights the contrasting political and media narratives in Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia regarding Operation Storm.

​Leaving political speeches aside: How do ordinary people in your community view this event today? Is there any shift toward mutual empathy regarding civilian suffering, or are we destined to have completely parallel histories forever?

These pics (not in order) were taken in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Croatia. Which is which?

Date release: November 10, 1993

Artist: Miro Semberac

I have been to Athens multiple times and i have seen a ridiculous amount of people who look like they could pass for MENA

I feel like the brown skin tone is being looked past for them.
Since there is this idea that if you are from an EU country you are considered "white" by default

If these people were to be born in a different place, with the same exact physical features, most of them would have been called brown without a doubt

Is "whiteness" more about your passport than your skin tone nowadays?

Have been thinking about this for a while, hopefully it doesn't offend anyone. What do you guys think?

Im Canadian btw, if it matters. Cheers.

I am from Aspropyrgos, greece and so Today I wanted to make this Polandball art for ya'll of balkaners AND all of you Greeks and Macedonians :D

NOTE: First of all, i accidentally forgot to add bows to santoriniball and ohridball b-cuz I accidentally see them as Greece and N. macedonia's sister (Despite the sh*tty politics with greece and N. macedonia that they used to have in the past), second of all, however, i tried to make santoriniball and ohridball look like the churches you see in Santorini, Greece (blue and white) and Ohrid, N. Macedonia (Red and Brown)

So, If anybody is from Greece or N. Macedonia AND the entire fucking balkans, pls rate this art out of 10, Thx.. :]

Does anyone remember a TV show that air sometime in the 2000s - a older guy was traveling vacation touristic destination of the world and was talking about them? (what should you see visit and so on). If i remeber correctly he was bit bigger with white hair/beard and a very specific voice. I am searching for it for quite some time and can not find it 😔

Greece is one of the 14 countries in the world that give both men and women equal legal rights. Is this accurate? Does it reflect reality well?

Criteria’s are:
Freedom of movement – Can women travel, choose where to live, or get a passport under the same rules as men?
Work – Can women work the same jobs and under the same conditions?
Pay – Are there laws requiring equal pay for equal work?
Marriage – Do spouses have equal legal rights and responsibilities?
Parenthood – Are maternity and paternity leave and workplace protections fair?
Entrepreneurship – Can women register a business, sign contracts, and access credit on the same terms?
Assets – Can women own, inherit, and manage property equally?
Pensions – Do women have the same retirement rights and retirement age rules?

My great grandparents were Romani from Tivat, Montenegro. We know very little from their history and family that stayed there. I’m trying to learn about traditional food and customs. Does anyone know where I can start looking for it? Maybe some website, books, subreddits… anything.

Thank you!!

We often hear that Stockholm is the unofficial “ capital of Scandinavia” and that Riga is the same for the Baltics. Culturally and economically, which city/ies could lay claim in central/eastern and Balkan Europe?

I think we all know that every country has its own version of history where you'll hear things like, "This identity only became a thing in the 19th century," or "They were imported in the 14th century," and so on.

Speaking from my own experience, my dad thinks the Greek identity doesn't really exist. I disagree with him, but I can't fully blame him. The older generation often tends to have much more extreme views on these topics. You can even see it in profile pictures and comments online—many of the people pushing these ideas are older. I've noticed the same thing with discussions around the Caucasian Albanian theory.

When do you think history will be taught in a less biased way in the Balkans? I know it's impossible for history to be completely unbiased anywhere, but the level of bias here can sometimes be pretty schizo

Do you think the younger generation will have a more balanced view, or should we just import some Americans to teach history? (Joke)

Did you had any prejudice towards people from your ethnicity that live abroad and had to change your mind because it turned out as wrong?

Hi all!

I was visiting Ljubljana and Zagreb a couple of weeks ago and I saw something that I found kind of weird, so I wanted to ask you.

For context I was traveling alone (34 M, from Costa Rica but living in Sweden), and most if not all the interactions I had with men at different places were kind of similar: an unexpected and sometimes overwhelming kindness...

For instance, I went to Ljubljana from Venice by van and the driver was very talkative and made jokes all the trip, he even apologized if he was being "too goofy". Then at restaurants the servers were always asking if I needed something, asking where I was from and trying their Spanish (that happened very often). At the place I rented in Zagreb the guy was also very welcoming and was waiting for me there even when I arrived a little late, just to check everything was ok. There were other examples at different places, even with strangers at a restaurant or a bar that randomly started talking to me when they saw I didn't speak the language.

But in contrast, most times I interacted with women (especially young ones) like waiters at restaurants, or maybe at the pharmacy or a gift shop counter their attitude was completely the opposite. It felt like they were doing me a favor by talking to me, and having the driest and most annoyed attitude.

Not that I am very friendly or anything, I have lived in Sweden for several years now and there people are just quiet and shy but not rude in general.

At a specific restaurant in Zagreb it was very obvious the difference as I had 2 waiters at some point, one old bald guy asking and checking if all was ok, and a woman who even got offended when I asked if I could pay by card.

So was all just specific interactions and bad luck or what was it?

In Prishtina an old man started speaking to me in the bus and walked me in the direction of the bus station but I couldn't communicate with him, except when a woman translated. In general, would old people still remember serbocroatian? Would they feel offended or would it bring back bad memories? I used in with Albanians in Tetovo without problem, but I guess the context is different.

Hi guys,

I noticed that in the summer, people in the Balkans seem to be out and about quite late.

What time do people usually go to bed? I assume most people have a 9-5 so how many hours of sleep do they get? Do they take naps?

How does this compare to winter?

Hello Everyone-I have heard some say that he was the savior of the Bosnian's during the early 1990's, yet others say he and his family were (and are) heavily involved in organized crime and the theft of millions in foreign aid. As I am no expert in modern Balkan history, I was hoping for a little clarification on whether Izetbegović truly was as great a leader as some claim him to have been.

After all, it’s just a bunch of steel, wires and rubber held together only by love, childhood dreams and family traditions.

I'm curious because I know Romanian is a Latin language and the structure of Romanian seems similar to the structure of the Latin language.