Random observations.

My brain's a little scattery this morning, so here's a scattery list of items I wanted to share, in no particular order.

1. The toilet in the Zagreb Autobusni Kolodvor (main bus station) is 3KN ($.50). When you put the money in the ticket dispenser outside it gives you a ticket with a barcode. Before you enter the facilities, you have to go through a set of gates which looks quite similar to the entry to a subway platform. You scan your ticket, barcode side up, under the red scanner lights and the plexiglass doors part, allowing you passage. Once you're inside, and you've done your business, the toilet flushes automatically, like a lot of airport toilets nowadays. The new thing (to me, at least) though, is that the toilet seat revolves around while a wiper in the back washes it. Once it's made a full revolution, it stops and the toilet is ready for its next visitor. I have never seen a self-cleaning / sanitizing toilet before. Who knew you could say so much about a toilet.

2. I saw, of all things, a Utah license plate in the rear window of a car headed to Zagreb. It said , "MRAK". I have no idea what that means.

3. I am jealous of everyone who has a cellphone here, although they are an annoyance on long bus rides. The same goes for the tube, now that I think of it. And Europeans of all types can use phones here (assumedly with a SIM card or something of the like), so it's no longer a good indication of who's a local and who's not.

4. Among other shows like Animal Planet and the National Geographic channel (which are shown in English), TV here in Belgrade also features Spongebob Squarepants. Dubbed in Serbian.

5. There was a McDonalds in Split, and there is one here as well. I haven't seen them anywhere else. I think these are the only times I've seen big international food chains here.

6. At the border crossing from Croatia to Serbia at Batkovci (I think that's the name) there was a truck driver with a purple jacket saying UNPROFOR and with a maple leaf on the back. There were also a lot of Austrian trucks going in. I'm not sure if the UN is doing the same thing in Serbia as they are Croatia, which is...

7. The UN is promoting construction in former areas of war in Croatia; those who have pushed people out of their homes are being given land and construction materials so they can build their own places and therefore move out. That is part of why you see so much construction going on, I assume. This from the source.

8. Crackers were incredibly difficult to find in Komiza; the best we could do was these "ham-scented" ones.

9. The Croatians have a hero, his name is General Ante Gotovina and you can see his photo posted everywhere, especially in storefronts. He was captured in December 2005 and has been (I believe) indicted by the Hague for war crimes. In one storefront picture, he was featured bearing a cross on his back. The picture was next to one of the Pope. There are shades of gray everywhere in the world.

10. I thought I hadn't heard any Turbofolk while here, but now that I think of it, and now that I've watched music television here and in Mostar, I think it's so embedded in my brain I didn't notice it. Like hiplife in Ghana, I'm sure I'll come to miss it and reminisce when I do hear it away from here.

11. My first day walking around Belgrade, I was so excited to see a bookstore (not that there aren't any elsewhere, but I like them anyway) so I went in and looked around. The second one I saw I did the same thing, and the next, and the next, until I realized there are literally two or three bookstores (knjizara) on every block. Cool. Although I noticed, strangely enough, that a lot of the books were books I had featured in bargain when I worked that section. I'm not really interested enough to figure that one out, but it's something to note, however.

Okay, that's it for now. I'm quite tired; I think the bus ride from a few days ago is catching up to me. Until next time.