Hello everyone! My name is Eva Criscuolo, and this year I’ll be sharing my Serbian adventures with you as I settle into life in Kragujevac!
Kragujevac is located near the center of Serbia and was the country’s first modern capital. Its central location makes it a great starting point for exploring different Serbian towns, cities, and landmarks, and I can’t wait to discover them with you! Kragujevac is also the fourth-largest city in Serbia, but it will be very different from New York City, the closest big city to Darien, Connecticut, where I’m from. I’m excited to experience its distinctly Balkan character and take part in local cultural events.
One of the things that first sparked my interest in Serbia was its rich artistic culture. I love discovering music, films, literature, and other forms of art from around the world, and I’ve become especially fascinated by Serbian artists and their work. During my time in Serbia, I hope to experience as much of this creative culture as I can and introduce you to some of my discoveries along the way!
I’m also excited to learn about Serbia through its education system. As an educator with a particular interest in international and comparative education, I’m eager to learn firsthand how schools and universities in Serbia work and how the country’s education system is evolving. I’ll be working at the University of Kragujevac and the local American Corners, where I’ll teach English and connect with Serbian students.
At the same time, I’ll be learning Serbian myself! Serbia uses two different alphabets: the Latin alphabet, which is the alphabet we use to write English in the United States, and the Cyrillic alphabet, which is also used by several languages in Eastern Europe. Even though different languages may use Cyrillic, their alphabets are not all exactly the same. Serbian Cyrillic has several letters that you probably won’t recognize from English or some other Cyrillic alphabets, including Ђ ђ (Đ), Љ љ (Lj), Њ њ (Nj), Ћ ћ (Ć), and Џ џ (Dž). I’ll be learning how to read and write these letters myself, and maybe you can learn a few Serbian words with me!
From learning a new language and teaching English to exploring Serbian art, culture, and everyday life, I’ll have a lot to discover this year. I’m so excited to bring you along for the journey so that we can explore Serbia, ask questions, and learn about life in another country together!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
