More on Visas and Taxis and Violence

I've got to modify my rant against cabbies. I actually really liked one we got in Vienna two weeks ago and nearly forgot.

We got in the car and he asked us -- in English not German -- where we were from? The US, I said.

"Ah, Obama," he chuckled. "You don't have to pretend you are Canadian anymore."

That was cute. I guess maybe they are not all evil beasts.

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Much talk is centering on the prospect of organized criminals moving en masse into Serbia and Montenegro -- there are plenty enough now -- to get passports that will open the world to them. The Internal Affairs ministries say they will prevent that and institute strict regulations to stop abuse. Call us skeptical.
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I've written before about the shocking violence of some adages used in Bosnian. Here are examples.

Whereas Americans talk about sleeping like a log or like a baby, Bosnians describe deep sleep as Spavio sam ko zaklan -- I slept as if butchered.

Whereas Americans express enthusiasm for a big feast by proclaiming "Let's dig in!" Bosnians might say: Hajmo tamo da koljemo." Let's go there to the slaughter. Yummy.