This is what I heard this evening on my evening of tea, coffee and cake (to which my comment of "But I'm not hungry" was met with "It doesn't matter - you don't need to be hungry to eat").
"Ja ne prodajem zjake."
"I don't sell...what?" I asked my aunt and my Mama and was faced with two women in their 70s staring at me wide open eyes and wide open mouths, all teeth showing. Almost frightening on a dark Zagreb backstreet - if they hadn't been almost croaking with laughter. I couldn't help laughing either, but still had no idea what on earth they were saying. It turns out they were gawping at me. 'Zjake' means gawps - when someone is gawping. The phrase means "I don't sell gawps." All part of learning about Croatian culture...
I might write some more about what I've learned about Croatian culture. Being here has made me realise how much of who I am is actually Croatian and not just a bit odd. It feels like I have finally come home. I am among people who are the same as me. It's wonderful. A country full of me! :-)
it really means I do not waste time! Tugomila and I had similar sense of humour and I shall miss that... Sometimes irreverant towards the follies of dress of women parading in Losinj or Zagreb... we only had to nudge each other (we could not be rude or offend the above mentioned ladies) and we knew... and that in itself was funny!
ReplyDeleteMy daughters used to be embarassed by that! So we had to be more subtle!
ReplyDeleteI will miss that too, seeing you both together, playing like schoolgirls. I'm so grateful I still have you. You were like two big round peas in a pod. xxx
ReplyDeletePS It was embarrassing when words were spoken loudly, especially when other Croats started to move to the UK and could potentially understand your words!