Hanging out on social limbs

This picture has sort of summed up how I have felt on this particular trip so far, as it has been pretty wearing on my energy levels for a number of reasons.I love this image though and I think you will be seeing it crop up again. Just look at the dejection in the body language and how fitting the cropped message is.

But, that wasn't my favorite image of the night, these next two are. They are taken from the taxi on the way to a restaurant with my phone as I didn't want to be the nerd with the camera at the dinner table. Well, I don't care too much about being the nerd.

I am continually surprised at how good the camera is in this phone (Huawei P30 Pro) and even in dark conditions, it does a very decent job and gives a fair amount of detail. I put these through Lightroom mobile to crop and add a matte layer, a look and feel I like at the moment, especially for the dark images.

Belgrade picked up a lot of love tonight as I went and had a meal with my clients in Skadarska, a restaurant lined street that aims to provide good quality, local style cuisine, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I was meant to have a meal somewhere here last night, but I am glad I waited as I coaxed my hosts to make the selections from the menu, and they did a very good job. It was the best meal I have had in a very long time.

I don't have images of the food, but if you do happen to be in Belgrade, here is a picture of the restaurant. There were about 5 nationalities present and while all from the region, the waiter commented on how it is rare to hear so many languages spoken at the one table.

I like to go out on social limbs when i have the chance to pick the brains of those I might not have a chance to talk with again and what was a potentially dangerous conversation, I asked the end of the table I was sitting with about some of the past in what was formerYugoslavia.

I of course approach these kinds of things with care, but I find that as long as open, honest, interested and genuine, even the most difficult topics can not only be discussed, they can be a great way to build relationships. I don't recommend everyone to get into these kinds of discussions if only looking to satisfy personal curiosity without considering the position of or not having built a relationship and understanding of the participants. The session today and the discussions with each of them gave me some licence to expand the conversation topics from "usual small talk" to much more personal areas.

I am one of those people who think that in general, we are much more alike than different and this means that if we are able to find commonality in the overlaps, it isn't a very large stretch to move into the differences. Again, transparency of intention is a good thing to present here as when it is approached openly, people are much more forthcoming.

I am not going to get into the details or outcomes of the discussions, but it is interesting to get perspectives from people who lived through some of it, and others who lived through the aftermath. We talked about a lot of things after, including raising children, risks and fears of parenting, skill development, global economic risks, cultural peculiarities and door-to-door Bitcoin sellers not being around for the last year or more.

The travel can suck, but the few hours I have where I get to spend time with the locals, unfamiliars who become friends over the space of a couple days training some, social engagements are a burden, for me they bring out some of the best in me and provide a form of fuel. Tomorrow's session is much more complicated and intensive than today's, but I feel more ready than I did a few hours ago.

I need a few hours sleep though so, goodnight.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]