Women Of The World: Croatia Part 1

(From top Left to bottom Left clockwise: 1.Tkalčić street by Vjekoslav1; 2. Miss Snježana; 3. Fireworks by DeymosD; 4. Streetcars by seanfderry-studenna; 5. Croatian National Theatre by LusoFox; 6.The fountain Manduševac by Polježičanin; 7. Gornji Grad via hrphotocontest.)

LIVING IN ZAGREB

Women of the World: Croatia segment was completed over a year ago. Due to a hiatus from CWL I am just now posting it.

Central and Eastern Europe witnessed great economic, and other changes during the nineties. Some people benefited, but for the vast amount of people adaption to this new reality has been difficult. Snježana was my choice for the interview because she gave reliable and honest insight into Croatian life in the period of transition.

Snježana is an educated, smart, beautiful, and opinionated urbanite. She has a sharp mind of an individualist who lives with a well-developed personal code of ethics. She also has a wicked sense of humor which is her most endearing quality. I thank Snježana for patience, and willingness to share her daily life.

COUNTRY: Croatia (Central and Southeastern Europe)
CAPITAL: Zagreb
POPULATION & SIZE: 4.5 Million;  22,000 sq mi (about the size of WV)
PROTAGONIST: Miss Snježana
LOCATION: Zagreb since 2000
OCCUPATION: Graduated Economist, & Make-Up Artist (Lola’s note: she graduated since the interview)

MISS SNJEŽANA: Regarding the occupation question, I have always been dedicated to more than one profession. Since I am currently studying, you could say I am primarily a student of Economics. I also have a degree in Tourism Hotel Management, but since I changed my living location my days in the tourism industry are over.

LOLA: One day in Snježana’s life goes like..?
MISS SNJEŽANA: Ha ha… Well… Since my classes ended, it seems as if I am doing absolutely nothing, yet my days are too short for everything I would like to do. First thing after waking up is a cup of coffee with my boyfriend. This is a real ritual without which my day is lopsided. After coffee I prepare lunch, and study. Studying takes up most of my day. I may go shopping,  go out to the city for a walk, or a night out on town. Come to think of it I live like a (studying) housewife.

LOLA: What do you do in your free time?
MISS SNJEŽANA: My greatest passion is art in any shape or form: painting, graphics, interiors, landscape design, aquarium design. Anything to do with aesthetics. The art of film is my favorite medium (from documentaries to action movies), followed by comic books. I must admit that I am also quite a gourmet chef. I would love to be able to say I have time to read, but after continuous studying, my eyes grow tired. It’s ‘easier’ to relax, and watch a movie or a TV series. (Although watching TV also has its effect on the eyes.)

LOLA: Dearest writer?
MISS SNJEŽANA: Gabriel Garcia Marquez. His One hundred years of solitude is by far my favorite book. This book has such vibrant atmosphere that I literally ‘lived’ there while reading it. As far as authors, I definitely like Eckhart Tolle, and all his books.

LOLA: What made you move to Zagreb?
MISS SNJEŽANA: I came to Zagreb because I could not find work in Dalmatia, where I lived before. (Lola’s Note: Dalmatia is Croatia’s coastal region on the Adriatic Sea.) I heard that Zagreb had greater opportunities, (for employment). Since I had no offers upon arriving, I had to search for them myself. A great thing about Zagreb is absolutely everything in the country is concentrated here. I was happy for a while. However, after I experienced European metropolitan cities, I can safely say Zagreb cannot yet be called a metropolis as it lacks aspects to be given that title just yet.

LOLA: What are five best things about living in your city?
MISS SNJEŽANA: 1. Unlike most other cities in Croatia, Zagreb has a great public transportation. It doesn’t have a subway yet, but still there is a street car system that runs all night.  2. Almost all of country’s universities are located here.  3. It is easier to find a job as most of the country’s resources and investments are also here.  4. Also, there are many shopping centers quickly becoming the cheapest and only way to have fun for an average citizen.  5. One fourth of all Croatians live in Zagreb, yet it is easy to run into a friend while you’re in the city.

LOLA: What places in Zagreb should one visit?
MISS SNJEŽANA: The main square, and the narrow core of Zagreb has an incredible atmosphere, especially Gornji Grad.  Marija Jurić Zagorka, our first female journalist, described the history of Gornji Grad in her novels. Zagreb was the first city in Europe to build a public toilet, and it exists to this day. (Tip: it is immediately in the center of the city, so if you have to go, perhaps you’ll have to visit it. ) I recommend a walk in Maksimir (forest-park), and the Botanical Gardens. In fact, there are very many places you can visit in a day because you only need a few hours to see the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, or a museum.

Another special place is Hrelić. That’s a flea market located near wasteland, open only on Sundays. You can buy absolutely anything there. Some of the more bizarre things are: half-spent toothpaste, old LPs, tapes, old double-deck player which (of course) still works, old clothes and shoes, autos, second hand books, old mags… In short: a kaleidoscope of stuff thrown away. A visit to Hrelić, of course, is not a visit motivated by shopping, but by fun because you can smile/laugh when you see some faraway objects of your childhood being sold for a cent.

For hipsters there are a yuppie bars: Peoples, Fly, & Papaya, and for the alternative crew there are smaller places: Močvara, Route66; there is also a bar just for bikers: Purgeraj. A trend for turbo-folk music has to be mentioned, as it is changing the atmosphere in many bars.

Zagreb isn’t overly ‘tourist friendly’ as it’s easy to get lost in the traffic. What does make it friendly is that many people speak English (especially younger generations), and they are very ready to help. If you get lost just ask around.  City center is tourist friendly as it is walkable, and this is where most notable things are located anyway.  My recommendation to a newbie: buy a map of Zagreb and discover the city for yourself. This way you will see some of city’s extremely interesting highlights that did not necessarily make it into a tourist guide.

LOLA: Where does one go to experience the skyline and moonlight?
MISS SNJEŽANA: One option is Gornji Grad, as it is easy to get to. Second is somewhat far away, from the top of Sljeme.

LOLA: The most beautiful things about Croatia are?
MISS SNJEŽANA: Croatia has the coast, sea, and islands with an uncorrupted nature. Once you leave the city it is possible to see cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and other animals. (Sometimes it is possible to see them at your neighbor’s as well.) I am alluding to the connection between tradition and life, meaning you can still find healthy, naturally produced food in your grocery store.

Also the Croatian national foods such as Roast Turkey with Baked Noodles, (Purica s mlincima), and Zagroje Cheese Strukli (Zagorske štrukle). On the coast there is the Dalmatian Stewed Beef Dish (Pašticada s njokama), my very favorite Sheep Cheese from the island of Pag (Paški sir), and the perfect Kabola wines.

Croatia also possesses very special architecture influenced by architect Hermann Bolle.  Finally, cities and coffee shops are always full of people, even during work hours, and there lingers a high presence of city life.

LOLA: What are some not so good things about living in Croatia?
MISS SNJEŽANA: The infrastructure is bad, especially the highway infrastructure. Also, the traffic is insane. If you don’t live in the center of the city and you are using public transportation, then your trip to work or university becomes a real adventure.

There is an absence of real values – meaning that culture, education and friendship are categories that are becoming extinct. Money and power are the only important things nowadays. “Take the money and run!” is a great way to characterize countries in transition. Nepotism and corruption are present in all spheres of life. Inertness of politicians on top causes bad economy politics, bad social politics, and an awful administration/ bureaucracy. Finally, the education system is bad.

LOLA: What do you see as a solution for these?
MISS SNJEŽANA: Plans for the subway system are underway, although it will require some ten years. The media could, at last, give attention to real values instead of exaggerating consumerism, power, and politicians. The corruption is, slowly but surely, being uncovered. Nepotism, however, is a greater illness that cannot be uncovered as easily. My hope is that with entering the European Union we will have to vote for those able to lead instead of voting for cousins and neighbors. As far as inertness, it is not so easy to answer. I’m not sure if anyone knows how to fix this – perhaps if the politicians would start to listen to field experts.

(From top Left to bottom Left clockwise: 1. Cheese from the island of Pag (Paški sir) via photoforumistria; 2. Zagreb City Map via kod-kazalista; 3. Kabola Wine; 4. Croatian Prosciutto (Pršut) via dalmatiancooking; 5. Zagroje Cheese Strukli (Zagorske štrukle) via zombieboy; 6. Stewed Beef Dish (Pašticada s njokama) via coolinarika; 7. Roast Turkey with Baked Noodles (Purica s mlincima) via ladysram.)

EDUCATION/ SCHOOL SYSTEM/ WORK ENVIRONMENT

LOLA: Describe the education system in the country.
MISS SNJEŽANA: After 8 years of elementary education (Lola’s note: elementary and middle schools are combined into one) one takes exams to get into high schools based on their area of interest. General high schools, and high schools for tourism, economics, medicine, and the electro-technical fields are 4 years long. Trade schools take about 3 years (cosmetology, cooking, auto-mechanical, etc).

Until recently one could skip high school, but it is now required by law to get a high school education. After high school there is a national graduation exam. If you pass, you are able to go on to the university.

LOLA: What are the opportunities for attending university & is it necessary to have a college education to live a decent life?
MISS SNJEŽANA: Whoever can afford it is now doing it, even people who would not otherwise consider going to college. Tuition, and room&board expenses doubled within the last few years, while the standard of living stayed the same. This is unusual as before this period institutions of higher education were affordable.

Having a university degree is not necessary to live. In fact most employers do not appreciate good education, and salaries cannot make up for time and expense invested into education. There are of course individuals who rely on their education. This all depends on the type of degree, and how much practical knowledge it is offering. Our education system bases itself on the memorizing theoretical information, and not on the use/practice of actual knowledge.

LOLA: How many years does it take to get a degree, and what is the money investment?
MISS SNJEŽANA: An average degree, let’s say a degree in economics, is obtained in 4 years, while ‘stronger’ degrees such as law or medicine, can take from 6 to 10 years. (‘Formally’ these also are supposed to last 4 years.) There is a difference between semester requirements, and time taken to do the exams.

The process is underway to transform the system to the Bologna system where one university degree would take 3 years to obtain, with the option to attend additional 2 years and get a Master’s degree. However, it is still unknown what this will do to the job market. For example I am studying based on the old 4 year system and still don’t know which title I will obtain.

One year consists of 2 semesters. Price for one year is about $1,000. Statistics note that the average income in Croatia is about $900/mo. Many with a college degree earn $950/mo, while some without any degrees earn up to $1200/mo. There are no rules.

LOLA: What are the job opportunities like after college?
MISS SNJEŽANA: If you have a recommendation then you have a good chance of getting hired. However, if you have no connections it is very hard to find a decent job. You can always get an underpaid job with bad working environment, bad human relations, and a high turnover rate. In these situations no one is satisfied. People here cannot choose to do what they love so they often school themselves for the professions based on market needs as this guarantees an easier job placement.

LOLA: What do people do if they lose their job?
MISS SNJEŽANA: They hope to get a new one… Hope dies last.  Some get help from the state funds that cannot even cover one month of food. Some apply for a different type of welfare, providing even less money, but one is eligible for this only if they have absolutely nothing. Final and most often occurring scenario is that people ask for help from family as otherwise they would end up homeless.

LOLA: Is a career change doable at let’s say 35?
MISS SNJEŽANA: It depends. For men, this isn’t a hurdle, but if you are a woman with children this is hard. It is hard to achieve a career as is, and when you achieve something not many people would opt out to risk and change this – people aren’t flexible enough.

LOLA: Are women treated equally in the society? (Not only on paper.)
MISS SNJEŽANA: Again, this depends on the situation. Some branches are typically female, and men “have nothing to do there”.  While many men may apply for an administrative assistant position, they will not get the job if the boss is male. I don’t remember ever seeing a guy that was on a cleaning crew, except in auto shops. Also, I’ve seen zero women doing construction, or some other typically male profession, as she would not be taken seriously. My own passion for wall painting failed because of this, even though I am talented enough to paint better than the ‘conventional maestros’.

Some firms prefer women and consider them better employees, yet the man who works for the same firm doing the same job will have a higher salary. I personally have not witnessed that women have a smaller chance for success, but women are often let go after pregnancy, and they will have a hard time finding a job after 30 especially if they are without a degree.

Statistically women comprise most of unemployed persons, but I think that younger, educated, and ambitious women can rise up the ranks easier than men. Yet, most leadership and managerial positions are dominated by men as they generally own the firms. However I believe this to be a result of affinity, not sexism. The society still values men more. Every father wants a son, women are still homemakers.

Although with younger generations this trend is slowly dissipating.

LOLA: How much influence do women have in a Croatian everyday life? (Societal, rather than familial influence.)
MISS SNJEŽANA: There are only a few women politicians, and influential women in general. Women influence is almost undetectable. Often women are women’s worst enemy, so I do not expect greater changes in the field of women’s rights. In Croatia an unmarried woman, or a woman living by herself cannot undergo a fertility treatment. Yet the natal rate is devastatingly low. That says enough.

Lola’s Note: Stay tuned for Part 2 in which we discuss politics, sex, and fashion!

Tags: Interview(s), WOW