‘Siam’ on Susan’s Birthday

‘Siam’ is a travelling market that comes to Popovača the first Saturday of the month and sets up in a field just across the road from the house.  Our bedroom faces the road and we had been warned by Kevin that livestock would come rolling in real early in the morning and may wake us up.  Sure enough, at about 6:00 am we woke up to cattle lowing and pigs oinking from small open-caged trailers pulled by tractors, trucks and other assorted vehicles.  The road into the field was apparently getting congested, so the vehicles were backed up on the main road for as far as we could see from our open bedroom window.

Susan was so excited to see this ‘parade’ of livestock with the sounds of farm animals, that she kept wanting Hank to lean out the window to take pictures.

About noon or so, once everyone got up and around, fed and organized, we walked over to ‘Siam’.  Not only was there livestock, but there were rows upon rows of merchandise booths set up with all kinds of goods – clothing, jewellery, kitchenware, tools of all sorts, and too many other things to categorize. There were also four large event tents set up where food was being cooked and served.  Whole lambs on spits were the main feature and, of course, the ever-present cevap (ground meat and spices cooked up into a small sausage-shaped roll) probably the most common Croation meat dish – comparable to the North American burger.

It was great fun being in the crowds of people in the aisles between the booths and browsing all that was for sale.  At one of the booths Hank bought a wrist watch for Susan so she would not only have a birthday present, but also something to remind her of ‘Siam’. Susan bought a pair of pink gators.  Hank also bought himself a T-shirt with the McDonald’s arches and the word ‘McChevap’. It’s a bit if satire and pushback on the pervasive presence of the American burger giant.  In Croatia a common ground meat dish is Cevapcici (shortened to Chevap), so it’s quite hilarious to combine the golden arches with Chevap.   Kevin and Darryl each bought T-shirts that say, in Croatian, “I’m not a gynaecologist, but I’ll have a look”. Quite the sense of humour, these Croatians.

Later in the afternoon we went to the home of Renata’s sister, Miky, and her husband Marian.  Their son, Bruno had a birthday on September 1st, so we celebrated the birthdays together.  Marian and his brother Milo barbequed a variety of meats (including cevap, of course).  After dinner we had birthday cake.  Susan and Bruno each had their own cake.  They blew out the candles on the cakes, but a few moments after they were blown out, they burst into flame again.  ‘Magic’ candles – very funny!