Getting out of the country

Trying to get out of the country for whatever reason is not always a garanteed succes for Macedonians. After a view conversations today, it appeared that this hassling with visa is the same issue for Serbians also. In every day situations, it doesn't really matter who it is you talk to or when this talk occurs, usually there will be a moment when the subject of traveling abroad is coming up. What follows are examples of what I heard today in Belgrade and during the past few months in Macedonia.

• Beti and Boris are a peaceful couple with a fur boutique and a tiny atelier in Skopje (Bit Pazar, Butel) and Strumica. They have a daughter who lives in Australia. She is married to a local from down under and they have kids. Applications for visa on both the wedding event and that of becoming grandparents were turned down. No reasons were given. Excuses were found in the businesses that needed to be run, so B&B had to get back to Macedonia anyway. Till this day, they still haven't seen their wedded daughter and their grandchildren.
• Applying for a visa for Greece in Macedonia works like this: [1] Pick up an appilication form at Stopanska Banka. You're also allowed to pay the 35 euro fee in advance at this bank. If your visa request, you don't get a refund. [2] Try to get an appointment with the liaisons office in Skopje. When in luck, you will get this appointment within 2 months time (current waiting last is 4 months). [3] Show up at the liaisons office, queue up and wait some more. Be sure you have all the information with you that the Greek may ask for (copy of passport, copy of medical card, copy of employment contract, filled out application form, one pass photo, a blue card for medical and social insurance, and 35 euro in case you didn't pay it in advance). [4] If all turns well, your visa is delivered to you on a seperate piece of paper carried with your passport.
• Ceca is the both famous and infamous 'big' female singer from Belgrade (born in Zhitoradza, southern Serbia). Famous in Serbija, Macedonia, Bulgaria for her singing and for her, well, for being her. Not too welcome in many other countries for reasons I will go into a little later. Rumour has it that her singing carreer has seen bigger peeks - she runs out of money. Knowing her castle in the Belgrade hills, it's easy to imagine the truckloads of denari necessary for maintanance. So, she decided to tour. Not only in the Balkans, but also a little further abroud - Canada and Australia were on the tour manager's wish list. Application forms for visa were filled out, handed in and on return found rejected. Reason: Having once been married to the late war criminal Arkan was not something that 'amuzed' the Canadian and Autralian authorities. What also might have added to the rejection was the fact that she once had been a suspect for the assassination of Zoran Dzindzic (former prime minister of Serbian-Montenegro) and had been in jail for that for a week.