One of the best things to happen recently, and really quite by chance, after Biljana had sent me a few short videos of her on her way to work in Belgrade, was the discovery that we were both on Skype.
Now we are able to chat regularly, and see each other in our respective homes, and it's made our friendship so much more meaningful - in fact, just like popping into her flat which she shares with husband, Jugo, and her two daughters, Vanja and Maja - the picture shows the two girls wit... (more)

One of the best things to happen recently, and really quite by chance, after Biljana had sent me a few short videos of her on her way to work in Belgrade, was the discovery that we were both on Skype.
Now we are able to chat regularly, and see each other in our respective homes, and it's made our friendship so much more meaningful - in fact, just like popping into her flat which she shares with husband, Jugo, and her two daughters, Vanja and Maja - the picture shows the two girls with the pet lamb at Biljana's mother's house outside Belgrade. The downside is, however, that Bilja doesn't always get around to her ironing, when she's talking to Dad and me!

Bilja has a wonderful grasp of English, and so it's so easy for us to chat away - especially as my Serbian is limited to 'right', 'left' and 'hand'! Bilja's main role is, of course, as a distinguished piano teacher, but she also likes to compose, especially these delightful little miniatures, and particularly pieces which her students can play, too.
Valse on Ice - perhaps a little Serbian equivalent of Strauss's Skaters' Waltz, is just one of these charming little miniatures.

The only one sad thing is that we didn't discover Skype until after Bilja's dear friend, Dragana, passed away in 2007. We both know, however, that she's listening in to our conversations, in that great Internet site in the sky!

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