Liz Duong starts each YouTube video by saying, “My name is Liz, I’m an Aussie girl who accidentally fell in love with Serbia. The people, the language, the culture, everything.”
Already fluent in English and Vietnamese, Liz says her connection to Serbia came from more than just words and letters. It was the Serbian people who opened her eyes to a new way of living.
“I had travelled all over Europe,” says Liz, “I’d been to France, I have family there, and what I didn’t like about going to Paris or any other big capital city was the fact that it was saturated with tourists. All of the things you see in movies, it’s not as romantic as you would imagine.”
Liz says she found cinematic romance on the streets of Serbia’s capital city, Belgrade.
“I actually find that Serbia is a more romantic place [than other popular destinations]. Belgrade is more romantic than Paris. When you go there you feel the spirit of the country, it’s alive and thriving in Serbia. Serbia has held onto its traditions and language, and you notice that when you’re walking down the street.”
A year ago Liz decided she no longer wanted her partner and friends to speak to her in English. The COVID-19 travel restrictions cancelled her flight this year, but over the last few months, Liz has been keeping up through online lessons.
“I have an hour lesson once a week with a professor in Serbia,” says Liz, “so I mostly speak to them, sometimes to friends and sometimes with my partner, if he isn’t feeling lazy.”
In her YouTube videos, Liz reads Serbian children’s books (Miško Piško, for those who know), compares and translates popular sayings, rates the effectiveness of swear words (Liz says Serbs swear better) and goes through basic grammar lessons.
While she loves the language, it’s the Serbian way of life that Liz wants to emulate.
“The Serbian mentality was the first thing that struck me,” says Liz, “the Serbian outlook on life. In Australia, I feel we have more friends, more money and more possessions but we don’t always value it the same way. The time I spent in Belgrade, I saw that family, friends and relationships are more important to Serbs than owning more things, better things. Life isn’t just consumption and improvement, it's enjoyment. When I’m old, I don’t want to say I lived but never felt alive.”
Part of living in Serbia is making sure you’re always ready for a big meal. Liz says this is definitely something she got used to quickly.
She’s even posted a sarma or ‘cabbage roll’ tutorial on her YouTube channel.
“The sarma was good,” says Liz, “I love meat so Serbian cuisine was made for me"
Don't forget to listen in Serbian! Click the cover photo to hear our full interview with Liz.
