Expats of Zagreb: A Student Life in Zagreb
Hello Adi, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, and why did you move to Zagreb?
I am from Israel, Tel – Aviv. I am a medical student. I moved to Zagreb for my studies. I've been here for 5 years.
How hard was it to move and get used to living in a different country?
WOW. I am coming from a really different mentality. Sometimes, I still have some uncertainties if I am rude or not. Or even if I should be rude to get what I want...
I think the first time I bought a real winter coat was here. We don’t really wear them back home – no real reason. It's just TOO HOT.
I love the feeling of safety here, but sometimes I can get crazy from the nonchalant ambient. I am coming from a country where everything is "fast and furious." We drink coffee for a maximum of seven minutes. Also, I hug people here but they are not used to it yet. That’s actually funny. My humor here – it is apparently not funny. Back home I am HILARIOUS.
Image credit: Adi Ashkenazi
What are the biggest differences between your home country and Croatia? Is there something that surprised you here or was hard to get used to?
I am not going to lie. It is just different. We are different. But different is not bad. It is actually interesting. AND! The most amazing part is that you can never know where and when you're going to meet those people who will surprise you. Here, how weird is that I find my landlord to be the BEST human being I have ever met in my life. Every night I say thanks for that. She made the "hard to get used to" so easy. But yes, still, it took me some time to make a home here. Now I know the bakers in the bakery, the workers in the supermarket, my neighbors, the Dolac market people. It really made the difference and feels more familiar. Slowly but surely.
Did you know much about Croatia and Zagreb before moving here?
No. But back then there wasn’t "Game of Thrones," so I hope it is not that sad that I didn’t know.
Do you have some favorite places to go in the city? If so, tell us which.
Well, I love the new place "Kavkaz" – it has the best breakfasts in town. Also, for pizza, the good places are - "Basta" and "Zero Zero". An excellent place to chill is the coffee place "Alfresco Bar" in front of the water fountain in Draskovićeva street with the best sun point. Also, the croissants in "Meet Mia." God, they are soooooo good. I also love the ice cream here. Yeah... I have a good appetite, I know.
Did you learn to speak Croatian since living in Zagreb? If so, how hard was it?
Da, razumijem malo hervetzki – zato što trebam razgovarati s pacijentima. Bilo je teško za učiti. Ali imala sam veliki učitelj. Or in translation, I learned to speak a bit of Croatian because I need to talk to the patients in the hospital. But I had great help along the way.
Image credit: Adi Ashkenazi
Except for family and friends of course, what do you miss the most about your home country?
Food, my dog, the sea, oh god the sea, and the sun. The feeling that I can understand everything around me. Not feeling like a stranger, holidays...
Can you maybe point out some general things about Zagrebians or Croatians?
Mm, they like to drink coffee, love animals, and they are SMOKERS!
Did you make a lot of friends in Zagreb? Was it hard to assimilate and meet new people?
I have friends at college, but I am very nerdy, so I didn’t really give myself the chance to meet other people. I am sure I missed some great people here. But it is just hard to go out when you have so much to study.
Do you consider Zagreb your home now or you're planning to move back to your home country or somewhere else once you finish your studies?
Back home. It was a nice experience, but my home is calling me.
Header image credit: J. Duval, TZGZ
Author: Darija Ilić