Dravo Jelena/Jelenka/Natasha/Voja and anyone else who knows me

Yes, I have learnt my first word of Serbian. You have to almost shout and be very lively and bouncy. That's how this family language is. It has always gone over my head before, but after 50 years it is time to belt it out. Surely I will have a wonderful accent, since I know it in my bones already.

Dravo means hallo/good health to you

I don't yet know what the reply is. My next trip to London will get me that treasure.

Born on the road to exile

I found out that my great aunt Milica (Militza) was born while the family was escaping from Belgrade to Salonika in Greece in 1915, in the middle of WW1. They had to stop so my great grand mother could have her 2nd child, the first was my grandmother, who was a toddler at that point. What a story! It makes Christmas look tame.

I never thought I'd hear this song again... but here it is "FALILE SE KASTELANKE" :

When I was little we had a record of Serbian folk songs. All I have ever remembered is the phonetic 'falile se kastilanke' sound. I decided to search on YouTube and up it popped. It is the exact same recording. I recognise the men's voices, the guitars, every note :) I am so happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsPAB_e_fIk

Welcome to a bit of my childhood.

Oh my God...here is the actual cover:

http://www.discogs.com/Ansambl-Dalmacija-Falile-Se-Ka%C5%A1telanke/release/1945501