27-XII-2010.

The two of us went downtown to sign our "partaking in the process of estimating the tax", en euphemism if I ever heard one, at the former sdk HQ, where the tax authority is now. Amazingly, they took the actual paid price of the house in Čankovo as the value, which is unheard of. The tax, with all the other side expenses we paid on 15th, is to be less than what I'd pay if I bought a car of the same price.

One of the clerks knew me from somewhere, but wouldn't say until we were done. Then she said she was married to Bajče, and that he described me as the very genius of our class. Well, well - I saw her only once, I think january 1975, when they were returning from Novi in his fića, so I hitched a ride. Didn't see her much, though, it was night and one of us sat in the back.

Once out of sdk, we had a smoke break just outside, and Momir came along and we had a little chat.

- would you work in a school?

- I won't.

- OK, I had to ask.

Turns out there's a shortage of graduated mathematicians, again. Tsk, tsk... This time I don't need a job.

We split three ways - she went home to see Lena to the bus, and I went to see Baja about the doček. Talked with his wife first, but half an hour later he returned from the courthouse and we had coffee... and smoked (he had the bloody expensive bulgarian „Sobranie“). The anti-smoking law is harsh, but he's a lawyer, he's alone in the office, and he knows the tricks and he doesn't really care. Anyway, he told me not to worry about the doček, he'll just call me and tell me where to go and they'll all be there.

In the afternoon the girls went to buy more shoes and whatnots. More snow fell. It seems we both went with Lena to Belgrade, to see where she's taking those lessons in preparation for entry exam to the FLU. I found these shots I made* in Novi Beograd, and we walked a couple of blocks to the place. The guy has space on the ground floor of a residential high rise, half a dozen students there with easels, brushes, paint. Smell of turpentine, all familiar. Ah yes, naturally, this is not the first painter in the family, of course it smells familiar.

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* not with my Fujica but with Lena's pocket one, but I remember it was me taking them, just not whether it was the same evening or the one before. Okay, one day up or down.

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Mentions: Branislav Bačikin (Bajče), Čankovo, doček, fića, Fujica, Jablan Škanata (Baja), Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Momir Hadžipopov, Novi Sad, sdk, in serbian