So Your Character is From Croatia …

I recently read about Croatia in a book and I’ve been so curious about the country so I’m so happy to have Katerina on the blog to talk about it!

So Your Character is … series is where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I’m hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven’t checked out last time’s So Your Character is from Trinidad and Tobago… be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally or politically shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Hi there! My name is Katerina and I live in Croatia, a small Mediterranean country in southeast Europe. I used to live by the sea and then moved to the capital to pursue my carrier. My occupation is a psychologist and I am one of the two minds (and hands) behind @life.couch bookish account. So my hobbies are book-related, and in some spare time, I like long walks, short coffee and some dog time. I like learning and new experiences. When it comes to work, I’m a strong-minded perfectionist, but in my personal life most of the time I can’t make up my mind 😊.

What do you feel is unique to your country? Landmarks? Celebrations?

Katerina: I like the fact we have so many regions that offer different things for various tastes and personalities. We have our capital Zagreb, a lovely mix of contemporary and classic architecture. Viewers of GoT must have heard about old town Dubrovnik. Slavonia is the heart of our agriculture and home for one of the most hardworking people you will ever meet. And for anyone who loves summertime, our coast is one of the most beautiful ones in the whole world, and do not even get me started about Mediterranean cuisine! Sea breeze, fish, and wine…

We celebrate mostly Christian holidays, also Independence Day, International children’s festival, Summer games in Dubrovnik, carnival in Rijeka and Samobor, Sinjska alka (horse show), medieval fairs, as well as many cultural, music and sports happenings.

Tell me about your country’s environment. What are some of your favorite places?

Katerina: First of all, my hometown Šibenik – small but beautiful, ideal for a spring break. Located near two National parks: Krka and Kornati. Krka river has 7 beautiful waterfalls and Kornati islands are the favorite pick for nautical tourism. Lika is probably my favorite region, know for Plitvice lakes (even more beautiful waterfalls), amazing forest, clean air and water and – potatoes! I also love the cities of Rovinj and Rijeka, as well as Osijek – especially the old part called ‘’Tvrdja’’. And of course, my current city Zagreb, with the most stunning National Theater.

Tell me about your country’s food. What are some of your favorite dishes?

Katerina: Croatian cuisine was influenced by a lot of different cultures. From Ottoman Empire and latter Bosnia – know for cevapi, sarma, burek, and baklava. Zagreb steak is a meat filled with ham and cheese, fried with breadcrumbs. Dalmatia loves fish dishes, Zagorje has turkey with ‘’mlinci’’ and my favorite dish is called pasticada with gnocchi. Best known traditional/pastries are Soparnik, Strukli from Zagorje, Kremsnite from Samobor. Slavonija is best known for cobanac and kulen, Istra has a lot of meals with manestra (pasta).

Tell me about any different speech patterns in your country. Slang? Idioms? Words for things such as “biscuits” instead of “cookies”?

Katerina: We have three main dialects – based on how people say the word ‘’what’. For example, people form Zagreb and Zagorje region will say ‘’kaj’’ and that is kajkavski speech patterns. In Istria, people mostly speak Croatian and Italian language. In Dalmatia, we have a phrase ‘’ae’’ that can mean a lot of things, but you could translate it as: it is what it is/I agree/yes/that’s just the way it is etc. Some phrases are ‘’roniti suze’’ which means to cry a river, ‘’popiti krv’’ to annoy someone, ‘’pijan kao majka’’ drunk like a mother or very drunk, ‘’ruzan kao pas’’ ugly like a dog, ‘’lud kao kupus’’ or crazy like a cabbage itd.

Describe briefly a regular day in your country.

Katerina: Not all parts of my country are equally developed, so it varies a lot. An average ‘’Croat’’ will star a day with his coffee, preferably in a coffee shop. Most people in Croatia don’t really like their jobs and complain about salaries that are among the lowest in Europe. But we love to use our time at work to socialize. For most people, family is very important. Business-class eats in fancy restaurants while working-class cooks. In between job and life, we love to talk about politics, sport and gossip. A lot. Not in a bad way, more just to stay in touch with all the news.

How does your country compare to others, especially the States since my audience is primarily American? Environmentally? Politically? Culturally?

Katerina: Not all parts of my country are equally developed, so it varies a lot. Politically, we have mostly been ruled by a right-wing government and one party, that is slowly shifting to the center. It is conservative & democratic, quite different from the USA system. We choose our government by D’Hondt method and President is chosen by most votes at the elections. Culturally and politically, we are divided between conservatives and liberals. Religion is the most important thing for some, and not important at all to others. We don’t usually get a consensus around important topics. Mental health care is poor, and it is still somewhat of a taboo to talk to a psychologist. We mostly have clean tap water and breathable air. People drive cars that are too old, and we don’t recycle enough. Overachieving is not perceived as something good; we tend to focus on personal life, networking, and being socially active. Corruption is a huge problem in our society, and it affects everyone.

Briefly describe three of your country’s historical events that you feel are important.

Katerina: Domovinski rat – a war in which Croatia had to defend its territory from the Yugoslavian army (Serbia) that ended in operation ‘’Oluja’’ in 1996 and peaceful reintegration in which the USA also helped a lot- Biden, Clinton, and others. In 2018, our national football team won 2nd place in the FIFA world cup and as I said, football is very important to us. During the pandemic in 2020, Croatia was hit with two strong earthquakes that ruined parts of Zagreb old town (March) and Banovina region (December), and a lot of people lost their homes.

What are some stereotypes about your country that irk you? What media portrays your country badly be it a movie, a book, or a TV show?

Katerina: That we are lazy or criminals or both. The Balkan region is mostly portrayed as poor, politically unstable, and run by the mafia. In movies, I feel like we are favorite bad guys after Russians. As I said, corruption is a big part of the negative image (you can buy a degree or kidney, whatever you need kinda attitude). That is when we are mentioned. But most people just forget about us which makes me sad.

What media portrays your country well be it a movie, a book, or a TV show?

Katerina: Sometimes people will remember that we are the homeland of Nikola Tesla, Ivan Vucetic, Kostelic’s, Luka Modric, Goran Visnjic, Marco Polo, and the rest. I feel like documentaries and travel vlogs show our natural beauties so that is nice. Our empathy when united is one of the good ones.

Who are your top three favorite fictional characters native to your country in books, movies, or shows?

Katerina: My all-time favorite is Mirjana, from the book called ‘’Kamen na cesti’’ (A stone on the road) written by M. J. Zagorka, a Croatian writer, journalist, and feminist. The plot is happening around the time Croatia was trying to get free from Hungary and bring back national identity. The next one is Tonino from a book and movie called ‘’Osmi povjerenik’’ (The 8th Commissioner), a sweet fisherman who is taking care of his paralyzed father. Every Slavko Sobin role ever, more recently Zungul from the show ‘’Crno-bijeli svijet’’ (Black & White world) set in 80’s I always wished I lived in!

Are you interested in participating in this project? Check out the tips archive to see which countries have been filled and if you’re from a different country, shoot me an email at howellvictoriagrace(a)gmail(dot)com. I’m especially looking for Cuba, Senegal, Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Laos.

Do you have any characters from Croatia? Did this inspire you to write a Croatian character or set a book in Croatia? Are from this or been to this country and you have further input? Feel free to share! Do you have any questions for Katerina? Be sure to thank her!