Torcida Cincinnati

Jay and I both felt like coming back to Split was such a good feeling because for the first time here, it felt like we were coming home. Cincinnati will always be home, but now Split is too.

American Kelly Larbes wrote this sentence in her latest blog post – which describes her and her husband’s journey through Italy – the blog that she and her husband author since April this year when they moved to Split. Blog www.pondjumperscroatia.com is a function of informing family and friends that remained in Ohio what happens to them over the Atlantic and also is their personal and public diary, which will keep for themselves the Split memories.

- When we told friends and family in Cincinnati that we were moving to Croatia, reactions ranged from “that’s so exciting” to “you’re crazy.” Now I think we made the right thing, says our 26-year Kelly.

She responded to a job advertisement that was posted on the Internet in August last year by a graphic design and branding house from Split – Elevator, one of the best developed in Croatia, and immediately she decided to change jobs, city and country. However, it was easier to imagine than to achieve – the original plan was for Kelly and Jay (27) to come in November, but having encountered problems with bureaucracy they were unable to solve the paperwork for a permanent stay and work in Croatia all the way to February.

- Bureaucracy is probably a global problem, but really we are pretty worn out, they are always missing that one paper, the rules were changed more often than we are accustomed, but at least all the officials with whom we spoke were really friendly, speaks Jay, who is finally managed to get the residence permit.

Kelly, for instance, at one point came to the counter with her work book filled out appropriately only to find out that the rule changed in the meantime, and that work book should have been filled out by the official (clerk). “It’s probably that special pen” – they joke now.

Before coming to Elevator, Kelly Larbes worked in one of the largest companies for design and branding in the world, Landor Associates, and her coming to Split was a huge change, but she herself, considers it a pleasant one, is now quite relaxed.

When you are able to balance the arrival in Split, one of the major themes was the life by the sea, with a slower pace than it had in Cincinnati. Jay does not work in Split because it is not allowed by the visa he received.
They enjoy their new home – whether walking or in their favorite entertainment, poker. Considering that they came from inland, it was important for them to live somewhere where they will see the sea.

- We have a 20 minute walk to the center, in Cincinnati it would take us 20 minutes to walk out of our neighborhood. Here, we do not need a car. Both are passionate hikers, their blog is full of images with Marjan walks, and in May, when they were visited Kelly’s parents, walking on Brac from Supetar to Sutivana. In addition to Brac, where they swam at the Zlatni Rat beach, they were also delighted by Trogir, Plitvice and Krka waterfalls where they led Kelly’s parents.

Understandably, one of the first things they had to do in Split was finding an apartment, which they managed only on the fourteenth attempt, because they did not fit in quarters or the price was too high.

- I have a feeling that some landlords tried to take advantage of us when they heard that we are American, so they immediately asked for a thousand euros a month, but when we told them ‘no’ they would immediately lower the price hundreds of euros – said Kelly. At the end of the search they found the upper floor of a private home in Meje, on the slopes of Marjan. They weren’t thrilled to live in the elite quarter, but it was important that they are not far from the city and her job. They live in an apartment of 95 square meters, with a view to the sea, which at first glance takes away the breath.

It has taken some time for them to get used to the numerous cafes where one can not eat, and are constantly full, especially on working days because in the United States they are used to everywhere you can get some food. Now they learn the difference: when you want to eat do not sit in locales with round tables. They have found it pretty easy to adapt to the different ways of procurement of food in Croatia. Kelly adores going to the Split market, likes the atmosphere, and seeks to learn and Croatian names for various types of meat in order to avoid fraud. Their blog described the shock experienced when Kelly went to the supermarket to buy hash, and the butcher chopped it up right in front of her. On the other hand, they have not yet learned to cope with the Croatian food prices.

- In the supermarkets the prices are more than twice what we’re used to, we were really surprised, we thought that the daily life still be cheaper – says Kelly. Restaurants are more or less the same, though we are quite choosy, so when we eat out we order mostly pastas and pizza. Fish and meat are not our very favorite foods, and we saw their prices.

- We were surprised because the price for our apartment is nearly enough for owning a home with garage and garden in Cincinnati – says Jay. In America, it is assumed that Croatia would have cheaper real estate.

With barely four months in the country, they have learned only fifty words of Croatian, and not yet acquired some stronger relationships, except Kelly’s at work. Jay on Facebook has only two Split friends.

- Well everyone is very pleasant, except for the occasional unkind vendor, but nothing excessive. I have a circle of friends and acquaintances among Split expats, with whom I now regularly play football – says Jay. He is learning about one of the most important segments of life in Split, the passion for football. He even called it football, not soccer as the Americans usually do.

Thanks to Kelly’s boss Toni Adamic, a passionate Hajduk fan, they are themselves a kind of concealed Torcida. On Sunday, Jay is planning on watching on television the match between Hajduk – Slaven Belupo.

- I was only at the Hajduk stadium one time, but in an important match, return Cup finals against Dinamo. It’s a shame that it turned out that way – Jay says, concerned for the latest crisis with Hajduk. In addition to the game, we also attended the second most important sporting event in Split, the final World Championship picigin. However, I do not see the city as permanent solutions.

- We want eventually return home and establish a family. But we will always gladly return to Split, says Kelly, sitting at a regular coffee shop in Split’s Diocletian palace.

Cincinnati is known as a city in which nothing, related to crimes, happens. When we came, all were concerned for our safety, because they know about Croatia only because of the war. And then we came here and realized that we feel safer than at home, you can freely walk through the middle of the night, says Jay. It is clear that he is not reading everything about crime in the Croatian media – he follows on the Internet Croatian Times, Slobodna Dalmacija and Split portal, and using Google’s translation of the article. Indeed, Kelly likes to run the evening by Marjan, without even the least fear.

Kelly and Jay Larbes don’t see garbage as that much of a problem, especially when you compare Split with some large cities. But, they aren’t used to the containers on the streets.

- Where we are from garbage is thrown away differently. When I pass through an over-filled container, I inhale deeply and quickly pass – says Kelly.