Again, I have been troubled by the amount of difficulty it is to have photos on this blog. I really think that I will have to have my own personal server when I get home. I am also having issues with my laptop overheating and automatically shutting down on me. At least I will be going home soon, and will be able to purchase a new computer at a reasonable price.
Moving on to the point at hand though! Here is an interview that I have done a while back. I had the photos sitting on my computer since August 6th. Jelena (pronounced Yelena) has been waiting patiently for these photos. She is a regular student at OKAYAMA University, and has actually gone back to Serbia for a little vacation. I hope that these photos please her! Jelena is an excellent model, and I hope to be able to work with her again in the future, whether it be Japan or Serbia.
Thank you Jelena, it was professional and fun. I hope that you have safe travels and hope to meet again.
Interview Sheet:
What is your name: Jelena Nikolić
What is your Nationality: Serbian
How old are you: 25
Are you single: No
What is your Major/Faculty:
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Sounds fancy, right? I'm studying about cultures, traditions and ethnology related stuff.
What year are you: 2nd (Masters Program)
Are you in any clubs: No, but I spend a lot of time at the English cafe
Do you have a job(s): No
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy clubbing and dancing. Also, I did yoga for a while. Photography is something I'm really interested in, but never got around to doing it devotedly and seriously.
What music/movies/books/TV shows do you like?
Hm...that`s a difficult one. I like different kinds of music. Mostly European: English, Greek, German, some French DJs... Brazilian as well.
My favorite book is Dance Dance by Murakami Haruki.
TV shows? Well, I like a lot of them. From: "How I met your mother" to "Criminal minds", "Tru Blood", "Sex and the City", "Grey`s Anatomy"... I like horror movies, drama, thrillers, fantasy, and I find special pleasure in watching European movies, they are always very realistic...
Do you have any special skills/abilities?
I speak 5 foreign languages and am constantly working on being able to say at least 1 sentence in each language of the world. And to be able to tell which country a person comes from... that sort of things. It might sound strange, but it`s so much fun guessing which part of the world a person comes from... :)
I have always been fascinated by foreign languages, cultures, nations, history, psychology and anthropology. When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by space, though, and had a dream of becoming an astronaut for NASA. :D
What do you like/miss about your home country?
The freedom to do anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. To sit, drink, hang around anywhere without anybody saying it`s forbidden or something like that. The way ppl are warm and approachable, easy to socialize with and always thinking of new ways to have fun and enjoy life. And food... oh, the delicious Serbian food, natural and superlicious. :)
What do you like about Japan? Why?
I admire so many things about Japan. For instance, the order. Everything works flawlessly, their sense of responsibility and obligation is very strong. Their team work. The way Japanese respect and worship the nature. And the fact that people smile a lot and everyone is very nice and kind, always ready to help...
Do you like to travel?
YES!! More than anything...
Where have you been, outside of Japan:
Macedonia, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, South Korea and Thailand. Hopefully, my traveling adventures don`t end there... :)
Where have you traveled in Japan?
I've been to Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.
Please, explain what you saw/experienced in these places:
Each of these was the same but kinda different. Okinawa has this special subtropical island atmosphere, more relaxed and people are more straight forward. The scenery is amazing, I was really impressed. Hokkaido and Kyushu have a bit of the foreign influence. I especially liked Nagasaki and Kagoshima in Kyushu. People in Kyushu are also very open and outgoing. I could say the same for Shikoku. :) I like Kyoto as well. I think it is really romantic, a genuine remainder of Japanese past and tradition. And kinda cozy...
Are there any places that you would recommend a traveler to visit?
Kyoto, but at the time when there are fewer tourists, definitely not summer or autumn （紅葉）cherry blossom (桜) time. I don't like it when it's too crowded. Also in Beppu, Okinawa, and Takamatsu. Tokyo is good for clubbing and parties and you can meet many cool people from all over the world.
Why would you recommend those places?
I think I already answered that in the previous question.
What do you wish to do in the future?
I don`t know yet what I want to do when I grow up. :) But my dream is to travel Asia for a couple of months, do a little bit of soul searching and just relax, experience many things and learn a lot about Asian cultures. After that, I'd like to visit each country in Europe, and then head to Argentina and Brazil, Dominican Republic... But for now, it's just a dream. :) Hopefully, it comes true some day... Career wise, I'd like to do the job which makes me happy or is related to contributing to the society... :)
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Haven't actually thought about that, but I guess I'd be happy if I was in good health, had a decent job (that I enjoyed doing), a man that loves me and maybe a couple of the little ones... :) I guess that's the perfect scenario... Also, traveling and just trying to enjoy life along the way. La vita e bella! :)
What are a few things about yourself, and your country, that you would like the world to know about, that can help describe your character and understand who you are, or where your from?
I can tell you a couple of things about my homeland. Serbia is a lovely, small, free country. We have a really turbulent and unfortunate history of wars and instability, but despite that Serbia has a special charm. People are really warm and caring and very very hospitable. We have a long tradition and a very rich cultural identity, but we've been unlucky to be cursed by years of bad politics and bad reputation worldwide.
So I'd like to appeal to all the young people to visit Serbia, and see what we're all about. I'm sure they'd be pleasantly surprised! So... about myself? I guess everything I experienced so far, from difficult times such as the NATO bombing of a high school to coming to Japan for foreign studies, has made me who I am... If you wanna know what I'm about, ask my friends. :)
Thank you again Jelena! I will definitely visit Serbia in the near future! Again, I hope that you are doing well, and have safe travels.
For the rest of her photos click HERE!
84 photos in all! Want to see the rest of them? Click HERE!
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