WHY I LOVE SERBS AND SERBIA? IT'S SIMPLE... Blair, an American woman who adores us, tells us ALL ABOUT IT!

Blair Cadet is a young, beautiful, successful, proud African-American, a woman with perfect manners and education, indispensable at elite social events in - now comes the twist - Belgrade, Serbia.

Her TikTok and Instagram reels are loved in Serbia, regardless of political, sports or any other affiliation: people love her because she talks about Serbia and Serbs with so much love and respect, that there simply is no choice but to love her.

She often points out that it was only here that she felt what it's like to live in a country unburdened by any form of racism, and how people here see her as a person, rather than through the prism of color.

Unfortunately, Blair did experience an ugly racist incident a few weeks ago (a woman insulted her on racial basis), and that was one of the reasons to host her at Telegraf and talk with her about work, Belgrade, history, life...

Blair was raised in Massachusetts, in the US, she is 36, and before coming here us she traveled almost the entire planet. She first revealed to us why she decided to live and work in our capital:

"First of all thank you for having me here and I'm so happy to give this interview and share more about my story, and why Serbia. I mean, why not Serbia? I've lived ina lot of, I guess, odd countries, and I just pick in on the map. It was either Belgrade or Tirana at the time, and I just chose Belgrade. I had no idea what to expect, I had no idea about the people, the history, the religion, I just came here with an open mind, because I'd been abroad for ten years, and it's always good to go into a country with an open mind, and expect nothing, and everything just fell into place.

Blair, you have your own business in Serbia, and a successful one. What is it that you do?

"Yes, I have my company, ABC Experiences and Events d.o.o. Beograd. And that was really attractive for Serbia because as a foreigner, it was easy to set up a company. I provide relocation services, so for foreigners who want to set up a company or buy property, those are my ideal clients. Especially in today's world, a lot of Americans, they want options. People want to find a place where they can easily set up a company with not, you know, two million in capital, and Serbia is very welcoming to foreigners, people that want to start businesses, people that want to invest. I also organize events, I have my "afternoon tea parties" which I introduced about three years ago. And I'm a spokeswoman for a marketing agency providing citizenship by investment.

What makes working and living in Serbia good? Why would somebody from the US come here and develop their business?

When people say, why come here when I'm American - I don't know, maybe because I'm privileged, I've lived in a lot of different places over the last ten years, and the American dream, unfortunately, is dead. My grandparents achieved that when they immigrated to the US, they retired, they'd sent their kids to private schools, they lived it up. That, for my generation - I'm 36 - is over. I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and it took me ten years before I was able to settle down and choose Serbia. Why not Serbia, I say. I lot of people say, you go to Singapore. I spent time in Asia - but I think the Balkans is the last avenue for entrepreneurs who want to do something different, there's so many things to build here, the people are kind and welcoming, and the business ecosystem is really flexible.

I think, with the EU - because I was invited to France, specifically Paris, to set up a company - and, there's just a lot of bureaucracy. There's not a lot of room for innovation. The French especially, they know they need more entrepreneurs, they need innovators, people with new ideas, but there's just not a lot of... I don't know, maybe the French don't like to work as much. As an American, yes, we're obsessed with working, but the EU is very difficult to set up a company, especially as a foreigner, and as a non-EU citizen. In the US you can set up a company, you can scale, because of the size of the population, to build a unicorn, that's the dream, but it's expensive to live. So if you want to be a bootstrapping entrepreneur like myself, to be able to live well and set up a company is very difficult. And now you can do everything online. I do have US clients with my YouTube page, people find me with my TikTok, so I don't necessarily need to be located in the US to have a business.

Unfortunately, the issue of racism is current again, even in some countries where that was not expected. Still, you claim Serbia is not one of those countries. What is your experience in our country in this regard?

One thing that really captured by heart about Serbia is the history. The history of no systemic or institutionalized racism. The history of Yugoslavia, the history of when Serbia became independent from the Ottomans. It shows they never systemically colonized any other people, they've always been welcoming. This is a very welcoming country. As a black woman, as an American woman I do have a lot of privilege here, but people see me first as a human being, then a woman, then I happen to be black, I'm American. So living here and choosing to be in a country where I can live my best life, of course, respect the locals and bring my ideas, it's great for my nervous system. And I think many black Americans have no idea what it's like to just be first seen as a human, because in the US, given the long history and current events, no matter how much money you have, what neighborhood you live in, or the car you drive, you're seen as black first. And it's deeply in the American fabric. So Serbia for me is really like a safe haven, I will never stop talking so positively about this country, even though people are like, "Blair, it's insufferable, everything's not so perfect." But Serbia's been good to be, so I'm going to continue to share my honest experience.

When that racist incident happened, out of nowhere, unprovoked, when I was just trying to pay my phone bill... of course, it was by an American woman. I would never expect it from a local. In today's political environment, people have become really emboldened with their hate. And even just existing - some people just don't like other people living happy or being who they are. So this American woman just spewing out a lot of hate to me, unprovoked, everyone was really uncomfortable, I was uncomfortable, but of course, I stood up for myself. And mostly, this is just not a country where because you're white, and people here are white - they're not going to agree with you, you know. So everyone was just looking like, "Can she leave?" You just can't do this here. This is Serbia, okay? She eventually left and I guess everyone was relieved, I was relieved. But it was a bit traumatizing, so I had to go on my TikTok to share my story, so people know - if you're going to welcome people, we shouldn't let just anybody in this country, to be fair. We can't. We screen people when they come to the States, about their background. We should screen, specifically Americans, "Are you racist? If you are, please don't come. Do not come with your hate, with your negativity, we don't need that here."

What was Blair Cadet's life like before Serbia?

So, born in Queens, New York, I'm a New York girl, but my family moved to Massachusetts that has a better educational system. In New York, everything is about private schools. I spent most of my time growing up in Massachusetts, spending my summers in New York with my grandparents. I studied political science, I worked in politics, that was my career before, but I left the US in 2014. And that's when my journey began from grad student in Israel, to spending five years in Asia and just traveling the whole entire continent as an English teacher at a point, and had a business doing hair products. And that's what brought me to all parts of Asia. Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China, Kazakhstan, I've been as far as New Zealand. I've lived a very interesting life, let's just say.

How do you spend your days in Belgrade?

I start my days very early. I call it my "hot girl morning walk". I walk in a very beautiful neighborhood that has great trees, fresh air, and there's some nice parks. So every morning, I like to start my day before everyone wakes up. I started going to the gym, I hang out with my friends, who are also business owners. The nightlife here is amazing, I've been to all the coolest spots. Lafayette, I remember when I went there first in 2022, I was really impressed. I mean I've been to some cool places in Paris, London, Singapore, Bangkok... and I was like, this is very impressive. World class, it's better than the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Lafayette - the dancers, everyone looks like a supermodel. I tell my clients, go to Lafayette or some of the other places in Beton Hala. Now my two favorite hotels to have dinner or tea is the St. Regis or the Bristol, that's the new "it" place. I like to go there with my friends and experience the best of Belgrade.

Who are your friends in Serbia and Belgrade?

I have a mix. My Serbian friends, I met them at some of these venues, or at conferences that I went to. I went to a Serbian friend's slava (family patron saint day) last year, and that was a huge milestone in our friendship, because that's a very big deal, to be invited to someone's home for slava. I have American friends, other international friends. We get together to have drinks, go out to dinner. I love to dance, there are a lot of great places to dance here. I'm really blessed to have a good group of friends.

What about the Serbian customs? Culture, fun, going out? What does all that look like to you?

I've learned people really love to do business over lunch and dinner. I've been to six-hour lunches that turned into dinners... this is very awkward for me as an American, but I've learned that this is how business is done. People are very sociable, they like to drink, I've had rakija (plum brandy) for the first time three years ago, I'd never heard of that drink until I came here, it's still a bit too strong for me, but I will drink a shot. As far as the music, I did see Ceca perform about two years ago. It's funny because I went to this black tie event at the Royal Palace, and when she came out, everyone was screaming, "OMG, Ceca!" And I was like, who is this woman. One of my friends went, look her up on Wikipedia. I've seen a lot of live performances, and as far as culture I was at Palata Nauke (Palace of Science) on Sunday, it really reminded me of the Boston Science Museum or the Natural History Museum in New York, this is definitely world class. I of course go to the Kalemegdan Fortress, which is a massive place, I think I need a proper tour because there's just so much history. A lot of people hang out there, play chess (in the park). Maybe once a week I just walk around the Kalemegdan Fortress.

So many kind words about Serbia... But, honestly, do you have any advice about what we need to change? Is there something you don't like?

I'm a guest in this country so I would feel very awkward, you don't go to someone's home and say, "You should make all these changes". I would say, though - the indoor smoking... I've learned to live with it. And there are more venues where they have smoking and non-smoking sections. Aside from that, I don't have any advice. I'm just a guest here, that's where I stand.

Do you follow sports in Serbia?

I went to a Parizan basketball game three years ago, and that was, wow. I was not expecting the level of energy and coordination and dedication from that game. I would love to go to a Red Star game, just to see the other side, I know those are "enemies". But as someone from Boston of course the Celtics have my heart. So I can't pick sides. I just want to go to games, for the experience, because I think in Europe you are really dedicated to your sports clubs, unbelievably - more so than Americans. I love Serbia, those are Serbian teams so I cannot choose anybody.

What are Serbians like?

When I came here and first saw Serbians... everyone is so tall! The average height for American women is 5'4". Americans are quite short. Of course we have some tall people. In America, I'm considered tall, but here, all my Serbian girlfriends are taller than me. Everyone's tall, everyone's good looking. I've had a whole glow-up because it's very affordable to be beautiful, well-groomed and well-dressed. Actually it's just the standard. I tell my Serbian friends who are like, "Oh she looks basic" - but I'm like, in America, she is top! Because American women, I wouldn't say we are lazy it's just the stress of life, the responsibilities... A lot of my friends have children, they don't have any time for self-care. And here I know Serbian women that have three, four kids - they look like they're coming off the runway. It's just nice to live in a society where everyone's so great looking! And people are really kind. Now Serbians, on the face, they have that Slavic face, they don't look friendly on the outside. But when you talk to them, it just opens up. It reminds me when I was in Kazakhstan, dealing with Russian Kazakhs. They take a little bit more time to warm up, especially Russian Russians, because they're just very serious people. But Serbs, again - not looking friendly, but when you talk to them, they are friendly. Friendly people. Americans have a lot of expressions, so if somebody doesn't look friendly, they're probably not friendly. We're always used to smiling. And my friends (in Serbia) are like, "Blair, you need to stop smiling, that's an invitation, everyone will think you're crazy, you're always smiling". But I'm happy here! That's why I smile. I'm happy to be around people that are just so great looking.

What about love? Have you found it in Serbia?

I am single, and child-free. I was in a relationship, I was very much in love, and I'm happily single now. He was a Serbian. I don't date Americans. American men are not gentlemen like Serbians... I mean that's a different conversation. Very different mentality, because Americans are very individualistic, you know, your career, 50-50, you do you - but still they have all these expectations of a woman. Especially, social media has really warped a lot of men's expectations of how a woman should be, how she should look - but you're not investing in her. Here's the opposite. So, I was in a relationship with a Serbian man, we were very happy, we're not together any longer, but we're friends. I'm focused on being single, happy, and building a 7-figure business.

Finally, do you have time for your faith here?

I am part of a religious community, I pray with my community on the weekend. Since I don't have family here, and Serbs are very family-focused, I know (Orthodox) Easter's coming up so everybody's going to be with their families, I have a community to have dinner with, to pray with, to celebrate holidays with, it makes my experience living here not lonely. People ask me, "Aren't you lonely?" No, I have friends, I have my religious community - hi, rabbi! - and people to celebrate the holidays with. There are some foreigners in the community. It's great to meet other Americans and other people to commune with. I'm a part of the local Jewish community and it makes my time here a lot smoother. Just like there's no racism, I feel very safe as a Jewish woman living here. It's great to have a community here.

(Telegraf.rs)