Destination unknown - Nepoznata destinacija

I think it was in the spring of 2002 that I made my decision to prepare to abandon the UK. It was around that time that I entered my regular bank branch in the city centre, which had just reopened after renovation, to find that it lacked a single human being. The entire staff had been replaced by machines.
Mislim da je to bilo u proleće 2002 kada sam doneo odluku da se pripremim da napustim Veliku Britaniju . Negde u to vreme sam ušao u moju regularnu bankarsku filijalu u centru grada , koja je upravo ponovo otvorena posle renoviranja, da bi saznao da unutra nema ni jednog ljudskog bića. Svi zaposleni su zamenjeni mašinama.

Alongside the familiar cash machines, there was a machine for making deposits, a machine for making general enquiries and a machine displaying credit/debit options, but nothing with a pulse. I cancelled my account within the week.
Pored već poznatih bankomata , tu je bila i mašina za izradu depozita, mašina za izradu opštih pitanja i mašina koj prikazuje kreditne / debitne opcije, ali ništa što ima puls . Otkazao sam svoj račun u banci u roku od nedelju dana.

The reason I'd gone to the bank was that, due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, I was a day late with a credit card payment and wanted to find a human being to reason with about the unreasonable charge on my account. Unfortunately, machines are not reasonable.
Razlog mog odlaska u banku bio je da sam, zbog nepredviđenih i nesrećnih okolnosti, kasnio jedan dan sa plaćanjem duga na kreditnoj kartici i hteo sam da pronađem ljudsko biće da ga urazumim oko nerazumne kamate na moj račun. Nažalost, mašine nisu razumne.

Still, even if I had found a member of staff they would undoubtedly have acted like a machine (petrified as they are that either I'm actually an inspector testing them, they're being recorded or someone nearby will see them acting like a compassionate human being instead of a robot and they'll lose their job and their ability to cover the repayments on the loans that pay for their home, car, holiday... indeed, their very existence).
Ipak, čak i da sam našao nekog od zaposlenih oni bi se nesumnjivo ponašali kao mašina (prestravljeni kao što jesu da sam ja zapravo ili inspektor koji ih testira, a oni su snimani, ili će ih neko u blizini videti kako se ponašaju kao saosećajna ljudska bića umesto robota i oni će izgubiti svoj posao i sposobnost da odplaćaju kredite na njihovu kuću, auto, odmor ... u stvari , njihovu samu egzistenciju ).

I went to the pub to discuss the state of our society only to find my friends too busy discussing mortgage options, expensive cars and next year's fortnight in the sun (that's the standard two weeks of actual life allowed per year).
Otišao sam u pab da prodiskutujem o stanju našeg društva samo da bi našao svoje prijatelje prezauzete diskusijom o mogućnostima hipoteke, skupim automobilima i dve nedelje na suncu sledeće godine (to su standardne dve nedelje života koje su dozvoljene godišnje).

It was then that I knew I could no longer tolerate "life" in such a place. I didn't know what Serbia would be like, but I followed my heart with no prejudice and was lucky enough to find a place where life still existed.
U tom trenutku sam shvatio, na nekom nivou, da misam mogao više da tolerišem "život" na takvom mestu . Nisam znao šta će Srbija biti, ali sam pratio moje srce bez predrasuda i bio dovoljno srećan da pronađem mesto gde život još uvek postoji.

I found that in Serbia people were still concerned about society and humanity and real values (not financial ones). This was a place where grannies discussed national economics and international diplomacy on the market; where chance encounters with old friends or colleagues led to spontaneous coffees and chats about life and love; where even civil servants showed "feelings of an almost human nature"; where family and friends were more important than bank balances and interest rates; where voting involved choosing different options for the nation and not merely a new cover for the same box of tricks; and where people were not scared to lose their jobs and therefore not prepared to bow to their boss's every demand.
Našao sam da ljudi u Srbiji koji su i dalje zabrinuti zbog društva i humanosti i realnih vrednosti (ne finansijskih). Ovo je bilo mesto gde su bake na pijaci razgovarale o nacionalnoj ekonomiji i međunarodnoj diplomatiji, gde je moguć susret sa starim prijateljima ili kolegama vodio spontanim kafama i razgovorima o životu ili ljubavi, gde su čak i državni službenici pokazvali "osećanja gotovo ljudske prirode", gde su porodica i prijatelji bili važniji od bankovnog bilansa i kamatnih stopa, gde je glasanje uključivalo biranje izmedju različitih opcija za naciju, a ne samo novi poklopac za istu kutiju trikova i gde ljudi nisu bili uplašeni da izgube posao i stoga nisu bili spremni da se poklone svakom zahtevu njihovog šefa.

Unfortunately, over the past ten years these values have diminished somewhat in Serbia. I have witnessed, shocked and often been deeply saddened, as Serbia has "progressed" towards that system's dehumanization and zombification, where grannies only discuss TV and health issues; where the importance of family and friends is diminished or linked to finance; where civil servants are programmed and not trained and values are largely material and commercial.
Nažalost, ove vrednosti u Srbiji su se donekle umanjile tokom poslednjih deset godina. Bio sam svedok, šokiran i često duboko rastužen, dok Srbija je "napredovala" ka sistemskoj dehumanizacii i zombifikaciji; gde bake diskutuju samo o televiziji i zdravlju, gde značaj porodice i prijatelja je umanjen ili povezan sa finansijama, gde državni službenici su programirani a ne obučeni i vrednosti su uglavnom materijalne i komercijalne.

As an aside, when I first came here one of the first things I did was take a pair of scissors and destroy my credit card. Why? I am not a materialist or much of a consumer and don't feel the need to spend to compensate for a lack of everyday freedom, but if money is made available to me I will spend it - mainly on trying to have a good time and ensuring those around me have a good time too. I also really can't be bothered spending half of this very precious life concerning myself with money matters, debt management and income control. This makes me financially irresponsible or, if you want to look at it another way, psychologically liberated from the system's main fear generator.
Usput, kad sam prvi put došao ovde jedna od prvih stvari koje sam uradio je bio da uzmem makaze i uništim moju kreditnu karticu. Zašto? Nisam neki materijalista ili baš neki potrošač i ne osećam potrebu da trošim, da menjam nedostatak za svakodnevnu slobodu, ali ako mi je novac na raspolaganu ja ću ga potrošiti - uglavnom pokušavajući da se dobro provedem i obezbedim da se i oni oko mene isto dobro provedu. Takodje ne mogu biti ometen da potrošim pola ovog dragocenog života mučeći sebe pitanjima novca, dugova i zarade. To me čini finansijski neodgovornim ili, ako želite pogledajte to sa druge strane, pshihološki oslobođenim od glavnog proizvođača straha u ovom sistemu.

Now I need to renew my UK Passport and get one of those with the nice chip in it, but in order to pay for my electronically chipped and traceable passport I need a credit card. Apparently I can't send a postal order, a cheque or cash, but I can't call to enquire as to why not either, because access to the call centre requires a credit card. I'd hire a car and drive there to get the passport in person, but unfortunately you need a credit card to hire a car in the UK too - no exceptions.
Sada moram da obnovim svoj UK pasoš i dobijem jedan od onih sa lepim čipom u sebi, ali ako želim da platim za moj elektronski čipovani pasoš treba mi i kreditna kartica. Navodno ne mogu da pošaljem poštanski nalog, ček ili novac, ali čak nemogu ni da pozovem da se raspitam, zato što pristup "call" centru zahteva kreditnu karticu. Unajmio bi auto i odvezao se tamo da preuzmem pasoš lično, ali na žalost u UK ti treba kreditna kartica da iznajmiš auto- bez izuzetaka.

Need I go on?
Treba li da nastavim?

Am I going to eventually have to leave Serbia too and move somewhere even more drastic or are you people going to realise that access to credit and material possessions is a poor replacement for humanity, family, community and the time to live, before it's too late?
Hoću li ja na kraju takođe morati da napustim Srbiju i preselim se negde još drastičnije ili će te vi ljudi da shvatite da je pristup kreditima i materijalnoj imovini jadna zamena za ljudskost, zajednicu i vreme za život, pre nego što bude kasno?

As the Manic Street Preachers sang, "If you tolerate this, then your children will be next".
Kao što su Manik Strit Pričers pevali: "Ako tolerišete ovo, onda će vaša deca biti sledeća"

p.s. This post could also be construed as a wake up call to people in the UK and elsewhere in the world who want to make their reality once again tolerable by people like me.
ps. Ovaj post se takođe može tumačiti kao poziv na buđenje ljudima u Velikoj Britaniji i drugde u svetu, koji žele da učine svoju realnost ponovo tolerantnom od strane ljudi kao ja.