Meet Cifen. She is from Ethiopia and two

years ago she moved with her Serbian

husband to Belgrade, Serbia. Here she

began working as a model appearing in

advertising for international brands and

also opened a beauty salon. She shared

how coffee culture in Ethiopia differs

[music] from coffee culture in Serbia,

whether it's challenging to work as a

black model in Serbia, and what it takes

to earn the trust [music] of Serbs. Hi,

what was your first impressions when you

just came to Serbia and saw the country

>> was like everything was perfect. It's

all green. The cafes, especially cafes

still my favorite, right? Okay. First

was like shocking for me when I see like

on Mondays 100 p.m. people are like you

can't find chair to sit on and say wow

people don't work usually what they are

doing how they are living kind of thing.

And the safety, I feel like it's safe.

You can walk, I don't know, 11:00 if you

want, alone. Nothing will happen. You

don't need to worry about your pocket.

You don't need to worry how you are

holding your phone. And that's like my

favorite thing here. If you have a time,

[clears throat] it's really a lot of

things you can do in Bgrade especially.

You have a lot of parks. You can walk

around the rivers and that's also the

most beautiful. So I I first I get

attracted to Belgrade as I say it was

beautiful time if I came maybe in a

winter or summer might be different but

my first impression was beautiful really

I was really surprised how like everyone

is smoking like most of the people smoke

and what mostly surprised me you are

sitting here eating and somebody's

smoking next to you you know in this you

can't imagine people smoke but very

little and they they will have like

smoking area. You can't just smoke in

public anywhere. Here everybody smokes

and that surprised me a lot.

>> Being from Ethiopia, what do you think

about Serban coffee? Doakafa.

>> Ah, it's [laughter]

it's doakafa. It's nice. Okay. As I say,

we have a bit different ceremony and you

know the coffee and all that stuff. But

I still kind of like the machak coffee.

It's like reminds me of Ethiopian

coffee, you know. It's a bit we make a

different way. Doa you just brew the

coffee and you just pour it into the

cup. For us, after you brew the coffee,

you keep it to settle and so you take

only clean part of the coffee. That's

the difference I found. And of course

the they have a good coffee culture here

as well.

>> What type of coffee do you prefer?

>> Malapuna. [laughter]

>> What is it? Malapuna is like espresso in

a small cup but full

>> very strong and

>> no it's softer than like double espresso

I would say and then also stronger than

Americano or this one my my mom-in-law

she taught me actually she knows that I

like that espresso but bit longer when I

make at home and she taught me to say

malapuna she also drink that and many

people know when I say malapuna so you

should try

>> I don't drink coffee actually I'm

drinking tea And for me it's like wow.

So I will drink only tea.

>> I'm coffee addicted.

>> I can't I need to drink coffee like

after especially in in Ethiopia like if

you work in the office you have a lunch

break you go and quickly we call it buna

coffee meaning and uh we have a small

cup like a spray so cup but maybe bit

bigger I don't know you go and you sit

with your friends after lunch like this

lunch break and you drink coffee and

it's like kind of culture. So for me

after I drink after I eat breakfast or

lunch I would like to drink coffee like

just go for a coffee.

>> Do in Ethiopia people drink coffee with

alcohol like here in Serbia

>> in Ethiopia I know in Ethiopia the real

people who drink coffee they drink

without sugar without anything. Some

people do drink coffee with salt, they

can drink with milk, but with alcohol.

Maybe when you get sick or something

with tea, but not like with a coffee.

So, this is my reception area where I

collect menu of course and clients.

[laughter]

And uh this is my uh manicure section.

This is like kind of bit relaxing area.

I love this place. I always like to put

some candles and chill here with my

friends with my clients of course.

>> What is food in Ethiopia? Like

>> we have like our main main dish. It's

called like inera with shirro or doroet.

That's the main thing. Injera is like

flatbread but more like maybe pancake

but bigger pancake. I don't know. In

Ethiopia we eat like everybody from the

same like big plate. Let's say if you go

to restaurant with your friends, you

order two, three food and you will have

like big plate and everything there and

then you pick whatever you like. We eat

with our finger and we have this called

gusha. Gusha is like when you feed each

other. It's also how you show your love.

It can be with friends, can be like

husband and wife. I would say Ethiopian

food is amazing. I would say it's

underrated even like people should know

more about that.

>> Now I'm afraid to ask you about Serbian

food.

>> Don't be scared. Ask. [laughter]

>> Okay. What do you think about Serbian

food?

>> Serbian food I would say it's nice but

too much meat. We do also eat meat in

Ethiopia but in Serbia it's like I tried

chababi. Not my favorite. Sorry guys. I

like goulash because some way it's

similar to my food. We have something

called ca. It's also similar to goulash.

Maybe because of that it's my favorite.

I think beside the goulash or something,

it's more like bread and meat. For us,

it's more like juicy like stew. I like

though the

uh pitha like with yabuka or something.

>> So like sweet sweet pa. Yes, because I

don't also like much cheese. Because of

that, I like sweet pas and I like

Serbian bakeries are nice. They are like

you have a lot of choices and I like to

go to bakeries.

>> This uh gathering culture around the

food which you have in Ethiopia.

>> Do you think here in Serbia you have

similar attitudes?

>> They do gather but it's bit different in

Ethiopia. here let's say if even if you

gather over a dinner or lunch you will

have your own meal you will have your

own plate and everything there it's kind

of different different everybody's like

in one you eat from the same plate even

though you have a different option it

can be like in one big plate like a

different 10 food can be like you pick

whatever you like and it's like more

warm I don't [clears throat] see anybody

feeding each other here but the family

values are in both in Serbia and Ethiop

Ethiopia I would say in both they do

have like big family value but more in

Ethiopia people more like live like in

like in common let's say if I make a

coffee I would be knocking into my

neighbor's door and call them to come

for a coffee and coffee when we make it

you need to take a here also they do

take a time but there you should take a

time you make coffee from the scratchy

like you need to roast and while I'm

roasting you need to sit there with me

you need to get the aroma from the

coffee you know so the ceremony lasts

longer let's say we make a coffee like

from one round like three times it's

called like aborn tona bara I can't say

the same but similar like here you go to

cafe people spend two three hours over

one coffee but there you drink the apple

the first one and you are cooking the

second making the second one and

chatting and you drink the second one

still talking for the third the third

one is very light after the third you

need to go home

>> bye bye neighbors [laughter]

>> and when I was kid

you family don't give you coffee you

know because they think it's not good

for a child and blah blah definitely you

will not get the first and the second

because it's more strong but the third

one is much lighter they can put you

some sugar and it's sweet and you like

that and sometimes they forget at you,

you know, they don't call you to come

because so we are playing outside and if

they don't give us the third one, we

just come and like the door is open but

you just put your ear and like try to

make sound, you know, give me the coffee

kind [laughter] of thing.

>> Have you tried pachinia? It's the whole

peak.

>> Definitely not because I don't eat pork.

We are orthodoxy in Ethiopia like mostly

so it's not allowed. We I never ate

pork. What difference do you see between

orthodoxy in Ethiopia and here in

Serbia?

>> In Ethiopia, it's more strict. You know,

let's say if I want to go to church, I

can't just go with a jeans or my hair

like this, you know, I need to wear

something like maybe long dress here.

You can just walk in. And I was

surprised first when I went to church, I

say to my husband, "No, I can't go

inside. I'm like wearing jeans, you

know, and everything." He say, "It's

okay." Okay. And then so I saw a lot of

people like with short clothes that was

also shocking for me because in this in

Ethiopia really you need to plan to go

for a church. One thing what negatively

surprised me in the church it was I

think Christmas. So we went to church to

light the I don't know. Yes. We went

there and they are selling there. It has

like St. Mary picture okay on it. And

then we asked the guy like, "Are we

going to just throw it with the the

>> picture of the St. Mary?" He say, "Yeah,

yeah, I think it's young." He didn't

know. I said, "No, we never do this."

And we have like a really different

respect. You need to treat in different

way when you have like saints picture or

something. No, I can't do it. And I just

peeled it and took the I still have it

at my home. This was such a discovery

when we saw this huge fire on the on the

Christmas. It was in Russia we don't

have this communal custom you know

really in Ethiopia also we do that also.

Yes. First we go to in the church. You

do in the church and then also in your

neighborhood you also make like just in

front of your building or wherever you

live like the young people they are

making that banyak I don't know how to

say it in English sorry and they make

that and when you come back from church

and you continue there it's it's really

beautiful. So for you it wasn't a

discovery.

>> For me I found it more like similar than

discovery like because we like I say

it's more there and when I see her I I I

appreciate it and then I found it

something similar. Okay. Yeah. We have

something in common.

>> Do you have cultural differences in

everyday life with your husband?

>> Yeah. Well it helps me that he he used

to live in Ethiopia. He lived in

Ethiopia like two years. So he learned

bit about my culture. I would say even

like other part of Ethiopia like for me

when I was in Ethiopia I was just in

Adis he was traveling because of his job

and he learned much more than I learn

about my own country so that makes it

easy for us because he knows mine and

I'm learning his now

>> what about language do you learn it

>> sometimes I speak with my mom my

mother-in-law

uh she helps me a lot with that even if

I you know even if I don't say it

properly or if I don't understand she

has that patience. She can repeat or she

can correct me. So I I do speak with her

when we call each other. I speak to her

in Serbia but very broken. So I would

say it's very basic. I can go to cafe

order what I want and pay ask for more

something like that. I think maybe give

me one year or two I will be better.

>> Regarding your mother-in-law, was it

difficult for you to enter into Serban

family?

>> It was easy for me. I I would say I'm

lucky. She's very positive, supportive.

Like I feel like she's my my my

Serbian mom, you know, my own mother.

And I found this very easy and

[clears throat] as I say, my husband is

very supportive and I would like to

thank them. Both of them are really

nice.

>> It's great logo. Have you designed it by

yourself or it was

>> I I actually had this logo when I was

back in Adis

>> and we just changed a bit and my husband

helped me with like designing like my

logos and designing this part of the

place which is my favorite as well.

>> So he was like really investing his a

lot of time on this. But the logo

initially I had it when I was in in

Adysia when I first to start. So we just

continue from there.

>> Was it difficult for you to open salon

in Serbia?

>> It took me a while. It took me really

long time. I would say almost a year to

like put it out there to figure out

where to get what what is good. It was

not easy but I managed it finally. So I

would say yes to start it might take

time.

>> What is the most challenging aspect of

running a beauty salon in Belgrade? that

would be like to get to the community to

meet the people to make them to trust

you to try it out to make the people to

know you where you are and then also

sometimes people are afraid to try here

I would say new thing you know I don't

know they might want somebody to

recommend them to tell them that you

know it's like this she's good or he's

good whatever

>> it's interesting how did you do it how

did you gain trust of all the community

of Serbs.

>> It's still I would say I'm still

building it. I'm still like trying to

get the trust and uh to make them to

know me. I'm trying through Instagram,

through flyers. The first thing I try to

be friends with with all my clients,

that's what I'm doing.

>> I think it's easy here in Serbia. What

do you think?

>> Yeah, people are friendly, but to make

real friends takes time and it's not

that easy that I thought. So how would

you describe Serbs as a customers?

>> Hygiene is the most important for

Serbian people. For me too, they want to

have a quality service. Plus um they are

easy, super friendly. It's easy for me.

They do speak English like I don't know

maybe one or two person I met who

doesn't speak English maybe bit older

ones.

>> What did you consider before starting?

Well, when I decided this area, I

thought that it's like we talked at the

start. It's new area. People are, you

know, relocated here. And I felt maybe

it could be a good potential for me to

catch new clients. And plus, I live

nearby and I felt, you know, also the

city drive and crowd and all that stuff.

I felt maybe it's also good that it's

close to me. This is in Sunnyville

Vishneska.

the it's like new area. Of course, these

three three or four building if I'm not

mistaken were exist even before but

those like uh Sunnyville premium they

are new. I can't wait to welcome you

guys. [snorts] Come visit me just get to

know me and give me a chance.

>> So I would like to ask you about your

work as a model. Was it tough for you to

find a first job as a model here in

Serbia? not to find the job but to find

to figure out the the agencies where I

can find them or the photographers how

to get in touch with them was difficult.

My first was I found one agent. We were

sitting in the cafe and she came and

asked me if I'm interesting. I was so

happy because I was exploring about that

and to go to that side and I talked to

her and she sent me my first casting and

after that I start to you know get into

it and so yeah I was at first just to

get in touch with the people was hard

and after that I think it's okay.

>> Is it tough generally? So do you follow

some strict schedule some strict diets?

>> For me no for me I don't do nothing.

I just I don't exercise. I don't do any

diet. I just eat whatever I get. For me,

it's easy. Just give me the job and

[laughter]

just don't tell me to be sad. And beside

that, yes, I can't make sad face. I

still can't. I try. Anyway, I try. It

was really hard difficult for me like I

just couldn't make that kind of faces.

>> So, what are the most famous uh

advertisement you participated in?

>> One was Vaguetta. The biggest I would

say there is one shoes that I did like

twice. It's not for a TV. It's like more

like for social media plus for themsel

to display out there. And the IKEA it

was like more like on the as a future

extra not like as a man and uh mostly

photos and for some brand like I did for

um some drink I forgot.

>> Oh yeah yeah yeah I've seen it in your

Instagram. Is it a good money working as

a model?

>> Well, I would say it is for Serbia. It

they say it's cheaper. That's why most

of the companies are coming, productions

are coming to Serbia because it's like

cheap labor and everything. But as a

person who lives here, I would say it's

good money. Especially for a commercial,

if you get more often the job, you might

not get that much often. You know, if

you get the job, I would say it's good

money. So you can do you can do for a

session I don't know $10,000

or maybe

[laughter]

maybe in the future

>> it depends on your uh

>> it depend on the production and on their

budget in Serbia might not be that much

I would say I don't know maybe the

famous actress or actress if they can

get that but might not be that much.

>> What is the most challenging thing for

you here? I mean I changed the continent

not just a country right as I say making

friends are was a challenge for me at

first like just to go for a coffee with

someone was a challenging for me

language is still challenging for me

[laughter]

>> and then driving in Belgrade I do drive

okay at first it was challenging now not

anymore I I adjusted to it and sometimes

people can be aggressive on the driving

if you are bad driver People don't have

a patience on the driving here in

Bgrade. I would say like like I say if

you are slower you can't just be slow

because you are fresh or something. They

don't have that understanding you know.

>> Have you ever experienced any prejudices

towards you as person from Africa here

in Serbia?

>> For me I have most of the time like

positive feedback from people especially

I get surprised. It's like from woman

when they stop me and saying, "Oh, you

are beautiful or you have like beautiful

hair or something like that." I get,

"Wow, I never get this in Ethiopia." You

know, [laughter] I never had that

negative

feedback here in Serbia. I think Serbian

people, they don't care where are you

from? Are you black? Are you white? Are

you I don't know where are you from?

Like what's your background? I think

they don't care that much. They care

more about you. how what's your

personality and if you are a good person

that's what matters to Serbian people so

they are not much into that

>> what's the best things for you about

Serbia

>> the people are positive as I say it

makes it easier for me that people are

not like viewing me as like I'm some

kind of different person like you know I

I feel like I'm melted already in like

two years I feel I don't feel like I'm I

came from different place and The cafe.

Oh, I forgot the cafe. Coffee shops are

my favorite thing.

[music]