Neither the natural beauty of the Šar Mountains nor the Vardar Valley could keep Stefan Nikodinoski in Gostivar, North Macedonia. When he became a father, the only thing he could think about was whether that country would provide his son Nikola with equally poor opportunities as it did for him in the next twenty years. He had to fight for jobs, wages were miserable, and the political upheavals made it clear to him that even several decades would not be enough for the situation to improve. And then the decision was made: he would go in search of a better life, and that meant going to Croatia. It was not the promised land he had imagined, but it was far enough from Macedonia to mean a better opportunity. He found an employer, a construction company that secured him a work permit; at that time, quotas were still in effect, and he embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. After a few months, he found himself in New Zagreb, in the Utrine neighborhood. He viewed the apartment where he, his wife Jelica, and son were to move in. He found a new job for himself and for her in a local establishment at the Utrina market, in the neighborhood that is now their home. Thus, the adventure began, and the whole family moved to Croatia. Nikola did not know a word of Croatian when he started school, but he quickly adapted. The family integrated rapidly and does not stand out from the average Zagreb family.
– Except for citizenship – they both joked, adding that if they had the opportunity, they would immediately agree to sign that they were Croats from tomorrow. They live and work in Zagreb, their younger daughter was born in Zagreb, who speaks only Croatian, Nikola has his own crew in Zagreb, and they do not feel like foreigners. At least not like foreigners from some more exotic country. But that is one side of the story, which has its flip side.
Deportation is Not an Option!
– But staying in Croatia was not the simplest – noted Jelica. For example, they once found themselves in a situation where they were left without jobs, so they had to accept anything just to be able to stay here, to extend their permits, because they never wanted to gamble with the law, they have children and know that carelessness can backfire. Deportation is not an option!
– I am always afraid of that, no matter how much we do everything by the book and pay attention to every detail, every paper, every letter – added Jelica.
Soon it will be five years since Stefan has been in Croatia, and when Jelica reaches that anniversary, she will submit an application for permanent residency. They already have temporary residency, they are legally in Croatia, and today they are even entrepreneurs. They started a snack bar called Gableci at Tomek in the Utrina market, where they can be found daily. They cook everything, domestic, Macedonian, even Chinese snacks, but the most sought-after dishes are spoon dishes. This was just a business adventure, which did not pass without facing the fact that Croatian administration always likes to complicate things a bit, just as Stefan likes to spice up gravče na tavče when it is on the menu.
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