Among the many voices that recently echoed songs about Kosovo and Metohija at the medieval Rmanj Monastery in Martin Brod near Drvar, one stood out—that of Maira, a Brazilian who has been a daughter-in-law in Drvar for 13 years and now considers this small town her first homeland.
“Drvar is my first homeland now because it is the homeland of my children. It doesn’t matter where you’re born—your homeland is where you want to be, where you are happy, and I am happy in Drvar. I love our life in the countryside and the way my daughters, Sofia and Sara, are growing up here,” says Maira, who moved to the village of Zaglavica near Drvar with her husband Petar Pećanac after living in São Paulo and Novi Sad.
Maira explains that she visited Martin Brod with a group of local folk dancers as a chaperone to her nine-year-old daughter Sofia, who performs with the group. Through such gatherings, she says, she is deepening her understanding of the fascinating history, traditions, and culture of these lands.
“When my father visits us from Brazil, he wants to learn everything about Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is little quality information, yet culture—Serb, Croat, and Muslim alike—is so important. He doesn’t speak the language, but he wants to talk to people, because people are history. You are history! Your voice and your life are what we need to hear,” says Maira as she hugs an older woman who approached to take a photo with her.
Over the years living in Drvar, Maira has mastered many skills and learned the secrets of local homemakers, such as making delicacies from wild fruits like rosehip and cornelian cherry. She’s eager to continue learning.
Maira and her husband Petar—who became the first mountaineer from BiH to summit Mount Everest in 2007—decided to move to Drvar after spending time together in Novi Sad and São Paulo.
“Petar and I met in Hong Kong while working on a cruise ship. We traveled the world and made a joint decision to settle in Drvar. There was no hesitation when it came to Drvar,” Maira recalls.
As they watch their two-year-old Sara and nine-year-old Sofia grow up carefree in the home they built in the village of Zaglavica, nestled at the foot of the mysterious Osječenica mountain, Maira and Petar no longer dream of distant lands—they’ve already found their world.
“Petar is a photographer and designer. I work for a software company in the U.S. owned by a Serbian, doing translations into English and Portuguese, and handling marketing. Every day, we’re part of the world, but our home, our first homeland, and our whole world—is Drvar,” concludes Maira.
Source: Glas Srpske
